BOOKSChristian Living, Health
How do we find joy in the midst of suffering? How do we rise above our pain and attain lives of purpose and bright light? This work focuses on the story of Job and the life of Jesus to show that pain can encourage, nurture, and help us find joy - if we keep the faith!
|
Welcome!February Note: Oh, where did January go?! I'm frightfully behind updating my site, but will do so soon. Meanwhile, I hope you'll enjoy some of the content here - and come back later for more! Joys!
RELEVANT RADIO INTERVIEW MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012I'll be back on Relevant Radio, visiting with Sean Herriott on his program, "Morning Air," on Monday, February 6, 2012, at 8:40 AM Central/6:40 AM Pacific. I'll be talking about redefining happiness when we live with chronic pain & illness. To listen real time, go to www.relevantradio.com and click on "Listen Now." The program will also be archived, and you can go to that same website and find my interview, along with others, under the archive section for "Morning Air." Hope you can listen in!
A BRAND NEW YEAR!The Christmas tree is back in its box, but the creche is still settled on a bookcase in my living room. Yes, it's Christmas-becoming-New Year's - time to still keep Christ's birthday close while looking ahead to fresh beginnings...and a few leftovers.
Oh, not leftovers of an edible kind, although there are plenty of those, too. But leftovers of the things that we thought we'd accomplish in 2011. Whether they are resolutions that went unresolved or midstream to-dos, we all have things that are being carried over from one year to another. And yet, we also have new things that we want to add. How to do them all? Well, perhaps we are best to rethink that very question. As tempting as it might be to heap "hope to" upon "hope to," in lives punctuated by pain and illness, it's just not realistic to think that we'll be able to accomplish absolutely everything on our 2012 list AND finish up 2011's items. As we well know, illness has a way of cropping up unexpectedly, and pain can ebb and flow completely outside any well-planned schedule. This year, instead of adding to my weekly list of tasks, I'm paring down. Giving myself more breathing room. Prioritizing those activities that remain so that I can more fully enjoy (and do justice to) them. I guess you could say I'm resolved to put myself on an activity "diet," adding in only a very few things as I pare back other activities. It's important to understand that, when we hone down the things we are engaged in, we are not giving up nor are we giving in to our health challenges. Rather, we are allowing ourselves to be less stressed and less stretched. And, something even more wonderful - we're allowing God to reach into the "blank spaces" and fill our lives with more light, peace, joy, rest, mini miracles, and stupendous surprises. As we move into 2012, I'm reminded of this part of a Robert Frost poem, "May something go always unharvested! May much stay out of our stated plan, Apples or something forgotten and left, So smelling their sweetness would be no theft." ("Unharvested") May you, too, experience many unexpected blessings in 2012! Joy and peace in Our Lord Jesus Christ, Maureen SPECIAL OFFER ON BOOKS!The Bookstore at St. Monica's Catholic Church, 725 California Avenue, Santa Monica, CA, is kindly offering to give a 10% discount on "Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness" and "Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy" if you mention this announcement at the time of purchase. With independent bookstores quickly disappearing, I hope that, if you are in the Los Angeles area, you can support St. Monica's Bookstore in its very worthy mission. Thank you!
THE POSITIVE POWER OF PAINAn awful lot of people throughout the world are in tremendous pain these days. Whether from external forces - natural disasters, war, economic troubles - or from internal problems regarding health, emotional challenges, and general fear and angst, many feel as if a dark cloud is hovering over them, obscuring the sun and light of happier, brighter times.
My heart goes out to all who are suffering - and my hope goes out, too, that in the midst of the pain, something powerfully positive will take hold. I think of it this way - Darkness is erradicated by illumination. In the same way as we consciously decide to flip a switch to turn on a light, if we consciously decide to approach pain from a different, more empowering perspective, we can take hold of it, take charge, and rise above it. Sometimes, we need help reaching the switch - and we can ask for that help through invention from God, friends, counselors, medical professionals and by educating ourselves on our particular situation. And we certainly need to acknowledge that, as we move to turn on the light, we are also acknowledging the Power, the One whose energy moves through it all - we are very surely saying "yes" to God. But the decision to take action, positive action, rests with us. Does it take energy to want to move from helplessness to more control? Certainly. Is it scary to budge from where we're sitting to someplace more productive, more active? Oh, yes! But each step we take to live well, grace-fully and joyfully, is a step forged in strength, courage, and growth. We appreciate ourselves so much more, and this gift of precious life that God bestows, if we do all we can to make the most of it - to shine! Pain in life is inevitable. But what is not carved in stone is our response to it. Even if, today, the obstacles to a better life seem insurmountable, God's enegy is present, and His love moves all around us, encouraging us to reach up, reach out, re-act - and turn on the light for all to see! Joys and peace! Maureen "BEYOND PAIN: JOB, JESUS, AND JOY" NOW AVAILABLE! CALLING ALL INFLUENCERS!Now that my new book is out, I am especially eager to let you know that YOU can make a difference!!!
You?!?! Yes, YOU!!! I'm calling upon you to be a positive influence for someone you know. Here's what I mean: If you (1) are or have a pastor, preacher, support group leader, or other organization or individual who reaches out to people in pain and/or living with illness adn (2) feel they might benefit from "Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy," I invite you to let me know who they are (or contact me yourself). I would be delighted to see how we can work together to help those who live with horrible pain feel more peace and, of course, joy! SIMPLY LOVELY JEWELRY NOW ON THE WEB!Each creative endeavor seems to build upon another. As I was writing "Peace in the Storm" and "Beyond Pain," I began to craft gemstone and pearl jewelry. After a very positive response to the designs, I've opened a little shop online. It's a work in progress, and over the next few months I'll be adding to the pieces already there, but I invite you to visit and let me know what you think of my "Simply Lovely Jewelry." (the website is: www.simplylovelyjewelry.etsy.com) Thank you and enjoy!
TELEVISION SHOW STILL ON AIR!I had been notified that, after a year on the air, "Peace in the Storm: The Television Show" had been taken off. Now, I've been notified that Loma Linda Broadcasting Networks is keeping the show on, and episodes continue to air at least once five days a week. The current schedule is available on www.llbn.tv!RELEVANT RADIO INTERVIEW ARCHIVESMy interviews on Relevant Radio's Morning Air Program are archived on the Relevant Radio website: www.relevantradio.com. You can search for my name and then click on a particular interview to listen in, if you weren't able to hear the segments real-time.
FINALLY FACEBOOK AND TWITTERYes, I finally took the plunge and established myself on Facebook and Twitter. On both, you'll find me as Maureen Pratt. In the coming days, I hope to post more frequently - and make full use of these venues. Stop by and say hello!
|
|
