Jesus is often misunderstood, misquoted, and accused of being misguided, missing the point, and simply missing from the crisis of life. I know because I have often been missing a connection to the true and one Jesus the Christ, the good Shepherd, the Savior of the world. To follow Jesus means to be a life long learner, to dedicate time to study, to pray , to connect. I am often guilty of ignoring my spiritual life, in the name of getting stuff done. How can I really be an effective witness in my getting stuff done if I am not grounded in the mission and call of God? Well, I can find all kinds of reasons, I got up too late, I ran out of time, I have an appointment, something urgent came up. All of these excuses and more keep me from going deeper in my faith journey. I have renewed my vow and promise to God to make sure I start each day with devotional time. I wonder what I will discover? Dear God, thank you for you abundant love and wisdom, I pray for those in the world who need care, for those who die needlessly, those who are in pain. I dedicate myself to being an instrument of your care and concern, and open myself to your Holy Spirit to guide me in all the tasks of this day, Amen