Skip to the numbered first verse (after the book cover photo), if you have read the introductory items below.
Author’s note. foodforthesoul is a modest book of 120 inspirational verses which I am serializing into volumes in this blogsite www.eastwindjournals.com. They are a collection from what I have written through 40-odd years of my journalism career. The complete title is foodforthesoul – Finding Peace and Healing in a Frenzied World, book cover shown below.
A soft copy of the entire e-book can be downloaded free via this link (please share) = https://eastwindjournals.com/2022/12/26/foodforthesoul-your-portable-prayer-and-meditation-companion/
Hard copies are still available online for free to readers in the Philippines, as supply lasts, request at redgate77@gmail.com. You can send hard copies as gifts to friends, just give their names and postal addresses and warn them to expect a copy at their doorsteps. Copies are free but you pay for minimal courier service, since the book is pamphlet size only.
Prayer Guide.
Choose a quiet place for meditation and prayer.Place yourself in the presence of Jesus. He is now beside you, His hand on your shoulder. Talk to him freely, conversationally, for a while. Mention favors you want to ask of Him. Then, read some 3 to 4 foodforthesoul verses at random per day.
Take your time. Pause to internalize every verse you read. Mark what you have read and double mark those you like and want to share with friends, as your apostolate for Jesus. It is better to send a few verses at a time, say 2 to 4 verses, which can be easily read on the spot, rather than send many verses or the entire thing, which are not read. Samples are given below.
Insert book cover, to follow
033
A true story
jason is the only son of jessica
a filipino woman dentist in new jersey
fatherless but rich
jason was spoiled by her mom
she could not even ask him
to mow the lawn
he was bored with life
he looked far away for hours
to the horizon, lost in thought
jessica decided to send him
to guatemala as a peace corps volunteer
there, for the first time
he knew the meaning of poverty and pain
forgetting the luxury of home
beyond the discomfort of mosquito bites
his heart opened up for the first time
he realized how much power he had
to change things and people
coming home to new jersey after a year
the first thing jason asked her mom
was if she wanted him to mow the lawn
jessica fell into tears
things were never the same
jason was no longer a child
it took the awareness of suffering
to awaken his restless soul
dunk your children in the mud
so they can grow strong and learn to love
extricate them from the turmoil
of comfort and false peace
(Note. If there is no byline, the verse is default written by the author, Prof. Bernie V. Lopez, a.k.a. eastwind)
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035
an expensive pilgrimage
to Our Lady of Medjugorje
is the same as a cheap one
to Our Lady of Manaoag
she is the same Lady
it is our faith that heals us
not our pockets
pray at antipolo or baclaran
instead of at lourdes or the vatican
and give the rest of the money
you saved to the poor
and believe me
you will receive a hundred fold
*sister raquel reodica, RVM
039
what makes water gold is the sun
water by itself is clear and colorless
the water is your soul
the sun in is the light of the Lord in you
040
Lord, be our Mirror
that we may see ourselves in You
and You in ourselves
be the Window
that we may look out of ourselves
and see the beauty in others
be the Music
we hear in our times of darkness
that soothes our souls
be the Wind
on our sail as we head for home
on windless days
be the Fire
that moves our spirits
and kindles our energies
isabuhay (surf reyes) – hangingsilangan (eastwind)
041
metamorphosis
the lost message of the butterfly
a multitude of caterpillars
crawled to gather in awe
of a butterfly who said –
I come to show you what you can do
for what I am, all of you will be
there was the roaring whisper of disbelief
He said you must die that you may fly
and they made a God of him to worship
as they remained crawling in their gardens
in the blink of an eye
they changed instantly
from crawling caterpillars to winged butterflies
from crawling to soaring from one flower to another
*isabuhay
042
in Bhutan, the president has declared
that life is to be measured
not in gross domestic product
but in gross domestic happiness
a return to the spirit in a world of matter
043
seeing the old man grieving
because he recently lost his wife
the boy climbed up to his lap
and just sat there
asked later by a friend
what he said to the old man
he answered
nothing, I just helped him cry
*leo Buscaglia
044
the bigger the wound, the harder to forgive
the greater the effort, the greater the virtue
be with us Lord of forgiveness
in our relationships and conflicts
heal our wounds that we may heal others
045
as I decrease You increase
as my body ages
my soul grows strong
as I diminish You flourish
049
in Him you will discover
silence amid noise
serenity amid conflict
love amid hatred
your inner peace is within you
you can defy the turmoil around you
by sheer power of your will
you are calm or agitated only by free will
050
love is not reciprocal
it is unconditional
love is blind to the peripheral
it sees only the essential
love is immune to pain
it is obsessed with giving
there are no expectations
love is its own reward
ang nagmamahal, walang hinihinging kabalikan
walang mga kondisyon
sarili niyang gantimpala ang magmahal
wala siyang takot
tintatwanan and dusa at kirot
magmahal lang ang nasa isip
ibigay nang lubos and sarili
nang ang sarili maging lubos
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