Spiritual Resolutions?

And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Luke 2:19

Madelyn asks, "Anything forthcoming on spiritual resolutions?"

The smart aleck's answer (and that would be me) would be that I resolve to sin less and love God more. Big help that answer is, right?

Perhaps if I didn't make that resolution so often it would have more impact when I am making it more.

Seriously though, lately I have been finding the greatest step toward that goal is my determination to have quiet prayer time every morning. So far I have managed to do that for two weeks running. I get up and read the paper, then grab a cup of coffee and go shut myself into the spare bedroom where I have a timer and my bible. The timer is set for 20 minutes, turned with the face away from me (no peeking!) and then I do my best to pray using Scripture. I have had much encouragement to do this from various sources and have to say that I have an overall peace that I do not have otherwise. Sometimes I hit a phrase that echoes in my head and heart and I think about it, sometimes I keep reading the entire time, and sometimes I battle distractions continually. However, I try to always remember that just making the effort is sometimes what God wants, what He will use to teach us.

I will post some of the things that have inspired me to make this attempt and that have come up to encourage me when that 20 minutes seemed like something that I could just as well skip. First up are Stevie's comments about Fr. L's homily from yesterday as I was equally struck, right down to wanting to stand up and clap (yes, Stevie and I are soul-mates and CRHP sisters, so that's the way that goes).

... I was very appreciative of Fr. J's great homily today (so much so that I wanted to stand up and clap when he was done) which gave me a new perspective on this awesome verse. The main message that I got from it was to take time out of our busy schedules each day to ponder in our own hearts what Jesus has done for us and in us so that we can see Him working and moving in our lives. This is something that I really need to do. I don't do the New Year's resolution thing. I know that I won't stick to it which leads to disappointment in myself and I don't need that in my life - especially right now. But, it is the time of year that lends itself to reflection on what we need to change or improve and this is one area of my life that I know needs improvement. Fr. J. just gave me a little more motivation and direction for this quiet time.