Daily Reflection with Fr. Tomas Del Valle-Reyes
Dear Friends: Praying is not easy. Our daily routine calls for our full attention. And the world around us puts little value on prayer; our lives are full of material things but at the same time are getting emptier in God’s value.
For this reason, I will post a daily reflection and as you visit this site may the Holy Spirit within you come to your aid and guide you gently to the God who loves you.
Don't let your worries get the Best of you, remember, Moses started out as a basket case.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited until you try to sit in their pews.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisors.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
People are funny; they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road,
and the back of the church.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Opportunity may knock once, but temptation bangs on your front door forever.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Quit griping about your Church; if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
If the church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
God Himself does not propose : To judge a man until he is dead. So why should you?
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Some minds are like concrete: Thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Peace starts with a smile.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
I don't know why some people Change churches; what difference does it make which one you stay home from?
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
A lot of church members who are singing "Standing on the Promises" are just sitting on the premises.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
We were called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Be ye fishers of men. You catch them - He'll clean them.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Forbidden fruits create many jams.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
God grades on the cross, not the curve.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts!"
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
He who angers you, controls you!
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
If God is your Co-pilot - swap seats!
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Prayer: Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
The task ahead of us is never as Great as the Power behind us.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
The Will of God never takes you to Where the Grace of God will not protect you.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
We don't change the message, the message changes us.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
You can tell how big a person Is by what it takes to..........discourage him.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
The best mathematical equation I have ever see: 1 cross + 3 nails= 4 given.
Fr. Tomas Del Valle-Reyes
Descubriendo el siglo 21
P. O. BOX 1170
New
York, NY 10018
212.244-4778
My brother Tomas thinks God lives under his bed.
At least that's what I heard him say one night.
He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped outside his closed door to listen.
"Are you there, God?" he said.
"Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed."
I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room.
Tomas unique perspectives are often a source of amusement.
But that night something else lingered long after the humor.
I realized for the first time the very different world Tomas lives in.
He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor.
Apart from his size (he's 6'2"), there are few ways in which he is an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7 year old, and he always will.
He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas, and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
I remember wondering if Tomas realizes he is different. 
Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?
Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, returning to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.
The only variation in the entire scheme are laundry days, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.
He does not seem dissatisfied.
He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05 eager for a day of simple work. He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.
And Saturdays -- oh, the bliss of Saturdays!
That's the day my dad takes Tomas to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside.
"
That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!"
Tomas shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.
I don't think Tomas knows anything exists outside his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.
His life is simple.
He will never know the entanglements of wealth or power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats.
He recognizes no differences in people, treating each person as an equal and a friend.
His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.
His hands are diligent. Tomas is never so happy as when he is working.
When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.
He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished.
But when his tasks are done, Tomas knows how to relax.
He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others.
His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue. Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Tomas is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere.
And he trusts God. Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Tomas seems to know God -- to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an "educated" person to grasp.
God seems like his closest companion.
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Tomas has in his simple faith. It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.
It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap -- I am. My obligations, my fears, my pride, my circumstances -- they all become disabilities when I do not submit them to Christ.
Who knows if Tomas comprehends things I can never learn?
After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of the Lord.
And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.
Tomas won't be surprised at all.
- AUTHOR UNKNOWN -
Fr. Tomas Del Valle-Reyes
Descubriendo el siglo 21
P. O. BOX 1170
New
York, NY 10018
212.244-4778
Gracious God, I ask your blessing on all my friends who 
have given of their own heart and soul to deepen and strengthen my own.
I pray especially for those who have walked alongside me when I have not been a faithful friend myself.
When I feel alone, remind me that my friends are one your greatest gifts of grace to me. Let me be to them what they are to me. I ask this for the sake of your love.
Amen.
Fr. Tomas Del Valle-Reyes
Descubriendo el siglo 21
P. O. BOX 1170
New
York, NY 10018
212.244-4778
A seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg , TN.
One morning, they were eating breakfast at a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet, family meal.
While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting with the guests.
The professor leaned over and whispered to his wife, 'I hope he doesn't come over here.'
But sure enough, the man did come over to their table.
'Where are you folks from?' he asked in a friendly voice.
' Oklahoma ,' they answered.
'Great to have you here in Tennessee ,' the stranger said.
'What do you do for a living?'
'I teach at a seminary,' he replied.
'Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I've got a really great story for you.'
And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with the couple.
The professor groaned and thought to himself, 'Great Just what I need ...another preacher story!'
The man started, 'See that mountain over there? (pointing out the restaurant window).
Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy born to an unwed mother.
He had a hard time growing up, because every place he went, he was always asked the same question, 'Hey boy, Who's your daddy?' Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would ask the same question, 'Who's your daddy?'
He would hide at recess and lunchtime from other students. He would avoid going into stores because that question hurt him so bad.
'When he was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church.
He would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question,
'Who's your daddy?'
But one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast that he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd.
Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing anything about him, put his hand on his shoulder and asked him, 'Son, who's your daddy?'
The whole church got deathly quiet.
He could feel every eye in the church looking at him Now everyone would finally know the answer to the question, 'Who's your daddy?'
'This new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to that scared little boy.. 'Wait a minute! I know who you are! I see the family resemblance now, You are a child of God.'
With that he patted the boy on his shoulder and said, 'Boy, you've got a great inheritance.
Go and claim it.'
'With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person. He was never the same again.
Whenever anybody asked him, 'Who 's your Daddy?' he'd just tell them , 'I'm a Child of God.''
The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, 'Isn't that a great story?'The professor responded that it really was a great story!
As the man turned to leave, he said, 'You know, if that new preacher hadn't told me that I was one of God's children, I probably never would have amounted to anything!' And he walked away.
The seminary professor and his wife were stunned. He called the waitress over and asked her, 'Do you know who that man was -- the one who just left that was sitting at our table?'
The waitress grinned and said,
'Of course. Everybody here knows him That's Ben Hooper.
He's governor of Tennessee !'
Someone in your life today needs a reminder that they're one of God's children!
'The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of God stands forever.' ~~
Isaiah
YOU'RE ONE OF GOD'S CHILDREN!!!
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
Fr. Tomas Del Valle-Reyes
Descubriendo el siglo 21
P. O. BOX 1170
New
York, NY 10018
212.244-4778
Read this story to the end...
As I was walking down life's highway
many years ago,
I came upon a sign that read:
Heavens Grocery Store.
When I got a little closer
the doors swung open wide
And when I came to myself
I was standing inside.
I saw a host of angels.
They were standing everywhere One handed me a basket
and said 'My child shop with care.'Everything a human needed
was in that grocery store
And what you could not carry
you could come back for more"
First I got some Patience.
Love was in that same row.
Further down was Understanding, you need that everywhere you go.
I got a box or two of Wisdom and Faith a bag or two.
And Charity of course I would need some of that too.
I couldn't miss the Holy Ghost. It was all over the place.
And then some Strength and Courage to help me run this race.
My basket was getting full but I remembered I needed Grace,
And then I chose Salvation for Salvation was for free
I tried to get enough of that to do for you and me.
Then I started to the counter to pay my grocery bill, For I thought I had everything to do the Masters will.
As I went up the aisle, I saw Prayer and put that in,
For I knew when I stepped outside I would run into sin.
Peace and Joy were plentiful,
the last things on the shelf.
Song and Praise were hanging near so I just helped myself.
Then I said to the angel 'Now how much do I owe?'
He smiled and said 'Just take them everywhere you go.'
Again I asked 'Really now, How much do I owe?'
'My child' he said, 'God paid your bill
a long long time ago.'
This poem has been sent to you with love and for good luck.
Fr. Tomas Del Valle-Reyes
Descubriendo el siglo 21
P. O. BOX 1170
New
York, NY 10018
212.244-4778
Please remove from my mind the tendency to judge.
Please remove from my mind the tendency to hate.
Please remove from my mind the tendency to blame.
Please reveal to me, a way to stand in my power, through love instead of fear, and through peace instead of violence.
May I hear not the voice for anger, but only the voice for love.
And teach me how not to hate those who hate me.
Transform all darkness into light, and use my mind as an instrument of Your harmlessness.
I surrender to You my thoughts of violence.
Take these thoughts and wash them clean .
Amen
Fr. Tomas Del Valle-Reyes
Descubriendo el siglo 21
P. O. BOX 1170
New
York, NY 10018
212.244-4778
A horrible thing happened to me today..... a thief broke into my house.
It happened shortly after I awoke this morning.
I got up and began rushing about.
I had a thousand things on my list and was already running behind.
Quickly, I gulped down breakfast, took a shower and
got ready for work.
In my rush, I forgot to turn the security system on at my house.
It was just about a half an hour later that the thief broke in.
Of course, he didn't make a sound.
Just kind of snuck inside, not drawing any attention to himself.
In fact, none of the neighbors ever saw him.
But, I did.
You see, I WAS HOME when the thief broke in.
He naturally startled me, as I was unprepared for his visit.
He, of course, didn't announce that he was coming
and I certainly had not invited him over.
And yet, I found myself face to face with danger and I felt so powerless.
I also felt so very stupid, because this whole incident could have been avoided if I had just taken the time to turn the security system on.
You better believe I'll be turning it on tomorrow morning!
I thought I'd warn you about this guy, because he's still on the loose.
Chances are, he's in your area.
Possibly even headed for your house.
His name? His name is Satan.
You see, this morning when I jumped up in my
haste to get started on my busy day, I skipped my prayer time - opting to "pray later today."
In other words, I DIDN'T TURN ON THE SECURITY SYSTEM.
My defense wasn't on, my guard was dropped... ..and when the thief came into my home to attack me, I was unprepared to do battle.
He tempted me and I felt powerless.
Like I said, I also felt so very stupid, because I could have avoided the incident if I had just taken the time to pray.
My friend, the thief has come to "steal, kill and destroy."
And, as a Child of God, you are on his "hit list."
He'll probably
pop over to your house today. He may be lurking outside your door right now, just waiting to catch you off guard.
Take time to pray this morning.
Bind Satan from your very presence, to protect you and empower you to do battle. In short... ...don't forget to turn your security system on.
Author Unknown.
Fr. Tomas Del Valle-Reyes
Descubriendo el siglo 21
P. O. BOX 1170
New
York, NY 10018
212.244-4778
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
