Fr. Matt's Photo Website

 

 

About a month ago, an international photographer and longtime friend said: “When are you going to have a website with your photos.” To myself I said, whose he kidding, I’m no professional. But… and that’s no excuse, his needling was the motivation to learn how to design a photo website.

 

So, humbly, the following is the “bio” I wrote for the website, and directions how to download Fr. Matt’s Photography:www.frmatt.com

 

“In my next life, I will be an award winning, nationally acclaimed photographer. My work will feature stunning images seen in many of the country’s most prestigious publications. My landscape images will have earned a reputation as one of the finest nature and outdoor photographers in the country.

 

However, I am a ’late bloomer.’ I have humbly served for 43 years as a Catholic hospital chaplain, trauma first responder, parish priest and shepherd to a flock in a rural Wyoming County, NY.

 

I have studied with the help of two gifted photographers, OJ Roth and Brandon Vick, to be a landscape photographer along with my dynamic spiritual stories to focus on capturing the natural beauty of a location. My images highlight the stunning beauty of our national parks, botanical gardens and artistic stain glass designs. Some recent projects include photographing, Glacier National Park, Banff Provincial Park, Picture Rock National Lakeshore, Bryce National Park, Antelope Canyon, as well as, historic lighthouses, covered bridges and stain glass designs from nationwide cathedrals.

 

My goal is to help you fall in love with the locations I visit by sharing my vision and passion through unique photography. I offer imagery with a dynamic storytelling twist to my parishioners, Sonshine Friends and fine art clients.

 

You can see my work by visiting my website and read about my journey on my popular blog Fr. Matt’s Sonshine: http://fathermatt.blogspot.com and my photos: Fr. Matt’s Photography: www.frmatt.com

 

My wish is that these photos find a happy home so that they can be loved and enjoyed for many years. I will use a portion of the proceeds from the sale of these images to support a comfort home for the dying on the grounds of my church and to support the many ministries of our faith community.”

 

We need your support to continue the awesome ministries of our parish.

You can help by forwarding this website: www.frmatt.com to your friends, neighbors, co-workers and email lists of fans and supporters. 

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that we truly are grateful for the beauty of Your creation. May we praise you and give thanks for all the gifts you shower upon our family and friends.

Power of Prayer

                                                        

Where does your power come from these days? I sat in front of my computer this morning and when I clicked, the screen was dead. Thank God I knew it was not a “blue screen” which means a bad bug got into your system

 

Rather, I had left my power cord back in the office and my computer had run out of gas. well, not literally, but you get the idea. So, I borrowed another power cord and plugged into the outlet, hit the switch, and for a few moments waited for the power to come on. We’re at 7% as I write this reflection.

 

So, I give you this thought for today. When things go dark, when you are running out of energy, or when you’re pulling out your hair worried about kids on the bus going to school this morning say this prayer and pass it on.

 

Lord, we pray for our students and teachers this morning going back to school. We pray for their health and safety as classrooms and schools have been modified to allow for proper social distancing and hygiene. We pray for the janitorial staff and cafeteria workers, as well as the office staff; we pray that you would keep them safe and protected from the virus. Please protect the families of the students and teachers as they return home each day; please slow the spread of the virus so that it would not infect these families. Lord, we pray for the energy of their teachers that they will be able to plan their lessons and teach all their students, also that the students will be able to learn and keep up with their lessons. We pray for their spiritual growth, in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

 

Now that you drove your kids to school or sent them off on the bus, get yourself a cup of coffee and have a good cry. It will help to relieve your stress and bring you closer to God. Now that’s the power of prayer.

 

Teacher Heroes

 

A picture keeps popping up in my mind as we near the start of school. It’s a colorful image of a five-year old. He is standing tall in the flower section of Wegmans, holding tight to a bunch of roses and a big bag of cookies. It is the night before his last day of daycare and just a few days from his first day of Kindergarten.

 

The flowers and cookies are for his teacher. She was the first teacher he was absolutely, totally in love with. His love stemmed from many tiny instances of care and compassion he experienced during that year in her classroom. There were small moments, like the daily hugs received as he entered and exited the room. And there were larger moments, like the first day he walked in with hearing aids, and the teacher welcomed him into the circle and invited his friends to see the new devices that were going to help him be a bigger part of the classroom. His teacher called the children over to scoot up close to look at him, and, under her guidance, tell him how excited they were for his new “super-ears.”

 

Teachers, particularly ones that work with such a young age, can be seen as superheroes by their students. And this hero status is what leads to a tiny five-year-old standing tall in a flower section, holding tight to the most precious gift he can give. That teacher was his son’s hero, because she showed him that even in a challenging classroom environment, he was seen, and he mattered.

 

This month begins a transition into the most challenging experience teachers have ever faced. Even if they are seeing their students in person, they are seeing them behind masks and at arm’s length. I can imagine many teachers are longing to be able to reach out and hug their students on the first day of school and tell them everything is going to be alright.

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends and bless the extraordinary faith in teachers to find a way to show all students that they are seen and that they matter. Let us pray for teachers as we begin this year, that God may grace them with the vision and the fortitude needed to navigate these ever-changing circumstances. And may God remind them daily that they have superhero status in the eyes of children—and in the eyes of the children’s parents as well.

 

 

 

Kingdom of Heaven---Priceless

A woman had been a religious education director in her parish for over 30 years.  She had worked tirelessly in her parish preparing kids for First Communion, Confirmation, supervising all the other grades whether in CCD classes or in the Parish Elementary School.

When she had completed her 25th year, she said she had felt burnt out.  She was busy, she was tired, she was working hard.  But it seemed year after year was just flowing one year into another.  There were lots of kids in CCD, but few at Mass. The Parish School was getting smaller and fears that it would close were becoming more real.  The parish itself seemed “stuck”.  So she had gone to this conference sponsored by “Renewal Ministries.”  The goal of Renewal Ministries is to help Catholics discover or recover an appreciation of the love that Jesus Christ has for them individually. With the goal that once they’ve met Jesus or come to know him more intimately, more personally – the response is people want to grow in holiness themselves.

After this conference, this particular religious ed professional said she had an earth-shattering realization.  She went up to one of the presenters whom she had been listening to all weekend, and said that after 25 years of service she didn’t believe that she had ever brought a single person into relationship with Jesus Christ.

Imagine that?  There’s a part of us that wants to dismiss that saying she’s being hyper-critical of herself.  But she was brutally honest saying the kids looked cute at their First Communion; the young men and women behaved appropriately at their Confirmations. But for her, when she heard the Gospel presented to her anew.  When she heard the story afresh of how Jesus Christ has this personal, intimate love for her, that were she the only person to have ever lived in the whole world, he would still accept the Passion, the Cross, the Death for her – that’s how much God loves her – she realized that she and all of those with her in her parish had lost sight of what was essential in the faith.  In the process they had taken all these other beautiful, important things of our faith and in a sense made them empty.

She went back to her parish and with her Pastor and her Bishop’s approval, they simply asked over and over “Is Jesus Christ the Lord of my Life?”  “Is He the Lord of this Classroom?” “This parish group?” “This school?”  If He wasn’t, then they made Him such, or they got rid of it.  Within 5 years the parish had been transformed.  The school went from near closing to having a waiting list.  The Parish was thriving in every way imaginable.

When we find the “treasure” – When we find the “pearl of great price”:  – When we truly believe what we say we believe and realize that nothing else compares to it… nothing else matters, even remotely in importance, then we start to see, experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the lives of all those around us.  That one woman felt convicted in her heart that Jesus wasn’t Lord of her life or her parish, so she made him it.  She might have doubted she brought people to Christ before, but ever since, Jesus had changed her and many others lives.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that despite the fears and uncertain times, we realize that You walk as our companion and you our treasure that brings us hope and the gift of eternal life-now that's priceless!

We Are Never Alone

I had just returned from Zooming another Sunday Mass with 40 parishioners that included two families with their children wearing masks. I was asked by an online Zoomer to pray for her dad who died three weeks ago. She is the niece of Bishop Peplowski, who inspired the rebirth of our parish and a man who was like a grandfather and spiritual mentor to me.

A few days before he died, he shared his wisdom of priesthood: “Tell people that they are not alone. Promise me you’ll keep telling people the Good News.”

With tears rolling down my face, I cannot count the number of times I have replayed this conversation between the two of us in the last two years since it took place. I recall the memory of what it felt like to have this jovial man of God lovingly gaze at me and understand what mattered to me at my core. I cherish the bond that we had, not only as priest colleagues and bishop, but also as two kindred souls who knew what it was like to be loved by God.

He knew in those last moments of his life what I now understand better than I ever did what it was like to discover the promises of God. His understanding of the promises grew in him through the lived experience of 81 years of a life full of joys and sorrows, weaved together with the stitches of his journey of faith. Life, prayer, and his community experience of faith taught Bishop that there were some things in life that were unchangeable and that served as firm foundations upon which to build our lives.

If I were asked, “Why do you have hope?” during this pandemic, my immediate reply would be because I know that I am not alone. God is with me. God is within each one of us, always residing in that sacred space within us, the inner chapel. By visiting the inner chapel every day, I discover that I am not going to an empty silence but  to be with the One I belong to, who loves me unconditionally, who offers me rest and mercy, and who is a companion to whatever I am facing in life.

The promises of God are available to all of us. They are there for us to discover as we go to our inner chapels daily. These promises tell us:

• We are never alone.
• We belong to someone.
• We are unconditionally loved.
• We are fully seen and offered mercy.
• We have a companion in our suffering.
• We have a unique call.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that they embrace these promises of God, but to generously sharing this Good News with those who need it during these challenging times.

Eyes of Christ

I had just returned from Zooming another Sunday Mass with 30 faithful parishioners wearing their masks. My story was about a young man who proposed to his future wife. But there was a catch. His future wife was a caregiver to her sister with Downs Syndrome and diabetes. If he wanted her hand in marriage, he would have to include her sister in their life together.

No problem for this young man. The image I projected on the screen showed a field of flowers and he is giving a family heirloom ring to her sister. Next, he was on bended knee for his future spouse was next in line. What a friend!

So now home from Sunday Mass, I decided to take a book and head for the stream, set up my chair in the stream, listening to the water spilling over the rocks. A book, cup of iced tea, and a shady tree—the perfect afternoon! As I opened my book, I said to myself, “I cannot believe this is happening!” The story I am reading is about a mom who also had a quiet moment from being quarantined when she experienced the following moment.

“About 20 minutes into reading, I saw two brown eyes on top of a blonde head suddenly peer at me from over the edge of my book. Instantly, I knew it was my six-year-old daughter, who had apparently made her way quietly downstairs. I guess in her attempt not to interrupt my reading, she had crawled on the floor so that she was now right in front of me, eyes peering over my book.

My first internal response to seeing her was not, Oh, how cute! I’ll be honest. I felt agitated, and my interior monologue was going something like this: How dare she interrupt me! Doesn’t she know I’m reading a spiritual book, trying to grow my relationship with God?
Thankfully, none of these words came out of my mouth. Instead, we just starred at each other for a few minutes in quiet, those big brown eyes of love just peering into my eyes. She finally said, “Mom, do you want to play with me?”

I thought to myself, No, I just want to read this book about God and about finding God in all things. Again, thankfully, I didn’t speak any words out loud.

Internally, I was trying to calm myself down from being interrupted from doing the reading that would help me find God in all things and people. As I did, I continued to peer into my daughter’s eyes. Then, clear as day these words came into my mind: Becky, don’t you see me?
I’m right here.

Tears welled in my eyes. I suddenly saw Christ peering right at me in the shape of a blonde-haired, brown-eyed six-year-old inviting me to play.

I closed my book, set it aside, and invited my daughter up onto my lap. As I embraced her, I knew I was embracing not only her, but Christ as well. Is there anything more extraordinary than that?”

I Can't Stand It No Longer

Yes, our internet connection crashed again. No, it was nobody’s fault. But here’s my story you missed.

In the movie, “Steel Magnolia,” there is a memorable scene that takes place at a cemetery after the death of the mother’s daughter. The funeral service had ended and family and friends were walking back to their cars when the mother’s girlfriends noticed mom standing alone in front of her daughter’s casket. 

One by one, her four best female friends, come back to be by her side. After a long silence, one young woman shared her faith saying that while this is a terrible tragedy they should be rejoicing because she believed the daughter is with the angels in heaven. The mother looked up at her with stern eyes and said, “Well, I’m glad that you’re rejoicing, but I don’t feel joyful, I’m angry. I’m so angry and I just want to hit something.” 

Her mother-in-law, pipes up and says, “go ahead hit Louisa,” who is the cranky old neighbor. The neighbor looks at this mother-in-law and says: “who the hell are you to tell her to hit me.” The mother-in-law says, “it will be good for you, let her hit you, it might get some of that meanness out of you.”  The neighbor is outraged and stomps out of the cemetery in a huff. At that moment, all the women started to burst out laughing. Tears are in their eyes and they are hysterically laughing. Another girlfriend says, “we needed to laugh to break the hurt and sadness, it just too much.”

I believe all of us have felt just like that mom who want to scream out of anger and hit something with what has been happening these past four months. The uncertainty, the injustice, the violence, the fear of what is going to happen next.

We need good friends like this mother found in her darkest moment to give her the strength and courage to carry on. Jesus taught, “come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest.” Like these girlfriends, Jesus wants to be your companion. When we are at our wits end and ready to explode with anger and rage, Jesus says “hit me” meaning… talk to me, tell me how lonely, or desperate, or anxious, or upset you feel. Believe me, trust in me and when you let it all out, you might not laugh, but you will find calm.

Today, in your prayers, when you are in a funk and so angry and fed up with life, “hit Him,” meaning… pour out your soul and tell Jesus how you are feeling--alone, worried, confused, exhausted. “Hit Him,” pray to Jesus and let His love soothe your anger and bring you peace and calm.   

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends, Holy Family parishioners and Zoom friends that when we get hot under the collar about anything, we hit You with our anxious feelings and allow your spirit to fill us with your patience, mercy and understanding. Question. Who needs a call right now from you, so that you can let them scream, rant and rave until all their pain is empty and bathe in God’s healing grace. Call, text or zoom them right now and “be their companion.”

What Are You Afraid Of?

Let’s start with some fantastic new, a record 465 chicken BBQ dinners were served to support Charlotte Comfort Home. Thank you to all the volunteers and those who came to support this ministry of Our Lord’s compassion. All the safety protocols were in place and no one felt afraid to come to pick up their dinners.

After months of quarantine, after weeks of protest and unrest, no doubt there’s a pretty lengthy list of things that we are afraid of. That’s piled on top of the things we carry in our own lives and families.  Maybe you’re not worried about COVID, but about that friend who’s dealing with a disease that’s far more known and can be far more dangerous.  Maybe your job has been interrupted by a temporary layoff. I’m thinking of some police officers right now who feel more vulnerable and less supported and protected than ever before.   There’s no shortage of fears to contend with on a pretty regular basis.

This morning, I was speaking with a friend about their returning to Mass for the first time after months of quarantine.  All of the safety protocols that you could have imagined or anticipated were already in place in his church. When I asked him how it went he said “yeah I ended up not going.” He started going through a list of things “yeah, well you know they said that the obligation is still not in force and I’m nervous about going there just yet and I figure let me give it a few weeks…”  But I said to him – “dude, you were at Home Depot last Friday, you’ve already got your hair cut, you get take out all the time,  you keep checking for an update on when your gym is reopening – not for nothing, that’s a lame excuse.” We’ll see how he makes out this weekend.  

Not to pick on him or anyone, and I am very cautious and told my parishioners to stay safe and remain home if they are ill or have a prior medical condition if they are fearful to come to Sunday Mass.

However, have we have allowed safety and precaution now to grip us from receiving the most nourishing thing we can receive for our souls, Jesus’ body and blood in the Eucharist…

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who look to you for wisdom and courage during these scary times. In our prayers today, may the Spirit guide us to return to our churches to be fed and nourished by the Bread of Life. 22 attended Mass at Holy Family yesterday, maybe another 22 will join them next Sunday to nourish our weary souls.

What to Expect When Mass Resumes

As painful as the decision was to suspend all public Masses at Holy Family, during the Covid 19 pandemic, the process was necessary for your safety and health.

As we see numbers flatten and decrease, we are beginning to sense the situation improving. In the interest of the common good, we do not want to contribute to a second wave that could disrupt our liturgical life.

As health restrictions are eased and we are able to start gathering together again, it is important for everyone to accept that things will not immediately go back to life before the Corona virus.

We know the desire to return to our parish, participate in the liturgy, and receive the Eucharist is incredibly strong, but we ask that everyone approach this reopening with a patient, loving and charitable mindset. 

Holy Family will resume public Mass on Sunday, June 21^st for Father’s Day.

Five Things to Be Mindful of During the Return Process

1. A general dispensation from the Sunday obligation will remain until further notice. The dispensation for the obligation to attend Mass will remain in effect. No one will be required to attend Mass when public celebrations resume. Hence, live stream Masses for parishioners at home will continue.

2. Attendance will be limited. Restrictions will remain on holding large gatherings, and your Parish Committee is working on the best way to ensure safety. The current State guideline is 25% capacity for our place of worship. It is likely that all parishioners may not be able to attend Mass regularly at first.

3. Social Distancing will be practiced. Our parish will have pews that are taped off, and that households, even of one individual, will be asked to keep six feet of separation from each other. No one will be admitted without a mask. If you do not have one, we will supply you with a mask, that you must wear during Mass.  If you are uncomfortable wearing a mask, or you have an illness that prevents you from wearing a mask, stay home. Parishioners should take their temperature before coming to Mass. Anyone with any symptoms of sickness must stay home to ensure the safety of all. 

4. Liturgical changes will be in place. Similar to protocols established when churches were closing, extra precautions will be taken. Temporary adjustments will be made to how we celebrate Mass and receive Communion.

5. There still will be a risk for anyone who attends a public Mass. Even with best health practices and strict social distancing, anyone who enters a public space should recognize there is a risk of contracting any virus, including coronavirus. Improved cleaning will occur at our church, but no one should expect that they will be any safer from germs than in other public spaces.

Finally, we should recognize that this is a unique time and we need to continue to work together to make progress. There will be challenges and frustration. You may choose not to attend Mass for the first few week and that’s fine. However, we believe these guidelines are a call to love our neighbors.

If we all work together, we can incrementally expand our options and increase our participation in the liturgy. However, if we look for ways to get around the regulations, we will likely contribute to the sickness and death of others, creating situations that force us to take steps back. Each of us is called to be faithful members of the Body of Christ as we implement the reopening of our churches. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do in our parish communities.

“Be strong and take heart, all who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:25

We Need Hope

We do need hope! We need hope as we witness the distress of our brothers and sisters who are suffering with the virus. We need hope as we are barraged by stories about the pandemic and its economic toll. We need hope that the violence in our streets will be ended with peaceful walks with justice for all—these days that seem to blend one into the other—will not last forever. We need hope that we will be able to return to our routines and some semblance of life as we knew it. I have noticed that as I encounter the endless onslaught of sad and distressing stories, I hold my breath. Perhaps it is the uncertainly of it all, or maybe I’m holding my breath and waiting to hear something good. Or perhaps, as one friend put it, “I’m holding my breath and waiting for the other shoe to drop.” As I talk with friends, I hear the widespread feeling that despite our best efforts to social distance, cover our faces, and sanitize, we don’t have a lot of control. Facing an invisible threat on a global scale causes anxiety. And so, we hold our breath. As long as we are well, though, there is one thing that we do have control over: our breath. Well, the ancient Hebrews would argue that we don’t even have control over that, because our breath is breathed into us by God. Their word for breath, ruah, also means “spirit” as well as, “air in motion: sometimes the wind; at other times breath or vitality and life-giving power” Jesuit Anthony de Mello, in his book, Sadhana: A Way to God, speaks further of the ruah: “If a man lived, it was because God kept putting his breath, his ‘spirit’ into this man. It was the presence of this Spirit of God that kept the man alive.” The ruah, then, was God’s continuous breath within the individual, God’s continuous gift of life. So, while we may not control the breath that God breathes into us, we at least can control our awareness of our breath, and this will affect our spirit as well. There is an exercise that I have found particularly helpful in these stressful times when I observe myself holding my breath. While in an upright posture, relax your body, slowly, from head to toe. Now, very slowly, breathe in deeply through your nose, and then breathe slowly out through your mouth. Now begin this contemplation: While you breathe in, be conscious of God’s Spirit coming into you…Fill your lungs with the divine energy he brings with him… While you breathe out, imagine you are breathing out all your impurities…your fears…your negative feelings… Imagine you see your whole body becoming radiant and alive through this process of breathing in God’s life-giving Spirit and breathing out all your impurities… Breathe in compassion for yourself—and others. Breathe out any anxieties you have about your health and your loved ones’ health. Breathe in God’s peace. Breathe out any concerns you have right now over your finances. Breathe in God’s assurance that these times will pass. Breathe out whatever is causing you fear or anxiety right now. Breathe in God’s promise of new life; breathe in hope. Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that we are aware that it is the breath of God that gives us life and strength during these difficult time. Help us all to breath a little bit easier today.

Memorial Day-Why We Fight

Stephen Ambrose, in his book the “Band of Brothers,” shared a story about Easy Company in which the soldiers reflected on all that had happened, all that they experienced, all that they witnessed, all that they sacrificed, all that they had lost and understandably asked themselves “what was the point? Why?” 

They arrived at a concentration camp and saw first hand the horrors for themselves, the diabolical conditions the prisoners have been subjected to. They saw prisoners near death next to corpses – people malnourished and starving. The men in their shock and horror raced to get food and supplies only to be stopped by one of the medics who told them they can’t just do that… they can’t just give them food and water and free them. That they needed to be careful and cautious and slowly work to help these poor souls if there was any chance for them to physically recover – so, at that moment, they had to keep the prisoners inside the barbed wire fence until they could make sure they could get the care they needed. It was heart-wrenching on every level. These soldiers finally had their answer, why they fight – but it was hell getting to this moment, and in that moment, it still was a living hell.

The author wrote about the incredible contradictions that these soldiers experienced: They found combat to be ugliness, destruction, and death, and hated it. Anything was better than the blood and carnage, the grime and filth, the impossible demands made on the body—anything, that is, except letting down their buddies. They also found in combat the closest brotherhood they ever knew. They found selflessness. They found they could love the other guy in their foxhole more than themselves. “They found that in war, men who loved life would give their lives for them.”

Now during this pandemic, our faith in God is being tested.  Sadly, many families had to say goodbye to a family member, or worse, a child to this dreaded virus. The pain of letting go, through a window and not being allowed to hold the hand of our dying loved one is living hell.

This Memorial Day will always be remembered, not only as a time we honor our heroes on the battlefield, but also our heroes in our hospitals who are fighting an enemy we cannot see, an enemy that threatens people of all ages, all nationalities, all countries throughout our world.

Our faith gives us hope and courage that all or beloved have ascended into heaven.

It will take a long time before the coldness of death is turned into warmth. Jesus taught: “It is better for you that I go away!” These are painful words most of the time, from brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for our freedom to worship, to those in the Covid-19 isolation wards of hospitals at this very moment, a loved one or comrade saying goodbye in death. Separation hurts, goodbyes bring painful tears, and death of every kind wrenches our heart.

But that is part of the mystery of love. The mystery of the Ascension. Eventually we all reach a point where what is best for everyone is that we go away so that we can give our spirit. The gift of our lives can only be fully received after we ascend. What will you remember?

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Frineds who remember the sacrifice of our soldiers who gave their all, the dedication of our medical teams who continue to give their all daily to save lives. May their spirit of faith, courage, generosity and compassion be our inspiration to make God’s love contagious so that no one dies in vain and our prayers of gratitude bring healing to our world.

Biscuits

A while back I read a story of a visiting pastor who attended a men's breakfast in the middle of a rural farming area of the country. The group had asked an older farmer, decked out in bib overalls, to say grace for the morning breakfast.

  

"Lord, I hate buttermilk", the farmer began. The visiting pastor opened one eye to glance at the farmer and wonder where this was going. The farmer loudly proclaimed, "Lord, I hate lard." Now the pastor was growing concerned.

Without missing a beat, the farmer continued, "And Lord, you know I don't much care for raw white flour". The pastor once again opened an eye to glance around the room and saw that he wasn't the only one to feel uncomfortable.

Then the farmer added, "But Lord, when you mix them all together and bake them, I do love warm fresh biscuits. So Lord, when things come up that we don't like, when life gets hard, when we don't understand what you're saying to us, help us to just relax and wait until you are done mixing. It will probably be even better than biscuits. Amen."

Within that prayer there is great wisdom for all when it comes to complicated situations like we are experiencing in the world today. 

Stay strong, my friends, because our LORD is mixing several things that we don't really care for, but something even better is going to come when HE is done with it. 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are nursing those sick with the coronavirus. Protect them and keep them safe from the virus and may their compassion bring healing to those in their care.