Community Chat

[gloriajean]

If you look for the light side in all things, you will keep yourself alive

and healthy. Lord, may I be able to see the good in my experiences,

even in my most challenging moments.

Scripture for the day:

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were

harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." ~Matthew 9:36

Meditation for the day:

Having compassion for all who are in temptation, a condition which we

are sometimes in, we have a responsibility toward them. Compassion

always includes responsibility. Pity is useless because it does not

have a remedy for the need. But wherever our compassion goes, our

responsibility goes too. When we are moved with compassion, we can go

to the one in need and bind up their wounds as best we can.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may have compassion for those in temptations. I pray

that I may have compassion for the trials of others.

Hello my friends! I like that first part -

If you look for the light side in all things, you will keep yourself alive

and healthy. Lord, may I be able to see the good in my experiences,

even in my most challenging moments. How true that is! I will keep looking on positive things in my life, and away with anything negative!

Got my hair done today - makes me feel great! Going out tonight to our friend's house, had some blessing phone calls, God blessed me with lots of friends, which I truly cherish! Also very thankful that although my dear husband worked a long shift today, he's fine! He works another long one on Friday. Speaking with friends gives joy to my heart!!! Joy! Your're one of them - thanks for praying for peace and harmony. Praying for all of you, and for the weather related challenges Joy speaks of, and thanks for all your prayers for me. Tomorrow is a new day - rejoice in God's Gift of our Day!

In Christ we have ....

A love that can never be fathomed,

A life that can never die,

A righteousness that can never be tarnished,

A peace that can never be understood,

A rest that can never be disturbed,

A joy that can never be diminished,

A hope that can never be disappointed,

A glory that can never be clouded,

A light that can never be darkened,

A purity that can never be defiled,

A beauty that can never be marred,

A wisdom that can never be baffled,

Resources that can never be exhausted.

Jesus is our all in all!

Cooperation

The story goes that various fruits of the garden held a meeting and a discussion. They wanted to know the reason why no other fruit but the grape contains the juice from which the finest wines are made.

"Her drink is famous throughout the world," they declared. "Why is she more worthy than we are to be so blessed by God?"

A cluster of grapes hanging nearby in the garden heard their complaint and told them, "All of you other fruits grow individually, each one by himself and to himself. But we grapes always grow in bunches; we hang together. That is our nature; that is the only way we can grow.

And perhaps that mutual helpfulness puts something extra special into the wines that come from us."

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having

fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco. "Mom and Dad,

I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring

home with me."

"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."

"There's something you should know the son continued, he was hurt pretty

badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg.

He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."

"I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."

"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."

"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with

such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to

live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I

think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way

to live on his own."

At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more

from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San

Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they

were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents

flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body

of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered

something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those

who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who

inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away

from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are.

Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves

us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family,

regardless of how messed up we are.

Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that

God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to

help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!

Nails meant For Me

The nail was driven through His hand,

Oh the pain that was unjustly dealt.

But much worse was the agony,

Of mankind's sin He felt.

The crown of thorns that tore into His scalp,

Was a punctuation to mankind's rejection.

The world denied the King of kings,

A man who attained perfection.

In a moment all was finished,

Christ's work was done,

He had accomplished the Father's will,

That he chose for His only begotten Son.

The nails of pain, He took for our sins,

They were nails meant for me,

But thanks to God's Grace,

The nails of death I will never see.

--Jay Parr

FAITH Is:

RELIANCE ON the certainty that GOD has a pattern for my life, when

everything else seems meaningless.

REMEMBERING I am GOD's priceless treasure, when I feel utterly

useless.

DEPENDING ON the fact that GOD is love - not on my ability to figure

out why - in the midst of smashed hopes, reversal and tragedy.

KEEPING ON when I'm dog-tired, discouraged, disillusioned, deserted,

dusty, and dry and I cast on His strength alone.

REALIZING that I am useful to GOD, not in spite of my scars, but

because of them.

CONFIDENCE that GOD is acting for my highest good when He answers

"No" to my prayers.

ACCEPTING the truth that, in spite of the wreckage and grief I've

caused, GOD has wiped the slate clean and delights in me!

RECOGNIZING GOD is the LORD of time, when my idea of timing doesn't

agree with HIS.

AN ASSURANCE (not a vague hope) of a happy hereafter of Heaven, based

on my trust in CHRIST's death as payment for my sins.

REMEMBERING that, though my way is as dark as night to me, GOD can

see and guides me unerringly.

DOING the right thing regardless of the consequences, knowing GOD

will turn the ultimate effect to good.

A Prayer for Guidance

Lord I stand before you with a heavy heart,

I don’t have all the answers,

I am turning to you for guidance.

I want to be happy and healthy,

not if it offends you.

I want to know I am making the right decisions,

decisions that will not hurt you.

I am human and know I make mistakes,

I am human and know I am weak.

Allow me to gain strength from you.

I am asking for help.

Give me the strength to fight for what is important.

Give me the strength to help people as they help me.

Help me to see right from wrong through the trials of my life.

Never let me just give up on myself.

Forgive me for my mistakes and failures,

know I am trying to be the best and strongest person I can.

Never let me quit! ´

Amen.