New Year Resolutions

Christmas has passed and the New Year is upon us. It's a time to reflect and evaluate our lives, figuring out what has worked well for us this year and what needs improvement or changed entirely. It does us no harm to realize we need to change things that are not working. What does harm us and others is not changing those things we could do better. We should ask ourselves how we can better serve our Lord and our families.

I have several resolutions to make this year, things I wish to improve in my life as it pertains to the relationship I have with God.

1)     I wish to increase the time I devote to God, solely one on one.

2)     I wish to incorporate time to reflect on what I have read in the Bible, so that it has the opportunity to sink in and penetrate my mind and heart.  

3)     I wish to spend more time spreading the gospel to people that are unfamiliar with God’s word.

4)     I wish to begin serving an agape meal to share on Sunday with the less fortunate as Jesus did when he walked this earth as well as the early home churches.

5)     I have an idea how to better care for the less fortunate that better serves God’s purpose using his own ideals and values, taking a hand-out and converting it into a hand-up. Thus reserving people’s dignity and allowing them to help themselves without breaking the food bank. (Several of the local food banks ran out of food last year, so I have been working on an idea that will perpetuate the food supply.)

 I wish to emulate Mary, she took the things the Lord told her to heart and she meditated on these things. I think it would help me to understand God's word better, if not feel much closer to him on an everyday basis. I wish to build a closer relationship with God and don't we all?

I have read that monks pray continually no matter what they are doing, they continue to pray to the Lord. I don't think at this time that I have the kind of concentration it requires. I can barely do one thing at a time without forgetting what I was doing or getting distracted by something else that I see that needs to be done. So, if I work on meditating on the things I read in God's word it will be a step in the right direction. 

There are many other things I am working on changing in my life in the coming New Year. As I am sure many of you want to work on as well; some want better health, to lose weight, to spend more time with family, to save more money, spend less and these are all admirable goals. I encourage everyone to try to make the changes in their life to become happier, healthier and closer to God. You may want to ask yourself what you might do to better serve the Lord. May God bless you in the New Year!

Where Is The Line To See Jesus?

If you have not had the opportunity to see this wonderful video of Becky Kelly singing the song "Where's the Line to See Jesus" you are missing out on one of the few modern songs out there that remind us the true meaning of Christmas is Jesus.

The song brought back many memories of Christmas pageants I attended as a child and of  the family traditions we started when my children were small. The reading of the Christmas story was a tradition as well as attending midnight mass together as a family. No matter where the family members were at Christmas, whether together or apart, we all attended midnight mass knowing that we would all be there together if only in spirit. It always filled my heart with love, joy and a peaceful feeling. We found it to be the best way for us to welcome Christmas morning by praising God and thanking him for the wondrous selfless gift of his son to the world. 

As the children grew older we made it a practice to give needy children Christmas gifts of things they really needed and would otherwise have to do without. My children got to pick their own recipient's name from the Angel tree that listed things of necessity. Using their own money they bought those gifts for them plus a toy and treats. I wanted my children to experience the warmth and joyous feeling you get from giving to others.

With my children grown many of our Christmas traditions seemed empty and meaningless. There was no one there to eat the special treats I was used to making and only two presents around our tree. Since we had no real wants, we decided to share Christmas with local families who were less fortunate and we have been doing that for many years now. It is still my favorite way to tell the story of Jesus to others, the true gift of Christmas.

It offends me when I see the overt commercial Christmas season that deprives Jesus of being the focal point of the holiday. Jesus is still the reason for the season. Many of us have forgotten him in the heat of Black Friday sales and in the long lines to see Santa at the store. Nearly all gifts bought have nothing to do with the reason we celebrate Christmas.

What can we do about it? I have asked this over the years and here is what I have done: I have stopped buying gifts from stores that don't allow the name "Christmas" in their store ads. I no longer financially support companies that try to eliminate Christ in anyway. I make my family gifts with my own hands from materials gathered throughout the year. In doing so, not only am I being thrifty and eliminating debt but my gifts reflect the love in which they were made and are more personal. I spend Christmas with the Lord and my family, thanking God for his son’s birth. Jesus offers us salvation if we come to him, the true gift of Christmas. That is what Christmas is all about.

I would like to encourage everyone to restore Jesus to his rightful place as the Star of Christmas, our savior, Christ the Lord. "Where Is The Line To See Jesus?" really brings this message home. Thank you, Becky Kelly, for bringing it to our attention.

How to Experience Peace and Tranquility in a World of Hate

Tis the season for peace on earth and good will toward men and yet we find ourselves surrounded by hatred and dissension. Around the world tension is rising and war seems inevitable. Israel is once again threatened with it's extinction. There are people who profess a belief in God but have no desire for a peaceful existence with anyone who believes something different than themselves.

When a person limits their view to their earthly existence, they can only hope for a false peace. A peace with only the outward appearance of tranquility. In reality, they only desire the illusion of security by attaining the greatest possible material wealth with the least possible effort. They build an imperfect and unsustainable peace that is doomed to fail. They will be bitterly disappointed, it is only a fragile sense of peace that is easily destroyed. The Lord, Jesus, shortly before his ascension into heaven told us, "Peace I leave with you: my peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give to you."

There are two kinds of peace: that which men can make for themselves and that which is the gift of God. Man's peace is imposed by the force of weapons and is terribly fragile. Man's peace doesn't last because his greed and selfish desire for power always overpowers his desire for peace. Man's peace is but a mere semblance of peace that is founded on fear and mistrust. On the other hand, the peace that comes from God is born in the heart and is a strong and lasting peace. Because God's peace is founded on justice and love it permeates the heart. It is God's gift to us, who love his commandments and live by his word.

Having a close personal relationship with God is the basis for a Christian's sense of joy and peace. In this sense of peace, we will find our true security, a warmth and trust for the future. We live with the assurance that.... "in everything God works for good with those who love him," as St. Paul told the first Christians in Rome. This assurance is also the source of our strength in difficult times. We shouldn't be frightened or fear any harm even though the circumstances we are experiencing may become unbearable, for God's hand is as powerful as it has ever been. If it becomes necessary, God can and will work miracles. We should have a great deal of peace in knowing that we have protection in God's hands.

If we earnestly seek God, though he may see that we have faults and imperfections that shouldn't be there, he will still the winds and calm the sea of our troubles. He will also give us the peace we seek, we have but to possess the faith of a mustard seed, turn to him and trust him to experience a great calm and lasting peace.

May I wish everyone a blessed Christmas and holiday season. It is my hope that God has a prominent place in your celebration this and every year for we should always put God first. I also wish you the peace and tranquility that only truly exists walking by his side.