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Second Chances

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” — C. S. Lewis

Everyday is a new beginning, a chance for us to make amends for our past transgressions and start down the true path of the Lord.  As much as we would like to, we cannot go back in time to change what has already happened due to decisions that we have made.  We can, however, use the knowledge we have gained through our experiences to learn how we should be living, and by the power of our free will, make sure we don’t make the same mistakes twice.  God granted us the gift of free will so that we may freely chose to follow Him.  He does not force us into following, but He does give us more than enough chances to make that decision on our own.   

Let’s take Saul of Tarsus (later to become known as Paul), as an example of this.  Saul was a major advocate of the persecution of the early followers of Christ.  He was the only person from the mob that stoned St. Stephen who was named in Acts.  From that point on, Saul became dead set on the mission to eradicate those who spread the news or followed the teachings of Christ.  His name struck fear in those who remained loyal to Jesus, as he went house to house in search of the early Christians, dragging them into the streets and putting them in prison.  His life took a turn while on the road to Damascus.  He was given a second chance, when Christ confronted him.  This became his chance to start over, repenting his ways and beginning a life spreading the Word of God throughout the land.  He could not change the decisions of his past, but this was his opportunity to change the ending of his story.  From that point on, he became one of the strongest followers of Christ and leaders of His early Church.

We also have the same opportunity as Saul.  There is no time like the present to take the step that he took.  We do not know how much time we have left before we are called home or when Christ will return.  The choice remains with us and that is why we are granted with free will.  God may give us signs or instructions, a little push here and there, but it is still ultimately left up to us.  It is our choice to decide how our ending plays out.  To quote St. Pope John Paul II, “The future starts today, not tomorrow.”  Don’t miss out on the chance to start anew.  The past is just that, the past.  It cannot be changed or altered no matter how hard we wish or want it to be.  All we have left is the time from this point moving forward. The challenge for us lies in our free will to make the decision to start fresh and change the ending of our own stories.  

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” — J. R. R. Tolkien

Let us pray.  Lord, we ask that You help us today in making the changes that we need to in order to start our new life with You, thus enabling us to change the ending of our story.  Help us to see the things that we must change and grant us the strength to make those changes and the perseverance to stick with those changes.  We do this for Your Greater Glory.  In Your Name we pray. AMEN.

God Bless You All

You Are in My Prayers

Scott

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The Greatest Gift Ever

“The Son of God became man to enable men to become sons of God.” — C. S. Lewis

A SAVIOR UNTO US WAS BORN

On that first Christmas morn,
His coming, by a star, foretold
A Savior unto us was born!

His birthplace, a stable forlorn,
A cave cut from rocks of old
On that first Christmas morn...

Swaddling clothes, tattered and torn,
Wrapped His body from the cold
A Savior unto us was born!

His crib, from wood pieces shorn,
The King of Kings it did hold
On that first Christmas morn...

No crown of gold on His head worn,
No stately palace or riches bold,
A Savior unto us was born!

He came to remove sin’s thorn...
His life for ours, to be sold...
On that first Christmas morn...
A Savior unto us was born!


SMS 2007

I have had a few favorite gifts over the years for Christmas.  There have been too many toys to list, so Star Wars Action Figures will have to take the top spot in the toy category.  There was the ” Mumford Phys. Ed. Dept.” T-Shirt (like Eddie Murphy wore in Beverly Hills Cop).  There was a green Russell Athletic sweatshirt that I wore until it no longer fit.  There was the Chicago Bulls Starter Jacket and Red, White, and Black golf bag to match.  There is my white Nike cap autographed by the greatest ever to play the game, Michael Jordan.  The best of all was the gift of being able to see my children’s faces light up on Christmas morning as they walked into the living room, seeing what Santa brought for them, reliving that feeling of awe and amazement that comes with the faith and belief in Santa from childhood mornings long gone.  All of those gifts pale in comparison to the gift given to us so many years ago by our Father through the Holy Family.

As Advent comes to and end with the Birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we should take a moment to reflect upon how truly blessed we are that He accepted to become man for us: The Greatest Gift of All.  He did not have to do it.  He could have refused, but He did not.  He became man to regain what was lost to us in the Garden of Eden.  He had to become man, to suffer death on the cross and rise again on the third day.  He overcame death so that one day, we too may be with Him in all His Glory.

So as we celebrate Christmas, remember the true reason we celebrate; the gift that  our Father gave to us by becoming a man in order to die for our sins.  The gift of Himself to us, His Body and Blood, to save our souls from the damnation of Hell, thus enabling us to share in a life eternal with Him.  Our gift in return should be the giving of ourselves to Him.  We can look to His life of service to others and attempt to do the same by giving of our time and assistance to help out those in need.  What better way is there to pay homage to the Lord for sending His Son?  Live by His examples and try to live a life just as He did.

Let us pray.  Lord, we thank You for the gift that You gave to us. The Greatest Gift of All. The gift of Your most precious Son, who by His Life, Death, and Resurrection redeemed the world.  Help us to live as Your Son, freely giving of ourselves to others, living as Thy will us to.  Help us to spread the love to others, that You chose to share with us, so that one day, we may all sit at Your table and give You thanks eternally.  Grant us Your Salvation so we too may become sons of God. In Your Name we pray.  AMEN.

May God Bless You and Your Loved Ones,

Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas, 

You Are In My Prayers,

Scott

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“Feux de Joie” (Fire of Joy)

“You go to pray: to become a bonfire, a living flame, giving light and heat.” —St. Josemaria Escriva

As Christmas Eve draws ever closer, and being born and raised in the River Parishes, this quote caught my eye and birthed inspiration.  For those of you who don’t know, or may not be from the area, the tradition of building bonfires along the levee of the Mississippi River to light on Christmas Eve has been going on since the late 1800’s.  Generally starting around the week of thanksgiving, friends get together to begin the cutting and hauling of wood to the levee in order to start construction of the bonfires.  As the weeks lead up to Christmas, the hard work and fun continues until the completion of the pyre to be lit that night.  

On Christmas Eve, family and friends gather together along the river.  It is a festive time of sharing food and drink with others, opening up and welcoming visitors from neighboring parishes.  Once darkness overtakes the light of the sun completely, the bonfires are lit with much celebration, fireworks, and cheer.  In French, the term for bonfire is, “feux de joie” or “fire of joy“.  A joyous occasion continues into the wee hours of the morning until the fires die out, celebrating Christmas, spending time together, reminiscing about old times, and enjoying the warmth of the fire.  (If we are lucky enough, the heat is welcomed and not a cause of excessive sweating.  South Louisiana Christmas Eve temperatures can range from the 80’s to the 20’s.) 

This sharing with family and friends, the building and lighting of the bonfires, and the celebration that follows, works hand in hand with our faith.  We begin around Thanksgiving with increased prayer and awareness of the coming of the celebration of Christ’s Birth.  We begin the Advent Season preparing ourselves for the joyous time, building our spiritual bonfires so they will be ready to light.  We share that light and warmth that we have been working on throughout Advent with friends, loved ones, and strangers during the Holiday Season, culminating on Christmas.  

The bonfires eventually die out.  The light fades as the warmth turns cold until nothing remains but the ashy, charred remnants of the once beautiful structure.  The Challenge: How can we keep our spiritual bonfire lit so that we may be living flames, sources of light and warmth to others year round and not just burn out and fade away until next year?

Let us pray.  Father, as we prepare for the upcoming birth of Your Son, Jesus, help us to be “feux de joie”, fires of joy for our love and faith in You through our daily prayers, devotions, and acts of kindness.  We implore You to send Your Holy Spirit to help us make the time we need to get away from our every day activities and give You thanks and praise for all You have given us, and  the strength to persevere throughout the year to maintain our relationship with you.  Let Your Spirit aid and assist us in keeping our living flame lit, being a source of light and heat to those around us, all for Your Greater Glory.  In Your Name we pray. AMEN.

God Bless You All,

You are in my prayers,

Scott

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Where Do You Stand?

“What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.  It also depends on what sort of person you are.”     —C. S. Lewis

I am sure that I missed many opportunities to see and hear what the Lord was showing me or trying to tell me.  Little, subtle signs that I never realized were all around me.  I was so wrapped up in my own self-centered world that I was failing to see the signs I was being shown or the messages that were being sent to me.  Not everyone is lucky enough to witness a “burning bush” or “parting of the Red Sea”.  Unfortunately, for me, that “Wake Up!” sign was the death of Evan.

I was blind and deaf to the signs and calling that God was revealing to me.  I was not standing in the right place spiritually.  I was heading in the wrong direction, a lost traveler, wandering from the guided path.  I needed to get back on track and follow the correct route and remain there, heading in the direction I should have been going all along.  I had the preconceived notions that I was living as I should be, doing what I was supposed to do, and to some extent, I was.  But the fact of the matter is, I was only partially there.

Like a scrimmage at the first practice of the off-season, I was going through the motions.  The drive and desire was not fully there because I was not fully in the game whole-heartedly.  I went into it thinking I was better than I actually was.  I had been on the team for a while and thought I had it made.  I’m doing awesome, I got this.  Any coach who knows his players and what they are capable of doing, also knows the potential in those players and can see when they are not giving it their all.  Well, the coach blew his whistle and stopped practice.  He called me to the side and said, ” As you know, we have lost an important leader on our team.  He has graduated now and moved on to better things.  It’s time for you to step up.  I can see the potential within you.  Your teammates will be looking to you for guidance and strength.  But no more half-hearted efforts. I want you fully committed, 100% to the team.  I know you can do this, or I would not have pulled you to the side to have this talk.  I need you to be a leader on this team.  So tell me son…Where Do You Stand?”

Evan was called home.  I attended Manresa and received my pep talk.  The new season has begun.  I saw where I was standing and realized where I needed to be.

Let us pray.  Lord, as we go through this game of life, open our eyes and ears to see your signs and hear your calls.  Give us guidance to set our feet in the right direction, heading on the correct path.  Grant us the strength to be leaders of Your team and inspire others to join with us.  Most of all, Lord, help us to come to the realization of where we must stand to better live our lives and glorify You until our season ends.  In Your Name we pray.  AMEN.

God Bless You All,

You Are In My Prayers,

Scott

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The Battle Rages Daily

“There is no neutral ground in the universe.  Every square inch, every split second is claimed by God, and counterclaimed by Satan.”              —C. S. Lewis

If you are starting to see somewhat of a pattern in quotes being used by C. S. Lewis, here is the reason.  On my last retreat at Manresa (2018), I purchased A Grief Observed and The Problem With Pain, both written by Lewis.  I was already a big fan of his from reading The Chronicles of Narnia (all 7 books) which I also had the pleasure and delight in sharing them with Evan when he was in 7th Grade.  They are wonderful stories for kids as well as adults.  The message of Good vs. Evil, repentance, 2nd chances, and faith all parallel with the Word of God in the Bible.  For those who don’t know, he has also written a few Catholic/Christian books for adults.  Since the retreat, I have read more of his works and found many quotes that have sparked my inspiration to write and share, hence, the reason for using his quotes thus far.  

(Back to the quote itself)

There is a constant battle being waged between God and the forces of evil led by Satan.  That battleground is comprised of the human souls, not only here, but those who have perished and currently remain in Purgatory.  Satan will o all that he can within his power to temp and persuade you to turn away from God and a life of Christ.  He is constantly trying to use all means necessary to defeat the goodness within us.  He plants those seeds of doubt and fear in our lives, playing on our emotions, looking to expose the tiniest crack in our faith and use it to his advantage.  He wants to get to us and ruin our lives, not necessarily in this world, but for the world that awaits us to come.  That is why we must take action now.  A call to arms to all soldiers of Christ.  

The time is now, for we do not know the time of His return, but from the direction the world appears to be heading, it may be sooner than we think.  There are weapons available to us to help withstand this onslaught of evil.  There are things that can be done in preparation, tools that have been within our grasp the majority of our lives.  It is up to us, by way of our free will, to choose whether or not we want to use these instruments to fight for God, or just give in to the evil plans of Darkness.

First and foremost, the ultimate weapon for our offensive against evil is prayer, the strongest of that being the Holy Rosary of Our Blessed Mother Mary.  A daily Rosary, 15 to 20 minutes out of our 24 hour day is a perfect way to battle.  “I will put enmity between you and the woman…”— God to the Serpent (Genesis 3:15)   We can always turn to Mother Mary for protection from evil.  Throw in some morning and evening prayers, prayers before sleep, whenever you can fit them in.  Just find time to pray. 

Secondly, take some time to open up the Bible and read the Word of God.  Psalms. Proverbs. The Gospels.  To use a quote inscribed by Evan to his cousin in the Bible he brought home for her from Rome, “If you make the choice to read the Scripture, I recommend  that you read the four Gospels first.  The Gospels are where you will find the truth, and the truth makes the world a better place.”  Skip around and find what ever may catch your interest.  Close your eyes and open it up.  See what message the Lord may be sending you.

Third, try to attend Mass regularly, not just Sunday Mass and Holy Days of Obligation, but Daily Mass.  I know it may be hard for most to do so with work.  I have the advantage of working shift work so I am able to attend Daily Mass fairly often.   It is rewarding to start the day off with mass before having to dive into the duties of adulthood.

Those were the means of offense.  There are also defensive tactics as well.  These include our Faith as believers in the Holy Trinity and Our Mother Mary.  Righteousness, in the form of living a Christian life to the best of our ability, through humbleness, acts of kindness and mercy, and fairness to others.  Salvation in the form of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by His death and Resurrection.  The Truth of the Word of God.  Our trust in Jesus.  Our daily prayer regimen.  All of the above help in the defense of our souls against evil.

I do plan to expand on these weapons and defenses in future posts.  I wanted to get them out there now.  It is time to make changes in our lives.  Small changes or large ones, the choice is up to you as to which you choose.  It is our free will, our daily choices that will determine the outcome of these battles. 

This is the challenge before us.  There is no better time than Advent to start making these changes.  Just as we celebrate the upcoming birth of Christ, we must also welcome Him into our hearts and our lives.  I will end this post with a quote from another favorite author of mine. 

“The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.  Today and Tomorrow are yet to be said.  The chances, the changes are all yours to make.  The mold of your life is in your hands to break.”—J. R. R. Tolkien

Take that chance.  Make that change.  Break that mold.

God Protect You Brothers and Sisters,

You are in my Prayers,

Scott

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Therapeutic Writing

“Whenever you are fed up with life, start writing: ink is the great cure for all human ills, as I have found out long ago.”—C. S. Lewis

I have been writing off and on since high school.  There were times when words would flow effortlessly and times when they were nonexistent.  I always looked at it as a hobby, something to share with others if I felt like it, or to keep to my self if needed.  I never really looked at it as a cure until the passing of Evan.  Writing has helped me express my feelings of sorrow and grief.  Pen and paper became my counselors.  It was much easier for me to divulge the feelings inside in ink than it was for me to actually speak about them openly to others.  Sure, there were some friends that I was able to openly share with, but still and all, the most open and receptive ear was that white lined marble notebook.  I could bare all and open my heart and soul freely.  I was able to scribble down and jot ideas, thoughts and feelings as incoherently as I wanted.  This allowed me to choose the correct words and express exactly what I was trying to say.  I could make amendments to what was written, or rearrange the lineup so that ideas and statements would flow properly and make sense, as opposed to the jumbled, mumbled, mashed up scramble that make up spoken words when one may be under the stress of everyday life and the situations it brings upon us.

My inspirations came in many forms over the years.  Love, nature, vampires, experience, searching, death, faith, and God.  Some writings were part of word challenges, photo challenges, forms of poetry challenges, or topical challenges.  Some were poems about poetry, poets, or even about writer’s block.  These many topics have all had a hand in shaping me and preparing me for what I now write about, which is, the message I hope to get across to you, the readers.  The years that are beneath me have been the tune-up to find my voice, or should I say, the fountain for my quill.

My ability to convey through writing far outweighs my ability to speak publicly (something I prefer not to partake in).  All this time, God has been preparing me, though I did not know it , and only after recent events am I becoming more aware of what He is calling me to do.  I do believe I have been called to spread the Word and Love of our Lord to all that I can, based on all that I have been made aware of and have witnessed since Evan’s death.  My prayers are that all who come to read what I share, do so with and open mind and heart so that the Holy Spirit may fill them and open their eyes to our Lord.

In closing, yes, ink has become a cure of sorts.  I guess you could even say that I have been getting immunized in the past by writing.  It has allowed me to open up and share with others, the inspirations that have been given to me by the Holy Spirit.  It has allowed me to get through the grief and depression I was suffering from and accept the death of my precious son.  It has become the therapy which, I pray, will enable me to see him once again with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ some day.  It will help me to continue Evan’s mission of spreading the word of God and trying to live out the rest of my days for His Greater Glory.

In His Name Always,

You are in my prayers,

Scott

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The Power of Prayer

“I pray because I can’t help myself.  I pray because I am helpless.  It doesn’t change God–it changes me.”—-C. S. Lewis

 

Nothing is more self-evident than this quote by C. S. Lewis.  Prayer does not change God.  He is, was, and always will be the same…the Alpha and the Omega, the same loving Father, unchanged.  His love for us remains the same always, sinner or saint.  He loves us as we are.  The thing that changes, or makes a difference is our love for Him.  Our love for Him changes through our prayer habits.  Our devotion to God the Father, His Son, the Holy Spirit, and our Blessed Mother brings about the changes inside of us.  In prayer, we get to talk with the Lord one on one.  We have the chance to open our hearts and soul to Him.  We can develop a greater relationship with our Father, who only asks 2 things of us–Love Him above all others, and love our neighbors.

Since the passing of Evan, I definitely learned that I could not survive on my own.  I could not help myself.  I was truly helpless.  It was only through Him that I saw the way out of the darkness.  There was no other solution.  The grief and depression would have swallowed me whole, consumed me from the inside until all that was left would have been an empty shell.  Prayer is what changed me.  Prayer is what brought me back from being dead to Christ.  My faith in our Father was the only thing holding me here.  It was prayer that ensured I would be saved.  Not only my own prayers, but the prayers of all my family and friends, our community, and their friends.  You must remember, even if you are not praying yourself, someone, somewhere, here or gone, is praying for you.  It is unfathomable to realize the number of those who are praying for you that you are totally unaware of.  Always be mindful and thankful of that fact.

Developing a better prayer life is much easier than you might imagine.  After my first retreat at Manresa, I realized how easy it was to make time for prayer, or should I say find time to pray.  I found that time driving home from the retreat that weekend.  No radio.  Just prayers the whole way home.  I incorporated that into my drive to and from work every day, and have been doing so since August of 2017.  Basically a 40 minute round trip.  At first I would just pray and meditate on common prayers, (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be), but it evolved into adding more prayers into the mix, which led to the creation of a whole new devotional which I will explain in a future post.  I also learned that a complete Rosary can be said in that 20 minute time frame and that has made a huge difference in my mood getting to and arriving home each day.

All I am trying to say is that it’s not hard to slip prayers in throughout the day.  Like myself, I found numerous chances with idle time on my hands and mind to slip in a prayer here or there.  Any quiet time you find will do.  An Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, St. Michael’s Prayer, whatever your favorite prayer may be.  Even something as simple as “Jesus, I Trust in You” works well, especially if you meditate on those words and truly put your trust in the hands of Jesus.  There truly is no right or wrong way to pray.  Give the Lord some of the precious time He has graciously given to you.  Thank Him for allowing you to partake in the glory that awaits you, the room in His house, and the feast at his table.

Since this rejuvenation of my prayer life, I am more at peace with myself and others, my road rage has become a thing of the past…(for the most part), because I am in prayer mode and don’t let petty inconveniences on the road get to me like they used to.  So, all I ask of you is this-give it a try.  Make time for prayer throughout the day.  Talk with the Lord for help to get through the day.  Thank Him for all He has blessed you with.  You won’t be disappointed.  And when you start to see that change, you will realize, as Mr. Lewis said, God is not changed by prayer, but we as believers are.

God Bless You Brothers and Sisters,

You are in my prayers,

Scott

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Initial Background / Gathering of Thoughts / Reason for Creating This Blog

Here is just a little background information for those of you who are not familiar with my current story.  On April 2nd, 2017, my life and my family changed forever.  I lost my 17 year old son, Evan, a month or so before he was to graduate high school.  I have never seen a faith and love of God so strong in anyone of that age.  I was definitely questioning my own faith after his passing.  I wanted answers from God for why He would take him at such a young age, such a beautiful soul with so much life left ahead of him to live.  I was masquerading myself to others at times, appearing to be fine, when actually breaking on the inside, drowning my sorrows in alcohol any chance I could get.  My family life was becoming stressed, due to my own selfishness and denial of grief and depression, but I continued to try to hold it together in public.  I did not want to seem weak by others, wanted to be strong for my family and friends, and for Evan’s friends.  I kept up this game of charades until August of 2017.  I was lucky enough to attend a retreat at Manresa House of Retreats in Convent, LA.  I was blessed to feel the presence of my son there, as well as that of the Holy Spirit that weekend.  I was able to accept the loss of Evan as the will of God.  I know Evan was prepared for his end.  It was the rest of us who were not.  In short, this blog will basically be about my journey back to the Light of Christ since the passing of Evan, as well as a platform to continue his mission.  That is to spread the Word of God and the message of Christ to all who may read and accept the Holy Spirit into their lives, and to help bring others closer to the Lord.  This will also serve as a continual therapeutic remedy for my grief and depression healing process.  May God bless all of you who come by to read, and know that you are in my prayers.

Scott

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Welcome to the Armor of God Blog

Welcome to the Armor of God Blog.  There are multiple purposes purposes for this blog.  First, I have found that by writing, I have been able to deal with my current life situations much easier.  Secondly, I want to share with others, the things that I have encountered along this journey that I have started upon since April 2nd, 2017.  Third, I hope that I can be of some assistance to any that may come across my blog, for whatever reason they find it.  Lastly, I hope to be able to bring readers closer to our Lord.   Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read.