Maybe a Test, Indeed

BEADS OF JOY 5-09-12 “Maybe a Test, Indeed”
©2012 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

I Shall Always Remain At My Post

Reflection: My Friends,

Thank you so much for so many of you who are standing strong by me and my families side as we endure more challenge’s than we usually do. I especially love the private messages of encouragement, keep them coming, Thank You. This may or may not be a test; this may or may not be the evil at work trying to shut our ministry down. No matter what this ministry, our MINISTRY will continue to grow; and it will only be growing stronger from all this. I took a break from working in my basement to write this note of encouragement to all of you. Our “Beads of Joy Rosary Ministry” knows well that the evil one despises our prayer ministry. Honestly I don’t care, there is nothing that can be done to me, that will completely shut us down. We will be stronger. Think of the song, “Stronger” by Mandisa, “…and go on and fall into the arms of Jesus.” The one song I am greatly encouraged by in difficult times…

Our family has been put to the test these past two years. There is no doubt in my mind that satan does not want our ministry of prayer and worship to our Lord in our lives. He most certainly does not want us to love our dear, precious, most Blessed Mother as much as we do. Well I say TOO BAD, we will and we shall continue to grow and love our Lord and His Mother even more. This speed bump is only strengthening our prayer community. I can handle whatever is given to me, I don’t care how full my plate already is, I don’t get distracted or derailed because of chaos. This little hiccup is mostly because of the water issues I am personally faced with, on top of all Chrissy’s health issues, I am the only one here dealing with all these issues. I unfortunately don’t have a team at home to help me handle these things, but that’s ok, I am blessed, I know it and all this is OK. I will be fine.
God has blessed me with a JOY; y’all know the one I always speak of. That JOY is the foundation that gets me through all things, everything, all the time. My life isn’t my own; my life is for my Lord’s use and discretion. I am here to serve Him, and to draw others to Him. That will always continue till I am no longer here. I won’t ever retire and disappear into the Caribbean’s somewhere, that’s so not me.  I will be working for my Lord till the day I die. This ministry is my true labor of Love for my Lord. I never want anything in return from anyone, I only desire to share, and to encourage and pray with and for others. We are sisters and brothers in fellowship loving and adoring a magnificent, mighty Lord. Praise Jesus that we all have the opportunity to pray together. We are blessed indeed.
MINISTRY NOTES: As we evolve, and grow you will notice slight differences here and there. Overall, nothing is actually changing; in fact many more facets to our ministry will be added. We will continue to grow, and as we grow our relationships will deepen. God has allowed and planned for all of us to know one another, to pray for one another and to grow together in His love. His blessings are among us. The Spirit will lead and we shall follow. God Bless all of you and THANK YOU. Your kind words and thoughts through all this are a great encouragement.

Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS

Peace and Joy of Jesus

BEADS OF JOY 5-08-12 “Peace and Joy of Jesus”
©2012 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

Today’s Gospel is:  (John 14:27-31 ~ The Advocate)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, `I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go hence.”

1 – Our Father -10 Hail Mary’s –Glory be… - Oh My Jesus…

Reflection: My Friends;
Today’s gospel has me thinking of another scripture, Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds of Christ Jesus.” The peace of Jesus is beyond anything we could possibly even imagine. I would say that His peace was even beyond the knowledge or awareness of the challenges and stress we face each day. I would guess and many would agree; the true Peace and Joy of Jesus probably completely cancels out all of our troubles and stresses that surround our lives. We must remember that nothing in this world has any power to take our hearts and minds and soul away from His Peace and Joy. Jesus is complete in that He alone meets all of our needs.

Is your life full of Joy? A life that is full of Joy; can only be attained by loving Jesus Christ completely, with all our hearts. If Jesus is the absolutely center of your life, and He alone is your Lord and Savior, then the Joy you have in your heart is of Him. I completely understand that Joy and that Peace. This is not happiness, and it is not desire fulfilled. Joy and Peace go way beyond that; Jesus puts in our hearts, the Joy and the Peace that we won’t understand, but that we will know; or should I say the Holy Spirit within us will know immediately. This Joy has me all wound up, no joke here. I feel like I am going a hundred miles an hour all the time, thinking of and loving my Lord, and His Mom. Just thinking of them, as much as I do, makes me so excited and so filled with Joy, I can’t explain it.

Today’s Challenge: Surrender your life completely over to Jesus; make Him your number one focus. The Peace and Joy of Jesus is all about having Jesus ever present in your life. Invite Him into your life and think about Him every day, pray to Him every day, love Him every day.

“Jesus, I Trust in You.”

Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS

Who Is Our Advocate?

BEADS OF JOY 5-07-12 “Who Is Our Advocate?”
©2012 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

Today’s Gospel is:  (John 14:21-26 ~ The Advocate)
“He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Fathers who sent me. "These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you...”

1 – Our Father -10 Hail Mary’s –Glory be… - Oh My Jesus…

Reflection: My Friends,
Do you sometimes wonder who it is, that is our Advocate? Who is it that speaks on our behalf, in our defense, and is also a counselor to us and a true intercessor? Yes, many who like me who love Our Blessed Mother, say she is our Advocate. I would say yes, a thousand percent and then some, but in today’s gospel, someone else is being referred to as our Advocate. It was in Jesus’ name that the Holy Spirit was sent down to us, to teach us, to guide us, and to lead us to Him. How many times do we hear, and do we say, “Let us let the Spirit lead our hearts, or the topic, or the direction of this ministry.” It’s the Holy Spirit that we are talking about.

Advocate as a verb (advocated, advocating) the meaning is as follows: to speak or write in favor of; or urge by argument recommend publicly.

Advocate as a noun (used as an object) has three definitions of explanation: 1. A person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc. (usually followed by of): An Advocate of Peace. 2. A person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor. (much like our Blessed Mother does). 3. A person who pleads the cause of another in a court of law.

To me it’s always important that the definitions of some words be very clear in their meaning. It helps for a more pure and direct way to understand scripture and what we are reflecting upon. It is the Spirit of God that truly helps us understand the love of God; it is the Holy Spirit that also draws us closer to Jesus; and by the Holy Spirit our Spirit knows when another also loves God the way we do. How true is that? How is it that we just know people, even people we don’t know? Simply the Spirit within us recognized the same Spirit, the Holy Spirit within another, sometimes almost immediately. By allowing God’s Will to reign supreme in our lives, we are allowing the Holy Spirit within us; that is God’s Spirit to lead us in the direction His Will has for our lives. Does that make sense? It is the Spirit within us, every one of us; that we are able to experience God’s love and His presence in ways that probably the typical person not Spirit led would ever understand.  

Today’s Challenge: Invite the Holy Spirit of God to inflame your heart; with God’s Love and God’s Word giving your life a whole new burst of excitement to live by. There won’t ever be enough time even in an eternity of eternities to fully love Him back, but you’ll spend eternity doing just as it says in Matthew 22:37 “ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”

“Jesus, I Trust in You.”

Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS