Oh Danny Boy – A Tribute to My Bro

Family privacy agreements prevent me from disclosing much more than a tribute here in this story.  All I can say is that I'm really proud of my brother, Danny, who was named after this song.  I really didn't know the meaning behind the song until one of the singers on stage shared the background before performing in front of our pilgrimage group.

Irish families were broken apart when so many fled in search of a way to survive during the famine.  Those who were left behind knew they would probably never see each other again.  This song is a message from Ireland to the immigrants.  While there is hope for a return it is most probably to visit the grave site.  If you can imagine in your mind what it must have been like to say goodbye when these families departed, you may begin to feel what the Irish felt.  This song is for you, my brother.  Have a great day.

What are You Most Afraid of?

Do you suffer from nightmares?  Are you afraid to fly?  Do you find yourself worrying all the time?  Are you afraid of death?  If you're like me, there may be something gnawing inside your head that could be fear-based.  I thought about this while on a pilgrimage to Ireland.  The bus driver shared stories about Ireland's past and present.  It seems that the Irish have almost always had good reason to be afraid.  They suffered fear of religious persecution from their British kings next door to the Emerald Isle.  They lost all their food in a potato famine.  They lost their land when the English kicked them out of their homes.  Now they are dealing with skyrocketing electric bills that they may not be able to afford.  

Take a moment and ponder what may be causing you to lose sleep.  Make a list of all your fears.  Once you're done, consider which fear is the most challenging.  I'm going to share how I keep my fears in check hoping that this may help you reduce your stress levels.

The first time my wife and I sat next to each other on a flight she squeezed my hand so hard my knuckles turned white during takeoff.  She overcame her fear of flying by doing the very thing that made her afraid...flying.  She graduated from this fear by flying across the Atlantic to visit Ireland.  No alcohol.  No anxiety pills.  Not even hand holding as we were seated on opposite sides of the plane.  

My top way to fight fear is to recognize there is an almighty Creator who loves us so much that when we believe and follow this Creator there's really nothing to fear, not even death.  Why?  Because I believe there's something after we are laid to rest.  It's eternal life.

If you happen to be a believer and you aren't living your life properly, maybe you're afraid of eternity in Hell.  That's a legitimate fear.  If you're looking for a solution, don't blow your opportunity to be in Heaven forever because you haven't turned your life over to God.  Follow Jesus, love others, and you're all set.  No worries.

If you made it this far in the story, I'm sharing a bonus with you today.  It's my biggest fear – judgement day.  Why am I afraid of this day?  Because I believe my job here is to share all the good that Jesus is doing in my life to help you turn to him.  Yesterday I shared in my sheep story that Jesus leaves the other 99 to find the lost one.  Godincidently, that is the message our pastor shared yesterday in my house of worship.  How does Jesus find the one who is lost?  It's a mystery.  I have a gut feeling that my role is to assist with the gathering of the lost sheep.  Here's the fear:  I'm in front of Jesus and we're reviewing my life on earth.  Things seem to be going okay.  I turned my life over to him.  I worshiped regularly.  No false gods.  Confession when I got off track.Then Jesus does this silent pause during the examination.  He looks around as if to find someone standing next to me but you're not with me.  So, Jesus asks, "Where's  (insert your name here)?  

Gulp.  I blew it!  Maybe I didn't put enough of my heart into my stories about Jesus.  Perhaps I got too carried away with what's going on in the world and didn't spend enough time sharing about how Jesus can help you with anything when you follow him, like taking ALL your fears away.  

Maybe you can help me eliminate my worst fear.  Tell me, "Michael, stop worrying.  I'm in."  The last pointer I have is for you to check out the Bible.  Fear is mentioned 365 times.  That's one idea a day inspired by Heaven to help you have a maximized life.  If you don't mind, please share this story with a friend or two.  Have a great day.

What Kind of Sheep Are You?

 Today's story is in honor of my dad, Patrick Mulligan, who departed this world nearly 20 years ago at age 67.  He was born in the Midwest on Christmas day, the same day Jesus arrived over 2,000 years ago.  Dad often told us that he was the black sheep of the family of ten children.  

We visited a farm while on a pilgrimage in Ireland and the sole black sheep you see in the flock above reminded me of how dad referred to himself.  In my opinion, the way you perceive yourself can affect other family members, especially your offspring.  We had this dark cloud over us, especially after our parents divorced.  In a way, some of us in the flock also felt like black sheep.  As for me, I considered myself a lost sheep.

I want to give a shout out to mama sheep, the one who managed to raise the flock sans papa black sheep.  If it were up to me, I would put a halo on top of her head.  She is a humble as they come.  Mom prays unceasingly for her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, as well as all the other sheep of the world.  This includes white sheep, black sheep, lost sheep, purple sheep, or any other category of sheep you may feel like you fit into.  I'm writing this because I don't ever want my mother to look back and feel like she failed.  Got it, mom?  

I believe there is a reason Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God.  By the way, a lamb is a sheep under the age of one.  Jesus wanted to appear to us as one of our siblings rather than some out-of-touch mighty warrior.  Jesus chose to come into this world as someone we could relate to no matter how we see ourselves. My life changed when Jesus found me.  He leaves the other 99 to find the lost one.  He washes all his sheep in his blood so that we can all become white just like him.  Jesus cautions us not to judge any other sheep in his flock because that's not our role.  We are to behave like my mother behaves when it comes to other sheep we may not get along with.  We are to pray that these sheep who may be lost, hurt, angry, troubled, afraid, etc, to find the Lamb of God and live with God forever.

Before I conclude today, I would like to address those who don't know his voice yet.  I saw something really special during my time in Ireland.  It had to do with this place called Knock.  Talk to me the next time we are together and I will share in greater detail.  Knock is the place where there was a special apparition that remained for about two hours on August 21, 1879.  There are fifteen documented witnesses who observed a lamb on top of the altar below a cross.  Angels surrounded the altar.  Mary, Mother of God was off to the side.  Mary was surrounded by her husband, Joseph, and St. John who was holding a book.  In this book, John referred to Jesus as the Lamb of God.  The part that I want to add here is our pilgrim group attended mass in this chapel in Knock where the apparition was recreated in 3D.  Our spiritual leader on the pilgrimage held up a host directly beneath the image of the Lamb standing on the altar saying the words, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."  This Lamb of God died for you so that you can be free of anything holding you back.  That's where my dad is now.  He is no longer a black sheep.  Neither am I.  How about you?  What kind of sheep are you?  My prayer for you today is that you hear his voice and follow him.  You don't have to do anything special.  You don't earn your way to Heaven.  All you have to do is follow the Lamb of God.  He died for you.  You are a forgiven sheep.  God bless you.  Have a great day.

 

Fingers Released From Captivity in Ireland

 

Warning!  I kissed the blarney stone this week.  My storytelling may never be the same.  My ten fingers were released from writing captivity yesterday after ten days of incarceration in Ireland.  It's the longest they've ever been separated from my MacBook Pro where they routinely dance about the keyboard every morning before sunrise like the Irish dancers we saw while on our pilgrimage.  Incarceration is not new to me or my ancestors.  If it weren't for an act of God over 2,000 years ago, a certain disheveled character suspected to be from my bloodlines may have died in captivity in a cave where he dwelled.  You can read more about this ancestor in Luke 8:26-40.  Should you happen to find a copy of the Hebrew to Latin translation known as a Vulgate Bible, you will discover that this demoniac, once freed from the evil spirits, published all the good that Jesus had done for him.  The keyword in this rare version is the word publish as I suspect I'm not the only Mulligan in the family who kissed the blarney stone and went on to tell the world.  My grandmother on my dad's side of the family often said in her day that the three fastest forms of communication were the telegram, the telephone and the tell-a-mulligan.

According to the Bible story, the man frequently broke out of his chains and ran around naked harassing the village people.  The villagers mostly tolerated the demoniac until Jesus visited and cast the demons out of him sending the devils into the pigs. Thousands of pigs went mad and jumped off the cliff drowning in the Sea of Galilee.  Make sure you read my first novel, "The Caveman in the Mirror" for more about him and other ancestors who inherited the writing gene.  

As for my incarceration in Ireland, it wasn't my whole body that was arrested.  Only the ten fingers.  My index finger was allowed limited typing/swiping time ten minutes a day to share daily blog messages.  When I'm traveling one finger typing is sometimes the only way I can keep in touch with all of you.  

The pilgrimage is over.  My fingers are free.  My soul is cleansed.  Miracles happened.  You can ask me about them when you see me.  I hope there's not too much malarkey here for one story.  Humor me, please.  My fingers are happy to be released from captivity in Ireland.  As for the rest of me, I'm thankful for the ten days I spent in Ireland.  I'm also thankful for the daily offered by our spiritual guide, Bishop Thomas Zinkula, and for the new friends I made in Ireland.  Give your soul a break and visit Ireland.  Make it a pilgrimage for an enhanced experience.  Have a great day.

Time to Go Home

 The first thing I must say on this final day of our pilgrimage is happy birthday, cousin John.  I'm sending you this wish from your future.  Where I am, it's your birthday.  Where you are, you are still 61.  By the time you read this we will be a wee bit closer in time zones.  We weren't able to visit the John Mulligan pub in Dublin.  We will put it on the to do list for the future.  

The pilgrimage comes to a conclusion today.  All I can say is you need to do this instead of a vacation.  I'll share more when I'm more awake.  It's time to go home.  Goodbye Ireland.  Thank you for your hospitality.  Have a great day.

I Was One Way and Now I'm Another

 Pardon my delay.  Today's story is very late.  The days and nights are running together.  We're on a super tight schedule today.  Guiness is back on the agenda.  The time we lost has been gained back but it's a wee bit crazy.

We visited the land between two lakes today known as Glendolough.  It's a place I go to every morning when I meditate.  There are acorns present, something that helps me stay focused.  Ask me about this when we are together in the future.  

All I can say about my vacation/pilgrimage to Ireland is that I was one way and now I'm another.  Watch The Chosen for the meaning of this.  We head home tomorrow.  Have a great day.

Look Who Appeared by the Blarney Stone

 If I didn't have a photo and a couple of witnesses then the world might doubt the veracity of today's message.  That's why I'm sharing the photos I snapped just before climbing the narrow steps to kiss the blarney stone.  As the story goes, those who kiss the stone gain the gift of gab.

My fellow pilgrim, Bob, pointed to the river flowing outside the castle and shouted, "Hey Michael.  Look! There's Wilson."  A red ball floated by.  Where it came from only God knows.  Maybe one of his angels tossed it in for my benefit since I was sad my real Wilson couldn't be here in Ireland with me.

The spirit of Wilson is with us.  Today we visit Glendolough, a special place that means the land between two lakes.  Our pilgrimage is about to come to a conclusion.  This trip has been life-changing.  Talk to me and I will share what God revealed to me.  Have a great day.