Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God's Voice Above All Others

I love how humble, willing to be vulnerable, candid, humorous, and honest Pastor Steven Furtick is in sharing examples from his own day-to-day struggles with the chatterbox, the internal monologue that goes on in our minds that can keep us from living in the fullness of God’s love and freedom.  The lies we believe keep us from hearing, heeding, and accepting the Truth about God, how He sees us and others.  Identifying the lies is an essential step in order to “Crash the Chatterbox.”  Furtick explains that the lies we believe often fall under one of these four categories: insecurity, fear, condemnation, and discouragement.

    
Furtick offers Biblical truths about the children of God as proof that many of the thoughts we have that fall under one of the four categories mentioned above are contrary to who God says we are and how Our Creator sees us.  The importance of daily prayer and ongoing Scripture study are emphasized as keys to combating lies.

    
If you voiced aloud to someone else some of the exact same things that go through your mind about yourself, would they be horrified, offended, or hurt?  Probably.  The thing is the lies we believe not only affect us and our openness to God, but they also affect those around us in big and small ways.

    
Furtick doesn’t suggest that any negative emotion we have is a lie.  Sorrow, guilt, and regret are all very real, truth-based, and can be indicators of sinfulness for which we need to repent and accept forgiveness.

    
It’s rather freeing to find out that some things are intended to be part of our daily struggle to grow closer to the Lord and become more Christ-like.  There’s not some point at which we’ll have overcome all fears, temptations, lies, roadblocks and can coast along without any more obstacles internally or externally—at least not this side of Heaven.

    
I can identify best with people who are down in the trenches still fighting spiritual battles, though able to see and share some of the insights and grace God has given them to keep fighting.  I prefer to read about and hear from a fellow prayer warrior who may be a bit frazzled, but who continues on confident in Christ. 

    
Through humor, personal stories, and pound the chatterbox nuggets, Furtick reminds us that the negative influences, thoughts, and feelings in our lives aren’t going to disappear.  We’re in this battle against darkness and evil, but Christ has already conquered everything we’re fighting against.  We’re given the mercy, grace, forgiveness…all of the tools we need to win every fight we have with fear, discouragement, insecurity, and condemnation.  We just have to admit that we need these blessings and stock up on them through study and prayer. 

    
When a thought goes through my mind, it can be helpful to ask myself whose line is this, anyway?  If it’s of God, I may be called out and asked to change in some way, but, ultimately, I will be lifted up and affirmed as a beloved child of the Lord.  If the line of thinking is governed by fear, insecurity, condemnation, and discouragement without an ounce of hope or freedom in sight, then it’s time to suit up.  When all else fails, go get your armor!

    
I highly recommend Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God’s Voice above All Others by Steven Furtick.  It’s one of the few books that I have read twice in a row, because there are so many powerful truths and reminders about how to recognize and combat the lies Satan tries to feed us.  I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.  For more information about the book, or to order your own copy, click here.

    
There are some great links, interviews with some of the experts that are quoted in the book available on the www.crashthechatterbox.com website.  It’s another really good resource that will help you get the most from this book.

Prayer to Mary for the Conversion of a Loved One

Written by: Ishbel McGilvery McGregor and included in the book Praying with Mary: Sacred Prayers to the Blessed Mother for All Occasions by Janice T. Connell

Your prayer group of sweet loving where I gave myself to you

Has filled me with a wonder that is full of thoughts of you.

My life is now poured out, in love and work and prayer

And yet, there is a sadness, for I long to help and share.

The one whom Heaven gave me to share this life on earth

Has not received your gentle kiss and does not know your worth.

I long to share my happiness, to talk of all your words,

To plan our lives around them and bring others to the Lord.

But my love views me with sorrow at all the time I take

In chasing after visions and praying for your sake.                                           

O gentle Mother, hear me, please touch “my love” for me

That together we may journey with your Blessed Son and thee.

Let our family be a haven for the lonely and the weak

That we may bring your blessings when a messenger you seek.

May our home be full of laughter, may our journey be a prayer.

Let our lives reflect the beauty of your loving and your care. Amen.

Note to readers:  I began praying the little known “Prayer to Mary for the Conversion of a Loved One” by Ishbel McGilvery McGregor the minute I set eyes on it. I prayed the prayer which I found in Janice T. Connell’s book for my loved one several times throughout the day in addition to praying the Rosary for his conversion. Through the grace of God, the power of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the intercession of the Blessed Mother, I am grateful to say that this Easter (2014) marked the fourteen year anniversary of my then boyfriend, now husband’s returnto full participation in the Catholic Church.  Praise God!

 
I have since shared this gem of a prayer with a number of family and friends over the years.  I've also continued to pray it for some of my loved ones who have not yet discovered the value of a relationship with God's Mother as a way to get to know and love Christ more deeply.

St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer

St. Patrick's Breastplate is a popular prayer attributed to one of Ireland’s most beloved patron saints. According to tradition, St. Patrick wrote it in 433 A.D. for divine protection before successfully converting the Irish King Leoghaire and his subjects from paganism to Christianity. (The term breastplate refers to a piece of armor worn in battle.)

More recent scholarship suggests its author was anonymous. In any case, this prayer certainly reflects the spirit with which St. Patrick brought our faith to Ireland! St. Patrick's Breastplate, also known as The Lorica (the cry of the deer), was popular enough to inspire a hymn based on this text as well.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

[Note that people sometimes pray a shorter version of this prayer just with these 15 lines about Christ above. The conclusion follows below.]

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

When St. Paul referred to putting on the “Armor of God” in his letter to the Ephesians (6:11) to fight sin and evil inclinations, he could have been thinking of prayers just like this one! We may not wear combat gear in our daily lives, but St. Patrick's Breastplate can function as divine armor for protection against spiritual adversity.

Sisterhood of Saints

Word is out that I love reading, and tend to devour books, especially on topics of faith and spirituality, so when the Cursillo co-chairs in our area received a copy of Sisterhood of Saints, they asked me if I wanted to be the first to read it.  How could I turn down a book written by a fellow Cursillista whose reflections in the magazine Living Faith my husband and I both love?  I couldn’t.  I wouldn’t.  I didn’t. 

    
I was immediately drawn to the beautiful cover.  Yes, I know you’re not supposed to use that as a way of judging a book, but in this case, it is actually quite indicative of the loveliness found in these pages.  That plus the focus on female saints, our sisters in Christ, got me intrigued right away.  Of the 366 saints Melanie Rigney includes, I’ve heard of and know a bit about a number of them, but I have to say that the majority of them are brand new or nearly new to me. 

    
I love the mix of famous saints with more recently canonized, lesser-known women of faith.  For each day of the year, a woman’s brief bio is given along with a quote from Scripture or from the saint herself that serves as a summary of her philosophy on life and ministering to others.      

    
Here’s one inspirational quote I love: “The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that he, in his goodness, sends to us day after day.” -St. Gianna Beretta Molla

   
One of my favorite aspects of Sisterhood of Saints is that the reader is not only given the opportunity to connect and identify with other holy women, but through the challenge on each page, she is also invited to incorporate the wisdom of these women into her day.  Each challenge relates to some aspect of the saint’s life and ministry but is a very doable, practical way to reach out to others in our modern world.  The prayers and actions suggested are often simple, but powerful.  Most of them would fit under the category of “small things” that done with great love can make a huge difference.

    
Here are a couple excerpts of the challenges: “Ask God what he wants you to do today, and what he wants you to prepare to do for tomorrow.  Then, no matter how challenging it seems, do it” (pg. 212).

    
“Who in your life today inspires you by the way he or she has persevered in a struggle?  Write this person a note of thanks.  Ask for the wisdom to deal with a challenge you currently face” (pg. 348).

    
This treasury of saints serves as a perfect daily inspiration to live out our “feminine genius” in ways as varied and creative as these women.  I can’t even fathom surviving, much less thriving in the circumstances in which some of these women lived, but each one ultimately proved that staying close to Christ is always the best way to endure anything and gain eternal life.

    
Whether living in a busy city or a remote village, called to consecrated religious life or to marriage and raising a family, these saints will spark your interest, feed your faith, and give you hope for the journey.

     
For more information or to order your copy of Sisterhood of Saints, click here.  You can find other writing and get current updates and blog posts by the author Melanie Rigney at this website.

Wonderful Women of Faith: Are You a Spiritual Diva?

     

   
I’ve been reminded in some very powerful ways how much women of faith have made a difference in my life, in my journey with the Lord, and in how I relate to and pray for/with others.  This week I’ve had the blessing of getting together with a number of women of faith in various settings for prayer, to share a meal, catch up on things, listen, laugh, and offer encouragement. 

    
I am currently part of the formation team for the Women’s Cursillo Weekend that will take place this April 24-27, 2014, so I’m meeting with that group of women (and the two male deacons that are part of our spiritual direction team) on Sunday afternoons from now until April.  I first met some truly remarkable women, many of whom I’m still good friends, when I made my Cursillo weekend at the Abbey back in June 2006 and sat at the table the Sea of Conviction, but we were the youngest three there, so we renamed ourselves the spiritual divasJ. 

   
 I usually meet Monday evenings with a strong prayer warrior friend who has also been taking the Theophostic Prayer Ministry training with me over the past few years.  It changes everything when you have discussions, prayer time, and do ministry with someone who is actively seeking the Lord’swill for her life and doing her best to live it out.  She’s one of the first people I text with major prayer intentions, because I know I can always count on her storming the Heavens on behalf of whoever needs it.

    
Wednesday evening, I gathered with some of the wonderful women who I met back in February 2009 when I made my Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) retreat and then served on the team for the next Women’s weekend that summer.  I felt bad showing up to the scheduled planning meeting with light supper provided rather tired, and weary without any food, drinks, books to share, or really anything much to offer.  

    
Everyone welcomed me warmly and was so glad to see me after such a long absence from many activities that I realized that these women genuinely love and care about me, not because I plan great retreats/events (haven’t planned a single one for that group, I don’t think), or host fun parties (definitely haven’t given any parties at all), or even because I recently offered much in the way of donations of time, talent, or treasure in effort of keeping the group going.  I didn’t even bring my usual huge stack of books I’ve read, loved, and reviewed to pass along to whoever is interested.  I just brought my planner (which doesn’t have any monthly planner pages in it beyond January, because I haven’t placed that order yet), and soaked up the love, prayers, camaraderie, laughter, and joy of the gathering. 

   
I found out yesterday that a woman of faith I admire a great deal is in the hospital.  My mom went to visit this person, and there were four other visitors in her room when she left.  At noon Mass at the Pastoral Center, I prayed for my usual list of loved ones, both living and deceased, including Nana (my dad’s mom) and my grandma. 100 years from now, I hope to have brought others closer to God by being a strong, devout, compassionate, loving, joyful woman of faith.  I’ve had so many great examples to follow!

     I’m only part of the way through a book I love already called Sisterhood of Saints.  It’s by woman of faith and spiritual writer Melanie Rigney.  The cover is beautiful and so are the stories of these saints, inspirations and challenges included.  We have such a rich tradition of women saying yes to the Lord and living out that yes every day of their lives. 

    
Both of my grandmothers and my parents have had a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother, one that I have grown to love and appreciate more and more.  Last weekend when I was leading the opening and closing prayers for our Cursillo formation meeting, I shared with the group one of my favorite prayers: The Prayer to Mary for the Conversion of a Loved One, which I prayed daily, along with the Rosary for Kevin’s return to the Catholic faith in which he was raised when we were still only dating and he’d fallen far away from the church.

     “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.”

     “Blessed Woman, Peaceful Dove, teach us wisdom, teach us love.”

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 136) The Power of Prayer, Being in the Moment, and My Word for this Year

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Grace is…witnessing the power of prayer, guardian angels keeping your loved ones safe, little ones full-out running into your arms for a hug, laughter in the midst of life’s messiness, seeing strength, courage, and beauty in others who struggle to see it in themselves, a good night’s sleep…

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Have Trouble Being in the Moment? Why yes, sometimes I do.  It drives me crazy that I can sometimes be like all but one of the people in this video.  I’d rather not admit that I, too, can be so plugged in to electronic devices that I’m not really present to and with the people right before me.  I have and will continue to shut down the computer, turn my cellphone off, and request the TV be turned off so that I can have what is actual quality time with my loved ones, but I still have to be mindful of such things or else.    
     The irony of it all is that I found this video clip link on Facebook, and I was distracted from watching it because my phone beeped.  I’d gotten a text from my mom.  I responded to it immediately letting her know that I’m home for the evening if she wants to call and have someone listen as she’s had a lot of tough stuff to deal with this week. 
     I don’t have a smartphone or an iPhone.  My mobile is minimally intelligent and the camera in it’s just about useless, which is why I try to interact and associate with people who are smart and am still carrying around my good old faithful 10 megapixel Panasonic Lumix camera.
     One day when we can afford to upgrade our phones and calling plan, I may have to resist the temptation to spend too much time on my smartphone, but right now I’m too busy juggling different devices when trying to remain reasonably connected and turning all of them off when ready for some actual quality time with people in the flesh.

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Prayer Warriors Unite I’d like to thank all of my prayer warrior family and friends for your extra prayers for a family friend Dawn this week. Dawn’s surgery went well, and she's been transferred to Richmond for her rehabilitation. She could use and would very much appreciate ongoing prayer for a smooth, speedy recovery. (See, I don’t think technology is bad.  I actually texted many of my prayer warrior friends as well as got in touch with people via Facebook for purposes of requesting prayer, and then there’s my blog…)

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Stuff my husband says: The other day when I asked Kevin if he knew who the girl was who sang the National Anthem at one of the bowl games.  This is what he said: "I think she won one of the singing shows. So You Think You've Got Vocal Cords or something like that.”  Lord, I love having a husband who so often makes me laugh!

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It’s Time to Move On…It is only because God has recently made it clear that moving on is what He wants of me (of us) now that I have the courage to take this step.  I don’t like major changes, and I honestly don’t know what’s next for us, but we’re doing our best to trust God with everything and do what He tells us.  This is why my last day nannying for the three silly sisters I love so dearly will be on Thursday, January 16, 2014.  

    Kevin and I could really use extra prayer cover as we discern what's next and get through what we've been given to deal with already this year.

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Keepin’ It Real A friend of ours through Cursillo called the other evening to ask if Kevin and I would be going to the Cursillo Potluck at St. Paul's this Friday. I didn't hear my phone ring, but apparently a certain little livewire did. She picked it up, answered it, and clicked speakerphone without me knowing, though she was sitting right next to me. In my defense, her twin was sitting on my lap and her other sister was singing and skipping around. Suddenly, I hear a male voice, and I'm thinking she must have hit the call button and gotten my husband. Nope! It was our friend Joe joking that I must have made it big if I've got someone else answering my phone for me now. 

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My Word for the Year After reading about Jen Fulwiler’s word for this year (which is the big GO), I left the following comment for this Catholic wife and mother of six children who are all still under age 10: “I admire your willingness to accept a word that seems so contrary to what you often are inclined to do, especially with a posse of small children to contend with.  Though you feel stressed and overwhelmed, so often there are people who will be struck in a brief moment by how precious one of your children is, and that may change their day, week, month, year.  My husband and I don't have children of our own, and we may never be able to, so we are often struck (usually figuratively instead of literally, but sometimes both) by the children we see.  Though you may only see the mismatched socks, ill-fitting outerwear, tangled hair, someone else sees a ray of hope, sunlight, joy, just being in the presence of a little one.  GO and be blessed as well as a blessing!”  

     After thinking about what my word should be for this year, I listened in prayer and got one that would have to be from the Holy Spirit, because it’s probably one of the last words I’d come up with for me.  A person who had known me and been friends with me a few years once told me that I am someone who comes across as being a bit intense at times.  I mentioned this to my best friend from high school who had known me for 13 years by then, and she responded with: "You're one of the most intense people on the planet!"  So there you have it.  Those who know me well know I'm by far the hardest on myself, so this ought to be an interesting challenge for which I will need extra helpings of grace.    

     I painted my word for 2014 so I can hang it up and be reminded of it daily: 

Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary.