SEEK YE FIRST

SEEK YE FIRST There is nothing bad in this world As long as you KEEP it in moderation And keep things in PERSPECTIVE But we must always REMEMBER WHERE God belongs-and that is FIRST IN OUR LIFE The Scriptures speak to us About seeking God first “But SEEK FIRST his kingdom And his righteousness And ALL of these things Will be GIVEN to you as well Therefore do NOT worry about tomorrow For tomorrow will worry About itself EACH day has enough trouble Of its own” Matthew 6:33-34 In other words ALWAYS seek God first And you don't have to worry About anything else You WILL FIND your soul mate You will be TAKEN care of financially And you will be given ENOUGH HEALTH To ACCOMPLISH exactly what GOD'S PLAN Is for your life That is exactly what happened To me-WHEN I found God ALL things began to be PROVIDED For me-one way-or another- Usually through FAMILY and FRIENDS- But I know God was behind it “So Abraham Called that place THE LORD WILL PROVIDE And to this day It is said, 'On the mountain of the LORD It will be provided'” Genesis 22:14 “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 So the question looms: HOW do we know When we have become slaves Of earthly things? When we put MATERIALISM- Or things above God Or sexual lusts-above- OUR LOVE for God and people We have LOST OUR WAY Lost our perspective In this world SEEK GOD FIRST He will direct our way We must listen We must HEAR HIS VOICE Above all else “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 SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD And everything else will be GIVEN to you besides In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 7-31-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti

THE RIGHT WORDS=AT THE RIGHT TIME

THE RIGHT WORDS AT THE RIGHT TIME So many times WHEN I have sat down to write Or when I have been CALLED ON To give words of encouragement To someone I had no idea What I was going to say But God-and Jesus-through THEIR SPIRIT Has placed the RIGHT WORDS On me At the right time To be of ENCOURAGEMENT To others “For in truth- It was the Lord Who sent me To you To SPEAK all these things For you to hear” Jeremiah 26:15 And so many times WHEN I was going THROUGH tough times in life Someone spoke something to me To INSPIRE me And keep me going Or I have picked u p the right book Or READ the exact passage That I NEEDED to read in the bible That is the way THE SPIRIT WORKS He always gives us EXACTLY the right words We need to speak or hear At exactly the right time “How SWEET Are your words To my taste Sweeter than honey To my mouth” Psalm 119:103 “GRACIOUS WORDS Are a honeycomb Sweet to the soul And HEALING to the bones” Proverbs 16:24 “Heaven and earth WILL pass away But my words Will NEVER pass away” Luke 24:35 And the REASON that is: Is GOD'S words are light- Jesus' words are SPIRIT They are TRUTH They are life They will never pass away They are precisely The right words At precisely The RIGHT TIME The SPIRIT'S words Are given to us In the give and take Of a LIFE OF FAITH We have times WHEN we need to be encouraged And we have times When we need to ENCOURAGE OTHERS The Spirit KNOWS what we need To do And when we need to do it “Do not cast me From your presence Or take your Holy Spirit from me” Psalm 51:11 “At that time You will be GIVEN what to say For it will not be you speaking But the SPIRIT of the Father SPEAKING through you” Matthew 10:19-20 Dear Lord: We know we are CALLED to be The voices of encouragement- To others in today's world Please CONTINUE To give me/GIVE US THE RIGHT WORDS- At THE RIGHT TIME In Jesus' name-let it be Robert P. Wallman 7-29-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Steve Givens

SHE KNEW-SO SHOULD WE

SHE KNEW=SO SHOULD WE (Saint Martha) TODAY we celebrate the feast Of Saint Martha Who after her brother-Lazarus died- WHEN Jesus didn't get there on time- And was two days late STILL had the belief Still had the CONFIDENCE That Jesus could still SAVE HIM “Martha said to him- 'Yes Lord-I have come To BELIEVE that you ARE THE CHRIST- The Son of God The ONE who is COMING into the world” John 11:27 Martha had the FAITH- Had the confidence That Jesus could SAVE her brother After he died And he did But what about us What about our faith Do we have the CONFIDENCE? Do we have the FAITH? That the ones we lose In life-will LIVE FOREVER With God and Jesus-for ALL of eternity Martha PROFESSES her faith and confidence And BELIEF in her DEAR FRIEND Jesus To MIRACULOUSLY SAVE her brother And RAISE him from the dead How about us? WHEN we encounter problems in life Do we believe- That God can-that Jesus CAN RESURRECT US in life (and in death) Do we really believe like Martha did? “If you believe-you will RECEIVE- Whatever you ask for in PRAYER” Matthew 21:22 Martha-she knew- She had the FAITH and the CONFIDENCE In Jesus-SO SHOULD WE “'He SAVED others,' they said- 'But he can;t save himself Let the Messiah This king of Israel Come down now from the cross That we may SEE and BELIEVE' Those crucified with him Also heaped insults on him” Mark 15:31-32 But Jesus-had the last laugh Just as he did with Lazarus HE came BACK to life-with The HELP of his Father We just have to believe And have CONFIDENCE like Martha In life-and in death SHE KNEW-so should we When the UNCERTAINTIES Of this world surround us MAY we be confident In the Lord Jesus Just like Martha “I remain Confident of this I will SEE The GOODNESS of the Lord In the land of the LIVING” Psalm 27:13 “For the Lord detests The perverse- But takes the UPRIGHT Into his CONFIDENCE” Proverbs 3:32 Martha KNEW to believe in and have confidence in the Lord SO SHOULD WE In both life-and in death Robert P. Wallman July 28th, 2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Melanie Rigney

YOU ARE GOD'S MASTERPIECE

YOU ARE GOD'S MASTERPIECE Did you ever stop and think BEFORE that you were born You were nothing? God could have created someone else But out of all the nothings God could have created to mold- MAKE-and LOVE He created you- For ALL of eternity You are GOD'S MASTERPIECE “Whenever the object of clay Which he was making TURNED out badly in his hand He tried again Making of the clay Another object Of WHATEVER sort he pleased” Jeremiah 18:4 I don't know about you- But I can't make Or fix anything with my hands NOT even with the best of tools Fortunately-we have God The MASTER CRAFTSMAN Who can CREATE you and me Out of nothing And FIX us up-and MOLD us Into GOOD clay again When we become Chipped-BROKEN-and misshaped God can STILL turn us back Into a MASTERPIECE From a broken earthly vessel He is the POTTER We are the clay “Yet you Lord-are our FATHER We are the clay You are the potter We are the work Of your hand” Isaiah 64:8 “Does not the potter Have the right to Make out of the SAME lump Of clay Some pottery for SPECIAL purposes And some for common use?” Romans 9:21 WHOEVER we are-whatever we are CHOSEN FOR We are CHOSEN BY GOD For some UNIQUE purpose We are God's MASTERPIECE God's tender hands Has patiently-lovingly WORKED on us He has MOLDED us Into what he wants us to be Using LIFE and the treasures and difficulties We run into-to make us EXACTLY what he wants us to be “COME Let us bow down in worship Let us kneel Before the Lord our MAKER” Psalm 95:6 “Rich and poor Have this in common The Lord IS The MAKER of them all” Proverbs 22:2 And each one of us individuals And all of us COLLECTIVELY ARE God's masterpiece With SPECIAL DESIGNS by God for each And everyone of us He takes us from broken vessels And makes us into WORTHY vessels From his LOVE We must SURRENDER to God Because we CANNOT remake Or fix ourselves I can tell you- That in my case HIS VISION for me Was so much greater Than I ever had on my own BECAUSE I am GOD'S MASTERPIECE And so are you We INVEST in the process And let the OUTCOME up to him Dear Lord-you are the MASTER CRAFTSMAN- SHAPE US into what you want us to be Robert P. Wallman 7-27-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Kristin Armstrong

SAFE IN THE ARMS OF GOD

SAFE IN THE ARMS OF GOD WHERE is your safe place? Where is your stronghold? EVERY MORNING I wake up Not knowing where the day May take me Sometimes a little fear Sometimes a little trepidation But I needn't worry Because I am SAFE in the ARMS OF GOD And the first thing I do every day Is open my BIBLE Say my daily prayers And do my ROSARY For I am in my SAFE PLACE I am being held up By the arms of GOD “YOU have been my stronghold My refuge in the day of distress” Psalm 59:17 WHEN I think of a stronghold I think of a modern day army fort But when I think of MY STRONGHOLD- When I think of you and me- Our being SAFE I think of God- With his arms outstretched ENCIRCLING you and me And protecting us We are ALL SAFE in the arms of GOD “For in the day of trouble He will KEEP me safe In his dwelling He will hide me In the shelter Of his sacred tent And set me HIGH upon a rock” Psalm 29:5 “The name of the Lord Is a fortified tower The righteous run to it AND ARE SAFE” Proverbs 18:10 “WE know that anyone BORN OF GOD Does not continue To sin The ONE who was born Of God KEEPS them safe And the evil one Cannot harm them” 1 John 5:18 We are SAFE in The ARMS of God Every day We should take TIME alone With God in prayer We should do this During ordinary times- We should make it a habit For when the difficult times come When the problems come We will KNOW Right where to go And we will know The evil one cannot touch us The world can be an UNCERTAIN And dangerous place But GOD is OUR REFUGE At all times Particularly in times of trouble “I will say of the Lord, 'HE is my refuge And my FORTRESS My God-in whom I TRUST'” Psalm 91:2 Our God-OUR Lord Jesus- IS our safety net With prayer-with God We are: SAFE IN THE ARMS OF GOD- And of LOVE Robert P. Wallman 7-26-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Kristin Armstrong

COMPASSION

JOURNAL/COMPASSION “BE KIND to one another-COMPASSIONATE-forgiving one another as God has FORGIVEN you in Christ” Ephesians 4:32 This sounds SIMPLE-but the QUESTION is-can we STILL be COMPASSIONATE to others on those days when we are feeling ill or WHEN it is inconvenient for us-CAN we FORGIVE another when every fiber of our being IS screaming for us to get revenge or when we are ANGRY-That is HARD Can we be kind-compassionate-and FORGIVING to all others-not just those that it BENEFITS us to do so-as CHRISTIANS-our CALLING is to do so CAN we value others-can we VALUE PEOPLE more than materialism and possessions and our very selves-that is the SECOND COMMANDMENT it is A GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in GOD'S LOVE for us and a great day to be KIND-COMPASSIONATE-and FORGIVING TO OTHERS WITNESS 6-10-13 COMPASSION One of the single greatest gifts That we can possess Is the gift of Compassion Compassion is simply the gift Of having empathy for Or showing kindness To another human being The reason so few of us have it is It is simply so much easier To judge another person And the place that they are in In their lives It is much more difficult To walk in another man or woman’s shoes Or to go the extra mile With another human being But that is-WHO GOD IS That is-WHO CHRIST WAS And who Christ is-still today “The Lord, the Lord The COMPASSIONATE and gracious God Slow to anger Abounding in love and faithfulness Maintaining love to thousands And forgiving wickedness, rejection and sin” Exodus 34:6-7 “Jesus called his disciples and said, “I have COMPASSION for these people They have already been with me for three days And have nothing to eat If I send them home hungry They will collapse on the way Because some of them Have come a long distance” Mark 8:2-3 How easy it is to judge When we walk by the homeless Or a beggar on the street To think: “I would never do that” Or “That could never be me” What if we gave that person A $ or two Shook their hand And said: “Have a nice day” COMPASSION The time a person Needs our help Is exactly the time When that person feels LEAST LOVABLE Well it is easy to judge NOT so easy To FEEL for another human being To walk a mile in their shoes “Let us NOT become weary Of doing good For at the proper time We will reap a harvest If we do not give up Therefore as we have opportunity Let us DO GOOD to all people Especially to those Who belong To the family of believers” Galatians 6:9-10 COMPASSION---not judgment Because God’s love for us Christ’s love for us IS UNCONDITIONAL And this is his mercy This is his compassion for us “I desire mercy-not sacrifice” Matthew 9:13 COMPASSION Robert P. Wallman 7-31-12 Ps WITNESS 6-10-13 Compassion means to have pity on or show kindness to another human being “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” 1 John 3:16 MISC. WITNESS 7-10-14 10-27-14 and 7-26-16

AN APOSTLE AFTER OUR OWN HEART

AN APOSTLE AFTER OUR OWN HEARTS (Saint James) Today we CELEBRATE The great Saint James He along with his brother-John- Were called the “Sons of Thunder” James-along with his brother-John Left both his father and his nets On the shores of the Sea of Galilee “We hold this treasure In earthen vessels That the surpassing power May BE of God And not from us” 2 Corinthians 4:7 Jesus CHOSE James- Just the same way he chooses us- His MODERN DAY disciples James was HUMAN He made mistakes Just the same way That you and I do He had a strong temper And little patience-just like His brother John-and just like MANY of us He was WITNESS to Jesus At the Transfiguration And he fell asleep Just like many of us Would have done In the garden of Gethsemane And it was James and John Who asked for FIRE from heaven To strike the inhospitable Samaritans (Luke 9:54) And it was their mother who REQUESTED SPECIAL TREATMENT for them-that- they be PLACED on either side of Jesus In his kingdom (Matthew 20:21) So innately human-just like us Yes-James was human Just like all of us AN APOSTLE- After our own hearts “You JUDGE by human standards I pass judgment On no one But if I do judge My decisions are true Because I am not alone I STAND with the FATHER Who sent me” John 8:15-16 “TAKE my yoke upon you And learn from me For I am gentle and humble In heart And you will FIND REST For your souls For my yoke is easy And my burden light” Matthew 11:29-30 Jesus CHOSE James Because of his heart- And for the SAME reason He chooses you and me James never wavered in his COMMITMENT To Jesus-and he never despaired He realized he was An EARTHLY vessel And remained FAITHFUL To God and Jesus He believed in Christ He LOVED Christ He pressed forward- And became a martyr After the RESURRECTION Some believe he was RESPONSIBLE For taking the Gospel to Spain-yet- It is without substantiation The great Saint James- Along with his brother John Were truly HUMAN Yet was committed and FAITHFUL To Christ I HOPE and PRAY That the same can be said Of you and me For James is truly AN APOSTLE after our own heart Robert P. Wallman 7-25-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAZAZINE by Sr. Bridget Haase, O.S.U.

GOD FINDS STRENGTH IN OUR WEAKNESS

GOD FINDS STRENGTH IN OUR WEAKNESS I don't care who you are- In this world-IF you are human- We have weaknesses-and We are ALL human There are absolutely NO- TOTALLY self-made men and women In this world The GREAT Saint Paul knew that- And he was absolutely the greatest missionary This world has ever seen (Other than Jesus himself) “But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient For you For my power is made PERFECT In weakness Therefore I will BOAST All the more gladly About my weaknesses So that CHRIST'S POWER May rest on me'” 2 Corinthians 12:9 And I echo Paul's sentiments It wasn't until June of 1977- When I became chronically disabled That I began to KNOW I was totally DEPENDENT on God For health-for money-and- EVEN in my relationships God's strength-God's PERFECT POWER- Is PRESENT in my dependent weakness And I will TESTIFY for the PRESENCE of God-the presence of Jesus In my life- For AS LONG as I am physically able “If you then-who are wicked Know how to give good gifts To your children How much more will the Father In heaven Give the Holy Spirit To those who ask him” Luke 11:13 God is GOOD all the time He FINDS STRENGTH In our weakness And he USES his Holy Spirit To speak through us To REVEAL the messages of God What a wonderful PROMISE By God When we are weak When we are confused He uses his spirit To SPEAK through us In our weakness HIS spirit Reveals his DIVINE STRENTH And his compassionate presence Within us-and ALL of us- Who are disciples in today's world “The Lord gives STRENGTH To his people The Lord BLESSES his people With peace” Psalm 29:11 “But those who HOPE in the Lord Will RENEW their strength They will soar On wings like eagles They will run-and not grow weary They will walk And not be faint” Isaiah 40:31 God finds strength God reveals strength THROUGH our weakness As much as we like to think WE are self-made men and women And that we are in CONTROL of our lives Nothing is further From the truth It is our own weaknesses That OPENS us up To GOD'S POWER AND LOVE My personal weaknesses- Has allowed God To SHINE through me To GOD AND JESUS- ALL the glory Thank you Lord-for using us Even in our failure and our weaknesses In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 7-23-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Fr. Kenneth Grabner, C.S.C.

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE Have you heard the saying, “PATIENCE-is a virtue?” Not only is it a virtue- But it is ONE of the FRUITS of the Spirit “But the fruit of the SPIRIT Is love-joy-peace- Forbearance(PATIENCE)-kindness-goodness- Faithfulness-gentleness-and self-control” Galatians 5:22-23 NOT only does it allow us- To fight through our tough times In my case-my PATIENCE- (and my stubbornness if you will) ALLOWED me to get through The tough times To keep on going-and hopefully- HELP others along the way It helped me to mature- To grow-to harvest Into a full-blown honest-sincere Kind-forgiving-and loving CHRISTIAN (at least I hope so) “He replied, 'no-if you pull up The weeds-you might uproot The wheat along with them'” Matthew 13:29 PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE I thank God-that I didn't GIVE UP on myself-WHEN I became a person With a chronic illness- And an unbelievably distended stomach GOD was patient with me-giving me Chance after chance to mature into a LOVING and kind individual Therefore I always TRY TO have patience With others Because there has NEVER BEEN A more FLAWED individual than me- Physically-mentally-emotionally-and SPIRITUALLY HAVE PATIENCE with yourself Have patience with others You might be surprised What you can GROW into If you give yourself a chance You might be surprised What SOMEONE ELSE can turn out to be If you give them a chance People may surprise you PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE “A person's wisdom Yields patience It is to one's glory To OVERLOOK an offense” Proverbs 19:11 “Or do you show CONTEMPT For the riches of his kindness- Forbearance-and patience NOT realizing that GOD'S kindness Is intended To lead you to repentance?” Romans 2:4 I can NEVER thank God enough For the PATIENCE he has shown With me He has given me chance after chance After chance The HARDEST thing to do Is to be PATIENT With yourself BUT if you can The patience that you show yourself And others Can LEAD To and abundant HARVEST for God “Then he said to his disciples, 'The HARVEST is plentiful But the workers are few ASK the Lord of the harvest- Therefore To send out workers Into his harvest field” Matthew 9:37-38 Remain patient-PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE And you WILL create a harvest for GOD Robert P. Wallman July 22nd, 2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Terri Mifek

"WOMAN-WHY ARE YOU WEEPING?"

“WOMAN-WHY ARE YOU WEEPING?” Today we CELEBRATE the feast Of Saint Mary Magdalene The BEST FRIEND That Jesus ever had-Also CONSIDERED to be- The APOSTLE to the apostles She KNEW Jesus-better than anyone And LOVED him and accepted him As her TEACER “Jesus said to her, 'Woman-why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?'” John 20:15 Mary loved Jesus- She gave him her heart-in life- And she gave him her heart- In death How awful she must have felt WHEN she thought Jesus Was dead And the JOY and confusion She must have felt When she began to see That Jesus was ALIVE-and may- Have RESURRECTED Just as he said “Thinking he was the gardener- She said- 'Sir-if you have carried him away Tell me WHERE you have put him And I will get him'” John 20:15 “Jesus said to her-'Mary'- “She turned to him and cried out In Aramaic-'Rabboni'- (which means “TEACHER”) John 20:16 Mary's encounter with Jesus SPEAKS to all of us Who have felt the PAIN Of human loss And the HOPE that we feel When we REALIZE that They are going to spend ETERNITY With God and the RISEN LORD Oh-how we CAN empathize with her Many of us-when we lose someone- Are FORTUNATE to have the SUPPORT Of family and friends Still there are others of us Who have to SUFFER our pain And our anguish all alone But in our time of grief- We all look for the FAITH- HOPE-and JOY that Mary found She found it in Jesus- In the LIVING GOD We too can FIND IT- In God-and the Risen Lord OUR FAITH leads us to them The PRESENCE of God- And the presence of others TEACH US that the human heart Can NEVER die It LIVES for all of eternity “Your word-Lord-is eternal It stands firm in the heavens” Psalm 119:89 “Just as Moses Lifted up the snake In the wilderness So the SON OF MAN Must be lifted up That everyone who BELIEVES MAY have eternal life in him” John 3:14-15 “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 I too have a friend- Just like Jesus-had Mary Who ALWAYS takes the time To read my poetry Hearts that are UNITED in life Can NEVER be broken Even in death The LIVES of Jesus and Mary Is PROOF that their relationship Goes on forever For in our tears- We FIND our joy- The JOY OF ETERNAL LIFE Robert P. Wallman July 21st, 2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Fr. James Stephen Behrens, O.C.S.O. Dedicated to the LIVES of Jesus and Mary-and my SPECIAL platonic friend

KNOWLEDGE=TO SEE JESUS IN OTHERS AND OURSELVES

KNOWLEDGE=TO SEE JESUS IN OTHERS AND OURSELVES Do you have knowledge Of the mysteries of God? Do you have KNOWLEDGE Of the mysteries of heaven? The apostles did-you do- I do-well we ALL do if we CONSIDER ourselves to be MODERN day apostles of God And the Lord Jesus We have insight Into Jesus' WORD-and to the parables And their MEANINGS “WHY do you speak To the crowd in parables?' Jesus said to them In reply, 'Because knowledge Of the mysteries Of the Kingdom of heaven Has been granted to you But to them It has NOT been granted'” Matthew 13:10-11 How about that-you and I Have knowledge-have INSIGHT INTO the mysteries of God “Teach me knowledge- And GOOD judgment For I trust your commands” Psalm 119:66 “The fear of the Lord Is the BEGINNING of wisdom And KNOWLEDGE of the HOLY ONE Is understanding” Proverbs 9:10 “And this is my PRAYER- That your love may ABOUND More-in-more in knowledge- And in depth and insight” Philippians 1:9 We KNOW the mysteries of God- The mysteries of Jesus For we ARE his sons and daughters And we are To INHERIT his Kingdom We are his FAMILY And he left us knowledge That no one else has It is Jesus-it is GOD Who GIVES our hearts MEANING He/GOD gives us the knowledge To SEE his Son Jesus-in others And in ourselves He teaches us HOW to be In RELATIONSHIP with him We LEARN to see God/and Jesus In our family members- In our neighbors- And even in strangers He gives us the knowledge Through parables to LEARN HOW to love God-others- And even ourselves He gives our lives and OUR HEARTS purpose and meaning “They read From the BOOK of the LAW of God Making it clear And giving the MEANING So that the people understood What was being read” Nehemiah 8:8 And the PARABLES Help us to UNDERSTAND What is being said by Jesus And the SCRIPTURES As well as to LOVE THEM (God & Jesus), Love others, and love ourselves Robert P. Wallman 7-20-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Elizabeth Duffy

GOOD FRUIT?

GOOD FRUIT? PICTURE this: You are ALIVE Some 2,000 years ago And there is a man Sitting in a boat SPEAKING to you in parables “But some seed Fell on rich soil- And produced fruit.........” Matthew 13:8 How creative of Jesus To speak from a boat To the people on shore And oh so CREATIVE To speak in parables THIS is a parable about you Jesus is the FARMER And you are the seed But what kind of seed Are you? Will you GROW into The GOOD FRUIT of God? And if you do Will you PRODUCE good fruit For God and Jesus? Jesus has sown you Into this world You have been CREATED-by God And sent into the world To do GOOD Will you? “For what you have done I will ALWAYS praise you In the presence Of your faithful people And I will HOPE In your name For your name is GOOD” Psalm 52:9 “A person finds joy In giving an apt reply_ And how GOOD Is a timely word” Proverbs 15:23 “Love must be SINCERE- Hate what is evil- CLING to what is GOOD” Romans 12:9 WE-just like the seed- Have had our share Of being in the wrong place At times during our life When we Have had our share of problems We KNOW the difficulty Of TRYING to thrive On rocky ground WHEN we have been tangled up In the thorns But we have FOUGHT through The difficult moments Of our life With God's HELP And the help of others And learned to thrive And GROW anyway The important thing Isn't where we have been The important thing is WHERE We are and where we are going to And that we grow into The good fruit of the Lord And that we help others GROW into the good fruit Of the Lord “That person Is like a tree Planted-by streams of water Which yield its fruit In season And whose leaf Does not wither- WHATEVER they do PROSPERS” Psalm 1:3 “A shoot WILL come up From the stump of Jesse From its roots A BRANCH will bear fruit” Isaiah 11:1 I hope and PRAY That you are ONE of the GOOD FRUIT Of God and Jesus Robert P. Wallman 7-19-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B.

A GOD OF COMPASSION

A GOD OF COMPASSION (The GOD who ALWAYS FORGIVES-and- ALWAYS LOVES) Do you know That we worship A God of COMPASSION? A God who ALWAYS cares for us A God who Always forgives us A God who Always LOVES US That is NOT the human way- The human way Is to love upon condition The condition of our actions “Who is there like you The God who REMOVES guilt And pardons sin For the remnant Of his inheritance Who does not persist In anger forever But DELIGHTS rather in clemency And will again Have COMPASSION on us Treading underfoot our guilt” Micah 7:18-19 The psalmist contradicts The CHARACTER between OUR GOD- The God of LOVE & COMPASSION And the pagan gods of his time The pagan gods ARE the gods Of anger-the gods of cruel And exacting punishment NOT LIKE our God Who is the God of RESTORATION- Forgiveness-and the REDEMPTION of humanity “Israel-put your hope In the Lord For with the Lord Is UNFAILING LOVE And with him Is FULL REDEMPTION” Psalm 130:7 And isn't that TRUE Of us Christians Here in America too A nation That has its own FALSE gods too OUR vices-our addictions- Our sexual drives-our materialism And who knows what else These short-term gods Who can-NEVER love us back And OUR real God- The God of love-our REDEEMER Jesus Christ- Never lacks love-forgiveness-or COMPASSION God and Jesus REDEEM our lives “But God will REDEEM ME From the realm Of the dead He will SURELY take me To himself” Psalm 49:15 But our God Is the God of compassion He will always take us back He will always LOVE US- REDEEM US-and FEEL compassion For us “As a father Has COMPASSION on his children So the Lord has compassion On those who fear him” Psalm 103:13 “PRAISE be to the God And Father of our Lord Jesus Christ The Father of Compassion- And the God of ALL comfort Who comforts us In all our troubles........” 2 Corinthians 1:3 UNLIKE the pagan gods- The gods of short-term comfort Our God The God of love-forgiveness And compassion ALWAYS loves us back And always saves and REDEEMS US In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 7-18-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Jessica Mesman Griffith

SIGNS AND PROOF

SIGNS AND PROOF Years ago the scribes And pharisees- REQUESTED a sign That Jesus is the LIVING GOD- Made flesh TODAY-we modern believers- Want scientific evidence-PROOF- If you will That God does indeed exist “There is something GREATER Than Solomon here” Matthew 12:42 I think we all ARE looking for a sign That God/that Jesus Does exist in today's world Jesus-HIMSELF-IS the sign And we don't have To look very far To find him He is RIGHT THERE- In front of us In the poor In our neighbor In the WORD OF GOD In the bible He is the SUNRISE He is the sunset A summer rain storm A beautiful Autumn day Even the cold snowy days of winter He is everywhere He is IN everything And EVERYONE including You and me “The Lord is in His holy temple He observes everyone On earth His eyes examine them” Psalm 11:4 “A new command-I give you LOVE one another' As I have loved you So you-MUST love one another By this-EVERYONE- Will know- That you are my disciples- IF you love one another'” John 17:35-36 So you say: WHERE is the sign? Where is the proof? Jesus is the sign Jesus is the PROOF WHERE is your faith? Jesus told the pharisees And the scribes about The sign of Jonah And 3 days in The belly of a BIG FISH As a foreshadowing To his own days of death And RESURRECTION Jesus said, “A wicked and adulterous generation Asks for a sign But NONE will be given ECXEPT the sign The prophet Jonah For as Jonah Was 3 days and three nights In the belly of a huge fish So the Son of MAN Will be three days and nights In the heart of the earth” Matthew 12:39-40 Jesus is the sign Jesus is the PROOF “SIGN-SIGN-EVERYWHERE A SIGN ….....” (1970 song from the Canadian FIVE MAN ELECTRICAL BAND) Jesus is the sign- Jesus is the proof And Pope Francis once said: “TRUE WISDOM Is the GRACE to see everything Through GOD'S EYES” I hope and PRAY That one day-WE ALL MAY BE So fortunate JESUS IS THE SIGN JESUS IS THE PROOF Amen, Robert P. Wallman July 17th, 2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Miguel Dulick

FINDING JOY IN SUFFERING

FINDING JOY IN SUFFERING I don't know anyone Who likes to SUFFER I certainly don't- Do you? BUT Jesus found JOY in suffering Because he was offering HIS LIFE up for others- FOR US And I think that That is the ONLY WAY- We can find JOY in it= Is offering up ourselves- OUR sufferings for others Saint Paul wrote: “Brothers and sister: NOW I rejoice In my suffering For your sake And in my flesh I am filling up What is lacking In the afflictions of Christ On behalf Of his body- Which is the CHURCH ….....” Colossians 1:24 FIND joy in suffering OFFER it up for God Offer it up for others And a UNIFIED CHURCH in Christ Jesus The world tells us Our goal in life Should be happiness And we find that happiness In money and materialism- In sex-and in having a perfect body NOTHING could be Further from the truth For All these kinds of happiness Are fleeting We can only find true happiness- TRUE JOY=in FINDING GOD In finding Jesus Nowhere else “You make known to me The PATH OF LIFE You fill me with JOY In your presence With eternal pleasures At your right hand” Psalm 16:11 “The prospect Of the righteous is JOY But the HOPES of the wicked Come to nothing” Proverbs 10:28 A few hundred years later Saint Francis of Assisi Came along He spoke to His companion=Brother Leo “PERFECT JOY-is-upon REACHING their destination- IS to be rejected-called names-beaten and tossed aside And to bear it all And be JOINED With the sufferings of Christ” That would be PERFECT JOY For Saint Francis A bit extreme To say the least BUT we should ALWAYS Offer up our sufferings to God For the sake of others I have always done so=SINCE Being besieged by intense Chronic pain since the age of 22 “NOW if we are children- Then we are heirs- Heirs of God And co-heirs of Christ IF indeed We share in his sufferings In order That we may also SHARE in his glory” Romans 8:17 UNITE your sufferings With God and Jesus For the sake of OTHERS There is NO other way TO FIND JOY IN SUFFERING In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 7-16-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Amy Welborn

GOD DOES INDEED CARE

GOD DOES INDEED CARE For the umpteenth time recently We had an INTERNATIONAL TRAGEDY Due to terrorism=this time in France WHEN things like this happen Or when things go wrong In your personal life Does it ever cause you to ask- WHERE IS GOD? Or does God even care? “Why-O Lord- do you stand aloof? Why hide in times of distress?” Psalm 10:1 GOD made Adam and Eve FREE of sin But with free will They CHOSE sin over the righteous works Of God Nevertheless he gave them another chance And he gives us-the rest of us human beings CHANCE AFTER CHANCE To get it right God LOVES us infinitely And he really does indeed CARE FOR US “Lord-what are human beings- That you care for them Mere mortals That you think of them?” Psalm 144:3 “The RIGHTEOUS care about JUSTICE for the poor But the wicked Have no such concern” Proverbs 29:7 And who of us Is more righteous than God (No one) He(God) really does Indeed CARE And he LOVES US Until our last breath When I see world suffering Like that of which Is currently going on And when I face PERSONAL SUFFERING (Health-money-and relationship problems) And FEEL a sense of hopelessness Because of ALL the hatred and violence In the world I wonder WHERE God is I wonder if God really Does care But it's NOT GOD Who is indifferent and violent In this world It's us God made you and me OUT OF LOVE And we were PUT here To make a POSITIVE difference In this world GOD IS RIGHTEOUS And we were put here To LIVE LIVES of hope- LIVES of FAITH- And lives of love and kindness NOT the desperate violent lives MANY of us are living today “SURELY-Lord You BLESS the righteous You surround them With your favor As with a shield” Psalm 5:12 “The wages of the righteous IS LIFE But the earnings of the wicked ARE sin and death” Proverbs 10:16 GOD REALLY DOES CARE! And the God I know Is all-LOVING GOOD WILL WIN in the end In this world I know that Just as surely as I know That Jesus Christ TRIUMPHED over the grave God CARES & LOVES He knows no other way Robert P. Wallman 7-15-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Teri Mifek

LIVE EACH MOMENT IN THE GRACE OF GOD

LIVE EACH MOMENT IN THE GRACE OF GOD Have you ever wondered How much TIME that you have To live? What would you do If God told you- You had 1 day-1 week- One month-or one year to live? Would you LIVE differently? I would bet that you would God gave me that WISDOM- That knowledge-WHEN-I was A very young man And ever since- I have tried to live each day Like it could be my last Life is OH SO FRAGILE- And you just never know How much TIME that you do have “When Hezekiah was mortally ill The prophet Isaiah-son of Amoz- Came and said to him: 'Thus says the Lord: PUT your house in order For you are about to die'” Isaiah 38:1 Hezekiah TURNED to God in PRAYER And his prayer was heard Isaiah assured him That he would have 15 more years Of life-and he did I have LIVED differently SINCE making my death bed PROMISE To God: “To LIVE for my family-friends-and ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE” That is almost 40 years ago now- And I CONTINUE to dedicate my life To God I continue to TRY and live EACH MOMENT In the GRACE of God And dedicate my life to God And to EACH OF YOU “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 “OUR DAYS May come to 70 years Or eighty If our strength endures Yet the best of them Are but trouble and sorrow For they quickly pass And we fly away” Psalm 90:10 The point is: OUR LIVES are finite LIVE each moment in love BUILD a lasting legacy OF LOVE Just like Jesus did Only on a SMALLER SCALE So what would you do IF you found out You had a year to live? HOW would you LIVE? I think I would continue To KEEP living the way That I have been living KEEP LOVING GOD And keep loving others Saint Ignatius of Loyola, said, “I would continue what I am Doing at the moment” Saint Charles Borromeo said, “I would keep playing cards” (For he was playing cards with the LORD) WELL-whatever we would do- Whatever we are doing- It does not matter As long as we are doing it WITH THE LORD OUR ordinary actions-though GRACE- Are made HOLY LIVE each moment- Like it is your LAST- And IN THE GRACE of God And you never will Have to worry Robert P. Wallman 7-14-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Father Martin Pable, O.F.M. Cap.

CARRYING ANOTHER'S BURDENS

CARRYING ANOTHER’S BURDENS Have you ever Tried to help another human being I mean really help someone NOT just giving lip service Whether it be family, friend Or a virtual stranger We ALL need help At one time or another It may be Because of health difficulties It may be Because of financial problems or obligations A lost job---mitigating circumstances Broken relationships within a family Or with a very close friend In any case We need help---we can’t do it alone Because we are fighting heavy battles And we are losing It may surprise you to know That OUR LORD knows this It wasn’t any different 2000 years ago Jesus saw this And with a compassionate loving heart He said, “Come to me All you who are weary and heavy burdened And I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you And learn from me For I am gentle and humble of heart And you will find rest For your souls For my yoke is easy And my burden is light” Matthew 11:28-30 A yoke is the instrument That binds 2 animals together Maybe you have So many problems That you feel You have nothing left To help someone else Maybe you have So many burdens That you feel Nothing and no one can help you I have some news for you Jesus can He carried The weight of the world Some 2000 years ago I thin he is quite capable Of carrying yours and my burdens We live In a world Full of selfishness Becoming more and more so Each day “What the world needs now Is love---sweet love It is the only thing That there is just too little of” from a song many years ago Tiredness of body---come to me Weakness of soul and spirit---come to me Jesus says, “Come to me Let me help you Carry your burdens” He can carry burdens And solve problems That we never can Maybe Burdens and problems that we Were never intended to carry Moses believed in God’s promises Abraham believed The Blessed Mother---Mary---believed “I am the Lord’s servant may it be done to me According to your Word” Luke 1:38 Do you believe Do I believe Your problems my be great My problems may be great They are NOT insurmountable “And we know That in all things God works for the good Of those who love him” Romans 8:28 Maybe we can’t Carry another’s burdens Maybe we can’t even Carry our own But God says---Christ says, “I can” He says, “Tie your yoke to me” He says the most appealing words Ever heard This side of paradise--- ---“COME TO ME” And you will find REST for your souls Robert P. Wallman 8-7-11 Inspired by the teaching of Father Leo Clifford O.F.M. Ps MISC. WITNESS 6-27-14 3-13-15 & 7-14-16

OPEN HONEST COMMUNICATION

OPEN HONEST COMMUNICATION The KEY to life=Both with God And with others is to have OPEN-HONEST-and sincere communication ALL relationships are based On COMMUNICATION You can't have a successful relationship If it isn't OPEN AND HONEST And another relationship key IS LISTENING “And they say, 'The Lord sees not- The God of Jacob perceives not' Understand-you senseless ones Among the people …..... Shall he who shaped The ear not hear? Or he who formed the eye Not see?'” Psalm 94:7-8, 9 LISTEN to God In openness and honesty RELATIONSHIPS are the key To life And for any relationship To be successful- It needs to be OPEN AND HONEST Listen to God Listen to others “LISTEN to my words-Lord- Consider my lament” Psalm 5:11 “The way of fools Seems right to them But the wise LISTEN TO ADVICE” Proverbs 12:15 “THEN a cloud appeared And covered them And a voice Came from the cloud: 'This is my SON Whom I love LISTEN TO HIM” Mark 9:7 Listen to God Listen to Jesus KEEP YOUR COMMUNICATION OPEN-honest-and sincere- And LOVING-forgiving-and KIND That's who God is That is who Jesus is WHEN I was in college ONE of my majors Was in Public Relations What Public relations is: “IS a planned effort- To INFLUENCE OPINION Through good character-responsible performance- BASED on a mutually satisfactory two-way communication” I am PROUD to be A BELIEVER in God and Jesus I am proud to be a believer In the qualities of God and Christ (Love-forgiveness-and KINDNESS) “The time has come,' he said 'The kingdom of God Has come near Repent and BELIEVE the good news'” Mark 1:15 I HOPE my actions and my words And my communication- IDENTIFIES me as a believer In God and Christ God knows me-HE CREATED ME- He knows my EVERY thought I HOPE I am OPEN and HONEST With God-and with you Robert P. Wallman 7-12-16

FIRM IN THE LOVE OF GOD Who do you trust? Who would you go to IF you were in dire need? What if you needed faith-hope-love And encouragement? What if your FAITH NEEEDED a boost? “UNLESS your faith is FIRM You shall not be firm” Isaiah 7:9 Are you polished In your faith? Are you STANDING FIRM in the LOVE OF GOD? People these days Talk a lot about BEING SECURE= Financially-our armed forces-and Technological expertise This is all great But WHEN I think about people And security The people that are MOST FIRM Are those that are FIRM IN FAITH They are firm people They are secure people And their faith has HELPED them ENDURE many trials And endure the tests of time They are firm in their faith They are firm In their LOVE OF GOD (And of others) “The Lord makes FIRM The steps Of the one Who DELIGHTS in him” Psalm 37:23 “When the storm Has swept by The wicked are gone But the righteous Stand firm FOREVER” Proverbs 10:25 We BELIEVERS-are firm In our LOVE of God And HE(God) WILL love us Until the end of time “Stand firm And you will WIN LIFE” Luke 21:19 I have gone to God When in NEED of help I have gone to FAMILY and friends They have never let me down STAND FIRM-in your love- Of God-and of others What makes people STRONG Is their FAITH- Their faith in God And their faith in family- And our faith in each other They are INSEPARABLE in their faith From God and Christ Their faith in God Is FIRM Their faith has been HONED AND POLISHED Over the years Through the deepest of suffering I should know I am a SURVIVOR too Through my STANDING FIRM In my faith in God and Christ And most of all-because- GOD'S LOVE for me “IF you do not STAND FIRM in your faith You will not stand at all” Isaiah 7:9 “By faith- In the name of Jesus This man whom you see And know was made STRONG It is JESUS' name and the faith That comes though him That has COMPLETELY HEALED him As you can ALL SEE” Acts 3:16 MIRACLES come from STANDING FIRM in your Love for God- Standing firm- In your LOVE FOR Jesus Stay committed to God in prayer and charity STAND FIRM in your love Who knows WHERE AND WHEN Our next miracle is coming from? Robert P. Wallman 7-11-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Mary Marrocco

THE GIVING OF OUR HEARTS

THE GIVING OF OUR HEARTS While it is true That we cannot save ourselves- That God SAVED us through The sacrifice of Son Jesus Christ And that we CANNOT save ourselves By doing good We STILL need to GIVE ALL That we can from our hearts And do all the GOOD That we can For all the people that we can As OFTEN as we can “CEASE doing evil- Learn to do good” Isaiah 1:16-17 Religious traditions- mean a lot To the various religions But DOING GOOD for others Is what is ALL IMPORTANT What is easier- To recite a certain prayer- Or be a person of INTEGRITY? What is easier-to burn incense-or- To do selfless deeds? WHILE religious rituals and traditions Have their place-what God wants is The GIVING OF OURSELVES- And the giving of OUR HEARTS GIVE ALL of yourself-time-money-talent Back to God- And back to others “All day long He craves for more But the righteous GIVE without sparing” Proverbs 21:26 “FREELY you have received- FREELY GIVE” Matthew 10:8 “Each of you should give What you have DECIDED In your heart-to give NOT reluctantly-or under compulsion For God LOVES A cheerful giver” 2 Corinthians 9:7 Jesus-our model- SET the example for us He gave EVERYTHING he had For us-our of his heart- Physically-mentally-and spiritually We are to give ALL we have too- To God-and to others- Physically-mentally-and spiritually Just like Jesus- From the GIVING of our heart The most FAMOUS EXAMPLE Of giving-in the new testament- Other than Jesus himself Is seen in-the parable- Of the widow's mite The widow puts in her last two coins Into the collection basket And Jesus said, “TRULY I tell you,' he said “This poor widow Put in MORE Than all the others ALL these people GAVE their gifts out of their surplus But she out of her POVERTY Put in all she had To live on” Luke 21:3-4 The least we can do IS FOLLOW Jesus; and follow the widow GIVE ALL we have for God Give all we have for others (Materially-spiritually-and emotionally) Dear Jesus-dear GOD OF LOVE Help us to live WITH A GIVING HEART And GIVE all that we have FOR OTHERS In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 7-10-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.

DISCOVERING GOD'S WILL FOR US

DISCOVERING GOD'S WILL FOR US God has a PLAN For each and everyone Of our lives The problem with us humans Is that we DON'T want To accept it We have our OWN PLANS for our lives-and- We want to do things OUR OWN WAY “(The command I give you) is something Very near to you Already in your mouths And in your own HEARTS” Deuteronomy 30:14 So WHAT does God DESIRE For you and for me? The readings of today HELP US answer the question- ONE thing I know for sure Is that he wants us to do it- HIS WAY- With his qualities and characteristics He doesn't want us saying- Or BELIEVING-like the old Frank Sinatra song- “I DID IT MY WAY” “TEACH me your way-Lord- That I may RELY On your faithfulness Give me an UNDIVIDED HEART That I may fear your name” Psalm 86:11 “In all your ways SUBMIT to him And he will Make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:6 “No temptation Has overtaken you EXCEPT what is common To mankind And God is FAITHFUL He will NOT let you Be tempted-beyond- What you can bear- But WHEN you are tempted He will always PROVIDE a way out So that you CAN endure it” 1 Corinthians 10:13 God's WILL for us Is ALWAYS in our hearts And is always in The SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES Of our life Jesus is our example HE is the very (“IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD”) Colossians 1:15 And we ONLY have to look At his every day teachings To discern his will for us DO IT GOD'S WAY And you will be SUCCESSFUL With your life TRY to do it your own way And you will not make it As I have found out-the HARD way- Over and over again FOLLOW the path GOD puts you on-and- And you will be on the RIGHT way For your life “You make known to me The PATH OF LIFE You will fill me With joy in your PRESENCE With eternal pleasure At your right hand” Psalm 16:11 In today's reading We read about the GOOD SAMARITAN And his COMPASSION for a stranger Life is about putting God And others ABOVE OURSELVES It is about HELPING OTHERS in need It is about having COMPASSION For every human being In this world=and LOVE That is what GOD'S WILL IS For you-for me- And everyone of us Dear Lord and GLORIOUS GOD PLEASE FILL our hearts with compassion FOR ALL In Jesus' name, Robert P. Wallman 7-09-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.

In GOD'S LOVING CARE

IN GOD'S LOVING CARE God CARES for us For you and for me In fact-HE LOVES US- So much--- That he sent his ONLY Son To live and die for us To conquer death-and RESURRECT In life-yet again Yet we don't get it We not only don't get it enough To love each other-but we don't even act As though we LOVE God- Who CARES for us- With an infinite love “Are not two sparrows Sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them Falls to the ground Without your Father's knowledge …..... So do not be afraid You are worth MORE Than many sparrows” Matthew 10:29, 31 God loves every living thing He made EVERY living creature And he cares for and loves us all “What is mankind That you are mindful Of them HUMAN BEINGS That you CARE for them?” Psalm 8:4 “The righteous CARE For the needs of Their animals But the kindest acts Of the wicked are cruel” Proverbs 12:10 WE-are all God's creatures -ALL human beings ARE in God's care Are in God's love God is the CREATOR Of all living things And CARES about his creatures If he can care about The little sparrow Sitting right there On the porch railing Just think about how much more He CARES about us WE ARE in God's loving care “EVEN the sparrow Has found a HOME And the swallow A nest for herself Where she may Have her young- A place near your altar Lord Almighty My King and my God” Psalm 84:3 We need NOT worry About anything We need not worry We-us-human beings And ALL living creatures ARE in God's loving care “So GOD CREATED mankind In his own image In the IMAGE of God He created them Male and female he created them” Genesis 1:27 “LOOK at the birds Of the air They do not sow or reap Or store away in barns And yet your heavenly Father feeds them Are you not Much more VALUABLE than they Can any one of you By worrying Add a single hour To your lives?” Matthew 6:26-27 WHY should we ever worry? GOD created us-and we are his HE will LOVE AND CARE for us UNTIL THE END OF TIME Robert P. Wallman 7-8-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Patricia Livingston

DON'T WORRY=WE HAVE THE SPIRIT

DON'T WORRY- WE HAVE THE SPIRIT Do you ever worry? WORRY about things NOT in your control? I do-I am sure you do too- If we don't- We are not human BUT we need not worry= Not really anyway God=OUR loving-gentle-kind CREATOR Has it all under control And he wants What is BEST for us In the long run Besides=we have GOD'S own Spirit THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVING inside of us “........do not worry About how you are to speak Or WHAT you are to say ….....for it will not be you Who will speak But the SPIRIT of your Father Speaking through you” Matthew 10:19-20 So wee need NOT worry About our words-Or even our actions God's own LIVING SPIRIT Is living in us Do you ever worry About WHAT you are going to say In certain situations? DON'T-we have God the FATHER'S Own Spirit=speaking through us “TEACH me To do your will For you are my God Lead me On level ground” Psalm 143:10 “God is spirit And his worshipers MUST worship In the Spirit and in truth” John 4:24 “And so he condemned sin In the flesh In order that the righteous requirement Of the law Might be FULLY met In us Who do not love According to the flesh But according to the Spirit” Romans 8:4 Do not worry-about anything We have the SPIRIT OF GOD Living in us He-the spirit-will Tell us What to say He will tell us What to do We are GOD'S MESSENGERS And we are charged with BRINGING the Spirit of God -ALIVE-to others In this world This world- WHERE so many of us Shun God-and shun The Spirit of God But we need not worry We can do it We have God's own qualities Living in us- HIS messengers of today “But the fruit of the Spirit Is love-joy-peace- Forbearance-kindness-goodness- Faithfulness-gentleness-and self-control Against such things There is no law” Galatians 5:22-23 Dear Lord-Dear HOLY SPIRIT- We profoundly proclaim your message In today's world WITHOUT WORRY- For we have the Father's own And Jesus' own Spirit LIVING WITHIN US Robert P. Wallman 7-8-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Terence Hegarty

DEPENDING ON GOD'S WORD

DEPENDING ON GOD'S WORD (commissioned to SPREAD the word) In first century Judea When people traveled They often depended On the HOSPITALITY of others I still do today And my family and friends Have ALWAYS come through for me “Do NOT take gold-or silver- Or copper-for your belts No sack for the journey Or a second tunic- Or sandals-or walking stick” Matthew 10:9-10 How many of us Would leave home On a trip today Without luggage-some money- And a reservation To stay somewhere Or at least having arranged To stay with family or friends- I would dare say- NONE of us I think Jesus is basically telling us That we don't need anything But the WORD of God To SURVIVE Everything else WILL take care of itself We are COMMISSIONED by God- With his word “I have hidden your word In my heart That I might not sin Against you” Psalm 119:11 “EVERY word of God is flawless He is a SHIELD To those Who take REFUGE in him” Proverbs 30:5 “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 We are all DEPENDENT On the word of God We are all Commissioned by God To SPREAD the word- Just as surely-as his own Son- Jesus was Jesus tells his disciples To take NOTHING But the clothes on their back A little extreme By today's standards But I am SURE You get the point Their MISSION-our mission Is to take GOD'S WORDS To a world DESPERATE FOR HOPE A world desperate to HEAR God's words- And the HOPE that they bring “You KNOW the message- God sent to the people of Israel Announcing the GOOD NEWS Of PEACE through Jesus Christ Who is Lord of ALL” Acts 10:36 And that is our message He sends THROUGH US today The simple message of LOVE-peace- Mercy-and forgiveness So we struggle To bring the CHRISTIAN MESSAGE To the world With or without clothes on our back With or without money in our pocket And with or without our canes Or walking sticks We are COMMISSIONED by God And by Jesus To BRING their words to a hurting world And that is all that Really matters In Jesus' name, Robert P. Wallman 7-6-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Paul Pennick

OPEN UP YOUR HEARTS

OPEN UP YOUR HEARTS (To God and others) WE LIVE in a tough TOUGH world And the people I am Running into- Are getting tougher By the day And living with CLOSED and hardened hearts In early spring Farmers till the soil It is a process That is especially helpful In removing weeds And unwanted roots Tilling breaks up the ground So that it will be More RECEPTIVE To whatever is planted And will help bring A NEW HARVEST “BREAK UP yourselves A new field For it is time To SEEK the Lord ….....” Hosea 10:12 Just like in tilling And in the breaking up Of the ground We NEED to break up Our hardened hearts We need to: “BREAK UP for ourselves A new field” So that we can SEEK GOD- And find God LIVING beneath The hardness of our own hearts OPEN UP your hearts To God Open up your hearts-FOR OTHERS- My dear friends We need to CREATE A brand new harvest There is NO ROOM Within us-for a LOVING SPIRIT- If we have a hardened heart “CREATE in me A PURE HEART-O God- And renew a steadfast spirit Within me” Psalm 51:10 “A CHEERFUL HEART Is good medicine But a crushed spirit Dries up the bones” Proverbs 18:22 Till that soil In your heart There is NO room To grow in life To grow in SPIRIT With a hardened heart OPEN UP your hearts To God Open up your hearts For others The HARVEST is ready “Then he said To his disciples: 'The harvest is plentiful But the workers are few ASK the Lord of the harvest Therefore-to send out workers Into his harvest field” Matthew 9:37-38 Dear Lord- HELP us to overcome The hardness of the heart Help us to overcome The weeds and the roots Standing in our way Dear Lord-we pray For an OPEN HEART To you and for others And we pray for GROWTH In the life of the SPIRIT As we pray for the harvest And CULTIVATION of ALL human hearts- To you and to LOVE In Jesus' name, Robert P. Wallman 7-6-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sister Chris Koellhoffer, I.H.M.

A LOST AND HURTING WORLD

A LOST AND HURTING WORLD We live in a LOST And in a hurting world WHERE almost everyone is Lost to something Putting something or someone ABOVE God and Jesus FORTUNATELY for us We DO have God- And Particularly Jesus And fortunately The world had God and Jesus 2,000 years ago too He-THEY make all the difference For us-in this world “At the sight Of the crowds- His heart was moved With pity for them Because they were troubled And abandoned LIKE sheep without a shepherd” Matthew 9:36 And isn't that the way we FEEL Sometimes today-too LOST AND ABANDONED Lost and abandoned in this Cold-cruel world But Jesus looks at us With pity too-and-HELPS US From lost-hurt-and abandoned To HEALED EMOTIONALLY Just the way he helped healed ALL those physically-all those years ago “Lord-my God I called to you For HELP And you HEALED me” Psalm 30:2 “He himself Bore our sins In his body On the cross So that we might Die to sins And LIVE for righteousness By his wounds You have been HEALED For you were like sheep Going astray But now you have RETURNED to the SHEPHERD And OVERSEER of your souls” 1 Peter 2:24-25 Jesus came to SAVE the lost You and me NOT those that already Had found God Luke 15-is ONE of my FAVORITE readings- About one lost sheep-one lost coin And one lost son IN SEARCH of his LOVING Father That is who Jesus came for- For ALL of us For we are all lost- To a certain degree “REJOICE with me- I have found my lost sheep” Luke 15:6 “Rejoice with me I have found my lost coin” Luke 15:9 “'For this son of mine was dead And is ALIVE again He was lost and is found' So they began to CELEBRATE” Luke 15:24 The bible story THIS bible lesson IS our story God LOOKS upon us Jesus looks upon us As He did the world 2,000 years ago And he wants to move us From lost into found He looks upon us in pity And he moves us From lost and hurting To HEALED What a KIND-GENTLE-LOVING- And forgiving SHEPHERD That we do have Robert P. Wallman 7-4-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Father James McKARNS

THE COST OF FREEDOM

THE COST OF FREEDOM The great singer/songwriter Kris Kristofferson Wrote the song “ME AND BOBBY McGEE” Along with Fred Foster In that song They wrote the line: “FREEDOM'S JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE........” To put it another way- WHEN we've lost everything- Physically-spiritually-and emotionally- We have EVERYTHING to gain And so on this INDEPENDENCE DAY This 4th of July I am looking at ALL I have gained from The SACRIFICES of my GOD- My Lord and savior Jesus Christ The great sacrifices of the military Men and women Who have SACRIFICED ALL for me So I can live freely In the greatest country That ever existed And my family and friends And churches That have GIVEN me a chance At life THANK YOU LORD Thank you military Thank you MY family and friends For ALLOWING me to be Physically-emotionally-and SPIRITUALLY well “I walk about in FREEDOM For I have sought out Your precepts” Psalm 119:45 “To the Jews Who had believed in him, Jesus said, 'IF you hold To my teaching You are really My disciples THEN you will know The truth-and The truth WILL set you FREE'” John 8:31-32 “........And from Jesus Christ Who is the faithful WITNESS The firstborn of the dead And the ruler of the kings On the earth To him who LOVES US And has FREED US From our sins By his blood ….....” Revelation 1:5 And so I THANK my God My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ For SPIRITUAL FREEDOM The soldiers For my physical freedom- And my family-friends- And churches For MAKING sacrifices for me So THANK YOU ALL For paying the price Paying for THE COST OF FREEDOM It is high time We all RECOGNIZE There is a COST That there is a PRICE For freedom “The beginning of wisdom Is this: GET WISDOM Though it COST all you have Get understanding” Proverbs 4:7 So I thank you- For allowing me to BE FREE Because you have LOST all Because you gave and give all I HAVE GAINED ALL I LOVE YOU! Happy Independence Day- And 4th of July Robert P. Wallman 7-3-16

THE OLE' FLAG by Sean Morris

THE OLE’ FLAG By Sean Morris -posted with his permission It’s gotten a bit frayed now Its cotton culler’s faded see, Aroun’ the edges, ah, well Guess it’s a lot like me. It’s been in the dooryard nigh’ on Four generations, Lord knows, Attached to the Ole Pole awavin’ Any way the wind blows. The Ole’ Flag can still bring on A glow of emotion, a sigh When it snaps to an’ stretches out Like cloth pinned to the sky. Its culler’s once were carried with pride Aroun’ the world just ‘bout everywhere In theatres of war where heroes died So that others would breathe free air. I’ve seen it in the sunrise Sil’vry dew hung on the bars, An’ against the golden sunset That bursts into blindin’ stars. The Ole’ Flag, how proud it flies Yet half-mast would befit it best, When this last ol’e soldier dies An’ goes to his LONG rest Sean Morris 1-26-09

Doubt

WITNESS 4-7-13 DOUBT Are you like me Do you ever have a little Just a tinge of doubt That God is alive Living in today’s world Living in you And Living in me Do we Have to be Like the great Saint Thomas Do we need to see To believe Doubts doubts Why should we have them The Lord Has always come through He came through For Abraham and Sarah He brought them a baby Even though Sarah was about 92 Doubts doubts No reason to have them God has always come through Just continue To hang on to your faith And he will come through For you too He came through for Moses Parted the Red Sea Even though Moses never lived to see it Joshua and his people Inherited the Promised Land Doubts doubts No reason to have them You have to know With a little faith God will always come through Thomas said, “Unless I see the nail marks In his hands and put my finger Where the nails were And put my hand in his side I will not believe it’ So Dear Lord We ask you To replace our doubt With faith And not to ask to see To believe But we know Like Thomas That that is what it will take For some of us to believe A week later Jesus appeared again Thomas was there this time Jesus said, “Thomas put your finger here ---see my hands Reach out your hand and put it into my side Stop doubting and believe” Seeing is believing For most of us But for some of us It just takes A little faith God has always come through Robert P. Wallman March 1st, 2011 Ps WITNESS 4-7-13 “Immediately-Jesus reached out his hand and caught him- “You of little faith”-he said-“why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31 ( Jesus to Peter after he FAILED to walk on the water ) “Have FAITH in God,” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth-if anyone says to this Mountain-‘Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not DOUBT in his heart-but BELIEVES what he says will happen-it will be DONE for him.” Mark 21:22-23 ( about Jesus the withered fig tree) “BE MERCIFUL to those who DOUBT-snatch others from the fire and save them To others show mercy mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by Corrupted flesh” Jude :22 MISC WITNESS 7-16-14 3-15-15 & 7-3-16(the FEAST day of Saint Thomas)

ACCEPTING THE TRUTH

ACCEPTING THE TRUTH The truth can be TOUGH to deal with And the truth is NONE of us are perfect Not you-not me Not any of us We don't want to admit it- But no matter how GOOD of people That we are- We still create problems For others- Even if it is totally inadvertent “The way of TRUTH I have chosen I have set your ordinances Before me” Psalm 119:30 We can HURT others In a variety of ways NO MATTER how hard We try not to- Because we are NOT PERFECT Even if it is just from consumption And pollution But there is Also GOOD NEWS The good news that God is all good- ALL KIND-and all MERCIFUL God is perfect He is all OBJECTIVE TRUTH “The one Whose walk is blameless Who does What is righteous Who SPEAKS the truth From their heart” Psalm 15:2 “An HONEST witness Tells the truth But a false witness-tells lies” Proverbs 22:17 “For the law Was given through Moses Grace and truth Came through Jesus Christ No one Has ever seen God But the one And only SON Who is himself God And is in closest relationship With the Father Has made him known” John1:17-18 ACCEPT THE TRUTH The truth is God And the truth is seen In the person of Jesus Nowhere else It is true That none of us are perfect But through the GRACE Of God We can CHANGE To be better people Than we ever have been before FORTUNATELY for us-our God- Is nothing if not MERCIFUL And transforms us and creates us Into people who can SHARE GOD'S MERCY With a hurting world ACCEPT THE TRUTH We CAN make a difference “The Lord is compassionate And gracious SLOW to anger ABOUNDING in love” Psalm 103:8 Dear lord= We know that you are ALL truth We know= That you are all MERCY Help us to ACCEPT THE TRUTH That we are not perfect- And still TRY to live like you In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman July 1st, 2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Julia Walsh, F.S.P.A.

THE VISION OF GOD FOR THE WORLD

THE VISION OF GOD FOR THE WORLD OUR GOD is nothing If not a just God He wants what is FAIR For you-for me- And for the ENTIRE world He also wants this world To regularly put him As number ONE-which- Unfortunately-we rarely do “OFF with you, visionary........” Amos 7:12 In the readings of today Amos-warns of a future overthrow Of the unjust king And the captivity of the Israelites- Due to their immoral lives God hates INJUSTICE- So do I-as I think most all Of us do “Now let The fear of the Lord Be on you Judge carefully For with the Lord our God There is NO INJUSTICE Or partiality-or bribery” 2 Chronicles 19:7 “The Lord is known By his acts of JUSTICE The wicked are ensnared By the work of their hands” Psalm 9:16 “When justice is done It brings JOY to the righteous But terror to evildoers” Proverbs 21:15 God has sent prophets- Visionaries-since the beginning of time Amos-for instance- Was expelled from the country But what about today? WHO does God sent today-and- What does he say? Pope Francis is one Of those prophets And he speaks often- About the UNJUST DISPARITY- Of wealth in our world Like Amos-the POPE- Challenges us to change Bu that about God-what Does he say in the bible? “PEOPLE-despite their wealth- Do NOT endure They are like beasts That perish” Psalm 49:12 “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 Pope Francis INSISTS That ALL people deserve RESPECT-freedom-and a home With the basic necessities of life I couldn't agree more I just wish we could bring- GOD'S VISION-of a JUST WORLD to everyone For everyone is SPECIAL- And a CHILD OF GOD In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 6-30-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sister Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.