Daily Positive Thread for Thursday

gloriajean · ‎03-10-2010

When your burden seems heavier than usual, know that your blessings
are more than usual. Lord, I call on you for the strength, the wisdom
and the confidence that I will need today.

S C R I P T U R E F O R T H E D A Y
"When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried
out; for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to
them and said, 'Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.'" ~Mark 6:49-50

M E D I T A T I O N F O R T H E D A Y
I can take the most crowded day without fear. I believe that God is with me
and controlling all. I can let confidence be the motif running through all
the crowded day. I need not be worried, because I know that God is my
helper. Underneath are the everlasting arms of God. I can rest in them,
even though the day be full of things crowding in upon me.

P R A Y E R F O R T H E D A Y
I pray that I may be calm and let nothing upset me. I pray that I may not
let material things control me and choke out spiritual things.

Greetings to you all! Gosh! it's late again, but I have a good excuse, I think. We had card club - and these are friends from way back - and we had them come this afternoon, and Linus made supper on the grill (sausage and potatoes, and I made broccoli on the stove. After supper we visited some more and I believe we will be getting together more often outside of card club. Joan is another one who gets up very early in the morning for prayer. She says that she gets up around 4 or 5 and cannot go back to sleep anymore so she's accepted that this is the time God wants her for prayer. She also does a lot of stretching exercises in the mornings. Another thing and this is very interesting that she said - the value of pure cinnamon that you get at the health food stores - and honey, it took away her arthritis! She had swollen fingers and ankles and very sore, and after taking this every day - the swelling went away and so did the pain. She can move her fingers now, everything seems normal. These people don't live far from us - which is another blessing!! So today was a blessed day of fun and games.
So nice that Linus has off these next days too until Saturday. This morning he mentioned he is feeling so much better!! Now we don't know if it's because he had lots of rest with 4 days off in a row or because we're experimenting with gluten free in our diet for a week now. Just don't know. Guess we don't need all that wheat. I haven't made bread in a while either.
Tomorrow afternoon I get another hair trim with Georgia coming to the house. Looking forward to it! And she only charges ten dollars! Unreal!
Did I mention yet about my friend, Linda? She called me yesterday to tell me that they found cancer in her only kidney left and wants prayers for healing.
May God grant her healing in mind, body and soul.

Homily of the Day
January 19, 2011
Name It, Claim It, Feel It, Fix It!
by Monsignor Dennis Clark
Heb 7:1-3,15-17 / Mk 3:1-6
Jesus came to us as a brother to reconcile us to one another and to our Father. Given the realities of our human condition and the abundance of our sins and mistakes, piling one on top of the other day by day, His coming should be cause for rejoicing for every last one of us. One would think so, but it is not so, nor has it ever been. Even in Jesus’ day, large numbers of His listeners resisted His message and never did find reconciliation.
The reason for this is plainly visible in today’s Gospel and it was a source of both pain and frustration for Jesus. There is nothing more inaccessible than a closed mind, and that is what Jesus found when He faced the Pharisees. The price of reconciliation and healing is always the same, no matter what the circumstance: Name your sin, claim it as your own, experience its ugly reality in your own heart, and then open your heart to the Lord’s healing and to His help in mending the hurts you have inflicted.
Name it, claim it, feel it, fix it. The Lord wants to help us at each of those four stages, but He cannot do so if our minds or hearts are closed, if we do not or will not take responsibility for our sins.
Fear closes minds, but faith can open them. Trust in the Lord’s powerful desire to heal you, cast aside all fear, and open the door to Him. You’ll never regret it!

Holy Water Bottle Prayer
Oh God, grant that this creature (water) may be endowed with divine grace to drive away devils and to cast out diseases, that whatever, in the houses or possessions of the faithful may be sprinkled by this water, may be freed from everything unclean, and delivered from what is hurtful. Let everything that threatens the peace or safety of the dwellers therein, be banished by the sprinkling of this water; so that the health that they seek by calling upon Thy Holy Name may be guarded from assault.
Prayer found on a Holy Water bottle.

RECIPE FOR KINDNESS
Author Unknown
Fold two hands together
And express a dash of sorrow
Marinate it overnight
And work on it tomorrow.
Chop one grudge in tiny pieces
Add several cups of love
Dredge with a large sized smile
Mix with the ingredients above.
Dissolve the hate within you,
By doing a good deed
Cut in and help your friend
If he should be in need.
Stir in laughter, love an kindness
From the heart it has to come,
Toss with genuine forgiveness
And give your neighbor some.
The amount of people served
Will depend on you,
It can serve the whole wide world,
If you really want it to.

Thank you God for creating ME!

Thank you God for creating ME!
In your womb I have been fashioned;
Your spirit dwells within me;
Truly I am wonderfully marvelously made!
From your love and wisdom have I come
To this place and time.
To me you have given talent and life and blessings.
To me you have given tasks given to no others.
With joy and gratitude
I celebrate my much-honored existence.
From ages past to eternity,
I have been included in your divine plan.
Thank you God for creating ME!

TEN WAYS TO HAVE A GREAT DAY
1. TODAY I WILL NOT STRIKE BACK:
If someone is rude,
if someone is impatient,
if someone is unkind....
I will not respond in a like manner.

2. TODAY I WILL ASK GOD TO BLESS MY "ENEMY":
If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly,
I will quietly ask GOD to bless that individual.
I understand the "enemy" could be a family member,
neighbor, coworker or stranger.

3. TODAY I WILL BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT I SAY:
I will carefully choose and guard my words being certain that I do not
spread gossip.

4. TODAY I WILL GO THE EXTRA MILE:
I will find ways to help share the burden of another person.

5. TODAY I WILL FORGIVE:
I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way.

6. TODAY I WILL DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE, BUT I WILL DO IT SECRETLY:
I will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another.

7. TODAY I WILL TREAT OTHERS THE WAY I WISH TO BE TREATED:
I will practice the golden rule-do unto others as I would have them do
unto you-with everyone I encounter.

8. TODAY I WILL RAISE THE SPIRITS OF SOMEONE WHO IS DISCOURAGED:
My smile, my words,my expression of support,can make the difference to
someone who is wrestling with life.

9. TODAY I WILL NURTURE MY BODY:
I will eat less;
I will eat only healthy foods.
I will thank GOD for my body.

10. TODAY I WILL GROW SPIRITUALLY:
I will spend a little more time in prayer today:
I will begin reading something spiritual or inspirational today;
I will find a quiet place (at some point during this day)
and listen to GOD's voice!!! "But since we belong to the day,
let us be self controlled,putting on faith and love as a breastplate,
and hope of salvation as a helmet."

Contemplation
Our natural state of being is to bask in the radiant joy of peace, love and harmony.
We have within us a higher and a lower nature which are occasionally at odds.
Our higher nature thrives on Love while our lower nature struggles with fear.
As our higher nature becomes increasingly evolved we are able to cultivate blissful love as we rise above delusive fear through peaceful contemplation.
When unfettered our souls are omniscient and beholds God through intuition.
In order to feel Love we can choose to focus our thoughts on higher truths.
In intuitional communion we align our thoughts, actions, life and will with God's words of spiritually awakening truth until we know with certainty the
kingdom of heavenly bliss can be experienced in the precious here and now.

We then perceive all of creation as being precisely and lovingly orchestrated by God and his angels. This obscure Divine Order is reminiscent of an ever
changing, yet always luminously flawless, kaleidoscope.
We see all creation as reflecting an endless variety of scenes and patterns, a succession of changing phases and actions, shifting values and information, constantly methodically evolving, being eternally uplifting and unfathomably precise.
We get a glimpse of the perfection we are all interconnected with and we are reminded eternal life is a great adventure which becomes progressively
more rewarding as we climb the unimaginable heights of spiritual evolution.
This perceivable perfection should led us to the inescapable conclusion that each moment of life is meant to be cherished, for it is all good. No matter
what difficulty we are faced with at the moment there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel.
Divine Order is correcting and adjusting for the purpose of restoring the lost clarity of divine sight which is ours to reclaim.
As we progress in spiritual insights and wisdom life gets better and our trials become less burdensome. We become more deeply immersed in Love and light
until eventually we are free to live with God in a paradise of contemplation.
One has only to lift the opaque veil of delusion and uncertainty to bask in the glowing and blissful bright, fountain of light, love, hope, peace and joy.
We are blessed by the harmonious balance of infinite wisdom and love of our indwelling Divinity as we progressively revel in the heavenly freedom of infinity.
© Paul Martin. May be reproduced without permission for free distribution.

Closing Prayer:
A Moment’s Breathing Prayer
Surrender to God’s help by breathing in God’s healing power ... extend inhalation. Receive God’s peace by exhaling all worries and stress – extend exhalation.
Breath in what I need from God
Breathe out impurities that harm my soul
Breathe in God’s love
Breathe out any self hatred
Breathe in God’s forgiveness
Breathe out self hurt
Breathe in God’s peace
Breathe out anxiety
Breathe in Jesus’ compassion
Breathe out my pride
Breathe in God’s confidence
Breathe out my doubts and uncertainties
Breathe in God’s clarity
Breathe out confusion
Breathe in God’s peace
Breathe out my fears
Breathe in peace ..... exhale
Breathe in peace ..... exhale
Breathe in peace ..... exhale.
(Tolle Lege; Augustinian Historical Commission, 1997, used with permission.)