by pattyptakkogutek | Feb 14, 2017 | inspiration
Life does not tell us what to do. We are not born with a road map showing us the way. But life does give us hints clueing us in, pulling us to our destiny. In a recent discussion, a spiritual director called these inklings the “Holy Itch”. (I loved that very...
by pattyptakkogutek | Feb 6, 2017 | inspiration
Remember the childhood game of tag, running to touch your friend, yelling “tag”. The tagged person being the new designated runner to go find someone else to “tag”. News flash: We did not leave this game in our childhood days. God plays this game with us every day....
by pattyptakkogutek | Jan 31, 2017 | inspiration
Enjoying the warm sunshine, I sat poolside enjoying my latest read as I couldn’t help but listen in to the interactions of the nearby family. Approaching lunchtime mother announced that she was going to get some lunch for them. As mom started to leave her small...
by pattyptakkogutek | Jan 24, 2017 | inspiration
Do you ever feel like you are going around in circles, going nowhere? You can see the end point marching to the goals set out before you and still fail to see the progress. When these feelings set in we need to remember the lessons of the labyrinth. Life is like...
by pattyptakkogutek | Jan 17, 2017 | inspiration
Every afternoon an elderly gentleman made his way into the parish church, taking a seat in the last pew. Sitting all alone in the back of the silent empty basilica the expressionless man stared straight ahead. After a half hour the attendee would quietly leave, saying...
by pattyptakkogutek | Jan 10, 2017 | inspiration
While we are still in the throngs of setting goals and making resolutions, let’s not get forget Plan B. Remember what Robert Burns wrote: “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” Even with the best intention, organization, and design things often don’t...
by pattyptakkogutek | Jan 3, 2017 | inspiration
Heading into this New Year, it’s traditionally a time set aside for reflection. We take a brief look at our lives and assess our goals for this lifetime. People are pondering and planning what their goals are and what do they want. The thinking and “resolutions” that...
by pattyptakkogutek | Dec 27, 2016 | inspiration
We’ve all expended a lot of time, money and energy over the past weeks preparing, enjoying and recuperating from our Christmas celebrations. For what? All the hubbub of the past few weeks only impacts our lives if we carry the meaning and spirit into the future....
by pattyptakkogutek | Dec 13, 2016 | inspiration
As we hurry to finish our last minute preparations for this holiday season, our ears are filled with traditional Christmas carols and holiday music reminding us that it REALLY is the most wonderful time of the year. Why? I believe that during this special time of the...
by pattyptakkogutek | Dec 5, 2016 | inspiration
As we continue with our holiday preparations, we are reminded of a special event, one so significant it split time in two – B.C.- A.D. In recalling the birth of Jesus, we might examine our own reason for being here on earth. I believed that we arrived on this planet...
by pattyptakkogutek | Nov 29, 2016 | inspiration
Let the games begin! We are now officially in the “Christmas Season” bringing with it the joys, stresses, anxieties, anticipations and disappointments that can come with any overinflated, long awaited “buildup”. Commercially, we only have a few short weeks to prepare...
by pattyptakkogutek | Nov 22, 2016 | inspiration
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, probably because it affords us the basis for the upcoming holiday season. It’s like the festive kickoff for the Super Bowl of Life, providing the initial start of the “rest of the game”. It’s the REASON FOR THE SEASON! Gratitude is...
by pattyptakkogutek | Nov 14, 2016 | inspiration
Do you sometimes feel disappointed in yourself, maybe even that you are a miserable failure at some things? Comparisons often make us feel like we have a big “L” pasted on our foreheads for “Loser”. Look at our culture, rating, judging, and evaluating everything. We...
by pattyptakkogutek | Nov 8, 2016 | inspiration
Do you go through your day judging, evaluating, and analyzing situations summing it up as a good day or bad day? When things are sailing along smoothly we may think, “Wow, what great day to be alive.” Or maybe your day may be a little tougher reflecting the expression...
by pattyptakkogutek | Oct 31, 2016 | inspiration
Tooling down the road in a hurry to get my errands checked off my “to do list”, I listened to the news channel in my car. Fighting off the dark mood that began to creep in as I absorbed the “world mess”, the regular newscast was interrupted bringing an announcement....
