Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Hello my friends! Just want to say Juanita, your Skeeter is just one year older than Sammy! I'm thinking of cutting out his chicken jerky treats that has the Glo. and chon. in it because he's coughing more, and maybe he has an allergy to it. Poor doggie! Today we had a 5:30 Mass this evening for All Saints Day - Father gave a wonderful homily on Saints. We should all strive to be saints, all live lives according to God's Will, and to stop and think what God's plan is for us and if we're living in His plan. Lots to think about. He always gives such good homilies! The Mass was my greatest blessing - spending time with my husband was a close second. What are your blessings?

Pray even when your heart has no words rather than to pray words

with no heart. Lord, You faithfully answer all prayers. I will trust in

Your answers and never take Your love for granted.

Scripture for the day:

"I believe; help my unbelief!" ~Mark 9:24

Meditation for the day:

"I believe; help my unbelief!" This cry of the human heart is an

expression of human frailty. It signifies the soul's sincere desire

for progress. As we feel the existence of God and God's power, we can

believe in God more and more. At the same time, we can be more

conscious of our falling short of absolute trust in God. The soul's

progress is an increasing belief, then a cry for more faith, a plea to

conquer all unbelief, all lack of trust. We can believe that this cry

is heard by God and that this prayer is answered in due time. And so

our faith can grow, little by little, day by day.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that with more power in my life will come more faith. I pray

that I may come to trust God more each day.

Mother Teresa Said...

Am I convinced of Christ's love for me and mine for Him?

This conviction is like sunlight which makes

the sap of life rise and the buds of sanctity bloom.

This conviction is the rock on which sanctity is built.

Give Me Strength

If Satan's way I seek to go,

Lord, give me courage to tell him, "No."

Don't let my soul be led astray.

Please, give me strength for one more day.

And if I fall along the way,

Then lift me up, Oh Lord, I pray.

For, Satan's strong and I am weak.

Your tender mercies I will seek.

Your love is strong, your grace I need

When Satan makes my spirit bleed.

Give me strength, Oh Lord, I pray -

To fight this demon, day by day.

Satan's working overtime,

Trying his best to change my mind.

But if you'll help me, Lord, I know

His evil seeds will never grow.

For, you are mightier than the sword.

I've chosen you to be my Lord.

So give me strength, Oh God, I pray;

By standing in the devils way.

Vickie Lambdin

If I Could Only Do It All Over Again..

Anyone celebrating any birthday beyond seventy is repeatedly pestered with

the usual question, "What was the secret of your long life?"

An elderly nun, Sister Ruth, was asked, "What would you do if you had a

chance to do it all over again?"

She said, "As you see, I'm a nun. As such, I belong to a group of orderly,

organized people who live a regular and healthy life. So that's what I did,

too. But there were times when I had my silly moments. And if I could do it

all over again, I would like to have more of those silly moments. In other

words, the next time around, I would not do so much planning. I would leave

more to chance. You know, I'm one of those people who carry around a

thermometer, hot water bottle and raincoat - just in case. The next time

around, I would leave all that gear at home. I would get up before dawn and

walk barefoot in the dewy grass. I would take a ride or two on a

merry-to-round. And I would not trouble my head about what anyone else

thought about it."

What this gray-haired Sister was saying was: "I'd trust in God more... and

leave most of the running of my life to him."

MY DAILY PRAYER

O my God, I place my trust and confidence in You, Who will reward the good

and punish the wick ed. I believe in You and accept everything You have

taught and revealed.

I believe that in one God there are three Divine Persons- God the Father,

God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

I believe that God became Man without ceasing to be God. He is Jesus Christ,

my Lord and Savior, the Redeemer of human race. He died on the cross for my

salvation and eternal happiness.

O my God, give me a strong faith. Help me to believe with lively faith.

O my God, all-good and all merciful, I sincerely hope to be saved. Help me

to do all that is necessary to gain eternal salvation.

I have committed many sins in my life, but now I turn away from them. I am

sorry, truly sorry, for all of them, because I have offended You, my God,

Who are all-good, all-perfect, all-holy and all-merciful.

I love You, O my God, with all my heart. Please forgive me for having

offended You. I promise that, with Your help, I will never offend You again.

My God, have mercy on me. Amen.

PICTURE PERFECT

By Rhonda Rhea

September 13, 2009

The news was disturbing. What did they mean I needed a new publicity

photo? Hadn't I just had a new photo taken-when was it-ten years ago?

The bigger factor to consider was that I only had one chin in the ten

year old picture. Since I hit 40 I'd discovered an additional chin

every year or so. Now if I raise my head to reduce the number of

chins, I get a photo that's more of an "up the nose" shot. Now there's

an attractive look. I figured I'd use the one-chin photo until Jesus

comes again (and gives me my glorified, uni-chinned body).

Besides, don't these people understand how difficult it is to plan

that one good hair and clothes day of the quarter to land on the same

day as the photo shoot? Everyone knows you that before a photo shoot

you have to endure three weeks of salad. Only salad. And a good hair

day? That's more complicated to predict a solar flare. You never know

when the perfect, photo-worthy hair day is going to pop up.

I reluctantly agreed to have the new photo made anyway, even though I

cheated for two and a half of the three salad weeks. I knew it wasn't

going to be easy when the day started with a hairdo that reminded me a

little of Einstein's. Oh well, at least I'll look smart, I thought.

The photographer asked chatty questions about my family as she

arranged my shoulders this way, my head that way. She put my right arm

in, I put my right arm out, but at least I fought off the urge to

shake it all about.

When I mentioned my five kids the chipper lady tried to offer a

compliment: "Wow, you look pretty good for a person who's had five

kids." What did that mean? Could she just have easily said something

like, "Wow you don't look half bad for a person who's been plastered

by a giant cement truck?"

I made a mental note. Next time I have to get a new photo made I'm

taking a friend along for moral support. I have friends who could've

taken this girl (in the most loving, Christian way, I'm sure). It's

always good to have a friend in your corner.

If you're experiencing a bit of a lean friendship time, let me

encourage you to invest some time in developing one or two. Proverbs

15:17 says, "Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a

fattened calf with hatred." I think that means that a photo shoot with

no friends can be compared to three weeks of salad, but having a

friend along is better than an all-you-can- eat buffet with a build-

your-own sundae bar.

Everyone needs a good friend. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, "Two are

better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For

if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is

alone when he falls for he has no one to help him up."

Good friendships don't develop without work. Everyone who wants to

have a good friend must become a good friend. We need to learn to love

others with the unselfish, self-sacrificing love of Christ. Jesus

said, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you" (John

15:12).

We become a good friend to another when want the best for that person,

even if it means we're called to sacrifice our own needs and desires.

Romans 12:10 instructs to "Honor one another above yourselves." We're

instructed to love with a Jesus kind of grace and with his kind of

humility and patience. Ephesians 4:2 says, "Be completely humble and

gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

"Bearing with one another in love" means being a loyal friend and

learning to repeatedly forgive. Colossians 3:13tells us to "Bear with

each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one

another.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you." And Proverbs 17:17says, "A true

friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of

need."(TLB)

We need to develop "photographic memories" regarding our friends'

needs, yet keep the ability to snip up an offenses, forgiving without

reservation, without even hanging onto the negatives.

As for my publicity photo, let's just say I'm not exactly ecstatic

over the negatives on that one either. And I'll probably be living

with them for another ten years.