ASK ASK ASK ASK ASK

The Lord’s prayer requires us to trust God enough to tell him what we want—over and over and over.

The second thing to notice about the Lord’s prayer is that people don’t generally get what they ask for. Ask and you will receive, the Lord says. But how many people around the world pray the Lord’s prayer and go without food that day? And food is only the beginning. In every mass, we ask God for healing: “Only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” Then we lug our sinful, sick, and sorrowful souls around another day. 

So here is the third thing to notice. Jesus doesn’t promise that we will get the very thing we ask for. He says that if we ask, we will receive; but he doesn’t happen to mention what we will receive.

If you think about it, you can see the point. If a sick person could heal himself, he would be the doctor, not the patient. The patient’s job is to want to get well. It is the doctor’s job to figure out how to get him well.

In the same way, the Lord’s prayer requires us to trust God enough to tell him what we want—over and over and over. Our job is to ask continually. God’s job is to figure out what to give us that will really fill us and heal us.

So we might not get what we ask for. But as long as we keep asking, the Lord promises that we will receive—grace, pressed down, shaken together, running over, and gently given, from the God who loves us.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are ASKING You for another favor. Take away aching knees, the pain in the elbow, heal our family member’s cancer, make the fear of death go away, and bring peace to our family. Let me end this reflection with this simple, easy-to-remember, pocket size prayer: “Father, you are good. I need help. Heal me and forgive me. They need help. Thank you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Please pray for Jeanette's grand nephew Micheal who is recovering from a heart surgery. May the Lord heal Mike with a speedy recovery.

An Island of Being Calm

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In church today, we meet the M & M sisters, Mary and Martha. They are two peas in the same pod and yet so different. Martha and Mary live in the same town - Bethany in Judea. They live in the same house. They have the same brother - Lazarus. How can two sisters, so alike, be so different?

We are told by Luke, that Jesus comes to Bethany and to the two sisters' home for a visit. This is one of many happy times they spend together. Rest, conversation, and friendship, no doubt, occupy their time. Mary sits at Jesus' feet as a disciple would sit at the feet of a rabbi master: listening, observing and learning. Martha is busy with her many tasks in the household and rather crossly asks, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” Seems like a reasonable request.

Every church needs a Martha. Change that. Every church needs a hundred Marthas. Sleeves rolled up and ready. Because of Marthas, the church budgets get balanced, church buildings get repaired and cleaned, babies get bounced on loving knees in the nursery. You don't appreciate Marthas until a Martha is missing - and all the Marys of the church start scrambling to find the keys to lock doors, turn off the lights and turn off the fans. Yes, Marthas are the Energizer Bunnies of the church. They keep going and going and going.

However, Jesus says, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus, looks into the eyes of the Master. Mary listens to his words, his teachings. Mary feels loved, special, affirmed, and graced by Jesus. "Mary has chosen the thing needful ..." whereas Martha hurries and scurries about.

The basis idea is to create an island of being in the sea of constant doing in which our lives are usually immersed, a time in which we allow all the “doing”  to stop. Three flies get into Martha's soup: worry, distraction, and resentment.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends whose lives have become so frantic that we miss living in the moment. Help us to stop all the doing and shift over to a “being” mode where we learn how to make time for ourselves and nurture calmness.

Blessed are the Caregivers

Who is at the side of the road in your life and needs a helping hand? For me, my neighbor Maggie enjoys living in her renovated home after receiving grants to remodel her home to make it safe and comfortable.

The next step was to find out what government services were available since she only survives on her social security. This adventure dealing with our government system can be best described with the acronym (YGTBK) “You Got to Be Kidding.”

The Office of the Aging was helpful in suggesting that due to her low income she was eligible to apply for SSI to help pay her bills. However, to our dismay she was denied since she had two life insurance policies. We learned that to qualify for SSI you are not allowed to have no more than $2000 in your savings and/or checking account.

Next step, she decided to surrender her life insurance policies and apply the funds to a pre-funeral account. This decision helped complete her funeral arrangements and her savings would be below the $2000 limit. We waited on the phone for three hours to make a follow-up appointment with social security, but gladly returned and she was approved for SSI.

The next step, no you are never done as a caregiver. We helped apply for in-home care services. After a three-hour interrogation process, she was approved. Then a state agency had to be selected and another three-hour investigation finally approved home care to keep her safe.

Sadly, Maggie is still waiting for the agency to complete their paperwork, but our hope is that these services will bring her a “caregiver” an in-home aide, who will get to know Maggie and make her life safe and comfortable.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who serve as caregivers for family, neighbors and friends. The Beatitudes for Caregivers: 

Blessed are those who sleep poorly because they're worried about their loved one or because their loved one wakes in the middle of the and needs help, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are those who mourn because their loved one, though still alive, is slipping away because of dementia, for they will be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek who force themselves to speak up and speak out to make sure their loved one receives the help they need, for they will inherit the land. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for answers to why this is happening to their loved one and how much longer it will go on, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are those who show mercy, kindness and compassion to their loved one, for they will be shown mercy, kindness and compassion. 

Blessed are those who keep clean a love one who is physically or mentally unable to keep themselves clean, for they will see God. 

Blessed are those who helped their loved one find moments of peace, for they will be called children of God. 

Blessed are those who are misunderstood, not appreciated, and taken for granted in their role as caregiver, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are you whose caregiving efforts are unjustly criticized -- or who are falsely accused of not caring about others -- because of your love for your care-receiver...and your love for God, who has asked you to help his beloved son or daughter. 

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

Adventure Around the Great Lakes

Let me take you away from your boredom, or fears, or suffering or whatever is plugging up your happiness at this moment and go on a journey. On his bucket list, Ken, my traveling buddy, always wanted to explore the shores of Lake Superior. So, we started our adventure in western New York and drove eight hours until we found ourselves driving over Mackinac Bridge, in Michigan. The image below is captured only after the sun goes down and you have twenty minutes before the sky goes dark. This is the “Blue Hour” and this is a moment that many people miss because they walk away taking pictures after the sun goes down and fail to wait for this magical moment. 

The following morning our travels will include ten locations with waterfalls and coastal scenes along the shores of Lake Superior. The evening ends with a sunset cruise to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The challenge is to find a spot with three hundred people lunging over the side of the boat taking photos with their iPhone. My challenge is to capture the colors of mineral deposits on the rocks. 

As we continue our adventure, my driver wants to see wildlife in Ontario. At each provincial park, he asked where are the moose and bear or wolves. The kind rangers usually respond that these creatures are in the woods but this is not Disney waiting for you to drive by to take pictures. But sometimes you get lucky. So, along the road between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste Marie, guess what was lurking along the side of the highway. 

At the end of our whirlwind 2700-mile journey in five days and taking over 2,000 photos, I get to edit what I refer as my “Editor’s Best” images. They may not make National Geographic, but let be express my gratitude to the Lord for giving us the opportunity to explore and appreciate the beauty of creation.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who get the opportunity to spend time in the woods, or along the shore, or in the sand, or climb a mountain or explore a park. May we learn to conserve and protect Your marvelous beauty and allow the ocean breeze, magnificent waterfalls and nature to calm our weary bodies and souls. Enjoy your summer my friends.