Turn Toward Love

Posted on January 4, 2016 by billtonnis

arrow_turn_around

Matthew 4:17

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

What better way to start the year than with the words of Jesus at the very beginning of his public ministry? When John the Baptist was arrested…Jesus’ ministry began. It was time. Jesus started with the word “Repent”…which means: “Turn around!” Turn away from the ways you are looking for fulfillment and happiness. Turn toward the only source of fulfillment that can truly satisfy and bring you peace and wholeness (or “salvation”). Jesus said that he is “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Follow Jesus and his ways and you will experience God’s unconditional love, mercy, grace, forgiveness and compassion. The “kingdom of heaven” will truly be “at hand”…right here…right now.

Listen to the song of the day “I Want to Follow You” by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

CD’s available for purchase at BillTonnisMusic.com by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Happy New Moment

Posted on January 1, 2016 by billtonnis

present-box

Each moment is called the present because each is a gift.

Be present to that gift.

 

Thanks to you for reading my blog!

With much gratitude,

~ Bill

All my songs can be heard for free on YouTube.

To sample and/or purchase my songs click here: iTunes

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Eternal Acceptance

Posted on December 24, 2015 by billtonnis

sunrise_ocean_eternal

Psalm 89:3

For you said, “My love is established forever; my loyalty will stand as long as the heavens.”

God’s love for us is beyond our understanding. It’s eternal. God’s Love became flesh in Jesus. In Jesus we see all that God Is. We see love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, compassion and justice personified. We see this love poured out in the face of persecution and crucifixion. We see true Unconditional Love that forgives even the greatest injustice of all (“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34). How else would we know God’s love is unconditional? Allow that Love to embrace you…especially where you don’t feel worthy of such love. That is precisely where God wants you to experience what Unconditional Love means! Allow this Love to bring you new life. Now…pass that same Love along to all people and all of creation.

Listen to the song of the day “Pour Me Out” by clicking HERE.

Free sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

CD’s available for purchase at BillTonnisMusic.com by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Compassion Calls

Posted on December 23, 2015 by billtonnis

floorplan_sprout

Psalm 25:4-5

Make known to me your ways, Lord; teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior.

We are all here for a reason. Why else would we be created? Scripture tells us that God is love. If God is Love then each of us is created in love for love. Some questions to ponder: How am I responding to this great gift of life? Am I being guided by my ego’s desires…or by God’s? Am I even aware that God has plans for me? It is essential that each of us take time in silence to listen to the deep desires of our hearts…desires placed there by our Creator. May we empty ourselves…let go of our egos…and open a space for Love to fill. How will God become flesh in you this Christmas? What new life is in the process of being birthed to bring Love to the world?

Listen to the song of the day “Shall We Sing” by clicking HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

CD’s available for purchase at BillTonnisMusic.com by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Unconditionally Loved

Posted on December 22, 2015 by billtonnis

celebrate_praise

Luke 1:46-49

And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”

If we would be as humble and open as Mary was…emptying ourselves of our egos’ desires…and opening ourselves to God’s desires…we would experience the unfolding of our hearts’ desires. We would be the unique vessel of God’s unconditional love to the world. The Word would indeed become flesh in us! Then each of us…by our very being…would proclaim and rejoice in the greatness of our Creator. Each of us would profess, “The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is the name of God.”

To listen to the song of the day “Give Praise and Thanks” click HERE.

Sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

CD’s available for purchase at BillTonnisMusic.com by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Be Open

Posted on December 21, 2015 by billtonnis

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Psalm 33:20-21

Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and shield. For in God our hearts rejoice; in your holy name we trust.

Do we spend most of our time “wanting”…or “waiting”? In a consumeristic culture that tells us we need more and more stuff…wanting has become a way of life. Advent is a time of waiting. In Christian theology it is waiting for the coming of God in human flesh. How is God trying to become flesh in you? Trust that your Loving Creator wants to come to life in you. But you must be open to receiving this new life. Let go of your ego’s insatiable cravings that will only provide temporary satisfaction. Instead…wait expectantly for God to deliver something of divine proportions that might be totally unexpected…but exactly what will satisfy your soul’s desire for inner peace and joy. “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

Listen to the song of the day “Breathe On Me” by clicking HERE.

Free sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

CD’s available for purchase at BillTonnisMusic.com by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Love Will Light Your Path

Posted on December 18, 2015 by billtonnis

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Matthew 1:20

Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.”

Did you ever have something unexpected happen to you out of the blue that shook your foundation? Sometimes we simply cannot make sense of it…and there is no way around it. These are the times that we need to rely on a Greater Power than our own. Joseph, like Mary, must have been very much attuned to this Greater Power. Instead of clinging to a very rigid “either/or” mentality as in either Mary is a virgin and is not pregnant or she is not a virgin and she is pregnant…he opened himself to a “both/and” mentality: Mary is both a virgin and pregnant. I think the real lesson here is: Do we really believe that all things are possible with God (as Jesus stated in Matthew (19:26)? Joseph and Mary show us how to set aside our plans…and be open to God’s plans. Are we open to the possibility that God wants to give birth to something new in our lives? That “birthing” may involve an unexpected change!

Listen to the song of the day “Take the Road Less Traveled” click HERE.

Free sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

CD’s available for purchase at BillTonnisMusic.com by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Be Yourself

Posted on December 17, 2015 by billtonnis

mountains_river_channel

Matthew 1:17

Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

The lineage of humankind is long. Life continues to beget life. A Great Love is at work…creating. Despite hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years of our turning away from such Love, returning, turning away, and returning…this Love never turns away from us. Our Creator’s message has always been, “I love you. I will never leave you. You are my beloved.” We see the total nature of God’s love expressed in Jesus. It is a Love that would give everything…even unto death…for the sake of the beloved. This is the Love that sustains us! How can I channel that same Love to the world? What part am I playing…in God’s love story?

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

Free sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

CD’s available for purchase at BillTonnisMusic.com by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Believe

Posted on December 16, 2015 by billtonnis

sunset_peace

Psalm 85:9

I will listen for the word of God; surely the Lord will proclaim peace to his people, to the faithful, to those who trust in him.

Are you listening for God’s silent whisper in your heart? Whenever you feel any sense of fear or anxiety…immediately listen for an inner voice of calm. When a violent storm was threatening to sink a boat carrying Jesus and his followers…they cried out to him for help. His response: “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26); Then he calmed the winds and the sea. In Jesus…we know who God Is. When John the Baptist sent his followers to Jesus to ask if he really was the Messiah, Jesus replied, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (Luke 7:22). This is a God of love who proclaims peace to us. Trust!

Listen to the song of the day “Heal Me” by clicking HERE.

Free sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

CD’s available for purchase at BillTonnisMusic.com by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Mercy Reigns

Posted on December 15, 2015 by billtonnis

mountains-_grandeur

Matthew 21:31

Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.”

The religious leaders did not take kindly to these words from Jesus. They seemed to be the only ones whom Jesus criticized. They were always focused on following the rules and rigidly holding all to those rules without any measure of mercy. Instead of unconditionally loving their neighbors…they were judging them by a standard that was very “black and white.” Of course…they were also self-righteous…pretending as though they did not have their own moral shortcomings. On the other hand, the tax collectors and prostitutes had been breaking the rules but were trying to change their ways after encountering the unconditional love of Jesus. It was Mercy that transformed their hearts…not chastisement. When Love invites us to turn away from things that hurt our relationship with God and begin to mirror this unconditional love to the world…we begin to enter the kingdom of God here and now. Instead of concerning myself over making someone else change…why not concern myself over how I can change in order to bring about the kingdom of God?

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

Free sample and/or purchase my songs by clicking HERE.

CD’s available for purchase at BillTonnisMusic.com by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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