Favorite blog moments of 2011:

Yes, this mixed up year of good and bad must come to an end.  But now we look forward for 2012 to be even better! First, I have my favorite blog posts; that i enjoyed writing. Then second  will be the best saint  post of the Year! then third it will be what your favorite blog post was :)

So here we have my 6 Favorite that i enjoyed writing



6.Shepherds! http://lifeofusandsaints.blogspot.com/2011/07/shepherds.html The post about the Shepherds visiting Jesus at his birth. And how  Jesus is the ULTIMATE shepherd!.


5.Summer http://lifeofusandsaints.blogspot.com/2011/06/summer.html about how the great World Was created in seven God Days.

4.Love Your Enemies. http://lifeofusandsaints.blogspot.com/2011/08/love-your-enemies.html howw it's hard to make love with your enemies, but we have to                                                       because thats what God wants of us!

3. Home Made Part 2 http://lifeofusandsaints.blogspot.com/2011/11/homemade-part-two.html

This is the post about my new polar fleece that still fits pretty Good! I THANK GOD FOR MY AUNT FOR MAKING ME THAT!

2.The Time When God Acts: http://lifeofusandsaints.blogspot.com/2011/07/time-when-god-acts.html This was about when God takes things away; to turn us to him. But of course he give something in return:) 

And MY FAVORITE POST WAS:
GUITAR WITH LOOSE STRINGS!

http://lifeofusandsaints.blogspot.com/2011/07/time-when-god-acts.html

MY favorite post because it had a strong meaning, and i felt God work through me to type that post. And i know many of you liked that post as well! 

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Now The MOST POPULAR SAINT POST

THIS WAS CLOSE BUT IN FIRST CAME :

THE ONE WHOM DOUBTS

( ST.THOMAS)

http://lifeofusandsaints.blogspot.com/2011/05/one-whom-doubts.html

THE ONE WHO HAD NO FAITH THAT JESUS WAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD!

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YOUR FAVORITE BLOG POST

And cause only one person voted the Favorite post is:


GUITAR WITH LOOSE STRINGS!!!!!!!




MAY GOD TIGHTEN OUR LOOSE STRING TO SERVE HIM BETTER EVERYDAY!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year! 

May 2012 be filled with Fun, exciting, and filled with Gods Spirit! 

Lay it Down.

We all have our earthly struggles. Like Jesus said  that we should travel through the narrow gate! yes it might be narrow and hard to get to, but at the end it will be worth it because being with God forever will be....  everything great we can think of. Yes it will be hard to get to it, but we will. Like The expression " you must work for what you get" we have to work to get to Gods kingdom through this life.

We all have our own struggles, we all have our own stories, we try to go through the narrow Gate. No matter what these are, we are all journeying to the cross. The Cross of the Lord where he HAD to die to bring us to his kingdom, to give us everlasting life.  All our struggles, all our stories, we have to Lay it Down  at the Lords feet. Everything we want to do or have done. The Past, Present, and Future we just have to lay it down at His feet. He will take it all away. All our worries, all our stories, good or bad, will be taken away and we will have freedom with him in his kingdom. May we see as God sees. Our journey is Narrow, and hard, for God never said that it would be easy; no but he did say he would help us and bring us to everlasting life on the final day.


WE Must let it go at his feet and he will worry with our worries. We give him our worries, he gives us freedom and peace. The Lord Loves us so much, he would do anything for us. This is the best thing, the great exchange with our lord.  We must let the past Go, Look forward for the future and listen to the present! Don't worry about whats going to come, lets listen to today's Present.

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A Christmas Season Prayer

Lord, the God of Israel, let your name be praised. You have come to Free your people. You have provided for us on earth a mighty Savior; who is a descendant of David. You have shown your great mercy before us, and have saved us from our enemies. You have rescued us to serve you without fear; so that we might be holy and Righteous before you all our days. You have caused the bright dawn of salvation to take away our sin, and to be with you all our days; away from the evil one. Lord God come and help us walk the steps of your straight path of peace. May it be by walking in your salvation that we accept you not only now, but all our days! We ask this through Christ our lord. AMEN

5 min Coffee Break

While it's still Christmas time lets look at that one symbol of Christmas that is often forgotten. No it's not the Shepherds, nope not the gold incense or myrrh, nope it's not the Angels.

We saw his STAR when it came up in the east- Matthew 2: 2

And so they left, and on their way they saw the same star they had seen in the east. When they saw it, how happy they were, what joy was theirs! It went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They went in the stable, and when they saw the child with his mother Mary they knelt down and worshiped him.-Matthew 2: 9-11

 Yes, the Star. The "not so important item." Well if there was no star the great wise-men, and shepherds could not have found Jesus in the stable. But it was GODS PLAN that the star should be there to guide who he was to him self. He was a Shepherd, and he was a king. So God sent these people to himself.  

The star is still a Guide to us in these days to. The lord has to be born in hearts, but we never know when he will because NO ONE knows the time or place in your heart where he will be born. The star guided the Wise-men and the shepherds to our hearts to see the baby JESUS. For the lord will come with greatness and peace in our hearts and our prayers will be answered through the incenses, are bodies will be preserved with the myrrh and we are made of gold, in Gods eyes.

MAY GOD SEND THAT STAR TO GUIDE US TO HIM< HELP US THROUGH THE NARROW PATH AND TO BRING US TO THE BIRTH OF HIS SON IN US! 

AMEN

Guitar With loose strings...

Listen to this while you read this post

If you play guitar you know how, after a while of playing with the same strings, in the same tone for a long time, they will break; or if you play to hard and then the string/strings (will) breaks. Then you have to put in a new string to play again. Then you have to spend a while re-tuning  your guitar. One note, then another; then back to the first one; listening very close to how the notes sound.

At other times the guitar just needs to be tuned, it's gotten out of tune since the last time you played, so you sit down and listen.

Living our lives on earth is being that guitar in Gods hands. We may leave God at times.... that's when the "string breaks" then God has to re-wire you back into tune. And play you nicely, to the heavenly music. Then there is the other times when other things get in between us and God. Then we need a quick "tune up" Then we are quickly focusing on God.

We were sent to earth to prove to God that we are worthy to be with him in the heavenly kingdom. And well our lives are guitars. They are never perfect; some need to be re-stringed, others need a quick tune up, and others have dents and cracks which can be fixed. God plays us gently while on earth and he plays us in surprising ways.

Listening to God play us, is a big thing to understand our mission on earth. We don't understand at times how God plays us, but later in life things will unfold and will make sense. If we try not to go out of tuned or break, we will be that perfect note in Gods ears!

When we sound the way God wants us to, we will join him in the heavenly kingdom. But if we play notes our selves that are worthless, then why does God listen to the worthless notes? That is when God listens more, and shows to him that we need help, so he gets to his job and fixes the guitar...

Our Father in heaven: may your holy name be honored; may your Kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need. Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us. Do not bring us to hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One. Matthew 5: 9-13

Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what god requires; God will satisfy them fully!

Boxing Day

           I Do love this day because of the great sales, and any returns i want to make from the day before.... This year there were none. I love all me presents, made or bought, i love them because they come from the people i love the most.... My Family...

   But as much as this busy day may be, it really de-purposes the day before. People going to the stores returning the gifts they got, and they don't like. This really forgets the true meaning of Christmas. CHRIST is being born.

Helping at 5 masses this Christmas, really brought to me that Jesus was born. Allowing him to come into my heart; not in some dirty stable, but in my HEART. Not like my heart us clean. But in a Place, an inn for them to stay. But it is this Christmas, (and many to come)that Jesus will come into our hearts.

One of my most Favorite Christmas movies is the "GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS." -not the cartoon-You may recall at the end when the Grinch says and quote " Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store" A well yes, it doesn't. Indeed Grinch it means more, much greater than your cave, or the 35 and a 1/2 inch pole. It isn't from the termites in your teeth; it's not about being mean, or not listening to Christmas music.... it's about that one night in a stable, where a great king was born. No it's not about going into a home and stealing the presents, it's about letting the star guide the wise men and shepherds into your heart.

May GOD bless us and help us to accept him in our hearts, and make our hearts worthy for Jesus, shepherds and wise-men. May the star guide them into the right place for ever and ever AMEN

_________

Mike

p.s Christmas doesn't come from a store, it comes from our heart

Merry Christmas!

For the Angels did proclaim to the shepherds that Jesus, the Savior was born this day in a stinky stable, in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes; and there Jesus was, in the stable and his head gently in the manger! 

Merry Christmas! may we give our hearts to Jesus this Christmas as our gift to him!

That time when....

           Well it's that time when we are all scrambling for our last minute gifts, wrapping paper, tape, and bows. Then we find our selves stuck in that mood getting this and getting that. Sometimes we can forget what the true meaning of Christmas is. Christmas is a story in it's self. The Prep of Christmas To Christmas it's self.

We Started off with the candle of Hope.  The Prophets candle. The time we learn from all the prophets before Jesus, because with out them, we would not be able to understand Jesus, and listen fully to his word. We heard John the Baptist teach to us the second and third candle, Preparing our hearts for the coming of CHRIST at CHRISTmas.

Then was the Bethlehem Candle. The Candle of Peace.The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  The time when we are to fully under stand the time, that the savior is coming and he is soon upon us at the half way point. The Bethlehem star that led the wise men and Shepherd's to bring presents and glare upon the New born king of the WORLD. :)

Then we get excitement after looking at two purple candles we now look at a nice pink colored candles. Other known as the Shepherds Candle. Also know as the candle of Joy. The Shepherds are know on there way to adore this new born KING and to live in awe with greatness and peace. The Shepherd is what Jesus was, he was looking after HIS flock, his people. So they are there to represent Jesus and whom he soon was.

Then we go back to Purple. The Candle of Love. The Greatest thing we could have is love. We can't have any other of these candles without the Candle of Love. We have herd the angel Gabriel proclaim the message of God, that Mary will have a son named Jesus. The angels also proclaim the news unto the Shepherds, in Bethlehem, and the wise men out side of Bethlehem.



So now I bring to you the story of Christ based on the Advent Candles.

before time, before us on earth, before the the son of Man was on earth, there was no him, but Prophets that told about him, that lead to him. Only some Special Prophets knew that one day this great king would be born in the town of Bethlehem. There were some shepherds -closer to the time when the prophets knew when the savior would come- looking after there sheep, then an angel came to them saying that Christ will be born in Bethlehem. The next week Mary Got a message from them angels and was know pregnant with the one the prophets knew was the SON OF GOD. Then on a Special day the Angels went to the Shepherds and told them that the king is born and that they should follow the star in the deep dark sky. And so they followed the Star leading to Bethlehem, the place where PROPHETS knew, the place where the Angels have told them.

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The Advent wreath is the special sign of Gods love that has no beginning  and no end. But when Christmas comes some places replace the candles with FLOWERS. I personally don't like how they do that because it ruins the four major things God wants us to focus our lives on and what we should do. That is the Circle of HOPE, PEACE, JOY, AND LOVE.  What do you think? should the candles be replaced with flowers on Christmas day/ eve masses?

The Angel Gabriel Message!

"Don't be Afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most high God. The Lord God will make him a king,of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!"

God's love letter

YES!

Saying yes. We all have a easy time saying yes when it comes to something we want... but not what God wants. We have the trouble in saying yes because we don't see God. But in our belief in Soul,mind, body, strength we can all say yes and accept God in our lives and let him work through us because he can do marvelous things if we just say a free and firm yes.

We are in this time of advent reflecting on the time when Mary said Yes to God to bear the Savoir of the world when she was 14! if you truly think about it, there would not be any Christmas, God, or true life on earth if Mary said no. Mary received the holy spirit and said yes and praised God with a song of praise from the bottom of her heart.

If you can think back to when you were in school, there were different "names" for people. Jocks, nerds, the popular group, the class clown, the teachers pet, a loner/ a kid that get bullied, a sports freak. well has much as the popular kids said yes because they got everything right and bullied the others ( most of the time) The loner or kid that gets turned down all the time by that popular kid will surly get into heaven a lot easier than the popular kid.

The loner kid had always been told "No", "go away freak" and things like that, But God is calling them first to join him in heaven... Like Jesus said "It is easier for the poor to get into heaven than the rich." Like the story of Lazarus and the rich person.The rich person would not even give a crumb to the Lazarus, and Lazarus died in front of that rich mans gate. And Lazarus got into heaven first because he believe, he asked and no one gave him anything. And the rich man was put into the fiery lake of hell were he burned for eternity.

God calls us to say YES and it's if we hear him and accept him into our life.

Mary, you uttered a perfect Yes.  Intercede for me with your son, that i might stand and say a whole-hearted and real YES.

AMEN

 Mary we thank you for always being there and for saying yes to God when he asked to bear his only forgotten son. Help us in our own lives to say Yes to God and help (____ Insert name here___) find there way to God in a strong full heart Yes!

Amen

Psalm Wednesday

Save me by your power,

               O God; 

     set me free by your might!

 Hear my prayer,O God; 

       listen to my words!

Proud people are coming to 

           attack me;

      Cruel people are trying to

             kill me- 

      those who do not care  about God.

.... 

But God is my helper.

              The lord is my defender.

         May God use their own evil to 

         punish my enemies.

 He will destroy them because he 

is faithful. 

....

 I will gladly offer you a sacrifice,

          O Lord;

      I will give you thanks

     because you are good

You have rescued me from all my

          troubles,

     and I have seen my enemies

          defeated .  

Psalm 54

It`s not to normal to think of OUR God a God of destruction and killing of my enemies.  You think of him as the one who is soft and gentile, beauty and deserves all of our worship. 

Proud people are coming to attack me. People in there pride are well to pride to see that they need God, to see that it`s not about them, it`s about others and helping others. They need God more than ever... those are the people who don`t believe who need the spirit of God to help them, and that's who we should be praying for, that God will help them and find there way into there lives.

Cruel people are trying to kill me. The Cruel and evil doers are coming to kill our spirits, but with our bodies and our belief in God with all our soul,mind,spirit and strength nothing can kill us, nothing can tear down God, for he is the everlasting God worth of Praises.

Reading this is Psalm reminded me a passage from Proverbs:   Righteous people will always have security, but the wicked will not survive in the land.  We will always stand on our feet with security because God is with us.

Because God does these things and much more he is worthy of all our praise! 

John The Baptist

John. He is the #1 guy to prepare us for Jesus birth. He has herd the voice of god shouting in the deserting, calling him, to prepare us for Jesus' coming.


I got was able to teach the kindergarten class this Saturday, at Catechism. i say John the baptist and well they look at the roof. So instead of making them remember that long line.... i told them to remember John. John is much easier... at least they did remember that. John. John the one who told us to share our food is we have than we can eat. Share our coat if we have an extra. I love to hear some very creative answers Kindergartens come up with....  Well they are learning still... i can't blame them for wanting to keep all there coats and to eat all there food even if they are full.... But the point is that i get the point a cross to them........ Doesn't matter if they remember it next weekend.... at least they know some what a little more at mass that Sunday.

 I found it way to grasp onto how this group of kids learn.... Crafts, crafts, coloring, Crafts, Going to the church, ( thats attached to the school), Coloring, and did i mention Crafts? That's the unique part in teaching.... changing your classes up year to year, and make it teachable for that group of students. I am teacher for when the others can't come in.... i love beaning able to teach.....

John the baptist well was the key lesson teaching this weekend. The kids still look at the roof while i'm teaching.... but i know some how they are listening, when i ask them for there ears.....  it got difficult when one wouldn't give me there ears.... just kidding..... if it makes sense to the little kids it makes sense to me. they Pretend to give me there ears as i read the story of John the baptist......  And really expressed the fact that well thirty was pretty old...... Like really old...... not calling anyone old..... Remember it makes sense to them..... makes sense for me................... John....... then it finally clicks..... i have to do an advent service in front of all the catechism classes..... GrEaT.... My sister just lets me be the leader....... of course...... ( my sister teaches grade one.... we combined classes this weekend)  i wish she hadn't......  i get nervous... mess up... and well i'm praying to john the baptist to help me while I read my lines for the service..... He helped me.... that's the good news...

But another famous story of john was well his death.... princess shiba wanted his head cut off....Hared  didn't want to, but his promise was to give her anything she wanted.... so John's head was cut off and brought to her on a plate..... MMMMM A dead persons head on a plate.... nice scenery... :)

May John the Baptist help us to make our path straighter, our road stronger, and help us to open up our heart, and open up our  life to help others.