A book of prayers to the Holy Face of Jesus

 The Seed of an Abundant Harvest – A Prayer————-Blessed Mother, Our Lord has said that the seed planted in fertile soil will grow strong and will yield an abundant harvest! Please, Blessed Mother let my soul be planted in the fertile garden of your immaculate heart! Let my soul be fed by the body and blood of my Lord to give me strong roots and a gentle heart.Let the Light of God penetrate the darkness of my heart so that it may be formed to the likeness of God and give light to my soul and purify it. Let the Holy Spirit be the oxygen my Soul needs to give it energy, wisdom, and love, to guide it upward to you, Father and outward to others in the sharing of your gifts. Blessed Mother, temple of the Most Holy trinity, nourish my soul with thy Love and Grace and through your soul that doth Magnify the Lord, make us the perfect image of your divine son, and yield the fruits of a great and abundant harvest in the divine will of God the Father! Amen.  

For Rich or Poor ———–Lord Teach me how to be abased, how to be abound.In abundance and in want I still hear the precious sound.Of your voice inside my heart, of your heart that gives me peace.Let go of all that binds me, so I can find release.From a world that chains me to desires.Of power, pride and flauntinga fleeting grasp at happinessthat only leaves me wanting.I reach out for you Lord, with a faith that few can see.Because I know that I can do all thingsthrough Christ who strengthens me. “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:12-13.​

Recognize These? (Image courtesy of Douglas P. Perkins, 2013) See the World through rose-colored glasses. Yesterday, I spent an hour with some neighbors and the cardboard glasses viewing the Solar Eclipse! It was an ominous sight!  You have to wonder about the vast Universe and how our world is affected by the stars, the sun and the moon!  I heard that many of the birds stopping chirping, and I wondered if it had any bearing on the tide of the ocean! I also started hearing about the end time discussions and this was a sign of the times bringing on the Apocalypse!  I am reminded of Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit Descended on the disciples and the strong winds blew bringing everyone out into the streets of Jerusalem, including the disciples who started preaching in tongues.  Peter preaches the signs of the end times in Acts 2:17-21:“In the last days, God says,‘I will pour out my Holy Spirit on all people.Your sons and daughters will prophesy.Your young men will see visions.Your old men will have dreams.In those days, I will pour out my Spirit on my servants.I will pour out my Spirit on both men and women.When I do, they will prophesy.I will show wonders in the heavens above.I will show signs on the earth below.There will be blood and fire and clouds of smoke.The sun will become dark.The moon will turn red like blood.This will happen before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” While we might “see” the signs of the times, the important part of this passage is the last line!  Remember only God himself knows the time and the hour!  Instead of trying to see when, we need to keep our eyes focused on the Lord, and calling out in reverence to our Lord and Savior, so that whenever our time comes, we are ready, and we are saved! The World always wants to know who has the Power, while God wants to know who is the Servant.We should try to Look at Life through the eyes of the Lord, not through the eyes of man!   One brings destruction.  One brings life! Those cardboard glasses allowed me to see the eclipse differently and experience the wonder, and it protected my vision! Focus on what is right in front of you and try to see the world from God’s eyes!  Anything else is just blind ambition!

 Extreme Grandparenting.  I want to introduce you to the Latest Fitness fad for Boomers. My wife and I have 5 grandaughters ages 4 to 11 months. Welcome to the world of Extreme Grandparenting. You have to manage everything from the crawlers and the cupboard cleaners to the tricycle terrors.You have to be able to manage a maze that includes everything from toys and trikes to pots and pans!Broken items and spills are just part of the course hurdles! You need the Patience of a saint, eyes behind the back of your head, a high tolerance for pain, and ninja skills. I knew my wife had a high tolerance for pain (after all she has been married to me for 38 plus years) but I recently realized my wife has ninja skills. She has really refined her cat like reflexes and she can see around corners. It’s amazing. She knows when the noise stops and things gets suddenly quiet, there is trouble brewing, and she is likely going on a seek and destroy mission. One of the most challenging maneuvers in extreme grandparenting is the one I call the Squirrelly girl! It’s the one where they absolutely wont sit still, while you are trying to take care of the serious business of a dirty diaper – Yes folks, this redefines “The Tough Mudder.” Then there’s the grandchild gauntlet – Taking on 5 flaming fireballs of Love, SOLO. You have to have Raw Courage for this one folks! I call them fireballs because you never stop putting out fires and you know there is going to be at least one “meltdown.” I know when my wife has had a really rough day when she had to break out the Holy Water.You feel like a fast food restaurant – they never stop eating –  Seriously I cant figure out where they put it.You have to “bring it” every day and and be prepared to work on “skill development” for the sport of Extreme Grandparenting. Most of all you have to have Love For the Game! Some of the rewards are that you are naturally more patient, because you already lived through how quickly your own children grew up. You get to Re-live raising your own children, when you see the physical features, similarities, and mannerisms they each have from their parents. You get to discover the unique personalities they have. But most of all you get to help build character that is built on a foundation of Love! A Love that only us Grandparents can give because of the experience wealth and the spiritual wealth that we have developed. We have been truly blessed that all our grandchildren are close enough to touch, and together often enough to play with each other. Some of you other grandparents are doing the Cross country course of Extreme Grandparenting! I wish you all bigger retirement checks, safe travel and bonus frequent flyer miles! Extreme Grandparenting is a challenging and demanding sport. “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle,” according to Mother Theresa! The she said, “I just wish he wouldn’t trust me so much!” That’s when I realize, “hey, those 5 could have all been boys!!!”

Step Away From The Temporary. Step Up To The Extraordinary. Be leery of the things which excite and engage your senses! The allure of money, power possessions, sexual gratification! You will know they are false if they are temporary, if they are not everlasting and if they compete with lasting and everlasting Joy and Peace! Let me share a quick example! Always try to decide what transcends time! Things like the Love of an innocent child that you brought into the world! Or the touch of your soul mate! Those innermost feelings that cost nothing, are given freely, that are beyond anything the world has to offer, and are available to anyone at no cost! Lasting Joy and Peace cannot be purchased! Have the Humility to understand these timeless gifts! They are at the core of our heart and soul and spirit and they will remain eternal! Here is another example for the male readers -close your eyes and reflect back when one of your children was 2 or 3 years old and you are walking into the house from a long day at work and preoccupied, but as you enter the door and your wife blurts out with excitement and your infant child runs to meet you with a face lit up with joy and arms open and extended upward, you hear those precious words “Daddy’s Home”!!!!! Their is your measuring stick! Anything else will leave you wanting!