WOW!
Sunday Pentecost!
I can personally say that Joe and I both got a fire of the Holy Ghost renewed in us today.

We both realized that we had let the bumps, circumstances and people of this year make us forgot the positive promises of God’s Word that we once continually stood upon.

We heard and received a powerful message from a powerful God anointed man of God today, and friend.

The message help us remember that what and who we let in our lives can make a difference how we think and live.

So, today we released all negative talk and actions of things happening around us.

We are becoming a renewed couple of whom we use to be.

We are healed Spiritually, financially, physically, mentally and socially, and we are highly blessed and favored by God.

We are a blessed son and daughter of our almighty Father God, and NO force or demon of hell can try to destroy the blessings we have or the joy of our salvation.

As of today, we will share the good news of Jesus Christ and the promises of God to everyone and anyone we meet and are around.

See, you cannot preach what you do not believe or hold in your heart.

So, the renewed Elder Joe and Pastor/Evangelist Pat is back. Preaching the Word of God like we use too. But now preaching it with more fire and love.

And satan you and your demons of hell, BACK OFF! You cannot steal, lie or spread lies, cheat, or try to intimidate us any more. You have been caught. And the Word of God says,
“When the thief is found out, he must restore seven times [what he stole]; he must give the whole substance of his house [if necessary – to meet his fine].—Proverbs 6:31”

And because we have dressed in our new Armor of God and have been covered and anointed by the blood of Jesus, you cannot touch us.

For where the blood of Jesus is you cannot cross the blood line.

And God has told us that our enemies will be our foot stool.

“I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’”
Luke 20:43

So, Joe and I are ready to take back everything that has been stolen from us.

In Jesus Name, Amen and Amen and do be it.

Below are just a few of Gods promises that we as of NOW, will forever stand upon.

How About YOU?

We have decided to remember Proverbs 18:21 – Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

John 15:7 – If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:11-18

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
I John 4:4 NKJV

“Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:4-5

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.””
Luke 6:38

““Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. “The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”
Deuteronomy 28:1-14

God bless and keep each of you,
Joe and Pat Aman

Blessings, Love and Prayers,
Pastor Pat Aman

Also, please know that:

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with Joy.
Philippians 1: 3-4

I end each message with “My Blessings, Love & Prayers,” I truly mean that, and I pray for each of you every morning and evening.

(Nehemiah 8:10)
“The Joy Of The Lord, Is Your Strength.”

(Proverbs 17:22)
“A Merry Heart Does Good, Like Medicine, But A Broken Spirit Dries The Bones.”

Devotion Written By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 1996/2016“Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals”

Pentecost

The Christian holiday Pentecost is celebrated fifty days after Easter Day, counting inclusively, seven weeks after Easter Day. It falls on the tenth day after Ascension Thursday.

On Sunday, Christians will celebrate Pentecost, and while many people only know so much of it as the commemoration of the Holy Spirit’s coming to Jesus’ followers in the early days, there are actually some very interesting facts about the said holy day.
In the King James Bible, the story of Pentecost is accounted in the Book of Acts Chapter 1. In verses 1-4, it reads: “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

According to Patheos, Pentecost came from the Greek word “pentekostos,” meaning “fifty.” While Pentecost was originally a harvest festival and was turned into a day that remembers Moses’ reception of the 10 Commandments on Mt. Sinai, it later became a special day known by many today as one that commemorates the Holy Spirit’s coming upon Jesus’ first followers.

One promise is in the Old Testament – Joel 2:28, which says “I will pour out my Spirit on all people”, and one in the New, where Jesus says he will send another Counsellor, the Spirit of truth (John 16: 5-15).

Pentecostals are so called because of the emphasis they place on the gifts of the Spirit, particularly speaking in tongues. They stress the possibility of a direct personal experience of God, like the first disciples, which – just as it was then – is often manifested in dramatic ways. Modern Pentecostals trace their origins to the Azusa Street Revival in 1906 Los Angeles.

Luke tells of three distinct experiences. A violent wind filled the house: breath or wind is a symbol of the Spirit of God. Ezekiel 37 tells the story of the prophet’s vision of a valley of dry bones which come together: when the ‘breath’ of God enters them, they come to life and stand on their feet. The Pentecost wind represents the power of God to bring life to the ‘dry bones’ of faith.

We as Christians should seek God allowing the Holy Spirit to renew and build up in us a burning fire to share the Gospel to the world.

Pentecost must begin with a renewal in each of us personally.

Come Holy Spirit come and renew a right Spirit in me. Start a new fire of the joy of my salvation. Burn deep inside my soul and let you Pentecostal Fire burn in me, so I can be a shining light for you.

Blessings, Love and Prayers,
Pastor Pat Aman

Also, please know that:

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with Joy.
Philippians 1: 3-4

I end each message with “My Blessings, Love & Prayers,” I truly mean that, and I pray for each of you every morning and evening.

(Nehemiah 8:10)
“The Joy Of The Lord, Is Your Strength.”

(Proverbs 17:22)
“A Merry Heart Does Good, Like Medicine, But A Broken Spirit Dries The Bones.”

Devotion Written By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 1996/2016“Coffee

http://coffeewithpat.org

We need a true Revival. A Holy Ghost fire Revival.

But, it must start on our knees at the altar and besides our own beds, or in our prayer room.

We cannot expect someone to bring Revival to us. Revival must begin in our own hearts.

2 Timothy 3:3 says, “Understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, etc.”

2 Peter 3:3 says, “Scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own passions and saying, ‘Where is the promise of his coming?'”

Jesus said in Luke 21:9-11, “When you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once . . . Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom will rise against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.”

So there is no doubt that the end of the end the last of the last days will be bleak in many ways morally bleak, socially bleak, with great upheavals in nature itself. And that time I feel is near.

I see if happening now. Just look at the news and the world around us.

On the day of Pentecost the people were seeking something. The disciples were in the upper room. Jesus had told them that God his Father would be sending a comforter to them. They did not have Jesus walking along beside them in person anymore. They needed something, they needed direction.

And then, it happen. The Holy Spirit came into the room and filled each of them.

WHY?

Because they were seeking for the comforter.

So, today let’s seek the comforter. Let each of us seek the direction of the Holy Spirit.

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?

Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.” But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.’”
Acts 2:1-7, 13-21

Blessings, Love and Prayers,
Pastor Pat Aman
http://coffeewithpat.org

Also, please know that:

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with Joy.
Philippians 1: 3-4

I end each message with “My Blessings, Love & Prayers,” I truly mean that, and I pray for each of you every morning and evening.

(Nehemiah 8:10)
“The Joy Of The Lord, Is Your Strength.”

(Proverbs 17:22)
“A Merry Heart Does Good, Like Medicine, But A Broken Spirit Dries The Bones.”

Devotion Written By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 1996/2016“Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals”?

“I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”
II Timothy 1:3-12 NKJV

Blessings, Love and Prayers,
Pastor Pat Aman

Also, please know that:

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with Joy.
Philippians 1: 3-4

I end each message with “My Blessings, Love & Prayers,” I truly mean that, and I pray for each of you every morning and evening.

(Nehemiah 8:10)
“The Joy Of The Lord, Is Your Strength.”

(Proverbs 17:22)
“A Merry Heart Does Good, Like Medicine, But A Broken Spirit Dries The Bones.”

Devotion Written By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 1996/2016“Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals”

20 Rules of Wisdom

© 1996/2016 CWP
Author: Pat Aman 12-3-2005

(Proverbs 17:22)
“A Merry Heart Does Good, Like Medicine, But A Broken Spirit Dries The Bones.”

1. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

2. Dear God, I have a problem, it’s me.

3. Growing old is inevitable, growing UP is optional.

4. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.

5. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.

6. Do the math….count your blessings.

7. Faith is the ability to not panic.

8. Laugh every day, it’s like inner jogging.

9. If you worry, don’t pray. If you pray…don’t worry.

10. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday.

11. Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.

12. THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN YOUR HOME ARE THE PEOPLE.

13. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still; God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.

14. A grudge is! a heavy thing to carry.

15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

16. We do not remember days, but moments. Life is moving too fast – so enjoy your precious moments.

17. Nothing is real to you until you experience it, otherwise it’s just hearsay.

18. It’s all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.

19. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you’re seeking require courage and risk taking. Learn from the turtle, it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck. “We are continually faced with great opportunities disguised as unsolvable problems.”

20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

Blessings, Love and Prayers,
Pastor Pat Aman
Also, please know that:
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with Joy.
Philippians 1: 3-4
I end each message with “My Blessings, Love & Prayers,” I truly mean that, and I pray for each of you every morning and evening.
(Nehemiah 8:10)
“The Joy Of The Lord, Is Your Strength.”
(Proverbs 17:22)
“A Merry Heart Does Good, Like Medicine, But A Broken Spirit Dries The Bones.”
Devotion Written By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 1996/2016 “Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals”

image

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“Is God Listening?”
Author: Pat Aman
March 30, 2011 – 3:04 am

“Is God Listening?”

Prayer is the means by which we take our perplexities to the Father. But do you get the feeling that some people have God’s listening ear better than you do? I love the letter the little boy wrote to God in which he admitted he knew God heard prayers, but he wanted to know when God would be listening especially hard to prayers. In other words he was asking God is there a certain day that you handle prayer for different situations?

I think one of the problems we encounter in praying is that we are inclined to dictate to God what our preferences are. If we have already made up our minds, we may not hear Him when He speak!

As Mark 4: 23 -24 says, “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear…Take heed what ye hear.”
“Listen to what you hear,” He is saying, “You think there is a shortage of my messages, my answers to your prayers? Unplug your ears!”Perhaps our biggest problem is not that we haven’t and don’t hear; if we will be honest we might have to confess that we aren’t always ready to listen! We may have heard but we just do not want to obey. The think God may have made a mistake. In other words we are saying, “God are you sure?”

Catherine Marshall in her classic Adventures in Prayer speaks of “The Prayer of Relinquishment.” She say, ” A demanding spirit, with self-will as its rudder, blocks prayer….Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, I come to see, is the pattern for us. Christ could have avoided the cross…. Christ used His free will to turn the decision over to His Father. He said, “Dear Father…all things are possible to you. Let me not have to drink this cup! Yet it is not what I want but what you want.’ She emphasizes that there is no resignation in Prayer of Relinquishment. This kind of praying doesn’t slam the door on hope. It’s called “the pliability of an obedient heart.”

Sometimes you as I also maybe faced with the problem, Lord, I just do not know how to pray about this problem.

Praise God, that is not a problem to God. Thanks to the Holy Spirit everybody is equal before God in prayer. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, in our improper understanding, and conveys from our hearts to God’s heart what is really there, that which is impossible for us to put into words anyway!”

Friends, God knows our needs before we ever bring them to Him. He is just waiting for us to see if we are ready to turn our life situations over to Him completely.
In other words, “Lord, here I am, I am yours, and I am willing to follow your ways for my life.

Sending to You and Your Family,
Blessings, Love and Prayers,
Pastor Pat Aman
Devotion Written March 30, 2011- By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 1996/2017 Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals”
Study Notes: The New King James Bible

As we travel the life of Jesus this week, I will be sharing poems and writings of things that touch my heart. I will end on Saturday with two poems I have written. One I wrote in 1988 and one in 1993.
Both will be for Saturday and Resurrection Day Sunday, for I will not have excess to Internet or service on Sunday.
I pray God will bless you during Easter Week.

Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you; to the end he may stablish your heart unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
I Thessalonians 3:11-13

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

Blessings, Love and Prayers,
Elder Joe and Pastor Pat Aman

JOHN SCHLITT
The Road To Calvary Lyrics
Rich Gootee, John Schlitt, Jim Cooper
(Hebrews 12:2-3; Philippians 4:13, 19)

When your back’s about to break
Underneath that heavy load
And you can’t take one more step
On that rough and rocky road
When your burdens bring you to your knees
Think on Him on that road to Calvary

When your friends have turned away
And left you on your own
And you can’t find your way back
Through the darkness all alone
When you want to give up and cry out,
“Lord, why me?”
Think of Him on that road to Calvary

[Chorus]
On that road, He walked for you and me
On that road, through all the pain and misery
He knew when it was finished
We would have the victory
On that road, the road to Calvary

So if you find yourself out walking
Down a lonely, dead end street
Just remember there’s a road
That leads to eternity
Waiting for all who would believe
Believe on Him on that road to Calvary

[Chorus]
Correct these lyrics
these lyrics are submitted by kaan

Songwriter(s): Rich Gootee, John Schlitt
Copyright: Beard Man Music, Word Music LLC
Official lyrics powered by

“Is God Listening?”
Author: Pat Aman
March 30, 2011 – 3:04 am

“Is God Listening?”

Prayer is the means by which we take our perplexities to the Father. But do you get the feeling that some people have God’s listening ear better than you do? I love the letter the little boy wrote to God in which he admitted he knew God heard prayers, but he wanted to know when God would be listening especially hard to prayers. In other words he was asking God is there a certain day that you handle prayer for different situations?

I think one of the problems we encounter in praying is that we are inclined to dictate to God what our preferences are. If we have already made up our minds, we may not hear Him when He speak!

As Mark 4: 23 -24 says, “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear…Take heed what ye hear.”
“Listen to what you hear,” He is saying, “You think there is a shortage of my messages, my answers to your prayers? Unplug your ears!”Perhaps our biggest problem is not that we haven’t and don’t hear; if we will be honest we might have to confess that we aren’t always ready to listen! We may have heard but we just do not want to obey. The think God may have made a mistake. In other words we are saying, “God are you sure?”

Catherine Marshall in her classic Adventures in Prayer speaks of “The Prayer of Relinquishment.” She say, ” A demanding spirit, with self-will as its rudder, blocks prayer….Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, I come to see, is the pattern for us. Christ could have avoided the cross…. Christ used His free will to turn the decision over to His Father. He said, “Dear Father…all things are possible to you. Let me not have to drink this cup! Yet it is not what I want but what you want.’ She emphasizes that there is no resignation in Prayer of Relinquishment. This kind of praying doesn’t slam the door on hope. It’s called “the pliability of an obedient heart.”

Sometimes you as I also maybe faced with the problem, Lord, I just do not know how to pray about this problem.

Praise God, that is not a problem to God. Thanks to the Holy Spirit everybody is equal before God in prayer. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, in our improper understanding, and conveys from our hearts to God’s heart what is really there, that which is impossible for us to put into words anyway!”

Friends, God knows our needs before we ever bring them to Him. He is just waiting for us to see if we are ready to turn our life situations over to Him completely.
In other words, “Lord, here I am, I am yours, and I am willing to follow your ways for my life.

Sending to You and Your Family,
Blessings, Love and Prayers,
Pastor Pat Aman
Devotion Written March 30, 2011- By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 1996/2017 Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals”
Study Notes: The New King James Bible

Can I say the Lord’s Prayer?
Author: Unknown

I cannot say “Our “,
if I live in a water-tight spiritual compartment;
if I think a special place in Heaven is reserved for my denomination, race or creed.

I cannot say ” Father “,
if I do not demonstrate the relationship in my daily life.
I cannot say ” which art in Heaven “, if I am so occupied with the earth that I am laying up no treasure there.

I cannot say ” Hallowed be Thy Name “, if I, who am called by His name, am not holy.

I cannot say ” Thy Kingdom come “, if I am not doing all in my power to hasten its coming.

I cannot say “Thy will be done “, if I am questioning, resentful of or disobedient to His will for me.

I cannot say ” on earth as it is in Heaven “, if I am not prepared to devote my life here to His service.

I cannot say ” Give us this day our daily bread “, if I’m living on past experiences.

I cannot say ” forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us”, if I harbour a grudge against anyone.

I cannot say ” Lead us not into temptation “, if I deliberately place myself,
or remain in a position where I am likely to be tempted.

I cannot say ” Deliver us from evil “, if I am not prepared to fight in the spiritual realm with the weapon of prayer.

I cannot say ” Thine is the Kingdom “, if I do not accord the King the disciplined obedience of a loyal subject.

I cannot say ” Thine is the power “, if I fear what men may do; or what my neighbour may think.

I cannot say ” Thine is the glory “, if I am seeking glory for myself.

I cannot say ” Forever and forever “, if my horizon is bounded by the things of time.

I cannot say ” In Jesus Name. Amen “, if I do not also add, ” Cost what it may, ” for to say this prayer will cost EVERYTHING.

This poem is inspired by “The Lord’s Prayer” found in Matthew 6:9-13.Indeed prayer is not only an act of speaking, but it also means that we pray to ourloving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. (Matthew 22:37)

Blessings, Love and Prayers,
Pastor Pat

Pastor Pat Aman/©1996/2016
CWPM1996/2016

Sleeping Through The Storm
A Parable-like Story — Author Unknown

A young man applied for a job as a farmhand. When the farmer asked for his qualifications, he said, “I can sleep through a storm.”

This puzzled the farmer… but he liked the young man. So he hired him.

A few weeks later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm ripping through the valley. He leapt out of bed and called for his new hired hand, but the young man was sleeping soundly.

So they quickly began to check things to see if all was secure. They found that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened. A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace.

The farmer and his wife then inspected their property. They found that the farm tools had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements. He sees that the bales of wheat had been bound and wrapped in tarpaulins.

The tractor had been moved into its garage. The barn was properly locked tight. Even the animals were calm and had plenty of feed. All was well.

The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man’s words, “I can sleep through a storm.”

Because the farmhand did his work loyally and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for any storm. So when the storm did actually break, he was not concerned or afraid. He could sleep in peace.

If we tend to the things that are important in life, if we are right with those we love and behave in line with our faith, our lives will not be cursed with the aching throb of unfulfilled business.

Our words will always be sincere, our embraces will be tight.

We will never wallow in the agony of ‘I could have, I should have.’

We can sleep in a storm.
And when it’s our time to go, our good-byes will be complete.

The History and a Story Legend of the Poinsettia

The popular Christmas flower know in this country as the poinsettia was first called a cuetlaxochitl by the Aztecs. It represented purity, and its name signified “Flower that withers, mortal flower that perishes like all that is pure”.

Beautiful botanical gardens existed throughout the Aztec empire in pre-Hispanic times. Flowers and herbal plants were cultivated for their beauty and medicinal purposes. From October to mid-May, the cuetlaxochitl was admired because of its beauty.

One legend from sixteenth-century Mexico explains the flower’s origin. Franciscan friars evangelizing the area of Taxco celebrated one Christmas with a lavishly decorated nativity scene. The rosary and a litany were prayed, a pinata was broken, gifts were exchanged, and a mass was held, during which a miracle occurred: the flower decorating the nativity scene turned red. After that night, the flower was named flor de nochbuena, Flower of the Blessed Night.

A charming story is told of Pepita, a poor Mexican girl who had no gift to present the Christ Child at Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness rather than joy.
“I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes,” said Pedro consolingly.

Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered a handful of common weeds, fashioning them into a small bouquet. Looking at the scraggly bunch of weeds, she felt more saddened and embarrassed than ever by the humbleness of her offering. She fought back a tear as she entered the small village chapel.

As she approached the alter, she remembered Pedro’s kind words: “Even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes.” She felt her spirit lift as she knelt to lay the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene.

Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blooms of brilliant red, and all who saw them were certain that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle right before their eyes.

From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night, for they bloomed each year during the Christmas season.