😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  How big is your faith?  Watching an episode in season 3 of The Chosen, Jesus talks about having faith the size of a mustard seed.  Matthew 17:20 “…In truth I tell you, if your faith is the size of a mustard seed you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you.’”

Yes, the mustard seed is tiny, yet produces a great plant.  Likewise, the tiniest of faith can and will produce great results.  For example, Peter. When he had confidence in his faith, he joined Christ for a short walk on the sea.  Although that walk was short lived, we can see how powerful a little faith can be.

In that episode of The Chosen, in my opinion, Jesus had a mic drop moment when He said…”It’s not about the size.  It’s who your faith is in.  If your faith is secure in God, trusting His promises, choosing His will for your life, instead of your own, this size of faith is enough.”

So, so true!  Every time I put any degree of faith in myself, I’m squandering that which is meant for God.  When we give it to Him, He empowers those He has called, and who have accepted His call, to do His will among us.  At times, that call may go out to your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and also to you.  Allow yourself the peace and willingness to step aside from your desires, to allow God to move in and through you.

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.

#TheChosen

#JackCassidy – Let Go, Let God

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Time and time again we hear our names being called, and like Samuel, we eagerly respond without knowing who is actually calling out to us. 

1 Samuel 3:3-10: “The lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was.  The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”  He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.” “I did not call you,” Eli answered. “Go back to sleep.” So he went back to sleep.

Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “You called me.” But he answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”  Samuel did not yet recognize the LORD, since the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.” Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.  So he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’”

When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and stood there, calling out as before: Samuel, Samuel! Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.””

God loves you so much that He is going to keep calling your name until 1) You realize who is calling you, 2) Someone informs you as to who is actually calling you. Or 3)…Actually, there is no 3).  God is not going to give up calling you BY NAME, until you respond to Him. 

You may be thinking, “This guy is a crazy stalker.”, but He’s not.  We just can’t comprehend the depth of love that the Lord has for you.  Stop and listen to the sweet melodious sound of His voice calling out your name.  Once you hear Him and recognize it is the Lord calling out to you, you will then be open to hearing what He has to offer you.

His offer of salvation and the blessing of having the privilege of sharing His salvation with others is a gift beyond comprehension.  We may think we know what His salvation means, but then, tomorrow comes and He reveals a new part of Himself to us.  It’s like a 10,000 piece jigsaw puzzle.  You receive just one piece at a time and in random order.  Each day you are gathering your pieces, desperately looking for pieces that fit together.  It’s okay to walk around the table and look at His pieces from different angles and perspectives.  Often, that’s what we need to do, before those pieces start coming together. 

Never stop searching!  Never stop choosing to experience His love and salvation!

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.

#JoshWilson – Revolutionary

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  I spent some of my Christmas gift money yesterday and bought myself six weeks of pietra fitness.  In my years, I’ve done multiple types of fitness classes and even had my Zumba instructor certification, but never had I ever taken fitness classes that encompassed Biblical readings, meditation, and prayer.  By the time I left the class, I was so relaxed.  Maybe a little too relaxed, because it was a challenge to stay awake driving home.  Going to a gym or working out was certainly not on my radar, not even the slightest blip, but the thought of a prayer, scripture, and meditation infused workout piqued my interest. 

In life, some of the best God given gifts are the ones we don’t know we need and would never ask for.  Be open, mind, body, and spirit to what God is giving you.  You won’t always recognize it at first sight, but be vigilant, He will reveal His gifts and presence in time.

If you haven’t already done so, take a few moments with your family to experience the Epiphany Home Blessing (use the link below).  Your home is an incredible gift from God that far too often goes unrecognized.  Take some time to share with God your gratitude, while at the same time, asking for blessings upon everyone that enters into your home.

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.

#EpiphanyHomeBlessing

Click to access Epiphany-Blessing-of-the-Home-2022.pdf

😎🐫🎤 Merry Christmas and Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Wow, this past week just flew by and just like that, it’s 2024.  New year, new possibilities.  It seems like we hear that at the beginning of every year.  But have you heard this lately…New year, same God.  Yep, He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  He is also the provider of new possibilities.  Every day He provides you 24 hours worth of possibilities and each possibility is a call and opportunity for you to draw a little closer to Him.  You want to know what possibilities you have in store today, ask Him.  He’ll tell you.  Talk with Him, but also listen.  You can’t learn something new if you are the one constantly talking.  Quiet your mind and the noise and distractions around you.  Be at peace and soak in the possibilities.  Greatness in Christ awaits you.

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.

#NorthPointWorship – This is My Song

😎🐫🎤 Merry Christmas and Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Driving between family visits on Christmas Eve, I spotted this license plate, JVS 5451.  My immediate thought was…Jesus vs Satan 54 – 51.  Christ wins by 3…Father Spirit Jesus!  What a great affirmation that was on Christmas Eve.

Yes, Christ chose to physically come into our world and experience all that we experience.  He chose to share in our joy, laughter, and love.  He CHOSE to feel the crushing blows of our sin, that brought Him to His knees, under its weight.  He CHOSE the striking blows of metal spikes being driven through His flesh, the thorns digging into his head, and the sword piercing His side.  HE CHOSE THEM ALL because He loves, which is a love beyond our comprehension. 

This time of year, we celebrate the birth of Christ, but what we are really celebrating is the salvation from our sins through His life and sacrificial death.  As people ask you what you received for Christmas, offer them the following answer.  In Christ’s birth I received an example to live by.  In His sacrificial death and resurrection, I received forgiveness and life eternal.  There is NO BETTER a gift than that.  Thank You Jesus!

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.

#PhillipsCraig&Dean – Great I Am

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Have you ever stopped to think about how noise affects you?  I had an experience Sunday morning, that brought that thought to the forefront of my mind.  20 minutes prior to the start of Mass, our parish prays the Rosary.  We typically start with only a handful of us.  We are all in sync, in a low voice.  As more arrive for Mass, our voice gets stronger.  As even more arrive, the chatter picks up and our prayers are not as in sync and begin to blend into the chatter.  By the time we are praying the final decade of the Rosary, the chatter was so loud, I could hardly hear the parishioner that was leading the Rosary. 

It was during the fourth decade that I started thinking about how much noise affects use.  We used to live on a street that was a main cut through between neighborhoods and highly traveled by cars, as well as the police and fire vehicles, which is why we called it Fire Engine Alley.  I have said multiple times, how much better I sleep in our new house, because it’s so quiet.  It’s so easy to get lost in the noise of the day, get caught up in the hype, and not allow yourself, your brain, desperately needed downtime. 

Multiple times in the Bible we hear about Jesus going off to a quiet place to pray.  It was important for the Son of God to have that quiet time with the Lord.  He wasn’t always alone.  His disciples were nearby.  This is a very easy opportunity to become more like Christ.  Either by yourself or with family and friends close by, commit to allowing yourself the quiet time you need with the Lord.  Quiet time in a dimly lit church or chapel is probably my favorite time with God.  Being in the quiet of nature is a very close second. 

Christmas day is only 5 days away.  I imagine this time may be very busy days for most.  I strongly encourage you to proactively carve out needed quiet time for yourself and God.  Speak to Him and show Him that His sacrifice has not gone unnoticed.  Show Him your gratitude and appreciation for ALL that He does for you daily.    

I also encourage you to be bold in your faith and greet others with a confident “Merry Christmas”.

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 – Quiet

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Last week Brian and I were given a gift of time away from our normal routines and the opportunity to relax and reset.  We spent a week in Colorado.  What a beautiful place to experience God’s magnificence and beauty.  The Rocky Mountains are incredible.  For me, it really was a journey back to the type of relationship with God that I’d been missing this past year.  Yes, life pulls us in…Let me rephrase that…Yes, we allow life to pull us in directions away from a true, deep, meaningful, daily, and devoted relationship with God.  It’s very easy to say…”I’m too busy right now for that.” 

We arrived in Colorado on Friday evening.  Saturday morning, my sister, Elaine and I got to go to a women’s Advent retreat.  What a fabulous way to start my reset.  We all went to Mass on Sunday and then again on Thursday for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Three opportunities in one week to literally step out of the house and be with God at His house.  Actually, we made a fourth stop in God’s house last week.  When Brian and I were walking around the historic gold mining town of Leadville, we made a stop at Annunciation Catholic Church.  Mass was first celebrated at this church on 01/01/1880.  It was a beautiful moment to step back into history, but there is just such a peace, being able to spend time in a silent church with God.  I needed this reset and refresh with God more than I realized. 

When we made the reservation for this trip, I had no idea what God had in the works.  He showed up big time.  He is always a constant presence in mine and your lives, but this past week, I took my mind off of work and working on our home, which allowed so much more time to focus on my relationship with God.  That really felt good and was what I needed more than anything.  Elaine and Pete, thank you very much for listening to God’s call and inviting us to share this time in Colorado with you.

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.

#MercyMe – Spoken For

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Here’s the scene.  Yesterday was the first day I worked from our new home.  It was 18 degrees with snow flurries, so Brian got a fire going in the wood stove.  What a great and comfortable way to work.   Saturday night we were blessed to be surrounded by family and friends, as Fr. Patrick Blenman blessed our home and lead the Enthronement to the Sacred Heart of Jesus ceremony.  Thursday we were able to have our Thanksgiving celebration with my parents and all of our children and grandchildren sitting around one table.  And my oldest daughter Crystal, her husband John and their two children spent four days with us.  What an incredible week and so much to be thankful for. 

Again, thank You Lord for all of Your gifts and blessings!

I pray that you too feel the love and warmth of God’s blessings upon your 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.

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  It’s Thanksgiving Eve!!!  Can I get a “Gobble Gobble”?  Seriously though, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday to spend with family and this year will be special for a few reasons.  First, Brian and I have been married for 22 years and between us we have five children, with spouses, and four grandchildren.  We had planned to have all five of our children, their spouses, and our grandchild at our home on 11/26/2020, Thanksgiving Day.  Well, COVID wrecked our plans, so after Mass, instead of going home to be with family and cook, Brian and I took a drive to checkout three pieces of land.  That was the day we found the land our new home rests on.  Thank You Lord!

Fast forward three years, although our new home doesn’t have all the finishing touches completed, we did pass our final inspection and started moving some furniture in last weekend. Thank You Lord!

We don’t even have any food or our bed in the house, but our first over night guests, my daughter Crystal and her family from North Carolina will be arriving this day.  Thank You Lord!

This Thanksgiving, we won’t even have a couch in our home, but it will be filled with something more important…my parents, all of our children, their spouses, and our grandchildren.  This is the first time ever that they will all be together.  Thank You Lord! 

Finally, Saturday, we will have our home blessing and enthronement ceremony to the Sacred Heart of Jesus…Thank You Lord!

I can begin to count all the blessings that I have received over this past year, but I quickly lose count, because there are way too many to count. THANK YOU, LORD!

I pray that your blessings are too numerous to count and your heart be overflowing with a love that only the Father can offer you.

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.

#Mikeschare – All I Can Do (Thank You)

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  I like to read, well, I don’t know if it actually has a name, but the blurb, thoughts to ponder in front of the Sunday Mass readings.  This past Sunday, that blurb kept me thinking during Mass.  Actually, it still has me thinking.  The Gospel reading was a parable from Matthew 25: 1-13 that started out, “The kingdom of heaven will be like…” and goes on to paint a picture of five of the ten ladies not properly estimating the amount of lamp oil needed to keep their lamps lit for the coming of the bridegroom.  Upon receiving notification that the bridegroom was on his way, the five short on oil run to try to locate more oil.  Yes, that parable is to teach us that we do not know the time or place of the Lord’s arrival, which is why we should always be prepared.  But, the lesson from this parable that has been running through my head is slightly different. 

First, there are times in our lives that we feel prepared.  Second, there are times in our lives that our preparedness is very lacking.  We have lived and know the joys, pains, and emotions of both sides of that situation.  During Mass, the logical side of me, driven by the emotional side of me said…”They’ve got someone scouting the situation, so they didn’t need all the lamps burning all night.  As a means to conserving their supplies as a whole, during their time of waiting, they could have alternated lamp usage, which would have cut their oil usage in half and allowed them to burn all lamps to the fullest for the actual arrival of the bridegroom. 

There have been many times in my life that someone has provided me a helping hand in one way or another.  There have also been times that I have been able to help others when then didn’t quite have all they needed.  I feel this parable that Matthew shares with us is not just about the physical preparedness, but also being prepared to see the opportunities that God places before us to stand in the gap and help others, as we await Christ’s return.  After all, at the end of the day, Christ wants all of us with Him.

May you never be blind to that which the Lord has placed before you to see.

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.

#RendCollective – Counting Every Blessing