Community Chat

[gloriajean]

God values us so much that He gave us all that He has; His son Jesus. Show
that you value Him, too, by putting Him first in all aspects of your life.
Lord, when I put You first in my life, order and peace follow.

Scripture for the Day
"Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; O LORD, heal me, for my
bones are shaking with terror. My soul also is struck with terror, while
you, O LORD — how long? Turn, O LORD, save my life; deliver me for the sake
of your steadfast love." — Psalm 6:2-4

Meditation for the Day
I believe that all sacrifice and all suffering is of value to me. When I am
in pain, I am often tested. Can I trust in God, no matter how I feel? Can I
say, "Your will be done," no matter how much I am defeated? If I can do
these things, my faith is real and practical. It can work in bad times as
well as in good times. God's will can work in a way that is beyond my finite
mind to understand, but I can still trust in it.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may take my suffering in my stride. I pray that I may accept
pain and defeat as they come, and grow spiritually as I receive God's
strength to make it through.

Hello my friends! How was your day? Hope it went well, mine was just
ordinary - nothing special, but ordinary is always good. I talked to Linda
today, told her you are praying for her. And Linda in MN - how are you? Are
you still reading here? Hope you come and post again and let us all know
how you are. All of you who used to be with us, you are so missed! I'm glad
our lives touched though, even for a brief time. I pray for all who are on
the thread and all who read the thread and all who are past members - for
all your intentions. God knows your heart and what you need. Tomorrow will
be a busy day - We invited our young priest, Fr. Matt, over for supper for a
fish fry - so I'll be digging out some potatoes to cook, and get the house
cleaned, and hopefully, if time permits, make bread. That would go well
with the fish fry. Pray for me for strength!!

Homily of the Day


September 22, 2011


Let God Show You How to Live It
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Hg 1:1-8 / Lk 9:7-9

There’s a poignancy to the Lord’s words in today’s Old Testament reading:
“You have sown much, but brought in little; you have eaten, but have not
been satisfied; you have drunk, but have not been exhilarated; have clothed
yourselves but not been warmed; and he who earned wages earned them for a
bag with holes in it.” How much of that rings true with our own experience
too much of the time.

So much effort yielding so little. We have to ask why this happens. Is it,
perhaps, because of some blindness on our part that leads us to invest our
efforts in barren fields that can never yield the returns we desire? Is it
because we hope to find joy, satisfaction and fulfillment where they can’t
be found? Yes. How many times do we have to look inside an empty room before
we finally conclude that there’s nothing there? Quite a few times, it seems.
Do we need a new investment counselor who can advise us better on how to
invest our life? Probably so.

Most of us are not leading evil lives. But most of us are, to some degree,
investing our lives and our hearts unwisely. Quite often we have the words
right and the insights are there, but the deeds don’t follow, at least not
with any consistency.

What are we really longing for? Communion: to be a family with God and his
people. And how do we become family? By loving and not counting the cost.
You see, we know the answer, we’ve known it all along.

Now we have to let the Lord show us, step by step, how to live it. He’s
ready. Are you?


BLESSINGS WE MAY NOT RECOGNIZE
Author Unknown


1. If you own a Bible, you are abundantly blessed - about 1/3 of the
world does not have access to one.


2. If you wake up each morning with more health than illness, you are
blessed to rise and shine, to live and to serve in a new day.


3. If you have anyone on the planet, just one person that loves you
and listens to you; count this as a blessing.


4. If you can freely attend a church meeting without fear, then you
are more blessed than over 1/3 of the world.


5. If you have a yearning in your heart to parent a child, you are
blessed because you still desire what you cannot see.


6. If you pray today or any day, you are blessed because you believe
in God's willingness to hear your prayer.


7. If you pray for someone else, you are blessed because you want to
help others also.


8. If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof
over your head, and a place to sleep; all at the same time; you are
rich in this world;


9. If you have a brother or sister in Christ that will pray with you
and for you, you benefit from a spiritual unity, bond, and agreement,
which the gates of h ell cannot stand against.


10. If you have any earthly family that even halfway loves you and
supports you, you are blessed beyond measure.


11. If you attend a church with a church family that offers you one
word of encouragement, you are blessed with some form of fellowship.


12. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, or some spare
change in a dish someplace you are among the world's wealthy.


13. If you can go to bed each night, knowing that God loves you, you
are blessed beyond measure.


14. If you try each day to imitate our Lord Jesus Christ for even a
minute, you are blessed because you show a willingness to grow up in
Him.


15. If you can read this message, you are more blessed than about 1/3
of the world who cannot read at all.


16. If you have never had to endure the hardship and agony battle,
imprisonment, or torture, you are blessed in indescribable measure.


17. If you have a voice to sing His praises, a voice to witness God's
love, and a voice to share the gospel, you are blessed. About 1/3 of
the world do not even know who the one true God is.


18. If you can hold someone's hand, hug another person, touch someone
on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God's healing
touch.


19. If you can share a word of encouragement with someone else, and do
it with His love in your heart, you are blessed because you have
learned how to give.


20. If you have the conviction to stand fast upon His Word and His
promises, no matter what, you are blessed because you are learning
patience, endurance, and tenacity.


21. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly
thankful, you are blessed because most people can, but many will not.


May God Bless You And Keep You Safe

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.

The Carpenter’s Tools

Brother Hammer served as the chairman. The other members of the tool belt
informed him that he must leave, because he was too noisy. But brother
Hammer said, “If I have to leave this carpenter’s shop, then brother Gimlet
must go too. He’s insignificant and makes a very small impression.” (A
gimlet is a small tool with a s crew point, grooved shank, and a cross handle
for boring holes).

Little brother Gimlet arose and said, “All right, but brother S crewdriver
must go also. You have to turn him around and around to get anywhere with
him.”

Brother S crewdriver turned to the other tools in the belt and said, “If you
wish, I will go, but brother Plane must leave too. All of his work is on the
surface; there’s no depth to what he does.”

To this brother Plane leveled his terse reply, “Well, then, brother Saw will
have to depart too. The changes he proposes always cut too deep.”

Brother Saw complained, saying, “Brother Ruler will have to withdraw if I
leave, for he’s always measuring other folks as though he were the only one
who is right.”

Brother Ruler then surveyed the group and said, “Brother Sandpaper doesn’t
belong here either. He’s rougher than he ought to be, and is always rubbing
people the wrong way.”

In the midst of the discussion, the Carpenter of Nazareth walked in. He had
come to perform His day’s work. He put on His tool belt and went to the
workbench to make a pulpit. He employed the ruler, the saw, the plane, the
hammer, the gimlet, the s crewdriver, the sandpaper, and all the other tools.
When the day’s work was over, the pulpit was finished, and the carpenter
went home. All the accusations against each of these tools were absolutely
true, yet the carpenter used every one of them. No matter which tool He use,
no other tool could have done the work better.

You and I are God’s “tools”. While we have our flaws, each of us has a
purpose, ability, and a task to perform. Won’t you let God use you today?

Pass this inspiration on…

- Author Unknown

Every Need

God wants nothing from us except our needs, and
these furnish Him with room to display His bounty
when He supplies them freely....Not what I have,
but what I do not have, is the first point of contact
between my soul and God.

Jesus Christ has bought every need, every joy, every
gratitude, every hope of ours before God. He
accompanies us and brings us into the presence of
God. Just as there comes a warm sunbeam into every
cottage window, so comes a love....born of God's
care for every separate need.

Lord, Help Me...


Help me, I pray
To get through this day.
I don't even ask
To have things my way,
Your will is okay.

Things done in your way
Are best suited to stay
In the Master Plan,
Help me to help
In any way that I can

Don't let me be
Part of the problems I see,
But let me rather be
A light unto Thee.

Amen.

A Prayer to Padre Pio (His Feast is Sept. 23rd)
Beloved Padre Pio, today I come to add my prayer to the thousands of prayers
offered to you every day by those who love and venerate you. They ask for
cures and healings, earthly and spiritual blessings, and peace for body and
mind. And because of your friendship with the Lord, he heals those you ask
to be healed, and forgives those you forgive.

Through your visible wounds of the Cross, which you bore for 50 years, you
were chosen in our time to glorify the crucified Jesus. Because the Cross
has been replaced by other symbols, please help us to bring it back in our
midst, for we acknowledge it is the only true sign of salvation.

As we lovingly recall the wounds that pierced your hands, feet and side, we
not only remember the blood you shed in pain, but your smile, and the
invisible halo of sweet smelling flowers that surrounded your presence, the
perfume of sanctity.

Padre Pio, may the healings of the sick become the testimony that the Lord
has invited you to join the holy company of Saints. In your kindness, please
help me with my own special request: (mention here your petition, and make
the sign of the Cross).

Bless me and my loved ones. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. Amen.

And this one written by Mel, my PA friend:

" REACTION to DISTRACTION "
Why is it when we are drawn into prayer
Distraction and noise can be found there?
Our minds easily wander from our good intention;
Refocusing upon Jesus is a necessary prevention.

Distraction undisciplined carries a price;
A soul's more valuable than a toss of the dice.

Wisdom can be found in the Bibles we read
The Word of God within we'd do well to heed.
Open up often to Proverbs and Psalms
The wisdom inside soothes and calms
Far better than sensual balms.

We can pray in a quiet room or a sandy beach
Listening to the Holy Spirit gently teach,
Urging us to do all that is right and good
Loving others and ourselves as Jesus would.

There seems to be much ado about nothing,
When what we ought to do is do something
That raises minds, hearts, and souls
To much higher and loftier goals.

Folding our hands or kneeling in prayer
Deep in our hearts our souls we bare,
If we come to the Father with true contrition
Confessing sins of omission and commission,
We are forgiven and must make amends
To those we've hurt in the flock He tends.

There is one Shepherd and one flock
Some day soon the gate He'll lock.
Not one more to enter, nary a one;
When the mighty trumpet blast is done
The flock of sheep will follow the Son.

Let us not be caught off guard
Nor from heaven eternally barred.
Get right with God before it's too late
Do it now; don't procrastinate.

Ready the soul with reverent care,
Stifle distraction by heartfelt prayer.
Focus upon the things of God often
Pray a hardened heart may soften.
Be a disciple and evangelize
We can do it, let's visualize
And realize
It's all about Jesus
Who loves to please us;
THANKS and PRAISE
be to
CHRIST JESUS !

© Mel Patterson, 8-13-07

Good night all - Sweet Dreams and may your day Friday be filled with all
kinds of blessings! God bless you all!