Delays

Our Daily Bread
I hosted a tennis player a few weeks ago for the Columbus Classic tennis tournament.  He is a sweet guy that is also a flight attendant.  Since I dated a flight attendant several years ago, I was somewhat familiar with the lingo and had heard lots of flight stories.  He told me some of his, which were a hoot!

The devotional relates flight stories to our journey through this life.  Yes, unexpected things will happy during our life journey.  Count on that.  How we react is our choice!  There are times when things will seem inconvenient and troublesome.  Sometimes things are just plain upsetting and difficult to deal with.  We can be assured that God is with us during every part of our journey, each and every second!  So if you are on a "layover" or feel like you are in "stand by" for the next part of your journey, take comfort in God's assurances!

Lord, thank you for being with us each and every day.  Please help us always remember we have choices in how we react to our circumstances!

Wellness Wednesday
Bran, soy help cut cholesterol
Researchers in Canada have shown that a special cholesterol-lowering diet works well – even with only two nutritional counseling sessions over six months.

Making dietary changes like eating oat bran for breakfast, drinking soy milk instead of dairy, soy burgers in place of hamburgers, and fruit and nuts instead of a full lunch prompted a double-digit drop in both total cholesterol and LDL or "bad" cholesterol.

The study was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Lead author Dr. David Jenkins, Canada research chair in nutrition and metabolism at the University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital, had previously shown the effectiveness of a cholesterol-lowering diet when all the meals were provided to participants.

"The question one had to address was how does this play out with people in the real world," Jenkins said in a telephone interview.

To put the diet to the real-world test, participants received a one-hour counseling session with a dietitian and an illustrated study booklet at the outset and, later, received a 30-40 minute follow up session.

"It was just advice," Jenkins said. Even so, the results were dramatic.

Total cholesterol dropped from 256 to 230, while the LDL or "bad" cholesterol decreased from 173 to 148, according to the study.

Jenkins said participants achieved  these results even though compliance to the whole grain, vegetarian diet was only about 40%.

In addition to the soy protein, nuts and whole grains, participants in the diet were encouraged to eat peas, beans and lentils.

A control group advised to eat a vegetarian, low-saturated diet but not with the cholesterol-lowering foods a saw a slight dip in total cholesterol, from 249 to 246, and in LDL, from 167 to 161.

Both groups lost  about four pounds over the six months.

The 351 participants in the study suffered from high cholesterol but were not on a cholesterol-lowering statin medication. The study was conducted from June 2007 to February 2009 at academic centers in Quebec City, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver.

Follow CNNHealth on Twitter

Post by: David Martin - CNN Medical Senior Producer

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Let go, my friends!  God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!

Influence

Our Daily Bread
for·mi·da·ble -- inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable.  Yes, this silly old bear has been described using this word.  My dream is that I inspire because I am capable, but I realize that I can cause fear because of being too intense.  ;-(

What influence do you have?  As a child of God, we are sent out to bring others in to the kingdom of God.  We are a people of influence if we follow God's plan for our lives.  Through love we can show God's love.  Through mercy we can show God's mercy.  Through forgiveness we can show God's forgiveness.  Through service we can show how Christ gave us the example of servanthood.  How will you influence others for God today?

Lord, thank you for making us a special people, a people who are your loving, humble servants!

Teaching Tuesday
I read some more of Surprised by Joy this week.  CS Lewis described his teenage years and his development.  It was interesting that he talked about losing his faith during this period.  I am interested in reading more about this and how he was truly surprised by joy.  I will try to finish the book this week.

How about you?  Have you had periods when you doubted God or felt he had left you alone and scared?  Ever dealt with periods when you felt like you lost your faith?  I think we all have at one time or another.  The interesting thing is that different events can start those feelings in different people.

I pray we all find our place in God's kingdom and serve him with our whole hearts!

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If we’re gonna pray about it
There’s no use in worrying
If we’re gonna worry about it
Why are we praying
Just leave it in the hands of the Father
Leave it in the hands of the Healer
Leave it in the hands of Jesus
And walk away
Walk away   -- Brandon Heath & Thad Cockrell

Love songs

Our Daily Bread
While reading the devotional entitled "What's Love?", I thought of some of the many love songs that I liked over the years.  A long love song medley from Moulin Rouge.  What's Love got to do with it by Tina Turner.  What is Love by Haddaway.  Silly Love Songs by Paul McCartney and Wings.  Sooooo many songs!

The church songs I choose to remember say so much more about God's love than any of those other songs.  Amazing Grace and When I survey the Wondrous Cross are two of my favorites.  What is love?  Love is God sending his only Son to die on the cross for our sins.  Love is his amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.  Love so amazing that it demands our all!

Lord, you have shown us what love is -- your most glorious invention!  Please help us love you and love others better!

Movie Monday
I saw The Wolverine this weekend.  It was half way decent, but not a "you gotta see it now" movie as far as I am concerned.  To be fair, I saw it at the drive in theater which is not the best venue for movie lovers like me.  The FM stereo sound was good.  The picture was just OK.  Sitting in a parking lot with hundreds of my closest friends and their cars was not ideal!  ha!  The plot centers around The Wolverine trying to face some of his long-time demons.  It happens after the last X-Men movie to set the timing of the events.  He travels to Japan to honor an old friend.  Lots of hijinx ensue!

I give this one two bear paws.  See it in the theater if you are a Wolverine fan.  Watch it on Netflix if not.

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We are far from perfect, but despite our mistakes and our sins, we will never abandon the Lord and he will never abandon us - adapted from a statement about Abraham from the EfM Training Guide

Together

Our Daily Bread
Yeah, I like me some musicals...  Not all of them, but some of them are ones that I listen to or watch over and over.  One of them is Grease.  There are so many cool songs in that show and in the movie!  One of my favorites is We Go Together.   The lyrics are fun and stress the importance of their close friendship.

As children of God, "we go together" too!  God made each of us with specific gifts and talents so we fit together as one body!  That is what God intended.  We are all important.  We are all needed to help the body of Christ function.  How do you fit in?

I chuckled when I read the lyrics in the context of this blog entry.  No, the funny rhyming phrases are NOT someone speaking in tongues!  DOH!  ha!

Lord, thank you for making us all in your image and with a special purpose.  Please help us serve you to the best of our abilities!

Psalm Sunday
Psalm 105 demonstrates a common type of psalm (or other passage in the Old Testament).  It traverses through the history of Israel telling the amazing things that the Lord did.  It is a history lesson and praise wrapped up together!

Here is some homework for this week.  I will post mine next Sunday.  Write up a history of your life and the times that God showed himself in a special way.  Read the psalm below as a guide.

Psalm 105

1 Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done.
2 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
    tell of all his wonderful acts.
3 Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Look to the Lord and his strength;
    seek his face always.
5 Remember the wonders he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
6 you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,
    his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
7 He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers his covenant forever,
    the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant he made with Abraham,
    the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
11 “To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as the portion you will inherit.”
12 When they were but few in number,
    few indeed, and strangers in it,
13 they wandered from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another.
14 He allowed no one to oppress them;
    for their sake he rebuked kings:
15 “Do not touch my anointed ones;
    do my prophets no harm.”
16 He called down famine on the land
    and destroyed all their supplies of food;
17 and he sent a man before them—
    Joseph, sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with shackles,
    his neck was put in irons,
19 till what he foretold came to pass,
    till the word of the Lord proved him true.
20 The king sent and released him,
    the ruler of peoples set him free.
21 He made him master of his household,
    ruler over all he possessed,
22 to instruct his princes as he pleased
    and teach his elders wisdom.
23 Then Israel entered Egypt;
    Jacob resided as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
24 The Lord made his people very fruitful;
    he made them too numerous for their foes,
25 whose hearts he turned to hate his people,
    to conspire against his servants.
26 He sent Moses his servant,
    and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them,
    his wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness and made the land dark—
    for had they not rebelled against his words?
29 He turned their waters into blood,
    causing their fish to die.
30 Their land teemed with frogs,
    which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
    and gnats throughout their country.
32 He turned their rain into hail,
    with lightning throughout their land;
33 he struck down their vines and fig trees
    and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came,
    grasshoppers without number;
35 they ate up every green thing in their land,
    ate up the produce of their soil.
36 Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land,
    the firstfruits of all their manhood.
37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold,
    and from among their tribes no one faltered.
38 Egypt was glad when they left,
    because dread of Israel had fallen on them.
39 He spread out a cloud as a covering,
    and a fire to give light at night.
40 They asked, and he brought them quail;
    he fed them well with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
    it flowed like a river in the desert.
42 For he remembered his holy promise
    given to his servant Abraham.
43 He brought out his people with rejoicing,
    his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
44 he gave them the lands of the nations,
    and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—
45 that they might keep his precepts
    and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord.

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Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God - William Carey

Under the sea

Our Daily Bread
No, no, no, I am not talking about the Disney song!  ha!  I am thrilled and encouraged about the devotional this morning.  I read it after writing my Simply Saturday entry below.  God is soooo amazing in the way he speaks to us!  Praise God!

I have never heard of the book The Rules of Disengagement.  While the practical applications in every day life are intriguing, the spiritual application follows along with what I wrote below!  The first thing we should disengage from is our pet sins!  You know what I mean, right?  Those things that we know we are not supposed to do that we do anyway.  We feel bad about ourselves because we sinned.  We are embarrassed because we know we disobeyed God.  We are weighed down by these things.  Give them over to God.  Here is the source of the title of today's posting:  As one verse puts it, He throws our sin into the depths of the sea! (Micah 7:19)  Praise God!

Lord, "under the sea" is where you will throw our sins if we give them up to you!  We thank you and praise you!

Simply Saturday
Pet Sins
"I'm only huuu--man......  I'm just a ma-a-annnn......." is the first line of the song One Day at a Time (and you have to sing it the way I wrote it!  Ha!).  God reminded me again this week!

I admit that I have been feeling more than a little superior when talking to a close friend.  I know it is wrong of me.  I try to avoid it.  I guess it is a pet sin - that "Church Lady" superior dance that I do inside my head way too often.  BTW, that Church Lady episode is one of my favorites where she targets the Khardasians and Justin Bieber before ending in a superior dance.  ha!  But I digress...

While talking to the close friend, we were able to take our friendship to a new level and talk about some very personal things this week.  We had a couple of very good talks about things we never discussed before.  During those talks, I was surprised and humbled.  My friend has control over something in his life that I struggle with.  What the heck?  I am the superior one here! <>  What the heck?  
God used the close friend to remind me that each of his children has their gifts and talents.  He gave me advice on the techniques and habits he uses to control this part of his life, which included surrendering it completely to God.  He gets tempted each and every day.  He still keeps true to his promise to God.

God also reinforced that he instructed me to have the same discipline.  If you are like me, you can be very, very disciplined in many areas of your life, but we can have "pet sins" that we allow ourselves to continue on a regular basis.  The World may even tell us it is OK.  We know differently because the Holy Spirit told us in our prayers and Bible study.

Let us pray for each other to humbly walk with God and to do our best to sin no more.  One day at a time...

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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13

Good ground or rocky ground?

Our Daily Bread
Like the author of the devotional, I have parts of my back yard that don't want to grow grass.  The funniest part is that the places I don't want it to grow, like the landscaping, it grows like crazy!  Noooooo!  I was laughing to myself this morning while reading the devotional.  I mixed in some peat moss and some manure into the affected areas in hopes of helping the grass grow.  My new joke is that we have to experience some crap in our lives to grow!  ha!

Seriously though, I really like the passage of scripture about the seeds.  This parable tells us so much about human nature and how we work.  Ever thought of that?  Are you fertile soil for the seed of Christ will grow and take root?  Or are you rocky ground that may not grow at all?  Maybe grow a little, but not take root?  Very interesting parable!  Let us all think about how we can be fertile soil so the seed of Christ can take root like a tree planted by the water!

Lord, thank you for teaching us so much about ourselves in your parables.  Please grow in us!

Foodie Friday
I tried two restaurants that were new to me recently: PeiWei and Chile Verde.  They are both in the Polaris Parkway area.  

PeiWei
A new friend had me try this place, then my roommate wanted to go there as well after I told him about my experience.  The food is very reasonable and tastes good.  The recipes can have some unexpected tastes at times.  The first time I had Pad Thai.  Great taste, but the noodles seemed too thick to me.  It had lots of chicken and peanuts. Very tasty when I wasn't fighting the noodles.  Unexpected taste: lots of cilantro.  The second time I had the Thai lettuce wraps.  This was also tasty, large portion, however, it had a sweet, odd taste at times.  I am not sure what it was.  I will try the regular lettuce wraps next time.  I also had the pork egg rolls.  The first time, the egg roll was very tasty, but also very greasy.  The second time they were perfect.  Great taste alone or with a soy sauce or mustard.  Give it a try!  This is pronounced "pay-way", not "pee-wee" like my roomie calls it!  ha!  It is also interesting to note this chain is part of PF Changs so you can use your PF Changs gift cards here as well!

Chile Verde
I am not sure if it was just an off day or what happened, but whoever did the cooking the day we went to Chile Verde couldn't resist over-salting things.  Neither of us could finish our soups.  His main course was so salty he stopped eating it after two bites. Mine was a little over-salty, but still edible.  I also had a fried ice cream with lots of chocolate sauce for dessert.  Very yummy!  I have not heard the "too much salt" complaint from other friends, so this may have been an aberration.  

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Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. - 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Three wishes

Our Daily Bread
Ever played the "three wishes" game?  You know how it goes.  If you found a jeanie in a bottle and were granted three wishes, what would they be?  Would one of them be "wisdom"?  Most of us would not think of that!

Our best example of someone seeking wisdom is King Solomon.  He was known for his wisdom throughout the Bible!  Paul writes about wisdom in the New Testament.  Both his writings and the writings in the Old Testament talk about wisdom like it is a person!  Very interesting!  So how do we get wisdom?  Is there an online class I can take?  Cliff Notes?  ha!
Here is how:  “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to [you]” (1:5)  Just ask and let God work in you!

Lord, thank you for offering the wisdom that only you can give.  Please help us to be wise enough to ask for it!

Technology Thursday
Leap Motion
I finally received the new toy I ordered last year!  It is the Leap Motion device.  I posted something about it a few months ago when I found out the device would be delayed AGAIN.  The device gives a motion interface to a PC or laptop, much like the Microsoft Kinect device for the Xbox.  I haven't tried it yet.  I have it on my desk to try out this weekend.

Here is an article I found on the device:
http://money.cnn.com/2013/07/24/technology/innovation/leap-motion/index.html
Here is the company web site:
https://www.leapmotion.com/

Check out the demo on the home page!

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We are far from perfect, but despite our mistakes and our sins, we will never abandon the Lord and he will never abandon us - adapted from a statement about Abraham from the EfM Training Guide

Too blessed to complain

Our Daily Bread
Gratitude therapy is something I have been trying the past few years.  Even with all the blessings and many times that God delivered me from trials, I still get a little down sometimes.  I can focus on the things I don't have instead of being truly thankful for all the things I do have.  Being truly thankful can chase away any blues!

The devotional talks about Psalm 107.  Click on the link and read it.  How can we ever be sad or down for very long whenever we think on these things?  Take a look around you.  Be thankful for each person, place or thing in your life.  Think about what your life would be like without that person, place or thing in it.  Wow!
Lord, please help us to be truly thankful, especially when we are feeling a little sorry for ourselves!

Wellness Wednesday
Summer Sunscreen Tips

Sunscreen Spray Could Pose Burn Risk Near Open Flame

From the same page:
8 Sunscreen Mistakes You're Probably Making

1. Not wearing any sunscreen -- very bad!
2. You've Been Using The Same Bottle For The Past Three Summers
3. You Count On The SPF In Your Makeup To Do The Trick
4. You Only Use A Dab
5. You Put Your Sunscreen On At The Beginning Of The Day -- And Forget About It After That
6. You Count On Waterproof Sunscreen When You're Swimming
7. You Only Apply Sunscreen On Sunny Days
8. You Shell Out The Big Bucks For The Highest SPF Possible

Check out the slideshow at the bottom of the page above.  Very good sunscreen advice!

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We too can know this God and be assured of His presence. He has revealed Himself in His creation and in His Word. As we ask Him to make Himself known to us, we’ll learn that He is even more than the owner and creator of everything! - Our Daily Bread web site

Under contruction

Our Daily Bread
I love living in Columbus, Ohio!  There are some times it is not as fun like when road construction keeps me from getting to where I want to go at a certain time.  There has been a LOT of construction the past few years and it will continue until at least the end of 2014.  Having oft used exits unavailable can cause some anger at times!

I loved the analogy used in the devotional -- our lives are sort of like roads under construction.  Sometimes a simple patch job will fix something in our lives.  Sometimes it is a total rip and replace!  Yikes!  It can be more inconvenient as the actual road closures on the highway and even painful at times.  Our lives can feel like a well-designed road that is a joy to drive on!  God knows what we need.  Trust God to be the Master Construction Planner and the Holy Spirit to work in you!

I met a new friend over the weekend.  He is very sweet and tried to fix me up with guys.  I told him that I am not looking right now nor am I flirting because I must get more disciplined about flirting.  He said "I haven't seen you flirt at all!".  I said "Yes! That is the point.  Practice makes perfect!"  ha!  God is working in me.  I pray that you allow him to work in you, too.

Lord, I have some roads that are going nowhere.  Please redesign these roads and pave the way to serving you and loving others better!

Teaching Tuesday
I didn't take the time to read any more of the Surprised by Joy book last week.  I will read more this week.  I shared this article on Facebook yesterday.  I thought it was worth sharing again on my blog.

Romans 1.26-7: The Bible 'Says' Homosexuality Is a Sin?
www.huffingtonpost.com

This is a well thought out article that makes sense regardless of what you believe.  My favorite section says:
In the end, no amount of scholarship will sway the majority of those who view homosexuality through the lens of Victorian morality. Scholarship has yet to change the minds of Young Earth Creationists and others who hold to untenable tenants, after all. In the end, we are called to love every one and condemn no one as Paul tells us, even -- especially -- those who would misuse scripture and abuse others to their own ends.

We can't judge those who judge us.  We can just love and pray for them!

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Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. - 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Shopaholic

Our Daily Bread
"Hello, my name is Duane and I am a shopaholic"  Well, I am not quite that bad, but I do like to shop a lot!  I love finding great deals on things I need and that my friends need.  My turning point was one day when I looked at my closet and noticed that I bought two of the same shirts!  It is a very nice shirt, but I don't need two of them  I am more careful now and more disciplined about my spending.  I can do this (talking myself into it each day!).  ha!

The devotional was encouraging to me as I continue on this path to self-discipline.  How many of us keep pushing ourselves to work longer and harder just so we can have more "stuff"?  We sometimes trick ourselves into thinking that our friends and family need more stuff from us instead of spending time with them.  So giving of ourselves whether to friends or family or strangers, is the real goal of being a child of God.  Giving of our time and talents and resources to help those around us.  God is so good to us.  Let us be a blessing to others!

Lord, thank you for whatever blessings we have, whether we think we are really blessed or not.  Please help us give of ourselves.

Movie Monday
I got to see three movies last week.  woohoooo!  The rain kept me from  playing my tennis matches.  ;-(

Pacific Rim
I liked this movie.  It was a down to earth, robot banging, monster kicking 3D IMAX evening of fun!  It is not a mystery how the movie will turn out, so don't expect lots of plot twists.  The acting is cheesy at times with several quotable lines ("First, don't EVER touch me.  Second, don't EVER touch me!")  ha!  I thought the action and the 3D effects were pretty good.  I did not think they were overwhelming or too blurry like a lot of 3D IMAX movies.

I give this threee bear paws.  See it at the theater in 3D or 3D IMAX.  Go to a matinee when it is cheaper!

The Heat
I was not initially drawn to this movie when I saw the previews.  It looked like one where the funniest moments were in the previews!  I was wrong.  It was long at two hours, but it worked.  The comedy was pretty funny, though most of it was potty mouth humor from Melissa McCarthy.  In short, Melissa McCarthy plays a street-wise cop in Boston that teams up with Sandra Bullock, an FBI agent that is wound WAY too tight!  ha!  There is lots of "loosen up" humor and funny moments.

I give this one two bear paws.  It is definitely a rentable movie.  No need to see it at the theater.

Red 2
Most of my friends had not heard of Red, so they were surprised when I went to see Red 2.  "What is it about?"  RED stands for "retired, extremely dangerous".  It is about retired super spies that the different agencies don't really know what to do with.  I loved the first one.  I thought Bruce Willis was "Die Hard cool" in it.  The second one added some new characters which added a lot.  The humor interspersed throughout is a hoot.  It has lots of action, lots of humor and a smidgeon of love story mixed in.

I give it two bear paws.   It is definitely a rentable movie.  No need to see it at the theater.

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If we’re gonna pray about it
There’s no use in worrying
If we’re gonna worry about it
Why are we praying
Just leave it in the hands of the Father
Leave it in the hands of the Healer
Leave it in the hands of Jesus
And walk away
Walk away   -- Brandon Heath & Thad Cockrell

The big three

Our Daily Bread
I gave the opening devotional for a Bible study class three years ago.  God lead me to talk about the three things he had been working the most on in my life: pride, arrogance and selfishness.  I knew of at least one of one other friend in the room dealing with the same things.  God used that devotional to speak to many folks in the room that no idea of the things going on in their minds and hearts!  Praise God!

The devotional talks about Proverbs 8:12-21.  I wish I had found this scripture passage for the devotional I gave years ago!  It expresses very clearly how we are supposed to act and how we are not supposed to act!  It also has some wonderful promises as well.  Read the passage today with prayer and an open heart.  I plan to read it again later today to remind myself of the things that God loves and the things that we are to avoid!

Lord, we are only human, but we know we can be much more like you if we follow your Word!  Praise God!

Psalm Sunday
We are reading Psalm 104 today.  It is very similar to the text found in Job that describes some of the great and amazing things that God has done.  Wow!  I call this a "read this when you think God doesn't know what he is doing" moods.  We all have those times.  Remember who He is!  Praise God!

Psalm 104

1 Praise the Lord, my soul.
Lord my God, you are very great;
    you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
    he stretches out the heavens like a tent
3     and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
    and rides on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes winds his messengers,
    flames of fire his servants.
5 He set the earth on its foundations;
    it can never be moved.
6 You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
    the waters stood above the mountains.
7 But at your rebuke the waters fled,
    at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
8 they flowed over the mountains,
    they went down into the valleys,
    to the place you assigned for them.
9 You set a boundary they cannot cross;
    never again will they cover the earth.
10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
    it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
    the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
    they sing among the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
    the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
    and plants for people to cultivate—
    bringing forth food from the earth:
15 wine that gladdens human hearts,
    oil to make their faces shine,
    and bread that sustains their hearts.
16 The trees of the Lord are well watered,
    the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 There the birds make their nests;
    the stork has its home in the junipers.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
    the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,
    and the sun knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
    and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey
    and seek their food from God.
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
    they return and lie down in their dens.
23 Then people go out to their work,
    to their labor until evening.
24 How many are your works, Lord!
    In wisdom you made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.
25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
    teeming with creatures beyond number—
    living things both large and small.
26 There the ships go to and fro,
    and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
27 All creatures look to you
    to give them their food at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them,
    they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
    they are satisfied with good things.
29 When you hide your face,
    they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
    they die and return to the dust.
30 When you send your Spirit,
    they are created,
    and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works—
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
    who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
    as I rejoice in the Lord.
35 But may sinners vanish from the earth
    and the wicked be no more.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
Praise the Lord.

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A New Song

Our Daily Bread
Noooooooo!  Not another earworm!  A friend mentions a song on Facebook or posts a video.  My most recent was The Cup Song from Pitch Perfect.  Yikes!  I think I broke five cups trying to do the cup part of the song!  ha!

We can get earworms in our head sometimes that aren't healthy for us.  They can either be a song that is not good for us or some kind of self-deprecating message that repeats over and over in our heads.  Stop!  We should find some earworm antidote songs!  ha!  Yes, some songs that we can use to clear our minds.  In college, the Imperials song The Trumpet of Jesus was one of my songs.  Today, I have different songs in and out of my mind as I hear new ones.  Lately, I used Hello! My name is and Every Good Thing.  Thank God for earworm antidotes and for mantras to help us rid our minds of negative thoughts!

Lord, thank you for helping us deal with all the stuff that hits us each day!

Simply Saturday
Forget the Plan
If you have read my blog at all, you have probably figured out I am a planner.  I plan stuff.  I like to organize my life, not because I am OCD, but because it helps me be more efficient and reach my goals.  What does it mean to be a Christian who is a planner?  ha!

For me, I find that I need balance.  I don't always get to execute my plan the way I originally create it.  That is fine.  I am used to that from my project management training.  Since my plans are personal plans, I deal with the emotional baggage that comes along with changes that I don't have to deal with at work.  What do you mean I didn't meet my goals for being 30?  or 35?  or 50?  Sometimes stuff just happens.  Sometimes I screw up.  Sometimes God leads me in a different way.

That is the balance thing again -- I try to balance having a flexible plan or one that God change as needed.  I try to pray before creating a plan, which has worked well for me.  I also know that I need to let things go at times, even my best made plans.

I encourage you to set goals (Google SMART goal setting) based on your prayers and God's leading.  I encourage you to be flexible to follow the road as God's leading takes you.  As one writer said: "What does it matter where the road goes as long as God is leading?"  Praise God!

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We too can know this God and be assured of His presence. He has revealed Himself in His creation and in His Word. As we ask Him to make Himself known to us, we’ll learn that He is even more than the owner and creator of everything! - Our Daily Bread web site

It is just "stuff"

Our Daily Bread
Over the past few years, God has been trying to teach me what is really important in life.  Along the way I developed this saying when people talk about giving up things or not buying all the things we can afford:  It is just "stuff".  I want more than just "stuff" in this life.

Like the devotional says, "stuff" or possessions are not bad as long as we don't let them come between us and God.  Remember the story of the rich young ruler that just walked away when Jesus asked him to give up all he had to follow Jesus?  Having "stuff" can also mean we have more resources to share with the poor and needy.  We can support our church.  Support charities that are important to us.  Let's pray for each other that we don't let stuff or trying to accumulate stuff come between us and God!

Lord, thank you so much for your blessings and for the strength to have "stuff" in this life.  Please help us always remember the source of our hope!

Foodie Friday
I have been seeing a lot of recipes for sweets lately.  I like this stuff, but can't have a lot of it.  I will focus more on healthier stuff starting next week.  This recipe looked really good for a weekend...  The recipe is from an acquaintance on Facebook.  I don't remember who.

CINNAMON CRESCENT ROLLS:
Ingredients:
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 stick butter, softened
½ cup white or brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Glaze:
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk

Instructions:
Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, combine butter, sugar and cinnamon; beat until smooth. Separate dough into triangles. Spread each triangle with about 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon
butter mixture. Roll up each crescent roll. Firmly press ends and seams to seal.

Place each cinnamon filled crescent roll onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350°F. for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. In small bowl, blend all glaze ingredients, adding enough milk for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over warm rolls.

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Trusting God’s faithfulness dispels our fearfulness. - Our Daily Bread web site

How about today?

Our Daily Bread
I had friends in college that dreamed of being the pastor of a large Southern Baptist church in the South that had thousands of members.  Others dreamed of being sought after evangelists that spoke to tens of thousands like Billy Graham and won hundreds to Christ each night.  Others had modest goals -- to serve God wherever He put them!

Not many of us get to serve God in BIG ways like big churches or stadiums or TV shows.  God doesn't call every one of us to do that kind of thing.  God does call each of us to serve others each and every day in whatever way He leads.  There are lots of things he tells us if we just listen.  A kind word.  A phone call.  An email.  A message on Facebook.  LOTS of way!  Can we agree to pray for each other and try to serve God in some small way today?

Lord, you give us so many opportunities to touch the lives of others for you.  Please help us be sensitive to your leading and be brave!

Technology Thursday
So you have to buy a new PC or laptop.  Almost all of them have Windows 8 on them now. Haven't looked at Windows 8?  Oh boy!  Take a look at the article below.  It is a little complicated, but the result is a much more familiar interface than the native Windows 8 "touch screen" interface.

How to Make Windows 8 Look and Feel Like Windows 7

Step 1: Swap the Start screen for a Start menu
Step 2: Install the Windows 7 Aero theme
Step 3: Add an Aero glass effect to window title bars
Step 4: Skip the lock screen
Step 5: Run Windows 8 style apps in Desktop mode

Also: 8 Worst Windows 8 Annoyances and How to Fix Them

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You are a success in God’s kingdom if you are faithful where He has placed you. - Our Daily Bread

Biting

Our Daily Bread
I think we all have a dark side.  A side that thinks, and says and does things that we are not proud of.  I know that may seem like a cop out or justification for our actions, but it is true.  One friend used to say "If haven't anything nice to say about a person, then come sit by me!"  Oh boy...

So being careful about what we talk about is so hard at times.  We find someone that is different or has treated us badly or has said things about us, it is very easy to return the favor (though it is no favor!).  We can get caught up in this bad cycle of saying things we shouldn't say.  We can say things that we know and shouldn't be sharing.  We can say things that aren't even true.  Where does that get us?  We feel worse about ourselves and hurt the other person.  Not good!

Let us pray for each other to manage our tongue.  Remember God hears every word!

Lord, the tongue is very small, but also very hurtful and cutting if used the wrong way!

Wellness Wednesday
Solutions To 3 Of Life's Thorniest Problems
Here is the full article.

Here are the three problems.  Refer to the article to get the solutions!

1. An Overflowing In-Box 
2. A Snowballing White Lie 
3. A Rift In A Friendship 

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We are far from perfect, but despite our mistakes and our sins, we will never abandon the Lord and he will never abandon us - adapted from a statement about Abraham from the EfM Training Guide

Pressure packed

Our Daily Bread
My friends and I had several jokes about coal and diamonds when I was a teenager and in college.  "I am not just a piece of coal, but I am just a diamond in the rough" we would say.  A common retort was "And it will take centuries to turn you into a diamond!"  Or, "here is a bucket of diamonds (coal), go get me a sandwich!"   Oh boy!

Unfortunately, there are some processes that can't be accelerated.  No matter how much we want to spare ourselves or someone we love from heartache or pain, we must all experience things for ourselves.  I know I have seen friends go through immense pressure.  I have been through a lot of pressure the past six years.  It happens.  The thing I know is: God is with us.  Turn those things over to him.  Trust him.  Praise him.  Circumstances can't dictate our peace and joy!

Lord, thank you for counting us worthy to be tried by fire and pressure.  Please help us shed the dross and give more of ourselves over to you!

Teaching Tuesday
Surprised by Joy - CS Lewis: installment one
I read about a third of this book in the last week.  It is not as intense as the previous book, but it is not a quick read either.  He describes his early years at the beginning of the book.  I think I am into his early teen years now.  He had an interesting early life that contributed to his writing.  It seems like he has always been destined to write.

After reading the first part of this book and thinking about some things I learned in a seminar at work today, I plan to revisit my youth.  Understanding the things that made us who we are can offer us insight into how to be stronger.  I found that I have let some bad habits enter my life and I haven't dealt with them.  Bad duanebear!  To be clear, I am not bad, but like all humans, do bad things at times.

God is merciful and can give us joy when we develop our relationship with him.  Let us all pray for each other!

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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13

Like to know the ending?

Our Daily Bread
I am not one that reads the end of the book first, but I was tempted while reading the last three Harry Potter books.  I read rumors.  I avoided spoilers.  I decided to wait until I read the entire book for each of them before reading the final chapter.  Wow.  I am glad I did!

I have mixed feelings about folks reading the last book of the Bible first to "know how it all ends".  While reading it with a commentary or study guide can give you some amazing insights and an incredible sense of awe of our One True God, reading it first can also be a source of great confusion for many.  Several friends over the years got soooooo confused about the prophecies in Revelation instead of focusing on the intended meanings.  They also focused there and stopped reading the rest of the Bible because "it was all so confusing".  That is the point I tell them "remember the big two: Love God and Love others.  Everything else will fall into place!"

Lord, we thank you for being the one and only Almighty God and for wanting a relationship with us.  We praise you Holy Name!

Movie Monday
I didn't make it to the theater this week.  I started driving to Easton on Saturday, then started coughing to bad to sit through a movie.  I went home and slept instead.  I guess I needed  the nap!

I watched The Great and Powerful Oz bluray with my roommate last week.  We had a nice time laughing and carrying on about the movie.  Not a "Great" movie, but a "good" one for a relaxing night.

My watch list at the theater:
Pacific Rim
The Heat
White House Down

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Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40

Warnings are everywhere

Our Daily Bread
I find it amusing at times how many "warnings" there are nowadays.  When I was growing up, you were lucky to see a "Wet Floors" sign after someone mopped!  Nowadays, there are warning signs everywhere do people don't have an accident or do something silly on purpose.  It has been proven that you can't "warn" away the latter!

God also sends us warning, but they are different.  He tries to warn us when sin starts to come between us and Him.  Those little things that don't seem like sin or little sins that don't seem to have any immediate repercussions.  We all have those, right?  Sin is sin.  Any sin can cause a rift between us and God.  We know, however, that if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins.  Praise God!  I sometimes think that his is a "free card" to sin.  NO!  We are to do our best to serve God and sin no more.  We are human, though, so God gives us his grace so we can continue fellowship with him!

Lord, we thank you and praise you for warnings and for grace.

Psalm Sunday
Let's look at Psalm 103 today.  I was not familiar with this one at all, but it has components of many of the psalms all wrapped up in to one.  I call it "a good one"!

Psalm 103

Of David.

1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
    his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
    he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
    and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
    and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the Lord, you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his bidding,
    who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
    you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works
    everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the Lord, my soul.

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Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

Throughput

Our Daily Bread
When learning about computers, I learned about the concept of "throughput".  There are a few different examples, but the basic meaning is how much data can move through the interface or system in a specified period of time (seconds, minutes, hours, etc).  As different technologies evolve, there can be bottlenecks in throughput because some parts of the computer system provide better throughput than others.

I thought of this example after reading the devotional.  The tag line says that is it not just Christ in us, but Christ showing through us!  We are talking throughput here!  ha!  We can let Christ flow through us at different rates depending on our mood, our circumstances, etc.  We can be a bottle neck for Christ flowing through us if we are not in touch with him constantly.  Prayer, Bible study, a mind that seeks his voice during each moment and a willing heart help us maximize our throughput!

Lord, thank you for the privilege of having your flow through us when we are willing!

Simply Saturday
Consistency -- Frustration issue
So I have a silly joke with some friends about consistency -- "I am consistently inconsistent!"   Ha!

I had to admit something to myself the past few weeks after some friends at work made the observation that I appear to be bitter about a lot of things.  I was like "What are you talking about?"  In my silly bear mind, there is a difference between frustration and bitterness.  Maybe I am kidding myself, I don't know.  I began to search my heart and mind.  I felt the frustration was getting worse for a several reasons.

After some prayer and heartfelt listening, I realized that my frustrations were based on laziness and selfishness.  What?  Yeah, that was hard to say to myself.  Lazy and Selfish, party of one!  ha!  Why did I come to these conclusions?  The laziness aspect was from not developing the discipline that God asked me to work on years ago.  Yes, I made some improvements in that time, but I am not where I need to be.  God is merciful.  I am doing my best not to say or do things out of frustration to damage relationships.  Whew...

The selfishness comes from thinking of only myself in most of the frustrating situations.  I had to admit that I don't always think of the other person or persons when I run into one of these situations. Not good.  Not a Godly way to act.

So like everything in my life (or almost everything), I have a plan.  Planning is good, right!  ;-)  I shared my new mantra recently.  I plan to recite the mantra throughout the day to stay in a more Godly state of mind.  The mantra also helps me keep my focus off myself.  "Why didn't you get that done?" becomes "How can I help complete that task or project?"  "I can't believe this!" becomes "That is an unfortunate roadblock to completing our project.  What can we do to fix it?"  Notice the I's becoming We's and focusing on the other person or the group?

Let us pray for each other as we live our lives in a consistent, Godly manner!  Praise God!

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Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

Who was he?

Our Daily Bread
I remember some old movies growing up where the masked hero would ride into town, save the day and then ride off into the sunset.  Wow!  The folks in town would watch him ride away and ask "Who was that masked man?"

Fortunately, Jesus didn't wear a physical mask like the Lone Ranger or Batman.  His true identity was a mystery to those around him, even to those who knew him best.  I am a believer in the prophetic scriptures of the Old Testament that point to Jesus.  The devotional talks about Isaiah 53, for example.  Yes, God revealed himself slowly over the course of history and we still don't get it today!

I pray that we will read and study God's Word as well as pray so we can truly know Him!

Lord, thank you for the preview of the coming of your Son in the Old Testament!

Foodie Friday
I like cooking a little lighter in the summer when I get the chance to cook.  I don't like having the oven on, but prefer to grill out when weather permits.  I found this great list of summer chicken recipes for you to peruse.

Here is a tip:  Not good a grilling or can't grill out?  Buy a rotisserie chicken at your local grocery store or Costco.  Shred the chicken to use in these recipes.


http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/popular-ingredients/summer-right-chicken-00000000015997/index.html

Here are some I may try:
Chicken Salad With Corn and Lima Beans.
Stuffed Chicken breast with tomato salad
Honey Chicken Skewers With Grilled-Corn Salad.
Arugula Salad With Chicken and Avocado.
Grilled Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas.

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Let go, my friends!  God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!

Don't know what I don't know

Our Daily Bread

I am working on some new software at work.  When asked to estimate when things will be ready for production, my standard is "I don't know what I don't know".  It is hard to estimate the unknown!

There is one thing that I am very sure about -- God is always with us!  Always!  We can always rely on him and trust that his ways are best for us.  He will lead us if we let him.  He will comfort us if we give ourselves over to him.  He will give us a deep joy if we learn his ways.  Life in communion with God is the way we are supposed to live.

Lord, thank you for surety -- we know you are always with us!

Technology Thursday

Facebook Just Launched a New Feature: Here's How to Protect Your Profile From Unwanted Searches

Check out the full article here.  It talks about how to tweak your privacy settings to protect yourself from the new search capabilities if you want. 

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You cannot say you've forgiven someone if in your heart you hope they are still suffering. Howerton

Stand right there...

Our Daily Bread
My best friend, who I love like a brother, is a wonderful photographer.  He painstakingly tries to position me in the perfect spot with the perfect light for the perfect shot.  So on the rare occasions he lets me take his picture, I have to tease him.  "Stand right there... No a little to the left.... more... no, no, no, back to the right"  ha!  I keep telling him that needs a new best friend, one who treats him better!  hehehe

I loved the analogy in the devotional.  It is not easy to stand in the middle of the stream, regardless if the stream is popular thought, currently acceptable behavior, what other people find acceptable or even watching a lot of TV!  Standing against the current tide or stream takes courage and strength.  Where does that come from, especially when you don't think you can stand another second?  Our God gives us a firm foundation on which to stand and gives us the strength to resist those things that will ultimately wear us down.  Praise God!  How does this work?  Practice!  It is not that God gets stronger with practice; rather we get strong with practice as we turn things over to him more completely.  God knows our needs.  He knows what we can bear.  Are you worthy to be tested?

Lord, please find us worthy to test us.  Please help us rely on you for our strength and hope!

Wellness Wednesday
35 Affirmations That Will Change Your Life
I think these are cool.  I plan to use a couple each day.

1.) I am the architect of my life; I build its foundation and choose its contents.

2.) Today, I am brimming with energy and overflowing with joy.

3.) My body is healthy; my mind is brilliant; my soul is tranquil.

4.) I am superior to negative thoughts and low actions.

5.) I have been given endless talents which I begin to utilize today.

6.) I forgive those who have harmed me in my past and peacefully detach from them.

7.) A river of compassion washes away my anger and replaces it with love.

8.) I am guided in my every step by Spirit who leads me towards what I must know and do.

9.) (If you're married) My marriage is becoming stronger, deeper, and more stable each day.

10.) I possess the qualities needed to be extremely successful.

11.) (For business owners) My business is growing, expanding, and thriving.

12.) Creative energy surges through me and leads me to new and brilliant ideas.

13.) Happiness is a choice. I base my happiness on my own accomplishments and the blessings I've been given.

14.) My ability to conquer my challenges is limitless; my potential to succeed is infinite.

15.) (For those who are unemployed) I deserve to be employed and paid well for my time, efforts, and ideas. Each day, I am closer to finding the perfect job for me.

16.) I am courageous and I stand up for myself.

17.) My thoughts are filled with positivity and my life is plentiful with prosperity.

18.) Today, I abandon my old habits and take up new, more positive ones.

19.) Many people look up to me and recognize my worth; I am admired.

20.) I am blessed with an incredible family and wonderful friends.

21.) I acknowledge my own self-worth; my confidence is soaring.

22.) Everything that is happening now is happening for my ultimate good.

23.) I am a powerhouse; I am indestructible.

24.) Though these times are difficult, they are only a short phase of life.

25.) My future is an ideal projection of what I envision now.

26.) My efforts are being supported by the universe; my dreams manifest into reality before my eyes.

27.) (For those who are single) The perfect partner for me is coming into my life sooner than I expect.

28.) I radiate beauty, charm, and grace.

29.) I am conquering my illness; I am defeating it steadily each day.

30.) My obstacles are moving out of my way; my path is carved towards greatness.

31.) I wake up today with strength in my heart and clarity in my mind.

32.) My fears of tomorrow are simply melting away.

33.) I am at peace with all that has happened, is happening, and will happen.

34.) My nature is Divine; I am a spiritual being.

35.) My life is just beginning.
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You are a success in God’s kingdom if you are faithful where He has placed you. - Our Daily Bread

2001: A Space Odyssey

Our Daily Bread
When many folks my age think about the words "space" and "music", they think of the theme from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.  There are so many words to describe the piece.  Think about what yours are.

Now, think about that piece of music and the words you used to describe it.  Multiply that my infinity and you will have the music raised in praise to our Almighty God at creation!  If you aren't that good at math, it is a WHOLE lot!  ha!  Music and shouting to praise our God!

I have felt such a joy and praise a few times in my life.  I pray to feel them more, not for the feeling or to lift myself up, but for the privilege of praising our Awesome God!

Lord, thank you for being patient with us and our limited understanding of who you are.  Please help us to focus on loving and serving you and loving and serving others!

Teaching Tuesday
I finished A Pilgrimage in Faith: An Introduction to the Episcopal Church over the weekend.  I was fascinated by all the history and details in the book.  I will re-read it again this year and study it.  I really enjoyed it.  Here are a few meaningful excerpts:
"A myth is a story which attempts to describe abstract, or eternal truths in concrete, pictorial words... myth is occasioned by the experiences of those who were "eyewitneses" of God's activity in history".

The Bible is not antiscientific but prescientific.

Thus the Bible does not need for its divine inspiration the painstaking efforts of scholars to explain away all variations and discrepancies to preserve literal truth or verbal inspiration.  Nor do we need to take seriously accusations involving its basic inaccuracy, for the Bible not only has a way of surviving its critics but converting some of them!

...the reason we don't place the Bible at the center of the altar is that we do not worship the Scriptures but the Author of the Scripture.

Essentially, creeds represent ways of bringing together, in a systematic statement, the truths of revelation in Scripture.

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I pray the weight of my sins doth not crush me back to dust from where I came. I pray that God create in me a new, clean heart and place a right spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of my salvation. Praise the Almighty God from whom all blessings flow.

Who we are

Our Daily Bread
I am sure we have all met THOSE kind of people.  You know the ones.  They look down their nose and say "Don't you know WHO I am?"  I love saying "I am sorry, but I have no clue!"  That always gets their goat!

There is a time when it is appropriate for us to ask that question.  Whenever Satan tries to tempt us or evil tries to triumph over us, we can ask him: Don't you know who I am?  Like I wrote on Saturday: I am a child of the One True King!  Now, get thee behind me!  I gots loving and praising to do!  Yes, we do have power, the power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ over the dark powers of this world.  We can do more than survive.  We can overcome!

Lord, thank you for loving us, now and forever!  We praise you and thank you!

Movie Monday
I got to see two movies this weekend: Despicable Me 2 and The Lone Ranger.

Despicable Me 2
Oh my gosh, I thought the second movie was even cuter than the first!  I laughed til I cried and then I cried at the sweetness of it all!  The minions were so cute and funny.  The story line was a little sappy, but it was fine.  If you liked the first movie, you will love this one too!  I saw it in a theater with a ton of kids and they all loved it too.

I give this one three bear paws.  See it in a theater just so you don't have to wait for the video or streaming versions!

The Lone Ranger
You can wait on this one!  It was 2.5 hours of movie with about thirty minutes of action.  There was another fifteen minutes of humorous interaction between the two main characters.  That leaves a LOT of dead space in there!  The movie was too long and the action too sparse.  The end of the movie was almost worth the price of admission, but not so much.

I give this one two bear paws (for the characters and last scenes).  You can wait and rent this one.

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We too can know this God and be assured of His presence. He has revealed Himself in His creation and in His Word. As we ask Him to make Himself known to us, we’ll learn that He is even more than the owner and creator of everything! - Our Daily Bread web site

Gotta show it

Our Daily Bread
I have been involved in church work and attending church for 46 years.  During that time, I have seen a LOT of different ways that church tell folks "Don't even bother, you aren't welcome here!"  Yikes!  Whether it is the way a person dresses or the car they drove in or the way they look, church folks can be judgmental.  If we are honest, we know that everyone is judgmental, we just expect better from church folks!

During that time I also worked with the greeting committees at different churches.  We had some informal training on how to "welcome" someone, not just "greet" them.  There is a difference!  What does your church do?  Welcome or greet?  Let's pray and work on welcoming!

Lord, thank you for welcoming us into your kingdom if we just ask.  Please help us make our churches the same way!

Psalm Sunday
Let's look at Psalm 102 today.  I can honestly say I am feeling this psalm today after being sick and weak all weekend.  Whew...  I love the verses where the psalmist assures us that God will answer our laments!

Psalm 102

A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.

1 Hear my prayer, Lord;
    let my cry for help come to you.
2 Do not hide your face from me
    when I am in distress.
Turn your ear to me;
    when I call, answer me quickly.
3 For my days vanish like smoke;
    my bones burn like glowing embers.
4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass;
    I forget to eat my food.
5 In my distress I groan aloud
    and am reduced to skin and bones.
6 I am like a desert owl,
    like an owl among the ruins.
7 I lie awake; I have become
    like a bird alone on a roof.
8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
    those who rail against me use my name as a curse.
9 For I eat ashes as my food
    and mingle my drink with tears
10 because of your great wrath,
    for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like the evening shadow;
    I wither away like grass.
12 But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;
    your renown endures through all generations.
13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
    for it is time to show favor to her;
    the appointed time has come.
14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
    her very dust moves them to pity.
15 The nations will fear the name of the Lord,
    all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.
16 For the Lord will rebuild Zion
    and appear in his glory.
17 He will respond to the prayer of the destitute;
    he will not despise their plea.
18 Let this be written for a future generation,
    that a people not yet created may praise the Lord:
19 “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high,
    from heaven he viewed the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners
    and release those condemned to death.”
21 So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion
    and his praise in Jerusalem
22 when the peoples and the kingdoms
    assemble to worship the Lord.
23 In the course of my life he broke my strength;
    he cut short my days.
24 So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
    your years go on through all generations.
25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
    and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,
    and your years will never end.
28 The children of your servants will live in your presence;
    their descendants will be established before you.”

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Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. - 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Six to eight glasses a day

Our Daily Bread
Have you ever been on one of those weight loss (or lifestyle change) periods where it instructs you to drink six to eight glasses of water a day?  This is to flush out harmful things from your body.  Eating right and drinking right can lead us to a healthy life!

The devotional talks about "avoiding dehydration" in a spiritual sense.  Whenever we think we can handle things on our own, we push Jesus, the Living Water, away from us.  We can end up with spiritual dehydration as we fail over and over to follow God's will for our lives and do the things he wants us to do.

Are you feeling spiritually dizzy and disorientated today?  Call up the Living Water of Jesus to fill your life each and every moment of each and every day!

Lord, thank you for living water.  Please help us to rely on it daily for strength.

Simply Saturday
My Name is
If you have read my blog at all, you probably noticed that music speaks to me in a multitude of ways.  Sometimes it is classical, sometimes pop, sometimes Contemporary Christian music.  While listening to the radio last night I heard a new song that I immediately purchased on iTunes: My Name is by Matthew West.  I listed the lyrics below.

So this song is a follow up to an incident a few weeks ago.  I posted some sad, pitiful message on Facebook that sounded soooooo sinful like I robbed a bank or leaked national secrets.  DOH!  This transparency thing sort of sucks at times!  Several friends reacted like I mentioned last week.  What was my huge sin that was weighing me down?  "I let someone steal my joy...again.  That can't happen ever again".  There were some shrugs over that response!

Back to the song for today.  What name tag are you wearing today?  Regret?  Defeat? Is the wreckage you left behind dragging you down?  Let's ALL change our name tag to "Child of the One True King".  God's amazing grace is the song we sing as he makes all things new in us.  Leave it all behind.  I know it is difficult.  Circumstances cannot dictate our mood or steal our joy unless we let them.

My name is Duane and I am a Child of the One True God!  Nice to meet you!

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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13

Constant reminder

Our Daily Bread
I like to watch and play tennis.  There are sooo many good tennis players out there, but most of them have one thing in common -- some kind of weakness.  For me, it is my backhand stroke.  I have a decent slice backhand, but it can be exploited if a player can continue hitting to it over and over.  It definitely keeps me humble despite how good my forehand stroke is!

Our life in Christ has some of the same characteristics.  We all have some things that we are very, very strong at, whether it be prayer or caring for the sick or singing or preaching, etc.  AND, we all have our weaknesses.  ALL of us have our weaknesses.  I don't know about you, but I am reminded of mine each and every day.  How do we deal with those weaknesses?  Well, we practice to get stronger!  I practice my backhand whenever I get the chance.  I put it to use in my league matches when I am under pressure.

We can do this with our spiritual weaknesses.  We can do this!

Lord, thank you for giving us eyes to see our weaknesses and the strength to overcome them.  Praise God!

Foodie Friday
So I get adventurous at times, especially when I see something I think looks cool or delicious or both.  For dinner group on Sunday, I am making a Polka dot cake.  In short, you bake some cake balls in different colors, then embed them in white layer cakes.  I will also try to make some real butter cream icing to frost it with.  Check out the web site below for the full instructions.  I included one of the pics to show you what I hope mine will look like!

Polka dot Cake


Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Recipe type: Desser t Author : Savor y Sw eet Life Pr ep time: 2 mins Cook time: 3 mins
Total time: 5 mins Ser ves: 2.5 cups

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened (but not melted!) Ideal
texture should be like ice cream.
3-4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, SIFTED
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
up to 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Instructions
1. Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the sugar doesn't blow everywhere) until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time.

Recipe by Sav ory Sw eet Life - Easy Recipes from an Ev eryday Home Cook at http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/03/buttercream-frosting/

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Trusting God’s faithfulness dispels our fearfulness. - Our Daily Bread web site

The eyes have it

Happy Fourth of July!

A friend posted this on Facebook from Addision, TX

Our Daily Bread
Yes, yes, I know the title is a play on words.  On purpose!  DOH!  hehehe  A funny moment for me was watching a Despicable Me 2 preview where a one-eyed minion looks at another minion in disgust and says "aie, aie, AIE"  I kept thinking he was say "eye, eye, EYE".  Get it?  One eyed minion?  Never mind...

I don't feel like I am anything special in the spirituality department, but I liked this quote from the devotional:
Those who have known the Lord for a long time or who have gone through great trials seem to have a better heavenly vision than the rest of us.

Does that describe you?  I like to think it describes me, but I admit there are sooooo many things about which I am clueless!  Clueless I say!  I like the prayer at church "Forgive me of my sins, both known and unknown".  I hate the unknown sins!  How can I stop doing them if they are unknown?

ANYWAY, let's pray for each other for better spiritual vision.  To see what God sees in each and every person.  To have a better heavenly vision!

Lord, we cannot comprehend your love and your heavenly vision.  Please help us do the best we can!

Technology Thursday
Fireworks are in the air for a few day to celebrate the birthday of the United States of America.  I realized that I didn't understand all the technology used for fireworks displays, so I did some research.  Here are some good articles:

The scientific flash behind the fireworks - Technology & science ...

The inner workings of fireworks - Technology & science | NBC News

How new tricks make Fourth of July fireworks better than ever ...

Enjoy!

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CELEBRATE CALM

I refuse to give you power over my attitude and mood.
I refuse to allow you to dictate my response to you.
I refuse to give you the power to change my behavior.
I refuse to allow you to steal my peace and joy.

You can be mean. I will be kind.
You can hurt me. I will forgive you (but not trust you!).
You can be a jerk. I will have mercy.
You can be bitter. I will be grateful that I don't have to live with that poison in my soul.

I cannot tell you what you are going to do.
But I can tell you what I am going to do.

This is self-control. This is humility. This is dignity. - Unknown