Life is Happening All Around

Life is happening all around me. Seasons change - time passes. "To every thing there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

Seasons in our life are different than seasons of nature. We all have times in our lives that change us. We grow from these changes and sometimes we die from the changes. Our hopes emerge from the changes and sometimes our dreams are exterminated from these changes.

God does have a plan. He leads us and guides us if we listen quietly. If there is an obstacle in the path that we are being led down, we need to find our way around it and move forward on the course that God has set for us. Our ultimate goal should be the gates of heaven and following the right path to get us there.

See the plan that God has chosen for you with a silent heart. Know that you may be led on a road that you wouldn't have chosen for yourself.

Pick up your cross and follow Jesus. I am struggling with mine.

Our Lady's September 25, 2010 Message Message to Marija‏

The Medjugorje Web

September 25, 2010

“Dear children! Today I am with you and bless you all with my motherly blessing of peace, and I urge you to live your life of faith even more, because you are still weak and are not humble. I urge you, little children, to speak less and to work more on your personal conversion so that your witness may be fruitful. And may your life be unceasing prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

God Is Always In Control

This is one of those great email forwards that are too good not to share! Enjoy!


A man from Norfolk , VA called a local radio station to share this on Sept 11th, 2003, TWO YEARS AFTER THE TRAGEDIES OF 9/11/2001.

His name was Robert Matthews. These are his words:

A few weeks before Sept. 11th, my wife and I found out we were going to have our first child. She planned a trip out to California to visit her sister. On our way to the airport, we prayed that God would grant my wife a safe trip and be with her. Shortly after I said 'amen,' we both heard a loud pop and the car shook violently..

We had blown out a tire. I replaced the tire as quickly as I could, but we still missed her flight. both very upset we drove home.

I received a call from my father who was retired NYFD. He asked what my wife's flight number was, but I explained that we missed the flight. My father informed me that her flight was the one that crashed into the southern tower. I was too shocked to speak.

My father also had more news for me; he was going to help. 'This is not something I can just sit by for; I have to do something.'

I was concerned for his safety, of course, but more because he had never given his life to Christ. After a brief debate, I knew his mind was made up. Before he got off of the phone, he said, 'take good care of my grandchild. Those were the last words I ever heard my father say; he died while helping in the rescue effort.

My joy that my prayer of safety for my wife had been answered quickly became anger. I was angry at God, at my father, and at myself.

I had gone for nearly two years blaming God for taking my fathe away. My son would never know his grandfather, my father had never accepted Christ, and I never got to say good-bye.

Then something happened. About two months ago, I was sitting at home with my wife and my son, when there was a knock on the door. I looked at my wife, but I could tell she wasn't expecting anyone. I opened the door to a couple with a small child. The man looked at me and asked if my father's name was Jake Matthews. I told him it was. He quickly grabbed my hand and said, 'I never got the chance to meet your father, but it is an honor to meet his son.'

He explained to me that his wife had worked in the World Trade Center and had been caught inside after the attack. She was pregnant and had been caught under debris. He then explained that my father had been the one to find his wife and free her. My eyes welled up with tears as I thought of my father giving his life for people like this. He then said, 'there is something else you need to know.' His wife then told me that as my father worked to free her, she talked to him and led him to Christ. I began sobbing at the news.

Now I know that when I get to Heaven, my father will be standing beside Jesus to welcome me, and that this family would be able to thank him themselves .

When their baby boy was born, they named him Jacob Matthew, in honor of the man who gave his life so that a mother and baby could live.

This story should help us to realize this: God is always in control. We may not see the reason behind things, and we may never know this side of heaven, but God is ALWAYS in control.

Please take time to share this amazing story. You may never know the impact it may have on someone.

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures Forever. Psalm 136

May God bless you, and your family. It's been reported that 86% of Americans believe in God. We are part of that percentage... 'In God We Trust!'

Treasure - Less is More

Luke 12:33
"Sell your material possessions, and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves wallets that don't wear out! Make a treasure for yourselves in heaven that never loses its value! In heaven thieves and moths can't get close enough to destroy your treasure."

I found this description of the passage on Loyola Press website:
"A popular saying is "less is more". It's what we hear Jesus telling his disciples. The follower of Jesus does not rely on wealth or material possessions to give life meaning. what Jesus is saying in essence, is "Less material possessions is more freedom." Sound strange? When we depend on God for what we truly need, we discover an inner freedom, which is God's gift. Recognizing our dependence on God frees us from working so hard to accumulate things that we can't take with us when we die. the only treasure worth working for is the Kingdom of God. Nothing else matters."

What a great explanation the author gives to this reading. God doesn't care if we have no possessions, He cares more about if we have possessions what do we do with them. Do we share them to bring joy and happiness to others? And if we don't have possessions He doesn't care. He will give us great joy and happiness later!

Use what you have, your treasures, wisely. Give to others to better everyone. If you have no material treasures, give your time and talent treasures to help others. We can all give in so many ways.

I have been thinking a great deal about possessions lately. We have a business that we built ourselves and it is very hard to think that we may be losing it. It is hard to give things up. I know that we don't need this to be happy ~ and trust me, we would probably be happier right now without the headaches of trying to keep going, but it is very hard to stop. I want to say give up, but then I feel like I wouldn't have tried hard enough to make it work. We have the anxiety of not knowing where our income will come from also. I know we should trust in God, but being human makes that extremely hard. My faith is being tested daily right now and it is very difficult. I am struggling to make the right decisions and don't like being angry all the time.

My husband and I decided quite a while ago, that we needed to try our hardest to save our business, because then - no matter what happens, we can look at ourselves in the mirror and know we did our best, whether it survives or whether it fails.

This Bible reading from Luke really makes me realize that it is okay. Less is more. Less material possessions that I have to worry about will give me more time to be drawn closer to God.

Give What You Can - Time, Talent, Treasure

Luke 5: 1 - 11
1 "While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennes'aret.
2 And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.
3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."
5 And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets."
6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking,
7 they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord."
9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken;
10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zeb'edee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men."
11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him."

This is such an amazing Gospel reading to me. Jesus had just given these men more than they could ever have dreamed of having, yet they gave it all up to follow Him.

Why do we have such a hard time seeing the gifts Jesus gives us - He doesn't even ask us to give it up - He just asks us to follow Him.

We all need to share our time and talents with others. We need to use these great gifts to do God's work and work through Him.

And ~ if we have funds available, we should help in monetary ways. No - we don't have to give everything away but we should share what we have been blessed with.

Some of the world's wealthiest people are starting to see the light on this:

Investor Buffett and Microsoft founder Gates are urging American billionaires to give away at least half their wealth during their lifetime or upon their death by signing the Giving Pledge, which so far has 40 members. (Read the story by clicking on it.)

We should do what we can to make the earth and mankind in general ~ better! We need to find a peace that is missing. Let peace begin with ME!