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SIMPLE40 - Day 11 - Short Cut to Simplicity

Come, Holy Spirit, Inspire Simplicity in My Life

It’s Monday. A new week begins, and believe it or not, we are already one quarter of the way through Lent.


Pause for a moment and let that sink in.


Lent is not endless. It moves quickly. And today is a grace-filled opportunity to begin again, to refocus, realign, and recommit. A new week in the middle of a sacred season is a gift.


So far, we have been learning about the foundations of interior simplicity: honesty, obedience, prayer, and self-discipline. These are not random virtues. They are essential elements that train the soul to fulfill its God-given mission, unique and unrepeatable. (Remember our working definition: simplicity is a spiritual discipline that trains the soul to fulfill its God-given mission.)


But here is the beautiful news: we are not meant to pursue simplicity through effort alone.

We have been given a gift to help us, and it feels like a “shortcut"...


The Holy Spirit.


When you invite the Holy Spirit into the ordinary and the complex situations of your life, you will not be led astray. The Spirit gently directs you toward God’s will. The key is openness. You must be willing to listen and courageous enough to follow.


God honors your free will. You can resist the prompting...or you can follow it. Choosing the guidance of the Holy Spirit does not guarantee an easy path. But it does promise something deeper: peace. And peace is the companion of simplicity.


Here are three ways the Holy Spirit inspires growth in interior simplicity:

First, the Holy Spirit gives interior wisdom and guidance. When you listen, you gain clarity about what truly matters and what needs to be released. Your priorities become ordered and your focus sharpens.


Second, the Holy Spirit is a constant source of peace. When you turn inward and attune yourself to His presence, you find steadiness even in the midst of chaos. Stress softens. Anxiety lessens. Life feels more manageable.


Finally, the Holy Spirit cultivates gratitude and contentment. As you begin to recognize your blessings and focus on what you have instead of what you lack, your desires simplify. Your heart settles. Joy grows.


The Holy Spirit provides:

Guidance. Peace. Gratitude. Contentment. Simplicity.

As this new week begins, and as we move deeper into Lent, pray with confidence:

Come, Holy Spirit. Inspire simplicity in my life.

spiritual


Jesus said to his disciples: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." Luke 6:36-38

This passage from Luke tells it like it is...and it is so simple! We will never be able to comprehend the immensity of God's love and mercy for us. Every human being is God's beloved child and our charity towards others should reflect this and know no limits. Sometimes this kind of love towards others is difficult. This is where the Holy Spirit can be a huge help in the role of "Paraclete", coming alongside to guide and comfort us as we show mercy and forgiveness to others. He wants us to humble ourselves as we give and serve others this Lent. In return, He will simply give us all we need, and more, to do His will with love. Welcome the Holy Spirit today...

self

A few reminders... How are you doing with the Grayscale Phone Challenge? Keep it going! And if you need directions to change your phone to grayscale, click the link below.

Grayscale Are you getting 40 minutes of intentional movement every day? If you need something different for exercise, check out what Meredith from Fiat Fitness Project is doing.

Fiat Fitness Project Did you read about the Heroic Minute this weekend? If not, see the link below. This is so very hard for me as I like to stay in bed a bit after waking, but this week am making a concerted effort to be heroic in that first minute of being awake!

service


Did you get to Mass 10 minutes early yesterday? I know this is asking a lot, especially if you have little ones, and even big ones that like to take their own sweet time getting ready!

Today, take notice of how you spend your time and make an effort to stay on task and see little projects through to the end. I have a little cleaning/organizing project awaiting me in the basement that I have been putting off since our big kids left after Christmas...yes, 2 months this little pile has been sitting there. It will probably take a whopping 10-15 minutes to take care of, but I just keep walking by and ignoring it. My Monday Rule is to get this job taken care of! What task are you going to bring to completion today?

simple recipe

Coconut Vanilla Chia Pudding I love this for a quick breakfast! St. Hildegard recommends something warm hitting our bellies for the first meal of the day. So, I will warm this up and add some frozen local cherries or huckleberries. 1/2 cup chia seeds 1 14oz can organic coconut milk 1 tsp good vanilla 1-2 Tbsp organic maple syrup (optional) 1 cup oat milk or almond milk In a glass quart jar, add the chia seeds, coconut milk, vanilla and maple syrup (if desired for a little sweetness). Stir together and top with oat or almond milk to fill jar to the top. Place a lid on the jar and shake to combine. Refrigerator overnight. You can eat this as is right out of the jar. Or, put desired amount into a small saucepan and warm up with fruit, shredded coconut, hemp seeds, or anything you might like with it. *Chia seeds are loaded with healthy omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, protein, manganese, magnesium and phosphorus.

Thank you for following along. I hope you are enjoying the journey! If you are enjoying SIMPLE40, please share with a friend. Click the link to sign up!


 
 
 

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