Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Holding on to hurts causes us to live the pain over and over.
Lord, may I forgive so that I may heal.


Scripture for the day:

"Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our
potter; we are all the work of your hand." ~Isaiah 64:8

Meditation for the day:

Molding our lives means cutting and shaping our material into
something good, something which can express the spiritual. We have
been given the clay out of which we can mold something spiritual. We
can first recognize the selfishness in our desires and motives,
actions and words, and then mold that selfishness until it is
sublimated into a spiritual tool for good. As the work of molding
proceeds, we can see more and more clearly what must be done to mold
our lives into something even better.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may mold my life into something useful and good. I pray
that I may not be discouraged by the slow progress that I make.

Hello my friends! Hope you all had a good Friday and the start of another
weekend! Here, it was nice - I did get to work today - but only in the
afternoon, so that was good. Then Linus wanted to go out to eat so we went
to Perkins and I had potato pancakes! Love those!! Tomorrow we are going
to visit my sister, Deil - Sammy gets to go along! We'll leave around nine
in the morning and hope to be back before dark. It's a little over an hour
drive. She has a little job for Linus to do too, put on her storm doors.
She said she'll make taco soup, and that's always good! It's her turn to
call Sister LaDonna tomorrow so thought I'll put her on speaker with my cell
and we can all talk to her like we did on Thanksgiving. I know I said
before what a blessing Deil is to me - and also to the rest of her sisters.
She is so wise, seems to always have the right answers. And she is so
prayerful - I’m so fortunate she is my sister! The weather is good for
driving - Praise God! so we picked a good day to go there. She doesn't
have a computer, so I won't be posting until I get back home.

Forgiveness

"The saints rejoiced at injuries and persecutions, because in forgiving them
they had something to present to God when they prayed to Him."
St. Teresa of Avila

For Reflection:
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being "the greatest sinner" and 10 being the
"greatest saint," at what level am I according to this quote? Am I happy
with my position? What can I do to improve it according to St. Teresa of
Avila? With whom can I begin?

Comfort, O Comfort My People

The Good Shepherd is concerned about each and every one of us
and does not allow any to be lost without searching for and finding us.
When were you lost and God came in search of you and brought you back?

from Catholic Update: Rest Stops for a Rushed People


THE BEST GIFTS THIS SEASON
Author Unknown


To a Friend Loyalty

To an Enemy Forgiveness

To your Boss Service

To your Child A good example

To your Father Honor

To your Mother Gratitude and Devotion

To your Spouse Love and Faithfulness

To Yourself Respect

To All Men Charity

To God Your Life!!

"The Christmas Scout" (By Sam Hogan)

In spite of the fun and laughter, 13-year-old Frank Wilson was not happy. It
was true he had received all the presents he wanted. And he enjoyed the
traditional Christmas Eve reunions with relatives for the purpose of
exchanging gifts and good wishes. But, Frank was not happy because this was
his first Christmas without his brother, Steve, who during the year, had
been killed by a reckless driver.
Frank missed his brother and the close companionship they had together.
Frank said good-bye to his relatives and explained to his parents that he
was leaving a little early to see a friend; and from there he could walk
home. Since it was cold outside, Frank put on his new plaid jacket. It was
his
F A VORITE gift. He placed the other presents on his new sled. Then Frank
headed out, hoping to find the patrol leader of his Boy Scout troop, and his
patrol leader did odd jobs to help support his family.
Frank always felt understood by him. Though rich in wisdom. he lived in the
Flats. the section of town where most of the poor lived. To Frank's
disappointment, his friend was not at home. As Frank hiked down the street
toward home, he caught glimpses of trees and decorations in many of the
small houses. Then, through one front window, he glimpsed a shabby room with
limp stockings hanging over an empty fireplace.
A woman was seated nearby...weeping. The stockings reminded him of the way
he and his brother had always hung theirs side by side. The next morning,
they would be bursting with presents.
A sudden thought struck Frank - he had not done his "good deed" for the day.
Before the impulse passed, he knocked on the door.
"Yes?" the sad voice of the woman asked.
"May I come in?" asked Frank.
"You are very welcome," she said, seeing his sled full of gifts, and
assuming he was making a collection, "but I have no food or gifts for you. I
have nothing for my own children."
"That's not why I am here," Frank replied. "Please choose whatever presents
you would like for your children from the sled."
"Why, God bless you!" the amazed woman answered gratefully. She selected
some candies. a game, the toy airplane and a puzzle. When she took the Scout
flashlight. Frank almost cried out. Finally, the stockings were full. "
"Won't you tell me your name?" she asked, as Frank was leaving.
"Just call me the Christmas Scout," he replied. The visit left Frank
touched, and with an unexpected flicker of joy in his heart. He understood
that his sorrow was not the only sorrow in the world. Before he left the
Flats, he had given away the remainder of his gifts. The plaid jacket had
gone to a shivering boy.
Now Frank trudged homeward, cold and uneasy. How could he explain to his
parents that he had given his presents away? “Where are your presents, son?”
asked, his father as Frank entered the house.
Frank answered, “I gave them away. “
"The airplane from Aunt Susan? Your coat from Grandma? Your flashlight? We
thought you were happy with your gifts. "

"I was --very happy," the boy answered quietly.
"But Frank, how could you be so impulsive?" his mother asked. "How will we
explain to the relatives who spent so much time and gave so much love
shopping for you?"
His father was firm. "You made your choice, Frank. We cannot afford any more
presents."
With his brother gone, and his family disappointed in him, Frank suddenly
felt dreadfully alone.
He had not expected a reward for his generosity, for he knew that a good
deed always should be its own reward. It would be tarnished otherwise. So he
did not want his gifts back; however he wondered if he would ever again
truly recapture joy in his life. He thought he had this evening, but it had
been fleeting. Frank thought of his brother, and sobbed himself to sleep.
The next morning, he came downstairs to find his parents listening to
Christmas music on the radio. Then the announcer spoke:
"Merry Christmas, everybody! The nicest Christmas story we have this morning
comes from the Flats. A crippled boy down there has a new sled this morning,
another youngster has a fine plaid jacket, and several families report that
their children were made happy last night by gifts from a teenage boy who
simply called himself the Christmas Scout. No one could identify him, but
the children of the Flats claim that the Christmas Scout was a personal
representative of old Santa Claus himself "
Frank felt his father's arms go around his shoulders, and he saw his mother
smiling through her tears. "Why didn't you tell us? We didn't understand. We
are so proud of you, son."
The carols came over the air again filling the room with music: " and peace
to men on Earth. "
Praises sing to God the King,
The Christmas Scout's sacrifice gives us a little peek at the sacrifice of
the Father when He gave up His Best, His Son to be born to die to pay for
our sins on the cross, to save His needy people from their sinful poverty of
righteousness.

"But when you give to the needy , do not let your left hand know what your
right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father,
who sees what is done in secret, will reward
you." Matthew 6:3-4 (NIV)

Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and
the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He
will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and
upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and
forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.


Kleenex Angels*

I first heard about Alex and his mom, Diane, from his first grade
teacher, my daughter. She had asked me to pray for him, and it
wrenched my heart as she explained the circumstances. Alex's mom had
cancer and wasn't expected to live much longer. In early December the
doctors admitted her to the hospital for what they considered to be
the final time.

A friend of mine took a small white lace angel to Diane's bedside, to
remind Alex that his mom would always be in the presence of angels.

Diane passed away two weeks before Christmas. Alex and his father took
the tiny angel home and placed it on top of their tree. When Alex
returned to his first grade classroom, he brought the little angel to
show his classmates. He carefully put it in a small box and handled it
oh, so lovingly. His classmates had known of Alex's mom’s serious
illness, and as he showed them this little lace angel, he shared that
his mother now resided in heaven.

I happened to stop by their classroom that day, and Alex opened the
box and showed me the angel. Tears ran down my face as I hugged Alex.
Before I knew it, one of his classmate was tugging at my skirt. She
held in her hand an angel made from a Kleenex tissue and scotch tape,
and as she handed it to me, she smiled shyly, "Here, this one is for
you!" How very sweet, I thought, and leaned down to thank her with a
hug.

That evening I spoke with my daughter on the phone. She told me that
shortly after I left the classroom, she looked around, and this little
girl had made Kleenex tissue angels for the entire clas. They were
everywhere- on desktops, backpacks, a few dropped on the floor, and
some in the pockets or hands of the first graders.

This child demonstrated God's love in action. She wanted to remind all
of us about God and His ministering angels. May we all have that type
of a heart this Christmas season...a heart ready to share God's love
with all who cross our path.

* This week’s message was written by my sister, Marion Smith. It
speaks of love-in-action, which is what Christmas is: God’s love
demonstrated towards us through Emmanuel, Christ with us.

ADVENT PRAYER

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming into the world to help us, whether Jew or
gentile, by offering us your wisdom. Thank you for coming to me today
through your word in Scripture, through your Body and Blood in the sacrifice
of the Mass.

I thank you, Lord, because through your holy will, through your only Son,
along with your Holy Spirit, you have created all things, both spiritual and
physical, making us in your own image and likeness.

You not only created us through your Son, but you redeemed us through him,
bringing him to birth, true God and true Man. Thank you for redeeming us
through his life and death. We can now look forward in hope to his Second
Coming in glory, when he will reward us all for our faithfulness. Amen.


Prayer for Trust in Jesus

O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things.


St. Ignatius of Loyola

Good night all and sweet dreams - may the Angels be with you all night long!
Have a wonderful Saturday - and don't forget to count your blessings!! God
Bless You All!