Both – And

Posted on January 21, 2020 by billtonnis

May our words and actions be determined by wisdom and compassion.

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

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Mark 2:23-24

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the Sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At this the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”

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One of the greatest lessons taught to me happened a number of years ago when a religious sister ended our debate over some issue I have long forgotten by telling me, “You need to think more “both-and.”

At the time, I remember thinking that was one of the dumbest things I ever heard of.

Today, I often tell others this same thing.

I consider it profound.

Our binary minds are much more apt to think “either-or.”

Either it’s in or it’s out.

Our minds are always separating the field into what’s good and what’s bad, what’s right and what’s wrong.

Sometimes we need to do just that…but many times we don’t.

We need to open our minds to the possibility of “both-and.”

In today’s scripture passage, Jesus’ disciples are breaking the law that prohibits working on the Sabbath by picking the heads of grain.

The Pharisees see it as a very black-or-white issue: the disciples are breaking the law.

But Jesus knows that his followers are hungry.

The law is still good as it’s meant to remind people to rest on the Sabbath.

But for Jesus…love and compassion always win out over the law.

He can both honor the law and break it when the situation calls for it.

May we all do the same.

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

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Transformation Needed

Posted on January 20, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by John Hain from Pixabay

Change is necessary to grow…physically and spiritually.

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Listen to my song “Take the Road Less Traveled” on YouTube by clicking HERE

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Mark 2:22

“No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

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Martin Luther King knew that new wineskins were desperately needed.

Old structures that enabled racism needed to be replaced.

King not only spoke out about it so eloquently…he also took action.

He was a prophet.

I think that today’s scripture passage above is one of those key teachings of Jesus.

And like other key teachings, they are often the most ignored.

Jesus seems to be telling us that change is necessary because that is a part of growth.

But how often are we reluctant if not downright resistant to change!

This is true in the many areas of life…including religion.

I know that change simply for the sake of change is something to be avoided.

But is the Spirit dead?

Is God finished creating?

Is God static?

No!

It has been so freeing for me in many ways to finally let go of being stuck in old ways – and open myself to the new.

God has led me through much transformation.

And while letting go of things that at one time served me was difficult and sad, it has also brought me great joy to experience newness and a deeper Truth.

God is a vast and ever deepening mystery.

My quest to discover God has led me to a deeper knowledge of my true self.

This quest is one that will not end…not in my human life anyway!

May this quest lead each of us on a transformative journey of love, mercy, forgiveness, compassion and service!

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Listen to the song of the day “Take the Road Less Traveled” on the Live to Love album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Gospel

Posted on January 17, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

Before taking action…ask yourself how you can be a channel of peace and truth.

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

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Mark 2:1-2

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them.

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When Jesus preached…people came in droves.

This scripture passage says he preached “the word” to them.

Do you suppose “the word” was fire and brimstone…threatening hell and damnation?

Not a chance!

That would not draw the poor and powerless.

The word “gospel” means “good news.”

Jesus preached about the unconditional love and forgiveness of a compassionate God.

He spoke of a God who would never abandon anyone.

He spoke words of hope.

Jesus also healed people of their infirmities.

This is the one we are called to follow.

How can each of us preach “the word”?

We can certainly use our words to uplift, instruct and inspire.

But…we can do even more with our actions.

How we live our daily lives is the most important thing.

As St. Francis is credited with saying: “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if 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.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Lose Your Life to Find It

Posted on January 16, 2020 by billtonnis
Image by Ricardo Gatica from Pixabay

When you let go of your ego’s wants…you get what your true self needs.

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Listen to my song “You’ll Lead Me” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Mark 1:45

Jesus remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

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When Jesus healed a man with leprosy, he told him not to tell anyone about it.

But the man spread the report everywhere “so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.”

Notoriety, celebrity, prestige and power were not Jesus’ objectives.

He only wanted to carry out his calling of bringing wholeness and healing to the sick and broken while preaching the good news of God’s unconditional love.

Jesus was quite at home on the margins, in “deserted places”.

Those in need of healing came in droves.

This appears to be a very successful ministry.

But one day…this same ministry leads Jesus to the cross and he is abandoned by most of his followers (aside from a few courageous women such as Mary of Magdala).

That would appear to make it a very unsuccessful ministry…at least in the eyes of the world.

But not so in eyes of God.

Each of us should take a lesson from this.

It is not ours to seek rewards and notoriety but to simply do what we are called to do.

When we serve out of the love in our hearts…amazing things happen – with or without our knowledge.

We may be completely unaware of what those things are!

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Listen to the song of the day “You’ll Lead Me” on the Listen to Your Heart album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Open Heart

Posted on January 15, 2020 by billtonnis

“God’s first language is silence.” – St. John of the Cross

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Listen to my song “Turn Off the Noise” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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1 Samuel 3:4

The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”

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At first, Samuel doesn’t recognize the call of God.

He is described as young and not yet recognizing God “since the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him” (1 Samuel 3:7).

Isn’t this the case with all of us?

Samuel needed the coaching of his mentor Eli to realize it was the silent voice of God calling out to him in the quiet of the night.

We all need to create a quiet space in order to hear that voice of our Creator who is always speaking in the depths of our hearts.

It is we who are not hearing due to the noise we are immersed in…whether it is from our social media or simply from the constant and repetitive thoughts in our heads.

Eli instructs Samuel that the next time he hears God call him he should answer, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

We are all being called to serve.

But to know how we are to serve…we first need to get ourselves out of the way!

As I once heard Wayne Dyer say, “EGO stands for Edging God Out.”

A good practice in letting go is meditation or in the Christian tradition, Centering Prayer.

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Listen to the song of the day “Turn Off the Noise” on the Listen to Your Heart album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Compassion Now

Posted on January 14, 2020 by billtonnis

Be ready to be the bearer of mercy.

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

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1 Samuel 2:8

God raises the needy from the dust.

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Have you ever had the experience of looking at a really desperate situation and then saying to yourself, “God, why won’t you do something about this?” only to hear a soft response in your heart that said, “Why don’t you?”

I have and I’ve heard others who have told me that they have as well.

I think we too often pray that God will do something when God always wants to do just that…but tends to utilize people as the way to do it.

There are many people in great need and it can be overwhelming.

What can I possibly do that will make a difference?

You may be familiar with the story of a boy who was walking along a beach picking up starfish that had been washed ashore…and then throwing them back into the ocean.

A man watching this laughed to himself and told the boy, “Don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You’ll never make a difference.”

That’s when the boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it in the surf and said, “I made a difference for that one.” (Excerpt from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley)

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

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Infinite Compassion

Posted on January 13, 2020 by billtonnis

No matter what you’ve done in the past…God still loves you.

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(Listen to my song “How Wonderful to Me” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Psalm 116:12

How can I repay the LORD for all the great good done for me?

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God is not interested in ‘quid pro quo’.

Most of our human relationships seem to be based on reciprocity: If I do something good for you, then I expect that you will do something good for me.

Of course, that is not what unconditional love is about.

God’s love is not based on our merit or worthiness.

It is always given and there is an eternal supply!

I know that seems too good to be true…but it is true.

As I often quote: “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

The the 14th century mystic Julian of Norwich put it this way: “God loved us before he made us; and his love has never diminished and never shall.”

Love always wants the best for the beloved.

You could never repay such extravagant benevolence!

Allow the truth of God’s immense love for you to fill you.

Accept it.

The only thing you can do…is share it.

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Listen to the song of the day “How Wonderful to Me” on the Live to Love album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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All Inclusive

Posted on January 10, 2020 by billtonnis

When looking through the lens of love…everything belongs.

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

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Luke 5:12-13

Now there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where he was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it. Be made clean.” And the leprosy left him immediately.

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Back in the time of Jesus, if someone had leprosy…or really any obvious, debilitating disease…that person would be ostracized.

No one would have anything to do with them because they thought the person was ritually unclean.

No one would have been allowed to touch that person or they would also be seen as unclean.

That’s why the leper asked to be “made clean.”

Jesus is restoring this man to his community and to wholeness.

By touching this man, Jesus would have made himself ritually unclean.

So, we see Jesus again breaking the religious laws that had nothing to do with love.

Compassion always takes precedent over the law.

In the eyes of God, no one is unclean.

We are all seen as beloved children.

That means everyone…even those doing the most despicable acts.

So if you are feeling left out, like you don’t belong, know that God never excludes anyone!

God is love.

Accept it.

Allow it to bring you peace.

Then be a channel of that peace to the world.

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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.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Child of God

Posted on January 9, 2020 by billtonnis

May we all make the effort to see the inner goodness of everyone.

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Listen to my song “God Is” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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1 John 4:19-20

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

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Everyone is a child of God.

Everyone…even the person who has done the most horrendous things.

Each person’s soul is a reflection of the divinity of God.

We are all misled by various influences in our lives.

Flaws in our DNA…traits we inherit through our genes and injustices perpetrated against us can all nudge us in the wrong direction.

And yes…we all have free will and can simply make bad choices.

But God loves all equally.

God looks beyond a person’s actions and sees the beautiful soul…that inner gem, the spiritual being created out of God’s eternal love.

We are called to look with the same unconditionally loving eyes.

God sees everyone as redeemable.

Our challenge is to do the same.

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Listen to the song of the day “God Is” on the Give Praise and Thanks album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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Sacred Silence

Posted on January 8, 2020 by billtonnis

Pause a moment, close your eyes, and rest in a peace beyond understanding.

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Listen to my song “Breathe On Me” on YouTube by clicking HERE.

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Mark 6:49-51

But when they saw Jesus walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were [completely] astounded.

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Seldom do we get such a powerful experience to calm our fears as we read in today’s scripture verses.

One thing is certain: The storms of life will come.

Perhaps you feel you are in the midst of a powerful storm right now.

Whatever that storm might be…know that this too will pass.

Take a moment now to sit quietly.

Close your eyes and go to your “inner room” as Jesus calls it (Matthew 6:6) and simply let go of all the stories.

How much of the unrest inside you is caused by the constant narratives that your mind keeps repeating!

Let them go!

Pay attention to your breathing.

God is as close to you as each breath.

As St. Paul stated: “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

For this moment…as you allow peace to rise from your core…know that there is nothing to fear.

God is holding you and will never let you go…no matter what the circumstances that unfold.

Say to yourself: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack” (Psalm 23:1).

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Listen to the song of the day “Breathe On Me” on the Listen to Your Heart album by clicking HERE.

Stream and/or purchase my songs on Amazon Music by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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