I Was on a Roll....

 Happy Easter! Hallelujah! He is Risen!!! 

I am sorry for being absent - Life has been pretty rough, and I'm just now processing things to the point of being able to put words to it now... 

In January, another uncle passed away, making this two uncles in twelve months to die from pancreatic cancer. No cancer runs in any side of anyone's family. Most of the relatives have all been tested, and it's not genetic, it's not hereditary, so we have no idea where it's coming from, but my dad was found to have multiple growths that need more tests done, two masses in his kidneys, lesions on his liver, and growths on both his body and tail of his pancreas as well. The medical team thinks things aren't as urgent for Pops, the growths are "smooth" and not concerning at this point, so there will be more tests coming up, but not urgently. It's still pretty scary though - sure feels like someone bought the Family Discount Johnson Pack Voodoo Dolls and is taking out the OG's one by one! 

More things just kept happening from there... whether it was worrying about friends' having complications during surgery, or my own car problems, or job insecurities or serious drama with coworkers, or people who I thought I could count on completely ghosting me, I felt like I had lost my footing and was simply tucking and rolling down this huge hill faster and faster, hitting boulder after boulder, bouncing up and crashing down, changing direction but never finding any hand-holds or roots or trees to gain my footing again. I'm pretty sure I'd still be rolling, but I hit a mud-pit... my dear, dear friend, my ROCK at work, told me that her husband got a new job and they will be moving to Texas by the end of the month. I think that was what broke the last of me, for the time being. Don't get me wrong - there is sooo much that I am thankful for, sooo much GOOD that is happening too! But my heart has to heal a little more before I can dive in. 

If you've got a minute or two to spare, the Johnson Family could use your prayers, please and thank you.

God is Good, ALL THE TIME. It might not make SENSE to us all the time, but yes, yes He is. 

New Year, Same Me.

 Welcome to 2026, my friends! I hope you all had a wonderfully safe time celebrating the new year, spending time with those you love. 

I used to be huge on resolutions - absolutely dead-set on them being something I could control, change, make happen... but it LITERALLY means that I was taking my own path, not trusting God to lead me where He needed me to be. And every year I would inevitably fail at what I thought I set my resolutions to be. It was miserable! Reading back through my journals, it was pretty hard to face year after year. 

Resolution. Resolute. Resolve. 

Can we really find a resolute answer to who we are? Can we resolve our problems, shortcomings, etc, overnight? in a year? turn it all around? Not a chance! Not alone. Trusting in the path the Spirit puts us on, taking steps in Faith, yes... and it can happen any day any time. And you know what? There's no failure when you follow what God lays out for you! 

Trust who you are. Trust what God's got for you. It's not easy sometimes, but I promise you, it takes such a weight off yourself to not have any pressure of changing who you are, what direction you're going... you just enjoy the celebration, trust the process, have a good time watching the ball drop, and wake up ready for January 1! 

Migraines and Mysterious Moments

 It's been a few days, and my migraine-hangover has finally subsided. The darned thing started while I was singing at mass on Sunday, and didn't begin to subside until well after 4pm! I haven't had one of those that bad for a looooong time, let me tell you! 

The mysterious moments that I elude to are more about the couple days that followed - I'm not at liberty to discuss them, as they're not my direct moments or interactions with the Spirit to share, but man - when the Holy Spirit takes action, you either notice or get a knock upside the head, that's for sure! 

Have you had those moments? Where things seem to line up EXACTLY as they need to in so many ways that there is just no other explanation? It never ceases to amaze me, and I love it every time, praise God! 

What's So Amazing About Grace?

 

December 26th through January 1st is always an odd time, it's post Christmas and pre New Year's Day, and there's not really enough time to recover, and not really enough time to hide from anything, you just have to sort of glide/roll/float your way through those few days and hope that you don't explode or miss someone's appointments or burn the house down before your regular routines can begin again. There's so much on everyone's minds; did that really just happen? did mom say that to me in front of everyone? did uncle Joe really just ask if aunt Judy was going to go there with that again? did my brother in law really throw away a full serving of grandma's green beans without trying to hide it from her? .... and on and on with the family drama.... 

.... add the real stressors of work, and life.... 

It was our family's first year with loved ones not with us. It's potentially the last year with loved ones with us. Some of our loved ones are going through personal physical, mental, emotional struggles that we do or do not know about. At that point, do grandma's green beans really matter? 

I went for 6 weeks without pay, courtesy of Congress, this last Fall. Their temporary continuing resolution is only good through January. A new year is NOT a time of celebration for me, it's a time of complete stress! Does January bring another 4-6 weeks of having to work with no paycheck? Does it mean we may go even longer? 

Everyone has things on their plate, but everyone also has things they haven't unpacked, things they don't want to share. It's important that we remember this with every action, reaction, and especially interaction that we have on a regular basis. We are the words, actions, and works of Christ on this earth. We are here to share His love, not to judge, not to make others feel less-than, not to scare people or shame them into following Him. We are here to give them His Grace, as He has given it to us. 

I Will Pray for You

 Colossians 1:9 tells us "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives..."

I absolutely love praying for people. I do! I love to pick people, pray for them for at least 30 days, and watch the Lord work in their life. Have you done that before? Sometimes there's something specific that I will drop into the prayer for a day or two, but usually it's more of a "Please let them feel You working in their heart" or something along those lines... I mean, it's not like I know how that person needs God to move them. That's between the OG and them. 

One of my friends has a running-list she opens up every month, and I give her MAD props! It's a lot to take on, committing to devote time to every person she asks for every month! Not everyone is willing and able to keep that up on the regular. I wish life gave us time for our paths to cross more frequently, so often my soul longs for the connections with women of Faith that I had in college - it's so hard to find that connection in the "real world". 

Gentle Reader, I challenge you to pick one person - start with just one person - you see in your daily life, and pray for them. Don't tell them. Watch how your devotion, your conversations with God, your relationship with Our Father, Our Brother, the Holy Spirit, help to shape others too. 

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 

Amen.

An Experiment in Daily Posting....

 ... and other bits of word-vomit... 

It's been so long since I've written anything, I'm not even sure how to get started again, but here we go. 

-

I have decided to try writing every day - be it a little, a lot, a haiku, a novel, random bits and pieces, lyrics to a song that got stuck in my head, SOMETHING that inspired me, helped me get through what I'm facing, or something I witnessed to or with someone else. Because, you know what, God happens all around us every day, whether we know it or not, whether we see it or not, whether we acknowledge Him or not - I'd rather be recognizing Him and knowing He is present than not! 

Where have you seen God, Jesus, and/or the Holy Spirit lately? 

The First Sunday of Advent

 December 2nd... Christmas is just 23 days away... are you ready? 

Ha! That's a loaded question!!! Are your cards in the mail? Are your gifts purchased and labeled, is wrapping paper selected and the plan-of-attack set for the Christmas Movie Marathon while you get all the presents wrapped and bows made? Has Santa made his list and checked it twice? Did you make room in your house and your heart for that pregnant, homeless immigrant couple that doesn't have any papers and is asking for a place to stay for just one night? Did you remember to stock your pantry in case the unexpected guest arrives and you need to add another setting or two at the dinner table?

What are you preparing for this holiday?

Just like any other expecting parents, Mary and Joseph did not know when their baby would be coming, not exactly... They didn't know when they would meet Jesus only that they would eventually, finally, get to meet this baby boy, this prophesized King that would change the course of history just by taking his first breath. We don't know when we will get to meet Jesus either. We are told in 1 Corinthians to be vigilant, and to live fully in our Spiritual Gifts as we wait for the revelation of Jesus Christ.... That means don't sit around! Don't save your "best" talents for when you think Jesus (or someone you deem deserving) is present to witness it! The passage continues on by saying God is faithful and we are called to fellowship with Jesus. 

Prepare the way of the Lord. Share your Spiritual Gifts. Find fellowship in your Faith with others who follow God, who find fellowship with Jesus. Prepare your home and your heart and hearth for the Holy Family as they end their weary journey, two undocumented, weary travelers on a donkey, Mary very pregnant and I'm sure Joseph stressed beyond imagination. 

Jesus and Xanax - 2023

 As December starts and reflection of the last year begins, it's been a freaking hard year. So many challenges, so many people dealing with unimaginable tragedies, untimely passing of loved ones, diagnoses of terminal illnesses, life changing events - I can't even begin to lay it all out! Don't get me wrong - there were some AMAZING memories made, lots of friends and family and good times and laughter and love! But there were also some devastating, soul crushing things that came about and are still very, very prevalent.

I got to a point where I found I couldn't really even cry anymore.... I feel the sorrow, the pain, the emotions and actions are still appropriate, but no tears come out. Have I cried myself dry? Were my prayers for compartmentalization and ease in coping with life answered? My friend even gave me one an "emergency xanax"... I keep it in a pill box in my purse, with my other meds, which happens to also be with my rosary. I will probably never take it, as 1)It's not my prescription and 2)I would be terrified of any sort of interaction with my meds.... but it's the thought that counts, for sure! ;-)

The last straw for me, the kick in the teeth, sucker punch in the gut, was finding out that my baby, my 9 year old pitbull Brynleigh, the doggo I adopted at 8 weeks old, has a mast cell tumor.... a mast cell tumor, just like the MCT that led to Stanley's death 10 years ago. On top of everything else that's happened this year, my dog has now been given a terminal ticket. Luckily it is a low-grade tumor, but it still means some big changes.

I did cry some at that.... I do cry.... the pain I felt when Stanley screamed "mamaaaa" and collapsed in my arms, that memory is burned in my memory. The idea of Brynleigh ever getting so sick that it gets to the point where she needs to be put down... Jesus and xanax might just do the trick for me... 

Love is All Around

 

1 John 4:12 says No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. 

As I got out of the car today, this little heart was sharing the parking spot with me. 💓 It made me stop and smile. I almost picked it up, but instead left it there, thinking that it may make the next person smile too. 

We get going so fast these days, buzzing around from place to place, picking up kids, groceries, medications, dropping things off, making the next deadline; we get frustrated so easily, yelling at cars who are going to slow, going to fast, in our way... this little heart reminded me that I need to stop and grant people grace, love, and kindness. They may be having a harder day than I am, no matter how hard I think my day has been, and they made need to see God's presence more than I need to be 17 seconds earlier to my next destination. 

Remember - you may be someone's only exposure to God's love. Think about that. You may be the only person in their world who offers them a smile, a word of kindness, or the time of day. Try to remember that. Spread kindness, spread joy, spread Love. 

Is "Good" Good Enough?

How do you make the decision between right and wrong? One would think it's easy, you do what feels good, what makes it easier to sleep at night, what doesn't weigh heavy on your conscience... But it's not always black and white. 

When you are faced with decisions that need to be made, do you choose "good" or "good enough"? Do you choose from which is bad over which could have been worse? People say "The Devil's in the details" and I don't think we ever realize how true that statement is! Temptation is around us all day, every day, and so many times we justify it with saying our decisions were "good enough" to be considered "good". 

Father Davis said in his homily last Sunday, that during Lent, we are meant to give much more time and focus on prayer, penance, and the effective use of the Word of God. The Holy Spirit helps to guide us to the path we need to be on, the path we should be taking. If we are truly listening with our hearts and not our minds, we will hear Jesus calling us by name, just as He promised us He would. 

I LOVE THIS! For me, this means listening in the silence.... God speaks the loudest when the rest of the world is hushed.... no TV, no phones, no music, no outside noises, sometimes I will put my headphones in and use them like earplugs - no sound on at all, just have it muting the world around me so I can listen to the silence. These are the moments of reflection, of direction, and divine communication, for me - what works for you? 

I challenge you, as we go forward on our Lenten journey this year, to make a habit of finding just 5 minutes of silence each day, and listen. Then, really think about the last time you chose the Right. The Good, not the good enough. Stare at that door, and really, truly make sure you are ready to open it.... listen for Jesus calling your name, I have faith that He will. 

Fasting from your Addictions

 So many people focus on fasting and giving things up, sacrificing things during Lent…. A lot of times they even make a big deal about it. It actually says, in the bible, NOT to talk about it. To bathe, get dressed, make yourself look presentable, and don’t let others see how you suffer.

But today, many of my claimants talked about their journey to becoming clean and sober. How their fasting from their addictions helped them turn their lives around, and how they have been able to see the changes, the differences in where they were, what led them down that path, and where they are now. 

I believe there are appropriate times to talk about what we have and haven’t given up. Our addictions, whether we are ready to acknowledge them or not, hurt so many people - soooo many more people than we may ever realize. Six degrees of separation doesn’t even begin to cover the trickle-down effect of how our actions, inactions, and reactions impact the lives of others. 

On this first Friday of Lent, let’s think about what we truly should be fasting from, and whether or not we should choose to share it. 

Let the Fasting Begin!

 What is Lent really about? Is it about what we give up for the 40-some days to honor (or grumble) every day that Christ suffered in the desert, resisting the temptations while in the desert? 

Last night, Father spoke about how Lent is the invitation to Christianity's Annual 40 Day Retreat! You get to leave your everyday life behind, take a step back from what plagues you on a regular basis, re-evaluate, trim your "spiritual fat" and make some changes for the better! 

Today was an absolutely emotionally and mentally exhausting day, but I do have more that I'd like to reflect on and share. Please, I know it's been a loooong writing hiatus, but hold me to writing here more, okay? 

See you soon, I promise! 

Here's the Thing - Nobody Wins.

Right now, I should be in Texas, helping. Right now, I'm not. Right now, the governor of Texas is fighting with the federal government about who has the right to do what; about who has jurisdicition to say what should and shouldn't be done with 17,000 minor children who came to this country seeking saftey, seeking refuge. Right now, it's back to business as usual here for me, with my appointments and my phone calls, singing for weddings, singing at church, and walking my miles every day. Right now, I struggle with the fact that I'm back in my "first world" status, my white privilaged routine, where I can't deny the fact that I have luxuries afforded to me that are above and beyond what are necessary for every day existence. Right now, all I can do is pray. Pray that someone, somewhere recognizes what is *right* and what needs to happen for those SEVENTEEN THOUSAND children who are still in custody, without families, without support, without homes. Pray that somehow I find peace of mind, heart, and soul with the fact that I was just days away from being able to help and it remains just out of my grasp, beyond my control. Pray that the Holy Spirit is with every single one of those souls involved, children and workers alike, helping them to cope and find their way out of the darkness that they fight every single day that they remain in their situation. Until there are NO MORE children in custody, until this is no longer a political game, nobody wins.

It's a Holding Pattern....

Sometimes, with God's timing, there is no rhyme or reason as to the when or why of things. Right now, everything is on hold until AT LEAST June 7th. The situation is fluid. Over 100 children were placed into either extended family care or approved foster care in record amount of time, which is fantastic! It means that the efforts at the border are proving to be successful in getting these poor, traumatized children out of government custody and into family homes closer and closer to the mandated 72 hour timeframe! It also means the dire need for the all-call of Federal employees is not as dire as it was at the beginning of the month... I am still packed and ready to go. At this time, nobody is being deployed until at least June 7th. We shall see what things look like after that. Prayers and positive energy are always appreciated!

Hurry Up and Wait...

 Ugh.... Right now, I'm waiting on my final travel date. I've received and activated my travel card, but I can't purchase my one way ticket to Texas for deployment and debriefing until I have my official go-ahead approval. It's all happening so fast, but at the same time, it feels like slow-motion sometimes. I've been packed and ready to go for about 10 days, so now I'm at the point that I'm needing to either buy things that I've had packed or open up the suitcase and get things out! 

*sigh* 

I am still 100% sure this is the next step for me, where I'm being called to be. It's just a waiting game... 

What am I Doing? ... Be Not Afraid...

 Last weekend, Father was there when I noticed the Christ-light candle was burning low, and I commented that we would be needing a new one soon, likely before the masses for the day were done. He looked at me and grinned and told me to have faith, that the candle could last through mass, "you never know..."

How ironic. Here I was getting ready to take a huge leap of faith for me, leave everything that I knew to be safe and secure, and go help in a situation where these children had been more brave than I ever thought I could be. They had taken a bigger risk than many people will ever need to take, leaving their homes, their families, and traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles by any means possible to go to a country where they may or may not speak the language, all in the hope that they may find a better life... but I couldn't have faith that a flame would last a few more hours? 

And so I let it burn....

Leslie and I prepared for mass, I picked Be Not Afraid as a prelude since it's a favorite that everyone knows and loves, and we didn't have anything else prepared... sometimes it's nice to take the easy road at 7:30am! 

7:55 rolls around, she starts to play, and I begin to read the words.... 

"You shall cross the barren desert, but you shall not die of thirst.

You shall wander far in safety, though you do not know the way.

You shall speak your words in foreign lands and all will understand.

You shall see the face of God and live.

Be not afraid, I go before you always.

Come, follow me, and I will give you rest...."

I lost it. I absolutely lost it. I tried to pull it together for the second verse, but every single word seemed more and more applicable to the situation I was preparing to face at the border. By the time I got to the refrain after the second verse, I was sobbing. I looked at Leslie from my covid-mandated 15 feet away and said "I just can't..." and I sat back in my little alcove, sobbing, trying to pull myself together before mass started. She graciously continued to play a beautiful piano arrangement of the tune, and by 8am, people were none-the-wiser. 

I sang with my rosary around my neck the rest of that Sunday. 

The prayer candle needed to be replaced between masses. 

Faith and logic split the difference that day. 

Let the Dominos Begin to Fall...

 As the song says, "Signs, signs, every where are signs..." and believe me, the more I prayed about this detail for the next four months, the more signs keep popping up! 

Our home priest is retiring and 'lightening the canoe' as he says. The piece I was most called to bring home was a framed print that was very obviously from Latin/South America, and it showed the People's Jesus, crucified in the center of town, watching over everyone and everything. 

The artist ended up being Guatemalan. Father received it as a gift when he was visiting Columbia. The imagery is so powerful, how Jesus is one of the people, by the people, for the people... How could I not have given it a new home? 

The vacancy at work was suppose to close at the end of April, but when I looked, it had been extended to the end of May. We were only, originally, approved to have one person from our region selected, and they made an exception to have my application submitted as well. Within 6 days, I went from just realizing this was available to realizing that I needed to start packing!  It was amazing how things fell into place, so perfectly. 

My brain even started thinking in Spanish more and more, without me realizing I was going it. EVERYTHING seemed to be pointing to this being right. Scary, nerve-wracking, unknown, but *right*. 

The last time I felt a calling this strong was when I was looking for colleges and walked onto the PLU campus; I just knew... and now, I just know... this is where I need to be, what I need to be doing... 

This is My Why... Taking a Leap of Faith

 Six days ago, I posted a series of photos on Instagram and Facebook, and quoted Psalm 46:5 "God is within her, she will not fail." I said "Warriors of Prayer, a lot is happening. I'm holding many things close to my heart right now, but these images mean a lot to me, and are very much a part of my "WHY". Any bits of light you can send my way would be greatly appreciated.".... and so it began... 

I know that God always hears what's in our hearts, especially when our emotions are sooo big that we can't even begin to form words to express what's going on. The opportunity has been presented to Federal agencies to help with the situation at the Southern border of the United States, where thousands of unaccompanied minors are pouring in seeking shelter and safety. 

Six days ago, I needed prayers for discernment, guidance to see if this was what I really wanted to do -I mean, I knew it's what I wanted to do, it's where my passion has always been, but to up and move for anywhere from 30-120 days... taking that first step, I knew, would be hard. 

As I prayed, I really thought about all that those children have gone through to get here, and how much they needed me. One person, me. Why would they need me? What can one person do? One person's voice, one person's attention, one person's passion? Then I remembered a piece I read that was published when the masses were first coming to the border during the previous administration, and how the children and parents were being separated.... I remembered how I wept at the thought of the absolute faith and courage it took these families to find any way possible to travel hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles to come for the thought of what might be a better life, only to have the very objects of their faith ripped away.   

Rosaries and Bibles, copies of the New Testament confiscated as dangerous paraphernalia being smuggled into the US by "illegal immigrants" as they were separated from their families, children in one line, men and women in separate lines. 

 It was then that I knew - I KNEW - that I could not say no. I contacted management, and the dominos began falling into place... 

When in doubt, pray. Take that leap of faith. Faith. Yes, there's fear involved, but having fear makes Faith all the more rewarding. 

I'm still here!

There's been a lot going on... and I've got lots of sticky-note blog ideas, but Lord only knows where they are!!!  It's my intention to dig out my trusty-dusty old laptop and start blogging more, both here and on my personal page.... whether I have followers reading there or not, I need to get a little more out of my head. 


Stay tuned, and thank you - as always - for reading here. Please keep praying for one another and sharing your Faith!


In Christ's Peace,
Melinda <><

Well HELLLLLLLLLOOOOOO!!!!!

Sorry it's been sooooo infernally long, guys, I got locked out of my google accounts and could only access things on my phone, but blogger doesn't play nice with the new iOS updates...


GOOD NEWS - I REMEMBERED MY PASSWORD!!! 


PLEASE - stick with me, expect more writing, SOON!


Love and prayers on this Fat Tuesday as we roll up on Lent! <3 p="">