Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you”
We all have untapped gifts and talents that we may not even be aware of. When God created us, He made us all unique – there is no one else on the planet like you! Even your fingerprint is unique!
When God spoke and created the universe, the galaxies, stars, the world, He also created you! The creator of the universe lives in you!
God use me!
Ask God to use you, and you will be amazed at how He will transform your life and use you in ways you will never even imagine!
Ephesians 4:11-12 “And his gifts were that some should be Apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the Saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ”
May has been declared the Month dedicated to Mother Mary; Mother of God, and our Heavenly Mother ❤
This post is dedicated to Our Lady, and ways you can honor her in your life too.
Pray the Rosary
The Rosary is the most powerful prayer that Our Lady gave us. Given to Saint Dominic de Guzman in the year 1208, the Rosary is a prayer that has saves souls, converted sinners, and is a powerful force against vices and Satan, of which also provides signal graces and virtues to those who recite it. Pray your Rosaries, and ask Mary for her intercession when you pray ❤
Have a statue of Mary in your home
Just as we have photos of loved ones in our home, having a statue of Mary in your home is a gentle reminder that your Heavenly Mother is with you always, and is watching over you. She is the Mother of God, who loves us like her own children too, and can intercede for us when we ask her.
3. Set up a Mary Garden
A ‘Mary Garden’ is a beautiful expression of love for Mary! you simply have a statue of Mary in your garden and plant flowers dedicated to Our Lady around it. Flowers such as roses, lilies, marigold, lavender, daisies and columbine are some flowers that can be planted to adorn Our Lady
The Hail Mary (Rosary) to Our Lady and its Biblical Reference
Hail Mary, full of Grace
The Lord is with thee (Luke, 1: 28)
Blessed art thou among women
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus (Luke 1:41-42)
8th May marks the World Day for Fair Trade; the most diverse, reliable and largest global movements advocating for change, justice and equality for farmers working in developing countries, and ensuring that they get a fair wage.
That cup of tea/coffee you’ve just had? An everyday luxury for millions of people. Farmers who produce the coffee beans/tea leaves work tireless hours and only get a mere few coins for their work. Fair trade tackles inequality and poverty, opposing the greed and selfishness of large corporations who are only trading for money and profits at the expense of others.
It also makes sure that the farmers who grow the produce get a good wage so they can support themselves and their families.
Think about the next cup of coffee you have; does it have the Fairtrade mark on? Consider getting some Fairtrade products and help support farmers get their fair wages.
Source: Communicaffe International
#FairTrade
#Equality
References
Fairtrade International (2021) ‘Fairtrade’ Available online at: https://www.fairtrade.net Accessed on 27/03/2021
I love prayer. Prayer fills me with joy and happiness, and I pray on a daily basis.
By chance, I happened upon a #OneHailMaryCampaign om Twitter and followed what the feed was about. During the Lenten season (17th Feb-3rd April), Catholics all over the world were praying a ‘Hail Mary’ a day for different reasons. Some were personal, others were more general. As someone who loves Mary, the Rosary (of which is an incredibly powerful prayer!) and the Saints, I did my own #OneHailMaryCampaign as part of my Lenten journey. I have also included some of the Saints in Heaven in this post too. The Saints are our extended family who can intercede for us when we pray, and, through their Heavenly help, can enhance the power of our prayers ❤
Day 1; I prayed a Hail Mary for Our Ladies’ Intentions. To help bring more love, peace, healing and reparation to the world.
Day 2; I prayed a Hail Mary for the Unborn. On a daily basis, I pray the Rosary to End Abortion, and ask God and Mary to save babies from abortion, and for healing and forgiveness caused by the pain of abortion.
Day 5; Hail Mary for the Persecuted Church. The Persecuted Church is my devotion and I love serving the Persecuted Church! The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church! May she continue to thrive and grow amidst persecution. All Catholic Martyrs in Heaven, pray for us.
Day 6; I prayed Hail Mary for those who are lonely and isolated. Due to COVID, many people have become lonely and are unable to see family members. Saint Rita of Cascia, pray for us.
Day 7; I prayed a Hail Mary for those who have no one to pray for them. Your name is written in the palm of God’s hands – He will never forget you! Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Day 8; I prayed a Hail Mary for those who are sick. May Mother Mary comfort you, and miraculous healings occur. Saint Angela Merici, pray for us.
Day 9; I prayed a Hail Mary for children affected by divorce. Divorce is extremely hurtful to children and the impact is long lasting. Saint Helena and Saint Monica, pray for us,
Day 10; I prayed a Hail Mary for those who are bereft and grieving. Know that your loved ones in Heaven are happy, at peace, and may perpetual light shine upon them. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us.
Day 11; I prayed a Hail Mary for those who struggle with mental health. Mental illness is rife, and so many people are afflicted with mental health issues. Let’s all be kinder and more compassionate to each other. Saint Dymphna, pray for us.
Day 12; Hail Mary for those who are hurting from things they do not discuss. People fight battles everyday, and sometimes are fighting battles for years without anyone knowing. As mentioned above, let’s show more love and kindness to each other. Saint Jude, and Saint Camillus de Lellis, pray for us
Day 13, I prayed a Hail Mary for prisoners of conscience. People who are wrongly imprisoned for their religious beliefs and suffer human rights violations – these will not go unnoticed by God. Saint Leonard, pray for us.
Day 14, I prayed a Hail Mary for those who have been falsely accused of crimes and actions they did not commit. May justice be served, and those falsely accused be exonerated. Saint Gerard, pray for us.
Day 16; I prayed Hail Mary for Addicts. May they find help and treatment, and overcome their addictions. Saint Maximillian Kolbe, pray for us.
Day 17, I prayed a Hail Mary for those who are unemployed and struggling to find work, whether long term, or due to COVID – keep going!. Saint Cajetan, Patron Saint of the Unemployed, pray for us.
Day 22, I prayed a Hail Mary for Refugees. When people have to flee from their homes and leave everything behind due to war, persecution, or conflict, we have a duty to open our hearts ad our homes, and show love to our neighbors. Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini, Patron Saint of Refugees, pray for us.
Day 23, I prayed a Hail Mary for the homeless. May we do more to serve and help those on the streets, and show them love and compassion, and strive to do more to prevent homelessness, and keep people safe inside a home. Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, the Beggar Saint and Patron Saint of the Homeless, pray for us.
Day 24, I prayed a Hail Mary for survivors of domestic violence. Domestic violence spiked by 49% during the lockdown, and I know many people who are survivors of domestic violence… Saint Rita of Cascia, pray for us.
Day 25, I prayed a Hail Mary for our priests. Men who are called to the Priesthood lead wonderful lives and are imitators of Christ! Saint John Vianney, Patron Saint of Priests, pray for us.
Day 26, I prayed a Hail Mary for those who have lost children. Your children in Heaven love you and are with you always. Know that they are at peace, and send down love from Heaven. Saints Perpetua and Felicitas, pray for us.
Day 27, I prayed a Hail Mary for atheists and agnostics. Take a leap of faith and experience the wonderful love of our God! Saint Jude and Saint Monica, mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo, pray for us.
Day 28, I prayed a Hail Mary for those who are poor, needy and hungry. Your needs do not go unnoticed, and God will provide. May we also show love and support to each other when in times of need. Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us.
Day 29 I prayed a Hail Mary for those who suffer injustice. Injustices and human rights abuses across all over the world, and we need to do more to fight and protect other’s human rights. Saint Martin De Porres, pray for us.
Day 30, I prayed a Hail Mary for the police. To all our police on the front line who transform lives, protect the people, and enforce the law, thank you for your service! Saint Michael the Archangel, Patron Saint of the police, pray for us.
Day 31, I prayed a Hail Mary for doctors, ambulance staff and nurses. Thank you for helping those who are sick and providing care for people at the hospital. Saint Agatha of Sicily, pray for us.
Day 32, I prayed a Hail Mary for the fire service. Men and women who save people from fires and protect others. Saint Florian, pray for us.
Day 34; I prayed a Hail Mary for animals and the environment and that we take better care of it. God made us stewards of the Earth, and we have a duty to protect it, and protect animals from abuse and the prevent the destruction of their habitat. Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us.
Day 35. I prayed a Hail Mary for those who are victims of modern day slavery. I pray that organisations that help rescue survivors of this atrocity, and they live the rest of their lives in freedom. Saint Josephine Bakhita, pray for us.
Day 36; I prayed a Hail Mary for those who are exploited, degraded and abused in the porn industry. Pornography defiles and destroys people, and all pornographic producers and organisations need to be shut down, and a stance is taken against this vile scourge on society. Saint Seraphim of Sarov and Saint Rita, pray for us,
Day 37; I prayed a Hail Mary for those who who have lost parents and are grieving. Know that your parents in Heaven are watching over you, and are still with you, always. Saint Jerome Emiliani, pray for us.
Day 40; I prayed a Hail Mary that I deepen my relationship with Christ, and that everyone I pray for experiences the transformational power of God’s love in their lives ❤ May all the Catholic Saints pray for us!
Every morning, I wake up and I thank God for another beautiful day. I thank God for all the people in my life, and everything that He has done for me and others too. God has blessed me, and done so much more for me, than what I deserve!
Gratitude – appreciating the little things in life make a big difference to your outlook on life and makes you a happier person.
This blog post is a little different, in that I am encouraging all readers to show gratitude to those around them, and appreciate what you have, and the people you have in life.
Today, tell 3 people (or more) that you love them, and give different reasons as to why you love them and what you appreciate about them.
Look around you – look at what you appreciate in life. Whether it’s being outdoors and enjoying the sunshine/fresh air/birds singing/the beauty of nature, etc.
In the evening, write down 3-5 things you are grateful for. Whether that’s the people in your life, something in nature, or anything else that you are grateful for!
https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/19012342.new-scheme-urges-domestic-abuse-victims-ask-ani/ The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a whole range of issues for so many people. Everything from job losses, businesses closing down, people being unable to leave the house, people panic buying and stock piling. There has also been a sharp increase in mental health issues, loneliness, isolation, and fears about what the future holds. […]
Be there for family and friends when life gets tough Life is never always easy, and can at times throw unexpected challenges at us. Bereavement, sudden illness, a life-changing event, can throw us off course and we need to support each other when life gets tough.
2. Don’t sweat the small stuff Enjoy life – have a laugh, and don’t let the little things get you down!
3. Listen and show support when someone is struggling, especially when someone is grieving, or dealing with mental illness. Anxiety, depression and other mental health illnesses can last for years. Bereavement is a hard thing to cope with too. Listening and being there for family and family who are struggling with their mental health, or when someone is grieving, can be a massive help to them. Showing you care can bring a ray of light into someone’s life when they’re down.
4. Rise to a challenge! When a challenge rears its head – go for it! Push yourself and try something new!
5. Have a good laugh! Having a laugh is the best thing for your wellbeing! Laughter is the best medicine, and it’s good to have a laugh with family and friends as often as possible!
The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church, and the Persecuted Church is the strongest, and the most thriving church in the world that continuously grows stronger through persecution and martyrdom (1)
(Source: Dreamstime)
During the years of my spiritual growth, the continuation of my faith deepening, daily prayers, meditations and Rosaries, and my life-long journey with God, I have developed a special devotion where I regularly pray, supporting and advocate for the Persecuted Church (2).
After a prayer meeting at a local church, the Persecuted Church came up in a discussion, and, during that prayer meeting, I felt a fire ignite inside me (the same fire that was ignited leading to the collation and publication of the Everyday Miracles Book). Since then, I have prayed daily for the continued strength of the church, asked the Martyrs in Heaven for their intercession, supported various campaigns and advocated for the persecuted church through Open Doors (3)
The Persecuted Church is my spiritual devotion. A spiritual devotion is simply where, during your spiritual development and growth, you gravitate towards a particular issue, and dedicate more time, work and prayer for it. Other examples of devotionals include: Conversion of Sinners, The Rosary to End Abortion, the Souls in Purgatory, and Penance. (4, 5, 6, 7)
Work in my church includes running events such as the Card Signing event, and ‘I See You‘ Campaign. Additionally, I wrote to Karen Pierce, the UK’s permanent ambassador to the UN, to investigate the persecution and strengthen the UK’s response to helping our persecuted brothers and sisters.
Every year, Christians around the world observe a ‘Week of Prayer for Christian Unity’, and is being held from 18th-25th January 2021 (1)
Globally, Christians come together to pray for each other, pray for peace and justice. In the wake of the pandemic, millions of people will be praying for those who have become ill, for those who have COVID-19, and for all the frontline staff who are saving lives.
As mentioned in previous my blog posts The Power of Prayer and When I Stand Before God, prayer is incredibly powerful, and the more people come together in unity to pray, miracles will happen.
Consider spending some time in prayer, even if it is for a few minutes a day; prayer will do so much more than what you could possibly imagine!
“When 2 or more are gathered in My Name, I am there” Matthew 18:20
