Lady Snowball Kisses February 17, 1997 - June 12, 2010

Saturday morning began as any other. The dogs were going for their annual physical and vaccinations. My husband got up early to bathe them before their trip to the vet. As he was washing our Snowball, he let out a yell. She had sneezed and blood splattered all over the tub. He rinsed her quickly and raced the dogs to the vet.

Once there, they took Snowball right away to do some x-rays. In an odd coincidence, all my dogs have the same heart deformity as my sons and I. The doctor tested her heart, and sent the results to a cardiologist. The diagnosis was that she would need to be on medication for the rest of her life. It was decided she would stay at the vet for observation until Monday.

At one o'clock that afternoon the vet called. We were waiting for blood test results so I thought that's why he was calling. When I picked up the phone I asked how my Snowy was doing. The vet said that at 12:30 she was her regular self and doing well. But, that a few minutes earlier she took two deep breaths and just died. They tried to resuscitate her, but failed.

I don't know who was more in shock, the doctor or me. He asked if Snow had been coughing lately...No. He asked if she had been having difficulty breathing...No. He said he had checked her gums...they were a healthy pink. He said the only thing wrong was an elevation of her white blood cells. She had an infection, and his best guess was that she had a silent killer inside her...a tumor on her adrenal gland.

I asked him what I should have been looking for to have caught this sooner...he told me there was nothing. That he, too hadn't thought there was anything so wrong with Snow that, she was dying right before our eyes.

A friend from Facebook took the picture of my Snowball baby, in happier times, that I had posted, and made the beautiful memorial above. I share it today for everyone who has ever lost a beloved pet...


I'm sending you this message just to say,
I'm safe here in heaven to run and play.

The Angels watch over me all of the time.
The biggest one here is mine, All mine.

There's so much here to see and do,
My only wish is that you were here too.

Don't worry about me or think I'm alone,
Jesus has been with me, since I've been gone.

We sat by a river that is crystal clear,
He said no one here ever sheds a tear.

I told Him of you and all the fun we had,
He just smiled and said, "don't be sad.

For someday soon you'll see her again,
But until then I will be your friend."

So when you miss me, please don't be blue,
I'm just playing in heaven, waiting for you.
-Lady Snowball


Thank you, Kay for such a sweet memorial to my little girl!!

And, I encourage everyone with older pets to visit your vet more often, and to ask for a wellness blood panel at every visit...forewarned is forearmed.


Saint Francis of Assisi, protect our brother and sister pets!

THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING

As one liturgical year comes to an end, and another begins next week with the First Sunday of Advent, it is time to reflect...on how our relationship with Christ has grown...or weakened...over the last twelve months.

Have we kept Christ as the King of our hearts...our souls...and our lives?

Have our words and actions loving shown this truth to others?

OR...

Have we made ourselves the king...or queen...of our own universe?

Have our words and actions shown to others a love of dominance above all else?

Is it always YOUR way or the highway...in your family and professional relationships?

Can YOU bend with circumstances...or...do YOU bend circumstances to suit YOURSELF?

Do YOU always have to have the last word?

Are YOU always right...in spite of what the facts may prove?

The time is right to change that dynamic...to put Christ back where He belongs...as the King of YOUR heart...YOUR soul...and YOUR life!

Turn back to Christ...give Him back His rightful place in YOUR life...the time is NOW!

HEART OF MY OWN HEART

If you greet sunrise with God in your heart and a prayer on your lips, there is a better chance that your day will reflect God's love, mercy and justice, and you will be better able to treat others the way God would. —~ From: When Did I See You Hungry? ~


There are four things that you cannot recover in life:

(1) The Stone...........after it's thrown

(2) The Word...............after it's said

(3) The Occasion......after it's missed

and

(4) The Time............after it's gone.


So, keep God in YOUR heart...a prayer always on YOUR lips...and...a smile for EVERYONE YOU meet!

Not only will YOU become a blessing to those around YOU...YOU will be bountifully blessed in return!!



Heart of my own heart...whatever befall...still be my vision...oh Ruler of all!

WILL I SEE MY DOG IN HEAVEN?

I just finished reading a great book for anyone who has suffered the loss of a beloved pet..."Will I See My Dog in Heaven?" by Jack Wintz, OFM.

Based on Holy Scripture and the teachings of Saint Francis of Assisi...whose feast we celebrate this coming Sunday...this book has brought me great comfort by proposing...and...supporting the case that we will in some way see our beloved pets again in eternal life.

In honor of the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi...October 4...over the next few days, I will be posting excerpts from this wonderful book, filled to the brim with the beauty of Franciscan Spirituality.

When we investigate God's way of exercising dominion over the world and its creatures, whether nonhuman or human, we see a Creator who is loving, gentle, thoughtful, and wise. God creates in a reverent and caring way, making sure that everything is "good" at every stage. God "blesses" the first man and woman and exhorts them to "be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28). Like a proud parent, God watches as the earth brings forth vegetation, seed-bearing plants, and living things of every kind. God provides a beautiful garden watered by lovely rivers. There is never a sense that God is acting in a domineering or exploitative way. God's dominion is one of respect, not a heavy-handed domination. This is the way that humans are meant to exercise dominion over their sister and brother creatures and the created world. (pp12-13)

Jesus came to teach us to love as God loves.

God's love is "gentle, thoughtful...wise," and respectful.

God's love is not exploitative or domineering.

How does YOUR way of loving compare to that?

What do YOU need to do to...make YOUR relationships...reflect God's way of loving...more fully?

To order your copy of this beautiful book: WILL I SEE MY DOG IN HEAVEN?

To join the discussion: WILL I SEE MY PET IN HEAVEN? DISCUSSION GROUP ON FACEBOOK

HE WILL MAKE A WAY

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

One day a man saw a old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pinto was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you.

He said, "I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.

Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, "And think of me.."

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan...

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: "You don't owe me anything...I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard.

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson." ~Author Unknown~

There is an old saying..."What goes around comes around." All it is, is another way to say, we reap that which we sow.

What have YOU been reaping lately?

What have YOU sown?

Have YOU been sowing:

Love...or...Vengeance?

Duplicity...or...Transparency?

Healing Actions...or...Hate-filled Ones?

We all must be very careful of that which we sow...the harvest will be bountiful!

The question is:

Will it be a harvest of goodness...and...grace?

OR

Will it be a harvest of ill-will...and...hardship?

The choice is ours...

What do YOU choose?

BEAUTY TIPS

Below is a wonderful poem Audrey Hepburn wrote when asked to share her "beauty tips." It was read at her funeral years later:

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

And, just for fun...a clip from one of my all-time favorite movie musicals. Enjoy!

FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD

At His Transfiguration, Christ showed His disciples the splendor of His beauty, to which He will shape and color those who are His: "He will reform our lowness configured to the body of His glory" (Philippians 3:21) ~St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae~

The homily I heard today was about "mountaintop experiences." The disciples certainly had a "mountaintop experience" on Mount Tabor...when Jesus was transfigured...right in front of their eyes.

Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” ~Mark 9:7~

While we were not present on Mount Tabor, with open hearts...we too, can recognize our own personal "mountaintop experiences"...those times, when God reaches through the firmament to grant us a glimpse of His Transcendent Glory...His Almighty Power.

Creation, in all it's wonder...from the coos of a newborn...the waves on the water...a beautiful sky at sunrise or sunset...a puppy's sighs...to a new bloom in the garden...reveal to me glimpses of God's Transcendent Glory.

These are MY "mountaintop experiences."

What are YOURS?

Free your heart...your mind...and...your soul, to recognize and savor the glimpses of God's Transcendent Glory all around YOU!

And, may our "mountaintop experiences" strengthen us to know...who it is...we are called to be...and...how it is...that God ultimately reveals Himself...in the fullness of His love.

THE FEAST OF SAINT MARTHA

Today is the Feast of Saint Martha.

We don't know much about Martha except that she...and her sister, Mary, and brother Lazarus...were dear friends of Jesus...probably wealthy...and...that she was so busy cooking, cleaning, and complaining about it all, that she usually lost sight of more important matters.

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her. ~Luke 10:38-42~

Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. ~John 11:21~

Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” ~John 11:39~

I confess right now, that I have never been able to relate to Martha. I have always found her to be short-sighted...too busy...do-ing...to just be. Too busy complaining about her sister to just love.

And yet, it is in just be-ing that we find peace.

It is in taking our place at the feet of our Lord that we learn how to love.

How about YOU?

Are YOU a "do"-er?

Always...

Everywhere?

Are YOU always complaining about all YOU do?

Are YOU always complaining that no one helps YOU?

Then, it's probably time for YOU to just be!

Take the time so necessary for YOUR soul and YOUR psyche to just "be"...

AND, more importantly...

to let Christ just "be" in YOU!

Once Jesus...gently...instructed Martha on the proper place of faith in service...her complaints ceased...and her service became filled with love.

The same can be true for YOU.

If YOU just take some time to be infused..as Martha was...with the love of our Lord!

Take some time today...and...just be!

"I THIRST FOR YOU!"

THE POLICEMAN

Who are YOU judging?

Who needs to hear YOU say..."I love you?"

What are YOU waiting for?

Tomorrow, may be TOO LATE!

THE REASON FOR OUR HOPE FOUNDATION

BEAUTIFUL WORDS

I know I walk to the beat of a different drummer...but, I got home from work yesterday to ALL MICHAEL, ALL THE TIME television...and wondered if the rest of the world had stopped...inasmuch as, there was no other news being reported!

I watched for a few minutes as people who supposedly knew him well, spoke so eloquently about him:

His laugh was sweet and pure.

He was mischievous.

He was honest.

He was a lover of life.

He cared deeply for his family, friends, and fans.

He saw everything with his heart.

I have no doubt, that these remarks spoken with love, are true.

Yet, I wonder if, when he was alive, he knew those people felt that way about him!

I remember years ago, the commercial he did when he was going to trial...it was replayed several times over this past week on many different channels...he sat there and begged everyone to reserve judgment until all the facts were in...he appeared nearly broken.

The television cameras have been showing us for days, the crush of people celebrating this man's life.

And, through it all I keep thinking...it's too late!

Where were these people when he needed help...with alleged childhood struggles...with accusations...with lawsuits...with trials...with bad publicity...with alleged drug abuse??

Beautiful words spoken in eulogy are really only that...pretty words.

Before he died, many had accused him, judged him, and punished him...over and over again.

I don't pretend to know who he was, what he did or didn't do, or how he suffered in life. At times over the years, I too, raised more than one eyebrow over allegations and reported incidents involving children. Still, I leave his final judgment up to our Almighty Father.

My observation is merely this:

How much more beautiful these words would be, when spoken to the living!

And, how much more curative!

How much more meaningful...to celebrate someone in life...rather than after death!

What are YOU waiting for?

Tell those YOU love just how much they mean to YOU!

Do it NOW, while there is still time!

And, to those...who have nothing good to say about a person...even after he/she has died...I say this:

YOU need to look within YOUR own heart on that one!

It says so much more about...YOU...than the deceased...regardless of his/her alleged sins!


~ For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. ~ Matthew 7:2

"I THIRST"

I was watching a show called God is Good on Telecare the other morning. There was a sister on the show from Nebraska talking about her conversion, and subsequent founding of a religious order.

She was telling about how after she had been a Catholic for three whole months, she realized that she didn't even know the Blessed Mother. So, she decided to go to Adoration on Holy Thursday evening to spend a holy hour with Christ. She went on to say that she brought many books with her because she wasn't sure how she would spend a full hour in prayer.

As she sat praying, she began to meditate on Jesus' words: "I thirst."

The sister too, began to pray: "I thirst."

She envisioned herself with Jesus in the garden and she told him that she thirsted to know Mary. Soon a woman entered the garden in her meditation, and Jesus introduced that woman as his mother.

The story this sister was telling was faith-filled and beautiful. And, it got me to thinking...

For what do I thirst?

I thirst for:

peace,

justice,

righteousness,

guidance,

health,

love,

reconciliation!

And, just like the good sister, I find all of these in Christ!


How about YOU?


For what do YOU thirst?


How can Christ quench that thirst for YOU?

TELECARE TELEVISION

GOD vs SCIENCE

I received this in my e-mail the other day. Unfortunately, the author is unknown. I hope it speaks to you the way it did to me:

A professor begins his school year with a lecture to the students, "Let me explain the problem science has with religion."

The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

"Yes sir," the student says.

"So you believe in God?"

"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"

"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly.

"Aha! The Bible!"

He considers for a moment.

"Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good."

"I wouldn't say that."

"But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."

The student does not answer, so the professor continues.

"He doesn't, does He? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

The student remains silent.

"No, you can't, can you?" the professor says.

He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

"Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"

"Errr yes," the student says.

"Is Satan good?"

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No."

"Then where does Satan come from?"

The student falters. "From God"

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"

"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"

"Yes."

"So who created evil?"

The professor continued, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

Again, the student has no answer.

"Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?"

The student squirms on his feet.

"Yes."

"So who created them?"

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question.

"Who created them?"

There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized.

"Tell me," he continues on to another student.

"Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks.

"Yes, professor, I do."

The old man stops pacing.

"Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"

"No sir. I've never seen Him."

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir, I have not."

"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelled your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"Yes."

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"

"Nothing," the student replies.

"I only have my faith."

"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith."

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of his own.

"Professor, is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"And is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No sir, there isn't."

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested.

The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain.

"You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that.. There is no such thing as cold, otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

"What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't darkness?"

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?"

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester.

"So what point are you making, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time.

"Flawed? Can you explain how?"

"You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue that there is life and then there's death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it. Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

"Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?"

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.

"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean."

The student looks around the room.

"Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?"

The class breaks out into laughter.

"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelled the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir. So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?"

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers.

"I guess you'll have to take them on faith."

"Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life," the student continues.

"Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"

Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied,

"Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

In reality, there is only one sin: turning away from God. And there is simply one conversion: returning to God's love.
~ John Dear on Peace ~

THE PASTOR'S SON

This came in my e-mail the other day. The author is unknown. I hope it speaks to YOU the way it did to me:

Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel Tracts. This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring rain.

The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, "OK, dad, I'm ready."

His Pastor dad asked, "Ready for what?"

"Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out.'"

Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring rain."

The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, "But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?'"

Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather."

Despondently, the boy asks, "Dad, can I go? Please?'"

His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Here are the tracts, be careful son.'"

"Thanks Dad!" And with that, he was off and out into the rain.

This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract.

After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT.

He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted. Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered.

He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer. Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him.

Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch!

He rang again and this time the door slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady.

She softly asked, "What can I do for you, son?"

With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that * JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU * and I came to give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE."

With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed. "Thank you, son! And God Bless You!"

Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the pulpit. As the service began, he asked, "Does anybody have testimony or want to say anything?"

Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, "No one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live. So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and broken-hearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, 'I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.'

I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly...I thought to myself again, 'Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me.'

I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder. When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life.

His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, 'Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU .'

Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand. As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more.

You see---I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell."

There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honour to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated... He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.

Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honour for his son...Except for One.

Blessed are your eyes for reading this message. Don't let this message die, read it again, and learn from it.

Heaven is for His people!

Remember, God's message CAN make the difference in the life of someone close to you.

Spread His word, and share His goodness and faithfulness.


Who are the people around YOU who need to hear the message of Hope today?

Will YOU hide in the house from the rain, like the good pastor in this story?

Or,

Will YOU be more like the eleven year old son, and shine YOUR light of hope for all to see, and come to believe in the promises of Christ?


"Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown him before My Father in heaven"
~ Matthew 10:32 ~

WORDS

As I work to bring the children closer to God, I must discuss certain vocabulary terms with them. I always tell them that we like BIG, FANCY WORDS in the Catholic Religion...Transubstantiation, calumny, reconciliation, Eucharist, doxology, benediction, concelebration, and on, and on, and on.

I explain that usually, the bigger the word, the bigger the concept of God we are trying to convey. Yet, even the most supercalifragilisticexpialidocious-y word could NEVER explain the AWESOMENESS that is GOD!

It is important that our children know and understand the different ways we celebrate and come to relationship with God through Christ our Savior. It is important that the children learn the prayers of the Church.

More important, is our actual relationship with Christ and His Church. All the big words come down to very simple concepts:

Peace...Love...Forgiveness...Relationship.

So, how are those things working for YOU today?

Are YOU praying the prayers of the Church...fast and furiously...to hurry up and get them done?

Or are YOU talking AND listening to our Triune (oops, there's one of those fancy words for "3-in-1!") God and having a relationship...forging a friendship with Him?

Do YOU love the way Christ loves: totally and completely?

Or do YOU love with strings attached?

Do YOU ask forgiveness when you hurt others (c'mon now you know we are ALL human...we all hurt others...sometimes)?

Or are YOU always righteous in your indignation over the mere accusation that you might have erred (please comment and let me know how I can meet you, you're the first perfect person born since Christ!)?

Do YOU forgive others as Christ has forgiven us?

Or do YOU hold onto grudges because they keep you warm at night?

Tough questions to be sure.

YOU must look into YOUR OWN HEART for the answers...they are not here!

I had a discussion this afternoon with an old friend I hadn't seen in some time. It seems he and I are on similar paths at the moment. We spoke in my office for almost two whole hours.

Mostly, I was pouring my heart out to him. He is a wonderful listener!

As we took our leave of each other he gave me a hug and just kept repeating over and over in my ear "Peace...Peace...Peace...Peace."

A wonderful prayer/wish one for another.

As we walked to the elevator, we were talking about forgiveness. We have both come to the same conclusion...while we always forgive those who have hurt us...for those who refuse right relationship with us...we can only put the forgiveness out into the universe and, leave the rest to GOD...after all...when all is said and done, IT IS ALL HIS ANYWAY!

HOLY TRINITY: THE JOYFUL DANCE OF LOVE

For a beautiful and touching explanation of The Holy Trinity, go to:

CATHOLIC ONLINE