Among Friends

[gloriajean]

Hello my friends!  Thanks to Harlene who posted her blesssings here on the last thread!  Was hoping more would.  Just got back from Petsmart, got some new dog food, hope Sammy will like it, he'd much rather live on treats than dog food.  Silly boy. It's cold here now - 29 degrees, but with our winter coats etc. it's fine out.  Please pray for us for an unspoken prayer request, ok?

Today be cheerful when it is difficult and patient when that, too, is difficult. 

Lord, I will let Your love for me flow through me and touch those around me.

S C R I P T U R E   F O R   T H E   D A Y 

"He must increase, but I must decrease."  ~John 3:30

M E D I T A T I O N   F O R   T H E   D A Y 

We can try to stand aside and let God work through us.  We can try not
to block God off by our own efforts, or prevent God's spirit from
working through us.  God desires our obedient service and our loyalty to
the ideals of the new life we are seeking.  If we are loyal to God, God
can give us protection against mistakes.  God's spirit can plan for us
and secure for us a sufficiency of all spiritual help.  We can have true
victory and real success, if we will put ourselves in the background and
let God work through us.

P R A Y E R   F O R   T H E   D A Y 

I pray that I may not interfere with the working of God's spirit in me
and through me.  I pray that I may give it full rein.

My New Coat, God

I have a new coat, it was designed by God and given to me by Jesus Christ. All I had to do to receive this coat was to believe in God's only Son.

I find it fits me perfectly unless I allow myself to become puffed up with foolish pride, then it's too tight. If I walk with my head high, trying to be above those about, then it is too short. But if I walk humbly as I should before God, it fits me just right.

How is the coat made?

The shoulders are wide and roomy so that I can help my fellow man carry his burdens.

The collar is made of God's mercy, yes, the mercy of God's promises. First that I may become his child and second, that I will one day dwell with Him in that home prepared for His saints.

The cuffs are narrow, so that there is no room to tuck away grievance and hard feelings toward my neighbors.

The pockets are oversized, One is for the love of God; the other is to hold my love for my fellowman and all humanity.

There are three buttons on my coat, which stands for faith, hope and charity. I check on them often so that none becomes loose or lost.

The lining is made of God's forgiveness, which I need so often that I want it next to me at all times.

The belt is made of God's love that encircles me everyday.

The material is thick enough to protect me when the storms of life come my way, but not too thick that I will not be able to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit who guides me.

There are many threads in my new coat, but not one thread of doubt that God's promises are true,

Do you wonder about the color of my coat? Why, it's the color of Jesus' eyes that must sparkle when a lost soul accepts Him.

I will need my coat all through life. When I travel through the valley of death and when I view the future, I will always wear my new coat.

     (Author Unknown)

Prayer of St.Francis  

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. 
Where there is hatred, let me sow love; 

Where there is injury, pardon; 
Where there is doubt, faith; 
Where there is despair, hope; 

Where there is darkness, light; 
and where there is sadness, joy. 
O Divine Master,grant that 
I may not so much seek 
to be consoled as to console; 

to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. 
For it is in giving that we receive, 

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Take My Hand....

Are you troubled, burdened, blue?
Take my hand.
I've been troubled, too,
I understand.
Where you've fallen, once I fell --
Let me help the clouds dispel --
Take my hand.
 
Others helped when I was weak,
Took my hand,
Helped me face toward the peak,
Helped me stand.
What they did, now let me do --

Pass the kindness on to you.

Someday you'll help others, too.

Take my hand.

 AMEN !!

To You--with Love 

Dear One,
You are my child and I love you. It's just that simple. No matter what
you've done or what you haven't done. I love you! You have an eternal spirit
living within you, and I know your spirit intimately, and I love you. You
are on this earth, living your life, making your decisions, trying to find
out what's the best thing to do and how to do it - how to live, how to
survive - and it's a struggle. I know this and I understand, for this is the
struggle of life. But all of this can be made easier if you will just
connect -- to Me.

For though your life carries on and you age and then die, your SPIRIT never
ages. It never dies. The real you, the you that now dwells within the
confines of your body, will live forever.

This is why the things of the body, the material things of the world, are
not the things to strive for because one day you must leave them behind. The
things that truly matter are those of the spirit: LOVE, KINDNESS, MERCY,
UNDERSTANDING, GIVING. These are the things that make you rich-rich in
spirit. These are the things that make you strong-strong in spirit.

When the day comes that you shed the garment of your flesh, the strength of
your spirit will be all that counts. So do good. Show love. Give love. Love
your family. Love your neighbors.  Love those you meet. Show mercy, kindness
and compassion. For by sharing these things- by showing love- you show ME to
others. For I, God AM Love, and I love you. I want to spend Eternity with
you.

When you come to the door at the end of the road, at the end of your life,
you will need the key to open the door, to enter into MY HOME where
everything is LOVE. But you don't have to work for that key-just hold out
your hand right now and I will place it there. The Key is MY SON, JESUS, I
hold out this key to you now and say, "It can be yours, because I love you."
It is as though I am offering you the key to My treasure vault, saying,
"This is yours, just because I love you." With this key you can open the
vault and find it is full of treasure. So receive MY KEY- the KEY to living
with ME forever. Just say, yes, GOD, I want the Key to life. I want Your
SON, JESUS, the Key to your vault. I receive it. I accept it. Then this Key
will be yours forever.

I love you. You are my child, and I give you the Key to my inheritance, the
Key to my vault, the Key to Eternity! He is yours, if you will just receive
Him.
WITH LOVE EVERLASTING,

YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER.

Cast Your Burdens On Him

To every one on earth
God gives a burden, to be carried down
The road that lies between the cross and crown.
No lot is wholly free;
He giveth one to thee.

Some carry it aloft,
Open and visible to any eyes;
And all may see its form and weight and size.
Some hide it in their breast,
And deem it there unguessed.

Thy burden is God's gift,
And it will make the bearer calm and strong;
Yet, lest it press too heavily and long,
God says, "Cast it on Me,
And it shall easy be."
And those who heed His voice,
And seek to give it back in trustful prayer,
Have quiet hearts that never can despair;
And hope lights up the way
Upon the darkest day.
Cast your burdens on the Lord and he'll bear them for you.

Have a wonderful weekend and be blessed by all you see and do.

Judgment Day  

You stand before God with sweaty palms and a racing heart. He's asking you
only one question: Do you know and have you accepted My Son?
You reply confidently: Yes.
Finally, He has granted you entry into heaven.
As you are about to enter the golden gates, your friend at school -- whom
you've known for quite sometime -- quickly yells something at you. You know
that person isn't a Christian and a deep sorrow sweeps over you as you
remember how you tried to just get enough courage to speak to him/her about
Christ. But, now it is too late. You look into the eyes of this friend
you've known and can't help to feel some pity for them. You know what's
going to happen. You try to ignore the feeling of guilt and sadness.
Besides, you're going to heaven -- why dwell on the past? You strain your ears
to hear what he/she is trying to say. Finally, you understand. Your friend
is asking you one simple question:
"Why didn't you tell me?"

Isaiah 43:8 -- Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but
are deaf.

Author Unknown

Believe what God believes... Overcoming negative feelings, whether they stem from childhood or current situation, takes time and effort, but change is possible. Christian psychologist, Dr. ****** Dickerson, has written a beautiful summary of how God looks at you. Read this passage aloud to yourself every morning and evening for the next month, then evaluate how your feelings about yourself have changed:

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE IS SLOW TO LOSE PATIENCE WITH ME.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE TAKES THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF MY LIFE AND USES THEM IN A CONSTRUCTIVE WAY FOR MY GROWTH.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE DOES NOT TREAT ME AS AN OBJECT TO BE POSSESSED AND MANIPULATED.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE DOES NOT NEED TO IMPRESS ME WITH HOW GREAT AND POWERFUL HE IS BECAUSE HE IS GOD. NOR DOES HE BELITTLE ME AS HIS CHILD IN ORDER TO SHOW ME HOW IMPORTANT HE IS.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE IS FOR ME. HE WANTS TO SEE ME MATURE AND DEVELOP IN HIS LOVE.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE DOES NOT SEND DOWN HIS WRATH ON EVERY LITTLE MISTAKE I MAKE, OF WHICH THERE ARE MANY.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE DOES NOT KEEP SCORE OF ALL MY SINS AND THEN BEAT ME OVER THE HEAD WITH THEM WHENEVER HE GETS A CHANCE.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE IS DEEPLY GRIEVED WHEN I DO NOT WALK IN THE WAYS THAT PLEASE HIM BECAUSE HE SEES THIS AS EVIDENCE THAT I DON'T TRUST HIM AND LOVE HIM AS I SHOULD.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE KEEPS WORKING PATIENTLY WITH ME EVEN WHEN I FEEL LIKE GIVING UP.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE KEEPS ON TRUSTING ME WHEN AT TIMES I DON'T EVEN TRUST MYSELF.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE NEVER SAYS THERE IS NO HOPE FOR ME. RATHER, HE PATIENTLY WORKS WITH ME, LOVES ME, AND DISCIPLINES ME IN SUCH A WAY, THAT IT IS HARD FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND THE DEPTH OF HIS CONCERN FOR ME.

November 20

I am pleased with you, My child. Allow yourself to become fully aware of My pleasure shining upon you. You don’t have to perform well in order to receive My Love. In fact, a performance focus will pull you away from Me, toward some sort of Pharisaism. This can be a subtle form of idolatry: worshiping your own good works. It can also be a source of deep discouragement when your works don’t measure up to your expectations.

Shift your focus from your performance to My radiant Presence. The Light of My Love shines on you continually, regardless of your feelings or behavior. Your responsibility is to be receptive to this unconditional Love. Thankfulness and trust are your primary receptors. Thank Me for everything; trust in Me at all times. These simple disciplines will keep you open to My loving Presence.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. —Ephesians 2:8–9

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. —Ephesians 3:16–19

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. —Psalm 62:8

[marmot24]

Hi Gloria, sounds like we have similar weather...its 29 here also.  Things are going good here,getting ready for the holidays.  I'm not cooking thanksgiving turkey this year.  Too much work for just one person to do and not enough help. Besides daughter has to work and sons are either out of state or have other plans. 

Of course I'll pray for your request. You have been so gracious to so many of us.

My blessing is good doctor visits for hubby this week. Thank you God.

[lovestopaint]

Praying for your request. Gloria.

Hope Sammy likes his new food.

Blessings to all.

Harlene(lovestopaint