CMO 64: Random thoughts going into the new year.

 


It is post-Christmas day. The current time on my computer reads 8:28 AM. Twenty-eight. Note: I am two days away from turning sixty-one years old. Grateful to have made it this far. Physically, other than having a love affair with weight gain and loss, I am grateful for having made it this far pretty much physically unscathed. I wonder how long that will last. Interesting events occur with the body once we hit the half-century mark. Even more when you hit sixty.

Oh well, circle of life kind of thing.

Best Friend
It was nice to hear from my dear friend, C--e this morning. She is such a rock. Tough kid. Grounded. Has no problem telling you which station to get off at but has a heart of gold under her rough exterior. When your life journey is as hers has been, it makes sense why she comes across as she does. That's one of the qualities I love about her. Her no holds barred, tell it like it is to the point directness. Sometimes that is the medicine we "softies" need.

Feuding Brothers
Sibling rivalries or feuds, especially when one is attempting to knock on the door to reconciliation and the other refuses to open the door can and does pull on your heartstrings, especially because those siblings are two of your adult children. As I told one of my children recently, 'I know I am not going to win any father of the year awards considering the manner in which I failed my children, however, one would think that the love you have for your children would be enough to bridge any conflict they are experiencing with each another.' Guess not. Looks like it is time for round two, fight! Surrender them to the mercy of God, pray unceasingly, and move on with your own life. "If the kid doesn't want to eat Brussel sprouts, you can force them to." Ugh!

New Year Prayer
I came across a beautiful prayer for the new year that I will attempt to pray each day of 2023. The prayer comes by way of Catholic Online. If you are Roman Catholic and would like a copy of this beautiful prayer, please email carlosmichaelcommuncations@gmail.com and I will get a copy of the prayer to you.

Humility
That is the goal for this year--humility. According to My Catholic Life: A Journey of Personal Conversion, Ch. 2 - The Virtue of Humility, understanding humility takes grace. Humility is the "mother of all virtue" and the foundation of holy living. Humility is a cure for selfishness and will help to clarify your thinking so that you can more fully entrust yourself to God and His holy will. That is what I desire most, to entrust and align myself to God's holy will. It's going to take work just like quitting smoking, losing weight, or getting fit. One must be committed to seeing it through to the end, in my case, the desire for true humility. By the grace of Almighty God, I pray that will be true for me. Click here to read the article.

2023, Ringing In The New Year
One thing I do not do is make promises if I can help it. The same is true with New Year's resolutions. The primary reason is the fact that keeping a promise hasn't always been easy for me. It isn't for want of trying, it just seems that one circumstance after another made that difficult to do. However, that does not mean that I cannot keep my word when made for the right reasons under the right circumstances. I will not make a public announcement of what I intend to do moving forward in 2023 save for this, it will be for the glory of my God and in the service of my neighbor(s).

 Podcast/Video Blog
It would seem that posting too many video blogs eventually leads to viewer drop-off. I believe the same is true when too much information is placed in a newsletter. There is truth to the saying, "Less is more." It is time to put that into practice. Do you think the same is true with a daily podcast?

That's it for today.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CMO 121: In The Fog But Not Lost.

Image
  The Fog: I am walking in a fog. Not in darkness. I know what darkness feels like, and this is not it. Darkness is blind. This is different. This is fog. There is light in this fog. Enough light to see what is right in front of me. My hands. My feet. The next step. But not beyond. I cannot see down the road. I cannot see what's coming, or what's been left behind. Sometimes it feels like darkness is surrounding the fog, pressing in on the edges, but it hasn't swallowed the light. Not yet. Not here where I am standing. I am not afraid. That's the strange part. I am not afraid, but I am troubled. And if you asked me why I am troubled, I could not tell you. I cannot explain it. I don't have a reason that makes sense, even to myself. I am feeling everything at once. A rash of emotions that don't belong together. Sadness. Then frustration. Then surrender. Then fight. Then a moment of joy that comes out of nowhere. Then this need to be alone, but not reall...
Read more

CMO 112: Short Story: The Journal and the Esay: A short story about friendship, humility, and service.

Image
  God first. Neighbor second. Self third. Every now and then, a simple phrase carries the weight of the whole Gospel. “ God first. Neighbor second. Self third. ” It’s short enough to fit on a sticky note, but deep enough to reorder a life. Putting God first doesn’t mean adding more to our to‑do list. It means letting Him be the center of everything we already do. It’s the quiet decision to pray before reacting, to choose honesty over convenience, to ask, “Lord, what do You want from me in this moment” instead of letting our impulses lead the way. Putting the neighbor second means remembering that every person— the joyful ones, the difficult ones, the ones who drain us, and the ones who surprise us— is someone God loves. It’s choosing patience when we’re tired, kindness when we’re irritated, and compassion when we’d rather look away. It’s the small, hidden sacrifices that say, “You matter. You are seen. You are loved.” And putting self third doesn’t mean neglecting ourselves. It ...
Read more

CMO 103: "The Christmas Joshua Found Again"

Image
  Today's Facebook Post: Christmas Day is three days away not counting today. Come, sweet Jesus! Dentist says I need a crown. Yep! That is what I wanted for Christmas. Not! Throwback: I have been enjoying watching reruns of “Emergency” (1972-1977). God said, “Let there be light!” And then He loved YOU into existence. Birthday quote from a friend: "Age is merely the number of years the world has been enjoying you. Cheers!" My birthday is December 28th. It’s too warm to feel like Christmas! At least here in Oklahoma. What do you get when you stop believing in Santa Claus? Which secular Christmas movie do you enjoy most? Home Alone I and II. Which faith-based Christmas move to you enjoy most? The Nativity. A Short Story ... 🌟 The Christmas Joshua Found Again 🌟 Joshua was only eight years old when Christmas stopped being Christmas. The night his parents passed — a Christmas Eve wrapped in sorrow — the world seemed to lose its color. Snow still fell. Lights still twinkle...
Read more