"Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)"

H/T I 53: 5 Project

“Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)”

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed

[Chorus:]
Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me

[Chorus]
One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now He’s ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again

[Chorus]
One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One, bringing
My Savior, Jesus, is mine
[Chorus]

Glorious day, Oh, Glorious day

For the Pro-Choice- a Thought to Ponder

“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18: 10

Photo of boy hugging officer at Portland’s Ferguson protest goes viral

via Photo of boy hugging officer at Portland’s Ferguson protest goes viral | Fox News.

Meet Devonte, the little boy with a big heart – Paper Trail

"A young boy who was born into a life of drugs, extreme poverty, danger and destined for a bleak future is defying stereotypes in the most remarkable way. And his latest encounter at a grocery store is bound to open your eyes, widen your mind and capture your heart.
To truly understand just how incredible this encounter was, you need to know some history.

Devonte Hart entered the world 12 years ago with drugs pumping through his tiny newborn body.

By the time he was 4 years old he had smoked, consumed alcohol, handled guns, been shot at, and suffered severe abuse and neglect.

He knew only a handful of words, including fuck and shit, and he struggled to identify with the names of food, body parts and every day objects. Devonte was a violent toddler and his health was weighed down by a heavy list of disabilities.

It was a life with little hope and a future that seemed over before it began.

That is until Jen Hart and her wife Sarah entered Devonte’s life and adopted him and his two siblings seven years ago.

Jen says the day she met Devonte was frightening and traumatic.

“That night, after we finally got him to sleep, I cried harder than I had ever cried in my life. I felt like there was no way we could raise this child, and the five others we had adopted.”

Yet, she says, there was something inexplicable pulling at her heart.

“I felt more connected to this fragile little boy more than I had ever felt to anyone in my life.”

With their unconditional love, nurturing natures, patience and acceptance, Devonte defied all odds and has grown into a young charismatic man with a heart of gold.

e“He inspires me every single day. He has proven doctors, psychologists and teachers wrong. His future is most definitely not bleak, he is a shining star in this world. His light shines bright on everyone on his path.

“People always tell us how lucky he is that we adopted him. I tell you, we most certainly are the lucky ones. Yes indeed he is living proof that our past does not dictate our future.”

via Meet Devonte, the little boy with a big heart – Paper Trail.

KOBANI SURROUNDED? ISIS reportedly attacking town from Turkey

KOBANI SURROUNDED? ISIS reportedly attacking town from Turkey

"TURKEY DENIES REPORTS that militants are using its homeland to stage attacks on Syrian town, but Kurdish activists say ISIS is charging from four sides, with one saying, ‘it is now clear that Turkey is openly cooperating’ with ISIS."

via Fox News – Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos & News Videos.

Ocean of Grace

By the gracious gift of God.
You, the Invited,
Receive His Peace.
Heartbeat by heartbeat,
Breath by breath,
In each instant,
His Will comes to you,
The Called,
To freely choose.

Remain His by faith.
Living in His favor,
A rain of blessing falls,
To water your being,
And penetrate the ground
On which, and in which,
You stand.

You give consent,
And desire in Love,
And as a plentiful valley,
Moment by moment.
Rooted in the holy,
Sanctified by the Sanctifier,
Life and abundance of fruit,
Are multiplied in you,
And grown up around you,

Grace upon grace,
Help, healing and holiness,
Flow in abundance.
From the springing up,
To the watering flow,
Then to rush,
As to the waiting arms a beloved,
Presuming bath and baptism,
To the ingathering of rivers,
In consecration and convergence,
Love returns to the Ocean
Of its Source.

As a homecoming,
Meandering streams
Cut courses through Time.
The many become seas
To, at long last, mingle
In the Mighty Mind,
And Minder of our souls.

copyright 2014 Joann Nelander

Joann Nelander
lionessblog.com

St.Bernadette’s Thanksgiving

Via /catholic exchange

St.Bernadette looked at her life in simple thanksgiving for everything. Her testament is an exceptional statement of gratitude. In her words:

For the poverty in which my mother and father lived, for the failure of the mill, all the hard times, for the awful sheep, for constant tiredness, thank you, my God!
For lips, which I was feeding too much, for the dirty noses of the children, for the guarded sheep, I thank you!
Thank you, my God, for the prosecutor and the police commissioner, for the policemen, and for the harsh words of Father Peyramale!
For the days in which you came, Mary, for the ones in which you did not come, I will never be able to thank you…only in Paradise.
For the slap in the face, for the ridicule, the insults, and for those who suspected me for wanting to gain something from it, thank you, my Lady.
For my spelling, which I never learned, for the memory that I never had, for my ignorance and for my stupidity, thank you.
For the fact that my mother died so far away, for the pain I felt when my father instead of hugging his little Bernadette called me, “Sister Marie-Bernard”, I thank you, Jesus.
I thank you for the heart you gave me, so delicate and sensitive, which you filled with bitterness.
For the fact that Mother Josephine proclaimed that I was good for nothing, thank you. For the sarcasm of the Mother Superior: her harsh voice, her injustices, her irony and for the bread of humiliation, thank you.
Thank you that I was the privileged one when it came to be reprimanded, so that my sisters said, “How lucky it is not to be Bernadette.”
Thank you for the fact that it is me, who was the Bernadette threatened with imprisonment because she had seen you, Holy Virgin; regarded by people as a rare animal; that Bernadette so wretched, that upon seeing her, it was said, “Is that it?”
For this miserable body which you gave me, for this burning and suffocating illness, for my decaying tissues, for my de-calcified bones, for my sweats, for my fever, for my dullness and for my acute pains, thank you, my God.
And for this soul which you have given me, for the desert of inner dryness, for your night and the lightening, for your silences and your thunders, for everything.
For you-when you were present and when you were not—thank you, Jesus. (Saint Bernadette, Saint Bernadette Soubirous, Abbe Francois Trochu)

Thanks Be to God

For what am I thankful? How about that I am.
Yes, I am here, a creature,one among others, willed into existence by the God of All, and He constantly calls me to know Him. I am free, in other words.

Yes, I am free, free to be free of God, if I so choose.
There it is again, scary freedom, free to be ignorant of the One Who calls, the One Who Loves.

He calls through His creation, look at Me, I Am Truth. I Am Beauty. I Am Love. His call proclaims me not one among others, but His one and only. Be not only being but exceedingly blessed. Be, by faith, and “Amen”, My Son. Reign as priest,and prophet and King.

For what am I thankful? I am thankful that I am grateful. With my eyes, I have seen,and with my heart, I have said, “Amen”. I answer “Amen” with my every heartbeat, my very breath. With all the moments of my life, I call to my God, my “Amen”. I am Son, caught up in Triune Being. He wears my “Yes” as eternal glory.

He is, and I am all thanksgiving.

copyright 2014 Joann Nelander

Joann Nelander
lionessblog.com

The Gift of Thanksgiving-Reflection

by Sr. LaDonna Pinkelman OSF

St. Paul (in one of his letters) told his friends, "Never worry about anything, but tell God your desires of every kind in prayer and petition filled with gratitude and the peace which is beyond every understanding will guard your heart."

In November, we celebrate Thanksgiving, a time to remember the many gifts given to us by a gracious God who cares for us endlessly. The Scripture passage, above, says so plainly what can happen when we depend and thank God for the many gifts of our life. Can you imagine how different this world and our lives could be if we all had a heart filled with praise and gratitude?

Let’s take a look at the very ordinary gifts of life that we so often take for granted–the ability to breath (our life source); for gift of sight to see God’s beauty all around, to see the needs of others and do something about it (whenever possible), to see with an inner sight God’s life and light within and let it shine out to all we meet; the ability to smile and spread joy and more joy by our friendliness; for our ears to hear what is good and not so good (helping us make proper choices) to hear God’s Word spoken in prayer and Scripture, in and around us; to speak and talk in kindly ways and not harsh ways; our tongue to taste/savor the gift of food and drink; for the gift of hands to touch tenderly, to grasp and hold (for they are always handy); our fingers to move and put things together, screw and unscrew, to hold a pen and pencil (WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT THEM?); FOR the gift of our feet–to walk, run, move from place to place; our mind/intelligence, to think, to ponder and learn for our good and the good of others (allowing us to work carefully for others); for faith, spirituality and religion that brings meaning and life to us and all God’s People; for our families, relationships and co-workers who give purpose and meaning to love, living out our daily ordinary lives. These are only a few of ordinary gifts. We could go on and on.

When we can readily think of things we are grateful for, we more than likely have a grateful heart and healthy spirituality. Let us make it a practice to praise and thank God with a heart filled with gratitude and love (even when it is difficult). And yes, the peace beyond understanding will be an added gift from God for our life.

Sr. La Donna Pinkelman, OSF

“Best Video on the Priesthood”

Priesthood

Lifetime’s The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns — TV Review – Flavorwire

"It’s an unfathomable sacrifice to most, this dedication of your entire life to the church, and that’s what makes The Sisterhood both a fascinating watch and an illuminating amateur sociology project. As a docuseries, it succeeds because it wants to shed light on the subjects, not exploit them."

via Lifetime’s The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns — TV Review – Flavorwire.

Ben Carson on Ferguson, Racial Profiling

Sins of Ignorance and Sins of the Flesh

Sins of Ignorance and Sins of the Flesh

by Fr. Mullady

Sins of Ignorance and Sins of the Flesh Editor’s note: It is our great pleasure to welcome Father Brian Mullady OP to our writing team. He is a professor, preacher and retreat master, who has authored three books, and is the Theological Consultant to the Institute on Religious Life. Please welcome him warmly and make him feel at home! It is a moral truth that… Read More

via Spiritualdirection.com | Catholic Spiritual Direction | Catholic Spiritual Direction – Seek Him – Find Him – Follow Him Catholic Spiritual Direction.

Rare Footage of Deep-sea Anglerfish

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">

RT @Pete_Thomas: Scientists capture rare footage of deep-sea anglerfish, http://t.co/Vd8Iaweloe @MBARI_News pic.twitter.com/C6Vmue3arR

— MBARI (@MBARI_News) November 21, 2014

New Books by Sr. LaDonna M. Pinkelman OSF – Franciscan Flowers &amp; Franciscan Flowers ll

Kindle editions:

Franciscan Flowers

Franciscan Flowers ll

Christmas would be a lovely time to present a gift of poetry, prayer and praise.:

Prayers, prose and poetry of Sr. LaDonna M. Pinkelman OSF, gleaned over a period of many years of journaling. Franciscan Flowers ll continues where she left off in her previous work, Franciscan Flowers, to offer her gifts of prayer, poetry and prose, in the hope of inspiring love, and trust for the Lord, and further act upon her desire to participate in the new evangelization called for at the beginning of the Third Millennium by Pope John Paul ll, and echoed by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Being even the smallest part of this brings her great joy.

20 Ways Media Completely Misread Congress’ Weak-Sauce Benghazi Report

20 Ways Media Completely Misread Congress’ Weak-Sauce Benghazi Report

By Mollie Hemingway

On September 11, 2012, Islamist militants attacked U.S. complexes in Benghazi, Libya. Ambassador Chris Stevens was killed, the first U.S. Ambassador killed in the line of duty since 1979. Three other men were killed and 10 were injured.

The media immediately turned it into a political story, focusing more anger on Mitt Romney’s comments about the administration’s blaming of a YouTube video critical of Islam than determining the facts of the attack itself. Many in the media thought it fine that President Obama jetted off to a high-dollar fundraiser before the bodies cooled. When various high-level government officials blamed either a YouTube video critical of Islam — or our laws protecting free speech, it didn’t generate much controversy among big media.

The media tended to parrot White House talking points about the attack even years later. So even though everyone with knowledge of the scene in Benghazi knew otherwise, the New York Times was claiming until Friday — just this past Friday — that al Qaeda had nothing to do with the attack on Benghazi.

Really. Less than one year ago, the New York Times ran one of its massive “projects” — Pulitzer Prize attempts, basically — around the following claim:

Months of investigation by The New York Times, centered on extensive interviews with Libyans in Benghazi who had direct knowledge of the attack there and its context, turned up no evidence that Al Qaeda or other international terrorist groups had any role in the assault. The attack was led, instead, by fighters who had benefited directly from NATO’s extensive air power and logistics support during the uprising against Colonel Qaddafi. And contrary to claims by some members of Congress, it was fueled in large part by anger at an American-made video denigrating Islam.

If there’s something true in that pile of horse manure, you’ll have to point it out. Within days this was thoroughly debunked by those in the know (albeit highlighted by media outlets such as CNN). But just this past Friday afternoon, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released “the definitive House statement on the Intelligence Community’s activities before, during and after the tragic events that caused the deaths of four brave Americans” in Benghazi. We’ll look through all the flaws with this report (.pdf) here soon, but first we need to talk about the media reaction to same.

Things seemed to kind of get going with this tweet at 5:47 PM: read more via :20 Ways Media Completely Misread Congress’ Weak-Sauce Benghazi Report.

Satan at His Most Subtle: A Reflection on the Temptations and Traps of the Pious « Archdiocese of Washington

"What is temptation? Temptation is the work of Satan to drag you to Hell. And Satan can read you like a book and play you like piano. Do not exaggerate his power, but do not underestimate it either.

Some of his subtlest work is done in the area of religious observance. There, he can cloak himself quite easily in the lamb’s clothing of piety, but, wolf that he really is, distort it, either through excess or defect, thereby destroying you with what is good. Beware what some spiritual writers call the “traps of the pious.” Consider some examples:

He can discourage you with prayer by saying, “If only you would pray a little longer, God will give you what you seek.” But the deception is that if we can pray a little longer, then we can never have prayed enough. Thus though we pray, we only feel guilty and inadequate. And since we can never have prayed “enough,” prayer increasingly turns into a burdensome task; God becomes a cruel taskmaster demanding longer and more precise prayers. Or prayer becomes a superstitious endeavor whose outcome we somehow control by the length and type of our prayers. Jesus counsels us that the Father knows what we need and that we should not think that merely multiple words and pious actions are necessary. We may need to persevere in prayer over time, but God is not a cruel tyrant demanding endless incantations.

Satan can take the beautiful practice of praying the rosary, or attending daily Mass, or other devotions and slowly incite in us a feeling of smug superiority, elitism, or pride. Gradually, others are thought to be less devout, even in error, because they do not do or observe what is optional or encouraged but not required. What is beautiful and holy is thus employed to incite ever-growing pride and cynicism. A most extreme form of this comes from those who take the beautiful and powerful devotion to our Lady of Fatima and allow Satan to set them against even the Pope and all the world’s bishops by claiming that they failed, either ineptly or willfully, to properly consecrate Russia. And thus one of our most beautiful and informative apparitions can engender in some people distrust of the Church and disunity from her, from multiple popes, and even from Sister Lucia herself. It is an astonishingly crafty work of the evil one to take what is good and religious and corrupt it in the minds of some.

Satan can also take what IS required and turn it into a kind of religious minimalism, a way of keeping God at a distance. And thus he tempts some souls with the notion that Sunday Mass, a little something in the collection plate, and a few rushed prayers are the end of religion rather than the beginning of it. Such observances become a way of “checking off the God-box” and being done with God for the week, rather than a foundation on which to build a beautiful and ever-deepening relationship of love with God. Such minimal practices become a form of “God-control” for those tempted in this way; it is as if to say, “I’ve done what I am supposed to do, now God and the Church have to leave me alone. God also needs to take care me now since I’ve done what I’m required to do.” And thus the Church’s beautiful laws and the requirements describing the basic duties or foundation for a deepening relationship with God, become a kind of “separation agreement,” insisting on very strict visiting hours and specifying who gets what.

Satan can take religious zeal and corrupt it into harsh and uncharitable zealotry. He can take a love for the beauty of the Liturgy, ancient or new, and turn it into a persnickety insistence on exactly the right ingredients, at the expense of charity and at the cost of ridicule, false superiority, and disunity. And thus, charity thrust aside, we say, “Just make sure you celebrate the liturgy the way I like it. Anyone who doesn’t like what I like is antiquarian, a knave, or an uncouth troglodyte and must obviously hate the Church that I love so beautifully …”

via Satan at His Most Subtle: A Reflection on the Temptations and Traps of the Pious « Archdiocese of Washington.

#Ferguson Grand jury reaches decision in case of Ferguson officer – The Washington Post

PRAYER IN TIMES OF DISTRESS

"— A grand jury has reached a decision on whether to indict Darren Wilson, the white Ferguson, Mo., police officer whose fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager sparked days of turbulent protests, sources close to the process said.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) and the county prosecutor’s office are expected to hold news conferences later Monday, and prosecutors have notified the family of Michael Brown — the teen who Wilson killed — that the grand jury’s decision will be announced Monday night, family attorney Benjamin Crump said.

Crump and other sources gave no indication of whether Wilson, 28, will face state charges in the August shooting death of Brown, 18, which triggered a frank conversation about race and police interaction with African Americans.

A police officer secures an area around the Buzz Westfall Justice Center in Clayton, Missouri, on November 24, 2014. (Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)

By Wesley Lowery, Kimberly Kindy and Sarah Larimer November 24 at 3:06 PM http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/follow_button.9102a02e4157727d5d33e448662f9063.en.html#_=1416865234564&id=twitter-widget-0&lang=en&screen_name=WesleyLowery&show_count=false&show_screen_name=true&size=m http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/follow_button.9102a02e4157727d5d33e448662f9063.en.html#_=1416865234568&id=twitter-widget-1&lang=en&screen_name=kimberlykindy&show_count=false&show_screen_name=true&size=m http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/follow_button.9102a02e4157727d5d33e448662f9063.en.html#_=1416865234570&id=twitter-widget-2&lang=en&screen_name=slarimer&show_count=false&show_screen_name=true&size=m

ST. LOUIS — A grand jury has reached a decision on whether to indict Darren Wilson, the white Ferguson, Mo., police officer whose fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager sparked days of turbulent protests, sources close to the process said.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) and the county prosecutor’s office are expected to hold news conferences later Monday, and prosecutors have notified the family of Michael Brown — the teen who Wilson killed — that the grand jury’s decision will be announced Monday night, family attorney Benjamin Crump said.

Crump and other sources gave no indication of whether Wilson, 28, will face state charges in the August shooting death of Brown, 18, which triggered a frank conversation about race and police interaction with African Americans.

[Timeline of events after the death of Michael Brown.]

The grand jury’s decision is the latest turn in a case marked in the national consciousness by the stunning images of clashes between protesters and police wearing riot gear and deploying tear gas in the days after Brown’s death. Details of the grand jury’s deliberations have leaked out in recent weeks, angering the Brown family and protesters who saw it as a signal that no charges would be filed.

As Ferguson, Mo., prepares for a grand jury to announce whether Officer Darren Wilson will be charged in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, here is a look back at the events leading up to that decision. (Gillian Brockell and Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Although a parallel federal civil rights investigation of the shooting is continuing, federal investigators have all but concluded that they do not have a case against Wilson, law enforcement officials have said. Federal investigators are also conducting a broader probe of the Ferguson Police Department."

via Grand jury reaches decision in case of Ferguson officer – The Washington Post.

Come Holy Spirit – St. Gertrude the Great and the Feast of Pentecost

St. Gertrude and the Feast of Pentecost

*For the whole of the Life and Revelations of St. Gertrude the Great go here

Facing Boko Haram, Nigerians ‘storm the heavens with prayers’ :: Catholic News Agency (CNA). Prayer in time of Distress

Facing Boko Haram, Nigerians ‘storm the heavens with prayers’ :: Catholic News Agency (CNA).

Prayer in time of Distress

Prayer in time of Suffering

Litany to Christ the King

 

Litany to Christ the King

Jesus Christ, the King of All Nations and All Time

Cover all my life,
And my sin
Nail to Your Cross.
Indeed, cover all of Time,
Till Time be no more.
You have dominion,
And I, Your least,
Cry in my wretchedness.

Faithful Witness,
You Who have seen the Father,
And His Work,
And His Will,
Witness to Life and Love.

Firstborn of the Dead
Bless those who
Enter through the Veil
Of Your Flesh,
Your pierced side,
An open door.

You rule all the kingdoms
Of the Earth,
And all the peoples
For whom You were nailed
To the Tree,
Your Cross becoming
A Tree of Life,
Where Death sought victory,
But was ravaged,
As You assailed it
From Your grave,
A grave that couldn’t hold You.

Lord of the Now,
Alive in all
Who live
Covered in Your Blood,
No earthly monarch
Could love his people
As You Love us.

You make us priests,
Prophets and kings,
As Your Church marches
Throughout Time,
Into Eternity,
As Your Body.
Joined to its Head,
King and captain.

Alive in Your Divinity,
King of All,
Alpha and Omega,
King of Kings,
Embracing and transforming,
Reign over Past, Present and To Come.

We offer the sacrifice
Of our lives,
Sinful and faulty
As they are,
To live for Your announcing
The Trinity of God,
Witnessing with You,
For in You , we, too, reign
To be blessing
To the Nations
To be Church.

Jesus Christ,
King of Al Nations,
And all Time,
You have dominion,
Glory and power,
Reign over all,
Forever.

©2012 Joann Nelander

Christ the King, My King.

While nations battle for supremacy, and the people of these nations, who try to go it without God, disenchanted with God , drinking the kool-aide of relativism , waging war upon Christ as an enemy,  who kills our fun and frolic, and holding that there is No Truth – No absolutes,yet the Truth remains, Jesus is King of All Nations, may his reign be recognized throughout the earth.

Christ the King, My King.

"Kings have gone out of style. Mostly we use the term king for a man who excels at something, for example, King James (LaBron) is a great basketball player and a prom king is the most popular boy in high school. Scroll back a few centuries and kings were powerful rulers of countries who made laws, commanded armies, and levied taxes. The feast of Christ the King, which closes out the liturgical year, was established in 1925. It celebrates that Jesus is King of heaven and earth.

Jesus was crucified on the charges that he claimed to be King of the Jews. In reality, because Jesus is God, he not only is King of the Jews but king of the whole universe. When Pilate asked Jesus if he were king, he didn’t deny it. At the end of the world, Christ will come in glory and his kingdom will be fully established. The Book of Revelations offers a figurative image of him. He is called Faithful and True and rides a white horse. On his robe and thigh is the name “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Christ is an unusual king. Soldiers die for their king, but Jesus gave his life for his people. Kings live in luxury, but when Jesus walked the earth, he opted to be a poor, itinerant preacher. Kings lord it over their people, but Jesus served others and taught his followers to humbly do so too. Kings wear crowns, but Jesus had only a crown of thorns as a torture device. Kings have queens at their side, and while Jesus has no female divine partner, his mother Mary is granted the title Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Like other kings, though, Jesus expects loyalty. Members of his kingdom abide by his law of love. They work to spread his kingdom by attracting others to him. By our baptism we share in the kingly, priestly, and prophetic roles of Christ. That means we are royalty too.

via Catholic Faith Corner

Prayer:

Christ, our Savior and our King, renew in me allegiance to Your Kingship.

I pray for the grace to place You above the powers of this world in all things.
I pray for the grace to obey You before any civic authority.
I pray for the grace to fervently bring about Your Kingdom in my family and community.
I pray that You will reign in my mind.
I pray that You will reign in my heart.
I pray that You will reign in my will.
I pray that You will reign in my body.
I pray that You will reign throughout the world.
I pray that You will reign in every area of my life.

O Prince of Peace, may Your reign be complete in my life and in the life of the world. Christ, my King, please answer these petitions if they be in accordance with Your Holy Will…

[Mention your intentions here]

As I reflect on Your second, glorious coming and the judgement of all mankind, I beg You to show me mercy and give me the grace to become a great saint. I pray that not only will I spend eternity with You but that You may use me – a sinner – to bring others into Your Kingdom for Your glory.

Christ the King, Your Kingdom come!

Amen.

Sing to God with songs of joy

 

From a discourse on the psalms by Saint Augustine, bishop
Sing to God with songs of joy

Praise the Lord with the lyre, make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him a new song. Rid yourself of what is old and worn out, for you know a new song. A new man, a new covenant‚ – a new song. This new song does not belong to the old man. Only the new man learns it: the man restored from his fallen condition through the grace of God, and now sharing in the new covenant, that is, the kingdom of heaven. To it all our love now aspires and sings a new song. Let us sing a new song not with our lips but with our lives.

Sing to him a new song, sing to him with joyful melody. Every one of us tries to discover how to sing to God. You must sing to him, but you must sing well. He does not want your voice to come harshly to his ears, so sing well, brothers!

If you were asked, “Sing to please this musician,” you would not like to do so without having taken some instruction in music, because you would not like to offend an expert in the art. An untrained listener does not notice the faults a musician would point out to you. Who, then, will offer to sing well for God, the great artist whose discrimination is faultless, whose attention is on the minutest detail, whose ear nothing escapes? When will you be able to offer him a perfect performance that you will in no way displease such a supremely discerning listener?

See how he himself provides you with a way of singing. Do not search for words, as if you could find a lyric which would give God pleasure. Sing to him “with songs of joy.” This is singing well to God, just singing with songs of joy.

But how is this done? You must first understand that words cannot express the things that are sung by the heart. Take the case of people singing while harvesting in the fields or in the vineyards or when any other strenuous work is in progress. Although they begin by giving expression to their happiness in sung words, yet shortly there is a change. As if so happy that words can no longer express what they feel, they discard the restricting syllables. They burst out into a simple sound of joy, of jubilation. Such a cry of joy is a sound signifying that the heart is bringing to birth what it cannot utter in words.

Now, who is more worthy of such a cry of jubilation than God himself, whom all words fail to describe? If words will not serve, and yet you must not remain silent, what else can you do but cry out for joy? Your heart must rejoice beyond words, soaring into an immensity of gladness, unrestrained by syllabic bonds. Sing to him with songs of joy.

Reporters Mock State Dept for Downplaying Benghazi Terrorists Link to Al Qaeda | Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs.

Reporters Mock State Dept for Downplaying Benghazi Terrorists Link to Al Qaeda | Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs.

They are merely mouthpieces for Obama — the media should be mocking their messiah, Obama.

Perhaps the State department can’t admit the truth because it flies in the face of Obama’s absurd declaration that “al Qaeda is on the run.”

The thing is — it’s not funny. Obama’s pro-jihadist foreign policy is responsible for the victories and conquest of jihadist groups worldwide. The world is vastly different since he took power after 2008. For the worse … much worse.

– See more at:Reporters Mock State Dept for Downplaying Benghazi Terrorists Link to Al Qaeda | Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs.

Video: Robert Spencer on Sun TV on the Jerusalem synagogue jihad mass murder attack

http://t.co/ML9x7Dxtw0 Video: Robert Spencer on Sun TV on the Jerusalem synagogue jihad mass murder attack

— Robert Spencer (@jihadwatchRS) November 21, 2014

Learning That Love Is The Way

by Heather

“A very close friend of mine and I have been having sort of a running conversation lately. We’ve each experienced a certain amount of failure in our lives and have each been on a personal journey of learning that love is the way. I knew that when I was younger. I knew that when I lived with drug addicts who would sell themselves for crack. I knew it when I lived with a homosexual cook who insisted we all call him “Auntie Ray”, and when I lived with Gail, the schizophrenic who refused to sleep anywhere else but on a mattress with no sheets in the basement. I knew that it wasn’t just about doing all the right things right, knowing all the rules and being “appropriate.” I knew that …” [Read more…]

via Mama Knows, Honeychild –.

Sunset over the Grand Teton

Sunsets don't get much better than this one over @GrandTetonNPS. #nature #sunset pic.twitter.com/YuKy2rcjyU

— US Dept of Interior (@Interior) May 5, 2014

Bosque del Apache

A must see → #Sunrise at Bosque del Apache #WildlifeRefuge #NewMexico pic.twitter.com/zmjUM2YRyt

— US Dept of Interior (@Interior) November 18, 2014

Fall Foliage and Snow-capped Peaks

Fall foliage and snow-capped peaks make for a stunning shot of Conway Summit #California @BLMca #nature pic.twitter.com/tAZvSKakhS

— US Dept of Interior (@Interior) November 20, 2014