God has created so many people who are wise and smart and talented, and their gifts are meant to guide and inspire us. I have a journal where I write down wise words and great thoughts from people or reading or scripture that teach me something and touch my heart.  Every once in a while, I’ll read through the journal and see what jumps out at me.  It’s funny how things I completely forgot about grab my attention.   Today I thought I’d share some nuggets from wise and holy people hoping they might grab your attention too.
 
*In a world where we’re busy making noise and making a name, St. Paul reminded the Thessalonians to make it their mission to lead a quiet life.  Since the place we’ll find God is in the quiet, it seems like pretty wise advice.

*Famous theologian and priest Henry Nouwen sat down one afternoon with Mother Teresa seeking her wisdom.  He asked her how to grow in holiness and her reply was simple, “Enjoy an hour each day with the Lord and don’t to what you know is wrong.”  I suppose it doesn’t get much clearer than that does it!

*Scripture and saints are constantly reminding us to pray often.  Something changes when we pray and it isn’t always our circumstances, sometimes it’s our disposition and our willingness to give God control.  I suppose my response should be Lord, help me pray for what YOU want and not what I want. 

*The clay doesn’t tell the potter what to make, the clay waits to be molded and fashioned into the masterpiece the potter plans.  Lord, help me remember I’m a lump of clay desperately waiting for you to turn me into something wonderful that brings you glory.

*Is your faith your priority or your hobby?

*Focus and pray hard about telling the truth.  There are two reasons we lie to each other, the first is to get something we don’t deserve and the second is to get out of something we do deserve.  Lord, help me desire an honest, humble heart.

*Whatever behavior we choose, we become stronger in.  If we choose to worry, we become stronger worriers.  If we choose to complain, we become expert complainers.  Focus on the opposite behavior.  The opposite of worry is trust.  The opposite of complaining is praise.  Praise is not a denial of pain it’s a decision to trust in the suffering.
 
A Seed To Plant: Choose one of the ideas that hit your heart and sit with it in prayer this week.
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Blessings on your day!

​I began my teaching career in junior high.  That was an adventure to say the least!  I have been asked many times how I became a motivational speaker and my answer is always the same, “If you can teach junior high, you can do ANYTHING!”  I will forever be a more patient, joyful, compassionate and understanding person because of the time I spent in the presence of those wonderful little hormonal and emotional time-bombs!  One of the things I remember hearing daily among the kids at that age was the phrase, “No offense but…” I tried and tried and tried to help them understand that if they had to begin the conversation with those words, it was indeed GOING to be offensive.

Have you noticed how often people “water down” the truth and their own personal convictions in the name of “not offending” anyone.  Sometimes we dance around the truth so many times we don’t even remember what it was!  We worry about offending the political and religious ideas and beliefs of people we have never met.  We worry about offending adults, children, governments, institutions and people half way around the world but yet we don’t always think hard enough about offending the very God who loves us, protects us and breathed us into being. 

In a sermon a while back our pastor shared a comment he had heard at a retreat.  He said the speaker had told them that “The Gospel can be offensive.”  What? I had to chew on that one a few weeks before it became clear.  When we look at the Gospels as our directive for living instead of merely a set of suggestions, they can be offensive, especially if we’re living only bits and pieces of the Gospel message.  Every time we live in a way that opposes the teachings of Jesus, we offend God.  I think He must be offended on a regular basis.  We live in a society that will spend hundreds of dollars to “re-word” a statement or document so it doesn’t offend someone but yet our behaviors offend the Almighty on a regular basis and we don’t seem to give it due notice.  I have to pause a bit and ask myself how offended God is when I think judgmental thoughts about one of His beloved children.  I have to wonder how offended He is each time I choose to spend time on the screen, instead of on my knees.  I wonder if He is offended by popular music, the garbage on television or the books that depict characters and plots that do anything but uphold the Gospel message.  I really wonder if the thing that offends Him the most is the way our society has become completely immune to it all.

If Jesus came to live in our home for a day, would we feel the need to change the channel on the TV or hide the book we were reading.  I wonder if Jesus would say, “I wish you’d worry more about offending my Father in Heaven and worry less about offending people of this world.”   If trying our hardest to avoid offending God became the mission of every Christian, I think we’d be amazed at the dramatic change that would occur in our world.  So… go ahead and read the Gospels and be offended…that’s where He begins to speak to our heart.

A seed to plant:  Draw one of the four names from a hat, Matthew, Mark, Luke or John…read that Gospel slowly and carefully over the next few days…ask God to offend you and then slather you with His Grace so you can make a change.

Blessings on your day!

Happy New Year!  It’s the season of new stuff!  New calendars, new snow, new ideas, new practices and hopefully NEW HOPE!  I love the feeling of a fresh beginning and an opportunity to move forward whether that’s in our faith life, our health or our habits.  The key for me is to be reasonable and logical.  The smart behavior folks will tell us to take small steps that are measurable and attainable…but I usually don’t listen to them and wind up creating a maze of steps and processes that are ineffective and exhausting…maybe that’s just me!
As I was sitting in Mass thinking about where the Lord might be directing my focus, I listened to a reading I’ve heard dozens of times and heard something in a completely new way.  The reading was about the Wise Men but the words “they were warned in a dream to return another way”.  The words “another way” just kept playing on repeat in my mind.  It’s funny because when I thought about all the “things” I thought I needed to do as 2026 began I realized I was essentially making the same list as I have for decades!  The list was based on me trying to solve problems…problems that matter to me, not necessarily to God.  I’m not sure if God will love me more if I loose twenty pounds, I’m not sure God will love me more if I actually get the Rosary said every single day without fail and I’m not sure God will love me more if I actually get in 10,000 steps every day.  Those and a dozen other silly things are what clog up my January every year so the words “another way” were delightful. 
I’m not sure what “another way” looks like?  It seems refreshing but at the same time it’s a little scary because it might be something really hard or something I fail at in splashing style!  What if another way requires me to give up something I don’t want to let go of?  What if another way looks nothing like the plans I have mapped out?  As I let all this run through my mind, feeling that I was behind because it was past New Year's Day, I came across these words from St. Faustina, A humble soul does not trust itself, but places all its confidence in God.  Perfect words at the perfect time.  The first thing I need to find another way to work on is humility and the second is trust in the Father.  As I tossed my plans in the recycle bin, I felt a wave of peace and I’m getting more and more excited to see what returning to the Father another way looks like.  I have watched him move mountains and organize situations I thought were impossible in just the first few days of January so I can’t wait to see what he has in store.  The best part…I just have to show up, follow along and ask him again and again to point the way.
 
A Seed To Plant: Prayerfully ask the Father if he might be trying to show you another way.

Blessings on your day!

Happy New Years Eve!  Today is the best day to take a look back and say thank you for the blessings and graces of 2025 and look forward to the plans God has for our 2026.  As we focus on resolutions I’d like to offer just one choice that can have a magnificent impact on the new year that awaits.  There is a phrase I heard from a man who survived a catastrophic accident and with the help of God recovered both his body and his soul.  He realized he had a choice, each morning; he could choose to rise and SHINE or rise and WHINE.  I’ve been repeating that in my head for several days and I think it’s gonna be my New Year resolution!  But I have a question that I’m wondering if others have too.  What if life is particularly tricky and staying in bed on a cold gray morning makes it extra hard to rise and SHINE?  In case you might have that same question, here are a few things that might help.

*Rise and SHINE starts before you fall asleep.  End your day by jotting down (or at least saying out loud) three things that happened during the day that were good, happy or you are thankful for…ya know…three places you saw God in your day.  If you fall asleep with positive things on your mind, you sleep better and wake up better.

*Before the RISE part, make sure you invite God into the day you are about to rise and greet.  Give him permission to be in charge and promise to take the back seat and let him drive.  

*Sleep!  Getting up when you’re exhausted is tough let alone trying to get up when you haven’t been under the covers long enough makes it extra tough.  When we get busy or life gets crazy the first thing to go is sleep and that is a terrible plan.  30 minutes of screen time traded for 30 minutes of sleep makes a giant difference.

*End the day with a chat with the Father thanking him for all the grace, mercy and blessings he showered you with throughout the day and then call to mind all the places you fell a little short, asking for his forgiveness.  Those simple steps will lead you to so much good.  
I read this passage not long ago and it seems the perfect way to end this the year, offering some wisdom that we might need to assist in or RISING and SHINING.
Every morning we arise afresh in Christ our light.  Ancient Christian writers warn against “morning demons”: yesterday’s worries and grievances returning to poison the new day. 
I suppose recognizing and naming those morning demons is important but the more important thing to do is ask Christ our light to overpower them so we can shine HIS light through our words, attitude and actions.

A Seed To Plant: As we greet a new year, ponder these thoughts and ask the Lord if this just might be where he’s inviting you to focus.​

Blessings on your day and Happy New Year!

​Happy Christmas Eve!  So how was your Advent?  I hope you were able to make a little room in your heart and get ready for the wee Baby Jesus!  What, you didn’t have an hour of uninterrupted silent prayer each day?  What do you mean, you felt frazzled and stressed instead of calm and prayerful?  Are you kidding, you don’t really feel all that much different than you did the first Sunday of Advent?

Welcome to the club!  Believe me, I get it!  How many times did your kids get the flu or did auto or home repair bills catch you by surprise?  How many Christmas programs did you squeeze in between working late, eating too much sugar and going to 45 school events since Advent began?  Isn’t it funny how we begin Advent with such high hopes to be calm and enjoy and wait and prepare but we end up rattled, exhausted, low on money and wishing Advent came AFTER Christmas when we had more time to focus on it!  The good news is we still have a few hours!  Think of this post as an Advent Sprint Finish how-to!

First of all, I’d be willing to bet that your Advent had more shining moments than you realize. Take a few minutes of still and quiet today and reflect on the last three weeks.  Did you pray a little more?  Were you a little more mindful of the needs of others?  Did you do something to take care of the struggling, the hungry or the needy during Advent?  Maybe you read or listened to something good for your soul or paid a little more attention to the homily or the Scripture Readings.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you call to mind the little ways you opened your heart to prepare.  You may not string it all together, but he certainly does.

Just because Advent is a whole season, it’s still just a window of time made up of smaller moments.  Loving the Lord and growing in Discipleship isn’t all or nothing!  It’s about chunks of times when we take little steps forward.  My tall sons can get across a room faster than I can with their long legs, but it doesn’t mean their trip is better, it just means they traveled a little differently than me.  Don’t let Advent guilt skulk into your heart today…its’ Christmas Eve and a miracle is about to take place.  It’s the eve of the night of Wonder and Awe!  It’s the night we celebrate the beginning of God’s humanity.  It’s the night that we remember how powerfully God showed his love for us.  He reached down and put his son in the arms of a teenage girl so we could join him in heaven as saints!  There is no room for guilt or worry or feelings of unworthiness today!  We’ve got a party to get ready for!  

Company comes often and sometimes I’m ready for them.  Sometimes I have plenty of time to prepare and put flowers and homemade goodies on my guest’s bed side table. Those are the times everything is scrubbed and shiny and all the favorite foods are prepared.  Other times, I have from the time a guest pulls into the driveway and makes it to the front door to get ready.  Either way, I love having guests and the quality of my preparation has very little to do with the beauty of the visit.  You may have had a great Advent getting ready or you may be doing “Newborn King Prep” at warped speed today but either way, Jesus is coming  and he’s gonna be awesome regardless of what we’ve done.  At this point, the most important task is all that remains…. OPEN THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART AND LET HIM IN!​

Merry Christmas My Friends!

Molly was her name.  She was plastic, had fuzzy brown hair and eyelids that opened and closed when I put her down or picked her up.  I would rock her, cuddle her and carry her everywhere. Molly the dolly, made me realize how much I wanted to be a mother; it was my biggest prayer.  After my first child, my prayer changed.  From that point, until this very day, I have prayed daily for the same thing; Lord, whatever it takes for the sanctification of my children (and now my grandchildren) please do it.  That can be a scary prayer, but as I pray it, I remember that he loves my kids and grandkids more than I do and that brings great peace!  

As I read this Gospel I am struck by two verses; He will be great & you have found favor with God.  As parents, we worry and wonder about our children; have we loved them enough, taught them enough, instilled enough faith; so, imagine the stunning relief if you heard a messenger of God, say about your child, “He will be great.”  What would that sigh of relief even sound like if we knew for sure that our children would achieve greatness in the eyes of God? And what would we do with all the minutes we spend thinking about their holiness and happiness? At first, the two verses seemed separate, but then the Holy Spirit helped me see that if desiring and praying for our children and grandchildren’s holiness is a top priority, then we’re doing exactly what God asked us to do when he placed that little human our life.  

As we wind down to the final days of Advent we continue to prepare to celebrate the birth of God’s Son.  Our Nativity scenes are up, and the focal point is the Baby Jesus.  God chose to send the Savior as a baby because he knew he would be loved, accepted and adored.  Nobody is afraid of or threatened by a cute little baby.  We find babies lovable and perfect.  As we get our hearts ready, we would do well to ponder the ways God finds us lovable, perfect and would like to come into our lives and make us great.  He wants to bring us his peace in this busy time.  He wants to remind us how much he loves us.  I think I’ll take a lesson from Molly the Dolly and lay down so my eyes shut, and my fuzzy brown hair hits the pillow and just be still while I ponder all the ways God finds favor with his children and tries to help them be great. 

A Seed To Plant: How would you like to invite Jesus into your life to help you grow in the greatness the Father has planned for you?​

Blessings on your day!

​Things can get pretty crazy this time of year.  It's such a joyous time when you've got a minute to stop and think about it; but finding a minute to stop and think can be a bit of a challenge. When I was a kid if I was sassy my mom made you stand in a corner. I think that's a lost form of discipline today but I'm not sure it was such a bad idea.  The premise behind it made sense...you're upset, saying things you don't mean to, so go face the wall and take a breath where there are no distractions and stand still to calm down. There are definitely days I sort of wish someone would send me to go stand in the corner! I could use a few minutes to be still without distractions and calm down. The truth is, we don't really need a corner to do that, but we do need to make a real effort to be still.  Satan loves to use busyness and noise to dilute our focus. 

Everybody loves babies, they're so cute and sweet and innocent and this time of year the image of the Baby Jesus fills our eyes and warms our hearts. It's hard to compete with a baby for attention so Satan has to pull out his big guns this time of year.  Don't let him get you!  Be still for a minute and imagine the manger that Mary and Joseph tenderly laid Jesus in.  See the fresh straw, imagine the stable and the animals and the chilly night air; throw yourself right into the story.  Be still and just soak in the events of that night. It's a bit like a spiritual standing in the corner.

We have a choice; we can get lost in the chaos or pause at the manger and spend a few minutes a day getting ready for a love so overwhelming it's hard to imagine. So, in the Advent days leading up to Christmas, be still and know that the manger is more than a Christmas decoration.  

A Seed To Plant:  Take a few minutes each day between now and Christmas and gaze at a picture or image of the Christ Child and ponder the greatness of that night...your day will be changed!

Blessings on your day! 

Welcome to Advent which is my favorite season of the church year.  It’s like a lovely “begin again” button that the Father sends us each year.  It’s a wee bit ironic that we are called to pause, ponder, begin again and patiently wait during this season and it just so happens to land right in what many consider to be the most crazy, busy month of the year.  That isn’t a mistake…it’s an invitation to yield our minutes to him.  The new church year begins with an invitation to wait, surrender and be still which for many of us are habits that could use a little work. 

Advent is our invitation to slow down, be still and prepare for the wonder and awe of Jesus coming to earth.  It’s our invitation to consider the three comings of Christ…his coming as a baby on Christmas, his coming as Judge at the end of time and his coming into our lives each and every day.  Our speedy, noisy human nature often resists this invitation and all too often, we respond to this invitation with one or more of the Three W’s. When we accept God’s invitation to slow down, quiet down, wait and reflect, we can get caught up in WORRY, WHINING or WONDERING.

If we get stuck in worry, that means as we work to still and quiet our minds, we begin to worry that God won’t follow our instructions, that he will miss some important details or he will be so busy with someone else’s stuff he won’t take care of ours.  If we get stuck in whining, we’re focused on all the things that aren’t the way we wanted or planned, and we can get wound up in comparing and complaining.  Our focus shifts from his plan for us to his plan for others and we slip right down that slope of jealousy, impatience and pride.  If we get stuck wondering, we can get all tangled up in doubt, frustration and cynical thinking. 

The three W’s are a lousy addition to our Advent waiting and they don’t do a darn thing to help us prepare for the Savior of the World so in order to wait well during this holy season and truly allow Jesus to change us and draw us closer, we have to be about the business of rooting out these nasty little W’s.  Advent is a great time to ask the Holy Spirit to make us vividly aware of all the times our mind drifts to the W’s and give him permission to bring us back to the peace, hope and joy this season is intended to foster in our soul.

A Seed To Plant: Commit to fifteen minutes of stillness and quiet every day this Advent and be ready to ask the Holy Spirit to chase away those pesky W’s.
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Blessings on your day!

I love everything about Thanksgiving!  I love the food, the weather, the decorations the spirit…all of it! There is an anticipation that comes with the last weeks of November and all the things that are just around the corner.  As I prepared my list of things I’m thankful for this year, I decided that I needed to show how thankful I was rather than just think about it. 
After some prayerful thought, here’s what I came up with.
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*I’m thankful for my family.  I will show them how thankful I am by using patient and kind words when I’m stressed or rushed.  I will also be sure I make them something or do something for them they enjoy.

*I’m thankful for the freedom and the desire I have to praise God.  I’ll show my thankfulness by spending extra time each morning praying for people who need to feel the love, mercy, healing and grace of the Father.

 *I’m thankful for the food I have in abundance.  I’ll show my thankfulness by sharing my abundance with the local food pantry and by eating a little less each day and offering that sacrifice prayerfully for those who go to bed hungry.

*I’m thankful for my warm cozy home.  I will show my thankfulness by contributing to a charity that helps the homeless.

 *I’m thankful for my clothes.  I’ll show my thankfulness by cleaning out the closets and donating clothes, shoes and coats to organizations who can use my excess to combat someone else’s need.

*I’m thankful for my arms and legs.  I’ll show my thankfulness by doing more to act as Christ’s hands and feet on earth…even when I’m tired or impatient or when it’s not convenient.

 *I’m thankful to be able to do work I love in retirement. I’ll show my thankfulness by remembering to pray for those who are unemployed or underemployed.

 *I’m thankful for the gifts and talents God has given me.  I’ll show my thankfulness by always trying to use those gifts and talents humbly to further God’s kingdom.

I am so thankful for the rich and abundant blessings God has chosen to give me; now I better get to work so I can show Him how grateful I am.

A Seed To Plant: As you make a list of all the things you’re thankful for
this year, make up your own list of ways to demonstrate your gratefulness.

Blessings on your day…and Happy Thanksgiving!

This one line from a bible story I’d heard dozens of times never even registered with me…it was almost as if I’d never even heard this part of the story until one Sunday Fr. Mike Schmitz unpacked this one little piece in such a powerful way it changed the way I look at everything.  The story of course is the one where Naaman, a commander in the Syrian army visited the Prophet Elisha to be cured of leprosy.  He was so grateful to Elisha for the healing he tried to give him all kinds of fancy gifts.  Elisha of course wouldn’t accept them because he knew the healing hadn’t come from him but rather the power of the Almighty God.  Once Naaman wrapped is mind around this, he made an odd request…two mule loads of dirt to take with him.  The reason he wanted the earth is a lesson for every heart that is trying to grow in holiness.

Naaman wanted the dirt so he could take it back to his homeland and put an altar of worship on it so he could praise and thank the God who granted his healing.  The Almighty God we worship was foreign to him and he didn’t ever want to forget, and he knew the earth would forever connect him to the place he met God and experienced his power.  He not only wanted to remember the goodness of God he wanted to share it with everyone who didn’t know.  Naaman, the man who didn’t know God, loved, appreciated, shared and worshiped him in a way that grabs our attention. 

The whole story made me think about all the times God has done magnificent things in my life and I just seem to “move on”.  Oh, I’m really grateful for a while but I need to channel my inner Naaman and stand on the blessing with gratitude and share the story so I won’t forget and others can experience his powerful love.  I think I need some mule loads of earth to stand on because the minute something tough, rotten or scary bumps into my days his past works and mighty love seem to fade from my memory leaving me tangled in the mess.  As we head into Thanksgiving, Advent and the busy month of December, it’s easy to get distracted from the good he’s done and focus on the busyness and stress, so we need to create our own mule load of earth to stand on so we don’t loose sight of what God’s done in our life. I decided to make a highlight reel of amazing things he’s done for me this fall that can serve as my mule loads of earth.

*A precious new grandson who only had to spend a few days in the NICU instead of a few weeks.
*Watching my 87-yr old dad who experienced another fall, break, double surgery and dependence on a walker, find mobility and work his way to walking with just a cane.
*Experiencing the joy of two young couples who battled infertility welcome babies into their homes.
*Eighteen hours of road time with my Missouri grandkids and their mama.
*Many hours of “cousin fun” with the grandkids.
*An amazing surprise, last minute trip to work with a parish in Alaska.  The trip included a house, car two days of play time along with the speaking and retreat work PLUS, just because He is so fancy…the cheapest tickets to Anchorage you could imagine which meant Dave and I got to take a bucket list trip! AND the people of St. Andrew Parish in Eagle River Alaska were an incredible joy to be with!  I saw God so clearly in the beauty of Alaska and in his children who lived there.  I was so honored to see what he’s doing in this small place, and I was drawn to tears at Mass when the 23 people planning to join the church at Easter were introduced.  I wish I had brought home some dirt from that beautiful place!

I’m going to hold on to these things along with the hundreds of other things he’s done to make me grateful and not just ponder them but share them as a sign of his love and care!

A Seed To Plant:  Make your list of places you’ve seen God working in your life and fix them in your mind as Naaman’s mule loads of earth to worship on…and make sure you share at least one of them with someone!
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Blessings on your day!
 

Is there really such a thing as God wanting too much?  I don’t know about you but sometimes I sure feel that way!  It feels like as soon as I get one spiritual wrinkle smoothed out, He fluffs the fabric and then there’s another wrinkle!  Then my good sense takes over and I realized it’s not a matter of God wanting too much, but rather it’s me not wanting to give something to Him.  
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This one little verse from Matthew’s Gospel is a doozie isn’t it! More than once I’ve read it and thought…really God…sometimes doing things your way is NOT easy or light.  Sometimes it’s really, really hard and I just don’t know if I’m getting it right.  I don’t know about you but I can get a little stressed out sometimes trying to do everything he asks me to do!

I’ve had these thoughts sitting on my heart a lot lately and the other day I turned on the TV to check the weather and I stumbled across an episode of Little House on the Prairie.  In this particular episode Pa was busy hooking up the horses to plow the field.  As Pa hitched up the horses he put a yoke around each of their necks.  As the horses began the difficult work ahead the yoke and harness made it much easier for them.  They stayed together and were able to keep the same pace and work together as one stronger unit.  That was it…I finally got it.  Jesus’ yoke is a double; one for me and one for him.  I don’t have to do the work by myself, that was never his plan at all.  His yoke is easy and his burden is light because he’s stronger than me so he will always take the lead, pick up the slack and do the heavy part. 

Being a disciple is not always easy but it's not a solo job.  Sometimes he does ask a lot of us so the next time I feel like the burden is too heavy or too hard, I’m going to think about that episode of Little House on the Prairie and remember that I don’t have to do the work alone. The next time I’m stuck in the middle of a tough decision or temptation instead of trying to worm my way out of it alone I’ll remember to put my head down and walk closely with Jesus asking him to pull ahead a little harder because I’m feeling weak.  I’ll also remember we’re connected, just like Pa’s horses so I know he’ll always be right there beside me. 

A Seed To Plant: Think about a burden you are trying to bear and then imagine being hitched to Jesus like Pa’s horses.  Just sit there for a few minutes and imagine charging ahead and pulling that burden with the help of Jesus right beside you doing the heavy stuff.

Blessings on your day!

​Growing up, Sunday was a great day.  Mom and Dad made sure it was a day we slowed down.  It was often the day we would take a drive and go visit my grandmas or play games at the kitchen table.  Winter Sundays were great but spring, summer and fall Sundays often involved a relaxing activity that I hated…fishing!  Everyone in the family except me loved to go, so not wanting to spoil anyone’s fun, I never said anything but man I hated it when it was a fishing Sunday.  To me, it was completely anti-social, totally uneventful and absolutely boring!  You couldn’t talk or you’d scare the fish away, the hook began and ended with something wiggly and gross and if I actually ever sat still enough to catch something, the great prize was eating it.  Since I don’t like fish, even the prize wasn’t a good deal.  The only Sunday fishing trip I ever really enjoyed was the one where I convinced my mom that some boys at school told me Chocolate Chip Cookies were great fish bait.  I told her that if I used those as bait, nobody would have to help me or listen to me complain about spearing a poor, little, slimy worm with a hook.  It was a great day.  I left my empty hook in the water all afternoon while I lay in the summer sun slowly nibbling on my two cookies and then announcing at the end of the afternoon that those boys had no idea what they were talking about!  Any good fisherman will tell you, it’s all about the bait.

I love this verse from Mark’s gospel even if it does remind me of fishing Sundays.  These words Jesus spoke two thousand years ago were not just meant for the disciples; they were for us in this place and this time as well.  It’s one of those verses we read and think…oh no…he’s not talking to me!  I’m not qualified to preach the Gospel or evangelize and lead others to the Lord.  That’s for religiously smart, holy people who know lots of stuff about faith and the bible.  If that’s what we’re thinking, then we’re making a big mistake.  Sharing the good news of Jesus’ love and mercy is a job that belongs to each of us.  After all he’s done for us, he’s asking us to be willing to publicly “show him a little love!”

The most important part of this verse is the phrase “and I will make you”.  Those five little words take all the pressure off us.  He's saying very clearly that he will give us what we need to do what he’s asking us to do. If we follow, he will arrange the situation and circumstances perfectly. He isn’t asking us to convert a continent or preach an eloquent sermon to thousands, he’s just asking us to take him with us wherever we go and share him with others.  If you’ve ever asked someone to “put in a good word for you” then you understand what he’s asking.  He’s asking us to make the introduction and he’s so amazing, he’ll even point out the folks he’d like us to introduce him to if we agree to follow and help him make a difference in people’s lives.

If we agree to let him make us fishers of men the best part is the bait!  The bait he’s asking us to use as we “fish for men” is love.  It isn’t knowledge or power or strength.  We don’t have to buy any equipment or supplies; he’s given us everything we need to do this work.  He has loved us abundantly and if we share that love with others, hearts will be changed, lives will be changed, and the world will be changed.  This is one fishing trip I can get excited about!  The request is clear so pick up your pole, spend some time in prayer so you can load up on his love and then take that bait and tell a true fish story about the things you’ve seen him do when people grabbed onto the bait and let him change their life.

A Seed To Plant: Take this  verse to prayer with you this week and ask the Father to show you where to take some of his famous bait!

Blessings on your day!

​The healing story of the crippled woman is a powerful example of the compassion and power of Jesus, but it might be easy to skip past it not finding much relevance…but then again after some prayer, we might come to realize it’s pretty darn relevant!
Being bent and crippled obviously had a huge impact on the way this woman lived her life.  Imagine being unable to stretch tall and take a deep breath.  I can imagine her gaze was downcast most of the time and the frustration was simmering constantly.  Maybe we have times when we feel that same way. Then along comes Jesus and in a flash, she’s released from the grip that held her body hostage and she’s free to do all the things she couldn’t.  So, what about the relevant part?  For some reason the story made me think about the things that cripple us every day.  The things that can skew our freedom and our ability to stand tall and be free, those things that hold a grip that slowly cripples us and bends us away from the peace and joy the Father has planned for us.  These things can be pretty subtle…until they aren’t. 
Fear…it’s easy to look at the unjust, evil, and dishonest things in our world and feel anxious and afraid.  It’s not always easy to remember that God truly does have a brilliant plan and all he requires is our trust.
Substances…whether its alcohol, drugs or extra comfort food, the things we take, drink or eat to dull the craziness or quiet the noise can be crippling.  We can get stuck here trying to be someone we think the world wants us to be instead of who we were created to be.
Social media…we allow it to set the standards, lay the benchmarks and weigh in on everything from our appearance to our parenting, finances and relationships.  The constant comparison and conformity is crippling us slowly.
Shopping…we’re constantly scrolling for that perfect gift, outfit, décor or product that will make us happy and noticed.
Time…we have plenty, but we don’t use it well.  We scroll, binge watch and busy ourselves to the point of feeling overwhelmed.
Jealousy, Anger and Judgmental thinking…when we see everything as a contest and look only with human eyes we are blinded to the beauty and mercy of God’s perspective.
Fierce Independence…it’s NOT all on us!  We weren’t meant to carry the burdens of the world; we were created to be totally and utterly dependent on the Father who in his mighty goodness has the perfect plan for each of us.
 
All of these things can be like a spirit pulling us away from the Lord and the time he wants to occupy in our days. Whatever it might be that’s bending or crippling us, the result can be the same as it was for the woman in the Gospel.  Jesus…he’s ready to swoop in and heal us in just the same way.  We have to invite him into those places that are binding us and preventing us from feeling the complete freedom that comes from trusting the Lord with every detail of our life.
 
A Seed To Plant:  What are some of the things that bind or cripple you…take it to the Lord in prayer this week and ask for his healing just like the woman in the story.
 
Blessings on your day!

​October is the month we are called to “respect life”.  We are reminded during this beautiful month to think about life in all its ages and stages and realize each of us is a precious child of God. Many of us are very passionate about protecting the unborn and we will fight like mama bears if we find out someone is mistreating the elderly.  Those are causes we pray and fight for in many ways but what about respecting the life we are surrounded by every day.  How are we at respecting our neighbors and co-workers and those folks who annoy us?  October is a call to think about the way we respect ALL life.   As we head into the last weeks of October, I’d like to challenge you to do four simple things to respect the people around you because a little more respect is good for everyone.

Each of us was created in the Image and Likeness of God which means when God made us, he put a little piece of himself in our heart so  he is always a part of us.  If we realize God is a part of everyone we meet, and all his children are precious, we realize when we disrespect or hurt someone we are also offending the Creator so here are four things we can do to respect each other.

K - Know that each and every person was created and is precious to the Creator.  Saying or doing hurtful things to others hurts the Creator.

I - Invite and include others.  We love to get invited to parties and weddings and celebrations but   inviting others to sit with us, eat with us, pray with us or spend time with us makes them feel noticed and valued.

N - Notice the people around you.  Notice if someone is sad or lonely or hurting. We weren’t made to be alone in this world, we were made for community, and we all need to know we matter, so be on the lookout for the people who need a little friendship.

D - Decide to show everyone the mercy and love Jesus did.  We decide dozens of things every morning why not add this important decision to the list.

When we put all four of these actions in motion, our hearts will change.  We were created for life and good.  When we hurt or disrespect others we aren’t choosing life.  Life is full of enough difficulties and frustrations; we should be about the business of making life a little easier for those we share our days with. The lesson is simple but sometimes simple can really do the trick!

A Seed To Plan:  Pick one of the four ideas and put it in motion today.​

Blessings on your day!

​I remember asking some little kids one day what they thought God looked like.  One little boy said he supposed God would look old and tired with wrinkles like his grandpa.  I asked him why he thought God would look tired and he said, “Well wouldn’t you be tired it you made the whole world in 6 days?”    Another student thought God would look beautiful like a flower and still a third thought God would look like a fancy king.  Next, I asked them where they thought they might see God. The standard answer was, “in heaven”. Then that one little voice said, “I think we can see Him everywhere, but we have to look with our heart.”  As I was tearing up and reveling in her deep and faithful insight, I was quickly snapped to reality by one of the boys who loudly said, “That’s not right, your eyes are in your head not your heart.” Ahh, life with little kids…gotta love it! 
 
I came across this verse from Psalms a few weeks ago and it reminded me of that discussion with the kids about where God is found. If we are supposed to seek His face always, I suppose we’d better know where to look!  It’s easy to seek the face of God in the obvious, like creation, babies and children. I have no problem seeing and feeling him when I’m with my grandkids and I have a new understanding of just what Jesus meant when He said, “Let the little children come to me.”  It’s a bit more of a challenge however to seek His face in the unpleasant, the unfair, and the unlikable. 

Seeking God’s face doesn’t just apply to people…we need to seek His face in situations and experiences. Sure, we recognize God in the events that are happy and joyful like weddings and celebrations but we need to know He is present in the sad and difficult and sorrowful events as well. His love, presence and inviting spirit are there even if we recognize no apparent good in the situation.  We are reminded not only to seek Him but to praise and thank Him in all situations.  That’s easy to say until we’re smack dab in the middle of ugly and we have to spit out the words, “God, I’m seeking you in this mess and I thank you for these circumstances…even though they STINK!”  Sometimes uttering those words can taste like vinegar in our mouth but if we repeat them again and again, we can begin to see His face and feel His presence guiding and teaching and blessing us.  
 
We like things to be simple and easy and happy and when they aren’t, we tend to think God has left us all alone.  Our purpose in seeking God shouldn’t be to make us “feel good”, the purpose is to build us up for the Kingdom and a life spent with Him. Very often the things we need to learn can only be taught when life isn’t all neat and tidy and happy.  But make no mistake…God is there…just waiting for us to seek Him so He can take us by the hand and begin the next lesson!  
 
A seed to plant:  Write the words, “God I trust you, God I love you, God I will be faithful and seek your face” on a notecard and read it again and again when you’re in a situation where it’s hard to seek His face.

Blessings on your day!

One of the many things I miss now that the Wohlfert house is so quiet is practice.  For more than a decade and a half there was always some kind of practice going on.  It didn’t matter if it was reading, math facts, band, sports or even target practice for hunting season, it seemed like somebody was always practicing something.  There is nothing more humbling than a good hard practice at whatever it is you are trying to get better at.  The problem was nobody really enjoyed practice except me.  I loved seeing my kids work hard, sweat, be frustrated and eventually trade in frustration for sheer determination.  Practice is good for you no matter what it’s for but human nature leads us to desire perfection or success without the work. 
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Stop for a minute and think of something you need to practice.  A little tricky wasn’t it!  If you had a hard time coming up with something to practice, I’ve got just the thing.  I was reading in a prayer book the other day and came across a fabulous one liner that was too good to keep to myself.  This simple thought is so power packed it’s going to make for a very short post today.  Before you read it though, I want you to think for another minute about three things you’ve been frustrated about recently.  If my guess is correct at least two of the things that frustrated, you involved another person.  So much of our negative energy stems from a reaction or comment or behavior from another person that doesn’t line up with our personal expectations or desires.  In the spirit of being frustrated with others and tugging along the negative energy that goes with it; here is that great thought I promised.  We all need to practice the art of self-forgetfulness! Pope John Paul II.
 
Holy cow…how’s that for a showstopper!  I think maybe we spend so much time worrying and fussing about how other people see, value, appreciate and honor us that we lose track of the only desire we should be motivated by, pleasing God.  If I were to forget my own desires and comforts more often, I think I would certainly have more time for faithfulness.  If I stopped worrying about who saw me do what or who noticed this or that I wouldn’t have anything to be disappointed about when others didn’t register the “wonder and awe” I thought, I deserved.  I don’t’ know about you, but I think I just found my new thing to practice… thinking about the Father more and myself less.  The art of self-forgetfulness isn’t something our culture promotes but since when does our culture promote things that will get us to heaven?  I think I’m gonna go with JPII on this one and get my “self-forgetfulness” in motion, how about you…are you up for some tough practice?
 
A Seed To Plant:  This week when you feel frustrated, stop and ask yourself if you are practicing the art of self-forgetfulness.  Get ready for some good hard practice!

Blessings on your day!

Considering Sunday’s tragedy here in Michigan along with many others across the country recently, I wrote this piece to help families navigate the bad news together.  It has appeared in Faith Catholic Magazine and on the Catholic Mom website, but I also wanted to share it here because it seems we aren’t going to run out of bad things to challenge our trust, test our faith and crinkle up our joy!
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God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress.  Psalm 46:2
Technology has a way of zooming world events right into our lap at warp speed and the front row seat we seem to have isn’t always the best seat in the house especially when the news is frightening and discouraging so this month, we offer some ideas for navigating tough news and events with our kids.
Be The Town Crier: When the news is tough, it’s always better coming from someone who is loved and trusted.  Delivering tough news should come in five steps. First, pray to the Holy Spirit before you speak, asking for wisdom and guidance. Second, give the facts in an age-appropriate way.  Base vocabulary on age and maturity, for example someone was shot vs someone was hurt.  Third, answer the questions; as many as you can, as truthfully as you can and I don’t know, or I don’t understand it are good answers. Fourth, call out God’s promises; he is good, he will protect, he will guide, he is powerful and mighty, he is trustworthy.  Fifth, PRAY! Pray for the hurting and those who love the hurting and those who will help the hurting.
Use The Anchors:  The anchor steadies the ship, and God is our anchor in the storms of life.  Two powerful parts of that anchor are HOPE and TUST.  We hope in him, and we trust him because we know God is unchanging, God is compassionate, and God is merciful.  Talk about times when your family trusted God in tough times and he steadied, blessed and guided you.
It’s Not Random: God is not random, and he makes himself known in both good and bad situations. Only he is aware of the good that will come from unspeakably difficult situations. Lean on scripture and past experiences to illustrate his faithfulness.  Imagine how things would have changed if Joseph’s brothers hadn’t sold him into slavery to the Egyptians. It’s our job to trust and hope in his plan, it’s not our job to approve or understand it all.
The Big Pair; Truthfulness & Faithfulness: In a world of misinformation, we need to seek the truth.  If they are old enough, teach your kids how to search for it from reliable, trustworthy sources and allow them to ask questions and form ideas and opinions.  Navigate the news through a biblical and faithful lens.  Allow them to look up the places and people on a map to add to their knowledge and perspective.  The presence of evil in the world is age old and including this truth in your conversation with older kids is important to grow in understanding of the mighty works of God.  Evil works in the dark; misinformation, despair, fear and panic and these things are not of God.  It is a tough conversation but so necessary to understand the truth about the Father and his love for us.
That Helpless Feeling: Bad news and tragedy can leave us feeling helpless so tackling this feeling can bring peace.  Find out what agencies or groups are on the ground helping and see how you might assist them.  Taking kids to Mass or to church to light a candle or pray a rosary can create a feeling of helpfulness.  Contacting a Religious Order that accepts prayer requests or inviting friends to pray together will highlight our privilege and responsibility to be intercessory prayers and help us teach our children that we have to lift our eyes to the Father and trust.
 
A Seed To Plant:  Gather as a family and share a grace or blessing and pray together for peace and healing and the protection of St. Michael the Archangel.
 

​Do you ever feel like you are at war with yourself?  You try to do the right things and live up to the expectations but some days it just feels like you fall short…I hope that’s not just me!  I had a lousy day; one of those look under every rock of your life and not really like what you see kind of days.  I suppose it’s good to take an honest inventory of your life from time to time but sometimes it’s painful to be honest with yourself.  What I came to discover is that I’m probably like everybody else with some good qualities and some not so stellar ones too.  As I was thinking about this “battle with self”, I remembered a Gospel story about two sisters who had a battle right in front of Jesus.  I could relate so perfectly to this story and the constant struggle to do the right thing for the right reason.  As I re-read this Gospel, I realized that I can be both sisters; Martha and Mary.

This epic sister conflict reveals the perfect model for our lives as faithful servants!  It’s easy to read this Gospel and take sides, but the truth of the matter is we all have an inner Martha and an inner Mary.  It’s also easy to read this Gospel and make Martha out to be the “bad guy” sister.  Really, can you imagine having the guts to whine to Jesus about cooking and serving!  In Martha’s defense, the most important guest of all time was in the living room and there sat the chief helper star struck, completely shirking all sense of responsibility and duty, I’m not gonna lie, I think I would have been a bit irritated myself.

As a Disciple of Christ our vocation includes the Martha stuff like cooking, cleaning and serving.  It also includes the Mary stuff like devotion, attentiveness and focus on the better part.  This Gospel should inspire us to be a balance of both sisters.  We need to realize that when the cooking and serving are done as a prayerful offering to God, it is a powerful form of prayer and devotion.  We also need to realize our Mary moments of complete and uninterrupted prayer have to be carved into our daily schedule.   I need to read this Gospel several times and balance my Mary and Martha! I need to read this Gospel several times to realize my battle is normal and as long as I keep plugging along trying to do the right thing and keep it all in balance, God will notice, and thank goodness he rewards us for attempts and not just perfection!

A Seed To Plant:  How can I make my Martha tasks like cooking and serving more of a prayerful offering instead of complaining about it and feeling unappreciated? How can I be more attentive and focused on Jesus like Mary? How can I find balance and have patience with myself?​

Blessings on your day!

We seem to have been swirling in a sea of sorrow, division and hurt the past week.  Words are so powerful and that power has been wielded for good and for bad.  Our newsfeeds and podcasts and news reports have been spewing enough controversy and contradiction to make our heads spin and then slipped quietly into the Mass readings the other day we prayed Psalm 28 and it was as if God said…shhhhh…you are my people, and I am your strength…shhhh.  Personally, I needed to hear that shush from the Father because it gave me permission to turn off the noise and quietly rest in HIM!

Nearly every time I have heard the name Charlie Kirk (a name I didn’t know before last Wednesday) this past week it has been used in combination with the word BOLD.  On some level each and every one of us is called to be bold in our faith but we aren’t called to do it in the same way.   On Monday, Catholics remembered the seven sorrows of Mary, and it was a whisper to my heart.  As I sat in Mass Monday and contemplated the burdens Mary endured it occurred to me that those closest and most committed to Jesus always seem to make huge sacrifices…even his own mother.  I wonder if the greatest way to be bold in our faith is to love bigger and not necessarily talk bigger.

The question I’ve been wrestling with is, how boldly do I love the Lord?  As I’ve puddled that through my brain for a few days I hear my moms’ words echoing that familiar phrase, “Actions speak louder than words!”  I do a lot of “loving” things for the Lord, but do I do them for everyone or just the people who agree with me, think like me or won’t be controversial?  I’ve asked myself again and again if my love is bold enough to push past the point of sacrifice, sorrow or embarrassment?  Do I love till it hurts and leaves me vulnerable or ridiculed or do I stop right on the edge of comfortable? Woof…that kind of love is hard isn’t it!  I think the craziness that’s unfolded before us lately shows just how much this kind of bold love is lacking.

I need to sit with some truth for a while.  The truth is I can’t control anything, not people’s thoughts or words or opinions or perceptions.  The only think I have any control over is my relationship with the Father and if that is really as important to me as I say it is, I have to take a good long prayerful look at how far I’ll go to protect it, nurture it, abide in it, obey it and be changed by it.  The planet doesn’t need my opinions, it doesn’t need my professions of faith, it needs to see God’s love and the only way I’m truly capable of that is to shush up, rely on his strength and ask him for the grace to love boldly without fear.  I think that’s probably the kind of task that will keep us so busy we won’t notice the noise of the world because we’ll be listening too hard for the voice of the Father…seems like a good idea to me…who’s with me?

A Seed To Plant:  Pray this week with the question, Lord how can I love you boldly?
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Blessings on your day!

​These few words are golden!  The simple truth of this line is that WE are the light and even when we don’t feel very shiny or glowing, we absolutely are in the eyes of The Father.  We were given His light when we were created, and we were tasked with letting that light shine during our Baptism.  

Often, we think we can only shine our light if we can be really sparkly.  There are times when we come across someone whose light seems like a blow torch, and we are more like a little birthday candle and it’s easy to shrink away and conceal ourselves and feel insignificant.  This is exactly what the evil one wants us to do.  The truth is, God has given each and every one of us a different way to love and serve.  The light he’s asking us to shine is HIM, not us.  He wants us to showcase HIS love, mercy and might; not our own.  There is no such thing as a light that’s too small or plain.  This line from Luke’s Gospel encourages us to trust Him to point us to the places that need His light and he promises to send us with exactly the perfect wattage to show him to those who need to see.

When we think about the pockets of darkness in our world today we can shine His light forth in the way we love and serve others, in our attempts to do the right thing and in our ability to trust and hope in his promises.  Letting him shine through us can be a powerful weapon against the darkness that creeps in to extinguish the power of His light.  Which of these three ways can you ask the Lord to help you let His light shine more powerfully?

A Seed To Plant:  Pray this little prayer each morning.  Oh Lord of Light, give me the grace to grow in humility so that I may let YOUR light truly shine through and pierce the darkness.  Keep me ever mindful or your guidance as you point me to those who need the hope and promise of your light, and Lord, keep me ever grounded in my pursuits to bring glory to You.  Amen

​Blessings on your day!