Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Hello my friends! Hope your day went well and you found lots of things to be grateful for. Tonight we went to a Praise and Worship Song Fest at the Cathedral Catholic Church in town. Our friends, the Fromm's are so musically talented - she on the piano, he on the guitar and they sing beautifully - Once a month they do this ministering to us at the Church, with beautiful Charismatic songs we used to sing at our Prayer Meetings where we met them. It sure does uplift our spirits when we go there, amongst friends. The priest, pastor of that parish is there too. I'm very grateful we went tonight - some nights when they have it we can't be there.

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.

What the Pine Trees Told Me

I paused by a quiet lake in the moonlight and listened, and this is what the
pine trees said to me:

"We have grown tall, because we have grown straight. We have grown big
because we have reached for the stars. We have learned that the way to
increase our height is to keep growing. We have grown strong because we have
rooted deep in the good earth. We have been patient, for we have learned
that it takes time to grow a great tree.

We have faced life bravely as it came: sunshine, and storm, snow and rain.
We have filled the air with the sweet aroma of our needles and have given
shade to those who came our way. We have known the joy of service by
sheltering with our branches the nests of birds. We have been still and
listened to God and we have seen His face in the dawning of each new day."

The pines were silent then, swaying as though in benediction. And I walked
away beneath the stars meditating on their message.

ARE YOU JESUS?
Author Unknown

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales
convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be
home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner.

In their rush, with tickets and brief-cases, one of these salesmen
inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of baskets of
apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they
all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed
boarding.

All but one. He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his
feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose
apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved goodbye, told one of
them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and
explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal
where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears
running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time
helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about
her, no one stopping, and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put
them into the baskets, and helped set the display up once more. As he
did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and
bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl,
"Here, please take this $20 for the damage we did. Are you okay?"

She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't
spoil your day too badly."

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called
out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those
blind eyes.

She continued, "Are you Jesus?"

He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way
to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing
about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?"

Do people mistake you for Jesus?

That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people
cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that
is blind to His love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would.
Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church.
It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day. You are the
apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He
stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called
Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

Let us live like we are worth the price He paid.


USE CAUTION WHEN ASKING!
By Marion Smith

Jeremiah 29:11

We arrived at the 5 story Embassy Suite in Detroit, Mich.,
ready to unpack and settle in. “May I see which room we will be in?”,
I asked. The receptionist showed me the floor plan of the hotel, and
I proceeded to pick the perfect room for us. Only a few had balconies-
fresh air was a must for me ! And, I had noticed when we walk in,
there were a lot of birds in two trees out front. . perfect.. I want
to hear those birds chirping their cheerful morning songs! As I opened
the sliding glass doors to allow the refreshing cool breeze into our
room, I was assaulted with the unrelenting drone of cars traveling on
the freeway nearby. “Well,” I thought” that is o.k., the fresh air
and balcony is worth the noise.” As we closed the door for the night,
we were unable to shut out the freeway noise. The next morning we
awoke and I could hardly wait to open those sliding doors and listen
for the birds chirping their sweet songs from the trees. Instead I
heard a raucous racket of angry mother birds protecting their nests in
the eve above our balcony. As other variety of birds would sweep
toward their nests, they would holler and squawk unmercifully. The
sounds they made grated my nerves and I finally closed the door,
trying to shut out some of the noise.

I was so disappointed- I had received exactly what I had
asked for, and it turned out to be.. ”not so good”- to say the
least!

This scenario reminded me how cautious I should be when I
go to God with a request. Answers which I think may be “perfect” are
not always so. Actually, my plans are very often quite bad, and
always short sighted. God tells us in the Bible that –He has plans
for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a
hope and a future( Jeremiah 29:11).-. I really need to be careful, as
I pray, to seek God’s wisdom (looking in His Word) and praying for His
guidance as I place my requests at the foot of His throne. I must
always remember that He sees the big picture- not just a short term
solution or a quick fix for something which I think needs immediate
attention. When prayers are not answered in the way I had hoped, I
need to return to that scripture which reminds me that God has a
wonderful plan for my life and that of each person I pray for. Then I
need to thank Him for being, and staying, in control.

We need to get away at times
From life's demanding ways
And find some quiet, little nook
in which to dream or pray

A small escape from daily trials
that temper joys of life
and burden us with little fears
that add to tears of strife

a private place where we can be
alone in God's embrace
and dream, a little, and dwell, a little
in arms of Holy Grace

A place to rest our heart and soul
against what is to be
when return to what we left
and what we can't foresee.

--author unknown


Ask, Search, Knock

We can be embarrassed by prayer of petition for sometimes we feel that we
pray only when we want something. Jesus tells us not to have such
inhibitions. The prayer of petition is natural because it expresses our
awareness of our relationship with God. We are creatures who are not our own
beginning or last end. Christ is glorified by what we ask the Father in his
name. Because of God´s love for us we can ask for anything.

Prayer

Father, teach me to pray. Fill my lips with words that you want to hear. You
are the Holy One whom all should honor and revere. May your Kingdom come in
the fullness of time. I pray that the love of you may permeate the universe.

Give us the food we need each day, food for body, food for soul. I need your
forgiveness for my faults and failings. I am often proud and over-confident,
not remembering that I can do little without your help. Teach me the way to
forgive and forget. Help me not to have bitterness within me. Give me the
spirit, Lord, to forgive those who sinned against me. Do not let me wander
to occasions of sin.

Help me to love you with all my heart, loving my neighbor as myself. May I
always be humble enough to say "Your will be done". You know, Lord, what is
best for me and those around me. As I storm heaven with prayer, you are
listening, giving what I need. Thank you, Lord, for all you did for me.
Don´t forget me in the months and years to come. Give me the chance to honor
and praise you for all eternity. Amen.