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The Role of Our Mother

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  The Role of Our Mother A typical family in the 1950s/60s. Maybe some of you will picture different kinds of families, but the family I am referring to was known as the  ‘Traditional American Family’. In this family dynamic, the father was the natural, necessary and wanted authority. His wife and children loved him and greatly respected him. He worked hard, was strong in stature and merciful but appropriately just. When his children would misbehave, they would be brought to him and he would speak to them kindly and lovingly but would carry out the appropriate punishment to their act. There was no arguing with his final word because that’s what it was - a final word. Despite this necessary role of judge, his children would eagerly await his arrival home each day, would joyfully show him their works from school and seek his approval in all other areas of their lives. His wife would see him pull in the driveway and shout ‘children! Daddy is home!’ and everyone would stop what they were d
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The Moment of Joy

  The Moment of Joy While praying the Rosary, I came to my last decade that had me contemplating on the 5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of the Boy Jesus in the Temple. The story in the Bible that references this mystery is found in  Luke 2:41-52: "Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonish
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The Gift of Faith

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  The Gift of Faith The Bible mentions the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 : "The Holy Spirit works in each person in one way or another for the good of all. One person is given the gift of teaching words of wisdom. Another person is given the gift of teaching what he has learned and knows. These gifts are by the same Holy Spirit. One person receives the gift of faith. Another person receives the gifts of healing. These gifts are given by the same Holy Spirit. One person is given the gift of doing powerful works. Another person is given the gift of speaking God’s Word. Another person is given the gift of telling the difference between the Holy Spirit and false spirits. Another person is given the gift of speaking in special sounds. Another person is given the gift of telling what these special sounds mean. But it is the same Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, Who does all these things. He gives to each person as He wants to give." In the past two days, I have
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When in Prison, You Visited Me

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  When in Prison, You Visited Me "Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world" Matthew 25:34 This passage is mentioned during one of Jesus' famous parables of the Sheep and the Goats  right before His crucifixion where He is foretelling what will happen when He returns at the end of the age for the final judgement.    “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.  Matthew 25:31-33 So, what will it take for the Lord to consider you a sheep and worthy of the inheritance of the kingdom of Heaven? "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me somethi
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Believe

  Believe "Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” John 6:28-29  Believe. This word appears in the  Gospel of John more than 90 times . A quick search of the biblical meaning of this word led me to this explanation: "The word “believe” in the Bible means more than simply agreeing in our minds that something might be true. It means “trust” —that we believe so strongly in God that we are willing to commit our lives to Him and live the way we know He wants us to live." Some people (like my husband) would argue verses like:  “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 so why not 'enjoy' life until your dying breath where you can call on the Lord and be saved? The same rationale is used for the dying thief being crucified with Jesus. There is no mention of him being baptized or a disc
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The Lord is Merciful

  The Lord is Merciful Mercy. "In the Bible, God’s mercy means His pity, compassion, and kindness toward people. His mercy shows up in the believer’s life at salvation, and then God  continues to show mercy in forgiveness.  Mercy triumphs over judgment ".       I love that last line. It stirs up so much joy and hope for me. As a mother, that would definitely be how I would want my son to see our relationship. That when he was in the wrong, I used it as a teachable moment and an opportunity to demonstrate forgiveness, compassion and kindness rather than to condemn or scold.  While praying for clarity about what the Lord wanted to convey, I landed on the topic of mercy. I really believe it is mercy that God shows us when He not only answers our prayer but He lets us realize it as well. I recently watched a lady (Kim) read Acts 6&7 and give insights about the death of Stephen, the first martyr. She specifically pointed out Acts 7:56: “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and
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Holy Spirit Inspiration

       Holy Spirit Inspiration Obedience. I've begun to explore more deeply what that word means and why our God asks it of us so often in the Bible. I was not satisfied with the quick search I did of the word, that I found myself searching for the Biblical definition of 'obedience'. I found the following: "The Holman's Bible Dictionary defines obedience as "to hear Gods word and act accordingly." That's  the best way I can explain why I am undertaking this new Blog. I believe I have been called to share certain insights as well as people's testimonies and stories of how the Lord has moved in their lives. I believe the stories that will be shared on this blog will serve as a source of strength in helping people understand God in a more intimate way. To make His love feel real and tangible through hearing about the ways He has impacted these people's lives. I hope you'll journey with me as we read and hear about the amazing ways our God
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