Time to rise and shine!

I confess that I am the sort of woman that prefers the path of least resistance.

Can you blame me? Life is simpler when I surround myself with similar friends and try not to rock the boat. It just feels better when I choose the safe road. As long as I never step out of my comfort zone, I won't get hurt.

But is it worth it? Is a life of careful, controlled insulation what I was made for?

The tugs on my heart say it's not. Deep inside me is a call to something more.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI both challenges and scares me when he says: "The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness."

I'm so glad he has that faith in all of us! There are days I sure don't. ;)

Let's face it: We're all wounded in one way or another. Adversity and sin have a tendency to trap us into our current circumstances. But it doesn't have to be that way. We don't have to be slaves to the status quo. We can choose to live.

That's why the Gospel is so radically important. Jesus' life was rich in love, but that same love led to His death. He was crushed under the weight of this world, buried and sealed away, His light smothered. So much for that. For too many people, that's where we give up.

But the story's not over yet. In defying death and walking out of that cave, He has given us the chance to let go of our burdens, shake off the dust and be who we were made to be. He is risen, and now it's our turn.

With God's help, we can roll back the stone in our own lives. It's taken me seven years to even begin to believe that. But I am ready to try. And as long as I'm on this journey, I want to share it. I hope it challenges you, too.

Be not afraid!
Melissa