Thought For The Day 11/23/14

Sunday, November 23rd, 2014

Post #1352

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 A Prayer For Today  

November 23rd, 2014

Father,

We pray that You will help us to be people of integrity – the same on the outside as we are on the inside. We pray that we may be the same when we are alone and when people are watching us. We pray that we will know that God loves us no matter who we are, and the truth will enable us to remove the masks we have been wearing, and we will dare to be who we really are. We pray that we will learn to accept and love one another for who we really are. We ask You to help us to be free of any critical or judgmental spirit, so that we may be free to dare to be who we really are without fear of being judged or rejected. We ask these things in Jesus’ name.

Amen.  

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Author of Today’s Gospel Reading

St Matthew the Apostle

St. Matthew, one of the twelve Apostles, is the author of the first Gospel. This has been the constant tradition of the Church and is confirmed by the Gospel itself. He was the son of Alpheus and was called to be an Apostle  while sitting in the tax collector’s place at Capernaum. Before his conversion he was a publican, i.e., a tax collector by profession. He is to be identified with the “Levi” of Mark and Luke.

His apostolic activity was at first restricted to the communities of Palestine. Nothing definite is known about his later life. There is a tradition that points to Ethiopia as his field of labor; other traditions mention of Parthia and Persia. It is uncertain whether he died a natural death or received the crown of martyrdom.

St. Matthew’s Gospel was written to fill a sorely felt want for his fellow countrymen, both believers and unbelievers. For the former, it served as a token of his regard and as an encouragement in the trial to come, especially the danger of falling back to Judaism; for the latter, it was designed to convince them that the Messiah had come in the person of Jesus, our Lord, in Whom all the promises of the messianic  Kingdom embracing all people had been fulfilled in a spiritual rather than in a carnal way: “My Kingdom is not of this world.” His Gospel, then, answered the question put by the disciples of  St. John the Baptist, “Are You He Who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

Writing for his countrymen of Palestine, St. Matthew composed his Gospel in his native Aramaic, the “Hebrew tongue” mentioned in the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. Soon afterward, about the time of the persecution of Herod Agrippa I in 42 AD, he took his departure for other lands. Another tradition places the composition of his Gospel either between the time of this departure and the Council of Jerusalem, i.e., between 42 AD and 50 AD or even later. Definitely, however, the Gospel, depicting the Holy City with its altar and temple as still existing, and without any reference to the fulfillment of our Lord’s prophecy, shows that it was written before the destruction of the city by the Romans in 70 AD, and this internal evidence confirms the early traditions.

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=84

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Our Old Testament Reading

Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17 CEV

 

Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy, shepherding them rightly.

As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD, I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.

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Our New Testament Reading

 Matthew 25: 31-46 CEV

 

Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left,’Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

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Hymn For Today

“When I Needed A Neighbor Were You There, Were You There?”

Written by Sydney Carter
Performed by The Brothers of St. Gabriel

1.
When I needed a neighbor
Were you there, were you there?
When I needed a neighbor
Were you there?
And the creed and the color
And the name won’t matter
Were you there?

2.
I was hungry and thirsty
Were you there, were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty
Were you there?
And the creed and the color
And the name won’t matter
Were you there?

3.
I was cold, I was naked
Were you there, were you there?
I was cold, I was naked
Were you there?
And the creed and the color
And the name won’t matter
Were you there?

4.
When I needed a shelter
Were you there, were you there?
When I needed a shelter
Were you there?
And the creed and the color
And the name won’t matter
Were you there?

5.
When I needed a healer
Were you there, were you there?
When I needed a healer
Were you there?
And the creed and the color
And the name won’t matter
Were you there?

6.
Wherever you travel
I’ll be there, I’ll be there.
Wherever you travel
I’ll be there.
And the creed and the color
And the name won’t matter
I’ll be there.

 

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Thanks Be To God!

Amen

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Copyright © 2011-2014 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 11/22/14

Enormously Gorgeous 

Post 1151

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beauty,girl,freckles,red,beautiful,ginger-184f5dbe71379c6b5860b5d459038691_h.jpg

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Self-respect cannot be hunted.  It cannot be purchased.  It is never for sale.  It cannot be fabricated out of public relations.  It comes to us when we are alone, in quiet moments, in quiet places, when we suddenly realize that, knowing the good, we have done it; knowing the beautiful, we have served it; knowing the truth we have spoken it. 

Whitney Griswold

http://quotegarden.com/self-respect.html

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I can remember with absolute clarity what motivated so many of the “Thoughts” I’ve written throughout the years. However, there was one I can not. And when you really think about it, that is a very sad commentary on the degree of moral decay that is to be found in our world these days. It had to do with a story I had read a number of years ago that I remember fondly calling “Daddy’s Princess”.

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Now I don’t know that this was the title but I do know that the sentiments were identical to another message that crossed my desk more recently. Both stories were about self-esteem and inner beauty and equipping children (especially little girls) with the tools they need to see themselves as important and worthy and deserving of respect and love. And with the incidence of bullying in our communities seemingly on the rise, making sure no child (or adult, for that matter) thinks themselves undeserving or unworthy must be a huge priority for us as a society!  You see, electing to turn our back on those who are struggling with learning to like themselves, is pervasive in our society. And while this should be unacceptable to those whose faith should teach the importance of understanding the value of each and every child of God, all too often, it is our upstanding, church-going, Bible toting family members, friends and acquaintances, who are often guilty of failing to take appropriate measures to protect those most vulnerable!

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Parents, schools, community groups and religious organizations must all join together in sharing a message that EVERYONE is deserving of experiencing all the happiness that is possible to feel. And if we can make just one person see themselves in a more positive light, we have taken one step forward in keeping that person from becoming a victim at the hands of another!

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To Be Enormously Gorgeous

written by Carla O’Brien
http://www.midnightangel308.com/to_be_enormously_gorgeous.htm

My dad says I am enormously gorgeous. I wonder if I really am.

To be enormously gorgeous…
Sarah says you need to have beautiful long, curly hair like she has.
I don’t.

To be enormously gorgeous…
Justin says you must have perfectly straight white teeth like he has.
I don’t.

To be enormously gorgeous…
Jessica says you can’t have any of those little brown dots on your face called freckles.
I do.

To be enormously gorgeous…
Mark says you have to be the smartest kid in the seventh-grade class.
I’m not.

To be enormously gorgeous…
Stephen says you have to be able to tell the funniest jokes in the school.
I don’t.

To be enormously gorgeous…
Lauren says you need to live in the nicest neighborhood in town and in the prettiest house.
I don’t.

To be enormously gorgeous…
Matthew says you can only wear the coolest clothes and the most popular shoes.
I don’t.

To be enormously gorgeous…
Samantha says you need to come from a perfect family.
I don’t.

But every night at bedtime my dad gives me a big hug and says,
“You are enormously gorgeous, and I love you.”

My dad must know something my friends don’t.

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This is a wonderful story with an important message both for children and their parents. In a world that can lack love and acceptance, it is so vitally important that we give our children not only what they need but what they deserve, as well. If you ever wondered for a single moment the importance of positive parenting, then look no farther than the words you have just read. After all, we as families control so much of the direction our young people will travel.

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As parents, if you reinforce the importance of education, you will likely be blessed with children who thirst for knowledge. As parents, if you reinforce the importance of including God in your life, you will likely to be blessed with children that have faith and choose a pathway for living that includes a moral compass that points to Him and His laws for making right choices. As parents, if you reinforce the importance of taking care of our world, you will likely be blessed by witnessing a generation of children equipped with the understanding that we each have the capability of making a difference in not just the lives of people but all of the gifts of nature God has given to man. As parents, if you have taught your children the definition of worth by both what you say as well as how you live,  you will likely be blessed by bearing witness to future generations that know they are worthy!

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Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4: 8-9 ESV

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Copyright © 2011-2014 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 11/21/14

I Cried Because……..

Post 1150

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http://www.thequotefactory.com/quote-by/wally-lamb/i-cried-because-i-had-no-shoes/33880

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I never lamented about the vicissitudes of time or complained of the turns of  fortune except on the occasion when I was barefooted and unable to procure  slippers. But when I entered the great mosque of Kufah with a sore heart and  beheld a man without feet I offered thanks to the bounty of God, consoled myself  for my want of shoes and recited:  ‘A roast fowl is to the sight of a satiated  man Less valuable than a blade of fresh grass on the table And to him who has no  means nor power A burnt turnip is a roasted fowl.’

Sheikh Muslih-uddin Sa’di Shirazi

The Gulistan (or Rose Garden) of Sa’di

 (circa 1259 AD)

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I cried because I had no hat till I saw a man who had no coat.
I cried because I had no coat till I saw a man who had no shirt.
I cried because I had no shirt till I saw a man who had no socks.
I cried because I had no socks till I saw a man who had no shoes.
I cried because I had no shoes till I saw a man who had no feet.
I cried because I had no feet till I saw a man who had no legs.
I cried because I had no legs till I saw a man who had no life.
Life is full of blessings…
Sometimes we are just too blind….
To see them…..

Original Wally Lamb. Adapted Version Author Unknown

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Unless you live in a cave somewhere, you are well aware of the trying economic times that face many throughout the world. However, unless you are a member of the growing circle of people who are struggling because of a  tangible such as a job loss, most of us are merely tightening our belts a tad and eliminating some of those little luxuries we take for granted. But despite the fact that most of us are not really suffering….. not really….. we are bemoaning our fate loudly and often to whomever will listen. Yes, we think we are owed the best we can get and the devil with the means by which we get it. We will often step over someone to grab those tangibles we think we are due, completely forgetting about the things we already have! Yes, we all too often miss seeing the blessings that are a part of the life we already live!

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There is a saying that “faith lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have” and then being smart enough to realize the significance of the lesson. In other words, be content with the gift of today’s blessings because we never know what tomorrow will bring. And to actually see and understand the message is not really all that difficult. All it takes is a bit of travel and the journey need not be a long one. In fact, you might not even need to leave your home. Just pick up a book and explore the side of God’s world where “plenty” is a virtual unknown. Or how about entering the word poverty on your web browser. Once you find a site, take a moment and read about true want and see pictures of those who truly have nothing. You may be surprised to discover pictures of want in not just third world countries, but in your own backyard, as well. Yes, read and look and then let the experience fill your heart. You may just find it to be life altering.

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Still not a reality to you? Still not something you can touch or feel or smell or taste? Well I’ll make it easy for you if you live here in the USA. Just click this link: http://www.foodpantries.org/, find and click your state and then your local county. You will find at least one listing for a local food pantry. Then go to your pantry and gather a few non-perishables in a bag and deliver them to the pantry. You will find the warmth of the spirit of good will just filling your heart and soul and I promise you that once you experience that feeling just once, you will never forget it. Doing for others and thinking about others, instead of bemoaning your own circumstances, becomes positively infectious! Yes, just like the catch-phrase and philosophy of the late 60s and early 70s;
TRY IT, YOU‘LL LIKE IT!

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photo shared from Young Turks Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/#!/TYTnation

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 He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. “Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 22:16 NIV

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Copyright © 2011-2014 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thougth For The Day 11/20/14

The Power Of Love
vs
The Love Of Power

Post 1149

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http://themetapicture.com/power-of-love/

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“We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace.”
William Gladstone
(December 29, 1809 – May 19, 1898)
British Liberal statesman and Prime Minister

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“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then there will be true peace.”
Chinmoy Kumar Ghose 
(August 27, 1931 – October 11, 2007)
Indian ‘spiritual teacher’ and philosopher

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  “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”
 Jimi Hendrix 
(November 27th, 1942 – September 18th, 1970)
American guitarist, singer, and songwriter

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The Love of Power versus the Power of Love! Probably since the beginning of recorded time, mankind has grappled with these divergent philosophies. Just look at the quotes above. You could not find a more diverse trio. of individuals as a British Prime Minister, an Indian philosopher, and an American rock star. And all saying exactly the same thing over the course of the last 200 years. So why is it that we haven’t learned the lesson yet?

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Power was an essential to man’s very existence. It was always the strongest and biggest kid on the block, or the kid with the biggest crew of side-kicks, that “lived” to see another day. However love was just as necessary to guarantee the continuation of the species that was man. Without the family dynamic and the procreation of young who were nurtured and cared for as they grew, there would be neither family nor community to defend and preserve. So how is it that we have somehow relegated the love component to the back seat as we battle today to remain the biggest and strongest? Instead of using the wisdom that is to be gained from defending our honor successfully and using those rewards for the betterment of all, our communities and nations have instead, become seen as the biggest bullies on the block who have somehow allowed the thrill of power to prevent seeing any positives that the other guy might just have to offer! After all, there are none so blind as those who will not see (adapted from the brilliant satirist, Jonathan Swift’s quote)!

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We know there is hope for mankind. Just consider Saul of Tarsus. There was none who was more of a bully that he was. He was angry and violent and absolutely convinced of his own righteousness. We read in Acts 8:3 NIV, But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. But as he was journeying near Damascus, God appeared to him as a bright light…brighter even that the sun…and asked him why he was persecuting Him. Astonished to find himself talking to God, Saul asked what God wanted from him. God tells him to go to the city where all will be revealed. Rising he finds himself blinded and needing to be led, is taken to Damascus. Praying for several days, the scales on his eyes continuing to render him sightless, Saul is finally greeted and touched by an ordinary man, Ananias, whom God had sent. In Acts 22:13 NIV, we are told, He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. And from that moment, Saul arose, and was baptised. And he became, Paul the Apostle!

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If the scales of blindness could fall from the eyes of one such as Paul, just try to imagine what might be possible if we all look to our Heavenly Father to give us discernment and understanding in all of our actions with those we perceive as our enemies! Yes miracles happen every day. We witness them in the blooming of a flower long after its usual time for such a thing has passed. We feel them as our hearts once hardened by anger, soften at the mere touch of someone we love. And it is my fervent hope that we bear witness to it as cooler heads prevail in regions of our world that seem to be on the brink of war. Only time will tell. But there is one thing that I do know. Whatever the outcome is, it all serves His purpose for our lives and our world, even though we may not understand the “how’s” or the “why’s”!

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“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

Acts 17: 24-28 NIV

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Copyright © 2011-2014 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 11/19/14

Our Senior Generation

Post 1149

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A man’s age is something impressive, it sums up his life: maturity reached slowly and against many obstacles, illnesses cured, griefs and despairs overcome, and unconscious risks taken; maturity formed through so many desires, hopes, regrets, forgotten things, loves. A man’s age represents a fine cargo of experiences and memories.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Wartime Writings 1939-1944
translated from French by Norah Purcell

http://www.quotegarden.com/age.html

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Dan has finally reached the day that he is eligible for Medicare (yes, one of those so-called entitlements that we who have worked for years have actually funded by our contributions withheld from pay checks that always seemed just a tad too little in the first place for raising a family, paying bills and to somehow manage to tuck a little away for our future post working years). And since that magical calendar page turned, I found myself wondering whether our aging population (myself included) is really getting better (as the old adage implies) or are we simply getting older? And I guess the answer to that question must be, it’s simply a matter of whether you are a “glass half empty” or a “glass half full” kind of person!

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We all can sit and bemoan our lot in life if that is where our head directs our heart to aim for. Sounds a bit like Job 17:15 ESV, “Where then is my hope? Who will see my hope?”, don’t you think? The problem is that wallowing in self-pity never solved any dilemma, as far as I know. In fact, I find just the opposite to be true. The more we lament, the more things seem to grow and multiply, coming to the forefront of our list of regrets or circumstances which make us unhappy.  For example, when Dan and I argue, the ideal would be to keep the argument centered around the one particular thing that made one of us angry but instead, we begin to harp about things that have no bearing on the thing at hand and which really matter little, like always finding the gas tank empty when we’re going out and it’s raining, or having to go to the dryer to get that clean pair of socks instead of the underwear drawer where clean socks belong. And suddenly, the argument morphs into some insidious beast where the sins from the past 37 years seem to become fodder for the feed trough!

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Focusing on life’s negatives is a sure-fire road to unhappiness. It will cause you to miss opportunities and good times, neglect the problems that can be fixed and place mountains between you and those who are closest to you! In a nut shell, it puts our entire quality of life right in the toilet! The thing is that the glass is most likely never half empty. What you think is gone is really just sitting on the bottom just waiting for you to drink your fill. Think about a glass of chocolate milk, in all its chocolatey goodness. You drink your fill only to discover the thick layer of sweet residue of chocolate, somehow missed as you stirred, that is sitting on the bottom, as a final treat! Well the same principle applies when we persist approaching our faith with a “glass half full” attitude. James 1:12 ESV, describes our reward perfectly. “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

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Yes, as we age, the realization that life is really getting shorter each year actually serves to enhance our appreciation for each second that we live! Because like chocolate milk, the sweetest things in life are the experiences we savor and enjoy during the days when we have not just the time to enjoy them, but the wisdom of age to fully appreciate them, as well!

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I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3: 16-19 NIV

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Copyright © 2011-2014 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 11/18/14

The Face Of Poverty

Post 1147

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http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=picture+of+the+homeless&qpvt=picture+of+the+homeless&FORM=IQFRML#a

 

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The poverty of our century is unlike that of any other. It is not, as poverty was before, the result of natural scarcity, but of a set of priorities imposed upon the rest of the world by the rich. Consequently, the modern poor are not pitied…but written off as trash. The twentieth-century consumer economy has produced the first culture for which a beggar is a reminder of nothing.

John Berger

http://quotationsbook.com/quote/31464/

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It’s been almost a year since I sat here broken-hearted, because I had seen a sight in my own back yard that I had not seen since my days of working in New York City, where the sight of tousled hair beneath a ragged blanket, all lying over one of the thousands of steam vents that dot the Manhattan landscape, was an all too common a sight.

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I remember the day perfectly. I was in North Myrtle Beach, SC and the afternoon temperatures had plummeted….at least 25 degrees in less than 2 hours. I was leaving WalMart after trying to find a Christmas gift for my little guy. And sitting on the median where the entranceway meets the main highway were two men. They were very ragged, dirty, thin, wearing a T-shirts and no shoes. Between them they were holding a sign that said they were hungry.

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Now I usually carried in my car individual bags with toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, towel, washcloth, comb, crackers and juice. But I remember that Dan had taken my stash out a few weeks ago. (He had said it made the car smell funny. Dare I point out that it was the clean smell of soap rather than the aroma of smelly golf shoes???????) Anyway, I remember shouting out the window saying I would be back and for them to stay put. I went home, grabbed the bags plus 2 pairs of new socks and 2 flannel shirts…. and headed back. They were gone. I drove around looking for them but could find no trace. It was as if they had evaporated into thin air. And I was left thinking something disturbing. How many had passed these 2 men with barely a glance, sniffing in disdain as they passed?

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There is no community that is immune from those who are disenfranchised. But how often do we pass without really seeing? Probably more often than not, if we really think about it. And we should be ashamed of ourselves! Especially this time of the year, as the weather is changing and becoming colder. But we are also approaching a joyous time of the year. A time of the year when we are compelled by some inner voice, to be just a bit kinder, gentler and more thoughtful to others. We are approaching a day to give thanks and another day to rejoice and celebrate a special birthday.

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So today I challenge you all to decide what you can do to make someone else’s life just a bit brighter! Can you give a gift to another in honor of a tiny being born in a manger some two thousand years ago? Can you clean the closet and find a wearable warm sweater or coat? Can you gather those bath towels you were planning on throwing away, wash them and put them in a plastic bag with a comb and a bar of soap? Or the next time you stop for fast food, can you add to your order a gift certificate for a burger and a drink, and then keep it in your wallet, just in case? Can you do something? Anything? Can you help another child of God to find something to be thankful for?

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For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25:35-40 NIV

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Copyright © 2011-2014 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 11/17/14

The World Rests In Our Hands

Post 1146

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http://payitforwardday.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/945242_15692282.jpg

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A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, must empty ourselves. The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace.

Mother Teresa

http://www.ewtn.com/motherteresa/words.htm

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Considering the fact that the earth upon which our feet walk is really a whopping  7,926 miles in diameter at the equator, which makes it the largest of all of the terrestrial planets (the ones located closest to the sun that have physical mass), it is still a pretty small place when we consider the universe in which it rotates. Why then do we find such a diverse collection of people, cultures and beliefs? After all, considering that our farthest neighbor lives only a little less than 4,000 miles from us, wouldn’t you think there would be a few things we can find some commonality in?

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Ok, yes, we speak different languages and have different forms of government and yes, even differing ways to worship. But isn’t the bottom line for everyone that we live the best life it is possible for us to live, given those other differences I mentioned? Can’t we find a way to serve and love God and save our world and love our brothers and sisters, no matter where they come from, at the same time? 1 John 3:16-18 NIV: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

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We all have a similar tale of our ancestry in some way. Whether it is from Europe or Asia or Latin America, we all have arrived where we are because of a journey someone made searching for a better life. And even if your family has been a part of the USA for generations upon generations, as mine has, still, our roots are not from here. For that matter, even the earliest native population to these shores traveled here from another place, traversing over land bridges that no longer exist.

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Now I am not a geneticist, but I’m betting if we were to somehow manage to do a genetic test on man today, more likely that not, even despite the differences in our skin pigmentation or eye color, we would discover that we are all related in some way. We are, indeed, brothers and sisters of a shared life from the beginning of time. And that alone is reason enough to see why we all must take care of each other…. stewards of human life, if you were…. just as we must be stewards of the planet we all walk upon! Galatians 6:10 NIV says, Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

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God has entrusted each of us with the business at hand of keeping things running here on good ole’ terra firma! But never forget whose it all is in the first place! So we must each make it our personal responsibility to do something good with the faith He is showing in us all, by not just making our world a better place, but by making our relationships one with the other better, as well! And there is no waiting for the other guy to make the first move. Let our world become a better place and mankind become a better group of people, and let the creating of this begin with each of us!  It is what He expects and asks, in 1 Corinthians 4:1 NIV. This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.

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So, how about listening, feeling and understanding. Just three little things on the surface but what power they wield. They are three simple things that have the capacity to change the world in a HUGE way, one heart at a time!

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Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Titus 1:7-9 NIV

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