deeper understanding and truth

This blog started as a responsibility to share more of my experience learning and growing with the Men’s Fraternity at Saint Raphael’s Catholic Church. As Jesus is very demanding and excited about everyone sharing their relationships and growing in spirit.

I recognized that I was sharing screenshots as I read and studied these lessons with Johns and David to bring them deeper understanding and truth in Christ. But then I noticed I was not taking my responsibility here seriously. 

I was up on my hammock all the time with my iPad “bragging” about how the pen worked and how wonderful it was to talk and share so much live online. Like again now as I use it and find the words appearing correct whether I write them correct or not.  I need to go back and add in  everything with the dates that I find on the  pictures.  This work is almost being forced on me as I am not able to do anything else.

full-time jobs and planning

I already extended my playerline for Lent. I started off with a fresh fruit salad, and coffee today after waking at 3am. I was in my office seated and ready before 4am. No callers today. I'm a little disappointed, but really tired. I planned to go to the Gasperilla Art Festival, and even thought to bike downtown to the CrossBay Ferry to get there. But I can barely keep my eyes open now. 

No Prayerline this morning, but I already did my Exodus90 readings and the Prayers with it has really been about getting my focus here. I know I need to be writing more. I’ve clipped some pieces here and there and taken pictures that I know I should write about it. I know I have so much to do at home and I’ve barely done enough to welcome new guests here. I did take a moment to move some seedlings from my seeding beds to the garden in the front. I built the one box with Svatlana’s sons, but not anymore. I need to build more for the Woodlawn Presbyterian Church too.

As weird as it sounds, I have two more guys outside in tents. Both have full-time jobs and planning to stay for months. Another guy Larry who Leslie hired to help me move an old kitchen out of Woodlawn, also might get into a bunk here, which is cheaper than the tiny motel he’s in now. I cleaned out most of Reggie’s mess in the tent, but not touched the mess that Brandi and her mom left. It seems like perfect timing for me to show-up when they were loading mike’s truck. As one crate I opened was filled with my towels and another has all the fancy switch plates Kim bought for the Seminole Heights house.

I have a ton of cleaning to do back there still. I guess that’s what I need to do today, is breakdown whatever Brandi collected and stashed in there. Like there is nothing else I want or need to do.

Please Dear Jesus fill me with your Strength, Love and Wisdom so I may complete whatever you have set before me today. For the Glory of Fathers, Sons and Holy Ghosts. Amen.

statement and waiting for my answer.

3:46am wow weeks since I posted here. So much has happened. 

I've come back to the same place: "there is only Love in the Heart of God, so come as you are" . . . oh so i've not setup a template to start writing in this blog yet. Which means the red indented quote format is too far for me to get for a quick song quote . . . lol . . . course I Know in Jesus I designed all this technology to make this process even easier to do. While for this morning jabber, I want to stay in my immediate flow of words.

words are the set for startin everything.

each word I feel or say comes through in grace and skill. and I realize this moment, how my family experiences alienated me from people in general. I'm getting ready for my PrayerLine calls. As it's about that time to start again. I'm not sure if Lisa changed my schedule or not. . . 

so now I got two calls at the same time. I answer one, and she wasn't making any sense.  Making some statement and waiting for my answer. After asking her about it she just repeated the nonsensical jibberish . . . then hung-up?!?!

now of course, I realize that everything is God Anyway; so no phone calls "means," that there is more important things for me to be doing now. ? ?

and the song is about Noah's Arc. . . it is all about Love of God.

Yes, it's always love, and people are all terrified to accept that death and tragedy is a critical stepping stone.  Wow, and I live in a strong state of bliss. . . Like just having the sun peak out through the clouds long enough for me to do my Yoga this morning. This is always so powerful for me.

power that recreates

Day 31
Exodus 12:37-42
Generosity with God
Day 31 | Exodus 12:37-42

The Lord is leading you, your brothers are with you, and the destination is worth it. Stick to Christ’s roadmap: prayer, asceticism, fraternity. This has led you out of Egypt; it will lead you all the way to the promised land.

Defilement
Gospel & Reflection
Mark 7:14-23

He came among us to restore the circulation of love by gifting those of faith with his own indwelling Holy Spirit, and so securing a new mind and heart within the human. This mind and heart belongs to God. We only need to be available to its loving power, a power that recreates us, purifies and rectifies us. It is a power that can lead us to literally become saints.

616 am sat feb 18, 2023
Slavery of the Heart
Day 39 | Exodus 16:1-3

One day away from Day 40, take note of the difference between your external reality and your interior reality. There is a reason this spiritual exercise goes for ninety days and not just forty. There is yet more internal work to be done. Greater freedom lies ahead for you, as it does for the Israelites. Give thanks to the Lord for the external progress you have made, and keep following him beyond Day 40 in relentless pursuit of internal freedom, all the way to Day 91.

Today should not be a day of disappointment over the work that still needs to be done. It should be a day of gratitude for the work the Lord has already accomplished in you. Take time in your holy hour today to receive the gift of joy from the Lord. He is proud of you.

So I guess it everything has come together very strongly now. I realize that I just need to stay in my flow with Jesus. So yesterday I went on a bike ride down to the art show in the warehouse district. Coming back I went downtown in Saint Pete, visiting the library sitting to write. There was a survey on the table, asking for student volunteers to join the library development board. Of course to have a PhD graduate student offer time in it is really rare.

Of course, I told them in the comments where to put the patio tables and the chairs outside so that the place would get packed with people. It was the science festival outside the window. I took pictures and videos. I was surprised to see that Saint Pete police security towers with somebody there watching everybody.

Lol, so I posted to the St Raphaels fraternity:

Wow busy week, and I’m getting ready to bike to mass, still too cold for just a swim suit! The prayers and testimony have been wicked awesome… while the readings fell behind,

Now as I go: Today should not be a day of disappointment over the work that still needs to be done. It should be a day of gratitude for the work the Lord has already accomplished in you. Take time in your holy hour today to receive the gift of joy from the Lord. He is proud of you. https://vortex4love.blogspot.com/

beyond the traditions of man

Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Order Your Life
Day 30 | Exodus 12:31-36

Are you still putting things off in your spiritual or family life that the Lord is asking you to get in order? Are you resisting the process of growing up, of giving yourself to others, of taking on your proper responsibilities? Are you living in mediocrity or wasting these ninety days by cutting corners or withholding your full effort? Dialogue with the Lord about this today in your time of silent prayer and listen to where he leads you.

Human Traditions
Gospel & Reflection
Mark 7:1-13

It is very easy to simply affirm human tradition and go with the flow, the crowd, and the times. But the Christian needs to allow the Holy Spirit to purify his heart so that he listens, not to human judgment, but to the living word of God. Christians are called to have their hearts not “far from” God but close. And if we try to live a life defined by our heart inclining itself to Christ’s own, then all that is good in human tradition will be affirmed.


The closer we get to God the more we become ourselves.
Only beyond the traditions of mankind!

How to listen to this word of God.

Eagerly! 

1. - Eager - mean he come often to Church 
2. - Attentive - Eager brings Bible ready to study and learn
3. - Trust - Pencil & Pen to remember every detail - listen fully and understand

Wanting to listen for something personal and direct from God. A deep desire to know and hear words of God.

Dr. Stanley believes that: "Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus–the work of telling others the Good News about God's mighty kindness and love" (Acts 20:24, TLB).

Visit website for Charles Stanley

listening to the JOYFM as I always do. 5:53:53am "how do you respond to having someone wash my feet" feeling pride that impacts your life. Followers of Jesus are humble. the Intouch Teaching ministry.

Dave "Good Morning with the Morning Cruise" there is no mountain that can't be moved" . . . just gotta have Faith!

Thank You Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I Love You Dear Lord Jesus Christ, Thank You Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I Love You Dear Lord Jesus Christ, Thank You Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I Love You Dear Lord Jesus Christ, Thank You Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I Love You Dear Lord Jesus Christ, Please lend Your Strength, Love, & Wisdom to TESTIFY MORE CLEARLY TO THE SAINT RAPHAEL'S FRATERNITY

programmed alcoholics

Sunday February 5, 2023 7:02:20
Public Witness
Gospel & Reflection

Matthew 5:13-16

We need to be bold in articulating what we believe and why we love God. We have to affirm that such love has a right to be spoken and acted upon in public!

Yes growing up outside in the woods living love, life, joy while my brothers would sit and watched TV.

When we arrived in NJ in the 1970s, the woods behind my house extended for miles. It passed by a farm, my elementary school, included a river and lake then a community park. Another farm and woods continued across the street with the third farm further behind that.

When I complete High School in the 1980s, the farms and most all the woods were gone.  The beauty that I knew in early childhood, was replaced with the suburban development checkerboard of homes and roads. 

This mindless destruction of Earth's wild beauty parallels the pointless pursuit of beer and sports. . . TV creating programmed alcoholics. 

I've tried to explain how drinking is not bad or evil. Sharing in celebration is wonderful. But when the drink takes over, then we have evil. A beer or glass of wine is great, but not a 6-pack or a full bottle. Drinking to get drunk, lose consciousness, escape, or getting tipsy is the problem. Drinking and celebrating is fine and wonderful, but the need or desire get drunk is really a mental health problem. To seek escaping life or consciousness is a clear sign about some deeper personal issues to address. Alcohol or drugs to escape doesn't solve anything, but escaping circumstances is avoiding responsibility. 

clinging only to God

As Christian men, we must be what the Israelites are about to become: pilgrims, Exodus Men. This means detaching ourselves from things, from comforts and securities. It means clinging only to God and moving forward faithfully toward him. What are you clinging to? What do you need to let go of? Bring these things before the Lord today and beg him to grant you freedom in this very hour.

Enter into a dialogue with the Lord today regarding what it means that you are sacred, and set apart. Reflect with him on how he plans for you to live “set apart” and where you are failing at it now. Be specific, listen closely, and be willing and ready to CHANGE as the Lord requests. This will mark another solid stage along the road to freedom.

As I was sitting in Mass I knew I had to write more. I sat and prayed and then listed to the Rosary and started to read and write about my growth and experiences. As I opened my Journal I saw the last notes where Todd in the Exodus90 Fraternity meeting spoke about the mission and goals for everything. It starts with Prayer and getting Intimate with God. What’s it really means to bring this amount of connection to a relationship with Spirit. It means getting up at 4am for a Prayerline. Listening the two preacher pod casts, Family Focus and Intouch.org before TheJoyFM Morning Devotions and then their Prayers. Doing a list of ascetic exercises, and getting out a bike to reach the coastline for SunGazing Yoga and Prayers. 

But the bike had a flat tire? I  

Ask God for the gift of faith and the gift of holy fear, which is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (see Isaiah 11:1–2). Then, you will be daring enough to tell God what you really need, but you will also be resigned enough to submit to God’s holy will in all things.