Let It Flow

Posted on June 1, 2018 by billtonnis

waterfall_flowing

May we be channels of God’s eternal love.

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

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1 Peter 4:10

As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.

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Any talent or possession that we have has come to us by the grace of God.

Our Loving Creator has given us life and continues to sustain us in each breath we take despite our many faults and flaws.

We would have nothing and be nothing if God had not loved us into existence.

It’s a love that is never withheld and always given.

So what do we do with the gifts we receive?

The key to discovering your true self and inner peace is to use your gifts and talents to channel God’s unconditional love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion to others as only you uniquely can.

For this to happen…our egos must diminish so God’s desires for us can increase.

May you share your talents and creativity for a good purpose…one that you are passionate about.

Then God’s kingdom would truly come.

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Let It Be Done to Me

Posted on May 31, 2018 by billtonnis

woman_ocean_free_sun

When we are our true selves…God’s glory shines.

(Listen to my song “Let It Be Done to Me” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Luke 1:46-47

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

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Mary’s statement resonates in my heart.

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 at work in me.

My egocentric desires are neutralized.

When I am in this state of being…I am my true self.

It’s not so much that I have done anything…it is more like it is being done to me!

I wish I could say this is the case all the time but it is far from it.

I must continually return to letting go and being present.

May we all surrender to God’s desires for us and like Mary say, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

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Listen to the song of the day “Let It Be Done to Me” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Service

Posted on May 30, 2018 by billtonnis

hands_clasped

Each of us is called to be a channel of God’s unconditional love.

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

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Mark 10:43

“Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.”

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Our culture would have us believe that to be great you would be served by many.

However, Jesus said the opposite: To be great…you must serve others.

When you are “great” in the eyes of the world…you usually have a lot of power, prestige and possessions.

It’s hard not to let your life be controlled by them.

They become attachments consuming all your time and energy…blinding you to those in need.

That doesn’t make possessions bad.

I believe God gives us an abundance of gifts that we might enjoy them…not renounce them.

Jesus clearly enjoyed himself: “The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners’” (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34).

But, like Jesus, we also must not cling to any of those things.

It’s not an “either-or” but a “both-and.”

We can both enjoy the gifts that 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.

So, do you want to be great in the eyes of the world…or in the eyes of God?

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Love Frees Us

Posted on May 29, 2018 by billtonnis

sky_open_arms

When we let go…we finally live.

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

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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.”

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When we are not attached to anything…we are totally free to be our true selves and to go with the flow of God’s unconditional love.

We are free to do our part in bringing the kingdom of God alive in this time and place.

That doesn’t mean that we need to cut our ties with our loved ones…just not have unhealthy attachments.

We must let go of the ego’s obsession with controlling everything.

Ah…easier said than done!

To love is the top priority…and when we love we do not expect anything in return.

It is freely given away.

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 says that that comes first…even before family.

The paradox is that when we let go of all attachments…as in when we stop clinging to them…we receive back a hundred times more…right now!

Jesus 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 consumeristic and materialistic philosophy that encourages 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?”

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Reason to Rejoice

Posted on May 25, 2018 by billtonnis

mountain_valley_bluesky

May we all be grateful for the gift of life and love.

(Listen to my song “Give Praise and Thanks” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Psalm 103:2-4

Bless the LORD, my soul; and do not forget all his gifts, Who pardons all your sins, and heals all your ills, Who redeems your life from the pit, and crowns you with mercy and compassion.

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God indeed is Love (1 John 4:8).

This is not the mushy, sentimental, Hollywood-movie-kind-of-love.

This is agape-kind-of-love…the kind that is gratuitous and given abundantly even when the beloved is unresponsive and does not merit it.

It’s the kind of Love that would pour-itself-out to you even if you rejected it or responded to it with hate.

Jesus demonstrated this to us quite clearly.

Knowing this…and knowing, as St. Paul put it, that in God “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28)…then we have MUCH to be thankful, enthusiastic and joyful about!

Have a great weekend!

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Listen to my song “Give Praise and Thanks” on the Give Praise and Thanks album by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Be Free

Posted on May 24, 2018 by billtonnis

bird_flying_bluesky

Our attachments block us from true life.

(Listen to my song “God Is the Goal” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Psalm 49:17-18  

Do not fear when a man becomes rich, when the wealth of his house grows great. For when he dies, he will take none of it.

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When we have lots of possessions and material wealth…there are a lot of things to become attached to.

Money can do lots of good…but for that to happen it has to be spent.

This takes a spiritually advanced person.

If a person’s ego is in control…that person will never be satisfied.

The ego will want more and more.

This is why Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24).

The money isn’t the issue in and of itself…it’s the attachment to it.

When you are attached to anything…it’ll be your main priority.

You won’t know who you are without it.

Due to your inward focus, you won’t even notice those in need around you.

When you are reaching out in compassion to others and being a vessel of God’s love…the kingdom of God is at hand.

This is your main priority!

It’s the path to true life and freedom.

How sad for those who never get beyond the attachment to wealth!

For when life’s final breath is taken…all that wealth will be left behind.

But the love you have experienced and shared…has eternal worth.

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Listen to the song of the day “God Is the Goal” on the Live to Love album by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Now Is the Time

Posted on May 23, 2018 by billtonnis

ocean_peace_calm_bluesky

Let Love lead you.

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

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James 4:13-15

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town, spend a year there doing business, and make a profit”—you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow. You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears. Instead you should say, “If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.”

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How often are we mindful of the preciousness of each moment?

Weeks and years soon slip by in a blink of an eye.

We get caught up in the busyness and routines.

Do you ever ask yourself, “What is God’s will for me?”

I can tell you that God’s will for you is for you to be content and at peace even amidst the struggles of life…because you are deeply loved by Love itself.

But to be content…you first have to be present to Presence.

Most of the time our minds are running a mile a minute.

Thoughts are bouncing around non-stop in our consciousness.

Is that “being present”?

I’m thinking that most people are seldom present to what’s happening right now…the only time that is real.

Instead, they are completely engrossed in their thoughts…which likely involve gripes over the past or worries about the future.

When was the last time you asked God, “What would you like for me to do?” and then patiently waited for an inner nudge…a movement of your heart?

There is nothing inherently wrong with doing business or making a profit…but God’s plans for you will likely involve the business of love and how to share it.

That’s why Jesus said the two greatest commandments were to love God with all your heart, soul and mind…and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).

Practice letting your thoughts dissipate.

Let them go.

Be still.

The Divine Love that made you wants to be known to you, to guide you and transform you.

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Glorious Oblivion

Posted on May 22, 2018 by billtonnis

helping_hand_down

When we seek to serve…we discover great treasure.

(Listen to my song “Glorify You with Me” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Mark 9:33-35

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

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Jesus basically tells his followers to stop climbing up the ladder of supposed success…but instead to climb down that ladder to the bottom.

That is the place where they are to humbly serve those in need.

This is not a message that appeals to the ego!

It’s also not a message that resonates with our celebrity-and-fame-crazed culture.

Sadly, I’m not sure this message is even preached that often in Christian churches.

Jesus was saying that to be first in the eyes of God…you very well may be last in the eyes of popular culture.

Your ego needs to diminish its hold and slip into the background.

Many times I have found that when I served or simply spent time with those considered at the bottom of society…those who had the least in the eyes of the world…I have had the most profound experiences of spiritual heights.

When we give…we truly do receive.

Who are you being called to humbly serve today?

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Listen to the song of the day “Glorify You with Me” on the Give Thanks and Praise album by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Fountains of God

Posted on May 21, 2018 by billtonnis

fountain_lake

Giving thanks for all those who share their creative talents.

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

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Psalm 87:7

So singers and dancers: “All my springs are in you.”

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God is the Ultimate Creator.

Everything that exists is the work of God’s creativity.

And that creation is ongoing!

The Universe is still expanding and the artistry is astounding.

Just look at the stunning photos that the Hubble Space Telescope has taken.

We are all children of this ineffable Creator who scripture says is Love.

We are all spawned in Love’s creative flow.

God’s “springs” are in each of us.

We are meant to create as well.

Some create as singers, others as dancers, artists, writers, chefs, landscapers, etc.

When you share your talents…you are sharing love with the world.

You are accepting God’s invitation to the Great Dance.

And when you do this…you are being your true self and a unique reflection of your Creator.

Whatever you do to create…the universe celebrates your contribution!

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Action Required

Posted on May 18, 2018 by billtonnis

sheep_hand_feeding

Love is not love until it’s shared.

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

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John 21:17

Jesus said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

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Jesus knew that Peter had denied him three times before his crucifixion…and so in today’s scripture, the resurrected Jesus was giving Peter three opportunities to make amends.

Jesus already knew that Peter loved him.

He had already forgiven him.

Jesus brought no chastisement or guilt trip to Peter…only a no-strings-attached-opportunity to chart a new course of action.

Have you ever denied Jesus?

Let’s face it…we all have.

Whenever we have turned from following his ways…we have denied him.

And yet Jesus does not scold us or condemn us…but simply invites us back offering forgiveness and unconditional love.

This is what transforms a person.

And it’s only through such transformation that a person will want to share such love and forgiveness with others.

Now is the time to accept the unconditional love and forgiveness of God.

Receive it.

How will you extend the same forgiveness and unconditional love to others today?

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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 iTunes by clicking HERE.

Remember…God loves you!

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