FEELING LOVED & FULL OF GRACE

FEELING LOVED & FULL OF GRACE


Today is/was the 62nd anniversary
Of my BAPTISM as an infant
At Saint Andrew's Catholic Church
On the north side of Pittsburgh


I AM so thankful to
Be BORN-in this country-
To this family


To these parents-I am just
SO THANKFUL!


And I FEEL loved and
FULL of grace by the God of love
And my Lord and Savior Jesus


I think of Jesus-the FATHER-
And ALL the ANGELS in heaven
And I long to be with them


Yet I know
It is not my time


“WHEN I behold your heavens
The work of your fingers-


The moon and the stars
WHICH you set in place-
WHAT IS MAN?........” Psalm 8:4-5


Yes-who am I? WHO are we?


To be LIVING
In this beautiful UNIVERSE of God


Nothing confirms
Our human limitations any more
Than when we
LOOK to the stars-
And look to the heavens


It CONFIRMS our smallness-
How little we are


“The heavens declare
The GLORY of God


The skies proclaim
The work of his hands” Psalm 19:1


“Lift up your eyes
And look to the heavens


Who CREATED all these?


He who brings out
The starry host
One-by-one


And calls forth
EACH of them by name


Because of his great power
And mighty strength
NOT one of them is missing” Isaiah 40:26


Feeling SMALL in this
Great big-vast large world of God


Yet feeling LOVED-and FULL
Of the GRACE OF GOD


Who are we asks the psalmist?


I just can't help
But feel
He felt LOVED and
The grace of God too


Yet who indeed are we?


“It was not by the sword
That they won the land


NOR did their arm bring
The victory


It was YOUR right hand-
Your arm
And the LIGHT of your face


FOR YOU LOVED THEM” Psalm 44:3


Yes Lord-on this ANNIVERSARY-
Of my baptism-
I feel small


Yet IMPORTANT
In the KINGDOM of God
As we ALL are


FEELING LOVED-and FULL OF GOD'S GRACE
In the Lord's kingdom


To TAKE FORTH with me
The WISDOM of GOD'S WORDS


In Jesus' name,


Robert P. Wallman
February 6^th, 2017





Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINR by Sr. Chris Koellhoffer, I.H.M.

JOURNAL=SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME

JOURNAL=2-20-15=SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME




“THIS-rather-is the fasting that I wish........SHARING your bread with the hungry........” Isaiah 58:6-7


Isaiah ENCOURAGES us to look within ourselves and ask: WHAT do I have to offer God and others this Lent? What SHARING will grow my OWN SPIRIT as well as ENCOURAGE my neighbor?


GOD has a dream and a PLAN for our LIVES-and in the long run-it is ALL GOOD-but sometimes it involves fighting through the difficult circumstances of our own life-bad choices that we have made-and sometimes just misfortune


BUT THE GOOD NEWS is-that GOD never gives up on us-ENCOURAGES US-PROTECTS US-and walks every step of our lives with us-HE LOVES US and has a FULL DREAM for our lives


it is A GREAT DAY to be ALIVE for us and a great day to move towards GOD'S BLESSING for us and ACCEPT THE GRACE that he bestows on us














WITNESS




9-8-13




SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME




“SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME”
Is one of my favorite movies


It is a 1987 film
Where a cop
Acting as a bodyguard
For a murder witness
Falls in love
With the woman
He is protecting


To make matters worse
The cop has a wife and a child


Wouldn’t that be great
If we had someone watching over us
Someone protecting us
Every minute of every day


But we do
OUR GOD AND OUR FATHER


So as we journey through life
When we run into trouble
Our God and Father protects us


“You are my hiding place
You will protect me from trouble
And surround me
With songs of deliverance” Psalm 32:7


Isn’t that GREAT
We travel through life daily
And we have someone watching over us
Someone ready
To DELIVER US from our troubles


All we have to do is ask
And turn out hearts back to him


“Hear the word of the Lord
Oh nations
Proclaim it in distant coast lands


He who scattered Israel
Will gather them
And WATCH OVER his flock
Like a shepherd” Jeremiah 31:10


“For the Lord WATCHES OVER
The way of the righteous
But the wicked will perish” Psalm 1:6


So we know
THE LORD WATCHES OVER US


And we know
That he not only watches over us
But he will come get us
When we become lost
On the highway of life


And he will DELIVER us


“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep
And loses one of them
Does he not leave the ninety-nine
In the open country
And go after the lost sheep
Until he finds it” Luke 15:4


And then he DELIVERS US safely home


“The righteous cry out
And the Lord hears them
He DELIVERS them
From all their troubles” Psalm 34:17


In the movie-the cop ( Tom Berenger )
Protects the beautiful woman ( Mimi Rogers )
And SAVES the day
When his own wife ( Lorraine Bracca )
And child are captured and held hostage


In the movie
Of our OWN life
Our own God
WATCHES over us, PROTECTS us
And in time of trouble
Saves us and DELIVERS us home


Our God-WHO IS LOVE
“Always protects-always trusts
-Always hopes-Always perseveres” 1 Corinthians 13:7-8


OUR GOD NEVER FAILS


Robert P. Wallman
7-25-12




Ps WITNESS 9-8-13




MISC. WITNESS 6-6-14
2-20-15

SELFLESSNESS & GIVING

SELFLESSNESS & GIVING


Did you know
That there is a SECRET
to human life?


That nothing TRANSFORMS us
Like selflessness and GIVING


Giving is LIVING
And living is GIVING
That is the KEY to life


Giving yourself away=time-treasure-
And talent
NO ONE ever did it like Jesus
No one else ever gave
Themselves 100% away


“SHARE your bread
With the hungry
….....
Then your light shall
BREAK FORTH like the dawn
….....” Isaiah 58:7-8


This is a TOUGH passage
For many of us


Because it can make us
FEEL guilty-if-
We are not sharing
With the hungry and the homeless


But the TRUTH is-all-
ANY of us can do-
Is DO-what we can


But the truth is also
WHEN we begin to GIVE & SHARE
What we have with others


To LOVE OTHERS=
We feel BETTER about ourselves


GIVE what you can=TIME-treasure-
Talent=any or all of these
In SOME measure suffices


“The GENEROUS will themselves
Be blessed


For they SHARE their food
With the poor” Proverbs 22:9


“His master replied,
'Well done--
Good and faithful servant!


You have been faithful
With a few things-


I will put you in charge
Of many thing


Come and share
Your Master's happiness'” Matthew 25:23


LIVE out of selflessness
And GIVING-for God loves-
GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER


“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


When we live this way
GIVING & SHARING what we can


Because we LOVE
To give ourselves away


The LIGHT in us
Breaks forth-
Like the sun glowing


And we MOVE CLOSER
To the Jesus
Who dwells in us


When you REACH OUT
To others-continually giving
WHAT you have to give


EVEN if all it is-
IS an encouraging word


Our giving TURNS our loneliness
Inside out
For GIVING is a CURE
For isolation


And SERVICE
Is a cure
For despair


ALWAYS do what you can
SHARING & GIVING
For living is giving -and
Giving is living


And SELFLESSNESS & GIVING makes
A WORLD FULL OF FRIENDS


In Jesus' name


Robert P. Wallman
2-4-17





Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Mary Marrocco

TRANSFORM US=FROM THE ORDINARY TO THE EXTRAORDINARY

TRANSFORM US-FROM THE ORDINARY-
INTO THE EXTRAORDINARY


The STORIES of the gospel
Show us HOW
The ordinary people


Are ATTRACTED to Jesus
And his disciples


THRONGS of people followed Jesus
Relentlessly-wherever he went


That still HAPPENS to us today-
For it is Jesus
That makes us-


That TAKES us
That TRANSFORMS US
From ordinary people
To EXTRAORDINARY people


Just the PRESENCE of Jesus-alone


“People saw them leaving
And MANY came to know
About it


They hastened there on foot
From all the towns




And arrived at the place
BEFORE THEM” Mark 6:33


YES-the PRESENCE of Jesus-
At MASS on Sunday
At Christian service on Sunday


TRASFORMS us into
Extraordinary people


He IS there in the ushers
He is there in the collectors
He is THERE in each and EVERY ONE
Of us-attending service


HIS PRESENCE transforms us ALL
Into extraordinary people
In this world


The presence of Jesus
The presence of God
When we BELIEVE-creates-
Transforms us into-
EXTRAordinary people


EVEN creates MIRACLES OF HEALING
-makes us into what we
Have toe CAPACITY to be


Just think of WHAT this world
WOULD BE-if we had more
BELIEVERS in it-maybe even more miracles


“Do NOT stop him,' Jesus said,
'For no one
Who DOES a miracle


In my name
Can in
The next moment
Say anything bad about us” Mark 9:39


“Fellow Israelites-listen to this:
Jesus of Nazareth
Was a man ACCREDITED by God


To you by MIRACLES-
Wonders and signs-


Which God did among you
Through him
As you KNOW yourselves” Acts 2:22


YES-this man did the ordinary
And the EXTRAORDINARY too


He PERFORMED a miracle in me
And has GIVEN ME-
FORTY more years of additional life


He has also TRANSFORMED me
From a man
TRYING to live by this world's standards


To LIVING by God's standards-
Of peace-LOVE-forgiveness-and kindness
As well as the BEATITUDES


“And we eagerly AWAIT
A SAVIOR from there (heaven)-
The Lord-Jesus-Christ


Who by the POWERS
That enables him to BRING
Everything under his control


Will TRANSFORM our lowly bodies
So that they will be
Like his glorious body” Philippians 3:20-21


Yes dear LORD-TRANSFORM US ALL


Into praying together-working together-
And HELPING each other


So that not only us
But this WHOLE WORLD


WILL BECOME EXTRAORDINARY


In Jesus' name


Robert P. Wallman
2-3-17




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Deborah Meister

AT THE GATES=BEING MORE HOSPITABLE

AT THE GATES=BEING MORE HOSPITABLE


We LIVE in desperate times-
Refugees are CROWDING the borders
Of the European Union-
And of the United States


PEOPLE are standing in line
To get in


The thought of HOSPITALITY
Has been consumed by
The thought of fear


And perhaps-RIGHTLY SO


We simply CANNOT welcome everyone
But these people are GOD'S CHILDREN too


“Do not neglect hospitality
For THROUGH it-some-
Have entertained ANGELS” Hebrews 13:2


You would LET an angel in-
WOULDN'T YOU-
I'm SURE God would


I am sure GOD HAS


People are clamoring
At the gates of heaven too
What if God said:


“WE are all filled up-
NO vacancies here”


God is the KEEPER
Of the gates of heaven-
And thankfully so


I wouldn't want to be
Let in-or NOT let in
BASED on a bureaucratic decision


“LIFT up your heads
You gates


BE lifted up
You ancient doors


That the KING of glory
MAY come in” Psalm 24:7


“ENTER his gates
With thanksgiving


And his courts
With praise


GIVE thanks to him
And PRAISE his name” Psalm 100:4


“OPEN for me
The gates of the RIGHTEOUS


I will enter
And GIVE THANKS
To the Lord” Psalm 118:19


OPEN the gates
Of heaven-to the righteous
BE MORE HOSPITABLE
To all


In most cases
It is the decision
Of the COURT


Whether gates are open
Or not


But there are SOME things
PRIVATE citizens can do-
Namely-
MAKE a financial donation or
Contribution-to organizations
That care for refugees


And be MORE HOSPITABLE
To those who DO
Cross our paths


HOSPITALITY to family-friends-
And even strangers
GREET OTHERS with a warm “hello”


Thankfully-the gates are STILL OPEN
In HEAVEN-as far as I know
If NOT in all the countries


BE more HOSPITABLE to others


“Rather-
He must be hospitable


ONE who loves
What is good
Who is self-controlled


Upright-holy-and disciplined” 1 Titus 8


Dear Lord-OPEN the gates
To those in NEED
And open our eyes to those
Who NEED MORE HOSPITALITY


In Jesus' name


Robert P. Wallman
2-2-17




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Aileen O'Donoghue




IF you are PRAYING men and women-I URGE YOU to PRAY for our country and our world
Like never before

LOVE-COMMITMENT-COMPASSION=COME TOGETHER

LOVE-COMMITMENT-AND COMPASSION
COME TOGETHER
( and sometimes PAIN)


TODAY we celebrate
The PRESENTATION of the
Baby Jesus to Simeon
And the prophet Anna


The Holy Spirit had revealed
To Simeon
That he would not die
BEFORE seeing the Messiah


“Simeon took him
In his arms-and PRAISED God-
Saying,
'Sovereign Lord-as you have promised
You may now DISMISS your servant
In peace-


For my eyes have seen
Your salvation
….....” Luke 2:28:30


Simeon goes onto tell Mary
About Jesus' love and compassion-
The rising and falling of Israel


And that a sword will
PIERCE her side too


It MAKES me think
Of my own Baptism
When I was a baby


On February 6^th, Of 1955
My own father and mother's
First wedding anniversary


And it makes me GIVE
Further thanks to my own FAMILY
For all the memories-with my parents-
My sisters-and my EXTENDED family
And friends


Thank You Lord for all the
Memories Lord-and
Thank you for all the
LOVE & COMPASSION your Son-brought


NOT to mention the PAIN
Of Jesus-the BLESSED MOTHER-
And the whole family


God's love-Jesus' love-
BRINGS love-commitment-and compassion
NOT to mention
ALL the pain
That comes with it


Today's liturgy-REMINDS US
That love REQUIRES commitment
The action that comes through
With the feeling


“Commit your WAY
To the Lord


Trust in him
And he will do this” Psalm 37:3


YES-he will love you
Through the pain
He is COMMITTED to-to us
To the world


“Commit to the Lord
WHATEVER you do


And he will ESTABLISH
Your plans” Proverbs 16:3


Yes-God is COMMITTED-Christ
IS committed to LOVE-
This world-FOREVER and ever


And the pain that COMES with it


“So then-
Those who suffer
ACCORDING to God's will


Should commit themselves
To their FAITHFUL CREATOR


And continue
To DO GOOD” 1 Peter 4:19


MARY heard Simeon's prediction
Of pain


Yet she did not
Withdraw her love
She and Jesus


STAYED committed to the MISSION
Of LOVE & COMPASSION


And carried it through
AS the HOLY FAMILY


MY FAMILY and friends did too
I hope and PRAY
Your family did as well


THAT IS what a HOLY FAMILY does
STAYS COMMITTED to LOVE & COMPASSION


In Jesus' name


Robert P. Wallman
2-1-17




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.

CHRISTIAN UNITY=ONE

CHRISTIAN UNITY


Christian Unity week BEGAN Saturday, January 18^th, 2014 and runs through today
January 25^th.


LET US make THIS the year of Christian Unity. I encourage ALL OF YOU to go to your
pastors, priest, ministers, and those IN CHARGE of your particular church to ASK them
to REACH across the theological differences to make this ONE CHURCH again.


BASED ON what I consider to be JESUS' MOST CENTRAL TEACHINGS:

1. LOVE GOD with your whole heart-mind-soul-and strength
   
2. LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR as yourself
   
3. FORGIVE 70 X 7
   
4. MATTHEW 5:5-7 ( The SERMON on the Mount and the Beatitudes )
   

“AND I tell you that you are Peter and on this ROCK I will BUILD MY CHURCH,
And the gates of Hades will NOT overcome it.” Matthew 16:18


LET US work through our divisions and BUILD ONE CHURCH based on love-forgivness-and kindness.


Robert P. Wallman
January 24^th, 2014

WITNESS




3-30-13




ONE---just thinking




Jesus asked us
To be as one
HOW did we get it so wrong


“My prayer is not for them alone
I pray also for those
Who will believe in me
Through their message
That ALL of them
May be one, Father,
Just as you are in me
And I am in you


May they also be in us
So that the world may believe
That you have sent me


I have given them the glory
That you gave me
That they may be one
As we are one” John 17:20-22


Today there are 33,820 Christian denominations ( the World Christian
Not to mention Encyclopedia year 2,000 )
The Jewish religion, the Muslims,
The Buddhists and many 0thers


“That they may be one”


ONE---I wonder
What Jesus would say today


We have the Catholic Religion
Which I have been apart of
Since almost my first day
On this earth---and still proudly so


We have the Protestant Religion
We have Willow Creek
We have the Baptists
All of which I have been a part of
And proud o be a part of


I have Jewish family
I have Jewish friends


Can’t say that I have any Muslim friends
That I am personally aware of
But I don’t think
Any religion
Is inherently good or bad
It is always the radical element
Of any group
That gets us into trouble


“That they may be one”


I am certainly NO Theologian
But I have a general understanding
Of how the church
Has broken apart over the years


“I in them and you in me
May they be brought to complete unity
To let the world
Know that you sent me
And have loved them
Even as you have loved me” John 17:23


“That they may be one
As we are one”


When I talk to people
I always ask them about God
And their church


I have met
So many beautiful people
People from ALL countries
From ALL nationalities
From ALL societies
ALL socio-economic make ups
And religions


Where is the bridge
Linking us ALL together
I dear say
It is our humanity


The desire to be accepted and valued
As a human being---for who we are
Being told that we matter
That we are somebody in this world


Could it really be that simple?


“That they may be one”


We have Moses and the Ten Commandments
We have Jesus’ teaching on love,
The 2 Greatest Commandments, forgiveness
And the SERMON on the MOUNT


We have the teachings of Confucius, Buddha,
Of Mohammed, Gandhi,
And many other great men and women
In and of this world


And finally
We have the Golden Rule
“So in everything, do to others
What you would have them do to you
For this sums up
The Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12


“THAT THEY MAY ALL BE ONE”


We can do it---it is up to us
I urge to be a bridge
And a connector
In today’s world


Robert P. Wallman
6-21-11




Ps WITNESS 3-30-13




“Hear-oh Israel-the Lord our GOD is ONE LORD”
Deuteronomy 6:4


“There is neither Jew nor Greek-there is neither bond
Nor free-there is neither male nor female-for you are
ALL ONE in Christ Jesus”
Galatians 3:28




misc. WITNESS 1-25-14