Hello my friends! The twins has their six week doctor's visit today - they are both over 8 pounds now. Aria a few ounces more than Alyssa. They are not sleeping as much as they should. I wonder how we can get them to sleep more? Being Darla is nursing, I texted her asking if she should drink beer? I doubt she will. But I do wonder how to get them to sleep as much as they should. Darla is keeping a record of the sleep they get.
Other than that, they are fine little healthy girls! I had the day off today - got my knee X-rayed this afternoon and I wasn't surprised there is some arthritis in there, was surprised to see in one place in the middle there is bone on bone, but spaces on the sides of that, and a little cyst in back of knee. I couldn't have gotten all that from just steps, right?
I am referred to PT, and have a follow up appointment in 3 weeks at the clinic. Prayers would be welcomed for healing. But at least it's not cancer or anything worse. I praise our God for all our blessings!
If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light: but if it is not healthy, your body is full of darkness. Luke 11:34
Meditation for the day:
"If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but if it is not healthy, your body is full of darkness." The eye of the soul is the will. If our will is to do the will of God, to serve God with our lives, to serve God by helping others, then truly shall our whole body be full of light. The important thing is to strive that our will be attuned to the will of God, a single eye to God's purpose, desiring nothing less than that God's purposes be fulfilled. We can try to seek in all things the advance of God's kingdom, seek the spiritual values of honesty and purity, unselfishness and love, and earnestly desire spiritual growth. Then our life will emerge from the darkness of futility into the light of victory.
Prayer for the day:
I pray that my eye may be healthy. I pray that my life may be lived in the light of the best that I know.
My Lord,
I offer you my thoughts: to be fixed on you;
My words: to have you for their theme;
My actions: to reflect my love for you;
My sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.
I want to do what you ask of me:
In the way you ask,
For as long as you ask,
Because you ask it.
Lord, enlighten my understanding,
Strengthen my will,
Purify my heart,
and make me holy.
Help me to repent of my past sins
And to resist temptation in the future.
Help me to rise above my human weaknesses
And to grow stronger as a Christian.
Amen
Healing of the Spirit Special Intention
Gentle Jesus, with faith in Your healing powers and confidence in Your constant compassion, I ask you to heal my suffering spirit. May my soul find rest in Your comforting love and relief from sorrow and anguish. Relying on Your love, I especially ask Your help in (name your concern.) I place my trust in Your power to heal my spirit from feelings of hopelessness, unrest, and despair. Amen.
AGELESS LOVE
By: Joseph J. Mazzella
I saw a lovely old couple in the store the other day. Both of
them had to be in their late seventies or early eighties. What was so special about them was that
while many of the younger couples nearby were either arguing over something or not talking at all
the old couple was holding hands, smiling at each other, and talking sweetly together. I even saw
them sneak a kiss once.
They had a light in their eyes that was so beautiful to see. It was
clear that they were in love. Love really is an ageless thing. It is the only thing I know that
can grow stronger and stronger even as our own bodies grow weaker and weaker.
Some of the youngest, most joyous, and loving spirits I know live inside bodies that are old, weak, and
damaged. It is like we can grow younger and more joyous on the inside while our bodies grow older on the outside.
The key, of course, is love. No gray hair, wrinkles, or weak muscles has ever
taken the glow out of someone’s eyes who has love in their heart.
Let us all resolve then to choose love today. The love and joy in
our lives will grow greater with each loving choice we make. As we grow older in body we will grow
younger in spirit. Our later years don’t have to be ones of bitterness and disappointment.
They can instead be ones of ever increasing joy, love, peace, happiness, and oneness with God.
God put us on this world to love. God put us here to choose love,
to share love, and to grow in love. All the years of our lives can be full of love. It is up to
us, though. Will we grow old in misery and loneliness or will we grow old in happiness and love?
IT'S IN YOUR FACE
Author Unknown
You don't have to tell how you live each day,
You don't have to say if you work or play,
A tried, true barometer serves in the place;
however you live, it will show in your face.
The false, the deceit you bear in your heart
Will not stay inside, where it first got a start.
For sin and blood are a thin veil of lace;
what you wear in your heart you wear in your face.
If your life is unselfish,
if for others you live,
for not what you get,
but for how much you can give;
If you live close to God,
in His infinite grace,
you don't have to tell it,
it shows in your face.
Thought for the day...
Where is the progress?
AS WE ALL KNOW, someone once said, "You can't stop progress," but should it have been, "You can't stop greed?"
Have we progressed since the beginning? Can we truly say we are happier or wiser than humans from anytime in our history? I don't think we can. Maybe you are, but I don't see it. Do our foolish egos still rule us? Do we still not lust after power?
In this manner, progress has stagnated since our birth. Look what the onset of agriculture and cultivation has developed: class structure and more ways to feel like an outsider. All our technology has brought us is more ways to suffer, more ways to know we suffer.
I know, I know. Of course, we had to wipe out polio, just as in the present we have to go up against cancer and AIDS. We can't just let people suffer and die. But guess what? The suffering has never left us, has it? Will it ever? As soon as we wipe out the present bugs, more will arrive. If we kill them, more will come. What are we to do? Sure, our lifespan may be lengthened a few years or so, only to add to the taboo population problem. But in the end, we all die.
So where does that leave us spiritually? Do we feel any less angst when our computer crashes than a man in the 16th century felt when his grain grinder crashed in a thunderstorm? We still have all the pain and wonder any man has ever had. So how have we progressed?
We reach certain stages, plateaus, in our thinking. We might think, hey, we've got it made now! Everyone rushes to enact this model of thought until we see it is all wrong: people still suffer and the rich feel they aren't rich enough.
Then we scurry to change and to do things another way, thinking, yes, this is the answer. And then, again, we realize people are still suffering and the rich don't feel rich enough. We still eat live things and they still eat us.
Why can't we just relax, restrain ourselves and enjoy what we are? The fact that we are even alive is a miracle in itself.
Nature made us what we are, now it's up to us. Shall we choose to abide in that which created us, or shall we continue to enact our greed which we have conveniently labeled "progress?"
- - -
[by Jack Farranti - adapted]
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
Author Unknown
A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next
door. It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College,
girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved
clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush
of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and
often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his
future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The
funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old
newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
"Jack, did you hear me?"
"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought
of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack
said.
"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you
were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his
side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.
"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make
sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.
"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in
this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching
me things he thought were important... Mom, I'll be there for the
funeral," Jack said.
As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to
his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no
children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to
see the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway,
Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another
dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he
remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of
furniture... . Jack stopped
suddenly.
"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.
"The box is gone," he said.
"What box? " Mom asked.
"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I
must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever
tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack
remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser
family had taken it.
"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I
better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."
It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from
work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature
required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post
office within the next three days," the note read.
Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old
and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The
handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his
attention.
"Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and
ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an
envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.
"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack
Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life."
A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears
filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he
found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over
the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover.
Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time!
Harold Belser."
"The thing he valued most...was.. .my time."
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and
cleared his appointments for the next two days.
"Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.
"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.
"Oh, by the way, Janet...thanks for your time!"
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the
moments that take our breath away,"
Thank you for your time.....
August 18 - Jesus Calling
Expect to encounter adversity in your life, remembering that you live in a deeply fallen world. Stop trying to find a way that circumvents difficulties. The main problem with an easy life is that it masks your need for Me. When you became a Christian, I infused My very Life into you, empowering you to live on a supernatural plane by depending on Me.
Anticipate coming face to face with impossibilities: situations totally beyond your ability to handle. This awareness of your inadequacy is not something you should try to evade. It is precisely where I want you—the best place to encounter Me in My Glory and Power. When you see armies of problems marching toward you, cry out to Me! Allow Me to fight for you. Watch Me working on your behalf, as you rest in the shadow of My Almighty Presence.
After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God”
—Revelation 19:1
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
—Psalm 91:1
Blogs & Forums
Forums
Blogs
