Whatever You Need

Today's reading from St. Paul, writing to the Phillipians while shackled and imprisoned in some God-forsaken place, with martyrdom imminent and rapidly approaching, is a short excerpt but chock full of valuable lessons and insights for us all to this day.

St. Paul had indeed been a very wealthy man of abundance yet for his love of Jesus Christ he chose instead poverty and eventually death- he chose to focus on and enrich the only  "account" that matters at the end of the day.

It is inspirational and almost unimaginable to try to understand the depth and strength of his FAITH and TRUST in the Lord.

His attitude and unwavering love and belief in the Lord- while facing inevitable and painful DEATH - is something I for one struggle to comprehend and try to recall when some small little challenge presents itself in my life.

Not so easy, granted - but attainable!

Enjoy the Beautiful Weekend and Stay Strong!

"Brothers and sisters:  I rejoice greatly in the Lord that now at last you revived your concern for me.

You were, of course, concerned about me but lacked an opportunity.

Not that I say this because of need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself, to be self-sufficient.

I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances;

I know also how to live with abundance.

In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need.

I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.

Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.

You Philippians indeed know that at the beginning of the Gospel, when I left Macedonia, not a single church shared with me in an account of giving and receiving, except you alone.

For even when I was at Thessalonica
you sent me something for my needs,
not only once but more than once.

It is not that I am eager for the gift;
rather, I am eager for the profit that accrues to YOUR account.

I have received full payment and I abound.

I am very well supplied because of what I received from you through Epaphroditus,
"a fragrant aroma," an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.

My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

St. Paul to the Phillipians 4:10-19

Stay Strong!!

Strength With No Limits

RECEIVE MY GLORY-STRENGTH.

When ongoing problems require you to stick it out over the long haul, your faith sometimes falters.

That's when you resort to grimly gritting your teeth—simply passing time in a negative frame of mind.

This is not the way I want you to deal with difficulties.

I am sovereign over the circumstances of your life, so there are always opportunities to be found in them.

Sometimes those opportunities are so obvious you can't miss seeing them.

At other times—especially when the journey is hard and seems endless—you have to search for hidden treasure.

Do not be like the man who hid his master's talent in the ground because he was disgruntled with his circumstances.

He gave up and took the easy way out: blaming his hard situation rather than making the most of his opportunity.

The truth is, the more difficult your situation, the more treasure there is for you to discover in it.

I gladly give you Glory-strength; it is limitless and freely available to each of My followers.

It is exceedingly potent, because the Spirit Himself empowers you—strengthening you with Power in your inner being.

Moreover, Glory-strength enables you to keep on enduring the unendurable.

Since this strength has no limits, there is more than enough of it to spill over into Joy!

We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives.

From " Jesus Lives " by Sarah Young

Stay Strong!

"It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy." COLOSSIANS 1:11 MSG

"See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power . . . and his recompense accompanies him.
ISAIAH 40:10

"And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours."
MATTHEW 25:25 NKJV

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith . . . "
EPHESIANS 3:16

On The Wings of A Storm

"The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God."

 PSALM 14: 2

A dear friend describes some pretty significant testing.

She said in less than twelve months, she'd seen her health fail, her property damaged, a close friendship threatened —all while her workload at the office escalated.

Her story illustrates how life-shaking experiences can prepare us for a fresh encounter with God.

For my friend, it was a year that triggered a personal revival.

Sometimes only adversity can accomplish that kind of revival.

The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel related that as a captive to King Nebuchadnezzar, "I looked, and I saw a windstorm …an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light"(Ezekiel 1: 4).

But on the wings of that storm, God brought Ezekiel an important message, a wake-up call to a fresh vision of Jesus.

When the storm comes, look up for personal revival!

From " Fixing My Eyes on Jesus " by Anne Graham Lotz

Stay Strong!

ON THE WINGS OF A STORM

"The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God." 

-- PSALM 14: 2

A dear friend describes some pretty significant testing.

She said in less than twelve months, she'd seen her health fail, her property damaged, a close friendship threatened —all while her workload at the office escalated.

Her story illustrates how life-shaking experiences can prepare us for a fresh encounter with God.

For my friend, it was a year that triggered a personal revival.

Sometimes only adversity can accomplish that kind of revival.

The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel related that as a captive to King Nebuchadnezzar, "I looked, and I saw a windstorm …an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light"(Ezekiel 1: 4).

But on the wings of that storm, God brought Ezekiel an important message, a wake-up call to a fresh vision of Jesus.

When the storm comes, look up for personal revival!

From " Fixing My Eyes on Jesus " by Anne Graham Lotz

Stay Strong!

New Hope!

At At Christmas God shows His fidelity and inaugurates a new Kingdom, which gives a new Hope to humanity. 

And what is this Hope? 

Eternal life....

Look at Mary, Mother of Hope. 

With her "Yes" she opened the door of our world to God: her girl's heart was full of hope, all animated by faith; and so God chose her and she believed in his word.... 

Christmas will be truly a celebration if we receive Jesus, seed of hope that God deposits in the furrows of our personal and communal history. 

Every "Yes" to Jesus who comes is a seed of hope.

Let us have confidence in this seed of hope, in this yes: 

"Yes, Jesus, you can save me, you can save me."

 

A happy Christmas of Hope to all!

Pope Francis

Excerpted from his general  audience, December 21, 2016 God shows His fidelity and inaugurates a new Kingdom, which gives a new hope to humanity. And what is this hope? Eternal life....

Look at Mary, Mother of Hope. With her "Yes" she opened the door of our world to God: her girl's heart was full of hope, all animated by faith; and so God chose her and she believed in his word.... 

Christmas will be truly a celebration if we receive Jesus, seed of hope that God deposits in the furrows of our personal and communal history. Every "Yes" to Jesus who comes is a seed of hope.

Let us have confidence in this seed of hope, in this yes: "Yes, Jesus, you can save me, you can save me

Pope Francis
Excerpted from his general  audience, December 21, 2016

Where We Learn

I apologize in advance for the length of this post but I truly hope you can soldier through it (and if not perhaps you can table it for when you have a few extra minutes) as I believe it carries a powerful message that will truly resonate strongly with a lot of us as we navigate this journey of life on earth! 

Stay Strong, Trust and Enjoy! :)

"Bouncing across raging seas, bent to our knees and clinging for safety, is where we learn to pray.

Ask Noah, adrift on the swells of the diluvian sea.

Ask Jonah, tossed about on the Mediterranean.

Ask the disciples, taking on water on the Sea of Galilee.

Ask Paul, weathering perilous storms on voyage after voyage.

The storm you're facing may be financial, when you find yourself caught up in a Category 4 hurricane that sweeps over the economy like Katrina over the Gulf Coast.

Widespread flooding. Levees breaking. Your home underwater. Your family drowning in debt.

Standing in water to your waist is where you will learn to pray.

Your storm may be vocational, when your job is outsourced overseas or made obsolete by technology.

Wet with tears, your prayers take on new urgency.

The storm you face may be relational, when a friendship turns against you.

When a teenager is caught in the vortex of raging hormones, tempestuous emotions, and pressures from peers.

When a marriage is broadsided by a rogue wave of infidelity or grounded on a shallow reef that slowly sinks it.

Stuck in the mire, you pray.

Your storm may be physical, when your loss of balance turns out to be MS, or the lump turns out to be malignant.

It can be emotional, when the undulations of mood plunge you into the depths of depression.

Gasping for air, you pray.

The storm in your life may be a spiritual one, when you have been driven and tossed by the wind for so long and you have taken on so much water that you are filled with doubt.

You are holding on, but just barely, as wave after wave washes over you.

You're gasping for air, heaving your insides out.

Your eyes are stinging from all the water, and you can hardly see anything clearly.

How much more can you take?

How much longer can you hold on?

When your grip is slipping and you are suffocating, you feel as though the very last thing you can do is pray.

During these times, I most often pipe short, clipped, desperate prayers:

"Save me, Lord!"

"Help me."

"Please, help me."

"Please."

In a storm there are no requisite word counts.

There is no formal grammar.

There are no lofty phrases.

The Jesus prayer has just seven words:

"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me."

Anne Lamott, who seems to pray like me, once identified the two most popular prayers in the world, ostensibly mid-storm and post-storm, as

"Help, help, help" and "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

The witness of Jesus' own disciples demonstrates that elaborate construction is not necessary:

"Master, don't you care that we are perishing?"

That was the prayer the disciples prayed when the storm swept over their boat and Jesus was asleep in the stern.

"Lord, save me!"

This was the prayer Peter prayed when he stepped out of the boat, taking his eyes off of Jesus and onto the wind and the waves that slapped against him.

The one prayer was a question, the other an exclamation.

In every life there are times when Jesus does seem to be asleep in the stern, while our lives are taking on water, and we are breaking our backs, bailing our hearts out.

How can he possibly be sleeping? On a cushion, no less!

How could he not hear the waves smashing against the hull, not feel the water sloshing over the sides?

How could he not see that we are perishing?

How could he not care?

We wake him with our prayers, or so it seems.

And he is inconvenienced, or so it seems.

Even irritated.

The question turns the way it did with the widow's question to the unrighteous judge (Luke 18:1–8).

And we learn that while we are looking for rescue, he is looking for FAITH.

It is difficult to be hard on the disciples.

What should they have done?

How should they have approached him?

Or when?

They didn't come to Jesus until they'd come to the end of themselves.

Maybe that is what prompted the rebuke.

Maybe they looked at him as their last resort INSTEAD of their FIRST.

Maybe they didn't want to disturb him, and that is what he wanted them to do most.

To come to him FIRST.

To realize he would WANT them to come to him first.

Jesus, no doubt, would have gladly received just a single word:

"Lord!"

"Master!"

There have been a lot of times when I have cried myself to sleep while praying.

Not sobbing, just gentle tears spilling from my eyes.

When the storm has raged for too long, we are weary.

We are out of thoughts.

We are out of feelings.

We are out of prayers.

What then?

When we've reached the end, Jesus simply receives us.

No words.

A sigh.

A heaving of your heart toward heaven, however heavy it may be to lift, however hard it may be to heft.

When it is too hard, the Holy Spirit will do the heaving, lifting, groaning, to carry it for you.

Unclenching our fists, the movement of prayer is to trust with the trust of Jesus.

In the same way Jesus fully entrusted himself into the hands of the Father who loved him, so we too are invited to entrust our lives into the hands of the Father who loves us.

Where you find yourself today, whether drifting effortlessly on serene glassy waters or thrown by desperate violent waves, how do your prayers sound?

Like sinking Peter, do you instinctively call out to Jesus for help?

Or like Jesus' terrified disciples, have you been hesitant to rouse the Master?

Hoarse from praying, do you at last offer a humble prayer of relinquishment?

Or speechless, desperate, do you simply lift your eyes toward heaven and let the Spirit interpret the groans of your heart?

Whichever way,  always know that Jesus' ear is constantly attuned to those who find themselves in life's storms.

Sometimes he quiets the storm.

Always, he calms and delivers his child."

"Those persons who know the deep peace of God, the unfathomable peace that passeth all understanding, are always men and women of much prayer." - R. A. Torrey

Taken From "At Peace in the Storm"  by Ken Gire

Stay Strong!!!

Welcoming Mary

Today's Gospel reading from Luke 1 is the story of the Visitation, when Mary went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who herself was pregnant with John the Baptist.

"Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." Does this sound familiar? If you are a Catholic, it should. The words of Elizabeth are ones that we quote in the Hail Mary prayer. This isn't something that the Church made up. Surprise! Catholics really can quote Scripture!

We see today how honored Elizabeth was to have "the mother of my Lord" visit her. Elizabeth welcomed Mary into her home. A wonderful lesson for us. As we welcome Jesus into our homes and our hearts, we should also should be honored to welcome in His Mother.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. 

Amen.

From "60 Second Reflections" by Gus Lloyd 

Stay Strong, 

Hail Mary

Some ways to pray the Hail Mary 

St. Alphonsus provides some practical advice for praying the simplest and most popular of Marian prayers. 

Here are some ways to pray the Hail Mary. 

First, every morning and evening, when we get up and when we go to bed, we can say three Hail Marys lying down, or at least kneeling. 

Then we can add to each one this short prayer: 

"Mary, by your pure and immaculate conception, make my body pure, and my soul holy." 

We should then, as St. Stanislaus always did, ask Mary's blessing as our mother; place ourselves under the mantle of her protection; and beg her to guard us during the coming day or night from evil and,sin. 

For this purpose it's advisable to have a beautiful image of the Blessed Virgin. 

Second, we can say the Angelus, with the usual three Hail Marys, in the morning, at midday, and in the evening. 

Third, we can greet the Mother of God with a Hail Mary every hour on the hour. 

Fourth, whenever we go out of the house or return, we can greet the Blessed Virgin with a Hail Mary. That way, whether we are indoors or outdoors, she will guard us from all evil, dangers and sin. 

Fifth, we should honor every image of Mary that we pass with a Hail Mary. 

For this purpose, those who can would do well to place a beautiful image of the Blessed Virgin on an outside wall of their houses, so that it may be venerated by those who pass by. 

Sixth, we would do well to begin and end all our actions with a Hail Mary. They may be spiritual actions—prayer, Confession, Communion, spiritual reading, hearing sermons—or temporal, such as study, giving advice, working, or sitting down for a meal. 

Happy are those actions that are enclosed between two Hail Marys. 

Finally, we should say a Hail Mary in every temptation, in every danger, and in every inclination to anger. 

Do this, and you'll see the immense advantage it brings. 

—St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary 

CLOSING PRAYER 

From the Angelus: 

"The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, and she conceived by the Holy Spirit. Hail, Mary . . ."

Stay Strong 

The Good Fight of Faith

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."
(1 Peter 4:12–13, NIV)

Don't Be Surprised

If you know you are going into a challenging season, you can get prepared for it.

You can make sure you are mentally ready.

But what about the difficulties that we don't see coming?

The unexpected crisis that catches you off-guard?

Sometimes, it can seem so overwhelming that it almost knocks the wind right out of you.

The scripture says that we shouldn't be surprised by fiery trials.

That's because the forces of darkness would not be fighting against you if they didn't know that God has something amazing in your future!

Sometimes, those unexpected difficulties are just a sign that you're on the right track.

It's always darkest just before the dawn appears.

The enemy always fights the hardest when you are closest to your breakthrough.

The key is to stay the course and keep fighting the good fight of faith.

In the difficult times, keep your joy and keep declaring God's Word over your future.

God has promised that you will overcome every obstacle.

You will defeat every enemy, and you will embrace the blessing and victory He has in store for you!

A Prayer for Today
"Father, thank You for walking with me in every season of life. Today, I cast all of my cares on You. I cast all of my difficulties, all of my questions, and all of my concerns. Thank You for working all things out for my good in Jesus' name. 

Amen."

From Today's Word

Stay Strong!

The Power of Joy

Happy Monday All!!  Enjoy this amazing week run up to Christmas and try to stay warm - and Joyful! :) 

Stay Strong!

"But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them."  

--- Acts 16:25

Our joy as a Christian should not depend on our circumstances.

Joy comes from God, and therefore it cannot be affected by what is outside of you.

Don't be fooled into letting the actions of others determine your joy.

True joy comes from knowing that God Himself lives within you and has fellowship with you, regardless of your environment.

Real joy lies in the knowledge that holy God has completely forgiven you of every sin, and even now, He has a home prepared in heaven where you can spend eternity with Him (John 14:3).

The circumstances of your life cannot change these truths!

Paul and Silas faced some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable.

They were falsely accused, arrested, and imprisoned. .

They were beaten and shackled in the darkest, coldest section of the prison.

But they refused to allow their horrific situation to dampen their joy!

They did not blame God for allowing these things to happen to them.

Instead, they praised Him for His goodness!

In the darkness of the night, they prayed and they sang.

God brought a miracle that released them from their chains, but perhaps the greater miracle was that His Holy Spirit could so fill them that even in their painful imprisonment they could overflow with joy!

Do not allow difficult events to cancel the joy of knowing you are a child of God!

Choose to allow God's Spirit to fill you with His unquenchable joy, and your life will be a miracle to those who watch you face the trials that come."

Stay Strong!  ;) 

Target Hope

Happy Friday!!

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."
(Hebrews 11:1, NLT)

Give Your Faith a Target

So many people today are depressed and discouraged simply because they only focus on their present circumstances.

They're constantly dwelling on their problems, what they don't have, and what's wrong with them.

They don't realize it, but they're allowing the enemy to steal their hope.

This negative frame of mind is what keeps people from moving forward in life.

Understand today that faith is confidence and assurance about the things we hope for according to the promises of God.

Like an arrow, your faith points to the target of hope.

If you don't have hope, that arrow of faith will just drop to the ground.

It won't accomplish anything.

But when you keep your hopes up, when you keep expecting and believing, it's as if that target gets larger and larger—easier to hit!

Choose today to live with an attitude of expectancy.

Get your hopes up!

Start by taking captive any negative thoughts you may have one at a time.

As you focus on God's goodness and faithfulness, you'll feel that hope inside you growing.

You'll give your faith a target, and you'll move confidently into the blessings and peace the Lord has in store for you!

A Prayer for Today
"Father, today I surrender every thought to You. I choose to release my cares and concerns so I can focus on Your goodness in my life. Thank You for the gift of faith to see the impossible become possible as I continue to place my hope and confidence in You in Jesus' name, Amen.

Stay Strong!

Help Me Get Through This

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception! :)  Say a Hail Mary or 50 if you get a moment! :) 

"No matter how God answers this prayer, one thing is certain: 

He will speed up the process of healing and make sure you get through your ordeal with as little emotional, psychological, and spiritual damage as possible. 

And this guarantee doesn't apply to only the great cataclysmic misfortunes of life. 

It works for the smaller "slings and arrows" of daily living as well. 

You shouldn't wait for heart attacks or terminal illnesses or car accidents to ask for God's assistance. 

You should say this prayer when you have a toothache; you should say this prayer when your annoying colleague at work won't stop talking to you; you should say this prayer when you're stuck in a traffic jam! 

Whenever you have to face any kind of pain, you should say to God, 

"Lord, please help me get through this." 

And he will."

From "The 10 Prayers God Always Answers"

Stay Strong! :) 

Everything We Need

"By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence."
(2 Peter 1:3 NLT)

By His Divine Power

Whether you realize it or not, God has already given you everything you need to live the life He's called you to. 

You don't need to feel stressed out, worried or afraid. 

You don't have to wonder if you're "good enough" to receive from God because God's blessing has nothing to do with your performance. 

He has already blessed you and given you everything you need by His divine power!

The world's system tells us to strive, toil and scrape to get what we want. 

Our culture puts limits on people because of their natural abilities, resources, background or circumstances. 

But with God, there are no limits! 

By His divine power, you are equipped, well able and STRONG! 

You are covered by His grace and mercy, and you are empowered to do all He has called you to do!

The next time you start thinking "I can't..." or "I don't have what it takes...," attack those negative thoughts with the truth by declaring:

 "I have what it takes; I am well able; and I am equipped by His divine power at work in me!"

A Prayer for Today
"Father, thank You for Your power which is at work in me. Thank You for equipping me and calling me according to Your good purpose. Give me Your strength and peace today. I keep my mind stayed on You in Jesus' name. Amen."

Today's Word by Joel I

Stay Strong !

War

"This life is nothing but warfare and a series of temptations; we do not have to contend with enemies of flesh and blood but with the very powers of Hell. 

What better weapons could we possibly use to combat them than the Prayer which our great Captain taught us (Our Father), and the Angelic Salutation (Hail Mary) which has chased away devils, destroyed sin and renewed the world? 

What better weapon could we use than meditation on the life and passion of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? 

For, as Saint Peter says, it is with this thought we must arm ourselves in order to defend ourselves against the very same enemies which he conquered and which molest us every day." 

"Ever since the devil was crushed by the humility and passion of Jesus Christ he has been very nearly unable to attack a soul that is armed with meditation on the mysteries of Our Lord's life, and, if he does trouble such a soul, he is sure to be shamefully defeated." (Cardinal Hughes.) 

"Put you on the armor of God."

So arm yourselves with the arms of God—with the Holy Rosary—and you will crush the devil's head and you will stand firm in the face of all his temptations.

This is why even the material rosary itself is such a terrible thing for the devil, and why the Saints have used it to enchain devils and to chase them out of the bodies of people who were possessed. 

Such happenings are reported in more than one authentic record."

Stay Strong !

Our Rock..Our Foundation

"Have you ever been to New York City?

If not, you've surely seen it before. Skyscrapers all throughout Manhattan reaching to the heavens.

Ever wonder how they put those things all so close together, and how they always remain so firm?

It's because of their foundation. Manhattan has this amazingly strong bedrock underneath all those huge buildings.

Ask any engineer and they will tell you…it all begins with a good foundation.

Without that, the structure hasn't got a chance.

In today's readings, we think about our foundation.

In the first reading from Isaiah 26, we read,

"For the Lord is an eternal Rock."

And in the Gospel reading from Matthew 7, Jesus says,

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock."

When you build something, you want to build it on firm ground; rock that is immovable.

It begs for us the question…what is the foundation on which you have built your faith?

Many people choose different foundations for their faith.

Some choose money; a fat bank account or a healthy 401(k) gives them peace of mind.

For others, relationships; their significant other will make them happy and be there for them always.

Er…not so much.

If the foundation of our faith is anything but Christ Jesus, we are in for a fall.

No one or nothing else will stand the test of eternity.

Father, forgive us for the times when we put our trust, build our faith foundation on things or people. Teach us to trust You alone, through your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Stay Strong!!

From "60 Second Reflections" by Gus Lloyd
www.guslloyd.com