relying on god

Jesus Is In The House

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Some years ago, I came across an article called, “What If Jesus Toured Your Business?” by Buck Jacobs.  The summary of the article poses the question to Christian Business owners, “If Jesus took a tour of the organization you run, would He see anything that would distinguish you from your secular counterparts?”  The article goes on to where the author invites the business owners through a spiritual audit of the business.

This article got me to thinking.  While I am no longer a small business owner, I am about the business of my family, my home, my work and my community.  If Jesus knocked on my door today and asked to spend the week with me — would I pass the “spiritual audit”? Continue reading →

The Gospel Of God’s Grace

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

confident heart

“Have you I let the gospel of God’s grace move from your my head to your  my heart, so that you I know without a shadow of a doubt that you are I am known intimately and loved completely by God?” “A Confident Heart” pg 41.

I grew up in a wonderful, complete, warm and loving family.  Mom and dad saw to it that we were in church every weekend, that we attended weekly religious instructions, and received all of the Sacrements of the Church.

I grew up knowing about God.  I knew OF Him… I just didn’t KNOW Him.  I knew that God loved me.  I just didn’t know how deeply and how He truly loved me and how much He longed for a relationship with me.  I didn’t know that He wanted a relationship with me that would last for all eternity.  All is knew at that time is that if I followed all the rules that that would be good enough to get me into Heaven. Continue reading →

The Long Awakening – A Book Review

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

The Long Awakening, a memoirThe Long Awakening, a memoir by Lindsey O’Connor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The riveting true story of a life-threatening coma, a miraculous awakening, and the long quest to regain what was lost.

From the front flap: “The day our baby came into the world was the day I left. A day that began all smiles and excitement and anticipation and joy ended with running and panic and blood and tears. And then coma.I lay suspended in the deep, my newborn unknown. Nothingness. Layers where dark pulled from below, light called from above, and me, trapped in between, longing to break the surface. To live.
Forty-seven days later when I first saw my husband’s face leaning close to me, I knew where, and who, I was. But other things took much longer to know. Learning to restitch life–and love–when everything’s changed, and finding who we are afterward, can be the longest journey of all.

I’m Lindsey O’Connor, and this is the story of my long awakening.”

I just finished reading this book. This is, by far, one of the best written books that I have read in a very long time. It is a story of being alive just outside of deaths door. It is a story of love and despair. It is a story of returning back to life after being snatched back from the brink. Surviving the 47-day medically-induced coma is just the start to this beautifully written and brutally candid story.Be warned tho, The Long Awakening is no mere memoir…. if you pick up this book you will not soon put it down.

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Time To Stop Complaining

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Oct 9 jesus calling

From:  Jesus Calling by Sarah Young – page 296

“You have been on a long, uphill journey, and your energy is almost spent.  Though you have faltered at times, you have not let go of My hand.  I am pleased with your desire to stay close to Me.  There is one thing, however, that displeases Me: your tendency to complain.  You may talk to Me as much as you like about the difficulty of the path we are following.  I understand better than anyone else the stresses and strains that have afflicted you.  You can ventilate safely to Me, because talking with Me tempers your thoughts and helps you see things from My perspective.

Complaining to others is another matter altogether.  It opens the door to deadly sins such as self-pity and rage.  Whenever you are temped to grumble, come to Me and talk it out  As you open up to Me, I will put My thoughts in your mind and My song in your heart.” Continue reading →

Preparing For The Storm

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

This post was originally written in August 2011. This is something that I wrote a few years back.  With all of the storms that have been beating up New England in the last couple of weeks…  well I decided to repost it.

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storm-pic-for-blog
Winter 2013

Growing up in northern New England, we are used to having massive winter storms.  I learned from my parents at a very young age about being prepared.   The preparations for an upcoming storm typically included making sure that there was “Blizzard” food in the house (milk, cereal,bread, etc… especially with 4 children) and the vehicles were gassed up.  It’s not that we weren’t going to be able to get out of the house for months after the storm, as usually within 8 hours after the end of the storm, we would be out and about.  But then again, you never know. (In December 2010 a freak ice storm resulted in 14 days without power for 100’s of thousands of folks – never know)  Mom and dad were always prepared.

Continue reading →

Sometimes crazy just keeps going

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ 2 Comments

So much has gone on around here the last few days that it is making my head spin.  I won’t go in to too much detail, but suffice to say a member of my extended family is walking a real fine line in breaking the law and is asking Michael to be complicit in it!  His refusal to do that, to lie for this person is causing some major issues here.

I wrote a note to some friends and family other other night asking for adivce on how I should handle things.  In my role in this persons life, I have no  persuasion power over this person, I am merely someone on the fringes with no input, yet on the receiving end of the end results. So, I have to tread lightly in some matters, regardless of my thoughts.  This matter has caused significant arguements between them and us…  especially when I hear comments like… “it’s no big deal, it’s not hurting anyone” and my favorite – “everybody does it”.

So as I said, I sent out a note asking for help and advice.  Not a single response!  What???? It wasn’t until yesterday when I read in my devotional “Quietness and trust accomplish far more than you can imagine…When you trust Me in a given area, you release that problem or person to my care.” (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young – page 267) Continue reading →