Limitless Mentality

“Never put a lid on God. You can’t give God a thimble and ask for a quart. It won’t work. Your plans, your projects, your dreams have to always be bigger than you, so that God has room to operate.” - Mother Angelica from the book Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality.

Playing it safe, it is the most common mentality in order to navigate life without much discomfort. I really don’t know how or why some of us are so afraid to step out in faith. In the past people didn’t have much and in reality they had way more than we do now. They lived simply and work the land with their own hands, it was hard work and many times they gathered their food on a daily basis. There was no way to store food for a long period of time so they learned to get things as they needed, nothing more. Everyone in the family was expected to lend a helping hand and -unlike now- they did it without expecting to get paid for it, it was something they did because they were part of the family. They had to rely on faith and hard work trusting that they would have what they needed.

(Entrance to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament - built on Faith)

When it comes to God there are no limits on what He can do through us. I’ve seen it with my own eyes on the things He accomplished through Mother Angelica, and yet I’m afraid to step out in faith. “Pagan” she called a loan officer once for not lending her money based on faith. She had no assets and didn’t know what her income was going to be until the end of the month. We have been conditioned to work on “sure” ground, on security, on things we can see and touch.

The other day we had a customer worried about submitting a claim to her insurance company in order to do a repair in her house. Her fear was on the increase of her policy if she submitted the claim, now I just wondered, why in the world do we need to have insurance for everything if when the time to make a claim comes we are afraid to claim what we are entitled to? We spend millions of dollars over our lifetime to insure everything we possess and yet we are afraid to claim a portion of it back. What does insurance provides us? In this case absolutely nothing other than to make us part from our hard earn money in exchange for some “security.”

Having a limitless mentality is not stopping to think of what we can do, but on what God can do instead. We are a vessel and only when we allow to be used by Him are we able to do the great things He had in mind for us. They key to limitless is to tap to the source and open ourselves to the possibilities.

I really don’t know why am I writing on this topic today, all I know is that somehow those lines I quoted at the beginning jumped at me while reading the book this morning. I keep waiting to move forward in my life but at the moment I feel frozen in time, afraid of what might come next. I know I should have faith, the one I used to have years ago but that in many ways I’ve lost. I need to get it back; faith that things will get better, that nothing will last forever, that I can do anything through Him if only I tune in to His will in my life at this moment and that my dreams are His way of saying to go on, that there is so much more to be achieved and accomplished in my life.

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Clary Lopez, author of Simplicity, Richness of Life

A New Earth’s Christian Option

There is a hunger for enlightment and spirituality today, it’s a growing trend helping people to finally find time for themselves and their soul in order to find balance and peace within.

I volunteer at my local library once a week and I found Lift Up Your Heart among the books that needed to be put back on the shelf. I’m always on the lookout for a few good books to take home with me. Since the sections I worked are the non-fiction I get plenty of time to -while working- see what’s new and available.

This book was first published in 1950 and Fulton Sheen was way ahead in his way of thinking. He speaks of the ego and the I, the ego being that which we think or pretend we are and the I as our true self. The ego is a conformist, it is adjusted to its times; the I has attained inner freedom, through transcendence of the wordly. In order to reveal the I we need to shed our ego.

The popularity that A New Earth gained thanks to Oprah’s promotion has been impressive. Not only did she promoted the book but she sponsored a whole new online study on this book which many around the world are taking part of, Christians included. Many are calling it Oprah’s church, but I don’t believe that’s her intention. She always like to share what she believes is good according to “her understanding.” Unfortunately the impact this class will have will be one of people believing they depend on themselves and not God.

If you know of any other good Christian books that could interest those who are reading A New Earth please share them here.

Oprah’s Church? What Do You Believe?

Oprah has been for me a person who demonstrated that we can accomplish a lot in life, even against the odds. I watch her show every week and I’m a subscriber of her monthly magazine, but one thing I’ve learned in life is to KNOW WHAT I BELIEVE. I won’t judge her because she is acting according to what she knows about her faith at this point, only God has the right to judge on this matter. There is a lot of different teachings, faiths, beliefs out there and we can’t blame this or the other for the loss of our faith. When life doesn’t go exactly as we thought it should we can’t blame the media, books, people, music etc. Yes, the media have a tremendous influence in our way of thinking but it is ultimately US who by our ignorance are driven into situations of this magnitude.

When I heard the announcement for this class something told me it wasn’t right. I tried to listen to the first class but technical difficulties didn’t let me finish it. I thought about listening to it later after it was posted on her site. Then I went to the store and saw the book displayed and stop to look through it, I could tell right away it didn’t go with my Christian belief. By reading a blog review of the book I found out it had Budhist ideas integrated into it, called it Budhism 101 written into a more easy to understand terms.

I’m not trying to condone the bad influence some communication mediums are doing to believers in general but what I would like to do is put responsability back on the shoulders of those who know about Jesus and what he is about. He came personally to teach us how to live and how to gain eternal life, if we choose to believe something else or listen to others than the witnesses of his teachings we are entitled to do so, but we are also entitled to the consequences.

As Christians what we are called to do is to continue to grow in the knowledge of our faith and share it with others. Each individual in turn will respond to the message or not. It is our responsability to share it to the best of our ability and move on, but we are also called to defend it. We can’t force anyone to believe on what we believe but we have the right to hold fast to our faith.

I believe that many people are driving to all of this kind of thinking because their spirit is hungry. We have starved our spiritual life to such a degree that we don’t even know what it is anymore. My belief is that we were created by God and that is who our soul yearns for. If we only take care of our body and not the soul sooner or later we feel that something is missing and it is.

Faith is a personal choice and we are ultimately responsible for our own life and what we do with it. All we can do is live it to best of our knowledge and ability, expose our belief along the way and guide those who are willing to listen.

We need to pick our battles and this one is one we need to trust God to conquer with the life of Christians as testimony. What’s your opinion?

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Clary Lopez, author of Simplicity, Richness of Life

Preparing for the Unknown

There is a new chapter, new events, a new problem or situation, you know is coming but you have no idea what it is or how to prepare for it. Is there such a thing as to prepare yourself for the unknown? Should we waste energy on something you know nothing about? Perhaps not.

I know mine is coming and all I’m trying to do right now is to relax and don’t think too much on how I imagine everything will be. At this point I know well nothing I imagine will be what will happen at the end. Attitude is what I need to concentrate and a spirit of acceptance. Maybe I should take with me The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale, better grab it now before I forget.

The right mental and emotional attitude helps assimilate better the big and small unknown situations in our life. Your mind remains receptive and alert ,opened to ideas and able to create solutions for the situations and circumstances that threaten to throw you out of balance. I tend to be the “strong” in the family, able to communicate, guide and protect those I love. I can hide the turbulence inside as long as needed to in order to offer others the estability and support they need for their trials. What I need to figure out is how to sustain myself in order not run out of energy, hope and love. Quiet time and meditation has helped me for many years so I will continue to do so as I go along my path.

When you are caring for others it makes sense to care for yourself first. In order to give you need to have. For many years I’ve tried to do things on my own, only God is allowed into my deepest needs and worries. Now, I feel is time to open up to others who might be able to help me as well. God works in different ways and through different people so I must be aware to detect when that happens and welcome it with an open mind.

So to me the ultimate way to prepare myself for the unknown is to tune in to myself and be opened to the endless possibilities that might come my way in order to help me accomplish my mission.

A Christmas Wish

We are just hours away from celebrating one of the most important days for Christians. It is a time to remember and reflect on the awesome gift God gave to us in Jesus. What amazes me the most of all about this big event is that God was so in love with us that he was willing to become one of us in order to reach out to us. His love is so perfect and complete that we should not need anything else. We are called to love like he did but the more I see his love the more I realize how short I come up in matching his goodness. It is only by yielding to him and letting him use me as a channel when the most pure love come forth from me to others. My gift and channel is my writing, with it I’m reaching out and bringing forth from the depths of my soul not only what I feel but what he wants to communicate to me. Sometimes I’m lost in darkness and desolation, others I’m beaming with light and understanding. There are peaks and valleys, there is rain and sunshine, there is laugh and cries. It’s the complexity of our nature and one that I hope anyone can relate to.

This morning as I write this to you, the silence feels my senses and the words flow with ease. I feel tranquil and almost like I’m not here but floating about myself, it’s prayer. I think of you and wish that you experience the same peace and tranquility I’m feeling right now and that you get to be embraced by infinite love. Love is what we search and long for all the days of our life, without it we live an useless existence.

My wish this Christmas is that I get to understand the mystery of love. As I look into his eyes I hope that, what feels like my never ending journey, guide me to where I’m supposed to be.

What The Holidays (Christmas) Mean to Me

What The Holidays Mean to You

For you, the holidays are a very spiritual time. You have as much holiday fun as everyone else - but you never forget what you’re celebrating. You celebrate the holidays in a minimalist style. You are likely to only give one great present and decorate your house with a few special items. During the holidays, you feel happily busy. There’s so much do to and not a lot of time to do it. But you enjoy every minute of your holiday chores. You think the holidays should be decadent and indulgent. You never mind gaining a few holiday pounds… it’s worth it! Your best holiday memories are warm and intimate. You remember special moments more than gifts or parties.

What Do the Holidays Mean to You?

Life, Time and What We Do With It

“I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.” —John Burroughs

Life, so fragile and unpredictable. Nobody knows how long we will alive and yet we live like we will never die.

Life and time are linked together and somehow contribute in the accomplishments of our mission, goals and dreams.

I was listening to Paulo Coelho’s interview in Glasgow last night and it’s amazing how much we think alike. There is a time in life in which you decide to make your dreams come true. It might not be what others have in mind for you but it sure is what you have in your heart.

Writing becomes a way to grow and understand myself in the process, to me a necessary evil. The days in which I can’t write freely I’m uptight and “absent” from my immediate sorroundings. Like Paulo, it’s easier for me to express myself in my writing than speaking so that offers me hope given all he has been able to accomplish so far.

I’m planning to do a major revision to Simplicity - Richness of Life and add the things I’ve learned in the past eight years. I’m not sure if I will expand on each topic and create some new ones or just add a whole new section to the book. Some of my friends have asked me to translate the book into Spanish as well so that’s another major project I need to take into consideration. Time is limited right now so I don’t know when I’ll be able to begin these projects.

One thing is for sure I, like anyone else, need to stop and evaluate frequently my life, my time and what I do with it. If I don’t nobody will and before I know it is out of my control. Life is too short, it passes us by and those we love the most leave us (to begin their life or called by God to a better life) and we need to make the most of the time we have with them.

What do you think your life means? How do you manage your time?

Amanecer - Sunrise

A new phase in my life and it all began on a sunrise as I flew high above the clouds on an airplane headed to Puerto Rico. It was a time of fear of the unknown. I had no idea what awaited me as I landed on the island and my mind raced in a million different directions. It all came down to trust and faith that God would carry me through whatever came my way. I was called and with that call I knew there were graces attached, that’s how he works. He reminded me through my family and friends of the reality of his hand and protection over me as I stepped out in faith to answer his call on my life. I needed to stop looking at myself trying to gain control on my own and see me instead as a channel for his graces to work through me. It is hard not to want to have the control and direct my own steps. I know I need to be like the blind trusting in the guidance of another.

It has been six weeks since that day and we are now in my own territory. We’ve began to navigate the path which hopefully help us beat the challenges we are facing. It has taken a lot of hours of research and the implementation of health principles in order to get everything back in balance. I believe it’s time for an evaluation to see if anything has changed.

One of the hardest things to accept is that I don’t know how long all of these is going to take. I’m so used to layout plans and deadlines for projects to be completed and now I find myself living on a day to day basis with a lot of pending projects on hold. I feel uncomfortable, insecured and powerless in the situation. I need to be reminded that it is when I’m weak that I’m strong in Jesus who is the one who comes in and do whatever it is need to be done through me if I let him.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation in which you need to yield to God in order to go on? What struggles have you experienced as part of such experience?

The Present

To be silent is to face a challenge. I just returned from a silent retreat and I realize that it is so hard for people to remain silent for a long period of time, perhaps because we are used to the sound of our voice, to have our thoughts heard instead of trying to listen for an internal response. We are scared many times of whom we’ll find within us: a complete stranger. We feel uncomfortable to know of our faults and weaknesses and most of all of not knowing how to improve our spiritual life.

Today is my birthday, and it makes me think of what another year of life means to me. I’m thankful for the most for the priviledge to have life and health. I’ve managed to stay afloat among the many challenges which I have faced this past year and I try not to think much about the future. The present is all I have and I must concentrate on that every single day of my life. Fr. Healy reminded us about this reality this weekend, the present is a gift of God to us. Whenever I do the will of God you live in the present and I experience heaven on earth. It is so easy to miss my present by worrying about the past that’s gone or the future which is not here.

I’ve learned not to take anything or anyone for granted and most of all to put my trust in God in good and bad times. By accepting my nothingness before an awesome God and the little control I have over my life I’ve gained peace and tranquility in exchange. The Lord is the one who will direct my steps and direct my life, no one better than him to know what’s best for me. I confess that sometimes I feel like taking the control into my own hands but a massive wall raises before me letting me know that it is not my place to do so.

The Need for Silence

Photography by Clary Lopez Copyright 2006

In a little over a month I will be taking my yearly silent retreat. It is a time I look forward to, however I understand that not many people are used to silence. “Silent retreat? What’s that?” some have asked me. It’s a retreat in which you don’t speak for two and a half days. “Oh my God, how am I going to do that?” Well, I would say by not talking…

I will listen to spiritual talks throughout the day and then reflect on them. Sometimes I walk the grounds you see on this picture. There is plenty to explore and as I walk and listen to the sound of the ground beneath my feet, I feel the heat, cold or breeze on my face. If I’m ambitious enough I can walk a mile and reach the Benedictine Monastery and go into the church or across the street and spend some time at the grotto. The monks get together a few times a day for prayer. I usually take my camera with me and take pictures at the escapes I want to take home with me when I’m far away from this wonderful place.

Silence drives me to dig deep and to hear God’s voice if he wishes to communicate with me. It is rare that I get to this point but first I must create the ideal situation for him to work with my spirit.

Sometimes I just go to my room and read or journal my thoughts and reflections. There is a stillness that you can hardly get anywhere else unless you do this kind of retreat. Life is too busy, too noisy, too fast for this kind of situation to be recreated at home. I try my best to get this periods of times whenever I can and I need to let others know of my intentions. I can’t be listening to radio or TV all day long, I need some down time. Balancing the physical and the spiritual is important to me and I’m sure it is good for everyone, but not everybody understands it. One day they are all stressed out, depressed or with a nervous breakdown and they wonder why. To me is simple, don’t forget to take time for yourself and by yourself. Don’t forget your dreams and passions in life. Take time to laugh and time to cry. Show others how much you love them and care for them. Take care of those who need help. Say something nice to someone you know or to a stranger. It is simple.

One of my mottoes is: “Be silent and speak when necessary.”