Scraps

~~~Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time~~~

~~~Isaiah 56:1, 6-7~~~ Psalm 67 ~~~ 

~~~ Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 ~~~ Matthew 15:21-28 ~~~

Jesus believes that what comes from your mouth

 originates first in the heart.

(Matthew 15:18)

A Canaanite woman approaches Jesus knowing

 that she would most likely be turned away 

or at least ignored.

But still she calls out to Jesus.

The apostles wanted her calls

 to fall on deaf ears, but Jesus clearly hears her. 

“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! 

My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

This brave woman came to encounter Jesus on a personal level.

This desperate woman was not seeking favor for herself.

This strong woman sought healing for her child, 

whom she loved dearly.

Imagine how surprised she was when Jesus initially tells her "No".

Has Jesus ever given you a similar answer?

Not only does Jesus deny her request

he compares her to the dogs.

How demeaning and humiliating

 to be one with the dogs.

This woman exhibited greater faith in Jesus

than did his own disciples.

She came alone to plead her case

 for the healing of her daughter.

She wasted no time being afraid or feeling unworthy.

She refused to give up...

she believed that even the scraps,

whatever they would look like,

would be more than enough

 to heal her daughter.

Oh, that we should have such faith!

Faith as small as a mustard seed 

can indeed move mountains.

Would you pass the faith test?

Pray for a deeper faith...

a faith capable of overcoming

insurmountable obstacles.

We know who Jesus is...

Do you believe he can do all things?

Soon after this encounter Jesus 

takes a few 'scraps'

and feeds the crowd of thousands.

~~~Peace~~~

Dear Lord, please increase our Faith.

Amen.

Never Doubt...

~~~ Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~1 Kings 19:9A, 11-13A ~~~ 

~~~Psalm 85 ~~~ Romans 9:1-5 ~~~ Matthew 14:22-33 ~~~

...the LORD said to him (Elijah),

"Go outside and stand on the mountain...

the LORD will be passing by."

Elijah trusted in the Lord, but he was frustrated 

because everywhere he looked the Lord was not there.

Elijah looked for the Lord in the strong 

and heavy wind crushing rocks, but he was not there.

Next the ground began to violently shake 

in an earthquake, but he was not there.

Soon Elijah sees a raging fire nearby,

but he was not there either as he had been for Moses.

Finally it was a tiny whisper that caused Elijah

to come to the entrance of the cave...

this was indeed the Lord, quietly passing by.

The Lord instructed Elijah to stand on the mountain.

Promising there he would see the Lord.

How many times we long to see the Lord, 

but we give up just before he arrives.

When the disciples saw him walking 

on the sea they were terrified. 

"It is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear. 

Even though Peter was afraid he quickly hops 

out of the boat heading toward Jesus.

Peter does not hesitate

 until it hits him that he was doing the impossible...

he was literally walking on liquid...water...the sea.

No one can walk on top of water 

unless...it is Jesus who calls you to "Come".

Jesus always invites us to "Come"

toward him. He will never send us away.

He will never scold us for wanting to be with him...

to be in his presence.

There is safety in his presence.

We must approach Jesus with confidence in our hearts.

Never doubt...Jesus 

invites you to be with him.

Never question...Jesus 

completely supports you.

The more often we 

get out of the boat... 

and walk towards Jesus

the deeper and stronger 

our trust in the Lord will become.

I will hear what God proclaims;

the LORD — for he proclaims peace.

Fear is squelched by trusting

 in the peace of the Lord.

~~~Profound Peace~~~

Adorned in Glory

~~~ Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord ~~~

~~ Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 ~~ Psalm 97 ~~

~~~ 2 Peter 1:16-19 ~~~ Matthew 17:1-9 ~~~

"This is my beloved Son, with whom

 I am well pleased;

listen to him."

Both times recorded in the Bible where God
 speaks words about Jesus we have witnesses.

During this mountain top transfiguration
Jesus brought three of his most trusted followers.
Peter, James, and John, they walked beside Jesus...
They were witnesses to his public ministry of healing.

They knew first hand of the power he had at his disposal...
power he shared in with God the Father.
The same God who spoke to Moses
on the mountain.

The same God who gave Moses the stone tablets.
The same God who spoke through the prophets.
The same God who called Moses to lead
his chosen people to the land of milk and honey.

God brought Moses down to stand with Jesus
on the mountain to witness the transfigured glory of Jesus.

Moses and Elijah were given the privilege
to hear God speak about his Son, Jesus.

They did not have the opportunity to witness
God's power demonstrated on earth
through Jesus like the disciples present had.

In a way God was saying to Moses and Elijah...
now you see why your work was so critical.

Simultaneously God was saying to Peter, James and John...
now you have even more proof that your work must continue.

This Transfigured Glory of Jesus
transcends all time.

"Do not tell the vision to anyone 
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

We are not first hand witnesses,
but this incredible event has been passed down
to us so that we can pass it on to others.

Seeing this Glory of Jesus
is what we believe Heaven has in store for us.

Jesus touches his disciples and dissolves their fears.

But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
"Rise, and do not be afraid."

I hope to have this experience one day
 as I lay on my death bed.

Seeing the Glory and hearing the voice of God
can indeed be frightening
unless you trust that Jesus will come to
calm you with his touch of peace.

May the Transfigured Glory of Jesus
bring peace into the depths of your soul.

~~~Peace~~~

"I Am Who Am"

~~~ Exodus 3:13-20 ~~~ Psalm 105 ~~~ 

~~~ Matthew 11:28-30 ~~~

Standing with shoes removed,

 before a burning bush that is not consumed,

Moses hears the voice of the Lord say...

"I am who am."

God reveals to Moses and to all generations

his very existence...an existence that is timeless.

God is the same past, present and in the future.

God speaks of himself in the present tense.

He expresses to Moses concern for his people.

I am concerned about you

and about the way you are being treated...

Lest you ever question whether or not 

God cares about you record this verse

 in your prayer journal.

Commit this verse to memory...

Take this verse to your prayer time.

What does it mean to you personally

to hear God saying those very words to you?

Can you accept that God is concerned about you?

"I am who am."

God is clearly stating I am here with you...

I am here with you in the dark times.

I am here with you in the times of joy.

I am here with you when 

fear and sorrow torment your spirit.

There is nothing hidden about God.

God cannot not exist.

God cannot contradict who he is...

not who he was when he created the world...

not who he was when he spoke from the burning bush...

not who he was when Jesus died on the cross...

not who he is today.

The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

He is the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob...

who always keeps his promises to care for his people.

A God who is so concerned for us 

that he is willing to carry all of our burdens for us.

He invites us to let him be more present

during our deepest struggles.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

and I will give you rest..."

The I AM who loves you 

is present at this very moment.

You are never alone.

~~~Peace~~~

The Kingdom of Heaven

~~~ Genesis 44:18-21, 23B-29; 45:1-5 ~~~ Psalm 105 ~~~

~~~ Matthew 10:7-15 ~~~

'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

Kick the dust off your feet...keep moving forward...

spreading footprints of peace.

If you have been baptized

you have been commissioned to bring

 the eternal message of peace.

Are you carrying out that mission?

There is no need to wait for those called

 to missionary work to speak on our behalf.

In order to continue to spread peace

it is necessary for us to leave the past behind...

to kick the dust off our feet.

Peace must come from the purity of heart.

It does not come up from the dust of our feet.

Have we become numb to hearing

 that the 'kingdom is at hand'?

What does it mean for something 

to be 'at hand'?

Do you have anything that you keep at hand?

Could the Kingdom already be here?

Did Jesus leave it here when he was raised from the dead?

If we are living in the Kingdom of God now

what does that mean for you?

Is there anything in your life that you need to adjust?

What if 'kingdom' is not a place, as we believe,

but rather an action as defined in the Hebrew language.

In Hebrew 'Kingdom' is active. It is action.

It is God active in the lives of men and women.

Those who have surrendered their lives to God.

'Kingdom' refers to those who are keeping God's

 word alive and living within them.

The apostles that Jesus called joined him

 in becoming the 'kingdom' and we can too.

Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

How adept are you at kicking off the dust from your feet?

Is it difficult for you to move forward?

Where do you go to restore your inner peace?

Who inspires you to seek greater 

peace in your own life?

So many times in the Bible peace 

is reached through the door of forgiveness.

Joseph forgives his brothers years after

 they sold him into slavery.

 His peace comes in being reunited with his father again.

Joseph, the Apostles, and us...

we are all the Kingdom of Heaven.

~~~Peace~~~

'Blind Spot' and Faith

~~~ Genesis 28:10-22A ~~~ Psalm 91 ~~~ Matthew 9:18-26 ~~~

"Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although

 I did not know it!"

Could it be that when we question the presence of God 

he is really just obscured in our 'blind spot'?

There is a scientific explanation of our 'blind spot',

maybe it can help explain our spiritual challenge to see God.

Science tells us it is the physical structure

 of the eye that creates this precise spot 

where we cannot see.

We are not aware of this 'blind spot' because 

our brain automatically fills in the missing information.

The brain fills in with information that is known and available.

In things of the spiritual nature 

it is our faith that fills in the missing parts.

Even when we cannot 'see' the presence of God

we believe he is present by our faith.

A woman suffering 

hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him

and touched the tassel on his cloak.

This woman believed that she could seek healing

 from Jesus from behind him.

She believed that eye to eye contact

 with Jesus was not even necessary.

She believed that her cure was not dependent 

on her words...on even her verbal request.

Jesus had to stop and turn around to see

 this desperate woman.

He did not allow her to remain obscure.

Jesus wanted to see the woman

 who displayed such great faith and hope.

"Courage, daughter! 

Your faith has saved you."

Jesus fills in our spiritual 'blind spot'

with blessings of greater faith.

Allow your trust in the goodness of the Lord

fill in the missing parts.

Say to the LORD,

 "My refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust."

Perhaps one day we will learn that 

heaven is near just hidden in our 

spiritual 'blind spot'.

Pay attention to what may be hidden 

within your 'blind spot'.

He is always near to you.

~~~Peace~~~

The Burdens of Life

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

~~~ Zechariah 9:9-10 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ 

~~~ Romans 8:9, 11-13 ~~~ Matthew 11:25-30 ~~~

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am meek and humble of heart;

and you will find rest for yourselves. 

For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

There are a few scripture passages

 that most people either know or at least recognize; 

today we hear one of those.

What are your 'heavy burdens'...

are they physical...are they mental...emotional...

or are they spiritual?

We each have some sort of burden.

 Jesus invites us to surrender it to him.

Why is this such a difficult concept to grasp?

Are we just too hard headed and stubborn

to let go of our burdens?

Are we afraid that God will let us down?

Sometimes our burdens make us want to crumble

 to the ground in a tangled heap.

God reaches out to us.

He says you are not alone.

He says I am here to help lighten the load.

He says let me be the one who relieves your pain.

...the one who raised Christ from the dead

will give life to your mortal bodies also,

through his Spirit that dwells in you.

It is this very Spirit that comes to give us rest...

this very Spirit that will carry our burdens.

The meek and humble of heart...the little ones;

they know God will be there to carry their burdens.

The little ones admit that they cannot

carry their burdens alone.

If we trust in the Lord 

it is through grace that we can 

surrender our burdens to him.

Come to the Lord.

He will give you rest.

~~~Peace~~~

Shiny Juicy Temptation

~~~2 Corinthians 11:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 111 ~~~ Matthew 6:7-15

This morning this phrase was highlighted in the homily.

Paul is speaking to the people of Corinth.

He begins by reflecting on the garden where 

Eve was tempted and ultimately succumbed to disobedience.

Her initial pure intentions became corrupted.

The shiny juicy temptation won over her commitment to God.

...from a sincere and pure commitment to Christ.

The question I ask myself is,

How can we protect ourselves from taking the 'apple'?

When does the temptation become greater

 than our sincere commitment?

How can we renew and affirm our commitment?

We can start now to renew

our sincere and pure commitment to what 

has been freely given to us.

Sincerity...

freedom from deceit, hypocrisy, or duplicity.

Our thoughts and our words must both

 mirror our sincerity.

 Our words and our actions must be pure.

Eve ended up playing a game with herself...

she did not believe that one simple action would 

damage her commitment.

Perhaps she was not sincere to her own heart.

Years ago I remember being taught to close a letter with...

Sincerely yours...then the signature.

You were committing

 to the words you had written.

But I am afraid that...

your thoughts may be corrupted...

No one can control your thoughts.

Scriptures can nourish our true commitment to love.

Without love our thoughts, words, and actions

can hardly reveal sincerity.

Protect your thoughts with love.

That is our best defense.

No temptation is worth giving up your 

sincere and pure commitment to Christ

no matter how shiny and juicy.

Be strong!

~~~Peace~~~

Easter Light

~~~ Easter Sunday~~~

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 10:34A, 37-43 ~~~ Psalm 118 ~~~

~~~ Colossians 3:1-4 ~~~ John 20:1-9 ~~~

This is the day the Lord has made; 

let us rejoice and be glad.

The Light we seek is the 

Light of the Glory of the Resurrection.

We long for this light...we desire its illumination...

we hope to claim it for our eternity.

The Risen Jesus is the blinding glory

of the salvation promise.

Allow all the Glory of the Resurrection

envelope you...allow it to cleanse you.

Bask in this Glory of the Resurrection

for this is our hope.

We hope to one day to be joined 

with Jesus in all of his Light.

The tomb is empty.

The Light of the Resurrection fills all.

The tomb simply appears to be empty. 

The physical body of Jesus is no longer needed.

Jesus is now present to us in the Eucharist

each time we come to His table.

We approach to receive a sliver of His Resurrected entity.

A sliver, a fracture is all it takes to share

 in the experience of His Resurrection.

Allow the Easter Light 

of His Resurrection be enough to heal

your heart, body, and soul.

God is enough...

He always was...always is...always will be.

Easter is all the evidence I need

to believe in life everlasting.

This is the day the Lord has made; 

let us rejoice and be glad.

Roll back the stone from your heart.

Shed the ritual burial garments.

Soak in the light of the presence of the glory 

of the Resurrection.

Sing 

Alleluia, Alleluia!

Light has overcome the darkness.

There is no greater gift...

Love does indeed conquer all.

~~~Easter Blessings~~~

PEACE

The Foot of the Cross

~~~Good Friday~~~

~~~Isaiah 52:13—53:12 ~~~ Psalm 31 ~~~

~~~ Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 ~~~ John 18:1—19:42 ~~~

As frightening as it is we cannot 

hang back with the crowd chanting "Crucify Him".

We cannot wash our hands in the bowl beside Pilate.

Did you stand by watching as they carefully formed

 the thorn branch into a crown?

Did you hide in the darkness

as Jesus suffered the Agony in the Garden?

Could you hear his spoken words to the Father?

Did you climb onto the rooftop as He carried 

the cross down your street?

At the Foot of the Cross 

it all comes together...all the pain...all the agony...

all the mercy...all the love.

Will you join the Blessed Mother,

 Mary and the beloved disciple at the Foot of the Cross?

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother

and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,

and Mary of Magdala.

We must place ourselves with heartfelt 

sorrow at the Foot of the Cross.

We must gather up the courage 

to make our appearance...

to take our place

 at the Foot of the Cross. 

It is here at the Foot of the Cross 

where we can join our tears with His precious blood. 

It is here at the Foot of the Cross where we

 can seek His unconditional mercy...

His deep healing forgiveness.

It is at the Foot of the Cross

where we can look up into the face of Our Lord Jesus Christ

 and admit to our personal sinfulness.

It is at the Foot of the Cross

where we can shed the illusion of who we pretend to be.

It is at the Foot of the Cross

where we can open our heart surrendering to

 the great love that can only come from Him.

Come to the Foot of the Cross...

Hope overcomes fear.

Faith surpasses our doubts.

Love conquers Death.

Mingle your tears with His drops of blood.

Together he makes you into a more 

compassionate person.

Blessings and Peace

at the Foot of the Cross.

100% Human 100% Divine

~~~ Palm...Passion...Sunday ~~~ 

~~~ Isaiah 50:4-7 ~~~ Psalm 22 ~~~ Philippians 2:6-11 ~~~

~~~ Matthew 26:14—27:66 ~~~

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

something to be grasped.

Rather, he emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

coming in human likeness;

and found human in appearance...

Today we were blessed with a wonderful homily 

on the person of Jesus.

It is fitting for us to reflect in a special way

 on the words of Saint Paul in his letter to the Philippians.

Do you look at the labels on the inside of your clothes?

I do. For some odd reason I find it interesting to know

 the percentages of the different fibers.

Some are 100% cotton or 100% polyester.

But many of my items of clothing 

are combinations of two or more fibers.

I like the feel of fabric with a small percent of spandex.

It just feels more comfortable.

 Five or ten percent spandex or nylon

 is just the right amount.

We believe that Jesus is both Divine and human

 but we tend to want to put a percentage on each.

Have you ever asked yourself when he 

was acting as his human self 

or when he was acting as his Divine self?

Consider when his friend Lazarus died.

Jesus wept when he heard the news...

that was clearly human. Right?

When he stood at the entrance and called 

for Lazarus to come out...

that was clearly Divine. Right?

This example seems pretty easy to understand.

He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, 

"My Father, if it is possible,

let this cup pass from me;

yet, not as I will, but as you will."

As we picture Jesus in the garden praying

 we see his humanity and his divinity for a moment, 

almost in turmoil.

He enters the garden to pray fully knowing 

the physical suffering that awaited him.

His humanity is fully engaged as he contemplates

 his most certain agony.

He calls out to the father...maybe there is another

 option here for our salvation.

Within the same thought his divine 

connection breaks through...

yet, not as I will, but as you will.

He reaches out to his Father...his 

Divine connection for strength.

He needs to draw upon

 his Divine Connection with the Father,

because he is fully human...

We tend to forget that Jesus was not 

10% human and 90% Divine.

He was 100% human and 100% Divine at the same time.

He came down from heaven to save us.

He left his heaven where all is perfect in the Trinity.

He came down and fully embraced his 

humanity to become one of us.

He experienced all of our human emotions,

 joy, sorrow, and pain;

 to name just a few.

So when he calls out from the cross...

it is humanity that cries out

but it is his Divinity that surrenders 

to the pain and agony out of love for us.

Jesus was granted the strength and the stamina

to withstand the horrific pain and agony of the crucifixion

precisely because of his Divinity.

We see something similar in our martyrs.

They of course are fully human but,

they have developed a strong divine connection.

This connection gives them the strength and the grace

 to remain faithful even unto their death.

And about three o'clock Jesus cried

 out in a loud voice, 

"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"which means, 

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Within moments of his calling out to the Father

Jesus gave up his spirit.

He surrendered all of his humanity back to the Father

as he took his final breath.

Jesus surrendered his human self so that 

we might have a part in his eternal life.

There is no way that we, as humans, 

can express enough gratitude.

May we strive every day 

to come closer to loving Jesus 100%.

May the Passion of our Lord Jesus

call you to surrender your heart to him.

~~~Peace~~~

Handiwork of the Devil

~~~ Deuteronomy 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 ~~~ 

~~~ Psalm 23 ~~~ John 8:1-11 ~~~

Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; 

for you are at my side.

The two stories from these readings

 so beautifully complement one another.

The first reading features Susanna, 

who was wrongfully accused of adultery.

Her accusers were ready to pick up their stones 

and pummel her to death with them.

She was definitely plunged into the dark valley.

Two men came forward claiming they had seen 

her in the garden with another man. 

Ultimately they were proven to be lying

when questioned by Daniel

 by their own conflicting information.

If you decide to lie you risk the power of truth.

If you lie you eventually erode more

 and more good from your heart. 

These two accusers lost touch with how their lies 

would impact their own lives.

God came to the side of Susanna;

she was found innocent.

Deception is always the handiwork of the devil.
Deception by design masks truth and beauty.

Deception is like taking a black marker and scribbling
 on something that would otherwise be clear.

The gospel brings us the woman caught in adultery.
She is thrown down into the dirt right at the feet of Jesus.
These accusers claim to have caught her in the act.

While we know their goal was to trick Jesus
we do not know if they were hiding half of the truth.

What if they set up this woman?
Could they have paid a man to seduce her
for the prime purpose of catching her in the 'act'? 

Unlike Susanna this nameless woman
was brought directly to Jesus.
He was to be her judge.
He was the one who would pass the
judgement for her to be stoned.

Her accusers were not expecting Jesus
 to turn the tables on them.

Instead giving the green light for this poor woman
 to be stoned to death he writes in the sand.

Whatever Jesus wrote in the sand that day resulted
in the elders quickly and quietly turning away.

Suddenly they no longer wanted
to stick around for the customary stoning.

Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; 

for you are at my side.

This woman too was walking in the dark valley.
She too feared for her life as she knelt in the dirt.
She trembled with anticipation of the
first stone to pelt her bare skin.

Instead she heard the voice of Jesus...
"Let the one among you who is without sin 
be the first to throw a stone at her."

Who among you is without sin?

As we approach Holy Week I invite you to take
one last examination of conscience.

Maybe you can hold a stone and meditate
on the words of Jesus from this Gospel.

Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more."

From now on do not sin any more...
it is never too late to begin again.
Jesus offers words of mercy and encouragement.

Jesus walks in the dark valley with you.
He is slow to anger abundant in grace.
You are never alone.

~~~Peace~~~

Broken Heart Remedy

~~~ Wisdom 2:1A, 12-22 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ 

~~~ John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 ~~~

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

When you are in the brokenhearted realm

you may not be able to think clearly.

Merriam Webster defines brokenhearted:

filled with great sadness especially because 

someone has left you or died...

overwhelmed by grief or disappointment.

There really is medically something called

'broken heart syndrome'.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted because

the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual effects are real.

The Lord cares for us on every level of our being.

Severe emotional pain can cause physical

 damage to the heart.

The emotional pain of a great loss maybe 

part of our natural survival instinct. 

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted...

 the pain is real, it is not imaginary.

During Lent we may encounter a sense 

of our distance from God through our sinfulness.

This can result in feelings of deep grief.

Jesus desires to heal us of our broken heart.

Jesus desires us to be fully whole in mind, body and soul.

He is with us in our time of need.

He is with us especially when we experience

a broken heart.

...those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

Do you find this verse as comforting as I do?

It is so important to reflect upon things of such importance 

before we actually find ourselves in the

 grasp of a devastating crisis.

We must reinforce our faith in God's presence

in the good times and in the times when we are suffering.

Lent is the perfect time to meditate

on just how great God is...

that his love for us is immense.

He never wants us to suffer from a broken heart...

He never wants our spirit to be crushed...

He wants us to come to him in our times of distress...

times of brokenness and crushed spirit.

Has your broken heart or crushed spirit

brought you closer to the Lord?

Come to the feet of Jesus

curl up in the hem of his garment.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted...

the brokenhearted is invited to come to the Lord.

Blessings for the Brokenhearted.

~~~Peace~~~

The Quest for Good

~~~ Isaiah 65:17-21 ~~~ Psalm 30 ~~~ John 4:43-54 ~~~

Seek good and not evil so that you may live,

and the LORD will be with you.

Most of those who actively oppose Jesus

 are not in the habit of seeking good.

When the prophet Isaiah said God was going to create

 a new heaven and a new earth 

people were skeptical. 

Even today we long for that prophecy

 to be our reality.

 ...there shall always be rejoicing and happiness

in what I create...

Our times are no different than Biblical times;

we are still struggling to 'seek good'...

and perhaps we always will be on this quest.

The prophet promises no more tears...

no more premature dying...

we will build our own houses

and raise our own fruits and vegetables.

In this wonderful world 

the 'good' will be visible every where we turn.

Just this thought makes me want to sing 

It's a Wonderful World

at the top of my lungs.

'seek good'

Believe that there is goodness 

and beauty in this world

waiting for you to witness.

The royal official thought Jesus 

had to physically see his ill son before 

he would be healed.

'seek good' and the Lord will be with you.

Jesus said to him, 

"You may go; your son will live.

The man believed...

we must believe with the same conviction.

It is the good in this world that gives

 us a reason to live.

It is the quest for good that brings

 us closer to Jesus.

Lent is a time 

when seeking good

leads us to life everlasting

with our Savior and Redeemer.

Blessing...

the Lord is with you.

~~~Peace~~~

The Sound of Love

~~~ Hosea 14:2-10 ~~~ Psalm 81 ~~~ Mark 12:28-34 ~~~

Psalm ninety-five from yesterday
and today's psalm are connected to one another.

 If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Yesterday we are told that hearing
God's voice is a good beginning point.
If we are deaf to God's voice we
will be missing a huge part of living.

Being 'deaf' to the voice of God usually means
we value ourselves more than we should.
Perhaps we are under the impression that we
alone have our lives under control.

God's voice can seem distant and faint...
too much trouble...
Why bother to listen for God?

The next part of this verse goes deeper;
'harden not your hearts'.
Ouch! We are warned about the possible abyss
when we are not attentive to God's voice.
The longer we refuse to acknowledge his voice
the more rigid our heart becomes.

The more rigid our heart the more likely
we are to completely miss God's voice.

I cannot speak for others,
 but I want to hear his voice.
I would love nothing more than to close my eyes
 and hear the beautiful voice of God.
Of course if that ever happened it would
 be very frightening.

 I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.

It's odd that we must be reminded that God is God...
that he is who he claims to be...
He is our God.
The one who made us from nothing...
the one who loves us beyond measure...
the one who knows us from deep within our soul.

It is this God who must remind us
 to 'hear his voice'.

His voice is the voice
 of truth, justice, kindness,
mercy, forgiveness, and above all
his voice is the voice of Love.

God's voice must be the sound of Love.

God is love...
He created us out of this Love...
He calls us to live in this Love...
to be this Love.

The voice of God's Love
is given to us to share with our neighbors.

It is widely held that you can only give
of that which you possess.

We have been blessed
with this incredible gift of his Love.

It is in hearing God's voice that we can truly learn
 to love ourselves; because he loves us.

As we love our neighbors as ourselves
 it's really God's love that we are sharing.

God is love!
The love that we choose to share
comes to us through his great love for us.

You shall love the Lord your God 
with all your heart, 
with all your soul, 
with all your mind, 
and with all your strength.

How can this be difficult when we are literally
returning to God that which he has given to us?

I invite you to spend some time as soon as possible
contemplating how you return God's love back to himself.

Just maybe it is best measured
 in how you love others.

Lent is surely the perfect time
to reflect on God's love for you personally.

Every drop of blood he shed was
out of his love for us.

Surrounded by Blessings
~~~Peace~~~

The Uniqueness of God

~~~ Deuteronomy  3:25, 34-43 ~~~ 

~~~ Psalm 25 ~~~ Matthew 18:21-35 ~~~

The fifth book of the Bible is Deuteronomy.

It sums up many rules and laws.

It also stresses the uniqueness of God.

The uniqueness of God is made visible to us in many ways

most importantly through the life of Jesus.

God is so unique that he sent his son down

 to be a witness for us.

Jesus did not just witness to this uniqueness,

 his actions were the ultimate living proof.

But with contrite heart and humble spirit

let us be received...

During the season of Lent it is precisely 

our faith in the uniqueness of God

 that draws us to desire a contrite heart...

a time for us to practice humility before God.

So let our sacrifice be in your presence today

as we follow you unreservedly...

It is through our personal humility

 that we choose to make sacrifices before God.

Only you can decide what constitutes a sacrifice for you.

It is only with the spirit of humility 

that we can unreservedly follow the Lord.

Is it possible to be 'all in' in serving

 the Lord with your whole heart?

It is possible to hold back parts of your heart

 while unreservedly following the Lord?

And now we follow you with our whole heart,

we fear you and we pray to you.

What does it mean to you to follow God

 with your whole heart?

How do you know you are actually using your whole heart?

Using our whole heart means we must tap

 into the uniqueness of God.

The very uniqueness that invites us to forgive

 those who trespass against us no matter how many times it takes.

The very uniqueness that causes us to seek God's mercy.

...deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.

Deliver us by your wonders...

Deliver us by your wonders...

brings us back to honoring and believing

 in the uniqueness of God.

It is often to our benefit that God's 

ways are not our ways.

May your Lent be blessed 

with the wonders of the uniqueness of God.

~~~ Peace ~~~

One Conversation

Third Sunday of Lent

~~~ Exodus 17:3-7 ~~~ Psalm 95 ~~~ 

~~~ Romans 5:1-2, 5-8 ~~~  John 4:5-42 ~~~

Most of us are familiar with the woman at the well.

She came to the well late in the day.

She came for water as she did most days.

This was her normal routine.

She was not expecting to meet anyone at the well, 

surely not a man and absolutely not Jesus.

Imagine what was going through her mind 

when this Jewish stranger spoke to her.

Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."

Some might say she was the least likely 

person for Jesus to befriend.

He saw something within her...she had longing in her heart.

She came for water but got so much more.

Following her conversation with Jesus 

the Samaritan woman left her water jugs and ran back to town.

The woman left her water jar 

and went into the town and said to the people, 

You might say she left everything behind 

once she learned about this Jew called Jesus.

Do you remember some others in the Bible

 who left everything behind to follow Jesus?

(I think they may have left their nets on the beach.)

"Come see a man who told me everything I have done.

Could he possibly be the Christ?"

This woman can now extend the invitation to 

'come as you are...'

Jesus was eager to come into her town...

eager to meet her neighbors.

She was not someone who ever went 

around enthusiastically engaging others.

This conversation with Jesus

changed her life forever.

Drawing water from the well 

will never be the same for her.

Now she understands the meaning 

of  'living water'.

What are you willing to leave behind?

Who will you tell to 

'come and see'?

Whatever we leave behind

must be as a result

of what we learn from Jesus.

Jesus comes to each one of us...

when you are least expecting him.

Be Blessed this week.

~~~Peace~~~