topic Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday in Community Chat

Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

gloriajean — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 00:20:15 GMT

Hello my friends! What a beautiful day God gave us here today!! Got a lot done again, it was a joy being out picking raspberries and still some beans today as the sun was out and it was nice and warm! Loved it! I know that won't be for long. Cleaned some cupboards today, and re-arranged. Supper was something left over that I had frozen, and I added fresh cucumber salad, sliced tomatoes, and cooked cabbage (ours) and it all turned out great! Now the dishwasher is running, a full load. In cleaning though, I was up high with my step ladder, and I found a green color little jar that I had used for making frosting green when I made Christmas Cookies, well, that little bottle had green all over it, and what a mess! I got green hands, my dish cloth got green, wow! Is that ever hard to get off!! So I used bleach, soaked the two dish clothes in there and my hands, it helped a lot. I threw that away and will never buy it again, it's green food coloring. Don't even know how old it is, but it's gone! Ever clean up high and find stuff there that is all obsolete and ready to throw out? Glad I did! Now that cupboard over the fridge is all clean and empty! Tomorrow first thing in the morning at 8 I have my teeth cleaned - not the best way to start out the day. Oh yes! Got a special blessing after Mass today - I was thinking of asking Father Mark to pray over me for healing of that bladder problems, and after Mass, he announced that he'll give the anointing for anyone who wants it! Most of the Church wants it! and what a blessing!!! I had no idea he was going to do that this morning. Here I go ramblin' on and on again!!!! So many blessings!!!!! Praised be Jesus Christ!!

Talent is the ability to do easily that which others find difficult.

Lord, help me to recognize and value the abilities that I have

been given and use them gratefully.

Scripture for the day:

"Peter approached Jesus and asked him, 'Lord, if my brother sins

against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?' Jesus

answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times."

~Matthew 18:21-22

Meditation for the day:

When we call on God in prayer to help us overcome weakness, sorrow,

pain, discord and conflict, God never fails in some way to answer our

appeal. When we are in need of strength for ourselves or for the help

of some other person we can call on God in prayer. The power we need

can come simply, naturally, and forcefully. We can pray to God not

only when we need help, but also just to commune with God. The spirit

of prayer can alter an atmosphere from one of discord to one of

reconciliation. It can raise the quality of thought and word and

bring order out of chaos.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may bring peace where there is discord. I pray that I

may bring conciliation where there is conflict.

WHY ME?

--By Erin Broussard

When I hated you, you loved me. When I did you wrong, you did good unto me.

When I gave up, you came along and picked me up. Now all I can say is thank

you. Now all I can wonder is why me?

When I drank to much, you put me in a treatment center. When I was

promiscuous, you protected me from disease. When I judged others, you showed

me my need for forgiveness. Now all I can say is thank you. Now all I can

wonder is why me?

In my sins I spit on you and mocked you, In my rage I nailed you to a tree

In your pure love you didn't spit back, You just looked up and prayed for

me. Now all I can say is thank you. Now all I can wonder is why me?

The answer is as simple as your beloved name Jesus, the Lord, who saves me

from my shame. Abba, the one who makes it rain on me again. Holy Spirit, the

one who heals me and makes amends.

Why me? because i'm bad, and I need you. Why me? because I failed, and

couldn't save myself. Why me? because YOU WANTED TO, and that's good enough

for me.

Daily Prayers are Heaven's Stairs

The "Stairway" rises "Heaven high"-

The "steps" are dark and steep,

In weariness we climb them

As we stumble, fall and weep...

And many times we falter

Along the "path of prayer"

Wondering if You hear us

And if You really care...

Oh, give us some assurance,

Restore our faith anew,

So we can keep on climbing

The "Stairs of Prayer" to You-

For we are weak and wavering,

Uncertain and unsure,

And only meeting You in prayer

Can help us to endure

All life's trials and troubles

It's sickness, pain and sorrow,

And give us strength and courage

To face and meet tomorrow!

- Author Unknown

Homily of the Day for Sunday

September 12, 2009

Give It Away If You Want It to Be Yours

Is 50:5-9 / Jas 2:14-18 / Mk 8:27-35

A very nervous young couple were standing at the altar of their parish

church, waiting to pronounce their marriage vows. The bride was pale, the

groom was shaking, and both had forgotten everything they’d practiced at the

rehearsal. Finally the moment arrived, and the priest asked the big

question: “Do you, James, take Heather here present to be your lawful wife?”

With a shaky voice the groom responded, “I do???”

“Nice try, young man,” said the priest. “Now, could you try it without the

question mark?”

+ + +

In Sunday’s Gospel Jesus is urging us to try life without the question mark.

He’s pleading with us not to settle for half a life, but to be fully

invested and hold nothing back. Listen to what he says: “Whoever would save

his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will save

it.” He’s warning us about our ingrained habit of hedging our bets and

holding back, keeping our eye on the nearest exit, and always making sure we’ve

got a way out.

Now that’s a great survival strategy for investors, poker players, and the

Mafia, but it’s a recipe for failure at the core of life. For if our real

life work is to help one another grow into masterpieces, then nothing less

than our best efforts will do. Nothing less than investing everything we’ve

got in building up God’s kingdom within us and around us. To let our fears

cause us to withhold any part of ourselves from our life’s work is a recipe

for lifetime failure, sadness, and isolation. Holding tight to what we’ve

already got is a sure formula for dying from the inside out.

Jesus is telling us we have an alternative — losing our lives in order to

save them. It seems a strange paradox, but if we’ve been paying attention,

we’ve probably already discovered a bit of how it works.

Just one example: At times we’ve all had the experience of connecting

intensely with someone we trust. As we talked to that person and listened,

it was as if the whole rest of the world fell away and ceased to exist. We

forgot about ourselves, our image, how we looked, and whether we were

hungry. For a few moments we gave our whole attention, we gave away our

whole self to the other. And, in return for our gift, we found that we had

become more on the inside.

The pattern repeats itself in every part of our life: When we give our best

self into any moment, into any interaction, and hold nothing back and let

all that is secondary fall away, we find to our surprise that we become

more, much more. It is that “something more” that Jesus wants for us.

So let us pray for one another that we learn to give away our lives from the

inside — give it all away — that we may have real life in abundance now and

into eternity! Amen.

Mother Teresa Said...

"True obedience is a genuine act of love.

Obedience makes us practice the other virtues.

It likens us to martyrs,

for it is a much greater martyrdom to persevere

in obedience all through life

than to die in a moment by a stroke of the sword."

ALWAYS LOOK ON THE INSIDE

I remember reading a story once about a man who was exploring some caves by

the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of

hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled up some clay and left

them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued

the man so he took the bag out of the cave with him.

As he strolled along the beach, to pass the time, he would throw the clay

balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could throw.

He thought little about it until he dropped one of the balls and it cracked

open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone. Excited, the man

started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar

treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay

balls he had left, then it struck him.

He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the

clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of

thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have had tens of thousands, but

he just threw it all away.

You know sometimes, it's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe

even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like

much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we

discount it; we see that person as less important than someone more

beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy.

But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that

person. There is a treasure hidden in every one of us. We are wonderfully

made. Not just our physical bodies, our spiritual selves, which are

sometimes hidden from others by the *earthen vessel*

But if you take the time to get to know that person, and if you ask the

Spirit to show you that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to

peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile,

nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to

one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to

trust him with his friendship.

-- Author Unknown

GOD IN THE ORDINARY

Author Unknown

Once upon a time, there was a far-away land that was ruled by a vicious

king. His iron hand reached into every corner of his subjects' lives. Every

corner - except one. Try as he might, he couldn't destroy their belief in

God.

In his frustration, he finally summoned his advisors and asked them: "Where

can I hide God so the people will end up forgetting about him?"

One suggested hiding God on the dark side of the moon. This idea was

debated, but was voted down because the advisors feared that their

scientists would one day discover a way to travel into space travel and God

would be discovered again.

Another suggested burying God in the deepest part of the ocean. But there

was the same problem with this idea, so it was voted down.

One idea after another was suggested and debated and rejected. Until finally

the oldest and wisest advisor had a flash of insight. "I know," he said,

"why don't we hide God where no one will ever even think to look?" And he

explained, "If we hide God in the ordinary events of people's everyday

lives, they'll never find him!"

And so it was done. And they say people in that land are still looking for

God - even today.

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

gloriajean — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 03:39:05 GMT

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

lovestopaint — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 12:22:18 GMT

Amen, Gloria.

Sorry about your bladder infection. I hope you are better today, drink plenty of water.

I'm still trying to get over my sciatica problem.

Counting my blessings, and blessings to all.

Harlene(lovestopaint)

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

Bobbi sue — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 12:52:10 GMT

Lovestopaint, hope your back feels better soon. Rest.

Gloria, good you got the anointing. Feel better soon.

My foot feel better. Walking without a limp. Still waiting for the biopsy report from the colonoscopy. Hope it comes soon.

Blessings to all and have a nice day.

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

Puzzle Piece — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 16:04:51 GMT

Hello To All!

Blessings to many. I celebrate today. Gloria, you have my highest thoughts and prayers for your bladder issue as do the many who post and ask. We have dry hot weather hear and no rain still. Those areas where rain has fallen have flooding issues but nothing that can't be dealt with.

I give thanks and have gratitude daily for this nation, her outstanding troops and allies, citizens and it's many blessings. We are truly a fine and blessed country with strength, resilience, generosity, wisdom, values, standards, privileges, rights, liberties. I feel so wealthy living here and being in the here and now. Be at peace. Know you are loved.

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

HeresLucy — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 16:45:58 GMT

Good morning!

Sorry to read of your health problems, I hope you all feel better soon.

I also give thanks for our wonderful country and for our troops. We may go through awful times but we seem to always bounce back. I pray the Lord sees fit to forgive us for turning our back on him. I will always pray, God bless America.

Peace and blessings.

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

HeresLucy — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 17:01:28 GMT

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

Cakers1 — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 20:24:22 GMT

Hello Everyone

Gloria: I hope your bladder situation clears up soon.

Harlene: I've been there - I feel your pain. Be well soon.

Lucy, Loves Roses, and Bobbisue - have a peaceful day.

Just had DH bring down some containers of fall decorations so will put up a few things later this afternoon. Not too much as before, but it's nice to have a change in scenery around here!

Gloria: I also meant to ask - the yellow beans - haven't had those in a long, long time.

We used to call them "wax beans" and I also grew them years ago. Very hard to find fresh ones now and when we do the price is high! There are still canned ones - yuck.

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

Puzzle Piece — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 21:14:12 GMT

On 9/17/2014 Heres Lucy said:

I truly believe this as well. I am not religious but spiritual and my heart and essence is heavy for those that have not realized where the true source of all good comes from. This nation has been given wake up calls,...to those who have hearts, minds, and souls to hear, know and learn. I pray it is enough.

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday

gloriajean — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 05:02:26 GMT

Hi everyone! Not going to do you all individually tonight as it's late, but just want to say that I agree with Ronald Reagan's quote too, so good to have posted. I've been putting some organic lemon juice, just a bit in my water and I've been drinking more now. Seems to be better now. I just took one cranberry gel today.