😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Last Thursday as we were driving home, Brian and I had a discussion about God resting on the 7^th day and what that might look like for the Holy Trinity.  So, what would that really look like?  Does God resting mean He did absolutely nothing for a day?  Well, let’s back this up a bit more.  We know God’s timing and our timing aren’t always the same, but do you think God’s definition of time and our definition of time are the same?  60 seconds in a minute.  60 minutes in an hour.  24 hours in a day.  365 days in a year.

Okay, back to the idea of God resting on the 7^th day.  What would happen if God did absolutely nothing for 24 hours?  Would the sun still shine and the moon light the night?  Would plants grow and the tides move?  Would your heart continue to pump and your lungs draw breaths?  Did Satan have free reign to invoke destruction of souls, while God rested?  Maybe that explains Eve and Adam’s original sin.  In all of eternity did God (Father, Son, and Spirit) only rest on that one day?  Maybe after the whole original sin incident, God decided He couldn’t afford to take another day of rest.  Maybe Father, Son, and Spirit set up shifts to ensure every second of time is covered by at least one or more of them, which could then allow for each of them to have a full day of rest each week, knowing that the other two have everything in control.

So, what about you?  What does your sabbath look like?  When you rest, do you spend some of your time resting in the Lord.  How do you feel when you rest in Him?  How about when you don’t allow yourself time to spend with Him, how do you feel then? 

We are all different.  We have different work and family habits and responsibilities.  We all waste time in one way or another.  But no matter what day or time we decide to reach out to Him, God always makes Himself available to us.  There is no one else in this world that will do that for you.  I encourage you to make a commitment to yourself to consistently seek God.  Don’t keep putting Him off.  Again, we are all different, so you need to come up with what will work best for you.  Don’t judge yourself compared to what others are doing.  Your relationship with God is about you and Him. 

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#JellyRoll – Need a Favor

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Last Wednesday at Bible study, we got on the subject of Mary, the  mother of Jesus.  Within the Catholic faith, the adoration (deep love and respect) of Mary as the mother of Jesus, and honoring her as such, is common place.  Well, maybe not for all Catholics.  As a cradle Catholic, as far as I can remember, I knew of Jesus and Mary.  She was always a part of my faith.  But, for a person that converts to Catholicism and didn’t grow up with that relationship with Mary, trying to understand and grasp a relationship with Mary could be very challenging. 

Mary is the ultimate example of a human’s trust in the Lord and willingness to put self interest aside for the greater good of the world.  Mary is a great example to live by.

So, for anyone, Catholic or not, that is interested in having a dynamic relationship with Mary, I would suggest thinking about how you meet someone for the first time.  Will it be a chance meeting or will you set a time and location.  Will you wait for her to approach you or will you acknowledge her first?  Once you meet for the first time, will you plan up a follow-up get together?  It can be challenging to have a conversation with someone you just met, so maybe your first encounter is just a minute of two.  Then you second encounter is a little longer.  And your third encounter longer still.  It takes time, a common interest (Jesus), and effort to build a relationship with Mary. 

Like all good, long-lasting friendships, your relationship with Mary will grow based on how much effort you put into the relationship.  Will you pursue and woo her?  I hope you do.  My relationship with Mary has certainly been a blessing in my life.  She has comforted me and brought me guidance during some of the lowest points in my life.  She has also been with me to celebrate victories and blessings in my life.

Mary is Jesus’ greatest advocate.  She knows and understands the importance of having a relationship with Christ, which is exactly why she will always point you toward Him.  Seek a relationship with Mary and watch how your relationship with the Lord grows.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#AmyGrant – Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song)

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  I’m excited, this weekend we get to celebrate Pentecost Sunday!  The Holy Spirit.  The Big HS.  He’s my go to God.  He’s the One I’m most comfortable with.  He’s the One I feel present with me.  I would say that’s a good thing, being that Jesus told us that He had to leave so that He could send His Advocate to be with us, teach us, and remind us of everything Jesus did for us. 

But The Spirit, as well as Jesus and The Father have all been together and present to us from the very beginning.  With as much crap as we put Them through, They have a tag team Trio to make sure we are always covered in Their love and mercy, grace and forgiveness.  We don’t just hear about The Holy Spirit in the New Testament.  He was introduced to us in the Old Testament.  Ezekiel 37: 1-14 tells us.

“The hand of the Lord came upon me,

And He led me out in the Spirit of the Lord

And set me in the center of the plain,

which was now filled with bones.

He made me walk among the bones in every direction

so that I saw how many they were on the surface of the plain.

How dry they were!

He asked me:

Son of man, can these bones come to life?

I answered, “Lord God, you alone know that.”

Then He said to me:

Prophesy over these bones, and say to them:

Dry Bones, hear the word of the Lord!

Thus says the Lord God to these bones:

See! I will bring spirit into you, that you may come to life.

I will put sinews upon you, make flesh grow over you,

so that you may come to life and know that I am the Lord.

I, Ezekiel, prophesied as I had been told,

and even as I was prophesying I heard a noise;

it was a rattling as the bones came together,

bone joining bone.

I saw the sinews and the flesh come upon them,

and the skin cover them, but there was no spirit in them.

Then the Lord said to me:

Prophesy to the Spirit, Prophesy, son of man,

and say to the Spirit: Thus says the Lord God:

from the four winds come, O Spirit,

and breathe into these slain that they may come to life.

I prophesied as He told me, and the Spirit came into them;

they came alive and stood upright, a vast army.

Then He said to me:

Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.

They have been saying,

“Our bones are dried up,

our hope is lost, and we are cut off.”

Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord God:

O My people, I will open your graves

and have you rise from them,

and bring you back to the land of Israel.

The you shall know that I am the Lord,

when I open your graves and have you rise from them,

O my people!

I will put My Spirit in you that you may live,

and I will settle you upon your land,

thus you shall know that I am the Lord.

I have promised, and I will do it, says the Lord.”

I don’t know about you, but that scripture gets me fired up!  We are the dry bones needing the Spirit to breath into us.  We are Ezekiel prophesying and bringing the Spirit to dry bones. 

The Spirit has been gifted to you.  Accept your gift and use it to its fullest extent possible.  GET FIRED UP WITH THE SPIRIT!  Oh, the places you will go and the bones you will bring back to life.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#ElevationWorship – RATTLE!

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Hearing the second reading during Mass Sunday brought back a memory from high school.  Specifically, 1 Peter 3:15 “…Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…”  I can’t remember for sure if it was sophomore or junior year, but in Religion class we were going to be tested on the Nicene Creed.  In class one day, Father Mike chose me to recite the Creed.  Like most teenage kids, I did not like talking in from of the class, but I made my way though it, although I did mess one of the words up.  After saying that prayer, what Father Mike said all those years ago has really stuck with me.  He said that it sounded like I was actually praying it and meant it. 

The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
 of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
 the Only Begotten Son of God,
 born of the Father before all ages.
 God from God, Light from Light,
 true God from true God,
 begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
 through Him all things were made.
 For us men and for our salvation
 he came down from heaven,
 and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
 and became man.
 For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
 He suffered death and was buried,
 and rose again on the third day
 in accordance with the Scriptures.
 He ascended into heaven
 and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
 He will come again in glory
 to judge the living and the dead
 and His kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
 who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
 who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
 who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
 I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
 and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
 and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The reason it sounded like I was praying it and meant it…well, that’s because I was praying it.  I wasn’t just reciting words.  I truly meant those words as I spoke them.  I have to say, they mean even more to me now than they did then.

If I was sitting and having a conversation with you right now, and asked you, “What is the reason for the hope you have?”  What would you tell me?  Would you have to think about it for a while?  Take some time to contemplate the real reason for the hope you have.  And if you’re comfortable with sharing, I would enjoy hearing your response. 

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#ThirdDay – Creed

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Pitch black…Complete darkness…Earlier this week, I was making my way around the house at night, without turning any lights on.  My movement was slower than usual.  I reached out for points of contact to help guide my steps and movement.  After some time in the dark, my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness.  But…then there was a point of light that my eyes were drawn to. 

Have you ever noticed that when you are standing in the dark and look toward a lighted area and then look back at a dark area, that dark area seems much darker and harder to see in, than it did before you looked toward the light.  I believe this is exactly why Satan tries to keep us in the dark at all times and blind us to the light of Christ.  Satan knows that if he can keep us in the dark, we will become accustomed to the dark, not realizing how much we are missing and unable to see.  It’s so much easier to lose your way, stumble, and fall in the dark.  But even the smallest ray of light CAN and WILL guide you out of the darkness.  That ray of light could be an encouraging word someone spoke about you; A smile to let you know that you are seen; Someone offering you help, sharing a conversation with you, or a simple touch, letting you know that you aren’t in this life alone. 

In what ways have you experienced God’s rays of light in your life?  How is He drawing you from the darkness that Satan uses to blind you to the goodness of God?  How are you able to be a ray of God’s light for others? 

It can be very easy to fall back into the darkness, which is why it’s so important to keep your focus on the Light.  Yes, it does take effort, but that effort is so well worth it.  This past week, Brian and I watched the movie “A Man Called Otto”.  I would recommend watching it.  This movie brings to life just how darkness can shadow our lives and blind us to God’s light that is all around us and radiating in and through those around us.  Take action for yourself and be there for others.  Today’s song is from “A Man Called Otto”, I hope you enjoy it.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#AManCalledOtto

#RitaWilson&SebastianYatra – Till You’re Home

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  It makes sense that believers of Christ are called Christians, but do you know where that title came from?  In case you didn’t know, it’s actually recorded in the Bible.  Obviously, the spiritual aspect of the Bible is the dominant factor, but I do enjoy the historical backing and timelines that support the spiritual.  So, here’s a clue as to where believers of Christ were first call Christians.  It is modern day Antakya, Turkey.  Can you figure it out without searching the web?  You could check out the maps section of your Bible.  Or, you can keep reading this message and you’ll soon find the answer.

Acts 11:19-26

Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

Being a Christian…that can be a hard title to live up to.  Especially when people are just waiting and watching for you to make a wrong move.  When it comes down to it, we are ALL human.  We ALL sin.  There is not one person on this earth that would qualify for that heavenly home, without the brutal, yet completely love driven sacrifice that Jesus accepted and endured on our behalf.  What does the title Christian mean to you?  How does it apply to you?  Do you act in certain ways because you’re a Christian?  Or are you a Christian because of the way you act?  Do you want a title to set the tone for your journey or do you want your journey to determine your title?  May your humble actions be the Christ centric  words those around you need to hear.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#MatthewWest – Hello My Name Is

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.  As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast.  One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

 “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.  In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morningbut didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. – Luke 24:13-35. 

#MercyMe – Then Christ Came

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  As I was getting ready write to you this week, my husband Brian shared with me a line from a conversation he was part of earlier that day.  It’s easier to keep digging the hole you’re in, than to climb your way out.

What do you think about that?  It’s easier to keep digging the hole you’re in, than to climb your way out.  Have you ever or are you now experiencing this type of feeling of hopelessness?  The struggle could pertain to one aspect of your life…a couple…or it could snowball from one to the next, to the point that you feel everything you do is taking you a shovel full deeper. 

You didn’t get to that point because you had 50 shovels in your hands all at one time and you all of the sudden were 50 scoops deep.  No, you got there one scoop, one decision, one action at a time.  Which means your way out is also one scoop, one decision, one action at a time.  Start with one choice that you know, without a shadow of a doubt, you can accomplish.  If your struggle is spiritual, say an earnest prayer.  If your struggle is financial, say no to the $6 drink.  If your struggle is over eating and/or lack of exercise or movement, start by saying no to the food, just this once or saying yes to a 30 minute walk instead of watching a show on TV or scrolling through your phone. 

One positive choice that you successfully accomplish betters your position by two.  So how does one equal two?  Think of it on a line graph.  You’re standing at 0.  A negative choice/action takes you to -1.  A positive choice/action take you to +1.  Every time you make a choice or take action you will either move -1 or +1.  Every time you make an unwise choice, it will take you two wise choices to get to +1.  If you’re at -1, one wise choice gets you back to 0, then you need to make another wise choice to get you from 0 to +1.  So, it would take you one unwise choice + two wise choices to get you to where you would have been if you had made a wise choice in the beginning.

Let’s think about this for a moment.  If you made three unwise choices in a row, aka it’s easier to keep digging the hole you’re in, it would take you six wise choices to get you to +3.  Compounding unwise choices can feel devastating.  But when your sitting -50 scoops deep, one wise choice will keep you from digging yourself to -51 and bring you to -49.  Every choice, every action will move you positively or negatively.  The choice is yours.  Yes, there are some things in life that we have no control over, which is why it’s so important for you to positively impact that which you do have control over.  If by the time dinner time comes, you find yourself five points to the negative, then you have until bedtime to turn those five points around. 

One choice, one action, one aspect of your life moving in a positive direction, instead of negative, can provide you the motivation and determination to make another positive decision the next time.  And another positive decision after that.  You have what it takes…Free Will.  And you also have the One who gave you that free will, cheering you on to make that positive choice.  You are not in this alone, so don’t feel you have to do this on your own.  And that right there is your first positive choice.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#CastingCrowns – Slow Fade

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Happy Easter!  It really warmed my heart and made me smile to see so many people on social media speaking of Easter, posting Bible verses, and just overall letting their faith in God be known.  I understand, speaking up and vocalizing your faith can be challenging and scarry.  It took me many years before I became comfortable speaking about my belief and trust in God.  For me, I just wasn’t confident in my ability to maintain a conversation with someone about Christ.  Especially when the other person would start quoting the Bible by chapter and verse.  So…I started reading my Bible more, which built a greater knowledge of God’s word and greater confidence in myself to have conversations.  Sometimes speaking of God is a matter of letting the Holy Spirit take over your words and speak through you.  That’s actually pretty cool to experience, when someone lets go and lets God take over.  We used to have this one priest that my dad would say, he has his voice and then he had his Jesus voice.  There really is a difference.  When you can tune into especially those conversations, it’s amazing how eye opening they can be.  Think about it for a moment.  When was the last time you experienced God speaking through someone?  What was said?  Did you realize it in the moment, that God was speaking to you?  Or did you realize it after the fact?  Did the conversation move you to action?  Or was it more of an affirmation, letting you know you’re where God wants you to be?

Over the past four to six months, I’ve noticed something rather exciting…more people are attending Mass at our local church.  My parents have also made mention of this fact.  Going to Mass is not about just showing up to say you went and grabbing a bulletin on the way out, as proof you where there.  Going to Mass is about experiencing and receiving God in His word and His holy presence in Holy Communion.  It’s about feeling the energy of the Holy Spirit moving in and through us, as all Three of Them prepare us to step out those doors and face another week of uncertainly, trials, and temptations.  Going to Mass is about regaining that which we lost during our moments of weakness in the world.  Going to Mass is about putting our phones down and spending some focused, quality time with the Lord.  And bonus…we get to sing, praise, worship, rejoice.  Going to…Participating in…and Experiencing God at Mass, is truly an experience with God like no other…if you allow yourself to be emersed in His presence.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#CoryAsbury – Reason To Praise