The intensity of Words

Every time I have a one-on-ones, I always marvel at how intricate and how amazingly the Lord weaves His stories in individuals, how He really marks lives surrendered to Him.  Sometimes even, it’s difficult to contain the Excitement, “Lord how great are Your works”!

And then there are those times when the Lord reveals the more challenging stories, the ones that trigger your Inner Worries, and you find yourself saying, “Lord, how Your great work is still needed!”, followed by #panic…because not only are you sharing in a story, but you are called to be part of the writing process.  # accountable. These moments remind me His work is beyond ourselves, only God is the master writer.

“But Mary treasured all these words, and pondered them in her heart.” -Luke 2:19

 Treasure and ponder. No matter how intense the emotion, I always picture Mama Mary outwardly stewing, but inwardly praying, totally unmoved. Her trust was unwavering. Lord, please grant me the same posture!

Shattered Glass

I’m the type of person that really hates being vulnerable. I hate the idea of someone seeing through me and knowing things that, I myself, am uncomfortable dealing with. Generally, I like to keep things to myself.

With the recent SHOUT… let’s just say that it was a giant explosion of vulnerability and honesty from both myself and from those around me.

The Lord revealed lot of things to me through this SHOUT: I felt a tremendous amount of love, joy, and enlightenment, but there were also a lot of things that really hurt me. Despite receiving an abundance of blessings, I found myself focusing more on the hurtful experiences that I had.

Without divulging too much, I discovered a lot of broken relationships, relationships that I always thought were perfectly fine. Conflicts were revealed, and hurts were brought to light. In a way, I felt like I was in an illusion, thinking everything was okay, and, in a second, the Lord snapped me out of it in the harshest way possible.

I began to ask a lot of questions: Why now? Why during SHOUT? Why did you have to reveal these things to me? This is what happens when people become too vulnerable! (lol)

But jokes aside, it took me a while to let my feelings sink in. After much reflection, I felt the Lord console me:

I know it hurts, but accepting the truth is the first step to healing. I want nothing more than to perfect my love in each and every one of you. It is through this brokenness that I will reach out my hand, mold you, and make you perfect. In due time, everyone will heal. Trust in me.

#notmyhandbutyours

As much as I hate being vulnerable, I can confidently say that the vulnerability and honesty that I experienced this past week was the first step to the Lord claiming his victory. It was through our vulnerability that the Lord has opened our hearts. Praise God!

Speaks through people

I think its pretty awesome how the Lord really speaks to you through people, I want to share with you words of wisdom of another patient who took time to listen about my journey as an MV.  Funny, its short and sweet.

“Listen, you must want it so bad that He can hear you and answer you.  You should go now before its too late or else you’ll wonder later why you didn’t go, if its only for a short period then you should do it anyway, put faith in the Lord, He is most happiest when you choose to live a life fully dedicated to Him and after knowing that you did He will just continue to take care of you by blessing you for your work, I know for you he will take care of you.  Keep talking to your God and ask him for his plans”

Well I don’t know what else to say, my faith must continue to grow in his plans for me.

@itsmetimmm

Never Despair

2 Corinthians 4

This morning I decided to watch an episode of “Mother Angelica Live”.
[Thank you Lord for YouTube :)]
I searched for a video regarding our human suffering.
And found myself choosing a video entitled “Living in a dysfunctional world”.
Mother Angelica is such a light-hearted, joyful and faithful woman of God.
[love her, she’s so cute and wise :)]
She has such great wisdom that transcends through time. That even though the video that I had watched was recorded more than ten years ago, the same message of Love and Hope from the Lord can still be heard: LOUD AND CLEAR.
That at times, it can even put you to tears.

I would like to share this video with you all and I hope that it finds you well.
Here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xflGAWh55bI

A simple reminder on how to find joy within our suffering,
how to find joy in our world that is suffering,
how to find joy within our world with its people who are suffering.
Mother Angelica reflected on one great saint’s journey through suffering but overcoming it with his great faith, our beloved, St. Paul 🙂

One Mother Angelica’s reflection of 2 Corinthians 4 according to St. Paul:
” When we have no answer to our prayer, we do not despair. We answer with a blessing when we are cursed. When he (St. Paul) worked and got nothing out of it, he was gentle. When he was hungry and beaten, had no place to go, he praised God.”

“We must live in God in order to live in joy and hope.” – Mother Angelica, EWTN

I continue to pray that we may always seek God at all times.
Let us continue to pray for each other and love each other.
May our Great God bless us all always and forever.
Praise be to God always and forever.

Peace and Love,
Apple
🙂

p.s. I would also like to share this prayer with you 🙂

Litany of Humility
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved…
From the desire of being extolled …
From the desire of being honored …
From the desire of being praised …
From the desire of being preferred to others…
From the desire of being consulted …
From the desire of being approved …
From the fear of being humiliated …
From the fear of being despised…
From the fear of suffering rebukes …
From the fear of being calumniated …
From the fear of being forgotten …
From the fear of being ridiculed …
From the fear of being wronged …
From the fear of being suspected …

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I …
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease …
That others may be chosen and I set aside …
That others may be praised and I unnoticed …
That others may be preferred to me in everything…
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

Answer

Affirmation of the day: When the Lord calls you, He calls you. There are things that are just meant for your eyes and only you will understand. The call is personal and the call is strong. Everything will happen beautifully in His time. Continue to have faith and trust in the Lord God, for He is good and deserving of our love.

Desiderio Domini

Ordinary people become extraordinary

Feast of St. Boniface, patron saint of Germany

Saints were not born saints, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, ordinary people become extraordinary people doing great and amazing things.

Most of us nowadays doing evangelistic work do not face the same circumstances that the saints faced.  Our challenges in the community these days are getting more participants to the CLP or youth camp, preparing the food, taking care of logistics.  But the saints faced situations of real danger.

St. Boniface faced such numerous dangerous situations, the last of which cost him his life.  But at the moment of imminent death, he asked his attendants to stand down and not to fight back, saying:

“Cease fighting. Lay down your arms, for we are told in Scripture not to render evil for good but to overcome evil by good.”

Only by the power of the Holy Spirit can we walk in the footsteps of Christ.

St. Boniface, pray for us.