Community Chat

[gloriajean]

We are partially responsible for every wrong which we had the power
to prevent. Lord, grant me the courage to not look the other way when
I could make a difference.

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

"There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy
habitation of the Most High." Psalm 46:4

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

We seem to live not only in time but also in eternity. If we abide with
God and God abides with us, we may bring forth spiritual fruit which can
last for eternity. If we live with God, our lives can flow as some calm
river through the dry land of earth. It can cause the trees and flowers
of the spiritual life--love and service--to spring forth and yield
abundantly. Spiritual work may be done for eternity, not just for now.
Even here on earth we can live as though our real lives were eternal.

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

I pray that I may try to make my life like cool river in a thirsty land.
I pray that I may give freely to all who ask my help.

Hello my friends! Hope your day went well. Two friends contacted me on Facebook, that was nice, and I got an email from another friend that I haven't heard from in awhile. I was typing her out a long letter on MSN when I checked something and the letter was gone! I wish I would have copied it first - it was already a long letter, so I didn't have time to re-write it yet, will have to do that tonight. I met this lady many years ago on a different list - and she's been on my list, and she's so busy taking an on line class which is why I haven't heard from her for awhile. Nice to catch up on our lives. So these were blessings for today for me along with all my daily blessings too numerous to mention! Well, one thing I found out today that was a concern for me - Linus' MRI shows he should have surgery. The workman's comp lady is scheduling an appt. for him to see the orthepedic dr. This is scary because he was told that if he has surgery on those two tears, it would be bone on bone then. That's not good. He's going to have to give this a lot of thought and prayer. Please help us pray for the right decision to be made. Surgery usually is the last resort. Today, forgot to mention, another blessing was that he signed up at the Senior Center for exercise machines and weight lifting and Dr. Mike says he should exercise the knee - maybe that's what he needs - to get it stronger. He said after he learns how to do the weights etc. there he'll sign me up and he'll show me what to do. He's also thinking of volunteering at the Good Earth Food Coop - and then we can get a good discount on our groceries there. 15 hours of work will be 15% off when we buy groceries. Every little bit helps. He only worked 4 hours today and his knee hurt. He works 8 hours on Sat. Please pray.
Tomorrow Lori turns 36! That's my baby!

Homily of the Day


February 23, 2011


What You Have Received as a Gift, Give as a Gift
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Sir 4:11-19/ Mk 9:38-40

Hardly a day goes by without serving up ample evidence that few of us understand or at least remember the basic truth that everything we have – our life, our talents, our world – everything we have is an unearned gift from God. And that all these gifts have been entrusted into our hands FOR A TIME, with the instruction to handle them respectfully and to carry them where they’re needed.

That’s the truth, but we so easily forget it and come to think of our gifts as ours and ours alone, clutching them possessively to our breast. We see that in today’s gospel, where the apostles are outraged that some man who was not a member of their group was nevertheless casting out demons in Jesus’ name. Somehow they’d come to think of this power as something that BELONGED to them and was for their sole use and discretion.

They still had a lot to learn, and they’d not yet taken into their hearts Jesus’ words, “What you have received as a gift, give as a gift.”

We each have different gifts and talents, and for each of us there are people to whom God intended those gifts to be carried. Learning how to carry our gifts of time, talent, and treasure to those who need them is one of life’s most important lessons. The skill and the habit of sharing our gifts will bring us life’s greatest and most lasting joys.

HOW TO MAKE A PERSONAL PRAYER

Select a best time for your personal prayer and include it in your schedule.
Let it be the best time when drowsiness, tiredness or calls from outside do
not disturb you. For most people early morning is the best time. Try to pray
every day at the fixed time that it may become a habit in you. How wonderful
it is if you can meet the Lord at the same time every day.

Personal prayer is not reciting prayers from some pious books, it is not
saying the rosary, or reading the Bible, it is not time to pray for others,
it is not to pray before a picture or a statue. It is you and your God
alone; it is closing the door of your eyes and ears and entering into the
sanctuary of your heart where you meet the Father and the Son through the
Holy Spirit.

It is good to praise and thank God for sometime to enter into personal
prayer. Where there is praise there is God! Enter His presence with praise
and thanksgiving. Have a lot of praises and thanksgiving during your prayer.
Praises will keep you away from distractions and bondages that come from the
evil one.

Once you are in His presence surrender yourself before Him with small songs
like "Father I adore you, lay my life before You (Son and Spirit)". Anyone
in the presence of the Lord will feel his unworthiness and unholiness to be
in His all Holy and Almighty presence. Hence one must spend little time
asking God pardon and mercy for the sins committed. You must experience the
compassionate and merciful Heart of Jesus from where the Living Water flows
into your heart washing you and cleansing you and giving you a new heart (Ez
36:26). After receiving His pardon and after having reconciled with God and
having forgiven all, you must again thank and praise God for His goodness to
you. Forgive everyone and be reconciled with all in your heart (Mk 11:25)

Spend sometime in asking the Lord to heal you from your past wounds of the
heart and of the present. Bring all your wounded memories to the Lord and
get yourself healed by the wounds of Christ. By His wounds you are healed (I
Pet 2:24). Present your hurt feelings, your feelings of rejections, unlove,
fear, anxiety, inferiority complex, etc. to the Lord's wounds and claim your
healing of the heart. Present the scars of your past sins, guilt, sadness,
etc. to Him and claim a deep inner peace and joy within. In this precious
moment of grace you must get yourself freed from all bad habits and the
desires of the flesh so that on that day you will not be conquered by sin.
You will hear Jesus telling in your heart, "My grace is sufficient for you"
(II Cor 12:9). During this time can ask for your own physical healings too
if you have any.

After having obtained a new life in Jesus through repentance and inner
healing surrender your entire self to the Lord, your heart, your mind, and
every part of your body, your plans, your desires, your work, your money,
your programs, your travel, your relationships, etc. (Rom 6: 12-19). You can
sing in your heart a good song of surrender like "All to Jesus I surrender"
Along with the surrender of your complete self you must ask the Holy Spirit
to fill you with power and grace. You may sing a small song to the Holy
Spirit. Open your heart to the Spirit and receive the Spirit with all
fruits, gifts and charismas (Gal 5: 22-23; Is 11: 2; I Cor 12: 4-10). This
must be the most beautiful time of your personal prayer. Here you will have
various experiences of God, like the Living Water flowing through you with
love, peace and joy. You may experience the Lord's presence in you with
spiritual, emotional manifestations too. You may, here, have visions;
perhaps you may hear the Lord speaking to you giving you guidance and
direction. If you have presented a problem to Him, you will definitely get
an answer. Through this insight, revelations, words of the Spirit within
you, you will hear the Spirit telling you "do this, don't do this, go this
way, don't go this way, etc. During this most important part of your
personal prayer you are entering into a personal friendship with Him. Here
you can speak to Him whatever you want like a brother or a friend (Jn 15:
15). Make intimacy with the Lord in your heart. During this time you may
make decisions with the Lord for that day so that all you do will be
according to His will and plan. If the Lord tells you not to do certain
things or to alter your plans be obedient to Him. Fill yourself with as much
as grace possible for you so that you may walk in His grace and love. Have
much thanksgiving and praise giving in His sweet and loving Presence. If you
spend the time well with the Lord, you will not know how your time has
passed with the Lord. When you end the prayer you may make a sign of the
Cross on important part of your body and entrust yourself to the blood of
Christ for protection and care. Thus with much grace and God's love do the
works of the day with much peace and joy. If you pray this you will see many
blessings of the Lord daily in your life and you will see that the Spirit
leads you.

Count Your Blessings

Count your blessings instead of your crosses,
Count you gains instead of your losses,
Count your joys instead of your woes,
Count your friends instead of your foes.

Count your courage instead of your fears,
Count your laughs instead of your tears.
Count your full years instead of your lean,
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.

Count you health instead of your wealth,
Count on God instead of yourself.


~ Author Unknown

New Beginnings

1. Make good the promises you have made to our
Heavenly Father.

2. Pray the Rosary often!!!

3. Let go of past problems - live today

4. Spend some time every day in quiet meditation

5. Do something every day that gives you pleasure

6. Work on the things that cause you the most distress

7. Give thanks every day for something - starting
with being thankful for the new day

8. Remember there is no one exactly like you - you
are unique - Only our Heavenly Father and you
truly knows you

9. Accept yourself as you are

10. Start by loving yourself

HOW TO BE HAPPY

Keep your heart free from hate and your mind free from worry,
live simply, expect little, give much,

sing often, pray always,

forget self, think of others and their feelings

fill your heart with love, scatter sunshine.

These are tried links in the golden chain of contentment.

ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
By Sally I. Kennedy
February 23, 2011


You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy
in your presence. Psalm 16:11

A few years back, we had fun planning a special family vacation. My
husband and I, our children and spouses and the five oldest grandkids
were going out west to ski on Spring Break week. We were all very
excited, especially since we live in a warm climate. First morning
almost everyone headed to the ski slopes. My daughter, a new mom, went
for some R&R, and I set out for a walk.

Light snow was flurrying, and even against a grey sky it was
beautiful. Not too far away was a church. I eased into a small back
pew.

Communion was being celebrated during the service. As I made my way up
front, I looked out across the people. So many different faces, so
many different reasons that might have brought them there. No doubt
many had come to simply worship our Lord. Others, though, perhaps out
of desperation, or with a faint hope. I thought, so many different
cries of the heart, yet God hears them all.

Several times over the years I had sought out this peaceful place. It
had always been a safe, sheltering place to pray. It is wonderful to
have the opportunity to go to a church or place of worship to seek God
and meet with Him. However, we can do that anytime, anywhere.

No matter what is on our minds or our hearts, no matter what our needs
or desires are, Jesus is always available to us. Anytime, anywhere.

That is good news.

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in North Platte , Nebraska , it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.

Later, when the nurses were going through his meagre possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital. One nurse took her copy to Missouri .

The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.


Crabby Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . . . . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . . . when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man . . . . . not very wise,
Uncertain of habit . . . . . with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food . . . . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . . . 'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . . . . the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not . . . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . . . The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . . . . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse . . . . . you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am. . . . . . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . . . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . . . who love one another.

A young boy of Sixteen . . . . with wings on his feet.
Dreaming that soon now . . . . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . . my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . . . . . that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . . With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons . . . . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me . . . . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . . My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . . . . my wife is now dead.
I look at the future . . . . . shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing . . . . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . . . and the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man . . . . . and nature is cruel.
This jest to make old age . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles . . . . . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . . . . where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass . . . . . a young guy still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys . . . . . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . life over again.

I think of the years, all too few . . . . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . . . open and see.
Not a crabby old man . . . Look closer . . . see ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet
an older person who you might brush aside
without looking at the young soul within.

We will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM

The best and most beautiful things of
this world can't be seen or touched.
They must be felt by the heart.




Now share this with the ones you love. One of these days, if we live long enough, we'll become one of these "Crabby Old Men".





Not The Way You Planned

Once there were three trees
on a hill in the woods.
They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, 'Someday I hope to be a great treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with an intricate carving and
everyone would see the beauty.'


Then the second tree said, 'Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take Kings and Queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. People will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.'

Finally the third tree said, 'I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill, look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the
greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me.'

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, 'This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter, and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree the woodsman said, 'This looks like a strong tree. I will be able to sell it to the shipyard.' The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the men said,'I don't need anything special from my tree, I'll take this one,' and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying Kings had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said 'Peace' and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, God will give you great gifts.

Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined...

We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His Ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

May your day be blessed.

Closing prayer:
I pray that the Blessed Holy Spirit will always
keep you in his holy grace
and lead you at last to eternal glory.

May the Father in his Mercy,
the Son, by his holy Passion,
and the Holy Spirit,
the fountain of peace,
sweetness, love and all consolation
come down upon you and remain with you always.

( The Blessing of Saint Colette)

Good night everyone - Sweet dreams and may your Thursday be filled with God's blessings throughout the day. I pray for Lori's safe trip to Mpls tomorrow night and then her safe flight to Texas. God bless you all!!