Treated Like a King

Everett worked in customer service and treated everyone he met “like a king.” People would cry on the phone or walk up to his desk with tales of woe about their broken machines. You see Everett managed a car repair shop. Oh, not any ordinary shop, but one people trusted for its excellent and honest service. If he was in a middle of an order for a part and someone came to him desperate because they had a flat or the engine blew-up, he would come around his desk, put his arms around their shoulder and reassure them they things would be taken care of.

He would stop immediately and leave what he was doing. Why not? This illustrates what any good king would do when sitting with his council deliberating on high affairs of state involving the destiny of nations, when suddenly he hears the sorrowful cry of his little child, who has fallen down or been frightened by a wasp. He rises and runs to his relief, holding him tight and relieving his fears.

Is there anything "unkingly" here? Is it not most natural? I think that it even elevates the monarch in esteem. Everett was that kind of servant. For him, customer service meant listening to the people who walked through his door with their broken vehicles, listening to the sounds of their problems, setting them down with a cup of coffee, asking them for their patience while his gifted staff worked on the car and finally escorting them personally back to the car that was fixed like new. Imagine all this service from a man who had his share of medical and personal problems, but he never would let you down. Everett treated everyman man, woman and child like a king.

Now think, why would we think it dishonorable for the King of all the kings, our Heavenly Father, to consider the small matters of his children - like you, for instance!

Now reflect on this psalm: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on the faithful.” (Psalm 103:13).

The Heavenly Father does care about you - in His eyes, you are a very special person. Never forget that!!

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who often think we are of no account - no one knows about us in our particular situation - no one cares. Yet, down deep in the hearts of hearts let realize Our Lord’s loving concern. Things might not be going as they would want, but that does not mean that You are not with them in a particular situation. Bless them, and give them Your heavenly peace. Thank you Everett for treating everyone like a king and may you rest in peace taking care of all the saints vehicles in heaven.

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Anyone Can Stay

There's relatively little about hell in the gospels. Nine times in Matthew, three times in Mark, three times in Luke--many repetitions of one another--and not a word in John. In truth, we owe more of our picture of hell to the imaginations of Dante and James Joyce and fire-and-brimstone preachers than we do to Jesus.

Our pictures of hell are nothing but works of imagination--unless you know someone who has sent back postcards. There must be a hell: for people who don’t want to be with God as long as he thinks he is more important than they are.

Love is real-but-invisible, so we express it in our gifts of roses and cards, and idealize it in our hearts, our works of mercy and intimacy. Messages from God are real-but-not-physical so we embody them in burning bushes and feathery-winged angels. The point is that the inadequacy of our symbols doesn't mean the realities don't exist. In The Great Divorce, C. S. Lewis pictures hell as a Grey Town, filled with surly people. There's a bus to heaven all day long, to a beautiful meadow sloping up to breathtaking mountains. Anyone can stay, if they'll leave behind their self-absorption. If they do, their stay in the Grey Town has been purgatory; if they don't, they get back on the bus and freely go back to what has become hell. Not fascinating fire, but bleak boredom.

Heaven and hell are not places; they are the state of our soul. And we're in one or the other right now, like hikers on a trail making our way through darkness--or sunshine. We're all invited to the feast! But many have "more important" things to do; or we would prefer not to be seen with "that kind of people"; or we find it too costly to check our self-absorption at the door. Sartre was wrong, I think. Hell is not "other people"; hell is oneself. So too, of course, is heaven.

To be a mean-spirited SOB is its own punishment; to be a heartless, to have an exaggerated sense of our own importance its own emptiness; to use people as if they were no more than commodities for one's own personal profit needs no further hell. Yet, God wants to know those people. They just don't want to be known--by God or by many others. That's what hell is, I think: to be not-known--by God or, in any real sense, by anyone else.

in the story about the wise bridesmaids, they were happy because they knew their place. They weren't the bride--or the bridegroom. They were attendants. “I'm just here to help out. I just serve hors d'oeuvres; I just play in the band; I just check the coats. But, God! Whatta party!" We don’t have to be the center of attention, just a server.

I suspect those of us who "know our place" will have a lot more fun than the ones hyper-aware of what they "deserve." How lucky we are just to have the chance to live! How could we take life and all we love for granted? Who cares if we sit on the dais or bus tables in the far corner? We’re here! How lucky each of us is–-just to be, even once! Much less forever!

Immanuel watches over us as we reflect: “The Lord looks down from heaven on all huamnkind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” (Psalm 14: 1-3).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who know their place and seek heaven in their hearts. Bless all their daily works as they wait on others and may their souls celebrate at your banquet table in heaven.

Together We Sing

Close your eyes for a moment and picture yourself standing in a chorus of an endless 144,000 people, a singing a song of faith, singing aloud, if you will, the Gloria. And I ask you to be aware of two things that will be operating as each of us belts out our song, and you must listen to this seriously and carefully to catch its meaning.

The first is no one believes it all. Each of us in the chorus is gifted with only a partial understanding of the mystery of God among us; and so, in our large chorus, one sings with great intensity and assurance, another’s is with little attention and conviction, or perhaps today we’re caught by the words and melody because we happen to be emotionally ion a good place. But, at another time, in another mental or emotional place, we feel doubtful and alienated and we can hardly get the words out of our mouth. That OK. No one believes it all, but together we sing more than we can sing alone. Together we can sing more than we can sing alone.

The second thing that operates in this: if no one believes it all, so also no one believes all the time. Our journey of faith is seldom smooth and uninterrupted. At times it fluctuates between belief and unbelief. The list of names that you emailed contained people who have walked with you on this earth. Perhaps called them home when we were not ready to let them go home to heaven. We might say that we can no longer believe in God, in a God who would let take away our best friend or even a child. How could God do this to us? I like to share this healing thought.

Our response would be best to honor your losses, the loss of your spouse or family member, the loss, or at least, the shock to your faith. The fact of the matter is that tragedy has indeed broken your trust in a loving, compassionate God.

Now consider that your faith community believes for you. The saintly chorus picks up your faltering verses. The collective faith of the saints sustains us through periods of unbelief as we come in contact with saints of yesterday and we begin to see theirs scars and sense their resilience and they help us believe once more, in the face of tragic absurdity, in a new and different way. They help us sing with a different modulation. They sing the louder the phases that we can sing only softly through our tears.

So you see, no one here, you or I believe it all. And no one here believes all the time. No one accepts every verse and no one can sing every note all the time. But the chorus does. The chorus, or the community of saints, sings when you and I are unwilling or unable to do so.

We are a chorus of saints.

That’s what we celebrate on all Saints Day. We support each other and we become more than the sum total of our individual selves as the Communion of saints. You exhibit the gifts I don’t have and I exhibit the gifts you don’t have. You cry the tears I cannot cry and I laugh the laughter you cannot laugh. You believe when I struggle with doubt, I believe when you struggle with doubt. You smile when I am in tragedy; I grieve when you are in joy. Our faith hope and love are incomplete. But this feast of all saints tells us something. This feast gives us support. It reminds us that we belong to a vast community of time and space. It becomes a revelation and comfort. It tells us a mighty truth. Together we sing more than we sing alone.

Immanuel watches over us as we reflect: “Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the lord.” (Chronicles 16: 32-33).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who remember all their loved ones on this Feast of all Saints. May we always remember their goodness to us and sing their praises.

Shirley Goodnest

A mother was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school. He didn't want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe. So she had an idea of how to handle it.

She asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, So he probably wouldn't notice her. Her neighbor said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.

The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Tim as he walked to school with another neighbor girl he knew. She did this for the whole week.

As the two walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy 's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week. Finally she said to Timmy, “Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?”

Timmy nonchalantly replied, Yeah, I know who she is. The little girl said, Well, who is she?

That's just Shirley Goodnest , Timmy replied, and her daughter Marcy. Shirley Goodnest? Who is she and why is she following us?

Well, Timmy explained, every night my Mum makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, Shirley Goodnest (surely goodness ) and Marcy (mercy) shall follow me all the days of my life, so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!

No doubt there are times when you fell trouble is stalking you every step of your way. It is nice to know that God walks before, beside and has our back and will even, if necessary, carry us the rest of the way whenever we feel over our heads.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Immanuel watches over us as we reflect: “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that Shirley Goodnest and Marcy be with you today and always

Am I A Witness or Witless for God?

A tip for getting dramatic photos in the wide-open. Live in your viewfinder. Explore the landscape through your viewfinder by keeping the camera at your side, not stashed away in your backpack. If you “live in the viewfinder,” you will see the world through the unique perspective of your lens and it will help you discover compositions, possibilities that you would not have found otherwise with your own eyes.

Another way of gaining a unique perspective on life is to ask a question with a question. It is a teaching style that teachers use with their students to motivate them to think, wonder and grow.

Some religious leaders in Jesus’ day were scheming to trick him into a dangerous mistake, and wondered if it’s “…lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?”

Jesus answered their question with a question. He requested a coin, a denarius with Caesar’s image on it. “Whose head is this, and whose title?” You know the drill. You know the Biblical story.

When Jesus seemed threatened, he was adept at turning the tables. Jesus also embraced positive opportunities to reveal God’s ways. Questions were met by questions in the form of parables (What! A Samaritan is my neighbor?) and by gestures of unexpected generosity (What! The last hired worker is given the same pay as those hired first). In other words, Jesus witnessed for God by inspiring others to think, wonder and grow. Instead of providing answers ending an encounter, he posed questions or told stories that caused others to be unsettled about old ways or unfair traditions while sensing a new relationship with neighbors and God.

However, instead of being God’s witness, we frequently are witless.

Too often, we try to impress people with what we know.

Too often, we tell people what they should think before they finish speaking.

Too often, when confused or fearful or angry or spiteful, we don’t seek clarity but raise our voice.

Wit is derived from the Old English witan and the Old High German wizzan. Those two were rooted in ancient Latin and Greek words. But all shared a common meaning: to see or to know. And thus we have witness, witless, witty, dim-witted and more. Someone who sees or knows is a witness. Those who refuse to see or know are witless.

Am I a witness or witless for God?

Henry David Thoreau wrote, “The question is not what you look at, but what you see.” In the encounter with the two-faced Pharisees, Jesus is said to have discerned their malice. I believe he knew they only looked through selfish, self-satisfied eyes, and only schemed to ensnare him. And yet his response, then and in so many other situations, challenged people to “see” beyond the self-destructive, foolish and witless.

Immanuel watches over us as we reflect: “But you, O God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. (Psalm 10:14).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that we see life through the viewfinder of God’s vision. Let our questions about the things that happen to us help us to grow in God’s way of thinking, courage and love.

More Than Expected

Once again, I have been invited to offer the blessing prayer at the local florist workshop. The master floral designers strut their talent by demonstrating stunning displays depicting the holiday season. I begin my prayer with a big thank you to these creative artists who designed miniature gardens at a funeral home for a dear friend. This beautiful soul loved her gardens and the floral pieces that surrounded her ashes complete with gardening gloves and trowel were a stunning reflection of her love for God’s flowers.

Many times the floral designers are called upon to help folks cope with intense feelings of sorrow, or in times of struggle or moments of joy. The work of their hands brings hope and encouragement on a birthday, or wedding, in a hospital or surrendering our loved ones to God. Sometimes the orders and messages people put on their cards get a little mixed up. Like the time a spouse who was surprised by a beautiful bouquet from her husband who was away at a business meeting in Florida when the message read: “With deepest sympathy.” She was not as surprised as the woman whose husband had died and her card read: “It’s a lot hotter down here than I expected. Wish you could join me.”

There was a special moment during the demonstration when several designers were honored for their contribution to the floral industry. The narrator shared that often orders come from customer service for special orders and a designer does not want to be interrupted while they are working. However, one master designer at a local floral shop always seems to find the time to respond to these irksome requests throughout the day. He has spent over 30 years in the floral industry and his work is always beautiful. This is the kind of person you would never hesitate to ask a favor for because he always comes to greet you with a smile and his creative skills goes beyond exceptional, his creative displays are simply stunning.

Does not God come to us this way when we are rattled at times with life’s quirks? We need someone like this designer who makes time for us and stands at our side to be a sign of God’s love and generosity. In the same way, we are invited throughout our busy day to reflect the same patience and enthusiasm to help others in need. This is called exceptional customer service. Customer complaints are a gift where get a chance to shine with patience and humility. Some people we know do it seamlessly and with grace.

Immanuel watches over us as we reflect: “A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.” (Proverbs 18:16).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who take the time to go out of their way to help those in trouble. Give us the gift of grace to gladly reach out to all who call upon for help and may we receive the fruits of our good works.

Looking Up

What do you worry about? The usual lists of problems like job, health, and your kids. Then there is this sin. Nothing you want to talk about. Usually hidden in your subconscious. But you worry a lot about it. It is like running the red light. We know it’s against the law, but we’re always in a hurry, but we take the risk and get lucky that we don’t crash into someone. This sin hurts our relationship with God. Not that God will condemn us into oblivion, but that it makes us feel unworthy, when all God wants us to feel is how very special we are to Him. So what can we do with this back hole in our soul, this compulsive habit that prevents us from enjoying the beauty that God sees.

It’s a prescription offered by St. Paul who had his troubles and worries and tells us: "Have no anxiety at all." To some people this might seem like Pollyanna or playing down our sinful nature. But St. Paul is no naive optimist. He had his share of troubles and failings. A partial list includes public whippings, shipwrecks, snakebites, imprisonment, illness and putting Christians to death. Yes, even the worse sin that you can imagine. We might carry that same sin inside when we took the life of the unborn, or slandered a someone, or abused a spouse or child. These sins drive us crazy because in an impulsive moment we no longer reflected the love that God placed inside our hearts.

But stay with me here. Listen to what St. Paul wrote while he was in prison: "Have no anxiety at all." How did St. Paul overcome anxiety? He tells us: "in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God." His prescription against anxiety. First, pray - put our troubles and our sins in God's hand - make your requests known to him. Doesn't God already know what we need? He does, but He wants us to entrust our lives and our problems to Him. There is a person who has a prayer corner in there home. It has a cross, a candle and small basket. The person writes their concerns on small slips of paper and places them in the basket, handing them over to God. When this sinner practices this prayer, they experience wonderful peace. The first part of overcoming anxiety our sins is prayer, trust in God.

The second part of the prescription is thanksgiving. God does not make mistakes. When a human being is alive, it is because God wants him or her to be alive. We are here because of God's will and, even the bad things, even the sins. God only allows them because of some greater purpose. Perhaps so that we can humbly get down on our kneels and experience this blessed moment of peace. So in every circumstance, we need to give thanks. A grateful heart is a peaceful heart.

The image that I have attached is a moment while walking a trail in the Adirondacks in which a friend told me to look up into the trees. He noticed the beauty of the leaves changing and this stunning shot reflects the beauty that occurs during Autumn.

So I say to you look up to heaven this morning and pray to God and unburden all your worries and sins. Let God come into your soul to refresh your drooping spirit and experience the wonderful bliss that comes when we trust in His words. "Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God." (Philippians 4:6).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends whose troubles have made them sick with worry and fear. Our world is full of greed, selfishness, betrayal and violence and we experience many disappointments yet help us to realize that – trust and gratitude is the secret to have no anxiety at all.

Internet of the Heart

My friend and his wife had to replace their refrigerator. They heard about the state rebate program-that would refund $250 if they bought a high efficiency refrigerator.

So they scouted the sales that’s saved a couple of hundred dollars off the machine if you bought refrigerator at the same time and then on Labor day weekend, would take another 15 percent off. The rebate would make the deal even sweeter.

They went to the website of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to complete the rebate application. NYSERDA was running a tab to show how much of the $3.5 million in rebates had been claimed as of that moment. Online, the application for the site would not open. The phone number set up to register applicants kicked immediately to voice mail. They left a message and got no response. The following day the application still would not open and the $3.5 million rebate had been used by other applicants.

My friends reached a live human being who had heard that people had trouble with the application online. He sent them a copy of the form and put them on a waiting list. In three days the money was all gone.

The couple was not happy about not getting the rebate, but the reality is that just about every business, every agency, every organization exists almost exclusively online. The intenet is an essential tool that we could not function without it. But it is also too convenient to distance ourselves from other human beings, to avoid contact and to blame failure on software glitches.

Some appliance buyers could open the oniine rebate application, but my friends could not. Breakdowns are routine. Websites can open the door to far more traffic then they can handle. And those who can’t get through are left to fume I the privacy of their homes or offices, pounding aimlessly on keyboards or touch screens that take them nowhere. Recently, both this blog and my website were down and I had no one to talk to about the problems.

I am sure you have had this sensation of being stymied somewhere in cyberspace, knowing for certain that there is no one to talk to, no way to prove how hard you have tried to get through.

In prayer, we have a direct line to a compassionate God who listens to all our concerns. There is no waiting, no busy signal, no endless prompts that take you nowhere but the pit of frustration. In your heart, you can immediately go to Our Lord and let Him inside your soul and share what’s on your mind, how you are doing and where you need wisdom and strength. The prayer line to heaven is open 24/7 with call forward. Perhaps our prayer application receives a message that our requests will not been granted. We sometimes do not like the news, but we know that we have made contact, that someone who loves us noticed and keeps us always in their mind and heart.

Immanuel watches over us as we reflect: “I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayers.” (Psalm 17:6).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are praying at this moment for their family and friends. May the Internet in our hearts remain open to all calls and, like Jesus, respond with generosity and compassion for all who call upon us.

Take Our Breath Away

Imagine giving someone who works only one hour the same pay as someone who worked twelve hours! It doesn’t make sense. In the parable about the workers who had toiled all day in the oppressive heat, they felt cheated when they discovered that those who worked only an hour before quitting time received the same pay as they did.

But if you look closely there is an incredible message that slaps us in the face with delightful surprise.

There are four other parables that are precise variations on this gospel. First, there is the parable of the unforgiving servant, with its message of God’s extraordinary capacity to forgive someone with a huge debt he couldn’t possibly pay back. Then there are the familiar stories of the lost sheep, the woman with the lost coin and the prodigal son. In each of these stories, we see how a God acts toward us in a way that we would not naturally expect. They all reveal a God who comes to us in love and mercy, not as a harsh judge who justifiably wants to punish us for our sins.

Simply put, these five parables show God’s radical and surprising ways with us. No first century king, for example would forgive a huge debt any more than VISA or MasterCard would cancel thousands of dollars of our credit card debt. No sensible shepherd would leave ninety-nine sheep at huge risk to go looking for one measly lost animal. No sane woman would sweep her house for hours looking for a single coin worth ten cents. And certainly no first-century father would freely forgive his wayward son, running to meet him and then throwing a party to celebrate his return. A proper father would put the son on probation for a while to see if he was serious about repenting.

The workers who worked hard all day didn’t get it. They wanted more money than their co-workers who came at the end of the day. But you see, the same dynamic is at work here as in the other parables; the after hour workers are the indebted servant, the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. They represent all of us who feel lost and broken. It might be our selfishness, our destructive lifestyle or thoughtless manners.

In all those stories Jesus is claiming that each of us is of infinite worth to Almighty God, no matter who we are or what we have done or not done, how long we have or haven’t worked. All fringe, indebted, lost latecomer folk are given underserved kindness and mercy. Do you see this profound truth? These are not stories about fairness or labor-management relations. They are stories about God, a God who leaves ninety-nine to search for one, who sweeps a house for ten cents, who embraces a son who had fled him—and who gives one-hour laborers too much money. It’s a story designed to take our breath away and ask, “What kind of a God is this who undermines all human expectations?

Immanuel watches over us as we reflect: “The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.” (Psalm 6:9).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who feel lost and without hope. May your gift of forgiveness lift our spirits and bring us peace of mind and heart.

Hiddenness of the Kingdom

One of the most remarkable truths that Jesus taught is the unexpected hiddenness of the kingdom of God. Jesus made clear that the kingdom of God was going to save and rescue this world precisely by virtue of its being so very different from the powerful, flashy, showy political kingdoms which otherwise capture our attention.

The kingdom of God, Jesus said, looks small, even tiny. It looks foolish. In fact, the kingdom can even disappear completely the way a seed gets buried in the soil. It takes 750 mustard seeds to equal one gram. Drop one of those little wisps into the dirt and you won't even be able to see it. The same is true of yeast in dough: once it's mixed into the water, flour, and oil, the yeast disappears—you could not separate it back out again (much less locate it) if you tried. Yet these tiny things have great effects.

The kingdom is not what you expect in terms of political clout. The kingdom of God is not about gleaming capital cities studded with marble colonnades and soaring executive mansions. It's not about some fierce army plowing under opposition by sheer dint of its power. Compared to all of that, God's kingdom looks as insignificant as a grain of mustard or a packet of dry yeast. But the kingdom can change hearts. It can change the world. It has changed the world. So how many life changing moments have you had recently?

A grieving widow had received an invitation to drive to Vermont to visit her kids and grandkids but she never made this trip alone. Some friends from Boston were visiting and offered to drive home part of the way. However, their plans changed so our dear friend was faced with the decision to make the drive alone. She found the courage only to discover that her kids had to get back to work on Tuesday. It appeared she make the trip for nothing. But it seemed her older brother who lived in a nearby town caught wind that his sister was stranded. Instead, he took himself out of work and invited his older sister to go hiking in the Vermont mountain trails. This spontaneous act of kindness brought much joy and healing to his grieving sister. She enjoyed great comfort from her brother who took note of his sister’s grief. She described her adventure as a great relief and enjoyed taking their daypacks and hiking 4-6 miles a day. On the trail they just talked about everything and she never felt lonely or sad.

The kingdom simply means we find ourselves in a moment in which we might be asked to do the impossible-like take the extra days to spend with a family member, or go walk the dog or help a neighbor shop for groceries. The kingdom is here but it's modest. It's hidden. It's quiet.

The kingdom of God turns out to be utterly surprising in nature. How many times do I walk into the woods and get a glimpse of nature that I never noticed before. But you have to go slow and not be in a hurry. But once you embrace this quiet moment of bliss, you have accepted the invitation to live in a kingdom lifestyle. To do so becomes very contagious to those around us, which is why I can’t wait to start taking folks with me on journeys into the woods.

Immanuel watches over us as we reflect: And a highway will be there, it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way.” (Isaish 35:8).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who extend themselves to be quiet acts of your loving faithfulness. Help us to let the Kingdom grow and leaven in its own quiet, humble way so that people’s hearts will be changed by our gestures of acceptance and openness. Special thanks to all our Sonshine nurses who care for the sick and bring a special blessing and healing to all their patients and family members. You are the best!

You Need To Go Home

I was visiting a beautiful family who are preparing today to entertain 60 family and friends for a Fourth of July picnic at their home. On Friday, we were cleaning up the yard and helping to strain the seaweed floating up the side of their dock. Unbeknown to any of us, a worker from their truck farm came with a weedwacher that sent grass-clippings flying all over the sidewalk and into the water after we had just cleaned. The lady of the house kindly asked this eager beaver to be more watchful and keep the clippings out of the water. No sooner did she have this discussion then he pulled his ear protectors back on and proceeded to rip up the grass as the wacher sent clippings back into the water, on the dock and into the patio. My friend firmly went up to him, looked him straight in the eye and said: “You need to go home.”

The yard was a complete mess and we looked at one another wondering where did he come from? All we could do was head for the garden shed, get out the brooms and pans and sweep the mess away off the patio, the walks, and the dock and strain the shore again. I wonder if Jesus had moments when he went up to an apostle who was botching up the message and said: “You need to go home.”

Sometimes we are so exhausted that we are not thinking straight and it results in making lots of mistakes. Our intentions are good, but we are not listening very well because we have so many burdens on our mind.

A good friend was having another miserable day at his construction site, where everybody seemed to working at a snail pace despite the deadlines he had in his mind. To get away from this mess, we convinced him to take us for a boat ride on the lake to see the sunset. As we were heading for the lighthouse and the sun was setting, a coast guard boat came along side for an inspection. He has never been inspected in his life in 50 years. Instead of panic, he just slowed the boat and welcomed the guardsmen aboard to perform their drill. He had all the required flares and whistles, took his required boat courses in the 60's before any crew members were born and passed the inspection with flying colors. He wondered to himself what else could go wrong?

We could only laugh with him as the Coast Guard boat sailed off into the sunset. Instead of a yoke that was too heavy, he is loved by family and friends who were there to remind him that in times of trouble we need to “come to the Lord.”

Don’t you know that Christ is fully aware of what is going on in our lives at all times? We often do not acknowledge his presence. What we need to do is to tell Him our troubles, not so much for His information, but for our own benefit, to bring to our consciousness the fact that Christ must be present in our lives.

Immanuel watches over us as we reflect: “Do not be far from me, my God; come quickly, God, to help me. “ (Psalm 71:12).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who feel exhausted and burnt-out from the burdens of life. In that moment, help us to know that we are never alone and that you are our side to give strength and courage. May we remember to come home to the Lord whenever we feel washed-out to find rest from all our burdens.

My Foster Dads

Some time ago, I had this problem of trying to dismantle mattress springs that were welded together with iron pipe. The frame weighed a ton and I wanted to take the frame to the recycling center, however, it would not come apart to fit in my truck. A sledgehammer would not budge the frame. God rest his soul, but Tony my 90 plus next-door neighbor came over to assess the problem. He returned from his basement with this special tool. He administered a few whacks in the right spots and the frame seemed to magically fall apart like a deck of cards.

Some men have all the rights tools. Advertisers know that men are more into their gadgets than flowers or chocolate. So Home Depot, Sears and Lowes are flooding their store shelves with every tool a man would want on their workbench. On Father’s Day, I like to offer my prayers for all the dads who have helped this “father” with their tools.

For Michael who patiently taught me the art of floral design, and Tom, who will bring a garden design to help me plant my first flower and herb garden. Then there are memories of Father Alex, who use to squeeze our thumbs and handout quarters during lunch break to all the children at St. Stanislaus. This was the same pastor who beamed with pride and stood by my side when I celebrated my First Mass at the altar.

I have been blessed with many “foster dads” in my lifetime, hard working farmers like Dick and Jim who taught me how to cultivate the land and Tom who taught me how to float and Jim for his help in surveying, and Ken for help in cutting the vines. Then there are the master craftsmen who know their trades: Rudy, Brad, and Mark who are masters in their trades and especially, Vince, the forester, who now is walking in the forests of heaven.

The blessings continue as other men have shared their spiritual gifts. I am humbled by my spiritual advisor, the professor whose faith and profound insights have fostered many reflections that show God is indeed by our side through the fears and pain of life.

My gratitude goes to Chet for his bread baking passion as I practice once a week kneading my pumpernickel recipe. There is Owen who took me under his arm decades ago and introduced me to the art of photography. It’s all about the light and not the technology, although I am grateful to Brandon, Louis, John and Glen who show me which buttons to push.

Then there is my dad who taught me that God loves all people without exceptions. A veteran with a passion to help his senior comrades and a faith that continues to inspire my ministry to bring comfort to the sick and hope to the dying.

Immanuel watches over us as we reflect: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” (Jeremiah 17:7).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine “foster dads” who have blessed me with their with amazing tools and talents. May these men know in their hearts that I am forever grateful for their unselfishness and care for their family and friends. One thing I ask of all my Sonshine Friends on Father's Day and that is to pray for all our fathers whenever we think of them.

Darkness Always Yield to the Light

A young man and a priest are playing golf together. At a short par 3 the priest asks, 'What are you going to use on this hole, my son?' The young man says, 'An iron, father. How about you?' The priest says, 'I'm going to hit a soft seven and pray.' The young man hits his iron and puts the ball on the green. The priest tops his iron and dribbles the ball out a few yards. The young man says, 'I don't know about you, father, but in my church when we pray we keep our heads down.'

Obviously, father should have kept his head down to make a better shot. When Jesus ascended to heaven, it appears the disciples were looking up. However, I prefer that we take this familiar story and take a moment to look within.

There are moments when we are in shock and disbelief. Imagine, Jesus is pulling away in a U-haul and our memories flood with the times we hung out together, sharing meals, shopping trips and life changing events. It’s more likely the disciples are crying their eyes out because their hearts are broken. Jesus can’t be gone. You can’t leave us again. It’s not fair. I don’t understand. How will I survive without you? You mean so much to us. And once again you are going to disappear out of our life. How dare you leave us! Anger, despair, frustration, what’s with this God.

Don’t you understand Jesus that we need you to “stay with us.” We miss your humor, your compassion, your encouragement, your wisdom and your profound insights about life. The disciples memories about Jesus would be unique and express their humble appreciation for everything that he brought into their life. But this leaving again is painful. “Stay with us.” I can more imagine the disciples screaming at Jesus as he lifts off the ground heading for the pearly gates. “No, no, no, you can’t leave us again,” as their sobbing becomes uncontrollable.

It’s more rational for me to think that the disciples would get upset, even angry that Jesus made this decision to leave. What’s so good about losing your best friend? The message is humbling and gut wrenching. We must surrender our need and trust that we will grow in the spirit of love. This surrender makes us more compassionate, more flexible, more understanding, more forgiving. We never like to let go of anything. We definitely want to be in control. The key message of this ascension is that it can increase our trust.

The Hebrew word “Ehyeh” means “I will be with you.” That is God’s name. That is what God is all about. God is the one who is with us. When we are faced with something that we don’t think we are capable of doing “living without our best friend, our spouse, our child.” God is the light shining in the darkness, and make no mistake there is darkness in the world. But God comes to reassure us that we do not have to be afraid of the darkness because darkness will always yield to the light!

Where do you think the impulse comes from to strike down your grief, to intervene on the side of the powerless? And who gives you the strength to do these things? It was because Lord was with you.

Immanuel watches over us as we reflect: “For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” (Psalm 56:13).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine friends who have confronted the darkness feeling alone. Let your promise whisper within our hearts a voice to remind us that despite the hurt and pain God is always by our side to hold us up and give us the courage to know that all “darkness always yields to the light.”