Friday's Positive Thread

gloriajean — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:58:08 GMT

Kindness can accomplish that which force won't. Lord, may I pause when I am
about to react to irritations and respond as though it is You to whom I
speak.

Scripture for the day:

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate
your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he
makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the
righteous and on the unrighteous. ~Matthew 5:43-45

Meditation for the day:

We can turn out all thoughts of doubt and fear and resentment. We need not
tolerate them. We can bar the windows and doors of our minds against them,
as we would bar our homes against a thief who would steal in to take away
our treasures. What greater treasures can we have than faith and courage
and love? All these can be stolen from us by doubt and fear and resentment.
We can face each day with peace and hope. They are the results of true
faith in God. Faith can give us a feeling of protection and safety that we
can get in no other way.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may feel protected and safe, but not only when I am in the
harbor. I pray that I may have protection and safety even in the midst of
the storms of life. As Mark Twain said, "A ship in the harbor is safe. But
that's not what ships are for!"

Hello my friends! Yea - finally got signed in. It's been hours and hours
waiting to get signed in and wondering what happened here! Sorry about this
delay. All of a sudden I tried again and got in! Whew! Yesterday's
blessings were many - Lori called invited us to go with her for a walk with
the dogs, and that was fun, then we sat on her deck and visited for awhile.
I thought by the time I got home I could get signed in, but no, not until
now. Praise God it isn't all day! Another blessing this morning is we are
getting more much needed rain! Praise the Lord! At Mass this morning Father
prayed for more sufficient rain and here it is!! Our new young newly
ordained assistant pastor, Father Joe, is great! He gives great homilies,
has a good voice for speaking and singing, and so does Father Mark, our
pastor. Getting to know them both will certainly be a joy! We sure do love
our parish here and thank Our Lord for that great blessing! Well, enough
talking, I'll get into the inspirations now.

A SURE WAY TO A HAPPY DAY

Happiness is something we create in our mind.
Its not something we search for & seldom find.
It's just waking up & beginning the day
By counting our blessings & kneeling to pray.
It's giving up thoughts that breed discontent
And accepting what comes as a gift heaven-sent.
It's giving up wishing for things we have not
And making the best of whatever we've got,
It's knowing that life is determined for us'
And pursuing our tasks without fret, fear, or fuss.
For it's by completing what God gives us to do
That we find real contentment & Happiness too.

By Helen Steiner Rice

Forget it!

Forget about the days when it's been cloudy,
but don't forget your hours in the sun

Forget about the times you've been defeated,
but don't forget the victories you've won

Forget about mistakes that you can't change now,
but don't forget the lessons that you've learned

Forget about misfortunes you've encountered,
but don't forget the times your luck has turned

Forget about the days when you've been lonely,
but don't forget the friendly smiles you've seen

Forget about the plans that didn't seem to work out right,
but don't forget to always have a dream.

Prayer For Relieving Stress And Anxiety

Lord, there has been too much change in my life recently, and I feel
overwhelmed. Because I try to be a responsible person, I sometimes forget
that it is unwise for me to allow my sense of duty to override my common
sense.

Lord, help me to allow myself more time to rest, relax, and pray. Guide me
toward something spiritual to read every day and a quiet time afterwards to
reflect on what I have read and how it pertains to my life. I truly want to
simplify my life and live more as Christ did. Help me remember that there
is no loss or problem I must face alone. You are always near, with Your
love and compassion to comfort me. Amen.

IT SEEMS TO BE TAKING FOREVER
By Sally I. Kennedy
August 17, 2009

Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if
you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:16

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has
stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised
to those who love him. James 1:12

A sort of mini-crash is what I termed it. After an unknown error, the
address book contacts, name and email addresses, were no longer.

I thought of just scrapping the whole project looming in front of me.
But then, it seemed the right thing to begin the arduous task of re-
entering data.

It was painstakingly slow. I seemed to be getting nowhere fast. It
wasn’t the computer’s fault, not really mine either. It was something
that just happened.

In life, things happen. The computer scenario seemed to take forever;
in actuality it did not. It made me think of the real desert times,
experiences of the ‘dark night of the soul’. Those times in our lives
when we are waiting, hoping, praying….and things seems to be taking
forever.

If by any chance, you are in one of those places, you can know that it
will not last forever. We have to hang in there and hold onto the
promises that God’s given us in the Bible. We have to do our part,
and allow God to to His. He is faithful. (1 Thessalonians 5:24 The one
who calls you is faithful and he will do it.)

That is good news.

EVERY DAY PRAYER

Every Day I need thee Lord,
This day especially

I need some extra strength to face
Whatever is to be

This day more than any day
I need to feel thee near

To fortify my courage
And overcome my fears

By myself I cannot meet the challenges of the hour

There are times when human creatures need a higher power

To bear what must be borne
And so dear Lord I pray

Hold on to my trembling hand
And be with me Today.

Amen

Author Unknown

Prayer for the Sick

Dear Jesus,
Divine Physician and Healer of the Sick,
we turn to You in this time of illness.
O dearest Comforter of the Troubled,
alleviate our worry and sorrow with Your gentle love,
and grant us the grace and strength to accept this burden.

Dear God,
we place our worries in Your hands.
We ask that You restore Your servant to health again.

Above all,
grant us the grace to acknowledge Your holy will
and know that whatsoever You do,
You do for the love of us.

The Wallet

As I walked home one freezing day, I stumbled on a wallet someone had
lost in the street. I picked it up and looked inside to find some
identification so I could call the owner. But the wallet contained only
three dollars and a crumpled letter that looked as if it had been in there
for years.

The envelope was worn and the only thing that was legible on it was
the return address. I started to open the letter, hoping to find some
clue. Then I saw the dateline--1924. The letter had been written almost
sixty years ago.

It was written in a beautiful feminine handwriting on powder blue
stationery with a little flower in the left-hand corner. It was a "Dear
John" letter that told the recipient, whose name appeared to be Michael,
that the writer could not see him any more because her mother forbade it.
Even so, she wrote that she would always love him. It was signed, Hannah.

It was a beautiful letter, but there was no way except for the name
Michael, that the owner could be identified. Maybe if I called information,
the operator could find a phone listing for the address on the envelope.

"Operator," I began, "this is an unusual request. I'm trying to find
the owner of a wallet that I found. Is there anyway you can tell me if
there is a phone number for an address that was on an envelope in the
wallet?"

She suggested I speak with her supervisor, who hesitated for a moment
then said, "Well, there is a phone listing at that address, but I can't
give you the number." She said, as a courtesy, she would call that number,
explain my story and would ask them if they wanted her to connect me. I
waited a few minutes and then she was back on the line. "I have a party
who will speak with you."

I asked the woman on the other end of the line if she knew anyone by
the name of Hannah. She gasped, "Oh! We bought this house from a family
who had a daughter named Hannah. But that was 30 years ago!"

"Would you know where that family could be located now?" I asked. "I
remember that Hannah had to place her mother in a nursing home some years
ago," the woman said. "Maybe if you got in touch with them they might be
able to track down the daughter."

She gave me the name of the nursing home and I called the number. They
told me the old lady had passed away some years ago but they did have a
phone number for where they thought the daughter might be living.

I thanked them and phoned. The woman who answered explained that Hannah
herself was now living in a nursing home. This whole thing was stupid, I
thought to myself. Why was I making such a big deal over finding the owner
of a wallet that had only three dollars and a letter that was almost 60
years old? Nevertheless, I called the nursing home in which Hannah was
supposed to be living and the man who answered the phone told me, "Yes,
Hannah is staying with us. "

Even though it was already 10 p.m., I asked if I could come by to see
her. "Well," he said hesitatingly, "if you want to take a chance, she might
be in the day room watching TV." I thanked him and drove over to the
nursing home. The night nurse and a guard greeted me at the door. We went
up to the third floor of the large building. In the day room, the nurse
introduced me to Hannah.

She was a sweet, silver-haired old timer with a warm smile and a twinkle
in her eye. I told her about finding the wallet and showed her the letter.
The second she saw the powder blue envelope with that little flower on the
left, she took a deep breath and said, "Young man, this letter was the last
contact I ever had with Michael."

She looked away for a moment deep in thought and then said softly, "I
loved him very much. But I was only 16 at the time and my mother felt I was
too young. Oh, he was so handsome. He looked like Sean Connery, the
actor." Yes," she continued. "Michael Goldstein was a wonderful person. If
you should find him, tell him I think of him often. And," she hesitated
for a moment, almost biting her lip, "tell him I still love him. You
know," she said smiling as tears began to well up in her eyes, "I never
did marry. I guess no one ever matched up to Michael.."

I thanked Hannah and said goodbye. I took the elevator to the first
floor and as I stood by the door, the guard there asked, "Was the old lady
able to help you?"

I told him she had given me a lead. "At least I have a last name. But I
think I'll let it go for a while. I spent almost the whole day trying to
find the owner of this wallet."

I had taken out the wallet, which was a simple brown leather case with
red lacing on the side. When the guard saw it, he said, "Hey, wait a
minute! That's Mr. Goldstein's wallet. I'd know it anywhere with that
bright red lacing. He's always losing that wallet. I must have found it
in the halls at least three times."

"Who's Mr. Goldstein?" I asked as my hand began to shake. "He's one of
the old timers on the 8th floor. That's Mike Goldstein's wallet for sure.
He must have lost it on one of his walks."

I thanked the guard and quickly ran back to the nurse's office. I told
her what the guard had said. We went back to the elevator and got on. I
prayed that Mr. Goldstein would be up.

On the eighth floor, the floor nurse said, "I think he's still in the
day room. He likes to read at night. He's a darling old man." We went to
the only room that had any lights on and there was a man reading a book.
The nurse went over to him and asked if he had lost his wallet.
Mr. Goldstein looked up with surprise, put his hand in his back pocket
and said, "Oh, it is missing!"

"This kind gentleman found a wallet and we wondered if it could be
yours?"

I handed Mr. Goldstein the wallet and the second he saw it, he smiled
with relief and said, "Yes, that's it! It must have dropped out of my
pocket this afternoon. I want to give you a reward." "No, thank you," I
said. "But I have to tell you something. I read the letter in the hope
of finding out who owned the wallet." The smile on his face suddenly
disappeared. "You read that letter?" "Not only did I read it, I think
I know where Hannah is."

He suddenly grew pale. "Hannah? You know where she is? How is she? Is
she still as pretty as she was? Please, please tell me," he begged. "She's
fine. Just as pretty as when you knew her." I said softly. The old man
smiled with anticipation and asked, "Could you tell me where she is? I
want to call her tomorrow." He grabbed my hand and said, "You know
something, mister, I was so in love with that girl that when that
letter came, my life literally ended. I never married. I guess
I've always loved her."

"Mr. Goldstein," I said, "Come with me."

We took the elevator down to the third floor. The hallways were
darkened and only one or two little night-lights lit our way to the
day room where Hannah was sitting alone watching the television. The
nurse walked over to her.

"Hannah," she said softly, pointing to Michael, who was waiting with me
in the doorway. "Do you know this man?"

She adjusted her glasses, looked for a moment, but didn't say a word.
Michael said softly, almost in a whisper, "Hannah, it's Michael. Do you
remember me?" She gasped, "Michael! I don't believe it! Michael! It's you!
My Michael!" He walked slowly towards her and they embraced. The nurse
and I left with tears streaming down our faces.

"See," I said. "See how the Good Lord works! If it's meant to be, it
will be."

About three weeks later I got a call at my office from the nursing
home. "Can you break away on Sunday to attend a wedding? Michael and
Hannah are going to tie the knot!"

It was a beautiful wedding with all the people at the nursing home
dressed up to join in the celebration. Hannah wore a light beige dress
and looked beautiful. Michael wore a dark blue suit and stood tall.
They made me their best man.

The hospital gave them their own room and if you ever wanted to see a
76-year-old bride and a 79-year-old groom acting like two teenagers, you
had to see this couple.

A perfect ending for a love affair that had lasted nearly 60 years.

IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL

A Tree We Could All Use

I hired a carpenter to help me restore an old farmhouse,
and he had just finished a rough first day on the job. A
flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw
quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving,
he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward
the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching
tips of the branches with both hands.

When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation.
His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his
two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my
curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had
seen him do earlier. "Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied.
"I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one
thing's for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my
wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree
every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them
up again. Funny thing is he smiled, "when I come out in the
morning to pick'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I
remember hanging up.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit for Wisdom
Holy Spirit, who with the Father and the Son, in the beginning hovered over
the deep and formless void to give it shape; and breathed the breath of life
into humanity, and every living creature: come now from heaven, from Your
throne of glory, come.

Be with me and help me; work with me and teach me what is pleasing to You.
You, who know all things, guide me to be prudent in all my undertakings; and
protect me by Your glory. Only then will everything I do be acceptable in
Your sight.

THE SMELL OF RAIN
Author Unknown
July 19, 2012

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor
walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. Still groggy from
surgery, her husband David held her hand as they braced themselves for the
latest news.

That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only
24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency cesarean to deliver the couple's
new daughter, Danae Lu Blessing.

At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound and nine ounces, they already
knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft words dropped
like bombs. "I don't think she's going to make it," he said, as kindly as
he could. "There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the
night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future
could be a very cruel one."

Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the
devastating problems Danae would likely face if she survived. She would
never walk; she would never talk; she would probably be blind; she would
certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to
complete mental retardation; and on and on.

"No! No!" was all Diana could say. She and David with their 5-year-old son
Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a
family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping
away.

Through the dark hours of morning as Danae held onto life by the thinnest
thread. Diana slipped in and out of drugged sleep, growing more and more
determined that their tiny daughter would live and live to be a healthy,
happy young girl. But David, fully awake and listening to additional dire
details of their daughter's chances of ever leaving the hospital alive, much
less healthy, knew he must confront his wife with the inevitable.

"David walked in and said that we needed to talk about making funeral
arrangements," Diana remembers, "I felt so bad for him because he was doing
everything, trying to include me in what was going on, but I just wouldn't
listen, I couldn't listen.

I said, "No, that is not going to happen, no way! I don't care what the
doctors say. Danae is not going to die! One day she will be just fine, and
she will be coming home with us!"

As if willed to live by Diana's determination, Danae clung to life hour
after hour, with the help of every medical machine and marvel her miniature
body could endure but as those first days passed, a new agony set in for
David and Diana. Because Danae's underdeveloped nervous system was
essentially "raw", the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her
discomfort - so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their
chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Danae
struggled alone beneath the ultra-violet light in the tangle of tubes and
wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.
There was never a moment when Danae suddenly grew stronger. But as the
weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of
strength there.

At last, when Danae turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her
in their arms for the very first time. And two months later though doctors
continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less
living any kind of normal life, were next to zero.

Danae went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted. Today,
five years later, Danae is a petite but feisty young girl with glittering
gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She shows no signs,
whatsoever, of any mental or physical impairments. Simply, she is
everything a little girl can be and more but that happy ending is far from
the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving,
Texas, Danae was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local
ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As
always, Danae was chattering non-stop with her mother and several other
adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent.

Hugging her arms across her chest, Danae asked, "Do you smell that?"

Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana
replied, "Yes, it smells like rain."

Danae closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?"

Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet, it
smells like rain."

Still caught in the moment, Danae shook her head, patted her thin shoulders
with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells like Him. It
smells like God when you lay your head on His chest."

Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Danae then happily hopped down to play with
the other children.

Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the
members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts,
all along.

During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when
her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Danae
on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

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Friday's Positive Thread