Let Go and Live

Posted on January 30, 2018 by billtonnis

butterfly_cocoon

May your journey lead you to wholeness.

(Listen to the song of the day “Come to Jesus” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Mark 5:41-43

Jesus took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.

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Can you imagine being present in that room when Jesus actually brought this girl back to life?

I’m sure we all would have been “utterly astounded”!

We all go through various “deaths” as we take our spiritual journeys.

It seems the pains and sorrows we encounter are necessary to loosen the grip of our egos on our lives…so that we might enter into a bigger story.

We need to know in our heart that this life is not my story…but God’s story.

It seems to be the only way our egos will willingly let go.

Otherwise, our lives become all about creating a “false self” by gratifying the insatiable desires of our egos.

My “true self” can only emerge when my “false self” dies.

Jesus showed us that his concern was for the healing and wholeness of others.

Notice in today’s scripture how he wants the miracle to remain a total secret.

That’s because Jesus doesn’t want the focus on him…but on the healing of the girl.

It’s not about his ego…but her wholeness.

Jesus has that same concern for you.

If you need healing and new life…do not fear.

Let go…turn to Jesus and hear his voice say, “Arise!”

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Listen to the song of the day “Come to Jesus” on the Live to Love album by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs on iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Be Still

Posted on January 29, 2018 by billtonnis

dark_sky_ocean_sun

Amidst every struggle may you awaken to a peace beyond understanding.

(Listen to my song “Make Your Way” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Psalm 3:6-7

Whenever I lay down and slept, the Lord preserved me to rise again. I do not fear, then, thousands of people arrayed against me on every side.

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Sometimes life is tough and it can feel like there are so many people against us.

It can feel like life is against us.

Jesus experienced this in the worst possible way and continued to respond in love.

The truth is, life will deliver difficulties.

It is not to make you miserable but to wake you up.

The difficulties may be obstacles to deal with, but they only cause suffering when your mind starts telling you unpleasant stories about them.

The truth is…your truest self at your deepest core…is always safe and secure in the Love of God.

When you rest in the moment…even though life is handing you struggles…all is well.

God is with you and cannot let you go.

When you let go…turning over your need to control the situation…and allow God to lead you…you will experience peace amidst the storms.

If you are going through something difficult this day…invite God to help. 

Wake up and rise again.

Do not fear.

Trust that you are being led by Love to New Life!

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Listen to the song of the day “Make Your Way” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs on iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Come Together

Posted on January 26, 2018 by billtonnis

feet_hands_grass

May we all take part in God’s unfolding love story.

(Listen to my song “Shall We Sing” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Mark 4:26-27

Jesus said, “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.”

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For Jesus, the “kingdom of God” is clearly not some distant heaven.

It is available now.

As Jesus said: “No one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:21).

Unfortunately, many have warped this teaching about God’s kingdom into an evacuation plan to a heavenly reward…and made our lives into individual “private salvation projects” as Thomas Merton put it.

God is in a constant state of loving us.

That is what unconditional Love does.

It’s a Flow.

It is as if seeds of love were being scattered about.

The seeds are sprouting and growing everywhere…quite unbeknownst to us.

This Love is slowly transforming everything.

It is drawing us forward to the fullness of who we are as beloved sons and daughters of God.

This is the coming of the kingdom of God here on Earth.

Jesus is asking us to be a partner in building this kingdom or “realm of God” in our communities and beyond…by spreading seeds of that same Unconditional Love to others and all of creation.

Let us do this together.

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Listen to the song of the day “Shall We Sing” on the Listen to Your Heart album by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs on iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Action Required

Posted on January 25, 2018 by billtonnis

mountains_dawn

Good preaching means little without good works.

(Listen to my song  “Make Me a Channel” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Mark 16:15

Jesus said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

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If Jesus wanted the gospel to be proclaimed to “every creature”…then I’m thinking he meant something more than just saying words.

The gospel…or “good news”…is that God loves everyone and all of creation unconditionally.

How do you proclaim that kind of news to “every creature”?

You do it by treating them with love and care.

You do it be tending to all the earth with love and care.

And you can’t tend to creatures or creation if you are not aware of it all.

Presence is required…being present to what is…getting outside of your egocentric outlook.

Speaking the gospel is certainly a good thing…but fairly meaningless without doing the gospel as well.

Legend has it that St. Francis said,

“Preach the gospel often. And when necessary, use words.”

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Listen to the song of the day “Make Me a Channel” on the Listen to Your Heart album by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs on iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Be Present

Posted on January 24, 2018 by billtonnis

flower_field_closeup

May we slow down so we can truly live.

(Listen to my song “Slow Me Down” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Mark 4:18-19

“Those (seeds) sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.”

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We have probably heard the words of Jesus many times…either read to us or through our own reading of scripture.

But the question is: Have the “seeds” (Jesus’ words) sprouted and taken root?

Continuing with that metaphor…have we tended our soil?

How fertile is our soil?

Do we “fertilize” by setting aside time to practice silent prayer or to contemplate and reflect on scripture?

Do we regularly take part in spiritual reading?

Do we consciously open our awareness to see and to hear God through our interactions with people and nature?

Or, do we allow “worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things” to rule our lives?

Perhaps if we spent more time cultivating our soil…the thorns (all the distractions of the world) would wither…and our lives would blossom in ways we could never have imagined!

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Listen to the song of the day “Slow Me Down” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs on iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Solidarity

Posted on January 23, 2018 by billtonnis

hands_joining_sun

May we all come to see that we are one human family.

(Listen to my song “All Are One” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Mark 3:35

“For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

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In today’s scripture, Jesus made this statement right after being told that his mother and family were at the door.

His response would seem to have been somewhat insulting to them…but we know that this is not the case since Jesus adhered to the Commandment “Honor your father and mother.”

We know that Jesus sometimes made statements to jar his listeners and awaken them to a deeper truth.

The only way we can be doing God’s will…is by being present to the Divine Presence.

When we are truly present to another…we offer them the sacrament of the present moment…to quote a phrase used 300 years ago by a Jesuit priest Jean-Pierre de Caussade.

This moment is the only time when we can meet God who is always present.

It is we who are not present…often lost in our thoughts of the past and future.

Since “God is love” (1 John 4:8)…then when we are present we are also one with Love and everyone around us.

All divisions fall away and we are one human family.

It is then that we are in the flow of God’s will.

Be present to the Love that sustains everything.

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Listen to the song of the day “All Are One” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs on iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Serve

Posted on January 22, 2018 by billtonnis

hands_reaching_help

May you hear your call to compassion and social justice.

(Listen to my song “Mercy Reigns” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Psalm 89:21

“I have chosen David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him.”

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David became a great king.

He had a compassionate heart to care for God’s people.

But…he also had some rather dark flaws.

He committed adultery and murder.

Certainly God knew that David had weaknesses in his character.

But God never turned away from David when David turned away from God.

God kept loving him…and David returned again and again.

What is your character flaw?

What have you done to turn away from God?

Whatever it is…know this:

God has not turned away from you and continues to love you.

As a matter of fact, the place of your flaw or wound will become the very place where you will experience God’s healing love and forgiveness.

The wound will become a “sacred wound” because it will be the very place that will lead to your transformation and ability to reach out and become a “wounded healer” to others.

You are also God’s chosen servant.

By Grace you are set free!

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Listen to the song of the day “Mercy Reigns” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs on iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Awestruck

Posted on January 19, 2018 by billtonnis

universe_stars_galaxies

We are part of a grand, unfolding love story.

(Listen to my song “How Magnificent, Wondrous and Glorious” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Psalm 57:6

Be exalted above the heavens, O God; above all the earth be your glory!

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If you can look past the delusions and misery caused by human greed for power, prestige and possessions…God’s glory is indeed showing everywhere.

Not just within our earthly bubble…but far, far beyond.

The universe…at an estimated 92 billion light-years in diameter…is too vast to comprehend and appears to be still expanding.

It is estimated to be around 14 billion years old.

The numbers boggle the mind.

If you look up at a clear night sky at the amazing array of stars and galaxies…you will find your mouth dropping open in awe and wonder.

At the same time, gaze at the sweet, smiling face of a baby and feel your heart warm.

Look upon the intricate yet delicate beauty of a tiny flower.

Now stop and ponder this: The Creator of it all…also created you and me.

How magnificent, wondrous and glorious is God!

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Listen to the song of the day “How Magnificent, Wondrous and Glorious” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs on iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Have Faith

Posted on January 18, 2018 by billtonnis

dawn_morning

We are being sustained by the Source of all Compassion.

(Listen to my song “Make Your Way” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Psalm 56:3

O Most High, when I am afraid, in you I place my trust.

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God is always there for you even when it feels otherwise.

Feelings of God’s Presence are beautiful.

But there are many times when those feelings are absent.

Mother Teresa and many other mystics experienced this void as the “dark night of the soul.”

Even Jesus experienced this feeling on the cross when he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

But God had not abandoned Jesus.

Every dark night is eventually followed by the light of dawn.

New life is being birthed.

Death did not have the final say with Jesus.

The resurrection of The Christ followed.

Love has no end.

This is the pattern for everyone and all things.

You are included in this transforming process.

So trust…let go…and awaken.

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Listen to the song of the day “Make Your Way” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs on iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Love Endures

Posted on January 17, 2018 by billtonnis

children_hugging

Be the compassionate change we so desperately need.

(Listen to my song “Mercy Reigns” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Mark 3:5

Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored.

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Jesus was always about healing people, bringing them together and restoring them to wholeness.

But the religious leaders at the time were more concerned about doing their religion.

The law was absolute.

They were angry that on the sabbath…Jesus cured a man’s withered hand and that his disciples were picking heads of grain…breaking the religious rule against doing any labor on the holy day.

Jesus was “angry and grieved at their hardness of heart.”

A religion should be leading its followers to become more merciful, compassionate and forgiving…but, sadly, many times it does the exact opposite. 

Christianity should be leading you to reach out in acceptance and love to others who are in need…just like Jesus did.

It should be leading you on a transformational journey to wholeness, awareness and becoming your true self.

In your time of need…Jesus reaches out his hand to you in unconditional love.

We are called to do the same.

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Listen to the song of the day “Mercy Reigns” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs on iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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