My Daily Nourishment

Look on the Crucified One…

“I have been crucified with Christ;
and it is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me;

and the life which I now live in the flesh
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Galatians 2:20 NASB

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But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Galatians 6:14 KJV

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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5:22-24 NIV

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Thanks be unto God for his wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith;
the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

In the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays). It falls on a different date each year, because it is dependent on the date of Easter; it can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.

At Masses and services of worship on this day, ashes are imposed on the foreheads (or tonsure spots, in the case of some clergy) of the faithful. The priest, minister, or in some cases officiating layperson marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes in the shape of a cross, which the worshiper traditionally retains until washing it off after sundown. The act echoes the ancient Near Eastern tradition of throwing ash over one’s head to signify repentance before God (as related in the Bible). The priest or minister says one of the following when applying the ashes:

Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return. (Latin: Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.)

—Genesis 3:19

Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.

—Mark 1:15

Repent, and hear the good news.

—Mark 1:15

The ashes used in the service of worship or Mass are sacramentals, not a sacrament. The ashes may be prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebrations. They are blessed according to various rites proper to each liturgical tradition, sometimes involving the use of Holy Water. In some churches they are mixed with light amounts of water^[1] or olive oil^[2][3] which serve as a fixative.

In most liturgies for Ash Wednesday, the Penitential psalms are read; Psalm 51 is especially associated with this day.^[4] The service also often includes a corporate confession rite.

In some of the free church liturgical traditions, other practices are sometimes added or substituted, as other ways of symbolizing the confession and penitence of the day. For example, in one common variation, a small card or piece of paper is distributed to the congregation on which a person is invited to write a sin she/he wishes to confess. These small cards are brought forth to the altar table where they are burned.^[5]

In the Roman Catholic Church, ashes, being sacramentals, may be given to any Christian ^[6][7] as opposed to Catholic sacraments, which are generally reserved for church members (except in cases of grave necessity).^[8][9] Similarly, in most other Christian denominations ashes may be received by all who profess the Christian faith and are baptized^[10]

In the Roman Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is observed by fasting, abstinence from meat, and repentance—a day of contemplating one’s transgressions. The Anglican Book of Common Prayer also designates Ash Wednesday as a day of fasting. In other Christian denominations these practices are optional, with the main focus being on repentance. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Roman Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are permitted to consume only one full meal, which may be supplemented by two smaller meals, which together should not equal the full meal. A significant portion of Roman Catholics known as Traditionalists will go beyond the minimum obligations demanded by the Church and undertake a complete fast or a bread and water fast. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are also days of abstinence from meat (for those Catholics age 14 and over), as are all Fridays in Lent. Traditional Roman Catholics continue fasting during the whole of Lent, as was the Church’s traditional requirement, concluding only after the celebration of the Easter Vigil.

As the first day of Lent, it comes the day after Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the last day of the Carnival season. The origin of the name “carnival” is disputed. One theory states that the word comes from the Late Latin expression carne vale, which means “farewell to meat”, signifying that those were the last days when one could eat meat before the fasting of Lent. Other sources, however, suggest that the name comes from the Italian carne levare or similar, meaning “to remove meat”, since meat is prohibited during Lent. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “Carnival” is derived from Latin carnem levare (removal of the meat) or carnem laxare (leaving the meat).

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Meditation

As for God, His way is blameless;

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

For who is God, but the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God,

The God who girds me with strength
And makes my way blameless?

He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,
And sets me upon my high places.

He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You have also given me the
shield of Your salvation,
And Your right hand upholds me;
And Your gentleness makes me great.

You enlarge my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped.

Psalm 18:30-36 NASB

If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Matthew 21:21,22 KJV

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“Because he has loved Me,
therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him securely on high,
because he has known My name.

He will call upon Me,
and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.

With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.”

Psalm 91:14-16 NASB

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The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and
saves those who are crushed in spirit.

A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all.

Psalm 34:17-19 NIV

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Thanks be unto God for his wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith;
the only faith that saves is faith in Him

enjoy reading!!! hope we got some insights in this story!!

Pink Bicycle
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She rode a pink bicycle.  I didn't know her but she looked as
if she was in her eighties. Her hair was white with only faint
traces of the blond of yesteryear. She wasn't slender, but she
moved with grace, ease, and rhythm.

She rode in the opposite direction that I ran. I always make
it a point to run in a clockwise direction although most on a
track will move counterclockwise. (Why do I do that? That's
another MountainWings issue that I will write dealing with
moving in accordance with nature instead of what's popular.)

At any rate, we moved in opposite directions. I ran for 50
minutes around the block where my in-laws lived in Clearwater
Florida. My family was visiting them, and I always try to get
my exercise in no matter what or where. So we circled each
other.

Her pink bicycle with pink pedals constantly moved and she
circled time and time again.

I stood in my in-law's driveway after finishing my pushups.
She pedaled past and asked, "Had enough?"

"I sure have," I answered, breathing hard after the pushups.

"I never get enough although I do get tired," she replied.

I realized that you see things differently as you age. Most at
her age would not have been able to pedal a bicycle for an
hour, pink or any other color. Each lap to her was a blessing
and she recognized it. My guess is that she pedaled that
circle each day until she got too tired to pedal further. She
was tired, but she didn't have enough.

Her attitude was just as refreshing and different as her
bicycle. Perhaps you need a pink bicycle too.

Hi friends..just letting you know that my message board is not working..pls just leave a message or comments here or in any of my post…thanks a lot for your understanding…trying to fix it already…have a nice day!!

As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.

He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.

For who is God besides the LORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.

He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You give me your shield of victory,
and your right hand sustains me;
you stoop down to make me great.

You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.

Psalm 18:30-36 NIV

Serving Him – No Matter What! He Is Lord…

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.

But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Daniel 3:16-18 NIV

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Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company.

Romans 15:30-32 NASB

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Thanks be unto God for his wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith;
the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

Special Two
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