Mary Sampey was the youngest of 4 children in a close-knit Catholic family and was raised in Ohio. She can be described a very positive, enthusiastic and upbeat person. She attended Catholic schools through college. She was captain of the cheerleading squad and was voted as the classmate with the most school spirit in high school. Her family were hard workers and were very involved in the community.

An outsider might think that the family had it all together and nothing ever went wrong.  But as Mary entered adulthood things were about to change for her family. A number or traumas and health issues occurred within the family, and they went into isolation and secrecy. Her story is about how their faith helped them deal the family illnesses, traumas, and the devastating loss of a family member. Her family would experience great suffering, but it brought her closer to Christ and she learned how suffering can turn to joy. Mary would discover the meaning of a verse God revealed to her, “You do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.” John 13:7

Mary Sampey has a bachelor’s degree in Catholic theology from St. Vincent College and a master’s degree in theology from Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. She is an active member and cantor at her parish and has served in roles in the Diocese of Greensburg and the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

This testimony was given to the Morgantown, WV Chapter in August of 2024.

To find out more about Magnificat, A Ministry to Catholic Women, visit us at: www.magnificat-ministry.org

Magnificat Store

Did you know there is a wonderful shopping opportunity just waiting for you? Explore our shopping cart for rosaries, apparel, books, jewelry, statues, CDs, study programs, (ex. Bible studies, Life in the Spirit Seminar, Growth in the Spirit series), and much more. To find great gifts for family, friends and YOU, we invite you to visit :

https://store.magnificat-ministry.net

Thank you for being a part of our network of listeners; we appreciate you!

The post Testimony of Mary Sampey appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Belinda Terro Mooney is a mom of 7 adults whom she homeschooled, and a spiritual mother to many. As an author, she writes on Catholic topics like the Saints and Reparation, and mental health and addictions topics. She is a coach for Catholic moms, coaches, and therapists. She holds licenses in social work and addictions and is an Adjunct professor of human services. Belinda enjoys speaking as well. As a Secular Carmelite, she is in ongoing formation with the 3 Carmelite Doctors of the Church and has a consistent prayer life. Learn more on her website, https://belindaterromooney.com/.

Pray with Us invites us to connect with 365 saints, blesseds, venerables, and servants of God — one for each day of the year. Each day’s entry includes a brief biography of the saint and a prayer. This book provides a concise, approachable format for individuals and families to form the habit of daily prayer and to rely more purposefully on the intercession of the saints. (from OSV.com, click on the link to order your own copy!)

It took time, patience, and prayer to make those decisions. She worked with her editor and wanted to include a variety of people from all over the world. She also looked towards telling the stories of our new saints and those will soon be beatified.

In all, there are 365 Saints, one for each day of the year. The book is a great way to introduce yourself and your family to the saints. Each day there is a short bio on the day’s saint and then a short prayer that asks for the saint’s help or intercession on whatever they are known for or the patron saint of.

Belinda sees this book as something that can be used by families for daily prayer, busy moms who want something short but informative to read and pray with, and those interested in learning about saints.  The book is well laid out and draws you in with the clean format. I encourage you to take a look and order it. November is a great time to begin learning about the saints as we celebrate the Feast of All Saints on Nov 1.

Visit my website.

The post Saints to Pray With Everyday appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Do you feel like you belong? How important is your faith? Today’s podcast focuses on belonging to Christ and discusses the importance of knowing where and to whom you belong.

There was a popular bumper sticker with a picture of a fish and the words, “Swim against the stream.”  The Ithucus (the Jesus fish) was a secret symbol of early Christians trying to avoid persecution. This symbol, even today, reminds us not to follow the crowd but to stand as individuals for Christ. As my mother always reminded me, “Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean it is good.”

How does this square up with the idea of belonging to Christ? We, as Christians, are part of a larger group of people who have made some important decisions. We’ve decided to follow Christ, read the Bible, attend Bible study or prayer groups, listen to wonderful testimonies of what God has done in other people’s lives, and yet think, “What about me?”

What questions do you ask of God?

If you have a solid understanding of your faith and are a strong Christian, you know better than most that the struggle is real. No one has all the answers all the time. We doubt we pray, hear silence, and get overextended with work and home responsibilities. How can we follow someone we don’t know? We must spend time with God, in His Word, and think about the importance of our role in this life. But it becomes more difficult if our faith is in its infancy.

Perhaps the decision to follow a Christian faith was made for you, and you’ve just followed along. That is what happened to me. Yet, at some point, I had to make the decision as an adult during a time of struggling that I was all in for God. I gave over my life several distinct times in my teens and early twenties. God always showed up, yet I didn’t see it at the time.

You are not alone if you feel like you are floating down a stream without direction. Some days, we are so busy that we can barely make all the meetings we’ve scheduled or complete the list at work or at home in a timely fashion. Perhaps you struggle with feeling the love and presence of God in your life.

So, how can you have a sense of belonging if you feel so unsettled? What I find helpful is searching the scriptures and keeping a prayer journal. This is old news for those who have listened to this podcast, yet it is worth repeating. You and I are part of a bigger picture, and it bears thinking about, examining, and praying that God does indeed see our hearts and our motivations that are all in for Him!

Some of my go-to scriptures:

This is a short yet powerful list, and what is helpful is not only reading these verses but praying these verses. Having a bad day? Philippians 3:20 (read on air). This is not all there is, there is more, and I am so thankful for that! I am so thankful for my faith, which is a gift from God. It is one of those gifts that God answers, “Lord, give me more faith,” “Lord, help me to put you first,” and “Here I am, Lord!”

This then brings us to Romans 8:1 (Read on air.) There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus — but let’s read verses 2-5 (Read on air.)

Some say that they accept the Lord as Savior and can live any life they wish, even if it is sinful because they are saved. But here we read that while our flesh may be weak, and Jesus died for us, we must set our minds on Christ and live according to the Holy Spirit. When Jesus died and rose again, He told his apostles He had to leave so that the Holy Spirit could be sent to empower, embolden, and lead them as God intended. This is the Holy Spirit that, if we allow Him to be part of our lives, will empower us with the gifts of the Spirit.

These gifts are powerful, and the enemy doesn’t want you to be emboldened or empowered. Read Ephesians 12.

This faith, this Christian faith, is extremely powerful. I recently learned that many Christians do not vote. Can you imagine if the Christians, as a voting block, those who truly love the Lord Jesus and follow Him, those who belong to God, stood up for what is right? They would stand against the culture of death, against the crimes against humanity, against the powers that be out there—whatever and whoever they are. If Christians stood up and truly led by example, this world would be an amazing place.

I heard recently from Father Rippinger that our lives are what we make them; it can be heaven on earth or hell on earth. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have struggles, but what it does mean is that our struggles are not of this world; our struggles are roadblocks. Praise God in all things. Read Ephesians 3. Then, read Acts 16. One thing that is notable is that in Acts 16, Paul drives out a demon from a girl, which allows her to predict the future. Her masters were upset because they couldn’t make money with her any longer, so they had Paul and Silas thrown in jail on false charges. They were beaten, but at midnight, they began singing praises to God. Acts 16:25 reads, “About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs of thanks to God.”

How could they praise God? Because they knew to whom they belonged—to Christ. How would we have reacted if we were Paul and Silas? Tactics are used to scare us and send us hiding in our homes, but Holy Boldness comes when we focus on what is most important, and that is life in Christ.

Today, focus on Jesus as Savior and continue to ask Him into your heart in a deeper way. Ask for Holy Boldness and praise God in all things.

The post Belonging To Christ appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Kathy Corona’s witness is the transforming love of Christ and how Jesus worked in her life to break the chains and heal her, bringing her to the best version of herself. Kathy is an avid hiker and describes her faith journey as climbing a mountain, starting in the valley and hiking up the mountain, having that mountain top experience and then going down into the valley again.

Kathy is married to Ken, the mother of 5 grown children and grandmother of 8. She grew up in Ohio. She has worked in the banking industry for 33 years. She went to a Life in the Spirit Seminar in 1997 and was baptized in the Holy Spirit, which changed her life! She moved to Florida in 2009 and is the founder and leader of the Healing Prayer Team in her parish.

She has been an active member of the Magnificat Broward Chapter for 10 years, holding many different positions. In 2020 she joined the Magnificat Region 5 Service Team in the Leadership position and is currently the Regional Representative for Region 5. She truly loves the Magnificat Ministry and knows it brings women closer to Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary, and the Holy Spirit.

‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope in the power of the Holy Spirit.’ Romans 15:13

This testimony was given to the Broward County, FL Chapter in August of 2024.

To find out more about Magnificat, A Ministry to Catholic Women, visit us at: www.magnificat-ministry.org

Magnificat Store

Did you know there is a wonderful shopping opportunity just waiting for you? Explore our shopping cart for rosaries, apparel, books, jewelry, statues, CDs, study programs, (ex. Bible studies, Life in the Spirit Seminar, Growth in the Spirit series), and much more. To find great gifts for family, friends and YOU, we invite you to visit :

https://store.magnificat-ministry.net

Thank you for being a part of our network of listeners; we appreciate you!

The post Testimony of Kathy Corona appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Understanding the impact of God in our lives is an eye-opening experience. In fact, we often miss the real evidence before us in the search for God in all the wrong places. In this podcast, we discuss how faith can impact your

How can we realize God’s impact on our lives? Let’s start with Genesis. Genesis 1:1—In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Without God, we would not exist, and I like to remind myself that my God is the creator of heaven and earth. What a powerful, loving, and all-knowing God I serve!

Thanks to our sponsor, Now Programs, whose philosophy is don’t accommodate, remediate. They have an evidence-based online tutoring program for all ages. Check out NowPrograms.com

And there is more! God not only created this beautiful world for us to live in, but He actually made us a promise. You probably remember the covenant between God and Abraham because that is the most well-known. Genesis 12:1-3 (read on air).

Now the Lord saida]">[a] to Abram, “Go from your countryb]">[b] and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

It continues in the books of Genesis through Genesis 17; this is known as the Abrahamic covenant. It is the beginning of the Nation of God. While most of you listening are not direct descendants of Israel and, like me, we are Gentiles or people of another race, this covenant is for us as well. Yet God made covenants first with Adam and Eve and later with Noah.

Now, bring that down to a kid’s level of understanding.

Can you imagine teaching a group of middle schoolers, grades 6, 7, and 8, about the impact of God in their lives without getting in the weeds or too deep? This is the overall goal of my latest project, volunteering for Sunday School. I often share that we must give of ourselves and listen to God’s voice, but I admit it isn’t easy. It requires sacrifice and discipline—two things we often shy away from!

We show God’s impact in our lives through example, which often includes miraculous occurrences. My example to the kids was seeing a beautiful rainbow. A rainbow is an example or symbol of God’s love for us, and I explained that they should be reminded of this love every time they see one! But it goes deeper than that.

This symbol is actually a covenant between us and God. Genesis 12:1-3

However, although the words “covenant” were not used, God’s first covenant was with Adam and Eve. God created our first parents, yet they sinned. They rebelled against God and were cast out of the garden.

But God is a God of second chances! God’s covenant with Noah after the Flood shows us.

Genesis: 9:6-17 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

This everlasting covenant was a promise from the Almighty never to destroy the earth by flood. God loved the human race so much, even though they rebelled against Him. Do you see a pattern here? Humanity today is in complete rebellion as well. I am working on a podcast about Christian Excellence, and it is a wake-up call for us all to do and be the best we can be and not devolve into sinfulness or mediocrity. These vices, among others, do not bring us joy, just the opposite.

In Matthew 6, we are reminded that God impacts our lives in ways we do not see! How can we become aware of the working of God in our lives? One way is by appreciating and taking to heart His Word:

Matthew 6:33-34

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In our worry, we forget that God is in control, and our need for Him does not diminish but increases. What would we do without the Lord in our life? Can you really think about this, if not now but at a later time? How would you feel? I would feel hopeless, thinking this: the current situation I am in is all there is, and I would be depressed and despondent. Even if everything is going well, thinking that this life is all we have would not make me happy. Spiritual happiness goes beyond anything we can imagine here on earth, and often, people do not understand it.

There is so much suicide today, and much could be averted if people really understood this world. This life is not all there is; there is more! God touches every area of our lives. Our source is the Word of God, our Bibles, and studying the Word is so important to all of us—not just one time a week or on occasion but every day.

Spiritual happiness is a feeling we get when we read or hear a Bible verse read, or recall a teaching that lifted us up and encouraged us beyond the toil of the everyday. It is the idea that we must look beyond our world and consider a world without strife or anger, without violence, and a world that is pure peace. A peace that surpasses all understanding. Philippians 4:7 – And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. For me, heaven is peace, beauty, and love.

What is the thought of heaven for you? That, after all, is our goal.

Striving for heaven means we walk in justice, pray for God’s grace to do what is right, and expect the best from ourselves. It also means we accept the truth of Scripture.

1 Thessolonians 2:13 – And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

The Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God. It was written by men who were inspired by God, whether it was in their teachings or actual events that happened. It became more fully understood when Jesus came and preached. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:1-5).

The light does indeed shine in the darkness, and for many years, we had only the oral teachings of godly men and women until we had our own Bibles. Yet, we can see the impact of the Lord in our lives by the teachings at church, a book or blog we read, or even a podcast. In fact, John 1:1-5 came alive for me at one point in my life when I really needed it. It was as if a lightbulb went on, and I realized Jesus (the second person of the Trinity) was with God at the time of the creation of the world. Wow.

Reading the scriptures, looking around the world, and expecting the best, even miracles will change our lives. The greater truth is that while we work, pay our bills, and do our daily chores, we are really bidding our time until the ultimate reward of heaven comes our way. When we spend time with God and pray he opens our eyes.

Our prayer can be something like this, “Lord, how can I recognize your greatness? Lord, what should I do today? Lord help me to serve you in a deeper and more personal way.” Our eyes will be opened, and we will learn how to apply this to our everyday life. This simple thought or notion can transform our lives. God is there for us, not just sometimes but always. We do not rely on ourselves, but we do rely on God’s grace. The impact on our lives is beyond our ability to understand. We can try, but it is astounding when we consider all God does for us.

God gave us himself; he opened the gates of heaven, and how did this happen? By dying for our sins, the ultimate sacrifice for sins He did not commit. Salvation!

John 14:6 — Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

We accept Jesus and follow Him, but that is sometimes where it ends. Take today to thank God for all He has done for you, for the gift of family, for the love that surrounds you each day (God’s love is ever present in our lives), and for salvation, the greatest gift we can receive and a way to enter with Him eternally. May God be blessed now and forever!

The post Impact of God In Your Life appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Patty Mansfield begins her talk by sharing the story of how the Ministry received the name ‘Magnificat’, the mystery of the visitation as the Holy Spirit overshadows the encounter of Mary and her cousin Elizabeth.

Patty has traveled to the Holy Land many times and she shares some of her personal experiences. She focuses on four locations, two in Galilee and two in Jerusalem. as she poses the question, “How can I imitate Mary?” Her first stop is in Cana of Galilee at the wedding feast where she tells the servers, “Do whatever He tells you.’ Mary shows ‘confidence,’ no matter how bleak the experience, we must always have confidence in God. Patty gave another of example of how Jesus said, “Blessed our those who hear the Word of God and keep it,” Jesus valued even more than her physical motherhood, her ‘obedience’ to the Word of God. Those are two ways not only to imitate Mary but to ‘be Mary.’ Patty’s last important point was when Jesus gave his mother to the world, he was giving her a new mission of spiritual motherhood.

Our prophetic call in this suffering world and our suffering Church is to stand and pray for our priests, just as Mary stood at the cross of Jesus. She endured, she humbled herself and stayed hidden. She was a lowly handmaiden who emptied herself for the sake of her son and the new Pentecost.

This talk was given at the ‘Who Do You Say That I Am’ Magnificat International Leaders Conference on October 8, 2021.

To find out more about Magnificat, A Ministry to Catholic Women, visit us at: www.magnificat-ministry.org

Magnificat Store

Did you know there is a wonderful shopping opportunity just waiting for you? Explore our shopping cart for rosaries, apparel, books, jewelry, statues, CDs, study programs, (ex. Bible studies, Life in the Spirit Seminar, Growth in the Spirit series), and much more. To find great gifts for family, friends and YOU, we invite you to visit :

https://store.magnificat-ministry.net

Thank you for being a part of our network of listeners; we appreciate you!

The post Imitating Mary appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

In the middle of our troubles, we can rely on only one person to get us through: God. Today’s podcast is about holy reliance, and we will delve into ways to trust in God even when we feel like things are hopeless!

What is your first reaction when you are struggling? Today, I had a perfect opportunity to practice what I “preach” and failed miserably! Yet, with God, we get a do-over, a chance to change, repent, and sin no more. We have a chance to see the areas where we need work and to make a decision. Changing is difficult, especially because we want our results to be instantaneous. But change takes time, and it is hard work, consistent work, showing up and rolling up our sleeves, and expecting the best from ourselves and those around us.

I volunteer—a lot! I was very good at one point in time at saying, “No!” when asked. But something happened, and I’m not sure what. I often feel overwhelmed and that there is no more to give, yet God keeps showing up and showing me that I am not in charge. He is in charge, and when I give Him my yes and my life, He makes everything work out!

Do you rely on the Lord for everything? Do you ask God for a parking space? Do you pray when you need help with your finances and to pay your bills? When my two youngest were going to college, I prayed that the Lord would provide scholarships, and He did! We can ask God for the mundane as well as an increase in our spiritual life and an increase in our faith.

Scripture talks about prophets and how they did the work of the Lord. Each of them had challenges. Some, like Jonah, were not very good prophets, but one that stood out was Ezekiel. Ezekiel is a prophet, and he is being called by the Lord with a warning. Ezekiel 2:1-2  – He said to me, “Son of man,a]">[a] stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” 2 As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

In verses 3-4 the God states: I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. 4 The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn

He goes on to explain the hardships Ezekiel will have, yet the prophet does not turn his back on God. Why? Because he has Holy Reliance. He knows his strength comes from the Almighty. How can he speak to the Israelites otherwise? Even knowing the hardships, he continues on. Can we do that? Can we persevere even when we know there will be hardships?

The Psalmist knew this as well – in Psalm 121:1-8 (read on air), we read.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

3 He will not let your foot slip—

5 The Lord watches over you—

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—

Read those verses slowly, pray them, and add them to your prayer journal. Mediate on the words, “Where does my help come from?” Many times, we think our help is from ourselves. We are the ones who get things done. We can only rely on ourselves because others let us down! But that is not true. The next verse tells us, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Do we realize that God, the Creator of the Universe and everything in it, cares about us in an intimate way? He knows everything about us, and yet we rely on ourselves or perhaps those closest to us. On a practical level, when I work, I rely on the tools I use, the computer, the internet, and a microphone to record. But if the internet goes down or my computer shuts off midstream, I’m stuck, I’m frustrated, and my peace is shaken. It really does not take much. In our lives, we can quit or continue on.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve saved one finished recording over another, and I’ve had to re-record a podcast. But I don’t—okay, I try not to let it get me down because I feel that the Lord has something so much better for me to say! I’ll get a thought or an inspiration, some idea that hits me, and I will be glad that I had an opportunity to do it again.

What about spiritually? What about those times we know we’ve let ourselves down or the Lord down? This is where we can repent. We can once again call upon the Lord. We can ask him to help us. And when we do, He shows up in a mighty way! In previous podcasts, we’ve discussed miracles. Do we expect miracles in our daily lives?

Friends, we don’t do it alone – in fact, we can’t do it without the help of God! When you are struggling, turn to Psalm 119:7-8

I will praise you with an upright heart

I love that! Do not forsake me, Lord. I need you now more than ever.  We must have trust, and this trust must come with a humble heart. Our hearts ache because we fail to see the goodness around us and focus on the hardships or our failures. Even in our failures, we must trust that God has a righteous plan and will turn it around. Think of the book of Ruth. God turned around a tragedy, the death of her husband and her sister’s husband, and she left her home and went with her mother-in-law Naomi to Israel, where she later remarried and had a child. Ruth was the grandmother of King David, which led to the lineage of Jesus Christ. Our King and Savior!

God has a plan for our lives. What can we do? We can trust. We can rely on Him, we can ask God to give us more of Him and we can ask for an abundance of faith and strength to traits we can always use in our lives. Amen~

The post Holy Reliance appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

How are things in your life going? We are well into school year mode around here. And apparently, it is beginning to cool off in some parts of the country. Not where I live. However, I am walking outside rather than on the treadmill at the gym some days. I try to go early when it’s only in the low 80’s. I guess you can say it is cooler than 87° 0r 90 °.

I looked up saints for women who do too much.  Sometimes we do too much because we want to be helpful; other times situations occur that need our time and attention and we wind up with too much to do. I saw a few suggestions here and I think I’ll choose St. Rita as the best option. She had great rials but did not waver from her faith.

I think happiness, or rather, the desire to be happy, is sometimes looked down upon in the spiritual life. We want joy, which is more than happiness. Joy lasts longer than simple happiness.

I’m going to pose a different thought. What if more happiness leads to joy?

A friend of mine suggested this topic. She offers this as things that make her happy: life, sharing faith, Church, ministry, time with family and friends, and nature. She then thought more about the spiritual life and added quiet time to pray, write, be still, and meditate.

I think knowing what makes us happy is a good thing. A quick list of what makes me happy: reading, sewing, walks outside, bike rides, my grandchildren, deep conversations, family.

Joy lasts beyond the event or interaction. Happiness is fleeting. Really? Let me pose this scenario: it’s my birthday and my son brings over my favorite spinach dish with gluten-free toast for brunch. I will eat it and enjoy it, along with the company of family. It brings me both joy and happiness. It tastes amazing, I am with my family and I appreciate the time and effort he took to cook for me. When I look back on the event, I have joy knowing I raised a thoughtful son.

When we repeat interactions that bring us happiness we open ourselves up to joy. It helps us see the world in a better light, focusing on what is true, good and beautiful, it helps us to be grateful.

I bet you can guess this one: make a list of what makes you happy and do a few of them. If you are local, and happiness is a good cup of coffee and conversation, call me. I’m in. I think you will find yourself with a bit more joy in your life.

Let’s talk about having me come to your parish.

The post What makes you happy? appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

When you find a penny, what do you do? I call it a gift, a penny from heaven. It is something little, often ignored and stepped over but valued nonetheless. In this episode, Felice shares her finds and treasures that are inspirations from the Lord.

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What do you do when you see a penny lying on the ground? Most of us walk over it and ignore the coin. We do this for many reasons, and all of them are valid. It is an insignificant amount; it is dirty, we don’t want to bend down to pick it up, and so on.

I was right there with you for quite some time. But then something changed. I decided that each penny signified a gift from God. While it may hold little value in the monetary sense, it is, after all, the smallest coin we have; it represents the gifts that God has in store for me. Each penny is a blessing; each penny is a reminder that God knows me and sees me. He sees all of me, and I am important in His eyes.

This is one of those podcasts where I wish we were together because I imagine some of you are like me; you stop and pick up that penny or that coin. You recognize it for what it is – not for the monetary value, but for the gift. It is a blessing, you happened upon it, and it has value in your eyes.

It reminds me of the widow’s mite, and we read about it in Luke 21:1-4 [Read on air.]

Just as the widow gave her savings, what was described in her poverty, to the Lord, I, too, set aside this money for the Lord.  I have areas throughout my home set up like little prayer corners and plaques proclaiming scripture verses, and basically, some have called my home a mini-shrine. It’s not, but it is all a matter of perspective.  Walking by a sign or a prayer corner reminds me to pray or consider what the Lord has done for me.  One particular shelf above my computer has a small depiction of Jesus and Joseph. Jesus is seated on a bench, animated with his hand outstretched, and Joseph listens to him in rapt attention. The workbench and work are briefly forgotten as Joseph is focused on the Lord. I set up a small container where I place any pennies I find.  I feel that these gifts are given to me, but then I can turn around and donate it back. After some time, these coins add up, and I donate them to charity.

This is a visual sign of an invisible truth. Faith is invisible but has such an impact on our lives. I know some people think that having a statue, a cross, or even a picture depicting a religious scene is idolatry which the old testament warns us about. And, if I had a statue of Baal or Budda, I would agree with you, but I don’t.

I believe in the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, the lineage of David and Jesus, the true Lord and Messiah. My God is a God of infinite love and mercy. I want reminders of Bible verses and religious scenes.

Maybe picking up pennies seems silly to you. But it is a small gesture and reminds me about so things that are spiritually important. My shortlist would include the following:

Maybe your list looks different, and I have a much longer list, but the purpose here is to give you the overall idea–which is looking at your day, each day, and seeing the gift that God has for you. No matter what happens, we can turn to the Lord and thank Him. What is that penny you have stepped over and ignored in your life? What is it that seems insignificant but holds bigger value?

I feel blessed in many ways, not because I live in a castle, am royalty, or am a multi-billionaire. I am blessed because my eyes have been opened like Saul on the road to Damascus, and the Lord has called me by name.

In Acts 9:1-20 We read the entire account of Saul – but here is the first part (Read on air).

We later read in the following verses that Ananais also receives a vision from the Lord, and he says, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord tells him specifically where to go and that he will find Saul of Tarsus. Ananias knows how he is – Saul has been harming the Christians in Jerusalem, and he reminds the Lord of this. Let me stop here – doesn’t that strike you as ironic? Here is a man with a vision from God; he is conversing with the Lord, yet he is reminding him of something that the Lord already knows!

The Lord says to him, in verses 15-16  (Read on air.)

I am sure Ananias was fearful, but he went, laid hands on him, saying verses 17-20 (Read On Air.)

Saul thought he was doing the right thing, he thought he was doing the will of God, but God showed him that he wasn’t and purged him into the three days of darkness. It was a false belief – which makes me think, what false beliefs do I harbor that I need to dispel? Is it simple, like the value of finding a coin on the ground, or is it deeper in understanding that the God we serve is loving and kind but also righteous?

God restores our belief daily if we let him. Your challenge this week is to look at those little things as gifts from heaven, whether it is a penny found or something more!

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Ruth #7 Transformed by Grace

If your life needs transformation, consider reading the Book of Ruth, where God powerfully transforms each character  and wants to do the same for you. God’s faithfulness can bring triumph out of tragedies, restoration from waywardness, and blessing out of loss. Join us today as we conclude our series on the Book of Ruth.

Finding Joy in Tough Times is a seven-part series. Today, we will cover these points. (Scroll down for the podcast.)

Seven Part Series Finding Joy In Tough Times

Karen offers Cup of JOY Women or  Cup of JOY Gathering,  which include  FREE study guides to accompany every podcast in each series: Finding JOY, A Joy-filled Advent, Esther for This Time: Joyful Reversals, Nehemiah & Rebuilding Hope, Joyful & Battle Ready,  Ruth & Finding Joy in Tough Times  W  or  WRAP Yourself in Scripture.  Sign up at Karen’s Website.

The post Finding Joy in Tough Times ~ Transformed By God’s Grace ~ Ruth #7 appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.