This Could Sting a Little

Have you ever been called by someone who had the wrong number? For most of us this is a regular occurrence and we do not think too much of it. What if you were busy caring for a loved one, say a son or daughter, or a mom or dad, and someone kept calling you away? Sounds like a frustrating situation right? Now let's say that it is someone you know calling you and then not saying anything. They know you are busy taking care of your family or loved one, but still they call you over and over never uttering a word. I know this doesn't seem like a real situation. You are wrong!

But wait who would do something like this? It seems so childish and even cruel.

WE are the ones on the cell phone not saying anything! Every single time you utter the Almighty's name He comes rushing to your aid.

We talked about how we serve a Jealous God. He would DIE for a relationship with us, to talk to us! How do we repay Him for this yearning for our presence in His Kingdom? We call Him up and then never say a word to Him. He loves us so much and is jealous for us because He knows that in order to spend eternity with Him we must first come to know Him through our personal relationship with Jesus. What kind of relationship will we have if we prank call him and never say anything?

"Oh My God! I love this song!
First of all, no you do not "love" this song, and second of all, before Jesus came and forgave us, this statement was a one way ticket straight to the fiery pit for all ETERNITY! In the third commandment God tells us through Moses to not ever take the Lord's name in vain. Let's not forget that God knows all things. You do not have to tell Him if you like something or if you are uncomfortable. And because he is all-knowing do you think we can fool Him by saying, "Oh My Gosh!"? He knows that we almost called Him into our lives, if for only an instant. But instead tainted His Holy Name with a cheap substitute. Before you said, "Oh My,"he was rushing to the phone to listen to what you had to tell Him.

How do we fix this?
I have been blessed greatly, in that I have a companion who is trying to stop using our Lord's name in vain as well. It has worked well for us, so partner up and pray for one another that you will both remain  vigilant over the most powerful muscle in our body. The muscle that can call down the heavenly host and even the King of the universe. (your tongue)

He Loves you. YAHWEH is caring for you and leaving only one set of footprints in the sand. So next time you think you need to call out His name let it end in a prayer. A short conversation. Or even just a, "Oh My God....I Love You!"

Desiring to do God's Will

"For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work," Philippians 2:13

         It is fitting that the theme for World Youth Day is “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19), because God has been calling me to do so this summer. If you had asked me a year ago what I thought I would be doing today, I would have said probably preparing for medical school or a graduate program. Although I still have a chance to start medical school this fall (I am on the alternate list for a school in TN), I never would have guessed that God wanted me to devote this summer to international missions instead.
We started preparing for WYD early this past September. I was ecstatic about the prospects of experiencing the universality of the Catholic Church, but doubtful that we would raise the over $36,000 cost for our group of thirteen. It was during the early stages of fundraising for WYD that I first felt desires and nudges from God to do international mission work as a part of my calling in life. I was interested in joining Christ the King parish in Little Rock on their annual medical mission to Honduras. I believed that it would be a good opportunity to serve others and prepare for medical school. However, I knew that between the financial strains of applying for medical school and paying for WYD I could not afford a second trip this summer. I pushed my desires aside and continued to fundraise for WYD. At the end of February those desires grew stronger and I even wrote in my prayer journal that international mission work may be one of my biggest callings in life. By this point, we had raised most of the cost for WYD and were about to send in our final payments. A few days later, I also learned that St. Joseph’s in Conway was paying for a handful of missionaries to join Christ the King on their Honduras mission. I knew then that God was providing me ways to live out what he was calling me to do. Little did I know that he still had more in store for me! Catholic Campus Ministry was gathering their group for their third annual mission to Belize. I had the privilege of going on the first two missions with them and was joking with my friends that were still in college that if I was asked to go again I would. After Mass a couple of weeks later, I was approached by Andrea Papini asking me if I was interested in going to Belize again to help with organizing the mission!
I have recently returned from the missions to Belize and Honduras and I am confident that God did a lot of good work through me on those missions. The past year has really helped me to grow in my trust in God’s provision and that he longs to give us the desires of our heart in unexpected ways. He wants us to be happy and at peace so that we can spread the joy found in Christ to others.
     We are just a few weeks away from WYD. I am excited to learn more about making disciples of all nations at WYD and hope that God continues to send me to do his work throughout the world!