LENT 2016 Day 33 - Comfortably Comfortable

It's a lot to ask of God.  I have in my "notes" my list of prayers and special intentions and it's pretty long.  Starts out in Thanksgiving and has a few prayers for things for my self but then lots of prayers for all of my friends. I enjoy praying for people, although I wish I didn't have to do it. I also enjoy praying for thanksgiving and thanking God for the blessings in my life. That is the point when you realize how truly blessed you are, the list of gratitudes can be endless. When we stop thanking God it means that we've become comfortable in our skin, in our life. When we stop talking to God about things and asking for help, we've become complacent and expectant. We are not growing. If we start waiting just a bit for things we can be more gracious about them when received. If we delay the gratification at Matt Kelly suggests we start to see things for what they really are. It allows us to see and be the best version of our selves.

Wait just a few extra minutes for things we want.  Try better and healthier alternatives. Walking on the treadmill for an hour is better than mindless TV watching for a hour. We have to hold our own selves accountable for our prayers. Read more, grow our minds. Read the gospels. Study them, don't just skim/breeze through them.  Settle in your prayer, don't just try to "get through them." These entries aren't for anyone else really, they are for me.  They are directed at me so when I come back to them I will know if I haven't started taking my own advice, pondering my own thoughts, then it's time to start doing that.

POINT TO PONDER: Being too comfortable, too often, makes us weak in mind, body and spirit.

I think that is truth beyond truth. Especially with technology and instant gratification that has turned this world upside down. This world that kids today no longer appreciate. What have we created? What have we turned God's hard work into? A MESS. Everyday we should go out of our way to reform ourselves and the world around us. It's a process, but we have to stay delaying the gratification, talking to God in everything force ourselves to be "uncomfortable" - get things moving.

VERSE TO LIVE: "if anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." MATTHEW 16:24

QUESTION TO CONSIDER:
What is the one way you can deny yourself today?

For me, I can continue with my Lenten "sacrifices" but I can also think hard about each of the decisions I make and think about how they can glorify God, help better my family and help better myself. I can keep reciting the prayer below.

PRAYER:
Jesus, thank you for all the comforts of this world; help me to discern when they are good for me and when they are not.

Jesus, thank you for all the comforts of this world; help me to discern when they are good for me and when they are not.

Jesus, thank you for all the comforts of this world; help me to discern when they are good for me and when they are not.

Jesus, thank you for all the comforts of this world; help me to discern when they are good for me and when they are not.