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    <title>topic Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday in Community Chat</title>
    <link>https://community.qvc.com/t5/Community-Chat/Daily-Positive-Thread-for-Wednesday/m-p/165536#M70984</link>
    <description>&lt;P&gt;Unhappiness within comes out in an emotional reaction, unlike the happy&lt;BR /&gt; person&lt;BR /&gt; who is slow to anger. Lord, help me to glow in Your presence so that the&lt;BR /&gt; heat of&lt;BR /&gt; the moment doesn't get to me.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Scripture for the day:&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; give me an&lt;BR /&gt; undivided heart to revere your name." ~Psalm 86:11&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Meditation for the day:&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I believe that life is a school in which I can learn spiritual things.&lt;BR /&gt; I can trust in God and God will teach me. I can listen to God and God can&lt;BR /&gt; speak through my mind. I can commune with God in spite of all opposition&lt;BR /&gt; and every obstacle. There will be days when I will hear no voice in my mind&lt;BR /&gt; and when there will come no intimate heart-to-heart communion. But if I&lt;BR /&gt; persist, and make a life habit of schooling myself in spiritual things, God&lt;BR /&gt; can be revealed to me in many ways.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Prayer for the day:&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I pray that I may regularly go to school in things of the spirit. I pray&lt;BR /&gt; that I may grow spiritually, by making a practice of all these things.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Hello my friends - all you grateful gals and positive pals! Hope you all&lt;BR /&gt; had a nice Valentine's Day! He worked today but his knee was good again and&lt;BR /&gt; I thank God for that for answering our prayers again!! Now he has off until&lt;BR /&gt; Saturday. I made a whole chicken in the crock pot today, just put a little&lt;BR /&gt; onion flakes on top with some salt and pepper, and some sweet potatos around&lt;BR /&gt; it. Turned out delicious! I don't make whole chickens very much, so was&lt;BR /&gt; hoping it would be good. We had some red wine with it, maybe with chicken,&lt;BR /&gt; it should be white wine, but I don't care - red is better for us so it was&lt;BR /&gt; red melbac - and it was good. I called Sister LaDonna tonight - had a real&lt;BR /&gt; nice visit and her leg is healing and not so painful anymore - praise God!&lt;BR /&gt; She is really busy there - today they had a nice Valentine's party - lots of&lt;BR /&gt; food and some wine, also some non-alcoholic drinks too. Sunday at Mass she&lt;BR /&gt; did a reading and got complements on it! She busys herself making all&lt;BR /&gt; occasion cards and maybe she'll sell them at their gift store. She does&lt;BR /&gt; this on her computer. So I was so shocked last night to find out that Joe&lt;BR /&gt; died of a heart attack instead of the carbon mon. poisoning - Erma said he&lt;BR /&gt; did have some heart problems years ago - but he probably didn't know how&lt;BR /&gt; severe. Lori and I talked about that tonight - she was shocked too. Then&lt;BR /&gt; we talked about how he ate, lots of greasy burgers at the bar - and other&lt;BR /&gt; fried foods - he fished a lot too, and that probably all clogged his&lt;BR /&gt; arteries. Wish I would have known and I could have given him tips on how to&lt;BR /&gt; eat right.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; PLANTING A SEED&lt;BR /&gt; By Marion Smith&lt;BR /&gt; Feb 3 2009&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; 1 Cor 3:6&lt;BR /&gt; I am sure you have seen this – weeds or little flowers pushing their&lt;BR /&gt; way up to the sunshine in a crack of a sidewalk, driveway or road.&lt;BR /&gt; Sometimes I wonder how they thrive so well, when things I have planted&lt;BR /&gt; intentionally do so poorly! Today I noticed a wonderful gift from God&lt;BR /&gt; in our cement patio area. The spot where the bird dropped the&lt;BR /&gt; sunflower seed was almost invisible to the eye. There was no obvious&lt;BR /&gt; dirt to nurture its growth, and no water to sustain it. Despite all&lt;BR /&gt; odds, and because I didn’t pull it up when it looked so ugly and&lt;BR /&gt; weedy, it grew and blossomed into a beautiful sunflower which I&lt;BR /&gt; enjoyed.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; When we share our love for the Lord with someone, or when we tell them&lt;BR /&gt; how God has helped and sustained us in our need, we are planting a&lt;BR /&gt; seed in that person’s mind. It is a seed of love that will grow into&lt;BR /&gt; full bloom, in God’s perfect time. We don’t have to feel responsible&lt;BR /&gt; to nurture, fertilize and water this seed to death. All we have to do&lt;BR /&gt; it plant it. God will take care of the rest. The most important thing&lt;BR /&gt; for Christians is - do not pull the seed of love as it grows. Do not&lt;BR /&gt; discourage or make fun of anyone searching for the truth. They may ask&lt;BR /&gt; questions or do things which look like a weed- unattractive and&lt;BR /&gt; annoying, but…… it is our responsibility to pray for that person and&lt;BR /&gt; watch God do His marvelous miracle as He draws the unbeliever into His&lt;BR /&gt; divine presence. Do you agree?&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; What a privilege to remember, once again, that God is in control.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; DON'T GIVE UP&lt;BR /&gt; Author Unknown&lt;BR /&gt; Jan 16 2009&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; One day I decided to quit...&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. .. I wanted to quit&lt;BR /&gt; my life.&lt;BR /&gt; I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.&lt;BR /&gt; "God", I asked, "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; His answer surprised me...&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Yes", I replied.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care&lt;BR /&gt; of them.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I gave them light.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I gave them water.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; The fern quickly grew from the earth.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Its brilliant green covered the floor.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the&lt;BR /&gt; bamboo.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on&lt;BR /&gt; the bamboo.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; He said.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.&lt;BR /&gt; But I would not quit.&lt;BR /&gt; In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would&lt;BR /&gt; not quit."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; He said.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared&lt;BR /&gt; to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. ...But just 6&lt;BR /&gt; months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.&lt;BR /&gt; It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong&lt;BR /&gt; and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my&lt;BR /&gt; creations a challenge it could not handle."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; He asked me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been&lt;BR /&gt; struggling, you have actually been growing roots".&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "I would not quit on the bamboo.&lt;BR /&gt; I will never quit on you."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Don't compare yourself to others."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; He said.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern.&lt;BR /&gt; Yet they both make the forest beautiful."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Your time will come", God said to me.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "You will rise high"&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "How high should I rise?"&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I asked.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "As high as it can?" I questioned.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I left the forest and brought back this story.&lt;BR /&gt; I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on&lt;BR /&gt; you.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Never, Never, Never Give up.&lt;BR /&gt; For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.&lt;BR /&gt; Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is, tell the problem how Great&lt;BR /&gt; the Lord is!&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; And some Mother Teresa quotes:&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; In Christ, who died on the cross for us, we can definitely confirm the fact&lt;BR /&gt; that suffering can transform itself into a great love and an extraordinary&lt;BR /&gt; generosity.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; +++&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; To love and to serve the poor presupposes something that has nothing to do&lt;BR /&gt; with giving them our leftovers, or giving them the food we do nor like. It&lt;BR /&gt; has nothing to do with giving them the clothes we no longer wear just&lt;BR /&gt; because the clothes are no longer in fashion or because we no longer like&lt;BR /&gt; them.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Is this sharing the poverty of the poor? Of course it is not.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; +++&lt;BR /&gt; There are thousands-millions-of people who die for lack of bread.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; There are thousands-millions-of human beings who grow weak for lack of a&lt;BR /&gt; little love because they would like to be recognized, even if just a little.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Jesus becomes weak and dies in them.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; +++&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Once more, today and yesterday, Jesus comes to his own and his own refuse to&lt;BR /&gt; welcome him (John 1:11).&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; He comes in the broken bodies of the poor.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; He also comes in the rich who are drowning in the loneliness of their own&lt;BR /&gt; riches. He also comes in their lonely hearts, when there is no one to offer&lt;BR /&gt; them love.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; +++&lt;BR /&gt; What we say does nor matter, only what God says to souls through us.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; +++&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Good works are links that form a chain of love.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; +++&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; God's Valentine&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; For God so loV ed the world,&lt;BR /&gt; That He gA ve&lt;BR /&gt; His onL y&lt;BR /&gt; Begott E n&lt;BR /&gt; So N&lt;BR /&gt; T hat whosoever&lt;BR /&gt; Believeth I n Him&lt;BR /&gt; Should N ot perish,&lt;BR /&gt; But have E verlasting life."&lt;BR /&gt; John 3:16&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; The Empty Chair&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; A man's daughter had asked the parish priest to come and pray with her&lt;BR /&gt; father. When the priest arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head&lt;BR /&gt; propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The priest&lt;BR /&gt; assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "I guess you were expecting me," he said.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "No, who are you?" said the father.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; The priest told him his name and then remarked, "I see the empty chair; I&lt;BR /&gt; figured you knew I was going to show up."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing the&lt;BR /&gt; door?"&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Puzzled, the priest shut the door.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. " But&lt;BR /&gt; all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the&lt;BR /&gt; pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I abandoned any attempt at prayer, until one day about four years ago my&lt;BR /&gt; best friend said to me, `Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a&lt;BR /&gt; conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest.' Sit down in a chair; place&lt;BR /&gt; an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's&lt;BR /&gt; not spooky because he promised; `I'll be with you always.' Then just speak&lt;BR /&gt; to him in the same way you're doing with me right now."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; So I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every&lt;BR /&gt; day. I'm careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair,&lt;BR /&gt; she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; The priest was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to&lt;BR /&gt; continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and&lt;BR /&gt; returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the&lt;BR /&gt; priest that her daddy had died that afternoon.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Did he die in peace?" he asked.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, he called me over to his&lt;BR /&gt; bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back&lt;BR /&gt; from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something&lt;BR /&gt; strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over&lt;BR /&gt; and rested his head in the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?"&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; The priest wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we could all go like&lt;BR /&gt; that."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Valentine Prayer&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I said a Valentine prayer for you&lt;BR /&gt; and asked the Lord above&lt;BR /&gt; to fill your heart and bless your soul&lt;BR /&gt; With the precious gift of love.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I asked Him for sincere love&lt;BR /&gt; The kind that's meant to stay&lt;BR /&gt; Just like the generous love&lt;BR /&gt; You give to those you touch each day.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I prayed for love from family&lt;BR /&gt; And from every cherished friend&lt;BR /&gt; Then I asked the Lord to give you&lt;BR /&gt; His love that knows no end.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Author Unknown&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; May you all have a very blessed ordinary day tomorrow - with lots of hugs&lt;BR /&gt; and blessings!!&lt;/P&gt;</description>
    <pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:32:50 GMT</pubDate>
    <dc:creator>gloriajean</dc:creator>
    <dc:date>2012-02-15T06:32:50Z</dc:date>
    <item>
      <title>Daily Positive Thread for Wednesday</title>
      <link>https://community.qvc.com/t5/Community-Chat/Daily-Positive-Thread-for-Wednesday/m-p/165536#M70984</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;Unhappiness within comes out in an emotional reaction, unlike the happy&lt;BR /&gt; person&lt;BR /&gt; who is slow to anger. Lord, help me to glow in Your presence so that the&lt;BR /&gt; heat of&lt;BR /&gt; the moment doesn't get to me.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Scripture for the day:&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; give me an&lt;BR /&gt; undivided heart to revere your name." ~Psalm 86:11&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Meditation for the day:&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I believe that life is a school in which I can learn spiritual things.&lt;BR /&gt; I can trust in God and God will teach me. I can listen to God and God can&lt;BR /&gt; speak through my mind. I can commune with God in spite of all opposition&lt;BR /&gt; and every obstacle. There will be days when I will hear no voice in my mind&lt;BR /&gt; and when there will come no intimate heart-to-heart communion. But if I&lt;BR /&gt; persist, and make a life habit of schooling myself in spiritual things, God&lt;BR /&gt; can be revealed to me in many ways.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Prayer for the day:&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I pray that I may regularly go to school in things of the spirit. I pray&lt;BR /&gt; that I may grow spiritually, by making a practice of all these things.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Hello my friends - all you grateful gals and positive pals! Hope you all&lt;BR /&gt; had a nice Valentine's Day! He worked today but his knee was good again and&lt;BR /&gt; I thank God for that for answering our prayers again!! Now he has off until&lt;BR /&gt; Saturday. I made a whole chicken in the crock pot today, just put a little&lt;BR /&gt; onion flakes on top with some salt and pepper, and some sweet potatos around&lt;BR /&gt; it. Turned out delicious! I don't make whole chickens very much, so was&lt;BR /&gt; hoping it would be good. We had some red wine with it, maybe with chicken,&lt;BR /&gt; it should be white wine, but I don't care - red is better for us so it was&lt;BR /&gt; red melbac - and it was good. I called Sister LaDonna tonight - had a real&lt;BR /&gt; nice visit and her leg is healing and not so painful anymore - praise God!&lt;BR /&gt; She is really busy there - today they had a nice Valentine's party - lots of&lt;BR /&gt; food and some wine, also some non-alcoholic drinks too. Sunday at Mass she&lt;BR /&gt; did a reading and got complements on it! She busys herself making all&lt;BR /&gt; occasion cards and maybe she'll sell them at their gift store. She does&lt;BR /&gt; this on her computer. So I was so shocked last night to find out that Joe&lt;BR /&gt; died of a heart attack instead of the carbon mon. poisoning - Erma said he&lt;BR /&gt; did have some heart problems years ago - but he probably didn't know how&lt;BR /&gt; severe. Lori and I talked about that tonight - she was shocked too. Then&lt;BR /&gt; we talked about how he ate, lots of greasy burgers at the bar - and other&lt;BR /&gt; fried foods - he fished a lot too, and that probably all clogged his&lt;BR /&gt; arteries. Wish I would have known and I could have given him tips on how to&lt;BR /&gt; eat right.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; PLANTING A SEED&lt;BR /&gt; By Marion Smith&lt;BR /&gt; Feb 3 2009&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; 1 Cor 3:6&lt;BR /&gt; I am sure you have seen this – weeds or little flowers pushing their&lt;BR /&gt; way up to the sunshine in a crack of a sidewalk, driveway or road.&lt;BR /&gt; Sometimes I wonder how they thrive so well, when things I have planted&lt;BR /&gt; intentionally do so poorly! Today I noticed a wonderful gift from God&lt;BR /&gt; in our cement patio area. The spot where the bird dropped the&lt;BR /&gt; sunflower seed was almost invisible to the eye. There was no obvious&lt;BR /&gt; dirt to nurture its growth, and no water to sustain it. Despite all&lt;BR /&gt; odds, and because I didn’t pull it up when it looked so ugly and&lt;BR /&gt; weedy, it grew and blossomed into a beautiful sunflower which I&lt;BR /&gt; enjoyed.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; When we share our love for the Lord with someone, or when we tell them&lt;BR /&gt; how God has helped and sustained us in our need, we are planting a&lt;BR /&gt; seed in that person’s mind. It is a seed of love that will grow into&lt;BR /&gt; full bloom, in God’s perfect time. We don’t have to feel responsible&lt;BR /&gt; to nurture, fertilize and water this seed to death. All we have to do&lt;BR /&gt; it plant it. God will take care of the rest. The most important thing&lt;BR /&gt; for Christians is - do not pull the seed of love as it grows. Do not&lt;BR /&gt; discourage or make fun of anyone searching for the truth. They may ask&lt;BR /&gt; questions or do things which look like a weed- unattractive and&lt;BR /&gt; annoying, but…… it is our responsibility to pray for that person and&lt;BR /&gt; watch God do His marvelous miracle as He draws the unbeliever into His&lt;BR /&gt; divine presence. Do you agree?&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; What a privilege to remember, once again, that God is in control.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; DON'T GIVE UP&lt;BR /&gt; Author Unknown&lt;BR /&gt; Jan 16 2009&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; One day I decided to quit...&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. .. I wanted to quit&lt;BR /&gt; my life.&lt;BR /&gt; I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.&lt;BR /&gt; "God", I asked, "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; His answer surprised me...&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Yes", I replied.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care&lt;BR /&gt; of them.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I gave them light.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I gave them water.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; The fern quickly grew from the earth.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Its brilliant green covered the floor.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the&lt;BR /&gt; bamboo.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on&lt;BR /&gt; the bamboo.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; He said.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.&lt;BR /&gt; But I would not quit.&lt;BR /&gt; In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would&lt;BR /&gt; not quit."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; He said.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared&lt;BR /&gt; to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. ...But just 6&lt;BR /&gt; months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.&lt;BR /&gt; It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong&lt;BR /&gt; and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my&lt;BR /&gt; creations a challenge it could not handle."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; He asked me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been&lt;BR /&gt; struggling, you have actually been growing roots".&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "I would not quit on the bamboo.&lt;BR /&gt; I will never quit on you."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Don't compare yourself to others."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; He said.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern.&lt;BR /&gt; Yet they both make the forest beautiful."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Your time will come", God said to me.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "You will rise high"&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "How high should I rise?"&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I asked.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "As high as it can?" I questioned.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I left the forest and brought back this story.&lt;BR /&gt; I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on&lt;BR /&gt; you.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Never, Never, Never Give up.&lt;BR /&gt; For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.&lt;BR /&gt; Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is, tell the problem how Great&lt;BR /&gt; the Lord is!&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; And some Mother Teresa quotes:&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; In Christ, who died on the cross for us, we can definitely confirm the fact&lt;BR /&gt; that suffering can transform itself into a great love and an extraordinary&lt;BR /&gt; generosity.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; +++&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; To love and to serve the poor presupposes something that has nothing to do&lt;BR /&gt; with giving them our leftovers, or giving them the food we do nor like. It&lt;BR /&gt; has nothing to do with giving them the clothes we no longer wear just&lt;BR /&gt; because the clothes are no longer in fashion or because we no longer like&lt;BR /&gt; them.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Is this sharing the poverty of the poor? Of course it is not.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; +++&lt;BR /&gt; There are thousands-millions-of people who die for lack of bread.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; There are thousands-millions-of human beings who grow weak for lack of a&lt;BR /&gt; little love because they would like to be recognized, even if just a little.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Jesus becomes weak and dies in them.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; +++&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Once more, today and yesterday, Jesus comes to his own and his own refuse to&lt;BR /&gt; welcome him (John 1:11).&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; He comes in the broken bodies of the poor.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; He also comes in the rich who are drowning in the loneliness of their own&lt;BR /&gt; riches. He also comes in their lonely hearts, when there is no one to offer&lt;BR /&gt; them love.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; +++&lt;BR /&gt; What we say does nor matter, only what God says to souls through us.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; +++&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Good works are links that form a chain of love.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; +++&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; God's Valentine&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; For God so loV ed the world,&lt;BR /&gt; That He gA ve&lt;BR /&gt; His onL y&lt;BR /&gt; Begott E n&lt;BR /&gt; So N&lt;BR /&gt; T hat whosoever&lt;BR /&gt; Believeth I n Him&lt;BR /&gt; Should N ot perish,&lt;BR /&gt; But have E verlasting life."&lt;BR /&gt; John 3:16&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; The Empty Chair&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; A man's daughter had asked the parish priest to come and pray with her&lt;BR /&gt; father. When the priest arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head&lt;BR /&gt; propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The priest&lt;BR /&gt; assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "I guess you were expecting me," he said.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "No, who are you?" said the father.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; The priest told him his name and then remarked, "I see the empty chair; I&lt;BR /&gt; figured you knew I was going to show up."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing the&lt;BR /&gt; door?"&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Puzzled, the priest shut the door.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. " But&lt;BR /&gt; all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the&lt;BR /&gt; pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I abandoned any attempt at prayer, until one day about four years ago my&lt;BR /&gt; best friend said to me, `Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a&lt;BR /&gt; conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest.' Sit down in a chair; place&lt;BR /&gt; an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's&lt;BR /&gt; not spooky because he promised; `I'll be with you always.' Then just speak&lt;BR /&gt; to him in the same way you're doing with me right now."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; So I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every&lt;BR /&gt; day. I'm careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair,&lt;BR /&gt; she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; The priest was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to&lt;BR /&gt; continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and&lt;BR /&gt; returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the&lt;BR /&gt; priest that her daddy had died that afternoon.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Did he die in peace?" he asked.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; "Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, he called me over to his&lt;BR /&gt; bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back&lt;BR /&gt; from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something&lt;BR /&gt; strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over&lt;BR /&gt; and rested his head in the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?"&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; The priest wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we could all go like&lt;BR /&gt; that."&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Valentine Prayer&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I said a Valentine prayer for you&lt;BR /&gt; and asked the Lord above&lt;BR /&gt; to fill your heart and bless your soul&lt;BR /&gt; With the precious gift of love.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I asked Him for sincere love&lt;BR /&gt; The kind that's meant to stay&lt;BR /&gt; Just like the generous love&lt;BR /&gt; You give to those you touch each day.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; I prayed for love from family&lt;BR /&gt; And from every cherished friend&lt;BR /&gt; Then I asked the Lord to give you&lt;BR /&gt; His love that knows no end.&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; Author Unknown&lt;BR /&gt; &lt;BR /&gt; May you all have a very blessed ordinary day tomorrow - with lots of hugs&lt;BR /&gt; and blessings!!&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:32:50 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://community.qvc.com/t5/Community-Chat/Daily-Positive-Thread-for-Wednesday/m-p/165536#M70984</guid>
      <dc:creator>gloriajean</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2012-02-15T06:32:50Z</dc:date>
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