Community Chat

[gloriajean]

When you meet God in prayer, everything becomes new. Lord, may

I be humbly joyful in my faith.

Scripture for the day:

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." ~ 1 John 4:18

Meditation for the day:

Fear is the curse of the world. Our fears can be many. Fear is everywhere.

I can fight fear as I would a plague. I can turn it out of my life. There

is not room for fear in the heart in which God dwells. Fear cannot exist

where true love is or where faith lives. So I need not fear. Fear is evil,

but "perfect love casts out fear." Fear can destroy hope and hope is

necessary for all of us!

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may have not fear. I pray that I may cast all fear out of my

life.

Hello my friends! Saturday already tomorrow! The week went fast being we just got home on Tuesday night. Today was just an ordinary day but with playing cards this afternoon with a couple from our card club. It started at 3 in the afternoon, and she made sloppy joes for supper - it was a fun afternoon - lots of visiting etc. and now I'm so tired again! So I thank God for all the blessings He dishes out our way every day, family, friends, our very lives, and give Him gratitude for the way He takes care of us. Thanks Harlene and Love Roses for your posts - I'm not in pain, I just get tired so often. This, too, shall pass. One of our dear friends, Sister Pat's sister is very sick with cancer and will die soon, so she is flying there to Baltimore to be with her and the other sisters for their last goodbye. How sad. I called her tonight to talk to her - she sent an email saying she's going to be leaving soon to be with her sister. Had a nice visit. Her sister's name is Arlene. Oh yes! another blessing today - we got some liquid GNC for joints for dogs, with the glucosamine in it etc. and now it's so easy to get his meds down with a syringe - Linus just puts it in his mouth and squirts it down. It worked great!! Got it at Petsmart. Praying for you all - thanks for your prayers for us.

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." (Mark 11:22-25)

The Fine Print

There it was, at the very bottom of the document, in noticeably smaller size print. The disclaimer. Have you ever noticed these sections at the end of a contract or agreement?

There’s an old saying, “Read the fine print before signing on the dotted line.” That little part stuck on at the end might sometimes be called ‘the catch’. When things seem too good to be true, they usually are. We ask, “What’s the trick?”

There is an amazing promise in the bible that might sound too good to be true. About a week before Jesus was killed and came back to life, He was talking with His close friends. He said if you believe, you can have anything you ask for in prayer (Mark 11:24).

Could it be that easy? Practically in the same breath, Jesus continues, essentially saying that we have to forgive anyone we hold a grudge against first. Could even be ourselves.

The fine print of forgiveness. It’s a decision, not a feeling, a key to unlocking and releasing God’s promises.

JELLY BEAN PRAYER

Author Unknown

Have you heard the story of the jelly beans?

The black ones are a symbol of our sinful heart, cold and hard not a

good start.

The red ones would be, the blood shed for you and me.

The white ones would mean washed white as snow, by the blood of Jesus

do you know?

The green ones mean growth for our clean heart, so we can tell others

of Jesus, now that's a good start.

The yellow ones would mean streets of gold, like the ones in Heaven,

as in the book of Revelation are told.

The purple ones are to mean like the robe He wore, when our sins on

the cross He bore.

So the next time you see a bag of jelly beans, you will know what the

colors mean.

- Another Version -

* RED * is for the blood He gave.

* GREEN * is for the grass He made.

* YELLOW * is for the sun so bright.

* ORANGE * is for the edge of night.

* BLACK * is for the sins we made.

* WHITE * is for the grace He gave.

* PURPLE * is for His hour of sorrow.

* PINK * is for our new tomorrow.

A bag full of jelly beans colorful and sweet,

Is a prayer,

is a promise,

is a very special treat.

-- Authors Unknown

DON'T WE ALL

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come

from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work. Coming

my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a

bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes,

and no money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other

times that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those

"don't want to be bothered times."

"I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought.

He didn't.

He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look

like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.

After a few minutes he spoke.

"That's a very pretty car," he said.

He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly

blond beard keep more than his face warm.

I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never

came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask him

if he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held

true to the inner voice.

"Do you need any help?" I asked.

He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never

forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it

from those of higher learning and accomplishments. I expected nothing

but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me.

"Don't we all?" he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in

the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun.

Don't we all?

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed

help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare,

but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three

little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how

much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you

have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or

a place to sleep, you can give help. Even if it's just a compliment, you

can give that.

You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all.

They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A different

perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from

daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see.

Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe

he was more than that. Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and

wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.

Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then

said, "go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help."

Don't we all?

-- Author Unknown

Thursday, April 5, 2013

Divine Power

Truly living as a Christian is not some sort

of righteousness that we slip on like an overcoat,

nor some ideal we arrive at by means of our own efforts.

The life of Christ is a vibrant, powerful, inner force

that bubbles up out of the very depths of our being

and enables us to do otherwise impossible things, blessed things.

This divine grace gradually helps us to overcome

sin, temptations, weaknesses.

We are able to rise above our human limitations

and receive a glimpse of our heavenly inheritance.

from Heaven in Our Hands: Receiving the Blessings You Long For