7 QT's This Week:: Rejoice in the Lord!

--- 1 ---

This was a difficult week.

 

Even when times are tough, 

and

the last thing you want to do is

rejoice in the Lord.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.^"

 ^{Phillipians 4:4} 

 

 

 --- 2 ---

When you look through the muck in your life, and we all have muck, remember to look for the light, too.  God will not be outdone in generosity.  He will show you His Love, even if you have to look to see it.  For reasons unknown to me, my credit card not only had a hold placed on it, but it was outright cancelled.  I was visiting my daughter and relying on my credit card.  I had no cash.  My only other credit card had expired a year ago.  This credit card was the first card my husband and I used when we got married.  That was almost 40 years ago.  I pay my bill each month in full.  Go figure!  It took a week and a half, working with the bank, trying to free up my card.  Good news,   I found out that the grocery store would not accept my credit card, but they would accept one of my two checks.  Working with the bank, I opened a new checking account with my other check.  I learned some financial lessons and a lot of patience.  I now have not one new credit card, but 3 new credit cards and a debit card.  I have another checking and savings account in the city where my daughter lives.  I also have cash again.  God will not be outdone in His generosity.  I don't know what I'm going to do with all the credit cards, but I do know, now, that I will not be put in the position of not having a credit card or cash on hand when I travel.  Yes, Rejoice in the Lord!

--- 3 ---

 

The tuxedo cat is named

Walter.

The ginger cat is named

Marvin.

These are my daughter's cats otherwise known to 

Pixie as

"Kitties."

They are brothers and best friends.

Put Pixie in the mix, and things begin to get complicated.

Rejoice in the Lord! 

--- 4 ---

This is Pixie.   She is an only dog.  She is a therapy dog.  She and I do hospice work together.  Pixie is not used to having to share.   She is very passive aggressive.  When kitties aren't looking, she will eat their food and drink their water, even if she has plenty of her own. 
Those eyes are amazing!  They seem to probe the depths of my soul.  She's a good dog, even if she is a bit passive aggressive.  We laugh a lot when she's around!

"Rejoice in the Lord!"

--- 5 ---

Pixie wanted to get on the love seat.

She did not have permission.

Walter lay there an entire afternoon,

even though this was not his habit.

There is a fragile truce.

If Pixie does not break the truce, she will,

eventually,

be allowed to lay on the couch when the kitties are on the bed, and only then, 

if

they 

don't 

see 

her.

"Rejoice in the Lord!"

We do smile at these antics.

 

 --- 6 ---

Pixie was allowed on the couch.

Marvin is considering whether to allow her to stay.

This time,

Pixie was allowed to stay.

We smiled and chuckled.

She's so big,

and

kitties are so small.

Kitties are the

"top dogs"

here in this pack!

Yes,

Rejoice in the Lord! 

  

--- 7 ---

Delicious!

Jenny and I took a dozen cupcakes to the staff at the 

oncology infusion center

where she had an appointment

today.

You should have seen the smiles!

Like I said,

it was a rough week.

St. Peregrine,

pray for us!

God is good,

and

He will not be outdone in kindness 

 or 

generosity.

Rejoice,

Rejoice

In the Lord!

 

 

 For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

30 Words Thursday:: Luke 1: 46-55

“My soul magnifies the Lord, 

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 

 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; 

 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name. 

 And his mercy is on those who fear him
from generation to generation. 

 He has shown strength with his arm,
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, 

 he has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree;

he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away. 

 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy, 

 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”

(Of course this is more than 30 words, but the message is in all these words.)

Can You Add to This List?

Names for the Blessed Mother
Mother of God
Morning Star
Our Lady
Queen of Peace
Queen of Heaven
Queen of Earth
Queen of Angels
Queen of the Universe
Undoer of Knots
Mother of the Savior
Our Lady of Medjugorje
Our Lady of Knock
Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Good Counsel
Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Provision
Our Lady of Good Remedy
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Ark of the Covenant
Cause of our joy
Immaculate Conception
Flower of Carmel
Full of Grace
Immaculate Heart
Immaculate Virgin
Our Lady of the Rosary
Our Lady of Grace
Star of the Sea
Mater Dei
Notre Dame
Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Queen of Heaven
Salve Regina
Star of the Sea
Vessel of Honor
Woman Clothed with the Sun
Queen of Martyrs
Our Lady of the Snows
Our Lady of Tears
Mother of our Creator
Mother Most Pure
Mediatrix
Our Lady of Good Help
Virgin, Most Holy
Virgin, Most Pure
Virgin Undefiled

Do you Ever Wonder Why Those People Come into Your Life?

Sometimes, they are only there for a moment.  Sometimes, they are there for a week or a month or a year or years.  No matter what, every person who comes into your life is there for a reason, no matter what.

"People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime."  author unknown

 I wondered why I had to get into the line with the crabby checker.

I wondered why I had to get behind that person driving that car that will not go above 20 miles per hour in fast moving traffic.

I wondered why those two homeless men mocked my hair as I served them food.

I wondered why that frightening young man dressed in gang type clothes looked at me as I walked past him.

I wondered why I that sweet elderly lady smiled at me.

Good.  Bad.  or Indifferent these people were there for me, and I was there for them.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" Jeremiah 29:11

 Through the years, I have come to realize that prayer is the answer for me.  I am being asked to be a source of grace for them. 

 During the apparitions at Fatima, Our Lady said to  Lucia,  
"Pray, pray a great deal and make many sacrifices, for many souls
go to Hell because they have no one to make sacrifices and to pray for them."

 As I drive down the street, I see some young people, and I whisper a prayer to Jesus,

"Please do not let their souls be lost."

 When I hear the homeless men mocking me, I say, "Oh, My Jesus, forgive us our sins.  Save us from the fires of hell.   Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of Thy Mercy." 
When the nurse at the hospital offers to help me up from the floor where I was making a phone call, I realize that she is a source of grace for me.

Lord, bless this woman for her kindness to me.

Bless her and keep her soul holy.

She serves you well.

Do not let her soul be lost.

When someone is rude to me, I say, "Forgive me, Lord, for the times I have been rude.  Bless her and make her day better.  Do not let her soul be lost."

After prayer, the other reasons are that the people who come into my life are there to teach me:: PATIENCE, KINDNESS, FORGIVENESS.

God has it orchestrated well.

That's why each soul we meet,

Each soul we touch,

Is in our life for a reason.

 

 

 

Consolations from God

I've written before about consolations from God.  Life is not always easy, and when I am shaken, knowing that more disappointments and fears will attack on my journey, I often ask God to send me a consolation.  I never know IF He will send me a consolation.  Really, what more do I need than He who is I AM?  However, my faith waivers, so I ask for something solid and substantial to help me through the storm.

Monday was a day when I needed a consolation.  I needed to know that I was not on my journey alone.  I needed something that would show me that GOD LOVED ME!  I needed to know that He was walking with me on this journey.

I wrote down, what I know.

1) God is omnipotent.

2) God can do anything.

3) God has a plan for each of us.

4) God never promised us that our lives would be easy.  He only said it would be worth it.

5) When we entrust our lives, our children's lives, and all those we love to Him, we do all for His honor and glory.

6) God will be with us through everything.

7) When we fall, God will pick us up.

8) Life is only a dash, a comma in eternity.

9) God will be close to us through all the storms of life.

10) More importantly than anything else, 

                                                     God is Love.

                                                     God is madly in love with us.

                                                     God turns evil into good.

                                                     God uses all we experience to sanctify us.

                                                     God wants us to be with Him in Paradise.

So, on a day when my faith was weak and I could only feel pain, I asked God for a consolation.

When I took my dog out for a walk, I looked down, and saw the heart shaped rock.  God answered my prayer. 

Thank you, Lord!  Thank you!

1 Kings 19: 11-13

August 2 Message from Our Lady through Mirjana in Medjugorje

Dear Children! 

The reason that I am with you, my mission, is to help you for 'good' to win, even though this does not seem possible to you now. I know that you do not understand many things as I also did not understand everything, everything that my Son explained to me while He was growing up alongside me - but I believed Him and followed Him. I ask this of you also, to believe me and to follow me.

However, my children, to follow me means to love my Son above everything, to love Him in every person without making differences.

For you to be able to do this, I call you anew to renunciation, prayer and fasting.

I am calling you for the Eucharist to be the life of your soul. I am calling you to be my apostles of light who will spread love and mercy through the world.

My children, your life is only a blink in contrast to eternal life. And when you come before my Son, in your hearts He will see how much love you had.

In order to spread love in the right way, I am asking my Son, through love, to grant you unity through Him, unity among you, unity between you and your shepherds. Through them my Son always gives Himself to you anew and renews your soul.

Do not forget this.

Thank you.