Daily Positive Thread for Thursday

gloriajean — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 06:53:05 GMT

Through God we have the power to triumph over even the most hopeless
of tragedies. Lord, You have said, "Ask and You shall receive", so I ask
that You will prepare me day by day to triumph in my dark hours.

Scripture for the day:

"I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your
progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your
boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again. Only, live your
life
in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come
and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are
standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for
the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your
opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your
salvation." ~Philippians 1:25-28

Meditation for the day:

Spiritual progress is the law of our being. We can try to see around
us more and more of beauty and truth, knowledge and power. Today we
can try to be stronger, braver, more loving as a result of what we did
yesterday. This law of spiritual progress gives meaning and purpose
to our lives. We can always expect better things ahead. We can
accomplish much good through the strength of God's spirit in us. We
need not be discouraged. The world is sure to get better, in spite of
setbacks of war, hate, and greed. We can be part of the cure of the
world's ills, rather than part of the disease.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may keep progressing the better life. I pray that I may
be a part of the forces for good in the world.

Greetings to all! How was your day? Hope all went well with you - I was at work all day - and tomorrow is my last day. They are hoping to sell a lot of gift certificates, they both are very busy with massages tomorrow. Christine, Lori's associate, who works there, gave me some wine for just being there!! A box of chilling red! How sweet!! We do a lot of chatting when she's not doing massages. She's not as busy as Lori is. My blessings today would be a massage! Also when I got home, Linus had supper ready for me!
Tonight I made a potato dish to take along because we don't have time to eat out at all. Today Lori took me shopping - and I bought myself some Oil of Olay! I've been using it and I like it. Really looking forward to Christmas and seeing Darla again! Snow is predicted again for Friday - I pray it doesn't come!

Homily of the Day

December 22, 2010

Let Your Deeds Speak Your Thanks
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

1 Sm 1:24-28 / Lk 1:46-56

Few of us ever recognize the full extent of God’s remarkable and unique gifts to us. The main reason for that is that for as long as we can remember we’ve always had our gifts, beginning with the gift of life. We can’t remember a time when we weren’t alive. And to imagine the world without us seems very strange indeed.

But remember it or not, we did have a beginning, a moment when our good Creator “piled our plate high” with a splendid array of gifts, none of which we earned or merited. If we are ever to get our relationship with God right, we’ve got to get clear about this: When we didn’t even exist, God gave us life and everything else, not because we earned it, but because God is God, that is, generous beyond all understanding.

Mary understood this, she was grateful deep in her soul, and she knew what to do about it. She not only prayed her thanks in the Magnificat prayer we hear in today’s Gospel, she lived her thanks all her life long by sharing and giving away the gifts that God had entrusted to her, most especially her special gift for loving and being faithful.

As you prepare to celebrate the greatest Gift that God ever gave us, His own son Jesus, take the time to name all your gifts and give thanks for them. And prepare your heart to live a life of gratitude, a life of sharing God’s gifts with those for whom they were entrusted to you. Do that and the joy of Christmas will be yours all year round.

Prayer for Help to Contemplate God

Father, enable our minds to rise to your ineffable dwelling place. Let us find the light and direct the eyes of our soul to you. Dispel the mists and the opaqueness of the earthly mass, and shine out with your splendor. You are the serene and tranquil abode of those who persevere in their goal of seeing you. You are at the same time the beginning, the vehicle, the guide, the way and the goal. Amen.

Saint Severinus Boethius, 5th-6th century writer and philosopher

The "W" in Christmas
- Author Unknown

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations -- extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six-year-old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant."

I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment - songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row-center stage -- held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down -- totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W."

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W." Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities.
For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:

"C H R I S T W A S L O V E"

And, I believe, He still is.
Amazed in His presence...
Humbled by His love.

May each of you have a Merry Christmas and a blessed
New Year as you reflect on His Amazing Love for us.
Hope you all have a wonderful Christwaslove holiday season.

Will the Christ Child Come?

One Christmas we had an interesting experience that I would like to share.
Halfway through December we were doing the regular evening things when there
was a knock at the door. We opened it to find a small package with a beautiful
ceramic lamb inside. We looked at the calendar and realized that the 12 days
of Christmas were beginning! We waited excitedly for the next night's surprise
and only then, with the gift of a matching shepherd, did we realize that
the lamb was part of a nativity set.

Each night we grew more excited to see what piece we would receive.
Each was exquisitely beautiful. The kids kept trying to catch the givers
as we slowly built the scene at the manger and began to focus on Christ's birth.

On Christmas Eve, all the pieces were in place, all but the Baby Jesus.
My 12-year-old son really wanted to catch our benefactors and began
to devise all kinds of ways to trap them. He ate dinner in the minivan,
watching and waiting, but no one came. Finally, we called him in to go through
our family's Christmas Eve traditions. But before the kids went to bed, we
checked the front step - - no Baby Jesus! We began to worry that my son
had scared them off. My husband suggested that maybe they dropped the Jesus
and there wouldn't be anything coming. Somehow, something was missing that Christmas Eve.

There was a feeling that things weren't complete. The kids went to bed and before
I went to bed, I again checked to see if the Jesus had come - - no, the doorstep was empty.
In our family, the kids can open their stockings when they want to, but they have to wait
to open any presents until Dad wakes up. So one by one they woke up very early and I
also woke up to watch them. Even before they opened their stockings, each child
checked to see if perhaps during the night the Baby Jesus had come.

Missing that piece of the set seemed to have an odd effect. At least it changed
my focus. I knew there were presents under the tree for me and I was excited
to watch the children open their gifts, but first on my mind was the feeling of
waiting for the ceramic Christ Child. We had opened just about all of the presents
when one of the children found one more for me buried deep beneath the limbs of the tree.

He handed me a small package from my former visiting teaching companion.
This sister was somewhat less-active in the church. I had been her visiting teacher
for a couple of years and then, when she was asked to be a visiting teacher, she requested
to go with me. I had learned over time they didn't have much for Christmas, so that
their focus was on the children. It sounded like she didn't get many gifts to open,
so I had always given her a small package -- new dish towels, the next year's Relief
Society lesson manual -- not much, but something for her to open.

I was touched when at church on the day before Christmas, she had given me this
small package, saying it was just a token of her love and appreciation. As I took
off the bow, I remembered my friendship with her and was filled with gratitude for
knowing her and for her kindness and sacrifice in this giving me a gift. But as the
paper fell away, I began to tremble and cry. There in the small brown box was
the Baby Jesus! He had come!

I realized on that Christmas Day, that Christ will come into our lives in ways that
we don't expect. The spirit of Christ comes into our hearts as we serve one another.
We had waited and watched for Him to come, expecting the dramatic "knock at the door
and scurrying of feet" but He came in a small, simple package that represented service,
friendship, gratitude and love.

This experience taught me that the beginning of the true spirit of Christmas
comes as we open our hearts and actively focus on the Savior. But we will most
likely find Him in the small and simple acts of love, friendship and service that we
give to each other. This Christmas I want to feel again the joy of knowing that Christ
is in our home. I want to focus on loving and serving. More than that, I want to open
my heart to Him all year that I may see Him again.

There is a better thing than the observance of Christmas Day,
and that is KEEPING CHRISTMAS.
Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people
and to remember what other people have done for you?

To ignore what the world owes you,
and to think about what you owe the world?

To admit that the only good reason for your existence is
not what you are going to get out of life,
but what you are going to give to life?

Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs
and desires of little children?

To remember the weakness and loneliness
of people who are growing old?

To stop asking how much your friends like you
and ask yourself whether you love them enough?

To try to understand what those who live
in the same house with you really want,
without waiting for them to tell you?

To make a grave for your ugly thoughts
and a garden for your kindly feelings...with the gate open?

Are you willing to do these things even for a day?
Then you can KEEP Christmas.

Are you willing to believe that Love
is the strongest thing in the world --
stronger than hate, stronger than death --
and that the blessed Life which began in
Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image
and brightness of Eternal Love?

Then You Can KEEP CHRISTMAS...

REMEMBER MY BIRTHDAY?
Author Unknown
December 22, 2010

As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year
there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the
celebration will be repeated. During this time there are many people
shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV
commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that
my birthday is getting closer and closer.

It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people
think of me. As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many
years ago. At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all
that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the
reason for the celebration. Family and friends get together and have a
lot of fun, but they don't know the meaning of the celebration.

I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The
dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted
nuts and chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were
many, many beautifully wrapped gifts. But, do you want to know
something? I wasn't invited. I was the guest of honor and they didn't
remember to send me an invitation. The party was for me, but when that
great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my
face........ . and I wanted to be with them and share their table. In
truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years all close
their doors to me.

Since I was not invited, I decided to enter the party without making
any noise. I went in and stood in a corner. They were all drinking;
there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at
everything. They were having a great time. To top it all, this big fat
man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room
yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the
children ran to him, saying : "Santa Claus, Santa Claus"... as if the
party were in his honor !

At 12 midnight all the people began to hug each other ; I extended my
arms waiting for someone to hug me and .... do you know .... no one
hugged me. Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them
one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked
to see if, maybe, there was one for me. What would you feel if on your
birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one ? I then
understood that I was unwanted
at that party and quietly left.

Every year it gets worse. People only remember to eat and drink, the
gifts, the parties and nobody remembers me. I would like this
Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that
you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to
this world to give my life for you, on the cross, to save you. Today,
I only want that you believe this with all you heart.

I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to their
party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one
has ever imagined, a spectacular party. I'm still making the final
arrangements. Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an
invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will
make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in
my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be invited to
the party. Those who don't answer the invitation, will be left
outside. Do you know how you can answer this invitation? it is by
extending it to others whom you care for... I'll be waiting for all of
you to attend my party this year...

See you soon .... I love you !

Good night everyone and sweet dreams!! God bless each and every one of you! See you tomorrow!!

Closing prayer:

A reflective Christmas prayer
Father God, When your precious Son became a tiny baby in a stable in Bethlehem in poverty and simplicity, you changed our world. As we imagine those surroundings, we join with the shepherds and the wise men in wonder and praise. We thank you for our material lives, praise you for our spiritual lives, and trust in you for our eternal life. Amen

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Daily Positive Thread for Thursday