Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Hello my friends! Hope you all had a good and Holy Easter today – it was for us, after Mass Lori came, we had our dinner together (mid-day one) with ham, twice baked potatoes which she made, I made sure the potatoes got in the oven right after home from Church. Linus and Lori started a new batch of wine after we ate, this one is triple berry. He bought a wine making book with recipes so he’s following that to a tea. Found out through the book that the wine is better if not used until it’s bottled at least a year! Yes, wine is good aged, we have a couple bottles left from a different batch we’ll save. Next week or so we can bottle the grape wine. Nice hobby for Linus. Lori enjoys this too, the learning to make things right. Makes good gifts. We gave my sister, Deil, our cranberry apple that we bottled, and she loved it!!! Fun making all different kinds and finding out what tastes the best. Praying for you all, and if you want special prayers, just ask. Thanks for all your responses on the last thread. Loved seeing new posters here!!! Keep coming!!! All are welcome!

If we look to God for guidance, we will not be weighed down by the
circumstances of our life. Lord, free me from the worries that come
to distract me and keep me focused on that which is important.

Scripture for the day:

"One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one
another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, 'Which
commandment is the first of all?' Jesus answered, 'The first is,
'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the
Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and
with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than
these." ~Mark 12:28-31

Meditation for the day:

To truly desire to do God's will , therein lies happiness for us. We
can start out wanting our own way. We want our wills to be satisfied.
We can take and not give. Gradually, we can find that we are not
happy when we are selfish, so we begin to make allowances for other
peoples' wills. But this again dos not give us full happiness, and we
begin to see that the only way to be truly happy is to try to do God's
will. In these times of meditation, we can seek to get guidance so
that we can find God's will for us.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may subordinate my will to the will of God. I pray that
I may be guided today to find God's will for me.

Pat’s Scripture Reflection

Today's readings 4/5/15
Acts 10:34, 37-43; Ps.118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Col.3:1-4; Jn.20:1-9

Today the church throughout the world proclaims in unison "He is Risen, He is Truly Risen" with complete confidence because like St.Peter we eat and drink with Him every time we share in the Lord's Supper. This unique bond of fellowship is what makes us "witnesses chosen by God in advance...to preach to the people" the Power the Cross and Empty Tomb offer to those who believe, and we do so with confidence simply because we've experienced that Power on a personal level. Most days I rise "while it is still dark" the way Mary Magdalene did in today's Gospel, but on Easter Sunday I try to make it a point to go out on my front porch and see the sunrise, embracing in my heart the Power God holds over all of creation. It helps to remind me that "The Light came into the world...and shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (Jn.1:1-5), especially the darkness of death. The truth is no "tomb hewn out of rock" where Joseph of Arimathea laid the Body of Jesus (Mt.27:59-60) could ever hold the Light of the World for long, nothing made by human hands ever will, but there is one tomb that Jesus will never leave, a human heart that has "entombed" Him in faith, and as I watched the sun rise over the horizon this morning my heart reminded me of that. Yes, He is Risen, He is Truly Risen, but those of you who have given your heart to Him don't need me or anyone else to remind you of that, do you?!

Happy Easter!

God bless you,
In Jesus - Pat

Understanding the Merciful Heart of Jesus

Try to keep in mind this Easter and on the Feast of Mercy the beautiful words of Jesus on the Cross, "Forgive them Father for they do not know what they do" and you will understand the merciful heart of Jesus who even in the depths of His agony asked His Father for Mercy for those who crucified Him.

Morning Motivation

When I woke up this morning lying in bed,
I was asking myself,
What are some of the secrets of success in life?
I found the answer right there,
in my very room.

The Fan said... Be cool
The Roof said... Aim high
The Window said... See the world
The Clock said... Every minute is precious
The Mirror said... Reflect before you act
The Calendar said... Be up-to-date
The Door said... Push hard for your goals

And not to forget,
The Carpet said... Kneel down and pray.

HAVE A PURPOSEFUL DAY IN THE LORD!

'God Blesses Us To Be A Blessing Unto Others'
Jeremiah 29:11 "for I know the plans I have for YOU, declares the LORD…’

Dear Person of God

Be still for a while and praise God for His favor, His grace and His Awesomeness.
God is able to do the impossible and is always near.
He loves us unconditionally.

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." (Mark 11:22-25)

The Fine Print

There it was, at the very bottom of the document, in noticeably smaller size print. The disclaimer. Have you ever noticed these sections at the end of a contract or agreement?

There’s an old saying, “Read the fine print before signing on the dotted line.” That little part stuck on at the end might sometimes be called ‘the catch’. When things seem too good to be true, they usually are. We ask, “What’s the trick?”

There is an amazing promise in the bible that might sound too good to be true. About a week before Jesus was killed and came back to life, He was talking with His close friends. He said if you believe, you can have anything you ask for in prayer (Mark 11:24).

Could it be that easy? Practically in the same breath, Jesus continues, essentially saying that we have to forgive anyone we hold a grudge against first. Could even be ourselves.

The fine print of forgiveness. It’s a decision, not a feeling, a key to unlocking and releasing God’s promises.

Easter tells us that life is to be interpreted
not simply in terms of things but in terms of ideals.
~Charles M. Crowe

Earth's saddest day and gladdest
day were just three days apart!
~Susan Coolidge

Easter is the demonstration of God that
life is essentially spiritual and timeless
~Charles M. Crowe

Let the resurrection joy lift us from
loneliness and weakness and despair to
strength and beauty and happiness
Floyd W. Tomkins

The joyful news that He is risen does not change
the contemporary world. Still before us lie work,
discipline, sacrifice. But the fact of Easter gives
us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the
discipline, and make the sacrifice.
Henry Knox Sherrill

And he departed from our sight that we might
return to our heart, and there find Him. For
He departed, and behold, He is here.
St. Augustine

He takes men out of time and makes them feel eternity.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

April 5

Let Me fill you with my Love, Joy, and Peace. These are Glory-gifts, flowing from my living Presence. Though you are an earthen vessel, I designed you to be filled with heavenly contents. Your weakness is not a deterrent to being filled with My Spirit; on the contrary, it provides an opportunity for My Power to shine forth more brightly. As you go through this day, trust Me to provide the strength that you need moment by moment. Don’t waste energy wondering whether you are adequate for today’s journey. My Spirit within you is more than sufficient to handle whatever this day may bring. That is the basis for your confidence! In quietness (spending time alone with Me) and confident trust (relying on My sufficiency) is your strength.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
—2 Corinthians 4:7 nasb

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”
—Isaiah 30:15 – Jesus Calling

[lovestopaint]

That wine is sounding better and better.

Hope everyone had a very happy Easter.

Blessings to all.

Harlene(lovestopaint)

[pinky ann]

Hi Everyone! We had a wonderful Easter lunch with our family, after attending mass in the morning. I hope everyone posting or reading had a beautiful holiday as well. Errands to do this morning, and I'm ready to leave shortly. Have a great day! pinky

[gloriajean]

Harlene - Blessings - wish I could share some wine with you!

Pinky - Have a good day with errands, they are always necessary - glad you had a wonderful Easter with family. I think your weather is better than ours, freezing rain here.

Julie - that sounds very exhausting! Now you did it! Hope you're not too sore for doing it. Wow! Hope you had a good Easter Sunday.

[Puzzle Piece]

Hello To All!

I know that many of you had an enjoyable weekend. Yesterday my husband and I went out to dinner at an old standby and enjoyed a nicely prepared meal. We saw many happy and smiling people and that is a blessing to me. It's good to know we live in a country where folks can afford to dine out with their friends and family to enjoy a good meal. I am a non-observer but I daily give my own thanks.

Take care, know you are loved. Be at peace.

[gloriajean]

Hello Love Roses! So nice for you and your husband to have a nicely prepared meal out. It is truly a blessing to see happy and smiling people. You are loved, too.