Light in the Darkness

"All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle." ~ St. Francis of Assisi

Let us be that single candle, spreading light into a dark world!

Welcome to my Light in the Darkness meme! (If you missed my post on the inspiration for this meme, you can read all about it HERE.)

This is the place to share good things that are happening in our world...whether it's a link to a news article/video, something from your personal experience...anything good that can bring light into darkness!

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One of my favorite things to share here in this weekly link-up is when I personally observe some wonderful act of kindness. That happened just this past Thursday at work.

We have a new resident who is deaf & in rehab for some type of head trauma. That night, she was extremely agitated & trying to get out the front of the building. She had a nurse's aide watching her one-on-one, but kept signing & motioning for the aide to leave her alone. Another aide came to say that the nurse was trying to get a hold of her family.

We have another resident who has been there for about five or six months. He's in his mid-forties & also there for rehab. He's often found helping other residents in some way or another, despite his own aches & pains.

On this particular night, he was coming inside, noticed this woman's agitation, & approached her. He calmly spoke to her & gradually guided her to one of the chairs by the fireplace. Then he pulled up another chair & sat down w/ her, all the while talking to her & gesturing to make sure she could understand him. 

At one point, he had to step back outside for a bit to help another resident, but before doing so, explained to this woman that she should stay there & he'd be right back. Sure enough, he came back a few minutes later to sit w/ her. 

This man has repeatedly shown compassion & kindness towards many of the residents, but this was one of the best displays I've seen from him. He had such patience & understanding w/ this woman. I was amazed at how quickly she calmed in his presence. 

Deo Gratias

 
"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

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1) We ran away for a few hours on Sun. afternoon w/ the Blessings. We took them to one of our state parks to swim, eat, & walk. It was a beautiful day for it. Deo Gratias! 

2) Yesterday, Matt & I went on another date. We picked up Arby's (because I'd been hankering for some...although the meal wasn't as good as I remembered it to be!) & went to a new-to-us local metro park to eat & hike. Boy was it a hike! We thought we were on the one mile hike, but ended up going two miles w/ a lot of up & down spots! Deo Gratias!

3) During the summer, we have every other week cantor practices instead of weekly choir rehearsals. In addition to our regular Sunday prep, we've also been reading through some new pieces to use when choir starts back up in the fall. There are some beautiful pieces! Deo Gratias! 

4) The Prophet has been enrolled in Seton Homeschool for his freshman year & we received his books yesterday. We're entering new territory w/ high school, but I have no doubt he'll do well. YIKES!!! We've got a high schooler now! Deo Gratias!

5) Matt finally found out that he was also accepted into the Radiology program. After much prayer & thought, he's decided to go w/ Cardiovascular Sonography. I'm so proud of him! Deo Gratias!

Light in the Darkness

"All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle." ~ St. Francis of Assisi

Let us be that single candle, spreading light into a dark world!

Welcome to my Light in the Darkness meme! (If you missed my post on the inspiration for this meme, you can read all about it HERE.)

This is the place to share good things that are happening in our world...whether it's a link to a news article/video, something from your personal experience...anything good that can bring light into darkness!

***************

As I was looking for something to post today, I came across this new book...Light in the Darkness: Teachings of Fr. James Keller, M.M. 

The idea of even one person being light in the darkness is definitely not new. I can't wait to get a copy of this book!

"He was a man who believed that against all odds one person could make a difference - so he started a grass-roots movement called The Christophers - literally 'Christbearers' - in the belief that each individual has a role in bringing hope and change to a troubled world."  (book description for Light in the Darkness)