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gospelmusic · 4 years ago

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Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection: 8 November 2020 - The Church Waits For Her Spouse

Readings at Mass for Sunday November 8, 2020

Thirty- Second Sunday of the Year Vestment: Green Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mystery Death Anniversary: KANU: Most Revd Patrick Sheehan, OSA., 8 November 2012 Theme of the Sunday: The Church Waits for Her Spouse. The first Christians used to often say, “The Lord is coming!” and they were always ready to receive him. The theme of vigilance links together the three readings today. The second reading describes expectation and vigilance in the community of Thessalonica. The gospel continues the theme in a parable about vigilance. The first reading can be taken as a commentary on the gospel. The gospel teaches us that “those (virgins) who prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord are wise,” while the first reading says that our most precious gift is the wisdom that comes from God. Entrance Antiphon Let my prayer come into your presence. Incline your ear to my cry for help, O Lord. Collect Almighty and merciful God, graciously keep from us all adversity, so that, unhindered in mind and body alike, we may pursue in freedom of heart the things that are yours. Through our Lord. ..

FIRST READING

Wisdom is found by those who seek her. A reading from the Book of Wisdom (Wisdom 6: 12-16) Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her. He who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty, for he will find her sitting at his gates. To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding, and he who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care, because she goes about seeking those worthy of her, and she graciously appears to them in their paths, and meets them in every thought. The word of the Lord. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 63:2.3-4.5-6.7-8 (R.cf.2b)

R. For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord, my God. O God, you are my God; at dawn I seek you; for you my soul is thirsting. For you my flesh is pining, Like a dry, weary land without water. R. I have come before you in the sanctuary, To behold your strength and your glory. Your loving mercy is better than life: My lips will speak your praise. R. I will bless you all my life: in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul shall be filled as with a banquet: With joyful lips, my mouth shall praise you. R. When I remember you upon my bed, I muse on you through the watches of the night. For you have been my strength: In the shadow of your wings I rejoice. R.

SECOND READING

God will bring with him through Jesus those who have fallen asleep. A reading from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); We would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. The word of the Lord.

ALLELUIA Matthew 24:42a.44

Alleluia. Watch, therefore, and be ready; the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Alleluia.

GOSPEL

Behold, the bridegroom. Come out to meet him. A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 25:1 -13) At that time: Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ “Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ “But the wise replied, ‘Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us. ’ But he replied, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you. ’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Gospel of the Lord.

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

The Bridegroom is here! PRIEST: My brothers and sisters, as we wait for Christ’s second coming in glory, let us pray to God our Father that we may be always watchful, and keep our eyes fixed on the Lord. READER: For the Church, the Bride of Christ, pause that she may always be clothed in the beauty of God’s grace as she sets aside everything else except her unending vigil for the Lord’s coming. pause Hear us, O Lord; come, Lord Jesus, come we pray Oh Lord. For scientists who work to alleviate human suffering, (pause) that they may have the patience to continue their scientific work, however demanding and unrewarding it may be, and never lose sight of their vocation, as they strive to eradicate disease and human misery. (pause) Hear us, O Lord; come, Lord Jesus, come we pray Oh Lord. For those who are bereaved, (pause) that their waiting to be reunited with their loved ones may be based on their belief in the resurrection, and may they not grieve, as those who have no hope. (pause) Hear us, O Lord; come, Lord Jesus, come we pray Oh Lord. For a greater understanding of our faith, (pause) that we may keep the lamp of faith alight, by which we recognize Christ in our world, and thus discover what is truly important in life. (pause) Hear us, O Lord; come, Lord Jesus, come we pray Oh Lord. PRIEST: We make our private petitions in silence to God, our loving Father. Father, we pray that we may always be found watching, so that we will not miss your Son in our lives. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Today's Reflection

Christians believe in the resurrection of the dead. This is the hope we have through the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. St Paul in I Thess. 4:13-18 is very consoling. He offers us the hope not to mourn our departed relatives/friends like those who have no hope. There is no holidays or break in our spiritual life so we have to be alert always. It is a continuous striving. We have to watch therefore, for we “do not know the day or the hour in which the son of man will come”. We should be like the wise virgins in today’s parable carrying along with us always the oil, which symbolizes righteousness and good deeds. Our decision to follow Christ and to live according to his commandments should not be procrastinated. It is not the goodness of others that will save us on the last day but our own goodness/good deeds.

Personal Devotional

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth, " 2 Timothy 2:15 - Thank God for the gift of this day - Pray for mercy for the times you have sought self-glorification in charitable deeds. - Ask for the grace of the Lord to give freely so that you can receive freely

Let Us Pray

Thanks be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which you have given me, for all the pains and insults which you have borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother, may I know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen.

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christianmenatwork · 4 years ago

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No When-Then or Coulda-Woulda-Shoulda-Selah26-CMAW097

S = Something on My Heart

See 8/16 Pastor Adam Cook message from Union Church on the Power of saying Thanks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAcuskM-0nY. I've spoken on this podcast before about the importance of being grateful to God about all of life but particularly as it relates to your heart while you're working. I've talked about how work is a gift from God, how work is so important to God that it's the first thing he did after creating Adam and Even was to give them something to do. Work is inherently good and something we should be thankful for, and not just thankful for the money that it produces, though that should be part of what we're grateful for. Pastor brought some fresh insight from his sermon that I wanted to pass along and add my own additional thoughts as well. I'll provide a link for this sermon in the show notes. First of all, Pastor Adam said that gratitude is not a one-time "Thank You" but a mindset and a way of seeing the world. Probably the most often referenced scripture about giving thanks is 1 Thess 5:16-18, in the NIV version says "Rejoice alaways, pray continuously, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". One thing I like about this verse is that it specifically says being thankful is God's will. I know I often struggle with wondering what God's will is for me and my life, and I think it's a good practice to particularly note verses that connect our actions to God's will. Being grateful is one of those things that you dont' just hear about in the Christian world, people with all different belief systems talk about the power of having an attitude of gratitude. You hear it in self help books, on motivational posters in the workplace, and on social media memes. If you think about it, other than thanking another person for something they've done specifically, having an overall attitude of gratitude doesn't make a whole lot of sense unless you worship a God who has the abliity and has proven to have chosen to be a giver, a giver of all the good things in life. Pastor Adam suggests 2 ways we can be grateful. The first is to eliminate when/then thinking. This is all about being present and being grateful for and appreciating and enjoying where we are right now, rather than longing for something that may happen in the future, or for something we had in the past. It's easy for us to point fingers at the Children of Israel who complained about only having manna to eat int he wilderness and longing for when they were slaves in Egypt and had other food to eat. The reality is I have been guilty of this type of thinking my whole adult life to different degrees and at different times, in my personal life and my professional life. If I talked to my Mom when growing up about something that I should have done in the past or something that might have been, she would wisely respond "Oh shoulda-woulda-coulda". With my own kids, I've more often tried to pass along in a similar situation the wise advice that they should do as Boston says and "Don't Look Back". We can all think of things we don't like about our work. That's easy. What takes effort is to purposely focus on the good in our work. There's the income, of course, but there's also the feeling of satisfaction for a job well done, the opportunity to interact and collaborate with others on a common goal, the chance to sharpen our skills and get better, it provides a sense of purpose, and ig gives us unique opportunties to share our faith with others and to just love on them. Psalm 118:24, in NKJV says "This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it". As my Pastor said, we should thank God not just for what He did, but for what He is doing TODAY. In John 5:17, Jesus said "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working". The 2nd suggestion Pastor Adam had for being thankful was to be the one who circles back. In Luke 17:15-18, after Jesus heals 10 lepers, "

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” I did one thing right this past year in this regard. After finishing a project, I sent out an email to each of the contractors who had done work on the project and thanked them for the work they had done. Sure, they had gotten paid for their work, and sure not everything went exactly as planned and mistakes were made, but I could not have completed the project without and I wanted to take the time to specifically thank them. Someone once said to me that it's a good idea to email a thank you after someone does something for you at work. In my Handy Tips section I've been talking about how to be more effective with the use of email, and a big part of that is not sending out too many emails. I think this is one exception, and its worth noting that you don't have to use email to say thanks you can pick up the phone. If someone regularly does helpful things for you as part of their job, you may want to occasionally thank them rather than every time they do something, and when you do so try to be specific about the work they do, noting anything that is unique about what they do and how they do it. When I sent the email to my contractors I didn't just thank them, for each of them I pointed out specific things they did that made a difference. The great thing about circling back is that it will likely make a big impact on others, because most people, like the 9 ungrateful lepers, don't do this. A few final thoughts on this issue. First, Pastor Adam said that every blessing in life that is not turned into praise is turned into pride. We could spend multiple Selah episodes talking about the danger pride and the scripture that demonstrates that Gods hates it when we're prideful. I think this point is a powerful motivator for us being thankful. Yes, being thankful is the right thing to do and will produce great fruit in our lives and the lives of others, but if we dont' do it, it can and will lead to pride will create destruction and should be avoided at all cost. Another thought I have is while we're focusing on being thankful for our work and thankful to our co-workers, remember at the end of your work day to be thankful to your wife. There's a temptation to bring our best selves to the workplace and then only bring our frustrations and judgmental attitude to our wife and kids. Whether she's out in the marketplace working or a stay-at-home Mom, our wives deserve our thanks every day and in a way that's meaningful to them. For my final thought, I heard a song by Jeremy Camp called Keep Me in the Moment on the radio today on my way home from church and I'd like to read some of the lyrics from that song.

I've been thinking 'bout time and where does it go How can I stop my life from passing me by, I don't know I've been thinking 'bout family and how it's going so fast Will I wake up one morning just wishing that I could go back?

I've been thinking 'bout lately, maybe I can make a change and let you change me So, with all of my heart this is my prayer

Singing oh Lord, keep me in the moment Help me live with my eyes wide open 'Cause I don't wanna miss what you have for me

Singing oh Lord, show me what matters Throw away what I'm chasing after 'Cause I don't wanna miss what you have for me (what you have for me)

Keep me in the moment Oh, keep me in the moment Keep me in the moment 'Cause I don't wanna miss what you have for me (oh)

When I wake up in the morning Lord, search my heart Don't let me stray I just wanna stay where you are

All I got is one shot, one try One go around in this beautiful life Nothing is wasted when everything's placed in your hands

Singing oh Lord, keep me in the moment Help me live with my eyes wide open 'Cause I don't wanna miss what you have for me (what you have for me)

Singing oh Lord, show me what matters Throw away what I'm chasing after 'Cause I don't wanna miss what you have for me (what you have for me)

Keep me in the moment (keep me in the moment) Lord keep me in the moment (keep me in the moment) Keep me in the moment 'Cause I don't wanna miss what you have for me

I've been thinking about heaven And the promise you hold So, it's all eyes on you Until the day you call me home

Singing oh Lord, keep me in the moment Help me live with my eyes wide open 'Cause I don't wanna miss what you have for me (I don't wanna miss, I don't wanna miss)

Singing oh Lord, show me what matters Throw away what I'm chasing after (oh) 'Cause I don't wanna miss what you have for me (yeah)

Keep me in the moment Oh, keep me in the moment Keep me in the moment 'Cause I don't wanna miss what you have for me

Keep me in the moment (keep me in the moment) Oh, keep me in the moment (keep me in the moment) Keep me in the moment 'Cause I don't wanna miss what you have for me (what you have for me)

E=Example of Faith at work

2 men From episode 096, when Leighton Ford was age 14, his mother left for a while and during that summer Leighton was lonely but went to a Bible Conference put on by a local business man. A speaker talked about praying out loud from the Psalms and this was a turning point for Leighton. He felt God knew and understood that teenage boy.

When Leighton was 14 yrs old a man named Evan Hedley, came to his hometown to start "Youth for Christ" there and Leighton was appointed to be president. Evan was a business man who had been in insurance. He wasn't a preacher but he was an organizer and a mentor. Evan lived to age 90 and 60 men including Leighton who had been mentored by Evan came to his funeral.

L=Logos = Work verse

“Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates. Deuteronomy 11:18-20 - CSB

A = Announcement

“"The Classic Christian Rock podcast by WildMan & Steve encompasses all a Christian Music fan would want in a podcast. They interview Christian Rock artists twice a month- those from the past and the musicians who are rocking for Christ today. On the same podcast is a weekly radio show called Metal Talk where you will here great talk about politics, current events and faith- all while listening to great Metal music. Subscribe to their podcast today where ever you get your podcasts, find out more at WildManandsteve.com"”

H=Handy tip to increase productivity and effectiveness

Pretend CC doesn't exist, thing long and hard about who you're sending your email to. Why is each and every person on there. There should be a reason you can explain. I do use the CC but I'm trying not to use the CC. It's used to keep people informed, to cover our butt by making sure those cc'd know that we've done something, sometimes used to get someone in trouble or to point out to someone what someone is or is not doing. We can very easily damage relationships and trust using the CC the wrong way. Another danger of using CC is if the email turns into a back and forth, some higher upper people that you just wanted to keep informed end up being dragged through a bunch of back and forth emails that you may not be able to stop or control.

Check out this episode!

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oceans-worshipper · 5 years ago

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I initially decided to write this article for myself.

But then, I realized, there are beautiful souls out there who would benefit from the key points I have learned to be victoriously joyful in my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I have a mental illness, and I spent a long time thinking I would never be able to be successful or live a good life because of it. I was doing “bad” for so long, that I got used to it and couldn’t even recognize the miracles unfolding in my life and how strong God was equipping me to be. That is because I have a thought disorder. I was in a sense, “overthinking” everything. I would be accomplishing so many wonderful things and still thinking that I was a doomed failure. When I reached out for support, I was told that I should use “coping skills.” So, I started practicing yoga every day, reading books, journaling, running, and the list continues...I was externally thriving, but on the inside, I was miserable. I was completely being destroyed by depression and anxiety. And then, I learned something, something the Lord put on my heart: Internal coping skills. So many clinicians and mental health professionals advise different activities on the outside. But what about coping skills on the inside? How can we become harmonious in the presence of God, as believers? How can we find balance in mind, body, and spirit? After all, happiness starts and flows from within. We have to learn to be stable and healthy in our hearts as well as interacting with the world around us.

This is the purpose of this blog post.

There are steps to hold God’s hand and walk in faith, always and forever trusting in Him. God is not a religion, He is a relationship that we can choose every day.

Give Praise to God

When you wake up, may the first thought you think be, “Thank you, God.” Every day is a gift from God. While you are going about your day, think thoughts of lovingkindness to Jesus. For example:

“I love you, Lord, you are so good that I can’t thank you enough.”

“I praise you Lord from whom all blessings flow.”

“I give thanks to God for created me with so much love.”

“Thank you Lord for this meal that is so nutritious and will give me energy. I am so thankful for this.”

If you begin to feel anxious or afraid, just remember that God is with you and you can always worship and praise Him for everything good in your life.

Isaiah 25:1 says, “Lord, you are my God

I will exalt you and praise your name,

For in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things,

Things planned long ago.”

The Word actually encourages us to Praise God. The Bible gives us all the answers we need. Additionally, you can listen to worship music, and let the lyrics of praise harmonize in your spirit. You can even sing along!

Count Your Blessings

When you start to feel down or sad, just remember that God created infinite blessings. Just start mentally reciting the treasures in your life, such as family, friends, your home, your pet, your spouse, your education, and suddenly you will realize how much the one who loves us has blessed you richly.

Positive Affirmations

Positive affirmations are reasons to be joyful, delightful in the Lord, and feel good about yourself and your life. They can be anything which brings you self-esteem and feel safe. For example:

I am beautiful, healthy, and strong.

I love and I am loved.

Jesus loves me and I am His.

I am doing such a good job today. I am taking such good care of me.

I am serving God today.

I am becoming the best version of myself for God.

Pray Unceasingly

Thess 5:17 says, “Praise unceasingly.” This essentially means to always pray to Jesus, and the best part is believing that God will answer your prayers. If you start to feel anxious, depressed, pray for help. God is a waymaker and will always provide.

Gratitude

Gratitude is the component of being thankful for God’s goodness. All around us, there are reasons to be thankful and happy. Whether it is the beauty of nature, (Spring and the budding flowers and birds chirping outside!) or our loved ones, it is an amazing thing to always thank Him. Recite in your mind three things you are thankful for. And you can write a gratitude list every morning to remind yourself of how much you have to be grateful for and keep a gratitude journal.

Memorise Scripture

The Word of God is alive. It teaches us everything we need, and gives us strength and protection, and we must live by it. Every day, study the Bible, and write down notes. Memorising scripture allows it to manifest in our souls and when we find yourself getting stressed, we can think of the Word and this will guide us to joy. A fun idea is keeping a jar and writing down scriptures on sticky papers or pieces of paper. Every day, reach into the jar and take out a piece of scripture, and think about it throughout the day. Plus, there is nothing more beautiful and encouraging than the Word of God.

Love God, Love Yourself, and Love Others

Loving God is one of the best things to focus on, and when we love God we begin to love everyone, including ourselves. The Bible says, “Let all things be done in love.” - 1 Corinthians 16:14. When we love, we are showing Jesus (a reflection) of how much he loves us. When we are kind to others, we are representing Christ.

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

My best advice is always try to keep God in mind, when things get tough. Just remember that you have a Heavenly Father, and He loves you always and wants to have a relationship with you. You can envision Him in your Mind or simply say His name in your mind or out loud. Putting God as the center of your life will never steer you wrong.

Be Kind

God calls us to be kind to one another. Jesus was always kind when he came to Earth and helped / healed as many as he could. We are the light of the Earth and when you are kind to someone, you may be the reason they believe in the goodness of God. Always do all things with love and kindness for God. And, when you are kind to others, you in turn feel great about yourself.

Keep Your Goals in Mind

God uses ordinary people for extraordinary works, and He has a plan. Everyone has a beautiful purpose, and it is important that we aspire to serve God. Never give up and keep goals of helping people.

#christian #christianity #christian blogger

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torreygazette · 7 years ago

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Still with Me in My Heart

Previously, I looked broadly at how Amber Rubarth's title track "Wildflowers in the Graveyard" calls for contemplation of death in its many images and linguistic twists. I spoke generically to limit specific thoughts and linguistic enumerations at risk of derailing the piece. But I'd like to get into some specifics by looking at some other tracks on her album Wildflowers in the Graveyard. I'd like to start today by (perhaps carelessly) expositing the lyrics of the track "Moon."

Apophenia is defined as "the tendency to perceive a connection or meaningful pattern between unrelated or random things ." As an engineer, I've been accused on more than one occasion of suffering from pareidolia which is a type of apophenia in which a person perceives patterns in random stimuli. It's a coping mechanism for making sense out of chaos. To a certain extent we all do it I imagine. But it is perennially a part of how I listen to music.

After our miscarriage, it has become near impossible to stop strings of words from articulating things previously unarticulated relating to death. It does not much matter if the lyrics are about death, the decay of love, or the passing of some valued object. All these ideas share at this core the lament of demising things cherished. The parallels between love, death, and the cyclical course of life are not so easily untangled. I don't believe I'm deluded that Rubarth's lyrics are ripe for the picking:

And as the moon is hanging way up high, you are weighing on my mind. I will give you to the dark, offer up my ways. You’re still with me in my heart every night and day. As the moon is hanging way up high, I’ll be staying here tonight.

Who having lost somebody close to them has not spent evenings with the individual "weighing on [their] mind?" Clearly, this is not an experience exclusive to those who have lost someone to death. God made man to be communal and many detractions from relationships cause emotional weight. Sometimes it can be an oppressive weight that is indiscernible in origin. Yet, I believe it is the human experience that at some point they have felt that weight. That moon hangs high whether one can acknowledge or see it.

Similarly, it is poetic to say "you're still with me." But if I am honest, I sometimes wonder what this could possibly mean. Particularly for Christians, there is more truth to "I will give you to the dark [of bodily death]" than an emotively true but vague "still with me." With that question on the table, in what way does contemplating death provide new language to answer this? I personally, at times, have associated it with pain. Residual, lingering pain of a loss can reflect the "still with me" present in mind and heart.

Thinking Scripturally, Paul says we are not to mourn as those who have no hope. And in what ways can we talk about this hope? Here, perhaps unintentionally, Rubarth provides another useful image for Christians:

If you find as you go that change is in your heart, take a lantern down the road underneath the stars. As the moon is hanging way up high, I’ll be waiting for a light.

Based upon the articulation of these lyrics, I suggest it is in anticipation of return that the fullest expression of "with me" is found. This might seem a contradiction. Perhaps it is an unqualifiable paradox. Yet, I believe there are kernels of Christian eschatology present. We await the return of those believers who have gone before us. Perhaps said more Scripturally, we are awaiting their return in the train of our Savior's revealing (1 Thess. 4:13-18). We are not left as those without hope. We remain those waiting.

Read in this light (not an immediate pun), the words of Rubarth become a soulful but softly whispered plea that the Christ with those "who have fallen asleep in Jesus" (1 Thess. 4:14) would return. Until then, some of us will have late nights waiting "for a light."

#Wildflowers in the Graveyard #Death

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