Great blue heron admiring my hibiscus in the backyard! Picture by Barbara Grotton
The Holy Spirit inspired our blog.
Readings for the Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, priest and martyr, and Saint Paul Chong Hasang, catechist and martyr, and their companions, martyrs
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life,
you have the words of everlasting life.
You have the words of Everlasting life from today’s Alleluia refrain.
Everlasting life starts now, and continues on after death. Is it death, or just a continuation of life?
I now more fully realize that Everlasting Life starts now, if we choose it, and continues after we take the Hallajua Train home to Jesus.
For many, though, this statement is sadly untrue. If you are strung out on Drugs, Booze, anger, fear, anxiety, etc., how can you enjoy the Everlasting life promised in the above reading here and now?
I watched Tim Gray of The Formed today, and he made a classic Catholic statement. “We are to offer up our pain and suffering to God our Father.”
Tim was correct but didn’t go far enough.
To offer up the pain or suffering as a negative, I hurt and offer this up to you, Father negates the fact that God wants you well. God our Father is a Father of Outrageous Love!
Outrageous Love doesn’t demand pain but relief from pain.
O.K. Fred, then why does God the Father allow the Pain and Suffering?
To bring you closer to Them!
You’re kidding me?
No!
Review in your mind all the times when everything went well.
Did you thank God for all the positives that were going on in your life at that time,
and now, even if you are in pain or distress, or are you like me, and accepted the good times and was indifferent to God for all They were doing in my life all the time?
I sadly was indifferent.
Thanking God for the difficulties God allowed in my life has changed everything.
In a prior blog, we told the story of Merlin Carothers; God told Merlin if he, Merlin, Thank God for the Death of His Son and The Nails that were driven into His Hands and Feet, then Merlin was to thank God for the difficulties God ALLOWS in His life.
In my mind, thanking God for a difficulty is a stupid prayer, but I noticed that when I said, “Thank you, Father, for the difficulty of …….. ( Name Difficulty)….. I know You will take care of me;” I smiled, and in short, order realized that when I smiled, I was letting The Holy Spirit back into my, now our life.
I changed my attitude towards a particular difficulty by thanking God for the difficulty. I allowed God to take care of me, and that change brought Joy and Peace, allowing me to continue our journey towards Everlasting life.
It was then that I more fully realized that You have the words of everlasting life.
If you want to join Team Jesus, try praying. “This is the day the lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.”
Sidebar:
God brought a person into my life who is consumed by constant pain. She wanted to know the name of the Jel I used.
I, we told her that before we gave her the name of the Jel, she would have to start praying the abovementioned prayer, and other prayers we’ve discussed in our blogs.
She agreed and started praying as suggested.
Wait just a minute, I can feel some thinking. Give her the name of the Jel!
A few years ago, I realized that a drug, operation, or any treatment for that matter, without God, will not be as effective as a treatment with God involved. If this statement isn’t true, then, to be blunt, we don’t need God, and why am I wasting my time in worshiping God?
She did as we suggested,
But,
When we called the next week, she said she had experienced some relief,
But,
She still hurt, and the list of where and how she hurt went on, and that’s all she talked about.
We reminded her that she had a choice: dance with God or dance with satan.
Talking constantly about the pain – satan.
Thanking God for the difficulty of the pain and every other blessing God has brought into her life. – God
God wants you whole, and the process for her becoming whole and pain-free is thanking God all the time.
satan wants her hurting, and she can achieve this by talking about the pain all the time, where she lived without knowing it before we met.
Our problem is we all want to be healed NOW.
God wants us to grow in our love for Them NOW.
Growth takes time and effort. Jesus on His Cross set the example of time and effort, and we are to imitate Jesus on His Cross.
Choose your partner.
Last night, Gail and I attended a Celtic Eventide Service at an Episcopal Church where a close friend, Brigit Runyon, talked about the healing of her Grandson, who came into the world weighing one pound eleven ounces. His healing took over a year, and I am sure there were times when everyone felt he had lost the battle. All parents, grandparents, and friends could do was continue praying for his continued healing, which they did.
The prayers worked! We saw him at the service, and he was an active two-year-old.
During the service, Brigid found and read a Poem that captured all we have been discussing in this and past bogs, and we had to share it with you.
The prayer speaks eloquently about how we should pray to God and why.
Be Thankful – Author Unknown
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge.
Because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.
The above prayers of thanksgiving are the prayers that God Loves to receive. They are God-positive prayers that will help you change your life and live in Everlasting Love, Joy, and Peace.
Picture:
Great blue heron admiring my hibiscus in the backyard! Picture by Barbara Grotton
Please keep Snapping!
Several people from foreign countries have asked for my email address, but I am still waiting to hear back. We decided to include my email for your convenience.
If you want a copy of the prayers we discussed, email me.
fprince101@gmail.com
Remember, if you want to submit a picture, no people, please, because we have to get permission from that person to use their photograph.
By sending your picture, you consent to allow us to reprint that picture in our next book, God Thoughts 2023, with your name and any comments in the Blog.
