I love coffee. I love everything about coffee. I remember being so excited making my dad coffee when I was a little girl and then pouring it for him (wish my daughter did that). However, I have never been able to drink my coffee black. Once my parents allowed me to drink coffee it was always with two sugars and a cream. As I have gotten older I don’t need both sugars but I have introduced my pallet to different flavors of creamers and then, as a special treat, a mocha or a latte with as much chocolate and whipped cream as possible.

For a long while I have been trying to lose weight and live healthier and one of my biggest obstacles is sugar. I have a series sugar problem and since I didn’t want to put my body into total shock I decided that, instead of giving up coffee entirely because I can’t put my sugary creamer in it, I would drink it black. Day two and I am still alive. The coffee is harsher, but probably more of what it was originally created to taste like. The experience isn’t as pleasant but it is just as comforting…especially with mornings becoming cooler. I am not as excited for that first hot sip, but then the warmth of it in my hands is just as refreshing. I can do this. It may not be exactly the way I wanted it to be but I can do this as still come away feeling satisfied.

There are things in our faith life that are probably making it harder to live the life that God has asked us to live. I am not talking about bad habits or addictions. I am talking about the dressing around our faith. Are we simply going through the motions, enjoying the fellowship after service, the teaching during service and letting ourselves be fed like infants (1 Peter 2:2) and staying there? Or are we beginning to take those baby steps that are necessary to grab onto the meat of our faith? Are we really living our faith out the way God had intended…and then what had God intended? You are not going to find this by simply walking from place to place in a religious environment. You need to grab hold of God’s Word, learn to speak to Him and listen to Him, and seek, really seek, out where you are supposed to go and do. Let the sugary stuff go for a while and taste what God has in store for you.

“So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvations that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16)

In that post I included this quote from the outspoken Russian dissident writer and Nobel Prize recipient, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: "If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being: and who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"

I closed that post with this thought (a.k.a. prayer): I am amazed and thankful that He does not abandoning us even though we abandon Him. Amazed and thankful that He is loving and merciful rather than fair. I want to learn these ways. I want to learn to stop giving people what they deserve and instead to exude this radical and completely undeserved mercy and love.

I now have the opportunity to learn about underserved mercy and love as never before. Only now I am realizing that I in fact, do not actually want to learn this lesson after all. However, what I want is completely irrelevent.

John 13:31-35

     Jesus spent the hours before His arrest with His disciples.  The time of having Jesus with them everyday was coming to an end, and they needed to be prepared to live as His followers without His physical presence.  Those who heard these words, as they were spoken by Jesus  would establish an institution to grow disciples, the church.

     A new commandment was given to the followers of Jesus, to love each other as He loved each of them.  Love was the sign that would mark His disciples; not a symbol, nor a special uniform, nor a secret handshake, but love for God’s people.  As Christ’s hands and feet in the world they would be identified by a love that only God could give.

     What is Jesus telling you about Himself and how should you respond?

     Glorify God today as you enjoy the love He has given you.

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

the Practice of Prayer (part1)
the Practice of Prayer (part2)

here is the introduction from part 1:

The Lord's Prayer was given to the church in response to the disciples' request that Jesus teach them to pray. In the masterful example of the Lord's Prayer we have seen the priorities of prayer. We can also detect a pattern of prayer, a fluid movement that begins with adoration and moves finally to petition and supplication.

The acrostic "ACTS" has been useful to follow as a pattern for prayer. Each letter in the acrostic represents a vital element of effective prayer:

A -- ADORATION
C -- CONFESSION
T -- THANKSGIVING
S -- SUPPLICATION
The complete acrostic "ACTS" suggests the dynamic dimension of prayer. Prayer is action. While it may be expressed in a spirit of serene quietness, it is action, nevertheless. When we pray, we are not passive observers or neutral, detached spectators. Energy is expended in the exercise of prayer.

The Bible tells us that it is the fervent, effectual prayer of the righteous man that avails much. Fervency characterized Jesus' agony in Gethsemane, where his sweat fell to the ground as droplets of blood. Fervency describes Jacob's all-night wrestling match with the angel at Peniel. Prayer is an exercise of passion, not of indifference.

I love the idea of passionately engaging with God in prayer. It is an awesome and life changing experience.

Peace, in the sense of the absence of war, is of little value to someone who is dying of hunger or cold. It will not remove the pain of torture inflicted on a prisoner of conscience. It does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless deforestation in a neighboring country. Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

When I think about prayer, I have always wondered am I praying correctly. Now what I mean about this, is not in reference to the content, but am I supposed to bow my head and close my eyes? I don't believe there is a verse that says to do this. Can we pray while we are driving, walking, running, fishing? Of course, the issue is not that you have to have your eyes closed and your hands folded to pray. The issue of prayer is communication with your heavenly Father. You don't have to close your eyes, you don't have to bow your head or fold your hands. So what about the above verse, where Paul says that I bow my knees to the Father? I believe what Paul is trying to show here is an issue of reverence to God the Father. Was not the Lord Jesus Christ praying on the cross? Sure he was, but he was not able to bow his knees, I believe it is an attitude of humility approaching the throne of grace. So when we pray, we need to be humble, remember that we are praying to the most high God, but more importantly we are communing with our heavenly Father and having a conversation with him as we would our father or someone that we respect on earth. So pray and talk to your heavenly Father and in whatever way your feel comfortable, but whatever you do… PRAY!

Helper of Your Joy,

Keith

2 Cor 1:24

www.richesofgrace.com

Philippians 4:4-7

It is early morning and Jesus and his disciples are returning to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives where they have spent the night. From the Mount, to the south, they can already see the sun catching the distant waters of the Dead Sea; and perhaps Jesus first indicates the Mount and then points south as he makes this seemingly outrageous statement. And I'm sure it would seem as outrageous to them as it does to us. For even though "moving mountains" would not be a new expression to the disciples (it was a common rabbinic term for "getting rid of difficulties") the way that Jesus applies it here is, on the face of it, absurd. All you have to do, he seems to be saying, is to "name it and claim it" and it's yours? Surely that cannot be true?

No, I don't believe it is; and I find it sad that there are Christians who do read these verses in that way and make them the basis for a "prosperity gospel" that offers bigger houses, better cars, promotion and wealth to those who are prepared to "believe God" for such things. It seems clear to me from the combined teaching of the New Testament on prayer that all prayer that really is prayer is prayer "in the name of Jesus". At the last supper, Jesus told his disciples: "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14.14); and that means asking with the mind and heart of Jesus and with his love for the Father and for the world. It is nothing to do with a magic formula ... "in Jesus' name. Amen." Jesus is saying, "If you were me and, being me, you could happily ask for whatever it is you want to ask for, then go ahead ... and your prayer will be answered."

And I must read this morning's passage with that as a "given". So it doesn't cover winning the lottery or dating a film star or anything like that. It covers being able to cope in difficult circumstances; having courage to face danger; being enabled to love the seemingly unlovable; finding the capacity to forgive; saying no to temptation ... and so on. And the teaching is that if I ask for such things (and I always can ask for such things in Jesus' name) then, believing that I have received them, they will be mine.

How do I "believe that I have received them"? By acting as if the prayer has been answered. If I believe that I have received £1,000 in my bank account, I will dare to write a cheque for £1,000 knowing it will not bounce. Acting as if something is true is the ultimate expression of my belief that it is true. And so with prayer. If I ask, in Jesus' name, for the ability to love X (whom I really do not like) then, to receive that love, I must (says Jesus) act towards X as if I've already got it ... and, surprise, surprise, I will find that I have!

But what about prayer for healing? Surely if I ask for someone's healing it will necessarily be "in the name of Jesus" ... so if I then act as if the healing has happened ("Get out of that wheelchair!") it will have happened?

Would that it were that simple! Sometimes, of course, that is the wonderful way it is; but often not. And maybe it is that seemingly-true but possibly-false "in the name of Jesus" premise that is to blame — the premise that if Jesus were me, he would always and every time be praying for the healing that I am praying for ... and having his prayer answered. When I seek to apply the "in Jesus' name" principle, I need to remember Jesus only ever did what he saw the Father doing (John 5.19). I need to remember that this meant that he didn't heal everyone; that when he entered the local "hospital", for example, he healed only one of the many invalids he found there (John 5.2-9). And I need to remember too that "if you are willing" aspect of Jesus' own prayer in Gethsemane (Luke 22.42).

Oh, such a big subject — and one that I couldn't "duck" in the context of this morning's reading — but one that I can go no deeper into here and now.

Amen folks, those who are abiding in Christ have nothing to fear (praise God) but this nation and the world are reeling with fear right now: the worries connected to the financial crises and the uncertainties of what 'tomorrow' may bring, are being played out in homes all around this nation and in the world itself by those who don't have the peace which comes from knowing Jesus.

A few links to stories and/or items I came upon tonight, some of it disturbing:

From CNN:As economy sinks, officials fear violent solutions

An out-of-work money manager in California loses a fortune and wipes out his family in a murder-suicide. A 90-year-old Ohio widow shoots herself in the chest as authorities arrive to evict her from the modest house she called home for 38 years.

Across the country, authorities are becoming concerned that the nation's financial woes could turn increasingly violent... (read full report at link)

And from Kato Mivule: Oct 14 2008 - US Evangelicals, Obama, Irrational Fear, and Hate

Evangelical America is being swept into Irrational Fear because they see their hopes of a “Christian President” Savior being dashed… Is that not placing hope in mere men who promise but cannot fulfill? Where is the True Christian faith in all this? The Notion of a Political Christian President is a lie from Hell and Christians must do all they can to avoid it… (full message at link)

This is an opportunity brothers and sisters...an opportunity for the body of Christ to not only bring the Gospel of the 'Prince of Peace' to those who do not know him and are fearful, but its also an opportunity for the Church to stand up strong in the love of Christ, and be the salt and light we are suppose to be. We do that by first being assured of our own peace in Christ regardless of what 'tomorrow' brings, and then letting a lost world be a witness to the truth, that it is only Jesus Christ who gives this peace!

Pray for each other brothers and sisters: and pray for your friends and neighbors, especially those who are lost without Christ.

Also: The Washington Post: Tuesday, October 14 - U.S. Forces Nine Major Banks To Accept Partial Nationalization

The U.S. government is dramatically escalating its response to the financial crisis by planning to invest $250 billion in the country's banks, forcing nine of the largest to accept a Treasury stake in what amounts to a partial nationalization. (more at link)

• An Encouraging study at The Old Time Gospel: Fear - Faith's Great Hindrance

NEW DELHI, October 13 (Compass Direct News) – The Christian community of Chhattisgarh state is rattled after a gruesome mob attack and torture in Surguja district.

At midnight on Oct. 3 in Dumarbhavna village, 110 kilometers (68 miles) from Premnagar, three jeeps full of Hindu nationalists broke open the door of a house where a three-day prayer meeting was taking place and attacked participants as they slept – ultimately forcing two Christians to beat one of their own prayer partners unconscious under threat of death.

The mob from the Hindu extremist Dharma Sena (Religious Army) beat the participants in the prayer meeting, including women, and dragged three of them from the house of Parmeshwar Beik, dumping them into the jeeps.

“We thought that they were taken to the police station, but instead they were taken to a secluded place where they were beaten all night,” Yahoshu Kujur, pastor of Blessing Church of God, told Compass.

Muneshwar Ekka and Beik were beaten first, and then the Hindu nationalists ordered them to beat the third captured Christian, Ravi Devangan.

“They threatened to kill us if we did not beat Ravi,” Beik told Pastor Kujur. “We were so scared and left with no option, so we beat Ravi until he dropped unconscious.”

After failing to find the three Christians at the local police station the next morning, the pastor found them at the Srinagar Government Hospital, where Devangan was admitted with internal injuries and injuries to his chest, legs and other parts of the body.

“Ravi, who is a driver by profession, was just visiting Parmeshwar from Mehagai village,” Pastor Kujur said. “He was the worst hit, at home and outside during the attack.”

He added that Devangan’s wife witnessed the attack on the house.

Police Inaction

Pastor Kujur told Compass that police admitted all three kidnapped Christians to the Srinagar Government Hospital with Devangan in serious condition and the other two in shock.

Beik’s wife also sustained internal injuries during the attack, Pastor Kujur said.

“Mr. Ashok Sahu and four other local Christian leaders went on the morning of Oct. 4 and reported the matter at the police station, but so far no action has been taken,” the pastor said.

Police reportedly deceived local Christians into believing that no complaint would be filed against the prayer team members for “forced conversion” if they would agree not to file any complaints against the Hindu nationalists.

“They told us that they would set the three free if we did that,” Pastor Kujur told Compass.

Instead police registered a case of “forced conversion” against the three Christians under sections 3 and 4 of the Chhattisgarh Dharma Swantantraya Adhiniyam (Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill).

If convicted, the Christians could be sentenced up to a year in prison and/or pay a fine of up to 5,000 rupees (US$100). They appeared in Surajpur local court on Oct. 6. A fourth Christian, Fakir Chand Toppo, was also falsely implicated, Pastor Kujur said.

At press time all four Christians were in Surajpur jail, though attempts to secure bail for them continued.

Political Influence

Pastor Kujur said police officers who are friends of his informed him that police were forced to prosecute the Christians on “orders from above.”

Internal police sources told him, he added, that police in the state were working against Christians under Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pressure that has the support of the Chief Minister Raman Singh.

Christians from Surajpur have received news from sources who wish to remain anonymous that, emboldened by the BJP government that rules the state, Hindu nationalists have announced a cash award of 100,000 rupees (US$2,092) to anyone who murders a Christian preacher.

In Premnagar, also in Surguja district, Hindu extremist mobs have mounted similar attacks, Pastor Kujur said. He told Compass that in 2004 a Christian convention was attacked during which a mob surrounded the venue and shouted anti-Christian slogans. Police intervention averted casualties.

In another incident in 2005, Hindu extremists incited villagers of Premnagar to attack local Christians, reportedly wounding many.

The Dharma Sena was relatively unknown until nearly three years ago, emerging suddenly in the central Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Attacking Christians throughout the two states, the Hindus extremist group is reportedly backed heavily by the BJP, with BJP leaders pressuring police officials not to register any First Information Reports against it.

It is widely believed that the Dharma Sena is nothing more than the Hindu extremist youth group Bajrang Dal in another form.

Report from Compass Direct News

Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky was born Jewish in Lithuania, converted to Christ as a young man, moved to America and graduated from seminary here. He became a missionary to China and translated the Bible into two of many dialects, Mandarin and Wenli. Along the way he became paralyzed, and typed the final 2000 pages with his last good finger. He died in 1906.

Holy Spirit, let me be aware of your presence and that of countless others, as together we pray your Divine Office in love.

The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him. Habakkuk 2:20

INVITATORY & PSALTER

Lord, open our lips,
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

The mercy of the Lord is everlasting: Come let us adore him.

“Venite” (Psalm 95:1-7)

Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving;
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God;
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth;
and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

Psalm 5

Give ear to my words, O LORD; *
consider my meditation.
Hearken to my cry for help, my King and my God, *
for I make my prayer to you.
In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; *
early in the morning I make my appeal and watch for you.
For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, *
and evil cannot dwell with you.
Braggarts cannot stand in your sight; *
you hate all those who work wickedness.
You destroy those who speak lies; *
the bloodthirsty and deceitful, O LORD, you abhor.
But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy I will go into your house; *
I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness,
because of those who lie in wait for me; *
make your way straight before me.
For there is no truth in their mouth; *
there is destruction in their heart;
Their throat is an open grave; *
they flatter with their tongue.
Declare them guilty, O God; *
let them fall, because of their schemes.
Because of their many transgressions cast them out, *
for they have rebelled against you.
But all who take refuge in you will be glad; *
they will sing out their joy for ever.
You will shelter them, *
so that those who love your Name may exult in you.
For you, O LORD, will bless the righteous; *
you will defend them with your favor as with a shield.

Psalm 6

LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger; *
do not punish me in your wrath.
Have pity on me, LORD, for I am weak; *
heal me, LORD, for my bones are racked.
My spirit shakes with terror; *
how long, O LORD, how long?
Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; *
save me for your mercy's sake.
For in death no one remembers you; *
and who will give you thanks in the grave?
I grow weary because of my groaning; *
every night I drench my bed and flood my couch with tears.
My eyes are wasted with grief *
and worn away because of all my enemies.
Depart from me, all evildoers, *
for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.
The LORD has heard my supplication; *
the LORD accepts my prayer.
All my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear; *
they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

THE LESSONS
Jonah 1:1-17a (NRSV)

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, “Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a mighty storm came upon the sea that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold of the ship and had lain down, and was fast asleep. The captain came and said to him, “What are you doing sound asleep? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps the god will spare us a thought so that we do not perish.” The sailors said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, so that we may know on whose account this calamity has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us why this calamity has come upon us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” “I am a Hebrew,” he replied. “I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were even more afraid, and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them so.

Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea was growing more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you; for I know it is because of me that this great storm has come upon you.” Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship back to land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them. Then they cried out to the LORD, “Please, O LORD, we pray, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life. Do not make us guilty of innocent blood; for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the LORD even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows. But the LORD provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Canticle: A Song of Praise
Benedictus es, Domine
Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34

Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; *
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.
Glory to you for the radiance of your holy name; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; *
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.
Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you, beholding the depths; *
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.
Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Acts 26:24—27:8 (NRSV)
(Paul defends himself before Agrippa)

While he was making this defense, Festus exclaimed, “You are out of your mind, Paul! Too much learning is driving you insane!” But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking the sober truth. Indeed the king knows about these things, and to him I speak freely; for I am certain that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?” Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only you but also all who are listening to me today might become such as I am—except for these chains.” Then the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those who had been seated with them; and as they were leaving, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to the emperor.”

When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, they transferred Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius. Embarking on a ship of Adramyttium that was about to set sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul kindly, and allowed him to go to his friends to be cared for. Putting out to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. After we had sailed across the sea that is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy and put us on board. We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind was against us, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. Sailing past it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

Canticle: A Song to the Lamb
Dignus es
Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, 13

Splendor and honor and kingly power *
are yours by right, O Lord our God,
For you created everything that is, *
and by your will they were created and have their being;
And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain, *
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation, *
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
And so, to him who sits upon the throne, *
and to Christ the Lamb,
Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor, *
for ever and for evermore.

THE APOSTLES' CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

THE PRAYERS

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.

Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.

Collect of the Day: Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky, Bishop of Shanghai, 1906

O God, who in your providence called Joseph Schereschewsky from his home in Eastern Europe to the ministry of this Church, and sent him as a missionary to China, upholding him in his infirmity, that he might translate the Holy Scriptures into languages of that land: Lead us, we pray, to commit our lives and talents to you, in the confidence that when you give your servants any work to do, you also supply the strength to do it; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For the Unity of the Church

O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect for Mission

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.

(Please add your own prayers here.)

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.++

When you cook something to nourish yourself, friends or family, that’s your prayer to them and even yourself. You're praying the dinner comes out right, praying that your husband doesn't bring up "that" same ole subject again. When you go out to eat with friends, you pray for a good time.

When you entertain, you pray people show up, and on time. You pray the food appeals to them. Towards the end of entertaining, when you're tired, you're praying the guests will leave soon. And when you say good night to them, you send them off with, "Drive safely," or "Be safe." That’s a prayer too.

When you shower and the warmth of the water tingles the sensations in your skin, your body says a prayer. It’s no different when you drink water to hydrate your body.

When you're helping someone in need--giving your time, energy, or money. You are giving a prayer and answering one at the same time.

Yes, there are times when people, places, or things don't want to receive our prayers. Then our soul cries out to them in prayer over the loss of possibilities.

Prayer is a vibration. It feels good because the vibration meshes in with nature and the Universe. Quantum physics proves these theories.

Prayer is the voice of love that brings us internal peace, understanding, and the wisdom on how to share.

Now, doesn't your day look just a little different? Your prayer is a vibration that manifests from the inside out. It’s natural and easy to do. The key is awareness. We've been doing it for so long, we've taken it for granted and thus stop noticing unless something big. Could the miracles that occur everyday in our life share the same fate?

Embrace your prayers everyday in whatever form they appear. Connect the positive, natural vibration that enthralls attraction. Be aware of its presence and natural attraction to you.

"They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval ... they make idols for ...
their own destruction."  
Hosea 8:4 NIV

Can there be any doubt that we are living in the last days?  These are the days of which the Holy Spirit expressly warns believers would be perilous before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Tim. 3:1)

When politicians run on the idea that they will fix government; that they are the answer to America's ills, we must be that much more determined to seek the Lord our God, whom Holy Scripture says is "our Judge ... our Lawgiver ... our King" because it is He who "will save us." (Isa. 33:22 NKJV)  And although we have been entrusted with the right and privilege of voting for our civil leaders, we must not enter the voting booth before we've spent time in our prayer room.

The Lord warned His people through the prophet, Hosea, that choosing leaders according to their own ideas and preferences, without consulting Him was a sure recipe for disaster.  To make idols (whether of silver, or gold, or of people) for themselves was to move toward destruction.

This is a sober time for America and a wake up call for the True Church of the Living God to humble ourselves, pray, seek God's face and turn from any wicked way in us that is making us part of the problem instead of the solution.  We are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  We cannot - and must not - lose our commitment and loyalty to our King: the Lord Jesus Christ, ruler of heaven and earth.

We, who are bible-believing Christians, must never, by our vote, help "set up [rulers] without [His] consent" nor "choose [leaders] without [His] approval."  Hosea tells us that there are rulers that God's people can "set up" and "choose" that do not have His "approval."  We must petition the Lord God to grant us a leader that He approves of to serve this nation.  We dare not vote in this election without serious prayer and with a full sense of faith and conviction that God is guiding our steps.  We dare not vote for any individual that would set aside the law of God and teaches others to do the same for such is the counsel of God's Word. (Matthes 5:19)

In less than 30 days, we will be electing the next president of this nation.  May we seek grace from heaven, be informed on where those seeking office stand, repent for ourselves and our nation and trust the Holy Spirit within to confirm God's consent and approval.  May we be willing to set aside all idols that may be consuming our life and commit ourselves to the True and Living God.

While we may belong to a political party and even subscribe to a political ideology, our ultimate allegiance is not to any particular party, candidate, or political platform, but to our only Lord and Sovereign King: the Lord Jesus Christ and His word.  "He will save us." (Isa. 33:22)

'til next time,

Danny

Thanks so much for all your prayers for my dad, Moisi. He came through his surgery well and will be coming home Tuesday morning. Several of us "kids" were at the hospital all day hanging out together. We got to pray over him before he went into surgery. He'll be in a lot of pain for a while but when everything heals up he should have some good relief from some heartburn issues that have been bothering him for a long time. I really appreciate my blogging community that responds to the needs of our cyberspace community! Blessings on all of you...

Well I'm asking myself "How?"

I've realized just how easy it is to slip into the old "striving" ways, and how hard it is to learn to abide in God's rest, and yet how easy it is when we do abide in God's rest.

Today I was reminded of that verse: God's still got a plan.  So we momentarily forgot about God and His plan after somehow exhausting ourselves again with sleepless nights and unnecessary anguish... guess what ... God didn't forget.

There it is again, like the Hollywood sign, emblazoned in heavenly neon, across Mt Zion in our mind's eye:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The breath of heaven arouses us, like Holy smelling salts, and we're like.... whoa, where am I?

God's still got a plan.  More than this, God's still got a plan for our lives.

Thankyou Jesus, Thankyou Jesus, Thankyou Jesus...

2008 ELECTION CONSECRATION PRAYER

"Ever-faithful God, we consecrate the 2008 U.S. presidential election and our entire nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Our Loving Mother, Patroness and Protectress of the Americas.

We ask that You take our Nation into Your Loving Care, reach into the hearts of the electorate, and give them the strength and enlightenment to know your Will, and to exercise Your Will in their vote. Abba, Father, Thy Will Be Done!"

At the site, they have a pledge for prayer and fasting for the election.  I always find that signing pledges makes me a little more mindful and motivated.  I'm a woman of my word; it's a matter of personal honor for me to follow through on any pledge I make!

LORETO, Italy, SEPT. 2, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today before reciting the midday Angelus with young people gathered in Loreto.

* * *

At the close of this solemn Eucharistic celebration, let us recite, my dear young people, the Angelus, in spiritual communion with all those who are joined to us via radio and television. Loreto, after Nazareth, is the ideal place to pray meditating on the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God.

So, in this moment, my invitation is for us all to enter with our minds and hearts into the sanctuary of the Holy House, within those walls which according to tradition come from Nazareth, the place where the Virgin said “yes” to God and conceived in her own womb the Eternal Word incarnate.

Before we depart from this assembly, let us leave for a moment the "agora," the public square, and spiritually enter into the Holy House. There is a reciprocal relationship between the public square and the home. The square is large, it is open, it is the place of the encounter with others, of dialogue, of contact; home, on the other hand, is the place of meditation and interior silence, where the Word can be deeply welcomed.

To bring God into the public square, we must have received him interiorly at home, like Mary in the annunciation. And vice versa, the house is opened onto the square: This is also suggested by the fact that the Holy House has three walls, not four. It is an open home, opened onto the world, life, and also onto this agora of young Italians.

Dear friends, it is a great privilege for Italy, in this wonderful corner of the Marche, to give hospitality to the shrine of the Holy House. Be rightly proud about this and profit from it!

In the most important moments of your life come here, at least in your heart, to spiritually recollect yourselves between the walls of the Holy House. Pray to the Virgin Mary that you might obtain the light and strength of the Holy Spirit, to respond fully and generously to the voice of God. Thereby you will become true witnesses in the public square, in society, bearers of a Gospel that is not abstract but incarnate in your life.

I listened, repeated your words, your belief became mine. I have known that others have followed. Could such simple words with so much meaning really have the power to deliver me from the hell I have known? I lay myself down in a strange place, having been displaced from the imaginary comfort I lived in. Sleep came upon me, I felt you calling me up to you. My resistants was temporary, as I felt my soul rise up from my body, I saw a white veil covered entity, the choir began to sign a heavenly song. My soul floating in the shallow water that surrounded me. I accepted the baptisim that you offered. Awakened by you as my soul decended from your touch, born again into your way of life. My journey continued into the weeks to come. The vision more clearly presented and the path before me eaiser to walk. Forward into that which I am becoming.

Adam

Today was one of those lovely October days that invited me to stop at a public park along the Allegany River in the Village of Allegany, New York. I took the picture with my Blackberry Curve and it captures the beauty of my surroundings. I stopped at Dunkin' Donuts across from St. Bonaventure University and purchased a small cup of coffee and then drove to this park just west of the campus. My head was filled with many thoughts as I walked to this spot. Once I was there I was filled with an overwhelming sense of peace and stability. As I sat here I thought of Thomas Merton who once taught at St. Bonaventure University before he entered the Abbey of Gethsemani in Bardstown, Kentucky in December 1941.