Hello my friends! Friday is here! And so is Valentine's Day! Happy Valentine's day to you all! May you get lots of love and chocolates! Chocolate actually sounds very good! Today's blessings - DH got taxes done and we get a little bit back! Haven't heard anything yet from Darla. Maybe will call her tonight. I text her but no answer yet. Another blessing, Sammy doesn't seem to have that arthritis anymore - I can put my hands under his arms and he doesn't seem uncomfortable anymore, sometimes he'd squeak, now he doesn't, and he doesn't limp, and he's on no meds at all for months. It's a year now since he was diagnosed as having arthritis in his left elbow. We've been praying for his healing too. August he'll be 10. Another blessing, both Linus and I are fine now and waiting for Spring!
God will give you strength because He will give of Himself.
Lord, thank You for the many gifts of which You always bless me.
Scripture for the day:
"Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all
may see your progress. Pay close attention to yourself and to your
teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save
both yourself and your hearers." ~1 Timothy 4:15-16
Meditation for the day:
Our true measure of success in life is the measure of spiritual
progress that we have revealed in our lives. Others should be able to
see a demonstration of God's will in our lives. The measure of God's
will that those around us have seen worked out in our daily living is
the measure of our true success. We can do our best to be a
demonstration each day of the power of God in human lives, and example
of the working out of the grace of God in our hearts.
Prayer for the day:
I pray that I may so live that others will see in me something of the
working out of the will of God. I pray that my life may be a
demonstration of what the grace of God can do.
Mother Teresa Said...
"My vows bind me to my Sister
because she is much poorer than the poor outside.
If I am not kind and do not smile to the poor outside,
someone else will.
But for my Sister there is no one else."
Trust in the good God who loves us, who cares for us,
who sees all, knows all, can do all things
for my good and the good of souls.
One thing Jesus asks of me: that I lean upon Him;
that in Him alone I put complete trust;
that I surrender myself to Him unreservedly.
"What am I binding myself to?
What am I giving my vow to God about? --
I bind myself to God with undivided love.
I tell Almighty God, I can love all,
but the only one I will love in particular
is you, only you."
Am I convinced of Christ's love for me and mine for Him?
This conviction is like sunlight which makes
the sap of life rise and the buds of sanctity bloom.
This conviction is the rock on which sanctity is built.
"Free means : Joyful and with eagerness, fearlessly
and openly, giving freely what we have
freely received, without accepting any return
in cash or kind reward or gratitude."
FRIENDSHIP IS A BLESSING
Friendship is a blessing
it's the best you have to share,
The talents and the wisdom,
the capacity to care...
It's being there to lend support,
whatever needs arise,
It's making sure that others know
they're special in your eyes...
Friendship is a blessing,
and, to all who have a friend,
It's one of the most precious gifts
that life could ever send.
~~Author Unknown~~
Hopefully none of us are feeling low, but here's a prayer if you are:
A Prayer when feeling low
Loving Lord Jesus,
whose hands are underneath our lowest feelings
to support us as we rest in you.
Hold me in this dark place
and sustain my life with your hope.
Let the light of your love warm my heart,
and your Holy Spirit, the comforter,
be with me to lift me up.
Amen.
Dear Lord,
Our relationship with you is usually like this:
Just another day for me - plenty of things to do
Go to work, come home late, nothing really new
Sat in bed put my head to rest grabbed my mobile phone
About to call my girlfriend now to tell her I loved her so
But before I had the chance to phone I received an incoming call
I had to look twice at the Caller ID to see if I was sure
It was a friend of mine his name was John an odd call at this time
We haven´t spoken for years, busy I guess, we're all guilty of this crime
What does he want? I thought to myself, a favor he must need
So I answered the phone and said hello, the rest I'll let you read
Minutes went by, no favor so far, maybe I could be wrong
But there it was - the favor he needs - I knew it all along
That’s the reason why he called me today - I guess we all do the same
It´s only when we need something that we look to find their name
That’s the relationship we have with God - sad but it is true
We have to change the way we think - a message for me and you.
THE WAY TO GOD
If my days were untroubled
and my heart always light
Would I seek the fair land
where there is no night;
If I never grew weary
with the weight of my load
Would I search for God's Peace
at the end of the road;
If I never knew sickness
and never felt pain
Would I reach for a hand
to help and sustain;
If I walked not with sorrow
and lived without loss
Would my soul seek solace
at the foot of the cross;
If all I desired was mine
day by day
Would I kneel before God
and earnestly pray;
If God sent no "Winter"
to freeze me with fear
Would I yearn for the warmth
of "Spring" every year;
I ask myself this
and the answer is plain--
If my life were all pleasure
and I never knew pain
I'd seek God less often
and need Him much less,
For God's sought more often
in times of distress,
And no one knows God
or sees Him as plain
As those who have met Him
on the "Pathway of Pain."
By Helen Steiner Rice
St. Valentine's Story
Let me introduce myself. My name is Valentine. I lived in Rome during the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time, Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius. I didn't like Emperor Claudius, and I wasn't the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings.
Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many men signed up. This made Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous! I certainly wasn't going to support that law!
Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favourite activities was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies -- secretly, of course. It was really quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.
One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was death.
I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened. Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.
One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine."
I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can't be beaten!
- - -
In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.
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