After almost two weeks of constant cloudiness I saw the sun again today. It was like greeting an old friend that I hadn’t seen in years. It lit up not only the sky and the Earth but my soul as well.
I smiled towards the Heavens and thanked God for this beautiful sight. I knew too that it was just one of the million ways that God says, “I love you” to us everyday. In fact, if I started writing on all the ways that God lets us know just how much He loves us then I would never stop. I would like to share just a few of them with you here, though.
There are those unexpected hugs from our kids, that shining light in another’s eyes when they love you, the laughter of a child, a puppy licking your hand, a kitten purring on your lap, a new baby’s smile, and the first songs of the birds in the Spring.
There are also the delightful smells of Spring flowers and Fall leaves, plus warm sweaters, warm hearts, and hot chocolate on cold, Winter days. Let’s not forget either inspiring books, encouraging words, beautiful music, and the peace that prayer brings.
We are also blessed with caring friends, good-hearted neighbors, and compassionate strangers who bring us comfort in times of need. Then we have all those obstacles that make us steer off the wrong road and onto the right path as well as all those problems that make us stronger, better, and more loving people.
God’s wondrous love flows through all of these things and through our own hearts and souls as well.
That is why I find the best way to start any day is to say, “I love you too dear God and I thank you for my life here.”
God loves us all so much. He says it in a million ways everyday of our lives. His love is all around us and within us as well. His love watches over us in this life and His love promises us an even greater life to come. His love and the joy it brings are His gifts to us. Let’s make them our gifts to each other as well.
~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~
Showing posts with label Joseph Mazzella. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joseph Mazzella. Show all posts
5/27/09
Faith by Joseph Mazzella
"What does faith feel like?" That was the question a friend sent me in a letter the other day. As I was thinking about how to answer him a single memory kept coming back into my mind. I was 5 years old and very sick. The doctors told my Mom that my tonsils were swollen, infected, and needed to come out. Surgery was scheduled for the next day and I spent the night in the hospital with my Mom sitting at my bedside. She told me gently not to be scared, that she was there for me and would be right here when I woke up after the operation.
The next morning the nurses gave me something to sleep before surgery and the last thing I remembered before going under was seeing my Mom’s smiling face. That is until I suddenly woke up to find myself surrounded by strange adults wearing masks. I had come to just before the operation was to begin. My young heart was filled with terror and I sat straight up and screamed "Mommy!" as loud as my painful throat possibly could. The next thing I remembered was seeing my Mom’s loving smile again in the recovery room. She held my hand, whispered words of comfort, and brought me a bowl of ice cream. Even though my throat still hurt I wasn’t scared anymore. I felt loved and everything seemed right with the world again.
That is what faith feels like to me. It is feeling loved, cared for, and watched over. It is knowing that no matter how painful or scary life gets you need only to call out to God and He will be there for you. It is having the gentle touch of His hand on your spirit and the loving whisper of His voice in your heart. It is even enjoying the delicious, ice cream filled days of happiness that He gives you here. Most of all, though, it is knowing that you are His Child. Your Heavenly Father loves you joyously, powerfully, and perfectly. Have faith in His love then. Rejoice in your birthright. And share your love with the world.
~ Joseph Mazzella ~
The next morning the nurses gave me something to sleep before surgery and the last thing I remembered before going under was seeing my Mom’s smiling face. That is until I suddenly woke up to find myself surrounded by strange adults wearing masks. I had come to just before the operation was to begin. My young heart was filled with terror and I sat straight up and screamed "Mommy!" as loud as my painful throat possibly could. The next thing I remembered was seeing my Mom’s loving smile again in the recovery room. She held my hand, whispered words of comfort, and brought me a bowl of ice cream. Even though my throat still hurt I wasn’t scared anymore. I felt loved and everything seemed right with the world again.
That is what faith feels like to me. It is feeling loved, cared for, and watched over. It is knowing that no matter how painful or scary life gets you need only to call out to God and He will be there for you. It is having the gentle touch of His hand on your spirit and the loving whisper of His voice in your heart. It is even enjoying the delicious, ice cream filled days of happiness that He gives you here. Most of all, though, it is knowing that you are His Child. Your Heavenly Father loves you joyously, powerfully, and perfectly. Have faith in His love then. Rejoice in your birthright. And share your love with the world.
~ Joseph Mazzella ~
A Loving Thought by ~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~
A Loving Thought
Here is my new article. It is about a loving thought that helped me change the course of my life. I hope that you enjoy it. Wishing you every joy . . .
George Macdonald wrote that "If instead of a gem or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give."
I can remember one of the first loving thoughts that was cast into my own heart and the angel who placed it there. I was a young boy and my parents, brothers, and I were spending the afternoon at the home of a family friend. This friend was the hymn leader at our church as well as the music teacher at my grade school. I remember I used to sit and listen to her play songs on her guitar for hours at a time.
On this day my dad was outside once again working his mechanic magic or her ailing, old car. My mom was setting up a picnic for everyone and my brothers were in the yard playing. I was inside talking with our friend and listening to her sweet music. I don’t remember exactly what we were talking about, but I do remember at one point her saying, "Joe, for someone so young you already understand a lot about life."
That loving thought made a home in my heart that day. Before it I never cared much about understanding life, but just as a seed grows into a flower those kind words by that caring angel awakened a desire in me to understand as much as I could about life and living. It helped me start a journey that is still going on today.
That gem of an idea that I could really understand what life was all about and that I could live my life as it was meant to be lived shined in my soul and kept me searching, learning, and growing. That loving thought led me through pain, sorrow, and back home to God again. It led me to writing, sharing, and who I am today. It led me to the knowledge that God is love, that life is joy, and that we are all here to love and help each other.
I hope you cast the gift of a few loving thoughts yourself today then. Why let the angels have all the fun?
~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~
Here is my new article. It is about a loving thought that helped me change the course of my life. I hope that you enjoy it. Wishing you every joy . . .
George Macdonald wrote that "If instead of a gem or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give."
I can remember one of the first loving thoughts that was cast into my own heart and the angel who placed it there. I was a young boy and my parents, brothers, and I were spending the afternoon at the home of a family friend. This friend was the hymn leader at our church as well as the music teacher at my grade school. I remember I used to sit and listen to her play songs on her guitar for hours at a time.
On this day my dad was outside once again working his mechanic magic or her ailing, old car. My mom was setting up a picnic for everyone and my brothers were in the yard playing. I was inside talking with our friend and listening to her sweet music. I don’t remember exactly what we were talking about, but I do remember at one point her saying, "Joe, for someone so young you already understand a lot about life."
That loving thought made a home in my heart that day. Before it I never cared much about understanding life, but just as a seed grows into a flower those kind words by that caring angel awakened a desire in me to understand as much as I could about life and living. It helped me start a journey that is still going on today.
That gem of an idea that I could really understand what life was all about and that I could live my life as it was meant to be lived shined in my soul and kept me searching, learning, and growing. That loving thought led me through pain, sorrow, and back home to God again. It led me to writing, sharing, and who I am today. It led me to the knowledge that God is love, that life is joy, and that we are all here to love and help each other.
I hope you cast the gift of a few loving thoughts yourself today then. Why let the angels have all the fun?
~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~
What you can take with you by ~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~
What You Can Take With You
I stopped at a local convenience store the other day to fill up my gas tank before heading back home. After pumping the gas I headed in, grabbed a pack of gum, and got in line to pay.
In the front of the line was a tired looking woman, holding a toddler in her arms. Behind her and just in front of me was an older man with white hair and a white shirt. He smiled kindly at me and patiently waited while the woman struggled to hold her child while she counted out change with her free hand.
She searched twice in her pocket book but still didn’t have enough money to pay for the two gallons of milk she had brought to the counter. I could see her lips tremble and her eyes moisten as she apologized and picked up one of the gallons to take back.
It was then that the older man stopped her. With a gentle smile he told the cashier that he would pay for the milk. The look of relief on the poor woman’s face touched my heart. She thanked the older man while he smiled again and said not to worry about it. As she exited the store I could see that her eyes were still moist, but this time the tears were for a different reason.
As he paid for her milk and his own items the white haired angel in disguise smiled at me one last time. Then as he was walking out of the store he gave me a wink and said, "You can’t take it with you, you know."
What he said is true. You won’t need any pockets for the clothes you are buried in. Every dime you have made in this world has only been a loan for you to use for a short time. Still, there are a few things that the white haired gentleman and all of us will be taking with us when we do go to our final home.
Every look of relief that we bring to another will go with us as will every bit of love we share and kindness we do. Every moment of learning and joy will come with us as well. And every smile that we bring to God’s face will be waiting for us when we get there.
~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~
I stopped at a local convenience store the other day to fill up my gas tank before heading back home. After pumping the gas I headed in, grabbed a pack of gum, and got in line to pay.
In the front of the line was a tired looking woman, holding a toddler in her arms. Behind her and just in front of me was an older man with white hair and a white shirt. He smiled kindly at me and patiently waited while the woman struggled to hold her child while she counted out change with her free hand.
She searched twice in her pocket book but still didn’t have enough money to pay for the two gallons of milk she had brought to the counter. I could see her lips tremble and her eyes moisten as she apologized and picked up one of the gallons to take back.
It was then that the older man stopped her. With a gentle smile he told the cashier that he would pay for the milk. The look of relief on the poor woman’s face touched my heart. She thanked the older man while he smiled again and said not to worry about it. As she exited the store I could see that her eyes were still moist, but this time the tears were for a different reason.
As he paid for her milk and his own items the white haired angel in disguise smiled at me one last time. Then as he was walking out of the store he gave me a wink and said, "You can’t take it with you, you know."
What he said is true. You won’t need any pockets for the clothes you are buried in. Every dime you have made in this world has only been a loan for you to use for a short time. Still, there are a few things that the white haired gentleman and all of us will be taking with us when we do go to our final home.
Every look of relief that we bring to another will go with us as will every bit of love we share and kindness we do. Every moment of learning and joy will come with us as well. And every smile that we bring to God’s face will be waiting for us when we get there.
~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~
The Walk by ~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~
The Walk
Did you ever have one of those dreams that seemed to go on forever? I had one like that last night. I was walking down an old, side road that I used to walk along as a teenager. I wasn’t quite sure where I was headed, but I felt very determined to get there. Like in many dreams time seemed fluid and people seemed ageless.
As I walked along I kept meeting people from both my past and my present. I saw both my Mom and my Grandma who have passed away and was able to give them both one more hug. I ran into many childhood friends and we talked, joked, and laughed just like we were kids again.
Still, I kept walking hoping to reach wherever I was headed. Around every curve, though, there was something new. I saw strangers in need and stopped to help them. I found ancient books and gemstones along the side of the road and shared them with others. I met a smiling, old man who happily shared his life’s wisdom with me and then I lovingly passed it on to young children further down the road.
With every few steps it seemed there was a fresh adventure in learning and love. I never did get where I was going and woke up feeling like I had lived a lifetime in a single night. It bothered me for a bit that I never did reach where I was headed but then I realized that this dream was a lot like our years here. Maybe we are not supposed to reach where we are going, at least not in this life. Maybe it is the walk that matters.
As you walk through this life don’t keep your eyes so far down the road that you miss what is right in front of you. Life is a journey of joy. Life is a journey of learning. Life is a journey of love. Take God’s hand then and delight in every step you take. You will meet a lot of wonderful people and go through a lot of interesting experiences. And you might just want to reach out your hand and help up a few hurting hearts who stumble along the way.
~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~
Did you ever have one of those dreams that seemed to go on forever? I had one like that last night. I was walking down an old, side road that I used to walk along as a teenager. I wasn’t quite sure where I was headed, but I felt very determined to get there. Like in many dreams time seemed fluid and people seemed ageless.
As I walked along I kept meeting people from both my past and my present. I saw both my Mom and my Grandma who have passed away and was able to give them both one more hug. I ran into many childhood friends and we talked, joked, and laughed just like we were kids again.
Still, I kept walking hoping to reach wherever I was headed. Around every curve, though, there was something new. I saw strangers in need and stopped to help them. I found ancient books and gemstones along the side of the road and shared them with others. I met a smiling, old man who happily shared his life’s wisdom with me and then I lovingly passed it on to young children further down the road.
With every few steps it seemed there was a fresh adventure in learning and love. I never did get where I was going and woke up feeling like I had lived a lifetime in a single night. It bothered me for a bit that I never did reach where I was headed but then I realized that this dream was a lot like our years here. Maybe we are not supposed to reach where we are going, at least not in this life. Maybe it is the walk that matters.
As you walk through this life don’t keep your eyes so far down the road that you miss what is right in front of you. Life is a journey of joy. Life is a journey of learning. Life is a journey of love. Take God’s hand then and delight in every step you take. You will meet a lot of wonderful people and go through a lot of interesting experiences. And you might just want to reach out your hand and help up a few hurting hearts who stumble along the way.
~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~
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