Give Sunday | 12

We made it home safe and sound from our RV Spring Break adventure - I'll share more about that later this week. 

This year, in honor of my 2015 One Little Word® "give," I'm sharing a hand-drawn quote each Sunday here on my blog.

I've been repeating the phrase "inhabit your life" to myself again lately - it's one of the things I do when I find myself shying away from living the length and the width. I've been finding myself operating with a shorter fuse than I'd like and have been fairly consistently over-reacting to little problems (making them way bigger than necessary). So I'm working through it and making lists of things to be thankful for and thinking I might get myself some help. Because, my friends, it often takes a village not just to raise our kids but to evolve ourselves. 

Bring on the soul dancing.  

Also, I updated the file from last week that was having an issue. You can click on over to that post to re-download the file. 

Click here to read my initial post and download the #givesunday word art title and checklist for helping you to give a little something today. You can also view all the past #givesunday quotes via the archives


Click here to download the #givesunday 12 quote. Please note: If you are reading this post via email you need to click through to the actual blog post to download the file

You're invited to join me. What will you give today?

Have a wonderful Sunday. 

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7 thoughts

  1. chp97 says…
    03/29/2015

    Awesome Ali. Thank you for these. Nurturing our souls is not always at the top of our priority list so sometimes we have to remember that it is so important to take time for self care. My mantra lately has been 'remember to breathe' as its a busy, stressful time of year. Looking forward to hearing more about spring break. Be well and happy.

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. mtercha says…
    03/29/2015

    Thanks. Looking forward to reading about your adventure. Hoping it was beyond awesome. Michelle t

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. ritaymca says…
    03/29/2015

    Sounds like you're overwhelmed. You seem to have a lot on your plate. Reaching out for help is wise. And you... are a wise soul. Be well.

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. ScrappinMyHeartOut says…
    03/29/2015

    Wonderful quote. Wishing you well. Vacations are fun but often tiring and the preparation while trying to keep all the other balls in the air is alot. It's easy to give the advice "slow down" but sometimes it's hard to figure out what, of all the tasks we do and all the fun things we want to do - what exactly can be given up to slow down? A little help can go a long way - wishing you a cup of hot tea, a bath, a good night's sleep and anything else that will soothe your soul before it starts dancing :)

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  5. Queen_Mary says…
    03/30/2015

    Today I will give you a story. I left your blog open on my computer but never got back to it so today I am writing about yesterday -- Palm Sunday. I went to Mass. The Gospel, as always, was the Passion of Jesus; this year it was Mark's gospel, so mercifully short (for all involved, not just Jesus). I began with a story that appears in John's gospel in a different guise, but I am sure you will recognize the gist of it, it has to do with giving. Now I don't go to the usual Catholic church, I go to what is referred to as an "Intentional Eucharistic Community." What this means is that we are completely lay led and funded. We are lucky to be just outside Washington DC so we have Universities with academic priests and houses of Order priests to basically hire and come preside at our liturgies and sacraments. We get a variety of theological backgrounds this way as well as a variety of employment backgrounds. We tend to have a highly educated group mixed in with people from HEC (Handicapped Encounter Christ) and Latinos from the Dream Foundation which seeks to ensure in state tuition benefits for graduating seniors who where brought here as children from other countries and are not properly documented as residents. We also get visitors from other countries while resident in embassies, basically we're a pretty motley crew with peace and social justice as our main efforts.

    SO, this particular part of the gospel on Sunday had caught my attention and surprisingly, had caught the attention of our Franciscan-dentist-presider as well. Of course I was delighted when his homily focused on this part of the gospel:

    When he was in Bethany reclining at table
    in the house of Simon the leper,
    a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil,
    costly genuine spikenard.
    She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on his head.
    There were some who were indignant.
    “Why has there been this waste of perfumed oil?
    It could have been sold for more than three hundred days’ wages
    and the money given to the poor.”
    They were infuriated with her.
    Jesus said, “Let her alone.
    Why do you make trouble for her?
    She has done a good thing for me.
    The poor you will always have with you,
    and whenever you wish you can do good to them,
    but you will not always have me.
    She has done what she could.
    She has anticipated anointing my body for burial.
    Amen, I say to you,
    wherever the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world,
    what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

    What the Franciscan talked about, of course, was the violence of the Passion, but how the gospel was also about a series of encounters Jesus had with people; and the priest went backwards from Joseph of Arimethea who took the body for burial, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses, who stood by during the crucifixion, death and burial, etc., until he got all the way back to his "favorite encounter" in this gospel, the one with the woman with the perfumed oil." The priest, John Heffernan, noted that Jesus said wherever this gospel is proclaimed, WHAT SHE HAS DONE WILL BE TOLD IN MEMORY OF HER. John suggested that the reason THE WOMAN is the point of this gospel -- NOT to be lost in the telling of the Passion Story, is because of all the people sitting at that meal, she is the one who really GOT IT. And this is where I want to make sure you do recall the other story in John's gospel where the woman washes Jesus' feet with her tears and dries them with her hair. Both of these are very intimate acts. In Mark's gospel Jesus says this woman has anointed his body for death. John, our priest points out that in GIVING (Ms. McDougall-Edwards) to others, we enter into an intimate relationship. In really giving to another person - not simply writing a check, but reaching out and giving, we meet Jesus. Every single day. This is the real knowing God.

    Now, one can broaden the scope of this beyond the Christian because many religions share this notion of the divine being manifest in all things, certainly at least in all humans. We each are a manifestation of Consciousness; Namaste - the divine in me greets the divine in you; we should be kind to all living things because we may come back in our next life as a different living thing.

    And so Ali, with each Sunday gift, you open yourself to each of us who will receive you -- whether today, yesterday, or perhaps Wednesday next. I recognize your gift and I am grateful for the Magic in your gift, because it is truly magical; especially to me, knowing that there may well be Sundays that you do not feel like giving that gift but you do it as a commitment to yourself, as a gift to yourself you are giving to us. As you are swirling like a Dervish in worship, I am caught up in that worship too! Blessings! and Story On! Rise Up!

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. CasieGutierrez says…
      03/30/2015

      Queen Mary,
      I know this beautiful message is intended for Ali but I feel blessed by reading its message and the love you send in it!!!

  6. CasieGutierrez says…
    03/30/2015

    Ali
    I always appreciate your honesty and transparency. You are an amazingly talent person who gives so much of your wisdom, emotions and challenges here on the blog as well as through the story kits each month. I can't imagine all the work it takes to create and distribute those classes.
    On top of being a single mom with two beautiful kids who are vibrant, unique and active in sports and activities.
    In all, you have a very full plate and I pray you get rest and restore your soul. Being a working mama myself, I struggle at times to nurture my soul along with care for an nurture my kids.
    Daily prayer and scripture study has made a huge impact on my day. I still fail daily to be the mom I think I should be or the employee I would like to be but God's mercies are new each morning!
    The community at www.shereadstruth.com is amazing! I have the app on my phone which includes daily scripture readings along with a devotional written by a woman just like us. Mothers, creatives, bloggers, etc. Real women sharing challenges, struggles, triumphs all through God's amazing grace!
    Praying for you Ali as you move through this season of your life and thank you for sharing with us all!
    Casie

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