 "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations ..." - Matthew 28:19
It may be a small waterfall, but it makes a large ripple. You can make a large ripple, too, in the lives of those around you. Let your thoughts, words, and actions exude your Catholic beliefs, feelings, and emotions.
Dear God, strengthen me so I may be a good disciple, enabling me to be a ripple in calm waters and representing You in all circumstances. Amen. TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer  "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 18:3.
The young man rocked his two month old baby in the stroller, back and forth, during the Mass. The child was quiet, not fussy. When it came time for Holy Communion, he cradled the baby in his arms so the little one could receive the Lord's blessing from the priest. As the young man left the church, he stopped at the Holy Water font and traced a wet cross on his baby's forehead. The father had "daddy duty" this day. It was heartwarming to see how the father cherished his child, and wished to give all the blessings the church has to offer his little one. Does not our Father do the same? Do you become quiet so the Lord can embrace you in his arms, and give you all he has to offer? Become like a child and let your Father cherish you. Abba, Father, I long for Your care and Your blessing. Trace the sign of Your love on me. Amen. PHOTO CREDIT: stablediffusionweb.com TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer, Story  We were on a ship that passed through waters where whales were frequently seen. The seats in the viewing lounge were usually filled with people just passing time and relaxing. But as soon as someone stood at the large picture window and pointed, everyone jumped up to join him, thinking that there was one of the glorious mammals in sight.
It was actually rather humorous. We humans are a strange bunch. Over the course of days, we never did see a whale, but we sure learned a lot about human behavior! What are you searching for? Are you finding it? Or are you just following along with others who are mindlessly believing mirages of the truth? Be a leader. Be your own leader, of your own thoughts, beliefs and behavior. Don't be part of the group that runs to the window to see something that doesn't exist. Heavenly Father, guide me to seek You alone in all of the waters of life. Amen. IMAGE: Stock Photo at Vecteezy TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer, Story  "In my distress I called out: LORD! I cried out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry to him reached his ears." - Psalm 18:7
"Help me!" "Can someone help me here?" "Hello??" "Is there anyone who can help me?" "You see, I got this fish stuck on my beak ... in two places nonetheless. And I can't close my mouth. Can someone help me?" "Please???" Predicaments. We all get ourselves stuck in some pretty awful, embarrassing situations. To the bird, it seemed like a logical approach to stab that fish by grabbing it with an open mouth. Until it discovered that doing so prohibited it from closing its mouth. Then it turned into a situation for which the logic no longer made sense. Where do you find your help in the sticky predicaments you get yourself into? Who do you turn to for help? God, be my redeemer and my savior, at all times and in all circumstances. Amen. TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer  Overhead power lines, supported by steel or aluminum towers, are used to transmit electricity over long distances at high voltages. The goals of the overhead power line and tower design are to maintain adequate clearance between the energized conductors and the ground, and to provide reliable support for the conductors and resilience to storms, ice loads, earthquakes and other damages. Much engineering goes into this design to take into effect the load of the conductors as well as the dynamic loads due to wind, ice accumulation, and the effects of vibration.
What is your support system for the tension and stress you endure, or produce, in your life? Are you able to maintain stability and control without wavering? Are you so headstrong that you are blistering with electricity? Are you creating an environment conducive to a smooth, unobstructed flow of communication, thoughts and ideas? If not, look at the design of the overhead power lines and supporting towers. Align yourself, with the help of God, to provide a more favorable and stable design. Almighty Power, create in me a more calming and trusting demeanor. TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer  "His confidence is but a gossamer thread, his trust is a spider’s house. He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand; he shall cling to it, but it shall not endure." - Job 8:14-15
According to the dictionary, "gossamer" is something super fine and delicate -- like a spider web. The original gossamer, from which the definition comes from, is the fine, filmy substance spiders excrete to weave their webs. According to the verse from Job, one cannot lean upon this super fine and delicate house because it will not stand; it will not last. Have you built a gigantic "empire," be it a project, a story, a career, a passion, only to have it fall apart and collapse due to its own weight or your solitary weight? Lean on the Rock. Build on the Rock. Trust in the Rock. It is more durable, substantial and lasting. TAGS: Inspiration  "Sarah then said, 'God has given me cause to laugh, and all who hear of it will laugh with me.'" - Genesis 21:6
We were kneeling before the tabernacle. Both silent, alone in our thoughts, yet present with the Lord. The array of flowers surrounding the Lord's house was astonishingly beautiful, lending to the serenity of the moment. After a while, she leaned over to me and commented about how the flowers were so nice. She even mentioned that she is normally allergic to flowers but was astonished that these did not bother her. I was silent for a bit, then slowly turned to her and said in a somber tone, "they're plastic." After a brief pause, she burst out laughing, and I, of course, joined her because of the levity of the moment and the expression on her face! How often do you get pulled into a situation that turns out to not be what it appeared to be? With "fake news" being such a catchphrase these days, how often have you chased something or shared something that turned out to not be true? How did you handle the situation? Turn to God. He caused you to laugh, and loves to laugh with you! Amen. TAGS: Inspiration, Story  The car pictured above is a Corvette Stingray 427 from the mid-1960's. Did you ever wonder why they called it a stingray? Well, "the name was used to give people a sense of the fierceness from the predatory stingray in the ocean." *
And what is a stingray that is found in the ocean? It is a type of cartilaginous fish. So what does cartilaginous mean? To put this into perspective, human skeletons are made of bone, whereas cartilaginous skeletons are made of cartilage, which is gristly, rubbery and tough. Fierceness. Gristly. Rubbery. Tough. That is what the folks in the marketing department hoped to convey in the naming of this car. Let's look at this with a spiritual eye. Do you want to be known as fierce, gristly and tough? Or would you rather be known for your compassion, warmth and love? The choice is yours. Be a stingray, or be a human. Father of All Creation, You have blessed me with my life and my being. May my presence always be representative of You. Amen. * http://blog.applechevy.com/2020/07/07/where-did-the-stingray-name-come-from/ TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer  "Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool so as to become wise." - 1 Corinthians 3:18
You've done it. We've all done it. You say or do something that just doesn't let your best side show. You regret it because you embarrassed yourself, you acted foolhardy, or you simply didn't allow the light of Christ to shine through you. Unfortunately, you cannot change the past. What you said is what you said; what you did was what you did. Maybe, then, it seemed like the right thing to say or do. You were so dead set and headstrong at the time. But, now, you sure wish you could take it all back. Instead of being a "bunny butt," when you find your self in a heated situation, stop, take a deep breath, and think about it. Maybe even walk away from it for a bit. Ask yourself these questions: Am I letting my emotions control my action? Will I be sorry for my action? Will I offend someone by my action? Am I being Christ-like with my action? O God, help me to control my words and actions so that I may think first about what Jesus would do in a similar situation, instead of responding of my own accord. Amen. TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer  Is God’s existence no more reasonable than leprechauns?
“It is easy to prove leprechauns exist when you don’t have to find and present them – I have one sitting beside me now – anyone care to prove that I don’t?” – an atheist’s view of life. It is impossible to absolutely prove that you exist. Yet you casually assume that you do. You can’t absolutely prove that Australia or Manitoba or Andorra exist, at least without having witnessed them yourself. You take their existence as facts because others have testified to it. This is precisely the same sort of data that the Bible provides us with in the case of Jesus. People saw Him, witnessed His miracles, and met Him after He came back from the dead. Atheists think they can defeat such evidence by simply dismissing the very possibility of miraculous occurrences. God, on the other hand, has given us plenty of ways to overcome the atheists. We can second-guess God all we like and try to figure Him out, or we can start following His advice and have a much more happy, joyful life. We have to exercise faith and trust. We’ll never figure everything out about God, anymore than we can figure everything out about His creation. There are many very bright, sharp people, including thousands of brilliant scientists and philosophers, who believe in God. Yet, science still doesn’t have the foggiest idea of how the universe began, how life began, how DNA began, etc. They study and seek, but they still don’t know. We can seek and try to learn all we can, of course, but it shouldn’t be a stumbling block or cause a lack of faith and joy, let alone unbelief. So, who is lurking in your trees: a leprechaun or God? EXCERPTED FROM: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2015/08/god-no-more-reasonable-than-leprechauns.html TAGS: Inspiration |
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