All things

Happy Halloween!

Our Daily Bread
I don't mean to brag, but my friends think I can do a lot of things.  They ask jokingly "Is there anything that you can't do?"  My silly response is "Ice skate and keep my mouth shut!"  Yikes!  It is true!

We can ask the question of God at times -- "Is there anything you can't do?"  We often ask this question when a prayer goes unanswered or we are disappointed with circumstances in our lives.  If God can do anything, why didn't he .  If he is all-powerful, why didn't he ?  All I can say is that all things are possible with God that are in his will for us.  What is his will?  What is best for us even when we can't see it ourselves!  Trust God to lead you and trust yourself to follow him.  All things work together for the good of those that love him!

Lord, we know anything is possible with you, even the things we can never comprehend!

Technology Thursday
The new iPad Air goes on sale tomorrow!  Will I purchase one?  I doubt it.  I will probably wait until Spring to decide if I want this model or the iPad Mini with Retina display or something else.  My third gen iPad is fine for now.  There are been several review posted.  All seem to really like the new devices.  The main complaint is that they don't have the fingerprint scanner that Apple included on the iPhone 5S.  OH well.

My programmable thermostat went out this week.  I had the HVAC company replace it instead of buying some new fancy one like the Nest.  They sell for $249.  That is a little more expensive than I wanted to spend!  They are very cool though. Click on the link and read about it!

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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

Close by

Our Daily Bread
Have you ever had a friend or been a friend that is "there" for you?  Someone who will stand by and support you through the ups and downs of life?  I think we can all say yes!  I think of those special friends and how much they mean to me.

Now think of God as being the Almighty God who is there to support you through the ups and downs of your life?  Think of God as someone who is "there" for you!  He will ultimately win out over the evil and sin in this world.  I don't know exactly what is going to happen, but I know I trust God to fulfill his promises to his people.  We may not know, but we know God is ultimately in control!

Lord, thank you for your assurances of the world to come.  We look forward to seeing you face to face!

Wellness Wednesday
I don't know about you, but my family has a history of high blood pressure.  Here is an article that I hope helps us all with that serious problem!  Click on the title of the article to read the whole thing, including the 11 natural ways to lower blood pressure.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Could Help Lower Blood Pressure
Stress reduction strategies based on mindfulness -- the practice of focusing on the present moment -- could help lower blood pressure among people who are on the brink of hypertension, according to a small new study.

Researchers from Kent State University found that people with prehypertension -- meaning they have borderline high blood pressure that does not yet necessitate medication -- have decreases in their blood pressure measurements if they undergo weekly sessions to learn mindfulness-based stress reduction practices.

The findings, which are published in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, are based on data from 56 men and women with prehypertension who had an average age of 50. Researchers had these participants either undergo eight weeks of sessions of mindfulness training, or just receive lifestyle advice and learn a muscle-relaxation activity.

By the end of the eight weeks, people who learned the mindfulness strategies had a greater drop in blood pressure levels than those in the lifestyle advice group. Specifically, the mindfulness group experienced a decrease in systolic blood pressure (the higher number on a blood pressure reading) of 5 millimeters of mercury, versus 1 millimeter of mercury in the lifestyle advice group. And the mindfulness group experienced a decrease in diastolic blood pressure (the lower number on a blood pressure reading) of nearly 2 millimeters of mercury, versus an increase of 1 millimeter of mercury for the lifestyle advice group.

Mindfulness might benefit other areas of health, too. Research has shown that the strategies could decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol, lessen pain for people with certain chronic conditions, lower risk of depression and even improve sleep.

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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

Could have had

Our Daily Bread
I thought of another silly commercial while reading the devotional today.  I am sure you have seen the V8 commercials when someone slaps their head and exclaims "I could have had a V8!" to get their servings of veggies for the day.  Sort of silly, but a nice reminder!

I feel like I need to slap my head most days and say "I could have had more faith!" or "I am a beloved child of God.  I could have lived that way today!"  Yes, we often let time slip by or circumstances govern our state of mind instead of letting God rule our lives.  Some days, we may sound like the droning flight attendant while we read our scripture passages or say our prayers.  Instead of standing amazed in the presence of God, we act like we are at a theater watching a boring B movie (this metaphor spoke to me personally!).  Let us all stand amazed in the presence today.  Yes, today, I say!

Lord, thank you for letting stand in your presence in prayer and Bible study.  Please help us always be amazed and full of praise!

Teaching Tuesday
Theological Reflection
The main concept of the EFM (Education for Ministry) class is a process called theological reflection.  Our reading this week was a review of the methodology.  I  was familiar with it already because I learned about it in year one ( I am in year two now).  What I didn't understand completely last year was that I could use some of the same techniques in my personal Bible study (outside the group).

In short, you find a statement that you want to reflect on, like a Bible verse or saying or theme from your life or readings.  In no specific order, think about what culture says, what society says, what tradition says and what we think scriptures say about this theme.  At the end of the reflection, create an "I believe" saying that sums up what you learned.  Here is a PDF describing the process better than I can.  Check it out.

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Excavating your heart will unearth the beautiful things God has planted in you. - R. Howerton

Wait for it, wait for it...

Our Daily Bread
Timing....... is everything.  That is one of the jokes and facts about comedy, especially live performances.  The comedian has to set up the joke, wait for the audience to take the bait, then deliver the punch line with precise timing.  Well, maybe it is not that formulaic, but it does seem to work for many comedians!

When it comes to our faith, it is not "formulaic" either unless you think about the tag line from the devotional:
God stretches our patience to enlarge our soul.

God created that formula or methodology or approach, whatever you want to call it!  God works wonders in us if we just let him, if we have faith in him, if we love and trust him.  What an amazing God!

The devotional is yet another "it was written for Duane" moment.  One of those moments that I have difficulty believing even though I have seen God's timing over and over in my life.  I don't know about you, but I have trouble "waiting for it"!  Let us say one of my meditation statements together "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, I love you, trust you, I thank you, I praise you"

Lord, you are the One True God.  We thank you and praise you for letting us love and serve you.

Movie Monday
I didn't make it to the movie theater this week.  I managed to watch a new Bluray and a variety of streaming videos from Amazon.

Pacific Rim
Released to the theaters over the summer, Pacific Rim was released on Bluray/DVD last week.  I liked the movie at the theater, so I bought it for home.  When I watched it, I remembered why I liked it.  I thought it was a combination of Transformers and Godzilla all wrapped up into one!  Very fun movie if you don't take it too seriously.

Evil Dead 2
What a fun, kitchy, silly, scary movie!  It is a B movie about a "cabin in the woods" scary weekend.  The movie is full of fun and surprising twists and turns.  Don't take it too seriously and just enjoy it for Halloween!.  It is free on Amazon Prime Video.  Check it out if you haven't seen it.

The Italian Job
This movie is ten years old now!  Wow!  It has an all-star cast.  It has an interesting story line, but it took waaayyy too long to develop it in my opinion.  The movie could have been thirty minutes shorter.  It is free on Amazon Prime Video.  Check it out if you haven't seen it.

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The only remedy for hearts that “want it all” is the contentment found in the presence of the living God. He is sufficient for our needs and longings, and He alone can bring us the peace and contentment we’ll never find in the pursuits of this life. - Our Daily Bread

Source

Our Daily Bread
Several things come to mind when I think of the word "source".  Source of the problem.  Source of the information.  Source of a river.  Source of power.  All are interesting and educational metaphors we can use in our spiritual lives!  The source of the problem is usually sin.  The source of information can be the Bible or the Holy Spirit.  The source of a river starts as just a trickle.  The source of power, of course, is God!

The devotional talks about God being the source of our strength.  I love the imagery and description of God in the book of Job!  It always puts me in my place as I try to negotiate things with God.  When I try to rationalize my sinful behavior or disobedience.  When I complain while I am being "patient" and waiting for God to work.  Lord have mercy on me!  Please!

How about you?  Ever had any moments of discovering God like in the book of Job?

Lord, you made is in your image and we still can't understand you.  Please help us to have faith, trust and obey!

Psalm Sunday
Psalm 117 is a VERY short psalm at only two verses!  They are very good verses, though, so take a look!

Psalm 117

1 Praise the Lord, all you nations;
    extol him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his love toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord.

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

It's in there...

Our Daily Bread
There was an advertisement for pasta sauce that focused on the ingredients that Momma used to put in her pasta sauce.  They would read the ingredients and finish with "It's in there!"

I thought about this commercial when reading the devotional this morning.  When folks look at our "ingredients" do they see the fruits of the Spirit --  Love, joy, longsuffering, peace, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance, faith.  My prayer is that when someone looks at the ingredients of our lives, they will exclaim "It's in there!"  Praise God!

Lord, we know you are with us always.  Please help us show outwardly the ingredients you added to our lives!

Simply Saturday
It all fits together
It never ceases to amaze me how things just fit together when you are following God to the best of your abilities.  For a man like me that has so much pride, selfishness and arrogance, the length of those periods only lasts thirty seconds or so!  Yikes!  I pray that each of us can put aside ourselves so we can let Christ fill us with his love, mercy and justice.  "Little Christs" is the term that CS Lewis uses.

I have been praying about some things, trying to be patient for the answers.  I don't know about you, but I don't always accept "no" or "not yet" from our Heavenly Father very gracefully!  DOH!  I forget about how it all fits together when I wait on him.  I forget how it all fits together when I stop making things happen on my own.  I forget about all the times that He strengthened me and delivered me.  How about you?  All I have to do is read my medical history sheet that I keep for my many doctors.  Whew...

I challenge each of us to write up a short personal history of the times that God strengthened and delivered us.  You can use the psalms or stories in the Old Testament as a guide as many of these books pass down the oral traditions of the deliverance history of Israel.  It is so amazing to read this history, especially during the holidays, a time of thanksgiving.

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).

Great great joy

Our Daily Bread
What we call contemporary Christian music today started about the time I was in college.  Some of the first albums were awkward to listen to, like Amy Grant's song called Grape, Grape Joy.  Lord have mercy.  The music got better and better.  Today the genre outsells several other categories that have been popular for much longer!

That was a silly intro the great, great joy that we can have in our God.  He sent his only Son to live as a human, die and rise again to overcome sin and death.  He sent his Holy Spirit to empower us to grow closer to God each and every day if we give ourselves to him.  He gives us the opportunity to be little Christs as we put aside the sin and selfishness of this world.  We can truly be children of God!  Praise God!

Lord, thank you for the great, great joy we can have in you!  We praise you!

Foodie Friday
I found a couple of Halloween recipes for this week.  It is hard to believe that Halloween is next week!  And even worse, next Friday will be the first day in November!  Yikes!

Creepy Crawler Cupcakes
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil's food cake mix (Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box)
1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting
1 Candy rocks, if desired
24 gummy worms

1. Heat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan.) Place paper baking cup in each of 24
regular-size muffin cups.
2. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs. Cool 10
minutes. Remove from pan to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3. Spread frosting on cupcakes. Sprinkle with candy rocks. Add gummy worms, gently pushing one
end of worm into each cupcake.
Makes 24 cupcakes

Cobweb Cookies
3/4 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose or unbleached flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
Powdered sugar

1. Beat all ingredients except powdered sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed
until smooth. Pour batter into plastic squeeze bottle with narrow opening. Heat 8-inch skillet over
medium heat until hot; grease lightly.
2. Working quickly, squeeze batter to form 4 straight, thin lines that intersect at a common center point
to form a star shape. To form cobweb, squeeze thin streams of batter to connect lines.
3. Cook 30 to 60 seconds or until bottom is golden brown; carefully turn. Cook until golden brown;
remove from skillet. Cool on wire rack.
4. Heat oven to 325ºF. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet 5 to 7 minutes or until almost crisp
(cookies will become crisp as they cool). Remove from cookie sheet; cool. Sprinkle with powdered
sugar. Store cookies in container with loose-fitting cover.
Makes 2 1/2 dozen 4- to 5-inch cookies

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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

New creation

Our Daily Bread
This Old House is maybe the first home rehab shows on TV.  There are tons of them now as most channels have some kind of show like it, looking at rehabbing homes from many different angles.  It can be fun to see the changes in a house after being rehabbed by a knowledgeable builder!

Like the devotional mentions, some folks think that our lives are "rehabs" when we give them over to Christ.  I love the way the devotional makes this clear -- we are re-creations in Christ!  As we turn our lives over to Christ, he tears down all the crap we built in our lives and re-creates it in his image.  We need to give over all the rooms in our house so Christ can re-create them, even those little dark rooms that we never let anyone see!

The re-creation process has been a theme for me this week after reading Mark and the CS Lewis book Mere Christianity.  May it be so!

Lord, thank  you for recreating us in your image if we just let you do your work in us!

Technology Thursday
There were a couple of new product announcements this week.

Apple
Apple announced the new iPads and new MacBook laptops this week.  They also announced new accessories for the new iPads as well.  The MacBook laptops were updated with the latest Intel processors and the latest version of MacOS code named Maverick.  Maverick incorporates more of the iOS features into the laptop OS as the OS features merge even more.  Very interesting stuff.  Very nice laptops even though you pay a hefty premium for htem.

The new full-size iPad is called the iPad Air (similar to the thinner and lighter MacBook Air).  It is 25% lighter and thinner than the previous generation iPad.  It is over twice as fast with the new A7 processor and has the M7 processor for motion processing, too.  The missing element is no finger print sensor in the home button like the iPhone 5S.

The new iPad Mini has the retina display screen, as expected.  It also has the A7 processor and M7 motion processor in its smaller screen size than the original iPad.

Frankly, I think the prices are too high.  The iPad Mini 16 gig increased from $329 to $399.  That is not a good thing as far as the competition is concerned.  Other devices have similar specs AND expandable memory for at least $100 less.  We will see how that flies in the market.

Microsoft
Microsoft introduced the Surface 2 tablet in the last week.  It is supposed to be a huge improvement from the original Surface offering.  From the reviews I read, it is still not enough to compete with the Apple and Samsung tablets.  We will see what the market says!

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“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21 niv)

Not a total loss

Our Daily Bread
I have watched many ball games over the years where the losing coach says something like this in the post-game interview "Well, it wasn't a total loss, we learned a lot from this experience..." blah, blah, blah.  We can learn from the ups and downs in life, but I prefer to learn from the ups!  ha!

When it comes to a life in Christ, we should count our lives a TOTAL loss for the gaining our lives in God!  A total loss!  I read about this concept in the CS Lewis book Mere Christianity.  The entire purpose of our lives in Christ is to be come little Christs (mini-Christs as I call them).  To be totally in touch with our Heavenly Father.  To love others as ourselves.  I get rid of the dross that causes the impurities in our lives.  Praise God that he cleanse us and make us whole in our journey to eternity with him.  Wow!

Lord, thank you for changing us into the type of folks you want us to be.  We praise you for your transforming power!

Wellness Wednesday
Clearing the Clutter by Kelley Whitis
I recently moved and this was no ordinary move. My two sisters and I have lived together for the past 12 years. Our mother was killed in 1988, and we had lived together off and on as teenagers and early on in our 20s. In 2001 we all ended up together, grown adults living as roommates.

This was our survival mechanism that had served us well when we were younger, navigating the grief of our mother's death, but now as adults, it's easy to see how it's kept us safe in this nest we've built for ourselves and incapable of real growth. Safe from other relationships, safe from growing and safe from prospering. Tired of playing it safe and ready to soar, we decided to venture out on our own.

I'll save you all of the emotional turmoil, fighting, misplaced anger, crying, guilt and blame -- that's an entire blog by itself. Instead, I'll skip to the packing and clutter part. Why do we keep so much stuff? You know, the stuff we'll save for later, wear when we're skinnier, read later, regift later, use again, put up next year for the holidays even though it's broken and we swear we'll get it fixed before then. Plain old clutter. I will admit, that I may hold on to things just a bit too long. I don't like to waste anything, and can find a use for almost everything.

So I decided to do the exact opposite of what I normally do. I was going to do what all those articles tell you to do about organizing and cleaning -- if I haven't used it or worn it in six months, time to toss it.

I filled my entire SUV to the roof with bags of clothes, electronics, shoes, handbags, kitchen stuff, DVDs, books, CDs, office supplies and took it all to a local battered women's transitional home.

Immediately I felt lighter. Next, was cleaning out my files. Why was I holding on to bills from 2002, repair invoices on the last car I owned and maps of San Francisco? Tossed. My recycle bin was almost full by the time I was done. And lastly, I signed up to receive all my bills electronically, a little tool to keep me clutter free in the future.

All of this decluttering made my move easier and my unpacking a breeze. This got me thinking, what emotional stuff have I held onto that I also need to release? Now here comes the hard part...

My first few days in my new place sans sisters took some time to get adjusted to -- physically and more importantly, emotionally. I realized I had defined myself as "the big sister" and all that comes with that title. Without my little sisters here with me 24/7, who was I, really? I had to dig deep to find old limiting patterns and beliefs that kept me stuck. I had to really challenge myself to find out what it was I wanted in life. And then to gather the courage and strength to know I was worth everything I wanted -- in my career, marriage and family, the home I desired to live in, and how much money I wanted in my bank account.

Clearing out the emotional clutter was so much harder than the physical. And trust me, it's not pretty. Which is why I'm sure it's easier for us to ignore the emotional clutter than to dig through it and get rid of what's not serving us. Pain hurts and it's our natural human instinct to avoid getting hurt.

But after two weeks of being in my new place and clearing out this emotional clutter -- crying, meditating, journaling, healing, looking forward and making new goals -- I feel lighter. Just as clearing the physical stuff made my move easier and almost effortless, with my emotional clutter now gone I'm now moving through life in the same manner, with tremendous ease.

What emotional clutter are you holding on to without even realizing it? Where have you sacrificed yourself? What limiting beliefs do you subconsciously have that are holding you back in life?

I've come up with four simple steps to help you identify this emotional clutter and remove it from your life.

1. Get Clear
Get clear on who you are and what you want out of life. Go back to your child self. What did that child want in life? What did she want to be when she grew up? What did he enjoy doing the most?

2. Evaluate
Do a self-evaluation of what your innermost thoughts, feelings and beliefs are around what it is you want. Where are you judging yourself? How is your self-worth? Analyze why you have stayed at the same professional level for too long without advancing, or in a relationship that is not serving either of you.

3. Toss
Make a conscious and consistent effort to toss the emotional clutter and replace limiting beliefs with positive and supporting ones. Journal. Say mantras every day. Meditate. Read books on self-worth and improvement. Say "I love you" to yourself every day in the mirror. Sign up for daily emails from spiritual and uplifting teachers.

4. Move Ahead
Watch as you move through life with more ease, security and happiness. See new opportunities in your career manifest. Observe your money and how it flows to you with ease. And notice your relationships becoming happier, stable and more fluid.

Cleaning out the emotional clutter is a hard job. It takes willingness and dedication. It requires a daily conscious effort. There will be tears. There will be hard days. But the outcome is more than worth it. We spend way too much of our lives with emotional clutter weighing us down in life and we don't even realize it. What's holding you back from clearing the emotional clutter in your life? Start. Right. Now!

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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

GIGO

Our Daily Bread

GIGO - garbage in, garbage out is a general term meaning what you put into something is probably what you are going to get out of it.  You can't expect to eat junk food all the time and have the body of a Bay Watch actor!  ha!  The same with our work and with so many other things in life.

I thought about this concept while reading the devotional.  So many of us put garbage into our minds and hearts and then wonder why garbage comes out of our minds and mouths!  GIGO!  This is especially true with the way we treat others.  We let jealousy and negativity come into our minds and hearts, then wonder why we treat people poorly.  We should feed ourselves with the bread of life and feast on the fruits of the Spirit so we can show the love and kindness that we should towards ourselves and others!  Praise God!

Lord, you taught us to love God and love each other.  Please help us to remember and do it!

Teaching Tuesday

EFM

Year 2 read the book of Mark and the corresponding chapter in our text book this week.  It was a good read.  If you haven't read an entire book of the Bible, the book of Mark in the New Testament would be a good place to start.  It is the shortest of the four gospels, but has most of the "important" stories (though the story of Jesus' birth is not in it).  

Some interesting notes about the book of Mark.  John Mark, a man who was associated with Paul and Barnabas, may have written the book based on all the word of mouth stories he heard.  He may or may not have been involved directly with Jesus.  We do not know for sure. We think that this gospel may have been the base source for the other gospels (called the M source).  

The style of Mark's writing is interesting.  He does not use a lot of "fluff" in his writing.  He tells it like it is.  The goal seems to be to show the humanity of the people involved in the stories, especially the disciples.  He also depicts the humanity of Christ as well.  I found these depictions very encouraging, much like the struggles of the children of Israel in the Old Testament.

FINALLY: I finished Mere Christianity by CS Lewis this week.  God had me wait until I read the book of Mark again before I read the last forty pages of this book.  Mark sort of asks "What are you going to do with Jesus?  What is next?"  Mere Christianity answered that questions with "Give Jesus all that you have"  Everything.  There is no other option.  God works in such amazing ways!

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The Lord gives us His grace to live purposeful lives of faith as we await His coming.- Our Daily Bread

One day

Our Daily Bread
A former minister told a story of a priest friend that he admired.  He said the priest seemed to have a joy that he didn't understand so he asked him about it one day.  The priest smiled kindly and said "Well, I am a Christian."  Wow!  When one Christian ministers to another with such a simple reply it really hits home!

The devotional talks about this joy in a way.  It talks about how any "down" day can be a glorious day when we think of what Christ did for us on the cross and how he overcame death through his resurrection.  He did all of that for us.  O glorious day!

I finally finished the CS Lewis book Mere Christianity yesterday.  It is easy for some folks to get "down" about their faith, about the goal of perfection we are to attain.  We seem to struggle, to take one step forward and two steps back.  Let us pray for each other to continue with joy in our journey to meet God some day!

Lord, we thank you for the glorious day of Christ's resurrection.  Please help us remember that glorious day each day of our lives!

Movie Monday
I saw the movie Escape Plan this week.  It is the first time that Arnold and Sylvester as the headliners in a movie.  Sylvester plays an ex-lawyer that has a knack for escaping prisons, so much so he does it for a living to test the prison system.  He wrote the book on it (in the movie).  Arnold is a prisoner he meets in one of the prisons.  There are several interesting plot twists in this movie, but they take too long to unfold in my opinion.  The movie is almost two hours long.  It could have been shorter.

I give this movie two bear paws.  This is definitely rentable.  No need to see it at the theater unless you are an Arnold or Sylvester fan.

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The only remedy for hearts that “want it all” is the contentment found in the presence of the living God. He is sufficient for our needs and longings, and He alone can bring us the peace and contentment we’ll never find in the pursuits of this life. - Our Daily Bread

Not again...

Our Daily Bread
While reading the Old Testament a couple of times over the past few years, I keep saying the same phrase over and over again as I read about the ancient nation of Israel -- "Not again..."  OMG!  Will these people EVER learn?  ha!

Then the Holy Spirit gently opens my eyes.  I can hear God saying the same thing each time I repeat my pet sins.  I think I am trying to live my life for Christ, but I keep letting myself slip back into old habits.  Does this sound familiar?  Old habits.  Old Testament.  Hmmmmm...  Yeah, it is called human nature.  God has taught me to forgive myself, though I still need to work on that some more.  I also need to remember that self-discipline is like a muscle -- it takes exercise and training to develop it!  A runner doesn't start their career by running a marathon.  It takes practice and training and a proper diet.  For the Christian, the proper practice of prayer and self-discipline, the training of practicing God's love in action and a proper diet of Bible study give us the endurance we need to run this race!  Praise God!

Lord, please help avoid "Not again" moments.  Please forgive us when we have them.

Psalm Sunday
Let's look at Psalm 116 this week.  Haven't we all felt this way at one time or another in our lives?  We know that we can call on the Lord during our times of distress.  He is there to care for the righteous, or as I say, the folks who are doing their best to be righteous!  Praise God!

Psalm 116

1 I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
    he heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because he turned his ear to me,
    I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death entangled me,
    the anguish of the grave came over me;
    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
    “Lord, save me!”
5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;
    our God is full of compassion.
6 The Lord protects the unwary;
    when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return to your rest, my soul,
    for the Lord has been good to you.
8 For you, Lord, have delivered me from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling,
9 that I may walk before the Lord
    in the land of the living.
10 I trusted in the Lord when I said,
    “I am greatly afflicted”;
11 in my alarm I said,
    “Everyone is a liar.”
12 What shall I return to the Lord
    for all his goodness to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
    is the death of his faithful servants.
16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;
    I serve you just as my mother did;
    you have freed me from my chains.
17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
    and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord—
    in your midst, Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord.

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 “The highest pinnacle of the spiritual life is not happy joy in unbroken sunshine, but absolute and undoubting trust in the love of God.” = A. W. Thorold

Always

Our Daily Bread
"And Iiiiieeeiiiii will alllwayyyysss love you...." is from a song first made popular by Dolly Parton.  Whitney Houston sang it again decades later and touched the hearts of millions.  What a song!

I may sound a little crazy at times, but I feel this song in my head and heart when I am in tune with the Holy Spirit.  Do you know the times I am talking about?  The times that you want to trust God even though you have no idea how he is going to work things out.  All you know is that you need to keep doing the things that He told you to do....and trust.  We don't always understand, or need to understand, what is going on.  We just need to trust the God who loves us so very much.  I love this quote from the devotional:

 “The highest pinnacle of the spiritual life is not happy joy in unbroken sunshine, but absolute and undoubting trust in the love of God.” = A. W. Thorold

Lord, thank you for loving us always.  Please help us always trust.

Simply Saturday
Temperance
1. moderation or self-restraint in action, statement, etc.; self-control.
2. habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion, especially in the use of alcoholic liquors.
3. total abstinence from alcoholic liquors.

I like the definitions of temperance I found on dictionary.reference.com.  Most of the other online dictionaries only mentioned abstinence from alcohol.  I think the definitions above captures more of what the Biblical writers were talking about.  "Self-control" is how some translations list this fruit of the Holy Spirit due to the narrow scope of the definition in the English language.

I really like the second definition: "habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion".  Wow!  I will think about this a lot because "habitual moderation" is probably my worst struggle!

Let's pray for each other to open our hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit so we can live the way that is best for us -- the way God intended!

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

This, too, shall pass

Our Daily Bread
I don't know how many times my friends and I joke about how lllooonnnggg Fridays seem, soooo much longer than any other day of the week!  ha!  "Will this work day EVER end?" we ask each other.  Yes, it will eventually.  It usually does!

Our perceptions of good and bad, fast and slow are all relative.  To some of us a work day seeming long is a chore.  To someone that just started working again after a long layoff, the long work day seems like a blessing!  Many things in our lives are like that.  One of the points is what I phrase as "This, too, shall pass".  Whether it is a good thing, like a vacation in a sunny spot, or a long, boring series of meetings at work, these will pass in time.  It is up to us to determine how they will pass.  Will we huff and puff and be down about it or will we cherish each moment that God gives us on this earth?  The choice is ours!

Lord, thank you for giving us this time on earth.  Please help us to use it wisely while we are here!

Foodie Friday
I made this pie again on Wednesday for a pot luck.  It has been a big hit each time.  It is very easy, too!

Chocolate and Coconut Pecan Custard Pie
Whip up five easy ingredients to create the filling that layers itself while it bakes!

prep time 15 min
total time 2 hr 15 min
ingredients 6
servings 8

Ingredients
1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box
1 can Pillsbury® Creamy Supreme® Coconut Pecan Frosting
1 can (14 oz) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Steps
1 Heat oven to 350°F. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie plate as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie.
2 In large bowl, beat frosting, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and 1/2 teaspoon salt with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into crust-lined plate. Sprinkle with coconut.
3 Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown, top is puffed and center is almost set. Cover crust with foil during last half of baking, if necessary, to prevent excessive browning. Cool at least 1 hour. Serve warm or cooled. Store covered in refrigerator.

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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

Barriers

Our Daily Bread
Time and distance are the two most common barriers that people face.  The time it takes to travel somewhere or the distance to be traveled.  There are often other barriers like language, culture and religious beliefs.  What kind of barriers have you experienced in your life?

Christ broke through the most important barrier that ever existed -- the barrier between God and mankind.  You can use whatever metaphor you want like "renting the curtain in two" like the temple, bridging the gap or breaking through the wall that was much more difficult to tear down than the wall between East and West Germany!   Not only does Jesus break through that barrier, he calls us to relationship with God so we can experience heaven on earth.  Praise God!

Lord Christ, we thank you for breaking down the barriers between us and God.  We praise you! Please help worship and adore you!

Technology Thursday
The Apple announcement session is on October 22.  Woohooo!  I like the Apple gadgets and am usually willing to pay the extra money for them.  I haven't purchased a Mac.  I haven't jumped in completely!

I looked at the Samsung tablets when I was at Costco the other day.  I think their product line is very confusing.  That is just my opinion.  I noticed they are cheaper than the Apple products because they have the expandable memory slot.  I could have purchased a quad core Galaxy Note and added a 64 gig card for about 60% of the cost of the comparable Apple model.  I have been keeping up with the latest versions of Android.  I still don't think they match the ease of use and number of applications that the Apple devices have.  I also don't have to think about the iOS device as much as the Android devices.  I have several friends that disagree with me on these points!  OH well.  We all like what we like!

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The Lord gives us His grace to live purposeful lives of faith as we await His coming.- Our Daily Bread

How firm a foundation

Our Daily Bread
I don't watch TV very much, but while flipping channels at a hotel one night I came across an amateur sand sculpting contest.  There were some very elaborate sand castles and other types of creations that were rather amazing!  I noticed that some of them were in danger of demolition from the evening tide.  Is this what Jesus and other Biblical writers meant not building on a firm foundation?

Well, yes it was!  The most amazing part of that metaphor is that Jesus is the Solid Rock, the cornerstone rejected by the builders, but who became the foundation of our life in God!  Praise God!  We know by faith that building our lives on the Living Stone, the Solid Rock, will lead us to a meaningful life of serving God and serving others.  The sand castles of our life, as fleeting as they are, will not be washed away!

Lord, we thank you for being our Solid Rock.  Please help us build our lives on you, our firm foundation!

Wellness Wednesday
I found this article originally posed by Scientific American magazine.  Thank the Lord above if you do not have this issue!  Click on the title of the article for the full article and the tips on mindful eating.

Mindfulness Could Help Tame Your Sugar Temptations, Study Suggests
by Travis Riddle

Think about your kitchen counter. Ignore the stack of papers by the light switch, and pay no mind to the food crumbs left over from your breakfast this morning. Instead, there exists a spot which, if you’re like many people, is devoted to a very particular kind of snack. This spot is your own personal shrine to sweetness. What’s occupying that spot right now? A plate of peanut butter cookies? Or maybe a box of chocolate-covered pretzels? If you share Ronald Reagan’s well-known affinity for bean-shaped foods, it might be a jar of jelly bellies. Regardless of what kind of snack occupies this place, you no doubt are all too aware of the consequences of the existence of this spot. Too frequently, it seems, you mindlessly reach out for a dose of sugar, blithely overlooking all intentions to the contrary, and foiling your well-planned diet.

Despite our best intentions and valiant efforts, it seems like we’re programmed to consume calorie-dense, nutritionally-empty foods. Fortunately, research psychologists have been working out how we can reprogram ourselves, and a recent paper suggests one strategy that may be effective. Writing in the British Journal of Health Psychology, researchers from Swansea University and City University London present the results of an experiment in which individuals who resisted sweets by using mindfulness — a purposeful way of paying attention to the present moment —consumed less of them.

In the experiment, the researchers recruited participants who responded to ads for individuals looking to reduce their chocolate consumption. These participants were then randomly assigned into one of three strategy groups: cognitive “defusion,” acceptance, or control. In each group, participants were given a rationale for their strategy, details of the strategy, and instructions for how to use the strategy.

For cognitive “defusion,” a term which means to change one’s relationship with one’s thoughts, participants were instructed to view one’s self as different from one’s thoughts. They were given a strategy often used by mindfulness practitioners — the “mindbus” metaphor. An individual can be seen as the driver of a bus, and thoughts as the passengers. They were then given a bag of chocolate to carry around with them at all times over the next five days, and instructed to think of the mindbus whenever they were tempted to eat a chocolate.

In the acceptance group, participants were told that an effective way of dealing with food cravings was to simply accept these uncomfortable feelings, rather than spending effort trying to control them. They were told about “urge surfing,” in which participants were told to try acknowledge and ride out the urges, rather than controlling or giving in to them.

The control group was told that relaxing was a good strategy to deal with cravings. The strategy section for this group outlined a relaxation technique which involved contracting and relaxing certain sets of muscles.


In addition to all participants being given a bag of chocolates, the researchers wanted to account for any chocolate the participants may have eaten which did not come out of the bag.  For this reason, all participants were also given a “chocolate diary,” in which they were told to record all other chocolate consumption. After 5 days, all participants returned to the lab, where the experimenters counted the chocolate remaining in the bag, and entered all consumption incidents recorded in the diary. This gave the researchers two separate measurements of how much chocolate each participant ate – the amount out of the bag, and the amount recorded in the diary.

When compared to the control group, participants in the cognitive defusion group ate significantly less chocolate from the bag than would be expected by chance. What about the data from the diary? Did participants in the cognitive defusion group also record less chocolate in the diary? Although the raw numbers from the diary are consistent with the results from the bagged chocolate (13g versus 37g for the control group) this comparison fell just short of the usual statistical bar for scientific studies (the “p-value” which is related to how likely a finding is consistent with pure chance, was .053, while the usual cutoff is .05 or less). However, because it was very close, the researchers, in keeping with general practices in science, thus interpret the diary data as somewhat weaker evidence that the mindfulness strategy worked.

If this leaves you wondering what the take-away point is of all this, then maybe you can see how scientists sometimes disagree over what results say. Science is a messy process, and this paper is a fine example of that. In this particular study, the weight of all the evidence seems to suggest that a mindfulness strategy is effective in reducing chocolate consumption over the course of five days. However, there are still plenty of questions left unanswered. For example, what is it about mindfulness that led participants in that condition to be more successful than those in the control condition? The authors suggest that it may have something to do with the idea that we often consume chocolate and other sweets in a relatively automatic fashion, absent-mindedly grabbing a cookie as we walk past the shrine to sweetness in our kitchen. Mindfulness, according to the authors, effectively disrupts this type of automatic behavior.

In short, if you’re looking to reprogram yourself to eat fewer sweets, it seems like being mindful of the experience of the present situation could help you out. With such a strategy, instead of our thoughts driving us first to the kitchen and then to the jar of jelly bellies, we might instead see those thoughts as passengers on the bus that we are driving. This way, instead of munching a handful of jelly bellies, we can drive ourselves away from the kitchen, and closer to our goals for personal health.

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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

How life has changed...or has it?

Our Daily Bread
If you have read my blog at all, you have probably figured out the obvious -- I am sort of a silly old bear.  I am a character and I am proud of it!  I am a child or teenager trapped in a Baby Boomer body!  ha!  Many of my attitudes about my relationship with God reflect that mindset as well.

I like to think that I have a childlike faith.  I like to think that I don't worry like adults do.  I like to think that I trust God with everything so I can focus on the important things like serving Him and serving others.  What about you?  In reality, I worry more than I should.  I focus too much on things that really aren't important.  How about you?  Let us pray for each other to have the faith of a mustard seed and to trust God like a little child!

Lord, thank you for being patient with us while we learn to trust you completely!

Teaching Tuesday
I was confused about my readings for last week and this week.  Apparently I was supposed to read the book of Matthew and then read the text book.  Whoops...  I read the text book first, then read most of the book of Matthew.  In my defense, I have read through that book several times over the year!  ha!

What did I learn?  I learned to take the four Gospels as individual views of Jesus, each with its own goals.  The book of Matthew emphasizes living in Jesus and how to live your life.  Many of the stories reinforce this over and over.  It is beautiful when you look at it from that point of view.

Read through Matthew and write down all the places where Jesus instructs us how to live.  It is amazing!

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We can thank the Lord that through His grace and power, our past is forgiven, our present is changed, and our future is bright with hope for all He has prepared for us - Our Daily Bread, 10/13/13

Good soil

Our Daily Bread
A few blocks from my house is a community garden.  I never noticed it before last year as I don't often walk or drive by that small patch of ground.  After seeing that and with some encouragement from some friends, I tried growing a small garden in some large planters I have at home.  I didn't have much success.  ;-(

My grandparents had a small farm when I was growing up.  My family had a few gardens in our history.  I understood the parable of Jesus talking about the seeds and soil very early in life.  We had good soil in some of our gardens.  We also had not so good soil.  It is amazing to me how plants can grow and thrive in good soil!  Large tomatoes and cucumbers.  Beautiful golden corn and large potatoes.  What a blessing!

I loved the way the devotional asked the question: What kind of soil are we?  Let us all pray to be the good soil that the fruits of the Holy Spirit can take root and grow!

Lord, thank you for being the great gardener who wants to plant the fruits of the Holy Spirit in us if we are willing to be good soil!  Praise God!

Movie Monday
I got to see two movies last week: Gravity and Machete Kills

Gravity
The plot for this movie is one that is terrifying to me: getting stranded in space with little or no hope of surviving.  Sandra Bullock plays a scientist and George Clooney plays a career astronaut in orbit in  one of the space shuttles performing maintenance on the Hubble telescope.  While outside the shuttle, a huge debris storm detaches them from the shuttle sending them out in space.  The rest of the movie is the two of them trying to survive.  I saw this in 2D.  I am not sure I could have handled it in 3D!  The coolest part for me was having seen the space shuttle Atlantis the day before at the Kennedy Space Center.  We learned a lot about shuttle missions, the ISS and the Hubble!

I give this movie two bear paws.  It was OK.  See it at the theater if you want the experience of wide open space or the 3D option.

Machete Kills
Oh, boy...  What can I saw about this movie?  If you liked the first Machete movie by Robert Rodriguez, you may or may not like the second one.  I just took it for what it was and laughed my butt off at the outrageous stuff in the movie.  If you take it too seriously, like expecting new angles or stuff, you will be disappointed.  There is lots of blood and guts and ridiculous action.  That is part of the fun of a Machete movie.

I give this movie one bear paw.  See it if you are a fan.  Oh, and remember that Danny Trejo will be 70 years old next year!  Wow!

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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.

Change happens

Our Daily Bread
"You were so crazy in college.  What happened?"  Have you said that to someone or heard someone say that to you?  It is funny how people remember us from the past.  You never know what action, good or bad, can form a memory for someone!

Paul had trouble with the bad memories he created for the early Christians.  He was known as a devout Jew that hunted and persecuted the early Christians.  While walking on the road to Damascus, he met this Jesus.  Faithful men and women followed God's leadership in bringing Paul into the fellowship and leadership of the new church.  Praise God for the way He can change folks!  Paul changed from persecutor to one of the most important leaders of the early church and first evangelist!

What is God trying to do in you?  What is he trying to do in others around you?  Let us pray to be open to God's leadership and love!

Lord, we know that you work miracles in ways we will never understand.  Please help us follow your leadership to live our lives the best we can for you!  We thank you and praise you!

Psalm Sunday
Psalm 115 is our psalm for this week.  It is a great psalm that compares earthly idols of silver and gold to our Almighty God.  There is no comparison!  I know verses like verse 13 cause some confusion with some folks.  The "fear" the writer is talking about is a deep reverence and awe of our Almighty God!

Psalm 115

1 Not to us, Lord, not to us
    but to your name be the glory,
    because of your love and faithfulness.
2 Why do the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in heaven;
    he does whatever pleases him.
4 But their idols are silver and gold,
    made by human hands.
5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
    eyes, but cannot see.
6 They have ears, but cannot hear,
    noses, but cannot smell.
7 They have hands, but cannot feel,
    feet, but cannot walk,
    nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
8 Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.
9 All you Israelites, trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.
10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.
11 You who fear him, trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.
12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us:
    He will bless his people Israel,
    he will bless the house of Aaron,
13 he will bless those who fear the Lord—
    small and great alike.
14 May the Lord cause you to flourish,
    both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.
16 The highest heavens belong to the Lord,
    but the earth he has given to mankind.
17 It is not the dead who praise the Lord,
    those who go down to the place of silence;
18 it is we who extol the Lord,
    both now and forevermore.
Praise the Lord.

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

He is there

Our Daily Bread

There is a song by 4Himcalled He will be there for you.  It talks about how God is always with us each and every day.  Praise God!  When a friend asked about relying on God, a wise friend answered "Oh, for every breath!"  It took me a few years to fully understand that statement!

One of the things I like about reading the Old Testament is seeing how my life journey parallels the lives of the people of Israel.  The ebb and flow of life and faith and sin and reconciliation with God.  The doubt.  The faith.  The realization that YHWH is the one and only true God, God Almighty!  The Hebrew oral traditions and books such as the Psalms reinforce the stories over and over so we can learn how to live our lives in God.  Read the Psalms as you get the chance.  I have been posting a psalm each Sunday for over two years now.  They are such a blessing!

Lord, thank you for peace, love, joy, mercy and reconciliation.  Praise God!

Simply Saturday

Faith

1. 1.

   complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

   
   

I like this definition!  "Complete trust or confidence in God" is how I read it!  The word "complete" expresses a lot of things to me, like how we should live our lives in "complete" faith in God!  (See the first paragraph above talking about trust God for each breath!).

I was brought up with the definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (NIV)  There are so many things in our lives that we take by faith.  We cannot see them.  We trust what others say or tell us about those things.  I told one friend that he should trust me when I express my faith in God!  

What do you think about faith?  What does it mean to you?  How do you live your life in faith?  Think and pray about that this week!  

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

16:13

A great personality

Our Daily Bread

I still remember the "deal breaker" line when a friend tried to fix me up on a blind date " a nice personality".  Yikes!  That usually means he is not much to look at, but I should give him a chance because he is very nice.  In my defense, I usually do!

I loved the way the devotional stated that a beautiful inside, as a result of the Holy Spirit working inside of us, results in a beautiful outside -- a nice personality!  Yeah, I missed some of that along the way.  I have to admit that I am not always the nicest person, especially at work.  I pray every day that I can become more beautiful inside and outside so I can be a witness for Christ.  Whew...  I have a long way to go!  

I hope you are praying about being beautiful inside and outside as well!

Lord, Thank you for changing our human nature into your Godly nature so we can live a meaningful life and witness for you!

Foodie Friday

I am on vacation this week at my time share in Orlando.  I ate a few places that I don't usually eat.

Giordanos:  The Chicago favorite now has some stores in the Orlando area.  Woohooo!  This is my favorite pizza.  I bought a large with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms and ham and ate on it for a few days!  Woohoooo!  You can also order this online and receive a frozen stuffed pizza in the mail.

Bubba Gumps:  Yes, this theme restaurant based on the movie Forrest Gump is more about the theme and experience than the food.  We had the friend shrimp.  It was OK, not great. Mom and I got a side salad to reduce some of the fat and calories of eating fries with the shrimp.  Our server was great.  Remember that you can get some stuff in the gift shop for 50% off after you eat at the restaurant.

Carrabas: I love this place.  It is more expensive than Olive Garden, but I like the food so much better.  They also had whole wheat spaghetti, which was nice.  Very tasty meat balls as well.

Panera: Mom and I ate at Panera twice this week.  We both love that place.  We both had soup the first time.  I had the chicken cobb salad the second time.  Mmmmmmm

Epcot Food and Wine Festival:  Wow!  What a variety of food!  I was driving so I didn't drink anything. My favorite was the filet mignon at the Canada booth.  Other favorites were the sushi at the Japan booth and the ham and cheese dish at Germany.  There was also a nice chicken roll at the end of the trek (I forget the country).  We also had a Mickey Mouse ice cream bar.  Mmmmmmmmm!

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Lord, I love you.  I trust you.  I thank you.  I praise you.

We can testify

Our Daily Bread

Have you ever met someone that attended the legendary weekend at Woodstock?  Yeah, I know, I am old!  Apparently, there were ten times more people claiming to be there than actually attended!  Yikes!

As Christians, we are the witnesses for Christ.  Yes, there seems to be many more folks that say they are Christians than actually show it!  ha!  Don't judge!  I loved the part of the devotional that talks about us not being alone in our witness.  The Holy Spirit gives us strength and power to tell others.  Like the devotional says, we don't have to be able to answer every theological question or defend the church, we just tell others about our experience with God.  We can do this!

Lord, thank you for the Holy Spirit to give us strength and power to tell others about you!

Technology Thursday

I saw some technology features at the Disney park this week.  They have a new card reader at the front gate.  You don't have to swipe your ticket card any more, you just touch the reader with the magnetic swipe side of the card.  You then put the finger of your choice on the finger print reader to identify the user of the card.  If you leave the park and want to re-enter, you flash the card again and the finger print to re-enter.  Very cool and much faster than the cards that didn't swipe accurately every time.

I also videoed the little personalized movie that the Planet Earth ride creates for you when are riding backwards down to the main level.  I love that liitle piece of technology.  Here is a the Youtube video I posted of the one my Mom and I made on Tuesday.  Click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kYmdBEslKI&feature=youtu.be

APPLE ANNOUNCEMENT:  There is supposed to be another Apple announcement session next week.  I hope they plan to announce the iPad Mini with Retina display, but we will have to wait to find out!

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As wise King Solomon said, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).

Low carb

Our Daily Bread

I have been a diabetic for over 15 years now.  I have to watch my carb intake, so the first thing to go that I ate almost every day was bread.  All kinds of bread.  I love bread!  I eat bread at times and have to take extra insulin to "cover" it (not make my blood sugar go too high).  There are low carb options and whole grain options that are easier on my system.

Fortunately, the Bread of Life doesn't jack up my blood sugar!  Thank God!  What a miracle!  ha!  Jesus used the metaphor of "bread" to describe his purpose on this earth.  Bread held a very special place in the homes and diets of that era.  It was the main staple in their diet.  Much of their livelihood was based around getting or making bread.  I loved the statement in the devotional that talked about Jesus coming to meet their spiritual need for the Bread of Life AND also help provide for their daily needs.  Praise God!

Lord, thank you for being our Bread of Life and low carb!  

Wellness Wednesday

Mindfulness Could Help Tame Your Sugar Temptations, Study Suggests

by Travis Riddle

Think about your kitchen counter. Ignore the stack of papers by the light switch, and pay no mind to the food crumbs left over from your breakfast this morning. Instead, there exists a spot which, if you’re like many people, is devoted to a very particular kind of snack. This spot is your own personal shrine to sweetness. What’s occupying that spot right now? A plate of peanut butter cookies? Or maybe a box of chocolate-covered pretzels? If you share Ronald Reagan’s well-known affinity for bean-shaped foods, it might be a jar of jelly bellies. Regardless of what kind of snack occupies this place, you no doubt are all too aware of the consequences of the existence of this spot. Too frequently, it seems, you mindlessly reach out for a dose of sugar, blithely overlooking all intentions to the contrary, and foiling your well-planned diet.

Despite our best intentions and valiant efforts, it seems like we’re programmed to consume calorie-dense, nutritionally-empty foods. Fortunately, research psychologists have been working out how we can reprogram ourselves, and a recent paper suggests one strategy that may be effective. Writing in the British Journal of Health Psychology, researchers from Swansea University and City University Londonpresent the results of an experiment in which individuals who resisted sweets by using mindfulness — a purposeful way of paying attention to the present moment —consumed less of them.

In the experiment, the researchers recruited participants who responded to ads for individuals looking to reduce their chocolate consumption. These participants were then randomly assigned into one of three strategy groups: cognitive “defusion,” acceptance, or control. In each group, participants were given a rationale for their strategy, details of the strategy, and instructions for how to use the strategy.

For cognitive “defusion,” a term which means to change one’s relationship with one’s thoughts, participants were instructed to view one’s self as different from one’s thoughts. They were given a strategy often used by mindfulness practitioners — the “mindbus” metaphor. An individual can be seen as the driver of a bus, and thoughts as the passengers. They were then given a bag of chocolate to carry around with them at all times over the next five days, and instructed to think of the mindbus whenever they were tempted to eat a chocolate.

In the acceptance group, participants were told that an effective way of dealing with food cravings was to simply accept these uncomfortable feelings, rather than spending effort trying to control them. They were told about “urge surfing,” in which participants were told to try acknowledge and ride out the urges, rather than controlling or giving in to them.

The control group was told that relaxing was a good strategy to deal with cravings. The strategy section for this group outlined a relaxation technique which involved contracting and relaxing certain sets of muscles.

In addition to all participants being given a bag of chocolates, the researchers wanted to account for any chocolate the participants may have eaten which did not come out of the bag.  For this reason, all participants were also given a “chocolate diary,” in which they were told to record all other chocolate consumption. After 5 days, all participants returned to the lab, where the experimenters counted the chocolate remaining in the bag, and entered all consumption incidents recorded in the diary. This gave the researchers two separate measurements of how much chocolate each participant ate – the amount out of the bag, and the amount recorded in the diary.

When compared to the control group, participants in the cognitive defusion group ate significantly less chocolate from the bag than would be expected by chance. What about the data from the diary? Did participants in the cognitive defusion group also record less chocolate in the diary? Although the raw numbers from the diary are consistent with the results from the bagged chocolate (13g versus 37g for the control group) this comparison fell just short of the usual statistical bar for scientific studies (the “p-value” which is related to how likely a finding is consistent with pure chance, was .053, while the usual cutoff is .05 or less). However, because it was very close, the researchers, in keeping with general practices in science, thus interpret the diary data as somewhat weaker evidence that the mindfulness strategy worked.

In addition to all participants being given a bag of chocolates, the researchers wanted to account for any chocolate the participants may have eaten which did not come out of the bag.  For this reason, all participants were also given a “chocolate diary,” in which they were told to record all other chocolate consumption. After 5 days, all participants returned to the lab, where the experimenters counted the chocolate remaining in the bag, and entered all consumption incidents recorded in the diary. This gave the researchers two separate measurements of how much chocolate each participant ate – the amount out of the bag, and the amount recorded in the diary.

When compared to the control group, participants in the cognitive defusion group ate significantly less chocolate from the bag than would be expected by chance. What about the data from the diary? Did participants in the cognitive defusion group also record less chocolate in the diary? Although the raw numbers from the diary are consistent with the results from the bagged chocolate (13g versus 37g for the control group) this comparison fell just short of the usual statistical bar for scientific studies (the “p-value” which is related to how likely a finding is consistent with pure chance, was .053, while the usual cutoff is .05 or less). However, because it was very close, the researchers, in keeping with general practices in science, thus interpret the diary data as somewhat weaker evidence that the mindfulness strategy worked.

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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

Do what you can

Our Daily Bread

There are some restaurants around the country that don't have set prices on their menus.  They tell folks to "pay what you can."  Those who have the money pay like it is a real restaurant and those who can't accept the generosity of the owners (and others).

Our lives with God are sort of like that.  We are to "pay what we can" or "do the best we can" to help and serve others according to the gifts that God gave us.  One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of the widow giving a mite.  She gave the best she could even though it was a very small amount!  There are also scriptures that tell us that those who are faithful with little may be granted authority of much more later.  Let's all look at our lives to see where we can be more faithful and giving to those around us!

Lord, thank you for all our gifts and blessings.  Please help us share with others!

Teaching Tuesday

I apologize, but I did not finish my chapter on Matthew this week.  I slacked off since I knew I was going to be out of town for class and that we were studying the same chapter two weeks in a row.  I will finish it this week and write about it next week.

I used the fruits of the Spirit verses for my tag line today.  I am learning more and more about those every day.  Please pray that we all can exhibit these!

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The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, gentleness, faith, meekness, and  temperance - Gal 5:22-23 

How can I keep

Our Daily Bread

When I used to be on Facebook, one of the things I liked to do was "caption" a picture that someone posted.  I usually posted something funny.  My favorite post was on a picture of a cute fish that looked like he was pushing aside some rocks.  My caption was "Don't rocks!  I will praise The Lord so you don't have to!"  Woohoooo!

Yes, we are built to praise The Lord!  While God doesn't need our praises, he loves hearing praises from his people!  Praising God is another way we can take our focus off ourselves and focus on the Almighty God, just like serving others.  Let's look for new ways and times we can praise The Lord today using the gifts he gave us.  While we all can't sing like angels, God doesn't require that of us.  Praise him with your talents as only you can!  Praise God!

Lord, we thank you and praise you for all that we can understand you are!

Movie Monday

The only movies I got to see this week were the IMAX 3D movies at the Kennedy Space Center: Hubble and International Space Station.  There were both very cool.  I learned a lot about the space shuttle program and how it serviced both entities.  If it hadn't been for the shuttles, the Hubble satellite would have been a total bust!  The Internaional Space Station would never have been built (or at least taken decades longer!)  Both movies are worth seeing over and over as I noticed things this time that I didn't notice the last time I saw them!  

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

The battle is not ours

Our Daily Bread

I am usually amused when I see both teams on the field praying to win the big game.  Hmmm...  It seems like that puts God in between a rock and a hard place!  Which prayer does he  answer?  It is so hard to tell sometimes if God is involved at all with the way the players act!  

When it comes to our Christian lives, God always has our backs!  His power and love push us and supports us and create a sense of urgency in us to do our best for Him!  What an amazing God!  I can testity to this over and over in my life and in the lives of my friends.  Praise God!  God spoke to me through the devotionals several times this week.  Strength.  Encouragement.  Assurance.  Praise God!

Lord, we thank you and praise you for giving us strength and power when we rely on you!

Psalm Sunday

Let's look at Psalm 114 this week.  Great psalm!  Our God is awesome God!

Psalm 114

1 When Israel came out of Egypt,
    Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
2 Judah became God’s sanctuary,
    Israel his dominion.

3 The sea looked and fled,
    the Jordan turned back;
4 the mountains leaped like rams,
    the hills like lambs.

5 Why was it, sea, that you fled?
    Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
6 Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
    you hills, like lambs?

7 Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
    at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 who turned the rock into a pool,
    the hard rock into springs of water.

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u r a bcog  u r fawm  Now believe it!

Value

Our Daily Bread
There is a big box store that has its own brand called "Great Value".  It is usually cheaper than the name brands and often less than the other store brands.  Good quality at a good price.  What a great value!

Our value as humans is very different.  We are not a bargain brand.  We are beloved children of God!  We often base our value on who we are married to or where we live or what car we drive or what job we have.  When you strip all of that away, our ultimate value is in the grace and love that God showed us when he sent Jesus to die on the cross.  To emphasize our value even more, Jesus rose from the grave and left us with the Holy Spirit as our Comforter and source of strength.  Praise God!

u r a bcog!  Believe it!  (you are a beloved child of God!)

Lord, thank you for reminding us of our value -- it is entirely based on you!

Simply Saturday
Goodness
generosity; kindness, moral excellence; piety; virtue

"He's a good man" or "She's a good woman" is one of the highest compliments that a person can be given in most cultures!  We all seem to know goodness when we see it, but we find it hard to define.

I liked the combination of definitions I found above much better than just "the state of being good"!  Let's focus on those qualities when we think of goodness from now on!

Here is a nice article on Goodness.

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“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21 niv).

Nothing is impossible

Our Daily Bread
To Dream the Impossible Dream is one of my favorite songs.  While listening to this song, I thought "Yeah, this song is too 'out there'.  The character is obviously a little crazy!"  If you are familiar with the Broadway show Man of La Mancha, you will know he was sort of crazy with all of that windmill chasing!

We all have situations in our lives that seem impossible at times.  Like the song says, we sometimes feel our arms are too weary to reach to heaven one more time in prayer as we lift the situations to God.  Weary, I say, weary!  That is the best word to describe it!

The devotional hit me right between the eyes today.  There is at least one impossible situation in my life.  God told me that he would work and the restoration would occur.  I have not been patient.  I have been listening to folks who say I am chasing windmills and that it will never ever happen.  It is not healthy to think on these impossible things.  After reading the reminder God sent me today, I know I need to have faith.  I need to practice love so I know how to act when the restoration happens.  I need to trust and be patient.  We all do!

Lord, thank you for your gentle reminders of your faithfulness and love.  Please help us have faith and trust.  I love you, I trust you, I thank you, I praise you....

Foodie Friday
I am sure you don't get yourself into the same predicaments that I do.  At least I hope not!  I was trying to use up stuff in my fridge before going on vacation and found two pie crusts.  I couldn't refreeze them so I searched for pie dough recipes that didn't require making a pie.  ha!  Here are two good ones I found that I made.  They are both very tasty!

Piggies (Sugar and Cinnamon Pie Dough Cookies)'
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
2 tablespoons warm water, or as needed

1 tablespoon shortening
1/4 cup white sugar
ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper.
2. Mix flour and salt together in a bowl, and use a pastry cutter to cut in 1/3 cup of shortening until the mixture forms pea-size balls. With a fork, form a small well in the center of the mixture, and pour in water, a couple of teaspoons at a time, and stir with the fork to mix in the water and form a dough. Incorporate each addition of water before adding the next, until about 3/4 of the flour mixture has formed a stiff dough. Work a little more water in with your hands, and shape the dough into a ball.
3. Working on a well-floured work surface with a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle about 12 by 16 inches, and about 1/8-inch thick. Spread 1 tablespoon of shortening over the surface of the dough with a soft spatula, and sprinkle sugar all over the dough square. Sprinkle the dough with cinnamon. Pick up a long edge of dough, and tightly roll the dough into a log shape. With a sharp knife, slice the log into 3/4-inch thick slices. Place the slices onto the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are lightly browned and sizzling on the bottom, about 8 minutes. Cool on paper towels; freeze extras for later.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2013 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 10/4/2013

Pie Crust Dessert Nachos

prep time 10 min total time 25 min ingredients 6 servings 10

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
1/3 cup hot fudge sundae syrup
1/3 cup caramel sundae syrup
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Steps
1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2 In sandwich-size food-storage plastic bag, mix sugar and cinnamon.
3 Unroll 1 pie crust on cutting board. Cut into 3-inch-wide strips; cut strips into triangles that look like nacho chips. Add a few triangles at a time to bag with sugar-cinnamon. With fingers, toss triangles in bag to coat well. Place triangles in single layer on cookie sheet. Repeat with second pie crust and remaining sugar-cinnamon.
4 Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until chips are golden brown and slightly crisp. Meanwhile, in 2 separate microwavable bowls, microwave sundae syrups on High 5 to 10 seconds or until warm enough to drizzle.
5 Immediately remove pie crust chips from cookie sheet to large plate. Drizzle with both sundae syrups; sprinkle with nuts. Serve immediately.

Marshmallow, chocolate chips, fruit and coconut are just a few other delicious toppings that work with this recipe. Vanilla or chocolate ice cream is a great topping, too.

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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