The Occult

We are in the midst of a very dangerous world, with an ever increasing population that is seeking out the occult and witchcraft in large numbers. This has been an effect of the Harry Potter phenomenon, as well as other movies, television shows and books that have really jazzed up this movement to be something good. What it has done, in all actuality, is bring our young people into the realm of the devil, without their or their parents even knowing it. If you heard the show on the occult, you would have learned that people like Steve Wood and others have been involved in the occult or have ministered to those stuck in the occult, and they have seen the dangers of the movement for the well being of the young people, many of whom become depressed, angry and suicidal.



Reading books like Harry Potter is not harmless. Some people may be able to read these books and not be affected, but the majority of young people are impressionable and will seek out more information concerning witchcraft and spells. If you know anyone involved in the occult, pray some deliverance prayers for their release from the devil's grasp.



Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. What the people who seek out the occult are looking for, they will find in Jesus Christ. Sadly, many people seek out the occult to destroy Christianity, and you will find this even in our own Catholic Church, Catholic schools, and some orders of nuns. Extreme feminism has joined hand in hand with the occult and New Age movements. Our young people are being exposed to the occult in the classrooms, by people who claim to be Catholic. As a parent, it is your obligation to find out the teachers your child has and to make sure that they are not teaching your child anything contrary to the faith. And pray, pray and pray. Ask for the protection of St Michael, the Archangel and of our Blessed Mother so that the souls of your children will be protected from the evil influences that surround them. And probably most important, expose your children to good novels and books, like Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, or C. S Lewis' Narnia books. Michael O'Brien has written a very helpful book as well, called A landscape of Dragons: The Battle for your Child's Mind.

We have We Gone Wrong?

It seems that our young children, especially our teenagers, are falling into peer pressure and making bad choices because of a feeling that they are not loved or respected by their parents. It can be difficult, because I know that every parent believes that he or she truly loves their children. And I am also fully aware that as a parent, you are called to enforce the rules and hand out discipline whenever your children are not behaving. You are called to discipline and Scripture even says, "Spare the rod, and spoil the child." But this rod of discipline is not about punishing your children with physical punishment. The rod was a stick used by the shepherds to gently lead their sheep in the direction they wanted. When the sheep strayed off course, the shepherd would let them know that they needed to come back on the right path. You are the shepherd of your children, and you are called to the authority of leading your children down the right path, using your rod to prod them back.

Once again, it is all about communication. When you build a relationship of trust with your children and have open and honest communication starting when they are very young, they will also return that trust and share with you some of the pressures that they are experiencing. Yes, they will at times fall into this peer pressure, and they will seek to be more independent, but they will also seek your love and security to help them when they make mistakes.

Drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and promiscuity are only three of the dangers that your teenager is exposed to. Another danger, and one that is growing at an alarming rate, is the occult. We will talk about this danger in an upcoming show.

Our Greatest Gift

Children are God's greatest gift to us. They are precious treasures and our most valuable resource. They are also under attack. We just finished commemorating the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion without limits. That was only the beginning. Through the last three decades, our children have been exposed to any number of harmful cultural fads, which have brought with it an increase in teen pregnancy, broken families, pornography, violence and promiscuity. Many parents have given up trying to parent their children, and those who do try to parent feel like they are swimming in a tsunami of schoolyard bullies.

What are a mother and a father to do? It really begins in the home with your relationship with your spouse. Your children need to feel secure and safein the arms of two parents who truly love each other and show it as well as show their love for their children. With the five love languages, you have the tools necessary to allow your children to thrive in a society that is trying to corrupt them.

In the upcoming shows, we will be focusing on some of the dangers that your children are confronted with, and how you can help guide them to make healthy choices in their lives.

Latest Shows

To Listen to The Five Love Languages Part II Click here: http://www.box.net/shared/1qxd2shu1v

To listen to the Five Love Languages Part I (aired 12/27/09) click here : http://www.box.net/shared/e0s6o8mv3a

Relationships

So, now that the new year has begin, are you considering how to develop, deepen or even repair some of your relationships with friends, family and loved ones? If you are, what are some of the things you are doing? Christians are called to love to offer mercy and forgiveness and to even offer love to those who are enemies, who are trying to take you away from your relationship with Jesus Christ. How sad it is when Christians sit in judgment of other Christians. How sad it is when true reconciliation is not possible because of anger, bitterness and criticism that has infected so many of our relationships. But God has not given up on us. He so loved the world that he sent his son into the world, not to condemn it but that we might have life. Living in the Spirit, living in the abundant life of our Lord Jesus Christ, is possible even in the midst of crises and painful situations. All it takes is one person. When one person stands up and decides to live in the Spirit, then God can and will work in the relationship. There is real healing possible when even one person seeks to live in the freedom of the sons of God.

There is so much hate in the world, even among people who are so-called Christians. There is so much pain the world because of unhealthy relationships or a holding on to anger and bitterness. Jesus will take the pain away, and he will transform the pain into suffering. Suffering is redemptive whereas pain cuts off the healing power of the Holy Spirit. Living the Five Love Languages is only the beginning to a healing of all your relationships. There is more work that needs to be done, but once you begin living the love languages, then the Holy Spirit will become a part of that relationship and he will bless it with his gifts and fruits.

As we begin this new year, let us put aside all our anger and bitterness and offer true forgiveness and reconciliation to those who have hurt us. Be free of the bodily and spiritual chains that keep you away from God and live in the freedom of the children of God.

Happy New Year

2010!! It is hard to believe that yet another year has passed. And, as this feast day is a holy day of obligation honoring the motherhood of Mary, I have been reflecting on how appropriate it is to have a holy day honoring Mary, the Mother of God to begin a new year. It is Mary who has brought and continues to bring many people to her Son, Jesus Christ, and this year is one that offers many difficulties and surprises and even joys. We turn to our Blessed Mother with the sure and certain hope that you receive blessings upon blessings this new year. Turn to her and lay your burdens at her feet. She will bring them to her Son.

The new year is also a good time to re-evaluate our prayer lives. One way you can experience a deepening prayer life is by praying a daily rosary, if you don't already. The rosary is a powerful weapon in the hands of Catholics in order to combat the evils of our society today. It is also a prayer that can deepen your own relationship with your spouse, especially when you pray the rosary together.

May 2010 bring you joy and peace, and may our Blessed Mother, Mary, continue to bring you and your relationships the peace and joy of true intimacy.