An Awesome Photographer and Drummer!

Just wanted to give a shout out to Greg Erwin, photographer and drummer for the band Saint Motel! He shot the picture I'm using (for the background of my blog) in Italy (they are on tour in Europe right now) and posted to his Facebook page. You can check them out at SaintMotel.com. 

Forgiving Made (a little) Easier

Me? Stubborn? No, it's not stubbornness, it's just strength of mind or will the way I see it. When I feel very passionate about my viewpoint, it's hard to convince me otherwise. But when it's my way or the highway, how does that allow another to have their own viewpoint? I used to see everything as black or white . . . no shades of gray in between. Either you do or you don't. With age comes wisdom (thank GOD!). I can accept opinions in conflict with my own. I may be hurt or upset at first, but the love of Christ always leads me to forgiveness. I never want to disappoint Him. And when I don't forgive, I'm hurting Him. As long as I keep Him in the middle, I can't see anything other than His way. 

In todays Gospel (Matthew 18:21-35), Peter is probably not so thrilled with Jesus' response to his question:

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

In Volume Five, Jesus asks us to accept our suffering to save souls, and that includes forgiving and asking for forgiveness:

"My faithful ones have always suffered in the world, in some way or another. If you understand that this is a time of suffering and that your suffering is redemptive in nature, you will not anguish over the fact that you are suffering. Many of My little ones make their suffering far worse than it has to be by bemoaning that they are suffering at all. Do not say to yourself, “It is unfair and unjust that I suffer.” Say to yourself always, “I will give my suffering to Jesus for the sake of the work He must do to save others.” Say to yourself, “I am sinful in nature, despite my knowledge and belief in God, so any suffering I do is just, because I have sinned.” Now little ones, I have forgiven you everything many times over. Many of you have difficulty understanding the depth of My forgiving nature and you confess the same sin, sometimes several times. You are forgiven and I forget your sins, but I ask you to suffer, not because you are sinful creatures. I ask you to suffer because many of the souls you work and live with every day may choose to go to hell if I do not have this suffering with which to obtain the great torrent of grace necessary to convert them. There is little time. Even given the fact that earthly time and heavenly time differ, there is little time."

Lay apostles, don't waste any more time in anger or bitterness. As Jesus says above, time is running out. Make the change today. And as Peter learned in the Gospel above, forgive and forgive over and over. Forgiving doesn't mean staying in a dangerous situation. It means forgive the offender and move on the best you can. We are all flawed in some way. If we weren't, we wouldn't need God to save us. Reading the above quote from Volume Five, I know He is asking us to choose our path. I choose Him.

Thank you, Lord, for Volume Five. I am more focused. You make forgiving so easy when we focus on You.

God bless,

Bonnie

Lent Day 17 - Turn Rejection Around

*Note: Repost from last year

As a writer, I am used to a little rejection. It's not fun, but I have learned to ignore the negative comments of those who don't agree with what I write. What motivates me to continue writing is the positive feedback (and I don't mind constructive criticism!) I am blessed to receive. After reading a negative comment recently, I received this email from a wonderful gentleman, Al Napleton, President of the Catholic Marketing Network regarding Can You Text Me Directions?:

"Hi Bonnie, I received your book and thank you for it and the kind note. I like the way you have woven the YouCat Catechism with Anne's messages all under a chapter on a particular virtue. I think it would be an excellent tool for any young person as it it gives real life examples that are easy relatable to experiences that all young people go through."

We have a choice every day . . . to be happy or sad; positive or negative. We can let rejection affect our day, or, turn rejection around by seeing all the beauty God has to offer us. For every negative comment, I receive 99 positive ones. Little by little, I am erasing the old tapes that were set to replay for so many years in my head. With Christ, anything is possible!

In todays Gospel (Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46), Jesus uses the vineyard owner parable to enlighten the chief priests and elders that He knows of their rejection:

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” They answered him, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.” Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures:

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?

Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them. And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

In Anne a lay apostle's book The Mist of Mercy, Jesus lets us know His Arms are always open and waiting for us:

“I speak to My beloved apostles today from the pain of My wounded heart. I suffer for each soul walking the earth without knowledge of My love. Despite rejection, My love cannot be limited and overflows into the world. Those who do not welcome the love of the Savior continue in loneliness. Those who welcome My love are deluged with it. Dear apostles, I know that you are weary. You do not see the full impact of your service on the Kingdom but please believe that one day you will experience the fruits of your labor. You will exult in each act of service and each act of self-denial because you will see the act attached to all of the graces obtained from it. At that time you will marvel at My generosity. You will also thank Me for obscuring this from you during your time of service because it is through this trust that you gain both merit for your eternity and conversion graces for souls. How many sinners are pulled back into My Sacred Heart through your smallest act of trust and love in the face of scorn and mockery? Dear apostles, you must consider whether or not you yourself were called back to Me through the selfless action of another. It is in this way that we are a family. Each apostle is indebted to others for his progress up the mountain of holiness because the service of each supports and sustains others. How blessed is the plan of God. My gratitude to you will endure forever."

Lay apostles, there is always going to be a critic within earshot. Remember, do everything for His Glory and quite frankly, nothing else matters. Have a wonderful weekend!

Thank you, Lord, for helping me to accept rejection so much easier than I used to take it! And, helping me to focus on You, not the world!

God bless,
Bonnie

Lent Day 15: One-Uppers

We all know a one-upper, don't we? The person who has done everything you have, just bigger, better, faster or smarter. I think we all have experienced it and "one-upped" someone. It was so bad for me one time, I literally wanted to say I had been bitten in half by a shark and they sewed me back together just to see her one up me! But, I restrained myself and let her think she was clearly better. Sometimes, we just need to keep our mouthes shut, right? We are not better than anyone else. One-uppers struggle with low self esteem (whether they admit it or not) and need to feel they are important and worthwhile human beings. All of us have the need to feel we matter. But as Christians, Jesus teaches us to be humble and serve; not proud and arrogant.

In todays Gospel (Matthew 20: 17-28), Jesus gives His disciples a lesson in humility:

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.”

He replied, “My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

In the February 2011 Monthly Message, Jesus clarifies the importance of our uniqueness:

“Truly, I know that there are times when you wonder why I have placed you where I have placed you. I hope, dear apostles, that these times are brief. I hope that you will spend less time wondering why you are serving in a given role and more time wondering how to serve more completely in the role given to you. You see, comparisons to others will never bear fruit. You are unique. The work I have for you is unique and you must beware of the habit of dragging your vocation behind you as though it were something so heavy that it destroyed your joy.”

Sometimes it's hard being a server 24/7. Occasionally, we want to be taken care of. As long as we "take" with a humble and thankful heart, turnaround service is a breeze! Jesus knew His fate, yet He persevered in service to His disciples and the crowds. Let's all perform some sort of service for anyone other than ourselves today. I promise, the Son of Man will be smiling down upon you.

Thank you, Lord, for showing me what true service to others looks like. Please send me the graces to follow in Your footsteps and serve without ceasing.

God bless,
Bonnie

Adult Faith Formation Scheduled in Florida!

Adult Faith Formation Event

Where: St. Augustine, FL 

St. Anastasia Catholic Church 

5205 A1A South, St. Augustine, FL 32080-8006

When: Saturday April 11, 2015 

1:30pm-5:30pm

If you plan to attend, please let us know you are coming.

.

Click HERE to tell us you are coming.

Join us for an afternoon of highlights from Module 1 of the Adult Faith Formation Curriculum.

The afternoon will be led by the DFOT Adult Faith Formation Team from Ireland: Anne, Fr. Darragh Connolly, Emma McDermott and Margaret McGahon, MSC, MIAHIP  

Donations will be welcome on the day to help offset our many costs. 

We are looking for a sponsor who can assist us to offset some of the bigger travel expenses associated with this event. Please contact the office if that person is you. 

The talks will include the following:

Human Development:

• "Do you want to be well"? John 5:6
• Anxiety
• Mature vs. Immature Thinking

Spirituality:

• Our Vertical Relationship with God
• Our personal relationships with each Person of the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
• Although we can judge that an act is in itself is a grave offense, we must entrust justice of persons to the judgement and mercy of God.  CCC 1861  

Lay apostles share their experience of the AFF Weekend Module 1 in Ireland.

Click photo to view video

Have you been blessed through the Volumes? Please help others receive these words by donating a dollar a day. Your donation makes a big difference. 



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

Monthly Message March 2015

We continue our cycle of monthly messages for 2015 with the message from March 1, 2007 for our prayer groups and personal reflection.  

Jesus

My beloved apostles, how hard you are working. How diligently you see to My desires. I am bringing you to holiness, slowly and gently, but certainly. Your course leads you to My heart and in each moment of each day, you are drawn more fully to Me. You may not feel the increase in holiness. You may not notice your progress but be assured that progress is being made. Your holiness blossoms under the prudent and watchful care of the Divine Gardner. You may wish to advance more quickly. You may sigh at the labors necessary for advancing in holiness. I understand both of these things but I tell you today that you should not be discouraged. It is I, Jesus, after all, who contemplates your soul and determines the speed with which you need to progress to arrive at the perfect place at the correct time. If you were to move too quickly, you might miss this mark. If you were to stop laboring, you would not advance as far as I require. Be at peace in the place where you are spiritually and understand that I am ministering to you constantly there. Be also at peace that you must labor for holiness, moving constantly forward in virtue. I am with you. I take your willingness to serve and your willingness to become holier and truly I flow great things into your soul and into the world. I ask that each apostle find quiet during this time, allowing silence to prune the weeds that spring up in each day’s activity. We work together on your soul, as I have said, and I, Jesus, expect that there is work to be done. If I did not expect that your soul needed work, I would say that you had advanced far enough and I would take you to heaven. When you see the condition of your soul and you correctly identify that there is work to be done and projects to undertake, rejoice. Compare your soul to My soul and you will see a glimpse of the completion of this project. You must say, ‘Truly, I trust that Jesus will get me there if I follow Him.’ I will not abandon the project of your holiness. Neither should you. The personal holiness of each apostle is given my greatest attention because each project in the world flows from this project in individual souls. Do you understand? Are you at peace with this? I need you to become holier each day so that I can become more present in the world each day. If you are new to the walk to holiness, rejoice. You are welcome and you will flourish. If you have been walking toward holiness for many years, rejoice. You are valued and you are making progress. Through you, I renew the world. Rejoice. My plan for you and for the world is well underway.

Lent Day 14: It's Hard To Be Humble

Before I begin writing my blog posts for the day, I ponder the daily readings and the Gospel. I close my eyes and ask the Lord to put into my head thoughts He desires me to articulate. Well, this song popped into my head by Mac Davis, It's Hard to be Humble:

Oh Lord it's hard to be humble

when your perfect in every way.

I can't wait to look in the mirror 

cause I get better looking each day.

To know me is to love me

I must be a hell of a man.

Oh Lord it's hard to be humble

but I'm doing the best that I can.

Emoting false humility may entertain some, but the truth is, we need to be humble in order to receive the graces God has intended for us. And as we receive those graces, we are able to remain peaceful in a world constantly changing. Without humility, we block the possibility of receiving those graces and therefore remain restless. 

In todays Gospel (Matthew 23:1-12), Jesus teaches us without humility, we may receive an earthly reward, but it pales in comparison to the reward and graces which come directly from Him:

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

In the July 2007 Monthly Message, steady service in humility is what Jesus asks of us:

"My beloved ones, when you see signs that God has been rejected, you must remain peaceful. I, Jesus, have told you that change is necessary. I, Jesus, have told you that I desire change. I do not abandon you and I do not abandon the world. I have many friends in this world and you are among them. You trust Me, I know. I will honour the trust you have placed in Me. I will bring all things to the good, both in your life and in the world. I, the Blameless One, have never betrayed another and I will not betray you. Think often on the promises I have made to you. I have said I will never leave you. I have said I will protect My interests in your soul. I have said I will pursue conversion of your loved ones. During this time, I want each apostle to consider these promises. Serve Me in steadiness, of course, but also, serve Me in peace. Dear apostles, you are connected to Me. You accept My love. You know that just as I cherish you, I cherish all others. My dear friends, please live these truths because others are looking to you for example. Please. Give an example of joyful trust. I need this from you so that I can draw hurting souls back to Me. I am with you. I will help you to do this."

Lay apostles, it's easy to fall into the traps of the secular world where winning means being number one at all costs. Bigger, faster, stronger, more. God defines winning spiritually as more of Him and less of us. Read the Litany of Humility which I have referred to many times on my blog. In the end it comes down to giving credit where credit is due . . . to God. If we choose Him, we will be filled with joy and peace which can only come from heaven.

Thank you, Lord, for the chances at humility thrown my way. It's hard to be humble, but once understood, life becomes more meaningful.

God bless,

Bonnie

Lent Day Seven: A Flurry of Thoughts

I used to be an insomniac. I had been since my first semester of nursing school many years ago. When I decided to go back to school to pursue a BSN, my youngest daughter was two. My schedule of classes that first semester were College Algebra, Marriage and Family, Communications, and the culprit causing my insomnia, Microbiology. Early in the semester, we were given the task of determining the bacterial species of the organism distributed to each team of two. My partner Brian and I spent hours in the lab using different identification techniques to figure out what the little sucker was. Our professor was one of the toughest in the program, and also one of the most brilliant men I had ever met. Both of us wanted to impress him. As the due date for our project approached, my stress level soared. I remember going to bed one night running all the test results through my head on our dear little bacteria sample. We had it down to two. I tried to fall asleep but gram staining and phenotypic differences kept me drifting in and out. Then, I remember sitting up in the middle of the night yelling "staphylococcus aureus!" Brian had come to the same conclusion I discovered the next day. We proudly handed our brilliant findings to our esteemed professor, feeling we just rocked the Microbiology world! He took our precious research, smiled, stuck it in a pile, and went back to what he was doing. Not exactly the cheering we expected, but a much needed lesson in humility!

It's so easy to become distracted in this world. We have jobs, school and/or families. We have the internet, iPhones, TV, and every other form of entertainment at our beck and call. Don't you wish there was a switch you could flip to turn off the world and focus solely on Jesus? The closest I have found to flipping a switch is going to Adoration and praying the Rosary. Indeed, I still find myself drifting at times to worldly thoughts, but I get back on track faster when immersed in Him and His Life on earth. 

After reading todays Gospel (Matthew 6:7-15), Jesus teaches us it's quality, not quantity when praying:

Jesus said to his disciples: "In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

This is how you are to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy Kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."

In Volume Two, Jesus asks us to rely on Him when having a flurry of thoughts:

“It is not in My nature to confuse, so you must believe that confusion does not come from Me. Fear, anxiety, restlessness do not come from Me. Bitterness, hatred, deceit do not come from Me. Does that mean you will never experience these things? No. It is part of your earthly cross that you will encounter these things. What I am telling you is that you must bring these things to Me. I will then take them from you and you will be free of them. You may encounter these things again, perhaps within the hour. Come back to Me, in your heart, where I remain, and I will take them from you again. You see, My little dear one, your struggles are Mine now. I am stronger, wiser, more able for these things and I want to remove any negative thoughts from you. I seek to heal you and renew you. I can do this if you will let Me. I do not make this promise for now, this moment. I make this a lifetime pledge to you. When you experience a difficulty with your emotions, you bring it right to Me. And that’s where it will end.”

Do you struggle with prayer? If you do, just pray the Our Father. As you grow into a closer relationship with Christ, prayer becomes as easy as talking to your best friend.

Thank you, Lord, for showing me that reliance on You for everything eases my mind of useless anxiety and distractions.


God bless,
Bonnie

Lent Day Six - Our Heavenly Inheritance

This year will be the 8th anniversary of my mother's death. Hard to believe the time has flown by so quickly. My mother suffered many tragedies as a child, inducing a lifetime of mental illness. But there was one thing she was very clear on . . . her inheritance in heaven. She would always say considering she was an orphan and a widow (after my father died), she surely would have the greatest riches in heaven. I remember thinking she might be spending a bit of time in purgatory before seeing those riches, but nevertheless, I knew she was right. So many look for their inheritance here on earth . . . thinking more money in their bank account means a better life. I've seen and heard about families feuding over an item left behind . . . coveting a material object instead of comforting each other for their loss of a loved one. It's time to let go of material things and start focusing on our heavenly inheritance. I will leave you with this quote from the movie Bella. The main female lead, Nina, says "I've done the research and ten out of ten people die." We are all heading in the same direction toward eternal life . . . we only have this one chance to do it right. The time to start is now.

Todays Gospel (Matthew 25:31-46) couldn't be any clearer, and make my choice any easier . . . I want to be on the right side:

Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

In the Monthly Message from January 2006, Jesus calls us to accept the Truth and our inheritance:

"Dear friends of the Saviour, together We are changing your world. When souls feel fear, We will bring calm. When souls feel anger, We will bring forgiveness. When souls feel abandoned, We will bring love. When souls feel great grief, We will bring comfort. And when souls see death, We will bring them to an acceptance of heaven so that they understand eternal life. Many in the world today do not understand their inheritance. This creates a fear of death that prevents souls from living fully. If a soul accepts the Truth about eternity, that soul works for Me because the soul knows that glory only lasts if it is obtained for heaven. The glory of heaven is love and is obtained by how much one loved on earth. Souls will be disappointed when they look back on their life if their life was lived in selfishness and if their purpose in life was to obtain worldly goods. This will be a disappointment for them, for Me, and for their families if their families were led astray by this flawed vision of the purpose of life. If you realign the purpose in your life, I will then help to realign the purpose for each member of your family. This is My promise to you. Make Me, Jesus Christ, the purpose of your life, and I will work through you to claim the world."

Lay apostles, we can learn so much from the Gospels! Listen to Jesus. Believe His words. Add the messages in the Volumes and all of Anne a lay apostle's books. The combination will open your eyes to a world you never imagined.

Thank you, Lord, for making clear in the Gospel today what we all need to do for our treasures in heaven. And thank you for sending the messages through Anne to assist where we don't understand.

God bless,
Bonnie

New Videos of Anne Speaking on God the Father

So very inspirational . . .



See new videos below of Anne speaking on God the Father




To Purchase Volume 3 Audio CD click here.

Part One: God the Father Speaks to His Children

Part Two: The Blessed Mother Speaks to Her Bishops and Priests.

Two new videos of Anne speaking about our relationship with God the Father

Click each photo to view the video


Video # 5




Video #6

Have you been blessed through the Volumes? Please help others receive these words by donating a dollar a day. Your donation makes a big difference.

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

What's the Point of Fasting?

Today is the first Friday of Lent. You will see in both the first reading and the Gospel, God is giving us powerful messages to aid in our conversion. After reading them, my mind drifted to a time when I was a little girl at Christmastime. My little sister and I, when our parents would leave the house (we had two older sisters at home), sneaked into Mom and Dad's room to count the number of Christmas presents bearing our names, hidden in their closet. The first time we did this, I remember boasting my number excitedly. Then came my sister's number . . . it was two more than mine! She, in little sister style, did her happy dance. And boisterously taunted she had two more than me with her "ha ha ha-ha ha" added for effect. I was so mad! How come she got two more than me? I painfully wondered. It's not fair! I think that was the year I said something to my mother about it. Every Christmas thereafter, the numbers were equal and presents were strategically stored on the upper shelf of their closet (although, unbeknownst to them, we would bring a stool or chair in to peek!). Just as my sister and I should have been thankful our parents could afford and wanted to give us gifts, we should be grateful God, in Sacred Scripture, gives us clear guidance in what He expects of His Children.

In todays first reading (Isaiah 58:1-9A), God defines, through the prophet Isaiah, what true fasting looks like (and doesn't look like):

Thus says the Lord GOD: Cry out full-throated and unsparingly, lift up your voice like a trumpet blast; Tell my people their wickedness, and the house of Jacob their sins. They seek me day after day, and desire to know my ways, Like a nation that has done what is just and not abandoned the law of their God; They ask me to declare what is due them, pleased to gain access to God. “Why do we fast, and you do not see it? afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?”

Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits, and drive all your laborers. Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting, striking with wicked claw. Would that today you might fast so as to make your voice heard on high! Is this the manner of fasting I wish, of keeping a day of penance: That a man bow his head like a reed and lie in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!

Todays Gospel (Matthew 9:14-15) reminds us to keep our fasting to ourselves, and not compare it to another's:

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

In Volume Seven, St. Philomena has wonderful advice during our Lenten fasting:

"Do not fear bodily hardships because these things are fleeting. Be in the habit of denying your body a little every day. Again, this is practice. When you deny yourself, perhaps in fasting, you have not said, 'I will never eat again.' You have said, 'I will not eat for now. I will eat later.' It is the same. If you are in a position where your body is being denied something, simply tell yourself that you are being denied at the moment but not forever. You will pray and give thanks to God whatever the circumstances and souls will be saved in great numbers from your prayers of acceptance. There will be the greatest graces available so I do not fear for you because when you experience these times you will have exactly the graces you require. Jesus is so good and He loves us so much! Concentrate on this, my dear friends, and you will not nourish useless fears."

Lay apostles, were you aware of what God wishes us to do in regard to fasting? I know I've read this passage many times before, but reading it today it has new meaning. Doing without food opens us to surrender our own wants and needs to God, heightening our awareness of how much we need Him. But how we use that awareness is what counts. What good works can you do today? If you need some help figuring that out, just reread Isaiah above. The Lord is very clear.

Thank you, Lord, for this time of fasting during Lent. Please give me the strength to adhere to food fasting so I am open and aware of the fasting You truly desire.

God bless,
Bonnie

DFOT Adult Faith Formation FULL!

Jay and I are so excited to begin the Adult Faith Formation weekend in Ireland tomorrow!  Have a blessed weekend!



"Becoming Thoughtful Men and Women of God"

Both Adult Faith Formation Weekends in Justice IL and Cavan, Ireland are full and overbooked. We are happy to see so many lay apostles excited about the teachings! And while we hate to turn people away, we have to bow to the logistical realities of our sites. Soon, we will have the AFF Module 1 produced in a DVD set so that anyone can participate anywhere. Please pray for this project.



Because of the demand, we are considering an AFF in the Orlando/St. Augustine/Jacksonville, Florida area on Divine Mercy Weekend. If anyone can help to make this a reality, contact Father Darragh who is working with our lay apostles there. frdarraghdfot@gmail.com



Angels from heaven direct our path...


Have you been blessed through the Volumes? Please help others receive these words by donating a dollar a day. Your donation makes a big difference.



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

Pious on the Outside

Collecting testimonies for my first book Heavenly Healing sometimes consisted of two to three hour telephone conversations. Each lay apostle graciously opened their lives to a total stranger. I cried with some, laughed with some. It was such an honor to speak with others who were touched by the apostolate. The Gospel today (Mark 7:1-13) reminded me of one of those three hour conversations. I knew it was going to be a long call when within the first 5 minutes she said she was bipolar. Just like my mother (dx as bipolar), this woman loved to talk. One of the comments she made was before she began reading the Volumes, she would walk into her church looking very pious on the outside. But on the inside, everything was scrambled. She thought if she appeared a certain way, no one would know about her mental illness. No one would judge her. She actually convinced herself she was a much better Catholic than all the others because she carried a Rosary in her hand. Life in the privacy of her own home was chaotic. Reading the Volumes made her realize He loves us all, no matter what we suffer from. We are human. She learned, to the best of her ability, to make the inside match the outside. And, avoid judging others who appeared unholy. Accepting our flaws and weaknesses is a harsh reality. The kicker is to understand God accepts us, warts and all. The first step is to stop worrying about what others think!

Today, Jesus asks us to stay focused and release our human tendencies of disobedience:

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.) So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:

This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.

You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and Whoever curses father or mother shall die. Yet you say, ‘If someone says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is qorban”’ (meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.”

In the booklet Heaven Speaks to Consecrated Souls, St. Dominic boldly describes how disobedience begins when we don't want to obey Christ:

"My dearest beloved friends, one of the ways that darkness is being spread is through the promotion of healing powers that do not originate with Christ. These powers, limited of course, originate with the enemy of Christ. Jesus is sending unlimited graces for spiritual healing and conversion. He is sending great peace to those who come to Him and to those for whom you intercede during this period. I am asking you to speak out against powers that are not from heaven. The enemy would like to make the world think we live in a new age but as I have said, we live not in a new age but an Age of Disobedience. Souls do not seek Jesus because if they seek Jesus they will have to obey. If you are looking to avoid service, you do not seek the One who requires your service. Do you understand? Let us take the example of a fortune teller. Why does a soul seek to have his fortune told? The holy path leads to trusting Jesus with the future and relying on His providence. The exercise of such patience and trust builds sanctity and unity with heaven. In this time, though, the enemy lures souls to disobedience by saying that such things as fortune telling are simply amusing and harmless. I assure you, we in heaven are appalled and saddened, not only by such widespread acceptance of these sinful practices, but by the failure of many of God’s servants to speak out strongly against them. If you are walking with Jesus in the way in which you are called to walk with Jesus, you will not miss an opportunity to correct those in error. Always identify the source of the alleged power. If it is not Jesus, it is not from heaven and it is not acceptable for God’s children."

Lay apostles, I have been there before. Living a life which looks happy and carefree on the outside when I felt trapped on the inside. So how did I finally escape the secrets? I began by going to Confession the day I first saw Anne a lay apostle speak. Then, by slowly detaching from those judging me. Then, by realizing as long as I am making Jesus smile, all the others didn't matter. And finally, by speaking about what was hidden from my past to others . . . one on one, in a group, on this blog, at work. The freedom derived from being an open book is nothing other than miraculous.

Thank you, Lord, for protecting me as my true self is being revealed. And, for showing me those who truly love me don't care about my mistakes.

God bless,
Bonnie

A Healing Touch

Blog post from 2013 on todays Gospel:

My niece Hayley's cheer team (from Colorado) made it to nationals this year. Jay and I attended her competition over the past weekend in Orlando at MGM Studios. Jay said he had never seen so much estrogen in one place! When the time came for Hayley's team to compete, we were second row to cheer them on. They did a great job with about 40 teams in total competing. At 9:30pm the teams chosen to compete in the finals were announced . . . my niece's team not being one of them. There had to be over a thousand cheerleaders spread out across the "Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular" arena floor. Two-thirds were bawling and the other third screaming with excitement. When my sister approached her teary-eyed daughter, Hayley melted into her arms and sobbed. There is nothing like the healing touch of a mother sometimes, right? I tried to console her the best an aunt could when I gave her a big hug and whispered in her ear how proud I was of her making nationals. She weakly smiled and said thanks. Then Jay gave her a big hug, whispering something too. After we left, discussing the "agony of defeat," we discovered we said exactly the same thing, verbatim, to her. We just smiled and continued talking about all the blessings of the day as we made our way to the tram which would carry us to our car. 

 My niece (center looking at camera) in a sea of cheerleaders!

How cool is that over Disney?

 Waiting for the Beauty and the Beast show to start!

In the Gospel (Mark 6:53-56) from 11Feb2013, all it took was faith to be healed by Jesus:

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

In the Monthly Message of December 2011, Jesus shows us we all have the capability of a healing touch:

"I am hoping that you allow Me to bring you healing, daily. I am hoping that through you I can love and heal others whom you will encounter in your daily experience. I bring you so many gifts of knowing Me, both directly and indirectly. Sometimes, I bring these gifts directly into your soul. Sometimes I send these gifts to you through the soul of another. I am saying that sometimes you will be the recipient of My gifts and sometimes you will be the one delivering My gifts. We are so united, you and I. We are together now and when you are finished on earth you will understand how closely I worked with you. You will be so happy when you understand the extent to which I blessed others through you."

Lay apostles, think back on a time you received comfort.  Maybe it was a kind gesture from a stranger. Or encouragement when you felt defeated. And, think about a time you comforted someone. It felt good, right? Each of us has the ability to heal others. There are so many opportunities every second of every day. Take the time to provide a healing touch today.  We might not cure what ails them, but we must believe we can make a difference. After all, Christ lives within us. Listen to His promptings.

Thank you, Lord, for the ability to heal others with an embrace, a kiss or a kind word. Help me to be alert to those in need, not focusing on myself.

God bless,
Bonnie

Believing . . . Not Always So Easy

I want to sit here and tell you I trust God completely in everything . . . that I don't worry about a thing. But the truth is, at times, believing is not always so easy. When I become apprehensive about any given situation, my first thought is how to prepare myself for possible devastation . . . not "ok God, I'm giving You this one!" So what does that mean? Well, lay apostles, it means I am only human and a work in progress. The art of going to Him first takes practice. It's called blind faith, right? Resting in His merciful arms, knowing He planned my life before I was even born is a calming thought. (“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5) It helps to regain peace in my constantly overactive brain. There is a song by a group named Building 429 called "I Believe." I think this first verse sums it all up for me:
  

Walk blindly to the light 

and reach out for His hand 

Don’t ask any questions 

and don’t try to understand 

Open up your mind 

and then open up your heart 

You will see that you 

and me aren't very far apart 

Todays Gospel (Mark 6:1-6) reminded me to never forget what I claim to believe . . . He is my Savior:

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished.  They said, “Where did this man get all this?  What kind of wisdom has been given him?  What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?”  And they took offense at him.  Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.”  So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

In Anne a lay apostle's book The Mist of Mercy, she describes so perfectly the difference between saying you believe in Christ and actually living your life for Him:

"Jesus began to talk about souls. He said that purgatory prompts and completes the process of self-acceptance. Jesus explained this. Some souls understand that Jesus exists. They believe in God. They do not live this belief, however, and they do not make decisions based on their belief. They do not serve. Some souls understand that Jesus exists. They believe in God. They make many decisions based on this belief and live good lives. They serve partially. Some souls understand that Jesus exists. They believe in God. They live this belief and make most or all of their decisions based on this belief. These souls are saints. They serve in near totality. It is a challenge for a person to conform his life to something he has not seen but therein lay the merit of our earthly service. We do not see this heavenly Kingdom. We do not see the saints who have gone before us. We cannot touch the stones or trees or water in heaven. We are, however, given great grace in our souls with which to understand and believe the truths of God. The Sacraments provide treasures of grace to strengthen our understanding of God. Souls who live for the world deny these truths. They do not wish to believe because they do not wish to serve God. They desire their own will. When these souls die, they have to come to terms with the fact that they knew God existed and chose against Him on some occasions. They have to admit and acknowledge that they knew of God’s existence because this is the land of truth and there is no bantering or word play. The truth is plain to see here. On earth souls try to tie each other up in knots with clever arguments designed to distract from the truth. This will not work in the heavenly Kingdom. We will be able to relax there and there will be no need to be clever in that respect. This will be a relief because one gets tired of having to constantly expose the enemy’s distortions and traps."  

Lay apostles, no one ever said this life would be without suffering. If Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God suffered . . . well, we have nothing to complain about. When anxiety, fear, pain or suffering cause us to go into "protect ourselves" mode, remember, He has your back. No matter what. So, believe the words of the Gospel to be true. Let's not let Him be amazed at our lack of faith!

Thank you, Lord, for the trials and tribulations of this life. Help me to turn to You first and foremost for comfort and healing.

God bless,

Bonnie

Do Not Be Afraid; Just Have Faith

As a child, I was afraid of what could be lurking under my bed when the lights went out at night. It began when my oldest sister got married (I was 8 years old). All of the sudden, I found myself in my own room, sans my little sister. Every night after hitting the light switch, I would make an Olympic-worthy leap into my bed, pull the covers up to my chin, then tuck the sheets around the sides of my body. I was fully protected from anything reaching up from under my bed to grab at me during the night. One night my father observed my impressive long jump and tuck. After complimenting me on my stupendous athletic ability, he asked why I was tucked in so tight. Hesitantly, I told him about the potential scary things under my bed. Then he laughingly told me that no one or no thing could get past him to hurt me. I could stop worrying because he would protect me no matter what.  My dad was big and strong . . . and he assured me he could wrestle any hairy-armed beast who even tried to get in my room if there even was such a thing. I remember feeling so much better. I trusted him and knew he loved me. I'm sure once in a while things scared me in the dark, but I knew if I screamed loud enough, I would be saved!

Todays Gospel (Mark 5:21-43) shows that genuine belief in Jesus can heal any difficulty we may face:

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.” He went off with him and a large crowd followed him.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said,“If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” But his disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, Who touched me?” And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?”  Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,”  which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.

In Volume One, Anne a lay apostle describes how despite any ordeal, solace can always be obtained by complete reliance on Christ:

"I love Jesus and during the most difficult times of Lent feel a nearly physical sense of realigning my will to His, despite the most horrid spiritual afflictions and angst. There is nothing else for me anymore. The world holds little solace. Often there is no comfort to be found anymore on this earth. No person can console me. Nothing. No food, no comfort. I am alone in a crowd, even of like-minded souls. It’s dreadful to experience but the fruit is a spiritual leading with your chin kind of feeling or stepping out into the darkness with faith. It does toughen you and I can see that now. I hate it, make no mistake. The people around me must benefit, though, from this proximity of mine to Christ. I am afraid that through the suffering I will be unable to complete my duties at times. But no, He gives me that. He sees to the details in the most remarkable of ways. I cannot fault Him, and as I say, there is nothing else but Him. I rely on Him for everything."

Lay apostles, what are you scared of? Are you hesitant to completely rely on Jesus because His answer might not be what you want to hear? Or, His path for you may take you out of your comfort zone? Ok, I am going to be blunt . . . stop being scared of the hairy-armed monsters under your bed!!! First of all, they only exist in our mind because of our lack of trust in Jesus (I am being hypothetical here . . . I sure pray there are no such things!). Second, listen and believe in what He tells us in the Bible and the Volumes.  He is ALWAYS by our side to protect us. That doesn't mean we won't get hurt at times, or that terrible things won't happen to us. The beauty of faith in Christ is the healing we receive because of it, as the woman in the Gospel demonstrates. The time is now. Believe!

Thank you, Lord, for teaching me that I become afraid when I'm not trusting You fully. 

God bless,
Bonnie

Volume Three Audio CD Now Available

To Purchase Volume 3 click here.

Part One: God the Father Speaks to His Children

Part Two: The Blessed Mother Speaks to Her Bishops and Priests.

Anne speaks about Volume Three and our relationship with God the Father 

Click each photo to view the video

Video # 1

Video #2 

Have you been blessed through the Volumes? Please help others receive these words by donating a dollar a day. Your donation makes a big difference. 

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