Psalm 90:14 (shout for JOY!)

Let's welcome God today with this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (archive), anchored by Living Faith. Prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers. James 1:22

Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. Psalm 90:14 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "The entire psalm is a tribute to the beautiful fragility of our days on earth, a hymn to God's faithful presence. In the midst of God's glance into the poverty and sorrows of our lives, we pray to be filled with God's love at daybreak." by Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr

Pat nuggets:

* God fills us at daybreak with the Trinity (one God, three persons)...the Sun is the Father, the rays are Jesus, and the warmth is the Holy Spirit. At daybreak today, I thank God for the gift of my Grandpa Castle (passed away 1 Jun 96) and my dear wife Angi (Happy Birthday!).

* Last year's Nobel laureate scientists challenged God to a competition on making the best human being. The scientists were given elements of choice. Just before the competition began, God scooped up the elements from the scientists and said..."get your own stuff." "Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisers."

* Fr. Jonathan sent me a signed/framed picture of Meb (2009 New York Marathon winner). Here are a couple snippets. Meb wrote, "To Coach Pat, God uses people to affect others." Fr. Jonathan wrote, "May we keep running towards the One who made us!" Check out the Marathons for ProLife blog and FB page.

Faith Challenge: Let's generously encourage others by forwarding devotions or using the Facebook "invite people" link.
* NEW: Let's shout for J.O.Y. (Jesus, Others, You)!

Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, Vatican, American Family Association, Priests for Life
* Reality of abortion (images), #1 cause of death (23% of pregnancies). Expose this unjust peace, setting unborn/parents free.
* NEW: Rockford Abortion Mill Hits New Low In Grotesque Window Dressing and Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Jail for Murdering Baby One Day after Birth.

Our Prayers: Those who pray together stay together, and close to God (footnotes). Prayer to end abortion, Doug Young (special intention)

* NEW: Pat Castle (thanksgiving for JP completing his miraculous Make a Wish trip)

Feast Day: St. Justin (martyr)

Faith Quote: In light of Memorial Day...."Peace starts with a smile." Let's make an effort to smile today...demonstrating our eternal JOY!

In Christ, Pat

Phil 4:13

Mark 10:48 (Bound with Laminin)

Let's welcome God today with this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (archive), anchored by Living Faith. Prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers. James 1:22

Many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more... Mark 10:48 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "Like Bartimaeus [the blind beggar] by the side of the road, we want to see. We want lives that make sense. We want healing. It was not in resignation that the blind man found healing. He did not hide his darkness. He did not forget himself. He shouted[!]" by Jeanne Schuler

Pat nuggets: From my chemist point of view, religion and science are complimentary, as both rely on faith and reason. Not to mention, we couldn't do any science without God's stuff (elements)! Deanna Peters shared this inspiring video based on Laminin, which is a cross-shaped molecule that holds the body together. Deanna said, "Watch the video - it is absolutely amazing. Reminds me of JP [seriously ill 10 yr old son] and how far we have come."

* Sr. Francelle's devotion: June - Month of the Sacred Heart‏.

Faith Challenge: Let's generously encourage others by forwarding devotions or using the Facebook "invite people" link.

* NEW: Like Bartimaeus, let's prayerfully shout to the Lord our thanksgivings, needs, and praises...and let's listen to Him whisper back. Thank you Lord for holding us all together, our individual bodies (Laminin) and the Body of Christ (Church)...Amen.

Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, Vatican, American Family Association, Priests for Life

* Reality of abortion (images), #1 cause of death (23% of pregnancies). Expose this unjust peace, setting unborn/parents free.

* NEW: Cardinal Ouellet and Ottawa Archbishop: “The Abortion Debate is on”.

Our Prayers: Those who pray together stay together, and close to God (footnotes). Prayer to end abortion.

* NEW: Aaron Ferrie (job interview Thurs), Doug Young (special intention), Pat Castle (thanksgiving for JP departing yesterday for his Make a Wish trip to Disney World)

Feast Day: St. Augustine of Canterbury (missionary)

Faith Quote: "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:17

Bound with Laminin (Christ),

Pat
Phil 4:13

Psalm 25:9 (God sightings)

Welcome God every morning before your work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com). All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

He guides the humble to justice, He teaches the humble His way. Psalm 25:9

Living Faith snippets: "I'm reluctant to say, or even think, that God speaks to me. But there have been times when a voice that does not sound like my own does speak. Dear Lord, teach me your ways." by Aileen O'Donoghue (physics teacher at St. Lawrence University, author of "The Sky Is Not a Ceiling: An Astronomer's Faith")

God sightings: Today's snippets (above and below) inspired me to start this new thread for us to share our "God sightings" and share ways for us to encounter God acting in our lives.

Pastor Don's devotion: Read his devotion titled "Advent miracles" at http://pastordonbird.blogspot.com/. A few snippets: "I am reminded this week of the greatness of our God and the miraculous way He enters into our lives. My prayer is that through this Advent season, each of us is able to experience a miracle. For some it may be one of incredible magnitude that changes our lives drastically. For others it may be in a simple encounter that alters our perspective and catches a glimpse of the holy in our lives. And still for others it may be in the ordinary routine of life as we look deeper into the hearts of those we surround ourselves with everyday. This is a season of miracles - not just on 34th Street...but in the paved roads and dirt roads of our lives. May the Miracle of the World reveal Himself to you this Christmas season!"

Jesus' Christmas list: This is how we give Jesus a Christmas (birthday) gift..."whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matt 25:40). The true meaning of Christmas is to share our gifts (time, talent, treasure, faith, hope, love) with those lacking in "daily bread" and love. Who is in dire need of our Christmas gifts?

* (NEW) Scott Casmer shared: "There is a subdivision of the [C. Springs] Catholic Charities called "Life Connections" that does all the things this group is about [click here]. Making donations is nearly painless. On the following link, they show how $1000 donation ends up costing the donator only $187. I plan to donate this week. Others may want to consider it. [click here]."
* (NEW) My family received this wonderful Christmas gift from Rich & Erica Reich. "In your honor, a gift has been made to Heifer International to help struggling people around the world become self-reliant for food and income. May this gift bring you joy as it brings hope to families in need (a sheep, three rabbits, a flock of chicks, and a hive of honeybees)."

ProLife news: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ & http://www.priestsforlife.org/

* Let's pray for courage to communicate the ProLife message through Christ to those around us (John 14:6)...rebuilding a Culture of Life (Matt 5:16).

Our Prayers: Prayer to End Abortion, chastity, our enemies, our troops, natural disasters, depression/ despair, prisoners, ProLife politicians, loss of loved ones, lack of faith, illnesses/injuries, John Peak (parent's health & his deployment), Rich Reich (Grandma with health problems), Pat Castle (Kathy Ayers recovering from brain surgery, Mike Castle eye infection), Liz Curry (friend Bill recovering from heart surgery)

* NEW: Jason Peters (health of son JP, http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jppeters), Carolyn McKissack (granddaughter Bailee with Crohn's), Rob Ouellette (Sally, Jim, Kevin, Joe, Carla & two Mary's)

Faith quote: Angi Castle shared this quote. "We should not live in the clouds, on a superficial level. We should dedicate ourselves to understanding our brothers and sisters." Mother Theresa

Through Christ for ProLife,
Pat

Phil 4:13

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml. Reflection on readings at http://www.daily-meditations.org/index2.html

* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others. Wayne Watson lyrics, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” 'If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him.'

* Fasting: Let's fast from things that takes our eyes off Jesus (selfishness, bitterness, being so critical, impatience, judgment, gossip, excessive video games, etc) and take on things that fix our eyes on Jesus (selflessness, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, patience, understanding, caring, helping, listening).
* Defend the unborn: 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might lie as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa.

* Evangelization: Let's make room for unbelievers (be a friend, make a friend, lead friend to Christ) and perpetual re-evangelization of self and those near us, by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service.

Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!

Luke 6:41 (seeing ourselves)

* Welcome God every morning before work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com). All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? Luke 6:41

Living Faith snippets: "There is a proverb that when you point a finger at someone, the other three [fingers] point toward yourself. This reflects the reasonably well-established idea that what we find most irritating in others are traits we actually dislike in ourselves. There are some who just don't like me. If reflection and asking others reveals nothing that I have done to bring on the dislike, I just have to accept being disliked. All I can do with those who dislike me is to make sure I am as gracious as possible and recognize that none of us sees ourselves or others with complete clarity." by Aileen O'Donoghue

Sr. Francelle devotion: Read her devotion about "What are you looking for most in life?‏" at http://sisterfrancelle.blogspot.com/. From the intro..."They were surprised to find the top three things people wanted most in life were love, joy and peace. That is what people really want. Old people, middle-aged and young people are all looking for love, joy and peace. And isn't that exactly what the Bible says you can expect as a follower of Jesus Christ? God does want you to experience these things in your life. They're available..."

Pat nuggets:
* Kay Castle shared about the Large Hadron Collider [faith and science are not at odds with each other!]: "Dominican Sr. Katarina Pajchel, a physicist from the University of Oslo in Norway, who works on collider projects, told NCR: The laws of nature speak of an amazing order, creativity and beauty, she said. 'Our current understanding bears witness to the power of human thought, imagination and curiosity. Through it we are given insight into God’s creative plan.' However deep these discoveries go, Pajchel said, they do not threaten religion, 'but rather firmly hold up the real mysteries of faith, more clearly and in a challenging way. 'Contact with sober science can make us less vulnerable and more balanced as well in meeting modern religious movements, like New Age, which are often quasi-scientific,' she said. 'One can end up in the paradoxical situation of defending both rational scientific research and the real mysteries of faith.' " See entire article at http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/1786.

ProLife news: http://www.lifenews.com/.
* 40 Days for Life campaign (24 Sep to 2 Nov): Sign up for updates at http://www.40daysforlife.com/about.cfm. Please consider volunteering to pray an hour in front your local abortion mill during the Fall campaign.

Our Prayers: Abortion, chastity, our enemies/our troops, natural disasters, depression/ despair, dementia, cancer, prisoners, integrity of our leaders, Robert Cox (discerning his career path), Mike Castle (for grandson Isaac and his caregivers), strength to live the virtue of chastity
* New: Kay Castle (for those in the path of hurricanes)

Faith Quote: "To live without faith, without a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for truth, that is not living, but existing."—Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

Through Christ Our Lord,
Pat
Phil 4:13

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml. Reflection on readings at http://www.daily-meditations.org/index2.html
* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others. Wayne Watson lyrics, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” "If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him."
* Defend the unborn: 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might lie as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa. Prayer to End Abortion. Ask Blessed Margaret of Castello for her prayers to end abortion.
* Evangelization: Let's make room for non-believers (be a friend, make a friend, lead friend to Christ) and perpetual re-evangelization of self and those near us, by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service.
Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!

1 Cor 1:18 (embracing The Cross)

* Welcome God every morning before work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com). All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

The message of the cross...is the power of God. 1 Cor 1:18

Living Faith snippets: "It is difficult coming to terms with the reality of suffering. We know innocent people who have suffered greatly or loved ones who have undergone long agonizing illnesses. Such sufferings, as well as our own, can seem senseless, if not cruel. It was just as hard to make sense of the cross in Jesus' day. When the Apostles preached the cross, and embraced it in their own lives, it seemed to others to be "absurdity" and a "stumbling block." Most of Jesus' first followers, like their master, died at the hands of persecutors. [All but one of the apostles were martyred for their faith.] The cross is the mysterious wisdom of God...the "power of God." As we embrace the crosses of our lives, we find the hidden life of God buried within." by Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti

Sr. Francelle devotion: Read her devotion about the Rosary at http://sisterfrancelle.blogspot.com/. Here is the intro..."In a small dark room, the man tied to the bed prayed for his life. He felt the cord tighten around his wrists as his thumb counted out the prayers on the tiny beads of the Rosary, while a guard sat with a gun pointed at him. Antonia de Oriol had been snatched from his office by terrorists in Madrid, Spain in 1976..."

Pat nuggets:

* While reading the Chemical & Engineering News, I found a ProLife line in an article by Britt E. Erickson..."an interagency effort [federal] to examine environmental influences on the health and development of more than 100,000 U.S. children from before birth until age 21."

* Barack Obama stated in a recent interview that "it's above my pay grade" for him to determine when a developing child in the womb becomes a human. Joel Cain pointed out that in one respect Obama is right...this is God's pay grade, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you" (Jer 1:5). On the other hand, I placed a 12 wk baby model in my 5 yr old daughter Grace's hand, and she said, "oh, the baby is sleeping, Daddy." Obama is certainly above Grace's pay grade...

* "Vote your values on Election Day. The stakes have never been higher! Our next president will likely replace one or more Supreme Court justices. We are perhaps one Supreme Court vote away from being able to overturn Roe v. Wade. A more common sense Court might finally uphold reasonable limits on Internet pornography. Such a Supreme Court could also protect traditional values, including the definition of marriage." Focus on the Family

ProLife news: http://www.lifenews.com/.

* 40 Days for Life campaign (24 Sep to 2 Nov): Sign up for updates at http://www.40daysforlife.com/about.cfm.

* Ross Paulick shared this article: "[Obama] goes further than any U.S. senator has dared go in defending what John Paul II called the "culture of death." He supports the late-term procedure known as partial-birth abortion, where the baby's skull is stabbed with scissors in the birth canal and the brains are sucked out to end its life swiftly and ease passage of the corpse into the pan. When Congress was voting to ban this terrible form of death for a mature fetus, Michelle Obama was signing fundraising letters pledging that, if elected, Barack would be "tireless" in keeping legal this "legitimate medical procedure." When the Supreme Court upheld the congressional ban on this barbaric procedure, Barack denounced the court for denying "equal rights for women." Thrice in the Illinois legislature, Obama helped block a bill that was designed solely to protect the life of infants already born, and outside the womb, who had miraculously survived the attempt to kill them during an abortion. Thrice, Obama voted to let doctors and nurses allow these tiny human beings die of neglect and be tossed out with the medical waste." See entire article at http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=27992.

Feast Day (Martyrdom of John the Baptist): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist

Our Prayers: Abortion, chastity, our enemies/our troops, natural disasters, depression/ despair, dementia, cancer, prisoners, integrity of our leaders

* New: Robert Cox (discerning his career path)

Faith Quote: "What is needed above all, at this time in the history of the Church in America, is a renewal of that apostolic zeal which inspires her shepherds actively to seek out the lost, to bind up those who have been wounded, and to bring strength to those who are languishing (Ez 34:16)." by Pope Benedict (Apr visit to USA)

Through Christ Our Lord,
Pat
Phil 4:13

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml. Reflection on readings at http://www.daily-meditations.org/index2.html
* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others. Wayne Watson lyrics, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” "If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him."
* Defend the unborn: 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa. Prayer to End Abortion. Ask Blessed Margaret of Castello for her prayers to end abortion.
* Evangelization: Let's make room for non-believers (be a friend, make a friend, lead friend to Christ) and perpetual re-evangelization of self and those near us, by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service.
Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!

James 3:17-18 (wisdom, weakness)

* Welcome God every morning before work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com).

The wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace. James 8:17-18

Living Faith snippets: "I found God calling me to advocate on behalf of others who felt voiceless [i.e. the unborn!]. I do not thrive on conflict. I've spent much of my life avoiding it. Why, I wondered, would God call me to such contentious work? As I prayed about it, God seemed to be saying that those qualities that I thought disqualified me were precisely the ones he was looking for." by Mark Mossa

Pat nuggets:

* Weakness: Last Wed, I shared this snippet..."Einstein dismissed the idea of God as the product of human weakness and the Bible as "pretty childish."" While praying about this on a run, it occurred to me that Einstein's conclusion unintentionally pointed to wisdom from above. God makes it clear that we must approach Him in our weakness and as His children (trusting and obedient)...allowing us to see God (God sightings). "At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children" (Matt 11:25). "Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (Matt 19:14). God is able to help us in our weakness. "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 12:9-10).

* Our Great Commission goal: "He said to them [us], "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation" (Mark 16:15). Please consider making a commitment each week to invite at least one friend or family member to join the LIFE Devotions group, providing routine spiritual connection and strength.

ProLife: Last Thurs, the national campaign director of 40 Days for Life, Dave Bereit, gave a talk in Washington, D.C. entitled: "Pro-Life 2.0: Exciting New Developments to Help End Abortion in America." In the one hour talk, he explored the major trends that leveraged the growth and impact of 40 Days for Life, and how we can use these trends for our ProLife work. He started with a ~15 min summary on the impact of 40 Days for Life (impressive!) and then discussed the trends: Return to God, Bottom Up Empowerment, Collaborative Multiplication, Decentralization of the Media, Shift in Organizational Model, Change of Attitude (expect victory). Hear talk at www.40daysforlife.com/blog/audio/prolife2.mp3.

Our Prayers: Abortion, our enemies, our troops, China earthquake, Myanmar cyclone, depression/despair, Kay Castle (crimes against children), Vicki Miller (cancer treatment), Pam McGushin (Cindy's cancer treatment), Tom Tenpenny (Anna's cancer treatment), Dale Sundermann (strength for his Mom), Jenny Senour (ProLife job interview)
* New: Please pray for my niece Shantelle (severely misguided by the world).

Faith Quote: "Show that Christians aren't necessarily pharisees (only praying in public for show) but rather two-fisted Christ warriors who pray on one hand and DO on the other." by Teresa Perdue (LIFE Devotions group member)
* If you have an inspiring faith quote, please send it to me for sharing in the devotion.

Through Christ for ProLife,
Pat
Phil 4:13
life-devotions.blogspot.com

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml.
* Prayer: If you have a prayer request, simply send it to our distribution list at life-group-distro@googlegroups.com. Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others. Wayne Watson, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” "If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him."
* Defend the unborn: ProLife websites at life-devotions.blogspot.com. 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa. Click for Prayer to End Abortion.
* Share the Good News: Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)! Let's make room to share with non-believers (be a friend, make a friend, lead your friend to Christ)...and work on perpetual re-evangelization of ourselves and those close to us (Western culture), drawing closer to God's will by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service...

John 15:9 (unconditional love)‏

* Welcome God every morning before work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com).

As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. John 15:9

Living Faith snippets: "A thousand voices, from within and without, shout that we are lovable as long as we make lots of money, are constantly productive, raise perfect children and never struggle with doubt. Yet I know that Jesus never made much money, failed to win the hearts of the powerful religious leaders and was misunderstood and betrayed by those closest to him. Though he knew rejection, he was able to remain faithful to the vision God had planted in his mind and heart." by Terri Mifek

Pat nuggets:
* Science/Faith: Here are a few snippets from a headline article yesterday on msn.com. "Einstein dismissed the idea of God as the product of human weakness and the Bible as "pretty childish." [Yet] In later life, he expressed a sense of wonder at the universe and its mysteries — what he called a "cosmic religious feeling" — and famously said: "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."" msnbc.msn.com/id/24598856/from/ET. Einstein maintained faith in God but struggled with allowing God to be God (doubt, golden calves), like most of us. Unfortunately, most scientists today have gone beyond doubting and have displaced God with a false sense of personal creation. For example, scientists may gain understanding of how a biological process works, yet act like they created the parts and designed the process. Scientists are more or less mechanics with their heads under the hood of God's creation, trying to figure out His amazing parts and engineering. For example, the late atheist scientist who discovered the function of DNA, Francis Crick, apparently believed the parts and engineering of life created themselves based on this statement he made: "Your joys and your sorrow, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules." How depressing (despair)! Unlike Crick, I see God's fingerprints (God sightings) throughout the miraculous relationship of the Body of Christ (us). Let us not forget that as Easter people (Christians), we are hopeful because of our gift of faith to recognize that God wants to keep us filled up with His unconditional love! Please consider sending me your God sightings to share in the devotion.

ProLife: Yesterday, more than 76,407 signatures were turned in to the Colorado Secretary of State's office "to place on this fall's ballot a life-saving initiative to add these words to the state constitution: "The term 'Person' or 'Persons' shall include any human from the time of fertilization." These 14 words would establish protection for the most helpless in our midst -- innocent children in the womb." Dave Bereit at http://www.40daysforlife.com/

Feast Day: St. Matthias "was the Apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to replace Judas, following Judas's betrayal of Jesus and his suicide (Acts 1:18-26)." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Matthias

Our Prayers:
* Thanksgiving: Liz Curry (nephew's back surgery went well!)
* New: earthquake in China
* Pat Castle (abortion, our troops, our enemies), Kay Castle (crimes against children), Vicki Miller (cancer treatment), Pam McGushin (mom's depression, Cindy's cancer treatment), Tom Tenpenny (Anna's cancer treatment), Dale Sundermann (strength for his Mom), Jenny Senour (ProLife job interview)

Faith Quote: "To live without faith, without a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for Truth, that is not living but existing." by Pier Giorgio Frassati.
* If you come across an inspiring faith quote, please send it to me for sharing in the devotion.

Through Christ for ProLife,
Pat
Phil 4:13
life-devotions.blogspot.com

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml.
* Prayer: If you have a prayer request, simply send it to our distribution list at life-group-distro@googlegroups.com. Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others. Wayne Watson, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” "If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him."
* Defend the unborn: ProLife websites at life-devotions.blogspot.com. 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa. Click for Prayer to End Abortion.
* Share the Good News: Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)! Let's make room to share with non-believers (be a friend, make a friend, lead your friend to Christ)...and work on perpetual re-evangelization of ourselves and those close to us (Western culture), drawing closer to God's will by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service...

* Let's invite family, friends, and our "neighbors" to join the LIFE Devotions group, providing routine spiritual connection and strength for our faith communities.

John 16:12 (re-evangelization)

* Welcome God every morning before work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com).

I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. John 16:12

Living Faith snippets: "Jesus indicates there is much the disciples still need to hear and understand, but they are not ready for it. Jesus then assures them that when the Spirit comes, they will be able to receive the Truth needed to change their lives. This Truth comes after the disciples enter into the suffering and death of Jesus. We yearn to know the mysteries of God and our personal journeys, but the deep meaning of our life experience is often revealed only after we have suffered through the tough times [realizing our total dependency on God]. Spirit of God, help me to open to your Truth and to be patient while my heart is readied to receive it." by Sr. Joyce Rupp

Pat nuggets:
* Distro: Replies to this and future devotion emails will now only go to the sender of the message. If you want to send the message to everyone, you have to copy/paste the distribution list email in the "to" box.

* Sr. Francelle: She is out of the hospital and back online! May God bless us with many more years connected with His wonderful gift of Sr. Francelle :).

* Mark and Chad snippets: At cougarsdaily.blogspot.com, Chad Livingston shared, "May we take joy in knowing our redeemer lives. “For I know that my Redeemer lives" (Job 19:25).” Last night, Mark Foster presented the Nicene Creed and shared this verse: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Rom 1:20). These verses reminded me of the song "Redeemer" by Nicole Mullins. Here are a few snippets: "Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning? And who told the ocean you can only come this far? And who showed the moon where to hide till evening? Well I know my Redeemer lives. All of creation testifies. This life within me cries. I know my Redeemer lives. The very same God that spins things in orbit. Runs to the weary, the worn and the weak. And the same gentle hands that hold me when I'm broken. They conquered death to bring me victory. Now I know, my Redeemer lives...He lives to take away my shame. And He lives forever I'll proclaim that the payment for my sins was the precious life He gave. And now He's alive and there's an empty grave! And I know my Redeemer lives. Because He lives I can face tomorrow. He lives...I spoke with Him this morning! He Lives! I'm going to tell everybody!"

* Re-evangelization: The last couple weeks we have shared about how Secularization and Science are purging God from the vocabulary of Western culture. God is with our every breath and every step regardless if we choose to acknowledge Him (footprints in the sand). Secularization and Science are embraced like religions by some...treating them like golden calves that come before God (First Commandment). The founding fathers of American did not intend to separate faith from culture and government (happening with Secularization)...but prevent a government run church, like Church of England. We are called by Christ to be 'aliens' in this world (1 Peter 2:11). Are we? Like the disciples in the Bible, do we have a real relationship with Christ? Sometimes I use the word "disciple" instead of Christian to differentiate from social Christians (participating for entertainment not for Christ)...like James using "faith" (believing in Christ) and "saving faith" (believing and following Christ). We need to commit to a re-evangelization of ourselves and our Western culture to uncover God in the areas where Secularization and Science have covered Him...making "straight the way for the Lord" (John 1:23). I have plenty of room for re-evangelizing myself (growing closer to Christ)...if Christ was a mirror, the closer I get to the mirror, the more I realize my imperfections (sin). Let's start this re-evangelization by challenging ourselves (love, service, prayer, etc)...and by inviting friends, family, and co-workers to join the LIFE Devotions group (if they agree, I will gladly add their email to the distribution list). Let's pray for the courage to do this...to open ourselves to God's gift of the Holy Spirit who strengthens us for making faith-based decisions (humility, love, obedience) that will cause (in us, our loved ones, and our enemies) a greater conversion (metanoia) to the will of God the Father (Truth) through Christ the Son (Phil 4:13)...Amen!

* National ProLife Prayer (7 AM MST, Sat, 3 May): "A Million Rosaries" is a project uniting Christians across the country in prayer for an end to abortion...please tell others. In Colorado Springs, the Rosary at Planned Parenthood this Saturday will begin at 7 AM instead of 8:15. For more info: saintmichaelthearchangelorganization.org.

Feast Day: St. Pius V http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Pius_V.

Through Christ for ProLife,
Pat
Phil 4:13

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml.
* Prayer: If you have a prayer request, simply send it to our distribution list at life-group-distro@googlegroups.com. Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others (so let's pray daily!). Wayne Watson lyrics, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” "If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him."
* Defend the unborn: ProLife websites at life-devotions.blogspot.com. 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa. Click for Prayer to End Abortion.
* Share the Good News: Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)! Let's make time to share with unbelievers...and to re-evangelize ourselves and our Western culture.

1 Peter 5:8 (the wall between science and God)‏

* Welcome God every morning before work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com).

Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

Living Faith snippets: "Evil continues to prowl the world's streets, neighborhoods and homes. It often does not roar but comes quietly under subtle disguises. I believe it is vitally important that we heed the revered advice of Jesus to be sober and vigilant in order to offset potential dangers and to faithfully live our Christian lives. Lord, deliver us from evil and keep our feet on the path of virtue." by Fr. James McKarns (author of Saints and Seasons)

Pat nuggets:
* Last night, I attended the Expelled movie with Chad, Ben, Scott, and Jimmy. We all found the movie to be very insightful on how God is being pushed out of science vocabulary. Please watch the trailer at http://www.expelledthemovie.com/home.php. One of the highlights was when world renowned atheist, Richard Dawkins, acknowledged the possibility of advanced alien life adding intelligent design to the sequence of human life...yet he is 99% sure that God is a delusion. The movie highlights that Darwin does not have an explanation for the source of life. Darwin also took a major jump when using his observations of evolution within a species to justify evolution between species. Regardless, even evolution between species would not rule out God as the source and intelligent designer of life. The movie also highlights how Darwinism has fueled anti-ProLife and anti-Christian agendas. For example, Hitler used Darwinism to justify murdering the weak as defined by his point of view. And now, Science has built their own Berlin Wall to keep out God, the creator of science. Let's do our part to chip away at this wall (1 Cor 3:6-9). Like with the Berlin Wall, God's Truth will also bring this wall down...

* Chad shared these thoughts: "I have devoted much time in attempting to battle such voices as those from militant atheism such as Richard Dawkins. One very significant conclusion that I have thus far come to is that the fine sounding arguments against Christ often fall drastically short of reality. Perhaps when we lay down our life for Richard Dawkins, he may see the architect behind his will." cougarsdaily.blogspot.com

Feast Day: St. Mark http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Mark.

Through Christ for ProLife,
Pat
Phil 4:13

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml.
* Prayer: If you have a prayer request, simply send it to our distribution list at life-group-distro@googlegroups.com. Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others (so let's pray daily!). Wayne Watson lyrics, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” "If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him."
* Defend the unborn: ProLife websites at life-devotions.blogspot.com. 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa. Click for Prayer to End Abortion.
* Share the Good News: Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!

Acts 15:3 (western culture re-evangelization)

* Welcome God every morning before work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (livingfaith.com).

They were sent on their journey by the church...and brought great joy to all the brothers. Acts 15:3

Living Faith snippets: "[Saint] feast days serve as joyful reminders that [we] are each called to be a saint and that the Church stands ready to help." by Rebecca Sande

Pat nuggets:

* Chad snippets: "Franciscan Benediction: May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy." cougarsdaily.blogspot.com

* Our Western culture, in general, is in need of re-evangelization. The church in Europe is seriously declining. In America, from 1978 to 2005, the # of seminarians dropped from 9,021 to 4,603, while during that same period the # of major seminarians throughout the world increased from 63,882 to 114,439 (from Karl Keating). To give insight into this decline of faith in the western culture, here are snippets from an article by Hilary White (LifeSiteNews.com, 11 Mar)..."Hedonistic Secularist Mentality Pervades the Church [which] Leads to "spiritual atrophy" and "emptiness of heart": The secularization that so characterizes many western societies has also found its way into the Church, Pope Benedict has warned. The pope said that "the lofty values of existence" must be reintroduced to contemporary cultures. The media has spread a "hedonistic" and consumerist mentality that promotes the idea that "there is no longer any need for God, to think of Him or to return to Him."The dangers of this way of living, he said, are "the risk of falling into spiritual atrophy and emptiness of heart". Without God at the centre, human life and intellectual endeavour "gives way to a sterile worship of the individual". "In this cultural context, there is the risk of falling into spiritual atrophy and into an emptiness of heart, sometimes characterised by surrogate forms of religious membership and vague spiritualism." Secularization, he said, "invades all aspects of daily life and causes the development of a mentality in which God is effectively absent, entirely or in part, from human life and conscience". Benedict warned that this culture promotes, in both laity and clergy, "a drift towards superficiality and selfishness which damages ecclesial life". The pope called on the faithful to fight these trends by re-introducing "the exalted values of existence which give meaning to life and can satisfy the disquiet of the human heart in its search for happiness." These include "the dignity and freedom of the person, the equality of all mankind, and the sense of life and death and of what awaits us at the end of earthly existence"."The phrase 'etsi Deus non daretur' [as if there were no God] is becoming a way of life which has its roots in a kind of 'arrogance' of reason."The pope warned that the exaltation of reason above God, a characteristic of the 18th century's "Enlightenment" philosophies, is now pervasive in society. But, he said, the Enlightenment inverted the real order. Reason he said, "was actually created and loved by God."Now, however, it is "held to be sufficient unto itself and closes itself off from contemplating and seeking a Truth that lies beyond it".Pope Benedict concluded, "Above all, I exhort pastors of the flock of God to a tireless and generous mission to counteract - in the field of dialogue and meeting between cultures, of announcement and testimony of the Gospel - the worrying phenomenon of secularization which weakens man and hinders his innate longing for the entire Truth"."

* Voting: Stephanie Kemp shared the following link about Barack Obama's shocking background (13 minutes), www.eyeblast.tv/public/video.aspx?RsrcID=2036.

* Juno movie: Although a bit quirky, it had a refreshing overriding ProLife message (unusual for Hollywood).

* Prayer: Please pray for the expansion of peace and freedom in the world...that our enemies have a change of heart and for the protection of our troops, including our fellow LIFE devotions group member Grant Croft who is serving in Iraq. Grant shared the following, "The [LIFE Devotions] blog has been insightful and encouraging to read as well as the prayer requests. A rocket landed about 100 yds away from my trailer this morning while I was in bed." Thanks to Grant and all who serve to protect our freedom, especially the freedom to worship our Creator!

Saints Feast Day: St. George http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George and St. Adalbert http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adalbert_of_Prague.

Through Christ for ProLife,

Pat

Phil 4:13

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml.

* Prayer: If you have a prayer request, simply send it to our distribution list at life-group-distro@googlegroups.com. Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others (so let's pray daily!). Wayne Watson lyrics, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” "If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him."

* Defend the unborn: ProLife websites at life-devotions.blogspot.com. 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa. Click for Prayer to End Abortion.

* Share the Good News: Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!

John 6:54 (Eternal Life)

* Welcome God every morning before work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which has snippets from Living Faith (http://www.livingfaith.com/).

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. John 6:54

Living Faith snippets: "The consecrated bread and wine are not only signs of love, but they are the real Sacramental presence of Jesus in our midst. Whenever we receive the consecrated host in our hand or on our tongue, and whenever we drink the consecrated wine, we are touching God. Lord, I cannot fully comprehend the mystery of your love. All I can do is open my heart to receive what you want to give." by Fr. Kenneth E. Grabner (author of "Focus Your Day")

Pat nuggets: I was especially taken by the prayer above, "Lord, I cannot fully comprehend the mystery of your love. All I can do is open my heart to receive what you want to give" (regarding the Eucharist). As we are the created, why should we expect to fully comprehend the ways of our Creator God? As a scientist and follower of Jesus, I am constantly amazed at how much our Creator allows us to understand through the gift of our mind and inspired words from the Bible and fellow Christians living as the Body of Christ. I do not expect to fully understand the Eucharist, but I do accept this Sacramental (from Christ) gift because God said, "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you" (John 6:53). Although it should be enough that God said to do it, we still struggle with this. The many disciples of Christ at that time also struggled with this and said, "this saying is hard; who can accept it?" (John 6:60). Jesus said, "the words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe. Many of His disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him [Jesus]" (John 6: 63, 64, 66). Those disciples left Christ in John "6:66," and Rich noted that perhaps Satan influenced those disciples to turn away from Christ. Would those disciples have left Jesus if the Eucharist was simply a sign of his love? While trying to pass on the gift of skiing to Grace this year, I would ski ahead of Grace and ask her to ski to me. Grace had to let go and trust that I would catch her. Once she trusted me, she received the joy of the skiing gift. When I let go of my own desire to totally understand the why and how of the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, I can then receive God's grace through His awesome gift...Amen!

Through Christ for ProLife,
Pat
Phil 4:13

* Today's Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml.
* Prayer: If you have a prayer request, simply send it to our distribution list at life-group-distro@googlegroups.com. Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others (so let's pray daily!). Wayne Watson lyrics, “When God's people pray, there is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven, and miracles you can't explain await!” "If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him."
* Defend the unborn: Pro-Life websites at life-devotions.blogspot.com. 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa. Click for Prayer to End Abortion.
* Other devotions: Sr. Francelle (sisterfrancelle.blogspot.com) and COUGARS daily (cougarsdaily.blogspot.com). Would you like to be added?
* Share the Good News: Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!

Psalm 93:1 (God's creation)

* Welcome God every morning before work by taking ~5 min to read this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion, which has snippets from Living Faith (www.livingfaith.com).

And he has made the world firm, not to be moved. Psalm 93:1

Living Faith snippets: "God's creative activity is different from that of, say, a painter, who makes a painting and then moves on. Rather, God creates in every moment, breathing life into each of us, into all that is. Otherwise we would cease to exist. The evidence of his astonishing promise--that the world will surely stand in place--is here, now, waiting for us to see." by Mary Marrocco

Rich's comments: The second law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of an isolated system which is not in equilibrium will tend to increase over time, approaching a maximum value at equilibrium. In more simpler terms, the usefulness of energy constantly degrades; sort of like a wind-up toy that ceases to move after its spring mechanism has relaxed. The Earth, however, is not a wind-up toy that God has wound up and forgotten. The key word in the thermodynamics law is "isolated." The earth is not a closed system absent from outside interaction. God is living and actively involved in His creation and He is living in us. Lord, fill our hearts with Your love. Give us the strength and courage to do Your will on Earth as it is in Heaven. Amen

Through Christ Our Lord,
Rich
Romans12:12

* Daily Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml.
* LIFE Group prayers: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others (so let's pray daily!). If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him. Click for Prayer to End Abortion.
* Defend the unborn: Pro-Life websites at life-devotions.blogspot.com. 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' Blessed Mother Teresa.
* Sr. Francelle devotions at sisterfrancelle.blogspot.com and COUGARS daily devotions at cougarsdaily.blogspot.com. Would you like to be added?
* Share the Good News: Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!

Sat, 8 Mar (John 7:40-41)

* Welcome God every morning by reading the Living Faith devotional before work (~1 min). Order at http://www.livingfaith.com/.


Some in the crowd...said, "This is truly the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Messiah." But others said, "The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he?" John 7:40-41

Living Faith snippets: "It is natural to want to defend our own understanding of Jesus--Jesus as we see him. But Jesus doesn't belong to any one of us; we belong to him. He is not ours; we are his. We do not lay claim to Jesus so much as he grasps hold of us. Our main task is to let go, allow ourselves to be claimed by Christ and surrender to the mystery that is Jesus." by Karla Manternach

Rich's comments: There will often come a time when we have to take a stand for Christ and for the gospel. To stand for Jesus may provoke mockery or unpopularity. In my graduate chemistry program I have to attend a weekly analytical chemistry seminar. Every week a new graduate student gives a 50 minute talk about their research or a certain analytical topic from the literature. The last slide of every presentation is usually an acknowledgments slide in which the speaker thanks those individuals who gave them support in preparing for their talk (e.g. their advisor, fellow group members, family, and friends). One specific talk from last semester sticks out in my mind. At the end of the speaker's presentation, she thanks her advisor, her friends and family, and then she thanks Jesus Christ. The atmosphere in the room seemed a bit ackward afterwards, but then everyone did the socially acceptable thing and applauded as usual. I was proud of her allegiance to Christ in front of a scientific audience. A diverse crowd with diverse opinions of the identity of Jesus. Are you ready to stand for Jesus and to show him honor and loyalty whatever it may cost you? Lord, may I be loyal to you always, even though it produces a cross on earth, that I may share in your crown eternity. Amen.

Through Christ for Life,
Rich
Romans 12:12

* 40 Days for Life campaign (ends 16 Mar): http://www.40daysforlife.com/.
* Daily Bible readings at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml
* LIFE Devotions blog at life-devotions.blogspot.com.
* LIFE Prayers blog at life-prayers.blogspot.com. Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, thereby changing us & helping others (so let's pray daily!). Click for Prayer to End Abortion.
* Sr. Francelle Devotions at sisterfrancelle.blogspot.com.
* Defend the unborn: Pro-Life websites are listed on the blog. "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you" (Jer 1:5). "You knit me together in my mother's womb" (Ps 139:13). "Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die" (Prov 24:11). "It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish" Blessed Mother Teresa.
* Share the Good News: Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!

Wed, 20 Feb (Matt 20:18)

* Welcome God every day by reading the Living Faith devotional before work (~1 min). Order at http://www.livingfaith.com/.
* Remove from distro?: If you would rather just view the devotions on the blog (no emails), I can remove you from the email distro list.

Behold, we are going to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over... Matt 20:18

Devotion snippets: "Jesus knew his enemies awaited him. I was inspired by this kind of profound surrender when a friend surrendered peacefully and welcomed death as a release into the arms of God. As with Jesus, this surrender did not come easily for Dorothy. She entrusted herself totally to God, as Jesus did, and found peace of mind and heart in the final months." by Sr. Joyce Rupp

Pat's nuggets: Last night, I went to the C. Springs Shroud of Turin Center with a physics friend, Doug Young. The center is in the basement of Dr. John Jackson's home (like going to a secret Christian hideout in Cappadocia, Turkey!). Apparently, Dr. Jackson's basement is the last remaining hope (in the world) for authenticating the Shroud. Dr. Jackson lead the 1978 team that studied the Shroud. He is working on experiments to characterize the type/amount of energy required to cause the Shroud image and experiments that may prove the 1988 carbon dating was in error (carbon dating has the Shroud much younger than 1st century).

* Dr. Jackson's new research will be presented on a BBC Shroud documentary the night before Easter. The documentary will apparently be discussed on the Today Show in the near future.
* Even if the Shroud of Turin is not the authentic burial cloth of Jesus, it is a mysterious (what caused the image?) and historically accurate representation of the crucifixion, bringing us closer to our Christ and "what greater love than this" (John 3:16).
* In 1977, a cadet was scheduled to help Dr. Jackson simulate the crucifixion as part of his efforts to authenticate the blood stains on the Shroud. The cadet told Dr. Jackson that he could not help him because he had to march tours (punishment). Dr. Jackson encouraged the cadet to ask his commander if he could suppliment crucifixion for the tours. The cadet was on time for his appointment with Dr. Jackson!

40 DAYS FOR LIFE: Learn about efforts in your area (through 16 Mar) and sign up for the daily updates email at http://www.40daysforlife.com/. Watch a couple minute clip on the "March for Life" (22 Jan) in Washington D.C. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsD5Jv_mmL0.

* On Sat, 23 Feb, is anyone able to join me for a 3 to 5 AM or 8 to 9 PM prayer vigil shift at the local abortion clinic?
* "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." Jeremiah 1:5
* "...you knit me together in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:13

Mother Teresa Quote: "It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish."

Through Christ Our Lord,
Pat
Phil 4:13

* Daily Bible readings: View at www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml
* LIFE Devotions blog: View at life-devotions.blogspot.com. Sign up to comment at LIFE Devotions. Please fill in your profile. If inspired, add a comment and fwd it to the distro at life-group-distro@googlegroups.com.
* LIFE Prayers blog: View at life-prayers.blogspot.com. Sign up to comment at LIFE Prayers. Prayer connects us with God's will, changes us, and is part of miracles (so let's pray daily!). Please "post" prayer requests (update with a "comment" then send update to distro email).
* Sr. Francelle Devotions: View at sisterfrancelle.blogspot.com. Let me know if you would like to be on the distro to receive her inspiring & challenging faith-application devotions (sent weekly).
* Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!

Thurs, 14 Feb (Matt 7:7)

* Welcome God every day by reading the Living Faith devotional before work (~1 min). Order at http://www.livingfaith.com/.

Ask and it will be given to you. Matthew 7:7

Devotion snippets: "I firmly believe in the necessity of prayer; it is as essential as breathing [staying connected to God]. I believe in its power; I've personally witnessed God's astonishing response to prayer." by Mary Marrocco

Pat's Nuggests:
* Prayer: Joe Levisky's granddaughter Laney had another bout of seizures yesterday. Let's join in prayer today for Laney, Joe, and family. Sharon Carlson sent this great prayer perspective yesterday, "If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead & see Him."

* Shroud of Turin: Last night, I attended a wonderful talk on the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud is believed to be the burial cloth of Christ and bears the highly distinct image of a crucified man. I did a report on the Shroud in ~1987 and found the faith/science surrounding the Shroud to be incredibly interesting. The presenter, Dr. John Jackson, is a former Academy physics professor who led the 1978, thirty-person plus, scientific expedition that studied the Shroud first-hand. Dr. Jackson showed us a replica of the Shroud. He believes the Shroud was also possibly the table cloth for the Last Supper based on: the Passover meal uses a tablecloth (separate leavened from unleavened), sets of possible wine drips spaced around one side of the Shroud, tablecloth was a quick solution for short notice burial. Furthermore, Dr. Jackson proposed that the apostles may have literally used the Shroud to "do this in memory of me" (The Last Supper), perhaps leading to the tradition of placing a small cloth under the bread/wine before the consecration. More at http://www.shroudofturin.com/Science1.html.

Saints: Today is the feast day of St. Cyril and St. Methodius, brothers who are the patron saints of Europe: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Cyril and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Methodius. I'm sure our German friends Lutz and Thomas find this particularly interesting :)!

Happy St. Valentine's Day, especially to Angi :)! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Valentine

Through Christ Our Lord,
Pat
Phil 4:13

* Daily Bible readings: www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml
* LIFE Devotions blog: Sign up at LIFE Devotions. Please fill in your profile. If inspired, add a comment and fwd it to the distro at LIFE-Group-Devotions-distro@googlegroups.com.
* LIFE Prayers blog: Sign up at LIFE Prayers. Prayer changes things, so let's pray daily. Please "post" prayer requests (update with a "comment", send to distro).
* Sr. Francelle Devotions: Let me know if you (and others) would like to be on the distro to receive her wonderful weekly faith-application devotions.
* Let's joyfully live out the Good News and gladly tell others about it (Mark 16:15)!