Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

Government Notice
==========================

Important Notice:

Due to recent budget cuts, the market crash, and the rising cost
of electricity, gas, and oil, the light at the end of the tunnel
has been turned off.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Sincerely,
The Government

BUT

It's only turned off if you are depending on man's light.
There is another light that continually shines if you know where
to look for it.

 

[septuagint]

[video=youtube_share;3pe0XrCKjqM]http://youtu.be/3pe0XrCKjqM[/video]

 

[beensetfree]

Change Your Life
=======================

You cannot change your life until you change something
that you do every day.

 

[beensetfree]

Time Is Like Money
==========================
Time is like money, the less we have of it to spare
the further we make it go.

 

[beensetfree]

Your Question
===================
My father used to say that you could tell the caliber of the
mind of a person by the questions that they ask.

What do you want to know?

Seriously.

If there was one question that you could ask and have answered,
what would it be?

Just one.

What would it be?

Suppose you had a direct line to God's information line?
I know that we have the scriptures but many have personal
questions that are not easily gleaned from scripture.

You do.

I do.

So what would it be?

Is this a vain exercise?

I don't think so.

You will either say, "What a silly thing to think about and ask
such a question"

...or you will think about "your" question.

If you ask you may not get the answer, but if you never ask,
you definitely won't.



The caliber of the mind of a person is often indicated by the
questions that they ask, or whether they even have one.

 

[septuagint]

[video=youtube_share;CwQz-OANF-U]http://youtu.be/CwQz-OANF-U[/video]

 

[beensetfree]

12 Ways To Unhappily Ever After
================================

If you go to your local bookstore, usually somewhere in the
middle of the store you can find a relationships and marriage
section. This area is often filled with everything from Saving
Your Marriage Before it Starts to How to Improve Your Marriage
Without Talking About It.

With all the information out there regarding how to have a
successful marriage, what makes the principles so hard to
incorporate and apply?

Granted, marriage is not so easy that there is a definitive
formula that everyone can follow to discover a marriage out of
this world. It still requires work and there will still be
struggles.

A lasting marriage can be attained and it's simpler than you
think.

Beyond the idea of simply creating a marriage that lasts there
is
the joy and pleasure a marriage fully alive can provide for both
participants. There are no actual steps that everyone can follow
to an extremely happy marriage, but there are some sure fire
ways
to create an unhappy marriage.

1. Complain. Complaining is like a rocking chair. It feels
comfortable and you feel like your getting something done by
rocking, but you don't go anywhere. To break this, try the 21
day complaint free marriage experiment.

2. Have a cluttered home. Nothing will add to the stress level
of a marriage like a cluttered home. It's disorganized and often
chaotic. Simplify the things in your house. Put things away or
get rid of it if you don't use it. Your marriage will improve as
will your own well being.

3. Complicate things. Many people fall victim to the dreaded
over-thinking things. Most things in life are not all that
complicated. Break everything down into two choices. Then make a
decision and go with it.

4. Have a busy schedule. Work, kids, school, friends, family,
housework, social activities, travel, and on it goes. We seem to
cram as many things into life as we possibly can. Then we don't
enjoy the things we are committed to because we worry about the
next thing on our list. Slow down. Prioritize your commitments.
Do less.

5. Be too close to each other. Every relationship begins with
the desire to be as close as possible. You think about them all
the time. You scheme ways to be together. As the relationship
progresses, most couples remain too close, although you don't
realize it. You border on being smothered by your spouse. Unable
to chart your own way in life. While this seems like it is based
on love and care, it often is a reaction to the importance level
your spouse assumes in life. You become fearful of being too
independent based on how your spouse may react. Many married
couples are emotional siamese twins, joined at the emotional
hip. One of them will often be offended when the other simply
wants to go to the other room to get a glass of water.

6. Spend no time alone. Just because you are married does not
mean you have ceased to exist as an individual. Life is still
going on and your dreams still play an important role in your
life. There is nothing wrong with being apart at times in order
to go out with friends. This is more than being apart to take
care of career tasks. This is being apart to do things you love
and enjoy.

7. Be each others only friends. Similar to spending no time
alone, don't be each others only outlet for friendship. You
already play too many roles with each other in marriage. Save
some things for other people to fulfill.

8. Be overly-controlling. Humans have a major weakness in that
we think we can control the things around us. Including other
humans. Often this comes across as manipulative. Give your
spouse the respect another human deserves and let them handle
their own choices. Not only is this a respectful way to do
marriage, it's the foundation for getting more out of marriage.

9. Triangulate your children. Pardon me while I use psychobabble
for a moment. In families, whenever a need or desire is not met
by one of the members, we often will recruit another member to
fulfill it. For example, you don't get all the attention you
wish from your spouse so you dive into your kid's world. This
puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the child. It requires
them to become adults too fast. Let your children be children.
Keep the marriage between you and your spouse.

10. Don't exercise. Regardless what science and the medical
world tell you, your body is the only one you are going to have.
Take care of it. A healthy body creates a healthier marriage.
Take care of your physical health and you will get more out of
life.

11. Eat only from the drive-thru. Just like taking care of the
outside of your body, you need to care for your insides as well.
This doesn't mean go on an immediate diet. Just watch what you
eat. Pick healthy items. Or better yet, cook at home with your
spouse. It gives you more time together. And you will live
longer together.

12. Dive into the media. It is easy to get lost in TV, video
games, the Internet, even books and talk shows. When you get
right down to it, none of these are reality. Even reality shows
aren't reality. Get involved with those around you. Go on a
media fast for a day, week, month. See if that doesn't provide a
spark for your relationships.

 

[beensetfree]

Change
===========
Someone once said that
religions change but
beer and wine remain.

Actually it's not so much that religions change as it is people
and the pendulum of morality.

 

[beensetfree]

Art and Morality
=====================
Art, like morality, consists in drawing the line somewhere.

 

[beensetfree]

Pinewood derby


My son Gilbert was eight years old and had been in Cub Scouts only a short time. During one of his meetings he was handed a sheet of paper, a block of wood and four tires and told to return home and give all to "dad".

That was not an easy task for Gilbert to do. Dad was not receptive to doing things with his son. But Gilbert tried. Dad read the paper and scoffed at the idea of making a pine wood derby car with his young eager son. The block of wood remained untouched as the weeks passed. Finally, mom stepped in to see if she could figure this all out. The project began.

Having no carpentry skills,I decided it would be best if I simply read the directions and let Gilbert do the work. And he did. I read aloud the measurements, the rules of what we could do and what we couldn't do. Within days his block of wood was turning into a pinewood derby car. A little lopsided, but looking great (at least through the eyes of mom). Gilbert had not seen any of the other kids' cars and was feeling pretty proud of his "Blue Lightning", the pride that comes with knowing you did something on your own.

Then the big night came. With his blue pinewood derby car in his hand and pride in his heart we headed to the big race. Once there my little one's pride turned to humility. Gilbert's car was obviously the only car made entirely on his own. All the other cars were a father-son partnership, with cool paint jobs and sleek body styles made for speed.

A few of the boys giggled as they looked at Gilbert's lopsided, wobbly, unattractive vehicle. To add to the humility, Gilbert was the only boy without a man at his side. A couple of the boys who were from single parent homes at least had an uncle or grandfather by their side, Gilbert had "mom".

As the race began it was done in elimination fashion. You kept racing as long as you were the winner. One by one the cars raced down the finely sanded ramp. Finally it was between Gilbert and the sleekest, fastest looking car there. As the last race was about to begin, my wide eyed, shy eight year old asked if they could stop the race for a minute, because he wanted to pray. The race stopped.

Gilbert went to his knees clutching his funny looking block of wood between his hands. With a wrinkled brow he set to converse with his Father. He prayed in earnest for a very long minute and a half. Then he stood, smile on his face and announced, 'Okay, I am ready."

As the crowd cheered, a boy named Tommy stood with his father as their car sped down the ramp. Gilbert stood with his Father within his heart and watched his block of wood wobble down the ramp with surprisingly great speed and rushed over the finish line a fraction of a second before Tommy's car. Gilbert leaped into the air with a loud "Thank You" as the crowd roared in approval.

The Scout Master came up to Gilbert with microphone in hand and asked the obvious question, "So you prayed to win, huh, Gilbert?" To which my young son answered, "Oh, no sir. That wouldn't be fair to ask God to help you beat someone else. I just asked Him to make it so I wouldn't cry when I lost."

-----

Children seem to have a wisdom far beyond us. Gilbert didn't ask God to win the race, he didn't ask God to fix the outcome. Gilbert asked God to give him strength in the outcome. When Gilbert first saw the other cars he didn't cry out to God, "No fair, they had a father's help!" No, Gilbert went to his Heavenly Father for strength.

Perhaps we spend too much of our prayer time asking God to rig the race, to make us number one, or too much time asking God to remove us from the struggle, when we should be seeking God's strength to get us through the struggle.

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13.

Gilbert's simple prayer spoke volumes to those present that night. He never doubted that God would indeed answer his request. He didn't pray to win, thus hurt someone else, he prayed that God supply the grace to lose with dignity. Gilbert, by his stopping the race to speak to his Father also showed the crowd that he wasn't there without a "dad", but he also went away a winner that night, with his Father at his side.

May we all learn to pray this way.

 

[fishbuff]

11 If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, 12 you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity. - Deuteronomy 25:11-12

 

[beensetfree]

I Am Only One
===================

I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

 

[fishbuff]

http://www.ibtimes.com/christianity-decline-could-go-extinct-uk-says-lord-george-carey-1477466

 

[beensetfree]

Fear in Disguise

"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

Fear--it doesn't always come marching into our lives wearing a T-shirt labeled "fear." Sometimes fear takes on disguises and appears as a welcome guest. Yet beware: disguised or not, fear enslaves wherever it goes.

I recently found this intruder taking on the noble-sounding disguise of wanting to get it right. I wanted to say the proper thing. I didn't want it to be taken wrong or misunderstood. That all sounded noble, yet it was the voice of fear, not the Lord.

Deep down, I was afraid I would mess up, say the wrong thing, or cause someone else to stumble. Those fears--disguised as they were--were enslaving me, keeping me from speaking and acting in God's freedom and truth.

God has not given us a spirit of fear. He's called us to "stir up" the gifts He's given us--to serve Him wholeheartedly, without fearing our mistakes, other's opinions, or anything else. It's His love--not fear--that we want to govern each action.

If you find fear trying to sneak its way into your heart, yank its mask off with the truth. Remind yourself of God's unconditional love--that He is leading and guiding you and is over even your mistakes. Focus on His greatness. Recognize His power over every circumstance. And walk forward in His love--trusting Him and obeying His call.

 

[drifteri]

Murder Men, Women, and Children



"These men are friendly with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them; let us take their daughters in marriage, and let us give them our daughters. Only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised. Will not their cattle, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us." And all who went out of the gate of his city hearkened to Hamor and his son Shechem; and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.



On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and came upon the city unawares, and killed all the males. They slew Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went away. And the sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled; they took their flocks and their herds, their asses, and whatever was in the city and in the field; all their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and made their prey. Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me by making me odious to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Per'izzites; my numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my household." But they said, "Should he treat our sister as a harlot?" (Genesis 34:21-31 NLT)

 

[beensetfree]

Too Scared to Walk

Anthony's big eyes followed the ball as it bounced back and forth between his older brothers. That looked like so much fun--how he wished he could join them!

"You'd like to play too, wouldn't you?" Anthony's mother, Mrs. Richardson, asked as she smiled down at him from her seat on the park bench.

Anthony nodded.

"You can, Anthony--you just have to walk. Come on, give it a try," with that, Mrs. Richardson kneeled down on the ground a few feet from where Anthony stood holding onto the park bench, holding out her hands to him, just as she had done for months. Her son was almost two-and-a-half, but he still refused to give walking a try.

Anthony responded by opening his big eyes even wider. He couldn't--he just couldn't. He didn't know how to walk. The whole idea of putting all his weight on those two little sticks he heard his parents call legs terrified him.

Mrs. Richardson seemed to read his thoughts. "You can do it, Anthony. Just try. You'll never get to run and play if you don't walk."

But Anthony only responded by tightening his little fingers around the park bench he'd been leaning against. He just couldn't walk. He was too afraid. Fear had enslaved him, just as surely as a prison bar.

Mrs. Richardson sighed. When would her son be ready to overcome his fear and enjoy the many things waiting for him when he chose to walk?

 

[beensetfree]

Letting the Fear Go

Fear is no stranger to homeschooling parents. And, as Katherine shared, it can keep us from walking in freedom or--as it did to Anthony in the story--keep us from walking at all. The sad part is that many times we don't even know that we are afraid. When I was homeschooling, I had lots of fears and didn’t even know it.

Was I smart enough to really give my children the academics they needed? Would they know how to interact with others? Was I using the "right" curriculum? Could I really homeschool them during this trial? Was I teaching them what they need to know? It wasn't until my children graduated that I saw how these fears had affected the day-to-day decisions in our homeschooling.

For example, to combat my fear of not being smart enough to teach my own children, I stressed academics. While academics are a part of homeschooling, for a couple of years I put them above more important things. Yes, there was a lot of pride in how “smart” my children were.

In a similar fashion, my fear that my children would not be properly socialized led me to adapt some of the world's thinking in this area. In the early years of my homeschooling journey, rather than trusting God for social settings with people of all ages, I fell into purposefully putting my children in situations where they were around peers. As I think about it, some of my emphasis there was fear of what others would think if I didn't.

One day a dear woman saw what was happening in my home and shared with me the joy and peace of just letting God have control of each and every day--of putting Jesus first in everything. I needed to let go of my fears, along with my pride and reputation, and let Jesus have the number one place in our homeschool. It is my prayer for you this month is that you would be able to hand over any fears you might have and walk daily in the joy and peace only God can bring.

 

[septuagint]

[video=youtube_share;7DibkDQbzEo]http://youtu.be/7DibkDQbzEo[/video]

 

[beensetfree]

The Place
==============
I took my two oldest boys somewhere recently that they enjoyed
so much they didn't want to come back home.

It was a place where there were all kinds of rides and fun
things to see, do and play with. Every town has one of these
places no matter how small.

I know people are on a tight budget nowadays, but I truly
believe this is a place everyone can afford if they really
wanted to.

I can remember my parents carrying me to this place many times
and how much fun I had as a little boy, and I'm sure you do to.

Even though it seems like you could stay there all day and
night, they do have a closing time and then you have to go home.

The place I am talking about is outside.

No I'm not talking about a town fair or carnival that is
outside. I am simply talking about just plain old outside.

The rides I was referring to are tricycles and bicycles.
The fun things to see, do and play with are flowers, dirt,
sticks, and pine cones. The closing time is when the lights
turn down (the Sun). The memories are priceless, but the cost
is also priceless.

That's right, it is free to go outside.

I took my kids outside the other day and what a time they had.

The older we get in life the more it takes to entertain and
fascinate us. Most adults would not get the same thrill out of
an amusement park as kids get out of going outside.

Many times what we think our kids want and need are not what
they actually want and need. A child would grow tired of
playing with a $1,000 remote-controlled helicopter by themselves
faster than they would just blowing daffodils into the wind and
watching it's miniature parachutes land.

You see with kids, it's not just what they have or do more so
than it is with whom they are with.

Children value time and attention from parents much more than
gifts. I bought each of my young boys their own set of drums.
Sure they played with them a lot the first week, but after that
they had more fun when I got down on the kitchen floor with
them and turned over three pots as if they were drums and beat
on them with them with spoons and spatulas.

Don't mistake me, I never said Mom enjoys hearing the "noise,"
nor does she enjoy the thought of us beating on her good pots
and pans. But it warms her heart just to know her kids have a
tight bond with their father.

I bought my kids the best brand new $300 video game with extra
controls, the latest games and even got extra memory to save the
place in the game. A week later, I packed it all up and took it
back to the store. I had just spent over $500 on a game that
had the latest 3D graphics. I was frustrated on one hand but
learned a valuable lesson on the other.

I took them outside, got some pinecones and handed them a stick.
I was the pitcher and they were the batters. No game on the
expensive console could match the laughter and enjoyment that my
kids showed while knocking a home run (hitting the pinecone out
of the yard) with a stick.

The next time you want to give your kids the very best in
entertainment, try a neat place called outside.

 

[beensetfree]

Resume of Jesus Christ


Address: Ephesians 1:20
Phone: Romans 10:13
Website: The Bible
Keywords: Jesus Christ, Lord & Savior

My name is Jesus - The Christ. Many call me Lord! I've sent you my resume because I'm seeking the top management position in your heart. Please consider my accomplishments as set forth in my resume.

Qualifications:

• I founded the earth and established the heavens (see Proverbs 3:19).
• I formed man from the dust of the ground (see Genesis 2:7).
• I breathed into man the breath of life (see Genesis 2:7).
• I redeemed man from the curse of the law (see Galatians 3:13).
• The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant comes upon your life through me (see Galatians 3:14).

Occupational Background:

• I've only had one employer (see Luke 2:49).
• I've never been tardy, absent, disobedient, slothful or disrespectful.
• My employer has nothing but rave reviews for me (see Matthew 3:15-17).

Skills & Work Experiences:

• Some of my skills and work experiences include: empowering the poor to be poor no more, healing the brokenhearted, setting the captives free, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and setting at liberty them that are bruised (see Luke 4:18).
• I am a Wonderful Counselor (see Isaiah 9:6). People who Listen to me shall dwell safely and shall not fear evil (see Proverbs 1:33).
• Most importantly, I have the authority, ability & power to cleanse you of your sins (see I John 1:7-9)

Educational Background:

• I encompass the entire breadth & length of knowledge, wisdom and understanding (see Proverbs 2:6).
• In me are hid all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (see Colossians 2:3).
• My Word is so powerful; it has been described as being a lamp unto your feet and a lamp unto your path (see Psalms 119:105).
• I can even tell you all of the secrets of your heart (see Psalms 44:21).

Major Accomplishments:

• I was an active participant in the greatest Summit Meeting of all times (see Genesis 1:26).
• I laid down my life so that you may live (see II Corinthians 5:15).
• I defeated the archenemy of God and mankind & made a show of them openly (see Colossians 2:15).
• I've miraculously fed the poor, healed the sick and raised the dead!
• There are many more major accomplishments, too many to mention here. You can read them on my website, which is located at: www dot - the BIBLE. You don't need an Internet connection or computer to access my website.

References:

• Believers and followers worldwide will testify to my divine healings, salvation, deliverance, miracles, restoration and supernatural guidance.

In Summation:

Now that you've read my resume, I'm confident that I'm the only candidate uniquely qualified to fill this vital position in your heart. In summation, I will properly direct your paths (see Proverbs 3:5-6), and lead you into everlasting life (see John 6:47). When can I start? Time is of the essence (see Hebrews 3:15).