Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Hello my friends! Hot day today - in the 90's and humidity! Had Ollie here with us being Lori was busy today and tonight having supper with a friend, a client of hers who's sister was in Guatemala - had minor surgery for migraines, hit a valve, and they didn't have more than 2 pints of blood, so she bled to death! She was in Guatemala on a mission, and was going to come home that weekend. So I'm sure Lori and her client friend will be talking about Karen. It's so sad. St. Mary's Cathedral here had a full house for her funeral, 4 priests were presiding! She did a good work over there. Now she's getting her Heavenly Award. Many blessings have come our way today - too many to mention - so I just thank our God for all He does for us!! Praise the Name of Jesus!

Never let what you can't do get in the way of what you can do. Lord, help

me to recognize my abilities and focus only on my strengths so that each

day I will get nearer to my goals

Scripture for the day:

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the

mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and

foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult." ~Psalm 46:1-3

Meditation for the day:

"God is our refuge and strength." God is a sanctuary, a refuge from the

cares of life. We can get away from the misunderstandings of others by

retiring into our own place of meditation. But from ourselves, from our

sense of failure, our weakness, our shortcomings, where can we flee?

Only to the eternal God, our refuge, until the immensity of God's spirit

envelopes our spirit and it loses its smallness and weakness and comes

into harmony again with God's.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may lose my limitations in the immensity of God's love. I

pray that my spirit may be in harmony with God's spirit.

Here's some food for thought:

CHANGE IS GOOD

Contributed by Melanie Schurr

My life has taken an interesting sudden change. As my children have

both flown the nest, and it is now just my husband and I, I could not

deny I missed that nurturing side of me that still had so much more to

give. I don't recall exactly how the idea of being a "nanny" came upon

me, but

the thought of making a little extra cash at something I knew I'd be

good at was appealing.

It wasn't long before I found someone who was seeking exactly what I

had to offer, but I cannot deny that the first week of taking care of

an eight week old infant was not without its difficulties. Not only

had many facets of child care changed since my own now adult children

were little, but I was also now approaching it as a forty-seven year

old woman, not an energetic twenty-something.

By the end of the day, I was pooped!

However, in a very short time, it all began to come back to me; all

those little tricks and skills us mothers learn by way of hands-on

experience. I also noticed that being around a young child again

caused me to have a rekindled appreciation of new life, along with a

sense of meaning and purpose for my life now as a more mature woman.

"I have the ability to teach this child," I thought. "I hope that I

can become a positive light in her life."

Sometimes change can be frightening or difficult. However, all change

for the better is always a step in the right direction!

What about you?

Is there something in your life you need to change, get rid of, stop

doing or break ties with?

Today is the day to make the change!

Five Ploys of Satan

Doubt - Tempts us to question God's Word and his goodness, forgiveness, and love

Discouragement - Tempts us to focus intently on our problems rather than entrusting them to God's care

Diversion - Tempts us to see the wrong things as attractive so that we will want them more than the right things

Defeat - Tempts us to feel like failure so that we don't even try

Delay - Tempts us to procrastinate so that things never get done

Reflect on these ploys of Satan, and if you find that he has darkened your life on any of these counts, lift up the situation to Our Lady in prayer.

YOUR LIFE IS JESUS TO SOMEONE

YOUR LIFE is Jesus to someone,

though tattered and torn it may be.

Though often times weak and unstable,

you're all of God someone will see.

YOUR TONGUE is Jesus to someone.

That idle, insensitive word

reflects to at least one searching heart

an idle, insensitive Lord.

YOUR GOALS are Jesus to someone.

What you put first, they believe,

are the goals of God for the Christian.

Your life is all they receive.

YOUR FAITHFULNESS... that's Jesus to someone.

Their judgement of how God is true,

rests unquestionably in the faithfulness

they see day by day in you.

YOUR LOVE is Jesus to someone--

that someone who is seeking to know

that Jesus will follow and guide and

befriend wherever in life they might go.

SO BEWARE lest others blaspheme

God by what you say or do,

for the only Jesus that someone knows

is the Jesus they see in you.

Unknown

Believe what God believes...

Overcoming negative feelings, whether they stem from childhood or current situation, takes time and effort, but change is possible.

Christian psychologist, Dr. D ick Dickerson, has written a beautiful summary of how God looks at you. Read this passage aloud to yourself every morning and evening for the next month, then evaluate how your feelings about yourself have changed:

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE IS SLOW TO LOSE PATIENCE WITH ME.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE TAKES THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF MY LIFE AND USES THEM IN A CONSTRUCTIVE WAY FOR MY GROWTH.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE DOES NOT TREAT ME AS AN OBJECT TO BE POSSESSED AND MANIPULATED.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE DOES NOT NEED TO IMPRESS ME WITH HOW GREAT AND POWERFUL HE IS BECAUSE HE IS GOD. NOR DOES HE BELITTLE ME AS HIS CHILD IN ORDER TO SHOW ME HOW IMPORTANT HE IS.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE IS FOR ME. HE WANTS TO SEE ME MATURE AND DEVELOP IN HIS LOVE.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE DOES NOT SEND DOWN HIS WRATH ON EVERY LITTLE MISTAKE I MAKE, OF WHICH THERE ARE MANY.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE DOES NOT KEEP SCORE OF ALL MY SINS AND THEN BEAT ME OVER THE HEAD WITH THEM WHENEVER HE GETS A CHANCE.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE IS DEEPLY GRIEVED WHEN I DO NOT WALK IN THE WAYS THAT PLEASE HIM BECAUSE HE SEES THIS AS EVIDENCE THAT I DON'T TRUST HIM AND LOVE HIM AS I SHOULD.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE KEEPS WORKING PATIENTLY WITH ME EVEN WHEN I FEEL LIKE GIVING UP.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE KEEPS ON TRUSTING ME WHEN AT TIMES I DON'T EVEN TRUST MYSELF.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME, HE NEVER SAYS THERE IS NO HOPE FOR ME. RATHER, HE PATIENTLY WORKS WITH ME, LOVES ME, AND DISCIPLINES ME IN SUCH A WAY, THAT IT IS HARD FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND THE DEPTH OF HIS CONCERN FOR ME.

Prayer When in a Bad Mood

Heavenly Father, I awoke this morning in a bad mood, and I have been unable to shake it so far. Everything bothers me and everyone rubs me the wrong way.

I just cannot seem to get my true bearings. Help me to think of your salvation---

your countless gifts and overwhelming love for me.

Let me relax and forget life's cares by placing myself wholly into your hands. Grant that this mood will soon pass and I will be able to bask in your love and communicate it to others. Amen.