The Morning Offering

Guarding our Thoughts

Dwayne Parsons, author, publisher, devout Christian, my brother

Drive out all Negative Thoughts

Our thoughts really do have an impact on our world. Negative thoughts about family members or fellow employees, change our relationships. If we dislike someone at work and allow ourselves to think poorly of them, they are likely to fulfill our low expectations. If we pray for them and ask God to bless them, while asking the Lord to bless our interaction with them, they become changed for the good, and so do we.

We've all heard the image of one person who's cup is half empty, while another person's cup is half full. The former person is likely to go through life with unfulfilled goals, while the latter will see their world blossom as a beautiful garden. Even all the weeds in that garden will seem beautiful, if we keep negative thoughts at bay.

I've counseled depressed individuals over the years to take a brisk walk every day for at least forty minutes while saying the Jesus Prayer. Their depression subsides within days because the exercise, coupled with the prayer, pushes aside negative thoughts and sends depression into the abyss from which it originated.

Our negative thoughts keep us from the joy that is ours in Christ and keeps that joy from uplifting others. If we fight off negative thoughts we allow Christ to change us and those around us. Saint Seraphim of Sarov said that if we acquire peace, a thousand around us will be saved. Negative thoughts do not promote peace!
 
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

My family (photo taken on my brother's property)

 

Wednesday October 5, 2011 / September 22, 2011

17^th Week after Pentecost.
Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)

Prophet Jonah (9th c. B.C.).
Hieromartyr Phocas, bishop of Sinope (117).
Venerable Jonah the Presbyter (9th c.), father of St. Theophanes the Hymnographer and St. Theodore Graptus.
Blessed Parasceve od Diveevo (1915).
New Martyr Benjamin bishop of Romanovsk (1930).

My niece, Sarah (click on photo to enlarge)

Ephesians 3:8-21

 

Purpose of the Mystery



⁸ To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; ¹⁰ to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, ¹¹ according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. ¹³ Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Appreciation of the Mystery

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Luke 4:1-15

Satan Tempts Jesus

 ¹ Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, ² being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
³ And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
⁴ But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”
⁵ Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶ And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. ⁷ Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
⁸ And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
⁹ Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written:


      ‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,
      To keep you,’

 ¹¹ and,


      ‘ In their hands they shall bear you up,
      Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

¹² And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”
¹³ Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry

¹⁴ Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. ¹⁵ And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

My grandnephew, Maximus, another writer in the family 

(click photo to enlarge)

http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/morningoffering