Coffee & Then Some

Standing in line to buy a cup a coffee, the customer in front of me at the counter inquired about buying a gift card. 'Do you have envelopes for the gift cards' asked the customer.

The person at the register was new and had no idea. Another employee said they did and politely responded to the customer accordingly.

An interesting comment was made during the exchange between the two employees. The more experienced coffee Barista said, 'Be the Customer, look through their eyes, what do you see?'

I got my coffle as expected, but left with more than I went in for.

Can we use our eyes to see what Jesus sees, to be what He is, make the world a better place by utilizing His love through our arms?

Enjoy your coffee today. Leave your worries at the foot of the Cross. His plan will work through you today.

Grace & Peace

Tim

I Saw What I Saw

Please folow this link to view a video which has music by Sara Groves. The name of the song is 'I Saw What I Saw'.

Where did Courage take Jesus? Where will it take you today, and tomorrow?

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=7397332bc60e839d7897&msg=Your%20email%20has%20been%20successfully%20sent%20to%20your%20friend.

Grace & Peace

Tim

Love First - Win Second

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Colossians 3:23-24

As we serve Christ, let us keep our eyes and ears open for His voice. He is constantly calling. Are we always listening?

Saturday night, bed time on Lincolnwood Drive. Katie pulls a book out of the drawer that is similar to Where's Waldo. Find the pictures hidden on the page. This particular book was Winnie the Pooh. She had me beat on every page. One page in particular, she was off her game and didn't not find as many as her Dad.

I told her 'I won'. I keep thinking about her response. 'Daddy, it's not about winning, it's about loving'.

If we can love eachother as Christ loves us, we all win.


Tim

Work the Plan

If you can’t ask God to make you a success at what you’re doing, you should be doing something else. God doesn't want you to waste your life.

We come from many backgrounds and families, we all do what we do to make a living and support our families.

We must also support our Spiritual life through prayer, communication, and action with God and our families.

Keep Planning the Work, and Work the Plan

Peace

Tim

The Son & The Water

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

For some reason, all the children in 4th, 3rd, and 2nd Grade in our Parish received the Sacrament of Reconciliation this year. I did not bother asking why it was so early, I just went along with it. There comes a point in the ceremony when the child and the parents walk back to the Baptismal Waters and recite a prayer. We presented Joey with a cross on a chain and we blessed it. While Sue and I read the prayer together, I got caught off guard when reading some of the words. "At Baptism, you were blessed with water. Today, we bless this cross that Jesus may keep you safe, until you return to Him in eternal salvation.'

It has been 9 months since my father passed away. He looked forward to eternal salvation. I know he is happy. But I just was not ready to read it to our son, but I did because I knew it was the right thing to do.

I woke early today as a trip to the grocery store was in order. Yes, little Katie got the stomach flu last night. Every hour on the hour, my wife, a Saint at times like these, got up to comfort her. Driving East on Central Street towards Dominick's, the sun rise over the lake today was beautiful. The sun reflected off the small puffy clouds that seemed endless. The sun never ended.

Driving to work today, I put the two scenes together. Our relationship with Jesus is endless. He wants us near Him. The Sacrament, although earlier than usual, brings us closer to Christ, which is always a good thing.

The Son is also endless. We don't have to be near a lake to see Him. He is in every day, wherever we are.


Grace & Peace

Tim

JOY

JOY comes by putting Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last.

We all have certain responsibilities in life that must be accomplished everyday. Work, School, Travel, Sports, Family, and Church.

The common thread through all of them is JOY. Think about it, and let yourself wonder in the possibilities what can happen when you let go, and let Jesus take your burden and control in your life.


Grace & Peace

Tim

Filling Up Your Tank

“Don’t worry about anything. Instead pray about everything” (Philippians 4:6)

Life is not easy for anyone. In these uncertain economic times, stress can certainly increase beyond our ability to handle it.

It is easy to say 'Don't worry about anything', but we are human and it's in our nature to worry.

However, the more we fill our mind with prayer and thought with a Christ centered life, the less room there is for other things. When you talk to God today, ask Him to fill your tank up. It won't cost a dime. Refills are free too.


Stay Warm

Tim

Marley & Jesus

Many people enjoy their pets, and this year we joined the list of those who have a Dog in the house. We found Rufus in a shelter on Irving Park Road in Chicago in the Fall of 2008.

While watching late night television this week, a commercial came on for the movie, Marley & Me. We have not taken the kids to see the movie yet, but it's on our list of things to do. During the TV advertisement, someone says, 'A Dog does not care if you are rich or poor. If you give your heart, he'll give one back in return.'

While we love our Rufus, and as Christian's, we also love Jesus. The same rules apply with Him as well.

Give your heart to Jesus, and He will give you His heart in return.


Grace & Peace

Tim

God at Work

I truly beleive that God works through all of us. We don't know the all the reasons why, or how the entire portrait of our lives is put together, but we are all together for a reason. We are the Body of Christ. Each of us has a unique ability and gift to make this life and this world a better place.

The following link shows the life of a man which is extremely inspirational, motivational, and real. I encourage you to copy and paste the link into your web browser, watch the 5 minute video, and then ask yourself again - how bad is today? Can you get up and face the challenge in front of you? Can you make a difference today?

www.4marks.com/videos/details.html?video_id=723

God is calling all of us. Allow Him to Work through you.

Grace & Peace

Tim

The Sending Place

The church shouldn't just be a meeting for Christians; it ought to be a sending place for Christians.

Every time we enter into mass, we are called to the hear Christ's Word. We are invited to celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion and we are filled with the Spirit. Every time we leave mass, we are given a blessing as we return to start a new day or week.

We and not just walking out of church, but we are sent forth to do His work in our families, in our neighborhoods, with the homeless, and with the person checking our groceries as Dominick's.

We are blessed. Make joyful noise to the Lord. Whatever you give Him, will be replenished in full.


Grace & Peace

Tim

The Birthday Table

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Hebrews 10:24-25

There is excitement in the Patton House again as Joey celebrates his 8th Birthday. Leaving for work this morning, I walked into his room to slip in a kiss, he was sleeping. His big brother Timmy decorated the room with Red and Blue streamers. It was not something I expected to see. It had to take some time. Streamers over the door, the bed rail, the window, and the ceiling of the room. But Timmy is like that, he goes the extra mile to help people feel good about themselves. The love between the kids is fun to watch (when you can see it) as it continues to develop.

Walking downstairs to make lunches for the kids, I could see that Sue had decorated the Birthday Table with wrapped gifts, pictures, and a special table cloth that her Grandmother had sewn many years ago. It will be a fun day for all.

Take moments in your life to celebrate the love that God has given to your family.

It makes the snow go away!

Grace & Peace

Tim

Linus Said.....

It feels like Christmas outside today. Christmas is special because of all the traditions we have embedded into our lives. Over the Holidays, we were watching Charlie Brown Christmas for the umpteenth time, and Linus quotes the Gospel...

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Luke 2:11-12

How many times have we heard this Gospel? The Savior has been born for you.

Jesus was born for all of us. My relationship with Him must be one and one, but it must also be shared with the world.
When you internalize His love for you, all you can do is smile and return the love to others.

Grace & Peace

Tim

The Servant

Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Mark 10:43


The world defines greatness in terms of power, obsessions, prestige, and position. If you can demand service from others, you’ve arrived. In our self-serving culture with its me-first mentality, acting like a servant is not a popular concept.

Jesus, however, measured greatness in terms of service, not status.


God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many people serve you.


Whatever we do and wherever we are, the opportunity will present itself today. Housewives, Mothers, Bus Drivers, Lawyers, Nurses, Doctors, Office Workers, Teachers, Fathers, and Children.

Let us serve one another in His name. One moment at a time.



Grace & Peace



Tim

You Don't Always Get What You Want

Now I really rejoice when something does not go as I wish - because I see that He wants our trust - that is why we should praise God as if we have got everything.

Things don't always work out the want them to. We never get want completely. Are we disappointed? It is easy to be dissapointed when we fail. The above quote from Mother Theresa puts things in perspective quite a bit. Give your failures to God, He can work miracles with them.

Grace & Peace

Tim

20 + C + M + B + 09

Take down the tree. Wrap up the decorations. Clean the needles from the floor. Send the kids back to school. We are all in the Post Holiday reality today that means we grind through the next few months and pray for no sickness in the house and fair weather. Can Spring Break get here fast enough?

I was not looking forward to getting up today. At 4 AM, I heard Katie stir in her bed, and talking in her sleep, she said, 'Good Morning God'. She was dreaming, and went back to sleep.

As I lay silent, and thoughts entered my consciousness, I recalled the Feast Day of the Three Kings. At St. Athanasius, the Pastor uses a stick of chalk and writes 20 + C + M + B + 09.

on the stone archway near the entrance to the church. It reminds us that we, like the three kings, are on a pilgrimage to spread the good news of Jesus through the world. Wherever we are, the Love of Christ remains in our hearts and lives.

We are called to continue the Good News of Christmas.


Grace & Peace

Tim

Ready or Not - Here He Comes

Growing up as kids, we spent a lot of time outside and one of the games that would come at as the street lights turned on was hide and go seek. Count to ten and scream - 'Ready or not , here I come'. There was always spot on the block that was a 'free' zone. If you reached that particular location before being tagged, you were safe.

Another year has passed and 2009 is welcomed by all of us.

God wants us in the game.

God is not necessarily looking for ability, He is looking for availability.

All things are possible with Christ. Be available to Him, and let His spirit and love guide you through each day.


Grace & Peace

Tim

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Happy New Year

The Alarm on my wife's radio is set to music at 5 AM everyday. I also have an alarm clock on my side of the bed, and we both ignore them and keep hitting the snooze button. This morning, Sue was dialed into ESPN Sports Radio. I didn't know she was such a sports fan, but I enjoyed the talk show coming across the airwaves. All radio and television shows this day and next will focus on those who have left us this year. And that is was they started talking about - what famous sports greats had died this past year.. I hit the snooze button and got out of bed. Lot's of people have died this past year, I did not want to hear about the famous ones. To me, all of our loved ones who have left this world to live with Jesus are famous.


Live your life in the promise of eternal salvation, do God's work, and live forever in heaven. That qualifies for famous.

The morning continued. After writing a few checks and eating breakfast, Rufus needed to go for a walk. Just before reaching the mailbox at Ewing and Central, I took a slip and fall crossing the street. Rising up to my feet, a motorist asked if I was OK. I think so, some may argue differently, so I told the motorist that it was all good.

At the same corner as the mail box, which is across the street from Blockbuster, is the one and only Heaven Meets Earth Yoga studio. Once again, I went window shopping and read a lot of the things that Lisa places in her shop. One sign in particular caught my eye:

May the Long Time Sun Shine upon you

All Love surround you

And the pure light within you Guide your way

As we enter the new year, we will stumble and fall once in a while. Nothing is ever perfect. But the one constant in our life is the Son of God. The Pure Light of Jesus is within all of us, and He is waiting to Guide us every step of the way. Open your heart to his love, be filled with the Spirit, and create your little piece of Heaven right here on Earth. We can do it. Let the Light in.


Grace & Peace

Tim

From My Cubicle to Yours

One of the convenient things about work these days is the ability to report to remote locations and 'Hotel'. Not reporting to your exact location, but logging in from a location closer to home, and getting the work done without the hassle of traffic and weather delays. Conference calls, Speaker phones, and Cell phones are constantly providing feed and noise at the remote locations, but it is convenient.

While I am not too nosy (at least I think so), I did hear someone talking about a gift he received from his sister. It was a knife to cut the hard plastic wrapping off of the toys that are often given to children. The gadget even came with batteries. He was amazed at how good it was and said that he could not live without it; he said 'it makes his life so much easier.'

Lots of things make our life better, but it all starts with allowing ourselves to know the Creator and His plans for us.

Start your day with prayer and reflection, cut right through the plastic, and get to God as fast as you can. You can't live without it, and it will make you're life so much better.

No reward for being first, it's just a good place to be.


Grace & Peace

Tim

The Christmas Ornament

From the Chronicles of life on Lincolnwood Drive in Evanston comes a story of disappointment and hope.

A neighbor who who is a great guy, always puts up a rather large Christmas tree in his home. After the tree was put up, his wife continued to decorate the tree with a collection of antique ornaments, some which were over 100 years old.

I heard the news one day prior to Christmas that the tree had fallen down and one third of the glass ornaments had been destroyed. Quit naturally, the family was very sad over the loss of the ornaments. They were irreplaceable.

A week later, there was a knock at the door. A friend, someone that this homeowner knew as an acquaintance from pre-school, walked in with a box of spare ornaments. In the box, were duplicates of the ornaments that had been broken days earlier. The ornaments were then given - no strings attached.

The story was very touching and the ending could not be better.

Whenever we are broken and disappointed, Jesus is waiting for us to talk with Him in prayer. The burden that we carry will be lifted from our heart - no strings attached.

Grace & Peace

Tim

The Baby & The Manger

May the peace and love of the new baby Jesus be with you.

So much effort goes into this one day, by so many people, and I just wanted to share life at the 4 PM Children's Mass from St. Athanasius Church in Evanston with you.

The Church is busy with activity 1 hour before the mass begins. The Children's Choir arrives, and parents start filling up the seats. It becomes a Standing Room Only Crowd by 4 PM. The Gospel reading for the Children's mass is read by Fr. Tom, and the play is acted out by the children of the parish. Joseph, Mary, Angels, Shepard's, and The Three Kings are all present. Every costume is unique. A bathrobe, a towel over the head, a rope, a belt, home made wings, store bought wings, and the traditional costumes provided by the Religious Education Office. As the play is winding down, I could see so many parents taking pictures and waving to their children on the altar. The children were waving back too.

It is during this time in the mass that the baby Jesus is placed in the Manger on the altar. A young girl sitting near us, maybe 4 or 5 years old, walked up to the altar as Fr. Tom was deep in the ritual of the mass, and she stood at the Manger looking at the scenery. She proceeded to reach in and grab one of the animals and hold it over her head as she looked back at the congregation. She placed the animals back in the manger and returned excitedly to her seat, with a huge smile on her face.

Wrapping presents that night with my wife, I could not help but reflect on the mass. In addition to the significance of Christmas, take time to wave hello to Jesus as you continue your holiday traditions this week and next. Jesus is waiting to wave back at you.

And like the little girl who walked up the the Manger, do not be afraid to grab hold of your faith and show it to the world.

We are stronger when we gather in His name.



Grace & Peace

Tim

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

What you do every day makes a difference in someone's life. We leave a trace of ourselves on everyone we encounter , no matter how brief we are there. Be open to every situation and find your purpose. The Holiday weekend will present many opportunities to bring Jesus to all we meet.

Before the snow started falling this year, I found myself playing a game of basketball in the alley with the kids after work. We did lay ups, jump shots, and Papa shots. A Papa shot is standing 6 feet from the basket, with your back facing the hoop. Bending backwards, you launch the ball toward the rim. I tried several times, to no avail. Joey walked up and drops the first attempt in - with his tongue hanging out of his mouth for good measure.

As I laid down in bed that particular evening, our bed was made, and there was two drawings from Joey on my pillow. He wrote 'Joe & Dad" on each one. And on each one, he drew a huge picture of the Sun in the upper right corner of the page.

I keep thinking back to the Sun on those pictures. I am hoping that while our children remember the sunny days in their life, the also remember that the Son of God is what makes it all possible.

It is what we do everyday that makes this connection possible. It is who we are as the family of Christ.

Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Have a wonderful and blessed day with those you love. Memories will last for a lifetime.

Grace & Peace


Tim

Miracles Happen

The recent weekend storm has brought snow, ice, and high winds everywhere. It has been difficult to navigate the streets, stores, and complete the shopping.

Sledding at Lovelace Park in Evanston was on the agenda for Saturday evening. The Park was dim, the Christmas Lights on the homes surrounding the park were lit, and the snow blowers could be heard in the distance.

The hill was not too busy and the snow was falling softly. Katie kept on saying it was a miracle to be out sledding. It felt great to be outside having fun.

As the evening was about to end, Katie was walking up the hill for the last time. While walking up, another saucer was moving right towards her. I yelled, but she was hit and cut down to the ground instantly. I gasped, I knew she was hurt.

Running down the hill to meet her, she jumped up, and started walking up the hill again. She was talking with the woman that knocked her over. No crying and no tears were a good thing. She started a conversation saying she was alright. Her conversation continued. 'I'm OK. I'm Katie Patton - you can call me Kate the Great. I'm here with my two brothers, and I have a dog named Rufus.'

Today, I keep thinking about how lucky we were last week.

The Miracle was God who walked along Katie as she traveled up the hill.

The same God walks with all of us as we face our hills everyday. When we think it's tough, we are not alone. We never are.


Grace & Peace

Tim

Seeing & Beleiving

We have heard it said before that Seeing is Believing. Do you believe that Believing is Seeing?

Can we Believe in the Promise of Christ so much that we actually See it? We are waiting here on the other side of the Gates of Heaven. Can we see the Promise of Christ in each other.

I Believe we can.



Keep the Faith

Tim

The Birthday List

It was a quick dinner table conversation between three of the children who were excitedly eating a pizza from Barnaby's. Who was coming on Sunday for Timmy's Birthday Dinner.

Katie said it was Omi & Opi, Nana & Papa. Joe said it Nana would be coming by herself.

I listened as Katie said it again. Papa is still coming, his spirit will be here.

There are many days we will all must get up and move on - missing those who have left this life - in exchange for a front row seat with Jesus. But we are never alone.

Shortly after our father died in April of this past year, a friend gave me the following quote written by St. John Cantus: 'He whom you have loved and lost is no longer where he was, he is, wherever you are'.

We live our entire lives celebrating the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He died for us so that we may have eternal life. As Christians we seek to live and follow in the footsteps of Christ. He is alive. He is with us wherever we go.

How natural it is to believe that Papa is coming for the Birthday Dinner tonight.

Grace & Peace

Tim

http://wwwfaithworkscom.blogspot.com/

Introducing Jesus

We introduce Jesus to everybody we meet by our actions and words. He is everything we are. We celebrate the birth of the Christ in 5 days. If you had the opportunity to introduce Jesus to someone that had never heard of him before, how would you do it? What would you say?

I found a very passionate introduction given by Steve Harvey at http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=905620397b19c9d24978.

Keep telling your story. We are the Body of Christ.

Grace & Peace

Tim

When Does Christmas Begin

The annual Christmas Show at St. Athanasius School in Evanston was center stage last night. 350 students gather on the stage and 400 or so parents and grandparents crowded the gym in anticipation of the children. It is never a disappointment.

This was our 10th Show at St. A's, with 9 more to go. Some families have been there for 27 years, 36 years, and 42 years. Children smiled with pride as they perform on stage. You can see it in there eyes. Parents taking pictures and movies also were smiling with pride. After a lot of hard work, Christmas Day will come and go. Family Memories will be made that we will cherish for many years to come.

One of the lines I heard spoken at the performance was: "The real work of Christmas begins when the Shepards return to the Fields." How true that is. We have to embrace the life and the message of the baby Jesus. Live the Faith.

"Christmas isn't Christmas until it happens in your Heart"

Grace & PeaceTim