Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Dude Abides

Home
Progressive Christian
GODSTUFF: Forty on 40 ~ Spiritual Lessons at Midlife…

GODSTUFF: Forty on 40 ~ Spiritual Lessons at Midlife…

Last updated on: October 13, 2010 at 2:27 pm by Cathleen Falsani

GODSTUFF: Forty on 40 ~ Spiritual Lessons at Midlife… 2010-10-13T14:27:03-07:00 Cathleen Falsani

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Recently I crossed that dreaded threshold into middle age and it got me thinking about what, if any, spiritual wisdom I might have accumulated in my 40 years in this mortal coil of ours.

Here are a few things I’ve learned from experience, from other people, and (I hope) from God. They’ve been helpful to me. Maybe they’ll be helpful to you, too.

1. Begin each day by looking in the mirror and saying, “It’s not about me. It’s not about me. It’s not about me.”

2.. While looking in the mirror, try not to judge yourself. You are beautifully and wondrously made. Period.

3. Do not be afraid of your doubts. Certainty — not doubt — is the opposite of faith.

4. Often we must make a choice: You can be kind or you can be right. Choose kindness.

5. God will not fit in a box of our making or anyone else’s.

6. The things we think we know about God usually say more about us than they do about God.

7. Perfect love casts out fear. And even imperfect love does a pretty good job.

8. Jesus is the water of life. Stay hydrated.

9. Listen to children. They know more about God than we do.

10. We can learn the most from the people we think are the least like us.

11. God doesn’t believe in “us” and “them.”

12. God chooses all of us.

13. Pay attention to the things that bring a lump to your throat or a tear to your eye because they mean the Holy is drawing closer.

14. God does and will use any and all means possible to get your attention.

15. Pay attention. Listen to your life. All moments are key moments.

16. The go-between God makes the connections for us with the people we’d never connect with otherwise.

17. God can be found just as powerfully between people — in relationships — as in people.

18. God doesn’t “give” people diseases, hardships, heartaches or other horrors. But God walks with us through disease, hardship, heartache and horror.

19. God is with the poor. We should be, too.

20. Whether you believe in God doesn’t make a lick of difference to God. God still is and still loves you, even if you don’t believe it.

21. Just like sunshine, rain, wind and the stars, God’s grace is for everyone.

22. Grace is the oxygen of religious life. Without grace, religion can suffocate you.

23. Sometimes being grace for another person means holding space for them until they’re ready to move into it.

24. If you happen to be in the room when Grace starts to dance, you should probably dance, too.

25. Prayer doesn’t change God’s mind, but it can change ours.

26. All truth is God’s truth, no matter who says it or where it comes from. If it’s true, it’s from God.

27. None is worthy but all are welcome in God’s house. So what part of “all” don’t you understand?

28. When Jesus said, “Turn the other cheek,” he didn’t offer a caveat such as, “Unless they’re really mean, wrong, offensive, stupid, ugly or your enemy.”

29. God doesn’t sweat the small stuff, but doesn’t mind helping us out when we do.

30. God has only one enemy: Hatred.

31. Every good, beautiful, perfect, inspiring, moving, joyful, sustaining, edifying, unifying, loving, gracious, whimsical, happy, life-giving, soul-stirring, paradigm-shifting, preconceived-notion-busting, kind, generous, equitable, alive thing is a gift from God.

32. If you can pry your sweaty, white-knuckled hands off the reigns of your life and trust God to take them, it’ll get better.

33. Sometimes when you think you can’t do it, if you just lean in the right direction, it’s enough.

34. When Jesus fed a crowd of 5,000 with two fish and five loaves of bread, the miracle didn’t happen until his disciples gave away the two fish and five loaves of bread.

35. Usually God doesn’t hand us our luggage until we’re about to board the plane.

36. When the student is ready, the teacher appears.

37. When you start making plans like you’re in charge, God begins chuckling. God has a tremendous sense of humor and the ironic.

38. Faith is a gift, just like the ability to tap dance, surf, make a soufflé, draw a perfect circle, play by ear, compose music, juggle flaming batons, make a three-point shot and breathe.

39. There is nothing you can do that would make God throw up God’s hands, stomp out of the room and slam the door.

40. God loves you. You can’t do anything to make God love you less. And you can’t do anything to make God love you more.

Christianity for Seekers

Religion and Spirituality

Previous Post

October 12, 2010

Swag Bag U2& Faith Quiz: And the Winners Are...

Next Post

October 20, 2010 GODSTUFF: Homer's Religious Odyssey (across the Tiber?)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A little happy ARCHIVED COLUMNS BECOMING FAMILY BelieberNess BREAKING NEWS! Disquiet Time DJ JEFF'S SPINTASMS falsani FILM from OCRegister From Sojo.net God Nods GODSTUFF I Take Requests incubatespirit LURKING IN THE NARTHEX On My Nightstand ONEMOMS Polling the Room PONTIFEXCELLENT Thru My Eyes TWO CENTS Uncategorized Upcoming Events VASCO VASCO'S HEART

Select a Month January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 May 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 October 2003 March 2003 December 2002 October 2002 January 2001

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does Jesus say about storing up treasures on earth?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Only store in banks Do not, because they are temporary Store as much as possible Treasure is godliness