Tag: Jesus

Every Day is Christmas

It’s over. The decorations will come down. The bells will stop ringing. Blink and stores will start selling Easter candy. Christmas is over. Or is it?

Wade through all the commercialism of Christmas and there is only one thing Christmas is about: celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. If you focus on the true meaning of Christmas, then that’s all it’s about. That tiny child coming into the world, living as a tradesman in obscurity, until around 30 years old started a 3-year or so mission that changed the world forever. And will change us is we bring Jesus into our minds, hearts, and souls!

Every day should be Christmas! We should wake up celebrating Jesus coming into the world, coming into our lives every day. And it’s a celebration like none other!

It’s the 26th of December, the day after the “official” celebration of Christmas. But celebrate Christmas today, tomorrow, and every next day forever. Every day should be Christmas! That’s the real beauty of celebrating Christmas.

Merry Christmas!!! I pray for peace and joy in your life this day and every day to come!

Judge or Judged?

Are you a judge? I have news for you—there is only one judge and He is God. And we are all equally judged by the One Judge. In this day of social media, almost everyone is a judge. It’s easy to send out tweets left and right, or blog to your heart’s desire, judging this person or that. Heck, the news today is all about judging. It’s easy to judge. But what’s REALLY hard is looking at ourselves and thinking about how God must be judging us. Ouch!

The good thing is that God doesn’t judge as we judge. He doesn’t sit all high and mighty like we do looking down on others. God loves us equally and unconditionally. So his “judging” is out of love helping us to find our way. We “negative” judge. God judges “positive.” It’s a hard concept to wrap your head around but it makes sense if you think about it.

If you want to go on judging others, then expect to be judged in the same way. Jesus instructs us all too well in this as He says…

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,’” when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:1-5

That’s a big WOW to think about. Look at the plank in your eye before trying to remove a speck from someone else’s.

I’m going to try and look inward today at the big plank in my eye. And thinking about what God is thinking about that.

Have a GREAT day as we approach that AMAZING day when Jesus is born in our lives and hearts!

Shine Your Light!!!

If there is ever a time of year to let your light shine—and brightly—it’s the Christmas season. A bright light in the sky showed the way to the birth of Jesus, who brought light into this world. And each one of us has a light that we need to let shine on others—and brightly!

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:16‬ ‭

I’m not talking in riddles or religious mumbo-gumbo. I’m talking about the light of goodness, kindness, charity, and all that is good shining forth from you. And actions speak way louder than words!

We live in a world that seems to be getting darker by the day. Just look at the headlines.

If every one of us let our inner lights really shine—smile, pay it forward, give to a homeless person and/or a charity, sing, whatever—one by one we would make the world a brighter place.

If there ever is a time to let your light shine it’s this season!!! 

Jesus

Funny way to start a blog post, especially when I have been absent lately. And not very descriptive or creative. Jesus. What’s that all about anyway?

There is one name to call when you need help or guidance of any kind. Jesus. Nothing more. Jesus. It’s the most powerful name past, present, and future. Jesus. Just call Him and He will be there.

I know, I know, I know. This sounds all too pat and simplistic. Well, that’s exactly the message. It is simple. I write this so much I sound like a broken record to me! God intends life to be so very simple but we are the ones who complicate it. We over think, over live, and over everything. We’re not good at streamlining and simplifying life. Like a junk closet, we keep hoarding everything—emotions, would-of-could-ofs, feelings, etc. We don’t throw anything out in our lives; just stuff more into the closets that are our lives.

Jesus, Simple but all so very powerful. He’s never more than a heartbeat away. You just need to call out His name and meditate on it. Ask for help, direction, or anything else (including thanking Him). Or just bask in the glow of His light and warmth. Jesus. It’s that simple.

Find a quiet time and spot today. Jesus. That’s all you need to think about. The results will be amazing. Simple? Yes. Very.

Have a SPECTACULAR day!!!

Jesus Shaking His Head Again: Feel the Hate!

God gave us one very simple, clear command: love. He sent His Son to deliver that command and show us how to love. In the end, Jesus gave up His earthly life for us—out of love. Love, love, love.

The problem is all you hear and feel is hate, hate, hate. It doesn’t matter the topic: religion, politics, environment, whatever. It’s all hate, hate, hate. Jesus has to be shaking His head in disbelief.

Today, we look for what separates us; not what binds us. We use words like left and right and every other tag to separate one person from another. What we don’t do is look hard at what binds us. We are all human beings created in the image and likeness of God. We are all His children saved from our sins by Jesus Christ. But, no, we can only focus on what separates us, and hate each other as a result. That’s really sad!

I’m making a renewed commitment to do my best to look at people around me as God does—all outward variations on the same theme of being made in His image and likeness. All children of God commanded to do one thing: love.

Join me in looking past the outer and feeling the inner in people. That God inner. And walking, and talking, in love.

Have a LOVE-FILLED day!!!

Me, Myself & I

Exactly the wrong way to think. That’s the problem with this world—too much thinking about me and not enough (any?) thinking about you. And count me in the camp. I need to spend less time thinking about myself and more time thinking about others.

We are so self-absorbed in ourselves, what we think, what we believe (or want to), and what we are going to do next that we lose sight of others. That’s why this world is so self-absorbed—because we are so self-absorbed.

Can you imagine if Jesus acted like we do? No dedication of His life, no sacrifice, no cross, no saving us from ourselves. But Jesus took the opposite view. It was all about you and me; not Him.

As we turn away from “religion” and even thinking about what Jesus did for us this world becomes worse. Our worlds become worse. I know my life becomes worse when I take my (too) frequent “religious” vacations and just get too caught up in this world, especially my world.

It’s time for us all to reflect on how much time we spend thinking about ourselves versus others. Jesus is that perfect model of service to others and, in the process, making the world a better place. We need to follow and live that model. And, if we do, the world will become a better place.

Have a FANTASTIC day looking outward beyond yourself!!!

Only One Holding You Back is You!!!

I put this quote on my Facebook page this morning…

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love

We hold ourselves back; no one else. We are our biggest enemy. We let the devil’s whisper of doubt eat away at our confidence. “You can’t do that!” “You’re out of your league.” “You’re not good enough!” The dark thoughts simply cloud out the light.

I have news for you if you don’t know it: You can do anything, be anything!!! God hard-wired you for success, and along with that joy. You just have to believe in you. God does. You just need to follow His lead.

Start with Moses and Elijah and listen to them and others in the Bible arguing with God that they weren’t good enough. They were good enough. You are good enough.

Grab the reins of life today and power ahead! Let me repeat: You can do anything, be anyone!!! Stick your fingers in your ears and stop listening to the devil’s doubt. Follow the light in you that is God.

Have a FANTASTIC day and power ahead!!!

Take a Lesson from the Israelites: Stop Wandering Your Desert!

I wrote this post over 3 years ago. I’m rerunning it not because I’m lazy or have nothing new to say, but I keep coming back to this wandering the desert theme. It just gets more relevant as life unfolds on this planet. So, here goes…

Some think the story of the Israelites wandering the desert for 40 years is old news. Well, I have news for you: it’s very much new news. Look at us—and I mean all of us on this planet. We’re wandering our world aimlessly. We fight and kill each other, watch as so many starve and die, and seemingly can’t agree on a thing. I mean, just what is this life about and where are we going? That’s where each one of us comes into the picture.

Change can only happen one person at a time and change is what we need. We all in different ways wander our own deserts in life until we know where we are headed and start heading there. That means we need to understand our purpose in life, that God-given, unique, and special purpose in life. And the only way to do that is by spending some time—quality time—LISTENing for/to God.

It took the Israelites 40 years to cross a desert that should have taken less than 12 days. They had no direction and lost sight of God, worshiping false gods as they aimlessly wandered the desert of their lives. When they finally found some direction and crossed over into the Promised Land only 2 of the original group of thousands actually made the crossing.

Even Jesus had to go into the desert before he started on His real path in life—the path to save us all. That was His purpose in life.

If each of us understood where we are truly heading in life—our own Promised Land—we could start changing the world. Change starts with one, with that one influencing others. The onus is on each of us to make this world a better place and to leave it in better hands. That’s clearly not happening now. We have to start the change. In order to do that we need to get some direction.

You have a Promised Land in your life. Find it by getting in touch with God. The closer you get to God the clearer your direction in life will be—and we all need direction! There’s no time like today to start on that path that leads to your Promised Land.

Have a direction-filled day and weekend! 

I Don’t Know What to Say

The horror of knowing that for decades Catholic priests in Pennsylvania physically and mentally abused children and young adults is too much to comprehend. I’m Catholic, and a practicing one at that. I was born in Pittsburgh, lived outside of Philadelphia for a while, and am writing this from the last day of vacation at our family vacation home in Northeast Pennsylvania. I went to Mass yesterday and the homily was a video message on this atrocity by the Bishop of Scranton, Pennsylvania. I haven’t read the 900-page report, yet, but I have read the reporting on it.

I simply don’t know what to say!  I wonder if Jesus knows what to say?

As Christians we are taught not to judge—least we be judged. But I can’t help judging and in my darkest thoughts my mind races what I would do to anyone—priest or otherwise—abusing a child in any way. Yes, I’m judging. I’m not perfect.

No, I won’t stop being a Catholic or going to Mass. That’s too easy. It’s certainly what Satan would like. I’m going to pray, and then pray some more. For the victims. For the Church. For every priest—even those abusers still alive.

I simply don’t know what else to say.

Here is what Pope Francis said in a letter to Catholics around the world—https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-08/pope-francis-letter-people-of-god-sexual-abuse.html

Let your light shine today. This dark world needs it!

 

Only Looking Ahead

That’s the only way to live life. Looking ahead; never back. Would-of, could-of, should-of, etc. are about the past. And getting bogged down in the past holds you back from getting ahead. Enjoy today—every second of it—but keep your sights going forward, not backwards.

Thinking about what you did yesterday is helpful in deciding what you need to do differently today and tomorrow. The past is important for correcting mistakes and moving forward as a better person. But getting bogged down in the past constantly wishing that you had lived your life differently is like quicksand. You will keep sinking stuck in the past.

For better or worse your past has shaped who you are today. And today is a new day rich in endless possibilities if you just keep your sights ahead. And in case you don’t know this, no matter what you did in the past that was wrong, God has already forgiven you. Totally and unconditionally. Every wrong was nailed on that cross with Jesus. Acknowledge what you did wrong and the forgiveness will be clear.

I know people who live today wanting to somehow change the past. You can’t. It’s impossible. What you can do is move forward using the past as instruction for moving ahead.

Only looking ahead—the ONLY way to live life.

Have a GREAT day today and tomorrow moving straight ahead in your life!