😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Well, it took 30 minutes to start, restart, and restart my computer again so that it would work for me to write to you today.  Why would it need to start three times before it would work?  I don’t know.  The inner workings of a computer are a mystery to me, yet I come back to it time and again, blindly believing it will be there and ready to do what I need it to at the very moment I want it to happen.  Does this sound a bit like your prayer life?  You start, restart, and restart again.  Not really understanding the inner workings and mystery of prayer, yet you come back time and again blindly believing it will be there and ready to do what you want it to at the very moment you want it to happen?  Are you approaching prayer with wishful thinking of what you want to happen or confidence to boldly accept the guidance you are given and move forward?  I would guess the majority of us would answer…”That depends on the prayer.”  I would also guess to say that everyone of us pray a combination of both prayer styles. 

When I sat down to write to you today, I wanted to talk with you about Luke 2: 8-20 which shares with us the experience of the angels announcing to the shepherds that the Messiah had been born, in the City of David.  You know, just a short walk from where they were.  So the angel of the Lord shows up, not by itself, but accompanied by the glory of the Lord shining all around them.  I believe I would have felt the same way the shepherds did, for the Bible says that “they were terrified”.  The angel assures them not to be afraid and delivers the message of the birth of our Savior.  Upon delivering this message, suddenly “a multitude of the heavenly host” shows up and start praising God.  I think by the time the “heavenly host” showed up, I would be in a full on state of “What the heck is happening here?” and “Ohhh, the lights area so pretty.”

That angel must have been pretty convincing, being that the shepherds left the fields and went in haste to Bethlehem.  Haste, excessive speed or urgency of movement or action.  When God sends you a message, do you pursue it in haste?

After they spent some time with Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, the shepherds started telling everyone who would listen, about the angel, the message, the heavenly host, Mary, Joseph, and the infant Savior.  Luke tells us that “all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them”.  We have the Bible and know how the story ends, so we can see that this point in time was a pivotal starting point to the amazing life of Christ.  But what was it that the shepherds truly experienced?  I mean really…this tiny baby, in a stable, wrapped in bands of cloth.  Do you think they were like…”Whew!  I can’t wait for the next 30 years to see Him in action.”?  What those shepherds experienced was the intangible.  They experienced the wisdom of the Spirit, not wisdom of the flesh.  It was precisely the intangible wisdom of the Spirit that left the shepherds glorifying and praising God for all they had heard, seen, and experienced.  The wisdom of the Spirit will take you beyond the realm of flesh and the key to opening that door is prayer. 

So, I ask you.  How will you approach prayer?  Will it be with wishful thinking of what you want to happen or with confidence to boldly accept the guidance you are given to move forward by and in faith?

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.

#JeremyCamp – Walk By Faith

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  When Brian and I owned our lawn care and landscaping company we worked side by side from sun up to sun down, and then we got to go home together.  We were with each other 24/7.  Spending that much time together, side by side in a truck, on the worksite, and at home, you quickly discern each other’s strengths and who should take the lead on different aspects of a particular project.  To this day, we say that “We work great, separately together.”  In other words, we each know our part, focusing on specific tasks, to accomplish the overall goal.  Brian and I are a good example of opposites attracting, but there is some middle ground in which we both have a similar strength, in which we end up butting heads on opposite approaches to accomplishing the task and goal. 

During those many hours together, Brian and I also had the opportunity to have many conversations that we never would have, if we worked separate jobs.  Because of these conversations, we grew to know each other on a much deeper level than we would have otherwise.  In the same way, as you and I work through the ins and outs of life, in the moment, we often don’t know where that situation might take us or how it is preparing us for future events; until we experience that future moment and look back with a bit of a smirk on our face and say to God, “Oh, I see what You did there.”   Honestly, I enjoy those moments.  I very much enjoy working jigsaw puzzles and that’s what those moments remind me of.  It’s like when you spend hours or even days looking for a particular piece.  When that one piece is placed in the puzzle, it brings fullness and clarity to that particular area, even though there are still gaps in the puzzle. 

That’s how I’ve been feeling lately about our home build.  The pieces certainly aren’t going together nearly as quickly as we expected and wanted.  There are still plenty of gaps in this puzzle.  But I also know there will be a tipping point at which this project will, all of the sudden take off and 10 pieces suddenly drop into place and the picture will start revealing itself. 

Your relationship with God can often feel that way as well.  You spend hours searching and trying to discern, but they bring you to gaps and sometimes even potholes.  Even though discouragement may fill your hours, don’t stop spending time with God.  When you put in that consistent “Side by Side” time, you will get to know each other extremely well.  You will begin to realize who’s strengths work best in different situations and know when to take the lead and when to follow.  Together you will fill the gaps and reveal the picture of 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.

#JordanFeliz – Next to Me

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Reading an introduction to the Gospel of Luke in The Word On Fire Bible, it states:

“There are no unimportant parts in Scripture, no “skippable” verses not worth reading.  Read Luke’s words with a careful eye, and open heart, and a soul begging for the information.  And keep a notebook handy, because this physician is telling stories within the stories, providing medicine within the medicine—all “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).”

It’s interesting to me, how our mind can be focused on certain aspects of our reading and at the same time block out other aspects.  Reading through the Bible multiple times presents an opportunity to discover treasures that we either missed or maybe just don’t remember from the last time we read that chapter or section of the Bible.  Case in point, as I read Luke 1:1-4, I thought to myself…”How did you miss that before?” 

“Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.”

Luke investigated everything carefully to create an orderly account of events, for the purpose of proclaiming the truth about the Lord to Theophilus.  Luke wrote this, what we now call the Gospel of Luke, for the purpose of one man to read it and believe in the Lord.  Can you even come close to imagining how may people have read or heard the Gospel of Luke?  What Luke did is no easy challenge in today’s times with the use of technology.  That was an incredible undertaking that is easily forgotten or maybe not even thought about.  All that effort and time Luke put into this research for Theophilus, was also meant specifically for you.  As the introduction stated, “There are no unimportant parts in Scripture, no “skippable” verses not worth reading.”  Experience the history, the grace, the love that flows through Luke’s words to reach your very soul, so that you may KNOW the truth.  The Lord is your cornerstone.  The rock on which you can stand and survive every attack that will try to shake you to your core. 

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.

#TheWordOnFireBible

#TobyMac – Cornerstone

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  This past weekend was another successful Walk to Emmaus weekend.  Was it a success because of how smoothly everything ran?  Nope.  It was an Emmaus weekend, which means Satan will mess with the team, the Pilgrims, the volunteers, and basically anything and everything he can to stand in the way of the Holy Spirit.  So how do I know it was a successful weekend?  Because despite Satan’s best efforts, the Holy Spirit showed up, moved in and through everyone, and changed lives.  It’s just incredible to hear them talk about their experience.  They were so absolutely moved, that I think everyone of them shed tears at the closing prayer service Sunday evening. 

Saturday morning as our volunteer crew prepared breakfast for the men, a friend of mine honored me with a very precious gift, her mom’s rosary collection.  Seriously, I can’t express how honored I was and am that she offered them to me.  The collection also included one of her dad’s and one of her grandmother’s rosaries. 

You may have noticed that one of the rosaries has tape on it.  Jenni told me that was her mom’s favorite one.  After I got back home, I took some time to look at them and hold them in my hands.  As I worked my way through them, I noticed there were three that were so warn, that Jesus was coming loose from the cross.  I saved her favorite one for last and realized only the tape was holding Jesus to the cross.  I have never seen or experienced such a well prayed set of rosaries.  Seriously, she literally prayed Jesus of them.  She set Him free.  Jenni also shared with me that her mom was a convert to Catholicism.   

If you are not familiar with praying the rosary, like the Mass, praying the rosary is one big prayer made up of many smaller prayers.  There are five decades and as you pray each decade, you focus on a particular event in Jesus’ life and ministry.  These are called the Mysteries of the Rosary.  As you can see below, there are four sets of Mysteries, the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious and they are designated by day as to which ones you focus and meditate on. 

In my experience, praying the rosary is one of the most peaceful and peace filled prayers you can pray.  Although, praying the Sorrowful Mysteries always makes me sad.  If you have never prayed the rosary, or maybe it’s been awhile, I encourage you to click on the link to explore this prayer called the rosary.  Dive into the multiple prayers and meditate on the Mysteries.  As I do, may you also experience the peace of praying the rosary.

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.

https://www.usccb.org/how-to-pray-the-rosary

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  When you hear or sing the words, “Here I am Lord.”, what is the next line you think or sing?

1) Is it I Lord?

2) It is I Lord.

Are you questioning what God has called you to do or are you making a statement the He can count on you to do your part?  Switching the position of those two words makes a huge difference.

It can be challenging to confidently move forward and pursue what God is calling you to do, if you don’t have clear vison of what exactly it is He is calling you do.  It can be even more challenging when you are in full pursuit of what He has placed before you, then He tells you to hit the brakes. 

Brian and I are in the midst of a big project, that in our minds is just spinning its wheels in about 2 feet of mud, buried up to its axle.  As much as we want to move forward, we called a temporary stop to the project.  I feel we’ve taken on this project with a “It is I Lord.” approach, but compounding developments has made me realize that maybe the vison and development of this project were not as clear as we initially thought.  These types of “project” delays can happen unexpected any day, from marriage to parenting, working to retirement, and even life and death.  Especially in these moments, we need to be still and know that He is God.  He has the capacity to know all and work all for the good of those who love Him.  In moments like this, pure silence in His presence can lead to the best clarity.  Turn off the noise in your life and allow His presence to speak to you in the silence.

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.

#TenthAvenueNorth – Control

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Today I would like to share with you the final reflection of The Little Blue Book Advent and Christmas Season 2022-2023, which was dated 01/09/2023.

‘Prophets of a future not our own’

While serving as a priest in the Detroit Archdiocese, Bishop Ken Untener wrote the following for a talk to be given by Cardinal John F. Dearden of Detroit.

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,

it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction

of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.

Nothing we do is complete, which is a way

of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.

No prayer fully expresses our faith.

No confession brings perfection.

No pastoral visit brings wholeness.

No program accomplishes the Church’s mission.

No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.

We plant the seeds that one day will grow.

We water the seeds already planted, knowing

that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.

We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense

of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning,

a step along the way,

an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference

between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.

We are prophets of a future not our own.

I pray this shines some light on the realities of God’s call upon your life and that you know you are not in this alone.  Some actions you take will be the finishing touch to actions begun years ago by someone you may never meet or know.  There will be times when you work side by side with someone to keep an action in motion.  And there will be times that God will utilize your talents to get a forward motion started, that three generations down the road, others will still be continuing the work you started for God’s glory and honor. 

Brian and I enjoy watching a show called Barnwood Builders.  It fascinates me that these barns and cabins from the 1700’s and 1800’s were built with such great quality, that they are being utilized to create new homes today.  I can’t imagine that the original laborers and home owners would have imagined this future for their homes and the tools and machinery that are being used now compared to them doing the work by hand.  There have been times during our home planning and building project that we try to look beyond just our needs, to what we think future owners would possibly do or want, and try to set the home and property up so they could easily transition to what they want.   

At different times in your life, you will be the beginning, the middle, and the end of different aspects of the Christian mission here on earth.  Actively ask God and seek what your purpose and part of His mission is, and may you pursue it with the wisdom and zeal of the Holy Spirit.

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.

#TheLittleBlueBook

#BarnwoodBuilders

#Godspell – Day By Day

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you and fill your 2023.  This past week I watched a Netflix movie called The Christmas Calendar.  The calendar was a larger, antique wooden Advent calendar, that was given to the main character, Abby, by her grandfather.  It was her late grandmother’s calendar.  Once she got the calendar home, she tried opening the little doors, but no matter how much she tried, they wouldn’t open…until midnight the first day, when the door 1 opened automatically, revealing a small wooden pair of boots.  Later that day, Josh, Abby’s good friend, gave her a pair of boots, unbeknownst that she received the wooden boots from the Advent calendar.  On day two, there was a Christmas tree.  That evening Abby ran over a Christmas tree that fell off a stranger’s car.  That interaction sparked a romantic interest between Abby and Ty.  Piecing a few items together, Abby started to realize that the gifts the Advent calendar was giving her were “predicting” her future, so she started looking for clues to lead her where she wanted to be.  Towards the end of the movie, Abby realizes that she was so focused on only seeing what she wanted to see, where she wanted to see it, that she missed the gifts the Advent calendar was actually giving her. 

Like Abby, at different times in our lives we tend to look at a situation and only see what we want to see, instead of being open to seeing what it is that God is trying to show us.  I believe that’s partly why God doesn’t want to reveal to us the moment of His return.  It’s kind of like learning in school.  You have the choice to learn the material just to pass the test or you can learn the material to use it in a practical manner.  God doesn’t want us to learn, just to pass a test, He wants us to learn in a practical manner, so that we are better equipped to think, make decisions, and apply what He is teaching us, for our good, the good of those around us, and for His glory.

2023 is off to a bright start.  Don’t allow your blindness to the truth of what God is revealing to you, keep you in the dark.  Don’t be in a rush.  Allow yourself the time see and experience God in time, as He reveals Himself to you.  To quote Archbishop Fulton Sheen, ‘Patience is power.  Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is “timing” it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way.’

As you journey your way through 2023, I pray you choose to grow with and experience God in all that He is offering to 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.

#TheChristmasCalendar – Netflix

#ArchbishopFultonSheen

#RascalFlatts – My Wish

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Merry Christmas!!!  Don’t take your nativity set, tree, and decorations down yet.  Within the Catholic church, this year, we celebrate Christmas 12/25/2022 – 01/08/2023.  There’s still plenty of celebrating to do.  Reading through an Advent and Christmas daily devotional called The Little Blue Book, which is based upon the writings of Bishop Ken Untener, there were a couple items this week that caught my attention. 

First, on Monday, 12/26/2022, Bishop Untener writes: “When I read writings of the early Church, It’s striking that those first followers of Christ were convinced the difficult things happening in their lives were somehow part of God’s plan – not necessarily that God triggered them all, but that God was using whatever happened to bring about something good.” 

I’ve experienced this multiple times in my life, some of which have taken years to work through, before I was able to see and appreciate what God was working towards.  He strategically places the stepping stones, some a bit closer than others and some that will cause us to stretch more than others, but all within reach.   Take a moment to think about something that God has worked through with you this past year.  This time last year, you may not have even had an inkling that things were going to change, but they did.  Reflecting on those moments, where did He show up, that you didn’t recognize in the moment, but are now able to see clearly.  Have you taken time to thank Him yet.  I don’t mean thank Him for the outcome, but thank Him for showing up and being there with you, no matter the outcome.  Maybe take a moment now.

Second, on Tuesday, 12/27/2022, Bishop Untener asked an intriguing question that had never crossed my mind, but really got me to thinking and pondering the possibility.  “Was Jesus becoming human only a “rescue” mission, or was God going to become human whether we sinned or not?”

Father, Spirit, and Jesus were all there together from the very beginning at the creation.  We were made in His image.  Before we wrecked it with sin, do you think the original plan was for us to live harmoniously with Jesus on earth?  It’s an interesting thought.  But then that brings me back to the devotional on 12/26/22, in which God possibly reformatted some plans and found a way to take the sin we took upon ourselves and constructed a way, to instill the promise of salvation, returning us to the Lord, through the human presence of God among us, through Jesus Christ, His son. 

Think about the layers, levels, and intertwining of lives and events that had to take place, and continue to take place today, to draw us back to our salvation and original sinless relationship with the Lord.

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.

#PhilWickham – Hymn of Heaven

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Closing out my four weeks of Advent focusing on four gifts that I am thankful for, this fourth week I’m focusing on the gift of Holy Communion. 

Matthew 26:26-28:

‘While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to His disciples and said, “Take and eat; this is My body.”

Then He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.’

Holy Communion…it’s not just communion. It is the true body and blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  In reality, there were many years that I took receiving Holy Communion for granted.  It wasn’t until I was going through my divorce and annulment and was no longer able to receive Holy Communion, that I realized how important receiving the Lord’s body and blood was to me.  Holy Communion is a very personal gift, which is why it can be so hard to relay to others.  I actually find myself at a loss for words.  For me, Holy Communion is about being in complete oneness with the Lord, His real and true presence within me.  Which is why I find it important to be purposeful and respectful when receiving Him into my body.

When people come to my home, I let then know our home is lived in, so expect that lived in look and feel.  Although my home is not perfectly put together and always ready for company, I do some straightening up and preparation before guests arrive.  This makes me think of when I was a realtor.  Looking at some of the realtors’ advertising pictures, if they walked through the door right up to you, you wouldn’t have known it was them, because for their advertisements they primped and covered up all their flaws, in an effort to be perfect and desirable to potential clients, but by doing so, they often left themselves unrecognizable in everyday life. 

That’s not what God wants from you.  He doesn’t want you to wait until you’ve covered up enough of your flaws or you and your life seem perfect, in order to received Him in Holy Communion.  Something that I really like about our God, is that He is a “come as you are” God.  He wants you to come to Him as you are, in truth, humility and meekness.  He is looking for you to come as you are, prepared and ready to receive and accept Him into your precious body, as a sanctuary for His holy presence. 

Really think about that for a moment.  He physically wants to make His home within you.  Yes, you!  Can you hear Him?  He’s calling to you.  He wants to be with you.  He chose to come to earth.  He chose to physically walk and talk with us.  All along knowing what He would have to endure at His crucifixion.  He knew this, yet He chose to come and make Himself known to you, so that you could choose the hope, peace, and love that only He can offer.  Remember, all along, His purpose in coming to us during this celebration of Christmas was all for the purpose of offering us salvation through the cross and abuse He chose to bear for you and me.  So, celebrate His gift of salvation and Holy Communion.  It was so important to Him, that he was willing to die for 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.

#Crowder – Come As You Are

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Continuing my four weeks of Advent focus on four gifts that I am thankful for, this third week I’m focusing on the gift of prayer.  Tuesday morning, I read in Mark’s Gospel 14:32-42.

‘They went to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”  He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be distressed and agitated.  And He said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.”  And going a little farther, He threw Himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him, He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what You want.” 

He came and found them asleep; and He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour?  Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  And again, He went away and prayed, saying the same words.  And once more He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to Him.  He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?  Enough!  The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Get up, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”’

In those few hours of prayer, Jesus showed us what it means to pray with purpose.  He wasn’t just praying to check the box.  He was giving Himself fully.  Prayer comes in many different forms and postures.  You can be on your knees, standing with your arms raised, bowed head, a simple glance to heaven, fully prostrate, lying in bed, driving your vehicle, while hiking, sitting at your desk, while completing your work tasks.  There is no wrong way, but there are also no short cuts to prayer.  There are times when the words flow easily and times in which your mind and spirit are so clouded and turned upside down that you can’t even form a word in prayer.  It’s in times like those that learned prayers, such as the Our Father, Hail Mary, St. Michael prayer, etcetera become our support to lean on.  But ultimately prayer is communication with God, Father, Son, and Spirit. 

Payer is part of my daily life.  Do I pray unceasingly as we are instructed in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”?  No, I don’t.  Do I desire to be in prayer (conversation) with God more?  I do.  So then the question is…What am I willing to do to more thoroughly utilize the time I have been granted to keep in conversation with God.  How can I turn every action, thought, and word into a prayer (conversation) of rejoicing, praise, thanksgiving, counsel seeking, learning, etcetera, so that I am fully prepared, mind, body, and spirit to battle that which I will encounter?  In prayer we are never alone.  Never alone. 

Prayer is a precious gift because it is the gift of one-on-one time with the Lord.  And for this, I am eternally thankful.

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.

#SanctusReal – Pray