Count Your Blessings
Even though we are still in the midst of the pandemic, I feel blessed. I thank the good Lord for my health and that of my family. We are blessed in so many other ways as well. We live in a country where we are free to worship the god of our choice. The Word of God says if you follow God’s Commandments, your blessings will overflow.
Deuteronomy 28: 3-6 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
3 May you be blessed in the city,
and blessed in the country!
4 Blessed be the fruit of your womb,
the produce of your soil and the offspring of your livestock,
the issue of your herds and the young of your flocks!
5 Blessed be your grain basket and your kneading bowl!
6 May you be blessed in your coming in,
and blessed in your going out!
These blessings are for all of us, God never excludes anyone. These are the material blessings of peace, prosperity, a fruitful land, children, victory in war and, above all, God will make you His people. We struggle with asking for what He has already set aside for us. God wants to bless your comings and your goings; this means the beginning and end of every action. He is our Provider and when we are blessed, we, in turn, will bless others. If you want victory at work, you need God on your side; if you want victory with children who have fallen away, God will honor your petitions if you follow His Commandments. We can never do this alone. We need the help of our Creator.
Become The Head and Not the Tail
The Lord will give you victory and prosperity; that means He will put your enemies in place and make them scatter in seven different directions. God wants to bless the work of your hands. We do everything with our hands. He wants to bless what flows through our fingers: our work, our creativity, our touch, and how we lift our hands in praise.
Deuteronomy 28:12-13 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
I want the rain in due season because sometimes I’m spiritually dry and need the soft sprinkles of heavenly mist to rejuvenate my prayer life.
Being the head and not the tail means that you understand who you are in the Kingdom of God. This does not mean that we are to push others aside to reach the top; rather, we are to treat others as the head. This lack of respect is one of the missing elements in our society today. We cannot control what is being displayed by the vast majority of the media, but we can choose to walk away from this incivility. We have allowed evil to not only prevail in our land, we are being made to believe that this is a justified action on the part of the perpetrators. You will always be the tail if you disrespect others.
Our Crosses
The more you serve the Lord, the more crosses you are given. I will never be able to take the COVID-19 immunization because I suffer from an autoimmune disorder. This disorder was brought on by getting the flu shot. There is no cure for this unsightly condition, no medication to keep it at bay either. In April it will be two years that I have suffered with lichen plantus; the only relief is that the lesions are fewer than before. So if I developed an autoimmune deficiency with the flu shot, I can only imagine the disaster of a new, unsafely tested vaccine. Most likely it will wreak havoc on my already weakened immune system. My allergies have escalated to a new high, so now I double up on the doses. I always forget to include myself in prayer, but my sweet husband tells me that he prays for my healing daily. We learn to carry our crosses with grace by not complaining (I’m still working on that one).
It does not matter where you are in you relationship with God, you could be a holy roller, someone who just attends church once a year, or a non-believer. The Holy Spirit is always available, ask Him to help you.
COVID-19
This demonic pandemic has affected all of us. When it first started back in March, our Bible study group prayed for strangers with COVID-19. As time passed more and more people that I know personally have contracted coronavirus: two nieces, a nephew, an ex-brother-in-law and his brother and several cousins. The virus has taken a toll on two of these mentioned. One of my cousins, Ricky, is still in the hospital after four weeks following his diagnosis. What we do not understand about virus will be a lesson for all doctors and nurses treating patients. Why some react worse than others is still partly a mystery. My cousin did not have any underlying health issues, yet at one point he was fighting for his life. His mother, my Tia Maria, who is 95 years old suffered from fever and headaches but pretty much breezed through the virus with only a few days of hospitalization. Thanks be to God and the prayer chain, my cousin’s health has improved and he may soon be released from the hospital. According to the specialist, Ricky will have several months of recovery ahead of him, but through the grace of God we will continue to pray for a speedy recovery.
Blessing Others
If you need a financial blessing, start tithing to God’s work. Offer your services to the needs of others. If you want to be great in God’s Kingdom, you must first become a servant. We give out of our necessity, because the more you give from your heart the more will be returned to you. This is God’s rule of reciprocity.
38 Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure,
packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.
My Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for all the blessings You have bestowed on us. Thank you for good health and for keeping us safe during this pandemic. Lord, give us victory in every area of our lives. Teach us to operate in humility and to fully understand that You will bless our comings and our goings. Lord, I pray for all those who are suffering with coronavirus, especially my cousin Ricky. Bring total restoration to their bodies and bless them with Your healing touch. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to live in this great land, a place where we can freely praise You!
Lynda, Lynda, Lynda, Listen to Me!
On my way to Mass this morning, October 1st, a car passing on the opposite side of the road hit a two-by-four. With great speed it bounced in front of my car. There was no time for me to react; it was as if this sizable piece of wood flew over my windshield in slow motion. From the corner of my eyes I saw as it landed on the side of the road. My first thought was that today is a good day for confession.
While waiting for confession I scrolled through my phone for the “Act of Contrition,” because after all these years I’ve yet to memorize this prayer. I was praying and asking God to bring to mind all my venial sins.
I Pray
I really do spend a lot of time in prayer. I pray while driving, I pray the Rosary – throughout the day my prayers are constant. But how effectual are my prayers? I’m not going to publicly confess my sins, but anger was the main purpose of the confession. I am angry: angry about the pandemic, angry about politics … You name it and I will find a reason for anger. My precious confessor asked me how my prayer life was. Explaining my prayer life mixed with anger did not sound so good. The priest did not put these words in my head but he asked me, “How can you have anger with prayer?” Then he asked me if I set aside a time especially for prayer. “Yes, I’m always praying,” I answered. He gave me a look of concern and replied, “You’re too busy, and you are not setting aside special time to be with God.” He looked at me with eyes of love when he spoke these words. He went on to say that if I was truly in deep prayer, there would be no room for anger. He was so right. I get so easily distracted with the things of the world. Our confessionals have not been opened yet so this confession was taking place while sitting on the steps leading to the entrance of the church. In my mind I was thinking, “How am I going to get up from here?” This precious, holy priest took 15 minutes of his day to set me straight. We muffle God’s voice when we get too busy. God wants us to listen to Him.
The Warning Dream
On this same day the Lord gave me an early morning dream. This is the dream:
I was in charge of a beautiful mansion. I knew the couple who owned the house. They entrusted their home to me for a few days. I don’t recall who was staying with me, but there was a young child. I had to put toys out for the child, so I moved other, larger toys around so the child could freely jump on the trampoline. I moved a rocking horse near the bed in the master bedroom. The couple arrived earlier than expected. The house was in a shambles; everything was out of order. I had forgotten to water two plants. These plants were seeds of avocados with toothpicks holding them in a jar. The owners of the home lovingly brought this to my attention. I had laundry on the kitchen counter that needed folding; nothing was in place. Then I realized that I forgot to feed their dog. When I woke up, I knew exactly what the dream meant.
The Dream’s Interpretation
The beautiful mansion represents God’s church;
The child was under my guardianship;
The couple represents those that God has entrusted to me in prayer
The master bedroom represents intimate time with God in my prayer room;
The rocking horse represents the clutter getting in the way of prayer;
The couple arriving early was a warning to me to be prepared in prayer;
The seeds of avocados symbolizes fruit or prosperity;
The laundry represents cleaning/prayer but not doing it in the correct way;
The dog represents unbelievers.
Proverbs 26:11 New International Version
The small child was under my guardianship. I paid attention to taking care of the child but failed to have reverence for the master bedroom because I placed a rocking horse next to the bed. The master bedroom is a holy place where you meet God. The couple arriving early helped me see the errors of my way. The avocado seeds represent the lack of attention I was giving to not setting aside special time in prayer; they were dried up because of my neglect. These were big seeds that symbolized fruit or prosperity. God has entrusted me with big things that need a lot of nurturing before they can grow. The dog was symbolic of unbelievers, which means that I was not feeding them either.
Through this dream I pieced together what was needed to train me in prayer. My gentle confessor took me by the hand and brought me off my holy soap box. He explained to me that you cannot drive and pray at the same time because attention must be given when driving. This attention takes your focus away from prayer. He introduced me to Lectio Divina and reminded me about St. Therese of Lisieux, and how she, too, suffered from anger.
St. Therese of Lisieux
October 1st is the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux. This saint was the youngest person ever elevated to Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II in 1997. I started by ordering the autobiography The Story of a Soul by this great saint who is also known as the “The Little Flower.” If you know me you know my love of flowers. My home is always adorned with fresh flowers, especially roses. This was my first connection to her. Also at a very young age she showed great maturity. I was that child too; and just like St. Therese I remember stories from my childhood as if they happened yesterday. At the age of 15 she entered the Carmelite community in the Lisieux convent because she knew all along what God had called her to become. St. Therese died at the age of 24 of tuberculosis, but what she gave in her writings were golden secrets from Heaven to draw us closer to God.
Lisieux
Lisieux is a small village in Normandy, France. In October of 2017 I planned a Marian journey. A Marian journey involves visiting different locations where our Blessed Mother appeared. Lisieux was one of our destinations. This was the trip where my wallet was stolen on the very first day. It was a trip without money because I could not have Mike wire money due to our one-night stays at each holy site. Fr. Leonard Mary was our chaplain, which meant we celebrated daily Mass. For this reason it was one of the most magnificent spiritual trips I have ever experienced.
I remember walking up the hill to Les Buissonnets (St. Therese’s childhood home) and being surrounded by beautiful flowers. Only recently did I make the connection as to why the Lord allowed me to visit Lisieux. I needed to bond with St. Therese in a spiritual manner.
My Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You that You came to me in confession. Thank You for loving me enough to show my confessor what adjustments need to take place in my prayer life. Lord, draw me closer and closer to You. Show me Your beautiful sacred wounds and place them on my heart so that I never forget what You have sacrificed for us. Teach me to be patient, and allow Your Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart always. My desire is to always hear Your still, small voice. Lord, I pray for the mantle of St. Therese to truly love and understand Your love. Amen.
Wake Up Call
I’m a normal American wife, mother, and grandmother who is scared for the future of our country. You will never see me post anything on social media that is offensive, because you can’t win people over with hate. I have quietly unfollowed several friends and family members who continually bombard their space with controversial, disrespectful and demeaning information about the candidates running for president. One pattern that I found in these postings is the anger that is attached to their beliefs. This unfiltered anger goes a lot deeper than they realize.
The Confusion
“I’m concerned when anyone—regardless of race—is made to feel ashamed of their identity. Every person deserves dignity.” No one should be behaving in this manner or apologizing for something that they had no responsibility for. “I’ve observed that some ideological movements—while claiming to pursue justice—can foster anger and division rather than genuine reconciliation.
“I worry that some educational institutions prioritize ideology over genuine formation in virtue and critical thinking.”
“In our current cultural moment, I see values I hold being challenged. That’s why I’m committed to prayer.
Hollywood
“I’m concerned about the values promoted in mainstream entertainment and the influence of celebrity culture on our children. That’s why I’m being intentional about what media my family consumes and seeking out content that reflects Christian values.”
To The Sleeping Christians
“I’ve learned that my responsibility is to form my own conscience through prayer, Scripture, and authentic Christian teaching—not through the narratives any media source feeds me. I encourage you to do the same. Ask yourself: Am I thinking with the mind of Christ, or am I simply absorbing what the loudest voices are telling me? The Church offers us a path of virtue and truth. That’s where our hope lies.”
A Mind of Your Own
Just because your parents held certain political views doesn’t mean you’re bound to follow them. This is especially true for us as Christians. We’re called to form our consciences in light of Scripture and the Church’s teaching—not in light of what we were raised to believe.
I am pro-life because I believe in the sanctity of human life at every stage. Recently, I encountered an argument suggesting that true pro-life conviction must also address poverty, education, and housing. I understand the concern behind this—it comes from real compassion for the vulnerable. But I believe it presents a false choice.
A truly pro-life stance says yes to both: we protect the unborn in the womb, AND we build a society that supports mothers, families, and the poor. These aren’t competing commitments; they’re expressions of the same fundamental truth: every human life has infinite worth because each person is made in the image of God.
Some Christians have been confused by cultural narratives that pit these convictions against each other. That confusion is understandable, but it’s still confusion. My prayer is that all of us—myself included—will continually re-examine our beliefs in light of God’s Word, not in light of what any political party tells us to think.
My own conversion from a politically inherited worldview wasn’t about trading one ideology for another. It was about asking: What does God actually teach? And then having the courage to follow that truth, wherever it leads—even when it challenges my upbringing, my friends, or my culture.
To God ALL lives matter.
The Unborn
We never gave them a chance to live. Among them were the climatologists who would have developed new ways of slowing climate change. Among them were the physicians who could have found the cure for cancer. Among them were the professors who would have taught truth instead of rewriting history. Among them were the fathers who would have raised the fatherless. Among them were the prophets anointed to lead the lost. Among them were the peacemakers who could have brought us out of this darkness. Among them were the senators, governors, and presidents who might have led with justice. Among them were the scientists who could have created a vaccine to stop the spread of disease.
Jeremiah 1:5
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
“Abortion disproportionately affects Black communities. According to CDC data, Black women have higher abortion rates than other groups, and this represents a significant loss of life that deserves serious moral attention from the Black community and from all of us.”
“I’m concerned that some organizations claiming to advocate for Black lives don’t prioritize the disproportionate impact of abortion on Black communities. If we truly value Black lives, we must address all threats to those lives—including abortion.”
“If you’re genuinely concerned about protecting Black lives comprehensively—including the unborn—I encourage you to research organizations specifically focused on addressing abortion’s disproportionate impact on Black communities, such as Protecting Black Lives.”
The Church teaches that every human life—born and unborn—has infinite dignity. Yet some organizations claiming to advocate for Black liberation remain silent on abortion’s impact on Black communities. If we truly care about Black lives, we must address all threats to those lives: police violence and abortion, systemic racism and the disproportionate targeting of Black pregnancies.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about recognizing that authentic justice requires us to protect life at every stage. I encourage anyone concerned about Black lives to research organizations specifically working to address abortion’s impact on Black communities and to ask hard questions about which causes we support and why.
To God, all lives matter—especially the most vulnerable among us.
My Prayer
Dear Lord, unite us to become a force to protect all lives. I pray for the revelation of Your truth to guide us always. Lord, let all evil be exposed. Shed Your light upon those who struggle making important, life-changing decisions. Amen.