Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Hello my friends! What a blessing day this is! Nice, sunshine - not too hot, just right, and seeing a white dove in our lawn! It was with a darker one, both doves, what beauty! My cardinal is back and I saw Mrs. Cardinal today too! I bet they are feeding their young now from the seeds. Wish I could see the nest! My DH has been busy most of the day with painting Lori's decks and Arbor while she's working. Tomorrow he should be finished there. Her neighbor came over to help too. Got my hair cut today- it needed it! Lots of blessings for one day!!! Do you have any to share?

Even the most difficult of trials is God's way of preparing us for something

else. Lord, may I view my challenges as an opportunity to grow rather than

as an opportunity to fail.

Scripture for the day:

"Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is

from God or whether I am speaking on my own. Those who speak on their own

seek their own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is

true, and there is nothing false in him."

~John 7:17-18

Meditation for the day:

The rule of God's kingdom is perfect order, perfect harmony, perfect supply,

perfect love, perfect honesty, perfect obedience. There is no discord in

God's kingdom, only some things still unconquered in God's children. The

difficulties of life can be caused by disharmony in the individual person.

We sometimes lack power because we lack harmony with God and with one

another. We sometimes think that God fails because power is not manifested our lives. God does not fail. We sometimes fail because we are out of harmony with God.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may be in harmony with God and with other people. I pray that

this harmony will result in strength and success.

The Lord's Prayer

Leader: When we feel that we are not succeeding and begin to doubt our sense of worth, Lord, teach us to pray:

All: Our Father, who art in Heaven

Leader: When we become too closely involved in our own affairs, Lord, teach us to pray:

All: Hallowed be thy name

Leader: When we think of the future as fixed and impossible to change, Lord, teach us to pray:

All: Thy Kingdom come

Leader: When we begin to dodge our commitments and evade our obligations, Lord, teach us to pray:

All: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Leader: When we are smug, comfortable and satisfied and forget the needs of others, Lord, teach us to pray:

All: Give us this day our daily bread

Leader: When we hold grudges and allow bitterness and resentment into our hearts, Lord, teach us to pray:

All: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us

Leader: When we find it hard to say 'No' and the pressure to give in mounts, Lord, teach us to pray:

All: Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil

Leader: When we become self-centred and seek only our own gratification, Lord, teach us to pray:

All: The Kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, for ever and ever.

Amen.

God's Road Map

I opened my map that God had left

Realized that I had missed my turn

Searched for the error I made

And God's voice I heard

He said rely on me my child and I'll direct your path

For the mistake you made was neither right nor left

I quizzed the words he said and turned the page

There I saw another lost and afraid

We both turned the next page and a note was left

God said, Do not fear for I haven't left

His words were comforting and true

But left me to ask, Did I leave you?

In His words I heard a smile

And He said you've gone the last mile

I looked at the map realizing my fate

The directions simple from state to state

Take my hand He said again

Without a second thought we placed our Faith in Him

Realizing the power we felt

We knelt to give Him Praise

And the final direction He gave

He said soft and sweet

You are done and have found the place

Where I have promised silver and gold

Reign with me and rest at home

For the Map you've used hast made thee whole

Continue to tell the journey you made

And the words you've heard

For the map you've used is simply God's Word!

Don't start reading this one until you've got more than 3 or 4 minutes. It deserves some time for reflection..

GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED

I envy Kevin. My brother, Kevin, thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.

He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed...'

I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.

He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.

He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?

Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.

The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.

He does not seem dissatisfied.

He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.

He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.

And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go! ' Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.

His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips..

He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.

His life is simple.

He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.

He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.

He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure.

He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.

Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.

Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child.. Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.

It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.

It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.

Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.

And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.

Kevin won't be surprised at all!

When you receive this, say a prayer. That's all you have to do. There is nothing attached.

Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost, but a lot of rewards.

Leaving The City of Regret

I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of year, and yet I found myself packing rather hurriedly. This trip was going to be unpleasant and I knew in advance that no real good would come of it. I'm talking about my annual "Guilt Trip."

I got tickets to fly there on Wish I Had airlines. It was an extremely short flight. I got my baggage, which I could not check. I chose to carry it myself all the way. It was weighted down with a thousand memories of what might have been. No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the Regret City International Airport. I say international because people from all over the world come to this dismal town.

As I checked into the Last Resort Hotel, I noticed that they would be hosting the year's most important event, the Annual Pity Party. I wasn't going to miss that great social occasion. Many of the towns leading citizens would be there.

First, there would be the Done family, you know, Should Have, Would Have and Could Have. Then came the I Had family. You probably know ol' Wish and his clan. Of course, the Opportunities would be present, Missed and Lost. The biggest family would be the Yesterdays. There are far too many of them to count, but each one would have a very sad story to share.

Then Shattered Dreams would surely make and appearance. And It's Their Fault would regale us with stories (excuses) about how things had failed in his life, and each story would be loudly applauded by Don't Blame Me and I Couldn't Help It.

Well, to make a long story short, I went to this depressing party knowing that there would be no real benefit in doing so. And, as usual, I became very depressed. But as I thought about all of the stories of failures brought back from the past, it occurred to me that all of this trip and subsequent "pity party" could be cancelled by ME! I started to truly realize that I did not have to be there. I didn't have to be depressed. One thing kept going through my mind, I CAN'T CHANGE YESTERDAY, BUT I DO HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE TODAY A WONDERFUL DAY. I can be happy, joyous, fulfilled, encouraged, as well as encouraging. Knowing this, I left the City of Regret immediately and left no forwarding address. Am I sorry for mistakes I've made in the past? YES! But there is no physical way to undo them.

So, if you're planning a trip back to the City of Regret, please cancel all your reservations now. Instead, take a trip to a place called, Starting Again. I liked it so much that I have now taken up permanent residence there. My neighbors, the I Forgive Myselfs and the New Starts are so very helpful. By the way, you don't have to carry around heavy baggage, because the load is lifted from your shoulders upon arrival. God bless you in finding this great town. If you can find it -- it's in your own heart -- please look me up. I live on I Can Do It street.