Be Present

Posted on June 17, 2013 by billtonnis

2 Corinthians 6:2
Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

This whole business about being present and being centered in the now…is not some new age concoction. St. Paul was aware of the importance of the moment. Contemplatives, mystics (and many later recognized as “Saints”) were all aware that the only time that is real…the only time that you can connect with the Living God…is now. What happened yesterday is a shadow…and what is to happen in the future is unknown. God is present here and now and it’s the only place and time where your Loving Source can fill you with grace. It’s the only place and time where you can rest in a Love that is unconditional…a Love that completes and saves you…a Love that wants to co-create with you. Stop and take a few slow, deep breaths. Let go. Empty yourself. Allow that Presence to fill you. Now is a very acceptable time!

Suggested song of the day– “Changed” on the Give Praise and Thanks album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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Paschal Mystery

Posted on June 14, 2013 by billtonnis

2 Corinthians 4:8-10
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.

Jesus gave us the blueprint for each of our lives. He showed us how to live and told us that we would have crosses to bear in this life. When you treat all people as equal…love all people regardless of their actions…and use your life to make the world a more compassionate and just place…you will be met with resistance from those who don’t believe as you do. We will meet with opposition. But if we react in love…while still standing for justice…we will be walking with Jesus. We will be living signs of Christ. We will be His hands and feet. And if metaphorically our hands and feet are also nailed to a cross…we will also experience resurrection and new life…in the present and in the age to come. How can you be a sign of Christ amidst your afflictions and persecutions?

Suggested song of the day– “I Want to Follow You” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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Right Relationship

Posted on June 13, 2013 by billtonnis

Matthew 5:23-24
“Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

Being in right relationship is usually more important than being right. If we’re honest with ourselves…usually being right is more about our egos. Jesus makes it clear that a right relationship with God also depends on our relationships with one another. We are all part of one body. If we want our relationship with God to be a good one…then we have to make sure that our relationships with family, friends, strangers and all of creation…are okay too. How are those relationships going…and what needs to change so that all may be one?

Suggested song of the day– “Make Me a Channel” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” link.
Have a blessed day!

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Life Giving Grace

Posted on June 12, 2013 by billtonnis

2 Corinthians 3:5-6
Our qualification comes from God, who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life.

We are all called to be ministers of God in whatever state of life we are in. The new covenant made with us by Jesus is God’s unconditional, unmerited love. It is freely given to us by God. It is grace. It is not based on what we do or how well we follow the rules (the “letter” or the “letter of the law” or “law”) but simply accepting God’s grace. That is the path to true life! Do you accept it?

Suggested song of the day– “God Is” on the Give Praise and Thanks album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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God’s Reflection

Posted on June 11, 2013 by billtonnis

Matthew 5:16
“Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

You have heard it said that we are “made in God’s image.” Then we should reflect the love of God. How can we best reflect God’s light to the world? The key will be how we use our gifts, time and talents to make the world a more loving, merciful, forgiving and compassionate place. It’s also the process to becoming your true self. (Jesus is you perfect guide.) God’s light shining through you will be totally unique. Bask for a moment in the light of God’s free, unmerited love and acceptance. How will you reflect that same Light to the world today?

Suggested song of the day– “May I Be Light” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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Beatitudes

Posted on June 10, 2013 by billtonnis

Matthew 5:3, 9
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

In these “Beatitudes” that Jesus preached you can replace the word “Blessed” with the word “Happy.” “Happy” are the poor in spirit (those who are detached from their material wealth). Basically the message is: “Happy are those whose first priority is to love God and to pass that love to their neighbor.” That means everyone…including your enemies! What would happen if we responded to hate…with love? The kingdom of God (heaven) would break into the present. Do these “Beatitudes” seem to completely contradict the messages of our culture and our human inclinations? Yes…they do! But the Beatitudes were Jesus’ core message. How will you respond?

Suggested song of the day– “Love God” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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Awaken

Posted on June 7, 2013 by billtonnis

Luke 15:7
I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

We all need to repent…which simply means to change the direction we are headed. When our egos are in control…we have no need for God. We are on a never-ending path of self-satisfaction. But the yearning we feel inside is not truly for anything material or physical. It’s a spiritual yearning for wholeness. When we turn from our egos and toward God…we allow our Loving Source to lead us to our soul’s satisfaction. It’s the path to finding your true self…the complete you that you were meant to be. It’s a daily and even moment by moment process. All those in heaven are rooting for us to become what we were meant to be!

Suggested song of the day– “Take the Road Less Traveled” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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Love Is the Lens

Posted on June 6, 2013 by billtonnis

Mark 12:34
And when Jesus saw that [he] answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

Jesus had just been asked by a religious leader to say what the greatest commandment was. Jesus made up two new ones. Talk about authority! He said to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength…and to love your neighbor as yourself. In other words…the Ten Commandments are great rules to follow…but love is always the determining factor. Love is always the lens to look through when viewing life’s situations. Unfortunately, many only view from an ego perspective separating what’s “in” and what’s “out” based on whether or not I like it, it’s good for me, or whether or not I agree with it. Jesus did not do this. Look at how he dealt with the woman caught in adultery for proof. When you simply do the most loving thing…then “you are not far from the kingdom of God.” Why not try this today?

Suggested song of the day– “Love God” on the Live to Love album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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Be Present

Posted on June 5, 2013 by billtonnis

2 Corinthians 6:2
Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

We are surrounded by God’s blueprint for life…plants, creatures and the very seasons themselves. It’s a continuous cycle of dying and rising. Our lives are made up of a series of little deaths to self…and then rising again…when we’re made new through the experience of the struggle. Jesus showed us that even the final death…is not the end at all…but the ultimate new beginning. So when will it be time for your new beginning…to begin…your next step in the process of becoming your unique expression of God’s love to the world? Now of course. It’s the only time that is real. It’s the time and place where God is “present.” It’s the time for your healing to begin on the road to wholeness (salvation). It’s time to wake to the moment. The time is now. Are you ready to start?

Suggested song of the day– “Listen to Your Heart” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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Be Not Afraid

Posted on June 4, 2013 by billtonnis

Psalm 112:7
They shall not fear an ill report; their hearts are steadfast, trusting the Lord.

Why do we fear? How many things actually turn out to be “the end of the world?” I often repeat this phrase to myself when in the midst of a challenging situation: “This, too, will pass.” But God will never abandon you no matter how bleak the situation may appear. Even when Jesus felt abandoned on the cross…He wasn’t. God was there. On the other side of death was resurrection and new life. I remember how devastated I was when a good friend of mine was diagnosed with advanced cancer several years ago. Sadly, he died seven months later. But my friend is now experiencing the wonders of paradise. Each of our struggles offers an opportunity for transformation and new life. One of Jesus’ most repeated messages was to not be afraid. Trust the One who showed us that even death is not the end…but a new beginning.

Suggested song of the day– “Going Over There” on the Listen to Your Heart album.
All songs available on iTunes. Click on the link under blogroll to the right.
CDs available by clicking on “home” and then the “store” tab.
Have a blessed day!

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