DEAR GOD: THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING AGAIN

We all live this really good life these days.  I don’t mean we are all rich or have everything, but if we try, we do have a comfortable life.  Before God allowed electricity to be invented, people lived an entirely different life than we do nowadays.  How would you like to go back to that time.  Not me.  I am spoiled and like it that way.

So when we were given the benefits of electricity, what would we ever use that for except for a light bulb now and then.  But then just look around.  Not only did people get a light bulb, but then other people invented all those ways to use those light bulbs.   Look in your own room or your own house and notice the lamps and the light fixtures and all those other necessary things of today.

And then think about the woman washing on a washboard and how after electricity, she could have a washing machine and after that, an automatic washing machine.  How fortunate for all of us.

And then, take a walk around your kitchen and look at all those marvelous machines that do everything in the world for you.  From the coffee pot to the garbage disposal and even the toaster.  Do you remember when all toast was made in the oven?    And it had to be planned so we wouldn’t heat the house up in the summer and we only had oven toasted bread in the winter.  That was a treat in itself.  Now, we just pop that bread  or whatever it might be in that slot in the toaster and it is done in a matter of moments.

But then in today’s world, we have these people running around telling us that we don’t need to use the electricity anymore.    I need to use my electricity. And I don’t see any reason why they should think they are in charge of how much electricity anyone gets to use. God gave us this great gift because it was in His time to give it to the world.  Simple as that.  God is in charge of everything, including even the most basic things.  He is the one who decides when we are given the computers and the internet and the automobile and all other amenities that we sometimes take for granted.  He is the one who uses the individual for His plans.  He knows what He is doing.  He will be the One who runs everything.  Not some person who decides they know what is best for this world.

It is God’s world.  I hope people will wake up and let God run His world.  All we have to do is live by His rules and this world can be a great place, one of peace and tranquility, and happiness for all.

You know,  I remember a time before all these problems arose during the 1960′s and that generation decided they knew what we should all do and how immorality should rein.  Remember the words – Forty years I loathed that generation and I swore in My anger, they shall  not enter into my rest.

Enjoy your electricity.   We are all so fortunate.  Thank You, Dear God for everything You have given to us.

DEAR GOD: THANK YOU FOR SO MUCH!

Well, another holiday weekend about gone and am I ever glad.  I never did care too much for Memorial Day which was called Decoration Day before.  It just never was my favorite time of the year.  Everyone was so somber and sad and I didn’t care much for that part.

My father was a printer at the local newspaper and there was a printer’s plot at the very old local cemetery.  So, every year, we had to attend this somber,  long memorial service for these dead printers.  The cemetery was so old that it had broken grave markers and everything smelled musty and moldy and old.  But my father was very respectful of those who had gone before him and so we went, like it or not.  And we better not have any other plans and we better not complain either.

Usually, it was humid and uncomfortable weather and we had to get all dressed up special for this occasion. That meant Sunday School clothes all the way.  And then we sat on these very old benches that had rusty spots on them.  The whole day was just difficult to deal with.  But we were brought up to always have good manners and be respectful and kind.  So we smiled nicely and spoke to all those older people that we saw once a year.

A Preacher would make a small sermon and say a few prayers.  And then came the really special treat of  a quartet that sang several songs.  They were usually much older people who could not carry a tune in a bucket and they certainly had no harmony between them.  But they had a juice harp to sound out the note and then they would all sing, sometimes together.  We sat glued to our seats, not daring to look at each other for fear we might have to laugh or cry, never sure of which it would be.

When it was all over, we had to stand around while our parents talked to all their old friends and visited for awhile.  However, I wouldn’t mind getting to do that one more time.  Might be fun to see all those people again and sure would be nice to see my parents again.

Miss them all. And all those like them who worked so hard every day to have a better life for everyone.  And all those who taught us children all the manners and niceties of life and reminded us to be ladies and gentlemen no matter the situation.

I know this holiday is for remembering all those who have fallen in the quest to save our country.  And I respect and honor that myself.  I miss a lot of that patriotism that was so prevalent in that day and time too.  I still honor the flag every day at my home.  And I truly respect all this country has stood for all the years.  I miss the moral fiber that always held everyone together, the honor for the parents and the respect for Almighty God and the other things that made us all one big family belonging to this wonderful country.  I remember it all very well.  And I miss all that, too.  I hope we can all get back to that very soon.

Happy Memorial Day!

OUR LADY OF FATIMA – PART 5

After the third apparition, the children talked often about seeing the poor souls crying out in Hell and prayed more for the salvation of souls. They were followed everywhere they went by people asking about the secret.  To avoid this, they went to their pastures over back roads and through deserted areas.  They longed to be left alone so they could pray even more.

Jacinta was particularly disturbed after seeing the suffering souls in Hell.  She prayed almost constantly. At one time, she saw a vision of the Pope kneeling before a table in a big house.  He was crying and holding his face in his hands.  Outside, some people were throwing stones at him and saying many ugly words.  Another time, she began to cry and asked Lucia if she could see the great number of people who were crying from lack of food.  And the Holy Father praying before the Immaculate Heart of Mary and all those praying with him.

Great numbers of people, even priests, began to visit the Cova and some wanted to see the children.  Most wanted to know the secret and would offer presents and special favors.  But the children never told the secret to anyone.  In fact, they would run and hide when they saw people coming.  This interfered with their daily lives.

Lucia’s family still ridiculed her often and now visitors tramped on their garden until all the plants were ruined.  Lucia could no longer watch the sheep and they had to sell them.  Her mother was particularly distressed.  One of the visitors said Lucia had taken a dollar from another visitor.  Lucia denied this but her mother thrashed her with a broomstick.  Too late, it was found that Jacinta was the one who was given a dollar.

Even newspaper reporters came to talk to the children.  The stories written later depicted the children as epileptic and victims of greed and fraud. This only served to further divide the community.

The Chief Magistrate of the County where Fatima is located was a man of great power.  He had been baptized as a Catholic but had left the Church to join the Masonic Lodge.  He then started his own Lodge and was its head.  He also published a newspaper which served to ridicule the Faith and the Catholic Chuch and its Priests.

Both fathers of the children had been summoned to appear before this Magistrate to answer for their stories.  Lucia’s father willingly took Lucia.  Jacinta and Francisco’s father refused to let them go. The Magistrate began to question Lucia but she remained quiet.  Her father answered that this was all women’s talk and was not to be believed. Jacinta and Francisco’s father spoke up and said he believed the children. The Magistrate warned Lucia that if he did not learn her secret, he would kill her.  And then they were dismissed.

Early morning of August 13th, the Magistrate came to Jacinta and Francisco’s house.  He said he wanted to see the miracle too.  He insisted on taking the children in his carriage.  On the way, they were to stop at the rectory so he could ask some questions.  Lucia was questioned by the Pastor, who now believed the apparitions not to be the work of the devil,  but invented stories.  When she would not disclose the secret, he accused her of spreading lies.

Now, the Magistrate kidnapped the children, putting them in his carriage and driving them to his house.  There, he locked them in a room and said they would never leave the room until they told him the secret.  However, his wife let them out of the room, gave them lunch and let them play with her children. Meanwhile, everyone became angry at the Magistrate over the kidnapping of the children.

At the Cova, the thunder sounded and then a flash was seen and there was a little bright cloud that appeared over the holmoak. It stayed a few minutes and then ascended towards Heaven.  At that time, everyone’s face seemed to glow in all the colors of the rainbow.  The tree leaves were replaced with flowers and the ground was in little squares of different colors as was all clothing. The lanterns hanging over the holy spot were of gold.  Next day, the Pastor wrote an apology for his unbelief.

 

OUR LADY OF FATIMA – PART FOUR

After the second apparition, the children endured much ridicule.  The next day they were to see the Pastor.  He questioned them independently.  Jacinta and Francisco were silent.  Lucia told some of the things the Lady had said.  His answer was that it was not possible for Our Lady to come from Heaven just to tell the children to say the Rosary. He said this could be a trick of the devil.  This caused Lucia much torment.  She even dreamed that the devil was laughing because he had tricked her.  She decided not to go to the Cova again.  Then, the day of the third apparition, she suddenly changed her mind.  The three children ran to the Cova in order to be there for Our Lady.

They were slowed by the crowd of people who were also going.  Jacina’s father who believed their story, ran after them to protect them from the crowds.  The children said the Rosary joined by the people in the crowd. Then Lucia stood up, looked to the East and cried out, ‘Our Lady is coming!’.  A small greyish cloud hovered over the holmoak.  The crowd was silent.  The Lady bent over the three children and engulfed them in her immense light.  Then Lucia spoke, ‘What do you want of me?’

‘I want you to return here on the thirteenth of next month,’ The Lady said. ‘Continue to say the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of The Rosary to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war; for she alone can save it.’

Lucia then asked the Lady, ‘Will you please tell us who you are and perform a miracle so that everyone will believe that you really appear to us?’

‘Continue to come here every month.  In October, I will say who I am and what I desire and I will perform a miracle all shall see so that they believe. ‘

Lucia asked about healing some.  The Lady said, ‘Some I will cure and others not.  As to the crippled boy, I will not cure him or take him out of his poverty, but he must say the Rosary every day with his family.’  Another, a sick person who wished to be taken to heaven,’He should not try to hurry things. I know well when I shall come for him.’

Lucia asked for the conversion of some people. The Lady recommended the saying of the Rosary.  She said, ‘Sacrifice yourselves for sinners; and say often, especially when you make some sacrifice:  My Jesus, it is for love of  You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for sins committed against The Immaculate Heart of Mary.’  She then opened her hands and the light seemed to penetrate the earth.  The children saw a sea of fire with devils and souls as of humans as transparent black or bronze embers floating in the fire with clouds of smoke rising; amidst wailing and cries of pain and despair.  They could tell the devils by their horrible and nauseous figures of animals, transparent as black coals in a fire.

The children cried out, ‘Oh…Our Lady’. Our Lady explained, ‘You have seen Hell – where the souls of poor sinners go.  To save them God wants to establish throughout the world the devotion to my Immaculate Heart.  If people will do what I will tell you, many souls will be saved, and there will be peace.  The war is going to end.’

‘But if they do not stop offendingGod, another and worse war will break out in the reign of Pius XI.  Whenyou see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that is the great sign that God gives you, that He is going to punish the world for its crimes by means of war, hunger, persecution of the Church and of the Holy Father.’

‘To forestall this, I shall come to ask the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays.  If they heed my request, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace.  If not, she shall spread her errors throughout the world, promoting wars and persecutions of the Church; the good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated; in the end, my Immaculate Hdeart shall triumph.  The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, which will be converted, and some time of peace will be given to the world.  In Portugal, the dogma of the faith will be kept always. Do not tell this to anyone.  To Francisco, yes you may tell it.’

Lucia then asked, ‘Don’t you want anything else from me?’ ‘No, today I desire nothing else from you.’

Then Our Lady once more rose towards Heaven.

 

 

 

 

DEAR GOD: THANK YOU FOR FATIMA – PART 3

The children agreed not to tell anyone about the Lady’s visit.  But Jacinta couldn’t wait to tell her mother.  Her mother only laughed and called her a little saint. But Jacinta kept telling the same story over and over.  Finally the mother insisted she tell it to her father and the rest of the family who had gathered for supper.  Jacinta told the story once more.  Francisco agreed with all that she said. Some of the family made fun and laughed at them.  Their father believed them though. He knew they would not lie.

During the coming weeks, the children tried to follow the Lady’s requests to offer sacrifices for the conversion of sinners.  They gave their lunches to the sheep and ate the acorns from the trees instead.

Lucia’s sister heard the story in town and asked her sister.  Then her mother heard the story and was incensed to think her youngest daughter would lie so.  Over the next days, she threatened her child with various punisments, but Lucia would not change her story.  In desperation, the mother threatened to take Lucia to see the local Pastor.

Meanwhile, the story spread all through the town and people were laughing at the thought that a Lady from Heaven would come here to visit with three children.  Very few of them believed the story.  Even other children laughed at them.  Adults ridiculed the parents, saying they were not fit to raise their children.

Lucia’s mother did  talk to the Pastor who suggestd the children be allowed to visit the Cova de Iria the following month.  He said he would then talk to them individually.  Jacinta’s father also went to see the Pastor.  The Pastor  told the father to make up his own mind.  If he wanted to bring the children, the Pastor would talk to them.  If not, do not bring them.

The 13th of the month was also time for the local Feast of St. Anthony which was celebrated with great festivity.  Both mothers tried to discourage their children from returning to the Cova da Iria.  But the children were determined to follow the Lady’s request.   When they arrived, other people were also waiting.  One lady named Senhora Maria Carreira was there with her 17 year old crippled son.

The children sat down under a tree, ate their lunch and waited for Our Lady. They all began to say the Rosary.  Then Lucia jumped up and said, ‘Jacinta, Jacinta, here comes Our Lady.  I just saw the flash.’  The three ran to the smaller tree.  Others followed.  Lucia was heard to say, ‘You told me to come here today. What do you want me to do?’  ’I want you to come here on the thirteenth of the next month.  Say the Rosary, inserting between the mysteries the following ejaculation – O My Jesus, forgive us.  Save us from the fire of Hell.  Bring all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need.’  I want you to learn to read and write and later I will tell you what else I want.’

Lucia then asked Our Lady to cure a certain person.  The Lady answered, ‘If he is converted, he will be cured within the year.’

Lucia said, ‘I would like to ask you also to take us to Heaven!’ ‘Yes’, Our Lady answered.  ’I will take Jacinta and Francisco soon.  You, however, are to stay here a longer time.  Jesus wants to use you to make me known and loved.  He wants to establish the Devotion to My Immaculate Heart in the World.  I promise salvation to those who embrace it and their souls will be loved by God as flowers placed by Myself to adorn His throne.’

‘Am I going to stay here alone?’ asked Lucia beginning to cry.  ’No my daughter.  Does this cause you to suffer a great deal?  I will never leave you, My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.’

Then Our Lady opened her hands and an immense light covered her.  The three were in it, as if submerged in God.  Jacinta and Francisco were on the side ascending to Heaven.  Lucia was on the side spreading over the earth. There was a Heart before the palm of the right hand of Our Lady with thorns piercing it.  This was the Immaculate Heart of Mary so offended by the sins of mankind, desiring reparation.

Our Lady then ascended towards Heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEAR GOD: THANK YOU FOR FATIMA, (CONTINUED)

Lucia was almost 10 now, Francisco almost 9 and Jacinta almost 7.  They shepherded their sheep every day leaving home early in the morning, carrying their lunch and going home again in time for supper.  They played games, danced, sang, and always remembered to say their Rosary along with the prayers the Angel had taught them.  This was in the midst of World War I.

After Mass on Sunday, May 13, 1917, the children drove their sheep to one of their favorite places.  They stopped to eat lunch and then set about playing a game.  Suddenly a bright shaft of light caught their attention.  Thinking it a flash of lightning, they decided to take the sheep home in case it was going to rain.  As they started down a hill, they saw another shaft of light.  Then they saw a most beautiful Lady.   She was dressed all in white and more brilliant than the sun.  She stood above a small oak tree.

‘Fear not’, the Lady said.  ’I will not harm you.’

Lucia asked the Lady where she was from.  ’I am from Heaven’, the beautiful Lady answered.  Then Lucia asked, ‘What do you want of me?’

The Lady answered, ‘I come to ask you to come here for six consecutive months, on the thirteenth day, at this same hour.  I will tell you later who I am and what I want.  And I shall return here again a seventh time.’

Then Lucia asked if she, too, were going to go to Heaven.  ’Yes, you shall,’ the Lady said. Lucia asked about Jacinta and the answer was ‘Yes’.  And Francisco? The Lady answered ‘He, too, shall go, but he must say many Rosaries.’

Francisco still could not see the Lady nor hear her voice.  He suggested they throw a stone at the Lady to see if  she were real.  But Lucia refused.  Then she said, ‘So you are Our Lady and Francisco can’t see you?’

The Lady answered, ‘Let him say the Rosary.   And in that way he too will see me.’  When told this, Francisco began to say the Rosary and the Lady appeared to him also.

Then the Lady asked ‘Do you want to offer yourselves to God to endure all the sufferings that He may choose to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended and as a supplication for the conversion of sinners?’    Lucia immediately answered for all three, ‘Yes, we want to.’

‘Then you are going to suffer a great deal,’ the Lady promised, ‘but the grace of God will be your comfort.  Then she spread an intense light upon the three and they knelt on the ground saying the prayer, ‘Most Holy Trinity…..’

‘Say the Rosary every day to earn peace for the world and the end of the War.’  And with that, the Lady began ascending towards Heaven.

 

 

 

 

DEAR GOD: THANK YOU FOR FATIMA

I don’t know if you have ever heard of Fatima, Portugal.  The story of FAtima is a very interesting story and certainly relates to this time in history so thought you might like to read it over the next few days. I will write what I have room for each day until finished.

The story  begins in 1915 in the hamlet of Aljustrel outside the village of Fatima, Portugal.  At that time, an 8 year old child by the name of Lucia de Jesus dos Santos was playing with three of her friends when they noticed a sudden appearance of a cloud formed like a man.   They had just eaten their lunch and were saying the Rosary as they always did.  The figure they saw left a definite impression on their minds.  This bright white figure appered to them two more times.

A year later, Lucia was in the fields with her family’s sheep.  This time, her cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marco were with her.  It began to rain and the children took refuge in a nearby cave.  Although the rain stopped, they spent the day playing in the cave.  They ate their lunch and said the Rosary as usual. After a short while, a strong wind blew and they looked to see what was happening.  Above the trees there was a light, whiter than snow which took on the form of a young man.  He approached the children and said: ‘Fear not!  I am the Angel of Peace.  Pray with me!’. The Angel then knelt on the ground and bowed very low.  The children imitated him and then the Angel prayed. ‘My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You.  I beg pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You.’  He said the prayer 3 times.  Then he told the children:  ’Pray this way. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications.’  The Angel then disappeared.

The children felt the presence of God and  remained in the same position, repeating the prayer over and over. Later on, none of them spoke of the Angel feeling that it should be kept secret.  Eventually their lives returned to normal, watching their sheep and playing in the fields together.  When tired, they would rest at the well under the olive trees.  While resting one afternoon, the Angel appeared to them again saying ‘What are you doing?  Pray! Pray a great deal!  The hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy for you!  Offer unceasingly to the Most High prayers and sacrifices!’

Lucia  asked ‘how are we to sacrifice ourselves?’  The Angel answered: ‘Offer up everything within your power as a sacrifice to the Lord in an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended; and of supplication for the conversion of sinners.   Thus invoke peace upon our country.  I am her Guardian Angel; the Angel of Portugal.  Above all, accept and bear with submission the sufferings that the Lord may send you.’

Jacinta and Lucia heard his words.  Francisco saw the Angel and knew he was speaking but could not hear him.  All the children had a feeling of listlessness and could not speak, play or sing when they mentioned the Angel.  They said later the words of the Angel made them realize how much God loved them and wanted to be loved by them. After that, they offered up to God all sacrifices in their lives and spent hours bowed to the ground and repeating the prayer the Angel had taught them.

When almost Fall of the year, the three were watching their sheep. They finished saying the Rosary and the prayer the Angel had taught them when the Angel appeared again.  This time, he held a chalice in his hand. Above the chalice was a Host with drops of Blood falling from it into the chalice.  The Angel left the Host and chalice in the air and prostrated himself on the ground.  He prayed 3 times:’Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I adore You profoundly and I offer You the Most Precious Body,Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all tabernacles of the earth, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He Himself is offended.  And by the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners.’

The Angel held the chalice and the Host and gave the Host to Lucia and contents of the chalice to Jacinta and Francisco.  ’Take and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men. Make reparation for their crimes and console your God.’ He prayed Most Holy Trinity prayer 3 times and then disappeared.

 

DEAR GOD: THANK YOU FOR TAKING CARE OF US!

Just in case you might be interested in this little tidbit of news, thought I would pass it along.  Read in my local newspaper the other day that there are 565 BILLION BARRELS of undiscovered conventional oil out there in the big world – excluding any that the United States has.  A barrel is 42 gallons.  And the world has 565 Billion barrels not counting what the United States has.  Just think about that for a minute.  How much oil do you think you might use in your lifetime.  I am not going to try to figure it up, but I’ll just bet it won’t be any number resembling those.  And I don’t think we will run out of oil anytime soon at all.  By the time we do, God will have provided something else to take its place.  This is His world and He will provide for everything here.

And, as I said, that is EXCLUDING the United States.  So, why in the world are we saving our oil all the time.  I remember when those dumb democrats decided we didn’t need to explore and use our oil because we could use what someone else had first.  Then we could save ours.  Why!!  Why in the world are we doing any of this.  I am quite sure that we will have all the oil we could ever use in this world – ever.  We don’t need to be conserving our oil or anyone else’s as far as I am concerned.

What is the big deal in this world of ours.  Do these ultra smart people in this world today really think that they know what is best for all of us?  I don’t think so at all.  I think they are all pretty ignorant and don’t know which direction they are heading at any time.  Why are we supposed to live this half life where everyone has to save oil and electricity and water and everything else around.  Why not just enjoy what God has provided and get on with our lives.

I was at a gas station one morning filling up my tank and this hippie type came up to me and asked if I felt guilty about driving an big car.  I told him of course not.  Why should I.  Then he said I should be worried about using all that gasoline.  I told him I wasn’t worried at all and would let my grandchildren worry about that one. He stomped off as though I had insulted him.  And then he got in this raggedy old worn out station wagon with a raggedy old worn out trailer hitched to the back of it.  As he drove out towards the highway, he had smoke coming out of the exhaust of his car.  Who is causing the most damage here.  Me with my gasoline guzzler or him with his oil guzzling old rattle trap.  Makes you wonder just how smart those people are.

Also, the newspaper article said that according to the U.S. Geological Survey, the world has 5,606 TRILLION cubic feet of natural gas.  And just in case you were worrying about running out of that, the United States alone has 388 TRILLION cubic feet of gas on and off its shores.  The agency also estimates that right here in the United States we have approximately 27 BILLION barrels of oil and 388 TRILLION cubic feet of gas on and offshore.  And on our continental shelf alone, there are 398 TRILLION cubic feet of gas and 81 BILLION barrels of oil.

So hurry right out and buy one of those teeny, tiny little cars that those environmentalists say we need to have.  You know, those that won’t go very far so you won’t be able to travel anymore.  And while you are at it, be sure and notice our landscape being covered up with windmills so we can capture the wind so we won’t run out of electricity either.  Of course this is because we are going to run out of oil and gas to run our generators and we all need to cut down on electricity use too.  Oh dear, what will we do.  What will we do.  Chicken Little is running around the barnyard wringing her hands because the world is going to crash any moment.  At least it is according to those environmentalists who make up all these stories all the time anyway.

I still want to know what they are going to do when God stops the wind.  Are they going to run out, pitch their tents, and blow those windmills around?  They are not in charge of anything ever.  Period.  End of subject!

Wish they would give it a rest, get a job,  and run their own lives and let God take care of the rest of us.  Otherwise, they would  have us all living in caves again so we wouldn’t mess up THEIR world.  Dear God:  Thank You for taking care of us.  We sure do need You in this world.  Thank You!

 

DEAR GOD: THANK YOU FOR A SENSE OF HUMOR

This has not been an easy week, so much to do and my head full of problems and thoughts.  And so many errands to run and so many people to keep happy.  Don’t know that I am doing a very good job either.  But as always it will work out.  Always has, always will, I’m sure.  With God’s help, I keep telling myself that I can do anything, I can accomplish all this somehow.

And so when I got up this morning, I was already in the hole on my time.  Too much to do and too little time.  Hurrying to get ready to leave the house, I was lost in my thoughts of what all I had to do and how I was going to accomplish all.  Hurrying the kids along, I was getting irritated at everything and everyone.  Don’t need to start the day like that.  Never pays.  Lost in my thoughts as I brushed my teeth and combed my hair, I was surprised at one of the younger ones talking to me outside my bathroom door.

I opened the door and there she stood – with a Christmas sweatshirt on.  Looked beautiful as usual, but it really isn’t Christmas anymore.  That thought struck home and I began to laugh and then to laugh some more.  I could just imagine what everyone would think if she went out in that.  Oh well, such is life.  I convinced her that it wasn’t Christmas anymore and she needed to change her shirt.   She hurried to find another one.

But I am still laughing.  Dear God:  Thank YOU for a sense of humor.  I sure needed it today.  And it worked.  Have had a smile on my face ever since.  Thank YOU!

DEAR GOD: CAN YOU HEAR THE CHILDREN CRYING?

In this supposedly enlightened world of today, our poor children are crying and moaning and hurting.  Dear God:  Can You Hear The Children Crying?  I can.  I hear them over and over again constantly.  I see them on television and I read about them in the newspapers and I get gobs of mail every day telling me to listen to YOUR poor children.  As You have said, ‘whatever you do to the least of these, you do also unto Me.’  But those people are not listening to You anymore.  They think they are in charge of Your world.  And the children are crying. All the time.

There are those that are slaughtered in the wombs of their mothers.  The poor baby has no one else in this world to protect him. He is completely dependent upon his mother.  And who is she that she would deliberately destroy his life.  Surely, she cannot mean to do this.  Surely, she cannot intend to destroy the very basic being within her own body.  Do those poor children cry throughout eternity?  Do their mothers cry throughout all eternity?  The only animal that destroys their own is the Guppy that eats their babies.   Surely, we have not descended to that level.

I read of other atrocities against children every day, too.  Just today, I read of a child only 3 months old who already had broken ribs and a concussion from being thrown around or mistreated in some way.  Why on earth would any human being do that to a 3 month old child.  I certainly remember that babies cry and it is hard to listen to them sometimes.  But no right thinking adult would ever hurt a tiny child like that.

In another instance, a child had actually walked to school and when he arrived, his teacher noticed something wrong.  By that time, the flesh was  falling off his bones because he had been scalded in a tub of water.  Why would anyone ever think to do that to a small child.  Oh, Dear God:  Can You Hear The Children Crying?

And then there are those whose parents do not feed them nor care for them in any way.  Why is this?  Why in the world would anyone not feed their children.  All animals feed their offspring.  I see pictures in my mail and on the television and in the newspapers every day showing small children who need a good meal.  Most of them also need a good home. Why has this happened in our beloved Country.  The government is not supposed to be feeding them.  The schools are not supposed to be sending food home with them to tide them over the weekend until they can come back for a meal at school again.  What is wrong here.  Why are those parents not being made to take care of their own children.  Surely there is something akin to responsibility within their hearts, minds and souls.

Meanwhile, Dear God:  Can You Hear The Children Crying?  I can.  Please help them.  Please wake those parents up so they will start to take care of their very own children.  Please Dear God Help Them.  YOUR children are crying.