FINDING GOD IN SURRENDERING

FINDING GOD IN SURRENDERING


We are all BATTLING something
In this often
Difficult world


Depression-Addiction-PAIN-and just
STRIVING to FIND God
In this sometimes
God FORSAKEN world


We often FIND GOD
When we least expect him


When we give up on
Our efforts and just LET HIM
Come and find us


“Therefore=let us strive
To enter into that REST


So that no one may fall
After the same example
Of disobedience” Hebrews 4:11


We WANT to find God
We want to search and seek
But we don't always
Want to give up
OUR disobedience


OFTEN our God
Will find us
If we just stop
And REST


If we just
SURRENDER our own personal will
To GOD


SURRENDERING to find God
In rest


“Truly my soul
Finds REST in God
My salvation
COMES from him” Psalm 62:1


“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 the knowledge
And fear of the Lord--------------------” Isaiah 11:2


“........for anyone
Who enters GOD'S REST
Also RESTS from their works


Just as God
Did from his” Hebrews 4:10


Sometimes even SURRENDERING
To God can become
Hard work


Sometimes we have to WORK
To strive for a willingness
To SURRENDER


And when we STOP working
Either from failure-exhaustion-
Or whatever


We will FIND that
God FINDS US=when
We are at rest


“YES my soul=
Finds REST in God
My hope
Comes from him” Psalm 62:5


“This is what the
Lord says=
'STAND at the crossroads
And look-
Ask for the ancient paths


Ask where
The GOOD WAY is
And walk in it


And you will FIND REST
For your souls........'” Jeremiah 6:16


PEACE comes from exhaustion
From SURRENDERING to God=
When he finds us


We can TRUST the Lord
Even when our own
Efforts FAIL


Saint Paul tells
The HEBREW people
“Therefore a SABBATH REST
Still remains
For the PEOPLE OF GOD” Hebrews 4:9


In Jesus' name and in the name of our ALL LOVING FATHER


Robert P. Wallman
1-17-19




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Eve Tushnet

GOD'S GIFT OF WEAKNESS

GOD'S GIFT OF WEAKNESS




Did you ever stop
And think


That maybe your greatest weakness
Is also
YOURGREATEST STREGTH


Maybe the thing
That gives you
The GREATEST perspective
In this life


And that by
LEARNING from our weakness
That maybe we can HELP OTHERS
-Actually TEACH OTHERS


How to avoid
LIFE'S greatest traps
The things that
Take most people down


I KNOW
That that was the case
With Saint Paul


“IF I must boast
I will boast\
Of the things
That SHOW my weakness” 2 Corinthians 11:30


“I will rather
BOAST most gladly
Of my weaknesses


In order
That the POWER of Christ
May dwell with me” 2 Corinthians 12:9


Paul expresses
What his own experiences
Taught him


NATURAL weakness
Doesn't stop God


In fact
The opposite is true


The more imperfect
That we are
The GREATER the work
God can do through us


How about that
For a paradox


The greatest weakness
That you have in life
IS ALSO your greatest strength


I want to ECHO
The above thought
And the words
And teachings of Paul


WHEN I came
So close to death
WHEN I was 22


And when the illness
Became chronic


Like Saint Paul
I became
TOTALLY DEPENDENT on God


I could no longer
Run five miles a day
Or lift weights
Like I once could


But over time
I learned
TO RELY ON GOD


And now—today
MY STRENGTH
Is totally dependent on him


“In the SAME WAY-
The SPIRIT
HELPS US-in our weakness


We do NOT KNOW
What we ought to pray for


But the spirit himself
INTERCEDES for us
Through wordless groans” Romans 8:26


I learned how PRECIOUS
life is


And NOT to throw it away
Or let anyone-or anything
Take it from you


It is a GIFT FROM GOD
NOT to be
Taken for granted


So take it
From the GREAT SAINT PAUL
And take it
From me
BOTH-humble servants-of the Lord


In our weakness
GOD'S LOVE can be
MOST POWERFULLY SHOWN


To a world
That is STARVING for love


Dear Lord-WE humbly pray
USE our weakness
To FILL the world
WITH YOUR LOVE


Robert P. Wallman
6-27-15




INSPIRED by an article in Living Faith Magazine by Amy Welborn






Ps 1-17-18-2019

TODAY=WE LISTEN TO GOD

TODAY=WE LISTEN TO GOD


I don't know
About you=but every day
I TRY TO PRAY


I READ my bible every day
I say a ROSARY every day and
I try to have POSITIVE THOUGHTS
And PRAYERS
For EACH and every one of you


TODAY is the day
That we PRAY
Today is the day


For us
To LISTEN TO GOD!


“Take care=brothers and sisters
That NONE of you
May have an evil
And unfaithful heart


So as to forsake
The LIVING GOD” Hebrews 3:12


I try to be POSITIVE every day
I try not to
Let any evil
LURK within my heart


I try to be positive
I try to be FAITHFUL
To the living GOD


I try to LISTEN and
Hear GOD'S VOICE
For today


For today
We LISTEN to our God


“LISTEN to my words=
Lord=consider my lament” Psalm 5:1


“The way of fools
Seem right to them
But the wise
LISTEN to advice” Proverbs 12:15


“My sheep
LISTEN to my voice
I know them
And they follow me” John 10 :27


TRY not to
Let your hearts harden
Try not to grow
Into INDIFFERENCE
In this difficult life
That
We TRY and live


Live with a PASSION
For God
Live with a passion
For loving others
For BEING KIND to others


HEAR the Lord
When he speaks
BACK to you in prayer
God's WORD to us
Is important


Try to live and
Seek a way
That you HEAR God's voice


TODAY=we listen
WE hear our God


“For he is our God
And we are the people
Of his pasture


The flock
Under his care


Today if only you
Would HEAR his voice
Do NOT HARDEN YOU HEARTS........,” Psalm 95:7-8


“So he replied
To the messengers:
'Go back and report
To John what you have seen
And HEARD


The blind receive sight
The lame walk
Those who have leprosy
Are cleansed


The deaf HEAR.........,'” Luke 17:23


Today is the day
To get back
ON TRACK


TODAY is the day
To LISTEN to and
HEAR the word of
The LORD our God


In Jesus' name and the name of God=OUR ALL LOVING FATHER


Robert P. Wallman
1-16-19




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B.

YOU COUNT=OH YES YOU DO!

YOU COUNT=OH YES YOU DO!


Have you ever felt
EXCLUDED from a group of friends
Or a group of peers
That you really wanted to BELONG to?


I am SURE that you have=I have-we
ALL have-even Jesus was rejected
By his home town and his own people


But OUR God stands with you
He stands with all=he INCLUDES everyone
Even the poor and the “nothings”


YOU COUNT for something
You are SOMEONE=you are INCLUDED
In the kingdom of God


“........God chose the lowly
And despised of the world
Those who count for nothing
….....” 1 Corinthians 1:28


STAND with God-for he-
Will stand FOREVER with you


“I will declare
That your love stands
FIRM FOREVER


That you have established
Your faithfulness in heaven itself” Psalm 89:2


You COUNT-oh YES you do!=
In the kingdom of God-
And in the world of heaven itself


“You will be hated
By everyone-because of me


But the ONE
Who STANDS FIRM to the end
Will be saved” Matthew 10:22


STAND FIRM with God-stand firm
With Jesus-He will stand by you
UNTIL the end of time


“Nevertheless-God's SOLID foundation
STANDS firm
Sealed with this inscription:


'The Lord KNOWS those
Who are his'-and-
'Everyone who confesses
The name of the Lord
MUST turn away from wickedness'” 2 Timothy 2:19


There are NO nothings
There is no one who
Does not matter
In the EYES of the Lord
You are SPECIAL-you are INCLUDED


OUR God is an INCLUSIVE God-
A God who LOVES US ALL


DON'T ever let anyone tell you
That you do not matter
That you are nothing


THESE are the ONES our God
Our Jesus CHOOSES=he keeps us
IN his company=he chooses us
He COUNTS us as special


“You did not choose me
But I CHOSE YOU-
And appointed you


So that you might go
And bear fruit-
FRUIT that will last-


And so that whatever
You ASK in my name
The Father will give you


This is my command:
LOVE ONE ANOTHER” John 15:16


“But we ought ALWAYS
To thank God for you-
Brothers and sisters-
LOVED by the Lord


Because God CHOSE you as his first fruits
To be saved
THROUGH the sanctifying work
Of the SPIRIT


And through BELIEF in the truth” 2 Thessalonians 2:13


So WHOEVER you are in this world
YOU COUNT-You are SOMEONE SPECIAL
In this world


OH YES YOU ARE!-
Forever in Jesus' name


Robert P. Wallman
1-28-17




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




Ps 1-16-17-2019

A SERVANT OF GOD!

A SERVANT OF GOD!


Jesus lived the
GREATEST SERVANT'S LIFE of
All time=giving his life UP
FOR ALL


But we know of his GLORY=
It is easy for us to FORGET about
HIS SERVANT'S LIFE
On a day to day basis


We too=should TRY
To live A SERVANT'S LIFE
Like Jesus=
GIVING of ourselves


“Look to the Lord
In his strength
Seek to SERVE him constantly” Psalm 105:4


I desire to SERVE GOD=
To serve Jesus=to be CLOSE
To God and Jesus
It is not easy


Because SERVING God and Jesus=involves
SERVING OTHERS=it means giving
Ourselves up for others=on a
Day-to-day basis


And it means PRAYING for others FIRST
Praying for ourselves-
Thinking of ourselves second=
Or even LAST


Living as a SERVANT
Of God=trying to do it
Like Jesus did=though we
CAN NEVER live up to that


“Let your face
Shine on your SERVANT
Save me
In your unfailing love” Psalm 31:16


“After he has suffered
He will see
The light of life
And be satisfied


By his knowledge
His righteous SERVANT
Will justify many


And he will bear
The iniquities” Isaiah 53:11


“Jesus replied........,
Whoever SERVES ME
Must follow me
And where I am
My SERVANT will also be


My Father
Will honor the one
Who SERVES ME” John 12:26


Serving God=serving Jesus
Being a servant to OTHERS=
LIVING a life for others
Is NOT an easy thing to do


The first step for Jesus=
And the first step for us
Is to ALWAYS
Be praying for others FIRST


We must SELF-EMPTY ourselves
To God=we must give
All that we have for others=
To REALLY live a servant's life


BOWING before God our SOURCE-
We reach out to care for
And to HELP OTHERS in need


Living a life of SERVICE
Like religious men and women=policemen
And women=doctors and nurses
Is NOT an easy life


They are always
REACHING OUT
To serve others first
Before serving themselves


“No one can SERVE
Two masters


Either you will hate one
And love the other
Or you will be
DEVOTED to one
And despise the other


You cannot SERVE
Both God and money” Matthew 6:24


Dear Lord=THANK YOU
For being the GREATEST SERVANT
Of all time


Help us to FOLLOW you
And stay FOCUSED on who we
WERE MEANT TO BE


A SERANT and follower of you


In Jesus' name and in the name of God=our ALL LOVING FATHER


Robert P. Wallman
1-15-19




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Julia Walsh, F.S.P.A.

THE LORD IS NEAR=OUR DIVINE RESCUER

THE LORD IS NEAR:
OUR DIVINE RESCUER




WHEN I think
About my life
It is a wonder
That I have ever lived
To be this old


But I know
The Lord has always
Been with me-WITH US


He is MY
He is OUR DIVINE RESCUER
And he is always
NEAR TO US


“Had not the Lord
Been with us........” Psalm 124:1


“The Lord is CLOSE
To the brokenhearted


And SAVES those
Who are crushed in spirit” Psalm 34:18


The Lord is NEAR:
He is my DIVINE RESCUER


He was with me
As a teenager
When I jumped out


Over some rocks
Into the Ohio river
And barely missed the rocks


He was with me as a teenager
WHEN a friend was drinking and driving


And we wound up
In the gully of the freeway
Facing the wrong way


And he has been with me
Through six operations
(Three life and death)
And throughout my chronic illness


And yet=HERE I still stand


He is close to me
HE IS MY DIVINE RESCUER


And if you think about it
I am sure you realize
He is yours too


“HE TRUSTS the Lord,”-they say
“Let the Lord rescue him” Psalm 22:8


And he has
OVER and over again


And I am sure
He has done
The SAME for you
If you stop and think about it


“The Lord
WILL RESCUE his servants
No one


Who takes refuge in him
Will be condemned” Psalm 34:22


“Then the Lord
KNOWS how to rescue
The godly from trials


And to hold the unrighteous
For punishment
On the day of judgment” 2 Peter 2:9


The Lord is near
HE IS OUR DIVINE RESCUER


Have you ever thought
What might have happened
To you
Had not the Lord been with you


I have
And I know
IF not for him
I would not be
In this world any longer


BLESSED BE God
Who never leaves us


We thank God
Who is with us
Through every trial


Dear Lord-we pray-IN THANKSGIVING
For being NEAR to us
And being OUR DIVINE REDEEMER and RESCUER
ALL the days of our life


In Jesus' name


Robert P. Wallman
10-20-15




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Jennifer Christ




1-15-16-2019

PART OF HIS FAMILY!

PART OF HIS FAMILY


Do you KNOW
That you are PART
Of GOD'S VERY OWN FAMILY?


I mean=do you really UNDERSTAND
That Jesus Is YOUR BROTHER=
Sent to us=in our world
By OUR very own=GOD THE FATHER?


“He who consecrates and those
Who are being consecrated
All have ORIGIN


Therefore-he is NOT ASHAMED
To call them 'BROTHERS'........” Hebrews 2:11


This CONCEPT never ceases
To amaze me=God=became
ONE of us=he came to us
From natural child birth
Of a woman NAMED Mary


Came to us-from the HEART
Of a woman=and died at
The HANDS of very evil men


Do you get it?=
We ARE part of God's own
We are a part
Of his VERY OWN FAMILY


“She gets up
While it is
Still night


She provides food
For her FAMILY
And portions
For her female servants” Proverbs 3:15


“Still another said
'I will follow you Lord
But first


Let me go back
And say goodbye
To MY FAMILY” Luke 9:61


“He and
All his FAMILY
Were devout and God-fearing


He gave generously
To those in NEED
And PRAYED to God regularly” Acts 10:2


And isn't that
The WAY of all of us


We GIVE to God
As generously as we can
And we pray
REGUARLY to God


We are PART of
His own
We are a part
Of GOD'S OWN FAMILY


God is our FATHER
Jesus is our BROTHER
And Mary is our ADOPTED MOTHER


What our efforts
FAIL to attain=God our Father
And Jesus our brother
WORK for us=on our behalf


His BLOOD on the cross
Makes us/MAKES ME=his
very own BROTHER (and sisters)


And we LIVE as the Father's
Own sons and daughters
As Jesus' brother


“A friend
LOVES at all times
And a BROTHER is born
For a time of adversity” Proverbs 17:17


“Then he looked
At those seated
Around him and said=


'HERE are my mother
And my BROTHERS!
Whoever DOES God's will
IS my brother and sister
And mother'” Mark 3:34-35


Do we need any
FURTHER PROOF than that?


Jesus himself=is telling us
That we are HIS BROTHERS and
SISTERS=if we DO GOD'S WILL


We are indeed
PART OF HIS FAMILY!


In Jesus ' name=and in the name of OUR ALL LOVING FATHER


Robert P. Wallman
1-14-19




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Elizabeth Duffy