Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Many of life's hassles are mere tests of our strength.

Lord, help me remember that patience can often diffuse

a situation quicker than a snap response.

Scripture for the day:

"May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of

Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything needed for life

and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory

and goodness." 2 Peter 2-3

Meditation for the day:

There is only one way to get full satisfaction from life and that is to live

the way we believe God wants us to live. We can live with God in that

secret place of the spirit and we will have a feeling of being on the right

road. We can have a deep sense of satisfaction. The world can have meaning

and we can have a place in the world, work to do that counts in the eternal

order of things. Many things can work for us and with us, as long as we try

to stay on God's side.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may have a sense of the eternal value of the work I do.

I pray that I may not only work for now, but also for eternity.

Hello my friends! Today was a very surprising day with our Pope Benedict resigning, but he knows what he can and cannot handle, and he prayed and made his decision. We pray for another good Pope for our leader. Today Lori called to say she knows of a chiropractor who also does dogs, and she'll see if she can do acupuncture on Sammy. My blessings - I talked to two sisters on the phone tonight - and that's always a blessing. I treasure my time with them. Today was a lot of everyday blessings, and it's a blessing when I can get Sammy's medicine down with hot dogs. That worked great today. The trick is to wait until he's hungry, and he doesn't get hungry until about 1:30 or so in the afternoon. When he starts to sit up and beg, it's time. Can you share with us some of your blessings? Praying for you all - thanks for your prayers for us.

Outpouring of Spirit

Holy Spirit,

we ask for an outpouring of your graces, blessings and gifts,

upon those who do not believe, that they may believe;

Upon those who are doubtful or confused, that they may understand;

Upon those who are lukewarm or indifferent, that they may be transformed;

Upon those who are constantly living in the state of sin, that they may be converted;

Upon those who are weak, that they may be strengthened;

Upon those who are holy, that they may persevere.

Amen.

No Matter Where I Go!

No matter how far away I go,

My Lord is always there.

No matter what the world may do to me,

My Lord will always care.

In the darkest corner of the earth,

God's light cannot be hid.

He stands beside me through the night,

And I know that I am His.

What can this world do to me,

Why do I no longer care,

It is because my Lord stands beside me,

All my sorrows and grieves to bear.

Be glad my brothers and sisters,

Can't you feel it in the air,

He stands before us waiting,

Give Him your every care.

Lord God in heaven how I thank thee,

For loving this simple little man,

It is amazing that the King in all His glory,

Would come down to hold this sinners hand.

I have seen so many wonders,

And the beauty in this earthly land,

But nothing can compare,

With seeing Jesus hold your hand.

When Christ lifts us up to glory,

We are no longer a part of this earthly land,

Oh come with me sinner, come with me now,

Come take hold of the Masters hand.

- Author Unknown

Morning Motivation

When I woke up this morning lying in bed,

I was asking myself;

What are some of the secrets of success in life?

I found the answer right there, in my very room.

The Fan said... Be cool

The Roof said... Aim high

The Window said... See the world

The Clock said... Every minute is precious

The mirror said... Reflect before you act

The Calendar said... Be up-to-date

The Door said... Push hard for your goals

AND NOT TO FORGET, THE CARPET SAID...

"KNEEL DOWN AND PRAY"

Carry a Heart that Never Hates.

Carry a Smile that Never Fades.

Carry a Touch that Never Hurts..

HAVE A PURPOSEFUL DAY IN THE LORD!

'God Blesses Us To Be A Blessing Unto Others'

When Trouble Comes What Will You Do

The truth is, no matter how strong of a Christian you are, no matter how solid your prayer life, how deep your love runs for Christ, you will indeed face troubles. Psalm 34:19 says "many are the afflictions of the righteous..."

The strength of your Christian walk doesn't come in your living life problem-free, it comes in you perfecting your response to those problems when they come. When trouble comes a-knocking, there are three ways for you to respond: fight, flee or fence-straddle.

1. Fight- This is by far the best and most effective response. In fighting, you choose to face that problem head-on. You instinctively pull out your spiritual weapons: prayer, fasting, praise and worship. You respond by faith, knowing that Christ has already given you the victory over every problem you will ever face. When you fight, you know that the battle is already won, but there's much for you to gain by going through the process - your faith will become stronger, your trust deeper, your relationship with Him will be closer, your ability to overcome by His blood will become more evident. When you choose to fight, you show the One who Died for you that you believe in Him and trust Him to care for you, to protect you. This response allows the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and direct you through the trouble because your spiritual weapons put you in direct contact with God. Yes, "many are the afflictions of the righteous," but the good news is that "the Lord delivers him out of them all." Ps 34:19. When you fight, you stand firm on the promises of God. This is the response that leads to your victory - guaranteed.

2. Flee - This is the response the enemy prefers. When you flee, you cower and denounce the power of God that lives on the inside of you. This response allows the enemy to succeed in his mission to steal, kill and destroy your life. (John 10:10). In this instance, your life will become full of "issues" that eventually overwhelm you-consume your thoughts, your conversations, your life. Your troubles will overcome you because you have given them all the power. In fleeing, you never address trouble full-on. Instead of exercising the power of God, consulting with the Holy Spirit for direction, putting on the whole armor of God, you shrink and allow the enemy, the world, or even your self to reign in your life. You become the victim and flee from the truth of who you really are in Christ. This response is the most detrimental to your survival.

3. Fence-straddle - This response is most common. When you choose this response you operate in a combination of the other two. You may initially pray and stand on the Word of God, but when you don't see an immediate solution to the problem, you flee. When God doesn't "show up" in time, or when the results aren't what you expect them to be, you surrender to the enemy and shrink. So in other words, you have one foot on the Solid Rock and the other foot in the enemy's camp. You pray, but in your heart you doubt. You may praise and worship, but in the back of your mind, you're trying to figure out what you need to do to rectify the situation. The Lord spoke harshly against those who were lukewarm in Revelations 3:16 saying, "...because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my Mouth." Fence-straddling connotes distrust. You're afraid to trust that God's got you covered, but you know better than to trust anything that comes out of enemy camp, so then you straddle. This is a very futile situation in which to put yourself; it leaves you on very shaky ground.

God has commanded on numerous occasion "fear not." He has consistently affirmed His dedication and commitment to providing for and protecting you. When trouble comes your way, trust Him. He's proven Himself time and time again! You already have the victory through Christ Jesus - no matter what the circumstances look like. When your next "situation" arises, what will you do? Will you fight, flee or fence-straddle?

Have a wonderful day and remember when trouble comes He's there right beside you to help see you through it all. Have a blessed day.

Pains of Love

Read this to the end. It will lift you.

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole that was behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out through the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.

He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator

was swimming toward the shore.

In the house, his mother was looking out through the window. She saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could.

Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed, and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms, just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began a very incredible tug-of-war between the two.

The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim, and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy SURVIVED. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. On his arms, there were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh; in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked the boy if he would show him his scars.

The boy lifted his pant legs. Then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy.

We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly, and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been right there, holding on to you.

The Scripture teaches that God loves you.

You are a child of God. He wants to protect you, and provide for you in every way. But, sometimes, we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That is when the tug-of-war begins.

If you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He will not ever let you go.

Please pass this on to those you love. God has blessed you, so that you can be a blessing to others. You just never know where a person is in his/her life, and what they are going through.

Never judge other persons scars, because you don't know how they got them.

God bless!