When is our faith most tested? During the storm. Keeping your faith alive is only possible when you look to the Lord for the help and guidance you need today and always. This podcast will encourage you to keep Him first.

Keeping Your Faith Alive in the Storm ~ Episode 345

Hey there, friends! Welcome to A Few Minutes with God Podcast, where we focus on God’s Word and find encouragement for the journey. I’m Felice Gewritz, and today we’re talking about something we all face: struggles. Life can throw so many problems when we least expect it; it can be family issues—financial stress, health battles, and more. It’s easy to feel like your faith is being tested. But here’s the good news: God’s got you, and His Word gives us hope along the way of trial or the way of the cross. As I record this, it is the season of Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter. And we are reminded of the hardships of our Lord and Savior (read the book of John), and that gives us hope.

Today, we’re focusing on four powerful Bible verses to remind us how to keep our faith alive, even in the storm. So grab a coffee, settle in, and let’s get started.

Thanks to our sponsor CTCMath – visit the website for more information.

Keeping Your Faith Alive Scriptures:

1. Hebrews 6:19 (hope as an anchor)
2. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (grace in weakness)
3. Galatians 6:9 (perseverance)
4. John 16:33 (peace through Christ’s victory)

Do you need an anchor of hope? Just imagine an anchor that is huge and immovable with the word “hope” on it. It is a foundation, a rock, and it is weighed down with steel. It isn’t going anywhere. If we hold on to it, our grasp can fail, but if we are tied to it, we are immovable. This anchor is Christ, and He is our hope and our salvation.

Have you ever felt like you’re drifting, unsure if you’ll make it through? Hebrews 6:19 says: (Read on air.)

I love that image—an anchor. Hope in Jesus keeps us steady. Years ago, a house in my neighborhood had a big anchor (like a ship-sized anchor) in their front yard. You couldn’t avoid seeing it before you turned right to go to our street, and we used that anchor as a point for directions. We’d tell friends When you see that anchor, the street on the corner is ours. It was a beacon, a point of reference, and it took a huge crane to move when the new owners purchased the home.

An anchor is not flimsy; it is not a symbol of we will drift, or ” maybe things will get better kind of hope. No, this anchor is a rooted promise from God Himself. We know from the scriptures that God is here and will not leave us even if we have turned our backs on him. So, when you’re tempted to give up, picture that anchor. Your faith isn’t built on your strength; it’s built on His.

Real Strength in Weakness – Keeping Your Faith Alive

If we are honest, sometimes we feel too weak to keep going. I’ve been there, staring at a mountain of problems, thinking, “God, I can’t do this any longer; please help me.” But listen to 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (Read on air). Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote that when he was struggling with his own “thorn in the flesh.” God didn’t take it away, but He gave Paul something better: His grace. That’s the secret, friends. When you’re at your lowest, God’s power shines brightest. So don’t hide your weakness—bring it to Him. Say, “Lord, I’m struggling, but I trust You’re enough.” He’ll carry you through each and every time.

Don’t you feel better already? I do because every time I read God’s Word, I feel like it is a lifeline. It pulls us out of the pit of despair to quote a line from a book and sets us on our feet on solid ground. When we feel lost, remember you are not alone.

Struggles can feel endless at times. It is as if you’re running a marathon with no finish line. But Galatians 6:9 has this beautiful encouragement. (Read on air.)  That’s a call to keep going. Maybe you’ve been praying the same unanswered prayer, and you are praying for a breakthrough, or you’re trying to stay faithful in a tough situation. The creator of the universe knows all things.  We can not lose hope, and even if the prayer isn’t answered in the way we want it to be answered, it will come. Some of the greatest praise reports are not of answered prayers but in the fact that the person praying was able to embrace the situation and say, “Your will, Lord, not mine.”

John 16:33. Jesus says, (Read on air.) Isn’t that amazing? Jesus doesn’t say no trouble is coming, but He tells us to be of good cheer. Why? Because of Christ, He has already won, and so have we. When everything’s falling apart, you can have peace because Jesus has overcome it all—sin, death, and every struggle you’re facing. So, take a deep breath today. Even if your faith has been shaken by the chaos, pray John 16:33 over and over again, and soon your faith will be rooted in the One who’s already conquered it. Rest in that. He’s got the final word.

Friends, our struggles, and our hardships don’t get to define our faith—God does. Anchor yourself in His hope, lean on His strength, keep pushing forward, and rest in His victory. Hebrews 6:19, 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, Galatians 6:9, John 16:33—these aren’t just verses; they’re promises to cling to. Maybe today’s been rough, but you’re not alone. God is right here whether we can feel His presence or not.

Next time, we’ll dig into Finding Joy on the Road to Calvary. Calvary is a topic that has always been difficult for me. We all want to find happiness and joy in Christ but don’t want to consider the price He paid for our sins. Join me next week as we delve into this topic, especially during this time before Easter.

If this podcast has encouraged you, share it with a friend. And you can always comment on the podcast post—I’d love to hear how God’s keeping your faith alive. Until next time, may the Lord keep you and bless you. Amen.

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You have a secret weapon toward greater faith and that is humility. It is often misunderstood. It’s not something that comes naturally—we’ve got to put in some serious effort, even push our own ego aside sometimes, to really follow God’s lead.

The Gift of Humility ~ 344

Humility is a profound gift—one I’ve come to cherish more deeply through the years and my prayer life. It’s amazing how often I’ll have an idea for a podcast, open my Bible, or flip through my church notebook, only to find the theme of humility staring back at me. Even this morning at Mass, the pastor spoke on it, as if God Himself were nudging me to talk about the topic. Human nature doesn’t naturally incline us toward humility. We’re drawn instead to confidence, pride, or self-assurance—qualities the world often celebrates. Yet, for a Christian, humility is a virtue to pursue, a calling rooted in the very heart of Scripture.

Why should we strive for humility? Because God has given us the ultimate example: Jesus Christ, the all-powerful Son of God, who humbled Himself to enter our world in poverty and simplicity. Philippians 2:5-8 captures this beautifully: read on air. Jesus didn’t come as a conquering king or a wealthy ruler. He came as a helpless infant, born to Mary and Joseph—ordinary people elevated by their humble “yes” to God’s plan. Their trust in Him mirrors the humility we are called to use as an example.

Humility is a powerful weapon against evil, though we often fail to recognize its strength. It dispels darkness because it reflects God’s loving plan—a plan that doesn’t force itself upon us but invites us to surrender. How do we explain this to those who don’t believe? Perhaps by living it out, showing that humility isn’t weakness but a grace that aligns us with God’s will. Friends, I’ve struggled with humility. God has given each of us gifts, and He has allowed us to excel or to be capable. We may think we have no need to be humble. Yet, through the years I’ve witnessed godly people who were blessed or graced in a way that I admired and yet they displayed true humility.

Proverbs 22:4 reminds us, “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” It’s not about humiliation—something we instinctively flee from, accompanied by anxiety or embarrassment—but about trusting God’s greater purpose, even when life humbles us.

I’ve seen this in the aging process. As people grow older, they often become dependent on those they once led or cared for. Leaders, parents, and providers find themselves at the mercy of the next generation. As a first-generation Italian, I was raised to honor and care for my elders. My husband and I shared this value, and we were blessed to care for my father in his later years. At first, he took care of us more than we did him, but as time passed, the roles reversed. It’s a humbling reminder that one day, that may be us—needing others, relying on the love we poured into them. In this, humility reveals itself as a gift, not a burden. James 4:6 echoes this truth: “But he gives more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” When we offer our humbled moments to the Lord, they become blessings in disguise.

Consider Jesus again and what He did for us. He could have descended as a mighty ruler, instantly claiming power. Instead, He entrusted Himself to two earthly parents with free will, who chose to follow God’s call. Luke 1:50-53 reflects this beautifully: (Read on air.) Mary and Joseph’s humility paved the way for the Savior, showing us that ordinary people, open to God, can do extraordinary things. This challenges the world’s message of greatness through wealth, status, or self-reliance. The world urges us to climb over others, to delay life’s joys—like marriage or children—until we’ve “made it.” But God’s plan often looks different. He knows our hearts and gently leads us, not by force, but by example.

So how do we live this out? Through prayer—spending time with God, talking to Him as if He’s right beside us, because He is. Through trust—opening ourselves to His will, even when it humbles us. 1 Peter 5:6-7 offers this encouragement (read on air.)

Did you hear that? Cast all your anxieties on Him for He cares about you! He does, friends, He really does. The Lord is waiting for us to offer our hearts to Him and one way we can begin is to spend time with Him in prayer.

Humility isn’t about destroying others to succeed; it’s about recognizing that true prosperity—spiritual richness—comes as a gift, not a conquest. When we embrace it, we find peace in God’s control, freedom in His plan, and grace in every humbled step. May God be praised now and forever.

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Does God hear you when you pray? Sometimes, He hears those unspoken prayers as well. God’s provision is always timely and comes just when we need it.

Hey there, friends! Welcome to A Few Minutes with God Podcast. Today we will dive into God’s Word and His promises to lift our spirits and strengthen our faith. I’m your host, Felice Gerwitz, and you can find today’s show notes at AFMWGPodcast.com – I also want to thank our sponsor, Judson College. If you want a unique college experience that is authentically Christian. In this day of not knowing what you will find on a college campus, it is worth checking out. JudsonCollege.com

God’s Provision: Trusting Him

Today we’re talking about something so close to my heart: how God provides for us. If you’ve ever wondered if God sees your needs—or if you just need a reminder of His faithfulness—this episode is for you.

You know, life can feel uncertain sometimes. Bills pile up, plans fall apart, and we’re left wondering, “How am I going to get through this?” But here’s the beautiful truth: we serve a God who isn’t distant or distracted. He’s a provider—Jehovah Jireh, “The Lord Will Provide.” And He’s been showing us that from the very beginning.

Let’s start with a story from Scripture that I love—Exodus 16. The Israelites have just been freed from slavery in Egypt. They’re in the wilderness, and they’re hungry. They start grumbling, saying, “At least in Egypt we had food!” All I can think about is that God just saved you from captivity, and you are no longer slaves. How can you not be grateful? But God doesn’t punish them. Instead, He provides. He sends manna—bread from heaven—every single day. Not just once, but faithfully, day after day, teaching them to trust Him.

I think there’s something so powerful here. There are so many lessons. The first is that God provided. But even more, he didn’t give them a stockpile to hoard; He gave them daily provision. Enough for today, with a promise for tomorrow. It’s like He was saying, “Depend on Me. I’m not going anywhere.” And that’s still true for us today. Maybe your “manna” looks like a timely paycheck, a friend’s encouragement, or even strength you didn’t know you had. God provides what we need, when we need it.

In the New Testament—Matthew 6:26. (Read on air.) Jesus is teaching, and He says, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Don’t you I love that! Jesus points to the sparrows—little, ordinary birds—and says, “If God takes care of them, how much more will He take care of you?”

A lady recently recounted that her feet were hurting, and she usually walked to church and home afterward. It wasn’t far, maybe two or three miles, but this one day, she wondered how she would get home. Another lady going her way offered her a ride home. She was so amazed. This lady had no idea her feet hurt, but God did. She had already sacrificed and walked to church, but now God provided for her to get home. She was so thankful, but then she said, “Why am I surprised God watches over me!”

A miracle happened when we needed to remodel our home (my husband is a contractor) to make room for our third child. All of a sudden I started saving extra money. I asked my husband if things were going better at work. He said, no things are the same. And, I explained that our savings was growing without us even trying. The cost of the remodel was all that extra money we had in savings, almost to the penny. And, then the big savings stopped! It is like the manna. God provided for right then, this specific need. He didn’t give us a big, big surplus, just what we needed. And, yes we would rely on Him.

And that’s the thing—God’s provision doesn’t always look how we expect. Sometimes it’s miraculous, like the loaves and fishes feeding 5,000 in John 6. Other times, it’s quiet—a kind word, a job opportunity, a moment of peace when your heart’s racing. Philippians 4:19 promises, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Not some needs—all of them. And not from a limited supply, but from His endless riches.

So, what do we do with this? How do we live like we believe God provides? First, we look back. Think of a time God came through for you. Maybe it was big, maybe small—but write it down, remember it. I use to encourage you all the time to keep a Praise Journal. Prayer Journals are great we write down specific prayer petitions and we pray that God blesses them, but a praise journal acknowledges that yes, God – you are there for me. I see you. I know in my heart that I am loved. Those are your “stones of remembrance,” like the Israelites set up in Joshua 4, to remind you He’s faithful. Second, we pray. Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:11, “Give us today our daily bread.” It’s simple, but it’s trust—asking God for what we need today. And third, we rest. Stop striving so hard to control it all. The birds don’t stress, and neither should we.

Please know that you are seen, you are loved, and you are held by a God who provides for you, not just today but always. He sees you, and He knows everything that happens in your life. Some of it is good, some of it a cross to bear and a hardship. Yet it is no surprise to God. Maybe you’re in a wilderness season right now, waiting for your manna. Hold on—He’s already at work. Maybe you’re in a season of plenty—praise Him and share it. Either way, God’s got you in the palms of His hands, and He’s not letting go.

Let’s pray:

“Father, thank You for being our provider. Thank You for seeing our needs and meeting them in Your perfect way. Help us trust You, rest in You, and see Your hand at work. Help us to understand that you truly love us. For anyone listening who’s worried today, please Lord wrap them in Your peace, Your love and Your joy – that joy that surpasses all understanding and please, show them Your provision. We love You, Lord, we praise You, Lord, you are worthy of all the glory and the honor. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

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When you pray and fast, you take an active role in your faith journey. In this episode, we discuss how your prayer life and faith can improve for the better.

Pray and Fast ~ Episode 342

This is probably one of the least popular tasks of a Christian. We don’t mind attending church, opening and reading our Bible, and giving money to charity. But when challenged to pray and fast? That makes it so much more complex.

However,  prayer and fasting are two spiritual powerhouses. These are proven disciplines that can transform your life as a Christian. If you’re ready to learn more, grab your coffee—or maybe skip it if you’re fasting—and let’s get started!

But first, I want to thank our sponsor, Judson College.  Judson College offers biblical and practical training wherever a student is called to equip and live all of life for Christ.

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Fruits of Faith – Episode 341

Do you ever feel that the more you know, the more you don’t know? Whenever I study scripture or a topic I want to learn more about, it seems that the Holy Spirit directs me in a specific way, or I “accidentally” stumble upon something that sparks an idea. This happened to me, and my planned topic was postponed until I could write this one. I pray it is a blessing to you.

I was praying and thinking about faith and its importance; I started thinking about the fruits of faith–what are they, and how can we see them in our lives? Jesus said, and I’m paraphrasing, they will know we are Christians by our love. Look up John 13:35. But what are the fruits of faith? Where are those blessings?

If we are faithful, a decision we make, we receive blessings. (Check out my podcast on Blessings here.) But not necessarily how you might think this happens. For example, if you follow God, everything will go great; you will never have hardships or difficulties, right? In some ways, yes, because we can cope with these things, and we realize in the grand scheme of life, they are minor, even if, at that moment, the hardships seem insurmountable. I remember a close friend once shared that she never was concerned with having no money because she had her faith, happiness, and health until her health and that of her husband were under attack. Yet, without faith, how would you live?

Faith is not a feeling. Faith is a belief in the unseen. Faith is truly a gift from God. Can we ask for more faith? Yes, of course. What is faith? It is a belief that there is more in life than what we can see, the material things around us. If we can use our senses to experience the material, that is not faith.

Oh, to live when Jesus roamed the earth in the flesh. Not that I would enjoy all that dust and dirt or even the primitive ways of life. There is something attractive to the simplicity of living, even under those hardships. Can you imagine being one of the disciples? Listening in as Jesus spoke to Joseph and Mary? Can you imagine the Holy Family living life together and learning from Christ? In the movie The Nativity, one of my favorites, there is a line where Joseph talks about the coming Messiah with Mary and says, “Will I even be able to teach him anything?”

Yet, only Jesus, Mary, and Joseph knew before his public ministry that Jesus was God. Joseph and Mary had faith beforehand, but they were chosen and said yes to participate in the greatest mystery of all time. Can you imagine being chosen? Well, we are, and we participate not in the same way as the Holy Family but in a special way by our faith in Jesus.

The Word became flesh.

Thus, Christianity was born, and our faith in Christ grew along with that of many other believers. As Christians, we realize this greatest miracle, and we, through no effort of our own, expect our “yes” we can participate in the miracles and gifts and blessings. After all, God gave us free will, and He will not force us to believe, but the signs are all around us if we have eyes that see!

First of all, it is a journey. It is a walk, and for some of us, we arrive quickly; for others, like myself, it is a long and winding path. The quickest way to get to the goal is to set aside the old ways of life. How do we shed this old life? One way that helps me understand this is to compare it to a diet.

It means a lifestyle change if you’ve ever been on a diet to lose a few pounds. We eliminate the chips, soda, and other packaged foods that harm our health. We buy fresh produce, and we eat healthily. We exercise, drink lots of water, and get rid of sugary drinks. And we work super hard to try to lose that weight. But what happens after we reach our goal? Hopefully, we will lose the weight we want to shed. But what happens when we go back to our old ways? We gain weight back, sometimes more than we started with initially.

A lifestyle change is only possible by the grace of God, with His blessings, and through prayer. In fact, you can accomplish this both by praying and fasting. Some things take our focus off of self and onto God. But often, we are too hard on how we look or what we do; we think we fail God and the others we love the most.

I recently read the staggering statistics for suicide. This is tragic, and the enemy’s goal is to make us think that life is not worth living. This is a lie; remember, the evil one is the father of lies. God’s grace and goodness are there for each of us to lean into and rely on if only, as the scriptures say, we have “eyes that see.”

Open your eyes wide to the wonders and goodness of the Lord through faith. The fruits of faith are joy, goodness, and so much more. God loves you; He cares about you, and He created you for a purpose.

The fruits of faith are a happier life, the ability to cope with the unexpected, and seeing God in those little things that happen in our lives. One friend who recovered from cancer would tell me how she took such delight in the sunset and the sunrises. She shared that she would tease the Almighty God that He was showing off just for her.

This is true faith when you can see God in the everyday wonders we take for granted and appreciate it as a personal gift. Dear friends, you are a gift; your life is not an accident, and you are here for a reason. Do not ever lose hope, but remember the awesomeness and ability that God has given us because we live. Once again, share the good news with others.

Enjoy your faith, count your blessings, and look toward the grace that comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

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The blessings we receive in our lives are a total gift. Are you ready for more blessings? This podcast discusses how we can be open to God’s grace.

Blessings In Our Life ~ Episode 340

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our entire lives were filled with blessings? One blessing after another. Take a moment to imagine what that would look like.

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What came to mind? I can imagine incredible blessings, but the ones that truly matter are a faith-filled, happy, healthy home and family. The material blessings in this life are wonderful. For many of you listening to this podcast, even if you are not in the USA, you enjoy clean water, a home where you live, food to eat, electricity, and the internet. These things make our lives easier, and we often take them for granted over those less fortunate.

Yet none of the things I mentioned are forever. They are temporary gifts in our lives.

What is a true blessing? Let me read a favorite Psalm of many of us: Psalm 23: (Read on air.)

Sometimes, God gives, and God takes away. That may be the story of your life. Think about Job’s life and the lessons to be learned from those passages. As you get older, you will not be able to escape the difficulties that happen in life. And yet we can rejoice because the blessings abound, knowing that the Almighty and King of the Universe cares about us. We may not see it. We may not hear it. We may feel lost but know He is there.

This brings me to the topic of loneliness. Many people are lonely. It transcends age. Young people, as well as old, can all suffer from feeling alone and left out. The common thread is a relationship, or lack of relationship, with God. As a young homeschool mom, I tried to make daily Mass a routine, and I failed miserably. On occasion, we did go, and I was impressed by the little ladies we sat near and how they seemed to make it routinely. One was always smiling and asked me my children’s names. I watched as she wrote them down in her prayer book and said she would pray for us (and them) each day! Even if I couldn’t attend, God took care of us and blessed us through this lady. She wasn’t lonely; she had a relationship with Christ and prayed for others, and God gave her the gift of joy.

As a young single woman in my first job, I had little chance of meeting anyone. I worked long hours and didn’t like the bar scene. Online dating wasn’t a thing at the time, and I’m not sure if I would have done it anyway. I finally realized it was my choice to be lonely, and I renewed my commitment to God, and all loneliness was gone! I was happy and content.

Truly spiritual blessings demonstrate the goodness and awesome power of God. I heard a priest once explain that the Catholic churches are such vast structures because they attempt to give the glory that God is due within the church through a beautiful structure but also because God is enormous and it is, in fact, symbolic. I believe that is why the oceans and sky are so vast, with millions of stars in the sky. It highlights the glory of God.

Psalm 19: 1-4, 8-10, 14 (read on air). Pray and meditate on that Psalm, especially when you doubt God’s blessings or feel lonely and lost!

A blessing is a grace, a gift. After the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and Mary in a mighty way. This blessing was a gift to infill them with the ability to preach and teach. In this way, while the blessing upon the person is personal, it is for the entire community.

What talent, spiritual gift, and time do you have to work for the Kingdom of God? Do you volunteer in a ministry? Do you give your time and talents to others? When my children were little, the only energy I had was for my husband, children, and extended family. This was my calling, I believed, from God. Family first. Mother Teresa, in her acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize, gave a fantastic speech, and a paraphrase is the following: “If you want to bring peace to the whole world, go home and love your family.”- Mother Teres.a

Blessings include spiritual gifts, talents, personality traits, ideas, and material possessions. Have you read the scripture about the talents? Read Matthew 25 in its entirety. The story’s moral truth is that if God gives you a blessing in the form of a “talent”  and asks how will you invest the gift I’ve given you? 

Will we use it for ourselves? For our family? Or will we seek God and ask how to use it for the kingdom?

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As a Christian, there is a cost to following Jesus. Is it worth it? What does this mean? In this podcast, we compare the minimal sacrifice to the wonderful blessings that come with faith.

The Cost of Following Jesus ~ Episode 329

According to Scripture, we realize there is a cost to following Christ. The sacrifice can include giving up personal and sinful desires; all of those things will lead us to death. These sacrifices can bring us peace and joy, yet many people who look at Christians and the Christian faith see only the sacrifice, not the blessings.

I may have told you this story, but it bears repeating. In college, I watched a committed Christian friend suffering many trials. I worried about her and silently thought that while I was happy, I knew the Lord and loved Him; I wasn’t the target of what I felt was an attack.

Her parents gave her a new car, and soon after, she was in an accident that wrecked it. She praised the Lord that she wasn’t hurt badly. Then she was often sick because she spent much time in the science lab. Her lab work required her to look at a microscope, which made her nauseous. It seemed like one thing after another after another. I learned so much from her, and my faith grew. I saw how her love of God transcended all of those things.

But, what did people at school think of her? They were confused and puzzled. They believed that if you followed God, all things should be easy. And they are in some ways. As a Christian, we know what is essential.

When we prioritize Jesus above all things, we essentially say that we will deny ourselves and carry our cross in following Him. In Luke 9:23-26 (Read on air.)

And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. ²⁵ For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? ²⁶ For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

This life is not all there is; we have an everlasting life with God. Having everything in this world, all the riches, all the luck, all the things people think are important, we can’t take it with us. We should consider this; each day is a gift and a blessing that we are alive. But we all know we will not live forever. Is our house in order? Do we see what is important, and what do we think could be more important than our faith in God?

When we prioritize Jesus above all else, we must carry our cross and do this daily. Some days are difficult, but do we see it in perspective? Some days, I don’t want to work, I don’t want to participate in the ministry where I am the coordinator, I don’t want to cook or clean or do anything! I want to go on strike from my busy schedule and have a day off. I was purely miserable until I realized it was something I could not change in the short term. So, my days continue, and I carry my cross, whatever that is, and follow Jesus.

Some people are ill, and that is a cross. Some people have to work way past retirement age, which is a cross. Some people have financial difficulties or struggles with personal situations or people. All those things are a cross. Pick up your cross and follow Jesus.

I want to caution you if you are a complainer, and we all are occasionally. Complaining wastes time takes effort, and makes us all around miserable. Focus on the things you can change, do something about this, and leave all the things you can’t change alone.

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What happens when you open your heart to God’s love? In this episode of A Few Minutes with God, we will discuss the grace of God’s love and how it can empower you.

Open Your Heart To God’s Love 328

God’s love is amazing; it is such a blessing, and His love is unconditional, and yet we often turn from His love because we feel unworthy. Yet we should recall this verse, which is listed as the Greatest Commandment. Matthew 22:34-40 (read on air).

 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sad′ducees, they came together. ³⁵ And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him. ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” ³⁷ And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”

Can we embrace that, and can we open our hearts to love the Lord totally?

Recently I’ve reread C.S. Lewis’ popular book, The Screw Tape Letters. This was in preparation for attending the play, which I am looking forward to seeing. This book is excellent if you want to know how the evil one works. One of the ways is by allowing us to doubt that we are worthy of an Almighty and loving God. But we know that is not true.

Romans 3:10-12 states:

as it is written:“None is righteous, no, not one;¹¹     no one understands;    no one seeks for God.¹² All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;  no one does good,not even one.”

If we don’t believe, we have difficulty doing good. Or, as the verse states, we have turned aside altogether.

Psalm 14:1-3 says a similar thing, but we should take heart because later in Romans, we see there is hope for us.

1.  John 3:16:  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
2. Romans 5:8: But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
3. 1 John 4:19 : We love, because he first loved us.

This leads us to the last point. When you open your heart to God, you will be flooded with gratitude. You will see with new eyes, and you will become a thankful person. And you will see that God’s love has always been present. You just never saw it in the same way! Your life will bear fruit.

And what will you do with this knowledge? Who will you tell? How will you share the good news? That is the challenge we all have, and we can once again ask God for the ability and opportunity to share his love with others!

May God be blessed.

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Where do you see true justice and mercy played out other than in Christ Jesus? We read the scriptures and learn that Christ is just, yet He is also merciful. How is that possible? We see it in His charity and the mercy that comes even while we are sinners. This podcast examines how we can grow in our Christian faith and evangelize to others.

Justice and Mercy of Christ ~ Episode 327

Before we can delve into the dichotomy between Christ’s justice and mercy, we must look within ourselves. How do we perceive the world and others? If we don’t look at this issue through the lens of faith, the truth can often become distilled.

Our outlook on life is one of the ways we see others and approach life’s issues. One of our pastors made the statement, “To the evil, all things are evil, and to the good, all things are good.” He then smiled and said, “Don’t blame me; this is a teaching from Jesus.”

The verse he alludes to is in Luke 6:45, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

What is in our hearts? Is it love, or is it the grace that comes from God? Is it compassion? When we love, we show mercy to others because we have a greater capacity to love. Jesus taught us so much about justice and mercy, yet we fail to understand this because of the way we see others. Matthew 7: 1-6 reads. (Read on air.)

Do you see the good in others or only the bad? Sometimes we don’t get along with people, and it is difficult to change our mind about the person or to see the good that person has within. This scripture verse tells us to look at ourselves first.

[Thanks to our sponsor NOWPrograms. Their philosophy is don’t accomodate, remediate. And it really works.]

So, as we look within our hearts we can examine our attitude. Are we self-righteous? Is it compassionate? What do you see when you see when you look at yourself? Sometimes we see areas that need to change but take heart. Jesus is there for us!

Jesus lived his life challenging us, yes, but with love and mercy. His teachings and His sacrifice on the cross demonstrate his justice and his mercy. Jesus showed us, as sinners, how to be reconciled to Him. How do we do this? By picking up our own cross and following Him.

How do we thank Jesus for his death on the cross? How do we see his death as the moment where justice (not for Him but for us) and mercy intersect? Jesus was crucified not for any sin He committed but to save us from our sins.

God’s Justice and Mercy Demonstrated

1. The justice of God is highlighted by the requirement that sin, by its very nature, must be punished.
2. The law of God requires obedience.  Not through our strength but through our will and the grace of God.
3. The penalty for sin is death. Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
4. Justice is attributed to God alone, and because of His holiness, the wrongs of this life can be reversed.
5. God is mercy exemplified by His very nature.
6. God forgives through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.
7. Jesus’ death was the atonement for our sins. It was payment, and through God’s justice, our sins were forgiven.
8. Jesus forgave our sins by his death and resurrection without compromising His righteousness. Romans 3:23-26
9. Mercy is available to all who believe. That is the key–> those who believe in Jesus.
10. God wants to reconcile with humanity (us) despite our sinfulness.

The Lord is righteous, He is the just judge, He is the Alpha and the Omega and through Jesus and Him alone do we have mercy for our sins.

We are healed by his stripes. Isaiah 53:5 foretold this! (Read on air.) The stipes, the wounds of the scourging at the pillar that Jesus endured and then His torture and death on the cross was for us, for each one of us. So when we are upset or down or feel that no one understands us, we must remember that God is just and merciful to those who repent, believe and call upon His name. He is there for us always.

Share the good news with others!

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Have you heard that the rock of the church is Jesus Christ? Our faith and belief in Jesus is the foundation of the church, our faith, and all that is good and holy. So what do we do with this knowledge as Christians, and where can it take us? This podcast explores the truth of Christ’s teaching and the importance of evangelizing by example.

The Rock – Christ Our Lord ~ Episode 326

Have you seen a theme in the podcasts this year? If you said “evangelization,” you are correct. If we have the gift of faith, we must nurture it through prayer, study, listening to good things, and focusing on those who encourage us along our faith journey. However, once you’ve reached the point of having a solid faith, it is time to share the good news with others. One way is to share this podcast.

[Thanks to our sponsor NOWPrograms. Their philosophy is don’t accomodate, remediate. And it really works.]

The Rock Of The Church

If you are listening to this podcast I’m going to assume you have faith. Where have you built this faith? Think about this.

I grew up Catholic, with a strong faith in God. I knew Jesus and loved Him. I thought about God and His teachings. But as a child, I remember a traumatic time when we were moving away from family in New York and traveling to a foreign land. Canada! Looking out the window, I was upset and wondered if God was there. So, I decided, in my naivety, to test God. I was thinking about the verse in Matthew. Matthew 17:20: The verse reads,(read on air).

I asked the Lord to move the mountain. I said, “Lord, I have faith; it is greater than a mustard seed. Make this mountain move.” This was as we were traveling down an interstate, and as far as I could tell, the mountain didn’t move. At this point, my faith was fledging, and it was that of a child. Years later, I realized that testing the Lord was unwise. When we doubt, it shows we are struggling with our faith. And, yes — we all have times of doubt.

Yet, situations in our lives cause us to struggle, allowing thoughts to become doubtful and to build up without placing our trust in God. This can hurt our relationship with Him. When we turn away from God, the human heart has no boundaries. It becomes weak. It allows the enemy to creep in and sow doubt. Through the scriptures, if you’ve ever studied them, you will see time and time again that the Lord gives multiple chances to change, and yet, so many times, people turn their back on God.

Read the book of Romans, chapters one and two. It is depressing, to say the least. Some people lived at the time or shortly after the Lord lived upon the earth. They either witnessed or heard about the great things of God, and yet they decided to stay with their sins. How can we prevent evil in our hearts if our minds are not turned toward God? Our intellect will be dimmed and darkened further if we turn away. Many of us are committed Christians, so the gospel is for those of us, and we have no excuse. We either believe or we don’t. Is God the rock on which the church was built? If so, how do we proceed?

Matthew 7:24-26 (read on air).

This verse places Peter at the head of the church, yet the rock of the church is Christ. Without the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, there is no forgiveness of sins; there is no church, and the gates of heaven would remain closed. Yet, God gave his only Son so we could have everlasting life. This is an honor and a privilege, wow!

Jesus spoke in Aramaic and the word for “rock” is Kepha. So Jesus actually said, “You are Kepha, and upon this kepha, I will build my church.” Later we read in John 1:42. (Read on air.) The footnote in regard to where it says “which means Peter” states: “From the word for rock in Aramaic and Greek, respectively”

Where is the reference to Peter as the rock in scripture?

Kepas or Cephas both mean rock and refer to Peter. Other verses also point to Peter as the rock:

1. 1 Corinthians 1:12
2. 1 Corinthians 2:33
3. 1 Corinthians 9:5
4. 1 Corinthians 15:5
5. Galatians 2:11
6. Galatians 2:14

The Bible continues to show us how it is an integrated puzzle. Sure, some verses take studying and research, but it is wonderful to see it repeatedly! If you have ever wondered where Catholics get the primacy of the Pope from it is those verses.

Let’s get excited about God; if we are, we will be excited about all he can do for our lives and share the good news with others! We can be a hearer (wow, that’s nice, and go on with our lives) or a doer…that’s amazing, and I want to tell everyone I know about the Lord!

This next verse is strong, but hopefully, it wakes all of us up!

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Spiritual decluttering occurs when we decide to do the hard thing before we do the “me” thing. If that doesn’t make sense, stay tuned to learn how to declutter your life meaningfully.

Spiritual DeClutter – Finding God In The Mess – Episode 325

Decluttering is not my gift. I always think I need something, so I find a place for it, only to move it or decide months later to give it away. I’ve read so many books on decluttering and how following the important steps in the 400+ pages will make my life so much easier. Many books later, my office looked like a thrift store at times.

[Thanks to our sponsor NOWPrograms. Their philosophy is don’t accomodate, remediate. And it really works.]

Why is it so difficult for some of us to part with things we will never use, articles we won’t read, or momentos (this is the hardest) that we treasure? Sometimes, keeping all of these things gives us a sense of security, and it makes us feel closer to the person to a good time in our lives rather than putting it somewhere we won’t see it.

If we must declutter, there are some steps. The best advice I ever read was to take three boxes: one to trash, one to keep, and one to donate or give away. This was simple enough for even me to implement. And when I am successful at decluttering, I feel like a weight is lifted; it is clean and sparse, and I can actually think! I can put my laptop on my desk without moving a pile of papers or books. it doesn’t help that my office is also the family office, and I file papers for business, my husband’s and mine, and a stack of things I need to shred but don’t have the time to do often. This trash takes up so much room, making me think of other areas where there is trash.

I believe decluttering can relate to the sin in my life. When we look at spiritual decluttering, we are getting rid of those things that are not helpful but harmful. And, when we do this, it can lighten our hearts. Decluttering is more than getting rid of things in our homes; in a sense, when we purge, we get rid of the trash. So, the first step in a spiritual sense is to look at the trash in our lives. I may have shared with you that I gave us reading light-hearted books for a period of time. I found that my time was eaten up by reading for pleasure and putting off all of the important things I needed to do. I decided to put that time to good use and do it for a month. Time kept extending for different reasons. It has now been over a year. There is nothing wrong with pleasure reading unless it takes over your life.

Some of us tend to be “all in” in our lives and in our focus on life. This is a good thing, but it can become an obsession or a distraction. Take an inventory of your life. What are those things keeping you from deepening your relationship with others and God? We can keep those things in moderation or put them in a giveaway later, but we can also keep an eye on the distractions.

Decluttering spiritually can be to shed those burdens. When we take a trip, we often wish to pack light, yet we take many things we do not need. I often pack and bring home half a suitcase of things I never wore or used. Burdens happen in our lives when we carry things around; they become a weight oppressing us. I talked to my brother earlier today, and he shared a situation with his friend. He was getting more and more upset as he was sharing the story. I let him vent for a while and then asked him, “Why is this upsetting you? Is this something you can change?” He agreed he could not change it but had been carrying around this burden that was no fault of his own.

Do we do this? Do we carry the baggage of others? Take inventory of this and think about it. This could be the situation with a child or a family member. Sometimes, we want more for them than they want for themselves. And this is exactly what the Lord wants for us. He wants more than we want for ourselves! When we give to the Lord what is truly His, we can live lives that are less burdened.

Spiritual decluttering can be purging our lives of social media for a time. I’ve often shared how I’ve done this with the news since 90% of it is sensationalized for profit. Bad news sells. Spending too much time on social media can cause difficulties in our lives.

Forgiveness is another way to declutter our lives. We ask the Lord to help us forgive others and allow God to heal any hurts in our lives.

Decluttering is the same as unburdening and we will find we are walking tall in the sense of not carrying all that baggage.

Psalm 51:10 (Read on air)

This new and right spirit will allow you to rejoice and become the version that God wants you to be, and in this way, you can minister to others by your witness.

Matthew 5:16 (Read on air.

Let’s Pray:

We ask YOU, Lord, to allow your light to shine in us so that others may see this – I want to be “all in” for you and to give you all the glory you deserve. Friends, I pray this for you in this new year: that you are blessed and unburdened and rejoice in today, the day the Lord has made. Amen!

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What are micro prayers? Is that even a thing? In this podcast, we will explore the concept of praying throughout the day in small pockets of time. It will change your life!

Micro-Prayers ~ From Our Lips to God’s Ears ~ Episode 322

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Do you want to grow closer to God? Of course, we all do. At times it seems impossible due to our business and our schedules. To create that special bond, we need to spend meaningful time with God. I’ve often tried ambitious Bible studies or podcasts, such as the “Bible in a Year” with Fr. Mike Schmidt. These things are wonderful but tend to fail if we are inconsistent. For example, the Bible in a Year has taken me two years to complete. If I work hard, I’ll finally finish it this year. I like to take my time and savor the lessons, think bout them, and figure out what God is trying to say to me.  That is why I like the idea of practicing micro prayers.

The idea of micro prayers is praying throughout the entire day. It means doing things incrementally or in small doses but putting God first. In essence, it means giving my day to God and including Him.

Matthew 6:33 (Read On Air.)

With micro-prayers, I can begin small. We are doing as Matthew 6:33 states, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness. There is no overwhelming schedule to adhere to. I can begin at my own pace and add to this as I can or as time permits. Once I get into a routine, it is easier to be consistent, which is the next point. Being consistent and adding micro prayers to your morning routine, such as a morning walk, can be a benefit. Or, you can pray before bed. In this way, I can focus on God when I wake up and before I go to bed.

What I like the most is the personalization of the prayers. I pray to the Lord using my own words, sharing my thoughts and hardships, and putting the Lord first. I can use a rote prayer or a scrupulous verse if I want, but it is totally up to me. It has a wonderful lifting effect and puts things into perspective, especially in a busy life.

Best of all, it is doable. There is no excuse; you can make time to do this for short periods of time.

We are seeking God, trusting in Him, and making an effort in those small steps we take each day. Proverbs 3:5-6 states: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways, acknowledge him,   and he will make straight your paths.

God makes our path straight when we look for ways to please Him, seek Him, and honor Him with our thoughts and our deeds. It is an unselfish way to place ourselves and our needs after that of prayer.

Proverbs 16:1-3 puts it in a nutshell: (Read On Air.)

How wonderful is that? Commit our work to the Lord, and our plans will be established – blessed, sanctified, and purified. In our own eyes, we think we are right or just, but in God’s eyes? He sees our hearts and knows why we do what we do, and it is not too late to change our hearts toward the Lord.

If you need motivation other than that, read Galatians 2:18-20 … I’m going to read verse 20 to you:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Do we live for ourselves or for the Lord? Do we live to glorify ourselves and our needs, or do we live by faith in the Son of God? Do we give ourselves to Him and remember the love He had for us to die for us personally? We can answer these questions by seeking the Lord and His help because we can’t do it alone.

Our greatest weakness is the lack of time, yet today, right now, you can plan to add a micro prayer to the list of things to do, and you will be blessed in a mighty way.

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We live in a divided world, where right is wrong and wrong is right, but the good news? God wins! This podcast focuses on the ultimate reality in our lives: God reigns now and forever.

God Wins ~ Now and Forever ~ Episode 321

I’ve been listening to teachings on the Bible, and the discussion has centered around the concept of wisdom. First, to desire wisdom means identifying that we need it. Once we realize we need it, our minds and hearts are open. The idea is that to love wisdom is to follow God’s laws. That gives us the blessed assurance that our lives will be with God forever.

We often forget that the Lord is victorious no matter what we feel in our hearts or how we deal with the hardships in our lives. We just completed another contentious election. People lie, and others believe. It is astounding to those of us who try to rationalize it, make sense of it, and understand things in a logical manner. I can talk civilly to anyone of all different views. I agree to disagree if it comes down to that, but this inability to converse is truly evil. The inability to disagree is also evil.

The Issues That Divide Us

The issues that plagued our country were and are truly diabolical. Each one of us knows them and we are astounded that this is the world in which we live. Yet God knows. He has delivered us at this point of time, but we must always put our trust in Him and not in man! Somehow, we can see the evil where others are blinded. As one young adult told me recently, “No one believes the news on television.” That wisdom.

Yet, what does wisdom teach us? It teaches us the truth, and it teaches us God’s sovereignty. Our God is a God of order; He is not a God of chaos. There are things that are clear. There are other things that are not, yet God has given us the ability to make up our own mind and act upon it. Yet, are we willing to accept the consequences?

God is indeed control of our lives, but God gives us:

1. The leader we deserve
2. God gives us free will
3. God allows people of ill intent to cheat

Therefore, not voting is becoming complacent in a way, and that is not my teaching; it actually comes from Fr. Rippenger, an exorcist priest. He says we must choose the less of two evils. Why am I discussing this after an election and not before? No matter when you hear this, you are responsible for your own choices, and how those choices affect you (and me) is often overlooked. The prayers and sacrifices of the Christian people I aligned within my own state of Florida managed to overturn very detrimental amendments to our constitution. I am still in total shock they did not pass, and I praise God for this blessing.

God is victorious. God wins – God always wins, yet we must do our part.

We must pray, we must fast, and we must hold those truths of faith in our hearts.  I’m going to read you a portion of Romans 8. I normally quote Romans 8:28 this is one of my favorite verses, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

That is you and me, yes, but while God works out things for good, we might not like the trial and tribulation (for our own good) that we must go through. It is echoed in Romans 8:31-32 …If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

For our salvation God sent His only begotten Son John 3:16: 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.

For our salvation, for our sake, for us. Do we cherish this? Do we praise God on a daily basis? Do we say, “Oh my gosh I can not praise and thank-you enough?” Do we truly understand the concept of God wins?

Romans 8:31-39 (read on air).

Amen and Amen! But, friends, what will you do with this information? How will you handle the truth? In what way will you go forth from today onward? We must look within our hearts and pray daily for a growth in our faith and for a true longing for wisdom that only God can bring.

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Where do we fit in when we consider God’s vastness? In this podcast, we discuss our insignificance in the grand scheme of things and the Lord’s amazing love for each of us.

The Vastness of God ~ Episode 320

I live in an area that has been hit hard in the last few years by hurricanes. The radar shows this vast storm out in the ocean that heads our way, and I am always in awe at how huge these things are and how deadly they are. They are powerful and dangerous, and they dwarf the state! Sometimes, we’ve had serious damage, like with Hurricane Ian, and sometimes, we’ve had a few trees down and rain but no real damage to our property, like Hurricane Milton. Each time, we feel helpless, and other than hurricane prep, which we are really good at now, all we can do is get out of harm’s way–if possible and pray!

The opposite is true for God. His vastness is good, holy, and awe-inspiring!

I was praying after hearing a teaching about the scriptures in Job, especially after Job 38, and I started thinking about my insignificance. I had a vision as if I was seeing the situation with new eyes. Wow, the God of the universe is Almighty, powerful, righteous, and, for some reason, our Creator loves and cares about us!

Vastness of God

All these questions came to mind.

• Where do I fit in?
• Where am I in my walk with the Lord?
• Am I near or far away from God?
• How am I doing in response to my faith?

Think about those questions and add some of your own.

The Vastness of God vs. A Personal God

Afterward, I found myself reading a little book I picked up from the shelf, “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young. It has short readings for each day, and the first sentence for the day reads: “I am the Creator of heaven and earth; Lord all that is and all that will ever be.” Although I am unimaginably vast, I choose to dwell within you, permeating you with My Presence.”

That is a coincidence, or truthfully, a God-incidence is more like it. This is the Lord’s way of saying that he hears our prayers and knows what is in our hearts. What a blessing, and you know what? I felt embraced; the Lord chooses to dwell within us and permeates us with His presence! 

Scripture Verses: Job 38:1, 12-21; Job 40:3-5

Just think about that–that one sentence sums it up. The God of the Universe is truly powerful. From the rising of the sun to its setting, He has a hand in our world. The verses go on…

Job 38:16-21 (Read on air.)  

Just ponder those verses.

How can we comprehend the breadth of the earth? We can’t, but Job bravely answers the Lord.

Jobs answer –> Behold; I am of little account; what can I answer you?

Job couldn’t answer, and neither could I, and this again makes me think of how insignificant we are compared to God. Do you see it? Do you have a tiny inkling of how great God is? How awesome and awe-inspiring!

We can consider God a vast entity in heaven or a personal God who wants a relationship with us. How do we repent for our transgressions? How do we make amends? Similar to Job, I want to put on sackcloth and sit in the ashes. In some ways, we can make reparation by asking our Lord for forgiveness, going to confession if we are Catholic, and identifying the root cause of sinful actions.

Typically, when we fail before the Lord and our expectations for ourselves, it is because we’ve taken our eyes off of the Lord and put them elsewhere. God is in charge, He is the Creator, evil will not prevail.

When we read these verses and others, we are brought to the realization that we are not alone. God hears our prayers, even the insignificant ones. God hears the questions in our hearts, spoken and unspoken. The realization I found through all of this is that I should give God all the praise and glory He deserves, and I can begin each day anew!

Each day begins with praising God and should end with praise and thanks. Are we grateful for the day we’ve lived, even if it was stressful? For each of us, our praises should be the knowledge that God is with us.

How do you speak to God? Here is an example”

Glory in your works, oh Lord –I accept the idea that You answer prayer, and I marvel at this, but we should not be surprised. You always show up, Lord, and I thank You and praise You, now and forever. Amen.

Talk to the Lord. He is there waiting for you. Like the new, improved Job, who suffered hardship and then was once again blessed, let us keep our eyes on the Lord, realize His powerful works, and glory in His Name, now and forever. Amen.

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Striving for excellence is a topic I love to discuss, but Christian excellence is even better. How do we do this? In this podcast, Felice Gerwitz discusses what Jesus tells us about excellence and the stunning truth behind His words!

Christian Excellence ~ Epiosde 319

We find the concept of Christian excellence in the fifth book of Matthew, the scripture we discussed in episode 319. Last week we discussed the importance of loving our enemies with the underlying reason that if we do, at least in our will, we “chose” to love, we will not be stressed, upset, or harbor unforgiveness in our hearts when we think of or remember those who have harmed us in some way. Yet today, we find the idea of excellence under the heading of an “eye for an eye.”

Christian Excellence In The Most Unlikely Place

Matthew 5:38-42 states: (read on air)

What is the Lord asking of us? It’s impossible to be sure. However, when we consider this concept of giving more than we have to give, we will see the concept of excellence permeates the verse. How can we not resist an evil person? How can we turn the other cheek? Why would we even want to do this?

God’s Ways Are Righteous

At the root of the idea of turning the other cheek involves not retaliating or in any way seeking revenge. Yet Jesus does not want a group of followers who are pushovers or pacifists. That in the face of evil will sit there doing nothing. The idea of a slap goes back to Roman times and the idea of class and distinction. A slap on the left cheek would mean the person asked the other to show they were equal. A right cheek slap signified you were in the class below. It would take guts and bravery to turn the other cheek, and basically, that meant, in a non-violent manner, you were challenging this status.

Similar to the idea of praying for a person who has hurt you instead of seeking harm or ill will toward them, we see the challenge for us goes deep; it goes to the heart of who we are as people. God is always right and just. Yet His ways at the core are humility and courage. Jesus showed humility yet true courage when He faced execution, not for crimes He committed but for the sins we commit daily. It is important to recall He died for us!

We further read in Luke 6:27-31 (Read on air.)

Again, go above and beyond and again in humility!

Does that mean we take physical abuse at the hands of a tormentor? Of course not. But, we can avoid the need to stir up trouble and cause dissent when it can be avoided. How often are we reminded of this within our own families? Several of my children are instigators; they knew how to get each other in trouble when they were younger. These sentences often began with “Mom (said in a whinny voice), so-and-so is doing XYZ.” As parents, we react to the squeaky wheel.

This is a chance for a parent to teach a child (or, in this case, remind ourselves) the importance of humility in dealing with others. However, it often reminds us to strive to be the best we can be and not settle for mediocrity.

Christian Excellence God’s Way

The concept of excellence is not ingrained, although it should be, and it is something that we can learn and practice. A parenting class I attended long ago told us to be an example to our children, and one way we could do this was by returning the grocery cart to a holding rack. What a pain that can be, and yet it made sense. If we go above and beyond in returning a cart, how much more will we do in our personal lives and in other areas of our life?

In a world of bad service, careless people, and a narcissistic society, we find that those who strive for excellence do it for themselves. As a family, we go out to dinner after church services, and at one of our favorite restaurants, one server gives us excellent service. We are not an easy crowd since one of my sons can drink as many lemonades as she puts on the table. She started bringing him two. As we left one evening, I commented that she had spoiled us and made it difficult for us to go elsewhere. She told me she loves her job and decided to be the best.

My dad first owned a bakery and then a restaurant through college. I remember waitressing, and I send a virtual hug to all of you who do. It can be a thankless job. It never occurred to me once to do it with joy or self-giving. As much as I could, I worked in the back, preparing the meals. It was so much more rewarding for me. There, I could be appreciated for my talent. But that is not what the Lord asks us to do: work at a task only for the praise we will receive.

Can we say that in our lives? Being the best shows an example of God’s love for us. Being the best means we strive not only for excellence because we should but because this is what the Lord would want for us. How can you strive for Christian excellence?

Think and pray about this and see what the Lord calls to mind. Make time this week to strive for excellence beyond our job title or the title we hold in our homes and families.

Renounce any thoughts that you are not good enough or can’t do it — because you can, and I know this because anything is possible with God! Matthew 19:26  ^“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Let’s focus on the thought that we can strive for excellence, go above and beyond what we expect for ourselves, and rely on the strength, power, and miracles of Almighty God. I pray you are blessed!

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While loving those who love you is easy, Jesus tells us we should love our enemy! How do we do this? In this podcast, Felice Gerwitz will discuss the concept of Christian love and how it applies to our lives.

Love Your Enemy: A Spiritual Challenge~ Episode ~ 318

This is a joyous message, and yet, at the same time, it is difficult. How do you love someone who does not want the best for you? How do you love someone who wishes harm against you? Is it even possible for us to consider Christian or not? It doesn’t make sense, and it is counterculture for sure, but that’s what makes it so intriguing.

I will admit that one of the hardest lessons of all is that we are asked to love our enemy, and as Christians, we have a higher calling. While thinking about taking revenge and thinking bad thoughts about those who have hurt us is natural, it gets us nowhere. Revenge and anger make us upset and frustrated. Yet what do we do?

Should we become pushovers or pacifists? No, the Lord doesn’t call us to sit back and allow for abuse. In these cases, the best thing to do is leave or avoid the person. So again, where does this leave us? If we are to forgive our enemy but not allow that enemy to hurt us, what do we do if we’ve been hurt?

We need to seek the true meaning of this love that God advocates for, and it is simply a challenge.

First, let’s look at the extremes. When Pope John Paul II survived an assassination attempt, he later went to the jail of the man who tried to kill him and had a private conversation with him where he told him he was forgiven. The man, it was said, had a conversion experience. Whether or not this is true is irrelevant because the miracle is the forgiveness on the part of John Paul II.

The pope, as leader of the Church at the time, was teaching by example. This is truly from the gospel, which we must look at, consider, and ponder in our hearts. What does it take for a person to transcend the normal reaction and to forgive, especially in this way?

Love your enemies—a spiritual challenge that God allows in our lives. This is probably one of my least favorite scriptures because it is difficult to follow.

I’d challenge you to read all of Matthew 5 but the last of the Beatitudes is in Matthew 5:10 (Read on air.) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

In this case, the persecution is for faith, justice, and standing up to bullies.

Our spiritual challenge lies in the idea that when we are falsely accused or persecuted for our belief in God, it becomes another level of faith. We’ve risen from a level playing field to one in a heavenly realm, yet the outcome may not be what we hope. Even if we stand up for truth or teach about faith, it is not always rewarded.

But, I’ve learned that those who teach or preach for a reward and those whose hearts are not in the right place. Large companies will try to block our message, which is okay; that is what they think is right. But the Lord allows those who want to hear something the ability to find what they need. I can not tell you the number of times that has happened to me. So, if you are here and have listened thus far, the Lord has a message for you. Pray and seek Him. Ask.

Often, the Lord takes care of things without us even knowing or asking! Again, this is a miracle that happens from time to time in our lives. I call these faith boosters. Our faith and our lives are enriched and encouraged when these events happen.

In the past, I shared two podcasts on Forgiveness, and Asking for Forgiveness. I think a big part of loving your enemy is the ability to forgive, and that only comes by the grace of God.

In Luke 6:32-36 we read:

³² “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Again, this may be something we have to think about, pray about, and ponder. The Lord is admonishing us here that He means what He says. We don’t want to be like sinners; we don’t want to only love those who can give us something in return; and we don’t want to only receive our reward in this life. Our reward will be great, the Lord promises. And that reward is eternal and everlasting.

Friends, the Lord says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” And, let’s all pray for that for us, for our family and all of our friends. Praise You, Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen.

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What is Christian love, and how can you get it? It comes from the Lord and fills us to overflowing, so much that it can’t be contained. In this podcast, we discuss how we can share the love that comes from Christ with a hurting world.

Christian Love ~ Episode 317

One thing I love about being a Christian is that God’s love can’t be contained. It is overwhelming and vast, unlimited, and unconditional. It is the opposite of human love or what we consider love to be. There are many different types of love in the Christian sense. But without getting in the weeds and the different types of love (you can look those up for yourself), I want to focus on God’s love for us—the love of the Creator.

Thanks to NOW Programs, this evidence-based program helps students learn differences.

We hear things like – God loves you! And you may think, does he? I don’t feel like that right now. He does. You were made with the complete knowledge of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Believe it.

Part of understanding love is believing it exists. We are here because we have a purpose, a function, a job to do in the sense of being part of the human race but more than that. As a believer, and I hope you are if you are listening to this podcast, you know that Romans 8:28 holds true.  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.”

You have been called according to his purpose, and whatever that purpose is for our individual lives, we must remember the grace from the Almighty will equip us daily.

God so loved the world; we hear this, and we know it. 1 John 4:7-10 (read on air).

Think about those words.

Those who love are God’s children. Why? Because they know God.

How do we know God? The theme of this entire podcast is A Few Minutes With God Podcast … spend time with God. From now on, from this podcast forward, my new ending will be a reminder, “Spend time with God!”

Because when we spend time with God, we get to know Him, we read about Him in His Word, and we read verses such as 1 John 4:7-10 and think wow, that is amazing love for me.

The verse goes on to say, “Those who do not love do not know God because God is love.” By His very nature, God, the creator of all that is good and beautiful, spoke the world into being. But this love, which is God, asks us to serve but does not demand it. It is up to us, and we have free will. The reason our world isn’t totally beautiful is that sin entered the world by the enemy that would not serve.

Just like walking out into traffic with fast-moving cars will likely cause an accident and someone’s death, it is a choice. It is the wrong choice, but our choice nonetheless, which is why there are consequences.

Yes, bad things happen to good people, and we can’t explain them. We can’t explain the forces of nature or the sinful actions of others. But God understands it all. He realizes our pain and hears our cries.

God sent His only Son for our salvation, and He took on our sins. How can we fathom that type of love? When we are annoyed, when we are upset, when we feel like things are not working as we want them to work, we must remember that truth.

Friends, if we as Christians demonstrated Christian love to others, we would change the face of the earth. Just one person at a time, one smile at a time, one kind word at a time. One of the priests I enjoy online talked about making micro-progress in his faith walk. He said to work on the little things each day. Write what you want to improve upon and do it! I will discuss that in a future podcast, as it is a great idea—little steps. Baby steps.

What is Christian love? It is self-giving. Just as God gave His life for us, we can give of our lives for others in so many ways. Do you volunteer for a ministry, visit the poor, or do other works of charity? Those are generous examples of God’s love pouring out of us toward others.

But more than that, love that is overflowing and can’t be contained flows to others. It is the commitment and decision to do for others and to do for ourselves by investing our time in a deeper relationship with God. Do it today.

And don’t forget, spend time with God. It’s not too late. Be blessed.

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Do you feel like you belong? How important is your faith? Today’s podcast focuses on belonging to Christ and discusses the importance of knowing where and to whom you belong.

Belonging To Christ ~ Episode 316

There was a popular bumper sticker with a picture of a fish and the words, “Swim against the stream.”  The Ithucus (the Jesus fish) was a secret symbol of early Christians trying to avoid persecution. This symbol, even today, reminds us not to follow the crowd but to stand as individuals for Christ. As my mother always reminded me, “Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean it is good.”

How does this square up with the idea of belonging to Christ? We, as Christians, are part of a larger group of people who have made some important decisions. We’ve decided to follow Christ, read the Bible, attend Bible study or prayer groups, listen to wonderful testimonies of what God has done in other people’s lives, and yet think, “What about me?”

What questions do you ask of God?

1. God, do you see me?
2. Am I doing your will?
3. How can I best serve you?

Belonging To Christ In Perspective:

If you have a solid understanding of your faith and are a strong Christian, you know better than most that the struggle is real. No one has all the answers all the time. We doubt we pray, hear silence, and get overextended with work and home responsibilities. How can we follow someone we don’t know? We must spend time with God, in His Word, and think about the importance of our role in this life. But it becomes more difficult if our faith is in its infancy.

Perhaps the decision to follow a Christian faith was made for you, and you’ve just followed along. That is what happened to me. Yet, at some point, I had to make the decision as an adult during a time of struggling that I was all in for God. I gave over my life several distinct times in my teens and early twenties. God always showed up, yet I didn’t see it at the time.

You are not alone if you feel like you are floating down a stream without direction. Some days, we are so busy that we can barely make all the meetings we’ve scheduled or complete the list at work or at home in a timely fashion. Perhaps you struggle with feeling the love and presence of God in your life.

So, how can you have a sense of belonging if you feel so unsettled? What I find helpful is searching the scriptures and keeping a prayer journal. This is old news for those who have listened to this podcast, yet it is worth repeating. You and I are part of a bigger picture, and it bears thinking about, examining, and praying that God does indeed see our hearts and our motivations that are all in for Him!

Some of my go-to scriptures:

1. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (Read on air.)
2. Ephesians 2:10—(Read on air.)
3. Philippians 3:20 (Read on air.)
4. Romans 8:1 – (Read on air.)

This is a short yet powerful list, and what is helpful is not only reading these verses but praying these verses. Having a bad day? Philippians 3:20 (read on air). This is not all there is, there is more, and I am so thankful for that! I am so thankful for my faith, which is a gift from God. It is one of those gifts that God answers, “Lord, give me more faith,” “Lord, help me to put you first,” and “Here I am, Lord!”

This faith, this Christian faith, is extremely powerful. I recently learned that many Christians do not vote. Can you imagine if the Christians, as a voting block, those who truly love the Lord Jesus and follow Him, those who belong to God, stood up for what is right? They would stand against the culture of death, against the crimes against humanity, against the powers that be out there—whatever and whoever they are. If Christians stood up and truly led by example, this world would be an amazing place.

I heard recently from Father Rippinger that our lives are what we make them; it can be heaven on earth or hell on earth. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have struggles, but what it does mean is that our struggles are not of this world; our struggles are roadblocks. Praise God in all things. Read Ephesians 3. Then, read Acts 16. One thing that is notable is that in Acts 16, Paul drives out a demon from a girl, which allows her to predict the future. Her masters were upset because they couldn’t make money with her any longer, so they had Paul and Silas thrown in jail on false charges. They were beaten, but at midnight, they began singing praises to God. Acts 16:25 reads, “About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs of thanks to God.”

How could they praise God? Because they knew to whom they belonged—to Christ. How would we have reacted if we were Paul and Silas? Tactics are used to scare us and send us hiding in our homes, but Holy Boldness comes when we focus on what is most important, and that is life in Christ.

Today, focus on Jesus as Savior and continue to ask Him into your heart in a deeper way. Ask for Holy Boldness and praise God in all things.

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Understanding the impact of God in our lives is an eye-opening experience. In fact, we often miss the real evidence before us in the search for God in all the wrong places. In this podcast, we discuss how faith can impact your

Impact of God In Your Life ~ Episode 315

How can we realize God’s impact on our lives? Let’s start with Genesis. Genesis 1:1—In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Without God, we would not exist, and I like to remind myself that my God is the creator of heaven and earth. What a powerful, loving, and all-knowing God I serve!

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Impact of God – A Covenant

And there is more! God not only created this beautiful world for us to live in, but He actually made us a promise. You probably remember the covenant between God and Abraham because that is the most well-known. Genesis 12:1-3 (read on air).

Now the Lord said^[a] to Abram, “Go from your country^[b] and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ² And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

It continues in the books of Genesis through Genesis 17; this is known as the Abrahamic covenant. It is the beginning of the Nation of God. While most of you listening are not direct descendants of Israel and, like me, we are Gentiles or people of another race, this covenant is for us as well. Yet God made covenants first with Adam and Eve and later with Noah.

Now, bring that down to a kid’s level of understanding.

Can you imagine teaching a group of middle schoolers, grades 6, 7, and 8, about the impact of God in their lives without getting in the weeds or too deep? This is the overall goal of my latest project, volunteering for Sunday School. I often share that we must give of ourselves and listen to God’s voice, but I admit it isn’t easy. It requires sacrifice and discipline—two things we often shy away from!

We show God’s impact in our lives through example, which often includes miraculous occurrences. My example to the kids was seeing a beautiful rainbow. A rainbow is an example or symbol of God’s love for us, and I explained that they should be reminded of this love every time they see one! But it goes deeper than that.

This symbol is actually a covenant between us and God. Genesis 12:1-3

However, although the words “covenant” were not used, God’s first covenant was with Adam and Eve. God created our first parents, yet they sinned. They rebelled against God and were cast out of the garden.

But God is a God of second chances! God’s covenant with Noah after the Flood shows us.

Genesis: 9:6-17 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

¹⁷ So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

This everlasting covenant was a promise from the Almighty never to destroy the earth by flood. God loved the human race so much, even though they rebelled against Him. Do you see a pattern here? Humanity today is in complete rebellion as well. I am working on a podcast about Christian Excellence, and it is a wake-up call for us all to do and be the best we can be and not devolve into sinfulness or mediocrity. These vices, among others, do not bring us joy, just the opposite.

In Matthew 6, we are reminded that God impacts our lives in ways we do not see! How can we become aware of the working of God in our lives? One way is by appreciating and taking to heart His Word:

Matthew 6:33-34

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In our worry, we forget that God is in control, and our need for Him does not diminish but increases. What would we do without the Lord in our life? Can you really think about this, if not now but at a later time? How would you feel? I would feel hopeless, thinking this: the current situation I am in is all there is, and I would be depressed and despondent. Even if everything is going well, thinking that this life is all we have would not make me happy. Spiritual happiness goes beyond anything we can imagine here on earth, and often, people do not understand it.

There is so much suicide today, and much could be averted if people really understood this world. This life is not all there is; there is more! God touches every area of our lives. Our source is the Word of God, our Bibles, and studying the Word is so important to all of us—not just one time a week or on occasion but every day.

Spiritual happiness is a feeling we get when we read or hear a Bible verse read, or recall a teaching that lifted us up and encouraged us beyond the toil of the everyday. It is the idea that we must look beyond our world and consider a world without strife or anger, without violence, and a world that is pure peace. A peace that surpasses all understanding. Philippians 4:7 – And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. For me, heaven is peace, beauty, and love.

What is the thought of heaven for you? That, after all, is our goal.

Striving for heaven means we walk in justice, pray for God’s grace to do what is right, and expect the best from ourselves. It also means we accept the truth of Scripture.

1 Thessolonians 2:13 – And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

The Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God. It was written by men who were inspired by God, whether it was in their teachings or actual events that happened. It became more fully understood when Jesus came and preached. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:1-5).

The light does indeed shine in the darkness, and for many years, we had only the oral teachings of godly men and women until we had our own Bibles. Yet, we can see the impact of the Lord in our lives by the teachings at church, a book or blog we read, or even a podcast. In fact, John 1:1-5 came alive for me at one point in my life when I really needed it. It was as if a lightbulb went on, and I realized Jesus (the second person of the Trinity) was with God at the time of the creation of the world. Wow.

Reading the scriptures, looking around the world, and expecting the best, even miracles will change our lives. The greater truth is that while we work, pay our bills, and do our daily chores, we are really bidding our time until the ultimate reward of heaven comes our way. When we spend time with God and pray he opens our eyes.

Our prayer can be something like this, “Lord, how can I recognize your greatness? Lord, what should I do today? Lord help me to serve you in a deeper and more personal way.” Our eyes will be opened, and we will learn how to apply this to our everyday life. This simple thought or notion can transform our lives. God is there for us, not just sometimes but always. We do not rely on ourselves, but we do rely on God’s grace. The impact on our lives is beyond our ability to understand. We can try, but it is astounding when we consider all God does for us.

God gave us himself; he opened the gates of heaven, and how did this happen? By dying for our sins, the ultimate sacrifice for sins He did not commit. Salvation!

John 14:6 — Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

We accept Jesus and follow Him, but that is sometimes where it ends. Take today to thank God for all He has done for you, for the gift of family, for the love that surrounds you each day (God’s love is ever present in our lives), and for salvation, the greatest gift we can receive and a way to enter with Him eternally. May God be blessed now and forever!

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In the middle of our troubles, we can rely on only one person to get us through: God. Today’s podcast is about holy reliance, and we will delve into ways to trust in God even when we feel like things are hopeless!

Holy Reliance ~ Episode 314

What is your first reaction when you are struggling? Today, I had a perfect opportunity to practice what I “preach” and failed miserably! Yet, with God, we get a do-over, a chance to change, repent, and sin no more. We have a chance to see the areas where we need work and to make a decision. Changing is difficult, especially because we want our results to be instantaneous. But change takes time, and it is hard work, consistent work, showing up and rolling up our sleeves, and expecting the best from ourselves and those around us.

I volunteer—a lot! I was very good at one point in time at saying, “No!” when asked. But something happened, and I’m not sure what. I often feel overwhelmed and that there is no more to give, yet God keeps showing up and showing me that I am not in charge. He is in charge, and when I give Him my yes and my life, He makes everything work out!

Do you rely on the Lord for everything? Do you ask God for a parking space? Do you pray when you need help with your finances and to pay your bills? When my two youngest were going to college, I prayed that the Lord would provide scholarships, and He did! We can ask God for the mundane as well as an increase in our spiritual life and an increase in our faith.

Holy Reliance – The Prophet

Scripture talks about prophets and how they did the work of the Lord. Each of them had challenges. Some, like Jonah, were not very good prophets, but one that stood out was Ezekiel. Ezekiel is a prophet, and he is being called by the Lord with a warning. Ezekiel 2:1-2  – He said to me, “Son of man,[a] stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” ² As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

In verses 3-4 the God states: I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. ⁴ The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn

He goes on to explain the hardships Ezekiel will have, yet the prophet does not turn his back on God. Why? Because he has Holy Reliance. He knows his strength comes from the Almighty. How can he speak to the Israelites otherwise? Even knowing the hardships, he continues on. Can we do that? Can we persevere even when we know there will be hardships?

Holy Reliance – The Psalmist

The Psalmist knew this as well – in Psalm 121:1-8 (read on air), we read.

Read those verses slowly, pray them, and add them to your prayer journal. Mediate on the words, “Where does my help come from?” Many times, we think our help is from ourselves. We are the ones who get things done. We can only rely on ourselves because others let us down! But that is not true. The next verse tells us, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Do we realize that God, the Creator of the Universe and everything in it, cares about us in an intimate way? He knows everything about us, and yet we rely on ourselves or perhaps those closest to us. On a practical level, when I work, I rely on the tools I use, the computer, the internet, and a microphone to record. But if the internet goes down or my computer shuts off midstream, I’m stuck, I’m frustrated, and my peace is shaken. It really does not take much. In our lives, we can quit or continue on.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve saved one finished recording over another, and I’ve had to re-record a podcast. But I don’t—okay, I try not to let it get me down because I feel that the Lord has something so much better for me to say! I’ll get a thought or an inspiration, some idea that hits me, and I will be glad that I had an opportunity to do it again.

What about spiritually? What about those times we know we’ve let ourselves down or the Lord down? This is where we can repent. We can once again call upon the Lord. We can ask him to help us. And when we do, He shows up in a mighty way! In previous podcasts, we’ve discussed miracles. Do we expect miracles in our daily lives?

Friends, we don’t do it alone – in fact, we can’t do it without the help of God! When you are struggling, turn to Psalm 119:7-8

I will praise you with an upright heart
    as I learn your righteous laws.
⁸ I will obey your decrees;
    do not utterly forsake me.

I love that! Do not forsake me, Lord. I need you now more than ever.  We must have trust, and this trust must come with a humble heart. Our hearts ache because we fail to see the goodness around us and focus on the hardships or our failures. Even in our failures, we must trust that God has a righteous plan and will turn it around. Think of the book of Ruth. God turned around a tragedy, the death of her husband and her sister’s husband, and she left her home and went with her mother-in-law Naomi to Israel, where she later remarried and had a child. Ruth was the grandmother of King David, which led to the lineage of Jesus Christ. Our King and Savior!

God has a plan for our lives. What can we do? We can trust. We can rely on Him, we can ask God to give us more of Him and we can ask for an abundance of faith and strength to traits we can always use in our lives. Amen~

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What do you believe? Have you taken the time to stop and reflect on your faith? Today, we will discuss ways to increase your faith and spend time with God.

Reflect On Your Faith – 313

Friends of mine attended an international conference and shared their experiences with me. There was such joy and hope expressed not only in the experience and the speakers they heard but also in how motivated they were to spread the good news to others. This fire, if you will, the fire that comes from the Holy Spirit, is what we all need. We need a boost from time to time and encouragement. We need that shot in the arm to get going and to spread God’s love for others. This can happen to you when you take the time to reflect on your faith. Why should we?

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Romans 8:30-32: What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? ³

Because of who we are in Christ, we are called to speak to anyone who will listen about His love and goodness, yet if we don’t take the time to reflect on our faith, it is difficult, at best, to know what we believe. What do you believe? Do you know? When was the last time you read a book of faith or studied the scriptures? Do you have time set aside for prayer?

Maybe you have not prayed because what you believe is not crystal clear. How can we worship a God we don’t know? How can we worship a God we can not see? How can we worship when we feel empty inside? The answer is you can not worship a God you don’t know and can’t see. And, if you are in the middle of a life crisis, then it will seem more difficult because we as humans tend to blame God, even if our faith in God is weak! Do you know someone who has abandoned their Christian faith because they blame God for their trials and for unanswered prayer?

Listen, we’ve all been there; if you have not doubted God or had a chink in your armor of faith, you have not lived long. Everyone has thoughts that I attribute to the evil one. These thoughts are not from the Almighty, let me tell you! The thoughts are something like this: God doesn’t care about you, God isn’t real, and you are wasting your time. Or even worse, Where is the God that you believed in? He has let you down. No, God never lets us down, but by the free will God has given us, we have a choice to make. Do we follow Him or not? Do we believe or not? Do we continue to worship when we don’t feel like it, or not?

God does not force His will upon us. He did not create us as puppets with Him pulling the strings. No. He gave us a heart and soul, a spirit to worship or not, and a hunger in each one of us for more. But why do we hunger and thirst without it ever being quenched? God created us to know, love, and serve Him because how could we not serve the one who gave us so much?

And here is the bottom line: Faith is a gift—yes, that’s right, a gift. Faith is a gift given to us by the Almighty God, and while it begins with a feeling, it involves so much more. It involves your free will—your free will to continue to love and serve God when you don’t feel like it.

Look up the Nicene Creed (Council 325) and the Apostles Creed. The Nicene Creed is believed to be the oldest creed. Read on air.

What do you believe? Reflect on your faith. Ask the Lord to increase your faith.

Prayer is a conversation with God; it is praying, but it also takes time to listen—spend some time in quiet. This means being present and aware of God’s love for you, meditating on this—God does love you, and you are here for a reason. Last week, the topic was belonging. We are His people, and He is our God. Podcast here.

1. Spend time in prayer and speak to the Lord.
2. Spend time in quiet, listen.
3. Read scripture.
4. Journal
5. Praise God, thank Him for everything.

Dear friends, I pray your faith is increased. In this world, there is a need for people who are on fire for the Lord. Christians need to help those who are suffering, and one way we can do this is by having the love of God within our own hearts and pouring our love into others. Amen!

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The idea of belonging, being wanted, and having someone who cares for us is a fundamental need in all humans. It isn’t a case of losing your identity but more of feeling loved and secure. In this podcast, we will discuss the importance of understanding where our trust lies and to whom we belong.

Belonging To God – Episode 312

If you are feeling down today, feeling that no one cares or that God does not hear you, feeling that you are being ignored, or that everything you planned and hoped for has fallen apart, then this podcast will turn that around. Writing and recording this podcast has helped me tremendously after a very trying week. And it started today. I heard a scripture that really touched me, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized I belonged to God. No, really, I. Belong. To God.

This isn’t a novel idea or truth. You probably think that as a Christian who has professed a belief in Jesus Christ, it is a simplistic statement to make. And you may be correct. Yet, we walk around carrying the burdens of the world on our shoulders, and if we remembered that we belong to God, how much easier this load would be. The scripture I want to share is one I’ve heard so many times, but this time, it made me feel special. We don’t often walk around, and the truth is, we never walk around saying how special we are or how special we feel. It is not the way of humility, right? But God, in His Word, often makes us feel special. I pray that God opens your heart and shows you how special you really are in His eyes!

Belonging To God – That Means You.

It is a passage in Ezekiel. I want to read it to you, but I’d like you to read it yourself, perhaps later, and meditate on the words. Ezekiel 36:26-28 (read on air).

Let me read the last half of the last line again: “You shall be my people, and I will be your God.” Friends, God has called you and asked that you be His people. And, in return, He gives us Himself. That is so shocking, and yet it should not surprise us that the God of the universe cares intimately about you, all of you. He wants you to understand that you have been called by name.

1. He has called us by name, and we read this in Isaiah 43:1:
2. He knows the number of hairs on our head: Matthew 10:30:
3. He has given us everything and paid the ultimate sacrifice: John 3:16:

How does this make you feel? Do you feel special yet? Well, let’s try this, let’s try praising God:

Psalm 147:1-6

How about Exodus 15:2: Read on air.

God is our salvation, and He is our God, and He is deserving of all of my praise. This is the least we can offer our Lord and Savior, yet there is so much more He is willing to give to each of us.

Psalm 63:11 states (read on air)

When we feel like no one cares, please remember this Psalm. God’s constant love is there for us, and if we praise Him, we will remember this truth and how much better our life will become.

Another verse I want to share with you is Psalm 145:9 (read on air). His tender mercies! Listen to those words and let them penetrate your heart.

and the last verse – Isaiah 41:13-

We are not to fear, we belong to the Lord, he has our hand in His, he is there for use, and he will come to your aid, in fact He has never left you and has always been by your side. Dear friends, remember these words, cherish them, and know that God is real and you belong to him.

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How are you doing? Are you finding hope in our hurting world? As Christians, we know where our hope is, right? It is in the Lord. Yet, we often struggle to find hope when we can only think about the negative things affecting our world and life.

Christians – Finding Hope ~ Episode 311

If I had to make a list of my top ten scripture verses, Jeremiah 29:11 would be at the top. (Read on air). I think I love this verse so much because it gives me hope. My favorite parts deal with safety (not to harm you) and plans to give you hope and a future. Today, we live in a society with at least fifty percent that has turned its back on the God I serve, a Christian God.

Some people, some with faith and others without faith, don’t want to see Christians happy, prospering, or unified (see last week’s Christian Unity podcast link here). I have watched some horrifying short videos lately, and what I heard made me fearful. So, what did I do? I took authority in the Name of Jesus and asked the Lord to place my fear at the foot of His cross because perfect love casts out all fear! 1 John 4:18 (Read on air.)

Finding Hope:

Our hope is in Christ; it is not in what might happen when we leave our homes, cross the street, or clean our homes. Our hope is in Christ and Him alone. I must focus on Him when I am worried about our world and the state of our economy, but I can also pray and encourage you in the same way. Today, I dropped my prescription sunglasses, and they scratched. Guess where? That’s correct. Right across my eye, I am looking straight. So, I picked them up and praised God. I had them repaired not too long ago, and they were expensive, like everything is today. But I was thankful because I chose to be. There is a list of reasons why I could be thankful, but choosing to be thankful is a decision I can make, and it gave me hope.

This does not diminish the fact that I have to look through a scratched lens, but I’ve chosen to praise God even for the hurtful, costly, and annoying things in my life. This gives me hope, and I pray it encourages you to hope in the face of hardships and trials.

Hope without Struggline:

At Christmas time, we have family time, and usually, I have an activity that goes along with something I’ve prayed about. This year, the theme was Fruits of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23: (Read on air.)

Each person selected a word that I had upside down and hidden. In other words, they didn’t know the words they would receive. Two people received the word “hope.” Two people received the word “peace.” Two people use the word “love,” and one person uses the word “joy.”

I received the word peace for this year, and I really need it, and I pray the Lord gives it to me in abundance! But I also crave hope. Without hope, there is no tomorrow. That may be a bit melodramatic, but there is truth in that statement. We spiral downward when we believe things will not get better or we feel hopeless. There is hope in Christ and against all of the negativity bombarding us through the airwaves. You can turn off the television and avoid the news, only to receive it in a digest form on your phone or hear it from your neighbor!

What Causes Hopelessness?

What causes hopelessness? So many things! But when hopelessness becomes a problem, it is when we feel that no one cares and we are all alone. Just know I care, and you are not alone! God hears us, whether the answer is no or not. We may feel powerless and oppressed in our situations, but we know it is only for a short time. There is hope that things will change. Maybe not for the better quickly, but change it will. Some days, I feel I transfer one set of problems to another. But I soon realized the solution was right in front of me, and I did not see it.

When we are in the midst of hardship or trial, we look for a way out without looking at our situation and addressing our needs one at a time. Ask questions like this:

• Am I safe?
• Do I need to make any decisions right now?
• Do I have the time I need to pray and offer it to the Lord?

I’m a get-it-done-right this-minute kind of person. If I have something to do, I feel it is hanging right out there and out of reach, and if I do not address it, it bothers me. Yet, that is something of my own making. That is why the three things I listed above and the questions I can ask are so important. It makes me think and consider if I need to address the problem, chore, or item on my to-do list this second. Sometimes, the day gets away from me, and I feel hopeless because what I wanted to accomplish was left undone. This is where I need to regroup, see if there is time to address this need, and go forward. There is always hope!

Always Hope:

The truth is our hope does not come from a person or thing. It does not come from a perfectly completed to-do list. Our hope does not even come from a sterling credit score or money in the bank. Our hope only comes from Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. And if we remember this, we will truly be on the right track!

The saying “hope springs eternal” is defined as “People always hope for the best, even in the face of adversity. This saying is from “An Essay on Man,” by Alexander Pope. And there is truth to that statement. If there is no adversity, there is no victory! We learned that from the cross. Jesus broke the bonds of death with his life and resurrection. We love the Christmas story, the Nativity of the birth of Jesus. We love Easter with the focus on the Resurrection. But what most of us forget is there was suffering, an inhuman amount of suffering, in between those two joyful times.

Take the time to create a list of scripture verses for times when you need encouragement that there is hope. Place Jeremiah 29:11 at the top of the list (it is on mine!). Then, spend some time in prayer, giving thanks to the Lord for everything, even those things that we can not control.

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Christian Unity ~ Uniting God’s People

Episode 310: Exploring Christian Unity based on Ephesians 4:1-6

How can we have Christian unity when we can’t even get along with those we live with and love? The same goes for world peace. How can we expect World Peace when we argue with our spouse or friends? If we can’t get along with those we like, how can we find common ground among various nations? Our world is falling apart, friends. Right before our eyes, today is the day to pray like never before.

Thanks to CTCMath.com for sponsoring this episode. CTC is a math curriculum found online for grades K-12.

Today is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. (Psalm 118:24) So we begin with praise, rejoicing in the day and giving God all the glory. As I’ve shared many times on this podcast, we praise God and thank Him even in the midst of trial and adversity. Things are falling apart all around us, and we praise God. One of the reasons is because, yes, God is worthy of praise. The other is because it helps remind us that we are not in this alone. Even if you are driving by yourself, taking a walk, or at your home alone, God is with you.

Once we have praised God, we put on God’s armor. Ephesians 6:10-18. Don’t just read it, pray it. Slowly and with meaning. We ask the Lord for protection against evil one. Why? Because he is the disrupter and the one who causes the division. This began in the Garden and continues today.

Christian Unity Starts Here:

Where does Christian unity begin? It begins with me—right here, right now. It doesn’t start with my neighbor, my friend, or my spouse. I don’t stop to pick up the phone and say, “Hey, you really need to get with it and be united.” It won’t work. For there to be peace, it starts with me. Mother Teresa famously said this about peace: “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”

So, it starts with me: what can I do and how can I do it?

A friend posted an article from a website, and I am posting the link here. The topic is the importance of Christian Unity. It goes on to explain the importance of doing our part (with the help of the Holy Spirit) to not be the cause of division, which means to guard us against temptation, guarding our mouths and what we say, and, more importantly, your social media posts.

When I read the title of the article, I was convicted to watch my words, especially among my family and friends.

As I write this, we are currently in an election cycle, and it can be horrible to read what people say and watch neighbors and friends become enemies. I lost friends during the last election cycle because I would not engage in conversation or be swayed by the beliefs of those who contacted me. They “unfriended” me on Facebook which truthfully hurt my feelings tremendously. In retrospect, while I had many champions for my cause, and the majority of friends agreed with me, I found that those who did not were steeped in a way of thinking I could not identify or understand. I am steeped in prayer this election cycle, making an effort to set aside time daily for our country and the disunity. And for the disunity in our world as well, with countless wars!

Jesus wants us united, yet He is well aware that the evil one is trying to wreck our lives. We read of this in

Ephesians 4:1-6 (read on air).

We are called to be “forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” How can we do this? There is only one way, with an infilling and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. My prayer is something like this, “Dear Holy Spirit, come and fill me with to overflowing with your love, your peace, and your joy. Please fill me with love for my children and my spouse (name anyone close to you here). Fill me with love and compassion for those who I don’t like, and I don’t care to know. Help me to be faithful to you, my Lord, and help me never to be parted from unity with You. Holy Spirit, come.”

Create your own prayer or version of asking the Holy Spirit for help bringing unity and peace to your life and the lives of others.

The only way for us to have Christian unity is to pray and ask God for a deeper desire for peace in our hearts. Another thing the article said that resonated with me was to ask the Lord to keep us away from “every temptation of the enemy to rip us apart.” These are very wise words. We must avoid the temptation to get in the last word or to say something that might be considered funny yet hurtful. We must rally the troops and let your family and friends know what you are doing. This is not bragging (oh, look at me praying here); this is explaining a way of thinking that I believe most Christians will rally around and unite.

God loves us; He loves this fallen humanity of which we are a part, and He knows our needs before we even ask. Yet ask we must today. Begin now. Ask the Lord for peace and unity, and let it begin with me. May you be blessed now and forever.

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Virtues for Heaven? Episode 309

Why do you need virtues for heaven’s entrance? Isn’t it just accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior good enough? Sure, belief in Christ is pivotal to salvation, but there is more. In this podcast, we explore the meaning of exhibiting virtues that are important and meaningful in our lives.

Thanks to our sponsor CTCMath.com. For more information on this fabulous online math program for K-12, check them out. Thanks to our sponsors for keeping this network and these shows on air.

What are the building blocks of our faith? Belief in Christ as Lord and Savior, rejecting sin, and leading a holy life. Easy right? Not so much!

The building blocks for leading a good and moral life require a belief in life, sacrificial death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Yes, but how do we live a virtuous life? How do we follow Jesus’ example? How do we pick up our crosses of this world and rely on His help to carry them? Each one of the questions can only be answered with thought and contemplation.

As an aside, I would like to share with you what I have encountered in my email inbox lately. I am asked at least three times or more a week if I will interview various speakers and authors. One of the speakers caught my eye recently, and I went to listen to his podcast. The topic was the falsehood of faith. The speaker said, “If you are sensitive to faith or you have faith, you may want to skip this podcast in the series.” Truthfully I should have because what I heard left me unsettled. The podcaster went on to explain how the brain works and how people are brainwashed into believing in God, even a false god. (with a little g). That’s it?

Oh my gosh. I wanted to tell the speaker he was really stretching his explanation to explain away faith as a psychosomatic occurrence. When people of faith feel love, an infilling of the Holy Spirit, and are witnesses to miracles, is this a falsehood brought about by what is, in essence, brainwashing?

There is no room in this atheist’s mind for miracles, for the idea that our world did not come out of nothing, that we should have respect for those who gave up their lives as martyrs not just in the days of Christ but currently all over the world where Christians and those of other faiths are persecuted.

Why is there a fear of faith? Why is there a denial of faith? Because having faith requires a change. Having faith requires a decision. Having faith requires self-denial. The building blocks of the Christian life are not only choosing to follow Christ and turn our back on sin but also living a life that is an example to others. I heard a quote, and the attributes of this quote are given to different people; if you want to see the history of this quote, there is a website here. (Quote Investigator.) Yet, I want to share it with you because I love the lessons it gives.

“Watch your thoughts because thoughts turn into words, watch your words because words turn to actions, watch your actions because actions turn into habits, watch your habits because habits develop your character, and watch your character because your character will determine where you spend eternity.”

If we need further instruction, we can go to Psalm 141:1-4 (read on air).

These virtues are achieved through practice and lead to a good life.

1. Prudence – think before you speak
2. Justice – is giving someone their due, whether it is forgiveness, etc. (God deserves our worship, people deserve mercy from us)
3. Courage (or fortitude) is the ability to disagree when needed with love and to speak out for one’s faith.
4. Temperance: Self-control – whether that is holding your tongue, cutting back on eating, or other bad habits that are often formed.

We can’t live a good life and an immoral life at the same time. We often hear of someone living what scripture would term an immoral life and say, “But they are a good person. How do we determine that? The question arises – yes, but who are you to judge? We are not the judge, but God is a just judge. Earthly good, or the definition of someone who is an upstanding citizen, is not the same as moral good. When you reject God’s teaching and the Word of God, then you can not be morally good.

Friends, we sometimes elevate ourselves and those we love on the supernatural level. However, only God can do that. We must be in union with God. The best way other than to accept the Lord as our Savior is to practice these good habits.

Ephesians 4:1-6 (read on air).

We can’t do this alone, nor should we try. Another talk I recently heard challenged us to ask the Lord for the impossible. In fact, one thing the speaker said was that we often don’t ask the Lord for enough. It has caused me to really think about this notion, and I will do a follow-up on the topic because, seriously, we often fall short of what we can ask the God of the Universe. God is Almighty, He is Lord of All, He is the Mighty One, the King of Peace, He and only He is worthy of our praise. We can ask the Almighty to grant us the grace to live a life with prudence, with justice, with courage and with temperance. We can ask the Lord to give us more faith. We can pray without ceasing in our daily lives when we take out the trash, walk the dog, or do anything we do in our lives. Let us all give God the honor and the glory He deserves. Amen and Amen! May God be raised today and always.

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Foundations of the Spiritual Life ~ Episode 307

The foundation of a spiritual life is a call to holiness. We (the human race) must decrease as He (God) must increase. This, in essence, means dying to self, and no one in this age of temptation can say they do not struggle with this from time to time. We all, if we are striving for holiness will be before the face of God at some point, and we will have to account for our lives. Sure, there are many who believe that once saved, always saved, but this only goes so far. My Christian friends who share this philosophy will agree that you can not live a life of sin and claim to be saved. So, it is, yes–an acceptance of God as Lord and Savior, but also renouncing sin.
One of the greatest sermons of all time is the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5 through 7. Here, we learn at the feet of Jesus how we should live our lives. It starts beautifully with the Beatitudes Matthew 5:3-11 When I was younger, I read these passages and thought – well, I’m a failure; I am never going to make it to heaven. This is a tall order, and how can someone who lives as a mom and wife mourn, become poor in spirit, develop a pure heart, become a peacemaker, and be persecuted for righteousness’s sake? Well, as you know, just being in a family qualifies you if you are open to God’s will– and Christians are currently being persecuted for what they believe. Just putting the 10 Commandments in schools, as several states have asked, seems to cause an avalanche of lawsuits and cries of injustice.

Recipe for  the Spiritual Life:

Let’s read the Beatitudes: (Read on air)

• 10:1-7 and King Hezekiah. Read on air.

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What is a spiritual burden, and is this baggage, and does this pertain to you? I found that we all carry some baggage, and in this show, we will discuss ways to lessen the load.

Spiritual Baggage Episode 306

What is spiritual baggage? Or should it be called spiritual burden? I heard a great analogy of this the other day, and it was related to backpacking in the wilderness. When roughing it, it is important to take the essential items the things (such as food and water) that you can not live without, but in doing so, you end up weighing down your bag. The more you add to your backpack, the more you have to carry, and after a while, it is so heavy it will become a burden or slow you down. This is the same with our spiritual burdens. These are the things that weigh us down and stifle our growth and relationship with the Lord. It affects our emotions,

It affects our emotions psychologically, our relationships, and our well-being. Not only are we struggling to carry this weight every day, but often, the baggage spills over onto others. There are all types of spiritual and emotional baggage, and this can be summed up in our emotional well-being. Are we hurt, frustrated, traumatized, or has our faith been damaged in some way? Often, when we struggle with trauma, we can become bogged down in grief, anger, or sadness. Daily we struggle with not getting enough done or accomplishing all we hoped, and then we are upset with ourselves or others.

If you’ve listened to this show, you know I encourage spending time with God. When I don’t, I feel like I let the Lord down, and my spiritual growth is inching along instead of leaping ahead. Many times, we struggle with unrealized goals or how we think things should turn out instead of actual circumstances.

Baggage can also be things of the past, fighting past sins or grievances. Perhaps we still struggle to forgive someone who has hurt us, or we are carrying the pain from past relationships. Something could trigger a past response or remind us of something in the past, and we react badly. Then, of course, that spirals into guilt.

I believe the worst baggage is the unidentified ones that are in our subconscious, but we don’t realize or just don’t acknowledge. This can affect our everyday interactions with our family and those around us. It keeps us in bondage, and that, my friends, is something we must rebuke.

Baggage slows us down and can keep us from living a life that is filled with love, laughter, and the knowledge that our lives center around our faith in God.

What should we do? Daily, we should put on the whole armor of God to combat the schemes of the evil one, as Scripture states! Read Ephesians 6

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (Read on air.)

Our spiritual baggage is not won by anything we can physically do on our own – as the scripture states, “for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” Strongholds are areas in our lives that we give over to the evil one!

I love Matthew 11:28-30. (Read on air.)

It gives us all so much hope! We are laboring and carrying a burden we don’t have to and that God never wanted us to carry. It is something that we have to release on a daily basis. I often pray, “Lord, I give you my worries, my needs, and all of the things I can not control in my life. Please, Lord, take this burden from me and allow me to rest in the knowledge that you are there for me, always.”  Write your own prayer and focus on the words, allowing your burden to lighten. If you can’t think of anything, ask the Holy Spirit to help you.

We can overcome our struggles with anything by first acknowledging there is a problem. This is step one in any addiction program: recognizing you have an addiction first so that you can overcome it instead of being in denial and thinking it is not a problem. We can not overcome something we do not acknowledge.

Overcoming Spiritual Baggage

1. Spend time in prayer, asking the Lord to reveal burdened areas of your life and write them down.
2. Acknowledge these burdens with the hope that the Lord will lift them from you!
3. Pray. Ask someone to pray with you, visit your priest or clergy, and ask for help. If you have a prayer partner, ask them to pray as you discern ways to deal with the issues at hand.
4. Acknowledge anyone you need to forgive. Forgiving is a decision, not a feeling (Podcast on forgiveness here), and asking for forgiveness here.
5. Letting go and letting God is a form of releasing our stress and anxiety to Him and Him alone.
6. Asking the Lord into your heart in a deeper way and praying for God’s guidance and healing.
7. Surrendering all to the Lord. Daily.

Will you pray for me? I will pray for you that you can release your burdens to the Lord and enjoy life, because your burden will be light!

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Who are the peacemakers? Are you a peacemaker, and do you find yourself in that role? What does the Holy Bible say? This podcast discusses being a peacemaker and how we can all strive to do our part.

Peacemakers ~ Episode

If you look up the word online, you will find that being a peacemaker is not a good thing. In all fairness, this information came from a search using the latest AI technology, artificial intelligence. There have always been computer programs that search for keywords and match websites with the words. However, the latest technology gives a synopsis of what is found in literal seconds, which needs to be corrected. One of the reasons is technology does not have a heart; a human element is missing.

My search showed me that a peacemaker is drawn to those who disagree and are typically worn out or frustrated, and it is a person who does not take care of themselves. While all of that can be correct, making a blanket statement in some people is not always good. It is said that peacemakers are not assertive. How can you be a peacemaker without speaking up and trying to see things from different sides? That requires diplomacy. Sure, not everyone is diplomatic, but it is a gift if you are. I try to see things from both sides outside my family, and the frustration comes when I can not understand an evil motivation. I can not computer things like abortion on demand or late-term abortion. In truth, I can not understand abortion at all, the killing of a life. In some states, legally. As one popular television personality said, he was for abortion. He agreed it was murder, and he said he could live with that thought and urged abortion advocates to embrace that terminology.

Wow. Our world is a place where evil is recognized and allowed. And we should all be okay with it—are you? We must pray, dear friends, because there is good news. The good news is that Jesus reigns now and forever, and evil has no hold over those who profess Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior (if they live holy and, in my case, sacramental lives).

When we discuss the word peace in a religious context, we are talking about a feeling that comes from an action. This can be caused by an action on our part, being in a quiet room, reading a scripture verse, and meditating on the meaning, which comes from God’s grace. However, a peacemaker can refrain from using words that can incite or cause problems or dissension. A peacemaker can see a situation that has gotten out of control and turn it around into one that is diffused, forcing those in disagreement to agree or compromise.

Recently, I watched someone do this effortlessly. This person took a volatile situation filled with misunderstanding and frustration and, in a few sentences, told each of those affected what the other was trying to say diplomatically. I was impressed. It caused me to think and consider the idea of being a peacemaker. Who are those who strive for peace, and how are they rewarded? As the scriptures tell us – we are told, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Wow! I want to be called a child of God.

I have to admit that I have not always been a peacemaker outside my family. It is sometimes easy to get others riled up, and it is under the guise of teasing, just having fun, or trying to make a point. I realized that it did more harm than good, and while I am not being specific here in my examples, I believe we can all look at our own lives and find situations where we could have used our words more effectively and in a way that would do good rather than harm.

Being a peacemaker is a good thing. In the Bible, we have Christ’s wonderful words when he was surrounded by the crowds. The Beatitudes contain words we should read daily (read on air).

These are words we should read daily. I remember reading these words back in my smart-aleck days and thinking, well, I’m no meek or humble; I’m in trouble! Friends, I was laughing at myself here and kidding around, but I had much work to do on my spiritual journey! It has been quite the journey, and the Lord is still working with me—praise you, Jesus!

Being a peacemaker in this world means making a conscious effort to examine your words, what you are saying, and how they impact the lives of others. Words matter. (More on air.)

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Did you know there are questions Christians ask? What are they, and how does this pertain to you whether you are walking with the Lord or don’t know Him? In this episode, we explore this idea of questions we should ask and ponder.

Questions Christians Ask ~ Episode 303

I ask questions all the time. It is the nature of a teacher to ask, or it is part of my makeup anyway. When my kids misbehaved, I asked them questions to see exactly why they were stubbornly refusing the rules or if they had a different motivation. My husband, an athlete, would ask my children, “What were you thinking?” when they were playing sports and messed up. We ask questions each day, of ourselves or others. How many of us use popular search engines online on our computers or phones to search for answers to our questions?

Besides typical questions we ask, there are those that are deep.

1. What is the meaning of life?
2. Why am I here?
3. What is my purpose?
4. Who am I?
5. What do I believe?

Many of these questions, while asked by the greatest minds of all times, philosophers, and others throughout the centuries, all stemmed from a lack of purpose, knowledge, and faith.

So, it should not be startling that, as Christians, we should also ask questions. “Does God exist?”

If we are honest with ourselves, we have all wondered if God exists at some point. Sure, we can attribute that thought to the evil one, but all people struggle with the idea, “What if it is not true?” at some point in their lives.

But, “What if it is true?”

The worst that can happen if you follow a Christian life is that you may die, and there is no heaven. The worst that can happen if you deny Christ exists is eternal damnation. Don’t take my word for it, look it up! However, if you don’t believe the Bible is true, that may be problematic.

Questions Christians Ask ~ Leading a Virtuous Life

For those of us who have faith, we know that God does not force anyone to believe, however, He is clear in the scriptures that there is only one way to heaven. What is the way? Deny yourself, pick up the cross, and follow Him. Denying yourself means leaving sin behind. Picking up your cross deals with facing the trials in life (that we all face at one time or another). No one who is deeply in sin is happy. Sin makes a person miserable.

How do we know God asks us to acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior? And, should we fear? Of course not, but be warned. Let’s read Matthew 10:32-33 (Read on air)

Mark 8:38 (Read on air)

Sounds like that verse is very applicable today.

John 3:36 is a verse we know. (Read on Air)

God is loving, kind, full of grace, and ready to forgive. God is also righteous. Often we think God must act the way we expect Him to while we get a pass. We expect more out of the Almighty than we are willing to do ourselves.

The ultimate question we should ask is are we ready to meet our maker? Are we ready to face the Lord? Many of us are not. We each need to strive through God’s grace to avoid sin. That is why we pray for God’s grace. God has given us a conscience for this very reason. Many know in their hearts that God exists but are not ready to follow Him on His terms.

At the beginning of this podcast, I listed some age-old questions. Let’s look at these questions in light of Christianity. How would you answer them?

1. What is the meaning of life?
2. Why am I here?
3. What is my purpose?
4. Who am I?
5. What do I believe?

I’m not going to answer these questions for you, but I do know how I would answer them. This is one of those times that I really wish we were all in a room together so we could discuss everyone’s answers! Take some time to truly think about these questions, and if you are struggling with the answers, go to the scriptures and read them, especially the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. There you will find the answers and that my friends should give us joy. May God be praised now and forever.

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At church, you often hear that God is with you, but do you really believe that is true? How would you lead your life if you thought about the Lord walking beside you daily? And, should you think of the Almighty in such a personal way? In this podcast, Felice Gerwitz explores these thoughts.

God IS With You ~ Episode 302

I’m a note-taker, even at church. Sometimes, after prayer, I look through my notes to see if something resonates in my heart. This struck me as I read the words: “God is with you…” Take a few moments to consider this. How does it make you feel?

More importantly, do you believe it? Do you truly believe that God is with You?

Matthew 28:16-20 – The Great Commission (Read on air)

From the mouth of Jesus, friends! “…Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Now do you believe? If you are a Bible believer your answer should be a resounding, “Heck, Yeah!” If you are not a Bible believer, I can understand your hesitancy. How can you become a believer? Renounce sin, follow Christ, and at your first opportunity, receive Baptism in the Name of the Father, the Name of the Son, and the Name of the Holy Spirit.

Receiving Christ into your hearts should bring you peace. And, considering God the Son being with you should bring you hope and happiness. What a wonderful thing to consider.

God Is With You And Gives You Hope

We have such hope in our faith, don’t we? We may be challenged to lead better lives and to choose better options in our prayer and spiritual lives, but truly, there is hope. There is always hope when we lean upon the Lord, and realize that He is here in our midst.  And we are assured that Jesus cares about us and our needs in a personal way. We have verse after verse in the Bible about how Jesus spoke to the common people, he lived a humble life. He could have come as a prince of men, but instead, He came as the Prince of Peace, the Prince of the heavenly realm.

Jesus walked among men, and through His example, we see how to live. As we reflect on these thoughts, how do you feel God is calling you today? He does call us each day to a deeper walk, but many times we are so busy we ignore this call. We know the call is there (search your hearts) but we often say in our minds, later. I will get to it later.

Later may never come! Do it today. Do it now! Recommit your life to Christ, thank Him for being with you, ask Him into your heart. Ask Him to give you the strength, the grace, and the joy that comes from doing what you should do all the time. If we strive for the best and we fall short that is better than striving to do the minimum and falling short of our goal. No one said following Christ is easy, but it truly is rewarding.

Do you need hope? Do you need strength? Do you need God’s grace? Ask.

When we struggle, we often forget to pray. We are so bogged down with the problem at hand that our minds race to come up with solutions, or for some, to ignore the problem and carry on, or worse, shut down. We must persevere and consider that God’s word is truth. When Jesus rose into heaven He did not leave us orphans, He sent the Holy Spirit to infill the disciples to empower and strengthen them to face death.

John 14:1-2 (Read on air)

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe^[a] in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

Then read John 14:15-25, I will read you a portion of it…

Then in verses 25-28

Jesus taught the disciples, these simple men, that the first thing they must do is believe, not let their hearts be troubled, and be fearless because God is in control. This tells us also the same thing. God is here; He is in our midst, and we should not fear. Amen, and Amen!

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Allow God ~ Episode 301

Allow God in, allow God to use you, and let God’s love penetrate your heart. I’m sure you’ve heard all of these things and lots more if you’ve been a Christian for any time, but how do you allow God? Truly? In this podcast, Felice Gerwitz discusses her struggles and victories.

Consider this: the Creator of the universe, the Almighty God, has given us the incredible gift of free will. He allows us to choose, to say yes or no. He even allows us to take the driver’s seat in our lives. But have you ever stopped to ask yourself, how’s that working out for you? Reflect on the times when you’ve chosen your own path instead of surrendering to God’s will.

How did that work out for you? I can tell you it didn’t work out well for me!

You may have seen pictures of allowing Jesus to be a driver in our car, the car symbolizing our lives. We are the passengers, and we allow Him to take the wheel. Whenever we get ahead of the Lord’s plans for our lives, things begin to fall apart, even if they are well-meaning. Then, we need to stop, re-evaluate, and make another plan.

Take a sheet of paper or your prayer journal and write the words “Allow God” as your heading. Once you’ve done that, begin with prayer and ask the Lord how you need to allow Him into your life more deeply. Take some time for this activity; I promise it will change your life.

When we allow God in, it may be painful at first. We may need to purge some of the baggage we’ve carried around with us, some of us for years. We may need to forgive those who have hurt us, and we may need to shed a few tears.

Your experience may be different. You may find yourself set free, feel a weight lifted off your shoulders, and, for the first time, genuinely focus on what it means to let the Lord into your life.

One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11 (Read on air).

Surrendering to God allows that joy to seep in, enabling us to have a deeper faith and hope in the providence of Almighty God. I find that when I surrender, I have greater peace and am less stressed about things because I am confident that the Lord hears me, even if his answer is no or not yet.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, we read (Read on air).

As my husband reminds me when we are tested or going through trials, the Lord shows up in a mighty way and gives us the grace to handle it – this grace is His love.

James 4:7-10 (Read on air.)

Think about that: when we draw closer to God, He will draw near to us! Praise you, Jesus, come, Lord Jesus, come!

One of the surprising joys of allowing God is how He can use me in His work. At times when I was home (and I shared this with you before on this podcast), I felt like I wanted to be the one out there sharing the good news. Instead, I was home, caring for the kids, washing the millionth load of laundry, and vacuuming the floors. Invariably, something would happen: the pest control guy would show up, or something would break. The Lord allowed me to share my love for Him in those times.

I try to remember this when things break or I am interrupted. When we say, “Your will, Lord, not mine,” amazing things happen!

Are you ready to let go and let God into your life? Are you ready? Then say it with me, “Yes, Lord, Yes!”

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Relationships are built over time and yet can be destroyed in seconds. It all depends on the foundation. In this episode, Felice Gerwitz shares how our relationship with the Lord can endure and carry us through our most difficult times to victory, in Jesus!

Restoring Relationships ~ Episode 299

Relationships matter, whether with someone you love, someone you like, or someone you don’t like but need to get along with at work or school. Relationships are the very fabric of human culture, and our relationship with God is the main theme that runs through the Old and New Testaments. Our pastor likes to discuss relationships when he talks about scripture, and in fact, he has preached on the topic in sermon after sermon, pointing to the first sin (Adam and Eve and their disobedience in the garden (Genesis 3) and how sin is a break in their relationship. In regard to Adam and Eve their breach of relationship with the creator, God. The same with all of the human race afterward.

The cause of the brokenness led the people of God to rebel time after time after time. For the last two years, I’ve been studying the Bible, and I become weary, to say the least, when I have to listen to the whining of the Israelites in the desert or the distress of Moses when, once again, the people turn back to their false gods. Yet, it is a reminder to us all that restoring relationships between a nation of people, and God is symbolic of our relationship with the Almighty.

Yet, time and time again, after the rebellion, God still calls for us to return. In Isaiah 65:17-21 we read:

If you are familiar with the Bible, those verses are familiar to you; if not, spend some time with the Bible and look them up, study them, and apply them not only to the people for whom they were written at the time, yes– but it was written for us today. God is promising us a new Jerusalem, and He sent his son, Jesus, to us in order to live, teach, and sacrifice so that this could happen. We have a new life with Jesus; we have a new life for eternity.

We cling to this life, we all do. We know this world and even with all of its flaws and the trials we face daily, we don’t want to leave anytime soon. Yet, Jesus, in His entire work on earth, continued to call us to open His arms wide and to reclaim and restore the people. The New Jerusalem is Christ, He is the fulfillment of the Scriptures, and he is the fruit of our faith and hearlds the new heaven on earth. He proclaimed the Kingdom of God is at Hand! That saying stumped me because I was looking too deeply instead of seeing it for what it was, Jesus, the Kingdom fulfilled and at hand.

The proclamation of the Kingdom of God is the news that Jesus Christ, true man, and true God– Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy. Just as Jesus served the disciples by washing their feet and serving them bread and wine at the Last Supper, for us these signs point to a deeper truth. Jesus himself is the bread and wine, he asked of us to eat of the flesh and drink of the blood. For some the saying was too harsh.

Restoring Relationships True Food

Read all of John Chapter 6 but an excerpt is here, John 6:53-59

The teaching was too hard for many. Is it too hard for you and for me? The apostles were stumped, but not Peter. The same Peter who would later deny Jesus three times. John 6:66-68

How do we feel about these verses? Do we wish to go away like so many did? It always struck me that Jesus didn’t call them back, He didn’t say, “Wait! I was talking symbolically.” It was problematic for many at the time and for many today.

Do we truly believe that Jesus wants to restore us, to restore our relationship with Him? Perhaps your church celebrates the Last Supper symbolically by sharing bread and wine. My church celebrates the Last Supper in communion each time we attend Mass. We truly believe the words of Christ. Literally.

In communion, we are united with Jesus in a deeper way; we strive to live lives with God’s grace that are pleasing to Him. The King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is truly the Messiah. When we approach the altar, we bring Him our worries, our concerns, our problems, our failures, and our joys. We lay them there at the foot of the cross. Jesus died once and for all. We do this as he said, In remembrance of me.” With God, there is no time. He is with us always in the present. Mind-blowing, I know!

Take the idea of a relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to heart. Bring your concerns to Him, the Almighty, He is waiting to restore you and to bring you with Him into everlasting life at the end of your life. If you have time compose a prayer to the Lord, and pray it daily. Ask Him to bring you into a deeper relationship with Him and start today!

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We are Resurrection People! Consumed by joy! Shouldn’t that be the theme of our lives, especially for those of us who are committed Christians? If you feel your life currently falls short, listen in as Felice Gerwitz explores ways to bring that joy back into your life.

Consumed By Joy ~ Resurrection People Episode 298

As I share this podcast, we’ve completed our Lenten journey of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. This does not mean we should ever stop; it just means that during Lent, we seem to make a renewed effort to turn our hearts to God. It seems that when Easter Sunday finally comes, we are past ready to rejoice and sing Halleluiah! This is what we’ve been waiting for, and in a renewed way we see it in the lives of our family and extended family members when we gather to celebrate.

Easter is so much more than chocolate bunnies and overly commercialized merchandise. We are so blessed as Christians to see this and to bring this reality to our family celebrations. The focus is on the Resurrection, and as I prayed about this, I kept thinking the words, “Resurrection people—we are Resurrection people.” But, what does that mean? So, I prayed and I researched and I finally concluded it means different things to each one of us, depending on our journey toward the Lord.

Consumed By Grief – Now Consumed By Joy:

I read a quote from John Paul II that said, “We are a Resurrection people and Alleluia is our song!” In other words, we rejoice in what the Lord has done for us, and we celebrate this in our hearts and minds. If we allow it to, this is transformative. We are no longer in the proverbial “ashes and sackcloth”. We are in celebratory mode.

We are consumed by grief as we read the scripture verses about the crucifixion and the Marys at the foot of the cross. John 19: 25-26 (read on air)

We know from scripture study that the disciple is John. They watched in horror, and we are often in horror as we read those verses. Most of the time, if you are like me, you want to skip the verse and go straight to the resurrection, the empty tomb, but I often remind myself that without the crucifixion, there is no resurrection. In this, we can be overcome and depressed and even despair, but we know the end of the story. We know that our despair as Jesus was taken to the tomb was short-lived. When we are discouraged, when we have doubts, when we are depressed or in desperate situations, we rely on the Lord because, by the very fact that we are Baptized Christians, we no longer belong in despair but should be reminded to rejoice!

We should bring the Lord all of the situations in our lives, our pain and suffering, our impatience and irritation with others, and ourselves… when we look at those things in light of the death and resurrection, we can see that our worries and our cares are fleeting in the grand scheme of things. Sure, we can acknowledge our pain and our suffering, but we also must put that in perspective. The evil one wants us to wallow in pain, in guilt, in self-recrimination, but Jesus, to a sinner, says, come.

We were blessed to attend the Easter Vigil, that is the service, the Mass that begins on the evening before Easter. It begins in some churches after sundown at 8 or 8:30. This service is beautiful in that the readings are from the Old Testament, beginning in Genesis 1:1-2:2, verses from the Psalms are read in between, and then verses from the Old Testament. Most notably as follows:

• Genesis 22:1-18
• Exodus 14:15-15:1
• Isaiah 54:5-14
• Isaiah 55:1-11
• Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4.4
• Ezekiel 36:16-17, 18-28

New Testament:

• Romans 6:3-11
• Mark 16:1-7

Some services select four from the Old Testament and Mark from the New Testament. This is so that salvation history is read and the fulfillment of the words is joyously proclaimed. Mark 16:5-7

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went looking for the Messiah, but instead, they became disciples—they were the bearers of good news to tell Peter and the others! What an extraordinary grace! They were previously consumed by sorrow, and now they were consumed by joy! God, the creator of the universe, showed us that nothing is too small or too insignificant for Him. He showed us by his extreme sacrifice that our sins would be redeemed and that our sorrow was no longer necessary.

We are resurrection people. Please take some time to think about this and what it means to you. Just like you, I have problems, difficulties, and sorrows. Sometimes, the burden seems too big to carry, and I despair. Yet I know that the Holy Spirit dwells within me by virtue of my Baptism, by virtue of my yes to the Lord, and sometimes, it is a yes that happens multiple times a day. When we consider the resurrection, our hearts should be consumed by joy; it should convert us, and if not, think and pray about this if you can.

We have so many stumbling blocks we put up on our own and in the Name of Jesus, we pray they are removed! Our desire and longing should be for the Lord, for relationship with Him and our prayer is: “Dear Lord, please fan the flames of your love for us, within us, let it rage like a bonfire and ignite our hearts with love for You as you have love for us.” Amen!

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Agony and Victory

Is there such a thing as agony and victory? Everyone has agonized over something in their lives, yet there is hope. Most of us on this side of heaven have struggled and had trials and tribulations. In this podcast, we discuss agony with a twist: the victory that comes on the other side.

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Jesus wants us to live a life free from agony and strife. He wants us to live a victorious life, but how can we do so when there are so many hardships in our lives? How can we hold on to the hope that is the bedrock of our faith without caving in and losing hope? We can do this by looking at the scriptures but also taking them into our hearts and applying them to our lives.

Jeremiah is one of my favorite prophets in the Bible. I love his steadfast, single-minded focus on the mission at hand. Like most disciples, he left his family and home to pursue the mission God called him to, and in so doing, tragedy could have been averted. There was a movie made for television on the prophet Jeremiah. As we watched it, I kept stopping the DVD player to say to the children who were watching it with me at the time, “Look! Look! Do you hear that? It is the same thing that is happening today.” Finally, the children were so frustrated they asked if we could finish the movie before we talked about it.

The movie depicted Jeremiah’s upward battle and struggle as he agonized over sharing God’s message with an unwilling people. He was willing to articulate his agony in Jeremiah 20:10:13 (Read on air).

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Jesus and His Mother ~ Episode 296

Have you considered Jesus’s relationship with His Mother, Mary? By examining this aspect of Sacred Scripture, we can grow in our love for our Lord.

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A Son’s Love For His Mother:

Many of you listening have children or extended families. We know of the bond between mother and child and mother and son. We mothers have the ability to love without limit, and it grows with each child. Sometimes we wonder if we will have enough love, but then, our love expands. In our human condition, we have the ability to love, but can you imagine the love of the Son, Jesus Christ, for His Mother? Yet, we know Jesus and his mother spent time together; she raised him after all; she cooked, bathed, and took care of him. If we love our own parents, how much more did the Lord love his Mother?

Why would Jesus love his mother other than the obvious? When we read scripture, we can see the great sacrifice she went through and how his love must have expanded. Yes, I am using words we understand to describe a Divine occurrence, but we can, by our human reason (because faith requires reason), see between the lines because nowhere in Scripture does our Lord say, “I love you, Mother.”

Yet, by His Divine Nature, Jesus was obedient. His obedience was perfect. He was obedient unto death, death on a cross. Phil. 2:7-8 (Read on air.)

Sometimes, we forget that Jesus took his humanity in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He respected His mother and was always obedient. When he went to Temple at age 12 they were amazed at his wisdom and the questions he answered. He stayed with his parents until he was 30 years old always obeying. Mary was the one who caused him to start His ministry.

We can read the entire verse in John 2:1-12 — Please read and meditate on these verses; they say so much to me, and I get filled with awe every time I read and think about them.

This is the account of the wedding feast of Cana; they ran out of wine, and Mary offered her son’s services, basically to perform a miracle. Jesus said to her in John 2:4 – And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.”

When Jesus refers to his mother as a “woman” here, some people think it is a sign of disrespect. Can you imagine referring to your own mother as a woman? It might not go over too well. However, this was in fulfillment of Scripture. (remember, Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament!) But, this reference in particular is in regard to Genesis 3:15. Adam and Eve had sinned; Adam blamed Eve, “the woman you gave me,” and Eve blamed the serpent, “The serpent tricked me.” So, God, who is righteous and all good, not only cast them out of the Garden but said in Genesis 3:15 (Read on air).

The hidden years, the years before the first miracle at the Wedding Feast of Cana, are called the hidden years. They are hidden from us because the scriptures do not reveal what went on in Jesus’s life in the home of Mary and Joseph. All we know is that Jesus was an obedient son and that he loved his parents. He loved Joseph, but Joseph was his stepfather. But Mary? Mary was his biological mother; she gave him life by her fiat, her yes.

Their relationship was special. Mary could count on her Son, and she knew in her heart that he was destined to do the Father’s will. He must have performed miracles at home because why else would she ask him to perform His first, publically? Can you imagine the joy of having such a Divine Son, yet with that joy comes crushing hardship and sorrow? Next week we will mediate on the road less traveled, the Stations of the Cross.

Before we end, I want you to know that the Lord, by His life, His death, and His Resurrection, gave us an example of a virtuous life. Join me as we pray. Today Lord, I want to share my love for you and my joy that You are My Savior. I ask, Lord, that you open my heart to be more virtuous and strive for those things that lift me up. I love you, and I thank you for the gift of my life. I ask for Your love and protection, now and forever. Amen.

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What is your relationship with God? Who is God? Do we really know and understand the magnitude of our prayers or what the Almighty has done for us? In this podcast, we will discuss the mystery of God and explore, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”  (Matthew 16:13)

Who is God? ~ Episode 295

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Many of us have grown up with some type of faith, but even if you haven’t, there may have been a prevailing sense that something out there existed. We are told in the first paragraph of the Catechism – 198: Our profession of faith begins with God, for God is the First and the Last,¹ the beginning and the end of everything. The Credo begins with God the Father, for the Father is the first divine person of the Most Holy Trinity; our Creed begins with the creation of heaven and earth, for creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God’s works.

That is very good, but who is God? Years ago, I heard a debate between a creationist and an evolutionist. The creationist didn’t stick to the science; instead, he pointed out that the evidence for creation was in the Bible. Can you guess why he lost the debate? That’s right. The other person did not believe that the Bible was accurate, let alone that God created the world.

So, if the foundation, belief in God, isn’t there, the entire argument falls apart. Not just creation vs. evolution but faith vs. no faith.

God is undefinable. He is a mystery. He can only be understood (by me, anyway) under the premise of faith. My pastor always says to pray like this, “God, I love You as You Know Yourself to Be. Basically, that means we can not grasp the majesty of the Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and so we pray in a way that is pleasing to Him and understood only by Him.

Too deep?

Seriously, I’ve been thinking about this question, and in looking at the hundreds of topics on the Ultimate Christian Podcast Network and on this podcast, A Few Minutes with God, I’ve realized that we’ve discussed so many things, but not. Who. He. Is.

If I asked you to stop the audio and jot down short sentences describing God (and you can do this if you’d like), your list may look like this one:

Who Is God?

1. God is the Creator. (Genesis 1:1 In the beginning when God created^[a] the heavens and the earth.)
2. God is love. 1 John 4:8 (Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.)
3. God is our salvation. Pslam 68:19 (Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation)
4. God is our Savior. Acts 13:33 Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised;
5. God is the way of life and the truth. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

But Who is GOD?

We can define God; we can talk about the virtues evident in God. We can discuss the Trinity, but the word Trinity is not found in Scripture. However, we are taught about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. One God and three distinct persons.

We read in Matthew 28:19: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

We baptize as Christians in the Name of the Trinity.

But what did Jesus say about himself, his divinity? Matthew 16:13-19 not only tells us about who Jesus is but also the power He bestows upon men. In this case his disciples. (Read on air.)

Reading that passage, we learn many things.

1. Jesus is defining himself by asking the question, “But who do you say that I am?” The reference “I Am Who Am” Exodus 2:14 – God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”^[a] He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
2. Simon Peter, the first disciple to define Jesus correctly, says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
3. The Holy Spirit (Father in Heaven) revealed this to Peter.
4. On this rock, I shall build my church – the foundation of Christianity (as an aside, Catholics believe that Peter was the first pope, which is why the papacy is called the “Petrine” office. The pope is the Bishop of Rome. Jesus further confirms this when he says, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bin on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
5. Do not tell anyone that I am the Messiah — why!

In conclusion, what we say we know about God is a tiny microscopic speck of who He actually is, and it takes faith that can only be given by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to change our hardened hearts. Please make an effort to seek God, no matter where you are in your spiritual walk. Just be still before the Lord and say the words, “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will,” and watch the miracles happen in your life. Praise Be Jesus Christ now and forever, Amen.

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When you feel let down or are suffering, don’t suffer alone! There is no need. The victory is won, and you can rejoice in the good news. Join Felice Gerwitz as she shares her thoughts and ponders about God’s Word and how He will never disappoint you.

Don’t Suffer  Alone ~ Episode 294

Thanks to our Sponsor, Harper Collins Christian:   Kingdom Girls Bible

Girls will discover the power of faith in this beautiful Bible that features women of the Bible! Here is a Bible for girls on their journey of faith! This special Bible is specifically crafted to highlight the stories and lessons of the inspiring, famous, and sometimes infamous women of the Bible. From Eve to Ruth, Esther to Mary, this Bible brings the stories of these women to life and shows how their faith and strength can still inspire girls today. Featuring a beautiful design and easy-to-read text, this Bible is a great resource for girls growing in their faith and learning about the women who have impacted the world. Check it out here!

Have things been rough lately? Have you struggled with just making it through the day? Everyone I’ve talked to, myself included, feels like we’re under attack. Things are going wrong in an unprecedented manner, and to make matters worse, it doesn’t seem to get better.

When you’re going through hardships, it is hard not to place blame on the individuals who caused you harm or the situation, yet it is only through his permissive will that we are allowed to suffer, for lack of a better word. God knows it’s happening. Nothing surprises him; truthfully, that is a comfort for me. The situation may surprise me, but it’s not a surprise for him. I know that God has this, even if I don’t. Hardships happen. (Story shared on air).

Other friends spoke about their hardships, illnesses, family loss, financial issues, and lawsuits. In the grand scheme of things, when we discuss life everlasting in heaven) these events, while complex and tragic, are fleeting. We don’t have to do it alone, we don’t have to suffer alone, and we are not alone. The Lord gives renewed grace to deal with these issues.

Don’t Suffer  Alone

Today, we will rejoice and be glad, not only because the Lord does hear our prayers but because He has mercy upon us. Just look at the book of Daniel, particularly Daniel Chapter 3. We read about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It is a powerful lesson for us all — for when you feel alone, for when you are defeated, for when you think there is no hope. The three are put in the furnace to burn because they angered the King. At first, they praised the Lord, repented, and lamented to the Lord that they no longer had a leader (sound familiar) and had been handed over to their enemies. But they asked for mercy. Again, please read it all yourself, but I wanted to focus on this portion for you, Daniel 3 42-45 (read on air.)

Then it goes on in verses Daniel 3:46-50, and I am paraphrasing here — The angel of the Lord comes down having heard the prayer of Azariah and his companions, and we read he drove the fiery flame out of the furnace and made the inside of the furnace as though a moist wind were whistling through it. The fire did not touch them and caused them no pain or distress.

God sent an angel to drive away the flames. He can also do that for us because when we suffer, we feel as if we are consumed; we can’t think of anything else, and all we can do is dwell on the issue. But we should know by now, especially if you are a long-time listener, that God is in charge. We further read in verses 51-56 (read on air)

Here are some past episodes that may help:

Overcome Daily Struggles

Fill Up Your Spiritual Tank

Your Heart, Your Faith

Those verses should make you rejoice in the Lord. Even amid hardships

The Lord knows our hearts, and he knows when we are hurting, when we are distressed, when we feel broken. He knows our hearts when we are happy and rejoicing and good things are happening in our lives. So what should we do? We rejoice and be glad we thank God for everything, even the hardships, and we pray for those who have hurt us. That friend is the hardest thing to do! Why is forgiveness so difficult when God forgives us? I think for one reason: it’s because of the injustice we see in the situation. We look at it with human eyes and say oh my gosh, why is this happening to these people we know, or why is this happening to us?

But if we spend our time realizing that everything that happens is allowed in our life by the Almighty’s permissive will, then we know it’s for a greater purpose, and what is that purpose? It is so that we can grow closer to him. One of our dear elderly pastors always makes the overarching remark about the New and Old Testament, which can be summed up in the thought that God wants a relationship with his people. Isn’t that true?

So, let’s not suffer alone. Let’s turn toward the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray; let’s read the Word of God. The Almighty is waiting for us. He wants a relationship with us! He is there, and he is the constant in our lives. When we suffer, we pray and ask our friends to intercede for us and our heavenly friends, such as the saints who have gone before us.

Instead of getting bogged down with semantics, worrying about the outcome, and doing all the things the enemy wants us to do, which will take her eyes off of God, we need to focus on him. Recently, something good happened in our lives, and my husband and I were stunned that we were not joyful and jumping up and down. Instead, we were worn out by the ordeal that happened beforehand, and that’s all we could focus on, so we began to pray for those involved and praised God for the good results!

Friend, this is what our enemy does. He keeps us focused on the things that do not matter and keeps our eyes off of the Lord and toward ourselves, angry toward others who have wronged us, and towards situations we have no control over. I hope it helps you to realize that we all suffer. No one’s life is perfect, and altogether, this side of heaven, so friends, I leave you with this thought: You do not need to suffer alone; rejoice in the Lord always!

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Love of Family ~ Episode 294

The love of family comes from an outpouring of our love for God. In this episode, we will discuss why our families should be a priority after our love of the Lord.

Thanks to our Sponsor: Harper Collins Christian:   Kingdom Girls Bible

Girls will discover the power of faith in this beautiful Bible that features women of the Bible! Here is the ideal Bible for girls on their journey of faith! This special Bible is specifically crafted to highlight the stories and lessons of the inspiring, famous, and sometimes infamous women of the Bible. From Eve to Ruth, Esther to Mary, this Bible brings the stories of these women to life and shows how their faith and strength can still inspire girls today. Featuring a beautiful design and easy-to-read text, this Bible is a great resource for girls as they grow in their own faith and learn about the women who have impacted the world. Check it out here!

I read an article that claimed most people don’t really love their family. They feel a sense of obligation and duty. What? While we may feel a sense of obligation and duty, that typically happens because we love our family, not as a result of some mistaken obligation. You and I know that our families are under attack, but we have the source of all goodness and truth, that is, the Bible.

Family and marriage have value, and by virtue we are following in the mandate God gave in Genesis 1:28 “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” We are also told that marriage and family is an honor – Hebrews 13:4 (Read on air)

That is not what we hear from those who are in the world, and sadly, even among Christians who believe that living together is a good idea, especially as it saves money and gives each person a chance to see if the relationship will work. Statistics show that among those who live together before marriage, the rate of divorce is higher.

STATS here.

Most Christians get married, but some are led to a life of celibacy, for example, priests, nuns, and other religious as well as lay people. Yet, even singles would agree that family is important. So, why do the world and the secularists continuously try to minimize godly love or the love of family because they want the family destroyed? Why is this?

If you destroy the family, you destroy society. We were created in the image and likeness of God, and the enemy hates us! One-third of the angels refused to serve God it was infact due to pride.  A link here to Biblical verses.

Jesus says in Luke 10: 16-20 (Read on air).

Let’s rejoice that are names are written in heaven but realize that disruption in families begins by dividing the spouse and the children from their parents. It begins slowly with including people in commercials that are not godly examples.

There was a headline that caught my attention, and it read: Extinction activist wants humans to voluntarily die out: ‘Feed ‘em, don’t breed ‘em’  – I have a link in the show notes for you to see for yourself –Here you will read about

What is happening in our world? What is happening to all of those who follow the Lord but remain silent? Friends, we must pray – Proverbs 18:21 states. (Read on air).

Isaiah 54:10 (Read on air).

I recently interviewed Kirk Cameron on my podcast for homeschoolers, Vintage Homeschool Moms – link here. He made a compelling argument for the state of American Family Values, and he said it happened on our watch. Wow – he is right. It happened when so many of us were afraid to speak up, but if God is in it – if God leads us, we will have the grace to follow through. Here is an actor who could spend his time however he wants and instead is fighting for families.

We know God is merciful.

Psalm 86:15. (read on air).

He is merciful, but he is also a just God.

No doubt, the breakdown of the family is Satan’s prime target because he knows that marriage is the earthly representation of the relationship between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:22-32). And if he can destroy the marriage (and family), he can destroy the church. For this reason, we must always be ready to fight against his attacks by arming ourselves with the weapons of war as found in Ephesians 6:4-20: The first verse begins with  Fathers,^[a] do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. ” but it ends with the Armor of God, because friends, we need that Armor!

We must be the beautitudes. This could take up an entire podcast, but I recently read Matthew 5:1-10 and felt like my eyes were opened. It moved me, and it sums up what our attitudes should be as Christians.

Matthew 5:1-10 (read on air)

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Key To Repentance  – 293

As a Christian the cornerstone of our faith is the key to repentance. It is an important ingredient to turning toward God and finding that our faith deepens. The key to faith is the topic of today’s episode.

Thanks to our Sponsor: Harper Collins Christian:   Kingdom Girls Bible

Girls will discover the power of faith in this beautiful Bible that features women of the Bible! Here is the ideal Bible for girls on their journey of faith! This special Bible is specifically crafted to highlight the stories and lessons of the inspiring, famous, and sometimes infamous women of the Bible. With over 400 engaging features, colorful illustrations, and helpful notes, this Bible is perfect for girls ages 8 to 12 as they learn about the strong and faithful women who came before them. From Eve to Ruth, Esther to Mary, this Bible brings the stories of these women to life and shows how their faith and strength can still inspire girls today. Featuring a beautiful design and easy-to-read text, this Bible is a great resource for girls as they grow in their own faith and learn about the women who have impacted the world.

Key To Repentance:

The key to repentance begins with a realization that you have sinned. Just like an person who suffers from drugs, alcoholism or some other form of substance abuse in order to get better you first have to recognize you have a problem! This problem is then addressed and the first order of business is to repent.

We can break it down to repentance to anything contrary to Biblical teachings that crop into our thoughts, our words and manifested in our deeds. This happens over the course of time, making one bad decision after another, and another. These decisions often lead us down the road to difficulties for us and for our families. This is why it is important to surround ourselves with people who are uplifting and likeminded in our Christian walk.

But the good news is that repentance is a first step in following God. In accepting the Lord, at some point in you life you made a decision. The decision was not only to recognize sin and renounce it – but to promise to “sin no more.” Repentance is taught throughout scripture. The first teaching our Lord gave is in Matthew 4:17 –  From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

He was announcing that He was ready to begin his public ministry, and now he asks others to join him.

The Lord asked us to repent and then went on to find “fishers of men,” the apostles. He saw Simon and Peter and his brother Andrew. He asked them in Matthew 4:19 “Come follow me…” Then he found two more Simon Called Peter and his brother Andrew. He called them as well.

He invited them to join His mission of conversion of the world to Christianity. Of course it wasn’t called Christianity at that time, but we have come to recognize Christ as the Messiah, the second person of the Trinity. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in that order. When we repent the Lord opens our lives to an entirely new way of thinking.

This invitation is for us as well, are we ready to drop our nets and follow him? The nets in our life can be the very things that keep us bound to worldly pursuits and away from a deeper relationship with the Almighty. I’m not talking about caring for our family, or working, I’m talking about those things that keep us bound. The pull of the internet or social media. One friend shared that she checked Facebook every few minutes because she had the fear of missing out of not knowing what was going on with her friends. She finally realized that it was pulling her away from what she needed to do each day, and made sure to set a time limit for visiting the website, and then eventually rarely if ever visited.

This may seem extreme but each one of us has to analyze what the pull is on our life. Are we drawn to something of value or to a waste of time? I know that when I visit social media for work I get drawn in on what my friends and family are doing and I can waste so much time. So, I rarely use social media. Again, each of us has to decide for themselves. Is social media a sin — of course not, but if it is uses for sinful actions we need to be aware and take heed. Repent and move on!

God is in the today – He is here to give us the graces we need each and every day. Repentance is like taking a shower and washing off all the grime, it is like putting on a white robe of righteousness and vowing to take a step in the right direction. One. Step. At. A. Time. Is it easy, no. It can only be done by God’s grace, so pray and ask Him for it!

Praying For God’s Grace – Key to Repentance:

1. Ask the Lord to call to mind areas of sin in need of repentance.
2. If you can, go to confession (Catholics). This is a sacrament of grace.
3. Ask the Lord for forgiveness.
4. Ask the person you have harmed (if any) for forgiveness.
5. Ask God for the grace to sin no more!

Repentance allows us to heal, not only from our human and bodily illness but from spiritual illness. In Matthew 23, after asking us to repent, and asking the apostles (and us by extension) he began to teach and heal. Matthew 4:23-25 (Read on air.)

What great news! Amen and Alleluia. What comes with repentance? Healing.

God gives us the grace, especially with prayer and fasting to live a life that contains self-control and is godly. We begin good habits, avoid the near occasion of sin, whether it is social media, television or other sources. Whatever it is, ask God for the grace to have the control to avoid it! There is power in God’s grace. The first step is to want it and to receive it.

When we repentant there is a painful element of purification. This can be as I just shared by asking those we hurt to forgive us, but there is more. We must understand the reason we sinned in the first place. Getting to the root cause helps us to avoid getting into this sin, again. Maybe you think you can’t do it — you can’t change. But, if we find that difficult to repent we must remember the sacrifice of Christ.

Christ died and suffered for a sin that He did not commit. Yet, He did it for us. John the Baptist was put into prison through no fault of his own.

In Mark 1:15-15 (Read on air.)

Jesus said that the time had come and His Kingdom has come. And once again we read “Repent and believe the good news!”

Repentance is a gift that God gives us to change our ways. It is a mission for us, and we can be transformed. Through the life, death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ he calls us with His love and mercy. I pray you search out the way the truth and the life John 14:6 – Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Amen and Amen, let’s seek goodness and truth each day, beginning now.

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Your Heart ~ Your Faith ~ Episode 291

There is a saying, “Your heart is where your home is,” but I believe your heart is where your faith resides. In this podcast, we discuss how “heart issues” may lead us astray and far away from our faith in what is right and holy in the eyes of God.

Thanks to our sponsor, Sevenfold Films and Genesis Apologetics Presents Film – The Ark and The Darkness – Movie Trailer here: NoahsFlood

In theaters March 20-21! Noah’s Flood is preserved in ancient writings from every major culture around the world. Recent discoveries confirm what the Bible has said all along. Sevenfold Films and Genesis Apologetics present: The Ark and the Darkness. If you missed the in-theatre date, check the website for streaming options.

An extended family member recently shared that after several traumatic experiences, she realized that all that mattered was God, faith, and family. It is somewhat of a hard lesson that we all learn and relearn from time to time. As our lives get busier, and we move to that speed of life that seems to break the sound barrier at times, we find that slowing down helps us finally see the light.

When we have a broken heart, we tend to fold into ourselves; it is hard to be objective or have clarity in the midst of a trial. Our hearts are a powerhouse; they keep us alive and functioning, and in this same way, our internal organ that God created to sustain life is often where we feel that hurt and joy. We are lost we don’t know where to go.

God asks us to follow him, and we read this in John 1:43-51 where Jesus called Philip and Nathanel to follow him. But that call is for each one of us. Do we say, “Yes, Lord.” Or, is our answer, “In a minute, let me finish this first.”

This is a question we all answer in our lives, and when trauma hits, depending on our heart and its inclination, depending on our faith, that is how we will cope with the situation. Our hearts will betray us if we are not grounded in the truth if we go on feelings alone, and if we are swayed by the enticements of this world. The pull of the world is strong, and the evil one works overtime on the young and the old alike to sway us from our path and our mission.

Your Faith – Questions to Ask:

1. Where are we going?
2. How are we dealing with the daily struggles in our lives?
3. How is our mental health? We wake up each day often without direction.
4. What are the first thoughts that come to mind when you wake up each day?
5. Where does your heart lean?

Are we like Thomas, the apostle who said to Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where we are going, so how can we know the way?”

Friends, we are lost. Our hearts are broken, and there seems to be no way out from our thoughts and sometimes feelings of hopelessness. But there is good news, and there is hope. Without hope, we would be lost, but God gives us a clear path and a clear direction and that is to follow him. If you don’t have this scripture memorized, do it this week, and when you feel lost and forgotten, pray this verse out loud!  John 14:5-7 we read (Read on air).

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know^[a] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Do you hear that? We don’t have to feel lost — Jesus is …the way the truth and the life.

If we want to know Jesus, we can, and we can go to Him. He will then introduce us to the Father, for, “if you know me,” he says, ” you will know my Father as well. ”

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We should say this again. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

Never lose hope! 2 Corinthians 4:1-3

Therefore, since through God’s mercy, we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ² Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. ³ And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

Following Jesus is opening our hearts to the love and mercy that He gives us, and where the heart is, so is our faith. We have faith that God will not let us down and that he will answer prayer, not as we want it but in His time and the way he ordains. We know that we can have a clear conscience and sleep well at night if our hearts are united to His.

But it is more than that! God is calling you and I to dig deeper. How can we do this? By realizing that we are more than what we do, or try to do in this case for the sake of righteousness. The Pharisees complained that Jesus and his apostles were not following the Jewish ritual of cleanliness — which was for a time at the temple. But these men decided they should carry on the letter of the law, by the ritualistic wasing even before meals. But Jesus took them to task explaining that it is rooted in the heart that evil results.

Mark 7:14-23 — (Read on air)

 And he called the people to him again, and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: ¹⁵ there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him, but the things which come out of a man are what defile him.”^[a] 17 And when he had entered the house, and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. ¹⁸ And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ since it enters, not his heart but his stomach, and so passes on?”^[b] (Thus he declared all foods clean.) ²⁰ And he said, “What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. ²¹ For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, ²² coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man.”

Friends we want our hearts to be full of love, full of compassion, we must fight against the vices that plague our world. How many of us listen to that verse or read it and say — well, I’m not that bad. Maybe not with theft, murder or adultery — but what about envy, slander, pride and foolishness? I know I’ve suffered and confessed those things.

When we look at what the Lord offers, life with him or without him we will always choose Him!

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God Chose You ~ Episode 290

You are not a mistake; God chose you! Many people walk around today depressed or sad. But today is a day to rejoice and to realize that you have a greater purpose in this life. Tune in to today’s episode of A Few Minutes with God Podcast and get ready to have a life-changing experience.

Thanks to our sponsor, Genesis Apologetics – The Ark and the Darkness. Learn more here: NoahsFlood

From the movie: There is a tale over 4,000 years old, preserved in ancient writings from every major culture around the world. Many thought it was only a myth, but evidence supports what the Bible has said all along. Sevenfold Films and Genesis Apologetics present: The Ark and the Darkness. It will be in theaters March 20-21 and streaming afterward.

I belong to a women’s ministry named Magnificat, and we have meals about four times a year at these meals. Each person gives their testimony, and it truly is life-changing, especially when you hear where the person had been in their life and how the love of God and his kindness and mercy change them at each meal; I encourage the women to open their hearts and to be ready to be changed. This change may happen quickly, or it may happen over time.

God Chose You ~ Today!

I am going to say the same thing to you today: be ready to be changed. Why do I say this? Well, the reason is many of us walk around each day wondering if we have a purpose or listening to the evil one when he says you are worthless. That is not true! You just need a reminder.

We forget that we have been chosen by God; today, I’m going to share with you a list of some of my favorite scriptures. I’d like you to write down these as well as some of your own search the Bible, and you will find that you truly are chosen by God. He did not make a mistake when he created you. He knew you before you were born. Jeremiah 1:4-5

⁴ The word of the Lord came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you, before you were born I set you apart;  I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

God Chose You and Sent His Son

When we look outside at the world, we feel insignificant. Instead, look within, look in your heart, and toward the Lord. We often fall short or lose sight of who we are: heirs to the kingdom, and through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, eternal life is available to us, not just to you or me, but to each one of us who chooses the Lord.

How can we forget that we are chosen? We must remember this and make a point of waking up each day and saying, ” Thank you, Lord, for choosing me. Thank you, Lord, for giving me the opportunity to serve you today. “

Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Kirt Cameron, who is known for his role in television and movies. He is less known for the fact that he didn’t grow up in a Christian home. In fact, he was far from God while he was in his younger years; he said people often asked him. How did you find God and Hollywood? and he said, I didn’t find God; God found me.

This is Biblical – John 15:16 says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

God is looking for each one of us. God has chosen you. He knows our name, he knows your name, He knows everything about you! Listen as I read some of these scriptures, take them into your heart, and know you are special. You are worthy; you are a son or daughter of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I Peter 2:9 states (read on air).

God knows everything about you! You are worth so much more than the creatures of this world.

Luke 12:7  “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Matthew 10: 26-31 (read on air).

So we praise God daily in  Ephesians 1:3-4 we read:  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. 

He chose us before the creation! Do you hear that? How amazing, how wonderful, and how utterly exciting. Not only that, but we belong to Almighty God! Isaiah 43:1 states (Read on air)

And what do we do with this information? First, we ask ourselves, “What does God want of me?”

John 6:44 says to believe: (read on air).

We are to persevere in all things. Romans 8:28 —And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.

And so I leave you with this thought. If God has called you by name, and you are an heir to the Kingdom of God, and he knew you before you were created, and you belong to him, then you are most definitely chosen by God, and you definitely should rejoice! Let’s spend this week praising and thanking God for finding us and calling us to Him. Amen.

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Life is tough. It throws us curves when we least expect it. We often endure a trial by fire. Yet, as Christians, we have the tools to make it through challenging times and emerge victorious in the end. In this podcast, Felice shares insights and tips for those who struggle with hardships and, at times, with faith.

Trial By Fire ~ Episode 289

When was the last time you said everything was going great? I have no issues, no problems. Life is good. Sure, that happens from time to time. But we all have hardships; sometimes, it is a trial by fire. When there is a crisis in our lives, our faith is challenged. For some, this means they have a faith crisis. For others, they believe that God has abandoned them, and so they abandon their faith. Some stop believing, going to church, or reading the Bible. Still, others think they have done something wrong and deserve the punishment. This is not the way to think. We must first take our thoughts captive. The evil one is a deceiver and a liar and wants us to continue to believe the lies that God does not care.

1 Corinthians 10:3-5 (Read on air).

We can not understand the mind of God.

Abandoning the one who created us is never good. A trial by fire is a test. We must remember that Almighty God is in charge of everything. Whether it is our lives or the lives of our loved ones, we know that God knows our hearts and struggles and hears our prayers.

We can, however, read the Word of God and be encouraged and edified.

In John 1:1-5 we read (on air).

Let those words sink into your heart, and I pray that verse gives you as much hope as it gives me.

1. In the beginning, God existed.
2. Through God, all things came into being. There was nothing without God.
3. What came into being was life. There was nothing beforehand—just a void. Without God, life would not exist.
4. The life was the light of all people
5. God was there to shine a light at the very beginning.
6. The light shines in the darkness…and what? The darkness has been unable to overcome it! Amen and halleluiah.

When we have questions such as, “Why me?” or “How could God allow this to happen.” or “I know God is in charge, but I am so confused.” We must acknowledge that we are hurting and give ourselves time to grieve, but we can not stay in this spot forever. One way to do this is by understanding that God is in control. Things happen for a reason, and ultimately, in the end, our goal is heaven.

God loves us so much He calls us to him. He sent Jonah to Niveh to bring back an evil town to him. The prophet was reluctant, tried to avoid the mandate by the Almighty, and had a rough go of it until he finally went to Nineveh and said the bare minimum. (Jonah was not a very good prophet!)  He walked through the town saying, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed.” The city was so large it took three days to walk from one end to the other. Yet, Jonah had only walked one day when the leaders and the people believed Jonah the profit, put on sackcloth, prayed and fasted. God was moved and did not destroy the town.

God called the people of Nineveh to leave their sinful ways and follow him. God calls us to follow him when we are joyful, hurting, or in the pits of despair. God calls us even when we avoid him like Jonah did.

We must have joy. I looked up 1 John 1:1-5, and here it is: (Read on air).

Let’s break that scripture down.

1. God always tells the truth, and the apostles and eyewitnesses testified to it.
2. The Father has revealed the truth about eternal life
3. Relationship (fellowship_ is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ
4. They wrote this so that our JOY could be complete.

Struggling Trial By Fire

When we are struggling, we must realize the truth: the love of God, the hope He gives, and the joy and faith He gives us are all we need. This world is fleeting, and yet we hold on to it as if we can’t stand to think of anything else.

When we struggle, we can cry out to the Lord in prayer and allow our hurt and our needs to be heard. We can cry out to heaven, and we can ask our friends to pray. We can quote scripture; good ones are Col. 3:16, Matthew 4:4, and Ephesians 6:18.

We must fight off any temptation and against any lie that God does not care about us! Let’s all pray together! “In the Precious Name of Jesus, I pray against this lie; Jesus, I know you care about every one of us — each person listening today; please, my Lord, allow them to understand and be comforted by the grace of God.”

Friends, the Almighty pursues us and wants us to reside with him in heaven.

Remember that Jesus was tempted in the desert; the perfect one, the Holy One, was tried. Satan offered him the world; he showed him food. But what did Jesus say?

Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).

What does living in the “word that proceeds from the mouth of God mean?”

It means that when you follow God when you believe that the Word of God is faithful when you know that God is only good and wants the best for YOU, it changes you. It gives you peace when you go through difficult times and are tried by fire. It makes your life new. You become a new creation! You become the unique, awesome, and glorious person God created you to be.

So, is that it? No. We continue to pray because we are constantly being tested and struggling. Ephesians 6:18 says, “Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.”

St. Paul tells us to pray in the Spirit to continue to preserve.

1. We pray in the Spirit. Come Holy Spirit.
2. We pray all the time.
3. We pray with humility with our hearts.
4. Prayer is a piece of the Armor of God — God’s armor keeps us protected.

But does God hear our prayers?

James 5:16: (Read on air.)

Remember, our goal is heaven and eternal life with God Almighty. But a fight is ongoing; the enemy wants us to reside in eternal damnation. Remember, the battle has been won; God is victorious. Continue to pray, continue to believe, and let’s pray for each other every day. Amen.

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Understanding the nature of sin, we can often make the right choice, especially when faced with a moral dilemma. In this podcast, Felice Gerwitz discusses the issues and ways to avoid putting ourselves in harm’s way.

Moral Dilemma – Episode 288

We are made in the image and likeness of God. We are told this in the first book of the Bible. We read in  Genesis 1:26 (Read on air)

God created us; he has given us a body, mind, soul, and spirit. He has given us a sense of reason—the ability to figure things out, to judge, and to make good decisions. Sadly, our first parents, Adam and Eve, used their ability to make moral decisions, but not good ones! They failed and failed miserably. They took the beautiful gift of life, a wonderful world in which to live, and instead of a sense of wonder, they were tempted to defy God.

In a nutshell, a moral dilemma is going against the nature of God, the created order, and trending toward evil. Those who believe in doing whatever they want, whenever they want, are truly free. This is far from the truth. Freedom comes from a clear conscience, a sense of moral good that is ingrained in our souls, and a thirst for what is God. People seek love, for purpose, for friendships. That wanting in our hearts is the gift God has given us that we will find fulfillment first in Him, then in others.

To act morally depends on what we do, why we do it, and the situation or circumstances surrounding the action. For example, a moral good would be feeding the hungry, giving alms to a charity, or helping an older neighbor by cutting the grass. These are good things.

The opposite is murder or stealing. Acts such as these are evil. You could say that in war, murder is permitted; however, for the most part, murder is taking another’s life, and that is against God’s order. The Old Testament is filled with wars, one tribe against the other. The payment for sin is death. Romans 6:23 – ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When we sin, we work against the Lord. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me.

Look at the Ten Commandments, and that gives you an idea of what God requires of those who follow Him.

The Ten Commandments

Moral Dilemma

What makes up a moral dilemma? It is a situation we find ourselves in that stretches our faith and our resistance to evil. It is a temptation to do what is wrong. Many fall into the trap of rationalization. The person who says they cheated on their spouse because the person was unlovable. That is not a reason, nor is it fair to place blame on the other person. It is a symptom of not taking responsibility for an action. Retaliation is another way that people rationalize a bad decision or behavior. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

How do you make the right decision? It takes prayer and help from the Almighty God.  It takes surrounding yourself with people who are like-minded in faith and morals. It takes not allowing yourself that first step into what may on the surface appear innocent but turn into something lethal. This happens when kids search online unattended, or even something innocent like an online encyclopedia or library app can lead kids astray.

It is important to have virtue, the realization that every life is valuable from conception to natural death, that every person is created in the image and likeness of God, that earth is our temporary home and our goal is heaven.

Our choices are so important. I read, or tried to read a very lengthy scientific abstract that was written by psychologists who took 48 test subjects, who were women and some were atheists, and others were Catholics. They asked them moral dilemma questions and asked them to make a decision. I took a look at the first question and the two outcome choices. Neither of them was acceptable to me (which I think was the point of the experiment because they were testing brain activity as well.) In fact, the first one was about a time of war, an orphanage and putting to death one child (so you would not be killed), one by suffocation, and another way by lethal injection. Neither is acceptable, right?

The findings were that one set of people had compassion and cared to a greater extent than the other. Their reasoning was that faith was very important to the moral decision that was made. That was not surprising to most of us.

Without faith, our moral compass would be off, but even those with faith tend to stray. It is a small step away from the Lord and then another and another. Think about missing church one time, the second time is easier and so forth. Bad habits can be made as easily as good. This is why it is important to set up a prayer routine and keep to it each day. It is helpful because it keeps us on track.

Being virtuous isn’t something we inherit or fall into, it takes training so to speak. It takes practice; it takes that good habit of prayer, reading the Bible, attending church, reading good moral books, and avoiding shows that are not only unhealthy for our state of being (horror or over-the-top action movies) on a steady diet. Being good is not enough.

The way we act leads to the type of person we are and what we are known for, in the sense of how others see us, but more importantly, how God sees us. How do you see yourself? What acts or choices have you made that give you the true freedom that comes from a life lived in Christ?

People who are against faith say that we do not have freedom but we do, we have the freedom to do anything that is not sinful. If you asked a non-believer if they were free to run a red light, murder someone, or steal, they would say no. Yet, they believe that because we are faithful, we do not have the freedom to do immoral acts, and I would agree with that. Immorality never leads to true happiness.

The evil one is out for our souls and hates anyone who loves and follows the Lord. Yet there is power in God who has defeated the evil one, broken the bonds of sin, and opened the gates of heaven. We read in Romans 6:8-10 (read on air).

 But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. ⁹ For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin, once and for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God.

We, you and me, can face the moral dilemmas in our lives with the assurance that we have the Lord on our side, and He and only He can give us the true freedom and joy that we seek in this life. Amen! This week, let’s work on creating those good and virtuous habits that will help us to grow in the Lord.

Read more here:

Contraception and Infertility

Birth Control here

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Every day is a new day in Christ for those who believe. We get a blank slate to begin all over again. While this is a wonderful concept, it only matters if you plan to do it better or with the help of God.

Every Day Is A New Day In Christ ~ Episode 287

How exciting to wake up every day and do it over. “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118: 24

It can be a chance to make a new habit, spiritual or personal. We can use the new day to get closer to our relationship with Christ and dig deeper. Or we can waste our day and then long for a new day to start again.

Some recommended podcasts:

Calm In The Storm

Renew Your Mind

Each day, our list of things to do gets longer and longer. I used to track everything in a notebook, and now I use a combination of notebooks and apps on my phone, yet I don’t find myself getting any further ahead. In fact, I think sometimes I become distracted. This is one more thing to add to the list of areas of improvement. If you are like me, you are harder on yourself and expect more than you expect of others.

What is your goal? Is it to spend time with God?

We tend to get excited in a new calendar year but slowly lose that ambition as the year continues on and find, mid-year, perhaps, that we are far away from our goals to grow closer to the Lord. This year, I am going to challenge you and myself to keep that determination moving forward during the year. Not only can we begin again, but we can begin with renewed hope. I love the word “Hope.”

New Day In Christ

Scripture is full of hope and the realization that Christ has made us new; in fact, the Bible says if we are in Christ, we are a new creation. If our goal is to make every new day in Christ special, we begin being here. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, we read, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” But what is that passage referring to? It tells us in verse five that the Spirit was given as a first installment. This is in reference to the Holy Spirit, God. Let me read the entire section from 2 Corinthians 5:5-10 (read on air.)

⁵ Now the one who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a first installment.^[a]6 [b]So we are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. ⁹ Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away. ¹⁰ For we must all appear^[c] before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.

New Day In Christ ~ 1 Corinthians 5:

We can be successful in our new day in Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit. The verse tells us so many wonderful things.

1. The Spirit is the first installment.
2. We are to be courageous – because this is not the end. Our world is not our home. (Calendar)
3. We are in this world, but we do not need to be in this world. This means we can live our lives, but we must remember that this is not the end, and heaven is our goal.
4. We walk by faith and not by sight. We do not need to see it to believe it. Faith is belief in what is not seen. If we could see it, we would not have faith to believe. We are confident in our love of God the Father, the Son- the Christ and the Holy Spirit. We have been called by name, and we rest in the assurance of this. What wonderful news.
5. We want to please God; now, we have a chance each and every day. Wake up and give your day to the Lord. Offer it up.
6. We will be judged at the end of time. When we die, we have finished the race, and now we await the judgment.

Being a “good person” is not enough. We should want to aspire for more than that.

Each day, we can go about our routine. Get up, praise God. Get dressed, praise God. Go to work. Praise God. The joys and praises of the Lord should be on our lips at all times. How do we do this? By His grace. Isaiah 40:31 states:

They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength,
    they will soar on eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
    walk and not grow faint.

God gives us the renewal of strength so that we will not only run and not grow weary but we will soar on eagles wings!

Malachi 1:11 (Read on air). Each day the Lord reminds us that from the beginning of the day until the end of the day His name will be proclaimed among all of us who follow Him.

From the rising of the sun to its setting,
    my name is great among the nations;
Incense offerings are made to my name everywhere,
    and a pure offering;
For my name is great among the nations,
    says the Lord of hosts.

And what about Ephesians 4:20-24 (Read on air.) We are asked to put away our former selves. The person you were yesterday or the day before. That person is a new creation; that person has been reminded that we worship the one true God. You are ready to learn and dive deeper, and you are ready for what th

That is not how you learned Christ, ²¹ assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, ²² that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and put on[a] the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.

I challenge you to make your list of new day scriptures, jot these down in your prayer journal, and read them daily. Better yet, record yourself reading these scripture verses and listen to this recording daily. It will help you to become a prayer warrior and live each day to the fullest! And I pray we can remind each other to begin each day in prayer and praise, and how much better our day will become.

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Mystery of Faith ~ Episode 286

What is the mystery of faith? In this podcast, we discuss the truths about faith, God’s grace, and how we should follow the light. Sometimes, we don’t understand but are willing to learn more. Your host, Felice Gerwitz, will share some powerful insights with you.

Check out MediaAngels.com and download your character planners for families today.

Did you know that the “the mystery of faith” is found in 1 Timothy 3:9 in several translations, The Wycliffe Bible and the Douay-Rheims Bible? The verse states: “Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience.” Meanwhile, the New International Version states, “They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.”

The mystery of faith is holding on to the deep truths of faith.

There are many things about faith that are mind-blowing when we stop to think about them. For example, the Trinity. The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. One God and three distinct persons. It is a mystery. Or what about miracles? How do they happen? There is no explanation; it’s miraculous; it is something we believe in by faith.

Now, faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1. The basics of salvation are easy to remember, but for some, they are not so easy to understand. Jesus was born a babe through the power of the Holy Spirit, which overshadowed the Virgin Mary. He was raised by Mary and Joseph in Nazareth, born in Bethlehem of Judea, and lived a humble life. The Christmas story is well known.

The miracle continues with three men from the Orient, The three Wise Men (or the Wise Guys as my children used to call them), and through the study of light, or the star, the Magi knew they would find something remarkable: a king. Our pastor told us that they were studying the constellation Leo, which is the Lion or Judah. They knew the capital of Judah was Jerusalem. The light they saw represented a King, and they expected to see this baby in a palace dressed in finery, as only a prince would be born into a royal household. That is why they went to seek the baby in the palace of King Herod.

In the scriptures, Matthew 2:1-12 (It is long, so I won’t read it on air, but do take the time to read it yourself if you have not already) In this scripture we read that everyone knew the prophecy, and when the Magi asked King Herod, he was troubled. But what is shocking is that all of the chief priests and the scribes, the learned men who knew and studied the Word, ignored the call; they didn’t go, but the Magi didn’t ignore it. They were surprised the babe was not in the palace, but they immediately went to Bethlehem, prostrated themselves before the King of Heaven and of Earth, the baby in abject poverty, and felt prostrate before him and worshipped him. They followed the light. And, by the power of the Holy Spirit, they were infused with grace from God. What they found was not a royal baby dressed in fancy clothing but what they saw exceeded their expectations. This grace was given to them by God and was a mystery they could not understand.

God’s ways are not our ways (I’ll read Isaiah 55:8-9) in a minute, and we’ve long established this concept 0n many of the episodes, yet we continue to try to understand that which is a mystery: why Jesus, who is the second person of the Trinity, fully God, and fully man would come as a babe to a poor family. Why not a wealthy family? Why not as a King? The Magi, the wisest of men, were expecting a royal baby. That was certainly what the people of Israel were expecting: a king who would set them free from Caesar’s rule.

Yet we learn when Jesus was born.* It is in John 3:1 – In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee. It was a time of unrest, and the people were waiting for their savior. Yet, many missed him. Unlike the Magi, the learned men did not follow the light.

It was many years later that Jesus began his ministry at around the age of 30 – Luke 2:23  Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry… In Numbers 4:3, we read that you had to be at least 30 years old in order to serve as a priest; in Numbers 4:3, “Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.”

Jesus did not begin his public ministry until around 30, but can you imagine his life with Mary and Joseph? How wonderful to live with the Savior! Again, it is a mystery that the Almighty God would humble himself. The last we hear of Jesus is when Mary and Joseph find him in the temple after three days when he was twelve. The years after this are referred to as the hidden years. It was as if the Lord wanted to devote his time to his parents (his foster Father, Joseph, and mother, Mary), who would sacrifice so much for him.

If those concepts are known to us who are Christian and still astound us, can you imagine if you were not a Christian? If I asked you to make a list of all the things that puzzle you about faith, what would your list look like?

List of Mysteries of Faith:

1. Why do bad things happen to good people?
2. How does the Lord allow evil to take place in our world?
3. Why do people continue to reject Jesus as the true Messiah?

In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unjust man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God: for he is bountiful to forgive. For my thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so are my ways exalted above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts.”

This brings us to how God – who continues to call his people (us) back to Him again and again, has such mercy, such goodness, and such compassion! Yet, we continue to reject Him while we remain in error and sinful.

The mystery of faith is recognized by miracles that happen today. They are shrouded and often kept secret. For example, there are relics of the Holy Cross that Jesus died on that are kept in churches throughout the world. There are some at the Vatican. There are many historical accounts that Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, was instrumental in recovering the True Cross in 326-328. That is something that isn’t often common knowledge!

We live in an age of unbelief and rejection, and as usual, I will not spell it out for you; you already know. And what I can do – what we can do is turn our hearts and minds totally toward God as a way of not only giving to the Lord but also reparation, to make up for those who have rejected Him. I will follow the Lord. I will learn and study; I will read good books that will fill my mind with knowledge and not fall short. It is a commitment I make today before you, and I pray the Lord gives me the grace to follow through.

And so let this be a lesson for us all that our loving God is calling us today and every day. Right now. He is calling you to come to Him. We don’t have to understand everything, and that is faith – the belief that Jesus Christ is Lord and that the Almighty has done great things for us. Yes, there are many mysteries of faith or scripture verses that may leave us puzzled, yet He has not rejected us; He waits for us with open arms. He has demonstrated this in His life, death, and resurrection. He has opened the gates of heaven, He continues to bless us and allow miracles to happen daily, and the Holy Spirit is with us always. Please, Lord let us be like the Magi, infuse us with grace to believe and to understand. The Lord Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and he has called us to worship Him.

I pray this is a time of miracles for you in your life – look for them each day. Rejoice in the mysteries of our faith and seek Him always. Amen and Amen.

*There is a super interesting article about how the age of Jesus was figured for all of those who say the math doesn’t add up. You can read it here.

Another article on the True Cross.

True Cross Article here.

A special on the Mystery of Faith here.

Interesting article about the Star of Bethlehem here. 

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Renewed By Faith, Miracles Happen ~ Episode 285

Today, we will pray that we are renewed by faith! In last week’s episode, I shared with you that miracles do happen; I witnessed people being healed. I also wanted to share with you a list of God’s promises.

If you missed the last episode, you can find it here. Christmas Miracle

I attended a presentation by Maria Vadia, who has dedicated her life to serving the Lord. I spoke more about it in the last episode, here is her ministry is The Glory of God Foundation. Here, you can find a list of all the scripture verses she shared. If you can, pray and ponder these verses, and I pray you are renewed in your faith.

To recap, Maria prayed for miracles, and many people in attendance were healed. The real miracle is that God heals, and we were able to witness this by others present. One of my friends said her back was healed of pain. Another from her knee pain, and yet another from fear and anxiety. Praise God!

As she continued to pray for healing, you could see the people in attendance warm up to her. In the Bible, we read many times about how the Lord healed. People were skeptical that he was the Messiah, but when they witnessed miracles, they realized He was the Son of God. In Mark 2:1-12 there is an account of the paralytic who was lowered through the roof by his friends. The Lord took pity on him, and in Mark 2:5-12 we read…

 ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” ⁶ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ⁸ At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’? ¹⁰ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— ¹¹ “I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” ¹² And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

When we read passages like this, how can we not be renewed by faith? Miracles and healings are not just for the past; they are for today! Right now. One thing that touched my heart was hearing Maria say she prayed for herself and she was healed. I’ve done this when I suffer from migraines when I remember to do it! I lay my hand on my head and pray, in the mighty Name of Jesus, that I am healed. Sometimes, I am healed, and other times, I am not. We do not understand the why, but we can praise God in the fruits of prayer, either way. With healing or no healing, that friend is the true miracle.

The miracle is when those who are not healed have the peace and the grace to endure with the help of God.

Yet, when someone shares the good news, people doubt it! We need a kingdom mindset this year. We need to change our attitude and see the goodness of God. When we focus on Him, we can have the peace and joy we crave. We have hope.

Word of God: We can receive healing through the mighty word of God, and it begins with knowing the Scriptures, believing them and memorizing them. God’s word is a lamp unto my feet. Psalm 119:104-106

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Christmas Miracle Everyday ~ Episode 284

What is a Christmas miracle, and how can we experience this every day? In this episode of A Few Minutes With God, Felice shares a recent event that changed her perspective on prayer and miracles.

Here are some other podcasts to enjoy.

• Christmas is Real.
• Christmas Countdown
• Celebrate Christmas
• Christians After Christmas

Today I want to share with you the good news! Christmas does not just happen one day a year; as Americans, we celebrate this on December 25th, so if you are listening to this on Christmas Day – Merry and Blessed Christmas.

But Merry Christmas should be in our hearts all year long. Why? Because during Christmas we celebrate the Word, the Incarnate, Christ our Lord, being made flesh.

John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,^[a] full of grace and truth.

The entire beginning of John is my favorite verse, and I want to read them for you.

Christmas Miracle Today:

John 1:18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴ in him was life,^[a] and the life was the light of all people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.^[b]

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to what was his own,^[c] and his own people did not accept him. ¹² But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,^[d] full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son,^[e] who is close to the Father’s heart,^[f] who has made him known.

This is the miracle we celebrate once a year with presents and food, with family and friends, and with decorations. Yet, the miracle is truly that because of this amazing event, the Lord Jesus came into our lives as a babe, lived a life free from sin, at 32 began his public ministry, was ridiculed and suffered; he took on our sins and died on the cross to set us free, then rose from the dead three days later.

We reside with Him in the spiritual sense in the Holy of Holys. As Christians, we unite our lives to His, and He, by his life, death and resurrection, has created for us a life that can be miraculous.

In December I attended a dinner hosted by a Christian women’s group featuring Maria Vadia. I have met Maria many times and she spoke at our Magnificat Prayer Breakfast as well a few years ago. Everytime I hear her speak I feel the annointing of God and His presence. She has an amazing story of how God used her to share the good news worldwide. Her ministry is The Glory of God Foundation

(Share how I didn’t want to attend the meeting – and ended up feeling sick after lunch).

Maria spoke to an audience that wasn’t used to hearing about miracles and healing. Her entire ministry is based upon this and the charisms that God has given her in her healing ministry. She gives all the glory to God, as the name of her foundation attests. What happened that evening was that many people (even those reluctant to believe) were healed. A friend shared with me today at Mass that the friend she brought with her was healed. Amazing.

But why are we amazed? Why are we surprised?

Maria told about how the Lord wants to heal us, yet she shared that not everyone she prayed for was healed –but many had joy in their hearts even if they were not healed. God gave them the blessings and consolations of peace in their situations. As she spoke she quoted so many scriptures I had a hard time taking notes! She said one of the gifts the Lord gave her was a hunger for His word. She said that Jesus took on every sin on the cross. 2 Corinthians 5:21-For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. And Hebrews 9:22–Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

And that the good news was that He took away every sickness. Isaiah 53:5 — But he was wounded for our transgressions,  crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,    and by his bruises we are healed.  And, she said that by his wounds we are healed —1 Peter 2:24  He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross,^[a] so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds^[b] you have been healed.

And that Jesus came and is one with the Father and ministers to his people. John 5:19

–Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father^[a] does, the Son does likewise.

Jesus taught, he preached, and he healed – and that is why her ministry is centered on doing what Jesus said, Matthew 10:7-8 As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’^[a] 8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers,^[b] cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.

She began calling out different ailments. She started by saying that God would heal someone with kidney issues. In my heart, I claimed that healing for my youngest grandchild, my grandson was born with kidney issues that the doctors hope he outgrows. So, in the Name of Jesus, I claim the healing for Andrew.

I want to be like her and proclaim the good news. The King of God is at Hand. Mark 16:15: And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news^[a] to the whole creation.

She said God created us for a kingdom purpose, we are to do His will. Ephesians 2: 4-10

But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us ⁵ even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ^[a]—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— ⁹ not the result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

One main thing was that she shared was that we needed to change our perception of healing, that God wants us to believe we can be healed. John 8: 31-32 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 

She said the healing is there but few believe.

1 John 3:8 — Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

The enemy wants to keep us in bondage – but Jesus Christ came as a babe so that we could be set free! Amen.

She continued on by sharing other ailments that were being healed. Knees, backs, eyes, breathing problems and more. I will do another podcast with all of the scripture verses she used in a handout for you! There were so many and I think it would be beneficial for all of us to have them in a printable form.

A young priest, Father Daniel was in attendance, and later he asked me if I saw the show of hands of those who were healed. I had not, but he said over half of the audience, more than 200 women were in attendance. Praise you Jesus.

So, as you can see the Christmas miracle continues today and every day. Go forth today, my friends. Believe the good news. Jesus Christ is alive today and always. Find your own Christmas miracle daily, that is your challenge.

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Faith Matters ~ Episode 283

How important is faith in your life? For many, faith matters to a lesser degree than it should. In this episode, Felice explores the importance of staying vigilant in our walk with the Lord and how to shore up our resolve in times of weakness.

You may enjoy these podcasts:

1. Spiritual Sandpaper
2. Prayer Text
3. Glory and Praise Forever

Have you seen t-shirts, signs, mugs, and even Christmas decorations with the words “Believe” on them? This seems like a good thing, but is it? What do we believe? What do they believe? There are some false prophets out there who talk new-age nonsense, and that is something we should avoid.

Quickly, the new age is a hack of real faith. Some of it sounds good; for example, you should have “love, joy, and peace” in your life. But then it gets wacky and says things like, you should do what your heart tells you, you should do what you feel like doing, whatever feels good, do it. It further gets into the use of “spiritualism,” involving transcendental meditation, reincarnation, the use of crystals, and other strange occult practices. That, my friends, is a recipe for disaster. The new age is entrenched in the occult.

All the more reason, we should be aware of what we believe and shore up our faith in the truth. The real God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. If faith is important, answer the following:

1. Why do you care about faith?
2. Why do you worship?
3. Why do you work at doing what is right?

What do we really believe? In a study my daughter did in her classroom at a Christian school, she asked her students if they could tell her their denomination (if any) and what they believed. Many could not clearly articulate their beliefs, and so their assignment was to go home and discuss it with their parents. It is amazing that we can attend church regularly, Bible studies, and other prayer groups, yet when asked, it is difficult to define our beliefs clearly.

Sure, faith matters, but if we don’t know what we believe, that could be part of the problem. We want to put on the armor of Christ, Ephesians 6:10-18 which begins, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. …

We should spend some time thinking about what we believe and make prayer a priority. Why? Because when strife or adversity comes into our lives, we must be prepared. It typically goes one of two ways. When adversity hits, we either become more committed in our faith or question God with the “Why me?”

Many of us fall into the downward spiral of self-pity, and that is difficult to get out of; we’ve all been there. I just visited the cemetery today to put flowers on the gravesite of my parents, and I still miss them. The stark realization when I look beside their gravesite is the bench that has my last name etched with special scripture verses we picked out. In the end, I am reminded each time I visit the grave site death is inevitable.

This is why faith matters to me! I want to evangelize and share the good news, and I can do this today with you. It is no accident you tuned in to this episode today, even if you are a subscriber to my podcast. God wants to do an amazing work in your life. You may have felt called for some time, and that is wonderful. It begins with you understanding your faith walk and why it matters so that you can explain it to someone else in this hurting world.

Before we can evangelize, we must be disciplined. I heard an exorcist share on YouTube that the main reason that we are attacked by the evil one is because we lack elementary spiritual discipline. He talks about how most people can’t tell themselves no. They do not have self control in their lives to continually say no to temptation. I think I talked about this video, and some of you may be curious and want to listen on your own. Even if you are not Catholic, it is worth giving the video the 55 minutes it takes to watch. The video, which is the second of a three-part series, this one is titled Obstacles to Prayer and Holiness here

As we live our lives, we must give evidence to the truth that we are striving for holiness, but holiness only comes with blessings from God. As Christians, faith matters, but so does honesty, integrity, and doing what is right. A friend of mine’s husband was a born-again Christian, he led a men’s Bible Group at breakfast, yet that didn’t stop him from leaving his wife and children for someone else. Faith matters not only in our proclamation of faith, “Jesus I believe in you! I love you! I want to follow your will!” it means dying to self and taking up the daily cross and following Him.

Faith begins with the understanding that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, came into this world as our Savior, died for our sins, and rose on the third day. He conquered sin and death. He did it for you and for me. That should make us rejoice!

The only place to go is forward. Do not look at the past; look to today and the only place to go is to Jesus. Don’t walk, run! We can become distracted by the things of this world, and to that, we say, “Get behind me, Satan, in the name of Jesus!” By focusing on the eternal, by putting our trust in God, by looking at the good that is in our lives (look carefully, those of you who doubt; it is there), and rejoicing in everything. Remember, everything in our lives does not go unnoticed by the Almighty. God gives us the tools we need for sanctity. Remember that he has armed us (think back at the beginning of this podcast, put on the Armor of God). He has armed and equipped us and it is up to us to allow him to work out the conflicts in our lives so that we can flourish in that peace that surpasses all understanding.

While we should pray, “God give me a new heart!” We read in Ezekiel 11:19  I will give them one^[a] heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,

A heart that hungers for the Lord, a heart that hungers for righteousness and goodness, a heart that wants to be used by God to minister to this hurting world. Amen! Dear friends, it isn’t easy, but our faith should be the most important thing in our lives. Everything else will pass, but our faith redeems and gives us a chance at everlasting life.

In the next podcast, I will share with you the miracles in the lives of believers today and how we can enjoy the fullness of life as Christians all year long!

The challenge this week is to live out our faith; if we are not sure what we believe, research and think about it! Then, pray and strive today to walk closer to our Lord.

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Loneliness At Christmas ~ Episdoe 282

Loneliness can happen at any time of the year, yet loneliness at Christmas seems especially painful. In this podcast we will discuss our role as Christians and how to bring to those in need the joy of the season of light.

Visit Media Angels.com for gifts for your family, especially the Character Planners that help you and your children focus on the importance of developing good habits.

Here are some podcasts you may enjoy.

Loneliness

Connection With Others

Temptation is Real

As I think back on Christmas past, I remember how my father felt after my mother’s passing. Every time there was an event or holiday, he missed her, especially the first time. He was so used to spending time with her and sharing his life that when she was gone, it was as if a piece of him was missing. My neighbor died this summer unexpectedly, and I am certain his widow also feels the pains of firsts, the first Thanksgiving without him, the first Christmas, and more. We are only neighbors, and friends, but when someone has a special place in your life, you will definitely feel the loneliness at Christmas.

In Isaiah 41:10 we read: (Read on air.)

God gives us the strength we need, but we need to ask. How often do we forget to ask? I know I do. In living our lives we can feel lonely even in the midst of people. I think that is why we stay so busy, so we don’t feel loneliness and so that we don’t focus on what is bothering us.

Loneliness At Christmas Can Be A Struggle

Psalm 16:11 – (Read on air.)

When we are in a good place with our faith and our Lord, it seems to stem the loneliness. We don’t feel as alone or afraid. We find that joy that surpasses all understanding. Yet at times, we feel as if we are being tested.

In 1 Chronicles 29:17, we read on air.

Loneliness At Christmas Understood

There is no secret formula to combat loneliness at Christmas other than to give our hearts to the Lord. My friend would take her three boys and spend time at the soup kitchen or Church ministries. She did this at Thanksgiving as well as at Christmas. This took place after she was divorced, and she felt that her holiday was different, sad, and lonely. She decided that in giving, we receive, not for the sake of receiving. And she did! She said it was the best holiday and she wished she had done it sooner.

That is truly a gift.

Make me an instrument of your peace is a song as well as a prayer attributed to St. Francis…O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.

St. Francis gave up his life of wealth to serve the Lord and to serve the poor. We may not all have the opportunity to spend time with the poor this Christmas, but if you can, it is well worth it. Sometimes ministering to our own families and extended families is serving the poor in spirit. Other times they are blessing us with their joy and presence. It takes an effort to travel, especially during the holidays.

Loneliness can be a blessing; it is a pearl of great price. Think about how the Lord Jesus prayed at the garden of Gethsemane and the apostles could not stay awake with him for one hour. I pray in my mind that I am there with him. God, Jesus doesn’t need me, yet we can offer the simple tasks as an offering of our hearts even if it is just in our thoughts.

Matthew 13:44 states (read on air).

Loneliness Overcome

Our loneliness is a struggle, and it is something we may try to overcome, but each in our own way. Finding other like-minded people is helpful. I often see people at church who have lost a loved one join together for the holidays or even after church for coffee. I try to reach out to friends I know who may be struggling. I know they are being social even if they do not feel like it. It is easier to stay home, but putting out the effort is often rewarded.

We can all pray that the Lord uses us to minister to others, whether it is visiting someone without family in a nursing home, serving the needs of the poor, donating to a worthy cause, or buying gifts for those less fortunate. All of these things are small in the scope of our lives, but each one of these things brings us closer to the Lord.

This week the challenge is to pray for those who are struggling and lonely this Christmas as well as other times of the year and to ask the Lord to use us to bring joy to their hearts. Let God be praised now and forever.

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Never Underestimate Prayer ~ Episode 281

Do you think your prayers never get answered? I believe you should never underestimate prayer! In this podcast, Felice discusses ways we can shortchange the Lord and what a blessing it is to realize that our prayers have been answered.

Thanks to our sponsor – Media Angels, you can find curriculum as well as books such as One More Child and A Few Minutes with God.

Before you ask, no, my prayers do not always get answered, well–let me rephrase that. They do get answered but not how I would like them to be answered. I hope that makes you feel better. But that is no excuse to underestimate the power of prayer. We can pray, sometimes for years (or it seems like years), with no results.

Never Underestimate Prayer

If you haven’t done, so already, I invite you to listen to a previous podcast I did that is on the topic of forgiveness. What does this have to do with prayer? Well, I prayed for many years, and it turned out to be seven years, for a situation that happened in my life. Basically, I was praying for a person who had hurt me. Every time I was upset or felt helpless, I asked the Lord to bless this person. Did I feel like praying was a blessing? No, but felt led by the Lord to pray it anyway.

I invite you to do this. If you are upset with a person or hold a grudge against them, it is always best to go to the Lord in prayer and to pray for this person. The reason is that the enemy dislikes it when we pray for someone. The enemy wants us to be upset and unkind in our thoughts and in our actions, and when we reverse that and pray for a person who we believe has wronged us, then the enemy has no power over us and usually leaves us. In my case, a chance meeting showed me that all of that animosity and hurt feelings and everything else that I was feeling was gone.

This was truly a miracle, and seven years–wow! That’s why we should never underestimate prayer! I didn’t even realize it had been so long. However, the outcome was such a blessing in my life and one that I wanted to share with all of you. It isn’t always easy to admit when we are at fault, and holding grudges and unforgiveness in my heart is an example of being at fault. None of us are exempt from sin.

I learned through perseverance and prayer that the Lord always answers our prayers, and we should never underestimate prayer or his power in our lives, we feel defeated and alone and that no one hears us or understands us, and I think that’s what leads so many people into sin —they think that no one understands them, that God doesn’t hear them until finally a situation crops into their lives that they feel is an answer— but instead the situation becomes worse than the solution.

Friends, we must be steadfast and continue to pray. When I look at the lives of the Saints, those holy men and women who’ve gone before us. I see their lives are marked with struggle, yet they continue on and persevere. What a wonderful example that is for each one of us. Can you imagine if Abraham had given up or if David had stopped worshiping God after sinning? Sure, it took him some time to repent, but eventually God, God wants our hearts and minds to be single, focused and living the best life we can keep him at our center. The key is repentance and prayer.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

That is a scripture we should commit to memory!

One of my sons started listening to a podcast from a businessman.  He has been very successful, and he wants to share his success with others who are striving to live lives that he calls “striving for excellence.” I may have mentioned this to you in a previous podcast, but it’s worth mentioning again, especially since it has encouraged my son to strive for excellence. I explained that when we strive for excellence we’re striving to put on the mind of Christ. Excellence only comes from God, the same way we receive grace or blessings in our lives. It is a pure gift.

When we strive to live each day the best way we can, we should offer up our day to the Lord. Otherwise, are attempting the impossible, especially with daily temptations.  Striving to do something on your own is a recipe for failure. How can we strive to put on the mind of Christ? One way is to focus on what is important each and every day to our day to the Lord and ask him to come into our lives in a deeper way. I often pray this prayer. I don’t know how successful I am, but I do ask the Lord to come into my life in a deeper way.

We should set aside some time for prayer. How often you can do this depends on what is going on in your life; I know people like the idea of downtime, but what better way than spending time with God? On the days that I can’t spend time with God, I offer my day to him. I try to focus on what is important that day and give it the rest to him.
We can make our lives a prayer to God, and in that way, even if we are not verbalizing our intent, God knows our heart and perhaps will bring a scripture verse to mind or maybe a song of praise. Challenge yourself to memorize a scripture verse this week. Then another one next week. Soon you will have four verses memorized by the end of the month. Can you imagine if we did that monthly?  We’d have 48 verses memorized by the end of the year.

Colossians 3:16 (Read on air.)

Gratitude And Prayer

Can we sing gratitude? I’m sure if we were all in a room together and sharing about how the Lord has answered our prayers, we would be amazed at each of our stories. Each one of us has hardships that we bear, but each one of us has been blessed whether or not we realize it. If not, perhaps you can pray for an attitude check. Praising God in all things, seeing the good in our lives and those around us. This takes prayer, and it takes grace!

One way we can see how we are doing in our faith walk is to look at our lives as a glass that is half full or half empty which is it? Is your life half full, or is it half empty? If you believe your life is half full, meaning that you are blessed, rather than half empty, meaning you are lacking, that is one indication. No, it’s not an exact science, but it is an illustration that shows how we can look at things optimistically or pessimistically. The choice is ours. Believing that God hears all of our prayers is really Important.

Ultimately, when we pray, it is up to the Lord; if he answers the way we would like him to answer or not, if it is a prayer that is important to our salvation, those are the ones that are answered the most. For example, Lord, give me more faith, our Lord, bring me closer to you. Remember, when we pray, it is not a feeling; it is a decision we make. We make a decision to pray similarly to making a decision to forgive ourselves as well as others as we are closer and closer to the Advent season. As I record this, and it will probably play for the first time during December, the season of Advent, let us call to mind how important it is to pray to the Lord and offer our daily struggles to him.

Your challenge this week is to look at answered prayer as a gift and give God all the glory that He rightly deserves.

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Celebrate Christmas and Advent – Episode 280

When you celebrate Christmas, does it include Advent? Advent is the time before Christmas. It is the 24-day countdown to the blessed event, the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Advent helps us to put the holiday in perspective. In this podcast, Felice discusses ways you can celebrate this joyous time, whether you are living alone or celebrating as a family.

More podcasts on Celebrating Christmas here:

Countdown to Christmas

Christmas Blessings

Christmas is Real

Advent deals with the coming of Christ, yes, but also the openness of our heart to receive our Lord and Savior, as well as the more profound meaning of recognizing he came for a purpose: to open the gates of heaven and to set us free from sin.

In my church, Advent brings in the Christmas season or the start of what is called the liturgical year. This is the season of Christmas and ends in January with the feast of the Epiphany is celebrated—the coming of the wise men to visit Christ.

The liturgical year is also celebrated with special colors worn by the priests at church. They are as follows:

• White: joy and purity, and the resurrection
• Green – hope and perseverance the call to continue to listen
• Purple – penance, waiting and morning
• Red – martyrdom of Jesus and the sayings
• Blue is in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Pink —solemnity
• Gold – royalty

Suppose you had to pick a color which would you pick to celebrate Advent. You would think white, possibly, but it is purple. Advent is a time of waiting and morning. It is a time of joy because we know the end of the story, but it is a time of hope and sorrow for what had to be because of the sinfulness, the free will choice of man. When we celebrate Christmas, we can follow the Lenten practice of prayer and fasting. This is difficult to do unless you live alone. But, some families do make this their practice.

One idea is to fast from a particular bad habit or from overeating during the holiday when it seems that cakes, cookies, and parties are abundant. It does not have to follow the strictness of Lent, the 40 days before Easter. The importance is to recognize the Christmas season as a time of reflection.

What can you do to celebrate Christmas? Decorations, sure. But keeping the focus on the “reason for the Season,” the Christ child. In our decorations, be sure to add a Nativity scene or two, a picture of the Holy Family, or something that reminds you of the coming of our Savior.

Isaiah 7:14 (read on air).

Or we can read the geology of Jesus in Matthew 1 – again a reminder of the prophecy of God the Father to Abraham, Genesis 26:4 (Read on air).

While we love the Christmas season for so many reasons, it is also a time of hardship for many. It is difficult because of the loss of a loved one, financial hardships, or perhaps illness. Yet, the key to the season’s joy is not on the external but the internal, the focus on Christ.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (Read on air)

Who doesn’t want to celebrate the season with joy after hearing that? We can each celebrate in a way that makes sense for your individual family. For us, it begins with nightly prayer. This year, Advent begins on December 3. We will begin early because everyone will be home on Thanksgiving. So we will do the first week twice. Each evening, we light one candle and pray from my favorite book.

During the Advent season, we use a round advent wreath with four candles, three purple and one pink. The pink candle is lit on the third Sunday of Advent to remind us of the momentous occasion that is to come the following week. It is a time of prayer and scripture readings, and our family adds the prayer of thanksgiving. We share what we are the most thankful for each evening after our prayer time. It is wonderful and I celebrate this time with joy with my family.

I’ve given the children advent wreaths to take to college with them so they could celebrate on their own until we gather at Christmas time. It is called the Season of Light: Daily Prayer for the Lighting of the Advent Wreath. I have purchased other books but do not like them as well. The readings are not very long, but they are heartfelt. The suggestion is given to do this during or before a meal.

However you celebrate this Christmas, I pray you are surrounded by joy. Your challenge this week is to think about how you want to prepare in the coming weeks and, as always keep Christ in your heart.

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Blessed Be The Lord ~ Episode 279

This is a time of Thanksgiving and being grateful. But honestly, we should be singing, Blessed be the Lord” from the rooftops. Too much? At the very least, we need to realize where our blessings come from. In this podcast, you will be encouraged and leave with hope!

How do you feel when someone says, great job? Or, thanks so much for what you are doing, or you were so helpful. We enjoy being recognized. And while humility is a virtue, it is still nice to receive praise. It makes us want to strive to do better.

Here are some podcasts you may enjoy.

• Hearing the Shepherd’s Voice
• God’s World Revealed

How much more should we be thanking and praising God? He, after all, gave us our lives. He is the Creator of the Universe; He is the Almighty, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! The scriptures are filled with verse after verse of the words, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” These are words of worship.

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 113:2 – Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore!

Blessed Be The Name of the Lord

How do you feel hearing this? It fills me with joy. When we are thanking God, we may think we are doing it for Him, but we are doing it for ourselves. God is perfect, and we can do nothing to make him “more perfect.” He does not need our praise, but he deserves it.

Just like we don’t need to be thanked or praised for a job well done, it is still nice to hear it coming, especially from our family. Why is it that we take our own family for granted at times, just like we take the Almighty God and Father for granted?

We feel the eternal, heartfelt joy in the words in Ephesians 1:3 (Read on air.)

What is more important than spiritual blessings? Nothing. That is the greatest gift we can receive. By glorifying God, we are doing the little thing. It is a form of love of obedience, and what God gives us back is joy. An abundance of joy!

There is no way we can outgive God; try it. Anything we do to praise and glorify Him is given back tenfold. Just think of singing praise and worship music. The song, “Blessed Be The Lord God Almighty,” gets stuck in my head when I hear it and sing along. It is as if the Lord is reminding me of that—link to lyrics of the song. 

Singing the refrain reminds us of what is important; it gives us a chance to let go of the cares of this world and the stresses in our lives. It allows us to see the bigger picture, the end goal, and what we should strive to focus on. When we let go and let God, as the saying goes, we allow Him to work in our lives. Amen? For me, music helps. I can’t listen to music and work on anything at the same time because I tend to want to sing along. It’s a good thing the Lord doesn’t care what we sound like.

At church, I often see people who are not singing. We are taught that singing is praising God twice. Even if you can’t sing well, try it- you can sing low!  It is uplifting to sing, and singing prepares you. It opens your heart to hear the Word of God and what the pastor is teaching. It is also helpful to praise God before you open the Bible. When my children were younger, and I didn’t have time to go to church daily, I would pray the one-hour prayer. Not all at once but during the day as I had time. I thought I did a podcast on the one-hour prayer, but I have not. I will do one soon because it was beneficial and so helpful.

In a nutshell, the point of the one-hour prayer was to praise the Lord, repent from sins, and prepare our hearts for reading the Scriptures. It is an abundance of blessings–for us. What a wonderful and merciful God we have.

Today’s topic is probably not anything you don’t already know. Most of you have a relationship with the Lord, most praise the Lord, and most of you listen to praise and worship music, but it is a reminder to us all. First, do not take God for granted. He is worthy of all praise. Second, fill our hearts and minds with glory and praise, and we will find our hearts uplifted. It may even combat fear and depression. And, third, take it to heart. Make it your goal this week to thank God, saying, Blessed be the Lord—amen~and halleluiah. Jesus reigns yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

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All In For God ~ Episode 277

What are your priorities? Somewhere in that list, does God make it to the top? In this episode, we will explore how we can be all in for God today and always. It is an easy way to restructure our priorities.

Thanks to our sponsor, Media Angels, with books, self-paced classes, and printables. Check out the website for more information.

I belong to a women’s ministry, Magnificat. It is an international ministry that brings women together within the context of a meal. We pray, praise, and worship, and host a speaker who tells us how they have grown in the love of the Lord and how they got to the point they were all in for God. Most of the time, it is a call to action. A call to change our lives for the better and to focus on the most important thing: our faith.

In prayer recently, we felt the Lord was calling us to go deeper, yes, but to be single-minded in our focus on Him. The time of excuses, dear friends, is over. We all have them. I’m too busy; I have too many people who need me, my job, my home, my faith community. All are excuses. I know. I use them. Often.

The Lord is steadfast in love, yes – but he is a jealous God. Exodus 20:5 – You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me…

and then we read in Exodus 34:6 (Read on air).

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 

Are we willing to reject God? We may not worship false idols in the sense of the people of Israel, statutes that they sacrificed even their children. Yet, today we see abortion is a type of sacrifice. It is a sacrifice of free will, an offering to evil in order. Parenting is hard work, and it is sacrificial. It is the element of self-sacrifice that has been lost. It is self sacrifice that will lead us closer to the Lord, not away from Him. When we die to self we

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Keys to Unlocking Your Faith ~ Episode 276

The keys to unlocking your faith are not complicated, yet often missed in our hectic lives. In this podcast, we discuss the key elements of faith and ways we can be open to receiving more of Him and less of us.

Everyone likes keys, and what’s not to like? They unlock previously blocked or locked items and often treasures. What is more important than the treasure of faith? For those of you who are lifelong Christians, the answer may be obvious, but still, when was the last time you asked the Lord to come into your life and unlock those places you’ve previously blocked?

You may enjoy these previously recorded episodes:

• Faithful Christian
• New Eyes of Faith
• 7 Keys to Sharing Your Faith

Think about this. Many of us pray and have an openness to God. We read the Scriptures, pray our prayers, and maybe even confess our sins. But, there is the place we ignore, we don’t think about, and we won’t release to the Almighty.

One time, I felt strongly in prayer that God was calling me to do more. He was asking me to give Him my all — but in a way that made me pause. “Lord, I’ve given you my heart, mind, intellect, all of me.”

But what about your health, your family, your finances?

Do we release everything to Him and say – Your will, Lord, not mine? Sure, within reason or what we believe is reason. We worship God, but what do we leave on the table? There is a saying in business that often we leave money on the table. That means we do not maximize our investment or profit to the fullest. We are, in essence, short, short-changing ourselves.

The same can be said in faith; we give God everything except everything.

The key to unlocking your faith is a complete surrender, and some of you listening are just not ready. Join the club. We are rational human beings. God gave us intellect, He gave us reason, He gave us free will (which often gets us in trouble). But He has also given us everything.

Jesus gave me everything by lowering Himself to come as a babe, live among us, suffer, and die to atone for my sins and the sins of humanity. He opened the gateways of heaven for me. He loves me. And I can choose to deny Him.

We walk around with heaviness and a lack of joy because we carry the burdens of life. We live in a world of war, strife, anger, and deceit. How do we see the silver lining in this world? Yet, we hold on and cling to life, don’t we? On occasion, I suffer from migraines. The pain is excruciating, but it is debilitating. For those of you who are fellow suffers out there, you know. I can do nothing, but I hope and pray it ends soon. Amid the suffering, the thoughts are disjointed as they believe there would be respite in death. How many suicides are there? The number has grown exponentially, especially among our young people. That is a lie from the evil one, and I rebuke it in Jesus’ Name. There is death, yes, when God wills it and only then.

If you are struggling, you can figure out the cause in this way. Try to listen to praise and worship music, try to watch something that is faith-based, and try to read Scripture. Does any of this bring a struggle in your mind or make you want to turn it off or away? If so, you are in the midst of a spiritual struggle. It happens to all of us from time to time. We want to bury ourselves in fluff, entertainment, and veg out occasionally. And, of course, there is nothing wrong with this. However, remember, the enemy wants to keep us in a loop of entertainment to rob us of the joy of a genuine faith infilling (Come Holy Spirit) and the joy that only comes from God.

There is good news! The good news is that true faith comes from releasing our will freely to the Almighty God.

So, back to the keys. The keys to unlocking your faith, what are they?

1. Surrender to God’s will in your life—all of me, Lord, for all of you.
2. Know that God will provide no matter what you cross if you lean on Him.
3. Fill your mind with all that is good; listen to praise and worship music.
4. Join a faith community. There is power in praying with other faithful Christians.
5. Go to church.

Friends, the truth is that the struggle, while real, can be overcome with the simple keys to unlocking your faith. Come, Holy Spirit, come and fill each person listening today! Your challenge is to pray this week for more of Him in your life, and if you are ready, surrender all to Him. Amen!

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Deliver Us From Evil ~ Episode 275

In the Lord’s prayer, we recite the words, “Deliver us from evil now and at the hour of death,” but what does that mean? As Christians, we avoid evil as much as possible, but that does not mean we aren’t tempted. In this podcast, we discover the scriptures do more than warn.

Sin can paralyze us. We can feel under attack. In some cases, it is difficult to break out of this hold, this attack. We live in a culture of self-indulgence, instant food, and easy access to things most countries can only dream about. Yet, we hear that many people feel empty and alone.

Many people are drawn to the prosperity scriptures, such as in Jerimiah. What is not to love? Jerimah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

You may enjoy these podcasts on combatting evil.

• Resisting Evil
• Evil Tactic
• Drenched with Joy

The Lord wants to shower us with an abundance of grace, but often, our hands are firmly in our pockets, or we sit with our arms crossed. We crave prosperity, but we realize it isn’t that easy to receive because of all the blocks we place in the way. God knows our hearts, and often we are found lacking. God wants to bless, heal, and restore us, yet it is up to us to open our arms to the Lord—your will, not ours. Deliver us from evil, Lord, as you will it to be. That should be our prayer.

The Gospel message is not for the faint of heart.

Psalm 9 – The Lord will judge the world with justice. Read all of Psalm 9, but the first (read on air)

Jesus is the Lord; he came and lived among sinful men when they yearned for a Messiah. These people did not recognize him even with all of the miraculous happening. Jesus cast out demons, yet the people of the day said he could only do this because he was evil. Whatever were they thinking? This is what we would call faulty thinking today.

In the Gospel of Luke 11:15-26, we read that the people were complaining about the Lord. They said Jesus casts out the ruler of the demons, but the only way he could do this was because he was evil. In verses 17-22, Jesus says, (Read on air)

And that, my friends, is the crux of the issue — whoever is not with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is against him. There is no time to be lukewarm. Lukewarm will not only get us into trouble but also allow evil to come back with a vengeance. It was difficult for the men then, as well as people now, to give Jesus credit, to believe, and to turn back from sin.

The really scary part is that while the demon was expelled from the man, not only did it come back.

The Return of the Unclean Spirit

Luke 11:24-26 (Read on air.)

Spiritual warfare doesn’t take a break; those who get free of addictions, if you get free of the evil, you need to change your lifestyle to maintain that freedom. Turn to a life of prayer and a sacramental life. We are made as a spiritual vessel for the Holy Spirit, and if it is not filled by the Holy Spirit, it gets filled by other spirits. We can not leave it empty.

How do you avoid evil? Recognize it.

Even as Christians, the lure for understanding or knowing the future is prevalent in our society. Two years ago, I was in New Orleans for a conference and visited St. Louis Cathedral. The church had erected a high metal fence in front of it, which I found strange until I saw, little by little, people in colorful garments coming and setting up shop in the open, public space in front of the church. Who were these people? They were the “sellers” of evil. There were fortune tellers and palm readers, to name a few. Some people took tours to talk about the ghosts that inhabited many of the buildings and had been “seen” in years past.

Where there is good, evil abounds. You may think I am exaggerating, but the truth is that the enemy will do anything for your soul. The enemy is allowed in through a gateway, but always with our permission.

One way that evil enters is through occult practices; many are unaware of items such as occult games, for example, the Ouija board and tarot cards. Or activities such as seances and mediums,  which is how evil gets in, because people welcome and allow it, believing it is just for fun or not real. Friends, it is real. Evil does have power, but only what we give it; God is greater, He is Almighty, He has dominion over evil. Who will we serve?

Deliver Us From Evil, Scripture Warns Us

The scriptures warn us. The Old Testament is filled with worship of idols, of false gods. The true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, gave warning after warning. The 10 Commandments, the prophets, and what happened? All of the twelve tribes of Israel fell because while two of the twelve (in the south) worshipped the true God, they would not remove the “idols from on high” that the people worshiped. We can not be divided in our worship.

A verse that should give us pause is in Isaiah 47 – in verses 10-11 (Read on air.) Leviticus 20:6  (Read on air.)

Deliver Us From Evil – Five Easy Steps

1. Renounce your sin, ask the Lord to call the sins to mind, and rebuke them in the Name of Jesus.
2. Renounce permission you may have given the evil one to enter through the sin. Spiritual warfare prayer.
3. Claim in the Name of Jesus that you are a child of God.
4. Pray with a spiritual advisor or clergy.
5. If you are Catholic, go to confession and receive the sacraments often.

Praying, reading the scriptures, asking for more of the Holy Spirit, and confessing are ways to avoid evil.

Spiritual Warfare Prayer

1. Renounce sin – in the Name of Jesus, I give you dominion over my life and renounce the sin of *** ____________________ (pray and quietly wait on the Lord to reveal sin to your mind.)
2. Put on the armor of God Ephesians 6:10-18.
   • RIGHTEOUSNESS: Girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, flaming arrows against the evil one, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.
   • WHOLE ARMOR: In verses 13-18,” Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
   • TRUTH: Stand, therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.
   • PEACE: As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.
   • FAITH: With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
   • SALVATION: Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
   • PRAY: Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.Pray in the Spirit – come Holy Spirit, and keep alert.

***Once you have prayed against evil – for example, the spirit of lies, ask the Lord to fill you with the opposite, “the spirit of truth.” Always pray the opposite of the evil and ask God to fill you with His grace. If you do not know the opposite, pray, Come Holy Spirit.

Remember, the battle has been won! Alleluiah. Alleluiah. Jesus lived, died, has risen, and has broken the bonds of death. We must be open and vigilant and recognize that we can pray, “Come Holy Spirit, Come…fill my heart today and always.”

Your challenge this week is to pray the spiritual warfare prayer and take back any areas you have given over. Amen! May God be praised.

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Faithful Christian ~ Episode 274

Do you want to be known as a faithful Christian? What about a faithful and prudent Christian? What does faith mean to you, and how can you use this calling to believe and bless others?

Media Angels is a publishing company dedicated to bringing good books, curriculum, and materials to Christian families. Check out the website for more information.

In the Bible, we read about wisdom and discernment. We also learn that a prudent person uses discretion and makes good decisions. We can’t do this all of the time; alas, no one is perfect, but with the help of God, we can live a life as faithful Christians.

Faithful Christians study the Word, learn from experience, and try to apply Biblical and Church principles to their lives. It is deciding each and every day that I will serve. Isn’t it interesting that those who are opposed to Christianity are those who seek self before others?

We must look outward instead of inward. I find that I can be critical of myself, and that is because I hold myself to a high standard, and when I don’t, measure up to what I think I should do, I can feel let down. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I have time to pray each day, spend time in church or just in quiet with God. I also love to learn and listen to teachings whenever I can, usually taking notes.

Do you feel like that?

But what about those days when we get so busy or without any accomplishments? How do we feel then? Do we give ourselves some slack or allow ourselves to regroup? If we don’t, we can become a slave to lists and requirements without being true to our calling.

What is our calling? To serve God, yes, but to know the mind and heart of God. God is righteous. We see this very clearly in the book of Jonah. We read that one of the lesser prophets, Jonah (and he wasn’t a very good prophet, we come to find out), was sent to Ninevah to warn the people to stop worshipping false Gods or they would be wiped out.

Every child learns of the story of the unrepentant Jonah and how he disobeyed God, went the wrong way, got on a ship, and was thrown overboard by the sailors because he admitted the storm was probably due to disobedience. Once he was thrown over and the seas calmed, the sailors praised and worshipped the one true God and changed their ways.

Jonah was eaten by a large fish, as the scriptures tell us, and finally, he was thrown up on the shores of Ninevah. He warns the people we read in Jonah 3:4-5 – read on air.

Jonah did everything he could not to follow what God asked him. He went the wrong way, barely giving instructions to the people of Nineveh, the bare minimum, yet the people believed. Even the king wore sackcloth and repented from worship to the false Gods. God changed his mind, and this city was not destroyed.

The other prophets at the time went to warn the tribes of Israel, but Jonah was sent to Assyria, which made Jonah angry – he was upset because he didn’t think these people should be saved. In Jonah 4:1-2 we read:

First, Jonah didn’t think they should be saved, and secondly, he knew …it says, “…for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love…”

We may shake our heads at Jonah. Seriously? Why would he disobey God? But consider this: how often do we think we know better than the Almighty? How often are we angry if others prosper and don’t deserve it? This is not how a faithful person should act. We should act in a way that knows the heart of God.

1. God is merciful.
2. God is slow to anger.
3. God is abounding in steadfast love.

God forgives, and yes, He can change His mind because He is God.

Faithfulness means trusting in Divine Providence, even when we don’t want to. It also means that salvation is not just for the elect – it was not just for the tribe of Israel, especially after they continually worshipped the true God of Israel. But then they would not destroy the altars to the false idols and gods.

Salvation was available to the sailors on the ship that almost drowned; it was available to the people of Nineveh when they repented. It is available to you and me and to anyone who wants to follow the teachings of God.

Imagine this…we, as Christian people, decide to repent for humanity. We put on sackcloth, fast, pray, and repent. Can you imagine how we could change the world if we could do this? God would take pity on us and deliver us from evil.

2 Corinthians 5:7, we read, “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” let’s, yes — walk by faith, but let’s also open our eyes to the true God and how to better show others by our obedience and action that we are followers of truth.

This week, look at verses that discuss the heart of God and let’s all try to be more like Him.

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