I was at Prince of Peace this past weekend and the homily spoke of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control.
Father Keller asked if we ever asked God for any of these. The entire crowd paused and reflected — questioning God. He interrupted to tell us that we all ALWAYS have each Fruit of the Holy Spirit in us, but we need to remind our selves to bring it out. He kindly asked us to participate in a simple exercise where we write down the Fruit that we are seeking most on a post-it note and to simply place it where we would routinely see it. These characteristics have always been in us but we go through things in life that make us feel ejected from them.
I was going through a sense of loneliness, scared of speaking of my depression and anxiety with my loved ones. I made a decision to explore the world this year and rediscover myself. Without pain, how could we know joy?
Thank you Father Keller for reminding me of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. I wrote the words “Joy” on several post-it notes that night and placed them all around the house. It reminded me to smile and love the life I live: Your mind is a powerful thing. When you fill it with positive thoughts, your life will start to change.
Thanks for reading, I hope you rediscover a Fruit of the Holy Spirit that had always been hiding in you. I am forever grateful for the simple reminder that my joyous spirit never left me.
<3ter
As you walk in the crowded empty spaces 
Ter,
You are a strong individual. I can not speak for you, but I can say that life does have many ups. It’s true, your mind is the most powerful aspect that will affect you as your own being. Every moment in life will have it’s moments. Everybody has their own way of perceiving challenges that come to them. Bring that joy out and accept what the little things in life has to offer. Life is way too short to dwell on the things that will not matter in the future. Take new experiences and challenges in life with a smile on your face. Pass on the stories of your experience to others. Everyone has difficulties in life. You are not alone. Keep smiling.
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