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Our chapel - after Evening Prayer it will be time to put Christmas away for another year.

After Evening prayer today, after the last prayer for 'The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord 'is prayed it will mean the end of Christmas for another year. I wonder if we were to look back on our life at the end of time - would it be neatly chunked into segments like we do when we look back at the life of Jesus?

This last fall we had a retreat and our retreat master talked to us about writing or drawing a time line ... a sort of graphical date line of events that happened in our life. Big blips on the readout that marked life changes, turning points, conversions. I think the idea was that this would help us to see how our life has been carefully guided and cared for.

We are today because of this person that came into our life or this event that changed our direction. Interesting concept. I haven't done that - I wonder if it would be really helpful? Maybe I will have to call Father back and get a refresher course.

As you can tell I'm just muddling thoughts here - but another thought that just muddled in was when I was reading a book I think of David Allen's - Getting Things Done (as you can tell my thoughts come in from all points of the planet) anyway he said something about that he would bet this huge amount of money that every single person would have a life changing event happen in the next six months that would totally redirect their thoughts, their lives, whatever. Isn't that sort of powerful scary?

Now I'm not totally sure it was from David Allen's book because I don't have the most perfect memory but it was one of those "get your life in order" sort of books. In fact as my brain starts unmuddling I think it was more likely from "The Time Trap" by Alec Mackenzie. Well, whoever... but isn't that a wake-up concept?

I think if we were to actually do that time line - then we would see that. Maybe not real big super blips every six months.. but still blips that show our life is not going along our own preconceived plan.... no matter how much we think it might be. Events keep popping into our lives that refocus, redirect and re challenge us to do new things and explore new territory.

There is a higher plan at work and in motion for each one of us.

I think this is a powerful call for us to stay tuned into God - into prayer - into the weave and warp of the loom that is creating our special destiny.

After all who would you be today if you had different parents? Or a different spouse or even a few different friends? Who would you be if you had taken a different job or gone to a different school?

Events come into our life. Sometimes planned and sometimes not. We always have the freedom to decide how we will react to them. But life is never going to stay the same - good things and bad things will come. Sometimes the bad things will turn out to be best things. If we are tuned into God's will for us - then I believe as scripture says,... "All things work out for good."

That's comforting.
Blessings of Peace and Joy,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters

Sr Patricia