LOOKING FOR THE GOOD NEWS IN LIFE

LOOKING FOR THE GOOD NEWS IN LIFE We live in a fallen world- A world FULL of sin IT is hard to FIND The GOOD NEWS in life You read the daily newspaper Or watch the news on TV And the world Is ripe with stories of: murder-child molestation-violent crimes- And EVERY kind of white collar crimes That there is: Fraud-deceit-libel and slander-and on- And on-and on WHERE do we find the good news In the world? Where do we find our HOPE? WE FIND it in God- We find it in Jesus- We find it ONLY in God Where the REAL HOPE is For this world Yet the world Doesn't want to believe it now Just as it didn't want To believe it 2,000 years ago “Jesus said, '….....no prophet Is ACCEPTED in his own native place'” Luke 4:24 LOOKING for the good news In LIFE After John Was put in prison Jesus went to Galilee And PREACHED the good news From God “'The right time has come,' He said, 'The kingdom of God Has come near, Repent and BELIEVE the good news'” Mark 1:14-15 Believe the good news It is NEAR It is as close As God and Jesus Is to us ALL we have to do Is OPEN our hearts That is where they LIVE “LIGHT in a messenger's eyes Brings JOY to the heart And good news Gives health to the bones” Proverbs 15:30 Believe the good news Of the Lord Bring HEALTH to your body- To your mind- And to your spirit “........The people were looking For him And WHEN they came To where he was They tried to keep him From leaving them But he said, 'I must PROCLAIM the good news Of the kingdom of God To the other towns Because that is why I was sent'” Luke 4:42-43 Do you ever feel that way FEEL like Jesus? I KNOW that I do I know that I feel MY PURPOSE in life Is to tell- The GOOD NEWS of the Lord ALL OVER AGAIN To anyone and EVERYONE in life That will listen What could be more important Than our salvation? Than LIVING for all of eternity With God and Jesus WELL we have the good news Of the world-that we see and hear everyday And we have the GOOD NEWS of the Lord In the bible-maybe more of us Should take the time TO OPEN IT UP Dear Lord-WE PRAY HELP us to be unconcerned About what others think of us- About we say and do And to SHARE the good news Of the Lord WE are all looking To FIND the good news In life Dear Lord-The GOOD NEWS IN LIFE RESTS in you Robert P. Wallman 2-29-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by PHIL FOX ROSE

ONE STEP AWAY

ONE STEP AWAY We are made In GOD'S own image He HELPS us along EVERY step of the way And he wants us To ALWAYS do good Unfortunately-IF we are honest With ourselves We have to admit We are one step away From a fall “Therefore- Whoever thinks he is Standing secure Should take care NOT to fall” 1 Corinthians 10:12 The truth is No matter how hard we try No matter how hard We want to do good Is that we all Have personal weaknesses And no matter how hard We try We DON'T always live up To the potential Or the good That we want to do WE are one step away From a fall from grace “The Lord upholds ALL who fall And LIFTS UP All who are bowed down” Psalm 145:14 “All this I have told you So that you Will NOT fall away” John 16:1 The truth is WE CANNOT FALL If we are living In the grace Of the Lord And if we do He will lift us Back up IF we but just ask- Ask for his- For the LORD'S FORGIVENESS We just need THE GRACE of the Lord But we do need To RECOGNIZE That we live In a fallen world We need to REALIZE That we need The HELP of God In dealing with our weaknesses On this journey through life We also need to realize That our very own weaknesses CAN bring us to God That is what happened to me ONCE I quit fighting My weaknesses And just ACCEPTED them MY WEAKNESSES Brought me to God- And CREATED the very ministry Within me-that I needed To HELP me help others It gave me a PURPOSE In life “In the same way The Spirit helps us In our weakness We do not know What we ought to PRAY for But the Spirit himself Intercedes for us Through wordless groans” Romans 8:26 “THREE times I pleaded With the Lord To take it away from me (Paul's weaknesses) But he said to me 'My GRACE is sufficient for you For my power is made perfect In your weakness'” 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 So the truth is WHILE we are ALL Just one step away From a fall from grace The truth is also That we are ALL just one step away From the GOOD NEWS Of the Lord And one step away From God HELPING US Walk safely on the path That leads us to a fuller life A FULLER life in God And in the SPIRIT We only need to ask Dear Lord PLEASE SET US FREE Robert P. Wallman 2-27-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Fr. Kenneth E. Grabner, C.S.C.

RECOGNIZING OUR IMPERFECTIONS

RECOGNIZING OUR IMPERFECTIONS ONE of the most important things That is most difficult For us to ACCEPT about ourselves Is that we are IMPERFECT PEOPLE You are imperfect I AM imperfect We are all imperfect BUT GOD FORGIVES US “As far as the east Is from the west So far he has put Our transgressions from us” Psalm 103:12 IF God forgives us-and he does And if Scripture tells us To forgive others-and it does It is incumbent upon us- That we LEARN to forgive ourselves Today's scriptural readings EMPHASIZE that God forgives us- BOTH our big-and our small offenses WHY is it so difficult To forgive ourselves? Why do we continue To dredge up our past wrongdoings At least to ourselves? RECOGNIZE your imperfections But FORGIVE yourself anyway GOD DOES “But who can DISCERN their own errors? Forgive my HIDDEN FAULTS” Psalm 19:12 “But with you- There is FORGIVENESS So that we can- With REVERENCE-SERVE YOU” Psalm 130:4 “Do NOT judge- And you will not be judged Do not condemn And you will not be condemned Forgive- And you will BE FORGIVEN” Luke 6:37 GOD forgives you-so- FORGIVE YOURSELF Of your past failures You are not greater Than God You are given forgiveness As MANY times as it is needed I can't tell you HOW MANY TIMES I have failed I can't tell you HOW LONG it has taken me To BEGIN to get it right WE are IMPERFECT PEOPLE But if our intentions are right God can make our WAYS right “You-Lord- KEEP my lamp burning My God TURNS my darkness into light” Psalm 18:28 “As for God-his way is PERFECT The Lord's WORD IS FLAWLESS He shields ALL-who take refuge in him” Psalm 18:30 OUR PRIDE is surely One of the reasons We don't want to forgive ourselves We know we can't take back The way we already acted We have to LET IT GO We have to ACCEPT That we are less than perfect Forgiveness calls for us To be HUMBLE- For a humble recognition Of our own imperfections And to be MERCIFUL to ourselves- After all God is MERCIFUL to us “The Lord our God Is MERCIFUL AND FORGIVING Even though We have rebelled against him” Daniel 9:9 “Be MERCIFUL- Just as your Father is MERCIFUL” Luke 6:36 Dear Lord-we PRAY HELP us to recognize That we are IMPERFECT And to FORGIVE OURSELVES Just as you yourself ARE FORGIVING AND MERCIFUL To us Robert P. Wallman 2-26-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.

THE GOD OF SECOND CHANCES

WITNESS 1-30-13 “The God of Second Chances” Do you remember The parable Of the Prodigal Son He needed A second chance And his Father Gave him one What about you Do you need A second chance Another try at life Another try at love Don’t give up God will give you Another chance Our God Is the God of second chances And third, and fourth, and fifth Chances too So take a chance On God Take a chance On love Take a chance On life Be like the Prodigal Son Don’t be afraid To come home again Robert P. Wallman 4/4/10 6:13pm Ps WITNESS 1-30-13 “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but receive salvation Through our Lord Jesus Christ-He died for us so that Whether we are awake of asleep –we may live together with him Therefore ENCOURAGE one another and BUILD each other up Just as in fact you are doing” 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 “My son,” the father said, “you are always with me And everything I have is yours-but we had to celebrate an be glad Because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again He was lost and IS FOUND” (The father to the other brother in Luke 15:31-31) 2-26-16

CENTERED ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS=GOD-(Finding the LIVING WATER)

CENTERED ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS= GOD (Finding the LIVING WATER) In the Namibian Desert In South Africa There is a plant That has LIVED for over 2,000 years It has SURVIVED fires-pests- Local wars-and even The blistering heat In virtually a rain free climate “It fears NOT the heat When it comes Its leaves stay GREEN In the year of drought It shows no distress ….....” Jeremiah 17:8 MAYBE it has FOUND Something called-LIVING WATER That Jesus talks about In the 4th chapter Of Saint John's Gospel WHERE Jesus meets The SAMARITAN woman At the well “Will you give me a drink?,” Jesus asks the Samaritan woman John 4:7 She responds, “You are a Jew And I am a Samaritan woman HOW can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews did not associate with Samaritans) John 4:9 Jesus goes on to tell her About LIVING WATER As opposed to regular water “Jesus answered, 'EVERYONE who drinks this water Will be thirsty again But WHOEVER DRINKS The water I give them Will never thirst again Indeed the water I give them Will become in them A SPRING OF WATER Welling up TO ETERNAL LIFE'” John 4:13-14 By believing in Jesus By linking up And CONNECTING our lives With Jesus We can find immortality We can find eternal life ALL we have to do IS believe like Jesus LOVE LIKE Jesus We ARE so very BLESSED And in John 7:37-38 Jesus says, “Let anyone who is thirsty COME TO ME and drink Whoever believes in me As Scripture has said Rivers of LIVING WATER Will flow from WITHIN THEM” John 7:37-38 FIND that “LIVING WATER” Living within you Live FOREVER with Jesus And his Father-GOD The prophet With the 2000 year plant URGES US to plant ourselves In God Urges us To find the living water And live forever Just like the plant Is seemingly doing GROUND yourself in God ROOT yourself in God CENTER yourself-on what Really matters in life=God (and FAMILY) “Yes my soul Find REST in God My HOPE Comes from him” Psalm 62:5 “For those who find me FIND LIFE And receive favor From the Lord” Proverbs 8:35 CENTER yourself-your life On the relationship That really matters in life= GOD The SOURCE and stream Of deep-and LIFE-GIVING WATER Robert P. Wallman 2-24-16 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Chris Koellhoffer, I.H.M.

PRAYING FOR A CHANGED HEART=FROM TRANSFORMATION=TO SURRENDER

PRAYING FOR A CHANGED HEART= FROM TRANSFORMATION-TO SURRENDER I think ALL true Christians PRAY for a changed heart In today's world PRAYS for a heart That LIVES with God and his VIRTUES Not living in this world Dear Lord-we pray For you to CHANGE US From living in a world Of sin SINS like the seven deadly sins: Pride-greed-lust-envy- Gluttony-Wrath-and sloth INTO a person LIVING with the FRUITS Of the HOLY SPIRIT-like what Is in Galatians 5:22 Dear Lord-PLEASE CHANGE us into: “LOVE-joy-peace-forbearance-KINDNESS- Goodness-faithfulness-GENTLENESS-and Self-control” What a person we would be IF we possessed ALL Of these qualities But transformation doesn't come All at once A CHANGED HEART Comes in a series of small steps “If you really CHANGE your ways And your actions And deal with each other-JUSTLY If you do NOT oppress The foreigner The fatherless-or the widow And do not shed INNOCENT BLOOD in this place ….....” Jeremiah 7:5-8 CHANGE your ways Be TRANSFORMED by God Into a person and a creature OF GOD'S NOT belonging to this world BECOME a creature That is TURNED INTO LOVE Just like Jesus-himself “Jesus said in reply 'You do not know What you are asking- CAN you drink the chalice That I am going to drink?” Matthew 20:22 This was Jesus' RESPONSE To the/a MOTHER'S REQUEST- The mother of James and John That they sit at his right- And at his left hand-WAS And they did drink From the cup After being CHANGED Through total transformation According to Christ's and God's WILL And YOU AND I Will drink of the cup also AFTER totally SURRENDERING our will To God's “I will give thanks To you Lord With ALL my heart I will tell Of all your wonderful deeds” Psalm 9:1 “Let LOVE and FAITHFULNESS Never leave you BIND them around your neck WRITE them On the TABLET Of your heart” Proverbs 3:3 Dear Lord-write your laws OF LOVE-FORGIVENESS-and KINDNESS On my heart I SURRENDER ALL to you CHANGE me into LOVE itself Just as Jesus-YOUR SON-was Dear Lord- WE your APOSTLES and disciples of today Are FULL of good thoughts We pray to be TRANSFORMED In small steps-into LOVE- Just like Jesus was We give up our willpower And PRAY for a changed heart Into love Totally RELYING on your GRACE O LORD Dear Lord-in your name LET IT BE Robert P. Wallman 2-23-26 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Terri Mifek

SAINT POLYCARP=THE CONNECTING SAINT

SAINT POLYCARP=THE CONNECTING SAINT Outside of the original apostles And Saints The MOST important Saint Might be Saint Polycarp He was a second-century bishop of Smyrna (Modern-day Turkey) Who wrote in his letter to the Philippians: “Stand fast-therefore- In this conduct-and follow the EXAMPLE of the Lord …..... HELPING each other in the mildness of the Lord- Despising mo man” I call him a CONNECTING Saint Because he was a strong link- A connecting link Between the teaching of the apostles And the FULLY documented theology Of Saint Irenaeus at Lyons In the year 200 PRAISE BE to the SAINTS Those CONNECTORS-those teachers Those martyrs of yesteryear PRAISE BE TO THE SAINTS “Then Jesus spoke to the crowds And to his disciples '…..... Do NOT FOLLOW their example For they preach-but do not practice” Matthew 23:1, 3 (Jesus speaking about the teachers Of the law-and the Pharisees- who he REFERRED to as hypocrites) No-we are to FOLLOW The example of the SAINTS Speaking of Saint Polycarp-Saint Irenaeus says: “........so that I can tell Even the place Where the BLESSED Polycarp Sat and talked........ His features-the discourses Which he gave to the multitudes And how he reported His LIVING with John And the rest of the Apostles Who had seen the Lord And how he REMEMBERED their words And what the things were Which he heard from them About the Lord And about the MIRACLES And about his teaching How POLYCARP RECEIVED them From EYEWITNESSES of 'WORD OF LIFE' And PROCLAIMED them ALL in harmony with the SCRIPTURES” Saint Polycarp=THE CONNECTING SAINT The closest thing we have To a LIVING EYEWITNESSES To the Lord We are to FOLLOW SAINTS Like Saint Polycarp-not the scribes And the Phharisees Saint Polycarp died a martyr In the year 166- WHEN he was pierced with a sword AFTER the fire did not consume him Dear Lord-WE PRAY for THE CHRISTIAN FAITH Of Saint Polycarp-and other SAINTS May we FOLLOW THEIR EXAMPLE As they have shown us the way May we too FIND their STRENGTH AND COURAGE And live a life Of CHRISTIAN TESTIMONY AND COURAGE Today-February-23-2016 Is the feast day of Saint Polycarp Robert P. Wallman February 22nd, 2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Judy Schueneman

WHO DO SAY JESUS IS?

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT JESUS IS? In the 16th chapter Of Saint Matthew's GOSPEL WE find Jesus asking His disciples What are the people saying about me? “When Jesus went into The region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, 'WHO do people say The Son of Man is?'” Matthew 16:13 “They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist- Others say Elijah And still others, Jeremiah-or ONE of the prophets'” Matthew 16:14 …..... “Simon Peter answered, 'You are the MESSIAH The SON OF THE LIVING GOD'” Matthew 16:16 BUT the really important question is: What do we say As his apostles and disciples In this-the 21st century And are we ACTIVE In this proclamation? I say He is the ALPHA-and the OMEGA The one who always was The ONE Who always will be “I am The Resurrection and the LIFE The one who BELIEVES in me WILL LIVE- Even though they die” John 11 :25 “I am The WAY-the TRUTH-and the LIFE” John 14:6 The ONE who/where My next living breath comes from What about you? WHO do you say that he is? IF Jesus were standing In front of you-right now WHO would you say that he was? What would you do? He is the one Who GIVES my life PURPOSE He is the one Who gives my life MEANING He is the DIVINE PRESENCE In my life What is his meaning To you? WHO do you say that he is? As I said To me-he is The DIVINE PRESENCE To me He is the SON OF GOD And ONE of the three persons Of the DIVINE TRINITY “For since The CREATION of the world God's invisible qualities- His eternal powers and DIVINE NATURE Have been clearly seen Being understood From what has been MADE So that people are WITHOUT EXCUSE” Romans 1:20 “The weapons we fight with Are NOT the weapons Of the world On the contrary They have DIVINE POWER To demolish strongholds” 2 Corinthians 10:4 NO-the weapons we fight with are: LOVE-FORGIVENESS-and KINDNESS The very ESSENCE of Christ himself The Lord brings meaning-JOY- And HIS DIVINE PRESENCE To the very essence Of my soul No mere human being Can do that for you THIS GIFT can only be given To you BY GOD For me-who Jesus TRULY IS Who do you say That Jesus IS? Robert P. Wallman 2-21-16 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Fr. Kenneth E. Grabner, C.S.C.

GOD IS STILL WITH YOU!

GOD IS STILL WITH YOU Have you ever Faced a period in your life WHERE you felt You could no longer Go on Perhaps because of health problems Or financial problems Or even relationship problems MAYBE all three At the same time You can STILL make it Our Lord is with you God is still with you Cod will carry you onward “Master-it is good that we are here” Luke 9:33 God will Carry us forward “He tends his flock Like a shepherd He gathers the lambs In his arms And CARRIES them CLOSE to his heart” Isaiah 40:11 “Even to your old age And gray hairs I am He I am he Who will sustain you I have made you And I will CARRY YOU I will sustain you And I will RESCUE you” Isaiah 46:4 GOD IS STILL WITH YOU He will carry you He will carry me-HOME He will sustain us Through every suffering He will sustain us Through every anxiety Through every storm Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem To suffer-to die Almost too much to bear For the apostles But Jesus was PREPARING them And SHARED his transfiguration With Peter-James-and John They were ecstatic They saw the “glory” That was to come Through Jesus Christ They would NEED this GRACE To bolster them In the days ahead The same way We need the LORD'S GRACE In our times of suffering “For the law Was given through Moses GRACE and truth CAME through Jesus Christ” John 1:17 “With GREAT POWER The apostles Continued to testify To the RESURRECTION Of the Lord Jesus And GOD'S GRACE Was so powerfully in work in them all That there was NO needy persons Among them” Acts 4:33 And God's grace Is in us To BOLSTER US In times of need GRACE-little rays of GOD'S LIGHT Is there In even our darkest moments God has NOT abandoned us He is still with you He is still with me And that is forever- For ALL of eternity- GOD IS STILL WITH US Robert P. Wallman 2-20-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti

TRANSFORMING KNOWLEDGE INTO LOVE AND FORGIVENESS

TRANSFORMING KNOWLEDGE INTO LOVE AND FORGIVENESS KNOWLEDGE is a great thing Particularly the KNOWLEDGE Of the Scriptures The Sadducees and Pharisees Of yesteryear Can tell you that And almost ALL current preachers- priests-and men and women of God CAN tell you that too But if you are NOT applying the SCRIPTURES To the living of your life That knowledge is meaningless “I will give thanks to you O Lord With all my heart For you have heard The WORDS of my mouth” KNOW the Scriptures But apply them And LIVE them in your life too We should be TRANSFORMED Into miniature versions of Christ In our own little corner Of the world Transformed into LOVE Transformed into FORGIVENESS Just like Jesus “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 And God wants us To be TRANSFORMED into MINIATURE walking-talking examples- OF CHRIST OF LOVE AND FORGIVENESS “And we ALL Who with unveiled faces CONTEMPLATE the Lord's GLORY And being transformed INTO HIS IMAGE With everlasting glory Which comes from the Lord Who is the SPIRIT” 2 Corinthians 3:18 In our spiritual lives We all come to the DEEPER KNOWLEDGE That we are KNOWN In the mind of God And he knows each of us By name “But now This is what the Lord says- He who removed you-Jacob He who formed you-Israel 'DO not fear For I have redeemed you I have CALLED YOU by name You are mine'” Isaiah 43:1 Called by name By the one WHO IS LOVE WHO IS FORGIVENESS This knowledge brings us To our knees in HUMILITY And worship Let us all PRAY to the Lord To use our knowledge To TRANSFORM US Into miniature versions of CHRIST AND OF LOVE AND FORGIVENESS In Jesus' name we PRAY Robert P. Wallman 2-19-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Steve Givens

TRIALS-AFFLICTIONS-DIFFICULTIES

TRIALS-AFFLICTIONS-DIFFICULTIES Do you have trials-afflictions- And difficulties In your life Have you ever IF you answer no To both questions GOD BLESS YOU Because You are not human EVEN Jesus did Another word For these words is tribulation And tribulation IS trouble in one's life Often associated with great afflictions Saint James-Jesus' ½ brother Once wrote, “Consider it ALL JOY My brothers When you encounter various trials........” James 1:2 We probably hate to admit it But TRIALS can be GOOD for us Because they can bring MATURITY DEVELOP character And IF we take on our crosses As Jesus did They can bring us GREAT JOY It all goes to our mind set TRIALS can make us or break us It all depends On the ATTITUDE we face them with We should become An EXAMPLE to others Like Jesus You are probably saying, “Bob/Robert are you nuts How can trials and afflictions Be good for us?” “It was good for me To be afflicted So that I might learn Your decrees” Psalm 119:71 First of all They can remind us Of our human limits Sometimes The MIRACLES of our life DEPEND on God's power NOT on our own John 4 Tells us about the HEALING Of an official's son Jesus says, “UNLESS you people see miraculous signs And works You will NEVER believe” John 4:48 “The royal official said, 'Sir, come down, Before my child dies'” John 4:49 “Jesus replied, 'You may go Your son will live'” John 4:50 The power of faith The power of belief COMES FIRST Then comes THE HEALING Put your TRUST in God Secondly-afflictions can develop virtues In us VIRTUES like humility-patience-understanding Wisdom-and compassion And these virtues Can lead to Human and spiritual maturity But if we Let our afflictions break us This can lead to qualities Like meanness-pettiness-and selfishness WHICH PERSON Are you Going to choose to be So I ask you What kind of trials Are you experiencing In your life-right now And what kind of person Are they turning you into Dear Lord-we pray That you USE our trials In life To HELP us become MORE AND MORE like you And BECOME A shining example to ALL Robert P. Wallman 2-17-14 ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH magazine by Melanie Svoboda 10-23-14 3-20-15 2-19-15

RELUCTANCE-HOW MANY TIMES?

RELUCTANCE- HOW MANY TIMES? How many times Does it take you To RESPOND to GOD'S WORD When he tells you To do something That you don't want to do? IF you are like me It takes a lot- For me to respond ONLY the Lord knows For sure-for it is That many TODAY we read About the story O f Jonah “The word of the LORD Came to Jonah A second time........” Jonah 3:1 The first time The Word of the Lord Came to Jonah He took off As FAST as he could And caught a ship to TARNISH HOPING to out run The whole thing And after a violent storm He ended up In the belly Of a whale RELUCTANCE- How many times? You can't out run God I should know that Jonah-a prophet-should now that And you should know that too For us BELIEVERS God ALWAYS gets his way And that is BEST- For he KNOWS What he is doing I certainly don't “He will RESPOND To the prayer Of the destitute He will not despise Their plea” Psalm 102:17 “'In that day-I will respond Declares the Lord- 'I will RESPOND to the skies And they will respond To the earth'” Hosea 2:21 RELUCTANCE- How many times? We may as well RESPOND QUICKLY For the Lord knows the WAY But I sense Jonah Would still be reluctant today I know I am And I sense That you probably still are too The Lord does know The way “I instruct you In the way of wisdom And lead you along Right paths” Proverbs 4:11 “Jesus answered, 'I am the WAY And the truth And the life NO ONE comes to the Father Except through me'” John 14:6 Well Jonah Had to go into The belly of the whale BEFORE he got it right I have had to FAIL Over and over again Before I learned To at least begin TO TRY IT The Lord's way What about you? Have you gotten it right yet? Dear Lord-HELP US To RESPOND POSITIVELY- To your WORD- IN TODAY'S WORLD HOW MANY TIMES? Robert P. Wallman 2-17-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.

PRAY ALWAYS-PRAY UNCEASINGLY!=PRAYER IS TRULY OUR BEST WEAPON!

PRAY ALWAYS!-PRAY UNCEASINGLY!- IT IS OUR BEST WEAPON! We should pray always For PRAYER is our best weapon Particularly in Lent There are many types Of prayer ONE'S WHOLE LIFE Can be a prayer At least That is the way That I approach it For prayer is simply the OPENING Of our mind-and soul- And heart to God “Jesus said to his disciples 'In praying Do not babble Like the pagans- Who think they will be HEARD- Because of their many words'” Matthew 6:7 Prayer should be from the heart And it should be SINCERE Pray always Pray unceasingly There are MANY Different types of prayer There are those-that We recite The Our Fathers, Hail Mary's, Glory Be's Which I say and USE every day To constitute and pray MY ROSARY But my FAVORITE KIND Of prayer Is from the heart Like what I said On my deathbed- WHEN I was 22 “I don't think God wants me to die But if he does There must be a REASON But if he wants me to LIVE- I would live for my FAMILY- My friends- And for all people EVERYWHERE” I have repeated that prayer To myself-at least ONCE a daily For the last 39 years PRAY always Pray unceasingly PRAYER is our BEST WEAPON “The Lord has heard My cry for mercy The Lord ACCEPTS our prayer” Psalm 6:9 “The Lord is far From the wicked But he HEARS the prayers Of the righteous” Proverbs 15:29 “Therefore-I tell you- WHATEVER you ask for in prayer BELIEVE that you have received it And it will be yours” Mark 11:24 Pray always Pray without ceasing PRAYER IS OUR BEST WEAPON In fact-Jesus gave us instructions- “Pray ALWAYS without becoming weary” Luke 18:1 (The Parable of the PERSISTENT WIDOW) And Saint Paul said: “Rejoice always-PRAY CONTINUALLY- Give thanks in all circumstances For this is God's will in you In Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Dear Lord-HELP us to: PRAY ALWAYS and PRAY UNCEASINGLY For PRAYER truly is OUR BEST AND GREATEST WEAPON Robert P. Wallman 2-16-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Mitch Finley

RECOMITTING OURSELVES TO LOVING GOD AND OTHERS

RECOMITTING OURSELVES TO LOVING GOD AND OTHERS (breaking bad habits) The word “LENT” means to Lengthen or long days It is-traditionally- a time- To RECOMMIT OURSELVES To loving God and to loving others It is also a time When TRADITIONAL Christians- (Catholics-some Protestants-and Anglicans) Give up something And so IF you are looking To give up something I suggest bad habits I can think of a few That I have That I wish that I didn't “........Judge your fellow men justly You shall not go about Spreading slander among your kins” Leviticus 19:15-16 I think gossip and slander Are at least one bad habit That we all have In varying degrees Some much less so Some much more Dear Lord-if we have Any gossip in us We ask you to HELP US To remove it And to recommit ourselves To LOVING God And to loving others HELP us To remove this from our hearts- Our minds-and our souls “A gossip Betrays a CONFIDENCE But a trustworthy person KEEPS A SECRET” Proverbs 11:13 “A perverse person STIRS up conflict And a gossip Separates close friends” Proverbs 16:28 Dear Lord-we pray HELP US to return to you This Lent By loving you By loving others And by breaking our bad habits Particularly gossip Bad habits Are tough to break But by CONCENTRATING ON LOVE We can do it FELLOWSHIP and the GRACE OF GOD Gives us the light and the STRENGTH For LIFE-RENEWING CHANGE “CREATE in me A pure heart-O God And renew a steadfast spirit WITHIN ME” Psalm 51:10 “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 An not be faint” Isaiah 40:31 Let us take the journey Of FAITH THIS LENT And RECOMMIT OURSELVES To LOVING GOD-and LOVING OTHERS Dear Lord- LET it be so Robert P. Wallman 2-15-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Mary Marrocco

TEMPTATION AND RESTORATION=THE 40 DAYS OF LENT

TEMPTATION AND RESTORATION= THE 40 DAYS OF LENT Are you journeying With Jesus this Lent? Are you going into The desert with him? IF you are Expect to come Face-to-face with the devil- Satan-if you will For you cannot travel with Jesus And not face temptation “Then he returned To his disciples And FOUND them sleeping 'Couldn't you men Watch with me For one hour?' He asked Peter Watch and pray So that you will not fall Into temptation The spirit is willing But the flesh is WEAK” Matthew 26:41 If you are like me You have truly found That the flesh Is indeed really weak And you can't overcome The flesh-with just willpower It truly takes THE SPIRIT OF GOD- The Spirit of Jesus As Jesus does Show us In his time in the desert ONLY through the HOLY SPIRIT And Jesus Do we have a CHANCE Of overcoming temptation And truly being RESTORED And truly resurrecting Our mind-body-and souls Come this Easter “FILLED with the Holy Spirit Jesus returned From the Jordan And was led by the Spirit Into the desert........” Luke 4:1 Jesus fully conquered the devil And Satan Where will you be This Easter-Come RESURRECTION time? WHERE will I be? Will we have succumbed To temptation? Or will we be FULLY RESTORED Come this Easter? “Restore us-O God Make your face shine upon us That we may be SAVED” Psalm 80:3 “STRIVE for FULL RESTORATION ENCOURAGE one another Be of one mind Live in peace And the God of love AND PEACE Will be with you” 2 Corinthians 13:11 Hopefully like Jesus The SPIRIT will help us To overcome temptation Will lead us To full restoration This Easter WALK your journey This Lent Linked to the Spirit And after 40 days You will be FULLY RESTORED (after temptation) DO IT-and set the example For your church community For the people of God Want to see it Robert P. Wallman February 10th, 2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sister Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B.

JOURNAL=2-14-15=VALENTINES DAY=WON'T YOU BE GOD'S VALENTINE

JOURNAL=2-14-15=VALENTINES DAY=WON'T YOU BE GOD'S VALENTINE (and mine) “And this commandment have we from him-That he who LOVETH GOD-love his BROTHER ALSO” 1 John 4:21 GOD is the AUTHOR of life-and the AUTHOR of love-HE is your CREATOR-and loves you with an INFINITE LOVE WE have a model of TRUE LOVE in the person of Jesus CHRIST-who taught us ALL-encompassing and UNCONDITIONAL LOVE-and offered his life for us SO TODAY-on this VALENTINES DAY-love GOD with your WHOLE heart and soul-and love your brothers and sisters it is A GREAT DAY for ACCEPTING the LOVE God has for you-and a great day for LOVING OTHERS HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!-I love you VALENTINE'S DAY 2014 Won't You Be My Valentine? Do you have A VALENTINE this year If you do You are BLESSED Blessed to have someone To SHARE your life with I don't happen To be that BLESSED To have a valentine To share my life with But I am DEEPLY blessed In so so many SO MANY other ways I have LIVED To see so many days That I never thought I would see BLESSED to have been there With them WHEN my father and mother Passed from this world BLESSED to have spent So much time With my sisters-my nieces-and my relatives And friends So whether or NOT You have a valentine I assure you YOU HAVE GOD As a valentine And he LOVES YOU With an infinite infinite love And I LOVE YOU The same way-with that SAME KIND of love So man or woman Relative or friend Straight or gay Won't you be GOD'S VALENTINE HE LOVES YOU I love you HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY To you ALL I LOVE YOU! Robert P Wallman 12-31-13 Ps 2-14-15 2-13-16

VALENTINES DAY SHOULD BE EVERY DAY

VALENTINES DAY= SHOULD BE EVERY DAY Valentines day Should be every day For every day SHOUD BE a day of love It is IMPOSSIBLE to LOVE GOD Without loving one another OUR Lord had it right ALL those years ago When he gave us The first two commandments Really the only two- For if we are truly keeping them- These two It is impossible To break any others “The most important one,” Answered Jesus, “Is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord OUR GOD The Lord is ONE Love the Lord your God With all your heart And with all your soul And with all your mind And all your strength' The second is this: 'LOVE your neighbor as yourself' There is no commandment Greater than these” Mark 12:31 Valentines day Is ALL about love God and Jesus=are ALL ABOUT LOVE There is nothing wrong With the church (Other than it needs to be UNIFIED) There is nothing wrong With the INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE (Only not enough love) Jesus did not have A romantic valentine His valentine=HIS LIFE'S WORK Was the church (although he did have a great student and friend In Mary Magdalene) “And I tell you That you are Peter And on this rock I will BUILD my church And the gates of HADES Will not overcome it” Matthew16:18 I too=like Jesus Have BUILT my life On the church- And the churches that I have attended And I too=like Jesus= have a very SPECIAL FRIEND- And student of my poetry I call her MM For Mary Magdalene Since today=Valentines day=IS= Or at least should be A day of love I want to say I LOVE my sisters-and nieces- And my EXTENDED FAMILY- And I love my friends I even try To LOVE my enemies And I especially love My churches- And my MM HAPPY VALENTINES DAY ALL- I LOVE YOU! Valentines day really is A DAY OF LOVE= And it should be=EVERY DAY Robert P. Wallman 2-13-16

SUFFERING=LOVE AND COMPASSION

SUFFERING=AND LOVE AND COMPASSION Lent started yesterday And lent is a time WHEN one man-suffered- And went to the CROSS for us And died If we are to LEARN anything At all-from LENT From Christ's suffering- From CHRIST'S life and his death It is that Lent is a time FOR RESTORING RELATIONSHIPS “This rather-is the fasting- That I wish: RELEASING those bound unjustly Untying the thongs Of the yoke; SETTING FREE the oppressed........” Isaiah 58:6 As I said LENT is a time For RESTORING RELATIONSHIPS Restoring relationships with family members- friends-and even our enemies IF possible For if any of us Are suffering WE are ALL SUFFERING We are all interconnected “But those who suffer He DELIVERS in their suffering He speaks to them In their affliction” Job 36:15 “For he has not despised- Or scorned The suffering of the afflicted one He has NOT hidden his face From him But he has listened To HIS CRY for help” Psalm 22:24 “REMEMBERING-Jesus Christ Raised from the dead Descended from David This is MY GOSPEL For which I am suffering Even to the point Of being chained Like a criminal But GOD'S WORD Is not chained” 1 Timothy 2:8 The GOSPEL of Christ IS FREE-And if we are True believers WE too are free-and yet as Christians We continue to suffer For any of a variety Of reasons Recently I had a MISUNDERSTANDING With a DEAR FRIEND-of mine Perhaps my best friend I RESPONDED in a prideful-sinful way And for that I am sorry- In addition to the hurt I caused this particular person As CHRISTIANS we should ALWAYS RESPOND in a kind-compassionate- AND LOVING WAY Sometimes-it is easier said Than done “What a person desires Is UNFAILING LOVE Better to be poor Than a liar” Proverbs 19:22 “The Lord is gracious And COMPASSIONATE SLOW to anger And rich in love” “The Lord is GOOD to ALL He has COMPASSION On all He has made” Psalm 145:8 & 9 And so today Lord WE PRAY For all those suffering From the breakup of relationships For if any ONE of us suffers We all suffer We are all INTERCONNECTED Dear Lord=PLEASE use Our prayers-our fasting- And our alms giving To make things RIGHT Between us INCLUDING this nation and our world We want to work COLLECTIVELY To establish The freedom and JUSTICE That Christ came for Dear Lord=help us to LOVE AND CARE For our neighbors and our enemies And LOVE AND BE COMPASSIONATE to all Robert P. Wallman 2-11-16=INSPIRED by Sister Julia Walsh, F.S.P. A.=LIVING FAITH Magazine

OUR LADY OF LOURDES=I WILL NEVER FORGET

JOURNAL=2-11-15=OUR LADY OF LOURDES “BLESS THE LORD-Oh my SOUL!” Psalm 104:1 LOURDES, France has become FAMOUS as a SHRINE for healing-WHERE physical disease have been CURED in a miraculous way-THE CHURCH recognizes 66 MIRACULOUS CURES there it is also the day-I WALKED out of Saint John's hospital-after experiencing a 108 degrees fever-peritonitis-gangrene-and gram-negative septicemia-and LIVED to tell about it LOURDES, France-where many have found PEACE in coming to UNDERSTAND GOD'S WILL for them-but of course-we don't have to go all the way to FRANCE-to EXPERIENCE Mother Mary's LOVE for us-all we NEED to do is to ASK for her help in PRAYER And Mary will RUSH to OUR SIDE-and take her petitions to her SON-Jesus for us-FEBRUARY 11th-the feast day for of OUR LADY OF LOURDES-and a day for FINDING PEACE in GOD-and maybe even experiencing a TRUE MIRACLE of God it is A GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in GOD'S LOVE for us-and a great day for coming to the LORD and HIS MOTHER in faith and hope-and to KNOW the HEALING POWER OF God OUR LADY OF LOURDES-I WILL NEVER FORGET Our Lady of Lourdes Is a title for the Blessed Virgin Mary Used by Roman Catholics In honor of apparitions of Mary And for many miracles That are said to have occurred there At Lourdes, France On the evening Of January 18th, 1977 I developed a tremendous pain/ pressure In my groin area And I was admitted to the hospital The next day I WILL NEVER FORGET I was rushed To emergency surgery The next day With a perforated bowel I WILL NEVER FORGET The first apparition Of Our Lady of Lourdes Was made February 11th, 1858 By Bernadette Soubirous A 14-year-old peasant girl Who admitted to her mother That a “lady” Spoke to her In the cave of Massabielle About a mile from her home The apparition of the “lady” Were reported On seventeen further occasions That year After the surgery I laid there For two weeks With tubes coming Out of every orifice in my body In a state between life and death I WILL NEVER FORGET The apparition Asked Bernadette to dig in the ground And drink From the spring she found there And she did From that day onward That spring Has produced 27,000 gallons of water per week My health Took a turn for the worse Dr. Christian was called in To work on me And Father Newell was called in To administer the Sacrament for the Sick My temperature Reached as high as 108 degrees And my blood count went down to three And I had many blood transfusions It looked like death was imminent I WILL NEVER FORGET Many miracles have occurred At Our Lady of Lourdes Some proven authentic miracles And many not reported at all The day I walked out of the hospital Was February 11th, 1977 The day of the first reported vision At Lourdes, France in 1858 I will testify FOR GOD And give thanks TO GOD For every day Of the REST of my life I WILL NEVER FORGET Robert P. Wallman February 7, 2013 ps misc. WITNESS 2-11-14 2-11-15

FAT TUESDAY AND DONUTS=THE BEGINNINGS OF LENT=AND A LOT TO PONDER

FAT TUESDAY & DONUTS= THE BEGINNINGS OF LENT= AND A LOT TO PONDER Today we have Mardis Gras In New Orleans- The party of all parties Today is also known as “FAT TUESDAY”- The day we are supposed to have Our donuts and other baked goods- For tomorrow begins Lent-when we are SUPPOSED to deprive ourselves some= In HONOR of our Lord I didn't have any donuts today-but By the looks of me-you can tell- I have had my share of donuts In my time And tomorrow is ASH WEDNESDAY-and The beginning of Lent- And the beginning of 40 days- To PONDER the life of Christ And ALL of what he gave up For us And the eternal life To which we can look forward to “But WHEN you pray Go to your inner room CLOSE the door And pray to your Father In secret” Matthew 6:6 I have done much thinking About God-about Jesus-and About my very own life WHILE on the flat of my back In my bed-in my room About HOW and WHAT I can do To LIVE my life MOST like Christ Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday And we will be marked With ashes on our forehead- Dust if you will “REMEMBER that you are dust And dust you shall return” Ash Wednesday Marks the beginning of Lent And the 40 days leading up to CHRIST'S own death and RESURRECTION “Our days may come To 70 years Or eighty If our strength endures Yet the best of them Are but trouble And sorrow For they quickly pass And we fly away” Psalm 90:10 In other words- You will live till 70- 80 if you are STRONG And much of your life You will be faced with trouble But if you attach your life To God and Christ-you can FIND ETERNAL HAPPINESS for life In the PRESENCE of the Lord “Who can live And not see death Or who can escape The power of the grave?” Psalm 89:48 CHRIST'S VICTORY over death Means EVERYTHING to me And THE WAY that I live my life I turned 61 years young last month And I am most likely In the last quarter of my life My dad died at 68- Mom at 75 And yet because I AM A CHRISTIAN Because I am a CHRIST FOLLOWER I am NOT afraid BEING A Christian Means living every day Of our life-WITH HOPE And I look forward To my final day on earth- WHEN HOPEFULLY-I hear From God and Christ- “His master replied 'WELL DONE- Good and faithful servant! You have been faithful In a few things I will put you In charge of many things Come and SHARE Your master's happiness!'” Matthew 25:21 SPENDING ETERNITY with my master- And God-my parents-and my family and friends I think I WILL PONDER THAT TODAY (and I HOPE you do too) Robert P. Wallman 2-9-16

LOOKING TO IMPROVE-Christ ALONE!

LOOKING TO IMPROVE- CHRIST ALONE IF you are like me You are constantly looking For better ways to WORSHIP GOD Better works- new prayers- Maybe better devotions But we do this Because we LOVE GOD And want to PLEASE HIM Even more NOT because of any kind Of tradition-that has been handed down “You nullify the word of God In favor of tradition That you have handed on” Mark 7:13 It's about LOVE-it is About PLEASING GOD It is not about tradition CHRIST ALONE is our salvation It is about-a personal relationship With God and Christ “The Lord is my LIGHT And my SALVATION- Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the STONGHOLD Of my life- Of whom Shall be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 “May your UNFAILING LOVE Come to me Lord Your salvation- According to your PROMISE” Psalm 119:41 “For this is what The Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you A LIGHT for the Gentiles That you may bring salvation To the ends of the earth'” Acts 13:47 BEFORE we take up A new project-or start a new project- Or go in a new direction We need to take it up With the HOLY SPIRIT To see if this is What God really wants From us We need to GUARD Against pride- Or the temptation To try and take our salvation Into our own hands For the last that I looked- PRIDE was NOT one Of the FRUITS of the SPIRIT But more like ONE of the seven deadly sins “To fear the Lord Is to hate evil I hate pride and arrogance- Evil behavior-and perverse speech” Proverbs 8:13 OUR SALVATION and the salvation Of ALL BELONG to God ALONE Christ ALONE is our salvation NOT any traditions It is God's work- It is the work of CHRIST ALONE For the IMPROVEMENT In us I am definitely doing my BEST To improve in this world To be a better person To PRAY more diligently But for sure-CHRIST ALONE- IS the measuring stick Christ is the WORD Christ is the ONE Who HEALS and PURIFIES me/us Christ is the INSPIRATION For our good works And our PRAYERS ARE for other individuals And the GLORY OF CHRIST May we ALL be so fortunate To IMPROVE For God- AND CHRIST ALONE Robert P. Wallman 2-8-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAZINE by Elizabeth Duffy

PUTTING ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD

PUTTING ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD It is A TOUGH WORLD That we live in A world full of danger It seems Like someone or something Is constantly shooting daggers at us In the old days The knight Would put on The metal or steel armor To PROTECT HIM And in today's world I believe the policemen STILL put on bullet-proof vests But for us Christians To protect us from evil In this cruel cruel world We are called to put on A DIFFERENT KIND of armor THE ARMOR OF GOD “Put on The full armor of God So that You can take your stand Against the devil's schemes” Ephesians 6:10 There you have it The armor that we need IS ARMOR That can stand up NOT only against flesh and blood evil But the dark forces of evil In our world-Satan “For our struggle Is not against Flesh and blood But against the rulers Against the authorities Against the powers Of this dark world-Satan And against the spiritual forces Of evil In the heavenly realms Therefore PUT ON the full armor of God So that When the day of evil comes You may be able To STAND your ground” Ephesians 6:12-13 You say fine But WHAT is it That can Withstand ALL of these things The armor IS LOVE My friend THE LOVE OF GOD And THE LOVE OF NEIGHBOR For as 1 Corinthians 13:8 tells us LOVE NEVER FAILS And James 1:17 says: EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT Is from ABOVE And that is what Jesus' life was IT WAS PERFECT As He DEFEATED every injustice imaginable INCLUDING humiliation and death So our job Is to UNITE our life With Jesus=as much as possible And HOLD ON For the ride of our life JESUS left behind HIS OWN spirit for us And in Galatians 5:22 Paul tells us WHAT the fruit Of the spirit is: “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 5:22-23 I suggest to you That LIVING with these qualities is PUTTING ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD And if you WEAR these You have NO NEED Of steel armor Or bullet-proof vests If you put these on You are putting on THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD And if you do this Evil will not defeat you And if it does You will be vindicated AS SURELY AS JESUS HIMSELF WAS Robert P. Wallman January 17th, 2014 Ps misc. WITNESS 3-2-14 8-30-14 2-8-16

A FISH AND A LOVE STORY

A FISH AND LOVE STORY It started with fish And it ended with LOVE Jesus' story with his BEST friends And his apostles Hence a fish and a LOVE STORY “When they had done this They caught A great number of fish And........FILLED both boats So that they were in danger of sinking …..... When they brought their boats To the shore They left everything And followed him” Luke 5:6-7-11 What a great way To call your first disciples To FIND your friends Simon Peter overwhelmed Falls to his knees and says, 'Get away from me Lord; I am a sinful man'” Luke 5:8 Jesus-in turn-says- “Don't be afraid From now on You will be FISHERS OF MEN” Luke 5:10 And what about us In today's world Are we not A little bit overwhelmed Do we not think and feel The same way as Peter (“Get away from me Lord; I am a sinful man; or I am a sinful woman”) But we need not worry- Jesus calls us HIS FRIENDS And we have a story That ends just the way It ended with the apostles IN LOVE IN JESUS' love for us- Is us trying to bring people To OUR LORD'S KINGDOM “You are my FRIENDS If you do what I command I no longer Call you servants Because a servant Does not know his master's business INSTEAD I have called you FRIENDS For everything that I have learned From my Father I have made known to you” John 15:14-15 And which of us Hasn't sat down With a brother and sister in Christ Over a fish sandwich Or a fish dinner And discussed how much God How much our Lord Jesus Christ LOVES US-and what he went through To save us Peter only denied Jesus three times- And Jesus later AFFIRMED HIM How many times have you and I Denied Christ in this world- If you are like me It is probably too numerous to count Jesus appears to his disciples again After the RESURRECTION And again they catch MANY FISH Probably too numerous to count But scripture says 153 “kinds” Perhaps the number of kinds of people In the world-at that time Dear Lord-WE PRAY Perhaps the SHARING of the fish Was the beginning of sharing Of the GOOD NEWS of THE LORD HELP US To continue to feed the people The good news of your life In today's world For the job is ONLY 1/2 done “ALL AUTHORITY in heaven And on earth Have been given to me Therefore-go and make disciples Of ALL NATIONS BAPTIZING them in the name Of the Father-and the Son And the Holy Spirit And teaching them to obey EVERYTHING I commanded you And SURELY I AM with you ALWAYS To the very end of the age” Matthew 28:18-20 Dear Lord- HELP US to continue to share the fish And to SHARE THE LOVE Robert P. Wallman February 6th, 2016 INSPIRED by Patricia LIVINGSTON of LIVING FAITH

GREAT BLESSINGS!

GREAT BLESSINGS! King David's son-Solomon- Was told he could Have anything he wanted ALL King Solomon wanted Was a discerning heart “Your servant is here Among the people You have chosen A great people Too numerous to count Or number So give your servant A DISCERNING HEART To govern your people And to distinguish between Right and wrong” 1 Kings 3:8-9 And for the WISDOM AND HUMILITY Shown by Solomon The Lord rewarded him BEYOND his wildest dreams That the young man Had in his heart “The Lord told Solomon: 'In addition I give you What you have not asked for Such riches and glory That among kings There is not your like” 1 Kings 3:13 GREAT for King Solomon But what about us Are we LIVING with WISDOM AND HUMILITY Are we wishing for A DISCERNING HEART And who or what Are we praying for And are we PRAYING With HUMILITY IF we are We will be BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE As I certainly have been NOT riches and glory like King Solomon But I certainly have been BLESSED With all that I need “In your majesty Ride forth victoriously In the case of truth- Humility-and justice Let your right hand ACHIEVE awesome deeds” Psalm 45:4 “When pride comes- Then comes disgrace But with humility Comes wisdom” Proverbs 11:2 As King Solomon-certainly found out So who or what Are you praying for Maybe RECONCILIATION With loved ones A new job A new house HEALTH restoration for yourself Or for family and friends IT'S OK-to ask For specific requests But let us KEEP our hearts-and minds- And souls open For the GREAT BLESSINGS of God Just like Solomon did Namely-A DISCERNING HEART And WISDOM and HUMILITY IF we do that- Who knows What other GREAT BLESSINGS! May come our way-just like Solomon Robert P. Wallman 2-6-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Melanie Rigney

FOLLOWING GOD=EVERY STEP OF THE WAY

FOLLOWING GOD- EVERY STEP OF THE WAY Picture this-King David is On his deathbed He says the following words And gives this ADVICE To his son Solomon “Take courage- And be a man KEEP the mandate Of the Lord your God FOLLOWING his ways And observing his statutes, Commands, ordinances, and decrees As they are written In the law of Moses That you may SUCCEED In whatever you do- WHEREVER you turn........” 1 Kings 2:2-3 Stated another way LISTEN to what the Lord says And live your life with COURAGE We all want courage We all want SUCCESS Our KING DAVID-tells us HOW to find it- FIND IT by following by God-and- And OUR Lord and Savior Jesus Christ “Moses summoned ALL Israel And said, 'Hear Israel- the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today Learn them And be sure to follow them ….....'” Deuteronomy 5:1 (the TEN COMMANDMENTS follow) Wouldn't be great IF more people took these laws To heart-and LIVED by them In today's world Nevertheless- They will have to meet their maker- Someday “SURELY your goodness and LOVE Will follow me ALL the days of my life And I will dwell In the HOUSE of the Lord Forever” Psalm 23:6 That is what happens To us That is what happened To me When I dedicated my life To the Lord WE make the choice TO FOLLOW GOD We dedicate our lives To him And then We spend a lifetime Getting to know THE LORD That is WHEN we find success In life That is when The HANDS of God and Christ Are ALL OVER our lives And that is when WE FIND SUCCESS At least that is WHEN it has happened for me I can do nothing On my own accord “The warden Paid no attention To anything under Joseph's care Because the LORD Was with Joseph And gave him success In whatever he did” Genesis 39:23 And the Lord is WITH US WHEN we spend time With him in prayer and mediation When we read the instructions And PROMISES-of the bible When we go to MASS- Or church service When we surround ourselves With a COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS For when we are doing these things We are FOLLOWING GOD EVERY STEP OF THE WAY And we are finding SUCCESS In our lives-NOT because of Our own faithfulness- But BECAUSE OF HIS TAKE COURAGE- IN THE LORD” Robert P. Wallman 2-5-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Kristin Armstrong

COURAGE

COURAGE Courage Do you have ALL that you need? We all need courage To sustain a QUALITY of life In today’s world In addition To a life GROUNDED in God and family And in addition To a life BASED on faith, hope, and love We may need courage To FACE another day Of chronic pain That wants to keep us CONFINED to our bed But we have to get up We have to GO ON We MUST find the courage DEEP within us To be an example To set a bar high for others And TRY to meet the bar WHEN OTHERS find the courage To set the example for us We are interdependent But we must find our courage Deep within our own soul Moses Was leading his people To the Promised Land But a funny thing happened He died And the bar Was passed to Joshua Did he Do you-do I Have all the courage That we need To face life’s challenges “Be strong and COURAGEOUS Because you will lead these people To inherit the land I swore to their forefathers To give them” Joshua 1:6 “Be strong and courageous……..,” God said to Joshua And Joshua did lead his people To the Promised Land Good for Joshua God for his people BUT WHAT ABOUT you and me Do we have The courage that we need To be the example For our family Do we have the courage That we need To be A SIGN OF HOPE A SIGN OF INSPIRATION For our friends and neighbors FOR ALL OTHERS EVERYONE has That twinge of doubt At sometime in our life But we fight on WE BATTLE ON WE WIN-from within What about David When he had to battle the Philistine-Goliath He said to Saul: “Let NO ONE lose heart On account of this Philistine Your servant will go and fight him” 1 Samuel 17:32 FIGHT ON-BATTLE ON You have ALL that you need To fight the daily battles In this 21st century LET NO ONE LOSE HEART We may NOT Be healed of our illness But we can be COURAGEOUS-and fight on We may have financial battles and obligations But we FIGHT ON WE may have relationship setbacks But we can continue To be a SOURCE of hope and inspiration COURAGE is defined As mental or moral strength That enables a person To face and persevere In the face of danger-fear-and difficulty FIGHT ON You have ALL the courage that you need NOT only to survive-BUT THRIVE In this world FIGHT ON ROBERT P. WALLMAN 6-15-13 2-4-16

FINDING INNER PEACE IN GOD

FINDING INNER PEACE IN GOD We live in a Crazy mixed-up world And even when We TRY and do right Sometimes we still do wrong And we wind up feeling Some guilt King David knew this- For he did much wrong Even though-he was a man After-GOD'S OWN HEART “I said, 'I confess my faults To the Lord,' And you took away The guilt of my sin” Psalm 32:5 King David Wrote many psalms In which he frequently expresses His regret From the sins he committed How about you/me/us Are we carrying A heavy burden of guilt We can STILL find forgiveness And healing with God in prayer ALL we have to do is open up- Our hearts-and souls-and minds To God-to EXPERIENCE healing And forgiveness FINDING PEACE IN GOD “The Lord gives strength To his people The Lord BLESSES his people WITH PEACE” Psalm 29:11 “Consider the blameless Observe the upright A future AWAITS those Who seek PEACE” Psalm 37:37 FINDING INNER PEACE IN GOD David was not only a man After God's own heart But a man after our own heart For he did wrong In God's own eyes And still was able To FIND PEACE in God As we can find INNER PEACE in God David-had a contrite heart For he KNEW our God Was/is a compassionate God So in this year- During the YEAR OF MERCY Let us too-throw ourselves At/and on THE MERCY OF GOD For what we have done wrong In our life “REMEMBER Lord Your great mercy And love For they are from of old” Psalm 25:6 “Whoever conceals their sins Does not prosper But the one who confesses And renounces them FINDS MERCY” Proverbs 28:13 “BLESSED are the merciful For they will ALL be shown MERCY” Matthew 5:7 Dear Lord-in this year of MERCY HELP US to TRUST In your forgiveness And in your heart-filled COMPASSION So that we can truly FIND INNER PEACE WITH YOU Robert P. Wallman 2-2-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Father James McKarns

THE GREATEST JOY OF ALL

THE GREATEST JOY OF ALL The greatest joy of all Is the PRESENCE of God In his person And living in our hearts- Minds-and souls TODAY we read about how Joseph and Mary Presented our Lord Jesus- In the Temple at birth And how he was presented To Simeon and Anna “Now Lord you Have kept your PROMISE And you May let your servant Go in peace With my own eyes I have seen your salvation Which you have prepared In the PRESENCE of all peoples: A LIGHT to reveal Your will-to the gentiles And bring GLORY To your people” Luke 2:25-32 The Lord is EVERYTHING-and- He always keeps his promises As he did with Simeon The GREATEST JOY of all Is the PRESENCE of the Lord “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 “Deceit is in the hearts Of those who plot evil But those who promote peace Have JOY” Proverbs 12:20 Maybe-you are like me- And were BAPTIZED as a baby-and REAFFIRMED your vows As an adult Or maybe-you weren't baptized Until you became an adult You/me-WE-are still filled with JOY There was also a prophet- Named Anna-in addition to Simeon “She was very old-she had lived With her husband seven years After her marriage And then-was a widow Until she was 84 She never left the TEMPLE But worshiped night and day Fasting and praying Coming up to them At that very moment She gave thanks to God And spoke about the child To all-who were looking forward To the Redemption of Israel” Luke 2:36-38 Jesus' light-stayed lit-ALL the way Through the end of his life And through the RESURRECTION For all of eternity Some of our lights-need relit- And we NEED to be reborn- Or born again- As we travel through this journey We call life Today- we CELEBRATE- The PRESENTATION of the Lord And of course- the PRESENCE of God- In our hearts THE GREATEST JOY OF ALL Robert P. Wallman 1-31-16

THEY DIDN'T GET IT-DO WE?

THEY DIDN'T GET IT- DO WE? TODAY we read about Jesus And the HEALING of A demon-possessed man A man Possessed by a legion of demons “What is your name?” Jesus asked him “'My name is Legion- For we are many' And he begged Jesus Again and again Not to send them Out of the area” Mark 5:9-10 “The demons begged Jesus- 'Send us among the pigs; ALLOW us to get into them'” Mark 5:11 And Jesus does so By SENDING the demons Into a herd of pigs Grazing on the hillside BUT what is so amazing About this particular miracle- Is NOT the miracle itself But the people's reaction To it “Those who witnessed The incident EXPLAINED to them what had happened To the possessed man And the swine They began to BEG him To leave their district” Mark 5:16-17 The people of Gerasenes Just DIDN'T GET IT They just didn't grasp The MIRACLE POWER of God The miracle power of Jesus DO WE? The people of Gerasenes Didn't grasp GOD'S GRACE They just didn't grasp The HEALING POWER of God They had their own story Jesus was different- He was different-so they TURNED from him- And asked him to leave How about us-DO WE GET IT- Do we grasp Jesus' grace and healing power How about us=do we want him to stay And LIVE in our hearts WHEN we experience his healing power Over illness When we grasp his healing power OVER our finances Or in our relationships Do we want him- LIVING in our hearts- Or do we want him to leave to “One thing-God has spoken Two things I have heard POWER belongs to you God And with you Lord -IS UNFAILING LOVE” Psalm 62:11 “The tongue Has the power of life And death And those who love it Will eat its fruit” Proverbs 18:21 Dear Lord-they really didn't grasp You and your power In the town of Gerasenes HELP US to grasp you -And your power In our HEARTS And in today's world Dear Lord- HELP US TO GET IT Robert P. Wallman 1-31-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Amy Welborn