😎🐫🎤 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

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Continuing my four weeks of Advent focus on four gifts that I am thankful for, this second week I’m focusing on the gift of community.  Monday’s Gospel reading Luke 5:17-26 and Tuesday’s Gospel readings Matthew 18:12-14 are just two of the many passages in the Bible about the importance of community.   

Luke 5:17-26

‘One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there, and the power of the Lord was with Him for healing.  And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set him in His presence.  But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.”

Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies?  Who but God alone can forgive sins?”  Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”– He said to the one who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God.  Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, “We have seen incredible things today.”’

First, it’s not every day, month, or even year that an opportunity arises that would draw your community to act so boldly, that they are willing to carry your weight to the top of a building and gently lower you into the presence of Jesus.  To this I say Amen, that you don’t have situations like that arise too often.  And again, I would say Amen, in praise and thanksgiving for those so drawn by the love and compassion of Christ, your community, to so willingly and boldly move mountains to show you Christ’s love and His desire to be in your presence.  In your life, some of these moments may have been during a job loss, illness, a miscarriage, an accident, military deployment, family relocation, a divorce, suicidal thoughts, starting over, and so on.  It is by God’s grace that your community heard God’s calling and acted attentively to your needs.

Second, we hear how the man got up, and went home glorifying God. Which then ignited the fire within the community to also glorify God.  Not only supporting, but also celebrating with community is important.  It’s kind of like a smile…They’re contagious.  Support your community when God calls upon you and also celebrate and glory in their victories.

Matthew 18:12-14

‘Jesus said to his disciples:

“What is your opinion?  If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?  And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.  In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”

God does not want us lost and on our own.  It is when we stray from our faith community that we become more vulnerable and susceptible to Satan’s enticements.  Your faith community is a shield against the flaming arrows trying to pierce your soul.  In times of hurt, distrust, pain, unforgiveness, depression, etcetera, these are the times that Satan finds most opportune to attack, so it’s no surprise that these are the times in which we tend to separate ourselves from community and get lost in ourselves.  In those times, I know it’s hard to want to have community around, but don’t shut them completely out.  Stay open to a handful of your community.  You’re shield may not be fully up, but at least you won’t be 100% vulnerable to Satan. 

Community is action.  Community is receiving.  Community is a choice.  I am thankful for community.  I wouldn’t be able to thrive in this earthly life without community.  Even Jesus had a community of disciples that He chose to keep close.

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.

#Brad&Rebekah – When We Gather

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you and happy Advent.  Yes, the countdown has begun or is the countdown just continuing?  In every moment of your life, that exact moment can be the beginning of one journey, while also being the middle and end of other journeys you are traveling.  I find it interesting to be able to step back in those moments and look at the full picture, to see how these journeys intertwine. 

A couple mornings ago I was reading in Mark chapter 12 and these two verses got me to thinking.  Mark 12: 38-39 ‘As He taught, He said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!”’

My focus wasn’t on the “Beware” part, but on the thought of having the best seats and places of honor.  Which then lead me to thinking about focusing these four weeks of Advent on four gifts that I am thankful for.  This first week I’m focusing on the gift of being last. 

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate the gift of being last and fading into the background a bit.  At this point you may think that sounds strange or maybe questioning why I would consider that a gift.  Well, there are multiple situations but here are a couple. 

Think about going to church.  You head up to, let’s say a seat within the first five pews.  This way you can be close, make eye contact with the priest or deacon, make your presence be known, and avoid the distraction of those fidgeting and crying kids.  From the last five pews, you can still see the priest and deacon.  You can make eye contact and greet them when they process out, after Mass.  But, you also have the opportunity to observe those at church with you and listen for whom God is asking you to pray for.  This is different than just people watching and it’s not about just scanning the crowd and not paying attention to the liturgy.  Every single one of us that step foot in the church are broken people.  We walk through those doors carrying heavy burdens and worries and we come to this place each week to be in community and communion with our faith family to seek Christ’s Word, Presence, and Peace.  Every single one of us are in need of prayers.  By allowing yourself the blessing of being at the back of the church, seeing and experiencing those around and in front of you, you are allowing your heart to be open to God’s call to pray for that elderly man that seems a little sad sitting in the pew alone.  Or maybe God’s call to pray for the young parent that desperately wants to be able to focus on the Mass, but their young child is sick or hungry and they are worried about making too much noise and distracting others around them.  Or maybe God’s call to pray for someone that is far away from family during this holiday season and is really missing the feeling of family and home.  Maybe He will call you to pray for that person a few pews over that just lost their job, or is being bullied, or has health issues.  Listen for His guidance and then pray as He asks you.  This truly is a blessing.

There are times and seasons in our lives when we have to be the bold, up front, in control, and in charge person.  As the parent of grown children who now have families of their own, I very much enjoy stepping back and allowing my children and their families be the center of attention and just watch and experience their interactions, and pray for them as God leads me.  It really does bring me great joy and I count those moments as some of my greatest blessings. 

Sometimes we all need to just step back, look at the big picture, and allow God to show us a glimpse of the wonder, awe, and opportunities He sees every moment of every day.  As you journey though this season of Advent, seek out opportunities to be last, fade into the crowd, and seek opportunities to pray for those you may not have otherwise even noticed. 

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.

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone.  Reflecting on the past 12 months, I was trying to pinpoint one event, moment, relationship, thing from this past year that I’m more thankful for than anything else.  But there is not one that truly stands above all.  There have been so many moments, ranging from the start of our home construction, being physically able to put some sweat equity into that construction, prayers from family and friends, prayers for family and friends, silently sitting with a loved one, being challenged to go beyond what I think I’m capable of, seeing friends I hadn’t seen in over 20 years, seeing and experiencing the humility of a friend admitting they need help, at 55 still learning from my parents, experiencing conflict turn into resolution, helping a young girl find her parents, a solid job, consistent income, the ability to give, road trips, another year of visiting with you every Wednesday, and the list goes on and on.

But in every single item I mentioned and in every single moment of my day and night, the Lord is ALWAYS with me.  Because of His consistent, ever presence, we quite often forget to recognize His presence and tend to push Him in the background.  In saying that I am most thankful for the sacrifice He made for me, my relationship with Him, and His constant presence, in reality is saying that I am thankful for life itself, because without Him, there is no life. 

Take a moment today to consider the blessings you are thankful for and please share maybe one or two in the comments.  I would like the opportunity to share in your thankfulness.

May the Lord continue to pour His grace, love, and blessings upon you today and every moment of your life.  Amen.

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.

#ChrisTomlin – Forever