I was overwhelmed today with so many hurting people asking for prayers around the world. Some who lost a loved one, another who worried about their unborn baby who may not live through birth, and another who is suffering from an illness and yet others who asked for undisclosed prayer requests.

The more I pray about it, the more compassion and love floods my heart for them. I’ve personally experienced gut-wrenching trials and I know how painful it can be…

Being a professional landscape photographer, I decided to do something special and go up into the high country of the Rocky Mountains, free from distractions and where God’s creation is most powerful to me. I spend a lot of time up there for that reason alone.   I printed out a copy all the people who liked my post and those who messaged me asking for prayer. The list was long. I decided to attach my favorite picture of Mary to the prayer requests and place this in my shot.

While driving up it was overcast with little hope of a decent sunset. Up I went to nearly 12 thousand feet (12K) just above timberline. I arrived late evening and noticed the sun was starting to break free. What happened next was amazing. I get to see plenty of beautiful sunsets but this one was special.   I ran up  to patch of wildflowers and was suddenly overwhelmed with the most intense brilliant reddish-golden light. It radiated everything around me. It was a warm light that literally penetrated my soul. I placed the picture of Mary and all the prayer requests in the patch of wildflowers and resumed the Rosary I had been praying on the way up there for everyone.

All the while, I was shooting off pictures of this amazing site. I could literally feel God’s warm loving light wrapping around me. I was praying for everyone but one person in particular stood out in my mind. His name is John and he had just passed away in England. I could envision John walking towards Jesus’ brilliant light as He walked into our Lord’s loving arms for all of eternity!  

Last night on my son’s birthday and while we continued to pray for the prayer requests received here (and for all here), a full double rainbow appeared as a confirmation or a sign from God through HIs beautiful creation. This is the first double rainbow I’ve seen this year so it was a special occasion! 
Sunsets and Rainbows are the main theme throughout my book and this one was no exception. These beautiful works of creation have always accompanied blessings and answered prayer for my family, especially in difficult situations. I hope and pray this will also be a sign for you and yours as a blessing and answered prayers!

At the time of our pilgrimage to Medjugorje, the former Yugoslavian war was about to break out with military helicopters and fighter jets buzzing the skies above Medjugorje. 
This statue of Mary in front of St. James really told the story. Her stained face with what appeared to be a tear streak coming from her right eye might have been a glimpse of the extreme suffering that pursued in the bloody civil war which broke out shortly after we departed.
Mary continues to offer up her sacrifices for our us in order that we may come back to her Son Jesus. Similar circumstances are taking place today only in the form of terrorism and secularism and is why living out Mary’s messages are so important right now.
We/I must become MEDJUGORJE STRONG! in order to withstand the evil upon us….

#Medjugorje #Mary #Prayer #Jesus #Christian

I just recently edited this from footage my son and his cousin filmed while in Medjugorje recently.  Medjugorje is a great place for youth in particular and for all ages….

Watch in 1080p in full screen for best viewing.

Medjugorje Journey Video

I want to share with all of you something that happened directly after my book went live. I decided to take my wife
up to the high country around 13k to witness the wildflowers now at their peak. I was late getting up there but what happened added to the list of spectacular events that have occurred in my life. I get to witness a lot of sunsets with my photography business but this one was off the charts. Again. the picture doesn’t do it justice.

During this incredible sunset, the red clouds were up close and personal – it literally felt as if we were being enveloped by it’s beauty as if God himself was wrapping His loving creation around us. I also heard faint sounds like moaning coming from the sky as if creation itself was crying out. Maybe I’m being a little presumptuous or melodramatic but I took it as a sign that Mary and God were pleased with what I’m doing – at least I certainly hope so. Believe me, I’ve had my doubts so I really needed this. God always speaks best to me through his creation. 🙂

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After finishing my newly released book – Crosses, Sunsets & Sinners – A Brother and Sister’s Medjugorje Journey, I suddenly came across an interesting interview I had recorded back in 1990 with a local Medjugorje woman that really caught my attention.

At first I was disappointed that I didn’t find the material before publishing my book but then I realized it was an opportunity to share this little known information with those who follow Mary’s messages.

In the interview, the woman went into detail telling stories about the visionaries and it was obvious that the visionary Jakov Colo was her favorite. She explained to me that he was only 10 years old at the time of the first apparitions. Not only was he just a child but his mom had died and his dad was mostly absent at work in a different country during that time period. This is why Jakov had such a strong relationship with our Blessed Mother because she became both his spiritual and parental mother. Because of this, Jakov has a special bond with Our Lady.

According to the local woman, after Jakov’s mom passed away, Our Lady asked the visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic to quit school and look after young Jakov which she humbly obeyed.

According to the woman, one evening Jakov had a vision from Our Lady where she asked him go to Father Jozo (the parish priest at the time) to tell the people to pray the Rosary. This was a time when the visionaries had to be careful to avoid the communists while out in public. Jakov’s obedience to Mary outweighed his fear of the communists so he was determined to get this message to Fr. Jozo. He went outside and literally hid himself, weaving his way amongst the legs of the parishioners, who where gathered outside St. James Church as Mass was about to begin. He made his way through the crowds and into the church and finally went under the altar where he started pulling on Fr. Jozo’s robe. Surprised, Fr. Jozo asked him what he was doing? With an urgent look on his face, young Jakov informed him of Mary’s request that the people pray the Rosary.

I can only imagine what was going through Fr. Jozo’s mind as he saw the dedication of this young visionary.

To this day, Jakov mostly keeps to himself staying out of the limelight and focuses his attention on living out Our Lady’s messages.

The above post was published on the Mystic Post site – 

The Surprising Story of How Little 10 Year Old Jakov Ignited the Tradition of Praying the Rosary In Medjugorje

I have failed in this endeavor if the reader doesn’t come away feeling MEDJUGORJE STRONG! This is now my new motto!  The only way to become Medjugorje Strong is to live the messages which includes daily Mass, monthly confession, fasting, daily Holy Scripture readings, daily Rosary, personal prayer with our Lord, and just as important, living out these messages in our daily lives. 

Writing this book has brought me closer to the messages. I am still not at the level I achieved back in the early days but I’m slowly getting there and it feels great!!
The more I commit to them the closer I come to Jesus. It’s that simple. There is nothing too complicated about it. We just have to do it!  

Mary knew what was coming and most would agree that hard times are already here. Through Our Lady, God provided us with the antidote. Are we listening? 

Thank you for viewing my site and for sharing in our incredible journey of faith while on pilgrimage to the  remote village of Medjugorje located in former Yugoslavia.

It has been brutal writing this book at times – sometimes due to emotions and mostly due to the barrage of technical problems that have plagued this book. Everything that can go wrong has….
This was suppose to be out last week but on our anniversary our car broke down leaving us stranded above 9,000′.  With no help or internet connection available, we had to sleep in our car overnight and I can tell you that it was a very cold miserable night with no sleep but plenty of shivering.  We were not prepared with only light jackets.  Even our dog was shivering.

When we finally received help and were able to limp back home, all the garages were booked for the week so I had to take off time from work to complete the repairs myself. Of course this only further set back my publishing date.  This type of thing has been occurring with regular frequency throughout the year. 

I had to ask myself several times if I was doing God’s will? I can honestly say that I have worked as hard as I could on this project in spite of the many trials along the way.  

I’ve had to hold firm to Fr. Svet’s words of encouragement to me and my sister.   “Don’t worry, let God lead you! It is all part of the pilgrimage – to endure suffering along the way…”