state of the union

dear Mr President,
I would like to think that I can depend on my senses.
I do beleive that I can keep myself from being
confused if I look and listen carefully.

This however seems to be the case,
only when all communication is given
and recieved with 100% clarity.

What is seen and heard may have just as
much to do with what is intended
as with what is expected.

If I am not looking for a pencil on my desk
how can I accurately say that I FOUND it?

Similarly what I listened to,
may not be what I heard.
I only HEARD what
I was listening for!

snow day

the snow was piling up.
the first two storms were a week or so apart
the first had a lot of wind, and drifting
but it was the light fluffy stuff.
this third storm was the heavier wet stuff.
we were doing just fine until now.

night before last
one of the cars got stuck
could not even get out of the parking spot.
the big 4WD had to be put to work ferrying
one of the 'night crew'.
the minivan was doing fine until last evening.

it found its way home ok
but could not make it 'across the threshold'
into the driveway.

Although it turned out to be
sunny most of the day yesterday,
none of the teens who were home
for a snow day from school
even thought about snow in the yard.

So, four people home all day....
plus...zero snow removal (or other productive activity)
equals, DIFFICULT EVENING...
as the 'other workers' return from a gruelling day.

LESSONS TAUGHT & LEARNED
1. Children need instruction
2. Every situation requires leadership
3. There is a thin line between revenge and justice

+++++++++++++++++++++++
CHECK THIS OUT <-click here
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Children live what they learn
If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
BUT
If they live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If they live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If they live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If they live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If they live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If they live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If they live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If they live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If they live with fairness, they learn justice.
If they live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.

If they live with security,
they learn to have faith in
themselves and in those about them.

If children live with friendliness,
they learn the world is a
nice place in which to live.
With what are YOUR children living?

ALSO

"If teenagers live with pressure, they learn to be stressed"

snow storm rambling

Take no thought for your life." Matthew 6:25
A warning which needs to be reiterated is that the cares of this world,
the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in,
will choke all that God puts in. We are never free from the
recurring tides of this encroachment.
QUOTE: from Oswald Chambers
++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"each student comes in with different attitudes towards,
and different aptitudes for the subject."
QUOTE: from Milton Francis

Another storm ....12 inches of the heavy wet stuff
fell overnight...this morning was really a challenge.

I must confess....although a snow lover....I was feeling
a little down.....I think I had too many cookies last night...

I'll post some pictures later.... CHECK HERE

HERE ARE SOME MORE QUOTES...while
I still have the STATE OF THE UNION ON MY MIND

"there are no words that can lift the sorrow that now engulfs
the families and friends of the fallen. What we can do is assure
them that the nation is praying for them; that, in the words of
the Psalmist, the Lord heals the broken-hearted and binds up
their wounds; and that over time grace will replace grief."
QUOTE: from Congressman Paul Ryan

"I believe that America is the indispensable nation of the world.
Just the creation of this nation itself was a miracle. Who's to say
that we can't see a miracle again?"
QUOTE: from Congresswoman Michele Bachmann

"We are poised for progress.
Two years after the worst recession
most of us have ever known,
the stock market has come roaring back.
Corporate profits are up.
The economy is growing again."

"...our journey goes forward,
and the state of our union is strong.
Thank you. God bless you, and may
God bless the United States of America."
QUOTE: from President Obama

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Read and Share
some thoughts on
PARENTING &
POLITICS

bipolar (3011)

Testimony
I give my testimony of christian conversion
when it took place, how it happened, what difference it made

Testimonial
You give a testimonial about me
how we met, when we met, why it matters

MONOSEXUAL - a term I will use to describe persons who
do not acknowledge the 'other sex'.
Whereas it may be possible to exist in the 'external' world
as a male without a female, in reality all human existence
must of necessity involve both sexes at some point.
Homosexuality is the physical
manifestation of a
monosexual mindset.

The Family Chronicle is interested in this phenomena
because of the impact it has on families and family life.

What do you think?

News 9 Report- QuiBids Offers Deals for Pennies

thanks Faith

THIS IS SUCH A BLESSING

Truth (2944)

1 John 2:21 I do not write to you because you do not know the ...
I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but becauseyou do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. ... //bible.cc/1_john/2-21.htm - 17k
3 John 1:3 It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and ...
It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulnessto the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. ... //bible.cc/3_john/1-3.htm - 17k
2 Corinthians 13:8 For we cannot do anything against the truth ...
For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. ... For wecannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth. ... //bible.cc/2_corinthians/13-8.htm - 16k
John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. ... Make them holy byyour truth; teach them your word, which is truth. ... //bible.cc/john/17-17.htm - 15k
John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide ...
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. ... Whenthe Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. ... //bible.cc/john/16-13.htm - 18k
John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you ...
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." ... ... //bible.cc/john/8-32.htm - 15k
1 Timothy 2:7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an ...
And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle--I am telling the truth,I am not lying--and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. ... //bible.cc/1_timothy/2-7.htm - 17k
Zechariah 8:16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth ...
These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other,and render true and sound judgment in your courts ... //bible.cc/zechariah/8-16.htm - 15k
Isaiah 65:16 Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by ...
Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth; he whotakes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. ... //bible.cc/isaiah/65-16.htm - 17k

LIE(S) to me...rambling

NEWS - "does he or doesn't he" CLICK HERE

... we can do nothing
against the truth,
but for the truth.
2 Corinthians 13:8

A WARNING - to carefully examine your own thinking
the title of a recent TV show ('LIE TO ME')
opened my eyes to an attitude that seems to be
very common these days. Most people don't take too
much time to check out what it is they are actually
hearing and beleiving to know if it is true.
or BASED ON TRUTH <-click this


The recent crime commited in Arizona...<-click this.
we now know involved some pretty
'messed up' thought processes.

The following are quotes from
A History of Propoganda

"Misinformation and disinformation
are widely used to distract people
from the truth and create new realities."

In "The modern world....
Propaganda and manipulation of reality continues to be used in large quantities in the modern world. Governments continue to tell their constituencies what they think they need to know. Advertisers use the whole gamut of propagandist techniques. And although some people can see the reality (and some theorize about improbable conspiracies), most people are taken in and see nothing of how they are manipulated."

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It is a very important part of the education
that we want our children to have.
Some call it critical thinking skills.

"He has made you believe a lie"
read for yourself the full acount HERE
and ask yourself some serious questions...
then pay careful attention to these instructions
gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end...

ARE WE BELIEVING A LIE or LIES?
So God will cause them to be greatly deceived,
and they will believe these lies.
2 Thessalonians 2:11

Why would God allow such a thing ?
...because they received not the love of the truth,
that they might be saved....check it out for yourself !!

HERE IS ANOTHER CHILLING DESCRIPTION...
of a situation that may be widespread among us TODAY.
...they shall turn away their ears from the truth,
and shall be turned unto fables.

....Along with instruction for you..
5But watch thou in all things,
endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist,
make full proof of thy ministry.

The term 'propaganda' first appeared in 1622 when Pope Gregory XV established the Sacred Congregation for Propagating the Faith. Propaganda was then as now about convincing large numbers of people about the veracity of a given set of ideas. Of course, propaganda is as old as people, politics and religion. People with ideas will always want to persuade others about them and, if they have the power, they will pull every string they have to persuade everyone.
QUOTE from 'a brief history of propoganda'

But evil men and seducers
shall wax worse and worse,
deceiving, and being deceived.
2 Timothy 3:13

Many people who deceive others have gone into the world.
They refuse to declare that Jesus Christ came in flesh and blood.
This is the mark of a deceiver and an antichrist.
2 John 1:7

1 John 2:4 The man who says, "I know him," but does
not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

What do you think?

whatever version of REALITY you happen to be running or beleiving...
throw it out...and THINK ON THESE THINGS.

keep your thoughts on whatever is right or deserves praise: things that are true, honorable, fair, pure, acceptable, or commendable. 9Practice what you've learned and received from me, what you heard and saw me do. Then the God who gives this peace will be with you. - PAUL

"I find your ramblings quite interesting. Hope you are not offended by the word "ramblings"; but the seeming disconnect in the obvious thought processes, then the sublime connections in all said is qualified by me as such, and guess what? I realize that sometimes that is how my mind thinks. Anyway, what has surfaced in all you have said, is the realization of the TRUTH!! The Word of God!! And, when in doubt, believe the WORD. When you (general) are being bombarded with everything, finances, bank, TV, moms cussing you out/or rather having strong disagreements etc. the only comfort (even when it doesn't appear that way at the time) is the Word, and that our lives can be staked upon it. The trouble with most of us adults, is that we sometimes get so intelectual, we want to reason out every thing instead of believing what God says in His Word. Isn't that the reason why Jesus kept on exhorting us to have childlike faith. And when we reach that place we will believe, and by extension apply what the Word says we must do. Such as, "Whatever things are true... etc, think on these things.Then the "mind's powersave" automatically chips in and peace floods in, and health will be in our marrow etc.

lie to me (2910)

when i was little,
mom made us memorize phillipians 4
the part about think on these things.

those were much simpler times.
the subject came up again tonight.

i dragged my sleep-deprived, (went to bed 3am)
half-starved (maybe)
self to listen to pastor rob...and wouldn't you know it...
yup...he said we could have peace if we think different...
and so he starts...."WHATSOVER THINGS ARE TRUE..."

don't get me wrong it was a great message
once again i was confronted with "stinking thinking".

we had a good time, folk came up and told him it was just for them etc.
and so did i....i also had to see him about the teenagers lost fone too..
but anyhow....i am driving home...thinking....

BTW....that is the real problem...i shouldn't really be thinking so much...!!!
but that'a a whole nother subject.....

i found out that i can set my computer to shut itself off five minutes after i
get done or stop...or fall asleep or whatever....they call it powersaving
my mind or thinker......not so easy....its like my mind has a mind of its own...LOL

so anyhow...WHATSOVER THINGS ARE TRUE?!!
its very hard to tell these days.
for instance, i had a H U GE ...fight about the bank balance....
nope...you don't want to know!...come to find out the balance
that you get at the ATM is not really true...
why do they
LIE TO ME !!?..you guesed it....the fees !...of course.

and why is the doctor telling me all this stuff
...sure he is V E R Y concerned about my health...right?
maybe.....

but this is one i can't figure out...
the weather man sat there talking bout....
ITS SNOWING.....in the upper atmosphere...
but....it's not reaching the ground....wat the &&$#@!
is he lying to me ?

me and mom got into a real ugly fight on watchnight..last
beleive it or not...i was in church...came out about 5 to twelve
to call mom and wish her a happy new year....we crossed the threshold
into 2011....in B I G disagreement.....mom wanted to know if it was
the devil that told me to call....the jury is still out on that one....
but mom usally knows what she's talking about...so i ain't touchin it !!!

but the bone of contention was how did she know it was true.
so tonight i finally come to realise that
WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE TRUE is not always easy....

this is the conclusion that i have come to.....
PSALM 23 IS TRUE !!!!...in fact the whole
BIBLE IS TRUE.....the rest of the stuff....on TV
in the newspaper, the legal advice, the medical advice...
and especially the financial advice....
MAY NOT BE TRUE !!!

the pridictions....the forecasts....the prognosis
MAY NOT BE TRUE.....but

THY WORD IS TRUE !!!

I didn't know what it was I was watching that night on TV...but
it was interesting....the kids were watching it.....that should have
been my clue ...right there.....but...I watched it ....
come to find out....it was
LIE TO ME !!!

I must confess I watched it again a couple times....
now...its in my head along with all the other 'stinking thinking'
that pastor Rob wanted me to get rid of...

so in order to get the PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING
my thinking first...should not be so much..I must use POWERSAVE.
then I must think more PSALM 23 etc.

ICE TONIGHT

courage

Moral courage is the courage to take action for moral reasons despite the risk of adverse consequences.^[1]

Courage is required to take action when one has doubts or fears about the consequences. Moral courage therefore involves deliberation or careful thought. Reflex action or dogmatic fanaticism do not involve moral courage because such impulsive actions are not based upon moral reasoning.^[2]

Moral courage may also require physical courage when the consequences are punishment or other bodily peril.

WIKIPEDIA

 

http://bible.cc/joshua/1-6.htm

"I have commanded you, 'Be strong and courageous!

Don't tremble or be terrified, because the LORD

your God is with you wherever you go.'"

King James Bible

 

"What we seek we shall find; what we flee from flees from us."Emerson

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear" Mark Twian

"It is curious - curious that physical courage should be so common

in the world, and moral courage so rare" Mark Twian

"You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday.

You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity." Epicurus

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage

is also what it takes to sit down and listen." Churchill

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."Churchill

profanity

PROFANE:
Marked by contempt or irreverence for what is sacred.
1. To treat with irreverence
2. To put to an improper, unworthy, or degrading use; abuse.

In the eighties I was working with a prominent charity at a school for blind and visually impaired students. There was much political upheaval at the time. Labor and managenemt were going at it...full bore. Labor unions were flourishing. The organization for which I was working was a highly religious outfit...and yet...it became the object of intense industrial action by a local trade union seeking to gain 'a footing' among this 'new' hitherto immune section of the workforce - non-profits. The idea that 'church people' would never 'take advantage' of the working class. was an idea that was about to be challenged.
It was against this backdrop that I was first introduced to a gentleman by the name of Harvey Cox. The manager of the non-profit for which I worked had quite a collection of books from his college years. Among them were some writings by Mr. Cox from whom I will now quote the following:

The forces of secularization have no serious interest in persecuting religion. Secularization simply bypasses and undercuts religion and goes on to other things. It has relativized religious world views and thus rendered them innocuous. Religion has been privatized. It has been accepted as the peculiar prerogative and point of view of a particular person or group. Secularization has accomplished what fire and chain could not: It has convinced the believer that he could be wrong, and persuaded the devotee that there are more important things than dying for the faith.

I the face of the overwhelming onslaught of secularization
What is the christian supposed to do?
BTW...is this the same as worldiness?
1 John 2:15

ADVERT EYES ...more on this later

weluvu

consecration

What is THE PECULIAR DANGER OF A CONSECRATED MAN?
His danger is that his locks may be shorn, that is to say, that his consecration may be broken. As long as he is consecrated he is strong; break that, he is weak as water. Now there are a thousand razors with which the devil can shave off the locks of a consecrated man without his knowing it. Samson is sound asleep; so clever is the barber that he even lulls him to sleep as his fingers move across the pate, the fool's pate, which he is making bare. The devil is cleverer far than even the skilful barber; he can shave the believer's locks while he scarcely knows it. Shall I tell you with what razors he can accomplish this work? Sometimes he takes the sharp razor of pride, and when the Christian falls asleep and is not vigilant, he comes with it and begins to run his fingers upon the Christian's locks, and says, "What a fine fellow you are! What wonders you have done! Didn't you rend that lion finely? Wasn't it a great feat to smite those Philistines hip and thigh? Ah you will be talked-of as long as time endures for carrying those gates of Gaza away. You need not be afraid of anybody." And so on goes the razor, lock after lock falling off, and Samson knows it not. He is just thinking within himself, "How brave am I! How great am I!" Thus works the razor of pride—cut, cut, cut away—and he wakes up to find himself bald, and all his strength gone. Have you never had that razor upon your head? I confess I have on mine. Have you never, after you have been able to endure afflictions, heard a voice saying to you, "How patient you were!" After you have cast aside some temptation, and have been able to keep to the unswerving course of integrity, has not Satan said to you, "That is a fine thing you have done; that was bravely done." And all the while you little knew that it was the cunning hand of the evil one taking away your locks with the sharp razor of pride. For mark, pride is a breach of our consecration. As soon as I begin to get proud of what I do, or what I am, what am I proud of? Why, there is in that pride the act of taking away from God his glory. For I promised that God should have all the glory, and is not that part of my consecration? and I am taking it to myself. I have broken my consecration; my locks are gone, and I become weak. Mark this, Christian—God will never give thee strength to glorify thyself with. God will give thee a crown, but not to put on thine own head. As sure as ever a Christian begins to write his feats, and his triumphs upon his own escutcheon, and take to himself the glory, God will lay him level with the dust.
Another razor he also uses is self-sufficiency. "Ah," saith the devil as he is shaving away your locks, "You have done a very great deal. You see they bound you with green withes, and you snapped them in sunder, they merely smelt the fire and they burst. Then they took new ropes to bind you; ah! you overcame even them; for you snapped the ropes in sunder as if they had been a thread. Then they weaved the seven locks of your head, but you walked away with loon, and web too, beam and all. You can do anything, don't be afraid: you have strength enough to do anything; you can accomplish any feat you set your will upon." How softly the devil will do all that; how will he be rubbing the poll while the razor is moving softly along and the locks are dropping off, and he is treading them in the dust. "You have done all this, and you can do anything else." Every drop of grace distils from heaven. O my brethren, what have we that we have not received? Let us not imagine that we can create might wherewith to gird ourselves. "All my springs are in thee." The moment we begin to think that it is our own arm that has gotten us the victory, it will be all over with us—our locks of strength shall be taken away, and the glory shall depart from us. So, you see, self-sufficiency, as well as pride, may be the razor with which the enemy may shave away our strength.
There is yet another, and a more palpable danger still. When a consecrated man begins to change his purpose in life and live for himself—that razor shaves clean indeed. There is a minister; when he first began his ministry he could say, "God is my witness I have but one object, that I may free my skirts from the blood of every one of my hearers, that I may preach the gospel faithfully and honour my Master." In a little time, tempted by Satan, he changes his tone and talks like this, "I must keep my congregation up. If I preach such hard doctrine, they won't come. Did not one of the newspapers criticise me, and did not some of my people go away from me because of it? I must mind what I am at. I must keep this thing going. I must look out a little sharper, and prone my speech down. I must adopt a little gentler style, or preach a new-fashioned doctrine; for I must keep my popularity up. What is to become of me if I go down? People will say, Up like a rocket, down like the stick;' and then shall all my enemies laugh." Ah, when once a man begins to care so much as a snap of the finger about the world, it is all over with him. If he can go to his pulpit, and say, "I have got a message to deliver; and whether they will hear or whether they will not hear, I will deliver it as God puts it into my mouth; I will not change the dot of an i, or the cross of a t for the biggest man that lives, or to bring in the mightiest congregation that ever sat at minister's feet"—that man is mighty. He does not let human judgments move him, and he will move the world. But let him turn aside, and think about his congregation, and how that shall be kept up; ah Samson! how are thy locks shorn? What canst thou do now? That false Delilah has destroyed thee—thine eyes are put out, thy comfort is taken away, and thy future ministry shall be like the grinding of an ass around the continually revolving mill; thou shalt have no rest or peace ever afterwards. Or let him turn aside another way. Suppose he should say, "I must get preferment, or wealth, I must look well to myself, I must see my nest feathered, that must he the object of my life." I am not now speaking of the ministry merely, but of all the consecrated; and as sure as ever we begin to make self the primary object of our existence our locks are shorn. "Now," says the Lord, "I gave that man strength, but not to use it for himself. Then I put him into a high position, but not that he might clothe himself about with glory; I put him there that he might look to my cause, to my interests; and if he does not do that first, down he shall go." You remember Queen Esther: she is exalted from being a simple humble maiden, to become the wife of the great monarch—Ahasuerus. Well, Haman gets a decree against her nation, that it shall be destroyed. Poor Mordecai comes to Esther, and says, "You must go in to the king and speak to him." "Well," says she, "but if I do I shall die." "Ah," says he, "If thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther was not made Queen Esther that she might make herself glorious, but that she might be in a position to save the Jews; and now if she prefers herself before her country then it is all over with her—Vashti's fate shall be as nothing compared with her destruction.
And so, if you live in this world, and God prospers you, you get perhaps into some position, and you say, "Here I am; I will look out for myself; I have been serving the church before, but now I will look to myself a little." "Come, come," says human nature; "you must look after your family," (which means, you must look after yourself). Very well, do it sir, as your main object, and you are a ruined man. "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these shall be added to you." If you keep your eye single, your whole body shall be full of light. Though you seemed as if you had shut out half the light by having that single eye, yet your body shall be full of light. But begin to have two masters, and two objects to serve, and you shall serve neither; you shall neither prosper for this world, nor for that which is to come. Oh, Christian, above all things take care of thy consecration. Ever feel that thou art wholly given up to God, and to God alone. - SPURGEON

the danger

If we obey God it is going to cost other
people more than it costs us ....
If we are in love with our Lord, obedience
does not cost us anything, it is a delight,
but it costs those who do not love Him...
...when we obey God it will mean that
other people's plans are upset,,

We can prevent the suffering;
but if we are going to obey God,
we must (cannot) not prevent it,
we must let the cost be paid.

We can disobey God if we choose, and it will bring immediate
relief to the situation, but we shall be a grief to our Lord.
Whereas if we obey God, He will look after those who have
been pressed into the consequences of our obedience.
We have simply to obey and
to leave all consequences with Him.
- CHAMBERS