The common understanding is that animals by nature, do not survive death.
But, in the beginning, in the garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, there were animals with them. Animals are part of God’s creation. Animals do mean something to God.
In God’s infinite love for mankind, gave us animals for human benefit. He gave us stewardship over all living creatures for humane care and feeding .
God has given dominion over the whole universe, plants and animals included to His Son Jesus Christ. Pope John Paul II proclaimed that animals do have souls and are “as near to God as men are.”
So Yes!! I believe animals do have a sensitive soul.
“Holy Scripture teaches us that the fulfillment of God’s wonderful design also affects everything around us.” (Pope Francis) Pope Francis, an Argentine Jesuit who took his papal name from St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, believes animals have a place in the afterlife. He has given an analogy to comforting words that Pope Paul VI was said to have once told a distraught boy whose dog had died: “One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.”
The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor at large of America, the Catholic magazine, said he believed that Francis was at least asserting that “God loves and Christ redeems all of creation,”
When Jesus raises us up then all the things we have loved on this earth I believe, will be raised up with us. Heaven is a place of complete happiness, If you need to be completely happy in heaven then we will have our pets with us if we so wish.
Thank you God for your wonderful creation of all living things including animals and pets and the fulfillment of the joys of Heaven through Your Son Jesus Christ.AMEN
I believe dogs have their own little soul, they say that the eyes are the window to the soul. Her soft, warm eyes melted my heart from the first time I set eyes on her till the day she died. I never grew up with dogs nor learnt to appreciate the beauty, friendship and all the unconditional love they give. She taught us about love and forgiveness among other things.
My daughter and I looked after her together, I believe God sent her to us to bring us joy and strength, she brought out the softer qualities inme that no one else saw.
She taught me that life is worth living even though there is pain, as long as you have someone who loves you, every negative thing disappears. Love conquers all… that’s what she embodied. She was a fighter and till the very last day, she kept on going, trying to do all the things that pleased us all. But when things got too much for her and she wouldn’t let go, we had to do the unbearable and put her down. She went so quickly and quietly and without a fuss.
She was cremated where her ashes were dispersed at Edenhills.
The beautiful poem below has helped us get through these last few days believing that we will all be reunited one day with her warm, soft eyes once again catching mine with her running up to me and hugging me and then crossing over together to our creator, Father, God over the Rainbow Bridge.
(I hope this will help someone who has lost a pet. God bless you all).
I am sick of people who dish out labels such as:- xenophobic, homophobic, gynophobic, transphobic, islamophobic ect………
It seems that some people don’t like facts, they just like to inflict their opinions and expect others to follow and if you don’t agree with them, labels are dished out. Putting labels on people demonstrates ignorance and laziness, because it just masks the problem.
Take a look at this clip courtesy of SKY NEWS for example, from Studio 10 host Kerri-Anne Kennerley called ‘racist’ in Australia Day debate by Yumi Stynes. https://youtu.be/vVov7JR1nLM
How many ABC reports have we seen of the aboriginal plight?????? I know I have seen many. So how do we isolate a problem so that more people are aware of it in order to try and solve it?
Labels are divisive and not helpful. This behaviour creates fear and stifles discussion. We should all stick to the facts and give solutions, dishing out labels to people who express valid facts and opinions is just fear mongering. The media, in reporting the news, is doing away with naming cultures, ages, gender and sexual orientation of people in fear of offending. The facts are what we should care about, not political correctness. If one has offended, then they should be called out on it, not protected. If one dishes out labels they too should be called out.
Labels trivalise the problem and if this keeps going the way it is now, then nobody will take any notice of the real problems.
Don’t be silenced, speak out and call out this ridiculous behaviour which is not helpful to anyone esp. not in trying to solve the real issues.
Back in June 2018, Jack Phillips won a high Court ruling defending his case on religious convictions not to bake a cake for a same sex couple. ( Read original post below that I wrote in June_2018) https://fathergodlovesyou.com/?s=cake%2C+baker
Jack Phillips is on the news again for not serving another same sex couple one of which is an attorney. Another request was to bake a cake to celebrate Satan’s birthday. Another for the legalization of marijuana IN COLORADO, a coincidence????????? or is it Targetting???????? I think the latter.
It’s obviously a publicity stunt on a decent bloke being punished by trying to make a living out of his craft. How many court cases does he have to go through? Isn’t one judge’s ruling good enough? Does this poor guy have to lose more money from having to close his business and from negative publicity? He has already had to close down his wedding business which provided 40 percent of his income, now they want to close him down altogether. The fact that it’s blocking the courts from hearing more important criminal cases, is ridiculous!!!
What about Jack Phillip’s right to practice his faith? His right to religious freedom? The same sex couple want to practice their right to express themselves, well so does the baker. There are other bakers around Colorado who have no convictions, why can’t they go to them?
THIS IS WRONG AT ALL LEVELS. This is dictatorship, censorship and PC gone crazy. We all have to co-exist in this world and putting labels on people is divisive. We’re not all the same, we’re all different, why not accept and respect each other and not make others submit, that’s censorship, and abuse of our freedoms?
God didn’t create robots and He has given us a free choice, it seems that others want to take that away from us. This is what the bible says on religious freedom
Jack Phillips is now suing the state of Colorado for religious bias. Our religious freedoms are at stake—we all need to back Jack as he stands for his conviction. TO SUPPORT JACK PHILLIPS SEE BELOW
I have been round long enough to have seen the original and the remakes, all of which I must say, have been worthy of my viewing.
1. Janet Gaynor and Fredric March_ 1937
2. Judy Garland and James Mason_ 1954
3. Kristoffersen and Streisand_ 1976
4. Bradley Cooper and lady Gaga_ 2018
The core theme — a love story, a drama, and a tragedy all wrapped into one, all of which have universal applications that transcend time and culture and which have unending appeal.
For me mostly, it highlights the fact that the choices we make in life, whether one is a blues-rocker, pop star, or plain Jack or Ally down the road, have rippling consequences. Sure many of us have scars from our childhoods, I know people who have had them but with help have turned their lives around for the better.
In the latest version, Jack has father issues, he chose to let that pain be numbed by drugs and alcohol. He proved that he had the power in him to rehabilitate and turn his life around. But then he couldn’t handle the fact that Ally chose a path that was not aligned with his. He couldn’t understand that she could allow herself to be manipulated by fame and fortune.
Ally’s choices also had rippling consequences on her life and the people around her. She was an unknown and through Jack, was accepted as she was, with her nose the way it was, believing in her talent and loving her as she was. Ally went against her instincts and disregarded her own advice about not been moulded by others in changing her nose, hair and body shape. Ally chose fame and sold her soul even though Jack told her that unless she sings from the depths of her soul she wouldn’t last in this business. When you look at the hits that really counted, they were sung with Jack and by herself because they were from real lived experience, from the soul.
Ally could have chosen to stay true to herself, to work with Jack to keep singing deep from the pains of her soul but instead went with her manager’s narcissistic and controlling advice.
I really don’t believe that Jack was jealous of Ally. He felt guilty after Ally’s manager’s curse words spoken over him played on his mind causing him to make dire choices that rippled across many people’s lives. I believe that Jack couldn’t imagine Ally away from him, she really understood him and he understood her, they were good for each other and circle was formed between them. But, because of the fame, he couldn’t imagine his life without her. Of course, he could have made the choice to work harder on his career, at writing more great songs, it wasn’t the audience that left him but Jack who left them.
Personally, the best music came out of them through their souls when they were true to themselves and the songs that came after Ally’s transformation were very average because they were controlled by other people’s choices.
Ally could have made the choice to stay true to herself and still be famous keeping in line with Jack, having someone who really loved her and believed in her, instead she broke that circle that was formed between them and chose greed and fame.
Both Jack and Ally could have pursued each other’s own careers individually at the expense of not been together with a long distance relationships that would have stretched their relationship.
The message I have taken out of this movie is that we can’t have it both ways: fame and fortune , true love and family, career and children, money, one will always get in the way because things in life can become idols. God intended for us to be with each other for love and support, to be together, to have a family. We cannot make idols of things in life because they will affect our relationships which are what sustain us, which help us define who we really are, not money, fortune or fame.
God said in the first commandment :-I AM THE LORD THY GOD! THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BUT ME! This means that one cannot worship two Gods, in this case fame and fortune. (Numbers 18:20). “For you shall not worship any other god, for YAHveh, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14). He is jealous.
As Christmas is nearly upon us, one is reminded of why we celebrate this special birth. We celebrate because we are reminded that we need God everyday to help us on our faith journey. Every year, Jesus is born again in our hearts, every year we are reminded that Jesus is there for us, we just have to open our hearts and eyes to receive Him.
God has given Jesus dominion over this world we live in. Jesus is the King of the universe and why? Because God knows how much we need Him. God knows that without Him there can be no salvation.
I stumbled across this great testimony from Anthony Hopkins and he understands how we need to trust in God for our lives to have meaning, for healing and restoration. ( click below for more)
Anthony Hopkins goes on to say that too many people are protesting and asks how are they so sure of what is out there? We have enough historical evidence, philosophers like St. Thomas Aquinas, St, Augustine, St Thomas More, Henry Newman, Taylor Marshall etc… and the faith of the martyrs to help us understand and believe. I guess that requires us to take a risk, a leap of faith. But what have we got to lose? Wouldn’t we want to explore all options?
I would like to wish you all God’s blessing a happy and holy Christmas.
Love receiving comments and positive experiences from you.
As the church’s year ends and a new one begins, let’s stop and ponder on where we are going for a while.
The beginning of the busy and silly season is upon us, where we get so wrapped up in all the things we have to do and find that we make no time for God. But don’t you find that when you pack everything in, you can’t do things properly the way they deserve to be done?
I understand that we want to do everything and please everyone, but when one tries to do that we please no-one, not the least -ourselves.
Life on earth is so short and the years seem to go faster at each stage of our lives. Why don’t we try to challenge ourselves by spending some quiet time in prayer and reflection and asking ourselves what can we omit, leave out, ignore or say NO to?
If you believe that this life is a test for the next life, then how are you planning to get there? Do you think on judgement day God will ask us how many times we played sport? Went out with our friends? Took the kids out? Went on holidays? Shopped for pleasure? Or will He ask us first how much time we spent loving and serving HIM? Not that we can’t have some of these but what can we give up that doesn’t really matter?
We can’t change the past, but we can shape our future.
Some things you can try…..for example:
Read the bible
Pray more
Go to church
Alms giving
Visit a sick friend
Say NO
Repent and forgive
Speak kind, positive words
Keep a positive attitude
Believe in God’s abundance
Give up something that is not good for you
Do something kind for someone without been asked etc………
So make a list and tick off some of the things you do and keep track of how you have put yourself out to show God that you do love Him.
On the day you enter eternity, how are you going to respond to God’s judgement?
Have a blessed advent season. I’d love to read your comments.
I end with this beautiful advent song from Amy Grant_ Breath of Heaven
Adopted together brother and sister born in Marsicovetere, (Prc Potenza) Italy
These 2 beautiful children were adopted out when they were 3-7 years of age approx. around the late 1940’s early 50’s, (from Marsicovetere (Prc. Potenza, Basilicata_ Italy). to a family in the US_New York or California. Their biological mother was Antonietta Perilli who died at around 25 years of age and the father was Antonio Distefano. They were adopted into a family we think by the name of Rosa Curcio and Antonio Corless. Bernand Dipierri is a deceased relative who knew them and whom we shared . Their biological aunt who looked after them before they were adopted and cousins would love to make contact. CAN YOU HELP UNITE?
The 2 adopted children left Rome airport with KLM_ Dutch airline in the late 1940’s early 50’s,see details below.
this photo waas taken
This is a photo and the 2 adult children who visited their town of birth (Marsicovetere) but the aunt who is living and looking for them is not there because she migrated to Australia in 1966.
Today I went to mass to celebrate “All Saints’ Day.” We prayed, worshiped and lit candles and asked the saints in heaven to help us and our families.
At Baptism we all gain the potential to become saints, when we enter heaven we all become saints.
Catholics honour saints not worship them, because they have lived exemplary lives here on earth for a higher cause, that is, a life of sacrifice, a life of love, caring and sharing, a life of living according to God’s purpose. Many saints have died for their faith, while some lead exemplary lives to give witness to God and His Son Jesus Christ.
Saints were ordinary people who lead extraordinary lives. Saints have revealed things to us because of their relationship with God and Jesus Christ. Saints are people whom we look up to. Saints are our link between heaven and earth. People pray to saints as intercessors for us, to help us here on earth, to achieve our God given purpose and inherit what God has already set aside for each and everyone of us, if we have faith and believe.
The lives of the saints were not easy, nothing that is worth something is easy. Sacrifice comes in order to gain something bigger than ourselves.
I remember as a child parents would name their children after a saint in order to gain protection for their children from that saint. God elevates the dead to sainthood because of their faith and in order to help us here on earth.
Tomorrow is “All Souls’ Day” a day when we pray for our faithful departed. One might ask why do we have to pray for the dead? The reason is that some may not yet have crossed over or entered heaven, not because they are not worthy, but because they died with traces of sin. None of us are worthy, because we sin daily, it’s only by the grace of God that we are rendered worthy to be in God’s Kingdom.
In the bible in Maccabees Purgatory is explained and by scholars such as St. Augustine, my protestant friends don’t acknowledge saints. They refer to him as Augustine and quote him to explain and make clear many philosophical arguments.
Halloween is celebrated around this three day festival, it has become a pagan festival. We should honour the dead and the saints because that is what is pleasing to God.
When I saw the commercial using the crucifixion of Jesus to promote organ donation, my blood boiled. Here’s why? I’m not against organ donations, people can donate as much as they want, this ad is so wrong that it doesn’t even give me the desire to want to donate my organs. I just don’t see the message but the evil that this ad is portraying.
I know the world has become more secular but there are still millions of people who hold the very name of Jesus dear and precious to their hearts. Jesus cared for us to the point of death, an excruciating death on a cross, sacrificing himself for our salvation. I don’t know of any other God in any other religion who has given up his life. Jesus is unique, He holds the absolute, objective, moral truth.
I believe the ad about organ donations (see below) used by the media is demonic because it’s a direct attack on Jesus as it’s using deception by appealing to people for something that is good (donating organs) to degrade, belittle, trivialize and blaspheme the crucifixion.
Satan the ruin of souls roams this earth. Satan the one who looks for souls to devour is alive and active in the world. Satan the master of deception hides behind the truth, masterful at tricking people. Satan will stop at no end, the media in one of them. Satan uses bible scripture whom He knows well, to twist a little lie making it seem credible and attractive. But make no mistake, blaspheming, sinning by omission or association to not acknowledging Jesus as the Saviour, not defending the righteous one, is a grave sin- a sin punishable by God.
We need to show the media that they are wrong. The media doesn’t care about the truth, the media wants to rewrite the truth. The media wants to desensitize us to accept their lies. All the media cares about is power and money.
There are millions of other ways to promote the cause, leave what is sacred alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please stop the media from overshadowing a positive and spreading evil about Jesus’ crucifixion. By you not doing anything about this evil it’s saying that it’s OK, you then become complicit to the mortal sin because the media can have a huge demographic impact on people of little or no faith in Jesus.
(click right) BLASPHEMOUS ORGAN DONATION_ AD AND PETITION( please go into the article write your protest and sign the petition to show Jesus that you followHIM not the media)
A Prayer to Guard Your Heart
Lord God, Captain of my heart, Satan knows if I follow Your Greatest Commandment – to love You with all my heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37) – he is powerless over me. Guard my heart, Lord Jesus, so that it beats for You alone. Don’t let me grow complacent toward You or be lured to love anyone or anything more than You. Remove the idols from my heart so that You alone command my allegiance and utmost affections Help me to love and forgive others as You have forgiven me so the enemy can get no foothold through hate or bitterness on my part. Cultivate in my heart Your love that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (>1 Corinthians 13:7, NASB). Finally, Lord, set my heart on things above, not on earthly things. Help me to remember that You died for me and my life is now hidden which Christ in God (>Colossians 3:1-2). Increase my longing for heaven so this world holds no power over me. (courtesy of http://www.Crosswalk.com )
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Father God Loves You 
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