A Valentine Message!

My people,

Hello! Good Morning! The Peace of Jesus be with you!

I hope you had a wonderful Valentines! I did. I have this little routine of my own for Valentines, I have chocolates and I love to watch a romantic movie or maybe just catch up with a comedy serial or so.

It’s good to have memories, isn’t it? Often you will get to meet people who love to nag. It’s the same song they sing day in and day out. If you practise something for 30 days it becomes a habit. So why not build good habits? When you do, you will be making way for good memories.

For months I would not be able to recognize any kind of smell. The Florist is on my way to the Church. The scent of the roses permeated the air and would in a way remind me of funerals and so I would hold my breath. It was an everyday routine. God did tell me, to enjoy the fragrance. See, I followed, but I think somewhere, I needed to know how to enjoy, which clearly I did not understand. Month’s later and just last week the florist was laying a whole bunch of Jasmine (now this is my favourite flower)- and I absolutely wanted to pass through it with the scent of the jasmine around me. But I did not get even a bit to tickle my senses. And that was when God brought it all to my memory. On my way back from the Church – I could smell the roses again. I am reminded of this paragraph from the song that I absolutely love ‘What a wonderful world’

I see trees of green........ red roses too
I see em bloom..... for me and for you
And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world.

On the 7th of January, I had been for the funeral of Fr. Larry Pereira. I have never gone for funerals by myself. For me this was a first funeral in a very long time.

I could feel my feet cramp up so bad in the Church, I could cry. I was in terrible pain. After the funeral services, I waited outside the Church for a rickshaw and everyone else seemed to get it way before me. I thought I might as well walk and no sooner did I start, along the way came two lepers, (women). I could not resist, so I lay my hand on their heads. I felt a whole world of love. I thanked God that moment and every moment that I remember. And yes, I did get a rickshaw immediately after that.

If ever you have an opportunity to visit a person who is sick, do not hesitate. Your presence alone is healing. Christ continues His healing mission through you. Matthew 25:36 states: I Was Sick and You Visited Me

Two years back, I had been to Shanti Avedna-Bandra (Cancer institute). I thought maybe I could visit the sick. I thought maybe I could help. I spoke with one of the nuns. I think maybe the  Mother Superior- (I don’t know much of that terminology). She asked me why and what brought me there. I told her I have a lot of love in my heart. And maybe in some way I could help. She took down my number. I knew she would never call. I thanked her anyway and gave her a big hug. What else could I do?

Just 2 weeks back, one of my building security, asked me in Hindi, are you a Christian? I replied ‘Yes’. He looked at me and smiled. Then he went on to tell me that he was looked after by Mother Theresa. I asked him did you meet her. He said yes and he worked there too. I tapped him on his shoulder and said you are lucky. I felt like as if Mother Teresa herself was there that moment; maybe I just felt a whole world of love. As he spoke I saw the tears in his eyes. He was so emotional that he dropped his spectacles on the ground. I made sure he was alright.

When you look at circumstances, it’s so easy to worry? And before we know that worry represents a mountain? How often have I sat with my worries? And If I sit to count, it would be way too numerous.

When we put our hope in God, we will never be disappointed. I love what Isaiah 49:23 states: “...those who hope in me will not be disappointed.” That does not mean that things will always go our way. There may be temporary disappointments. But somewhere down the road, God will cause it to all work out for our good.

If you hope in circumstances, it will snatch your joy and peace. Turn those circumstances over to God, that’s when God can do a work in your life. When you trust in God, God will cause you to mount up with wings like the eagle. Remember God is faithful.

We live in an age where everything is at a press of a button. People are so accustomed to easy life that at the slight notion of a problem, the only thing they want to do is  run. They run from anything that’s difficult. They run from their problems-because they don’t know how to deal with it-or they run because they think that’s the easy way out. They run from responsibility-because they are never taught how to handle pressure. They run from the past-because there are too many bitter memories. They run from anything that makes them uncomfortable. Instead of facing the issues and dealing with them, they think running away is the easiest and the best option. But if you’re going to live in victory the way God intends, you have to first of all, stop running and learn to face your challenges head on.

Aint no mountain high enough, aint no valley low enough, to keep God from getting to you. 2 Chronicles 20:17 states: “...stand and see the salvation of the Lord...” 

God wants us to fight the good fight of faith. God’s equipped us with His supernatural power to overcome every obstacle.

Stand strong and see the salvation, of the Almighty God in every area of your life!

On a Saturday, I was speaking with one of the person I have just got acquainted with, and for a second she let herself down. I told her that God made everybody equal. Nobody is perfect, but we sure can try to reach perfection. Remember you are priceless, you are God’s masterpiece. There is no other you in the whole world. The Almighty God created you, you are made in His likeness and image. Psalm 139:14 states: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made...”

I have dreams just like everyone else does. And I trust God’s appointed time. That means God has pre-ordained a moment for the fulfillment of the desires God has placed in each and every heart. Not a minute before and not a second late. Maybe you have limited yourself because of the constraints (limits) you have placed yourself in. Go with God. He knows what’s up ahead. He knows what and who we’re going to need, and when they need to show up. We limit ourselves but not God. Habakkuk 2:3 states: “The vision is yet for an appointed time...”

Remember, God is in control. God is faithful and I know His plans are best for me.

In order for the promises to come to pass, we need to learn to be patient. God did not hasten with His plans of creation. Galatians 6:9 states: “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

It takes faith especially when you are waiting and you don’t know when God’s going to bring it about. Choose to believe and Praise God at all times knowing that God is faithful! Amen.

With all my love,

For LOVE PREVAILS!
AnitA.

Faith begins with a total surrender of oneself into God’s care. We must have full confidence that God can and will do the impossible. Jesus said,

“With God all things are possible” Matthew 19:26.

“With God nothing shall be impossible” Luke 1:37.
The Lord was making Abraham a man of faith by leading him into an impossible situation. He wanted to hear Abraham say, “Father, you led me here, and you know best. I’ll put my life in your hands, fully trusting that you won’t allow me or my family to starve. I know we’ll be preserved!”

Our faith is not meant to get us out of a hard place or change our painful condition. Rather, it is meant to reveal God’s faithfulness to us in the midst of our dire situation. God does at times change our trying circumstances. But more often, he doesn’t - because he wants to change us!

We simply can’t trust God’s power fully until we experience it in the midst of our crisis.
We think we’re witnessing great miracles whenever God ends our storms. The lesson that we need to remember — is the lesson that says God will remain faithful to us through our hard times. He wants to raise us above our trials through faith, so we can say, “My God can do the impossible.”

CONCLUSION: To have your heart broken, that hurts a lot. I don’t like thinking of heartaches. When thoughts do come, they sting. At times the pain can get a little too much. If given a choice none of us would ever choose to get hurt, let alone think about it. But when you love, hurting becomes a part of loving (to choose to suffer-for the betterment of the other).

In the celebration of the mass, Jesus chooses to remember all His agony. Each and every time, Jesus chooses to wear the crown of thorns, He chooses to carry the Cross, He chooses to be scourged, Jesus chooses all this agony. Jesus tells us each and every day, I Love you to death and ever after.

This is love. Love-that chooses to sacrifice. Love-that forgives. Love that-never stops giving. 

This Valentines, I learned to look at love from another perspective-I looked at it from the perspective of the LOVE OF CHRIST. IF we truly want to love and be loved we only have to look to Jesus. And when you have understood and felt the love of JESUS you will never ask ‘Will you still love me tomorrow?’

Keep God first place and every thing else will fall in line.

REMEMBER: Do you know how I feel? I feel like I am on top of the world. I see the glory of God in everything I do. I feel that I am right now at the summit of Mt. Everest. I am looking with wonder at everything around me. I feel tall, I feel wonderful. Who am I? Just a simple, ordinary person, is who I am.

So how is it that an ordinary person, like me can feel like I reached the summit? I am not a star, I have no position as such, I am known by a handful of people, so how is it that I feel so good?

You and I share one thing in common, now you could guess just about any thing, but you are right, we share the love of Christ, which surpasses all understanding.

It is the Love of Christ that gives you the power to do and reach the summit of Mt. Everest. Why Mt. Everest you ask? Simple, it’s at the height of everything in the order of things.

If I said this is my Valentine message: it is. WAKE UP Christian! The Sun Shines for you! You are unconquerable. It is the love of Christ that gives you the power of Christ. Go and shine for the Glory of God! You are loved by the Almighty God!

Prayer: Abba, Father, keep me always faithful and obedient to You! Amen.

Promise Date: Feb 16, 2013 (Fr. Alvaro’s homily)  

              Feb 19, 2013.

Isaiah 55:11  so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Through CHRIST....

This is to You my wonderful counsellor-To You‘Holy-Spirit’.

My People,

Hello! Its been a month and I have missed you so. I wish you the peace and love of Jesus. I have learned a lot in this one month so I will just put down my experience. I hope it helps you in your walk with Christ.

Never give in to fear. While we are on this topic, I remember reading a long time back Sir Winston Churchill’s speech of 1941: these are in his own words; Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

Choose between Faith or fear. Jesus said that all things are possible to him who believes.

Just the other day, I had my very good friend, come and ask me if I still believed in signs. And I said, “Yes, with all my heart and soul”. I believe that God talks to us in different ways. Signs are Gods way of saying Hold on.

So many times in our daily correspondence with people, we hear them speak thoughts out. Negative thoughts are nothing but limitations, we place ourselves in. Choose to ignore people with negative mindsets and remember nothing good comes from being negative.

It is so very important to have a control over what you speak. So many times, we fall short of keeping a check over what we say. Our talks should never be bitter. There is so much hatred and contempt these days. Luke 6:45 states- A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

When it comes to any kind of situation, where action needs to be taken, I hear people come up with this pity statement-‘one person alone can’t make a difference.' You know if I ever for one second thought that to be true, nothing of what I have written would make sense.    

Try to do the right thing and whatever you deal with or have to deal with-always and absolutely-will come with a price to pay. With the exception-to this one wonderful person let me be blunt and say that there will always be repercussions(consequences). Power makes you blind to reality and to the person in power, truth seldom (rarely)will be a friend.

Everybody wants a change-but not at their time and expense. But its okay-if it is some other person-who has to march up for a noble cause. Everybody wants to advice but nobody to walk along? Why? Why are we so afraid? John 8:32 states: ‘Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

I love kids, really do. They are little angels. And they grow up so fast. From their first year onwards they watch their parents and they learn. The formative years of a child (from birth to 5 years of age) are the most important. The child watches and learns. He/She does not necessarily learn what you as a parent instruct. But a child learns from watching what you as a parent do. Before you go shooting words from your mouth, think hard. Would you be proud of your child if you heard them use the same abusive words that you use? Don’t blame the children. They are God’s gift to you.

Children when they are loved they feel protected. Lack of love makes them feel insecure. Give your time to them and you will get a world of love in return. Give them lasting memories and you will have paved a way to a world full of love.

The 27th of January, I spoke with my father. The conversation began as normal, and I don’t know when I started pouring my heart out. At the end of the conversation, my father just said, “don’t regret, that you spoke the truth’. I will always remember, this conversation with my father as the best one I have had in my entire life. Those were the most understanding words that I needed to hear. After the conversation, I felt like a six year old. I felt so much lighter.

In life we got to let go of all the things we hold on to. John 8:36 states: So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

I hear people constantly being negative and discouraging the other and themselves. How can I put this across? Let me try, Lets say Joe is musically gifted, and someone else got selected for a position. He just sits down together with his friends and pours out his heart. (All through the day, Joe thought how talking to his friends, would heal his aching heart). All Joe hears now is, what you want is not what you get.

What Joe requires to hear are comforting words, someone that would possibly tell him that this is just the start-someone who would advise him that his dream is just around the corner. But that is not what Joe gets to hear, now, does he?

Think of this, Joe knows he has the gift-but how talented only in time, God can bring that about. The circumstances he goes through are extremely crucial for bringing about Joe’s true potential. We don’t know who we are until God shows us who we can become. Trials are a pre-requisite.

You know if there are 50 students in a class, a teachers job is never done till all the students in the class have understood what is being taught. It’s not the brightest of minds that need the attention, but the ones who don’t actually know how smart they are or how smart they can be.

A teachers skill is tested, with the ones who don’t truly know their potential.

Change is a move-that needs to be made and it’s never the easiest. When done with happiness, it shows our complete trust in God. We are used to a certain flow in our lives. And when something comes all of a sudden, we take it really bad. It will hurt, and I won’t deny that. Look at it from Gods point of view. God has planned a whole series of events. This is just the beginning. This is a trial. So if you are going to go to the next phase, you need to show God that you are indeed ready for the phase. So how do you show it?

When we are happy-we show our trust in God and that pleases God immensely.

When we are happy and walk in the path that God leads us to-we set in motion-God’s divine will for us.

But if we are unhappy-we show our lack of faith, thus limiting God from Gods best.

Don’t believe in circumstances. Believe in God. God is greater than all the circumstances put together. There is nothing that God can’t do.

My younger brothers and my cousins we have worked in the same company at Malad. I have been here for 71/2 years and there are a lot of good memories. Moving to Goregaon-East on the highway is going to be the hardest thing. Goodbye is never the easiest of words. I’ll quote my brother-‘the heart only knows its pain.’

It’s so difficult to walk on a road, when you don’t know where it will lead you to. And yet so many times, I find myself doing just that. I can tell you every-time that I walked that road, God walked with me. To Belief does not imply that you will always have the answer. You just walk blindly trusting in God’s direction. God will lead you to where you need to get to and just in time. Not one minute before and not a second late. Believe me, I know.

Change is vital. It will take you to your dreams. This is the only way God can prepare you for your next level. Are you ready? Because if you are, then it’s going to be a roller coaster ride. Have fun! And yes focus on the below passage from the Bible. Remember impossible will never be a word when you believe in Christ-The Son of the Living God!

With all my Love!

For LOVE PREVAILS!
AnitA.
 

We are to believe and place our faith in God Who is the source of our life. It’s never over until God says it’s over. Impossible is not in God’s vocabulary, and it shouldn’t be in yours.

Philippians 4:13 states: - I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.

These days, there is a lot of negativism. You get to hear people talk it all the time. Two words that separate our society, one is “I can” and the other is “I can’t.”
Most of the time you will come across people who set limits to themselves. We keep saying the I cant’s so much and so many number of times, that we actually start believing what we speak.

Whenever you feel, the impulse to say, I can’t, try saying I CAN out loud. And keep saying it all the time. And you will notice you become what you speak.

No dream is impossible-No obstacle that cannot be overcome.

When the apostle Paul, wrote this bold statement, he was in the prison cell.

The obstacles that are in your life, the things you think you can’t do, are just new opportunities for God to display His power in you.
Let us then like St. Paul choose to declare, “Through Christ, yes, I CAN.”

 

CONCLUSION: One of my friends shared with me his school pledge and that was - ‘Ad majora natus sum’ (Latin) - ‘Born for greater things’.

Don’t let the laughter and mocking of disbelievers discourage you or stop you. Listen to God’s voice of possibility and love. God has a purpose and plan for your life that is better than anything you can imagine. There is no limit to how good your life can become when you open your heart and mind to the power of His love.  Remember we are born for great things!

Get in agreement with God and let Him work things out. Ask for a miracle. Jesus said, “Ask, and you will receive. Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

  

PRAYER: Abba, Father, Here I am! I come to do Your will. Keep me always obedient and faithful to You I pray. Amen.