Focus on the Light

I believe that there has never been a more opportune time in my life to point to the Light of Christ than now, amid the darkness, uncertainty and turmoil that threaten to overwhelm us daily.  The darker it gets, the brighter the Light of Jesus Shines.  I found myself just watching the quotes at the top of this blog last night and being soothed and affirmed that now is not the time to take my eyes off Jesus and focus only on the world's problems.  In fact, if I do that, I won't be able to channel His light, love, peace, joy, kindness and mercy to others... I am what I eat and if I don't eat and drink God daily and moment by moment, I'll have nothing good to give others.

Last week I was praying at the end of mass and crying out to God because I felt I had to go comfort a friend and I just couldn't do it.

Me: "Lord, I don't have any peace to give them, help me!"

God: "Son, you were never expected to generate peace on your own.  I AM your peace!  Now just go there and be with them.  I will flow MY peace through you to them."

Me: "Ok Lord, what a relief that I don't have to conjure up peace or goodness on my own!"

So I showed up and I channeled Christ who is our peace to that friend in need.  But honestly, I could not have done it if I hadn't went to the place I felt most at home in this world, fed on God and focused on His light and goodness.

With that being said, I want to share all the quotes about light once more in a list form... the ones in motion at the top of this page.  I hope they bless you and challenge you to focus on the source of all light and goodness in this world so you can in turn channel that light.  Blessings!

1 - Darkness is just a speck in the light
King’s X - 1990

2 - Light unshared is darkness.
George MacDonald - 1892

3 - The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.
St. John the Apostle - circa 100 AD

4 - Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
William L. Watkinson - 1907

5 - Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.
Martin Luther King Jr. - 1957

6 - So shines a good deed in a weary world.
William Shakespeare - 1600

7 - His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
St. Matthew the Apostle - circa 70 AD

8 - The same sun which melts wax hardens clay.
Charles Spurgeon - 1881

9 - Light of the world shine on me, love is the answer.
Todd Rundgren - 1977

10 - I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness.
Jesus of Nazareth - circa 30 AD

11 - Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.
Desiderius Erasmus - circa 1500

12 - To love beauty is to see light.
Victor Hugo - Circa 1860

13 - This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.
Harry Dixon Loes - circa 1920

14 - Luminous beings are we.
Yoda - Long, long ago

15 - Light is to darkness what love is to fear; in the presence of one the other disappears.
Marianne Williamson - 2008

16 - The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
King David - circa 1000 BC

17 - Darn floor - big bite, You are love, fire and light!
Daniel Amos - 1987

18 - God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
St. John the Apostle - circa 90 AD

19 - Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby.
Author Unknown (attributed to Ruth E. Renkel for whom information is quite elusive)

20 - In this place no candle burns for the Lamb shall be our light.
Terry Scott Taylor - Circa 1990 

21 - See the light in others, and treat them as if that is all you see. 
Wayne Dyer - 2005

22 - Aziz!  Light!  Much better.  Thank you, Aziz.
Professor Pacoli - 1914

23 - What is to give light must endure burning. 
Viktor Frankl - 1946

24 - Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
St. Paul the Apostle - Circa 58 AD

25 - We are all broken, that's how the light gets in.
Ernest Hemingway / Leonard Cohen - 1929 / 1992

26 - Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. 
Maori Proverb

27 - Light is good from whatever lamp it shines. 
Author Unknown

28 - The light in me honors the light in you.
Farmer's favorite take on Sanskrit: Namaste

29 - A child afraid of the dark?  Expected.  An adult afraid of the light?  Troubling.
Home grown from web seeds.

30 - In Thy light shall we see light.
King David - Circa 1000 BC

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are tax deductible as we are a registered 501(c)(3).

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Where is your home?

I have had many homecomings in the past decade or so.  The first was into a version of my faith where I could eat and drink God, literally and simultaneously mystically.  I was so famished for that sort of intimate connection and honestly, there is no turning back to another form of the faith.  I am home.

My second great homecoming was in 2014 when I found a recovery group and got sober and eventually more and more well.  I am so grateful for that group of people because they just get me.  I find I don't have to explain myself to them, for while the outward forms of compulsive behaviors that we are battling my differ, on the inside we are family.  

These two homecomings have changed my internal landscape.  I no longer think the way I used to.  Eventually, time will tell if my little actions of love change my external landscape and bless others.  That is not for me to evaluate however.

What I have been finding more and more precious are the little homecomings I am blessed to experience several times per week.  I am extremely fortunate to be able to partake in Holy Communion sometimes 4-5 times in any given week.  This has become where I feel most at home.

Jewel the Unicorn said it so well in the CS Lewis tale called "The Last Battle":

"I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now…. Come further up, come further in!"

Father Jim also said it well this past Friday in his homily.  I was there and was blessed to be the Eucharistic Minister that day.  I can with great conviction affirm that being in that place of such intimacy, where God lowers Himself so insanely low to become our food and drink, I felt more home than I ever have before.  That is my native place, the place that I've been looking for all my life and only now am realizing it.

Enjoy the highlights of Fr. Jim's homily by clicking here, you may find it well worth your time :D 

Remember, all produce on the farm is freely given

and never for sale. All donations to the farm

are tax deductible as we are a registered 501(c)(3).

If you've been blessed by our produce and would

love to make sure others get blessed too,

use the 'Donate' button below to pay it forward.

Fiscal Transparency / Produce Distributed

Contact Farmer Fred by clicking the ‘View Web Version’ 

link below. A form will appear in the right column 

when you do this which you can fill out to email him.

(This note is for phone browsers.)