As Lent begins may each of us focus on this moment…the only time that is real. The past is gone. The future is yet to be. Now is the place and time where God dwells and wants to be with you to bring you to completion and wholeness. That is salvation! So be present to the Divine Presence. God is everywhere and as close to you as your breath. Over these next 40 days may each of us open our hearts to God who wants nothing more than to see us become the unique expression that God intended. Here are two other scriptures to complete this thought:
“Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart.” –Joel 2:12
“But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.” — Matthew 6:6

Suggested song of the day—“Breathe On Me” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
Have a blessed day!

The apostles had given up possessions but they were having trouble letting go of the other two “P’s”…power and prestige. They were discussing who among them was the greatest. Jesus is always turning the world’s ways on its head. Our culture tells us that winning is everything. We are taught to strive to be first. Of course…when someone wins…everyone else loses. Jesus told his followers that in God’s kingdom the highest place of honor goes to the person who willingly descends to being with the least…to serve those who are counted as last and on the fringes. When we serve others we are serving Christ. Each of us needs to ask ourselves, “Am I serving me…or God? Am I building my kingdom…or God’s kingdom?

Suggested song of the day—“Make Me a Channel” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
Have a blessed day!

Faith in Christ as our Savior is life changing. It’s not just a rational acknowledgment that frees us to do as we please…assured of a future trip to heaven. Jesus showed us the path to life now. He washed the feet of his followers and told them to do the same. Acknowledging Christ as my Savior is one thing on the “head” level, but it’s quite another on the “heart” level. Jesus showed us how to live by loving God and neighbor unconditionally. That same love is freely given to us through no merit of our own. He told us to do the same…even to love our enemies! Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will would “be done on earth as it is in heaven.” That will not only require faith, but plenty of action as well.

Suggested song of the day—“Salvation” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
Have a blessed day!

The sooner you come to know God as an unconditional lover and forgiver the sooner you will be able to live an authentic life. God does not love you because of your goodness but because of God’s goodness. You do not have to prove yourself worthy! God does not want to punish you but to see you whole and healed…and God loves being the One restoring you and healing you! Jesus showed us this quite clearly. So why not seek Christ throughout the day? He will never desert you and promises to deliver you from all fears!

Suggested song of the day—“Come to Jesus” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
Have a blessed day!

Christianity is not about just believing certain things. Jesus never seemed to be interested in passing on beliefs as much as He was interested in restoring people to health, wholeness and community. He never asked those that he healed what their beliefs were before he healed them. The unconditional love, mercy and forgiveness of God transformed each person who came into a true encounter with Christ. Transformed Christians are the ones whose beliefs have now moved to their hearts. They can’t help but pass on the love of God to others. Have you experienced the unconditional love, mercy and forgiveness of God in your life? They are all free gifts from God…to those who open their hearts to receive!

Suggested song of the day—“May I Be Light” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
Have a blessed day!

We are all tempted and have fallen…and will no doubt fall again. Each of us seems to have at least one major flaw that we just can’t seem to kick…that proverbial “thorn in our flesh” as St. Paul might have put it. If we didn’t have this secret place where we just can’t save ourselves, we wouldn’t need God, would we? As is sung in the Easter Vigil liturgy in The Exsultet, “O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer!” What if Christ wants nothing more than to be with us in our failings? What if Christ wants to embrace us and tell us He loves us anyway? I have experienced the love of Christ after falling. Sin in itself leads to a dead end. But with Christ it leads to transformation, new life and redemption!

Suggested song of the day–”Salvation” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to right.
Have a blessed day!

Be on guard against the pursuit of power, prestige and possessions. In and of themselves they are not evil as long as you do not identify with them or get attached to them. When used for good they each can be sources of great good. But when they become ends in themselves…when they become our first priority…when we attach them to our own identity…they lead to a dead end…and will lead you completely away from ever discovering your true self. Jesus seemed to enjoy a good party. He said in Matthew 11:19 that some criticized Him because he “came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’” Jesus seemed to enjoy life while not becoming attached to any of it…freely passing on all that He was given by God. When you are grounded in a relationship with God…your motivations will not be self-centered but for the good of all.

Suggested song of the day—“God Is the Goal” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
Have a blessed day!

I use to think it was weird talking about not worshipping an “alien god“…as though we would start worshipping gold and silver statues like in the old bible stories. But the point is…those people were putting these idols ahead of the one true God. It’s easy to start giving higher priority to other things when God is sometimes so hard to find…since God, after all, is a Mystery. Perhaps God is hard to find because we have put all our attention elsewhere…on material things…on maintaining a personal image…on other pursuits…like more power…more prestige…a nicer car…a bigger house. Perhaps if we simply didn’t cling to those things…but practiced letting go of our attachments to those things…the one true God might just be difficult to miss…might be overwhelmingly Present to us.

Suggested song of the day—“Listen to Your Heart” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
Have a blessed day!

It’s very refreshing to realize that Jesus did not want notoriety. He did not strive for the spotlight of stardom. His mission was to heal and to restore people to wholeness and community. The message was not that people should simply come to him for a “presto” healing and be on their way as though He was Santa Claus. The message was that God wants to be with you in your brokenness, loves you unconditionally and wants to lead you to healing and wholeness. In my life…it was God’s intimate embrace during my struggles that transformed me. The journey itself is intertwined with God…so that we live the answers and are healed as we continually grow in Christ. As writer and retreat leader Paula D’Arcy said, “God comes to you disguised as your life.”

Suggested song of the day—“Take the Road Less Traveled” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
Have a blessed day!

When you let go of your need for control…when you surrender your ego and it’s self-centered desires…and turn yourself over to the will of God…you will seldom get clear answers. You will seldom see a direct path. That’s what faith is about…not having the answers and not seeing the road in front of you…but trusting in the providence of God. Try journaling about what happens in your life. Then look back and see if you can spot the running thread of God’s direction. It may not be clear…but faith is about not knowing…and still trusting.
I’m reminded of the prayer of Thomas Merton:
“MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

Suggested song of the day—“You’ll Lead Me” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
Have a blessed day!