THERE IS NO MAGIC WAND !!

I have a story to tell.  If you have been reading my blog you already know that by now. My daddy used say, "Don't do anything that you cannot write in the newspaper."  I always listened to my daddy. I think my daddy knew before I did that I would be a writer and a speaker. Although, I think that daddy thought I would have a talk show like, "The View." Instead, I speak on Christian television, radio, at moms groups and in churches about my faith in my Savior Jesus Christ.

St. Catherine said, “Bring people to Jesus and bring Jesus to people." I learned early on in my life that the Saints knew more than even my daddy, at least about Jesus. I always listen to the saints. Then I try to put into practice what they said. I also read about the saint and try to imitate what they did. The saints were friends of God. If you want to be a friend of God too, get to know the saints and learn from them.

I am here to proclaim Good News! The Good News is; Christ in us our hope of glory. The saints put their hope in God alone. They lived in Him and He lived in them. They did not only tell the Good News; they also lived the Good News through God's grace. If you want to follow Jesus you must set your heart toward heaven and live a Godly life by practicing virtue.

What is my Good News for the day? The Good news is, "There is no Magic Wand." I repeat, "There is no Magic Wand."  You may be asking, "What does that even mean?" You may inquire, “What are you talking about ? " Now I know you are perplexed. I can almost hear you saying, "What's up with that? " You may even be wondering why I am writing this nonsensical explanation of questions followed by unanswered questions.  Read on because I do have a point. 

What is the point of this blog? The point of my blog is to politely inform you that there is no magic wand. There you have it in a sentence or two. Now your questions begin again; this time only one. How is that Good New?  At this point some of you are sure you would rather have a magic wand right about now rather than Good News? You probably want to take that magic wand and say the magic words to make me disappear. No, don’t delete or you will never know the reason for writing this blog.  Anything that is worthwhile and fruitful takes focus, hard work, effort, because that is how one grows.

I blog about accessorizing in virtue. I speak about growing in character. So I thought you might want to know how you can become a Godly Gal. What is a Godly Girl?  A Godly Gal is a virtuous woman who walks in grace without a magic wand. Pray tell! I think I will. Ready, set, here I go. At the end of August my husband Deacon Pat are speaking on our favorite subject, “Discovering Your God Gifts.” We are sharing about how you can pour these gifts into to build the church. In preparation of this talk, I have been thinking a lot about the gifts. The gifts of the Holy Spirit which you receive at  Confirmation, are freely given and freely received. However you must know your gifts to use your gifts. I will post my talk in a later blog

The fruits are in a differ category altogether. You must grow the fruits of the Holy Spirit in your life. God gives you the seeds but you are responsible to grow them. One must water, weed, fertilize and yes even harvest those fruits. Once ripe you are commissioned by God to pour them out to all you meet. Then if God calls you to, you can teach others how to do the same.

What are the fruits of the Spirit?  The fruits of the Spirit are in the book Galatian 5: 22. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. How do you grow these fruits of the Holy Spirit in your life? You grow these fruits in your life by knowing what to do then by doing it through God grace. In other words, practice makes perfect. We must do what is right until it because a habit, a good habit.  We must patiently do the will of God. These fruits must become a part of our character. What does it take,it takes prayer, study, hard work, and practice. It also takes repententance and humility. If at first you do not succeed try try again. We must be willing to get back up when we fall. As Winston Churchill famous quote says," Never give, up! Never ever give up."

One day I was grocery store shopping and I happened to be in none-other- than the fruit department. I heard the Holy Spirit speak in His still small voice," I am going to give you the fruit of self-control."  I stopped dead in my tracks. I was so overcome with the fruit of joy that I was about to jump for joy. Instead I decided to ask a question, "How are you going to give me self-control, Lord," I was more of a dare than a question. I knew I desperately need that fruit, since I was lacking in self -control. The answer came before I barely got the question out. God said, "I am going to give you the fruit of the self-control just like I gave you the fruit of patience."  I decided not to jump after all, nor run, nor leap either. I just took a pause and a deep breathe. Then I took a trip down memory lane.

I recounted the day when God began to plant the fruit of patience in my heart. It was in the seventies. I, a new mom, had a two week old girl named Tarolyn and an almost two year old boy named Tyler. I was getting ready to buckle them both up for safety, when Tyler said, "Mommy I want to buckle up myself.” He said with an explanation point at the end of his sentence. This now became a daily choice to let Tyler buckle up all by himself. I purpose to exercise my self-control. I forced a pretend smile. Some days it was easier to do than others. Then on a good day I would respond rightly with a, "Sure son, go ahead. You are such a big boy." Tyler tried and tried again.  Try he did until he mastered the skill. Tyler became a, “I want to do it myself champion.”  Tyler lead the way and all of his sibling followed after him learning new skills, all by themselves. My children learned to do many thing; from toilet training to homework, from driving a car to living on their own. I was glad I chose to patiently let go and let them fly their wings. 

 Along the way I grew in patience as they grew in independence and responsibility. The results were good. Our journey together was step by step walking on an uphill road towards virtue. At first I found myself first counting ten under my breath, as my first born Tyler buckled himself.  As I grew in self -control, I was able to willing wait patience. I tried to avoid the temptation to hurry him towards success. By encouraging the growth in learning new skills instead of correcting, or rushing them; they learned quickly.

There was no magic wand to help me grow in patience. There was no magic wand to help my children learn new skills either. No magic wand to aid us in growing in virtue and becoming more like Christ. No magic wand. Growth in character instead is a daily choice. We must choose virtue over vice. We must learn from the words of St. John the Baptist, “We must decrease and He must increase within us.” It is then that we know, “Christ in us is our hope of glory.” Once virtue is mastered it is then that we can feed the multitudes the bread of life.

God was right I grew in self-control, just like I grew in patience. As I grew in virtue I knew that there is no magic wand. I learned instead that God is molding us into the likeness of His Son Jesus. Jesus gave His life for the whole world. Jesus walked in virtue and grace. The Father loves us so much that He will teach us how to walk in virtue and grace too. We must be still in prayer, let God speak to us in His still voice, then, “Do whatever He tells us.”

Keep on doing what is right and in due time you will reap a harvest. The harvest will be so great that it will feed the multitudes. What are you are you waiting for my friend. It is time to plant the seed of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost in your heart. Then take the time in prayer to learn from your Heavenly Father how to let it grow. Once you have matured in virtue; go tell the world the Good News. There is no Magic Wand!

DO YOUR PART!

 I Blog for Elizabeth Ministry International. This is my newest post.

Check it out and comment please. Go to   www.elizabethministry.com Then pass it on.

 This week’s post comes from writer, speaker, and Elizabeth Ministry Board member, Ellen Mongan. 

Pope Francis’s message about taking care of the earth brought a smile to my face. You see we just spent “Earth Day” with our daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. We saw the Pope’s words put into action before he even wrote them. Our granddaughter, Elle, was doing her part to save the earth. I guess you could say Elle lives this message everyday of her life. Elle is always saving something. If there is a cause to be undertaken, Elle leads the way. She was very intent on her mission, like Jesus is about saving our souls.

Let me paint you a picture. Two very tired grandparents arrived in Louisville, Kentucky after a long trip over the mountains and through the woods from Augusta, Georgia. We were so glad to arrive just in time for dinner. Amanda, a Proverbs 31 woman, had everything already prepared and ready to eat. It smelled good, and was a welcome treat for these hungry travelers. We were so glad to see everyone. The non-stop talking, an art learned in most large families, helped us all catch up in half the time. My heart leapt!

After dinner we all agreed on a family walk. There is nothing like a walk on a spring day in Kentucky. Surprisingly there was a climate change, a burst of “Northern exposure.” When the temperature dropped drastically, it was my cue for a wardrobe change. I went from flip flops and a sundress to hiking boots and a winter coat. I had gloves on each hand, a cute hat on my head, and we had not even left the house yet. Okay, I do not do winters, but everyone else was just fine.

Leaving the home together here was the lineup; Dr. Pat walked with Dr. Kyle. Their conversation of course took a medical bent. Kyle was pulling “Princess” Lauren in her little red wagon. The princess was comfortable upon her throne with her servants two, Papa Pat and Daddy Kyle. Amanda and I pulled up the rear with Ava who barely left her Mama’s side. Where was “Princess” Elle? She was sandwiched in the middle of the family parade, riding her bike. Joy was in the air because the family was together at last.

We marched through the neighborhood in step with one another. Suddenly something seemed out of the ordinary. I noticed that Elle kept stopping to pick up trash along the route, and placing it in her bike basket. I was puzzled. “I have to ask,” I said, “What Elle is doing?” Amanda, our daughter, who we call “Joy” because of her middle name, gave a cheery reply, “Elle is saving the earth.” Of course she is, I thought to myself because Elle is always saving something. Elle collects, sells, gives and shares all. If you have a cause, Elle is your cheerleader, mouthpiece or promoter; from magazines to support the school to canned goods to feed the poor. Elle is the first responder for all. Money to donate to the Salvation Army at Christmas; Elle’s in with her entire piggy bank. Food baskets for the poor at Thanksgiving; Elle’s your girl. I almost forgot, for Rice Bowl collection at Easter she of course plays her part. Elle was born with a missionary heart. If someone has a need, Elle will find a way to fill it. Her generous heart could put many adults to shame. The amazing reason for Elle’s giving is that she’s got it? Got what? She is got the reason for the season, for any season. No matter what the season, Elle knows even at age seven that “Jesus is the reason.” She gives out of a love for Him.

            Elle – doing her part!

Though she lives in a well-maintained neighborhood with little trash, Elle had on her eagle eyes. She spotted every piece of trash in our path no matter how small. Elle looked high, she looked low. As she was doing so, Elle spied a piece of trash stuck to a branch, high in the tree. “Daddy, Daddy,” Elle shouted, “Lift me up so I can reach that piece of trash.” Daddy kept on walking. I, Nana, thinking Dr. Kyle had not heard, shouted all the louder, “Kyle, Elle is saving the earth one piece of trash at a time.” Daddy gave the look that meant, are you kidding me? Then mustered up the response, “On the way back Elle, we’ll catch it. “ Elle smiled. To Elle, her daddy is a giant of a man in size and in her admiration for him. We all marched on, circled the cul-de-sac and headed back to our tree for the “Earth Day” trash pick-up. Elle smiled with delight as her daddy approached her. He parked the little red wagon, which now carried two little ladies, Lauren and a very tired Ava. All eyes were on daddy, as he reached out his arms and boosted Elle up onto his strong shoulders. Elle’s surefooted cheerleader feet stood tall and bravely on her daddy’s shoulders. Elle extended her arms to the full extent; success was evident. Rising to her tippy toes and reaching further than she thought possible, the trash was captured by one “Earth Day” advocate. So was the attention of the audience, her family. We all applauded a job well done, and of course took a picture. Carefully Kyle sailed Elle thru the air like a bird in flight, safely landing her right near her bike.

As Elle mounted her bike for our final destination, home, I could not help but thank the Lord Jesus, for this little precious soul. I decided to capture a moment to speak to my son-in-law alone. “Kyle,” I said in my best southern accent, “You ‘all must be so proud of Elle. Why I have never seen anyone like her before. She has such a good heart!” I thought Kyle would just take a well–deserved bow, as any parent who had just been complimented, but he didn’t. His response caught me off guard. He smiled politely and with great admiration in his voice, responded, “Elle is the one child I know who makes me want to be a better person.” I, the wordy woman was dumbfounded and speechless. Later on that night, Kyle’s profound words remained, mulling around in my brain. Elle is not only saving the earth, I thought, she is also touching souls one person at a time. She is the “poster child” for putting Pope Francis’s words into action. This was an “Earth Day” that I will never forget. Elle is taking care of the earth and the people who live in it. Elle is making a difference. How high will you climb do your part for Jesus?

Accessorize with virtue readers. Everyone Do Your Part! Let 's Do It!