Our Daily Bread
Yes, you read that correctly. The title of this blog entry is "GOT a grip". This entry is not about a movie scene where the characters are crying uncontrollably during some horrible incident. The hero of the movie grabs them, slaps them across and face and yells "Get a grip!". No, this is not that kind of entry!
This entry is praising God because he "got a grip" on me! Praise you, Father! Thank you, Jesus! That grip will never let us go at anytime in our brief lives. He has us more securely than a parent gripping a child or even more securely than me gripping a pint of Jeni's ice cream on a Saturday night! ha! That is a tight grip! Rest assured that he has us. He will never let us go.
Lord, thank you for the grip you have on us! Your strong, loving hands will never let us go!
Teaching Tuesday
We didn't have class last night, but I started reading the chapters for next week. They are on the New Testament (in general) and Paul. I finished the chapter on the New Testament last night. I plan to read the chapter on Paul tonight. I am livin' the crazy gay lifestyle where I read my Bible study lesson on New Years Eve! Woot, woot! ha! I read when I can. I have lots to do the next few days, but I digress...
The chapter on the New Testament discussed the general style of the books -- the letter. It outlined the different types of letters that were common in that time period. It also discussed how difficult it was to write and send a letter back then. They didn't have a USPS like we do today! The chapter also discussed the origins of the books. We probably won't know all of those answers for sure until we reach heaven! There are several theories!
The main thing I learned is how much of a risk that God took by revealing himself through the Bible via the imperfect human race. As we read the past two weeks, he gave us enough in his Word to bring us to salvation and to teach a little bit about him. Yes, just a little bit. The skies couldn't hold all the things that could be written about our Almighty God!
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The Bible is a like a "tweet" about God. We don't have enough characters available to tell of His glory! - Fitzpatrick
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 30, 2013
Looking forward to it
Our Daily Bread
Have you ever looked forward to something? I know we just celebrated Advent where we looked forward to the birth of Jesus, but I mean something else like a vacation or a visit from friends or meeting someone new? Sometimes the reality of the event is better than we imagined. Sometimes not so much!
I know I am looking forward to being with God in our eternal home. No more senseless sins. No more ignoring God and his will. No more striving to reject the evil of this world. No more reality TV! woohoooo! ha! Yes, being with our Heavenly Father will exceed any expectations that can ever have! The Revelation in the last book of the New Testament give us incredible (and often bizarre) imagery of what we might see when we arrive. No one really knows for sure. All I know is that I won't be longing for earth and this life!
Lord, we thank you for the images of our heavenly home. Our human minds can never understand your glory and majesty! We thank you and praise you!
Movie Monday
Saturday was movie day! I saw The Book Thief and 47 Ronin. And, yes, this was me...
The Book Thief
This is a charming movie about a young girl in Nazi Germany. She went through so much in her young life. She coped and overcame by reading. I don't want to tell you much more or it might spoil the movie for you. Consider seeing it. It has been out for a while, so the movie may not be in theaters much longer. If you want until it is available via rental, pick it first! Be sure to have some tissues close by!
I give this movie four bear paws. Excellent flick.
47 Ronin
When telling a movie buddy about this flick, I described it a "cheesy, overwrought and underacted"! ha! I had some very cool Samurai scenes, but they were too few and far in between. I didn't dislike the movie, but I wouldn't recommend it for anything other than a rental or Netflix viewing when nothing else is on. The story is about the Keanu Reeves character who is an outcast that helps some ronin (Samurai without a master) overcome injustice.
I give this two bear paws. Rent it, unless you just love Samurai movies that much.
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Tolstoy once said; “Where there is faith, there is love; Where there is love, there is peace; Where there is peace, there is God; And where there is God; there is no need.” Can your faith in God move you beyond your own needs and seek a way to live in this broken world and serve the children of God? - J. Perez
Have you ever looked forward to something? I know we just celebrated Advent where we looked forward to the birth of Jesus, but I mean something else like a vacation or a visit from friends or meeting someone new? Sometimes the reality of the event is better than we imagined. Sometimes not so much!
I know I am looking forward to being with God in our eternal home. No more senseless sins. No more ignoring God and his will. No more striving to reject the evil of this world. No more reality TV! woohoooo! ha! Yes, being with our Heavenly Father will exceed any expectations that can ever have! The Revelation in the last book of the New Testament give us incredible (and often bizarre) imagery of what we might see when we arrive. No one really knows for sure. All I know is that I won't be longing for earth and this life!
Lord, we thank you for the images of our heavenly home. Our human minds can never understand your glory and majesty! We thank you and praise you!
Movie Monday
Saturday was movie day! I saw The Book Thief and 47 Ronin. And, yes, this was me...
The Book Thief
This is a charming movie about a young girl in Nazi Germany. She went through so much in her young life. She coped and overcame by reading. I don't want to tell you much more or it might spoil the movie for you. Consider seeing it. It has been out for a while, so the movie may not be in theaters much longer. If you want until it is available via rental, pick it first! Be sure to have some tissues close by!
I give this movie four bear paws. Excellent flick.
47 Ronin
When telling a movie buddy about this flick, I described it a "cheesy, overwrought and underacted"! ha! I had some very cool Samurai scenes, but they were too few and far in between. I didn't dislike the movie, but I wouldn't recommend it for anything other than a rental or Netflix viewing when nothing else is on. The story is about the Keanu Reeves character who is an outcast that helps some ronin (Samurai without a master) overcome injustice.
I give this two bear paws. Rent it, unless you just love Samurai movies that much.
****************************
Tolstoy once said; “Where there is faith, there is love; Where there is love, there is peace; Where there is peace, there is God; And where there is God; there is no need.” Can your faith in God move you beyond your own needs and seek a way to live in this broken world and serve the children of God? - J. Perez
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Mentoring
Our Daily Bread
I have been a mentor in the business or technology world a few times in my career. It is fun to meet with young people and help guide their careers. I have also been fortunate to sit on a technology council that helped guide the computer science programs of some small colleges, helping guide them in what businesses are really looking for.
It appears that my calling at this point in my life is helping others in their spiritual lives. To me this is much trickier and a lot more responsibility. While I have had more experience in my spiritual life than in my business career, I feel inadequate at best. So often we feel that we have to be perfect to be a leader or a mentor or a teacher. No, folks, the Old Testament examples should prove that theory incorrect! ha! God just needs us to be humble and willing. It would be an honor to write something like 3 John before I leave this world where I admonish those that I helped along their spiritual journey!
I also feel like I learn more from the folks I am teaching that what I am teaching them!
Lord, please help us be humble and willing to follow the path you have for us!
Psalm Sunday
Psalm 124 is another song of ascents. I really like this one as it makes the reader (or chanter) think about what their life would be like without the Almighty God by their side! We should read it and think about the same thing!
Psalm 124
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4 the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters
would have swept us away.
6 Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
***********************************
You cannot say you've forgiven someone if in your heart you hope they are still suffering. Howerton
I have been a mentor in the business or technology world a few times in my career. It is fun to meet with young people and help guide their careers. I have also been fortunate to sit on a technology council that helped guide the computer science programs of some small colleges, helping guide them in what businesses are really looking for.
It appears that my calling at this point in my life is helping others in their spiritual lives. To me this is much trickier and a lot more responsibility. While I have had more experience in my spiritual life than in my business career, I feel inadequate at best. So often we feel that we have to be perfect to be a leader or a mentor or a teacher. No, folks, the Old Testament examples should prove that theory incorrect! ha! God just needs us to be humble and willing. It would be an honor to write something like 3 John before I leave this world where I admonish those that I helped along their spiritual journey!
I also feel like I learn more from the folks I am teaching that what I am teaching them!
Lord, please help us be humble and willing to follow the path you have for us!
Psalm Sunday
Psalm 124 is another song of ascents. I really like this one as it makes the reader (or chanter) think about what their life would be like without the Almighty God by their side! We should read it and think about the same thing!
Psalm 124
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4 the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters
would have swept us away.
6 Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
***********************************
You cannot say you've forgiven someone if in your heart you hope they are still suffering. Howerton
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Gently used
Our Daily Bread
Occasionally I like shopping at second hand stores where the merchandise is "gently used". I have found some good deals on stuff over the years if I have the patience to look around!
I thought about how we must look to God when he calls us to salvation. I was only eight when I accepted Christ as my Savior. I was truly "gently used". I think the worst sin I committed was stealing some chalk at school! While there are many folks who were down in the gutter when Christ mercifully lifted them us, God still sees us a gently used. He can take our torn and battered lives and patch them back together, eventually making all things new. We can't always escape the wages of our past sins, but we can be assured that he will help us live a life that gives him glory!
Lord, we thank you for rebuilding us! You have the technology!
Simply Saturday
The Gift has Arrived!
Most of the planet observed Christmas last week, the celebration of the birth of Jesus. There are so many folks who received gifts, probably more gifts than they need or could use. Some folks didn't receive their gifts at all due to the delivery failures of UPS and Fedex! Yikes!
The question now is "what will you do with your gifts?" Some people returned their gifts the first chance they had. Some folks received gift cards that they may or may not spend (many gift cards go unused!). Some folks pack away their gifts for a special occasion. Some gifts go in the closet with all the others!
What will you do with the gift of Christ's birth? Will it go unused? Will you pack it away where you can't see it or deal with it? My prayer is that you will accept and cherish this gift.
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Living out of love for God and pleasing Him should be our heart’s desire. - Our Daily Bread
Occasionally I like shopping at second hand stores where the merchandise is "gently used". I have found some good deals on stuff over the years if I have the patience to look around!
I thought about how we must look to God when he calls us to salvation. I was only eight when I accepted Christ as my Savior. I was truly "gently used". I think the worst sin I committed was stealing some chalk at school! While there are many folks who were down in the gutter when Christ mercifully lifted them us, God still sees us a gently used. He can take our torn and battered lives and patch them back together, eventually making all things new. We can't always escape the wages of our past sins, but we can be assured that he will help us live a life that gives him glory!
Lord, we thank you for rebuilding us! You have the technology!
Simply Saturday
The Gift has Arrived!
Most of the planet observed Christmas last week, the celebration of the birth of Jesus. There are so many folks who received gifts, probably more gifts than they need or could use. Some folks didn't receive their gifts at all due to the delivery failures of UPS and Fedex! Yikes!
The question now is "what will you do with your gifts?" Some people returned their gifts the first chance they had. Some folks received gift cards that they may or may not spend (many gift cards go unused!). Some folks pack away their gifts for a special occasion. Some gifts go in the closet with all the others!
What will you do with the gift of Christ's birth? Will it go unused? Will you pack it away where you can't see it or deal with it? My prayer is that you will accept and cherish this gift.
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Living out of love for God and pleasing Him should be our heart’s desire. - Our Daily Bread
Friday, December 27, 2013
Rose of Sharon
Our Daily Bread
In the previews for the animated movie Frozen, there is a scene where the snow man and the moose see a single flower growing in the middle of a vast sea of snow. They both run for it and hilarity ensues!
Humans can be like that too. When we see something unusual and beautiful, we can run towards it. We can let things get out of hand and begin to worship it. My prayer is that we find the true beauty that is worthy to be worshiped and praised -- the Rose of Sharon, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! He is a flower in the desert. He will help us live a life of purpose and love. Praise God!
Lord, thank you for all you do for us. Please help us do all we can for you.
Foodie Friday
My roommate and I went to PeiWei for supper last night. If you are not familiar with this restaurant, it is a sister restaurant to PF Changs, but without the big horse and big price tag on the meals! You can either eat in or take out. The dining room is tastefully decorated and comfortable. If you eat in, the staff brings your meal out to you after you order at the front counter. The food is a nice combination of Asian favorites such as lettuce wraps, fried rice, noodle dishes and some similar recipes served at PF Changs with different names (PeiWei Spicy is like a General Tso chicken). You have a choice of white or brown rice. I like that a lot! They also have great spring rolls and pork egg rolls.
I had the PeiWei Spicy chicken with brown rice. Very tasty dish that was big enough to split into two meals (though I wanted to eat it all last night!). My roommate had the caramel chicken with white rice. He really enjoyed that.
Check out their web site for a restaurant near you.
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The Lord gives us His grace to live purposeful lives of faith as we await His coming.- Our Daily Bread
In the previews for the animated movie Frozen, there is a scene where the snow man and the moose see a single flower growing in the middle of a vast sea of snow. They both run for it and hilarity ensues!
Humans can be like that too. When we see something unusual and beautiful, we can run towards it. We can let things get out of hand and begin to worship it. My prayer is that we find the true beauty that is worthy to be worshiped and praised -- the Rose of Sharon, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! He is a flower in the desert. He will help us live a life of purpose and love. Praise God!
Lord, thank you for all you do for us. Please help us do all we can for you.
Foodie Friday
My roommate and I went to PeiWei for supper last night. If you are not familiar with this restaurant, it is a sister restaurant to PF Changs, but without the big horse and big price tag on the meals! You can either eat in or take out. The dining room is tastefully decorated and comfortable. If you eat in, the staff brings your meal out to you after you order at the front counter. The food is a nice combination of Asian favorites such as lettuce wraps, fried rice, noodle dishes and some similar recipes served at PF Changs with different names (PeiWei Spicy is like a General Tso chicken). You have a choice of white or brown rice. I like that a lot! They also have great spring rolls and pork egg rolls.
I had the PeiWei Spicy chicken with brown rice. Very tasty dish that was big enough to split into two meals (though I wanted to eat it all last night!). My roommate had the caramel chicken with white rice. He really enjoyed that.
Check out their web site for a restaurant near you.
**************************************
The Lord gives us His grace to live purposeful lives of faith as we await His coming.- Our Daily Bread
Thursday, December 26, 2013
He will be there
Our Daily Bread
There are so many songs that talk about God "being there" for us. We are also encouraged to be there for others, especially in difficult times. It is a special friend indeed who can sit with us in silence and comfort us with his presence!
God wants to be that kind of friend to us as well. He is so much more than we can comprehend, it is difficult to believe that He wants to have a personal relationship with each of us. Praise God! We don't need to be like the friends that Job had -- judging and preachy. We need to be the loving, caring friends that we want when we are going through a difficult time! God can comfort us. God can help us comfort others. Let us all remember that each and every day!
Lord, we thank you for always being with us. We love you and praise you!
Technology Thursday
The most amazing, incredible, deliriously exciting tech ideas of 2013
by David Pogue
The best part of being a tech critic is the front-row seat you have to invention. Every time someone invents a new product, a new solution, a better way of doing something, there’s a moment of exhilaration. It’s endorphins in the brain. It’s the human race moving forward, if only by two or three inches.
And that’s why we celebrate, once again, the Pogie Awards, the annual year-end exaltation of the year’s best ideas in consumer technology. No, not the best products; sometimes the awards go out to fantastic features that wound up in lousy products. No, this is just about the individual ideas within products, the glimpses of genius that somehow made it out of the bureaucracy, past the lawyers and into the wider world.
Ready? Keep hands and feet inside the tram at all times. Off we go!
Thief-proof iPhones
Apple's new operating system comes with the best theft-deterring software on a smartphone yet.
Not sure if you’ve heard: iPhone theft is a booming business in big cities. In New York City, for example, Apple picking (as it’s called) represents 14 percent of all crimes, producing the city’s first crime increase in 20 years.
Both iPhones and Android phones offer a “Find My Phone” feature, which lets you track down a stolen phone. Trouble is, all the bad guy has to do is erase the phone — and boom. You can’t find it anymore. It’s clean and ready to sell into the black market.
Well, not anymore. In iOS 7, Apple slipped in a mind-bogglingly brilliant new feature called Activation Lock. It’s very, very simple: Nobody can erase an iPhone — or turn off Find My iPhone — without entering the owner’s Apple password. Which the mugger almost certainly won't know.
A phone that can’t be used, erased or resold is as useful to a thief as a brick. Once word gets out that stealing an iPhone is useless, thieves will have to find some other way to make a living. Home construction or church work, maybe.
Real FM radio on cellphones
The NextRadio app, now shipping on Sprint smartphones, allows you to listen to FM radio on your phone without paying …
With surprisingly little fanfare, Sprint has begun installing an FM radio app in every new phone model, starting with the delicious HTC One.
I know, I know: Don’t we already have hundreds of Internet radio apps? And Pandora, Spotify and iTunes Radio?
Yes. But the NextRadio app has one towering advantage: It doesn’t use any data.
It turns your phone into an actual FM receiver (the earbuds are the antenna) — without using one single megabyte of your monthly data allotment. In an age when using Internet services on your cellphone can be very expensive, a feature that reduces the amount of data you use is a big, big deal.
NextRadio is also interactive: You can buy a song you’re hearing with one tap, respond to contests instantly, post what you’re listening to and so on.
But music that consumes no data, with only one-third the battery drain: That’s a really big deal.
Read more about NextRadio here.
Finally, a better smoke detector
Many of the features in the Nest Protect smoke detector ($130) could have been Pogie-award nominees in their own right. The calm voice that says, “There’s smoke in the bedroom” instead of blasting out a shrieking alarm. The night light that comes on automatically to light your way when you walk by. The friendly, verbal advice that your batteries are running down — again, without wailing in the middle of the night. The way you can hush a false-positive alarm (shower steam, bacon smoke) by waving your arm four times instead of hunting for a ladder or a mop handle.
But the biggest idea is the wireless connection. Nest Protects talk to each other in your house (even if you don’t have a home WiFi network), so you’re alerted whenever there’s smoke or carbon monoxide in a different room. They’re also online, so your cellphone lets you know about anything amiss, too, wherever you may be. Because after all, a smoke alarm going off without your knowledge is like not having a smoke alarm at all.
The magnetic MacBook power cord fix
Apple’s MagSafe connector, first introduced in 2006, was sheer brilliance: a magnetically attached laptop power cord. If someone trips on the cord, it snaps out harmlessly instead of dragging your $1,000 laptop to the floor.
And then came the MagSafe 2. This “improved” connector, born in 2012 and now standard on all Apple laptops, features a thinner, weaker magnet. Much weaker. It falls out all the time. Uncross your legs — it falls out. Turn to reach for a beverage — it falls out. Yell at the TV — it falls out.
Desperate Mac fans have tried to Frankenstein together all manner of kludgy solutions, from clothespins to duct tape. But that dark era is behind us now, thanks to the Snuglet ($20 for two).
The Snuglet is a tiny metal liner for the laptop’s power jack, with all the weight and bulk of a staple. Somehow, this thin band of additional metal amplifies the force of the MagSafe 2’s magnet. Without adding anything visible at all, the Snuglet gives you a cord that doesn’t fall out (until someone actually does trip on it).
The super-duper digital credit card
The Coin looks like a single credit card, but it stores the information from up to eight other credit, debit and ATM cards. You no longer need to stuff your wallet with them. A tiny screen on the Coin lets you specify which card you want it to impersonate. Then you swipe it normally.
As a bonus, the Coin ($100; lasts two years) knows how far away it is from your phone. If you leave the Coin behind on some restaurant table, your phone pings to let you know.
The Coin’s creators are seeking funding directly from the public, bypassing Kickstarter altogether. If all goes well, the Coin will be available this summer.
But remember: What counts in the Pogie awards is the idea. And this one — a single, universal card that can defatten your wallet by 90 percent — is a giddily great one.
E-books for the treadmill
We get it: We’re all killing ourselves from inactivity. That’s why we go to the gym — twice. That’s why we buy treadmills — then ignore them.
We might actually use fitness equipment if it weren’t so stultifyingly boring.
Unfortunately, you can’t read while you’re on a treadmill, StairMaster or elliptical trainer because your head is bouncing up and down — unless you clip a new gadget called the Run-n-Read to your shirt collar or headband. Incredibly, the text on your tablet now bounces up in down in sync with your head. That’s right: It jiggles vertically on the tablet’s screen, but to your eyes, the page appears mostly motionless.
When I tried a prototype, I was impressed by the technology. Alas, I was also crushed: The Run-n-Read requires its own e-book reading app that accepts only public-domain books; no copy-protected Kindle, iBooks or Nook books. Maybe that’s one of the reasons the Run-n-Read, which sought Kickstarter-style crowdsourced funds, didn’t reach its fundraising goal and is now in limbo.
But remember, the Pogie awards are for the brilliance of ideas — some that never even see the light of day.
Gamify your workout
Goji Play ($100) is another Bluetooth motion-sensing clip, again intended to work with a tablet as you endure your workout. This time, though, you’re playing games. Controller buttons strap onto your treadmill’s handlebars; your activity controls your movements in the games. For example, in "Smash the Blocks," your character moves forward, smashing evil blocks, only when you’re actually running or biking or StairMastering.
This workout-boredom-killer is a real, shipping product — and a really good concept.
Skip the password, 100 times a day
The Moto X comes with several clever tricks to bypass the traditional on-screen password.
If you have a Moto X smartphone, you can pay $15 more for a Skip: a small, fabric-covered clip that goes on your sleeve, collar, belt or whatever. Now you can unlock the phone by tapping it on the clip. Through NFC (near-field communication) technology, you can skip having to enter a password 100 times a day.
You also get three Skip stickers. You can attach them wherever you spend a lot of time, like your desk, your bed, and your spot at the dinner table. Here again, you can unlock the phone with a tap against the sticker.
Along with the fingerprint-reading Home button on the iPhone 5s, this technology stakes a terrific new position on the spectrum between security and convenience.
A new button on your Android phone
Insert the Pressy into your smartphone's headphone jack and program it to do whatever you want.
Here’s another Kickstarter success story — a project that sought $40,000 from the public and wound up earning $700,000 from enthusiastic fans.
Pressy (preorder for $27, coming in March) is an additional physical, clicky button for an Android phone. You snap it into the headphone jack.
What does this new button do? Just about anything you want. The companion app lets you set up the button to enter or exit Silent mode, take a picture, turn on the LED flashlight, start recording audio, call a chosen number, go Home (in case your Home button is broken) and so on.
You can set up sequences of button-presses to do different things: two short clicks to dial home, two long presses to call your mom. You can even define these click sequences to do different things at different times of day. Just a great, great idea.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the presentation of the biggest prize of all: the Pogie Ultimo!
The uncarrier
T-Mobile eliminated many of the outrageous fees charged by its competitors. Every year, surveys say the same things: We hate our cellular carriers. We rank them down somewhere between drug dealers and Congress. In 2013, T-Mobile had an idea that will wind up affecting millions of people — by making them happier. It has methodically been eliminating one despised carrier practice after another.
It eliminated the two-year contract: You can now leave T-Mobile whenever you like, with no penalty. It eliminated the data overage charge: If you use more data than you’ve paid for this month, your Internet speed drops, but you’re not penalized. It eliminated the 15 seconds of airtime-eating instructions when you want to leave a message (“To page this person, press 7, followed by the pound sign, followed by your Social Security number…”).
T-Mobile even eliminated the usurious roaming charges that afflict Americans when they travel abroad — charges so terrifying, most of us just shut off our phones over there and use them as paperweights. With T-Mobile, you get unlimited free texting overseas, unlimited free Internet data overseas and phone calls to 115 countries for 20 cents a minute.
Tearing up the cellphone-carrier business plan is radical. It’s bold. It’s a huge embarrassment — and, hopefully, inspiration — to Verizon, AT&T and Sprint.
And it’s the best new tech idea of the year.
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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
There are so many songs that talk about God "being there" for us. We are also encouraged to be there for others, especially in difficult times. It is a special friend indeed who can sit with us in silence and comfort us with his presence!
God wants to be that kind of friend to us as well. He is so much more than we can comprehend, it is difficult to believe that He wants to have a personal relationship with each of us. Praise God! We don't need to be like the friends that Job had -- judging and preachy. We need to be the loving, caring friends that we want when we are going through a difficult time! God can comfort us. God can help us comfort others. Let us all remember that each and every day!
Lord, we thank you for always being with us. We love you and praise you!
Technology Thursday
The most amazing, incredible, deliriously exciting tech ideas of 2013
by David Pogue
The best part of being a tech critic is the front-row seat you have to invention. Every time someone invents a new product, a new solution, a better way of doing something, there’s a moment of exhilaration. It’s endorphins in the brain. It’s the human race moving forward, if only by two or three inches.
And that’s why we celebrate, once again, the Pogie Awards, the annual year-end exaltation of the year’s best ideas in consumer technology. No, not the best products; sometimes the awards go out to fantastic features that wound up in lousy products. No, this is just about the individual ideas within products, the glimpses of genius that somehow made it out of the bureaucracy, past the lawyers and into the wider world.
Ready? Keep hands and feet inside the tram at all times. Off we go!
Thief-proof iPhones
Apple's new operating system comes with the best theft-deterring software on a smartphone yet.
Not sure if you’ve heard: iPhone theft is a booming business in big cities. In New York City, for example, Apple picking (as it’s called) represents 14 percent of all crimes, producing the city’s first crime increase in 20 years.
Both iPhones and Android phones offer a “Find My Phone” feature, which lets you track down a stolen phone. Trouble is, all the bad guy has to do is erase the phone — and boom. You can’t find it anymore. It’s clean and ready to sell into the black market.
Well, not anymore. In iOS 7, Apple slipped in a mind-bogglingly brilliant new feature called Activation Lock. It’s very, very simple: Nobody can erase an iPhone — or turn off Find My iPhone — without entering the owner’s Apple password. Which the mugger almost certainly won't know.
A phone that can’t be used, erased or resold is as useful to a thief as a brick. Once word gets out that stealing an iPhone is useless, thieves will have to find some other way to make a living. Home construction or church work, maybe.
Real FM radio on cellphones
The NextRadio app, now shipping on Sprint smartphones, allows you to listen to FM radio on your phone without paying …
With surprisingly little fanfare, Sprint has begun installing an FM radio app in every new phone model, starting with the delicious HTC One.
I know, I know: Don’t we already have hundreds of Internet radio apps? And Pandora, Spotify and iTunes Radio?
Yes. But the NextRadio app has one towering advantage: It doesn’t use any data.
It turns your phone into an actual FM receiver (the earbuds are the antenna) — without using one single megabyte of your monthly data allotment. In an age when using Internet services on your cellphone can be very expensive, a feature that reduces the amount of data you use is a big, big deal.
NextRadio is also interactive: You can buy a song you’re hearing with one tap, respond to contests instantly, post what you’re listening to and so on.
But music that consumes no data, with only one-third the battery drain: That’s a really big deal.
Read more about NextRadio here.
Finally, a better smoke detector
Many of the features in the Nest Protect smoke detector ($130) could have been Pogie-award nominees in their own right. The calm voice that says, “There’s smoke in the bedroom” instead of blasting out a shrieking alarm. The night light that comes on automatically to light your way when you walk by. The friendly, verbal advice that your batteries are running down — again, without wailing in the middle of the night. The way you can hush a false-positive alarm (shower steam, bacon smoke) by waving your arm four times instead of hunting for a ladder or a mop handle.
But the biggest idea is the wireless connection. Nest Protects talk to each other in your house (even if you don’t have a home WiFi network), so you’re alerted whenever there’s smoke or carbon monoxide in a different room. They’re also online, so your cellphone lets you know about anything amiss, too, wherever you may be. Because after all, a smoke alarm going off without your knowledge is like not having a smoke alarm at all.
The magnetic MacBook power cord fix
Apple’s MagSafe connector, first introduced in 2006, was sheer brilliance: a magnetically attached laptop power cord. If someone trips on the cord, it snaps out harmlessly instead of dragging your $1,000 laptop to the floor.
And then came the MagSafe 2. This “improved” connector, born in 2012 and now standard on all Apple laptops, features a thinner, weaker magnet. Much weaker. It falls out all the time. Uncross your legs — it falls out. Turn to reach for a beverage — it falls out. Yell at the TV — it falls out.
Desperate Mac fans have tried to Frankenstein together all manner of kludgy solutions, from clothespins to duct tape. But that dark era is behind us now, thanks to the Snuglet ($20 for two).
The Snuglet is a tiny metal liner for the laptop’s power jack, with all the weight and bulk of a staple. Somehow, this thin band of additional metal amplifies the force of the MagSafe 2’s magnet. Without adding anything visible at all, the Snuglet gives you a cord that doesn’t fall out (until someone actually does trip on it).
The super-duper digital credit card
The Coin looks like a single credit card, but it stores the information from up to eight other credit, debit and ATM cards. You no longer need to stuff your wallet with them. A tiny screen on the Coin lets you specify which card you want it to impersonate. Then you swipe it normally.
As a bonus, the Coin ($100; lasts two years) knows how far away it is from your phone. If you leave the Coin behind on some restaurant table, your phone pings to let you know.
The Coin’s creators are seeking funding directly from the public, bypassing Kickstarter altogether. If all goes well, the Coin will be available this summer.
But remember: What counts in the Pogie awards is the idea. And this one — a single, universal card that can defatten your wallet by 90 percent — is a giddily great one.
E-books for the treadmill
We get it: We’re all killing ourselves from inactivity. That’s why we go to the gym — twice. That’s why we buy treadmills — then ignore them.
We might actually use fitness equipment if it weren’t so stultifyingly boring.
Unfortunately, you can’t read while you’re on a treadmill, StairMaster or elliptical trainer because your head is bouncing up and down — unless you clip a new gadget called the Run-n-Read to your shirt collar or headband. Incredibly, the text on your tablet now bounces up in down in sync with your head. That’s right: It jiggles vertically on the tablet’s screen, but to your eyes, the page appears mostly motionless.
When I tried a prototype, I was impressed by the technology. Alas, I was also crushed: The Run-n-Read requires its own e-book reading app that accepts only public-domain books; no copy-protected Kindle, iBooks or Nook books. Maybe that’s one of the reasons the Run-n-Read, which sought Kickstarter-style crowdsourced funds, didn’t reach its fundraising goal and is now in limbo.
But remember, the Pogie awards are for the brilliance of ideas — some that never even see the light of day.
Gamify your workout
Goji Play ($100) is another Bluetooth motion-sensing clip, again intended to work with a tablet as you endure your workout. This time, though, you’re playing games. Controller buttons strap onto your treadmill’s handlebars; your activity controls your movements in the games. For example, in "Smash the Blocks," your character moves forward, smashing evil blocks, only when you’re actually running or biking or StairMastering.
This workout-boredom-killer is a real, shipping product — and a really good concept.
Skip the password, 100 times a day
The Moto X comes with several clever tricks to bypass the traditional on-screen password.
If you have a Moto X smartphone, you can pay $15 more for a Skip: a small, fabric-covered clip that goes on your sleeve, collar, belt or whatever. Now you can unlock the phone by tapping it on the clip. Through NFC (near-field communication) technology, you can skip having to enter a password 100 times a day.
You also get three Skip stickers. You can attach them wherever you spend a lot of time, like your desk, your bed, and your spot at the dinner table. Here again, you can unlock the phone with a tap against the sticker.
Along with the fingerprint-reading Home button on the iPhone 5s, this technology stakes a terrific new position on the spectrum between security and convenience.
A new button on your Android phone
Insert the Pressy into your smartphone's headphone jack and program it to do whatever you want.
Here’s another Kickstarter success story — a project that sought $40,000 from the public and wound up earning $700,000 from enthusiastic fans.
Pressy (preorder for $27, coming in March) is an additional physical, clicky button for an Android phone. You snap it into the headphone jack.
What does this new button do? Just about anything you want. The companion app lets you set up the button to enter or exit Silent mode, take a picture, turn on the LED flashlight, start recording audio, call a chosen number, go Home (in case your Home button is broken) and so on.
You can set up sequences of button-presses to do different things: two short clicks to dial home, two long presses to call your mom. You can even define these click sequences to do different things at different times of day. Just a great, great idea.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the presentation of the biggest prize of all: the Pogie Ultimo!
The uncarrier
T-Mobile eliminated many of the outrageous fees charged by its competitors. Every year, surveys say the same things: We hate our cellular carriers. We rank them down somewhere between drug dealers and Congress. In 2013, T-Mobile had an idea that will wind up affecting millions of people — by making them happier. It has methodically been eliminating one despised carrier practice after another.
It eliminated the two-year contract: You can now leave T-Mobile whenever you like, with no penalty. It eliminated the data overage charge: If you use more data than you’ve paid for this month, your Internet speed drops, but you’re not penalized. It eliminated the 15 seconds of airtime-eating instructions when you want to leave a message (“To page this person, press 7, followed by the pound sign, followed by your Social Security number…”).
T-Mobile even eliminated the usurious roaming charges that afflict Americans when they travel abroad — charges so terrifying, most of us just shut off our phones over there and use them as paperweights. With T-Mobile, you get unlimited free texting overseas, unlimited free Internet data overseas and phone calls to 115 countries for 20 cents a minute.
Tearing up the cellphone-carrier business plan is radical. It’s bold. It’s a huge embarrassment — and, hopefully, inspiration — to Verizon, AT&T and Sprint.
And it’s the best new tech idea of the year.
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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
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Brighter than Times Square
Merry Christmas!
Christ is born! Alleluia! Alleluia!
It should be no surprise that today's devotional is about Christmas! I have a keen sense of the obvious! When it talked about light, I thought of places like Times Square, Las Vegas and Hong Kong where there are millions of lights. They all pale in comparison to the Baby Jesus!
The devotional talks about the Gospel of John's account of the life of Jesus. Jesus is described as the Light of the World. I love this imagery. There are so many vivid examples of light piercing through darkness. A lighthouse on a stormy night. A cellphone in a dark movie theater. The star over Bethlehem leading the wise men to the manger where Jesus lay.
We are called to be that light in our world since we have the Light of the World in us. Jesus gives us that light after we accept him as our Lord and Savior. Praise God!
God, we thank you for sending your Son into this dark world. We praise you for giving us the one true light!
Wellness Wednesday
Christmas Wellness
I have seen and survived a few Christmases now, so here are a few tips I gathered over the years to help maintain sanity during this season!
It doesn't have to be perfect.
Yes, there are many folks who try to make everything about the Christmas experience perfect in every way for their friends and family. That is all fine and good until something goes awry. How do you react? I have seen the best and worst of this. Relax. Enjoy the season!
Be reasonable.
There have been many years where I had unreasonable expectations for myself, my friends and my family. Try to throw out all those expectations and go with the flow. Unrealistic expectations can ruin a holiday in two seconds flat!
Be healthy
Plan ahead when possible. Be sure to get enough sleep. Be sure to eat healthy around the holiday so you can splurge a little during it! The holidays can be a perfect storm of eating too much, drinking too much and not getting enough rest. We don't want a grumpy Santa! ha! Take care of yourself so you can truly enjoy Christmas!
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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
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Oh what a night!
Our Daily Bread
There are many pop songs that talk about a great night had by the singer or the band. There was some party or the songwriter met a girl or even the night the lights went out in Georgia! ha!
On Christmas Eve, we are observing the Night of Nights. We celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Oh what a night! There were angels. There were shepherds! There was the drama of no room at the inn. There was a virgin having the baby king in the humblest of surroundings. While we think of our own busy plans for Christmas Eve, let us think of that first Christmas Eve.
Lord, we look forward to your birth even though it happened 2000 years ago. Please help us to always look to you!
Teaching Tuesday
We are still in our interlude from the primary study books this week. We read two articles from our Reading and Reflection Guide: The Spiritual Person by Urban T. Homes and The Sanctification of Time and Life (from the EFM previous materials).
The Spiritual Person
This was an interesting article about the term spirituality and what it means to be spiritual. There were many myths dispelled. There were some things that I didn't really agree with, but I can respect his opinion. What did I get out of the article? I like his proposition that spirituality is "a disposition and a potentiality for " a relationship with God. A key is the awareness of a transcendent gift of knowledge. God transcends our ability to understand him. We can through purposeful awareness and prayer can have a relationship with him. Pretty amazing stuff!
The Sanctification of Time and Life
The article explained the cyclical nature of time and life from the Hebrew culture and how it affected the worship and life of the modern church. I wasn't that familiar with much of the content since my upbringing didn't follow this cyclical approach as strictly. It helped me learn about why we do some of the things we do in the Episcopal Church.
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Trusting God’s faithfulness dispels our fearfulness. - Our Daily Bread web site
There are many pop songs that talk about a great night had by the singer or the band. There was some party or the songwriter met a girl or even the night the lights went out in Georgia! ha!
On Christmas Eve, we are observing the Night of Nights. We celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Oh what a night! There were angels. There were shepherds! There was the drama of no room at the inn. There was a virgin having the baby king in the humblest of surroundings. While we think of our own busy plans for Christmas Eve, let us think of that first Christmas Eve.
Lord, we look forward to your birth even though it happened 2000 years ago. Please help us to always look to you!
Teaching Tuesday
We are still in our interlude from the primary study books this week. We read two articles from our Reading and Reflection Guide: The Spiritual Person by Urban T. Homes and The Sanctification of Time and Life (from the EFM previous materials).
The Spiritual Person
This was an interesting article about the term spirituality and what it means to be spiritual. There were many myths dispelled. There were some things that I didn't really agree with, but I can respect his opinion. What did I get out of the article? I like his proposition that spirituality is "a disposition and a potentiality for " a relationship with God. A key is the awareness of a transcendent gift of knowledge. God transcends our ability to understand him. We can through purposeful awareness and prayer can have a relationship with him. Pretty amazing stuff!
The Sanctification of Time and Life
The article explained the cyclical nature of time and life from the Hebrew culture and how it affected the worship and life of the modern church. I wasn't that familiar with much of the content since my upbringing didn't follow this cyclical approach as strictly. It helped me learn about why we do some of the things we do in the Episcopal Church.
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Trusting God’s faithfulness dispels our fearfulness. - Our Daily Bread web site
Monday, December 23, 2013
The present of presence
Our Daily Bread
I have had several classes over the years where the most important rule is to "be present". What does that mean? In this age of cell phones, tablets, laptops, social media and working too much, it is easy to be distracted (and distracting) when trying to discuss important topics or concepts. I am sort of a phone junkie, so disconnecting can be hard for me! DOH!
During this time of Christmas, we celebrate God being present with us in the form of the Christ child. The angels sang about it. The shepherds were amazed. The wise men followed the unusual star to find him. The asses and oxen laid low. What an unexpected, yet amazing entry into the world for the King of Kings! Let us remember this remarkable event as we sit in our warm homes with bright lights and gifts. Let us prepare our hearts as we celebrate the birth of our Lord.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, we love you and praise you for becoming God in man.
Movie Monday
I saw the movie American Hustle yesterday afternoon. It was a surprisingly good movie. I thought the cast and the acting was the best I have seen in a while. The basic plot is about some con men who get caught by the FBI, then get roped into an ever escalating plan to trap politicians and mobsters during the building of the New Jersey gambling boom. Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Christian Bale reinforce how good their are at their craft. Jeremy Renner shows he can be more than an action hero. Pretty amazing stuff!
I give this movie four bear paws. It is worth seeing in the theater, even at full price.
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The Lord gives us His grace to live purposeful lives of faith as we await His coming.- Our Daily Bread
I have had several classes over the years where the most important rule is to "be present". What does that mean? In this age of cell phones, tablets, laptops, social media and working too much, it is easy to be distracted (and distracting) when trying to discuss important topics or concepts. I am sort of a phone junkie, so disconnecting can be hard for me! DOH!
During this time of Christmas, we celebrate God being present with us in the form of the Christ child. The angels sang about it. The shepherds were amazed. The wise men followed the unusual star to find him. The asses and oxen laid low. What an unexpected, yet amazing entry into the world for the King of Kings! Let us remember this remarkable event as we sit in our warm homes with bright lights and gifts. Let us prepare our hearts as we celebrate the birth of our Lord.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, we love you and praise you for becoming God in man.
Movie Monday
I saw the movie American Hustle yesterday afternoon. It was a surprisingly good movie. I thought the cast and the acting was the best I have seen in a while. The basic plot is about some con men who get caught by the FBI, then get roped into an ever escalating plan to trap politicians and mobsters during the building of the New Jersey gambling boom. Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Christian Bale reinforce how good their are at their craft. Jeremy Renner shows he can be more than an action hero. Pretty amazing stuff!
I give this movie four bear paws. It is worth seeing in the theater, even at full price.
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The Lord gives us His grace to live purposeful lives of faith as we await His coming.- Our Daily Bread
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Never ceases to amaze me
Our Daily Bread
I had fond memories of my own personal experience when I read the devotional today. God does provide! When I had cancer at the age of 26, I was a poor seminary student. There were days when I would get four pieces of mail. The first three I opened were bills that I didn't have the money to pay. The fourth envelope would be a check from a friend or relative that I wasn't expecting! It was enough to pay the bills and get groceries! Praise God!
My story and the story in the devotional have something else in common -- we were both amazed that God provided and answered our prayers. Why are we surprised by this? There are assurances over and over about how God provides for his children. For me, I think the problem is that I don't always ask for the right things. When God doesn't answer my prayers for lame things, then I doubt he will answer my valid prayers. I have seen my valid prayers, prayers of intercession and prayers for my own needs, answered over and over. I hope you have, too! Let's pray about that together!
Lord, teach us to pray. Teach us to trust you. We thank you and praise you for your faithfulness!
Psalm Sunday
We are read Psalm 123 this week. It is a four-verse song of ascents. I am not sure I like the imagery it uses considering we are in the 21st century, but it is still meaningful!
Psalm 123
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
4 We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.
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For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.- Psalm 117:2
I had fond memories of my own personal experience when I read the devotional today. God does provide! When I had cancer at the age of 26, I was a poor seminary student. There were days when I would get four pieces of mail. The first three I opened were bills that I didn't have the money to pay. The fourth envelope would be a check from a friend or relative that I wasn't expecting! It was enough to pay the bills and get groceries! Praise God!
My story and the story in the devotional have something else in common -- we were both amazed that God provided and answered our prayers. Why are we surprised by this? There are assurances over and over about how God provides for his children. For me, I think the problem is that I don't always ask for the right things. When God doesn't answer my prayers for lame things, then I doubt he will answer my valid prayers. I have seen my valid prayers, prayers of intercession and prayers for my own needs, answered over and over. I hope you have, too! Let's pray about that together!
Lord, teach us to pray. Teach us to trust you. We thank you and praise you for your faithfulness!
Psalm Sunday
We are read Psalm 123 this week. It is a four-verse song of ascents. I am not sure I like the imagery it uses considering we are in the 21st century, but it is still meaningful!
Psalm 123
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
4 We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.
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For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.- Psalm 117:2
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Walk towards the light!
Our Daily Bread
You might have noticed that I like movies! Today's devotional reminded me of the movie Poltergeist. "Do NOT go into the light!" screams one of the characters at one critical point in the movie. The youngster is being summoned by evil spirits that look like a bright, pretty light. Yikes!
During the Christmas season, our God is calling us to walk into his bright, pretty, loving light! We celebrate the arrival of the Light of the World, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This season is full of light in a world that can be dark and scary. I love the images and paintings of the day Christ was born. The devotional gave this one as an example: Adoration of the Shepherds by Rembrandt (couresy of Wikipedia)
Rembrandt painted the brightest light in the room emanating from the Christ Child. How cool is that? The light of the Christ Child continues to shine bright today. Will you let him in your heart and life today?
Lord of Love and Light, please help us let you spread your light within us and outside us!
During the Christmas season, our God is calling us to walk into his bright, pretty, loving light! We celebrate the arrival of the Light of the World, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This season is full of light in a world that can be dark and scary. I love the images and paintings of the day Christ was born. The devotional gave this one as an example: Adoration of the Shepherds by Rembrandt (couresy of Wikipedia)
Lord of Love and Light, please help us let you spread your light within us and outside us!
Simply Saturday
Wait for it
I never really thought it as much as this year, but the Christmas season is one of waiting. Waiting in traffic. Waiting in lines at the stores. Children waiting ever so patiently for Santa. Waiting for friends and family to arrive. The tradition of Advent as we wait for the Messiah.
I don't know about you, but the last two are the only ones worth waiting for! ha! I enjoy hosting my family for Christmas. I enjoy having friends over for parties and just to hang out. Waiting for them to arrive is all part of the experience!
I wasn't reared in a faith with a tradition of celebrating Advent. I began observing Advent about six years ago at a new church I attended. Since I am singer, the month of December is usually a very busy month with final rehearsals and lots of concerts. Taking time to wait is not usually on my agenda! I have thorough enjoyed the daily Advent devotional from the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio. Different rectors and other folks from around Ohio wrote the devotionals. Waiting has never been so inspiring! Now I wait patiently and with hope for the devotional each day. I also know that waiting for the Christ child is something we need to think about each day. God sent him for us. For us! Amazing! While the new bike or iPad Air or maybe a new car seems like the ultimate gift, God already topped all of those! Amen!
I wasn't reared in a faith with a tradition of celebrating Advent. I began observing Advent about six years ago at a new church I attended. Since I am singer, the month of December is usually a very busy month with final rehearsals and lots of concerts. Taking time to wait is not usually on my agenda! I have thorough enjoyed the daily Advent devotional from the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio. Different rectors and other folks from around Ohio wrote the devotionals. Waiting has never been so inspiring! Now I wait patiently and with hope for the devotional each day. I also know that waiting for the Christ child is something we need to think about each day. God sent him for us. For us! Amazing! While the new bike or iPad Air or maybe a new car seems like the ultimate gift, God already topped all of those! Amen!
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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
Friday, December 20, 2013
Safe in His arms
Our Daily Bread
I am not usually one for romantic movies like The Notebook or When Harry met Sally. I do like the idea of being the strong man that shelters someone he loves from the world around us. It would be nice to be held like that at times, too.
If we don't have someone special in our life to do that for us, we always have our Amazing and Awesome God to hold us. While thinking about this topic in the car recently, I heard several "he will carry you" or "I love the way you hold me" kind of songs! OK, I get the message! It is truly amazing to feel God's presence in your life. The calm assurance of the Holy Spirit as we face each opportunity for faith (notice I didn't say struggle!). I pray that each of us can turn to him and trust him each and every day.
Lord, we thank you and praise you for your love and care!
Foodie Friday
Mimi's Cafe
I realize that life can be full of disappointments, but some things are just too much to bear! An example is the new dinner menu at Mimi's Cafe. I have enjoyed Mimi's since they opened their Columbus restaurant several years ago. I enjoyed the wide variety of the breakfast and dinner menus. You could eat a very healthy meal or you had many comfort food options. Everything was very tasty and reasonably priced. Apparently a French company bought Mimi's. I noticed a French twist to some of their new menu options the past several months when I received the announcements and coupons from them via email. I didn't realize they were completely overhauling the menu until last night.
My roommate had the grilled chicken salad with a side of french fries. He said was OK. It didn't have much chicken in it. The fries were OK. He thought the mini french baguettes in the bread basket were a little difficult to eat. I liked those.
I had a "French" hamburger. I was thankful it wasn't horse meat! (sorry, old French joke) The cooked it the way I want, medium rare. It was topped with bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato and thousand island dressing. I got the dressing on the side. I paid an extra 99 cents to get onion straws instead of fries. The hamburger tasted sort of odd. The bread was odd. I ate the second half of the sandwich without the bread. The onion strings tasted good, but seemed under cooked. There were sort of mushy and inconsistent.
As usual, the service was attentive. I noticed the atmosphere was not as busy as the restaurant used to be on a weeknight. I wonder why. I will try breakfast there to see what changed. There are still a few of my favorites on the dinner menu, like the turkey dinner and the chicken pot pie. I rarely ate those dinners.
On the bright side, a new friend is glad I won't be eating liver and onions there. That sort of grossed him out! ha!
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
I am not usually one for romantic movies like The Notebook or When Harry met Sally. I do like the idea of being the strong man that shelters someone he loves from the world around us. It would be nice to be held like that at times, too.
If we don't have someone special in our life to do that for us, we always have our Amazing and Awesome God to hold us. While thinking about this topic in the car recently, I heard several "he will carry you" or "I love the way you hold me" kind of songs! OK, I get the message! It is truly amazing to feel God's presence in your life. The calm assurance of the Holy Spirit as we face each opportunity for faith (notice I didn't say struggle!). I pray that each of us can turn to him and trust him each and every day.
Lord, we thank you and praise you for your love and care!
Foodie Friday
Mimi's Cafe
I realize that life can be full of disappointments, but some things are just too much to bear! An example is the new dinner menu at Mimi's Cafe. I have enjoyed Mimi's since they opened their Columbus restaurant several years ago. I enjoyed the wide variety of the breakfast and dinner menus. You could eat a very healthy meal or you had many comfort food options. Everything was very tasty and reasonably priced. Apparently a French company bought Mimi's. I noticed a French twist to some of their new menu options the past several months when I received the announcements and coupons from them via email. I didn't realize they were completely overhauling the menu until last night.
My roommate had the grilled chicken salad with a side of french fries. He said was OK. It didn't have much chicken in it. The fries were OK. He thought the mini french baguettes in the bread basket were a little difficult to eat. I liked those.
I had a "French" hamburger. I was thankful it wasn't horse meat! (sorry, old French joke) The cooked it the way I want, medium rare. It was topped with bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato and thousand island dressing. I got the dressing on the side. I paid an extra 99 cents to get onion straws instead of fries. The hamburger tasted sort of odd. The bread was odd. I ate the second half of the sandwich without the bread. The onion strings tasted good, but seemed under cooked. There were sort of mushy and inconsistent.
As usual, the service was attentive. I noticed the atmosphere was not as busy as the restaurant used to be on a weeknight. I wonder why. I will try breakfast there to see what changed. There are still a few of my favorites on the dinner menu, like the turkey dinner and the chicken pot pie. I rarely ate those dinners.
On the bright side, a new friend is glad I won't be eating liver and onions there. That sort of grossed him out! ha!
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Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Joyful celebration!
Our Daily Bread
My ex partner introduced me to the Soulful Celebration CD that contains jazzed up versions of Handel's Messiah. Amazing music! It takes the musical work to a whole new level! Check it out here.
How many of us get so caught up in the preparation for Christmas with the shopping, cooking and decorating that we forget the joyous aspect of the season? There are so many mentions of joy in the Christmas story. Not just joy, but GREAT joy! Joy squared or cubed or to infinity! Let us focus on the joy of the season. The reason for the season!
Lord, thank you for the gift of your Son! Please help us to focus on the joy of the season and praise your Holy Name!
Technology Thursday
Christmas Tech
Five more tech shopping days until Christmas! There are two main times to buy technology -- Getting ready for school in the late summer and during the Christmas holidays. Even if you missed the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, there are lots of special deals to be found. Check out your favorite store or web site to get the best deals.
If you are looking for an iPad or other tablet, don't forget to check stores like Target and Walmart for special deals as well. They may not discount the device, but they can offer store gift cards that add up to a nice discount if you shop at that store regularly. For places like Best Buy, use the gift card at a later trip to buy accessories like a case, screen cover, etc.
Looking for a new phone? Check your favorite carrier's web site for daily deals. There are lot of them out there. Walmart, Target and Best Buy have some really good deals as well. Late model phones are heavily discounted with a new 2 year contract. You also have some options for no contract phones as well.
Have a safe and techie Christmas!
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Living out of love for God and pleasing Him should be our heart’s desire. - Our Daily Bread
My ex partner introduced me to the Soulful Celebration CD that contains jazzed up versions of Handel's Messiah. Amazing music! It takes the musical work to a whole new level! Check it out here.
How many of us get so caught up in the preparation for Christmas with the shopping, cooking and decorating that we forget the joyous aspect of the season? There are so many mentions of joy in the Christmas story. Not just joy, but GREAT joy! Joy squared or cubed or to infinity! Let us focus on the joy of the season. The reason for the season!
Lord, thank you for the gift of your Son! Please help us to focus on the joy of the season and praise your Holy Name!
Technology Thursday
Christmas Tech
Five more tech shopping days until Christmas! There are two main times to buy technology -- Getting ready for school in the late summer and during the Christmas holidays. Even if you missed the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, there are lots of special deals to be found. Check out your favorite store or web site to get the best deals.
If you are looking for an iPad or other tablet, don't forget to check stores like Target and Walmart for special deals as well. They may not discount the device, but they can offer store gift cards that add up to a nice discount if you shop at that store regularly. For places like Best Buy, use the gift card at a later trip to buy accessories like a case, screen cover, etc.
Looking for a new phone? Check your favorite carrier's web site for daily deals. There are lot of them out there. Walmart, Target and Best Buy have some really good deals as well. Late model phones are heavily discounted with a new 2 year contract. You also have some options for no contract phones as well.
Have a safe and techie Christmas!
*********************************
Living out of love for God and pleasing Him should be our heart’s desire. - Our Daily Bread
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Thanksgiving pants
Our Daily Bread
I heard a funny story on a video clip from the Jimmy Fallon late night show. A guy was embarrassed that his dad a special pair of stretchy pants to wear on Thanksgiving and Christmas so he could eat more! ha! Like all of us, the fullness subsided in a few hours (or days!).
Unlike a big meal or a raise at work or a new pair of shoes, the "fullness" that Christ offers us will last forever. It is not fleeting. It is not temporary. He can fill us to overflowing with out the need for stretchy pants! ha! In your prayers today, consider asking God to fill you. Be ready for the results! This prayer will change you!
Lord, during this time of Advent, we wait for your birth. Please fill us with your love and Holy Spirit so we can share it with others!
Wellness Wednesday
This Is Scientific Proof That Happiness Is A Choice
The Huffington Post | By Carolyn Gregoire
One theory in psychology research suggests that we all have a happiness "set-point" that largely determines our overall well-being. We oscillate around this set point, becoming happier when something positive happens or the opposite, afterwards returning to equilibrium.
But this set-point, to a certain extent, can be reset. Although our general mood levels and well-being are partially determined by factors like genetics and upbringing, roughly 40 percent of our happiness is within our control, according to some experts, and a large body of research in the field of positive psychology has shown that happiness is a choice that anyone can make. As psychologist William James put it, “The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human can alter his life by altering his attitude."
Here are eight ways you can take control of your own happiness.
Simply try.
A little effort can go a long way in increasing happiness. Two small experimental studies, published this year in the Journal of Positive Psychology, found that simply trying to be happier could actually elevate mood and well-being. In one study, two groups of students listened to "happy" music -- one group was instructed to make a concerted effort to feel happier, while the other group was instructed not to actively try to lift their mood. The group that tried to feel happy experienced the most elevated moods after listening to the music.
Make happiness your number-one goal.
People who are happy choose to make happiness among their top goals in life, according to psychologist Tom G. Stevens, Ph.D., author of You Can Choose to Be Happy.
"Choose to take advantage of opportunities to learn how to be happy," Stevens told WebMD. "For example, reprogram your beliefs and values. Learn good self-management skills, good interpersonal skills, and good career-related skills. Choose to be in environments and around people that increase your probability of happiness. The persons who become the happiest and grow the most are those who also make truth and their own personal growth primary values."
Linger on those little, positive moments.
According to Rick Hanson, neuropsychologist and author of Hardwiring Happiness, our brains are wired to scout for all that's bad -- as he puts it, the brain is like velcro for negative experiences and teflon for positive ones. This "negativity bias" causes the brain to react intensely to bad news, compared to how it responds to good news. But we can counter the brain's negativity bias -- which triggers us to form stronger bad memories than good ones -- by appreciating and lingering on those tiny, positive moments.
"People don't recognize the hidden power of everyday experiences," Hanson told The Huffington Post. "We're surrounded by opportunities -- 10 seconds here or 20 seconds there -- to just register useful experiences and learn from them. People don't do that when they could."
Choose mindfulness.
The secret to happiness could be as simple (and difficult) as becoming more mindful. Meditation -- a practice that anyone can do, anywhere, so long as they're willing to sit and try to silence the mind -- is thought to be a happiness-booster.
University of Wisconsin psychology professor Richard Davidson found in his research that a meditation practice might help to shift brain activity from the right frontal area of the brain (associated with depression, anxiety and worry) to the left, which has been found to correlate with feelings of happiness, excitement, joy and alertness.
Smile your way to happiness.
The secret to boosting your mood could be as simple as making yourself smile. A 2011 Michigan State University study found that workers who smiled as a result of cultivating positive thoughts exhibited improved mood and less withdrawal. Fake smiling, on the other hand, resulted in worse moods and withdrawal from work.
Practice gratitude.
Cultivating thankfulness and gratitude is a scientifically-backed way to increase happiness, and it's firmly within your control to choose to be more grateful.
Grateful people tend to appreciate simple pleasures, defined as "those pleasures in life that are available to most people," according to a report in the journal of Social Behavior and Personality.
Pursue happiness, find happiness -- and success.
Conventional thinking has it that pursuing success will lead to happiness, but research has shown that it may be just the opposite. Pursuing happiness leads not only to happiness itself, but also to success, according to Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage.
In his 12 years researching happiness at Harvard, Achor found that cultivating a positive mindset could boost well-being and improve workers' performance on many levels, from productivity to creativity and engagement.
"People who cultivate a positive mind-set perform better in the face of challenge," he wrote in Harvard Business Review in 2012. "I call this the 'happiness advantage' -- every business outcome shows improvement when the brain is positive."
Let yourself be happy.
Bronnie Ware, a palliative care nurse who spent years working with elderly people on their deathbeds, noticed a common theme that came up repeatedly among her patients at the end of their lives: They regretted not "letting" themselves be happy.
Ware, the author of The Top Five Regrets Of The Dying, wrote in a Huffington Post blog:
"Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again ... Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness."
Practice compassion.
Want to increase your brain's capacity for happiness? Try meditating on compassion. Brain-scanning studies on French monk Matthieu Ricard found that when he was practicing loving-kindness meditation, his brain produced gamma waves "never reported before in the neuroscience literature." Ricard has the largest capacity for happiness ever recorded, thanks to neuroplasticity.
“Meditation is not just blissing out under a mango tree but it completely changes your brain and therefore changes what you are,” Ricard told the New York Daily News.
***************************************
I am far from perfect, but despite my mistakes and my sins, I will never abandon the Lord and he will never abandon me - adapted from a statement about Abraham from the EfM Training Guide
I heard a funny story on a video clip from the Jimmy Fallon late night show. A guy was embarrassed that his dad a special pair of stretchy pants to wear on Thanksgiving and Christmas so he could eat more! ha! Like all of us, the fullness subsided in a few hours (or days!).
Unlike a big meal or a raise at work or a new pair of shoes, the "fullness" that Christ offers us will last forever. It is not fleeting. It is not temporary. He can fill us to overflowing with out the need for stretchy pants! ha! In your prayers today, consider asking God to fill you. Be ready for the results! This prayer will change you!
Lord, during this time of Advent, we wait for your birth. Please fill us with your love and Holy Spirit so we can share it with others!
Wellness Wednesday
This Is Scientific Proof That Happiness Is A Choice
The Huffington Post | By Carolyn Gregoire
One theory in psychology research suggests that we all have a happiness "set-point" that largely determines our overall well-being. We oscillate around this set point, becoming happier when something positive happens or the opposite, afterwards returning to equilibrium.
But this set-point, to a certain extent, can be reset. Although our general mood levels and well-being are partially determined by factors like genetics and upbringing, roughly 40 percent of our happiness is within our control, according to some experts, and a large body of research in the field of positive psychology has shown that happiness is a choice that anyone can make. As psychologist William James put it, “The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human can alter his life by altering his attitude."
Here are eight ways you can take control of your own happiness.
Simply try.
A little effort can go a long way in increasing happiness. Two small experimental studies, published this year in the Journal of Positive Psychology, found that simply trying to be happier could actually elevate mood and well-being. In one study, two groups of students listened to "happy" music -- one group was instructed to make a concerted effort to feel happier, while the other group was instructed not to actively try to lift their mood. The group that tried to feel happy experienced the most elevated moods after listening to the music.
Make happiness your number-one goal.
People who are happy choose to make happiness among their top goals in life, according to psychologist Tom G. Stevens, Ph.D., author of You Can Choose to Be Happy.
"Choose to take advantage of opportunities to learn how to be happy," Stevens told WebMD. "For example, reprogram your beliefs and values. Learn good self-management skills, good interpersonal skills, and good career-related skills. Choose to be in environments and around people that increase your probability of happiness. The persons who become the happiest and grow the most are those who also make truth and their own personal growth primary values."
Linger on those little, positive moments.
According to Rick Hanson, neuropsychologist and author of Hardwiring Happiness, our brains are wired to scout for all that's bad -- as he puts it, the brain is like velcro for negative experiences and teflon for positive ones. This "negativity bias" causes the brain to react intensely to bad news, compared to how it responds to good news. But we can counter the brain's negativity bias -- which triggers us to form stronger bad memories than good ones -- by appreciating and lingering on those tiny, positive moments.
"People don't recognize the hidden power of everyday experiences," Hanson told The Huffington Post. "We're surrounded by opportunities -- 10 seconds here or 20 seconds there -- to just register useful experiences and learn from them. People don't do that when they could."
Choose mindfulness.
The secret to happiness could be as simple (and difficult) as becoming more mindful. Meditation -- a practice that anyone can do, anywhere, so long as they're willing to sit and try to silence the mind -- is thought to be a happiness-booster.
University of Wisconsin psychology professor Richard Davidson found in his research that a meditation practice might help to shift brain activity from the right frontal area of the brain (associated with depression, anxiety and worry) to the left, which has been found to correlate with feelings of happiness, excitement, joy and alertness.
Smile your way to happiness.
The secret to boosting your mood could be as simple as making yourself smile. A 2011 Michigan State University study found that workers who smiled as a result of cultivating positive thoughts exhibited improved mood and less withdrawal. Fake smiling, on the other hand, resulted in worse moods and withdrawal from work.
Practice gratitude.
Cultivating thankfulness and gratitude is a scientifically-backed way to increase happiness, and it's firmly within your control to choose to be more grateful.
Grateful people tend to appreciate simple pleasures, defined as "those pleasures in life that are available to most people," according to a report in the journal of Social Behavior and Personality.
Pursue happiness, find happiness -- and success.
Conventional thinking has it that pursuing success will lead to happiness, but research has shown that it may be just the opposite. Pursuing happiness leads not only to happiness itself, but also to success, according to Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage.
In his 12 years researching happiness at Harvard, Achor found that cultivating a positive mindset could boost well-being and improve workers' performance on many levels, from productivity to creativity and engagement.
"People who cultivate a positive mind-set perform better in the face of challenge," he wrote in Harvard Business Review in 2012. "I call this the 'happiness advantage' -- every business outcome shows improvement when the brain is positive."
Let yourself be happy.
Bronnie Ware, a palliative care nurse who spent years working with elderly people on their deathbeds, noticed a common theme that came up repeatedly among her patients at the end of their lives: They regretted not "letting" themselves be happy.
Ware, the author of The Top Five Regrets Of The Dying, wrote in a Huffington Post blog:
"Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again ... Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness."
Practice compassion.
Want to increase your brain's capacity for happiness? Try meditating on compassion. Brain-scanning studies on French monk Matthieu Ricard found that when he was practicing loving-kindness meditation, his brain produced gamma waves "never reported before in the neuroscience literature." Ricard has the largest capacity for happiness ever recorded, thanks to neuroplasticity.
“Meditation is not just blissing out under a mango tree but it completely changes your brain and therefore changes what you are,” Ricard told the New York Daily News.
***************************************
I am far from perfect, but despite my mistakes and my sins, I will never abandon the Lord and he will never abandon me - adapted from a statement about Abraham from the EfM Training Guide
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
I am just here for the food
Our Daily Bread
One of my favorite movies is Ever After. It is a retelling of the Cinderella story. The actors chosen for the movie are so perfect for their roles. One of my favorite lines is from one of the sisters who bounced an insult back to her evil mother late in the movie "No, mother, I am just here for the food." ha! Watch the movie sometime to see how really funny that is!
What are you here for? I mean what you are hoping to get out of your relationship with God? I sometimes think that I am only here for the food. The church suppers are fabulous! ha! One of the prayers in the Episcopal church echoes the theme of this blog entry. It talks about coming to church to receive only instead of offering ourselves to God.
What are you here for? Let us think and pray about that today.
Lord, you are so loving and merciful. Please help us show our love back to you every way we can.
Teaching Tuesday
We rad part 2 of And God Spoke by Christopher Bryan this week. Very interesting read again. I really like his thought process and observations.
The main point I got out of this week is: reading and studying the Bible is not about information, it is about transformation! Reading and studying with a heart open to the Holy Spirit will change you! Be open to that. Don't be afraid. Let the Word of God grow from within!
May the Lord be with you!
****************************************
You cannot say you've forgiven someone if in your heart you hope they are still suffering. Howerton
One of my favorite movies is Ever After. It is a retelling of the Cinderella story. The actors chosen for the movie are so perfect for their roles. One of my favorite lines is from one of the sisters who bounced an insult back to her evil mother late in the movie "No, mother, I am just here for the food." ha! Watch the movie sometime to see how really funny that is!
What are you here for? I mean what you are hoping to get out of your relationship with God? I sometimes think that I am only here for the food. The church suppers are fabulous! ha! One of the prayers in the Episcopal church echoes the theme of this blog entry. It talks about coming to church to receive only instead of offering ourselves to God.
What are you here for? Let us think and pray about that today.
Lord, you are so loving and merciful. Please help us show our love back to you every way we can.
Teaching Tuesday
We rad part 2 of And God Spoke by Christopher Bryan this week. Very interesting read again. I really like his thought process and observations.
The main point I got out of this week is: reading and studying the Bible is not about information, it is about transformation! Reading and studying with a heart open to the Holy Spirit will change you! Be open to that. Don't be afraid. Let the Word of God grow from within!
May the Lord be with you!
****************************************
You cannot say you've forgiven someone if in your heart you hope they are still suffering. Howerton
Monday, December 16, 2013
I want to live like that...
Our Daily Bread
I have seen several funny commercials recently where the driver of a car mistakenly goes the wrong way in his drive way and takes out the garage door. DOH! I hate it when that happens! Going the wrong direction can be so damaging!
Jesus' life seemed to go in the wrong direction to the people of Israel that were looking for a political messiah to lead them back to power. He was not that kind of messiah! God had other plans in mind, even knowing in advance that this messiah would be available to Gentiles as well. What an amazing life! What a risky plan! Ha!
As I mentioned several times in my blog entries, music speaks to me. After reading the devotional today, the song Live Like That came to mind. Click here to see the lyrics. Jesus lived his life and changed the world forever. How will we live our lives? How will we be remembered?
Lord, we thank you for your example. Please help us live with the mind of Christ each day!
Movie Monday
I saw the new Hobbit movie after work on Friday -- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. I watched the 3D IMAX version. It was pricey for an evening show, but I thought it was worth it. The scenery and special effects were spectacular, as usual for a Peter Jackson movie. The dragon scenes were incredible. My problem with the movie is it moved too slowly for me. My perception is the slow moving story line is the result of cramming one book in to three movies! Ha! I realize there is more than one book involved, but this story should not have been made into three movies. Oh well. I am sure I will see the next one in a year or two and enjoy it just as much.
I give this one three bear paws. See it on the big screen or in 3D IMAX.
************************************
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
I have seen several funny commercials recently where the driver of a car mistakenly goes the wrong way in his drive way and takes out the garage door. DOH! I hate it when that happens! Going the wrong direction can be so damaging!
Jesus' life seemed to go in the wrong direction to the people of Israel that were looking for a political messiah to lead them back to power. He was not that kind of messiah! God had other plans in mind, even knowing in advance that this messiah would be available to Gentiles as well. What an amazing life! What a risky plan! Ha!
As I mentioned several times in my blog entries, music speaks to me. After reading the devotional today, the song Live Like That came to mind. Click here to see the lyrics. Jesus lived his life and changed the world forever. How will we live our lives? How will we be remembered?
Lord, we thank you for your example. Please help us live with the mind of Christ each day!
Movie Monday
I saw the new Hobbit movie after work on Friday -- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. I watched the 3D IMAX version. It was pricey for an evening show, but I thought it was worth it. The scenery and special effects were spectacular, as usual for a Peter Jackson movie. The dragon scenes were incredible. My problem with the movie is it moved too slowly for me. My perception is the slow moving story line is the result of cramming one book in to three movies! Ha! I realize there is more than one book involved, but this story should not have been made into three movies. Oh well. I am sure I will see the next one in a year or two and enjoy it just as much.
I give this one three bear paws. See it on the big screen or in 3D IMAX.
************************************
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
Sunday, December 15, 2013
No pressure...
Our Daily Bread
Remember the cute story about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer? An outsider from the reindeer games as a young reindeer eventually became the lead reindeer for Santa's sleigh! What an honor! He received that honor because of his specific skill that only he could do and his willingness to use it to help others. Wow, I didn't realize there was such a spiritual message to that cute little story/song!
There were two folks in the Christmas story that also did their part. Simeon and Anna. Simeon told others of the promise God fulfilled to him in the birth of Jesus. So did Anna. She proclaimed it all the time in the temple after meeting the baby Jesus. Talk about pressure! I am not a parent so I cannot imagine what kind of pressure those expectations would put on a child or the parents. Wow!
During the Christmas season, hide all of these things in your heart. Celebrate the miraculous story. Christ is born!
Lord, we thank you for the birth of your only Son. He will always be the Messiah!
Psalm Sunday
We are reading Psalm 122 today. Remember an ascent is a psalm used by traveling pilgrims, usually to Jerusalem on a spiritual pilgrimage. You can feel how special Jerusalem is to the pilgrims from this psalm!
Psalm 122
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
************************************
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40
Remember the cute story about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer? An outsider from the reindeer games as a young reindeer eventually became the lead reindeer for Santa's sleigh! What an honor! He received that honor because of his specific skill that only he could do and his willingness to use it to help others. Wow, I didn't realize there was such a spiritual message to that cute little story/song!
There were two folks in the Christmas story that also did their part. Simeon and Anna. Simeon told others of the promise God fulfilled to him in the birth of Jesus. So did Anna. She proclaimed it all the time in the temple after meeting the baby Jesus. Talk about pressure! I am not a parent so I cannot imagine what kind of pressure those expectations would put on a child or the parents. Wow!
During the Christmas season, hide all of these things in your heart. Celebrate the miraculous story. Christ is born!
Lord, we thank you for the birth of your only Son. He will always be the Messiah!
Psalm Sunday
We are reading Psalm 122 today. Remember an ascent is a psalm used by traveling pilgrims, usually to Jerusalem on a spiritual pilgrimage. You can feel how special Jerusalem is to the pilgrims from this psalm!
Psalm 122
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
************************************
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Not as it appears
Our Daily Bread
I remember the first time I saw a drag queen. I was very surprised to learn that this beautiful woman was really a guy. Since that event decades ago, there have been TV shows and movies with drag queens that have made their stories more well known. As I learned back then, all is not what it appears to be!
Simeon seemed to know the same kind of thing about the birth of Jesus. Yes, this was a wonderful, miraculous event that was celebrated by singing angels, a star hovering over his birth place and kings bringing him gifts beyond compare. It was an amazing event. Simeon looked on and knew from God how the story would end. He tried to tell Mary the best he could. She tried to understand the best she could. Like so many other things in her life, I can imagine her hiding these things in her heart!
Yes, we know the rest of the story as written in the Bible. We have the ups and downs and the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have the victory of his resurrection and his ascension into heaven to the right hand of God. What a story! No wonder the Bible says that the skies could not hold all the things that could be written about our God!
Lord, we thank you for giving your perspective about how our lives should be and about how our world should be. Please help us do our part to make this heaven on earth!
Simply Saturday
Smaug
Yes, I am a big movie buff. I also like Tolkien (and CS Lewis). I went to see the movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug after work last night (the first day the movie was out). You will have to wait until Movie Monday to read my review of the movie! Something in the movie spurred me to write this entry for Simply Saturday.
Without giving away what is in the movie, I can tell you that the dwarves are trying to take back their underground home that was stolen by the dragon, Smaug. They were warned over and over NOT to wake the dragon if it still lived, but they took the chance any way. What does this have to do with today's blog entry?
I thought about how so many of us (OK, I mean me) keep "rousing the dragon" in our lives. There are things in our lives that we need to let sleep. I am not talking about hard feelings or situations that we know we need to address so we can be the best Christians we can be. I am talking about things like an alcoholic taking just one drink, a bipolar person not taking their meds because she feels fine, or a diabetic eating a box of Hohos because their blood sugar wasn't that high today. Whew... If we think about it and truly admit it to ourselves, we know these dragons will wreak havoc on our lives. We know it, but we still rouse them any way.
Let us pray for each other. Let us pray that we leave our sleeping dragons sleeping through the healing and seemingly magical powers of the Holy Spirit!
***********************************
“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).
I remember the first time I saw a drag queen. I was very surprised to learn that this beautiful woman was really a guy. Since that event decades ago, there have been TV shows and movies with drag queens that have made their stories more well known. As I learned back then, all is not what it appears to be!
Simeon seemed to know the same kind of thing about the birth of Jesus. Yes, this was a wonderful, miraculous event that was celebrated by singing angels, a star hovering over his birth place and kings bringing him gifts beyond compare. It was an amazing event. Simeon looked on and knew from God how the story would end. He tried to tell Mary the best he could. She tried to understand the best she could. Like so many other things in her life, I can imagine her hiding these things in her heart!
Yes, we know the rest of the story as written in the Bible. We have the ups and downs and the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have the victory of his resurrection and his ascension into heaven to the right hand of God. What a story! No wonder the Bible says that the skies could not hold all the things that could be written about our God!
Lord, we thank you for giving your perspective about how our lives should be and about how our world should be. Please help us do our part to make this heaven on earth!
Simply Saturday
Smaug
Yes, I am a big movie buff. I also like Tolkien (and CS Lewis). I went to see the movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug after work last night (the first day the movie was out). You will have to wait until Movie Monday to read my review of the movie! Something in the movie spurred me to write this entry for Simply Saturday.
Without giving away what is in the movie, I can tell you that the dwarves are trying to take back their underground home that was stolen by the dragon, Smaug. They were warned over and over NOT to wake the dragon if it still lived, but they took the chance any way. What does this have to do with today's blog entry?
I thought about how so many of us (OK, I mean me) keep "rousing the dragon" in our lives. There are things in our lives that we need to let sleep. I am not talking about hard feelings or situations that we know we need to address so we can be the best Christians we can be. I am talking about things like an alcoholic taking just one drink, a bipolar person not taking their meds because she feels fine, or a diabetic eating a box of Hohos because their blood sugar wasn't that high today. Whew... If we think about it and truly admit it to ourselves, we know these dragons will wreak havoc on our lives. We know it, but we still rouse them any way.
Let us pray for each other. Let us pray that we leave our sleeping dragons sleeping through the healing and seemingly magical powers of the Holy Spirit!
***********************************
“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).
Friday, December 13, 2013
Let the Games begin
Our Daily Bread
I plan to live out a "bucket list" item next year -- I registered for the Gay Games that are being held in Cleveland/Akron, Ohio, not far from my home. Woohoooo! I have read about this event for years. It is obviously the closest it has ever been to my home. The even was held in Chicago several years ago, which was the second closest to where I live. I am trying to lose some weight and prepare for my meager attempts at the bowling and tennis events. We will see how it goes in August 2014!
As Christians, we need the discipline of an elite athlete! Not so much for our physical bodies, though they are important, but for our spiritual development. Consistent Bible study, learning from coaches (teachers and preachers), prayer, and practicing the things we learned from all of these in our daily lives. Even Paul uses the imagery of us "running a race" to describe the Christian life. Of course, this silly old bear chuckles and says "Run Forrest Run!" ha! Instead, I will say "Run Duane Run!" Our Lord and Savior is at the finish line! Praise God!
Lord, we thank you and praise you for giving us strength and guidance to run the race of this life...for you!
Foodie Friday
Supper last night
I am not a celebrity chef or anything, but I had a nice dinner last night at home! I found some boneless ribs on sale earlier in the week. I rubbed them with sea salt, fresh pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, then baked them in the oven at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. I turned them at about 30 minutes. I drained them and smothered them in Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce for the last few minutes. Mmmmmm! I might eat an old shoe if it had Montgomery Inn sauce on it! ha!
I also roasted some fingerling and red potatoes. I washed them thoroughly, then placed them in a glass dish sprayed with buttery Pam. Don't dry them. I sprinkled the same four spices on the potatoes that I used for the ribs. I roasted them for about an hour, then smothered them with butter! Wow! I love the earthy taste of fingerling potatoes and the meaty taste of the red potatoes. You can buy these together in one bag at Meijer in the produce section.
I am thinking of roasting some veggies or potatoes or something for my dinner group this week. I will look up some recipes during the snowy Saturday tomorrow!
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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
I plan to live out a "bucket list" item next year -- I registered for the Gay Games that are being held in Cleveland/Akron, Ohio, not far from my home. Woohoooo! I have read about this event for years. It is obviously the closest it has ever been to my home. The even was held in Chicago several years ago, which was the second closest to where I live. I am trying to lose some weight and prepare for my meager attempts at the bowling and tennis events. We will see how it goes in August 2014!
As Christians, we need the discipline of an elite athlete! Not so much for our physical bodies, though they are important, but for our spiritual development. Consistent Bible study, learning from coaches (teachers and preachers), prayer, and practicing the things we learned from all of these in our daily lives. Even Paul uses the imagery of us "running a race" to describe the Christian life. Of course, this silly old bear chuckles and says "Run Forrest Run!" ha! Instead, I will say "Run Duane Run!" Our Lord and Savior is at the finish line! Praise God!
Lord, we thank you and praise you for giving us strength and guidance to run the race of this life...for you!
Foodie Friday
Supper last night
I am not a celebrity chef or anything, but I had a nice dinner last night at home! I found some boneless ribs on sale earlier in the week. I rubbed them with sea salt, fresh pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, then baked them in the oven at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. I turned them at about 30 minutes. I drained them and smothered them in Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce for the last few minutes. Mmmmmm! I might eat an old shoe if it had Montgomery Inn sauce on it! ha!
I also roasted some fingerling and red potatoes. I washed them thoroughly, then placed them in a glass dish sprayed with buttery Pam. Don't dry them. I sprinkled the same four spices on the potatoes that I used for the ribs. I roasted them for about an hour, then smothered them with butter! Wow! I love the earthy taste of fingerling potatoes and the meaty taste of the red potatoes. You can buy these together in one bag at Meijer in the produce section.
I am thinking of roasting some veggies or potatoes or something for my dinner group this week. I will look up some recipes during the snowy Saturday tomorrow!
**********************************
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
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Nice outfit
Our Daily Bread
I have some friends that love dressing up for the Renaissance Festival in southern Ohio each Fall. The outfit could be that of a pirate or barbarian or Renaissance-era character. How fun! The people watching is awesome at this event! ha!
Putting on the "armor of light" is so much different than a costume worn to the RenFest! First, the armor of light is meant to help us demonstrate the Light of the World to those around us. Second, the armor of light helps us fight off darkness that seeks to penetrate every part of our life. Lastly, the armor of light seeks to draw attention to our Lord instead of ourselves. What a blessing to have our Lord look at us in heaven, seeing our armor of light, and say Nice outfit! ;-)
Lord, please help us dress physically and spiritually each day. Please help us show your light each and every day!
Technology Thursday
Convertible laptops
With the increase in popularity in laptop and tablet computers, some computer makers figured out that offering a device that has the best features of a laptop (keyboard, monitor interface, etc) and a tablet (portability, touch screen, ease of use, cool apps, etc) would be popular with consumers. Please remember that some of these manufacturers tried the combo device several times in the past with less than impressive products and results in the marketplace. Here is an example of one of the best reviewed today:
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 11.6-Inch Convertible Touchscreen Laptop
Check out that model and others on Amazon.com by searching for convertible laptops.
Most of them run Windows 8.1. I am surprised that Apple hasn't entered this market yet. I think the combination of the convertible features with the Apple AppStore would be awesome!
**********************************
For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.- Psalm 117:2
I have some friends that love dressing up for the Renaissance Festival in southern Ohio each Fall. The outfit could be that of a pirate or barbarian or Renaissance-era character. How fun! The people watching is awesome at this event! ha!
Putting on the "armor of light" is so much different than a costume worn to the RenFest! First, the armor of light is meant to help us demonstrate the Light of the World to those around us. Second, the armor of light helps us fight off darkness that seeks to penetrate every part of our life. Lastly, the armor of light seeks to draw attention to our Lord instead of ourselves. What a blessing to have our Lord look at us in heaven, seeing our armor of light, and say Nice outfit! ;-)
Lord, please help us dress physically and spiritually each day. Please help us show your light each and every day!
Technology Thursday
Convertible laptops
With the increase in popularity in laptop and tablet computers, some computer makers figured out that offering a device that has the best features of a laptop (keyboard, monitor interface, etc) and a tablet (portability, touch screen, ease of use, cool apps, etc) would be popular with consumers. Please remember that some of these manufacturers tried the combo device several times in the past with less than impressive products and results in the marketplace. Here is an example of one of the best reviewed today:
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 11.6-Inch Convertible Touchscreen Laptop
Check out that model and others on Amazon.com by searching for convertible laptops.
Most of them run Windows 8.1. I am surprised that Apple hasn't entered this market yet. I think the combination of the convertible features with the Apple AppStore would be awesome!
**********************************
For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.- Psalm 117:2
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Doubts and questions
Our Daily Bread
I have a new group of friends that I enjoy thoroughly. One of my favorite interactions is when we "doubt and question" together. We laugh that we might get struck down by lightening because of the questions we ask! We all know that is not possible with our God, who encourages us to question and learn from His answers!
The devotional talks about the three reasons the folks gave him when contemplating salvation. I have heard the same kinds of things, mostly from folks who already have a relationship with God and are being called to a closer relationship. Can God really forgive me for all the things I have done? Does God really want to have a relationship with me? I don't feel God communicating to me. Am I doing something wrong? All of these things are valid doubts for believers and unbelievers. As the devotional says, the first thing to do is sincerely read and study the Bible, the Word of God. There are a ton of worthwhile Bible studies online. Most churches offer some kind of Bible study program. Bible study and prayer helps us all answer all of these questions!
Lord, we thank you for being both Almighty and approachable. Please help us to love you and serve you!
Wellness Wednesday
Is BMI Best? 8 Steps to Your Healthiest Weight
By: Katherine Tallmadge
Published: 08/16/2013 11:41 AM EDT on LiveScience
My clients regularly ask me: Could the height/weight charts in doctors' offices be correct? Really? My answer: It depends . . .
Don't use height/weight charts alone to determine your ideal body weight. Researchers designed the latest body mass index (BMI) charts for use in combination with additional personal information. A group of scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) who specialize in how weight affects health crafted the guidelines after reviewing hundreds of studies conducted over the past several decades — only then did the experts make their recommendations to health professionals.
The guidelines help physicians, and registered dietitians like me, evaluate and make recommendations for clients. But you can also use the BMI charts, along with your doctor's advice, to help you decide what your appropriate weight should be.
Eight steps to reaching your healthy weight
1. Determine your BMI, or the relationship between weight and height that researchers have associated with body fat and health risk. Calculate BMI by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by your height squared (in meters) (kg/m2). NIH has a calculator, so you don't have to do the calculation yourself!
2. If your BMI indicates you are overweight, it is ideal for you to lose weight . That said, weight-loss treatment is particularly important — and recommended — when you have two or more health risk-factors. These include being a smoker, being inactive (I would define "inactivity" as fewer than 10,000 pedometer steps daily, averaged over a week), or having any of the following: high blood pressure, low HDL (good) cholesterol, high LDL (bad) cholesterol, high triglyceride (blood fat) levels, impaired fasting-glucose, a family history of premature heart disease, or a high waist-circumference (measured at the belly button). Here, "high" means greater than 35 inches for women or 40 inches for men. This is important because the presence of abdominal fat is correlated with disease risk. Health professionals used to think body fat was inert, but it isn't — it's toxic! Fat tissue produces hormones and pro-inflammatory chemicals that regulate metabolism, the immune system, inflammation, the progression of artery hardening, and the development of cancers. So, when you have less body fat, you get many biological benefits.
3. If you fit into the obese category, health professionals recommend you undergo weight-loss treatment.
4. Your initial weight-loss goal should be to reduce body weight by about 10 percent from your starting weight. This should take about six months, depending on how much weight you have to lose. You can safely lose one-half to three pounds per week. Assuming your calorie intake is appropriate, the more cardiovascular exercise you do, the faster you can lose weight.
5. If you need to lose more weight, make another attempt at weight reduction.
6. After you reach your desired weight-loss goal, start a weight-maintenance program consisting of dietary therapy , physical activity and behavior therapy. You should continue this program indefinitely.
7. You will need to follow lifestyle therapy for at least six months, according to the NIH guidelines, before your doctor prescribes drug therapy or surgery. However, the safety of drug therapy has not been established, and 50 percent of surgery patients regain lost weight.
8. For the very obese — with a BMI over 40, or a BMI over 35 with significant adverse health conditions — obesity surgery may be an appropriate option.
Note: Highly muscular people, usually professional athletes or body builders, may register as overweight using the BMI scale, but this may be because of high muscle mass instead of fat. More muscle is not generally thought of as unhealthy, so weight loss would not be necessary in these cases.
***********************************
Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God - William Carey
I have a new group of friends that I enjoy thoroughly. One of my favorite interactions is when we "doubt and question" together. We laugh that we might get struck down by lightening because of the questions we ask! We all know that is not possible with our God, who encourages us to question and learn from His answers!
The devotional talks about the three reasons the folks gave him when contemplating salvation. I have heard the same kinds of things, mostly from folks who already have a relationship with God and are being called to a closer relationship. Can God really forgive me for all the things I have done? Does God really want to have a relationship with me? I don't feel God communicating to me. Am I doing something wrong? All of these things are valid doubts for believers and unbelievers. As the devotional says, the first thing to do is sincerely read and study the Bible, the Word of God. There are a ton of worthwhile Bible studies online. Most churches offer some kind of Bible study program. Bible study and prayer helps us all answer all of these questions!
Lord, we thank you for being both Almighty and approachable. Please help us to love you and serve you!
Wellness Wednesday
Is BMI Best? 8 Steps to Your Healthiest Weight
By: Katherine Tallmadge
Published: 08/16/2013 11:41 AM EDT on LiveScience
My clients regularly ask me: Could the height/weight charts in doctors' offices be correct? Really? My answer: It depends . . .
Don't use height/weight charts alone to determine your ideal body weight. Researchers designed the latest body mass index (BMI) charts for use in combination with additional personal information. A group of scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) who specialize in how weight affects health crafted the guidelines after reviewing hundreds of studies conducted over the past several decades — only then did the experts make their recommendations to health professionals.
The guidelines help physicians, and registered dietitians like me, evaluate and make recommendations for clients. But you can also use the BMI charts, along with your doctor's advice, to help you decide what your appropriate weight should be.
Eight steps to reaching your healthy weight
1. Determine your BMI, or the relationship between weight and height that researchers have associated with body fat and health risk. Calculate BMI by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by your height squared (in meters) (kg/m2). NIH has a calculator, so you don't have to do the calculation yourself!
2. If your BMI indicates you are overweight, it is ideal for you to lose weight . That said, weight-loss treatment is particularly important — and recommended — when you have two or more health risk-factors. These include being a smoker, being inactive (I would define "inactivity" as fewer than 10,000 pedometer steps daily, averaged over a week), or having any of the following: high blood pressure, low HDL (good) cholesterol, high LDL (bad) cholesterol, high triglyceride (blood fat) levels, impaired fasting-glucose, a family history of premature heart disease, or a high waist-circumference (measured at the belly button). Here, "high" means greater than 35 inches for women or 40 inches for men. This is important because the presence of abdominal fat is correlated with disease risk. Health professionals used to think body fat was inert, but it isn't — it's toxic! Fat tissue produces hormones and pro-inflammatory chemicals that regulate metabolism, the immune system, inflammation, the progression of artery hardening, and the development of cancers. So, when you have less body fat, you get many biological benefits.
3. If you fit into the obese category, health professionals recommend you undergo weight-loss treatment.
4. Your initial weight-loss goal should be to reduce body weight by about 10 percent from your starting weight. This should take about six months, depending on how much weight you have to lose. You can safely lose one-half to three pounds per week. Assuming your calorie intake is appropriate, the more cardiovascular exercise you do, the faster you can lose weight.
5. If you need to lose more weight, make another attempt at weight reduction.
6. After you reach your desired weight-loss goal, start a weight-maintenance program consisting of dietary therapy , physical activity and behavior therapy. You should continue this program indefinitely.
7. You will need to follow lifestyle therapy for at least six months, according to the NIH guidelines, before your doctor prescribes drug therapy or surgery. However, the safety of drug therapy has not been established, and 50 percent of surgery patients regain lost weight.
8. For the very obese — with a BMI over 40, or a BMI over 35 with significant adverse health conditions — obesity surgery may be an appropriate option.
Note: Highly muscular people, usually professional athletes or body builders, may register as overweight using the BMI scale, but this may be because of high muscle mass instead of fat. More muscle is not generally thought of as unhealthy, so weight loss would not be necessary in these cases.
***********************************
Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God - William Carey
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Even better than a BB gun!
Our Daily Bread
A Christmas classic is the movie A Christmas Story. So many funny situations and real life scenarios that we all can identify with. A favorite is when the parents refuse to get the young boy a BB gun because they are afraid he will hurt himself or someone else. The boy things the gun would be the best gift EV-ER!
As Children of God, we know what the best gift EV-ER really was -- our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! And we don't have to worry about putting an eye out with this wonderful gift! ha! The devotional talked about something also mentioned in the Bryan book I talk about below -- condescensio Dei. That is the act of one who deliberately abandons power and privilege, in order to identify with the weak and the deprived. That is what Jesus did with us and for us! Praise you, Lord Christ!
Did you have a parent or are you a parent that stoops down to the level of your children to better understand their point of view? Think about that!
Lord, we thank you for coming down to our level. Please help us love and serve our Savior that gave up so much to live among us and give his life for us AND rise again victoriously!
Teaching Tuesday
The new EFM curriculum schedules some "breaks" in the studies for all the years to share a book. For two weeks, we are reading And God Spoke: The Authority of the Bible for the Church Today by Christopher Bryan. All I can say is "wow!" I have read a lot of books in my life. I really enjoy this one. In Part 1 that we read for last night, Bryan addresses some simple topics like infallibility and authority of the Bible! Wow!
I felt like he described what I have believed for many years, but could not put into words. He believes that, like many other examples of God working with mankind, he uses imperfect humans to produce an imperfect collection of writings. The coolest part to me is Bryan's insistence that the Holy Spirit inspired folks to preserve "all that we need for salvation". Yes, there are inconsistencies that critics point out constantly. The central message is not flawed. God wants to have a relationship with man even though man pushed him away in the Garden of Eden. Perfect God offers a relationship to imperfect man no matter what translation you read or what interpretation slant you want to take!
Lastly, I liked the way he talked about the church as a whole coming to consensus when interpreting the Bible. He said it sometimes takes centuries for us to agree! The example he gave was the topic of slavery. Our attitudes about that have changed a lot in the last two hundred years!
Check out the book on Amazon.com if you want a great, challenging read!
**************************************
“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).
A Christmas classic is the movie A Christmas Story. So many funny situations and real life scenarios that we all can identify with. A favorite is when the parents refuse to get the young boy a BB gun because they are afraid he will hurt himself or someone else. The boy things the gun would be the best gift EV-ER!
As Children of God, we know what the best gift EV-ER really was -- our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! And we don't have to worry about putting an eye out with this wonderful gift! ha! The devotional talked about something also mentioned in the Bryan book I talk about below -- condescensio Dei. That is the act of one who deliberately abandons power and privilege, in order to identify with the weak and the deprived. That is what Jesus did with us and for us! Praise you, Lord Christ!
Did you have a parent or are you a parent that stoops down to the level of your children to better understand their point of view? Think about that!
Lord, we thank you for coming down to our level. Please help us love and serve our Savior that gave up so much to live among us and give his life for us AND rise again victoriously!
Teaching Tuesday
The new EFM curriculum schedules some "breaks" in the studies for all the years to share a book. For two weeks, we are reading And God Spoke: The Authority of the Bible for the Church Today by Christopher Bryan. All I can say is "wow!" I have read a lot of books in my life. I really enjoy this one. In Part 1 that we read for last night, Bryan addresses some simple topics like infallibility and authority of the Bible! Wow!
I felt like he described what I have believed for many years, but could not put into words. He believes that, like many other examples of God working with mankind, he uses imperfect humans to produce an imperfect collection of writings. The coolest part to me is Bryan's insistence that the Holy Spirit inspired folks to preserve "all that we need for salvation". Yes, there are inconsistencies that critics point out constantly. The central message is not flawed. God wants to have a relationship with man even though man pushed him away in the Garden of Eden. Perfect God offers a relationship to imperfect man no matter what translation you read or what interpretation slant you want to take!
Lastly, I liked the way he talked about the church as a whole coming to consensus when interpreting the Bible. He said it sometimes takes centuries for us to agree! The example he gave was the topic of slavery. Our attitudes about that have changed a lot in the last two hundred years!
Check out the book on Amazon.com if you want a great, challenging read!
**************************************
“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).
Monday, December 9, 2013
Rainbows and unicorns
Our Daily Bread
We were talking in my Bible study class a few weeks ago about how God works in our lives. Some folks had the Old Testament and early New Testament thought that if bad things happened to you, then you were out of the will of God. If you followed the will of God perfectly, everything would be rainbows and unicorns! Yes, we joked about that last part!
The devotional talks about the other story in the Bible where God supposedly gives his prophet a trial by fire, so to speak. The story of Jonah and the big fish is a very popular story in Sunday School classes around the globe. I hadn't thought about Jonah's rebellious heart until I read today's devotional. He blamed God for every bad thing when it was really his rebellious heart that got him into trouble over and over. You don't see the humble cries to God like you did in the Book of Job. The most amazing part of this story to me is that God still used Jonah to send his message to the people of Ninevah! The people repented! Praise /God!
Today, let's look at our own rebellious hearts. What things are we holding onto that we ought to let go?
Lord, thank you for caring enough about us to allow things in our lives that help us grow. Please help us to praise you and thank you in all things!
Movie Monday
I didn't see any movies at the theater this week. I was trying to get some holiday stuff done last weekend. I found great deals on several of the Bluray disks I wanted to add to my collection on Amazon.com last week. They had Bluray disks as low as $3.99. All the ones I bought were under $10. Woohooo! Some where newer, some were older. Here is the list of the ones I bought:
Prometheus
X-Men First Class
Aliens
The Living Daylights
Quartet
BladeRunner - Director's Cut
I have a few newer releases coming next week - Despicable Me 2 and Wolverine - Origins. I am looking forward to cozy winter movie nights in my home theater!
*****************************************
For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.- Psalm 117:2
We were talking in my Bible study class a few weeks ago about how God works in our lives. Some folks had the Old Testament and early New Testament thought that if bad things happened to you, then you were out of the will of God. If you followed the will of God perfectly, everything would be rainbows and unicorns! Yes, we joked about that last part!
The devotional talks about the other story in the Bible where God supposedly gives his prophet a trial by fire, so to speak. The story of Jonah and the big fish is a very popular story in Sunday School classes around the globe. I hadn't thought about Jonah's rebellious heart until I read today's devotional. He blamed God for every bad thing when it was really his rebellious heart that got him into trouble over and over. You don't see the humble cries to God like you did in the Book of Job. The most amazing part of this story to me is that God still used Jonah to send his message to the people of Ninevah! The people repented! Praise /God!
Today, let's look at our own rebellious hearts. What things are we holding onto that we ought to let go?
Lord, thank you for caring enough about us to allow things in our lives that help us grow. Please help us to praise you and thank you in all things!
Movie Monday
I didn't see any movies at the theater this week. I was trying to get some holiday stuff done last weekend. I found great deals on several of the Bluray disks I wanted to add to my collection on Amazon.com last week. They had Bluray disks as low as $3.99. All the ones I bought were under $10. Woohooo! Some where newer, some were older. Here is the list of the ones I bought:
Prometheus
X-Men First Class
Aliens
The Living Daylights
Quartet
BladeRunner - Director's Cut
I have a few newer releases coming next week - Despicable Me 2 and Wolverine - Origins. I am looking forward to cozy winter movie nights in my home theater!
*****************************************
For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.- Psalm 117:2
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Fear not!
Our Daily Bread
I go to a lot of movies. The special effects of CGI (computer generated imagery) can seem to trick the eye into seeing things that don't seem possible. The results are amazing and sometimes a little overwhelming! I have seen so much of this stuff now that simple movies seem almost pale in comparison!
Can you imagine seeing a movie full of CGI 2000 years ago? The shepherds didn't see CGI angels! They were the real thing! How overwhelming that must have been! For us today, it might be like the movie Avatar was real! ha! There are other encounters with angels in the birth stories in Luke. Elizabeth had an encounter. Mary had an encounter. There was also the wise men encounter with the star! God gave us all of these things to bring the Savior of the world to us. Praise God!
Lord, we thank you for the its-real-its-not-CGI moments in the story of the birth of Jesus. We thank you and praise you!
Psalm Sunday
I apologize for missing two Psalm Sundays due to my vacation. The long drives to and back from Ft Lauderdale took a lot out of me! I am getting back on track this week with Psalm 121. It is hard to believe that we have been looking at psalms for over two years! Our journey will be over in the middle of 2014.
Psalm 121 is another in the series of "song of ascents" that spiritual pilgrims would chant or sing while traveling to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage. I especially like this one. Don't forget to read it out loud!
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
*************************************
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13
I go to a lot of movies. The special effects of CGI (computer generated imagery) can seem to trick the eye into seeing things that don't seem possible. The results are amazing and sometimes a little overwhelming! I have seen so much of this stuff now that simple movies seem almost pale in comparison!
Can you imagine seeing a movie full of CGI 2000 years ago? The shepherds didn't see CGI angels! They were the real thing! How overwhelming that must have been! For us today, it might be like the movie Avatar was real! ha! There are other encounters with angels in the birth stories in Luke. Elizabeth had an encounter. Mary had an encounter. There was also the wise men encounter with the star! God gave us all of these things to bring the Savior of the world to us. Praise God!
Lord, we thank you for the its-real-its-not-CGI moments in the story of the birth of Jesus. We thank you and praise you!
Psalm Sunday
I apologize for missing two Psalm Sundays due to my vacation. The long drives to and back from Ft Lauderdale took a lot out of me! I am getting back on track this week with Psalm 121. It is hard to believe that we have been looking at psalms for over two years! Our journey will be over in the middle of 2014.
Psalm 121 is another in the series of "song of ascents" that spiritual pilgrims would chant or sing while traveling to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage. I especially like this one. Don't forget to read it out loud!
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
*************************************
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Light em up!
Our Daily Bread
How many Christmas trees do you put up in your home? Do you decorate the outside of your house with lights and wreaths? If I have time, I love putting up several trees and hanging icicle lights and lit wreaths on the front of my house. It is fun to wait until dark, then light em up!
I think Christians need this reminder in our daily lives! We have the light of he world living in us. We don't always let in shine to others! Light em up! ha! We can do this! We can do this all year round and not just at Christmas.
Lord, we thank you for being our Light. Please help us show that light in a dark, dark world!
Simply Saturday
Christmas spirit
I must admit that I am in "I am too busy singing to enjoy Christmas" mode this year. Heavy sigh. I did it to myself...again. I really enjoy singing, but I hate getting booked for three or four or five concerts per singing group during this time per year. The concerts are not that long, only 30 - 45 minutes. It takes time to get dressed up in my tux or work choir uniform, then travel, then blah, blah, bah, humbug! ha!
So what I have been doing to get out of my holiday funk? First, I have been listening to Christmas music on the radio whenever I can. I have it cranked up right now! I love so many of the songs. I enjoy hearing some of the new arrangements. It is fun. I don't mind hearing Jingle Bell Rock or Feliz Navidad a hundred times each! ha!
Second, I am reading the daily Advent devotional email from the Episcopal church. The one this morning brought me to tears as it spoke to a current need/situation. God is so good! That is the main point of Christmas right? God communicating with us?
Third, I don't have a lot of time to put up holiday decorations. Well, that is not completely true. I sort of do, but I struggle with putting up lots of decorations only to take them down a few weeks later. DOH! I need to get over that. Putting up at least some of the decorations gets me in the holiday mood. I will work on that in the next few days.
Lastly, giving gets me in the holiday mood. I won't mention my giving for this year. I will say that it has gotten me in the mood to celebrate the secular side of Christmas. Finding that the giving also helps me celebrate the spiritual side of Christmas is something I am reminded of each year!
May the Lord be with you this holiday season!
****************************************
I am far from perfect, but despite my mistakes and my sins, I will never abandon the Lord and he will never abandon me - adapted from a statement about Abraham from the EfM Training Guide
How many Christmas trees do you put up in your home? Do you decorate the outside of your house with lights and wreaths? If I have time, I love putting up several trees and hanging icicle lights and lit wreaths on the front of my house. It is fun to wait until dark, then light em up!
I think Christians need this reminder in our daily lives! We have the light of he world living in us. We don't always let in shine to others! Light em up! ha! We can do this! We can do this all year round and not just at Christmas.
Lord, we thank you for being our Light. Please help us show that light in a dark, dark world!
Simply Saturday
Christmas spirit
I must admit that I am in "I am too busy singing to enjoy Christmas" mode this year. Heavy sigh. I did it to myself...again. I really enjoy singing, but I hate getting booked for three or four or five concerts per singing group during this time per year. The concerts are not that long, only 30 - 45 minutes. It takes time to get dressed up in my tux or work choir uniform, then travel, then blah, blah, bah, humbug! ha!
So what I have been doing to get out of my holiday funk? First, I have been listening to Christmas music on the radio whenever I can. I have it cranked up right now! I love so many of the songs. I enjoy hearing some of the new arrangements. It is fun. I don't mind hearing Jingle Bell Rock or Feliz Navidad a hundred times each! ha!
Second, I am reading the daily Advent devotional email from the Episcopal church. The one this morning brought me to tears as it spoke to a current need/situation. God is so good! That is the main point of Christmas right? God communicating with us?
Third, I don't have a lot of time to put up holiday decorations. Well, that is not completely true. I sort of do, but I struggle with putting up lots of decorations only to take them down a few weeks later. DOH! I need to get over that. Putting up at least some of the decorations gets me in the holiday mood. I will work on that in the next few days.
Lastly, giving gets me in the holiday mood. I won't mention my giving for this year. I will say that it has gotten me in the mood to celebrate the secular side of Christmas. Finding that the giving also helps me celebrate the spiritual side of Christmas is something I am reminded of each year!
May the Lord be with you this holiday season!
****************************************
I am far from perfect, but despite my mistakes and my sins, I will never abandon the Lord and he will never abandon me - adapted from a statement about Abraham from the EfM Training Guide
Friday, December 6, 2013
JIT
Our Daily Bread
JIT stands for Just in time. It is a manufacturing methodology that uses advanced inventory techniques so that inventories are at the right levels "just in time" when they are needed. There is no need for huge inventories that may or may not be used or no need for huge storage facilities for the inventory. A factory receives all its inputs or raw materials as they are needed to make their end products. Pretty amazing stuff!
So many times in our lives we want God to provide a surplus of "stuff" so we can pull it out of our vast warehouse! Not! I find God to be more of a JIT kind of provider. We trust him and he provides over and over again just when we need it! God is so good to us! Many times he provides more than we could have even imagined!
I have several examples of this in my life. The one I like to talk about the most is the Godly roommate that God sent my way. He is a straight friend from work. We became friends, the decided to try being roommates. I initially thought I was helping him out. I quickly found out God put him in my life to teach me so many things. Our friendship has grown into brotherhood. God used him to teach so much about friendships and relationships.
Whatever your situation, please know that God knows and understands. Tell him about it any way. He loves to hear from his children. He wants to you to get closer to him. He is there waiting. Waiting to exceed your mere human expectations!
Lord, we thank you and praise you for knowing what is best for us! Please help us keep out of your way and trying to do things on our own! Yikes!
Foodie Friday
I have church dinners this weekend and next weekend. Woohoooo! Oh, what to make? I decided on old recipe for the dinner tomorrow night. I will figure out the other dish and post it next Friday. Here is the potato dish for tomorrow night:
Italian Au Gratin Potatoes
four large Idaho baking potatoes
four large Yukon Gold potatoes
four large white regular potatoes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Asiago cheese
Olive oil (preferably in a mister)
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Onion powder
Garlic powder
NOTE: you can use your favorite cheeses if you like, for example, you can use Pepper Jack cheese if you like it more spicy!
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2. Wash the potatoes thoroughly. Gently slice all of them very thinly with a mandolin (be careful!).
3. Spray a 13X9 glass baker with Pam or other non-stick coating.
4. Put a single layer of one of the potato types (leave them a little moist from the washing), lightly misting some olive oil, and put a little cheese, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. LIGHTLY means just that as you will have several layers!
5. Repeat step 4 with the other two types of potatoes, then repeat the layers until the baking dish is almost full. Do not put any cheese on top. It will hold up very well since we have to bake this for a while.
6. Cover the baker with aluminum foil and bake for one hour.
7. Check to see if the potatoes are done by gently poking a fork in the middle. You can tell if the potatoes are done or a little raw yet. Bake for another fifteen minutes, covered, then test again.
8. After the potatoes seem tender, add a top layer of cheese, the recover with foil. You don't have to bake it any longer to melt the top layer of cheese.
Let set a few minutes before serving. This travels well if you have a hot/cold travel carrier for your baking dish. Enjoy!
**************************************
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).
JIT stands for Just in time. It is a manufacturing methodology that uses advanced inventory techniques so that inventories are at the right levels "just in time" when they are needed. There is no need for huge inventories that may or may not be used or no need for huge storage facilities for the inventory. A factory receives all its inputs or raw materials as they are needed to make their end products. Pretty amazing stuff!
So many times in our lives we want God to provide a surplus of "stuff" so we can pull it out of our vast warehouse! Not! I find God to be more of a JIT kind of provider. We trust him and he provides over and over again just when we need it! God is so good to us! Many times he provides more than we could have even imagined!
I have several examples of this in my life. The one I like to talk about the most is the Godly roommate that God sent my way. He is a straight friend from work. We became friends, the decided to try being roommates. I initially thought I was helping him out. I quickly found out God put him in my life to teach me so many things. Our friendship has grown into brotherhood. God used him to teach so much about friendships and relationships.
Whatever your situation, please know that God knows and understands. Tell him about it any way. He loves to hear from his children. He wants to you to get closer to him. He is there waiting. Waiting to exceed your mere human expectations!
Lord, we thank you and praise you for knowing what is best for us! Please help us keep out of your way and trying to do things on our own! Yikes!
Foodie Friday
I have church dinners this weekend and next weekend. Woohoooo! Oh, what to make? I decided on old recipe for the dinner tomorrow night. I will figure out the other dish and post it next Friday. Here is the potato dish for tomorrow night:
Italian Au Gratin Potatoes
four large Idaho baking potatoes
four large Yukon Gold potatoes
four large white regular potatoes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Asiago cheese
Olive oil (preferably in a mister)
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Onion powder
Garlic powder
NOTE: you can use your favorite cheeses if you like, for example, you can use Pepper Jack cheese if you like it more spicy!
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2. Wash the potatoes thoroughly. Gently slice all of them very thinly with a mandolin (be careful!).
3. Spray a 13X9 glass baker with Pam or other non-stick coating.
4. Put a single layer of one of the potato types (leave them a little moist from the washing), lightly misting some olive oil, and put a little cheese, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. LIGHTLY means just that as you will have several layers!
5. Repeat step 4 with the other two types of potatoes, then repeat the layers until the baking dish is almost full. Do not put any cheese on top. It will hold up very well since we have to bake this for a while.
6. Cover the baker with aluminum foil and bake for one hour.
7. Check to see if the potatoes are done by gently poking a fork in the middle. You can tell if the potatoes are done or a little raw yet. Bake for another fifteen minutes, covered, then test again.
8. After the potatoes seem tender, add a top layer of cheese, the recover with foil. You don't have to bake it any longer to melt the top layer of cheese.
Let set a few minutes before serving. This travels well if you have a hot/cold travel carrier for your baking dish. Enjoy!
**************************************
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).
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Want vs need
Our Daily Bread
I have been working on software development projects for over twenty years now. When defining requirements, we do an exercise asking the user: Is this a want? Is this a need? Is this a nice to have? The classifications helped us prioritize development efforts around the things that were important and easy to do!
We can use the same analysis in our personal lives. We can ask God for things and not realize that they are "wants" and not "needs". Many things are "nice to haves" instead of needs. God promises to provide for all of our needs. I love the metaphor about the flowers in the field. God provides a beautiful picture for them. How much better does he know our needs and provides for those that follow him? When discussing this with a friend, we talked about the three answers to prayer (as we perceived them): Yes, No, Not now. ha! The true measure of faith is to discern what to ask for and to believe that God will provide. No, I won't be praying to win the lottery. Yes, I will pray for patience and wisdom in finding my husband. God is so good. Let us praise him for providing for our needs. Let us praise him for not giving us everything we want!
Lord, we thank you and praise you for providing for us. Please help us live a life of gratitude and generosity.
Technology Thursday
Privacy
So how can we protect our privacy and passwords online? Here are a couple of articles that should help. Be careful out there!
10 Ways to Protect Your Privacy Online
http://daol.aol.com/articles/10-ways-to-protect-privacy-online/
10 incredibly simple things you should be doing to protect your privacy
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/08/23/10-incredibly-simple-things-you-should-be-doing-to-protect-your-privacy/
11 Simple Ways to Protect Your Privacy
http://techland.time.com/2013/07/24/11-simple-ways-to-protect-your-privacy/
How to pick a strong password and protect your privacy
http://www.reputation.com/reputationwatch/articles/how-pick-strong-password-and-protect-your-privacy
*****************************************
Tolstoy once said; “Where there is faith, there is love; Where there is love, there is peace; Where there is peace, there is God; And where there is God; there is no need.” Can your faith in God move you beyond your own needs and seek a way to live in this broken world and serve the children of God? - J. Perez
I have been working on software development projects for over twenty years now. When defining requirements, we do an exercise asking the user: Is this a want? Is this a need? Is this a nice to have? The classifications helped us prioritize development efforts around the things that were important and easy to do!
We can use the same analysis in our personal lives. We can ask God for things and not realize that they are "wants" and not "needs". Many things are "nice to haves" instead of needs. God promises to provide for all of our needs. I love the metaphor about the flowers in the field. God provides a beautiful picture for them. How much better does he know our needs and provides for those that follow him? When discussing this with a friend, we talked about the three answers to prayer (as we perceived them): Yes, No, Not now. ha! The true measure of faith is to discern what to ask for and to believe that God will provide. No, I won't be praying to win the lottery. Yes, I will pray for patience and wisdom in finding my husband. God is so good. Let us praise him for providing for our needs. Let us praise him for not giving us everything we want!
Lord, we thank you and praise you for providing for us. Please help us live a life of gratitude and generosity.
Technology Thursday
Privacy
So how can we protect our privacy and passwords online? Here are a couple of articles that should help. Be careful out there!
10 Ways to Protect Your Privacy Online
http://daol.aol.com/articles/10-ways-to-protect-privacy-online/
10 incredibly simple things you should be doing to protect your privacy
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/08/23/10-incredibly-simple-things-you-should-be-doing-to-protect-your-privacy/
11 Simple Ways to Protect Your Privacy
http://techland.time.com/2013/07/24/11-simple-ways-to-protect-your-privacy/
How to pick a strong password and protect your privacy
http://www.reputation.com/reputationwatch/articles/how-pick-strong-password-and-protect-your-privacy
*****************************************
Tolstoy once said; “Where there is faith, there is love; Where there is love, there is peace; Where there is peace, there is God; And where there is God; there is no need.” Can your faith in God move you beyond your own needs and seek a way to live in this broken world and serve the children of God? - J. Perez
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Treasure
Our Daily Bread
I am a silly old bear. While joking with a coworker about testing laptops, he said "Wow, that is really great that you give feedback. It is a great help!" I said "Yes, I am a treasure..." ha! What a silly old bear!
While I may not be a treasure, we know of one that was born this time of year -- our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! The Gift above all Gifts! The Name above all Names! Our Eternal King and Savior! Praise God! While we all can't win the lottery or find large, beautiful diamonds in our back yard, we all can share the treasure we found in Jesus!
Lord, we thank you for the treasure within! Please help us to share with others!
Wellness Wednesday
5 Ways to Eat Like a 'Normal' Person (That Dieters Just Don't Get)
by Isabel Foxen Duke
If you need to be reading this, you know exactly what I mean when I say the words "normal" eater. If you're a "weirdo" about food -- a calorie-counting, binge-eating, chronic-dieting weirdo -- you've all probably seen "normal" eaters in action, and thought to yourself, "How the hell does that woman just eat a single bite of a cupcake and leave the rest on her plate?!" Or, "Why does she get to eat whatever she wants and not care, while I have to count every calorie and sit on my hands trying not to eat the whole bread basket when I go out to dinner?"
I get it. Been there! And after years of studying, I've discovered the fundamental mentalities of "normal" eaters that are keeping you from freedom with food. Buckle up.
1. Normal eaters generally don't plan their food in advance. They eat when they're hungry, or when dinner time rolls around, and they don't think about food in between those times. They don't worry about what they're going to eat for dinner for hours before they get home from work, and they don't spend time creating elaborate meal plans (e.g., "For the next three months, I'm eating 3 oz. of lean protein and 1 cup of vegetables for every meal, with two fruit snacks at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. every day"). Lame.
2. Normal eaters have a life in between meals. That is, in addition to not planning, they don't fantasize about food, dieting and weight loss all day long. They think about what they should get their boyfriend for his birthday or how they're going to celebrate that new promotion -- not whether or not they should try to sneak a stale cookie from the corporate kitchen, because God knows when they'll ever be able to eat cookies again.
3. Normal eaters don't think they're doing anything "wrong" when they eat something that might not be the best for them. What I mean is, normal eaters don't attach moral judgement to what they're eating. They don't think the whole world is going to judge them for eating a doughnut in public, and don't "sneak eat" cookies in the middle of the night. While they generally make healthful choices because that's what feels best to their bodies (and thus that's what they legitimately want) they're not sent into a frenzy when they do eventually have a bite of dessert or the occasional side order of fries. It's no biggie.
4. Normal eaters eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full, and usually eat what sounds good to them in the moment. Are you having a "duh" moment? The number one objection I get from women when I tell them the benefits of a "non-diet" approach to eating is, "If I wasn't constantly on a diet, I'd gain a bajillion pounds." Not so. Eating like a "normal" person means making decisions about food based on your body's natural biological wisdom, rather than external cues that make you feel like you're in prison. Your body knows exactly how much food you need to maintain a weight that's healthful for you. That is the biological function of hunger -- to remind animals to eat (because otherwise "normies" might forget... for serious).
5. Normal eaters practice a variety of coping mechanisms and don't turn to food to get them through the day's discomforts. This is the single most important thing to understand about normal eaters, and probably the thing most of you are scared you can't do. Normal eaters trust that if they let themselves eat what they wanted, they wouldn't fall into a bread basket that they weren't able to swim out of. They're able to do this because they've been practicing coping with life's "triggers" using non-food-related comforts. I promise this can be learned.
*********************************************
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
I am a silly old bear. While joking with a coworker about testing laptops, he said "Wow, that is really great that you give feedback. It is a great help!" I said "Yes, I am a treasure..." ha! What a silly old bear!
While I may not be a treasure, we know of one that was born this time of year -- our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! The Gift above all Gifts! The Name above all Names! Our Eternal King and Savior! Praise God! While we all can't win the lottery or find large, beautiful diamonds in our back yard, we all can share the treasure we found in Jesus!
Lord, we thank you for the treasure within! Please help us to share with others!
Wellness Wednesday
5 Ways to Eat Like a 'Normal' Person (That Dieters Just Don't Get)
by Isabel Foxen Duke
If you need to be reading this, you know exactly what I mean when I say the words "normal" eater. If you're a "weirdo" about food -- a calorie-counting, binge-eating, chronic-dieting weirdo -- you've all probably seen "normal" eaters in action, and thought to yourself, "How the hell does that woman just eat a single bite of a cupcake and leave the rest on her plate?!" Or, "Why does she get to eat whatever she wants and not care, while I have to count every calorie and sit on my hands trying not to eat the whole bread basket when I go out to dinner?"
I get it. Been there! And after years of studying, I've discovered the fundamental mentalities of "normal" eaters that are keeping you from freedom with food. Buckle up.
1. Normal eaters generally don't plan their food in advance. They eat when they're hungry, or when dinner time rolls around, and they don't think about food in between those times. They don't worry about what they're going to eat for dinner for hours before they get home from work, and they don't spend time creating elaborate meal plans (e.g., "For the next three months, I'm eating 3 oz. of lean protein and 1 cup of vegetables for every meal, with two fruit snacks at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. every day"). Lame.
2. Normal eaters have a life in between meals. That is, in addition to not planning, they don't fantasize about food, dieting and weight loss all day long. They think about what they should get their boyfriend for his birthday or how they're going to celebrate that new promotion -- not whether or not they should try to sneak a stale cookie from the corporate kitchen, because God knows when they'll ever be able to eat cookies again.
3. Normal eaters don't think they're doing anything "wrong" when they eat something that might not be the best for them. What I mean is, normal eaters don't attach moral judgement to what they're eating. They don't think the whole world is going to judge them for eating a doughnut in public, and don't "sneak eat" cookies in the middle of the night. While they generally make healthful choices because that's what feels best to their bodies (and thus that's what they legitimately want) they're not sent into a frenzy when they do eventually have a bite of dessert or the occasional side order of fries. It's no biggie.
4. Normal eaters eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full, and usually eat what sounds good to them in the moment. Are you having a "duh" moment? The number one objection I get from women when I tell them the benefits of a "non-diet" approach to eating is, "If I wasn't constantly on a diet, I'd gain a bajillion pounds." Not so. Eating like a "normal" person means making decisions about food based on your body's natural biological wisdom, rather than external cues that make you feel like you're in prison. Your body knows exactly how much food you need to maintain a weight that's healthful for you. That is the biological function of hunger -- to remind animals to eat (because otherwise "normies" might forget... for serious).
5. Normal eaters practice a variety of coping mechanisms and don't turn to food to get them through the day's discomforts. This is the single most important thing to understand about normal eaters, and probably the thing most of you are scared you can't do. Normal eaters trust that if they let themselves eat what they wanted, they wouldn't fall into a bread basket that they weren't able to swim out of. They're able to do this because they've been practicing coping with life's "triggers" using non-food-related comforts. I promise this can be learned.
*********************************************
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
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
What manner of love
Our Daily Bread
We have a directive at work called Users Love. For all of our IT solutions, we need to design and implement them so that users love the tools we give them to do their jobs and serve our customers. I like the idea, but the results are hard to measure. Love can be fickle! ha!
We know of one Great Love that we can measure because the Bible tells us about it over the course of centuries -- the love of God for his children. He loves us all even when we sin and separate ourselves from him. He sent his only Son to rectify that horrible situation. We can be truly His. What manner of love is this? It is a Godly love that only the Almighty God, the Three in One, can show us. A wonderful benefit is that we can be so filled with his love that we can share it with others! Praise God!
Lord, thank you for showing us what love is all about. Please help us accept your love and share it with others!
Teaching Tuesday
We read the Book of Acts and the chapter about Acts in our text book this week. I forgot how rich the stories are and the heights of spiritual fervor! This book portrays the seemingly bungling disciples from the other Gospels as the powerful messengers of the story of the Christ after they receive the Holy Spirit. Truly amazing stuff here. It was written in the same style as the Gospel of Luke.
We are not positive about who wrote Luke or Acts, but the popular theory is a doctor who accompanied Paul on some of his journeys wrote both books. The timing of the books is also in question due to the things included in both books and the things left out of both books. For example, popular theory is that Acts was written around 80 AD. It would be odd that the book would not mention the fall of Jerusalem in 60 AD if that were the case. If the timing of Luke and Acts is pushed earlier, then the timing of Mark would also get pushed back because Luke includes excerpts from Mark!
The main thing I got out of the Acts of the Apostles is the overwhelming power of the Holy Spirit to move and work in us if we are willing vessels! Praise God!
********************************************
“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).
We have a directive at work called Users Love. For all of our IT solutions, we need to design and implement them so that users love the tools we give them to do their jobs and serve our customers. I like the idea, but the results are hard to measure. Love can be fickle! ha!
We know of one Great Love that we can measure because the Bible tells us about it over the course of centuries -- the love of God for his children. He loves us all even when we sin and separate ourselves from him. He sent his only Son to rectify that horrible situation. We can be truly His. What manner of love is this? It is a Godly love that only the Almighty God, the Three in One, can show us. A wonderful benefit is that we can be so filled with his love that we can share it with others! Praise God!
Lord, thank you for showing us what love is all about. Please help us accept your love and share it with others!
Teaching Tuesday
We read the Book of Acts and the chapter about Acts in our text book this week. I forgot how rich the stories are and the heights of spiritual fervor! This book portrays the seemingly bungling disciples from the other Gospels as the powerful messengers of the story of the Christ after they receive the Holy Spirit. Truly amazing stuff here. It was written in the same style as the Gospel of Luke.
We are not positive about who wrote Luke or Acts, but the popular theory is a doctor who accompanied Paul on some of his journeys wrote both books. The timing of the books is also in question due to the things included in both books and the things left out of both books. For example, popular theory is that Acts was written around 80 AD. It would be odd that the book would not mention the fall of Jerusalem in 60 AD if that were the case. If the timing of Luke and Acts is pushed earlier, then the timing of Mark would also get pushed back because Luke includes excerpts from Mark!
The main thing I got out of the Acts of the Apostles is the overwhelming power of the Holy Spirit to move and work in us if we are willing vessels! Praise God!
********************************************
“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).
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