Daily Positive Thread for Friday

gloriajean — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 04:00:18 GMT

Our time here is short and there is still so much to be done. Lord, please
let me do a little more for You today so that the world may be a little
better because of me.

Scripture for the day:

"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good spirit
lead me on a level path. For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my
life. In your righteousness bring me out of trouble. In your
steadfast love cut off my enemies, and destroy all my adversaries,
for I am your servant." ~Psalm 143:10-12

Meditation for the day:

When we are honestly trying to live the way we believe Gods wants
us to live, we can get guidance from God in times of quiet
communion. We can direct our thoughts toward God's will and all
good thing. The attitude of "Your will be done" leads to clear
guidance. We can act on this guidance and we can be led to better
things. Our impulses can seem to become less our own and more the
leading of God's spirit acting through our thoughts. Obeyed, they
can bring us the answers to our prayers.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may try to think God's thoughts after God. I pray
that my thoughts maybe guided by God's thoughts.

Hello my friends! Hope your day went well - today Linus had off - he did
grocery shopping while Georgia was here to cut my hair. Had a nice visit
with her over tea. She styled it so pretty!
All for 10 dollars - and I always give her 2 dollars for a tip. No place
else can I get a hair cut that cheap! And coming to my house too! What a
nice blessing! Other than the hair cut, it was just an ordinary day blessed
by God in every way. I am grateful for all of you who post and for those
who just read - and I hope pray, too, for our intentions as I pray for all
of you, too, for all you wish prayers for. May God grant you your hearts
desires and those of your families all according to His Holy and Divine Will
for you. His Will is the best for you - He knows what you need best.

Homily of the Day

November 17, 2011

Mephistopheles Always
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

1 Maccabees 2:15-29 / Lk 19:41-44

The Maccabees’ saga continues in today’s reading with Mattathias and his
family being offered the ultimate deal with the devil: A small sacrifice to
the pagan gods in exchange for vast riches and the title, ‘King’s Friends.’
It seems so little to give for so much, but Mattathias knew that wasn’t
true. It was his faith, his connection to the Lord, that gave him life and
made him who he was, and without that he knew he was nothing. So he rejected
the deal, abandoned all his possessions, and fled with his family into the
mountains.

Eventually, moments like that come to us all, though not usually with the
glamorous offers that came Mattathias’ way. But the essence is there: give
up ‘A’ to get ‘B’. Real wisdom consists in assessing correctly what we’re
thinking of giving up. Is it of the essence of who we are and who we’re
called to be? Does giving it up erode or conflict with a commitment we’ve
already made?

In those dangerous compromise moments, desire can cloud our minds and
whisper lies to us. More than ever, those are the times when we need to lay
open our hearts to the Lord. If we take the time, He will show us the truth,
and He will help us choose the truth.

May we become faithful as He is faithful.

Daily Bread

When the famous nun, Mother Cabrini, arrived in America in 1900 to work
among the downtrodden Italian immigrants, she was penniless.

A countess came to her help and offered her a large house to be used as a
convent and home for homeless children.

Archbishop Corrigan of New York City did not believe in the whole idea, even
though the countess had also given thousands of dollars to support it. "So
what?" he skeptically asked. "How long do you think that money will last?
Within a year it will all be gone. And then what?"

But the countess answered, "Your Grace, when we pray, we ask for our DAILY
bread, not bread for a year."

AN ANGEL WROTE
Author Unknown

Many people will walk in and out or your life,
but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

To handle yourself, use your head,
To handle others, use your heart.

Anger is only one letter short of danger.

If someone betrays you once, it's his fault.
If he betrays you twice, it's your fault.

Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.

God gives every bird its food,
but He does not throw it into its nest.

He who loses money, loses much;
He who loses a friend, loses more;
He who loses faith, loses all.

Beautiful young people are acts of nature,
but beautiful old people are works of art.

Learn from the mistakes of others.
You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

The tongue weighs practically nothing,
but so few people can hold it.

Friends, you and me ... you brought another friend...and then there
were
3 ... we started our group...
Our circle of friends ... and like the circle ... there's no
beginning

... there is no end.

I've learned....
The best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned....
That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned....
That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day.

I've learned....
That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful
feelings in the world.

I've learned....
That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned....
That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned....
That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to
help him in some other way.

I've learned....
That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a
friend to act goofy with.

I've learned....
That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to
understand.

I've learned....
That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I
was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned....
Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the
faster it goes.

I've learned....
That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned....
That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned....
It's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned...
That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated
and loved .

I've learned....
That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?

I've learned....
That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned....
That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that
person continue to hurt you.

I've learned....
That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned....
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself
with people smarter than I am.

I've learned....
That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned....
That there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling
their breath on your cheeks.

I've learned....
That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned....
That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned....
That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned....
That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned....
That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before
she passed away.

I've learned....
That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he
may have to eat them.

I've learned....
That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned....
That I can't choose how I feel but I can choose what I do about it.

I've learned....
That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his
little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned....
That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness
and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned ...
That it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is
requested and when it is a life threatening situation.

I've learned....
That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

His Inward Voice

Retire from the world each day to some private spot.... Stay in the secret
till the surrounding noises begin to fade out
of your heart and a sense of God's presence envelops you..... Listen for the
inward Voice till you learn to recognize
it.....Give yourself to God and then be what and who you are without regard
to what others think... Learn to pray
inwardly every moment.

Enter into the inner chamber of your mind.. Shut out all things save God and
whatever may aid you in seeking God;
and having barred the door of your chamber, seek Him. Within each of us
there is an inner place where the living
God Himself longs to dwell, our sacred center of belief.

He who has faith has.....an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence,
calmness, and assuring trust that all
will come out well, even though to the world it may appear to come out most
badly.

Remember when you give Him your heart, God chooses to live within you...body
and soul. And you should know that He
is really as close as your breathing. His very Spirit is inside of you.

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power
through His Spirit in your inner being.

Ephesians 3:16

PRAYER FOR STRENGTH AND WISDOM

Lord, give me strength and wisdom to live this day as I ought.
Give me
strength to overcome every temptation which may come to me,
strength to do well every task which is assigned to me,
strength to shoulder every responsibility which is laid upon my shoulders,
Give me
wisdom to know when to speak and when to keep silent,
wisdom to know when to act and when to refrain from action,
wisdom to know when to speak my mind and when to hold my peace.
So bring me to the end of this day in goodness, in happiness and in peace.
Amen.

That's HIM!

Not long ago, somewhere in the hinterlands of Mindanao, a grim tragedy
happened. A frustrated father shot dead his wife before finally turning the
gun on himself, pulling the trigger. The entire scene was witnessed by a
lone survivor, a seven year old boy---the couple's only son. They were so
impoverished that his parents thought it was the only way out. Relatives
from both sides grieved and pitifully wanted to adopt the orphaned child but
they were also very poor. Fortunately, a priest from a nearby town agreed
to look after him in his parish locality. It was difficult for volunteer
workers in the church to communicate with the boy because he seemed to be
always in a state of shock. Teaching was not any easier since he did not
have any educational foundation at all, sad to say, illiterate.

One afternoon, while the young lad was attending Catechism class the Church
was conducting for the less fortunate children in the neighborhood, the
teacher was showing an enlarged poster of Jesus Christ. As he was going
around the room, he asked his class,"Do you know who this is?" Every child
had a puzzled look as they silently stared at the photo. Suddenly, amid the
eerie silence, the boy stood up with eyes wide open and pointing to the
poster, "That's HIM! He was the one who was with me at the moment my parents
died!", he screamed repeatedly in his native dialect.

Everybody in the room did not know what to say, especially those who knew of
the boy's history.

TO SEE IN THE DARK
By: Bro. Andrew Maria, MMHC

A boy and his father are walking through a large forest. To cross to
the other side, they have to pass through a long dark tunnel. The boy
hesitates at the entrance.

"Father," the boy says, "how can I walk in there when it is so dark?
I
will not see where I am going. We have neither candles nor torches to
light our way."

The father calmly tells his son, "Once inside, close your eyes for
several minutes to give them a chance to get accustomed to the dark.
When you open them again, I assure you that you will be able to see
the way through the tunnel."

The boy does what his father has told him. After closing his eyes for
sometime, he is able to see inside the tunnel. Through it is very
dark, he and his father are able to cross safely to the other side.

"Son," the father tells him, "if you don't have anything with which
to
light the darkness, use darkness to see in the dark."

FAITH is that darkness....

WHAT ABOUT ABSTINENCE?
Author Unknown
Jul 7 2007 05:00AM

I was holding a notice from my 13-year-old son's school announcing a
meeting to preview the new course in sexuality. Parents could examine
the curriculum and take part in an actual lesson presented exactly as
it
would be given to the students.

When I arrived at the school, I was surprised to discover only about
a
dozen parents there. As we waited for the presentation, I thumbed
through page after page of instructions in the prevention of
pregnancy
or disease. I found abstinence mentioned only in passing. When the
teacher arrived with the school nurse, she asked if there were any
questions. I asked why abstinence did not play a noticeable part in
the
educational material.

What happened next was shocking. There was a great deal of laughter,
and
someone suggested that if I thought abstinence had any merit, I
should
go back to burying my head in the sand. The teacher and the nurse
said
nothing as I drowned in a sea of embarrassment. My mind had gone
blank,
and I could think of nothing to say. The teacher explained to me that
the job of the school was to teach "facts," and the home was
responsible
for moral training.

I sat in silence for the next 20 minutes as the sexuality course was
explained. The other parents seemed to give their unqualified support
to
the materials.

At the break time, the teacher announced that there were donuts in
the
back of the room and requested that everyone put on a name tag and
mingle with each other. Everyone moved to the back of the room. As I
watched them affixing their name tags and shaking hands, I sat deep
in
thought. I was ashamed that I had not been able to convince them to
include a serious discussion of abstinence in the educational
materials.
I uttered a silent prayer for guidance.

My thoughts were interrupted by the teacher's hand on my shoulder.

"Won't you join the others, Mr. Layton?" The nurse smiled sweetly at
me.
"The donuts are good."

"Thank you, no," I replied.

"Well, then, how about a name tag? I'm sure the others would like to
meet you."

"Somehow I doubt that," I replied.

"Won't you please join them?" she coaxed.

Then I heard a still, small voice whisper, "Don't go." The message in
my
head was unmistakable: "Don't go!"

"I'll just wait here," I said.

When the class was called back to order, the teacher looked around
the
long table and thanked everyone for putting on name tags. She ignored
me. Then she said, "Now we're going to give you the same lesson we'll
be giving your children. Everyone please peel off your name tags and
look at the back of the tag."

I watched in silence as the tags came off. "Now then, I drew a tiny
flower on the back of one of the tags. Who has it, please?" the
teacher
asked.

The gentleman across from me held it up. "Here it is!"

"All right," she said. "The flower represents disease. Do you recall
with whom you shook hands?" He pointed to a couple of people. "Very
good," she replied. "The handshake in this case represents intimacy.
So
the two people you had contact with now have the disease." There was
laughter and joking among the parents.

The teacher continued, "And whom did the two of you shake hands
with?"
The point was well taken, and she explained how this lesson would
show
students how quickly disease is spread. She concluded by saying,
"Since
we all shook hands, we all have the disease."

It was then that I heard the still, small voice again. "Speak now,"
it
said, "but be humble." I wryly noted the latter admonition, then rose
from my chair. I apologized for any upset I might have caused
earlier,
congratulated the teacher on an excellent lesson that would impress
the
youth, and concluded by saying I had only one small point I wished to
make. "Not all of us were infected with the disease," I said. "One of
us ... abstained."

Good night everyone! Sweet dreams! Let's all have a good, positive Friday
for sure. God bless you all!

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Daily Positive Thread for Friday