Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Hello my friends! Today - first time in maybe 10 years my husband didn't have to work - and long hours. Instead, he and Lori went Christmas Tree shopping in the woods and they claim they picked the perfect Christmas trees! They say that every year! The dogs went along to give their vote too! I stayed home out of the cold - made turkey soup for supper and mulled some wine for the cold ones when they got back. For the mulled wine, any red, I think, I used some from a box of Shiraz and I put in some cinnamon sticks, parts of an orange, whole cloves, some honey, and let it on the burner - it was wonderful! The soup was great too! We got saved from having an accident today - praise the Lord!! It was very close! We were on our way to the noon Mass, and here a car came out of nowhere and thank God he was able to stop in time! Whew! Thank you Jesus! and thanks to our Guardian Angels, too!

God is better to us than we deserve. Lord, thank you for the strength

You give in my trials and especially thank you for the trials You have

kept from my door.

Scripture for the day:

"Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all

times." ~Psalm 106:3

Meditation for the day:

Life is not a search for happiness. Happiness is a by-product of living

the right kind of life, of doing the right thing. We need not search

for happiness. We can search for right living and happiness can be our

reward. Life is sometimes a march of duty during dull, dark days. But

happiness can come again, as God's smile of recognition of our

faithfulness. True happiness is the by-product of a life well lived.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may not seek happiness but seek to do right. I pray that

I may not seek pleasure so much as the things that bring true happiness.

Words of Encouragement

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

You Are Not Merely the Sum of What You Produce!

Posted: 16 Oct 2009 12:00 AM PDT

Hebrews 13:5-6

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have;

for he has said, “I will never fail you nor forsake you.” Hence we can

confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper,

I will not be afraid;

what can man do to me?”

The curse of a utilitarian culture is that it defines people by what they

can produce and what they earn or produce. Defining ourselves by our income

is just another word for “salvation by works of the law”. That highlights

the great paradox of our Catholic faith. Those who worship the god of works

typically do so because they imagine they are taking an easier path by

avoiding all the “negativism” of talking about sin. (”If I’m a nice person

and do good things, God owes it to me to be nice to me.”) Yet in fact they

are getting snookered into the hopeless task of trying to barter their

Niceness, or productivity, or some other “good qualities” for God’s love. In

contrast, the Church urges upon us the weird liberty of a God whose love

burns just as brightly for us no matter how much of a jerk we’ve been — but

we can only see that for ourselves when we frankly admit we’ve been jerks.

When we lose our “good qualities”, the god of works won’t love us any more,

but the God of Jesus Christ (who needs nothing from us) declares he will

never, through endless eternities, love us any less, though our sins be as

scarlet.

DON'T WE ALL

Author Unknown

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?

Count Your Blessings

Count your blessings instead of your crosses,

Count you gains instead of your losses,

Count your joys instead of your woes,

Count your friends instead of your foes.

Count your courage instead of your fears,

Count your laughs instead of your tears.

Count your full years instead of your lean,

Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.

Count you health instead of your wealth,

Count on God instead of yourself.

~ Author Unknown

OLD JOE

By Melanie Schur

Old Joe was the local derelict. No one really knew the cause of what

sent him to the streets It was rumored he only had an elementary

education. His disheveled and dirty appearance made him seem older

than his 30 years. When he would walk by, people would whisper behind

his back saying, "Poor old Joe. Will nothing good come of him?"

Old Joe spent his days searching in garbage cans for redeemable

bottles and his nights sleeping in an alley. One day, Joe seemed to

disappear without a trace. Some thought he hopped a train to the

south, but no one knew for sure.

Ten years later, a new preacher came to town; he had a quiet and

relaxed way about him as he stood on the corner handing leaflets out.

On occasion, he could also be seen treating a homeless person to lunch

as they sat and talked and he was also a favorite guest speaker at the

local church.

After one sermon, a group of elderly ladies gathered together,

commenting on how wise the preacher was. "Obviously, he came from a

very good college," remarked one lady. "Yes, it is rumored he came

from a very well to do family," said another.

The following Sunday, the preacher began to speak, "Ten years ago I

felt I was a nobody. I had no real family, a limited education, and

couldn't get a job. No one seemed to care, so I, too, began to not

care about my self. A woman reached out to me one day, told me about

someone who DID care, God. She told me that God does not look at the

outer appearance, but at one's heart.

She told me that He loved me so much He sent His Son to die on the

cross for my sins and that, through Him, I could have salvation." The

preacher continued, "On that day, my life changed dramatically because

for once I had a sense of hope. I may not have had an earthly family,

but I had a whole slew of 'brother's and sister's' in the family of

Christ! No longer did I have to be 'poor old Joe,' because in the

Bible, it told me I was now a child of God! ("How great is the love

the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of

God!" I John 3:1)"

The whole congregation sat and stared in awe, now knowing the

distinguished man before them was 'ole Joe. That day, the sharing of

his story of faith, hope, and love changed many lives.

Through the example of Old Joe, we can know ALL things are not only

possible through Christ who strengthens us, but, through Him, former

things are passed away and the new is now upon us! If ole Joe can do

it, so can you! Call on your heavenly Father today.

Trust Him

Trust Him

when dark doubts assail you,

Trust Him

when your faith is small,

Trust Him,

when to trust Him . . .

is the hardest thing of all.

Trust Him,

He is ever faithful,

Trust Him

for His will is best,

Trust Him

for the Heart of Jesus,

is the only place of rest.

Author Unknown

Help Me To Let Go, and Let God

Dear Lord, Help me to let go and let You. Urge me to let go of my impatience

and to open my heart to Your Loving Patience. Teach me how to let go of my

pompous attitude in thinking I'm the only one capable of solving all of my

problems. Counsel me on how to let go of my cares, my worries and the noises

in my life... and to let You surround me with Your Tranquil Assurances of my

comfort.

Encourage me to let go of my selfishness and let You show me the benefit of

praying for others who seek Your Protection, Your Healings, Your

Forgiveness, Your Compassion and Your Rainbows after raging storms. Remind

me, Lord, of the Holy Benefits when I let go and let You lead me on Your

Path. Smile with me, Lord, when I finally let go and let You take over. Nod

Your Head in Sanctified Approval when I let go of my follies and let You

replace them with positive goals in my life. Amen.

Glory, Honor and Praise to You, Lord, forever and ever.

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME

Author Unknown

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next

door. It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College,

girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved

clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush

of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and

often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his

future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The

funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old

newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought

of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack

said.

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you

were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his

side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make

sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in

this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching

me things he thought were important... Mom, I'll be there for the

funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to

his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no

children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to

see the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway,

Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another

dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he

remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of

furniture... . Jack stopped

suddenly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.

"The box is gone," he said.

"What box? " Mom asked.

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I

must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever

tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack

remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser

family had taken it.

"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I

better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from

work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature

required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post

office within the next three days," the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old

and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The

handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his

attention.

"Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and

ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an

envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.

"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack

Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life."

A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears

filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he

found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over

the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover.

Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time!

Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most...was.. .my time."

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and

cleared his appointments for the next two days.

"Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.

"Oh, by the way, Janet...thanks for your time!"

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the

moments that take our breath away,"

Thank you for your time.....