MARCH 1^st, 2012

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE

Every day

In the newspaper

In this country

There are obituary notices

Psalm 90

Talks about

The brevity of life

And in the Bible

God promises 70 years

80---if we are strong

Knowing this

I ask myself

What is

The purpose of life

I believe

The answer is

The same today

As what we were taught

When we were children

To know, love

And to serve God

We have

Many people in our lives

That we love

ALL these possessions

That we love

ALL these people that we love

All these possessions

That we have

Are gifts from God

I think sometimes

We become so in love with the gifts

That we FORGET THE GIVER---GOD

Every day

God gives us a gift of 1,440 minutes

To use as we wish

Dear Lord

We just want to say thank you

For our family and friends

Those that we have had

And those

Who are still with us today

And we want to say thank you

For this gift of today---

ALL 1,440 minutes

May we use

A few of those minutes

TO KNOW---TO LOVE---AND TO SERVE YOU TODAY

Robert P. Wallman

5-29-10

                   Inspired by the teaching of Father Leo Clifford---may he REST IN PEACE

                   Rpw   3-1-12

WHERE THE SPIRIT LEADS

I will follow

Where the spirit leads

I will live out of love

I will live out of joy

I will follow

Where the spirit leads

I will follow

Where the spirit leads

I will live out of peace

I will live out of patience

I will follow

Where the spirit leads

I will follow

Where the spirit leads

I will live out of kindness

I will live out of goodness

I will follow

Where the spirit leads

I will follow

Where the spirit leads

I will live out of faithfulness

I will live out of gentleness

I will live out of self-control

I will live out of love

That is all that I know

I will follow

Where the spirit leads

That is all that I know

That is all that I know

Robert P. Wallman

6-1-06

FEBRUARY 28^th, 2012

THE TOUCH OF A MASTER’S HAND

We live

In a world

That tells us

There is no sin

That sin doesn’t matter

We live

In a world

Full of selfishness

Full of intolerance

And full of

Ingratitude, indifference

And the rejection of other human beings

But we also live

In a world

That can be very kind

Particularly

At the birth of a child

And the death of a loved on

I know because

I have been touched

By God

And by family and friends

And church

In these last

Number of weeks

So what changes us

From people

Of sin, selfishness, and rejection

To people of

Kindness and goodness

Beyond our own human understanding

I suggest

It is

The touch of God

In us and for us

The touch of God

For each other

To help one another

I suggest

It is simply

The touch of God

In each and every one of our lives

THE TOUCH OF GOD

THE TOUCH OF A MASTER’S HAND

Robert P. Wallman

5-1-10

Ps        with gratitude and thankfulness for all of you

This was written 6 weeks after my mom passed away

OUR feelings for your LOVE AND SUPPORT during that most difficult time

continues to this day

rpw        2-28-12

FEBRUARY 27^th, 2012

HUMILITY

Humility---such a simple word

Humility---such a very difficult quality

To attain

We live in a culture

That idolizes number ONE

Can you be content

With finishing second

Better yet

Can you be content

With ALL others finishing above you

Humility---such a simple word

Humility---such a difficult quality

To attain

Humility---the essence of love

Humility---the essence of truth

Humility---few if any of us

Have it in our youth

Humility---such a simple word

Humility---such a difficult quality

To attain

Humility---a quality

That which we would all

Like to abstain from

Yet humility is

A quality that we ALL need

Humility---a quality

THAT WE ALL NEED

Robert P. Wallman

6-21-06

CHOOSING THE BETTER PART

At the end

Of the Xth chapter

Of Saint Luke’s gospel

Jesus tells us the story

Of 2 sisters

The two sisters were Martha and Mary

And they often opened their home

To Jesus and the disciples

Martha was disturbed---preoccupied if you will

With all the preparations

That had to me made for the dinner

Mary sat quietly at Jesus’ feet

Hovering on every word

That came out of his mouth

Martha was upset

Because she was doing all the work

And said,

“Lord don’t you care

That my sister has left me

To do all the work by myself

Tell her to help me”

Jesus’ answer is astounding,

“Martha Martha

You are worried and upset

About many things

But only ONE THING is needed

Mary has chosen what is better

And it will NOT BE

Taken away from her”

Work needs to be done

In this world

There is no doubt about that

But what Jesus

Is trying to Teach Martha ( and us )

Is that

There is a time and a place

For everything

Work needs to be done

And will be done

But GOD, family, and people

Should always come first

CHOOSE THE BETTER PART

How true it was then

How true it is today

In this fast-paced---me-first world

That we live in

We think

Everything hinges on us

The truth is

EVERYTHING HINGES ON GOD

Work needs to be done

Work will get done

But everything in its proper time and place

Martha must have

Learned her lesson

Because after her brother, Lazarus, died,

And Jesus was three days late in arriving

Jesus said to Martha,

“I AM the Resurrection and the Life

He who believes in me will live

Even though he died

And whoever lives and believes in me

Will NEVER DIE

Do you believe this”                                                        ( Luke 11 )

Martha responded,

“Yes Lord

I believe that you are the Christ

The SON OF GOD

Who has come into this world”

Lazarus did RISE and live again

With his sisters Martha and Mary

And so Lord we do pray

That in this fast-paced---me-first world

That we live in

Help us to ALWAYS REMEMBER

That you have made us FOR YOURSELF---DEAR LORD

And that you love us

With a never-ending---ever-lasting love

And to

CHOOSE THE BETTER PART

Robert P. Wallman

10-14-11

FEBRUARY 26^thth, 2012

I OWED GOD ONE

Many years ago, in a hospitalization that began on my 22^nd birthday, I had gangrene,

Peritonitis, blood poisoning, and a host o other things.  I had emergency surgery and

Was given 0 per cent chance to live.  I had the last rights, went unconscious and two weeks later woke up alive.

What I didn’t know was that my Uncle John was outside punching the walls and praying.

What I didn’t know was that my Dad was praying, “he’s just a young man, he has his

Whole life in front of him, I wish God would take me.”  My grandfather, Carl Wallman,

Who was 72 years old and in fair health, was praying the same words as my father.  The

Day that I left Saint John’s Hospital and went to my Aunt’s to recuperate, my grandfather

Had a stroke and went into that same hospital.  My grandfather died February 26^th, 1977.

I have lived my whole life with a chronic illness and in severe chronic pain.  I had always

Wanted to meet a woman and have my own family.  It never did happen for me.  My health, and my finances due to health, were factors.

Many years later, in a different city, I met a woman who I was immediately attracted to.

I will call her Jennifer for the purposes of this story.

Jennifer was a petite woman of not more than 100 pounds.  Jennifer took an immediate

Dislike to me---though I couldn’t imagine why.  I knew I didn’t say or do anything.

Jennifer her the three most beautiful girls---about 8, 10, and 14 years old.  They were

A beautiful family of Hispanic origin.  It turned out that there was some sexual abuse within the family.

I was never quite able to connect with Jennifer---but years later I got a card signed by

Jennifer and the three girls that read:

                   “we will keep in touch with you and remember you are in our thoughts and

                     Hearts as well as God’s.”

While it will never be the kind of love I had hoped for as a young man, I will always love

This woman and her 3 girls; with ”a spiritual kind of love.”

Jennifer’s birthday is February 26^th.  I guess you could say:  “I OWED GOD ONE.”

Robert P. Wallman

February 14^th, 2007

Ps               Happy Birthday Jennifer---God Loves You!

TEMPTATION

Have you ever

Come face to face

With the person or thing

That is the absolute worst thing

In the world for you

Where every fiber

Of your being is saying

I want this person

Or I want to

Follow my own selfish impulse

And give in to that temptation

I suggest to you

That that is where you meet God

At the deepest darkest level

Of our own souls

Temptation is something

That tests a person’s character

That either makes you

Or brakes you

Look at what happened

With Adam and Eve

We all know

What happened there

If you are being tempted

In some area

Of your life

Consider it a compliment

The devil hasn’t gotten control of you yet

So when the devil comes after you

And he will

You have but one weapon

The Word of God

Jesus said,

“It is written

Man does not live on bread alone”

Life comes from the spirit

Jesus said,

“Worship the Lord your God

And serve him only”

Choose light over darkness

Jesus answered,

“Do not

Put the Lord your God

To the test”

Choose God

Over the flesh

You are never going

To be free from temptation

Life is an ongoing journey

But if we choose

Light over darkness

If we choose

God over the devil

If we choose good over evil

We will

Not only survive

But we will thrive

On God’s Word

And in the Lord

Robert P. Wallman

3-13-11

GOD’S TRUTH

It is said

The truth

Will set you free

But what truth

There are many truths

I suggest

That there is only one truth

That will set you free

And it is God’s truth

And God’s truth

Is the truth that says

You and I

Are children of God

It is the truth

That says

We are ALL

Children of God

It is the truth

That says we are

Only on this earth

But for a few fleeting years

It is

The truth that says

Earth is not our final destination

The truth that says

Heaven is our home

And our destiny

Is to spend eternity

With our God in Heaven--------

Where there is only LOVE

It is

The truth within us

The truth that lets

God’s word

LIVE in us

The truth that accepts

Love God with your whole heart,

Your whole soul, you whole mind,

And all your might

The truth that accepts

The commandment

Love one another

As I have loved you

These are GOD’S TRUTHS

And they are the truths

That can and will

SET US FREE

Robert P. Wallman

3-10-11

I NEED A SIGN

2000 years ago

Jesus was healing the sick

Making the crippled walk

Helping the blind see

Letting the deaf hear

Performing miracle after miracle

And yet

It wasn’t enough

The people of his day

Wanted a sign

Jesus’ response,

“A wicked and adulterous generation

Asks for a miraculous sign

But none will be given to you

Except the sign of Jonah”

Jonah was a prophet

And had to spend 3 days and 3 nights

In he belly of a fish

To rescue he Ninevite people

What about us today

We want a sign

That God exists

We want scientific proof/evidence

What about the sign

That Jesus

Was crucified, died, and was buried

What about the sign

That 3 days later

Jesus overcame death

What about

That sign

What about the sign

Of your very own life

How do you know

That if someone else

Was given a chance

That they might have worshipped God

A 1000 times better

God loves you

God loves me

With an infinite love

Every day

Is a gift from God

Every day

Is a day freshly minted

For you and me

A day with unlimited potential

A day with unlimited possibilities

A day with unlimited opportunity

What if today

Is the only day

That we are ever going to have

What are you

What am I

Going to do with it

You have life

You have GOD’S LOVE

We have eyewitness testimony

Of Christ’s victory

Over death

I CALL THAT 3 SIGNS

Robert P. Wallman

3-13-11

FEBRUARY 24^th, 2012

LOVE ALL THE TIME

When should we love

Love in the morning

When should we love

Love in the afternoon

When should we love

Love all night

Love all the time

Love when we’ve been wronged

Love just to be kind

We should love

All the time

Love in the morning

Love in the afternoon

Love all night

We should love

All the time

Love when you’re happy

Love when you’re sad

Love when you’re glad

Love when you’re mad

We should love all the time

When should we love

Love in the morning

When should we love

Love in the afternoon

When should we love

Love all through the night

When should we love

We should love all the time

We should love all the time

We should love all the time

Robert P. Wallman

4-18-06

Ps                   dedicated to the people in the world who really love others

BUILDING EACH OTHER UP

Are you like me

Do you long to hear

Some encouraging words

Some appealing words

About you---about yourself

In today’s world

We are all fighting heavy spiritual battles

And losing

Losing battles of health---physical, mental, and spiritual

Losing battles of finances

And losing battles of temptation

Both sexual and otherwise

So what are we to do

We are to pick each other up

When one or another of us falls

“Therefore encourage one another

And build each other up

Just as in fact you are doing”                                               1 Thessalonians 5:11

2000 years ago

Those same spiritual battles

Were taking place---with the same results

Until Christ’s death and Resurrection

After Christ paid our debt in full

There was such a man

A man known for building others up

A man known for working with Paul

To build up the Kingdom of God

His name was Joseph

But the Apostles called him Barnabas

Which means---Son of Encouragement

Barnabas came close

To being an original Apostle

In fact he was responsible

For introducing Paul

To Peter

And the rest of the Apostles

In fact

Mark---the writer of the third Gospel

Was Barnabas’ cousin

So when we fall in today’s world

And at one time or another

We will

Let us be there

To pick each other back up

“But encourage one another daily

As long as it is called Today

So that none of you

May be hardened

By sin’s deceitfulness”                                                Hebrews 3:13

So in this broken world

That we live in

Where churches are broken

Where families are broken

Where people are broken

And where---it seems---at times

Not a single soul

Seems to care

I call on you

To build others up

I call on you

To live with the spirit of Christ

I call on you

To live with the Spirit of Barnabas

I call on you

To live with a Spirit of Encouragement

And so

As this never ending

Battle of life

Seems to be pulling us down

I call on you

I call on me

To keep trying

To lift one another up

“We HEAR oh Lord

The desire of the affliction

You encourage them

And you hear them cry

Defending the fatherless

And the oppressed

In order that man

Who is of the earth

May terrify no more”                                       Psalm10:17

Robert P. Wallman

6-10-11

Ps               Today---June 11---is the feast day of Saint Barnabas

                   I am sending a BIG SHOUT OUT to my friend Nicholis

                   Who does his very best to be a modern day Barnabas

MERCY NOT JUDGMENT

Who

Who are you

Who am I

To be passing judgment on someone else

In today’s world

Give mercy

Give compassion

Give someone a free pass

Give someone love

God’s love

Look at the story of Daniel

Did you know

That the name Daniel means

“God is my judge”

Daniel goes public

He confesses his sin

And the sins of God’s people

How can Daniel

Be so sure

God will for give him

Forgive them

Because Daniel knows

That he has the history of God

On his side

Daniel knows

That our God

Is a God of love and compassion

He has rescued his people

Over and over again

God saved

Daniel’s 3 friends

From the blazing furnace

God saved Daniel himself

From the lion’s den

And in Luke 7

We find Jesus saying,

“Do not judge

Or you too will be judged

For in the same way

That you judge others

You will be judged

And with the measure you use

It will

Be measured against you”

Take Daniel as your model

Give mercy---give loveMERCY NOT JUDGMENT

Who

Who are you

Who am I

To be passing judgment on someone else

In today’s world

Give mercy

Give compassion

Give someone a free pass

Give someone love

God’s love

Look at the story of Daniel

Did you know

That the name Daniel means

“God is my judge”

Daniel goes public

He confesses his sin

And the sins of God’s people

How can Daniel

Be so sure

God will for give him

Forgive them

Because Daniel knows

That he has the history of God

On his side

Daniel knows

That our God

Is a God of love and compassion

He has rescued his people

Over and over again

God saved

Daniel’s 3 friends

From the blazing furnace

God saved Daniel himself

From the lion’s den

And in Luke 7

We find Jesus saying,

“Do not judge

Or you too will be judged

For in the same way

That you judge others

You will be judged

And with the measure you use

It will

Be measured against you”

Take Daniel as your model

Give mercy---give love

Take Jesus

As your model

And as your God

Because giving someone else mercy

And not judgment

Is God’s way

Give someone love

Give someone a free pass

And do it TODAY

Robert P. Wallman

3-22-11

Take Jesus

As your model

And as your God

Because giving someone else mercy

And not judgment

Is God’s way

Give someone love

Give someone a free pass

And do it TODAY

Robert P. Wallman

3-22-11

THE MOST IMPORTANT SERMON

In the Sermon on the Mount

Our Lord says,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit

For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”

But who are

The poor on spirit

I dear say

It is us

ALL OF US---

Because we are chasing

The wrong things

Most of us

Are chasing lives

Based on wealth, fame, status, and fortune

But these things

Will not fill us up

Nature abhors a vacuum

And we

Must fill our lives with something

I suggest

We try to fill our lives with LOVE

Love of God---and---

Love of others

Only then

Can our spirit be filled

Only then can we be

NO LONGER---poor in spirit

We need to

Let go of yesterday

We need to

Focus on the present

We need to

Let the Lord possess us

God’s gift to us---IS TODAY

Today is the most important day

Of our lives

By focusing on LOVE

We might find that

We are no longer poor in spirit

And by focusing on love

WE might find that

The KINGDOM OF GOD

Is not only in Heaven

But RIGHT HERE on this earth

Robert P. Wallman

5-14-10

Inspired by the TEACHING of Father Leo Clifford---1922 to 2012

Other than Jesus Christ himself---and my own parents---

The SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT spiritual influence of my life-----

May he REST IN PEACE---In Jesus’ name---amen

THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT

The greatest compliment

That we can give another human being

Is to tell them

That they are

An imitator of Christ

Albeit on a smaller scale

So how can we be

How will we be

An imitation of Christ

In today’s world

Be perfect in love

For every other human being

Be an imitator of Christ

Be perfect in forgiveness

For every other human being

Be an imitator of Christ

Be like Saint Francis of Assisi

Clothe the naked

Feed the poor

House the homeless

Be an imitator

Of Christ

Be an imitator

Of Saint Francis

Be perfect in love

For the lost and forlorn

Be perfect in kindness

For every other human being

Be an imitator of Christ

And though

We may not be perfection

As long as

We try

To do what we can do

Maybe someday---someway

Someone will say,

“I see Christ in you

You are an imitation of Christ”

Robert P. Wallman

2-28-11

GREATNESS

In the XXIII chapter

Of Saint Matthew’s Gospel

Jesus tells how to be great

He tells us

The greatest among you

Will be the servant

To everyone else

He tells us

He who humbles himself

Will in fact be great

Are you serious Lord

Couldn’t we just aspire

To be rich and famous

Like everyone else

Jesus goes on

To tell us

That the greatest single quality
That a human being can have

Is sincerity

Think about it

Can you build a relationship

On insincere love

Or build a life

By going out every day

With insincere faith, and hope

Sincerity it the foundation of ALL human relationships

If there is no trust

You have NO relationship

The challenge in this world

Is to be REAL

The challenge

Is to be sincere

In our faith, in our love, and in our hope

Both with God and all others

So dear Lord,

We pray to you

For honesty, humility, and sincerity

And that we take no offense

When others are thought better

And held in higher esteem than us

And finally dear Lord

We pray that you

Meek and humble of heart

That you make our heart

Like yours

Robert P. Wallman

2-21-11

Ps             inspired by the teaching of Father Leo Clifford---MAY HE REST IN PEACE---               

                 other than Christ himself and my parents---the single biggest influence on my

                 spiritual life---1922---2012

FEBRUARY 20th, 2012

BOB WITH WINGS

Bob started out as just a friend---

Over time, we came closer to this man---

This man is an angel and an uncle to us---

Because he’s like a father to us,

“Happy Bobert’s Day” came to my head,

He is a kind and generous man

With dedication beyond his control---

He has a heart of gold, glowing like

Angel’s wings---

An angel who taught me how to soar---

He is Bob, with a heart of gold

This is Bob with wings

Dedicated to:        Bob Wallman

Written by:           Sydney Butler                   7-31-06

Ps                    Please join me in wishing my friend, Sydney, a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

FEBRUARY 19^th, 2012

I SEE GOD

In your eyes

I see God

In your heart

I see God

In your soul

I see God

I see God

In your loving ways

I see God

In you

When you open your eyes

To start a brand new day

I see God

In your every act

I see God

In everything you do

All that is a fact

When I look at you

I see God

I see God

In your smile

I really don’t know how

But every time

I look at you

I see God

Robert P. Wallman

8-19-06

FINDING MEANING IN LIFE

Where do you find meaning

In your life

Is it family

Is it friends

Is it some worthwhile cause

Greater than you

All worthy

All worthwhile

All very important

But I suggest to you

That you can never

Really truly find yourself

And the meaning of life

Until you find God

“For whoever finds me finds life

And receives favor from the Lord

But whoever fails to find me

Harms himself

All who hate me love death”                                            Proverbs 8:35-36

Leo Tolstoy was a great great man

Rich in wealth and fame

With a beautiful wife

But as time went on

He suffered serious bouts of depression

And even contemplated suicide

But he eventually

Found peace by reading the Bible

Particularly Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

He dedicated the rest of his days

To building the Kingdom of God

On earth

“Whoever finds his life

Will lose it

And whoever loses his life

For my sake

Will find it”                                                 Matthew 10:39

Saint Augustine

Was a womanizer

And living a lost life

He even had

A mistress and an illegitimate son

His Mother---Saint Monica

Continued to pray for him

And his conversion

Augustine

Felt a deep yearning

For something more in his life

One day he just flipped open the Bible

And it opened to:

“Let us conduct ourselves properly

And in the day

Not in orgies and drunkenness

Not in promiscuity and licentiousness

Not in rivalry and jealousy

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ

And make no provision

For the desires of the flesh”                                    Romans 13:13-14

Leo Tolstoy found God

Saint Augustine found God

How about you

How about me

“You have made us for yourselves,

Oh Lord,

And our hearts are restless

Until they rest in you”                                                     Saint Augutine

In 1977

I had one life and death operation

Two more were to come that same year

For most of that year

I was flat on my back in my room

Unable to get out of my bed

It was then that I began

A deep deep search to find God

Jesus taught us how to pray

Many many years ago,

“Go in your room alone

Close the door

And pray to your Father in secret

And your Father

Who sees in secret

Will repay you”                                          Matthew 6:6

Life is a journey

Not a destination

And along the way

I found God

Family has stepped up

For me

Friends have stepped forward

For me

Churches have stepped forward

For me

Where do you find your meaning in life

Family, friends, a cause greater than yourself

“Seek first the KINGDOM OF GOD

And all these things

Will be given to you”                                                      Luke 12:31

WE ARE ALL
CHILDREN OF GOD

Robert P. Wallman

4-22-11

*Inspired by The Word Among Us”---March 9^th to April 23^rd issue

“A Lifetime of Memories”

Life is living

Life is dying

Life is caring

Life is sharing

But most of all

Life is

A lifetime of memories

Make a memory

Make a life

Make a family

Take a wife

Raise a family

Life is

A lifetime of memories

Hug your child

Give them love

Try to make them happy

If you can

Life is caring

Life is sharing

Life is

A lifetime of memories

Trouble will come

Trouble will follow

Stand  together

No matter

What the weather

You can make it

Life is caring

Life is sharing

Life is

A lifetime of memories

Life is

Sharing the happy times

Life is

Sharing the sad times too

Life is caring

Life is sharing

Life is

A lifetime of memories

Life is

A lifetime of memories

5/20/06Robert  P.  Wallman

AND SO IT BEGINS---THE FIRST MIRACLE

Picture this

You are a woman

With a 29 or 30 year-old-son

You are attending a wedding

Of a relative

Or very close friend

The drink of the day

Is wine

And the hosts of the day

Have run out

You know your son

Is someone very very special

A very special young man

With the capabilities

To help your relatives

In this precarious situation

You know your son

Loves you dearly

So you ask him

To help out

You say to him,

“They are out of wine---can you help”

He looks at you lovingly

And says,

“You must not tell me

What to do

My time has not come”

But he proceeds to try and help

He says,

“Fill the jars with water

Now draw some out

And take it to the master

Of the banquet”

The master of the banquet realizes

He has wine

Not knowing where it came from

Everyone says,

“You saved the best wine until last”                                            ( NOT the custom )

You---a proud Mother

Look at your son proudly

For who he is

And what he has become

AND SO IT BEGINS

Robert P Wallman

3-30-11

Ps        Jesus’ first miracle---the wedding feast at Cana  ( John 2  )

THE WILL OF GOD

How do you know

If you are doing

The will of God

Something is troubling you

And your are suffering

And you know

Not what to do

It may be health related

Praying for a miracle

It may be financial

Maybe you just lost your job

It may be

A broken relationship

That no matter how hard that you try

You just can’t seem to restore it

How do you know

If your suffering is God’s will

I don’t know

Can’t answer that

But I can tell you this

In 1 Peter 4, it says,

“If you suffer

It should not be

As a murderer or thief

Or any other kind of criminal

Or even as a meddler

However

If you suffer as a Christian

Do NOT be ashamed

But PRAISE GOD

That you bear his name”                                     1 Peter 4:15 & 16

You may NOT even see it

How it helps anyone

But it just may be

For the GREATER GOOD

The will of God---

How do we know

---If we are abiding in it

One thing I do know

Is that

If you are trying

To live by the standards of this world

Sexual lust---materialism---violence

That that Is NOT

THE WILL OF GOD

“Do not conform

Any longer to the pattern

Of this world

But be transformed

By the renewing of the mind

Then you will be able

To test and approve

What GOD’S WILL IS-------------

HIS GOOD, PERFECT AND PLEASING WILL”                                 Romans 12:2

So HOW  do we know

Really know

That we are really doing

The will of God

I do know this

If it is the right choice

If it is the right decision

It---your life---your decisions

Will stand the test of tine

“The world and its desires pass away

But the man who does the will of God---LIVES FOREVER”                         1 John 2:!7

THE WORD OF GOD
THE WILL OF GOD

STANDS FOREVER

Robert P. Wallman

10-9-11

WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit---the Spirit of God

Is also known as the counselor

It is the Word of God

Active and alive

In his believers

Isaiah 11 tells us,

“The spirit of the Lord

Will rest on him

The spirit of wisdom and understanding

The spirit of counsel and power

The spirit of knowledge

And of the fear of the Lord

And he will delight

In the fear of the Lord”                                             Isaiah 11:2

Christ himself

Was anointed with the spirit,

“Heaven opened up

And the Spirit descended upon him

In bodily form

And a voice said,

“You are my Son

Whom I love

With you I am well pleased”                                      Luke 3:22

Think about it

Who in the history of civilization

Spoke with more love

Than Jesus Christ

The Holy Spirit is simply

The Spirit of God

The Spirit of love

The Spirit of truth

Jesus tells us

He will never abandon us

He tells us

That even though

He is no longer with us

He will leave a Counselor with us

To help us make the right decisions

The decisions that God wants us to make

Because the Spirit

Lives in followers of God

The Holy Spirit

Teaches believers about God

And reveals God’s secret wisdom

To the believer

So that the believer’s faith

Will NOT REST

On the wisdom of faith

But on the POWER OF GOD

“No eye has seen

Nor ear has heard

No mind has conceived

What God has prepared

For those who love him”                                     1Corinthians 2:9

The Spirit himself

Testifies with our spirit

That we are God’s children                                        Romans 8:16

Let the SPIRIT OF GOD

Let the spirit of love

Let the spirit of life

LIVE IN YOU

Robert P. Wallman

10-29-11

YOU”RE A BETTER MAN THAN

I---Gunga Din

One of my Father’ favorite movies

Was a movie called, “GUNGA DIN”

It was about

A young Indian water boy

To British soldiers

In late 19^th century India

My Dad and I

Used to watch it together

Gunga Din

Always wanted to be a soldier

Towards the end of the movie

Three British soldiers and Gunga Din

Are captured, wounded, and incarcerated

The British troops

Are marching into an ambush

And are going to be annihilated

Despite being critically wounded

Gunga Din climbs up in plain sight of everyone

And blows the bugle

Warning the British troops

As he gets shot over and over again

Gunga Din---at the end of the movie

Posthumously is elevated

To the rank of soldier

I believe it was Rudyard Kipling

Who once wrote,

“If you can keep your head about you

When all those around are losing theirs

You are a better man than I am---GUNGA DIN”

Many people ask me,

“Why didn’t you become a Priest?”

The short answer is---health reasons

And I always HAD HOPE

That I might meet someone

And have my own family

It is funny

In that my father

Actually considered becoming a priest

Jesus, himself, was a nomadic preacher

Who moved from village to village

Town to town

Preaching the WORD OF GOD

It might be a good thing

That I never became a Priest

I find

That more people are open to me

And open to the WORD OF GOD

Because they know

I have no vested interest

Only to share

The message of God’s love and forgiveness with them

My friend---today---

We live in a godless society

In general

People don’t care about God

Only about their own selfish interests

If you believe in God

If you believe in love, forgiveness, and kindness

Towards and for each other

We are

ALL on the same side

Jesus himself said,

(When asked by the disciples

About someone doing miracles in his name)

“Do NOT STOP him

No one who does a miracle

In my name

Can in the next moment

Say anything bad about me

For whoever is not against us

IS FOR US”                                                                                 Mark 9:39-40

I have GREAT RESPECT

For ALL those

Truly doing the work of God

In today’s world

Those that are truly motivated by God and love

NOT their own selfish interests

And so

As this world

Continues to sling arrows and shoot at us

Shots of lust and sexuality

Shots of materialism and violence

Let us rise once again

Blow the bugle---and keep on blowing

For this world to RETURN TO GOD

And remember,

“If you can keep your head about you

When all those about

Are losing theirs

You’re a better man than I---GUNGA DIN”

IN JESUS’ NAME WE PRAY……………….

Robert P. Wallman

9-2-11

SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER

I went to grade school at Saint Francis Xavier

In Pittsburgh

The church and school

Were right around the corner from our home

I have countless friends

From Saint Francis Xavier

And many of them

Are still active in my life today

While today

The church is called RISEN LORD

( it was combined with Saint Leo the Great )

It still begs the question

Who just was this Saint Francis Xavier

This man---who my church and school

Were named after

Francis Xavier was a Jesuit missionary

Who was a Basque Spaniard

Who lived from 1506 to 1551

He was educated

At the University of Paris

Where he met Saint Ignatius of Loyola

And both were ordained as priests 3 years later

The foreign missions

Has been an integral part

Of the Jesuit ideal and vocation

And in Francis Xavier---it was no different

In 1541

Francis sailed to Goa in the East Indies

At the invitation of the King of Portugal

And was backed by a Papal brief

Nominating him as Apostolic nuncio

In the East

The journey took 13 months

And his mission there was to evangelize

For the remaining 10 years of his life

And he did just that

By his example

And by his preaching and writing verses

On Christian truths

He went among the poor

As a poor man himself

Slept on the ground

And lived on only rice and water

He would return to his headquarters

From time-to-time in Goa

And made plans to go further East

Eventually

Despite his propensity towards seasickness

And difficulty in learning foreign languages

He did make it to Japan

His external appearance of poverty

Was unsuccessful in Japan

So he abandoned this tactic

And began to dress in fine robes

And present gifts to the rulers

As a representative of the King of Portugal

When he left Japan

There were 2000 Christians---and growing

But they were under fierce attack form the rulers there

Counted among them were Paul Miki and his companions

Who ALL died a martyr’s death in 1597

With many more to follow in the coming years

Having established

The roots of the Christian faith in Japan

Francis returned to Goa

Then decided to set out for China

To try to establish roots there

While on his way there

Francis fell ill and died

Practically alone on an island

He became a Saint in 1622

And in 1927---Saint Francis Xavier

Was declared the patron Saint of foreign missions

Robert P. Wallman

2-9-12

Ps               This one is for ALL my friends from Saint Francis Xavier---with whom

                   I share so many beautiful memories

                   Saint Francis Xavier’s feast day is December 3^rd

                   Saint Paul Miki and his 26 companions---February 6th