😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  1 Samuel 9: Kish’s donkeys were lost, so he sent his son Saul and one of their servants searching high and low throughout the country looking for these donkeys. Saul was getting discouraged with not finding them and was ready to head home.  But his servant wasn’t ready to give up. He even suggested going to see Samuel, a man of God, for guidance in finding the donkeys.  Those must have been some important donkeys.  Saul wasn’t sold on the idea, being that he didn’t have anything to offer this man of God. The servant then offered his own silver to bring as a gift in exchange for guidance on “…what way to take.”  Interesting that they wanted to ask “what way to take”, not where the donkeys were. Saul agreed and they headed to town to find this man of God. Unbeknownst to Saul, God already told Samuel the day before to be expecting Saul and anoint him king over Israel.  When they meet, Samuel invited Saul to be his guest of honor for dinner and told him that in the morning he would tell him “…all that is in your heart.”  Oh, and by the way, the donkeys that had been lost for three days have been found. Interesting fact, Saul was from the smallest tribe of Israel, Benjamin, and the smallest clan within the tribe of Benjamin. So, Saul was from the least of the least of Israel. 

I read this chapter last Thursday night and Friday morning, lying in bed awake waiting for the alarm to go off, God had me literally laughing out loud. He had Saul searching for jackasses for three days, just to bring him to the place that God wanted to meet him.  Part of what made this so funny was that back in February when Brian and I made a road trip to an area in Tennessee that had quite a few farms, something we noticed was that every farm we passed had at least one donkey standing in the field. It kind of became a joke with us…Every family has at least one jackass in it.  Even now, it still makes me laugh.  I’m sure we all have those times in life that feel like all we’re doing is chasing after lost donkeys. But something I found interesting about this story was the importance of the sidekick, the supporting actor.  Saul was tired of searching and was ready to cut his journey short and head home, but it was his travel companion, the supporting actor that encouraged him to seek God’s wisdom before giving up the search. He even offered his own silver in order to encourage Saul along the path chosen specifically for him, by and for the Lord.  If Saul was from the least of the least, then I guess that makes his servant the least of the least, of the least.  We aren’t all meant to play the leading role, but that doesn’t make us any less important.  Take some time to think about those supporting actors in your life, the obvious and the not so obvious ones. How is God really using them to help you along your journey and moving forward toward what He has anointed you for?  Do you believe that?  He has anointed you!  You are His child that He loves very dearly.  Bless others and be blessed. 

#Needtobreath – Won’t Turn Back

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. Saturday at Mass our gospel ready was about Zacchaeus, Luke 19:1-10.  Jesus was heading into Jericho and like with many celebrity, people lined the streets just trying to catch a glimpse of this man so many have been talking about.  Now Zacchaeus wasn’t just a tax collector, but the chief tax collector, so probably not on too many people’s friend list.  Being on the shorter side of life, Zacchaeus was challenged trying to see through the crowd as he searched for Christ.  I imagine some folks in the crowd may have taken advantage of this situation to get Zacchaeus back, by purposely blocking him, pushing him back, or holding him down, for all the times he and the other tax collectors cheated them. But Zacchaeus was persistent. If he couldn’t make his way through the crowd, he’d out smart them all and get a bird’s eye view above them, from a tree. There was a very different perspective from the tree compared to ground level, flying elbows, and bodies all around. It can be downright tough in the trenches of life. Many times people are quick to judge us on our past, without even considering any possibility of growth and change.  Yep, that crowd was rather surprised and I’m guessing some were even jealous when Christ chose Zacchaeus to share a meal with Him that night.  What a life changing moment indeed.  We’re given many opportunities to persevere through the trenches of life, seeking and reaching for the tree that will provide us a resting place with a clear line of sight upon the Lord.  Persevere and strive through the flying elbows of the crowds. Persevere and rise above the noise of the crowds and listen for the Lord calling your name.  Persevere and rejoice in His mighty, loving, comforting presence. Bless others and be blessed. 

#DannyGokey – Finish Strong

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. Sermons about tithing. We’ve all heard them and they’re probably not on our top 10 sermons wish list.  But listening to a sermon on tithing this past weekend, God led me in a direction other than money.  So just to clarify, according to an online dictionary, a tithe is “one tenth of annual produce or earnings, formerly taken as a tax for the support of the Church and clergy.”  Let’s think about this…one tenth of your produce for the support of the Church. 

So, what is my produce?  My relationship with my spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, friends, coworkers, random encounters. My work, play, learning, teaching. My alone time, rest, and prayers. God offers us all these opportunities to flourish and produce. Now, what if I took just a tenth (a tithe) of my efforts in these forms of produce and gave it in support of the Church?  How would my marriage change if I intentionally focused a tithe of my thoughts and actions on bringing Christ into our relationship?  How would my attitude and quality of work be if I intentionally tithed Christ into my job?  How would my alone time change and grow me if I tithed my thoughts on Him?  How much more rest would I actually get if I tithed it to the Father?  How much more would the Spirit lead me if I tithed my prayers for the Lord’s Will instead of my own?  Can you imagine the freedom, peace, and joy you would experience, if you would only tithe?  I know, 10% could be a big leap of faith and may seem out of reach. Don’t worry, you can work on this one step at a time. Even if you started from zero today and added 1% a month to your tithe.  By the end of August next year, you will be offering a tithe and thriving. Bless others and be blessed. 

#JeremyCamp – Here I Am

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  Reading about Samson and Delilah in Judges 13, I found myself saying out loud, “Seriously Samson?  Why are you telling her secrets about how to overcome you?”  Every time he would tell her something she does it to him and then calls the Philistines in to take him down.  🙄  Yes, I think I may have even rolled my eye.  Samson was the one being attacked, yet every time Delilah would play it off like Samson was the one making a fool of her.  Samson finally gave in and told her the true secret of his strength.  Once again, she called the Philistines back. They shaved off his hair and his strength left him.  Samson thought he could bust free like he had done before, but he didn’t realize that along with his hair and strength, the Lord had left him.  I can only imagine how many times Samson might have replayed that situation over in his mind.  It’s in moments like these, when we let our focus shift away from the Lord, that we become blinded to Satan’s manipulation.  It’s incredible how easily we are lured away and seemingly stuck in a rut, just flinging mud every time we hit the gas a little harder.  Keep your focus sharp and your eyes on the Lord. Allow yourself to recognize Satan’s deceptions and trickery. Those gut feeling aren’t really your gut, their God feelings. He’s sending out His warnings to help keep you out of the muddy ruts of life. Bless others and be blessed. 

#Newsboys – Enemy

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. Food can be a source of family memories, celebrations with friends, eating our emotions, and drowning our sorrows. But what is the true purpose of food? Life giving and life preserving nutrition. Watching my mother-in-law these past few months has very much been an eye opening experience to the power of food. Medication side effects have robbed her of any desire to eat or drink. Pound by pound, smaller and smaller she grows. Without her needed nourishment she becomes weaker and weaker, just trying to survive. At His final Passover feast Jesus Christ offered His disciples His very Body and Blood to feed and nourish them for their challenging journey ahead.  He knew that without His heavenly food to nourish them, they would spiritually wither away until all that was left was dry bones. But it’s not just the nourishment that’s been breaking her down. Lack of rest has caused confusion and makes it difficult to concentrate, which then affects the ability to comprehend. To be strong and thrive in this life, you need the nourishment, rest, and clarity that only the Lord can offer you.  Without Him to keep you bright and fuel the lamp that lights your path, you will soon find yourself in darkness and confusion.  Purposefully seek the nourishment and rest your body, mind, and spirit are so desperately longing for, that only He can offer.  Bless others and be blessed. 

#AaronCole – One More Day

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. This past weekend I spent a few days with 16 ladies “camping” in a lodge. There was a campfire, so it was officially camping. Saturday we headed to Markin Farms to go ziplining where quite a few of us faced and overcame some fears. As we were reading and signing our waivers, this stress headache started to build. As we were going through our training and the importance of ALWAYS having at least one, if not both of our clips fastened to our safety lines, my hands were shaking. This was supposed to be fun, right?  Practice was over, time to climb the first tree and “zip away”.  I made the mistake of standing at the edge of that first platform and looked down. Nope shouldn’t have done that. Diana went first, then I was up next. All clipped on, I got the go ahead to “zip away”. Not once during all the lines and bridges did I ever have the fear of falling, which was very surprising to me. Why was that? Maybe it was because I was always clipped onto my safety line. Maybe it was because I felt the strength of those with me. Maybe it was because we had a team of experienced zipliners leading the way.  In your walk with the Lord, do you always have at least one of your clips securely attached to Christ, your safety line?  Are you surrounding yourself with friends that radiate the Lord’s strength and courage?  Are you seeking the wisdom and knowledge of those that have gone before you, before you place all of the weight of your body onto that line and “zip away”?  There’s never been a moment that the Lord has not carried you, but you need to be intentional about reaching out and grabbing His hands, His safety lines. And as others are zipping by and reaching out, don’t hold back. Reach for them, sharing your wisdom and knowledge, and allow your life to become a life line for Him to work through.  Bless others and be blessed. 

#MichaTyler – Never Been a Moment

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. As I sat on my front porch swing contemplating today’s message, I noticed a squirrel crossing the road dodging left and right with indecision, for fear of the oncoming car. Seconds later the driver continued on his journey, probably without a clue that he just changed the squirrel’s life.  Appearing to have both back legs broken, the little guy drug himself out of the road to the nearest yard.  Sometimes life can feel like this squirrel’s experience, fear and indecision paralyzing us from making a clear and conscience choice. Fear of speaking about Christ and our relationship with the Him due to indecision about what to say, when to speak it, and whom to speak it with…and of course that fear of what will that person think of me.  It can all be very paralyzing, and trust me, I know very well about that fear and indecision. But the thing is, a little fear and indecision about speaking His life into others is nothing compared to the consequences of that person never hearing about Christ, what He has done for them and you, and how you have a living, interactive relationship with Him.  Growing into a relationship with the Lord doesn’t come from hearing or experiencing Him one time. It takes multiple touches. Could you even come close to naming every person that has affected your spiritual growth and relationship with the Lord?  I doubt it. Not that I’m doubting your memory, but the thing is, God moves and works through our lives more than we know.  But it doesn’t stop there because He then moves in and through you to touch lives of others through your words and actions. In my experience, showing His love is so much easier and less paralyzing than speaking His love. What if I quote scripture wrong?  What if it comes across as sounding rehearsed?  What if it comes across sounding insincere?  It just doesn’t feel natural.  Does this sound familiar to you or is it just me? Like the driver, you may never know the difference a few seconds will make in a life. It literally can mean the difference between eternal life and death.  It may seem awkward and uncomfortable to start, but your confidence will grow with practice.  Every life matters, which is why Christ is counting on you.  So, count on Him to prepare you for your opportunities ahead.  Bless others and be blessed.

#DannyGokey – Tell Somebody

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  God loves you so much, that sometimes He just needs give you a swift kick in the pants to get you to quit wallowing in self pity.  He gets to that point where enough is enough. He’s tired of seeing you hurt yourself and He’s kind enough to give you that wake up call before you reach the point of no return. Sometime a slap in the face with pure honesty and truth is what we need.  Do you think Paul expected or wanted to experience his temporary blindness and wake up call?  I don’t think so. But look how good it turned out for him and us, when he opened his heart and accepted God’s never failing love. Allow His love to open your eyes to the truth this world has blinded you too. Share His love in a mighty way and watch as God transforms others right before your eyes. Last Thursday I was walking through the hospital by myself, just smiling as I walked along. I passed by a veteran and said “Hi”. He turned the corner behind me and said to me. “I didn’t want to smile, but I couldn’t help myself when you smiled at me.”  That brought a smile to my face because I know it wasn’t my smile, but the Lord working through my smile to brighten that veteran’s day. I pray that he knew it was from the Lord as well.  Bless others and be blessed. 

#Unspoken – Reason

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. While eating breakfast last Thursday I read and pondered that day’s quote: “I don’t want to trust my own heart, Lord. I want to trust Your Word and Your instruction so that I will walk wisely and never do ignorant or stupid things. Make me to be a wise person.”  Make me…Make me. Oh, that’s kind of a scary thought. Make me.  That sounds like pruning, stretching, being rubbed in the wrong direction, being uncomfortable. Make me wise, that sounds like Him allowing me to go through times and situations of ignorance, childish thought, selfish desires, and situations out of my control, so that I am enlightened to His will and understanding in order to grow me in His wisdom.  About 30 minutes later, sitting in my office I read the daily passage from “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers. Matthew 20:22 “Ye know not what ye ask.”  This brought me back to earlier that morning, “Make me”…”Ye know not what ye ask.”  Oswald goes on to say “There are times in spiritual life when there is confusion, and it is no way out to say that there ought not to be confusion. It is not a question of right or wrong, but a question of God taking you by the way which in the meantime you do not understand, and it is only by going through the confusion that you will get what God wants.”  It’s so easy to say, make me humble, make me kind, make me a channel of your peace, make me your hands and feet, make me patient, but do we know what we are really asking, volunteering for, or getting ourselves into?  Honestly, there is no way to even guess what He will use to bring us to that point. 

Later that day while walking at lunch, I turned the corner into the grotto area and noticed a couple swans in the pond and it brought a smile to my face. As I drew closer, I realized they were decoys.  A distraction from what is real and true.  I’m guessing they are using them to try to control the geese population. This made me think how Satan constantly places decoys in our path to take our eyes off the one true Lord. As I was pondering this, I thought, “All it would take is ONE brave goose to swim out there and peck that decoy to realize it’s a fake and free the other geese to go back into the pond.”  I know it can be scary standing up to the unknown, whether that’s a person, a situation, or personal growth.  

But one thing is for sure, when we walk this journey with the Lord there will be less pain, fear, and confusion, and more love, peace, and clarity.   Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the decoys in life. Keep your eye on Him and take one step, one situation, one challenge at a time. Bless others and be blessed. 

#MercyMe – Ghost

#Oswald Chambers – My Utmost for His Highest

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. Physical touch is such an important aspect in our lives. I believe that sense of touch and desire/longing for touch starts in the womb.  I remember when I was pregnant, how the girls would stretch a hand or foot out and I would put my hand on my belly so I could feel them and they could feel me. There are studies that show human touch helps babies develop physically, emotionally, and socially. I heard a clip on the radio last week about how preemies don’t get as much touch time, so some hospitals have volunteers help hold the preemies to encourage development. That particular program was called Touch Buddies, but I’ve heard it called different things at different hospitals. Touch isn’t just important at the beginning of our life journey, it’s a very important aspect right up through our last breath.  About 10 years ago, a single friend of mine was telling me how much she missed that sense of touch and what it meant to her. From that day forward, every time I see her, I make sure to give her a hug. In my own life and marriage, it’s interesting to see how a lack of touch builds tension, but a single genuine touch can melt that tension away.  Although when our kids get to those middle school years and higher, they don’t want or feel they need that touch, they still do. Don’t back away, keep them engaged.  As much as human touch is important to our development, contact with the Lord is even more important for our physical, emotional, and social development.  His touch has an incredible healing power. For one woman, touching the hem of His garment, combined with her deep faith in Him healed her. That is a powerful touch and there is truly a peace that comes with being in His presence.  I imagine you’re saying right now, “We’ll that was great when He was alive, roaming the earth.”  But the truth is, He’s still here and you can feel His mighty presence and touch. There has been two places in particular in my life that if I wanted/needed to feel His presence, I would jump in the car and drive to Him. We can also experience His loving and healing touch through others. But He is also using you to be His loving and healing touch to others.  Take a few moments today to contemplate the importance of touch in your life and how you can share His presence with others.  Bless others and be blessed. 

#CastingCrowns – Jesus Hold Me Know