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Published by: Pedro Castaneda |
| Date: 2011-12-30 23:06:15 |
Hello, Ms. Espenhain. I just
finished reading your article on
spiritual matters concerning the
mind. I've been on the path for
3 months, so far. Ever since
then, I have struggled with my
mind in matters regarding
cussing and swearing. It's not a
verbal action, it's a mental
action perpetrated by the devil.
Another issue that plagues me
the hardest is my desperation in
issues where I feel that my
failure in certain tasks will
demoralize me. I am an
Aspergian, nineteen year old wh
o still struggles with obsessions.
In fact, I wonder if one in
particular, history, can serve my
community and most importantly
God. I want to be a History
professor but I want to dedicate
my career to God not to man.
Do you think it can be done?
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Published by: Lorraine Espenhain |
| Date: 2011-09-02 11:16:56 |
Hello, Melanie! I was away from the Catholic Church for approximately 20 years, so I completely understand the boat you are in. I praise God with my entire being that you are interested in focusing your mind totally on God. My advice to you is simple, yet powerful. Each day, spend time reading the Bible. As you read, take your time and reflect and meditate on what you are reading. I even like to to jot down thoughts in a spiritual journal concerning what I am reading. Then, talk to Jesus about the things that you are reading. If you see that you have fallen short of something which you have just read, talk to Christ about that and ask Him to help you. So many times we make prayer out to be this boring and dry ritual because we just don't know how to "get real" with God and talk to Him from our hearts. Prayer and Bible reading are the place to begin. The more you indulge in these two things, the closer you will be drawn to God. The closer you are drawn to God, the more the Holy Spirit will reveal to your heart those things which He does not desire for your life. Eventually, you will find yourself so close to Christ that you will not want to waste time doing anything that will not keep your mind focused on Him or that will profit you spiritually. This is something that only the Holy Spirit can do in your life. No man can do this on his own. When I returned to my faith and commitment to Christ, I still had a lot of wrinkles in me that needed to get ironed out. I was still very much into the world and all that it had to offer. Television watching, partying, novel reading, and other time wasters were very much a part of the way in which I spent my spare time. But as I continued to draw closer to Christ through prayer and Bible reading, the Holy Spirit began to move my heart away from these things in order to do those things that would keep my mind focused on God and my spirit nurtured in Him. This is a process that is called sanctification. It's a fancy word that just means to be made holy. Sanctification is not an overnight process. It is a lifelong process. It took many years of yielding to the Holy Spirit's work of sanctification in my life to get to where I am today, and in spite of this, I still have a very long way to go. In your spare time, spend time with Jesus talking to Him straight from your heart. Read the Bible slowly and thoughtfully. I do this once in the morning and once at night. I used to spend my nights watching television, but now I spend them in prayer. I would much rather spend two hours talking to Jesus from my heart than watching television. Prayer will strengthen me spiritually, while television will only serve to drain my spirit. I believe that this is where you need to begin, and I am convinced that the Holy Spirit will take over from there. All that we need to do is give Him something to work with in our lives. Don't be discouraged that you have been away from the Catholic Church for 45 years. What matters is that you want to return in heart, mind, and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is what matters to God. Again, I am convinced that if you will spend time with God in prayer and in the Word each and every single day, the Holy Spirit will take it from there, and He will surely lead you where He wants you to go. Of this, I am utterly, utterly convinced! I love you, and I rejoice that you are turning your heart and mind back to the Lord Jesus Christ once more! Hallelujah, my beloved sister! Hallelujah!
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Published by: Melanie |
| Date: 2011-08-26 06:25:54 |
Hello Ms Espenhain,
I just finished reading this lesson given by you. I have always been put off by shallow senseless television viewing, books, media of all kinds. Although I do participate in activities that involve these, I do so selectively now. Most importantly and to the point, I have been away from the Catholic Church for 45 years. Specifically, what, where and how would I begin the practice of focusing my mind totally on God?
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Published by: Claudia |
| Date: 2011-08-24 00:22:22 |
AWESOME article!!
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