So, my friend found herself praying with the old nun for a minute or two, got bored and changed the channel. Something caused her to turn her night table lamp on and she noticed the oddest thing: a lady bug was standing on her night stand. A lady bug in the HOUSE? Upstairs in a bedroom with no windows open?
This friend got up, remembering that they're supposed to be a lucky sign, and Googled LADY BUGS (Coccinellids) to see if others think they're good luck, and to see if she should worry about some infestation or something. As she read, she told me her eyes bugged out (pardon the expression) because Lady Bugs "In Christian areas, Coccinellids are often associated with the Virgin Mary."
How weird is THAT, folks? Total coincidence? Maybe, but........
geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeZ!!!
36 comments:
Nice story. I am Catholic and I can assure everyone that Mary is not a goddess.
We believe God blessed her, that she is in heaven and can plead our case to Jesus. What son, especially Jesus, could refuse his mother's petitions.
Z - I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord.
I have nothing but the deepest respect for the woman that bore Him - and wonder how she ever stood and watched as He was crucified.
But I am offended when I see her held up as an equal to the One that I consider to be My Lord and Savior.
I never pray to anyone except God -
or His Son Jesus.
Silverfiddle... "goddess"?
No...to be respected and appreciated..yup.
Sue, I thought about that, too, that she could watch that happen to her son...how awful.
I don't believe she is to be prayed TO, either, but I do believe in miracles.
Z - Have you ever seen the movie about Bernadette Soubirous?
She's the young woman who saw the Virgin Mary at what is now as the Shrine of Lourdes.
I watched that movie so many times and often wish I hadn't given it away.
I believe her 100%. I do believe in miracles.
But I do not believe in holding up Mary next to Jesus. For me, that is unthinkable.
Of course, I'm a Methodist, and that must be the reason.
SUe, are you telling ME you don't think Mary should be held up equal with Christ or just reiterating your feelings? I hope my post didn't suggest she should??!!
As I said, I agree with you on that.
But, I have Protestants who are so ridiculously leery of Mary that it almost makes me laugh out loud.
I saw THE PASSION at the same theater a friend was in and we met afterwards, surprised to see the other there, she said she loved the movie but "There was a little too much MARY for ME!" I mean, that is utterly ridiculous, in my opinion. I walked away saying to Mr. Z "Yes, can't let the MOTHER OF CHRIST get too much air time!" :-)
I adore the film SONG OF BERNADETTE..Jennifer Jones, right?
I told this story I heard today because I still think the 'coincidences' are astonishing......
Z - No, I didn't mean you. I was reiterating my feelings. I just wanted to let you know that right away.
Now I'll read the rest of your comment.:-)
Z - I am not leery of Mary at all.
In fact, I have very deep feelings about her. I used to watch all the movies about Jesus' life, and I see her as the maiden who was chosen by God to give birth to His Son.
I respect Joseph for his part in it all, but especially Mary for staying the course when the going must have been so tough - that's what we call Faith, isn't it.
Not only when she could have been stoned for pregnancy out of wedlock, but at the foot of the Cross.
~~~
Yes, it was Jennifer Jones. I may try to get that movie again. I often get rid of a movie that I have watched so much, but later buy it because I realize its value to me.
Funny, isn't it, that I would say what I have about Mary (Catholic-wise), yet watching Bernadette - I never doubted that she saw the 'Lady.'
~~~
SUe, that is funny and I felt the exact same way.
Actually, there is nothing I don't believe in Song of Bernadette!
Heck, if God could give Mary that amazing gift of bearing our Savior and having the strength to somehow see Her Son so badly beaten and killed, I guess He could do about anything with Her, huh?
I have to tell you that Orson and Alley Bean have a fabulous and interesting sculptor of Joseph and Orson calls him "the most cuckholded husband in history...look what he believed from Mary!" They're very deep and solid believers but he can be a joyously irreverent and that always does make me laugh! He has a point...imagine a guy hearing "But, I did NOT have sex with ANYBODY, DARLING..this Holy Spirit came to me, and.." :-)
Sue, Joe POlitico? Which comments?
Am going to have dinner...see you later
Sue, what do you mean here? :I noticed that you did:
:=)
I really like that - mind if I use it? :-) "
I didn't comment at Joe's.....I'm lost :-)
Very funny about your home ec teacher (I stank at algebra, too)
Z - When you get back from dinner (and I hope you have a great time), I would like you to expand on your comment:
Starting with 'Heck,...' and ending
'I guess He could do about anything
with her, Huh?'
I don't understand what you mean.
I'll check back later...
Sue, I meant that if He gave Mary such a HUGE honor as to bear His Holy Child, who knows what else?
Didn't go out to dinner tonight, sadly, but thanks...just had to go eat something downstairs.
While Mary is to be revered she is not an intercessor in any case. There is not one Scripture that can back up that claim. We have direct contact with Jesus Christ and He is the intercessor. He intercedes for us with his Father, that is if we are one of His. The Scripture also says that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us as well.
Isaiah spoke of this intercession 400 years before Christ was crucified for our transgressions among other things.
Isaiah 53:12
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
1 John 2:1
Amplified Bible
MY LITTLE children, I write you these things so that you may not violate God's law and sin. But if anyone should sin, we have an Advocate (One Who will intercede for us) with the Father--[it is] Jesus Christ [the all] righteous [upright, just, Who conforms to the Father's will in every purpose, thought, and action]
As for the Holy Spirit and intercession.
Romans 8:25-27
New International Version
25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
He who knows our hearts is God and even though we can not express our needs in words, the Spirit knows and intercedes for us before God.
As far as the Lady Bug, probably coincidence however I am not discounting that God can use even a Lady bug as a sign . After all he used a donkey to speak. 2 Peter 2:16
but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
Ticker - Thank you.
Thank you for your first paragraph.
When Jesus died on the Cross, the curtain in the temple was torn in half. Signifying that we can communicate directly with God - without a human intermediary.
If I - a sometimes very dense person - gets this, I wonder why an entire nonprotestant church does not.
Maybe they just don't want to.
To anyone:
Am I the only person that reads the King James Bible these days?
Sue...what He can do through Mary...
You said "Please, Z, don't leave me hanging here. You are talking to someone who often doesn't 'get' the ending of movies, let alone what God does."
That made me laugh because when I was in Paris, I took almost 4 hours of French a day and could NEVER get the punchline of the jokes the teachers told! I'd be following pretty well, and then they'd REALLY quickly say the punchline like we do here, kind of slurring over it, and I'd be SO frustrated! (not that their sense of humor is so good I missed anything, of course!) :-)
Ticker, I think the lady bug was the biggest coincidence I ever heard, and I myself have had astonishing 'coincidences'..so many that my closer friends are spooked :-)
Sue, I ADORE the St James version and am sorry the large worldwide Bible Study I'm a leader of uses NIV because I'd only read the St James if I could.
Z,
I believe less and less in coincidence, and I do believe in signs. We just have to be willing to accept them.
They can come in ways we may not realize, until we make a connection, and it becomes clear.
If we're not open to that possibility, it'll pass as if it never happened, but that doesn't mean it didn't mean something.
Pris, right....and I find that the more I really NOTICE them and accept them as 'miracles', not just coincidences, the more they happen.
Pris - I also believe in signs. In fact not a day passes that I don't.
But the problem with signs is that I may be looking for a certain sign, and when I see it I may think it is from God.
It may or may not be.
Know what I mean?
And that's where discernment is important.
Pris - I totally agree with your second paragraph. Many times someone will say something, or something will happen, and it will be sort of suspended in my mind.
Then one day - I get it.
'Men may work from sun to sun but a woman's work is never done.'
~~~
I'll leave you with that one last thought - I'm going to bed now.
...but not before I say a prayer for the two young men who have been sentenced to eight years in an Iranian prison.
Am I the only person that reads the King James Bible these days?
I cut my spiritual teeth on the KJV, Sue. But, I also read many other version too. I think it's a good thing to do comparisons of the many versions.
You may have it already, e-Sword is great software and it's free. They also offer many versions of the Bible for free also.....One can set up the software to do verse by verse comparisons. Also at lot of free commentary is available too by some big guns of the faith.
The website is-->HERE.
Z - Thanks, Scotty.
I just think the KJV is the only way to go.
How many versions do we need before people 'get it' & 'live it.'
Z, I am not Catholic, though two of my sisters are. Neither am I an entomologist, though the bugs here in Roatan are amazing. I am open to Truth however, and I see it everywhere, at all times.
I assure you that there is no coincidence. There is a Cause and meaning to each thing that comes to us in our days. That we can't see the meaning is apparently enough for most of us to deny it.
Writer Emma Bull said "Coincidence is the word we use when we can't see the levers and pulleys."
Have a great day today!
~ Will
How many versions do we need before people 'get it' & 'live it
The many translations all have their strong and weak points. Some were written and since then many new texts have been found. Dead Sea Scrolls is one example. Where the most complete version of Isaiah was found.
Some versions are just a lot easier to read than the KJV. For many the KJV is a tough read.
I think by pondering the varying versions one come upon a better consensus. Especially when one comes upon some difficult text.
Yep, Sue a lot of us do. Some just use different versions for clarity on certain subjects. KJV is not always the clearest with all the thee's thous, wherefores etc. I like the New KJ version since it has updated the English from 12th century to at least 20th.
I like the AMP since it does what it says, amplifies, explains words. It often gives the Greek translation in understandable form.
I believe my library holds at least 11 different translations or versions. I enjoy comparying them all.
Wonder if anyone else uses comparative versions other than me?
Will, what a fabulous comment! I don't believe there was ANYTHING coincidental, either! (no way)
I love that quote, thanks...you have a great day in Roatan!! :-)
I expect it's a lovely one!!
EVERYBODY: re BIBLES, I like most of them but someone loaned me THE MESSAGE and I can't read it.....The contemporary language takes me right OUT of communion with God. It makes me shiver to think of it and it's sitting on my dining rm table ready to return...soon, I hope!
I like the NKJV and NIV...Amplified is good, too....
I've learned 99% of the 27th Psalm and now I wish I'd learned it from the KJV, but alas...they always sound more like they're coming from God in that version! WHich is ridiculous, of course, but there you are!
Wonder if anyone else uses comparative versions other than me?
I'm with ya there, ticker.
someone loaned me THE MESSAGE and I can't read it.....
I agree, it's about the weakest translation I think that's out there now.
I like your picks too, Z. I'd throw in the NSAB and the Complete Jewish Bible.
My favorite? usually depends on my mood.....
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