Who Do You Serve?

This is another Sunday where I will be doing one of the readings as well as the prayers of the faithful. This is the reading I will be prayerfully giving and asking God to help it reach everyone in church in some special way....

Reading 1
Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b

Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,
summoning their elders, their leaders,
their judges, and their officers.
When they stood in ranks before God,
Joshua addressed all the people:
“If it does not please you to serve the LORD,
decide today whom you will serve,
the gods your fathers served beyond the River
or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling.
As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

But the people answered,
“Far be it from us to forsake the LORD
for the service of other gods.
For it was the LORD, our God,
who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt,
out of a state of slavery.
He performed those great miracles before our very eyes
and protected us along our entire journey
and among the peoples through whom we passed.
Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”

My own thoughts on this would be that I feel best when I am doing something for others, when my thoughts are on pleasing someone else. Our Heavenly Father knows us so well and what will help us in our darkest moments...thinking of and doing something for someone else, be a small thing or a really big matter. So serving the Lord is the only way to end up truly happy. We think of serving and associate it with servitude when it is the total opposite...it is FREEDOM!!! Now isn't THAT a profound thought in a world that keeps telling us it's all about YOU??? Sure, it's all about you if you want to end up ultimately miserable. So this acronym bears repeating once more. The way to feel REAL joy is to follow the J O Y formula.

JOY = J for Jesus must be first

O then others must come next

Y because He does want you to care for yourself

So, please, please, please go out and spread a lot of JOY today and everyday!

As for some sweet smiles, here they are....

Secret Service?

A friend was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands.
He grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside:

The Pastor said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!"

My friend replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor."

Pastor questioned, "How come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?"

He whispered back, "I'm in the secret service."

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Somebody once figured out that we have 35 million laws trying to enforce the 10 commandments.

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"Someone has said that there are only two kinds of people in the world---- There are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Morning, Lord," and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it's morning."

~~~Thank You Heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit for all the many opportunities I have to spread joy serving YOU!