All Rosary Makers

It is wonderful to have the opportunity to set up our first Meetup of the year with the celebration of our Mother Mary on the Solemnity of Mary, January 1st.  It was on this day, I learned that we must have Faith.

It was on January 1st, 1999 when I was driving with my family, to our church in New York one last time before we drove away to our new home in Texas.  As I was driving to church that morning, I was deep in thought, already missing the place I loved so much.  Wondering if it was the right decision to pick up and move like that.  As I was driving, a wonderful song came to my head and I was humming the music, just the music and my heart was singing, just the music, to the song in my head. 

As I was driving, I was thinking how much I would miss my New York.  The song kept singing in my heart.  It was a song which I didn't remember the name of, and still at this moment, don't remember the name of the song. 

But the lyrics, I knew by heart and it was, "The Lord bless you and keep you.  The Lord lift His countenance upon you.  And give you peace, and give you peace.  The Lord make His face to shine upon you.  And be gracious unto you, be gracious.  The Lord be gracious, gracious unto you."  And I just kept humming the tune in my head.  Note, that was my first January 1st mass that I was attending.  I had never attended a mass on January 1st before. 

We stepped into the church with my family, attending just one more mass in our parish, before our long trip driving fours days to Texas.  As the mass started, we stood up, we sang, we sat down, and the first reading started and it said, "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you." 

I was shocked!  I put my hands over my mouth, burst into tears and covered my face in my jacket; I started crying.  Why?  Do you know why?  It was the words to the song that I was humming and not even knowing that the words to the song was the reading of this most gracious day.  Why did I cry? 

I realized how amazing God is and how he confirmed to me, that He heard my complaints.  He knew my thoughts. He heard my cry.  He loves me.  Do you feel the same?  I realized, it was a confirmation, to me, was definitely a confirmation, that He had plans for us, at least for me.  I know for sure, that was why were were going to Texas. 

I asked questions no more and I accepted my fate, moved forward and moved on.  Looking back in time, it has been 12 years now.  I look back and realize why.  That's another story.  I hope you now can understand why I am so passionate about making rosaries on this day, the 1st of each month, especially on January 1st.

I just checked YouTube and found this song that was singing in my head while I was at our old church.  It is calledThe Lord Bless You and Keep You (Lutkin).  Enjoy.

Now, before you watch this YouTube video, would you join me today and make rosaries?  It is a Sunday, a day that will be packed with songs to sing from early in the morning to late in the afternoon.  I enjoy my life in our choirs. 

If you would, please, make your rosaries wherever you are today.  Thank you.  Have a Happy New Year!  Be gracious and make your rosaries today.

The day after Christmas, someone emailed me, from this site here, a wonderful Christmas Miracle story from her 11 years ago when she received her Christmas Miracle.  The story was about a time, close to Christmas, and she had no money, no food, no way to get any presents for her children for Christmas.  To top it off, she was pregnant and had just lost her little sister.  She was heavily burdened and was at their lowest point financially.

Since she has no money and no way to buy present for her children, she decided to throw a big birthday party for Jesus!!  Oh wow, what a wonderful idea: a Birthday Party for Jesus!  They had a great time.  It was a few days before Christmas.  They played game, baked cookies and cake, sang songs and thank the Father for the gift of His son.  The talked about the Christmas story and the made pictures and gifts to give to Jesus for His birthday on Christmas morning.

The very next morning after they did this party, she had a knock on the door.  She went to see who was at the door, and it was a delivery person from Albertson's.  He verified if this the .... residence and she replied yes.  He said he had a delivery for them and if he could bring them in.  She was puzzled and was wondering what that was about. She didn't order anything.  She asked the delivery person to leave the bags on the porch.   He told her that he had quite a few bags and didn't think he should leave them on the porch and that he really should help to bring in the bags.  And so he did.  It wa a lot of bags with all kind of food good for several months.  She and her husband estimated that it was about $600 worth of grocery!!

The story didn't end there, she continued.  On Christmas morning, they woke up and one of them decided to look out the window, and there they saw their car was packed with Christmas presents!

Here, you can read the full story from the link that was email to me.

Praise the Lord.  Thank you, Shari, for sending me this story.  Merry Christmas!!

Christmas 2011

A month ago, I said in a prayer, "Lord if you do this for me, I"ll carol for the seniors this Christmas!"  And the Lord did answer my prayer.  But I couldn't keep my share of the promise because I didn't know who to get and where to go and how I'm going to go about caroling. 

Seriously, this is a busy time of the year.  Everyone is all sung out from concerts and extra masses and many long rehearsals.  Who is going sing with me for the seniors?  And what senior house could I sing in?  Carol by myself?  Yes, I could do it, but caroling is a group effort. 

A month almost went by.  Christmas was almost here.  I was extremely busy working left and right meeting all my commitments, especially for this holiday season and running my business.  I was completely out of time for everything.  But the promise was still deep in my heart. 

Where can I go?  Who should I talk to?  Who will sing with me?  Yes, I'm grateful to have a First Friday Choir and organize the music and coordinate everything for that.  Plus I must get pre-approval of all music before I can do anything with the First Friday Choir. 

Well, this is outside of church activities.  Contacting members from the church is like a hairline difference from getting political. 

So, there I was, the week before Christmas and I still hadn't anything set up for the seniors I would carol for, like I promised to God.  You know, if you are close to God in your heart, you will know the feeling that I was feeling. 

At the start of this week, knowing that Saturday coming up was Christmas Eve, I still hadn't done anything yet.

Interestingly, it is amazing how God make things happen in His name.  Never happened before, but last week, my system/server was having an issue and that took a lot of time out of me to fix - calling tech support, setting up tickets, house cleaning customer accounts, collecting bills, removing inactive accounts.  And somewhere along the line, something happened to  our customer's log-in areas.  I thought, maybe the tech support guys were working on it.  So, I left it alone.

Then on Tuesday, I got an email from a customer saying she can't make a payment for her site (I also do hosting).  So, I called her.  I assured her that I can take care of it and that her site will be fine.  She was happy to know that.  We talked a little more.  She was telling me how she was working 2, 3 jobs, all part time right now. 

She also excitedly told me that she has been working at the Arbor House and recently, the event coordinator left.  So she was promoted to take that position.  I congratulated her and asked here what is the Arbor House.  She explained that it is a house for seniors.  My light bulb lit up!

I explained to her that I promised God last month that I would carol this Christmas for Him at one of the senior houses, but didn't know where to go.  I asked if we can carol for her seniors (not knowing who will be singing with me at that time).  She was so happy to hear that because, although they had carolers every week, because everyone is so busy preparing for Christmas, they had no one to carol this week. 

I glanced over at my calendar on the wall.

"How about Friday?" I asked. 

"Perfect!" She replied.  She said Friday is the day she works there and she will be there all day!

Oh WOW!  I can't believe it!  We got booked to sing in one of the senior houses!  Okay, what's next?  I need to see who can come and carol with me in three days time.  I called one person on Tuesday afternoon while I was driving home.  I left her a long message, feeling a little not-so-hopeful that she would say yes.

Wednesday came.  No reply back.  I'm thinking to myself, if she's not coming, I better contact a few more to see who can make it on Friday to sing with me.  At the choir rehearsal that Wednesday night, I asked one of the girls who also sings First Friday with us if she can carol with me at a senior house this Friday.  She loves to sing and always say yes.  Well, this time, she said no.  Because she has to repair her car and that was the only day.  No problem, I said.  We'll be fine, I told her.  

The rehearsal went on for 3 1/2 hours!  By the time it was over, everyone left quickly.  It was 9:45 PM.  I was going to ask permission from the director to see if I can make an announcement, to take a chance to see if anyone of those 42 singers would like to carol for the seniors with me this Friday.  Everyone looked so tired and I didn't have the heart to ask.  You know, nothing is worse than asking the right question at the wrong time.  You are bound to get no's. 

I then tried turning to another First Friday singer that is in the choir before she left, and she left already.  She's a senior, so I can see she must be tired after such a long rehearsal for Christmas midnight Mass. 

I went home empty handed.  Wednesday evening, I still had no answers and no one to sing with me.  I had two choices at that time.  I either sing by myself, which is no problem, I can.  Or, cancel the caroling for the seniors.  The thought of canceling made me feel very uncomfortable.  It is always easy to get out of something than to actually make it through.  I thought to myself, I still have one more day, Thursday to do something.

So, I got up first thing on Thursday morning to send an email to both choir directors in both churches that I participate in.  Yes, I sing in two churches and four choirs.  It is my service to the Lord for what he's given me.  I clicked sent and the emails went.  One of them came back with one director forwarding my email to the choir!!  That is an 80+ person choir.  I hoped to get some good and un-busy spirits to sing with me on Friday. 

The other email came back with the director's email address (I used it many times before) returned as undeliverable, because of the address.  Oh no, he must have changed it.  But I didn't know his new email.  Well, that goes to 40+ members that could have gotten my email and some good spirits from that choir might come and sing. 

Meanwhile, I got two replies from the other choir. They both politely said no because they had to work.  I thanked them in a reply and wished them a Merry Christmas. 

Okay, back to square one.  It is Thursday. One day before the committed caroling day.  And is two days before Christmas Eve and I have nothing.  I took a deep breath.  I'm going to do it alone if I have to.  I'm not quitting.   My mind is made up, but I kind of didn't like the idea that I hadn't started this earlier. 

Thursday, we were out on the road at noon time.  I asked my husband to take me to Costco.  I had to pick up some frozen Organic veggies.  For some reasons, we drove home instead.  I told him again at home that I needed to go to Costco and would like for him to come with me. 

I stopped by my laptop to check my emails, not expecting much, except maybe a few advertisements from the local retailers.  I signed in to my email account.  There, I can see the many emails in my Inbox.  I clicked on the Inbox and ..... there I saw...  an email in my Inbox from the person that I called and left a message.  The subject line was "Christmas Caroling"  I quickly clicked on it, thinking to myself that she would say no like everyone else because it is a day before the scheduled caroling date and it is two days before Christmas Eve, the busiest day of the year. 

I clicked open the email and there I saw, "Yes, I would like to join you.  I will call you later."  Ah!!  I got it!  I got one person to join me!!  Yes!!  Thank You, God!  I was so happy to see a positive reply.  It made me so happy to know that I wouldn't be singing alone.  Caroling is a group effort, so I must have more than me. 

I was then thinking of the other person, a senior from the Wednesday rehearsal, the one who also sings with us for the First Friday Masses that I organize.  Too bad, I didn't have her number or email.  She is a senior and very private about that, so I had never gotten her phone number from her.  I just wished she would sing with us.  She is always there for our First Fridays.

I asked my husband again to take me to Costco, and so we did.  We arrived at Costco.  It was busy.  We walked relaxingly around.  Me, I went straight to the famous Costco samplings.  I tried one.  Loved it.  I tried another sample.  Love that one too.  I headed for another sampling stand.  Tried that one too.

While I was about to raise my hand to put another goody to my mouth, I heard, "Aimee!"  I looked and you cannot believe who I saw.  It was the one person I wished to talk to, to ask if she would want to sing with us this Friday.  It was the senior from our Wednesday rehearsal (who is very private and I had never gotten her phone number), who I wished I had a way to contact.

I was so happy to see her.  I had never seen her in Costco before and I ran up and gave her a big hug!  I mean, a great big hug!  She was so happy to have such a big hug and was laughing.  I asked her immediately if she would like to go carol with us the next day.  She was giggling and happily rocking herself in a dance replying to me, "Sing?  Carol?  Yes, of course!"  And looked like I made her day.

She was so happy replying YES to me.  She then turned and introduced her daughter and grandchildren to me.  She said to her daughter that she is going caroling with me, "tomorrow."    The daughter's eyes got big and said, "Oh, can I come?"  Can I come sing with you?'

What? Can you come?  Can you come sing with us?  Oh my Lord, of course!  "Oh Yes!" I replied, "Of course!  We'd love to have you!"

I was so excited and tried to contain myself, I didn't know what to do.  Really, seriously, I knew she didn't like to give out her number or email address and I didn't want to push it, so I gave her my business card with my email and cell phone number.

I was so happy and now I was thinking, maybe I can get more people to sing with us.  Well, four is better than one or none.  So, the show is on!!

Next, I don't have any music.  What should I pick to sing - where am I going to get the music?  By the way, I had caught a cold the weekend before so, I needed to sleep and eat well to help fight it.  So when I got back from Costco, I happily went to bed for a nap.  Before I did, I emailed my friend at the Arbor House confirming that we were caroling the next day.

Next morning, I got up.  Went to my computer.  Turned it on.  Still thinking where to get music and how to get that together, and the list of thoughts and questions went on and on.

I typed in "royalty free Christmas sheet music" and many sites came up.  I clicked around and many of them were phony, kind of disappointed.  Then, suddenly, I came across one site that  actually had sheet music and they had Christmas music!  I started to select them and clicked on them.  Reading carefully to make sure that they were royalty free sheet music, and yes, they were, so I printed and printed pages after pages, song after song.

I quickly organized the music in alphabetical order, typed up a welcoming introduction for an announcement before we sing.  And we must have a page with all the songs in order.  So I did that and put the songs in order.  Ran downstairs, and drove quickly to the Arbor House.

My friend at the Arbor House gave me a big welcoming hug.  She was already giving a tour to my other three friends, the mom and daughter, and the one I first called.  We four started warming up, rehearsed each song.  We were guided from one house to another house in Arbor House (different groups of residents in four different house in one Arbor House). 

We selected:

• Angels We Have Heard On High
• Away in a Manger
• Hark!  The Herald Angels Sing
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
• Jingle Bells
• O Come All Ye Faithful
• Silent Night
• We Three Kings of Orient Are
• We Wish You A Merry Christmas

We planned to sing 2 to 3 songs per house.  We ended up singing 4 to 5 songs per house.  The seniors were so happy and were singing along with us.  Some even harmonized beautifully  along with us.  Some just mouthed the words of the songs as we sang.  Some clapped along in rhythm.  They all were happy with us.  And we did a great job.  Yes, the girls did an awesome job caroling together. 

We sang.  I kept my promise.  God is amazing!  Absolutely amazing how He put together a choir for His seniors at the Arbor House, an assisted living home for the seniors and those who have Alzheimers. 

Thanks for reading this long and exciting story.  We caroled for the seniors!

The moral of the story here is, no matter what, if you promised God something, you will need to keep it.  He kept His, and I must keep mine.  And no matter how impossbile it seems, trust in the Lord.  Have Faith.  God always comes through, as he has done many times. 

As soon as I find more time, I will finish writing all the stories that I have listed on this site to share the miracles of my life.

God is good.  This is one of the many miracles that we have again experienced, and is from this year, 2011. 

Today is a very special day, a day of miracle again. Yes, today is another one of those amazing moments took place that I will give full credit to the Miracle of Grace.

I was eager to update this site to keep writing, perhaps recording and tracking, the stories of the miracles in my life.  I have to finish updating this site before I write the story. 

Just in case, the story is "Caroling for the Seniors - A Promise Kept" and we did.  Didn't think it can happen with Christmas this close, and yes, it did.  When God planned it, and we promised to do it, He'll make it happened.  All we do is to follow.

One more thing, if there is any story in your lifetime that is consider a miracle, please, write it down.  You'll be so surprise how much we will need to be reminded of the Grace given to us when we needed it most.

Right now, daring thing to do, I upgrade my site, a day before the Christmas Eve, two days before Christmas!   And so I did.  I'll be back to finish my story of Carol For The Seniors at the Arbor House in Lewisville.

Tonight, I came across this video of a 29 year old, born deaf, hearing herself for the first time after a hearing implant.

This is the season of Love, through the Gace of God, Miracles do happen.

Didn't think I can make time to write this story or any story for our Christmas-Miracles site.  Sometimes this evening, for a moment, I closed my eyes and prayed quiet to the Lord about something.  After the prayer, I went about doing my different projects for today.

I checked my emails as usual, and there, as usual, I received a Google Alert on various subjects related to my business sites.  And as usual, I glanced at these alerts and deleted them to make room.  But something caught my attention just before I was about to hit delete.  I read again what I saw at a glance.  It said...

Ulster boy, 11, creates charity to give gifts to patients at hospital ...
Margaret Schrage didn't expect Santa Claus to visit her at Northern Dutchess Hospital, but he did, in the guise of 11-year-old Jordan Corvin.
www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/.../jordan-wish-holiday-gifts-c...

It caught my curiosity and so I clicked on it (risky to click on anything in my email inbox that is coming from someone I don't know. Got tricked before, and so I took a chance to see what the full article would say.

Phew, it was a real news article from the Poughkeepsie Journal, about an 11 year old boy who dressed up in a Santa outfit and is going around to various hospitals giving out presents to patients.

It started when he was 6 years old while he was in a children's hospital during Christmas.  He was bored and so he started giving gifts to those in the hospital. 

This little boy, instead of focusing on his own illness, kept going year after year giving presents to those in local hospitals.

Amazing.  This little boy is leading the way, setting a good example of what giving gifts at this time of year means to those who are not receiving or couldn't receive any gifts during this time because of their circumstances.

Amazing story, check it out if you like.