Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Each day there are lessons to learn and lives to touch. Lord, You
have done so much for me. Help me to repay You.


Scripture for the day:

"And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all
peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up
death forever. Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all
faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the
earth, for the LORD has spoken. It will be said on that day, Lo, this is
our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the
LORD for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his
salvation." ~Isaiah 25:7-9

Meditation for the day:

We can live today in the consciousness of God's contact, upholding us in
all good thoughts, words and deeds. If sometimes there seems to be a
shadow on our lives and we feel out of sorts, we can remember that this
is not the withdrawal of God's presence, but only our own temporary
unwillingness to realize it. The quiet gray days are the days for doing
what we must do, but we can know that the consciousness of God's
nearness will return and be with us again, when the gray days are past.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may face the dull days with courage. I pray that I may
have faith that the bright days will return.

Hello my friends! Would you believe we still froze our tomatoes today?
Yes, they were in the patio in brown bags ripening up, and for supper I made
chili, put a bunch in and some squash, it was delicious! The froze the
other quartered tomatoes to make things with next time when I have time,
like tomato soup, spaghetti sauces, juice, ketchup, whatever! My Mom made
the best ketchup - I remember that on the farm, and tomato jam, I've never
done that either. My sister in law likes to make tomato wine, and it's
good! Imagine that! My daughter likes salsa the best making it in her food
processor. Tomatoes and other food from our garden are blessings to us -
and freezing doesn't take much time at all. We brought in our beautiful
plants from the patio today so they won't freeze, they like it out there
and look so nice, but in the house, they seem to dry up more, and I'll need
to find out how to make them stay nice and green. The asparagus fern is
just gorgeous right now! Guess they just don't like the room temps, but we
do.
I've been missing my regulars today - I guess you don't post much on the
weekends, I forgot, it's been so long! Regulars are great but I love new
people too! Praying for all of you, and for those affected by the
hurricane - and thanks for your prayers for us. Sammy thanks you too for
prayers for his healing!!!

The Hug!

It's wondrous what a hug can do.

A hug can cheer you when you're blue.

A hug can say, "I love you so,"

Or, "Gee, I hate to see you go."

A hug is, "Welcome back again."

And, "Great to see you! Where've you been?"

A hug can soothe a small child´s pain,

and bring a rainbow after rain.

The hug! There's just no doubt about it-

we scarcely could survive without it!

A hug delights and warms and charms.

It must be why God gave us arms.

A hug can break the language barrier,

and make your travels so much merrier.

No need to fret about your store of 'em,

the more you give, the more there's more of 'em.

So stretch those arms without delay

and give someone a hug today!

-Author Unknown-

These are My Wishes For You

May you find serenity and tranquility
in a world you may not always understand.

May the pain you have known
and the conflict you have experienced
give you the strength to walk through life
facing each new situation with courage and optimism.

Always know that there are those
whose love and understanding will always be there,
even when you feel most alone.

May a kind word,
a reassuring touch,
and a warm smile
be yours every day of your life,
and may you give these gifts
as well as receive them.

May the teachings of those you admire
become part of you,
so that you may call upon them.

Remember, those whose lives you have touched
and who have touched yours
are always a part of you,
even if the encounters were less than you would have wished.
It is the content of the encounter
that is more important than its form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters,
but instead place immeasurable value
on the goodness in your heart.
Find time in each day to see beauty and love
in the world around you.

Realize that what you feel you lack in one regard
you may be more than compensated for in another.
What you feel you lack in the present
may become one of your strengths in the future.
May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.
Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength
to determine your own worth by yourself,
and not be dependent
on another's judgment of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.

- Sandra Sturtz Hauss

Being Transparent

It is hard to be transparent. No one likes to show a side that would
indicate any irresponsibility or failure. No one wants others to know about
their embarrassments, or their inconsistencies. Being transparent can prove
that we are not who we seem to be, or bear witness to the fact that we
aren't as good at something as we thought we were.

Sometimes being transparent is just letting others see your vulnerable self.
It is letting others see you cry, moan, weep or gnash your teeth. It is
letting others in on your heartbreak, your hurt, and your sensitive areas.
It is coming off the pedestal and standing down in the midst of the crowd.

It is being Jesus, and being hung to die on a cross for all the world to
see.


author unknown

Unceasing Prayer

Dear Father, who answers our prayers,

Help me to be steadfast in my praying to you, even to stay awake that I may
pray!

Fill my life with thanksgiving to you.

O God, I pray for all your servants everywhere that you may open a door for
us to proclaim your Word, to declare the now-public secret - Christ
crucified, glorified, and coming - and to make the message clear, as we
ought to speak.

In the name of Jesus I ask you to fill our lives with your holy life and to
claim all our motives and deeds as your own. Amen.


A CONTRACT WITH JESUS

O JESUS! my Savior, I desire above all things to show my love for Thee and
for my neighbor, loved by Thee; to praise Thee as far as lies within my
power and to make Thy Kingdom come amongst men. Therefore, I make the
following contract. I shall try to remain faithful to it to the end of my
life.

WHEREAS: FIRST I propose in my EVERY LOOK to consecrate myself entirely to
Thee, to see Thee through the eyes of faith, in all creatures and in all
things of earth.

SECOND I propose in EVERY THROB OF MY HEART to prove that I love Thee enough
to detach myself from sin and its occasions; and in all my human loves to
love them through Thee.

THIRD I propose that EVERY BREATH I breathe shall be in praise of Thee, my
Giver of Eternal Life. O, breathe Thy Grace abundantly upon my heart, and on
all men's hearts, thereby to establish Thy Reign amongst us.

FOURTH I propose, finally, O my Jesus, in every act of my soul and in every
action of my body, to unite with Thee in Thy Sacrifice of love on Calvary
and in Thy continued Sacrifice in all the Masses that have been, are being,
or will be celebrated, all the merits of Thy Passion and Death, and the
merits for all of us in the holy life and sufferings of Thy Blessed Mother
and of all the Saints. Accept these offerings, O Merciful Jesus, in
adoration of Thy Divine Majesty, as reparation for all sins, as thanksgiving
for all of God's gifts and graces, for the conversion of infidels and
sinners, for the perseverance of the just and the deliverance of the Souls
in Purgatory.

O JESUS, deign to accept and confirm this contract. Amen.



BEATITUDES FOR THE HOME

BLESSED are the husband and wife who continue to be affectionate,
considerate and loving after the wedding bells have ceased ringing.

BLESSED are the husband and wife who are as polite and courteous to one
another as they are to their friends.

BLESSED are they who have a sense of humor, for this attribute will be a
handy shock absorber.

BLESSED are they who love their mates more than any other person in the
world and who joyfully fulfill their marriage vows of lifetime of fidelity
and mutual helpfulness to one another.

BLESSED are they who attain parenthood, for children are a heritage of the
Lord.

BLESSED are they who remember to thank God for their food before they
partake of it, and who set apart some time each day for the reading of the
Bible and for prayer.

BLESSED are those mates who never speak loudly to one another and who make
their home a place where "seldom is heard a discouraging word".

BLESSED are the husband and wife who work together for the advancement of
Messiah's Kingdom.

BLESSED is the couple who has a complete understanding about financial
matters and who has worked out a perfect partnership with all money under
the control of both.

BLESSED are the husband and wife who humbly dedicate their lives and their
home to Messiah and practice His teachings in the home by being unselfish,
loyal, and loving.

Author Unknown