Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Hello my friends, Today again another beautiful day in the 70's - perfect! It was a joy picking raspberries and strawberries this afternoon again. Soon, very soon it's going to be time to get the rest of the collard, kale, spinach, and basil out of the garden and think of what to do with them. Someone mentioned you can hang the basil - don't know, the spinach is a crawling up a fence spinach, and it actually has some berries with it, when Georgia was here Wednesday she thought that was so interesting and we tasted the berries and they are good tasting, very little. The spinach has bigger leaves, I've been using it raw with the other herbs etc. in my foods, I grind them all up together and use in soups, salads, potatoes or whatever. Not sure yet how to process it, maybe use the dehydrator of Lori's? That I want to use for sure for basil. We had good luck freezing the kale last year, now maybe the Collard can be blanched right with the kale and frozen with it. Think I'll try that. It's the first year of collard for us. The Spinach, by the way, he bought out of a seed catalog among other things. Just got back from celebrating another one of Linus' siblings birthday - his sister, Patty - went out to eat at the restaurant she chose. Everyone was there. Got 10 chickens from Dave, Linus' brother, who's son lives in SD and he gets chickens from the Amish there, for five dollars a piece and they are about five pounds each. Good deal!!! We've had them before and they are delicious. They are frozen whole, so we need to cut them up to use if we don't want to cook them whole. Guess I'm being too much of a chatterbox tonight - so many of God's blessings to talk about!!! Thanks be to God!!

There is great joy in forgiving and being forgiven. Lord, help me to move
past any hurts that I have so that I may be freed of their burden.


Scripture for the day:

"Jesus straightened up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no
one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, sir.' And Jesus said,
'Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin
again.'" ~John 8:10-11

Meditation for the day:

We can ask God in daily prayer to give us the strength to change.
When we ask God to change us, we can at the same time fully trust God.
If we do not fully trust God, God cannot help until we are a ready.
A rescuer finds it difficult to help a drowning person who is putting
up too much of a struggle. The person's futile efforts render them
more helpless, until he or she is wholly at the rescuer's mercy. Just
so must we be wholly at God's mercy before we can be rescued.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may be daily willing to be changed. I pray that I may
put myself wholly at the mercy of God.

WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY?
Written by Arlene Spanos

Christianity means having faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord.
It means to trust in the Bible as God’s Holy Infallible Word.

It is realizing sin separates us from God who is righteous and just;
Knowing we can’t be reconciled on our own, so in Christ we trust.

It is understanding we can not earn God’s grace by virtues or good
behavior.
It is acknowledging we’re sinners who need the atonement of our
Savior.

It’s realizing that laws and religion do not have the power to save
us.
It’s knowing and loving Jesus and accepting the gift that He gave us.

It is believing that Jesus took our sins at the cross for our debt to
be paid.
It is assurance we have eternal salvation because of the sacrifice He
made.

It’s asking for God’s forgiveness and to help us make a fresh start;
Asking Him to be with us always, and to fill us in mind and in heart.

It is having faith in God’s sovereignty for He knows what’s best;
Thanking Him for all He has done and for how we’ve been blessed.

This is the message of the Gospel; Good News to those who will hear
it.
And when we accept and follow Jesus we receive the help of the Holy
Spirit.

Being a Christian transforms us within and in every part of life;
It gives us hope and joy along with comfort in sorrow and strife.

We know we’re not perfect but we want to please God and obey.
We continually ask God to mend us and to show us the way.

We understand this is an ongoing process; not just an event.
We strive to reflect Christ’s love for it is Him we represent.

We believe God loves everyone and has a purpose for us all.
We know He does not want any of us to be lost or to fall.

We seek to know, to serve and to love God more and more;
As we find understanding and meaning we did not know before.

If your faith isn’t evident and doesn’t mean this to you,
Carefully reconsider and assess, is your faith really true?

If you have any doubts, seek His wisdom and pray.
Invite Him into your life; ask Him to show you the way.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have Eternal Life. For
God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to
save the world through Him." John 3:16-17

THE TEN COMMNDMENTS OF HOW TO GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE

Keep skid chains on your tongue; always say less than you think. Cultivate
a low, persuasive voice. How you say it often counts more than what you
say.

Make promises sparingly, and keep them faithfully, no matter what it costs.

Never let an opportunity pass to say a kind and encouraging word to or about
somebody. Praise good work, regardless of who did it. If criticism is
needed, criticize helpfully, never spitefully.

Be interested in others, their pursuits, their work, their homes and
families. Make merry with those who rejoice; with those who weep, mourn.
Let everyone you meet, however humble, feel that you regard them as people
of importance.

Be cheerful. Don't burden or depress those around you be dwelling on your
minor aches and pains and small disappointments. Remember, everyone is
carrying some kind of load.

Keep an open mind. Discuss, but don't argue. It is a mark of a superior
mind to be able to disagree without being disagreeable.

Let your virtues, if you have any, speak for themselves. Refuse to talk to
or about another's vices. Discourage gossip. It is a waste of valuable
time and can be extremely destructive.

Be careful of another's feelings. Wit and humor at the other person's
expense are rarely worth it and may hurt when least expected.

Pay no attention to ill-natured remarks about you. Remember, the person who
carried the message may not be the most accurate reporter in the world.
Simply live so that nobody will believe them. Disordered nerves and bad
digestion are a common cause of backbiting.

Don't be too anxious about the credit due you. Do your best, and be
patient. Forget about yourself, and let others "remember." success is much
sweeter that way.

The Great Physician

Welcome to the Great Physician
Office hours are as you come,
He's a Specialist in all problems
And His day is never done.
He can heal a heart that's broken
He can mend the spirit, too,
No matter what your ailment
He does have the cure for you.
His fee for service never alters
He serves rich and poor as well,
He's our one chance for Salvation,
He alone saves us from H ell.
There's no fee for services rendered
All He asks is that we believe,
That He bled and died to save us
And all His blessings we will receive.
Do you have a special problem
That is troubling you this hour?
The just simply leave it with Him
You can find no greater power.
Don't delay in seeking treatment
Please, my friend, don't hesitate,
For His office is soon closing
And He'll shut and lock the gate.
I wouldn't want you to suffer
While the Doctor's so close by,
Your whole life will be much better
If my Physician you will try.
Forgive Yourself
There are many people in the world that have a problem with forgiving
themselves of their past mistakes. God is a God of love and compassion who
wishes to forgive and restore all who come to Him. Never feel as if you are
beyond redemption. God is able to turn your mess into a miracle.

I hope the following story will minister to you if you are having trouble
forgiving yourself, or feel as if God will never forgive you of your past
mistakes.

A woman is dying of Aids. A minister is summoned. He attempts to comfort
her, but to no avail.

"I am lost," she said. "I have ruined my life and every life around me. Now
I'm going painfully to h ell. There is no hope for me."

The minister saw a framed picture of a pretty girl on the dresser. "Who is
this?" he asked.

The woman brightened. "She is my daughter, the one beautiful thing in my
life."

"And would you help her if she was in trouble, or made a mistake? Would you
forgive her? Would you still love her?" the minister asked.

"Of course I would!" cried the woman, "I would do anything for her! Why do
you ask such a question?"

"Because I want you to know," said the minister, "that God has a picture of
you on His dresser."
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