Hello my friends!! Today's blessings are for one, emailing with an old friend who's on my list for many years! What a wonderful, loyal friend she is!! She is also on the Prayer Line for praying for others. She and so many I"ve met on line are true blessings from God! I heard from Carolina, she is quite busy, and wants me to greet you all for her!! Her email was another blessing! Thank you for praying for Lori's surgery to be a success, friends! I surely appreciate that and so does Lori! Please also pray for good weather to drive all that way Saturday too and coming home Sunday or Monday. There won't be a thread out those days. You can keep posting on the last thread to keep it going. That would be Saturday's.
When you can't fall asleep, spend the time talking with God and in prayer
you will soon be sleeping. Lord, next to Your heart, what a safe and
restful
place to sleep.
S C R I P T U R E F O R T H E D A Y
"Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."
~Matthew 18:20
M E D I T A T I O N F O R T H E D A Y
"Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."
The spirit of God can come upon God's followers when they are all together
at one time, in one place, and with one accord. When two or three
consecrated souls are together at a meeting place, the spirit of God is
there to
help and guide them. Where any sincere group of people are together,
reverently seeking the help of God, God's power and God's spirit are there
to
inspire them.
P R A Y E R F O R T H E D A Y
I pray that I may be in accord with the members of my group. I pray
that I may feel the strength of a consecrated group.
Standing For What You Believe In
Standing for what you believe in,
Regardless of the odds against you,
And the pressure that tears at your resistance,
...means courage
Keeping a smile on your face,
When inside you feel like dying,
For the sake of supporting others,
...means strength
Stopping at nothing,
And doing what's in your heart,
You know is right,
...means determination
Doing more than is expected,
To make another's life a little more bearable,
Without uttering a single complaint,
...means compassion
Helping a friend in need,
No matter the time or effort,
To the best of your ability,
...means loyalty
Giving more than you have,
And expecting nothing
But nothing in return,
...means selflessness
Holding your head high,
And being the best you know you can be
When life seems to fall apart at your feet,
Facing each difficulty with the confidence
That time will bring you better tomorrow's,
And never giving up,
...means confidence.
- Author Unknown
How to Overcome Discouragement!
By the late Father Kilian McGowan, C.P.
Used with permission, from the Passionist Priests
Most of us at one time or another are tempted to discouragement. The
spiritual combat gets too tough and we'd like to call it quits. It seems so
hard to keep on trying-especially when we don't seem to be going anywhere.
Or when just about everything seems to be going against us.
It may help to know that the saints had the same struggle. At times they
had to grind out their acts of faith, hope and charity through clenched
teeth. Don't think they were swept along without effort. They waged an
uphill battle against discouragement, failure and despair. They became
saint not by never failing, but by refusing to give in to their falls.
At times the saints even experienced a repugnance for the things of God.
They didn't deny this condition, but rather faced up to it. Our Lord never
said to deny that a cross exists, or even to say that it didn't hurt. He
told us to "take it up." And to do it daily.
Maybe you feel spiritually "beat." Everything seems just too hard. You
don't feel like praying. You feel the need for God, but He seems beyond
hope and charity-and just about everything else! This can be a greater
mortification than some of the bodily austerities of the saints.
Be assured-you may be much closer to God than you think. It's not thinking
of God that is the most important. Nor the feeling that He is near. Or
even wanting to pray. It's just trying to pray. And wanting Him-even when
you think you've lost God. God permits this rough going, because we hang
onto Him more fiercely at a time like this.
Don't say to yourself: "It's no use. I just don't have what it takes." OF
course, you haven't! But none of us have. God is a merciful supplier who
will supply just what is needed when you need His help. Don't sit back and
hang your head in discouragement. Lift up your heart and approach Him
exposing your need like a begging child.
I think that the trouble often is not so much lack of courage as lack of
correct vision. We haven't lost our backbone-but we're just looking in the
wrong way. We are looking too much at ourselves and not enough at God. He
told us that "to those that love God ALL things work unto good." Not "some"
things or "most" things. He excluded absolutely nothing!
Really, what is there to be discouraged about? Past mistakes, no matter how
serious, are erased by the merciful forgiveness of God. Possible future
troubles haven't even arrived. Spiritual success, at least, is available.
Happiness can be yours for the asking-if you are willing to set your heart
on the right things.
Discouragement can be the sign that we have trusted too much in our own
abilities and not enough in God's. Or that we are taking ourselves too
seriously. Or perhaps overemphasizing our importance in the scheme of
things. Or it could be that we want things that aren't good for us and God
simply refuses to let us have them. If He shakes us up it's only because He
wants us to find Him more perfectly.
So, don't be discouraged over your failures-or anything else. Whatever the
cause of discouragement, lift up your eyes and your heart. Your eyes to
make you see that there's never an excuse for self pity, for one who is
loved by a God of love.
Your heart to make you realize that you shouldn't feel sorry for yourself as
long as you are an object of His tender concern. Our need is the perfect
invitation for God to take over in our lives. Let us not be afraid to ask
Him to do so!
Mother Teresa said...
Jesus, you have given everything, life, blood, all. Now it is my turn. I put
everything into the field also. The common soldier fights in the ordinary
lines, but the devoted one tries to be near the captain to share his fate.
This is the spirit of Christ.
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