A PROMISE KEPT

WITNESS---




2-3-13




PROMISES KEPT---Simeon---Anna---and Us




There was a man
In Jerusalem called Simeon
God had promised hum
That he would not die
Until he had seen the Lord


Joseph and Mary
Took their child to Jerusalem
And into the Temple


Simeon was a righteous and devout man
And the Spirit
Was upon him


Simeon took the child
Into his arms
Gave thanks to God
And said


“Now Lord
You have kept your promise
And you may let your servant
Go in peace


With my own eyes
I have seen your salvation
Which you have prepared
In the presence of all peoples
A light to reveal
Your will to the gentiles
And bring glory to your people Israel” Luke 2:29-30


A PROMISE KEPT


There also was a prophetess Anna
She was a widow and now 84
She never left the Temple
And worshipped, fasted, and prayed
Night and day


When she saw the baby Jesus
With his mom and dad in the Temple
She gave thanks to God
And spoke about the child
To all who were looking
For the Redemption of Israel


A PROMISE KEPT


Good for Simeon
Good for Anna


But what about us
What about you and me


He gave us the Promise of the Holy Spirit


“If you love me
You will obey what I command
And I will ask the Father
And he will give you another counselor
To be with you forever---THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH


The world cannot accept him
Because it neither sees him
Nor knows him
But you know him
And he lives with you
And will be in you” John 14:15-17


If you believe in Christ
If you believe in God
The God of life---give testimony
Because God our Father
TRUTH ITSELF
Lives inside of you


You know
You can only find God
In faith


The PROMISES of God
Come to us by faith
And if we live our lives out
In that faith
The grace of Christ
Can be seen in us


May you have the faith of Abraham
The father of us all


“He is our father
In the sight of God
In whom he believed


The God who gives life
To the dead
And calls things that are not
As though they were” Romans 4:17


So today---we are children of our God
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
The siblings to our elder brother---Jesus Christ


“Dear friends
Now we are to be called
Children of God”


A PROMISE KEPT


Robert P. Wallman
8-23-11


Ps WITNESS 2-3-13




misc. WITNESS 2-2-14

AN OLD FAT GUY

“An Old Fat Guy”

Almost 55 years old
I’m still getting by
But I am just
An old fat guy

Getting by on love
Getting by on kindness
Getting by
But I am just
An old fat guy

But I gotta lot of love
To give
I gotta lot of kindness
To give
But I am just
An old fat guy

55 years old
Still getting by
On love and kindness
But I am just
An old fat guy

Getting by
With the love of God
Getting by
With the help of others

It’s what is on the inside
That counts
Even when you’re just

An old fat guy

Robert P. Wallman
11/26/09


misc.        WITNESS       2-1-14
I turned 59 this past month

Saint John Bosco

Saint John Bosco---a Saint for the children










Today when
The sexual abuse of young children
Is so prevalent
It is heartening
To look at the past
To the lives
Of some of the Saints


John---actually called Don Bosco
Was born in 1815
His father died
When he was 2 years old


His mother brought him up
In extreme poverty
He was so poor
That when he entered the seminary
In 1831
His clothes and shoes
Had to be donated


He was ordained in1841
And soon thereafter
He began his life’s work
Which was the education
Of young apostolate boys---and young men
Particularly in working class families


He also worked in the slums---in prisons
And was appointed a chaplain
At a refuge for young girls


After leaving as chaplain for the girls
He lived in poverty with his mother
And 40 destitute young boys


Don Bosco had a charismatic personality
Had great oratory skills
Was an eloquent preacher
And popular writer


“Don” was also a visionary
A wonder worker
And had an extraordinary gift
For handling difficult children


Usually without punishing them
But with gentleness and a firm hand


A typical day for Don
Was to take the boys to Mass
Followed by a picnic in the country---games---
And a catechism class


Don Bosco
Founded the Salesian order
And also The Daughters of our Lady Help of Christians for girls


It is important to remember
That at a time
When the Catholic church is taking so much criticism
About the handling of the abuse scandal
And rightfully so


Important to remember
All the good the Catholic Church has done
In the building up of faith
For BOTH adults and children
Through men like Saint John Bosco
Down through the years


John “Don” Bosco
A Saint for us all
But particularly


A SAINT AND MAN FOR THE CHILDREN


Robert P. Wallman
2-5-12


Ps Don Bosco’s feast day is January 31^st




misc. WITNESS 1-31-14

THE FAITH OF A MUSTARD SEED

Just a touch of FAITH-the faith of a mustard seed and we can CHANGE the world






WITNESS




7-16-13




THE FAITH OF A MUSTARD SEED


A mustard seed
Is tiny tiny tiny tiny
But once planted
It can grow in to
A large plant
Large enough
To provide
Food and shelter for animals


In Matthew 17
The disciples
Fail in their attempt
To heal a young demon possessed boy
They want to know---WHY


Jesus tells them,
“Because you have so little faith
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 for you”


How much faith
Do you have
How much faith
Do I have
I hope enough


In Luke 17
The Apostles ask Jesus
To increase their faith


Jesus replies,
“If you have faith
As small as a mustard seed
You can say to the mulberry tree
Be uprooted
And planted in the sea
And it will obey”


I believe
That if we have enough faith
You and I together
ALL of us collectively
We can
Change this world


If we do---have that faith
All we have to do
Is let it grow
And then we will see
The benefits of having


THE FAITH OF A MUSTARD SEED


Robert P. Wallman
3-6-11




Ps “……..and if I have FAITH that can move mountains-BUT HAVE NOT LOVE
I am nothing”
1 Corinthians 13:2


WITNESS 7-16-13




misc. WITNESS 1-31-14

FISHERS OF MEN

APRIL 28^th, 2012












FISHERS OF MEN








Come one
Come all
Come all you fishermen
Come one
Come all
I will make you
Fishers of men


Come Simon and Andrew
Come John and James too
Come all you other Apostles
And I will make you
Fishers of men


153 kinds of fish
In this world
One for every man
One for every woman
One for every race, religion
And nationality in this world


Come one
Come all
I no longer
Call you fishermen
I call you fishers of men


You in the 21^st century
You devout men and women
Of this world
Your work is not over yet
I call on you too
And I will make you
Fishers of men


Spread the Word of God
In this world
Spread God’s love
To every man, woman, and child
Spread your love all around
God’s work is not done yet


Come one-come all
And I will make you
Fishers of men


In Jesus’ name-we pray


Robert P. Wallman
1-24-11


Ps “Come follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you
Fishers of men.”


At once they left their nets and followed him” Mark 1:17




Dear Lord, please help us spread your love, your forgiveness
And your kindness all over the world.



Misc. WITNESS 1-30-14

JOURNAL/APPRECIATION

I think ONE of the most important lessons that we need to LEARN is to APPRECIATE who and what we have-THE world tells us that we NEED more-more-more-and in Mark 4:25-Jesus says,  "To the one who has-MORE will be given"

BUT I think what Jesus is talking about is SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS and using what we have to give to those in NEED

APPRECIATE who and what you have-GIVE them and it to God-
AND GOD will increase your BLESSINGS

JOURNAL-HEARING THE WORD OF GOD

DON'T let the thorns of life-WORRY and ANXIETY-choke off the WORD OF GOD in you
PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT










WITNESS

9-25-13


“Hearing the Word of God”

In the 13th Chapter
Of Saint Matthew’s Gospel
Jesus tells the story
Of the parable of the sower

He tells the story
Of a farmer
Sowing his seed

He tells us about
How the birds
Eat up some of the seed

And he tells us
How some of the seed
Fall on rocky ground
And doesn’t grow
And some fall in the thorns
And don’t grow
But some of the seed falls on good soil
And produces a great harvest

What about us
In today’s world
Is God harvesting
A crop in us

I dear say
We live in a godless society
People want the word “God” off of money
People want no prayer in school
No ten commandments plaque on public property

Maybe
We can’t change the world
But we can
Have a soft heart
We can have
A listening ear
We can give someone
A hug or a handshake
WE can be there
For our family, our friends
Maybe even someone
We don’t like so much

How about you
Is God’s love and word
Alive in you

Maybe if
Enough of us
Decide to put God’s word first
Decide to love and be kind to one another
Maybe we really can
Begin to change the world

Robert P. Wallman
5/19/10


Ps        WITNESS        9-25-13
             misc.       WITNESS        1-29-14