FROM EARTHLY VESSELS TO HEAVENLY BODIES

WITNESS 9-7-13 FROM EARTHLY VESSELS TO HEAVENLY BODIES We are earthly vessels But we are designed To CARRY something And what we are DESIGNED to carry IS THE WORD OF GOD A vessel is designed as a container (ie. a bottle-a bowl-a cup-etc.) For holding something And in that something-that person-that body IS INFUSED with a quality like faith, hope, Love, grace, etc. “And in him you too ARE being built to become A dwelling place IN WHICH GOD LIVES BY HIS SPIRIT” Ephesians 2:22 I don’t know about you But my body SOMETIMES feels More like a shack Than a vessel And I wonder why GOD-GOD’S SPRIT Would want to hang out with me Let alone-LIVE INSIDE OF ME Nevertheless he does “LET all the earth Fear the Lord Let all the people Of the world REVERE HIM” Psalm 33:8 Let the SPIRIT OF GOD LIVE NOT in this broken down body But in GOD’S HEAVENLY VESSEL For the spirit of God-IS LIFE Fortunately for us Our God IS USED to humble places So these broken down bodies of ours HE CAN TRANSFORM HE is used to stables HE is used to crosses SO these broken down bodies of ours ARE NOTHING NEW And we are children OF GOD And he WILL NEVER EVER FORGET US “For in him We live and move And have our heavenly being AS some of our own poets have said ‘WE ARE HIS OFFSPRING’” Acts 17:28 Dear Lord-we pray AS YOUR CHILDREN To transform us From earthly vessels To heavenly bodies To carry THE WORD OF GOD “And we eagerly await A Savior From there- The Lord Jesus Christ Who by the power That enables him To bring everything UNDER his control WILL TRANSFORM OUR lowly bodies So that They will be like HIS GLORIOUS BODY” Philippians 3:21 Dear Lord We pray that you Take our earthly vessels And make them into HEAVENLY BODIES TO CARRY THE WORD OF GOD Robert P. Wallman 7-30-13 Ps WITNESS 9-7-13 Inspired by an article in LIVING FAITH magazine By Sister Kathryn James Hermes, F.S.P. 1-26-15 & 6-30-16

THE SAVING GRACE OF GOD

THE SAVING GRACE OF GOD Did you ever wonder WHY God seems to hear This or that person's prayer And maybe not yours Or mine? “When the poor one Called out The Lord heard And from all his distress He SAVED him” Psalm 34:7 Why did the Lord Save this person- And NOT the person Right beside him-or The person right beside him? The FACT of the matter is The Lord hears- ALL of our prayers And tries to HELP us all In our distress “In my distress I called To the Lord I cried To my God for help From his temple He heard my voice My cry Came before him Into his ears” Psalm 18:6 “In my distress I called To the Lord And he ANSWERED me From deep In the realm of the dead I called for help And you listened To my cry” Jonah 2:2 The Lord hears all The LORD ANSWERS ALL He is my Savior When I am in distress The truth is The Lord SAVES US From a great many distresses He ALWAYS answers the call But we don't always recognize The saving The automobile accident We just missed The weather and lightening strike That hits right beside us God answers ALL prayers He always answers our call In one way or another NOT only the physical saving But also the emotional- And spiritual HEALING “Let your face SHINE on your servant SAVE me In your UNFAILING LOVE” Psalm 31:16 “Heal me Lord And I will be HEALED Save me- And I will be saved For you are the one I PRAISE” Jeremiah 17:14 We endure Some terrible trials and difficulties In this life- Physical-spiritual-and emotional Bet we can handle all those Terrible trials and difficulties With the Lord The Lord hears all And RESPONDS with THE SAVING GRACE OF GOD Robert P. Wallman 6-29-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Terence Hegarty

GOING UNDER?

GOING UNDER? Have you ever faced something In life That you felt you Weren't going to recover from? Maybe a health diagnosis- Maybe a financial setback Or loss of a job Or maybe a broken marriage Or broken relationship In some other way? We ALL face things in life That we feel We are not going to Recover from GOING UNDER? “They came and woke him-saying- 'Lord-save us- We are perishing'” Matthew 8:25 In chapter 8 Of Saint Matthew's Gospel The disciples are fearful Of perishing To a violent storm On the water “You of little faith- WHY are you so afraid?” Matthew 8:26 And that is what He says to us: “WHY are you so afraid?” You will recover From that UNFORSEEN health diagnosis You will get a new- And even BETTER JOB You will FIND-an even- BETTER MATE-than you Ever had before You are NOT GOING UNDER You will RISE once more Just as Jesus himself- SURELY ROSE “But for you Who revere my name The sun of righteousness Will rise With HEALING in the rays And you will Go out and frolic Like well-fed calves” Malachi 4:2 “Do NOT be amazed at this For a time is coming When all Who are in their graves Will hear his voice- And come out- Those who have done What is GOOD Will rise to LIVE........” John 5:29 GOING UNDER?-not likely For all those who BELIEVE In the Lord- WILL RISE AGAIN For nothing is impossible With God What is the wind and sea In your life? Is Jesus keeping your boat in your afloat? STAT PATIENT-STAY CALM The PEACE of the Lord Is with you “They were glad When it grew CALM And he guided them To their desired haven” Psalm 107:30 “FOOLS give full vent To their rage But the WISE Bring CALM in the end” Proverbs 29:11 Going under?-NO WAY- STAY CALM The Lord will see you Through the storms of life In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 6-28-16 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sister Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B.

GIVING GRATITUDE AND PRAISE TO GOD

GIVING GRATITUDE AND PRAISE TO GOD On thing I think We ALL should do At all-times In all circumstances Is to GIVE THANKS And PRAISE to God For I know- We should all know That everything in life COMES from God Including life itself “He that offers praise As a sacrifice GLORIFIES me” psalm 50:23 I first became AWARE of the MIRACLE of life When I walked away From a life and death surgery When I was 22 And LEARNED to live With a chronic illness And walked away from serious surgery After serious surgery NOTHING in my life Has impacted my life like God And giving God that PRAISE And gratitude has CHANGED my life For the best “That my heart may SING Your praises And not be silent Lord my God I WILL PRAISE you forever” Psalm 30:12 “It is good To PRAISE the Lord And make music To your name O most high” Psalm 92:1” “With the tongue We PRAISE our Lord And father.......” James 3:9 GIVE God praise and gratitude In ALL circumstances EVERY DAY I give thanks to God For my life-and- The BLESSINGS in my life Even my sufferings- For NOTHING else is possible Without LIFE from the Lord our God I write it down in My daily journal-my blessings- And give GRATITUDE to God (“I thank you Lord-I LOVE YOU LORD”) “LET the message of Christ Dwell among you richly- As you teach and admonish One another With the WISDOM through psalms- Hymns-and songs from the SPIRIT SINGING to God With gratitude in your HEARTS” Colossians 3:16 One thing to get into The HABIT of doing Is to give thanks for even The problems in your life And to thank God For BLESSINGS you haven't- Even received yet For blessings to come For I am SURE God will be sending them To your way “BLESSED is the nation Whose God is the Lord The people he chose For his inheritance” Psalm 33:12 IF you want to give thanks And PRAISE to God Just read the psalms Or invent your own ways But ONE THING is for sure GIVING GOD praise and gratitude In ALL circumstances Is what LIFE IS ALL ABOUT In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 6-26-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Kristin Armstrong

SIGNS OF HOPE

SIGNS OF HOPE We all know God We all know Jesus- His life-and his gospel message Are signs of HOPE For us all But have you thought of A plow as a SIGN OF HOPE As a valuable symbol Of the spiritual life “Jesus said, 'No one Who sets a hand to the PLOW Looks to what was Left behind Is fit For the kingdom of God'” Luke 9:62 The PLOW Is a sign of hope The first step For preparing The ground for a New crop Just as we MOVE FORWARD In our lives Our next step Is the preparing of HOW In our lives “The Lord Makes FIRM the steps Of the one Who delights in him” Psalm 37:23 “A person's steps Are DIRECTED by the Lord How then can anyone Understand their own way?” Proverbs 20:24 SIGNS OF HOPE Given to us by God “To this- You were CALLED Because Christ suffered for you Leaving you an example That you should FOLLOW In his steps” 1 Peter 2:21 Get out your plows Move forward with your lives- PLANT signs of hope For yourself-and for others Sometimes weeds and briars Threaten our good works And the good works of GOD But GOD'S GRACE Just like the plow Can UPROOT the weeds And still allow us To be productive Jesus says: “DO NOT look backwards,” But continue to look forward THROUGH the grace of God Plow ahead with grace With the Lord LEADING US “WHY my soul Are you downcast? Why so disturbed Within me? Put your HOPE in God For I will yet PRAISE HIM My SAVIOR-and my God” Psalm 43:5 “That is WHY we labor and strive Because we have PUT OUR HOPE In the LIVING GOD Who is the SAVIOR Of all people And especially of those Who believe” 1 Timothy 4:10 CONTINUE to plow forward I see SIGNS OF HOPE-just up ahead- In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 6-25-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Father James McKarns

LIVING IN A BETTER WORLD

LIVING IN A BETTER WORLD Throughout time EVEN in the old testament Prophets came On behalf of God SOME really were sent From God-like Jeremiah-Isaiah- Daniel-and many others BUT many were false prophets Saying that they were sent by God They were actually bringing FALSE truths and lies- Just telling the people What they wanted to hear “Your prophets Had before you False and specious visions They did not lay bare Your guilt To avert your fate They beheld for you In vision False and misleading portents” Lamentations 2:14 Today it is the politicians Telling us What we want to hear And we hear it From the advertisers- It is ENTICING Who doesn't want to live In a better world? Who doesn't want to be Richer-healthier-and more attractive? BUT the ONLY WAY To live in a truly better world IS to live the message Of God LIVE the message of Jesus Christ That is the REAL and TRUE way To truly build a better world “He rules the world In righteousness He judges the peoples With equity” Psalm 9:8 “You are the LIGHT Of the world A town built on a hill CANNOT be hidden” Matthew 5:14 “The God Who MADE the world And everything in it Is the Lord Of heaven and earth And does NOT live in temples BUILT by human hands” Acts 17:24 LIVING in a better world Built by God and Jesus The gospel-the MESSAGE given To us by Jesus PROMISES us change But not without effort He-the Lord-asks us to commit Ourselves-to TRANSFORM ourselves- To actually make ourselves into better people BY LIVING THE GOSPEL The Lord calls us To the hard work of CHANGE Dear Lord-PLEASE help us-we PRAY To really and truly- CHANGE the things that we can So that we can ALL Truly live IN A BETTER WORLD Robert P. Wallman 6-25-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Karla Manternach

THE GUIDING HAND OF GOD

THE GUIDING HAND OF GOD KNOWING where to go With your life Can be a DIFFICULT adventure Sometimes life Can be very lonely LOOKING around-it seems like EVERYONE else knows exactly WHERE they are going They seem so confident In the choices they make- WHERE did there doubt go? The doubt that I am felling-or how do they Get around the confusing periods of life? “The Lord called me From birth From my mother's womb He gave me my name” Isaiah 49:1 But I found God ALONG the way And finding God in the DEEP dark recesses of my heart and soul Has made ALL the difference In my life Finding- THE GUIDING HAND OF GOD “For this God Is our God FOREVER and ever He will be our GUIDE Even to the end” Psalm 48:14 “The Lord Will GUIDE you always He will satisfy Your needs In a sun-scorched land And will strengthen Your frame You will be A well-watered garden Like a spring Whose waters NEVER FAIL” Isaiah 58:11 You will NOT lose Your step ALL doubt will ease- You will find CONFIDENCE-again In the GUIDING HAND OF GOD “But when he The SPIRIT OF TRUTH comes He will guide you Into ALL THE truth” John 16:13 ONCE you find him The HAND OF GOD Is always there GUIDING US-comforting us Even when we go down The wrong path He brings us back- To the PATH The path he set us on-BEFORE birth It is the path That leads us BACK TO GOD No matter how far that we stray And no matter how disconnected We become from him It is OUR BLESSED birthright As HEIRS to God And co-heirs to Christ It is The GUIDING HAND OF GOD That brings us home Dear Lord-help us to be As patient with ourselves As you are with us As your plans for our life-UNFOLDS- In Jesus' name-we pray Robert P. Wallman 6-24-16 Ps INSPIRED by an ARTICLE I-n LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Melanie Rigney

ARE YOU IN THE WORD?

JOURNAL/ARE YOU IN THE WORD “BEHOLD-I have given you the POWER-'to tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the FULL FORCE of the enemy and nothing will harm you” Luke10:19 DO YOU sometimes feel that the problems of our world are overwhelming-I KNOW that I do-that sometimes we can't do anything EVEN in our own corner of the world-EVIL IS REAL BUT GOD gives us weapons to USE FOR GOOD-HE gives us the GRACE TO LOVE-to express gratitude-and to smile-AND most of all he gives us THE GOOD BOOK-his very own WORD-to assist us Dear Lord-like Saint Francis of Assisi whose feast it is today-may you ask him to MENTOR us in USING the WORD OF GOD as WEAPONS OF LIGHT in today's world it is A GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in GOD'S never ending-ever lasting love for us WITNESS 7-26-13 ARE YOU IN THE WORD? Have you hungered For the word of God To live inside of you Many times I have said to someone Or they have said to me, “ARE YOU IN THE WORD?” The word of God Will never Magically appear Inside of you But if you Takes 5 minutes a day And read THE WORD OF GOD God’s word Will live inside of you—IN TIME What is God’s word GOD’S WORD Is the power of creation Simply put It is the sustaining of life Living inside of you It is also Our tool against Satan Against the forces of darkness Living in the world When the devil Tempted Jesus in the desert Jesus answered, “It is written “Man does not live on bread alone But on every word That comes from The mouth of God” Matthew 4:4 Are you in the word Granted If you have Never picked up a Bible The process can be overwhelming Just pick up the Bible And start reading About a subject that interests you And soon You will be saying To your friends: “ARE YOU IN THE WORD?” Robert P. Wallman 7-2-12 Ps God’s word is life God’s word is joy God’s word Delights the heart If you are looking For a brand new start Take a couple of minutes And read God’s Word And soon GOD’S WORD WILL BE LIVING IN YOUR HEART WITNESS 7-26-13 10-4-14 & 6-23-16 For the record=Saint Francis' feast day is October 4th

PROMISING GOD=COVENANTS

PROMISING GOD=COVENANTS Have you ever promised God- Anything? Have you ever made a vow To God? When I was 22-and on My deathbed-I made this PROMISE To God “To live for my family-my friends- And ALL PEOPLE everywhere” But to me- It was not just a promise It was a COVENANT between God and me My life was on the line And a MIRACLE took place It was a SACRED agreement Between God and me “And all the people STOOD as participants In the covenant” 2 Kings 23:3 That is EXACTLY What a covenant is: A SACRED agreement Between God and a person Or group of people The PROMISE between Jesus Christ And his Father-and the people Is the covenant-THE NEW COVENANT Between God and his people “He remembers His covenant forever The PROMISE he made For a thousand generations” Psalm 105:8 “The days are coming,' Declares the Lord, 'WHEN I will make A new covenant With the people of Israel And with the people of Judah'” Jeremiah 31:31 “In the same way After the supper He took the cup saying, 'This is the NEW COVENANT In my blood Which is poured out For you” Luke 22:20 Jesus' NEW COVENANT with his people For the rest of eternity And my PROMISE to God-my covenant With God-continuing to go on Some years later And I will do my best For it to continue To LIVE UP to my promise But today- We HONOR two Catholic SAINTS That were martyred Within two weeks of each other Saint John Fisher and Saint Thomas More BOTH were living in England During the reign of KING Henry VIII They were both men Of extraordinary learning And unwavering integrity BOTH faced imprisonment And execution Rather than surrender Their religious beliefs Dear Lord-WE PRAY- That like Jesus-like Abraham-Isaac- And Jacob-as well as the two Saints above That we ALWAYS stand firm in God- BOTH in life and death And KEEP our promises and covenants With you In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 6-21-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Chris Koellhoffer, I.H.M.

SHARING OUR GIFTS WITH OTHERS

SHARING OUR GIFTS WITH OTHERS We have ALL Been given gifts from God And our gifts are UNIQUE It takes the gift of PRUDENCE To know HOW & WHEN- Not to mention how much- When determining HOW TO SHARE Our gifts from God “Do not give what is holy To dogs Or throw away your pearls Before swine........” Matthew 7:6 In other words HOW do you know With whom To share your gifts Who is in LEGITIMATE Need And how much to share With another In other words It is NOT always easy To DISCERN-God's will I believe I am always called upon To SHARE- What I have-no matter How much or how little- I have-with others- IN NEED “The generous Will themselves be BLESSED For they SHARE their food With the poor” Proverbs 22:9 “Now if we are children Then we are heirs- Heir to God And co-heirs to Christ If indeed we share In his sufferings In order That we may also SHARE in his GLORY” Romans 8:17 SHARING our gifts With others And sharing In the Lord's glory too (as we share in his sufferings) I know I have shared With some people in this world Who have Taken advantage of me But I would rather SHARE What I have with all others Than NOT be there For one person-who has A legitimate need for my help As CHRISTIANS- We are called upon to HELP OTHERS That is what-supposedly separates us WE are called upon to be GOOD STEWARDS And we are called upon To HELP OTHERS Just as we are to TAKE CARE Of ourselves SHARE AND HELP Through your time-money-and talent After all-our God- SAVED us and continues To HELP US “Lord my God I called to you for HELP And you HEALED ME” Psalm 30:2 “We wait In HOPE for the Lord He is our help And our SHIELD” Psalm 33:20 “In everything I did I showed you That by this kind Of hard work We MUST help the weak REMEMBERING the words The Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is MORE BLESSED to give Than to receive'” Acts 20:35 Dear friends- SHARE your gifts With others in NEED You never know You may have JUST what they need LET US CELEBRATE=GOD'S & CHRIST'S GOODNESS-in community together Robert P. Wallman 6-20-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sister Julia Walsh, F.S.P.A.

CLEARING OUR VISION

CLEARING OUR VISION Have you ever had a friend-or relative- TELL you something- ONLY to have it come true A few months later But for some reason- You/we/I don't listen I think this happens To us all MORE OFTEN than we care to admit “You hypocrite-remove the wooden beam From your eye first Then you will see CLEARLY To remove The splinter From your brother's eye” Matthew 7:5 And isn't that ALWAYS the way It seems that the PLANKS in our own eyes Keeps us from seeing ourselves More clearly It just seems That we are too often Criticizing or judging others To see ourselves The way that we should Let us all CLEAR OUR VISION Let us all get our vision Back to 20/20 So we can see ourselves Just as clearly AS GOD SEES US “My eyes Are ever on he Lord For only he will Release my feet From the snare” Psalm 25:15 “Do not be wise In your own eyes Fear the Lord And shun evil” Proverbs 3:7 “The eye Is the LAMP of the body IF your eyes are healthy Your whole body Will be FULL OF LIGHT” Matthew 6:22 I have to tell you I/we-well I think we all RECEIVE great advice and spiritual wisdom From time to time But it takes time- And self-examination and soul-searching To actually REALIZE How the TRUTH applies to us We have to get that plank Out of our own eyes So that we can CLEAR OUR VISION So that we can have 20/20 vision About ourselves again Dear God-Dear Lord We ask you to HELP US NOT to criticize and judge others And KEEP our minds and eyes Upon our own sins So Lord we ask you for CLEAR SIGHT- For right thinking And for genuine rebirth And HEALING within ourselves Dear Lord-please CLEAR OUR VISION and give us 20/20 sight once again In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 6-19-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Jessica Mesman Griffith

ABBA FATHER

WITNESS 6-16-13 ABBA FATHER---HAPPY FATHER’S DAY! Throughout Jesus’ life He kept an open running dialogue With God, his Father There was NEVER a time That they weren’t connected We all Have had earthly fathers Some good---some bad Some of us still connected with them Some not Some alive---some dead But ultimately We ALL come from the same father The Father of Jesus The Father of us too THE GOD OF LOVE “For you did not receive A spirit that makes you a slave again To fear But you received the Spirit of Son ship And by him we cry “ABBA FATHER” Romans 8: 15 & 16 The spirit himself Testifies with our spirit That we are God’s Children But what does it mean To be a Child of God In today’s world It means That though we may disappoint God That though we may let him down He is always Going to continue to love us Like most earthly parents do For their children Or at least--- Try to do “Because you are Sons God sent the Spirit of his Son Into our hearts The spirit who calls out, “Abba Father” You are no longer a slave But a Son And since you are a Son ( and Daughter ) God had made you an heir” Galatians 4:6-7 Can you imagine We are heirs Heirs to an unconditional love A love that we can never lose Heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven Heirs for eternity---Heirs to God---The King of Love So today As we honor our earthly fathers Let us also Honor our Godly Father We thank you For loving us We thank you For calling us your children ABBA FATHER! Robert P. Wallman 6.18.11 10:08 am Ps And a big Happy Father’s Day to All the Father’s out there WITNESS 6-16-13 “A wise son brings joy to his FATHER” Proverbs 10:1 “You will be the FATHER of many Nations” Genesis 17:4 God to Abraham “HONOR your FATHER and mother” Matthew 15:4 MISC. WITNESS 6-16-14 & 6-19-16

A FATHER SHOULD BE

“A Father Should Be” A Father should be A sign of inspiration For his child A Father should try To be a sign of Love, honesty, and hope A Father should be Fun to be with For his child A Father should be A disciplinarian For his child--when he has to be A Father should know That more than The material things He brings his family It’s the intrinsic values That he teaches his children That are most important A Father should know He will fall short From time to time Most of all A Father should know That we love him No matter what And that it is up to his children To tell him so Happy Father’s Day! 6/07/06 Robert P. Wallman Ps HAPPY Father’s DAY to our heavenly FATHER-THE FATHER of us all And my own earthly FATHER-who was everything A FATHER SHOULD BE

DON'T WORRY-PUT GOD FIRST

DON'T WORRY-PUT GOD FIRST The ONE thing That we ALL KNOW We should do Especially us Christians- Especially those who BELIEVE In God Is to PUT GOD FIRST For if we believe in God Truly and sincerely We know everything else WILL take care of itself The issue is that life comes along And we get CAUGHT UP In all that it brings Health issues-Financial pressures- And relationship setbacks “Therefore-I tell you- Do NOT worry about your life- …..... CAN any of you by worrying Add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:25, 27 We all like to be In CONTROL Of everything in our life And the truth is We CAN'T control anything One bad health diagnosis And our lives are turned upside down “Anxiety weighs down The heart But a KIND word Cheers it up” Proverbs 12:25 “Cast all your anxiety On him- Because he CARES for you” 1 peter 5:7 So if we get sick If we lose our job If we have an accident Or make a mistake We can just leave Our worries with Jesus We can PUT GOD FIRST And do not worry As hard as it is We can GIVE up control And trust in God We can TRUST our heavenly Father To provide for us “Command those Who are rich In this present world NOT to be arrogant Nor to put their hope In wealth Which is so uncertain But to Put their HOPE IN GOD Who richly provides us With everything For our enjoyment” 1 Timothy 6:17 “If anyone speaks They should do so With the STRENGTH God provides So that in all things God may be praised Through Jesus Christ” 1 Peter 4:11 Jesus said: “SEEK FIRST The kingdom of God And his righteousness And ALL these things WILL be given to you” Matthew 6:33 In other words- DO NOT WORRY- PUT GOD FIRST And everything else Will take care of itself In Jesus' name-WE PRAY-let it be Robert P. Wallman 6-17-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article by Martin Pable, O.F.M., Cap. GOD HAS IT ALL UNDER CONTROL

KISS

KISS How do you PRAY to the Lord? Are your prayers complex Or are they SIMPLE? Years ago-there used to be An anagram called KISS- Which meant KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID Your prayers do NOT Have to be complex- In fact the SIMPLER they are And the MORE PURE that they are I think the BETTER- They are liked by the Lord Not that the Lord Can't handle ANY KIND of prayers “In PRAYING-do not babble Like the pagans Who think That they will be heard BECAUSE of their many words …..... Your Father KNOWS what you need BEFORE you ask him” Matthew 6:7, 8 KEEP IT SIMPLE The Lord knows Your needs- The Lord knows Your prayers SO the simpler prayers Are usually the BEST The Hail Mary-The Our Father- The Sign of the Cross- And GRACE before meals But anything IN YOUR OWN WORDS That is from your HEART Is just as good PRAYER is nothing more (or less)- Than OPENING our heart and soul To God KISS It only takes- A few words To COMMUNICATE Our prayers to God “The Lord Will GUIDE you always He will SATISFY Your needs In a sun-scorched land And will strengthen Your frame You will be Like a well-watered garden Like a spring WHOSE WATERS never fail” Isaiah 58:11 “And my God Will meet ALL your needs According to the riches Of his GLORY In Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19 The point is: We don NOT need to “BABBLE” For our prayers to be effective With God He HEARS our prayers- The more simpler-the more concise- And the more PURE that they are I think The more OUR LORD- Likes them “WHEN they cry out To me I will HEAR- For I am COMPASSIONATE” Exodus 22:27 Kiss-KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID GOD HEARS ALL In Jesus' name- WE PRAY Robert P. Wallman June 16th, 2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Paul Pennick

THE AUTHOR OF LIFE

THE AUTHOR OF LIFE Do you know What an AUTHOR is The word “author” is defined as “One who originates or creates; SOURCE” And that is WHAT our God is THE SOURCE The CREATOR of this world And I have to wonder How he FEELS about us In today's world BEGINNING with Adam-us men- have made a mess Out of this world And with the example of HIS SON-Jesus Christ He showed us HOW to get things right The PERFECT LAMB The perfect example For us on how to live OUR GOD Is THE AUTHOR of life His Son-Jesus Is the perfect example of How to live With PERFECT love With perfect forgiveness And with perfect kindness “The heavens declare The glory of God The skies proclaim The work Of his hand Day after day They pour forth speech Night after night They display knowledge There is no speech Or language Where their voice Is not heard The voice goes out Into ALL the earth the words To the end Of the world” Psalm 19:1-4 The earth was made perfect BY GOD So that we could LIVE on it and in it In fact The only thing On this earth That is not perfect is us-human beings And God In the FORM of his SON The perfect example SHOWED us how to live A life out of LOVE For our God Is the God Of PERFECT ORDER NOT the author of confusion The way this world Exists today “FOR GOD is NOT the author Of confusion But of peace As in ALL churches of the saints” 1 Corinthians 14:33 Think about it The SAINTS are GOD'S PEOPLE too And they got it ALMOST perfect-like Christ- Our God did We can do better We can make God THE AUTHOR OF ALL LIFE PROUD of us-yet again “And being made perfect He became the AUTHOR Of eternal salvation Unto all them That obey him” Hebrews 5:9 All we have to do Is LISTEN to our God And obey him And look to our model His Son-Jesus Christ In how to act “THIS is the covenant That I will make With the House of Israel I will put my law In their inward parts And WRITE it In their heart And I will be THEIR GOD And they shall be MY PEOPLE” Jeremiah 31:33 (repeated in Hebrews 8:10) So let us get it RIGHT ONCE AGAIN As they did After the Resurrection Let us listen To our God Let us obey And FOLLOW the example of Christ So that we can make Our God THE AUTHOR OF LIFE NOT only proud of his creation The earth But PROUD of HIS people ONCE AGAIN Robert P. Wallman 5-8-14 4-23-15 & 6-16-16

GOD KNOWS IT ALL-ANYWAY

GOD KNOWS IT ALL- ANYWAY In today's world IF you are not on the street PROMOTING YOURSELF- Saying-”we're number 1” Or I am this or I am that You are NOWHERE But God says: We are to be RIGHT with God -Be right with our neighbor- FIRST “And your Father Who sees in SECRET Will repay you” Matthew 6:4 Anyway-I have always been Of the mindset To be so GOOD at What you do PEOPLE WILL NOTICE YOU “But when You GIVE to the needy Do NOT Let your left hand Know what your right hand Is doing So that your GIVING May be done in secret Then your father Who KNOWS what is done in secret WILL REWARD YOU” Matthew 6:3-4 And Jesus Tells us not to make A show of ourselves Like the pharisees “WHEN you fast Do not look somber As the hypocrites do For they disfigure their faces To show others They are fasting Truly-I tell you They have received their reward In full But WHEN you fast Put oil on your head And wash your faces So that it will NOT be obvious to others That you are fasting But ONLY to your Father Who is UNSEEN And your Father Who SEES What is done in SECRET Will REWARD YOU” Matthew 6:16-18 When I first became ill And no one knew what was wrong I spent years on the FLAT of my back-in my room- PRAYING-and OFFERING my life to God I felt NO NEED To go out and publicize myself About what I- Was going through GOD KNOWS IT ALL-anyway “And when you PRAY Do not be like The hypocrites …..... BUT when you pray Go into YOUR ROOM CLOSE the door And pray to your Father Who is unseen Then your Father Who SEES what is done in secret WILL REWARD YOU” Matthew 6:5-6 Your prayers Are BETWEEN you and God Our prayers Should be SO PERSONAL That it sets FREE A FAITH That it gives ALL THE GLORY To GOD-none to ourselves GOD KNOWS IT ALL- ANYWAY Robert P. Wallman June 14th, 2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Miguel Dulick

CALLED TO LOVE

CALLED TO LOVE We are CALLED To love all people Really love them EVEN our enemies My enemies aren't real enemies I mean NOT ones That want to punch me or shoot me At least- As far as I know “But I say to you LOVE YOUR ENEMIES And PRAY for those Who persecute you........” Matthew 5:44 But my enemies are those Who are difficult to Get along with They mostly are those people That really annoy me And YES I do PRAY For them I really do To have GOOD things In their life Even though I do my best To TRY and avoid them We are really and truly CALLED to love those We really don't like “Do NOT gloat When your enemy falls When they stumble Do not let your heart rejoice!” Proverbs 24:17 “If your enemy Is hungry Give him food to eat If he is thirsty Give him water To drink” Proverbs 25:21 We are CALLED to love We are called To SERVE even our enemies Think about this Think about LOVING THOSE Who are irritating to us TRANSFORM your irritation of others Into LOVE for them And for yourself “And we ALL Who-with unveiled faces- CONTEMPLATE the Lord's GLORY Are being TRANSFORMED Into his image With ever-lasting glory Which comes from the Lord Who is the SPIRIT” 2 Corinthians 3:18 And that is What is almost takes For us To LOVE OUR ENEMIES To be transformed INTO the image of Christ But we MUST ACCEPT the call For that is What has been CALLED UPON To do We have been called CALLED to love-even our enemies “The Lord is near To all Who call on him To all who call on him in truth” psalm 145:18 Dear Lord HELP us all To answer the call THE CALL TO LOVE- Even if it calls for us- TO LOVE OUR ENEMIES In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 6-13-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE Aileen O'Donoghue

ONE OF US

ONE OF US The CHRISTIAN CALL To social action Is not a movement For the poor and the oppressed But as them And we must REMEMBER That Jesus was one of them- ONE OF US THE POOR and the OPPRESSED Our Lord CARRIED his cross To his death-UP- On Calvary Hill “Jesus went out Carrying his cross And came to 'The Place of the Skull,-' Golgotha There they crucified him Jesus took his suffering-like- THE POOR AND THE OPPRESSED” John 19:18 Jesus was/IS ONE OF US One of the poor And one of the oppressed He is ONE OF US ALL “When someone strikes you On your right cheek Turn the other one to him As well” Matthew 5:19 Jesus is the SPOKESMAN For the poor and the oppressed For whatever we are TRYING to OVERCOME In this world “The Lord Is a REFUGE For the oppressed A stronghold- In times of trouble” Psalm 9:9 “Learn to do right Seek justice DEFEND the oppressed Take up the cause Of the fatherless Plead the case Of the widow” Isaiah 1:17 “The Spirit of the Lord Is on me Because he has Anointed me To PROCLAIM 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 Jesus is OUR LEADER He is ONE OF US Jesus is among us He-along-with us Are NOT faceless victims Jesus TEACHES US To ACCEPT the trials Of our life And work out of them WITH PATIENCE He is OUR GOD-our leader And we WILL FOLLOW HIM- Till the ends of the earth And like him We will overcome-ALL Robert P. Wallman 6-12-16

LOOKING DEEPER

LOOKING DEEPER Today we read about Jesus being anointed By a sinful woman We don't know What her sins were But we can ASSUME That they were some serious sins The host-a pharisee- CERTAINLY knows what they were Either through gossip- Or through some personal DIRECT EXPERIENCE To the pharisee And the other men around the table- The woman- Is just a nameless persons Who is nothing but a sinner But to Jesus The woman was still worthy Of respect-dignity-and forgiveness “So I tell you Her many sins Have been FORGIVEN Because she has shown GREAT LOVE” Luke 7:47 Jesus looked a LITTLE DEEPER At her-as he does at us A little deeper For the REASONS for her sins And that is what We are to do too LOOK a little deeper At our family Look a little deeper At our friends And look-A LITTLE DEEPER At all others GREAT LOVE compensates For a great deal We should NOT be so quick To JUDGE another human being “Let the Lord Judge the peoples VINDICATE me Lord According to my righteousness According to me integrity O most high” Psalm 7:8 “And he will delight In the fear of the Lord He will NOT JUDGE By what he sees With his eyes Or decide by what he HEARS With his ears” Isaiah 11:3 God LOOKS a little deeper At us Just looks a little deeper For the REASONS For our behavior And so should we With one another We should give another The BENEFIT of the doubt Jesus even lets the sinful woman- TOUCH him- And more than that ALLOWS HER to bathe his feet In her tears And wipe them dry With her hair ALL the men saw Was just a sinner But Jesus looked A LITTLE DEEPER For what she had The capacity to BECOME Couldn't we also do this For one another Couldn't we ALL just look- A LITTLE DEEPER- AT ONE ANOTHER Robert P. Wallman 6-12-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.

DECISIONS

DECISIONS Each and every day Of our lives We ALL have many decisions To make Decisions that REFLECT Our very beliefs Decisions that affect The very HEART and SOUL Of who we are I ENCOURAGE you To choose life and decisions That reflect life In EVERY area of your life If you can “LET your 'yes' mean 'yes' and your 'no' mean 'no'” Matthew 5:37 Many years ago I was in a bed That it looked like I would never leave I PRAYED to God FOR LIFE If it be GOD'S own will “To LIVE for my family-my friends-and For all people everywhere” While at times Life has been a very difficult struggle I am not sorry For one moment Of my life God has HEAPED BLESSING after blessing Upon me Through my family experiences Through my friendship experiences And through my experiences with HIM And the churches he has put me In contact with SAY YES to life CHOOSE LIFE Our God is the God Of the LIVING/ Not the dead “You make KNOWN to me The PATH OF LIFE You will fill me With joy In your PRESENCE With eternal pleasures At your right hand” Psalm 16:11 “For those who find me FIND LIFE And receive favor From the Lord” Proverbs 8:35 The Lord KNOWS We face a ton of decisions In this life And many of them Are very difficult Choosing life- Doesn't always mean answering yes To every question But we are CALLED To align our decisions With the WILL OF GOD And while GOD'S WILL For our life Is not always easy To understand We can always do our BEST To reflect our FAITH And the VALUES of God's own SON Jesus lived a life FULL OF LOVE- A life full of kindness And a life full of forgiveness He CHOSE LIFE- And his life GOES ON FOREVER And that is what OUR decisions should do Is make CHOICES That reflect the values of Jesus “This day I call the heavens And the earth As witnesses against you That I have set before you- LIFE and death- BLESSINGS and curses Now choose life So that you And your children may LIVE And that you may LOVE The Lord Your God Listen to his voice And HOLD fast to him” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 Dear Lord-may our decisions- ALWAYS REFLECT your values OF LIFE AND LOVE Robert P. Wallman 6-11-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Steve Givens

LIVING IN HARMONY

LIVING IN HARMONY (WITH GOD AND ONE ANOTHER) Are you LOVING GOD With your whole heart-your whole soul- Your whole mind-and ALL your strength? And are you loving your neighbor As yourself? If so-CONGRATULATIONS!-you are FULFILLING the Lord's two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:37-40 and Mark 12:29-31) And in Jesus' SERMON ON THE MOUNT In Matthew-Jesus- Takes it a step a further And tells us-HOW-we are to behave (Matthew chapters 5-6-and 7) For instance-what are we to do- If we have a disagreement With a fellow Christian “Therefore If you bring your gift To the altar And there recall That your brother Has anything against you LEAVE your gifts at the altar Go first And be RECONCILED with your brother (or your sister) And then come And offer your gift” Matthew 5:23-24 As far as I know I am on GOOD terms With almost everyone Living at PEACE With the world Living in HARMONY With God Living in harmony With my neighbor TRYING to live In harmony with the world There are a couple Of women from my past Who don't like me very much But you do ALL that you can do THEN you let the person go And just PRAY for them And TRUST THEM to God “It is he Who will build The temple of the Lord And he will be clothed With majesty And will sit and rule On his throne And he will be a priest On his throne And there will be HARMONY Between the two” Zechariah 6:13 LIVING IN HARMONY With God Harmony between you and me What a world This has the CAPACITY to be “LIVE in harmony With one another Do not be proud But be willing To associate With people of low position Do not be conceited” Romans 12:16 And do NOT get so Bogged down with tradition That we put tradition over LOVING GOD-and- LOVING ONE ANOTHER Pope Francis put it this way: “Jesus says that our relationship With God-CANNOT be sincere Unless we are willing To MAKE PEACE With our neighbor” Live a life IN HARNONY with God- And do so by living A LIFE OF LOVE- Of peace-forgiveness-and kindness Do so BECAUSE you are a Christian Do so Because that is what Jesus did And do so Because that is what Jesus WANTS US TO DO To live- A LIFE OF HARMONY WITH ALL Robert P. Wallman 6-8-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Phil Fox Rose

FINDING YOUR HEART'S DESIRE

FINDING YOUR HEART'S DESIRE I have two questions For you WHAT is your heart's desire In life?-and- Have you found it? My answer is GOD & LOVE-and- YES-I have found it- LIVING in the deep dark recesses Of my soul And living in the soul Of everyone else In today's reading in Kings We read about The prophet Elijah HOLDING a competition Between the God of Israel And the false god Baal And his 450 prophets Whom the Israelites Are following “But there was NOT a sound No one answered And no one was listening” 1 Kings 18:29 And that is the way It goes-even in today's world WHEN we are not centering our lives On God-family-and LOVE We too-today Just like the Israelite people Are following FALSE gods like: Power-money-work-sex-science- Drug and alcohol addictions And who know what else WE need to FIND Our heart's desire-GOD- We need to center our lives On him “You have granted him His heart's desire And have not withheld The request of his lips” Psalm 21:2 “A sluggard's appetite Is never filled But the desires of the diligent Are FULLY SATISFIED” Proverbs 13:4 We need to FIND OUR heart's desire in life If it isn't-it should be GOD- And family and love and friends BUILD your life On the right things When we don't do this We wind up looking as FOOLISH And absurd as Baal and his prophets You can's build a relationship with money- And certainly not an addiction Such as alcohol-drugs-or sexual pornography ONLY with God Only with another person With whom we should be loving Elijah cried out. “The Lord is God! The Lord is God” He is the ONLY ONE With whom we are in relationship Him-and those we LOVE WE CRY OUT-as Elijah did And he listens-answers- And DELIVERS us HE FULFILLS OUR HEARTS DESIRES Robert P. Wallman 6-7-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Mary Marrocco

BRIDGES & WALLS=CALLED TO PEACE

BRIDGES OR WALLS=CALLED TO PEACE Recently-a current politician- Was asked about something about Mexico- He went on about his political philosophy- Of Mexico- And how he was Going to BUILD a wall Between Mexico and America The PRESS went to ask POPE FRANCIS- About this- Without naming names Pope Francis said: “A TRUE CHRISTIAN believes in BRIDGES- Not walls” “BLESSED are the PEACEMAKERS- For they will be called- CHILDREN OF GOD” Matthew 5:9 The POPE'S philosophy- EMPHASIZES my philosophy To the different religions (ALL Christian religions too) To me-GOD IS LOVE- I was born and raised Catholic- And while still attending Catholic Mass I attend other religious services too- PROTESTANT- and BAPTIST regularly- And others-WHEN given the opportunity WE are all in the PROMOTION BUSINESS- The promotion of God-and Christ-and LOVE Being omni-present in this world ANY denomination-or any local church- Or any individual Putting themselves first ABOVE God and Christ Above love-forgiveness-and kindness Has missed the point In today's world Let us BUILD PEACE amongst Each other-a CONNECTION between individuals- A connection between different denominations And a CONNECTION WITH LOVE Among the different religions in this world BRIDGES not walls Between each other “TURN from evil-and do good SEEK PEACE-and pursue it” Psalm 34:14 “A heart at peace- GIVES LIFE to the body But envy rots the bones” Proverbs 14:30 “ALL this I have spoken While still with you But the ADVOCATE-the HOLY SPIRIT- Whom the Father WILL send in my name Will TEACH you all things And will remind you Of everything I have said to you PEACE I leave with you My peace I give you I do NOT give to you As the world gives Do not let your hearts Be troubled And do not be afraid” John 14:25-27 “PEACEMAKING”-Pope Francis said- “Calls for COURAGE Much more so than war fare It calls for the courage To say “yes” to the encounters And “no” to conflict” MY FRIENDS We are called to BUILD BRIDGES Not make new walls So tear down the walls In your own heart And reach out TODAY To someone in need And make a new friend Build a bridge with someone And MAKE SOME PEACE God KNOWS- This world needs MORE OF IT In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 6-6-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Gail Goleas

THAT LOVING TOUCH Jesus had That loving touch He brought LOVE & LIFE And compassion WHEREVER he went Today in Luke's GOSPEL Jesus witnesses The tears of a widow- GRIEVING the death Of her only son Then he goes right to the coffin And touches it “He stepped forward And touched the coffin” Luke 7:14 THAT LOVING TOUCH Jesus brings LIFE out of death Because our God IS the God Of the LIVING Not the dead And his NATURAL INSTINCT Is compassion-TO HELP Those who suffer “But about The resurrection of the dead Have you not read What God said to you, 'I am The God of Abraham- The God of Isaac- And the GOD of Jacob- He is NOT the God of the dead But of the LIVING' WHEN the crowds heard this They were astonished At his teaching” Matthew 22:31-33 (Also referenced in Mark 12:27 & Luke 20:38) And our God is nothing If not a God of compassion He always moves TOWARD those who are suffering He CONNECTS himself physically With our losses in life He becomes attached to us “The Lord is gracious And righteous Our God Is FULL OF COMPASSION” Psalm 116:5 “WHEN he saw the crowds He had COMPASSION on them Because they were harassed And helpless Like sheep without a shepherd” Matthew 9:36 And God Was there for me about 40 years ago WHEN I was close to death When my mom was CLOSE To being a widow When I was on the verge Of leaving this world And leaving my FAMILY- Without me Jesus stepped forward And helped me and my family Dear Lord-we PRAY- For that LOVING TOUCH- That COMPASSION that Jesus had Dear Lord-HELP US To find THAT LOVING TOUCH And step forward with compassion- To HELP those in need in TODAY'S WORLD Robert P. Wallman 6-5-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Gail Goleas

LOOKING FOR THE LORD

LOOKING FOR OUR LORD WHEN our Lord was 12 He went missing He had been missing A number of days IMAGINE how his mother-Mary- And father-Joseph- Must have felt From time-to-time I/we get AMBER ALERTS For missing children I always FEEL EMPATHY For the parents As well as the children As I admit I am a sucker FOR HAPPY ENDINGS “AFTER three days(Mary and Joseph) Found Jesus in the temple- SITTING in the midst of the teachers Listening to them-and asking them questions........” Luke 2:46 Fortunately-for Mary and Jesus- it was a happy ending (and fortunately for Jesus and us too) He was just IN the home of GOD-HIS FATHER-and ours Learning about him And fortunately for the parents And our CHILDREN There are some other happy endings too But as sad as it is to say- That is NOT always the way that it ends We too- The apostles and disciples Of today ARE also looking for the LORD But not always in a physical way But in a spiritual and emotional way We just NEED to know that God is ALWAYS THERE “LOOK to the Lord And his strength Seek his face always” Psalm 105:4 “Then they will call me But I will not answer They will look for me But will not find me” Proverbs 1:28 I am SURE Mary and Joseph Were freaking out The second and third days That they could not find Jesus And I am sure ALL parents FREAK OUT-as they keep looking For their children And we all freak out Each and every day WHEN our problems Are proving to be INSURMOUNTABLE But we KEEP looking Until we find the answers To our problems We must keep LOOKING FOR THE LORD “You ought to LIVE holy and godly lives As you look forward To the day of GOD And speed its coming …..... But in keeping with his PROMISE We are looking forward To a new heaven and a new earth WHERE RIGHTEOUSNESS PREVAILS” 2 Peter 3:12-13 So when we are freaking out Physically-emotionally-and spiritually- Or ALL of the above KEEP LOOKING FOR THE LORD And keep putting your TRUST in him Your FAITH will be rewarded In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 6-04-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by

THE UNEARNED GIFTS OF GOD

THE UNEARNED GIFTS OF GOD WE live in a world In which There is almost nothing FOR FREE In fact-sometimes- PEOPLE seem to go out Of their way To get your last penny from you In fact-there are people Going the extra mile To scam you and rip you off In whatever way they can And then there is OUR GOD Our Father-who sends his VERY OWN SON for us To die for our sins So we can LIVE forever in FREEDOM With him “But God PROVES his LOVE for us In that while- We were sinners- Christ died for us” Romans 5:8 Talk about a world With great contrasts Our world takes every last bit Of everything from you Including energy And GOD gives you/gives me GIVES US- MERCY-LOVE-and everything he has For FREE The UNEARNED GIFTS Of God “So if the SON Sets you free You will be free indeed” John 8:36 “Because through Christ Jesus The law of the Spirit Who gives LIFE Has set you free From the law of sin and death” Romans 8:2 “It is for FREEDOM That Christ has SET us free Stand firm-then And do not let yourself Be burdened again- By a yoke of slavery” Galatians 5:1 We used To be SLAVES to All kinds of things In this life Money and materialism-sexual lusts- Pornography-scientific principles BUT the life and death Of our Lord-Jesus Christ Has set us FREE From all these things We have been set free from sin We have even been set free From drug and alcohol-and ALL addictions We have already received THE UNEARNED GIFTS OF GOD LOVE-MERCY-and FORGIVENESS ALL we have to do Is FOLLOW our Father and HIS SON He has PAID THE PRICE HELP US to RECEIVE Your love and forgiveness And the love and forgiveness- We receive from other CHRISTIANS In Jesus' name-we say thank you FOR THE UNEARNED GIFTS FROM GOD Robert P. Wallman 6-3-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAZAZINE by Terri Mifek

GETTING THERE=GETTING CLOSER TO GOD

GETTING THERE- GETTING CLOSER TO GOD LIFE is a struggle And life is a journey We all KNOW that But reaching our final destination Spending eternity with God Is WORTH the effort That we put in “You are NOT FAR from the KINGDOM Of God” Mark 12:34 And we do not have To get there Right now ALL we have to do-IS LOOK deep within our own heart BEING a Christian Is tough work As the scribe above found out By Jesus' tentative approval And Maya Angelou Used to be ASTONISHED When someone would tell her That they were a Christian She would RESPOND: “Already? You already got it I am working at it And at my age I'll still be working at it At the age of 96” And we will ALL BE Working at it For the rest of our lives The journey is to LOVE GOD And love others ABOVE ourselves The young scribe Asked Jesus, “WHAT IS the most important commandment?” “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 these'” Mark 12:29-31 The TRUTH is Getting there Getting CLOSER to God Is a ton of work And it is OUR lifetime's work And it should be OUR LIFETIME GOAL “The Lord is CLOSE To the brokenhearted And SAVES those Who are CRUSHED IN SPIRIT” Psalm 34:18 “I will BRING him near And he will COME CLOSE to me- For who is he Who will devote himself To be CLOSE TO ME?” Jeremiah 30:21 Like Maya Angelou I know IF I live To be 96 I will NEVER BE A perfect Christian Yet-I will continue To work at it Until the end Of my time on earth For the LESSON IS For us to LEARN TO LOVE God and others ABOVE ourselves For the mature We GROW in LOVE The CLOSER we get to God Dear Lord-HELP ME-help us TO GET THERE Robert P. Wallman 6-03-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Stephen Behrens, O.C.S.O.

FREELY GIVEN

FREELY GIVEN I think Sometimes we forget That we cannot EARN God's FORGIVENESS It is FREELY GIVEN “If you Oh Lord Kept a record of sins Oh Lord Who could stand But with you There is forgiveness Therefore you are feared” Psalm 130:3-4 We still Get it wrong At times Don't we friends We think We must somehow EARN GOD'S FORGIVENESS WE think We must earn God's LOVE too BUT his forgiveness And his love ARE FREELY GIVEN “But now That you have been Set free of sin You have become Slaves of RIGHTEOUSNESS” Romans 6:18 God's forgiveness IS FREELY GIVEN There is a great story In Luke chapter 7 That illustrates this ONE of the Pharisees Has invited Jesus To have dinner with him In his home A “sinful” woman From the town Learns of this And shows up at the dinner “She stood behind him At his feet weeping And she began to wet His feet With her tears Then she wiped them With her hair Kissed them And poured perfume on them” Luke 7:38 The pharisee said to himself: “IF this man Were a prophet He would know Who is touching him And that the woman Was a sinner” Luke 7:39 And Jesus- As if reading the pharisees' mind Tells a parable about DEBT To Simon And asks Simon Which one of them Will LOVE their master more Simon says: “I suppose The one Who had the bigger debt canceled” Luke 7:43 Then Jesus Turned to the woman And said, “DO you see This woman I came Into your home You did not GIVE me any water For my feet But she wet My feet With her tears And wiped them With her hair You did not Give me a kiss But this woman From the time I entered Has not stopped Kissing my feet You did not put oil On my head But she has Poured perfume on my feet Therefore I tell you HER many sins Have been forgiven- For she has LOVED MUCH But he who has been Forgiven little LOVES LITTLE” Luke 7:44-47 THE POINT IS: ALL of our sins Are FORGIVEN FREELY By God We are to do likewise To our brothers and sisters LOVE AND FORGIVENESS Are the ESSENCE of Jesus' teachings and his actions WE are to do the SAME For one another Because LOVE AND FORGIVENESS are to be FREELY GIVEN Robert P. Wallman 9-30-14 6-5-15 & 6-2-16

TESTED TESTIMONY AND STRENGTH

TESTED TESTIMONY AND STRENGTH I have a TESTED TESTIMONY That could come from ONLY GOD A strength That could come from only God A life and death surgery from WHEN I was given no chance To survive So MANY things That could have killed me In so many different ways I have a STRENGTH That could come ONLY FROM GOD I BELIEVE that you have A TESTED TESTIMONY TOO I believe that you Have a strength That COULD COME only From God-too We are ALL challenged by life “So NOT to be ashamed Of your testimony To our Lord Nor of me A PRISONER for his sake But bear your share In hardship For the GOSPEL With the strength That comes from God” 2 Timothy 1:8 Jesus RECEIVED his strength From his FATHER The strength to CARRY THE CROSS Up that Calvary Hill Paul received his strength From Jesus The strength to LIVE His TRIED & TRUE TESTIMONY As do we all “You STUDY the Scriptures diligently Because you think That in them You have eternal life These are the very SCRIPTURES That TESTIFY about me Yet you REFUSE to come to me To have life” John 5:39-40 “With GREAT POWER The apostles continued To testify to the RESURRECTION Of the Lord Jesus And GOD'S GRACE Was so powerfully at work In them all That there was NO needy persons Among them” Acts 4:33 And there are NO NEEDY PEOPLE In us-HIS 21st century apostles We have withstood LIFE and death battles We have withstood Chronic illness- Chronic tests of our finances- Chronic tests of our relationships And we STILL STAND To GIVE TESTIMONY to our God To give testimony to our SAVIOR- The Lord Jesus Christ For in THEM=we are STRONG In them We can withstand The TESTS OF TIME “We ACCEPT human testimony BUT GOD'S TESTIMONY is greater Because It is the testimony OF GOD Which he has given About his SON” 1 John 5:9 Dear Lord- We have been TESTED in this life And we GIVE OUR TESTIMONY For YOU and YOUR SON FOR ALL OUR STRENGTH COMES FROM YOU In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 6-01-16