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You are most beautiful when you smile.

You can put on tons of make-up, you can do your hair, buy a new dress – but unless you smile, your beauty is just artificial.

Keep smiling heartedly, and you will work miracles in people’s lives. Keep smiling from your deepest heart, and you will see people around you smiling back. You will be the most beautiful person in the world, and the whole world will smile at you.

And don’t forget to smile back to God.

“Illumine your life with the virtues of faith and charity. Set fire to the world with the flame God has placed in your heart.”

Oh, yes, the fire is inside. But how to give it out, and show it to the world, so that people around me can benefit from it?

Yesterday we spent almost the whole day in the car. It was a family trip, and we went to see a famine ship in a small town in the country. And it was raining whole day. Was thinking, what makes these type of days full – ie, what should do to live them fully?

Because when sitting in the car for a couple of hours, sleeping, then just getting out to stretch a little bit, have a bite to eat, do a bit of sightseeing, and then back home – what are the opportunities here to do good?

Maybe I should use this time to think of God, and talk to the people in the car to make them think about how happy they are.

“Do not think that by giving up everything your heart will be cold or your life will be lonely or that you will not be lovable. On the contrary, your heart will glow with the light and warmth of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Just look at the lives of the saints.”

Lord, why do I keep missing You? Why do I put other things forward? Sorry about working too much, sorry about being greedy, sorry about not talking to You. There is no need to feel guilty unless I do something about my faults.

Today another miracle happened. I called my husband’s sister out – just to go for a walk together. We did this never before, and never got actually talking really.

Today our relationship has changed. Today we opened to each other and I discovered in her a very interesting person from who I can learn a lot. She is very inspiring – we discussed our relationships, our beliefs, our hopes for the future, our problems and fears. We talked about our experiences and our work and how we view things.

And before the meeting I used to think that she is too shy, too quiet, too uninteresting.

It’s all about communication. And maybe  a bit of curiosity. And a bit of adventure. Just approach the person. Just show them that you care. Just tell them that you have the same problems. Just give them a bit of hope.

From now on, I would like to have this type of meetings every week. And it’s probably going to be myself who needs to do the first step.

“Our Lord wants you to give yourself to him totally, not half-heartedly.”

Lord, You are with me now. I can feel You here, just as when You revealed Yourself to Peter, James & John at the mountain. Thanks for this revelation in my heart. You are full of that inner glow; please, let me shine for people so that they all might get to know You – each in their own way, just like each sees the red colour differently.

“Do you peddle your heart everywhere to all comers, but when you find no buyers, take it to offer it to the Lord?”

The priorities. And what I give, compared to what I get. Sacrificeless love. And then the desire, the want to be holy. Or, to be pronounced a saint?

An empty heart, dedicated to death of the lack of love. A body predetermined to suffer, because of the lack of sacrifice. Somebody who cannot succeed, because the “self” cannot be overcome.

No win, just pure selfishness and greed. No love, just performance. No smile, just struggle.

And then there’s somebody much greater, coming to shed a bit of light on the weary straw. Somebody who will touch the heart, and bring it to life again. Somebody who will understand the weakness and delete the self.

Somebody who will forgive, as that is the only way, the only salvation. Somebody, who will love.

Do I still have a chance?

“Do you hide from God a heart which all kinds of things struggle to possess, without asking God to accept your heart?”

Sometimes I am not able to accept myself. How can I then expect from anybody else to accept me? Should I first wait till I improve, and then start to love other people? Or should I rather start as I am, start now, so that others will see I do care?

“Do not let your heart grow old with the passing of time. Love with a love that grows more intense daily, ever new, ever more pure – that is, with the love that God pours into your heart.”

Lord, please, let me share Your love – let me love as You do, and everything will be ok.

The following ideas come from Nguyen Van Thuan’s excellent book “The Road of Hope – A Gospel from Prison” and I recommend it strongly to anyone looking to grow in holiness.

389. Did you vow obedience to your superiors or did your superiors vow to obey you?

390. The person of weak character who loses control of his will is like a mahout who cannot control an elephant. The obedient person who has mastered his will is like a circus trainer who controls tigers.

391. A disciplined army is a strong army. An obedient apostle is a strong and brave apostle.

392. You can accurately estimate how holy a person is by how readily and joyfully he obeys.

393. While the world may call such obedience folly, God nevertheless asks you to obey out of love of him. This obedience is heroic virtue, not folly.

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“Do not offer your heart to God and then look for another’s heart to replace it. You are not a surgeon performing heart transplants.”

Yes, I am so weak when I should rely just on God – I always look for other people’s confirmation that what I am doing is right. I am like a small child who needs their Mum tell them “I love you” again and again, by staying with them. The minute Mum leaves them on their own, they start crying.

I am looking for this confirmation of love among my friends, family, colleagues, even clients… But the only one which is really correct and trustworthy, is the confirmtion from God. And it’s enough on its own. There’s no need to have other people agree with what I do; all that matters is God’s view.

And how can I know His view? Just calm down, and listen to what He is telling me today. And most often, what you will hear, will be just how greatly you are loved.

The following thoughts come from Nguyen Van Thuan’s book “The Road of Hope – A Gospel from Prison” and I recommend it strongly to anyone looking to grow in holiness.

176. Do not offer your heart to God and then look for another’s hart to replace it. You are not a surgeon performing heart transplants.

177. The older the saints became, the younger their hearts became.

178. Do not let your heart grow old with the passing of time. Love with a love that grows more intense daily, ever new, ever more pure – that is, with the love that God pours into your heart.

179. Why do you hesitate? If you are bound with even a gold chain, cut yourself loose so that you may make progress along this road. The Lord waits to welcome you at the end of it.

180. Every time you fail, you say, “Oh, if only I had made a strong resolution in the beginning!” I hope you do not keep having these belated regrets.

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