Our Daily Bread
The Arnold movie Total Recall was remade this year. It will be released on August 3 with Colin Farrell as the lead actor. I am not sure if I am going to see it since I really liked the original.
The devotional is about another total recall and something being remade. After mankind sinned in the Garden of Eden, God issued a total recall of the human race due to sin. Man was now mortal and would live a live apart from God. God recalled his creation not for a "fix" that was a manufacturer error, but to be remade! Remade in his image through the power of his Son's sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection. Amazing!
Like automobile recalls, not everyone has taken advantage of this free offer. A chance at a new life in Him. Wow! Won't you consider being remade today?
Lord, I want you and need you in my life. Please remake me into your beautiful creation.
Teaching Tuesday
We are secret number eleven this week of the 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People:
Friendship beats money.
I think almost everyone would say DOH! Of course it does! There will always be those that say if you have lots of money, you will have lots of friends too! DOH! Seriously, the book says that 70% of folks credit having lots of friends, quality friendships and close family ties as part of a happy life!
I want to make one thing clear. I know some folks that think Facebook friends or online friends that they have never met are suuuccchhhh close friends. While there are some rare exceptions, these are not real friends. Do not be fooled. If most or all of your friends are online friends, you may have some serious issues! Not judging. Just trying to have a little intervention here...
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Good news or Bad news?
Our Daily Bread
I have a special aunt that was born and raised in England. I haven't spent much time with her because she and my uncle have traveled a lot in their lives with the military. One trip from England to the US, she missed her flight. Bad news! Or was it? Apparently, it was a plane that terrorists attacked and blew it up! What are the chances? So the bad news turned into a blessing! Good news!
I got two things out of the devotional. First, we should thank God for the difficulties in our lives. Be thankful for everything that comes out way. No, it is not easy. Yes, the difficulties make us what we are or what we can be -- undaunted children of God. Always having faith no matter what. Always praising God in every circumstance. Before I go any further, let me say this is my goal. I am not there yet! I let myself be tortured by my sins and difficulties way too much. I trust God knows that I am doing the best I can to work towards this goal!
Second, we shouldn't let the difficulties stop us from sharing our faith. I have learned that my difficulties have lead me to a deeper level of understanding of myself and others. While I can be brash and outrageous with my words and deeds at times, I have a heart that loves and wants the best for people.
How about you? What difficulty are you facing? How are you facing it -- alone or with our God at your side?
Lord, thank you for the difficulties in life. I praise you that I am worthy to suffer for your name. Please help me avoid suffering because of my stupid blunders!
Movie Monday
The Amazing Spider Man
I finally saw The Amazing Spider Man movie yesterday afternoon. Several friends saw it and like it a lot. I hadn't made it a priority because I really didn't think we needed another Spider Man movie series. It was OK. The parts that were good were very good. The other parts were, frankly, boring to me. The movie was over two hours long. It takes a lot to keep my attention for that long. This movie did not. I kept want to say "Yes, I get it. You are tortured, Peter Parker. I get it!". I couldn't relate to him at all, which didn't help.
Things I liked: the cast, the special effects in general, some parts of the story line were very cool.
Things I didn't like: I get it, Peter Parker, you are tortured. Tortured indeed. Too long
I give this movie two bear paws. See it on the big screen while you can. If not, you won't be missing that much if you don't.
************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms.
I have a special aunt that was born and raised in England. I haven't spent much time with her because she and my uncle have traveled a lot in their lives with the military. One trip from England to the US, she missed her flight. Bad news! Or was it? Apparently, it was a plane that terrorists attacked and blew it up! What are the chances? So the bad news turned into a blessing! Good news!
I got two things out of the devotional. First, we should thank God for the difficulties in our lives. Be thankful for everything that comes out way. No, it is not easy. Yes, the difficulties make us what we are or what we can be -- undaunted children of God. Always having faith no matter what. Always praising God in every circumstance. Before I go any further, let me say this is my goal. I am not there yet! I let myself be tortured by my sins and difficulties way too much. I trust God knows that I am doing the best I can to work towards this goal!
Second, we shouldn't let the difficulties stop us from sharing our faith. I have learned that my difficulties have lead me to a deeper level of understanding of myself and others. While I can be brash and outrageous with my words and deeds at times, I have a heart that loves and wants the best for people.
How about you? What difficulty are you facing? How are you facing it -- alone or with our God at your side?
Lord, thank you for the difficulties in life. I praise you that I am worthy to suffer for your name. Please help me avoid suffering because of my stupid blunders!
Movie Monday
The Amazing Spider Man
I finally saw The Amazing Spider Man movie yesterday afternoon. Several friends saw it and like it a lot. I hadn't made it a priority because I really didn't think we needed another Spider Man movie series. It was OK. The parts that were good were very good. The other parts were, frankly, boring to me. The movie was over two hours long. It takes a lot to keep my attention for that long. This movie did not. I kept want to say "Yes, I get it. You are tortured, Peter Parker. I get it!". I couldn't relate to him at all, which didn't help.
Things I liked: the cast, the special effects in general, some parts of the story line were very cool.
Things I didn't like: I get it, Peter Parker, you are tortured. Tortured indeed. Too long
I give this movie two bear paws. See it on the big screen while you can. If not, you won't be missing that much if you don't.
************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Fact or Faked
Our Daily Bread
There is a TV show called Fact or Faked that investigates different phenomena that comes to their attention. It is usually some kind of supernatural incident like a haunting or a video of Big Foot or some other monster. The review the facts. Investigate. Talk to people. Come to a conclusion.
Paul went through his own version of Fact or Fiction when he wrote about the resurrection of Jesus in I Corinthians 15:1-11. He was addressed the doubters, those questioning who this Jesus really was. Paul went through the same process as the TV show. He reviewed the facts (the things that Jesus did). He investigated (he did a lot of that before his conversion!). He talked to people (over 500 folks saw the resurrected Jesus). He came to a conclusion -- Jesus is who he said he was and he lives! Case closed!
Are you questioning today? Do you know without a doubt that the risen Jesus is working in your life today/ Review the facts. Investigate. Talk to people. Come to a conclusion!
Lord, please help us live each day with a risen Lord Jesus!
Psalm Sunday
Let's look at Psalm 55 today! I learned something new - maskil. A maskil is psalm that teaches you something. I learn something from many of the psalms! I love the last few verses. Remember to read this out loud for full meaning. Read the last few verses out loud several times!
Psalm 55
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David.
1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;
2 hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
3 because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me
and assail me in their anger.
4 My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm. ”
9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,
for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they prowl about on its walls;
malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces are at work in the city;
threats and lies never leave its streets.
12 If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
at the house of God,
as we walked about
among the worshipers.
15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;
let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,
for evil finds lodging among them.
16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening, morning and noon
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,
who does not change—
he will hear them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.
20 My companion attacks his friends;
he violates his covenant.
21 His talk is smooth as butter,
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,
yet they are drawn swords.
22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful
will not live out half their days.
But as for me, I trust in you.
*****************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
There is a TV show called Fact or Faked that investigates different phenomena that comes to their attention. It is usually some kind of supernatural incident like a haunting or a video of Big Foot or some other monster. The review the facts. Investigate. Talk to people. Come to a conclusion.
Paul went through his own version of Fact or Fiction when he wrote about the resurrection of Jesus in I Corinthians 15:1-11. He was addressed the doubters, those questioning who this Jesus really was. Paul went through the same process as the TV show. He reviewed the facts (the things that Jesus did). He investigated (he did a lot of that before his conversion!). He talked to people (over 500 folks saw the resurrected Jesus). He came to a conclusion -- Jesus is who he said he was and he lives! Case closed!
Are you questioning today? Do you know without a doubt that the risen Jesus is working in your life today/ Review the facts. Investigate. Talk to people. Come to a conclusion!
Lord, please help us live each day with a risen Lord Jesus!
Psalm Sunday
Let's look at Psalm 55 today! I learned something new - maskil. A maskil is psalm that teaches you something. I learn something from many of the psalms! I love the last few verses. Remember to read this out loud for full meaning. Read the last few verses out loud several times!
Psalm 55
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David.
1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;
2 hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
3 because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me
and assail me in their anger.
4 My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm. ”
9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,
for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they prowl about on its walls;
malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces are at work in the city;
threats and lies never leave its streets.
12 If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
at the house of God,
as we walked about
among the worshipers.
15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;
let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,
for evil finds lodging among them.
16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening, morning and noon
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,
who does not change—
he will hear them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.
20 My companion attacks his friends;
he violates his covenant.
21 His talk is smooth as butter,
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,
yet they are drawn swords.
22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful
will not live out half their days.
But as for me, I trust in you.
*****************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Something a man can't do...
Our Daily Bread
I have been blessed in many ways. I am thankful for that. As my friends and I tease, "I can do stuff". Our other joke is the only two things I can't do are:
Yes, that is me. Never been much for the ice! ha!
The devotional this morning reminded me of something that man can't do -- make something out of nothing! Every time a human comes up with an invention or creation, there are ingredients or stuff s/he has to combine to get the end result.
It is amazing to me (and I believe this with all my heart) that our awesome God created our universe (and maybe many others) from nothing. He didn't have a periodic table of elements to combine together (he created the table!). At the uttering of his words, all of this came into existence!
Even more amazing than that to me is that this same God wants to have a personal relationship with each of us today and for eternity. What do you say? Isn't it nice to have friends in high places? ;-p
Lord of creation, thank you for creating all the stuff around us. Let us worship you and praise you!
Simply Saturday
Comfort Zone
If you are a Facebook friend, you might have seen my brief post about attending a NASCAR race today in Indianapolis. I have always wanted to go to the Speedway, so this will be a cool opportunity to check that off my bucket list. It also helps that the company I work for is one of the sponsors of the race, so that will be cool as well (a little VIP treatment). I am looking forward to it.
When friends asked me if I am a NASCAR fan, I said "well, I think some of the drivers are cute. Does that count?" ha! I have liked race cars since I was a child. My mother reminded me of the races they took me too when I was little. I will spare you the embarrassing story there! hehehe I haven't kept up with that love as an adult, so I am going out of my comfort zone a little here.
That brings me to the topic for today -- comfort zone. We all find ourselves stuck in our comfort zones at times. We are hesitant to move because we aren't challenged or bothered or, well, uncomfortable! To be frank, the zones may be healthy or they may be unhealthy. When we are in the "zone", I feel it is a little more difficult to step out for God when he calls us. We can ask God "Why should I leave this zone for the uncertain?". God tells us to leave the zone so we can move forward with our lives. So we can move closer to him. So we can have a life that is not ordinary!
Are you in a comfort zone that God wants you to leave? I know I am. There are a couple of them. I am sticking my big toe in the uncertain waters outside the zones. God allows us the comfort zones so we can adjust to our growth like a cocoon. We need to leave the cocoon when God instructs. He will lead us. He will be with us. What does it matter where the road leads as long as God is with us?
Make it so.
********************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms.
I have been blessed in many ways. I am thankful for that. As my friends and I tease, "I can do stuff". Our other joke is the only two things I can't do are:
- ice skate
- keep my mouth shut
Yes, that is me. Never been much for the ice! ha!
The devotional this morning reminded me of something that man can't do -- make something out of nothing! Every time a human comes up with an invention or creation, there are ingredients or stuff s/he has to combine to get the end result.
It is amazing to me (and I believe this with all my heart) that our awesome God created our universe (and maybe many others) from nothing. He didn't have a periodic table of elements to combine together (he created the table!). At the uttering of his words, all of this came into existence!
Even more amazing than that to me is that this same God wants to have a personal relationship with each of us today and for eternity. What do you say? Isn't it nice to have friends in high places? ;-p
Lord of creation, thank you for creating all the stuff around us. Let us worship you and praise you!
Simply Saturday
Comfort Zone
If you are a Facebook friend, you might have seen my brief post about attending a NASCAR race today in Indianapolis. I have always wanted to go to the Speedway, so this will be a cool opportunity to check that off my bucket list. It also helps that the company I work for is one of the sponsors of the race, so that will be cool as well (a little VIP treatment). I am looking forward to it.
When friends asked me if I am a NASCAR fan, I said "well, I think some of the drivers are cute. Does that count?" ha! I have liked race cars since I was a child. My mother reminded me of the races they took me too when I was little. I will spare you the embarrassing story there! hehehe I haven't kept up with that love as an adult, so I am going out of my comfort zone a little here.
That brings me to the topic for today -- comfort zone. We all find ourselves stuck in our comfort zones at times. We are hesitant to move because we aren't challenged or bothered or, well, uncomfortable! To be frank, the zones may be healthy or they may be unhealthy. When we are in the "zone", I feel it is a little more difficult to step out for God when he calls us. We can ask God "Why should I leave this zone for the uncertain?". God tells us to leave the zone so we can move forward with our lives. So we can move closer to him. So we can have a life that is not ordinary!
Are you in a comfort zone that God wants you to leave? I know I am. There are a couple of them. I am sticking my big toe in the uncertain waters outside the zones. God allows us the comfort zones so we can adjust to our growth like a cocoon. We need to leave the cocoon when God instructs. He will lead us. He will be with us. What does it matter where the road leads as long as God is with us?
Make it so.
********************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Behind the scenes
Our Daily Bread
Have you ever met someone who is a quiet encourager "behind the scenes"? I have been fortunate to know many of those folks in my life. There was a member of my home congregation who pulled me aside every time I went home from college. She would press a $5 bill in my hand and tell me she was praying for me. I don't know that ever let her know how much that meant to me!
The devotional is about people like this in the Bible. It also talks about how we should be people like this! If we don't have the gift of being an encourager, then we should do our best when the opportunities arise.
I liked the part about people who have suffered the most often being the ones who can be the most encouraging. In my own life, God allowed me to go through many things the past five years. More things that most folks experience in 20 years. He gave me the strength to make it through and overcome the challenges. Praise God! While I might grumble at times about "why is this happening to me?", I know that all things work to the good of those who love God!
Lord, thank you for the trials. Please help me rely on your strength to pass the tests!
Foodie Friday
An acquaintance made a very nice summer salad for a social function last Sunday. I found a basic recipe for it online. I plan to make it for a church dinner next Saturday. I may adjust the recipe some when I start making it (I may not add cheese and I may cook the farro in chicken stock or vegetable stock). I bought the farro on amazon.com. I am sure it is available at your local health food store.
Summer Farro Salad
Serves 8 to 12, as a side or main course
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups uncooked farro (or substitute barley)
1 medium red onion, cut in half
1 clove garlic
handful of fresh parsley plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed
1 cup finely diced (about 1/4 "cubes) fresh mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons minced pitted kalamata olives
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
FOR THE DRESSING
scant 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1. Add the farro, one onion half, garlic, handful of parsley and salt along with 2 3/4 cups water to a 2 quart pot. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off burner and let sit, covered, for 5 more minutes. Discard the onion, garlic and large pieces of parsley. Spread out on a rimmed sheet pan and let cool completely (do not skip this step or the mozzarella will melt into the finished dish).
2. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegars and honey to prepare the dressing. Chop the remaining onion half finely. Add onion, cooled farro, mozzarella, kalamata olives, tomatoes, remaining tablespoon of parsley and basil to a deep bowl. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and stir well to combine, using a long wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Season with salt and pepper. The salad is ready to serve, but can also be made and stored in the fridge, covered, one day ahead.
NOTE: if you don't use the cheese and cook the farro in water or vegetable stock, this can be a vegan dish. Also, I will probably leave out the olives and use thinly sliced cucumbers instead. ;-)
*************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Have you ever met someone who is a quiet encourager "behind the scenes"? I have been fortunate to know many of those folks in my life. There was a member of my home congregation who pulled me aside every time I went home from college. She would press a $5 bill in my hand and tell me she was praying for me. I don't know that ever let her know how much that meant to me!
The devotional is about people like this in the Bible. It also talks about how we should be people like this! If we don't have the gift of being an encourager, then we should do our best when the opportunities arise.
I liked the part about people who have suffered the most often being the ones who can be the most encouraging. In my own life, God allowed me to go through many things the past five years. More things that most folks experience in 20 years. He gave me the strength to make it through and overcome the challenges. Praise God! While I might grumble at times about "why is this happening to me?", I know that all things work to the good of those who love God!
Lord, thank you for the trials. Please help me rely on your strength to pass the tests!
Foodie Friday
An acquaintance made a very nice summer salad for a social function last Sunday. I found a basic recipe for it online. I plan to make it for a church dinner next Saturday. I may adjust the recipe some when I start making it (I may not add cheese and I may cook the farro in chicken stock or vegetable stock). I bought the farro on amazon.com. I am sure it is available at your local health food store.
Summer Farro Salad
Serves 8 to 12, as a side or main course
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups uncooked farro (or substitute barley)
1 medium red onion, cut in half
1 clove garlic
handful of fresh parsley plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed
1 cup finely diced (about 1/4 "cubes) fresh mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons minced pitted kalamata olives
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
FOR THE DRESSING
scant 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1. Add the farro, one onion half, garlic, handful of parsley and salt along with 2 3/4 cups water to a 2 quart pot. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off burner and let sit, covered, for 5 more minutes. Discard the onion, garlic and large pieces of parsley. Spread out on a rimmed sheet pan and let cool completely (do not skip this step or the mozzarella will melt into the finished dish).
2. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegars and honey to prepare the dressing. Chop the remaining onion half finely. Add onion, cooled farro, mozzarella, kalamata olives, tomatoes, remaining tablespoon of parsley and basil to a deep bowl. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and stir well to combine, using a long wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Season with salt and pepper. The salad is ready to serve, but can also be made and stored in the fridge, covered, one day ahead.
NOTE: if you don't use the cheese and cook the farro in water or vegetable stock, this can be a vegan dish. Also, I will probably leave out the olives and use thinly sliced cucumbers instead. ;-)
*************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Befriending
Our Daily Bread
Of all the TV gadgets ever advertised, I think my favorite is the "Bedazzler"! No, I do not own one. Bedazzeled stuff is sooooo not my style! I like the name of it. I like the fun that I have with other friends about the gaudy additions to clothes, shoes, bags, etc. It is a hoot!
Instead of "bedazzling", the devotional talks about "be - friending"! hehehe Yes, I know that was a stretch for an intro, but it was fun! ha! Christ tells us that it is very easy for us to love or like those that love or like us. Very easy. The challenge is to love those that don't like us. They may talk about us. They may try to use us. They may not want anything to do with us. Yet, Christ tells us to think of their needs as he would! What's up with that?
The odd thing is that other people may consider us to be "codependent" when we follow this commandment. I think the line is drawn in how much we give of ourselves in these cases. I am still trying to figure that one out!
Lord, please help us love others like you love us!
Technology Thursday
Google Nexus 7 tablet
I wrote last week that I ordered one of the new Google Nexus 7 tablets the week they were available for pre-order. I received it last Friday. Here are my observations.
Specs
It has a quad core processor and a gig of RAM. This puppy is FAST! I have been very impressed with the performance. The screen is also very nice as it displays HD quality movies and pictures. Very nice. It is a decent weight. It is about 40% lighter than the Kindle Fire and half the weight of the larger iPad. I am not sure about the battery life. I did something wrong that resulted in running the battery down in less than a day! Yikes! The standby battery life is supposed to be several days. Not sure what I did. It does have some external controls like power and volume (no external volume control is a big complaint about the Fire). It does not have a card slot for expansion (like the Nook).
OS
This model is a 7" tablet with the latest version of the Android OS (Jelly bean), which is made for tablets. It has the smoothest performance of any Android OS I have seen. The implementation is pretty good, though I need to get used to the interface. I touch and touch sometimes and can't get to what I want! The OS is fully integrated with Google stuff (much like the Fire is integrated with Amazon stuff). If you use the other Google tools like Mail, Calendar, etc, it will be very easy to sync that stuff to your Nexus 7.
Apps
I found a few apps I wanted so far. I got a $25 credit to Google Play with my order. I am buying a few apps I want. It also came with the last Transformer movie preloaded. That is nice.
Summary
I really liked the Nexus 7 tablet. If you are looking at a small tablet, consider this one. It comes in an 8 gig model for $199 and a 16 gig model for $249. The 16 gig model is hard to come by at the time of this blog entry. You might have to wait a little while to get it. The 8 gig should be adequate for most casual users.
*********************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Of all the TV gadgets ever advertised, I think my favorite is the "Bedazzler"! No, I do not own one. Bedazzeled stuff is sooooo not my style! I like the name of it. I like the fun that I have with other friends about the gaudy additions to clothes, shoes, bags, etc. It is a hoot!
Instead of "bedazzling", the devotional talks about "be - friending"! hehehe Yes, I know that was a stretch for an intro, but it was fun! ha! Christ tells us that it is very easy for us to love or like those that love or like us. Very easy. The challenge is to love those that don't like us. They may talk about us. They may try to use us. They may not want anything to do with us. Yet, Christ tells us to think of their needs as he would! What's up with that?
The odd thing is that other people may consider us to be "codependent" when we follow this commandment. I think the line is drawn in how much we give of ourselves in these cases. I am still trying to figure that one out!
Lord, please help us love others like you love us!
Technology Thursday
Google Nexus 7 tablet
I wrote last week that I ordered one of the new Google Nexus 7 tablets the week they were available for pre-order. I received it last Friday. Here are my observations.
Specs
It has a quad core processor and a gig of RAM. This puppy is FAST! I have been very impressed with the performance. The screen is also very nice as it displays HD quality movies and pictures. Very nice. It is a decent weight. It is about 40% lighter than the Kindle Fire and half the weight of the larger iPad. I am not sure about the battery life. I did something wrong that resulted in running the battery down in less than a day! Yikes! The standby battery life is supposed to be several days. Not sure what I did. It does have some external controls like power and volume (no external volume control is a big complaint about the Fire). It does not have a card slot for expansion (like the Nook).
OS
This model is a 7" tablet with the latest version of the Android OS (Jelly bean), which is made for tablets. It has the smoothest performance of any Android OS I have seen. The implementation is pretty good, though I need to get used to the interface. I touch and touch sometimes and can't get to what I want! The OS is fully integrated with Google stuff (much like the Fire is integrated with Amazon stuff). If you use the other Google tools like Mail, Calendar, etc, it will be very easy to sync that stuff to your Nexus 7.
Apps
I found a few apps I wanted so far. I got a $25 credit to Google Play with my order. I am buying a few apps I want. It also came with the last Transformer movie preloaded. That is nice.
Summary
I really liked the Nexus 7 tablet. If you are looking at a small tablet, consider this one. It comes in an 8 gig model for $199 and a 16 gig model for $249. The 16 gig model is hard to come by at the time of this blog entry. You might have to wait a little while to get it. The 8 gig should be adequate for most casual users.
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Servants
Our Daily Bread
I have been to many dinners and parties where folks try to jockey for the best seats and best places to stand to be seen as important or part of the "in" crowd. I sometimes find myself wanting to be in the limelight so I can be noticed. It is only human nature.
James and John asked Jesus a very "human" question -- "Can we sit on your right and left hand in heaven?". The "Sons of Thunder" angered the other disciples with this question. Why did the brothers think they were better than anyone else? Jesus replied in his loving way, as usual, telling them that they had to think of themselves as servants to be lifted up in Glory! Wow! That is not how folks think!
Are we asking God for the wrong things? Are we trying to lift up ourselves instead of focusing on serving God and loving others?
Lord, please show me the way to show your love!
Workout Wednesday
Tennis
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I started playing singles tennis again as part of my exercise regimen. I enjoy tennis a lot. I haven't played much of it in about twenty years. It has been interesting getting back in the swing of things (pun intended!). Some folks think that you don't get much of a workout when playing doubles or singles. If you play a good match with someone on your level (like my 2.5 hour heartbreaking loss two weeks ago), you get lots of exercise! I am sharing a few exercises that you can do in addition to playing tennis. I got the idea from an episode of Reluctantly Healthy. I included the link below.
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Let go, my friends! God will there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
I have been to many dinners and parties where folks try to jockey for the best seats and best places to stand to be seen as important or part of the "in" crowd. I sometimes find myself wanting to be in the limelight so I can be noticed. It is only human nature.
James and John asked Jesus a very "human" question -- "Can we sit on your right and left hand in heaven?". The "Sons of Thunder" angered the other disciples with this question. Why did the brothers think they were better than anyone else? Jesus replied in his loving way, as usual, telling them that they had to think of themselves as servants to be lifted up in Glory! Wow! That is not how folks think!
Are we asking God for the wrong things? Are we trying to lift up ourselves instead of focusing on serving God and loving others?
Lord, please show me the way to show your love!
Workout Wednesday
Tennis
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I started playing singles tennis again as part of my exercise regimen. I enjoy tennis a lot. I haven't played much of it in about twenty years. It has been interesting getting back in the swing of things (pun intended!). Some folks think that you don't get much of a workout when playing doubles or singles. If you play a good match with someone on your level (like my 2.5 hour heartbreaking loss two weeks ago), you get lots of exercise! I am sharing a few exercises that you can do in addition to playing tennis. I got the idea from an episode of Reluctantly Healthy. I included the link below.
- Practice serves. Do lots and lots of them, especially your second serve so you can execute your form flawlessly in a real match.
- Run the lines. Start on the left hand side of the court, run to the first line, touch it, go back, then go to the next line, touch it, repeat until you hit all the lines. Do three or four sets.
- Review the video in this link from a Reluctantly Healthy episode. Start slow on this exercise as it is easy to trip and fall on your butt! I know I almost did! Try to speed up each time. Try to repeat the exercise four or five times as you build up your endurance and speed.
- Work on your grip. Use a grip exerciser to improve your grip in both hands (not just your racket hand). Work up to three or four sets of forty or fifty reps.
- If you really want to improve your "burst" speed and agility so you can get to more shots from your opponent, try the sled from your crossfit gym. I like pushing the sled four to six times after a workout to build endurance and burst speed. Very cool!
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Let go, my friends! God will there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Mentor or mentee
Our Daily Bread
My grandmother and grandfather (my mother's parents) were my heroes growing up. I was very close to both of them, spending time with them whenever I could. They had to spread their time around to all of the seventeen grandchildren! They taught me so much about life and about my relationship with God.
The devotional talks about that -- learning from those older than us. When I first read the devotional, I thought "how nice...". I then realized that I have a two roles now -- mentee and mentor. Yes, I need to be the older person and mentor those younger than me. Yikes! Double Yikes! I am too young for this! I remembered how my grandparents were my age when I was a young teen. My how time flies!
What are you supposed to do? Mentee? Mentor? Both? Ask God today.
Lord, thank you for giving me the gift of years on this earth. Please help me use them to guide others to you!
Teaching Tuesday
We are on secret number 10 in the 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People.
Secret Ten:
Limit yourself to thinking about one subject as you lie down to sleep.
According to the book, thinking about too many things when you lay down to sleep can affect the quality of your sleep. Poor sleep quality can affect your happiness! Who knew?
I have been working on getting more sleep. I went for several months where I went to bed late (because my sort of boyfriend lived in Central time zone) and got up about 5:00 am to exercise. Whew. I was exhausted by Thursday night of each week. I feel better when I sleep a little more. I will see how it works out this Fall when I am much busier!
How is your sleep? Not just quantity, but quality? Folks with good sleep habits are usually happier!
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
My grandmother and grandfather (my mother's parents) were my heroes growing up. I was very close to both of them, spending time with them whenever I could. They had to spread their time around to all of the seventeen grandchildren! They taught me so much about life and about my relationship with God.
The devotional talks about that -- learning from those older than us. When I first read the devotional, I thought "how nice...". I then realized that I have a two roles now -- mentee and mentor. Yes, I need to be the older person and mentor those younger than me. Yikes! Double Yikes! I am too young for this! I remembered how my grandparents were my age when I was a young teen. My how time flies!
What are you supposed to do? Mentee? Mentor? Both? Ask God today.
Lord, thank you for giving me the gift of years on this earth. Please help me use them to guide others to you!
Teaching Tuesday
We are on secret number 10 in the 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People.
Secret Ten:
Limit yourself to thinking about one subject as you lie down to sleep.
According to the book, thinking about too many things when you lay down to sleep can affect the quality of your sleep. Poor sleep quality can affect your happiness! Who knew?
I have been working on getting more sleep. I went for several months where I went to bed late (because my sort of boyfriend lived in Central time zone) and got up about 5:00 am to exercise. Whew. I was exhausted by Thursday night of each week. I feel better when I sleep a little more. I will see how it works out this Fall when I am much busier!
How is your sleep? Not just quantity, but quality? Folks with good sleep habits are usually happier!
*******************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Troubles
Our Daily Bread
I have been a "character" since my junior year in high school. My friends say joking statements like "You are so bad" or "Here comes trouble" a lot. ;-p If your own mother says "you are so bad", then it must be true! Ha!
The devotional tells us that Jesus warns us "Here comes trouble!". He follows that statement with his promise that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will be with us always through good times and bad times. We need to rest in his peace.
I don't know about you, but I suck at resting in his peace. The devotional speaks to me at a time when I am struggling with a few things. They are not problems, just inconveniences, as a friend would say. After all I have been through in the past five years, I should just dismiss these minor inconveniences and be at peace. Why do we have such a hard time with that?
Let's pray for each other that we will accept God's peace like we accept a generous gift from a friend or relative. We can do this!
Lord, I want to look myself in the mirror and say "Peace be unto you" and mean it!
Movie Monday
I took time to see the Batman movie on Friday. By taking time, I mean the time commitment of 2 hours and 45 minutes! I liked the movie a lot. The amazing part is that it kept my attention the entire movie. That is very unusual for a long movie. The action scenes were very cool. The plot twists were very cool. The special effects were cool. Please note that there a few moments where you might say "what did I just see and why did I just see it?". I have those moments in almost every movie. Try not to over-think the movie and just enjoy it. If you are any kind of Batman fan, you will.
I give this movie three bear paws. See it on the big screen.
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
I have been a "character" since my junior year in high school. My friends say joking statements like "You are so bad" or "Here comes trouble" a lot. ;-p If your own mother says "you are so bad", then it must be true! Ha!
The devotional tells us that Jesus warns us "Here comes trouble!". He follows that statement with his promise that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will be with us always through good times and bad times. We need to rest in his peace.
I don't know about you, but I suck at resting in his peace. The devotional speaks to me at a time when I am struggling with a few things. They are not problems, just inconveniences, as a friend would say. After all I have been through in the past five years, I should just dismiss these minor inconveniences and be at peace. Why do we have such a hard time with that?
Let's pray for each other that we will accept God's peace like we accept a generous gift from a friend or relative. We can do this!
Lord, I want to look myself in the mirror and say "Peace be unto you" and mean it!
Movie Monday
I took time to see the Batman movie on Friday. By taking time, I mean the time commitment of 2 hours and 45 minutes! I liked the movie a lot. The amazing part is that it kept my attention the entire movie. That is very unusual for a long movie. The action scenes were very cool. The plot twists were very cool. The special effects were cool. Please note that there a few moments where you might say "what did I just see and why did I just see it?". I have those moments in almost every movie. Try not to over-think the movie and just enjoy it. If you are any kind of Batman fan, you will.
I give this movie three bear paws. See it on the big screen.
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Surrounded in prayer
Our Daily Bread
"Give up, you are surrounded by police!" can be heard in some old movies. The police tracked down the desperate criminal and trapped him in a abandoned warehouse in a seedy part of town. "There is no way for you to escape!". ha!
The devotional is about surrounding folks in prayer. The apostle Paul asked for it in his writings. We have always been taught that "prayer changes things". I liked the visual of being physically surrounded in prayer. I have done this at some church services and some small group meetings. We would surround a person, place our hands on his or her shoulders, then take turns praying for the person. Surrounded! There is no way for you to escape! I mean no way for the problem or situation to escape the control of God. He controls all, including everything that happens to us. He does not let us take on more than we can bear. What an amazing God!
Do you want to be surrounded in prayer? Have you asked your friends or ministers to do so? Do you pray for others? Listen to the Holy Spirit today for leadership in your prayers.
Lord, please teach how to pray and what to pray for.
Psalm Sunday
The psalm for this week is Psalm 54. Remember to read it out loud! This is a short, powerful psalm about a prayer to God for deliverance from his enemies. Haven't we all felt this way at times! It sounds pretty intense to me, but that is one of the things I like about the psalms. The express the depths and breadth of human emotion!
Psalm 54
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David. When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”
1 Save me , O God, by your name;
vindicate me by your might.
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.
3 Arrogant foes are attacking me;
ruthless people are trying to kill me —
people without regard for God.
4 Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.
5 Let evil recoil on those who slander me;
in your faithfulness destroy them.
6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;
I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.
7 You have delivered me from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.
***********************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
"Give up, you are surrounded by police!" can be heard in some old movies. The police tracked down the desperate criminal and trapped him in a abandoned warehouse in a seedy part of town. "There is no way for you to escape!". ha!
The devotional is about surrounding folks in prayer. The apostle Paul asked for it in his writings. We have always been taught that "prayer changes things". I liked the visual of being physically surrounded in prayer. I have done this at some church services and some small group meetings. We would surround a person, place our hands on his or her shoulders, then take turns praying for the person. Surrounded! There is no way for you to escape! I mean no way for the problem or situation to escape the control of God. He controls all, including everything that happens to us. He does not let us take on more than we can bear. What an amazing God!
Do you want to be surrounded in prayer? Have you asked your friends or ministers to do so? Do you pray for others? Listen to the Holy Spirit today for leadership in your prayers.
Lord, please teach how to pray and what to pray for.
Psalm Sunday
The psalm for this week is Psalm 54. Remember to read it out loud! This is a short, powerful psalm about a prayer to God for deliverance from his enemies. Haven't we all felt this way at times! It sounds pretty intense to me, but that is one of the things I like about the psalms. The express the depths and breadth of human emotion!
Psalm 54
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David. When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”
1 Save me , O God, by your name;
vindicate me by your might.
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.
3 Arrogant foes are attacking me;
ruthless people are trying to kill me —
people without regard for God.
4 Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.
5 Let evil recoil on those who slander me;
in your faithfulness destroy them.
6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;
I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.
7 You have delivered me from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Abide with us
Our Daily Bread
I studied hymnology in college as part of my church music degree. I found it so interesting how hymns were written and the stories behind them. Take a look at the story by the hymn Abide with Me. The devotional talks about the hymn and the concepts behind it.
I have to admit that I have felt a little lonely the past week. Even though God has reminded me over and over again that I am certainly not alone in this world, I have been feeling a little sorry for myself (otherwise known as Blunder man if you read my blog entry from yesterday). As God continues to speak to me through the Our Daily Bread devotionals and many other sources, I am reassured over and over of my place in this world. Reassured of my purpose in life. Reassured of the promises that God made me. Reassured over and over again of all the things God has taught me over the years. God is abiding with me with his steadfast love and unbelievable patience. To top it all off, the devotional gently reminds us that the greatest privilege in this life is to have God abide with us! Wow!
Are you letting God abide with you today?
Lord, please abide with me. I want and need you in my life.
Simply Saturday
Ceiling Fan
I am constantly amazed how God uses so many things to speak to us. This past week he used the ceiling fan in my bedroom to teach me a lesson! Wow! So what did I learn from my ceiling fan?
First, my ceiling fan does two things: it is a light for my bedroom and it spins in circles to circulate air. God said my life is something like that. I am to be a light for him. Light bulbs can burn out. The pull chain on the fan can break preventing the light from coming on. There are many reasons or excuses for not letting your light shine. What is yours today? I also am to circulate his love to others. Ceiling fans, though, can get out of balance. They can not do their circulation job. We can get out of balance and not do our "circulation job" for a myriad of reasons (think of one for your life). A ceiling fan that neither lights nor circulates air is useless!
Second, ceiling fans should be "humble". They work quietly behind the scenes. They do not scream "I am circulating air now!" or "I am lighting your room now!" ;-) They do the job they are supposed to do in a humble manner. Can we do that? God knows what we do. That is all that is important.
Lastly, ceiling fans should be quiet. I like a quiet ceiling fan, especially when I sleep. As Christians, we should also know when we are to be silent. This advice is coming from someone who LOVES to talk! ha! At least I know myself! I noticed some weird sounds coming from my ceiling fan week before last. The sounds bothered me initially when I laid down to sleep. I learned to tune out the useless noise so it didn't interfere with my life. That was the most important lesson for me... God knows that I have an overly active mind. He gave it to me. The lesson is that I need to be disciplined about tuning out the thoughts that are useless noise in my mind. I don't want those things to interfere with my life!
Take a look at your ceiling fan and at your life. Take a look at the other things around you. What is God trying to say to you?
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
I studied hymnology in college as part of my church music degree. I found it so interesting how hymns were written and the stories behind them. Take a look at the story by the hymn Abide with Me. The devotional talks about the hymn and the concepts behind it.
I have to admit that I have felt a little lonely the past week. Even though God has reminded me over and over again that I am certainly not alone in this world, I have been feeling a little sorry for myself (otherwise known as Blunder man if you read my blog entry from yesterday). As God continues to speak to me through the Our Daily Bread devotionals and many other sources, I am reassured over and over of my place in this world. Reassured of my purpose in life. Reassured of the promises that God made me. Reassured over and over again of all the things God has taught me over the years. God is abiding with me with his steadfast love and unbelievable patience. To top it all off, the devotional gently reminds us that the greatest privilege in this life is to have God abide with us! Wow!
Are you letting God abide with you today?
Lord, please abide with me. I want and need you in my life.
Simply Saturday
Ceiling Fan
I am constantly amazed how God uses so many things to speak to us. This past week he used the ceiling fan in my bedroom to teach me a lesson! Wow! So what did I learn from my ceiling fan?
First, my ceiling fan does two things: it is a light for my bedroom and it spins in circles to circulate air. God said my life is something like that. I am to be a light for him. Light bulbs can burn out. The pull chain on the fan can break preventing the light from coming on. There are many reasons or excuses for not letting your light shine. What is yours today? I also am to circulate his love to others. Ceiling fans, though, can get out of balance. They can not do their circulation job. We can get out of balance and not do our "circulation job" for a myriad of reasons (think of one for your life). A ceiling fan that neither lights nor circulates air is useless!
Second, ceiling fans should be "humble". They work quietly behind the scenes. They do not scream "I am circulating air now!" or "I am lighting your room now!" ;-) They do the job they are supposed to do in a humble manner. Can we do that? God knows what we do. That is all that is important.
Lastly, ceiling fans should be quiet. I like a quiet ceiling fan, especially when I sleep. As Christians, we should also know when we are to be silent. This advice is coming from someone who LOVES to talk! ha! At least I know myself! I noticed some weird sounds coming from my ceiling fan week before last. The sounds bothered me initially when I laid down to sleep. I learned to tune out the useless noise so it didn't interfere with my life. That was the most important lesson for me... God knows that I have an overly active mind. He gave it to me. The lesson is that I need to be disciplined about tuning out the thoughts that are useless noise in my mind. I don't want those things to interfere with my life!
Take a look at your ceiling fan and at your life. Take a look at the other things around you. What is God trying to say to you?
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Friday, July 20, 2012
Wonder man
Our Daily Bread
Wonder Woman amazed folks, both in comic books and on the TV series, with her strength, beauty and tight costume. She could do so many things well that it was truly a wonder! The devotional talks about an eternal wonder -- our God!
I guess if I were a comic book character my name would be "Blunder Man". There is no simple task that I couldn't blunder! Nothing too easy. Nothing too simple. hehehe God and some of my friends know that I blundered a lot this summer. The devotional was so comforting to me with this simple statement:
God can change our blunders into wonders.
Can he really? I sure need that! No, I am serious, I need that! God knows about our blunders. He also knows our human hearts and minds. Like Peter, we don't always react the way we should. We don't say or do the right things. Why do I click the "Send" button sometimes in an email? Why do I press the Enter key on my keyboard after writing a comment on Facebook. Why, why, why? ha! We are just human. We do the best we can. That is all we can do -- keep trying our best. It is amazing to know that God can and will turn our blunders into wonders. What an awesome God!
Lord, please help me make things easier for you by reducing my number of blunders!
Foodie Friday
This is a simple version of the lemon garlic hummus I made for my dinner group last Sunday. I substituted some things. This recipe doesn't require tahini, which can be expensive for an ingredient you don't use very often. I used a 69 cent bag of sesame seeds and processed them down to get that same flavor! I served this with whole wheat pita chips and blue corn tortilla chips.
Lemon Garlic Hummus (recipe)
Ingredients
3/4 cup virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
Pita bread, cut into wedges (or other serving ideas of your choice)
Directions
In a food processor, combine the oil, lemon juice, beans, garlic and salt; cover and process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl. Serve with pita wedges, etc.
Note: I processed 1/2 pack of sesame seeds with the garlic and olive oil before adding the other ingredients.
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Inside out
Our Daily Bread
I remember learning to bake and my sisters learning to bake. We worked so hard to produce a cake that looked good and tasted good. Most of the time the "looking good" part didn't happen! It tasted great though!
Like the cakes, people can be different on the inside than they look on the outside. Often they are the opposite of the cake -- look good on the outside, but rotten on the inside! Yikes! I try not to judge. I know we all have our "less than perfect" aspects of our lives that we try to hide from other people. That is human nature. We need to remember that we can never hide them from God. Instead of wasting energy trying to hide them from God, we need to spend our energy giving those things over to God!
Lord, please help us
Technology Thursday
There were a couple of interesting things this week in the technology world.
Google Nexus tablet ships
I received an email that my Google Nexus tablet should ship this week or next. We will see how that goes! I may be surprised any day! I will write it about soon after I receive it.
AT&T offers shared data plans
AT&T followed the lead of Verizon to offer new shared data plans. Like Verizon, they hope to offer plans that will encourage more folks to activate additional devices. It is better to have more devices at a cheaper rate than no devices at all! Folks like me have balked at activating an iPad and incurring another data plan charge. Under the new plan, I can activate my iPad cheaper than the current separate plans. We will see how this works out.
Interesting lawsuits
Many large tech firms are mired in patent lawsuits. It is bizarre to me. Apparently, one judge ruled against Apple. Apple has to run ads stating that Samsung did not copy the iPad. Wow. Interesting stuff.
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
I remember learning to bake and my sisters learning to bake. We worked so hard to produce a cake that looked good and tasted good. Most of the time the "looking good" part didn't happen! It tasted great though!
Like the cakes, people can be different on the inside than they look on the outside. Often they are the opposite of the cake -- look good on the outside, but rotten on the inside! Yikes! I try not to judge. I know we all have our "less than perfect" aspects of our lives that we try to hide from other people. That is human nature. We need to remember that we can never hide them from God. Instead of wasting energy trying to hide them from God, we need to spend our energy giving those things over to God!
Lord, please help us
Technology Thursday
There were a couple of interesting things this week in the technology world.
Google Nexus tablet ships
I received an email that my Google Nexus tablet should ship this week or next. We will see how that goes! I may be surprised any day! I will write it about soon after I receive it.
AT&T offers shared data plans
AT&T followed the lead of Verizon to offer new shared data plans. Like Verizon, they hope to offer plans that will encourage more folks to activate additional devices. It is better to have more devices at a cheaper rate than no devices at all! Folks like me have balked at activating an iPad and incurring another data plan charge. Under the new plan, I can activate my iPad cheaper than the current separate plans. We will see how this works out.
Interesting lawsuits
Many large tech firms are mired in patent lawsuits. It is bizarre to me. Apparently, one judge ruled against Apple. Apple has to run ads stating that Samsung did not copy the iPad. Wow. Interesting stuff.
*******************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
What are you working for?
Our Daily Bread
One of my favorite Donna Summer songs, may she rest in peace, is "She works hard for the money". I tease my friends about this a lot!
The question in the devotional asks us "are you doing too much to build up riches in this world?". The wise words of Solomon encourage us to build up eternal riches! This sounds like New Testament stuff!
We all want things. We want things for us. Want things for our families and friends. Want things for our church and extended family. If we make "things" the priority, even if they are good things, then we on the wrong track! love this saying:
"The best things in life aren't things!"
Lord, please help us focus on you and your work and not put things first in our life!
Workout Wednesday
Walking or Running
There is a lot of discussion about whether running or walking is better for you. Most folks agree that walking is much easier on your body. Running is obviously faster, takes less time and can have better cardio effects. What are some tips for each type of exercise?
Walking
Buy very good shoes! You can usually get away with a good brand and not get fitted.
Wear comfortable clothes.
Stretch a little before walking.
Start slow. Work your way up to walking faster and farther.
Pump your arms or use walking sticks.
Cool down. Stretch afterwards. Drink some healthy sports drink (low sugar). Eat 1/2 a banana
Running
Buy very good shoes! If you are just starting to run, go to a store like Frontrunners to get fitted.
Warm up. Do some warm up exercises before you run.
Start slow. Don't try to run a 10k or marathon your first few times out. Work up to it.
Be aware of your body. Be aware of what your body is telling your during your run.
Cool down. Stretch afterwards. Drink some healthy sports drink (low sugar). Eat 1/2 a banana
Rest. Know your limits. Don't run every day if your body tells you not to.
I recommend using walking and/or running in addition to other types of exercise so you get a good balance of cardio and weight work. Remember that the calorie burning of cardio stops shortly after the exercise stops. The calorie burning of more or worked muscles lasts longer after weight work.
Do something! ;-)
***************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
One of my favorite Donna Summer songs, may she rest in peace, is "She works hard for the money". I tease my friends about this a lot!
The question in the devotional asks us "are you doing too much to build up riches in this world?". The wise words of Solomon encourage us to build up eternal riches! This sounds like New Testament stuff!
We all want things. We want things for us. Want things for our families and friends. Want things for our church and extended family. If we make "things" the priority, even if they are good things, then we on the wrong track! love this saying:
"The best things in life aren't things!"
Lord, please help us focus on you and your work and not put things first in our life!
Workout Wednesday
Walking or Running
There is a lot of discussion about whether running or walking is better for you. Most folks agree that walking is much easier on your body. Running is obviously faster, takes less time and can have better cardio effects. What are some tips for each type of exercise?
Walking
Buy very good shoes! You can usually get away with a good brand and not get fitted.
Wear comfortable clothes.
Stretch a little before walking.
Start slow. Work your way up to walking faster and farther.
Pump your arms or use walking sticks.
Cool down. Stretch afterwards. Drink some healthy sports drink (low sugar). Eat 1/2 a banana
Running
Buy very good shoes! If you are just starting to run, go to a store like Frontrunners to get fitted.
Warm up. Do some warm up exercises before you run.
Start slow. Don't try to run a 10k or marathon your first few times out. Work up to it.
Be aware of your body. Be aware of what your body is telling your during your run.
Cool down. Stretch afterwards. Drink some healthy sports drink (low sugar). Eat 1/2 a banana
Rest. Know your limits. Don't run every day if your body tells you not to.
I recommend using walking and/or running in addition to other types of exercise so you get a good balance of cardio and weight work. Remember that the calorie burning of cardio stops shortly after the exercise stops. The calorie burning of more or worked muscles lasts longer after weight work.
Do something! ;-)
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
It's not just stuff
Our Daily Bread
I read a prayer in church a few times that I didn't understand for a long time. It asked forgiveness for "known and unknown sins". Hmmmm. Unknown sins? I am ashamed to admit that I very good at sinning and knowing exactly what I am doing. What is an unknown sin? I finally learned that an unknown sin is something that is wrong, but that you aren't consciously aware of it yet. I started praying for more insight into my unknown sins!
Joshua ran into the unknown sin problem during a battle. Israel was supposed to win the battle easily. They did not. Joshua rent his clothes asking God what happened. Joshua didn't know that one of his men kept some pieces of accursed things against Joshua's orders. Once those things were removed, Israel was victorious again.
Are there any accursed things in your life? Have you prayed about the Holy Spirit opening your eyes to your unknown sins? I know I am re-evaluating my life!
Lord, please show us our unknown sins. Please help us with the known ones as well!
Teaching Tuesday
Secret number 9 is:
Remember where you came from.
The book talks mostly about ethnicity, but I think this applies to everyone. For example, when my grandparents first moved from West Virginia to Northern Ohio, they were not made to feel welcome. Imagine that! They were called all kinds of names. They were not welcome at church or school. It was horrible! My grandmother instilled in her children and grandchildren to "never be ashamed of who you are"! I still live by that today!
It was funny that I used this teaching to my advantage when I "came out" to her. She said we could keep my sexuality a secret. I told her I had always been taught to never be ashamed of who I am! ha!
Know you are. Know where you came from. Be yourself.
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
I read a prayer in church a few times that I didn't understand for a long time. It asked forgiveness for "known and unknown sins". Hmmmm. Unknown sins? I am ashamed to admit that I very good at sinning and knowing exactly what I am doing. What is an unknown sin? I finally learned that an unknown sin is something that is wrong, but that you aren't consciously aware of it yet. I started praying for more insight into my unknown sins!
Joshua ran into the unknown sin problem during a battle. Israel was supposed to win the battle easily. They did not. Joshua rent his clothes asking God what happened. Joshua didn't know that one of his men kept some pieces of accursed things against Joshua's orders. Once those things were removed, Israel was victorious again.
Are there any accursed things in your life? Have you prayed about the Holy Spirit opening your eyes to your unknown sins? I know I am re-evaluating my life!
Lord, please show us our unknown sins. Please help us with the known ones as well!
Teaching Tuesday
Secret number 9 is:
Remember where you came from.
The book talks mostly about ethnicity, but I think this applies to everyone. For example, when my grandparents first moved from West Virginia to Northern Ohio, they were not made to feel welcome. Imagine that! They were called all kinds of names. They were not welcome at church or school. It was horrible! My grandmother instilled in her children and grandchildren to "never be ashamed of who you are"! I still live by that today!
It was funny that I used this teaching to my advantage when I "came out" to her. She said we could keep my sexuality a secret. I told her I had always been taught to never be ashamed of who I am! ha!
Know you are. Know where you came from. Be yourself.
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Monday, July 16, 2012
It's only words....
Our Daily Bread
When I was a teenager, the BeeGees released a song called "It's only words". The song talks about the importance of words in his relationship with the one he loves. The devotional today talks about the power of words in our relationship to God and our relationships with others.
Some of the phrases in the BeeGees song sort of echo what I feel in my life at times. God talks in everlasting words. I want to give my entire life to him. I have doubts about the words that God says to me in his Word (don't believe the words he says). I thought through these words while reading -- God does so much more than just say words. God shows his love and fulfills his promises through a myriad of ways. I know I don't understand the way he works. I don't understand why and how things work out sometimes. I can trust him that all things work to the good of those that love God!
It is my job to watch my words and to believe his words!
The thought for the day is very meaningful to me:
Our words have the power to build up or tear down.
How will we use our words today?
Lord, please help us use our words to build up and not to tear down.
Movie Monday
So has anyone seen any good movies recently? I haven't! That is very unusual for me. I should have time this week to go to the theater. The past three weeks have been great, but very busy. The new Batman movie comes out this week. That will probably be my top priority. I will write about whatever movie I see next Monday.
I am working on a fun little project -- a movie-themed basket for a silent auction! Very cool! I found several movies for the basket, some movie passes, a movie gift card, and a few other things. I hope it sells well for charity!
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
When I was a teenager, the BeeGees released a song called "It's only words". The song talks about the importance of words in his relationship with the one he loves. The devotional today talks about the power of words in our relationship to God and our relationships with others.
Some of the phrases in the BeeGees song sort of echo what I feel in my life at times. God talks in everlasting words. I want to give my entire life to him. I have doubts about the words that God says to me in his Word (don't believe the words he says). I thought through these words while reading -- God does so much more than just say words. God shows his love and fulfills his promises through a myriad of ways. I know I don't understand the way he works. I don't understand why and how things work out sometimes. I can trust him that all things work to the good of those that love God!
It is my job to watch my words and to believe his words!
The thought for the day is very meaningful to me:
Our words have the power to build up or tear down.
How will we use our words today?
Lord, please help us use our words to build up and not to tear down.
Movie Monday
So has anyone seen any good movies recently? I haven't! That is very unusual for me. I should have time this week to go to the theater. The past three weeks have been great, but very busy. The new Batman movie comes out this week. That will probably be my top priority. I will write about whatever movie I see next Monday.
I am working on a fun little project -- a movie-themed basket for a silent auction! Very cool! I found several movies for the basket, some movie passes, a movie gift card, and a few other things. I hope it sells well for charity!
******************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Open hearts, Open doors
Our Daily Bread
It is interesting to me how people continue doing things in their adulthood that they started in their childhood. It is possible to change and most folks do, but some basics still remain ingrained in you. For example, my family had a tradition of hospitality. We opened our home to foster children for a while even though there were already four children in our family. We almost always had folks over for holidays, folks who didn't have family or many friends. I still enjoy having folks over on holidays!
The devotional talks about biblical the concept of hospitality is. Very cool! It uses the example of Paul on his journey to Corinth when Aquila and Priscilla opened their home to him. The devotional also talked about how the word hospitality and hospital have the same Latin root -- "healing". That is very interesting as well!
Lord, please help us offer healing through hospitality!
Psalm Sunday
Psalm 53 is the psalm for this Sunday! This one is a little hard for me to understand, but I think I get most of it. It mostly laments that God can't find any faithful servants left on earth, not even in Israel. It talks about the lives of the evildoers (filled with dread). The psalmist longs for the restoration of Israel to God.
Psalm 53
For the director of music. According to mahalath. A maskil of David.
1 The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on God.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to dread.
God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;
you put them to shame, for God despised them.
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
***********************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
It is interesting to me how people continue doing things in their adulthood that they started in their childhood. It is possible to change and most folks do, but some basics still remain ingrained in you. For example, my family had a tradition of hospitality. We opened our home to foster children for a while even though there were already four children in our family. We almost always had folks over for holidays, folks who didn't have family or many friends. I still enjoy having folks over on holidays!
The devotional talks about biblical the concept of hospitality is. Very cool! It uses the example of Paul on his journey to Corinth when Aquila and Priscilla opened their home to him. The devotional also talked about how the word hospitality and hospital have the same Latin root -- "healing". That is very interesting as well!
Lord, please help us offer healing through hospitality!
Psalm Sunday
Psalm 53 is the psalm for this Sunday! This one is a little hard for me to understand, but I think I get most of it. It mostly laments that God can't find any faithful servants left on earth, not even in Israel. It talks about the lives of the evildoers (filled with dread). The psalmist longs for the restoration of Israel to God.
Psalm 53
For the director of music. According to mahalath. A maskil of David.
1 The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on God.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to dread.
God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;
you put them to shame, for God despised them.
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
***********************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Stuck
Our Daily Bread
I live in Columbus, Ohio where we can have significant snow falls in the winter (though we didn't last year). It is easy to not pay attention while driving in even a little snow and get stuck. You spin your wheels and try to get moving again. Yikes!
The devotional talks about the way God lets us be tested. When we make a conscious decision to follow Christ or to give more of our lives over to him, he will allow us to be tested even more. I used to get mad about this, then I realized a few things. First, testing gives us practice, like studying for a test at school. Second, we must pay attention or we will get stuck in the old ways! Third, God loves us enough to pay attention to us! Wow!
Are you stuck today? How? Where? Who? What? Pray about those questions today.
Lord, please help us to pay attention and move forward in our lives in you!
Simply Saturday
As usual, the devotional falls right in line with the stuff I wanted to write about today! This will be short. I have a busy day and need to get on the road!
I am stuck. Yes, indeed. I have been for a few years in a specific part of my life. God has been trying to help me move through the "stuckness" but I haven't been paying attention. I have been spinning my wheels, unable to move on down the road.
Yes, I am being a little hard on myself, but not really. Thank God, I have been able to overcome many, many things in my life. I will overcome this as well. It will take discipline (which I suck at). It will take paying attention that I don't fall into old thinking patterns. It will take more determination than I have ever mustered before since this situation is so bizarre for me.
This too shall pass. I write about these personal things because I know everyone goes through them. I want to encourage you to pay attention and move on with your life. Pay attention. Move on. You can do this. WE can do this. Praise God!
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
I live in Columbus, Ohio where we can have significant snow falls in the winter (though we didn't last year). It is easy to not pay attention while driving in even a little snow and get stuck. You spin your wheels and try to get moving again. Yikes!
The devotional talks about the way God lets us be tested. When we make a conscious decision to follow Christ or to give more of our lives over to him, he will allow us to be tested even more. I used to get mad about this, then I realized a few things. First, testing gives us practice, like studying for a test at school. Second, we must pay attention or we will get stuck in the old ways! Third, God loves us enough to pay attention to us! Wow!
Are you stuck today? How? Where? Who? What? Pray about those questions today.
Lord, please help us to pay attention and move forward in our lives in you!
Simply Saturday
As usual, the devotional falls right in line with the stuff I wanted to write about today! This will be short. I have a busy day and need to get on the road!
I am stuck. Yes, indeed. I have been for a few years in a specific part of my life. God has been trying to help me move through the "stuckness" but I haven't been paying attention. I have been spinning my wheels, unable to move on down the road.
Yes, I am being a little hard on myself, but not really. Thank God, I have been able to overcome many, many things in my life. I will overcome this as well. It will take discipline (which I suck at). It will take paying attention that I don't fall into old thinking patterns. It will take more determination than I have ever mustered before since this situation is so bizarre for me.
This too shall pass. I write about these personal things because I know everyone goes through them. I want to encourage you to pay attention and move on with your life. Pay attention. Move on. You can do this. WE can do this. Praise God!
***************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Friday, July 13, 2012
Lessons from nature
Our Daily Bread
As someone who spent most family vacations either visiting family in a very rural area or at a camp ground somewhere, I spent a lot of time with nature when I was younger. It always fascinated me how God made all of this stuff with just a few words! How mighty and great is our God!
The devotional today talks about how we can learn from nature. The example is from Proverbs 6:6-11. Solomon advised folks to look at ants for their example of being good, responsible workers. The ant works unsupervised. The ant carries more than its weight. The ant will go as far as it takes to get the job done! How many of us are like that?
There are many other metaphors for nature and our lives in Christ. Can you think of any?
Lord, please help us learn from nature as we continue to grow in you love and mercy!
Foodie Friday
I am not sure of exactly what I am going to make for my dinner group on Sunday. I promised I would make some homemade hummus, but I am not sure what flavor. My favorite is a lemon garlic hummus served with some plain pita chips. I am not sure I want to mess with that recipe! hehehe I must remember to add the sea salt and pepper this time. I almost forgot the last time I made it.
I have some of my sister's canned salsa in the fridge. I hate to say it, but this batch is not as good as previous years. I thought I might spice it up some and/or put it in the food processor to make it more "dippable". I will partner that with some multigrain tortilla chips. MmmMmmmm!
I probably don't say this enough. Don't be afraid t step outside your comfort zone when cooking or trying new things. I wish I would have done more that earlier in my life. My motto used to be "I eat what I like and I eat a lot of it!". hehehe I am a little more open now! ha!
************************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
As someone who spent most family vacations either visiting family in a very rural area or at a camp ground somewhere, I spent a lot of time with nature when I was younger. It always fascinated me how God made all of this stuff with just a few words! How mighty and great is our God!
The devotional today talks about how we can learn from nature. The example is from Proverbs 6:6-11. Solomon advised folks to look at ants for their example of being good, responsible workers. The ant works unsupervised. The ant carries more than its weight. The ant will go as far as it takes to get the job done! How many of us are like that?
There are many other metaphors for nature and our lives in Christ. Can you think of any?
Lord, please help us learn from nature as we continue to grow in you love and mercy!
Foodie Friday
I am not sure of exactly what I am going to make for my dinner group on Sunday. I promised I would make some homemade hummus, but I am not sure what flavor. My favorite is a lemon garlic hummus served with some plain pita chips. I am not sure I want to mess with that recipe! hehehe I must remember to add the sea salt and pepper this time. I almost forgot the last time I made it.
I have some of my sister's canned salsa in the fridge. I hate to say it, but this batch is not as good as previous years. I thought I might spice it up some and/or put it in the food processor to make it more "dippable". I will partner that with some multigrain tortilla chips. MmmMmmmm!
I probably don't say this enough. Don't be afraid t step outside your comfort zone when cooking or trying new things. I wish I would have done more that earlier in my life. My motto used to be "I eat what I like and I eat a lot of it!". hehehe I am a little more open now! ha!
************************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
A mighty wind...
Our Daily Bread
There is a silly movie called A Mighty Wind, fictional documentary about some folk singers trying to make a come back during a folk music festival. It is the same cast as Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show. What a hoot! Watch it sometime on your favorite movie source.
The early believers received a mighty wind at Pentecost. It was not a silly movie, but the Holy Spirit sent down from above to power the new church. The new believers said and did things after that never seen before by a human being!
I am a silly old bear. I still believe the Holy Spirit can work that way today if we ask for it and believe it will happen. Let's all pray for the Holy Spirit to blow through our churches and lives today!
Lord, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit to work in our daily lives!
Technology Thursday
Here a few notable technology stories from the week:
Microsoft loses big money last quarter
Is the beginning of the fall of Microsoft? They lost billions of dollars last quarter. Very unusual!
Apple rumors
Everyone knows that Apple is very hush-hush about their products and releases. The latest rumors are about the iPhone 5 features and about a mini-iPad. There are strong opinions on all sides of these discussions. As I told my best friend "I don't want rumors. I want hardware!". ha!
NYC converts pay phones to wifi hot spots
In an interesting twist in the reuse of technology, New York City is repurposing pay phones into wifi hot spots. The hot spots are free! If the pilot program is successful, they will put the hot spots in Manhattan and all five boroughs. Very cool!
Amazon reportedly releasing an iPhone competitor
Yeah, another iPhone killer. The Kindle Fire was not exactly a iPad killer. Not sure why they think they can do better with a phone. Oh well.
************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
There is a silly movie called A Mighty Wind, fictional documentary about some folk singers trying to make a come back during a folk music festival. It is the same cast as Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show. What a hoot! Watch it sometime on your favorite movie source.
The early believers received a mighty wind at Pentecost. It was not a silly movie, but the Holy Spirit sent down from above to power the new church. The new believers said and did things after that never seen before by a human being!
I am a silly old bear. I still believe the Holy Spirit can work that way today if we ask for it and believe it will happen. Let's all pray for the Holy Spirit to blow through our churches and lives today!
Lord, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit to work in our daily lives!
Technology Thursday
Here a few notable technology stories from the week:
Microsoft loses big money last quarter
Is the beginning of the fall of Microsoft? They lost billions of dollars last quarter. Very unusual!
Apple rumors
Everyone knows that Apple is very hush-hush about their products and releases. The latest rumors are about the iPhone 5 features and about a mini-iPad. There are strong opinions on all sides of these discussions. As I told my best friend "I don't want rumors. I want hardware!". ha!
NYC converts pay phones to wifi hot spots
In an interesting twist in the reuse of technology, New York City is repurposing pay phones into wifi hot spots. The hot spots are free! If the pilot program is successful, they will put the hot spots in Manhattan and all five boroughs. Very cool!
Amazon reportedly releasing an iPhone competitor
Yeah, another iPhone killer. The Kindle Fire was not exactly a iPad killer. Not sure why they think they can do better with a phone. Oh well.
************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Calm down, children...
Our Daily Bread
"Calm down, children" is what I would hear from my favorite Sunday School teacher growing up. Mrs. Spence was teasing us because were early teens learning about life in Christ. She opened up our eyes to this new life each week with scripture, stories, games and movies. It is amazing how those things stick with you!
I didn't think the devotional had much to do with me as I started reading it today. It sounded like a devotional about parenting, but took a whole different approach to the topic of children in the last paragraph! The devotional talked about how we, as children of God, can act like children in our spiritual lives. It also mentioned how God acts as our parent in trying to keep us safe and helping us figure out what is best for our lives. It also states how we should avoid acting as children by not causing conflict. My family called it "being ornery!". ha!
Lord, please help us find peace in your will.
Workout Wednesday
If you ever started a new workout plan or diet or "lifestyle change" as I call it, then it is very likely you have fallen off the wagon once or twice. The holidays roll around. You go on vacation. Your job goes nuts and you work a lot of overtime. Lots of things happen in our busy lives. What to do?
You can do this! Start now!
****************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
"Calm down, children" is what I would hear from my favorite Sunday School teacher growing up. Mrs. Spence was teasing us because were early teens learning about life in Christ. She opened up our eyes to this new life each week with scripture, stories, games and movies. It is amazing how those things stick with you!
I didn't think the devotional had much to do with me as I started reading it today. It sounded like a devotional about parenting, but took a whole different approach to the topic of children in the last paragraph! The devotional talked about how we, as children of God, can act like children in our spiritual lives. It also mentioned how God acts as our parent in trying to keep us safe and helping us figure out what is best for our lives. It also states how we should avoid acting as children by not causing conflict. My family called it "being ornery!". ha!
Lord, please help us find peace in your will.
Workout Wednesday
If you ever started a new workout plan or diet or "lifestyle change" as I call it, then it is very likely you have fallen off the wagon once or twice. The holidays roll around. You go on vacation. Your job goes nuts and you work a lot of overtime. Lots of things happen in our busy lives. What to do?
- Don't give up! Living a healthier lifestyle is one of the most important things you can do. It is also one of the lowest priorities in most of our lives! Pick back up where you left off or start over. Whatever it takes to keep going!
- Don't beat yourself up about it. I cringed when I got on the scale on Monday. I was on vacation last week and fell off the wagon. I managed to exercise a few days, but didn't eat as well as I should have. Heck, it was vacation. I got back on the wagon on Monday. I will continue as best as I can!
- Even if you take two steps forward and one step back, it is still moving forward! I eat what I want. The funny part is that I want different stuff now! Training yourself to want the right things instead of trembling like a junkie when you walk by the ice cream freezer at the grocery store is not easy! ha! You can do this!
- Treat yourself .... the right way. I used to treat myself with sweet treats or an unhealthy meal. Now, I treat myself to some new clothes or new workout equipment or my personal favorite, new underwear (embarrassed by that a little...). Looking better in the mirror is a big treat!
- You are not alone. Trust God to help you develop better discipline. Find a workout buddy or someone who is on a similar journey. It helps a lot!
You can do this! Start now!
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Doubting
Our Daily Bread
I was taught as a young Christian to never doubt God or his Word. That sounds fine in theory, but that would make me either more or less than human! I am not a robot with a "do not doubt" switch in it! No, sirree! Instead of the saying "I think, therefore I am". I say "I doubt, therefore I am human"!
I loved the saying at the end of the devotional:
Reassurance comes as we doubt our doubts and believe our beliefs.
Do you have those moments when you doubt your doubts? I am talking "Heeeyyyyy, that may not be right..." thoughts. It is at those moments that God can help us believe our beliefs! You do believe your beliefs, don't you? It is easy to say, but not easy to always remember. What promises are you believing from God's Word? From your prayer time with him? From your daily walk? Yes, I know. I try to "make things happen" when I should trust God to lead and provide. Yes, we all need to do our part in God's plan. I am not saying to sit back and things will magically happen. I am saying that we need to do the things that God wants us to do and he will lead us to the fulfillment of his promises!
Lord, please help us doubt our doubts and believe our beliefs!
Teaching Tuesday
Secret number 8 from the 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People is:
Accept yourself -- unconditionally.
Wow! I admit that I have some problems with this one. First, I confuse the concept of "accept yourself" with the concept of "self-love". I was taught that self-love is bad. Self-esteem is good. Accept yourself is self-esteem (which is good). Whew.... So much for my tiny brain to comprehend! ha! Also, accepting yourself doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to improve yourself. It means that you shouldn't beat yourself up because you aren't something other than what you are!
Second, the "unconditionally" part is hard for me, too. I look in the mirror or I read some the stupid emails I sent or look around at some of the relationship mistakes I have made and have difficulty accepting myself unconditionally. I had a breakthrough recently where I emailed some friends something like "After all I have been through in the past five years, I am doing the best I can". Yes, we are human and make mistakes. Yes, there are usually consequences. Accepting yourself unconditionally acknowledges those things so you can truly move forward in your life!
Lastly, I have had an issue with people liking me for me. I sometimes think that people won't like me if I don't give them things, or say the right words, or sing the way I can sing or live where I live, etc. (you fill in your own blanks here...). My closest friendships are with folks who accept me for me and will spend time with me regardless of my lot in life. They like me for me, not because of what I can do for them. Wow! Accepting yourself unconditionally allows you to let others accept you unconditionally too! Who knew? hehehe
Please understand that these comments are from my own personal experience. I am not a trained counselor or learned psychologist. Life can teach us things if we just pay attention. They really are simple secrets...
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
U r a BCOG. U r FAWM. Now believe it!
I was taught as a young Christian to never doubt God or his Word. That sounds fine in theory, but that would make me either more or less than human! I am not a robot with a "do not doubt" switch in it! No, sirree! Instead of the saying "I think, therefore I am". I say "I doubt, therefore I am human"!
I loved the saying at the end of the devotional:
Reassurance comes as we doubt our doubts and believe our beliefs.
Do you have those moments when you doubt your doubts? I am talking "Heeeyyyyy, that may not be right..." thoughts. It is at those moments that God can help us believe our beliefs! You do believe your beliefs, don't you? It is easy to say, but not easy to always remember. What promises are you believing from God's Word? From your prayer time with him? From your daily walk? Yes, I know. I try to "make things happen" when I should trust God to lead and provide. Yes, we all need to do our part in God's plan. I am not saying to sit back and things will magically happen. I am saying that we need to do the things that God wants us to do and he will lead us to the fulfillment of his promises!
Lord, please help us doubt our doubts and believe our beliefs!
Teaching Tuesday
Secret number 8 from the 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People is:
Accept yourself -- unconditionally.
Wow! I admit that I have some problems with this one. First, I confuse the concept of "accept yourself" with the concept of "self-love". I was taught that self-love is bad. Self-esteem is good. Accept yourself is self-esteem (which is good). Whew.... So much for my tiny brain to comprehend! ha! Also, accepting yourself doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to improve yourself. It means that you shouldn't beat yourself up because you aren't something other than what you are!
Second, the "unconditionally" part is hard for me, too. I look in the mirror or I read some the stupid emails I sent or look around at some of the relationship mistakes I have made and have difficulty accepting myself unconditionally. I had a breakthrough recently where I emailed some friends something like "After all I have been through in the past five years, I am doing the best I can". Yes, we are human and make mistakes. Yes, there are usually consequences. Accepting yourself unconditionally acknowledges those things so you can truly move forward in your life!
Lastly, I have had an issue with people liking me for me. I sometimes think that people won't like me if I don't give them things, or say the right words, or sing the way I can sing or live where I live, etc. (you fill in your own blanks here...). My closest friendships are with folks who accept me for me and will spend time with me regardless of my lot in life. They like me for me, not because of what I can do for them. Wow! Accepting yourself unconditionally allows you to let others accept you unconditionally too! Who knew? hehehe
Please understand that these comments are from my own personal experience. I am not a trained counselor or learned psychologist. Life can teach us things if we just pay attention. They really are simple secrets...
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
U r a BCOG. U r FAWM. Now believe it!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Who am I?
Our Daily Bread
I have a little problem with pride sometimes. Not too bad, but I have trouble at times giving credit where credit is due. When friends or relatives talk about how lucky I am to have all the things I have and do all the things I do, I have a tendency to take credit because of all my hard work and all the obstacles I overcame along the way. It is just human nature!
Today's devotional reminded me to thank God for the strength to work hard and the courage to overcome the things I have overcome. It is not by my strength alone that these things happened. I was also reminded of this song, In Christ Alone by Brian Littrell:
In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself in battles won
For I've been blessed beyond measure
And by His strength alone I'll overcome
Oh, I could stop and count successes like diamonds in my hands
But those trophies could not equal to the grace by which I stand
In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone
In Christ alone do I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed
For only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness to my need
And now I seek no greater honor in just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses to the glory of my Lord
In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone
How about you?
Lord, who am I that you have brought me so far? Please help me be your humble servant.
Movie Monday
I did not get a chance to see a movie last week. I was very busy on my vacation. I am looking forward to the following movies that came out recently or are coming out soon:
Madea: House Arrest: some friends saw this and really enjoyed it. Stay for the out takes in the ending credits.
SpiderMan: New actor and more details in the story line. See what you think.
Batman: I am really looking forward to this one. I love the Batman movies!
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms...
I have a little problem with pride sometimes. Not too bad, but I have trouble at times giving credit where credit is due. When friends or relatives talk about how lucky I am to have all the things I have and do all the things I do, I have a tendency to take credit because of all my hard work and all the obstacles I overcame along the way. It is just human nature!
Today's devotional reminded me to thank God for the strength to work hard and the courage to overcome the things I have overcome. It is not by my strength alone that these things happened. I was also reminded of this song, In Christ Alone by Brian Littrell:
In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself in battles won
For I've been blessed beyond measure
And by His strength alone I'll overcome
Oh, I could stop and count successes like diamonds in my hands
But those trophies could not equal to the grace by which I stand
In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone
In Christ alone do I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed
For only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness to my need
And now I seek no greater honor in just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses to the glory of my Lord
In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone
How about you?
Lord, who am I that you have brought me so far? Please help me be your humble servant.
Movie Monday
I did not get a chance to see a movie last week. I was very busy on my vacation. I am looking forward to the following movies that came out recently or are coming out soon:
Madea: House Arrest: some friends saw this and really enjoyed it. Stay for the out takes in the ending credits.
SpiderMan: New actor and more details in the story line. See what you think.
Batman: I am really looking forward to this one. I love the Batman movies!
****************************************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms...
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Viral
Our Daily Bread
No, I am not talking about H1N1 or bird flu! ha! The devotional uses the example of a viral video that seems to spread by wildfire as folks send link after link to friends and family until hundreds of thousands of folks see it! Wow!
The Gospel was sort of like that thousands of years ago -- except without the video! It was viral, though, as the Word was passed on from believer to non-believer. Sometimes it was one-on-one. Sometimes in small groups. Sometimes in large groups. The Word spread like wildfire!
Like the devotional said, when you have something worth watching, it will be watched! The same with the Gospel. If you have something worth telling, then tell it! Folks will listen!
Lord, please help us spread the Gospel like wildfire!
Psalm Sunday
I think it is so amazing that the psalms can say so much in so few verses! Wow! Read Psalm 52 out loud. What do you think?
Psalm 52
For the director of music. A maskil of David. When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”
1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 You who practice deceit,
your tongue plots destruction;
it is like a sharpened razor.
3 You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking the truth.
4 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh at you, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
and grew strong by destroying others!”
8 But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
9 For what you have done I will always praise you
in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
for your name is good.
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Our life GPS
Our Daily Bread
It always amazes me how God leads and how we can follow or not follow. The devotional today is a perfect example. I had an idea for the Simply Saturday entry for today, then read the devotional. It was about the same topic! How amazing is our God to lead both the devotional writer and me to write about this topic.
I don't always understand the cultural aspects of the Old Testament. I understand this much -- the blessing of the patriarch is very important. It sometimes shaped the life of a young man. The blessing of the patriarch Israel upon Ephraim in today's devotional was beautiful. We can all take it to heart! It shows how God can be the most crucial component, and should be, if we just let him!
Lord, please help us to trust your guidance. Thank you for always leading us in the right direction!/br>
Simply Saturday
I had a great week on vacation! I told my best friend yesterday that I want to write about our GPS experience this week. I had no idea that God lead the Our Daily Bread folks to post a devotional about trusting God for direction in our lives! Wow!
So the funny part... We programmed in the destination in the MapQuest iPhone app. We used it because it because it talks us through the directions. The funny part is what happened when we took a wrong turn -- the app said, almost in an exasperating voice "Recalculating...". We heard that over and over and over again. Partly because the roads were so close together at times that it couldn't tell exactly where we were. Partcly because we took our own way!
Aren't our lives that way? God leads us. We sometimes following his directions. We sometimes do our own thing. I can just hear God as he watches us veer way off course "Recalculating!". ha! To tie all of this back together with the devotional, we need to trust God for every driection. He will never lose track of us. He will never lead us astray!//br>
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Stop and smell the roses
Our Daily Bread
Many years ago a minister preached a sermon about stopping to smell the roses. I think it was on some holiday like Mothers Day or Fathers Day so those folks would spend more time with family. He likened their families to gardens that required tending. Interesting concept!
The devotional today is about stopping some of the activities in our busy lives so we can focus on our relationship with God. Calm ourselves. Focus ourselves. In the Bible study classes I took the past two years, I was always amazed about how much time Jesus took to "recharge". He was always surrounded by folks who wanted something from him!
So what is your life like? Too busy for the really important things in your life? ;-p
Lord, please help us slow down so we can focus and recharege -- in your love and mercy!
Foodie Friday
Didn't find any recipes this week. I will talk about two restaurants I ate at.
Pappadeu
This is a Canjun seafood restaurant. I had the friend shrimp, cheese grits with Andouille sausage and mushroom risotto. I had the creme brulee for dessert. It was a wonderful meal with lots of leftovers. The grits and risotto were wonderful warmend up! I highly recommend the place!
Gil's
Gil's is famous fo rtheir fried chicken. I can see why. It was great! My favorite part was the steak tenders. They were like chicken friend steak served with white gravey. Very tasty! The mac and cheese was OK. The corn on the cob was wonderful. Very fresh!
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
The whole body
Our Daily Bread
I have read the metaphor about Christ's church being like a human body -- each part is important. Each part has a purpose. Sometimes I feel like I am the a$$ because I seem to say the things that no one wants to hear (I admit I need to say them in a more loving manner!). Each part is important, right? ;-P
Seriously, we are important in the body of the church. It sometimes seems that the same folks get all the attention. Some folks do much of the work. What is not always seen are the folks that do the behind the scenes work -- pray, visit the sick, take meals to the elderly shutins, etc. You know what I am talking about. We are all important!
Lord, please help us realize the importance of each person. Parts is not just parts!
Technology Thursday
Not much to write about this week. I ran across two technology stores in my travels this week. I saw a Frye's and a Tigerdirect.com store. Both are cool places to look for computer stuff and more. I found a great small appliance at TigerDirect.com Store. I ordered one for my house! Woohooo!
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Free...to serve God
Our Daily Bread
Short entry today!
It is easy to abuse our freedom. We are not thankful for it. We don't respect the sacrifices that were made so we could have it. We don't use our freedom for its utmost purpose -- to serve God freely. Wow! That was the most important thing I got out of the devotional. We shouldn't use our freedom to do what WE want, but rather to server God in the way we SHOULD.
Lord, please help us appreciate our freedom and use it to serve you better!
Workout Wednesday
How do you keep up your workouts and good eating habits while on the road? A close friend and I talked about this recently. He travels constantly for his job and has trouble with eating right and working out while traveling. Here are a few tips we came up with:
1. Do some quick calisthenics first thing in the morning to get your metabolism going (do this at home too if you don't workout first thing in the morning).
2. Always eat breakfast. Eat something even if it is only a protein shake.
3. Do something... Try to do some kind of exercise even if your days are full. Find some exercises that you can do anywhere like pushups, lunges, squats, planks, etc. that can give you a general workout, but not take a lot of space or equipment.
4. Eat as healthy as you can during those business meals or other meals on the road. Keep healthy snacks around so you don't get ravenous. Try almonds, walnuts, healthy snack bars (not all of them are so be careful), etc.
5. Do the best you can and don't beat yourself up when you don't. While on vacation, it is easyto eat way too much. It is OK. Just don't overdo it every day and don't beat yourself up over it. Do the best you can and have fun!
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Encouragement
Our Daily Bread
I think everyone has met someone that is a natural "encourager". Know what I mean? Encouragement seems to shine out of them even if they don't say a word. We know that they are a child of God living the way we are supposed to live. It is great to know someone like that. It is a true gift.
For the rest of us, hehehe, we have try harder. It is not always easy to encourage someone when we have our own trials and "stuff" we are dealing with. That is why it is so important for each of us to do our part. One person encourages another who encourages another and so on. It is sort of like that commercial where one good deed leads to another and another. Encouragement works that way as well. Be that way today!
Lord, please help us do to our best to be an encourager today!
Teaching Tuesday
Secret number 7 may be controversial to some folks!
Television is a creamy filling that distracts us from the substance of our lives.
I feel this way about TV. When my TV is on, it is usually sports or movies playing. I have to admit I like a few shows like Eureka and anything with Adam Richman in it. I guess that is the creamy filling! No offense, but I think folks spend too much time watching TV. To be fair, some folks say I watch too many movies. I accept that. ;-)
The point is that we sholdn't let TV get in the way of our real lives.
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Monday, July 2, 2012
A brand new day
Our Daily Bread
There are many songs that talk about a brand new day or about how great each day should be for each child of God. I love to sing them!
Let's try to look for the joy and opportunity in each new day are you with me? :-)
Movie Monday
I saw the movie Brave last week. It had its very special moments, but it was also very corny in places. The beginning grabbed my attention because it was daring and different than most Disney princess movies. It quickly backpedaled to their special genre with its special formula. It would have been much more interesting if it hadn't, but they need to sell tickets to families. I understand that. ;-P
A funny personal note to fellow bears: think of folks you know or have met when you watch this movie. I don't want to spoil it by telling you what happens.
I give it two bear paws, for her flowing red curls if nothing else. You can wait until it hits DVD.
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
There are many songs that talk about a brand new day or about how great each day should be for each child of God. I love to sing them!
Let's try to look for the joy and opportunity in each new day are you with me? :-)
Movie Monday
I saw the movie Brave last week. It had its very special moments, but it was also very corny in places. The beginning grabbed my attention because it was daring and different than most Disney princess movies. It quickly backpedaled to their special genre with its special formula. It would have been much more interesting if it hadn't, but they need to sell tickets to families. I understand that. ;-P
A funny personal note to fellow bears: think of folks you know or have met when you watch this movie. I don't want to spoil it by telling you what happens.
I give it two bear paws, for her flowing red curls if nothing else. You can wait until it hits DVD.
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
The whole thing
Our Daily Bread
There was a popular commercial many years ago that had the tag line "I can't believe I ate the whole thing". He would say that line then drop some Alka Seltzer in a glass of water.
The devotional is not about eating the whole thing, but giving of your whole self to God. This includes your mind, body, heart and resources! Yes, it is hard enough for most folks to give of their minds and bodies, but talk about resources! YIkes! I worked hard for that pay check! Well, the scripture passage reminds us that Jesus gave all for us. We should give of oursvles, at generouse, but appropriate levels, in return because we WANT to. Not because we feel like we have to.
Psalm Sunday
Check out Psalm 52 this week. It is neat!
Psalm 52[a]
For the director of music. A maskil[b] of David. When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”
1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 You who practice deceit,
your tongue plots destruction;
it is like a sharpened razor.
3 You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking the truth.[c]
4 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh at you, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
and grew strong by destroying others!”
8 But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
9 For what you have done I will always praise you
in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
for your name is good.
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