Christmas in Bethlehem..

Eddie's Birthday

Deer Sanctuary / Falling Leaves

The Old Fisherman

Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic. One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man.

.

“Why, he’s hardly taller than my eight-year-old,” I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face -- lopsided from swelling, red and raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, “Good evening. I’ve come to see if you’ve a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there’s no bus ‘til morning.”

.

He told me he’d been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. “I guess it’s my face...I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments...” For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: “I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning.”

.

I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. “No thank you. I have plenty.” And he held up a brown paper bag.

.

When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn’t take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He didn’t tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going.

.

At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the spare room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, “Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won’t put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair.”

.

He paused a moment and then added, “Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don’t seem to mind.” I told him he was welcome to come again. And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they’d be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.

.

In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden. Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious.

.

When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. “Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!”

.

Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illness’ would have been easier to bear. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God.

.

Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse, As she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, “If this were my plant, I’d put it in the loveliest container I had!” My friend changed my mind.

.

“I ran short of pots,” she explained, “and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn’t mind starting out in this old pail. It’s just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden.” She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven.

.

“Here’s an especially beautiful one,” God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. “He won’t mind starting in this small body.”

.

All this happened long ago and now, in God’s garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b)

A song called Angels by Tami Leah & Anna and a video from Bosnia
Visit http://www.mirmedjugorje.org for more information

The Miracle of Our Lady Del Pilar

In 1637, a youngster employed on a farm, Juan Miguel Pellicer, born in Calanda, Spain in a family of seven children, fell from a cart. A wheel broke his right leg, crushing the tibia right down the middle. He was admitted to a hospital in Valencia on August 3, 1637, and then transferred to the royal hospital in Zaragoza in early October.

Reduced to begging, he tried different remedies in vain. At the end of October, his leg was amputated four fingers above the knee. He left the hospital in the spring of 1638 and returned to live in Calanda, among his own. The night of March 29, 1640, he slept in a room with his parents. Juan Miguel prayed to Our Lady of the Pilar before going to bed and then he had a dream in which he saw the Blessed Virgin rubbing his sore stump with oil from the lamps in the chapel of Saragossa.

.

In the morning, his father discovered two feet under the covers: the amputated leg had returned. A canonical trial began on June 5, 1640. On April 22, 1641, the municipality of Calanda chose Our Lady of the Pilar as its patron saint. On April 27, Bishop Apaolaza, Archbishop of Zaragoza, declared: "We say, vote and declare that Juan Miguel Pellicer (...) has miraculously recovered his right leg which previously had been amputated. This restitution is not the work of nature, but was carried out in a miraculous and admirable way and should be recognized as a miracle."

A medal to commemorate the miracle was struck in 1671.

(( Photo licence : http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ ))

Unto the Lamb

Video of the song "unto the Lamb" by Karl Kohlhase and pictures depicting some scenes from the book of Revelation by Pat Marvenko Smith.

Please Note Images are Copyright 1982/2002 - http://www.revelationillustrated.com/

Music can be downloaded for FREE from http://www.k4communications.com/karl

Radiation Shield

During the Second World War, an atomic bomb destroyed Hiroshima. A mile around the place of the impact, there was not a soul alive. A desert of death! Yet one house made of a straw thatched roof was left standing near the parish church, 8 blocks from the epicenter of the explosion.

As incredible as it may seem, that house remained absolutely intact. It was the Rectory of the Jesuits. Eight priests lived there. None of them were physically or psychologically affected by the bomb. Not only did they come out of the tragedy alive, but they were in perfect health. They died at an old age many years later. Father Hubert Schiffer, one of the Jesuits, was 30 years old when the bomb exploded. He lived 33 more years in good health before he died in Frankfurt in 1982. In July 1976, at the Eucharistic Congress held in Philadelphia (USA), he publicly witnessed the whole story. I happened to be there. At the time, the 8 members of the Jesuit community were still alive.

Experts looked into this enigma for years and years, using with the best of instruments and searching with passion the best clues for a hidden force in the construction of the house. How could the house, having nothing special and looking like a simple Japanese house, have possibly resisted such a cataclysm? Also the Jesuits were examined by over 200 scientists.

The conclusion was always the same, they did not understand how these men could have survived in the middle of the hecatomb when all the other living beings had perished by the thousands. As for them, the Jesuits knew. But though they kept on saying the truth and proclaiming it from the rooftops, no one would believe them.

Their answer was not a "scientific"one! Father Hubert explained that he owed this protection to the Blessed Mother since he and his brothers had put into practice what she had asked for in Fatima (1917).He declared to the experts, "I was in the center of the atomic explosion and I am still alive, safe and sound. I was not touched by the bomb." "In our house,", he said, "There was only one thing different from the other houses: each day, we would gather and recite the Rosary together!".

Mercy

A Song by Paul Lisney called 'Jesus of Mercy' and video clips from the TV series Jesus of Nazareth.

Ever wondered what Jesus was writing in the sand ? (near the end of the clip)

Hard Times

During the Great Depression, there was a man who lost his job, his wife, his home and his fortune. He hung on tightly to the one thing he still had left . . . his faith in God.

.

One day, he stopped to watch some men doing stonework on a church. One of the workers was chiseling a triangular piece of stone. He asked the worker, "What are you going to do with that?"

.

"See that little opening way up there near the spire?" the worker asked. "Well, I'm shaping this piece of stone down here . . . so it will fit up in there."

.

As he walked away, tears filled his eyes, for it seemed God had spoken through that worker to explain the ordeal he currently was experiencing: "I'm shaping you down here, so you will fit in up here."

Create in Me ..

Video of the countryside & its wildlife and a song by Karl Kohlhase called 'Create in Me'

Have a nice day !

This is God. Today I will be handling All of your problems for you. I do Not need your help. So, have a nice day. I love you.

.

P.S. And, remember... If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do Not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.

.

Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

.

Should you have a bad day at work; think of the man who has been out of work for years. Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children. Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine. Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!

.

Should you decide to send this to a friend; Thank you. You may have touched their life in ways you will never know! Now, you have a nice day.

GOD

.

God has seen you struggling, God says it's over. A blessing is coming your way. After all, GOD loves you anyway.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...

Going Home...

A song called going home by Paul Lisney and some artworks by Edvard Munch and Elizabeth Wang to tell the story..brilliant song

Three Hairs..

There was once a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and noticed she had only three hairs on her head."Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today," so she did and she had a wonderful day.

.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw she had only two hairs on her head."HMM," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today," and she did and she had a grand day.

.

The next morning she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw she had only one hair left on her head."Well," she said, "Today I'm going to wear my hair in a ponytail." So she did and it was a fun, fun day.

.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head."YEAH!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

.

Remember you may not be able to control what someone says or does or some of the situations that life throws at you, but you can sure control the way you react.

Psalm of David

An old film clip from Jerusalem (1936) and the Psalm of David by Katuv. See http://www.katuvmusic.com

Come to Me...

Pics from Medjugorje in Bosnia where Our Lady is said to be appearing to 6 visionaries since 1981..to this day. And a song called "Come to me" by Paul Lisney.

Time of Mercy

A video with pictures from Lourdes, Fatima, Zeitoun and Medjugorje and a song by Paul Lisney called 'Time of Mercy' (Mary's Garden)

Send Me a Dream

A song by Paul Lisney "Send me a Dream" and christian artworks by Ellizabeth Wang

Hope is what I Need

I was busy painting a picture one afternoon when I heard my dog barking. I had a visitor who was not familiar in the house.

.

She was about 35 years old and pretty but her face was so gloomy and sad. I invited her to take a seat. In a very casual way, I asked her about her problem. While she was telling me her story, I continued painting; I was in a rush, as my customer expected it to be completed by the following day.

.

This is her story. She is married and has a child. The relationship went well until her husband started an affair with another woman. Their wonderful relationship ended when this other woman came into their lives. The happy, peaceful couple turned into the worse of enemies. The husband would now shout at her, discourage her, you name it! In other words, the lover, the protector, the provider became the predator.
.
When I heard that, without thinking, I asked her if she has a lawyer, and if not, I could recommend one to her. I could not pacify her, she was crying and in pain. Then she stood up and bid goodbye, without saying a word.

.

I was staring at her as she walked away, then I heard the voice of the Lord in my heart telling me to make her sit down again and to I pray for her. I called her immediately and asked her to join me in prayer. After we prayed, I told her to fight for her right and the right of their child. This man is her husband and the father of their child. I told her about the sanctity of marriage. Her husband is the same person who was once so sweet and gentle before he changed. I told her not to do anything that would harm their relationship but to go to God and ask for help.

.
I taught her how to pray and to believe in her prayer, and that she also needed to change. At the time that her husband was sinning, she was too, because of her reaction she said a lot of things that could harm the husband, and this may be the reason why the husband was easily lured away into the arms of another woman. I gave her many words of encouragement that afternoon.

.

For the first time in our conversation, I saw her smile. She held my hand and thanked me. Then she told me that when I told her earlier to separate from her husband and that I would help her find a lawyer, she felt that life was worthless and that afternoon planned to committed suicide!

.

I was speechless. What would have happened if God had not told me to call her back to pray; If I had just let my emotions rule me. And just carried on with my painting because it was a paid job I needed to finish ? I felt terrible and unworthy of serving my God.

.

I felt so sorry for being me and not being with God. I was so sorry that my emotions seem to overpower me. I was so sorry that I did not feel the need of the person in front of me. I was sorry that I took the spirit of God in me for granted and initially failed to use the gift of discernment. I was so sorry that I almost rejected God just because I could not to be bothered. Imagine, my selfishness could have killed this woman and ruined the entire family.

.

That afternoon, I went to my God, asking for forgiveness, dedicating myself to Him. I Prayed deeply to be always sensitive to the needs of others.

.

My prayer. Lord, here I am your servant. Help me to be able to do Your will to the last detail and to be sensitive to the needs of others. Anoint me with your Spirit of peace and authority to reconcile man to you and to others, and to give hope to the hopeless. Make me a true servant of Yours now and forever. Amen

The Sanctuary

A song called "The Sanctuary" by Paul Lisney and Pictures of the Schoenstatt Shrine In Manchester, UK ..starring Eppie !

I am not an Angel of death..... I am a story teller

I was asked by a friend to visit a very sick friend of his in the hospital. I obliged and met a middle aged lady who was suffering from breast cancer (stage 4), which had already metastasized and spread to the bones. The pain was so great that even morphine had little effect.
.
She looked at me and said, "I asked for you because I wanted you to pray for me to die, because I can not stand the pain anymore, please help me die". I stared at her and I said, "I am not an angel of death, nor am I a healer; I am a story teller".
.
In my pocket I had a piece of cotton wool soaked in holy oil wrapped in a little plastic bag. I rubbed it on her body while I was telling her a story of a Man who died for her, a Man who purchased her with His Blood. A Man whose sacrifice meant she could have eternal life.
.
I told her the story from the Bible (Matt 25 31-46) that when we are called to His kingdom He will ask her a question, a question she was not be able to answer, "if He asked you what you have done for Him, what is your answer"? She was so silent and then she cried, telling me that she could not think of anything that she had done for Him. So, I told her to beg God to give her more time so as to be able to answer Him when the time comes for Him to ask her that question.
.
I laid my hands over her heart and we prayed, together with her family and visitors. After a few moments, I left.
.
Four days after that visit, I received a phone call. The lady said that during the time that I was rubbing her body with the holy oil and telling her a story, all the pain left her. The doctor insisted that she take morphine, because the pain at that stage ought to be unbearable. The doctor could not believe that she had no pain and summoned a nurse to convince her.
.
Instead, the lady asked them for solid food, (previously she could not eat anything solid). Since then she has had no more pain. She asked to be prayed over again, but I suggested that she pray in thanksgiving instead and to be honest and sincere in fulfilling her pledge to do something for the Lord. Then she prayed intently.
.
A few days later, my friend called me, and he said that the lady had left the hospital and felt well again. I went to God to praise and thank Him for the opportunity to serve Him.
.
My prayer. Lord, thank you very much for the opportunity you have given me to proclaim your kingdom here on earth. You made me a witness of you power and glory. I introduced Your wonderful name and Your works, and it produced healing, not only physically but also spiritually. Give me the enthusiasm to tell your stories with passion so that Your people may receive You and be healed. This I pray in Jesus name. Amen

Videos for Good Friday (Part 3)

Videos for Good Friday (Part 2)

Videos for Good Friday ... Part 1

Ay Naku

Does this remind you of anyone ?

The Time is Now

For me time is one of the most precious gifts God has given us. It is more precious than, silver, gold or the most flawless diamond. We all live within the context of time. Time never stops, nor will it ever go backwards. No amount of power can bring back time. Time is always of the essence. It is a now thing. To enjoy the benefit of the time given to us is to use it to our advantage with God.
.

I remember many years ago, I was requested to visit a dying man. All the relatives were present. I asked everyone to come near the bed of the dying person. I started with a prayer of repentance and forgiveness. After the prayer, the family reached out to each other and embraced each other. Not long after our prayer the man died.

.
I was again invited by the family, 40 days after his death, to a gathering to pray for the soul. When I entered the house, they were all so glad that I came. It seemed like I was their special guest. The wife came to me and introduced me to all the family members. I was amazed that those present there also included a second family.
.
The wife told me their story. The husband left them 20 years ago for another woman. They saw him for the first time in 20 years in the hospital. The people present in the hospital were the first family and the second family of the dying man.
.
Without me knowing what the situation was, in the hospital before his death, I called them all to participate in prayers and I even requested that we hold hands in a prayer chain and they complied. The two families held hands and we prayed for repentance and forgiveness. After the prayer they were all touched by the Lord, embraced each other and forgave one another. Shortly after that the man expired.

.
My visit to pray for the family was perfect timing. It was the time to forgive, time to forget the past, and to be reconciled. For a very long time every one, especially the children from the first family, hated the father so much that even on his dead bed, they were not concerned about the fathers predicament. But the prayer that day made the difference; they all got healed and accepted each other.
.

Looking back, this family suffered for a long time. Pains, hurts and anger devoured them. For a long time, they never enjoyed life. It is so frustrating to live with hate and anger. It was only when they were totally reconciled that they were able to enjoy the true meaning of life. For a long time, they were imprisoned by pain, hurt and anger. For a long time, having pains was a natural feeling.

.
Now, I understand that to live life is to be set free and that life is too short, it is time to make a choice; to stay imprisoned or to be set free. In this story, there are a lot of things to learn; especially that to forgive is to be set free. To be forgiven is peace. And I also learned that now is the time to receive freedom, peace and joy. Be set free now, for us enjoy life to the fullest.We can not do this on our own, this is the reason why Jesus died on the cross, to set us free. Let us ask God to help us be set free. It is a now thing.
.

My prayer. God, I can not be set free on my own. Jesus, you purchased me with your blood. I do not own myself anymore, because you own me. I totally surrender myself to You. Please take over, please heal my pains. Since you own me Lord, please forgive them through me. It has been a long time that I have been suffering because of negativity in my heart. Heal me NOW, Lord. It is my desire to live life to the fullest. Thank you Lord. Amen

Pope John Paul II Sings the Our Father

The Our Father sung in Latin by Pope John Paul II

What is Wisdom ?

A friend came to me once and asked me, "Can we ask God what wisdom is?".

This friend of mine is a person who was so ‘vocal’ about everything; she belongs to a born again group. Every time she met somebody with a different faith than hers, she will boldly correct them and fight with them regarding faith.

.

Correcting her would be the end of our friendship, she kept on telling me not to conform.The way she presented her knowledge about her faith was so antagonizing to people.

The question she asked, gave me the opportunity to really understand what God thought of her attitude. In my silence, I asked God what is wisdom for her. I received in my heart the meaning of wisdom for her, and God answered, "To her my child, wisdom is to curtail her tongue".

God is love and He is a God of order and a God of reconciliation and not division. The manner in which she was presenting God to others is not reconciling anyone to God but causing them to reject Him. I told her the meaning of wisdom for her as God told me. The answer to her question made her realize that she was not doing God any favours. That changed her, she became sweeter and learned to watch her words and started to respect other people.

.

This question moved me to ask Him too. He answered me in a very sweet gentle voice, "My child, wisdom is My thoughts". I know that but, how can I have it? I went deeper in His word, it says there, anything you asked in Jesus name, the Father will give. So, that is the key to receiving God's wisdom.

.

His words are so simple, and very direct. I cling to this every time that people come to me for counseling. and I am truly so happy serving Him in the Spirit of wisdom, because, I see people healed without me making any effort. God is love and He loves His people; it is His desire for us to be healed and reconciled. Wisdom is our daily living, our breath, our strength, and needed every moment of our life.

.

I used to be afraid to counsel or even to pray for healing, now, I am no longer afraid. I know, and I know in my heart, that this is not my work but God's. All I have to do is to surrender to him my own wisdom and pray for the anointing of His wisdom to do His work. I bless the Lord for giving me His wisdom when somebody needs it.

.

My prayer for wisdom. “Cleanse me O Lord, from all unrighteousness so that wisdom may dwell in my heart, to be given to your people who need You through me. May Your word be my word, that would lead them to receive You and to receive healing, physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually . Amen."

Let it be .. by the Beatles

Let it Be - The Beatles


An archive video of the Beatles performing the song 'Let it be'
Feel free to sing along !!

Our God is an Awesome God

A video with pictures of scenes from the book of Exodus and the deliverance from Eygpt and a soundtrack by a Messianic Jewish band called Katuv visit
http://www.katuvmusic.com/

A Saint is a Re-cycled Sinner

With our charity appeal we do recycling of aluminium drinks cans to raise money. Once I was so depressed I could hardly do anything, hardly get out of bed let alone function in a job. The only thing that I carried on with (kept me going I think) was the appeal work. So sometimes to be useful, I used to go out with a bag and collect the cans that were thrown in the street so we could sell them later; the proceeds went to school fees in India , 150 kilos of cans = 60 pounds=1 years school fee. So one day I was doing this and I was also praying at the same time and this was my insight.

Sometimes the cans I found were whole, just left in the street or pavement, sometimes they were dented or crushed, sometimes flattened under the wheels of vehicles, sometimes clean and sometimes covered in mud or dirty. Where ever they were and whatever state they were in didn’t bother me at all, I picked them all up because they are sold by weight and each has exactly the same value, so each was equally important to me. My first insight was that, what I was doing with my cans was what God was doing with souls, with His children. Seeking them out, many discarded, many dented or flattened by life, some clean, some muddy but each with exactly the same value in His sight.

The other thing is that I enjoyed picking up cans, because I knew that the result was that my objective (money for school fees) was getting closer and closer to being met with each can. In fact I was delighted at each one I found even if it was squashed or muddy, it gave me joy to find each one. And similarly, it was also that way for God when he could re-gain a soul of one of His creatures. So me & God were having the same kind of day !

The next stage for me is to take them to the recycling centre. This is where the old cans are smelted. I also had an insight about this too.

They put all the cans into a smelter, where they are heated up and melted (very hot) and after a while all the molten metal is on the bottom of the container and all the impurities like paint or dirt etc floats on the top and this is skimmed off. Then the molten metal is poured into ingots and solidifies. So it is the pure metal (looks like silver). This can then be used to make anything, like new cans or an engine , even airplanes. So then I had the next insight..that after God collects souls he does the same thing, purifies them so as to re-form or re-shape them in the way he wants. An entirely new life or purpose. Instead of a furnace though He uses trials and suffering in order to purge and transform and He knows how to do it, like the man who operates the aluminium smelter. Somehow it works !

I suppose some of the process is on earth, some might be in purgatory depending on how we respond and learn from these trials here. Gradually we are transformed then, sanctified through this process back into His image and likeness.

I think our hardships are our sanctification and the souls we help will be our glory in the next life, the ones we bring with us to God and those we help with our charity too.(we can never do too much in that department).

A saint is a recycled sinner ..

Sometimes when I was collecting cans, I would bend down and pick one up, only to discover that it was not made of aluminium but steel. This was bitterly disappointing because whilst the aluminium ones have a cash value and were useful to me; the steel ones were worthless and even though I had expended the same amount of effort in gathering them up, all I could do was throw them away again. Then I had another insight..

This was the same for God too. Sometimes, despite His efforts in reaching out to souls, there will always be those who would reject Him, fail to open their hearts, remain in their ‘old ways’ and remain separated from Him by their own choice. He feels the same disappointment and grief for their loss, for them His sacrifice is wasted…

(from one of Ate Baby's outreaches)

"I Am Looking

I was invited by a pastor in California to help him build faith in their church. It was a great opportunity for me to share in my own simple way the love of God. I shared the experiences I had with God, which I believe is one way of building faith, since faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of God.

I stayed in the pastor's house. His wife is close to me since she was my outreach in Manila and I was a sponsor at their wedding. We prayed and read the bible every night. We sought God's guidance to be able to understand God's message for us each day. Each day we prayed, I felt good and I thought I was pleasing God in all my actions. Until one day, when the pastor and his wife left the house, I was moved to clean their house.

I did my best and I encountered a very heavy table that I could hardly move. I made every effort to move it, until finally I was able to. When I looked behind it, it was full of dust and cobwebs. In my mind, i decided that there was no need to clean it since they obviously never touched it anyway and would not notice. I tried to push it back into place,but I could hardly move it. I began to regret moving it in the first place. I rested for a moment and then tried again: in my mind, I said,"anyway they will never notice that this place is dirty".

I heard a small voice telling me, "What is it that they will not notice?" I answered, "this corner". Then the Lord said to me, "Just do it my child, I Am looking". My conscience was talking to me my God dwelling within me. I felt guilty and I cleaned it thoroughly. And I said, "is this good enough for you, Lord?"

I came to understand that there is nothing that we can hide from God, not even the smallest detail. He is there watching us, He knows what is in the deepest core of our minds and hearts. Where can we hide from Him?

I hid from God for so many years, but He always found me. Now that I have said yes to Him, I might as well obey Him in the smallest details; although I can not do it on my own, I still need Him to give me the strength to please Him.

I prayed, "Lord, give me the strength to obey you in the simplest details, so that I may please you"

The Seed

A video using pictures from the TV series Jesus of Nazareth and a new song called "The Seed" by Paul Lisney. The video is a reflection on the sorrows of Mary. For more of Paul's songs see:

http://imagesofheaven.org/Index/Lisney.html

Make a believer out of me..

Click on the title...to read an interview with Jim Caviezel (played Jesus in the Passion of Christ movie) about his conversion through the apparitions in Medjugorje..

Who is arrogant ?

"That afternoon, I was busy painting; I had to finish it for a client, when a guy, came in and sat right in front of me. He introduced himself. He was sent by a previous outreach of mine. I stopped and asked him what I could do for him. He said, he needed counselling.

He started telling me who he was and he used all 'hi-fallutin' words and beautiful adjectives to describe himself. I was thinking, what in the world was this man doing here. I felt that he did not need counselling, he just needed somebody to listen to his grand adventures and achievements.

In my heart, I was rejecting everything he was saying and in silence, I prayed to God and said, "God please take this man away from me. I am too busy for his stories".

Then in my heart, God asked me, "Why?'. I said'"because he is so arrogant, Lord". Then He asked me again, "Who is arrogant?" I answered, "the person in front of me; can you not hear what he is saying?" Then He asked me again, "who is arrogant?" I paused in silence, mulling over the answer of God. I was thinking, why is He asking "who", while there were only the two of us present in that room.

Then again for the last time, I said, "can you not hear him and see the arrogance in him?" And He answered,"How did you know he was, if you are not!"I stopped and looked inside me. I realized that there was truth in it, my heart is so competitive, though people may not know, but I know it.

I always think that I am right and everybody else is wrong. I felt so embarrassed in front of my God. In my silence while that man was talking so proudly of himself, I prayed, asking for God's forgiveness and praying that He may annoint me humility to accept the arrogant and the proud, for He has accepted me even in the midst of my weaknesses.

Deep in my heart, I thank the Lord for sending this man to me, I was able to see myself in him. That very moment, I put down the paint brush and listened intently to his stories. Not only was that person delivered that day, I was also magnificently delivered.

Every now and then, when a person like that comes to me to seek God, I think "here I go again" facing a mirror and seeing myself in their person. Since then, I pray each day, "my God annoint me humility, not to judge, that I may see You in every person.

Life is too short....

One morning when I was praying, I heard a strong but sweet voice in my heart telling me something, I went into deep meditation so as to receive exactly what the Lord was telling me.

Again, I heard a whisper telling me,"Life is too short, do not make it shorter, it is My want that you live life to the fullest".

This message kept on ringing in my mind. I stopped and thought it over and over. I came to realize that the Lord was telling me something to meditate on and to realize who I really am.

In my mind, I felt that in my life, I had done what I was supposed to do. As a person, I planned my works and worked what I planned. From my perspective, I had accomplished what was required, I did my uptmost to fulfill my plans. I knew, I did.

Still the message kept haunting me. What is the meaning of this message to me? What is living life to the fullest? I started looking back ,recalling where I came from. And in order for me to understand the meaning, I had to pray for guidance. I closed my eyes and I tried to visualize myself, who I was before.

To my amazement, I saw myself separated from God. I did it my way. I enjoyed life to the fullest in the sight of man but not in the sight of God. I enjoyed being approved of by man not by God. I was able to draw a graphic picture of my life from the age of reason until now.

I will be 63 years old this February 22. I counted every year when I was really with the Lord. I felt so sorry that when I counted the years that I was connected to my Creator; if I were to compute it as a percentage, it would show that even less than 20% of my life was dedicated and connected to my Creator. He said,..."it is My want that you live life to the fullest".

He said,"My want", not you must live life to the fullest. To me, the word I want is His way of giving me the freedom to choose how to live life. He is not forcing me to follow Him. He did not make me a slave to do what He wants me to. He just reminded me of His love for me and that He wanted me to be connected to Him so as to live life to the fullest.

This message made me vigilant in all my ways and actions. In my every action, I kept asking myself if I am pleasing my God, in my thoughts, words and deeds. And in the silence of my heart I prayed, "God, give me the joy to obey your will and give me the strength not to say no to you".

At one point, somebody came to me and said, "Sister, I believe that you have already a seat in heaven", I smiled at her and I said, "No sister, I owe God a lot, I am still paying may dues, and as to when I am done, He is the only one Who can say, I am done". I am still here, waiting for His instructions. Every time people would seek God through me, I am sure in my heart that I am not done yet.

It does not really matter....

I was invited to give a talk to a group of lay ministers in one of the churches in Manila. I looked at them and they were the people who were so involved in their service to the church. In my heart, I felt inadequate to give a talk to these people who are so decent and holy.

I was thinking when I was in front of them what to share with them. What would be the subject most fitting to the group? They were always having their retreats and recollections regularly with high ranking priests. And in my silence, I prayed that God would give me the wisdom to speak the appropriate topic that would enhance their faith in God. So instead of me giving a talk, I asked each one just one question and told them to answer it with all honesty.

The question was this, "what moved you to decide to serve the Lord as lay ministers?" Each one of them stood up and told his story. There were about forty gentlemen. And there were lots of reasons; like, one said, his wife was serving and he was just waiting outside the church, so instead of waiting, he might as well join her serve in the church.

Others said, they had nothing to do, others said, they were invited by friends and they could not say no. Others said, they were already retired and they were not use to staying at home. Some said, there was nothing to lose since it was only once or twice a week. I waited for someone to say that he serves because he loves the Lord, or maybe, he wants to show his gratitude. But I never heard any of those reasons.

I asked them as to how long have been serving in the church. I learned that most of them were serving for quite a long time already, for years and they were still there, truly dedicated and giving most of their time in service for the Lord. They have already forgotten as to how they started. Service is no longer a pastime for them, they are taking seriously the challenge of serving God with all their hearts. Then I came to understand that, it really does not matter how we are called. What matters is we said Yes to His calling and He will do the rest. And without them knowing it, they reached the point at which they were enjoying serving the Lord with enthusiasm, focus and passion.

At the end of the talk, I thanked God for giving them the opportunity and privilege to serve Him. Though these people were reluctant to serve at the beginning, He turned their hearts to serve with joy and enthusiasm.

Truly, it really does not matter how we are called, we just have to say Yes to God.

All Over the World, the Spirit is Moving

This is a website where you can read testimonies (old & new) from every continent.

Click on the title..

I Thought......

When I was young, I thought that I just need to have good grades just to please my parents. When I grew a little bit older, when I was in college, I thought I just have to finish it to get rid of going to school and doing a lot of assignments.

When I got out of college, I thought I just need to have a job since that is the only reason I thought I had to go to college. When I was working, I thought I had the freedom to do what I want since I could support my needs.

When I got married, I thought my freedom was curtailed because of so many adjustments, like, my husband must know my schedules, I had to attend to the house needs, attend to the needs of my husband and at the same time attend to my own needs since I was still working in an office.

When I was about to give birth to my first child, I thought that I can never, never be a good mother, I felt that I was irresponsible, not caring and very unconcerned. I talked to my doctor and asked him to take care of my child until she reaches the age of one. Maybe by that time, my mind and heart would already be settled to take the responsibility of being a mother.

When I gave birth to a baby girl, I thought that this child robbed me of my freedom, my dreams and may be the success that I was aspiring for. My heart was so weary that I did not want to see her nor did I want anybody to tell me about her. I felt so depressed in the hospital room.
I started saying goodbye to my dreams, my wishes, my plans and my aspirations.

The time came for me to leave the hospital and still I had not seen my baby. My family was there but they were all silent. I closed my eyes, I could not look at them, I felt so useless and uncomfortable. I fell asleep awaiting my husband to take me home. I was awakened by a soft, warm little body placed on top of me. With fear in my heart, I touched this little baby, I felt my body shaking and my heart trembling. But with amazement, it was not fear, it was joy! I called the doctor and told her, that we were going home. It was a great relief for them and they rejoiced with me.

I thought that everything was over for me. That is what I thought. No, everything is alright. I dream more, I work more, and I pray more. Giving birth was not the end of my dreams, it was the start of my dreams and I have to work to reach my dreams, all dedicated to the little angel God gave me.

When all my three children grew up, I thought I was done. No, it is not over, I have six grandchildren who are making me continue my dreams, my wishes, my aspirations.
There is only one thing I know, God gave them to me so I may be able to continue dreaming. And in pursuing my dreams, I felt heaven is here on earth, for God gave me the opportunity and privilege to serve Him through them.

Imagine, I dwelt in what I thought for a long time and that what I thought made me live a life that was full of uncertainty and apprehensions. Facing the reality and the truth is our true freedom that would lead us to live life to the fullest. Now, I understand the true meaning of life, to live not for oneself but for others with God. Then you would have fulfilled the law of love. God bless

Book Launch

The book launching was in April 2007 .. a few photos..

To order a copy e-mail : baby_dirige@yahoo.com

The Path of Glory by Mrs D. Dirige was published in 2007.

"The author believes that all creations are connected to the Creator and that the Creator is so loving that He loves to commune with His people in a very special and personal way which is beyond the comprehension of the human mind. As this is interpreted as miracle, it produces in the heart of man a connection that makes us believe in God in the spirit of faith and trust in Him.

The experiences of the people in this book changed their lives tremdously and made them understand that we have the power to go beyond human imagination."

God's love is infinite and His love is always available to us. And that God is the ultimate wisdom.