​Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Romans 12:12

I’m sure we’ve all heard the line, “if you aren’t part of the solution; you must be part of the problem.”  They are wise words but perhaps a bit  misunderstood.  I think being part of the solution doesn’t necessarily mean solving the problem single handedly but rather making an honest attempt at working toward something better.  There are some mighty problems in this world to be solved and I sure shootin didn’t cause them, plus I know for a fact that I am not in the position to solve them.  So should I throw in the towel and go cry in the closet?  Nope!  I was reading an article about an amazing woman named Dorothy Day and she had one little idea that put it all in perspective for me.

Dorothy Day was a saving grace to so many who were left physically, spiritually and emotionally crippled by the devastation of the Great Depression.  Her motives and actions were genuine, compassionate and life changing.  She provided a beacon of hope during a time when there wasn’t much.  She didn’t solve the financial problems of the day but she worked in her own way to be part of the solution one person and one family at a time.  She didn’t offer money, but rather provided the most basic needs of the  suffering.  She offered dignity, shelter, hope and joy…so much joy.  She didn’t give a lot ,but what she gave mattered greatly.  She said, “We contribute to the misery of the world if we ignore beauty and joy in life.  If we seek the will of the One who sent Jesus, we need to open our hearts to joy.”

It’s not hard to find the problems, but we get in a big pickle when we have an even harder time finding the beauty around us.  It isn’t often we see a smiling baby or a gorgeous harvest moon on the front page of the paper or newsfeed but when we do see them they give us a lift.  Who doesn’t love a good giggling baby video shared on social media? They just let us escape for a few minutes.  After reading the article I realized my role in the solution was easier than I thought.  It’s my job to connect with beauty and joy.    John Ruskin was a famous art critic from England who used to say “We have the duty of delight.”  That line made me realize we sometimes see joy and beauty and peaceful things as frivolous and non-productive.  We think we have to work and take things to task and ponder serious matters in order to be responsible, informed citizens.  Did you hear that, I think God just belly laughed!”  We’ve got it so twisted up it isn’t even funny.

God is the maker of joy and beauty not the creator of evil, cynical, corrupt or absurd so why not focus on the things he made and leave the rest of the mess alone?  Dorothy Day didn’t solve the problem of the Great Depression, but she sure was a solution to those she was able to bring delight to.  Sounds like a much better way to spend my day, what do you think?

A Seed To Plant:  Take some time to sit and make a list of things in your world that are beautiful and joyful and then go about the duty of delighting in them instead of stewing over problems you can’t solve. It is perhaps the most important work we can do!​

Blessings on  your day!

​Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.  Matthew 5:5​

Every now and again I run across something that just doesn’t seem to belong or have relevance anymore.  I was cleaning closets recently and found an old rotary dial phone with a long spiral cord.  I also have a potato slicer and French fry cutter that belonged to my Grandma Thelma.  She used it in her kitchen when I was little girl.  Both of those items have been replaced with more modern, convenient, efficient updated models so the old ones are cast aside as if they are no longer useful.  There is a key word in this scripture passage from St. Matthew’s gospel that might seem as irrelevant as those old treasures hiding in my closet.  That word is meek.

We strive to be strong and successful.  We pray for the grace of patience, perseverance and wisdom.  We admire people who are confident, powerful leaders with vision.  To tell others our goal is to grow in meekness would be a little like seeing a rotary dial phone in a Verizon store!  To be honest, when I came across the word meek the other day I decided to give it a look and some prayer.  I think I need to change my opinion about that word.  I think it’s a word we might all be able to relate to better than we thought and I’m certain it’s something we could use more of.

Long ago in biblical times the quality of meekness was highly respected and aspired to.  We tend to view it as weak, timid or passive but that was not the message Jesus was teaching when he shared the Sermon on the Mount.  Meekness in its true meaning is the opposite of those things.  Being meek doesn’t mean you are weak and have to take everything like a door mat, it means an active and deliberate acceptance of undesirable circumstances that are part of a bigger picture we can’t see.   Being meek doesn’t mean throwing in the towel, it means giving God authority to do what he wills with our life.    True meekness can be measured by how closely related we are to the will of the Father.  When we make that relationship first, we are content in his love and his control of our life.  If we let him be in charge we realize everything happens for a purpose and we trust in his plan.  If we are more centered on ourselves and our comforts and our pride we tend to fuss and complain and point out all the things that don’t go our way.  If we are low on meekness we tend to see the world through the lens of poor me instead of God’s got it all figured out!

If someone rich in meekness is treated unfairly or wrongly it doesn’t mean that doesn’t sting, but vengeance or revenge isn’t part of their reaction.  Their first reaction is to pray for the person who has wronged them and give the rest to God.   A meek soul realizes that God is the source of justice and that all situations contain lessons.  Sometimes the lesson is for us and sometimes the lesson is for somebody else and taught through us.  In order to grow in meekness, we have to admit regularly that we are not equal with God.  Through our great dependence on Him we grow and we trust and we think WAY more about him than about ourselves.  I suppose meekness is a bit like realizing we truly need to settle into second place and stop trying so hard to be in charge, on top and number one.  I don’t know about you but I have a lot of meekness building to do!

A Seed To Plant:  What are some of the areas in your life that could use a little more meekness? Spend some prayer time this week with this old word with a great and misunderstood meaning. 

Blessings on your day!

 
"The weeds are the children of the Evil One.” Matthew 13:38

This line in a recent Gospel reading really made me stop and think.  Growing up, our family had a gigantic garden. We would can and freeze enough produce to last the whole year with plenty left to give away. I didn’t mind snapping beans or shucking corn or even washing potatoes, but the chore I dreaded was pulling weeds. Some had deep, thick roots; some were vines that tangled their way through several rows, and some were adorned with flowers disguising prickers. They were a destructive nuisance, and they had to be dealt with or they would suck the life out of the vegetables. I never dreamed that even though I moved 800 miles away from that garden, I would still be dealing with weeds in my life.

The weeds I battle these days may not be green and rooted in dirt; instead, they are menacing, distracting, discouraging, and rooted in my heart. The weeds of the evil one I battle these days are called comparison, judgment, dishonesty, greed, and control. When these weeds root too deeply into my heart they choke out the light, life, and truth of the Father’s great plan and His even greater love for me.
The produce from my childhood garden was meant to nourish, sustain, and help us thrive, but it needed to be protected and tended. The same is true of the greatness God wants to provide for me in my daily life now. He will never abandon His children. I just need to hack away the weeds so there is room for only Him in my heart.
​
 A Seed To Plant:  What are the weeds that need to be hacked away in the garden of your heart?  After you’ve put some things on your list, offer up this short little prayer and then watch God get busy!  Good and loving Father, please help me root up all the habits and sins that prevent You from bringing forth beautiful light and life in my days.
 
Blessings on your day!
 
 

We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; Romans 8:22

Those words were part of the second reading at Mass last weekend and boy did they grab my attention.  Anyone who has ever been in a delivery room while a baby makes its way into the world can relate in a very personal way to that line.  As I was pondering those words, I scanned the pews in front of me and counted more than a dozen babies and toddlers and marveled at the beauty those labor pains produce and asked God to show me why this verse jumped out and struck me so deeply; a few days later, He did!

Like many of you, I remember vividly and happily the day I got married.  I remember Fr. Hasenkamp slowly and clearly saying the vows each of us were to repeat.  I remember being so excited and nervous I was afraid I would get lost in my own thoughts and say the wrong thing.  I remember promising to love and honor Dave and I remember the part about accepting children lovingly and raising them up in the faith.  I thought about that at Mass as I scanned the crowd and looked at all the people there with little ones who had made the same promises I had.  You’d think since we all spoke the same promises, we’d be really good at helping each other honor them…but sometimes we’re not.

I get troubled when we turn the wrong things into a competition.  We’ve all been the parent of the child who does something that makes us proud and in all honesty, we’ve probably all been the parent of the child who does the opposite.  I wish we weren’t so quick to judge other parents when the child falls into group two.  Let’s face it, labor was hard but sometimes it doesn’t even compare to how hard raising kids can be.  My babies were the size of toddlers when they were born; they all apparently adored me so much they never wanted to exit the womb, and sleeping through the night was definitely not a “thing” with the Three Little Wohlferts.  They all walked, talked, whined and had epic diaper disasters at different stages and times and it seemed someone always had advice on what I wasn’t  doing right.  We need to give ourselves and our kids a break.  Our goal is to raise our kids up in the faith and help them get to heaven and quite frankly I think we could all use a little help with that big job now and again. What if we said something kind to the lady in the grocery with the screaming toddler instead of raising our eyebrow and assuming she doesn’t know how to discipline her child.  What if we entertained the notion that the fussy baby and the grumpy dad sitting in the same waiting room were sleep deprived, going through a tough time or flat out having a bad day.  And just maybe that 9 year old having a melt down at the movie theater has some real struggles and truly didn’t come to ruin your day. 

Making assumptions doesn’t help us raise our kids…judging doesn’t help us get our kids to heaven.  The labor pains weren’t supposed to be the easiest part! Each family, each child, each  parent is on a journey we know nothing about.  No one ever said the world needed more competition and comparison!   God has an amazing plan for each of us…even the smallest, wiggliest, fussiest, loudest, quietest little person and their frustrated, sleep deprived, proud,loving mammas and daddies.  I came across a neat little story that just kind of drove this whole scripture home.  It’s a story about a dog and an elephant and the genius of the Loving Father who can do whatever he wants in the time frame he chooses.  

The story goes like this.  An elephant and a dog became pregnant at same time. Three months down the line the dog gave birth to six puppies. Six months later the dog was pregnant again, and nine months on it gave birth to another dozen puppies. The pattern continued. On the eighteenth month the dog approached the elephant questioning, "Are you sure that you are pregnant? We became pregnant on the same date, I have given birth three times to a dozen puppies and they are now grown to become big dogs, yet you are still pregnant. Whats going on?". The elephant replied, "There is something I want you to understand. What I am carrying is not a puppy but an elephant. I only give birth to one in two years. When my baby hits the ground, the earth feels it. When my baby crosses the road, human beings stop and watch in admiration, what I carry draws attention. So what I'm carrying is mighty and great.". Don't lose faith when you see others receive answers to their prayers. Don't be envious of others testimony. If you haven't received your own blessings, don't despair. Say to yourself "My time is coming, and when it hits the surface of the earth, people shall yield in admiration." 

I think it would be a good idea to yield in admiration a little more often!

A Seed To Plant:  Do one small thing to support a parent!

Blessings on your day!

The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father… Matthew 13:43

This Gospel reminds me how much Jesus wants us to “get it!”  Not only does he tell the parable but he assembles the followers and explains it again.  I can see myself saying, “OK Jesus, lets sit down and you can hit me with it again because I didn’t quite get it the first time.”  I am so very thankful that he is patient with my thick headedness and offers us his teaching again and again and sends his Holy Spirit to make it clear in prayer.

I recently had a long conversation with a friend who was having a meltdown due to the “state of the world”.  I agreed that there is no shortage of really lousy stuff goin on and I totally supported the meltdown because an occasional hissy fit is good for the soul.  When we spew out all our frustration, worry and fear it’s like cleaning house.  When we shove out the mess, we have an empty space but it’s up to us what we put back into that cleared out space.  If we rant and rave and stay stuck in the yuck nothing good happens to our soul, our attitude or our relationship with Jesus.  The point of a great meltdown is to get it all out and the next step is prayer…Lord I’ve cleared out the junk that was sitting heavy on my heart now help  me fill it with YOU!

So how does that work exactly?  There a couple of questions you can ask yourself.  As you feel the yuck creeping back and putting wrinkles in your peace the first question is “Are these thoughts of God or of evil?  Remember that God is a God of peace not turmoil.  Second question, “Will spending time and energy on this bring me closer to Jesus?” If the answer is no then simply say “I send these unhelpful thoughts to the foot of the cross, Jesus please replace them with joy and peace.”  Third, fill your ears, heart and mind with something lovely instead of ugly.  Listen to a song or a podcast of a YouTube video designed to bring love, truth, joy or laughter into your day.  The greatest strategy for managing the behavior of a toddler is distraction…it works on grownups too. Praying a Rosary for your list of worries and people who are really dancing on your last nerve or who have really hurt you is a powerful tool for doing  something good with something awful.  At the end of that Rosary close with the words, “Ok God, it’s yours…all of it, I’m letting go.”

When I listen to people say we are headed for sure disaster and the world is dark, I think of two things.  God’s mercy and Noah.  In God’s great mercy, when we face him at the end of our life we won’t be judged based on the actions, opinions or decisions of others.  We won’t be judged as a group or need to provide a list of  our known associates on earth.  It’s just a solo event so isn’t it great that the only thing we will be judged on, is also the only thing we are in control of…ourselves!  His mercy is so fancy isn’t it!  As for Noah, he won the award for living among the greatest group of knuckleheads and off the rails idiots and what does scripture say about Noah?  Very simply, it says “He was a righteous man; Noah walked in faith with God.”  That’s it…that’s what it takes to rise about the yuck of the world; walk in faith with God.  Trust him, follow him, talk with him and wake up each day saying, “Hold on God, I’m coming…I wanna belong to you today more than I want to worry and stew and fret about what everybody else is doing.”  Say that, take a breath and then remember God can do anything and everything!

A Seed To Plant:  Go ahead and have a meltdown or throw a hissy fit, God won’t mind. Then ponder one of the questions or actions in this blog that can help you fill that empty spot well.  If you need someone to share your meltdown with, I’m happy to help!

Blessings on your day!

…complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Philippians 2:5

Complete HIS joy…now there’s a cool thought!  Just how do we do that?  St. Paul helped us with that answer as he spilled out these instructions in his letter to the Philippians.  He said, be of the same  mind as Jesus and love like Jesus and give him your whole heart so you become one.  Our entire journey to sainthood is packed right into these few words but the trick is putting them into action.  

The heart and the mind are truly connected and I find in my own life that if I get my mind right my  heart will follow.  But getting the mind right takes some doing because there are so many voices fighting for a spot in my thoughts.  Attempting to have a like mind to Jesus takes some focus for sure.  Truly understanding how someone thinks often requires a change in perspective.  Managers at Disney properties spend some time each week observing a section of their space from their knees.  Since their focus audience is children, they work hard to see what they see and think what they think.  What if we applied the same practice? What if we got on our knees in prayer to see things from Jesus’ perspective?  What if we made it our mission to think, love and act like him in every interaction, problem, celebration and encounter during our day?  When marketers try to sell us a product they try to get into our thoughts and they often use a motto or slogan to get things to stick.  Maybe we need to do the same!

If you were to come up with a motto for your journey toward Jesus what would it be?  If we each had a  motto  that summed up our desires to live out our sainthood, we could use it like an anchor to ground us  in our mission to have the same mind as Christ.  It’s not a new idea but it’s a great one that could be powerful.  In order to help me create my own, I studied those of other really holy folks.  Maybe by sharing a few you can begin to ask the Holy Spirit to help you create one for yourself.

**Pope John Paul II:  Totally Yours  (Totus Tuus)
**Pope John XXIII: Obedience and Peace (Obedientia et Pax)
**Jesuit Order:   For the Greater Glory of God (Ad maiorem Dei Gloria)
**Franciscan Order:  Peace and Good (Pax et bonum)
**Dominican Order: To praise, to preach, to bless (Audare, benedicere, praedicare)
**St. Elizabeth of the Trinity:  God in me, I in Him
**St. John Henry Newman: Heart speaks to heart.
**Catholic Author Claire Dwyer: Respect life, Revel truth, Radiate love
**St. Mary 6th grade Class of 2022:  Do good work
**St. Mary School:  We will come to know God, love God and serve God and his people

What will your motto be?  What words or phrase will serve as a great reminder to take on the mind of Christ so we can complete his joy and enjoy heaven in His presence? It doesn’t have to be long or Latin, just something to snap your mind to attention.  When the kids were little and they got near the stove all I had to do was say “No, Hot!” and they instantly cut and ran.  I need something that helps me cut and run from the ways of the world and the grip of temptation and sin.  I need a little something to remind me not to judge, compare, gossip or stick my nose into business that isn’t my own.  I need a little something to help me change my perspective when I’m not being of the mind and heart of Jesus.

A Seed To Plant: Pray about your motto. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you start with a list of words and ideas you can pray with and use to create a motto designed to help you think with his mind.

Blessings on your day!

Come follow me…Matthew 4:19

Seems like a simple thought doesn’t it.  So many talk about following Jesus but I listened to a great speaker recently who put some powerful truth to those words and what it really  means to be a disciple or follower of Jesus.  The whole short talk left me feeling like I’ve got some thinking, praying and changing to do.  Here’s what I learned…

In the Sermon on the Mount in chapters  5,6 and 7 of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus spells out the new law of the kingdom.  He teaches and preaches and explains.  He highlights important things we need to do to follow him like be humble, love our enemy and live without judging others.  He also calls us to focus on the condition of our hearts.  When we decide to follow Jesus we think different, look different and act different.  We become different than the rest of the world.  That’s pretty big stuff for most of us who spend a lot of time trying to blend in, go with the flow and not make a spectacle of ourselves but the truth is, if we really want to follow Jesus, we’re going to be different. Chances are, others are gonna notice our differences and call us out on them; what will we do?

In the next three chapters of Matthew’s Gospel Jesus shifts from teaching to application.  We can read the ten miracle stories where Jesus showed he had power and authority over everything.  He had power over disease, death, wind, evil, political structures and anything the evil one could stir up.  (He still does!) In a mighty way, he took his message from the classroom to the streets and showed us what being his follower looked like.  Come follow me said the man who had no place to lay his head.  I’m so incredibly thankful that many did just that and paved the way for all disciples to follow.  

The speaker made a powerful point that made me squirm in my chair a little when he said the only thing stopping us from being a true follower of Jesus (one of those folks who is different) is excuses.  We make all kinds of them and we try to justify so many things because we aren’t so good at sacrifice, suffering and following him which means taking up our cross.  I’ve said dozens of times before, I’m much better at dragging my crosses than picking them up!  After giving all this some thought I realized it was true…I was full of excuses that prevented me from completely following Jesus.  

The speaker also mentioned that we can’t follow Jesus part time.  There is no position for part time disciple…truly following him means reconfiguring everything, detaching from things of the world and living to please the Father and not people.  Phew, that’s tuff!  I have a better understanding now about the rich young man and the narrow gate!  The question is, do I want what’s on the other side of that narrow gate?  I’ve been wondering why I’m so attached to being comfortable and accepted?  If I know I am God’s beloved why is it so hard to detach from worldly things even though I know he only desires my holiness and sainthood and will provide for my every need?  We grumble, complain and worry about the state of affairs swirling around us but yet we cling so hard to the world and resist being the kind of “different” it takes to enter Paradise.  I think before I can truly “Come Follow Him” I have some questions to pray about.

A Seed To Plant:  Which of the questions above do you need to stop and think about a bit?

Blessings on your day!

They all ate and were satisfied…  Luke 9:17

When I heard these words at the end of last Sunday’s Gospel they hit me like a sack of bricks.  I’ve been thinking about them for a few days now and I’m still wondering if I even know what that means…to be satisfied?

We aren’t very good with “exactly the right amount”.  Our culture promotes more, better, extra and on reserve.  We stock up, plan ahead and over prep everything from toilet paper to salad greens.  When you think about it, we are people of excess  more than satisfaction.  In this Gospel thousands of people walked and walked and walked just to listen to Jesus teach.  They had no worries about food or lodging.  They didn’t have reservations and back up plans.  They didn’t pack a cooler or a rubbermaid tote full of snacks.  They just abandoned everything because nothing was more important than the word of the Son of God.

What do you suppose those early disciples would think of TV shows like “Hoarders” or “Extreme Couponing”?  I know those are extreme examples but you have to wonder who really needs dozens of tubes of tooth paste even if you do get them for practically nothing.  I’ve been making a list of all the places in my life where I’ve lost track of the meaning of the word satisfied and it is embarrassingly long.  I’m not suggesting we all become radical minimalists but the Gospel has really made me  stop and think.

The thought I keep coming back to is the difference in my trust and the trust of the characters in this Gospel story.  They completely trusted in the providence of God.  They knew He would be faithful and they would be grateful.  It also struck me that there were twelve baskets of food left over which means people weren’t grabbing up the extra to save “just in case”.  They trusted God for this meal, they were satisfied and content and they trusted him the same way about tomorrow.  They had a focus that was on Jesus and not self and that focus brought them  trust.  I think it’s probably pretty safe to say the disciples and followers of Jesus were a stress free group of faithful folks who were not very likely to have a stress related cardiac event.

Ya know it’s funny, I’ve heard this Gospel dozens and dozens of times but that line just jumped right up at me.  That always  means God’s trying to teach  me something. If I spent as much time praying and reading His Word as I do plotting and planning my shopping, meal prep and event schedule I’m positive my soul would be a lot shinier.  Imagine the stories we could tell if we sought to be satisfied instead of fortified with extra.  Imagine the stories of God’s providence we could tell if we actually let him meet our needs instead of trying to plan,  control and manage everything ourselves.  Imagine how content our hearts would be if we stepped back a bit and let him show us  how much he loves us.  

I chatted with a lady recently at a retreat I was presenting and she shared that the greatest way to learn to trust more and rely less on self is to spend five solid minutes in prayer thinking about anything but yourself.  Any time thoughts of self or tasks or worries about your life creep in, you have to start all over.  Seems simple…5 minutes thinking about anything but yourself.  I guess the words SATISFIED, CONTENT and ENOUGH need to be a part of my prayer for a while, how about you.

A Seed To Plant:  Where are the places you find yourself going beyond satisfied?  How about those 5 minutes thinking about anything but self…give that a try too.

Blessings on your day!

Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. Jude 1:21

Sorry for two weeks of “radio silence!”  It seems that the end of the school year swallowed me whole but now it’s summer and I’m back to writing from my screen porch!


Happy 10th Birthday  Joyful Words Blog!!  I’m astounded that God has keep this going for a decade!  When I finally quit arguing with Him and actually started writing, I could have never imagined He would still be sending me words 520 weeks later.  Please know how very grateful I am to all of you who check in and give these things a read.  I promised Him I’d keep writing as long as people kept reading and letting me know he was working through the words. I consider it an absolute honor to share this work with you.  I thought today we could take a look at the number 10…turns out the Father has used this number for some pretty important lessons.

*10 and 10th appear in Scripture more than 320 times; pretty sure that’s at least the number of    times I’ve needed and received his mercy this week!

*10 is a perfect number which suggests completeness, order and peace: may this be a year of ALL of that for each of us!

*In the first chapter of Genesis  alone we read “God said” 10 times; perhaps we should work on doing what he says the FIRST time instead of needing to be told 9 more times (maybe that’s just me!)

*There are 10 Commandents; which is a great trade for  more than 600 Jewish laws.

*There were 10 plagues; always a great reminder of God’s power and love for his people.

*We are asked to tithe 10 percent; after all we’re given it doesn’t seem like so much in return.

*10 generations of man lived on earth before the Flood; thank goodness He promised not to do that again.
*The Passover lamb was selected on day 10 of the 1st month (Exodus 12:3), as was Jesus, the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world (John 12:28 - 29; 1Corinthians 5:7). 
I’m always so surprised at the way he uses simple things to teach like a number or a word. There is simply no end to the magnificent things he will do through us when we start with one word…YES!!  I’m so glad you’ve followed along with one of my favorite “Yes’s”!  Thank you to those of you who have read, liked and commented about the ways the Lord is working in your life; we truly need to help each other grow in holiness.  I will be praying 10 Rosaries for my readers asking God to bless, protect and guide you.
A Seed To Plant:  Say YES to God 10 times this week.  It can be something big or something little like stopping to say a quick prayer for someone who comes into your thoughts.  As always, please share what happens!
Blessings on your day!

So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? “What can you do?…John 6:30

I remember taking the kids to the pool when they were little and a hundred times I would hear them yell, “Watch this Mom!”  After watching a dozen times my “noticing” diminished sufficiently!  There were times I wanted to say, “I’ll watch when you’ve got something good or new to show me!”  Reading this passage from todays Gospel threw me back to those days at the pool.  

Our world is so busy and fast paced we can become easily bored and complacent. We are constantly expecting the next thing to be a little fancier, bigger, more exciting or shinier.  This passage from John’s Gospel serves as a stark reminder that we need to adjust our eyes and attitudes when it comes to the ways Jesus is working in our lives.  The people demanded signs like Jesus was in a competition against Moses, but before I roll my eyes at them and scoff their behavior, I need to check myself.  I need to sharpen my “noticing”.  I need to ask myself daily, “What is Jesus doing in my life right now.”  If the only things I notice are the giant, fancy things he does, I’m missing the root of it all.  This Gospel reminds me that he does a hundred mighty things for me and my children every single day and I’m not paying attention because I’m stamping my feet waiting for him to dramatically end the woes of the world.  I’m waiting to be “Wow’ed” and he’s waiting for me to notice I’m being “Woo’ed” by his love every day.  

In a world that is spinning at the speed of sound, God is using this passage to remind us of the power and peace waiting for us  in the simple, the plain, the still. Maybe this week instead of demanding the big stuff we can ask for eyes to see the little ways he fills our days with compassion, mercy and grace.  

A Seed To Plant:  What is the Lord doing in your life right now?  Make a list of all the ways big and small he’s “wooing” you during this season of your life.

Blessings on your day!

Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me. John 12:26

Oh golly, it’s May and tis the season for ball games, school events, graduations and special happenings  galore.  It’s that season when meal planning, bedtimes, regular schedules and empty laundry baskets seem like ancient history!  It’s easy to get tangled up in the chaos and wish it would all just stop.  Finding time for daily prayer and family meals is tricky at best and these busy days can leave us feeling like we are lagging behind as disciples.  I’d like to offer a different perspective today for anyone who might be choking on their May calendar.

We serve and are adored by a God who can’t be outdone in generosity.  Time and again he shows up and multiplies, subtracts,  divides and adds the perfect things our life needs when we remember to invite him in.  We are about to begin a unit on the Works of Mercy and as I was thinking about them through the lens of a busy parent I could see something different that just might bring you some peace and help you realize you are discipling  and serving God and others more than you think in this busy season. Let’s take a look at those Works of Mercy…

Feed the hungry…yes that means packing lunches, providing the post game snack or making cookies for the school fundraiser.  It also means making meals sometimes magically appear from the bare cupboards and fridge because mamma doesn’t have time to shop. Remember to pray for all the “eaters”.

Give drink to the thirsty…pretty sure juice boxes and gatorade provided for the school picnic or ball team count. Quick prayers together in the car can also quench a thirst for peace,  confidence and contentment. Remember to pray for all those you offer drink to.

Clothe the naked…I’ve come to believe in my older age that laundry is truly a labor of love.  That late night load tossed in to make sure the right outfit is ready for tomorrows event is in fact  a merciful and unselfish act. Remember to pray for the wearers of the clothes as you wash and fold.

Shelter the homeless…You provide a home that serves as a place of prayer, safety and rest for the people you love most.  You work daily to make sure the children God entrusted you with are noticed, valued, corrected and directed.  Most of you open that same home to neighbors and friends too. Remember to pray for all the people who cross your doorstep.

Visit the sick and imprisoned…As you sit waiting for the game or concert to begin and you chat with the person sitting next to you perhaps you are visiting them in a prison of personal loneliness.  When you take time to ask someone about that person in their life suffering or struggling you are giving them the strength and support they need to return to the journey.  When you offer to pray for those in tough situations you are giving them the greatest help imaginable. Remember to pray for all those sitting in the bleachers or auditorium or lawn chairs.

As you continue to wade your way through the rest of this busy season of your life there are a few things you can do to make sure you aren’t wasting these minutes.  In fact, these simple things can help you turn the chaos into a chance to grow in holiness.  First, be sure to invite Jesus into the business of the day.  Offer all of it…every last stinkin thing on the schedule to him and ask him to help you see him working through all of it.  Second, use car time to say quick prayers with your kids.  Take turns sharing what you need prayers for and say a prayer together for each other.  Third, ask the Holy Spirit to take control of all your conversations so you can be a vessel of his grace and finally, remember that each and every thing we do can be offered as a gift to the Father who will offer it back as grace ten-fold.

A Seed To Plant:  Pick  one of the four suggestions and put it in action today.

Blessings on your day!

…and the greatest of these is love 1Corinthians 13:13

The last couple of weeks almost daily it seems I read, see or hear something about the Mercy of God. Usually that means somebody else might need to hear about it too.  Todays post is a little like a toddler; short and sweet but full of might!  Here are some nuggets of Mercy...

*Love is the greatest virtue and mercy is the highest form of love.

*Mercy is a free and undeserved gift from the Father that is the opposite of what we deserve and it’s given completely out of love.

*Mercy is bigger than forgiveness. Mercy allows you to look at those you’ve forgiven with a hope for their holiness.

*Mercy requires humility.  

*Humility is not about thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less…if we are thinking of ourselves less, we can think of the Father more which always leads to loving and merciful thinking and actions.

*Pride is the enemy of a merciful life and not one person in recorded history ever choked to death on their pride.

*He who knows how to forgive and show mercy prepares for himself many graces from God.  As often as I look upon the cross, so often will I forgive with all my heart.  St. Faustina
A Seed To Plant:  Ask God to show you the places in your life where his mercy needs to be received and given.

Blessings on your day!

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love He has for us, Ephesians 2:4

My big brother Jim was a great guy!  I have so many memories of our childhood; and like all brothers and sisters close in age, it should come as no surprise that most of those memories are of great times and events, and others…well…not so much!  Jim was tall and strong and he absolutely LOVED to catch me by surprise and grab my hands and start a game of “mercy”.  The rules were simple, bend back your opponent’s hands until they cried “mercy” and then you’d stop.  Strange game I know but he did it every chance he got.  Jim was competitive and beating me was quick work when I was little but as I got older and he began to realize I had inherited our mother’s huge, strong hands and long fingers I wasn’t such a quick win and he had to take it up a notch when I beat him a time or two.  After I had a taste of victory, I wasn’t as eager to spit out that cry for “mercy” to end the game.  I giggle when I remember the last Christmas we were all together, I was 20 and he was 22 and we were still playing that stupid game.  

One thing I could always count on from Jim was immediate mercy when I called out the word.  He didn’t take a second to honor the request, he stopped instantly.  “Mercy” was a game played by lots of folks when I was growing up (maybe it was a Kansas thing??) but not every opponent honored the request for mercy immediately but Jim did and that always stuck with me.  For Catholics all over the world, the Sunday after Easter is known as Divine Mercy Sunday and it’s a day we celebrate the immediate, guaranteed and undeserved Mercy of the God who loves us. We’re gong to dwell on the topic for a few weeks because our world is crying out for God’s love and mercy. I read somewhere that GRACE is a gift freely given by God for things we don’t deserve and MERCY is a gift freely given in place of what we do deserve.  Thank goodness!  If God chose to discipline me with penalties and punishments for all my sin and shortcomings I’d never get ahead…I think He knew that and that’s why He invented mercy!  In fact, His Divine Mercy is even more immediate than that shown by my brother Jim in that silly game we used to play.  

In order to better understand the gift of Divine Mercy, I’ve borrowed some words from the Marians of the Immaculate Conception website…may their words help your heart understand this beautiful gift. The ABC’s make it easy to understand… A – Ask for His mercy.  God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and the whole world.   B– Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others.  He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us. C – Completely trust in Jesus.  God wants us to know the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust.  The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.

Lucky us!!!  How blessed are we to receive the gift of His mercy…but wait…if you read carefully you noticed the parts that said the gift is free but it comes with an expectation!  The expectation is that we must extend His mercy to those around us!  YUP…that means to those who have wronged us and hurt us and haven’t lived up to their end of the bargain. I suppose it’s a little like the way we are with God; often hurting him, not living up to our end of the bargain and doing dozens of assorted “wrongs” a week. I’m thankful for the memory of my brother Jim and our countless games of “mercy” because it was a wee little sneak peek into the beautiful revelation of the Divine Mercy of our Father.

A Seed To Plant:  Pray over the Mercy ABC’s and jot down those things you need to ask God’s mercy for and then make a list of those whom you will allow His mercy to flow through you and land on!

Blessings on your day!

…“You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’…Matthew 28:12

During the weeks since Easter I have been spending some time reading the story.  As I was reading in the last chapter of Matthew’s gospel I got to verse 11 and wanted to yell, “Liar, Liar pants on fire!”  It’s hard to believe the enemies of Jesus even tried to lie about something as astounding and beautiful as the resurrection.  As I continued to read all I could think was; Wow…talk about an action packed story!  This short Gospel has it all, epic drama, suspense, grief, jubilation, surprise, deceit, bribery and a splendid victorious hero! It’s a story of loyalty, love, dishonesty and the ultimate triumph of truth!  Truth is a beautiful thing and we serve the God of truth.

Growing up the thing my dad held in highest regard was telling the truth, he considered truthfulness to be the most accurate mirror of a person’s character.  He would often tell my brothers and me that one lie always ties itself to another and before long you could find yourself lying when the truth world fit better.  That’s exactly what happened to the chief priests.  How could anybody believe a small group of sorrowful and brokenhearted men appeared in the dark, rolled away an enormous stone and snuck off with Jesus’ body all without waking the team of soldiers assigned to guard the tomb?  As Christians we know the truth fits better!
Sometimes Christ speaks truth to us and in our hearts we can be a little like the chief priests.  Sometimes God’s truth is tough, especially when living it requires difficult change.  The laws and truths of our faith are clear and often difficult to follow and we try to wriggle our way around them.  Thank goodness we are loved by an Amazing Father who says to us, just as he said to the Mary’s in the garden that morning, “Do not be afraid.”  He wants to lead us lovingly to his truth…his whole truth which offers the promise of eternal salvation.

A Seed To Plant:  What are some truths you are struggling with?  The Mary’s in this Gospel were fearful and overjoyed. In prayer today, ask God to guide you through the fear and lead you to the great joy and freedom found only through living completely in his truth.

Blessings on your day!

…with age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you.  Jeremiah 31:3

For the last several weeks the middle lovelies have been preparing to present their Shadow Stations of the Cross.  Every year I am struck by the simplicity, power and passion generated by a group of twelve year olds and its ability to stir the hearts and tears of a gym full of people. It is the perfect way to begin Holy Week.  
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After practice one day I overheard two of the kids talking and one of them said, “It’s hard to believe someone could love us enough to go through all this!”  Honestly, I can’t believe it either!  I watch from side stage as these kids act out the crucifixion and the tears sting!  Sometimes my mind drifts to those who were witnesses to the real Passion of Christ and my heart nearly pounds out of my chest at the slightest imagining of what that must have been like.  Holy Week always leaves me feeling so loved, but always with a tinge of guilt and not nearly enough gratitude.  It’s easy for me to feel like I should be doing more…praying more…serving more…living better so I can show Jesus how much I love him.  It’s easy to feel like I come up so short.
I was feeling that way this morning at mass and Father Eric said exactly what my heart needed to hear.  If you’re mid way through your Holy Week thinking you can never repay Jesus for the gift he so extravagantly gave maybe this will help you enter into the Triduum peacefully and prayerfully too.  When we consider the love Jesus has for us, we have to remember that it isn’t a contest.  We can never match his love and his love doesn’t change.  Instead of harboring thoughts of inadequacy Father suggests this very simple prayer.  “Jesus I love you too!”

As we ponder the events of the Last Supper, the washing of the feet or the scourging we should just say “Thank You Jesus, I love you too!”  That simple little prayer says it all.  It allows us to acknowledge the depth of Jesus’ love and do the only thing we’re capable of…thank him and return the love.  Instead of thinking; I haven’t earned this kind of love or I don’t deserve this huge love, I will just say thank you Jesus, I love you too!  Those words just seem to settle the soul.  I hope you’ll take them deep into your Holy Week too.

A Seed To Plant:  Read the Holy Week story from the Gospels and end each part of your reading with the words, “Thank you Jesus, I love you too.”
Blessings on your day!
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Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Philippians 2: 5-11 

We are almost there; we’re right on the edge of my favorite week of the year…Holy Week!! The question of the day is; are you gonna leap or limp into this spectacular week on the christian calendar?  The choice is yours and the blessings and benefits of the week will be proportional to your choice.

Why might we limp? Sometimes it’s as simple as recognizing our “inner toddler”.  We may be headed into Holy Week limping with a  pouty heart because Lent didn’t finish as spectacularly as we had envisioned it on Ash Wednesday.  Maybe we fell short, maybe all Lent did was make us more aware of our sinfulness and our stubbornness.  Yeah…so what…join the club!  The limpers probably tried to do Lent their way and wanted to feel great because of what they had done.  Having a spotlight thrown on our flaws, weaknesses and flub-ups isn’t anything we’d purposefully sign up for but sometimes it’s exactly where Jesus needs us to park and stare.  The other guess I’m willing to make is that the limpers are feeling like they didn’t “get” anything out of Lent.  Everyone wants the “sparkle -farkle”  “warm and fuzzy” holy feelings, and if we’re not feelin’ it we throw up our hands and think we’ll just give it a go next Ash Wednesday.  Uhhh….that’s us trying to be the boss again…that’s us trying to tell Jesus what we need instead of considering the fact that he’s shown us some things he needs us to see and if we’ll just hang with him and give him everything during this Holy Week, he’s got a miracle to blow our minds on Easter Sunday.  Lent is about change, growing and journeying, so take a minute, stand up straight, quit limping and start leaping because the amazing love of the Father is about to bust out and amaze us this week if we’re looking.

So why leap?  Because this week we’ll re-live the events done out of the most magnificent and spectacular love imaginable… it’s all for love…every last tiny detail of this week illustrates his love for us.  Nobody has ever or will ever do something so incredible for us, so we need to leap into it head first and soak it up; the story, the people, the details, the celebrations, the sorrow but mostly the LOVE.  Here are some things you can do  to make sure you’re leaping and not limping.

First, since this was all done out of love that’s the place for us to start.  Love Jesus a little more this week.  Since the best way to show love it so be present, that’s exactly what we need to do.  Spend more time with Jesus this week.  Read Scripture, pray, soak up a pod-cast, video, song or article about Holy Week each day so you can appreciate the love and leap into the happy ending on Sunday.

Second, share some love.  Pick one act of love you can offer this week.  Make it a tough one…consider that whole “love those who  can’t love you back” or “love your neighbor” thing.  Do a great act of love simply because Jesus did a big one for you.

Third, read the story!  Go through the Gospel stories of the passion, death and resurrection this week.   Read them slowly and let the love in the story wash over you like a warm, healing rain.

Last, just be his! Steer away from the TV and the Screens this week…just be with him.  Imagine each day that you are walking with him, living the story with him and experiencing his love first hand.  Give him that gift and the blessings he will return to you on Easter Sunday will leave you changed.  Now; ready, set. LEAP! Have a blessed and truly HOLY Week!

A Seed To Plant: Write down and actually DO the four things above to make this a wonderful Holy Week.

Blessings on your day!

“For I the Lord do not change.”  Malachi 3:6

How’s your Lent?  It’s a great feeling to get to this point in the season and recognize tangible ways our changes and sacrifices have allowed us to detach from our will a little.  As we dive deep into the last weeks of Lent it’s a good time to ask ourselves, “WHY did I give that up?” or “WHY did I make that change?”  I recently heard a priest point out that often our Lenten plans are very self focused.  He challenged his listeners to think beyond themselves and make some changes that had a positive effect on someone else.  Then he spoke this powerful line…
“One changed life, always changes another!”  If we are going to be the people of service we are called to be,  this line is mighty motivation.  I have heard the powerful story of three people this Lent who made a change in their life and it changed another.  I share their stories to inspire us to do some great things to finish out this Lent.

*Adjusting your schedule to give the gift of time changes things. Lent opens our hearts to receive gifts from the Lord as we free ourselves from habits and distractions that allow us more time to get closer to Him.  Tonight I saw one of these gifts.  When I made time as a Lenten commitment to visit a very old woman in assisted living, she quickly became my friend.  But tonight she kissed me goodbye and said she would pray for me and at that moment I felt my mom in her embrace (my mom died 40 years ago when she and I were both too young to lose each other).  God is good and beautiful and works in mysterious ways. I am looking forward to our visits long after Lent has passed!!  One changed life always changes another! 

* Changing my perspective was a game changer!  I’ve been politely angry at God for twenty years for a lousy marriage and entering my sixties divorced and childless.  All I could do was count the pains, injustices and shortfalls of my life.  This Lent I asked God to change  my broken heart and swap my list of pains for a list of joys.  I told him I would change my anger if he would put someone in my path who needed my love.  It was a tall order but a powerful wave of trust and peace washed over me as Fr. traced the ashen cross on my forehead on Ash Wednesday.  The next day a single mother and her two pre-teen daughters moved in next door.  Long story short, I have three new friends who needed my love, my support, my help and my skills as a retired teacher.  I help with homework, we share dinner together three nights a week and I marvel at how easy it was to change from anger to joy.  One changed life always changes another!  

* I began last Lent in the middle of a bitter, unhappy marriage.  It seemed like every time my husband walked into the room all I could do was think about how much more I gave to the relationship and how unappreciated and taken for granted I felt.  I sought counsel from a wise friend who told me the only thing I could control was myself and that “gratitude covered a multitude of sins.”  After prayer and googling a lot of Catholic marriage talks I decided to change my attitude.  Instead of keeping “score”, I started keeping a gratitude list about my husband.  The first few days the list was pretty small but as Lenten days passed, I began to notice and appreciate so many things I had been too bitter to see.  I also began to pray for him every day and as the bitterness and selfishness in my heart began to disappear, our love, laughter and faithfulness completely changed.  One changed life always changes another! 

Lent is a time to change our hearts, attitudes and actions…he’s inviting us to change not just for ourselves but for another of his children and just maybe he’s inviting someone to make a change that will bless us.  Don’t fear the change because no matter how much things swirl around us; his love never changes!
A Seed To Plant:  Spend some time in prayer this week asking the Father to show you where you can make a change that will change another.​

Blessings on your day!

…and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

I think Jesus had a favorite word and he taught over and over that we should put that word into action.  The word…LOVE!  It covers a multitude of sins and correct a mountain of troubles, but what does it look like?  I’ve had the Beetles song “All I need is Love” stuck in my head for a week and then I came across this article below; the Holy Spirit no doubt is responsible for this post!  I have no idea who wrote it or I’d give them credit and a thousand thank you’s.  These thoughts don’t just apply to romantic love…but to all of us and the ways we treat each other.  It’s  a longer read but OH SO WORTH THE TIME!

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, 'What does love mean?' The answers they got were broader, deeper, and more profound than anyone could have ever imagined!

**'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore... So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too.  That's love.'  Rebecca - age 8

**'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'  Billy - age 4

**'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.'  Karl - age 5

**'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' Chrissy - age 6

**'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' Terri - age 4

**'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'  Danny - age 8

**'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and just listen.' Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

**'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.' Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

'**Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.' Noelle - age 7

**'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.' Tommy - age 6

**'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.' Cindy - age 8

**'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' Elaine - age 5

**'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.'  Chris - age 7

'**Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.' Mary - age 4

**'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'  Lauren - age 4

**'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image!) Karen - age 7

**'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.' Jessica - age 8

**And the final one: The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry.’

A Seed To Plant: These snippets have so much to think about!  What if the second half of Lent was all about finding ways to LOVE BIGGER!  It’s impossible to focus on loving others harder and be selfish at the same time.  I’d say that’s a win win!  Pick something from the list and put it into action this week.

Blessings on your day!

…’You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you.’ Isaiah 41:9

I love choices; I don’t need a lot of choices but having more than one option is a very good thing!  I love cookies but if I have the choice between a cookie or a piece of Carrot Cake that’s a simple choice…both are great but clearly the Carrot Cake wins every time!  Last week I had a God thump that made me think of choices in a new light.

While I was at mass recently I had the opportunity to help the little guy next to me find the right page in the song book.  Once we found it, he wanted me to point to the words as we sang.  The song was a familiar favorite.  Honestly, if it hadn’t been for the little one next to me, I wouldn’t have even had to pick up the book.  God had a plan!  My favorite lines from this song are, “my hearts one desire is to be holy, set apart for You Lord, I want to be holy, ready to do your will’  great words right.  I’ve belted them out just like that dozens of times but Friday as I pointed to each word with my fingers for my buddy, God thumped me as I read not “I want to be holy” but “I CHOOSE to be holy.”  That one word made a huge difference.

The difference between want and choose is action, responsibility and work.  I can want to be holier or thinner or more prayerful and patient. I can want all I want and it just remains a wish or a dream.  If I choose to be those things, that means I have to do something about it.  It reminded me of something my mom used to say when we whined about something being hard or not going our way.  She would say, “Well child, why don’t you wish in one hand and spit in the other and see which one gets full faster.  Nothing gets done until you get busy.”  

The ultimate goal of the Lenten Season is to help us grow in holiness.  The big question I’ve been pondering and praying about is; do I want to grow in holiness or do I choose to grow in holiness?   If I just want it, I can guarantee I will sit in church on Good Friday weeping because I’m in the same place I was on Ash Wednesday.  If I want things to be different I have to choose to make them different.  I have to take action and not just wish for change.  That puts a different light on things.  It takes away the try and replaces it with a do.  I don’t know about you but my Lent can use more DOING and CHOOSING!  I’m not quite sure what he’s leading me to on this years Lenten Journey but I do know I will have to make some choices and I’m pretty sure they won’t be as easy as Carrot Cake over cookies!  Lord, help me see and choose!

A Seed To Plant:  Make a list of the things that get in the way of your holiness.  Now circle a few and pray over them the next few days asking God to help you CHOOSE the ones he wants to help you tackle this Lent.

Blessings on your day!

…return to me with your whole heart. Joel 2:12

Happy Ash Wednesday!  As we begin this holy season of prayerfulness, our mission is to grow closer to God.  The goal of it all is to love a little harder and believe a little bigger!  The next 40 days are an opportunity to examine our habits and steer away from those that aren’t helping us become holier.  My big thought this Ash Wednesday morning is…don’t just give up something you will pick back up after Easter…make it count…make it result in a change of heart…make it something that changes us more into the person God made us to be.  Growing in trust, faith, hope and prayerfulness are the things that have come to me as I prayed about using this Lent well.  As I was praying about the HOW, I came across this little story that I thought I’d share.  Maybe it will help your heart prepare to follow Jesus more closely this Lent.

*Once all villagers decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer, all the people gathered, but only one boy came with an umbrella.  That is faith.

*When you throw babies in the air, they laugh because they know you will catch them.  That is trust.

*Every night we go to bed without any assurance of being alive the next morning, but we still set alarms to wake up.  That is hope.

*We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future.  That is confidence.

*We see the world suffering, but still, we get married and have children.  That is love.

*The sweet, cheerful 80 year old lady wears a t-shirt that says “I’m not 80, I’m sweet 16 with 64 years of experience.” That is positive perspective.

Lent is a time for change; change that makes us closer to Jesus.  Perspective is so important these next 40 days.  Let’s focus not so much on the change and sacrifice but on the grace that spills out as we use these days well.  Let’s focus on the great things that will change in our heart when we invite and allow the Father into our thoughts, lives and conversations.  Let’s focus on what our faithfulness will look like when we grow in trust, faith, hope and love.  Know of my prayers for all of you as we journey through the desert of these Lenten days toward the glory of the Resurrection.
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A Seed To Plant:  Instead of going back to the “Lent’s of old”, ask Jesus how he wants to draw you closer…give him permission to be in charge of your Lenten plans this year.
 
Blessings on your day and Happy Lent!

​..he gave them to his disciples to set before the people.  Mark 6: 41
 
I was flipping through the Gospels the other day and I landed on the story of the loaves and fishes.  I’ve heard the story dozens of times so I asked God to give me a new perspective on an old story. He didn’t disappoint me…as always!  As I sat and pondered the words I began to think about how much I enjoy baking bread.  It makes me feel so productive and it brings a wonderful smell to the kitchen and great smiles to the faces of my family. Then I remembered a story.  I went through a spell where my bread looked beautiful until about 5 minutes into the baking and then the tops would go flat.  The taste was still great but the loaves looks so goofy it frustrated me.  Then one day, for no reason I can understand, I pulled out three of the most beautifully shaped loaves that had come from my oven in a long time.  Moments later Jason walked in and began to slice himself a piece of warm bread, the problem was, the bread was still too hot to slice and he flattened and mangled the loaf trying to cut a piece.  My shoulders sunk when I saw it…all my beautiful hard work…mashed into a mess.  It was my job to slice and deliver at the right time. Then I realized how happy he was to be enjoying one of his favorite things, hot homemade bread and melted butter.  My thoughts changed and the messy loaf of bread didn’t matter anymore because I realized I had missed the point!
 
After Jesus had taken, blessed and broken the bread something curious happened.  He wasn’t the one who gave to the people gathered there that day.  He gave the bread to his apostles to share with the people. Jesus had performed an amazing miracle but when it was time to take credit for the task, he stepped aside and allowed someone else to distribute the blessing.  Nobody in the crowd missed out on the eating, but I’m sure many didn’t truly understand the amazing mystery of the multiplication. The greatest part of the story is the love and compassion Jesus felt for the crowd. It was that very love that motivated this great act but he didn’t need to be recognized, the loving was enough.
 
I lost sight of the point of this Gospel the day Jason mushed my bread.  I was more concerned with having my perfect bread noticed than allowing my efforts to demonstrate my love for my family. I forgot it was about the love and not the credit.
 
A Seed To Plant: In your prayer this week ask God to remind you that he can work miracles in your life simply because he loves you.  Ask him to take all your fears, concerns and trials and love you through them.  Ask him to remind you that no task is too big for the One who fed 5,000 with only five loaves and 2 fish.
 
Blessings on your day!

…make straight the way of the Lord…John 1:23

I remember a stage in my early teenage years when my bedroom frequently looked as if there had been an explosion of some sort and it drove my mom nuts!  One Saturday morning I “cleaned” my room and she made it crystal clear that it did not meet her standards.  I had cleared a straight path from my bed to the door and quoted a version of these very words from Johns Gospel and showed her how I had clearly made “a straight  way for the Lord”.  She assured me he was going to need a much wider path.

My moms assurance is true today!  I realize I don’t always make the path to my heart straight or wide.  I need to give God room to come into my heart and do his mighty works of mercy.  I have all kinds of things in the way that make His way tricky to maneuver. I make Him wind his way around jealousy and pride and selfishness.  The path hooks to the left when I toss in impatience and judgmental thinking.  The way really goes sideways when control, bitterness and gossip get tossed into the mix.

Lent begins two weeks from today so it’s time to start thinking, praying and planning our Lenten path.  You might be tempted to start with making a list of all the things you’re gonna “give up” and that would be great; sacrifice is a discipline we all need to work on for sure but I have a thought.  If we look at our list of “give ups” are they going to help us grow in holiness or are we going to pick them right back up  after Easter?  What about giving up things that really change our path?  The virtue of the week in our classroom is HONESTY so the question was; how hard would it be to give up lying, fibbing or embellishing for Lent; and could that change us?  It was a resounding “YES, but that would be harder than giving up candy!”

Making straight the way of the Lord means keeping my eyes on Him.  When my eyes are on Him and I’m preparing for Him to work in my life I discover I’m moving in a straight and forward  direction.  He is the constant, the guide that straightens my way every time I re-adjust my focus on His way and not my own.  Perhaps as we prepare for Lent these next two weeks we pray for the Holy Spirit to help us identify the road blocks and detours that are in our path and we let that become our focus this Lent.

A Seed To Plant:  What clogs or kinks the path between Jesus and your heart?  Spend some time in prayer asking the Lord to straighten and widen the way to His love and mercy.  Loving Father, help me prepare a path to my heart that leads me straight to you.

​Blessings on your day!

There is a time for every season…Ecclesiastes 3:1

Three recent snow days created a little flash back to days gone by.  As I watched the snow pile up I thought our yard would have been the world’s greatest place to play but as I walked from window to window all I saw was deep, fresh, unmarked snow.  No sled marks, no snowmobile tracks no snow angels or tunnels, forts or snowmen.  As I stood there getting way too sentimental I remembered the wishes I’d made when my kids were in their snow stomping days.

I remember all too well how long it took to bundle them all up, find 6 gloves and 3 hats and 6 boots that all fit and matched (ok…so they didn’t always match).  By the time they all got zipped and buttoned and tied up I was sweaty and frustrated and relieved that they were out the door!  I would wish they would stay out and play for hours so I could have some peace and quiet. I remember all the energy it took to get them out there and it never failed, 5 minutes later someone was yelling from the doorway, “Mom, I have to go to the bathroom!” or “Mom, so and so put snow down my back, I need a towel!” or my very favorite, “Mom, I lost my boot in the snow hill!”  For the amount of work it would take to get them out there to track up the snow, it never seemed to last long enough. I wished for them to be independent and creative out there in the snow without my help but before I knew it they would be in and the back room would be a mess of wet, cold puddles and drippy snow pants and boots. It would take twenty minutes to get everything hung and mopped   up and then we’d do it all over again.  Flashing back to that part of winter made that sparkly uninterrupted snow seem less sentimental.

I wondered as I stood there staring at the snow how many things I had wished away in my life.  It seems like we’re often wishing for the day when we won’t be so busy or when things won’t be so hectic or when the kids get more independent and don’t need us so much.  But, are we really satisfied when that day arrives?  That snow storm made me realize I should do a better job of recognizing the hand of God in every circumstance and stage of life.  Life comes in seasons. It won’t always be the same, which is to say if things are hard it doesn’t mean it will always be hard and if something is simple and lovely that won’t always last either.  God works through all circumstances and with each season of life there is growth and challenge and joy if we stop and look for it.  There is blessing and benefit in every stage and season of life.  Each one has a purpose and God has perfectly designed and arranged it to define and mature a certain part of our holiness.  Little kids mean puddles in the entryway, big kids mean uninterrupted snow…each is full of blessing and beauty; I have to ask God to help me find that beauty in every season of my life. God help me find you in the NOW of my days and help me stop looking so hard for you in the “then’s” and the “when’s”!

A Seed To Plant:  Say a prayer for your “present”.  Ask God to help you recognize His work THIS day without comparing it to yesterday or tomorrow.​

Blessings on your day!