All Shall Be Well

Posted on February 13, 2018 by billtonnis

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Since God is Love…everything is truly radically okay.

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

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Psalm 94:18-19

When I say, “My foot is slipping,” your love, Lord, holds me up. When cares increase within me, your comfort gives me joy.

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Does today’s scripture reflect your image of God?

Or is your image of God that of a judging ogre who, instead of helping you, is ready to push you and ridicule you when you slip?

From what we know of the Pharisees (the religious leaders of Jesus’ time), when they saw someone struggling and falling away from God, they strictly held that person to the rules without offering a helping hand.

They were all about “law and order.”

It was an “either-or” proposition.

Either you kept the law and were in or you broke the law and were out. 

Jesus was a “both-and” kind of guy.

This enabled him to both embrace the rules…and uplift those who were “slipping” without condemning or judging them.

While his head upheld the rules…his heart dictated his actions.

That’s because Jesus’ heart had been transformed by the unconditional love and mercy of God.

This Love will not be defeated.

The 14th century mystic and theologian Julian of Norwich wrote that Jesus had told her in a vision that “All shall be well.”

Rules will never transform a person’s heart. Love will. 

And since God is Love (1 John 4:8)…we have reason to feel comfort and joy.

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Pour Me Out

Posted on February 12, 2018 by billtonnis

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The Love that sustains you and everything is available now to those who are awake.

(Listen to my song “Pour Me Out” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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James 1:11

For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass, its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes. So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

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Be on guard against the pursuit of power, prestige and possessions.

In and of themselves they are not evil as long as you do not identify with them or get attached to them.

When used for good they each can be sources of great good.

But when they become ends in themselves…when they become our first priority…when we attach them to our own identity…they lead to a dead end.

Why would you pursue things that by their very nature will dry up and vanish?

Pursuing such things will divert you from discovering your true self…and thereby away from doing your part in building the kingdom of God.

Jesus seemed to enjoy a good party. He said that some criticized him because he “came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard'” (Matthew 11:19).

While Jesus enjoyed life he did not become attached to any of it…freely let go of all that God gave him.

When you are grounded in a relationship with God…when you find your identity in being God’s beloved…your motivations will not be self-centered but for the good of all.

Worldly pursuits will end up producing an empty life, while Godly pursuits will end up producing an abundant life.

And the beauty of it all…is that God’s love is available now and always within you.

All you have to do is awaken to the moment…and fall into Love’s endless embrace.

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Give Praise and Thanks

Posted on February 9, 2018 by billtonnis

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We are immersed in the Presence of Eternal Love.

(Listen to my song “How Magnificent, Wondrous and Glorious” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Psalm 81:10

There must be no foreign god among you; you must not worship an alien god.

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I use to think it was weird talking about worshiping an “alien god”…as though we would start worshiping gold and silver statues like in those old bible stories.

But the obvious point is…we have different idols these days.

What is it that we are bowing down to?

What…or who…do we make our highest priority?

It’s easy to start giving higher priority to the stuff of this world when God seems so hard to find…since God, after all, is a Mystery.

But perhaps God is hard to find because we have put all our attention on power, prestige and possessions…instead of on helping people, forming relationships and tending nature.

Perhaps if we practiced letting go of our attachments…our ego’s agenda…God might be difficult to miss.

A Great Love just might manifest in everything we experience…through all of our senses.

As Paula D’Arcy says, “God comes to you disguised as your life.”

If we would simply stop identifying with our thoughts and practice letting them go…we just might be overwhelmed by the awe and wonder of the Divine Presence.

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Listen to the song of the day “How Magnificent, Wondrous and Glorious” on the Mercy Reigns album by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Love Unites

Posted on February 8, 2018 by billtonnis

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May each of us be missionaries of peace and justice.

(Listen to my song “All Are Welcome” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Mark 7:24

From that place Jesus went off to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice.

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Jesus’ message was magnetic:

God’s unconditional love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion was for everyone.

He wanted all people to live in the freedom of this awareness.

But Jesus didn’t want to call attention to himself…only the message.

It would have been repugnant for a Jew at that time to believe that God could accept the gentiles…foreigners…who were considered “unclean.”

But Jesus had a revelation: God’s salvation does not discriminate.

It’s for all people.

Many flocked to hear this saving message.

As Ilia Delio writes in her book The Emergent Christ, “Jesus Christ is the human person who symbolizes the capacity for all human persons to be united and transformed in God.”

He is our model to follow.

There are no borders or divisions in the kingdom of God.

No nation has ever truly understood this or attempted to live it.

How can each of us live it?

What divisions can each of us work to mend so that the kingdom of God can truly come and God’s will be done “on earth as it is in heaven”?

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Have Faith

Posted on February 7, 2018 by billtonnis

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When you give your life for Love…you will receive abundant blessings.

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

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Psalm 37:5

Commit your way to the Lord; trust that God will act.

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When you let go of your need for control…when you surrender your ego and its self-centered desires and turn yourself over to the will of God…you will seldom get clear answers.

You will seldom see a direct path.

That’s what faith is about…not having the answers and not seeing the road in front of you…but still trusting in the providence of God.

There is an Infinite Love at the core of all that is.

If you allow this Love to lead you…you may not find answers but you will find an inner peace as well as your true self.

Love is leading you to Love so that you know that you are loved…and so you share that Love with the world.

Try journaling about what happens in your life.

Then look back and see the winding thread of Providential Direction.

Faith is about not knowing…and still trusting.

I’m reminded of the prayer of Thomas Merton:

“MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

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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.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Shades of Gray

Posted on February 6, 2018 by billtonnis

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Let love of God, neighbor and self be your guide.

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

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Mark 7:8-9

“You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” Jesus went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition!”

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How many religious rules exclude people from belonging?

Seems to contradict the life of Jesus.

He was quite at home with the people thrown-out by their own religion as well as with a wide variety of “sinners.”

The only group Jesus sharply criticized was the Pharisees…the religious leaders.

They held the people to strict rules no matter what the situation…not allowing any exception based on compassion and grace.

They saw everything as “black” or “white” when real life is made up of many shades of gray.

Rules are nice to have as a foundation to give us some guidance.

But don’t forget that Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love God with all your heart, soul and mind…and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:38-39).

Love is the top priority.

It allowed Jesus to set aside rules quite frequently.

How could anyone miss this?

Rules must be tempered by mercy and forgiveness.

Filter all you see and do…through the lens of love.

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Be Healed

Posted on February 5, 2018 by billtonnis

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Be present to the Divine Presence.

(Listen to my song “The Way You Are” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Mark 6:56

Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

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Jesus’ mission was to open the eyes of the blind and free the oppressed.

Basically, Jesus wanted all people to know that God loves them and yearns for them to be whole.

That is what God wants for us now.

All of us have gone through experiences that left us feeling broken and wounded.

Many times, we then turned to physical and worldly pursuits and gratification to make us feel better.

These attempts never gave us the healing we were searching for.

So why not turn to the Master Healer?

Jesus embraced everyone in their perceived brokenness with total acceptance and love.

The same goes for you.

You don’t have to get cleaned up or in some way make yourself worthy.

Come as you are to the One who loves unconditionally.

Be healed now.

Experience spiritual transformation, new life and wholeness.

God’s arms are open wide to accept you in this moment…just as you are.

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Keep Hope Alive

Posted on February 2, 2018 by billtonnis

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Trust that you are being led through your struggle to a transformed life.

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

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Hebrews 2:18

Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

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Since God is love (1 John 4:8)…then I can’t believe that God inflicts us with suffering as some kind of test.

That would be cruel.

Hardships seem to be part of life.

Jesus experienced all the joys and sorrows of being human.

God becoming flesh shows us that flesh…is good…as is all creation.

Indeed, everything is sacred.

St. Irenaeus said, “The glory of God is the human fully alive.”

All of human experience is sacred…the joys and sorrows.

Through the sorrows we learn compassion.

It seems to be the only way that we are awakened from the delusion that life is all about me.

As Richard Rohr puts it: “Suffering is the most effective way whereby humans learn to trust, allow, and give up control to Another Source. I wish there were a different answer, but Jesus reveals on the cross both the path and the price of full transformation into the divine.”

We are all meant to be transformed.

Whatever pain and suffering you are going through…know that Jesus went through the pain of total rejection, extreme persecution and what appeared to be total defeat.

But he did so while responding with love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion.

And in the end, total defeat was transformed into total victory in the resurrection.

This path is your path as well!

Trust that God is with you in your struggle.

Allow it to transform you.

Then your pain will one day be a source of transformation and new life for others.

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

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Graced

Posted on February 1, 2018 by billtonnis

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God’s love is free, unconditional and always available.

(Listen to my song “God’s Love Is All You Need” on YouTube by clicking HERE)

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Mark 6:12

So they went off and preached repentance.

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When Jesus sent off the apostles…they were not sent off to preach threats of punishment from an angry god.

That would be “bad news” indeed.

They were sent out to tell the “Good News” of God’s unconditional love.

They were sent out to tell all people to repent…which means: “change directions.”

The message was…and still is…to turn away from all the empty ways you are looking for happiness…and turn toward God. 

Power, prestige and possessions are not bad in themselves…but they will never provide lasting happiness.

There will never be enough to satisfy what is a soul need, not physical need.

Since God is Love (1 John 4:8), then what you need is Love.

And the Good News is…this Love is eternal and totally free.

When you know that you know that you know you are loved unconditionally…your heart will melt.

You will want to share this Love with others. 

You will want others to turn toward this same Love.

It is truly all you need.

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Listen to the song of the day “God’s Love Is All You Need” on the Listen to Your Heart album by clicking HERE.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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Live Your Life

Posted on January 31, 2018 by billtonnis

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May you listen to your heart…and follow.

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

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Mark 6:4

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.”

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When Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth…the people were impressed at first.

He had changed and grown in wisdom.

But then they asked, “Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary?”

And then the scripture says, “They took offense at him.”

When you drop all the masks and the old ways that no longer work for you…then start following your heart…you will meet opposition.

The emerging of your true self will be a wake-up call to others who are sleep-walking through life.

Your growth will make those who don’t want to change…uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, sometimes your closest friends and family can be the very ones who will give you the most resistance.

That’s because when you follow the dream God has given you…it will challenge those around you to do so as well.

And they just might not like it.

But remember…you are not here to please them.

You are here to please God.

And when you please God…your true self will shine.

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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.

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

Remember…God loves you!

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