Community Chat

[gloriajean]

It is important to remember that different can be better. Lord, as I resist
change and cling to the familiar, help me to remember that Your plan is perfect and
will truly make me happy.

Scripture for the day:

"Be still and know that I am God." ~Psalm 46:10

Meditation for the day:

When we look to God for strength to face responsibility and are quiet
before God, God's healing touch can cause the divine quiet to flow
into our very being. When in weakness we cry to God, God's touch can
bring healing, the renewal of our courage, and the power to meet every
situation and be victorious. When we faint by the way or are
distracted by feelings of inferiority, then we can rely on the touch
of God's spirit to support us on our way. Then we can arise and go
forth with confidence.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may lay myself open today to the healing touch of God.
I pray that I may not falter or faint by the wayside, but renew my
courage through prayer.

Hello my friends! I'm happy for the day turning warmer out - it was chilly
this morning, went to Mass with a sweater on, but later it warmed up with
the sun. I picked a bunch of lettuce and some kale, radishes, a few
strawberries and raspberries and what joy it is to get those free food from
our yard! What is even better is that the lettuce, kale, strawberries and
raspberries keep producing. Our potatoes are high - and starting to
blossom, so by the fourth of July we'll have our own fresh potatoes already!
I just love digging them out and seeing how many each plant gives me! I
wonder if you can grow sweet potatoes? I don't know of anyone who has done
that. My blessings today so far 1) a good night's sleep, 2) Mass - it was
so good to back to our own parish, and get the bulletin, 3) food from the
garden, 4) friends and daughter to play scrabble with on Facebook, and 5),
for my Faith, my love of God and His people, and all who He gives me to
love. I'm very grateful for all of you, my friends, who read this thread
daily, and I love it when you respond so I can get to know you!
Could you name three blessings?


EVERYDAY PRAYER
Let us pray to Jesus Christ along with the intercession of Holy Mother Mary,
in union with the saints.

"Jesus, I entrust all my problems to you. Come to me. Speak to me. Reveal
the will of God to me. Deliver me from dangers and diseases (names). Jesus!
Pour your precious blood on me. Remove all the stain of sin from me. Grant
me freely, redemption from sin and salvation by the merit of the crucifixion
and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. Deliver me from satanic bondages,
evil desire, wicked men and temptations of the devil. Save me by the merit
of your suffering. Jesus, send upon me, in power, the Holy Spirit, promised
by the Father. Renew me, and my dear ones by the Holy Spirit. Thank you God.
Praise you Jesus. Praise you Holy Spirit." Amen.
(Do praise for sometime)

STOLEN CAR
(A Lesson For All Of Us)
-author unknown

I was sitting at a stop light this morning. The lady in front of me
was going through papers on the seat of her car, and when the
light changed to green she did not obey its command -- a green
light is a commandment - NOT a suggestion.

When the light turned to red, and she had still not moved, I began
(with my windows up) screaming epithets and beating on my steering
wheel. My expressions of distress were interrupted by a policeman,
gun drawn, tapping on my window. Against my protestations of, "You
can't arrest me for hollering in my car," he ordered me into the back
seat of his squad car.

After about two hours in a holding cell, the arresting officer advised
me I was free to go. I said, "I knew you couldn't arrest me for what
I was yelling in my own car. You haven't heard the last of this."

The officer replied, "I didn't arrest you for shouting in your car. I
was directly behind you at the light. I saw you screaming and beating
your steering wheel, and I said to myself, "What a jerk. But there is
nothing I can do to him for throwing a fit in his own car. Then I
noticed the 'Cross' hanging from your rear view mirror, the bright
yellow 'Choose Life' license tag, the 'Jesus is Coming Soon' bumper
sticker, and the Fish symbol, and I thought you must have stolen the
car."

Mother Teresa said...
It is important to gain self-knowledge as part of spiritual growth - to know
yourself and believe in yourself means you can know and believe in God.
Knowledge of yourself produces humility, and knowledge of God produces love.

DO YOU CARRY YOUR UMBRELLA?
Author Unknown

We all have something to learn from this young girl.

As a drought continued for what seemed an eternity, a small community
of farmers was in a quandary as to what to do. Rain was important to
keep their crops healthy and sustain the townspeople' s way of life.

As the problem became more acute, a local pastor called a prayer
meeting to ask for rain.

Many people arrived. The pastor greeted most of them as they filed in.
As he walked to the front of the church to officially begin the
meeting he noticed most people were chatting across the aisles and
socializing with friends. When he reached the front his thoughts were
on quieting the attendees and starting the meeting.

His eyes scanned the crowd as he asked for quiet. He noticed an eleven
year-old girl sitting quietly in the front row. Her face was beaming
with excitement. Next to her, poised and ready for use, was a bright
red umbrella. The little girl's beauty and innocence made the pastor
smile as he realized how much faith she possessed. No one else in the
congregation
had brought an umbrella.

All came to pray for rain, but the little girl had come expecting God
to answer.


My Creed
This is my creed: To do some good,
To bear my ills without complaining,
To press on as a brave man should
For honors that are worth the gaining;

To seek no profits where I may,
By winning them, bring grief to others;
To do some service day by day
In helping on my toiling brothers.

This is my creed: To close my eyes
To little faults of those around me;
To strive to be when each day dies
Some better than the morning found me;

To ask for no unearned applause,
To cross no river until I reach it;
To see the merit of the cause
Before I follow those who preach it.

To keep my standards always high,
To find my task and always do it:
This is my creed - I wish that I
Could learn to shape my action to it.

by S.E. Kiser

Did I send this one already? Don't have time to look back but if I did, here
it is again:

SCARS
Author Unknown
June 12, 2012


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 behind his house.

In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out 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.

His mother, in the house was looking out the window, 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 an 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.
And, on his arms, 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
if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And
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, or anything quite so dramatic. 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 there holding on to you. The
Scripture teaches that God loves you. If you have Christ in your life,
you have become a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide
for you in every way.

But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations. The
swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the
enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-o-war begins, and if
you have the scars of His love on your arms be very, very grateful.

He did not - and will not - let you go. Time is a very precious gift
of God; so precious that it's only given to us moment by moment.

Enjoy the rest of tonight and Wednesday - may you find all kinds of
blessings that you ordinarily take for granted. God bless you all.