There Is No Place

There is no place like home - especially when you have been away for an extended period of time. I just returned from a ten day pilgrimage with friends to Poland. We started in Krakow and ended in Gdansk visiting churches, basilicas, palaces and more. Over the next two weeks I will be blogging about the places that we visited with some photos. 

Jesus allows us to wander in our spiritual lives - through the gift of free will - and is always there to welcome us back to Him. If you have been wandering and seeking - now is the perfect time to return to Jesus - His arms are open and waiting.


Deacon Dale 

By the Sea

Remember that song "By the Beautiful Sea"? It proclaims that by the beautiful sea we will have a great time and so we do. Thousands upon thousands of people go to the sea shore to vacation and play and enjoy the day in the sun. There is something magical about water that draws people to the local lake, sea and river. Spending time on the sea shore is relaxing and draws us back to the beginning of human existence. Water is refreshing and without water we could not survive. Water cleanses and makes new that which is dirty and old.

Jesus knew the value of water in His day just as we do today. For many of His disciples water was a way of life - fishing and boating just for basic needs. He also knew the power of water in the ritual purification rites and so He sent His disciples to baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Today we continue to observe those instructions and in doing so bring people closer to Christ - closer to His Sacred Heart - closer to Life itself. The next time you go down to the sea let your spirit feel God's spirit calling you closer to Him.


Deacon Dale

Castles

One thing I really enjoy when I travel to Europe is to visit castles. I enjoy seeing and learning about the construction details as well as learning about the people who lived in the castles. One of my favorite castles is Malbork Castle located in northern Poland by Gdansk. According to Wikipedia - Malbork is the largest castle in the world by surface area and the largest brick building in Europe. Standing outside and looking at the castle is a great experience - climbing the many stairs to the top of the tower and looking out at the Nogat River and surrounding countryside is even more outstanding. At a minimum this castle has to be described as breath taking.

When Jesus was leaving His disciples - they were told that He was going to His Father's house and would be preparing a room for each of them. One can only imagine what God's House would look like. From all the palaces and castles that I have ever visited I know that what God has prepared for us would dwarf even Malbork Castle or any of the other great castles of the World - with God all things are possible.

Deacon Dale 

HOP ON HOP OFF

A fairly recent improvement in the tourism business is the addition of "hop on - hop off" bus services. Around the world - in major cities - you are able to pay a fee for twenty-fours of unlimited access to this special bus service. The standard format is a group of buses that travel a specified route to show tourists the highlighted attractions in that city. The open air double decker bus provide either a live or a recorded message that describes the attraction in detail - in multiple languages. I have used this type of bus in many of my travels and in Italy - Warsaw - United Kingdom and other countries have enjoyed this service. The best part is that you may chose to "hop off" at any of the designated stops - walk around for awhile - then "hop on" later at either the same stop or any other stop along the route. You receive the benefit of mass transportation prices and convenience offered by private couriers. Ride with the crowd - or go alone - your choice - at your whim - an easy way to see a city.

When God gave us the gift of free will - He blessed us with a similar opportunity - like the bus service above - we can be with Him or apart from Him at our heart's desire. Feeling good - hop on the "Jesus bus" - shamed of doing something bad - hop off the "Jesus bus" - it is up to each of us to make that decision - and make that decision we do - all too often. Better that we make the correct decision once and then commit to it for our lifetime. To experience God's presence in our life we need to "hop on" and stay on!


Deacon Dale 

Open Pit

Besides being the name of a barbecue sauce - "open pit" also refers to a type of method of mining. In that process you mine from the top down and in the process create an open pit. Most people would be fairly familiar with the barbecue sauce - having used it on food grilled in their back yards or on the deck. The sauce imparts a special flavor that enhances the taste of grilled meats. Tangy and spicy - it adds zest to the food.

A third type of open pit - is the kind that one may possibly fall into if led down the wrong path of life. Being distracted by life's many challenges - or being led astray by things that tempt our earthly desires - may and often does cause people to fall into sin. Best intentions put aside - the mind can become a worthy opponent - if allowed to wander in the ripe pastures of sin. It is up to each of us - as mature Christians - to recognize when we are allowing ourselves to get too close to the edge of that pit - and having the strength and determination to stop ourselves from giving into these temptations. When Jesus wandered in the desert - He was tempted by the Devil -  and was able to defeat him - the prince of lies. For us - it is harder - but as long as we have Christ at our side and in our heart and on our mind - we will be kept clear from that open pit.


Deacon Dale 

Detours

Detours are a matter of fact - they happen more often than we like and they always disrupt our plans. Any disruption in our plans or schedules may be classified as a detour. We start one project only to be interrupted by another person who begs us to stop what we are doing and help them with their project - we detour from our project to theirs. Or perhaps we are driving our vehicle and we come upon road construction that forces us to detour and take an alternate route. Whatever the disruption - we are forced to analyze the situation and make a change.

Many people who have good intentions of becoming serious with their faith often face detours - other more attractive options are placed before them which lures them away from the truth and light to the false and dark side of life. Luckily for them Jesus is always there - waiting for them - offering them another option. If you are one of those who have been experiencing one detour after another in your life - then it is time that you accept Jesus' offer and make one final detour into His loving arms.


Deacon Dale 

Grace

It is interesting to note how people say grace - the prayer before eating - both in the style and words that are used.  From the childish "Rub a dub dub - thanks for the grub - yeah God" to the more official "Bless us O, Lord and these thy gifts..." and everything in between. From the funny to the very serious - from the young and the old - the irreverent to the pious - people find countless ways to thank God for their daily blessings of food - fellowship - family and friends. Taking the time to say grace prior to any meal is heart warming.

Jesus - like us - gave thanks to God for blessings and asked His father's blessing upon meals He shared with others. However - unlike us - He is the One who gives us His Grace. To God grace is a lot more than a type of prayer. Grace is His special presence with us. Whenever we celebrate a sacrament with Him - we receive His awesome Grace. It is His Grace that gives us the strength to do  the things that He asks us to do. It is His Grace that helps us to endure hard times. It is His Grace that gives us the patience to deal with issues. It is His Grace that feeds us with the Holy Spirit.


Deacon Dale 

Doing The Math

Now that we have moved into a global world with easy access to almost everything international one common issue that many people face is the conversion between different systems of weight and measures. How does one easily convert inches to centimeters - miles to kilometers - pounds to kilograms and so on? For those with a scientific background those should be easy conversions. For the rest - conversion charts exist that make this simple. What about changing money from one country to another - US Dollars to Euros - or to Polish Zloty - or to Great Britain Pounds. Again using formulas developed to make these conversions is actually very easy to find those answers.

When a person has experienced a change of heart and is moving from a life of unbelief to belief or who has been uneducated about religious matters and then has a spiritual experience - they go through a conversion of their mind and heart. There are no special formulas that have to be applied here - conversion - or turning their minds and hearts to a new vision that includes God is left completely up to God. He alone works in that person's life to make them see Him - the One who loves them in new light. As a lifelong Christian - I see this a God's job - nothing for us to do but rejoice in the one who now sees God in new light. We do nothing - God does it all - nothing for us to worry about - do the math.


Deacon Dale 

The Little Things

How true that it is always the little things that end up mattering the most. Large adults and very small children - the little ones are the ones we worry about the most. Major projects - the large picture - but it is the little details that mean success or failure. Giant beams support large buildings - but it is the little rivets and bolts that hold it all together. We are impressed by that which is big - and in the process we ignore the tiny little things that make up the glue of success.

We read in Mark 10:14 "When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children."  He didn't say turn them away - let the grownups come first - no He made it a point to welcome the children and then reminded the adults present that they needed to make themselves small in the eyes of God - to stop being grandiose and start being humble - to become little so that God could work mighty wonders in their lives. Today when you start feeling very large about yourself - take Jesus' advice and make yourself little.

Deacon Dale 

Be Prepared

Be Prepared - the Boy Scout motto that every young scout must learn. Be prepared so that you are ready for any contingency that may arise - be prepared so you can help when called upon to volunteer - be prepared and life will rarely catch you off guard. Good advice for both young and not so young. How many times have you thought that you would have been better of if you had taken the time to properly prepare - how many occasions did you falter and stumble because you thought you had more time than you actually did? Learning to plan ahead and following through with those plans often make the difference between success and failure.

Jesus gave us the same kind of advice - in Matthew 3:2 - He warned "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" and in Matthew 24:36 He said "no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen...."  He gave his disciples a warning that the time to make changes was now rather  than later when it might be too late. Today He gives us the same message - make things right - make them sincere - be prepared.


Deacon Dale