Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Thoughts of the past can not hurt you without your consent. Lord,
help me to learn from my past, not live there by continually bringing
it into the present.


Scripture for the day:

"In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the
earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep,
while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God
said, "Let there be light"; and there was light." ~Genesis 1:1-3

Meditation for the day:

God made the ordered world out of chaos and set the stars in their
courses and made each plant to know its season.. God can bring peace
and order out of our own private chaos if we let God. God is
watching over us, too, to bless us and care for us. Out of the darkness,
God
is leading us to light, out of unrest to rest, out of disorder to
order, out of faults and failure to success. We belong to God and
our affairs are God's affairs and can be ordered by God if we are
willing.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may be led out of disorder into order. I pray that I
may be led out of failure into success.

Hello my friends! Today was a nice, relaxing one - and the last day off for
my DH - and he got weeding done, we had our own carrots for supper with
drummies on the grill. Our carrots are really nice and big now! They taste
so nice right out of the garden and in the pan to cook! We did get a big
blessing today - a man came to the door selling frozen natural beef and pork
and it was very good quality and boneless, and I'm sure we saved ourselves a
lot of money - made in Ill! And also this should last us at least six
months - so now I won't have to buy meat with our groceries for a long time.
He came when our freezer only has chicken in it and we both agreed it would
be good to get this. Then he gave us his website and card and we can always
order more when needed on line and he delivers. We don't eat red meat that
often, so this will last us a long time! Lori is celebrating her 10th year
in her business and she is going to get businesses and restaurants etc.
donate something, like 10% off, or a gift card etc. and every week in Sept.
she will do a drawing for it.
Imagine 10 years already she's owned her own Massage business! I didn't
know it was that long! She has clients yet from the very beginning when she
was just starting out fresh from school! Praying for you all, and thanks
for your prayers for us!

ROSE
Author Unknown
August 11, 2009


The first day of school our professor introduced himself and
challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood
up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me
with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said, "Hi handsome. My
name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she
gave me a giant squeeze." Why are you in college at such a young,
innocent age?" I asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married,
have a couple of children, and then retire and travel."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to
be taking on this challenge at her age. "I always dreamed of having a
college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me. After class
we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate
milkshake. We became instant friends.

Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and
talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine"
as she shared her wisdom and experience with me. Over the course of
the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends
wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the
attention bestowed upon her from
the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football
banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and
stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech,
she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a
little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said "I'm
sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is
killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell
you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began: "We do not stop
playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There
are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving
success.

"You have to laugh and find humor every day."

"You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We
have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know
it!"

"There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If
you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't
do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am
eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do
anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That
doesn't take any talent or ability.

The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change."

"Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we
did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear
death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose." She
challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our
daily lives.

At the years end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all
those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her
sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in
tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never
too late to be all you can possibly be.

A lesson of life:

Read the following and have a GREAT day!


I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a
small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily
apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green
peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.

Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr.
Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

'Hello Barry, how are you today?'

'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look
good.'

'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?'

'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.'

'Good. Anything I can help you with?'

'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' th em peas.'

'Would you like to take some home?' asked Mr. Miller.

'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.'

'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?'

'All I got's my prize marble here.'
'Is that right? Let me see it' said Miller.

'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.'

'I can see that. Hmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for
red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.

'Not zackley but almost.'

'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way
let me look at that red marble'. Mr. Miller told the boy..

'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.'

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.

With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community,
all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with
them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.

When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides
he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce
for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to
the store.'

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time
later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the
boys, and their bartering for marbles.
Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently
I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I
was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation
that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany
them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives
of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the
other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very
professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and
smiling by her husband's casket.

Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly
with her and moved on to the casket Her misty light blue eyes followed them
as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand
over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly,
wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of
the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her
husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand
and led me to the casket.

'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about.

They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at
last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size. They came to
pay their debt.'

'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided,
'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho.'

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased
husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds.
Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take
our breath.

Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee you
didn't make yourself. An unexpected phone call from an old friend. Green
stoplights on your way to work. The fastest line at the grocery store. A
good sing-along song on the radio. Your keys found right where you left
them.

THE MOST IMPORTANT BODY PART
Author Unknown

My mother used to ask me what is the most important part of the body and
through the years I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct
answer. When I was younger I thought sound was very important to us as
humans so I said my ears mommy. She said "No, many people are deaf. But you
keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon."

Several years passed before she asked me again. Since my last attempt I
contemplated a correct answer. So I told her "Mommy, sight is very important
to everybody, so it must be our eyes." She looked at me and told me that I
was learning fast but the answer is not correct because there are many
people who are blind.

Stumped again I continued my quest for knowledge and over the years she
asked me a couple more times and always the same answer "No. But you are
getting smarter every year my young child."

Then last year my Grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying.
Even my father cried. I remember that especially because it is only the
second time I saw him cry. My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say
our final good-bye to Grandpa. She asked me "Do you know the most important
body part yet my son?" And I was shocked she asked me this now. I always
thought this was a game between her and me. She saw the confusion on my
face and told me "This question is very important. It shows that you have
really lived in your life. For every body part you gave me in the past I
have told you that it was wrong and given you an example why. But today is
the day you need to learn this important lesson."

She looked down at me like only a mother can. I saw her eyes well up with
tears. She said, "Son the most important body part is your shoulder." Was
it because it held up my head? She replied, "No, because it can hold the
head of a friend or loved one when they cry. Everybody needs a shoulder to
cry on sometime in life my son. I only hope that you have enough love and
friends that you will always have a shoulder to cry on when you need it."
Then and there I knew the most important body part was not selfish, it was
sympathetic to the pain of OTHERS.

You are a friend and whenever you want you can cry on my shoulder!!! People
will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but People will
never forget how you made them feel.

A Prayer To the Father in Thanks
Eternal Father, we thank You for Your great love. You give the world the
best of Yourself, the mirror of Your perfect transparency, the splendor of
Your very being -- Your Son Jesus.

We thank you for giving Jesus as our Savior, not as tyrant but as friend,
not as superior but as brother.

Help us open our Hearts to His light without fear of being overwhelmed but
exultant with the joy that comes from this light upon all who accept it with
gladness. Amen.