In every color

Our Daily Bread
I like shoes.  Lots of shoes.  My motto is: if you find shoes that fit well, buy them in every color!  ha!  I am not that bad, but I do have a lot of shoes!

The devotional talks about buyers remorse. Have I ever had buyers remorse about shoes?  Well, yes.  I bought a few pair of nice tennis shoes that weren't quite the right size, but they were on sale.  Cheap.  The problem is that they rubbed calluses on my diabetic feet.  I couldn't feel the calluses or the blood blister.  When my left started hurting badly, the podiatrist brought these things to my attention.  I thank God that there wasn't any permanent damage.  My foot is healing and the callus is falling off.

Does this sound like the way sin can enter our lives and have its damaging effects?  Yes, sin can be more tempting and attractive than a great deal on a pair of cool shoes.  We don't always "feel" the affect that sin has on us until it is too late.  We can be left hurt and scarred.  Fortunately, God forgives us and helps us move on.  We may retain some scars, but we know our lives will be healthier from the changes God helped us make.  Praise God!

Lord, please help us realize our shortcomings and move on to the better life you have for us!

Foodie Friday
Super Bowl Sunday
Time to get ready for the big game!  Some of my friends don't know what that means so I am talking about the Super Bowl on Sunday night!  hahaha!  Here are a few super recipes for your Super party or gathering.

Pepperoni and Cheese Pizza Pull Apart Bread 

Ingredients
1/3 cup favorite flavored dipping oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 (16 ounce) pkgs pre-made pizza dough or homemade pizza dough
1 (7 oz) pkg sliced pepperoni
1 (8 oz) pkg shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Separate pizza dough into small bite sized pieces.
3. In a bowl add your favorite flavored dipping oil. Toss dough pieces in dipping oil to lightly coat.
4. Layer dough pieces in bottom of your Bundt Pan, next layer sliced pepperoni, shredded cheese and sprinkle with garlic powder. Repeat  all three layers again in the same order, and then end with final layer of dough pieces.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until the bread is browned and cooked through in the center, 30-40 min
6. Remove from oven, and invert the pan on a cutting board; the bread will fall out of the Bundt Pan in one piece.
7. Serve by pulling the bread apart into individual servings with optional marinara dipping sauce on the side.


I usually layer until about 2/3 of the pan is full. When I make this bread I definitely plan for it to feed a hungry crowd. You can scale down the ingredients if you choose to feed a smaller crowd.  You can serve it hot or room temperaure, which makes it a great option if you are tailgating at the game or heading ove to a friend’s house.  And if you do decide to make the larger version, don’t worry.  It’s pretty tasty leftover too, so you can be sure it won’t be around for long.  You can also edit this recipe to create a delicious Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart to accompany any Italian themed dinner.  YUM!

For a fancier get together, try this one:
Grilled Asparagus Tartines with Fresh Ricotta, Pesto and Scallions

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 5 minutes | Total time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 tartines

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound asparagus
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Coarse salt and pepper
4 slices ciabatta or other crusty rustic bread
1/4 cup basil pesto
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 scallion, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the panini maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Rinse the asparagus and break the ends off of each spear (if you hold onto each end and bend the spear it will naturally break in the right place). Discard the ends.
In a large bowl, toss the asparagus in 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the asparagus for about 3 minutes until they’re tender and grill marks appear.
Drizzle another 2 teaspoons of the olive oil over the ciabatta slices and grill the bread until it’s toasted with grill marks, about 2 minutes.
Spread about a tablespoon of pesto onto each slice of ciabatta. Spoon on a few tablespoons of ricotta and top it with grilled asparagus (you’ll have extra asparagus – you can save it to enjoy on its own, add it to a salad or pasta, or just make more tartines!) and a sprinkling of chopped scallions. Finish the tartines by drizzling the remaining 2 teaspoons of the olive oil over the top and grinding on a little black pepper.

Here is a nice collection on recipes if these don't sound good to you:
http://www.foodie.com/collections/nabisco-game-day-guide/game-day-guide?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=Nabisco&utm_campaign=awareness

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

It ain't over

Our Daily Bread
There is a Gospel song called Stomp that I like to listen to occasionally because it has such a free and carefree sound.  It is also a little playful for a Gospel song!  After about four minutes of joy, the narrator in the song says "It ain't over, it ain't over" and the choir bellows out the chorus a few more times!

Observing or celebrating the death of a child of God should be the same way.  We should be bellowing out God's praises then look at each other and say "it ain't over, it ain't over!"  ha!  I loved the way the devotional talked about Psalm 116.  I never thought about how seriously God considers the death of his children.  He does not take it lightly!  Like the psalmist, we should use these times to praise God and recommit ourselves to a life that gives Him glory!

Lord, we thank you for life and for death.  For in both, we can live in you!

Technology Thursday
Dropcam

Ever wonder what your crazy cats are up to during the day?  The housekeeper?  The aging parent?  The Dropcam is an easy way to attach a webcam to your wireless home network so you watch what is going on in your home while you are away.  It is sort of pricey by today's standards for a "webcam" but the easy integration with the home network makes it worth it.  You can even view what the cam sees on your mobile device such as an iPhone or Android phone.  Pretty cool.  You also have the option to store up to 30 days of video "in the cloud" for reference if you like (for an additional monthly charge). Interesting idea. There are two camera models with different HD resolution.  They cost $149 and $199.  Check it out at https://www.dropcam.com/.

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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

I ain't got time for that....

Our Daily Bread
There was an Internet sensation last year when Sweet Brown was interviewed by a local news service after her apartment building caught on fire.  Her unique voice and personality spread all over the Internet when someone set her interview to a dance beat.  OMG!  It was hilarious!  My roommate and I STILL say to each other "I ain't got time for that!"  ha!

I see a theme developing for this week - waiting on the Lord.  Being patient.  I added the tag line at the bottom of my blog before reading the devotional.  It never ceases to amaze me how God works!  I think a lot about plans and changing plans.  If you read my blog at all then you know I am a planner.  I am usually pretty good about being flexible but not always.  ;-(  God is teaching me that my plans are not necessarily his plans. My ways are not his ways.  It is a difficult lesson to learn.  I have a peace knowing that God is working in me.  I also have the humility to know how much I fail him.  I know that I am not always the man I think I am.  Let us all take a step back today to reflect on God's plans for our lives and praise him for including us in his magnificent plans!

Lord please help us make your ways, our ways.  We thank you and praise you!

Teaching Tuesday
Hebrews
We studied the book of Hebrews and the corresponding chapter in the text book this week.  I would have liked to study all of the books attributed to Paul first, but our class took a different direction.

The book of Hebrews is not attributed to Paul or anyone else as far as we know.  It was written by an anonymous author that had intimate knowledge and access to the apostles (and maybe even Jesus).  It is not sure who it was written to or exactly when.  It was apparently accepted as "canon" or an official book of the Bible because of its remarkable content.

Here is the weekly summary we write for class:
This is Amazing
The confidence in which he writes about his beliefs.

This Befuddles/Bothers me
The sections about Jesus confuse me.
Paul did not write this book

This is worthy of Celebration
Hebrews 13:21-22

I want to Dig Deeper into this
Understanding why this book was written

Take a look at the book sometime.  Read your Bible commentary about it.

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Waiting for God is never a waste of time. - Our Daily Bread Jan 26 2014

Spiritual landmarks

Our Daily Bread
It has been said that women follow landmarks when following directions.  Men seem to follow an internal compass that tells them which direction makes sense and feels right.  That is why we hate asking for directions!  ha!

I think we all have some spiritual landmarks in our lives.  Some in our past, some in our present and some coming up in our future.  For me, there is the little Baptist church across the street from my grandmother's house where I accepted Christ, North Eaton Baptist Church where I grew in the Lord and Seneca Lake camp where I experienced God on so many levels!  The present includes my current church, my EFM group and my roommate.  Who knows what the future will hold?  How about you?  What landmarks mean a lot to you?  Do they anchor your location and help you move toward your destination?  Let's think about that today!

Lord, thank you for our spiritual landmarks.  Please help us use our landmarks and our spiritual of direction to find our way to you!

Movie Monday
The weather outside was frightful, but my home theater was delightful!  I watched several movies this weekend instead of doing stuff I needed to do.  Yikes!  Oh well.  At least I completed my Bible study lessons!  Here are a few of the movies I watched:

Blue Jasmine
This is Woody Allen's latest movie.  His movies are always a mixed bag!  Cate Blanchett played a rich, spoiled woman who lost everything when her husband was arrested for embezzlement and fraud.  She moves to San Francisco to live with her estranged sister until she gets on her feet.  The story line is bizarre.  The acting is amazing.  Definitely interesting for a rental when you are in a weird artsy mood!

I give this movie three bear paws.

Red Dawn (2012)
This is the 2012 remake with Chris Hemsworth of Thor fame.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  It was well done in general though the acting was lukewarm at best.  It is mindless entertainment worth watching.

I give this two bear paws.

Kill Bill Part 2
I only saw the last part of this one (again).  There are some amazing fight scenes.  The swords and martial arts are amazing.  Like most Tarantino movies, there are some parts that are drawn out way too long!

I give this movie two bear paws.

Predator
This movie is a classic for me!  I loved all the Predator movies.  This was the first one.  Arnold is in his classic form.  There is lots of blood and guts so don't watch this if you are squeamish!

I give this two bear paws.

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Living out of love for God and pleasing Him should be our heart’s desire. - Our Daily Bread

Tapping my foot patiently

Our Daily Bread
I have a joke with my friends about my ability to be patient and wait: I tap my foot patiently...  Yeah, like you can do that!  ha!  While I am stubbornly patient about some things, I have a tendency to take things into my own hands instead of waiting on God.  The results are usually disastrous and cost me money!  ha!  Oh well.

The devotional talks about our daily waiting on the Lord.  I loved the observation that waiting on the Lord is what helps us learn the difficult spiritual lessons in life: submission, humility, patience, joyful endurance, persistence in well-doing.  Praise God!  We can learn these things as we wait patiently!  As the devotional says, "waiting on the Lord is never a waste of time!"  Praise God!

Lord, please help us wait on you with patience and faith!  We love you and thank you!

Psalm Sunday
Psalm 128 is another song of ascents.  It basically talks about how following God ensures success in life.  We know now that is not the case, but we learned that following God brings us peace and joy.  It does not mean great wealth and lots of children!  I believe that the great blessing bestowed on those who follow God is a heaven on earth -- at least as much as it can be!

Psalm 128

A song of ascents.

1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
    who walk in obedience to him.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
    blessings and prosperity will be yours.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
    within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
    around your table.
4 Yes, this will be the blessing
    for the man who fears the Lord.
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion;
    may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
    all the days of your life.
6 May you live to see your children’s children—
    peace be on Israel.

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

Watching and waiting

Our Daily Bread
Have you seen the Publishers Clearinghouse sweepstakes commercials?  They show up at someone's house unexpectedly and change their lives!  They carry balloons and a big check.  What an unexpected event!

I have to admit that I might think more about winning the sweepstakes than the coming of Jesus.  ;-(  While the changes of winning are very small, I often think that the chances of Jesus coming back in my lifetime even smaller.  I am working on that.  I am working on living like each day is my last.  That each day may be the blessed day he returns for his people.  We don't know exactly what will happen, but we do know that things will change!  Praise God!

Lord, please help look to your coming each and every day!

Simply Saturday
Amazing Grace
It has been an interesting week of personal discovery and growth.  I love weeks like this and I hate weeks like this.  Talk about mixed emotions!  I learned some things about myself during my long weekend in NYC.  Lots of walking and solitary time.  Lots of people and excitement.  There were periods that I desperately wished that I had someone to share these experiences with.  There were periods that I thanked God for being alone so I could truly enjoy this freedom!  Talk about mixed emotions!  ha!

The emotion and thought that I keep having over and over was God's Grace.  The amazing grace we sing about.  The grace that we often take for granted, much like we take for granted the coming of Christ (see above).  We know the reality, but don't LIVE his grace.  What does that mean?  I don't really understand it completely.  My understanding so far is extending the grace that God shows us to others.  Wow!  Read that again.  Extending the grace that God shows us to others.  Isn't that amazing?

Let's think about this concept and pray about it this week.

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Revivals greatest enemy is Pride, and the only bride Revival will walk down the isle with is Humility. Humility will deny herself the right of self gratification rather than turn away from God to fulfill her own pleasures, and she will not allow herself to receive the praise that should go to another (especially the Lord). Finally, she will rush to renounce herself, rather than sitting quietly when her Lord is robed of His glory. Oh, Father, we are so unlike her, but may we meet her so that we may walk down the isle to Revival and true Christlikeness? from  Jonathan Edwards on Humility in Religious Affections

We ain't never done it that way before

Our Daily Bread
Yes, the title for this post is an exaggeration and I never do that!  ha!  Whoops there's one!  How many of us have heard some variation of this phrase in our churches over the years?  I used to hear something close to this phrase when I was a minister of music in Kentucky churches.

Why do I mention this?  The devotional had a great insight into how people interact with God.  They have a tendency to interact with him on their own terms instead of on God's terms.  God's terms are the only ones that matter!  This is a relationship between the Almighty God and us.  God granted us the privilege to have the relationship based on his love for us.  We have no leverage in these negotiations!  ha!  Full surrender to him is our only sensible option!  Praise God!

Dear Lord, we thank you and praise you for the opportunity to love and serve you.  Please help us surrender all and tell others!

Foodie Friday
I made a pot roast in the crock pot yesterday.  MmmMmmmm!  Talk about a great comfort food dinner for winter time!  The only problem is that I ate too much!

I started doing something a little different the past two times I made this recipe.  First, I put the roast at the bottom of the crock pot like normal and placed the cut up potatoes and carrots on top of it like normal.  Notice that I didn't say anything about spices or soup mix yet?  After placing the meat and veggies in the crock pot, I poured a can of Campbell's French onion soup and a can of beef broth over the meat and veggies.  This is different than I used to do.  Using this approach, the veggies get a taste of the onion and beef without being cooked to smithereens in the crock pot all day.  It was great!  Give it a try!

I plan to make some of the snacks for my EFM class on Monday night.  I plan to make some Ghiradelli chocolate chip cookies, some Honey Baked ham biscuits and some cocktail wienies in the crock pot.  MmmmMmmmm!

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

Too legit to quit

Our Daily Bread
There have been some silly pop songs over the years, but the song Too legit to quit sounds funny to me -- both the lyrics and the tune.  While thinking about the devotional this morning, I imagined how my own personal Too legit to quit song to God must sound to him.  "There goes Duane again.  Thinking he can do the right things without me!"

I decided that if I was really Too legit to quit that it needed to be my legitimate quest to be like Jesus!  There are days when our load lines feels like they are under water, but God lessens the load or give us more strength and endurance if we just ask him.  Being on a legitimate quest to be like Jesus means putting pride aside and humbly following our Savior!

Lord, we thank you for strength and endurance.  Please help us turn our load over to you!

Technology Thursday
On Facebook, clicking 'like' can help scammers
Doug Gross, CNN
By Doug Gross, CNN

(CNN) -- It's an image that tugs at the heartstrings. A smiling 7-year-old girl poses in her cheerleading uniform, circled by a ring of pompons, her bald head a telltale sign of her chemotherapy treatments.
The photo hit Facebook last year and popped up all over with messages of support. "Like" to show this little girl you care. "Share" to tell her she's beautiful. Pray for her to beat cancer.
But here's the truth. The photo was nearly six years old. And neither the girl, nor her parents -- who never posted it to Facebook -- had any idea it was being used that way.
Welcome to the world of Facebook "like farming."
Those waves of saccharin-sweet posts that sometimes fill your news feed may seem harmless. But all too often, they're being used for nefarious purposes. At best, a complete stranger may be using the photos to stroke their own ego. At worst, experts say, scammers and spammers are using Facebook, often against the site's rules, to make some easy cash.
And they're wiling to play on the good intentions of Facebook users to do it.
"The average user doesn't know any better," said Tim Senft, founder of Facecrooks.com, a website that monitors scams and other illegal or unethical behavior on Facebook. "I think their common sense tells them it's not true, but in the back of their minds, they think 'What if it is true? What does it hurt if I press like?' or whatever."

What does it hurt?
"I was first shocked," said Amanda Rieth of Northampton, Pennsylvania, whose daughter was the subject of that photo. "And then infuriated."
 Facebook royalty talks surveillance Facebook to start video ads Mother learns of son's death on Facebook How Facebook makes money
After being notified by a friend who recognized the girl in a Facebook post, Rieth tracked the image back to a link she'd posted to her Photobucket account in a community forum in 2009, two years after it was taken.
Her daughter, who was diagnosed with Stage IV neuroblastoma in early 2007, has been featured in local news segments for her fundraising efforts to fight cancer through Alex's Lemonade Stand. But her mom said she was always part of the decision and was happy to help publicize the fight.
"This? This was entirely different and entirely out of our control," Rieth said. "That's the most gut-wrenching part: the total lack of control."
Hurting the people featured in the posts, and their families, isn't the only risk of sharing such content. Sometimes, a single click can help people who are up to no good.
Often, Senft said, Facebook pages are created with the sole purpose of spreading viral content that will get lots of likes and shares.
Once the page creators have piled up hundreds of thousands of likes and shares, they'll strip the page and promote something else, like products that they get a commission for selling. Or, they may turn around and sell the page through black-market websites to someone who does the same.
It's a way to trick Facebook's algorithm, which is designed to give more value to popular pages than the ones, like scams and spam, that pop up overnight.
"The more likes and shares and comments and that sort of thing you have, the more likely it is to be seen by other people," Senft said. "If they're looking to sell the page in a black-hat forum somewhere, that's what the value of the page is."

It gets worse
Sometimes, the threat is more direct.
The "new" page may be used to spread malware -- software that attacks the user's computer -- or for phishing, the act of trying to gather credit card numbers, passwords or other personal information through links to phony giveaways or contests.
Simply liking a post, or the page itself, can't spread a virus or phish a user. But malicious Facebook apps can, as can external links that page owners may choose to share to their followers.
If the page owner has access to Facebook's developer tools, they can collect data on the people who like the page. Personal information like gender, location and age can be used to target more personalized attacks.
The kind of posts used run a gamut from cute to tasteless, from manipulative to misleading.
Rieth said she still finds her daughter's photo on Facebook from time to time, even though Facebook eventually deleted the original after she and others reported it.
On the most recent page she found, the picture appears in a feed alongside posts such as "Who loves French fries? Like & share if you do" and multiple images encouraging people to like and share if they love Jesus.
There's an image of a premature baby, pictures of military troops cuddling puppies and an image of a young boy pouring water on a man's cigarette with the text "Sorry papa ... I need you."
"It's anything that's going to kind of tug at the heartstrings: the sick kids, the animal abuse, acting like it's some kind of pet shelter," Senft said. "That's the bad part with the scammers. They hit people where they're vulnerable, play on their emotions."
What to do
Because of Facebook's sheer size, he said it sometimes takes lots of reports for the site to delete an offensive or misleading image, or shut down the page it came from. The best approach, Senft said, is to think before sharing.
"If it sounds too good to be true, don't click on it," he said. "If it's something that's obviously geared toward tugging on the heartstrings, check it out first."
Facebook said it continues to work to make sure high-quality content surfaces for users and low-quality posts don't. That includes trying to diminish the reach of posts that appear to be "like farming" attempts.
"People have told us they associate requests to like or share a post with lower quality content, and receiving that type of feedback helps us adjust our systems to get better at showing more high quality posts," a Facebook spokesperson said via e-mail.
"If you see a post that's low quality and seems to be focused only on gaining traffic, hover over the top-right corner of the post and click the arrow to report it."
Facebook uses "automated and manual methods to swiftly remove links and pages that violate our policies," the spokesperson said. "We're always making improvements to our detection and blocking systems to stay ahead of threats."

'Truly angry'
Today, Rieth's daughter is 13 -- an eighth-grader who has shown no signs of her cancer since September 2007.
But her mom compares that cheerleading photo to the mythical hydra, a monster with many heads that sprouts two more each time one is cut off. Based just on the images she's found and reported, the photo has been liked and shared on Facebook hundreds of thousands of times.
A search Monday also found it popping up on Pinterest, as well as one site where it was wrongly used alongside a 2010 article about actor Jackie Chan helping a girl with leukemia find a bone-marrow donor.
"What makes me truly angry, though, is knowing that they're using it as an insidious way to make money," Rieth said. "That's not what her survival is about to us."
For this article, CNN sent a Facebook message to the owner of the last page where Rieth found the photo.
When asked whether he planned to sell his page, the owner replied with two words:
"How much?"

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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13:8

Keep on trustin'

Our Daily Bread
I am sort of old.  hahaha!  I remember the years when CB radios and big rig trucks were all the rage.  Everyone had a CB radio in their vehicle.  There were songs on the radio about big rig trucks. There were tshirts, mugs, etc with the phrase "Keep on truckin'!"  That meant to encourage folks to keep on no matter what!

The title for this entry is a little different, but it also meant to encourage folks to keep on no matter what!  Keep on trustin' our God!  There are so many examples in the Bible of God keeping his promises over and over.  I love reading that stuff!  We know that we can trust him no matter what comes our way.

I needed to hear this message today as I have been a little frustrated with some things in my life.  My fault.  Not God's!  While I am a very capable man, God knows what is best for me and the best timing!

How about you?  Remember:  Keep on TRUSTIN'!

Lord, you have never failed us.  Please help us keep trusting and serving you!

Wellness Wednesday
Easy Mind Tricks To Keep Food In Check
From Mother Nature Network's Melissa Breyer:

The formula for losing weight couldn’t be simpler: Consume fewer calories than you require, which means eat less and/or exercise more. To lose a pound of fat there needs to be a deficit of roughly 3,500 calories; so, for example, burning an extra 500 calories a day — or consuming 500 fewer calories a day — will result in the loss of about a pound in a week.

However, while the math is simple, getting there seems far from easy. And thus comes a slew of miracle supplements (“burn fat fast without even trying!”), fad diets (may we offer you a binding corset or surgically-attached tongue patch?) and fancy gizmos (hello, Japanese diet goggles).

But the truth is, losing weight takes work. That said, interesting research has revealed that some simple tricks can make the work a little easier; specifically, creating small obstacles and changing cues.

A study in Switzerland found that the relative availability of food influences food intake. Researchers for the study say that eating is an automatic behavior that can be disrupted when any additional effort is required.

Study participants were invited to sample freely from a bowl of candies; one group was offered unwrapped candies while another group was given wrapped ones. Participants who had to unwrap the candy themselves ate on average 3.6 pieces, while those who had no unwrapping to do ate 5.5 pieces each.

Similarly, in another experiment those who were asked to use tongs to take the candy ate significantly less than those who used their fingers; and in yet another experiment, the results were the same, even when the choice was between high-fat chocolates and dried apricots, indicating the tongs, not the food, were the deterrent, researchers said.

The moral of the story? While the packaging-minded among us may not want to purchase individually wrapped treats, we can still create similar obstacles. For example, wrap snacks in reusable packaging, make snacks hard to reach (just store them in the garage!) or of course, you could resort to eating snacks with tongs!

In a different but similar vein, consider the work of clinical dietitian and author Timi Gustafson, R.D., who explores habits and how they can sabotage our best laid plans to eat well. In a blog for online newspaper SeattlePI.com, Gustafson takes a scientific look at the influence our daily habits. In one case, a woman with an “addiction” to pastries simply changed her driving route to avoid passing her favorite bakery and her “addiction” was eventually cured (and she lost 50 pounds along the way).

Another person exploring the amazing pull of routine as it relates to diet is New York Times journalist Charles Duhigg, who wrote the book "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business." Similar to the bakery visitor, Duhigg had a chocolate-chip cookie habit; and he was also able to escape the rut by switching up his routine by avoiding the cafeteria during the afternoon slump and socializing with co-workers instead.

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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

Coordination

Our Daily Bread
I am not talking about physical coordination like an athlete has.  I speak of coordination of time and resources.  It may be in the form of a project or a calendar or whatever you need.  Coordinating things is a gift.  I know these things.  I am a planner!  ha!

The body of the church should be the most well oiled machine of believers that the world has ever seen!  We are here to love and serve.  Love and serve folks in the church.  Love and serve folks outside the church so they will want to come in!  Yes!  Let us pray for each of us to fit into thus well oiled machine!

Lord, we thank you for leading us to our church homes.  Please help us do our tasks with love and joy!

Teaching Tuesday
We read the chapter in our text about Romans this week.  Considering the length and complexity of the book of Romans, I thought he did a good job overall.  There was at least one exception!

Romans has so many wonderful verses and incredible explanations of Christian concepts.  Have you ever heard of the "Romans Road"?  That is a selection of verses that can be used to lead someone to Christ.  For example, Romans 3:23, 6:23, and 8:28.

The book was written by Paul to the folks at Rome that he had never met.  Someone else started the church there.  There was a lot of explaining to do in Paul's mind so he wrote his longest letter to them.  Read it sometime in one sitting.  It is very "thick" book to read!

My main problems with the text books are about the topics of homosexuality and predestination.  I thought the author could have been more definitive with these topics.  As I told a minister friend of mine, I suddenly felt unsafe in the Episcopal church after reading this chapter.  IMHO, the author did not emphasize enough how society changes and we grow in God's love.  Mankind didn't realize sexual orientation was something natural.  Paul spoke against all homosexual behavior.  That set of verses completely discounts what could be 10% of our population.  People use those verses as an excuse to hate the same way they used some of his verses to validate the practice of slavery in the U.S.  Society changed and we learned that no one should be treated as a slave.  We have also learned that sexuality is an orientation not a choice.

And the whole predestination thing is a mystery.  My personal belief is that some folks may be more likely to accept Christ than others, much like some folks can play football or chess or tennis better than others.  That is a predisposition.  Not a predestination.

Great book.  Looking forward to more books by Paul!

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

Are you serving?

Our Daily Bread

The concepts of being a servant and being less selfish still baffle me at times. How much is enough ?  What else should I do?  Should I give up all my hopes and dreams?  God taught me some things this weekend. Let's pray for each other as we seek the answers ro these questions!

Broadway Monday

Yes I am calling it Broadway Monday because I am reviewing the shows I saw this weekend!

The Book of Mormon

Oddly, this musical goes along with today's devotional!  There is a lot of irreverence in this musical about the Mormon church written by the guys who created South Park. If you can look past the language and irreverence you will find a lesson!  It is touring around the US now as well as sold out performances in NYC. 

Kinky Boots

This is the story of a young man that inherited the family shoe factory under dire circumstances. He figured out they could address the niche market of kinky boots to save the factory. Lots of drag queens and hilarity in this musical. It is also very touching at times. 

Once

This is a very unusual show. The actors also play their own instruments throughout. Very cool. It was very different than the other shows but I enjoyed it. The music wasn't my favorite but it was well done. Lots of Celtic music if you like that sort of thing. 

Matilda

Based on the book more than the movie, Matilda is a darker look at her story. Very very very cleverly done. Loved this show!  I saw the last performance of the latest Matilda. Very emotional!

The Glass Menagerie

Wow!  What incredible performances during this Tennessee Wiliams play!  Zachery Quinto and Cherrie Jones were amazing!  It closes on Feb 23 so see it soon!

Going to the Intrepid Museum today to see my third space shuttle. Lots of fun!

A heart of compassion

Our Daily Bread 

I am a tender-hearted old bear, but that is not the same thing as having a heart of compassion. A heart of compassion is not only accessible to the cares of others but it spurs you to action. It requires you to DO something. 

I pray we all have that kind of heart!

Psalm Sunday

I remembered some of the songs of ascents when traveling this weekend!

Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
    and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
    for he grants sleep to[a]those he loves.

3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
    offspring a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
    are children born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
    whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
    when they contend with their opponents in court.

What a mess

Simply Saturday

I am combining the two sections today because they line up once again!  God is so amazing!

I realized over the past ten years several more things that I do because of who raised me. I am right handed but I keep my wallet in my left rear pocket. I give nicknames to each person I sort of like and may see again. I work hard for the things I want in life. I can also be suspicious and untrusting of people at times. 

Based on what the devotion talks about and my thought this morning, I realized that my deepest desire is to take on the characteristics of my Heavenly Father. I want to do things the way he teaches me instead of my own silly ideas. And they are very silly at times!  Ha!

As we think about what we inherited from our families, let us also think about what we can inherit from our Heavenly Father. We will no longer be the hot mess we are on our own!

Point of view

Our Daily Bread
There is a song called Jesus Bring the Rain.  It has a different perspective on trials and tribulations.  The song says "whatever it takes to praise you, Jesus bring the rain".  It also talks about how the song writer finds it incredible that people can question the things that God throws his way!

I loved the story of Fannie Crosby in the devotional today.  What a perspective on life!  Having the face of Jesus as the first face you see would be amazing!  She wrote over 9,000 hymns with her physical limitations.  Amazing!  How much should we "able-bodied" folks be able to do!  Let's challenge ourselves today!

Lord, we thank you for inspiration folks like Fannie Crosby.  Please help us have her attitude and perspective!

Foodie Friday
I tried a relatively new restaurant last night - Piadas.  We call it the Chipotle of Italian food restaurants!  The have some basic dishes, all pretty large portions, that you customize.  For example, the angel hair pasta dish can be ordered with Alfredo sauce, mild red sauce and spicy red sauce and your choice of meats (chicken, Italian sausage, meatballs, or steak).  The servers then add the veggies of your choice.  It is very tasty stuff!  I had the angel pasta with mild red sauce, Italian sauce, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese.  I also had the angel hair pasta with Alfredo with chicken, mushrooms and extra Parmesan cheese.  MmmMMmMmmm!  Give it try!

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

The real work

Our Daily Bread
I was in a restaurant recently that served a dish that looked like it was very complicated to cook.. When I asked the server about it, he said the cooking part wasn't that bad according to the chef.  The preparation took a LOOOONNGG time!

It seems that anything worth doing well requires sufficient preparation.  The devotional talked about the prayer meetings that went on during the big tent revivals.  What "little tent" tasks has God called you to do?  I struggle with big tent and little tent tasks.  I prefer the little tent tasks in general but often get thrust into the big tent tasks because of the abilities that God gave me.  I do what I can for the Lord and pray for humility.  Let us all do the things that God called us to do and pray for humility while doing them!  Praise God!

Lord, we thank for having tasks for each of us to do.  Please help us serve you with joy and humility!

Technology Thursday
Windows 9 is coming: Feels like Windows Phone all over again
By James Kendrick for Mobile News | January 13, 2014

It seems only a few months have passed since Windows 8.1 was released, probably because it was, and we're already hearing about 'Threshold'. This is the next big update for Windows that is going to solve all of Microsoft's problems with adoption of its OS.

Windows 9, as the next version is reported to be called, is no doubt a push to get more people to make the switch to the new Windows that Microsoft has so much riding on. The adoption to the current phase of Windows hasn't been great, according to Paul Thurrott of WinSuperSite.

"But Threshold is more important than any specific updates. Windows 8 is tanking harder than Microsoft is comfortable discussing in public, and the latest release, Windows 8.1, which is a substantial and free upgrade with major improvements over the original release, is in use on less than 25 million PCs at the moment. That's a disaster, and Threshold needs to strike a better balance between meeting the needs of over a billion traditional PC users while enticing users to adopt this new Windows on new types of personal computing devices. In short, it needs to be everything that Windows 8 is not."
Microsoft isn't sharing information about Windows 9, but Thurrott speculates that a windowed version of Metro will run on the desktop. I'm not sure what to make of that if it becomes a reality. Many call for the elimination of the desktop to avoid the bipolar nature of Windows 8. Moving windowed Metro to the desktop seems backwards to me.

It's not the post-PC era that Microsoft needs to be concerned with, it's the post-Windows era.
To be fair, Microsoft has done a great job with Windows 8.1. I even named it the most significant tech of 2013 and I stand by that. I find it a good laptop OS and a decent tablet OS. The latter is probably most important. Make no mistake, Windows is now a play for the mobile market for Microsoft. In spite of competition in the enterprise from the iPad and Android, Windows is still the favored platform there. The push thus needs to be in the mobile space which is why Microsoft has invested so much effort in the touch aspects of Windows.

What Microsoft doesn't need with Windows is to become known as the OS where the 'next version will be the big one'. That smacks of each version not being good enough, probably due to lack of big enough sales numbers.

That's what Windows is now seeming like. First Windows 8, the biggest shakeup in Windows ever, was to be Microsoft's big entry into the mobile space. Sales didn't happen in numbers, and then WIndows 8.1 was to make an even bigger splash.

Even Microsoft's own hardware, the Surface tablet line, couldn't reverse the drop in PC sales in 2013. That's OK, as Window 9 is now the next big thing expected to turn things around for Microsoft.

If it seems like you've seen this play out before, that's because you have. Windows Phone was the radically new phone OS when it hit the scene not that long ago. In spite of the totally new design, it didn't win the hearts of buyers. The lack of apps for Windows Phone didn't help, and lack of features was widely criticized.

It didn't take long after Windows Phone hit the market before we started hearing how the next version would turn things around. It didn't, so we heard the same thing about the version after that.

Finally the merits of the current Windows Phone OS were extolled as the one to beat them all. It is a good OS but still not booting the big guys off the medal podium. But hey, the next version, whatever it will be called, will knock everyone's socks off. Sure it will.

When you compare the life of Windows Phone to that of Windows 8, the similarities are hard to ignore. Windows 8 is now looking like the evolution of Windows Phone, and that no doubt concerns Microsoft. Outside of its admittedly large base of enthusiasts, Windows is only slowly catching on, much like Windows Phone.

The competition has the luxury of not also having to compete for desktop sales, it only has to evolve in mobile. Microsoft may have bitten off more than it can chew by going after both desktop and mobile with Windows 8.

Windows 8.1 is a great OS, the greatest version of Windows ever. So far that doesn't seem to be enough, and that's got to be a big worry for the folks in Redmond. The more the competition keeps growing in the mobile space, the greater the uphill struggle will be with Windows. It's not the post-PC era that Microsoft needs to be concerned with, it's the post-Windows era.

It's clear the next CEO of Microsoft has his/her hands full, no matter who it might be. We're not hearing firm rumors so far about who it might be, just who it won't. It's going to be tough no matter who gets the nod.

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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13:8

JIT

Our Daily Bread
When I was in business school, we learned about a way to manage inventory called JIT (just in time).  Instead of keeping huge quantities of supplies on hand, which required large warehouse facilities, factories worked with their suppliers to get smaller shipments more often to save money and reduce waste.

In my 54 years, I see God like that many times.  Yes, I would prefer an answer sooner rather than later, but he ALWAYS provides just in time.  JIT faith as I call it requires us to turn our needs over to God and to trust him to meet them.  I am not saying we don't have any personal responsibility.  I am saying that we do not have to fret about tomorrow!  Let's practice JIT faith for the rest of this month to see how God provides!

Lord, we thank you and praise you for providing our needs much better than we can ever do ourselves!

Wellness Wednesday
5 Ways To Avoid Gaining Weight This Winter
Check out the article here.

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

Sleep my pretty sleep...

Our Daily Bread
Sleep can have negative implications in fairy tales and some movies.  Sleep induced by an evil queen.  A sleep spell cast by and evil witch.  Slothful sleeping by young folks or even old folks (Rip Van Winkle).  All I know is that sleep is a good thing for me!

The devotional talks about sleep and how difficult it can be to fall asleep at times. Our minds are still running even after our bodies are too tired to take one more step!  We worry.  We fret. We stress.  We wrap our busy minds around things we can't control instead of turning them over to God.  I wondered about the author's suggestion to pray during these times.  I think it would be rude to fall asleep while talking to God!  ha!  May I suggest the following: Clench your fist as tight as you can, then open it quickly in a upward motion saying "Let it go!"  Yes, we can do that!  Repeat as necessary!

Lord, we thank you for sleep.  We thank you for peace and comfort so we can enjoy it!

Teaching Tuesday
Romans
We read the book of Romans this week.  I cracked up the class when I said reading some of Paul's works can be like reading Dr Seuss and Yoda from Star Wars combined.  It seems to go around in circles, but it usually makes his point!  We are going to read the chapter in our book about Romans for next Monday.  Here are my notes:

This is Amazing
Paul's discussion of  grace

This Befuddles/Bothers me
Clarification of passions burning towards same sexes. This passage is generally believed to be directed at pagan sex rituals.  The rituals also included heterosexual "burning" for each other as well.  He does not directly address that in this passage, which doesn't make sense to me.  I will dig deeper.

The predestined passages in ch 8

Ch9:15

This is worthy of Celebration
Grace. Christ dying for all

I want to Dig Deeper into this
He talks a lot about not judging.
Clarification of passions burning towards same sexes.

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

Victory!

Our Daily Bread
I can be a little over the top sometimes.  ha!  When encouraging some Christian friends, I talked to them about being overcomers not just survivors!  Victory over sin and the darkness of this world is ours if we choose to have faith and believe in the promises of God.

The devotional talks about this as well.  The story of the young church in Ethiopia.  The story of the church at Thessalonica.  God can help us overcome any obstacle.  His church can overcome any obstacle with the help of the Holy Spirit.  We can be the light of the world that we are supposed to be.  Keep focused.  Stay vigilant.  Support and love each other.  We can do this!

Lord, we have your promises.  Please help us rely upon you for every breath!

Movie Monday
I saw two movies yesterday: Philomena and Saving Mr Banks.

Philomena
This the story of a young Catholic girl who had a child out of wedlock.  50 years later she finally told her story and tried to find him.  I don't want to give anything away.  It is not the feel good movie of the year, but it has some amazing twists and turns  you will find amazing (at least I did).  The acting of Judi Dench was amazing as always!

I give this two bear paws.  Rent this one holding on to your children if you have any!

Saving Mr Banks.
This movie is the story of PL Travers who wrote the Mary Poppins books and her adventure of selling the rights to Walt Disney.  Boy, did that lady have issues!  ha!  Emma Watson was great.  I think you have to be in the right mood to watch this movie.  I was and liked it.  I can see how some folks wouldn't like it.

I give this one two bear paws.  Rent this one too.

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

Connected

Our Daily Bread
I was chatting with a new friend the other day about church.  He said he didn't attend.  I gently suggested that he find an accepting church to attend and join.  It has been my experience that a relationship with God is best experienced in a community!

The devotional today talks about this as well.  The description of the early church in the the book of Acts seems very different than what we see today!  Many see that form of "church" as some political statement, which is sad to me.  At its core is loving and supporting each other during good times and bad.  Can we do that today?  Yes, we can!  Make it so!  ;-)

Lord, you gave us your vision of your church. Please help continue to live that vision today.

Psalm Sunday
We will look at Psalm 126 today.  This is another song of ascents.  You might recognize a term in the last verse -- "sheaves".  What is that?  From my research, sheaves are harvested grain stalks that are then carried to their storage facility.  It is talking about a successful harvest, which is considered a joyous time in an agrarian society like that period.

Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dreamed.
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
    our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
    and we are filled with joy.
4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
    like streams in the Negev.
5 Those who sow with tears
    will reap with songs of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
    carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
    carrying sheaves with them.

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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

Short and sweet

I want my heart to be in tune with God, In every stage of life may it ring true; I want my thoughts and words to honor Him, To lift Him up in everything I do. —Hess

wait for it, wait for it....

Our Daily Bread
OK so I can be a jokester at times.  Even when I try to turn it off, my friends can tell when I have something to say by the look in my eye.  They tease me "wait for it, wait for it" knowing full well I will eventually say it!  DOH!

It has been brought to my attention the past few years that I have a waiting problem - I don't really anticipate the coming of Jesus in my lifetime.  Is that wrong of me?  To me, thinking that Jesus might come every day is like studying for a final exam the day of the test.  I think a lot of folks think of it that way.  I would prefer to study (and work) consistently my whole life.  I might be splitting hairs with these comments.  I guess I am saying we should live the same way whether he is coming or not -- we live for him!

Lord, please help us be patient in life for the good things you have for us.  We thank you and praise you for the sunshine and the rain in our lives!

Foodie Friday
I bought some inexpensive steak on sale recently.  I had a taste for Salisbury steak like my family used to make.  Here is the closest recipe I could find.  I will make it in the crock pot tomorrow.  I will have mashed potatoes and veggies with it.  MmmMmmmm!

Slow Cooked Cube Steak  (Salisbury Steak)

4 cube steaks, tenderized 2-3 times
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon of oil
1 packet Lipton french onion soup with mushrooms mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can water (I use the soup can to measure)

Melt butter in large skillet and add olive oil. Mix flour, salt, and pepper together. Dredge steaks in flour mixture. Transfer to hot sizzling skillet and brown on both sides. Move to slow cooker. Mix together the mushroom soup, water, and Lipton's soup mix. Pour mixture over the cube steaks. Cover and cook on LOW for around six hours or until the steaks are falling apart tender. If you want thicker gravy, whisk 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to 1/4 cup of milk and add to gravy in crock pot once steaks have been removed.

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

It matters

Our Daily Bread
There have been so many times in my life where I prayed and prayed and it didn't seem to make a difference, whether the prayer was for myself or for others.  Then I remembered that there were several times that the answer was discovered many years later!  It does matter!  Our timing is not always God's timing!

We can see this theme of "It matters" in so many ways if we look at our lives.  It matters that we pray.  It matters that we love others like we love ourselves.  It matters that we put aside our sinful nature to live more like Christ.  All of these truly matter as we have the honor and privilege to live for and serve the Almighty God!  Let's think of all the things that we do today and determine if they really matter.  Let's try to get rid of the things that really don't matter!

Lord, our time is in your hands.  Please help us do the things that really matter!

Technology Thursday
CES 2014
The annual Consumer Electronics Show is going on this week.  I would like to go sometime for the fun of it!  How much fun would that be for a gadget geek like me!  Here are a few highlights so far.

Wearables - Lots of wearable technology coming out this year, especially fitness devices.  There are several new entries in this growing market.  The funniest thing is that I saw something like this on a ride at Disney World!  Wow!

Curved TVs - Still not sure of the value of curved or bendable TVs.  Doesn't make much sense to me!

4K TVs - The move to ultra high resolution TVs keeps growing.  Just like the 1080p TVs years ago, there is a dearth of content to watch on them and the TVs are very expensive!  I may have to stop buying DVDs or Blurays and stream everything from now on!

Tablets - there are some new entries into the tablet market, of course.  We will see how those do in the market.  Acer introduced some new noteworthy models.

Laptops - Ultrabooks that can double as tablets are making a move in the market.  We will see if they will work out this time.  The dearth of Windows tablet apps is a problem.

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God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. —Augustine

In the spotlight

Our Daily Bread
Being an extrovert means that I can get a lot of energy from being around or in front of people.  It seems like I have been on stage or singing since I was a child.  It seems like many things I do end up in the spotlight even when I don't intend them to be!

There are so many folks that will never be in the spotlight though it seems they deserve to be for all their godly works!  Many times we don't understand all the things they did until they leave us in one way or another.  It is good for us to say a word of encouragement to each person we know when we recognize these things.  I spoke to a busy lady at my church last year to thank her for all the things she did.  She was always there to help and do whatever needed to be done for the church and for God!  She looked so surprised that someone actually noticed!

Lord, help us encourage and lift up others as part of our ways to serve you!

Wellness Wednesday
5 Goals For Improving Your Wellness In 2014
With a brand new year right in front of us, it's time to go out with the old and in with the new when it comes to our emotional wellness. Adopting better happiness habits right away can set up the rest of your year for more inner zen.

We asked our Twitter and Facebook communities what their 2014 wellness resolutions were, whether it was dedicating more time to mindfulness or just practicing a little more positivity. Check out the responses below and tell us in the comments what wellness improvements you hope to make next year.

Meditate more often.
Have plans to also get healthy in 2014? Meditation has been proven to improve your immune system, lower blood pressure, help with binge eating and relieve stress. Sounds like the perfect way to accomplish two goals at once!

Practice more optimism.
Adopting an optimistic outlook can have great impact on your overall physical and emotional well-being. Optimists have healthier hearts, regulate their emotions better and are at a lower risk for strokes.

Stay present in the moment.
Cultivating gratitude and staying present in the moment are both positive emotional wellness attributes. Grateful people tend to be happier and even exercise more than those who don't express thanks on a daily basis.

Start an at-home yoga practice.
Practicing yoga has numerous health benefits -- and you can start reaping them from the day you begin. Yogis have a lower risk of heart disease, improved brain function, lower blood pressure and increased flexibility (just to name a few).

Spend less time online.
Disconnecting from your phone or computer for a while may seem scary, but it can actually help improve your quality of life. Studies have shown Facebook can cause loneliness and technology may even be hurting our ability to make eye contact. Sounds like a good enough reason to unplug!

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Revivals greatest enemy is Pride, and the only bride Revival will walk down the isle with is Humility. Humility will deny herself the right of self gratification rather than turn away from God to fulfill her own pleasures, and she will not allow herself to receive the praise that should go to another (especially the Lord). Finally, she will rush to renounce herself, rather than sitting quietly when her Lord is robed of His glory. Oh, Father, we are so unlike her, but may we meet her so that we may walk down the isle to Revival and true Christlikeness? from  Jonathan Edwards on Humility in Religious Affections

It is not just words

Our Daily Bread
I heard a song on the radio recently that caught my attention. It is called Words by Hawk Nelson. Here are the lyrics.  Here is the chorus:
Words can build you up
Words can break you down
Start a fire in your heart or
Put it out

The devotional talks about the abundance of words in a speech and the concise language in some very important speeches and sermons.  The writer gave the examples of The Gettysburg Address and The Lord's Prayer.  Two very short and very memorable sets of words!

The next time you say or read the Lord's Prayer, pause and focus on each phrase.  What is it really saying?  I continue to find new meaning for my life each time I study it!

Lord, we thank you and praise you for words. Please help us use ours for you!

Teaching Tuesday
The second chapter for this week was a general chapter about Paul.  It talked about his life and his writings.  the interesting parts were as follows:
*What books did Paul actually write and which ones were written by his followers/partners in ministry?
*Does the possibility of multiple writers explain some apparent inconsistencies in the writings attributed to him?  For example, in one book he seems very forward thinking about the role of women in life and the next book he seems like a chauvinist pig!
*All of his writings were letters, but we don't really have the other communications back and forth so we get a very one-sided view of the conversation.
*Some theologians attribute him with spreading the Gospel beyond the nation of Israel and may be the most important figure in Christianity, except for our Lord.  Peter was the foundation of the church.  Paul was the feet that took it to the rest of the world.

Very interesting stuff.  I am looking forward to reading his books in a new light and gaining new understanding!

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

No audience

Our Daily Bread
I traveled with a singing group my first two years in college.  The experience was enlightening, especially when we were booked to sing in a small amusement park for a couple of weeks.  After singing almost all of our concerts in churches, we sang in a barn auditorium for folks that didn't know who we were (a Christian college group).  We had one show where only two people showed up.  We sang our hearts out anyway.  They left after the second song!  ha!

Today's devotional expresses my attitude towards writing this blog.  I started writing it just for me so I would stay disciplined about studying and reading and writing.  Like many things in life, you may never know the impact you have on someone's life by doing the "little" things you do.  It may not be evident at the time.  You may never know the fruits of your labors.  I remember hearing from college students many years after I graduated how hearing our group sing influenced their lives for God.  Praise God!

Lord, please help us serve you any way we can regardless if we receive earthly recognition.  Serving you is our greatest honor!

Movie Monday
I didn't make it to the movie theater this week.  I had time, but not the energy!  I cuddled up to a bowl of popcorn and other snacks and watched my Christmas bluray disks in my home theater.  On New Years, I had an XMen marathon.  Some other movies I watched were Aliens or Predator movies and ended up with Fast and Furious 6.  Good times.

I hope to see Philomena and Saving Mr Banks this week.  I will let you know how that goes!

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Living out of love for God and pleasing Him should be our heart’s desire. - Our Daily Bread

We are his people

Our Daily Bread
I like funny movies, but not all funny movies.  I remember one that was particularly unfunny to me except for one line.  The character was some kind of leader who had messed up.  When he faced the folks he wronged, he undauntedly smiled and exclaimed "MY people!"  That didn't go over very well with the peeps!  ha!

There is one leader that honors us beyond compare when he calls us "MY people!" -- our Almighty God!  He made us all.  He wants to have a relationship with us.  I love the saying by Augustine at the end of the devotional:
God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. —Augustine

The closest example I can think of in my tiny human brain that might make sense is the love of a grandparent.  A grandparent loves each grandchild as if there were only one of them!

Lord we thank you and praise you for claiming us as your people!  Please help us live our lives for you!

Psalm Sunday
We are reading Psalm 125 today.  I can see where the idea of karma came from when I read this passage!  ha!  I love the imagery of the a believer in God being unmovable and God being with us forever!

Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
    which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
    so the Lord surrounds his people
    both now and forevermore.
3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
    over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
    their hands to do evil.
4 Lord, do good to those who are good,
    to those who are upright in heart.
5 But those who turn to crooked ways
    the Lord will banish with the evildoers.
Peace be on Israel.

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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

More than "I'm fine.."

Our Daily Bread
Today is another day where God's leadership is obvious in my blog entry.  I wrote the Simply Saturday section before reading the Our Daily Bread devotional.  They are pretty much in sync!  Praise God!  I should not be surprised!

The devotional gave two great examples of being more than "I'm fine".  Isn't that what we all say when someone asks us how we are?  Isn't that what we expect to hear when we ask someone that question?  ha!  We are reluctant to say anything else even though we may be hurting inside.  We are reluctant to be a sounding board when someone has the "I need to talk" look in their eyes.

The reassuring fact in all of this is that God can work in every situation.  Paul wrote about how some of the unfortunate things in his life turned out for the good of proclaiming the Gospel!  How can we see God working our lives?  Take a read below at my experiences from this week.  We are so much more than "I'm fine".   Praise God!

Lord, you give us more than we can understand or accept.  Please help us rely on you to conquer and not be just "fine"!  

Simply Saturday
Perseverance in practice
I haven't said much about this except to close friends, but I have had a tough week.  It started off by hurting the middle finger on my right hand.  Fortunately I can still type.  I haven't taken the time to have it seen by a doctor.

I committed to what I thought was a busy, but manageable, weekend of church activities.  I am managing even without any of the help I planned to receive from friends and family.  God is so good and has given me the skills to plan, organize and execute those plans!  Things are working out.  I will even have time for some rest today and tomorrow (all part of the plan!).

I also came to a "let's just be friends" agreement with a guy I met on match.com.  We had a great visit week before last and both thought we wanted to attempt the relationship even though there were some obstacles.  The decision to be just friends was mutual.  I told him it was a shame that someone you liked so much also set off so many alarms in your head!  Yikes!  God will lead me to the right place and time to meet my special man.  God used this latest experience to remind me that an attractive, caring man can and will be attracted to this silly old bear!

The even that almost pushed me over the edge, and it pushed me close, was finding out that my mother was in the hospital.  I was not contacted by anyone.  I had to do a Sherlock Holmes to figure out why my aunt and I couldn't reach her to wish her a Happy New Year.  Apparently, she fell on some ice.  She hurt her hands, ankles and back.  She had been in the hospital since Tuesday.  She told me last night that she will be transferred to a rehab center today to finish healing.

Yes, I try to learn from every situation in my life.  The lesson this week is a repeating one that I need to hear over and over -- it is not always about me.  I did better in some respects.  I did worse in some others.  I was very hurt when some folks didn't take the time to call me, only giving lame excuses for not calling anyone in the family.  I tried to get Mom to understand why that was important.  She didn't want to hear it.  Oh well.  I made it clear to her that I was not upset because she couldn't come down to help me this weekend (that was the "it wasn't about me" victory!).  I was upset because no one else was contacted.  My second victory was calling the folks that needed to be called to let them know what was going on.  They really appreciated it.

Focus and perseverance.  Remembering we are not alone.  Remembering to be thankful for each blessing along the way.  God is so good.  Praise God!

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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13:8

On my own....NOT!

Our Daily Bread
In the Broadway musical Le Miserable, there is a gorgeous, but sad song called On my own. Check out the lyrics here.Poor Epoline pours her heart out about being alone because the man she loves doesn't feel the same about her.  In the movie version, it is dark and rainy when she sings it.

Praise God that we don't have to sing a song like that about our God!  We are not alone.  We are not on our own.  Our God will give us more love that our hearts can hold.  Our world revolves around him for good reason -- He is the one true, Almighty God!  Whether it is the beginning of a new year or the middle or the end, let us always remember who we are in the sight of God.  We are not on our own!

Thank you, God, for being with us each and every moment.  Please help us to do what is right, to be merciful, and to walk humbly with you!

Foodie Friday
I am hosting a potluck tomorrow night.  It will be a late NYE party theme.  Due to a couple of other things going on this weekend, I decided to buy the entrees rather than make them from scratch.  Grrrrrr...  I don't usually like doing this, but I have served these entrees before with success.

The first one is a no-brainer: Honey Baked Ham.  MmmmMmmmm!  I love this ham!  It is pricey, but worth it in my mind.

The second one is the stuffed cabbage rolls from GFS (Gordon Food Service).  I saw these on sale last year and bought a tray.  When I baked them up for a get together, I wondered how they would taste.  They taste great!  Wow!  There are ten large rolls in a tray.  They usually cost $12.99, but I caught them on sale for $9.99.  Woohooo!  I usually cut them in half because they are sort of large.

I am not serving it tomorrow night, but I also like the Stouffers frozen lasagna.  It is about as good as you can get out of a frozen lasagna.  Very tasty sauce.  Just enough meat.  It is a good bet when you can't cook your own from scratch!

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CELEBRATE CALM

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

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

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

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

Steady diet

Our Daily Bread
I have three great-nephews who were born in the past 2 1/2 years.  While I don't get to see them much, my mother tells me their adventures of growing up including their eating habits.  She takes them age appropriate snacks that have changed as they got a little older.  The 2 1/2 year olds are eating solid food now.

It is also exciting to me to see Christians grow in God's Word!  I have been involved in several Bible study classes the past few years with folks at all different levels of study.  It is exciting not only when I finally get something through my thick skull, but also when others have those "a-ha" moments or little epiphanies that open a new life paths.  God is so good.  He wants us to grow and knows that living our lives for him is the very best thing we can do with our brief time on earth!

Lord, we thank you for feeding us with your spiritual food.  Please help us to grow in you!

Technology Thursday
Cool Gadgets 2014: Best tech we want this month
Click on the title to read the entire article.  Here is the list of their top five gadgets.  Did I mention I love gadgets?

1. Lenovo Yoga 8 and 10
2. TomTom Runner
3. Nikon Df
4. Motorola Moto G
5. Gigabyte P35K Ultrablade

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

His mercy endures -- forever

Happy New Year!!!

Our Daily Bread
Like I mentioned a few times, I watch a lot of movies.  One familiar scene is where a powerful enemy is brought to his knees.  He looks up and asks for "mercy" when death is imminent even though he never showed any!  It is during these mercy scenes that I think of the Holly Cole song "God will".

"Well God does but I don't

And God will but I won't

That's the difference between God and me"

Yes, that is the difference between God and us!  I love the reference to Psalm 136 that repeats the phrase “His mercy endures forever.”  Yes, it does!  We have that assurance over and over in the Bible.  We use this phrase in our corporate prayers sometimes at church.  Many of us don't allow God's mercy to permeate us.  We may let God's mercy extend down to us, but we don't have mercy on ourselves!  For the new year, let us allow God's mercy to permeate each fiber of our being!

Lord, we thank you and praise you for your mercy!  It does endure forever!  

Wellness Wednesday
It is 2014!  Wow!  So many possibilities for the new year!  So much baggage from previous years to drag behind us!  Yikes!  What will you make of the new year?  Many of us will make some attempt at New Years resolutions.  What are yours?  May I suggest a few tips?  I will also share my resolutions.

Two tips:  SMART and a resolution buddy
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.  You may have heard this at work when creating your yearly goals.  It is a good idea to have at least some of your resolutions follow the same guidelines.  There may be some that will not, for example, "I want to be a better Christian this year".  While there are some specific actions that you can take to move in that direction, the measurable element may be an issue!  No worries!  Do the best you can!

I also recommend having a resolution buddy.  It is sort of like a workout buddy, but not a sweaty!  ha!  Have someone that you share your resolutions with and that you trust to be accountable to.  Have breakfast or lunch or coffee and share progress.  Make corrections or adjustments in your goals along the way if needed.

Have a great 2014!  May the Lord be with you!

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