Christmas Time is Difficult for Many....And All Though Ours Too Did Not Pass Without Bumps or Bruises....

Christmas Time is Difficult for Many....And All Though Ours Too Did Not Pass Without Bumps or Bruises....

 

And your Christmas may have too...come along more swiftly than you would have preferred bringing visits that might not have been pleasant.

 

You and I if not careful...can allow the enemy of God to steal from us the pearl hidden within the tough hard oyster shell of attitudes that lack gratitude and have never truly loved before....

Life can be harsh for many no matter what time of year it is or where they must be on any particular date.

 

Jealous resentful ones raise their heads high with their sharp critical judgemental tongues every chance they get at us almost every where we go anytime of the year...a true Christian who shakes the dust of the unrighteous off him or herself frequently moving on...to the next church...the next town as Jesus instructed HIS apostles...go into each town blessing the house of the first person you meet and if they receive your blessing stay there do not move from house to house...your blessing will remain upon them forever.

 

But if they do not receive you...shake their dust as a testament against them..and go forth to the next town...the next church...

 

To the next place do not carry the bitterness, resentfulness or jealousy of those who reject you...remember they hated Jesus Christ Himself long before you or I were ever born....

 

And Jesus said:  "If they hate me they will hate you."   so why then would you or I ever base our happiness upon being accepted by someone who knows not how to love or let others love them???

 

 

Over our Christmas....we endured such from biological family members of mine who you would expect to be happy for us.

 

But my William & refuse to get into a contest with anyone....we simply walked away again rejoicing that we made a best effort returning to my parents home after having not been there in a very long time....and that at least my brother and sister in law are back in our lives.

 

None of us can make the choices of any other person but only ourselves.

 

Lets not set ourselves up for serious disappointment by raising expectations that are dependent upon other people and not controlled by ourselves and God alone.

 

For people will almost always disappoint because few people have the same goals, the same priorities and the same motivation.

 

And when any time you base your happiness on certain people agreeing with you, or certain people liking you or even more deadly and damaging to yourself....basing your happiness upon certain people truly loving you...regardless who they are...even if sadly someone who should love you the most and be the happiest for you...and never jealous at all....

 

You set yourself up to never find joy or happiness in your entire life.

 

For the Holy Scripture defines love in the Book of Corinthians this way:  "Love is patient; love is kind; it never puts on aires....it is never self seeking."

 

Scripture also says that when we bless others....give alms we are not to let our left hand know what the right is doing.

 

This does not mean that when we give that we should never expect a return...but rather we cannot give expecting a specific return....this is not giving nor loving but is defined as a "Purchase."

 

But some people when they give or help someone...often their own family member particularly an adult child of their own flesh...biological son or daughter...

they do so with intentions that then they have the right to control their adult child and his our her nuclear family.

 

This is only one example of giving that is not giving freely.

Love has to not have strings attached for love or giving with strings attached like onto a kite that control the kites flight..left or right...higher...and higher...or lower in the sky.

 

For "Love" that seeks power or control is not love but coercion.

 

So I though our Christmas Season was not all that we hoped for relationship wise...

We rejoice that we received far more than we had dreamed for when visiting my parents....

 

My brother & sister in law who have not fallen away from their Catholic Faith as my father did long before I was born....my brother, sister in law, and nephews have rejoiced with us to be again in hugging each other with our arms and hearts and so Christmas for us Gustavsons was very blessed.

 

Let none of us regardless where on earth we are from or have been...or where we are headed...journeying to....allow anyone else to steal from us what is ours and belongs to no other unless we give...

That is our hearts, our souls joy and happiness regardless if we are married or single we will always meet and greet along every street sour grapers who will always judge us critically...

 

Be not rude...say that is your choice_____________, but as for me and my husband____________as for me and my wife_________  We will serve the Lord and never be blue over this or that and certainly not blue over you or your choices which are yours to make.

 

Then drive or dance away into the sunset...knowing you put forth your best effort to be peace makers...to be bridges between others not dividers....rejoice that HE makes each day new...and since like Doris Day always sang:   "Kay Sarah Sarah...whatever will be will be..the future is not ours to see.... " 

 

And add in your own versus:   But you and I can choose the better things along our way each day as we keep seeking HIS Holy Face with our hearts always kneeling to HIM.

 

And when I our you on purpose choose to refuse to let others dictate how we feel, act or behave..or even control our decisions what clothes we wear, or how we style our hair...hats or no hats...

Without using profanity stating your decision of limitations...regardless circumstances....and cutting of those relationships which tried to divide you and your wife or husband or causing you to sin or slide...

 

You will like us become Esthers and Jacobs too....walking in the path towards righteousness and heaven....

On the road to be as Mother Angelica encourages all who watch and listen.... her Intro of her "Mother Angelica Live Program which can be viewed  on    www.EWTN.com

"We are all called to be great saints...Don't miss the opportunity!"

 

Amen Amen Amen!

 

 

EstherStephanada!

 

If you benefit from EstherStephanada's public writings....consider sending a gift to keep her online...her Internet service up and running to:

 

 

Mr & Mrs William Gustavson

PO BOX 1175

Madisonville, LA 70447

       USA

 

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Expect You MIRACLE Today & Every Day or You Might...

Only those who expect MIRACLES in every part of every day....live lives filled with MIRACLES and far more graces & Blessings than the average person alive on earth.

We receive what we we expect.

If you or I wake up anticipating bad news...

Guess what your phone will ring all day with problems.

For everyone who knows that Johnny or Jane expects days filled with problems....

Others assume that Johnny & Jane are exactly who they are to call & visit with every single delima that not only they personally encounter...

But recommend Johnny & Jane to each person they meet and greet along every single street whether in Ponchatoula Louisiana...

Or on the coast of Madagascar, Nigeria, Malawi, Egypt, India or Yugoslavia.

Earth geography never limits God's laws of deliverance, blessing or prosperity.

Nor is God ever limited by our circumstances.

We can always accept less than God's best and settle for what others are content with....

Or we can reach out for HIS greater gifts.

Jesus said:  "Far greater things than these you shall do...

For I go to my Father at HIS right hand and anything I ask is mine anything you ask in my Name My Father & I shall do for you & through you!"

Mr & Mrs William Gustavson

PO BOX 1144

Ponchatoula, LA  70454

Catholics are confused about pro-life / pro-choice ...abortion ..Will Never Be Chased Down By Blessings But Stress!

Anyone living a contradiction will be super stressed having to cover up lies and contradictions constantly!

I was wearing today a button pinned to my bright pink jacket that reads: PRAY FOR ABORTION TO END!"

 At a Graduation lunch in a New Orleans Catholic Parish the Sunday following Father's Day 2013...I was astounded the responses I received & conversation it spawned.

I expect this kind of confrontation if & wear it to the grocery store but not to Catholic Holy Mass & to a party of Catholic Families at a Catholic Church.

I was told that "Even if I personally would not abort my child, I don't have the right nor do you have right to suggest to others what they should do!"

Well is preaching & teaching the Holy Gospel suggesting to folks a better way to live???

And so this statement contradicts the entire life of a christian for we are called to always live by the Holt Scriptures that say:  "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!"

Let HIS life, HIS joy, HIS mercy which endures forever never cease from parting from our lips!

We are to be imitators of God who calls each by name and who speaks good things into being at all times....

We are to like God embracing all that befalls us with great FAITH...speaking hope to the hopeless and life into the dead!

I pray you see this contradiction that we all plainly see and hear all over where ever we go...

Maybe you never thought of in this perspective.

And this is only one contradiction people live daily and justify constantly...anyone justifying themselves will have hardship not peace that surpasses all understanding but conflict within their own heart & soul.

Shake it off and speak contradictions no more & remain  under and within HIS mantle of protection and infinite blessings forever!

Amen Amen Amen Amen and Alleluia!

EstherStephanada!

Mr & Mrs William Gustavson

PO BOX 1144

Ponchatoula, LA  70454

We All Can Receive MIRACLES and Be Vessels Through Which God Grants MIRACLES to Others

Though we must not be afraid of what others will say or think,

Nor can we be controlled by other's opinions are talk of us.

We who desire to be chases down by both blessings and MIRACLES that never cease but only keep multiplying with our joyful smiles and laughter in spite of devils who seek and track us...

We must keep on keeping on singing regardless who is murmuring behind our backs.

As we heard in last Sunday's Gospel the Lord was not concerned of who what about who HE is...

And so shall we must be continuing to bless others with our smiles and songs...there will always be someone like our former next door neighbor Veronica on Alvin Callender Street when we with God were building our home...

She came outside yelling one day not able to understand how not even hers & her nephews hateful actions against us could not kill our spirits.

She came outside as I was singing new songs through joyful tears...tears that our neighbors were trying to stifle the rebuilding of our home.

What we had completed the day before our neighbors had punched holes into in the night...

But I sang new songs to the God above knowing HE who watches through the night from HIS throne up above not only saw the crimes against us in the night but had the power to restore not only that which the angry jealous locusts had stolen...

They who were filled with jealousy, anger and hate and have never been loved nor have loved themselves....

No different than the Ponchatoula local native neighbors who say out of one side of their mouth that they are going to build Ponchatoula into a thriving economic marketing business center, yet they tie up themselves in bondage that they cannot grow...

By shunning newcomers who choose to make Ponchatoula home!

No town or city will ever grow & prosper past the point they are today without welcoming new citizens not only physically into their neighborhoods, and into the community and church families.

Regardless how many families come and are shunned they will eventually move on in the same numbers or even more.

For every family and community has both sincere and insincere folks whom they call their own.

Those whose hearts are pure but were born within a thorny city among hateful tit-tat chatter boxes who love not...

Eventually these too will choose to move onto a better place where they will not be embarrassed by their previous associations whether blood or geographic.

No they will follow the lead of those who come full of life seeking to bless an entire community when they first arrived...but refuse to live an entire life time among grumblers and wishy -washy complainers.

As Joyce Meyer has taught over the years....one can choose to complain and remain and go around and around a same old mountain of a pill.

Or you & I and each of us can reach out and beyond our circumstances for another new dream...when others fight to long and hard resisting thy kindness and blessing...

As Jesus said:  "Shake of their dust and move on..."

Such cities will never grow but as Sodom & Gomorrah will be your town or city who shuns the hearts who of those who enter bearing kindness and generosity of their grateful loving hearts...

Such a town or city will never grow but die  from their own choices....their own deception...

The fruit never falls far from the tree and the selfish resentful hearts wither and never blossom but rather their self-righteousness they fatten and fluff and spread as an eagle spreads its wings...

Then they go around time gloating convincing themselves and each other that they together did a good thing.

There comes a time that one must cut others off or the river of their own life and protection will dry up...

So the choice belongs to each one...to you and to me...each one whose hearts are always kneeling ...
Without fear they simply get up and move on to a new place...

Just as our Lord did HE never got caught up into he saids she saids or dids & Did nots...
HE never got caught up into the politics of the day....

Though instead HE spoke correction boldly without regard who was behaving wrong not caring that they would not enjoy being corrected.

HE boldly said that a fool resists correction because he is conceited.

 How true!

Never let fools separate you from the river of MIRACLES that God tries to anoint each life with...that can be yours if you are willing to pay the price of jealousy, criticism and gossip,
And remain vigilant & ready to embrace what befalls you allowing God to place your steps in another direction...

Around stubbornness and above those who would rather stand back and be silent waiting for someone else to step forward than be the one who speaks up for the abused or down trodden.

Let revival begin and let it begin now with me!

Open your hearts in love that you may be both receipient of MIRACLES and be a vehicle of MIRACLES for others.

Amen

Mr & Mrs William Gustavson

PO BOX 1144

Ponchatoula, LA  70454

Those Who Are Silent, and Not With Their Mouth Professing & Confessing....

Those who are silent and fear....
Will never enjoy the abundant fruits that await all who are true to HIS Holy Word  declaring HIS full filled promises in and through us!

For as HIS Word says: "Let the Redeemed of the Lord say....  You say so!

You cannot have HIS bountiful blessings chasing you down if you silently await for someone else to come along and bring correction in places of severe defiance of Almighty God and or HIS Commandments!

And as a mother or father...head of household what are you doing to send your family members out for their day with the protection of the Mantle of Almighty God??

How about starting your family's morning with a scripture reading around your breakfast table...and asking each child and family member how or what special will they that day to lead even one lost one to Jesus?

And after each shares their ideas and all encourage encourage & strengthen each family member..
Father, Mother Brother or Sister who is the head of your household...anoint the foreheads of each member as you send them out to be a bright beacon shining forth HE who is within them.

But be sure to not forget to ask a different family member each day to anoint and all lay their praying hands upon you, that you their husband, father, mother, sister or brother...leader not become weakened.

And keep on keeping on...speaking out for HIS Righteousness sake!

Anyone can be a silent fake...but you...all of you have been created in HIS own image to be greater than...men who just lay back and let others do everything.

As Pope Francis TWEETED today...  "If we have found in Jesus meaning in our lives we cannot be indifferent to the poor & the sad"

TWITTER only allows a few typed characters...and so I am certain that if he had the space of characters to continue that he to would also say:  We cannot be indifferent at all in any circumstances.

For God's Holy Word says:  "If You are not hot nor cold....I will spit you out of my mouth"

For our spoken words create at all times.

If we are speaking kindly, not demeaning nor critical...but speaking hope and confidence in God's Faithfulness to full fill all of HIS promises written in HIS Holy Word...

When with vitality and grace we encourage others to face their accusers with the Lord at their side and behind them always defending their charity and pureness of heart...

Then surely revival will fall across every land where you and I must and do to take a vocal stand...
Vocalizing the TRUTH with the authority our baptism in the Name of the Father, in the Name of the Son Jesus Christ, and in the name of HIS Most Holy Spirit!

And right now you can begin carrying this out adding your voice to be heard from the mountaintops of the World Wide Web Internet... as you right now share this blog on your Facebook and ask others to do the same and those on TWITTER let your FAITH like glitter shine forth as you TWEET & RE-TWEET this all over and over again!

May no one again be silenced by fear...but sing HIM new songs of honor and praise and watch multitudes of blessings come your way because you added your voice to HIS!  Amen Amen

We All Better Start Baring Each Other's Burdens With Love and Laying One's Own Life Down For.....Or...

As long as many men are glorifying their own bodies....whether building, bulking up their muscles with weights to compete...

Say for Mr. America contests...

Or simply to be the biggest man in town...

And women wearing tight vulgar clothes that actually reveal more of their exact curvatures than if they exposed their naked skin...

Our youngest sons through no fault of their own...but yours will become SEX driven and needy long before they would have even had interest in taking a girl on their first date!

And we would not have teenagers or their mothers killing teenagers over sexual desires...as sadly happened this year in Ponchatoula earlier this year!

Mr & Mrs William Gustavson

PO BOX 1144

Ponchatoula, LA  70454

Poor Choices of Others on Ocassions Must Influence Our Choices: Fwd: Suspect in Ponchatoula death caught, wounded - FOX 8 WVUE New Orleans News, Weather, Sports

It is sad that this has happened.  And obviously this teen was mixed up with problems long ago within himself that sadly no one close to him either cared enough about him to lead him, befriend him long ago.

While we do not personally know either the family of the victim nor the 18 year old gunman, we grieve personally not only because the City of Ponchatoula is small enough that I think it is just about impossible to live here & have never at least greeted with a smile in passing along Downtown sidewalks or saying "Good morning" or exchange a cordial smile in grocery store with every member in this community at sometime or other.

Combine this that that this crime as many crimes was at least in part motivated or accelerated through Facebook before it was committed...with the fact my husband, The Carpenters Friend, who yearns to teach non-violent inmates Vocational Carpentry, has often been mis-represented...many erroneously think that we seek to rehabilitate hardened criminals...

This is false.

My husband will never go into classrooms with violent criminals such as this young teenager.

Had William met & known the family many years ago possibly if he had the same opportunity he had once in Connecticut when a church member's son after a break up with a girl friend or maybe she never would go out with him at all...

The teen like one of my brothers when he was turned down the first time he ever asked a girl for a date desired to kill himself

William knowing the boys father & entire family offered the teenage boy a job for at the time William owned a company that had enough business that he could take on a new employee.

William by taking personal interest in this teen over 3 decades ago...taking him to breakfast before work each day and not reading the paper while at the table but engaging in conversation letting him know that his interests, his goals and well being were and are important to him...

This young boy made a drastic turn in his outlook on life..

He opened up to my husband who was not my husband then...going back years in Williams memory before we met.

William simply paying him to sweep the wood shop daily after school &  teaching him carpentry and giving him direction...put hope in him.

And this family was saved from being broken.

I cannot say what this youth's life was like, what caused his inner problems that  this became the sad out come.

But this opens & proves that sadly most families today have at least one member who is out of touch out of sinc with the rest of the family who feels "They are not really part of the family" for whatever reason they feel inferior they do.

And it is these who are susceptible to fall into drugs and even tougher gangs and troubles.

Let us not only be prayerful for these wounded families here in Ponchatoula, but let us be vigilant and notice when one person especially youth may not be getting the attention he or she needs...and let us be the one who tries to be a friend to take interest.

God will always reward us...God will always make us more productive to multiply our time...God will never allow our own family to suffer when we invite someone else's lost child to join our own children & ourselves...

God always blesses the gesture of caring hearts...Let us care for our neighbors with acts of kindness.

Mr & Mrs William Gustavson

PO BOX 1144

Ponchatoula, LA  70454

http://www.fox8live.com/story/22064162/first-degree-murder-warrant-issued-for-ponchatoula-man-search-continues#.UXqQSvn__Mo.gmail

A Warning To Everyone For When You Open New Online Accounts....Humorous Consequences That Can Make For More Dangerous Circumstances If Not Caught or Corrected...

Anyone who has known my husband William and I for any length of time know that for my first 49 years of iife that I had physical tunnel vision for real!!   Yes REALLY!

 

That I only saw a small portion of any one's faces at a time, and that I was raised as a sighted child because my parents would not acknowledge my challenges for they were ashamed of "who or what I was."

 

And that on the Feast of the Holy Family 2009 I received a Eucharistic MIRACLE in my eyes and have enjoyed given thanks & praise for nearly three and a half years of landscapes and full length drapes!

 

So I have done some amazing things for someone who literally at times could not see what was under her ow nose!

 

I graduated from Grace King High School without ever having read much with understanding.

To satisfy my mother I sat on my bed for hours just every once in a while turning a page....

But since what was printed in those books made no sense to me and I could not see...

 

That time was not wasted... for in my heart I was not in a chair at a desk nor was I lounged on my bed reading...

I was conversing with my Lord my God and your God...

I would ask HIM to fill my heart and mind with whatever I needed to know...to stay safe at home, school or on the school bus...

Walking down hills or through my neighborhood.

 

A friend who I had not been in touch with for quite some time sent me an invite to open a "  LinkedIN " account.

Happy to hear from her I did just that thinking I could take my time that there would be no hurry to build a resume for myself and at a future date possibly this could help me grow a licensed business with  income doing what I enjoy the most...free-motion embroidery, crochet and writing.

 

But what happened was as I opened this "Linked IN " account, I was interrupted.

And as always, I embraced my interruption... as you do too... 

Took care of whatever it was my husband need that time....

 

I do my share of asking him questions that too for him are not at the best timing...

It happens in all marriages in all kinds of friendships...

 

There is no fault placing here...  No anger or frustration but rather jovial laughter and entertainment...

Life is much easier when one can laugh at and with themselves...

But what happened since I did not stay with the program as I first began opening this Linked IN account was it automatically sent invitations to everyone who I ever wrote an email to from the first date I opened this email address.   And not only to these who I possibly only wrote once ever, some were business inquires that I never thought about again in over 5 years.

 

Other auto invitations went to folks who I never wrote but their email address was attached to one of those cutesy poems with pictures many just keep forwarding and forwarding over and over...certainly none of these I ever thought would one day show up as "CONNECTIONS"

 

And since I at times post to my blogs not signed into blogger but from my email as I am doing now...

Linked IN posted connection requests to my blogs for about a 5th time last night.

 

So instead of going into Blogger and removing those comical posts  "MrsStephanie............invites you to CONNECT"  from my blogs...

I am leaving Linked IN right there...

Instead I will post this on all of them...

 

And make a game of it...

 

But it could have serious consequence when an unsent invite is accepted by someone who is worse than unpleasant.

 

I HAVE CUT OF several CONNECTIONS....some without any explanation.

 

Check your email contact list for many email systems save all information as your potential contacts even though you do not routinely write email to them nor they to you.

And you can possibly also have your account hacked into through these odd seemingly insignificant addresses that seem not worth even giving time to DELETE!

 

But do it!  DELETE DELETE!

And when you open new accounts do not let systems access your contact lists, manually type the ones you want to communicate with the new account and you will have fewer headaches of             SPAM JAMS...

 

And you will not have to check your new account more often than you would have liked to to make certain you have no spying new connections...that maybe unsafe for you...

As happened to me!

 

But the Lord will always keep us free indeed with out needs HE cannot nor will not meet...

And when the devil does raise his head....

 

Whether a cyber spyer...a marriage divider...or simply folks who some how did not learn or remember from Kindergarten how to introduce themselves and ask others their names....

I guess till Jesus comes back there will be those who try to force themselves upon others instead..

 

When anyone is rude, crude, or  speaks with forked tongue...

Remember our Lord said to cut off the hand that causes us to sin...

 

Don't you wish that it was as easy to get rid of all of these....as pushing or clicking a DELETE BUTTON!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr & Mrs William Gustavson

PO BOX 1144

Ponchatoula, LA  70454

Invitation to connect on LinkedIn

From Stephanie Gustavson Arts and Crafts Professional Greater New Orleans Area Be, I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. - Stephanie Confirm that you know Stephanie You are receiving Invitation to Connect emails. Unsubscribe © 2012, LinkedIn Corporation. 2029 Stierlin Ct. Mountain View, CA 94043, USA

Today I'm "Flippin" Joy!

Last year before my husband & I temporarily shook Louisiana dust for Mionnesotta breezes that were not yet freezin...

I opened an email that apeared to be from a friend I knew well & love much.

 

And just has happened to most computing folks in this world at least once....

Hummmmmmmmmmm  a wormy germ got into my computer callrd "Flipora!"

 

Well my computer had fallen when my husband opened our side door along our journey through Arkansas...

WalMart parking lot along Hwy 71 to be exact...

 

My screen cracked and so getting rid of the "Flipora" became a concern no more...

Until Saturday when my Dawlin replaced my screen.

 

Today I went to my Norton Security & chatted with technician...and she who was in Arkansas....did such a wonderful job of not only getting rid of the wormy bug....but kindly educated me too..."Flipping joy to you...that you need not let anything make you blue...

 

But sing, give thanks for what is not yet...

And the Lord up above who sits upon the throne watching & waiting to hear HIS Holy Word sung with just a mustard dustin of trustin Faith & Love...

That HE may make your dreams that you sing become reality!

 

MIRACLES that is will follow & chase you down....

No chance to frown or be down when you are singing dreams into reality...

 

SMILE!!!  Sing!!

 

Monkeys Do what monkeys hear and see!

 

What are they seeing you do?