Blessings,

Hal

Thank you so much for leaving a comment. Thank God that you passed this way!! I am glad you like the website content. I have great fun doing it.

Have a wonderful and blessed life,

Carol

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Making Money $150 An Hour

The “priests” are called pastors or ministers in the United Methodist Church. It turns out that Alex and Nelson know each other…and met again on our blog. Isn’t that neat? Only the good Lord could plan such a thing. And the three of us have been in contact with a third pastor, Noah, who preaches up by Chicago somewhere. Noah is also from the Philippines. I don’t remember exactly where. His sister took the books we bought for Alex’s Bible study class to him when she went to the Philippines last January. And now here you are as well!!!

I do not know the answers to the questions. I have been trying for months to figure out.

Regarding a blog on your website: Before you try anything else, check the software that you have. I think you can create a blog with it. That will be easier than hooking another one in…and it will look better than ours does as well. But I wanted it hooked up with daily Bible readings so that a person could read the Bible in a Year. I am the only person who is doing it. Three people started, but I am the only one left. Many people say they want to read the Bible in a year, but when it is right in front of their faces, they don’t do it. However, I cannot point a finger. I read the Bible all the way through for the first time 4 years ago…and I continue.

I find more and more as I read and study from the same thing I read the years before.

Thanks for jumping on the blog. Makes this soul smile.

God bless you and Nan and the rest of your family…including that great grandson. How is he doing?

Carol

You must be very pleased with the response you have gotten from the priest in the Philippines and the one in New Jersey.

BUT – and you and I have e-mailed back on forth on this – where is everyone else? Where are the people in your church?

As we have surmised together, many people don’t have computers and the degree of computer literacy is still rather low particularly among the older geneation.

By coincidence, recently I received correspondence with the president and vice president of my high school class back in 1938. One of them was the valedictorian also. Neither one owned a computer and were rather firm in saying they never woujld have one.

So saying – the problem remains – how to better use this wonderful new tool called the Internet.

Tell me how you set up the blog, I’d like to put one on our church’s web site.

Blessings to you on all that you do for others.

Alex, Nelson is a pastor in New Jersey. Nelson, Alex is a pastor in the Philippines. It is really great that you could meet on this blog. It has taken 9 months for two people to comment on one blog post. Thank you both so much!!

Alex, I didn’t realize that Sr. Mayette had cancer. I am glad she has returned to PUP (Polytechnic University of the Philippines). I will keep her in my prayers as well as Edna de los Santos.

Alex, I can understand why you would be discouraged at the leaders of your country…at least a little bit. It sounds dreadful to have to wait in a queue every two days for rice and to have electricity rationed as well. However, even if we have trouble doing it, I think our leaders, yours and ours as well, need our prayers more now than ever…at least in my lifetime. One of the things that none of us understand is God’s time. I know I don’t. I want things to be done in my time…and fast too. I do not want to wait. But I also have no idea what God’s plans for us are. He doesn’t get on the internet and let me know. If He did, I would probably faint dead away…modern handwriting on the wall so to speak.

Now, about breath prayers: They are a very old concept as I understand them. I had never heard of them until Pastor Nick Connolly told me about them. You can find some information about them on Google, but I am going to give you an idea how Nick has taught us. They are based on the pray ceaselessly idea as well as the scripture in your devotions on a given day.

The prayers are six or seven syllables long. Nick has done them for years so his are much better than mine. But that is not important. One time Chris said that we have to breathe the Bible so it will become part of who we are. I think that is true, but I don’t do it well yet. Nick puts the prayers on a band around his wrist so he has them throughout the day. I have them on an index card which I remember to make but forget to pray frequently, but I am getting a bit better. I don’t have the discipline it takes yet.

Here is an example for one day for Mark 8:31-37 NIT:

Jesus began / To teach us 6:00 AM v. 31

Have in mind / The things of God 9:00 AM v. 33

Take up cross / And follow me 12:00 PM v. 34

The gospel / Saves our lives 3:00 PM v. 35

Be not ashamed / Son of Man 6:00 PM v. 38

You breathe in on the first part of the prayer and exhale on the second part of the prayer. I have recommended breath prayers for people who are very angry. It helps some of them. I use them for myself if I want to be critical of something. It gives me time to think and, more importantly, gives me time to listen to God. I think breath prayers might be called “The Breath of Life.”

And you can write whatever is helpful for you. I use the text because that is what I can do. However, there have been times when I have been stuck. I mentioned that to Nick. He said he has been stuck as well and not to worry about it so I haven’t.

I answered your question on here just in the hopes that somebody else might read it and become intrigued…and even try it.

God bless you and Nelson and your families,

Carol

Thank you both for your posts. My weakest side shows each time prayer is brought up for discussion. You both shared with frankness and kindness, I think I can forgive myself as well. “Praying without ceasing” and a “Wesleyan spirit of a prayerful life,” thanks, Nelson for the reminder. Pray, sister and brother, that I recover both disciplines, and recover them quick enough, I can imagine the coming struggle.Thanks too Carol for the “non-violent approach” reminder, I think I have stopped praying for our leaders because of the crisis situation we are in, which most often I mercilessly attribute to their kind of governance. I thought of asking you before, but I never did, Carol, please share with us again your idea of ‘breath’ prayers. Nelson, please include in your prayer list : Edna de los Santos, our Conference lay leader who has just undergone operations for cancer and will go through some sessions of chemo-theraphy. Sr. Mayette has come out triumphant over her own struggle with the big C and is back with us in school. Please keep her in your prayer list too. Doris’ group has been praying for her too. Yes, I believe prayer works…because God is most eager to meet us when we are most weak and vulnerable. God bless both of you.

Thank you for your comments which includes your mother’s role in your prayer life.

That made me think about my prayer life as a kid. My grandfather on Mom’s side of the family was a minister so we grew up with the idea of prayer, but I don’t remember much discussion about it. However, we did say grace at all three meals. Just imagine, we all ate together for every meal. Now, it seems to me that people seldom eat together. They are all “busy.” Have you ever wondered what all of these busy people are doing? I have…and for good reason.

I am semi-homebound so I take more time in observing people, reading, listening to music, working on the computer, etc. than many people have the “time” to do…at least they don’t think they do. I have often wondered how these people find time to pray and to think.

But I have no room for being critical. For years I paid no attention to prayer or the church. I became angry at it. Of course, I didn’t hurt the church at all.

There was a two year period of time which was a true blessing. I ended up in South America, Peru for two weeks which extended to two years. I worked with six churches while I was there. I was the choir director at one as well. It was a joyous period of time. I had never told anyone that I had always wanted to be a missionary. When I returned to the USA, my visa said, “missionary teacher,” on it. I was amazed!!

But as you can tell, I am now back to church since they have an elevator installed now. And I do the website which is really a joy to do. I don’t know how you found it, but I am glad you did. I am even more glad that you wrote. Thank you.

God bless you and your family,

Carol