Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Everything we need to deal with life's problems lies within us. Our trials

are tests to see if we can discover the solution. Lord, I call out Your name

when I face my difficulties and together we will overcome them.

Scripture for the day:

"If God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow

is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you--you of little

faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to

drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that

strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as

well." ~Luke 12:28-31

Meditation for the day:

I know that God cannot teach anyone who is trusting in a "crutch." I can

throw away the worldly things I have come to depend upon and walk in God's

power and spirit. God's power can so invigorate me that I can indeed walk

on to victory. There is never any limit to God's power. I can go step by

step, one day at a time. God's will can be revealed to me as I go forward.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may have more and more dependence on God. I pray that I may

throw away the "crutches" I sometimes rely upon and let God's power take

their place.

Greetings everyone! With each New Year we remember all the blessings He gave us this past year - and there were many! Many maybe already forgotten! Now we look forward to the New Year promised to us - a New Year to better ourselves, getting rid of bad habits, if not already, getting started with a good prayer life, and looking for ways to help our neighbors - being charitable to one another. On the boards, let your light shine, stay away from anything that is negative, and you'll be very much blessed!! May your New Year be richly blessed in every way, and may you all grow closer to God during this New Year. Every day may you come a bit closer - how wonderful would that be!!! May He bless you with all your needs and desires! Remember that He loves us all more than we could possible love Him back, so we try and will to love Him more every day. January 1st is also a Feast Day of Mary! How nice to start out the New Year with Our Heavenly Mother's Feast Day!

Mary, Mother of God

Heavenly Father, You blessed the Virgin Mary with the fullness of grace. She is my model of faith, hope, and love. I give this new year to her intercession and ask for her holy prayers. Place my needs into the protection of her motherly love. With her help, I want my faith to grow. Give me an increase in the virtue of hope when troubles tempt me to despair. Guide me in understanding Your infinite love. And join my heart, dear Lord, to the Holy Mother's Immaculate Heart, so that I may improve in loving everyone unconditionally, in imitation of my Savior Jesus. Amen.

I ask you, Mary, too, to be with us all here - and guide us and bring us all closer to your Son, Jesus.

Okay - today's blessings - 1) At the funeral of a friend this morning, seeing many more friends and his widow, and children, 2) after that a restful day, 3) visits with daughters and sister on the phone, and 4) having my husband with me all day! Also 5) all of you are my blessings too, and hope we can continue through another year! Today is six years that I joined the forums. This thread started shortly after and by the Grace of God it's still here!!

A Prayer that the Gospel may be 'written' in me

God our Father, until the time of the printing press, people copied the Gospel, writing it by hand.

Slowly the Gospel took shape - both on the page and deep within themselves.

I ask that the Gospel - the Good News of Your Love - may be written in me not with ink but with the Spirit of God.

Only then will I grow as a credible witness of the wealth of Your Love.

Day by day, as the pages of my own life turn over, remind me that You write my name on the palm of Your Hand.

I ask this prayer through Jesus, who is Your Word, living amongst us. Amen.

How to Stay Young and Content

1. Throw out non-essential numbers. This includes age, weight and height.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. If you really

need a grouch, there are probably family members that fill that need.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening,

whatever. Just never let the brain idle.

4. Enjoy the simple things. When the children are young, that is all that

you can afford. When they are in college, that is all that you can afford.

When they are grown, and you are on retirement, that is all that you can

afford!

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. Laugh so

much that you can be tracked in the store by your distinctive laughter.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person

who is with us our entire life, is ourselves.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family, pets,

keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable,

improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Go to the mall, the next county, a foreign

country, but not guilt.

10. Tell the people you love, that you love them, at every opportunity.

Remember, Life is not measured by the number of breaths

we take, but by the moments that take our breath away

"I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our

wings have trouble remembering how to fly."

SOME NEW YEAR'S WISHES FOR YOU!

During the year may you have:

Enough happiness to keep you sweet.

Enough trials to keep you strong.

Enough sorrow to keep you human.

Enough hope to keep you happy.

Enough failure to keep you humble.

Enough success to keep you eager.

Enough friends to give you comfort.

Enough wealth to meet your needs.

Enough enthusiasm to make you

look forward to tomorrow.

Enough determination to make

each day better than the day before.

TOP TEN PREDICTIONS

Author Unknown

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.

2. Prayer will still work.

3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.

5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.

6. There will still be singing of praise to God.

7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

8. There will still be room at the Cross

9. Jesus will still love you.

10. Jesus will still save the lost.

God whispers in your soul and speaks to your mind. Sometimes when you

don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at you. It's your

choice: Listen to the whisper, or wait for the brick.

I hired a carpenter to help me restore an old farmhouse,

and he had just finished a rough first day on the job. A

flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw

quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving,

he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward

the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching

tips of the branches with both hands.

When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation.

His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his

two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my

curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had

seen him do earlier. "Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied.

"I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one

thing's for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my

wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree

every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them

up again. Funny thing is he smiled, "when I come out in the

morning to pick'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I

remember hanging up.