Does Life Directions Have A Prayer? - YES, we are praying for the journey

The first Tuesday of each month, Life Directions will call all of us to pray for three different groups in two different settings. The three groups are (a) those who support the mission (b) those who receive the vision (c) those who give the values. The two different settings are (a) our Monthly Prayer Community (b) our network of prayer partners who sign up on facebook or who remember us.

We launch our Prayer for the Journey on April 5th in Detroit (5716 Michigan Avenue - Suite 2200 -313.420.0310) and in Chicago (414 S. Homan Avenue - 2nd floor - 773.265.5806).

You are one more reason we have a prayer to share for those at risk of dropping out of school (under 18) or of disconnecting from any faith-based community (over 18).

• Benefactors who want to awaken values for those under 18 in Public Schools and benefactors who want to re-awaken faith for those over 18 in Churches and other places of worship
• Young people and young adults from 13 to 39 years of age to connect with ways to ready them to be self-responsible and rooted in their values or in their faith
• Self-supported volunteers and staff who give values a chance to awaken and re-awaken those who do not know they are loved just the way they are.

Looking forward to hearing from and joining in with you.

Fr. John

Was St. Patrick English?

One important dimension of Life Directions is "embracing our roots".

Being an Irish American, I have take time to visit my roots. I went to 3 counties in Ireland - Down (in the North), Cork and Mayo (in the South). Then I went to England, since I have roots in Wales.

What I found what that Patrick was a slave and probably was born an Englishman. He studied in France and went to Ireland to ensure "idolatry" would not make its way into the Isle - thus he kept the snakes out.

Happy Celebration of such a hero. May it give us encouragement to live what we know of our roots or to take time to discover our past. It is part of ensuring we can "learn from yesterday", "listen to today" and "speak for tomorrow."

There is a time and place for everything under the sun (Ecclesiastes 3:1ff)!

Awakening Peacemakers through Peers

Focus LIFE is the name given to the development of peacemakers who grow to understand what will lessen violence and increase a compassionate way of life.

The week-end retreat is for young adults from 18 years of age and older. Adults and Elders join them. The key is to be open to the rootedness that sustains us as we absorb the "disrespect" and respond with "respect". The week-end has six distinct steps.

• Come to be aware how I want to be  remember
• Explore what it takes to build the trust that will bring about a way to be  remembered
• Face into the various obstacles that can break entrusting what we value and hold sacred
• Open up to what makes it possible to find the opportunity to deepen trust within the obstacle
• Discover ways to bring this way of trusting to others
• See ways to want to support each other as peers to sustain the trust.

To learn more about this process, give us a call at 773.265.5806 or respond to the blog.