Acts 7:59 (Christmas Spirit)

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

"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." ~ Acts 7:59 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: "On the second day of Christmas, my true Love (Jesus) gave to me" ... a deeper share in His love. Jesus gave us His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, so that we may love as He loved. "The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). Coincidentally as the song goes, the second gift was two turtle doves, and doves are symbolic of the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:22). This Christmas, open your heart to Jesus and receive His gift of the Holy Spirit. Lord, send the Holy Spirit to teach me to love as Jesus did on the cross. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Set aside all of the gifts that you have received this Christmas and focus on the gift from Jesus, the Holy Spirit.

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 Stephen is a Christmas saint because of his love. Let us love as Stephen loved, even to martyrdom (Acts 7:59).

Faith Quote: "Wise leaders should have known that the human heart cannot exist in a vacuum. If Christians are forbidden to enjoy the wine of the Spirit they will turn to the wine of the flesh....Christ died for our hearts and the Holy Spirit wants to come and satisfy them." - A.W. Tozer

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.

Luke 21:2 (Don't Waste the Gift)

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

"[Jesus] noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins." ~ Luke 21:2 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: In today's Gospel, Jesus noticed a poor widow donating her last two coins in the treasury. The widow in the Gospel and today's feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary are very much related. Both women trusted in God and gave their all to Him. In this week of Thanksgiving, let's focus on the gifts that God has blessed us with and give thanks to the Lord by giving our all to Him. As a runner, I am inspired by Steve Prefontaine, who once held the American record for seven distance track events from the 2,000 meters to the 10,000 meters. His coach always criticized him for being a front runner and not drafting with the rest of the pack during a race. Prefontaine's response was "to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." Don't sacrifice the gifts that God has blessed you with. Offer up everything that He has given you to do His will. Lord, thank you for the gifts that You have blessed me with. May I use them for Your purpose Lord. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Give thanks to the Lord by offering up the gifts that He has blessed you with...to do His will.

Counter-Culture News: Catholic News Agency, National Catholic Register, Our Sunday Visitor, Headline Bistro, Patheos, Pewsitter, New Advent, National Review.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed & Patron Saint. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Faith Quote: “What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.” - Eleanor Powell

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.

Deuteronomy 10:20 (Fear the Lord)

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

"The Lord, your God, shall you fear, and him shall you serve; hold fast to him and swear by his name." ~ Deuteronomy 10:20 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: In today's Scripture, we are told to fear the Lord. Fear of the Lord is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are provided to help sustain the moral life of Christians. These gifts provide the frame of mind that permit Christians to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Fear of the Lord ensures our awe and reverence before God. It is not a fear of punishment, but a desire not to offend God, because we love Him. Fear of the Lord is like the respect we have for our parents. We do not wish to offend them, but we also do not live in fear of them in the sense of being frightened. So how do we fear the Lord? We fear Him by having a submissive attitude towards His will; an expression of our love for the Lord. Lord I love You. Please give me the grace necessary to do Your will. Amen.

Faith Challenge: It is better to fear the Lord than to fear man. Don't be afraid to do God's will.

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: St. Dominic.

Faith Quote: "I kept on digging the hole deeper and deeper looking for the treasure chest until I finally lifted my head, looked up and realized that I had dug my own grave." ~ St. Dominic

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.

Luke 6:38 ("The Precious Present"!)

Let's welcome God today with this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (archive, Facebook), 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

Give and gifts will be given to you...shaken down, and overflowing... Luke 6:38 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "It's an odd thing in our culture that the most generous among us are so often those with the least. Maybe they already know that what they have is a gift. They know they're not entitled to it, so they are willing to share with those around them. Affluence seems to cloud this knowledge: The more we have, the more we seem to have a sense of entitlement. "I've worked hard to get where I am" is a sentiment affluent tend to have, as though working hard were enough. But [those] who "made it" had some break, some opportunity that others didn't have or couldn't take advantage of for reasons beyond themselves. No one is truly self-made. Indeed, we have been showered with gifts "shaken down, and overflowing." I pray that all of us can see that everything we have is a gift and give to others [time, talent, treasure]." Aileen O'Donoghue

Pat's nuggets:

* Today's snippets reminded me of the insightful short story "The Precious Present" (God's gift of life...right now).

* Last Sunday, Father Chris drove over from Alton (IL) for dinner and blessed our home...every room (30 sec video)! A blessing sets something aside for God's glory. Fr Chris used holy water that Grace got last year...holy water apparently has an eternity expiration date. If you haven't had your home blessed, consider doing this before Easter.

* A friend recently asked, "why does faith always grow best in the valleys?" My response, "In reading about the Saints, they would actually thank God for their valleys (hardships)...because this is when they turned to God the most and were in turn closest to God. If someone has a weak faith life, they may instead question/curse God in the valleys. The song "Praise You In This Storm" is about trusting God...even in the valleys [John 16:33]."

Faith Challenges: Let's generously share the LIFE Group by forwarding a devotion or using the Facebook "invite people to join" link.

* NEW: Big high five to Christy Hubka for leading 8 friends to the LIFE Group last week, simply by using the "invite people to join" link on Facebook..."Faithbook"!

* NEW: During our Lenten journey, how can we share "the precious present" with others? Facebook comments are welcome...

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

* Let's never forget the horrific reality of abortion (images), #1 cause of death in America (23% of pregnancies). Let's courageously share ProLife Truth to create social tension for exposing abortion's unjust peace, rebuilding a Culture of Life for setting the unborn (and parents) free!

* NEW: 40 Days for Life (until 28 March), 105 babies saved so far

* NEW: The following news story is horrifying, Uganda parents murdering their born children to increase their standard of living. Abortion is as horrifying...the murdered children are just younger. Witch-doctors reveal extent of child sacrifice in Uganda.

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

* NEW: Pam McGushin (for Lisa Lackey's father, cancer tests), Carol Nesbitt (mother-in-law Jean had a serious stroke), Pat/Angi Castle (for new God-daughter, Delaney Hansens)

Faith Quotes:

* Carolyn McKissack shared: "Remember...just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car. Every saint has a past...every sinner has a future!" by G.K. Chesterton

* "Activists on life and family are the cultural Marines of our age. Keep up the good fight and remain Semper Fidelis." by John-Henry Westen (Editor-in-Chief LifeSiteNews)

* "I want my life to honor you, Jesus, by loving how You loved and living how You lived." by Pastor Don Bird

Courage for our Lenten journey,

Pat

Phil 4:13

* 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, pornography, bitterness, criticalness, 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 a 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 (Matt 28:19).

Sirach 47:8 (God's gift of life)

Let's welcome God today by reflecting on this Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (website, Facebook), 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

With his every deed he offered thanks to God Most High, in words of praise. Sirach 47:8 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "When we receive a gift, we are to offer thanks. If some honor is bestowed upon us, it is fitting to thank those who have helped us in this achievement. We have all been given the gift of life, filled with love, joy and blessings too numerous to enumerate. For that magnanimous treasure we owe deep and heartfelt thanks to the Author of life." by Fr. James McKarns

Rich's comments: The greatest gift God gave to us was Himself, and the greatest gift we can give to God is ourselves. God gave us the gift of life so that we would have something precious to give back to Him. The life of every human being, born and unborn, is to be respected in an absolute way, because man is the only creature on earth that God has "wished for Himself". Lord, I thank You for the gift of life. May I never take it for granted. Amen.

Faith Challenges: Let's generously share the LIFE Group by forwarding a devotion to others or by using the Facebook Group "invite people to join" link. Steve, Rich, or Pat will gladly add others to the email list.

* NEW: Start prayer today by giving thanks to God for all of your blessings, especially God's gift of life. Make your life a living offering to God.

* NEW: Read Sr. Francelle's devotion, "Get over it!", and learn how to deal with situations in life that we have no control over.

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

* Let's never forget the horrific reality of abortion (images), #1 cause of death in America (23% of pregnancies). Let's courageously share ProLife Truth to create social tension for exposing abortion's unjust peace, rebuilding a Culture of Life for setting the unborn (and parents) free!

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

* Prayer to end abortion, Peters family (JP), Haitian earthquake victims, Rich Reich (Carolyn's cancer battle), Bobby Aborn (health issues), Joe/Anne Hourigan (lost their 14 wk old unborn child), Carol Nesbitt (Nancy Wheeler - passed away).

* NEW: Carol Nesbitt (Sydney Jones passed away from a pulmonary embolism)

Faith Quote: "The world is very dangerous to live in ... not because of the people who do evil ... but because of the people who let it happen." - Albert Einstein

Through Christ our Lord,

Rich

James 1:22

* 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, pornography, bitterness, criticalness, 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 a 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 (Matt 28:19).

Luke 11:1 (Praise God!)

Let's welcome God this 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

Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples. Luke 11:1 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "Jesus' answer to his apostles' request never fails to interest and challenge me. For he offers more than a prayer whose words are to be repeated. He offers a pattern--a model that involves praising and acknowledging God before we say another word." by Amy Welborn

Rich's comments: Prayer use to be challenging for me. I never knew how to begin. Now I know that I should follow Jesus' example by praising and acknowledging God first. In doing so I realize that everything is a gift from God and that I should be grateful for everything that is given to me. We read this morning in the Old Testament reading (Jonah 4:1-11) that Jonah learned this lesson as well. Lord, may I place You before all of my desires, my aggravations, my questions, and my pain. All glory goes to You. Amen.

Faith Challenges: Let's all invite one person each week (John 14:6) to join our LIFE Group (>240 of God's children).
* NEW: Pray to God by praising and acknowledging Him first.

Pro-Life News: The LIFE Runners (Dave, Jason, Doug, Rich, John, Jim, Steve, Pat, Tammy, Brenda/Aaron/Trevor) ran the Twin-Cities Marathon (26.2 miles) on Respect Life Sunday (October 4th). So far our team has raised over $2,100 towards the purchase of an ultrasound machine for A Woman's Answer Medical Center in Gainesville, FL. Although the marathon is done, the fight to defend life is not. Please consider making a donation to this worthy cause. Please make checks payable to "Knights of Columbus" and mail them to PO Box 14044, Gainesville, FL 32604.

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, refugees, addictions, persecuted believers, Peters family (JP in hospital), Lynn Bishara (for son Alex), Stephanie Spader (for pregnancy).

Feast Day: Our Lady of the Rosary

Faith Quote: "Prayer is the key to Heaven, but faith unlocks the door." - unknown author

Through Christ our Lord,

Rich

James 1:22

* 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 a 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 (Matt 28:19).

Psalm 89:2 (sing of God's goodness)

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

The favors of the Lord I will sing forever. Psalms 89:2 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "One of the favors of the Lord is that I shall sing of his goodness forever. When I was still but a thought in the mind of God, I sang of God's goodness. While I was cupped in God's gentle hand, God could no longer bear to keep me to himself, so very dear to God I was, so very special, I burst into existence and with my whole being sang of God's goodness." by Sr. Charleen Hug, S.N.D.

Rich's comments: We are God's children, and He loves us, but sometimes I think that we don't realize that He loves us individually. Each of us were created specifically with care by God and entrusted to other's to be loved. My wife Erica was entrusted to me to be loved by me as God would love her. We do not own our children, they were loaned to us by God to be loved by us. We need to remember that everyone is a gift from God who has been entrusted to us to be cared for and loved, even those who are not yet born. Please give everyone an opportunity to sing of God's goodness. Defend the unborn.

Faith Challenge: Let's challenge each other to joyfully live out the Good News.
* Sing out against injustices to human life. Be the voice of the unborn. Find out today how you can be actively ProLife.

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!

Our Prayers: Those who pray together stay together. Fasting ideas below.
* Prayer to end abortion, abused children, chastity, peace, our enemies, our troops, depression/ despair, prisoners, ProLife politicians, illnesses/injuries, jobs, natural disasters, addictions, Kay Castle (hospitalized with flu)

* NEW: Jason (his son JP is in the hospital with unknown health problems)

Faith Quote: "Abortion is murder in the womb...A child is a gift of God. If you do not want him, give him to me." by Mother Teresa

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)!

Acts 4:34-35 (stewardship vs. ownership)

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

Those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. Acts 4:34-35

Living Faith snippets: "Talk of redistribution of tangible wealth can make us uncomfortable. We tell ourselves that large-scale attempts to do it in the modern world have failed, primarily because those responsible were mere mortals and looked out for themselves, not the greater good. What if "property" included the time to drive a neighbor to the doctor or a donation of accounting skills to a parish ministry? If we pool our time, talent and treasure to help others because we burn to grow closer to Christ, can that be wrong?" by Melanie Rigney

Rich's comments: We take pride in ownership, because we believe that we have earned our possessions, but we easily forget that these things are gifts from God that have been entrusted to us. We are called to be good stewards of His gifts. I believe that God has spread these resources disproportionately across the globe as a test of our love. He has given us this responsibility on Earth to do His will so that He may entrust us with greater responsibility in Heaven. Lord, thank you for the gifts that you have bestowed upon us and the responsibility to do Your will. Amen.

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

* NEW: Evaluate how you use God's resources in your life and cut out the waste by striving to live a simpler life.

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!

Our Prayers: Those who pray together stay together. Fasting ideas below.
* Prayer to end abortion, abused children, chastity, peace, our enemies, our troops, depression/ despair, prisoners, ProLife politicians, illnesses/injuries, jobs, natural disasters, addictions

Feast Day: St. Anselm

Faith Quote: "Live simply so that others may simply live." - Mother Teresa

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)!