A TIME TO GLOW ...
"Behold now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. "2 Corinthians 6:2

"A mother and her 3-year-old daughter were watching the fairy tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for the first time together. The evil queen appeared disguised as an old lady selling apples, and the daughter was spellbound. Then Snow White took a bite out of the poisoned apple and collapsed to the ground. As the apple rolled away, the daughter whispered, "See, Mommy, she doesn't like the skin either"

Maybe you have an aversion to Lent. You just don't like it. Perhaps Lent is too much of an intrusion into your day to day routine and you prefer to ignore it. That would be a mistake. We need Len, but we should understand why..

Lent is a special time, an "acceptable time" to grow, to change and t seek more earnestly the face of the Lord. And it is not just "my" private time, but rather is "our" time, the Church's time, the time in which as sisters and brothers throughout the world, we repent and believe the good news. "

( Prayer ): " Father, help m to appreciate the need for Lenten prayer, mediation and discipline. Show me how I need to grow ~ and give me he grace to do so. May lent be for me and for all Christians a special time of salvation. In Jesus name. Amen."

Amen!

YOU ARE NEVER ALONE.

"Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live." Deuteronomy 30: 19

A 100-year-old woman was honored at her birthday celebration by her four daughters. Asked if she felt her age, she looked around the room and said, " I really don;'t feel old except when I look around the room and see all these white haired ladies and realize they are all my daughters. "

Scripture does not necessarily promise a long life, a life free of sickness or without burdens, but Scripture does promise faithful believers a life of blessing. The blessing is knowing the Lord's love and having his presence in your life. You are never alone. Never abandoned. That is the blessing. This Lent, choose Life! Choose the way of the Lord.

( Prayer) : " Gracious Father, I face many choices, many decisions. Enlighten the eyes of my heart to know and choose the right path. In Jesus' name, Amen. "

Especially needed nowadays as many Christians in Iraq and many other middle east countries are being killed because of their faith.

Great post ndy==thanks

SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS

"This, rather, is the fasting that I wish ...
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them ... " Isaiah 58:6-7

A teenager was lounging on the floor watching television when the phone rang. "Hello son, " the caller said, "where is your mother?" "She's out working in the garden." "What !,", barked the voice. "Your mother isn't as young and as strong as she used to be. Why aren't you helping her? " "I can't" was the reply, "Grandma is using the other hoe."

Lent is often associated with personal acts of discipline ~ giving up dessert, coffee, or a favorite delicacy. Such acts have a place, but we should not stop there. Our disciplines should open us to the needs of others.

If we are willing to get up and look for those opportunities, we will find them. They don't have to be heroic acts.Small acts of kindness will do. his Lent, I urge you to seek out someone needing a helping hand ~ your helping hand. "

( Prayer ) : " Father of the downtrodden, grant me a heart like yours. Help me to see the needs of others, and to lend them a hand, which the Gospel calls me to do and which I know is pleasing to you. I pray in Jesus, who is the brother of the poor . Amen. "

RECLAIMING SUNDAYS

" If you call he Sabbath a delight ...
If you honor it by not following your ways,
seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice ~
Then you shall delight in the Lord. ( Isaiah 58: 13 - 14 )"

" Every Sunday at 5 a.m. a dog named Preta heads out of her owner's home in Sobrada, Portugal. The dog walks the 16 miles alone to a church and takes her usual place, next the altar, in time for the 7:30 a.m. Mass. Whenever worshippers stand up or sit down, Preta does the same.

Have we lost something in our religious observance that even this dog know is important? I think we have We have forgotten the Lord's command to keep Sunday as a special day for honoring the Lord. Worship and rest have been abandoned for such activities as hectic trips to the mall.

Has the significance of Sunday skipped for you ? Or worse, lost all significance ? Lent is a good time to reclaim Sundays. Commit yourself to the Lord and make that day a delight once again. "

( Prayer ) : " Father we have allowed ourselves to be consumed by the affairs of the world. We have pushed you back, again and again. Reclaim us, Lord, so that we may reclaim you. May we once again make your day holy and a delight. We pray in Jesus' name, the Lord of the Sabbath, Amen."

NDY;
Thank you for this thread. It is a wonderful opportunity for me to have communion with other Christians. I too have not made it to church as often as I would like and need to work on my relationship with the Lord. I appreciate the scripture and prayer that you post. May God bless you and keep you.
Your friend and neighbor,
marcia

( I apologize for missing a day. My computer was down again. )

BREAK STRANGLEHOLDS

This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. Mark1:15

Bill Pacels, a head coach for the National Football League, survived a heart attack which compelled him to abandon his bad habits and try to establish some healthier ones. His nutritionist warned him: "Change your thinking about peanut butter. Peanut butter is the devil. You can't bring him into your house.:" Parcels admitted that he slipped a few times, but later either avoided peanut butter in the first place or threw it out if he found any in his home.

What is your weakness? Where do you fall, and fall, and fall again? We all have our particular fault or - more likely- faults that appear to have a stranglehold on us. We must break from those strangleholds, take ourselves away from what tempts us, and get it out of our hearts and minds.

Lent is the time to get though with our weaknesses. Lent is the time to repent and turn ourselves over to the Lord, who has promised to help us overcome our weaknesses.

( Prayer ) : O God, whatever my age, I remain your child, a child that falls and sins I want to do better, but I know my intentions are not good enough. Grant your grace to change my ways. In Jesus, the sacrificial lamb, I pray. Amen..