Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Desiring God!





My People,

Good Morning! Every once in a while when you watch a dream come true, remember God has made a way for me and you!


Jeremiah 9:24, “but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,”

We need to work with the humility of Christ. One acquires humility only by accepting humiliations. Forgive out of love, forget out of humility let no hurt or bitterness remain.

I AM NOTHING!
I AM BUT A WRETCHED SINNER!
Have mercy oh Lord!
 
The Sun so shines on me and you! We all have dreams and most people never in their lifetime ever ask God, ‘what is it that you want from me? What could I do to tell you how much I love you?’ We never realize to ask?


Whenever I put up a topic, there will be times that the lyrics of the song will come to my head, or I will have to hear it more than once to know it is God who wants me to mention the song. Here goes Rod Stewarts-Have I told you:-
Have I told you lately that I love you?
Have I told you there's no one else above you?
Fill my heart with gladness, take away all my sadness
Ease my troubles, that's what you do

For the morning sun in all its glory
Meets the day with hope and comfort too
You fill my life with laughter, somehow you make it better
Ease my troubles, that's what you do

There's a love that's divine
And its yours and its mine
Like the sun
And at the end of the day
We should give thanks and pray
To the one, to the one


Take away all my sadness,
fill my life with gladness
Ease my troubles, that's what you do

 


But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22—23

Gentleness is an indicator that the Spirit of God is at work in our lives. We are reminded to treat each other in gentleness, as Jesus did. He always gave people hope. The most effective way to lead people to Jesus is by imitating Jesus.

Let this be our prayer: “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.”

 

What do you do when your heart is broken – what are tears they are but droplets that fall from one’s eyes. Aren’t they? To cry is to hurt. We live in an insecure world. We hurt people when we trust little. To doubt is a lack of faith. And without faith what can you do?
When I cry, my eyes swell up. I cry at times out of happiness too. When someone hurts me I walk up to the person say the nicest things. Isn’t it wonderful to leave people with good words even though it is your heart that breaks into so many fragments?  You catch the person unawares with this act of kindness.  Sometimes all it requires is some good words. What it does to the person, is, it shows you care.

·        Sometimes we are mean to people who are good to us – we don’t believe that good can happen to ‘someone like me.’
·        I keep hearing people say mean things about each other, always putting the other down. When we talk bad about somebody, when we can’t see someones happiness and want to snap back at them or make stories, it says nothing good about us.
·        We all get annoyed some of us really get mad. I get angry too. As much as my temper rises it quickly cools down too maybe a minute or two. Don’t worry, I don’t box people down.  
 
·        There are people who love gossips and one look at them and you would know how they enjoy what they do. They can’t resist it. Deep down it’s become such a habit that if they don’t do what they do, they would lose themselves.
·        Jealously always stems up from insecurity. If one is confident of themselves, one can’t be jealous? And I know that you would ask – what one has to do with the other? It’s actually very simple. If you know your identity in Christ, you cannot be jealous. It is not who you are, but whose you are?   
 
Whatever your feeling, whatever the circumstance-ask yourself, ‘what would Jesus do?’
And if you don’t get the answer, let me help, Jesus would say, Love your neighbour as yourself and do good to those who hate you.
This is what Jesus tells me, ‘Love with all your heart. Love with mine.’ I am told not to hurt anyone. I try really hard. And when people hurt me, Jesus holds me.  

Love is a splendid thing!

 


As a 9 year old, on our walks after dinner, I would look for the Moon, I felt most comfortable.  Today I feel the same.
There was a time, when as a 9 year old on my 5 minute walk to my aunt’s home, I would admirably look at a house under construction-with no thought in my head, just plain admiration. When that house was done, my dad was given the keys to that place we called home.
I speak straight from the heart. My cousin calls me point blank and I know God loves that about me. I believe in simplicity, I don’t understand manipulation. I love people who speak from the heart. I love boldness in a person. I love the capacity of a person to love people and go a million miles for all. I love to watch a person speak with faith in God and speak on His awesomeness. Faith is what it does and how it forever changes the relationship of a person with God! I love to watch every-every little thing that God moves to make even the smallest drop of water look so beautiful if you only look at it with the eyes of wonder, you will be amazed forever!
I know I am I always will be! Always indebted to You!

 

Often during our troubled times, we fail to be patient. The Patience to wait and faith in God moves the heart of God.
What is a God destined moment? I believe that things in our lives come to pass at a God given moment. Not one minute before and not a second late than the destined (appointed) time by God. How wonderful it is to wait. And how wonderful it is as each minute enfolds revealing the God ordained moment.
Day 19th April, 2015 – Husband to wife-open mind.
Day 20th April, 2015 – Just believe in Jesus.
Day 22nd April, 2015 – Don’t give up.
Day 26th April, 2015 – Just the way you are. 

 
 
 
Day 18th April, 2015-Saturday - 7:30 pm mass, I was seated in line of the Tabernacle. I felt Jesus most alive. I did not see Jesus, but that did not change the way I felt about His presence.
The feeling that you are loved, the feeling that you are accepted is like no other feeling in the world. It’s enough to make you feel on Top of the world.

 
General belief is that when one is positive – it is usually because they have what they want.
I have had things in my life, and there are times that I wished would be but nevertheless nothing ever remains the same. Things change, people change. Time goes on. We remember.
There is only 1 thing that I ever wanted – and that was to have the greatest love story in the world.

Day 13th April, 2015, Monday - I have been with the grace of God able to go to Church on a daily basis. When I would miss mass, my prayer to God would be ‘Bid me to come to you.’ God heard me.

When you connect with Jesus, there is nothing that He want share with you.
Love they say burns your heart. Love is a fire that grows fiercer and keeps you warm and makes your heart ache with the sweet pain of love.
Mine by cov'nant, mine forever; mine by oath, and mine by blood. Mine-nor time the bond shall sever; mine as an unchanging God. My Redeemer, my Redeemer...oh, how sweet to call Thee mine.  Author Unknown

 
 
One of my friends – mentioned how his expecting wife wants a baby girl. He was wishing for a baby boy and he mentioned that if the baby is born on his father’s birthday that means his father is come back. I kept quiet for a minute, and then I told him we as Catholics don’t have the dead coming back. I told him, your father is happy in Heaven let him be there. Then he mentioned that he had a girl’s name ready when he was expecting a boy.  This is what I said “why don’t you ask God in faith?" The Bible says, ‘Ask and you will receive.’ I told him if you can’t be honest with God, who can you be honest with?
We all need to be honest to ourselves. When we are honest to ourselves-we can be honest to others. And we can do so only with God’s help.

 

3rd May, 2015 – It will be 10 years since my brother was called to be with God.


26th April, 2015 – Afer the mass, I prayed to God, asking for His will. I said I would do whatever HE asked of me. I was ready for anything. Outside the Church on a board I saw the number 13 and when looking closely – I saw 1313. 
 



 

Being aggressive does not mean you will bash someone up. It’s said that being aggressive gets you to the top spot. People don’t say it upfront. It’s a dog eat dog world. Everyone wants to be on the top spot. The word well chosen is a go-getter. It just means that you don’t mind stepping on others shoe or telling tales or reporting everything about them to get what you need. And no being a pushover does not mean being humble. These are just perceptions that people build to make themselves feel good of the wrongs they do.

Jesus is humble of heart. Often we do not realize the tenderness with which Jesus waits for us. Often we carry our load and for too long. We seek for someone to forgive us. We seek to forgive and be forgiven. We only have to remember what Jesus says, “Give me your burdens, come to me for I am meek and humble of heart.”

‘Meek’ - means gentleness, thoughtfulness, simplicity, truthfulness. Jesus put ‘humility’ after meekness. Meekness means love in action (kindness). Jesus said, “By this they will know that you are my disciples.”
Meekness is strength under control. It is not being impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance. 



Here, Christ shows us what it means to be meek because
“when he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”
 Christ entrusted Himself to God alone and if anyone had reason to boast, it certainly would be only Him. Philippians 2:8-Christ humbled Himself (God Himself became humble); became obedient to death on a cross.  He gave up His status and took on humanity—as an act of humility. He became man, in order to redeem and save us sinners. 



In Matthew 11:29, Jesus says “take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle[meek] and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.” We find rest by trusting our lives to Jesus, trusting Him to guide us through trouble at work or difficulty in marriage or whatever trouble life brings. We have to trust that Jesus is the answer to all our problems. His meekness and humility are why we take Jesus’ yoke because otherwise, we’re just bound to the world. It may seem easier, but it’s not. Jesus says ‘my burden is light.’

There will be times that we have to reject the comfort of the world. We are mocked because we are not part of the crowd. We were not created to be part of the crowd. We were created for greatness. That is the burden that is the yoke that Jesus calls us to accept.

 
Mother Teresa’s - Ways we can practice humility:
To speak as little as possible of oneself.
To mind one’s own business.
Not to want to manage other people’s affairs.
To avoid curiosity.
To accept contradiction and correction cheerfully.
To pass over the mistakes of others.
To accept insults and injuries.
To accept being slighted, forgotten, and disliked.
Not to seek to be specially loved and admired.
To be kind and gentle even under provocation.
Never to stand on one’s dignity.
To yield in discussion even though one is right.
To choose always the hardest.   


It is in being humble that our love becomes real. Jesus possessed the fullness of the Godhead and took on the form of a servant.
When we realize our nothingness God can fill us with Himself. We must be empty of pride, jealousy, selfishness before God can fill us with His love.
We need to pray to God to help us get rid of all the hardness of our own hearts, replacing it with the humbleness we encounter in Jesus Himself. He who is almighty chose to become flesh for the love of us.

 



We need God’s grace. Paul says - 1 Peter 5:5, “clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but [God] gives grace to the humble.” We have to pray to the Spirit of God and look at Christ’s example of being humble, and bind ourselves to Him-to His meekness and humility, as a whole way of life.
Colossians 3:12, “Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another.” Humility and meekness are character traits that we as Christians must put on.  When people look at us, they need to experience Christ. And it is God’s grace that helps us look this way.   
 
 
People have this impression that humble people are taken advantage of and walked on by others. A humble person is truly a strong person. Nobody in the world can change the mind of that person who is ruled by God.
 
When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, one of Jesus’ disciples took a sword and cut off the ear of one of the arresting soldiers. In an act of mercy and meekness, Jesus healed the soldier then reprimanded His disciple. Jesus humbled Himself and submitted to the authorities… willingly giving Himself up as a sacrifice on the cross.
Humility is freedom from pride. When we realize that we all have faults, we treat others much better.
When we are full of pride, and don’t get our way, we get very upset and are easily angered. Its humility and meekness that keep us open to the Holy Spirit, willing to learn.

God wants us to have an assurance that God is in control and He’ll always take care of us no matter what!

 

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8

Jesus the Son is consubstantial (“the same substance of the Father”, "one in being.") with the Father He did not in pride consider the Incarnation beneath His dignity. He concealed His Divinity behind mortal flesh and became a bond-servant of God. Jesus humbled Himself to the point of humiliating death on a Cross out of love for the Father and for us.

 

We are accustomed to thinking of the Abba Father in terms of power-The Omnipotent God, but His heart is meek and humble like Jesus's.



God is Love. Love is not arrogant.... Love is humble. And if God is love, then God is humble!


With all my Love,
For Love Prevails!
AnitA.

 


PRAYER: Abba, Father, keep me obedient and always faithful. Remember, this your servant.
Mama Mary keep me humble, I pray. Amen.

 

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Magnify GOD!


My People,

Good Morning! I would like to begin with the words that I came across and which is kind of a prayer:-
Lord, may I be a shining light for all the world to see, Your goodness and Your love displayed as You reach out through me. –Sper-


Have a Blessed Easter!

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Day 29th March, 2015 – 10:15 am mass at Mt. Carmel’s I hear this person sing and what a wonderfully soothing voice he has. And my heart in its oneness with God is made to realize God’s awesomeness.
Every talent is a song of praise that needs to be sung. We need to push people understanding that if we have been given a position in the earthly terms, then we are not there to warm up the chair, but we are there as Christians for the sole purpose of helping a person to reach the place where God intends for them.

God has blessed each one of us, every one accordingly and for the right reasons. When we recognize an individual and help them reach what they are destined to be and where they are meant to be, we tell God we trust Him and not the circumstances. When we recognize talent we magnify God. God is the one who has placed that skill in the person just like God has placed that skill in the person who sang that beautiful hymn. To me that was God being magnified. Each one of us has that something that can magnify God, but do we?

Let me like Mary say, ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord’.



 
I got love – the love is Jesus in me.
I got patience – the patience is Jesus in me.
I got family – my family is Jesus in me.
I am – everything that Jesus in me is.



Day 1st April, 2015 – I felt gloomy since the 30th of March and it followed the next day too. I went for confessions but felt too many blocks on my path, but no matter what it was, God was with me. At confessions, I told the priest that I was really depressed. But when I stepped into the Church it all vanished. When I was speaking with Him I told Him I know Jesus is here. He told me priests are Jesus, I replied yes they are. Jesus comforted me.

 


Our Priests, they work so hard. It’s not easy to stand the whole mass while we as a congregation sit for most of it.
For instance on Palm Sunday when the Passion Narrative (the Gospel) had to be read, being the longest, I saw Fr. Alvaro celebrate the Saturday and Sunday mass as well. How very wonderful!
Fr. Ashlyn, when he conducts the Bible study class, stands for 1hour and 30-45 minutes. When one stands for 10-15 minutes one feels that they have stood too long. Imagine teaching while standing, I know he will be modest and say what you would expect of a priest to say, but humanly speaking there is no gain. All for God-is the motive. 
Fr. Lenny - I wouldn’t change anything about him. The world is too complex we need people who make you realize how beautiful simplicity really is.
Fr. William did the feet washing of the 12 men and I looked on with amazement at the humility as he proceeded in doing so.
 
Often I hear people so quick to judge the priests, but how hard it is to walk in their shoes. Unimaginable, but talk is cheap!

 
 
Thomas needed physical confirmation that Jesus had risen from the dead. He insisted on first hand contact with the risen Christ and that was supplied. Jesus tells blessed are those who can express faith even without the physical evidence. We all wrestle with unresolved issues and wonder why God has done things the way He has. We long for clarity into the purpose of God's will for our lives. How blessed we are, when even in the midst of great uncertainty, we can affirm that Jesus is our Lord and our God.

  
 

Day 2nd April, 2015 – Maundy Thursday, 11:00 pm-12:00 pm During this hour, I felt the presence of Jesus very strongly.

Below lines are part of the lyrics of a song, I do not clearly remember. My thoughts are when you love someone, you love them deeply and its not just today, but forever. Love and Heaven-what a wonderful feeling.
Together forever and never to part
Together forever in my heart

And don't you know
I would move Heaven and earth
To be together forever with you.


When you watch the one you love from a distance and you catch his gaze towards you, for that moment and after you know forever that you are loved by him. As you leave, for the first time you feel that fire burn your heart and that burning brings in a new sensation of loving, it brings into remembrance all the good moments in life and you realize that your life is forever changed. Nothing will ever be the same.

I now completely understand what it felt for the Disciples of Jesus when they walked the road to Emmaus. Their hearts burned with the realization of the love of Jesus. When you come to understand you understand the meaning and the depth of the Eucharist.

The Disciples were loved by Jesus, but when Jesus was crucified, they were terrified. Often in life when we lose someone we love, our entire process comes to a natural shutdown. The apostles experienced it. Jesus knew they were fearful, for He knew them. He walked with them-and they did not recognize Him, He talked with them melting away their hearts and bringing it to burn even more with love, and when it was time for Jesus to break the Bread-He wanted them to come to remember by themselves, not with His telling them. When He broke the bread everything came back to them, they realized now that Jesus broke Himself for all-out of love. Every-thing that Jesus had ever told them made perfect sense. Jesus did not just break Himself for all and His apostles, but He came back to them-to tell them how much He loved them and He would be with them forever-they remembered and in remembrance they were strengthened with a love that is worth dying for.

If you understand the depth of the Eucharist – you never will ever be the same

Now the devil wants souls for himself. Jesus feeds Himself to us to strengthen us against the fight with the enemy. Because we have the mark of Christ, we will be tormented, but we will stand and win on the strength of Christ.
By His death on the Cross Jesus paid the sin debt once for all. The victory over sin has been won for ever. Through His finished work-His death on the Cross and His Resurrection-sin has no power over our life. The Battle has already been won. Satan has already been defeated.
 

 


Day 3rd  April, 2015 – 3 hour agony, Fr. Gilbert. I have covered some of the things mentioned by Fr. Gilbert in this topic.

Day 4th April, 2015 - The Passo-service in the evening and a 30 minute talk by Fr. Leslie which was bold, confident and words direct from the heart.
When in Church, I happened to see Fr. Leslie entering the Building. It was not that I looked out on purpose, but the Spirit of God, showing me that He brought Fr. Leslie in.
I remember Fr. Leslie's first year, and how for the Passo-service he actually was one of the 2 people who climbed the ladder to carry Jesus down the Cross.

 

In this circle of Life, we may feel alone in our time of pain but we never are. As we walk through the fire God brings us safely to a place of His peace. 

The strength to hold on is to having the knowledge that what is impossible for us is never impossible for God. We aren’t going to completely understand the ways of God and the best news is we don’t have to.  All that is required is a complete surrender to His will no matter what the condition. Jesus trustfully surrendered His life into the hands of His Father. 

Trusting that God will work everything out can be a difficult task as the shadow of the enemy is all over.  God is ‘The Alpha & The Omega’ (The Beginning & The End). He is the source of all that is good and He withholds nothing good from those who love Him. God is bigger and stronger than all of the evil. Jesus defeated death and made us more than conquerors in the battle of this world.

It is ‘The cross of Jesus Christ - The truth’ that sets us free and gives us victory in every area of our life.  He paid the ransom of His life with an everlasting love, to pay our debt of sins. Amen.

 


 
Magnify means “to make bigger.” Most of us make our problems seem rather bigger than it is. If we only begin to see God, then all our problems will seem too small and we would begin to glorify God (magnify God) knowing well that our problems wont last and knowing that His Word is bigger than any problem.
“All things are possible to him that believeth” Mark 9:23.
The key to staying full of God is a thankful heart. To glorify God, you must be thankful. As you thank Him, you’re reminding yourself what He has said and done, which magnifies Him.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits”. Psalm 103:2
 
Humility is the understanding that we don’t accomplish things on our own. We need to, humbly remember the good things God has done with thankfulness in our hearts.
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations”. Psalm 100:4-5
 
Every time you are tempted to complain about a problem, DON'T. Enter into God’s presence thanking Him for His goodness. When you do you’ll find that the natural desire to complain will cease, and the problem will disappear. When we continue to talk about our problem it persists. Persist on talking about how big our God is and not our problem. Magnify God!
 

The Word of God comes alive when you can picture it in your mind. When the Bible says you’re healed, you’ve got to meditate on that truth until you see yourself healed.
When we fail to be thankful and glorify God, our imaginations automatically begin to work against us. We need to use our mind to agree with God’s Word and see ourselves the way God sees us. Magnify God!
 

The Scripture makes it very clear that the attitude of our heart is far more important than our actions.
Jesus said in Matthew 23:25-26, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.”
The Lord is more concerned about our heart than He is with our actions.
“A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things”. Matthew 12:35
“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man”. Mark 7:21-23
When our hearts become hardened or insensitive to God, they automatically become controlled by our physical senses. If people want their behaviour to change, they must allow God to change their hearts.

 

 
It is easy to boast in our accomplishments and take pride in them. But there is a place to be thankful for what God has done through us. We must always remember, that it is the cross which is our ultimate ground of boasting. Because of the cross, God has brought meaning to our lives. Therefore whatever glory is due it is where it belongs – at the feet of the crucified Christ.
Jesus in obedience to His death on the Cross magnified His Father.

Each day we live-we live by faith and it is by this faith we decide to let Christ’s life flow through us.
Paul says in Philippians 2:5, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus”. Christ did not hold on to His divine privileges but in all humility took on a human body and died the shameful death of a criminal. Jesus humbled Himself unto death, and showed us the path in which we too must walk.

 
How often we question what God is doing in our lives. There are many reasons why God does not always explain. His explanation may not make any sense at the time, and sometimes it may be that clarity does not even come in this life time.
What we do know is that Christ laid aside His majesty in order to serve humanity. His death is the supreme example of His servanthood: the fulfilling of the will of God His Father. Thus becoming servant HE stooped to the lowest depths for us. If He could be obedient even to death on a cross, that is reason enough to follow suit.

 


Day 4th April, 2015 – 8.00 pm. Easter Vigil Fr. William, Fr. Ashlyn, Fr. Alvaro, Fr. Lenny & Brother Linford.

Gospel-Fr. Alvaro & Homily-Fr. Ashlyn. You should have heard Fr. Ashlyn speak on what an Amazing God we serve. God is always amazing us with His awesomeness. Fr. spoke with a convicton and zest that made me want to give him a standing ovation. But I did the next best thing I applauded to God. Fr. Ashlyn magnified God!

He spoke, I write. All we want to do, if I say you, if I say I .... Magnfiy God!

 

What an Amazing God we serve!

 

Heaven is the way it feels in our hearts when we love someone.

Heaven is the way it feels in our hearts when we know deep down inside that we are loved back.

If this feels like Heaven, how truly wonderful Heaven IS?

 


With all my Love,
For Love Prevails!
AnitA.



  

PRAYER: Abba, Father, keep me obedient and always faithful. Remember, this your servant.
Mama Mary keep me humble, I pray. Amen.