Bill Tonnis Ministries

Luke 1:46-47
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

Mary’s statement resounds within me. When I am in the flow of the will of God…my inner most being exults. No matter what struggles are in my life…there seems to be an inner calm…a certain “yes” that pervades my interior. There are really no words to describe it accurately. It is at the level of mystery. When I am operating in the will of God I am saying yes to this great Mystery…while saying no to my egocentric desires. And in the process I am becoming more fully me. It is being done to me more than me doing anything! I wish I could say this is the case all the time but it is far from it! I must continually return to the need to “let go.” May we all surrender to God’s desires for us and say, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

Suggested song of the day—“I Surrender” 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!

Mark 10:43
“Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.”

The “world” would have us believe that to be “great” you would be served by many. You would have great power, much prestige and plenty of possessions. Jesus says the opposite. To be great, the Son of God tells us we must serve others. We must take the position of less power, little prestige and few possessions. It’s hard to serve others when you are attached to power, prestige and possessions. So do you want to be great in the eyes of the world…or in the eyes of God? The key is attachment. I believe God gives us an abundance of gifts that we might enjoy them…not renounce them. Jesus clearly enjoyed Himself. But we must not cling to any of these things. It’s not an “either-or” but a “both-and.” We can both enjoy what gifts flow into our lives and freely let them go…so that we might be channels of God’s free-flowing love to others and the entire world.

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!

Mark 10:29-30
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.”

Spreading the message of God’s unconditional love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion…being that message to the world…is what we are all called to do. Jesus said that that should be His followers’ top priority…even ahead of family. The paradox is that when we let-go of all things…as in when we stop being “attached” to them and clinging to them…we receive back a hundred times more…now! He says the pay-off comes in both the present and in the future because “now” is the only time that is real. But notice that Jesus also says you will be persecuted…because you will be promoting a way of life opposed to the world’s consumer philosophy that promotes being attached to more and more stuff. Ask yourself, “What do I need to let go of so that I can be free to be a more loving, merciful, forgiving and compassionate person?”

Suggested song of the day—“Salvation” 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!

Psalm 16:11
You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence.

Isn’t that what we all want? We all want to be doing something with our lives that makes us fulfilled and happy. God wants the same thing for you. God, your loving Creator, is at the very ground of your being. Jesus, the embodiment of God in human form, said that He came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly. God has shown us the path to life…and that path is in the following of Jesus. To do this we must read His words, listen to His voice in our hearts, and follow His example. Follow Christ and you will experience joy in the process.

Suggested song of the day—“Singing My Song” 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!

John 17:18
“As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.”

Just as God sent Jesus into the world…so Jesus sends each of us. We are sent to be reflections of the light of God into the darkness of a “world” that idolizes power, prestige and possessions…a “world” of illusion created by egos gone wild. We are sent to follow Jesus and to die to ourselves…to die to our egocentric desires and false selves…so that God can give us new life and our true selves can emerge. How to do this? It’s more a “letting go” than a “doing” of something. Following Jesus is the Way. Each of us is being sent to be the face of love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion to the world so the world might be transformed. Each of us is invited to be a part of God’s unfolding love story. Don’t miss the adventure!

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!

Acts 20:22
But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. What will happen to me there I do not know.

Have you ever experienced a strong inner yearning that compelled you to carry out some mission or action of good will? The more you pray (as in sitting in sacred silence and surrendering yourself to God’s Presence) the more I believe you will experience the Presence of God. Inner inclinations to take steps in new directions will begin to emerge. The same Holy Spirit who compelled St. Paul to preach “the gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24) is ready to stir-up in you a desire to do the same…but in a unique way that fits your gifts, talents and situation. St. Paul was only able to tell people about the unconditional love and compassion of God because he himself experienced it. God wants to pour the same grace out on you. Open yourself to this amazing Grace!

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!