Hello my friends! Guess I have to start this all over again, since it's no longer there for you. This morning it's -17! On the positive side, we have many blessings, warm house, good friends, and Lori just called - her eye surgery will for sure be Saturday at 2:00, prayers are welcomed! Her recovery will be longer, and she'll have to stay with us for a few days. Not more more to write now so I'll send out the inspirations again.
Let today's difficulties make you better not bitter. Lord, guide me, protect
me
and work through me.
S C R I P T U R E F O R T H E D A Y
"My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom,
but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith
might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. Yet among the
mature
we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of
the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God's
wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our
glory." ~1 Corinthians 2:4-7
M E D I T A T I O N F O R T H E D A Y
In these times of quiet meditation, we can try more and more to set our
hopes on the grace of God. We can know that whatever the future may
hold, it can hold more and more of good. We need not set all our hopes
and desires on material things. There can be weariness in an abundance
of things. We can set our hopes on spiritual things so that we may grow
spiritually. We can learn to rely on God's power more and more and in
that reliance we can have an insight into the greater value of the
things of the spirit.
P R A Y E R F O R T H E D A Y
I pray that I may not be overwhelmed by material things. I pray that I
may realize the higher value of spiritual things.
Today I'd like to share Patrick's Scripture Reflection - a lay married man
who listens to the Holy Spirit and writes his reflections about as long as
my list is going - 12 years.
Today's readings 1/26/14
Is.8:23--9:3; Ps.27:1, 4, 13-14; 1Cor.1:10-13, 17; Mt.4:12-23
In this high tech world of instant gratification patience is a rare thing
these days, it's something I lack just as much as anyone else does, and as I
reflected on that need it suddenly became clear that a lack of patience is a
sign of a lack of trust in the One who calls us to "Follow Me". The fact
that this revelation disturbs us only serves to confirm it even more, all
because we know that in order to experience the freedom and "Light" Christ
offers us we need to patiently "sit in darkness" first. If you think about
it for a moment it's obvious that Jesus' very first followers were totally
oblivious to the Light of Truth before He came along and called them, so
were we, and so what we need to understand is everything doesn't just change
in an instant the way we want it to sometimes. Jesus spent three years
preaching and teaching a Message that mankind is no closer to grasping 2000
years after He first preached it, and that's why as followers we need to
"remain stouthearted and wait on the Lord" as His Plan slowly unfolds. Yes,
as much as I would like to see that happen right here and right now I have
to learn to be as patient and enduring and the people of Zebulun and
Naphtali were, I have to learn how to embrace life's "dark moments" in faith
in order to experience God's Light "in the land of the living", and the only
way to do that is to trust Jesus when He calls me to step out of my comfort
zone, let go of the things that hold me back and patiently accept His
invitation to "Follow Me".
God bless you,
In Jesus - Pat
THE ONION
I was an onion before Christ set me free.
Layers upon layers of iniquity.
An ugly old onion whose fragrance was strong;
That my Jesus bought and loved all along.
Unknown to me what He was going to do.
Of what He was planning, I had not a clue.
Pulling each layer off one by one.
In order to make me more like Jesus the Son.
The first layer wasn't so bad.
I saw all the sins that I knew I had.
They were easy to fix, just change the way I talk.
And learn more of how He wanted me to walk.
Reading His Word, and learning again;
How to put aside my life of sin.
But the next layer was pulled which hurt more.
He was getting closer to the core.
Unknown what He would find there.
I simply gave it to Him in prayer.
As another layer was removed, He started to cry;
Pulling this layer brought pain to my Father on High.
And I was crying over the sadness I felt;
The brokenness and all of the guilt.
Past memories that I thought were gone;
They were buried under layers disguised in a fragrance so strong.
As onions peel more and more;
And they put tears in our eyes as we get close to the core;
So my Father wept over my pain;
Giving me a balm of comfort and strength to sustain.
"No More Layers." I would scream.
As He continued to peel them off of me.
"I'll have nothing left my Lord, what will I do?
I'll be nothing but a worthless core to you. "
But He just said "Trust me," and continued to peel
I was sure He was blinded to my pain that was so real.
Year after year I shrunk more and more;
Until all that was left of this onion was a core.
It was then that I began to understand;
As the Lord embraced me in His loving hand.
He said, now and only now can you be;
The creation that will minister before me.
Clothed with the righteousness only from above;
Gone are your layers of self so you can be filled with my love.
He took my layers of sin, hurt and pain;
And clothed me with love, truth and mercy in His name.
Yes, we are all onions, learning with each day;
How to overcome as each layer is taken away.
Some layers tear and pull at our heart;
While others grieve us to our innermost part.
But we are nothing but an ugly onion without Christ.
Layers upon layers of pride, sin and strife.
Only God can take those layers away.
And clothe us with His righteousness in that final day.
-- Author Unknown
Our Lady´s Message - January 25, 2014
“Dear children! Pray, pray, pray for the radiance of your prayer to have an
influence on those whom you meet. Put the Sacred Scripture in a visible
place in your families and read it, so that the words of peace may begin to
flow in your hearts. I am praying with you and for you, little children,
that from day to day you may become still more open to God’s will. Thank you
for having responded to my call.”
WHY GO TO CHURCH?
A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper and complained
that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. I've gone for 30 years
now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons.
But for the life of me I can't remember a single one of them. So I think I'm
wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at
all."
This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much
to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this
clincher:
"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some
32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a
single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and
gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me
those meals, I would be physically dead today.
Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be
spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to
something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives
the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!
(Author unknown)
Dear Lord Jesus,
It's so easy to get caught up in our busy lives. Help us to stop and
reflect on Your love for us. When things seem to become too much, let me
think of You and have be patient. Thank you for all you have done for me
and all you will do. Amen
- - -
Acts 20:7 - And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came
together to break bread, Paul preached unto them...
Mother Teresa Said...
Do I give the Christ who is full of zeal, love, joy, and sunshine?
Do I come up to the mark?
Or am I a dark light, a false light, a bulb without connection,
having no current and therefore shedding no radiance?
Put your heart into being a bright light.
Meditations by Padre Pio
One must always go forward and never back in the spiritual life. When a boat
stops, instead of going forward the wind blows it back.
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