Believe

If life is getting you down, there is always hope.  No problem, pain or hurt is beyond the mercy of God.  He is waiting for you with open arms and will respond to your needs with His everlasting love.  All you have to do is take the leap of faith and trust in Him.  He will respond to your prayer in His time.

In October 2010, I wrote a PowerPoint called "Believe" after surgery and stress left me physically and emotionally drained.  During this dark time, I wrote a few phrases in my journal that became "Believe."  It became my lifeline as I slowly recovered and my energy returned.  I still read it every time I face difficulties.

I thought about "Believe" last week when I learned that Junior Seau committed suicide and then there was a horrible murder-suicide in the nearby town of Gilbert, AZ.  I wondered if they felt that their situations were beyond hope.  So, I will share this with you and pray it will inspire you when you face challenges. Just believe and trust in God!

This is my favorite picture of Jesus.

This passage was inspired from reading Catherine Marshall's book .Meeting God At Every Turn.  Before she became a famous writer, she dealt with being a widow at a young age and tuberculosis.  

One way to plant the seeds is through constant intercessory prayer.  Have others pray for you, too.

Remember the Sabbath and Keep It Holy

A few months ago, I realized that I was more tired on Sunday than on other days of the week.  Between grocery shopping, going to the laundromat and then squeezing in time to attend church, I started the week exhausted.   I, then, remembered a Messianic Jewish friend who looked forward to celebrating Sabbath every week and decided to try it.  I could at least do it for a month.

Well, it is now six months later, and I am still learning to how to observe  Sabbath.  Learning to let go of all your busyness in life is a journey, but it is well worth the effort.  Not only do you please the Lord by this observance, but you also find time to renew yourself and start the week energized.  Here are some tips that you can use to begin this practice:

1)  God commanded us to keep Sabbath holy.  It is a day of rest from what you consider to be work, so you first need to decide what part of your life is work.   I decided to avoid shopping and laundry on Sundays.  My friend avoids any task that involves the exchange of money.  She, also, would make meals ahead of time and only heat them up on Sabbath in a crock pot.  I have not gotten to the point where I can stop cooking but have learned to make simple meals.  I also soak my dishes in the sink and do not wash them until the end of Sabbath.   

2)  Try not to do everything the day before Sabbath or you will feel exhausted when it arrives.  It is best to spread your work out if possible.  I am still running around on Saturdays but have tried to do grocery shopping on Fridays to free up the weekend.

3)  Do not stress about whether Sabbath should be on Saturday, Sunday or a different day of the week if you work on weekends.  The point is that the Lord wants one day set aside to rest and spend time with Him.  I celebrate Sabbath on Sunday because this is when it is celebrated by my Catholic faith.  Also, work on celebrating it at sunset on the prior day as in the Jewish tradition.

4)  Do not worry when your Sabbath is not perfect.  Sometimes, you have to pick up something at the store or clean up a mess in the house.  Try to keep work to the minimum and go back to resting as soon as possible.  Jesus also had the same message in the Gospels when he healed on Sabbath. 

5)  Make it a priority to set aside time for worship and prayer on Sabbath for this pleases God.  I have discovered that once I cleared my schedule, it was easier to go to church.  I even started to look forward to it as the high point of the day.

6)  Sabbath does not always mean spending the day in bed.  My friend would visit the sick or others in need of comfort.  The key is that you are not spending money or doing work.

Last year, we celebrated Christmas and New Year’s on Sabbath day.  Normally, I would be stressed and spend the day in a frenzy preparing meals.  However, since I wanted to observe Sabbath, I prepared some of the meal in advance and kept the rest simple which made the holidays more enjoyable.  My next task will be to  unplug from the cell phone and internet and see if that helps to rest.  I spend most of the week online in my job and at home so that has become work.  It will be an interesting challenge to stay away from technology for a day.

My friend sums it up best saying that observing Sabbath is like having a holiday every week.  Now, that is worth a little effort during the rest of the week.  Shabbat Shalom!  

I Know That Jesus Exists

The gospels after Easter are full of testimonials of eyewitness encounters with our Resurrected Lord.  Sometimes, we might feel like Doubting Thomas and need to see Him for ourselves to believe.   Often, we wonder if this could even happen over 2000 years later.  I am writing this blog to testify that the Lord still reveals Himself to the modern world, for he once came to me during a vision when I was 13.  Today, when I was praying the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, I was urged to share this testimony with all of you.  Although my story is short, I will add it to the testimonies that Jesus does indeed appear today as he did to the disciples.

My vision occurred during an evening service at First Congregational Church in Ridgefield, CT where I lived during my teens.  It was 1975 during a rough time in my life, where I was a new kid who struggled to fit in at the local junior high.  My family attended the Congregational church, and to be honest, I was the typical bored teenager whose mind wandered most of the time.  The church was built in 1712, and we still sang the same hymns as the Pilgrims. 

One night, I went to an evening event with my family.  It was very different from the typical morning church service because we were singing contemporary songs.  I remember seeing people, who normally sat straight, start clapping and moving to the tunes. 

When you faced the front of the church, there were five stained glass windows that depicted scenes of Jesus.  They were in a semi-circle around the altar at that time.  The central window showed Jesus coming back at Judgment Day in a triumphant position.  He was surrounded by stained glass depicting rays of the sun. 

During the service, I suddenly saw the center stained glass window grow brighter (at night).  The image of Christ Triumphant briefly came to life and Jesus gave me a smile.  Then, He slowly faded away and the window went back to the stained glass image.  It might have lasted a couple of brief seconds, but at that moment, time was suspended.  I remember this peaceful feeling that lingered for a few days afterwards. 

Although I was with my family and in a crowded room, there was never any mention of anyone else seeing Jesus.   After the euphoria went away, I was too terrified to tell anyone especially my family because they would think I was crazy.  I even wondered about it myself, since this encounter never occurred again during my remaining years at the church.  So, how do I know it was real?

First, I was not afraid at all and felt indescribably peaceful.  Before this time, I had been afraid of dying after my baby sister passed away when I was three.  My parents explained to me that you see Jesus when you die, so I was absolutely terrified of the thought of encountering Him.  So, if this came from my imagination, I would have been scared that I was about to die. I also never took drugs or drank, so it would not be from a hallucination.

This event finally had a huge impact on my life and I remember it clearly today.  It served to comfort me during difficult times, because the Lord cared enough to appear to me.  My spiritual walk with Christ also began at that age.  My journey eventually led me to the Catholic Church which is more accepting of mystical experiences.  I later became devoted to St. Joan of Arc, St. Faustina and St. Juan Diego,  because they also experienced visions during their lives.

I now go to St. Timothy in Mesa, Arizona.  A few years ago, they painted a mural, and in the center is Christ Triumphant which reminds me of that stained glass window many years ago.  Despite my wishes, He has never appeared to me in my current church.  However, I do believe that Jesus smiles at everyone when they are worshipping Him, even if we cannot see it.  For one brief time in my life, He opened up my eyes and I saw a glimpse of eternity.

Image of St. Timothy Mural, Mesa, AZ