jeff noel.org

A Broken Back, A Broken Soul

And so is every other day.

Today’s preparations include the usual:

• Wake up early
• On my knees in prayer
• Coffee
• Check email
• LinkedIn, Twitter, You Tube, Facebook checks
• Write five blogs
• Practice the first reading

We leave in less than an hour, and by 9:00AM, I’ll be standing in front of nearly 1,500 Parishioners at Holy Family Catholic Church.

As a Lector (reader), I will speak God’s Holy Word to them. It’s over in less than two minutes.

It may be the only scripture they hear all week.

Can you comprehend this?

All week.

This is all they’ll get.

Sunday is what you make it.

And so is every moment of every day.

Pray, Pay, Obey

What does that mean exactly?  Growing up Luthern, in a small Pennsylvania town, there weren’t many Catholics. In fact, I don’t recall knowing what a Catholic was until college.

Well, life comes full circle and here I am, a devoted Catholic for over a decade. There are something like 15,000 members of our Holy Family congregation. All walks of like.

One of them, I see occasionally at Gold’s Gym.  We recently had a nice conversation with these highlights:

Draw nearer to God and God will draw nearer to you. James 4:8.

True love doesnt force anything.

Greed, sloth, doubt, hypocracy – the four points in the circle surrounding the four squares.

Pay, pray and obey Catholic.  This is how my friend (60-something) described himself.

God does not want good men in heaven, he wants Saints.

Gotta go.  Time to work on praying, obeying, paying and demonstrating.

Just So I'd Remember The Conversatio

How big is your vision? No seriously, how big?

We are so tempted to go through our daily motions, and never stretch ourselves in ways we are capable of, but are too afraid to try.

The people who overcome their fear, or at least who attempt to overcome their fear, are the ones who make significant progress in the big issues.

At Chick-fil-A several days ago, I met a foursome of retired Iowans, here in Orlando for the Winter. They work for Wycliffe Associates.

Wycliffe Associates wants to translate the Bible into every language known to man.

What if no one dreamt this big?

What if you don’t dream this big?

My big dream?  To help raise enough money to find a cure for an incurable disease.

And yours?

Descendent?

Happy Birthday Margaret. My Mother-In-Law turns 87 today.

“Mom” is still living in the house she was born in. Same house her entire life. Never moved out. Never moved away.

She was one of nine children. Her Mother, “Grammy”, open a one-room grocery store (1927) in what is now the living room in their three-story row home in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Grammy raised nine children, ran the store from early morning to late at night for 44 years.

Her Father, who died in his 30′s, was a shoe cobbler in the the back of the house.

“Mom” has aches and pains like most 87 year olds, an answering machine, and even a Trac Phone.

She is a devout Catholic and prays all the time, even when it doesn’t seem so.

She has shown us unconditional love, simplicity, kindness and generosity, loyalty, and love.

Mom, you amaze us with your spirit.  We love you.

Imagine No United States

Today’s post is dedicated to all the men and women who serve our Country. With a special appreciation to my Father-In-Law who turned 84 yesterday, and to his wife, who turns 87 tomorrow.

Without the two of them, their daughter Cheryl, wouldn’t have been born 52 years ago February 4th. And without Cheryl, who knows where I’d be today.

“Dad” served in Europe during WWII.  ”Mom” stayed behind and prayed he’d come home alive.

Here’s a beautiful 3-4 minute patriotic video.

Splendid images, decent music, and powerful quotes from some of America’s greatest leaders and Presidents.

Click here only if you have the extra 3-4 minutes.  If you pause long enough to view the whole thing, you’ll be very glad you did.

What Does the Future Hold?

Happy Birthday Johnny. Johnny, my Father-In-Law, turns 84 today. Can you imagine 84?

His father died when he was just a young boy. His uncle, an alcoholic, tried to raise him as best he could.

Johnny got his driver’s license to get a job with the City of Allentown, but never drove a car, his entire life.

Johnny served our country in Europe during WWII, putting his life on the line for you and me.

Johnny provided for his Family, working hard all his life, at a job that provided no glamour, no glory, no prestige.

Johnny always tried to make his wife and daughter happy, so they never had to “go without”.

Johnny is a devout Catholic.  And a big Frank Sinatra fan.

Johnny retired and never had to work another day in his life.

Johnny is a “rich” man.

Like many 84-year olds, his health is failing.  He knows it.  We all know it.

Johnny, if this is the last birthday you have (and I pray to God it’s not), my birthday wish for you is that you know that I Love You!

It's Cold In Ohio

Craig Nickoloff, from Ohio, will be jeffnoel.org’s Guest Blogger this Sunday.

Craig is a young man with a wife and two children. He’s a Christian, self-proclaimed Disney freak and a man who inspires me by his will and determination to become a better man, a better person.

We all struggle with it.

Can’t wait to introduce you to Craig on Sunday.

Have an AWESOME Friday today.

Safe For The Big Ears Too

Do you listen to music? I mean, all the time? Or do you listen to talk radio? Perhaps you don’t listen to radio at all.

It really makes no difference what we do.

Until.

Until we take an inventory of our spirit.

Huh?

At any given moment, if you were put on the spot and forced to give an honest answer, could you immediately say, “I’m blessed beyond measure.”?

Could you?  And we’re not talking some fake, or politically correct, “Of course!”

One of my secrets?  Listening to Z88.3 every single day. The Z, as we call it here in Central Florida, plays contemporary Christian Music that is, Safe For The Little Ears.

Food for Families.Nov18

Where do you volunteer?  Presumptuous of me to think you volunteer, right?  Maybe. Maybe not.

You do volunteer, don’t you?  Not judging anyone, simply assuming everyone does something, no matter how big or how small.

When I look at volunteer opportunities, there are a few criteria:

1. We do it as a Family
2. We look for “traditions”
3. We focus on a learning point
4. We have to be able to integrate it into our lives

This morning is a perfect example.  I’ll be reading as a Lector, and Cheryl will act as a Minister of Holy Communion.

Our son (9) has seen us do this once or twice a month for his entire life.

We also have him place our offertory envelope in the collection plate every week.  He knows how much money we give.

When he gets older, we are confident that our actions will instill in him a duty to serve others with his time, talent and treasure.

Do you ever think about the messages you send to your children, or the young people in your lives if you have no children?

“Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.” –Einstein