FORGIVE OURSELVES=CUT TO THE HEART

FORGIVING OURSELVES= CUT TO THE HEART We all- Have had a hand in The crucifixion of Christ If we have Even committed one little sin Deliberately or otherwise Fortunately for us- It doesn't end there- We just need To FORGIVE OURSELVES For our God Holds NOTHING against us- Nothing ever He has ALREADY forgiven us "Now when they heard this- They were CUT TO THE HEART And they asked Peter And the other apostles- 'WHAT are we to do My brothers?'" Acts 2:37 GUILT is an ugly emotion And it is something We ALL need to MOVE PAST In our lives We need to TRANSFORM Any past guilt that we feel Into SELFLESS acts of love For others In this way We transform ourselves From repentance to love For me-LOVING GOD-and- LOVING OTHERS-is what It is all about In fact-Jesus told us that- These are the first two commandments A Christian isn't a Christian Unless he or she loves "May your UNFAILING LOVE- Be with us-Lord- Even as We put our hope in you" Psalm 33:22 "LOVE and faithfulness Meet together Righteousness and peace Kiss each other" Psalm 85:10 "Hatred stirs up conflicts But LOVE covers all wrongs" Proverbs 19:12 So WHEN we realize We have done some things wrong With and in our lives We need to move PAST- We need to FORGIVE OURSELVES We need to TRANSFORM ourselves Into PERFORMING selfless acts of love- For God and for others "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 "But our citizenship Is in heaven And we eagerly await A SAVIOR from there The LORD Jesus Christ Who-by the POWERS- That enables him To bring everything UNDER his control Will TRANSFORM Our lowly bodies So that they will be LIKE his glorious body" Philippians 3:20-21 Dear Lord=we PRAY That we will always be ABLE to FORGIVE ourselves- For any past wrongdoing Just as you- have already forgiven us And we pray That we can CUT TOO THE HEART Of matters By always reaching out To others-IN LOVE In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 3-28-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sister Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.

PETER=A CHANNEL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT=AND SO ARE WE

PETER=A CHANNEL FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT= (AND SO ARE WE) REMEMBER when Peter Was just too weak Remember when his faith FAILED him When he tried To walk on water Remember when He promised Jesus He would NEVER deny him And he failed him 3 times BEFORE-the rooster crowed NOT ANYMORE "THEN Peter stood up With the eleven RAISED his voice And proclaimed to them 'You who are Jews Indeed all of you Staying in Jerusalem Let this Be known to you And listen to my words'" Acts 2:14 Yes Peter- After failing to stand By Jesus-in his darkest hour Has really become authoritative And self-possessed He really has become THE ROCK of Christ's church He really has become A CHANNEL for the Holy Spirit "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" Matthew 16:18 "For prophecy NEVER had its origin In the human will But prophets-though human Spoke from God As they were carried along By the Holy Spirit" 2 Peter 1:21 Yes Peter Was carried along By the Holy Spirit Just as you and I are YES-we failed Christ too Over and over again But NO LONGER We are CREATIONS Made by GOD'S OWN SPIRIT His own Son-Jesus Christ And so we follow Christ We follow Peter We let the light And the PROMISE of the HOLY SPIRIT Into the dark places Of our heart "You-Lord- KEEP my lamp burning My God TURNS my darkness into light" Psalm 18:28 "The path Of the righteous Is like the morning SUN Shining ever brighter Till the FULL light Of day" Proverbs 4:18 "The people LIVING in darkness Have seen A great light On those Living in the land Of the shadow of death A LIGHT has dawned" Matthew 4:16 (to FULFILL what was said by the prophet Isaiah) Dear Lord-we PRAY Please send us your SPIRIT This EASTER season And AFTER our moments of failure HELP US to be Your steady rocks And a CHANNEL Of the HOLY SPIRIT Just like your servant And our SAINT PETER Robert P. Wallman 3-27-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Karla Manternach

THE FREEING OF JESUS=THE FREEING OF US

THE FREEING OF JESUS= THE FREEING OF US Easter Sunday means That Jesus is unbound Jesus is RELEASED And he is set FREE He is no longer A prisoner for our sins He is loose "On the first day Of the week Mary of Magdala came to the tomb Early in the morning While it was still dark And saw the stone REMOVED from the tomb" John 20:1 YES!-Easter does mean He is set free He is loose He is FULLY ALIVE He is no longer Bound for our sins And he is free To show us the way To go home For us-TO BE FREE TOO "Teach me your WAY-Lord That I may rely On your faithfulness Give me an undivided heart That I may Fear your name I will praise you Lord my God With ALL my heart ........" Psalm 86:11-12 "The Lord is righteous In all his ways And faithful In ALL he does" Psalm 145:17 The fact That Jesus is now FREE Means he can show up Anywhere and anytime In our lives Just as he did with apostles and disciples He can look like the gardener As he did to Mary Magdalene He can be the stranger With two friends On the road To Emmaus He CAN be a visitor With our family and friends At Easter dinner He is FREE He is unbound He can show up anywhere At anytime "He upholds The CAUSE of the oppressed And gives food to the hungry The Lord SETS prisoners free" Psalm 146:7 He sets us ALL free "So if the SON SETS you free You will be FREE indeed" John 8:36 EASTER SUNDAY=the RESURRECTION Means the freeing Of Jesus It also means The freeing of us to sin KEEP YOUR EYES open this week You might see Jesus In the newspaper man- The postal deliverer- Maybe a cashier- At the grocery store- Or the car mechanic At the doctor's office- Or in your own family and friends JESUS IS LOOSE- JESUS IS FREE Keep your eyes open You might even see him STARING back at you in the mirror I see Jesus In ALL of you HAPPY EASTER!-HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY! God loves you- Jesus loves you- And so do I WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE! Robert P. Wallman March 27th, 2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.

THE CROSS=ABUNDANT LOVE

THE CROSS=ABUNDANT LOVE How painfully difficult It must have been For our Jesus? To PROCEED with his ministry Knowing how it was all Going to end "So they took Jesus And carrying the cross himself He went out To what is called- The Place of the Skull In Hebrew=Golgotha They crucified him And with him two others One on either side With Jesus In the middle" John 19:16-18 Yet=knowing this Knowing HOW It was going to end He proceeded With his ministry of teaching Working his miracles And his daily work Knowing it would all end With death on the cross But he also KNEW The cross was MORE Than what we perceive: As disgust-disgrace-torture- And death He knew the cross Would bring UNIVERSAL LOVE For us all- For ALL of mankind The sign of rebirth The sign of ABUNDANT LOVE "For if By the trespass Of the one man Death reigned Through that one man How much more Will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace And of the gift of righteousness REIGN in life Through the one man-JESUS CHRIST!" Romans 5:17 "Grace and peace Be yours in abundance Through the knowledge Of God and of Jesus our Lord" 2 Peter 1:2 ALL because Jesus CARRIED the cross of LOVE For each and every one of us The cross of life To death And to a RESURRECTED LIFE Because of this cross- IF we pick up our cross We have the SAME opportunity Of life Through Jesus Christ OUR LORD "Whoever Does not take up their cross And follow me Is not worthy of me Whoever finds their life Will lose it And whoever loses their life For my sake WILL FIND IT" Matthew 10:38-39 We FIND our life- OUR ABUNDANT LIFE=in the crosses Of our own life Just like Jesus The cross is a SACRED SYMBOL That identifies the PRECIOUS CHRISTIAN VALUES For which we are to live LOVE-forgiveness-kindness-generosity and the FRUITS OF the SPIRIT Identified inn Galatians 5:22 As Christians- We are baptized into Christ's life BUT this symbol of death Has been REPLACED By a symbol of ABUNDANT AND UNIVERSAL LIFE FOR US ALL Robert P. Wallman 3-24-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Father James McKarns

UNCONDITIONAL AND UNENDING

UNCONDITIONAL AND UNENDING Unconditional and unending That is what GOD'S LOVE is For you Do you believe that The same-as a father Or mother's love For their VERY OWN CHILDREN “WHICH one of you Would hand his son a stone When he asks For a loaf of bread” Matthew 7:9 That is Who and what God is to us OUR PARENT He gives us time He gives us energy And is utterly SELFLESS In making himself available To us He loves us immeasurably He cares for us immeasurably And his love Is UNCONDITIONAL and UNENDING The SAME as a parent For their very own children Love unconditional Love unending Love untraditional Love FOREVER from our God His love is UNFAILING “The Lord Loves righteousness and justice The earth is full Of his unfailing love” Psalm 33:5 “What a man desires Is UNFAILING LOVE” Proverbs 19:22 (BETTER to be poor than a liar) And that is what we get From God our Father We-us His adoptive sons-and daughters And the brother Of OUR LORD and Savior Jesus Christ “And because You are sons God has sent his spirit Into your hearts CRYING ABBA FATHER Where you are no more A servant But a son ( and daughter ) And if a son Then an heir Of God through Christ” Galatians 4:6-7 An heir-like Christ To UNCONDITIONAL-UNENDING- EVERLASTING-and ETERNAL LOVE What can be more comforting Than that Robert P. Wallman 3-15-14 11-9-14 1-17-15 3-23-16

LIVING YOUR LIFE FOR GOD AND JESUS

LIVING YOUR LIFE- FOR GOD AND JESUS As we go through another Holy Week It is important for us To REFLECT on how Jesus Gave every ounce of his life For his Father-and for us And it is important That we ask ourselves Are WE willing To LIVE our lives For God and Jesus? Are we willing to GIVE God and Jesus Life for life=breath for breath= EVERY ounce of ourselves= For them? “Jesus answered, 'WILL you lay down your life For me?'” John 13:38 And he went on To tell Peter That he would DENY him(Jesus)=3x Before the rooster crowed And it happened But before We come down too hard On Peter Let us RECALL All the times in our own life WHERE we chose sin and temptation OVER God and Jesus And if we say-we haven't We are-in fact liars=for we are ALL human beings-prone to weakness “Who is the liar? It is whoever denies That Jesus is the Christ Such a person Is the ANRTICHRIST DENYING the Father And the Son NO ONE who denies the SON Has the Father WHOEVER acknowledges the Son Has the Father also” John2:22-23 Dear FRIENDS- We live at a time WHEN the antichrist- Not only lives-but thrives Where Satan rules the world An it is time We TURN this world around And GIVE it back to God And my LORD and SAVIOR-Jesus Christ I made a PROMISE to God On my deathbed at age 22 “To LIVE for my family-friends- And for ALL people everywhere” I have done my best To KEEP that promise I will CONTINUE For as long as I LIVE- Until the day that I die- Or the day that I become Physically unable to do so- Which ever comes first “I have been Crucified with Christ And I no longer live But Christ LIVES in me The life I now live In the body I live by FAITH In the SON of God Who loves me And gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20 “You ought to live holy And godly lives As you look forward To the day of God And speed its coming” 2 Peter 3:11 There are TWO ways To live and die for Jesus As a dying martyr Or as a LIVING martyr Giving your TESTIMONY for God And Jesus- WHEREVER you happen to be Won't you JOIN ME In living for God and Jesus? But before You make up your mind Jesus has some questions For you: “Will you Lay down your life for me?” “Will you live your life for me?” “Will you do what you do For me every day?” Will you do it ALL for me?” WILL YOU?” I HOPE you join me- In answering “YES”- To LIVE FOR God and Jesus HAPPY EASTER ALL! I love you But more importantly-GOD AND JESUS- LOVE EACH ONE OF YOU Robert P. Wallman 3-21-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Mitch Finley

SYMBOL-CROSS-SALVATION

SYMBOL-CROSS-SALVATION Do you know What a SYMBOL is The word symbol is defined: “As an object That represents Stands for Or SUGGESTS an idea-a visual image- Belief-action-or material entity” For example The symbol of our religion For Christians Is the cross The instrument Of Jesus' humiliation-torture And death That was ultimately TRANSFORMED Into glory By Jesus and God THROUGH HIS RESURRECTION Unfortunately today For much of our culture The cross Has been REPLACED By other symbols Symbols of our sexuality Symbols of lust On every television commercial And computer And in our country Symbols Such as rich houses And rich cars That CONVEYS the mood That if we purchase them We will be totally happy Symbols Such as doctors and hospitals That conveys the thought That health and happiness Are determined NOT by God But by medical science Symbols and ideas That convey HAPPINESS can be found In a bottle In a syringe Or on a screen LOOKING for and finding salvation THE TRUTH IS All these things Do not bring salvation The cross alone- OUR IDENTIFICATION with God-alone CAN bring salvation Dear Lord PLEASE HELP us to understand That these other images Do NOT bring about happiness ONLY by accepting the cross The symbol of ACCEPTING the crucifixion of Jesus Can bring about our SALVATION The cross is The means by which Jesus died But it is also used As a metaphor For self-sacrifice ONLY by sacrificing our lust Only by sacrificing our greed Only by sacrificing Our addictions And PUTTING GOD AND FAMILY FIRST In our lives Can we find the way TO SALVATION “IF ANYONE Would come after me He must deny himself And take up his cross And FOLLOW me For whoever Wants to save his life Will lose it But whoever loses his life For me And the gospel WILL save it What good is it for a man To gain the whole world Yet forfeit his soul Or what can a man GIVE In exchange for his soul” Matthew 8:34-37 PUTTING GOD AND FAMILY FIRST Is the WAY to salvation Salvation is DELIVERANCE From danger or evil And ONLY God and family Can deliver us from them LIVING in the spirit Or living in the flesh The choice is yours and mine ONLY GOD Can deliver you-and me Robert P. Wallman July 28th, 2014 Ps On sites and sent out 9-15-14 3-20-16

IN TIMES OF SUFFERING........

IN TIMES OF SUFFERING …..... In times of suffering Don't do it alone That is-IF You can help it I think- Maybe the saddest time In the history of mankind Is Jesus- In the “Agony in the Garden” When every last friend And disciple deserted him “Father- If you are willing Take this cup Away from me Still-NOT my will But yours be done” Luke 22:42 Up until that time Jesus appeared-strong- And in control As many of us are When times Are going well I don't know WHERE he found the strength To carry us To CARRY THIS WORLD When he was all alone I have often PRAYED That if I had lived At that time I would not Have deserted him ONLY God knows for SURE But maybe That is why I have had The life that I have had “Keep watch-and pray That you Will not fall Into temptation The spirit is willing But the flesh is weak” Mark 14:38 I just don't know WHERE he found the strength To carry us all Even still carrying us today- In this modern day 21st century “The Lord Is my STRENGTH And my shield My heart trusts in him And he HELPS ME My heart Leaps for joy And with my song I praise him” Psalm 28:7 “LOOK to the Lord And his strength SEEK his face always” Psalm 105:4 “For the foolishness of God Is wiser than human wisdom And the weakness of God Is stronger than human strength” 1 Corinthians 1:25 I PRAY That you will NEVER be alone And I know that you won't Because the SPIRIT of God The Spirit of Jesus Will be with you He never leaves Any of us alone And I will be with you In heart and in spirit PRAYING FOR YOU Jesus wanted/needed Just one disciple To NOTICE his pain They ALL let him down Let us NOT let him down In this-the 21st century And so- As we FINISH our Lenten journey-I PRAY That you-along with myself And countless brothers and sisters Pick up our brothers and sisters IN NEED-and are suffering alone Jesus would NEVER Let anyone suffer alone Let us Not do so either In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 3-19-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Martin Pable, O.F.M. Cap.

EMBRACING GOD'S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE

EMBRACING GOD'S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE I know That you have a PLAN For your life But God has a PLAN For your life too EMBRACE GOD'S PLAN “When Joseph awoke- He did As the angel of the Lord had commanded And took his wife Into his home” Matthew 1:24 EMBRACE God's plan For your life It is the ONLY plan that works It is often said: “LIFE is what happens While you are making your plans” When I was young My plan was To get established In my career Settle down- Get married and raise a family But God HAD OTHER PLANS On my 22nd birthday I had a life/death operation And made a commitment to God For a lifetime And in June of that year The illness became chronic My life was FOREVER CHANGED According to God's plans-and- According to my promise to LIVE FOR- and to TESTIFY for him For the rest of my life “But the plans Of the Lord STAND FIRM FOREVER The purposes of his heart Through ALL generations” Psalm 33:11 “For I know The PLANS that I have for you Declares the Lord Plans to prosper you And not to harm you Plans to give you HOPE And a FUTURE” Jeremiah 29:11 Saint Joseph=whose life WE celebrate today Had a plan For his life too He planned to be a carpenter To marry Mary- And to raise a family But God had other plans For his life As he may have For your life And Joseph EMBRACED God's plan For his life No matter how different It may have been You too-as I must too EMBRACE GOD'S PLAN For your life No matter WHERE it may take us We must follow God We MUST FOLLOW Jesus “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 “My sheep LISTEN to my voice I know them And they FOLLOW me I give them ETERNAL LIFE And they Shall never perish No one will Snatch them out of my hand” John 10:27-28 Joseph willingly EMBRACED GOD'S PLAN By doing so-he ended up PARTNERSHIPING with God To bring SALVATION to the world EMBRACE GOD'S PLAN for your life Who knows where God will take you? Dear Lord-LET IT BE! Robert P. Wallman 3-18-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.

SIX YEARS since mom has passed-THAT SWEET SWEET SMILE

MARCH 18th, 2012 THAT SWEET SWEET SMILE That sweet sweet smile Will linger in my heart If not forever At least For a little while That look of contentment And peace That look of it ending Will live an eternity In me Oh That last look On your face What a life Of love You must have lead Oh now I am sure That last look Of contentment And smile Will live Forever in me My God What a sweet sweet smile Robert P. Wallman 3-19-10 Mom passed away 2 years ago today---NOT a day has passed where I have not Thought about her A few weeks before she passed---we were both crying and holding each other I said, “No son ever loved his mother more than I love you.” She answered, “Maybe Jesus.” If I have ever done- or ever do---one thing of significance in this world---it is because Of her---and the love that she and my father gave to me---miss them both so very much Today March 18th, 2016-is the 6th year since my mom has passed-SHE is AS ALIVE in me-as she has ALWAYS HAS BEEN-LOVE HER SO MUCH!

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY=don't forget your green=MAY YOU FEEL the luck of the IRISH TODAY

AN IRISH SAYING May those who love us, love us And those who don’t love us, May God turn their hearts And if he doesn’t turn their hearts May he turn their ankles Se we’ll know them by their limp Lol THE LIFE STORY OF SAINT PATRICK There has been much controversy Surrounding the life of Saint Patrick Both as to what he did And what he didn’t do Patrick was British by birth He lived during the fifth century His father was on the town council And was a deacon His grandfather was a priest When he was young He was captured by Irish pirates And was made a slave for 6 years During these years Patrick began to pray And draw close to God Which was in contrast to his earlier years When he “knew NOT the true God” After the 6 years He escaped or was freed And did some traveling But almost starved to death Patrick returned home to his family A changed man And trained to become a priest After some contact with the Papacy Patrick succeeded Palladius To be the first bishop of the Irish To believe in Christ Patrick worked principally in Northern Ireland Organizing the church And had many missionary journeys From there Patrick was not especially learned But lived with a sincere simplicity And deep pastoral care He worked to abolish paganism and idolatry And made no distinction Among classes of people HE LOVED ALL He himself was ready and willing To accept imprisonment and death For his FAITH IN CHRIST Because of being a slave and fugitive He learned to completely trust God The historical Patrick is much different Than the legendary Patrick And much more interesting He DID NOT convert Ireland single-handedly In fact---it took MANY evangelists And many generations to accomplish But make no mistake He was the PRIMARY INSTRUMENT of God In getting it all started He remains the most popular Saint From Ireland And he is Ireland’s patron To this day His cult spread form Ireland to Europe In the middle ages And in modern times To the United States and Australia Where it still flourishes on his feast day Which is March 17th Happy Saint Patrick’s day! With love---Robert P. wallman March 15th, 2012 Ps my middle name is Patrick---after my grandfather Patrick Murphy Who was named after Saint Patrick

WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU-MAKES YOU STRONGER

WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU ONLY MAKES YOU STRONGER I am sure You have heard the saying: “What doesn't kill you- ONLY MAKES YOU STRONGER” I am LIVING PROOF That that saying is true Because when I was A completely broken human being And on the flat of my back God picked me up SHOWED me which way to go And my life has become LIVING PROOF-for God That you can get back up That you CAN keep moving forward And that you can USE Your past suffering As a motivating force for you “........'he Lord said to Moses 'Make a saraph And mount it on a pole And whoever looks at it After being bitten-WILL LIVE” Numbers 21:8 So whatever battles you are fighting I assure you You can beat them Or at least SURVIVE them With God's HELP USE your past sufferings As a motivating force “Forget the former things Do NOT dwell on the past” Isaiah 43:18 “........ For past troubles Will be forgotten And hidden from my eyes” Isaiah 65:16 The Israelites in today's reading Would be WISE To REMEMBER that saying: “Whatever doesn't kill you Makes you stronger” They hate the food They have been given They have been bitten By snakes And they cry out To God Moses wraps a snake Around the pole And whoever looks at it-LIVES We NEED to use our past- Whatever we faced As a motivating force To keep moving toward God Keep looking at Whatever is in your past Whatever you need To keep moving forward Whatever that past obstacle is DRAW a picture in your mind BE POSITIVE You can OVERCOME Your past obstacles and sufferings With God Our God Is a God of great mercy And grace The Israelites did it I walked away From almost losing my life- Losing my job- Losing an important relationship To LIVE every day With a chronic illness and pain MOVE to the future With HOPE Move to the future With God's grace and mercy “Now this is our boast Our conscience TESTIFIES That we have conducted ourselves In the world And especially In our relationship With you With integrity and godly sincerity We have done so Relying not on worldly wisdom But on GOD'S GRACE” 2 Corinthians 1:12 USE your sufferings As a motivating force For you WHATEVER DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER YES-you can do it WITH GOD'S HELP Robert P. Wallman 3-15-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Claire J. King

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD In John-chapter 8- Jesus tells us-HE IS- The LIGHT of the world And he lights our way For us “I AM The light of the WORLD” John 8:12 It is so FRUSTRATING When we lose our electricity WHEN we have no television- No cable-no phone- Let alone light And it is NO LESS frustrating When we lose our way In this world When we lose our CONNECTION With God and Jesus We lose our pathway In this world For he is-THEY are- THE LIGHT of the world And they light the way For us They SHOW US Which way to go “You-Lord- KEEP my light burning My God-TURNS my darkness Into light” Psalm 18:28 “Come-descendants of Jacob- Let us WALK In the light of the Lord” Isaiah 2:5 “In him was Life And in that life was the LIGHT Of ALL mankind The light SHINES in the darkness And the darkness Has NOT overcome it” John 1:4-5 God is our light- Jesus is our light- And they are DIVINE SALVATION This light of God- This LIGHT of Jesus- ARE out path To the light of our lives Of HOW to live Our lives- He is the DIVINE LIGHT That leads us to our SPIRIT UAL GROWTH “For since The CREATION of the world God's invisible qualities- His eternal power and DIVINE nature- Have been clearly seen Being understood From which has been made So that- People are WITHOUT EXCUSE” Romans 1:20 God is the DIVINE LIGHT- And Jesus is the PERFECT example- Of light-love-forgiveness-and kindness He is- The perfect example- Of how we are to live In today's world LIVE like Jesus Let your light SHINE FOLLOW his example of LOVE For ALL “You are the LIGHT of the world A town BUILT on a hill Cannot be hidden Neither do people Light a lamp Instead-they put it on its stand And it gives light To EVERYONE in the house In the same way- Let your LIGHT Shine before others That they may see Your good deeds And GLORIFY your Father In heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 REMEMBER-how much Christ influences you- INFLUENCES-your inner being TRUST his energizing presence- To be TRANSFORMED to be like him And you too Can be a RADIANT LIGHT A SMALL LIGHT- In this dark dark world For Jesus is THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD Robert P. Wallman 3-14-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.

LOOKING FOR THE JOY IN LIFE

LOOKING FOR THE JOY IN LIFE It is almost IMPOSSIBLE To feel JOY WHEN we are In the throes Of immense loss In October of 2000 When my father Had just died I REMEMBER Walking through the streets Of Bellevue, Pennsylvania With my mom And two sisters ALL of us Feeling inconsolable pain OUR WORLD As we knew it Had just ended Seeing all the passersby Walking and talking Like nothing happened I couldn't understand HOW they couldn't see it FEEL OUR PAIN And yet as time Has gone on Little slivers of JOY Creep in And we go on “BLESSED are you Who are now weeping For you will laugh” Luke 6:21 OUR LIVES will go on And we will find JOY AGAIN Sometimes it is difficult For those of us in tough personal- Economic-and social conditions- To BELIEVE That we will have something BETTER Than what we have now WE will FIND JOY again Jesus foresaw HIS KINGDOM OF LOVE He taught us to believe In a world of JUSTICE If we LIVE With integrity And become LOVING In the ways that he taught JOY is nothing less Than FINDING HAPPINESS Regardless of Our state in life AND I did FIND JOY AGAIN After my father died And yet again After my mom died They will NEVER be forgotten Because along with God They are RESPONSIBLE For the VALUES And the LOVE That I have INSIDE of me “For the Lord Your God WILL BLESS YOU In all your HARVEST And in all the work of your hands And your JOY WILL BE COMPLETE” Deuteronomy 16:15 Look for the GOOD things In life And they will come You CAN find JOY In your life Regardless of circumstances BY LOVING GOD AND LOVING OTHERS And by letting them LOVE YOU Jesus wanted us TO TRUST That our lives And efforts Would eventually BEAR FRUIT ALLOW GOD IN ALLOW JOY IN (Regardless of circumstances) And you will find HOPE And your life WILL BE COMPLETE Robert P. Wallman October 18th, 2014 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sister Joyce Rupp, O.S.M. 11-5-14 1-10-15 3-14-16

A RISEN LIFE=MOVING BEYOND THE SUFFERING=AND FINDING JOY AGAIN

A RISEN LIFE=MOVING BEYOND THE SUFFERING=AND FINDING JOY AGAIN It is a very tough life- A cruel-violent-uncaring world OUR Jesus found that out All by himself But by CONNECTING his life To his Father's He RESURRECTED and lived In-ETERNAL GLORY-with his Father “Those that sow in tears- Shall reap REJOICING” Psalm 126:5 We too-sometimes- LIVE our lives In great pain Great physical pain-and sometimes- Great emotional and spiritual pain too Sometimes ALL there at once As I have experienced In my life Maybe you too are Experiencing all of them too-simultaneously WHEN we are suffering Our vision becomes blurred We don't see how We can ever FIND HOPE AGAIN But we can-as I am here To tell you WE CAN find hope again If we just hang in there And wait for our Lord To take over I will testify to GOD'S- To Jesus' LIVING HOPE Until my dying breath “I will glory in the Lord Let the afflicted hear And REJOICE” Psalm 34:2 “But may the righteous Be glad And REJOICE before God May they be happy And JOYFUL” Psalm 68:3 “REJOICE in the Lord-always I will say it again- REJOICE!” Philippians 4:4 WHEN we Are in the midst Of trying to heal From painful loss Or dealing with stressful situations Of any kind It becomes hard for us To TRUST anyone-even God But we can get through it We can FIND God again We can find Jesus again We NEED to remember The journey that Jesus took To Jerusalem WHERE extreme suffering Clouded the possibility Of a RISEN LIFE But we can find HOPE In the life-death And Resurrection of Jesus We too can find A resurrected life In this world “Jesus said to her, 'I am the RESURRECTION And the LIFE The one who BELIEVES in me Will live- Even though they die And whoever lives By BELIEVING in me Will never die Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 We may die 1,000 little deaths In this life BUT if we stay connected To God and Jesus We can KEEP getting back up And in the end We can LIVE FOREVER with them I look at the LIFE of Jesus And I see the HOPE In the RESURRECTION And I look at the pain In my own life And I draw confidence and courage From Jesus' Resurrection I know I can Resurrect my life - And I know you can resurrect yours too IF we just stay connected To God and Jesus I know we can CREATE a risen life And move BEYOND the suffering Into the joy of God and Jesus ONCE AGAIN Robert P. Wallman March 12th, 2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article by Sr. Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.

TRUSTING GOD=HE KEEPS HIS COMMITMENTS=HIS WORD=AND HIS PROMISES

TRUSTING GOD= HE KEEPS HIS COMMITMENTS- HIS WORD-AND HIS PROMISES Have you ever been betrayed By a partner-by a spouse- Or by a friend NOT a very fun feeling Is it? Chances are None of us Will ever be betrayed To the point of death Like Jesus was “Yes-I like a trusting lamb Led to the slaughter Had not realized That they were hatching plots Against me........ But you-O lord of hosts- O just judge Searcher of mind and heart ….....To you I have entrusted my cause! Jeremiah 11:19-20 Often-in today's world- People don't keep their word- Their commitments-and their promises But always-TRUST IN GOD- He always does “How can a young person Stay on the path of purity By living ACCORDING to your WORD” Psalm 119:9 ”EVERY WORD of God Is flawless He is a shield To those who take Refuge in him” Proverbs 30:5 “Take the helmet Of salvation And the sword of the Spirit Which is THE WORD OF GOD” Ephesians 6:17 It happens a lot In our busy world It becomes tough For people to always Keep their commitments For people have Conflicting priorities-sometimes- Even within their own families I am told-EVEN within churches -People can't always keep Their commitments-their words-their promises MOST CHURCHES Are FULL of generosity and hope But we must remember That they are human institutions And not 100% flawless TRUST in the Lord TRUST GOD-He always KEEPS HIS PROMISES “My comfort In my suffering is this: YOUR PROMISE PRESERVES MY LIFE” Psalm 119:50 “I thank God For my life I don't think God wants me to die But if he wants me to LIVE- I will life for my FAMILY-FRIENDS- And all people everywhere” (MY PROMISE when I was 22) THANK YOU Lord for answering MY PRAYER-thank you for HELPING ME Keep my promise TRUST GOD He ALWAYS keeps his commitments He always keeps HIS PROMISES “HOPES placed in mortals Die with them ALL the promise of their power Comes to nothing” Proverbs 11:7 “For no matter How many PROMISES God has made They are “YES” in Christ And through him the “Amen” Is spoken by us To the GLORY OF GOD” 2 Corinthians 1:20 Dear Lord- No matter how many times Commitments and promises have been broken By the people of this world HELP US to strive- To be people of the WORD YOUR WORD-in today's world And help us To keep our commitments And PROMISES-just like you And ALWAYS TRUST In you Lord In your dear name-O Jesus- Amen Robert P. Wallman 3-11-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Karla Manternach

ARE YOU HAPPY FOR THOSE AROUND YOU?

ARE YOU HAPPY FOR THOSE AROUND YOU? Did you ever notice How some people are unhappy And unfilled? How they sometimes dislike Or even destroy those Around them? What makes people like this? What makes people So defensive? “Let us beset the JUST ONE Because he is obnoxious To us ........ To us He is the censure of our thoughts Merely to see him Is a hardship for us........ These were their thoughts But they erred; For their wickedness blinded them And they knew not The hidden COUNSELS of God” Wisdom 2:12, 14, 21-22 I think it is probably us When we see someone That we perceive As more successful than us It implies That we made poor choices And there is something Innately wrong with us NOTHING can be further From the truth We are to be HAPPY Within ourselves- Because we too Have been successful As long as we have done Our very best With what we have To work with “His master replied, 'Well done-good and faithful servant! You have been faithful With a few things I will put you In charge of many things Come and share Your master's HAPPINESS” Matthew 25:21 Are you HAPPY For those around you WHEN they are successful? As CHRISTIANS- We are CALLED to be LOVE is what makes a CHRISTIAN- A Christian And we are called Not only to be happy For our brothers and sisters in Christ But we are also called To ENCOURAGE them On their road to success and happiness “Finally-brothers and sisters-REJOICE! 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 And so as Christians We are NOT to be blinded By our defensiveness And our jealousy We are to COMPREHEND GOD'S LOVE AND COUNSEL For when we do this And ACKNOWLEDGE our own accomplishments We can FEEL HAPPINESS And fulfillment in ourselves And STILL be happy for another “First seek The COUNSEL of the Lord” 2 Chronicles 18:4 “COUNSEL and sound judgment Are mine I have insight- I have power” Proverbs 8:14 And counsel and sound judgment Are ours too We NEVER need be defensive Or jealous of another's success IF we are content within ourselves And proud of our own efforts Dear Lord-WE PRAY Help us ALWAYS To be HAPPY for our brothers and sister in Christ And be content within ourselves And with out own BEST EFFORTS In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 3-10-16 Ps INSPIRED by LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE and by Phil Fox Rose

GOD IS UNSEEN-GOD IS UNHEARD-OUR GOD IS A MYSTERY

GOD IS UNSEEN- GOD IS UNHEARD- OUR GOD IS A MYSTERY I have never seen God I have never even heard God And I am SURE- Neither have you For our God is a MYSTERY “Jesus said:........'The Father Who sent me Has TESTIFIED on my behalf But you have Never heard his voice Nor seen his form........” John 5:37 The Gospel of John Is so different Than the other 3 gospels It has Its own UNIQUE perspective Today-it tells us That Jesus was sent By his Father And that the “you” REFERS to us His 21st century apostles As well as the people Of his time We don't have Jesus Any more figured out Than the people of his day did He is still A MYSTERY TO US “No-we declare GOD'S WISDOM A MYSTERY that has been hidden And that God destined For our glory- Before time began” 1 Corinthians 2:7 “But in the days WHEN the 7th angel Is about to sound His trumpet- The MYSTERY OF GOD Will be accomplished Just as he announced To his servants the prophets” Revelations 10:7 Our God is unseen Our God is unheard Except for his TEACHINGS His teachings on LOVE His teachings on forgiveness- And his teachings on kindness As well as the healings and miracles He performed Our God Is a good God A God of PERFECT LOVE As manifested in the life-death- And RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ He is a humble God A God of perfect humility MAYBE we should try To CULTIVATE his humility Into our own lives “When pride comes- Then comes disgrace But with humility Comes wisdom” Proverbs 11:2 “Wisdom's instruction- Is to fear the Lord And HUMILITY Comes before honor” Proverbs 15:33 “I served the Lord With great humility and tears ….....” (Saint Paul) Acts 20:19 Isn't that something We should ALL ASPIRE to do? So Our God is unseen- Our God is unheard- And our God is a mystery Dear Lord-PLEASE HELP US To ALWAYS KNOW That we haven't got it All figured out And to live our lives In LOVE-FORGIVENESS-and KINDNESS Without always Needing to understand For you dear Lord Are a perfect mystery- AND PERFECT LOVE Robert P. Wallman 3-10-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Mitch Finley

Saint FRANCES OF ROME

SAINT FRANCES OF ROME Saint Frances of Rome Was a MUCH LOVED Wonder working ROMAN Saint She was A person of means With a keen sense Of social responsibility And mystic And an INSPIRATIONAL leader Who founded A Benedictine order Of women-OBLATES Without vows DEDICATED to the SERVICE of the poor She was married To Lorenzo Ponziano At the age of 13 Although she really Desired to be a nun In the same household Lived her husband's brother And his wife These two Shared Frances' ideas And together the two young wives DEVOTED themselves To relieving The distress of Rome's poor ESPECIALLY in hospitals In 1400 She bore the first Of her six children To whom She was constantly devoted And the next year Took over charge Of the whole household She was NEVER known To have a quarrel In her forty years of married life To Lorenzo Ponziano She LOVE AND SERVED Christ In a special was And her advice To the ladies she inspired Was that a married woman MUST not forget She is a home maker And that “She must SOMETIMES Leave God At the altar To find him IN her housework” In 1408 THEY were singled out For their prominent support Of the popes But Frances Continued under DIFFICULT circumstances And much suffering To minister to the poor AMONG her sorrows Was the death Of a nine-year-old son And a teenage daughter Her husband's banishment And the plunder Of family estates In 1425 AFTER the death of her two children SHE FOUNDED A society of DEVOUT women Under the rule Of Saint Benedict And after her husband's death In 1436 Frances entered the community And became its superior For the remaining four years Of her life Various revelations-visions And STRANGE illness Are recorded of this PARTICULARLY GENTLE Saint Including her CONTINUOUS vision Of several years Of her GUARDIAN ANGEL For this reason She was NAMED THE PATRON SAINT OF MOTORISTS And she is also Patroness of Benedictine OBLATES She was canonized in 1608 And her feast day is MARCH 9th Robert P. Wallman 4-7-14

OUR GOD ALWAYS REMEMBERS US

OUR GOD ALWAYS REMEMBERS US Like a good mother Or a good father- God always REMEMBERS his children Our God-our Father Always REMEMBERS us Forever and ever “Can a mother Forget her infant Be without tenderness For the child of her womb? Even should she forget I will NEVER FORGET YOU. Isaiah 49:15 Like a mother PROTECTS her child That is How our Father PROTECTS us “You are my hiding place You will Protect me from trouble And surround me With songs of deliverance” Psalm 32:7 “I will remain In the world no longer But they are STILL in the world And I am Coming to you Holy Father PROTECT them By the power Of your name The NAME you gave So that they may be one AS WE ARE ONE” John 17:11 OUR Holy Father Protects us and REMEMBERS us Forever and ever Just like a father or mother Protects and remembers his child And God our Father DELIGHTS in our accomplishments And UNCONDITIONALLY forgives Our missteps and misdeeds Just like a father or a mother ALWAYS does Isaiah KNOWS That there are mothers and fathers Who sometimes forget their children For ALL kinds of reasons- NOT necessarily their fault But Isaiah wants us to KNOW That even the STONGEST Of human bonds- Sometimes fail us But our God-NEVER DOES Our God is always faithful To his promise Our God always REMEMBERS us “I will maintain My love To him forever My covenant with him WILL NEVER FAIL” Psalm 89:28 “For no word from God WILL EVER FAIL” Luke 1:37 Thank God for that Thank God-the Lord IS always TRUE To his word Our Lord-Our God Always remembers us Our God Is more faithful than the tenderest- Mother and father He will-never forget us His word-IS GOOD forever “REMEMBER Lord Your great MERCY and love For they Are from of old” Psalm 25:6 “I thank my God EVERY time I remember you I always PRAY WITH JOY Because of your partnership In the gospel From the first day Until now Being confident of this That he who began A good work in you WILL carry it on to completion Until the day of Christ Jesus” Philippians 1:3-6 That is the way OUR Saint Paul felt And that is the way Our Lord-Jesus Christ-feels He ALWAYS protects us He always love us He CHERISHES US And he will never forget us He will never let us down Our God- WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER US Until the day- That we come into HIS GLORY with him Robert P. Wallman 3-8-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Eve Tushnet

SAINT JOHN OF GOD

SAINT JOHN OF GOD---patron Saint of the sick-hospitals And of book sellers and printers 1495-1550 Saint John of God Was born in Portugal And was founder of the Brothers Hospitallers He joined the mercenaries And fought for Spain Against the French and Turks in Hungary When he was in the army He gave up ALL practice of religion After the disbandment of his troop He worked as a Shepherd At the age of 40 He rededicated himself to God And helping the poor He suffered a period of “madness” Running through the streets Tearing out his hair And giving away his Sacred books From the bookstore where he sold them His friends---most notably John of Avila Calmed him down And he rededicated himself To the sick and the poor He rented a house--- Filled it with sick poor people And for over 10 years Devoted himself to taking care of his patients He had never-ending energy But this was balanced by prayer His final illness Was brought on When he saved a man from drowning In a flood He died at the age of 55 Before the altar at his hospital chapel Today---he is known as the PATRON SAINT Of the SICK---of HOSPITALS---and booksellers and printers Today---March 8th---is his feast day Robert P. Wallman 3-8-12 ps misc. WITNESS 3-8-14

GOD SENDS PEOPLE

WITNESSS 5-24-13 GOD SENDS PEOPLE Throughout time When the world Has chosen the wrong road Has chosen the road of darkness Instead of God’s road of LIGHT God sends people God sends people People to point out our mistakes God does this Because there is So much at stake One such person That God sent Was Jeremiah A prophet who came About 600 years before Christ Idolatry and perverted worship Were the rule of the day God sent Jeremiah To the people of Judah Who had Turned their back on God Jeremiah pointed out To the people of his day That we should worship God And God alone For his efforts Jeremiah endured Contempt and ridicule Lost his family and friends And even suffered attempts On his life Throughout time God has sent us people Abraham, Moses, and Elijah Throughout time God has sent us people John the Baptist, Peter, and Paul Throughout time God has sent us people Jesus Christ alone The One who stands out For all time This world Is lost today Turning its back On God Making the wrong decisions Time after time Who is God sending today Perhaps you Perhaps me Dear Lord God above Please Please Please SEND US SOME PEOPLE Robert P. Wallman 3-30-11 Ps WITNESS 5-24-13 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” ‘And I said here I am-SEND ME’” Isaiah 6:8 3-8-16

THE LOVE OF GOD=IS ALIVE=IS HEALTHY=AND IS ETERNAL

THE LOVE OF GOD= IS ALIVE=IS HEALTHY= AND IS ETERNAL Did you ever stop And wonder IF God Ever gets angry at you? LIKE when you make The same stupid mistakes Over and over again-like me- For the umpteenth time Or you commit A really serious sin I don't know for sure- BUT if he does- I know it doesn't last long “For his anger- LASTS but a moment A lifetime-his GOOD WILL” Psalm 30:6 HIS LOVE for us Lasts a lifetime- His lifetime-not our earthly timetable For his love-for us- IS ETERNAL “Your word-Lord-is ETERNAL- it stands firm in the heavens” Psalm 110:89 “For God So LOVED the world That he gave his ONE And only Son That whoever BELIEVES in him Shall NOT perish But have ETERNAL LIFE” John 3:16 What great news-that is- For us-this Lent His anger with us Is short While his love for us LASTS forever and ever I really don't know How much anger God really Has for us anymore I think he MAY get More disappointed in us That we have let him down That is how I get with people These days I don't get too mad anymore- But I do get disappointed and hurt- WHEN they let me down Over and over again- And they don't even seem to care But I do KNOW his love for us Is healthy and ALIVE- In addition to being eternal His love FLOWS Into our lives-UNCONDITIONALLY “In the same way Count yourselves Dead to sin And ALIVE to God In Christ Jesus” Romans 6:11 “For the WORD of God- Is ALIVE and active Sharper than Any double-edged sword It penetrates- Even to dividing- Soul and spirit-joints and marrow It judges the thoughts and attitudes Of the heart” Hebrews 4:12 So spend some time This LENT Sitting and thinking about- THE DIVINE FAVOR- THE DIVINE LOVE- The Lord has for you Think of GOD'S LOVING KINDNESSES- In your life Take a few moments- And REFLECT on it today Don't worry about God's anger- For if he has any for you- It is already gone DWELL in the TRUTH Of God's love for you It is UNCONDITIONAL- And lasts ETERNALLY How lucky are we To be CREATURES OF GOD! Robert P. Wallman 3-6-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr, O.SB.

BLESSING GOD=AT ALL TIMES

BLESSING GOD= AT ALL TIMES We all have LITTLE GIFTS to offer God At all times Some of them are joys Some of them are sorrows And some of them- Are just our little routine lives- But still GIFTS FROM God “I will BLESS the Lord At all times His PRAISE shall be ever In my mouth” Psalm 34:2 I will bless God FOREVER I will forever say POSITIVE things in my life He has SAVED my life OVER and over again He has given me ENOUGH health And enough finances- Through my family and friends To get through every day I have BLESSINGS I have joys To PRAISE God for I don't even mind SHARING my sufferings “........that my heart May sing your praises And not be silent Lord my God I will PRAISE YOU FOREVER” Psalm 30:12 “Sing to the Lord A new song HIS PRAISE From the ends of the earth ….....” Isaiah 42:10 “Then Daniel PRAISED the God of heaven And said, 'Praise be to the name Of God-forever-and ever Wisdom and power are his'” Daniel 2:19-20 THANKING God for the joys Of life/OUR JOYS in life LIFE itself- The GIFT of family and friends And our joy- From whatever we are doing And WHATEVER we are BLESSED with BLESSING God- At all times But our sufferings Are OUR little gifts of God too We should not assume That PRAYING about our sufferings Make us more religious Our sorrows in life Help us to REVEAL character And to turn our attitude/influencing us To become CLOSER to God Our sufferings-are- OUR BLESSINGS too I know in my case They have HELPED me to develop My relationship with God and others MY LOVE for God and others My love for all= The first two commandments “BLESSINGS crown the head Of the righteous But violence overwhelms the mouth Of the wicked” Proverbs 10:6 “For if the Gentiles have SHARED in the Jews' Spiritual blessings They owe it To the Jews To SHARE with them Their material blessings” Romans 15:27 We can BLESS the Lord At all times With LITTLE GIFTS to God GIFTS such as prayers- And gifts such as works- Joys-and sufferings- And whatever else we have Dear Lord-please HELP us To BLESS you at all times- WITH OUR VERY LIVES Robert P. Wallman 3-5-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Fr. James McKarns

TRUSTING GOD=EVEN IN OUR PAIN

TRUSTING GOD= EVEN IN OUR PAIN Has God Ever made you angry? Have you ever lost- Or felt-that you just can't find him- ON your path or journey through life Any more? I have-TOO many times But it's not God- It's not even us Sometimes life Just throws disappointment After disappointment at us- CRISIS after crisis And our faith WEAKENS- But God hasn't gone anywhere It is in those moments AT THESE TIMES That we have to try Harder than ever To RECONNECT with God “Come-let us RETURN to the Lord It is he-who has rent-but he will HEAL US He has struck us-but he WILL bind our wounds” Hosea 6:1 It is God Who HOLDS us together It is God-WE NEED To trust-even in OUR PAIN Who or what else Can we trust In the midst of our pain? Who else Can hold us together? TRUSTING GOD- Even in our pain “Or someone May be chastened On a bed of pain With constant distress In their bones” Job 33:19 “NEWS about him Spread all over Syria And people brought to him ALL who were ill Those suffering severe PAIN …......” Matthew 4:24 Have you ever thought To yourself: WHY does God Let these things happen to us? We are GOOD and FAITHFUL SERVANTS Of the Lord What have we done To deserve this misery and injustice? I don't know- BUT there are a couple of things I DO KNOW It WASN'T God or Jesus That put you in this situation It wasn't God or Jesus That gave you that illness, Those financial problems Those relationship problems And it is GOD AND JESUS That are the way out THE ONLY WAY- To find that HOPE once again TRUSTING GOD- Even in our pain FINDING that hope CONNECTING with God and Jesus ONCE AGAIN “........You will be REPAID At the RESURRECTION of the righteous” Luke 14:14 “Jesus said, I AM the RESURRECTION And the LIFE........” John 11:25 Jesus BELIEVED And was resurrected by his Father So let go Of any anger-resentment-or bitterness You may be carrying with you I truly believe You will be resurrected In the LAND OF THE LIVING Trusting God- WHEN you are in pain Is hard But not trusting him- Is EVEN WORSE Dear Lord- PLEASE give us the FAITH TO TRUST IN YOU- Even in our pain For you are our HOPE- In Jesus' name- Robert P. Wallman 3-4-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Melanie Rigney

LOVE WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE GOT

LOVE WITH EVERYTHING=THAT YOU HAVE GOT In the 12th chapter Of Saint Mark's Gospel ONE of the teachers Of the law Comes forward and asks Jesus WHICH commandment is MOST IMPORTANT? “'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 with all your strength' The second is this, 'LOVE your neighbor as yourself' There is NO commandment Greater than this” Mark 12:29-31 In other words LOVE-with everything that you have got GIVE everything that you have To God and others You come second Give ALL that you have To God and others LOVE-with EVERYTHING that you have That is tantamount To blasphemy-in this me first- Selfish world that we live in Jesus goes on to say, “You are right,” Mark 12:32 And, “you are NOT far from the KINGDOM OF GOD” Mark 12 :34 To the scholar After that-NO ONE DARED- To ask Jesus any more questions It makes me wonder In what I sometimes think- Is right That the SECOND COMING of God- and that the KINGDOM of God Is within ourselves The KINGDOM OF GOD Is within you and within me ONCE-on being asked By the Pharisees WHEN the kingdom of God Would come Jesus replied, “The coming Of the KINGDOM OF GOD Is NOT something That can be observed Nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is' Because the kingdom of God Is in your midst” Luke 17:21-22 We may NEVER know When the kingdom of God is ending therefore-we should always- LOVE GOD-and love ALL others And put the first two commandments Into practice At all times LOVE with everything That you have As much as we MAY want to We-most of us-simply cannot love Because we are commanded to For MOST of us It takes seasons of darkness- as it did me- And FINDING THE LIGHT BEFORE we can love At all times In fact-once we love With our whole heart Our whole mind- And all our soul And love our neighbor As ourselves WE HAVE IT! At that point- We GIVE everything That we have to God And others IN LOVE Robert P. Wallman 3-3-16 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Patricia Livingston

DOUBT=GOD IS ALWAYS NEAR

DOUBT=GOD IS ALWAYS NEAR Do you have DOUBTS About your relationship with God? If you do-JOIN the crowd We all do But don't doubt too much- God as ALWAYS near God is always close As close As our own heart “This great nation Is truly a wise And intelligent people” Deuteronomy 4:6 Although-sometimes- I wonder Particularly when I look At our presidential candidates And LISTEN to some Of the things That come out of their mouths But I KNOW- GOD IS NEAR Because-even though- I wonder about this great nation Of ours I still BELIEVE We live In this/the greatest nation In this world And if any country Is going to get it right I still believe it is us REMEMBER-God is near He LIVES in our own hearts “The Lord is CLOSE To the brokenhearted And SAVES those Who are Crushed in spirit” Psalm 34:18 “He tends his flock Like a shepherd He gathers the lambs In his arms And carries them CLOSE to his heart He gently leads those Who have young” Isaiah 40:11 The Israelites-we know Were NOT always shining examples Of trusting in God's love And America-itself-right now Is not such a shining example Of God's love We NEED to all- COME BACK to God Collectively and individually We need to LET GO Of our doubt in God For God is ALWAYS NEAR To us “If you believe- You will RECEIVE Whatever you ask for IN PRAYER” Matthew 21:22 “But when you ask- You must BELIEVE- And not doubt Because the one who doubts Is like a wave Of the sea Blown and tossed by the wind” No matter how tough things get KEEP THE FAITH For we never know WHEN the tides may turn We never know-WHEN- We might have A MIRACLE in store I admit SOMETIMES I lose hope too We are all HUMAN But we can't forget The times that God TURNED BLESSINGS in our life Out of nothing The many times GOD HAS RESCUED US And those we love He has the POWER To do it again In our country-and- IN OUR LIVES Don't doubt- GOD IS ALWAYS NEAR Dear Lord-LET IT BE- IN JESUS' NAME Robert P. Wallman 3-2-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Deborah Meister

LOVE-A DREAM WORTH LIVING

LOVE-A DREAM WORTH LIVING “IF I have ALL FAITH So as to move mountains But I do not have love I AM NOTHING” 1 Corinthians 13:2 WHEN I was younger In my late teens In my early 20's I had a PLAN A And Plan A Was to meet someone Settle down Have a family and a career And LIVE HAPPILY ever after And I am SURE There are those of you That had that same dream As I It's funny HOW things work out MY WHOLE LIFE Changed on my 22nd birthday With an operation AND GOD Brought me back to him And maybe GOD HAS BROUGHT YOU Back to him In some other way I HOPE SO For there are many of us Out there Who have lost track Of themselves And their dreams Of CHANGING the world By living the wrong dream And they can't FIND THEIR WAY Back to God Love is THE ONLY DREAM Worth living “LOVE is patient Love is kind It does not envy It does not boast It is not proud It is not rude It is not self seeking It is NOT easily angered It KEEPS no record Of wrongs LOVE does not delight In evil But REJOICES With the truth IT ALWAYS PROTECTS Always trusts Always hopes Always perseveres LOVE NEVER FAILS” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 As we Go about our journey In life We forget That love THE GIVING AND RECEIVING Of love IS the only dream Worth living NO OTHER Kind of investment Of our time and treasure WILL BRING us peace The funny thing About love Is that The more we give THE MORE we have to give GOD-YOU ARE LOVE YOU ARE my very life You are the ONLY DREAM Worth Living Robert P. Wallman 9-17-14 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Steve Givens 11-12-14 1-5-15 3-2-16

SET YOURSELF FREE=FORGIVE

SET YOURSELF FREE=FORGIVE FORGIVENESS=one of the hardest things To do in life Yet something that we MUST do OVER and over and over again If we are to be FREE From encumbrances Free to live our lives- For if we do NOT forgive We put ourselves in prison A prison Of our own making “Jesus answered, 'I say to you- NOT seven times- But seventy-seven times'” Matthew 18:22 We have MANY reasons That we rationalize to ourselves As to WHY-we don't forgive “You don't know How BADLY they hurt me” “If I forgive them- I am condoning their behavior” “They are not sorry- They don't deserve my forgiveness” Set yourself free-FORGIVE DON'T be a prisoner Of yourself-of your own FREE WILL “He upholds The cause of the oppressed And gives food To the hungry The Lord SETS PRISONERS FREE” Psalm 146:7 “The SPIRIT of the Lord Is on me Because he has anointed me To PROCLAIM The good news To the poor He has SENT me To PROCLAIM FREEDOM For the prisoners And recovery of sight For the blind To set the oppressed free To proclaim the year Of the LORD'S FAVOR” Luke 4:18-19 Set yourself FREE and FORGIVE- The Lord already has FORGIVENESS does NOT mean Approving of someone else's bad behavior And it DOESN'T mean That you are going to continue To let someone else hurt you It doesn't even mean You are going to CONTINUE To be in close relationship with someone It just means we are Letting ourselves OFF THE HOOK For PAST PAIN that we have felt “Oh my anguish-my anguish I WRITHE in pain Oh the agony of my HEART! My heart pounds within me I cannot keep silent For I have heard The sound of the trumpet I have heard The battle cry” Jeremiah 5:19 “WHY is my pain unending And my wound- Grievous and incurable You are to me Like a deceptive brook Like a spring that fails” Jeremiah 15:18 SET yourself free-FORGIVE WHEN we turn that person Or that situation-over to God We can GET ON With the LIVING of our lives Forgiveness-IS NOT About the other person IT IS ABOUT YOU Forgive as many times As you need to- In order to FEEL FREE AGAIN WHATEVER is holding you back- LET IT GO TODAY In Jesus' name-WE PRAY Robert P. Wallman 2-29-16 INSPIRED by KRISTIN ARMSTRONG of LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE