Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Never let the abundance of gifts from God cause you to forget the Giver.
Lord, may I start and end each day with a thank you to You for all of my
blessings including those which I take for granted.


S C R I P T U R E F O R T H E D A Y

"When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the
face of the ground." ~Psalm 104:30

M E D I T A T I O N F O R T H E D A Y

Worship can be consciousness of God's divine majesty. As we pause to
worship, God can help us experience God's divinity. The earth is
filled with God's presence. God can give to us a divine power, a
divine love and a divine healing. We can open our minds to God and
try to absorb some of God's divine spirit. Pausing quietly in the
spirit of worship, we can turn our inward thoughts to God and realize
that God's divine power may be ours, that we can experience God's love
and healing.

P R A Y E R F O R T H E D A Y

I pray that I may worship God by sensing the eternal spirit. I pray
that I may experience a new power in my life.

Hello my friends! Hope your day went well. I worked all day - and I did sell a couple gift cert. One was with a check and the other was cash and the right amount so I didn't have to use the credit card machine yet!! Two more days there and I'm finished for another year. Poor Sammy has to be alone all day, well, anyway, for about six hours. He's good about it though. My blessings today would be my Christmas cards from family and friends and my time with Lori when she took me out for lunch. She found out from Darla that Greg is getting off earlier on the 23rd and they plan on being here in MN by 5 AM the 24th. We pray for good weather and road conditions for all travelers.
I keep thinking of that Jack one I sent about Time and how giving someone your time is so meaningful. That's how I'm feeling about my daughters. All I want really is their time!
They are both so very busy. Today Linus got called in for a different shift - an eight hour shift from noon until 8:30, but he didn't get home until almost 9:00. I'm thinking he can't do 8 hour shifts anymore, this was hard on him. Well, he's working so many days in a row and still will thru Thursday!! I just lift him up in God's Hands and ask Him to help him and heal him and ask Mary, our Blessed Mother, to interecede. That is all I can do. He's going to Dr. Mike and he's been helping.
To everyone who just reads - hope there is something here that speaks to you, and hope you all have a great day, and sometime post when you are ready!



Homily of the Day


December 21, 2010


The Greatness of the Lord
by St. Bede the Venerable

(Excerpt from a homily by Saint Bede the Venerable, priest)

Song of Songs 2:8-14 / Luke 1:39-56

Mary proclaims the greatness of the Lord working in her soul

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” With these words Mary first acknowledges the special gifts she has been given. Then she recalls God’s universal favors, bestowed unceasingly on the human race.

When a man devotes all his thoughts to the praise and service of the Lord, he proclaims God’s greatness. His observance of God’s commands, moreover, shows that he has God’s power and greatness always at heart. His spirit rejoices in God his Savior and delights in the mere recollection of his Creator who gives him hope for eternal salvation.

These words are often used for all God’s creations, but especially for the Mother of God. She alone was chosen, and she burned with spiritual love for the son she so joyously conceived. Above all other saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her Savior, for she knew that He Who was the source of eternal salvation would be born in time in her body, in one person both her own son and her Lord.

“For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.” Mary attributes nothing to her own merits. She refers all her greatness to the gift of the one whose essence is power and whose nature is greatness, for He fills with greatness and strength the small and the weak who believe in Him.

She did well to add: “and holy is His name,” to warn those who heard, and indeed all who would receive His words, that they must believe and call upon His name. For they too could share in everlasting holiness and true salvation according to the words of the prophet: and it will come to pass, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This is the name she spoke of earlier: “…and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

Therefore it is an excellent and fruitful custom of holy Church that we should sing Mary’s hymn at the time of evening prayer. By meditating upon the incarnation, our devotion is kindled, and by remembering the example of God’s Mother, we are encouraged to lead a life of virtue. Such virtues are best achieved in the evening. We are weary after the day’s work and worn out by our distractions. The time for rest is near, and our minds are ready for contemplation.

Let us pray.

Happy are you who have believed,
because the Lord’s promises will be accomplished in you.
And Mary said:

R. My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.

Come, and listen,
and I will tell what great things God
has accomplished for me.

R. My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.

Te Deum

You are God: we praise You;
You are the Lord: we acclaim You;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships You.

To You all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of Your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise You.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise You.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise You.

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims You:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
Your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.

You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that You will come, and be our judge.

Come then, Lord, and help Your people,
bought with the price of Your own blood,
and bring us with Your saints
to glory everlasting.

V. Save Your people, Lord, and bless Your inheritance.

R. Govern and uphold them now and always.

V. Day by day we bless You.

R. We praise Your name for ever.

V. Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.

R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.

V. Lord, show us Your love and mercy;

R. for we put our trust in You.

V. In You, Lord, is our hope:

R. and we shall never hope in vain.

Prayer

Eternal Father,
You inspired the Virgin Mary, mother of Your Son,
to visit Elizabeth and assist her in her need.
Keep us open to the working of Your Spirit,
and with Mary may we praise You for ever.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Let us praise the Lord. And give Him thanks.

Amen.

Advent Prayer

Father, all-powerful God, your eternal Word took flesh on our earth
when the Virgin Mary placed her life at the service of your plan.
Lift our minds in watchful hope to hear the voice which announces
His glory and open our minds to receive the Spirit who prepares
us for His coming. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.


Blessed Be Life

I tell you it's good to be alive
Blessed is she who bore me and tenderly nurtured me
Blessed is the fruitful seed in the womb
Blessed is the growing embryo destined to be born this Day
Blessed is every child of God come to full term
Blessed are all the children of the universe
Blessed is every Mother who brings her baby to birth
Blessed be every Father who supports bone of his bone-flesh of his flesh
Blessed be every doctor who refuses to abort life, but seeks to save life
Blessed be the miracle of LIFE and the God of LIFE who provides for every living creature
Blessed be the Virgin Mary who did not refuse to bear the Son of God
Blessed be the Lord Jesus who did not despise being a fetus in the sanctuary of the Womb.
Brother Martin

Mother Teresa Said...
We must love with Jesus' love and his spirit of sacrifice. God loved us by giving himself to us. We too must give ourselves to one another. Because of this, we must reject whatever would keep us from giving ourselves to one another.

Give Me Strength

If Satan's way I seek to go,
Lord, give me courage to tell him, "No."
Don't let my soul be led astray.
Please, give me strength for one more day.

And if I fall along the way,
Then lift me up, Oh Lord, I pray.
For, Satan's strong and I am weak.
Your tender mercies I will seek.

Your love is strong, your grace I need
When Satan makes my spirit bleed.
Give me strength, Oh Lord, I pray -
To fight this demon, day by day.

Satan's working overtime,
Trying his best to change my mind.
But if you'll help me, Lord, I know
His evil seeds will never grow.

For, you are mightier than the sword.
I've chosen you to be my Lord.
So give me strength, Oh God, I pray;
By standing in the devils way.

(Vickie Lambdin)

MAYBE
Author Unknown
January 22, 2010


Maybe God wanted us to meet the wrong people before meeting the right
one so that when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to
be grateful for that gift.

Maybe when the door of happiness closes, another opens, but often
times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one
which has been opened for us.

Maybe the best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and
swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was
the best conversation you've ever had.

Maybe it is true that we don't know what we have got until we lose it,
but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until
it arrives.

Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love
you back. Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in
their heart; but if it does not, be content it grew in yours.

It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like
someone, and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget
someone.

Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that
fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a
smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your
heart smile.

There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just
want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real.

Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you
want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all
the things you want to do.

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make
you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you
happy.

Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you,
it probably hurts the other person, too.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have
searched, and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the
importance of people who have touched their lives.

Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss and ends with a tear.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you
can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and
heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was
smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you are the one who is
smiling and everyone around you is crying.


Christmas Wishes For One And All


Wishing you the gift of faith, the blessings of hope and the peace of His love at Christmas and always.

Wishing you the joy of family. The happiness of friends, and the love of Christmas, may the miracle of Christmas fill your heart with warmth and love.

May this glorious day of our Savior's birth resound with hope and peace on earth, and good will to all men. May the splendor of this season remind you of Him who is worthy of all our praise.

May your holiday season be blessed with the true meaning of Christmas. May the timeless message of Christmas fill your heart and home with joy today and throughout the coming year.

May God grant you the light in Christmas which is faith. Wishing you and your loved ones all the wonders and magic of Christmas.

Good night now and Sweet Dreams to all! May your Wednesday be filled with Love and Gifts from God Above!
Enjoy this time just before Christmas - it's soon here!!

Closing prayer:

A PRAYER WHEN YOU FEEL WORRIED AND UNCERTAIN

O Lord, each of us has fears that betray; worries that capture and shake
out our joy. We find ourselves in limbo because we are neither here nor
there. We are in a time of transition, of getting ready. Change and
chance surround us. Help us, O Lord, to return to your presence. Cause
us to find the point and purpose of each day. All we ask is that you keep
us on our feet so that we might walk with you. Bless us this night and
grant us rest. Amen.