In this weeks video blog, I interview Deacon Jerry Coenan, sho stared a monthly mission in Malibu, CA that continues to this day. 

Hi brothers and sisters 

Today I’m sharing a reflection on a reading from the 27th Sunday in Ordinary time he 2nd reading of Paul to the Philippians. So why do we sometimes pray and still have anxiety. 

There can be many reasons,.. One reason is the need for healing from something that caused a roadblock that is in our life. That’s a topic we will cover another day.  But sometimes part of the reason might be THE AMOUNT, STYLE and INTENSITY of our prayer. 

What do I mean by that?

For example, I wake up VERY hungry and I eat 1/2 slice of toasted bread with a tiny amount of butter. Do you think I will still be hungry. Or go out for an ice cream and am shelled out 1 teaspoon of cookies and cream ice cream. Will I still long for more? YES! 

In the first example, if I toss in two scrambled eggs with onion, bacon, cheese and add another piece of toast, now I am on my way. 

While in my first college career at Rutgers, anxiety would SWEEP over me, mainly about grades and health. The C word freaked me out, as well as the thought of flunking out. I was a baby reborn Catholic Christian and started reading the bible more. Someone suggested to start with the psalms, so I flipped to psalm 27: the Lord is my light and salvation, whom should I fear? 

 recorded a setting of that psalm later called Lord You are My Light 

The lyrics (paraphrased from the actual psalm) are:

Though an army come against me, whom should I fear, through a thousand come against me or whom should I be afraid? Why should I be afraid? I used to say that part of the psalm over and over and over with intensity, really driving out these negative fearful thoughts that would enter my mind AND IT WORKED!

Will that work every time for everyone? No, BUT, if we (you and me) ramp up the intensity and frequency of our “prayer, petition and thanksgiving” in everything it will have a positive effect of some sort. IT HAS TO.

For more on this check out the video above.

May God bless your day!

The 2nd reading from the 26th Sunday in Ordinary time from Philippians 2, says “have in you the same attitude that is also in Jesus Christ.” A line from the song, “With a Pure Heart (Help Me Be Like the Rose)”  relates to that: “With a pure heart and a simple heart let me be more like you”. Sometimes we look on someone who has it all together and think, “they had it easy” or “what a life”.  I met someone at the gym who is a retired professional football player. We talked about his career and how sometimes people look at him and see only the finished product, yet do not recognize the the sacrifice, blood, sweat, tears and trials that were required for him to get to that place in his profession. Spiritually, it is a similar thing - it is a journey and a process. To you who are reading this,  please know this: “The Lord can do miracles on your life.” No matter where you are in life, Jesus is waiting for you. Someone once told me that the Lord is not so much concerned about where we are, but where we are heading. Call upon the Lord daily and as the lyric from the song says, say “With a pure heart, and a simple heart, help me to be more like You” and watch the Lord do miracles in your life. LISTEN to the song here .  Link to the song on streaming sites here.

Visiting my sister in Colorado, I am amazed at the awe inspiring beauty of creation: the majestic mountains, rushing rivers, trails with unequaled views at every turn. I am also inpressed at how this beauty attracts so many people to dwell in it's presence. 
It's human “nature” to be tempted to to disassociate such beauty from its source: the Almighty God. That's when things get twisted for us, when we raise the created thing  to a god level. Paul reminds us in Romans 1:25 to worship the Creator who is forever praised. Today, when we see a thing of great beauty, let us praise our Lord and God, who created the thing that we look upon with such admiration. 
LISTEN  to praise song here

If we have walked this planet earth for any length of time, we need healing. As with recovery from a physical surgery, healing can take years.  I wrote this song while in recovery from the loss of my first wife, Nancy. Thankfully, the Lord delivered. Go to the Great Physician daily: pray, read, sing and, over time -  be healed. 
LISTEN to healing song here

It is mind boggling to me how much freedom God gives us. This is true with many things, including how we begin our day. I can wake up grumbling, or wake up praising. It's my call and I still need to make that choice today. The psalmist says, “I will call upon the Lord…and I shall be saved from my enemies.” Call upon the Lord first thing in the morning and be victorious! 🙌🏼 Listen to Holy Spirit Fire here here 

There is something about the power of praising God that defies explanation. Really the only definitive explanation is that it works. It somehow lifts the soul beyond this world's problems, beyond our stress and worry. Let'w take time to praise the Lord of All. Stream song here on your fav music site.

Ever tried comparing your music to others? 🎹 It stifled my growth. How about you? #StayOriginal #MusicJourney

I would like to give a shout our to Juan Manuel. Friend, fellow musician , NASA computer science engineer and guitartist extraordinaire, he plays a variety of genres ranging from classical guitar, jazz, to rock (including the guitar solo on the song Hotel California :). You can find his music here: https://linktr.ee/juanmanuel2