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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,175
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

Hello my friends! Beautiful day here today, plus a little rain showered down upon our garden! I've been having headaches, so was told to put hot pads on the back of my neck followed by ice packs. I also took some iboprofins. So today I didn't do much, I rested. Cakers, I didn't hear of that accident of Pope Francis' family - how awful! Praying for all of you for all your needs!! I'm off to bed!

Thoughts of the past can not hurt you without your consent. Lord,

help me to learn from my past, not live there by continually bringing

it into the present.

Scripture for the day:

"In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the

earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep,

while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God

said, "Let there be light"; and there was light." ~Genesis 1:1-3

Meditation for the day:

God made the ordered world out of chaos and set the stars in their

courses and made each plant to know its season.. God can bring peace

and order out of our own private chaos if we let God. God is

watching over us, too, to bless us and care for us. Out of the darkness, God

is leading us to light, out of unrest to rest, out of disorder to

order, out of faults and failure to success. We belong to God and

our affairs are God's affairs and can be ordered by God if we are

willing.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may be led out of disorder into order. I pray that I

may be led out of failure into success.

Hello my friends! Hope your day went well - mine did - we did the cleaning at Darla's house, and got it presentable for showing again, and we are hoping that the party who is interested in the house will get their loan and it can be finished!

Tonight Darla called her Dad - they called from Lowe's Store there in TX about buying a new washer and dryer there, and he adviced them what he thought was good - the new Maytag Bravo - has only 4 moving parts to it, so not that many to go wrong.

They got a good deal on it too. Chad opened up a credit card there as he'll be going there often, and that way they have deferred payment for six months.

The reception was great talking to her in TX. Praise God for that!

That is a great blessing. Tomorrow Chad's brother flies back home, and his Mom and her boyfriend are driving but doing a lot of sight seeing.

We are blessed again with a nice, sunny day, not as hot as Texas, but in the 80's.

What are your blessings?

ROSE

Author Unknown

August 11, 2009

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and

challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood

up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me

with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said, "Hi handsome. My

name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she

gave me a giant squeeze." Why are you in college at such a young,

innocent age?" I asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married,

have a couple of children, and then retire and travel."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to

be taking on this challenge at her age. "I always dreamed of having a

college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me. After class

we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate

milkshake. We became instant friends.

Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and

talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine"

as she shared her wisdom and experience with me. Over the course of

the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends

wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the

attention bestowed upon her from

the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football

banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and

stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech,

she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a

little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said "I'm

sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is

killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell

you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began: "We do not stop

playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There

are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving

success.

"You have to laugh and find humor every day."

"You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We

have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know

it!"

"There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If

you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't

do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am

eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do

anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That

doesn't take any talent or ability.

The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change."

"Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we

did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear

death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose." She

challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our

daily lives.

At the years end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all

those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her

sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in

tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never

too late to be all you can possibly be.

A lesson of life:

Read the following and have a GREAT day!

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.

Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

'Hello Barry, how are you today?'

'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good.'

'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?'

'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.'

'Good. Anything I can help you with?'

'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' th em peas.'

'Would you like to take some home?' asked Mr. Miller.

'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.'

'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?'

'All I got's my prize marble here.'

'Is that right? Let me see it' said Miller.

'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.'

'I can see that. Hmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.

'Not zackley but almost.'

'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble'. Mr. Miller told the boy..

'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.'

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.

With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.

When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.'

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket.

Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about.

They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size. They came to pay their debt.'

'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho.'

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.

Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself. An unexpected phone call from an old friend. Green stoplights on your way to work. The fastest line at the grocery store. A good sing-along song on the radio. Your keys found right where you left them.

SCARS

Author Unknown

Aug 3, 2009

Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy

decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.

In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door,

leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the

water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an

alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His mother, in the house was looking out the window, saw the two as

they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the

water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice,

the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother.

It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him.

From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as

the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war

between the two.

The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was

much too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his

truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy

survived.

His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal.

And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails

dug into hisflesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked

if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And

then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my

arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my mom

wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No,

not from an alligator, or anything quite so dramatic. But, the scars

of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused

us deep regret.

But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go.

In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you. The

Scripture teaches that God loves you. If you have Christ in your life,

you have become a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide

for you in every way.

But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations. The

swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the

enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-o-war begins, and if

you have the scars of His love on your arms be very, very grateful.

He did not - and will not - let you go. Time is a very precious gift

of God; so precious that it's only given to us moment by moment.

Here's a healing prayer for all who needs healing:

PHYSICAL HEALING PRAYER

" Jesus, you are the wounded healer, heal our friends through your wounds. You are the God, the Ultimate, who alone can heal them. You are our Divine medicine. O! Lord! Just say one word, and they shall be healed. Jesus, forgive all our sins and iniquities through your bloodshed. Have mercy on all our ancestors. O! Jesus! Send your Holy Spirit upon us all and liberate us from all bondage. Jesus, our only Savior, deliver us from all our sins and sickness. Mother Mary, mother of good health, we cry out to you for your prayers for the mercy of your Son to heal these people right now! Thank you Mother Mary, Thank you Jesus, Thank you Abba Father, and Thank you Holy Spirit. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!"

Good night everyone! Hope you all have a good night's sleep and sweet dreams.

See you tomorrow sometime.

Enjoy the Gift of God's Day.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,181
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

Bobbiesue, I so sorry about your foot. I will pray that it heals soon and you won't be in too much pain. Please take care and God bless you.

Gloria, I hope your headaches are gone by now and that you are feeling much better. I'm so glad you liked the card.

Counting my blessings.

Harlene(lovestopaint)

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,947
Registered: ‎04-25-2010

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

Lovestopaint, thank you for your prayers. I am picking up some pain meds later today.

Please pray for America and the awful beheading of an American journalist. Please pray that we will be safe here and they don't come to this country. Jesus is coming back soon. Time is short. We need to be ready.

Blessings to you all and God bless you all.

Gloria, hope you feel better soon.

Super Contributor
Posts: 496
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

Good morning!

I'm going to try this again. A few hours ago, just as I was typing, and I was doing so well, our power flipped off. Well...I'm back!!! lol

Now that I've forgotten everything, I'll just say, hope today is a good day and that everyone feels better.

Keep our world and all its people in your prayers.


Be still, and know.
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,134
Registered: ‎06-29-2010

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

Hello To All!

Gloria - We all need to rest up and allow ourselves to just relax and be refreshed. You are in my highest thoughts as with the others who ask.

My friend Elaine came through her hip replacement surgery with great results. Thanks to anyone who said a good word for her.

Blessings are that some much needed rain fell in certain parts out here - not where I am but at least in other areas.

Everyone take care. Be at peace, know you are loved.

Never Forget the Native American Indian Holocaust
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,175
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

Harlene - thanks! The headache is gone for the day!! It was awful all night though and also leg cramps, but all day I was fine - praise the Lord! Thanks for caring. Harlene, I just wish everyone here could see your card - that you could send it on here. That would be so awesome!!

Bobbiesue - hope your pain meds work well for you! So sorry about your foot! Oh yes! We need to pray for America. Did you see the Prayer for America I sent on here? I so agree with you that we all need to always be ready. Always! We are in God's Hands.

Lucy - thanks for your efforts but I wish I could have seen what you first posted! Thanks for always being here and bringing us nice pictures and graphics. Do you find them on Facebook?

Love Roses - you are so right - I needed the rest and I needed to take today easy too and I did, no nap, but I did things slowly, I made a lentel soup for supper, and I did the usual picking in the garden - and laundry. Thanks be to God for the good results for Elaine!!!