Hello my friends! Well tonight is Angie's last night here with us - we'll miss her, but are grateful for our nice time together all week! Tonight we were at Lori's for supper - she made ribs and after we ate we played the bag bean game - where you throw a little sack of beans to try to hit the middle of a board - anyway - it's fun! We played quite a few games and then went in the house a bit yet - the weather couldn't have been nicer. Now she went to bed and LInus is about to, so here I am. Thanks Cakers, Harlene and Lucy for your posts - and Lucy for your graphics and sharings and we'll pray for all your intentions. Another blessing was that at Mass tonight - here Father introduced us to a man who is a drummer, and will be playing at the Bazaar (Festival) in Sept. He's in Nashville, Tenn. and plays there. He brought his Mom to Church and he played drums with the choir. Ok, then when Father mentioned he came from Pierz, MN - well, that's my home town - and we (Angie and I) had to talk to him, here if his Mom is a sister to one of our classmates. And also her husband she said was good friends with my brother who got killed in a plane crash right after we married. Yes, we had such a nice visit with them both after Mass and with Father. Small world! What a blessing!!!
We don't choose how or when we will die, but we do decide how we will live.
Lord, forgive my frequent drifting and help me to see clearly the best path
for me.
Scripture for the day:
"Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."
~Matthew 18:20
Meditation for the day:
"Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." The
spirit of God can come upon God's followers when they are all together
at one time, in one place, and with one accord. When two or three
consecrated souls are together at a meeting place, the spirit of God is
there to help and guide them. Where any sincere group of people are
together, reverently seeking the help of God, God's power and God's
spirit are there to inspire them.
Prayer for the day:
I pray that I may be in accord with the members of my group. I pray
that I may feel the strength of a consecrated group.
Here's some food for thought:
FROGS
Author Unknown
A group of frogs was traveling through the woods, and two of them fell
into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit.
When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs
they would never get out.
The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the
pit. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good
as dead.
Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were
saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could.
Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and
suffering and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it
out.
When he got out, the other frogs asked him, "Why did you continue
jumping Didn't you hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was
deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
------------ --------- --------
This story teaches two lessons:
1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word
to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through
the day.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to
kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross
your path.
The power of words....it is sometimes hard to understand that an
encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that
tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.
Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.
May your words be a blessing to someone today.
Cell Phone vs. Bible. Get ready to be stepped on. Just say ouch!
I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible
like we treat our cell phones.
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?
Something to make you say hmmmmmm, and where is my Bible?
A Perfect Heart
One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that
he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered
and they all admired his heart, for it was perfect. There was not a mark or
a flaw in it.
Yes, they all agreed, it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever
seen. The young man was very proud, and boasted more loudly about his
beautiful heart.
Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said "Why, your
heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the young man
looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but was full of
scars. It had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in,
but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In
fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing.
The people stared. How can he say his heart is more beautiful?, they
thought.The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state and
laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine. Mine
is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears." "Yes," said the old man,
"Yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every
scar represents a person to whom I have given my love. I tear out a piece of
my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart
which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't
exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of
the love we shared. Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the
other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty
gouges - giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful,
they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I
hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do
you see what true beauty is?"
The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked
up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and
ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The
old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from
his old, scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart.
It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges.
" HER SWEET VOICE "
In contemplating the Mother of our Lord
Meditating upon her as Mother of the Word
I hear her sweet, soft, tender voice
And I feel my soul in gratitude rejoice.
What does she say to one such as me;
To ponder such, how the possibility?
She would say, "Child, follow my Son.
By His Blood your soul He has won."
Her voice is sweet, soft and tender
To her, reverence and love we render
We pray her Holy Rosary alone and together
And plead her graces in all kinds of weather.
Speak, Mother, your children are listening
Your holy purity and radiance are glistening;
Our souls are alit with the fire of love
As you show us the way to heav'n above
To Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Teaching us never to fear it
But to everlastingly endear it.
We hear your sweet and tender voice
And our souls within us gladly rejoice.
? Mel Patterson, 7-1-09
"God is as close as we permit Him to be."
Mel
http://www.poemhunter.com/mel-carmela-patterson/poems/
TO BE THANKFUL FOR
Author Unknown
The mess to clean after a party because it means I have been
surrounded by friends.
The taxes I pay because it means that I'm employed.
The clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough
to eat.
My shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the
sunshine.
A lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that
need fixing because it means I have a home.
All the complaining I hear about our government because it means we
have freedom of speech.
The space I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I
am capable of walking.
My huge heating bill because it means I am warm.
The lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means that
I can hear.
The piles of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to
wear.
Weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I
have been productive.
The alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means
that I'm alive.
Getting too much email bogs me down but at least I know I have
friends who are thinking of me.
Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when The alarm rings, thank
you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.
Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long
as possible, thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.
Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising, thank you Lord,
that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.
Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost,
toast is burned and tempers are short, thank you, Lord, for My family.
There are many who are lonely.
Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in
magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced, thank you, Lord, for
the food we have. There are many who are hungry;
Even though the routine of my job often is hard, thank you, Lord, for
the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.
Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my
circumstances were not so modest, thank you, Lord, for life.
Pass this on to the friends you know.
A friend is someone we turn to when our spirits need a lift.
A friend is someone we treasure for our friendship is a gift.
A friend is someone who fills our lives with Beauty, Joy, and Grace
and makes the world we live in A Better and Happier Place.
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