Hello my friends! All the children tomorrow in our State won't have school because of the cold weather - like about 25 below zero and maybe more and some wind chill. There is a funeral in our Church tomorrow noon - we know him, we maybe will go, it's only a mile from here. Tomorrow very early our priest, Father Mark, is leaving for 10 days to spend in Guatemala and some parishioners are going along with him to experience helping those people there. He asks for prayers for their safety, and on Tuesday two of our friends are leaving on a tour to the Holy Land - Wow! Praying for their safety too! They will get away from this extreme cold for awhile, as they will be gone 13 days. Last night Lori mentioned to us that she and Darla are planning to celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary next summer, that was a surprise to us - they plan on doing a bunch of cooking etc. and renting a VFW. Now to find a date! They will start with a 10:30 Mass here at our Church with the priest giving us a special blessing. I'd want Father Jerry to do it and concelebrate the Mass with Father Mark,too. Nice to look forward to. God is a God of surprises!!! We never expected this at all!
God gives abundantly to those who pass His gifts on to others. Lord, let
Your blessings flow in to me and then out from me. I will neither be selfish
nor let my gifts stagnate.
S C R I P T U R E F O R T H E D A Y
"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the
things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set
their minds on the things of the Spirit." ~Romans 8:5
M E D I T A T I O N F O R T H E D A Y
God can draw us all closer to God in the bonds of the spirit. God
would have all people drawn closer to each other in the bonds of the
spirit. God, the great spirit of the universe, of which each of our
spirits is a part, wants unity with God and all God's children.
"Unity of the spirit in the bonds of peace." Each experience of our
life, of joy, of sorrow, of danger, of safety, of difficulty, of
success, of hardship, of ease, each can be accepted as part of our
common lot, n the bonds of the spirit.
P R A Y E R F O R T H E D A Y
I pray that I may welcome the bonds of true fellowship. I pray that I
may be brought closer to unity with God and other people.
Prayer for the New Year:
Dear Lord,
We pray that this new year will bring us closer to You.
May we take the time to get to know You.
Help us to truly celebrate the gifts You have graciously given us
and use them to serve You and spread Your word,
May we also see and love you in all the people we meet,
so that in turn, they can see You in us.
We know that all human relations take time if they are to grow and deepen.
This is also true of our relations with You, the Father and the Holy Spirit,
which must grow over the course of our lives. In this new year, let us
realise that every action of ours no matter how great or small enables us to
be in touch with You.
Let us accept You in our lives, in the way it pleases You,
as Truth, to be spoken,
as Life, to be lived,
as Light, to be lighted,
as Love, to be followed,
as Joy, to be given,
as Peace, to be spread about,
as Sacrifice, to be offered among our relatives, friends, neighbors and all
people.
Amen
- - -
May someone see Jesus in you today.
A Lesson in Life
Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of
good or bad luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and
sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these
small tests, if they be events, illnesses or relationships, life would be
like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere.
If someone hurts you, betrays you , or breaks you heart forgive them. For
they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious
to who you open your heart to.
If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they
love you, but because they are teaching you to love and opening your heart
and eyes to things you would have never seen or felt without them.
Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything
that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again.
Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Hold
your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great
individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no
one else will believe in you either.
You can make of your life anything you would like it to be by simply knowing
that God is the giver of life, and that He created you to live life to its
fullest, so go out and live it.
Alphabet of Happiness...
A--Accept
Accept others for who they are and for the choices they've made even if you
have difficulty understanding their beliefs, motives, or actions.
B--Break Away
Break away from everything that stands in the way of what you hope to
accomplish with your life.
C--Create
Create a family of friends whom you can share your hopes, dreams, sorrows,
and happiness with.
D--Decide
Decide that you'll be successful and happy come what may, and good things
will find you. The roadblocks are only minor obstacles along the way.
E--Explore
Explore and experiment. The world has much to offer, and you have much to
give. And every time you try something new, you'll learn more about
yourself.
F--Forgive
Forgive and forget. Grudges only weigh you down and inspire unhappiness and
grief. Soar above it, and remember that everyone makes mistakes.
G--Grow
Leave the childhood monsters behind. They can no longer hurt you or stand in
your way.
H--Hope
Hope for the best and never forget that anything is possible as long as you
remain dedicated to the task.
I--Ignore
Ignore the negative voice inside your head. Focus instead on your goals and
remember your accomplishments. Your past success is only a small inkling of
what the future holds.
J--Journey
Journey to new worlds, new possibilities, by remaining open-minded. Try to
learn something new every day, and you'll grow.
K--Know
Know that no matter how bad things seem, they'll always get better. The
warmth of spring always follows the harshest winter.
L--Love
Let love fill your heart instead of hate. When hate is in your heart,
there's room for nothing else, but when love is in your heart, there's room
for endless happiness.
M--Manage
Manage your time and your expenses wisely, and you'll suffer less stress and
worry. Then you'll be able to focus on the important things in life.
N--Notice
Never ignore the poor, infirm, helpless, weak, or suffering. Offer your
assistance when possible, and always your kindness and understanding.
O--Open
Open your eyes and take in all the beauty around you. Even during the worst
of times, there's still much to be thankful for.
P--Play
Never forget to have fun along the way. Success means nothing without
happiness.
Q--Question
Ask many questions, because you're here to learn.
R--Relax
Refuse to let worry and stress rule your life, and remember that things
always have a way of working out in the end.
S--Share
Share your talent, skills, knowledge, and time with others. Everything that
you invest in others will return to you many times over.
T--Try
Even when your dreams seem impossible to reach, try anyway. You'll be amazed
by what you can accomplish.
U--Use
Use your gifts to your best ability. Talent that's wasted has no value.
Talent that's used will bring unexpected rewards.
V--Value
Value the friends and family members who've supported and encouraged you,
and be there for them as well.
W--Work
Work hard every day to be the best person you can be, but never feel guilty
if you fall short of your goals. Every sunrise offers a second chance.
X--X-Ray
Look deep inside the hearts of those around you and you'll see the goodness
and beauty within.
Y--Yield
Yield to commitment. If you stay on track and remain dedicated, you'll find
success at the end of the road.
Z--Zoom
Zoom to a happy place when bad memories or sorrow rears its ugly head. Let
nothing interfere with your goals. Instead, focus on your abilities, your
dreams, and a brighter tomorrow.
"Alphabet of Happiness," written and designed by Bobette Bryan, 2000
Happy New Year From God
Happy New Year--this is God.
This year, as with every year, I will be handling all of your problems.
Please remember, I do not need your help.
If the devil happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle,
do not attempt to resolve it.
Kindly put it all in the SFJTD BOX (Something for Jesus to Do). It will be
addressed in my time, not yours.
Please be patient. Once the matter has been placed in the box, do not hold
onto it.
Do not become impatient and take it back to see if you can find a solution.
Holding on or removal will delay the resolution of your problem.
You must surrender the problem to Me for proper resolution.
If a situation you think you cannot handle arises, please consult Me in
prayer. Together we will come up with proper resolution.
If you do not receive what you anticipate as proper response from Me,
remember--some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayer.
Because I do not sleep, there is no need for you to lose any.
Rest, my child...if you need Me, I am but a prayer away.
- Author Unknown
7 Ups For Friendship
1. Open Up.
Be honest, open and candid (tempered with kindness).
2. Stand Up.
For your friends, whether they are there or not.
3. Put Up.
Give your friend the freedom to be imperfect (like you!).
4. Speak Up.
Say what you feel; be generous with sincere (public/private) praise.
5. Show Up.
Be there; do what you say you'll do.
6. Make Up.
Don't hold a grudge; be the first to say, "I'm sorry, please forgive me."
7. Re-Up.
Take inventory and re-commit yourself to the friendship often.
Pass this on to all your friends...
- Author Unknown
Blessing of the Home
(done traditionally on the Feast of the Epiphany)
Some communities have the custom of blessing homes while recalling the
visit of the Magi. The household gathers at the manger scene in the home.
All make the Sign of the Cross while the leader begins: "Peace be with this
house and with all who live here. Blessed be the name of the Lord"
All respond: "Now and forever."
Leader: "Listen to the words of the Holy Gospel according to John1:1-3, 14"
(or Matthew2:1-12)
All respond: "Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ"
Everyone then processes from one room to another. In each room, God's
blessing is asked on all who dwell there. Each room is blessed with Holy
Water. All return to the starting place at the manger scene, and join in
reciting the Lord's Prayer.
After a short silence for reflection and personal prayer, the leader
continues: "Lord God of heaven and earth, You revealed Your only-begotten
Son to every nation by the guidance of a star. Bless this house and all who
inhabit it. Fill us with the light of Christ, that our concern for others
may reflect Your Love. May we be blessed with health and goodness of heart.
Thanks to You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever."
All respond: "Amen."
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