Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Give control of your life to God and humbly live in His presence. Lord, I
humbly
desire that Your will be my will and that we always walk together.

Scripture for the day:

"You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in
your right hand are pleasures forevermore." ~Psalm 16:11

Meditation for the day:

There are two paths, one up and one down. We have been given free will to
choose either path. We are captains of our souls to this extent only. We
can choose the good or the bad. Once we have chosen the wrong path, we go
down and down, eventually to death. But if we choose the right path, we can
go up and up, until we come to the resurrection day. On the wrong path, we
have no power for good because we do not choose to ask for it. But on the
right path, we are on the side of good and we have all the power of God's
spirit behind us.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may be in the stream of goodness. I pray that I may be on the
right side, on the side of all good in the universe.

Hello my friends! Well! Well! Well! Look who finally got in? Looks like I
needed to download Chrome, and I have no idea why that would make a
difference being everything worked fine before with Firefox. Anyway - here
I am starting the thread myself - a little early because I want to see if it
posts right like it should, too. Now I can see, read and reply responses.
So this was a blessing and quite a surprise to me when I found this works
now. Let's see, how long has it been? Over a month, maybe two. I wish to
thank our dear Juanita (DoubleJ) for her helping me out all this time daily!
Thank you all for your patience - patience is golden, they say, don't they?
Another wonderful blessing - my good friend, Ann, stopped in for a visit.
Sammy got groomed, he's looking very nice - they were very careful with him
for his leg. Tomorrow morning he goes back to the Vet. He still won't put
pressure on that left front leg, so he refuses to shake hands with me - he's
a right hand shaker. Poor little guy! Today on this All Saint's Day I pray
with all the Saints for all your intentions, the big Community of Saints in
Heaven all interceding for us - Wow! Thanks for your prayers for us.
Always appreciated!

JEFFIE AND GRANDPA
Author Unknown
November 1, 2012


Jeffie was in his playpen and he was crying. Tears were rolling down his
little cheeks, his face was red as it could be. He was crying, and he looked
pitiful in his little baseball T-shirt and a diaper.

Then Jeffie's Grandpa entered the room; Jeffie's little face lit up when he
saw his Grandpa! He immediately reached out his little arms in supplication
and said "Out Pa Pa out."

What is a Grandpa to do? How can someone resist that?

So Grandpa went over to the playpen, he bent over. He reached down to lift
his little buddy from captivity and distress . . .

Just then "Law and Order" walked into the room.

Momma said "Jeffie, you stay right there! I'm punishing you because you have
been naughty! Dad, leave Jeffie alone!"

What is a Grandpa to do?

Grandpa backs off and is thinking, "I can't just pick up a book and read it
with Jeffie here. He would think I was uncaring and distant. I can't leave
the room because he would feel like I have abandoned him."

What is a Grandpa to do?

But you know what? Love always finds a way. Since Grandpa couldn't take
Jeffie out of the playpen, Grandpa climbed in with Jeffie!

Grandpa said "If you are in the playpen buddy, I'm in the playpen too. What
are you in for? What is your sentence?"

Having Grandpa join him in his "prison cell" brought Jeffie great comfort
and joy. In the midst of his captivity, Jeffie no longer felt so alone.

What Jeffie's Grandpa did is also a picture of what Jesus Christ did for us
when He came to Earth as a baby.

God the Father yearned to reach down into our "playpen of captivity" and
pull us out. He could not . . . because of our disobedience . . . because of
our sin. What did God do?

God climbed into our "playpen" with us!

When Jesus Christ entered into our "playpen of captivity," He took the sin
and disobedience that should have been ours alone, releasing us from our
captivity . . . allowing us the opportunity to experience the fullness of
life God has for us!

The message is simple, clear and personal: God with us . . . He loves you so
much He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ!


"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. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not
believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of
God's one and only Son." John 3:16-18 (NIV)

Strong Woman vs. a Woman of Strength

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape...
but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape...

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything...
but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear...

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her...
but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone...

A strong woman walks sure footedly...
but a woman of strength knows God will catch her if she falls...

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face...
but a woman of strength wears grace...

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey...
but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will
become strong...

Author Unknown

Who Is Jesus ?

To the ARTIST He is the One Altogether lovely
To the ARCHITECT He is the Chief Cornerstone
To the BAKER He is the Living Bread
To the BANKER He is the Hidden Treasure
To the BIOLOGIST He is the Life
To the BUILDER He is the Sure Foundation
To the CARPENTER He is the Door
To the DOCTOR He is the Great Physician
To the EDUCATOR He is the Great Teacher
To the ENGINEER He is the New and Living Way
To the FLORIST He is the Rose of Sharon
To the GARDENER He is the Lily of the Valley
To the GEOLOGIST He is the Rock of Ages
To the HORTICULTURIST He is the True Vine
To the JUDGE He is the Judge of All Men
To the JURY He is the Righteous Judge
To the JEWELER He is the Pearl of Great Price
To the LAWYER He is The Advocate
To the NEWSPAPER He is the Good Tidings of Great Joy
To the OCCULTIST He is the Light Of The Eyes
To the PHILANTHROPIST He is the Unspeakable Gift
To the PHILOSOPHER He is the Wisdom of God
To the SCULPTOR He is the Living Stone
To the SERVANT He is the Good Master
To the STATESMAN He is the Desire of All Nations
To the STUDENT He is Incarnate Truth
To the THEOLOGIAN He is the author and Finisher of Our Faith
To the TOILER He is the Great Rest
To the SINNER He is the Lamb of God that Takes Away the Sins of the World

Last night I had a dream.
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Across the sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonged
to me, the other to the Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the
footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the
very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all the
way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

The Lord replied, "My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never
leave you.
During your times of suffering, when you could see only one set of
footprints, it was then that I carried you."

- - -
Isaiah 49:15 - "Can a woman forget her own baby and not love the child she
bore? Even if a mother should forget her child, I will never forget you."

Hebrews 13:5 - "I will never leave you. I will never abandon you."

Prayer for the Solemnity of All Saints
God our Father, source of all holiness, the work of your hands is manifest
in your saints, the beauty of your truth is reflected in their faith. May we
who aspire to have part in their joy be filled with the Spirit that blessed
their lives, so that having shared their faith on earth we may also know
their peace in your kingdom. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.


Prayer-The Greatest Art of All!
By the late Father Kilian McGowan, C.P.

Used with permission, from the Passionist Priests

Would you like to see your life profoundly altered? For the better, that is.
Do you seek the fullest development of your personality? Do you want to
begin a journey towards greater grace? Would you like an ever-present source
of unshakeable strength? Then you should learn the art of prayer.

So many people have expressed a desire to know more about prayer that we
cannot bypass this important subject. Prayer is essential to the fervent
following of Christ because it is the only means we have of conscious
contact with Him. Without it, we cannot even hope to grow up spiritually.
Without prayer it is difficult to be a good person, let alone a good friend
of God!

In his famous book, Man the Unknown, Dr. Aleis Carrel wrote the following on
prayer: "If you make a habit of prayer, your life will be profoundly
altered. In prayer a flame kindles and a man sees himself. He discovers his
selfishness, greed and blunders. He develops a sense of moral obligation and
intelligent humility. Thus begins a journey of the soul towards grace."

The Liturgy in itself is the Perfect Prayer because it is the prayerful
worship of Christ and the members of His Mystical Body. When they lovingly
offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice, it is prayer in its highest form.

But even the sublime worship can become soul-less ritual unless we seek
interior union with the Heart of Christ Priest and Victim at Mass. Just as
the cruel sufferings of Christ were given their redemptive value by His
interior self-surrender to His Father's Will.

In this chapter we are concerned, however, with that personalized and
prayerful meditation that leads to interior union with the Heart of the
Savior. Without this union in faith and charity, all our external
performance of the liturgy would become meaningless.

Prayer is an art unlike all others. What a man is, doesn't necessarily
affect his ability in the arts of painting, carving, designing, etc. But in
prayer all is different. As a man is, so does he pray. The whole man leaves
God-or rather his prayer-a different person. True prayer is always
transforming.

What's the first step towards a successful prayer-life? It's to generate one
basic conviction. We must be really convinced that God is our Supreme Good
with all that it implies. We will never seek God with unwavering
perseverance unless we firmly believe that He is the Perfect Object of our
self-dedication. Prayer might be called an intensification of our quest for
God.

Naturally, our success in this spiritual art depends largely on our habitual
orientation toward God. God must first be consciously selected in preference
to all other attractions. Our soul cannot have a "split-personality"-half
given to God and half wrapped-up in the obstacles to His love. But, be
encouraged-even the feeblest of beginnings leads to firmer strides in the
ways of God.

Prayer is not for softies, escapists and sentimentalists. It's for all who
need God, of course. And that takes in just about everyone. But this art is
especially for those who want to be mature and spiritually grown-up. It's
not for escapists, but for those who want to face daily the greatest of
realities-God and His Providential Will. It goes far beyond mere
sentimentality, too, because it turns over to God, man's most precious
powers - his memory, understanding and will. It is, indeed a real way of
life!
------------
There's only one worthy ambition in life--and that is to become a Saint!
"True prayer" is the road to take when seeking God and His will.

No matter what your occupation, you have time for TRUE prayer!