Medicine for Salvation

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"Let us understand that God is a physician, and that suffering is a medicine for salvation, not a punishment for damnation."
St. Augustine

One of my customers said "with all you are going through, I don't see how you can believe in God"

"Truth doesn't change with situations, truth is truth, 4+4=8 regardless if I have cancer or win the lottery, so the same God is God"

Than I asked " if yer son needed an injection to save his life,but hated needles, wouldn't you still let the doctor give him the shot and worry about the tears later?"

"of course"

"Well, looking at my situation through the eyes of eternity I see that this evil terrible thing I am going through will be thought of as nothing but a pinprick if I even remember it once I am there"

Sadly, as most people are want to when faced with reason, she than changed the subject to religion and suicide bombers, to which I said my usual retort

"Writing off all religion because of the evil actions from one is as silly as writing off all of science because of Hiroshima"
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Rejoice in My Sufferings . . . .

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"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,
and in my flesh I am filling up
what is lacking 
in the afflictions of Christ
on behalf of his body, 
which is the Church"

I am so thankful for the teaching on redemptive suffering - that what I am going through - what I soon will be going through - can be used for His glory and for His children - that suffering offered up has purpose - I thank and praise God for this!

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Perhaps a Miracle

Cancer Sucks!, but I am thankful that my faith, and the Author of my faith, will walk each step with me. I know that I neither need or deserve a miracle (the Lord has my heart either way), but if one were to happen it would be my hope that it could be attributed to someone worthy of canonization, in particular Dorothy Day.

So I ask all my friends, in humility, to daily ask this holy woman to pray for me, thanks and God bless!
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Casa Monk for the Summer

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Subletting my house for the Summer while I go through radiation and Chemo, if anyone knows someone visiting the area, or that might need a temporary place while looking for a long term home.
*pics in ad

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/sub/6192684800.html

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File Under : Yep, He's from Bawlmer

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Hopkins Doc. : You are also going to need a speech therapist
Me: So, I will have trouble talking?
Hopkins Doc: Maybe a little at first
Me: Will I be able to sing in the choir
Hopkins Doc: If all works as it should, of course
Me: that's great, cause they never let me sing before (O:
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File Under : a lil' perspective.

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While waiting in line at the Oncologist at Hopkins today there was a young boy in front of me
. . . A boy of about 12 or 13
. . . a young boy with Downs, with leg braces, with cancer
. . .he also had a wonderful smile
. . . So how dare I not smile as well.
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He has known all our suffering

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Pet/Scan next week and meet with Oncologist at Johns Hopkins.
Sickness, suffering, death, whatever
. . . I am blessed to serve the God who
(to poorly paraphrase Jesus)
"Been there, done that, conquered that Sh*t"
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Never alone

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We speak so often
of Christ's suffering for us
that I fear we forget
that because of that act
each time we suffer
He truly suffers with us
and that is good news indeed!
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Cross or crosses

"To follow Christ

means to take up our Cross

and to suffer,

but the odd thing is

that as we take up the Cross

that He has chosen for us,

all the crosses of our own making

start to fall away".

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One of the Few or One of the Many?

If only I become one of the "few", instead of the "many"

"JESUS has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few who bear His cross. He has many who desire consolation, but few who care for trial. He finds many to share His table, but few to take part in His fasting. All desire to be happy with Him; few wish to suffer anything for Him. Many follow Him to the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the chalice of His passion. Many revere His miracles; few approach the shame of the Cross. Many love Him as long as they encounter no hardship; many praise and bless Him as long as they receive some comfort from Him. But if Jesus hides Himself and leaves them for a while, they fall either into complaints or into deep dejection. Those, on the contrary, who love Him for His own sake and not for any comfort of their own, bless Him in all trial and anguish of heart as well as in the bliss of consolation. Even if He should never give them consolation, yet they would continue to praise Him and wish always to give Him thanks. What power there is in pure love for Jesus -- love that is flee from all self-interest and self-love!"

Thomas a' Kempis

Hooked on a Feelin'

"Love is NOT a feeling, but a decision
  not an emotion, but a promise.

To say "I Love You" is to say
"I will take nails in my hand,
rather than see your soul damaged"

The sad fact is that often
when we see those nails in our hands,
it is the beloved who is holding the hammer.

But Jesus reminds us
that we are to take away only the hammer,
                                                                   not the Love!"


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Real Men are Pro-life

Truth over the Lie #56b

Sex is easy, Love is hard

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While the film version of "50 Shades" is putting the final nail in the coffin of that thing we once called feminism, on the horizon is a new breed of Women who are not ashamed to be as God created them, and who might just help men to be real men again.

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