Hello my friends! Well today got some antibiotics, soon I'll be fine! It's a blessing that the clinic is not far from here and I could get an appointment this morning already. Been busy today cooking - breakfast - steel cut oats made with flax seed in, after cooked, raisins, banana and some cinnamon, oh and some walnuts, delicious! Lunch - stir fry and supper - chicken veg. soup. Haven't made that for awhile. Got ground turkey out for tomorrow's supper, will make a hot dish out of it. What a blessing it is to have food to prepare and eat! Thanks be to God! I would say today is a wonderful day, hope you can, too.
In your search for peace, look within. If you are looking elsewhere,
you are looking in the wrong place. Lord, help me to open my heart
to Your gift of peace and refuse to let anything in that disturbs it.
S C R I P T U R E F O R T H E D A Y
"Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all
these things will be given to you as well." ~Matthew 6:33
M E D I T A T I O N F O R T H E D A Y
"Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all
these things will be given to you as well." We need not seek material
things first, but seek spiritual things first and material things will
come to us, as we honestly work for them. Many of us seek material
things first and think they can then grow into knowledge of spiritual
things. We cannot serve God and earthly things at the same time. The
first requisites of an abundant life are spiritual things: honesty,
purity, unselfishness and love. Until we have these qualities,
quantities of material things are of little real use to us.
P R A Y E R F O R T H E D A Y
I pray that I may put much effort into acquiring spiritual things. I
pray that I may get right spiritually and enjoy the many gifts around
me.
MOTHER OF GOD, REMEMBER ME
Mother of God, remember me
To the Heart of Christ, your Son;
Remember me, Mother, through all my years
Till my work on earth is done.
Mother of God, remember me
When I reach the vast unknown,
Remember me, Mother, and plead my cause
When I stand to be judged alone.
Mother of God, remember me
As I pass my final goal;
Lily-white village maid, Mother of God,
Tell Jesus you love my soul.
Mother of God, remember me
In the Court of your Son Adored,
Let me praise and love Him forevermore.
Near that beautiful heart of yours.
(Poor Claire Monastery)
THE MOUNTAIN CLIMBER
They tell the story of a mountain climber, who desperate to conquer the Aconcagua, initiated his climb after years of preparation. But he wanted the glory to himself, therefore, he went up alone. He started climbing and it was becoming later, and later. He did not prepare for camping but decided to keep on going. Soon it got dark...
Night fell with heaviness at a very high altitude. Visibility was zero. Everything was black. There was no moon, and the stars were covered by clouds. As he was climbing a ridge at about 100 meters from the top, he slipped and fell. Falling rapidly he could only see blotches of darkness that passed. He felt a terrible sensation of being sucked in by gravity.
He kept falling....and in those anguishing moments good and bad memories passed through his mind. He thought certainly he would die. But then he felt a jolt that almost tore him in half. Yes!! Like any good mountain climber he had staked himself with a long rope tied to his waist.
In those moments of stillness, suspended in the air he had no other choice but to shout, "HELP ME GOD", "HELP ME!"
All of a sudden he heard a deep voice from heaven..."What do you want me to do?"
"SAVE ME"
"Do you REALLY think that I can save you?"
"OF COURSE, MY GOD"
"Then cut the rope that is holding you up."
There was another moment of silence and stillness. The man just held tighter to the rope.
The rescue team says that the next day they found, a frozen mountain climber hanging strongly to a rope... TWO FEET OFF THE GROUND.
How about you? How trusting are you in that rope? Why don't you let it go? I tell you, God has great and marvelous thing for you.
CUT THE ROPE AND SIMPLY TRUST IN HIM...
-- Author Unknown
Love Your Enemies
Some years ago, a tiny Korean orphan arrived in the United States to join her adoptive family. She was nine months old and weighed only 9 ½ pounds. She grew and blossomed in her new home, but remained a diminutive size.
Her new name was Edie.
One day when Edie was in second grade, she ran home from school, crying. She was frightened. That day, three new girls had been enrolled in her class.
During the first recess, they picked the smallest girl in the class as the object of their anger and frustration. They pinched, poked, and pushed tiny Edie and threatened to beat her up.
Edie had spent an hour in the principal's office with the three girls and was assured the teachers would be watching. The girls were given a warning.
Edie's mother held her little one and comforted her. She learned later, after speaking with the principal, that the girls had been troublemakers at several other schools. They were being given one more chance at a new beginning.
"These girls must have been very hurt in their young lives to be so angry. Her mother said. "The Bible tells us, "Be kind to your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. Edie, let's pray."
Then they prayed for the girls and asked the Lord for a plan of action.
A plan began to take shape. "I can't go to school with you everyday, so you will need to stay close to a teacher when you are at recess or in line to go into school." said Edie's mom.
"If the girls start to pick on you, tell them, "I'd really like to be your friend Are you brave enough to do that?" Edie's mother asked. "The Lord asks us to be kind to our enemies, let's see what happens, okay?
The tiny girl perked up, and with a smile, looked at her mother and said, "Yes, Mom, I'll try."
The next morning, and everyday before Edie left for school, she and her mom prayed for her to be safe and brave, and for the girls to be open to God's love. Everyday, the girls shoved into line behind Edie and called her names and tried to get in a poke or two.
Each time, Edie looked up at them and said, "I'd really like to be your friend." She did have to look up at them since they were so much taller than she was.
The teachers kept an eye on the proceedings, but did not need to interfere as the girls were not hurting her.
After about two weeks, Edie came home looking so discouraged. She told her mother that she didn't think it was working. After they talked about it some more and prayed, she decided to keep trying and continued to faithfully tell them, "I'd really like to be your friend."
One day the following week, Edie ran home as fast as she could and ran into the house shouting, "Mom, Mom, guess what happened today? Just like I always did, I said I'd really like to be your friend, and one of the girls said, "Okay, Edie, we give up, we'll be your friend."
Edie and her mom thanked the Lord for His faithfulness.
A short time later, as the girls were trying to become friends, Edie asked the teacher if she could sit at a table with these girls in the classroom. She had noticed that they were disruptive because they didn't understand the lessons. Edie became their tutor.
Toward the end of the school year, when Edie's parents went to school for a parent teacher conference, the teacher told them, "Because of Edie's kindness, those girls have completely turned around and are productive members of the class." She felt she had witnessed a miracle. And so did Edie's mom and dad.
How many people go through life never experiencing kindness? They don't see it in strangers, and some don't even find it in their own families.
Without experiencing kindness, it becomes impossible to express kindness toward others. The result of this tragic lack is seen everywhere.
What a different society this would be if everyone who has received kindness would be kind to others, especially the unlovely.
- Author Unknown
The Difference between Optimists and Pessimists
In order to better understand people’s views of the world, a researcher once placed two children, one a pessimist and the other an optimist, alone in separate rooms.
The pessimist was placed in a colorful room full of all kinds of imaginative toys…the optimist was put in a room filled with horse manure.
The first child played in the room for a little while, but soon came to the door asking to leave because the toys were boring and because they broke too easily.
Likewise, the young optimist soon came to the door…but rather than asking to leave, she asked for a shovel.
Of course, the researcher asked the child why she wanted a shovel.
She replied, “With all this manure around, I know that there must be a pony in here somewhere.”
The Presentation of Jesus - Feb. 2
Heavenly Father, on this Feast of Candlemas (the Presentation of Christ), I recall the gift Mary and Joseph gave to the world by offering baby Jesus to You in the temple. I offer up to You all the children in my family. I place them into Your perfect will and I turn their futures over to You. Help me to let go of my ideas of what they should do with their lives, and show me how to guide them into the purposes for which You created them. Help me to learn from the example of the Blessed Mother, whose heart was pierced by the sword of her Son's pain, how to always trust in Your plans. Holy Family, pray for us. Amen.
February 1 - Jesus Calling
Follow Me one step at a time. That is all I require of you. In fact, that is the only way to move through this space/time world. You see huge mountains looming, and you start wondering how you’re going to scale those heights. Meanwhile, because you’re not looking where you’re going, you stumble on the easy path where I am leading you now. As I help you get back on your feet, you tell Me how worried you are about the cliffs up ahead. But you don’t know what will happen today, much less tomorrow. Our path may take an abrupt turn, leading you away from those mountains. There may be an easier way up the mountains than is visible from this distance. If I do lead you up the cliffs, I will equip you thoroughly for that strenuous climb. I will even give My angels charge over you, to preserve you in all your ways.
Keep your mind on the present journey, enjoying My Presence. Walk by faith, not by sight, trusting Me to open up the way before you.
With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
—Psalm 18:29
For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
—Psalm 91:11–12 amp
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
—2 Corinthians 5:7 nkjv
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