When the Apostle John addressed the Seven Churches in Asia Minor, he did so for the sake of correction. These churches had varying degrees of straying from God. Laodicea was one of the worst examples.

Laodicea was a thriving commercial city; it was known for its medical institutions, its advanced banking system, its exports of black wool textiles, and eye ointments. Laodicea suffered from spiritual poverty. When the Lord spoke to the Laodiceans, He accused them of being lukewarm. The unusual  history of Laodicea is that it did not have cold water like its neighbor Colossae, nor did it have hot water like Hieropolis (Pamukkale), which has hot mineral springs. By the time the water ran from Hieropolis to Laodicea, it became warm and mixed with other things, causing vomiting if one drank it. The Laodiceans could not swim in the waters because they caused infections that resulted in blindness, or ear infections that caused the loss of  hearing.

Revelation 3:14-20  New American Bible (Revised Edition)

The words that Jesus spoke to the Laodiceans were harsh, but when someone is in deep sin, the only way to reach them is by telling them the truth. God is not interested in your wealth or your personal status in life. He doesn’t care if you’re highly educated with several Ph.D’s. He only cares that you follow His truth. The Laodiceans were so caught up in all their material wealth that they lost sight of their first love, Jesus Christ. What the Lord has to offer cannot be compared to money, the finest of black wool, or eye ointments. What He has for us is supernatural sight.

Becoming Lukewarm

It’s a slow process to become spiritually lukewarm. It starts with believing in half-truths, and it ends with complacency. You make allowance for sin because you’ve become comfortable with the norm. It’s easy to give in and not get caught up in a dispute. When you’ve reached this level of misconstrued understanding, you’re sold out, or in this case you’re woke. A half-truth is a complex way in which the Devil can manipulate you into believing the lie. The Lord only operates in truth; you either follow Him wholeheartedly or you are categorized as lukewarm. We can’t sit on the fence when it comes to serving God. You don’t get to pick and choose what you want out of the Gospel: sin is sin. One thing is certain: once you’ve crossed over to a lukewarm spiritual mindset, it will take a supernatural act of God to bring you back to the truth.

The truth has nothing to do with politics, vaccines or climate change. The truth is God is still seated on the throne, watching our every move. It pains Him to see the hate, the division, and how the world is lukewarm. Apathy has hardened the hearts of many because they close their eyes to the truth. Even though the Laodiceans invented eye ointments, they still could not see because of their spiritual blindness. Jesus waited for them, standing at the door and knocking. Jesus never forces His way into our lives. His gentle spirit makes a way for us through His messages. We must have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying.

I twice visited the Seven Churches of Asia Minor. They are all located in Turkey. The ruins are neglected with overgrown foliage because this country is 99% Muslim, and these ancient treasures are not important to them. Aside from Ephesus and ruins of Hierapolis (Pamaukkale), and Pergamum we were the only tourists visiting the other four churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation.

The Germans saturated the hot springs and medicinal pools for enjoyment. I rolled up my jeans, walked through the hot streams and felt the hot water run through my feet.

These Seven Churches of Asia Minor in the Book of Revelation are a modern day messages to set us straight with God. Just as He did with the Laodiceans, our Lord stands at the door and knocks.

9/11

The last memory I have of our country being united was after 9/11. I remember attending Mass with my friend Helen and her son Jason. I wore a red shirt with God Bless America imprinted across the front. It was remarkable to see so many people at Mass that afternoon, our hearts were crushed. This genuine feeling of patriotism was shared by most Americans, as we grieved the loss of so many innocent lives that day. In total 2,977 were killed including 19 of the hijackers.  343 members of the New York Fire Department and 71 law enforcement officers sacrificed their lives on that dreaded day.

After 9/11 we were a united front; we sang one National Anthem. We all stood up in honor; not one person took a knee.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         We supported the heroes and the firefighters. The police never imagined that one day some Americans would demand defunding the police. It was different then, but now we have a lukewarm ideology that prevents us from being united.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I pray that You continue to touch the hearts of those affected by the 9/11 attack. Twenty years have passed, but for them it was as if  it was yesterday. Lord, I beg You to restore unity in our great nation. Teach us to love and respect Your laws. Amen.

Isaiah 40:3  New American Bible (Revised Edition)   

A voice proclaims:
In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord!
    Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!

1. 

   Nothing irks me more than unexpected potholes and the inconvenience of road repairs and detours. In our life’s journey we will come across many obstacles that will redirect our walk with God. The other day, for the life of me, I could not get anything together. I needed to run errands, but had to go back inside the house because I kept forgetting things. I couldn’t find my keys, I forgot my water bottle, my phone was on silent so it took longer to find, but thank God, St. Anthony always comes through. Later I find out that there was an accident not far from where I was going. Our distractions could not only give us a message to slow down but save our lives.

Slow Down

We all have our daily routines. You must get ready for your workday and all it entails. If you have children, they need attending to as well.  Before our granddaughter learned to drive, and I had to babysit I had to get up extra early, pack lunches, prepare breakfast and then drive them to two different schools. By the time I got home all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed, thank God it was only for a few days.

The older we get, the slower we take life. My priorities have changed;  all I want to do is secure my free ticket to heaven. I want to share my life’s journey with everyone who crosses my path. God gifted me with a good sense of humor; sometimes all it takes to make someone smile is to get their attention. I have never mastered beating someone over the head with a Bible, but in today’s society it might not be such a bad idea. The Word of God keeps me grounded and when discouragement crosses my path, I take the high road to reach the silence of God’s peace. I don’t know exactly where many Bible verses are, but I do quote them whenever I’m in a state of desperation.

Sometimes when I’m not paying attention I step into dog excrement; my first thought is to get rid of this by taking my shoes off and cleaning them. We step into difficult situations in life as well. All we can do is try to clean off the mess we have caused, or else we walk around with an offensive stench. Our journey will always have choices of roads leading to different paths, but the road to heaven is always available. We clutter our path by wrong influences that take us away from the things of God. At no time does it get more difficult than when we run out of gas or forget to charge the electrical vehicle.

Recharging

Sometimes I struggle with prayer; I go through powerful prayer for several weeks, then spurts of prayer due to the distractions of the world. One thing is certain: with or without gas my journey in prayer is ever present. It took a while for me to train my spirit to call upon God for all of my needs. My journey led me to many other Christian denominations,  but in the end I came back to the Lord through my Catholic roots. I now have a Catholic church parish; for me it’s a comfortable home with a solid roof covering my beliefs and what I will always represent.

Don’t Give Up On Prayer

For many years I have been asking God for specific things in my life but have not gotten an answer. This does at times discourage me, but I continue on that lonely path, believing that God will answer my request. I’m a sinner, so when conviction overtakes my conscience, I pray. Prayer clears the highways of our minds so that we can reach our destination.  The living waters that Jesus promised refresh our spirits; the more we drink, the more we desire this fountain of healing. As I write this Blog, I thank God for my own health and family’s health. But deep in my spirit I’m doing battle for those who need a miracle with court cases, or healings of cancer, of marriages, and salvation for their loved ones.

I pray for others on a regular basis. Throughout the day my spirit is taking different crossroads to intercede for others. If you ask me to pray for someone or if God puts someone on my heart, I am obligated to pray for that person until He releases me.

The Debris 

Our country just experienced Hurricane Ida. This cursed girl wreaked  havoc from Louisiana to New York until she finally ran out of breath. Ida’s disrespect of the hundred-year-old oak trees in her path, scattered their lifeless branches on the roads. My sister Jo and her sons surrendered to her destruction; they had to leave due to the loss of electrical power. There will not be a welcome mat spread out for them on their return; rather they will face the laborious task of cleaning up the mess Ida left behind. Without electricity food spoils and has to be discarded; this is another big expense. The Big Easy is a hot mess. While the rest of us are gearing up for the last barbecue of the summer, the people in the path of Ida are resilient and will make their way to the road of recovery. Because there is nowhere else to turn, these cataclysmic trials only make them stronger; they develop a deeper union with our Creator.

In her path of devastation, Ida took the lives of  67 persons  and left millions without power.  Our nephew Torie and his family fled north to Rustin to a friend’s vacation home; later, they rented a two-bedroom apartment for one month until their power is restored. Of this family of five, four suffer from a mild case of COVID. Once the dust settles and the rush of crowds getting gas and food is over, they will head back home.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for protecting our family during Hurricane Ida. I pray for all who lost family members. Lord, embrace them and comfort their hurting hearts. Heavenly Father, may You always direct our path and clear the way for us to take the pathway You have set for us. I pray for my nephew Mario; give him special graces and favor, and lead him back to You. I pray for Bobbie, who is in need of a miracle; restore her health and hear the cries of her heart. I pray for all who are suffering with COVID. May this pandemic be eradicated from the earth. Amen.

We are all feeling the anger, pain, and disgust over losing 13 American soldiers and the countless Afghans who were killed by the suicide bombers . Where are all the Biden supporters now? Why aren’t they blasting Facebook with their supportive messages? Biden can’t blame anyone but himself for this debacle. But the liberal media is struggling to unravel a way to spin this story.  The beauty of truth is that it will always prevail and no one will be able to contest it. The families of these beautiful young men and women will always know that they paid the ultimate price for the mistakes of President Biden.

“Save the Date Card”

In the United States it is customary to send out a “save the date card” months before the wedding invitation. This allows their guests to make the proper arrangements to be able to attend the wedding. What the president has done was to essentially send out “save the date cards” to the Taliban. Did it not cross Biden’s mind that Americans had to be evacuated before making this absurd decision? Then he gave out the list of those invited, and injudiciously handed the names of Americans and Afghan allies to the terrorists. How does this get past White House briefings? The Taliban’s history of murdering Afghans who colluded with Americans is no secret; in the eyes of the terrorists these Afghans are traitors.

In Harms Way Using Our Arms

We will never know the real cost or have an accurate account of all the military equipment left behind in Afghanistan. According to OpenTheBooks.com, two key reports on the U.S. war chest of military gear in Afghanistan had disappeared from the federal website. If we pay for these audits, the U.S. should provide the information that would allow us to follow the money. Citizens from war-torn Afghanistan are genuine refugees; their claims for political asylum are warranted.

According to the Pew Research Center, the U.S. Border Patrol reported over 200,000 migrants along the U.S.- Mexican border in July. This is the highest monthly total in more than two decades. Newsweek reported that since January 2021, 1,111,000 immigrants have crossed the U.S.- Mexican border.

The numbers are not in yet as to how many Afghan refugees will be welcomed into this country. One thing is certain: it will also be in the millions. Call it what you may, but in my eyes this is another example of poor planning. Who is going to pay for this? If we allow this liberal Congress to continue to rule, they will vote to make every refugee a citizen. Why? Because the Democrats need their votes. But don’t count on the Afghan refugees to vote for them, because they are well familiar with communism.

No God, No Favor

President Biden is a CINO (Catholic in name only). He does not follow the teachings of the Catholic Church and, for this reason, he should be excommunicated from the Church. His beliefs are offensive to God and to most of us, especially Christians who are serving the Lord. His reprobate mindset is cemented and, unless he repents, he will never change. He will forever support ungodly teachings and continue to warp the minds of those who believe his lies. He can not cry out to God because he has forsaken the core teachings and laws that God sent for us to live by. Even if Biden cries out to God, God will not listen to him.