Today’s Invite: LOOK!
What if God is already showing up in the ordinary moments of your day-and you simply need to LOOK?
A Thought to Begin
“Let me keep company always with those who say ‘Look!’ and laugh in astonishment, and bow their heads.”
—Mary Oliver, “Mysteries, Yes,” Evidence (2009)
Scripture
“Stand and consider the marvels of God!”
Reflection
The other day, I was driving with my adult son when I saw the most amazing sunrise.
I immediately said, “Joey, look! Isn’t it beautiful?”
In a perfectly monotone voice, he responded, “It’s a sky, Mom.”
Maybe it was still a little too early for him. Maybe it was the stress of driving on a busy expressway. Or maybe he was already thinking about everything he needed to accomplish before the day was over.
Unfortunately, many of us live with these kinds of distractions. We become so focused on the demands, stresses, and worries of the day that we miss not only the beauty surrounding us, but also the quiet gifts God places before us.
God is constantly revealing Himself to us—in the colors of a sunrise, the sound of laughter, the kindness of another person, or a moment of unexpected peace. These small gifts can easily go unnoticed when we hurry through our days without stopping to look.
Today, God invites us to slow down and pay attention.
Look at the beauty surrounding you.
Look for the person who may need your kindness.
Look for the quiet ways God is present in an ordinary moment.
When something catches your attention, pause. Allow yourself to experience wonder. Let that moment remind you that God is near.
Something to Think About…
What may God be asking me to stop and notice today?
Today, I will pause and look for one small sign of God’s love—and when I find it, I will stand in wonder and give thanks.
The Journey: Where God Found Me
Come… let me tell you where God found me, because I think you may discover He has been walking beside you the whole time.
A peaceful tree-lined path beneath a canopy of Aspen trees named Aspen Alley, Carbon County, Wyoming
A Thought to Begin
“You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
—Saint Augustine, Confessions, Book I, Chapter 1
Scripture
“Jesus himself drew near and walked with them.”
Reflection
Come… let me tell you where God found me, because I think you may discover He has been walking beside you the whole time.
The Journey is where I share the stories that have shaped my faith.
Over the years, I have spent a great deal of time looking back, praying, reflecting, and discerning where God has been present in my life. These are the moments that have helped form me into the woman of faith I am today. They are my stories, but I have a feeling they may sound very familiar to you.
Because, in truth, they really aren’t just my stories.
They are the story of a loving God patiently drawing one of His daughters closer to Him.
As I look back over the joys and sorrows, the questions and the answers, the detours and the celebrations, I can now see something I often couldn’t recognize in the moment—God was always there. Sometimes I knew it immediately. Other times, I didn’t recognize His gentle hand until years later.
The names, places, and circumstances may be different, but the feelings are the same. We’ve all experienced uncertainty, doubt, loneliness, hope, joy, love, and the quiet confidence that grows as we learn to trust Him more deeply.
There is something beautiful that happens when we hear another person’s story. It often helps us recognize God’s fingerprints in our own lives. We begin to remember the moments He carried us, guided us, comforted us, or quietly waited for us to notice He had never left.
The Journey is one of the Stepping Stones along the Path of Joy. Through the stories we share, we will continue taking faithful steps toward a closer relationship with Jesus—the One who walks beside us and leads us to a life of true joy in Him.
My prayer is that as I share where God found me, you will begin to see where He has been finding you all along.
Together, we’ll continue this journey, one faithful step, one grateful heart, and one joyful yes at a time.
Something to Think About…
Let’s stop for a moment and think about the disciples on the road to Emmaus. They had walked with Jesus without recognizing Him. Only when they paused at the table and He broke the bread were their eyes opened. Today, take a moment to pause and ask Jesus to help you recognize how He has been walking beside you, too. If possible, go to Mass and receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.