Staying in Touch with the Holy Spirit

Hello all-

For those of you who have the books In Conversation With God , today's entry was full of gold.

There was so much in there today about our defects, how God sees our defects and loves us anyway, and how he wants us to grow in holiness. Also were reflections on suffering. This was poignant to me as I learned today that a friend I knew back in Ohio who had survived breast cancer 12 years ago now has had it return and she does not have a good prognosis.

The whole day's entry was very inspiring and I felt I wanted to write it all here, to share the hope it gives. But I will limit myself to a small bit. It just served to remind me in many ways that I am not alone on this journey. I have my friends to edify me and lift me up, guide me toward the Right, and also have the Holy Spirit who will not leave me.

Know that I am praying for you all. This is a journey we are all on together, and God is with us on the way. Here are some excerpts from today's entry.

"We should not become discouraged at the sight of our defects. The Lord has taken them into account. He wants us to make the effort to overcome them."

"At other times the Holy Spirit acts directly to insure some good. He speaks to us through the advice we recieve in spiritual direction, through events in our lives, through the impressive example of another person, through reading a good book...The Holy Spirit wants to lay in he edifice of my life the stone which is there and then needed... Everything has been ordered, permitted, decreed by our Father God so that we may achieve holiness. It is for this very reason that we have been created. This is the way in which we are to find happiness on earth and in heaven. Pain, suffering and failure are permitted by God so that we might never lose sight of our last end: For this is the Will of God, your sanctification."

"God never loves me more than when he sends me suffering."

"Progress in the interior life requires knowledge of (our dominant) defect. Let us ask God for his grace in overcoming it: Lord keep me away from whatever keeps me away from you."