As an 18 year old I was registered democrat. In my twenties the Peace and Freedom Party took hold of my young plyable mind. I was deeply entrenched in the thoughts that liberated and freed my cerebral branches. A mind with God in the shadows, a mind on its own path and taking anyone who would listen. Not realizing back then that I had a gift to influence others but with seeds of toxic ideologies that had hold of my soul. I believed in woman’s rights and all that it represented. No man was going to rule my life. This mind had only room for self and settled comfortably and controlled me. I was angry but not really sure why.

As far as I was concerned the Republican party was evil and hated minorities only representing the rich. My jaded thoughts were steeped in my heart and my entire family were registered Democrats , our thoughts were one; we ate the same mana laced with relativism. We had a picture of President Kennedy in our living room, he was our demi god and our mother loved him and taught us to respect and love our commander in chief.

Our mother always had a political influence on me and up to her dying day exercised her right to vote. I loved and respected this lesson that she instilled in all of us. She was patriotic and always for the underdog, I honored her dedication to always be heard.

Image being part of the Peace and Freedom movement and then becoming a Born-Again Christian (I am now Catholic)? This was a paradox and the two forces collided with only one winner. It was during these formative years of Biola University that the Word of God was taking hold of my heart and I could no longer be angry surrounded with so much peace. The growth in my beliefs superseded all and nothing was more important than  pleasing God. My life was finally on a track, this gradual but gentle change caused me to see things in a different light. Understanding the meaning of life and the purpose of why I was born, how God choose Mike as my helpmate was part of His plan. As I surrendered my will to God, my mind was maturing to what was expected of me as Christian.

There is a plan in action with this election and God is in control.  I have already cast my vote  but like the rest of Americans the sentiment is the same, I have witness so much negative press on both end of the spectrum it’s repulsive. I choose not to post any obnoxious opinions on fb because it is displeasing to God.  Jesus never bashes, he loves.

We all have our reasons for who we are voting  so I guess this goes out to all who believe in God and to those who are stating to choose the lesser of two evils. To God there is nothing more evil that killing innocent lives or changing what God intended for marriage.  Attending daily Mass does not make me holier than thou but it does give me peace about this election. Remember the non negotiable before you vote and choose life and pray, pray, pray!

“There is a way which seems right to man, but its end is the way of death.”  Proverbs 16:25

He was successful in business and in life, blessed with great wealth that took a lifetime to achieve but he did not know God. His wife of over 40 years served God as a Catholic and remained steadfast in her belief. Together they built their dream home high on a hill over looking the rest of the world, they planned to spend the rest of their lives there.

With his deep love for his wife, a celebration was planned to renew their wedding vows; a priest from out of town did the officiating. The man liked the Godly priest and welcomed him in his home.

Shortly after the celebration came the startling news that the man had cancer… a bad type of cancer. The family did all they could do and agreed to an aggressive treatment. Things seems to look better for a short while but the malignancy came back with vengeance to attack his body.

At  our Bible study one of the ladies shared his plight and we prayed because he did not know God.  Every week would come a new report on the man’s condition and it was despairing news, we prayed special graces for his wife and their children but mostly for him to turn to God. The man bravely and honorably fought but it was not to be.

Last week I attended funeral services for the man that did not know God. His children both shared heart-rending stories about their loving father. His beautiful poised granddaughter spoke eloquently about her grandfather and the love that they shared. The loving wife was left numb by his absence but she never gave up on him, she was the families’s silent spiritual backbone.

At the memorial the same priest that renewed their wedding vows, would also eulogize the man. This priest and the man had formed a bond and the man called upon the priest to help him prepare for his death. The man  asked the priest if it was too late for him to know God and the priest answered “No.” As the priest shared his story of how a person who was given so much and gave so much of himself to those he loved that the mercy of God came to save him. These words represented the man’s gentleness and his free will that lead him to God. The parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) was the missing link for the man that did not know God. I listen intently as the priest connected the parable to the man, the priest reminded us that it was a year of mercy and that the Lord allowed the celebration with close friends and family with the renewing of their vows because God knew that the man’s time was short.

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle,[a] and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’

8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

The hours of the workday correlate to stages in life when people turn to God, Christ in his vineyard, where they harvest much fruit for God before the sun sets on their earthly life . It does not matter if the conversion is early or late in life, we are all awarded the generous and equal gift of eternal life.

What a beautiful end to the story of this man; all the prayers from his family and strangers lead him to know God and he will forever be remembered as the man who walked in the arms God. Yes, that is how easy our maker makes it for us!

I remain, a faithful servant of the most high, praying for all who stumbles across these writings.

Did you know that we are all given special giftings? When you were born God’s intention was to gift you with special blessings. The Bible speaks of these gifts and how we are to develop them. Romans 12:6 -8 states “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophesy, let us prophesy in the proportion of our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering: he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

I do not have the gift of cooking; it feels unnatural for me to follow a recipe and nine times out of ten things goes amiss. Mike, my husband on the other hand has this gift and can whip up a delicious meal in no time; he methodically follows recipes and adds his own flair. Mike is also a numbers guy and I am not. I have never been able to balance a check book, but I can intercede for the needs of many.

By now, if you are an adult you should have already recognized your gifts. If you have not, it’s because you have not asked God. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or showdown of turning.” (James 1:17) Yes, that means that our gifts are not only free but perfect. We ask God to direct our every path and for the wisdom to know what we are called to do in His kingdom. When you finally discover your gifts, the more you exercise them the more fine tune they become. “To those who much is given much is expected” (Luke 12:48).  Gifts comes with responsibility, I have the gift to teach the Word of God, interpret and to share it with others. If I were not doing this it would not be considered a sin but if you are not using your gifts, you are restless and feel a void. My sister Norma is called to intercede for others and when she prays, it is for hours or until she gets a breakthrough. When she is out of her element there is an imbalance in her spiritual walk.

During the recent news report of the 9/11, a story was shared about a stockbroker who had changed his career path due to the attacks. He became a doctor, this was his real calling and it took a catastrophe to redirect him, the gentleman added that he was never happier.

We are individually called to serve God in this crazy world and were picked to be born at this time. Gifts matter and if you are called to be a mother of four, be the most gracious mother, if you are called to drive a bus filled with screaming children do it with a smile. If you are called to run a corporation do it with the wisdom of God. If you are called to teach be the best teacher and pray for your students. If you have been gifted with your hands, use them to glorify God. If you are called to serve God, do it with all your heart.

Give of yourself to others and your blessings will be many. “Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you”  (Luke 6:38)