Community Chat

[gloriajean]

If you are stressed, you are probably making things more important
than they really are. Lord, I pray for clarity of thought and calmness
of spirit because I know that when my heart grows weary, You send
me peace.


Scripture for the day:

"One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and
seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, 'Which commandment is the
first of all?' Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our
God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no
other commandment greater than these.'" ~Mark 12:28-31

Meditation for the day:

I can try to make the world better and happier by my presence in it.
I can try to help other people find the way God wants them to live. I can
try to be on the side of good, in the stream of righteousness, where all
things work for good. I can do my duty persistently and faithfully, not
sparing myself. I can be gentle with all people. I can try to see other
people's difficulty and help them. I can always pray to God to act as
interpreter between me and the other person.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may live in the spirit of prayer. I pray that I may depend on
God for the strength I need to help me to do my part in making the world a
better place.

Hello my friends! Today's blessings - got out to vote early and didn't have
to wait long!! Another blessing - emails that mean so much to me plus my
dear family and husband - and all my friends! No matter how bad the world
seems sometime, God still does shower us with His blessings and for that we
share here. I'm so grateful for all of you that I've met, and hold that a
treasure. Welcoming a newcomer to our thread - WaJa61! Come and share your
blessings and all you care to here, we are all here for you and everyone,
and give each other support and prayer. Let's continue to pray for our
country!! May our leaders be God appointed - and may God bless them with
wisdom and protect Life from conception to natural death. Praying for all
of you for all your needs, and thanks much for praying for us. Sammy seems
more energetic but still won't use that leg.

Beloved God,

Please give us a president that loves this country and everything it stands
for.
Please give us a president who respects you as the one true God.
Please give us a president who will, with your help, restore this nation to
its former glory, the way you created her.
Please help us to respect what you have given to us and not take anything
for granted ever again.
Please God weaken the evil and strengthen the good both without and within.
May our eyes be opened.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
God Bless America

Prayer For Healing
attr. Timothy Dailey

Dear God,

Help my unbelief.
When I'm in pain, I forget that you care about me.
I forget that you have helped me through my trials.
I forget that you hold me in your arms to keep me safe.
I forget that you are feeling my pain with me.
I forget that you love me,
I forget that I am important to you.
Show me your presence - let me feel your enveloping love.
Heal my hurting soul.
Thank you for staying with me even in my unbelief.
Amen

The Power of Prayer

The day was long, the burden I had
borne
Seemed heavier than I could longer
bear,
And then it lifted-but I did not know
Some one had knelt in prayer.
Had taken me to God that very hour,
And asked the easing of the load, and
He,
In infinite compassion, had stooped
down
And taken it from me.
We cannot tell how often as we pray
For some bewildered one,
hurt and distressed,
The answers comes, but many times
those hearts
Find sudden peace and rest.
Some one had prayed, and Faith, a
reaching hand,
Took hold of God, and brought Him
down that day!
So many, many hearts have need of
prayer: Oh, let us pray

Unknown

God Forgives

One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of God at her
heart. She responded to God's call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and
Savior. The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs,
and prostitution. But, the change in her was evident. As time went on she
became a faithful member of the church. She eventually became involved in
the ministry, teaching young children. It was not very long until this
faithful young woman had caught the eye and heart of the pastor's son. The
relationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This is when the
problems began. You see, about one half of the church did not think that a
woman with a past such as hers was suitable for a pastor's son.

The church began to argue and fight about the matter. So they decided
to have a meeting. As the people made their arguments and tensions
increased, the meeting was getting completely out of hand. The young woman
became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. As
she began to cry the pastor's son stood to speak. He could not bear the
pain it was causing his wife to be. He began to speak and his statement was
this: "My fiancee's past is not what is on trial here. What you are
questioning is the ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away sin."

"Today you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away
sin or not?" The whole church began to weep as they realized that they had
been slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Too often, even as
Christians, we bring up the past and use it as a weapon against our brothers
and sisters. Forgiveness is a very foundational part of the Gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ. If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the other person
completely then it cannot cleanse us completely. If that is the case, then
we are all in a lot of trouble. What can wash away my sins?... Nothing but
the blood of Jesus! End of case!!!!

WHO SHOULD READ THE BIBLE?
The Young - To learn how to live.

The Old - To know how to die.
The Ignorant - For wisdom.The Learned - For humility.The Rich - For
compassion.The Poor - For comfort.The Dreamer - For enchantment.The
Practical - For counsel.The Weak - For strength.The Strong - For direction.
The Haughty - For warning.The Humble - For exaltation.The Troubled - For
peace.The Weary - For rest.The Doubting - For assurance.The Sinner - For
salvation.The Christian - For guidance.

THE PEARL NECKLACE

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting
with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of
glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh please, Mommy. Can I
have them? Please, Mommy, please?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then
looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned
face. "A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want
them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can
save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a
week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out
17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and
she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick
dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her
another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the
necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls.They made her feel dressed up and grown up.
She wore them everywhere -Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed.The
only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a
bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for
bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read
her a story.

One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love
me?" "Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you." "Then give me your
pearls." "Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess - the
white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember,
Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite." "That's okay, Honey.
Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again,
"Do you love me?" "Daddy, you know I love you." "Then give me your
pearls." "Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll.
The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you
can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper." "That's okay.
Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as
always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her
bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed
her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?" Jenny didn't say anything,
but lifted her little hand up to her daddy and when she opened it,
there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she
finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out
with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other
hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with
a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the
time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so
he could give her genuine treasure. So it is with our Heavenly
Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives
so that he can give us beautiful treasure. Isn't God good? Are you
holding onto things which God wants you to let go of.

Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships,
habits and activities which you have come so attached to that it
seems impossible to let go?

Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand, but do
believe this one thing... God will never take away something without
giving you something better in its place.

Prayer to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, longing to love Jesus as He had never been loved
before, you gave yourself entirely to Him, refusing Him nothing. In union
with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, you accepted His call to satiate His
infinite thirst for love and souls and became a carrier of His love to the
poorest of the poor. With loving trust and total surrender you fulfilled
His will, witnessing to the joy of belonging totally to Him. You became so
intimately united to Jesus your crucified Spouse that He deigned to share
with you the agony of His Heart as He hung upon the Cross.

Blessed Teresa, you promised to continuously bring the light of love to
those on earth; pray for us that we also may long to satiate the burning
thirst of Jesus by loving Him ardently, sharing in His sufferings joyfully,
and serving Him wholeheartedly in our brothers and sisters, especially those
most unloved and unwanted. Amen.

The Sign of the cross - Meditation
When we bless ourselves with the sign of the cross, we should take advantage
of this opportunity to meditate the passion of Christ.

As I bless myself with the sign of the cross, I clothe my soul with the holy
wounds of Jesus Christ who died for my sins.The image of my soul which has
been destroyed by sin receives restoration and protection from my Lord and
Saviour.

"Lord Jesus Christ imprint upon my soul your most holy wounds, so that I may
be purified from all my sinfulness, deliver me Lord from all evil."

In the name of the Father,

I bless my soul with the holy wounds of the sacred head of Jesus and the
sufferings of His holy mind, so that I may always keep my soul in the
Presence of God.

In the name of the Son,

I bless my soul with the wounds of His sacred feet, so that I may always
walk in the path of Salvation and proclaim the Word of God to others.

In the name of the Holy Spirit,

I bless my soul with the wounds of His sacred hands, that I may always do
the work of God.

PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE
In the name of Lord Jesus Christ let all the forces of darkness, satanic
bondages and bad habits depart from me/ you. I am/ you are bought by the
blood of Christ. Forces of darkness have no authority over me/ you. I/ you
belong to Jesus Christ. I command the evil spirit of sickness, adversity and
bad habits to come out in the name of Jesus Christ. Let him be bound under
the Holy Cross of Christ. Let him be made powerless to return. May God
cleanse me/ you and all that I/ you have by the precious blood of Jesus. Let
the intercession of Holy Mary and the prayers of St. Peter and St. Paul be
my/ your refuge and fortress. Let the prayers of St. Sebastian, St. George
and of all the apostles and martyrs be with me/ you. May Lord Jesus Christ
lead me/ you to life eternal and the fullness of redemption. Thank you
Jesus! Praise you Jesus!!
(Praise God for 5 minutes . Holy water or blessed oil can be used for making
the sign of the Cross.)