Community Chat

[gloriajean]

God's blessings come in packages both large and small. Sometimes
they are expected and sometimes not. Sometimes they are recognized
and sometimes not. Lord, thank you for the joy You light in me, even
in times of sorrow. Please use me to bless someone else.

S C R I P T U R E F O R T H E D A Y

"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and
tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you--you of
little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you
are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world
that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need
them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to
you as well." ~Luke 12:28-31

M E D I T A T I O N F O R T H E D A Y
When we seek to follow the way of the spirit, it frequently means a complete
reversal of the way of the world which we had previously followed. But it
can be a reversal that leads to happiness and peace.
Do the aims and ambitions that a person usually strives for bring peace?
Do the world's awards bring heart-rest and happiness? Or do they turn to
ashes in the mouth?

P R A Y E R F O R T H E D A Y
I pray that I may not be weary, disillusioned or disappointed. I pray that
I may not put my trust in the ways of the world, but in the way of the
spirit.

Hello to all you positive pals and grateful gals out there! Hope your day went well. Mine was ok - I had to learn a lesson. Never substitute flours in my own recipe for oatmeal bread to take out the wheat. Four little loaves that didn't rise as the flour was too heavy. Then later on, I used a recipe I found online that I had all the flours and it turned out very good, and it got way over the pan! It was a batter bread - I didn't have to knead it, just use the mixer and put in the pan. The recipe said she always puts it in a turned off oven to rise, and for 80 minutes. I did that, and it did a great job. I will be making that one again. It turned out nice and soft and no air bubbles! It's really fun to experiment like this and see if we notice a difference. Well, last night was not a good night for eating - We had wheat - in the spagetti dinner - also the garlic bread. Then we had cake at the friend's house. I woke up with a headache and had it for a long time. Linus felt sleepy and sluggish this morning, too, and we attributed it to the wheat being we're being aware of what we are eating now more.
Oh those little loaves can be used up - they are edible - just little. I am learning a lot, and that is good and a blessing I can still learn a lot! Guess we are never too old to learn.
These people last night - wow! They are quilters and the beautiful quilts on display was really something. I don't even sew.
One lady bought a real expensive quilting machine she showed us how it works.
My blessing today was a good loaf that turned out well - and an 8 hour day for Linus without too much pain.

Homily of the Day
January 22, 2011
Light or Darkness: Which Do You Bring?
by Monsignor Dennis Clark
Is 8:23—9:3 / 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17 / Mt 4:12-23 or 4:12-17
Some years ago there was a new eighth-grade class at the local parish school, and they were trouble! Negative and sniping, they were down on everything and everybody, most especially themselves. Nobody wanted to teach this class, until finally old Sister Ambrose volunteered.
She was a wise old nun, so she did something very simple. She gave each student a list of their classmates. ”Next to each name,” she said, “write down all the good things you know about that person. Don’t exaggerate or make up anything. Just write the good that you see and give me your papers on Friday.” And so they did.
Over the weekend, Sister read the students’ comments and then typed for each one a full page of all the good things the class saw in him or her. On Monday she handed them out.
The students were astonished. ”Is this me?” asked some. “I didn’t think anybody noticed,” said others. ”Wow, I can’t believe I’m this good!” said still others. And so it went.
Years later, when the class had scattered to the four winds, many of them returned for the funeral of one of the boys who had been killed in Vietnam. After the burial they were clustered around old Sister Ambrose when the dead soldier’s father came along.
“Thank you, Sister, for all your help to my boy,” he said. ”He grew up fine, just as you hoped, and he made us very proud. Now I want to return to you something you gave him long ago in the eighth grade.”
With that he pressed into her hand a yellowed piece of paper, folded very small to fit into a wallet, and falling apart now from being folded and unfolded, read and reread many times. It was the list Sister had typed for that shy boy so many years before!
Silently and tearfully each of his classmates reached into their wallets or purses and produced their own worn and yellowed sheets, which we falling apart from being folded and unfolded, read and reread many times across the years.
And old Sister Ambrose, now leaning heavily on her cane, sighed and whispered a silent prayer, “Thank you, God.”
+ + +
A small kindness cast its light like a beacon across many years. It pierced the darkness, and nothing could put it out.
May our light shine, and bring light to all we meet. And may it never grow dim. Amen.

Eucharistic Thoughts
"There is no better use of your time than that spent in fervent adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament."
Pope Paul VI
"The Church and the world have a great need of Eucharistic worship. Jesus waits for us in this Sacrament of Love. May our adoration never cease."
Pope John Paul II
"A thousand years of enjoying human glory is not worth even an hour spent in sweet communing with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament."
St. Padre Pio
"I fell in love with the Blessed Sacrament from the beginning and by the mercy of God never have fallen out again."
J.R.R. Tolkien
"The Blessed Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love: It signifies love, It produces love."
St. Thomas Aquinas
"Fortunate, indeed, are the souls called by God to a life of Perpetual Adoration!"
Father Jose Guadalupe Trevino
"The best, the surest and most effective way of establishing everlasting peace on the face of the earth is through the power of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament."
Pope John Paul II
"Happy the souls who in humble adoration surround the Sacred Monstrance and keep watch with Jesus!"
Father Lucas Etlin, O.S.B.
"O my children! Our Lord is hidden there waiting for us to come and visit Him and make our requests."
St. John Marie Vianney
"The Blessed Sacrament is our Heaven on earth."
St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
"After the Sacrifice of the Mass and the reception of Holy Communion, visiting the Blessed Sacrament is one of the richest sources of grace for souls."

MAYBE
Author Unknown
Maybe God wanted us to meet the wrong people before meeting the right
one so that when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to
be grateful for that gift.
Maybe when the door of happiness closes, another opens, but often
times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one
which has been opened for us.
Maybe the best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and
swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was
the best conversation you've ever had.
Maybe it is true that we don't know what we have got until we lose it,
but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until
it arrives.
Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love
you back. Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in
their heart; but if it does not, be content it grew in yours.
It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like
someone, and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget
someone.
Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that
fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a
smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your
heart smile.
There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just
want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real.
Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you
want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all
the things you want to do.
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make
you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you
happy.
Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you,
it probably hurts the other person, too.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have
searched, and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the
importance of people who have touched their lives.
Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss and ends with a tear.
The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you
can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and
heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was
smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you are the one who is
smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Strange..
Strange how simple it is for people to trash God and
then wonder why the world's going to h ell.
Strange how we believe what the newspapers say,
but question what the Bible says.
Strange how everyone wants to go to heaven
provided they do not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says.
Strange how someone can say
"I believe in God" but still follow Satan
(who, by the way, also "believes" in God).
Strange how jokes spread like wildfire,
but we think twice about sharing messages regarding the Lord.
Strange how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday,
but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week.
Strange how I can be more worried about what other people think of me
than what God thinks of me.
Help Me Lord, to grow closer to You, to love you without fear or hesitation, and to become a better Christian.
Help us to find You in our lives and see You in each other. Give us the strength to trust in You completely and truly believe that, as our Father, You have plans of happiness for each of us, even though sometimes it feels as though we are waiting forever.

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)
- - -
Matthew 26:41 - "Keep watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Closing Prayer:

Jesus Help Me

Jesus Help me. In every need let me come to you with a humble trust saying, Jesus help me. In all my doubts, perplexities and temptations, Jesus help me. In hours of loneliness, weariness and trials, Jesus help me. In failure of my plans and hopes, in disappointments, troubles and sorrows, Jesus help me.
When others fail me and your grace alone can assist me, Jesus help me. When I throw myself on your tender love, as my Lord and Savior, Jesus help me. When my heart is cast down by failure at seeing no good coming from my efforts, Jesus help me.
When I am ill and my head and hands cannot work and I am lonely, Jesus help me. Always, Always, in spite of weariness, falls and shortcomings of every kind, Jesus help me and never forsake me.
Almighty Lord, before you I come with all my faith, begging you for comfort in my difficulties. Do not forsake me, My Lord. Open your doors, that your almighty arms will open and close as you design to give that tranquility that I so desire.
Oh my God! Receive my supplication from a wounded heart that is always fighting for me with your Divine power. Never let me scramble for want of help.
Almighty Lord, assist me to find shelter in your celestial bounty forever.
Amen

Good night all! Sweet Dreams now and have a blessed Sunday! Don't forget to go to Church! He's waiting for you!