It amazes me how many times just the right words come at just the right time.  Last week I took my own advice and started making a list of things to focus on during this new church season.  I kept circling back to some habits and attitudes that I really wanted to root out of my life, so I took it to prayer asking for a plan of action.  What followed was truly the work of the fancy Father!

Maybe you’re like me and you have that pesky list of “things” you wish were different.  I can’t tell you how many times I go to confession with the same stinkin list as the time before.  As I was praying about all of this, I got a little attitude and actually had the nerve to say something like, really God, I’ve been asking you for help with this for such a long time, when are you going to help me root this out of my life? I know…how sassy of me!
The very next day, I was listening to Fr. Dave Pivonka on the Hallow app and he told a story that left me speechless.  It was a story about a young Friar with a bad habit.  This Friar was a smoker and he realized it was terrible for his health and didn’t make him a very positive example for the young people he worked with on campus, so he asked the Lord for the grace to stop.  Weeks passed and he still hadn’t made any progress at kicking the bad habit.  He told Fr. Dave he wasn’t sure God was hearing his plea.  Fr. Dave advised him to take his request to Adoration and present it and then just sit and listen.  The young Friar did just that and he was astonished when a few minutes later he felt the Lord say to him, just quit and I’ll give you the grace to keep going. 

I realized that I am the young Friar!  I keep asking God to “do it” for me!  Lord, give me the grace, the strength the discipline and I’ll get it tackled…it’s as if I’m depending on him to do the work…like inviting him in is all that is required of me.  No wonder I get so frustrated, I’ve got it all wrong!  The Lord made it clear to the Friar that the first step was his…and the first step is mine.  Once the steps are taken, the commitments and sacrifices are underway that’s when God slathers us with every single grace we need!  Over and over, I’ve asked for help but I really think I was just saying, Lord, I’ll let you go ahead and do it for me and please don’t make it too hard or make me have to change too much and let me know when we’re finished…ok!

As I’ve prayed and thought about this a lot the past several days I realize that these “things” that need to be rooted out are my crosses to bear and he’s absolutely going to help me carry them but I have to pick it up and begin…he can’t help me if I don’t  get started.  Our crosses are what refine and strengthen our holiness and they are for us…God is already perfect and holy, he doesn’t need any crosses, those are for us!  My prayer has taken a big shift…I’m no longer asking him to swoop in and give me the grace but rather give me the desire to get started doing the work and the reminder to keep an eye out for all the ways he’s helping me with his grace along the way.
​
A Seed To Plant: Where do you need to get started?  Pray about a plan to begin!
Blessings on your day!
 
 

​I am happily typing the seasons first edition of the blog from the screen porch!  I’m so excited to be sitting here as the sun sets listening to all the neighbor kids going past on their bikes and scooters with ball bats and soccer balls and laughter.  Everything just feels better when a fresh new season peeks around the corner!  As the weather changes this week, so has the church season.  We’ve headed into a long stretch of Ordinary Time and Catholic Priests everywhere reach for the green vestments.  As we head into this new church season, we might not know exactly what to do with it.  Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter are specific seasons with specific objectives but now we’re beginning a nearly six-month stretch, and it can be easy to think this season is just “ordinary” since there are no “big events” but that would be a missed opportunity!
The season of Ordinary Time helps us look at the life, teaching, parables and miracles of Jesus.  We linger here for a good long while because there is so much to soak in.  The color for this season is green like new life, sprouting and growing and that’s just what our prayer life and relationship with Jesus could be doing this season too.  It’s the perfect time to challenge ourselves to learn or study something new and grow in faith and knowledge or take a deep dive into Scripture, saints or anything that can help us grow in holiness.  I’d like to offer some things to spend some time praying with during this long and hopefully fruitful season.
*How can I prioritize time to pray and listen to God instead of just seeking him when I need something?
*What am I hesitant to surrender to God?
*How big is your fig leaf?  Adam and Eve used fig leaves to “hide from the Lord” in fear so spend some time with your fears…how big are they?  What are they masking?  What is it you’re trying to hide from the Lord?
*How can I be more grateful?
*What do I do when I sin or make mistakes, do I use them as opportunities to ask for God’s grace and forgiveness while learning from them and finding the root or do I respond with guilt and self-pity?
*Am I more joyful, grateful, peaceful and content than I was a year ago?  How can I grow in these areas?
*How does my screen time compare to the time I spend growing in faith and knowledge?
 
A Seed To Plant: Spend some time with the list and pick one to begin with.  Invite the Lord into that question and allow him to lead you on a journey of growth and new life in him.
Blessings on your day!

Did you ever lose something important?  It can be a real pain in the neck to stop everything and look for something we misplace like a phone, keys or shoes.  I was looking for something the other day, and I remembered the three things my dad used to say when we lost something.  Sometimes he would say, “Good grief child, you’d lose your head if it wasn’t attached to your shoulders!”  If he didn’t say that, then he would offer the following helpful tidbit, “Well, I don’t know where it is, but I know you’ll find it in the last place you look!” The last really helpful thing he would say was, “Humm, I can’t imagine what happened to it since you put it right back in the proper place it came from!”  I can laugh now, but when I was a little girl, I didn’t find much humor in his wisdom.

Lost stuff is one thing, lost souls are quite another.  When Jason was little, he was shopping with me and while I was busy looking at a stuffed rack of winter coats, he crawled inside one of the circular clothing racks and hid.  I panicked when I couldn’t find him.  After a few short seconds of frantically calling his name my racing heart slowed a little when he peeked his little chubby cheeks through the clothes and screamed “I’m right here mom!” I’ll never forget that feeling and the hug that came right before the scolding was the best hug ever!  I went through a time this spring where I felt a little lost.  I was continuing my daily prayer but I just felt like God wasn’t as close as he usually was.  I felt like I was drifting away and I just couldn’t find my way back.  I know it’s not uncommon for people to go through periods of dryness in their prayer life, but I sure didn’t like it.  When things were most difficult the evil one was trying to convince me  that God had abandoned me  soI began to pray that God would find me and bring me back and close the gap I felt between us.  That was my prayer for a few weeks and on the darkest day, I read these words from the Prophet Malachi, return to me, that I may return to you.

Once those words were stuck in my head and my heart, I began to realize God hadn’t gone anywhere!  He is the fixed object in this relationship…I am the variable.  In order for him to come to me, I had to go to him.  I had been seeking the good feeling of his presence, I wanted his blessing and his grace, but I wasn’t seeking his presence.  I wanted a big heap of me and my happy blessed life with a side of God…he wanted it the other way around.  I wondered why he wasn’t answering my prayers and bringing me comfort and peace; he was just frantically calling my name trying to bring me back home to his plan.  I was uncomfortable because I wasn’t where he was asking me to be.  He wanted more of my time, my heart and my trust.  He wanted me to return to him so he could return to me.  When I was trying to find my way and figure out what I needed to change, scripture tells me that all the while, he was frantically calling my name and searching, much like the day I lost Jason and he rejoiced greatly when I returned. The day I got it figured out was a great day and that is exactly the day I remembered the story of a lost Jason.  I have no doubt he popped that story into my head just to prove a point, and I’ve never felt so loved!  I guess my dad’s wisdom was right.  He was the last place I looked, and it’s amazing how easy it is to find things when they are in their proper place…God first not me first!

A Seed To Plant:  If you happen to be feeling a little distant from God, ask him to woo you back then have the courage to return with your whole heart.

Blessings on your day!

​Have you ever made something a lot harder than it needed to be?  I remember when we were knee deep in a remodeling project and feeling pretty overwhelmed.  I remember having specific problem with one thing; the clothesline.  I grew up hanging out laundry and it’s just kind of a thing I love to do, and I do it a lot.  With the remodel plans we were having trouble finding a good spot for the door.  I wanted it to be convenient to the laundry room and clothesline, but I didn’t want the door in our bedroom, so we were baffled.  We must have gotten out the house plans four or five times to think the problem through. One evening when we had the plans spread out on the table, Kevin, who was about ten, walked through the kitchen, and asked what we were thinking about.  We told him we were trying to find a place for the door close to the close line and we were having trouble finding a solution.  He studied the blueprints for about 30 seconds and said, “Well, why don’t you just move the clothesline.” He ran out to play, and Dave and I just stared at each other thinking; boy did we ever make this hard…leave it to the kid to point out the obvious!

Satan likes to discourage and distract us, making things seem harder than they really are.  Getting to heaven should be the goal of us all but sometimes we can get pretty tangled up in the rules and our sinfulness.  God knows we’re gonna sin…He gets that; that’s why he is so merciful.  We can get ourselves in trouble though, when we give in to satan’s stinkin thinkin and tell ourselves we aren’t worthy of God’s love and mercy.  Duhh…we aren’t, but that doesn’t matter one little bit because he doesn’t give us his love and mercy because we deserve it, he gives it to us because he’s God and he wants to.  There is no deserving or earning involved.  When we get down on ourselves and our sinful nature it’s easy to think getting to heaven is way too hard and we are way too weak and small.  When that happens, we are forgetting the one thing Jesus said that was designed to bring us into balance…believe!  Believe in the goodness and mercy of God.  Believe in the almighty power of a loving God who can do anything he wants.  Believe in the fact that our faith is a mystery that we aren’t ever going to fully understand; nor do we have to in order to receive the full effect of its benefits.

Our job is to believe that God will patch our leaks, chips and cracks.  Our job is to believe that in our weakness he will show his strength.  Our job is to believe that his love is mighty enough to part the Red Sea so it can do anything we need. Our job is to believe that God loves us in spite of everything we might point out as weak or unlovable. Our job is to believe that we are created, protected and guided by a God who loves us with his whole heart and wants only one thing; to bring us home into his arms. Our job isn’t really that hard; you might just need to move your clothes line out of the way so you can have room to believe a little more.

A Seed To Plant: Make a list of the things that are getting in the way of believing that God has you completely in the palm of his hand.

Blessings on your day!

​I have seen these words several times lately: “You Can’t Pour From An Empty Cup”.  I suppose there is truth to that saying and I think the original intent was great.  I think it’s important to take care of yourself but the more I think about it, the more I see it differently. Honestly, the more I thought about it, the more I realized it bugged me and I found it completely false.  I scratched my head wondering why I was reacting so stubbornly to a line meant for good.  After lots of thought and prayer, I realized God was using this line to get under my skin and remind me of some important things I had been forgetting.  Since I can’t seem to get this off my mind, I’m guessing this might be a message some of you need to hear too.  

The truth is, YES, YOU CAN!  We do it all the time.  As parents, spouses and friends we often give even when we don’t think there is anything left in the tank.  If someone comes to me frustrated and hurting, I’m sure not going to look at them and say, “sorry, please come back when I’ve had a little “me” time.”  If a family member or friend stops to share their struggles, I’m not going to ask them to come back after I’ve taken a nap.  Some seasons leave us so stretched we feel like we might snap but we just keep finding a little more in the cup to pour out.  As parents, we do the same again and again and again.  We just keep pouring, hoping there are enough drops left to get us through the day.  

The world would have us believe that success depends on our effort and energy.  The world would have us believe that we deserve to be happy and we have to carve out that happy time ourselves and we deserve to take time for ourselves to re-charge so we can do more stuff.  The world would have us believe that if our cups aren’t full, we will crumble up in a heap in the corner somewhere.  As usual, the world doesn’t get it right!  Thank goodness we have something more truthful, hopeful and joyful to turn to…a Father who loves us so enormously we will never be empty.

The Father loving reminded me that he’s in charge of my cup!  It is precisely in those moments I feel like I have nothing left to give I’m supposed to turn to him, and he will give me EVERYTHING I need…he will give me EVERYTHING he’s asking me to give to one of his children.  He will give me more than enough.  His love, his grace, his compassion is more than enough!  

One last lesson…don’t wait until you feel empty to turn to him.  Pray continuously throughout the day as you pour again and again from your cup because sometimes we pour things out in places he hasn’t called us to pour.  The final reminder were words spoken in the Gospel when Jesus said, “I have not come to be served but to serve.”  Those words are our mission on earth too.  I’m supposed to serve God and serve others, and I suppose the emptier my cup, the more I have done the work the Father put me on this earth to do and that should bring a joy that fills my cup to overflowing.  This life really isn’t about me at all, and I needed to be reminded of that.  Worrying about MY cup and expecting to always “feel good” about life is crazy but trusting the Father always ensues I have what I need to pour.  I think the saying should be “I Serve A God Who Always Fills My Cup!”

A Seed To Plant:  Spend a few extra minutes in prayer these next days and don’t forget to take your cup to the Father for a re-fill.​

Blessings on your day!

Lately life has put some big ole dents in my joy and I wasn’t feelin good about that, so I was trying to fix it myself and it clearly wasn’t working.  The wall I hit was when I realized my morning prayer chair had become my “tell God what he needed to do” chair.  I wish I could say I hit that wall and came to a brilliant solution all on my own but that would be a complete fabrication of the truth!  The solution to my dented joy problem was all him and it was both funny and fancy.

I use the Hallow App every morning as part of my morning prayer.  I love every single thing about Hallow and I honestly don’t know what I’d do without it…the voices, the lessons, the prayers, the music ALL OF IT!! It teaches, inspires, uplifts, challenges and centers me in prayer which is great…until the day it wasn’t.  In the height of my “dented joy” phase, I woke up one morning just feeling completely discouraged, and downhearted.  Instead of sleeping, I had been wrestling with my thoughts, hurts and frustrations which I had successfully turned into mountains!  I got up really early and brewed some coffee, lit my candle, settled into my prayer chair seeking the peace of the Father.  As I grabbed my phone to click on the Hallow App it wouldn’t load.  I tapped the icon again and nothing.  I did not handle the glitch with grace!  The third try opened it up and I clicked on some very meditative music to settle my restless self and just as I was beginning to draw into prayer it stopped.  I went from zero to 60 in a nanosecond and got madder than a wet hen.  As I fumed there in my chair at 4:45 in the morning I sputtered out an exasperated “Great, I can’t even pray right these days” dripping in self-pity and drama!

Since I didn’t have my app and I was too fussy and overwhelmed to pick up scripture, I grabbed a tiny little prayer book and I flipped to the words, “If you want to be happy, if you want to be calm and peaceful, if you want your life to be filled with joy: pray.  Peace, joy and happiness are the fruits of SILENT prayer.”

I was stunned! I just sat there in silence in awe of how he reached out and grabbed my heart.  Sometimes he has a way of peeling back all the layers…even the good ones to get to the root. I was filling my ears and my heart with words and music that was wonderful, but what he needed me to do was be silent so I could hear HIM.  As I sat there, I realized that joy requires peace and peace requires prayer and prayer requires still and quiet.  After some more silence I asked him if he had anything else to say and I flipped to these words, “If you want to be a man or woman of God you must pray.  If you want to be a man or woman of prayer, then you must make silence a good friend of yours.  Silence on the inside and silence on the outside.  It is in silence that you will align your heart, mind and soul with God.”

In the silence, he helped me see where I needed to work, ask for grace and surrender.  He showed me how to let him restore my joy.  About an hour later, I returned to the Hallow app only to discover it wasn’t working because my phone battery was dead…his creative love never ceases to amaze me!
​
A Seed To Plant:  How about giving “silent” some attention this week…try starting with ten minutes of silent, still time with the Father each day.  For extra credit, get yourself a copy of Matthew Kelly’s book Mustard Seeds, Daily Thoughts To Grow With, which is where the two zingers that zapped the dents out of my joy came from. 
 
Blessings on your day!
 
 
 
 

​The week following Easter we read about the Apostles seeing Jesus and not recognizing him, but when they finally did, oh how they rejoiced.  It’s funny to me that I can be just like them…he can be working right in the center of my life, and I can be too busy or too stubborn to notice him.  A month ago, we rushed home to be with my dad, and I had a long car ride to pray about the hospice decisions and events that lay ahead and my prayer again and again was, “Lord, let me see you!  Keep my eyes open because I know you’ll guide us through everything.”  I didn’t pray this because I doubted HIM, I prayed it because I didn’t want to get tangled up in my grief and worry and miss his work.  To say that he was fancy is a magnificent understatement and seeing him made me rejoice!  It’s taken a few weeks to pull this together, but I’d like to share just a few ways he made his love so easy to see!
*I saw the Lord as I had the chance to talk with dad, tell him what a great dad he was and how much I loved him on the Tuesday night we arrived in Kansas, by Wednesday he was no longer coherent.
*My Uncle Art was the voice of God’s peace and strength as he walked me through all the important things to know in the final days.  He has been a Hospice volunteer for decades and I will be forever grateful for his love, support and guidance.  His best advice, get a priest to anoint him and offer the Final Blessing as soon as you can because he can still hear and the prayers are so beautiful.
*Following that phone call, I called the priest who was away for the day but then, a nurse came in and told us she knew another priest she could call.  In rural NE Kansas this was no small thing, but God really got fancy because not only did he send a priest very quickly, but this priest happened to be a very dear friend of my dad’s.  Fr. William brought the Lord’s grace, humor and love and dad knew he was there.  Dad reached for Fr. Williams hand as he said goodbye and blessed him for his journey home…he knew!
*We saw him organize detail after detail. The Hospice house we wanted was full but had a bed open on the day we needed it. Every nurse, doctor and therapist who had worked with dad during his several stays at the tiny hospital came to say goodbye and shared stories about his faith, humor and strength. The Lord let me see the ways my dad lived the Gospel as visitor after visitor came to share the story of how his life had touched theirs and say goodbye.
*As his death grew closer, my daughter texted me that it was almost time to celebrate Grandpas 4th Birthday and I was enormously comforted by that reminder of Mother Olga’s teaching at the beginning of Lent…shortly after that text, someone brought cookies to the room and I thought…look at that, a birthday treat!
*On the morning dad died I was sitting in the quiet room with him typing his obituary and I typed the words, “he died surrounded by family” and I closed my laptop and said, “Lord please make that true!”  Shortly before he died, his two brothers, his sister and his sister-in law came to join us and a room full of family surrounded him and watched and prayed as his body was draped proudly in an American flag and he left the building.
*Dave and I led the Rosary at the Wake, and I wanted to pray joyfully and gratefully in front of that packed funeral chapel and not cry so God sent my grandbabies to sit in the front row and their whispers and wiggles and giggles reminded me that life has beautiful bookends.
*I saw his comfort as I looked behind us on the 35-mile drive from the church to the cemetery and saw more than a mile of cars following in the procession and then I saw him truly work a loaves and fishes event at the funeral luncheon.  I had guessed maybe 100 people would join us, but we exceeded that number greatly, yet the food never ran out. After that meal as I sat with cousins and aunts and uncles from many different states and laughed and cried about the family with us and the family cheering us home, I felt his comfort.
* In the days that followed as we cleaned out the house, there were people who stopped by to help, a friend who just happened to have a dumpster delivered, folks who brought food and neighbors who stopped to share stories, laughter and tears.  And his kindness and compassion are still showing up as people send cards and texts and prayers.
 
I saw him at every turn, and I rejoice that he has shown so much love and compassion.  I’m so very grateful one simple prayer and one mighty Father allowed my eyes to see His Glory instead of my grief.
 
A Seed To Plant:  In his funeral homily Fr. William said the biggest thing my dad taught him was that Life is meant to be lived for others. Perhaps we can all give that some thought and prayer, it sure served Mike McClaskey and all the lives he touched very well!
 

​During the days 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 would 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!

​Welcome to Holy Week!  My favorite Liturgy of the week is Holy Thursday.  I love this day of Holy Week because it’s the peace before the mayhem!  I don’t like movies or shows that contain suspense or peril.  I love stories of laughter and triumph of the underdog, so I suppose that’s why I love Holy Thursday.  None of the bad stuff has happened yet.  The betrayal, the brutality the deceit and evil…it’s not here yet.  The Last Supper is about Jesus teaching, giving, tending and building up.  

One of the most tender moments in the story of Holy Thursday night is the washing of the feet.  I like to ponder the tenderness and gentleness Jesus showed each of his beloved apostles.  I’ll bet he didn’t rush.  I’ll bet he didn’t see how many extra feet he could wash during his allowed feet washing time block and he probably looked at each of his followers in the eye and focused completely on them when it was their turn.  He was slow and deliberate in the way he served.

It’s unlikely that I will literally be washing anyone’s feet in the near future, but this is a call to service not a call to feet.  Many times a day we have the opportunity to lovingly serve Jesus by serving someone who crosses our path.  What if I lovingly folded my family’s laundry and packed their lunches while praying for them.  What if I touched my husband’s hand lovingly as I handed him his toast and thermos of hot coffee and told him I love him deliberately, lovingly while looking at him intently.  What if I tried to do my tasks of loving service to my family slowly, deliberately and intentionally instead of trying to fly through the day and get a hundred things done.  I think he’s calling us to a “way” of service not just the “task” of service.

As you puddle your way through this Holy Thursday, take some time to consider the lessons Jesus left us with and don’t be afraid to say, Lord please help me see the difference between doing jobs and offering loving service in your name.  Equip me this day with the gentleness and compassion to serve others in your name just like you demonstrated on this Holy Thursday night so many years ago.

A Seed To Plant: Do I need to do more serving or do I need to look at my life and find more Christ-like ways to fulfill the service opportunities I already have?​

Blessings on your day!

Please pardon the two week silence!  There is a story to tell...a story of new life, hope, grief and great joy but I'm not quite ready to pull the whole story together just yet.  The amazing man I called my dad died on the 13th so the past few weeks have been a blur.  God has been so fancy, mighty, merciful and busy through it all and I can't wait to share all of it with you but I need to catch my breath.

Stay tuned...Holy Week will be the perfect time to tell the story but for now...I'm sitting still thinking back on all he has done.

​Blessings on your day!

​It was on page 35 of the Sears Christmas Toy Catalog and I had it circled, folded and flagged with a yellow yarn bookmark. I was 8 and I had my heart set on that Barbie Dream House.  I had a spot all picked out in my tiny little bedroom to put it and all I could think about was the hours of fun I would have playing with that perfect gift.  Knowing how much I wanted it and knowing how far it was out of our family budget my mom, loving, explained to me before Christmas that I would need to choose something else to wish for because it just wasn’t possible.  She didn’t use many words, just a few lovingly spoken.  She knew I would just need time to be disappointed and then life would move on.  After a few hours she helped me move past the sting.  She came into the kitchen with a giant box, some fabric, supplies and a giant smile.  We proceeded to sit together at the kitchen table for the afternoon and create a homemade Barbie Dream House complete with furniture and curtains in the windows.  When we were finished, she put it in my room and said she hoped I’d remember it as a lesson on setting my heart on things that were more important than shiny stuff. 

This verse from Deuteronomy reminds me of that beautiful afternoon and the love that spilled from a mothers heart.  I stopped to realize that if my mom could love me that much, and her love is only a sliver of the love our Father has for us; I think I’m underestimating some things.  You know, I have no idea what I asked for that Christmas because whatever it was, it paled dramatically in comparison to the doll house mom and I made that winter afternoon.  I suppose God tries to show me that truth a dozen times a week and I’m so focused on what I have MY heart set on that I forget that HE has his heart set on ME!  What could I possibly want more than that.  

We are busy, we are smart, we are involved, we are parents, children, teachers, farmers and dozens of other things.  We fuss about getting ahead and doing better, making more money and achieving success and titles.  We are so many things, but I give so little thought to the fact that above all the other stuff; I am CHOSEN!  Not just chosen for the team or the part or the position but for HIM…HE chose US!  I don’t know about you but that kind of makes my heart skip a beat when I think about it.  We’re not some random clump of cells that was spun into existence by a nameless, faceless creator…We were chosen, created and KNIT in our mothers womb perfectly and lovingly.  How’s that for an antidote to not feeling very important.  We matter because we’re his!  

God's participation in our life didn’t end with our creation.  Once we were created and born into earthly life the relationship didn’t end…he has his heart set on us!  He wants us, he desires our happiness and our relationship with him.  That all seems a pretty small thing for him to ask.  He isn’t asking us to swim the ocean or climb Mr. Everest to prove we love him, he simply wants our time, our love and our attention.  He asks that we show his love to others, speak to him daily in prayer and live as if we realize how adored we are by the one who created us.  

I’m way older than 8 but when I read this verse, I think I know what my mom really meant.  She showed me what was more important than shiny new things; she showed me that love, communication, generosity and the gift of simple time were the things to set our heart on.  God is asking the same thing.  As we head into the third week of lent, it seems like the perfect time to think about the things we have our heart set on.

A Seed To Plant:  What are three things you can do this week to “choose God” and set your heart on him?​

Blessings on your day!

​February is a big birthday month in our family.  4 of the six grandkids have February birthdays so last week the Missouri grandkids were visiting, and we celebrated our 1-, 2-, 3- and 5-year-olds.  I can’t quite explain how it felt to look at those adorable faces lined up at the table with their cakes or the feeling of explosive love and joy that hit me like a wave, but I know that night will sit on my heart for a long time.  The emotion of that evening caught me by surprise as I sat right in the middle of so much blessing and grace. As I crawled in bed that night thanking God for all of it, I think he wanted to say, “Didn’t see that comin did ya!”  I laid there a long while thinking of all the times and places he shows up and does something so marvelous and so unexpected…why would I ever think I could out-plan him?
 
After the party dust settled and the house got quiet again, I just kept thinking about birthdays, wishing I’d done a better job celebrating them for my own children, realizing I should be better about remembering birthdays and even thought about approaching my own birthday with more gratitude.  The thoughts continued and then Saturday while listening to the Hallow app, birthdays suddenly took on a whole new meaning.  The app featured an interview with an absolutely delightful woman named Mother Olga.  The last two posts have referenced her seven-word prayer but the opportunity to “meet” her through a video interview was such a gift.  Among many completely cool things that interview touched on, Mother Olga shared that we all have four birthdays. God’s timing once again hit me like a ton of bricks!    The first is our birth in our mother’s womb at the moment of conception. The second birthday is the day we are born into the world.  The third birthday is our Baptism, when we are born into the family of Christ, and our fourth birthday is the day we are born into eternal life. That fourth birthday really gave me something to think about.  Preparation for that day is the culmination of hundreds of little actions and changes and re-routes but none of them are done solo…he’s right there with us!
 
After listening to Mother Olga, I came across some words from the wonderful Fr. Mike Schmitz and he said in a very animated voice, “The purpose of Lent is to prepare us for death…death to our selfish desires and our self-centered plans and it is in that death that we prepare for eternal life.”  It’s crazy how God used the enormous love I have for my family and led me through a birthday celebration to an important lesson.  No celebration on earth can come even close to a moment in heaven and that birthday celebration we had last week for those little people I adore won’t come close to the celebration that awaits us on our fourth birthday.  He absolutely led me full circle with love and joy and hope.  We don’t know when we’ll celebrate our fourth birthday but today is the perfect day to begin getting ready!
A Seed To Plant:  Spend some time thinking and praying about Mother Olgas birthday idea and ask the Father how he can guide your Lent to prepare for the fourth birthday.
 
Blessings on your day!

​It’s in a mother’s nature to want people to like, enjoy and accept her children.  I never kissed my kids goodbye in the morning and sweetly said, “Bye honey, I hope you get rejected today, love ya!” Maybe I should have.  Even as adults we seek acceptance, we want to fit in and be liked by our peers, but we have to be cautious that those offering acceptance are also those who will lead us closer to Christ. 
Today is Ash Wednesday and here we are toe to toe with the season meant to change us!  Fr. Mark Toups issued a great challenge when he said, “this lent, if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got”.  He challenges us to focus on what the Father would like to do for us this lent instead of getting caught up in what we’re doing for him.  He simply wants us to be still and clear away the things that stand between us.  A good way to shift our focus is Mother Olgas 7 Words, Lord, Empty Me, Fill Me, Use Me.  Another way we can use this lent to really change is to think about the Father and the world a little differently and be willing to risk a little rejection.

What would our earthly life be like if we lived each day realizing the acceptance of our Heavenly Father is the only nod of approval necessary?  Jesus’ message in this parable is crystal clear, live a life acceptable to God and you will bear great fruit; get tangled up in approval of man and you will most certainly lose your way.  Living as a light of Christ is not for sissies and it may cause us to be rejected by those who aren’t as committed to holiness but in that rejection, we are in good company and at that very moment we may be completely open to the work of Christ and become the cornerstone of something he’s building around us.    In quiet prayer ask God to reveal to your heart all those people you are seeking approval from.  What makes their approval important, and will it bring you closer to Christ and allow you to bear great fruit? Remember, rejection by the world can be exactly what leads us to joyful acceptance by the Father.

A Seed To Plant:  Take these words to prayer with you this week…Loving Father, help me to live each day seeking your approval.  Allow me to be a cornerstone in your good works even if it means being rejected.  Comfort me in my disappointment and strengthen me in my journey toward greater holiness. ​

Blessings on your day!
 

​It’s almost time my friends…lent is one week away so it’s time to start thinking about the season designed to help us grow in holiness!  Today I offer a few questions to think on and pray with in these next few days.  The questions will help process a very simple 7 Word prayer compliments of the amazing Mother Olga and help us draw into a powerful Lent. Spend some time with these words and let the Holy Spirit help you discover what this Lent will look like for you.
Lord, Empty me.  Fill me.  Use me.

*What are the habits and behaviors or sins I seem to “go back to” even though I try to avoid or change them.  Lord, empty me of these things and fill me with your grace.

*In times of stress or frustration, what do I turn to for consolation?  Is it prayer, snacks, the screen or something else? Lord, fill me with your consolation and a desire to turn to you first.

*If Jesus took human form and spent the day with me, what would he notice or encourage me to do differently? Lord, how would you like to use me?

*When I hear the word “Sacrifice” what comes to mind?  Lord, fill me with a desire to sacrifice joyfully out of love for you.

*On a scale of 1 to 10 how comfortable is my life and how important is comfort and convenience to me? Lord, how are you calling me to step out into the deep and be a little uncomfortable in order to love and serve you more.

Lent isn’t meant to be a time of torture but giving up beach swimming for Lent in Michigan isn’t really going to develop much holiness.  As with all things, balance is key.  Lent is a time for God to exalt you.  The sacrifices we make are supposed to help us grow closer to God and that isn’t always easy work.  The work of holiness can be really hard, and it requires change and that often means being uncomfortable and inconvenienced, so as we ponder this 7 Word prayer and these questions let’s pray that the Father will help us discover the ways he’s inviting us to humble ourselves before him and be touched by the power of his mighty hand. In the words of Mr. Mark Toups, if you continue to do what you’ve always done during Lent, you may find yourself no different on Easter Sunday than you were on Ash Wednesday.  The pursuit of heaven requires forward motion…Lord, get me movin this Lent!

A Seed To Plant:  Take Mother Olga’s 7 Words and these questions to prayer and jot down what he puts on your heart so we can take a look at them on Monday and form a Lenten plan.​

Blessings on your day!

​I have a plant in my living room that I love.  The leaves are wide and deep green. I have absolutely no idea what kind of plant it is; all I know is it’s pretty and easy to take care of and it sends a clear signal when it needs my attention.  When I forget to water it, the leaves and stems bend clear down and lay flat on the table but once I water it, it perks straight back up and looks beautiful within an hour.  As I was reading this passage from Sirach, all I could think about was that plant.

The water on that plant in my living room creates life and beauty and I can see it happening right before my very eyes.  As I listened to these words and thought of my plant, I realized that my choices affect my soul just like water affects that plant.  Sometimes I accidentally neglect the plant, but a wee bit of time and attention brings it right back to life and restores its beauty.  I think that’s what God’s mercy does for our weary, soggy, limp souls.  The water is the fruit of our prayer and his amazing grace.  As I sat thinking about it, there are so many choices  I make that deprive my soul of the life, beauty and brilliant joy just like my neglectful watering habits affect my pretty plant.

I began to wonder what choices I make that lead to the serious wilting of my relationship with the Father.  My first smug thought was, I don’t make any decisions that are death, I’m much more of a chose life person!  As he always does when I think I’m all that and a holy bag of chips, he humbles me and what came next was a rapid-fire list of behaviors, attitudes and actions that lead slowly to destruction.  He reminded me that each time I look at someone in judgement, thinking of myself as happier, more prayerful or more put together, my soul wilts.  I realized that every time I choose to participate in a conversation that isn’t kind or charitable, my soul wilts.  Every time I run to the comfort of food instead of running to the comfort of his love, I wilt a little.  Every time I watch or read or listen to something that opposes his truth or purity or goodness, I wilt a little.  Each time I snap back at someone or make snap decisions about how someone drives or dresses or behaves, my soul wilts a little.  All of these situations may seem pretty innocent or human or even acceptable in themselves but in reality, the little things add up to become big and the choice is ours to make.  I’ve been lucky that every time I’ve seen my plant drooping, I’ve been able to water it and bring it back but one of these times I might neglect it too long and it won’t perk back up.  Thank goodness God’s mercy is more reliable than my plant care skills!  It’s never too late to turn back to him but as the Priest mentioned in his homily, there are always consequences!

With life there is abundant joy and mercy and grace.  With death there is sadness, stress, destruction and separation.  Each of those little decisions I make that are not life giving come with a consequence that is uncomfortable and undesirable.  I’m sure I’ve blamed God for not listening or helping me out of a rough patch but as I think about it, those are probably times when I’m stuck in the yuck of consequences that are a direct result of those little soul wilting choices. When it all boils down to the bottom of the pot, the truth is, we have free will and the choices are truly all ours to make.  That means that the consequences are also truly ours as well; we chose them.  I decided that was a pretty tough truth!  This reading is about more than heaven and hell, it’s about today and tomorrow and the hundreds of todays and tomorrows that lead us into eternity.  I think today is the day to start thinking more about the life and death of my choices.  I’m thankful for a great message from Scripture and the beautiful visual aid that sits in my living room.

A Seed To Plant:  Ask the Father to help you think about your choices pick out the ones that are reaping life and the ones that are wilting your soul.​

Blessings on your day!

​I was traveling recently and the hotel stay required a several floor elevator ride. Every time I got in it, I was the only passenger so there was nothing to distract me which would have been nice because all 4 walls of the elevator were mirrors.  Each time I glanced up to see which floor I was on, all I saw was my reflection.  Each time I caught a glimpse of myself, I thought of this question from John’s gospel.   The questions asked of John go from WHAT are you to WHO are you.  The first question seems a bit strange don’t you think?  But when we take a good look at our discipleship, that question becomes very important.  

If someone asks “who are you” I might be quick to respond with things like, Shannon’s mom, Dave’s wife, Lewis’ grandma or Tina’s friend.  I tend to focus on what I do, to describe who I am. But if someone asks “what are you” it causes me to look at my vocation.  What am I? I am God’s daughter.  I am a Saint in the making.  I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am a living example of God’s love for all his children.  In all honesty, living my “what” needs some work!  There are times when I think about the person asking and wonder “what do they want me to be?”  The problem with that kind of thinking is there is really only one opinion that matters and that isn’t always the one I seek first.  

John was very honest and direct.  He did not pretend to be someone or something he wasn’t.  There is certainly a lesson there for me.   This Gospel is the perfect reminder that what I really am, is HIS! I don’t have to pretend to be who or what the world would find impressive.  Today is the day to speak the truth like John and realize what I am; God’s Beloved Daughter, and that is absolutely more than enough.

A Seed To Plant:  What are you? Take a few minutes to make that list, looking through the Fathers eyes.​

Blessings on your day!

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.
​
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!