"Jesus, You are Love and Mercy itself. I trust in You! Fill me with so much grace that it radiates out to others. May I be a channel for Your mercy, a means of grace for others."

~ Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Blessed are the Peacemakers

Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called the Children of God.

~ Matthew 5:9

Come Unto Me, All Who Are Weary and Burdened

"Come unto me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

I believe in the sun, even when it doesn't shine.
I believe in love, even when it isn't shown.
I believe in God, even when He is silent.

"He gives strength to those who are tired and more power to those who are weak."
~ Isaiah 40:29

For my Dear Father who is resting in Heaven

"The Lord is my strength and my refuge.
Of whom shall I be afraid."

This was the last scripture that I heard my father speak. It was just a few weeks before he died, and we were visiting him in the hospital. He was having a very bad day, and he was in a great deal of pain and anguish. In the midst of his despair, he called out those words...

"The Lord is my Strength and my Refuge. Of whom shall I be afraid."

I believe this speaks volumes about the strength of his faith and his courage, which sustained him throughout his life. I am certain that it was this that helped him through the terrible experiences he endured during the war. In that moment, I loved my father even more than I had ever loved him. I would have gladly given my life if I could have taken away his pain.

I wish that everyone could have had a father like mine.

When I was a little girl, I had terrible nightmares almost every night, and it was always my father who came into my room to comfort me. He would take me downstairs to the kitchen and make me some warm milk with honey, and we would talk quietly until I was no longer afraid. He never seemed to become impatient with me, even when it happened again and again.

I remember him reading to us in the evenings in front of the big fireplace at the cottage - Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling... all the classics.

I remember Saturday morning errands with him, when he would take my sister and I along with him to the car wash, and the dry cleaners and the butcher shop. He always seemed so proud to introduce us as his daughters.

When I was a little girl, I used to think that if God didn't know the answer to something, He would ask my Dad.

But the thing that I remember most is that, growing up in a noisy house full of turmoil, where everyone always seemed to be yelling and screaming at each other, my Dad was the only person who ever made me feel safe. That is the memory that I will keep with me for all of my life.

One of my father's favourite poets was William Blake, and I would like to share one of his favourite poems with you. It is called, "To The Evening Star".

"Thou fair-haired angel of the evening,
Now, whilst the sun rests on the mountains, light
Thy bright torch of love; thy radiant crown
Put on, and smile upon our evening bed.
Smile on our loves, and, while thou drawest the
Blue curtains of the sky, scatter thy silver dew
On every flower that shuts its sweet eyes
In timely sleep. Let thy west wind sleep on
The lake; speak silence with thy glimmering eyes,
And wash the dusk with silver. Soon, full soon,
Dost thou withdraw; then the wolf rages wide,
And the lion glares through the dun forest:
The fleeces of our flocks are covered with
Thy sacred dew: protect them with thine influence."

Goodbye, my dear Daddy. You have suffered so much for so long, yet now, through the Grace of God, you are finally at peace. You are free from all pain. You are with your darling wife, Eleanor. And, at last, you are Home.

Thank you for being my father. You will always be my hero.

From your loving daughter, Laura

"My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you."
~ 2 Corinthians 12:9

Happy Mother's Day!

Thoughts on Motherhood:

Every Mother is a working Mother.

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.
~ Jewish Proverb

And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
~ Holy Bible, Genesis Chapter 3, verse 20

Happy Mother's Day!

Blessings and Hugs to all!

5 Simple Rules For Living A Good Life

Live Simply... Love Generously...
Care Deeply... Speak Kindly...Leave the rest to God.

To The Evening Star - In Memory of My Father

Thou fair-haired angel of the evening,

Now, whilst the sun rests on the mountains, light

Thy bright torch of love; thy radiant crown

Put on, and smile upon our evening bed!

Smile on our loves, and, while thou drawest the

Blue curtains of the sky, scatter thy silver dew

On every flower that shuts its sweet eyes

In timely sleep. Let thy west wind sleep on

The lake; speak silence with thy glimmering eyes,

And wash the dusk with silver. Soon, full soon,

Dost thou withdraw; then the wolf rages wide,

And the lion glares through the dun forest:

The fleeces of our flocks are covered with

Thy sacred dew: protect them with thine influence.

..... William Blake

TO WANT, TO HAVE, TO DO

"We spend most of our lives conjugating three verbs: to want, to have and to do. But none of these verbs has any ultimate significance until it is transcended by and included in the fundamental verb ~ to be." ~ Evelyn Underhill

Grief

Grief should be the Instructor of the wise.
Sorrow is Knowledge: they who know the most
Must mourn the deepest.

~ Lord Byron

The Power of Prayer

The Lord hears good people when they cry out to him, and He saves them from all their troubles.

Psalm 34:17
 

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is discord, unity.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is error, truth.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is sadness, joy.

Where there is darkness, light.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled, as to console,

To be understood, as to understand,

To be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

..... Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Prayer Request

Today is Stephen's birthday. He is 39 years old, and he is the father of three special-needs children. He has been unemployed since September 2008, but thankfully he has found a new job that he will begin in April. Until then, he is in need of money to buy groceries for his family and a bus pass to get to his new job. Your prayers and support would be greatly appreciated. 

LISTEN FOR THE FATHER'S VOICE

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

Abundant Life

Seek God's Kingdom, and all the other things you need will be given to you. Luke 12:31

Abundant Love and Blessings to all who read this.

Prayer of Jabez

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying,

"Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me,
and that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain!"

So God granted him what he requested.

1 Chronicles 4:10