HEY LIZA! - Welcome to My Blog

The Many Faces of Sugar

2010-06-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

The Many Faces of Sugar
In addition to salt, sugar (in its many and diverse forms) is the top ingredient in many foods. A lot of them are probably found on your cupboard and refrigerator shelves. Check out the following list. It will help you identify the many names of sugar and make you a smarter shopper and discerning label reader!

agave
barley malt
beet sugar
brown sugar
buttered syrup
cane juice crystals
cane sugar
caramel
carob syrup
castor sugar
corn syrup and solids
date sugar
demerara
dextran
dextrose
diastatic malt
diatase
ethyl maltol
free flowing brown sugars
fructose
fruit juice and concentrates
galactose
glucose
glucose solids
golden sugar
golden syrup
grape sugar
high-fructose corn syrup
honey
invert sugar
lactose
malt syrup
maltodextrin
maltose
mannitol
maple syrup
molasses
muscovado or barbados
panocha
powdered or confectioner's sugar
rapadura
raw sugar
refiner's syrup
rice syrup
sorbitol
sorghum syrup
sucrose
sugar
sugar (granulated)
treacle
turbinado sugar
yellow sugar

Top Twenty Antioxidant Foods

2010-06-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

Top Twenty Antioxidant Foods

The humble bean beat out the blueberry in a report released by the United States Department of Agriculture* (USDA) on the nutritional quality of foods. In the study, researchers used a technique called "oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) to test the antioxidant power of more than 100 different kinds of fruits, vegetables, nuts and spices."

Antioxidants are purported to help prevent and repair oxidative stress, a process that damages cells within the body that has been linked to the development of cardiovascular disease, cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and other life-threatening ailments.

Rankings with their serving size and antioxidant capacity per serving:
1. Small red beans (dried), also known as Mexican red beans 1/2 cup = 13727
2. Blueberries (wild) 1 cup = 13427
3. Red kidney beans 1/2 cup = 1350
4. Pinto beans 1/2 cup = 11864
5. Blueberries (cultivated) 1 cup = 9019
6. Cranberries 1 cup (whole) = 8983
7. Artichokes (cooked hearts) 1 cup = 7904
8. Blackberries 1 cup = 7701
9. Prunes 1/2 cup = 7291
10. Raspberries 1 cup - 7058
11. Strawberries 1 cup = 7938
12. Red Delicious apples 1 = 5900
13. Granny Smith apples 1 - 5381
14. Pecans 1 oz. = 5098
15. Cherries (sweet) 1 cup = 3873
16. Black plums 1 = 4844
17. Russet potatoes (cooked) 1 = 4649
18. Black beans (dried) 1/2 cup = 4181
19. Red plums 1 = 4118
20. Gala apples 1 = 3903

Eat five to nine servings a day of a variety of fruits and vegetables and remember, that there are foods such as spinach, kale, and chard that didn't make the top 20 cut, but that are powerhouses of good health, rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Eat your food fresh (raw or slightly cooked) vs frozen, canned, dehydrated, or otherwise processed which denudes the nutritional value of food and contains preservatives. Some research indicates that more vitamin A is activated in cooked carrots, and that tomatoes are more nutritious cooked vs. raw because the fibrous structure impedes the digestion of their antioxidants.

Search out herbs and spices because many of them, ground cloves, ground cinnamon and oregano are also high in antioxidants.

Sources:
* June 2004 issue of Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Ronald L. Prior, PhD, research chemist, licensed nutritionist, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, Arkansas.

KEYS: BINDING & LOOSING

2010-05-30T21:12:00.003-07:00

KEYS to BINDING and LOOSING

Keys are important. You'd agree with that, right? They unlock things. Keys open doors that can take you into new dimensions, show you things you didn't know existed, teach you how to call even the things that you can't (yet) see as though they already existed (noticeable, observable - things that engage your senses). (Both Matthew 17:27 and Romans 4:17b demonstrate this key.)

If you belong to Jesus Christ you probably know that he laid out a set of keys for his family. Any member of the family can pick them up and use them at any time. There's nothing extra we need to do to get them (no test to take, no license or certification to acquire). All we need is to realize that they're there for the taking.

Why don't we grab a key ring and start putting some God's keys on it. Let's start with the one that unlocks the principle of binding & loosing - in heaven & on the earth. It's discussed in Matthew's writings, chapters 16:19 & 18:18:

"Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

What does it mean to bind?

Bind means to fasten, put under obligation; be bound; to forbid, and prohibit. When we constrict, secure, obligate and/or yoke, we are binding.

There are several different applications of binding in scripture. One, in Matthew 12:29, where entering a "strongman's house" (one strong either in body or in mind) required binding the strong man in order to receive back the plunder (stolen goods) - get back things that rightly belong to you.

Another example is found in Matthew 13:30 where we see that the harvest was gathered and bound into bundles and taken into the barn (the Lord's storehouse), where the chaff (stalks of grain left after the prized kernels were beaten out) would burn up/be consumed with an unquenchable fire - a purging, purifying fire.

What does it mean to loose?

Loose means to free something/someone that is tied, fastened, or bound. Set it free! When we loose something or someone, we undo, dissolve, dismiss, or breakup. We do away with and deprive the thing that is bound of it's authority (whether by precept of an act of our will). It's destroyed: made null and void, impotent.

In John 20:23 this concept is reinforced and linked to another principle - another key - the key we know as forgiveness: "If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven. If you retain people's sins, they are retained."

What an incredible power and authority we have been given: the authority to bind another person's sin - to hold onto, maintain, and brood over; or the option of releasing this person's sin - to freedom and liberty. What a choice.

Now, I won't kid you, this is a key that requires imagination, some wisdom, and a revelation! This key allows us to disregard and relinquish another's sin - even a most egregious sin done to us. But, we're not robots or puppets (we have "free will"), so we can also decide to hold stubbornly to anger and offense or treat our "old man" as the "dead man" he really is (The "old man" is another key that we won't talk about here, but you can find out more about it here: Romans 6:8, 8:13, 13:14; Galatians 2:20; and 1 Corinthians 6:13, 15:3).

We get a choice: surrender our pain to God or become bitter.

Surrender releases God to work in love and grace cleansing us and the one who sinned against us by an uncomplicated (albeit ofttimes most difficult) act of forgiveness. When we're able to do this, we're saying, "I no longer hold this action - this wretched thing you did - to your charge. You're released."

This is huge - a "really big deal" and yet, it's simple.

Of course, this "act of forgiveness" on a seriously gargantuan scale is exactly what Jesus did for us times a b'zillion times to the max. He got the "whooping" for our sin on a tree called Calvary. His shed blood set us free. The two big words theologians sometimes toss out when trying to explain this, are called justification (meaning Jesus "excused" our sin), and propitiation (meaning Jesus "satisfied the debt" of our sin). If you want to find out more, you could begin by looking at Romans 6:23 and Galatians 2:16 and 4:4-6; 1 Timothy 2:5; and 1 Peter 2:24.

Pretty amazing isn't it? This same principle - this key - that allows us to be free (in Christ), is the same step we can take on behalf of someone who has acted like a gnarly, downright wretched snake toward us!

The LORD actually gave to us - his children - the authority to do good, not evil; to choose life, not death; to walk with a grudge, in bondage, or in forgiveness and freedom.

How about that? These are choices we get to exercise every day. As for me, I have to ask myself - often - which choice I'll make. I rather like forgiveness and freedom to blame and bondage. How about you?

© Liza K. Christian - All Rights Reserved

The Five P's

2010-05-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

Five Profitable Objectives:

1. Be Purposeful
- Determine to be focused... plugged in... attentive, intentional and deliberate about what God has for you - not someone else - you! Purpose one day at a time - maybe one minute at a time, and don't be distracted by things that don't lead you to your goal(s) and objectives.

2. Be Positive
- Retrain/reframe your mind to think about possibilities, not limitations. When a negative thought comes, reform it as a positive. Determine that you will flourish in confidence and competence because you are His and nothing is impossible if you believe.

3. Be Productive
- Remember that strategy is important. Seek out the strategy that works best for you. When you "do" - you need to be productive (not merely performing); that's when you're able to implement and accomplish God's plans/purposes in a state of rest, not agitation or stress. Don't despise the day of small beginnings - call forth the treasures hidden in you until they are reality.

4. Be Positioned
- Fortify yourself spiritually, physically, and emotionally at the right times and places. No one but you can choose and implement proper habits (i.e., exercise/eating plans/spiritual renewal) that intensify power, energy, strength, and build longevity in your temple of the Holy Spirit.

5. Be Potentized
- Connect to Love - boundlessly, with freedom and passion to accomplish God's plans and purposes for your life. Surround yourself with people and things that nurture your relationship with the Lord... things and people that feed your spirit and soul and facilitate the release of your God-given potential. Pay attention to everything that undergirds and helps you achieve the release of your potential. Nix the things that don't (including toxic relationships).

Declaration:
I'm a purposeful and positive person - productive and positioned. I am potentized by pure, omnipotent power to pursue and persevere God's plans for my future... plans that are filled with promise... plans that prosper me... plans that move me into possibility and posterity... plans that activate and release my portion now, and into eternity.

© Liza K. Christian ~ All Rights Reserved ~ No portion of this text and/or image may be reproduced without the author's express permission.

You've Got a Friend - Sand Art

2009-07-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

Insight & Perspective

2009-07-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

No Ordinary Tuesday Morning

2009-07-21T15:15:00.000-07:00

Tuesday's - a showcase of fresh produce brought to market by caring organic farmers. This little cherub was enjoying some morning-picked blueberries. She took me to her stash - tucked in her mom's handbag behind their herb stand where I bought some wonderful fresh-cut basil. I love Tuesday's!

Before Beside Beyond

2009-07-17T11:24:00.001-07:00

He is indescribable, incomprehensible, irresistible, and invincible.
His love is limitless, his goodness endless, his mercy measureless, his grace unending.
He was and always will be. Beside him there is none other. He is the I AM.

Got Fruit?

2009-07-07T19:06:00.001-07:00

The fast and furious harvesting season is now officially over in the valley where I live. Not for all crops, of course, but it is for the sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, plump, round fruit that dots the cherry tree. Common birds and nasty buzzards are known to swoop down and get their fill, reducing crop size. Worms, a late frost, or an unseasonable hail storm can also destroy an otherwise abundant crop. But, for every cherry you pluck off a branch... every one that leaves its red stain on your fingers... every one that finds its way to your dinner table, what can I say, but "yum!"

The commercial orchards use massive hydrolic ladders called "boom lifts" to pluck cherries from the trees. But, an ordinary girl like me, can twist and pull them off at ground level. In a short time, you get an afternoon or two's worth of good eating. Hoisting a tall ladder helps me reach the ones I can't grab on my tippy toes, and a bucket belted to my waist makes the pickin' easy.

As I filled two buckets full on a recent sunny afternoon, I thought how wonderful the fruits of summer are - not just to eat, but to gaze upon. Peaches, with their fresh blush, strawberries like a low trellis on the ground, all juicy and delicious. Soon, there will be blueberries on bushes. If they're bush blueberries, they're one of easiest fruits to pick. Raspberries, dewberries, huckleberries grow here too - many native to our area. All delectable delights.

The innocent pink and white blossoms of one scrumptious fruit often contradicts its other qualities: the prickly vines on a shrub we call the blackberry. It grows like poison oak in the west, or kudzu in the south. People use all manner of techniques to rid it from their property. But, if they choose to pick. Ahhhh.

Once you have tossed a ladder against a large vine, it's a bit easier than picking off the roadside - unless you're just wanting a handful. Along our river property the vines created a massive hedge - twenty feet high and twice as long. As kids, we were dispatched to do the picking while our parents held the ladder steady from below.

Not only are your fingers and hands stained and bloody from the picking, but your arms and other exposed areas get scratched beyond belief. The rewards, however, of the succulent fruit finding its way to your palate - whether in a bowl with cream, or in a cobbler, is undeniable good. If you not developed a fondness for the common blackberry, you've been eating too many burgers! If you're fortunate enough to find them at market all the better. But if you have to endure a few war wounds by picking them yourself, they are incredibly worth any pain you endure.

It's similar in relationships. Some are easy pickin' - you meet someone, and instantly, something clicks. You laugh at the same jokes, are zealously pursuing similar passions, and enjoy the same movies and music. When this person calls, you answer. Other relationships are okay to good, but you never strike enough mutual chords meaning that the time you spend with those connections is limited. Then, there are the people you meet that you wish you never had. You see them looking over the bananas at the local supermarket and turn your cart toward the canned goods aisle. Maybe you had a bad experience with them, or maybe you just don't like them. They dress funky, smell bad, aren't hip enough, or too hip. Pick any one and you just don't want to pursue those relationships.

I guess there might be some fruit on a tree that doesn't look so good, either. Maybe it's bruised from the hail. Maybe a worm wedged it's ways into a small section. Maybe the sun burnt one whole side and it simply looks unattractive. We discard fruit for those reasons and more. But, do we scrutinize people in a similar fashion? This one's a little chubby... and oh my gosh, that one is wearing some Mod-polyester freaky outfit from the 70's. Then, there's the one who wasn't paying attention and rammed your cart. She needs to look where she's going!! Then, there's the crabby clerk, who somehow made it to work despite the fact that her husband rolled his truck just a few hours ago, and suffered multiple fractures and is paralyzed from the neck down; but you don't know that and are impatient with her not helping you, snap, snap.

Will the harvesting season be over before we have an opportunity to taste and see the good fruit? Will we only be happy with perfect fruit and reject all others?

Will we be fruit... or fruit bearers... or both?

God's Mail Room

2009-07-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

Years ago, when I was a youngster, I attended a community church. I don't remember them praying. Not that they didn't pray, I just don't remember it. Later in life, I had an encounter with Jesus Christ - developing a personal relationship - a friendship with God where I understood Him as Savior, and made him LORD over my life. Wanting to know more about him, I started attending church again.

An evangelist came to the church one evening. At the end, there was a time of prayer. Anyone could go up front and the evangelist would pray for them. I sat in the front row with my friend, and pondered. "If I go up there, what exactly would I want the evangelist to pray for me... for my family, about something in my life, or someone in my life?"

I finally decided on what I would ask and went up to the front. I don't remember ever having someone pray for me like that before. Somehow, I knew that the evangelist had made a connection with Heaven.

I returned to my seat and told my friend, "that was great, but the more I think about it, I wish I'd asked him to pray about something else."

She leaned back into her chair and laughed, "What," she said in her finest New York accent, "do you think there's only one per customer!"

We both chuckled, but at that moment, a significant shift began, and I tapped into a truth that would shape me over time.

There is no "one per customer" with God. He's ready in a nano-second to hear the prayers of his children. His promise is that if we draw near to him, he will draw near to us (James 4:8). How do we pray? How do we get his attention?

Jeremiah 33:3 says, "call to me and I will answer and show you great and mighty things that you don't yet know."

Call?? Does this mean we need a land-line or a mobile phone to call him? We all know that's silly, right? If we can't call, can we send a letter? It's pretty unlikely there's a post office in Heaven, so "snail mail" isn't the answer (although he left some letters on Earth, for us. I don't think he has a computer, so eMail doesn't work. I'm pretty sure, however, that he invented an original form of "cyber-communication." We're a "spiritual" arm's distance from him - "seated with him in heavenly realms." (Ephesians 2:6)

Do we have other options? You may have read: "knock and the door will be opened to you," or seen artist's paintings of Jesus standing on the opposite side of a door where a person is trying to get him to open up. This is a metaphor, of course. We don't find Jesus hanging out behind doorways. So how do we contact him?

My little 6-year old friend overheard his mother wondering this very thing.

Because a few areas of her life weren't going so well, she ranted, hands on her hips, and in great frustration, yelled, "How do I get God's attention? How do I send a letter to God? Snail Mail? No - even a 'forever stamp' isn't going to reach him out there - wherever he is. eMail, maybe? No - there's no Post Office Protocol there either."

Her young son innocently piped in and said, "Mommy, what about knee mail? Do you think that would work?"

"Call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. (Isaiah 58:9)

Call out. He hears. He answers. He's on the job - 24-7.

America's Judeo-Christian Heritage

2009-06-12T10:10:00.001-07:00

H.Res. 397 calls on Congress to affirm “the rich spiritual and religious history of our nation’s founding and subsequent history” and to designate the first week of May as America’s Spiritual Heritage Week for “the appreciation of and education on America’s history of religious faith.”
Click here to read H.Res 397 - Spiritual Heritage Legislation
Click here for an article from WND

Beautiful

2009-05-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here, before Your altar,
I am letting go of all I've held
of every motive, every burden,
everything that's of myself.
and I just wanna wait on You my God
I just wanna dwell on who You are.

beautiful, beautiful oh I am lost for more to say
beautiful, beautiful oh Lord, You're beautiful to me

oh beautiful

here in Your presence,
I am not afraid of brokenness
to wash Your feet with humble tears
oh I would be poured out till nothing's left.
and I just wanna wait on You my God
I just wanna dwell on who You are, who You are

Beautiful, beautiful oh I am lost for more to say
beautiful, beautiful oh Lord, You're beautiful to me

oh Lord You're beautiful, beautiful beautiful
holy holy holy You are You are
holy holy holy You are You are
holy holy holy You are You are
holy holy holy You are You are

beautiful, beautiful oh I am lost for more to say
beautiful, beautiful oh Lord, You're beautiful to me

and I just wanna wait on You my God
I just wanna dwell on who You are.

This will bring a smile and a tear

2009-05-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

A Mother's Prayer

2009-05-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

Patriotism Personified

2009-04-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

It is my understanding that Budweiser only aired this commercial right after the tragedy of 9-11 so as not to benefit from it financially, but to show tribute and honor.

A New Look at Downsizing

2009-03-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

More including plans

Heart Strings Will Be Pulled!

2009-03-17T21:17:00.001-07:00

Don't Honk at Old People

2009-03-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

Dunno if it was staged or not, but it is a total crack up!

Energy Distortions

2009-01-12T12:28:00.000-08:00

"Every sin is the distortion of an energy breathed into us... ." C.S. Lewis

Sin: voluntary departure from/violation of a divine directive.

I found the simplicity of Lewis' insight, profound. We are an energy force-field created by God for intimate relationship with him, then for good works, etc. Every time we move away from this "goodness" (advantage, excellence, virtue, et al) appointed/chosen for us, we distort and deplete what has *already* been invested in us by the Source.

Unarguably, by choices we ourselves make, we exhaust and impoverish this amazing supply. The plans - ordered from before the foundation of the world - plans to prosper us (not just with money), and give us a future and a hope are diminished and then we whine (well, at least I have), and wonder why we are sick, in want, blahdie, blahdie, blahdie.

(A thought worth examining, anyway.)

Gianna Jessen - Born Surviving a Saline Abortion

2009-01-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

"I was born to stir things up..." Gianna Jessen

All Creation Worship Adonai

2009-01-03T13:27:00.001-08:00

All Creation Worship Adoni

2009-01-03T13:27:00.000-08:00

First Orbit of the Moon by American Astronauts

2008-12-25T13:16:00.000-08:00

Think of how much has changed in four decades since the space shuttle orbited the moon on Christmas Eve of 1968. In 2008, were an astronaut to share scripture from the Holy Bible and conclude with God's blessings, someone would probably figure out how to serve him/her legal papers in the vastness of space rather than wait for a landing on earth. How low we have sunk. What disregard for the One who created it all.

Swan Lake Like You've Never Seen It

2008-12-23T13:03:00.000-08:00

Swan Lake

We Need A Little Christmas

2008-12-10T19:04:00.001-08:00

Buddy Green Goes Classical

2008-12-10T09:50:00.001-08:00

The Dance of Joy - SOOOO MUCH FUN!

2008-12-04T15:14:00.000-08:00

Simple Church

2008-12-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

Worthy, Holy is the Lamb who Sits on Heaven's Mercy Seat

2008-12-01T18:08:00.000-08:00

James 3: A Story

2008-12-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

Amazing Grace

2008-11-28T11:37:00.001-08:00

Some of Us

2008-11-26T18:49:00.000-08:00

SOME OF US

Reflections on Thanksgiving - USA

Each of us has something if not a lot of somethings for which we can be thankful.
Sometimes these things, these matters slip into oblivion, buried under mounds of sorrow, frustration, anger, depression, unforgiveness, mistrust, disappointment and ______ (you get to fill in the blank).

Right now, if you're reading this,

* Some of you are steeped in deep sorrow and may be despairing. Some of you are filled with self-hatred and contempt for yourself and others.
* Some of you are overflowing with joy and gladness. Some of you have learned the valuable lesson of loving yourself and your neighbor as yourself.
* Some of you are preparing for a wonderful holiday meal with family and friends.
* Some of you have no place to go and will eat alone, or not eat at all.
* Some of you whipped up the egg nog, chilled the apple cider, and retrieved your special mug from the cupboard, ready to toast the holiday.
* Some of you are pouring a glass wine or any kind of booze you can lay your hands on - not to celebrate, but to numb yourself from regret, grief, and pain.
* Some of you recently lost a loved one to death or divorce. Others of you lost a beloved family pet, your house, your paycheck, or find yourself amidst tragedy.
* Some of you got a bonus or promotion, got engaged, birthed a new baby or acquired a new pet. Some of you closed the deal on a new residence, or formed new and satisfying relationships.
* Some of you recently received a dreaded diagnosis for a devastating disease or you've been living with chronic pain or illness for a long time.
* Some of you recently overcame a set back in your health.
* Some of you will spend the day in a hospital or a rest home and no one will come to visit or have even sent a card.
* Some of you are so popular that your care-givers send friends and family down the corridor so that you can rest and recover.
* Some of you have no money to pay your bills unless by some miracle of immediate cash.
* Some of you live in luxury and the concept that you'd not have enough money to pay a bill is an unrecognizable prospect.
* Some of you walk to work or ride public transportation - not by choice, but because you don't own a vehicle.
* Some of you drive SUVs or Beamers or another reliable form of transportation.
* Some of you complain about your jobs. Others of you have no jobs. Some of you earn less than minimum wage and live pay-check to pay-check.
* Some of you make three to six figure incomes or greater and have a solid retirement nest egg.
* Some of you aspired to a great destiny but somewhere along the line, you got sidetracked and now you feel useless. You wonder if you'll ever fit in... ever be a contribution... ever feel appreciated... . You are without vision and hope.
* Some of you have a consistent track record of success (however you define "success"), and lead not merely satisfactory, but extraordinary, serendipitous lives.
* Some of you think you're losers and you repeat those words to yourself on a daily basis. Some of you go about unnoticed - as if you don't exist. The ones who do notice seem to disregard or disdain you. You feel worthless, unacceptable, and unloved.
* Some of you are approved, confirmed, and applauded by your family, friends, and associates. Even complete strangers seem to look at you with awe.
* Some of you have lost trust and faith - in your fellow man, in your country, in yourself.
* Some of you press on despite the fractures, the discombobulations, and disappointments of life.
* Some of you want to die and some of you are planning how to do it, and when. Maybe tomorrow. Or, maybe you'll wait until the next holiday. You think, "maybe one more day... I'll try one more day..." hoping that someone will be your friend, come alongside - notice that you're hurting and give you a hand up not just a hand out.
* Some of you can't wait to get up in the morning and tackle life again, because it is full of promise, goodness, and grace.
* Some of you have so little energy that you can barely get out of bed in the morning, and when you do, you feel like curling right back under the covers.
* Some of you are like turbo-charged rockets on steroids; you need little sleep and when you get up, you hit the ground running until it's time for sleep again.

Some of you, is all of us.

In one way or another, we are all connected. Your pain is my pain. Your joy is my joy.

Whether you view life from a spiritual perspective or not, it doesn't matter - we are all a part of this unit - this convergence - called humanity. I believe we were created by a loving God who desired us to form a forever family. Some of you also believe this; others don't. Regardless of our differences or our similarities, we remain inextricably linked.

On the fourth Thursday of November, the United States of America celebrates Thanksgiving. We who live here are connected to this profound heritage bought by the men and women who traveled from Europe across the Atlantic Ocean to the New Land. We take note of their trials, of which there were many. We are thankful for them. Surviving their first year was an extraordinary challenge. That they did - for this we are thankful. Hardship beckoned at every corner. Many of them died. But not all. We give thanks. Why did they come? Were they merely escaping something or moving toward something? Maybe a bit a both, but at their core, pursuit was on their minds. For this we are thankful and inspired to propel ourselves along a similar path.

In the course of human events, when that certain people dissolved bands that connected them and impeled separation, they joined together under a banner of freedom and held to truths they claimed to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

Thursday, as our minds traverse the pages of history, let us not squander this opportunity to reflect upon freedom. Let us look to our fellow man and see how we might love unconditionally and with generosity; how we might share lavishly, both from our bounty and from our need. Let us examine how we might not live for selfish gain, thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought, but walk out this journey called life, openhanded, hospitable, and with great-heartedness.

Some of us is all of us.

Let us consider how we might unite our hearts in love, by grace, to live united in freedom. Like an example from long ago, let us not merely invade land, but the heart - where for freedom we have been set free.

May joy flood your heart and mind this day, and may you walk in peace.

© Liza K. Christian November 2008
Trackback URL http://heyliza.blogspot.com/2008/11/some-of-us.html

You Don't Want to Go Here: The "doghouse" that is...

2008-11-26T13:11:00.000-08:00

VERY FUNNY MOVIE ABOUT THE DOGHOUSE

The Art of Gratitude

2008-11-19T12:07:00.000-08:00

In all things, we must give thanks. It is part of our DNA as human beings that we be grateful. If I eat a great meal in a restaurant, I want to thank the server and the chef. It’s just natural! If someone gives us a beautiful sweater for Christmas, we want to say thank you. If someone scores a touchdown for our team, what are we doing when we stand up and cheer? We are showing our appreciation. If someone wins a gold medal, or overcomes a daunting deficit to win, we jump up and down. We are thankful to be a part of that historic moment.

“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” Paul said in 1Thessalonians 5:18. Intimacy has a voice, and we need to be vocal in our praise and gratitude. Thanksgiving is not just for the Thanksgiving weekend; it should be an everyday occurrence.

I believe that real intimacy with God cannot be hidden. It transforms us. To get there, however, we need to press into communion and praise. We have to live with a heart captured by God. Appreciation is often a tool God uses to draw us closer to Him. When we enter His presence, He usually tells us something He loves about us. He is very good at being grateful—and we need to follow the Holy Spirit’s lead in that.

God’s blessing should propel us into thanksgiving—our excitement over what He is doing must manifest itself in gratitude. Thankfulness is a test we need to pass every day of our lives. Whether life is good or bad, we always have something to give thanks for.

Many Christians have been conditioned to think that they enter God’s presence with prayer. But Scripture is clear that thankfulness is the door to His presence—“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name,” says Psalm 100:4.

Whatever happens, we must thank God for the set of circumstances we are in. I’m not saying that we must thank God for something horrible that has happened: Christians are not called to be masochists. However, we can thank God that He is always with us.

Rejoicing in God gives us the opportunity to hear Him. When we enter His presence with thanksgiving, we open more of ourselves to His voice. When we want to know God’s will for a situation, we begin by giving thanks.

Probably two-thirds of the rest of the world would change places with us in the west in a heartbeat, no matter how poor our lifestyle. To many, we are rich beyond their wildest dreams. Count your blessings; there are so many things to give thanks for. If we struggle with being grateful to God for what He has given us, chances are we will be ungracious to people in how we live our lives. It is disciplines like gratitude, thanksgiving, praise, and worship that keep the presence of God fresh and alive in our hearts.

This is a fundamental spiritual truth that can re-shape and re-ignite our personal time with God. By entering His presence with praise, not petitions, we learn how to adore God. Our hearts become full of constant, continuous worship. We are people called to be happy in God; if we don’t have joy in our relationship with Him, how can we expect anyone else to?

As a Christian, who would you rather be represented by: the most miserable swine on earth, or the happiest person in the world? This is the very choice God faces! Nobody wants to be represented by someone who is glum and miserable. Thankfulness helps us remain happy in God.
Trackback URL © Graham Cooke

Praise in the Storm - Casting Crowns

2008-11-09T09:52:00.001-08:00

NOVEMBER 7 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILLY GRAHAM

2008-11-08T11:53:00.000-08:00

Kicks and Giggles for the Technologically Challenged

2008-11-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

Forget it, old people. No more TV for you starting in 2009.

The Bridge - How Far Would You Go?

2008-10-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

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Provision for Good Times, Sad Times, Bad Times

2008-10-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

Field of Blood

2008-10-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

Power Point Presentation Humor

2008-10-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

How Not to do Power Point Presentation

Stand Up America

2008-10-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

Click to view video on California's Prop 8

2008-10-06T13:29:00.000-07:00

Old Mother Hubbard and the TP's (taxpayers)

2008-09-26T13:51:00.001-07:00

Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the TP's cupboard,
To fetch rich dogs more bone.
But when she got there,
She got quite a scare,
The TP's said they had none.

She went to China
She thought they would dish;
But when she came back,
The dogs kept saying, "go fish!"

She went to the baker's
To get even more bread.
But when she came back,
The rich dogs played dead.

She went to the undertaker's
To buy them a casket.
But when she came back,
The dogs were heaping their baskets.

The taxpayers made a curtsy,
The dogs made a bow.
The meek said "Your servants,"
The dogs said "Bow-wow!"

Economic Recovery Plan - The Ultimate Stimulus Package

2008-09-26T12:08:00.001-07:00

DEFINED:
A "grant" account benefiting every U.S. citizen 18 years of age and older is established by the Federal Government.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR BENEFICIARIES:
Citizenship in the United States of America (proof required).
You must be a Registered Voter (proof required).

EXCLUSIONS:
Individuals whose income exceeded $500,000 in any of the last three taxable years.
Executives who received a bonus of $250,000 or greater in any of the last ten taxable years.

EXECUTION of the PLAN:
The Federal Government deposits $50k (taxable) in a federally-backed savings and loan institution.
Ten thousand dollars of this grant in the form of a "Trust" whose assets are transferable to the beneficiary after a period of twenty-four months. This assures that there is money in financial institutions for selling product. All institutions must qualify borrowers who prove the ability to repay (no free lunch/no socialism-like loans, ala Clinton Administration).

- Military Service:
For any individual who has or is now serving in any of the USA armed forces, such individual's grant increases by 20%.
For any individual who enlists with a 4-year commitment, their grant doubles.

- Community Service:
Any individual who volunteers at least 200 hours annually, to community service programs receives a $1k bonus.
Any individual who volunteers for one year in a human-justice-type program (domestic or global), receives a $10k bonus.

- Advanced Education:
For any individual who is currently enrolled (or will enroll by ___), in a recognized certification or degree-granting educational institution (see explanation) of higher learning, receives a 50% credit toward tuition for a period of two years (any two years-regardless of what year they are).

- Health Care:
People who practice preventative health care receive a $500 bonus that can be used toward ____ and their medical insurance premiums are paid for one full year.
Seniors (age 65 and older) who are registered in any Medicare program have their benefits paid for one full year.
Drug-users with a criminal record are penalized with a $1k reduction in benefits, however that same amount can be used toward a recovery program.

- Good Will:
People who pay-it-forward (invest at least 50% of their grant in something that drives capital growth, set up new businesses, or offer new-business loans to entrepreneurs) have a renewable option after 5 years, to receive back, 50% of their investment, if they can prove their enterprise has shown a profit of at least 15% each year of growth.

- Failing Institutions:
Liquidate all assets of the failing financial institutions by allowing third-world countries to purchase them at 50 cents on the dollar, or auction them off on eBay. (For obvious reasons, bidders from China may not apply.)

- Current Managers (private and government):
Fiscal managers who have turned their heads, issued blank stares (in order to avoid criminal charges), are banned from managing any type of financial institution for a period of 5 years or more. In that same time period, they must commit to 30 hours per month, in community service and stand in the public square yelling, "I repent, I repent, I repent!" every Saturday at 12 noon sharp, irrespective of their time zone.

Kevin McCulloch Steven Baldwin Part 1 of 4

2008-09-17T21:16:00.001-07:00

Failed Abortion Survivor Gianna Jessen

2008-09-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

Gianna Jessen Born Alive Truth

2008-09-17T13:48:00.001-07:00

Some Kind of Different As Me

2008-09-13T20:54:00.002-07:00

Read Denver Moore's story here

The Hand of Hope

2008-09-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

Michael gave me permission to post his copyrighted image of the remarkable mystery of life in the womb. and you can read the full story here

During a spina bifida corrective procedure at twenty-one weeks in utero, Samuel thrusts his tiny hand out of the surgical opening of his mother's uterus. As the doctor lifts his hand, Samuel reacts to the touch and squeezes the doctor's finger. As if testing for strength, the doctor shakes the tiny fist. Samuel held firm. At that moment, I took this "Fetal Hand Grasp" photo.

As a photojournalist, my job is to tell stories through pictures. The experience of taking this photograph has had a profound effect on me, and I'm proud to share this moment with you.

Michael Clancy
Veteran Photojournalist, Nashville, TN

Why America is Not America Anymore

2008-09-08T10:21:00.001-07:00

Places Unexplored

2008-08-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

Relinquish your fears of the unexplored places... the ones that expose you along paths of vulnerability, yet the very ones that lead you to a repository of healing. ~ Bejeva Likeian

Baby in a Box

2008-08-15T22:15:00.001-07:00

NObama!

2008-08-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

This Will Break Your Heart

2008-08-15T22:04:00.001-07:00

Steven Delopoulos

2008-08-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

Get his new album here

Molten Meditations

2008-08-15T19:37:00.001-07:00

"CAUGHT" - David Parsons Dance Company

2008-08-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

"Caught" is a magnificent dance and lighting feat, choreographed and performed by David Parsons

PUBLIC EXPOSURE: PART 1

2008-08-13T18:56:00.001-07:00

Public Exposure: DNA, Democracy and the Wireless Revolution

PUBLIC EXPOSURE - Part II

2008-08-13T17:26:00.001-07:00

Cell Phone Exposure Cause of Brain Cancer

2008-08-13T14:22:00.001-07:00

Shelfari

2008-08-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

Shelfari - is a community for people who love books.
Check it:

Extraordinary

2008-08-08T17:52:00.000-07:00

Can ordinary people do extraordinary things?
What makes something ordinary?
What makes it extra-ordinary?
Wouldn't adding something "extra" to an ordinary thing only make it decidedly more ordinary?

Maybe extraordinary is exceptional, rare - beyond the realm of precedent. Phenomenal, perhaps! But it is also defined as "incredible" which means: not credible; unbelievable; so extraordinary as to seem impossible.

If you use your imagination, would you rather do something credible and ordinary, or something incredible and extraordinary?

What would that look like?

Imagination - Yetser

2008-08-08T16:28:00.001-07:00

- a shaping - hence a thought.

Standard Definition:
1. ability to visualize: the ability to form images and ideas in the mind, especially of things never seen or experienced directly.

2. creative part of mind: the part of the mind where ideas, thoughts, and images are formed.

3. resourcefulness: the ability to think of ways of dealing with difficulties or problems.

"He Who has imagination without learning has wings and no feet." - Joubert

"The soul without imagination is what an observatory would be without a telescope." - H. W. Beecher

Nothing Imaginable Impossible
Evil Imaginations
Ultra Creative Power
The Original Creative One
Magnificent Creativity
Spirit-inspired Creativity

TRUTH: Is it Unsearchable?

2008-08-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

Can you ignore, disregard, or deny it? Can you be indifferent it? Is it inconsequential, relative, subjective? Elusive, veiled, abstract?

Can you embrace its mystery, expose its depth, unravel its complexity to unlock its comprehensible nature? Are you able to navigate through its difficulty, unpack its profundity, consider its repercussion - its weight and worth?

Mensa vs. The Waitress

2008-08-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

MENSA: an organization for people with an IQ of 140 or higher.
WAITRESS: One who serves - usually food, in a restaurant.

A few years ago, several members from a Mensa convention in San Francisco, lunched at a local café. While dining, they took note that the salt shaker contained pepper and the pepper shaker was filled with salt. How could they swap the contents of the bottles without spilling, and using only the implements at hand? Clearly this was a job for Mensa! The group debated, dedicating themselves to the task. Each presented an idea, and finally they came up with a brilliant solution involving a napkin, a straw, and an empty saucer.

They called the waitress (whom they'd discovered earlier, was working a double shift to help pay for her college education) over to their table in order to dazzle her with their solution.

"Miss," they said, "we couldn't help but notice that the pepper shaker contains salt and the salt shaker, pepper."

"Oh," the waitress interrupted. "Sorry about that." She unscrewed the caps of both bottles and switched them.

What confounds the wise?

SMART

2008-07-25T22:36:00.001-07:00

HOW SMART ARE YOU?
WHAT'S YOUR BAROMETER?

The Eckhart Tolle Dialectic

2008-07-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

There has been much said, of late, about Oprah (who requires no introduction), and Ekhart Tolle - the Canadian "spiritual" teacher, who seems to be all the rage nowadays. I have some weird compunction to chime in on the debate about his spiritual views. So, what follows is my two cents worth.

In my lifetime, I have discovered that people believe what they want to believe: the truth or a lie. In every turn of the page, Tolle reveals that his mind is a jumbled mess. He is bright, yet in nearly every paragraph, it is obvious that he has allowed himself to be tricked and has fashioned a philosophy around oriental beliefs - Hindi and Buddhist being the most obvious. I am sad for him. Moreover, I am grieved that he caught the attention of Oprah, and as a result of this snare, Oprah, (whose belief in Jesus apparently fell on rock, or stony ground - Luke 8:13 vs. John 1:12 & Rom 10:10) has deceived millions of people.

This is an egregious matter.

It is my understanding from reading scripture that Satahn (aka the devil), comes as an "angel of light" - he is a liar and there is no truth in him. He has been about the business of deceiving the world for a long, long time. Tolle, is just one more example of being a pawn in the hands of a slimy creep and master of manipulation - an enemy who distracts us from the One True God - the Saviour of our souls: Jesus, the Christ.

It is my experience and belief that when we become truly intimate with Father God, that all of this nonsense falls by the wayside.

I quote C.S. Lewis: "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea."

Tolle has gone to the other extreme – away from sensual pleasures to denial. Yet… he has not been captivated by His creator to enjoy the depth of His love – His invitation to become one with Him. I rather suspect that Tolle has never been truly loved, or found true intimacy. He is acting out of this deficiency, and built for himself a new religion. This is unfortunate, for in this place of love, one finds true joy… the full shalom of God (nothing missing, nothing broken).

God is all about relationship, not a set of rules. We are in a new covenant. Love trumps everything! The Godhead is real. Written about in the New Testament, when various sects were preaching another gospel than the one the Apostle Paul brought - first to the Jew and then to the Greek - he states firmly: "I preach Christ and Him crucified" - all else was vain glory.

That statement is jam-packed with elemental truth. If we deny this then we deny ourselves as we were created to be - in communion with our Creator.

Tolle quotes Jesus, but he is Buddhist. At least that is my perception.

Anyone, of course, is entitled to their own views. That is a prerogative given to us in “free will” and even guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States (of which I am a proud citizen). I have no interest in bashing anyone’s views, but I can find no space to embrace Tolle's views. I believe he should be exposed, and his teachings exposed to the light of God’s word.

When Tolle's views contradict the Bible we need to examine such verses such as Isa 44:20; Deut 30:17; 1 John 4:1; Matthew 24:23-28; 1 Cor 6:9 all of which can be looked up at BibleGateway.com We are exhorted to take heed lest we fall... and persevere to the end. (ref: Matt 10:22; 1 Cor 10:1-13) not join our faith to Tolle’s misguided belief system.

Some excerpts from his writings and my comments follow.

Tolle - "How 'spiritual' you are has nothing to do with what you believe but everything to do with your state of consciousness" yet, in another quote he says that the "you" or the "existence" of any of us, is an erroneous way to consider humanity. We are but a product of imagination - some illusory whatever.

Not only does this guy believe that there is no God, he also claims there's no actual you. Taking a page straight out of Buddhism, he states that the "self" is an illusion. I quote: "If a fish is born in your aquarium and you call him John, write out a birth certificate, tell him about his family history, and two minutes later he gets eaten by another fish—that's tragic," written in The Power of Now, alluding to all suffering coming from this state of self. And further: "But it's only tragic because you projected a separate self where there was none."

Whaaaaaat?

This is warped thinking.

Tolle, in a state of desperate confusion, argues that Jesus affirmed this view when he told his disciples to deny themselves (Mark 8:34) and that the proper translation of that verse is to "negate the illusion of self."

Further, he states: "Never personalize Christ. Don't make Christ into a form identity," making him only an "awakened consciousness," not the transcendent God of the Universe – the one who will in the coming ages display the limitless riches of his grace that comes to us through his kindness in the Messiah Jesus. This Christ, is our eternal God, in whom we find THE way, THE truth, THE life - THE Creator of ALL things, Who was crucified, dead, and buried and Who is not resurrected and sitting at the right hand of the Father - all things being under His feet - the Ruler over ALL!

This "awakened consciousness" theory is nuts!

Tolle states that the New Testament has some "deep spiritual truth(s)" but also "distortions" further stating, "When you are present, you access your inner knowing and you will sense what is true and what was added on or distorted."

Poppycock. How can you be present if you are an illusion?

God has reconciled the world to Himself. Jesus, on the cross (the ultimate manifestation of His love) said, "it is finished." The world needed a saviour. We have one in Jesus Christ. We struggle to believe what we can not see. We do not see because we do not believe. John 20:29 quotes Jesus talking to Thomas, "Is it because you have seen me that you have believed? How blessed are those who have never seen me and yet have believed!"

If you believe, receive. It's that simple.

That's My King!

2008-07-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

Attribution: Igniter Media

Remember Me

2008-07-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

Send a Letter:
Any Soldier

America Supports You

Operation Pen Pal

Traces of the Trade - African Enslavement

2008-07-16T13:51:00.001-07:00

In Traces of the Trade, Producer/Director Katrina Browne tells the story of her forefathers, the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. The film debunks the myth that the South is solely responsible for slavery as Browne’s ancestors were Northerners. Watch this remarkable journey encapsulating the history and legacy of New England’s hidden enterprise.
Click here to read more

Open the Conversation

2008-07-16T13:35:00.002-07:00

Purple State of Mind

Continuing the Conversation

2008-07-16T13:35:00.001-07:00

The Land of the Free: let's keep it that way!

2008-07-11T09:42:00.001-07:00

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Ps. 91:1–2 NKJV

Glasswing Butterfly

2008-06-21T12:22:00.001-07:00

The Glasswing Butterfly (Latin greto oto, Spanish espejitos meaning "little mirrors") is a brush-footed winged creature native to Mexico, Columbia, Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. The transparent wings are rare and beautiful - as delicate as finely blown glass. The presence of this rare tropical gem is used by rain forest ecologists as an indication of high habitat quality and the butterfly's demise is said to alert them of ecological change.
Rivaling the refined beauty of a stained glass window, the Glasswing Butterfly's translucent wings shimmer in the sunlight like polished panes of turquoise, orange, green, and red. Scientific research has shown that the butterfly is the only living being capable of changing entirely its genetic structure during the process of transformation: the caterpillar's DNA is totally different from the butterfly's. As a symbol. the butterfly is said to be one of total transformation. From chrysalis to winged creature, it reminds Christian's of the amazing transformation that takes place - that of becoming "a new creation" through Christ's redemption and regeneration. Click here to read 2 Cor 5:17 Learn more about Chrysalis here

Touching Vows

2008-06-18T11:41:00.001-07:00

When Daddy Says I'm Beautiful

2008-06-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

Click here for more about The Annie Moses Band

More on "Christian" The Lion

2008-06-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

Get out the Hankies...

2008-06-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

This calls to mind: The Lion of Judah & the Lamb of God - The Resurrection & the Life. Click here to read Revelation 5 Click here to read John 1 One day, the lion will lie down with the lamb.

Song Attribution: Aerosmith -
"I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"

LYRICS:
I could stay awake just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are sleeping
While you're far away dreaming
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure

Don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
Cause I'd miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing
Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing

Lying close to you feeling your heart beating
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming
Wondering if it's me you're seeing
Then I kiss your eyes
And thank God we're together
I just want to stay with you in this moment forever
Forever and ever

Don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
Cause I'd miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing
Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing

I don't want to miss one smile
I don't want to miss one kiss
I just want to be with you
Right here with you, just like this
I just want to hold you close
Feel your heart so close to mine
And just stay here in this moment
For all the rest of time

Don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
Cause I'd miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing
Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't want to miss a thing

Don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
I don't want to miss a thing

Steve Harvey ~ the King of Comedy, Introduces the King of Kings

2008-06-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Father's Heart

2008-06-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

The Father's Love Letter

2008-06-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Child ~

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father. Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being. Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. 1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. 1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…Will you be my child? John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32

Love,

Your Dad

Click to watch “Faithful Father” by Brian Doerksen at the Father's Love Letter main site. Text used by permission of Father Heart Communications Copyright 1999-2008 www.FathersLoveLetter.com

Happy Father's Day - Papa's

2008-06-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

Be a good dad. It's not about how well you perform, how much you accumulate, how many worldly plaudits you gain. it's about how much you trust God to make you into
- a loving father
- a shepherd
- a leader
- a point of protection and safety, and an
- inspiration for your children.

To be a shepherd, you have to know one. To be a dad you have to have one.

There's one who served as a fabulous model. If you don't know him already, maybe you can get to know Him.
Click here to read about Him
Click to watch the Father's Love Letter

As a dad... when you fall down (because you will), get up and try again. There is one who will raise you back up.

- Cherish these munchkins - these incredible gifts God entrusted to your care.
- Love them deeply and unconditionally.
- Don't work all the time.
- Find some time for relaxation and ways to invigorate yourself.
- Play zealously and laugh often.
- Remember: Life is short. Fill it with good things.
- Own your stuff,
- Don't live in regret... but
- Live in the grace of forgiveness and the peace of reconciliation.

Tall order? Yeah, but you can do it.... and your children will love you, and honor you all your days on the earth.

What a great reward.

Here's more inspiration:

YOU RAISE ME UP (click on the video below)
When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

There is no life - no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

Apprehended in the Heart

2008-05-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

"Have thine own way Lord, have thine own way,
Thou are the potter, I am the clay,
Mold me and make me after thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still."

We hear continually, but understand not; see continually, but do not apprehend with our mind; we see, hear, understand with our heart - but we have not turned again to be healed but rather, are found a foolish people without understanding of heart, who have eyes and see not, who have ears and hear not nor reverence the LORD.... as the clay is in the potter's hand, so should we be in His... for He is the Lord: we are the clay and we are all the work of His hand. (Isaiah 6:9-10; Jeremiah 5:21-22, 18:6; Isaiah 54:8; Matthew 13:10-15; Mark 8:17-18)

Open the Eyes of My Heart

Amazing Grace

2008-05-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

~ Author/Artist - Jennifer Rothschild

I AM

2008-05-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

~ Artist Ginny Owens

In the Arms of the Angel -

2008-05-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

~ Artists, Sarah McLachlan - Josh Groban

Getting Things Done

2008-04-17T12:15:00.003-07:00

One model/strategy/perspective on gettin-er done...

America Needs Hope

2008-04-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

Upon the occasion of President Bush's Whitehouse welcome to Pope Benedict XVI, he called it a reminder for Americans to "distinguish between simple right and wrong... . We need your message to reject this dictatorship of relativism and embrace a culture of justice and truth," he continued. "In a world where some see freedom as simply the right to do as they wish, we need your message that true liberty requires us to live our freedom not just for ourselves, but in a spirit of mutual support."

America needs hope. We all need hope.

Perhaps, this pivotal moment will spur the American media to focus on love, kindness, and mercy.

Perhaps they will throttle back the tide of gossip surrounding the Hollywood elite; cease driving the public's focus onto drugs, cultural violence, a slumping economy, or giving air to the contemptuous all-too-prevalent election-year political headbanging.

This life is short. Eternity is forever.

Let's do our part too: pray more; love more; love better.

היוללה ללה ריש

2008-04-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

Let everything that has breath, and every breath of life, praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Psalm 150:6

Some Days, Love...

2008-04-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

Some days love looks like forgiveness
Some days love takes the shape of mercy
Some days love forgets wrongdoing
Some days love repents
Some days love packs up and takes off
Some days love returns with a whisper
Some days love floods the pavement with light
Some days love cries in the darkness
Some days love sounds like gently timed waves
Some days love clamors for attention
Some days love holds the hand of the dying
Some days love ushers in the sunshine of new life
Some days love lends a handout
Some days love teaches a deeper lesson
Some days love shouts from the inside
Some days love cracks a hardened soul
Some days love ignites a fire
Some days love tames its flames
Some days love rescues the lonely
Some days love invites you in
Some days love travels long distance
Some days love returns empty handed
Some days love gives till' it hurts
Some days love erects a boundary
Some days love engages the listener
Some days love speaks loud and clear
Some days love confounds the heart
Some days love pokes at your comforts
Some days love strips you naked
Some days love mends your wounds
Some days love worships profoundly
Some days love opts for the silence
Some days love pounds on your doorstep
Some days love leaves no address
Some days love glances with grace
Some days love resembles yourself
Some days love gives birth to hope
Some days love rages against injustice
Some days love sits in solace with a friend
Some days love peeks in your window
Some days love sits by the hearth
Some days love writes you a letter
Some days love tells you a story
Some days love listens to yours
Some days love prays to the One
Some days love answers the call
Some days love goes on a journey
Some days love comes back from a fall
Some days love limps along slowly
Some days love goes for hours
Some days love risks all its bounty
Some days love stakes all its claims
Some days love clashes with culture
Some days love expects nothing back
Some days love gives all it has
Some days love can't make it alone
Some days love lifts up the tired
Some days love walks with the broken
Some days love calls out your name

© MNC - 2007

Glorious!

2008-04-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

What Color is Your Crayon?

2008-03-25T10:07:00.001-07:00

Crayon Survey
My results?
"You are the Crayon Box. You have a multicolor personality. You mix well with all the other colors because there's a small part of every color inside you."

Etchings in Earth

2008-03-20T12:20:00.001-07:00

This is what may happen if you smoke. While you may not see them, your body grows tentacles and poison oozes out, causing you great distress. If you look like this creature etched in mud, you might be a hit at parties, but you will be mocked. And one day, you will probably get cancer and die. Please: don't cause others to mourn over your ruination. Throw the puffs away.

The Quiet Places

2008-03-04T11:37:00.001-08:00

There's a space inside each of us - a place we inhabit separately, autonomously, from the world around us. This place is unconstrained from the influence, pressures, and resulting fissures created through activity, media, friends, and loved ones. This solitary place - this untilled moor, whose tracks, while rich - may lay barren, yet to be inhabited by boundless treasure. This is where the Spirit whispers to the deep places of our inner being. This place is where new light dances freely on the crest of our soul. It's vitality flows from the headwaters... pools on the outer banks... and probes the deep places... transforming our souls. This place is where revelation innocently yet powerfully invades us. In this place we are awakened, refreshed, and renewed. We travel to places of wholeness we can never find in the frenetic distractions of a world disquieted by busyness. If we abandon and surrender - fully yielded to it's bouquet - permitting the scent to be spilt as a balm, our capacity for more resplendent moments will begin to envelop us. We will be heartened. We will be en-couraged. Saturated by peace, we will luxuriate in this pause. We will be released to hope and to faith. As we are painted ~ restored ~ in these quiet places, love will be our sanctuary.

Friendship

2008-01-24T11:03:00.001-08:00

A friend with chocolate is a friend, indeed. Let's face it: it's all about the chocolate.

On a more serious and poignant note:

A friendship that can be ended didn't ever start. - Mellin de Saint-Gelais - Source: Oeuvres poétiques

What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies. - Aristotle

A slender acquaintance with the world must convince every man that actions, not words, are the true criterion of the attachment of friends. ~ George Washington

Friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation. ~ George Washington

Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them? ~ Abraham Lincoln

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend. ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

When we invite friends for a meal, we do much more than offer them food for their bodies. We offer friendship, fellowship, good conversation, intimacy, and closeness. When we say: "Help yourself ... take some more ... don't be shy ... have another glass," we offer our guests not only our food and our drink but also ourselves. A spiritual bond grows, and we become food and drink for one another other. ~ Henri Nouwen

Greater love has no one than this - that one lay down his life for his friends. ~ John 15:13 (NAS)

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Nurture friendships by kindness, generosity, and joy.

Walk to the Edge

2008-01-22T08:32:00.000-08:00

“Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.” - Mary Anne Radmacher

Leonard Sweet's "Top 10 Lies" List

2008-01-22T08:07:00.000-08:00

- We'll stay only five minutes.
- This will be a short meeting.
- I'll respect you in the morning.
- The check is in the mail.
- I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you.
- This hurts me more than it hurts you.
- Your money will be cheerfully refunded.
- We service what we sell.
- Your table will be ready in just a minute.
- I'll start exercising (dieting, forgiving … ) tomorrow.

From The Soul Cafe newsletter - © Dr. Leonard Sweet, author, and vice president of postmodern Christianity at Drew University.

Bassoons, French Horns, Timpanis, and so forth

2008-01-21T22:30:00.000-08:00

I just listened to the New York Philharmonic - live from the Lincoln Center - playing Ravel's Boléro.

So inspiring did I find it, that I pitched the idea (to a high-brow arts periodical) about examining a corollary between Boléro, Christianity, and Track and Field. ...sort of a metaphoric illustration of how people [can] work in tandem especially if we recognize our need for corporate vision while celebrating one another's unique gifts/contributions. (From the Bible, I'll use 1 Corinthians 12 and John 17: 21, 22 as examples. My track and field analogy will come from how the baton is passed in a relay.)

I know... it sounds weird and random, and I'm not a well-trained musician, musicologist, or a track coach, but, still; I think I can pull it off.

While I was listening to the recurrent syncopation - mirrored throughout the orchestra as different instruments answered the call - passing the melody, I reacquainted myself with the fascination I'd found when first hearing Ravel in university music appreciation class. A few decades later, I've tacked on a degree of understanding about timbre, tonality, glissandi, the accentuation of music through crescendos, key changes, harmonics, counter melodies, antiphony, and on and on we could go.

But more than the intricacies of the music, instrumentation, and structure, I totally grooved on the deep resonating sounds of the bassoons, double-bassoons, French horns, and timpanis. I mean: they are cool!

I seem to have a fondness for the lower-ranged and double reed instruments. Perhaps it is because my own voice is deep and not bubbly or frilly like many of my high-registered female counterparts. Or, maybe the lower ranges are simply a part of my overall "Sound DNA." Whatever the reason, I groove on them (although I do love the dulcet tones of Chloe Agnew).

Anyway, it's a delightful piece filled with hypnotic tension played off the effortless, repetitive, military-like cadence, anchored by a single snare drum that beats tirelessly for 15 long minutes. The tension comes from a variety of means. First: you wonder - will the instruments break free? When? How? Soon (you decree). Then, when you think you can't stand it one minute more, you are not disappointed as the entire orchestra unifies exquisitely, into something out of a "Batman" sound track.

If you haven't heard it in a long while, crank up the gramophone or flip a CD into the drawer... and if you've never listened to it, spend 99 cents at the iTunes store and get ready for an experience.

If you want to hear a spin on Boléro, check it: Angelique Kidjo's album Djin Djin. He reworked the Boléro piece into something he calls Lonlon. (Oh, and Maurice, I hate to inform you, but the metronome is not marked at 66.)

Image Attribution: Colin Ruffell - Crabfish.com

A Riddle

2008-01-21T21:09:00.000-08:00

Ling Lo has a short one.
Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy has a long one*
And, then... there's Madonna. She doesn't even have one.
And, lastly - the Pope - he has one but doesn't use it.

Any idea what "one" is?

*(incidentally - Cornelius exchanged his for a short one: Connie Mack)