Love Prevails!: The ROSE

My People,

Good Morning! I know I have started one of my letters with these words before and I will start it again, these are the words of my teacher, written for me, ‘Be sublime like the rose, which perfumes the hand that crushes it.’

“I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.” Psalm 16:7–8

Back then I could not come into appreciating that there could be something deeper to it than just mere words. To me the words meant just what they were read as. And even some months back I did not completely understand it. Even though I thought I did, but today, as I am writing these words the words are coming to mean more than what I thought. See the words were of the ‘Holy Spirit’ to my teacher because they were an instruction to me to follow when the time would be right.

The Rose is Jesus,

Sublime - Signifies complete surrender of Jesus,

Perfumes - Set us free from sin, giving us eternal life

Crushes – Was flogged , spat upon, humiliated and crucified, but through it all – Jesus prayed, Father forgive them for they know not what they do.

We are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. —2 Corinthians 2:15

My life is meant to glorify God. Life is about change. I am subject to change. God has promised that He will never leave us. If and when I turn a corner without knowing what is on the other side, God will not allow me to stumble when I am following Him.

Go ahead with confidence knowing that God is always at our side!

We who understand the sacrifice of Jesus have the opportunity to be the fragrance of Christ. When we walk with God, we leave behind a sweet fragrance — a reminder of Him—to others. The gospel has a sweet spiritual fragrance for those who believe.

Let my hands perform His bidding,
Let my feet run in His ways,
Let my eyes see Jesus only,
Let my lips speak forth His praise. — James

Day 7th January, 2015 – The entire day, no matter where I went the aroma of the sweetest wine followed me. I say sweet because the aroma was the best - one could sense. I have not consumed alcohol in all these years, neither did I feel the urge to. I felt wonderful.

In the evening I heard Fr. Joe’s mass, I felt blessed.

Today, we were given jackets at our work place and some of them had it interchanged. Not that it was wrong. They were just looking for the best fit. I did not try mine. One of my close friends asked me, why I did not give it a check? I told her, ‘This is what God has given me, He has given me the best, and I’m happy with His best.’ She then made a comment, saying, that I was just the opposite to the person she knows, who keeps looking at all angles to whether everything is perfect.

And she mentioned how after searching through, defects were found in the stuff. I told this friend of mine-what I’m writing here, If you look for problems you will find them.

I am a simple person. I take what God gives me with love. He is my provider. I don’t have expectations other than what is in His Will for me. My life is in His hands.

Ephesians 5:2 - Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Abba Father taught me to pay attention to the smell of the roses, to see things the way He does. I trust in Him always, knowing my Abba Fathers the Best.

When we stop to smell the roses, we think about the good things God is doing in our lives and our thankfulness is then reflected in every aspect of our life. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 states "rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks"

Paul was scourged in prison, but through it all, he learnt the secret of having abundance and suffering need. We have to believe in God, that He works all things together for good to those who love Him -- no matter what happens.
When we walk in love, we abide in Him, we will smell like Him.

When we follow the Holy Spirit no matter where He leads us, we may offer a repulsive smell to those who refuse Christ, but those who are seeking Him will smell His life upon our garments.

The sweet-smelling fragrance of God’s presence - One way to get to that place is opening our heart completely, asking for nothing and ready to receive anything He might offer, and pursuing His heart with all of our heart.

God teaches us to enjoy all our blessings while doing good.

How sweet it is when we come to the moment with a fragrance that will attract others to His heart. Amen.

Day 8th January, 2015 – We were having coffee at work and a friend just blurted out loud saying – ‘you want very little’. I did not feel offended, considering we were all there. I just asked him to explain, and he said, I did not mean anything bad. I told him I understood and he was right.

Friends of mine, just debated on whether Raphael is a name that I liked? They asked me and I knew then that St. Raphael is making me know God is with us.

Through the day, I kept seeing the number 111 in all ways possible.

Fr. Joe's mass – 7:30 pm - I am overjoyed.

Feelings and emotions can change quickly! Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word is sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing soul and spirit and judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

God’s Word gives us the wisdom to know right from wrong, and to keep our thoughts in control. We need to discern if what we want is in line with what God wants for us.

When you’re being led by the Spirit, He will do many things in your life that you just cannot understand. God‘s ways are above our ways, and He has a better plan for our lives than we do. I know that apart from Him, I can do nothing, and in Him, I have everything I need to live the abundant life He gives me in Christ.

Victory is pretty much impossible until we learn how to live beyond our feelings.

Day 23rd December, 2014 – I saw a brown bird, long beak with blue wings (kingfisher) just outside my window. Imagine that, what a rare occurrence. And yet like God, to remind me that no matter how rare or unusual an instance might be – it is not out of God’s reach. It is impossible to man, never impossible to God.

My God – Jehovah Rohi (The Lord is my Shepherd).

I believe that any time in a year is a good call to begin to change. Waiting for a particular time, implies that one does not really want to change. Giving oneself the time-means buying time to do what one wants to do, and that simply implies to anything but change.

Day 4th January, 2015 – I was extremely overjoyed at seeing Fr. Leslie and happy to be a part of the mass celebration at Mt. Carmel’s Church 7:30 am. (Fr. Ashlyn & Fr. Leslie)

After the 7:30 p.m. mass - I was a little tense. I thought to see the Christmas tree (made with bottles) and what it was that was making it display so many colours. It was not that I was actually figuring out the Christmas tree but something that had me want to think. Fr. Alvaro was there, we began speaking, and he asked me to sit. I did. I had a really wonderful conversation with him. I felt totally calm like I was sitting there with my best friend in the world. It felt good. I found my answer.

As Christians we know that we are safe in God’s arms and that He will always take care of us, even in the hardest of times. Our lives should reflect our faith in that Truth. Sometimes God places us in situations where we’re uncomfortable. In those times, we need God more than ever. God needs us to go out and shine His light into the darkness of the world. We have to believe that in Christ, we have what it takes to not be afraid and to be a person that God can use to change people’s lives.

When we face situations, we want to go to doctors, psychiatrists-name it and we are there. When everything fails, when running around turns futile, when all the squandering of money, brings no result, then we want to think of God.

God should always be our first

Our first thought in the morning

Our first word

Our first breath

Each of us wants to be noticed. We want for people to know us, to be recognized. But it is only human to have such a feeling, and it is deep rooted in our psyches. To want nothing to do with the adulation of the world is a grace. To not let it affect the way we think, live and behave we must only look to Jesus, the Son of God.

I won’t quit talking. I can name the Greats-such as Mother Teresa and the Present and most humble Pope Francis.

Day 9th January, 2015 – Fr. Alvaro’s Mass. The guitarist was lost to himself.
Who doesn’t love Christmas carols? When speaking with Fr. Alvaro I remember telling him of how everyday is Christmas for me. I love everything about the Christmas season.

When you listen to Christmas carols you suddenly feel so good, joyous and all Christmassy. There is a reason why Carols are sung, they are to remind us of good cheer and to remind us that it is the season of HOPE and you know sometimes maybe we need to know a little of kickboxing. Just kidding. But that is the zest of life that we need to have. Humour is necessary. And just making sure that you are reading.

Some of us come to Church as an obligation. That could be once a week.

Some make it daily.

Some maybe occassionaly, according to seasons.

Now for all the people, who come – each brings his own baggage. Some carry it to the Church and from the Church. Let’s say we don’t all give it 100% participation during the celebration of the mass. But maybe because of the hymn or carol our participation increases becuase something about the hymn or carol charges us up.

I said it in my last topic and this time I will say it clear and again. We cannot have a dead response or lukewarm response to the mass. We need to participate with our hearts. We sing the lines to the hymn ‘you alone are my heart’s desire and I want to worship you’.

But it’s far from the truth. I’ll tell you how

Now let’s say I love this person, so much, my heart won’t ever want to think of anyone else. It can’t. I don’t want anything to come in between us. I will clear all other things off my mind. You alone become every thought in my head and heart. There is nothing that I wouldn’t give up to be with you.

Nothing will ever separate us.

So when I come for the mass, I leave the outside world outside the Church. I come to Jesus, I come to pay homage to the Holy of Holy’s and I come with reverence. He lets me come into His presence therefore I must come with the willingness to love and be a participant in the celebration of the mass with God and all of Heaven.

When I sing you are my heart’s desire, then my heart will be focused on you. When the hymn is sung from the heart it becomes the strongest form of praise and thanksgiving and brings in participation from the community.

We need to love others like we would ourselves. As humans we are protective of ourselves. We become defensive when we think someone is attacking us.

We take care of ourselves what we smartly call self preservation.

People hurt every now and then. If you watch carefully, behind an arrogant person, behind an abusive person, behind a stubborn person there is a lot of hurt hidden in all of them. Hurting the one who is hurt serves no purpose. It does not heal the wounds and cannot remove the scars.

We have to love tenderly and with compassion approach the person. It takes time, but love heals all wounds.

When hate builds the China wall, love breaks the Berlin wall.

Love tenderly means to not criticize, to sometimes bear the stuff, people keep throwing.
There is this person who sits besides me at work. Today, she found some other place. I enquired with her regarding the work and as she was seated by these guys she made a statement saying that how she keeps helping me. It was not entirely true, because we both love being seated together. I just said what? And she thought I missed on hearing her. She was content. She answered my question and then I looked back and told her that I heard. She then asked me as to why I did still question.
The answer was simple, I wanted her to know that I heard what she said, and I love her that much to not want to reply in front of others.

The word-seek means “to crave-to pursue.” To fall deeply in love with GOD is to choose to seek Him all our lives. By seeking God for ourselves, we get to know the essence of His character.
When we are wronged, we are to forgive and bring our wounds before God in prayer. And He will make us more loving and forgiving, like Him.
We need to want God to grant us the grace to change instead of making excuses for bad behaviour. When we do wrong, God doesn’t just let us get by with it. The Bible says God chastens us and tells us our faults because He loves us.

God knows our heart. He’s merciful.

The only thing that is truly going to compel me and you to be obedient is our love for Christ. John 14:15 says, If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
The truth is, whatever God asks us to do, it’s for our good, so we need to surrender to His will.
First, make a commitment to obey His Word. And remember that whatever God asks me and you to do He will give us the ability to do it.
Second, obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit for our life and to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our heart. God doesn’t lead every individual in the same way.

Day 11th of January, 2015 – 10:15 am Fr. William & Fr. Ryan.

I got a beautiful butterfly shaped birthday cake. To me butterfly signifies the tenderness in love. I got a box of chocolates. My mom got me a bouquet of flowers, all white roses - in my mothers words, white for Heaven. I absolutely loved the white roses.

I like to share with you one of my favourite lines from the movie Forest Gump, where the actor says, Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.

Day 13^th of January, 2015 – The place I am currently working at, I had never wanted to be there. No particular reason, just my thoughts. I went for interviews around that area but never there.

One fine day, I thought I would just give it a try. Got selected, but did not take up the offer because I still loved working at the place I was at. The people from that office did call up and ask why I did not take it up? I told them that I went back to my old office. The person on the other end told me that the offer would be valid for 3 months. Should I decide to come there would be no questions asked. Things did not work out at my old work place. I remembered the offer and went back. Believe me they stuck to their word. I got the job. I have completed 9 years on the 24^th of October (which used to be previously celebrated as Archangel Raphael’s day)

I submitted my resignation at my workplace with the consent of God. I waited on God for His answer and I was told to do so on this day (13^th). Later Abba Father told me to believe in Him and not to worry for He would take care of me. When my manager called for me on the 16^th and asked me as to why I felt like I wanted to leave, I told her that I was tired. I was sitting back every-day and I was unable to for nearly 4 months and more to receive the ‘Body of Christ’ on an every day basis. She told me the work hours would come to a normal time and I did see she was right. She made sense and I knew what God had done, He had made me see the other way of everything.

I thank God for my job.

Day 17^th of January, 2015 – I love this day the same as my birthday, it was the day I was baptised. I thank God for the privilege of knowing Him. I always will.

Because of Christ, we give off a fragrance of grace that permeates the air showing the effect that Christ living in us should have. In Christ, we are dipped in His blood and left as a sweet fragrance to the Father and those around us as we live our lives redeemed by LOVE!