Getting Better with Age, AMDG

My birthday month has started - birthdays are like baseball, they don't always follow time the way you would expect.  The birthday month (ok, I admit this is my own invention - but it's a good one)  Ok, the birthday month begins one month prior to my actual birthday and ends one month after.  So yes, the birthday month is really 2 months long, and in my case spans September, October and November.  So this is my "new year" and I turn my thoughts inward.  Interestingly enough, I saw a little old lady today who had just a smidge of resemblance to my Abuela Marta, my paternal grandmother, sewing teacher, and one of my creative mentors.  When this stranger gave me a smile today that had my Abuela's playful humor and a sparkle in her eye, it gave me joy to know Abuela sent me smile-mail from heaven.

In Tempe, Arizona I found this beautifully aged copper post cover at the aisle side of  the pew at Old St. Mary's Church.  I loved that it was worn, wrinkled and tarnished.  There is no way that new copper can compete with the beauty of this aged metal.   The church is a national historic landmark built in 1903.  It's not a traditional parish, it's associated with Arizona State University as the "All Saints Catholic Newman Center Mission".

Interesting snippet heard from our local priest ... sometimes when we think to ourselves "wow, that was lucky", that those opportunities could be free gift of grace from God. 

I've always loved being lucky! 

Personally, I love my luck even more now thinking that those lucky times were gifts of grace from God. Padre also elaborated that those gifts aren't shared willy-nilly as he spoke of the need to do good works along with having good faith.  I'm considering it a good work to put to this out to the blog-sphere, that this is part of who I am. 

As a human, I have many parts and it's a balance since they are all important parts of me - artist, worker, leader, wife, daughter, sister, stepmother, friend to humans and animals, humanitarian, god-loving-atarian, fun finder, and maybe philosophizer too!  When I was younger I walked past these 4 letters "AMDG" everyday - at least twice to-and-from classes.    And I think that God would be pleased to read that when I create art, I may not always think or say that I am doing it for God, but that in my quiet stillness of stitching thread through fabric, I feel closer to those who came before me and to the Creator, the great I am.  I live my life AMDG, I make art AMDG!  I was lucky enough to be Jesuit educated, other trained by SJ's know exactly what AMDG means.  "For the Greater Glory of God."

In a world filled with people, some with different faiths, some without and others struggling, I find myself not sharing about my faith, because I think that's separate from x, y, or z activity that we share, or that it will offend or exclude.  But I can't honestly say that my faith can be separated from the other parts of who I am and for me to share my thoughts on life without acknowledging my simple faith would be offending myself and excluding myself.

My favorite prayer is one of faithful surrender "not my will, but Your Will", I have a comfortable relationship with God.  I say He reads my Facebook posts, so why wouldn't He also read my blogposts?  The "Big G" and I are close that way.   So on this first day of my "birthday month" special thanks and love to those who created me, Mom, Dad and the big G!

Here's some great parting thoughts from St Iggie and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta (both of which I think would agree that faith is so intrinsic we can't separate it from the day to day parts of who we are).  Mother Teresa share the name Teresa and an abundance of names. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, "Blessed" because she was beatification Oct. 19, 2003 (only 4 day after my birthday.  She was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, known as Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and simply Mother Teresa.)

signing out with my big name...
AMALIA TERESA PARRA MORUSIEWICZ


"By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus."
―  Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully.
As a result, we ought to appreciate and use these gifts of God insofar as they help us toward our goal of loving service and union with God. But insofar as any created things hinder our progress toward our goal, we ought to let them go.
― St. Ignatius of Loyola

Love is shown more in deeds than in words.
― St. Ignatius of Loyola

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.
―  Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta