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BE A BRIDGE
Everything you say and do should stem out of love. If at work, home, or in your community people are not performing the way you think – is it a you problem or a they problem? It is both! As Christians, we are to look at our own hearts first and check ourselves out and our intentions. Love is sacrificial. So what that means is you will be inconvenienced whether it is to take time to stop and help your spouse, children, family, coworkers, bosses, neighbors, churches, schools, hospitals, communities, government, etc. If you think the people you are surrounded by should just know what to do but aren’t doing…
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SOS Friendship
As I was preparing for a women’s Bible study, and a teaching for my youth ministry, the two topics for the group had the same message on relationships. I was blown away on how the issues of diverse groups would be the same for the same week. As I prayed before preparing my talks, I began to recognize God had something He wanted to address regarding the importance of relationships. A sweet friendship refreshes the soul. (Proverbs 27:9) The women’s group will be studying the importance of good friendships and the importance of nurturing the friendships. I began to wrestle with what makes friendships hard, and the answer is we…
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So Now What?
In Genesis, when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, they appeared naked, became ashamed and hid. God asks them why they were hiding. He knew, but wanted Adam and Eve to acknowledge the truth. This is the case for us today in the Church. It doesn’t matter the denomination. Sin has crept into the leadership of our churches. The secret in the churches today are entangled in gluttony, sloth, envy, pride, greed, anger and lust. The truth is coming out bigly regarding the sins of the leaders; unfortunately it has been there for a while. In the last two years, I have researched about what was going on…
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Jesus Prayed For You
Following my Morning Prayer, I grabbed a cup of coffee, and scrolled through the Newsfeed on Face Book. When I came upon a friend’s post asking this question, “Did you know that Jesus prayed for you? Go check it out in John 17.” I was curious and grabbed my Bible and read John 17. I was blown away in that Our Lord Jesus prayed for us before his arrest and crucifixion. How did I miss this for all these years? I had heard the Scriptures so many times regarding the Last Supper, Crucifixion, and the Resurrection, but somehow I had missed the middle part on the night Jesus prayed in…
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Disposable
Have you ever invested in someone or something only to have them brush you away as if you were disposable? You poured your heart and soul out only to be dropped as if you never mattered. NEXT! Disposable is defined as, “intended to be used once, or until no longer useful, and then thrown away. Why are we such a disposable society when it comes to people? Maybe the bigger question is why are we a disposable church? Often times, people in ministry or church, are disposed of in the name of the Lord, or it’s movement. “Oh well, we must trust in God and His plan.” I am here…
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Hiding Out
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been shy. I remember one time my mom had taken me to a photographer for a kindergarten picture. I froze in fear and could not smile. When I was a first grade student at recess time you would find me hiding next to the school building. Today, as God calls me to come out of my insecurity, I often feel like the little girl hiding behind the school building. I recently attended a silent retreat. I entered the retreat with no expectations and was excited to have some quiet time to pray. The leaders of the retreat gave us some various…
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I Am NOT Getting Anything Out of Church
This past week, I was visiting with a young mom. She said, ” I don’t even know why I go to Church?” I knew her statement deserved a well thought out response. I asked her why she was feeling this way and she stated, “I’m frustrated and pondering why I even go to church? I have two little ones, and my husband works nights and can’t always go to church with me and the kids.” In spite of the obstacles, the young mom made the decision to go alone and take her two little ones to church. As she entertained them and kept them quiet, she couldn’t concentrate on Mass…
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The Church Has No Room for Cliques
I have observed cliques in my various ministries whether I ministered to college students, women, youth, small parishes, big parishes, and Dioceses. Cliques inside a church starts innocently as a community striving for holiness. In a matter of time an elite metamorphosis begins to occur. When a body of believers becomes exclusive they begin to segregate themselves from the rest of the community. When this process begins, evangelism is halted. Instead of the church being open, inviting and sharing the good news to all, it becomes exclusive. The Kingdom of God is open to all sinners and saints. It is important to recognize and do what is necessary to halt…
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A Canned Soup Ministry
A week has passed since the death of our Pastor, friend and boss. Fr. Pete was his name. His passing has left us with an avalanche of grief, shock and sadness. As I reflect on Fr. Pete and his ministry, I smile when I think about “Wednesdays with Fr. Pete”. Fr. Pete would arrange meetings with his staff and parish members on Wednesdays. If your time to meet with him was from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm on Wednesday, your meeting time consisted of cooking with him in the kitchen. During the meeting time, there would be talking, planning and cooking simultaneously. Looking back to my first meeting with Fr.…
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My Name
“A good name is to be more desired than great wealth.” Proverbs 22:1 I have taken an opportunity during my time at home this past year to write a Bible study for women. Throughout the writing process, I have had some agreeable women assist me by test-driving the resources I have written. I am presently using 1 John as the Scripture theme to teach women to know who they are in Christ, and how to live out an authentic life in Christ. This sounds so straightforward! However being a woman myself, I am here to tell you, it is everything but easy. One particular day, I explained the significance of…
