a positive perspective

We usually can do very little to change our lot. We can only change our reaction to our lot. We cannot change our past, for example. I don't care how brilliant we are, our past stands in concrete. We cannot erase it. But we can learn today to see our past from God's perspective, and use the disadvantages of yesterday in our life- today and forever.

You and I constantly bump up against people submerged in self pity. They are hopelessly lost in the swamp of life. And all they can tell you is how wrong this was, or how unfair she was, or how someone's promise broken, or how that man walked away and left me and the kids, or that guy broke up a partnership and "took me to the cleaners" and on, and on, and on.

I suggest to you that there's nothing better than that you look for an advantage and then dwell on it. Make your life's message. Who knows what imfact it will have?

gaining control over moods

Everyone is influenced by moods to some extent. We should try to understand our moods better so as to gain control over them and to avoid doing things we might regret later. When under emotional stress, we should take a relaxing vacation. It is hardly surprising that today, in our so called highly advanced society, still there are certain simple things that give us pleasure ad relaxation.

Last summer, I went to a nearby beach and took a cottage for myself wherein I get renewed and refreshed. What a beautiful place to relax and unwind! My cottage itself made me felt I was released from outside disturbances. Maybe the presence of a rustic furniture changed my mood into a deep peace. It had the effect of uplifting my spirit and making me felt happy.

Sadly, many people are so pre-occupied with business of earning a living that they have no time to live. Blinded by their senses, they mistook the false for the real.

So, for all men and women wishing to live happy and and make the best for their life, I should say: stop and pause for a while and take time to relax.

tomorrow's Gospel: when we meet trials and disappointments...

Matthew 17:14-20
14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and kneeling before him said, 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him."

17 And Jesus answered, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me." 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"

20 He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you."

Reflection

What kind of faith does the Lord expect of us, especially when we meet set-backs and trials? Inevitably there are times when each of us disappoint others or disappoint ourselves when we suffer some kind of set-back or failure.

In this gospel incident the disciples of Jesus fail to heal an epileptic boy. Jesus' response seems stern; but it is really tempered with love and compassion. We see at once Jesus' dismay with the disciples' lack of faith and his concern to meet the need of this troubled boy and his father.

With one word of command Jesus rebukes the evil spirit that has caused this boy's affliction and tells the spirit to "never enter him again".

Jesus tells his disciples that they can "remove mountains" if they have faith in God. The expression to "remove mountains" was a common Jewish phrase for removing difficulties. A wise teacher who could solve difficulties was called a "mountain remover".

If we pray with expectant faith God will give us the means to overcome difficulties and obstacles.

When you meet trials and disappointments how do you respond?

With faith and trust in Jesus?

Thoughts of Excellence

The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it's a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free. Free to be all God meant us to be.

Since the mind holds the secrets of soaring, the enemy of our souls has made the human mind the bull's eye of his target. His most insidious and strategic moves are made upon the mind. By affecting the way we think, he is able to keep our lives on a mediocre level....

God is interested in our breaking free from such locks.

And what is God's ultimate goal?- To take "every thought captive". That's when He invades those lofty areas. His plan is to transform the old thoughts that defeat us into new thoughts that encourage us.

going beyond wordly pleasures

Many people worry when thinking about their future, which give them an idea of going abroad to have a better life. For them, instead of worrying unnecessarily about the future, they do what can be done now in making fuller use of their potential.

There is no reason for people to worry if they have learned to adjust themselves according to the circumtances of life. Beside we are now in a modern world wherein there are many ways to communicate with them, when transfered in a new place for work, especially with internet connections of your own. And wait! there is also a much better way of going beyond wordly pleasures through communicating. Have you heard about getmecallingcard site? They carry a large number of phone cards and many a calling card from all major vendors.

Get Me Calling Cards has some of the cheapest rates I've ever seen on the internet, plus it allows me to call 576 countries abroad anytime, anywhere. There’s no need for me to key-in the PIN number because my registered landline or cellphone number in my Get Me Calling Cards account will automatically allow me to call overseas without any hassle.

The secret of happy, successful living lies in doing what needs to be done now. Living above the circumstances of life is what we should always bear in mind. We should not worry about the future. If we know that we are doing now the best that we can do to make a better life amid the distress of today's multitude of problems.

pull in the anchor

Have you done something wrong? Have you been a bit offensive? Have your actions caused someone to get hurt?

To do nothing is not only in direct disobedience to Jesus's teaching, it also complicates your life. It adds heavier mental weights than you are capable of carrying.

It's like dropping an anchor and then cranking up your boat's engine and putting it in gear. The anchor keeps catching and snagging on the bottom, making for terribly uncomfortable ride across the water. How simple the solution! Just pull in the anchor.

Let me give you a simple tip: We cannot be right with God until we are right with others.

paving the way to a great plumbing spree

Kohler kitchen faucets are just but one of the so-many stuffs that a great kitchen expert takes into account when buying a new house, or renovating an old dwelling place. Well, talking about renovations. I am reminded suddenly of a place where to find the best plumbing fixtures one could ever find. Does the name The Plumbing Express rings a bell to you? Absolutely.

To give you an overview, The Plumbing Express is branded as the source to find good quality kitchen and bathroom fixture products on the market. They say that since the year 1991, they have been selling the highest-quality and most innovative bathroom fixtures at competitive prices. Wow! that was indeed a very promising statement.

Well, what do they do for our domestic needs? Definitely, our need for a new set of bathroom and shower fixtures as well as kitchen plumbing fixtures will be answered by The Plumbing Express which offers just anything that we need in redoing our bathrooms. Similarly, their selection of products which are actually one of the most comprehensive on the internet command much lower prices with free shipments! How's that!

Furthermore, they have a round-the-clock friendly and knowledgeable consultants to attend to every single question we may ask about any of the products on their site.

Shopping with The Plumbing Express is always safe and easy. They claim to be a member of the Better Business Bureau and that makes it easy to place our orders online with secure payment options and customer service support standing by. Such is a gesture of concern for our sake.

Surely, for our own convenience, we can shop by fixture type or specific brand to find exactly what we are looking for. From modern bathtubs to old-world pedestal sinks, The Plumbing Express has everything we need. Whether we wish to mix and match select items or purchase a coordinating set, their experts can help us create our dream bathroom.

Listening to God...

Can you name people today who seem to carefully listen to God - people whose hearts are especially sensitive to the Holy Spirit? I can almost guarantee that those are men and women who know what it is to be broken and bruised. They have the scars to prove it.

Perhaps as you read these words you bear the marks of a carnal week, day after day in which you've gone your own way and grieved the Spirit of God.

And now you come with desperation to change in your heart - to learn from God and renew your fellowship with Him. Do you realize what's happened? Your failure has given you a sensitive, teachable spirit. It has broken the pride barrier in your life. It is what Paul called a "Godly sorrow"(2 Cor. 7:10).

live life above it's circumstances...

What could be one of the best things to do in this time of economic turmoil? Well, why don't you turn to cosmetology schools in Las Vegas? Sounds strange to you? But let me tell you my friends, Life is hard. It's even made harder with the emergence of an economic global recession.

Throughout the world, people are losing their jobs, business is going down, companies and factories are closing down their wares. What more can an average citizen of the nation do to live his life with peace and harmony to himself and to his family? Turn to something that will make one's life progressive and productive!

The recession that is grappling the world's economy will take awhile and will really stay awhile. People need to keep their focus. People need to be wiser. People need to be practical without being cynical.

People need to see alternative ways to earn a living and continue their life amidst the ongoing economic depression. In view of this stressful economic stress, we need to see the brighter side of life by clinging on ways and means to continue life and survive life with the help of God.

In going to a practical school, one may be able to live life with practicality and with a promise of a sure stable destination with a future vision.Visit Destination Academy now.

Focus fully on God

We get in a hurry when we don't wait on the Lord. We jump ahead and do rash things. We shoot from the hip. We run off at the mouth, saying things that we later regret. But when we have sufficiently waited on the lord, He gets full control of our spirit.

At such moments, we're like a glove, and His hand is moving us wherever He pleases.

When you wait on the lord, you don't have to sit in a corner contemplating with your navel, or walk around in a daze humming "Sweet hour of prayer". You don't have to wear a robe and live in a hut in Tibet for winter. Sometimes, of course, you need to sit down quietly, by yourself, alone with Lord for a time of quietness.

Solitude and silence are wonderful when nourishing our souls. But mostly you go right on with your business. You press on with your regular activities.

You just focus more fully in the Lord in the midst of it. You stay pre-occupied with Him. You think His thoughts. You feed your soul with His manna.

where healing takes place...

For almost a year and a half now, I have been seeing a family counselor nearby my place. The sessions that I had with her were very beneficial to both myself and to my community. These sessions brought back a reminiscense of my childhood life and its ups and downs.

For the most part, these sessions were to bring healing from the repeated traumas that I experienced when I was a child. Likewise, the result of these sessions was indeed a very striking one: I was brought back to life again, free from fears and angsts, healed from my traumas and is geared towards a peaceful, happy life ahead of me.

The healing sessions with my family counselor was absolutely significant in my dealings with my everyday living. Now I can say, to you out there who has issues in your past life and needs some healing to keep moving with your life, I strongly recommend you to see a place so that healing may take place in your life and live with utmost peace.

There is a center that takes care of people like me who has past issues and this center really makes things happen with your past life issues as well as current issues and difficulties. FRCC is to be a place of help, hope, and healing for those experiencing psychological, emotional, family, and marital distress throughout the greater Denver Metropolitan area. Indeed, Denver family counseling is the best place for all of us who are suffering from issues that keep haunting us in our lives.

The counselors of FRCC are a group of professional therapists in Denver who are committed to meeting the various needs of their clients by walking alongside them as partners.

Their goal is to create a comfortable and secure clinical environment, so the client can proceed through his or her personal treatment plan with dignity, privacy, and confidence. Visit FrontrangeCounselingCenter.com now. Be healed.

RB, Chapter 10: The Arrangement of the Night Office in Summer

1From Easter until the first of November, the winter arrangement for the number of psalms is followed. 2But because summer nights are shorter, the readings from the book are omitted. In place of the three readings, one from the Old Testament is substituted. This is to be recited by heart, followed by a short responsory. 3In everything else, the winter arrangement for Vigils is kept. Thus, winter and summer, there are never fewer than twelve psalms at Vigils, not counting Psalms 3 and 94.

Reflection

In this short Chapter 10, we have an important teaching about the Divine Office as understood by Saint Benedict. In the modern age, our focus is very much on intellectual content and thus on listening to the readings. For Saint Benedict, it is clear, the psalms are the most important part of the Divine Office and so if the Divine Office has to be shorted, the readings are the first things to be omitted.

So in the summer, when the night is shorter, the three longer readings are dropped and one shorter reading from the Old Testament is substituted.

Saint Benedict is clear that he wants 12 psalms at Vigils, not counting psalms 3 and 94. The number 12 is very important in the history of monasticism because a tradition that an angel appeared to Saint Pachomius and revealed to him the importance of praying 12 psalms.

Saint Benedict is also clear, later in the Rule, that our monastic ancestors prayed all 150 psalms in one day and we can be a bit lazy and do all of them in one week. Actually Saint Benedict has almost double that number in a week in the schedule that he gives for the Divine Office.

For our own times, we must look again at the importance of memorizing passages of Scripture so that we can take the Scripture with us throughout the day. As we memorize Scriptures, they come more easily to our mind when we need them: when we want to deepen our prayer, when we want to resist temptation, when we want to ask God's help, etc.

We also can also spend time learning the psalms and Saint Benedict will mention this also in another part of the Holy Rule.

From the Chapters we have read so far concerning the Divine Office, again it is clear that Vigils is the pivotal office for the monk. Let us embrace the challenge of praying Vigils each day and ask the Lord to form us as Christians and as monks.

an abundant life

Because it is short, life is packed with challenging possibilities. Because it is uncertain, it is filled with challenging adjustments. I'm convinced that's much of what Jesus meant when He promised us an abundant life. Abundant with challenges, running over with possibilities, filled with opportunities to adapt,shift,alter and change. Come to think of it, that's the secret of staying young. It's also the path that leads to optimism and motivation.

With each new dawn, life delivers a package to your front door, rings your doorbell, and runs. Each package is cleverly wrapped in paper and big print. One package reads: "Watch out. Better worry about this!" Another; "Impossible. "You'll never handle this one!"

When you hear that ring tomorrow morning, try something new. Have Jesus Christ answer the door.

an illusion of perfection

Every year people think about how to celebrate the perfect Halloween party. Most of us have one or two things in mind that makes us feel Halloween is perfect, but we may not even have the time to ask ourselves what they are. In this case, Halloween party ideas play an important role in these preparations. Halloween is a time of disguises and fantasies. You may prefer not to dress up, but what would you choose to be if you did?

Most women tend to choose something more glamorous than their daily lives. They dress up like movie stars, Marie Antoinette, or ballet dancers. Men tend to be Zorro, weight lifters, or Julius Caesar.

Very few people choose something that's ugly or even scary. It takes a lot of confidence to dress up as a witch or monster. Kids are better at that than we, adults, are.

Sometimes we choose to dress something that we are afraid of. I, once thought of dressing as a guru or an evangelist.

When kids come to our door in their disguises, they often want us to guess who they are. They say, "Can you tell?" They want us to see them under the disguise.

Adults feel that way, too. We dress up as something special, but we want people to see who's really underneath.

So why do we chase the illusion of a perfect holiday when, in fact, it is not impossible to have one through a celebration site. A site wherein we can get expert advice from the most knowledgeable experts in the party planning industry including ideas for great decorations: the venue, the gifts and favors for the family and friends and fun crafts we can make with children.

On this coming halloween, don't try the illusion of perfection. Instead save some of your energies to enjoy the people with whom you're spending halloween.

God renovates our soul

God must break through several hard, exterior barriers in our lives before He can renovate our souls. His persistent goal is to break through the inner person.

What are those resistant layers in our hearts, and how does He break through that hidden part? First, He finds pride. And He uses the sandpaper of obscurity to remove it ever so gradually.

Then, He finds us gripped by fear-dread of our past, anxiety over our present and terror over what may lie ahead - and He uses the passing of time to remove that fear. We learn that things aren't out of hand at all. They're in His hands.

He next encounters the barrier of resentment - the tyranny of bitterness. He breaks down that layer with solitude. In the silence of His presence, we gain a fresh perspective, gradually release our cherished rights, and let go of the expectations that held us hostage.

small frustrations

One of the things that adds tension to our lives is small frustration. Losing car keys can give you a panic attack. Not being able to find a comb when you get out of the shower, losing scissors and nail clippers, even running out of canon toner cartridges made a big fight to the one sharing the same printer. These things would probably happen and that they really cause us too much tension.

The problem is that when think that these things are not supposed to happen to us then, that's what makes us tensed. So then, to avoid inconvenience for all of us here, I told them about gmsupplies wherein they can easily purchase all the necessary imaging supplies at discounted prices. They sell Canon cartridges for many models of Canon printers and copiers, so we are sure to find the toner that our machine requires. We we can get a free ground shipping as well in here.

We think we can avoid these frustrations by making ourselves and others more careful. I like to take the opposite tack to assume that these things are a part of life and that they will happen no matter what. Each one of us has a certain quota. You're going to go through 150 combs in a lifetime, no matter what, still you live with. So, wait for a sale and buy two dozens; then you only have to face once a year. It's the same with scissors, nail clippers, car keys, wallets, dead batteries, and flat tires, and so with all the imaging materials we need in a printer. Let's say that quota is eleven wallets in a lifetime.

You can do some preventions, but if you assign yourself a quota, instead of tension and frustrations, you can say, "Oh oh, here's number eleven," Such a sense of humor indeed.

God's hand in your life

Perhaps you never knew what it was to be nestled securely in a parent's love. Your home life may have been strained or even fractured from your earliest memories.

From a human point of view, your birth might have come at a difficult or awkward time in your parent's lives. It may be that you've never known the re-assurance of a faithful mother and father who built their faith into your heart. When you think back on your growing up years, you realize you don't have much to shout about.

I'd like to deliver a beautiful message to you, my friends. God's hand on your life may just begin to make it's mark.

That steep hill you've been climbing for such a long time may be the ramp to a destiny beyond your dreams. I do not believe there is any such thing as an accidental or ill-timed birth.

You may have arrived in a home that was financially strapped. You may have known brokenness, hurt, and insecurity since your earliest days. But please take heed about this: Your existence were not an accident.

a matter of rescue

Some of us are rescuers by nature. We are always willing to help someone else, even if it interferes with the enjoynment of our lives. Sometimes our help may not be particularly useful.

If we are willing to accept the weight of other people's problem, maybe they aren't left with any reason to solve their problem.

It reminds me of a very heavy, big , awkward canvas ball that we used to exercise in our gym class. Someone will throw it to us - and we will hold onto it, but we were supposed to try to throw it back.

What happens when we help our buddies to resolve their trouble, like for instance in their car. If possible, we rescue them when they make the searching of an auto parts - of which they needed, but instead helping them work out their own solutions by just simply giving them the site wherein they can acquire for a discounted auto parts.

In that case they can be assured that they are getting the best service to go with a large selection or car parts and low prices with full warranty in every part. That's probably enough to get themselves to a Buy Auto Part site. If we are willing to carry the weight and responsibility, then we don't have to.

Throw the ball back. Offer them understanding, offer support, but give them the responsibility. Then they'll be motivated to make some choices to deal with their own problem.

Part 2: Chapter 1, With a Great Price

Merton was turning his attention away from himself and from communism toward philosophy when, almost by accident, he purchased a book called The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy, a Catholic book, which influenced him greatly. He was almost angry at first because he bought it from Scribner's bookstore in New York without knowing it was a Catholic book. The book, however, went far in helping remove some of his fear of Catholicism which had heretofore seemed mysterious and secretive to him.

It promoted a concept called aseitas; that is, the character of God that is being himself. Since God is not created, only he has the power to exist absolutely in virtue of himself. This was part of the new concept of God which Merton learned from the book that gave him a deeper respect for Catholic philosophy.

Feeling the need to explore some religiosity, Merton started attending Zion Church where his father had once played the organ. He found the pastor there more concerned with discussing modern literature and politics than religion and God, however. Indeed, this is one of the many errors with which Merton charges Protestants throughout the book.

At Columbia, Merton met Bob Lax in another Mark Van Doren class, this one on Shakespeare. Merton called it the best course he ever had at college. Lax would become a lasting friend and would eventually even follow him into the Catholic faith.

Since that talk with Aunt Maude on the way to Ripley Court, Merton had enjoyed writing and had it in mind to write novels, possibly writing for newspapers until he could successfully publish fiction. However, after he received his diploma from Columbia (from the registrar's window), he immediately applied for graduate school in English which he described as a "first remote step of a retreat from the fight for money and fame". He now had his sights on a career in teaching.

Merton spends several pages telling about a Hindu monk that he and his friends came to know called Bramachari (which actually isn't a name at all but an Indian word for monk.) The Bramachari story has little impact on Merton's life except to broaden his religious experience.

It also serves as an opportunity for Merton to point out more errors of Protestants; namely, the way their missionaries lived too comfortably instead of in poverty with those they served. Also, surprisingly, Bramachari recommended that Merton read St. Augustine's Confessions and The Imitation of Christ.

Merton worked on his thesis, "Nature and Art in William Blake". During this time, he attended his first mass at the Church of Corpus Christi in New York. He was twenty-four years old, had been to Rome and lived in Europe for years, but had never been to mass. He went to the Church of Corpus Christi on 121st Street in New York and was amazed at what he found. "What a revelation it was, to discover so many ordinary people in a place together, more conscious of God than of one another. . . I walked in a new world. Even the ugly buildings of Columbia were transfigured in it, and everywhere was peace in these streets designed for violence and noise".

After that experience, Merton's desire for religious things seemed set on an accelerated course. He wanted to be baptized and to enter "into the supernatural life of the Church". On November 16, 1939, Merton was baptized and received his first communion from Father Moore at Corpus Christi. His friends Bob Lax, Seymour Freedgood, Bob Gerdy, and Ed Rice were in attendance. He then went to his first confession and, seeing Father McGough through the screen, thought the priest "looked so innocent to me that I wondered how he was going to identify and understand the things I was about to tell him.

"But one by one, that is, species by species, as best I could, I tore out all those sins by their roots, like teeth . . . ever since that day, I have loved confessionals".
Then, or actually, even before then, Merton started to entertain thoughts of joining the priesthood.

Merton's literary life and his spiritual life are forever intertwined. As his conversion to Catholicism neared, he writes that his reading "became more and more Catholic". What he reads inextricably effects what he does and believes—even with those authors with whom he was already familiar. Merton writes that he better understood Blake after his eyes had been opened to the inner life, though he wasn't sure of the state of Blake's soul, he knew that the poet understood more of the inward life than Merton.

He also says of Blake, "I hope that I will see him in heaven". This sentiment is often repeated by Merton for people he knew who had died, Catholic or otherwise.

an attitude of humility

Humility is not how you dress, it is not the money you make, it is not where you live, it is not what you drive, it is not even how you look. We're once commanded by God to "look" humble. humility is an attitude of the heart. An attitude is in mind. It is knowing your proper place. Never talking down or looking down because someone may be of a financial level less than your's. It is knowing your role and fulfilling it for God's glory and praise. I repeat, it is an attitude.

The attitude Christ is such that He emptied Himself of a voluntary and independent use of His divine attributes. There is no quality more godlike than humility.

The place of highest exaltation as we see in the Lord Jesus Christ, is a place of self-emptying humility. It is not phoney-baloney style of fake piety. It is true humility of mind. It's putting the other person first. It's like being Christ.

presents that our heart desires

Have you ever been disappointed by the way someone remembered your birthday or anniversary? Have you anticipated a special present for Christmas and then had to conceal your disappointment when you opened the box.

Disappointment that turns to resentment. "Why don't they care about me? Why aren't they more aware of my needs and my preferences? "Why won't they love me the way I want to be loved?".

They love you the only way they know how: their way. Are you being able to recognize and accept other people's style of loving?

You can always try to teach other people to love you in your style, but never expect anyone, no matter how close, to read your mind and heart and so tell them what you want. The investment they make in surprise is often a hidden expectation that brings disappointment.

Better yet, buy yourself your heart's desire, don't turn special days into a test of love. Take care of yourself in the style you prefer yourself.

We can avoid these disappointments by giving ourselves a present which we desire, just like in my case -I bought myself a prescription eyeglasses from Optical4less. It is an online site that provides Cheap Eye glasses. I really love my reading eyeglass, it is trendy, fashion, with stylish frame. Not to mention that it arrived within a week I ordered. Whooah!! just on time before my big day.

Now, anything that I will be going to receive in my very special day will be like an extra love that I can enjoy without hurtful expectation.

The Riddles of Life

There are numerous riddles in life that remain wrapped in mystery and shrouded inside an enigma. The sea, for example, is an unexplainable phenomenon. Who can fathom its tide affected strangely by the moon? No one.

We manage to continue on... though brilliant scientists have been trying to solve or explain life's mysteries for years. But when God leaves us with a mystery that isn't solved in a week or two, most of us go through desperate struggles believing that He is good or fair. I mean, after all, if we're going to trust a good God, He should do only good things, right?

The Bible that I read simply doesn't present that as the way life is. Yet, the world I live-in seems to expect that. And that's certainly the cynic's line: "You mean to tell that you are going to trust a God who treats you like that?" When will we ever learn that the cynics have no capacity to understand the profound and unfathomable ways of God?

sensitive hearts

Can you name people today who seem to carefully listen to God? - People whose hearts are especially sensitive to the Holy Spirit? I can almost guarantee that those are the men and women who know what it is to be broken and bruised. They have the scars to prove it.

Perhaps, as you read these words, you bear the marks of a carnal week. Day by day, you've gone your own way and grieved the Spirit of God. And now, you come with a certain kind of desperation to change in your heart - to learn from God and renew your fellowship with Him.

Do you realize what's happened? Your failure has given you a sensitive, teachable spirit. It has broken the pride-barrier in your life. It is what Paul called a "Godly sorrow"(2 Cor. 7:10).

worthy of little concern

There are things that seem important and worthy of our attention and things that seem trivial and worthy of little concern. For old ones , furniture is clearly in the first category, and for others it's in the second.

But for young people, Ashley Furniture takes on an added dimension, because it is a key component of how they fit in with their peers. In Ashley, satisfaction has always driven their state of the art manufacturing methods, and quality products. Ashley manufacturers who were known as giving discounted quality products for many of their bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms and kids furniture. Likewise, they have such an arrray of imported products from high quality manufacturers all over the world. They strive to provide the best value for our hard-earned money with these mixture of domestic-made and imported products marketed under the Ashley Furniture and Millennium brand. They are committed to being the best furniture company in the world.

Furniture is used as a quick way to size people up, and can have the effect of making someone feel left out or worse. Be considerate of the fact that for young people, Ashley furniture is not just something to have at home but it is a billboard they carry that distinctly announces who they are.

learning the art of receiving

We often think that learning the art of giving is one of our biggest challenges. But giving is relatively easy. While the call to give may at times challenges our selfishness and our priorities, it seldom challenges us radically or deeply. For giving does not expose our own needs; it is a call for us to share that which we already have. It only calls us to generosity with compassion.

Learning the art of receiving, however is another matter. This calls us to honesty, openess and evaluation. Learning the art of receiving is thus a powerful call to change. For in receiving I need to welcome the other with the gifts that are offered.

In receiving, I need to make room and space to accept that which I frequently fail to realize I need. And in recieving something is added to me that may bring about change and transformation.

Receiving Christ is something that I should welcome with an open heart and mind as He gives His Body and Blood with full of love and without any hesitation.

An invitation to be loved and nurtured

There are significant occasions and celebrations of the year that hinge one season from the next. I am referring to the celebrations that need to be given utmost attention like Wedding day, Christmas day and other significant celebrations of the year.

We cannot just absolutely deny and ignore these occasions and make ourselves lukewarn from these important gatherings of hearts and minds towards one goal: a happy and lively witness to the unfolding of these celebrations.

In connection with the preparations that we need to do , let not us not be caught empty-handed and flatfooted as there is one site I can vouch for you in making a well-organized set of preparations.

Have you heard of the custom wedding invitations? Well, these are just but one of the thousands of items and articles that one can find to 123Print. A site that carries all items and accesories that are indeed importantly needed and are indispensable and participatory in celebrating occasions like Wedding day. This is all about a site of everything that one needs and the vast variety of products that they offer including the thousands of designs available for their products.

In 123Print, one will find a complete set of salient informations that pertain to preparations in the celebration of any events in our life. To see for yourself what you can avail from this site filled with almost everything that you may need in welcoming any celebration, why don't you go online and visit 123Print now? They are open twenty-four hours a day for your needs and inquiries.

mercy beyond misery

I have a dear friend who stayed by his wife's side for almost a year as she was dying with ovarian cancer. He told me of such occasions, when the Lord gave merciful relief from the pain. He said it was almost as if an angel of mercy hovered over their room.

When we're suffering from the consequences of a life's unfair treatment, there is always mercy from God received. When we're enduring the grief of loss, there is mercy received from God.

When we struggle from the limitations of a handicap, there is mercy. When we're hurting and in physical pain, there is mercy from God. All these earthly struggles that occur are no accidents. God is in the midst of them, working out His sovereign mercy. Yes, it's a mystery, which means we need special mercy to endure the anguish and misery of life's pain.

"Learning to give ourselves" Do you own/drive a car?

There was a time when I felt that I have to rush to accomplish anything. Nothing could stop me, not even the stop lights, traffics, mistakes. I was irritated at things that get in my way - lack of parking space, other drivers, missed buses - nothing slowed me down.

I measure the quality of my life by the speed at which it passes and the number of things I could do. Then I stopped. I began to question myself. How did I want to spend my time? What choices was I making? Who was running my life?

I decided I wanted to improve the quality of every moment of my life, especially the time I spent with people. People that I met everyday in the community. I wanted to be able to see and hear the beauty around me.

I started choosing peace over conflict. I asked myself what was truly important. I started to give myself time to enjoy, to feel. I started to give myself rewards for accomplishments instead of expectations of more to be done. I also try to search for an online liability auto insurance quotes in Dallas,Tx. It doesn't get any easier or any faster to get instant quotes and even purchase to any policy online but the internet makes it possible for me to find a cheap-auto insurance. The site is for coverage of drivers/residents nationwide.

My life changed. I know now who is making the choices, who is deciding to acquire rewards and receive punishments. I am the only one controlling my life and my perception of such life.

It's important to give yourself rewards for quality. When you finish something that is important to you, stop and appreciate yourself. One of the rewards I like is solitude, also ice cream, time for music, a hot bath, a new book. Another is an auto insurance. What about you?

tomorrow's Gospel: throwing bread to the dogs...

Matthew 15:21-28
21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon."

23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me."

26 And he answered, "It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 27 She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

28 Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly.

Reflection

Do you ever feel "put-off" or ignored by the Lord? This passage describes the only occasion in which Jesus ministered outside of Jewish territory. (Tyre and Sidon were fifty miles north of Israel and still exist today in modern Lebanon.)

A Gentile woman, a foreigner who was not a member of the Jewish people, puts Jesus on the spot by pleading for his help. At first Jesus seemed to pay no attention to her, and this made his disciples feel embarrassed. Jesus does this to test the woman to awaken faith in her.

What did Jesus mean by the expression "throwing bread to the dogs"? The Jews often spoke of the Gentiles with arrogance and insolence as "unclean dogs" since the Gentiles were excluded from God's covenant and favor with Israel. For the Greeks the "dog" was a symbol of dishonor and was used to describe a shameless and audacious woman.

Matthew 7:6 records the expression: do not give dogs what is holy. Jesus, no doubt, spoke with a smile rather than with an insult because this woman immediately responds with wit and faith – "even the dogs eat the crumbs".

Jesus praises a Gentile woman for her faith and for her love. She made the misery of her child her own and she was willing to suffer rebuff in order to obtain healing for her loved one. She also had indomitable persistence.

Her faith grew in contact with the person of Jesus. She began with a request and she ended on her knees in worshipful prayer to the living God. No one who ever sought Jesus with faith – whether Jew or Gentile – was refused his help. Do you seek Jesus with expectant faith?

God is in your corner

When I was seven years old, I ran away from home. I have had enough of my father's rules and decided to make it on my own. With my clothes in a crisped paper bag, I stormed out the back gate and marched down the alley[But] I didn't go far. I only got to the end of the alley and suddenly felt my stomach's crumbling. I was hungry, so I went back home. That was the end of it.

Though rebellion was brief, it was still rebellion nonetheless. And had you stopped me on that prodigal path, I could have told you how I felt about the whole thing. I just might have said, "I don't need a father. I'm too big for the rules of the family. "

I didn't hear the rooster crow like Peter did. I didn't feel the fish belch like Jonah did. I didn't get a robe and a ring and a pair of sandals like the prodigal son did. But I learned from my father on earth what those three learned from their Father in heaven.

Our God is no fair-weather Father. He's not into this love-em' and leave-em stuff. I can count on Him to be in my corner no matter how I perform. You can, too.

A perfect gift is a stoneware dinnerware

Gifts should never be taken lightly. It is indeed good that we care for what we have. There is something very satisfying to treasure the gifts that come from our loved ones or to someone important.

I thought of the stoneware dinnerware that my mom received from my dad 5 years ago. The dinnerware itself has the appearance of elegance and it is one of a kind. Not to mention the fact that Corelle stands for durability. Because these dinnerwares are made of glass, they had the added versatility of being suitable for re-heating or even cooking in conventional or microwave ovens.

In addition, Corelle promises to replace any dinnerware that is broken, chipped, stained or cracked within the first two years without requiring any proof of purchase. It's an ultimate boost in dinnerware that fits our delicate lifestyle! That would probably be the reason why mom still uses it at home until now.

Every year, people think about how to acquire the perfect gifts for the so-called special events in life. Why don't you give yourself a chance to own those things and then save your time to enjoy the feelings of having owned a set of dependable stone ware collection? There is no such thing as perfect gift unless it's defined by one thing that is important to you.

RB, Chapter 9: The Number of Psalms at the Night Office

1During the winter season, Vigils begin with the verse: Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall proclaim your praise (Ps 50[51]:17). After this has been said three times, 2the following order is observed: Psalm 3 with “Glory be to the Father”; 3Psalm 94 with a refrain, or at least chanted; 4an Ambrosian hymn; then six psalms with refrain.

5After the psalmody, a versicle is said and the abbot gives a blessing. When all are seated on the benches, the brothers in turn read three selections from the book on the lectern. After each reading a responsory is sung. 6“Glory be to the Father” is not sung after the first two responsories, but only after the third reading.

7As soon as the cantor begins to sing “Glory be to the Father,” let all the monks rise from their seats in honor and reverence for the Holy Trinity.

8Besides the inspired books of the Old and New Testaments, the works read at Vigils should include explanations of Scripture by reputable and orthodox catholic Fathers. 9When these three readings and their responsories have been finished, the remaining six psalms are sung with an “alleluia” refrain.

10This ended, there follow a reading from the Apostle recited by heart, a versicle and the litany, that is, “Lord, have mercy.” 11And so Vigils are concluded.

Reflection

Always the day begins with asking God to open our lips. We can meditate on that a lot because so often during the day it is no longer God who is on our lips! So often during the day it is not God's praises that come forth from our mouths. We want to strive to live each day with only the words of God passing our lips and only the thoughts of God coming from our hearts. Right from the beginning of describing the structure that he wants in the Divine Office, Saint Be

nedict is putting the Divine Office into a divine context, insisting that we are there for God, to praise God and only to speak with and to God.

The structure of Vigils is very clear in the Rule. The opening versicle, Psalm 3, Psalm 94 (the Invitatory), the hymn, then 6 psalms. After those 6 psalms, a versicle and response, the abbot's blessing, then three readings each with a response but the third response has a "Glory be to the Father" added to is. When that "Glory be to the Father" is sing, all the monks rise and bow. Then there are 6 more psalms with an alleluia refrain. Then a short lesson fro heart, a versicle and response, the litany and so the end.

If we simply look at the structure of Vigils, we must realize that this is the strongest and longest of all of the hours of the Divine Office. It is supposed to happen before daybreak and needs to be long enough so that it really is a vigil, a keeping watch for the Lord. Vigils is supposed to take some effort on the part of the monk.

Saint Benedict simply presumes this and does not talk about it. Christians and monks of his time knew that Vigils was important and a strong part of the Divine Office. There are more psalms in the Vigils of Saint Benedict than there are in the entire daily Roman Office as it is now celebrated.

We can probably say, without much dispute, that Vigils is a defining office of the monk. The monk is a Christian who keeps vigil every day. It is not easy to maintain this strong discipline in our own time. So many people want to look at the Divine Office simply as a form of prayer which can altered easily.

Certainly, Saint Benedict will later allow it to be altered, but he seems not happy about that and insists that the monks should always have at least 150 psalms in their public prayer every week.

Today those who strive to live the life according the Rule fairly closely are almost put on the defensive, even by their monastic superiors, for insisting on such a strong life.

On the other hand, history seems to show, over and over again, that if we want a strong monastic life, we need only return to the Rule of Benedict and somehow life comes back into a monastic way of living.

May we be strong in our monastic life! May we not be arrogant but humble! May we seek the Lord in this monastic way given to us by our Holy Father Saint Benedict.

a spirited horse

All human beings are weak. We should never think that we are stronger than others. Circumstances do not create the weakness of a man. They simply draw it out and show what he really is. We must be convinced of this fact: our will is weak and our blind human desires are strong.

It should not be too hard for us to admit our frailty. See how often we are troubled by a small matter! At times we resolve to become a better person. Then along comes a small temptation, and away goes our resolution!

Just when we think we are safe, when we least expect it, we find ourselves pushed over by a slight temptation. Even when we do not give full consent to it, our feelings and desires confuse us. Hateful imaginations rush in on us and refuse to leave.

Before we can become serious about self-perfection, we must be convinced of its necessity. See how weak we are! We often tend toward what is wrong. We confess our sins today, and tomorrow we commit the same faults again. We resolve to be on our guard, and an hour later we act as though we had never made the resolution. We are so weak and unsteady.

It is only right then, that we should humble ourselves and refuse to think too highly of ourselves.

We are more inclined to go backward than forward. We do not remain in the same state of mind for any length of time. Our moods and attitudes change with the changing hours of the day.

If we would only turn to God, He can help us rise above these changing moods. Let our hearts turn to God and find their rest in Him.

Our human nature is like a spirited horse. It must be controlled at every step. It would like to run free and uncontrolled. Therefore, we need not be surprised at our changing feelings and moods.

They are not the higher selves within us. God will honor us only for what we are trying to be. We would improve much faster if we would beg for God’s help more frequently by prayer and the Sacraments.

Too often we fail to put up fight against our unreasonable feelings and blind desires. At other times, we try to fight them alone. Only with God’s help can we make any permanent progress.

With the knowledge He gives us through His holy Church, and with the strength He offers us in His Sacraments, we can live a holy life in spite of the restless lower selves within us.

photo owned by h.koppdelaney of Flickr

seeking genuine resources

We can take our disappointments, failures and mistakes too seriously. We do this when we decide to hold onto them or do nothing about them. More seriously, we can take our mistakes to be an essential description of our personhood. Thus, we label ourselves as a failure, a victim, or a big mistake. In making these moves, we not only lock ourselves into certain descriptions, but we produce self-fulfilling prophecies. We become what we think we are.

The short-circuit to this spiral is not to try valiantly to avoid making mistakes. Pefrectionism is not the answer to despair. Instead, we need to learn to come to terms with our disappointments, failures and mistakes to a place of acknowledgement and unburdening.

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we can do nothing without God

God tells us that progress in virtue depends on His grace and in our own determination. God’s grace is always at our disposal. It is our determination that wavers and changes. Our intention would be more firm if we obtain more of God’s grace to help us.

By prayer and sacrifice, and with an increased use of God’s Sacraments, we would gain more graces. Then we would find our will stronger to follow our intentions throughout the day.

It is not always enough to make good intentions in the morning. We must also recall and renew them during the day. Examine how faithfully we are following our intentions, and seek to improve ourselves in this effort.

When we break our resolutions, we can begin again. This is far better than abandoning our good intentions altogether. Anyone can make good resolutions, but keeping them and renewing them is the hardest and is the work of a real Christian.

If we are afraid to start again or are discouraged by failure, it is because we do not understand what goes on in our daily life. Without God, we can do nothing. Put our trust in God’s help. Then confidently do our best to follow our resolutions. If we fail, renew our intentions at once and begin again.

God will judge us more by our efforts than by our failures. It is our natural pride that makes us afraid to begin, or discourages us when we fail. Pride wants immediate success.

Be honest and we will be humble. Make a sincere effort, but do not be surprised at our weaknesses and unexpected failures. Beg for God’s grace, and go on trying. Leave all else in God’s hands. He who keeps trying to please God will never be abandoned by Him.

Are we brave enough to renew our intentions and good resolutions each day, and to make an honest effort to follow them? God’s help will not fail us. Our old faults will slowly disappear as we advance in the practice of the opposite virtues.

Thus, if we have a fault of laziness, we can best conquer it by seeking more opportunities to perform good deeds. And so will it be with our other faults.

photo owned by UCLA_radio

serving in spite of our own struggles

There is something very satisfying about enjoying the fruits of one's labour. It is very satisfying to find oneself at the top or in prominent position after having started at the bottom. It is very satisfying to establish a reputation whether that be an executive, or a problem fixer or simply a lurker-turned-into-a-solver.

I came across a friend near his house early this morning ... He told me about the things that bothered him last night. No matter how much effort he gave to repair his own car, still he couldn't make it.

So, I decided to offer a helping hand by attending to his car myself so that at least, I can be of help. As I inspected it, I found out that it seemed the car's parts needed replacement. Some of it's auto parts needed to be replaced. So, I recommended Great Auto Parts to him as it is a well known online site where once can acquire specific auto parts needed for replacement.

It is indeed very satisfying to have such resources not only to be able to do what one must, but also to be able to do for others who are in need at times.

Out of this willpower comes new ways of doing and serving others. Once we move beyond the crises and continue to serve, we, ourselves will also receive in return but that is just secondary....What is important is to be able to serve others. Those to whom we give our service will also enrich us. God will repay us in the end!

fixing our eyes

God often tells us through the Scriptures that so often our thoughts are on unimportant things. We do not center them enough on Him nor on our greatest need. A few moments of recollection, our thoughts go right back to useless distractions.

As a result, we rarely get a good look at ourselves and our actions. We hardly know our real worth because we take so little notice of our desires, motives and intentions.

We fail to be impressed by our many faults because we are blind to what is going on within our hearts. Our interior motives are often selfish and corrupt.

Consequently, our external actions are very imperfect and unsatisfactory. From a pure heart come the fruits of a good life, but from a wicked heart there can only come an imperfect life.

External activity proceeds from internal vigor. If we serve God only by external observances, we are no true followers of God. We must apply the ax to the root of our troubles. Learn to control this selfish nature of ours and we will possess God’s peace. God daily offers us His grace for this divine purpose.

Do not keep looking at our weakness. Do not be afraid to make the attempt. Nothing is impossible to God. Fix our eyes on God and make a sincere effort to follow His Will. Our difficulties will gradually vanish.

Try as we will, and we will always make a number of unavoidable mistakes. Still, with a little violence to ourselves, we will gradually be able to serve God with more ease.

If we rooted out our lives one single fault each year, we would soon become a perfect one. Nowadays, however, people seem to be at their best at the beginning of their conversion. They consider it a great accomplishment if they do not become worse with time.

Many of us admit that we had faults. When, however, any particular fault of ours is pointed out to ourselves, we will immediately justify ourselves.

We simply refuse to come face to face with any particular fault of ours. As a result, we live a lifetime with little progress in virtue.

To better our lives, we must see and admit what is wrong.

Then we can proceed to improve ourselves. Nothing is impossible to God.

photo owned by Arual [www.lauracammarata.car bonmade.com]
of Flickr

My own needs.

It is easy to be involved with the needs and concerns of others that we have no time or resources to face our own needs. In fact, helping others can sometimes be a way of avoiding having to face the struggles within. This, of course, is not to suggest that we can only be of service to others when all is well within us.

It is not that we are denying the fact that helping others can sometimes be a way of dealing with some of our own needs. However, if we are to grow as persons, we not only need time for reflection, but also time for relaxation. Have you heard about the the free concert that will be held in Wildwood, New Jersey at Morey's Piers? I will get the chance to experience the said concert. Not to mention the famous Jersey Shore beach Vacation that awaits us. For sure anyone would love to stay in Wildwood New Jersey motels ...Sounds exciting isn't it? In this time of distress and uncertainties, we just really need to get a break and get away temporarily from all these emotioanal socio-economic hazards.

We want our life to be meaningful and to have purpose that is why it is good to have Wildwood vacations ..Sounds good to me and you and anyone who must get rid of baggages fleetingly. We also desire to have some impact for good on others and on our world. We want our life to be fruitful. Fruitfulness, however, is very differently understood by different people.

Fruitfulness, moreover, is enhanced when our life is characterized by appreciation and gratitude. This allows us to appropriate the good that comes our way. So much of that which could nurture us is carelessly thrown away because we don't appreciate and appropriate the many little things that we recieve - blessings that are big and small alike. Instead, we are often unthankful, we grumble and are so focused on future expectations that we don't see the daily good that so unexpectedly comes our way. It is high time to get the heed.

Part 1, Chapter 4: The Children in the Market Place

His education incomplete, Merton entered Columbia University in New York and there met a professor who would become one of his most trusted friends, Mark Van Doren. Merton admired Van Doren's teaching, and for an intellectual and contemplative like Merton, that seems to be a key to fast friendship.

While at Columbia, whatever religious sentiment he had was drowned or converted by communism, which seemed an increasingly popular philosophy. During this time, Merton's reading turned to Freud and Jung. He attended communist student group meetings and even joined demonstrations, but the conversion to communism never took deep root and he eventually lost faith in the promise of a new, perfect, communist society.

Merton started devoting much of his time and energy to Columbia student publications—the Jester, the Spectator, and the Columbia Review. They were all housed on the fourth floor of one of the campus buildings and so the "fourth floor" came to represent the people and experiences he most enjoyed at Columbia.

In the fall of 1936, Pop died. Bonnemaman followed in the summer of 1937, which was expected, but Merton prayed for her to live, which was another step in his progression of faith.
This chapter includes a mention of Merton's brief career on the varsity light-weight crew at Columbia as well as a stint on the cross country running team. Throughout the book, Merton mentions athletics but always declares his ineptitude at them. Still, he kept trying. This could either show a love for sport for which he didn't have a matching aptitude, or a modesty about his natural athletic ability.

In almost every case, though, it seems that the struggle and pain of practice and exercise is what drove him away from the sport, which could reveal a lack of fortitude in the face of hardship. In fact, that theory is played out later in the book with Merton's decision to file his draft papers as a non-combatant (not on entirely moral grounds).

One of the last things mentioned in this chapter is a "love affair" with an unnamed girl which fizzled because of her lack of interest and caused Merton to be wounded. This is also part of a larger pattern in the book. Though it's hard to distinguish since he never gives a name to any of the girls he loved, Merton mentions at least three or four girlfriends throughout his life.

However, he seldom gives any detail about their relationships and never gives any detail about the girls themselves. Were they pretty? Where were they from? What did they have in common? Were they tall or short? Smart or dull? Catholic or Protestant or Hindu?

Much as Merton is silent on the particular sins that darkened his soul while crawling the bars and burlesques of New York, he is also mute on his relationship with women—romantic or otherwise. In fact, there are only three women in the entire book that receive much more than an offhanded mention—his mother, his Aunt Maude, and the Baroness from Friendship House.

Of course, it may be the case that Merton felt his bastard child represented his greatest moral failure and was, therefore, a subject he didn't want to approach even remotely. Still, of all the discussion of the destiny of Merton's heart and the worldly pursuits that tried to seduce it, discussion of this one seductress is noticeably absent.

the root of a great beginning and a happy ending

It is good that we care for what we have. It is good to hold what we have and to carefully maintain what is ours. Possessions and gifts should never be taken lightly or treated with disdain. These things should be productively utilized.

Similarly, relationships of love and companionship should be purposefully guarded and ardently maintained. There are many important things and values in our lives that we need to hold on to. They need to be guarded. Some of them are memories of a lifetime, and memories of the roots of our existence and our being.

May we be reminded that there is a special place of solitude which is not just a private therapeutic place but it is the place of conversion. It is a place where we re-charge spiritual batteries and then continue to live as we have lived before. Just like my dad and mom did to the place which they called equestrian cupid. EquestrianCupid is an exclusive community for horse lovers and equestrian singles to meet horseback riding buddies, discover uncharted trails, pursue the country lifestyle, locate the best riding areas, and meet someone to share your country pursuits.

It is a place where dad and mom catched their breath in order to madly re-enter into the realm of the good memories and reminiscenses in their lives. The place where they simply find some quietness before where they plunge into the world with its babble of voices. A place where ties and commitments meet. A place where their love for each other rooted. They met each other wayback, through their passion in horseback riding and through my dad's ultimate dream to become equestrian.

It is a place where a story of great beginnings and many a great happy endings can be found. It is a significant place where Providence dwells. It is a place where our family roots may have had been formed and started. A great place of a great story of love and devotion, where a family springs up and flourish. You can visit their site for a FREE sign-up and see what's awaiting you in the place where so many people share their passions. It is the place where we can abandon crowded agendas, where we acknowledge our compulsions, where we discover new directions and where, more importantly, we find our new self.

tomorrow's Gospel: satisfying the deepest longing...

John 6:24-35
24 So when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Caper'na-um, seeking Jesus.

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" 26 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal."

28 Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." 30 So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

32 Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world."

34 They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always." 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

Reflection

What do you most hunger and thirst for in life? Jesus addressed this issue with those who sought him after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. Where they simply hungry for things which satisfy the body or for that which satisfies the heart and soul?

Jesus echoes the question posed by the prophet Isaiah: "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy" (Isaiah 55:2)? Only God can satisfy the spiritual hunger in our heart and soul – the hunger for truth, for life, and for companionsip and love.

Jesus makes a claim which only God can make: He is the true bread of heaven that can satisfy the deepest hunger, thirst, and longing which every human being experiences in life. When the Israelites journeyed in the desert wildnerness they could find no food to keep themselves alive.

They complained that God had left them there to perish. God tested them to see if they would trust in his personal care and provision for them. He gave them sufficient manna each day to sustain them on their journey to the promised land.

This daily provision of manna in the wilderness could not produce long lasting satisfaction nor eteral life for the Israelites. It did however prefigure and point to the superabundance of the unique bread of the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper which Jesus gave to his disciples on the eve of his sacrifice.

The bread which Jesus offers his disciples sustains us not only on our journey to the heavenly paradise, it gives us the abundant supernatural life of God which sustains us now and for all eternity. When we receive from the Lord’s table we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood and partakers of his divine life.

Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the "one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ" (Ad Eph. 20,2). This supernatural food is healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward.

Jesus also spoke about the works of God and what we must do to be doing the works of God, namely to believe in God's Son whom he has sent into the world. Jesus offers a new relationship with God which issues in a new kind of life: a life of sacrificial love, selfless service, and the forgiveness of others which corresponds to God's mercy, goodness and loving kindness; a life of holiness, purity, and truth which corresponds to God's holiness; and a life of obedience and trust which corresponds to God's offer of abundant life, peace, and happiness.

This is the work which Jesus directs us to and enables us to perform in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Do you hunger for the bread which comes down from heaven and thirst for the words of everlasting life?

Appreciating all of Life

We all have experienced those special events in our lives which are truly memorable. These have been deeply etched on our minds, and make us warm and misty-eyed when we recall them. A particular birthday. A special experience with another person. A wonderful holiday. The birth of a child. The list could be endless.

There is never an ideal time to do anything like birth announcements through doodlebugdezign. Their birth announcements will share the same qualities as all of traditional photographs and are sure to become a family treasure that will last a lifetime. The birth of a new life is a new beginning and as well as blessing! Let not this great mystery be left unnoticed and unannounced.

Just simply let them know your specific needs and they will work with you to design them. You can visit their "How it Works" page, to understand the easy, step-by-step process of ordering cards from them. For sure, everyone will love it. Not to mention the experience of working directly with a designer.

But then, do not forget that our lives are hardly made up of a continuum of special events. And even what might appear to be exciting to someone else is for us often lackluster. As a consequence, celebration is hardly the keynote of our lives.

We should learn to appreciate all of life. It reminds us that it lifts up not only the happy moments, but the sad moments as well. Celebration is not simply concerned with rejoicing in the good life. It is also concerned with rejoicing in life itself even when it is marked by trial.

What's left of last summer's pleasures?

God tells us that we need to learn wisdom from the follies of the worldly people. We are made to see how hard they take their worldly losses. For an earthly gain, men will labor and suffer so much, but their spiritual losses are so easily forgotten.

They are often interested in matters which have little or no value, and they negligently pass over matters which are important. Their entire attention is often absorbed by external affairs. Unless we fight to control our thoughts, we, too, will be enslaved by the passing events of the present moment.

God says, “How foolish are those who do not realize their miserable condition, making this passing earthly life the only object of their desires!” Some cling so to this life that, if they could remain here forever, they would not care at all for the Kingdom of God.

They would prefer to stay on earth even though they might have to strain and struggle for the bare necessities of this earthly existence. “How foolish and blind these people are!”

They lie buried so deep in earthly things that they enjoy only the pleasures of the senses. In a short while, they will come to the end of their earthly life. Then they will have bitter realization of the uselessness and nothingness of what they loved.

The best way, then, to look at and realize the quickly-passing value of earthly attractions, is to look at them in the past.

Where are the enjoyments of last year?

What became of the glory for which we struggled so hard five years ago?

What’s left of last summer’s pleasures? Gone! All finished and gone!

Do we want to go on living for that kind of happiness or do we want perfect, all-satisfying-never-ending happiness?

Only a fool would hesitate in answering this question.

photo owned by Rockportrait of Rock Portrait Photography

Doing things together

We often think that service is doing things for others. That sometimes needs to be. But service takes on it's true character when we do things with others. This is never an easy road to travel. It is the slow road requiring much patience and care. It gives credit to what another may contribute.

We find it easier to things for others. We can then be our quick and efficient self. We can set the terms and conditions. We can then be available or withdraw when it suits us. Such service may make us feel good but it frequently dis-empower the other person.

Most of the time, we are always in a hurry to finish any given task, but not during the time that our superior assigned our group in shirt printing. We come to realize then that true service asked for a deep inner conviction that a slow job done together is better than a fast job done alone.

Such service does not have a quick end result in view. It has a process in view. It sees service as adjoining with the other. It sees service as companionship and walking on a common road for a period of time. Groupwork builds patience, camaraderie and an effective good social relationship with one another.

self-purification toward conversion

Though a man may disregard God’s holy commandments during his earthly life, he will have to account for them sooner or later. The greatest catastrophe which can befall a man is an unprovided death.

At present, he can help himself by admitting God’s truth and obeying His law. After death, however, he will no longer be able to save himself. Though he had a lifetime to take advantage of God’s love and mercy, he now faces God’s justice. The Divine Justice will reward him according to his earthly life, as he will go to Heaven or hell.

A spiritual man is one who seeks to make the best use of this brief earthly life. He seeks to live in such a way that he may never sacrifice his greatest success for smaller and less important successes. He strives to place first things first. Therefore, he endeavors to follow God’s holy Will in all things.

The first stage of a successful spiritual life consists of self-purification. Though self-purification is a life-long task, one in this stage of spiritual development makes it his outstanding daily goal. He strives to rid himself of all serious sins and any predominant venial faults which may lead to mortal sin.

In so doing, he lays a foundation for virtues which he will later practice in a more positive manner, and not just as the opposites of his present faults.

Conversion is turning to god, whether it be for the first time or whether it be after a period of sluggish and half-hearted service. In the process of conversion, one must honestly strive to see himself as he really is – weak and selfish, but loved by God, and made for the eternal glory and happiness of Heaven.

Therefore, one must be deeply impressed with the true purpose of this earthly life, and do everything possible to make that purpose the main goal of his future actions.

photo owned by hpebley3 of Flickr