Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Each morning gives us one more chance to pray, one more chance to help

another and one more chance to make this a better world. Lord, thank you

for working in and through everything.

Scripture for the day:

Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard;

and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the

gardener, 'See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this

fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the

soil?' He replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around

it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if

not, you can cut it down.'" ~Luke 13:6-9

Meditation for the day:

Like a tree, it is best for me to be pruned of a lot of dead branches so I

can be ready to bear good fruit. I can think of changed people as trees

which have been stripped of their old branches, pruned, cut and bare. But

through the dark, seemingly dead branches flows silently, secretly, the new

sap, until with the sun of spring, comes new life.

There are new leaves, buds, blossoms and fruit, many times better because of

the pruning. I am in the hands of God, a master gardener, who makes no

mistakes in pruning.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may cut away the dead branches of my life. I pray that I may

not mind the pruning since it helps me to bear good fruit later.

Hello my friends! I just talked to my sister, Sister LaDonna, and she's

doing well, had a nice Christmas - had a nice visit with her on the phone!

Thanks for the cell phones, a big blessing! Also today went well with my

healing of my mouth - I am really liking those puddings!! I am taking a

pain pill when it gives me a bit discomfort. They sure work well! Talked to

Darla too, home safely but very, very sore! Please keep her in your prayers

for healings. Jan. 5th they go on their cruise now - sure hope she'll be

less sore so she can enjoy it! Linus is off and he's been busy with getting

his new job with Lighthouse in order - lots to do and he wants some training

too. Praying for all of you daily - thanks for your prayers for us!!

Christmas Prayer:

Lord

our God,

the heavens are

the work of your hands,

the moon and the stars you

made;

the earth and the sea, and every

living creature came into being

by your word. And all of us, too.

May this tree bring cheer to this house

though Jesus Christ your good and holy Son,

who brings life

and beauty to us

and to our world.

Lighting this tree, we hope in his promise.

Novena in Urgent Need to the Infant Jesus of Prague

(Repeat this prayer each day for nine consecutive days, or each hour for

nine consecutive hours.)

Jesus, You said, "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock

and it shall be opened to you." Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy

Mother, I knock, I seek, I ask that my prayer be granted. (mention your

request)

Jesus, You said, "All that you ask of the Father in My name, He will grant

you." Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I humbly and

urgently ask Your Father in Your name that my prayer be granted. (mention

your request)

Jesus, you said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My word shall not

pass." Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I feel confident

that my prayer will be granted. (mention your request)

A Christmas Story

Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their

means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were

genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him

that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from

receiving.

It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the

world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy

me the rifle that I'd wanted so bad that year for Christmas.

We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted

a little extra time so we could read in the Bible. So after supper was over

I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the

fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling

sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to read

scriptures.

But Pa didn't get the Bible, instead he bundled up and went outside. I

couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn't

worry about it long though, I was too busy wallowing in self-pity.

Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his

beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out tonight." I

was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas,

now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I

could see.

We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anything else that

needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I knew Pa was not

very patient at one dragging one's feet when he'd told them to do

something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat, and

mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the

house. Something was up, but I didn't know what.

Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the

work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to

do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We never

hitched up the big sled unless we were going to haul a big load.

Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up

beside him. The cold was already biting at me.. I wasn't happy. When I was

on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the

woodshed. He got off and I followed. "I think we'll put on the high

sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been a

bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever

it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high sideboards

on.

When we had exchanged the sideboards Pa went into the woodshed and came out

with an armload of wood---the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down from

the mountain, and then all fall sawing into blocks and splitting. What was

he doing? Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, "what are you doing?" "

You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow Jensen lived

about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and

left her with three children, the oldest being eight.

Sure, I'd been by, but so what? "Yeah," I said, "why?"

"I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in the

woodpile trying to find a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt." That was

all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for another

armload of wood. I followed him.

We loaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horses would be

able to pull it. Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to

the smoke house and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed

them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait. When he

returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a

smaller sack of something in his left hand.

"What's in the little sack?" I asked.

"Shoes. They're out of shoes. Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped

around his feet when he was out in the wood-pile this morning. I got the

children a little candy too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little

candy."

We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to

think through what Pa was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards.

Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was

still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split

before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that,

but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and

candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer

neighbors than us. It shouldn't have been our concern.

We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as

quietly as possible, then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door.

We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?"

"Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt. Could we come in for a bit?"

Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around

her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in

front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at

all.

Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp. "We brought you

a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat

on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. She

opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out on a pair at a time. There was a

pair for her and one for each of the children---sturdy shoes, the best,

shoes that would last.

I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling

and then tears filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She

looked up at Pa like she wanted to say something, but it

wouldn't come out.

"We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said, then he turned to me and

said, "Matt, go bring enough in to last for awhile. Let's get that fire up

to size and heat this place up."

I wasn't the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a

big lump in my throat and, much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in

my eyes too.

In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and

their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks and so much

gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak. My heart swelled within me

and a joy filled my soul that I'd never known before. I had given at

Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference.

I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people. I soon had

the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids started giggling

when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a

smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long

time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the

Lord himself has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he

would send one of his angels to spare us."

In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up

in my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but

after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. I was

sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started

remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many

others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it.

Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when

they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then I

guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make

sure he got the right sizes.

Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave.

Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to

him and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed their pa, and I

was glad that I still had mine.

At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to

invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey

will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if

he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you about

eleven. It'll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here,

hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the youngest. My two older

brothers and two older sisters were all married and had moved away. Widow

Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have to say,

"'May the Lord bless you,' I know for certain that He will."

Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't even

notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, "Matt, I

want you to know something. Your ma and me have been tucking a little money

away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we

didn't have quite enough. Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money

from years back came by to make things square. Your ma and me were real

excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into

town this morning to do just that. But on the way I saw little Jakey out

scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I

knew what I had to do. So, Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little

candy for those children. I hope you understand."

I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very

well, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Just then the rifle seemed very low

on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had given me the

look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three children.

For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a block

of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I felt

riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a rifle

that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life. Count your

blessings everyday, slowly and thoughtfully.

ALPHABET PRAYER

A Almighty God

B Bless My family and me

C Comfort me

D Draw me to YOU in prayer

E Enlighten me

F Forgive my sins

G Give me a few good friends

H Help me to do YOUR will

I I am YOUR servant

J Joyful are my days

K Keep me from harm

L Lead me to still waters

M Make me a vessel of YOUR love

N Nature is YOUR masterpiece

O Open new doors for me

P Please, grant me peace of mind

Q Quench my thirst for knowledge

R Reside with me always

S Shield me from danger

T Teach me to love unconditionally

U Use me to inspire others

V Visit me in solitude

W When I fail, lift me up

X stand for my love for YOU

Y Your love fills me with gratitude

Z Zestfully, I thank YOU. Amen.

Evelyn Heinz

Look To Jesus

Are you walking up high mountains?

Are you walking angry waves?

Are you searching for the sunshine

in a dark and dismal place?

Have you thought about the rainbow

and the promises of God?

Have you thought about my Savior,

Have you thought at all of God?

Look to Jesus, Faith moves mountains!

Look to Jesus, He calms the sea.

Look to Jesus, He is the Son-shine that you need.

Are you lonely and alone?

Look to Jesus, He is a Friend.

Are you sick, do you need healing?

Look to Jesus, He is the One.

Are you walking in darkness?

Look to Jesus, He is the Light.

Are you searching for a kingdom?

Look to Jesus, He is the King.

Sins forgiven, Peace within.

Joy and love are His to give.

Look to Jesus!

Look to Jesus!

He is the One!

What can I do to be a more loving person?

by Fr. John Catoir

It's very easy to tell someone else to be more loving, more patient,

more self-sacrificing, but it's not always easy to do it yourself.

At times, just being civil can be enormously demanding. But try not

to let your little failures upset you.

We're all in the same boat, doing the best we can but falling short

of that illusive goal of perfection. The Lord understands this. He

has more patience than all of us combined.

The most important thing is that you don't put yourself down. In the

long run you will overcome your weakness, but it won't be you at all,

it will be the Lord working in you, helping you rise above your

limitations. The victory will be His, so that in the end your holiness

will be His creation.

If you want to help Him achieve His goal of saving and healing you,

begin now to observe one very important rule: do not put yourself

down. All along the way you will be tempted to do this, but if you

succumb you will be your own worst enemy.

Trust in God and His power. Think of Him. Laugh at yourself; don't

dwell on your faults. Cling to God, think of others, and don't

put yourself down. In that way, all manner of things shall be well.