Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Every decision we make is not critical nor is every mistake fatal.
Lord, help me keep things in perspective and avoid the panic such
thinking creates.


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

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest." ~Matthew 11:28

M E D I T A T I O N F O R T H E D A Y

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest." For rest from the cares of life, we can
turn to God each day in prayer and communion. Real relaxation and
serenity come from a deep sense of the fundamental goodness of the
universe. God's everlasting arms are underneath all and can support
us. We can commune with God, not so much for petitions to be granted
as for the rest that comes from our relying on God's will and God's
purposes for our lives. We can be sure of God's strength available to
us, and conscious of God's
support. We can wait quietly until that true rest from God fills our
being.

P R A Y E R F O R T H E D A Y

I pray that I may be conscious of God's support today. I pray that I
may rest safe and sure therein.

Hello my friends! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas time - most of you spent it with family and friends, as we did, just our family and Greg who will be a part of our family some day. Christmas Eve was at Lori's house - and after the gift giving - and our traditional home made pizza, we enjoyed a game or two of Apples to Apples, and we got home late! From Lori, Oh my Gosh! she paid for six hours to have my house cleaned by a professional! I never ever had this, so wow! She knows there are some things that I cannot do anymore, and she says just to have her clean what I cannot do. Maybe I should wait and have her do the spring cleaning? There will be two of them. Darla gave us some money for air fare to come to Texas for Easter. And Christmas Day they all came and spent the whole day with us. We started a new tradition now for Christmas day - a Mexican Lasagna! Delicious!! They were here until 10:30 last night! Then Greg and Darla went to Greg's parent's - just 10 miles away, to spend the night because today is their celebration. Tomorrow morning Darla will be here for Breakfast - and visit - I think I'll make some pancakes.
My blessings this week are my family that God gave us, the few days off Linus is having now - until tomorrow when he works at 11 again, getting to know Greg better is a blessing too. He's a really nice and considerate man and he really loves Darla as she loves him, and proves it by taking good care of her.
I cannot remember a time when Darla was able to spend Christmas Day with us, so this was such a blessing!
Darla and Greg did have some snow in Ames, Iowa all the way to Mpls. on their way here - and it was awful, but our prayers for their safe traveling helped and although they saw cars in the ditches, they kept on going and got there safe! I sent all the Angels they needed to protect them on the way!


Homily of the Day


December 25, 2010


Now We´ve Seen Him Face to Face
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Is 9:1-6 / Ti 2:11-14 / Lk 2:1-14

At Christmas time many years ago, during the Korean War, an old priest was
visiting the wounded. He came upon a very young soldier whose spine had
been shattered by a bullet. He was lying face down in a canvas cradle. A
round hole was cut in the bottom of the cradle for his face. But all he
could see was the floor. Thousand of miles from home, and fearing he'd
never walk again, he felt utterly alone, cut off from all the world as he
stared at that floor hour after hour. He talked to the priest in hushed
tones, and then after awhile, he asked softly, "Father, could I see your
face? I feel so alone. It would help me a lot, if I could just see your
face a little while."

And so, carefully, with creaking joints, the old priest got down on his
knees, then over on his back, and ever so slowly inched his way under the
cradle till at last the boy could see him - face to face - and know for a
little while that he wasn't alone.

That's what we've always longed for as we stumble through the cold and the
dark, trying to find our way. We long to see our Father face to face and to
know for sure we're not alone. We long for his warmth, his light, and his
strength. And now on this holy night, our deepest longing is fulfilled and
our dream has come true. For as we look upon that tiny face in the manger,
we know at last what God is really like: He's the one who loves us with a
love beyond all telling, and he holds nothing back.

As we see this child and as we know the man he'll become, we know in our
hearts we'll never be alone or cold or afraid again. For God's son Jesus,
our brother Jesus, has come to light our darkness, to warm our coldness, and
to show us the way home!

So on this Christmas feast we celebrate and we sing with the angels: Glory
to God! Glory to God in the highest!


Hot Dogs for Christmas


One Christmas eve a prosperous businessman was hurrying to the butcher shop
before closing time. "Are you buying your Christmas roast?" a friend asked.
" No. Only hot dogs," he answered.



Then he explained that long ago a bank failure had completely wiped out his
fortune. He faced Christmas with no job, no money for gifts, and less than a
dollar for food. He and his wife and small daughter said grace before dinner
that year and then ate a Christmas dinner of hot dogs. His wife had
decorated each of them, giving them toothpicks for legs and broom straws for
tails and whiskers. Their little girl was delighted and her radiant joy
spread to all of them.


After dinner they gave thanks again for the most loving and festive time
they had ever had together.


"Now it's a tradition," said the once again prosperous man. "Hot dogs for
Christmas - they remind us of that happy day when we realized that we still
had one another and our God-given sense of humor."


Welcome, Prince of Peace!

(Is 9:1-6; Lk 2:1-14) A child is born to us. Mary and Joseph hover over him,
their faces bright as stars. Shepherds kneel in humble worship, and angels
sing his glory. Brother Ox and Sister Lamb amble up to the manger. Christ
our Light has come into the world. Our Advent journey ends in adoration.

- from Catholic Update

SOMEONE ELSE'S BIRTHDAY
By Sally I. Kennedy
December 25, 2010


She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and
placed him in a manger. Luke 2:7


After Christmas, a few years ago, I received an email from a family
friend, a young mom who was commenting on her toddler's take on
Christmas.

"I think my son will really look forward to Christmas next year - now
that he gets it - on the kid level anyway. He knows it is Jesus'
Birthday and I think he's pretty impressed that on someone else's
birthday - he gets all the gifts!"

Short and sweet. Profound truth. The "kid level" is where I hope I'm
at now this time of year has rolled around. For a lot of reasons,
particularly because it's Someone else's birthday.

Happy birthday, Jesus!

Closing Prayer:

Praise to You, Lord God!

You have become one of us -- You have become a human being, while still
retaining all your power and holiness as God!

You, O Lord, made the journey of the unborn child. By being an embryo, a
fetus, and a newborn, you joined all unborn and newborn children to you!

From the beginning of history, O Lord, You were the Creator of every human
life. Now, with Christmas, You join Yourself in an unthinkable way with the
life You created.

Let this Christmas, O God, fill all of us with awe and wonder at how close
human life is to You. Cleanse the world of all that tarnishes and rejects
this gift. Purify our hearts of all that fears this gift.

Let our Christmas joy be the joy of welcoming every human life! Amen!

Have a blessed Sunday, everyone!