As much as I might want to grumble about technology from time to time, I marvel at the way I can find inspiration and information almost instantly.  Not long ago a lady asked me, exactly how to get closer to Christ, and I offered some thoughts, but I spent the next many days pondering that question and hoping I answered it in a helpful way.  I decided to prepare a better answer because it was such a good question.  As I was thinking and praying about it, thanks to technology, I stumbled across a homily on YouTube offered by a priest whose name I can’t even remember, giving a homily about this exact question.  He was referencing something written by C.S. Lewis that offered 7 things to quit to grow in Christ and I was intrigued by the idea of quitting something rather than starting something and found it all too good not to share.
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Number one:  Quit all the things that don’t bear positive fruit and that add zero value to life. Quit the things that don’t feed your spirit and that suck your strength. 
Number two: Quit hanging out with people who bring you down.  Choose to spend time with people who will challenge you and walk with you as you strive to be better, holier and more focused on the Lord.
Number three:  Quit judging and criticizing other people and things.  Not everything happens when and how you want it but if God is your focus the noise of the world and the actions of others become less and less important.
Number four:  Quit magnifying what’s going wrong in the world. You can choose to magnify problems or magnify God…choose wisely.
Number five:  Quit overdoing it…even the good stuff.  Still, simple, quiet and humble are the focus points for keeping your balance.
Number six:  Quit trying to please people.  If your focus and energy are all wrapped up in trying to win the approval of the world, that takes the first spot in your life.  Work on pleasing God and quit making pleasing people your mission.
Number seven:  Quit overthinking everything.  Trust him…give things to him and know he has more knowledge, wisdom, power and love than we can fathom, and he works for our good using people, graces and circumstances we couldn’t possibly know about…let God do his job.

Isn’t it a huge relief to know he’s not asking us to buy more books, do more stuff, create or begin giant things to grow closer.  These seven things to quit are crystal clear and require no extra things…simply re-ordering our days with a clear focus.

A Seed To Plant:  Pray with the list for a few days and see which ones the Lord might really be calling you to focus on and ask him to show you how to start quitting.

Blessings on your day!

We are about halfway through the first month of the new year and I hope it’s been a happy beginning.  I picked up an old practice this January and prayed for a “word” for the year.  I hadn’t done it for a few years and thought it might be fun to see what the Lord put on my heart.  The word that stuck like glue was CONTENT.  I’ve had a couple weeks to settle in with the word and I find it brings me lots of peace.  I have come across a few things lately that seem to confirm the peace and joy that comes with being content.  It is my hope that this might be a word the Lord whispers to you too.

*Lord…am I doing my faith right, am I holy enough or a good enough disciple?  The reply came in these words:  What you love, you spend time with and what you spend time with becomes what you love most.  It’s not about a list of tasks or hoops to jump through to please him…it’s about spending time in prayer, in his word and in constant conversation with him asking for guidance and grace and that is enough.

*What are my priorities?  Is Jesus like my second kidney?  It’s nice to have and I value it greatly, but do I really need it?  Lord, help me make you my priority and be content with the fact that I need to be quiet and still and everything else will follow according to your plan. 

*Jesus…do I live like you are an accessory or a necessity?  In my contentment help me claim and cling to you like the air I breathe.

*Lord draw me so close to you I become lost in your shadow.  Help me be content to walk in your shadow instead of being seen and praised by the world.

*Humbly be where he puts you and know you’re there for a reason even if it’s a place of struggle.  Contentment creates humility.  At the Last Supper Jesus ministered with tenderness and peace.  If I were hours from death, would I be washing feet or expecting to be pampered?  Would I have been comforting and loving others or expecting them to do that for me?  Lord, help me be still and content so I can participate in whatever you’re doing.

Lord help me be content with the things I have instead of wanting more.  Help me be content with where I am instead of trying to get somewhere better.  Help me be content with the blessings and shadows dotting my life instead of wanting to trade for someone else’s life that looks easier or fancier.  Help me be content with serving and meeting other peoples needs and wants instead of my own.  Lord help me be content being  LESS so you can be MORE. 
 
A Seed To Plant: How content are you?  Ask the Lord to show you where you need to be still and content so you can live John 3:30.
 
Blessings on your day!
 

​Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord.  Hebrews 12:14

I suppose most of us have a list.  Some call it a bucket list; others may call it a list of short- and long-term goal and for others is may simply be a wish list to keep tucked in the drawer or in the back of your mind. Whatever you call it, I have something we should add.  This particular item should not only be added to the long term, someday list but also to the task list we make each day.  It’s so important it just can’t wait another day, and we must get into the practice of giving it specific attention.  What is it, you might be wondering…

We need to be holy.  Holiness isn’t just something for sweet old ladies or monks and nuns who spend their days in silent contemplative prayer.  Holiness is something for each of us…today…every day.  It’s something to become and it’s something to talk about.  I just pulled a Christmas gift from a few years ago off my shelf to give it a new look.  It was a book by Matthew Kelly called The Biggest Lie In The History Of Christianity. It’s a great read, easy read, and an important read.  One of the sections that grabbed my attention was the chapter when he spoke about being holy.  Somewhere pop culture snuck in, and we became afraid to let our desire to be holy show or grow. 

I would like to share one simple and powerful strategy he laid out for each of us that can help us embrace and grow our holy.  He suggests not re-vamping our entire life and running off to a convent or monastery, but rather to have a “Holy Moment” today.  He describes that as a moment when you silently stop and do one thing God is guiding you to do.  It might be a moment of silent prayer when you’re prompted to be still.  It might be a simple action or reaction that is inspired by God and not by our desires.  It’s just a moment when we stop, shut up and let God be in charge of us.  It might mean not snapping back or acting with mercy instead of judgement.  It might mean calmly letting someone cut in front of us without getting into a huff; realizing there may be an important reason that driver is in such a hurry.  Mr. Kelly suggests that if we strive for just one holy moment a day, we may soon discover that we have several and when we begin to include them in our days we begin to see God working in our days and before we know it there are dozens of holy moments each day and then change really begins to happen.  Just a moment, that’s how it starts.  That’s how we begin to grow in holiness and that is exactly what God has planned for us to be.

We are usually on the lookout  for big, fancy and often complicated stuff to make our life better but  let’s start with the simple fact that being holy should be the number one thing on our to-do list and let today be the day you strive for your first Holy Moment!

A Seed To Plant:  Ask God to lead you to a holy moment today.  Share it with someone and pass on the holy moment challenge.​

Blessings on your day!

The wait is almost over, I hope it’s been a prayerful and peaceful Advent!  Twice in the last few days these words from the Prophet Isaiah have hit my heart.  It makes me wonder how often we ask and look for signs.  For the most part I think we ask out of faith.  Many of us look for or pray for signs so we can feel guided or assured but I suppose sometimes in our frustration and disappointment we can get a little crazy with our demand for a sign.  I’ve never asked him for something outrageous like a banner flying behind an airplane with the answer to my question, but I am guilty of asking for signs because I’m low on trust.

I think the problem with asking for signs is that we’ve already been given so many.  I have to imagine God in heaven doing a face palm when we ask for a sign and wondering how many more times he has to dazzle us before we just shut up and trust.  When you read this entire passage, Isaiah predicted the sign with remarkable, dramatic detail; Virgin birth and a baby name decades and decades in advance…now that’s a sign!  When we trace back the story of God’s love, it’s easy to see time and time again he’s been showing us some pretty spectacular signs of his endless love for his people.

Todays post includes a Christmas present.  The link below will take you to a video by the Skit Guys that is a 3-minute wonder to behold.  It’s a gem I stumbled on while searching YouTube and every time I used to play it for the Middle Lovelies they ask to watch it again and again to see all the signs and stories unfold.  Each of the events are a sign of His wonder and love.  When I really think about it, he’s already given me far more signs than I’ll ever need.  I guess I just need a reminder from time to time.  Perhaps I’ll work on asking for fewer signs and aim for greater appreciation of the ones that he’s already shown.

I’d like to wish all of you a beautiful and blessed Christmas! Please know of my Christmas prayers for all of you.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLcTLCCpI5A&t=5s

A Seed To Plant:  Take three minutes and watch this beautiful video.​

Blessings on your day!

I love the season of Advent because it gives me a chance to practice waiting and longing.  To be honest, I’m not so whippy at either one of those things so I always welcome this season and try my best to embrace the opportunity to slow down and wait well.  By the time we get a wee bit past the halfway point I feel the rushing and busy noise step up the pace.  Thank goodness for that pink candle that is a lovely reminder that the PERSON I’ve been preparing for is almost here.

I heard a priest mention one time that Advent is the season given to us…and I have no idea what he said next because I had failed to realize what a gift this season is.  It’s so easy to begin the season strong and then get swept away as Advent morphs into pre-Christmas stuff but I’ve prayed with those words and realized Advent is a gift that renews itself every morning for nearly a month and whether it’s the first day or the middle of the third week, the invitation for slowing down, pondering and longing was given to me so the simple act of thinking of those words puts my  mind in a different place and makes me grateful.  We aren’t given this season to be perfect, we are given this season to remind and encourage and prepare.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux wrote about Advent as preparation for the three comings of Christ. The celebration of Jesus the baby, Jesus the judge in the second coming and Jesus in the third or middle coming as he comes to us each day.  I love pondering this third coming and it helps me be where my feet are.  Sometimes we get swept away in thinking about what’s been or what’s coming and forget Jesus is right here with us…where we are right now, in the mess, in the noise, in the string of stuff that makes up our days.  Whether it’s the beginning, middle or the tail end of Advent what if we pondered this each time our thoughts drifted away from the season?   As a little Advent re-focus for all of us to ponder, here are the 5 P’s of a great Advent day (notice I said day…don’t worry about the whole season…just this day).
Purpose…remember we’re not preparing for a holiday…we’re preparing for a PERSON.  Ponder this as you think of all the reasons you’re grateful for his love and his presence in your life.
Peace…find a few minutes each day away from the noise just to think about Jesus and his enormous love.  I might suggest heading to the laundry room to find your peace because nobody usually follows you there.
Plan…make that big ole to-do list but offer it to the Father asking him to be the manager of your time and tasks.  Ask him to control the tempo of the day in order to show you how he’s leading you and asking you to love and serve him and others.
Patience…this one will require surrender instead of control.  Each time you feel the rush and the pace pick up just close your eyes and lift your hands palms up and ask Jesus to take whatever burden or bother is wrinkling your peace and testing your patience.
Presence…be where your feet are!  There are things to start and things to finish but Jesus is with us in this moment…is there room for him?  When we joyfully still ourselves, he will open our eyes to his wonder and the gift will be peace, contentment and grace.
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A Seed To Plant: Write down the 5 P’s and put them in a visible spot so you can practice them each of the remaining days of this beautiful season.
 
Blessings on your day!
 
 
 
 

​When the Christmas decorations come up from the basement each December there are a few things I unpack first; the really special things.  The first is the handmade Nativity Stable my father-in-law made, the second is the needlepoint stockings with the kids names Dave’s sister Jan made and the third is much less sentimental but still a personal favorite; the movie Elf.  Quite a contrast I know but there is a good reason.  When I take out the first two my heart is touched!  I think of the time and love that went into the creation of the stockings and stable and I re-play Christmas past.  When the movie comes out, I laugh; plain and simple…it just makes me laugh!  It’s always good to laugh but this time of year it’s even more important to balance the hectic days with some spirit lifting laughter.

One of the things I love most about the main character; Buddy the Elf, is his contagious enthusiasm and cheerfulness.  Granted, he’s a bit over the top but he just seems to roll with life, finding the good in everything and every person, including angry Taxi drivers and mean raccoons!  He finds great pleasure in simple things like revolving doors, paper snowflakes and maple syrup.  He works hard, doesn’t complain, tries his best to please everyone, compliments easily and speaks the truth always. He is good, kind, friendly and sincerely thoughtful and sweet.  I think the world could use a lot more Buddy’s! The one thing though that really makes Buddy unique is his passion for Santa.  One of my favorite scenes is when the store manager announces that Santa will be arriving the next day and Buddy jumps and claps and screams “I know him, I know him!”  He immediately recognized the Santa that arrives the next day as an imposter.  Right away he saw him and said, “That’s not him, I know him and that’s not him.”

When you think about it Buddy and a great Advent share some connections. In the movie, Buddy stayed up all night preparing the toy department for the arrival of his favorite guest; the guest he knew intimately.  Buddy nearly jumped out of his elf tights with excitement when he found out he’d be seeing his friend.  He loudly demonstrated passion, happiness, excitement, and unmeasurable pleasure at the mere mention of his friend’s name.  What if the movie was called “Jesus” and we were the main character?  What would our reaction to our friend be?  Would there be jumping, clapping or unmeasurable joy and excitement at the mention of his name? Would we stay up all night making the perfect preparations for our special guest or would we just try to make time when we could squeeze in a minute or two here and there? Do we know him intimately or are we sometimes tricked or have our focus diverted from the ways Jesus is present to us each day?  

Sometimes we do the same thing over and over and wonder why it didn’t turn out differently.  Maybe that describes your Advent but not to worry…we’re just getting started.  There is great value to looking at something familiar with a completely new perspective.  Maybe it’s time to think like Buddy the Elf.  Maybe it’s time this Advent to imitate his enthusiasm.  Maybe it’s time to put away doubt and skepticism and look with eyes and hearts of hope, joy and thoughtfulness.  Maybe it’s time to imagine ourselves standing at the Nativity scene with contagious enthusiasm because he came…the savior came…to see me…to live for me…to die for me…to bring me the gift of salvation! Maybe our goal this Advent is to expect and anticipate Jesus with the same excitement Buddy had for Santa.

A Seed To Plant:  Watch Elf, or at least a YouTube clip from the movie and see it through the lens of you and Jesus then make a plan for how you will imitate Buddy’s enthusiasm during this last week of Advent.​

Blessings on your day!

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow here are some thoughts on thankfulness. There are two really important words in this short verse from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, peace and thankful.  A focus on both of those words will help calm down the worry.   Gratitude is powerful and not only does it do wonders for our own troubled heart, but it’s also a beautiful gift to everyone else.  Here is an interesting thing I learned about being thankful. Recent MRI studies have mapped the gratitude circuitry in the brain, which activates a sense of reward, fairness, and decision-making—all aspects that help facilitate survival.  In case you might be looking for ways to ramp up the gratitude here are a few tips to help you sprinkle a little more thankfulness in your day.
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*Make it a habit at least once a day to say out-loud three things you are grateful for.

*End your day by jotting down a few things from the day that you are thankful for.  I often tell the story of how my mom had a practice of doing exactly this very thing.  It was her belief that if the last thing on your mind before sleep was something you were thankful for instead of something you were worried about, you’d sleep better and wake up more positive.

*Tell at least two people a day thank you!  Make it specific if you really want to brighten someone’s day and spread a little joy.  

*Make sure your thank-yous outnumber your complaints.*Check your perspective, if you’re having trouble thinking of something to be grateful for, check out the situation of those around you and that might help you see your situation through a different lens.

*Volunteer…Jesus wasn’t kidding with the whole “serve others” thing.  Turns out, it’s a great boost for our gratitude and our happiness.

*Notice and appreciate the little things. I was in the middle of a train-wreck of a day not long ago and a little boy with Downs Syndrome walked up to me in the store and gave me a carnation.  He said, “You look like you need something pretty and a hug.”  In that one split second my attitude completely changed.  

*Be with the people you love.  Make sure you surround yourself with people who lift you up, make you laugh and bring you joy.

*Find some gratitude scriptures you can call on when you’re feeling a little worried and wilted.  God’s word is always true and always meant to bring good.

We worship freely, we have all we need to eat, we have shelter, we have transportation and people who care about us.  Those things alone make us some of the richest people in the world.  I don’t know about you, but I think I should sit down and make a list of those and the hundred other things I probably take for granted and add them to my gratitude list.  Sounds like a great way to chase the blues away.

A Seed To Plant:  Spend some time working on your gratitude list and then find a few great scripture verses about gratitude you can use when the worry gets heavy on your heart.​

Blessings on your day!

​I’ve chatted with several people lately who have shared that their schedules were pretty nutty!  In case that’s you, I hope todays post touches your heart and brings a splash of hope and comfort to your busy days.  During the busy seasons, remember to take your to-do list to prayer each morning and know God will organize it all for his glory even if we’re feeling a little overwhelmed.  While I was knee deep in a busy stress season recently, I was working my way through the tasks, and I was encouraged when I remembered back to swimming lessons when I was a little girl. Just for the record, I HATED swimming lessons.  I remember the required trip into the deep end and that feeling of complete helplessness when I realized my feet couldn’t touch the bottom and I had nothing to grab on to.  The instructor would yell, relax, close your mouth and tip your head back so the water won’t go up your nose. I didn’t enjoy anything about that feeling.

If that feeling is familiar here is another little tidbit I learned in swim lessons that just might help.   When you close your mouth and tip your head back so you can breathe, you are automatically looking up.  Quietly looking up is always a good idea and it’s a practice that can offer not only survival, but surprisingly, great joy!  Sometimes we cram way too much into our weeks but as the waters rise, keep asking God to keep you from drowning.  Not only will he answer, but he will bless you with lots of little surprises along the way. He will arrange every detail, every timetable and every event.  Things may not be completed as early or fast as we want but it all gets finished.  He provides help when we don’t expect it, laughter when we most need it and great friends along the way.  Sometimes he even arranges great parking when we peel into the parking lot at the last minute.  If we let go of the control and the expectations we will see him guiding and loving us through even the busiest days.

 Sometimes we have to reach out and ask for help and we might have to eat left-overs a few times or pull something “not so dirty” out of the hamper but it all falls in place when we make him the boss of our busyness. I’m in awe of the way God can swoop in and put things in order if we just close our mouth, tip our head back and look up to the giver of life and the master of all time and tasks.  Perhaps I should try that more often!

A Seed To Plant: Tip your head back, close your mouth and look up to the giver of life and enjoy your day!​

Blessings on your day!

These words were a part of last Sundays first reading, and they are stuck to my heart like Velcro!  The noise this verse was making in my head really picked up volume when I threw a little hissy fit because I was making cinnamon rolls to take to a friend and realized the brown sugar container was almost empty.  You simply can’t make a batch of proper cinnamon rolls with just a sprinkle of brown sugar for heavens sake!  As I spit and sputtered around the kitchen trying to figure out who to call to borrow sugar, I was frustrated about the inconvenient task of getting enough to finish before the dough was ruined.  It was a silly thing to get flustered about but right in the middle of my dramatic grumbling, something prompted me to look on the pantry shelf above the canisters and low and behold…there was a full unopened bag.  Once the convenient solution to the problem appeared, I began to feel ridiculous as the words of the widow in the Scripture Reading came to mind.

Nobody was going to die or even notice if the cinnamon rolls weren’t made the usual way.  There was no consequence that warranted me getting all flustered.  If I’m being totally honest, I actually found not one, but two bags of unopened brown sugar on that top shelf…and then I felt really silly, and   my heart was wide open for the lesson to come.  As I stood there rolling and cutting dough, I realized the lesson wasn’t about organization or brown sugar at all,  but about the widows lesson of trust and enough.

The poor widow wasn’t being dramatic, that was her reality, and she had embraced it and stated it to Elijah plainly.  It was all she had yet she shared it with him knowing the direness of her situation would arrive even sooner.  As I puddle that through my thoughts, I realize how much excess I have…how much extra I think I need and I had to ask myself why?  Why did I have two full bags of brown sugar?  Did I need them, would we suffer peril if I ran out?  I stood there looking into my pantry realizing how much we have but yet I still had that flustered feeling when I thought I was almost out of something.  Boy, do I have a lot to learn from that widow.  I began to wonder about the security I feel when there is “extra” and I noticed so many places I seem to have “extra extra!”  Is my hope and trust in the pantry, or the closet or the garage?  Do I put faith in the security of my excess or in provider of the abundance?  I have a lot of wonders.  I don’t think the Lord wants me to quit going to Kroger until my pantry and fridge are completely empty but even if I did, I wouldn’t be in the same boat as the widow.  I realized I trust my planning and bargain shopping skills to offer a bit of security and I knew I was being invited to shift those things to a trust in God’s Providence.
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I’m not the widow and I don’t think that’s what Jesus is asking me to be, but he did stir in my heart a desire to trust him more and to grow in generosity.  He isn’t asking me to empty my house of everything but oil and flour, but he is inviting me to look at what I might be clinging to for security and take a peek at all the things I keep around “just in case” that I could share with others.  Mostly, he’s asking me to pray long and hard about the word “enough” when it comes to the things of the world because I think sometimes, they litter the path to him.  Ultimately, he’s reminding me that he loves me just like he loved that widow and her son and he will always make sure I have more than enough of the things that really matter when I seek him first.
 
A Seed To Plant:  Join me this week in taking an honest look at what we have, what we need and what we can let go of to make more room for the Father. 

Blessings on your day!
 

​As I type and upload this post it’s late on election night and I think the whole country will fall asleep with a mind full of wonders.  There are hearts that are troubled, worried and hopeful tonight.  No matter what the news will be, we can be sure that the Father has us tucked tightly and safely in His abiding love and protection.  As I pondered just how close to us the Father is, I remembered a trip a couple of months ago that routed me through the Dallas Ft. Worth airport on a Friday evening which was a crazy adventure to say the least.  It was a stormy night which added delightfully to the chaos and lots of delayed flights added to the crowd.  I had to board a tram to connect to another terminal and when I got on, it was full but not packed but as the tram approached the second stop that began to change.  Each stop added another glob of passengers, and I got packed tighter and tighter toward the middle of the tram car.  Everyone was laughing about it which was great but at one point I had to turn my head sideways in order to breathe because my face was pressed tightly into the back of a tall gentleman in a tailored suit who would probably not have appreciated me breathing on his fabric.  I remember getting off at my stop thinking; Phew! I don’t think I’ve ever been packed so tightly against that many people in my life!

Today’s quote from St. Catherine of Siena reminded me of that tram trip in Dallas.  It also reminded me of a line from Psalm 139, I will hem you in behind and before with my hand upon your shoulder.  God desires to be that close to us; as close as water to a fish and as close as the people in the tram car.  Isn’t it funny though that sometimes we think he’s so far away?  If that’s how we feel, then the ten-million-dollar question becomes; is he far from me or am I far from him? 

I am a visual person.  I learn much better by demonstration and touching than reading so when I came across this quote it made Gods desire to be with me so visual and so clear.  I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the blame for all the bad geography!  You can’t get much closer than water to a fish or being hemmed in from before and behind so if God’s not close it’s because I’m in the wrong place. If I don’t feel him close it isn’t because he’s taken a lunch break, it’s because I’m not on the path he led me to. If I can’t feel him when I reach out it isn’t because he’s not there; it’s because I’m reaching for something that isn’t mine to have. I suppose before I again question his nearness to me, I’d better make sure I’m in the right spot…on my knees with my arms stretched out toward him asking for a rescue and a re-start.  He doesn’t want to be a Father who loves me from a distance; fish and water are pretty close, and he wants to be even closer than that to me.  Come on God…I give you permission to invade ALL my space!

A Seed To Plant:  Find a picture of a fish and put it somewhere visible to remind yourself how close God is to you then while he’s right there, go ahead and ask him to guide and help you!

Blessings on your day!

Last week I had a really cool opportunity.  The local middle school had an assembly planned and a few days before the event, the speaker they had booked hit a snag and couldn’t come so I got to swoop in as backup.  It was the best afternoon because the kids and staff at PW are great and because the topic was so important.   The theme of the assembly was kindness, empathy and being amazing humans.  As I planned for the event it occurred to me that October is the month the church sets aside 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.   The lessons last Friday were for middle school students in a public school and they received it well  but today I thought I’d offer each of you a similar lesson rooted in the Gospel.

Each of us was created in the Image and Likeness of God.  I used to teach the first graders that meant when God made us, he put a little piece of himself in our heart, so he was 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.  Most would agree that is a very bad idea! Here are four things we can do to respect each other.
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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 powerful, perhaps you can add a simple thing to your days.

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

Blessings on your day!

​Ugh…it’s election season and it’s getting so close it’s hard to stay out of the way of the slinging mud!  I think this season bothers me so much because much of the conversation is about the mistakes, shortfalls and perceived weaknesses of another person.  I get it, I really do…it’s about convincing and quite honestly, the bad stuff gets peoples attention.  For as much as I hate all the negative, the arguing and the difficulty actually sifting out the truth, there is one good thing about this season; it forces me to ponder and pray about what I really believe.  

Our morals and our beliefs absolutely come into play during an election season and it’s often something people twist and attack.  Christianity just isn’t “cool” according to some and it is brushed away and trivialized like the stuff fairy tales are made of.  I can get a little huffy when faith is dismissed as a part of the leadership equation because it’s hinged to everything.  When I read these words from the late Justice Scalia, I realized it was ok to be offended and suffer as so many dismiss Jesus and his teaching.  It made me realize I put too much stock in what the world thinks and it’s ok if the world thinks I’m foolish for believing the way I do. I guess being a fool for Christ is the best kind of foolish there is.

It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with that “hell in a hand basket” feeling as the election draws closer and recently I had a some conversations with some folks who were definitely overwhelmed.  In his great timing, someone shared this quote and as I passed it along; we all felt some peace and balance. One presidential candidate  isn’t going to fix  America.  People are.  Read to your kids.  Show them how to find joy in work.  Teach them what respect and kindness is.  No politician will ever do that.  It’s not the government’s job to teach people how to be happy.  I wish I could re-write it and add Pray with your kids. Believe in and trust the one who is the author of happiness and the one who is greatness Himself.  America will be great when we remember to live the Gospel.

I suppose the other thing that really bugs me about this season is my intense dislike for conflict!  Christians are often under attack during this season and accused of being old-fashioned, narrow minded and judgmental.  Those words are hard to hear but maybe they’re true.  If keeping up with the times means ditching the Gospel than I think I’ll be old-fashioned.  I can’t count the times in the last couple of weeks I’ve heard someone say, “You need to be more open-minded.”  It was usually in the context of accepting something contrary to Christian beliefs and again, just because God communicates in crazy ways, I saw a quote from G.K. Chesterton that said, “Do not be so open-minded that your brains fall out.”  It made me laugh because it just put things in perspective.  

As God’s children we can use this season for good.  We can use it as a chance to ponder what we believe and how our actions back those beliefs.  We can use this time to pray for those who are running for office and those who are doing the voting.  We can also use this time to realize that God is the winner…the power…the authority…the everything, and make sure we’re hitched to his wagon!

A Seed To Plant:  Just for one day, every time you see a campaign sign or hear a political ad, say a prayer for God’s blessing on our country.  For extra credit, do it for a week!

Blessings on your day.

October is so full of changes and new things.  Everything from the temperature to the color to the things we eat and wear and do changes!  October is the month we watched the Detroit Tigers surprise us as they changed from a struggling team to the one that fought their way to the Post Season and then we changed our focus to the Detroit Lions who after decades of struggle have become such a powerful and fun team to watch.  October reminds me that things are supposed to evolve and change and march forward including our walk with the Lord.  We are reminded that our mission on earth is heaven and that requires growing in holiness.

Holiness doesn’t mean perfection, that’s for God alone and we aren’t him.  Holiness doesn’t mean we don’t sin and never turn away from the Father’s love.  Holiness means moving forward…toward God’s perfect plan for our life.  We don’t have to save a country, feed a village or build an orphanage to be holy, we have to seek God, love God and trust God a little more today than we did yesterday.  Here is a little list of things we can do to help us grow in holiness each day.

*Before you even get out of bed, tell God thank you for something.
*Look people in the eye…really see them in such a way they know they’ve been seen, and they matter.  As you look at them, ask Jesus to help you see them with his eyes.
*Listen more than you talk.
*Don’t be afraid to say great, powerful things like; I don’t know and I’m sorry, please forgive me and how can I pray for you.
*When you wake up, ask God for the plan of the day before you map it all out yourself.
*Say a prayer for every person, event and circumstance that bugs you and then tell God thank you for it. Do these two things before you speak or respond so mercy and gratitude have a chance to swoop into your heart and take the place of criticism or negative responses.
*Don’t brag or point things out that will shine the light on you and the things you’ve done.  When we are humble God brings the acknowledgement and appreciation that truly touches our heart in the way no human praise can.
*Show love and respect to at least one person each day you find difficult to love or to someone who can offer nothing in return. Doing it anonymously adds a fun twist.
*At the end of the day chat with God about the days blessings, sorrows and point out to him at least one place you saw him working in your life.
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Doing even a few of these things will create a beautiful change in us.  It might not be as evident at first as the changes we saw as the Lions beat the Cowboys last Sunday but the change is so much more profound and essential than the silly things we focus on from day to day.  Go ahead…change some of this stuff and watch your holiness grow.
 
A Seed To Plant:  Pray with the list and pick a couple to focus on in the days and weeks ahead.  When you’ve mastered one, add another because growing in holiness requires a constant change and forward motion.

Blessings on your day!
 
 
 

​October is absolutely my very favorite month of the year.  I love the change in temperatures, colors, foods and clothes.  We celebrate some of my favorite events in October but what I love most are the trees.  Some trees are so intense with yellows, oranges and reds they look like they’re plugged in.  As I was driving a couple hours to a speaking job last weekend it was sunny and warm and I just soaked in all the color and beauty.  Once I got home, it occurred to me that I take trees for granted the other eleven months out of the year.  That thought hovered with me for a few days and I’ve heard three cool tree stories in the past couple of days so I figured that means a message for all of us.

Lesson 1: Trees change, the color changes, the shape changes, the size changes; everything about them changes from season to season.  None of those changes are permanent.  Some stages are a whole lot more appealing than others for sure.  I suppose life is like that.  There are times when our lives are bright and brilliant and others when things seem dull and unattractive.  Each of the stages come and go, one follows the other and the old makes way for the new.  I’m sure the tree doesn’t pout when its beautiful colored leaves fall to the ground for us to tromp on; it’s just the ebb and flow.  Each stage and each change offer something new and different. Just like the leaves that don’t stay but for a season, our highs aren’t meant to stay forever and neither are our lows.  God is right there in both teaching, loving and then moving us along.

Lesson 2:  Storms deepens the roots.  Trees have a way of adapting to conditions.  Storms of life will come and go so being firmly anchored is a means of survival.  Tree roots sink deeper into the ground for life-giving nutrients and we need to anchor deeply in our faith and trust in the Lord so we can be nourished by his life-giving grace and mercy.  Being rooted in our faith is what allows us to survive the storms and tough spots in life. Strong roots make us steady as the world around us changes.

Lesson 3:  Destruction often ushers in new life.  The cones on some pine trees are only opened by the flash heat of a forest fire.  The intense heat causes the cone to open up and spill it’s seeds so new life can be spread by gravity and wind.  We often look at destruction as life damaging and not as life giving.  Sometimes being completely disappointed or devastated is what it takes for us to surrender our own plans and let the love of God guide us to new life.

I guess October trees aren’t just beautiful to look at, they have lessons to offer as well.  The next time I’m smack dab in the middle of something stormy and hard I’ll remind myself that I’m working on my roots.  The next time I watch my well thought out plans go up in smoke, I’ll remind myself to watch for the seeds of new life around me and I will certainly be reminded that sometimes my life might look like a bunch of bare branches but something good will pop out soon.  Thank you, God, for some beautiful trees and some great lessons.

A Seed To Plant:  Pick one of the lessons and ask God to show you how he might be inviting you to apply it to your life this season.​

Blessings on your day!

​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 just love options and choices don’t we! It’s human nature to shop for the most features at the best price and snatching up the best deal is our quest. Whether we’re shopping for groceries, shoes or supplies we often spend precious time trying to make an informed choice but this verse from Deuteronomy reminds us we don’t always get a choice.  God made it pretty clear in this short verse that we would get both.  I love those words, I set before you, as if both are desirable and appealingly presented.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could say, “Thanks God for offering both but I’ll take a hard pass on the curse and a double helping of the blessing.”  We get a little stuck thinking about both in a positive way because we suffer from “option-itis” or constantly searching for the option that perfectly suits our needs, wants and desires in the most convenient fashion.

I think what this little nugget of Old Testament wisdom is teaching us is that life is a mix of both…there is no option for blessings only.  He is the giver and guider and navigator of both.  He’s offering them to lead us to heaven which is a journey that will require the lessons learned from the great stuff and the awful stuff.  Blessings are easy to understand and lovely to focus on, but the curse or burdens are what most often truly drop us to our knees clinging to our faith.  All of it is a gift even if it isn’t what we ordered or wanted.  Sickness, financial crisis, grief and family turmoil certainly don’t seem like a very good gift, but He is in them which makes them a vehicle to holiness.  The presence of blessings and burdens is so real in our lives and together they lead us to eternal life which is also real!  Jesus didn’t speak of heaven as a mystical place, he spoke of it as our home.  The next time you’re in the middle of a blessing or a burden, remember the Father is right there with you, and here are the things he’s doing for us in the midst of both:

*Healing:  the burdens give us the chance to invite him in and the blessings show us where he’s been touching us with his mercy and compassion. As he leads us from burdens to blessings, we have a chance to be touched by his fanciness!
*The burdens connect us to the suffering of Jesus which was the ultimate sign of love…suffering isn’t about “repaying” Jesus for his suffering, rather it’s connecting our hard to his and sharing his strength and ultimately salvation.
*Character building:  We grow in gratitude, prayerfulness and surrender.  Burdens allow us to strengthen our obedience muscles and our surrender muscles.  They help us grow in trust and help us see with Christ’s eyes and learn to mimic his attitudes and actions.
*They restore hope and remind us to cling to Jesus:  As the Lord walks us through our burdens and shines a light on our blessings, we realize he knows everything, can conquer anything and can be trusted to love, lead and sustain us always.
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A longing heart looks for God in both the blessings and the burdens.  He gets it, if we’re way more enthusiastic about embracing the blessings than the burdens but we have to have the courage to say YES to both and that means we won’t always know WHAT we’re saying yes to, but we certainly know WHO we’re saying yes to…and knowing that, is enough to get a good start on your journey home.

A Seed To Plant: Make a list of all of the blessings and burdens you’re experienced this year and prayerfully ponder where you’ve seen and where you need Christ.

Blessings on your day

These words mimic those we say during the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass and honestly, they touch my heart and stir up a heap of humility each time I say them…I’m pretty sure that’s the whole point!  There are a couple of things from this Gospel that can help us all prepare our hearts to be more like that of the Roman official.
I used to get in my own head when I professed my unworthiness like it was a checklist I could waddle through and finally get to the “worthy part”.  That feeling of defeat and hopelessness of never being worthy put it all on me but the antidote is the next phrase…”but say the word”.  I can’t…but HE can, it isn’t about me.

Instead of getting stuck in all that I’m not, I add a thought.  Oh Lord I am not worthy…BUT GOSH I WANNA BE!  We have to want it or we’ll stay stuck right where we are not moving any closer to the Father and His infinite love.  That simple line in my head and my heart catapults me to beg for the grace to do better, be better and claim the truth that I am HIS.

If Jesus rang my doorbell today and wanted to come in for a cup of coffee my first thought would be “Holy Cow…give me a minute, I’m not ready.”  I would want to fancy up, pick up, fluff up and even then, I’d notice the thousand ways I wished I had more to offer the most supreme guest.  I would be so in awe and despite the lack in my home, I would absolutely invite Him in.  My friends, that is the Eucharistic Story!  We are the home the Lord Himself is entering and you’re darn right we’re not worthy of such a perfect guest, but He wants to come in anyway.

In just five words the Roman official gives us a giant clue about growing in worthiness…”I am subject to authority…” Perhaps this is a great place to start because His authority is meant to guide us to our sainthood. His authority needs to trump my plan and my stubbornness!
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A Seed To Plant:   What attitudes and behaviors block my journey toward worthiness?  Are there places in my life where I can be more obedient to authority, knowing that will bring peace to my heart?

Blessings on your day!

When I was a teenager my dad had a blue 1950 Chevy pickup that we called the “Blue Goose.”  My brothers thought it was cool; it had a rounded cab, a fifth window and the gear shift on the steering column. It was a classic.  I, however, had a whole different opinion.  The rule at our house was before you could drive a car with an automatic transmission, you had to learn to drive the truck.  If you had a finesse for driving a stick you didn’t have too much trouble with the truck but if you weren’t patient and didn’t do everything right, the gears would get stuck, which required putting on the park brake and getting out to open the hood and fiddle with something under the hood to “un-stick” it. As a teenage girl on the edge of driving I used to have nightmares about that darn truck!  I didn’t want to be the one holding up a line of traffic at the stop sign because I had to fiddle under the hood to make the truck go again.  As I was beginning to prepare myself for going off to college on a bike, a wonderful thing happened.  My high school English teacher who was also my brother’s basketball coach stopped over one day after school.  I remember answering the door in a panic wondering what I could have done at school to warrant a visit from a high school teacher! 
I quickly came to my senses and realized the reason he was at our door had to be because of something my brother did…not me!  As it turned out, the visit had nothing to do with us, but the outcome of that visit impacted my life in a fabulous way!  Mr. Cannon came that day to see if dad would be interested in selling the “Blue Goose”. Much to my life-altering delight, dad said yes, and I was saved from the horror of the stuck gears!
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Looking back, I’m still thankful that I was saved from the “Blue Goose!”  I panicked at the thought of being “stuck” and not knowing how to get “un-stuck” so I could move on.  I think sometimes in our daily life we can get stuck the same way I was afraid that old pickup was going to. We can become stuck in our worry, and our vision of the future and in our fear of the unknown.  Mr. Cannon was the man who saved me from that particular worry, but when the relief wore off, I probably let myself entertain another worry in its place. I’m sure I probably let myself get “stuck” in a whole different spot. 
 
I read the other day that humans are the only creatures God made with the ability to anticipate future events.  As you might imagine, that is both a blessing and a curse!  Some days I’m grateful for that ability and other days I think I’d rather be a puppy, bounding around without a care beyond the current moment. After some prayer and thought on the topic, here’s what I came up with…God gave us that ability so we could trust Him. It is through trusting Him that we grow closer to Him and His will for our life.  How often though do we get “stuck” in our worry?  When the “Blue Goose” came to mind, I realized there are a million times in my life that I got “stuck” in my worry, and it was all such an enormous waste of time and energy.  Sarah Young, in her book Jesus Calling, reminds us to gently call out the name of Jesus when we feel our gears getting stuck in worry or dwelling on future events.  He’s there in an instant when we call His name and expectantly wait for Him to deliver us from our worry with His sweet peace.  We have two choices, we can either enjoy the presence of worries or we can enjoy the presence of Christ working through our worries and stuck gears.  Because we have the ability to anticipate future events, worry is an occasional “given” however, the way we work through the worry is important and it’s the perfect way to build trust in the Father who adores us.  Don’t pray for a day free from worry; thank Him for the worry and then pray for the strength and trust to call out the name of Jesus so He can un-stick your gears allowing you to move forward and come closer to Him.
 
A Seed To Plant:  Write down all the things that are making you feel “stuck”.  Hold that list in your hands and say, “God, Father of Peace, please take the worry of ______from my life and replace it with your peace allowing me to trust You more.”

Blessings on your day!

​Who remembers the commercial jingle that said, “Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce. Special orders don’t upset all we ask is that you let us serve it your way. Have it your way at Burger King.”  It may have worked with your Whopper but it’s not exactly the motto for growing in holiness.  Even though that jingle is 51 years old too many of us expect our relationship with Jesus to be just like ordering the perfect burger.  The truth is, most of us aren’t even sure what it is we really think we want.

Someone recently pointed out that we have so many choices it can be really tough to figure out what we want most.  We seem to chase thing after thing.  We buy stuff and more stuff trying to figure out what that one thing really is.  How many times have we eaten four or five  snacks before we really even figure out what we’re really hungry for?  I read a question not long ago that made me giggle and think.  The gentleman asked, “What do cats like most? Mice, right? So if mice is what the cat really wants why is cat food made from chicken, pork, beef, lamb and fish instead of mouse?  

I’ve given it a lot of thought and I think sometimes I don’t figure out what I really want because its easier to just try several options and complain when they aren’t what I really wanted than it is to really stop, pray and ponder what I want, examining all the consequences and unintended consequences that go with my choices.  Jesus’ question to the crippled man in Johns Gospel was a bit strange but it really digs down to a deeper level; a level I think I need to visit more often.  The lame man had been there on his mat crippled for decades.  Actually being healed would require responsibility and change for the man, after 38 years Jesus asked a very fair question. I’m sure it made the man wonder how much he really wanted the change that meant moving, pain, work and responsibility.  Jesus wanted to know if it was really worth it to him.

Blessed Santia Szymkowiak had the perfect answer to the question, “What do you want?”  She lived her entire life with one motto, “Jesus make me want whatever you want.”  She believed what Jesus wanted most for and from her was holiness.  I don’t know about you, but that isn’t my usual thought process, but it sure should be.  If I want what he wants, then I can’t always have it my way.  If I do things his way, it means change and being uncomfortable; two things we don’t readily sign up for!  Burger King made a fortune by making customers feel like they could have anything they wanted and there was happiness because of it.  I guess that leads me to ask myself the big question; where do I want happiness; on earth so it can last about as long as that delicious burger or do I want the bliss for all of eternal life?  My way will be temporary, his way will be eternal.  It’s really what I want most but what am I willing to do; what changes am I willing to make in order to want what he wants?

A Seed To  Plant:  Make a list of all the things you want, and make a list of all the things you’re pouting about because they didn’t go  your way.  Pray with that list and ask God to show you what he wants for you.​

Blessings on your day!

A wise man once told me that life is a series of blessings and shadows.  I’ve come to believe that neither one is meant to last forever. I’m all about the blessing stage but the shadows are not my favorite.  It’s funny how the shadows can seem like they are gonna last forever and it’s easy to wallow in the struggles and disappointment and feel like the Father has forgotten all about me.  I suppose one of the great lessons of discipleship is to live the truth that God is with us trough all of it and His plan includes the perfect shift between the two.  I realize when I’m in a season of blessing, I can forget to praise and thank Him and when I’m in a season of shadow I can surely run low on trust and hope but my impatience and self-pity can really take a jump!  I’ve spent some time this summer praying about what the Lord might really be trying to teach me, and He led me to a string of lessons that have been helpful in trying to balance the blessings and shadows.

Time moves so fast and our days are so busy that our weeks can just become a blur.  I think a big key to balance is to take time to think back on the day and really recall what happened.  Sometimes our blessings and shadows are big events but more often they are a string of little things.  It’s a really good idea to ponder the day before the next one begins, so before you tuck yourself in and end the day, these three questions can help us pause, ponder, thank, ask and feel His peace.  You can answer these three questions in your mind, or an even better thing would be to share answers with your spouse or family.  I wish I had done this with my kids before bed when they were growing up…what insight it would have given me.

First Question:  What was a blessing today.  It could be a success or achievement, a fun moment, a kind deed done or received or something lovely that brightened your day or surprised you.
Second Question:  What was a shadow today.  Maybe it was a disappointment or a discouraging event.  The shadow could be a worry or an activity that wrinkles your peace. Perhaps the shadow is a result of a bad choice made by you or someone else that has led you to feel hurt, embarrassed or angry.
Third Question:  Where did you see God today?  Some of the Father’s fanciest work comes in the quiet still moments when things just seem to “fall in place” and we might think such things are “random” or “coincidence” but in truth all things come from God, so we need to give him the thanks and the credit for touching our day.  The more we get in the habit of noticing all the ways He touches our days, the more we begin to see how mighty and busy He is in our lives.

If all we did was ask and answer those three questions each night, there would be so much joy in our blessings and our shadows.  When you answer these questions and let the Father speak to your heart, you might be prompted to apologize or thank or acknowledge things.  He can use this time to show us how to draw closer to Him and discover that all the events of our day are designed to bring us so close to Him that we can be lost in His shadow.
 
A Seed To Plant:  Pray about these three questions and think about how you can make them a big part of your day.

Blessings on your day!