Community Chat

[gloriajean]

The choices we make today have far reaching effects. Lord, please guide
me in all of the decisions that I make.

Scripture for the day:

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,
you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to
death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? ~Romans 6:16

Meditation for the day:

I can arise from the death of sin and selfishness and put on a new life of
integrity. All the old sins and temptations can be laid in the grave and a
new existence rise from the ashes. Yesterday is gone. As my sins are
forgiven, I can honestly try to do God's will today. Today is here, and the
time of resurrection and renewal approaches. I can start now, today, to
build a new life of complete faith and trust in God and a determination to
do God's will in all things.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may share in making the world a better place to live in. I
pray that I may do what I can to bring goodness a little nearer to the
earth.

Peace of Jesus to you all!! Hope your day went well. More good news for us
today - the rates got even lower and we are now locked in at 3.875 for 30
years, not the 10 year arm. I think that's the lowest possible we could
get!! Praise the Lord! God definitely watches over us - when we ask and
trust in Him. Another blessing - after a long day at work, his feet didn't
hurt, but his body is tired and exhausted, and he has to be to work at 7 in
the morning until 4:30. Thank God his feet are taken care of now! More
answers to prayers - thank you so much for praying!!

Homily of the Day


August 10, 2011


Are You a Cheerful Giver?
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

2 Cor 9:6-10 / Jn 12:24-26

"God loves a cheerful giver," Paul says so in today’s reading. And it’s
true, but the fact is that giving things away can be a very scary business.
Lurking right under the surface are all sorts of fears: "If I give this
away, am I going to have enough for myself? What if I run out? I could be
destitute! I can’t give this away."

Sometimes, possessing a particular thing, or job, or role can be so
important to us that our identity gets all wrapped up in it. And the thought
of giving it away sends chills down our spine. "If I give it away, who will
I be? Will they still like me when I don’t have this or that anymore?"

And then there’s the business of giving our time or ourselves in friendship:
"What if they make too many demands on me? Will I get hurt? Will I able to
escape?" On and on it goes.

No doubt about it, giving things away – especially when it’s ourselves — can
be a scary business. But it doesn’t have to be, for if our giving is
wholehearted, with our entire attention focused on the other person and not
on ourselves, and if there’s no holding back, something remarkable happens:
we don’t experience the giving away as loss, but as gain. The recipient’s
joy becomes ours.

Never is this more clear than when we give our full attention to a suffering
friend and willingly share his or her pain and don’t run away from it. That
ought to be entirely sad, but somehow in the self-forgetfulness that comes
from focusing entirely on another’s needs, there is joy and comfort. And
that’s what Paul was talking about: day by day investing so thoroughly in
others that we experience their joys, as if they were our own. This was the
joy that Jesus knew.

May this joy be yours every day of your life. Amen.

10 Suggestions to Help Develop a Healthy Self-Image


Here are 10 suggestions to help you develop and maintain a healthy
self-image. Read them slowly. Meditate on them regularly.
1. Hate your sin, but never hate yourself.

2. Be quick to repent.

3. When God gives you light, walk in it.

4. Stop saying negative things about yourself. God loves you and it's wrong
to hate what He loves. He has great plans for you, so you're in conflict
with Him when you speak negatively concerning your future.

5. Never be afraid to admit that you've made a mistake and don't always
assume that when things go wrong, it must be 'my fault'.

6. Don't meditate excessively on what you've done, right or wrong; both of
these activities keep your mind on you! Center your thoughts on Christ.

7. Take good care of yourself physically. Make the best of what God gave you
to work with, but don't be obsessed with your appearance.

8. Never stop learning but don't allow your education to become a point of
pride. God doesn't use you because of what's in your head: He uses you
because of what's in your heart.

9. Realize that your talents are a gift, not something you have manufactured
yourself; never look down on people who can't do what you do.

10. Don't despise your weaknesses they keep you dependent on God.

A NEW PRESCRIPTION

Are you needing a prescription for
what's ailing you today?
Well, gather round folks and listen
to what I have to say.

The best thing about it, is it won't
cost you a dime;
All it's gonna take is a little of
your time.

The medicine that I prescribe is
J-E-S-U-S....FOR YOU;
Just read the label in His book
and do just what it says to do.

Take a spoonful of worship and
a spoonfull of praise;
It will cure all your aches and pains
if you do just what it says!

Take a mouthful of joy and another
of belief;
From the trouble you've been having
you will quickly find relief!

Take a great big swallow of faith
and another one of hope;
I promise you it won't be long
till you find that you can cope!

Take a huge dose of forgiveness
and a large dose of love;
Then throw out all those pills of
depression and give thanks to
your God above!

I promise you'll feel better soon
and there'll be no doctor bills;
For God's your new physician
and He'll cure all your ills!

You won't need an appointment
He will see you night or day;
You don't need no insurance
For that He already paid!

He's always in His office
just waiting there for your call;
Whatever might be ailing you
He has the cure-all!

I'll bet you're feeling better already!
Well let's give Him a big praise offering!

~Helen Johnson~


Work

The desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. Proverbs 13:4

Regardless of whether your work is in an office or in your home
or in your home office, each morning when you open your eyes,
you've got a job to do. God is pleased when you apply yourself
diligently to the task He's given you. It may be pleasant work, or
it may not be so pleasant. Whatever it is, see it as your gift to your
Heavenly Father for the day. Do it as if He were watching your every
step... because He is.

The sleep of a laborer is sweet. Ecclesiastes 5:12

It could be that God has asked you to work in relative obscurity,
where no one sees and no one knows how diligently you labor.
Sometimes you wonder if what you do really matters---it does.
God will not forget you. he will be your companion day after day.
And He will reward you one day in front of everyone. Labor on,
child of God. Sleep well at night knowing that God is pleased with you.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit
O Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten me, guide me,
strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I should do - give me Your orders. I
promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me and to accept all that
You permit to happen to me. Let me only know Your will.

-Cardinal Mercier

Good night everyone! Sweet Dreams! May you all have a wonderful day
tomorrow! God Bless you!