When you have a chance listen to Season 14 Episode 1 of the Abiding Together Podcast. This is their Word of the Year episode, it is beautiful. In part because of how Michelle, Heather and Sr Miriam speak of their 2023 word, and how they have lead to their 2024 word. I seriously considered carrying tenacity over to this year, and in some ways it will because sometimes words stick with you and like the Word we learn more about ourselves over years, rather than in 365/6 days.
Resolve was a possibility for a word of the year as I read more and more of Catherine of Siena.
Where does prayer lead?
I’m at my dining room table, drinking hot tea and task switching between: writing, editing video, working on a powerpoint presentation, hoping the weather induced headache departs soon, and trying to think of something wonderful to bring to a meeting tomorrow morning. and hoping that it’s warm enough tomorrow that I can be upstairs without turning on the heat. We’ll see what happens. I do want to spend sometime gathering things for the presentation and may start with a hand quilted quilt, as long as I can find it. hahahahah
A couple of weeks I wrote over 1500 words on Catherine of Siena as part of preparation for the upcoming Spiritual Direction weekend. I’m continuing the reading as there is so much more depth than imagined. As I search for the words to describe our desired relationship with God I am in awe of how Scripture in its continuum, how the lives of the Saints we know and the saints we’ll meet on the other side of the veil, all point this pivotal life moment:
God asks, “Teri do you love me?”.
Insert your name where God is asking. I appreciate this conversation so much. Our Lord can, and does have this conversation with each one of us. Over time, in all the right places. And because our Lord exists outside of time this question is forever present. Do you love me?
It is the call and cry of our hearts. And it is not easy to listen. It is not easy to hear God say, “Yes Teri, I love you I can not imagine this world without you, I’ve already imagined you in it. I created you, I gave you gifts and skills, More than that though, I Love you. I love you. I love you.” My being cries out I love you Lord as completely and fully as I can in this moment. There are places that I want to hide from you, though You already know them.
As I look at the experience of the reading (oh so many words) for both Spiritual Direction Formation and personal growth/fun over the last few years I am in awe of the Conversation with the Lord, with others and with myself. There is an admittance that there are ways where I do now know who I am yet and the discovery is a joy. I might say I am a quilter, and I am, in so many ways this is what I do, and reveals in this doing who I am in relation to, in relationship with God, in relationship with others. I am a wife and this reveals more of who I am in relationship with God, others and myself. Some recent reading (more on this another time) is revealing how deeply interconnected we are. Words are part of that interconnectedness, they are part and parcel of communication, of prayer, of connection.
Ma you continue to grow in grace,
Teri
A Quilter's Heart 