Have you ever been on a road trip and missed an important sign?  Ended up somewhere you weren’t planning on going?  Life can be like that.

We learn fast that it is very important to know exactly where our current surroundings are taking us or otherwise we wind up heading in the wrong direction.  Often that incorrect turn ends up as a hard haul back.  We rely on signs to get us back on plan.

God sends signs, but in order to receive a sign we see need to be looking for one.  Looking back on our past helps us to see signs we missed even though they were right in front of our face.

I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing a sign (yet) like the spinning of the sun or having an Angel suddenly appear in my vehicle taking hold of the steering wheel during whiteout conditions, but I have gotten lots of signs in other forms.

These signs come to me when I need them most.  Like when I in the middle of throwing a pity party for myself and notice a handicapped person enjoying life to the fullest, or when I’m feeling lonely and end up meeting a new lifelong friend just by chance.  Then there are the times of seeing someone who reminds me of the spitting image of a loved one I’m missing who has passed away.  Wondering if I’m doing the right thing and the Mass readings just so happen to reflect my exact thoughts, dreading something I have to do and right before the time comes a certain peace fills my very being.

Coincidences, signs, fate, luck whatever they are I’ll take them.  I need them.  I definitely don’t want to end up someplace I had no plans on arriving.

Life’s road trips are full of signs everywhere.  Sometimes it takes retrospect to fully comprehend the wisdom of God.

May you always recognize the signs of God and may His peace find you.

In terms of cooking a little dash of this or that spice can make or break a dish.  My family can testify to the times cooking when I added just the right amount of spice in a recipe creation.  They can also vouch for all the plates I tried to serve where my dash was quite hefty and even our dog turned up his nose.

A lot can be said for the little dash.

Life’s little dash put between birth and death is monumental.  The actual dates of our birth and death and amount of time between the two aren’t as important as what happens during the middle of it all.  The little fragments of this and that are what make up our life.

When I view my life as a mere dash I so want to make sure I’m adding the right “spice” and the correct amount.  A dash of goodness spreads much joy, a hint of patience brings forth peace, and a sprinkle of hope inflames love.  At the same time even a trace of greed can turn into hatred which leads to lies and stealing.  All it takes is a pinch of gossip to ruin a friendship, forever hurting another.

A dash of this, a dash of that mixed all together form our life.  Watch what you throw in your pot.  Take it from someone who has learned from experience a little bit of garlic goes a long way!

Enjoy the pleasant spices of life.

God is full of promises.  Promises you can count on.  He doesn’t go around breaking His promises.  His promises don’t come with stipulations like “You have My word as long as something better doesn’t come up”.  His promises are for real and really come with a guarantee.

He promises life.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)

God loves us.  He gives us the world with the sun and the moon and the stars and the sky.  He hands over His one and only Son, our Lord so we may live.  Believe in Him and we will not die but move on to heavenly life.

God’s promises are to be kept in our heart, constantly on our mind, filling our very soul.  What He offers in His promise for eternal life doesn’t involve or include material things, financial status, healthy bodies, or fit minds.  No, none of that will matter in the end for as a human all of that someday will perish.  Those who believe will move on and upward.

Promises, promises; God is full of them.

Life has its potholes.  Wouldn’t it be nice if every time we faltered or found ourselves approaching a hole too big to step over or around we could snap our fingers and a bridge would appear helping us cross homeward bound?

I love bridges and I don’t just mean the covered scenic ones found out on country roads.  I love the bridges people offer in hands held out to catch, arms circling around to hug, smiles that say a thousand words; kind eyes that know it all and still stand by when everyone else heads for the hills.

I watched a news clip on a person who is all about bridges.  All about caring; all about doing good for mankind; all about living the life he was dealt.  His name is Spencer West; he is thirty one years old and recently climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro on his hands. No legs.  No feet.  Only using his hands one palm at a time.  He lost both his legs at age five but never lost his hope or determination.  Saying his testimonial to life is inspirational doesn’t do justice.

He says maybe he was born to be a symbol for those lost in life; unsure, frightened, lonely.  If they see him and what he has overcome they too can overcome any challenge and find their path once again.  He’s that bridge that helps us to the other side.  The bridge that is covered with graffiti stating “YOU CAN DO IT, DON’T GIVE UP, LITTLE BIT FURTHER, HANG ON, KEEP GOING, LOOK AT ME – I’M STILL SMILING……..LIFE IS GRAND.”

Spencer West is a magnificent bridge but we all can offer something to cover the gaps life produces.  A smile when sadness is all around; a hug when needed; a phone call to say hi; a thinking of you note mailed for no special occasion; a handshake of peace; an offer of help for a stranded motorist; a bottle of water to drink; a few bucks to tide someone over; a warm coat on a cold night.   You might even come across me; I’m the little piece of plywood between two rocks offering words of encouragement trying to form some type of bridge.

Yeah life without bridges would be full of gaps and holes.  I thank God for all the bridges He strategically places in my life that leads me towards home.

May God send you a bridge when you need it most.

Take care.

(If you don’t know who Spencer West is look into his life story it may be a life changing moment that actually changes your life.)

The best relationships are those you have for life.

They are not of someone you use to know.

The same goes for our Lord.

The best relationship with our Lord is a lifelong relationship.  Make it special.  Make plans to be with Him.  Treat Him with respect.  Adore Him.  Look up to Him.  Do things for Him.  Love Him.

My sweet Lord……..

how I want to see You;

be with You;

hear You;

feel You;

know You.

Looking for a lifelong relationship?  Go to our Lord.  I heard He’s waiting.

The best life is one with our Lord.

My Sweet Lord…..Hallelujah…..My Sweet Lord.

Oh to be rich and have no worries.  Not a care in the world!  This has to be one of life’s biggest jokes.  Money can’t buy everything.  Money can’t buy what we need; things like love, happiness and life.  Whether we are rich or poor we have the same heart, the same blood running through our veins, and the same God.  Money can’t change any of that.

“Better to be poor and honest then rich and dishonest”  Proverbs 28 warns us.  I think we pretty much all know that the important things in life are things that can’t be bought with money.  Honesty, integrity, perseverance, devotion, and love are at the top of the list.  Not always but more often than not I’ve heard and have witnessed firsthand what money does to people.  It changes them.  It eats away all the good and leaves nothing but sorrow.  Money is known to bring out the most unfavorable traits in the nicest of people.

So wonder King Solomon scattered this warning repeatedly reminding us to be honest even if it means we will end up poor.  It takes an honest bookkeeper to keep honest books.  Don’t let money rule and ruin your life.  Yeah it’s important to keep track of your money but it is more important to keep track of your heart.

Marlo Thomas use to say “The rich eat better but the poor sleep better”.   A full stomach often leads to a sleepless night.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to sleep like a baby once again? 

Here’s to a good night sleep.  For richer or poorer.  God Bless.

Good posture offers many benefits.  For one thing the taller you stand the more you can see.  You can be the first to yell out when the ice cream truck turns on your street.  Good posture also helps one breathe better and overall helps keep a person’s joints limber.

So stand tall.  Don’t back down.  If you are six feet tall stand so you measure up to a full six feet.  No slouching, learning how to stand fully upright is the first step in not backing down.

Any athlete will attest that practice and repetitive workouts are a major part of the game.  A true athlete trains their body and mind.  To do anything we must practice and get in shape.  To not back down and remain faithful takes practice.

Before we can stand to our full height we need to do some bending exercises.  “We stand tallest after we knelt before the Lord” is how true Christians reveal their stamina.  Our Lord gives nourishment for both the body and the mind.  Spend some time working out with Him.  Take what He gives and become a strong, faithful, loyal, dependable, obedient, upright, and trustworthy Christian.

In the end you will be glad you did.  You’ll not only breathe better but you will feel better and live forever.

Don’t back down on Christian faith.  Kneel down and feel the power of our Lord.

Then stand tall.

It’s possible to believe in the impossible.

Having problems believing all things are possible?  Do some research and read about St. Rita and the life she led and why she is called the patron saint of impossible causes.

Here is a lady who used prayer and patience to change the impossible to possible.

St. Rita was born in 1381 and from the start was considered to be a special gift from God by her elderly parents.  As a child her character resembled someone maintaining great prayer and patience.  Throughout her young life she dreamed of becoming a nun but accepted her parents promise in marriage to which they thought was a good man of strong noble qualities.  Once a wife she discovered her husband had a violent temper and lived through much brutality.  She did not give up on hope through it all she relied on prayer and patience to ease her burdens and pain.  When her husband was murdered she feared that their two sons would try to even the score and also be murdered.  Once again she turned to prayer and patience.  Even though her two sons died at an early age from natural causes she thanked God for their conversion before death. With prayer and patience at age thirty six all alone in the world she pledged her life to follow Christ.  Around age sixty she was praying before the image of Christ crucified when a small wound appeared on her forehead.  For the next fifteen years she suffered constant pain of the stigmatization but accepted it all never faltering in her prayer and patience.  She offered herself for the physical and spiritual well being of others.

The last four years of her life she was bedridden and became such an inspiration to all who visited her by her faithful prayer and patience.  Her final request before death was to have a rose from her family’s home brought to her; being it was January her request seemed impossible but her friend found a single beautiful rose blooming at the exact location St. Rita described.  Her impossible request granted proved to her that nothing is impossible with prayer and patience.    

She is our patron saint of desperate causes, forgotten causes, lost causes, impossible causes.

Got a mission that seems impossible?  Turn to St. Rita and follow her way of prayer and patience.

Anything is possible.

It’s time to set sail.  Slap on your sea legs, jump in your little boat and row along. 

We are all born with a beginning and an ending.  How we get from A to Z is up to us.

Once in our life boat we are like babies learning to walk.  Our first years are in shallow waters watching and learning from the older more distinguished boats.  Here we learn how to stay afloat; how to maneuver around obstacles; how to weather storms and stay out of trouble.

During this time we also learn how to cause trouble.  We watch first in amazement then shock at what happens in the deep blue waters.   At random for no apparent reason one boat crashes into another.  The bigger boat goes on smooth sailing unhurt leaving the little row boat bailing out water for dear life.

As we start to encounter even deeper waters we get the feeling it is sink or swim.  Waves sky high; sharks circling around; compass out of whack.  Who do we turn to?  We have the big cruise ships offering the time of your life; only catch is we have to give up our boat (our soul to speak); then we have the tug boats willing to take us on but we must agree to work and follow their destination all the while watching the fun going on as cruise ships sail by.

We learn a lot out on the water.  The waves of life come at us full force knocking us around for good measure.

Some of us take years adding up to a long life to get to our destination; others seem as if their life cruise was cut too short.

When we arrive at our destination isn’t as important as the condition of our soul on that little boat that rows on and on; up and over; and through the waters of life.

What to do?  Stay on that boat; ride the wave; don’t sell your soul by jumping ship; just keep tugging along.

Make your final stop that one special port that offers a safe harbor for your vessel.  You know the location it is sometimes called the “Promised Land”.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat!  You’ll get there.

Bon Voyage.