Deacon Speakin'

It shouldn't be easy. It should hurt a bit, it should sting, and have a tinge of bitterness...because the taste of separation shouldn't be desirable, but it should be necessary to end one chapter and start another - or else why would we appreciate the successes that letting go brings.

God spoke to Saul in an undeniable way that got his attention. Perhaps more remarkable, Saul listened, and believed, and followed. Whenever I hear the story of St Paul, it is a reminder of hope. Hope that even a broken sinner like me is not hopeless in God's eyes. And even though we might not get knocked out of the saddle in a literal sense, God will vie for our attention every day.

Even as faithful followers of Christ, even as the best intended Christians, we can still find ourselves blindly sitting and crying out. What if we aren't called to know Him better because someone else really didn't have the time for us? What if our desperation and hopelessness was just too much of a burden for someone else's good life. When things are going well and life seems to be going our way, are we as close to God as we are in our desperation?

Family reunions always do well to re-inflate my tires after they have been running low for a time. They remind of who I am and where I come from, and they give me courage to approach the world armed with the backing of generations before me who made me what I am and make me who I will be. God's family is the exact same.

What Jesus is trying to tell us is that there are many who will see the kingdom of heaven who haven't quite lived a long full life of prayer, service, and faithfulness to Jesus Christ. If a sinner can give her life to Jesus in her dying breath and reach the kingdom of heaven - I should jump for joy and sing praises to a loving, forgiving God who could welcome in to His kingdom such as these. It gives me hope that maybe there is a place for us too.

There are those who would want you to believe that saying you have a relationship with God is good enough; that "I tell God my sins, and he hears me and it makes me feel better." That is not good enough. If we are to be His hands and feet on this earth then feet do not stand well on ground that is on fire - you've got to keep moving them - lest you find yourself burning alive.

The secular world is a very scary place if you let it be. The secular realm, in many cases - not all cases, but many cases would have you to believe that the world is wiser now than our ancestors' world; that somewhere along the way, some of us evolved into higher thinkers of the bigger subjects of our lives - one of those subjects being religion. Many, again not all, but many would have you to believe that religion is a myth - some ancient stories passed along by less evolved thinkers; those who feared the world and not among the brave who stand up to old ideas like the big thinkers of today. They pity us and hope that one day our thinking might evolve - or advance to reach a modern standard; one in which Christianity has its place in dusty storybooks of our ancestors.

Fathers can come in many shapes and sizes, there are big fathers, small fathers, thick fathers and thin fathers, There are the bold and unique, the simple and extravagant and there are the timid and there are the brave; any kind of father you can imagine we probably know one. Then you have your father; the man who made you who you are - biologically. Some of them are the best guys ever and some not so desirable in many standards, but you cannot deny the man who contributed to your gene pool; love em or hate em; dad is dad.

God puts the doors up and places no requirements on you; He only encourages your free will to pass through the doors and realize the unknown. And you know, as it comes from God and when approached with God in mind - it is always good and necessary; even when it doesn't go along with your plan.

"...you are anxious and worried about many things...there is need of only one thing..." Will you choose the better part? In your busy week of being a Martha, can you find a little time to be a Mary? Tune in to the Catholic Deacon Podcast for details.

Life always presents us with unchained dogs who scare us; even to the point that we yell and complain and blame the owners or even simply blame the dog. We can't rid the world of animals that are aggressive toward us and we certainly can't expect dogs not to be dogs - or better yet, we can't expect people not to be people...

I received a great tool for my spiritual toolbox, you see I collect tools as I learn lessons and I put them in my toolbox to be used again in the future. If you don't have a toolbox, I suggest you start one and I bet you will be surprised at the number of tools you have laying around and waiting for you to use them.

Have you ever tried to catch fish without the proper tools? Without a rod or reel? Without bait? Have you ever reached into the water to just try to grab a fish? It is difficult to do - fish are quick and unpredictable, making it difficult to even get close to them most times, but even if you manage to grab hold of one, they are rather slick and slimy making difficult to keep ahold of before they slip away. Are you a fish that the fisherman desires?

You know, not all of us will get along in this life as friends or hardly anything else, but love goes beyond friendships and sees people, such as yourself, who are moving through this world in the best way they know how for this moment in their lives. Maybe their ways do not match up with yours and maybe it even repels or repulses you - the way they live and the things they do. Maybe they are most in need of your loving prayer. It could be your greatest act of kindness today to pray for them.

What do you expect of God? Do you expect Him to be the stranger sitting next to you or the lady you passed who appeared to be struggling...the lady you passed while trying not to make eye contact? Do you expect Him to look like the addict, or the prisoner, or the homeless? Do you expect Him to be any of these things?

Silence is everywhere - it is always there. It just sounds differently with so many unnecessary additives...

A three-legged stool gets wobbly when one of the legs are gone and your spiritual foundation can get wobbly without faith, hope, and love. Together they are the answer for a troubled world; seperate of each other and things start to get jittery...

I grew up knowing my Dad as well as I could, and in a single moment he revealed something to me that deepened my admiration and love for him as the most courageous act of bravery I had heard of his experiences in Viet Nam.

Back in my childhood, and down a long country lane in the hills and hollers of Jackson County, stands a single red bud tree with a wooden fence post laid under it...for many years, not a single blade of grass grew under that three. But, it is a sweet memory back where the grass don't grow.

The suffering of others can trigger a reflex in us to want to help; that desire to lift up someone who is hurting and make things better. Maybe its not a reflex at all, but maybe it is an innate gift from God in its simplest form...a calling to be like Him.

There is negativity everywhere you turn: the news, social media, the newspapers, blogs, Twitter, etc...perhaps we don't think enough about the good things around us. So, I give you something to brighten your day and maybe your soul! It's called Seven Good Things!

We will always apply earthly attributes to heavenly notions...like our views of heaven...what do you picture heaven as?

Sin creeps in when we aren't looking and it can keep us from hearing the teachings of Jesus with things such as jealousy, pride, resentment, hate, and disdain...what strings are you holding that creates your web?

When Jesus says, "Love one another..." it's not just to love those who make it easy...it is everyone. All people...good...bad...lovable...not so lovable.

To believe is to know and to know is to trust. What are you waiting for? This is a call to action for all of the waiting folks.

What we put into our bodies can have a profound effect on our output...junkfood, snacks, sugars - all affect us in some way. But, what are you putting into your body spiritually?

When all the problems, challenges, and drama in your life are big...why would you want to make yourself very small?

What would you say is the sweetest prayer? The Lord's Prayer? The Hail Mary? There are so many! Who is to say which is sweeter?

I really can't explain how Bob Dylan made his way into this sermon, but the Lord works in mysterious ways!

Remember how it was as a child, when you were really looking forward to something? Anything? That same feeling of anticipation, like a child awaits for Christmas morning, is still within you!

The saying goes, 'Father knows best..." so why would we say that the Lord's way is not fair? Do we find ourselves as children who complain when we don't get what we want? What are our expectations of God anyway?

How do you convince a Christian of the Christian faith?

The Great Blondin was a tightrope walker who always amazed his fans! But one day he asked something incredible and his fans and manager were in shock...could this be the same question God asks of us?

Wisdom from Grandma passed to me on a hot summer day in the 1980s