The Real Presence For Us: October 2009

Treat Loved Ones with Respect

I just had an interesting experience. My daughter had a couple of friends over night and we were all up and the girls left. I was sitting with my back to the door and someone opened the door and I felt a cool draft on my feet. I instantly said "shut the door" and not in a nice manner, but with a raised voice and angry tone. To my surprise one of my daughters friends said, "Oh, I am sorry, I forgot my bag." Of course I was embarrassed and apologized.

I wouldn't have felt emabarrassed or apologized to my daughter. Why? Why do we treat others with the respect they deserve and not our loved ones.

That was quite a wake up call for me. I do get annoyed with my husband and my family sometimes. If I wouldn't say it to others, I shouldn't say it to them.

God, lead me and guide me to have the strength to avoid the temptation to not honor and respect my family the way that I would honor and respect others. Amen.

Is Your Hut Burning

When your hut's on fire - (an email forward from a friend)

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?"

Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

The Moral of This Story:
It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

Ave Maria

Ave Maria
- AngelinaSings.com

The Grace to Overcome

Today I was reading about Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping trial that finally started.
What an amazing woman - and to think she was only a young girl when this all took place.

She never faltered in her faith in God and said she knows there are angels on the other side, even though we don't see them. She so elegantly states that, "We all have our trials".

She should be an example to all of us for keeping our faith strong even in adverse times. God is there for us - giving us the Grace to overcome.

To see the news clip of Elizabeth Smart, click on this link:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/105048/nbc-today-show-elizabeth-smart-%E2%80%98we-all-have-our-trials%E2%80%99

Overwhelmed

Today I find myself overwhelmed. I have too many "things" consuming my mind and keeping me away from God. I need to free myself from the chains that hold me to these things and make me overwhelmed and feeling angry.

Why is it that when something happens that is negative, it brings more negativity through out the day? Dispelling anger and negativity would be best, so that we can have a more productive day.

That is why we need to keep a positive attitude. We should try to see the good in all things. Where there is negative, you can always find a positive - if you look.

I need to keep reminding myself that over and over.

Lord, help me to see the good in everything around me. Amen

Today I Give Thanks!

Thank you God for giving me the gifts to know what is right and what is wrong and giving me the grace to know to do right.

Things don't always happen as we would want them to, but they do happen for a reason.

I have seen that things don't always go the way we think they should, but they always go for some reason.

To Every Thing - There is a Season.... and a Reason.

A Simpler Way

Simplicity would be nice. I would like to simplify my life. God gives us what we need and we clutter life up with what we want.

I always tell my kids "what you want and what you need are two different things", yet I am a hypocrite. I do want them to know that what we need is all we should try to achieve. Easier said than done.

God has given us so many graces and blessings in our lives.

This is a day for Thanksgiving!

Thank you God for all the wonderful gifts you have bestowed on me!

Know My Smallness

As we busily go through our days, we sometimes feel that our burdens are greater than we can bear. I feel like I am in this time and place ~ bigger than life. I feel that my worries and problems are immense. I need to pull myself back and realize that I am truly mynute.

As we go on with our daily lives, we should stop and think about the great beyond. I sometimes sit and think about my smallness. I look to the sky and think about what is beyond all that I can see and it bewilders the mind. It is so vast that even our great scientists can't explain it. Where does it end? - It doesn't end. That is when I find myself knowing that I am nothing but a small particle in the makeup of it all - but God still loves me and takes care of me. With that in mind I find it easier to deal with my daily burdens and see that they are small also in comparison.

I like to know my smallness. I like to know that God cares for all. I like to know, even in this whole huge universe, that God knows our every move and wether we believe it or not, he is leading us to where we should be. Where we belong. Sometimes we chose not to follow and sometimes we don't like where we are going.

Lead us Lord.
Help us to remember our smallness so we can accept all things.
Open our hearts and minds to let you lead us.
Amen.

Jesus & Gravity

Put Jesus Back Where He Belongs

A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl, Shelby.. She wanted to know what the United States looked like. Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to Shelby and said, 'Go into the other room and see if you can put this together. This will show you our whole country today..'

After a few minutes, Shelby returned and handed him the map, correctly fitted and taped together. The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. 'Oh,' she said, 'on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together.'

(Story from a forwarded email)

See Life as a Gift

See all things as a gift from God. See all that you do and are able to do as a gift. See all that you have and will have as a gift. See all life as a gift from God.

Lord, Open our Eyes to see You.
Open our Ears to hear You.
Open our Minds to think of You.
Open our Hearts to love You.
Amen

Take a Stand for Life

Life is precious and we need to take a stand for what is right.
Abortion is never right.
There may be someone who made this terrible mistake, know that God will forgive you.
Take a stand for life now and let everyone know that abortion is murder of a human life.

Recently a young woman made a decision to have a child. She chose not to have an abortion and gave my family the greatest gift that anyone can give. She gave my daughter and her husband a son. She chose life. She is a decent, wonderful, beautiful young woman and made a decision to give her child to a loving family. I am so grateful to her for giving us this gift.

Thank you God for giving her the courage to give.

Please click on the title to watch a remarkable video to the end.

Or click on this link- BUT PLEASE watch it to the END.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pla_MQNfQ0&feature=related

You Raise Me Up

Lord we need your strength to rise from our sorrow.....
Help us Lord, to be strong and take on the tasks of our daily lives remembering that you had so much more to take on.
You Lord, You took on all. You took on our sins and suffered for us.
Give me the strength to cope.
Amen.

Lift Me Up Lord

Lord, I need You to lift me.

Lift me up from the depth of my resistance...

Send Your Mercy to us all.

Jesus bring the rain of suffering to our lives so we can praise You! Then lift us with Your Mercy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU
Bring the Rain - MercyMe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbe7OruLk8I&feature=related
Amazing Grace My Chains Are Gone - Chris Tomlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QsS190dZTs&feature=fvw
I Will Rise - Chris Tomlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4EkllZ8gEI&feature=related
Jesus Messiah - Chris Tomlin

In God We Still Trust

Recently a baby stroller with a baby in it rolled away from the mother and ended up rolling onto a train track and being hit by a train. The child survived.

A news caster reporting the incident thanked God. We don't hear that very often.

Today someone sent me an email with a great song that I was told won't be played by the radio stations.

It is a shame that our country is changing for the worse rather than the better. This country was founded with God, now we aren't supposed to mention God in public.

We can murder innocent infants but not praise God. What has our world come to?

Enjoy the song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVcoQcdjrsA&videos=_v4SOpgPoR8&playnext_from=TL&playnext=1

Give Thanks

Thank you for guiding me and giving me strength today Lord.
Continue to keep my mind and heart open to follow and be led.
Amen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBpv-ZzcQD8

Lead Me Lord

Lead Me Lord ~

Today I need your strength Lord.

Lead me in the right path on my life journey.

Let me let You Lead me!

I love our song that we sing at Mass - "Lead Me - Guide me along the way - Lord if you lead me I cannot stray. Lord let me walk each day with thee - Lead me, oh Lord, Lead me."

I need you to lead me Lord ~ tell me how to go.

As I was searching today to be led, I came across this song on youtube and want to share it with you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWm6SWu8f9c

God Bless us all on our life journey - no matter what we are going through today Lord, Lead Us. Let us open ourselves to let you lead us. Give us the strength and courage to listen and to follow.
Amen.

Guidance

A good friend of mine sent me this in an email that had been sent to her (a forward) and I wanted to share it.

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.

It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i". "God, "u" and "i" dance." God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday. May you abide in God, as God abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life. This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached. If God has done anything for you in your life, please share this message with someone else. There is no cost but a lot of rewards; so let's continue to pray for one another.

And I Hope You Dance !

Pray Always

"Pray always." (1 Thes. 5:17)

What else does this simple scriptural sentence mean except that all our lives God calls us to prayer?

Make your life a prayer. Do everything with respect and dignity.

Look at all situations in life as a prayer challenge.

I know, easier said than done. I am the first one to falter here.

There are so many things pulling us in so many directions that we forget this simple sentence. I am one to lose my temper and that is definitely not a prayer moment.

That is why Jesus' Sacrifice is so special, so that we can be forgiven. Our sins washed away so that we can begin again to "Pray Always".

Holy Rosary Online

Recite or learn the rosary online.

Never be embarrassed if you don't know how to say the Rosary.

Use this website to teach you or as a source of prayer and meditation.

http://www.sancta.org/rosary/how.html

Think of the Rosary as the story of Jesus and Mary's life together on earth and in heaven.

As you meditate on the mysteries, place yourself-(in your mind), somewhere that you could be watching as these events transpire. That is a very good way to envision the mysteries.

Miracle of Our Lady Of Guadalupe

Information on the Miracle of our Blessed Mother Mary ~
Our Lady of Guadalupe.

In this link you can learn of the miracle that Saint Juan Diego
encountered for us all.

In 1531 a "Lady from Heaven" appeared to a humble Native American at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of what is now Mexico City.

She identified herself as the ever virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live, of the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and the earth.

She made a request for a church to be built on the site, and submitted her wish to the local Bishop.

When the Bishop hesitated, and requested her for a sign, the Mother of God obeyed without delay or question to the Church's local Bishop, and sent her native messenger to the top of the hill in mid-December to gather an assorment of roses for the Bishop.

Click on the link below for the rest of the story.

http://www.sancta.org/intro.html

Look at the wonderous miracle found on the tilma in the eyes of our Blessed Mother.
http://www.sancta.org/eyes.html

Miracle of Lanciano

The Eucharistic Miracle at Lanciano is an awe inspiring piece of information and caused me to have an epiphany in my life and it is something that I like to share with others.

http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/lanciano.html

This miracle happened so long ago, yet it is fresh for us all.