Draw Near To God

Beads of Joy 02-08-10

Draw Near To God
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

Let us fully submit ourselves to God, and in doing so we must do all we can to flee from evil. There is no doubt as sinners, we will continue to sin. But with that fact known we must still do all we can to draw nearer to God. Sin is a problem we all face, no matter how holy or pious we may think we are, we must always remember, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23. The richness of scripture is one key element that helps draw us near to God. "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6. God's love for us is without measure, "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" Romans 5:10. Yes I did spend a little bit of time in Romans today. LOL

Our lives must be lived humble before God. God resists the proud and the arrogant, and those filled with selfishness and pride. Humility is so important for who we are to be before God. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7. We are all God's children, no one in our lives will ever love us as much as God loves us. Our hearts, and love and desires must be in God. "because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." 1 John 4:4. There is no doubt that God's word is filled with an absolute guide for us to draw our lives ever so much closer to Him.

In today's world it's not easy to live a life that is holy and loyal to God. Now I didn't say it was impossible, only that it wasn't easy. The morals and decency that use to exist no longer exists. In today's world according to the world, pretty much anything is allowed, because after all we don't want to offend anyone who is different. That is such crap, I hate the correctness of our society, it's that so called correctness that is destroying everything. How sad God must be to see so many of His children go through the wide gate and spend eternity in hell. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14. It's not going to be easy, but we can with our faith. Just allow the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with joy. I can tell you, once you allow your heart to be overflowing with His love; the Joy, His Joy will forever, throughout your life be overflowing.

There are many ways for us to be near to God. We have prayer, we have scripture, we have the Holy Mass, we have Eucharistic Adoration, we have the saints, we have our Blessed Mother, we have the Holy Spirit and we have Jesus. I'm not even counting all the other countless ways that our hearts can draw near to God. We must not lose heart and think we can not be close to God. Instead we must trust in Him to lead us. We can grab hold of the very words Jesus spoke, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." John 14:1-4 Later in that same scripture Jesus states, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6. Be bold, hold strong in your faith. Spend your life drawing closer and closer to Him. God alone is love. Nothing in this world should ever come before God in your life. Always remember Exodus 20:3, "You shall have no other gods before me."

God's love for us is without measure. Let us spend our entire life loving Him.


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

But At Your Word I Will

Beads of Joy 02-07-10

But At Your Word I Will
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

Isn't it just so spectacular how Jesus chooses ordinary people to do some the most extraordinary things. Just think about that, the Creator of the whole universe is here for us awaiting and listening to our prayers. Today's reading is just so exciting; just think how the disciples who fished for a living felt, when Jesus a carpenter directed them by His word where to make a catch, and what a catch it was. The gospel we are reflecting on today is Luke 5:1-11 (The Call of Simon the Fisherman). This particular reading tells us that God expects truly amazing things from us, even when we may think it's not at all possible. We must trust in the direction He is sending us.

This is so exciting, just look at these verses, "And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink." Luke 5:4-7 I would say the obvious, this was a miracle not only for the fact that the catch was so great after such a long night of catching nothing; but that it was probably one of the biggest catches ever for them. When Jesus brings miracles to us they are always magnificent.

When we meet disappointment and failure in what we do, do we lean on Jesus to help us through. And when we do lean on Him, do we trust in the direction He leads us; even if we feel that particular direction isn't going to work because we already tried it. Jesus is the answer to all our needs, even in times of trials and failure, we must know that God is in our midst. My life has not been perfect, I have so many stories of failure and success. But what I have learned through all these years is that my faith needs to be the strongest when I am emotionally weak and distraught. I have to find that faith deep inside me and trust that leaning on Jesus to support me will get me through it. The greatest thing is, that it always does.

Today let us think, do we share our Lord with others around us? Do we have such a real relationship with Him that we want others to know how truly incredible we feel because we are able to have Him in our lives. I am sure many of us especially me, feel the same way Simon Peter did, "But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." v.8. But in that, we must not take our eyes off of Him, we must listen to His words even when we don't think it will be what we want. Here's one final scripture to reflect upon, "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." 2 Timothy 2:10 Praise Jesus in all He does for us according to His will.

Let us trust in Him, even we think He can't possibly help us.


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

What Is The Meaning of Life?

Beads of Joy 02-06-10

What Is The Meaning of Life?
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

Ah, a question I am sure many of you may have on your minds. I know I did wonder about this for many years, while I was in high school and began to prepare for college. Let's face it I think most anybody, even the unbelievers can agree that "the meaning of life" can't possibly have anything to do with the things we have; rather our lives only gain meaning by the relationships we have. And in this life there is but one relationship that truly gives our life significant meaning. I'm sure you have already guessed it. For our lives only have eternal Heavenly meaning when we have a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Why are we here? Why have we been created? I use to wonder these very thoughts myself. But I will say I have discovered the answer. It's more simple than most may think.

A first thought might be, how should we approach this question? I always prefer to try to answer any question in my life by going through scripture. It's a wonderful habit, one that I encourage you to have in your life. "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:39 There's a powerful thought and a most favorite scripture of mine. That's actually the entire answer to the question. Here are a few more scriptures that may help keep us on course with our Lord throughout our lives, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20 Wow, how can anyone not want to surrender their life to Jesus.

Jesus Christ must be the absolute center of every breathe we take, every day we awake. Nothing, absolutely nothing and no one must ever come before Him. "And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God," Colossians 1:10. You can see how all this is building up the simplest answer to the question. Here's another inspiring scripture, "Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name." Dueteronomy 6:13 See even the Old Testament provides us with much guidance. Do you see what is being found in scripture, basically the answer to our question. The answer is a very simple one.

Ok, the answer is: To know Him, to Love Him, & to Serve Him. That is the absolute true meaning to our lives here on earth. There is nothing more important in this life than knowing Jesus. Remember in a past blog I spoke about eternity, and what we do in this little bit of time we have been given; and that this time here will determine where we will spend eternity. We are all eternal beings, so it'll be one place or the other. Our love for our Lord must be the purest, the deepest, the most real our hearts have ever known. Let us remember what Jesus taught, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. This is the great and foremost commandment." Matthew 22:36-38 Praise Jesus for loving us so much, so that we may love Him.

Remember this: In the end.... Jesus will be all that matters.


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

Devote Time To Prayer

Beads of Joy 02-05-10

Devote Time To Prayer
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

Today let's take the time to reflect on what we can do to increase our prayer life, there are so many ways we can pray in private or at Mass or in the Word. There are so many variations of prayer that lead us to God, that we just need to take the time to find out what works best for us. I personally like the variety of all different kinds of prayer and devotion, I even like just straight out long talks with God while I am alone driving, and even try silence before Him, thinking of Him. Depending on what version of the bible you have, you can find almost two hundred places that refer to prayer. Today we can reflect on a few to see how truly important it is. I really enjoy scripture (guess that's obvious), there is a certain power within those pages that sends my heart and soul soaring into the Heavens.

In our prayer life, it is important that we do not let pride be the reason we pray, "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6:5-6 How much more powerful private prayer really is when it is done in secret, one on one with God. Our relationship is with God, He is our Father, we must develop that relationship as much as we can as privately as we can. By doing so, we are not trying to make ourselves look holy before everyone. We must somehow incorporate prayer into our daily activities. Prayer holds great value in our spiritual life.

Now lets see a couple scriptures devoted to prayer. "But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." Acts 6:4. We can make scripture a big part of our prayer life. I like incorporating it into my blog research. The word is so powerful, so insightful, and I have to tell you no matter how times you refer back to the same scripture over and over through the years, the reflection and impact in your life changes. It all depends on where you are in your life, and in meditating on scripture the depth of those verses and readings will change with your needs and experiences. It is so powerful, I keep a journal so I see how I understand scripture differently at different times in my life. "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer." 1 Timothy 4:4-5 and, "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." James 5:16

Do you see how much fun it can to go through scripture while meditating on the word. There are so many gems of wisdom to be found in God's word. "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints," Ephesians 6:18 Now here's a very popular well known verse when it comes to prayer, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6 and "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;" Colossians 4:2 I pray that your prayer life grows and that your quest for God, His love, and His mercy fill you with an overflowing never ending Joy !!!

So I say, pray everyday, I enjoy the rosary, you may prefer scripture, no matter how, please find time for prayer.


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

Take Nothing For The Journey

Beads of Joy 02-04-10
Take Nothing For The Journey
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,

Time for us to travel light, take no provisions on this most incredible journey. Today's gospel is such an inspiration, so much wisdom in Jesus' words. Today we are reading Mark 6:7-13 (The Mission of the Twelve). We need to be free of any form of greed or preoccupation if we are going to truly serve our Lord. I am far from perfect, but I will say in the past I to was a clutterer, a collector of things one might say. But that was in my past, mostly all of those things are gone; I only have some clutter, but virtually nothing compared to before. My most valued, most treasured "things" are my bible and a handful of study books for studying scripture, and of cause all my journals and my rosary. I feel that having so much stuff is indeed a distraction from what our real purpose is here on earth.

Jesus told the twelve, "Take nothing for the journey except a staff, no bread, no bag, no money in your belts." verse 8. I can see the staff being there to hold you up, keep you strong, keep you moving forward. I believe our Lord did not want the disciples to have possessions so that their own selfish purpose and ego will be filled; with pointless time wasted on focusing on that which serves no meaning in life. I look back at my life at all that stuff I got rid of, and I can plainly see it's main purpose was to consume my time. I use to have a comic book collection (huge collection), Star Trek book collection, I also collected belt buckles, coins from around the world, stamps, CD collection (another huge collection), sports figure collection, Wheaties cereal box collection, etc. Back on Friday, December 21, 2007, I wrote a blog about this and how in the 1980's I started to rid my life of all my stuff.

I sure hope that link to that blog was helpful. Our time here in this life is short when put in perspective. Eternity is a long time, and based on how you spend this time here will determine how you will spend eternity. I can't see wasting my entire life collecting "things" and saving things that don't have some sort of an eternal value to them. Yes I agree some things have sentimental value, but that's different. Unless the pile of sentimental value stuff you have fills a U-Haul, well then you got some soul searching to do to get that pile down. This task is something we all have to and should do individually and frequently in our lives. I try to keep the clutter down about every 2-3 months. I'd rather give things away then store them and keep them.

Let us not be eager to please ourselves in this life, rather let us serve our Lord and others with excitement and joy. And should we be such a hoarder of things, well then maybe we should go through all this stuff and start giving it all away. Bring some spontaneous joy into someone else's life, "He said to him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." Luke 18:22. That scripture was Jesus speaking to a rich young ruler. There is so much in scripture warning against hoarding and storing up things.

The greatest story I liked was in Luke 12:16-23, "And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. "And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' "Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. "For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing."

God has entrusted us with talents and gifts to be shared.

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

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Personal Boldness About Jesus

Beads of Joy 02-03-10

Personal Boldness About Jesus
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

That's a tough thought isn't it, what if the family we live with, the people we work with, those we attend school with, the spouse we married: Are Non-Believers? What do we do then? How do we not only live our own lives fully to His will? but also include them so that we can help save their souls so they can spend eternity in Heaven also? This is a tough deal I know, our first stage must be in holding our own ground in our faith, yes get tough and be bold in Jesus. We do not need to be arrogant or rude, but do not allow fear to be the driving force to decide on how you will do all you can to please anyone else. Yes, sharing Jesus with them and saving them is the first order of business. But sometimes in my own experience I have learned that in some situations; not all, we do not want them so angry at us, that they take it out on our faith, pushing them further away. There's something inside all of us called our gut, and you know the boundaries better than anyone, so each situation does have a varying approach.

Let me start by saying I became Born Again in the spirit in the spring of 1983. I still haven't dated anyone yet, lol..back at you, no I wasn't closed in; I just wasn't interested at the time, I was just way too busy working on cars with my dad. I just finished restoring my 1976 Chevy Nova in my senior year in high school. Well anyway back to the story, when Jesus and our Blessed Mother became part of my life, my life changed dramatically. For whatever reason at that time, maybe because I was still a babe in the spirit, and I had no ego to protect when it come to sharing how my life had changed. I told everyone, everywhere who Jesus was. I use to invite friends and family to the three prayer groups I use to attended every week. I was on a mission, and that was to share Jesus and our Blessed Mother with everyone, the overflowing exciting, fantastic feeling inside my soul had to be shared, just like it is now in my life. I'm telling you guys, there is so much joy inside my heart I can not contain it.

Anyhow, once I knew my life would never be the same I prayed about where my future would be (married?, priest?, missionary?, brother?). Yes all of those where thought about and considered extensively. I was extremely serious about becoming a priest, but I have got to tell you; I had this really good feeling that I wanted to be a husband and a dad. I have always wanted to be a dad. My dad and my uncles and my grandfather all played a huge role in my life; I greatly admired the joy and love they all had in raising kids. I came from a very happy, very joyous family upbringing. So the tugging and struggling to decide ended in the fact that I really want to be a husband and a dad. I gave you all this background for many reasons, mostly so my life stories all make sense when I eventually get to the point, I have the gift to gab, or type. LOL. But more so that you maybe able to relate to similarities in your own lives.

From day one in my faith after deciding that a family was what I truly wanted, I knew that whichever woman I would date; would have to know right out the gate about my faith. She have to know Jesus comes first in my life and she'd also have to know how important it is to me, that she to be a woman who put Jesus first in her life. I got to tell you, this was so important to me. I even promised we'd date so much throughout every week. The only catch was we'd be going to prayer meetings together, for sharing, fellowship, top of the lungs singing to Jesus, and at least on Wednesday nights, our meetings were followed by a visit to the Golden Dove Diner on Richmond Avenue with our prayer group. We'd pray at the diner, share more, laugh a lot, it was a blast. But all of this was a prerequisite to being with someone in a long term relationship. I really felt if I was going to find the right woman, Jesus had to part of it. But that's just me. I hope you can find the courage to just be YOU, and let Jesus shine through you in your life.

Let Jesus be bold in sharing Jesus, tell everyone who is number 1 in your life. And tell them why.


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

The Presentation of the Lord

Beads of Joy 02-02-10

The Presentation of the Lord
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

A most joyous feast day for us to celebrate today: The Presentation of the Lord, today's gospel is Luke 2:22-40 (The Presentation in the Temple). Mary and Joseph had two very special encounters at the temple on this most joyous day. First there was Simeon, who was a just and upright man who was very much in tune with God and Holy Spirit. He believed that he would see the Savior before he died. The Holy Spirit immediately revealed to Simeon Jesus as Mary and Joseph approached the temple. Are we able to sense "Jesus'" presence when He is near? Simeon said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation" verse 29-30. Second there was Anna, a prophetess, who was of great age as the scripture tells us. She was an eighty four year old widow who did not leave the temple, who remained in prayer till she got to speak with our Lord. Most incredible story about two amazing people.

The power of the Holy Spirit reveals to us the presence of Jesus to those who are open and eager to receive him. Simeon and Anna would not have known Jesus as He entered the temple if their lives were all cluttered up with other matters. Do we recognize Jesus' presence in the people around us, do we sense when our Lord is leading us to someone Jesus wants our lives to touch with His word or His love. We must be able to be receptive in doing the Lord's work for Him. There's a wonderful song called, "Here I Am, Lord" Let us be open to Jesus, this song truly expresses to our Lord that we are here for Him. This is a most special day in the Catholic Church.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6fYAiqV-Bs&feature=related

Today's feast was originally known as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a relatively ancient one. History shows that the Church at Jerusalem has been observing and celebrating the feast during the first half of the fourth century, and maybe even possibly earlier.

Prayer of The Feast of the Presentation
Almighty and everliving God, we humbly pray that, as your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple, so we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Today's Readings
FIRST READING: Malachi 3:1-4
("Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.")
SECOND READING: Hebrew 2:14-18
("Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy the power of death.")
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 2:22-40
("And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.")


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

Catching Sight of Jesus

Beads of Joy 02-01-10

Catching Sight of Jesus
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

This was exciting, thrilling, and there was so much joy as the man from Gerasene was healed in front of the disciples. Our dear Lord Jesus has healed yet another demoniac. It's also exciting to read about and study the miracles our Lord has blessed so many with. Today's gospel is Mark 5:1-20 (The Healing of the Gerasene Demoniac). As Jesus got out of the boat, there was a man with an unclean spirit who saw Jesus. He was off in the distance catching sight of Jesus, he ran up to Jesus and laid prostrate before Him. There was no doubt that scripture has shown us several times that demons and the devil and unclean spirits are very real. It is also obvious that a demon has the power to enter into a human being.

To me it appears that since the original sin of Adam, man has become subject to satan; and these unclean spirits are the mere fruit of the fall. But I also believe that such demonic possession can't take place without the consent of the will of that person. To some degree you must be open to the way the evil one thinks. Jesus is well aware of the demons presence as well as they are aware of His. Look at this reading where Judas ate and satan entered him, "As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. "What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him," John 13:27. Judas has been sinning all along very purposefully, so he has been open to the evil one. "But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it." John 12:4-6. Let us not sink into the depths of moral depravity. The desires and pleasures of this world will eventually destroy us if we are open to them.

How do we feel? Do we feel driven by anything within us that is beyond our strength to resist? The greatest part about sin and temptation is that our Lord is faithful to us in how we can handle sin. I realize many cannot see why I would say, "the greatest part about sin" but I pray that because of knowing this scripture, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13. This scripture is about caution against over confidence. Obviously the further away from sin we try to stay the better it will be. Just think about my blog where I tell the story about the truck driver getting close to the edge of the cliff. If we stay far away from falling into the pit, then we have not opened ourselves to the evil one, making ourselves stronger when we are tempted.

There is no doubt that many were filled with amazement as they saw Jesus heal this man. They witnessed the unclean spirit from the one; who knew who Jesus was and they heard that these unclean spirits knew they were destined to be destroyed. They also heard Jesus simply say "Go!" to the demons as they left the man and entered the swine. We can see that the destruction of the swine was a deserved punishment to the spirits that violated God's laws. What an absolute miracle of power and grace that has taken place on this day. "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12. Let us live a life strong in resistance to sin, the further away we stay from danger; the easier it will be to avoid it. It is best to spend time in prayer as often as you can.

God gives us the strength to resist the evil one. We must stay strong in times of temptation.

It is impossible for a person who prays regularly to remain in serious sin; because the two are incompatible, one or the other will have to be given up.
St. Teresa of Avila


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

We Are Nothing Without God

Beads of Joy 01-31-10

We Are Nothing Without God
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

How sad it really is for those who either do not believe in God, or who consciously decides they will never believe in God. The madness in this world is in many ways doing all it can to mislead and misguide many into the pit of fire. They only desire to undermine every ones eternity in Heaven. There have even been some so called scientific studies which I have read that say "mankind" is a descendant of aliens. The world can't even prove that Aliens even exist, yet they are quick to say what they have, so they can discount God. If that's not a ludicrous crazy reach to get as far away from God, then I don't know what is. It's really sad.

Scripture needs to be our guide. We are so fortunate to have a God who loves us so much, that He left us what we need to follow Him - His Word. Here are two very powerful scriptures; "The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name - He will teach you everything and remind you all that I told you." John 14:26 and Jesus further teaches, "Whoever remains in me and I in Him will bear much fruit, because without me you do nothing." John 15:5 There is no doubt that life here on earth has no value without God. For we are the children of God, isn't that so exciting to know that the God of the universe is our Father. The very first verse of the entire bible states, "In the beginning, when God created the Heavens and the earth;" Genesis 1:1 There is only one God, and that one God is our Father. To further confirm this magnificent truth let us look at John 1:1, "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God."

Even though this world desires to discredit, destroy and remove the bible; it has remained to be thee single most read and studied book of all times. It also has been the most quoted and distributed worldwide book ever. Please take the time to embrace this magnificent book, so many of us have one, but we don't spend enough time inside its pages. We are really nothing without God; once we really understand the power in that statement I think then we will see and know that our lives are only complete with Him. Our worshiping God should include: reading, studying, teaching and preaching the word. "Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God, a workman who causes no disgrace, imparting the word of truth without deviation." 2 Timothy 2:15

The kingdom that God has for us, is for His children, for those who are just, for they shall inherit the kingdom of God. "Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God?" 1 Corinthians 6:9 Just take a look at the Beatitudes, so many verses help guide us to the Father. Also who else do you want with you?, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31 God is our Father, let us cry out to Him, "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption , through which we cry, Abba, Father!" Romans 14:15 I simply love scripture, back in 1983 when my entire world changed and my spirit found Jesus; I read the entire bible cover to cover, I've done that about 3 times in the past 27 years. I tell you this to say that from that experience I wrote a Complete Bible Directory, which I copyrighted, for no purpose. It was just so much fun to do, a select few people in my life back then watched me on the old typewriter typing all those pages. Technology wasn't what it is today. My love for scripture through the years has only deepened. I invite you to find God in His word so that He can find Him in you.

Discover the generosity and love God has for you in His word.


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


Some Fun Amazing Facts about the Bible:

-There are about 170,000 Bibles distributed each day in the U.S.
-The Bible is now available in 2,233 languages.
-Christianity is the world's most widespread religion (1.7 billion Christians).
-The Bible was originally written in 3 languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
-The Bible is also the world's most shoplifted book in the world. (odd hey)
-In 1454, the Bible was the first book ever printed. Life Magazine called this the single most important event of the second millennium.
-The last word in the Bible is AMEN.

Even Wind and Sea Obey

Beads of Joy 01-30-10

Even Wind and Sea Obey
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

What an absolutely memorable day this must have been for the disciples. With the power of His word, "the wind ceased and there was great calm." V.39. Today we are reading Mark 4:35-41 (The Calming of the Storm). What I found in today's study was an obvious contrast between "the sleeping Prophet - Jesus" and "the fleeing Prophet - Jonah". It has been noted in my research that the disciples saying "Lord, Lord, save us" awoke Jesus at their cry and need and want to be saved; reflects our cry for Jesus when we are in the storms of life. In direct response to their cry Jesus came and rescued them with just His words.

That is so powerful, but so true to the actual simplicity of our faith. It really is that simple, we speak His name, and He responded to us with His word, and we are saved. Obviously it's a bit more than that, but that is indeed one of the key components to the core of our faith. We turn to Him, He turns to us, He gives us Himself, His word, and the Holy Spirit, nothing else is needed to create "the calm" we need in our lives. What was really interesting in this research was the interpretation of the sea and the wind. In scripture the sea is seen as a symbol of the restlessness of this sinful world we live in. I have come across a couple of scriptures that help in that reflection on how the sea is indeed represented in scripture as a place where sin and restlessness symbolically occur. Jonah was trying to escape God's will for him, and with Jesus the disciples faith was being tested. Those scriptures are: Daniel 7:2 and Isaiah 57:20

I will be the first to admit I am not a sea worthy person. LOL. In fact I am the exact opposite, I am a land-lover not wanting my feet off the solid ground, I'm not even comfortable in an airplane. I was on a flight about two months after 9-11, going to St Louis, MO and with all that went on during that time I admit I was scared to death. LOL. See my cousin Michael D'Esposito was in the first tower that went down, that was very sad. Sorry if I got side tracked, I'm not being wimpish with the height thing or the sea thing.. LOL. What I am saying is that I can only imagine the fear the disciples must have felt when the fury of a storm hit them; scripture says, "A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that is was filling up." v.37. Can you imagine, a boat full of people, filling with water in a violent storm. It must have been so hard even with such faith; that is why the disciples cried out to Him to save them.

In this world as sinners, we are rocked by the winds and sea of our sins and passions that engulf us up at times. Like the disciples we cry, "Lord, save me." And immediately (figuratively speaking) with His word, He saves us. I know it don't always seem like He immediately saves us, we must trust in Him. Sometimes our Lord has a special plan for us, and the timing isn't what we think it to be. We must trust that in all good things, there is a time. Sometimes we need to have other experiences in our lives, in order for us to be prepared for the wonderful plans He has for us. Always trust in Him and stay loyal to Him, He will always be there for you. Always keep your spiritual eyes open, and you will see things you've never seen before. You will be amazed and filled with so much joy.

All things in this world are subject to obeying God's word.


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

A Tiny Grain of Mustard Seed

Beads of Joy 01-29-10

A Tiny Grain of Mustard Seed
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

A mustard seed? It is one of the tinniest of seeds, yet it produces a large shrub for the birds to come nest in. We must realize that no matter how tiny or small something is it can still contain life inside it, and when fully grown it can provide shelter and comfort for others. Today's gospel is a very powerful dual parable, Mark 4:26-34 (The Parable of the Growing Seed & The Parable of the Mustard Seed) In today's gospel we can see how a tiny mustard seed has the ability with good soil to grow into a large shrub. The most fantastic thing about the life of a seed, is that it very quietly, very continually grows, and the growing starts from within the seed itself. Just like we grow from within in our spirit, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our faith can be looked at like that, no matter how insignificantly small we might think it to be, there is life within it. By further nurturing our faith with bible study, prayer, adoration, fellowship and so much more, in time it will grow. As it grows we really want it to grow in quality not quantity, if that makes sense. We need to keep ourselves on track spiritually. Staying in the word, attending Mass, going to confession; let's really work at refining and building our faith so that God may use us for His glory. He wants us to be open to Him, ready to give Him whatever it is He needs. We need to allow Him to change us, transform us with His grace and power.

Inside all of us we have been given the power through the Holy Spirit to transform ourselves into a vessel for God. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2. Powerful, scripture is like a nutrient that a root seeks out to nourish the rest of the tree. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13. It is in scripture that we find and understand what it is God so desires for us in this life. Trusting in Him is the first step to being able to be open to Him.

It is Jesus who has sowed His seed in our hearts, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;" 2 Corinthians 4:7. We have no power alone within ourselves to be like Jesus, we must first trust in the power of the Holy Spirit that God has given us. Our faith is based on a relationship, that relationship will flourish and grow. Do we believe that the power of the Holy Spirit will work it's will with us and transform us? Prayer is a great first step, speak to Jesus, ask Him for guidance, patience and understanding. He will so willingly be there to help guide you to His heart.

The tinniest faith one has is more than enough for Jesus to work with.


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

Do Not Be Seduced By The World

Beads of Joy 01-28-10

Do Not Be Seduced By The World
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

My Friends,

This is far more serious then I think many realize. Satan has the ability to seduce to us, trick us, mislead us and then devour us. We need to stay attentive to what is going on around us at all times. Let us just think about this for a moment; if I were to tell you that a specific car or bus was destined to be in a horrific accident and you will be amongst the dead if you are in that vehicle, would you knowingly get into that vehicle, put your seat-belt on and ride it anyway? Of cause not! It's just like our lives in this world, if we remain seat-belted to it, it will end in a horrific accident and we will be amongst the dead. Sometimes we need to just trust our instincts, and run the other way. Look at Matthew 7:13, ""Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it."

But Thank God we have our bible, and the Holy Spirit and Godly brothers and sisters to help guide us along the way. We are also very fortunate to have a list to go by, it's not the most complete list, but it's a very helpful outline that should and could help save our lives one day. The list I am referring to is, The Seven Deadly Sins. Not only will they make you unclean before God, but if we are entangled in them at our death, we will for all eternity pay the ultimate price. Each sin in it's own way has the innate ability to find a way into our lives. The Seven Deadly Sins are: Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed, and Sloth. Some of these may sound too severe for us to be involved, but that's the trickery of the enemy. It's the subtlety of our scurrying around the edge that will be our undoing. Satan need not drag us into the lions den, he just wants us to lean next to cage and peak in; there we are thinking we are safe, then "wham" the lion strikes us down through the bars. And you are dead.

I was in Des Moines, Iowa about three years ago for a couple of weeks training at TMC (it's a truck company), and the trainer made a very insightful observation of a students arrogance and pride. This student thought he was in control and he had all the driving skills he needed to be the best, no matter what the situation was, or where he had to drive. So in the wisdom of the teacher he asked this student a question: "How close to a cliff can you get and still have control of your truck?" In this drivers pride and of cause arrogance he said, "half an inch, easily, maybe closer". Immediately the teacher turned to a student he knew was wiser and smarter and asked him the same question. Do you know what answer that student gave? He said, "I'd stay as far away from that cliff as I can, knowing the possible disastrous outcome, why take the chance." The teacher then told the arrogant student, "I wouldn't trust being in your truck with you, you run the risk of killing both of us."

Pride is the main component here that always seems to underline the other sins and seductions that entangle us, making us think we are in control. "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." Proverbs 11:12 We must trust in God and make decisions that draw us closer to Jesus, and further away from danger. Why run the risk of eternal damnation all for the thrill of worldly gain? I find no gain in the things of this world. "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does comes not from the Father but from the world." 1 John 2:15-16 We can use the things of this world for God's glory, but let's not allow them to embrace us and engulf us.

The world will seduce you, then at deaths cry it will abandon you.

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

He Went Out Sowing Seed

Beads of Joy 01-27-10

He Went Out Sowing Seed
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

Another exciting parable has been shared today, what an extremely joyful experience it always is in studying the parables Jesus shares with us. Today we are reading Mark 4:1-20 (The Parable of The Sower). Such brilliance and insight have been put in the most simplest of terms for all of us to understand. In this scripture Jesus also explains the true meaning of the parable. Usually we can interpret a parable and come up with a variety of very acceptable ways to understand what Jesus is telling us, but in this one, He fully explains to us exactly what He is talking about in His teaching. That is so exciting; Jesus teaches us, explains His teaching to us and we embrace the parable and move boldly forward in our walk with Him.

In this particular parable Jesus is speaking directly to the hearers of the word; while Jesus Himself is the Sower of the Word. Seeds and roots and plants why does Jesus use such imagery? A plant needs good, rich soil in order for the seed to grow with the best nutrients. And the key is in the roots. A tree needs its roots to be dug down deep into rich soil. Another aspect of these images is that if a tree isn't rooted well enough it dies. And if its nutrients don't flow up through the roots the leaves will die and the tree will not produce good fruit. There is so much wisdom in using this type of imagery. In this parable Jesus is the sower of the seeds, and we embrace those seeds into our lives. Where they fall will determine the outcome of them in us.

Let's look at a recommended scripture reflection in this study, "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8. Very well explained parallel to today's reading. How else does a tree get the necessary nutrients and water in order to stay alive and be healthy. It is through God's grace that we are given the strength to live the way Jesus wants us to. It is in God's word that we learn and grow deeply in love with Him. I can't stress it enough, how important it is for you to spend time in His word everyday.

In our busy, non-stop lives of instant gratification do we hunger God's word? Do we seek out His words, and His wisdom? We to must become sowers of the word, sharing and planting seeds of love everywhere we go. We need to understand that there is purpose in all these parables and Jesus explains it fully in Matthew 13:10-17, "Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: `You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.' But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

Embrace Jesus in His Word, learn all you can from Him. Then share that joy with others.


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

She Is Mary Ever-Virgin

Beads of Joy 01-26-10

She Is Mary Ever-Virgin
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

What a magnificent exciting reading we have to reflect upon today. This is the one where many try to say Mary should not be so recognized the way the Roman Catholics do. Today's scripture is Mark 3:31-35 (Jesus and His Family). In this very gospel it may appear that Jesus makes no acknowledgment of our Blessed Mother, "who are my mother and my brothers?" verse 33. Some even say this proves our Blessed Mother had other children after giving birth to Jesus. Rubbish I say.. LOL. Is it not obvious in these verses how Jesus by His example is showing us that God must come first and foremost in our lives. Just because we put "Jesus" before our own mother, that doesn't by any means mean that we don't honor, love and cherish our mother. She is Mary Ever-Virgin.

Our dearest most Blessed Mother remained a virgin after giving birth to Jesus. Thought: Even though she is a virgin, she still gave birth to a Son, Jesus. Consider this scripture to help you better understand the power that Jesus bestows, "Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" John 20:26 He who entered through locked doors was not a ghost, in that scripture He told Thomas to touch Him and know that He is real. Just like that, Mary's womb became the sacred place where our Blessed Lord's tiny little body was formed. Consider her womb as an altar, a place where God's hand fashioned His Son to become human for us. A place that holds true sacred value in bringing Jesus into our world. There is no way that God would ever allow such a sacred holy place to be defiled. She is Mary Ever-Virgin.

It is in her womb where we would became free, it is in her womb that our sins were forgiven, it was in her womb that joy was able to enter into the world and free us from the bondage of our sins. She truly became God's perfect vessel to bring Jesus who is prefect, into this world; no other vessel was made so holy, she had to have remained pure for in her womb the very physical body of Almighty God was made human. No other person in this whole world, ever in all of time, has ever had God made human in their womb. No other persons blood flowed through their body and God's body at once. No other person nurtured God through pregnancy and birth; no other person has ever be so physiologically connected to the God of the Universe. She is Mary Ever-Virgin.

Her poverty brought much comfort to the poor. The Mother of Jesus struggled like many of us do having to take care of our own self with no outside help, no servants or handmaids were at her beck and call. Under God's protection, she was placed amongst those the world payed no mind to, the poor. She was placed amongst the very people God knew needed His love, His forgiveness, His mercy and His saving grace. She in her innocence hid any shadow of doubt that others might think Him not to be an authentic human. Also note that with Mary's blood running through Jesus' body, she indeed has connected Jesus to the ancestry of the House of David. She is Mary Ever-Virgin.

It is through Mary that Jesus' humanity is guaranteed.


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

Understanding The Joy

Beads of Joy 01-25-10

Understanding The Joy
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

If there's anything I have tried to accomplish or gain with all these blogs; it's the chance to really explain and share the very JOY inside of me. I have written about this before, I thought maybe I'd approach it from another angle. Now many of you know a lot of the basics. Our religion isn't at all about a "religion" it's all about a "relationship". Our faith is love. Our desire to follow our faith is all based around the love in our relationship with Jesus. It's not a faith we sin against, rather it is a person we offend and hurt when we sin. Let's first understand what JOY is, the way I see it in my own life. The center of JOY is "Others". With that being said, know that that's the center core to my JOY.

In my prayers I sincerely pray that this all makes sense, and that you to will be able to embrace JOY as I have. To start with we must have a sincere focus in our life on Jesus. That relationship must come first and foremost in our thinking and living each day. We must see Him and know Him as a person, as God, as our Savior. We must give Him thee utmost respect and love as if He were standing before us right now. This key aspect of JOY to me is so important. I also have a couple of other activities in my life to keep that flame of JOY glowing in my life. For starters I have a very rich, very alive bible study routine (habit if you will), that keeps my heart filled with JOY in the word. I also watch: The Passion, King of Kings, and The Jesus Film, over and over and over and over, to the point that I know these movies almost verbatim. Strange, maybe, but there is a purpose. I want His image alone etched in my brain and my heart, out with the bad, in with the good. And yes I cry every time at the Scourging and the Crucifixion, a true cleansing. And lastly I try my best to fellowship with many believers, so that the synergy of excitement for Him is magnified.

Those three activities are such a critical part of who I am spiritually; and they all play a role in keeping the JOY I have in my heart overflowing. In my life Jesus comes alive everyday in those three ways. In His Word, In His Image and In Fellowship honoring Him. I do all I can to incorporate all these activities as frequently as I possibly can everyday. I believe sharing Him is the greatest gift I can ever give in return as my Thank You. Nothing in this world compared to Him has any value whatsoever. Nothing! I place no value or hold on anything in this life. "For His sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him," Philippians 3:8. Another very powerful part of my life is minimal physical materialistic attachment to this world. Yes a mouthful. LOL, but another vital key to my JOY: minimal distractions.

Finally my brothers and sisters I say rejoice and praise Him in your every waking hour. When we think of our parents in our hearts, we have such JOY and we love them. Even after the thought of love has left and other thoughts flood our mind, subconsciously we continue to love them. That special connection of never "not" loving needs to remain in us with our love for Jesus. Embracing Him as if He were standing right here, right now is so important. Allow the power of the Holy Spirit to have Him become so alive in your heart, that your soul can't contain the overflowing JOY it'll produce. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27. Others !!! Must come first, not only in fellowship but in mercy and love. Here is the order: Jesus always first, Others always second, You always last. JOY

Allow the JOY of Jesus to overflow your heart and soul.


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

Anger in America

Beads of Joy 01-24-10

Anger In America
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

As promised a very personal blog, one that I hope you maybe able to gain from for yourself. The anger I speak of personally I have shared with many people in person through the past year and a half. What I have found is that the anger I personally deal with in my heart; is also tainting the hearts of many Americans. What was really an eye opener was while in confession, confessing this very sin I had a conversation with Father; he said that this particular sin is one that is most commonly confessed right now, more so than ever before. That's not a good thing, but just knowing that, it's good to know that I am not alone.

My political rant started back in mid-2008, so this has been a very long ride. But this past week has been filled with much hope and a glimmer of light has appeared. Tuesday was the day that the tides have changed due to the elections in Massachusetts. I was excited when Virginia and New Jersey results made their political points, but this one in Massachusetts was the biggie, "Kennedy's seat", NO, it's the "People's Seat". How arrogant are these politicians, are they kidding us. I've never given up on us Americans getting our America back, but seeing so many in control only seeking to destroy what so many have died for, angers me. It's just that this very hard left Marxist agenda is destroying all we believe in. Our freedoms are the best in the entire world; I would rather die fighting to keep them, then to surrender to a bunch of bullies in Washington. See what I mean.

I think of all the generations that will follow us, my kids, your kids, the many grand kids who haven't even been born yet. We must do whatever we can to keep the cherished freedoms we have, so that they to can have them. I realize my anger runs away from me and it turns into rage at times. But I keep working on it, and I beg for forgiveness from our Lord. He knows my intention is never violent, rather it is peaceful anger at the fact that we could loose all of it. I often think of the anger our Lord had in the temple with the money changers. His anger was directed at keeping God's house holy, and not to turn it into a den of thieves. As I don't want to see our government turn our nations capital into a den of thieves, that not only steals the tax dollars from the tax payer to buy a vote; or use our tax dollars to kill babies. Abortion is another topic that infuriates me, and this administration embraces the murder of the innocent.

I see it very much that way. Our president and many of those following and writing out this crazy agenda; have no regard for the history of our country, and the bloodshed that has been poured out protecting it. So you now see how my passion for our American Freedom is a big deal to me in my life, and the lives of those generations to follow. It's not easy staying focused through all this, with staying away from anger. So many people feel just like I do. One thing I have concluded through all this for almost two years now is that; my personal prayer life and my relationship with our Blessed Mother has helped me a great deal with managing all my anger. I'm sure many can relate to this blog.

Never lose hope, we are Americans. We are determined to never lose our freedom.


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

Habit Is Overcome By Habit

Beads of Joy 01-23-10

Habit is Overcome By Habit
©2010 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,

How does one deal with bad habits? Some habits are indeed really bad. Some are bad for our health, some are bad for the health of those around us. Some bad habits generate sin in our lives every single time we get caught up in the loop of them. Whether it be pride, selfishness, impurity, slander, all of which usually includes presumption (meaning that we'll sin now, and know we'll be forgiven later). That is a vicious sin in and of itself that one can easily fall into. How do we finally rid ourselves of a habit that just never seems to go away? Now this is going to sound to simple, but honestly it does work, I have done this. Replace an old habit that you don't want in your life and replace it with one you do want.

OK here's the blueprint that I have used to replace a habit I no longer wanted with one that I not only preferred but was also pleasing to God. For starters write out both habits, the current one needs to be written out with your sincere criticism against it condemning it, bring it into the light. Even endless hours of watching TV isn't a good habit. Now with your new habit, the one you'd prefer a habit, you need to do this (I suggest this highly, it empowers you). You need to do some research, exciting convincing research with a bunch of notes on how you can implement this habit into your life. Here's an example of a new habit I incorporated into my life many years ago: Personal Bible Study. Let's say you want to replace your old habit of this. Get yourself all wound up in looking at the varieties you have, you can do OT studies, NT, gospel, apostles, topical studies and you can write on the overall tone of the scripture, or do poetry reflections. The ideas are limitless, creating so much excitement.

What I have found also is that in time if the habit becomes stale in anyway and you feel you may drift back into your old habit; just switch it up. In other words change the angle at which you maybe approaching your habit. If you were doing bible study and six months down the road the topical study was getting stale, start by doing a chronological study of the gospels, or a study of miracles in the Old Testament and the New Testament, same with the parables, you know they are also in the Old Testament. My technique through the past three years is variety. I mix it up all the time, but you my new habit of bible study included a habit of writing everyday. I can't get bored, I am addicted now, I find such an incredible peace and an overwhelming overflow of joy every time I dig myself into a study.

So can the new habit that replaced the old one become a bad habit? LOL I say that common sense tells you, yes it can. A dear friend and my Spiritual Director once told me, "Balance is important in my Christian walk." So to that I say if your new habit becomes an addiction that has you neglecting family, work, hygiene (lol), than this habit even if it's good, isn't good. The mix recommended to me was to include family time (share your gifts), volunteer time (give away your gifts), attend daily Mass (rejuvenate your gifts), this is indeed a nice moderate mix of variety through ones life. I sure hope this was helpful.

It takes 22 days of repetition to re-establish a new habit.


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

My Story - 1st Time Posted Here

Beads of Joy 01-22-10
My Story - 1st Time Posted Here
©2007 James Dacey, Jr. SFO

Hello Everyone,
(Originally written in 2006)


Here's how I Gave My Life and Heart to Jesus..

The Girl Scout Camp Weekend

Let's first look at the history of events that happened before I actually decided to follow Jesus. Here it was Father's Day weekend 1983, my family and my mother's Girl Scout troop went away on a camp weekend, I drove my car filled with camping supplies and my parents took their camper, it was a mini-motor home. We camped in a campground called Blueberry Hill in Port Republic, NJ, that's south Jersey near Atlantic City.
After a long weekend my parents needed some work done on their camper, so we all ended up staying through lunch and we even decided to go swimming for a while. Well once everything was done we hit the road, the Garden State Parkway was a straight run home back to Staten Island. After about an hour and a half of driving I realized I was really tired. So I was chatting with my parents on the CB and asked if they'd pull over so I can get some snacks and a soda. They said, "Are you Ok?" I replied," yes I am fine, I just need some food to keep me awake." So I grabbed some fudge stripped cookies and I think a Sprite, I got back in my car and off we were again. I stayed about 1 mile ahead of them, chatting and giving them traffic reports. My sister Patti wanted to drive with me, so we were in the front seat together and the back seat was filled literally to the top of the front seat with Girl Scout supplies, tents, equipment, literally most everything. I had a 1977 Chevy Nova coupe at the time. I had just bought this car and me and dad just painted it "1965 Chevy Bermuda Blue". I loved how this car looked. I bought it from my neighbor and friend Robert Noonan, me and dad worked on it for a couple months as I was getting ready to graduate high school.

Well not too much after that, my parents lost contact with us. I was exhausted, I had the CB on, the radio on, I was eating and drinking soda, and my sister was fast asleep next to me. I did all I can to fight sleep, but no matter what I did, with my lack of experience driving tired and the fact that we swam a couple hours ago, my body was exhausted. Well I ended up slamming into the guard rail hard, it threw my car up into the air, looking out of the windshield as we hit, we can see traffic in the local lanes passing by under us. We were in the express lanes. I remember as we hit, it woke me and my sister up and she yelled, "What's happening???" I replied, "We are in an accident". I knew I was supposed to be driving, so I knew I must have fallen asleep. This entire event happened in about a minute, but I tell you it was a very slow motion, long drawn out weird strange feeling... and here's the kicker.

As we rolled at a high speed roll, think about seeing it on TV or in a movie, it was the same way, we rolled 3 ½ times destroying my car, and camping gear was thrown all over the highway. As we were being tumbled I can only describe it like this, "a set of hands held us in the air in the car as the car rolled around us" and then when the car landed on the drivers door and slid for about 20 feet we were placed back down in the rubble. It was the most amazing feeling to be sheltered and protected in such a horrific accident.

Well as soon as everything settled I could still feel the car was still running, so I reached over and turned it off. As we emerged out of the passenger side, (note: the vehicle was lying on its side). There were so many people there helping us. We were helped out of the car and someone was cutting my battery cable to prevent a fire or explosion from the fuel. We later found out a family of EMS workers stayed behind us when they seen me swaying, the girl said to me, "we knew you were going to have an accident, we tried blowing our horn to wake you, but you didn't respond, so we stayed behind you." I looked up the highway behind us and in tears said to her, "I don't even remember that part of the road at all", and it was a curved section behind us, over an overpass.

Well within a few minutes my parents arrived and they were frantic, I later found out my mom said to my father, "Duke it the kids!!!!" They were on the local lanes side, my mother came running across traffic almost getting killed herself. My sister was lying on the ground with the EMS people looking her over; she had blood all over her body. And my left arm was all bloody. I was standing in bewilderment looking at what just happened, my first car was destroyed, all our belongings were everywhere, and I couldn't believe we were alive. My mother ran to my sister seeing all the blood and her lying she thought she was seriously hurt. Well it ended up that she had all my blood all over her, because as we went into the roll I covered and protected her from the shattering glass, and the glass fragments were in my arm. Once I was cleaned up, there was no evidence that anything had ever even happened.

Then my mother came over to me to see how I was, she said she ran to Patti first because she was on the ground and she seen me standing figuring I was OK. She and I got to chatting about what just happened, I told her, "I'm sorry, but I fell asleep." She said, "We knew something happened and we figured that this traffic was from you guys, your father and I couldn't get you on the CB." All of sudden my sister went into a rage yelling and screaming at me for speeding, and got us in an accident. I looked at her in tears and said, "What? Patti I….I fell asleep." Then she started crying and my mother was crying.

Well the highway patrol was there, an ambulance, and a tow truck were all at the scene, I have no idea when they arrived, and I don't even remember hearing the sirens at all. The police office wanted to see my driver's license, after taking it, he was in my face nose to nose, and I kept backing off. He said, "Son, were you drinking?" I was like WHAT. I said," No sir, I fell asleep" I explained to him about our long camp weekend and we were swimming just before we left.

So the ambulance took us to the local area hospital, both of us were in the same emergency room area, divided by a curtain. They cleaned us up and looked us over and said to my parents, "it a miracle these kids have no injuries at all. Your son has some very minor cuts from the glass shattering, but once cleaned up there's nothing. And your daughter is perfectly fine, all the blood was from your sons arm, she has no injuries at all." He said he was shocked by the way the EMS described the accident that we had no injuries. I hadn't revealed the part about the hands holding us yet. So we remarkably got up and walked out and left the hospital.

Once we were in my parent's camper I was in the passenger seat, I leaned out the window and yelled looking up to the sky, "Why did you save me????" I was not anger to be saved, I was angrier to believe there was a God. See at that time I was a self proclaimed atheist, I don't remember why but I knew I didn't believe. My father immediately said, "I thought you didn't believe?" I said I don't, and my mother just looked at me and smiled. I was beside myself at this point; I knew something happened here, more than just a bad accident. It was very serious accident that should have killed us both, but here we are walking away like nothing happened.

When we got home and things settled a bit I shared what I experienced through the rolling car and all the details. I think my mother at that point figured, hallelujah my son is saved. I was quick to say, I don't believe it. We were just lucky…

Some months went by and then the next chain events occurred:

My First Charismatic Prayer Meeting and I Wasn't Going
The night started out like this, I was sitting on the porch of one of neighbors with whom I use to chat about everything with. This guy, I called him "Uncle Mickey" his name was Michael Byrnes. His wife was Doris, they were an elderly couple, and none of the kids in the neighborhood liked them and they were always mean to them. Well, I liked them a lot, so through the years I found myself always hanging out with them, I always felt comforted by their kindness and openness to chat with a teenager. We use to talk about school, and girls and life and his job before he retired. He use to smoke a pipe (because of that to this day, I love the smell of a pipe, blackberry tobacco brings back so many wonderful memories) and he use to sip brandy when we talked. In fact he hid the brandy in his shed, his wife never knew, he told me. He was so cute. Years later after he died, she found it and asked me about it, I told her I knew, she smiled and we both hugged and cried. I was by his bedside in his home the day he died. My parents woke me out of a dead sleep saying, "Mrs. Byrnes wants me to come over right away, Mr. Byrnes isn't doing well." That was the saddest day in my life; that man as an angel sent to my life, he was my best friend. Well I don't want to get to side tracked, but I needed to share that.

So I was sitting on the porch at his house when this all began that night, my mother came over and asked me if I'd go with her to her prayer meeting. I looked at her in amazement and said, "No mom, I always told you I have no interest in that stuff." She looked at me and begged, "Please come with me and keep me company, your Aunt is unable to go and I don't want to go alone, I promise you don't have to do anything." So I looked at Uncle Mickey, I looked at mom, and said, "OK, you promise I don't have to do anything, and we'll sit in the back." She agreed.

Well we went to St. Patrick's Church in Richmondtown on Staten Island, it was an old beautiful church, and they had this huge cross of the Crucified Christ behind the altar, right in the center of the church. So everything went as planned, we were in the back, maybe ¾ of the way back and I had an isle seat for an easy quick exit if I wanted. But I forgot to bring reading material, so I can pass the time. So I figured and told my mother, "Guess I'll have to read some of the fiction from this bible." She smiled again, sometimes reflecting back I can see she had her hand in all of this, she must have been praying a lot.

The meeting and Mass went on and I don't seriously remember too much of what went on around me; I was reading about Noah, and then Joseph and what his brothers were doing to him. I was pretty much lost in the word. Now the end was drawing near and my mother whispered, "Stand up so we can say the Our Father." I said, "NO! We agreed I don't have to do anything." She responded," Once we're done with the Our Father we are leaving, come on its no big deal." So I got up and then realized we had to hold hands, and because I was in an isle seat , I had to go across the isle and get the others persons hand who sat on the other side placing me dead center of the isle looking straight up at the cross with my arms extended holding hands. At first I thought to myself, Wooow, how did I get myself here? So I figured, ok let's get this over with, maybe if I just recite the Our Father, this will be over all the faster. So I did "say" the Our Father looking intently at the cross.

Here it was again, another one of those slow motion experiences in my life. As my arms were out stretched looking at the cross, saying my Our Father. I had this feeling come over me. It was not a chill; believe you me, it was absolutely not the chills. On the right side of my body I felt this tingling entering my body, it moved across my body, stopped a second and then exited on the left side, once again I was beside myself not understanding what just happened. I knew that was way beyond my understanding, but I felt so at peace after it happened.

Well we got into the car, mom wanted to drop off a few friends, I said sure, I was driving. They were all chatting away and I stopped them and wanted answers and asked them about my experience. They looked at me in amazement and my mother said really fast, "How come I didn't feel that?" I laughed and said, "I have no idea what even just happen to me." I further explained and shared that I don't know why but I need to take Grandma to go see Grandpa (Eugene) at the cemetery. My mother said, "What, where did that come from?" I said, "Mom, I have no idea, but that was my first thought after I got that sensation of something passing through me. " Mind you I never knew my dad's dad at all; he died when my father was four. But I knew that that was what I had to do.

So the next day I called my Grandmother (Conchetta Dacey) and as detailed as I could I explained my experience from the night before. She was speechless in joy crying on the phone. She was so happy and so filled with joy, I was taken by it. She explained, "Jimmy, your Uncle Al always takes me to see Grandpa every week at the cemetery, but these past few weeks he has been too busy and I have been praying and praying that someone would take me, I kept telling your Grandfather, don't worry I will be there to see you, someone will take me…then you call and tell me all this. My prayers have been answered through you." I had no idea that her and my uncle use to go to the cemetery weekly. I was once again…..beside myself. I seem to do that a lot don't I when I am in bewilderment of a situation. It's funny I guess. I think the "beside myself" is a metaphor meaning that I wasn't standing alone, but rather the Holy Spirit was right there with me through those experiences.

Well she and I went to the cemetery very often after that. We ended up developing a very close bond, beyond our natural relations, she and I had a commonness that is really hard to explain, still is hard to explain after all these years. In fact it was that very experience in my life that led me to become the families historian, I felt so close to my family and my heritage now, that I desired to learn more. My Uncle Al was the Historian before me; he and I spent much time reviewing many details.

But I must tell you, my grandmother was the cutest, her broken English and her overwhelming joy made me realize that when God wants you, even if the first time He calls you, you turn away and deny Him, He will not stop till He gets you. He was persistent and He made me clearly understand that I can not live my life in complete joy without Him.

My Reflection
It been 35 years now since all that occurred in my life, and I must say, to this day, I can relive the emotional impact today like its happening for the first time. My life hasn't been the same since. I have been on many spiritual highs and in some deep valleys of challenges, but never ever have I ever turned my life away from my Lord and I will never ever deny Him. Jesus changed my life back then. I am so happy that He did.

He has filled my heart in such a way that so many of the things of this world have no meaning to me, and could never fill my heart like He does. I no longer have the emptiness that so many people have, trying to fill it with things. I cling to Jesus not the worldly society we live in. I find safety and comfort in Him; He alone is all I need. There's a saying I say and use to say a lot and still do now and then. It goes like this: "You can have all this world has to offer: its wealth; its lust, its things; all I want and desire is Jesus." And I mean that with all my heart.

Directly after that I got involved with 3 different charismatic prayer groups on Staten Island, I could not get enough of Jesus, I still feel that way today, I can't get enough of Him. Those meetings allowed me to meet and pray with some of God's most amazing people: Mother Eugena, Jerry Kelly, Carol Bulcroft, Doris, Sunny, Jackie; there are way too many people to mention, but that was our (me and my mom and then eventually me and Chrissy), normal weekly events in our life, even Jimmy 3rd as an infant use to come with us, many of us in the groups were part of all 3 groups, it was some incredible fellowship for years.
And early on, I was immediately drawn to Our Blessed Mother in St. Patrick's. She captured my heart at St. Patrick's, and I began immediately sharing to everyone there about the power of the rosary, these wonderful beads of joy and it was something everyone needed to learn about immediately. Praise You Jesus. I was a babe in spirit and on fire. Yes I am still on fire.

Now that I am speaking about "the Rosary" which for me makes me feel right at home. I adore Our Blessed Mother so much, she said "Yes", and opened the door for Jesus to capture my heart and soul. My mother's mom (Susan DePete) was very into praying her rosary. I use to spend much time over their house growing up. I use to go fishing with Grandpa a lot, then when he and I was home, I use to spend many hours just talking with Grandma, she use to tell me about her parents, her love for her sister; my Aunt Helen, and how much she loved Our Blessed Mother. She use to have a huge statue of Our Blessed Mother in her bedroom. And she use to say to me that the rosary was her favorite prayer. I still remember many of those chats; she was such a devout faithful woman. I remember at the funeral parlor crying putting a rosary in her hands saying, she can't go to Heaven without her rosaries. What a devout prayerful example she was, I am so happy she opened to me about her love for our Blessed Mother.

Then I met my darling wife Christine, she was and still is a most incredible woman, so loving and so unselfish in her ways. I was drawn to the way she loved me, and her nephews. She was compassionate and soft in her words. Chrissy was an Episcopalian, she later converted to be Catholic for us to be married, Mother Eugena trained her and they both became the closest of friends. My wife's private devotion to our Lord and the Blessed Mother and St. Francis throughout the years has had a true impact on me. She in many ways reminds me of my grandmother, having a serious, private devout life.Then years later after we got married, my mom and my wife began making rosaries, I didn't initially know about it, I was working when they were doing this. Well once I seen what they were doing and the joy they had in making them, I knew I had to this also. So in 1988-9 I began my rosary making, and have enjoyed making them to this day, and shall continue till Our Lord takes me. We have made and sent missions rosaries to Mother Teresa in Calcutta and Mother Angelica at EWTN monthly for years and many others around the world..

Reflecting back now I see, how the women in my life have always been such a huge part of my love for my Lord, most especially Our Most Blessed Mother. Thank You, Jesus.

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!


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

I am a Secular Franciscan (OFS)... 

Side Note: My dear friend and sister in the Lord, Janelle Martinez encouraged me to write this while I was in Oklahoma City, OK for the weekend. We've been sharing and talking about Jesus and our Blessed Mother the entire time for many months (just about that whole year), while I was out on the road driving a big rig cross-country for almost a year for TMC. Thank You Jan.

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