Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Hello my friends!

What a day we've had! Good thing we didn't try to venture outside, except to snowblow the driveway - he did that, and got the mail. We got about 2 or 3 inches so far, but Duluth, MN got about 3 feet! Looks like we will have a white Christmas - this snow won't melt until spring now. Darla decided not to go for another interview in Chicago, which was not offering any more money than what she's making now, it wouldn't be worth it, she hasn't heard from the interview she did get flown in for, not yet, that was in Chicago too. She found out from a friend of hers who teaches at St. Thomas in St. Paul, that they aren't going to hire anyone just yet, so she's still in there and we still pray. Today she had a phone interview for Florida, God will put her where He wants her! Husband Greg will go wherever she gets a job, he's an electrical engineer and can find a job in his field - of course we pray for him, too. Sammy seems to like the snow - tomorrow it should be windy and colder, he won't like that. Remembering you all in my prayers, all of you!! You are loved.

Each time you have a kind thought, say a kind word or do a kind

deed you are living your love. Lord, as I see the world through loving

eyes, I experience heaven on earth.

Scripture for the day:

"'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all

your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first

commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as

yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the

prophets." ~Matthew 22:37-40

Meditation for the day:

We can work at overcoming ourselves, our selfish desires and our

self-centeredness. This can never be fully accomplished. We can

never become entirely unselfish. But we can come to realize that we

are not at the center of the universe and that everything does not

revolve around us at the center. I am only one cell in a vast network

of human cells. I can at least make the effort to conquer the

self-life and seek daily to obtain more and more of this

self-conquest. "The one who overcomes himself is greater than the one

who conquers a city."

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may strive to overcome my selfishness. I pray that I

may achieve the right perspective of my position in the world.

Blessed Mother Teresa´s Wisdom

Smiles

"Peace begins with a smile."

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"Sometimes it is harder for us to smile at those who live with us, the

immediate members of our families, than it is to smile at those who are not

so close to us. Let us never forget: love begins at home."

----------

"I will never understand all the good that a simple smile can accomplish."

----------

"To smile at someone who is sad; to visit, even for a little while, someone

who is lonely; to give someone shelter from the rain with our umbrella; to

read something for someone who is blind; these and others can be small

things, very small things, but they are appropriate to give our love of God

concrete expression to the poor."

"What can I offer the Lord for all his goodness to me?" Pslam 116:12

Lord Jesus,

You have given me your whole self,

all your love,

and your life itself.

Let me give myself to you: I give you

my body to serve you;

my soul to house you;

my heart to love you;

my mind to remember you;

my will to do your will;

my life to serve you in others.

From now on, my dear Lord Jesus,

may every moment of my time,

and every breath I breathe,

belong only to you

who have first given them to me.

Amen.

FLAME OF LOVE

Author Unkown

"I can master it," said the Ax. His blows fell heavy on the hard,

strong steel. But each blow only made his edge more blunt until he

ceased to strike.

"Leave it to me," said the Saw. With his relentless teeth, he worked

back and forth. But to his dismay, all of his teeth were worn out or

broken off.

"Ha!" said the Hammer. "I knew you could not do this. Let me show you

how." But with the very first blow, his head flew off, and the steel

was unchanged.

"Shall I try?" asked the Flame. And it curled itself gently around the

strong, hard steel, embraced it, and would not let it go. And the

tough steel melted.

There are hearts that are hard enough to resist the forces of wrath

and the fury of pride. But hard is the heart that can resist the warm

flame of Love.

"'For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with

their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see

with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes because

they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth,

many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not

see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.'" Matthew

13:15-17 (NIV)

Prayer for Protection (especially from flu)

O Holy Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, I choose thee this day to be the

Lady and Mistress of our home, and I pray thee, in the name of the Most

Precious Blood of Jesus, thy Divine Son, and of thy Immaculate Conception,

to preserve it from fire and lightning, from tempests and thieves, from

cholera, influenza, diphtheria, malaria, and all other contagious and

pestilential diseases.

Bless and protect every member of our family, preserve us from sin, from

sudden and unprovided death, and from all other evils and accidents, in the

name and through the merits of the most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus

Christ. Amen.

A True lesson from a Child

A little tyke I saw today, scuffing along the road, Carrying a sack bigger

than he, Oh, what a heavy load! I stopped and asked the little one, if he

would like a ride, He said, "No thank ya Ma'am" and walked along with pride.

I was so very curious, where this child was going to And what might he be

carrying; I didn't have a clue. I watched him struggle with the sack,

stopping for a while. He looked over at me, with a soft and glowing smile. I

couldn't resist one more try, as I watched him as he trod. I asked him what

was in the sack and he said "Something for God". With a puzzled look I

asked, "You have something for God"? "Where are you taking it"? I asked,

thinking this was odd. His little face beamed with pride, with a look so

very calm. "I'm taking all the troubles and fears away from dad and mom". He

told me that his mom and dad were sad and in despair, But said that God

won't give us more than we can bear. He learned it from the sermon he heard

in church that day To give your troubles to God, for He'll carry you all the

way. He continued on to a country church, eyes filled with love. He then

knelt down upon his knees, looking to the skies above. "God", he said, "I

come to You, and ask You to take this sack". His eyes were looking up above

and his head tilted back. All of a sudden, I heard a voice and saw an image

appear, Then, God spoke to the little lad, and said, "I am here". "Leave the

burdens with Me child, I will carry you through", The little lad said "Thank

you God, I knew I could count on You". I drove home in silence after hearing

God that day, For it took a child to teach me ... all I need do is pray!

God's Hand

Sometimes...

We must be hurt in order to grow;

We must fail in order to know,

We must lose in order to gain.

Some lessons are learned best

Only through pain.

Sometimes...

Our vision clears

Only after our eyes are

Washed with tears.

Sometimes...

We have to be broken,

So we can be tender,

Sick so we can rest and think better;

On things more important

Than work or fun;

Trip near death,

So we can assess how we've run.

Sometimes...

We have to suffer lack,

So we can know God's provision,

Feel another's pain,

So we can have a sense of mission.

So take heart, my friend,

If you don't understand today,

Instead of grumbling,

Ask God what He means to say,

In order to learn you must endure,

And learn to see the bigger picture.

In order to grow, you must stand;

Look beyond the hurt

To God's loving hand

That takes what is good,

And gives what is best,

And on this blessed thought, rest:

As your anxious heart,

With questions, waits,

God's hand only gives

What His loving heart dictates.

Sometimes the Lord calms the storm;

Sometimes He lets the storm rage...

And calms His child.

Better the storm with Christ...

Than smooth waters without Him.

Pass this encouragement on...

- Author Unknown