John 3:8 (Go with the Flow)

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

"The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:8 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a planner. I take comfort in having structure in my life (that's why I like the Air Force), and knowing what lies ahead for me. Sometimes though, planning can become too structured and make us inflexible to the opportunities presented by God and creates anxiety for us when things don't go according to our plans. In today's Gospel reading, Jesus explains that a person "born of the Spirit" is unpredictable like the wind. A person born of the Spirit is not blinded by their own agenda, but they are sensitive to the pull of the Holy Spirit and allow their lives to be guided by the Lord. If you feel that you have to plan, then perhaps you should plan to follow in Christ's footsteps and open yourself to the flow of the Holy Spirit. Lord, I want what You desire for me. Please help me to put my plans aside and give You control. Give me strength, faith, and hope in the Holy Spirit that You have provided to guide me each and every day. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Are you anxious about not having control of the things in your life? Relax, go with the flow, and have faith in the Holy Spirit to guide You in Christ's footsteps.

Counter-Culture News: LifeNews, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action

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. Anthanasius

Faith Quote: "Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth - in a word, to know God - so that by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to know the truth about themselves." Blessed 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 (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.

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

Luke 10:6 (Peace be with You)

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

If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Luke 10:6 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: Peace is not to be found in the world (John 14:27), in others, or in ourselves. Peace is not the result of human effort. Peace is a gift of Jesus and can only come from Him. We receive the peace of Christ when we turn from pride and selfishness, and walk in the path that Jesus has shown us. If one were to live as an authentic Christian, everything that one intends, thinks, and does would be in tune and harmony with the will of God. This is the source of Christ's peace; the removal of moral conflict within one's heart that comes from denying ourselves and accepting God's will. May the peace of Christ rest on you and be with you always.

Faith Challenge: What things in your life prevent you from receiving the peace of Christ?

Counter-Culture News: 40 Days for Life (ends 31 Oct), LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action.
* Susan Boyle: Docs Told Mum to Abort Me. International singing phenomenon Susan Boyle has revealed in a new autobiography that doctors had told her mother to abort her, because they thought the pregnancy was risky.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP), Rich Reich (cousin Tom cancer), Sara Ragan (healing from the miscarriage of her baby), Kay Castle (Jesi cancer), Leslee Unruh (grandbaby Pierce post-surgery infection).

Feast Day: St. Luke

Faith Quote: "Every act of love is a work of peace, no matter how small." - Mother Teresa

Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

Luke 11:9 (what we really need)

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

Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Luke 11:9 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "As today's gospel concludes, we always need to keep in mind that even when what we ask for seems obviously right and good, what we all need more than anything is "the holy Spirit"--and we may take this to mean that present circumstances are radically relative. What we need above all else is intimate, deep-down intimacy with "the Father in heaven"-- and this we can be sure to receive abundantly, now and in eternity. Lord Jesus, help me to trust completely in your love." by Mitch Finley

Rich's comments: Today's Gospel clearly emphasizes that we should ask God in prayer for what we need and we should be persistent about it. In praying for what we need, we should trust completely in God's loving authority. This will give us the proper attitude to humbly place His will above our own. In doing so, we are more receptive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, which guides us to ask for what we really need to accomplish God's will.

Faith Challenges: Let's all invite one person each week (John 14:6) to join our LIFE Group (>240 of God's children).

* NEW: Place God's will above your own when praying, and be persistent in prayer.

LIFE Group snippets: Cleta Jasper shared, "Prayer is a fascinating thing. Years ago, we were taught the acronym, ACTS. Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving & Supplication. When we feel terribly anxious about a concern, it's easy to forget the first three pieces."

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).

* NEW: Joyce Trunk's friend was recently diagnosed with brain cancer.

Faith Quote: "We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties." by Oswald Chambers

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 40:7 (from deed to faith)

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

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Psalm 40:7 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "When I was young, I wanted nothing more than to do the holy will of God. I knew I had made some poor choices in my life up to that point, and I wanted God to know that I repented of those sins and that I had placed him first in my life. I devoured books on the lives of the saints, wanting to emulate their every act of love and penitence. Despite my best efforts, I still fell short, and so I daily resolved to find ways to make sacrifices that would prove to God my sincerity of heart. Not only was it exhausting, but it had the unanticipated counter-effect of making me proud of my imagined control and ascetic resolve. How much like the Pharisees I had become! In those days of youthful extremes, this psalm was like a beacon light for me, slowly guiding me back from deeds to faith, from self-scrutiny to the heart of love." by Claire J. King

Faith Challenge: Let's invite others to join the LIFE Group (>210 Christians).
NEW: Although we are called to do God's will, never forget that it is your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ that saves.

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 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, Rich Reich (friend Carolyn battling cancer), Peters family (JP in hospital), Stephanie Spader (pregnancy concerns), Steve/Tina Castle (sell their home)

* UPDATE: "Had a doc appt yesterday and I'm still very early in the pregnancy (3 mo) BUT the baby is ahead of schedule already (about a week) so that is GREAT! Praise God...we still are praying for a BIG HEALTHY baby." - Stephanie Spader

Feast Day: St. Bernard

Faith Quote: "Many people mistake our work for our vocation. Our vocation is the love of Jesus." - 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.

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)!

Acts 1:6 The Ascension of the Lord

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

When they had gathered together they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" Acts 1:6 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "The disciples could not let go of a dream that was so deep in their hearts: Surely the Christ would restore the kingdom of Israel! Like the disciples, we all have our dreams for what God must surely want to accomplish in the world: an end to poverty, to abortion, to violence and to the long list of plagues and injustices that we can so easily catalogue. And maybe someday God will take care of every last one of those things we wish he would do right now." by Mark Neilsen

Rich's comments: We must trust in the rightness of God's plan and its timing, but I do not believe that we are suppose to take an inactive stance and peacefully watch the injustices in our World take place like legalized abortion. Knowing the Truth of Christ's teachings, the Holy Spirit moves my heart and makes me want to take action. Just like when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles during Pentecost. Maybe God's plan is dependent on our ears opening to the call of the Holy Spirit within our hearts. I believe that God has chosen all of us to take an active role in His plan to serve His purposes. Let's not dissapoint Him.

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

* NEW: Take on the responsibility of educating and aligning your conscience with God's will so that you will be more receptive to the calling of the Holy Spirit within your heart.

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, Rich (Jim Russell who is battling cancer)

* NEW: Rich (doctors found 5 cm tumor in Jack Myers' esophagus and he will begin Chemo treatment next week)

Feast Day: The Ascension of the Lord

Faith Quote: "I gave in, and admitted that God was God." by C.S. Lewis

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)!

Psalm 113:7 (sustained in love)

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

From the dunghill [the Lord] lifts up the poor... Psalm 113:7 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "Think of the most miserable moment in your life. Being on the dunghill feels like this kind of utter defeat or desolation. In the gospel today, Jesus urges, "Remain in my love" (John 15:9). The gospel encourages us to never give up believing we are held in the heart of God. We remain in this love and are sustained until the time comes for us to move off the dunghill of our troubles." by Sr. Joyce Rupp

Rich's comments: I have heard a few testimonies from family and friends of the moment when they found Jesus, and a common theme seems to be that they were at their worst; near the point of self-destruction. Sometimes people need to feel utter defeat or desolation to realize that following their own selfish will apart from God's will was not bringing them closer to happiness and love. It is at these moments when we can finally set our pride aside like the prodigal son and come home to our Father.

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

* NEW: When times are really bad, do not lose hope. Have faith and depend on God.

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, Jason Peters (son JP), Kathy Castle (Michael Moon hand infection), Carla Neal (Harold Heard, Jamie, Joyce & all of you), Pat, Angi, & 4 cadets (safe trip to China and back)

Feast Day: Saint Matthias was the apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following Judas's betrayal of Jesus and his suicide (Acts 1:18-26).

Faith Quote: "Even the rich are hungry for love, for being cared for, for being wanted, for having someone to call their own." 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)!

John 15:7 (bowing to God's will)

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

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. John 15:7 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "Maybe the true meaning is something like this: If we perfectly remain in the Risen Christ, and his words remain perfectly in us, then we will ask only for what God in his wisdom will give. But we never do these things perfectly, do we? We can't use these words of Jesus as if they are a magic formula. All prayers should end with a bow of obedience to the ultimately mysterious will of God." by Mitch Finley

Rich's comments: I would like to share with you an excerpt from Matthew Kelley's book, Rediscovering Catholicism, that speaks about the will of God. "The saints perfectly aligned themselves with the will of God. That is what makes them saints - this synthesis of their own individual will and the will of God. In this modern era, people have been seduced by the dark lie that it is impossible to know the will of God. This is a diabolical lie of unfathomable proportions, because it separates us from our essential purpose and leads us down a road to misery and despair. The will of God is that you become the-best-version-of-yourself. God doesn't want to control you, or manipulate you, or stifle you, or force you to do things you don't want to do. If that were God's desire, then he would not have given you free will in the first place. God wants you to become all you can be, and in the process he wants you to experience the greatest mystery of them all - love."

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

* NEW: When you make decisions, think about what choices will help you to become the-best version-of-yourself; the version that God intended you to be.

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, Jason Peters (son JP), Kathy Castle (Michael Moon hand infection), Carla Neal (Harold Heard, Jamie, Joyce & all of you)

* NEW: Pat, Angi, & 4 cadets (safe trip to China and back)

Feast Day: Our Lady of Fátima is the title given to the vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary that was said to have appeared before three shepherd children at Fátima, Portugal on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on 13 May, the Fátima holiday.

Faith Quote: "True holiness consists in doing God's will with a smile." 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)!

Luke 1:29 The Annunciation of the Lord

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



[Mary] was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Luke 1:29


Living Faith snippets: "Humility characterizes this entire exchange. In order to become human -- God asks the help of a human being. For her part, Mary seems surprised at first to be involved at all, but then is wholly willing to accept her role in the drama that God is unfolding."


Rich's comments: Do not be surprised if you are called upon by God to do His will. God has a plan for all of us and He has blessed us with the appropriate spiritual gifts to serve Him. God is all powerful and can do anything, but He has humbled Himself by asking for our help in His plan. Lord, may we be open to serve You when You call our name. Amen.



Faith Challenge: Let's challenge each other to joyfully live out the Good News. Suggestions?
* NEW: When praying, ask God how you may serve Him to do His will.



Culture of Life (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 share ProLife Truth (John 14:6)...rebuilding a Culture of Life (Matt 5:16)!
* NOW (25 Feb-5 Apr): Support the 40 Days for Life campaign by praying by an abortion mill for one hour (Matt 26:40)...let's defend the voiceless unborn!



Pro-Life Conference tidbits: Glen Flores from Pro-Life Alliance at the University of Florida spoke at the Florida Students for Life Conference. He published and presented a booklet at the conference entitled "Ending Abortion Discrimination & the Personalism Movement". I would like to share some highlights from this booklet.



"The tolerance of abortion is a form of discrimination that results in the unjustifiable death of an innocent human being. There are 5 manners in which abortion supporters discriminate against preborns: 1. they feel intrinsically superior to preborns (e.g. SLED = Size, Level of development, Environment, Degree of dependency), 2. their feelings of superiority lead to neglect (e.g. my body, my choice), 3. they may have ulterior motives (e.g. how can you be pro-life and for war?), 4. they despair (e.g. how will we feed all of these children?), and 5. they confuse priorities (e.g. don't legislate morality!)."

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, lack of faith, illnesses/injuries, jobs, Paul Cote (sister Christine with cancer), Sharmane Calvin (Dr. Earl passed away/his family), Kathy Castle (16 cars pulled into Planned Parenthood with young girls), Carla Neal (Katelyn, Mollie, Pam Bert, Edna, Maureen, Cathy, Robin and their families)



Faith Quote: "Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness." 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)!