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Do not be afraid. Just have faith. Mark 5:36
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Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Gentleness and Self-control
Saturday
On those days when there is less gentleness and even less control in our hands and in our demeanor, it is then we should trust more in the gentleness and control of the One God who protects us from even more of those things that we do that get us where we are to begin with.
Come to us we pray, O God of hosts and might, so that we may trust more of Your life for us and do less ourselves in the way of living our will versus Your for us. Amen.  
Friday
Living superficially, it would be diffiecult to place much emphasis on the role faith has in our lives. Yet sometimes we do. Beyond that and but, (and a really big but at that,) how many of us dare to live in such a manner these days, given how much we have come to know through the Love and faith found in Christ Jesus?
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us, as sinners. Enliven our faith, deepen our love, strengthen our hearts to share the news of unconditional salvation You have for us all. Amen.
Thursday
A lot of us have what we want and are still looking for whatever else it might be we think we need. Others are still going along without and trying to make do with what it is they have. From one to the other, our kindness of heart and generosity of spirit should lead to a more fruitful life for both. Let us all do our share today.
O gracious God and Father, You have given us the world to share. It is up to us to use it to produce the goods and foods not just for us but for all those in need. Guide us to be the stewards of Your love. Amen.
Wednesday
It could be that we are all in some sort of stage of disrepair as God continues to transform us into His image and likeness. From our sinfulness-our disrepair-to our holiness, He brings us on our path closer to Him with His Love, mercy and forgiveness. With our trust, our faith and our patience, we will enjoy all He brings us to and through.
Lord, let us hear and see You working in our lives. Let us be sensitive to Your touch, attentive to Your Word and accepting of Your will for us today. Amen.
Tuesday
Things that disrupt our daily practices-not our 'routines' because then we would be inclined to be in ruts-also disrupt our calm and peaceful existence. There are reasons these disruptions take place; the Holy Spirit is getting our attention so that the calm within us comes from Him, not from what we fashion for ourselves.
Come Holy Spirit, fill us with the wisdom to see you working in our lives so that we may come to know the fulfillment of Your love and truth throughout our days. Amen.
Monday
Friendships are the sources of youthful joy in our lives. Those friends are those that share all the trials with you as well as the celebrations. We are all called to be friends in Jesus Christ. With friendships in Him, the joy will last forever.
Loving and joyful Lord Jesus Christ, we come to You to give thanks and praise for the gifts in our lives. All life and all joy comes from You; let us see our lives then through Your Light and Love. Amen.
Sunday
Mother's Day
Perfect. Love and Mother's Day. For all that we are given from our mothers with their love and acceptance-uncondtionally-so that we may grow and thrive and learn to love as they do... our prayers and love and thanks to you all.
Hail Mary, full of Grace. The LORD is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.   
Saturday
From the vine, the branches get what they need to grow. That is how their life is controlled. From the inside, the branch gets its life-saving water to thrive. From the outside, the warmth of the sun to help make it grow. How perfect a parable for the way our lives should also be transformed: from the inside with the Eucharist and the outside with the Love and grace of our Heavenly Father and His Son.
Here we are O Lord, the works of Your hands to be the instruments of Your peace. As we are transformed by Your Body and Blood, let us live to transform others by the way we choose to follow Your will for us so others may come to know You and live eternally in Your heavenly kingdom. Amen.
Friday
Putting ourselves on a Christ-centered path toward our holiness is our daily goal. Along with that would be for our ticket to faithfulness. Holiness, faithfulness and goodness are next to Godliness. Serving God as we serve others puts us all a little closer to Him.   
Great is Your faithfulness, O Lord. Great is Your Love for us. For all we have that You have chosen to share with us to bring us closer to You, our thanksgiving and praise is lifted up each day. Open our hearts and minds to be more in Your likeness as we live out our paths of Your daily will. Amen.
Thursday
So it happens that the scriptural 'do's and don'ts' that have been laid out for us get over-shadowed by our own set of rules. In an instand and for an instant of gratification, we would rather set our sails to how their winds will take us as opposed to the steadfastness and security that God's word has proclaimed for thousands of years.
Lord, we pray that our hearts and minds and souls are anchored to Your teachings of Love and kindness. As we are on our paths, let us follow the will You have for us and not the will of the world. Amen.
Wednesday
St. Francis de Sales reminds us 'Have patience with all things. Mostly, have patience with thy self.' So often-maybe way too often-we put the pressure of impatience on ourselves when the peacefulness and patience of prayer would fill the time just fine. Not sure that is where the good saint was going with his thought but it makes sense for our lives today.
We are Your children O Lord. For all in our lives, we give You due thanks and praise. We lay our petitions at Your feet and rest in Your arms of comfort, knowing that whatever it is we ask, You will tend to according to Your will. Let us live our lives then as You have led us. Amen.
Tuesday
In all its horror, its chaotic tragedy, its ugliness and total darkness, Christ's death on the cross was meant to be bring light and peace to the world and to us. Then and now. Forever and always.
  My peace I leave with you. Peace is My gift to you.
Alleluia. Allelulia. Alleluia.
Monday
Keep moving on. Not being lazy with it. It is what it is. How often do we let our joy be relegated to cliches? How much more joy could we share and have in our lives if in fact we stood for more than just cliches?
Lord, the world offers too many things to keep our attention from You and to keep our hearts away from the joy You bring us. Let us steer away from temptation to live more by Your commandments and into the joy and glory that Your mercy brings. Amen. 
Sunday
From sun up to sundown, from first to rise to last to rest, from the limits of our cities and towns to the vastness of the universe, our God's Love is complete and without condition. Kind of crazy and amazing, isn't it, that He could care for a people such as us such as He does?
God of Love, we praise You and give thanks to You on high for the Love You have for us. Our lives are filled with the promise of salvation with Your mercy and grace found only through the Love You have for us. Let our love for You be genuine just as Your Love is for us. Amen.
Saturday
A song from some time ago urged the man to try some tenderness with the woman he loved. More than just words but the actions to go with them. Maybe we should take a cue where we need to in our own lives. We all could stand some tenderness--some that we share and some that we are on the getting end of. 'Just try a little tenderness... Hey, you gotta show it that you that you want it...' 
Gentle and tender Father, we come to give You our hearts, give You our minds and bodies in thanksgiving and in praise for all that You have given us. You have shared us with one another and shown us Your tender compassion; it is up to us now to live more like You have shown us, with love, mercy and forgiveness. Amen.
Friday
What trouble are giants? What of the trials in our lives? If we are to have faith and trust in the Way, the Truth and the Life, God will be there to guard us and guide us as we face the giants and trials along our paths. Time and time again we are reminded, 'Do not be afraid. Just have faith.'
Faithful God, save us from ourselves we pray. We find the way we choose hard and yet we still want what we want. Help our faith to be more in You and our eternal life and not what the world offers. Amen.
Thursday
Francis de Sales wrote of the gifts we have from God-spiritual gifts, intellectual gifts and even material gifts. In all He has given us, what can we give in return? He hasn't given you much? Consider then the grace and mercy in our souls, the sanity and clarity of our minds and the bodies that are our shells for them and the homes that cover bodies. So much kindness and so much generosity.
God, we marvel at the enormity of Your kindness and goodness, Your Love that we do not deserve but are covered and held in by Your mercy is truly our saving grace. We give You all we are, humbly and contritely, in praise and gratitude for the gifts You share with us. Amen.
Wednesday
Maybe we're impatient so much or so little because we're either more or less inclined to be too aware of time. It takes this long to do this or that or drive this far or go over there. What if we just recognized that God had our time to do with what He pleased--He does--and we then followed what He wanted for us? How much simpler and how much more patience would we have then?  
Lord God, You are the Giver of all things. Help us to better identify where we see ourselves less in this world and more in Your hands following Your plans for us. Amen.
Tuesday

Another day, another way to accept the peace of the Holy Spirit. Through the assistance and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can all make changes in our lives peacefully, regardless of technology's challenges or those things we cannot understand. God does. He can handle them much better than we.

Come Holy Spirit. Open our eyes and hearts and minds to accept and learn from Your guidance. Let us live in peaceful existence with those in our lives and those we meet as we follow more closely the path laid before us. Amen.

Monday

It could be that you are reading this and wondering what is going on with the website... or not going on, more to the point. Technical difficulties beyond my current capabilities- all the way to Melbourne, AU no less! Not to worry and not to fret! Let us enjoy what God has given us this day to share!

Stand by--we'll be back soon!

Joyful God and Gracious Father, we are reminded so often of the joys of life and so often overlook them. Guide us and open our hearts to take in all that You have for us as we share in Your joyous kingdom. Amen.

Sunday

If the sign of good character is doing the right thing when no one is watching because it is right and just, how more beautiful is our love for God when we offer ourselves to Him in love and sacrifice and expect nothing in return beyond His Love?

Lord God and King, Your Love is beyond our comprehension as we are but humble servants called to do Your will. For our prayers we ask that we may come closer to You and live more in Your Spirit and grace. Amen.

Saturday

There are 'things' in life that seem to control us and those things that we seemingly always want to control: chronic illnesses on one side and how people love us on the other, offered as examples. Prayerfully trust in the will of God and His 'things' for us makes for us a fuller, faith-filled life.

God Almighty Father, we submit our will to You so that all we have our hands on we put into Yours so that we may let go of what keeps us from fully trusting You. Amen.

Friday

God calls us to Him. We bring ourselves to Him upon His calling, His faithfulness in and to us. As His Love and faith in us is always and always will be there, so should what we give Him-and others as He has taught us-in return.

Lord, it is not through our choice so much as it is all through You that we are Your Father's children. Help us see that all we are and do is through His power and grace; He works through us as we do His will, the fruits of our faithfulness. Amen.

Thursday

The kindness and generosity we receive from God as He shares His Love with us is His gift to us, one that is meant for us to live as well as to share.

Heavenly Father, to gain eternal life means to live Your will for us in our daily life. True kindness and generosity begins with the sharing the Good News so that our daily living transforms us to live as You have called us. Let us follow Your will now and forever. Amen.

Wednesday

We are the feet and hands that do God's work. To do so, we must believe in His presence at all times. Even when it seems as if He is not with us or, more likely, we are away from Him, we must stand ready to serve in patience and in trust.  

We love You Lord, with all our hearts. We sometimes lack the patience to hear or see You in our lives. We pray that all we do and are will be done to please You as You have willed for us as we place our trust in Your providence. Amen.

Tuesday

Peace may flow for us like a river. It may surround us like a springtime breeze. However it is that peace comes upon us, it most often is a result of emptying ourselves of the chaos that lies within us. 

We may come to know our eternal joy and peace through You, O Lord, as You are the Bread of Life. Guard us and guide as we put our hearts and souls in Your hands, trusting to be at peace. Amen.

Monday

Get your week started with the joy that is found in gratitude and thanksgiving for all that God has in your life. The more you practice it, the more you will have it, even when you don't feel it.

Lord, we are Yours, finite and fallable. For all that we have and all that we will ever be, we come to You to give You praise and glory. Our joy is in You and the power and grace that will be ours as we put our trust in Your hands. Amen.

Sunday

First think of all the people in your life that know you and those that you know. Then think of how they touch your life and how their lives have been touched by yours. Through the Love, grace and mercy of God, He leads us all to be His messengers day to day, hearing His call, answering and living His Word. Indeed, He is our God and we are His people.

Through Your active presence in our lives Lord, we come to trust and live according to Your will for us. As Your disciples, we must trust that our paths are sharing in Your Divine Providence, the evidence to us that You will triumph over evil. Amen.

Saturday

We don't care much for those things that don't always go our way-those things we think we have some control over but ultimately, never did. We have to accept them as not so gentle nudges to remind us that the control is not about ours but about that of the Holy Spirit... as tough as that might be to accept sometimes.

We pray O Lord to be emptied to accept the Love You have for us all those times we feel the need to control our lives instead of giving over to You all we have and all we are. Amen.

Friday

We are His children. As such, God calls us to serve and be faithful to Him as He is to us. So as Samuel did say, 'Speak Lord, your servant is listening,' so should our response be as we pray for our guidance each day.

Lord, this is the day You have made for us. Let us rejoice and be glad for all that You have put in our lives for us-faith, family, friends and more. Keep our hearts open so that we may know more fully Your will for us and live it. Amen.

Thursday

If it has been a while since you last practiced or exhibited a random act of kindness or generosity, or even if it was only yesterday, make today the day! Big or small, stranger or friend, it is never too soon to allow yourself the time to experience the resulting fulfillment one gets when sharing gifts and talents and treasures on the  unsuspecting.

Lord Jesus, as You shared the loaves and fishes with the multitudes, they were witness to Your own Love and generosity. We now share in Your Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation in the Eucharist, our witness to Your Love and compassion for us. Amen.

Wednesday

In our fear, we lose our patience. Short term, long term, big things and small things, that is what it is all about. Less fear, more patience. More patience, more trust in the will of God. More trust in His will, more living on a path of holiness.

Powerful and Loving God, let us submit ourselves to the saving grace found in trust and freedom of living and being all things about Your will for us. Amen.

Tuesday

Of the gifts we receive in our lives, the gift of Christ's peace in times of turmoil is one that will keep our hearts open for His Love and mercy. As His Love is infinite and His mercy endures forever, may we trust that His peace will be in our hearts and in our lives.

Risen Lord, hear our prayers for peace and comfort. Lift our hearts to the comfort of Your Love so that we may feel then the peace and compassion found only in You. Amen.

Monday

Abraham Lincoln is often attributed with many quotes, some he said; some he gets credit for that were not his thoughts. He did say however that people are about as joyful and as happy as they allow themselves to be. What'll be for you today?

Let Your Light transform us today, O Lord and fill us with joyful songs of hope and praise as we seek and come to know more of Your will for us. Show us that all we have is gift from You and all that we seek is eternal happiness in Your heavenly kingdom. Amen.

Sunday

The Love of God goes beyond anything we can imagine. Any love we can offer not just to others but to our God and Father will pale in comparison to what He has for us. Not that we stop loving-that is His commandment. We love until death do us part and then our eternal love begins with Him through our salvation.

Lord, we are Your children. We are blessed with an abundance of Your Love. Let us be confident in the acceptance of Your grace and mercy in accordance with Your will for us. Amen. 

Easter Saturday

It just seems like the weekend just started and now it's already over after tomorrow! With a little understanding and discipline, what we will come to gain from the weekend and or any day will be what we celebrate in the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Let's slow down and enjoy Him! 

Lord God and Father, Maker of all that we are and have, let us live more humbly in Your Light as we give thanks and praise for the life You have granted us. Amen.

Easter Friday

It is not always with the first cast that one catches a fish. It is not always that one gets a hit the first time at bat. It it is not always we hear or understand the answer to a prayer right away. We should understand this: God knows and is and will be the One to open the nets, make the connection where bat meets ball and will be there in faithfulness for all of our prayers.

Let us be open to the power and wonder of Your might and wisdom, our Lord God Almighty. Grant us the presence of heart and mind to be faithful in spirit and in prayer as we submit ourselves to Your will. Amen.

Easter Thursday

Once and for all, Jesus Christ offered Himself as sacrifice for sins-the ultimate act of love and sharing and redemption. What can we give in return?

Lord Jesus, You are the Light of the world. You reign over the darkness of sin and death.  Let our lives be an example of the kindness and love You shared, giving ourselves  for You and for many. Amen.

Easter Wednesday

Are our hearts in tune and prayerfully waiting with God or are they more like the disciples were when Jesus was crucified--not so in tune with Him and waiting on Him to do something?

Let us seek Your will today, Lord, not ours. Let us find ways to change our lives to find what keeps us closer to You instead of closer to the world. As we do, may we find then that our eyes and hearts are opened to You more fully and patiently in our lives. Amen.

Easter Tuesday

Our mission as God's children is to bring His message wherever it is we go. That message must be brought with us regardless of our state or condition: of peace, of chaos; of comfort, of sorrow; of life, of death.

Lord God, let our lives be all about You and Your will for us today and always. Let us hear and heed, let us see and understand, let us touch and grasp the fullness of Your calling for us. Amen.

Easter Monday

We sometimes put our joy in check, just as the women and men did who first saw the empty tomb. Like them, we want to be sure and spend way too much time lacking in trust when all the time-all God's time-the joy was there for the accepting and sharing.

Lord God, let us proclaim the wonder of Your power over death and sin at the Resurrection and the glory and mercy of salvation through joy and acceptance of Your Love and will. Amen. 

Easter Sunday

For everyone and through everything, we are called to love God above all. From there, we are called to love one another as He Loves. In the Resurrection of His Son, we will forever find the completeness and forgiveness of that Love. As Your present day disciples, who are we then, to trust any differently His will to love as He has commanded?

Lord God and Father, though we may not see You, we see the workings of Your hands in Your earthly kingdom and in our lives and hearts. Help us hear and act more deliberately to Your Word so that we may love, live and grow and forgive, all in the glory and mercy of Your name. Amen.

 

Fully alive is how we should be in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, though it is not always easy. Though we continue to grow, it is not without pain and tension. Where is the glory and gain if it were not for the trials we face and overcome?
Thank you for making this visit. For that, we continue to praise God for all He is to you and to us and for what He does for us all, being thankful to Him as Lord and Savior.
 
We do hope that you continue to find the pages are more about serving our Maker than the world. We continue to grow with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and with the fear of God, grounded in faith, hope and love.
 
2 Peter 1:10  Make your call and election firm, for, in doing so, you will never stumble.
 
We are people who are sinners like everyone else and know that God loves the sinner yet disdains the sin. St. Paul writes: Do not be ashamed of the your testimony to our Lord, nor or me, a prisoner for His sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.  2 Timothy 1:8
 
We are not ashamed of our testimony and hope that others will share with us their own here at afraidnot.
 
 
God's will. God's way. God's way. God's will.