Category: How I became to know the “Holy Spirit”

Good Morning dear Friends ~

The word for the 4th week of Advent is LOVE ~

I hope we come together as one nation and love one another no matter what race or gender we are.  This is what Jesus is trying to teach us.

 

Every year, Christians all over the world commemorate and reflect on our salvation story, the story of this baby boy who was born in a manger and grew as a man like anyone of us. God becoming man and chose to be born poor and simple. And this boy grew in grace and was the anointed, the messiah, the savior of the world. Christmas is an Emmanuel event, a celebration of God being with us.

What shall we do to welcome and receive Jesus again and again in our hearts? How do we celebrate the true meaning and essence of Christmas in today’s context? What is the message of Christmas in our life as a nation today? More and more, we become unconcern, indifferent and numb to the issues of the world and in our very own country. There is a prevalent fear among or people fear for their lives.

The culture of death and culture of impunity is creeping in our national system and with many people seemingly unaffected or indifferent by this reality. If Christmas is God becoming man, it means God is sharing life with us. Jesus was sent so that we will have life to its fullest. Let us therefore live life and enjoy life, and not to destroy life or end life. Let us reflect on the core message of Christmas and see the daily events in the light of grace, in the optic of unwavering love of God to us.

In these situations where there is too much pain and trauma by the hatred, violence, and injustice that we experience everyday, all the more Christians are reminded to hold on our faith and cling to hope. The birth of Jesus overcomes pain and loneliness. The birth of Jesus shows us the way to God. The birth of Jesus is the good news for the Christian world. We can start with our loving response to God’s invitation to follow Him and to do what is good and right especially in this hour of test and chaos.

Let us celebrate the love of God in our Lord Jesus Christ who has come to be with us always. May the Holy Family of Jesus Mary and Joseph inspire us always as we face the various challenges of our faith today affecting our families and communities. May our ongoing Advent preparation continue to be joyful!

As I read this today I am reminded of why Jesus was born  into our world ~ Jesus was walking the earth to teach us how to love one another, and be kind to ALL ~

I try very hard to understand why we as Americans can look the other way when others are hurting.  Please lets all be like Jesus and love one another throughout the entire year – not just at Christmas time.

Prayer for the 4th candle lighting ~
Almighty and Loving God thank you for loving us. Thank you for the.wonderful gift of salvation when you sent your only begotten Son—Jesus who became our brother, friend and savior.

May we be worthy of that love and we share that your very love with others, especially those who are unloved and deprived of your love. May this Advent season usher us to Christmas and be reminded to hare the love of God to one another through our generous sharing of life and hope

Have a wonderful Sunday.

Much love,

Rose

Good Morning Friends ~

Today we talk about Self-Control ~ the last fruit of the Holy Spirit.

What does this mean ~

The ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires or the expression of them in one’s behavior, especially in difficult situations.

 

The last characteristic listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as a fruit of the Spirit is self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is the change in our character that comes about because of the Holy Spirit’s work in us. We do not become a Christian on our own, and we cannot grow on our own. Philippians 2:13 says that “it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Every good thing we do is the fruit of the Spirit’s work in our lives.

Self-control is, of course, the ability to control oneself. It involves moderation, constraint, and the ability to say “no”. 

One of the proofs of God’s working in our lives is the ability to control our own thoughts, words, and actions. It’s not that we are naturally weak-willed. But our fallen nature is under the influence of sin. The Bible calls it being a “slave to sin“. One definition of sin is “filling a legitimate need through illegitimate means.” Without the power of the Holy Spirit, we are incapable of knowing and choosing how best to meet our needs. Even if we knew what would be best, such as not smoking, another need, like comfort, would take precedence and enslave us again.

When we are saved by Christ’s sacrifice, we are free (Galatians 5:1). That liberty includes, among other things, freedom from sin. “Our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6). Now, as the Spirit gives us self-control, we can refuse sin.

Self-control naturally leads to perseverance (2 Peter 1:6) as we value the long-term good instead of the instant gratification of the world. Self-control is a gift that frees us. It frees us to enjoy the benefits of a healthy body. It frees us to rest in the security of good stewardship. It frees us from a guilty conscience. Self-control restricts the indulgence of our foolish desires, and we find the liberty to love and live as we were meant to.

I’m not sure about you, but this is the hardest fruit for me.

I try very hard to say NO, you do not need this, but I become weak and give into my desires.

I think if we really want the spirit in our lives, we must practice self-control.

This is one I will try to accomplish .  It will not be easy, but I am willing to give it a try.

Wishing you all a blessed Sunday & a Happy Thanksgiving.

Much love,

Rose

 

 

Happy Sunday Friends ~

FAITHFULNESS

Today we talk about Faithfulness ~

Faithfulness means being true to your word.

What does being true to your word mean ~

Being true to your word means ~ doing exactly what you said you were going to do.  To keep your promise.

Did you know that dogs are called people’s faithful friends? Dogs become attached to their owners, love them unconditionally, protect them, and help them. Dogs are used to guide the blind because they are reliable, steady, and trustworthy. Dogs can be counted on! We have been learning about the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

 Faithful people can be counted on to do what they say they will do. They don’t change their minds based on what other people think. We can all be faithful people by following what the Bible tells us to do. 

God wants you to be faithful, that is, to do right all the time—even when the people around you don’t agree with you, or even when doing right may get you into trouble.

I know to do the right thing all the time, seems impossible.  I think if we try and do the right things it will become easier ~

Take it one day at a time ~

I hope you have an amazing Sunday.

Much love,

Rose

Hello Friends ~

The perfect definition of Goodness to me is ~ Love in Action ~

I love that this photo used hearts which is the new addition to my Etsy store.

After making each heart which I did with the Spirits help I looked at each one and smiled.

So what is it this thing called goodness? What is a good heart, a good deed? Good question. Even Jesus sought to clear up people’s misconceptions when a man once greeted Him as “Good Rabbi” and the Lord stopped him short and called into question the man’s definition of goodness. So how do we define it? First, goodness is a Christian thing; it’s a fruit of the Spirit. In Galatians 5:22 it says that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and goodness. A good deed can only be truly good as it is inspired and motivated by the Spirit of Christ; it has to be a fruit of the Spirit.

A good deed is one, which on the outside, conforms to the demands of the law but, on the inside, is motivated by a desire to please God. So this means that Christians are the ones who have a true capacity for goodness. As the Spirit of Christ fills each of us, we have the potential to be good and to do truly good deeds because our desire is to please God.

Dr. R.C. Sproul points out that the fruit of goodness carries with it a new ability to appreciate excellence, beauty and truth. Guided by God’s Spirit, we know when an action or a deed is good, because we appreciate it’s true and lovely character. Like: God saw what He created and said, “It is good.”

If you would like to read more about Dr R.C. Sproul ~

http://www.ligonier.org/learn/teachers/rc-sproul/

“A good life is when your assume nothing, do more, smile often, dream big, & realize how blessed you are for what you have.”

With the spirits help we can all obtain the fruit of ~ Goodness ~

Have a wonderful week.

Much love,

Rose

 

Hello my friends ~

Patience ~ It is a tough fruit for me.  Tough meaning sometimes impossible to reach.  I think I have patience until I am put to the test.  I often fail, but then to my surprise I have patience, and did not know where it came from.

This is one fruit from the Spirit I hope to obtain.  I guess I still need to grow.

Patience is an essential aspect toward maturity and growth as a Christian, yet it is not a fun thing to obtain. We, as fallen humanity, do not like to wait, especially in our fast paced, and fast food society. We may cry out to God and ask that He give us Patience, NOW! Yet, if He did, would we have it? It is not likely, as it needs to grow through difficulties so it can build and improve. It is not something we get off the shelf of a bookstore.

Patience will allow us to receive and participate in God’s love as it builds loyalty and faithfulness. It will take us beyond our comfort zone into an area we do not want to go. Yet, when we do, we are better and more able to be used by God and to be available for others. Without Patience, we cannot be used effectively in the lives of others, as they will seem repugnant to us, and we will be callous and unsympathetic towards them. Patience will allow us to manage anger and problems, and to wait on God’s timing. Patience will allow us to forgive (Rom. 5:8), as Christ forgave us and has Patience with us. Patience will allow us to endure and go on, even when we do not feel like it. It will see the hope that is ahead, when the clouds of our lives and experiences block its view from our sight. Patience will allow us to cling to Christ no matter what happens. Patience is hanging on to what is good. When we are impatient, we will miss a lot in life, especially in our relationships, because we will give up too easily.

Enjoy your week friends.

Much love,

Rose

Good morning Friends ~

So we talk about Peace today:

The fruit of the Spirit includes a peace that goes beyond that of salvation. It is a sweet relationship. We are called to His presence (Ephesians 2:11-18) and called to be confident in that presence (Hebrews 4:16) because we are His friends (John 15:15). As Isaiah 26:3 says, “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.”

God’s peace transcends earthly matters, as Philippians 4:4-7 illustrates. Believers are to be “anxious for nothing,” for God promises to “guard your hearts and minds.” It is a peace “which transcends all understanding”; that is, to the worldly mind, such peace is incomprehensible. Its source is the Holy Spirit of God, whom the world neither sees nor knows (John 14:17).

The Spirit-filled Christian has a peace that is abundant, available in every situation, and unlike anything that the world has to offer (John 14:27). The alternative to being filled with the Spirit and His peace is to be filled with alarm, filled with doubt, filled with foreboding, or filled with dread. How much better to let the Spirit have control and perform His work of growing fruit to the glory of God!

As we leave Mass on Sunday the priest always says “Go in Peace”

Now I see those three little words so differently.

We are taking the Spirit with us all week.

Pete & I had the good fortune to go to Stockbridge MA this week.  As we were walking around this beautiful town I saw the sign pointing to The Divine Mercy Chapel –

Of course I had to go.  It was so beautiful inside & out.  The people were there saying the Divine Mercy Prayers.

It was an honor to be there.   The beauty that people experience as they pray, so devote and humble.

I felt at Peace as I watched them pray.

Take the Peace of the Spirit with you all week ~ Peace be with you all.

Much love,

Rose

 

Good Morning Dear Friends ~

Today I share with  you how I might need an operation to reconstruct my common bile duct.  I need lots of strength for this operation.  I know that if I trust in the Holy Spirit He will be with me throughout this process.

I do lean on Him everyday.  I have become extremely close to Him, and I know I will be trusting Him ~

The Holy Spirit is the Source of Joy. His Presence brings joy. His fruit is joy. His Wisdom increases our joy. He is the Spirit of Wisdom. The pursuit of money, or having it does not produce joy. We cannot depend on our loved ones to create an atmosphere of happiness.

There are five misconceptions about joy. Many think joy comes from people, promotion, progress, power or possessions. The wise person discovers the truth. The Holy Spirit creates joy within us every moment that He is pleasured. When we pleasure Him through total obedience, we will feel what He is feeling. When we grieve Him and bring Him sorrow, we will feel what He is feeling.

HE is our only true Source of peace…the absence of inner conflict. His Presence brings peace. When we obey His instructions a calmness will enter our spirit. The greatest warfare of our life is the Holy Spirit versus our flesh and self. When we permit the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our life, we will enter the most remarkable and unforgettable season of calm and inner peace we could imagine.

I know His presence brings peace, because I am feeling peace in my life.  This is exactly what I need to have this operation work for me.

Thank you Holy Spirit for giving me this peace.

Have a wonderful Sunday Friends.

Much love,

Rose

Good Morning Dear Friends ~

What an amazing picture ~ 

What I see in this picture is God hands giving us the chance to know the Holy Spirit.

What do you see ?

The Ultimate Gift

The biggest gift of all, however, is not each other, and is not nature, or the universe, or family, or even life itself. The biggest gift in all of existence is that we are given the Giver – the same Greatest One who was Job’s only satisfaction and Moses’ only strength is now given to humankind. God chooses not only to put up with us, but to be with us. That’s what all this Jesus talk means – that’s why Jesus matters. He is, in Christmas-talk, “God-with-us”, Immanuel. That is the gift of Jesus.

But Jesus is not walking among us today. So another gift has been given – God in yet another way, the divine Spirit through whom Christ is still in effect right here and now. This Spirit leads, shapes, empowers, and gives us joy. The gift a Christian lives in every day, most fundamentally, is the Holy Spirit.

What a gift it is to know the Holy Spirit, or should I say getting to know the Spirit.

It is a very powerful and awakening to think you are somewhat humble, then you realize you are becoming to know humility through the Holy Spirit.  Each time I read about the Spirit I become more humble.

Have a wonderful Sunday.

Enjoy it to your fullest –

Until next Sunday ~

Much love,

Rose