Remember

I am noticing more and more the word "remember".  My husband and I had company the other night and we watched a movie where one of the characters, facing his own death, wondered if he would be remembered after he died. Another one of my friends recently asked me that after she dies, if I would remember and pray for her two sons, who give her cause for concern with their spiritual life. 

Each of us is called to be God-like and maybe our remembering another might also lift them up...perhaps even save them: from pessimism, from worry, discouragement, maybe even self harm. Just knowing someone is remembering them could be the light they need at that time!

What phone call might you make? What note of encouragement or support could you send? How can each of us be more like God, being conscious of ways to remember others through gratitude and praise, letting that other person know we are thinking of them and what they mean to us?

Like the weather

Ever feel like the weather? Some days warm, others chilly? Today it was 27 degrees; week before last in the seventies. Some days my thoughts come freely, other times I'm in quagmire. I am preparing for a presentation May 1 and it feels as if I am going in circles trying to figure out how to say what I want to present. One of my friends, after a recent talk  I gave and knowing how well it went said, "see, it didn't do any good to fret about it!"

I might be fretting but more than that I am trying to simply do a good job, being clear with information I will be sharing. For me, it is different than simply giving information, like I did while working in healthcare assisting patients with advance directives.  Now, I must listen to a quiet, still voice inside of me, that I look to for guidance.  I ask God to assist me in saying something that will be received by my listeners.  Hopefully, what I share will help others in some way, something that might nurture their own spirit. 

Some days it helps to get my hands dirty in the soil, "play in the dirt", rake leaves as I listen and wait. Today, though, I need a jacket on...it's still cold out but I know it will warm up!! I hope soon...May 1 is coming! 

Molly can be reached for spiritual direction at 920 793.3530. She has offices in Two Rivers and Crivitz, WI  For more information go to: mollylafond.com

Hard Work

Easter is now a memory but if I am to live the message of Easter,  I have some hard work to do.  April 6, 2015, my closest cousin died in Texas after several years' battle with cancer. This is ripping at my heart, to say the least. There was a tragic death of an acquaintance in town and my best friend's health continues to deteriorate. I feel like I am carrying several crosses at one time. It is a heavy journey. 

I used to think that all I needed to do was to "act enthusiastic and then I'll be enthusiastic" as the Dale Carnegie Course teaches but it's not so easy. I used to put on a clown mask and not be "real" with what was going on inside me. I now have to check my thinking, admit my sadness and reach out to healthy individuals and ways that will help me take care of myself better. It also  helps to see how others have reached out to me with cards, emails, phone calls, etc. with their thoughts and prayers. 

I think this is really what Easter is all about. Finding new life within the realities of each day.  I  have to work at this thing called "life".  I have to keep reaching out to others, thinking of others and being active. Recognizing those things in my day for which I am grateful certainly helps.  I must keep praying and asking God for strength...even when I don't feel like it.  It's hard work but well worth it. Life isn't just about our "crosses" but what can come from them. What new life can we see that has come from our dark times, our struggles and crosses? What joy and hope is on the other side? 


Molly LaFond is a spiritual director with offices in Two Rivers and Crivitz, WI. For an appointment for spiritual direction she can be reached at
920. 793.3530 or see more at: mollylafond.com

Eastertide

It is wonderful that Easter is celebrated longer than just one day, as Christians continue to celebrate the Octave of Easter this week. In talking with a friend about Easter she began sharing about the symbolism of "Easter eggs".

Below is an exerpt from Wikipedia. "In Christianity, for the celebration of Eastertide, Easter eggs symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus: though an egg appears to be like the stone of a tomb, a bird hatches from it with life; similarly, the Easter egg, for Christians, is a reminder that Jesus rose from the grave, and that those who believe will also experience eternal life." 

I never knew this information before but certainly enjoyed coloring Easter eggs when we were kids. It was a tradition I'll never forget. I am amazed at how, as I get older, I appreciate knowing the depth of what simple, every day actions mean surrounding holy days.  I ask myself, as you may ask, "what seems like a tomb in my life...and what new life can or has come from it?"


Molly LaFond is a Spiritual Director with offices in Two Rivers, WI and Crivitz, WI.  For more information see: mollylafond.com