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1月22日 children's questionsWhat is the difference between luck and a blessing?
Webster’s dictionary defines luck as the “force that brings good or bad”. The ancient Greeks and Romans used to worship luck in the form of the goddess Fortuna. Her name even became another word for luck, ‘fortune’. A blessing is defined as “to invoke Divine Care”. The source of blessings is God Himself! Luck is a pagan, non-Christian concept that views good or bad fortune — and success — as a tangible thing unto itself. Certain items, like rabbits’ feet, four-leaf clovers, and other “good luck” charms” are said to “bring luck”. Certain days, and even people, are considered “lucky”. Seeking “luck” is closely connected with superstition, which in turn connected to magic. According to this world view, humans are at the mercy of unseen powerful and uncertain forces that may help or hurt us. A blessing is very different from the idea of luck. God is Lord of the world. A blessing asks for His Divine Protection and help. Whereas luck can be good or bad, a blessing is always good. God’s care for us and the world is called Divine Providence. This concern for us is grounded in love, and is personal and real. By extension the symbols of God, such as the Cross, religious medals, or phylacta (little bags of earth from holy places), are powerful when they are used not as “lucky charms”, but as signs that we believe in God’s power and protection. They are not sources of power themselves but only point back to God. Those who do not know God are trapped in a world that is full of fears and evil forces that they try to manipulate with magic and superstition. Christians can look on life and not be afraid, for Christ has destroyed the power of evil. If we trust in Him and follow His ways, nothing can really harm us. Christians reject the very existence of the idea of “luck”. Attracting “luck” with a charm, a special day according to the zodiac, or other such things, is nonsense! To quote Tiny Tim from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, “God bless us, everyone!” Thanks to V.Rev.Fr. Nicholas Hughes, proistamenos of SS. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Mansfield, OH, for filling Father’s cassock for this issue!
1月20日 Talking about have you found Grandma ???just for fun ....thanks to Patty :-)
6月8日 Today I will Make a differenceToday I Will Make a Difference I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.
I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends. Today I will make a difference. ******************************** Today I will make a difference ! *blessings * sandra * 4月19日 Satan's Meeting SATAN'S MEETING: author unknown .
Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said :-
"We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth.We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Savior. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken .So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ..This is what I want you to do," said the devil: "Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted. "Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!. Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive.To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes...Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night. Give them headaches too! If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere. That will fragment their families quickly!
Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas, give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death. Even in their recreation, let them be excessive,have them return from their recreation exhausted. Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy .And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences. Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the causes ." "It will work!" "It will work!" It was quite a plan! The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there ,having little time for their God or their families. Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives. I guess the question is, has the devil been successful! in his schemes? You be the judge!!!!! Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing
U-nder
S-atan's
Y-oke? 8月14日 Talking about Serenity Seeking...
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