Jonah 1:3 (Ticket to Tarshish)

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Guest Authors schedule. LIFE Minute radio.

"But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the Lord. He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went aboard to journey with them to Tarshish, away from the Lord." ~ Jonah 1:3 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: In today's reading, God gave Jonah a mission to travel to Nineveh and preach to the people to repent of their wickedness. However, Jonah was reluctant to do what the Lord had asked of him, because he hated the Ninevites, who were oppressive enemies of the Jews. Therefore, Jonah took a ticket to Tarshish, and ran away from God's command. Isn't this typical of many of us today? God calls us to follow Him, and we decide to evade His calling. Like foolish Jonah, we take a ticket to Tarshish. Whenever we put anything before our duty to God, we are following in the steps of Jonah. The ticket to Tarshish is the easy way; it is the convenient way; it is man's way. Don't run away from the Lord; don't try to avoid the Truth for God may have to make a storm in your life to save you. Lord, the waters of my life are peaceful when I follow You. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Are your own desires getting in the way of following God's commands? Cancel your ticket to Tarshish and follow God's calling.

Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life, AFA,Vatican, Project Rachel.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption,Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: Saint Adalgott

Faith Quote: "Don't tell God how big your storm is, tell the storm how big your God is." ~ unknown author

Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.

* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Revelations 11:19 (The Third Ark)

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Guest Authors schedule. LIFE Minute radio.

"Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple." ~ Revelations 11:19 (full readings)

Rich's reflections: Today's Scripture mentions the ark of God's covenant. A covenant is an agreement between God and His people in which God makes specific promises and demands. After original sin, God decided to start over by having Noah build the first ark to escape the destructive floods. God then established His covenant with Noah and the chosen people (Genesis 9:9). Later, humanity fell into sin again and God established a new covenant with His people (Exodus 24:8). He also made a better ark, the ark of the covenant (Numbers 10:33). This second ark contained the tablets on which God wrote the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:12). Then again, humanity fell into sin. This time, God started over by making the best ark and the best covenant of all. Mary is the new ark of the new covenant. As the third ark, Mary carried in her womb Jesus, God Himself, Who established a new covenant with us in His blood (Mt 26:28). The whereabouts of the first two arks remain unknown to this day, but today we celebrate the knowledge that Mary (the third ark) is present with Jesus, our Lord.

Faith Challenge: Search diligently for Mary, the new ark, and find new hope in Jesus.

Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life, AFA, Vatican, Project Rachel.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary commemorates the death of Mary and her bodily assumption into Heaven, before her body could begin to decay. This is a foretaste of our own bodily resurrection at the end of time.

Faith Quote: "The Assumption is the culmination of the struggle which involved Mary's generous love in the redemption of humanity and is the fruit of her unique sharing in the victory of the Cross." ~ Pope John Paul II

Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.

* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Comments? To subscribe/unsubscribe to the emails, go to LIFE Group Devotions or LIFE Runners Updates.

Leviticus 19:16 (Holiness)

Welcome God with this LIFE Group Devotion (website, Facebook).

"Nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor's life is at stake. I am the Lord." Leviticus 19:16 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: In today's Scripture from Leviticus, the Lord gives Moses a series of instructions for how the Israelite people are to treat each other. If you notice after each command, He proclaims yet again, "I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:12, 14, 16, 18). He is telling us that each command He gives us is a reflection of His holiness, and the Lord is inviting us to experience this holiness for our own by obeying His commandments. In obeying the Lord's commandments, we will know and understand the holiness of God. Lord, I surrender to Your truth and love. Pour Your Spirit into me so that I may have the power to see the things I need to change. Make me holy, as You are holy, and help me to live always in Your light. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Reflect on how Leviticus chapter 19 can be applied to your life and strive for holiness.

Counter-Culture News: 40 Days for Life (until 17 Apr), LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action

* Shocking Stat: Number of Abortions Exceed All Other Deaths Combined in NYC

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Faith Quote: “Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.” ~ Leviticus 19:2

Through Christ our Lord,

Rich

James 1:22

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (23% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa
* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

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Comments? To subscribe/unsubscribe to the emails, go to LIFE Group Devotions or LIFE Runners Updates.

Galatians 5:1 (Authentic Freedom)

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (archive, Facebook).

For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: Our hedonistic society views liberation as the freedom to indulge one's desires without restraint; however, this does not promote genuine freedom. This promotes bondage to one's cravings. For example, a man chooses to indulge lust, because he feels bound by lust. In his view, the moral law that condemns lust oppresses him. To him, good is evil and evil good. Slavery is freedom and freedom slavery. Such a man will never find the happiness he seeks. If the lustful man would only open his heart to the gift of redemption, through ongoing conversion, Christ would liberate him from the oppression of lust through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Lord, I long for the freedom for which only You can provide me. Give me the strength to break the bondage of my own desires and to love as I should. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Break free from the restraints of selfish desire and seek the authentic freedom for which Christ has set us free.

Counter-Culture News: 40 Days for Life (ends 31 Oct), LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action.
* Text Messaging Prevents Coerced Abortion at Planned Parenthood.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. Peters family (JP), Rich Reich (cousin Tom cancer), Leslee Unruh (grandbaby Pierce recovering from brain surgery).

Faith Quote: "Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." - Pope John Paul II

Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

Exodus 19:16-17 (aware of God's presence)

Let's welcome God every morning by reflecting on this short Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which is based on Living Faith. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

There were peals of thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. But Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God. Exodus 19:16-17 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "Usually I am aware of God in small ways: in the company of friends, in unexpected kindnesses. I know that God is present in these quiet ways." by Karla Manternach

Rich's comments: Sometimes I wonder if our society as a whole is aware of God's presence, especially how our culture has broken His laws with abandonment. Lord, I pray that we will always be aware of your presence and obey Your commandments. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Let's challenge each other to joyfully live out the Good News.

* NEW: Think of ways to remind yourself of the presence of God (e.g., picture of Jesus, crucifix, scripture readings, WWJD bracelet, etc.), especially during moments of weakness to give you strength and help you avoid the occasion of sin.

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

* Let's never forget the horrific reality of abortion (images)...#1 cause of death in America. Let's courageously share ProLife Truth (John 14:6) to create social tension for exposing abortion's unjust peace...rebuilding a Culture of Life (Matt 5:16) and setting the unborn free!"

* NEW: "Part of the foundation of Western civilization is the Ten Commandments. The better we have obeyed the Ten Commandments, the more love, peace, justice, freedom, and happiness we have seen in our society. Right now in our culture the Ten Commandments are being broken with abandon. False gods and graven images (Ex 20:3-4) are being flashed across our TV screens. We put much time, money, and attention into these gods of self, pleasure, power, work, lifestyle, sex(see Eph 5:5), and so on. We adore and worship these gods. We also flaunt breaking the second commandment. If we go to the average movie, we will probably hear God's name repeatedly taken in vain. Who keeps holy the Lord's Day anymore? We work and shop on Sundays much more than ever before in Western civilization. Honoring our fathers and mothers has reached an all-time low, as our society encourages children to rebel against their parents. Furthermore, divorce makes it much more difficult for children to honor their parents. Casual sex denies parenthood. Concerning the fifth commandment, abortion has made us the top killers of all time. Partly because of artificial birth control, we may also be the top adulterers of all time. With our technological and communication expertise, we have developed new ways of stealing, lying, and coveting. No society has broken the Ten Commandments as we have. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rm 6:23)." - OBOB

Our Prayers: Those who pray together stay together. Fasting ideas in footnote below.

* Prayer to end abortion, abused children, chastity, peace, our enemies, our troops, depression/ despair, prisoners, ProLife politicians, illnesses/injuries, jobs, natural disasters, addictions, Stephanie Spader (for a family with unexpected pregnancy), Rob Rysavy (for a coworker's wife who is battling an illness), Carol Nesbit (for my niece, Kelly, whose baby died in her womb)

* NEW: Lynn (8 month old Alex is having surgery this morning to put tubes in his ears. Let's pray that this surgery gives him the relief he needs from all of his struggles so that he can finally start to sleep!)

Feast Day: St. Bridget of Sweden

Faith Quote: "As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live." by Pope John Paul II

Through Christ our Lord,

Rich

Romans 12:12

* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. 'If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead.'
* Fasting: Let's fast from things that take our eyes off Jesus (selfishness, bitterness, being so critical, impatience, 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 live 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 invite others to join our LIFE Group...Rich or Pat will gladly add them to the devotions distribution list (Mark 16:15)!

Genesis 2:15 (big cell phone to God)

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. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. Genesis 2:15

Living Faith snippets: "As God's finest creation, we human beings are part of one integral earth community, and we have a special responsibility to be good stewards of the earth. We must tenderly care for the ill in our midst, whether the ill be other human beings or planet Earth itself." Sr. Melannie Svoboda

LIFE Group nuggets:

* Angi Castle pointed out that yesterday's verse is a reflection of our culture war. "You disregard God's command, but cling to human tradition." Mark 7:8

* In Paige Castle's 3rd grade Sunday School class, we talked about being on guard against things becoming "gods" that take us away from our merciful and gracious God (First Commandment). A couple nights ago, Paige cut out two paper cell phones (one big, one small). She said, "Dad, the big cell phone is to God, and the little cell phone is to everything else."

* Mike Castle shared this music video, http://www.bornagainamerican.org/.

* Ross Paulick shared this article, Fla. doctor loses license after botched abortion.

Faith Challenge: Let's challenge each other to joyfully live out the Good News. Suggestions?

* NEW: Read the very short book of James (in the Bible)...you will not be disappointed!

Culture War/ProLife News: LifeSiteNews, American Family Association, Priests for Life
* Let's never forget the horrific reality of abortion (images).

* NEW: Obama's 'duplicity' on life issue, "In his speech Thursday morning, the president stated, "There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being.""

Our Prayers: Those who pray together stay together. Fasting ideas below.
* Let's pray for courage to share ProLife Truth to those around us (John 14:6)...rebuilding a Culture of Life (Matt 5:16).
* Prayer to end abortion, chastity, peace, our enemies, our troops, depression/ despair, prisoners, Pres Obama becomes ProLife, lack of faith, illnesses/injuries, Rich Reich (Fr. Tim cancer surgery), Liz Curry (abused children), Zek Kazanca (PhD exam prep), Bro Joe Castle (unresolved medical issue), Peters family (JP updates), Mark Nelson (Pat Barton cancer surgery), Rob Ouellette (Leo & Suzanne)

* NEW: Ann Schaefbauer (Ian Keisacker, 1st grader, who is recovering from brain surgery)

Feast Day: Our Lady of Lourdes

Faith Quote: "Man's real and most profound sickness is the absence of God, the absence of the source of truth and love." Pope Benedict XVI

Through Christ for ProLife,

Pat
Phil 4:13

* Bible: Readings and reflections for today.
* Prayer: 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.'
* Fasting: Let's fast from things that take our eyes off Jesus (selfishness, bitterness, being so critical, impatience, 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 live 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 invite others to join our LIFE Group...Rich or Pat will gladly add them to the devotions distribution list (Mark 16:15)!

Mark 7:8 (rules as obstacles)

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. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

You disregard God's command, but cling to human tradition. Mark 7:8

Living Faith snippets: "Rules and customs generally help prevent conflict. But in some cases they can go a little overboard, and the enforcers can take them a bit too seriously. Jesus must have felt that way about the Pharisees. He knew that rules had their place, but he also knew they were not meant to inhibit our relationship to God." by Paul Pennick

Rich's comments: Rules are important and necessary. God believed this and gave us His commandments to live by. However, we need to be careful that we do not become legalistic like the Pharisees and emphasize the letter of the law over the spirit of the law. Rules help prevent conflict, but sometimes rules conflict with each other, and we need to prioritize what is important. Jesus was observed healing on the Sabbath, a day dedicated to honor and worship God, but what could be more honoring to God than to love and help our fellow man. Don't let rules and regulations be the obstacles preventing you from sharing God's love with others.

Faith Challenge: Let's challenge each other to joyfully live out the Good News. Suggestions?

* NEW: Offer spiritual comfort to someone who has recently experienced the death of a family member or friend. A few weeks ago I was able to provide comfort to a friend who lost his uncle by sharing my hope and faith in Jesus Christ.

Culture War/ProLife News: LifeSiteNews, American Family Association, Priests for Life
* Let's never forget the horrific reality of abortion (images).

Our Prayers: Those who pray together stay together. Fasting ideas below.
* Let's pray for courage to share ProLife Truth to those around us (John 14:6)...rebuilding a Culture of Life (Matt 5:16).
* Prayer to end abortion, chastity, peace, our enemies, our troops, depression/ despair, prisoners, Pres Obama becomes ProLife, lack of faith, illnesses/injuries, Liz Curry (abused children), Zek Kazanca (PhD exam prep), Bro Joe Castle (unresolved medical issue), Peters family (JP updates), Mark Nelson (Pat Barton cancer surgery), Rob Ouellette (Leo & Suzanne)

Feast Day (St. Scholastica): http://saintbenedict.org/stscholastica.htm

Faith Quote: "Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither." by C.S. Lewis

Through Christ Our Lord,

Rich

Romans 12:12

* Bible: Readings and reflections for today.
* Prayer: 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.'
* Fasting: Let's fast from things that take our eyes off Jesus (selfishness, bitterness, being so critical, impatience, 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 live 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 invite others to join our LIFE Group...Rich or me will gladly add them to the devotions distribution list (Mark 16:15)!

Matt 15:11 (the tongue is mightier than the blade)

* 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

It is not what enters one's mouth that defiles that person; but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one. Matthew 15:11

Living Faith snippets: "Think abou what you eat, of course. But as diet is crucial for physical health, so restrained speech keeps the spirit in good shape." by Mark Neilsen

Rich's comments: Despite having heard the saying, "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all," most people probably underestimate the power of the spoken word. Though we will probably never kill someone, does not mean that the commandment "thou shall not kill" does not apply to us. Our words are so powerful that they can be used to kill another's spirit, or destroy our own. Our words can bless or curse, encourage or discourage, hurt or heal, tear down or build up. Our words can even influence the way we act and feel as well as determine our attitude and outlook on life. Lord, give me self control to hold my tongue rather than give life to negative thoughts. I want to have a positive life full of joy; let that be reflected in what I say today. Amen.

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

Our Prayers: Abortion, chastity, our enemies/our troops, natural disasters, depression/ despair, dementia, cancer, prisoners, Chad Livingston (friend Zak recovering from back surgery), Liz Curry (Drew, 2 yr old, recovering from surgery to remove a kidney tumor), Rob Ouellette (Fred diagnosed with recurrence of a very serious illness), Deb Kayser (recovering from rotator cuff and hand surgeries)

Faith Quote: “The smallest seed of faith is better than the largest fruit of happiness.” by Henry David Thoreau

Through Christ Our Lord,

Rich

Romans 12:12

* 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)!

Hosea 10:8 (false gods, our lives matter, holiness)

* 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 high places of Aven shall be destroyed... Then they shall cry out to the mountains, "Cover us!" and to the hills, "Fall upon us!" Hosea 10:8

Living Faith snippets: "This passage was written to admonish the people of Israel who worshipped false gods. It warns those who turn their backs on the one true God. These images are very real to me. As an archaeology student in college, I tromped around in the ruins of many an ancient city, cities that had literally turned to dust. Rather than despair that we are finite, I find great peace in believing that we will return to God. If not for God, my life would feel empty and pointless. My life matters." by Karla Manternach

Pat nuggets: Let's routinely reflect on the potential or reality of something having more importance than God in our lives (a false god, golden calf) and then pray about how we should prevent/fix this. This is part of our process of growing closer to God..."an unfolding of holiness" (see quote below).

Our Prayers: Abortion, our enemies/our troops, natural disasters, depression/despair, prisoners, Vicki Miller (cancer treatment), Joe Castle (11 yr old Devantae paralyzed), Kay Castle (cancer treatment for Ms. Nancy Wheeler).

Faith quote: "Do you leave space to hear God's whisper, calling you forth into goodness? Friends, do not be afraid of silence or stillness. Listen to God. Let His word shape your journey as an unfolding of holiness." by Pope Benedict (Apr 2008 visit to USA)

Through Christ Our Lord,
Pat
Phil 4:13

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

* 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. Click for Prayer 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)!

John 16:29 (the dance)

* 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).

Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. John 16:29

Living Faith snippets: "I am reminded of Anthony de Mello's insightful observation, "God is the dancer and we are the dance." One of the most brilliant moments involves the humbling realization of how little we truly do know. In a sense, it doesn't matter how much of the divine plan we grasp. What does matter is that we stay within the divine grasp [In His Holy Grip]. Dearest Lord, allow me to hear the music of the dance." by Phillis Harris-Brooks

Pat nuggets:

* Eucharist (thanksgiving): We experienced our daughter Paige's First Holy Communion yesterday, the girls were dressed like brides...for Jesus. The Sacrament (gift from God) was a beautiful display of faith and God's love for us. 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. The inspiring faith and reverence of the children caused everyone to contemplate Christ's command to receive His body and blood. Many of Christ's followers could not handle the mystery and depth of this love, so they left him at the end of John Chap 6. When Jesus asked if the apostles wanted to leave, Peter replied, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God" (John 6:67-69). Our God has earned our trust and belief through His creation and His gift of Christ...may we honor God with our obedience (1st Commandment, Matt 22:37-38), even when we don't totally understand His ways, which are above our ways (Isaiah 55:9).

* Evangelization: Let's make room to share with non-believers (be a friend, make a friend, lead your friend to Christ). Let's also work on perpetual re-evangelization of ourselves and those close to us, drawing closer to God's will by way of daily prayer (real relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love and service (Golden Rule, Matt 22:39-40). Consider inviting your family and friends to join the LIFE Devotions group, providing routine spiritual connection and strength for your individual faith community.

* Sacrament of Marriage: The essence of the following quote is likely at the heart of the 60% divorce rate in America. "When two people in a marriage are more concerned about getting the golden eggs (the benefits) than they are in preserving the relationship that makes [the golden eggs] possible, they often become insensitive and inconsiderate, neglecting the little kindnesses and courtesies so important to a deep relationship. They begin to use control levers to manipulate each other, focus on their own needs, justify their own position, and look for evidence to show the wrongness of the other person. The love, the richness, the softness, and the spontaneity begin to deteriorate. The goose gets sicker day by day" (Author Unknown). If each spouse focuses on giving >50%, marriage works. As Rich shared, Forget About Me I Love You (FAMILY).

Prayer Requests: Thanksgiving prayers (many!), End abortion, Kay (end all crimes against children), Connolly family (Sue passed away on 2 May), Todd Austell (tumor), Carol Nesbitt (nephew's baby), Pam McGushin (mom's depression, Cindy Hogan's cancer), Tom Tenpenny (sister in law's biopsy), Chad (Zak's back), Our soldiers and our enemies, Travis & Kelly Benson (working on laws to end abortion in SD)

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 let's re-evangelize ourselves and our Western culture to a deeper union with Christ's mercy and love.

Tues, 4 Mar (John 5:15-16)

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

The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath. John 5:15-16

Living Faith snippets: "The Torah prohibited any and all kind of work on the Sabbath. But Jesus brought into play another and higher law of love: if on the Sabbath you have a chance to care for someone...do it. [Jesus] did this because he knew that acting with mercy and charity was more important than avoiding work." by Mitch Finley

Pat's nuggets:
* I found this scripture on a Human Life International newsletter that Stephanie Kemp shared yesterday: "The words I spoke to you are spirit and life" (Jn 6:63). I plan to share snippets from the newsletter tomorrow.

* Rich shared this shocking "live-birth abortions" testimony from Jill Stanek (nurse): www.priestsforlife.org/testimony/jillstanektestimony.htm. A few snippets: "I had specifically chosen to work at Christ Hospital because it was a Christian hospital and not involved, so I thought, in abortion. It hurt so much that the very place these abortions were being committed was at a hospital named after my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. [Live-birth abortions done by prematurely opening cervix.] It is not uncommon for a live aborted baby to linger for an hour or two or even longer. One night, a nursing co-worker was taking a Down’s syndrome baby who was aborted alive to our Soiled Utility Room. He was between 21 and 22 weeks old, weighed about 1/2 pound, and was about 10 inches long. I could not bear the thought of this suffering child dying alone in a Soiled Utility Room, so I cradled and rocked him for the 45 minutes that he lived. Proverbs 24:11-12 says, "Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die. Don’t try to disclaim responsibility by saying you didn’t know about it." The journey God has taken me on since I first stepped out in obedience to fight abortion at a hospital named after His Son has been overwhelming! I travel around the country now, describing what I or other staff have witnessed. I have testified four times before National and Illinois Congressional Subcommittees. Each one of us has a voice that we must use to stop the atrocity of abortion."

* Volunteers are needed for the 40 DAYS FOR LIFE (http://www.40daysforlife.com/) around the clock prayer vigil at the C. Springs Planned Parenthood (abortion clinic) on Sun, 16 Mar: 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM until 11:00 PM. For scheduling, please contact Cleta Jasper at cleta915@msn.com and cc me at papcastle@hotmail.com.

Through Christ for Life,
Pat
Phil 4:13

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