😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Continuing my journey through Proverbs, it can be uncomfortable at times.  The truth can certainly hurt.  We don’t always think of our parents as wise people, but regardless of what we think: 

1) Parents have lived longer than their children have. 

2) Parents have made mistakes that they don’t want their children to experience.

3) Parents wish/pray that their children would take to heart the advice/wisdom they impart.

As a child, the older I get and the more I experience life, I more so see and appreciate the wisdom my parents have offered me through the years.

As a parent, I feel hurt for my children when I see them choose self over wisdom.   

Speaking as a parent, one of the most challenging things a parent has to do is watch their children make choices that lead down paths of destruction.  The destruction might be a gradual series of choices or it may be jumping straight into the deep-end, cannonball style.   

We can’t put our children in bubble wrap and protect them from every kind of evil in this world.  Satan is always seeking ways to entice and draw our children and us parents further away from God and closer to himself.  There is no wisdom of truth in Satan’s deceptive utterances, which cause people to feel shame, insecurity, unloved, belittled, unworthy of good gifts, etc.

God doesn’t instruct us to not to do things, just to lord them over us.  He provides instruction and imparts wisdom because He knows how we will feel the moment we do something He instructs us not to do.  It wasn’t very long into the history of the human race that this exact thing happened for the first time.  Queue the story of Adam and Eve (Genesis Chapter 3), their dinner with a serpent (aka Satan), and Adam and Eve playing hide and seek from God.  We are still doing the same thing today.  In our shame, we hide from the Lord.   

God cast Satan out of heaven and gave him dominion over the earth for a time, but God has not left us alone to fight this battle.  Every moment, of every day, God and His host of angels are with us, willing to fighting for us and on our behalf, but it is up to each of us to call them into action.  Ask, seek, knock.

Matthew 7:7-11

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

8 For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread,

10 or a snake when he asks for a fish?

11 If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#InfluenceMusic&MattGilman – Ask

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  The Book of Proverbs primary purpose is to provide instruction, but not just any instruction.  Proverbs provides instruction on the value of wisdom.  Proverbs 1:1-7 sums up the Purpose of the Proverbs of Solomon.

1 The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:

2 That men may appreciate wisdom and discipline, may understand words of intelligence;

3 May receive training in wise conduct, in what is right, just and honest;

4 That resourcefulness may be imparted to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

5 A wise man by hearing will advance in learning, an intelligent man will gain sound guidance,

6 That he may comprehend proverb and parable, the words of the wise and their riddles.

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom and instruction fools despise.

Granted, in this version of the Bible, it states men, but I think we can all agree that instruction in matters of wisdom is meant for all peoples.  In verse 2 it mentions appreciating discipline.  The word discipline may bring to mind different situations from your past, but in this context, discipline is referring to education and instruction that dispels ignorance.  We all need some of that.

In verse 4, simply references those that are immature or inexperienced, making them easily influenced for good or evil.  We’ve all been there at some point in our lives.  In some areas we may still fall into this category, which means we have great opportunity for growth. 

Fear of the Lord is mentioned in verse 7.  Fear of the Lord is something I’ve never really wrapped my head around.  I don’t see the Lord as someone to be feared.  In my mind, I always replace “fear of the Lord” with “respect for the Lord”.  It is absolutely, incredibly awesome, to say the least, what God has created.  The fact that He never gives up on me, even when I turn away from Him time and again…this is why I respect the Lord, not fear Him.

Wisdom it greater than any physical “treasure” you can poses.  It doesn’t matter what your level of understanding and knowledge is, we always have room for growth.  There are 31 chapters in the Book of Proverbs.  Read one chapter a day and draw from it the wisdom God is giving you at that moment.  Don’t read more than one a day.  You may have read the Book of Proverbs 10 or more times already, but as you read through and meditate on them this time, God will offer you new understanding on what is being said, and thereby imparting greater wisdom.

I pray that meditating on these proverbs, you gain the wisdom God desires you to have, so that you may be a greater representation of Him to those around you. 

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#SovereignGraceMusic – Christ Our Wisdom

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  I have something pretty cool to share with you this week.  We all have those conversion moments and turning points in our relationship and commitment with God.  They usually aren’t a one and done kind of moment.  God works in and through our lives and those great Ah Ha! moments we have are really a compounding and culmination of God’s many works.  I find conversion stories very interesting and really enjoy hearing how God finds His was into our hearts.  I’m interested in hearing your story.  If you’re interested and feel your story may touch another person’s life for the glory of the Lord, please share it.  If you don’t want to respond to this post, please contact me directly.

To read about one of my major conversion/turning points, checkout my blog post dated Wednesday, February 23, 2022.

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Okay, so the really cool thing I want to share with you this week is a story about Mario Enzler, one of the Papal Swiss Guard.  The video is titled “Pope John Paul II Converted Me!”.  It’s a 17 minute video and well worth the time.  He does have an accent, so you may want to click the CC button, so you don’t miss a word. 

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#MarioEnzler – Pope John Paul II Converted Me!

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Relationships and friendships seemed to have been the focus of this past week.  My brother came in town for the weekend, so I was able to share some time with him, my sister and her husband, and my parents on Thursday and Saturday.  One of my uncles passed away last Friday, which has prompted me to reflect on conversations and experiences we shared.  Saturday, I attended the Cursillo School of Leader gathering, in which the topic was the what, why, and who of friendship.  And next weekend there is a reunion scheduled with some of those that I served in the Air Force with.  Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make that trip.

There are so many people that make up the journey of our lives.  Some last as quickly as a breeze.  Others may last a season, years, or a lifetime.  Proverbs 18:24 tells us, “Some friends bring ruin on us, but a true friend is more loyal than a brother.”  So, choose your relationships wisely.  If a “friend” is toxic, it’s okay to walk away.

Not all relationships are meant to go deep.  It’s scary putting yourself out there and opening yourself up to be vulnerable.  When we are our authentic self, we allow others to also be their authentic self, which enables us to stop talking about the weather, our jobs, and other such superficial subjects.  Without God’s involvement, friendships are very limited.  It was said at the Cursillo School of Leaders, when you are authentic, you become spiritually and emotionally naked. 

It is said that when Aristotle was asked “What is a friend?”  His response was, “A single soul dwelling in two bodies.”  To me, Aristotle’s quote describes a friendship that can only be attained with God, Father, Spirit, Jesus.  That kind of friendship is something that we have to work at.  So often we try to fit God’s love and friendship into our schedule, instead to allowing Him to be first.  “A new commandment I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:34-35.

A few days ago, I woke up with today’s song in my head.  When you listen to it, imagine God singing it 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 via email.

#PeteTownshend – Let My Love Open the Door

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  “A woman at a retreat shared how she had devoted her whole life to spiritual seeking.  She had traveled to sacred sites, attended countless retreats and workshops, sought teachers and guides.  It had, she confessed, been a time of much striving; it had been fruitful in someways, yet she felt tired, weary.  She was getting older. She wondered how much stamina she had left to continue her search.

“You have been a seeker for a long time,” I said.  “Why not become a finder?   At this stage in your life, what if you imagined you were ready to let go of seeking, and begin finding?”  She remains silent for a time, a look of deep confusion on her face, her head slightly tilted, as if she were trying to hear a sound far away.  Then, suddenly, a laugh exploded from deep in her belly.  A finder!  What a delight!  How could she have never imagined it before?  She had always been so focused on the search, she had never taken time to rejoice in the blessing, the gift of finding.

When we are trapped in seeking, nothing is enough. Everything we have mocks us; we see only what is missing, and all that is already here seems pale and unsatisfying.  In Sabbath time we bless what there is for being.  The time for seeking is over; the time for finding has begun.”

This exert is once again from the Wayne Muller book Sabbath.  There are quite a few good nuggets in this book. 

Like the woman mention above, how many years have you spent seeking, grasping for the next, then quickly dropping it to go after the next thing to grasp?  There is a huge pile of things we seek, grab ahold of, only to discard them, so we can start looking at the next best thing.  We usually don’t even take the time to breath, let alone discover what we sought to possess and explore it, now that we hold it in our hands.  This ongoing restlessness is due to our longing and desire to return to and be with the Lord. 

We need to ask, what are my mind, heart, and actions made for?  What am I made for and what gets in my way?  If we can at least determine what gets in our way, we can then work on eliminating those items from our path of temptations.  By eliminating temptations, you will free up time to speak with God more, about His desired plans for you.  The more you open your life to the Lord, the brighter His light will shine in you, for others to see and feel His presence.

Like the dawn, the reflective light of the sun, precedes the sun’s appearance.  The darkness dissipates and a glow fills the sky.  The same is true for dusk.  The sun has sunk into the horizon, yet it’s glow and the brilliance of the colors dance across the western sky.  Before others will see the Son, they will see a reflection of Him in you.  You will shine the light of His presence before He is fully visible. 

Stop seeking.  He is already within you.  Take the time to find Him where you are.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#WayneMuller – Sabbath

#BenFuller – Who I Am

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Monday night, this question was posed to me.  “Have you ever been disappointed in God?”  In reflecting on this question, I asked myself, “When do I feel disappointed?”  I answered, “I feel disappointed when I don’t see the desired outcome I was planning, hoping, or praying for.  So then, what is the source of my disappointment?  God?  No.  Selfishness is the source of my disappointments.” 

We make plans, and in our mind, our plans are the best and everyone else should think they are also…right?  Then something changes your perfect plan.  That perfect vacation you planned for two years…COVID hits.  That promotion you’ve been working toward for three years…Given to someone outside of your firm.  That marriage you’ve been trying to hold together…Your spouse decides it’s time to call it quits.  These and so many other situations that don’t have our desired outcome are not a reason to feel disappointed in God.  God desires love, peace, and relationship with us.  He is not to blame or be disappointed in, because of our choices.  One of His gifts to us was free will.  He doesn’t want us to be slaves to Him.  He wants us to freely choose to be with Him, to share our time and experiences, to have conversations and live with Him.  He wants to share His time with us.  He wants to offer us advice for things we are struggling with.  He wants to laugh and play with us.  He knows what’s best for us and wants us to live the best life possible. 

Matthew 28:16-20

‘The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.  When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.

Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”’

Jesus has placed His blessing and commission upon you.  He is with you always.  Don’t hesitate or think twice.  Let this be the moment you go to Him.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#CastingCrowns – Already There

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Lately, I must be lacking when it comes to listening, because the subject of listening keeps finding its way to me.  Henri Nouwen was a Dutch Catholic priest, professor, writer and theologian.  From Wayne Muller’s book Sabbath, we read, “Henri Nouwen was a dear friend of mine, a brother, priest, and mentor.  He was also a fiercely astute observer of our worried, overfilled lives.  Henri insisted that the noise of our lives made us deaf, unable to hear when we are called, or from which direction.  Henri said our lives have become absurd – because in the word absurd, we find the Latin word surdus, which means deaf.  In our spiritual life we need to listen to the God who constantly speaks but whom we seldom hear in our hurried deafness. On the other hand, Henri was fond of reminding me that our word obedient comes from the Latin word audire, which means “to listen.” Henri believed that a spiritual life was a pilgrimage from absurdity to obedience – from deafness to listening.” 

On Monday, I started attending the St. Augustine Institute 16 week program, Symbolon at one of our local parishes.  The first session was titled, “Seeking the Face of God.”  Whether conscious or unconscious, our deepest desire is to know God, our creator.  He is constantly seeking us, which is why we constantly feel the aching to fill that God size void in our lives.  When we are obedient (listen to) His word, we ourselves can in turn seek God and our seeking will turn into seeing.

During a break at the Symbolon session, a lady I spoke with shared a bit of her conversion story with me.  As a child she didn’t have any kind of faith formation.  Her only exposure to faith and religion was a grade school friend.  As a young adult she was in an accident and during her recovery she found herself asking questions and seeking God.  She had never been to a Catholic Mass before, yet one Saturday afternoon, she found herself walking to Mass.  She sat in the back and had no idea what was really going on.  God moved so deeply in her at that Mass, that she found herself returning to Mass not only every weekend, but also to daily Mass.  She started asking questions to people at Mass and contacting the parish to see about taking faith formation classes to become Catholic.  That is the power of seeking and listening to God.

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#WayneMuller – Sabbath

#AugustineInstitute – Symbolon

#ZachWillimas – Lookin’ for You

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  When you open yourself up to God and His Word, you WILL change.  Those that knew the old you won’t understand and may no longer “recognize” you.  Quite often the majority of them won’t ask question or dig a little deeper to find out what’s going on.  They’ll sit on the sidelines.  Maybe talk behind your back to others, about the crazy things you’re doing.  They’ll watch to see if it’s a phase you’re going through, waiting for you to snap out of it.  When they see that you aren’t coming back to the old you, they’ll put up walls, cut ties, just stop communicating and coming around.  It hurts when friends walk out of our lives.  Sometimes the changes we make can be scary and confusing for our friends.  They don’t understand it.  You may even hear…”What happened to you?” 

To start with, your ears were opened.  The Lord’s words filled your heart and mind.  When that God size hole in you starts to be filled, you begin to transform back to the you that God formed in His loving hands, before the influences of Satan in the world got a grip on you. 

This journey we’re on is not a stairway to heaven, it a U turn back to our loving Creator, with the mission to bring as many people as possible with us. 

This journey must start with first hearing His word.  Maybe that’s why as infants, we first hear, before we learn to speak.  God is showing us that in order to learn, we must listen and then, be imitators of the word, by walking along side others and speaking the word of God with them. 

In last Sunday’s Gospel, Mark 7:31-37, we read and experience a very familiar seen…Jesus miraculously healing a man.  Yes, every act of healing that Jesus performed is miraculous.  The fact that Jesus has healed and continues to heal people every day, can make us blind to the fact that EVERY healing is miraculous.  I’ve listened to Bishop Robert Barron’s homily, regarding Sunday’s Gospel, five times.  Bishop Barron brings into focus some history and geography of the time, that allows for greater learning and ultimately a more expansive understanding of God’s word.  It’s a 14 minute homily, that I sure will bring you insight and wisdom. 

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#BishopRobertBarron – Be Opened!

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  Your vocation as a Christian is God’s calling upon your life.  Have you spoken with the Lord and/or prayed for guidance regarding your vocation?  Do you think anyone else has spoken with the Lord or prayed on your behalf for wisdom regarding your vocation? 

Part of my daily prayers includes the Prayer for Vocations, which was penned by Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr, from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, OH.  I would like to share this with you, in hopes that you too, will make it apart of your daily prayer life.  But before I share this prayer with you, take a moment to consider what your vocation as a Christian is.  Remember, your vocation is not a job, it’s a calling upon your life.

Almighty Father,

You have created us for some definite purpose.

Grant us the grace to know the path

You have planned for us in this life

and to respond with a generous “Yes.”

Make our archdiocese, parishes, homes and hearts

fruitful grounds for Your gift of vocations.

May our young people respond to Your call

with courage and zeal.

Stir among our men a desire and the strength

to be good and holy priest.

Bless us with consecrated religious

and those called to a chaste single life,

permanent deacons, and faithful husbands & wives,

who are a sign of Christ’s love for His Church.

We commend our prayer for vocations to You, Father,

through the intercession of Mary our Mother,

in the Holy Spirit, through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Which vocation do you have upon your life?  That answer could depend on what season of life you are in.  We have all been called to a chaste single life for a portion of our lives.  Into adulthood, the majority of us fall in one of two vocations, a chaste single life or faithful husbands and wives.  There are a lot less Christians who are called to vocations as priests, consecrated religious, and permanent deacons.  Our brothers and sisters in Christ, who have been called to these vocations, really need our prayers for clarity of discernment and the courage to trust in the Lord’s desires upon their lives.  With all the forces of this world pressing in, it can be very hard to commit to that “Yes.” 

Every single vocation is important and part of God’s purpose in creating you.  Don’t take your vocation lightly.  It requires commitment and work on your part.  You can’t expect that it will just happen.  God is asking you for your “Yes.”  Are you willing to offer it to Him?

Philippians 1:6 “I am confident of this, that the One who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus”

Bless others and be blessed.

Shelly  :0)

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscribe to receive your message every Wednesday via email.

#CollinRaye – Here I Am, Lord