Hello my friends! Hope your day went well, and you could count your blessings! It sure was a chilly day today, but it was warm when I picked the raspberries and beans, have some beans now to freeze tonight - Tonight's supper was again left over, but I created a good chicken meal with the rest of the veggies I didn't freeze. It turned out great! In the morning early Linus is planning on going to the fea market to get a bunch of stuff, like pickles, beans etc. to can tomorrow afternoon after he gets home from work. Lori will come and help. She just loves canning! It's a 41 minute drive to the Fea Market, I may go along, we'll see. Praying for all your intentions, may God grant you your desires if it be in accordance to His Holy Will. That goes for all of us! We need to be in His Holy Will - He knows what we need and what is best for us. We need to trust in Him.
Worry gets in the way of getting what you really want. Lord, help
me use my time in ways to enrich my life rather than focusing on
things I can do nothing about anyway.
Scripture for the day:
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you
will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it
will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together,
running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will
be the measure you get back." ~Luke 6:37-38
Meditation for the day:
We can try not to give way to criticism, blame, scorn or judgment of
others, when we are trying to help them. Effectiveness in helping
others depends on controlling ourselves. We may be swept away by a
temporary natural urge to criticize or blame, unless we keep a tight
rein on our emotions. We can have a firm foundation of spiritual
living which makes us truly humble, if we are going to really help
other people. We can go easy on them and be hard on ourselves. That
is the way we can be used most to uplift a despairing spirit. We need
not seek personal recognition for what we are used by God to
accomplish.
Prayer for the day:
I pray that I may try to avoid judgment and criticism. I pray that I
may always try to build up others instead of tearing them down.
Food for Thought:
THE BARBER
Author Unknown
After twenty years of shaving himself every morning, a man in a small
Southern town decided he had enough. He told his wife that he intended
to let the local barber shave him each day. He put on his hat and coat
and went to the barber shop, which was owned by the pastor of the
town's Baptist Church. The barber's wife, Grace, was working that day,
so she performed the task. Grace shaved him and sprayed him with lilac
water, and said, "That will be $20."
The man thought the price was a bit high, but he paid the bill and
went to work. The next morning the man looked in the mirror, and his
face was as smooth as it had been when he left the barber shop the day
before.
Not bad, he thought. At least I don't need to get a shave every day.
The next morning, the man's face was still smooth. Two weeks later,
the man was still unable to find any trace of whiskers on his face. It
was more than he could take, so he returned to the barber shop.
"I thought $20 was high for a shave", he told the barber's wife, "but
you must have done a great job. It's been two weeks and my whiskers
still haven't started growing back."
The expression on her face didn't even change, expecting his comment.
She responded, "You were shaved by Grace and once shaved, always
shaved!"
Act of Petition
Give me yourself, O my God, give yourself to me. Behold I love you, and if
my love is too weak a thing, grant me to love you more strongly. I cannot
measure my love to know how much it falls short of being sufficient, but let
my soul hasten to your embrace and never be turned away until it is hidden
in the secret shelter of your presence. This only do I know, that it is not
good for me when you are not with me, when you are only outside me. I want
you in my very self. All the plenty in the world which is not my God is
utter want. Amen.
Saint Augustine of Hippo
Brighten Your Corner
We cannot all be famous
Or be listed in "Who's Who",
But every person, great or small,
Has important work to do.
For seldom do we realize
The importance of small deeds,
Or to what degree of greatness
Unnoticed kindness leads.
For it's not the big celebrity
In a world of fame and praise,
But it's doing unpretentiously
In an undistinguished way.
The work that God assigned to us,
Unimportant as it seems,
That makes our task outstanding,
And brings reality to dreams.
So do not sit and idly wish
for wider, new dimensions
Where you can put into practice,
Your many good intentions.
But at the spot God placed you
Begin at once to do,
Little things to brighten up
The lives surrounding you.
If everybody brightened up
The spot where their standing,
By being more considerate,
And a little less demanding.
This dark old world would very soon
Eclipse the evening star,
If everybody brightened up
The corner where they are!
- Author Unknown
I read a story about a young son of a missionary, in Zaire. The boy was
playing in the yard when suddenly he heard his father yell to him from the
porch, "Philip, obey me instantly! Drop to your stomach!"
Without hesitation, the boy did as his father commanded. His father, then,
commanded,
"Now, crawl to me as fast as you can!"
Again, the boy immediately obeyed.
"Now stand up and run to me!" Philip responded, without questioning, and
ran into his fathers arms.
When Philip turned around and looked back at the tree, where he was
standing, he saw a huge poisonous snake hanging from one of the branches.
The boy could have hesitated and asked, "Why?" or "In just a minute." But,
he instantly obeyed. That simple act of obedience saved his life!
Could it save your life, if you let go of your free will and followed what
the Lord has told you to do with your life.
He Loves You So
By the Spirit
Jesus is letting you know,
That he will never
Let you go,
That his love for you
Is free and pure,
That you can trust him
And feel secure.
As you rest in Him,
Your God, your King,
Start counting the blessings
Your choice will bring,
For Christ is the friend
who will stand by your side,
While you dare to trust him
And truly abide.
By the Spirit
He will help you to grow,
Till your heart is assured
That he loves you so.
IS YOUR HUT BURNING?
Author Unknown
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited
island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he
scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.
Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of
driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few
possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived
home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the
sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with
grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.
Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship
that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did
you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw
your smoke signal," they replied.
It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we
shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the
midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is
burning to the ground ---- it just may be a smoke signal that summons
the grace of God.
Prayer To Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (Today is her Feast Day)
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, longing to love Jesus as He had never been
loved before, you gave yourself entirely to Him, refusing Him nothing.
In union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, you accepted His call to satiate
His infinite thirst for love and souls and become a carrier of His love to
the poorest of the poor.
With loving trust and total surrender you fulfilled His will, witnessing to
the joy of belonging totally to Him. You became so intimately united to
Jesus your crucified Spouse that He deigned to share with you the agony of
His Heart as He hung upon the Cross.
Blessed Teresa you promised to continuously bring the light of love to those
on earth; pray for us that we also may long to satiate the burning thirst of
Jesus by loving Him ardently, sharing in His sufferings joyfully, and
serving Him wholeheartedly in our brothers and sisters especially those most
unloved and unwanted. Amen.
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