Don't be troubled or afraid

“I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative — that is, the Holy Spirit — he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid “ - (John 14:25-27)

In a world of chaos and uncertainties as well as trials and difficulties, we rejoice. Not because we are out of touch or in denial, but because the presence of the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, within us brings us our Father’s comfort. The Spirit teaches us about Jesus and his great love and sacrifice for us.

The Spirit comforts us, ministering to our interior world — our spirits. This gift of peace is not something anyone can have without the Spirit. Yet because of the Spirit’s presence, we are blessed in ways that those without the Spirit cannot know.

Prayer: O Father, thank you for the peace that the Spirit brings. Thank you for the peace that comes from the Spirit’s presence. Thank you for the peace that the Spirit leads me to find. Forgive me for trying to rush my way through life out of touch with your Spirit and trying to control the circumstances of my life rather than relying on the guidance of the Spirit. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

A prayer for You

Name It and Claim It. Believe It and Receive It.
When you are DOWN to nothing… God is UP to something.

Father, in the Name of Jesus, bless me even while I’m reading this prayer and bless the one that sent this to me in a special way. Open doors in our lives today, Save and set us free!

Give us a double portion of your Spirit as we take back everything that the devil has stolen:

Emotional Health
Physical Health
Finances
Relationships
Children
Jobs
Homes
Marriages

I cancel every plot, plan and scheme the enemy has devised against us in the NAME OF JESUS. And I declare: NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST US WILL PROSPER.
I speak LIFE into every dead situation. And, I thank You that nothing is over until YOU say it’s over! Speak prophetically into our lives and to our situations:

*our households are blessed;
*our health is blessed;
*our marriages are blessed;
*our finances are blessed;
*our relationships are blessed;
*our businesses are blessed;
*our jobs are blessed;
*our children are blessed;
*our grandchildren are blessed;
*our parents are blessed;
*our siblings are blessed;
*our ministries are blessed;
*our decisions are blessed;
*our friends are blessed.
*Mortgages are paid and debts cancelled;

Our hearts’ desires are on the way; According to YOUR perfect will and plan for our lives.
YOU SAID YOU’D NEVER FORSAKE US! IN JESUS’ NAME! AMEN!

Say this prayer, and then send it to EVERYBODY YOU KNOW.
Within hours countless people will have prayed for you, and you will have caused a multitude of people to pray to God for each other.

Safety is not the absence of danger, but is the presence of God.
A kid asked Jesus… How much do YOU love me? Jesus replied, ‘I love you this much.’ and He stretched His arms to the cross and died for us. If you believe in God, you will send this to everyone on your list.

remains

Woke up in a nightmare,
Saw nothing was left there.
Walking in empty spaces
Of what used to be familiar faces.
All this time I’ve spent away,
Searching through my decay,
Everything had changed into a place i can no longer stay.
All the ones I held so dear,
They all ran in fear.
I never realized what I was becoming,
The inner hell that I was summoning.
I thought it hid so deep in me,
Didn’t know anyone could see what i see.
Maybe they couldn’t,
Maybe they only smelled my disease.
I kick up dust of what used to be lust,
I walk past the pile of broken trust.
I see the blood stains from all my re-opened cuts.
This place I walk through sends shivers down my spine,
It’s the remainders of all my wasted time.
All the love I gave that was never returned,
Only thing left is the heart she broke and burned.
All I see is destruction and death,
This is what all my anger and hate left.
The feelings I shoved so far down,
They exploded and burnt this whole mother fucker to the ground.
The depression that was locked away,
Because of the pills I took each and every day,
It built on itself till it broke out its cage,
And all of that turned to rage.
At that stage
I let the dark side take my place,
Let it drive and it destroyed every single thing that ever brought me peace.
Any chance at happiness was ceased.
The weight that i carried on my back,
Eventually became too much,
I finally cracked.
The feet that had brought me this far,
They stopped,
They gave up,
I couldn’t run,
I was left to self-destruct.
Watched myself die from the inside,
Everyday and there was nothing I could do,
Nothing I could say.
My words no longer said anything,
they didn’t make a sound
And in the attempt to pass through the air they drowned.
So as the world passed me by,
I stood comatose waiting for the day I finally died.
If anyone would have stopped and took the time,
Stared into my eyes,
They could have seen the war within,
The pain that was hidden.
If anyone cared to understand
Why I was the way I was and didn’t
Think I was an ass just cause
Maybe someone could have saved me
But months went by and I slowly died,
The better me lost strength and faded away,
The dark me finally won the battle.
Everywhere I looked I saw the destruction that would be done.
The world I made was gone
All I worked so hard to be,
Was taken away faster than I could see.
Every cry that i made before I was silenced,
You ignored.
I said this hurt,
And you did it more.
You cry because of what I became.
It’s a shame that all the good I had,
didn’t ever have a chance.
And all the romance I held inside,
I gave it a try,
And she let it die,
Killed it with every single lie.
I had stab wounds all up and down my back,
Because of them my veins collapsed.
You can all now relax,
I’m leaving this place,
Like I left my past..
No matter how long I leave,
I always come back…

Submitted by Johnnie Parker.

sweet memories

Oh sweet memory,
My heart breaks deep inside.
Oh sweet memory,
It’s you I’m trying to hide.
Do you remember,
When my lips locked in the shopping Mall,
Or do you remember,
The nights we spend on phone?
Oh sweet memory,
Its hard now that you are gone.
Oh sweet memory,
I never knew what was going on.
Don’t you remember,
I held you in my arms.
Don’t you [...]

bible verse

friendship is a gem

The Big Heart

THE BIG HEART

"Too many things are occurring for even a big heart to hold."
From an essay by W. B. Yeats

Big heart,
wide as a watermelon,
but wise as birth,
there is so much abundance
in the people I have:
Max, Lois, Joe, Louise,
Joan, Marie, Dawn,
Arlene, Father Dunne,
and all in their short lives
give to me repeatedly,
in the way the sea
places its many fingers on the shore,
again and again
and they know me,
they help me unravel,
they listen with ears made of conch shells,
they speak back with the wine of the best region.
They are my staff.
They comfort me.

They hear how
the artery of my soul has been severed
and soul is spurting out upon them,
bleeding on them,
messing up their clothes,
dirtying their shoes.
And God is filling me,
though there are times of doubt
as hollow as the Grand Canyon,
still God is filling me.
He is giving me the thoughts of dogs,
the spider in its intricate web,
the sun
in all its amazement,
and a slain ram
that is the glory,
the mystery of great cost,
and my heart,
which is very big,
I promise it is very large,
a monster of sorts,
takes it all in--
all in comes the fury of love.

cute

CATHOLIC PRAYERS

When I was your age

A young man who was also an avid golfer found himself with a few hours to spare one afternoon. He figured if he hurried and played very fast, he could get in 9 holes before he had to head home.

Just as he was about to tee off an old gentleman shuffled onto the tee and asked if he could accompany the young man as he was golfing alone.

Not being able to say no, he allowed the old man to join him.

To his surprise the old man played fairly quickly. He didn’t hit the ball far but plodded along consistently and didn’t waste much time.

They reached the ninth fairway, and the young man found himself with a tough shot. There was a large pine tree right in front of his ball, directly between his ball and the green.

After several minutes of debating how to hit the shot the old man finally said, “You know, when I was your age I’d hit the ball right over that tree.”

With that challenge placed before him, the youngster swung hard and hit the ball right smack into the top of the tree trunk, where it thudded back on the ground not a foot from where it had originally been.

The old man offered one more comment, “Of course, when I was your age that pine tree was only 3 feet tall.”

Men are great listeners

A man goes to his doctor and says, “I don’t think my wife’s hearing isn’t as good as it used to be. What should I do?”

The doctor replies, “Try this test to find out for sure. When your wife is in the kitchen doing dishes, stand fifteen feet behind her and ask her a question, if she doesn’t respond keep moving closer asking the question until she hears you.”

The man goes home and sees his wife preparing dinner. He stands fifteen feet behind her and says, “What’s for dinner, honey?

He gets no response, so he moves to ten feet behind her and asks again. Still no response, so he moves to five feet. Still, no answer.

Finally he stands directly behind her and says, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” She replies, “For the fourth time, I SAID CHICKEN!

Men are great listeners

A man goes to his doctor and says, “I don’t think my wife’s hearing isn’t as good as it used to be. What should I do?”

The doctor replies, “Try this test to find out for sure. When your wife is in the kitchen doing dishes, stand fifteen feet behind her and ask her a question, if she doesn’t respond keep moving closer asking the question until she hears you.”

The man goes home and sees his wife preparing dinner. He stands fifteen feet behind her and says, “What’s for dinner, honey?

He gets no response, so he moves to ten feet behind her and asks again. Still no response, so he moves to five feet. Still, no answer.

Finally he stands directly behind her and says, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” She replies, “For the fourth time, I SAID CHICKEN!”

Will I get over you

The thought of love

The thought of love can be so fleeting
oh yet so enduring all i know is
if i have the privilege
to win your heart
i’d do all i could not to lose it
or let it fade away
so many times i see some foolish
let such preciousness
slip through the grasp
not realising what they hold
why is it they always feel
that just over there
not to get to know you is a better fit
something so much more
than they already have
and good lord why is it
when they ask for another chance
they are welcome back with open arms
why doesn’t one realise
if they were once true poorly
they will soon be again to be shut down
from saying hello
for one to try
an ignoring an old friend again
is a curious thing
makes you wonder why and how
the thought of love
can be so fleeting
yet oh so enduring.

Most Important Part of the Body

    My mother used to ask me what is the most important part of the body. Through the years I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct answer. When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us as humans, so I said, "My ears, Mommy."
    She said, "No. Many people are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon."
    Several years passed before she asked me again.  Since making my first attempt, I had contemplated the correct answer.  So this time I told her, "Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes."
    She looked at me and told me, "You are learning fast, but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind."
    Stumped again, I continued my quest for knowledge and over the years, Mother asked me a couple more times and always her answer was, "No. But you are getting smarter every year, my child."
    Then last year, my grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying. Even my father cried. I remember that especially because it was only the second time I saw him cry. My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final goodbye to Grandpa. She asked me, "Do you know the most important body part yet, my dear?"
    I was shocked when she asked me this now. I always thought this was a game between her and me. She saw the confusion on my face and told me, "This question is very important. It shows that you have really lived in our life. For every body part you gave me in the past, I have told you were wrong and I have given you an example why. But today is the day you need to learn this important lesson."
    She looked down at me as only a mother can. I saw her eyes well up with tears. She said, "My dear, the most important body part is your shoulder."
    I asked, "Is it because it holds up my head?"
    She replied, "No, it is because it can hold the head of a friend or a loved one when they cry. Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometime in life, my dear. I only hope that you have enough love and friends that you will always have a shoulder to cry on when you need it."
    Then and there I knew the most important body part is not a selfish one . It is sympathetic to the pain of others. People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will NEVER forget how you made them feel.

Judge Me By The Footprints I Leave Behind

     A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.  "Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've got a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring with me."
     "Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."
     "There's something you should know," the son continued. "He was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mine and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."
     "I'm sorry to hear that, son.  Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."
     "No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."
     "Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own."
     At that point, the son hung up the phone.
     The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg.
     The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are.
     Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are. Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!
     There's a miracle called Friendship that dwells in the heart. You don't know how it happens or when it gets started. But you know the special lift. It always brings and you realize that Friendship Is God's most precious gift! Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends today how much you care.

Two types of friend

Two Types of Friends -- Real & Simple

A simple friend has never seen you cry.
A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.

A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names.
A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.

A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party.
A real friend comes early to help you cook and clean.

A simple friend hates it when you call after he has gone to bed.
A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.

A simple friend seeks to talk with you about their problems.
A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.

A simple friend wonders about your romantic history.
A real friend could blackmail you with it.

A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.
A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself.

A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument.
A real friend knows that it's not a friendship until after you've had a fight.

A simple friend expects you to always be there for them.
A real friend expects to always be there for you!

A special friend

'd like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me;
I'd like to be the help that you've been always glad to be;
I'd like to mean as much to you each minute of the day
As you have meant, old friend of mine, to me along the way.
I'd like to do the big things and the splendid things for you,
To brush the gray from out your skies and leave them only blue;
I'd like to say the kindly things that I so oft have heard,
And feel that I could rouse your soul the way that mine you've stirred.
I'd like to give you back the joy that you have given me,
Yet that were wishing you a need I hope will never be;
I'd like to make you feel as rich as I, who travel on
Undaunted in the darkest hours with you to lean upon.
I'm wishing at this time that I could but repay
A portion of the gladness that you've strewn along my way;
And could I have one wish, this only would it be:
I'd like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me.

Journey of life

Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others,
It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Do not set your goals by what other people deem important.
Only you know what is best for you.

Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life,
for without them, life is meaningless
Do not let your life slip through your fingers
By living in the past nor for the future.

By living your life one day at a time,
You live all the days of your life.
Do not give up when you still have something to give.
Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
It is a fragile thread that binds is to each other.

Do not be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Do not shut out of your life by saying it is impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give love;
The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly.

In addition, the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Do not dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams is to be without hope;
To be without hope is to be without purpose.

Do not run through life so fast that you forget
not only where you have been, but also where you are going.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

If tomorrow never comes

If Tomorrow Never Comes

If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word, so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time, I could spare an extra minute or two
to stop and say "I love you," instead of assuming, you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time I would be there to share your day,
well, I'm sure you'll have so many more, so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance to make everything right.

There will always be another day to say our "I love you's",
And certainly there's another chance to say our "Anything I can do's?"

But just in case I might be wrong and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you and I hope we never forget,
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes, you'll surely regret the day,
That you didn't take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today, whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them and that you'll always hold them dear,
Take time to say "I'm sorry," "please forgive me," "thank you" or "it's okay".
And if tomorrow never comes, you'll have no regrets about today.

A friend is like a flower

A Friend Is Like A Flower...

A friend is like a flower -- a rose to be exact,
Or maybe like a brand new gate --that never comes unlatched
A friend is like an owl, both beautiful and wise
Or perhaps a friend is like a ghost, whose spirit never dies.
A friend is like those blades of grass -- you can never mow,
standing straight, tall, and proud -- in a perfect little row
A friend is like a heart that goes --strong until the end.
Where would we be in this world  -- if we didn't have a friend.

Friendship Of The Souls

Have you ever felt like you knew someone a long, long time ago? Another place, another time, a friendship of the souls? Two people who share a bond for reasons neither know, A feeling that they were friends, a long, long time ago? Did they stumble onto each other by pure circumstance, Or was it fate and destiny that played a certain hand? Two souls intertwined, they are worlds apart, But the soul, it knows no difference, in matters of the heart. Somehow they are drawn together, fate has brought them back, Each living worlds apart, they journey separate paths. When this life is over, and a new life begins, Their souls will find each other, two souls that we call friends.