Gratitude & Thanksgiving

Noting down wisdom from a book I am slowly savouring - "The Cup of My Life" by Joyce Rupp.   This post (#4 of this series) is about emptying ourselves. ... ---------------- (Below are thoughts taken from the book, some are exact words from the author, some are paraphrased by me....to serve as notes to be re-read and gems to be revisited.) ------------ A cup that is always full does not have room to receive. THE CONSTANT CYCLE IN LIFE The spiritual path is a constant cycle.... - of emptying and filling - of dying and rising - of accepting and letting go The full cup is repeatedly emptied so that it can be filled again and again. THE EMPTYING This emptying happens in many ways: - Sometimes I choose to be emptied of my fullness when I get involved in a situation where someone's life asks for a lot of my time and energy . This emptying can be draining, but it might also be rewarding and satisfying because I have a sense of truly giving to another.   - Some times, life empt...

Noting down wisdom from a book I am slowly savouring - "The Cup of My Life" by Joyce Rupp.   This post (#3 of this series) is about  clutter, the spiritual kind ... ---------------- (Below are thoughts taken from the book, some are exact words from the author, some are paraphrased by me....to serve as notes to be re-read and gems to be revisited.) ------------ PHYSICAL CLUTTER Most of  are constantly  trying to get rid of  physical clutter in our lives.   "I just get my heaping basket of correspondence emptied and it's full again.  I finally clear off the top of my desk and the next week it is messier than it was ever.  I dust the house and put things away only to have to re-do it again soon afterwards.  It seems like there is always a stack of something waiting to be sorted and discarded." INNER, SPIRITUAL CLUTTER But not so many of us are aware that we have  inner, spiritual clutter   too. Things like  anxiety,...

  Noting down wisdom from a book I am slowly savouring - "The Cup of My Life" by Joyce Rupp.   This post (#2 of this series) is about  the many facets of a cup applicable to our spiritual life. ---------------- (Below are thoughts taken from the book, some are exact words from the author, some are paraphrased by me....to serve as notes to be re-read and gems to be revisited.) ------------ #1      https://gratitude-thanksgiving.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-cup-of-our-spiritual-life-1.html #2     https://gratitude-thanksgiving.blogspot.com/2025/08/contemplating-on-many-facets-of-cup-2.html #3      https://gratitude-thanksgiving.blogspot.com/2025/08/a-new-way-of-looking-at-clutter.html #4      htt ps://gratitude-thanksgiving.blogspot.com/2025/08/emptiness-is-gift.html

Noting down wisdom from a book I am slowly savouring - "The Cup of My Life" by Joyce Rupp.   This post (#1 of this series) is about The Cup of Our Spiritual Life. ---------------- (Below are thoughts taken from the book, some are exact words from the author, some are paraphrased by me....to serve as notes to be re-read and gems to be revisited.) ------------ The Cup of our spiritual life an ordinary cup a sacred vessel connecting me with life and with God We are the temple of the Holy One We are each a container  designed to hold the Divine Presence. God goes with us wherever we go. We carry God into every relationship and experience. God has made a home in our heart and in the heart of each one we meet. We are simply an empty cup until we are filled with the loving energy of God. We are beauty set to music. The cup of our spiritual life  must be cared for and replenished as  it pours its contents away  in loving service. #1      https://grat...

  I have the chance to study the Book of James with a group of amazing ladies, following the lectures of Jeff Cavins (by the Ascension Press). Of the many many nuggets of truth and wisdom the Book of James imparts, there is a section that talks about a faith filled approach towards the poor and the posture/attitude we ought to take in view "the problem" of the poor. . Below are some notes I have taken down from this study.   I hope you will be blessed just as I am blessed by the guidance. ------------ NOTES taken from Jeff Cavin's Study of James  (Parital notes from Lecture 3  - Wisdom and the Law of Love) -------------- WHY SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POOR?   We should be  concerned with the poor simply because God is concerned with the poor. God expects us to be his arms and his mouth, and be his body to the world - to be merciful and walk in justice.   PARTIALITY AND SHOWING DISTINCTION To show partiality is to show a liking or preference...