GETTING OUR PRIORITIES RIGHT IN 2016

GETTING OUR PRIORITIES RIGHT= IN 2016 As we CLOSE the old year And open the new=2016 Even if we haven't done it In the past Let us MAKE THE EFFORT To get our priorities right This year “Do not love........ The things of this world” 1 John 2:15 First of all Let us make the EFFORT To be THANKFUL THANKFUL to God For our very lives For we can do nothing Without that THANKFUL to our families To our friends- And to our churches For all the LOVE AND KINDNESS They bestow on us For NONE of us Are capable Of living life alone=successfully We need others- And their fellowship The things of this world Are meant to be used To be USED UP Or to be PASSED ON To HELP someone else today In some way Material things Do not matter We cannot take them With us When we move on- HOPEFULLY-to the next world LOVE-however-is ETERNAL As is OUR GOD It is the ONE THING We can never run out of Therefore We should PASS ALONG ALL the love we have To others It has ETERNAL consequences As God and Jesus' life PROVES “Your word Lord Is ETERNAL It stands firm In the heavens” Psalm 119:89 And in John 3:15-16 We read ONE of the MOST FANOUS quotes in the bible “Just as Moses Lifted up the snake in the wilderness So the SON OF MAN Must be lifted up That EVERYONE who believes May have ETERNAL LIFE In him” John 3:15 “For GOD so LOVED The world That he gave his and ONLY SON That whoever BELIEVES in him Shall NOT PERISH But have ETERNAL LIFE” John 3:16 So as-2015 draws To a close IF we have built our lives On worldly values- Like sex-money drugs-alcohol- etc., etc., etc., Let us TURN BACK to the PROPER PRIORITIES LOVE-forgiveness-kindness- And put our faith in God And Jesus And let us LOVE GOD-and family and friends And ALL PEOPLE INFINITELY AND UNCONDITIONALLY For if we do that Then we will have OUR PRIORITIES RIGHT And we will have A SUCCESSFUL 2016 HAPPY NEW YEAR!-HAPPY 2016! I love you all-and I LOVE YOU LORD! Robert P. Wallman 12-29-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Jennifer Christ Ps Dear Lord=WE PRAY=HELP US To realize all that we have-COMES from you And to SHARE all that I/we have with others

MOVING FORWARD IN FAITH IN 2016

MOVING FORWARD IN FAITH IN 2016 WE ALL faced Problems and issues In 2015 ISSUES with our health Issues with our finances And issues with our relationships As we begin to move forward In 2016 It is TIME To move forward IN OUR FAITH Regardless if we are facing These same issues Or not “The child's father and mother Were AMAZED at what They said about him” Luke 2:33 Regardless of what we Are facing in life REAL LIFE-only moves In one direction-FORWARD The future is NOT ours To know But we can OVERCOME anything If we keep moving forward In our faith “Consider the blameless Observe the upright A FUTURE awaits those Who seek peace” Psalm 37:37 “There is surely A FUTURE HOPE for you And your hope Will NOT be cut off” Proverbs 23:18 MOVE FORWARD in FAITH In 2016 You can overcome anything Be born again in God Be born again In the LOVE=of Jesus Christ “For I am CONVINCED That neither death-nor life Neither angels nor demons Neither the present Nor the future Nor any powers Neither height nor depth Nor anything else In all creation Will be able To separate us From the LOVE OF GOD That is Christ Jesus OUR LORD” Romans 8:38-39 WHATEVER you are facing STEP FORWARD in faith in 2016 You can OVERCOME ALL IF you are in God and Jesus Think about Mary and Joseph They were feeling-I'm sure overjoyed- But also OVERWHELMED As they PRESENTED Jesus In the TEMPLE I am sure They had their hands FULL As all parents do UNLIKE other parents They were told They were raising the MESSIAH The UNCERTAINTY-the questions They must have had “COMMAND those Who are rich In the present world NOT to be arrogant Nor to put Their hope in wealth Which is so UNCERTAIN But to Put their HOPE IN GOD Who richly provides us With everything For our enjoyment” 1 Timothy 6:17 That is HOW Mary and Joseph (and Jesus) CONQUERED their fears and uncertainty And that is how We can do it too They LIVED with their questions By putting their FAITH IN GOD And that is how we Can OVERCOME everything We are facing in 2016 By putting our HOPE in God And MOVING FORWARD IN FAITH In 2016 Dear Lord-WE PRAY HELP US to live a life of FAITH In 2016 And entrust ALL OUR TOMORROWS TO YOU Robert P. Wallman 12-29-15 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Gail Goleas

FAITH

“FAITH” The great playwright George Bernard Shaw Wrote a play called Pygmalion or My Fair Lady It was about a teacher Transforming a woman From a street woman To a socialite woman Within 6 months Why do people Love this story What is the fascination It is Because we dream That the impossible Will happen for us too But for us The dream has Already come true We are Children of God We have The promise Of eternal life If we build A personal relationship with our God And we want To know God But we will never know God By listening to what someone else has said Or by reading what Someone else has wrote We will Only know God by faith And by finding God In the deep darkness Of our own soul And lastly We all want to be loved And by faith We know that God Is madly in love with us And by faith We know that his love For us Is eternal and unchanging So like Eliza Doolittle We have been changed Changed to find a serenity and peace In God’s love So we can finally say Thank you God Thank you for loving me/us Robert P. Wallman 8/6/10 *Inspired by the teaching of Father Leo Clifford

CHOOSE THE LIGHT

CHOOSE THE LIGHT WE LIVE In a dark dark world We don't have To look very far In this world To see that Even the day after Christmas Even the day after Christ's light Has shown so much brightness But it was that way At Christ's time too As today's feast Of the HOLY INNOCENTS shows That time WHEN Herod Ordered the slaughter Of innocent children To keep at bay The threat of ONE Greater than himself “This is the message That we have heard From Jesus Christ And PROCLAIM to you GOD IS LIGHT And in him There is no darkness At all” 1 John 1:5 Adam and Eve Brought the darkness of sin To the world But Christ BROUGHT THE LIGHT The fruits of the SPIRIT Over the choices of darkness CHOOSE THE LIGHT of God Choose the LIGHT of Christ Over the sin Of this world “You are The LIGHT of the world A town built on a hill Cannot be hidden” Matthew 5:14 “WHEN Jesus spoke again To the people- He said, '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 There are MANY ways To take or diminish The life of another BESIDES physical killing-rape- Abuse-child molestation-etc., Gossip-slander-KEEPING QUIET When others are doing this WE are all guilty of something- OR not helping someone in life At times in life When we could make a difference EVEN if it is Just depriving others Of their good name and reputation We NEED TO REMEMBER That the light That is God SHINES IN ALL PEOPLE And that all people are WORTHY of dignity GOD'S LIGHT-God's perfect love Casts out fear And this light of God GUIDES US to act appropriately “How PRICELESS Is your unfailing love O GOD! People take refuge In the shadow of your wings” Psalm 36:7 “GIVE THANKS To the Lord For he is GOOD HIS LOVE endures forever” Psalm 18:1 Choose God's love CHOOSE THE LIGHT OF GOD Lest we stumble over one another In the dark CHOOSE THE LIGHT- Of God Over the darkness In this world Robert P. Wallman 12-27-15 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Father James Stephen Behrens, O.C.S.O.

JOHN-THE APOSTLE WHOM JESUS LOVED

JOHN-THE APOSTLE WHOM JESUS LOVED John was a son of Zebedee Who together with his brother James Belonged to the small group of apostles Who followed Christ These apostles were special witnesses To many of Jesus’ miracles Including the raising of Jairus’ daughter The Transfiguration And the agony in the garden The Lord called John Together with his brother James The “sons of thunder” Their temper was revealed In some incidences Such as when they wished That the Lord call down fire On the Samaritan woman Who rejected Christ And their willingness To drink of the cup of suffering As Christ did John’s brother James Is believed To be the first apostle To die for Christ And by John Living out his days Testifying for Christ In a Roman prison John is believed To be the author Of the 4th Gospel And 3 Epistles But less certain Is whether or not He did write The final book of the Bible-Revelations Because the writing style is so different Than his earlier style Nevertheless He is credited With this writing John wrote about them In a contemplative way Emphasizing the Theological reality Of Christ’s life Above all He stressed the Divinity of Christ Who is both LIGHT and LIFE John is believed to be The apostle whom Jesus loved And probably the youngest Of all the apostles “When Jesus saw his mother there (at the foot of the cross) And the disciple whom Jesus loved (John) Standing nearby He said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son” And to the disciple “Here is your mother” From that time on The disciple took her into his home” John 19:25-27 One of John’s symbols Is the book And many ancient churches As well as some modern ones Are named after him John always emphasized That because of Christ We should. “love one another” And in his writings, “It is the word of the Lord And if you keep it-you do enough” December 27th is his feast day Robert P. Wallman December 28th, 2012 12-27-15

CELEBRATING THE FAMILY!!!!!

CELEBRATING THE FAMILY I have this theory And it goes Something like this I BLELIEVE that The breakdown in this world IS a direct result Of the disintegration of the family In today's world TODAY is the feast Of the HOLY FAMILY I wish we could ALL Be a FAMILY Like Jesus-Mary-and Joseph And that every family= Every person Could RECEIVE the LOVE I Have received from my parents- From my sisters-from my extended family- And from my friends I AM BLESSED More than I have A right to be Or any person has a right to be For that matter “........as they were returning The boy Jesus- REMAINED behind in Jerusalem But his parents Did not know it” Luke 2:43 At 12 years old Mary and Joseph lost Jesus For three full days Just imagine their fear and anguish As they searched for him WOULD they ever find him? Would he be dead or alive? “AFTER three days They found him In the temple courts Sitting around the teachers Listening to them And asking them questions EVERYONE who heard him Was amazed At his understanding And his ANSWERS” Luke 2:46-47 Jesus' RESPONSE “WHY were you searching for me?” He asked “Didn't you know That I had to be In my Father's house?” Luke 2:49 The HEART of the world Has ALWAYS been the FAMILY Always has been Always will be And until we find a way To BUILD the family Back up-in today's world This world Is going to CONTINUE to struggle CELEBRATING THE FAMILY Celebrating the HOLY FAMILY Celebrating=Jesus-Mary and Joseph “He and ALL his family Were devout and God-fearing He gave generously To those in need And PRAYED to God regularly” Acts 10:2 (about Cornelius) Wouldn't it be great IF the same could be said Of me and you And our families CELEBRATING THE FAMILY “He must manage His own family well And see that his children Obey him And he must do so In a manner worthy Of FULL RESPECT” 1 Timothy 3:4 I was NEVER BLESSED With my own family Much to my disappointment But EVERY MORNING When I sit down To say MY ROSARY I PRAY FOR: “The EXISTENCE of the FAMILY- Over health-money-sex-and death” WE NEED to PRESERVE FAMILIES At whatever the cost And at the HEART of every family IS LOVE May all families LIVE with the LOVE of THE HOLY FAMILY Jesus-Mary-and Joseph CELEBRATING THE FAMILY! Robert P. Wallman 12-27-15 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sister Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.

FOREVER TOGETHER

WITNESS 4-29-13 FOREVER TOGETHER---STEPHEN AND PAUL There are 2 men In my mind from the Bible That will be forever Linked together Stephen---the first Christian martyr Who gave up his life for Christ And Saul---later Paul Who stood by and approved Maybe, in fact, even ordered Stephen’s death Forever together You and me Forever linked with God Forever in God’s word And in God’s heart That’s the way it has to be When they began stoning Stephen As Saul stood by and watched Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus receive my spirit Lord do not hold this sin Against them” And, of course, God heard Stephen’s prayer As he hears yours and mine Out of death---grew life The death of Stephen---turned in to The life of Paul And the beginnings of Christianity Picture this You are a great hater of God And the new Christian movement You have persecuted many Christians And it is widely known As you near The end of your journey A light flashes around you---a light from Heaven You get knocked to the ground And you hear a voice say, “Saul Saul why do you persecute me Go in to the city And you will be told what to do” You slowly get up off the ground You cannot see a thing Your traveling companions Don’t know what has happened The lord sends Ananias To place hands on you Scales from Saul’s eyes fall off Saul can see again See better than ever Saul becomes baptized Filled with the Holy Spirit And has great vision for God’s new Kingdom Forever together---Stephen and Paul Out of death grows life Life and the vision for a brand new world How about you and me Can our life be converted Can our life be changed To a life devoted to God To a life of loving others Forever together---Stephen and Paul Forever together---you and me Forever together---God and us Tell me Lord---can it be “For whoever wants to save his life Will lose it But whoever loses his life for me Will find it” Matthew 16:25 Forever together Lord You---Stephen---and Paul Forever together Lord You and us Forever together Lord For out of death comes life Forever together Lord You and me Robert P. Wallman 5-11-11 Ps WITNESS 4-29-13 “But the Lord said to Ananias-“GO! This man is my CHOSEN instrument To carry my name before the GENTILES and their kings-and before the people of Israel- I will show him how much he MUST SUFER for my name” Acts 9:15-16 misc. WITNESS 1-25-14 & 12--26&27-15

TRUSTING THE SPIRIT

TRUSTING THE SPIRIT Jesus-THE PRINCE OF PEACE Came yesterday He came To bring us PEACE-love-kindness-and forgiveness Don't you think It's about time This world gets the MESSAGE And BEGINS LIVING that way Every day of our lives “........DO NOT worry about HOW you are to speak Or what you are To say........” Matthew 10:19 WHEN I sit down- To write I ALWAYS WORRY Whether the right words Will come to me Or sometimes ANY WORDS at all I shouldn't worry And neither should you The Lord left his SPIRIT Behind for us To give us The RIGHT WORDS And to leave HIS PRESENCE With us “TEACH me To do your will For you ARE MY GOD May your GOOD SPIRIT Lead me-on level ground” Psalm 143:10 TRUSTING THE SPIRIT For the Lord's PRESENCE And for the RIGHT WORDS “Heaven and earth Will pass away But my words Will NEVER PASSAWAY” Matthew 24:35 “Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord-to whom Shall we go? You have the words Of ETERNAL LIFE” John 6:68 And neither do we have to worry For words or for his presence We have them both For our BELIEF in him TRUSTING THE SPIRIT Trusting the Lord BELIEVING in the PRINCE OF PEACE Matthew tells us in 10:19 We need not worry About the words We are to say EACH of us Can COUNT on the SPIRIT For the words that we need WHEN we need them And in the presence Of the Lord and the SPIRIT “You make known to me The path of LIFE You fill me with JOY In your presence With eternal pleasures At your right hand” Psalm 16:11 “BLESSED are those Who have learned To ACCLAIM YOU Who walk in the light Of your presence” Psalm 89:15 So whether we NEED The Lord's words Or just his presence To GUIDE US in our actions We can TRUST the SPIRIT To provide us with BOTH TRUSTING in the Lord- In the Prince of Peace TRUSTING THE SPIRIT Robert P. Wallman 12-25-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sister Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!=CELEBRATING THE GIFT OF THE LORD'S LIFE=THE GIFT OF PERFECT LOVE TO THE WORLD

YOUR CHRISTMAS SEASON

“Your Christmas Season” It’s another Christmas Season And I wonder what’s in people’s hearts I see people rushing everywhere They’re moving in such a hurry I wonder if they remember what Christmas is all about Perhaps, it could even be tearing them apart But this poem is not to admonish anyone It’s merely to help me to regain my perspective To see my responsibilities, and also enjoy the fun I’m so thankful There’s so much fun in just being alive On Christmas day I’m not trying to accomplish anything I’m not trying to strive I’m not living in the world’s competition I’m just relaxing and enjoying myself I’m surrounding myself with family and friends And if I receive their presence My Christmas will be beyond description Sometimes I wonder if we haven’t lost the meaning of Christmas Are we only concerned with our number of presents Or if the present we got cost as much as what we spent Maybe, we’re comparing our decorations to that of our neighbor Is our Christmas wreath as pretty as the one next door What you do and believe is what’s at the core Of the Christmas season In my Christmas, I want a blend Of loving and sharing with my Family and friends And for the one’s who are far away The greetings we receive and the greeting we send A nice glass of red wine And a home-cooked meal The opportunity to sit down and dine And relax once more What do you want in your Christmas season Whatever it is I hope it is in the true spirit of Christmas And I hope it comes your way 12/14/1980 Robert P. Wallman Today is also the feast of Saint Nicholas. The idea of Santa Claus is widely believed To be attributed to him. He had a great love of children. Legend has it that he once Saved 3 young girls from prostitution by giving them their marriage dowries.

CHRIST OUR KING (PUT THE CHRIST BACK INTO CHRISTMAS)

CHRIST OUR KING (PUT THE CHRIST BACK INTO CHRISTMAS) As we approach Another Christmas season Let us ALWAYS REMEMBER To put Christ THE CHRIST in our Christmas For me The word Christ Means the epitome of GIVING For he gave his life For ALL of us Whether we BELIEVE In him or not Whether we choose To GIVE any part Of our lives Back to him For whether You BELIEVE in God Or not Whether you believe In Christ-or not THEY came-they gave-and give Their lives-their love For us Each and every day With each gift That you wrap With each decoration That you hang With each gift That you give THINK of Christ For he GAVE first He teaches us THE TRUE MEANING of Christmas Let us take Christmas Back to its TRUE MEANING A GIFT OF LOVE Let us Make it LESS of a business Let us put Christ THE CHRIST Back into Christmas “SAY among the nations THE LORD IS KING” Psalm 96:10 Christ the KING CHRIST OUR KING Put the Christ Back into CHRISTMAS The Lord THE GIVER OF ALL The title of Jesus As our King Is most fitting For it designates THE ONE Who is in charge It designates The ONE Who CARES for his people With trust and responsibility THE ONE WHO LOVES US ALL Whether Christian-Jew-Muslim Or any other As long as we do NOT Kill or hate in the name of God The one Whose name is TRUE LOVE The one WHO NEVER HATES For that alone We should PUT THE CHRIST Back into Christmas In the United States WE HAVE NO KING We have a President For me MY LORD and SAVIOR is-Jesus Christ IS KING And we can point To the line In the song-”AMERICA” Where we find the words “GREAT GOD OUR KING” That gives us ALL HOPE FOR THE FUTURE And this Christmas PUT THE CHRIST BACK INTO CHRISTMAS Where a baby was born In a stable 2000 years ago MERRY CHRISTMAS! I love you all GREAT GOD OUR KING Robert P. Wallman 11-25-14 Ps INSPIRED by a story in LIVING FAITH magazine by Father James McKARNS & 12-24-15 & 12-23-25

THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

THE REASON FOR THE SEASON Have you seen The bumper sticker Or heard the saying JESUS is the reason For the season HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET As I Write my Christmas cards To family and friends I try to remember THE REASON FOR THE SEASON Before I left Pittsburgh You couldn’t say The word “CHRISTMAS” on tv “Happy Sparkle Season” Hardly has the same effect---at least for me HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET A miniature crèche Identical to the one in Rome Had to be moved From the government courthouse To outside a corporation HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET Haven’t you heard JESUS is the reason For the season WITHOUT JESUS You would be getting Not one single gift this year Putting up my decorations And my Christmas tree Trying to remember---trying NOT to forget Jesus is the reason For this kindness and goodwill He is THE REASON For this season Trying to remember The LOVE, the FORGIVENESS, and KINDNESS That he brought to us---in this world Trying to remember---his name---the name of JESUS CHRIST Trying to let him know That it ALL Wasn’t for not That it ALL---wasn’t in vain Let us put the letter “C” Back into Christmas Let us put the name Christ Back into Christmas It is NOT so hard to remember It really isn’t---all we have to do Is take one long look up at the CROSS JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE---I LOVE YOU Robert P. Wallman 12-3-11 Ps And HAPPY HANNUKAH to ALL my JEWISH FRIENDS Also today is the feast of the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION--- MARY said yes to God and the angel---JESUS said yes to his Father What about me What about you What if we ALL said yes to God rpw 12-08-11 & 12-23-15

THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS WE LIVE In a dark dark world There is no doubt About that A world with terrorism and ISIS A world with murder-rape- and child abuse And a world WHERE less and less people Live a life With MORAL INTEGRITY I define moral integrity As doing the RIGHT and BEST thing Just because It is the right And BEST thing to do- PURE That's what Mary and Elizabeth did That's what GOD does And that is what Jesus did “MOST BLESSED Are you among women- And blessed is The fruit of your womb” Luke 1:42 And Jesus was THE FRUIT of Mary's womb Jesus is THE LIGHT in the darkness O come-O come-EMMANUEL! And in just a few days Jesus will be here Let us all ALL his disciples and apostles STAND UP And live with moral integrity Just as Jesus Would have us do “May INTEGRITY and uprightness Protect me Because my HOPE-LORD- Is in you” Psalm 25:21 “RIGHTEOUSNESS Guards the person of integrity But wickedness Overthrows the sinner” Proverbs 13:6 Today marks winter solstice The shortest day Of the year A day- WITH the most darkness Yet I think of the statues Of Mary I think Of the statues of Jesus OUR LIGHTS In the world of darkness And the real life Mary And the REAL LIFE Jesus As well as THE HOLY SPIRIT of God “THE LORD Is my LIGHT And my salvation Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the STRONGHOLD Of my life- Of whom Shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 “LIGHT-in a messenger's eyes Brings JOY to the heart And good news GIVES health to the bones” Proverbs 15:30 And the fruit Of Mary's womb- The messenger and EMMANUEL Will be here In just a few days To bring us the GOOD NEWS To teach us MORAL INTEGRITY “The LIGHT SHINES in the darkness And the darkness Will NOT overcome it” 1 John 1:5 On this-winter solstice day There is NO NEED For gloom In the darkness Of the night OUR SAVIOR was born O come-O come-EMMANUEL- THE LIGHT IN OUR DARKNESS Robert P. Wallman 12-20-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Gail Goleas

YOU ARE SOMEBODY

YOU ARE SOMEBODY Do you ever feel Like a nobody In this world I do-I think We all do sometimes This world has the tendency Yo BREAK us down To strip us of everything To make us feel valueless But God tells us WE ARE SOMEBODY- That we are ALL WORTHY of dignity Let me tell you about Mary and Elizabeth=by human standards Both “nobodies” “Mary set out And traveled to the hill country In haste In a town of Judah Where she entered the house Of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth” Luke 1:39 Two women=both seemingly nobodies Yet WITH GOD Turning out to be Two of the greatest women Two of the greatest people In ALL of history By the marvel Of the GRACE OF GOD They are SOMEBODY And you and I are- SOMEBODY TOO “With great POWER The apostles Continued to testify To the RESURRECTION Of the Lord Jesus And GOD'S GRACE Was so powerfully at work In them all........: Acts 4:33 “For sin shall NO LONGER Be your master Because you are NOT Under the law But under GRACE” Romans 6:14 GOD'S GRACE Makes us somebody In today's world God's grace GIVES US DIGNITY God's grace Makes us into HIS 21st century apostles and disciples YOU are somebody- In God And it is precisely Through God-that two nobodies Mary and Elizabeth-became somebody And it is through them That SALVATION comes into The world Isn't it amazing WHAT GOD CAN DO Through the weak and the lowly Just imagine what God Can do TROUGH YOU AND ME You are SOMEBODY- in God God can work MIRACLES Through you “But God chose The foolish things Of the world To shame the wise God chose The weak things Of the world To shame the strong” 1 Corinthians 1:27 “That is why For Christ's sake-I delight In weakness-in insults- In hardships-in persecutions- In difficulties For when I am weak- Then I am strong” 2 Corinthians 12:10 God turned Mary and Elizabeth-and God turned Saint Paul Into somebody You too are somebody SOMEBODY IN GOD Robert P. Wallman 12-17-15 INSPIRED BY AN ARTICLE IN LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE bu Sister Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.

TRANSFORMED BY THE CREATOR

TRANSFORMED BY THE CREATOR At an elderly age-Zechariah Is told-he is going To be a father But instead of expressing JOY and wonder At the prospect Of having A much prayed for child Zechariah responds with skepticism “Then Zechariah Said to the angel 'HOW shall I know this? For I am An old man And my wife (Elizabeth) Is advanced in age'” Luke 1:18 Maybe a little bit Of the “TOO GOOD to be true” syndrome Seen through human understanding His response is understandable Maybe we too Are like that IN LIFE When we experience something Really really good in life But by faith alone We can become transformed By the creator We become-TRANSFORMED- By the LOVE of God “Do NOT conform To the pattern of this world But be TRANSFORMED By the renewing Of your mind Then you will be able To test and approve What GOD'S WILL is- His good-pleasing And perfect will” Romans 12:2-3 Zechariah became transformed By a MIRACLE-in his life I BEGAN to become transformed By a miracle in my life WHEN I was 22 After getting up From my deathbed When I was 22 And living with A lifetime of physical pain I am AMAZED That I am still here Some 40 years later TRANSFORMED by the CREATOR Transformed-by the miracle- Of GOD'S LOVE Through God-and through MY FAITH IN HIM “And we ALL........ Are being transformed Into his IMAGE With everlasting glory Which comes from the Lord Who is the SPIRIT” 2 Corinthians 3:18 Zechariah was transformed I was transformed YOU can be too- TRANSFORMED by the CREATOR If you just BELIEVE Sometimes We don't really Want to believe “The too good to be true” But we just have to REMEMBER Having a CHANGE OF HEART In life That the spiritual journey IS NOT about our willpower But about our WILLINGNESS To let GOD TRANSFORM US Dear Lord=GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE Please give us the FAITH To be TRANSFORMED BY THE CREATOR Robert P. Wallman 12-17-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Terri Mifek

A RIGHTEOUS MAN

A RIGHTEOUS MAN Is it NOT ENOUGH To be a RIGHTEOUS man In today's world? I think it is Not only that I think it is A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT In today's world With temptation all around us Sexual temptation-financial temptation You don't have To watch the news Or read the newspaper Very long Without seeing How many people Have just fallen “........He was a righteous man........” Matthew 1:19 During Advent We think about The birth of the Christ Child We think about the BLESSED MOTHER And the journey to Bethlehem The birth of Jesus In a lowly manger We don't hear to much About Joseph But he was there As part of the HOLY FAMILY He was faithful- He was gentle And he ALWAYS did The right thing I think maybe this world Then-as now Could USE a few more people Being righteous A few more people DOING the right thing “Surely Lord- You BLESS the righteous You surround him With your favor As with a shield” Psalm 5:12 “The Lord's curse Is on the house Of the wicked But he BLESSES The home of the RIGHTEOUS” Proverbs 3:33 There were consequences For adultery at the time Of Mary and Joseph Mary could even Have lost her life By being stoned to death Joseph knew this He stood by his young wife He did NOT expose her To public ridicule YES-faithful and GENTLE Joseph Always did the right thing What a better world It would be today IF more of us-did the RIGHT THING “He guides the humble In what is right He teaches them HIS WAY” Psalm 25:9 “Kings take pleasure In honest lips They value The one-who speaks what is RIGHT” Proverbs 16:13 And Jesus is our KING There is VALUE In just doing what is RIGHT Family men-fathers Are the EVERY day heroes Of this world A And Joseph is The FATHER Of us all With patience and humility He is thrust into history As the adopted father Of Jesus The adopted father-of the CHRIST CHILD He FULFILLS his obligations To his family-and to God He becomes a model FOR ALL MEN A model-for all fathers Down through the ages He is indeed A RIGHTEOUS MAN Robert P. Wallman 12-17-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Paul Pennick With grateful thanks and MEMORIES for my very own father-and the example he set for me-as well as Saint Joseph

LESS THAN PERFECT

LESS THAN PERFECT I have some news For you You are Less than a perfect person I am-you are EVERYONE of us In this world-are IF you think You are perfect RUN/don't walk To the nearest mental health institution You have SOME waking up to do Nevertheless- You are one of GOD'S FAVORITE PEOPLE We all are-For God made All of us “You-Judah-shall your brothers praise -Your hand On the neck of your enemies The sons of your father Shall bow down to you” Genesis 49:8 The bible is FULL of people That God used ALL of them LESS THAN PERFECT Love yourself- Forgive yourself Even though you are Less than perfect God can still USE YOU One of the people That God used was Judah Judah-was-Joseph's brother And was LESS than perfect Like his brothers Judah was jealous of Joseph Because he(Joseph)-was his father's favorite JEALOUSY=been there-done that- How about you? I have seen red A time or two-in my life “For jealousy Arouses a husband's fury And he will show No mercy When he takes revenge” Proverbs 6:34 “Anger is cruel And fury overwhelmed But who can stand Before jealousy” Proverbs 27:4 We are all LESS than perfect In some way But God STILL LOVES -still uses us- -still forgives us- So don't forget To be kind to yourself To love yourself When the brothers Wanted to kill Joseph Judah argued For his brother's life Argued to sell him To the Ishmaelites SAVED his life Thereby setting up ALL the good things That were to happen In Joseph's life “And we know That in all things God works for the good Of those who love him Who have been called According to his purpose” Romans 8:28 Dear Lord-we PRAY That we become WHO you desire us to be And bring GOOD about In this world We honor you And we ask you To HELP US To continue to LOVE ourselves Despite our imperfections JUST LIKE YOU love us Robert P. Wallman December 15th, 2015 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Melanie Rigney

THIS CHRISTMAS

THIS CHRISTMAS This Christmas This Advent Let us make a vowel To God A vowel To be JOYFUL To all people “JOY to the world The Lord has come Let earth Receive her KING” On of my favorite Christmas songs To be sure “And BLESSED Is the one Who takes no offense at me” Luke 7:23 Let us take no offense With God NO OFFENSE with Jesus Let us LOVE GOD With our whole heart-whole soul- Whole mind-And whole strength Let us LOVE OTHERS As much As we love ourselves THIS CHRISTMAS Let us concentrate On bringing JOY to others And if we can't do it By then What a great NEW YEARS RESOLUTION That would be “The precepts Of the Lord are right Giving JOY to the heart The commands Of the Lord Are radiant Giving light To the eyes” Psalm 19:8 John the Baptist TESTIFIED about Jesus ONE thing he said-was, “That JOY is mine And it is now COMPLETE He must become GREATER I must become less” John 3:29-30 What great testimony By John What great SELFLESSNESS How great it would be If we could become “LESS” This Christmas too And let Jesus Become JOY in our hearts And carry it out Through 2016 JOY to the world Let it begin THIS CHSISTMAS What would have happened If John was a different kind of man? What if a rivalry Developed between him and Jesus Thank God-he wasn't Thank God-he was A HOLY MAN Let us become men and women Like John Brothers and sisters in Christ LIVING to do The will of God An impure spirit Once said to Jesus “What do you want With us-Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come To destroy us? I know who you are The HOLY ONE of God!” Mark 1:24 John the Baptist KNEW who he was too He took “NO OFFENSE” At Christ's message Of love and mercy There was no competition ONLY MUTUAL RESPECT-and the effort- To-simultaneously-DO- The will of God THIS CHRISTMAS Let us be “less” And let us BRING CHRIST'S MESSAGE OF LOVE AND MERCY To our homes-and- To our churches and communities And-JOY TO THE WORLD Robert P. Wallman 12-15-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Paul Pennick

OTHER CHRIST"S

WITNESS 8-5-13 OTHER CHRISTS If we are true Christians True true Christians Our mission in life Is to become other Christ’s Albeit Maybe smaller---more miniature versions And to make his word---God’s word Come alive in today’s world Picture this You meet your cousin At the river He baptizes you And as you come up Out of the water Heaven opens up And the Spirit of God In the form of a dove Descends upon you Lightening flashes on him And a voice says, “This is my dear Son With whom I am well pleased” Mark 3:13-17 You—one of John’s disciples Take this all in From that moment on You know that your life Will never be the same John himself said, “I must decrease---and he must increase” From that moment on John’s disciples followed Jesus So must it be with us If we are truly to become other Christ’s In this world We must die to ourselves---our selfish sinful selves And as Jesus himself said, “If anyone would come after me He must deny himself And take up his cross And follow me” Mark 8:31 We live in a Godless society Becoming a little more so each day A poet once wrote: “He has No hands but your hands He has no feet But your feet He has no mouth But your mouth…….” If God’s word Is to truly come alive again In today’s world It is up to us Saint Paul once said, “I have been crucified with Christ And I no longer live But Christ lives in me The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God Who loved me And gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20 Each one of us Has been handcrafted by God Our own unique selves To live a life---and do a job That no one else can do Only us And part of that job Is to make God come alive again In today’s world Finally---dear Lord We pray That you shine in us and through us And we become so much like you That when the world looks at us It sees no longer us BUT YOU---OTHER CHRISTS In today’s world Robert P. Wallman 10-29-11 ---GOD’S LOVE IS FREE---WE JUST HAVE TO SAY YES Ps WITNESS 8-5-13 10-25-14 2-10-15 & 12-15-15

JUSTICE FOR ALL

JUSTICE FOR ALL We live in a world That is NOT FAIR That is a fact If we are good people We try to treat Others-FAIRLY And expect to be treated the same Unfortunately As much as it pains me To say it That is NOT this world “He GUIDES the humble To justice He teaches the humble His way” Psalm 25:8 Hopefully-if we are good Decent-humble people The next world-or HEAVEN Will see to it That we get what we deserve In this world's Quest for peace There is at least One essential quality missing JUSTICE And if we are Not careful The lack of justice In this world This lack of MORAL INTEGRITY Is going to do us All in “Because Of my integrity You uphold me And set me In your presence forever” Psalm 41:12 “The integrity Of the upright Guides them But the unfaithful Are destroyed By their duplicity” Proverbs 11:3 WHEN you live with INTEGRITY- You treat others-fairly But that is still No guarantee that life Will treat you with justice Death strikes some early Illness-does not care who It calls upon And careers fail-and finances fall apart- Sometimes-through no fault Of our own And relationships are IFFY For us all But God treats us all-FAIRLY He is a God-THE LORD- Of justice He treats us ALL the same And LOVES each one of us With an INFINITE LOVE “Here is my SERVANT Whom I have chosen The one I love In whom I delight I will put my spirit On him And he will PROCLAIM JUSTICE To ALL the nations” Matthew 12:18 And will not God Bring about justice For his chosen ones Who cry out to him Day and night? Will he KEEP putting them off?” Luke 18:7 In the Sermon On the MOUNT Jesus tells us That we are to hunger And thirst=FOR JUSTICE And justice Is to be motivated by TRUTH The fair-minded person Will treat you equally Dear Lord-WE PRAY- Help us to be motivated By TRUTH-in this world And treat others with JUSTICE Until such time As we can live with you And find JUSTICE FOR ALL Robert P. Wallman 12-13-15 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Father James McKarns

DEALING WITH ANXIETY

DEALING WITH ANXIETY Anxiety is a troubling feeling It can be mentally troubling Or a nervousness One thing for certain Anxiety is NOT FEAR For a lot of anxiety Is imaginary And fear is very real Anxiety is IRRATIONAL And most of what We are anxious about NEVER really happens So how do you deal With anxiety? Saint Paul gives us A great recipe In Philippians 4:6 “Have no anxiety at all But in everything By prayer and petition With thanksgiving Make your requests Known to God” That's right Talk to God About it PRAY to God About it Even PRAISE GOD About the positive people And things in your life For if We are PRAISING the positive We don't have the time Or the inclination To be dwelling On the negative “Be careful Or your hearts Will be weighed down With carousing-drunkenness And the anxieties of life And that day Will close on you suddenly Like a trap” Luke 21:34 BE CAREFUL There are enough REAL PROBLEMS in life Without getting yourself Weighed down With imaginary problems In life “Anxiety weighs down The heart But a kind word Cheers it up” Proverbs 12:25 That's right BE KIND-BE KIND-BE KIND To others- And to YOURSELF Kindness and positivity DISSOLVES ANXIOUSNESS “HUMBLE yourselves Therefore Under GOD'S MIGHTY HAND That he may lift you up In due time Cast ALL your anxieties On him Because he CARES for you” 1 Peter 5:7 God-Jesus Have the capacity To handle ALL your anxiety/and fear He-they Have dealt with it- And successfully For all of time Saint Paul tells us That prayerful thanksgiving To God For all of our blessings Can HELP us find freedom For all of our anxiety And distress I couldn't agree more Dear Lord Please hear our prayer Robert P. Wallman 12-13-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Father James McKarns

Saint Lucy

SAINT LUCY---VISION Lucy was a virgin A martyr And today she is considered to be The patroness of the blind She died in the year of 304 During the persecution of Diocletian She was A wealthy Sicilian Who refused marriage offers Gave her goods To the poor And was accused By one of her suitors To the authorities The judge ordered her To be sent to a brothel And become violated But she became miraculously immovable He tried to have her burnt Also unsuccessful Finally---she was killed By a sword Legend has it That her eyes too---were torn out Only to be miraculously restored Dear Lord---I pray---we pray That in a world That has become blinded By your vision for it Blinded by greed Blinded by sexual lust And just blinded By our own pure selfishness We pray That we have the faith Of Saint Lucy And we pray for your vision Your vision for our world And your vision---for each of us individually And all of us collectively To be returned to us---TO YOU IN JESUS’ NAME WE PRAY Robert P. Wallman 12-13-11 Ps today---12-13---is the feast day of Saint Lucy

FEAR AND ANXIETY

WITNESS 7-30-13 FEAR AND ANXIETY Do you have Some fear and anxiety In your life Who doesn’t Fear of illness Fear of Not being able to take care of your family Fear of broken relationships In your family and with your friends There is Only one way to overcome any fear And that is THROUGH faith in God “The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not be in want” Psalm 23:1 Fear can be good Fear can be a motivating force To do GOOD “The Lord Loves righteousness and justice The earth is full Of his unfailing love” Psalm 33:5 Have you ever Been around a child Who has an unreasonable fear And there is nothing you can do To calm him or her down That happens to us as adults too When fear becomes irrational When things we dream up in our mind Never really happens We can only find our peace In God “When I am afraid I will trust in you In God-whose words I praise In God I trust-I will not be afraid What can mortal man Do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4 And if what we are fearing happens We should still be trusting God For God is OUR HOPE AND OUR SALVATION “DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED Trust in God Trust also in me” John 14:1 Perfect love Drives out our fear Perfect love OVERCOMES our weakness “My grace is sufficient for you For my power Is made perfect In weakness” 2 Corinthians 12:9 So our imperfections Our weaknesses Our failings Brings God’s gift of love And his gift of grace To overcome Anything and everything we are facing “EVERY good and perfect gift Is from above Coming down From the Father of the heavenly lights Who does not change Like shifting shadows” James 1:17 Dear Lord-we pray That our anxieties and fears LEAD US TO YOU The one who saves The one who protects And the one who SHINES the light IN ANY darkness Lord I-WE-give you our fears Robert P. Wallman 10-4-12 Ps INSPIRED by a piece in LIVING Faith-Amy Welborn WITNESS 7-30-13 1-7-14 & 4-18-15 12-13-15

HIS WAY IS BETTER

HIS WAY IS BETTER When I was young I tried To do everything My own way And failed I had to LEARN That GOD'S WAY Is the only way The only way I even had a chance At being successful At life “Mary said, 'Behold I am the handmaid Of the Lord May it be done To me According to your WORD'” Luke 1:38 Mary's cathartic moment Came at the age of 14 or 15 HOW she had The faith- the courage- And the strength of her BELIEFS At such a young age I will never know It wasn't until age 22 And on my deathbed At that That my own cathartic moment came And I made my promise- “TO LIVE-for my family- For my friends-and ALL people everywhere” “My comfort In my suffering Is this Your promise PRESERVES my life” psalm 119:50 And I do BELIEVE That it is God Who preserves my life I have had enough things HAPPEN in my life To kill me 20 times over And yet HERE I am IT IS GOD Who preserves my life It is my covenant-my promise To God God cannot break a promise And if I can help it NEITHER can I It is God Who LOVES me Who sustains me (through my family and friends) Who has brought me To the point of age 60 To do-to go WHEREVER I am called His way-GOD'S WAY-is better At last-I know it- And I AM READY READY FOR GOD'S WAY “Show me your ways-Lord- TEACH ME your paths” psalm 25:4 “I have considered my ways And have turned my steps Into your statutes” Psalm 119:59 Your way Is RIGHT-O Lord Your way is better Your way Is the ONLY right way For me Your life May be less dramatic Than Mary's Or mine Nevertheless You are asked To put your life In the HANDS of the Lord BELIEVE That his plan is better Than the world's plan- IT IS I HOPE to Have that same FAITH As that 14-year-old Mary When I get up tomorrow And say “I am READY” To FOLLOW GOD'S PLAN For my life HS WAYS ARE BETTER” Robert P. Wallman 12-12-15

HOW DO WE FIND THE GRACE OF GOD?

HOW DO WE FIND THE GRACE OF GOD? I don't know about you But I count on The GRACE OF GOD To get me through The trials of life Without it I just don't know Where I am going In life “He is Like a tree PLANTED near running water That yield its fruit In due season And whose leaves NEVER FADE” Psalm 1:3 I count on God To water my FAITH Each and every day Of my life GRACE comes to us In all sorts of ways One way-is PRAYER We need to pray every day To pray us CLOSE TO GOD And we need To have a routine To pray every day At the same time- If at all- possible FINDING GRACE “Answer me-when I call to you My righteous God Give me relief From my distress Have mercy on me And hear my prayer” Psalm 4:1 “The Lord Has heard my cry For mercy The Lord Hears my prayer” Psalm 6:9 And we NEED To surround ourselves With other people who PRAY As often as possible We need to go- To MASS-and/or church service As much as possible And get INVOLVED in a group Or bible study We CANNOT Do life alone And we need to be In FELLOWSHIP With one another That helps us FIND GRACE TOGETHER Like the tree Near running water We must PLANT ourselves Near to WHERE the grace flows “You are The most excellent of men (and women) And your lips Have been anointed with GRACE Since God Has BLESSED you forever” Psalm 45:2 “We have peace With God Through our Lord Jesus Christ Through him We haven GAINED ACCESS By faith-into the GRACE Which we now stand” Romans 5:2 I FIND That the more We work at it Through prayer-fellowship And reading the bible The MORE GRACE we find Our SPIRITUAL LIFE grows In direct proportion To how much effort WE make For We will never find grace Unless- We WATER the roots That is HOW We find grace IN today's world Robert P. Wallman 12-10-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Deborah Meister While it is true that GRACE is freely GIVEN to us by God-we still must make the effort-and we will be the tree-WITH EVERGREEN LEAVES-bearing much FRUIT

GOOD-BUT IS IT GOOD ENOUGH?

GOOD-BUT IS IT GOOD ENOUGH? There is a Whole lot of evil In this world ISIS-and murder-rape-robbery- NOT to mention white collar crime In every major city In the United States But there is A whole lot of GOOD too People-both men and women- Devoting their careers To the service To medicine To becoming law enforcement Men and women And fire men and women Athletes and entertainers CREATING charities For their own particular reasons Of GOOD But is it good enough? NOT HARDLY “Amen-I say to you Among those born of women There was none greater Than John the Baptist- Yet the least In the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN Is greater than he” Matthew 11:11 Jesus KNEW how great John was John was his cousin- And his predecessor Yet he was nothing Compared to the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN And maybe That is our PROBLEM In today's world too We treat God and heaven As if they were dirty words- WE are trying To do it-ALL ALONE Without the presence of God Without the presence OF THE DIVINE “For since The CREATION of the world- GOD'S INVISIBLE QUALITIES- His eternal power and Divine nature- Has been clearly seen Being understood From what has been made So that people Are without excuse” Romans 1:20 What's our excuse WHY are we EXCLUDING GOD In today's world? “His DIVINE POWER Has given us EVERYTHING we need For a godly life Through our knowledge of him Who called us By his own glory And GOODNESS” 2 Peter 1:3 HIS goodness-not ours Do good-that's great But don't exclude God HIS PRESENCE between Normal good-and MIRACULOUS good Makes all the difference Just look at today's world- Do we need any more PROOF That our way That our good- That we do Is just NOT GOOD ENOUGH Human accomplishment Misleads us That we can do it alone That we can do it WITHOUT GOD I'm just NOT SEEING Enough presence of good In today's world Without God-are you We cannot UNDERESTIMATE The power of God The POWER of the DIVINE In today's world If we But just GIVE IT a chance Robert P. Wallman 12-9-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Elizabeth Duffy

RENEWING OUR STRENGTH

RENEWING OUR STRENGTH I don't know How you feel But I feel That ALL my strength Comes from GOD and others I can not do anything On my own My WHOLE LIFE Particularly since my 22nd birthday Has been totally dependent ON GOD-on others-SPECIFICALLY My family and close friends “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” Isaiah 40:31 Oh what a MIRACLE It would be To have HOPE and Strength like that And we all can If we just HOPE- If we TRUST In the Lord These are The SEASONS of our life And each NEW season Brings with it-NEW CHALLENGES We all face challenges in life- Or TESTING of the faith If you prefer Illness-career uncertainty- Financial tests-and relationship issues- ARE just a few of the challenges That we face But we will RENEW our strength again We will FLY like eagles AGAIN “Those on The rocky ground Are the ones Who receive the word WITH JOY When they hear it But they have NO ROOT They believe for awhile But in the time Of testing-they fall away” Luke 8:13 But we will come back Like the eagles- We will FLY AGAIN Just like the Lord WANTS US TOO “Consider it PURE JOY Whenever you face TRIALS Of many kinds Because you know That the testing Of your faith PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE Let perseverance FINISH its work So that you may be Mature and complete NOT lacking anything” James 1:2-4 And so Dear Lord We WAIT in joyful hope Just as you taught us And we wait for you To RENEW OUR STRENGTH And perseverance RENEWING OUR STRENGTH “I love you Lord- MY STRENGTH” Psalm 18:1 “The Lord Gives STRENGTH To his people The Lord BLESSES His people-With PEACE” Psalm 29:11 We are NOT people Of our own strength Dear Lord We are brothers and sisters DEPENDING on you You-Dear Lord- Are the God-of INFINITE LOVE and PERSEVERANCE We put OUR TRUST in you Dear Lord-RENEW OUR STRENGTH Robert P. Wallman 12-8-15 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Terri Mifek

OUR MODEL FOR SAYING "YES" TO GOD

OUR MODEL FOR SAYING “YES” TO GOD Today is the feast Of the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Our MOTHER-our model- For saying “yes” to the ANGEL For saying yes to the Father “The virgin's name was Mary- The angel went to her and said, 'Greeting You who are highly favored! The Lord is with you'” Luke 1:27-28 Mary was greatly troubled By the angel's words- Yet she responded, “'I am the LORD'S SERVANT- May your word be fulfilled' Then the angel left her” Luke 1:34 May we ALL have The courage of Mary- Our Mother and model And have the courage To take the Lord With us In our hearts WHEREVER WE GO Take the words Of the angel Gabriel Into our hearts-FOR REFLECTION Like Mary You too Have FOUND FAVOR with God You too receive Heavenly words and vision Into your heart You too are INVITED By God To respond to the Father With courage And say “YES” Just as our Mother Mary- Who is also our model “May the favor Of the Lord REST on us Establish The work our our hands For us- Yes-establish The work of our hands” Psalm 90:17 And of our hearts and mouths And tongues too May we always KNOW What to say What to WRITE And RESPOND With the NATURE of the SPIRIT OF GOD “For those who find me FIND LIFE And receive FAVOR from the Lord” Proverbs 8:35 Yes I found the favor Of the Lord Through a deathbed PROMISE And was given LIFE- And I had the two greatest mothers- My own mother-- Who was a great example And our MODEL for saying “YES” To God-OUR MOTHER MARY “All of you Clothe yourself with HUMILITY Toward one another- Because God opposes the proud But shows favor To the HUMBLE” 1 Peter 5:5 You will NEVER be asked by God As Mary was To carry a baby For nine months To carry Jesus In your womb BUT you will Be ASKED As Mary was To say “YES” to God In countless other ways Are you willing To say YES to God In this world? Are you willing To PROCLAIM The GOSPEL of GOD'S LOVE To all? We can learn from Mary- To say-”YES” Even when we are afraid WHEREVER we go For she was indeed Our model-THE MODEL For saying “YES” to God In today's world Robert P. Wallman 12-7-15 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B.

OUR EYES AND OUR EARS TOO

OUR EYES AND OUR EARS TOO Do your eyes Need opened To see the VISION of God In this world How about your ears Are they plugged Or stuffed up Are you ready To LEAP to your feet And sing the praises Of God Isaiah=the POET of advent Was a forerunner In the old testament And Jesus' cousin-John Was a forerunner to Christ To prepare the way For the COMING of the Lord BOTH in their own ways Were sent to prepare The world for OUR LORD- And Savior-Jesus Christ To come into the world “Then will The eyes of the BLIND Be opened The ears Of the deaf be cleared Then will the lame-leap Like a stag Then the tongue Of the mute-WILL SING” Isaiah 35:5-6 Our HEARTS Must be opened For the coming of the Lord OUR eyes and our ears too! And John the Baptist- Said of himself and Jesus “HE must increase-and I Must decrease” John 3:30 Our Jesus must become GREATER Within my heart Within our hearts And myself=my selfish sinful self Must become less this advent As we prepare For the coming of the Lord Our hearts MUST become open For the coming of the Lord Our eyes and our ears too We must LEAP And dance for joy We must SING The everlasting PRAISES of our God “I will open With a parable I will utter Hidden things Things-from of old-” Psalm 78:2 And that is HOW Jesus taught us That is how Jesus Spoke to us-IN PARABLES “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire But my eyes You have OPENED Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did NOT require” Psalm 40:6 Dance and sing for JOY PRAISE GOD For all of everlasting time “Let me LIVE That I may praise you And may your laws SUSTAIN ME” Psalm 119:75 And that's what I want to do OPEN my heart Open our hearts So that we may PRAISE GOD For all of eternity With open loving hearts And with OUR EYES AND EARS TOO! Robert P. Wallman 12-6-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Macrina Wiederkehr, O. S.B.

HAPPY HANUKKAH!

HANUKKAH---what is it? (a brief explanation for us Christians And HAPPY HANUKKAH! to my Jewish friends) Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday Commemorating the rededication Of the Holy Temple ( the Second Temple) In Jerusalem At the time Of the Maccabean Revolt-second century BCE It is also known As Chanukah-Chanukkah-Chanuka Or the FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS The story of Hanukkah Is preserved In the books of the First and Second Maccabees And are NOT part of the Hebrew Bible The festival is observed By the kindling of the lights Of a unique candelabrum The nine-branched-Menorah Adding one additional light On each night of the holiday Progressing to eight on the final night The typical Menorah Consists of eight branches With an additional raised branch The extra light Is called a shamash And is given a distinct location Usually above or below the rest The purpose of the shamash Is to have a light available for use As using the Hanukkah lights themselves Is forbidden The historical significance Of the Maccabees Is the MIRACLE Of the ONE-DAY supply of oil Miraculously lasting eight days And allowing the Maccabees To successfully rebel Against Antiochus IV So a BIG HAPPY HANUKKAH To BOTH my Jewish and Christian friends Robert P. Wallman 12-10-12 & 12-7-15

THE REAL SANTA CLAUS!

SAINT NICHOLAS-A SAINT FOR ALL SEASONS The historical facts And the legends of Saint Nicholas Are-in fact-intertwined What we know for sure Is that He was Bishop of Myra And may or may not Have been instrumental In the council of Nicea in 325 He became widely known In the East-and that was increased By an account of a fictitious biographer And his legend Began to spread to the West In the 10th century Many have claimed him As their patron Saint Including children-sailors-unmarried girls- Merchants-pawnbrokers-and perfumiers It is believed He saved three girls from prostitution By throwing 3 bags of money Through their windows To provide dowries So they could get married It is believed That this is the basis Of three gold bars As the pawnbrokers sign It is believed He raised three boys After they were murdered by a butcher And that he saved three men Unjustly condemned to death As well as Three sailors lost at sea Off the coast of Turkey Many churches Are named after him And he is believed to be The most painted Saint Other than the Blessed Mother The most popular result Of his cult Is the belief that Saint Nicholas Is responsible for the origins of Santa Claus This is based on Nicholas’ love of children And his giving them gifts Nicholas remains A very popular name As well as its many variations including: Colin-Nicola-Nicolette-and many others So this December 6h On his feast day Let us all remember That giving is NOT just for Christmas But ALL YEAR round And Nicholas is not just a Christmas Saint BUT A SAINT FOR ALL SEASONS Robert P. Wallman 12-6-6 ps While Saint Nicholas-may have the BEGINNING of Santa Claus- We ALL KNOW that God's LOVE and Christ's love is the GIFT That KEEPS on GIVING and is the gift that NEVER ENDS 12-7-14

IT'S OUR JOB TOO

IT'S OUR JOB TOO! 2,000 years ago The crowds of people WERE appealing to Jesus For healing And for his INSPIRING WORDS Jesus' response, “The harvest is plentiful But the laborers are few” Matthew 9:37 And after Jesus was crucified- Resurrected- and ascended Into heaven The job fell to his apostles And disciples of yesteryear You see He commissioned them His disciples To CONTINUE his work To heal the sick To feed the hungry And to INSPIRE the HOPELESS And today Some 2 billion BELIEVERS later The job falls to us HIS modern day disciples and CHRISTIANS Of the 21st century You see- IT'S OUR JOB TOO! “Then Jesus Came to them and said, 'ALL authority In heaven and on earth Has been given to me Therefore go and make disciples Of all nations Baptizing them In the name of the Father And of the son And of the HOLY SPIRIY And teaching them to obey -EVERYTHING-I have commanded you- ALWAYS-to the very end Of the age'” Matthew 28:17-20 You see-we are- ONLY 1/3 of the way there Two out of 6 or 7 billion people That believe in Christ Who is it going to be To go out into the field And BRING believers to Christ To bring in the HARVEST Is it you? Is it me? I HOPE It is all of us In this job together IT'S OUR JOB TOO! “After this The Lord appointed 72 others And sent them 2x2 AHEAD of him To every town And place Where he was About to go He told them, 'The harvest is PLENTIFUL Bu the workers are few Ask the Lord Of the harvest-therefore- To send out workers Into the harvest field” Luke 10:1-2 It's our job too EACH of us individually ALL of us collectively To bring people To God and Christ In our own little corner Of the world By mouth-by word By giving to churches and charities By volunteering By working in a soup kitchen So I ask you to ask yourself One question Am I one of Christ's disciples? IF your answer is yes WORK in the harvest For God and Christ In whatever way that you can IT IS OUR JOB TOO! Robert P. Wallman 12-4-15 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Aileen O'Donoghue

BORN IN OUR HEARTS

BORN IN OUR HEARTS It is ONLY A few short weeks- Three weeks from today That Jesus is coming So let us get ready Let us PREPARE Let Jesus be born again In OUR HEARTS O come-O come-EMMANUEL! Jesus-Dear Lord BE BORN in our hearts Again this year-BORN IN LOVE Isaiah was a voice Of Advent A poet of Advent “OPEN the gates That the righteous nation May enter The nation-that KEEPS FAITH” Isaiah 26:2 Oh how I wish We could become-a nation That really LIVES its faith A nation=a world That really LIVES ITS FAITH Maybe that is the PROBLEM We are a nation- We are a world That hasn't any faith In anyone or anything In this world-EXCEPT OURSELVES “And he did not do Many miracles there Because of Their lack of faith” Matthew 13:58 “Then the disciples Came to Jesus in private And asked, 'WHY couldn't we drive it out?'” “Jesus replied, 'Because you have so little faith But truly I tell you IF you have faith As small As a mustard seed You can say To this mountain 'Move from here to there' And it will move NOTHING will be impossible For you'” Matthew 17:17-21 Isaiah can SEE the MESSIAH And we can see him too If we just OPEN our eyes OPEN OUR HEARTS O come-O come-EMMANUEL! Let God-let Jesus BE BORN in our hearts Again this year “For us A child is born To us A son is given And the government Will be on his shoulders And he will be WONDERFUL COUNSELOR-Mighty God- Everlasting Father-PRINCE OF PEACE” Psalm 19:6 “Today In the town of DAVID A SAVIOR has been born to you He is the Messiah The Lord This will be a sign To you You will find a baby Wrapped in clothes And lying in a manger” Luke 2:11-12 God is NEAR to us JESUS IS NEAR TO US He is in the poor He is in the broken-hearted He lives on dusty streets In simple houses ALL over the world LISTEN to the Christmas carols Listen to the children And listen for the PRAYERS KEEP the door To your hearts WIDE OPEN EVERY visitor has Christ LIVING in him or her O COME-O COME-EMMANUEL! This Christmas-may God-may CHRIST BE BORN in every family-in our nation And may LOVE-again Rule our hearts Dear Lord-Dear Jesus- BE BORN IN OUR HEARTS- Again this year Robert P. Wallman 12-3-15 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Miguel Dulick

HE NEVER GIVES UP ON US

HE NEVER GIVES UP ON US I think We all go Through stages in life Where we give up On God Where we think NOTHING we ever asked for Or nothing we ever wanted Is going to come To us But the TRUTH is Though we do that God NEVER ever Gives up on us He wants ALL good things for us All good things For our life “ONLY goodness and kindness Follow me All the days Of my life” Psalm 23:6 “Ask-and it will be Given to you- Seek and you will find Knock and the door Will be opened to you For everyone who asks- RECEIVES The one who seeks- FINDS And to the one who knocks- The door Will be opened to us” Matthew 7:7-8 and Luke 11:9-10 God wants us To have everything we want In life But he wants us- To want it-HIS WAY The right partner (or the church) The right job- And enough health-to FURTHER his kingdom- The way God wants us To do it His way NOT our own selfish human way “The precepts of the Lord Are right Giving JOY To my heart The commands Of the Lord Are radiant Giving light To the eyes” Psalm 19:8 We may GIVE UP on the Lord Even on ourselves But he NEVER Gives up on us He teaches us the RIGHT way A new way to do things And somehow He does it In a way Working out all things TOGETHER For our own good “And we know That in all things God works for the good Of those who LOVE HIM Who have been called ACCORDING to his purpose” Romans 8:28-29 And in Chapter 15 Of Saint Luke's gospel Luke tells us About Jesus' parable Of one lost sheep- Of one lost coin- And one lost son- Whose father Is just waiting for him To come home- To throw a party Our God NEVER gives up on us We are that One lost sheep- That one lost coin- That one lost son/or daughter Whose father Is just WAITING for us To come home- To throw a party No matter How LOST we are God RUNS to meet us On the road And INVITE us to the party For our God NEVER GIVES UP ON US Robert P. Wallman 12-2-15 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Jessica Mesman Griffith

WE ARE SPECIAL!

WE ARE SPECIAL! We are special people In this world If for no other reason Than GOD LOVES US! Jesus loves us We are BLESSED by the presence of God In our life We are SPECIAL Because We have a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with God Because we have A personal relationship with Jesus “Jesus said, Blessed are the eyes That see what you see For I say to you Many prophets and kings Desired to see What you see But did NOT see it ….....” Luke 10:23-24 We have to UNDERSTAND That because We are his disciples and apostles In the 21st century These words Are left for us too We are special MORE SPECIAL than prophets and kings And even more special Than presidents-governors-and senators IF they are not Legitimate believers After all God left his spirit His HOLY SPIRIT behind For us After the Ascension “ALL this I have spoken While still with you But the Advocate The Holy Spirit Whom the Father will send In my name Will TEACH you all things And will REMIND you Of everything I have said to you” John 14:25-26 The fact That we have The Holy Spirit Living INSIDE of us And that we have A personal relationship With God and Jesus Christ Makes us even more special Than prophets and kings We are THE MOST SPECIAL PEOPLE In this world The PRESENCE of Jesus Is an amazing revelation Of GOD'S LOVE for us WHEN we look at Jesus We look at God And when we hear Jesus' words We HEAR God' swords We are blessed We are SPECIAL Because the presence of God Lives INSIDE Each one of us “You have made known To me The paths of life You will fill me With JOY in your presence” Acts 2:28 Jesus-in us- Is a work-in-progress That NEVER comes To an end There is ALWAYS More to know About our relationship With God About our relationship with Jesus “The one Who KEEPS God's commands Lives in him And he in them And this is how We know That he LIVES in us We know it By the SPIRIT he gave us” 1 John 3:24 And this coupled with our faith Makes us special WE ARE SPECIAL! Robert P. Wallman--------12-1-15 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Father Kenneth Grabner

SAINT ANDREW

SAINT ANDREW Before Jesus There was John Andrew was a disciple of John One day Jesus was walking Beside the Sea of Galilee He saw two brothers Who were fishermen And he said to them, “Come follow me And I will make you fishers of men” They immediately Laid down their polls And decided To follow this mysterious man Later on Andrew was the one Who found the little boy With the two fish And the five barley loaves And immediately A miracle was done After Jesus’ Resurrection We don’t know where But we know He preached God’s word Wherever he could Today There are many churches Named in his honor And he is The patron Saint of Scotland and Russia Tradition states If you say a certain prayer Between today and Christmas ( 15 times ) A miracle may be possible Today, November 30th, is his feast day I was baptized At Saint Andrew’s Catholic Church In Pittsburgh, Pa. February 6th, 1955---my mom and Dad’s first anniversary Robert P. Wallman 2-26-11 12-1-15