Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Don't worry about tomorrow because God is already taking care
of it. Lord, help me set aside needless worry and anxiety so that
I have time to do all that I need to do today.

Scripture for the day:

"My vows to you I must perform, O God; I will render thank offerings
to you. For you have delivered my soul from death, and my feet from
falling, so that I may walk before God in the light of life." ~Psalm
56:12

Meditation for the day:

I can say thank you to God for everything, even the seeming trials and
worries. I can strive to be grateful and humble. My whole attitude
toward God can be one of gratitude. I can be glad for the things I
have received. I can pass on what God reveals to me. I believe that
more truths can flow in, as I go along in this new way of life.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may be grateful for the things I have received and do
not deserve. I pray that this gratitude will make me truly humble.

Peace of the New Year be yours forever! Today he worked but he didn't hurt - praise God and he actually got off early because of no business at Northern Tool!
That helped a lot as tomorrow night is the Office Party here and he needed to clean out the garage more, and had the time which was a great blessing. Another blessing is that Lori offered to help him with the party, and also her friend, Elicia, whose Dad, Nick, passed away recently. They call her Tish. Today I had such a good nap that I thought it was morning when I woke up at 3 PM, thinking the Smart Emerson Clock was dumb and stopped at 3AM, it was light out, so it had to be morning! Then after awhile I finally realized Linus was still working and it was in the afternoon! Boy, was I mixed up! Ever happen to you? Must be another sign of old age! Lori came over tonight with a lot of left overs from her party we can serve tomorrow night. How sweet of her! The party starts at 6 tomorrow night. So far, he counted about 28 coming.
In the years of doing this thread, posters called us positive pals and grateful gals, and now recently Thread Angels, all are nice and I like them! That's what we are!
I wish I could find the very first Daily Positive Thread - it's gone somewhere in cyperspace! Then again, I never thought it would continue on and on and on! That was God's doing, that's for sure. Oh it's had it's ups and downs, as a lot of you remember, but it's here to stay by the Grace of God!

Homily of the Day

January 1, 2011

You Already Have It!
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Is 60 :1-6 / Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Mt 2:1-12

More than a century ago, a great sailing ship was stranded off the coast of South America. Week after week the ship lay there in the still waters with not a hint of a breeze. The captain was desperate; the crew was dying of thirst. And then, on the far horizon, a steamship appeared, headed directly toward them. As it drew near, the captain called out, “We need water! Give us water!”

The steamship replied, “Lower your buckets where you are.”

The captain was furious at this cavalier response but called out again, “Please, give us water.”

But the steamer gave the same reply, “Lower your buckets where you are!” And with that they sailed away! The captain was beside himself with anger and despair, and he went below. But a little later when no one was looking, a yeoman lowered a bucket into the sea and then tasted what he brought up: It was perfectly sweet, fresh water! For you see, the ship was just out of sight of the mouth of the Amazon. And for all those weeks they’d been sitting right on top of all the fresh water they needed!

There is in all of us a restlessness that keeps us searching, moving, changing, looking far and wide for something — we’re not sure what — but something that can satisfy us and fill us full.

We search and search, for the latest look, the fastest new sports car, the perfect BEST FRIEND, the hottest new resort, the ultimate Cabernet. We find them — more or less — and before you know it we’re weary and listless again. A vague feeling of emptiness whispers, even as we find some new treasure, “Not enough, not enough.”

Eventually we ask: Will it ever end? Will we ever find the satisfaction and peace we seek, or will we die listless and world-weary as so many have before us?

As the three kings could tell us, it all depends on where we look. What we’re seeking isn’t to be found out there. We can’t buy it, lease it, invent it, or negotiate for it. We can’t beg, borrow, or steal it. We can’t move to a new place and find it. What we’re really seeking is already inside us, waiting to be discovered, waiting to be embraced: The Holy Spirit of God who has lived within us from the first second of our life. The Holy Spirit who is saying to us at this very moment, “Lower your buckets where you are. Taste and see!”

Only the Holy Spirit of God is large enough to fill us full, to calm our restlessness and bring us the peace and contentment we crave. Nothing less will do. So there’s nothing left to do but to whisper our prayer from deep in our heart: Come, Holy Spirit! Fill our hearts, and set us on fire! Amen.


Words of Encouragement

January 1, , 2011

The Eighth Day of Christmas
by Mark Shea

Isaiah 61:1-2

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.

The eight maids a-milking remind us of the eight beatitudes pronounced by Christ. And the fact that the day falls on New Year's Day reminds us of the newness of life that beatitude offers us. New Year's Day is a token of the coming age when not just the year but eternity will be offered us brand new and shiny. And unlike this life, we will not then have to watch as the whole thing rusts before our eyes and falls apart in the normal daily stream of gloom and doom from the world. When that Day comes, the beatitude described by Christ will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea and the things we have only glimpsed hitherto will be made permanent and universal. What will it look like? It will look like the Beatitudes Jesus described in the Sermon on the Mount. But where this world necessitates that the good person be patient in the face of cruelty, there will remain only the patient person, not the cruelty. Good will show finally and completely that it is not dependent on evil to exist, as evil is dependent on good. The captive will be liberated.


January 1, 2011

"Everything starts from prayer."
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

For Reflection:
What is noticeably different about this statement is that Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta says that everything starts from prayer, not everything starts with prayer. What is the significance of this? What does it say to me? What resolution am I willing to make at the beginning of this new year regarding my prayer life?


MY 10 RESOLUTIONS
Author Unknown

This coming year, I have decided that with God's help, I shall:-

Give up complaining . . . focus on gratitude.

Give up harsh judgments . . . think kind thoughts.

Give up worry . . . trust divine providence.

Give up discouragement . . . be full of hope.

Give up bitterness . . . turn to forgiveness.

Give up hatred . . . return good for evil.

Give up anger . . . practice patience.

Give up pettiness . . . put on maturity.

Give up gloom. . . enjoy the beauty that is around me.

Give up gossiping . . . control my tongue.

Diary Of A Bible

JANUARY:

A busy time for me.
Most of the family decided to read me through this year.
They kept me busy for the first two weeks, but they have forgotten me now.

FEBRUARY:

Cleanup time.
I was dusted yesterday and put in my place.
My owner did use me for a few minutes last week.
He had been in an argument and was looking up some references to prove he was right.

MARCH:

Had a busy day first of the month.
My owner was elected president of the PTA and used me to prepare a speech.

APRIL:

Grandpa visited us this month.
He kept me on his lap for an hour reading Cor 1:13.
He seems to think more of me than do some people in my own household.

MAY:

I have a few green stains on my pages.
Some spring flowers were pressed in my pages.

JUNE:

I look like a scrapbook.
They have stuffed me full of newspaper clippings - one of the girls got married.

JULY:

They put me in a suitcase today.
I guess we are off on vacation.
I wish I could stay home.
I know I'll be closed up in this thing for at least two weeks.

AUGUST:

Still in the suitcase.

SEPTEMBER:

Back home at last and in my old familiar place.
I have a lot of company.
Two women's magazines and four comic books are stacked on top of me.
I wish I could be read as much as they are.

OCTOBER:

They read me a little bit today.
One of them is very sick.
Right now I am sitting in the center of the coffee table.
I think the Pastor is coming by for a visit.

NOVEMBER:

Back in my old place.
Somebody asked today if I were a scrapbook.

DECEMBER:

The family is busy getting ready for the holidays.
I guess I'll be covered up under wrapping paper & packages again ...just as I am every Christmas.
Author Unknown

Closing prayer:

New Year Prayer

God grant us this year a wider view,
So we see others' faults through the eyes of You.
Teach us to judge not with hasty tongue,
Neither the adult ... nor the young.
Give us patience and grace to endure
And a stronger faith so we feel secure.
Instead of remembering, help us forget
The irritations that caused us to fret.
Freely forgiving for some offense
And finding each day a rich recompense.
In offering a friendly, helping hand
And trying in all ways to understand;
That all of us whoever we are ...
Are trying to reach an unreachable star.
For the great and small ... the good and bad,
The young and old ... the sad and glad
Are asking today; Is life worth living?
The answer is only in, loving and giving.
For only Love can make man kind
And Kindness of Heart brings Peace of Mind.
By giving love, we can start this year
To lift the clouds of hate and fear.
author- Helen Steiner Rice

Good night everyone - Hope you all had a nice first day of the New Year as we did. Are you making resolutions? I am and hope to keep them if possible.
But when and if I fail, I'll just start again, and not feel like I failed. May your Sunday be blessed in every way! May your Mass or Service bless you abundantly.
One of my thoughts was to get the thread out earlier - so I'll really try on that. Maybe about 9 PM, whenever possible.
Sweet Dreams to all and God Bless you!