Listening Carefully

Engrossed in conversations igniting passion within me can overwhelm others.  The Italian in me shines through on topics bearing any semblance to my experiences.  I just get so excited to share I don't take time to listen as much as I should.  The same principle applies in faith.  If our minds and prayers are busy asking God for what we want, how can we hear Him tell us what we need?  It takes great listening skills to hear God's plan for us.  And, once we've realized His plan, will we accept His guidance? Or, will we question it?

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Gospel (Luke 1:26-38) today reflects on a young girl visited by an angel of God informing her, a virgin, she has been chosen to carry our Savior.  You can imagine her confusion!  But our Blessed Mother didn't bombard the angel with a bunch of questions about how God's plan will affect her life:

The angel Gabriel was sent from God

to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,

of the house of David,

and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And coming to her, he said,

“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

But she was greatly troubled at what was said

and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her,

“Do not be afraid, Mary,

for you have found favor with God.

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,

and you shall name him Jesus.

He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,

and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,

and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,

and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel,

“How can this be,

since I have no relations with a man?”

And the angel said to her in reply,

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore the child to be born

will be called holy, the Son of God.

And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,

has also conceived a son in her old age,

and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;

for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.

May it be done to me according to your word.”

Then the angel departed from her.

This, lay apostles, is faithful listening.  Taking what God gives you and making the best of it, no complaints.  Anything that happens to you in your life is for some greater plan we can't see at the moment.  Some times there are great injustices hard to swallow and to which no good could possibly come, right?  But if we do our absolute best and understand God is in control of our lives, any outcome is His and we must accept it, no matter how difficult or unfair it seems. I know this sounds impossible to do when bad things happen.  Please trust me when I say the more I listen to Him, the easier it is to bear hardships and surprises.  Just as Mary did.

Our Blessed Mother, in Volume One, emphasizes the importance of listening to Her Son:

"You see that Jesus is leaving nothing to chance. He wishes to guide His children in an unusual way during this time. All has been foreseen, dear children. I want you to say “no” to anxiety and distress. My children can rest peacefully in my arms these days, as Jesus fulfills His plan for the salvation of the world. How happy you will be to have participated. Jesus is granting you great graces by asking for your help. I know you will not disappoint Him. All you need to do to serve Him is be at peace and listen to His voice in prayer. Be still, little ones, and know that He is God. All else, all details, will flow naturally from that one directive. Do you hear the voice of your mother, little one? I am appealing to your heart and beg you to trust me and live my words. These are serious times, but I am with you and will quiet all of your fears. Be at peace now, and spend your time with Jesus in your heart."

Today, think about a hardship you endured in the past.  What lessons did you learn?  Was it more compassion for those in similar situations?  Was it increased knowledge for determining good over evil?  Don't think about the negative impact difficulties create, think about the good derived from them.

Thank you, Lord, for teaching me to listen more intently to Your messages through Sacred Scripture, the Gospels, and the Volumes. Your patience sustains me!

God bless,

Bonnie

Have You Been Blessed?

A message from Direction for Our Times:

 

Help us retire this last printing bill of the year!

 

(watch video or read below)

 

 

 

What has this apostolate done for you and your family? What would you do so that another family could have those same blessings? Could you possibly donate one dollar a day or 30 dollars per month? We absolutely need your help.

Our end of year goal is 1000 lay apostles

Our long term goal is 5000 lay apostles

We now have several lay apostles!

This is not just a fundraiser.  We are asking because we are in need to cover printing costs necessary to have all the books we need for the Christmas demand including our latest release of “Transforming Grace". 

We are hoping you will join with us so that we can continue distributing books to prisoners and supplying churches. The fruits of the work are beautiful and include healings and conversions.  Lives are literally being changed!

As you know, Direction for Our Times is a small nonprofit group that supports a worldwide apostolate spread across numerous cultures and languages. With nine people on staff, in two countries, and the help of volunteers everywhere, we make available the beautiful messages of heaven and spread them through various ministries including prison ministry, teen and young adult faith formation, adult faith formation, a newsletter, a website and social media, and more.

The writings bring people closer to God. These are people who struggle with addictions, depression, divorce, stress, suicide, tragedy and death. At one time in our life or other, the writings may have saved or protected each one of us or our family members. Many, many people are being blessed through the apostolate and returning to the safety of the Church.

To succeed in our mission, we know it is crucial to keep the price of the books low and make many of the writings available for free. Given this, we rely on donations from lay apostles to meet our printing costs, currently $30,000. For DFOT, a 30,000 dollar printing bill is not unusual. But it has to be paid.

We thank you for all your support in spreading heaven’s Rescue Mission and for all your apostolic endeavors.

You are a part of this heavenly team. We can do this. But we have to do it together.

If you feel you can possibly spare one dollar each day then we ask you to do so now.  Help Direction for Our Times continue its work in bringing these graces to others.  Please click on this link to sign up for our dollar a day campaign. Remember, God has blessed you through the writings.  Help us to make sure others are also blessed.  Please take a minute to help spread the Rescue Mission.

Thank you,

From all the team here at Direction for Our Times

Help retire this printing bill now! Choose option below...

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(the letters from Fr. Darragh and Anne can be read at above link)

"At this time, I am asking each one of you to bring the Good news to souls. This is your heavenly instruction. I ask that you do this through your duty, first of all, because it is in living the holy and sacred life, following Me in your daily duty, that I can bring you to holiness. This example of faithfulness will say far more to others than if you neglected your duty. So that is your first priority and you may rest in the fact that this comes from Me. The second priority, then, must be the spread of these words. I want My words to move through your world steadily. I do not want a frantic haste, but neither do I want unnecessary delay. If you ask Me to show you your role in this mission, I will show you."

Volume Ten: Jesus Speaks to His Apostles, October 7, 2004

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Direction For Our Times relies on donations to supplement the cost of publishing the messages. Currently, only 40% of the publishing cost is covered by the sale of the books. Thank you for your prayerful consideration. 

 

Direction for Our Times (DFOT) is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to spreading God's messages as revealed in the Volumes.

Thankful for His Mercy

I am a sinner . . . no ifs, ands or buts. Even though I have read every Volume, every book Anne a lay apostle has written, every Heaven Speaks booklet and write about the Gospel almost every day, I still make mistakes. But the beauty of faith in Jesus Christ is His Great Mercy. He knows who we are . . . who we really are deep down behind the facade we cling to so others think we have it together . . . and He still loves us despite our missteps. The dark recesses of our minds are not hidden from Him. Nothing is. God loves us unconditionally. Isn't that what every human being on this earth craves . . . unconditional love? Begin today by being thankful for His Mercy . . . He will lead you the rest of the way.

There is a song by Michael W. Smith called "Lord Have Mercy." It's a beautiful song which we all can relate to. Below are the lyrics and a YouTube video recording of the song featuring Amy Grant:

Jesus, I’ve forgotten the words that You have spoken

Promises that burned within my heart have now grown dim

With a doubting heart I follow the paths of earthly wisdom

Forgive me for my unbelief

Renew the fire again

Lord have mercy

Christ have mercy

Lord have mercy on me

Lord have mercy

Christ have mercy

Lord have mercy on me

I have built an altar where I worship things of men

I have taken journeys that have drawn me far from You

Now I am returning to Your mercies ever flowing

Pardon my transgressions

Help me love You again

Lord have mercy

Christ have mercy

Lord have mercy on me

Lord have mercy

Christ have mercy

Lord have mercy on me

I have longed to know You and Your tender mercies

Like a river of forgiveness ever flowing without end

I bow my heart before You in the goodness of Your presence

Your grace forever shining

Like a beacon in the night

The Gospel (Matthew 9:27-31) message today is . . . believe and see the mercy of Christ:

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!”  When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?”  “Yes, Lord,” they said to him.  Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.”  And their eyes were opened.  Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

In Volume Four, Jesus reminds us of God's great mercy with the end goal being eternity with Him:

"Believe Me when I say to you that you will never have peace, true peace, while you are
separated from Me. And your eternity must be considered. You will spend eternity in one of two places, dear little soul. You must give this serious thought and determine where you would like to reside. You say you do not believe in God or you do not believe that God would send people to hell forever. I tell you today that it is not I, the only God there is, who condemns souls to hell. It is the soul himself who chooses to reside in hell. Do you know why the soul chooses hell? Because there are like-minded souls there. A soul who aligns himself with darkness does not choose heaven because that soul would not be comfortable in heaven. You must understand that you can be angry with God but God is not at fault. You can blame God for all that is wrong with your world and perhaps this will work for you on earth. I assure you though, on this day that this will cease to work for you at the moment of your death. At that time there will be only yourself to blame as the Truth is inescapable. You will be facing the one, the only, and the true God and attempting to tell Him that He does not exist. How do you think this will go for you? It will not go well, dear soul, and that is why I am speaking to you now. I want you to divert from this path that leads to damnation. You are choosing against Me now and I am asking you to stop. I love you."

Lay apostles, think about what the word "mercy" means. Dictionary.com defines it as "compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence." This word has Jesus written all over it!  Try to recall all the mercy you have been shown or demonstrated in your lifetime. It's quite amazing when you think about it! Man, I have been given an abundance of mercy when I didn't deserve it. I will strive to prove my thankfulness to Him for the rest of my life and throughout eternity.

Thank you, Lord, for forgiving my transgressions. 

God bless,
Bonnie

A Solid Foundation

Time with my grandson Colton is very precious to me . . . especially since I don't watch him during the week anymore (his baby sister was born in September!). A few nights ago I got this bundle of love for a few hours while mommy, daddy and baby sister did some running around. We decided to take his wagon out for a lap around the neighborhood. I loaded him into the wagon (along with around 5 of his favorite toy cars) and off we went. He is putting sentences together so well now, we actually had a conversation! As we strolled along, we discussed the yellow car, blue car, and black truck in the driveways we passed. He wanted to go out on the dock which stretches over a small lake in our neighborhood to see if we could find any alligators, fish, ducks, or birds. As I knelt down next to him while we peered through the wood planks of the dock trying to spot a fish, I saw this baby boy holding on to me and began thanking Our Lord for an opportunity of experiencing this little piece of heaven on earth. My heart was overflowing with love and gratefulness for the solid foundation God has instilled in me over the years. I vowed to make sure my little bubba (and our other three precious gifts from God) have the same solidity with Him, too. 

Todays Gospel (Matthew 7: 21, 24-27) is plain and simple . . . don't just say you are a Christian, act like one:

Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.  But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.  And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.  And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

In Volume Two, Jesus reminds us how we must work and serve in union with Him:

"My children, I would like you to become dependable friends to Me. I want to rely on you. You are wondering what that means so I will tell you. It is true, I am walking with you. I am sharing your life and worries. Your business is My business and I help you with everything. No detail is too small for you to share with Me and seek assistance. You find
Me there, always. You know I never leave you. You are only being wise to have this confidence in Me, My child, because it is a confidence that rests on the rock of truth. I am that rock and I am that truth. In the same way, with every allowance made for both your frail humanity and your earthly duties, I want you to walk with Me. I would like to know that you will come to Me every day in prayer. We begin a journey together and then you disappear from Me. I remain with you, of course. I am your God and will not leave you. But We must finish the work We begin. Do not be haphazard about your time with Me. You are busy and I understand because it is often I who have given you your duties. But if you do not have time to pray to Me, there is something amiss in your life and I want it sorted out immediately. I need you. You are My friend and I need My friends to be faithful right now. So do not come and go anymore. Please, stay united to Me so that We can work together on the tasks left undone by others. My child, you must understand that when you come to Me in prayer, if only for a moment, I am consoled. My
heart is comforted, which allows Me to give you untold graces, of course, but also, your prayer allows Me to soften My justice toward others who never seek Me. When you meet Me face to face, you will see clearly every happiness you have caused Me. I need you and so appreciate any fidelity offered to Me."

Lay apostles, what does your faith foundation look like? Is it solid like a rock, just a sandy mess, or somewhere in between? It's never too late to begin building a strong, solid relationship with Christ. Jesus gives perfect directions in the quote above from Volume Two. Go to Him in prayer . . . bring comfort to Our Savior and He will shower you with graces galore!

Thank you, Lord, for the solid foundation You have developed within me through this apostolate. I pray my faith brings Your Precious Heart at least a little comfort!

God bless,
Bonnie

Anne's First Thursday Talk in Ireland

Direction for Our Times would like to remind you that today is our First Thursday Prayer Group in Bailieborough, Ireland.

 

We are hoping you may join us for Anne's talk and our monthly prayer group  by tuning in to the parish camera at 8pm GMT or 3pm Eastern Standard Time. 

 

For those of you not able to see the event live on the parish camera, we will also have the talk recorded and sent out next week!

 

You may watch the First Thursday Prayer Group here

or may join us in person at:

 

St. Anne's Catholic Church

Virginia Road

Bailieborough

Co. Cavan

Ireland

 

Time: 8pm - 9pm

 

If you are in the Justice, IL area, please consider joining us live at

 

Rosary Hill Convent

Activities Room

9000 West 81st Street

Justice, Il

USA

60458

 

Time: 6:30-7:30 Central Time

(Adoration available 5:30-6:30)

 

 

Looking for a prayer group near you? Please click (here) or contact our offices to register your own.

 

 

 

>>>>>FOR LIVESTREAM CAMERA CLICK HERE NOW<<<<<

(note: this camera is a live feed - If you miss the live event, we will have the recorded talk available next week. Blessings!) 

Our Lady Queen of the Church, pray for us. 

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Direction For Our Times relies on donations to supplement the cost of publishing the messages. Currently, only 40% of the publishing cost is covered by the sale of the books. Thank you for your prayerful consideration. 

 

Direction for Our Times (DFOT) is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to spreading God's messages as revealed in the Volumes.

Hungry For Healing

Todays guest blogger: Annie . . . a young woman with tremendous wisdom!

Final exams are looming close on my horizons, but I can’t quite see the horizon through the mists of papers and presentations and projects that are due before that. Is this the busiest time of year or what? Especially for us poor college students, who are just trying to enjoy Christmas without panic attacks over what assignment we’re behind on or how we’re going to balance work hours with classes, test preparation, and having some semblance of a social life. Sometimes I can really identify with the struggle of the lame, blind, deformed and mute people referenced in today’s Gospel passage. (All because of some school work. Can you tell I don’t handle stress well?) But don’t we all have those wild-eyed bouts of anxiety when we feel overburdened by the stresses presented to us in our daily lives? It’s easy to get caught up in the pressures of your environment and fret about collapsing under the weight of it all, especially when those pressures are suddenly increased and seem like more than you can possibly handle, especially by yourself.
Today’s Gospel (Matthew 15:29-37)reassures us that God is taking care of our needs. Whether we are hungry for loaves and fishes or hungry for healing, God has the cure, and distributes it as generously and freely as our medical system does not:

At that time: Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there.  Great crowds came to him,having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others.   They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.  The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made whole,  the lame walking,  and the blind able to see, and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.  I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way.” The disciples said to him, “Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?”  Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”  “Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.”  He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.  Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.  They all ate and were satisfied.  They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.

We are all hungry for something. Every single one of us has a longing for something we lack, be it material comfort, physical health, spiritual cravings, whatever. The good news is we have access to unlimited graces from heaven that can satisfy every one of our hunger pangs; seven extra basket’s worth, for the love of God. The less good news is that we frequently disregard this and try to attain goals by ourselves, forgetting the wealth of favors God will grant us if we simply ask for them. For instance, I’ve noticed that I am tempted to neglect prayer in times of tension in favor of frantically racing around trying to get my assignments in. But if I take the time to pray first, I can calmly accomplish all I need to and perform better on each task besides. The more faith and time we give to God, the more peace and productivity and fish He will give to us. God the Father reminds us in Volume Three that even when we are hungry, we are precious to Him, and that He will provide for us as long as we ask Him to:

“…every soul was created to serve in My Kingdom. Each has glorious qualities that will flourish when they follow Me. Souls think they have little to offer. That is because they are not doing My will, but their own. When they ask Me for guidance, they will get it. I will guide the soul to their rightful role in My Kingdom and their gifts will explode into development under My watchful and guiding eye. Souls feel undernourished spiritually. They are actually starving, My little one, and that is because they do not come to Me for nourishment. They seek worldly nourishment which leaves them terribly unwell because they think they should be fed and wonder why the hunger pangs continue. They hunger for Me. Well, as I have been from the beginning of time, I am here. I am here, dear little children. Your God loves you with a love that will set you to sobbing in joy. Do not fear Me. You need only fear Me if you are My enemy. If you are My enemy, you will lose everything. Do not be My enemy. You were created to be My friend and to have everything that I have to offer. In the days to come, We will discuss what it is I offer you, My children. Your inheritance is too glorious to deal with in a few page . . . this work is My Christmas gift to your world. You see that your God participates in all on earth.
In this season of giving, I also give. Be at peace now, little souls of the world. I am here.”

Can I just say how impressed I am with God’s organizational skills that He knew I would be writing this around Christmas time? How awesome is that?! Maybe you’re scoffing and thinking, I’ve never experienced this healing and feeding thing and God hasn’t done anything special for me and I don’t even LIKE fish. If that’s the case – and believe me, I say this without judgement because I’ve had ALL of those thoughts – I dare you to ask God to help you trust Him in prayer. After that, I dare you to make a decision to trust God, and see if it doesn’t pay off.

Jesus the King, Volume Four:“ . . . souls who hunger for God will feel My presence and give thanks. So do not curse hardship. Do not blame God for the pains and sorrows in this world. It is through your acceptance of these things that you will find your soul illuminated with the light of the next world.”

God bless,
Annie

Accentuate the Positive

Negativity abounds every time I turn the TV on. It's one of the reasons I rarely watch the news. Now if I were the owner of a television station with news telecasts, here is what I would make mandatory: for every negative piece of news, there was positive to offset it. Think about how that could effect people. Or better yet, MORE positive than negative? There are countless compassionate people making this world a better place, striving to bring hope when hope can be hard to find. There is a song by the beloved Ella Fitzgerald called "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive" which sums up what we as Christians should be showing the world. Here are some of the lyrics, followed by a YouTube video of Ella singing this uplifting song:

Gather 'round me, everybody

Gather 'round me, while I preach some

Feel a sermon coming on here

The topic will be sin and that's what I'm again

If you wanna hear my story

Then settle back and just sit tight

While I start reviewing

The attitude of doing right

You've got to accentuate the positive

Eliminate the negative

Latch on to the affirmative

Don't mess with mister in between

You got to spread joy up to the maximum

Bring gloom down to the minimum

Have faith, or pandemonium

Liable to walk upon the scene

To illustrate my last remark

Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark

What did they do, just when everything looked so dark?

Man, they said, we better

Todays Gospel (Luke 10:21-24) reminds us of the graces given to followers of Christ:

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 
For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

In Anne a lay apostle's book Whispers From the Cross, she directs us to focus on the positive:

"If the world is facing a difficult time, and it seems that we are, then we will need to work very hard to understand God’s power and stop talking about darkness. Is the darkness there? Of course. Only a spiritually blind man would deny this. But we sometimes add to the darkness instead of holding up the light. We can be guilty of doing this by talking incessantly of the darkness with dire threats of impending doom. In most cases, we are speculating. Perhaps we should speculate on how God can rescue us and posit those theories instead of hypothesizing how the enemy will play with us next. Perhaps we will speculate on how the Church will lead us with strength and courage instead of how we will be overcome. Perhaps we could try an exercise and guess how good men will become great men through challenges instead of guessing how men of apparent lesser good will become evil through temptation. May the Lord have mercy on us for being so pessimistic about God’s world and may the Lord enlighten us as to how we bring unity to God’s Church and not division. If we identify that unity is desirable, and indeed necessary for the advancement of the renewal, then we will make a decision to participate in the acquisition of this unity. Jesus loves us so much. He has such tremendous hope placed in each one of us and in each one of the roles we have been assigned."

Lay apostles, what are you focused on today? Life is full of disappointments if you continue to dwell on them. So, let's accentuate the positive . . . stepping away from all the negativity and opening our eyes to the beauty and graces provided by Our Father in heaven. At the least, with every negative thought, quickly think of a positive one to offset it! I'll be working on that right along with you!

Thank you, Lord, for shaking the negative out of my head with Your beautiful words in the Gospel and in Anne's books. Continue to remind me to focus on the positive!

God bless,
Bonnie

December Monthly Message

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We continue our cycle of monthly messages for 2014 with the message from December 1, 2006 for our prayer groups and personal reflection. 

December 1, 2006 (2014)

Jesus

I speak with determination today. I look at My lay apostles, serving so diligently to prepare others for My return, and I am consoled. My heart sighs with the rejection of some but also lifts in hope at the acceptance of so many. Little apostles, you are pleasing to Me. You are laboring for heaven and you are teamed with heaven. Together, we are bringing hope to those who were formerly without hope. This is the way for you, the path to holiness. I direct you in everything and you proceed along this path that I have marked out for you. All is well in your case. I want to explain to you why I speak with determination today. I am determined to push out further into the world. I desire that everyone have the light of heaven. I want confidence for all and comfort for anyone suffering. I send a great rush of grace for conversions at this time. This is a time for hearts to change. Because I desire this, a great many conversions, I am supplying all that is necessary to achieve this goal. You will find, My apostles, that many will be drawn to the truth of your mission. Accept this with profound humility. Show the world how small you are and they will see how great I am. This is the way to win souls for the Father. I am so pleased when an apostle accepts slights and insults with peace. I am pleased by this because it shows Me that you are truly accepting the call to imitate Me. It also shows Me that arrogance is receding and humility is spreading. Oh, what joy this gives to the infant in the manger. Accepting insults in humility is a most favorable gift for the King. Truly, I look at these offerings and I rejoice. When I rejoice, graces flow unhindered and unencumbered, bathing the whole world. Never underestimate the power of you, the humble apostle, joined to Me, the determined God. Together, we are changing the world.

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Direction For Our Times relies on donations to supplement the cost of publishing the messages. Currently, only 40% of the publishing cost is covered by the sale of the books. Thank you for your prayerful consideration. 

 

Direction for Our Times (DFOT) is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to spreading God's messages as revealed in the Volumes.

Strive to Amaze Jesus!

A blog post from a few months ago drew many readers wanting to know more about a gentleman named Shane Jeremy James and his movement to make this world a better place . . . Actions of Compassion (AOC). Jay and I are part of this movement to encourage others to spread love and kindness . . . exactly what Jesus asks of His lay apostles. There is a small private Facebook group for "Empowering Messengers" Shane has gathered to lead the movement. We are asked to post any AOCs we do on a daily basis, whether they are on a grand scale (for example,feeding the homeless) or on a small scale (complimenting a server at breakfast). Shane motivates us to do at least one AOC every day . . . what it takes to change behavior. Now, I actively look for circumstances where I can help or provide an uplifting word or smile instead of being focused on the task at hand. My goal is striving to amaze Jesus as the centurion does in todays Gospel (Matthew 8:5-11). What can you do today to shine the Light of Christ to another?

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”  He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”  The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”

In Volume One, Jesus tells us He has plans to AMAZE US!

"Children, dear children, I need leaders now. I need every single one of you to turn your faces to heaven and agree to serve Me with your whole lives. The plan I have for you will amaze you. Be docile and let Jesus direct. Through this will come happiness and relief to so many. This will happen, My children. The darkness has lost its time now and I will have the world My way. You must see that this happens in your corner. Are you ready to walk with Me? I call you, My child. Waste no more time. Respond to Me now."

Lay apostles, let's do one thing today to show compassion to our brothers and sisters on this earth. Be it small or grand, do it without hesitation and without expectations of something in return. Let your goal today be to amaze our dear Savior!

Thank you, Lord, for putting Shane in our path and the AOC movement enhancing our lives and this mission. 

God bless,
Bonnie

Advent 2014 - Are You Paying Attention?

How prepared are you to meet your Maker? Are you scared? Fearful of dying? Feel unworthy at this point in your life? Or, complacent because you have plenty of time left to pay attention to the Word of God? Well, my friends . . . today could be our last day on this earth. And there is no better time to begin preparing than now. 

Sundays Gospel (Mark 13:13-37) . . . straight from the Lips of Our Savior:

Jesus said to his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

In Volume Five, Jesus asks us to be accountable:

"There are many who claim to be My followers. Some follow My lead, but others do not. They follow their own will, but do so behind a guise of obedience. The reason this obedience is a guise and not a genuine obedience is because they have rejected My Church in that they feel they have a greater wisdom than the soul whom I chose to represent Me. Children of God, you are accountable."

Lay apostles, some may be asking, "Where and how do I start preparing?" For some, it will be watching a spiritual movie such as "Heaven is for Real." For others who are ready to take the next step, begin reading Volume One (free for download here) or any one of the Volumes or Heaven Speaks booklets at this link. What about spending a little time in Adoration? Attending daily Mass? Whatever you do, do something. Be prepared by paying attention!

Thank you, Lord, for giving me Your Words in the Gospel and in the Volumes. I am still a work in progress, but so much more prepared today than yesterday!

God bless,
Bonnie

Handed Over to Heaven in Hatred

Guest blogger: the beautiful inside and out Annie, Ave Maria University senior:

It isn’t easy to be the only person on your own side. It isn’t easy to stand up and dissent from the prevailing mentality, especially when that mentality is the popular one and yours is very much not. Don’t we all know about this from living in the battlefield that modern society presents to Christians? Especially for our younger generation, it can be a serious challenge to rebel against the status quo of our peers. Unless you live in some kind of compound, the odds are good that you know and have interacted with many members of different faiths or of no faith at all. If you have been lucky enough never to have been attacked verbally by one of these people, you are not in the majority of Christians. Once when I was away at summer camp as a teenager, an atheistic and pro-choice friend of mine began to speak mockingly and hatefully about the archaic and oppressive religious practise of not killing children before they are born. (The first half are her words, the second half are mine.) Not then practised in the fine art of delicate navigation through the waters of controversial matters, I saw her scorn and raised her my passionate opposition, until we basically had a shouting match in the middle of the common area. The fight got personal and ugly and she ended up painting with a very unflattering brush. That was not the last time I engaged in an argument regarding Church matters, but the experience was so offensive to me personally that there have been many, many times since where I have quietly sat back and said nothing, knowing that to do so would mean not only ridicule but serious persecution from my friends.

Today’s Gospel (Luke 21:1-19) reassures us that yes, we will indeed receive hostility and hatred when we enter the army of Christ, but also that we will be protected and rewarded for bearing this burden far beyond what we realize:

Jesus said to the crowd: “They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

To me the underlying message of this Gospel is that we must have courage. We must have the courage to speak up, and we must have the courage to stay calm and with Christ in our conflicts. I have failed to have both of these forms of courage in the past, (see above example!) as I’m sure many of you have. One of the things we must remember is that no matter how many people would stand against us, we are never really the only person on our own side. Apart from the huge body of the Church here on earth, we have Christ, and even if He were literally the only one in the world, that would be enough. All we need is conviction and courage – we don’t even have to have our own defense! God does all of the work for us.

In Volume Seven, St. Dymphna tells us that we are not alone in our Christian endeavours and that we need never worry about the contempt of the world:

“Do not be afraid. There is nothing that should make you be afraid. Jesus will care for your needs and you will care for His. Fear is paralyzing many on earth at this time. This brings us back to the need for the heavenly eyes. If you look at your situation and view it as heaven views it, you will understand that there is nothing on the earth that should make you fearful. You will serve for a time and then you will die in your body. This is the way it has always been. This is heaven’s plan. This is not a bad thing but a good thing. Imagine living on earth indefinitely. That would make you sad because it would take away your hope that your time of service will end and your time in heaven will begin. If souls on earth do not think well of you and they ridicule you, well, my friend, that puts you in the greatest company you could find. They did not think well of Jesus. They ridiculed Jesus. They put Him to death. He was the greatest gift of God, the gift of Himself, and they killed Him. Did this make Him any less a King? No. He is the King. So the treatment of the world does not dictate the treatment you will receive in heaven, where the first shall be last. Never fear the opinions of others on earth. Step away from the opinions of others. Confess your sins. Let Jesus fill your soul and you will then reflect Jesus in the world, even in your suffering, or shall I say, especially in your suffering.”

So another way we could look at the whole scenario? Maybe when others burn us, we should even be grateful for the opportunity they give us to persevere for God. After all, when they hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, they are really handing you over to heaven. Let’s keep in mind always what and who we are standing for here on earth, and allow the might of those motives to steady our conviction, strengthen our perseverance, and keep us calm and humble in the face of persecution.

God bless,

Annie