My Spiritual Journey

[Dorothy]

jbsmith:

Hi everyone,

I want to make all of you aware of something that’s happened. Michelle surprised me, Mike, and Cliff by buying steaks for all of us and bringing them over and cooking dinner for us. Cliff got home from work around the time dinner was ready, and was very nasty and belittling to me when I gave him his plate of food. He said that he couldn’t eat it (He has some dental work and says he can’t eat steak because of it. I really don’t understand this, though, because he eats any other kind of meat that he wants.) He then proceeded to say “I’ve told you this!” He was very nasty while he was saying it. Michelle heard him. Her feelings were hurt, and she was angry because of the way he spoke to me. She left at this point.

I told Cliff on the phone today that I thought it would be a nice gesture for him to apologize to Michelle. He became defensive and wanted to know why, so I told him that he hurt her feelings and was very nasty to me. He became angry and gave me a very insincere sarcastic apology and hung up on me.

When he got home from work tonight, he wanted to continue arguing. To make a long, nasty story short, he screamed at me and said nasty, vile things about me. He accused me of crazy, nasty things. (I’m not even going to repeat them here.) He made me angry and also hurt me severely. I ended up telling him to get out. I told him to get out ASAP. I also told him I never wanted to see him again. MIke is home from work now, and he wants Cliff out. He’s wanted Cliff out for a while. Mike told me recently that he thinks Cliff is mentally ill.

Please pray about this.

Jeff,

My guess is that Cliff’s irritability and unhappiness has to do, in part, to his openness to witchcraft. I pray that he comes to understand that the evil influence has a hold on him.

Prayers for all of you,

Dorothy

 

[jbsmith]

beckyann2597:

That is FANTASTIC NEWS! I highly suggest the both of you watch “The Journey Home” with Marcus Grodi on EWTN. You can listen to past shows in the audio library on the website. It is fascinating listening to people’s conversion stories. Most of the people on that show were from protestant denominations (like reverends and pastors of their own churches), but all came home to the Catholic church. A reoccuring theme is their study of church history, and the early church fathers (AKA the writings of earliest christians).

I might have mentioned that show before, but its worth mentioning again.

Thank you for the suggestion. I’ll see if I can find when it’s on next. You know, I didn’t realize that Protestant pastors converted to the Catholic Church until rather recently. I’ve heard of several who have, though. There’s actually a Protestant minister in RCIA right now at the parish that I just left.

 

[jbsmith]

beckyann2597:

I’ve always believed my mother is sensitive to “feeling” presence around her. When her brother was on a submarine in the Navy and had a nervous break down on board, She awoke in the middle of the night hearing him screaming for help. She got a call two days later about what had happened.

At her mother’s funeral, she smelled her mothers perfume and felt a hug around her. She asked my father if he had smelled it, and he dismissed her as acting “emotional” and “nuts”.

When my mom was 10, she had a near death experience. She actually died for a moment on the operating table. During that moment, she told me that she was walking on her nieghborhood street with her deceased grandparents and her Aunt. She felt so loved and happy. They walked and talked down the street, and then they stopped walking. She wanted to keep going with them, but they siad she would be back, but not now. She had a lot to do. Then she remembers waking up.

Throughout my life I believe I have experienced supernatural things. Sometimes when I am alone, I see little sparkleys in the corner of my eye. Either I have a brain tumor, an eyesight problem, or its my guardian angel. I choose guardian angel. I don’t have headaches or even wear glasses (perfect vision), so my vote is benign presence!

Sometimes I get an overwhelming feeling that someone is in the room with me. I say hello out load and keep on making the bed. I like to think they are people who love me in heaven glancing in.

I have been known to get a bad feeling and just start praying. When my oldest daughter was a baby I would have a bad feeling when walking by her bedroom door. I would just kneel down and prayer outside her door while she was sleeping in the room. I pray over my children still, with my hands over them. My husband always teases me about my intuition about people and situations, I know how a movie will end in the first 5 minutes. (I totally called “The 6th Sense” at the beginning dinner scene. My husband had seen the movie and was all excited because he thought that one would get me–haha–it didn’t!)

Maybe I am just more sensitive to stuff and listening to my inner voice, or I am nuts as my father would suggest, but my husband thinks it is a gift and listens when I have a “feeling” about things. I trust that if you trust Jesus, you will be guided.

I firmly believe in the spiritual gifts. That’s a major reason why it wasn’t hard for me to accept the stories of Fatima, Lourdes, Guadalupe, etc. I’ve read the Bible from cover to cover over the years, and nowhere does it state that spiritual gifts and miraculous occurrences have ceased.

These stories you relate sound similar to something my mother experienced years ago, before I was born. Her son-in-law, the husband of my oldest sister, died in a car accident at the age of 20. (This was about two years before I was born.) He was a faithful Pentecostal, and my mother believfed he was in Heaven. She was still devastated, though. She loved him just as much as her own chidren, and she nearly lost her mind when he died. She wouldn’t get out of bed for three weeks. My father and sisters had to force her to take showers, eat, and drink. She wouldn’t leave the house even to go to church.

One night while she was asleep, she woke up suddenly and saw a form standing at the foot of her bed. She couldn’t see any facial features, but she saw the outline of a human form. It was a man wearing a white robe, and he had the same hair color and style as her dead son-in-law. He stood there for a few minutes and then disapperared. He never spoke, but she said she knew from seeing that apparition that her son-in-law was at peace and with Jesus. She went back to sleep and the next day she got up, showered, dressed, ate, and resumed her normal life. She was okay after that.

Also, when I was a teenager, my parents were having financial problems. My mother was very worried about it and prayed every day. She was asleep one night and woke up suddenly. She heard a voice tell her to go look in her purse, and she did. She opened it up, but it was empty. Then she felt someone put an arm around her and tell her not to worry, that their financial problems would soon be over. She went back to sleep and the next day their financial problems were indeed over. My father’s disability check, which was several weeks late, arrived in the mail.

My mother has also told me that there have been several times in her life when she’s been praying and felt arms wrapped around her.

 

[jbsmith]

Zooey:

Jeff, this last story reminds me of one that my mother used to tell me…It is different, but somehow similar.
My grandfather died here in my house where I live.(Before I was born). The night before he died, Mama said she was in the kitchen, & there was suddenly a dark form that was blocking her from leaving the room to go upstairs to be with her dad.
Then she heard her father’s voice! He had been in & out of consciosness & unable to speak for hours. She was able to run up the stairs to him, & he was sitting up in bed, praying & quoting from the Bible like he had done when he was in full health!! He prayed & prayed, recited his favorite psalm, & just lay down & stopped breathing.
She always believed that the devil had tried one more time to take over, & that her dad’s faith was so strong that God gave him the strength to pray to free her, & to let her father pass away in peace with the Lord.

So, I know that satan works all kinds of tricks, but that he cannot take power because God is truly in control. Your story reminded me of that–like it was a kind of last-ditch effort of the devil to drag you back away from God. I am so thankful that you were able to think to act as you did!!

That story sounds a bit similar to a story Mike related to me once.

Mike was raised in the Church of Christ, the denomination to which his entire family belongs. His grandmother was especially devout. She died about 15 years ago after battling cancer for several years. She suffered a lot the last few years of her life.

When she was in the hospital for the last time, she was unresponsive. She was in so much pain that her doctors had her sedated with morphine round the clock. Mike told me that she was basically in a coma all the time.

One day, Mike’s entire family was at the hospital. His aunt had gone home to do something, but was coming right back to the hospital. Before she left her house to go back to the hospital, she called the room. She intended to speak to her father and ask how her mother was doing. Instead of her father answering, her mother did. (Mike’s grandmother.) Mike’s aunt was shocked because of the condition that her mother was in. She hadn’t been conscious in about three weeks because she was so heavily sedated.

She spoke with her mother for a while. her mother told her that she was in a beautiful white waiting room. She said it wasn’t like any waiting room she had ever seen before. She told her daughter that it was beautiful, with flowers everywhere, people dressed in white robes, and hymns playing. She told her daughter that it was bright, sunny, and warm in there. She told her daughter she had to get off the phone because they would be calling her name soon. Then she ended the conversation by telling her daughter that she wished her daughter could be there, because she’d love it. She said she couldn’t wait to “go back” and see “the rest of this place.”

Mike’s aunt arrived at the hospital just in time to be with the family at the bedside of Mike’s grandmother as she died.

 

[jbsmith]

RCCDefender:

HI JEFF!! I may slip and call you JB from time to time because I’ve known several JB’s . Wow! I’ve had quite some cathing up to do since Monday!! By the way, I have that Veggietales video (right now it is lodged in my VCR), it’s called "Where is God when I’m scared, just in case you might want to rent it !

I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I think you will (by God’s grace of course) effect a lot of conversions! That’s so great!!!

By the way, I have been wanting to ask for prayers from CA members for a while for a girl in RCIA right now. Jeff, I think your prayers for her might be espescially effective. You see, she’s had a bad past, family on drugs, she was on drugs, abusive husband, her babies taken from her as soon as she had them. I think she has some mental problems which may have been caused by her drug use. I don’t know if she had delved into witchcraft of satanism at some point or if she was strung out on drugs and someone thought they’d play a cruel joke, but she has a certain tatoo on her forehead. Yeah, that one!! It’s large and really crude, obviously a “home makeover.” Now she covers it up all the time, and the RCIA director said the Church would find some way to pay someone to take it off if that’s what she wants. Well, she left RCIA about 2 months ago. We were really worried about her and knew she was under attack mentally, spiritually, and physically. Two and a half weeks ago I missed RCIA. Sunday, when I went back she was there. The director said she had also come the night I was absent. I thank God that she came back and I am praying that she will stay and be accepted. I want to ask you to pray for her, too. Her name is Shawna.

Jeff have you ever thought about blessing Cliff’s room sometime when he’s gone, or do you think that would be going over the line? Bless his room, bed, and pillow? Put a blessed medal under his mattress (the Miraculous Medal, especially comes to mind)? What is the concensus here??

I will be praying!!

Thank you for telling us about Shawna. Of course I’ll pray for her. Please continue to let me know how she’s doing.

Yes, I have thought about blessing Cliff’s room. I had actually decided to do it today. Mike is off work today, so he can help me.

I love Veggie Tales. I saw the Jonah movie several months ago. I give it two thumbs up.

However, my all-time favorite is the video that contains the song about the sad Cebu. I also like the one about the water buffalo. I wish I could remember the names of those videos. :banghead:

 

[jbsmith]

Edwin1961:

Jeff,
Gve Glory to God for the eyes of Mike’s heart to be opened to the Catholic Church!
Like I may have stated before (and other’s have quoted St. Francis of Assisi) “Proclaim the Gospel and when necessary use words!”

Jeff, your actions and Faith in our Lord really spoke to Mike. Besides, since he has known you for quite a while, also gives creedence to the credibility of your characters.

Now how is Ginger (your sister) doing along these same lines?

Thank you, Edwin. I’ve never had God work in my life in such a dramatic, tangible way before. It’s amazing.

As for Ginger, please pray for her. She’s still very interested in the Catholic Church and is excited about getting her rosary. She wants to visit a Mass, but hasn’t yet. She’s still building up the nerve. I understand. It is a big step, especially when you’re Baptist in a predominantly Protestant nation. However, she did tell me a couple days ago that she would like to visit the Tridentine Mass with me. SHe told me to let her know in advance when I was going.

 

[jbsmith]

Dorothy:

Wow, that is fantastic about Mike! I’m thrilled to hear that. Maybe you can both go to RCIA together.

If and when God allows a gift of discernment, and awareness of evil, to some people it is because He wants them to use it for His greater glory. When the time comes and the Holy Spirit leads you to do so, you can share your experiences with a priest you trust.

Yes, we’ve decided to go to RCIA together. It’ll be great.

 

[jbsmith]

Tonks40:

I’m so sorry you had to go through this tonight, JB. You did mention that Cliff was getting quite irritable and edgy. I’m sure all the changes that had gone on in the few short months has made things kinda uncomfortable for him.

Get some rest tonight. Keep Cliff in your prayers. The evil one is doing his best to disrupt the peace that you feel, and he found a vechicle to do so in Cliff.

That’s an interesting point that Mike brought up about Cliff’s mental state. Has Cliff ever been treated or diagnosed with mental disorders? Has he acted unstable like this in the past? Just something to consider.

I will continue to pray for strength for you.

Thank you for your prayers.

I believe, as do Michelle, Michelle’s mother, and Mike, that my coming back to God and Mike’s Christianity is unnerving Cliff and causing him to act this way. We all agree that he’ll most likely be moving in the near future. I believe this is for the best. I don’t hate him and will pray for him. I do believe he needs to go, though.

Cliff has been diagnosed with depression in the past. He was on antidepressants for a few years, but not now. As for others in his family, he’s told me that his mother and grandmother have histories of odd behavior. Later in life, his grandmother became a recluse. She let her house pile up with junk, trash, abnd various unused items. She never left the house. His mother has been that way for about the past ten years. She hasn’t even left the house in the past ten years to go to church, and she’s always been a devout Christian.

 

[jbsmith]

Dorothy:

Jeff,

My guess is that Cliff’s irritability and unhappiness has to do, in part, to his openness to witchcraft. I pray that he comes to understand that the evil influence has a hold on him.

Prayers for all of you,

Dorothy

I agree, this witchcraft is eating him alive, destroying his soul a little more each day. Her needs prayer.

Thank you for praying for us.

 

[Dorothy]

jbsmith:

Thank you for your prayers.

I believe, as do Michelle, Michelle’s mother, and Mike, that my coming back to God and Mike’s Christianity is unnerving Cliff and causing him to act this way. We all agree that he’ll most likely be moving in the near future. I believe this is for the best. I don’t hate him and will pray for him. I do believe he needs to go, though.

Cliff has been diagnosed with depression in the past. He was on antidepressants for a few years, but not now. As for others in his family, he’s told me that his mother and grandmother have histories of odd behavior. Later in life, his grandmother became a recluse. She let her house pile up with junk, trash, abnd various unused items. She never left the house. His mother has been that way for about the past ten years. She hasn’t even left the house in the past ten years to go to church, and she’s always been a devout Christian.

As to the family history, that is sad. The Lord knows the root causes of these depressions, and when the cause is not confronted and the Holy Spirit is not allowed to heal the person that needs deep healing, then these confusing problems just get handed down.

But, Jesus is Victor, and he can turn evil to good with the power of prayer.

 

[jbsmith]

Dorothy:

As to the family history, that is sad. The Lord knows the root causes of these depressions, and when the cause is not confronted and the Holy Spirit is not allowed to heal the person that needs deep healing, then these confusing problems just get handed down.

But, Jesus is Victor, and he can turn evil to good with the power of prayer.

I agree, these problems have never been dealt with. I also agree that Jesus can heal these things if Cliff and his mother would just let Him.

 

[beckyann2597]

Hi Jeff, Here is a link to the Journey home archives. If you have fast internet they play in Real Audio Player. I have listened to like the last 5 years of shows in the last 6 months…my oldest daughter knows the theme song and hums along with it because I listen to it so often.

ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/seriessearchprog.asp?seriesID=-6892289&T1=the+journey+home

Enjoy!

Here is another link from another fan, but he has them divided up by topic…

bringyou.to/apologetics/audio.htm

Talk to you soon–Rebecca

 

[jbsmith]

beckyann2597:

Hi Jeff, Here is a link to the Journey home archives. If you have fast internet they play in Real Audio Player. I have listened to like the last 5 years of shows in the last 6 months…my oldest daughter knows the theme song and hums along with it because I listen to it so often.

ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/seriessearchprog.asp?seriesID=-6892289&T1=the+journey+home

Enjoy!

Here is another link from another fan, but he has them divided up by topic…

bringyou.to/apologetics/audio.htm

Talk to you soon–Rebecca

Thank you. I have DSL, so it should play well. I’ll check it out soon.

 

[icequeen]

beckyann2597:

Hi Jeff, Here is a link to the Journey home archives. If you have fast internet they play in Real Audio Player. I have listened to like the last 5 years of shows in the last 6 months…my oldest daughter knows the theme song and hums along with it because I listen to it so often.

ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/seriessearchprog.asp?seriesID=-6892289&T1=the+journey+home

Enjoy!

Here is another link from another fan, but he has them divided up by topic…

bringyou.to/apologetics/audio.htm

Talk to you soon–Rebecca

I love The Journey Home! I have learned more stuff from Marcus than from anywhere else, well, except here at the forums! I recommended that show to my dad who is Catholic, but just barely. He has a lot of issues that need to be resolved, so I thought that by watching The Journey Home, then he could get a lot of questions answered and possibly get fired up about being Catholic. Jeff, the show is on EWTN on Mondays at 5pm your time, then again at 8pm.

I did another dance again!! Jesus is great, Jesus is awesome!! Mike is coming home to Rome! :dancing: I knew that it was only a matter of time before either Mike or Michelle took the leap into Catholicism. Wonderful news!

I’m sorry about Cliff, he is in so much pain and confusion, plus with mental health issues, well, he needs all of our prayers still. Probably more so. It will be for the best if he does move on, though I think that his journey will not be any better. Cliff is struggling and will continue to struggle as long as Satan is in control of him. Poor guy.

 

[jbsmith]

icequeen:

I love The Journey Home! I have learned more stuff from Marcus than from anywhere else, well, except here at the forums! I recommended that show to my dad who is Catholic, but just barely. He has a lot of issues that need to be resolved, so I thought that by watching The Journey Home, then he could get a lot of questions answered and possibly get fired up about being Catholic. Jeff, the show is on EWTN on Mondays at 5pm your time, then again at 8pm.

I did another dance again!! Jesus is great, Jesus is awesome!! Mike is coming home to Rome! :dancing: I knew that it was only a matter of time before either Mike or Michelle took the leap into Catholicism. Wonderful news!

I’m sorry about Cliff, he is in so much pain and confusion, plus with mental health issues, well, he needs all of our prayers still. Probably more so. It will be for the best if he does move on, though I think that his journey will not be any better. Cliff is struggling and will continue to struggle as long as Satan is in control of him. Poor guy.

Thank you for the information about “The Journey Home.” I’ll write down the time so I won’t forget to watch it.

I’m overjoyed that Mike wants to be Catholic. Michelle hasn’t made such a commitment, but she’s very friendsly towards the Church. I told her about the Tridentine parish about an hour from here, and she wants to go one Sunday when I feel up to it. She said it sounds like it would be a good experience.

I agree about Cliff. Even though he made me angry and hurt me, I pity him. He’s so alone in this world, and he doesn’t even realize it. He needs to go, but I agree that his journey won’t be any better. He just has this darkness that hangs around him all the time. His misery is tangible. It’s sad.

 

[icequeen]

jbsmith:

I agree about Cliff. Even though he made me angry and hurt me, I pity him. He’s so alone in this world, and he doesn’t even realize it. He needs to go, but I agree that his journey won’t be any better. He just has this darkness that hangs around him all the time. His misery is tangible. It’s sad.

And there isn’t a whole lot that can be done directly without alienating him either. The minute you say anything, the door is shut and locked. Bummer. Well, I guess we will just have to keep the behind-the-scenes work going. It almost feels like back stabbing, but with good intentions. But, it is the only thing that can be done for him at this point. How sad indeed.

 

[jbsmith]

icequeen:

And there isn’t a whole lot that can be done directly without alienating him either. The minute you say anything, the door is shut and locked. Bummer. Well, I guess we will just have to keep the behind-the-scenes work going. It almost feels like back stabbing, but with good intentions. But, it is the only thing that can be done for him at this point. How sad indeed.

That’s the only thing anyone can do for him, I think: pray. He’s very anti-Christian. Please pray that he’ll move soon.

 

[jbsmith]

Hi everyone:

I just wanted to update everybody on what’s going on here. Cliff hasn’t told me or Mike when he’s moving, but he’s packing this morning. He was a little rude to me when he first saw me, but I ignored it. After that, he was cordial. Apparently he’ll be leaving soon.

 

[TheRam]

Love the man, hate the sin…

You made a choice to stop living this lifestyle, and then you chose to change, and did very well at it so far. His anger and leaving is simply because he can not deal with your choices in life. This is his problem if he wishes not to hold firm on the friendship. He needs more, is conflicted in how, and will move on.

Continue praying for him…this is not going to be easy, but nothing good comes without work and effort…this is what your soul needs right now, the removal of the constant struggle and reminder. This will give you a chance to start life on your own…to walk without crutches for the first time. Remember we are here watching you, you are not alone.

this stage is now comming to an end…

Amen to your heart and efforts!

Lana

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b282/Lanasshoebox/Forgiven-718126.jpg He’s got you hun!

 

[krysianka]

Jeff:
I will pray for you, your friends, and Cliff tonight before Jesus truly present in The Blessed Sacrament. Saturday night is my date with Our Lord!

I thought this website on St Michael the Archangel may be helpful for you. I remember in the past you mentioning praying to St Michael, and I’d thought I’d take the opportunity to encourage it.
Here it is

Also, I thought this was an interesting painting of St Michael: