Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Often times, life is what happens when you're busy making plans.
Lord, help me to notice each moment and not rush through it.


Scripture for the day:

"Jesus straightened up and said to the woman caught in adultery,
'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one,
sir.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and
from now on do not sin again.'" ~John 8:10-11

Meditation for the day:

In the new year, I can live one day at a time. I can make each day
one of preparation for better things ahead. I need not dwell on the
past or the future, only on the present. I can bury every fear of the
future, all thoughts of unkindness and bitterness, all my dislikes, my
resentments, my sense of failure, my disappointments in others and in
myself, my gloom and my despondency. I can leave all these things
buried and go forward, in this new year into
a new life!

Prayer for the day:

I pray that God will guide me one day at a time in the new year. I
pray that for each day, God will supply the wisdom and the strength I
need.

Happy New Year to all my friends! May you all be richly blessed during this Year of the Lord! I am richly blessed by knowing all of you! Today Linus worked almost nine hours, but his knee doesn't hurt and even without the brace so it's on the mend - Thank you Lord! He was tired, and his feet hurt, but he had a good day! My girls are partying at Lori's house - I wonder how many friends came to her party - it isn't nice out. Even her realtor texted her that he may come to see the house!
Tomorrow sometime Darla and Greg leave for driving back to Texas. Praying the roads are better going back than they were coming in. It was exactly four years ago that I joined the boards and shortly after that I started this thread! It's been a blessing being on the boards these last four years and getting to know a lot of really good people all over the States, exchanging emails, phone calls, what a blessing!! My blessings are my family, and my Faith in God - my Church Family and friends, so numerous to mention! There are problems, of course, but I try to focus on the positive and God's love for us and always remember that He is in control, not I.
I read somewhere that we make plans, and God laughs! He can make those plans much better than we can imagine!

I'd like to share here something my good friend in PA, Mel, wrote:

GOOD NEW YEAR'S DAY MORNING !

January 1, 2011 !!

It is PRAISE Time !!!

" FIRST DAY of the FIRST MONTH of the NEW YEAR "

The first day of the first month of the new year
God's eternal Love has placed us here
When we are open to His Word He stays near
May all of us to the Lord's Law lend an ear.

The first day of the first month of the new year
Holds promise, hope, and an awesome fear
The Lord's Joy in our hearts evokes a tear
What a blessing we cannot into 2011 peer.

The first day of the first month of the new year
Welcomed at the stroke of midnight clear
Amidst festivities celebrated with cheer
Includes families and friends we hold dear.

© Mel Patterson - 1-1-11

On this first day of the first month of the new year
May we all be blessed with God's graces
May He have mercy on us
May His Light shine upon us
May He smile on us
May His Peace be given to us.

The Lord is as close as we permit Him to be.

© Mel Patterson - 2007

She sent me this for my list to use.


Homily of the Day

December 31, 2010

It´s Time to Re-Imagine Ourselves
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

1 Jn 2:18-21 / Jn 1:1-18

With the end of this day, we mark not only the end of a year, but the beginning of a new one. Our counting of time is entirely arbitrary, so the end of this day has nothing intrinsically special to offer us. But the symbolism of the day is powerful and potentially very wholesome, for it raises in our imaginations far-reaching thoughts about new possibilities.

As Pope John Paul II urged upon us repeatedly, the new year is an opportunity to re-imagine ourselves and the way we live together in this world. It’s an opportunity to listen anew to the Good News of Jesus, to take it in more deeply than ever before, and to ask ourselves, “Why not?”

Why settle for so little when the Lord offers us so much? Why settle for lives that are half empty? Why let our days be darkened by fears and by unresolved conflicts with those we ought to love and enjoy?

Now is the acceptable time. Now is the time to take the initiative in seeking reconciliation within ourselves and with God and those around us. Let us become peacemakers and build a new world that knows peace.

Words of Encouragement

December 31, 2010

The Seventh Day of Christmas!
by Mark Shea

Acts 8:14-17

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Today’s passage puzzles many people. It also leads some people to make a division between sacramental baptism (“it’s just a ritual”) and “true baptism in the Holy Spirit.” But this is to misread the passage. The Samaritans who became Christians were, like all Christians, baptized and, like all Christians, had received the Holy Spirit thereby. But this does not mean that the story was over. It never has. For as long as the Christian tradition has existed, there has been a second sacrament of initiation – confirmation – which asks God to pour out the fulness of the Holy Spirit on the believer and empower him with the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the work of mission in the world and the task of becoming mature in Christ. It is this sacrament which we see being given in today’s passage. It is a sacrament filled with the quiet power of God. As the New Year begins, ask God to fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit that He gives in Confirmation so that you may live out the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and be a saint.

How to Stay Young and Content

1. Throw out non-essential numbers. This includes age, weight and height.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. If you really
need a grouch, there are probably family members that fill that need.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening,
whatever. Just never let the brain idle.

4. Enjoy the simple things. When the children are young, that is all that
you can afford. When they are in college, that is all that you can afford.
When they are grown, and you are on retirement, that is all that you can
afford!

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. Laugh so
much that you can be tracked in the store by your distinctive laughter.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person
who is with us our entire life, is ourselves.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family, pets,
keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable,
improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Go to the mall, the next county, a foreign
country, but not guilt.

10. Tell the people you love, that you love them, at every opportunity.

Remember, Life is not measured by the number of breaths
we take, but by the moments that take our breath away

"I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our
wings have trouble remembering how to fly."

TOP TEN PREDICTIONS
Author Unknown


1. The Bible will still have all the answers.

2. Prayer will still work.

3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.

5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.

6. There will still be singing of praise to God.

7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

8. There will still be room at the Cross

9. Jesus will still love you.

10. Jesus will still save the lost.

God whispers in your soul and speaks to your mind. Sometimes when you
don't
have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at you. It's your
choice:
Listen to the whisper, or wait for the brick.

2011 Contract:

After serious & cautious consideration...

Your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2011!

It was a very hard decision to make. So try not to s crew it up!!!

My Wish for You in 2011

May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts.

May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills. May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!

May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.

May the problems you had forget your home address!

In simple words . . . May 2011 be the best year of your life!!!

TEARDROPS IN GOD'S BOTTLE

GOD, who saw your yesterdays,
Sees all of your tomorrow's.
HE sees your pain and heartache,
And keeps track of all your sorrows.
GOD knows each hurting, lonely child,
HE sees the soul that weeps.
The righteous tears HE gathers,
GOD, in HIS bottle, keeps.
Not one will be forgotten,
Not one is overlooked.
The teardrops GOD has gathered
Are recorded in HIS book
Each footstep is remembered
On the winding path we trod.
Each precious tear is treasured,
For they touch the heart of GOD.


THE POWER OF THREE LITTLE WORDS
Author Unknown
December 31, 2010


Some of the most significant messages people deliver to one another
often come in just three words. When spoken or conveyed, those
statements have the power to forge new friendships, deepen old ones
and restore relationships that have cooled.


The following three word phrases can enrich every relationship:


I'LL BE THERE - Being there for another person is the greatest gift we
can give. When we are truly present for other people, important things
happen to them and to us. We are renewed in love and friendship. We
are restored emotionally and spiritually. 'Being there' is at the
very, very core of civility.


I MISS YOU - Perhaps more marriages could be salvaged and strengthened
if couples simply and sincerely said to each other, "I miss you." This
powerful affirmation tells partners they are wanted, needed, desired
and loved.


I RESPECT YOU - Respect is another way of showing love. Respect
conveys the feeling that another person is a true equal. It is a
powerful way to affirm the importance of a relationship.


MAYBE YOU'RE RIGHT - This phrase is highly effective in diffusing an
argument and restoring frayed emotions. The flip side of "maybe you're
right" is the humility of admitting "maybe I'm wrong."


PLEASE FORGIVE ME - Many broken relationships could be restored and
healed if people would admit their mistakes and ask for forgiveness.
All of us are vulnerable to faults, foibles and failures. A man should
never be ashamed to own up to he has been in the wrong, which is by
saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.


I THANK YOU - Gratitude is an exquisite form of courtesy. People who
enjoy the companionship of good, close friends are those who don't
take daily courtesies for granted. They are quick to thank their
friends for their many expressions of kindness. On the other hand,
people whose circle of friends is severely constricted often do not
have the attitude of gratitude.


COUNT ON ME - "A friend is one who walks in when others walk out."
"Loyalty is an essential ingredient for true friendship; it is the
emotional glue that bonds people. Those who are rich in their
relationships tend to be steady and true friends. When troubles come,
a good friend is there, indicating "you can count on me."


LET ME HELP - The best of friends see a need and try to fill it. When
they spot a hurt they do what they can to heal it. Without being
asked, they pitch in and help.


I UNDERSTAND YOU - People become closer and enjoy each other more if
they feel the other person accepts and understands them. Letting
others know in so many little ways that you understand him or her is
one of the most powerful tools for healing your relationship.


GO FOR IT - Some of your friends may be non-conformists, have unique
projects and unusual hobbies. Support them in pursuing their
interests. Rather than urging your loved ones to conform, encourage
their uniqueness - everyone has dreams that no one else has.


I suppose the 3 little words that you were expecting to see have to be
reserved for those who are special; that is I LOVE YOU.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Closing Prayer:

O Lord Jesus, Come and bless your people, whom you love with all your Heart, heal their hurts and their pains, bring to us all a wonderful, holy, and blessed New Year!
Help us all to focus on You, and not on anything negative! May our thread continue to grow with our wonderful posters and may some of our readers start to post! I ask You to answer each and every prayer request and may we also call upon Mary, your Mother and our Mother, to intercede for us. In Jesus Name, I pray. Amen.

Good night now - in just a half hour we will have our New Blessed Year!! May God bless our travelers and grant them all safety!
See you next year!