Bitter or better...

House of Love...

Amy Grant and Vince Gill are a married couple in the music biz - both feartured in this music video...

Their message... from what I gather...

...when a marriage or relationship is built on

 a strong foundation of true love, it lasts - no matter what...

but I would say, too... you've both got to work at it!

Mary's Song...

Going Green...

To Be Strong to the Finish, You Must Eat Your Spinach!

by Joyce Meyer

In my teachings, I try to be an encourager, reminding people that God loves them and has a plan for their lives. But it wouldn’t be very loving of me if all I ever served up were messages about how much God loves you. That would be like expecting to be healthy eating nothing but a steady diet of dessert. To grow strong in the Lord, you need a balanced diet that includes not just comfort and encouragement, but also clear instruction on what you must do to grow in your faith.
In other words, if you want to be strong like Popeye, you have to eat your spinach!

Yucky Vegetables That Make You Grow

For many of you, two of the yuckiest vegetables on your plate are discipline and self-control. Yet, without discipline and self-control, you’ll never achieve the dreams and goals God has planted in your heart, let alone live a life that glorifies Him. If you’re going to persevere and be the person God wants you to be, you must learn to practice discipline and self-control.
Hebrews 12:11 says, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way” (NLT).
There is nothing more wonderful or comfortable than having grown in God to a place where you are at peace with Him in every area of your life. Learning to live with discipline and self-control brings a harvest of peace that far exceeds the short-term thrill of living without boundaries or accountability.
By the same token, there is nothing worse than waking up with a guilty conscience, knowing there’s something unsettled between you and God. The only way to settle things with Him is by learning to say “no” to the things that poison your life, and sticking with people and situations that contribute to your spiritual well being. Understand that God has put those people and situations in your life to polish you and mold you into the image of Christ.
Maybe you think learning self-control is too hard. You say, “I don’t have any willpower.” But discipline is much more than just having willpower. John 15:5 says we can’t do anything apart from God. It took me a lot of years of frustration and wasted effort to learn that I could not make happen what only God can do.

Three Ways You’ll Grow

“ Spending time with God is where everything comes together.”

If you want to build discipline and self-control into your life, study, pray and linger in the presence of God – and tell Him you know you can’t do anything if He doesn’t make it happen. Spend a little time every day in His Word. Spending time with God is where everything comes together.
If God is dealing with you about your behavior and attitudes, instead of brooding because you can no longer get away with the things you once got away with, you should rejoice. That’s the Holy Spirit coming alive inside you.

Align with God’s Will

God has planted a seed in your heart and it’s growing. Believe that God is working in your heart to make you want more of what He has for your life than just getting your own way. You can water that seed by seeking Him with your whole heart. The more you pray, study and read the Word, the more you will see the positive results of doing the right thing, which will make you want to do even more right things.
You have everything you need, in Christ, to be what you need to be. Commit to bringing your life under God’s discipline and authority. Ask Him to help you live a life aligned with His will. It may be hard at first, but stick with it and I promise you will experience deeper peace than you ever knew when you were living only for yourself.

---

This article is taken from Joyce's four-CD series, Developing Discipline and Self-Control.

Peace...

Ave Maria & The Angelus...

Hail Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

The Angelus

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

    Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee;
Blessed art thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
   Hail Mary, etc.

V. And the Word was made Flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.Hail Mary, etc.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAY
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

'You can choose to look away but you can never again say that you did not know.' William Wilberforce

Mother Teresa... My Favourite Quote...

The verses below reportedly were written on the wall of Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta, India, and are widely attributed to her.

Some sources say that the words below were written on the wall in Mother Teresa's own room. In any case, their association with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity has made them popular worldwide, expressing as they do, the spirit in which they lived their lives.

They seem to be based on a composition originally by Kent Keith, but much of the second half has been re-written in a more spiritual way. Both versions are shown below.

___________________________________________

1. The version found written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

-this version is credited to Mother Teresa

____________________________

2. The Original Version:

The Paradoxical Commandments

by Dr. Kent M. Keith

1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
   Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
   Do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
   Succeed anyway.
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
   Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
   Be honest and frank anyway.
6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
   Think big anyway.
7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
   Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
   Build anyway.
9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
   Help people anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
    Give the world the best you have anyway.

© 1968, 2001 Kent M. Keith

"The Paradoxical Commandments" were written by Kent M. Keith in 1968 as part of a booklet for student leaders. _________________________________________

When the devil is at play... put on the whole Armor of God...

Ephesians 6:10-20

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Poor little thing!

Last week was not a good week for me and my ‘little baby girl’. One of my hens had caught a fright, according to a small-holder across the road from our place. Her little comb had gone blue, she barely pecked at food or drank water and was hunched up most of the day looking very sad. I had made two trips to the vet, who prescribed two different forms of antibiotics and near to £100.00 later, there was no sign of improvement, in fact she just got worse over the period of two weeks. Finally out of desperation, a lady at a nearby agri-store suggested that I go see the chap across the road. He said that the girls were molting and that my poorly little one had suffered a fright at some point which caused her heart to start failing. After looking around the hen-house and run he gave me some very simple tips for small adjustments in diet and surroundings but on the whole he thought I was doing well where the hens were concerned. We both looked at ‘little baby girl’ and decided in the end the best thing would be for the chap to ‘take her with him’ and end her suffering. I felt so awful - I felt I had failed her but he said there was nothing I could have done to prevent the situation, it was all part and parcel of keeping hens. He said that as long as I was treating the animals with respect and looking after them as best I could, that was the most important thing. And he felt that I had done just that. He said that birds are generally fragile by nature and that this sort of thing was to be expected. Sob!