Love this telling of The Christmas Story (HD version)

I stumbled upon this video through a Facebook friend.  I think the biggest reason I like it is because it comes from New Zealand.  Hearing English in Kiwi accent brings back so many memories to me of my visits to New Zealand to visit my daughter while she was living there.  Enjoy!

I'm back online after 7 months sabbatitical

My laptop died in June and I decided not to replace it.  Instead I  decided to purchase a desktop computer.  So now I finally have a new desktop and am looking forward to periodically posting to my blog again. 
If you happen to find this little blog and would like to correspond or be a follower, please join me.

My laptop died! So I'm on a little blogging hiatus!

I haven't posted anything in the last couple months because my faithful laptop of 6 years finally stopped working in June.  So I decided to try to do without one for a while this summer.  I have a decent desktop computer, but it's in a very unconvenient place in my home and I just don't find myself enjoying sitting in front of the desktop blogging.  So I will probably buy a basic laptop in the next couple weeks and then I'll jump back into the blogging world again.  See you when I get a new laptop.

Last Post for 2nd QTR 100 Mile Challenge

Life has been chaotic for me....too much I want to do and not enough time and energy to achieve it all.  But I did make my 100 mile goal.  It's been hard but fun.  I hope to see another challenge offered for the 3rd quarter. 

Coming down the stretch on the 100 mile fitness challenge

This week, I tried a kick boxing class for the first time.  My neighbor invited me to join for a free class.  It lasted an hour and I barely "survived".  It was a hard but good workout.  For my 100 mile fitness challenge, I managed 10 miles this week for a total of 91 miles.

I still don't really enjoy working out.  I prefer to play a sport and get the workout that way.  But I feel that working out is the only way that I will be able to achieve my fitness goals.  So I need to stick with it.  Plus I have the short-term goal of getting ready for my 5K walk on July 3rd.  I'm not concerned about it, but I feel the more I walk in advance of that day, the faster I will walk on that day. 

What does God call me to?

Today I started perusing through the blogs in my blog reader and didn't get past the second blog, that of Arloa Sutter.  I appreciate Arloa, her ministry, her blog and her point of view.   Her blog entries are provocative, encouraging, and realistic.  At the end of one of her posts was a comment and for some unknown reason, I drilled down on the commenter's name to look at their blog.  Well, WOW!  This fascinating woman, Helen, had a great blog, which like Arloa's, caused me to really think, in this case, about what has God called me to?  (my answer to that will have to be in a later blog).   I then noticed this woman's blogroll.  So, away I went drilling down on some those blogs.  More deep, thought-provoking points of views on a very diverse range of subjects (social justice, racial reconciliation, emergent/emerging church movement, the green movement and environmental responsibility, women's roles in the evangelical church, and even how the TV show Lost teaches us about life and death!)  Some overwhelmed me, some depressed me, some challenged me, some encouraged me, but all made me want to expand my understanding on these issues.  I realize that I can't know and understand everything about everything.    There are a million worthy/interesting causes out there. There are alot of knowledgable, deeply passionate people who are great communicators and can run intellectual circles around me.  So after all my blog-stalking, what I basically learned today was stick to what God has called me to do and do it well.  Okay, so I've gone full circle back to the original subject of Arloa's friend's blog.....what is God calling ME to do, what does that mean to me and how do I do it?  So, I guess I won't wait until a later blog to talk about God's calling.

While I want to be a well-informed, knowledgable person on a broad spectrum of subjects, the reality for me is that I don't have the mental capacity (and perhaps even the heart) to be as well-informed and knowledgable as I would like to be on many of these subjects.  I just don't seem to have the brain power.  But I can work at using my time wisely by focusing on what God has called me to do.  I struggle with what that looks like and have many questions about it.  For example, does God's call involve more than one area?  Is God's call a single, specific thing that we are to do over a course of time?   Does one's call change over time as our circumstances change?  Are we really all called to specific calls or does our call simply entail the call to be a Christian in an increasingly anti-Christian world?  What's the difference between a call and the commandments we are given in the Bible?  The commandments I'm thinking of are:  1.   Love God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39) and 2.  Jesus' great commission in Matthew 28:19-20 to "Go and make disciples,.....teaching them to obey everything I have commanded".  Do these two passages constitute a call to each Christian?  Does God call everyone with a specific call, like he did with Moses? 

According to Helen, "If you are unsure of what your calling might be, Guinness gives a suggestion on how to approach the search: “Somehow, we human beings are never happier than when we are expressing the deepest gifts that are truly us. And often we get a revealing glimpse of these gifts early in life.” What did you love to do when you were young? What gifts and talents were evident in your childhood, and have you continued developing those gifts over the years? Perhaps as you think back on your life, you’ll discover talents that were affirmed long ago but that have been laying dormant, buried by the demands and expectations from your subsequent life circumstances or relationships."

"In Scripture, we read the numerous accounts of people who experience God’s calling and whose initial reactions are to deny the calling in one way or another. Moses expresses his feelings of inadequacy. Sarah laughs at the implausibility of God’s plan for her and Abraham. Jonah runs as far away from Ninevah as he can. And yet we see that as God’s servants display openness for his plans, he leads them towards the calling that he intends, despite their initial disbelief or inaccurate understandings."

"We need not worry about outcomes or adequacy. As we keep ourselves open to his calling, we discover that through his strength, we can achieve much more for his kingdom than we ever would have imagined, more than we could ever have done on our own abilities. Who would have believed that inarticulate Moses could lead the Israelites out of Egypt, or that ancient Sarah could have a baby, or that rebellious Jonah’s words could help turn around a wicked nation?"

"Sometimes our calling is clear and we merely have to embrace it. Sometimes, the calling seems outlandish, and we have to have faith to accept it. Perhaps the more improbable the potential outcome, the more evident it is that God is the one who has called us in the first place. Ultimately, our job as Christ-followers is straightforward: answer God’s call. Don’t worry about the outcomes. And be happy for the unique gifts and abilities we have been given to further his kingdom. That is something worth singing about."

Well, it's all good and definitely something for me to "chew on" today and in coming months.  In the meantime, I need to be productive and get some housework and realwork done.  If you read this and have any comments on what is God's call, I would love to hear from you.

Lazy Walking Week

Can I blame it on the humidity and all the rain?   I only walked 6 miles this week.  On the upside, I signed up for a 5K on July 3.  So I need to keep walking to continue to getting fit. 

Last Chance Workout-WHEW!! It's hard!

This week I tried the Last Chance Workout that was available on my cable's On Demand.  For me, it was definitely a challenge.  Jillian works you through 4 circuits that are a mix of cardio and strengthening using weights.  I didn't use any weights and followed the beginner version of the workout.  The first 3 circuits were a fun challenge for me, but circuit 4 did me in.  The beginner's version of circuit 4 was still too hard for me.  But I'm not deterred; I'm motivated to get all the way through the entire workout, including circuit 4. 

I'm not sure how that would translate in my 100 mile fitness challenge.  So I'm taking zero miles for the last chance workout, leaving me only 10 miles for the week ended May 27th, for a grand total of 75 miles/100 miles.  25 miles to go in the month of June!!!!!  I should be able to do that easily.

Kicking it into a Higher Gear

I've been traveling the last two weeks and haven't had internet access. But I worked hard at walking and exercising more while on the road......I can add 12 miles for first week and 15 miles for the second week.  My new total:  65/100 miles

100 Mile Fitness Challenge

YAY!  12 miles this week!  Now I need to control my eating, so I start losing some weight.

My Last Memory Monday - Matthew 5: 6-9

I have found a new website to help me memorize scripture.  It's called Memverse.  So I will be ceasing this Monday post because I will be doing my scripture memory work on Memverse from now on.  My scripture memory goal for the summer is to keep memorizing the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). 

Matthew 5: 6-9

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

Last week's verses:

Matthew 5: 4-6

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

Getting fit takes time and discipline

This week I have finally started ramping up my exercise.  Now I need to be disciplined not to eat more than I should, in order to make my 2 pound/week goal.  The weekend was tough food-wise, but great in the exercise department.  Can't wait until I can say that my food intake and my exercise output for a week were exactly what they should be in order to achieve my weekly goal.

Fitness challenge update and immediate fitness goals.

Slowly but surely, I am beginning to "get on board" with myself in my quest to become fit and healthy.  While I'm still not exercising as much I want each week, I am honing and working on eating better.  So after 2 weeks, I have lost 4 pounds.  It may not seem like much to you, but to me, it's a start.  I have become aware that I need to establish some specific goals for myself, not only in the exercise area of my life, but in general.  My overall fitness goal is  to lose 50 pounds by December 31, 2010.  To achieve that, I need to ramp up my physical activity, combined with sensible eating.  To achieve that, my initial immediate goals are to workout daily, avoid fast foods, lose 2 pounds/week and drink sufficient water daily.

I should add  to my goal list to go to bed at a decent hour. I stay up too late these days. 

So here's to 4/50 pounds lost!

Memory Monday - Matthew 5: 4-6

Matthew 5: 4-6

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."


Last week's verse:

Matthew 5: 1-3

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Memory Monday - Matthew 5: 1-3

Matthew 5: 1-3

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Last week's verse:

Psalm 71:23

"My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praise to you—
I, whom you have redeemed."

Fitness Update!

I am in an 8 week challenge with a friend to try to lose 2 pounds a week.  This is midway through week #1 and the challenge has good, but difficult.  I've had a dry cough for several months.  This week the cough went ballistic on me so I finally called my doctor.  I definitely have a respiratory ailment and am now on antibiotics and cough meds.  I have been fortunate to not have to take antibiotics much in my life.  I think, thankfully, this is only the third or fourth time I've ever been on antibiotics.  So I hope the drugs kick in and knock the bug out of my system...FAST! 

In the meantime,  I'm watching what I eat and trying to move more.  Once I get over this bug, I will ramp up my exercise.

100 Mile Fitness Challenge:  this bug has slowed down my 100 mile progress, but I still managed 6 this week....

Memory Monday-Psalm 71:23

Psalm 71:23

"My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praise to you—
I, whom you have redeemed."


Last week's verse:
Ephesians 6:16-18

In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.

Memory Monday - Ephesians 6:16-18

Ephesians 6:16-18
In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.   And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.

Last week's verse:

Jeremiah 15:16

Your words were found and I ate them,  and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;  For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.

100 Mile Fitness Challenge

Thanks to Jill and Allie for hosting this round of the 100 Mile Fitness Challenge.  It's a fun way to walk 100 miles in 3 months by joining with other bloggers and posting your progress.  This round starts today, April 1 and runs through June 30th.  I should easily be able to walk 100 miles in that timeframe, but I can be so lazy, so I'm hoping this challenge will help keep me motivated, especially as I record my weekly progress on the Challenge blog. 

If you care to join me, here's a link to the 100 Mile Fitness Challenge blog.  Plus leave me a comment here, so we can cheer each other on in this challenge.  http://100milefitness.blogspot.com/2010/03/100-mile-fitness-challenge-3-sign-ups.html

Memory Monday: Jeremiah 15:16

Jeremiah 15:16
Your words were found and I ate them,
And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;
For I have been called by Your name,
O LORD God of hosts.

I shifted gear for this week.  I had planned on continuing with the Ephesians passage, but this Jeremiah verse hit me.  I'll get back to Ephesians, hopefully, next week.

Last week's verse:
Ephesians 6:14-15
Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness. and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

This World of Blogging

I've spent a good chunk of my blogging time during the past week just reading other's blogs and discovering just how vast the world of blogging is.  You can search for just about any topic and find someone who is blogging on that topic.  I found many new blogs that were really interesting to me in the areas of food, home organization and management, exercise, and the Christian walk.  But in doing all this blog reading, I didn't get to any real writing on my blogs or any reading of the books on my reading shelf.   I am curious to know just how much time other people spend daily in this world of blogs, keeping up with the blogs they follow.  Also, I would love to know how much time others spend daily writing their own blogs.   This wonderful world of blogging could easily monopolize your time, if you aren't disciplined about it.   Why does so much of life require discipline in order to achieve one's goals and dreams!!??  And why are some people so good at the discipline needed and other people fail miserably at it?!?!  

I don't have a blogroll on my blog yet.  I think I will have to post my blogroll like a David Letterman top 10 list and then change it periodically to reflect the blogs that have been the most encouraging, educational and entertaining to me.  I'm out of blogtime today...I'll add my top 10 blogroll soon.

Memory Monday - Eph 6:14-15

Eph 6:14-15
Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;


Last week's verse:
Psalm 34:4
I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.

Happy First Day of Spring!

We had beautiful weather yesterday, a sunny balmy 65 degree day! We woke to a blustery, snowy, gray day. So, in honor of the first day of spring, I'm posting a couple pictures that remind me of spring.

Online Bible I'm Trying

Here's a link to an online Bible that I'm trying. I've been following a Bible reading plan this year and this site has my plan on their site. So I'm giving it a whirl.

Memory Monday-Psalm 34:4

Psalm 34:4
I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.

Last week's verse:
Psalm 34:3
O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.

Granola

Ever since going to New Zealand in 2007 and having the great variety of granola to eat at breakfast, I have been on the hunt for good granola here in the States. I have found one that I like in the organic section of our local grocery store, but I thought I would try making me own. Here's the first try..

Granola

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup vegetable oil*
1/3 cup sliced almonds (1 oz)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup green (hulled) pumpkin seeds, sometimes called pepitas (1 1/2 oz; not roasted) **
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup mild honey
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch salt
1 cup tart dried cherries ***
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup dried pears (1/4-inch dice)
1/2 cup diced dried apricots (1/4 inch dice)
1/3 cup golden raisins

Accompaniment: Sliced bananas; plain yogurt flavored with vanilla extract.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Stir together all ingredients except the fruit in a large bowl until combined. Spread mixture evenly on a large (17-by 12-inch) shallow baking pan**** and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer granola, in pan, to rack to cool stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir in dried fruit.

Granola keeps, frozen (the fruit’s moisture softens granola if not kept frozen) in an airtight container, 1 month.

* I got away with 1/3 cup.
** I accidentally bought the roasted ones – which are by the way, so tasty, can’t stop snacking on them – so I mixed them in just as I took it out of the oven, when the sugars were still melted and they gummed to the granola as if they’d been there the whole time.
*** The store was out of dried cranberries, my favorite, so I substituted cherries. I’m still short a lot of dried fruit, but plan to remedy that soon.
**** Next time I do this, I’m lining it with foil. When the granola came out of the oven, it’s soft and in smaller pieces. When I returned 15 minutes later, it was like one giant, loosely-packed granola bar. This is wonderful as you can break it up into whatever size chunks you like, but bad because it had stuck a bit to the pan, making for an annoying cleanup.

Joy, peace and hope!

One of my friends sent me this email today....what appropriate words for me today as I wrestled with this coming week's Bible study subject.

She writes:
"Here’s my verse for today—I read it this morning during devotions & wanted to share it with you!

Romans 15:13 (NIV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

It’s cool that we can “overflow with hope”! We need to “trust in Him” and we also need the “power of the Holy Spirit”. Are we lacking in that? How do we go about “doing” this so we can “overflow with hope”? :o)"

Thanks, friend!

Prayer

This week our subject was fasting and prayer. Another tough one for me! I love to eat and found it difficult to fast. Matthew 6:17-18 says "But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret." The words that hit home to me were "when you fast". Jesus isn't suggesting it; he assumes I will voluntarily fast out of humble reverence to God, in order to learn self-control and reliance on Him alone, and to remember that my treasure is in heaven. Fasting goes hand in hand with prayer. You can pray without fasting, but I don't think you can fast without praying. I fast out of obedience to God and when I fast, I am spending time with God in prayer. The result of fasting and praying is found in Isaiah 58.

"Then your light will break out like the dawn and your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am 'if you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell."

Campus Crusade has a good explanation on fasting and prayer at Your Personal Guide to Fasting and Prayer :: Campus Crusade for Christ International

http://www.ccci.org/training-and-growth/devotional-life/personal-guide-to-fasting/index.htm

Memory Monday-Psalm 34:3

Psalm 34:3
O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.

Last week's verse:
Psalm 34:2
My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice.

I like this song!

Friends

I'm thankful for my close friends.  They make me laugh, they encourage me just by being my friend, they make me want to spend time in the Word, they help me make good decisions, they make me think.  It takes time to develop friendships and even more time to maintain friendships.  Spending time together is the glue that helps maintain a friendship. 

"A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked." ~Author Unknown

Thanks, DD friends, for being my friend!

Prayer

We've been studying prayer in our Tuesday morning Bible study this semester. I've discovered it's easier to learn about prayer than it is to simply do it.  While I pray pretty much all day long in a running conversation with God, to sit down and have an intentional time of prayer with God is so hard for me.  I allow myself to be distracted during my prayer time or I just don't "get to it".  If you love someone, you usually enjoy spending time with them.  Why, then, is it so hard to spend intentional time with God in prayer?  Do I not love Him?  Am I so selfish and small to think I can ignore Him, the One to whom I owe my very life?  Forgive me, Lord, for relying on myself more than You.  Renew in me the desire to know You, study You, sit like Mary at your feet in worship, to keep a time daily with You alone and let nothing distract from it.  You alone are worthy of my time and my attention.  Thank you for loving me!

Memory Monday-Psalm 34:2

Psalm 34:2
My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice.

Last week's verse:
Psalm 34:1
I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Dancing Friends

A group of my friends got together for the weekend to have fun, be together, read a book together, laugh, cry and pray. One of the ladies brought the Wii game, "Just Dance". We had so much fun playing it. I took a video that is absolutely hysterical, but if I posted it, I would no longer have these great friends, or so they have warned me. So you will just have to believe me when I say it is a seriously funny video.

Memory Monday-Psalm 34:1

Psalm 34:1
I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Last week's verse:
Psalm 1:6
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.

Memory Monday-Psalm 1:6

Psalm 1:6
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.

Last week's verse:
Psalm 1:5
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor the sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

Yummy Apple Dessert

I watched an episode of Biggest Loser and Jillian shared an easy dessert that was low-cal. I tried it and reallllly like it. Take an apple and simply slice it up. Put the slices in a bowl, cover with water, and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Drain the water, sprinkle some cinnamon over the apples, and enjoy!!!! On a cold night, it warms my tummy and satifies my sweet tooth.

Memory Monday-Psalm 1:5

Psalm 1:5
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.


Last week's verse:
Psalm 1:4
The wicked are not so, But they are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Picture of the Day: Jacksonville

A picture is worth a thousand words!!!!  Two of my favorite people......

Memory Monday-Psalm 1:4

Psalm 1:4
The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.


Last week's verse:
Psalm 1:3
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of living water, Which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Memory Monday-Psalm 1:3

Psalm 1:3
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Last week's verse
Psalm 1:2
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.

Memory Monday-Psalm 1:2

Psalm 1:2
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

Last week's verse
Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the man who does walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers

I've gone through 4 full boxes of Kleenex....Yuck!

While searching the internet for some new discovery of combatting this vicious cold I have, I stumbled upon a site listing 100 cool facts about the human body. Here are the ones on bodily functions.

We may not always like to talk about them, but everyone has to deal with bodily functions on a daily basis. These are a few facts about the involuntary and sometimes unpleasant actions of our bodies.

34.Sneezes regularly exceed 100 mph. There’s a good reason why you can’t keep your eyes open when you sneeze–that sneeze is rocketing out of your body at close to 100 mph. This is, of course, a good reason to cover your mouth when you sneeze.
35.Coughs clock in at about 60 mph. Viruses and colds get spread around the office and the classroom quickly during cold and flu season. With 60 mph coughs spraying germs far and wide, it’s no wonder.
36.Women blink twice as many times as men do. That’s a lot of blinking every day. The average person, man or woman, blinks about 13 times a minute.
37.A full bladder is roughly the size of a soft ball. No wonder you have to run to bathroom when you feel the call of the wild. The average bladder holds about 400-800 cc of fluid but most people will feel the urge to go long before that at 250 to 300 cc.
38.Approximately 75% of human waste is made of water. While we might typically think that urine is the liquid part of human waste products, the truth is that what we consider solid waste is actually mostly water as well. You should be thankful that most waste is fairly water-filled, as drier harder stools are what cause constipation and are much harder and sometimes painful to pass.
39.Feet have 500,000 sweat glands and can produce more than a pint of sweat a day. With that kind of sweat-producing power it’s no wonder that your gym shoes have a stench that can peel paint. Additionally, men usually have much more active sweat glands than women.
40.During your lifetime, you will produce enough saliva to fill two swimming pools. Saliva plays an important part in beginning the digestive process and keeping the mouth lubricated, and your mouth produces quite a bit of it on a daily basis.
41.The average person expels flatulence 14 times each day. Even if you’d like to think you’re too dignified to pass gas, the reality is that almost everyone will at least a few times a day. Digestion causes the body to release gases which can be painful if trapped in the abdomen and not released.
42.Earwax production is necessary for good ear health. While many people find earwax to be disgusting, it’s actually a very important part of your ear’s defense system. It protects the delicate inner ear from bacteria, fungus, dirt and even insects. It also cleans and lubricates the ear canal.

The Lord's Prayer

This week, one Bible passage that we looked at was the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6. The setting was the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus gives a warning about praying; don't pray to be heard and seen by men; don't babble on when you pray; instead when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Jesus wasn't warning against public prayers (we have lots of example in Scripture of public prayer). He was warning against the wrong attitude when we pray. He was warning against meaningless repetition just to sound good. The Jews of the day highly regarded long prayers. Jesus was showing that it is the heart attitude that matters to God.

Then Jesus gave the Lord's Prayer as a framework for how to pray. In Luke, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray and Jesus gave them the Lord's Prayer. There are alot of ways to examine the Lord's prayer and commentate on it. The model I want to share today is the P's of the Lord prayer.
1. Praise & worship "Our Father....."
2. Provision "Give us this day...."
3. Pardon "Forgive us our sins...."
4 Protection "Lead us not into temptation"
5. Praise "For Thine is the Kingdom...."

The phrase that stood out to me was "Hallowed be Thy name". Thy name encompasses the whole of who God is, His character, His holy unfathomable ways. His name describes who He is and isn't just a name like Sally. In another passage, Jesus instructs to ask God for what we need, in Jesus' name. More on this next time, I blog.

Picture of the Day: Deep Freeze

We've had tons of snow! I can't believe the icicles hanging off my gutters. They are so beautiful in the sunshine.

Memory Monday-Psalm 1:1

New verse is Psalm 1:1
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

Last week's verse:
Proverbs 18:13
He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame!

Prayer-To whom do you pray?

Who is out there to hear our prayers? We are living at a time where I hear many people talk about "being spiritual" and "praying". I hear it from friends, from the TV, radio and the newspaper. It can sound good because they are using the same terminology that I use when I talk about what I believe. One question that pops up in my mind when I hear some people talk about prayer. Exactly who are you praying to?

I KNOW to whom I pray. There is only one true God, who created all things, who is perfectly holy, infinite, loving, wise, etc. He is the God found in the Bible. His command that "You are to have no other gods before Me," is as true today as it was in the days of Moses. We come to God for help; we come to Him in praise and worship; we come to Him for mercy and forgiveness of our sin only through His Son, Jesus Christ.

"The LORD is near to all who call upon Him." (Psalm 145:18)
"Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." (Psalm 50:15)
"Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." (I John 3:22)
"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

Be sure you're praying to the one true God!

What to call this blog?

I haven't figured out what to call my blog:  Here are some ideas:

Life in Transition
Cheesehead at Heart
Sally's Simple Story
Stop and Smell the Roses
Fancy Meeting You Here
Thoughts on Life, the Bible, Jesus, Organizing, Family and Friends
Keeping it Simple
Life and Love and Laughter-O My!
My Thoughts-For Free
Middleaged Mom's Musings
Wassup?

Memory Monday - Proverbs 18:13

I got this idea from another blog that I was reading: Each Monday my goal is to pick a verse or passage to memorize for the upcoming week. And the next Monday, I'll type it out BY MEMORY and choose another one. That would make 52 verses memorized by December 31, if I'm faithful. My first verse is:

Proverbs 18:13
He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him.

I didn't record where I got this idea from, but if I can find the original blog where I got the idea from, I will put a link here, to show credit where it's due....

March, 2010...I found the original site...The Simple Wife

What is prayer?

This semester we are going to be studying about prayer in our church Bible study. I'm looking forward to it, especially since one of my 2010 goals is grow in my prayer life. So I pulled out all the books I have on prayer; I didn't realize how many I had, probably too many. I could easily get busy and caught up in reading all these great books on prayer and never read what the Bible has to say on prayer and forget to actually pray. So, hopefully, I'll have some balance in my reading.

I started looking at "what is prayer". Here are a few answers from some notes I had from a seminar I taught on prayer a couple years.

From the Bible I see many people praying to God....in each case, it is someone simply talking to God. Some people are asking for needs to be met, some are simply praising God for Who He is, some are seeking forgiveness for being disobedient, some are seeking to be saved from trouble, some are praying on behalf of other people, some just want to know God more.

Pryaing is a soul attitude, a "lifting up of the mind to God".

Prayer is communicating with God. A conversation that can be spoken or silent, or even expressed in song. It is working with God to accomplish His goals.

Prayer is meant to be the conversation where your life and your God meet. Prayer is simply the medium through which we know God and connect to God. The focus is not on praying, but on God.

Prayer is a dialogue between God and me, not a monologue.

The essense of prayer is talking to God as you would to a beloved parent.

The chief purpose of prayer is to recognize the presence of the heavenly Father.

Prayer bathes the soul in an atmosphere of the divine presence.

Prayer more than anything else is sharing the needs and the burdens and the hungers of my heart with the God who cares. It's communion. It isn't getting things. It isn't forcing God to do something. It is just opening my soul to one who cares and that communes with me. As Luther said, "prayer is much more God instructing us than ever is it God being instructed by us." Prayer is saying oh God, I come to you with the needs of my heart, display Your glory.

Picture of the Day: Empty Boxes

Last fall was another season of transition for me, mostly because we did some remodeling in our home, including my kitchen. It took a while, but the kitchen is done, except for decorative touches, which will happen when I find the right fabric. My picture of the day: the empty boxes for my kitchen stuff. YAY!

Blog Beginnings

This is my feeble attempt at blogging/journaling. I am not a writer, but that doesn't mean I don't have things worth saying. So I plan to have some fun with this and see where and if this blog flies. I like reading what others have to say about: their daily walk with Jesus, getting organized and staying organized; weight management; books they have read and enjoyed; and if it's family, about family memories and stories. So this blog will probably have a little of each of those. I love pictures and will post pictures periodically that will record my life visually. Maybe I'll learn something about myself through this process. So here goes.......