Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Nine Minutes in Heaven



News Video from CBN.com

During a minor surgery Crystal  McVea took a nine minute journey into heaven which restored her faith in God.

Sunday, June 02, 2013

Author Stephen King’s Pro-God Response to Atheists and Non-Believers

Stephen King - Photo From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following excerpt is from TheBlaze.com:



Author Stephen King believes in God — and he also thinks that the universe is built in a such an organized manner that the notion of “intelligent design” is wholly supportable.
 
King, known for penning thrillers and horror books that both entertain and create intrigue in the minds of readers, made these comments during a recent interview with NPR. Considering the writer’s prominence, his views on God and intelligent design are noteworthy.
 
So, what did he say, exactly?
 
During the exchange, King had some interesting words for atheists and those who are unsure about the existence of a higher power. In particular, he charged that these individuals miss all of the signs that overwhelmingly point to structure.
 
“I choose to believe it. … I mean, there’s no downside to that. If you say, ‘Well, OK, I don’t believe in God, there’s no evidence of God,’ then you’re missing the stars in the sky and you’re missing the sunrises and sunsets and you’re missing the fact that bees pollinate all these crops and keep us alive and the way that everything seems to work together,” he said.
 
All of these structures, he noted, suggest that the world was built by a higher power — a figure who organized everything and structured it accordingly.
 
“Everything is sort of built in a way that to me suggests intelligent design,” King added.
 

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Sunday, February 03, 2013

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Illuminating Angels: Comforting Angels



From the site of Guideposts.com:

Doug Snyder brings you another episode of Illuminating Angels. This time we take a look at Comforting Angels. This is a Guideposts production.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Katie Souza: God's Love Found in Lockdown



CBN TV - Video

The following excerpt is from CBN.com:

This salvation story proves that God can find a lost soul anywhere... even in solitary confinement.

Katie Souza says,“I remember slumping back against that cold cement wall, thinking, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ I had been fighting everybody out on the streets, and now I’m fighting everybody inside. I didn’t even realize I was fighting God Himself. Right then, the Lord spoke to me. ‘I want you to surrender to your captivity, because this is My plan and it’s perfect.’”

Katie prayed to become a Christian. She read the Bible and shared what she was learning with her fellow inmates.

“The only book in the whole place was the Bible. I remember picking it up, reading through it and I just thought that this is the coolest thing I’ve ever read in my life. This is amazing. I would go from the front to the back over and over again. As I did that, the Holy Spirit began to point out these Scriptures about these people called the ancient Israelites who went to prison. I was going, ‘Wow, this is my story. It’s the story of every con I’d ever known. I started getting excited about it, and I started teaching it to everyone that I could teach it to.”

Her tough girl attitude and reputation began to change.

Read More: Katie Souza

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Madonna Statue Survives the Storm in Breezy Point

Mark Lennihan/Associated Press

The following excerpt is from NY Times.com:

By

Where the McNulty home once stood on the corner of Oceanside and Gotham, a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean on the spit of land in Queens called Breezy Point, there now remains a charred, twisted ruin. Flooding and fire have left behind nothing but the foundation. Within it are strewed a dislodged bathtub, an air-conditioner casing battered into a helix shape, a mailbox coated with ashes.

As if all that loss were not loss enough, the storm spared a few tormenting reminders of life before its arrival. In the scorched shell of a cedar closet, screen windows stand neatly stacked. Three rolls of paper towels sit on a pantry shelf, toasted as delicately brown as cookout marshmallows.
      
So, yes, at the corner of Oceanside Avenue and Gotham Walk, the house inherited by the elderly McNultys’ niece Regina after the couple died, is a place of tragedy. It is also, astonishingly, a place of faith. For the one part of the home to survive intact was a statue of the Virgin Mary that Mary McNulty placed in her garden years ago.
      
The statue is one of the only recognizable remnants of the swath of Breezy Point where more than 100 homes burned to the ground while a flood kept firefighters from reaching it. Since the waters withdrew early on Oct. 30, the image of the Breezy Point Madonna has reached the nation, indeed the world, through vivid news photos. Pilgrims have come to leave offerings: a bouquet of yellow roses, four quarters, a votive candle, a memorial card for the victims of Sept. 11, a written admonition that healing begins with acceptance.
       
Ellen Mathis Kail knelt at the shrine five days after the catastrophe. She had spent 30 summers on Breezy Point and watched her parents save for decades to buy a bungalow on Gotham Walk. She had been married in the parish church, St. Thomas More, a few blocks away.
 
Read More: Breezy Point, NY

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Faith on Display at the 2012 World Series



CBN TV - Video

The 2012 World Series is in full swing and CBN Sports goes behind the scenes to highlight stories of faith from both the Detroit and San Francisco club houses.

Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Ex-FBI Employee Claims She Saw Angels at Flight 93

9/11 Memorial in Morris County, NJ - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Ex-FBI Employee Claims She Saw Angels at Flight 93 - ABC News

The following excerpt is by JOE MANDAK the Associated Press:

A former police officer who retired from the FBI due to post-traumatic stress disorder linked to her role in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terror attacks has written a book about seeing legions of angels guarding the Pennsylvania site where a hijacked airliner crashed.

Lillie Leonardi served as a liaison between law enforcement and the families of the passengers and crew members killed in the United Airlines Flight 93 crash. She arrived on the scene about three hours after the crash.

Although Leonardi's book, "In the Shadow of a Badge: A Spiritual Memoir," centers on her vision of angels, she argues her life has been changed more by what she didn't see that day.

"The biggest thing for me is that that there were no bodies," she said.

Leonardi, 56, remembers the burning pine and jet fuel stinging her nostrils. She said she also remembers a smoldering crater littered with debris too small to associate with the jetliner or 40 passengers and crew on board.

"I'm used to crime scenes but this one blew me out of the water. It just looked like the ground had swallowed up" the plane, Leonardi said.

"That's when I started seeing like shimmery lights ... and it was kind of misty and that's when I first saw, like, the angels there," Leonardi said. "And I didn't say anything to the guys because you can imagine if I would have said, 'I just saw angels on the crash site,' they'd have called the office and they'd have said, 'She lost her mind and tell her to go home.'"

Instead, Leonardi kept it to herself for the better part of two years. As emotional and physical ailments surfaced that she would later learn were post-traumatic stress disorder-related, she began telling a close circle of friends and colleagues what she saw, including Kenneth McCabe, her former supervisor.

Read More: Ex-FBI Employee Claims She Saw Angels at Flight 93

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Pray for Christian Unity and Healing of Divisions

Prince of Peace - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

By Loci B. Lenar

Through prayerful discernment, Our Lord Jesus is calling everyone to pray for Christian unity and healing between religious denominations by reconciling differences. This goal will be accomplished with the power of prayer and through the Holy Spirit.

"Thus the word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, listen to the house of Israel saying, 'The vision he sees is a long way off; he prophesies of the distant future!' Say to them therefore: Thus says the Lord God; None of my words shall be delayed any longer; whatever I speak is final, and it shall be done, says the Lord God."  Ezekiel 12:26-28

Saturday, June 09, 2012

St. Mary's Church Holding Monthly Prayer Service on June 21

John the Babtist - Photo By Loci B. Lenar


St. Mary's Catholic Church holds a monthly service for prayer with Fr. Richard Tartaglia including special prayer intentions which are submitted through the website of Christian-Miracles.com.

Previous services have included prayer for Christian Unity. However, prayers for world peace are always included.

The prayer service is held every third Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM with a new theme. The next monthly service will be held on June 21, 2012 and focus on John the Babtist.

If you live in the area or plan on visiting New Jersey, please consider attending and joining in the evening prayer service with Fr. Richard Tartaglia. The service begins with singing of hymns followed with psalm prayers and then reading of the gospels. After the reading, Fr. Tartaglia gives his homily which is followed with a prayer of intercession for Special Prayer Intentions (prayer requests). The Lord's Prayer is recited and after that there is a closing prayer with a blessing given by Fr. Tartaglia. The prayer service is concluded with a closing song.

St. Mary's Catholic Church is located on 15 Myers Avenue in Denville, New Jersey. Father Martin Glynn is the head pastor of the church.  

For directions to St. Mary's Church, please visit the following link: http://www.stmarys-denville.org/directions.htm

However, if you cannot attend St. Mary's prayer service, you can still join in by praying in unity with St. Mary’s Church for all special prayer intentions.

Regarding prayer, Jesus said, “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Email your prayer requests to PrayerRequest@Christian-Miracles.com


Monthly Prayer Schedule with Related Topics for 2012

John the Babtist - Thursday, June 21 at 7:30 P.M.

St. Joachim and St. Ann - Thursday, July 19 at 7:30 P.M.

Assumption - Thursday, August 16 at 7:30 P.M.

Michaelmas (Feast of St. Michael) - Thursday, September 20 at 7:30 P.M.

Halloween (Story on its Origin) - This service actually focuses on All Saints Day and All Souls Day - Thursday, October 18 at 7:30 P.M.

Thanksgiving - Thursday, November 15 at 7:30 P.M.

Advent and Christmas - Thursday, December 20 at 7:30 P.M.

St. Mary's Weekly Mass Schedule

Sunday: 7:00, 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 AM

Saturday: 5:00 PM

Weekdays: 8:00 AM and 12:05 PM - (Except June ~ Labor Day - No 12:05 PM)

First Fridays: 8:00 AM, 12:05 PM, 8:00 PM - (Except June ~ Labor Day - No 12:05 PM)

Holy Days: 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 12:00 noon, 7:00 PM

Eve of Holy Days: 5:00 PM

Sunday, May 27, 2012

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Fr. Richard Tartaglia Celebrates Pentecost Sunday at St. Mary's Catholic Church,
Denville, New Jersey - Photo by Loci B. Lenar 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wisdom: We see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of life take on deeper meaning. We see God as our Father, appreciate the dignity of others, and find God in all things.

Understanding: In understanding, we comprehend how we need to live as followers of Christ. A person with understanding is not confused by the conflicting messages in our culture about the right way to live. The gift of understanding perfects a person's speculative reason in the apprehension of truth. It is the gift whereby self-evident principles are known, Aquinas writes.

Counsel (Right Judgment): With the gift of counsel/right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus.

Fortitude (Courage): With the gift of fortitude/courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risks as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or physical harm. The gift of courage allows people the firmness of mind that is required both in doing good and in enduring evil.

Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Knowledge: With the gift of knowledge, we understand the meaning of God. The gift of knowledge is more than an accumulation of facts.

Piety (Reverence): With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the Church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love. Piety is the gift whereby, at the Holy Spirit's instigation, we pay worship and duty to God as our Father, Aquinas writes.

Fear of the Lord (Wonder and Awe): With the gift of fear of the Lord we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love. This gift is described by Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God. He describes the gift as a "filial fear," like a child's fear of offending his father, rather than a "servile fear," that is, a fear of punishment. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7) because it puts our mindset in correct location with respect to God: we are the finite, dependent creatures, and He is the infinite, all-powerful Creator.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Are Cross of Lights a Miracle from God?

Cross Appears on Holy Thursday 2012, Mine Hill, NJ - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Signs and Wonders of Christianity

Regarding miracles Jesus said, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe."  John 4:48


Brooke Kayal Examining Cross that Appeared on March 27, 2011 in Mine Hill, NJ
Photo by Loci B. Lenar

***

Megan Elliott writes on April 10, 2012:  Today I saw on Spirit Daily an image of a miraculous photo that links to your website (Christian-Miracles.com). You will see that the cross of light on your website looks the same as the image in the photo I sent to you! When I saw those photos this morning I cried with joy. 

Cross of Light - Photo by Megan Elliott
Everyday for seven years I have thought of that miraculous image I saw and now here is someone else (Loci B. Lenar) with such an experience!!! I just cannot fathom such things! Actually, it is so providential, as of today (I am now in teacher's college at University of Toronto) I had to do a presentation on a possible resource that religion teachers could use in the classroom. I really wanted to present on the Spirit Daily website, but I was afraid of the reaction I would get by less 'orthodox' or liberal individuals. But this morning I said I would not shy away from my spirituality and my beliefs. So I presented the Spirit Daily website to my class and also showed your website (www.Christian-Miracles.com) as well. I was almost in tears!

I took the picture in 2005 in Ottawa, Ontario, (coincidentally during this summer I had a 'conversion of heart'). It is also the day before my birthday. I have only seen it that day and the day after for maybe 30 minutes each. This morning I praised God and as I did so, two bright flashes quickly illuminated (my already brightly lit) bedroom.

***

Cross Appears on Easter Sunday in 2008, Pitman, NJ
March 25, 2008 Front Page Story of Gloucester County Times, Woodbury, NJ


Incidentally, in 2008, by coincidence or perhaps I should say by providence, the Gloucester County Times, Woodbury, NJ, reported a story of a cross photographed by 9 year old Gwynna Crawford on Easter Sunday in Pitman, New Jersey. The cross appeared on a neighbor's house. The article indicated that Gwyanna's mother and the neighbor were unable to find the source of the sun reflection. To read the story, please visit the following link: NJ.com.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Aline Umegwaneza: Forgiving Genocide



Aline Umegwaneza: Forgiving Genocide - CBN TV - Video

Aline Umegwaneza: Forgiving Genocide

Aline Umegwaneza survived the genocide in Rwanda, most of her family did not. This is her story of survival and forgiveness.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Pope explains the significance of Lent and Ash Wednesday



Pope explains the significance of Lent and Ash Wednesday

The following excerpt is from RomeReports.com:

During the Pope's general audience, Benedict XVI talked about the meaning of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday. The Pope explained the significance of having 40 days of Lent. He also described it as a time for “spiritual renovation.”

FULL TEXT OF CATECHESIS:  

Dear Brothers and Sisters,


Today the Church celebrates Ash Wednesday, the beginning of her Lenten journey towards Easter. The entire Christian community is invited to live this period of forty days as a pilgrimage of repentance, conversion and renewal.

In the Bible, the number forty is rich in symbolism. It recalls Israel’s journey in the desert, a time of expectation, purification and closeness to the Lord, but also a time of temptation and testing. It also evokes Jesus’ own sojourn in the desert at the beginning of his public ministry, a time of profound closeness to the Father in prayer, but also of confrontation with the mystery of evil.

The Church’s Lenten discipline is meant to help deepen our life of faith and our imitation of Christ in his paschal mystery.

In these forty days may we draw nearer to the Lord by meditating on his word and example, and conquer the desert of our spiritual aridity, selfishness and materialism. For the whole Church may this Lent be a time of grace in which God leads us, in union with the crucified and risen Lord, through the experience of the desert to the joy and hope brought by Easter.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Christian-Miracles.com Pressroom on PRLog

Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Southern Blvd., Chatham, NJ - Photo by Loci B. Lenar


Christian-Miracles.com Pressroom on PRLog (Press Releases)

 
Christian-Miracles.com Reports news connected to Christianity and Catholicism with Biblical insight. Publicizing inspirational stories about signs, wonders, and miracles of faith.
 
 

Jan 22, 2012
Baptized as an Anglican, Stephen B. Whatley was drawn to the Catholic Church and now is a practicing Catholic. This artists' amazing spiritual journey of faith is being recognized internationally for his Christian Tributes.


Mar 31, 2011
Since 2005 a cross with an outline of a shield has appeared annually on the property of Loci B. Lenar in Mine Hill, New Jersey. Again on March 27, 2011, sunlight is shining on the backyard fence and creating an image of a cross.


Feb 08, 2011
The Catholic Church holds a monthly service for prayer including special prayer intentions that are submitted through the website of Christian-Miracles.com. The next evening prayer service is scheduled for Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 7:30 PM (EST)


Feb 08, 2011
Visitors to the website can now easily read news pertaining to signs and wonders with use of iPhone, Android, Blackberry, etc. The site also has a large gallery of faith related photography.


Jan 19, 2011
Tune into Radio Maria on January 24th for a Live Discussion regarding God's Healing Grace. Listen in and learn more about how God works miracles through prayer! Guests include Loci B. Lenar, Donna Ott, and Fr. Richard Tartaglia.


Nov 27, 2010
“It was unexpected,” says Donna Ott, a parishioner and administrative assistant at St. Mary's, sharing her testimony about being healed of painful arthritis.


Sep 17, 2010
Lenar to discuss signs and wonders on Catholic radio


Oct 24, 2009
Prayers for Life and World Peace Acknowledged by Heaven


Jun 21, 2009
Lenar's website and blog recognized for reporting news of signs, wonders, and miracles of faith.


Oct 21, 2008
Over a thousand visitors attended the National Blue Army Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on October 13, 2008, to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the Fatima apparitions. 
 
 
Aug 28, 2008
Sunlight appears to be shining through the stained glass window, creating beautiful rainbow colors! The rays of light appear to be flowing towards the ceiling. 

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Ex-atheist describes near-death experience

Ex-atheist describes near-death experience | SouthCoastToday.com

The following excerpt is from SouthCoastToday.com:

By



In 1985 Mr. Storm 38 and his wife Beverly were in Paris on the last day of an art tour. Buckled over by searing pain in the middle of his stomach he was rushed to the hospital. Awaiting emergency surgery he knew he was dying. He said good-bye to his wife and drifted into darkness.

Standing up he realized he was between two hospital beds. He looked at Beverly who was motionless staring at the floor sitting in the chair next to his bed. He spoke to her but she didn't seem to hear.
As he bent over to look at the face of the body in the bed he was horrified to see the resemblance that it had to his own face. But he knew that was impossible because he was standing over the person and looking at him.

Off in the distance outside the room in the hall he heard voices calling him. They were pleasant voices male and female young and old calling to him in English.

"Come out here" they said. "Don't you want to get better?"

He stepped out into the hall full of anxiety. The area seemed to be light but very hazy and he couldn't make out any details.

He followed them shuffling along in his bare feet with the memory of pain in his belly yet feeling very much alive. The fog thickened as they went on and it became gradually darker.

Overwhelmed with hopelessness he told them he would go no farther and that they were liars. He could feel their breath on him as they shouted and snarled insults.

Then they began to push and shove him about and he began to fight back. A wild frenzy of taunting screaming and hitting ensued. As he swung and kicked at them they bit him.

Even though he couldn't see anything in the darkness he was aware there were dozens or hundreds of them all around and over him and that his attempts to fight back only provoked greater merriment.

They began to tear off pieces of his flesh and he realized that he was being taken apart and eaten alive methodically slowly so that their entertainment would last as long as possible. In that wretched state he lay there in the darkness.

Suddenly remembering a prayer from childhood Sunday School class he said "Yea though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me."

To his amazement the cruel merciless beings were incited to rage by his prayer. They screamed at him 'There is no God! Nobody can hear you!" But at the same time they were backing away. He realized that saying things about God was actually driving them away and he became more forceful. They became more rabid cursing and screaming against God but in time they retreated back into the distant gloom beyond his hearing.

Alone destroyed and yet painfully alive in this horrible place he yelled out into the darkness "Jesus save me."

Far off in the darkness he saw a pinpoint of light like the faintest star in the sky. The star became brighter and brighter. As it came closer he realized that he was right in its path and he might be consumed by its brilliance.

This was a living being approximately 8 feet tall and surrounded by an oval of radiance. The brilliant intensity of the light penetrated his body. Ecstasy swept away the agony. Tangible hands and arms gently embraced him and lifted him up. He slowly rose up into the presence of the light and the torn pieces of his body miraculously healed before his eyes.

(To read an excerpt from Howard Storm's book go to www.near-death.com/storm.html.)

Read more: Howard Storm

Monday, February 06, 2012

Church points to prayer for man's second chance at life



Church points to prayer for man's second chance at life wbir.com

The video and following excerpt is from wbir.com:

By Jennifer Meckles

On January 22nd, Fred McAfee attended a morning worship at Covenant Life Worship Center in Lake City, TN. He got out of his chair to give an offering, and collapsed suddenly.

"No breath, no heartbeat... just completely collapsed," remembers Pastor Tony McAfee.

Several people attempted to revive Fred McAfee, and an ambulance was called. While the congregation waited, they prayed.

"Its an amazing story, really, about the power of prayer," said the pastor. "And that miracles still do happen."

After about 10 minutes, McAfee suddenly awoke. He credits his faith for his survival.

Read more: Fred McAfee

Saturday, February 04, 2012

2012 A Year of Divine Favor

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

By Loci B. Lenar

In a spiritual locution I received on December 28, 2011, Jesus communicated that 2012 will also be a year of divine favor.  On December 22, 2010, Our Lord conveyed the same message regarding 2011.
Therefore, I am repeating what I wrote previously about the message: The key to answered prayer is to remain faithful to the gospels.
Pray for your families and friends. Pray for loved ones. Pray for those in need of healing from illness. Pray for restoration of marriages and finances. Pray for our nation and world. Pray for an era of peace and Christian unity.

I believe God's time has arrived to evangelize the world with a great move of the Holy Spirit as we move forward in this decade. 


Now is the time to act with the power of prayer.  Pray with an open heart and give thanks and praise to Our Lord!

I believe it's time to remove all negativity that may hinder your ability to move forward, and focus on the promises God gives us by reading the gospels. Trust and believe in the word of God and let Our Lord Jesus Christ guide you to peace and answered prayer.
"See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” Isaiah 42:9
Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:23-24
  
May Our Lord open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing of divine favor.

Both locutions were shared with my spiritual advisor, Father Richard Tartaglia of St. Mary's Church, Denville, NJ, USA.

In need of prayer? Send requests to PrayerRequest@Christian-Miracles.com

Thursday, February 02, 2012