Community Chat

[gloriajean]

If we look to God for guidance, we will not be weighed down by the
circumstances of our life. Lord, free me from the worries that come
to distract me and keep me focused on that which is important.


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

"One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one
another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, 'Which
commandment is the first of all?' Jesus answered, 'The first is,
'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the
Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and
with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than
these." ~Mark 12:28-31

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

To truly desire to do God's will , therein lies happiness for us. We
can start out wanting our own way. We want our wills to be satisfied.
We can take and not give. Gradually, we can find that we are not
happy when we are selfish, so we begin to make allowances for other
peoples' wills. But this again dos not give us full happiness, and we
begin to see that the only way to be truly happy is to try to do God's
will. In these times of meditation, we can seek to get guidance so
that we can find God's will for us.

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

I pray that I may subordinate my will to the will of God. I pray that
I may be guided today to find God's will for me.

Greetings to you my friends! How are you all? Hope your day went well, and
everyone got enough sleep. Here we are bracing for a frost. Had to cover
plants outside, it's too soon for that, but that's what's coming. The
raspberries are doing great so really don't want them to freeze for the year
yet! Just an ordinary day today - I got some rest, and that was good.
I'm much better tonight than I was last night - praise God! Thanks for your
prayers for me. Prayers always help, that's for sure.
I continue to pray for each and every one of you!

Homily of the Day


September 14, 2011

Bitterness: Is It Poisoning your Life??
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Num 21:4-9 / Phil 2:6-11 / Jn 3:13-17

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Today’s reading from the Old Testament book of Numbers finds the poor old
Israelites doing yet again what they seem to have done through the whole 40
years of their trek from Egypt to the Promised Land. They were complaining:
the diet is boring, this barren landscape is ugly, and we’re sick of manna.

So, the story says, God sent a plague of poisonous serpents which killed
many of their number. But was it really the serpents who killed them? Wasn’t
it a poison that was already inside them, their abiding bitterness and
discontent with life, their cavalier refusal to trust God, who had liberated
them from Pharaoh?

Too many of us who call ourselves Christians are walking around with lethal
quantities of poison inside us. And just as nature supplies almost infinite
varieties of poisons, so do human hearts. Envies, jealousies, grievances
cherished sometimes for decades and across generations, racial and ethnic
resentments, ideological hatreds of every sort. And nowhere is this latter
more visible than within — not between, but within — Christian churches.

All of that bitterness and discontent keeps the Lord at arm’s length and
leaves us without peace and without joy. There is only one remedy for it,
and that is to give it all to the Lord and keep giving it and giving it to
Him and not taking it back, until it is truly gone from our lives.

Then and only then will the peace of Christ for which we have always longed
truly be ours.

Peace be with you this day and always.

Four things you can't recover:

The stone..........after the throw.
The word.........after it's said..
The occasion........after it's missed.
The time.........after it's gone.

Litany in Honor of the Holy Cross
L The word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who
are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor. 1:18)
R God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
(Gal. 6:14)


L Jesus has many who love His Kingdom in heaven, but few who bear His
Cross. He has many who desire comfort, but few who desire suffering. He
finds many to share His feast, but few His fasting. All desire to rejoice
with Him, but few are willing to suffer for His sake.*
R God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
(Gal. 6:14)


L Why do you fear to take up the Cross, which is the road to the Kingdom?
In the Cross is salvation and life, protection against our enemies, infusion
of heavenly sweetness; in the Cross is strength of mind, joy of spirit,
excellence of virtue, perfection of holiness. There is no salvation of soul,
nor hope of eternal life, save in the Cross.*
R God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
(Gal. 6:14)


L Take up the Cross, therefore, and follow Jesus, and go forward into
eternal life. Christ has gone before you, bearing His Cross; He died for you
on the Cross, that you also may bear your cross, and desire to die on the
Cross with Him. For if you die with Him, you will also live with Him. And if
you share his sufferings, you will also share His glory.*
R God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
(Gal. 6:14)


L See how in the Cross all things consist, and in dying on it all things
depend. There is no other way to life and to true inner peace, than the way
of the Cross. Go where you will, seek what you will; you will find no higher
way above nor safer way below than the road of the Holy Cross.*
R God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
(Gal. 6:14)


L The Cross always stands ready, and everywhere awaits you. You cannot
escape it, wherever you flee; for wherever you go, you bear yourself, and
always find yourself. Look up or down, without you or within, and everywhere
you will find the Cross. And everywhere you must have patience, if you wish
to attain inner peace, and win an eternal crown.*
R God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
(Gal. 6:14)

All: Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us to follow you not only to the Breaking
of Bread but also to the drinking of the Cup of Your Passion. Help us to
love You for Your own sake and not for the sake of comfort for ourselves.
Make us worthy to suffer for Your name, Jesus, our Crucified and Risen Lord
and Savior, now and forever.

Amen.

DOES GOD STILL SPEAK TO HIS PEOPLE?
Author Unknown


A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor had
shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice.

The young man couldn't help but wonder, "Does God still speak to His
people?"

After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and
they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how
God had led them in different ways.

It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home.
Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, "God.. If you still speak
to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey."

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest
thought, stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out
loud, "God is that you?" He didn't get a reply and started on toward
home. But again,
the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel
and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel
ran to Eli.

"Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk." It didn't seem
like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk.

He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward
home. As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, "Turn down
that street."

This is crazy he thought and drove on pass the intersection. Again, he
felt that he should turn down Seventh Street. At the next
intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly,
he said out loud, "Okay, God, remember I....He drove several blocks,
when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb
and looked around. He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't
the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either.

The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the
people were already in bed.

Again, he sensed something, "Go and give the milk to the people in the
house across the street." The young man looked at the house. It was
dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were
already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the
car seat.

"Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up,
they are going to be mad and I will look stupid." Again, he felt like
he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door, "Okay
God, if this is
you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want
me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess
that will count for something but if they don't answer right away, I
am out of here." He walked across the street and rang the bell. He
could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it?
What do you want?" Then the door opened before the young man could get
away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked
like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he
didn't seem to happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep.
"What is it?" The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, "Here, I
brought this to you." The man took the milk and rushed down a hall way
speaking loudly in Spanish. Then from down the hall came a woman
carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her
holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down
his face. The man began speaking, speaking and half crying, "We were
just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of
money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and
asking God to show me how to get some milk."

His wife in the kitchen yelled out, "I asked him to send an Angel with
some. Are you an Angel?" The young man reached into his wallet and
pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He
turned and walked back towards his car and the tears were streaming
down his face.

He knew that God still answers prayers and that God still speaks to
His people.

Cross in My Pocket


I carry a cross in my pocket
A simple reminder to me
Of the fact that I am a Christian
No matter where I may be.

This little cross is not magic
Nor is it a good luck charm.
It isn't meant to protect me.
From every physical harm.

It's not for identification
For all the world to see.
It's simply an understanding
Between my Savior and me.

When I put my hand in my pocket
To bring out a coin or key.
The cross is there to remind me
Of the price he paid for me.

It reminds me, too, to be thankful
For my blessings day by day
And strive to serve him better
In all that I do and say.

It's also a daily reminder
Of the peace and comfort I share
With all who know my master
And give themselves to his care.

So, I carry a cross in my pocket
Reminding no one but me
That Jesus Christ is Lord of my life
If only I'll let him be.

The Cross Is . . .
The cross is the hope of Christians
the cross is the resurrection of the dead
the cross is the way of the lost
the cross is the savior of the lost
the cross is the staff of the lame
the cross is the guide of the blind
the cross is the strength of the weak
the cross is the doctor of the sick
the cross is the aim of the priests
the cross is the hope of the hopeless
the cross is the freedom of the slaves
the cross is the power of the kings
the cross is the water of the seeds
the cross is the consolation of the bondsmen
the cross is the source of those who seek water
the cross is the cloth of the naked.
We thank you, Father, for the cross.
Amen.



Assurance

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for. Hebrews 11:1 NASB

We human beings have plenty of insecurities, so we shouldn't
be ashamed to admit we have a few. The good news is that we
don't have to let them shape our life. When we place our faith in
God, they will be replaced by the steadfast assurance that those
things we hope for are ours through His love and grace. No more
wondering if we're good enough or lovable enough or smart
enough. In God's eyes we are perfect after all we are made in
His image.


My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26

God has everything under control. That's not just a pie-in-the-sky
concept it's a fact. God knows and understands you from the inside
out. And when we place our life in His hands, we can be certain that
in the good times and the bad times, the happy times and the heart-
breaking times, we will always have someone to depend on, someone
to fall back on, someone stronger than any challenge we could
possibly face. Remember God is our strong tower.


Prayer before a Crucifix

Behold, O Kind and most sweet Jesus, before Thy face I humbly kneel, and
with the most fervent desire of soul, I pray and beseech Thee to impress
upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true contrition
for my sins and a firm purpose of amendment. With deep affection and grief
of soul, I ponder within myself, mentally contemplating Thy five wounds,
having before my eyes the words which David the Prophet spoke concerning
Thee: "They have pierced my hands and my feet, they have numbered all my
bones."

Good night everyone! Sweet Dreams and may your Thursday be blessed in all
ways!