😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  A couple times in Luke’s 2^nd chapter, he talks with us about Mother Mary and how she treasured up the moments/memories of her journey with her son, Jesus.  Luke 2:8-20 speaks of the shepherds and how the angel of the Lord appeared to them and guided them to the Holy Family at Jesus’ birth.  Could you imagine people from here, there, and everywhere, called by the Lord, just to get a glimpse of Christ.  I imagine that until the moment they saw Him, they didn’t know why they were doing what they were doing.  Concerning that moment, Luke writes in verse 19, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” 

Then again in verse 51 Luke tells us “…But His mother treasured all these things in her heart.”  Although this time it was in reference to when Jesus was 12.  They were making their way home to Nazareth from Jerusalem after the Festival of the Passover.  They were traveling in a big family group and it took them a day to realize Jesus wasn’t actually with the group.  Verse 46 goes on to tell us “After three days they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” 

Sometimes I find myself not wanting to be in the middle of an event, but kind of on the outside where I can see and hear all that is going on.  Taking in the moments to treasure and ponder them.  Back in May, my three girls informed me that for Mother’s Day they were taking me on a weekend trip to a surprise destination.  As the weeks rolled by, they each took turns giving me a clue as to the plans for our special weekend together.  Then two weeks before our trip, I was given an itinerary.  It told me what time I needed to arrive at my daughter’s house, some basic information on times we were going to eat, go on a hike, do a paint night event, and just hang out.  But, there were a lot of blank lines on that itinerary and I still didn’t know where we were going.  I was driving and taking directions from my navigator in the backseat.  I would guess we were about 2/3rds of the way to our destination before I knew for sure where we were actually going. 

It was a pretty lowkey weekend, just taking in each other’s presence.  At one point Saturday we tried to figure out when the last time was that the four of us spent time together with just us four.  You see, my oldest daughter lives about 7 ½ hours away, my middle daughter is an hour away, and my youngest is 3 ½ hours away.  All in different states.  We weren’t able to pinpoint a date, but we figured it was maybe a little over 13 years since we four were together, just the four of us.  As parents, yes, it’s our God given job to raise our children in His ways to prepare them for adulthood and to make their own way in the world with Him at their side.  This is our job, but yet I would have to say it’s one of the greatest pleasures of my life.  I will certainly treasure and ponder this incredible time spent with my little women.  Looking back, if on that day I had known that was going to be the last time the four of us would spend time together alone for 13 years, I certainly would have tried to make it a greater, more memorable time.  Looking forward, I will try harder to live more deeply in the present moment, leaving the work and worry for it’s due time.  My prayer for you is that you will be able to do the same.  Don’t let those moments pass you by. 

Bless others and be blessed. 

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 subscript to receive your message every Wednesday.

#NeonFeather – The Long Way Home

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. 

“It was no accident me finding you

Someone had a hand in it

Long before we ever knew…”

Can you name that song and artist? 

It was a Wednesday in August of 2000.  It was a BAD morning and I absolutely did not want to get out of bed.  Five months earlier I had to tell my young daughters that their dad and I were getting divorced.  I did my best to stay strong through that process, but it all came crashing down that Wednesday.  The day before was my final divorce hearing and overnight, it all became real.  Hopes and dreams shattered.  At that time, I was working at a bank and just recently passed my life, health, and annuity licensure test.  Lying in bed that Wednesday, I got myself motivated to go to work with the sole purpose of selling an annuity that day.  I got ready for the day and the girls off to school, then headed to work.  The bank opened at 9 a.m. and by 10 a.m. I had my annuity sale.  Woot Woot!  Yes!  I accomplished my goal.  As I was standing behind the teller line making the deposit, a guy (who had never been in our branch before) walked in and asked for a notary.  I waved him forward and said, “That’s me.  Come on up.”  I’ll spare you all the fine details, but as I looked though his documents, I looked up and said “Getting divorced?  Mine was finalized yesterday.”  And that’s where mine and Brian’s story began.  Just shy of a year later, we were married and in a couple weeks we’ll be celebrating our 20^th anniversary.  That turned out to be a great day and I, with God’s push out of bed that morning, accomplished goals I never even imagined.  God took all that hurt, pain, anger, and fear and presented it to me as a blessing beyond my vision.

Fast forward to last Saturday.  Brian and I went to a free Tracy Byrd concert.  It was inside and we had been to a concert at this venue about a year prior, so we kind of figured it would be set up the same was with chairs.  Turns out they only had a small number of chairs set up and people brought fold up chairs.  Who knew?  Not us, so we really weren’t prepared.  During the opening acts, we started off standing to the right of the stage about a third of the way from the stage.  I spotted a place on the left side of the stage right by the first row of chairs, so we moved over there.  After two opening acts, as they were setting the stage for Tracy and his band, they started to set up his merch table right by where we were standing.  They displayed a guitar at the end of the table closest to us.  It was a “Keeper of the Stars guitar”.  I was like, “Babe!  Go check that out!”  The lyrics to OUR marriage song was written on the guitar and signed by Tracy.  This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for us and our 20^th anniversary, so we purchased it.

Well, it turned out that the guitar came with a meet and greet session with Tracy after the concert, in which he personalized the guitar for us. 

What a great gift the Lord provided us.  And how different would mine and Brian’s and everyone else’s lives would have been from that point, if I wouldn’t have listened to God pushing me out the door that morning and making me go to work.  You know, He uses things that are absolutely unrelated to get us to where we need to be, so that we can receive His blessings.  Please, please listen to His calling and nudges, especially when they may seem like nothing.  I believe it’s in those unexpected moments that we receive our greatest blessings. 

Bless others and be blessed. 

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 subscript to receive your message every Wednesday.

#TracyByrd – Keeper of the Stars

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  Driving to work the other morning I was listening to a Christian radio station, as I usually do, to help fill my spirit and prepare me for the day.  Sometimes I sing along.  Sometimes I’m just down right jammin’.  But that particular morning I was very much lost in my own thoughts until I heard this line…”Darkness rejoiced as though heaven had lost.”  Up until the point that I heard that line, I was so lost in my thoughts that all the other songs and words were like a blur.  But it was as if someone turned the volume up, sung the words in perfectly clear tone, and wrote the words in the air in front of me.  Kind of like a big neon sign in the dark of the night saying Eat at Joe’s. Honestly, I’d rather be eating at the Lord’s table than at Joe’s, but He knows how to get His point across.

How often do you think darkness rejoices in your life?  Every time, not some times, EVERY TIME we choose actions, words, and thoughts that do not prosper and further the Lord’s sacrifice and salvation He has offered us, then darkness rejoices.  And EVERY TIME our actions, word and thoughts prosper and further our Lord’s sacrifice and salvation, our Lord, the saints and angels on high rejoice. 

You see, no matter which you choose, someone is having a party celebrating you.  I imagine you may not have ever thought about it quite that way.  I kind of envision the Lord sending shooting stars into motion to celebrate, where as darkness just hits you with grenades blowing up another part of your life.  There are layers to our darkness as well as layers within our light.  Think of it this way.  How easy is it to gain 5 pounds?  It’s so easy, you could almost gain 5 pounds just looking at a bowl (4 scoops) of ice cream covered with caramel, Spanish peanuts, cherries, and Cheerio’s.  Okay, before you say “gross”, try it.  Cheerio’s are great on ice cream.  Anyway, back to my point, it’s very easy to gain weight, but you really have to work at trying to take the weight off.  It’s very easy to fall multiple layers into darkness with one seemingly small decision and you have Satan over there in the corner throwing a rope around you to drag you even deeper as he rejoices in your decision.  But that darkness is just your outer layers.  God has stitched Himself into the depths of your bones and every fiber within you.  After Satan let’s off that grenade and celebrates in his victory, you can choose to peel away that charred, dead, flaking layer of skin and reveal the newness and depth of the Lord within you.  God has built backup plans into us.  He knows how easily we will turn away from Him, yet He NEVER gives up on you.  When we look at our lives, sometimes it’s hard to believe the good He sees in us, but thank you Lord that Your vision is so much greater and can actually see the true depth of the goodness You have placed within us.  You have a choice.  Allow Him to arise in you.  Peel that layer of dead off and bring the party back to heaven’s gates.

Bless others and be blessed. 

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 subscript to receive your message every Wednesday.

#NorthPointInsideOut – Death Was Arrested

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  For almost four years now, on nice days, in snow, and occasionally during rain, I walk around the VA grounds and through the grotto area during my lunch break. It is a beautiful, calming place to walk and unwind from my morning tasks.  I occasionally stop to take a picture when the beauty of it all seems a little sharper, clearer in that moment.  But I must say, when you are surrounded by such beauty on a daily basis, it’s easy to overlook and no longer see the depth of the beauty right before your eyes. 

Even if you haven’t physically picked up a Bible and read it, I’m sure all of us have heard certain truths of the Bible spoken.  Let’s look at John 3:16. Okay, how many of you started saying this verse without having to really think before you started to speak?  There always seems to be one person in the crowd at a sporting event that has a handmade posterboard sign that has “John 3:16” on it.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

That truth and promise of God’s love and our salvation can become so familiar and common place that we stop truly noticing the beauty of it. 

“For God so loved the world…”  That means you, your family (even the crazy ones), your coworkers, your neighbor, the people you don’t really care too much for, and the list goes on.

“…that He gave His one and only Son…”  It’s not like He picked the runt of the litter to sacrifice for us.  No, His Son is perfect and unblemished.  He presented and sacrificed only the best of what He had to offer.

“…that whoever believes in Him…”  Whoever believes in Him.  Whoever believes in Him.  THAT is a very small price we pay for admission. 

“…shall not perish but have eternal life.”  That is a life beyond comprehension.  How do I know?  Because a sacrifice less than perfect wouldn’t do.  He chose only the best so that you can have only the best available to you.

Please, don’t let this truth and promise of God’s love and our salvation just roll off you like water on a duck’s back.  Allow your heart and mind to be a sponge and soak up every last drop of the blood Christ shed for you.

Bless others and be blessed. 

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 subscript to receive your message every Wednesday.

#Carrollton – Tell Me

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  This week, a friend shared with me, “I don’t read the Bible as much as I should.”  “I feel more and more drawn to Christ each time I start reading.  Why I hesitate at times, I do not know why.”  Why do you feel more drawn to Christ when you start reading the Bible?  Because the Word is Christ and Christ is life.  Actually, not just life, but life worth living.  Hesitations are the call of Satan trying to destroy and snuff out the light and life of Christ within you. 

“Count not death by your erring way of life, nor draw to yourselves destruction by the works of your hands.  Because God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.  For God formed man to be imperishable; the image of His own nature He made him.” – Wisdom 1:12-13 & 2:23

Every single moment you choose to focus your desires on the blessings of the Lord, you breathe in a lifegiving moment.  God formed you to be imperishable as He Himself is.  Although we often choose life draining, self-destructive options in our lives, that doesn’t mean we should purposely test the limits.  Another friend told me Tuesday, “I trust God, but doubt myself.”  A little self-doubt may not seem like much, but those constant digs we take at ourselves can and will form a shadow of darkness over your life.  At times we even become blind to the darkness, until we once again decide to choose Him.  Read His word.  Seek His wisdom.  Allow your eyes and ears to be open to Him in those around you.  Feed your thirsting soul and move your moments from death to life.   

Bless others and be blessed. 

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 subscript to receive your message every Wednesday.

#ForKingAndCountry – Amen

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  You may be familiar with Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (FPU) program, which can teach anyone how to live a debt free life.  I’m a firm believer in the power of this program, but you have to actually follow the principles.  An interesting fact about the program is that the principles are Biblically based.  FPU is kind of like the difference between knowing about God and actually knowing God.  Knowing about Him is head knowledge, but knowing Him can save your life and bless others in the process.  Knowing the FPU principles is head knowledge, but working those principles can save your financial life and allow you to be a blessing to others.  I’m currently walking someone through the 9-week FPU program and this week’s lesson was about saving for retirement.  There are a couple points in week 7 that are always great reminders.  And God knows we all need those reminders.

First is, “Pray as though everything depends on God.  Work as through everything depends on you.”  Dave credited this quote to St. Ambrose, but I’ve also seen it credited to St. Augustine and St. Ignatius of Loyola.  I’ll tell you what, praying like things depend of God and you working as if they depend on you, makes a powerful combination.  We already know that God is giving 100% of Himself to you.  So, what would you and God be capable of if you gave 100% also?  He actually gave me a glimpse of this incredibly powerful combination last Sunday.  We’ve been working on designing our house to fit into a budget and our desired lifestyle.  Well, with lumber pricing being as high as it is, we’ve had to rethink and redraw our plans multiple times.  It was becoming rather discouraging.  Sunday morning before, during, and after Mass, I kept talking with God asking Him to show me what I haven’t been able to see in the past, as far as designing our home.  Once we got back home, I sat down and started drawing.  It was amazing!  He showed me exactly what I asked Him, which included being able to place our entertainment area (kitchen and living area) exactly where we wanted it to be and keep the same size area in the smaller home, that was in the original larger home.  It was really cool to see it unfold as He guided me from room to room, ending with the entertainment area we desired.  I don’t know about you, but I think it’s really cool watching God work like that.

The second thing that Dave mentioned in week 7 is the book The Tortoise and the Hare and how the tortoise always wins.  It doesn’t matter how many times you read the book, the tortoise always wins.  There is definitely something about approaching those marathons of life with a slow and steady attitude and pace.  So, Sunday we figured out the house plan and then Monday we received some other good news.  We were originally supposed to close on our land in December 2020, but due to a title issue from five sales ago the process has been prolonged.  We were given the option to close in December, with basically a band aid kind of fix on the title, but that certainly would have caused issues down the road.  We were told it could take six months to clear the issue, but we decided the clean title would be worth the wait.  Oh, there were times that we just wanted to close on the land, but God had us waiting for a reason or two…or three.  I believe He was protecting us from building a home bigger than we needed and also was keeping us from building during the peak of lumber pricing.  The good news is, we will be closing on our land at the end of this week. 

God also applied those two items to aspects of my work life.  That’s another thing I like about God, He will utilize something to improve multiple aspects of my life at the same time, making me a better, more well-rounded person.  We all need reminders of God’s presence in our lives and how He wants us to work together with Him.  With Him, not for Him.  We as humans are so easily forgetful of the MANY gifts that God so sacrificially gives us.  Where are you at today?  Have you found yourself recently in situations where God is blessing you with the opportunity to refresh parts of your life?  What can you do today to pray as though everything depends on God and work as through everything depends on you?

Bless others and be blessed. 

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 subscript to receive your message every Wednesday.

#DaveRamsey – FPU

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  17 years ago, those little red eyed cicadas visited us here in Ohio.  At that time, we owned our lawncare company and I’ll never forget Brian and I, along with our three youngest, junior high age girls mulching a property.  Those cicadas were crawling and flying everywhere and especially freaking out Lori, the youngest.  Those red eyes!  Yes, they can strike fear into the minds of some.  Even just the thought of looking into those eyes can incite fear.   

• 

As the saying goes…face your fears.  Right?  Well, yes and no.  You should not let your fears paralyze you and keep you from growing to become the full and complete person you were created to be.  But as you face your fears, you DO NOT have to stare it in the eyes.  That’s where they get you and distract you from being able to move forward.  If your eyes are locked onto the eyes of your fears, then you’ve taken your eyes off the One who can guide you through your fear.  Lock your eyes on the Lord of all lords.  He will NEVER bring fear into your life.  He is the Love, Wisdom, Peace, Strength, Patience, and Action that brings you through to the other side of your fear.  He has been with you in the past.  He is with you now.  He will be with you in your every tomorrow.  His eyes are soft, gentle, warm, and encouraging, like a loving embrace.  You will recognize them in a heartbeat. 

Bless others and be blessed. 

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 subscript to receive your message every Wednesday.

#Cain – Yes He Can

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  On Tuesday evening a friend mentioned to me about the recent loss of a family member.  That makes two people in less than a week that shared with me that their aunt had passed.  As I prayed with her, it really got me to thinking about this journey we call life.  But life is not a singular journey.  Just as our body is made of many parts and each part plays a roll in our development as a person, your life is made up of many journeys.  Each journey you travel plays a roll in your development, how you think, react, and approach your next adventure.  Right now, in this life journey, you may have 50 or more other journeys in play.  Don’t believe me?  Start counting.  Your journey with:

God

As a child.  Yes, every single one of us is a child to someone.

A sibling.

A spouse.

Children.

Children’s spouses.

Friends individually.

Groups of friends.  There is definitely a different dynamic in a group compared to one on one.

An aunt or uncle.

A Godparent.

Grandparent.

Work.  This is a journey that encompasses a lot of hours.

Coworkers.

School.

Vacation.

What you choose for entertainment.

Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual fitness.

Where you live.

Where you shop.

Random encounters.

Go on.  Keep listing them out.  There’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll get to at least 50.  Take a moment to reflect on each of these journeys you are on.  Okay, you don’t have to do them all right now.  Take a few days and next to each of your journeys write a little about how it is affecting your life journey.  Is it positive or is it having a negative impact?  Do you pray about and for each of these journeys?  To be truthful, I would have to say no.  Should I, absolutely.  Sitting here looking at my hands as I type, it made me think of Brian and I.  We are the palms and our five children and their spouses make up the 8 fingers and 2 thumbs.  I’ll let you kids decide which you are.  😉  Each finger can work independent, as two independent hands, and also fit nicely, folded together, joined as one. 

Within the Catholic Church, this past Sunday we celebrated Corpus Christi.  The Solemnity of the most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.  In Mark 14:22-24 Jesus institutes the Sacrament of Communion, in which He gives us His Body and Blood as a final covenant of love to us.  Take note of what He proclaims.

“While they were eating,
He took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, gave it to them, and said,
“Take it; this is My body.”
Then He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them,
and they all drank from it.
He said to them,
“This is My blood of the covenant,
which will be shed for many.”

“This is My Body.”  “This is My Blood.”  He did not say this is a symbol of or this represents.  IS. 

He offers this covenant of His Holy Body and Blood to each and every one of us.  But He won’t force us to accept it.  He willingly offers, then leaves it for us to discern to accept or reject His offer.  There are many journeys, even within our journey with the Lord.  Pray about your journey.  When you’ve got the Real Thing, no substitute will do.  It’s just not the same. 

Bless others and be blessed. 

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 subscript to receive your message every Wednesday.

#Leeland – Better Word

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  The answers can seem so simple, once they are actually presented to you.  Over the past few weeks Brian and I have been trying to come up with the best economical and secure way to address mowing our new land while were in our building phase, before we actually get to move in.  Granted, we used to own and run a lawn care company and are very capable of cutting grass.  The issue we were working through was purchasing and storing a mower and trailer.  Working through the different scenarios, there just didn’t seem to be one option that seemed to be the best.  They all seemed to have a high degree of security risks regarding storage.  While visiting with family on Sunday, my dad very bluntly said, you could pay someone to mow it.  In that moment, it was almost like slow motion in my mind when God said, “Just ask the Father, He’ll give you the answers.” 

It’s crazy how blind we can allow ourselves to become to the options God has for us.  In this particular situation, we had mowed grass for years, so why would we even think about asking someone else to mow for us?  Sometimes, we just need to figure out the correct questions to ask.  Should we be asking how or who?  They are the same three letters, just in a slightly different pattern.  The easy part is knowing that The Father is who we need to ask those questions to.  But what I need to remind myself is that He should also be the first person I run to with my questions.  Matthew 6:33 reminds us, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you.”  What things you ask?  Ask the Father and dig into the Gospel of Matthew.  I believe you’ll find the answer.   

Bless others and be blessed. 

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 subscript to receive your message every Wednesday.

#CodyCarnes – Run to The Father

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  Sunday during the homily, Father Pat said “Don’t be successful, be faithful.”  Wow, isn’t that freeing?  After all, what is the definition of your success?  I’m sure your determination of success is different from my determination of what would make you successful.  And God’s determination of your success is different than both of ours.  Are you just checking the boxes to justify success?  Are you showing up with a half-hearted attitude and calling it good?  Consider your actions.  The reasons you choose them.  And the attitude with which you approach them. 

I receive daily reflections from Dynamic Catholic, which lately I’ve been then sharing with my core group of friends.  Thought I would share some of the quotes and my responses to them.

“Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know.” – Pema Chodron  

This is an interesting thought.  I guess if we want to be free from our past, we have to seek how it fits into our future.

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” – C.S. Lewis

This is your beginning.  Let this be a clean start to the rest of your life.  The past may partly define who you are, but it doesn’t have to haunt you.

“Your passion is waiting for your courage to catch up.” – Isabelle Lafleche

How many times has this happened to you?  It’s so true.  What is your lack of courage holding you back from?

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” – Aristotle

What we do is typically 20% head knowledge and 80% heart.  If your heart isn’t moved by what you’re doing, it very much limits the knowledge you bring to the table.  The heart is what brings inspiration and creativity to what you do. 

May our unconditional loving Lord bless your every thought, action and breath.

Bless others and be blessed. 

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 subscript to receive your message every Wednesday.

#DynamicCatholic

#CoryAsbury – Dear God