Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Nothing in your day is too small to be a big part of God's plan for you.
Lord, I trust in Your design for me and I thank You for all of my moments,
even the grey ones.


Scripture for the day:

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." ~Romans 12:21

Meditation for the day:

The spiritual and moral will eventually overcome the material and immoral.
That is the purpose and destiny of the human race. Gradually the spiritual
can overcome the material in our minds. Gradually the moral can overcome
the immoral. Faith, fellowship and service are cures for most of the ills
of the world. There is nothing in the field of personal relationships that
they cannot do.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may do my share in making a better world. I pray that I may
be part of the cure for the ills of the world.

Greetings to all of you! Well, another day of work for my hubby, sore and
tired but now he's resting watching Wheel. We had some fresh fish for
supper - and we now make it without a coating, but just fry it with salt and
pepper in sunflower oil or grapeseed oil, has to be a good oil, and then
it's delicious. I normally don't like fish, but this was a good way to make
it. These were Northerns caught by his brother, Ron, who lives by the lake.
He fileted them so well, there wasn't a bone to be seen! I like that. We
had more, but he gave some to the priests as they love fish. It was a good
day starting out with our Nurse Practitioner's exam and blood work - and the
results were excellent! My chol and trig went down even more than last
time. She was amazed at how well we are doing with just eating the right
foods, and no drugs. She said she was so pleased with our results. Linus
is not pre-diabetic anymore - but we're not changing anything, we are doing
great and we will continue. I also cooked some potatoes and peas
together - never did that before but it went so well, it won't be the last
time. I used our stainless steel set, works great. So many blessings
today - and our weather - can not complain of it staying around 30 some
degrees now and for the next 10 day forecast, rather than the normal below
zero temps for MN. Thanks be to God - for all His blessings to each and
every one of us.

The Secret

Only one secret: the closer we come to Jesus,
the better we will know his thirst.

from Thirsting for God: Mother Teresa

Lord Am I Willing

Lord am I willing to risk everything
To go spread Your gospel, some souls to win
Am I willing to give up the comforts of home
If from my family You call me to roam

Lord am I willing my comforts to break
To help other people for the gospel's sake
Am I really willing to help ease the pain
Of someone who's caught up in life's violent game

Can I truly say, here I am, I will go
Go tell the people that You love them so
Would I leave all I have and my family behind
Go help the lost, the sick and confined

Am I really willing, willing to make
A complete sacrifice for the gospel's sake
Would it be out of guilt or by my own choice
Am I willing to say, Lord make me Your voice

Am I really willing to say, Lord send me
To go spread Your gospel, even over the sea
Am I willing to put things in my life behind
To help other people my Savior to find

Am I willing to lose all, to share in their pain
Even when not convenient or for my own gain
Lord help me see others the way You see them
Help me see the condition they're in

Help me to be willing to put all else aside
To tell them they too can be part of your bride
To tell them You love them in spite of their sin
That You'll be there for them if invited in

Lord touch my heart with compassion for men
Who are lost and dying with lives full of sin
Give me a heart of compassion today
So I can reach someone who's going astray.

- Author Unknown

THE BURDEN
Author Unknown

"Why was my burden so heavy?" I slammed the bedroom door and leaned
against
it. Is there no rest from this life? I wondered. I stumbled to my bed
and
dropped onto it, pressing my pillow around my ears to shut out the
noise of
my existence.

"Oh God," I cried, "let me sleep. Let me sleep forever and never wake
up!"

With a deep sob I tried to will myself into oblivion, then welcomed
the
blackness that came over me.

Light surrounded me as I regained consciousness. I focused on its
source:
the figure of a man standing before a cross.

"My child," the person asked, "why did you want to come to Me before I
am
ready to call you?"

"Lord, I'm sorry. It's just that... I can't go on. You see how hard it
is
for me. Look at this awful burden on my back. I simply can't carry it
anymore."

"But haven't I told you to cast all of your burdens upon Me, because I
care
for you? My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

"I knew You would say that. But why does mine have to be so heavy?"

"My child, everyone in the world has a burden. Perhaps you would like
to
try a different one?"

"I can do that?"

He pointed to several burdens lying at His feet. "You may try any of
these."

All of them seemed to be of equal size. But each was labeled with a
name.

"Why there's Joan's!" I said. Joan was married to a wealthy
businessman.
She lived in a sprawling estate and dressed her three daughters in the
prettiest designer clothes. Sometimes she drove me to church in her
Cadillac when my car was broken.

"Let me try that one." How difficult could her burden be? I thought.

The Lord removed my burden and placed Joan's on my shoulders. I sank
to my
knees beneath its weight. "Take it off!" I said. "What makes it so
heavy?"

"Look inside."

I untied the straps and opened the top. Inside was a figure of her
Mother-in-law, and when I lifted it out, it began to speak.

"Joan, you'll never be good enough for my son," it began. "He never
should
have married you. You're a terrible mother to my grandchildren. .."

I quickly placed the figure back in the pack and withdrew another. It
was
Donna, Joan's youngest daughter. Her head was bandaged from the
surgery
that had failed to resolve her epilepsy.

A third figure was Joan's brother. Addicted to drugs, he had been
convicted
of killing a police officer.

"I see why her burden is so heavy, Lord. But she's always smiling and
helping others. I didn't realize..."

"Would you like to try another?" He asked quietly.

I tested several. Paula's felt heavy: She was raising four small boys
without a father. Debra's did too: a childhood of sexual abuse and a
marriage of emotional abuse. When I came to Ruth's burden, I didn't
even
try. I knew that inside I would find arthritis, old age, a demanding
full-time job, and a beloved husband in a nursing home.

"They're all too heavy, Lord." I said. "Give back my own."

As I lifted the familiar load once again, It seemed much lighter than
the
others.

"Lets look inside." He said.

I turned away, holding it close. "That's not a good idea," I said.

"Why?"

"There's a lot of junk in there."

"Let Me see."

The gentle thunder of His voice compelled me. I opened my burden.

He pulled out a brick.

"Tell me about this one."

"Lord, You know. It's money. I know we don't suffer like people in
some
countries or even the homeless here in America. But we have no
insurance,
and when the kids get sick, we can't always take them to the doctor.
They've
never been to a dentist. And I'm tired of dressing them in hand-me-
downs. "

"My child, I will supply all of your needs... and your children's.
I've
given them healthy bodies. I will teach them that expensive clothing
doesn't make a person valuable in My sight."

Then He lifted out the figure of a small boy. "And this?" He asked.

"Andrew..." I hung my head, ashamed to call my son a burden. "But,
Lord,
he's hyperactive. He's not quiet like the other two. He makes me so
tired.
He's always getting hurt, and someone is bound to think I abuse him. I
yell
at him all the time. Someday I may really hurt him...."

"My child," He said, "if you trust Me, I will renew your strength. If
you
allow Me to fill you with My Spirit, I will give you patience."

Then He took some pebbles from my burden.

"Yes, Lord," I said with a sigh. "Those are small. But they're
important.
I hate my hair. It's thin, and I can't make it look nice. I can't
afford
to go to the beauty shop. I'm overweight and can't stay on a diet. I
hate
all my clothes. I hate the way I look!"

"My child, people look at your outward appearance, but I look at your
heart.
By My Spirit you can gain self-control to lose weight. But your beauty
should not come from outward appearance. Instead, it should come from
your
inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is
of
great worth in My sight."

My burden now seemed lighter than before.

"I guess I can handle it now." I said.

"There is more." He said. "Hand Me that last brick."

"Oh, You don't have to take that. I can handle it."

"My child, give it to Me." Again His voice compelled me. He reached
out
His hand, and for the first time I saw the ugly wound.

"But, Lord, this brick is so awful, so nasty, so.....Lord! What
happened to
Your hands? They're so scarred!" No longer focused on my burden, I
looked
for the first time into His face. In His brow were ragged scars --as
though
someone had pressed thorns into His flesh.

"Lord," I whispered. "What happened to You?"

His loving eyes reached into my soul.

"My child, you know. Hand Me the brick. It belongs to Me. I bought
it."

"How?"

"With My blood."

"But why, Lord?"

"Because I have loved you with an Everlasting Love. Give it to Me."

I placed the filthy brick into His wounded palm. It contained all the
dirt
and evil of my life: my pride, my selfishness, the depression that
constantly tormented me.

He turned to the cross and hurled my brick into the pool of blood at
it's
base. It hardly made a ripple.

"Now, My child, you need to go back. I will be with you always. When
you
are troubled, call to Me and I will help you and show you things you
cannot
imagine now."

"Yes, Lord, I will call on You."

I reached to pick up my burden.

"You may leave that here if you wish. You see all these burdens? They
are
the ones that others have left at My feet. Joan's, Paula's, Debra's,
Ruth's..... When you leave your burden here, I carry it with you.
Remember,
My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

As I placed my burden with Him, the light began to fade. Yet I heard
Him
whisper, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."

A peace flooded my soul.

Why God Made Friends

God made the world with a heart full of love,
Then He looked down from Heaven above,

And saw that we all need a helping hand,
Someone to share with, who'll understand.

He made special people to see us through
The glad times and the sad times, too;

A person on whom we can always depend,
Someone we can call a friend.

God made friends so we'll carry a part
Of His perfect love in all our hearts.

- Author Unknown

DON'T LOOK BACK
Author Unknown
February 2, 2012


As you travel through life there are always those times
When decisions just have to be made,
When the choices are hard, and solutions seem scarce,
And the rain seems to soak your parade.

There are some situations where all you can do
Is simply let go and move on,
Gather your courage and choose a direction
That carries you toward a new dawn.

So pack up your troubles and take a step forward -
The process of change can be tough,
But think about all the excitement ahead
If you can be stalwart enough!

There might be adventures you never imagined
Just waiting around the next bend,
And wishes and dreams just about to come true
In ways you can't yet comprehend!

Perhaps you'll find friendships that spring from new things
As you challenge your status quo,
And learn there are so many options in life,
And so many ways you can grow!

Perhaps you'll go places you never expected
And see things that you've never seen,
Or travel to fabulous, faraway worlds
And wonderful spots in between!

Perhaps you'll find warmth and affection and caring
And somebody special who's there
To help you stay centered and listen with interest
To stories and feelings you share.

Perhaps you'll find comfort in knowing your friends
Are supportive of all that you do,
And believe that whatever decisions you make,
They'll be the right choices for you.

So keep putting one foot in front of the other,
And taking your life day by day...
There's a brighter tomorrow that's just down the road -
Don't look back! You're not going that way!


I Love My Attorney

After living what I felt was a 'decent' life, my time on earth came to the
end.

The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what
I thought to be a court house.

The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the
defense table.

As I looked around I saw the 'prosecutor'.

He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me. He
definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen.

I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My Attorney, a kind and
gentle looking man whose appearance seemed so familiar to me, I felt I knew
Him.

The corner door opened and there appeared the Judge in full flowing robes.

He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across the room. I couldn't
take my eyes off of Him.

As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, 'Let us begin.'

The prosecutor rose and said, 'My name is Satan and I am here to show you
why this man belongs in h ell.'

He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and In the
past when I cheated others. Satan told of other horrible perversions that
were once in my life, and the more he spoke, the further down in my seat I
sank.

I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own Attorney,
as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about.

As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was
equally upset at My Attorney who sat there silently not offering any form of
defense at all.

I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my
life - couldn't that at least equal out part of the harm I'd done?

Satan finished with a fury and said, 'This man belongs in h ell, he is guilty
of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove
otherwise.'

When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He might approach the
bench. The Judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and
beckoned Him to come forward.

As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in His full splendor
and majesty.

I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesus representing me, my
Lord and my Savior.

He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, 'HI, DAD,' and then He
turned to address the court.

'Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned, I won't deny any of
these allegations. And, yes, the wage of sin is death, and this man deserves
to be punished.'

Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and
proclaimed, 'However, I died on the cross so that this person might have
eternal life and he has accepted Me as his Savior, so he is Mine.'

My Lord continued with, 'His name is written in the Book of Life, and no one
can snatch him from Me. Satan still does not understand yet. This man is not
to be given justice, but rather mercy.'

As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said, 'There
is nothing else that needs to be done. I've done it all..'

The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The following
words bellowed from His lips.....

'This man is free. The penalty for him has already been paid in full. Case
dismissed.'

I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where to go next, 'Have you ever
lost a case?'

Christ lovingly smiled and said, 'Everyone that has come to Me and asked Me
to represent them has received the same verdict as you, ~Paid In Full.'

That's it for tonight - I hope you enjoyed the reading! May you always find
things to post about your blessings that He blesses you with. Did that make
sense? Tomorrow is Thursday - let's make it a good day mentally already -
and know that it will be blessed! God bless you all! Let us continue to
pray for one another.