17th Century Nun's Prayer

I love, love, love this book, which I found at St. Vincent DePaul's Thrift store near my home.  It is written by Philip M. Kanfush, O.S.B.  The book is titled "Renewed Each Morning."  Which one of us does not need renewed each morning?  I believe we all need to start the day on a positive note, then when difficult circumstances confront us, we have some positive perspective on which we can rely to get us through without falling apart.

I am not Catholic, so I wondered if the book would be difficult for me to relate to.  However, the title and picture on the front captured my attention.  I perused the book while in the thrift store, and it looked like some good and positive reading, so I purchased it.  When I am reading books about how to act and react to life, I keep a highlighter close by, so I can highlight passages or sentences that really impact my perspective.  Then, in a notebook, I write down those positive passages/sentences so I can run across them again and be positively influenced by them again and again!  Some books I pass along after I have highlighted and written things down from them, but some books, like this one, I will keep for a second reading.

Here is a prayer that Mr. Kanfush shares in his book.  I think it is pretty cool that it was written so long ago but is so timely for today!

Lord, thou knowest better than I know myself, that I am growing older and will someday be old.  Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.  Release me from craving to straighten out everybody's affairs.  Make me thoughtful but not moody; helpful but not bossy.  With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all, but Thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends in the end.

Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point.  Seal my lips on my aches and pains.  They are increasing, and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by.

I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of others' pains, but help me to endure them with patience.  I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessening cocksureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others.  Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.

Keep me reasonably sweet; I do not want to be a Saint - some of them are so hard to live with - but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil.  Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places, and talents in unexpected people.  And, give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.  AMEN.

Quote About Wasting Time

Time you enjoy wasting, is not wasted time.  ~Marthe Troly-Curtin

Sympathy Poem

I was given this poem when my father-in-law passed on to heaven, and I kept it for sharing with others.

I Am With You Always

To Those I Love and Those Who Love Me

When I am gone, release me, let me go.

I have so many things to see and do.

You musn’t tie yourself to me with tears.

Be happy that we had so many years.

I gave you my love; you can only guess

How much you gave to me in happiness.

I thank you for the love you each have shown,

But now it’s time I traveled on alone.

So grieve a while for me if grieve you must.

Then let your grief be comforted by trust.

It’s only for a while that we must part,

So bless the memories within your heart.

I won’t be far away, for life goes on.

So if you need me, call and I will come.

Though you can’t see or touch me, I’ll be near,

And if you listen with your heart, you’ll hear

All of my love around you soft and clear.

And then, when you must come this way alone,

I’ll greet you with a smile and “welcome home.”

Approving of Yourself

Saw this quote in my Guideposts magazine this morning.  Few words can make a big impact sometimes, and this did for me:  "You have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn't worked.  Try approving of yourself and see what happens.  ~Louise Hay, motivational speaker.

To others we ourselves compare, and we end up in a pity party lair!  Don't compare!  Sue Menarchek

Look at how far you've come, not how far you have to go!  Sue Menarchek

We are successful if we are trying our best.  Sue Menarchek

One of my favorite Bible verses!!!!!!

Our children

I wonder if perhaps one reason why our young people find themselves caught up with problems with drugs, alcohol and violence is because they lack a sense of hope. Perhaps this has been OUR unfortunate legacy to them...
...teach them to take responsibility for the choices they make. If we structure opportunities for children to experience success in taking such responsibility, we also create opportunities to affirm them at every turn. The children grow in self-respect and develop positive self-concepts. They begin to feel confident and hopeful.
I wonder what our lives would be like if we used this approach, not only with our children, but with everyone in our lives. If instead of giving into our NATURAL inclination to judge, we made the choice to affirm others whenever we can. If instead of CHOOSING to see the glass half-empty, we choose to look at it half-full. Perhaps if we lived like this, we'd find our community built up and our children happy.  ~Philip M. Kanfush, O.S.B.

Each New Day

This is a devotional that was posted on His Hands & Feet website one day this past week, and it inspired me, so thought I'd share here for others who might read it.

EACH NEW DAY

Life is a journey and not a home; a road, not a city of habitation. And the enjoyments and blessings we have along the way are but little inns on the roadside, where we may be refreshed for a moment, that we may with new strength press on to the goal.

You will meet today ten men or women; perhaps twenty, or perhaps a hundred. Everyone of them will have his or her day brightened or darkened by the tone and manner of your greeting. You can put a little more spring into the step and little more joy into the heart of every one of them by a cheerful salutation.

Any worthwhile accomplishment, large or small, has its stages of drudgery and triumph, a beginning, a struggle and a victory. A few wise friends with whom to counsel, a few good books to read and absorb, and with courage and faith we are well equipped for the facing of life's diffficulties and disappointments, as well as its pleasures and successes.

Lives are made of chapters After one is written it cannot be revised, but we can write a new chapter with each new day.

P. Brooks

Is God Able?

Is God Able?

As a preschool teacher, I sometimes hear, “I can’t do this,” or “I don’t know how to do this,” or “Can you help me do this?” even “Will you do this for me?”  As a teacher, I need to determine whether a project, a lesson, or a worksheet will be just right for a child’s abilities and age, too easy (thus boring), or too difficult (leading to frustration).  I believe God is constantly watching us in our daily lives and keeps an eye on how we are handling or lives.  He sees when we are proud and when we think we can handle things all by ourselves, and he sees when we lack confidence, and he sees when He needs to teach us a valuable lesson, and He knows when things are getting too easy or difficult for us.  He wants to keeps us stable, and he wants us to have confidence in ourselves and what we can accomplish if we are depending on His always present help and abilities!

As our Divine Teacher, God has told us in His Word that He is able!  Able to do what?  Let’s look.

v  Daniel 3:17  “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God Whom we serve is able to save us.  He will rescue us…”

v  Romans 8:39  “No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord!”

v  Exodus 35:34  “And the Lord has given both Bezalel and Oholiab the ability to teach their skills to others.”

v  2 Cor. 1:8 “…we were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.  In fact, we expected to die.  But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.”

v  1 Cor. 12:4  “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts (abilities), but the same Spirit is the source of them all.  There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.  God works in different ways, but it is the same God Who does the work in all of us.”

v  1 Cor. 12:7-9  “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.  To one person, the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice, to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.  The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.”

v  Eph. 3:20  Now all glory to God Who is able, through His mighty power and work within us to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think!”

v  Jude 24 “Now all glory to God, Who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into His glorious presence without a single fault!

v  Let’s remember that the first chapter in the Bible tells us that God created the Heavens and the earth!  God was able and is able to create ALL things!  All!  What is there, then, that God is not able to do?  Nothing!

In just these few short verses, we are told some amazing, amazing abilities God has and uses.  God has the ability to:

§  Save us

§  Rescue us

§  Bestow upon each of us abilities of our own

§  Teach us to rely on Him instead of on ourselves

§  Raise the dead

§  Give us spiritual abilities/gifts

§  Work in multiple ways

§  Work in everyone

§  Help us help others

§  Work mightily and with power through us

§  Keep His loved ones close at all times

§  Keep all things meant to separate us from Him away from us

§  Work through us because He dwells in us

§  Accomplish infinitely more than we can ask or even think

§  Keep us from falling away from Him

§  Make us faultless because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross

§  Take us to be with Him in Heaven one day

§  Make us like Christ upon entering Heaven

§  Create and do all things

Not unlike my preschool students, we often need help.  The big questions:   Do we ask for help?  Whom do we ask?  How long do we wait to ask for help?  Do we trust the one we ask?  Our Loving Able Father hears us when we talk, cry, or even whisper our concerns to Him.  “God, I can’t do this!”  “God, I don’t know how to do this!”  “God, can you help me do this?”  “”God, will you do this for me?”  Take a look again at the list of what God promises He is able to do for you.  He is able, He loves you, and He will help if you just ask!  Just remember to pray for His will for you (because His will is always best for us), wait on His perfect timing, trust Him, and remember to always thank Him for all He has already done in your life!

You are able if you are relying on God!

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was such an amazing human being.  I love his quotes.  How smart he was! It is hard to believe that something he said in the 1800's is still applicable today.
 "The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time."  -Abraham Lincoln, (1809-1865)

Quotes Make My Days Better!

• A man is about as happy as he makes up his mind to be.  ~Abraham Lincoln (one of my favorite people and my favorite quote ever, because I feel it is so true--decide to be miserable and you will be; decide to be happy and you will be regardless of your circumstances.)  Photo from:  http://mentalfloss.com/article/31357/24-vintage-photographs-abe-lincoln