"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Pursuit of Happyness
Got a chance to see this film over the holiday. A real tear jerker. Excellent performance by Will Smith and even better performance by his son, Jaden. A must see!
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Happy Kwanzaa!
Day Two:
Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.
Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Rest In Peace "Godfather of Soul"
James Brown passed away early Christmas morning in Augusta, Georgia. His music will live on FOREVER. Please pray for his family, friends and fans all over the world. Gone but not forgotten!!
Jingle all the way to the After Christmas Sales
Are you getting a lot of shopping done at work today? ;)
Friday, December 22, 2006
Comfort
“Let your steadfast love become my comfort according to your promise to your servant.”
—Psalm 119:76
—Psalm 119:76
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Religious Squirrels (from Michele in Texas)
There were Four country churches in a small TEXAS town:
The Presbyterian Church , the Baptist Church , the Methodist Church, and
the Catholic Church.
Each church was overrun with pesky squirrels .
One day, the Presbyterian Church called a meeting to decide what to do about
the squirrels.
After much prayer and consideration they Determined that the squirrels were
predestined to be there and they shouldn't interfere with God's divine
will..
In The BAPTIST CHURCH the squirrels had taken up habitation in the
baptistery. The deacons met and decided to put a cover on the baptistery and
drown the squirrels in it. The squirrels escaped somehow and there were
twice as many there the next week.
The Methodist Church got together and decided that they were not in a
position to harm any of God's creation. So, they humanely trapped the
Squirrels and set them free a few miles outside of town. Three days later,
the squirrels were back.
But -- The Catholic CHURCH came up with the best and most effective
solution.
They baptized the squirrels and registered them as members of the church.
Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter
The Presbyterian Church , the Baptist Church , the Methodist Church, and
the Catholic Church.
Each church was overrun with pesky squirrels .
One day, the Presbyterian Church called a meeting to decide what to do about
the squirrels.
After much prayer and consideration they Determined that the squirrels were
predestined to be there and they shouldn't interfere with God's divine
will..
In The BAPTIST CHURCH the squirrels had taken up habitation in the
baptistery. The deacons met and decided to put a cover on the baptistery and
drown the squirrels in it. The squirrels escaped somehow and there were
twice as many there the next week.
The Methodist Church got together and decided that they were not in a
position to harm any of God's creation. So, they humanely trapped the
Squirrels and set them free a few miles outside of town. Three days later,
the squirrels were back.
But -- The Catholic CHURCH came up with the best and most effective
solution.
They baptized the squirrels and registered them as members of the church.
Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter
Friday, December 15, 2006
Are You Working In A Hostile Environment
Here's a good read by TD Jakes.
Copy and paste the link below in your browser:
http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Commandments-Working-Hostile-Environment/dp/0425200167
Copy and paste the link below in your browser:
http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Commandments-Working-Hostile-Environment/dp/0425200167
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may
not so much seek to be consoled
as to console; to be understood
as to understand; to be loved as
to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
THE LORD ALWAYS BLESSES THE READERS AND HEARERS OF HIS WORD
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Faith
“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.”—Matthew 17:20
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
James Kim Was Found Dead Today In Oregon
Please continue to pray for his wife, daughters, parents, other family and friends.
Prayer Request from Rebecca
PLEASE PRAY FOR UNSAVED SPOUSES
Please share testimonies and respond with encouraging words, additional scriptures, insight, etc…
I want to encourage spouses to pray for their unsaved spouses. I read something on the web a while ago that disturbed me about a woman whose husband was not saved. While she acknowledged the Lord, she was very disappointed that her husband died (after 40 years of marriage) without accepting Jesus. Her story was even more sad as the relationship was extremely difficult, she was very lonely, and from what I gathered bordered on abuse (emotional abuse).
In some way, I want to encourage…
Paul is telling us that we need to walk in such a way that we will be an example to our unsaved spouses.
I Cor. 7:16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.
And in this verse:
II Cor. 6:17 Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."
We are called to be separate from the world. That does not mean to be separate from your husband or our wife, but to be separate from the things of this world, walking according to the will of God and not the flesh. This is addressed in the verses below.
Eph 4:20-24 But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Our spouses need to see Jesus in us and sometimes that is a challenge. I would encourage people to pray, pray, pray… Get to know the Lord like no one else. Talk to him, he is your friend. Lean on him, he is your father. Cry out to him, he is compassionate…
Thanks
Please share testimonies and respond with encouraging words, additional scriptures, insight, etc…
I want to encourage spouses to pray for their unsaved spouses. I read something on the web a while ago that disturbed me about a woman whose husband was not saved. While she acknowledged the Lord, she was very disappointed that her husband died (after 40 years of marriage) without accepting Jesus. Her story was even more sad as the relationship was extremely difficult, she was very lonely, and from what I gathered bordered on abuse (emotional abuse).
In some way, I want to encourage…
Paul is telling us that we need to walk in such a way that we will be an example to our unsaved spouses.
I Cor. 7:16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.
And in this verse:
II Cor. 6:17 Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."
We are called to be separate from the world. That does not mean to be separate from your husband or our wife, but to be separate from the things of this world, walking according to the will of God and not the flesh. This is addressed in the verses below.
Eph 4:20-24 But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Our spouses need to see Jesus in us and sometimes that is a challenge. I would encourage people to pray, pray, pray… Get to know the Lord like no one else. Talk to him, he is your friend. Lean on him, he is your father. Cry out to him, he is compassionate…
Thanks
Be Patient
Today's Daily Word - Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Patient
I express true spiritual patience.
The phrase “the patience of Job” is often used when describing someone who is accepting, tolerant, and serene in difficult circumstances. The Old Testament story, however, is about someone who at first railed against God and complained, but later learned a better way through his experiences.
The experiences of my life can teach me patience too. A difficult day at the office or troublesome family members may tempt me to complain. By devoting time each day to prayer and meditation, however, I learn true spiritual patience.
With patience that is founded on spiritual understanding, I know when to speak and when to be silent, when to act and when to allow others to act. I express true spiritual patience.
“What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should be patient?”—Job 6:11
Copyright © 2006 Daily Word.
Patient
I express true spiritual patience.
The phrase “the patience of Job” is often used when describing someone who is accepting, tolerant, and serene in difficult circumstances. The Old Testament story, however, is about someone who at first railed against God and complained, but later learned a better way through his experiences.
The experiences of my life can teach me patience too. A difficult day at the office or troublesome family members may tempt me to complain. By devoting time each day to prayer and meditation, however, I learn true spiritual patience.
With patience that is founded on spiritual understanding, I know when to speak and when to be silent, when to act and when to allow others to act. I express true spiritual patience.
“What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should be patient?”—Job 6:11
Copyright © 2006 Daily Word.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
By Max Lucado (forwarded by Michele in Houston)
by Max Lucado
You are in your car driving home. Thoughts wander to the game you want to see or meal you want to eat, when suddenly a sound unlike any you've ever heard fills the air.
The sound is high above you.
A trumpet?
A choir?
A choir of trumpets?
You don't know, but you want to know.
So you pull over, get out of your car, and look up. As you do, you see you aren't the only curious one. The roadside has become a parking lot.
Car doors are open, and people are staring at the sky. Shoppers are racing out of the grocery store.
The Little League baseball game across the street has
come to a halt. Players and parents are searching the
clouds. And what they see, and what you see, has never
before been seen.
As if the sky were a curtain, the drapes of the
atmosphere part. A brilliant light spills onto the
earth. There are no shadows. None. From whence came
the light begins to tumble a river of color spiking
crystals of every hue ever seen and a million more
never seen. Riding on the flow is an endless fleet of
angels. They pass through the curtains one myriad at a
time, until they occupy every square inch of the sky.
North.
South.
East.
West.
Thousands of silvery wings rise and fall in unison,
and over the sound of the trumpets, you can hear the
cherubim and seraphim chanting, Holy, holy, holy.
The final flank of angels is followed by twenty-four silver- bearded
elders and a multitude of souls who join the angels in worship.
Presently the movement stops and the trumpets are
silent, leaving only the triumphant triplet: Holy,
holy, holy. Between each word is a pause. With each
word, a profound reverence. You hear your voice join
in the chorus. You don't know why you say the words,
but you know you must.
Suddenly, the heavens are quiet. All is quiet.
The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns and
there He is.
Jesus.
Through waves of light you see the silhouetted figure
of Christ the King.
He is atop a great stallion, and the stallion is atop
a billowing cloud.
He opens his mouth, and you are surrounded by his
declaration:
I am the Alpha and the Omega.
The angels bow their heads.
The elders remove their crowns.
And before you is a Figure so consuming that you know,
instantly you know:
Nothing else matters.
Forget stock markets and school reports.
Sales meetings and football games.
Nothing is newsworthy..
All that mattered, matters no more....
for Christ has come. ..
You are in your car driving home. Thoughts wander to the game you want to see or meal you want to eat, when suddenly a sound unlike any you've ever heard fills the air.
The sound is high above you.
A trumpet?
A choir?
A choir of trumpets?
You don't know, but you want to know.
So you pull over, get out of your car, and look up. As you do, you see you aren't the only curious one. The roadside has become a parking lot.
Car doors are open, and people are staring at the sky. Shoppers are racing out of the grocery store.
The Little League baseball game across the street has
come to a halt. Players and parents are searching the
clouds. And what they see, and what you see, has never
before been seen.
As if the sky were a curtain, the drapes of the
atmosphere part. A brilliant light spills onto the
earth. There are no shadows. None. From whence came
the light begins to tumble a river of color spiking
crystals of every hue ever seen and a million more
never seen. Riding on the flow is an endless fleet of
angels. They pass through the curtains one myriad at a
time, until they occupy every square inch of the sky.
North.
South.
East.
West.
Thousands of silvery wings rise and fall in unison,
and over the sound of the trumpets, you can hear the
cherubim and seraphim chanting, Holy, holy, holy.
The final flank of angels is followed by twenty-four silver- bearded
elders and a multitude of souls who join the angels in worship.
Presently the movement stops and the trumpets are
silent, leaving only the triumphant triplet: Holy,
holy, holy. Between each word is a pause. With each
word, a profound reverence. You hear your voice join
in the chorus. You don't know why you say the words,
but you know you must.
Suddenly, the heavens are quiet. All is quiet.
The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns and
there He is.
Jesus.
Through waves of light you see the silhouetted figure
of Christ the King.
He is atop a great stallion, and the stallion is atop
a billowing cloud.
He opens his mouth, and you are surrounded by his
declaration:
I am the Alpha and the Omega.
The angels bow their heads.
The elders remove their crowns.
And before you is a Figure so consuming that you know,
instantly you know:
Nothing else matters.
Forget stock markets and school reports.
Sales meetings and football games.
Nothing is newsworthy..
All that mattered, matters no more....
for Christ has come. ..
Monday, December 04, 2006
The Power of Prayer - Mom and Kids Found Alive
According to Associated Press - Continue to pray the Dad will be found alive.
San Francisco family found alive, father still missing
Mother and children found alive in remote area of southern Oregon
Father is still missing
Three members of a San Francisco family missing for more than a week were found alive Monday in a remote area of southern Oregon, police said.
A search continued for the father.
San Francisco family found alive, father still missing
Mother and children found alive in remote area of southern Oregon
Father is still missing
Three members of a San Francisco family missing for more than a week were found alive Monday in a remote area of southern Oregon, police said.
A search continued for the father.
Prayer Request for the Kim Family Missing In Oregon
I don't know this family but I thought about them all night. Can't get this beautiful family's picture out of my head. Please pray for a miracle and their safe return. God can do all things.
OREGON
Missing S.F. couple, kids last seen at restaurant
- Steve Rubenstein, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, December 4, 2006
The last known person to interact with the missing Kim family of San Francisco said Sunday night that she remembers seeing four happy travelers finishing their dinner in an Oregon highway restaurant and departing for a late-night drive in the rain.
"They were sitting in the booth, and they looked very happy,'' said Karen Smith, who on the evening of Nov. 25 dined in the Denny's restaurant in Roseburg, in southwest Oregon. "Their child was cute. They got up to leave, the dad paid the bill, and I told the mom how cute their child was.''
On Sunday night, Smith was back in the same restaurant, where she recalled meeting the family exactly eight days earlier.
James Kim, 35, a senior editor at the tech-news site Cnet; his wife, Kati, 30; and their daughters, Penelope, 4, and Sabine, 7 months, spent Thanksgiving with an uncle in Seattle before beginning their return to San Francisco.
The Kims were driving a 2005 silver Saab station wagon with a personalized California license plate, "DOE SF."
Authorities confirmed over the weekend that a credit card belonging to the Kims was used at Denny's on the evening of the last day they were seen.
Smith said the family left the restaurant about 9 p.m.
"I didn't ask them where they were going,'' Smith said. "I didn't want to pry into their business. But it was very late to start a long drive.''
According to authorities, the Kims were heading for Gold Beach, a town on the coast on the other side of the Coast Range, where they had a hotel reservation. The family was apparently setting off on a drive of 135 miles on winding two-lane roads in cold and rainy weather, over roads that might have received a dusting of snow. They had called the hotel to say they were running late, and to request that a key be left for them. They never arrived.
Smith said that she has often driven over Highway 42, the road that connects Roseburg with Coos Bay on the coast, and that it's hazardous.
"It's tricky to drive, even during daylight,'' she said. "But that night it was cold, black and rainy."
Anyone with information on the family's whereabouts should call San Francisco police Inspector Angela Martin at (415) 558-5508 or (415) 553-1071.
E-mail Steve Rubenstein at srubenstein@sfchronicle.com.
OREGON
Missing S.F. couple, kids last seen at restaurant
- Steve Rubenstein, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, December 4, 2006
The last known person to interact with the missing Kim family of San Francisco said Sunday night that she remembers seeing four happy travelers finishing their dinner in an Oregon highway restaurant and departing for a late-night drive in the rain.
"They were sitting in the booth, and they looked very happy,'' said Karen Smith, who on the evening of Nov. 25 dined in the Denny's restaurant in Roseburg, in southwest Oregon. "Their child was cute. They got up to leave, the dad paid the bill, and I told the mom how cute their child was.''
On Sunday night, Smith was back in the same restaurant, where she recalled meeting the family exactly eight days earlier.
James Kim, 35, a senior editor at the tech-news site Cnet; his wife, Kati, 30; and their daughters, Penelope, 4, and Sabine, 7 months, spent Thanksgiving with an uncle in Seattle before beginning their return to San Francisco.
The Kims were driving a 2005 silver Saab station wagon with a personalized California license plate, "DOE SF."
Authorities confirmed over the weekend that a credit card belonging to the Kims was used at Denny's on the evening of the last day they were seen.
Smith said the family left the restaurant about 9 p.m.
"I didn't ask them where they were going,'' Smith said. "I didn't want to pry into their business. But it was very late to start a long drive.''
According to authorities, the Kims were heading for Gold Beach, a town on the coast on the other side of the Coast Range, where they had a hotel reservation. The family was apparently setting off on a drive of 135 miles on winding two-lane roads in cold and rainy weather, over roads that might have received a dusting of snow. They had called the hotel to say they were running late, and to request that a key be left for them. They never arrived.
Smith said that she has often driven over Highway 42, the road that connects Roseburg with Coos Bay on the coast, and that it's hazardous.
"It's tricky to drive, even during daylight,'' she said. "But that night it was cold, black and rainy."
Anyone with information on the family's whereabouts should call San Francisco police Inspector Angela Martin at (415) 558-5508 or (415) 553-1071.
E-mail Steve Rubenstein at srubenstein@sfchronicle.com.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
When In Doubt
James 1:5 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
Friday, December 01, 2006
Twelve Days of Christmas (submitted by Michele in Houston)
Twelve Days of Christmas (Christmas Carol)
What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming
swans, and especially that partridge who won't come out of
the pear tree have to do with Christmas? Today I found out!
From l558 until l829, Roman Catholics in England were not
allowed to practice their faith openly. Someone during that
era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning; the surface meaning, plus a
hidden meaning known only to members of their church.
Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious
reality, which the children could remember.
The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold
gifts of the Holy Spirit; Prophesy, Serving, Teaching,
Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
The eight maids a milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit; Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,
Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control.
The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.
Eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
Twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points
of belief in the Apostles' Creed
So there is your history lesson for today.
and now you know.
What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming
swans, and especially that partridge who won't come out of
the pear tree have to do with Christmas? Today I found out!
From l558 until l829, Roman Catholics in England were not
allowed to practice their faith openly. Someone during that
era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning; the surface meaning, plus a
hidden meaning known only to members of their church.
Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious
reality, which the children could remember.
The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold
gifts of the Holy Spirit; Prophesy, Serving, Teaching,
Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
The eight maids a milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit; Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,
Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control.
The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.
Eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
Twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points
of belief in the Apostles' Creed
So there is your history lesson for today.
and now you know.
December 1st - World AIDS Day
Leaders Mark World AIDS Day
By VOA News
01 December 2006
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (file)
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged world leaders to follow through on their promises to help stop the spread of AIDS and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
In a statement released for World AIDS Day Friday, Mr. Annan called the HIV/AIDS pandemic the greatest challenge of this generation. But he said the international community has finally begun to take the fight against the virus seriously.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice released a statement that the United States mourns the more than 25 million people who have died of AIDS (since the first case was reported 25 years ago) and remembers the more than 39 million people who are currently living with HIV.
President Bush and the first lady are hosting a meeting on World AIDS Day at the White House Friday.
The president has said marking the event helps underscore U.S. commitment to fight the pandemic with compassion and decisive action.
Indonesian activists hold balloons before releasing them to mark World AIDS Day in Jakarta, 1 Dec. 2006
The United Nations says the virus is the leading cause of death among men and women between the ages of 15 and 59. It says more than four million people will be infected this year, with nearly two out of three new infections occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa.
U.N. officials say infection rates are increasing in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
By VOA News
01 December 2006
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (file)
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged world leaders to follow through on their promises to help stop the spread of AIDS and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
In a statement released for World AIDS Day Friday, Mr. Annan called the HIV/AIDS pandemic the greatest challenge of this generation. But he said the international community has finally begun to take the fight against the virus seriously.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice released a statement that the United States mourns the more than 25 million people who have died of AIDS (since the first case was reported 25 years ago) and remembers the more than 39 million people who are currently living with HIV.
President Bush and the first lady are hosting a meeting on World AIDS Day at the White House Friday.
The president has said marking the event helps underscore U.S. commitment to fight the pandemic with compassion and decisive action.
Indonesian activists hold balloons before releasing them to mark World AIDS Day in Jakarta, 1 Dec. 2006
The United Nations says the virus is the leading cause of death among men and women between the ages of 15 and 59. It says more than four million people will be infected this year, with nearly two out of three new infections occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa.
U.N. officials say infection rates are increasing in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)