Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Hello my friends! Today was great - weather was very nice - nice road trip to my sister, Deil's, and she cooked a very good meal as always, Roasted Chicken, delicious salad, scalloped potatoes and pumpkin pie for dessert! She also served some of her homemade jams - Rhubarb and blueberry - so yummy! I am so fortunate to have her for my sister, and she is so talented, she trimmed my hair too - said it comes natural for her! She does a great job! Linus helped her out with insurance papers and he mulched her leaves with her riding mower and got that done for her. Sammy was so happy to see her and she him. He didn't limp, he went up and down her steps like nothing's wrong, and he didn't cough all day except for once this morning. Could he be allergic to that glocumsame and chon? We're watching him. Maybe he doesn't need that med anymore - or maybe not every day. We'll see.

Does anyone still want to post your blessings here? That's what this thread started out to be at the beginning. As long as we get positive posts, that's great.

Reach out with compassion and a gentle spirit to all that you meet

because they, too, are carrying a heavy cross. Lord, may I remember

that all others have hardships, too, and may I be a source of encouragement

for them or at the very least not add to their troubles.

Scripture for the day:

"There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy

habitation of the Most High." Psalm 46:4

Meditation for the Day

We seem to live not only in time but also in eternity. If we abide

with God and God abides with us, we may bring forth spiritual fruit

which can last for eternity. If we live with God, our lives can flow

as some calm river through the dry land of earth. It can cause the

trees and flowers of the spiritual life--love and service--to spring

forth and yield abundantly. Spiritual work may be done for eternity,

not just for now. Even here on earth we can live as though our real

lives were eternal.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may try to make my life like cool river in a thirsty

land. I pray that I may give freely to all who ask my help.

A man went to a Jewish rabbi and complained, "Life is unbearable. There are

nine of us living in one room. What can I do?" The rabbi answered, "Take

the goat into the room with you."

The man did not believe what he was hearing ... take a stinking goat into

the house? But the rabbi insisted, "Do as I tell you and come back in a

week. "A week later the man came back half dead, saying, "We cannot stand

it any longer. That goat is filthy and smelly."

The rabbi then told him, "Now go home and let the goat out. And come back

in a week's time." A radiant man visited the rabbi a week later. "Life is

beautiful, rabbi. We enjoy every minute of it. No goat - and only the nine

of us."

Another rabbi put it this way: "The best way to feel real contentment is to

lose everything you have ... and then get it all back again."

«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»

* A LITTLE TALK WITH JESUS *

«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»

A little talk with Jesus

How it smooths the rugged road,

How it cheers and helps me onward

When I faint beneath my load.

When my heart is crushed with sorrow

And my eyes with tears are dim,

There is naught can yield me comfort

Like a little talk with Him.

Though my way is often dreary

And my walk is weak and slow,

A little talk with Jesus

Tells me all I need to know.

And He answers me so gently

In a soft and loving tone,

"I am with you always

You will never be alone.

He tells me that He loves me,

And paid the ransom for my soul,

Now He is my brother

His love has made me whole.

I cannot live without Him

His love is all I know,

A little talk with Jesus

Gives me all I need to grow.

Oh, I often feel impatient

And I mourn His long delay,

For I never can be settled

While He yet remains away.

So I wait a little longer

For His own appointed time,

And I glory in the knowledge

That such hope is ever mine.

In my Father's perfect dwelling

Where the many mansions be,

I will daily talk with Jesus

And He there will talk with me.

Author Unknown

"Come unto me, all ye that labour

And are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

{ Matthew 11:28 }

How to Overcome Discouragement!

By the late Father Kilian McGowan, C.P.

Used with permission, from the Passionist Priests,

Most of us at one time or another are tempted to discouragement. The

spiritual combat gets too tough and we'd like to call it quits. It seems so

hard to keep on trying-especially when we don't seem to be going anywhere.

Or when just about everything seems to be going against us.

It may help to know that the saints had the same struggle. At times they

had to grind out their acts of faith, hope and charity through clenched

teeth. Don't think they were swept along without effort. They waged an

uphill battle against discouragement, failure and despair. They became

saint not by never failing, but by refusing to give in to their falls.

At times the saints even experienced a repugnance for the things of God.

They didn't deny this condition, but rather faced up to it. Our Lord never

said to deny that a cross exists, or even to say that it didn't hurt. He

told us to "take it up." And to do it daily.

Maybe you feel spiritually "beat." Everything seems just too hard. You

don't feel like praying. You feel the need for God, but He seems beyond

hope and charity-and just about everything else! This can be a greater

mortification than some of the bodily austerities of the saints.

Be assured-you may be much closer to God than you think. It's not thinking

of God that is the most important. Nor the feeling that He is near. Or

even wanting to pray. It's just trying to pray. And wanting Him-even when

you think you've lost God. God permits this rough going, because we hang

onto Him more fiercely at a time like this.

Don't say to yourself: "It's no use. I just don't have what it takes." OF

course, you haven't! But none of us have. God is a merciful supplier who

will supply just what is needed when you need His help. Don't sit back and

hang your head in discouragement. Lift up your heart and approach Him

exposing your need like a begging child.

I think that the trouble often is not so much lack of courage as lack of

correct vision. We haven't lost our backbone-but we're just looking in the

wrong way. We are looking too much at ourselves and not enough at God. He

told us that "to those that love God ALL things work unto good." Not "some"

things or "most" things. He excluded absolutely nothing!

Really, what is there to be discouraged about? Past mistakes, no matter how

serious, are erased by the merciful forgiveness of God. Possible future

troubles haven't even arrived. Spiritual success, at least, is available.

Happiness can be yours for the asking-if you are willing to set your heart

on the right things.

Discouragement can be the sign that we have trusted too much in our own

abilities and not enough in God's. Or that we are taking ourselves too

seriously. Or perhaps overemphasizing our importance in the scheme of

things. Or it could be that we want things that aren't good for us and God

simply refuses to let us have them. If He shakes us up it's only because He

wants us to find Him more perfectly.

So, don't be discouraged over your failures-or anything else. Whatever the

cause of discouragement, lift up your eyes and your heart. Your eyes to

make you see that there's never an excuse for self pity, for one who is

loved by a God of love.

Your heart to make you realize that you shouldn't feel sorry for yourself as

long as you are an object of His tender concern. Our need is the perfect

invitation for God to take over in our lives. Let us not be afraid to ask

Him to do so!