Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Most often a gentle approach is the best resolution to a conflict.

Lord, I have been given today to improve myself and make life

better for others. Help me walk in the way that You lead me.

Scripture for the day:

"For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field,

God's building." ~1 Corinthians 3:9

Meditation for the day:

We are God's servants. We can serve God cheerfully and readily.

Nobody likes a servant who avoids extra work, who complains about

being called from one task to do one less enjoyable. A master would

feel that he was being ill served by such a servant. But is that not

how we so often serve God? We can view our day's work in this light.

We can try to do our day's work the way we believe God wants us to do

it, never shirking any responsibility and often going out of our way

to be of service.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may be a good servant. I pray that I may be willing to

go out of my way to be of service.

Hello my friends! We went to Mass tonight because we are in for a snow storm Sunday - Lori came over tonight for supper, she is feeling much better, and stayed to play some Dominoes with us - it was a lot of fun - what a blessing she is!! Then when she left - it already started snowing, she called when she got home, said the roads weren't bad yet, it's always good to know when they are home safe. A lot of inches are predicted - we'll see how much we actually get. Good thing Ron is already in Rochester now - instead of waiting to leave Sunday. Monday he'll get some tests, and soon surgery. Praying for you all - thanks for your prayers for us.

…. he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

Starters and Stoppers

Are you a starter or a stopper? If I had to answer that, I would probably hedge and say somewhere in between…a slider.

I love beginnings – new projects, ideas. The excitement of it fuels my adrenalin. Getting going is good, then I’m into it and it’s great, then the hard work begins of hanging in there and doing the daily ‘whatever it requires’ to keep committed. That’s when the rubber hits the road. Either it’s a commitment or it’s not….

The gym and exercise is one example. Hmmm, wonder how many times I have been determined to follow a fitness path? Usually it’s fairly good in the beginning; before long it is taking a backseat priority wise. Bible reading is another. I actually just made a pact with someone to read through the Bible in a year. It’s a great plan, do-able with not too much reading each day. The catch is it is every day. It won’t go well if I fudge and the days and readings pile up. Experience teaches that is when interest wanes and my commitment might fade.

As I was sitting down to read today’s four chapters, a couple errands I need to run popped into my mind. One good thing I realized, at that moment, was that, no matter what, God always keeps His commitments.

God is not a slider; He is a starter, never a stopper. That is good news.

He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations. Deuteronomy 7:9

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1 Corinthians 1:9

He will keep you strong to the end. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." 1 Corinthians 1:8, Matthew 28:20

The Lord will fulfill [his purpose] for me. Psalm 138:8

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you." Deuteronomy 31:8

My Prayer

By Helen Steiner Rice from

"A Book of Blessings"

Bless me, heavenly Father -

forgive my erring ways.

Grant me strength to serve Thee,

put purpose in my days.

Give me understanding,

enough to make me kind.

So I may judge all people

with my heart not my mind.

Teach me to be patient

in everything I do,

Content to trust Your wisdom

and to follow after You.

Help me when I falter

and hear me when I pray,

And receive me in Thy kingdom

to dwell with Thee someday.

O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who

Trusts in You, Psalm 84:12

Amen.

TRUE REPENTANCE

Author Unknown

God... commanded all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30b).

True repentance is keenly painful, but very beneficial in

its results. Some people easily forget their period of repentance;

other never do. This is referring to the period when a person fully

feels what one has been. The Spirit of God allows Christians to lose

all memory of horrible pit and miry clay of sins out of which God has

delivered them. The apostle Paul never forgot what he was; and that

memory reminded him that he became what he "now is" by the

marvelous grace of God.

Repentance does not mean that you will never commit those

sins again. It means that you have, by God's grace, reached a place

where you do positively the other things. The only truly repentant

person, in the fullest analysis, is the person who allows God to deal

with what was wrong - sin.

Set your heart and mind toward God and let the holy light of

Jesus Christ search through every wrong and opening. The result will

be a marvelous readjustment of your whole life.

MOST RICHLY BLESSED!

Sometimes I wonder when things go so wrong,

Has God forsaken and left me alone.

Then I remember to follow His quest,

He's always with me, I'm most richly blessed.

I asked for strength that I might achieve,

I was given weakness that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked for health that I might do great things,

I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

I asked for riches that I might be happy,

I was given poverty that I might be wise.

I asked for power that I might have the praise of men,

I was made weak that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life,

I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for but everything that I'd hoped for,

And almost despite myself, I am among men, MOST RICHLY BLESSED!

HE'S ALWAYS WITH ME, I AM MOST RICHLY BLESSED!

- Author Unknown

Would You Be Jesus?

Would you be Jesus to the man who lives

In the streets without a home?

If he were thirsty, would you give him a drink,

Or comfort him when he's alone?

Could you be Jesus to the girl who's lost,

As she searches for love in vain,

While selling herself for a price each day

In a life that brings her such shame?

Do you smile at someone as they pass you by,

Or offer a kind word or two?

Your actions could help the lonely and lost,

If they could see Jesus in you.

Do your eyes reflect that place in your heart

That only Jesus can fill?

Is your time too little that you cannot stop

To seek and learn His will?

- Author Unknown

The Names of Jesus

To the ARTIST He is the One Altogether Lovely.

To the ARCHITECT He is the Chief Corner Stone.

To the BAKER He is the Living Bread.

To the BANKER He is the Hidden Treasure.

To the BIOLOGIST He is the Life.

To the BUILDER He is the Sure Foundation.

To the CARPENTER He is the Door.

To the DOCTOR He is the Great Physician.

To the EDUCATOR He is the Great Teacher.

To the ENGINEER He is the New and Living Way.

To the FLORIST He is the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley.

To the GEOLOGIST He is the Rock of Ages.

To the HORTICULTURIST He is the True Vine.

To the JUDGE He is the Righteous Judge, Judge of All Men.

To the JEWELER He is the Pearl of Great Price.

To the LAWYER He is the Counselor, the Lawgiver, the Advocate.

To the NEWSPAPER He is the Good Tidings of Great Joy.

To the PHILANTHROPIST He is the Unspeakable Gift.

To the PHILOSOPHER He is the Wisdom of God.

To the PREACHER He is the Word of God.

To the SCULPTOR He is the Living Stone.

To the SERVANT He is the Good Master.

To the STATESMAN He is the Desire of All Nations.

To the STUDENT He is the Incarnate Truth.

To the THEOLOGIAN He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

To the TOILER He is the Giver of Rest.

To the SINNER He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World.

To the CHRISTIAN He is the Son of the Living God, the Savior, the Redeemer and the Lord.

- Author Unknown