Hello my friends! My blessings - Our blessings today are the garage shaping up beautifully with the help of Linus' two brothers who work well together and know he has no time, working now 4 days a week. They are retired. More blessings are the beans, carrots, some blueberries, and raspberries I picked and made more good soup - I fed turkey sandwiches (with my homemade bread) along with the turkey soup for the guys today. I was going to give them raspberries over ice cream for dessert but they were too full and declined. Thanks Cakers, Lucy and Harlene for your posts, and yes, I never thought sand would look that beautiful highly magnified! Wow! What beauty! And who ever thought of magnifying sand so many times to see this!! Praying for your daughter and her kids for a safe journey. We always care when they are on the road, no matter how many times. I called Erma last night, she seemed fine, and was watching the Batchlor or something like that and very much into it, so our conversation was short. But I'm glad I talked to her and she sounded good considering all she went through with double pneumonia!
Forget what you have done for others and remember what they have done for
you.
Lord, a gift is given freely with no expection. May I become a truly giving
person.
Scripture for the day:
"But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my
refuge, to tell of all your works." ~Psalm 73:28
Meditation for the day:
"God is our refuge and underneath are God's everlasting arms."
Sheltering arms express the loving protection of God's spirit. In our
troubles and difficulties, we need nothing so much as a refuge, a place
to relax where we can lay down our burdens and get relief from our
cares. We can say to
ourselves: "God is my refuge." We can say it until its truth sinks into
our very souls. We can say it until we know it and are sure of it.
Nothing can seriously upset us or make us afraid, if God truly is our
refuge.
Prayer for the day:
I pray that I may go each day to God as a refuge until fear goes and
peace and security come. I pray that I may feel deeply secure in the
haven of God's spirit.
"Jesus instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff."
Mission Impossible?
Jesus sent off his disciples to preach repentance to all. He gave them a
sense of urgency in the task. Despite all opposition they were to keep on
going. They were to confront and reject all forms of evil on their way. This
is still our task as Christians. Opposition to the Church will be there as
long as it preaches against the evils in our world and calls for a rejection
of all that is not of God. But like the disciples we must not carry excess
luggage that would interfere with our freedom to be true witnesses to Christ
and his values. Jesus asks for detachment from all things in his disciples.
PERSONAL PRAYER
My Jesus, as I consider the human experiences, burdens and affliction which
you bore for my sake, can I refuse to bear my share of these? Teach me to
look upon my daily life as a true partnership with you. I will become wiser
by entering into your earthly experiences, and stronger by bringing you into
mine. Help me free myself from my fears, doubts, and self-disgust, so that I
may never lose sight of what you really are. Do not let emotions and
imagination see you as anything other than what you have proved yourself,
that is my Redeemer, my Lord, and my closest Friend through life. Amen.
Mr. Smith was walking through a valley when he suddenly noticed that his
feet were getting wet. It then dawned upon him that this little valley of
his was actually an arm of the sea and that high tide was coming in.
He stood still and looked around to find someone with a boat. So long as he
kept waiting for a boat to come and rescue him, he kept right on standing
where he was. But no boat came.
So he gave up on that idea and then began to wish that the tide would not
rise any higher. But when the water reached his chin, he also gave up that
idea and began to swim.
Only then did he realize that he himself was a boat.
THE CARBOHYDRATE DIET
By Marion Smith
Mark 14:22 He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it. He gave it to
His disciples.
Diets, diets, diets… so many to choose from, so few afford long term
success. Should I go with a high protein diet, a fruit and vegetable
diet, a carbohydrate diet, or perhaps the Blimpie diet? Each author
of his diet book professes his particular diet will do the trick for
you, and you will retain lasting results.
I began to think about the high carbohydrate diet as the
minister gave his children’s sermon recently. He removed a variety of
breads from a grocery sack, discussing each one with the children.
There were hamburger buns, ritz crackers, white bread and ghramn
crackers. He discussed how often we eat these products daily, and tied
in the fact that Jesus said “I am the bread of life”. Perhaps we
should think of Jesus each time we eat these carbs. I began to think
further, recalling the variety and types of bread products available.
There are white, rye, whole grain, 7 grain, whole wheat, and
pumpernickel breads. There are crackers and rolls galore- the grocery
isle is full of them.
I began to think how Jesus said, I am the bread of life.
There are so many varieties of bread, so how does this correlate with
Jesus’ statement? I believe that Jesus lives in each Christian today,
and we are all in His body. The variety of types of breads reminds me
of the variety of denominations, the individual manner in which we
worship, the diversity skin colors, and ethnic values within this body
of Christ. God may use a person from one denomination or another to
speak to my heart, to awaken my spirit, or to light my spiritual
fire.
God also uses other means to feed us spiritually, and
those ways remind me of the buns and crackers I saw this morning.
Reading the Bible, attending worship services, going to Bible studies,
and praying are a few of these methods.
Jesus’ spiritual carbohydrate diet is the one I know which
will give us lasting sustenance. God is the author of this diet, and
His Word comes to us in Holy Scripture.
I hope my own personal spiritual carbohydrate diet is filled with a
variety of breads, rolls and crackers. I believe it is the way God
wants it to be.
I will never look at the bread isle of the grocery store or put a bite
in my mouth that I will not remember Jesus’ words… “I am the bread of
life.”
There Is Someone Who Really Cares
In your times of deep despair,
Do you feel there is no hope?
As the darkness closes in on you,
Do you feel you cannot cope?
As you struggle on through every trial,
Do you say "When will it end"?
As you cry yourself to sleep at night,
Do you wish you had a friend?
When your body's racked with aches and pains,
Do you feel you are alone?
When you think about the future,
Do you fear the great unknown?
There is someone who really cares,
And He hears your every cry.
His arms are reaching out to you,
And on Him you can rely.
When things close in around you,
He sees your fear and doubt -
He wants to hold you in His arms,
And He will never cast you out.
As you stumble through the darkness,
He will be your guiding light.
He wants to wipe away your tears,
For you are precious in His sight.
Reach out right now to Jesus,
And let Him take complete control -
He'll take that heavy burden,
And He'll touch and make you whole.
He's reaching out His arms to you,
And He wants to be your friend.
Let Him take you in His loving arms,
For His love will never end.
Mother Teresa Said...
It is very important that right from the beginning we simply live the
gospel. Live the gospel in prayer; live the gospel in words.
Meditations by Padre Pio
I bless the good God for the holy sentiments His grace gives you. You do
well never to begin any task without first having implored divine help. This
will obtain for you the grace of holy perseverance (Letters III p 460).
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