Category: Virtues

Grateful Hearts: Count Your Blessings!

Posted: by Virginia Lieto
Man holding arms up in praise against golden sunset
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Grateful hearts humbly acknowledge that there is a need to be filled, via the talents of others. We consider it a blessing from God when someone steps up to address the need that we couldn’t otherwise fulfill ourselves. We are grateful to God and to our fellow man for rushing to our aid!

What are you grateful for these days? When was the last time you counted your blessings? I can attest from experience that when I count my blessings and express my gratitude to God, my mood improves. I have had many opportunities to do so, while going through… Read more…

Gratitude is Personal and Reverent

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

gratitude3

Gratitude is personal. Here is an example. If a person needs to take a taxi to the doctor’s office, he simply does so. However, if this person were to receive a ride to the doctor’s office by a neighbor or friend, then this person would most likely feel a sense of gratitude. He/she would express gratitude by saying thank you for the kindness expressed. Therefore, for gratitude to exist, two human beings must be involved; one that gives, without expecting anything in return, and one that receives. “…gratitude is the expression of a personal encounter in human need.” 1 For the giver, an act of kindness, or the striving to meet another’s need, must be voluntary. No sense of quid-pro-quo should exist.

Besides being personal and voluntary, Father Romano Guardini offers a third condition for gratitude in Learning the Virtues That Lead You to God: Read more…

Thank You! Two Words: Never Overused!

Posted: by Virginia Lieto
photo by Dominik Gwarek
photo by Dominik Gwarek

“Thank you” can never be said too much. Gratitude is a sense of thankfulness to God and to your fellow man for kindnesses extended to you, expressed in word or in deed.

Everything good that comes our way is a gift from God. We came into this world with nothing. We leave with nothing. All that we obtain in between comes from God. Therefore, we say thank you to God for meeting our needs and blessing us in abundance; for providing us with possibilities and opportunities. We even say thank you to God for times of… Read more…

Friends are Gifts from God

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Ginny and Beth Ann

Friends are gifts from God. Think about your life-long best friend for a moment. Why have you been friends for so long? What keeps your relationship so strong? Certain people come into our lives for a time, and then major life changes, like a job change, or a move across country separates you and the friendship wanes. Yet, with your life-long best friend, neither time and/or space seem to matter. Why do you think that is?

Certain relationships can weather… Read more…

A True Friend Loves Without Fail

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Marital Love

A true friend loves without fail; that is the foundation of true friendship. True friendship requires mutual love between parties. How does a friendship result? First, you identify common interests. Next you perceive desirable character traits in each other. You are drawn to each other, and want to mutually pursue getting to know each other better. Through the interchange of dialogue, you come to know more about each other, and the friendship blossoms. You build trust with each other. Before you know it, you have mutual love for each other, and call each other friend.

The same can be true for our relationship with God. Read more…

Friendship: It was I Who Chose You

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Friend of Jesus

Friendship as defined by Jesus through the writings of the Apostle, Saint John:

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another. (John 15:13-17).

Let’s unpack this statement, one point at a time. Read more…

Blog Tour Set! I’m Blessed and Humbled!

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Blog Tour Ad

I am blessed and humbled to have such great, and talented friends, who have agreed to review my new book available on Tuesday, August 25th. That’s just two weeks from today! Let me introduce you to my friends.

Oh, did you see that box titled, “YOU!” in the picture? Well, you will have many opportunities to join in on the fun! Read more…

Do You Accept God in Your Life?

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

God

Do you accept God in your life?

It’s a very simple question. My guess is the answer is “yes” or you would probably not be wasting your time reading this post. I want for you to give your answer more thought. Go deeper. Would the answer still be yes, after answering the following questions?

  • Do you accept all of Christ’s teachings, as delivered by Him? Or, do you pick and choose what you think is relevant to accept as appropriate for the 21st century?
  • Do you believe and accept that Christ’s moral teachings are unchanging; meaning… Read more…

Accepting the Unacceptable: What to Do?

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

diversity

Accepting someone else’s reality can be difficult; especially when someone else’s reality does not jive with our own. What are we to do? How are we to behave when we see what we deem to be unacceptable behavior, and/or hear inappropriate speech?

People’s perceptions (realities) and points of origin will differ, resulting in a need for diversity; the accepting of another’s reality. The need for diversity could stem from a myriad of origin points: race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, culture – just to name a few.

We must understand and accept another person’s reality, to practice the virtue of acceptance. No one is asking you to condone sinful behavior. However, we must remember to love our neighbor as Christ loves each of us. As Saint Augustine originally coined in Letter 211 of his writings, we are to have “love for mankind and hatred of sins.” To do so is acting in a Christ-like manner.

Here is a perfect example: Read more…