JOURNAL/NEVER ALONE

JOURNAL/NEVER ALONE




JESUS resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem-and he sent his messengers ahead of him” Luke 9:51


UNLIKE US-Jesus ALWAYS KNEW what the next stage of his life entailed-JESUS WAS in planning mode-He was looking ahead-BUT NOT looking forward to the suffering that was about to come into his life


JESUS KNEW WHY he was sent-and was RESOLUTE and COMPELLED to finish his mission-HE was NEVER ALONE-NEVER without GOD and NEVER without others until the very end


IT IS a GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in GOD'S LOVE for us-and a GREAT day to KNOW that we are NEVER ALONE in whatever we face in this life


WE PRAY that you are WITH THOSE who are dying today and PRAY that you give them a HAPPY DEATH and that you be with them On their journey into the RISEN LIFE














NEVER ALONE




We are NEVER alone
God is ALWAYS with us


He is never behind us
He may be beside us
HOLDIND US UP
But in most cases
He is walking ahead
And LEADING the way


“So the Lord alone did LEAD him
And there was NO strange god with him” Deuteronomy 32:12


WE ARE NEVER ALONE


We all face decisions
In life


Decisions of health
Decisions of finances
And MANY relationship issues


We have to accumulate
All the information
Then we have
To make a decision


For IF GOD is with us
What does it matter
Who is against us


For we are
NEVERALONE


LET GO-and let God


“Therefore
In the present case
I advise you
Leave these men alone


Let them go
For if their purpose
Or activity
Is of human origin
It will FAIL


But IF it is FROM GOD
You will not be able
To stop these men
You will only find yourselves
Fighting against God” Acts 5:38-39


TRUST in God
BELIEVE in God
Have FAITH in God


WE ARE NEVERALONE


But HOW do we know
IF our work
Is from God
Or of human origin


Have faith
IF it is supposed to be
IT WILL BE
If it is of God
If it is meant to be
It will be-IT WILL SURVIVE


WE ARE NEVER ALONE


And for a concrete example
ALL we have to do
Is look at JESUS’ own life


HIS WORK SURVIVED
HIS WORDS SURVIVED


“Caiaphas-who was the high priest
That year-spoke up


‘You know nothing at all
You do not realize
That it is better for you
That ONE MAN die for the people
Than that the whole nation perish” John 11:49-50


But Jesus did NOT die
HIS WORK survived
Because like us


WE ARE NEVER ALONE


Robert P. Wallman
4-22-13




ps misc. WITNESS 1-12-14




WITNESS 7-6-14




9-30-14

TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL

TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL










How would you
Define an angel


The one word
That comes to my mind
Is “heavenly”


Beings that help us along
On life’s journey
Beings that assist us
In one way or another


Psalm 91:11 & 12 says,
“For he will command his angels
Concerning you
To guard you in ALL your ways
They will lift you up
In their hands
So that you will
NOT strike your foot
Against a stone”


HEAVENLY---to be sure


I have had
Many earthly angels in my life
My parents---my two sisters
Other family members and friends
To HELP me along the way


I know
I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this
If not for them


But there are angels
From heaven
That God has actually used
To deliver messages


We know
That the angel Gabriel
Appeared to Zachariah
At the birth of John the Baptist


And above all
We know that he appeared to Mary
To ask her
To be THE MOTHER OF GOD


TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL


Then we have Saint Michael
OUR defender and protector
TO HELP US
Against the wickedness and the snares of the devil


Michael appears to us
IN the book of Daniel
As the special GUARDIAN AND PROTECTOR of Israel


And in the book of Revelation
As the PRINCIPAL fighter for God
In the fight
Between good and evil


Michael’s POWER is so strong
That it is believed
That souls can be rescued
Even from hell itself


May we ALL be so lucky


Finally we have the angel Raphael
Named in the book of Tobit


Raphael’s name means,
“GOD HAS HEALED”


My wish for ALL of you:


IS that you be TOUCHED by many beings
Both heavenly and earthly
To help you
On life’s journey


And that you feel
God’s love and presence---SO STRONG---
Inside of you
That you Know
That you have been BLESSED by God
And that indeed---you have been


TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL


Robert P. Wallman
9-28-11




9-29-14

JOURNAL/PRAISE GOD

JOURNAL/PRAISE GOD




“I will GIVE THANKS to you-O LORD-with ALL my heart.....in the PRESENCE OF THE ANGELS I will SING your PRAISE” Psalm 138:1


THERE are generally five types of PRAYER: adoration-intercession-petition-thanksgiving-and PRAISE O F GOD


TODAY- I SIMPLY want to PRAISE God-for the beautiful FAMILY I was born into-my sisters-my nieces-my EXTENDED FAMILY-and MY FRIENDS and CHURCHES that are in my LIFE


DEAR GOD-I will SING your PRAISES for evermore


it is a GREAT DAY to thank God for our VERY LIFE-to be ALIVE in GOD'S for us-and to GIVE PRAISE to GOD by reading SOME or ALL the psalms


and it is a GREAT DAY to SALUTE our angels MICHAEL-RAPHAEL-and GABRIEL whose feast it is TODAY
















WITNESS




4-15-13




PRAISE GOD




Praise God
Praise him now
Praise him forever


Praise God
Praise him for your past
Praise him
For your blessings
Praise him
For even your sufferings


FOR LIFE
Is a gift


Praise God
Praise him FOREVER


“I call to the Lord
Who is worthy of PRAISE
And I am saved from my enemies” Psalm 18:3


We PRAISE you
For our parents
We PRAISE you
For our children
We praise you
For our extended family
And our friends


We praise you now
We praise you-FOREVER


We even praise you
For our enemies
For we know
ALL LIFE
Is a gift


All of us
PRAISE YOU-oh Lord
You alone-are worthy


“Then I heard
Every creature in heaven
And on earth
And under the earth
And on the sea
And all that is them-singing:


To him who sits
On the throne
And to the Lamb


BE praise and honor and glory
And power
For ever and ever” Revelations 5:13


PRAISE GOD
For our trials
Praise God
For our suffering
For ALL of this
BUILDS our character


Praise God
Forever and ever


“For he chose us
Before the creation of the world
To be holy and blameless
In his sight


IN LOVE-he predestined us
To be ADOPTED as his sons
Through Jesus Christ
In accordance
With his pleasure and will-
To the PRAISE of his GLORIOUS GRACE
Which he has freely given us
In the ONE he loves” Ephesians 1:4-6


Praise God now
Praise God
In the future
PRAISE GOD
Forever and ever


We give you thanks
For our lives-DEAR LORD
For we know
They are a gift
Your most precious gift


PRAISE GOD


Robert P. Wallman
3-31-13




Ps WITNESS 4-15-13




MISC. WITNESS 5-21-14





9-29-14

JOURNAL/DIGNITY-HE GAVE IT ALL

JOURNAL/DIGNITY-HE GAVE IT ALL




“RATHER-HE emptied himself...he humbled himself-becoming OBEDIENT to the point of death-EVEN DEATH-on a cross” Philippians 2:7-8


We will NEVER have to die on a cross-but we MAY HAVE to live ON A CROSS-the cross of having to live with a chronic health condition-the cross of having to LIVE WITHIN our financial means-the cross of broken relationships-CHRIST had a brutal death-but our lives are NOT always easy


JESUS EMPTIED himself for us-and we MAY be called to come pick up our cross and “FOLLOW HIM”-WE NEED to empty ourselves of our selfish attitudes-our greed-our worldly views-and SURRENDER to GOD and Jesus and say like Jesus:


“NOT my will-but yours be done”


IT IS a great day to be ALIVE in God's LOVE for us and a great day to go and follow Jesus who says:
“COME-follow me”-ACCEPT HIS invitation today






















DIGNITY---HE GAVE IT ALL




OUR DIGNITY
Is one of our
Most important things
In life


It is something
That NONE of us
That no reasonable person
Ever wants to lose


And yet
It was something
That Jesus didn't have
In birth-or in death


He was born in a stable
A place that stunk


And he died
On a crucifix
After “they” had taken
His clothing-his tunic-health-
and yes-EVEN DIGNITY


He had ONE thing
His mother
The LOVE of his mother
And yet
He even gave her away
For he KNEW
He could do nothing
For her


So he
GAVE HER to us
The people
Of this world


“WHEN Jesus
Saw his mother
And the disciple there
Whom he LOVED
He said
To his mother:


'WOMAN
BEHOLD your son'” John 19:26


NOW she would
Belong to John
His MOST TRUSTED disciple
A man Jesus
Knew he could trust


And she
WOULD BELONG TO US
Just as our own mothers-do-
And did


This story
MAKES ME think
Of my own mom


As I was taking care
Of her
In her last weeks
In the bathroom


She said to me,
“Bob, I never wanted you
To have
To do this”


And I said,-
“I don't mind
NO SON ever loved
His mother more”


She stood there with her arms around me
And hugging me
WHISPERING in my ear,
“Maybe Jesus”


Jesus indeed
Jesus-the man
WHO GAVE IT ALL AWAY


AND HIS MOTHER
The one who cheer leads
For us
As she cheer leaded for him


For she knew
ALL of his joys
And all of his pain


Dear Mary-WE PRAY
HELP US to come
CLOSER and closer to your son


Your very son
Who GAVE it all away


EVEN-HIS DIGNITY


Robert P. Wallman
9-15-14


Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Melanie Rigney




9-28-14

JOURNAL/THE STORY OF SAINT VINCENT DePAUL

WITNESS




9-27-13




A CHARITABLE HEART---THE STORY OF SAINT VINCENT DePAUL










I am sure
You have heard the saying:
“Charity begins at home”


I am here to tell you
That that is NOT true


It is not true today
Was not true yesterday
And will never ever be true


Saint Vincent DePaul
Was born in to a peasant family
Was educated by the Franciscans
And became a priest
At the age of 19


His following
Consisted of people
Who were rich and fashionable
Yet Vincent himself
Was utterly devoted to the poor and oppressed


A heart of compassion
A heart of charity
A heart of love


He founded
A congregation of priests
Who would live from a community fund
Renounce all church support
And work to help reestablish faith
In the smaller towns and villages


In that same year---1625
He established the Sisters of Charity
The first congregation of “unenclosed” women
Totally devoted to the poor and the sick


He was a LEGEND
Even in his own lifetime


He touched all people
Clergy and lay people alike
Rich and poor
Outcasts and convicts


A CHARITABLE HEART to be sure


Legend has it
That EVEN NOW---almost 600 years later---after his death
That his physical heart has NOT decayed---is still incorrupt


So we need no further testimony
Than God himself
About the charity---about the heart
Of a man named Vincent DePaul


Like the saying goes,
“It is what is inside that counts”


Dear Lord---we pray
That we may have ALL have
The HEART OF
The love of
The compassion of ---and


THE CHARITY OF SAINT VINCENT DePAUL


Robert P. Wallman
September 28^th, 2011


Ps September 27^th is the feast day of Saint Vincent DePaul




WITNESS 9-27-13




9-28-14

JOURNAL/LIFE IS A MARATHON

JOURNAL/LIFE IS A MARATHON




“For a thousand years IN YOUR SIGHT are as yesterday” Psalm 90:4


IF you get some time-READ psalm 90-in its ENTIRETY-it is about the fragility of HUMAN LIFE


MANY of us would NEVER think of it-but our MOST PRECIOUS asset is our TIME-when we are young-this RARELY comes to mind-


I GUESS-because I have come so CLOSE to death-I am ACUTELY aware of it-LIFE AND TIME should never be taken for granted-life and time do NOT last forever-SET YOUR PRIORITIES-for me it is GOD AND FAMILY first-ALWAYS-and FRIENDS


DEAR LORD-it is a GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in your life for us-and a GREAT DAY to give OUR LIFE AND TIME back to you-WE HONOR YOU by dedicating our life to you and by SPENDING TIME with you-each day of our lives








WITNESS


LIFE IS A MARATHON






When I was younger
One of my goals
In my life
Was to run
And complete the marathon


I got hit
With my illness
When I was 22
And have never had
The energy to do it


What I found out was
That I am still running a marathon
Just a different kind of marathon
---a spiritual marathon


A marathon---in which
We are to find God
Both in others
And in ourselves


“But those who hope
In the Lord
Will renew their strength
They will soar on wings like eagles
They will run
And not grow weary
They will walk and not be faint”


For those of you
Who actually do run marathons---physically
How great would that be


But ALL of us
Are on a spiritual journey through life


Age and illness wear us down
Financial struggles leave us breathing hard
Difficult relationships and people
Sometimes leave us feeling empty


“They will run
And not grow weary
They will walk and not be faint”


Are you serious Lord
How can that be


Love God and love others


“And as for you, brother,
Never tire of doing what is right” 2 Thessalonians 3:13


I believe
If we really and truly do this
Always do---or at least try to do---
What is right


We will
Finish the race
We will complete this marathon
We call life


“I have fought
The good fight
I have finished the race
I have kept the FAITH” 2 Timothy 4:7


With the help and grace of GOD
I’ll see you
At the finish line


Robert P. Wallman
7-27-11




Ps My thoughts and prayers are going out to the victims of the Boston Marathon
Spiritual BLESSINGS to you all




WITNESS 4-20-13


Ps “I have seen something else under the sun


The RACE is NOT to the swift-or the battle to the strong
Nor does food come to the wise-or wealth to the brilliant
Or favor to the learned
But time and chance happen to them all”
Ecclesiastes 9:11


“I have fought the good fight-I have finished the RACE-I have KEPT the faith”
2 Timothy 4:7


“Therefore-since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of WITNESSES
Let us throw off everything that hinders the sin so easily entangled
And let us run with perseverance-the RACE marked out for us”


God BLESS the city of BOSTON and the Boston marathoners




MISC WITNESS 5-29-14




9-27-14

SAINTS COSMAS AND DAMIAN

WITNESS




9-26-13




SAINT COSMAS AND DAMIAN
The Patron Saints of Doctors




Do you have healthcare
Can you afford it


Do you sometimes think
That the healthcare industry
Or maybe
Even some of the Doctors
Are more concerned with
How much money they are making
Than your personal health


If your answers
To any of these question are yes
LISTEN UP
To the story
Of two of our early physicians


Legend says
That they were twin brothers
And doctors


Who practiced their art
Without asking for fees


Can you imagine
Someone doing that today
In any profession


Reportedly
Numerous cures of healing
Were claimed by their intercession


They are
The patron saints of doctors
And their acts
Recount their skill
In both the healing
Of both men and animals


Their most famous medical achievement
Was their grafting of a new white leg
To the live body
Of a cancerous negro


They reportedly
Had a reputation
For disinterestedness about financial gain


Their feast day
Is September 28^th


Dear Lord
We pray
For many more people
As well as physicians
Like Cosmas and Damian
WHO HAVE COMPASSION FOR ALL


Robert P. Wallman
9-26-12




Ps WITNESS 9-26-13

JOURNAL/I AM.....TIME AND ETERNITY

JOURNAL/I AM.........TIME AND ETERNITY




“BUT WHO do you say that I AM?” Luke-9:20


IT is a question that EVERYONE of us will have to ANSWER at some point in our life---”ROBERT-who do you say that I am?” SUBSTITUE your own name and answer the question for yourselves


FOR ME-he is MY EVERYTHING-he is the REASON I get up in the morning-he is THE REASON that I LIVE my life the way that I do


“JESUS-you are MY SAVIOR-the CHRIST-the ANOINTED ONE
You are MY LIGHT and MY SALVATION”


It is A GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in GOD'S and in JESUS' LOVE for us-you are LIFE ITSELF-
WHO DO YOU DAY that Jesus is?














WITNESS


4-22-13




I AM-TIME AND ETERNITY




With God
There is NO PAST


With God
There is NO FUTURE


GOD LIVES
IN THE ETERNAL NOW


Once and once only
GOD-in the person of JESUS CHRIST
Came out of time and eternity
And walked the dusty back streets-trails-and hills
Of Bethlehem-Jerusalem
And many other cities
Of the old Israel


Jesus told us
Told the world
That he-and his Father
ARE the great I AM


NOT in the past
NOT in the future
IN the eternal now


Long after you and I are gone
He will STILL BE
THE GREAT I AM


I AM
Is mentioned 719 times in the Bible
508 times in the Old Testament
And 211 times in the New Testament


Not I was
Not I will be
I AM


“Moses said to God,
“Suppose I go to the Israelites
And say to them
‘The God of your Fathers
Has sent me to you’
And they ask me
‘What is his name’
Then what should I tell them” Exodus 3:13-14


“I AM”-THE GOD OF LOVE
For ALL of time
For ALL of eternity


“Your throne
Was established long ago
You are from ALL eternity” Psalm 93:2


And he is
To live in the hearts
Of men and women
Of ALL humanity
Forever and ever


“He has made everything beautiful
In its time-He has also set eternity
In the hearts of men
Yet they cannot fathom
What GOD has done
From beginning to end” Ecclesiastes 3:11


And in the New Testament
We find Jesus
Walking the dusty hills and mountainsides
Saying such things as:


“I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE” John 6:41


“I AM the good shepherd-the good shepherd
Lays down his life for his sheep” John 10:11


“I AM THE RESURRECTION and the life
Those who believe in me
Even though they die-WILL LIVE” John 11:25


And so on-and so on-and so on……..


OUR GOD-The God of love
The GOD of time and eternity
OUR GOD-with no beginning
OUR GOD-with no end


OUR GOD-the GOD of love
For ALL of time
For ALL of eternity


THE GREAT I AM


Robert P. Wallman
April 12^th, 2013




Ps WITNESS 4-22-13




“I AM the LIGHT of the world-Whoever follows me will NEVER
Walk in darkness-but will have the LIGHT OF LIFE”
John 8:12





9-26-14

JOURNAL/IN THE BEGINNING

JOURNAL/IN THE BEGINNING




“For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday...” Psalm 90:4




GOD CREATED this world out on nothing-HE CREATED you and me put of nothing-LIKE a father or parent of his own children-he WILL NEVER turn his back on you-or on this world-HE LOVES US


HOW HUMBLING it is-and how comforting too-to KNOW that GOD loves us with a NEVER ENDING-everlasting love for us


it is a GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in God's LOVE FOR US


Dear God-WE TRUST in your CARE for us-ALL OF US-whom you have made


















IN THE BEGINNING




In the beginning
You were a nothing
Sitting among a bunch of other nothings
High above the clouds


Looking down
At this planet we call earth


God decided to create you
Out of all the nothings
Because he loves you
With an everlasting---never-ending love


And he has given you work to do
That no one else
In this whole wide world can do
ONLY YOU


But now you are something
SOMETHING SPECIAL
in this world


Because your adopted Father---GOD---loves you
Which makes you a CHILD OF GOD
And a sibling to our elder BROTHER---JESUS CHRIST


The word GENESIS means---
“IN THE BEGINNING”
And in the beginning
There was ONLY GOD---ONLY LOVE


The first book of the Bible
Is called Genesis
And that book
Forms the basis
For ALL further REVELATION ABOUT GOD
And his plan for all of mankind


Does that surprise you
It doesn’t me


God has a plan for you
God has a plan for me
A plan for---ALL men and women in this world


And that plan
Is MADE out of LOVE
Because he created this world---
He created you and me OUT OF LOVE


It is believed
That the book of GENESIS
Was written for the Israelites
But the PROMISES
That GOD made to them are timeless
And is set up
TO REVEAL GOD’S LOVE OF MANKIND
Through the life, death, and RESURRECTION
OF JESUS CHRIST


When Adam and Eve listened to Satan
Instead of obeying God’s plan
Sin was thrust in to this world


Sin prevails
Until God destroys the world through floods
Except for the righteous Noah
And his family


LOVE SURVIVED


We have to remember
That no matter how much
Hatred, violence, and disobedience that there are
In this world
This world LIVES ON


Love will survive---because GOD IS LOVE


God NEVER STOPS loving man
And by using Abraham and his family
He SAVES his people again
To have fellowship with them


God created man
For FELLOWSHIP with him
And we must always remember
God will NEVER GIVE UP ON US---or abandon us
BECAUSE HE LOVES US


The Lord our God
Has a plan
For every life
And EVERY single one of us
And GOD has the power
To protect us
If we place OUR FAITH AND TRUST IN HIM


So when this world
Finally does end
It will END IN LOVE
Just as it was

IN THE BEGINNING


Robert P. Wallman
10-19-11


Ps Witness 1-2-13





9-25-14

JOURNAL/A NEWNESS IN THE LORD

JOURNAL/A NEWNESS IN THE LORD


















“REMOVE from me the way of falsehood, and FAVOR ME with your law” Psalm 119:29


BAPTISM MAY be either a GIFT or a CHOICE-either way-it REPRESENTS a new way of life-A NEWNESS in the Lord


In the ACTS of the Apostles-adults and their children-their WHOLE households were BAPTIZED-TODAY-sometimes we are BORN into a CHRISTIAN family or CHOOSE to become a CHRISTIAN as an adult-IN MY case-it was BOTH-a gift from my mother and father on their first wedding anniversary-and a PERSONAL DECISION-a number of times as an adult-A RECOMMITMENT so to speak to the CHRISTIAN FAITH


IN ANY CASE-OUR FAITH is the RESPONSE to the realization that we have BEEN CHOSEN by GOD to be HIS REPRESENTATIVES in this the 21^st century


it is a GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in GOD'S LOVE for us-and a great day to REALIZE we are not only loved by GOD-but that we also have BEEN CHOSEN by God to be his people


















A NEWNESS IN THE LORD




In chapter 12 of Genesis
The Lord said to Abraham,


“LEAVE your country
Your people
And your father's household
And go to the land
I will show you” Genesis 12:1


And Abraham did
And became
The FATHER of many nations


Has life-Has God
Ever asked you to move
To change cities
To LEAVE families and friends behind
And start anew


I moved from Pittsburgh, Pa.,
To Miami, Florida
Wit my mom
Leaving family and friends behind


But MOVING
To a city-WHERE I had someone
Another sister-Terri


NEVERTHELESS
Change was/and is
No easy thing
But it worked out GOOD
For mom and me


And it worked out good
For Abraham


But I have
To tell you
Change is NO EASY THING
While you are going through it


But the MOST important CHANGE
In me
Has NOT been
My physical surroundings


But the TOTAL in-depth transformation
Of myself
To really becoming a CHRISTIAN
And making a 100% ALL-OUT commitment
To GOD-family-friends-and churches


A NEWNESS
In the Lord
A newness of self


I SUSPECT
While not really knowing
That that
Is what happened to Abraham too


A TOTAL 100% commitment
To God-family-and HIS JEWISH HERITAGE


“HE PUT
A new song in my mouth
A hymn of PRAISE
To our God


Many will see and fear
And put their TRUST
In the Lord” Psalm 40:3


THIS is a song
I will happily sing
For ALL
The remaining days
Of my life


God-family-friends-church
LOVE-forgiveness-kindness


Jesus Christ and HIS teachings
Forever and ever


I have SEEN THE LIGHT
There can be
NO other way


A NEWNESS
In the Lord
I have
Been TRANSFORMED


“Therefore
IF anyone is in Christ
He is
A NEW CREATION


The old has gone
The NEW has come” 2 Corinthians 5:17


I have
Left the land
Of self-will
I have embraced
The land of surrender


A NEWNESS
IN THE LORD


Dear Lord
I believe
As Abraham did


That you
Have called me
To new lands
And that you
Have transformed me
From the inside out


“You were taught
With regard to your
Former way of life
To put off
Your old self
Which is being corrupted
By its deceitful desires


To be MADE NEW
In the attitude
Of your minds


And to PUT ON
THE NEW SELF


CREATED to be like God
In true righteousness
And holiness” Ephesians 4:22-24


Thank you Lord
I/WE are made new


A NEWNESS
IN THE LORD


Robert P. Wallman
March 16^th, 2014




Ps Inspired by an article LIVING FAITH magazine by Sister Macrina Weidekehr, O.S.B.

JOURNAL/WHO IS YOUR FAMILY

JOURNAL/WHO IS MY FAMILY




“MY mother and my brothers are those WHO HEAR the word of God and act on it” Luke 8:21


I am told that EVERYWHERE you look in Italy is a statue of Saint Padre Pio-IN pizza parlors-shops-car windows-and of course-IN EVERY church


Saint Padre Pio-along with Saint Francis-ARE the most popular SAINTS in Italy-HE WAS a mystic-a doctor of souls-and he bore the WOUNDS OF CHRIST-the stigmata


HE was and IS-as WE all are-a brother of Christ and all the members of the FAITHFUL BELIEVERS


Dear Lord-WE PRAY-that we may drawn MORE CLOSELY into the FAMILY of GOD-and we thank GOD for another day of BEING ALIVE in GOD'S EVERLASTING LOVE for us and GIVE thanks for OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS in Christ




















WHO IS YOUR FAMILY




In the XIIth chapter
Of Saint Matthew's Gospel
While Jesus
Is speaking to the crowd
His MOTHER and his brothers
Were outside
Wishing to speak to him


Someone said to Jesus,
“Your mother and brothers
Are standing outside
Wanting to speak to you” Matthew 12:47


Jesus responds
With a rather strange remark,


“WHO is
My mother and my brothers


For whoever
Does the will of my Father
In heaven
Is my
brother, and sister, and mother” Matthew 12:48-50
(as he pointed to his disciples)


What is Jesus trying to say
Is he trying
To denigrate or deny his own family


I DON'T BELIEVE SO


I believe
That Jesus is making the point
That-in addition
To his own family
WHOEVER does the will of God
IS HIS FAMILY too


Jesus is
NOT trying to restrict
The WORD of God
But is
Trying to EXPAND it


For you see
The family has been GOD'S INSTRUMENT
All along


God first began to establish
The word of God
In the garden of Eden


He built Adam a mate-Eve


The Lord God said,
“It is not good
For the man to be alone


I will make him
A SUITABLE HELPER” Genesis 2:18


And in Psalm 127
We find that
CHILDREN are a reward
From the Lord


“Sons are
A heritage
From the Lord
Children a reward
From him” Psalm 127:3


That is NOT to say
That if you do not have children
In today's world
That you are being punished by God


It is just to say
That if you have been BLESSED by God
With a mate and children
TO TREASURE them


Because-there are
Many of us-out here
Like me
That have
Not been as fortunate


“FOR the husband
Is the head of the wife
And CHRIST is the head of the church
HIS BODY
Of which he is the SAVIOR” Ephesians 5:23


As far as who is
The HEAD of the family
In today's times
It really is academic
FOR THERE are many types
Of families in today's world


But what really is important
Is that CHRIST is the HEAD
O f the church


The FAMILY
Is to be UNIFIED
As the
Church is to be unified


Sometimes I wonder
HOW we have become SO BROKEN today
BOTH in the church
And in so many families


NEVERTHELESS-I kind of
FEEL like Christ today
In that
When I think of
WHO MY FAMILY IS


I FEEL
That my family is
DEFINITELY
ALL of my blood relatives
It is
ALL of my friends
And I think it ALSO INCLUDES
“ANYONE who hears the word of GOD
And does it”


I LOVE YOU ALL
So very very much


Robert P. Wallman 11-15-13
ps 3-28-14





Ps 9-23-14-the feast day of Saint Padre Pio

JOURNAL/LET THE LIGHT SHINE ON YOU

JOURNAL/LET THE LIGHT SHINE ON YOU




“NO ONE who light s lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed” Luke 8:16




LIGHTS are to be seen-SHARED-and not hidden-The light that JESUS refers to is OUR LIVES-ALLOW your light to be VISIBLE so that others-who see it-WILL FIND HOPE


OF COURSE-our light ULTIMATELY comes from GOD and Christ-but as modern day CHRISTIANS
-our lives should be an EXAMPLE for others-BEACONS OF HOPE we are to be


it is a GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in GOD'S LOVE for us and a GREAT DAY to let the light shine on us-and to let others KNOW that GOD LIVES IN US






















WITNESS




7-23-13




LET THE LIGHT SHINE ON YOU








Are you a person
Who tries to do God’s will
In the world today


Maybe NOT always getting it right
But you keep trying
To be a positive influence
In the world


Well stand up
Take a bow
Let the light
Shine on you


You---YOU
Are one of the few


“You are
The light of the world
A city on a hill cannot be hidden
Neither do people light a lamp
And put it under a bowl
Instead they put it on its stand
And it gives light
To everyone in the house


In the same way
Let your light shine before men
That they may see your good deeds
And praise YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN” Matthew 5:14-16


You can’t be a beacon
If your light don’t shine


I don’t know about you
But I feel
Like we live in a world
That is getting a little bit meaner
Each and every day


Sometimes
I feel like this world can’t get any lower
But then it does


I have an idea
Let it STOP
With me and you


Did you know
That KINDNESS
Is one of the FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT


“But the fruit of the spirit
Is love, joy, peace, patience, KINDNESS,
Goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
Against such things---there is no law” Galatians 5-22-24


If you are LIVING in the spirit
Stand up-take a bow
LET THE LIGHT SHINE ON YOU


Saint Vincent Depaul once said,
“The surest way to become a SAINT
Is to be kind-be kind- be KIND”


Saint Theresa the Little Flower was kind
Many consider her to be
The Saint of the ordinary
The ONE whose vocation was LOVE


You can’t be a beacon
If your light don’t shine


“For God who said
Let light shine our of your darkness
Made his light shine in our hearts
To give us the light of knowledge
Of the glory of God
In the face of Christ” 2 Corinthians 4:6


Do good---BE light---Let God’s Light---
LET THE LIGHT SHINE ON YOU


Robert P. Wallman
10-30-11




WITNESS 7-23-13




9-22-14

THE STORY OF SAINT MATTHEW

WITNESS




9-21-13




HONEY---THE TAX MAN IS HERE
( or the story of Saint Matthew )










“Honey---
The tax man is here”


How many of us
Like to hear those words


Or how many of us
Like getting a letter
From the IRS in the mail
Or going downtown for an audit


This is the story of Saint Matthew
Originally called Levi
A tax collector of the Jewish people
Who worked for the Roman government


One day
Jesus met Matthew
At his tax collector’s booth
And said, “follow me”


One night---while having dinner at Matthew’s house
And many of his tax collector friends
Some of the teachers of Jewish law
Were asking his disciples,
“Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners”


Jesus heard about the conversation, and said,
“It is not the healthy who need a Doctor
But the sick
I have not come to call the righteous---but sinners” Mark 2:16&17


Good for the Apostles
And very good for us


It is believed
That after the Resurrection
That Matthew went on
To preach the Word of God
Either in Ethiopia or Persia


And it is believed
That Matthew wrote his Gospel
From Antioch
Primarily to the Jews
But also to Gentiles and Christians


As an original Apostle
He gave us an eyewitness account


Jesus speaks more
In Matthew’s Gospel
Than in any of the other Gospels
And Matthew quotes
From many of the Old Testament books
To prove that Jesus certainly is
The “Fulfillment”---The Anointed One


Matthew traces the genealogy of Jesus
Describes Jesus’ temptation in the desert
And concludes his Gospel
With the calling of the GREAT COMMISSION
To all believers


Matthew teaches us
That the standards of God are high
And that the example that he---God---gave us
Is perfect---Jesus Christ


And Matthew teaches us
That Christ is sufficient
For whatever need we might have
And that the ways of God
Are infinitely higher
Than the ways of this world


Saint Matthew
Died a martyr’s death


September 21^st is his feast day


“HONEY---THE TAX MAN IS HERE”


Robert P. Wallman
9-11-11




Ps WITNESS 9-21-13




and 9-21-14

JOURNAL/HONESTY AND TRUTH

JOURNAL/HONESTY AND TRUTH


Saint Paul is nothing but REAL-HONEST-and FULL of all TRUTH


“I am caught between the two-I LONG to depart this life and be with Christ-for that is far BETTER-YET that I remain in the flesh is MORE NECESSARY for your BENEFIT” Philippians 1:23-24


I can EMPATHIZE with Saint Paul-sometimes I WISH I could go into eternity and spend it with GOD-and HIS SON-MY LORD and SAVIOR Jesus Christ-yet I KNOW that God wants me here to give TESTIMONY to God for as long AS I AM ABLE


SO while we are here we SHOULD LIVE with that SAME honesty and TRUTH that Paul had-and be aware of our weaknesses as Paul was AWARE of his-”NO LONGER I-but Christ who lives IN ME”


Dear Lord-it is A GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in your love for us and a GREAT DAY to be honest and TRUTHFUL about your LOVE AND CARING for all LIVING THINGS


LET GOD and Jesus be LORD of YOUR LIFE today
















HONESTY AND TRUTH




Did you know
Than one of the two things
That it is IMPOSSIBLE for GOD to do
Is to lie


I wish
I could say that that was true
For some of the human beings
That I have known
In my life


“Men swear
By someone greater than themselves
And the OATH CONFIRMS
What is said
And puts an end
To all argument


Because God wanted to make
The UNCHANGING NATURE of his purpose very clear
To the heirs of which was promised
He confirmed it with an oath


God did this so that
By TWO unchangeable things
In which it is IMPOSSIBLE
FOR GOD TO LIE


We who have fled
To take HOLD
Of the HOPE
Offered to us
MAY be greatly encouraged” Hebrews 6:16-18


SO GOD CAN’T LIE
So IF someone is lying
To you
You KNOW
It is NOT coming from God


“I PROMISE to tell the truth
The whole truth
And nothing but the truth”


Our courtroom oath


And what about our marriage vows


“I, (John/Jane), take you, (John/Jane), to be my (husband/wife), to have
And to hold, from this day on, for better or worse, for richer-for poorer,
In sickness and in health,
TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH
UNTIL death do us part”


I KNOW people
Lie on the witness stand
And our divorce rates
CONTINUE to hover around 50%
I have to wonder
IF anyone
Takes anything they say seriously


I KNOW
God DESIRES honesty and truth
After all
Our God cannot
And would not lie


GOD DESIRES HONESTY


Psalm 105 tells us:


“He whose walk is blameless
And who does what is righteous
Who speaks the truth from his heart
Has no slander on his tongue
And does his neighbor NO WRONG
And casts no slur
On his fellowman” Psalm 15:2-3


And Proverbs 12 says:


“A truthful witness
GIVES honest testimony
But a false witness tells lies” Proverbs 12:17


TRUTHFUL LIPS last forever
But a lying tongue
LASTS only a moment” Proverbs 12:19


I know the words
I spoke on my deathbed
When I was 22-was a vow to God
And I know
While I can never live up to them
At least-I can always try


“FINALLY brothers
Whatever is true
Whatever is noble
Whatever is right
Whatever is pure
Whatever is lovely
Whatever is admirable


IF anything is excellent
Or praiseworthy
THINK about such things


Whatever
You have learned
Or received or heard from me
Or seen in me


PUT INTO PRACTICE
And the God of peace
Will be with you” Philippians 4:8-9


May ALL your words
BE TRUE


Robert P. Wallman
7-22-13




Ps 9-21-14

JOURNAL/TRUST IN THE LORD

JOURNAL/TRUST IN THE LORD




“NOW I KNOW that God is with me-IN GOD I TRUST” Psalm 56:10, 12




Psalm 56 EXPRESSES tremendous TRUST in God-it says that God is MORE THAN just with me-it says that GOD IS ON MY SIDE


The psalmist doesn't say: “I trust in myself” or that “in human beings I trust”---no he says “IN GOD-I TRUST”


Dear Lord-we thank you for your NEVER ENDING LOVE for us today-and we PRAY for the GRACE to KNOW and to LIVE by the fact that; “GOD IS TRULY on our side”




















WITNESS




3-22-13




TRUST IN THE LORD








Who are you going to trust


TRUST IN THE LORD


We live in a time
When almost all miracles
Are called medical miracles


We are leaving God
OUT OF THE PICTURE


How would you define the word “miracle”


I would define the word “miracle”
As when you’ve come
To the end of what medical science can do
Or-is willing to do
GOD-THE CREATOR AND THE SPIRIT OF LIFE-takes over


What has happened
In my life
Is definitely a “GOD” miracle
And I am proud
To boast in the Lord


TRUST IN THE LORD


In 1977-I walked away from
Peritonitis-gangrene-surgical shock- and a 108 degree temperature


Yet here I am


In additional years in the late 1970’s
And early 1980’s
I walked away-three times
From critical situations
That overlapped my birthday


“Vindicate me-oh Lord
For I have led a blameless life
I have trusted in the Lord
Without wavering” Psalm 26:1


I don’t pretend
EVEN TO MYSELF
That I have lived a blameless life


But I will tell you this
I HAVE TRUSTED in the Lord our God
TRUSTED-over and over again


And so
As I face some more
Difficult medical decisions
I will tell you this


I have NOTHING
Against medical science
But I am
GOING TO TRUST IN THE LORD


The Lord our God
Has given me miracle after miracle
In my life


WHO ARE YOU GOING TO TRUST?


God gave me LIFE once in 1955
He gave me life a second time-in 1977
He has performed MIRACLE AFTER MIRACLE
In my life


WHO ARE YOU GOING TO TRUST?


“But if SERVING the Lord
Seems undesirable to you
Then choose for yourself-THIS DAY
Whom you will serve
Whether the gods your forefathers served
Beyond the river
Or the gods of the Amorites
In whose land you are living


But as for me
And my household ( ONLY ME )
We will serve the Lord” Joshua 24:15


TRUST IN THE LORD


Robert P. Wallman
5-7-12


Ps THE LORD GOD
Gave me life more than once
I figure-it is his decision
WHEN TO BRING ME HOME




WITNESS 3-22-13




“IN God-whose word I praise-
In God-I TRUST-I will not be afraid
What can mortal man do to me?” Psalm 56:4


“TRUST in the Lord with all your heart
And lean not on your own understanding” Proverbs 3:5


“Do not let your hearts be troubled
TRUST in God-TRUST also in me” John 14:1




PS MISC. WITNESS July 14tn, 2014




9-20-14

JOURNAL/CHRIST RESURRECTED-OUR LIVES RESURRECTED

JOURNAL/CHRIST RESURRECTED-OUR LIVES RESURRECTED




“IF for this life only-we have HOPED in Christ-WE are the MOST PITIABLE people of ALL” 1 Corinthians 15:19


JESUS TAUGHT us much about HOW TO LIVE in this world-BE MEEK AND HUMBLE-and work for JUSTICE and BE MERCIFUL to one another


BUT with Jesus-it did NOT END THERE-he PROMISED that if we live a LIFE PLEASING to GOD-we would have ETERNAL LIFE with him and HIS FATHER-OUR DEAR GOD


It is WHAT made him different-IT IS what MAKES US different-WE WILL RISE over our troubles in this life-I/WE look forward to our RESURRECTION in this life-the RESURRECTION of the dead-and the LIFE OF THE WORLD TO COME-amen


it is A GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in GOD'S never ending-everlasting LOVE for us




















CHRIST RESURRECTED-OUR LIVES RESURRECTED




Do you know
What it means
To resurrect


GENERALLY-it means
To RAISE from the dead
And bring back to life


And SPECIFICALLY
It means-Jesus Christ's RESURRECTION
Over physical death


BETRAYAL by a friend
Couldn't kill him
Denial by another friend
Couldn't kill him
And the running away
Of all the rest of his friends
Couldn't kill him


NOT even torture, humiliation,
And physical death
Could contain him


Jesus Christ
TRIUMPHED over it all
He triumphed
OVER THE GRAVE


Jesus said
To Mary Magdalene
And Mary-the mother of James
And Salome


“Be not afraid
You seek Jesus of Nazareth
Who was crucified


He is RISEN
He is not here
Behold the place
WHERE they laid him


Go your way
Tell his disciples and Peter
That he goes before you
Into Galilee


There you will find him
As he has said
Unto you” Mark 16:6-7


What have you died to in your life
PHYSICAL HEALTH
Financial obligations
A personal relationship/or relationships


UNITE your life (your crosses)
With Jesus'
And you will be raised
Not only in this life
But AFTER your physical death


“Then he said to his disciples
'IF any man
Comes after me
Let him deny himself
And take up his cross
And follow me” Matthew 16:24


If we do this
If we UNITE
Our crosses in life
We can OVERCOME
Our misfortunes
In this life


Our lives resurrected
THROUGH CHRIST'S LIFE


For if
We have been planted together
In the likeness of his death
We shall also be
Also in the likeness
Of his RESURRECTION” Romans 6:5


Be dead to sin
BE ALIVE to Christ
And you will be made
NEW again
In this life


CHRIST RESURRECTED
OUR lives can be resurrected
BY UNITING our crosses to Christ's
In this life


You will be made
NEW AGAIN


“As Christ
Was RAISED up
From the dead
By the GLORY of the FATHER


Even so
We shall RISE again” Romans 6:4


“Therefore
IF any man
Be in Christ
He is a NEW CREATION


OLD things are passed away
BEHOLD-all things
BECOME NEW 2 Corinthians 5:17


CHRIST RESURRECTED
You too
Can resurrect-in this life
By UNITING your crosses to Christ


ALL things are made NEW though Christ
OUR LIVES ARE RESURRECTED


Robert P. Wallman
4-12-14




Ps WITNESS 4-21-14





9-19-14

JOURNAL/MISTAKES-REPENTANCE-SORROW

JOURNAL/MISTAKES-REPENTANCE-SORROW




“SO I tell you-her MANY sins have been FORGIVEN;hence-she has SHOWN GREAT LOVE”
Luke 7:47




EVERYONE seems to KNOW this woman because she was a great sinner-but HOW do they know- gossip? Personal experience?


Jesus knows this woman is a SINNER too-and yet doesn't seem to be ALL too bothered about it


HE SAYS-she is FORGIVEN-and we too are forgiven-NOT because of anything we ever did-but BECAUSE Jesus carried ALL of our sins for her and us out on Calvary HILL


WE CAN'T EARN God's forgiveness-it is FREELY GIVEN-but we CAN RESPOND with GREAT LOVE like the woman in this story


IT IS a great day to be ALIVE in GOD'S LOVE and FORGIVENESS
HAVE YOU thanked God for this love and forgiveness today?






















MISTAKES-REPENTANCE-SORROW




Are you sorry
For anything
That you have ever done
In your life


For a decision
You made in your life
Somewhere along the way


IF you are not
I don't think
You are HUMAN
Like the rest of us


Because sometimes
Even with the BEST OF INTENTIONS
Sometimes-something we did
Or didn't do
Had a negative impact
On someone else


And sometimes
Something we did or didn't do
Has a negative impact
On our relationship with God
(the first commandment)


Or a negative impact
On our relationship with others
(the second commandment)


In the bible
REPENTANCE is defined as
“To feel sorry for sins”


It is a common theme
Of the old testament prophets
About Israel returning to God


And also preached by Jesus


TWICE in the XIIIth chapter
Of Saint Luke's Gospel
Jesus says,


“UNLESS you repent
You will perish” Luke 13:3&5


It took me a long time
To get it right


I KEPT
Committing the same stupid sin
The same stupid mistake
OVER and over and over again


But somehow
I kept TURNING TO GOD
And eventually
I got it right


IF you haven't done so yet
I am sure
You can do it


What got to me
Was that when I examined my conscience
And said the act of contrition:


“OH my God
I am heartily sorry
For having offended thee


And I detest ALL my sins
Because I dread
The loss of heaven
And the pains
Of hell


But most of all
BECAUSE I OFFENED thee my God
Who art all good
And deserving
Of ALL my love
….....”


And then it would hit me
LOOKING UP at the cross


I KNEW
That I LOVED that man
Hanging on the cross
For me


MORE THAN
Any stupid sin
I could or would
Intentionally commit


I don't want to
Offend God-anymore
I don't want to
OFFEND-Jesus-anymore


I LOVE GOD AND JESUS MORE


And not only
The old testament prophets and Jesus
But also Peter and Paul
Preached REPENTANCE


“Peter replied,
'REPENT and be baptized
Every one of you
In the name of Jesus Christ
For the forgiveness
Of your sins


And you will receive
The GIFT of THE HOLY SPIRIT “ Acts 2:38


“GODLY SORROW brings REPENTANCE
That leads to salvation
And leaves no regret
But worldly sorrow brings death” 2 Corinthians 7:10


REPENTANCE-salvation
The kingdom of God is NEAR
IT is as close
AS YOUR OWN HEART


Robert P. Wallman
5-16-14


Ps 9-18-14

SAINT ROBERT BELLARMINE

SAINT ROBERT BELLARMINE (1542-1621)




Robert Bellarmine
Was born in Tuscany
He was Jesuit
And archbishop of Capua


He became skilled
Playing the violin
And speaking in debates


In 1560
He became a Jesuit
And was ordained
A priest in 1570


He was appointed
A professor
Of “controversial theology”
At the Roman College


And his lectures
Became the basis
For his famous-controversies-
A four volume work
With him
As the leading Catholic
In the counter reformation


IT was a COMPLETE defense
OF CATHOLIC THEOLOGY
And was so LEARNED
In SCRIPTURE
It was wrongly believed
To be the work
Of a TEAM OF SCHOLARS


He became the rector
Of the Roman College
In 1592
Provincial of Naples in 1594
And cardinal in 1598


He LIVED off of
Bread and garlic
And used his curtains of his apartment
To CLOTHE the poor


In 1602
He became archbishop of Capua
And took a prominent share
In pastoral and welfare work


In 1605
He became the PREFECT
Of the Vatican LIBRARY
And an ACTIVE member
Of several Roman Congregations


His moderate views
On the papacy
MAY have delayed his canonization
As well as his sympathy
To Galileo
Even though he RECOMMENDED caution
To distinguish
Between hypothesis and PROVED TRUTH


In old age
Bellarmine withdrew from controversy
And wrote books
On devotion


He died at the age of 79-
On September 17th-his feast day


He was
Physically very small
Bur possessed GREAT powers
Of intellect and sympathy


He PRAYED DAILY
For the Protestant theologians
That he opposed
And was canonized in 1930
And a DOCTOR of the church in 1931


He NEVER
Made personal attacks
On the Protestant theologians


Robert P. Wallman
9-24-13

JOURNAL/LOVING INCLUSIVELY

JOURNAL/LOVING INCLUSIVELY




“IF I have FAITH as to move mountains-but do NOT have love-I AM NOTHING” 1 Corinthians 13:2


MANY of you started out-as I did-TRYING to BUILD your life on the dream of money-material possessions-your sexual identity-or THE WRONG DREAM-so to speak


FORTUNATELY for me-GOD BROUGHT ME BACK (as I HOPE he did with you too)-that the ONLY DREAM worth building your life on is the DREAM OF LOVE-of loving GOD and LOVING OTHERS


There is NO other kind of RETURN ON INVESTMENT-like LOVE-that will ever BRING US PEACE


Dear Lord-YOU are the LOVE OF MY LIFE




it is a GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in GOD'S LOVE for us-and a great day for LOVING GOD and LOVING OTHERS
















LOVING INCLUSIVELY




From the time
I was a young boy
My mother
ALWAYS taught me
That love was INCLUSIVE


In fact-she would say


“LOVE draws a circle
And pulls people in
And hate draws a circle
And pushes people out”


And we know
Through Jesus’ teachings
And HIS LIFE
That love and forgiveness
Were central messages
SO we know


That LOVE is to be INCLUSIVE


And in Luke 13-Jesus says:


“People will come
From the east and the west
And from the north and the south
And will RECEIVE
At the table
In the kingdom of God” Luke 13:29


What could be more inclusive
Than that?


And in the old testament
Reading of Isaiah


“And they will bring
ALL your brothers
From ALL the nations
To my holy mountain
In Jerusalem
As an offering to the Lord” Isaiah 66:20


PEOPLE from
ALL over the world
Will be INCLUDED
In God’s KINGDOM


LOVE draws a circle
And
PULLS people in


And HOW did Jesus
LIVE his life out


BY HEALING the sick
LOVING the poor
LOVING the orphan, the widow
And BEIND KIND to the children


“Religion
That God our Father accepts
Is this:


To look after orphans and widows
In their distress
And to keep oneself
From being polluted
BY THE WORLD” JOHN 1:27


“HE called a little child
And had him stand
AMONG them
And he said:


‘I tell you the truth
UNLESS you change
And become like little children
You will never enter into
The kingdom of heaven’” Matthew 18:2-3


Dear friends
We are to be as TRUSTING as little children
WHEN it comes to LOVING


LOVE indeed DRAWS A CIRCLE
And LOVE IS TO BE INCLUSIVE


Robert P. Wallman
8-26-13




ps misc. WITNESS 3-13-14




9-17-14

JOURNAL/THE LAST WORD-EVEN IN DEATH

JOURNAL/THE LAST WORD-EVEN IN DEATH





“WHEN the LORD saw her-he was MOVED with pity for her and said to her-'DO NOT WEEP'”
Luke 7:13


WHAT is STRIKING in this story is that JESUS is MOVED with COMPASSION for the widow-she does NOT ask Jesus to do anything


THIS STORY exemplifies Jesus' INCREDIBLE sensitivity and tenderness towards people


HE SEES A WOMAN-a widow-who is NOW totally vulnerable with no family member to watch out for her-AND-brings the young man back to life to GIVE HIM BACK to his mother


AND ISN'T that what we are called to do-HIS DISCIPLES AND APOSTLES of the 21^st century-SEE a need and FILL it


DEAR LORD-it is a GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in your love for us-and a GREAT DAY to be FILLED with COMPASSION-for OUR brothers and sisters in Christ
















THE LAST WORD-EVEN IN DEATH




Have you ever been
In a discussion
Or an argument-IF you prefer
With someone
TRYING to get the LAST WORD


You might as well
Take your head
And bang it against the wall
It will have
THE SAME EFFECT
On that person


But one thing
We KNOW for sure
IS THAT GOD
ALWAYS has the last word
Because his WORDS are true


EVEN in life and death matters


In his 7^th chapter
Saint Luke tells us the story
Of the WIDOW NAIN


Jesus-his disciples-and a LARGE CROWD
Were in a town called NAIN


As Jesus approached the town gate
A dead person
Was being carried out


THE ONLY SON
Of his mother
And she was a widow
And a large crowd
From the town Was with her


“WHEN the Lord
Saw her
HIS HEART went out to her
And he said,
'DON'T CRY' Luke 7:13


Then he went up
And touched the coffin
And said,
“YOUNG MAN-I say to you GET UP” Luke 7:14
And , of course, HE DID


DEATH was NOT
The last word
And it IS NOT
THE LAST WORD
In this world
Or the next


“THIS is what the Lord says
Israel's King and Redeemer
The, Lord Almighty,

'I am the first
And I am the LAST
Apart from me
THERE IS NO GOD'” Isaiah 44:6


“DO NOT be afraid
I am the First and the Last


I am
THE LIVING ONE
I was dead
And behold
I AM ALIVE
For ever and ever
And I HOLD the keys
Of death and Hades” Revelations 1:17-18


And WE ALL KNOW
The story of Christ
Bringing back Lazarus
(the loving brother)
Of Martha and Mary
From death


And CHRIST'S own victory
OVER death


He is-GOD IS
THE LAST WORD


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?” John 11:25-26


Dear Lord
37 years ago
AFTER I was given the LAST RIGHTS
I LIVED


And like
THE WIDOW NAIN and her son
LIKE Martha, Mary, and Lazarus
AND LIKE YOU


I HUMBLY SAY
“I BELIEVE”


YOU LORD
have the LAST WORD
( even in death )




Robert P. Wallman
9-24-13




Ps I THANK YOU LORD for ALL the additional years
I have had to spend with family-friends-churches-etc.




DEAR GOD-I BELIEVE








9-16-14

JOURNAL/SYMBOL-CROSS-SALVATION

JOURNAL/SYMBOL-CROSS-SALVATION




“WHEN Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved-he said to his mother-'WOMAN-behold your son'” John 19:26


HIS MOTHER was the last thing he had on earth-yet out of LOVE FOR US-he gave her to John his disciple and to us and THE WHOLE WORLD


HE GAVE the world every last ounce of everything that he had-even his dignity and his MOM


BECAUSE Mary knew her son intimately-she KNOWS OUR joy-and because she was there at the end
with Jesus-she knows OUR SUFFERING and our pain


DEAR Jesus and Mary-HELP us to KNOW FAMILY LOVE and LOVE for all-as the two of you did-and to GIVE SOMETHING of ourselves back to you and to God


IT IS a great day to BE ALIVE in your LOVE FOR US




















SYMBOL-CROSS-SALVATION


Do you know
What a SYMBOL is


The word symbol is defined:


“As an object
That represents
Stands for
Or SUGGESTS an idea-a visual image-
Belief-action-or material entity”


For example
The symbol of our religion
For Christians
Is the cross


The instrument
Of Jesus' humiliation-torture
And death
That was ultimately TRANSFORMED
Into glory
By Jesus and God
THROUGH HIS RESURRECTION


Unfortunately today
For much of our culture
The cross
Has been REPLACED
By other symbols


Symbols of our sexuality
Symbols of lust
On every television commercial
And computer
And in our country


Symbols
Such as rich houses
And rich cars
That CONVEYS the mood
That if we purchase them
We will be totally happy


Symbols
Such as doctors and hospitals
That conveys the thought
That health and happiness
Are determined
NOT by God
But by medical science


Symbols and ideas
That convey
HAPPINESS can be found
In a bottle
In a syringe
Or on a screen
LOOKING for and finding salvation


THE TRUTH IS
All these things
Do not bring salvation


The cross alone-
OUR IDENTIFICATION with God-alone
CAN bring salvation


Dear Lord
PLEASE HELP us to understand
That these other images
Do NOT bring about happiness


ONLY by accepting the cross
The symbol of
ACCEPTING the crucifixion of Jesus
Can bring about our SALVATION


The cross is
The means by which Jesus died
But it is also used
As a metaphor
For self-sacrifice


ONLY by sacrificing our lust
Only by sacrificing our greed
Only by sacrificing
Our addictions
And PUTTING GOD AND FAMILY FIRST
In our lives
Can we find the way
TO SALVATION


“IF ANYONE
Would come after me
He must deny himself
And take up his cross
And FOLLOW me


For whoever
Wants to save his life
Will lose it


But whoever loses his life
For me
And the gospel
WILL save it


What good is it
for a man
To gain the whole world
Yet forfeit his soul


Or what can a man GIVE
In exchange for his soul” Matthew 8:34-37


PUTTING GOD AND FAMILY FIRST
Is the WAY to salvation


Salvation is DELIVERANCE
From danger or evil
And ONLY God and family
Can deliver us from them


LIVING in the spirit
Or living in the flesh
The choice is yours and mine


ONLY GOD
Can deliver you-and me


Robert P. Wallman
July 28^th, 2014





Ps On sites and sent out 9-15-14

JOURNAL/GREATNESS

JOURNAL/GREATNESS




“Christ Jesus-though he was IN THE FORM of God-did not regard EQUALITY with God something to be grasped” Philippians 2:6




DESPITE some of the people we run across in today's world-we have to KNOW and ACCEPT that we are not GOD-ONLY God has the power to control life and death


SOMETIMES we PLAY God when we DEMAND answers to the REQUESTS we make in prayer-sometimes we PLAY God when we JUDGE the lives of others or think that we are BETTER than another human being


THE TRUTH is-Jesus taught us through his life that we are to LIVE LIVES of servanthood-humility-and OBEDIENCE to God-and others-THE PARADOX IS that the only way to true greatness is the CARRYING of our crosses with these qualities


DEAR Lord-we PRAY help us to always REMEMBER that we are NOT created equal with you-and that our place is at your hands-and that it is a GREAT DAY to be alive in your love for us










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----rpw---2-20-12




MISC. WITNESS 4-3-14


9-14-14

JOURNAL/DO YOU KNOW THE TEACHER

JOURNAL/DO YOU KNOW THE TEACHER




“There was a man of the Pharisees-named Nicodemus-a ruler of the Jews:


The SAME came to Jesus by night-and said unto him-Rabbi-WE KNOW that thou art a teacher come from God:-for NO MAN can do these MIRACLES that thou doest-except GOD BE WITH HIM” John 3:2


Dear Lord-we PRAY-you know that we live in an UPSIDE down world-and it easy for us to get our priorities turned around-HELP US to ALWAYS KNOW your teachings and what is RIGHT and to KEEP GOD and FAMILY FIRST


HELP US to always KNOW that it is a GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in your LOVE for us-and a GREAT
DAY to know you-the TRUEST TEACHER of us all




















DO YOU KNOW THE TEACHER?




Once upon a time
There was a banquet
Among those in attendance
Was the GREAT character actor-Charles Laughton


Charles Laughton was a great actor
Among his roles
Was The Hunchback of Notre Dame


Also among the attendees
Was a well known Catholic priest
Who did not hear so well


Mr. Laughton was called upon
To speak some words


And he recited
The 23^rd psalm
In and with a great actor's stage presence


“The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want”........
All the way to its conclusion
“And I will dwell
In the house of the Lord forever”


The room was amazed
And stunned
At how well-Mr. Laughton
Recited the poem


Immediately thereafter
The priest was called up
For the invocation-the opening prayer


The great priest
Who hadn't heard a word of Mr. Laughton's recital
Begins with.....


“The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want........”
And proceeded all the way
To the end


At the end of the evening
The MC apologized
To Mr. Laughton-explaining to him
That the priest didn't hear so well


Mr Laughton simply responded:
“That' OK-I KNOW the psalm
But he KNOWS the teacher”


Dear friends
Do you know our teacher
OUR GOD
As expressed by HIS SON-Jesus Christ
Walking this earth


“IF you are pleased with me
Teach me your ways
So I may know you
And continue to find favor
With you


Remember that this nation
IS your people” Exodus 33:13


LOVE-FORGIVENESS-KINDNESS


WHERE have you gone
In this country
Where have you gone
In our world


“Teach them to your CHILDREN
And to there children after them” Deuteronomy 4:9


And we should always remember
NO STUDENT is above his teacher


“The disciple
Is not above his master
Nor the servant
Above the Lord” Matthew 10:24


Like Charles Laughton and the famous priest


We MAY know the qualities
LOVE-FORGIVENESS-KINDNESS
BUT he lived them
HE IS THEM


We KNOW the teacher
BUT JESUS CHRIST IS THE TEACHER


Robert P. Wallman
August 11^th, 2014


Ps at SKY LAKE PROFESSIONAL BUILDING

JOURNAL/BEING PERFECT

JOURNAL/BEING PERFECT




“WHY do you NOTICE the splinter in your brother's eye, but do NOT perceive the wooden beam in your own?” Luke 6:41


THE answer is PRETTY OBVIOUS-it is a lot more FUN to point out the FAULTS of others than to take RESPONSIBILITY for our own lives and the choices we have made


BUT the truth is-we SHOULD take RESPONSIBILITY for our own lives-and CHANGE ourselves-where we need to change-rather than to BLAME OTHERS for where we are in our lives


WHAT LIBERATION there is in this-IN TRANSFORMING OURSELVES from the inside out-for the truth IS-NONE of us are PERFECT


it is A GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in GOD'S NEVER ENDING TRANSFORMING LOVE for us




















BEING PERFECT




Are you perfect


NOT just physically perfect
But emotionally perfect
And spiritually perfect


IF you are-CONGRATULATIONS
You are the first person
I have met
WHO is perfect


Other than Jesus
Of course
Who was perfect
SPIRITUALLY


“It is GOD
Who guides me
And makes my way perfect” Psalm 18:32


Me perfect
NOT in
My wildest dreams


Not physically perfect
Not emotionally perfect
And not spiritually perfect


ALTHOUGH I do
My very best
To FOLLOW the ways
Of the Lord


In the 19^th chapter
Of Saint Matthew's gospel
Jesus tells a young man
Who wishes to follow him
WHAT he has to do
In order to be perfect


“Jesus said.....,'IF you wish
To be perfect
GO-sell what you have
And give it to the POOR


And you will have treasure
In heaven


Then
COME FOLLOW ME'


WHEN the young man
Heard this statement


He went away sad
For he had MANY POSESSIONS” Matthew 19:21-22


Wow-
I can sympathize
With this man


WHO could go
And sell ALL their possessions
ESPECIALLY in today's
ME first society


MAYBE the lesson is
JUST to GIVE as much as we can


GIVE-
At least till it hurts


“EVERY MAN
Shall give
As he is able


ACCORDING to
The BLESSING of the Lord
Thy God
Which he has
GIVEN YOU” Deuteronomy 16:17


And maybe
THE ULTIMATE MEANING
Of Jesus' words


Is an invitation
To give OUR HEART
COMPLETELY TO GOD
And other people


So that
There will be NO ROOM
In our heart
For our possessions


ONE THING
I do know for sure
IS
WE should never stop giving


Because LIVING IS GIVING


And GIVING IS LIVING


And when and if
We give it all away
We will be PERFECT
As the Lord
IS PERFECT


And the truth is
NONE of us
Will be able to do this


So we SHOULD
Just give away
AS MUCH OF OURSELVES
As we possibly can


Robert P. Walman
August 19^th 2014-at Mount Sinai ON THE BEACH



Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Mitch Finley

JOURNAL/MEMORIES OF 911

JOURNAL/MEMORIES OF 911




Dear Lord---TODAY-on the thirteenth anniversary of 911-WE PRAY for the souls of those lives lost-
AND WE PRAY for those LEFT BEHIND-the family and friends of those lost who had to continue with their LIVES amidst devastation


AND WE PRAY that our country and our world will NEVER experience another day like it


WE PRAY for PEACE in our world-and we PRAY that our country and our world will turn back to you-THE ONE GOD-and the GIVER OF LIFE


















SEPTEMBER 11^th, 2012




MIRACLES OF 911
MEMORIES OF 911




Terrorists
You can kill the body
You can’t kill the soul
You can’t kill the spirit
That which makes us whole


Miracles of 911
Memories of 911


We remember
Those who died
We remember their smile
We remember their spirit
We remember their very soul


Miracles of 911
Memories of 911


There is only one you
One day
Your body will fail
But if you live a righteous life
What lives on
Is your very soul


Miracles of 911
Memories of 911


Do you see
The miracle here
What lives on
Is our faith
What lives on
Is our hope
What lives on
Is our very souls


Do you see the miracle here


Miracles of 911
Memories of 911


What lives on
Is our very souls


Robert P. Wallman
9-11-06












Ps Dear Lord-we ask you to help our world to build a culture
Of LIFE-not death


A SOUL is the nonphysical element of our being; sometimes
Called our SPIRIT


“And the dust returns to the ground it came from
And the SPIRIT returns to God who gave it” Ecclesiastes 12:7


“Hear oh Lord-the Lord our God-the Lord is one
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
And with ALL YOUR SOUL
And all your strength” Deuteronomy 6:4-5





9-11-14

JOURNAL/JUSTICE-WHERE DO YOU FIND IT

JOURNAL-JUSTICE-WHERE DO YOU FIND IT




“BLESSED are you who are now weeping-for you WILL LAUGH” Luke 6:21


MY FRIENDS-WE LIVE in a world of UNBELIEVABLE INJUSTICE-and it sometimes seems impossible to find joy WHEN we are experiencing IMMENSE LOSS


FOR those of you who are FEELING loss or INJUSTICE in today's world-I HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING the BEATITUDES of Jesus-Matthew 5:3 to 5:12-it is PART of Jesus' SERMON on the mount and is PART of my own PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE


IT ends with:


“REJOICE-and be exceeding GLAD for GREAT is your REWARD in heaven” Matthew 5:12


-JESUS and GOD KNOW your pain and mine


IT IS a great day to BE ALIVE in THE LORD'S LOVE for us-and a GREAT DAY to LIVE with JOY and HOPE even when we are experiencing loss and pain in our personal lives


FOR our happiness and JOY comes from THE LORD
















JUSTICE-WHERE DO YOU FIND IT




For the umpteenth time
This week in Miami
I have seen someone on television
Crying out for someone
To come forward
So the can get JUSTICE
For a family member who has been WRONGED


We ALL
Have INJUSTICES in life
And often times
LIFE JUST ISN’T FAIR


WHERE do you get your justice


“Do NOT put your trust
In mortal men
WHO CANNOT SAVE” Psalm 146:3


“BLESSED is he
Whose HELP
IS the God of Jacob
Whose HOPE
Is in the LORD HIS GOD” Psalm 146:5


IT’S GREAT
If we can find justice
In this world


It’s great
If we can find justice
In the LAWS of our world


IF LIFE
Treats us fairly


But you know
As well as I do
That that
Doesn’t always happen


The Lord Our God
HATES INJUSTICE


“SEEK GOOD-not evil
That you MAY LIVE
Then the Lord God Almighty
Will be with you
Just as you say he is


HATE evil-love good
Maintain JUSTICE in the courts” Amos 5:14-15


The Lord God
Hates injustice


“He has showed you
Oh man
What is good


And what does the Lord
Require of you


To act justly
And to LOVE MERCY
And to WALK HUMBLY
With Your God” Micah 6:8


Those who act unjustly
Those who show NO MERCY
In this world
Will receive their punishment
From the Lord


But those of us
WHO ACT JUSTLY
Who show mercy to others
Will be FREED from guilt or blame
BY FAITH


“But NOW
A righteousness from God
APART from law
Has been made known


The RIGHTEOUSNESS from God
Comes thought FAITH in Jesus Christ
To ALL who believe


There is NO DIFFERENCE
For ALL have sinned
And fall short
Of the glory of God


AND ARE JUSTIFIED
Finally by his GRACE
Through the redemption
That came by Christ Jesus” Romans 3:21-24


MY FRIENDS
There is NO justice
In this world


OUR justice
And our JUSTIFICATION
Can come ONLY THROUGH GOD


Robert P. Wallman
8-22-13




Ps MISC. WITNESS 7-6-14


9-10-14