Archive for April, 2009

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 4/29/09

April 29, 2009 on 11:20 am | By John Ingrisano | In Faith & Forgiveness | No Comments

On Butterfly’s Wings
 
The other day, an unpleasant rift between myself and another member of our church simply dissolved into peace, when the deacon asked if I would drive my estranged friend home.  It was a pleasant drive.  We did not reconcile.  We did not hash it out.  We just resumed pleasant and friendly discussions … spontaneously and effortlessly.
 
This mini-miracle reminded me that God decides such things … actually, ALL things.  We can flap our wings all day long like a lead-butted duck trying to gain altitude … or we can let the Good Lord lift us effortlessly, like a butterfly soaring gently on the breeze.  (As one who tends to be a lead-butted duck, I rather like that imagery.)
 
My point:  All we can do is the best we can do, trying to live our lives God’s way, leaving the rest in God’s hands.  Or, as some of us are prone to say:  “Let go and let God.”  Rejoice and may your day be filled with the peace of the Lord. — jri
 
“But if we walk in the light, as he is
in the light. we have fellowship with
one another, and the blood of
Jesus, the Son, purifies us from all
sin.”
    –    St. John
           (1 John 1:7)

MONDAY THOUGHT 4/27/09

April 27, 2009 on 11:46 am | By John Ingrisano | In Faith & Forgiveness | No Comments

Faith & Reason
 
I have friends who think that I have had to throw away my common sense and rational faculties to embrace my faith, that faith and intelligence are mutually exclusive. 
 
Wrong!  I for one do not believe in things that do not make sense.  This does not mean that I have to understand everything or have all the answers … just as I do not need to know how my smarter-than-me computer and even cell phone work.  It means that I have reason to believe in God.  That was/is my starting point.  From there, I have tried to open my heart to grace and my mind to reading and studying … and reason.
 
My point:  I believe that faith embraces both the freebie gift of grace (aka unearned blessings) and the results of intellectual study, reading and discussion; both kumbaya, tear-filled experiences and Eureka moments of discovery built on rational study and thinking.  Cherish this day and celebrate the many and blessed routes to faith. — jri
 
“Religious faith is not blind.  It is not irrational.
It is about trusting and loving someone we
have come to know.  It you haven’t come to
know Jesus personally and as a providential
God — one who is on our side — it is
irrational to put your trust in him.”
    –    Father Jonathan Morris
           (The Promise)
 
Not sure what you think about God?  Try this:  (1) Discipline your mind to read about Him just 30 minutes each day; and (2) open your heart and mind to the truth of the message of Christ’s love.  
John R. Ingrisano

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 4/22/09

April 22, 2009 on 11:31 am | By John Ingrisano | In Faith & Forgiveness | No Comments

And God Just Shakes His Head … and Smiles
 
I got snarly-angry, POed at God yesterday, frustrated to the point of fed up over feeling like a fool for prayers’ answers delayed.  And I let God know in no uncertain terms how I felt.
 
I awoke this morning just as snap-heads-off-baby-chicks surly, and was about to skip my usual morning reading.  Grrrr.  Nonetheless, I turned to this mornings readings in “Forward Day by Day,” and the commentary I transcribed below didn’t just catch my eye — it smacked me across the bridge of the nose to the point of making me laugh and — albeit grudgingly — apologize to God.
 
My point:  Just shut up and trust in God.  He not only knows what He is doing, but He also knows us.  Sorry ’bout that temper snit, Lord.  — jri
 
“It took me ten years to learn these thirteen
words — and I am still learning them, but have
found them to be absolutely true:  ‘God will
work it out.  Or God will work me out.  Or both.’
 
“Sometimes God rearranges external circumstances.
A difficult situation is resolved.  Sometimes God
rearranges us instead.  A situation does not change
for the better, but we do.  Sometimes God does both.
But regardless of how God chooses to act, God does
act to save.  Resurrection happens.  Easter happens –
though often in unexpected ways.
 
“A marriage is not saved, but the children are.  Physical
vitality evaporates, but deeper spiritual strength arises.
Despite earnest prayers and best efforts, our ship
sinks, but we learn to swim.  We somehow make it to
the shore and, by grace, we do go on.  Slowly, we
perceive the grace that has attended us all along.
Gradually, we discover that somehow our grave
situation has changed.”
        — Author Not Identified
            (Forward Day By Day
            February/March/April 2009)

MONDAY THOUGHT 4/20/09

April 20, 2009 on 11:31 am | By John Ingrisano | In Faith & Forgiveness | No Comments

Body & Soul
 
I wear two clashing symbols about my neck.  They are reminders of my two clashing natures. 
 
One is a heavy, braided gold chain; the other is a simple silver cross.
 
Why?  Because we are creatures of both clay and spirit, of both blood and soul, of both darkness and light, of the ultimately empty and the eternally fulfilling.  And every minute of every day it is in our power to choose.  May you make good and blessed choices.  — jri
 
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding.”
    –    Proverbs 3:5

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 4/15/09

April 15, 2009 on 11:29 am | By John Ingrisano | In Faith & Forgiveness | No Comments

This’ll Never Sell!
 
“This is all wrong,” I can hear an ill-tempered editor growl, as he takes big swipes across the pages with his pen. “Look, there’s no revenge element in this Jesus story.  Picture Clint Eastwood in the JC role strolling into Pilate’s palace, spurs clicking on the stone floor.  Okay, skip the spurs.  And Pilate groveling and whimpering right before Clint pulls back the curtain, squints threateningly at him and announces, ‘I told you’d I’d be back!’  Then he flattens a handful of guards and drags Pilate, along with a few of those  pompous temple elders, out onto the front steps and proclaims himself the winner, as everyone cheers.  Now that would sell!’”
 
What my fictitious editor (along with most of the world) fails to get is that this is a redemption story, not some revenge flick.  It’s not about big-screen climaxes or (how Hollywood might revise the script) “How Jesus Found His Groove.”  It is an implausible story told with humility and quiet strength … totally believable yet impossible to believe without those special 3-D glasses of the gifts of faith and grace.
 
My point:  Easier believed than expressed, I’m sorry to say.  But it seems to me that the “proof” of Jesus is in 2,000 years (and counting) of one-on-one transforming outcomes and redemptions.  It is in that quiet, personal — amazingly unmistakable — voice, that no-room-for-doubt breaking of the bread.  All we have to do is open our hearts, open our eyes and accept.  Now, that’s a pretty terrific story.  Enjoy. — jri
 
“When he was at the table with them,
he took bread, gave thanks, broke it
and began to give it to them.  Then
their eyes were opened, and they
recognized him, and he disappeared
from their sight.”  
        –    Luke 24:30-31

MONDAY THOUGHT 4/13/09

April 13, 2009 on 11:31 am | By John Ingrisano | In Faith & Forgiveness | No Comments

God Must Be Chuckling At Me
 
I awoke this morning, a Monday, my head filled with a long to-do checklist and anxieties and concerns:  money, business, bills, meetings, the need to buy dog food, etc.  Then I just cracked up, embarrassed, remembering that Saturday evening at the Easter Vigil service, God granted one of my greatest heart’s desires: My daughter, her husband and their daughter were all received into the Church. 
 
It had been a joyful, perfect day, proof (at least to this old clay-footed believer) that God is watching over us … and that no miracle is too big.  But the funny part this morning was that — yep, one great miracle under our belts — I had almost forgotten it in my focus on my next set of daily frets and challenges.  Whether it is belief in the Lord’s presence each and every day or the multitude of prayers answered, how often do I get that for which I ask … and then just keep right on going, stepping mindlessly over the blessing?  Thank God that God has a sense of humor. 
 
My point:  I think  — no, I know — that most of us miss the marvelous miracles that fall at our feet every day.  We live, we breathe, we love, we are forgiven, we have a gift of faith (some the size of a mustard seed, others like a big fat watermelon); most of all, we have blessings …  abundantly given, free of charge.  All we have to do is ask, trust … and open our eyes.  — jri
 
“God has raised this Jesus to life,
and we are all witnesses to the fact.”
        –    St. Peter
               (Acts 2:32)
 
Thank you all for your prayers for my family this past week.  When I pay attention and think on it, I know they were a wondrous help.  God bless. 
John R. Ingrisano
President
204 Lakeview Drive
Algoma, WI 54201
(920) 559-3722
www.DailyConnections.net

WEDNESDAY THOUGHT 4/8/09

April 8, 2009 on 11:09 am | By John Ingrisano | In Faith & Forgiveness | No Comments

Faith in Quiet Action
 
I’m no stump jumping, Bible thumping evangelist and never will be.  My idea of Christian action is much more subtle, but just as powerful, or so I believe.
 
Last Father’s Day (and, yes, I’ve told this story before), I invited my spiritually indifferent children to give me the gift of attending church with me.  Daughter Angie and her family took me up on it.  As she tells the story, that was the right offer at the right time to set the ball in motion.  The result:  She  now “flies solo” in her faith, as I like to say, and will be confirmed this coming Saturday evening, and her husband and daughter will be baptized at the same time.
 
My point:  I believe we can (and should) share our faith in our own ways:  offering a “God bless you” at the end of a conversation, even when no one has sneezed; wearing a cross (and for me, carrying one in my pocket, so it comes out when I am looking for change); even something as subtle as offering a “Thanks, God” rather than a “Thank God” (big difference) when something goes right.  Most of all, just being joyful, so people wonder what’s up with these Christians.  In other words, go out and celebrate the many joys and blessings of this day. — jri
 
“What good is it, my brothers, if a
man claims to have faith but has no
deeds?  Can such faith save him? 
Suppose a brother or sister is without
clothes and daily food.  If one of you
says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep
warm and well fed,’ but does nothing
about his physical needs, what good is
it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it
is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
    –    St. James
           (James 2:14-17)   
 
Please, your special prayers for my daughter and her family, as well as for two other friends, one who is being confirmed this week and another who is being baptized.  Thank you.
John R. Ingrisano
204 Lakeview Drive
Algoma, WI 54201
(920) 559-3722
www.DailyConnections.net

MONDAY THOUGHT 4/6/09

April 7, 2009 on 11:33 am | By John Ingrisano | In Faith & Forgiveness, Motivational Thoughts | No Comments

The Great Something
 
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the energy force that powers humans, that drives us relentlessly, is a blank spot, a hole in the soul, an emptiness that impels us to find a way to be filled, to be completed.  This yearning for The Great Something gives birth to our passion for creativity, our sex drive, our quest for knowledge.  It is also the power pack of our competitiveness and desire to not just succeed, but to excel.  This is the force that moves mankind forward from caves to skyscrapers, from ignorance to knowledge. It is also the angst that drives us to over-eat, to drink and abuse drugs, to search desperately in dark places for light. 
 
It can be a painful force that controls and manipulates our lives.  Or it can be a harnessed passion that leads us to light and fulfillment, in a healthy quest for knowledge, goodness and light. 
 
My point:  Poorly expressed perhaps, but I believe that we can squander our passions in darkness and self-destruction, or we can choose a noble passion that leads us to truth and knowledge (the two being the same in my book) and — rarities of all rarities — fulfillment.  Our call.  — jri
 
“We may have all the things on our wish
list and still feel empty.”
    –    Harold Kushner

FRIDAY THOUGHT 4/3/09

April 3, 2009 on 11:12 am | By John Ingrisano | In Faith & Forgiveness | No Comments

Stella & Tessie
 
This one may get a bit long, but please forgive me, for I feel like indulging sweet memories here, memories stirred by reading about Jesus’ dear friends Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus.  They always make me think about my grandmother Stella and her sister-in-law and best friend, Tessie.
 
Shapeless, heavyset and wrinkled when I knew them, but with eyes that devoured their children and grandchildren with love, these two quiet, fiercely devout women were the heart and soul of the family.  When I was a child, they lived in a two-story Brownstone in Brooklyn — my grandmother and grandfather Mike on the first floor, Tessie and her husband, Ralph, upstairs. 
 
Every morning Stella and Tessie would walk to church together, attend Mass and light candles for their many special intentions, and every evening in the summer months they would sit in lawn chairs on the front stoop of their home and talk and watch the traffic and chat with neighbors.  During the day they cooked the greatest pasta and other Italian foods in the world. 
 
Then after dark, I recall on the nights when I would stay over, my grandmother would sit in a large, overstuffed chair in the semi-darkness and quietly pray her rosary in a whisper.  I can only assume that, upstairs, Tessie was doing the same.  I also remember thinking that the world was right, the world was saved, that God and these wondrous women were very good friends.
 
They had a sad, but strong quietness about them, but I don’t think they ever counted their losses or pondered whether or not they were happy.  As was the custom in Old World Italian homes, they said little, deferring to the men.  Still, they ruled in a quiet way, and I do know that on the rare occasions when they spoke up, the men listened, as did everyone else.
 
I am convinced that their endless prayers are the reason many of us are not dead and in hell or in prison today, that we were granted one more undeserved chance, or some other special attention and forgiveness we were too stubborn and arrogant to request for ourselves.
 
As I’ve written about before, I can imagine Stella and Tessie and the Virgin Mary sitting together … talking, nodding, smiling with more wisdom than they let on, and occasionally looking over to Jesus with a listen-to-your-mother nod and a teasing smile that says, “You should do this … if only for us,” and then to each other, “Of course, He will.  He’s a good boy.” 
 
My point:  Just joyful memories and a wondrous comfort that, in a world of struggle and challenges, Stella and Tessie are just two of many who I am sure are praying for us, supporting us, and watching over us.  — jri
 
“On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had
already been in the tomb for four days.
Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,
and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to
comfort them in the loss of their brother.  When
Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went
out to meet him, but Mary stayed home.
 
“‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been
here, my brother would not have died.  But I know
that even now God will give you whatever you ask.’”
        –    John 11:17-22
 
Thank you for indulging me in my ramblings.  I ask God’s peace and blessings for you … and the relentless prayers of Stella and Tessie.  God bless.   
John R. Ingrisano
204 Lakeview Drive
Algoma, WI 54201
(920) 559-3722
www.DailyConnections.net

THURSDAY THOUGHT 4/2/09

April 2, 2009 on 11:10 am | By John Ingrisano | In Faith & Forgiveness | No Comments

Proud of God
 
I remember the first time someone invited me to pray before a meal in a restaurant.  That was back when I was a Christian by accident, not choice.  I squirmed, gulped, looked around and agreed … praying less in thanksgiving than that he would keep his voice down.
 
These days, though I’m still inclined to not make public scenes, I do wear my faith — as flawed as it may be — openly and proudly.  To me, it’s the least I can do.  God has proven Himself to me … patiently, lovingly, more times than this clay-footed, slow learner would care to admit.  So, given the opportunity, I brag about Him … openly and proudly.  
 
My point:  Ya got it?  Flaunt it!  Be darn proud of this glorious, generous, loving, forgiving, inspiring God we have.  Besides, it seems to me that we’re not called to stash our faith in a vault, but to share the wealth and spread it around.  So, go for it — joyfully and proudly let the world know you’re a Christian.  — jri
 
“And I said, ‘Here I am, Lord.  Send
me.’”
    –    The Prophet Isaiah
           (Isaiah 6:8)

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