Hello my friends! It was a good day - full of many blessings. Talked to Darla - she's sick today, thought it was a flu, plus migraines. We continue to pray daily with expectant faith for her healing and put our trust in God always. I pray she can live a normal life, without pain pills or sleeping pills. Yet, she carries on her job teaching at the University of Texas in Arlington and does a good job. It was such a blessing to me, and I'm sure to you too to see our past posters back! Haven't heard from Jody (Maltese Babies), Twinnie, or Carolina yet. They can come anytime to come and say "Hi" and how they are doing. Hope they are fine. Today seems like Sunday - I almost started the thread for Monday but caught myself. Linus works tomorrow for Black Friday - as all the staff does. He thought if it wasn't too busy he'll come home early. When he worked at Northern Tool, it was a nine hour day on Black Friday and all on the feet! It wore his feet out! Today we did some Christmas shopping on line for the girls on Amazon.com. Praying for all of you, for all your needs and healings. May God bless you!
There is no hurt that God cannot heal. Be with me, Lord, when I am in
trouble and don´t know where to go.
Scripture for the Day
"Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it?
Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." — Mark 9:50
Meditation for the Day
I believe that in the spiritual world, as in the material world, there is no
empty space. As fears and worries and resentments depart out of my life, the
things of the spirit can come in to take their places. Calm comes after a
storm. As soon as I am rid of fears and hates and selfishness, God's love
and peace and calm can come in.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may rid myself of all fears and resentments, so that peace and
serenity may take their place. I pray that I may sweep my life clean of
evil, so that good may come in.
Thankfulness Makes for Peace
How can we feel thankful when so much is wrong, so much is difficult, so
much is not the way we'd like it to be? In today's Gospel passage, we see
Jesus crying. We know this same sorrow. We have felt the pain of crying for
others, grieving over the harm that they are doing to themselves by
remaining in sin or addictions or bad decisions, mourning also because of
the harm that they are doing to us and to others. When we have felt this
way, we have felt HIS pain, Christ's own pain.
As he came within sight of Jerusalem while making his way down the Mount of
Olives, Jesus stopped to look across the narrow valley and gaze into the
soul of the city. He longed to give his peace to all those who lived there.
Don't you sometimes feel the same way toward some of the people you know?
United to Jesus, we can say: "If you only knew what makes for peace, but you
have completely lost it from view!" We see how darkness surrounds them and
how sin is infiltrating their walls. We're aware that if they had heeded our
warnings or followed our advice, they would not be doing so poorly.
Crying because you care about someone who's rejecting the saving power of
God is a great blessing to Jesus who cries with you.
But, what about the ways WE reject God help? How can we feel thankful when
it's us who have lost peace? Jesus has cried for you, too. Do you have any
turmoil or stress within you? Jesus yearns to give you his peace.
Whatever is disturbing us, if we expect it be resolved the way WE want it
fixed and as fast as WE demand it, we shall meet with disappointment and
failure and hopelessness. We can't see the good that God is doing while
we're focused on our miseries and our own so-called solutions to the
problems.
Stuck in our limited perspectives, we fail to recognize the time of Christ's
visitation. So we reject what he offers us and we fail to notice that he is
right here in front of us offering us a greater good than what we think we
need. We fail to recognize how he's trying to bless our lives. Stuck in our
frustrations, we reject what he offers, and thus we blunder deeper into the
disasters that we're desperately trying to avoid.
The way out of this mess is to remember that we don't know everything and we
really don't understand what's best for us. We don't know how God, in his
great love for us, is already turning our problems into blessings — and
that's okay!
The way out of the mess is to thank God for whatever he is doing, even if we
can't see it yet, trusting that of course his plans are good and that his
timing is perfect. Thankfulness is what makes for peace.
1 Maccabees 2:15-29
Ps 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15 (with 23b)
Luke 19:41-44
The Thanksgiving Prayer
"Our Father,
Help calm the distracting thoughts swirling around our minds so we can pray
peacefully. Remind us that words alone are not gratitude. We open our
hearts... as we remember that You know us infinitely better than we can ever
know ourselves. We are struck dumb, wordless, humbled, yet comforted by the
faith you placed in our souls at our baptism, the friendship of your saints,
the utterly reliable embrace of Mary, the protection of Joseph... yet we
have nothing to offer but our silence as we wait for your word. O Father,
what should we pray?
Our prayer of thanksgiving is one word, one way, one truth, one life, one
priest, one king, one man carrying us in His arms, bringing us into the very
depths of the Holy Trinity. Our word of thanksgiving is: Jesus.
Jesus, we whisper.
Jesus, we long for You.
Jesus, the tears well in our eyes.
Jesus. You are our prayer.
Thank you, Father.
Amen."
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
YOU ASK WHY I FOLLOW THIS JESUS?
You ask why I follow this Jesus?
Why I love Him the way I do?
When the world's turned away from His teachings
And the people who serve Him are few.
It's not the rewards I'm after
Or gifts that I hope to receive
It's the Presence that calls for commitment
It's the Spirit I trust and believe.
The Lord doesn't shelter His faithful
Or spare them all suffering and pain,
Like everyone else I have burdens,
And walk through my share of rain.
Yet He gives me a plan and a purpose,
And that joy only Christians have known,
I never know what comes tomorrow,
But I do know I'm never alone.
It's the love always there when you need it;
It's the words that redeem and inspire,
It's the longing to ever be with Him
That burns in my heart like a fire.
So you ask why I love my Lord Jesus?
Well, friend, that's so easy to see,
But the one thing that fills me with wonder is
Why Jesus loves someone like me.
-- Author Unknown
IF GOD SHOULD GO ON STRIKE
How is it that God above
Has never gone on strike
Because he was not treated fair
In things He didn't like.
If only once He'd given up,
And said, 'That's it, I'm through!
I've had enough of those on earth,
So this is what I'll do;
I'll give my orders to the sun -
'Cut off the heat supply!'
And to the moon - 'Give no more
Light, and run the ocean dry.'
Then just to make things really tough
And put the pressures on,
'Turn off the vital oxygen
Till every breath is gone!'
You know, He would be justified
If fairness was the game.
For no one has been abused
Or met with more disdain
Than God, any yet He carries on
Supplying you and me
With all the favors of His grace
And everything for free.
Men say they want a better deal
And so on strike they go.
But what a deal we've given
To God to whom all things we owe.
We don't care whom we hurt
To gain the things we like.
But what a mess we'd all be in
If God should go on strike!!
Hope Is
It's magic and it's free
it's not in a prescription
it's not in an IV.
It punctuates out laughter,
it sparkles in our tears,
it simmers under sorrows,
and dissipates our fears.
Do you know what hope is?
It's reaching past today,
it's dreaming of tomorrow,
it's trying a new way.
It's pushing past impossible
it's pounding on the door,
it's questioning the answers,
it's always seeking more.
It's rumors of a breakthrough,
it's whispers of a cure,
a roller coaster ride
of remedies, unsure.
Do you know what hope is?
It's candy for the soul,
it's perfume for the spirit,
to share it, makes you whole.
Author Unknown
God's Other Blessings
- by Deborah Simmons
When we gather 'round the table--on the Thanksgiving Day, As you share a
meal with loved ones, and bow your head to pray...Thanking God for all His
blessings, for the bounty He bestows, For His wisdom and His kindness, and
for sharing all He knows...As you praise His loving guidance and take stock
of all His gifts, Take time to look beyond wealth--And allow your thoughts
to drift.
Don't overlook your struggles, or forget your daily strife, Don't thank God
for just the good times in this frantic earthly life. Take note of all the
worries that you've faced along the way, Recall your tribulations and your
stress from day to day... Remember all the cares and woes you've conquered
in the past, Reflect upon the tears you've shed and troubles you've amassed.
For all those woes and worries--why, they're merely stepping stones, And
troubles--they're just bricks along the path to Heaven's home... The tears
we've shed are Life's sweet rain; its flowers spring from strife. And trials
and tribulations are the mortar in this Life. The stress and strain upon our
souls unite to make us strong, Cares and struggles light the way--when our
road is dark and long.
So thank Him for His bounty, for our families and our friends, And for
granting us forgiveness--when we must make amends... But recall God's other
blessings--for their merit's oft untold, Praise God for loving you
enough--to help you build the road... For giving you the tools you'll
need--mortar, bricks and stones, For the path that leads to Heaven and the
stairway to His home.
Today I Give Thanks
The one sturdy rose bloom left alone
In a garden where scarlet leaves have blown.
The crisp freshness of the morning air;
The bright gold of mums so fair.
The warm fireside that glows
As outside the North wind blows.
The aroma of turkey, yams, and cakes;
The spicy pumpkin pie that bakes.
The love of family, friends so dear,
The laughter of my children near.
The church's steeple rising high,
The songs we sing, the prayers we sigh.
For all the little things in life,
The Love that overcomes all strife,
These are the things for which I say,
"I thank You," to my Lord today.
Mother Teresa Said...
Through prayer I become one in love with Christ. I realize that praying to
Him is loving Him.
For me, prayer means being united to the will of God twenty four hours a
day, to live for Him, through Him, and with Him.
Meditations by Padre Pio
We must become accustomed to the sufferings which Jesus will be pleased to
send us. Jesus, who cannot bear to keep you in a state of affliction at
length, will come to help and comfort you, by instilling new courage in your
spirit.
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