TRULY BEING HUMBLE

TRULY BEING HUMBLE Are you truly A humble person? BEFORE you answer Think about What being humble truly means Being humble means: “Having or showing A modest or low estimate Of one's own importance” And some of the synonymous words Listed are: “Deferential-respectful-self-effacing- And unassertive” I do not think it means We are nothing Or even that We should think we are nothing I would like to zero in On TWO words: modest and respectful “Jesus said, For everyone Who exalts himself Will be humbled But the one Who humbles himself Will be exalted” Luke 14:11 In this me-first #1-selfish culture That we live in WE could learn A thing from Jesus' comments About TRULY BEING HUMBLE IF you are To be EXALTED Let God or others' Do it for you We already have enough of people In this world TELLING US How great they are “He guides the humble In what is RIGHT And teaches them his way” Psalm 25:9 “He mocks proud mockers But SHOWS FAVOR To the humble and oppressed” Proverbs 3:34 “BUT he gives us MORE GRACE- This is WHY Scripture says: God opposes the proud But shows favor to the HUMBLE” James 4:6 To me- Jesus is the MOST HUMBLE man Whoever lived (And he was God) And Jesus invites us To EMBRACE the truth About ourselves Jesus is simply saying: “KNOW who you are” He is saying If you have a gift or talent ACKNOWEDGE it He is not saying NOT to pretend As if you don't have that talent But he Jesus/God Is also saying Acknowledge those Who have a greater talent Than your own Know who you are And be TRULY HUMBLE about it For first and foremost You are: A CHILD OF GOD “So in Christ Jesus You are all Children of God THROUGH FAITH” Galatians 3:16 Truly being humble Is an easy thing WHEN you realize You are a child of God And how truly SUPERIOR God is to all of us And WHEN you realize- There is ALWAYS SOMEONE- Richer-better-looking-nicer-kinder- and a better person than you are At that point TRULY BEING HUMBLE Is NOT such a difficult task In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 10-30-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Mitch Finley

GOD LOVES EVERY LIVING THING!

GOD LOVES EVERY LIVING THING! GOD LOVES every living thing- So DOES his Son Jesus That is WHY Jesus came- Took the cross to show us That LIFE is so important That life-THAT the love of God REIGNS over everything “Before the Lord The WHOLE UNIVERSE Is as a grain from a balance Or a drop of morning dew Come DOWN upon the earth But you have MERCY ON ALL.........” Wisdom 11:22-23 That is why-it AMUSES me so much These religions-that promote Death or violence You/THEY could NOT be further From the truth And promoting anti-abortion=with violence Or death=is kind of ironic- Don't you think? God is ABOUT LIFE- In every circumstance God is about LOVE In every circumstance And GOD is about MERCY For us ALL For EVERY living thing It IS about a personal relationship With God It is about a personal relationship With Jesus It is ABOUT LOVE & MERCY At all times NOT about violence and death NOTHING is more foreign to God Than that The old group=THE BELLAMY BROTHERS Wrote a song in 1976=I believe-called- “LET YOUR LOVE FLOW” And some of the lyrics to it GO something like this: “LET your love flow Like a bird on a wing And let your love BIND YOU To ALL living things And let your love shine And you'll KNOW what I mean THAT'S THE REASON” YES-God wants LIFE For us all Yes-God wants love for For us all God WANTS MERCY for and gives mercy To us all God wants us to live In total HARMONY-with one another “Then the Lord God FORMED a man From the dust of the ground And BREATHED into the nostrils The breath of life And the man Became a living being” Genesis 2:7 And of course he formed woman From the rib of man So we ARE ALL from one God We are all from one man WHY CAN'T we learn To get along In BOTH harmony and In mercy YES-God loves every LIVING BEING Every living thing I GIVE my life to God To Jesus-for ALL LIFE For all love For EVERY LIVING THING “And the PEACE OF GOD Which PASSETH all understanding Shall keep your hearts And minds through Jesus Christ” Philippians 4:7 So in this YEAR OF MERCY Let us love God Above all things Let us LOVE EACH OTHER And humanity Above all things Let us find life-find love-and PEACE-for ALL LIVING THINGS GOD DOES IT!-why can't we? PEACE to ALL OF YOU my dear friends- I LOVE YOU! Robert P. Wallman 10-29-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Jessica Mesman Griffith I DEDICATE my life to ALL LIFE -rpw

CHRIST IS MAGNIFIED IN YOU AND ME

CHRIST IS MAGNIFIED IN YOU AND ME IF we are living our lives right OUR LIVES are being MAGNIFIED By God and Christ We should be SMALL examples Of the great life that Christ lived LOVE-forgiveness-and kindness should be Just RADIATING off of us So much so in fact- That other people should be asking, “What does that guy have,” or “What does that gal know That is making them LIVE LIVES like that?” We KNOW the teacher-Jesus- SHOW our lives-they should be just SMALL EXAMPLES of the one great life That he LIVED “.....with the boldness, NOW as always, CHRIST will be magnified In my body........” Philippians 1:20 YES Saint Paul had it right And he had it right WHEN he said/wrote: “For through the law I died to the law So that I might live FOR GOD I have been crucified With Christ And I no longer live But CHRIST LIVES IN ME The LIFE I now live in the BODY I live by FAITH In the SON OF GOD Who loved me And gave himself for me” Galatians 2:19-20 And John-his cousin-got it right When he said “HE must become greater I must become less” John 3:30 And so it is with us We must die to this world We must die to ourselves And we must CARRY our crosses In life So that Christ is MAGNIFIED in our lives Yes Christ is magnified In you and me And he-CHRIST-should be obvious In our lives And it shouldn't take a magnifying glass Or a telescope-to SEE CHRIST In us So I HOPE & PRAY That you CAN SEE God and Christ In me WHEN I prayed on my deathbed When I was 22=”to LIVE for My family-my friends-and ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE” They weren't just words They were the COMMITMENT of MY TOTAL LIFE to God and Christ CHRIST should be WRITTEN All over my heart-and all over yours=totally “I will give thanks To you Lord With all my HEART I will TELL Of all your wonderful deeds” Psalm 9;1 “Pay attention And turn your ear To the saying of the wise APPLY your heart To what I teach” Proverbs 22:17 So the question I ask Of you today is: HOW is Christ made more VISIBLE In your life? Is he? Are you ACCESSIBLE to God And others? RADIATE LOVE- Radiate forgiveness-and kindness BE HUMBLE- And FOLLOW Saint Paul And John the Baptist YOUR LIFE is MAGNIFIED By the life of Christ SEE that you MAGNIFY HIS LIFE With yours Robert P. Wallman 10-28-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Chris Koellhoffer, I.H.M.

ACTIVITY=TAKING QUIET MOMENTS ALONE

ACTIVITY=TAKING QUIET MOMENTS ALONE We LIVE in a Very active world We are ALWAYS doing something GOING here-going there-it almost Seems like we are doing something wrong IF we are not Doing something EVERY single moment Jesus was NOT like that He was always taking TIME alone To spend with his Father In prayer BEFORE every major decision In his life Maybe we should just TRY And FOLLOW him more-instead of Trying to FILL our lives up With activities Some activities are NOT even so important “Jesus went up to the mountain To PRAY- And spent the night In PRAYER to God” Luke 6:12 Taking some quiet time ALONE Jesus did-maybe- We should FOLLOW his example “He makes me lie down In green pastures He LEADS me BESIDE quiet waters” Psalm 23:2 “This is what The Sovereign Lord- the Holy ONE-of Israel says- 'In repentance and rest Is your salvation In QUIETNESS and trust Is your strength But you would have NONE of it'” Isaiah 30:15 FINDING our strength In quiet moments alone With our Father That is what Jesus did That is what we SHOULD do too OUR ACTIVITY in any given day Can be enough To EXHAUST most people These moments can become ADDICTIVE And take up most of our time But I doubt that living A TOTALLY active life Is TOTALLY self-fulfilling We NEED time ALONE With our Father-in prayer Just like Jesus To be TOTALLY REFRESHED For another day of life- With our God-and in love-alone- WITH OTHERS “I do wish-BROTHER- That I may have Some benefit from you In the Lord REFRESH my heart in Christ” Philemon :20 “A generous person Will prosper Whoever REFRESHES others Will be refreshed” Proverbs 11:25 TAKE some quiet moments Alone with God in PRAYERS And spend time alone With others IN PRAYER in love I DO this every day EVERY MORNING- I spend an hour each day With the Father IN PRAYER And once or twice a day I take some TIME To PRAY With someone-or for someone else It HELPS me stay grounded And to KNOW what is important in life= God=life=family & friends=and LOVE My friends-TAKE some TIME Out of your daily active life each day In prayer=with God and Jesus SPEND some time alone with them You will be GLAD that you did It WILL HELP YOU-to reflect On who and what you are And WHAT you are trying to ACCOMPLISH With your life In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 10-27-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Fr. James Stephen Behrens, O.C.S.O.

TALENT AND BOASTING

WITNESS 2-19-13 TALENT AND BOASTING We ALL have talent Some kind of talent Oh YES you do Oh yes I do And we are To use that talent Consider the parable of the talents Discussed in Matthew 25 “Again-it will be Like a man Going on a journey Who called his servants And entrusted his property to them To the one He gave five talents of money To another Two talents And to another one talent Each according to his ability Then he went On his journey” But this parable Is not about money It is About OUR relationship to God And to others The man who was given 5 Made five more The man who was given 2 Made two more And the one with 1 Dug a whole And buried his master’s money To the first two The master replied “Well done-good and faithful servant You have been faithful With a few things I will put you In charge of many things Come and share Your master’s happiness” And to the one Who buried his talent He said, “You wicked lazy servant So you know that I harvest Where I have not sown And gather Where I have not scattered seed Well then YOU should have put my money on deposit With the bankers So that when I returned I would have received it back With interest” Well I want To share in my master’s happiness And I Do not want to be called “wicked” and “lazy” HOW about you? And if I Am lucky enough To have any success I want to Boast ONLY in the Lord For ALL talent Comes from him “My soul will boast In the Lord Let the afflicted hear and rejoice” Psalm 34:2 I will NOT speak of my talent I will boast ONLY in the Lord “Therefore As it is written “Let him who boasts Boast in the Lord” 1 Corinthians 1:31 It is not I It is him (God) And it is NOT me It is we (all)-it is us “For it is by grace You have been saved Through FAITH-and this not from yourselves It is the GIFT OF GOD NOT by works So that NO ONE can boast For we are God’s workmanship Created in Christ Jesus To do good works Which God prepared In advance For us to do” 1 Corinthians 2:8-10 USE YOUR TALENT And remember It is not I or me But it is-it is-HIM AND US Robert P. Wallman 11-21-12 Ps WITNESS 2-19-13 and 10-27-16

THE WEAKNESS OF OUR WORLD AND THE MAJESTY OF GOD

THE WEAKNESS OF OUR WORLD-and- THE MAJESTY OF GOD Take a look AROUND our world And OBSERVE some of the weaknesses The violence-the murders=the child abuse= The social injustices BUT also take a look around And OBSERVE the MAJESTY=the miracles Of God-the miracle of life= BOTH YOURS and mine Our Lord KNEW BOTH= The cruelties of this world- Being born to an unwed mother- And the social injustices That went to Mary-and Joseph- And Jesus-and the family But also the MIRACLES of the FAMILY- The togetherness-the ONE FOR ALL= And ALL for one I COME from such a family How about you?- The FAMILY BORN out of LOVE-that can never be broken THAT REMAINS WHOLE Jesus-Mary-and Joseph PROVED THAT My family-my SISTERS and I= PROVE that too SO does your family In WHATEVER FORM it takes The FAMILY IS: The MAJESTY OF GOD “For behold-some are last-- WHO will be first And some are first Who will be last” Luke 13:30 “THROUGH the victories-you gave His glory is great You have bestowed on him SPLENDOR and MAJESTY” Psalm 21:5 “PEOPLE will flee to caves And to holes in the ground From the fearful presence Of the Lord And the splendor Of his majesty When he rises To shake the earth” Isaiah 2:19 Jesus-the GREATEST LIFE Whoever lived The greatest who ever will live Who conquered death And LIVES forever and ever Despite being born In a poor girl's womb And despite a life that ended With the scandal of the CROSS YES-someday The last will be first- And the first will be last There is HOPE for us all In this cruel world That we live in The Roman empire has gone OTHER empires have arisen They will come- And they will go But the life of Jesus Christ The WORDS of Jesus' life WILL LIVE forever and ever As will we=HIS SINCERE And genuine followers “Truly-I tell you- This generation Will certainly NOT pass away Until ALL these things-have happened Heaven and earth will pass away But MY WORDS Will never pass away” Matthew 24:35 “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 WE LIVE in a weak and cruel world- WHERE people like to BULLY one another FOLLOW God-follow Christ Be a believer-be a follower And you MAY wind up first You may LIVE FOREVER with God In God and JESUS' MAJESTY- LET IT BE! Robert P. Wallman 10-25-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Eve Tushnet

THINGS OF SUSTAINING VALUE

THINGS OF SUSTAINING VALUE One of the great challenges In writing about THINGS of God Is TRYING to describe things That are indescribable For example HOW do you describe What the KINGDOM OF GOD Is like? Or how do you describe GOD'S LOVE? Other than to say it is INFINITE “What is the KINGDOM of God like?..... It is like a mustard seed that..... Became a large bush.....it is like yeast …..” Luke 13:18, 19, 21 YES the KINGDOM of God Is like a mustard seed-and- Yeast-things of great sustaining value- JUST LIKE LOVE Yes-the mustard sees-about 1/20th of an inch Across-it is a traditional symbol of A very teeny thing Yet it grows into a large bush That houses birds And then there is yeast- It turns plain flour into Huge fluffy loaves of bread BUT it is GOD'S LOVE That really feeds us That really SUSTAINS US “Jesus answered, 'It is written: man shall NOT LIVE on bread alone But on every word That COMES from the mouth of God'” Matthew 4:4 It is the WORDS of God- The words of life and love That really sustains us GOD'S WORDS=goodness and FAITH Is what works in the KINGDOM Of God=it is what sustains us In life “TRUST in the Lord And do good Dwell in the land And enjoy safe pasture” Psalm 37:3 “Then you will win favor And a good name In the sight of God And man” Proverbs 3:4 Yes goodness-FAITH-and God's LOVE Are things of sustaining value In the Kingdom of God Jesus never created a MIRACLE Without someone having GREAT FAITH In him INCLUDING my own MIRACLE And my miracle of LIFE “He replied, 'Because you have so little faith Truly I tell you IF you have faith As SMALL as a mustard seed You can say to this mountain 'MOVE from here to there And it will move NOTHING will be impossible to you'” Matthew 17:21 And WHILE you are LIVING out of faith Out of goodness- Out of love Out of God and Jesus' miracles Of his Kingdom The things of SUSTAINING VALUE NOTHING will be impossible For God-and you-within the CONTEXT Of your own life “ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD” Mark 10:27 Robert P. Wallman 10-25-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Phil Fox Rose

THE WHISPERING WORDS OF LOVE AND MERCY

THE WHISPERING WORDS OF LOVE AND MERCY Do you feel guilt or shame Over anything? Are you carrying SOMETHING with you from your PAST? LET IT GO!-feel the LOVE & MERCY From God-from Jesus Many of us are CARRYING BURDENS From years ago-let God HELP you FEEL WHOLE AGAIN EMOTIONAL burdens can weigh Us down-and feeling angry or bitter About something-does us no good At all “He laid his hands on her- And she at once-stood up straight And GLORIFIED GOD” Luke 13:13 Jesus can HEAL YOU-no matter- What you are carrying- And no matter how long it has been He can HEAL YOU- In all ways-emotionally- Spiritually-and physically GOD'S WORDS=the whispering words OF GOD'S LOVE AND MERCY TODAY we read about A woman who has been CRIPPLED For 18 years=and Jesus HEALS her On the SABBATH day of all days “On a SABBATH-Jesus was teaching In one of the synagogues And a woman was there Who had been crippled by a spirit For eighteen years She was bent over And COULD NOT straighten up at all When Jesus saw her-he called Her forward-and said to her, 'Woman you are SET FREE From your infirmity'” Luke 13:10-12 Yes-God-Jesus-CAN HEAL-any time- ANYWHERE that he wants The WHISPERING words of LOVE AND MERCY=on the SABBATH DAY Or any other day “THEN he put his hands on her And IMMEDIATELY she straightened up And praised God” Luke 13:13 HEALING is GOD'S forte-Jesus' forte ALL it takes IS a little FAITH PART of the problem Is our limited awareness On the MANY WAYS Christ comes to us-to heal us He COMES to us THROUGH the words and touch of others He comes to us In our shame-he HELPS US In all the ways We NEED to be helped Dear Lord-help us ALWAYS Be available to your healing In ALL the days of the year EVEN on the SABBATH “The words of the reckless Pierce like swords But the tongue of the wise BRINGS HEALING” Proverbs 12:18 “Jesus went through Galilee Teaching in their synagogues PROCLAIMING the GOOD NEWS Of the kingdom And HEALING every disease and sickness Among the people” Matthew 4:23 Dear Lord=in this year OF MERCY- ALWAYS help us to open up And listen to YOUR WHISPERING WORDS OF LOVE AND MERCY In Jesus' name, Robert P. Wallman 10-23-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Terri Mifek

BETTER THAN THOU?

BETTER THAN THOU? The LAST thing In the world Jesus wants us To think=is that we are BETTER than somebody else Anyone else In today's reading=Jesus uses The illustration between the haughty Pharisee And the HUMBLE tax collector “........I thank you that I am NOT like the rest of humanity........” Luke 18:11 And the tax collector PRAYED: “God have MERCY on me, a sinner” Luke 18:13 -And would not even look up To heaven, as he struck his breast And isn't that the way IT IS For all of us-we are ALL sinners We all need GOD'S MERCY Our God-is an OBJECTIVE God- He treats us all the same And GIVES us all the same opportunity To LOVE him and to love each other (As well as to forgive each other-and- BE KIND to each other) Are you like the Pharisee? Do you FEEL that you are better Than others? Do you feel you are better- DESERVE MORE? MAYBE SO-there's probably A little bit of the Pharisee In all of us BE HUMBLE-just like God- Your Father Be humble-just like Jesus “He GUIDES the humble In what is right And teaches them his way” Psalm 25:8 “He mocks proud mockers But shows FAVOR To the HUMBLE and oppressed” Proverbs 3:34 The truth is I am NOT BETTER Than thou And you are not better Than me NO person is better than Anyone else In the KINGDOM of God We are all equal and OBJECTIVELY LOVED By the Lord our God UNFORTUNATELY for us-at one time- Or another in life-I think We all ACT like the PHARISEE I think we all think We should be TREATED better Than someone else BE HUMBLE-like the Lord LISTEN to how Jesus ENDS the parable- Between the Pharisee and the tax collector “I tell you That this man Rather than the other Went home JUSTIFIED before God For all those Who exalt themselves Will be humbled And those who humble themselves Will be exalted” Luke 18:14 NONE of us are better than another IN GOD'S WORLD- We ALL find our JUSTICE there “WHEN justice is done It brings JOY to the righteous But terror to evil doers” Proverbs 21:15 BETTER THAN THOU? NOT HARDLY Robert P. Wallman October 22, 1015 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.

WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN

WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN In 1981=there was a POPULAR book written- Called=”WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE” It was written by Rabbi Harold Kushner- And was dedicated to his 14-year-old son-Aaron Aaron had died in 1977 of An incurable genetic disease-progeria- It was a NEW YORK TIMES best seller In the nonfiction category I have NO IDEA why this terrible disease Happened to Aaron- Just as I have no idea- WHY any bad thing happens To anyone I do know-it is NOT a punishment For anything-and I do know BOTH good and bad things happen to Good and bad people-and people of ALL types WAIT it out=if bad things are happening= PRAY about it=it will turn around LISTEN to what Jesus said: “Sir-leave it for this year also And I will CULTIVTE the ground Around it-and fertilize it It nay bear FRUIT In the future” Luke 13:8-9 And listen to what Job said- He MAY have said it BEST- WHEN he was going through His misfortunes “Job replied, 'You are talking like A foolish woman Shall we accept GOOD from God And not trouble?' In all of this Job did not sin in what he said” Job 2:10 So good and bad-HAPPEN- to us all-and it has NOTHING to do with sin or punishment It is the CIRCUMSTANCES Of our life ALL we can do-is get CLOSER In our WALK with God And SHARE with God and Jesus=BOTH= The good and bad circumstances of our life So when bad things happen Get closer to God In your walk “I will walk about in FREEDOM For I Have sought out your precepts” Psalm 119:45 “Come-descendants of Jacob- Let us WALK in the LIGHT of the Lord” Isaiah 2:5 “BUT if we WALK in the light As he is the light We have FELLOWSHIP With one another And the blood of Jesus His SON PURIFIES US from all sin” 1 John 1:7 So WHY do bad things happen- Why do we get that awful health diagnosis? WHY do our finances fail? Why do our marriages and other Relationships fail? I can't answer that-and neither Can anyone else-ONLY GOD What I can TELL YOU is That Jesus is the CONSTANT GARDENER STICK with him and things will TURN AROUND THEY DID FOR ME When Jesus is OUR SOIL=we live IN Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 10-21-2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Miguel Dulick

FOR THE GREATER GOOD

FOR THE GREATER GOOD We are ALL on a journey Through life And we should TRY to live OUT OF UNITY AND PEACE For the GREATER GOOD EVERYONE is trying to go Somewhere in life And we should try to HELP ANOTHER LONG All of life is NOT a competition “........STRIVING to PRESERVE The unity of the spirit Through the BOND OF PEACE” Ephesians 4:3 Let us BUILD a world of unity and peace- For the greater good-and try to HELP each other along “How GOOD and pleasant it is When GOD'S PEOPLE live together IN UNITY” Psalm 133:1 “I have given them The GLORY you gave me That they may be ONE As we are one-I in them- And you in me- So that they may be brought To COMPLETE UNITY Then the world WILL KNOW that you sent me And have LOVED them Even as you have loved me” John17:22-23 It is God and Jesus That wants to UNITE US It is the devil That wants to divide And separate us In just a little OVER two weeks We COME TOGETHER For an election For the GREATER GOOD I PLEAD with the nation-our nation I plead for the world-our world That we COME TOGETHER-regardless Of who wins Let us COME TOGETHER For the greater good-FOR UNITY- Under our new leader For UNITY under God-ONE GOD- THE GOD OF LOVE It is EASY to be divisive In this world But it is not easy-to sublimate Our personal wishes And come together For the GREATER GOOD of our country And our world We are all FLAWED in one way Or another- Let us come together in unity For the common good “Taste and see That the Lord is GOOD BLESSED is the one Who takes refuge in him” Psalm 34:8 “WHOEVER seeks GOOD-finds favor But evil comes to one Who searches for it” Proverbs 11:27 Whoever we ELECT In two weeks LET US give them a chance We may FAIL in our humanity But let us strive “To PRESERVE the unity of the spirit Through the bond of peace” In the name of God And our Lord Jesus Christ WHO IS KING Robert P. Wallman 10-20-2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Jennifer Christ

TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE=OUR PASSPORT TO HEAVEN

TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE= OUR PASSPORT TO HEAVEN There was a song-awhile back- 1977 to be EXACT-called- “TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE” It was by an artist known As Eddie Money WHEN I think about that song- I think about MY Lord Jesus- And I think about my infant BAPTISM As a Catholic-and my sponsors And my REAFFIRMATION as an adult- NOT only as a Catholic-but with my other CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS ALL we really NEED to know about Baptism- Is that Jesus-even though HE was God- He had his cousin John BAPTIZE HIM- And talked about BEING BORN AGAIN In the FAITH Our BAPTISM is our chance=OUR TICKET= To heaven-if we work at our FAITH ALL of our lives “There is a baptism With which I must be baptized And how GREAT is all my anguish Until it is accomplished” Luke 12:50 Jesus came to the river Jordan From Galilee and John baptized him In the river Jordan And WHEN he was baptized And came out of the water Heaven OPENED UP-and- The Spirit of God came Down on him and said: “This is my Son Whom I love With here I am WELL PLEASED” Matthew 3:13-17 I STILL have my ORIGINAL Baptismal gown and cup But I think it is very important That we REAFFIRM Our faith as CATHOLICS and/or CHRISTIANS As adults WHEN we can-in fact- THINK & SPEAK for ourselves Jesus was an adult- WHEN he was baptized- Maybe he was ”BORN AGAIN” In the SPIRIT too (NOT that he needed to be) Jesus told Nicodemus “Very truly-I tell you NO MAN can see The kingdom of God Unless they are BORN AGAIN” John3:3 Yes Nicodemus-was confused As many of us all are But Jesus was TALKING about BEING BORN of the SPIRIT-not the flesh Which we all NEED to be as adults And Jesus will CARRY US All the way to HEAVEN If we build- A lifetime relationship with him TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE: OUR PASSPORT to heaven With God and Jesus “CARRY each other's burdens And in this way You will FULFILL The law of Christ” Galatians 6:2 And SO as we get baptized-and- FOLLOW our path with the Lord On this earth We should get ready To PUNCH our tickets to heaven= Two tickets to PARADISE With the Lord CARRYING each and everyone of us WITH HIM Robert P. Wallman 10-19-2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Father James McKarns My original BAPTISM was 2-6-1955-my mother and father's first anniversary= ONLY to be REAFFIRMED numerous times as an adult

AN INDOMITABLE SPIRIT=ON A MISSION FROM GOD

AN INDOMITABLE SPIRIT: ON A MISSION FROM GOD Our Lord Jesus was A man with an INDOMITABLE SPIRIT A man on a mission from God A MAN-on a MISSION FROM God He TRIUMPHED over all And so was Saint Paul and The other apostles And so are we “To me........this grace was given-to PREACH to the Gentiles- The inscrutable riches of Christ........” Ephesians 3:8 And Christ left his indomitable HOLY SPIRIT Behind for us-to CONTINUE his mission And the mission of the apostles of yesteryear We ARE to continue this mission We TOO are to have An INDOMITABLE spirit “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 ALL these qualities are left behind For us-from Jesus WHY shouldn't we Have an indomitable SPIRIT? Why should we be afraid? With qualities like these- Left behind for us-what- Can stop our mission? “The Lord is CLOSE To the brokenhearted And SAVES those Who are crushed In spirit” Psalm 34:18 “The SPIRIT of the Lord Will REST on him The Spirit of wisdom And understanding The Spirit of counsel And of might The SPIRIT of knowledge And fear of the Lord-” Isaiah 11:2 ANOTHER man who gave all For God was Isaac Jogues (And the NORTH AMERICAN martyrs) Who were killed For spreading the FAITH Jogues was CAPTURED by an Indian tribe Tortured-lost two fingers-and enslaved For more than a year Despite this-he TRIED to teach them THE FAITH OF GOD After his release- He returned to France He then RETURNED to the tribe MUCH to their surprise And they named him “THE INDOMITABLE ONE” He was tomahawked And decapitated Chances are-we will NEVER have to die for our faith But we will Have to LIVE for it With an indomitable SPIRIT Just like Christ-Saint Paul- The other apostles-and Isaac Jogues Whose feast it is today Our FAITH-our INDOMITABLE SPIRIT Is to be GRACE for others May your spirit-may YOUR MISSION For God-INSPIRE OTHERS Just as Christ himself did GIVE IT YOUR ALL! Robert P. Wallman 10-18-6 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti

A MAN CALLED LUKE

A MAN CALLED LUKE He is The only Gentile writer Among the 72 books of the Bible He was A Greek physician by trade A disciple of Saint Paul And his books include The Gospel of Saint Luke And the Acts of the Apostles The Gospel of Saint Luke was once called “The loveliest book in the world” Or/and “The most beautiful book ever written” Luke’s Gospel is considered the Gospel of women Because of Jesus’ passion to the women of Jerusalem Because of its emphasis On Mary---the birth of Jesus--- Her visit to her cousin Elizabeth Mary’s prayer of glorification to the Lord And her acceptance of God’s mission From the angel without hesitation “I am the Lord’s servant,” Said Mary to the angel “Let it be done to me according to your word” Luke knew That then, as now, We don’t understand this notion Of God’s unconditional love For us We just don’t understand The heart of God So Luke Gives us an historical account of Jesus’ life He teaches us About Jesus’ humanity He teaches us about Jesus’ public ministry Through his perfect compassion and forgiveness Through stories like The Good Samaritan, The Lost ( “Prodigal ) Son And the rich man and Lazarus Jesus understands our weakness So says Luke Jesus understands our temptations and our trials So says Luke He came to save both Jew and Gentile So says our Saint Luke He came for both the outcasts and the accepted He came To save both the poor and the rich He came for Both men and women He came for The free and the oppressed He came for Each and every one of us So says A man called Luke In “THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK EVER WRITTEN” Go ahead and read The book written by a physician and a gentile A book written by A MAN CALLED LUKE Robert P. Wallman 4-30-11 10-18-14 10-19-15 10-18-16

WISHING ONE ANOTHER PEACE

WISHING ONE ANOTHER PEACE WISHING one another peace is ONE Of the BEST and greatest things that WE can do It is SO IMPORTANT that it is DONE At every MASS and almost every SERVICE of every denomination EACH SUNDAY In fact-it is so IMPORTANT- That Christ WISHED us peace over and over Again in the NEW TESTAMENT “IF a peaceful person LIVES THERE Your PEACE will rest on him But if not-it will RETURN TO YOU” Luke 10:6 “Salt is good But if it loses its saltiness How can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves And BE at peace with each other” Mark 9:50 “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 TO 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 WHERE is the peace for One another In the 21st century? Certainly not on the streets- In the homes-and especially NOT In automobiles What if WHEN people Made a driving error Instead of swearing at them Or giving someone the finger We RESPONDED with a little prayer To ourselves-and said: “PEACE BE WITH YOU” Not only is WISHING PEACE to another A GIFT to the other person But it is a gift to ourselves- Since the COMPASSION expressed Can only make us MORE peaceful too Wishing peace to others-ONE-ON-ONE- Is a gift to society too- MAYBE it can help bring peace And the KINGDOM of God-closer- On a little larger scale Maybe the peace you wish To ONE PERSON May be PASSED on to another person By him and her-and on and on “The Lord gives strength To his people The Lord BLESSES His people-WITH PEACE” Psalm 29:11 “Deceit is in the hearts Of those who plot evil But those who PROMISE PEACE- HAVE JOY” Proverbs 12:20 “Let the PEACE of Christ RULE in your hearts Since as members of one body You were CALLED to peace- And BE THANKFUL” Colossians 3:15 I WISH you ALL PEACE The PEACE OF GOD and Christ Have a BLESSED DAY-and PEACE BE with you PASS IT ON........ Robert P. Wallman 10-17-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Aileen O'Donoghue

THE LASTING TREASURES OF OUR LIFE

THE LASTING TREASURES OF OUR LIFE Sooner or later-each-and EVERY one of us ARE-going to leave- This world The question IS: what are you Going to LEAVE behind? What do YOU want to leave behind? Something material-something eternal- GOOD feelings-bad feelings- HOW do you make people FEEL? Of course-Jesus left the CHURCH- Behind-for each and everyone of us- A LASTING TREASURE for sure “Thus will it be for the one Who STORES up treasure for himself But is NOT RICH In what MATTERS to God” Luke 12:21 A Protestant minister friend of mine Who is NOW gone himself ONCE told me “Bob-I have been with MANY people As they have died- And NOT one ever told me- I wish I would have made Another $million They inevitably say: I wish I would have LOVED My family more-my spouse- And my children'” Thanks for that Pastor Dave- I have NEVER forgotten my family- My extended family-my friends-or The Church of God and Christ THE LASTING TREASURES Of our lives=OUR FAMILY- And our FAITH Our music-our photographs-and Even our books NOT to mention our memories And HOW we may have INSPIRED OTHERS and How we made them FEEL “Do not store up For yourselves Treasures on earth WHERE moths and vermin destroy And where thieves break-in and steal But STORE UP for yourselves TREASURES IN HEAVEN Where moths and vermin DO NOT DESTROY And where thieves do NOT Break-in and steal For WHERE your TREASURE IS There you HEART will be also” Matthew 6:19-21 I do not have Much materially-to leave behind But I DOUBT That that is important What I do HAVE is my FAITH=my LOVE OF GOD=and MY LOVE for others Of which-I HOPE- That you have felt For if you haven't- felt my LOVE I haven't done my job Also today WE CELEBRATE- The feats of Saint Ignatius of Antioch- Who was executed- In Rome-for his FAITH IN CHRIST What he LEFT BEHIND Was his letters of JOY and of his COMPLETE TRUST IN CHRIST Something ETERNAL I hope and PRAY=the world KNOWS ME In the end=for my LOVE of God- my LOVE OF CHRIST-and my LOVE FOR ALL What do you want to be THE LASTING TREASURE OF YOUR LIFE? In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 10-16-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Amy Welborn

IN A MOSES STATE OF MIND

IN A MOSES STATE OF MIND Have you ever been in A state of mind WHERE you are mind and body tired- Where you are aching-brokenhearted- TASTING despair-and bereft of energy? I have been IN that state TOO MANY TIMES in my life But with God and the ENCOURAGEMENT Of my FAMILY and friends- I have MANAGED to go on And I manage to go on DEVOTING my life to God- I hope you do too So this was Moses'-state of mind As Joshua and the Israelites battled The Amalekites “Aaron and Hur supported his hands One on one side And one on the other So that his hands REMAINED STEADY Till sunset” Exodus 17:12 Joshua and the Israelites WON The battle-because of Moses-and HIS uprightness of his arms And isn't that LIKE our God-when We recall the moments that We COULDN'T GO ON Without the HELP and encouragement Of God-our parents-our sisters- Our friends Their drive-their encouragement- Their strength KEPT US and keep us MOVING FORWARD “You-Lord- Hear the desire- Of the afflicted You ENCOURAGE them And you listen To their cry” Psalm 10:17 “Judas and Silas- Who themselves were prophets- Said MUCH to encourage and strengthen The BELIEVERS” Acts 15:32 And that may be OUR CALLING too IF we don't have the physical strength To get the job done ourselves To ENCOURAGE and STREGTHEN others In their RACE FOR GOD So that we CAN ALL- WIN the race-and-BUILD A world that is MORE PLEASING TO GOD How about you? Are you in A MOSES STATE OF MIND- Tires-brokenhearted-in despair- BEREFT OF ENERGY? GIVE THANKS to our God Give thanks to the ONE Who NEVER fails to gather us In the arms of LOVE AND MERCY And HOLD you there It is also TIME to give thanks To those who give us GENTLE ENCOURAGEMENT Who tells us that we are beautiful That we are smart At the times We MOST NEED to hear it So thank you Lord For your strength and DIVINE ENCOURAGEMENT And thank you to the others- Who have HELD me up When I couldn't do it “The WEAPONS we fight with Are NOT the weapons of the world On the contrary They have DIVINE POWER To demolish strongholds” 2 Corinthians 10:4 So that we can STILL WIN The spiritual war WHEN we are in A MOSES STATE OF MIND Robert P. Wallman 10-15-16 Ps INS PIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Chris Koellhoffer, I.H.M.

HOPE IS ALWAYS THERE FOR THE TRUE CHRISTIAN

HOPE IS ALWAYS THERE FOR THE TRUE CHRISTIAN HOPE is a very Elusive emotion We ALL HOPE for something We don't have=a spouse- a family- GOOD HEALTH=being a millionaire Or for some of us-it's simply Just making the next green light- Or having a PEACEFUL DAY “MAY the eyes of your hearts Be ENLIGHTENED That you May KNOW what is the HOPE........” Ephesians 1:18 But WHO among us If we have lived a FAIR Amount of time Hasn't seen our hopes decimated A bad health diagnosis The LOSS of a loved one The losing of a job Our life can TURN On a dime-and- We can easily LOSE HOPE Without hope=we are in A deep disturbing place Without hope OUR FAITH is called into question And HOW can we love? It-our HOPE-will never disappear Because as a CHRISTIAN Our hope is not DEPENDENT On external circumstances Our faith-hope-and love IS in God and Christ himself Who NOTHING in this life can defeat Or ever defeat HOPE LIVES!-it depends on the PROOF That Christ is indeed alive “For in this HOPE We are SAVED But hope that is seen Is NO hope at all Who hopes For what they already have? But if we hope For what we do NOT yet have We WAIT for it PATIENTLY” Romans 8:24-25 I get up every day And I work for UNITY AND PEACE In this world I work for a DREAM Of a world= That CHRISTIAN-JEW-and MUSLIM CAN LIVE in a world Of peace-of unity-of LOVE- Under ONE GOD- THE GOD OF LOVE HOPE is always there For the TRUE CHRISTIAN Hope can NEVER Be defeated-As Christ- So PROVED He even CONQUERED DEATH “If only for this life We have HOPE in Christ We are of all people MOST to be pitied But Christ has indeed Been RAISED from the dead The first fruits of those Who have fallen asleep” 1 Corinthians 15:19-20 CHRIST LIVES-therefore so do we- Therefore-as TRUE CHRISTIANS OUR HOPE IS ALWAYS THERE In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 10-14-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE- by Paul Pennick

HOPE OR HYPOCRISY IN OUR WORLD

HOPE OR HYPOCRISY IN OUR WORLD Is there HOPE for our world Or do we simply LIVE in a world FULL of hypocrisy? A world WHERE no one's words- But ONE'S-actually met his actions= JUST Jesus Jesus' SACRIFICIAL LOVE- his actions Totally met his words on LOVE-forgiveness- And kindness “BEWARE of the leaven-that is- The hypocrisy-of the Pharisees” Luke 12:1 “Jesus said, 'Father-forgive them- For they do NOT KNOW What they are doing' And they divided up his clothes By casting lots” Luke 23:34 We know the Pharisees thoughts- And words and actions did not match How about our leaders in Today's world? How about us? Do our actions-meet our words? Jesus was the ONE PERSON that BROUGHT US HOPE-whose actions ALWAYS equaled his words “But the eyes Of the Lord Are on those Who fear him On those whose HOPE Is on his UNFAILING LOVE” Psalm 33:18 “There is SURELY A FUTURE HOPE for you And your hope Will NOT be cut off” Proverbs 23:18 So IS there a future of hope- Or is our world total hypocrisy? It DEPENDS on whether we TIE Our world to Christ's-and his teachings- Or not THERE is always HOPE There is always a FUTURE WHEN we let CHRIST lead the way “And we know That in ALL things God WORKS for the good Of those who LOVE HIM Who have been CALLED According to his PURPOSE” Romans 8:28 “For I am CONVINCED That neither death nor life Neither angels nor demons Neither the present Nor the future Not any powers Neither height nor depth Nor anything else In ALL CREATION Will be able to separate us FROM THE LOVE OF GOD That is in CHRIST Jesus OUR LORD” Romans 8:38 Dear Lord-HELP turn our TRUE CHARACTER Into actions- To always MATCH OUR WORDS And help us to BUILD a world of HOPE-TRUTH-and GOOD for others SAVE US from hypocrisy- In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 10-13-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B.

GRACE----------A GIFT FROM GOD

WITNESS 8-19-13 GRACE---A GIFT FROM GOD Are you living In a state of grace If so Say, “thank you” Because grace is defined As a gift Given freely by God To his believers It is The undeserved love and salvation Given to us freely by God It is nothing That we can ever earn If you are a loving parent Think about it There is nothing that you would not do for your child If it is for their own good It is the same way With God for us There is nothing he would not do for us That is---if it is for our own good Because we are his children And he loves us INFINITELY In the 15th chapter Of Saint Luke’s Gospel Luke tells us 3 such stories about Jesus He tells us the story Of a shepherd with 100 sheep One becomes lost And the shepherd leaves the heard---the other 99 To go and find that one lost sheep Jesus tells us, “There will be more rejoicing In heaven Over one sinner that repents Than over 99 persons Who do not need to repent” Luke 15:7 God loves EACH and EVERY ONE of us Then Jesus tells the story Of a woman with10 coins But she loses one She does not worry About the 9 that she has But overturns the house---looking everywhere Until she finds that one lost coin Then she calls her friends and neighbors And says, “Rejoice with me I have found my lost coin” Luke 15:9 It is the same way with us Who are lost Along life’s highway God will look for us Until she finds us And he will find us---that is Unless we don’t want to be found Then Jesus continued with one more story About a lost son And his loving father He tells the story About his youngest son Who has run away from home And squandered everything On wine and women And to the older son---who has become jealous Because, his father, receives the younger son openly He says, “You are always with me And everything I have is yours Because this brother of yours was dead And is alive again He was lost and is found” Luke 15:31 & 32 It is the same way with us We should be happy When one of our brothers or sisters Comes home to God God’s grace A gift given freely to us by God All we can do is be gracious And say, “thank you” “For it is by grace That you have been saved Through faith---and this not from ourselves So that no one can boast” Romans 2:8 & 9 We say, “thank you Lord” For this gift of your grace THE GREATEST GIFT THAT WE WILL EVER RECEIVE Robert P. Wallman 12-15-11 Ps WITNESS 8-19-13 misc. WITNESS 3-26-14 12-31-14 & 10-13-16

FILLING OURSELVES UP!

FILLING OURSELVES UP! Recently-Uncle Rege and I Changed our diets INSTEAD of putting junk in We switched to eating salad-fruit-& vegetables And we FEEL better=including Each of us losing a few pounds It works the same way SPIRITUALLY- If we are filling ourselves up With the WORD OF GOD With the FRUITS of the Spirit- We feel much BETTER about ourselves And the GOOD things coming out of our mouth “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 The better the things we put Into our body The better the things That come out And that is TRUE in BOTH Physical and SPIRITUAL things FILLING ourselves up with KINDNESS- With LOVE-and with forgiveness “Jesus answered, 'It is written, 'Man shall NOT LIVE On bread alone- But on EVERY WORD That comes from The mouth of God'” Matthew 4:4 FILL yourselves up with GOOD Fill yourself up with LOVE Fill yourselves up with the SPIRIT “Don't you see That whatever enters the mouth GOES into the stomach And then out of the body? But the things that come Out of a person's mouth COMES from the HEART And defiles them For out of the heart Comes evil thoughts- Murder-adultery-sexual immorality-theft- False testimony-slander These are what defile a person But eating with unwashed hands Does not defile them” Matthew 15:17-20 Put good food into your mouth And your stomach PUT GOOD THOUGHTS into your HEARTS- Thoughts of LOVE-thoughts of KINDNESS- Thoughts of forgiveness The BLESSINGS and MIRACLES of God And LIVING THE BEATITUDES Being born again Through the HOLY SPIRIT - Puts new thoughts of LIFE Into us It TRANSFORMS and SUSTAINS our lives In the Holy Spirit WE BECOME NEW! When we ACCEPT the GOOD FRUIT Of God We become a NEW CREATION And there is NO ROOM For the bad or negative thoughts In our life Dear Lord-Dear God- FILL US UP with The GOOD FRUIT of God The good fruit of LIFE Thank you FOR FILLING US UP With the FRUIT of the HOLY SPIRIT In Jesus name, Robert P. Wallman 10-11-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Steve Givens

WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE

WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE When Christ died and RESURRECTED From his death He set us FREE from the SLAVERY of sin He set us free From the sins of Adam And of man However-many of us have CONTINUED to stay prisoners Of the PAST and the SLAVERY Of sin “For FREEDOM-Christ set us freedom- To stand FIRM- And do NOT submit again To the yoke of slavery” Galatians 5:1 We have been SET FREE We are FREE to be free We are like a frightened bunny ALONE in our cell Afraid to take ONE step out Of our OPEN cells MAYBE we are afraid That we are free Maybe we are afraid To KNOW that God and CHRIST Have broken the chains TAKE that first step BREAK from your past You are free-I am free- WE ARE FREE DON'T BE a prisoner of the past “For everything That was written in the past Was WRITTEN to teach us So that through the ENDURANCE Taught in the SCRIPTURES And the ENCOURAGEMENT They provide We MIGHT HAVE HOPE” Romans 15:8 “In the PAST God SPOKE to our ancestors Through the prophets At many times And in various ways BUT in these last days He has spoken to us By his SON- Whom he appointed heir To ALL things And through whom Also he MADE the universe” Hebrew 1:1-2 God's FINAL WORD is his SON We are MADE FREE in Christ We are made free FROM our past We are NO LONGER PRISONERS WE are FREE to live our LIVES In Christ-not sin Dear Lord-Dear God-DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER Help us to ACCEPT our worthiness And help us to REMEMBER That Jesus has indeed SET US FREE “Jesus replied- 'Very truly-I tell you EVERYONE who sins IS a slave to sin NOW a slave Has NO permanent place In the family But a son BELONGS to it FOREVER So if the SON SETS YOU FREE YOU WILL be free indeed'” John 8:34-36 WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE! HELP us Lord to stand firm And LIVE FULLY in the freedom Robert P. Wallman 10-10-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Kristin Armstrong

LIFTING UP THE POOR

LIFTING UP THE POOR OUR God has had A LOVE AFFAIR with the POOR Since the beginning And WHEN it was TIME To send his SON-the FATHER- Sent his Son as one of us- ONE OF THE POOR “He RAISES UP the lowly From the dust- From the dunghill He lifts up the poor” Psalm 113:7 And when it was TIME To face the CROSS Jesus tells us to pay attention You WILL have the poor ALWAYS “AWARE of this-Jesus said to them 'Why are you bothering this woman She has done a beautiful thing To me The POOR you will ALWAYS HAVE With you But you will NOT always Have me When she poured this perfume On my body She did it To PREPARE me for my burial Truly-I tell you WHENEVER this gospel is preached Throughout the world What she has done Will also be told in MEMORY of her” Matthew26:10-13 And the poor-we do have ALWAYS On every street corner In Miami and every street corner In America LIFTING UP the poor What can we do to HELP? The poor in America And the poor ALL AROUND the world Lift up the poor GIVE what and when you can The POOR We will have ALWAYS “My whole BEING will exclaim 'Who is like you Lord? You RESCUE the poor Form those too strong for them The poor and needy From those who rob them'” Psalm 35:10 “Whoever is KIND To the poor LENDS to the Lord And he will reward them For what they have done” Proverbs 19:17 And Jesus CAME himself- As one of the poor He CARRIED the CROSS On Calvary HILL He took the SUFFERINGS Like the poor and the oppressed And when he RESURRECTED He LIFTED UP a whole class Of people MAY we at least try To do the same LIFTING UP THE POOR Robert P. Wallman 10-10-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Claire J. King (UNTIL all people HAVE HOPE-this world will be a FAILURE As a civilization)

GIVING THANKS DAILY

GIVING THANKS DAILY In today's GOSPEL We read in Luke About Jesus' healing of ten lepers In an unnamed village WHERE people lived in isolation SUFFERING from leprosy On of the ten-a SAMARITAN At that-comes back to say “THANK YOU” Jesus asked, 'Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one RETURNED to GIVE PRAISE to God Except this foreigner?'” Luke 17:17-18 WHEN things go wrong in our life- When we are beset by health problems- By financial problems-by relationship Issues-how quick we all ARE- To CRY OUT to our God and Jesus How many of us RETURN to Jesus and God To say-”THANK YOU” When our prayers are ANSWERED?” EVERY ONE of us should Say thank you to God For our lives And the BLESSINGS we have received These ten lepers BEGGED for Jesus' help- And his compassionate heart RESPONDED And they were HEALED from this Painful-contagious disease I for one could NOT Go on with my illness Without Jesus' help and I GIVE THANKS DAILY Do you GIVE THANKS to God and Jesus DAILY For your life- And all of your BLESSINGS? “LET the message of Christ DWELL among you richly As you teach and admonish One another With all wisdom through psalms- Hymns-and songs from the SPIRIT Singing to God With GRATITUDE in your hearts” Colossians 3:16 GIVING GRATITUDE and thanks To God and Jesus daily For everything in your life I DO!-do you?-even my problems The breath of LIFE sustains me- SUSTAINS you I am SURE all ten Of the lepers-must have had FEELINGS of thanks to Jesus But ONLY ONE-voiced them We RECEIVE God's abundant blessings too And I am sure you feel as GRATEFUL To God and Jesus as I do=He WANTS to hear from you- VOICE THEM! “I will give thanks To the Lord Because of his righteousness I will SING the praise O the name Of the Lord MOST HIGH” Psalm 7:17 “GIVE thanks to the Lord For he is GOOD His LOVE endures forever” Psalm 107:1 GIVING THANKS DAILY I KNOW in my own case There is NO LIMIT-as to what I have to GIVE thanks for The MIRACLES of my life MY immediate family-my extended family- My friends-and MY CHURCHES I THANK the LORD for ALL of you- You have been so GOOD & KIND to me Thanking GOD-and-ALL of you- EVERYDAY= In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 10-8-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Fr. James McKARNS

GIVING THANKS DAILY

GIVING THANKS DAILY In today's GOSPEL We read in Luke About Jesus' healing of ten lepers In an unnamed village WHERE people lived in isolation SUFFERING from leprosy On of the ten-a SAMARITAN At that-comes back to say “THANK YOU” Jesus asked, 'Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one RETURNED to GIVE PRAISE to God Except this foreigner?'” Luke 17:17-18 WHEN things go wrong in our life- When we are beset by health problems- By financial problems-by relationship Issues-how quick we all ARE- To CRY OUT to our God and Jesus How many of us RETURN to Jesus and God To say-”THANK YOU” When our prayers are ANSWERED?” EVERY ONE of us should Say thank you to God For our lives And the BLESSINGS we have received These ten lepers BEGGED for Jesus' help- And his compassionate heart RESPONDED And they were HEALED from this Painful-contagious disease I for one could NOT Go on with my illness Without Jesus' help and I GIVE THANKS DAILY Do you GIVE THANKS to God and Jesus DAILY For your life- And all of your BLESSINGS? “LET the message of Christ DWELL among you richly As you teach and admonish One another With all wisdom through psalms- Hymns-and songs from the SPIRIT Singing to God With GRATITUDE in your hearts” Colossians 3:16 GIVING GRATITUDE and thanks To God and Jesus daily For everything in your life I DO!-do you?-even my problems The breath of LIFE sustains me- SUSTAINS you I am SURE all ten Of the lepers-must have had FEELINGS of thanks to Jesus But ONLY ONE-voiced them We RECEIVE God's abundant blessings too And I am sure you feel as GRATEFUL To God and Jesus as I do=He WANTS to hear from you- VOICE THEM! “I will give thanks To the Lord Because of his righteousness I will SING the praise O the name Of the Lord MOST HIGH” Psalm 7:17 “GIVE thanks to the Lord For he is GOOD His LOVE endures forever” Psalm 107:1 GIVING THANKS DAILY I KNOW in my own case There is NO LIMIT-as to what I have to GIVE thanks for The MIRACLES of my life MY immediate family-my extended family- My friends-and MY CHURCHES I THANK the LORD for ALL of you- You have been so GOOD & KIND to me Thanking GOD-and-ALL of you- EVERYDAY= In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 10-8-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Fr. James McKARNS

GOD'S LOVE FOR US LASTS FOREVER AND EVER

GOD'S LOVE FOR US LASTS FOREVER AND EVER God's LOVE for us LASTS forever and ever So does his PROMISES So does HIS WORD And they are all UNCHANGING There is an old song Called-”THEN YOU CAN TELL ME GOODBYE” About a man asking a woman To love him for “A MILLION YEARS- Then if it don't work out Then you CAN tell me GOODBYE” That's the thing about GOD'S LOVE-even a million years IS too short a time For his love His love for you His love for me Is UNCHANGEABLE It lasts FOREVER and EVER IT IS ETERNAL! “The Lord REMEMBERS His COVENANT for ever” Psalm 105:8 When I was 22-on my deathbed-I promised- “To LIVE for my family-my friends- And all people everywhere” That is going on forty years ago And I will NEVER go back on my word- (IF it is up to me) And GOD will never go back On his This is my SPOKEN covenant With God=and I will TRY and LOVE As MANY people as I can No matter what faith No matter what religion Or even-IF- They are nor religion at all For they ARE the ones Who really need to HEAR GOD'S WORD the most “Because God wanted to make The UNCHANGING nature of his purpose Very CLEAR to the heirs of what Was PROMISED-he CONFIRMED it With an OATH God did this so that- By two unchangeable things In which It is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie We who have fled To take HOLD of the HOPE Set before us May be GREATLY encouraged” Hebrews 6:17-18 Our God-OUR Jesus- Whether it be a day- A year-or a million years Will never tell us goodbye For his LOVE STANDS the test of time His love stands forever-FOR US- And it never ends “The Lord REIGNS FOREVER He has established His throne for judgment” Psalm 9:7 “WHEN the storm Has swept by The wicked are gone But the RIGHTEOUS Stand firm forever” Proverbs 10:25 The LORD will NEVER tell us goodbye (NOT in a million-or even a billion years) HIS LOVE-his promises-his words Lasts-LASTS FOREVER AND EVER Robert P. Wallman 10-7-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Terence Hegarty

ARE YOU WITH CHRIST?

ARE YOU WITH CHRIST? Are you with Christ In this world? Are you his disciple? NOT just in words-but in Actions- You have to do BOTH To be his disciple LOVE GOD!-Love others-- Forgive 70x7-and LIVE the BEATITUDES Are you actually doing that? “Jesus said, 'Whoever is not with me Is against me” Luke 11:23 Pay ATTENTION!-Jesus did not say Whoever SAYS he is with me- IS with me Claiming it-does not make it so- You have to PLACE your actions Where your words are To BE JESUS' DISCIPLE Are you with Christ? Are you his disciple? Do you put your ACTIONS Behind your words? “Each one Should TEST their own actions Then they can take PRIDE In themselves alone Without comparing themselves To someone else For each ONE Should carry their own load” Galatians 6:4-5 And maybe even ENCOURAGE some others And HELP someone else CARRY their load IF-they need Some extra help ARE YOU with Christ? Do your actions FOLLOW HIS? He helped us all “They claim to know God But by their actions They deny him They are detestable-disobedient- And unfit for doing anything GOOD” Titus 1:16 IF you are a disciple of Christ LET your word STAND UP for Christ And follow him With your actions “If one of you Says to them, 'Go in peace-keep warm- And well fed' But does NOTHING About their physical needs, What good is it? In the same way FAITH by itself If it is NOT accompanied By action-is dead” James 2:16-17 So I ask you once again- ARE YOU with Christ? Are your WORDS for Christ- BEING FOLLOWED by your actions- and better yet- FOLLOWING CHRIST'S TEACHINGS? Dear Lord-we PLACE our hearts Where yours is Dear Jesus With the poor-the unloved-the powerless- And the neglected We are truly truly yours- Dear Lord- WE truly CALL ourselves YOUR DISCIPLES For WE ARE WITH CHRIST Robert P. Wallman October 7th, 2016 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Mitch Finley

THE TOUCH OF A MASTER'S HAND

“The Touch of a Master’s Hand” We live In a world That tells us There is no sin Sin doesn’t matter We live In a world Full of selfishness Full of intolerance And full of Ingratitude, indifference And the rejection of other human beings But we also live In a world That can be very kind Particularly At the birth of a child And the death Of a loved one I know because I have been touched By God And by family and friends And Church In these last Number of weeks So what changes us From people Of sin, selfishness, and rejection To people of Kindness and goodness Beyond our own human understanding I suggest It is The touch of God In us and for us The touch of God For each other To help one another I suggest It is simply The touch of God In each and every one of our lives The touch of God The touch of a Master’s Hand Robert P. Wallman 5/1/10 Ps With gratitude and thankfulness for all of you 10-6-16=STAY SAFE OUT THERE my FLORIDA friends

WHERE HIS PRESENCE IS

WHERE HIS PRESENCE IS The kingdom of God Begins where his presence is And his presence LIVES DEEP within our hearts And minds So if we are ACCEPTING Of God and Jesus His presence GOES wherever we go “Father-hallowed be your name Your Kingdom come” Luke 11:2 What a wonderful world This would be-IF- The people were ACCEPTING Of God and Jesus' teachings On love-forgiveness-and the beatitudes The GOOD NEWS has already Been delivered to this world Why can't we just believe it- ACCEPT it-and live it God's kingdom is WHERE his presence is It is potentially in you and me-if ACCEPT it and live it “The wise in heart Accepts commands But a chattering fool Comes to ruin” Proverbs 10:8 “The Lord Has heard my cry for MERCY The Lord ACCEPTS my prayer” Psalm 6:9 “Accept one another- Then just as Christ accepted you In order To BRING praise to God” Roman 15:7 The LORD LIVES- His presence is where He is ACCEPTED His presence lives- In our hearts and minds Where GOODNESS should live We should always RESPOND to the PRESENCE of God- And when we don't His kingdom Won't bear much fruit So we PRAY For the AWARENESS of God's KINGDOM In us- Then the presence of God That lives in us Can RIPEN in us And flow out of us And take fruit and God's PRESENCE to others “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 “You have made KNOWN To me The PATHS of life You fill me With JOY in your PRESENCE” Acts 2:28 Dear Lord-where your PRESENCE is- Where your Kingdom is- THERE I WILL BE THERE WE WILL BE HELP us always to be FAITHFUL servants Of your kingdom Robert P. Wallman 10-4-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Fr. Kenneth Grabner, C.S.C.

TWO FOR CHRIST

TWO FOR CHRIST TODAY we CELEBRATE The feast of Saint Francis of Assisi The little poor man Who SACRIFICED it all For Christ When Saint Francis was ORIGINALLY called-he thought he was To physically “REBUILD THE CHURCH” Later he came to realize- That it was NOT the actual Physical rebuilding of the church At San Damiano But the SPIRITUAL REBUILDING Of the Catholic and Christian churches In the 13th century-because they were FOUND to be wanting A MAN FOR CHRIST A man who actually CARRIED The stigmata on his body SOME people feel That Saint Francis Was MORE like Christ Than any other person Who ever lived Twelve or 1300 years before Saint Francis There was another man CALLED by God-who originally Didn't get it right He originally thought That he was to DESTROY The Christian Church But later came to UNDERSTAND That he was to BUILD The church of Jesus Christ This man MAY have done more To BUILD the early Christian Church Than any other person-SAVE- For Christ himself “Saul-why are you PERSECUTING ME?” Acts 9:4 And Paul was knocked off his horse And blinded- And the TRANSFORMATION Was underway “But when he- Who from my Mother's womb Had set me apart And called me through his GRACE Was pleased to REVEAL his SON To me........” Galatians 1:15-16 “I have been CRUCIFIED with Christ And I no longer live But Christ LIVES in me The life I NOW LIVE I live by FAITH In the SON of God Who loved me And GAVE himself for me” Galatians 2:20 Saint Paul and Saint Francis Are TWO FOR CHRIST Who God and Jesus actually spoke to Two for Christ=COUNT ME AS NUMBER 3=I have heard God and Christ's voice too And I want to SEE the world -TRACED back to Abraham I want the 2.2 billion Christians To UNITE for Christ And BUILD one TOTAL unified world Traced back to Christ We are ALL to be together Under one God-and one world TWO for Christ-in Saint Paul- And Saint Francis- COUNT ME AS NUMBER THREE Do I hear 4, 5, 6, - HOW ABOUT 7 BILLION people-and ONE UNIFIED WORLD-under the teachings of Jesus On love and forgiveness? In Jesus' name, Robert P. Wallman October 3rd, 2014 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Fr. Martin Pable, O.F.M. Cap. I AM COMMITTED with my life to TRY to BUILD ONE UNIFIED FAITH under GOD-using the Teachings of LOVE & FORGIVENESS-what a world-it would be if Christian-JEW-and MUSLIM Could live hand and hand in this crazy-mixed-up world that we ALL live in “How GOOD and pleasant it is When GOD'S PEOPLE LIVE TOGETER IN UNITY........” Psalm 133:1

WE ARE ALL ON A MISSION OF MERCY FROM GOD

WE ARE ALL ON A MISSION OF MERCY FROM GOD! In the Xth chapter Of Saint Luke's Gospel Jesus tells ONE of the GREATEST parables ever told The parable of THE GOOD SAMARITAN-and for the record Jesus NEVER once calls the Samaritan “good” But he DOES use the parable In RESPONSE to the question By an expert in the law: “And who is my neighbor?” For the record A man is beaten and robbed And left by the side of the road A priest and a lawyer- BOTH pass by-and ignore him- But a Samaritan helps him “A Samaritan traveler Who came upon him Was moved with COMPASSION At the sight” Luke 10:33 The Samaritan bandaged his wounds And took him to an inn- And paid for him- To be taken care of We should ALL be Like the Samaritan- We should all be LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR And we are ALL On a MISSION OF MERCY From our God We all see Victims in life-either- On the evening news- Or up close and personal In our life Are we responding WITH MERCY? Are we responding with COMPASSION? “Have mercy on me My God Have MERCY on me For in you I take refuge I will take refuge In the shadow of your wings UNTIL the disaster Has passed” Psalm 57:1 “Therefore-as God's CHOSEN PEOPLE- Holy and dearly loved CLOTHE yourself with compassion-kindness- Humility-gentleness-and patience” Colossians 3:12 YES that is what The SAMARITAN did For the injured stranger And that is What we should do For each other in life This kind of compassion COMES from The heart of God And this is the KIND OF COMPASSION And MERCY that Jesus himself GAVE to us He gave us ALL he had Withholding nothing from us Dear Lord-in this YEAR of MERCY Let us be a REAL NEIGHBOR Like the GOOD SAMARITAN And like Jesus himself Give away ALL of ourselves for others There are victims and people All around us with problems Let us live our lives Like the real neighbors That we are Like we are ON A MISSION OF MERCY FROM GOD Robert P.Wallman 10-2-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Mark Neilsen

MOVING FORWARD WITH COURAGE........

MOVING FORWARD WITH COURAGE- DURING LIFE'S MOST DIFFICULT MOMENTS I talk to many people EVERY DAY-and the more I Talk to them- Or better yet LISTEN I find that MANY Of us ARE going through life's MOST DIFFICULT MOMENTS Difficult health problems Difficult financial problems- And difficult relationship questions Some people call these “Uh-oh” moments WHATEVER we are facing We need to FIND THE COURAGE- DEEP within ourselves And move FORWARD with the GRACE OF GOD That's IS what he gives us- That's what we need And God gave us these qualities “For God Did NOT give us a SPIRIT Of cowardice But rather of POWER and love And self-control” 2 Timothy 1:7 We NEED COURAGE To face the tough moments Of our lives That is WHAT Christ did And that the WAY he would Have us RESPOND With his very own SPIRIT That he LEFT BEHIND for us “Lord Almighty-God of Israel You have REVEALED this To your servant-saying, 'I will BUILD a house For you So your servant Has found COURAGE To PRAY this prayer For you'” 2 Samuel 27 “But Jesus immediately Said to them: 'Take courage-it is I Don't be afraid'” Matthew 14:27 “WHEN they saw The COURAGE- Of Peter and John And realized- They were unschooled-ordinary men They were ASTONISHED And they took note That those men Had been with Jesus” Acts 4:13 YES-that is what We need The COURAGE Of the HUMBLE SERVANTS of Israel And the courage of the master himself As well as Jesus' own apostles We can OVERCOME LIFE'S difficult moments In today's world We can OVERCOME our fear With real confidence in God And VERY REAL confidence In Christ With the HELP of GOD'S POWER and LOVE We can move FORWARD In any situation Dear Lord-help us to GREET CHANGES in life With the courage and serenity Of God-and ALL of HIS LOVE Robert P. Wallman 10-1-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Amy Welborn

EYES THAT SEE GOD

EYES THAT SEE GOD Do you REMEMBER What God has done for you In the past? Do you remember ALL those difficult MOMENTS That he has PULLED you through? Do you or ARE YOU thinking About what God is going To do for you NOW? Do you-have your eyes Wide open-EYES that see God? God does WONDROUS WORK-every day- He GIVES us life He gives us SUNSHINE He gives us THE WATER That we crave and NEED to drink “I have heard of you- BY WORD of mouth- But now my eyes Have seen you” Job 42:5 Job SAW all the dark difficult DAYS of life He even asked to die But God RESTORED HIM- Gave him an EVEN greater life Just think What he IS GOING to do for you KEEP your eyes open YES! Those eyes Those eyes that SEE GOD! “The eye Is the LAMP Of the body If your eyes are healthy Your whole body WIL be FULL OF LIGHT” Matthew 6:22 KEEP those eyes OPEN Those eyes THAT SEE GOD “However as it is written 'What no eye has seen What no ear has heard And what no human mind Has conceived- The things That God has PREPARED For those WHO LOVE HIM-'” 1 Corinthians 2:9 PREPARE yourself for GOOD things For you will be RESTORED Just like Job Keep your eyes open For the small and good things Of life The RECEIVING of a card A phone call-WISHING you- A good day These are the good things in life SO TODAY Keep those eyes open The EYES that see God There are STILL MANY good people in this world Who do many good -KIND small things So today-on this feast Of Saint Theresa the LITTLE FLOWER- (the SAINT of the small ordinary MIRACLES of life) Keep those eyes wide open The story of Job himself Tells me-tells us- What we can EXPECT In our personal relationship with God And Saint Theresa-after whom my sister Terri- Was named-even further emphasizes for me The MIRACLE OF LIFE and ORDINARY DAYS So keep those eyes OPEN today THOSE EYES that see God There may be SOMETHING GOOD Right around the corner for you Robert P. Wallman 9-30-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Deborah Meister