Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Hello my friends! Hope you all had a blessed Sunday. It was very blessed here - also with hot and humid weather! Talked to my sister, Sister LaDonna this afternoon, the Monastery has the AC on so low that it's cold there and she's freezing, but a lot like it that temp. I don't think that's healthy, but that's me. Today's the first Anniversary for Darla and Greg - hope they enjoyed the day! How I remember a year ago today! Their Wedding Dance was spectacular! She was such a beautiful bride in a size Wedding Dress! Hoping and praying for many more happy years together for them.

We don't choose how or when we will die, but we do decide how we will live.

Lord, forgive my frequent drifting and help me to see clearly the best path

for me.

Scripture for the day:

"Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."

~Matthew 18:20

Meditation for the day:

"Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." The

spirit of God can come upon God's followers when they are all together

at one time, in one place, and with one accord. When two or three

consecrated souls are together at a meeting place, the spirit of God is

there to help and guide them. Where any sincere group of people are

together, reverently seeking the help of God, God's power and God's

spirit are there to inspire them.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may be in accord with the members of my group. I pray

that I may feel the strength of a consecrated group.

FROGS

Author Unknown

A group of frogs was traveling through the woods, and two of them fell

into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit.

When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs

they would never get out.

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the

pit. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good

as dead.

Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were

saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could.

Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and

suffering and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it

out.

When he got out, the other frogs asked him, "Why did you continue

jumping Didn't you hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was

deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

------------ --------- --------

This story teaches two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word

to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through

the day.

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to

kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross

your path.

The power of words....it is sometimes hard to understand that an

encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that

tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.

Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

May your words be a blessing to someone today.

Cell Phone vs. Bible. Get ready to be stepped on. Just say ouch!

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible

like we treat our cell phones.

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it as we traveled?

What if we used it in case of an emergency?

What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?

Something to make you say hmmmmmm, and where is my Bible?

A Perfect Heart

One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart, for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it.

Yes, they all agreed, it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud, and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.

Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said "Why, your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but was full of scars. It had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing.

The people stared. How can he say his heart is more beautiful?, they thought.The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine. Mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears." "Yes," said the old man, "Yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love. I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared. Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges - giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?"

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old, scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges.

" HER SWEET VOICE "

In contemplating the Mother of our Lord

Meditating upon her as Mother of the Word

I hear her sweet, soft, tender voice

And I feel my soul in gratitude rejoice.

What does she say to one such as me;

To ponder such, how the possibility?

She would say, "Child, follow my Son.

By His Blood your soul He has won."

Her voice is sweet, soft and tender

To her, reverence and love we render

We pray her Holy Rosary alone and together

And plead her graces in all kinds of weather.

Speak, Mother, your children are listening

Your holy purity and radiance are glistening;

Our souls are alit with the fire of love

As you show us the way to heav'n above

To Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Teaching us never to fear it

But to everlastingly endear it.

We hear your sweet and tender voice

And our souls within us gladly rejoice.

? Mel Patterson, 7-1-09

"God is as close as we permit Him to be."

Mel