Another great post by Perry Noble! PLEASE READ THIS! Don't just read it..BELIEVE IT.. DO IT!! It's true, I promise you it's true! Do you ever wonder why I'm so happy? Somebody once told me that I hide all the pain in my life by being extra happy.. and for a little while I thought it was true..and maybe I do hide pain..I try not to think about negative or hurtful things..BUT, I AM FILLED With incredible JOY! I can't contain it!! I'm bursting with love and happiness. I can't wait to wake up each morning to live another day!! What's God going to do today??? It's so exciting!! I've said this before..it's not that everything in my life is perfect...I have my troubles too, but it's different when you are surrendered to God. You know that God is going to be there for you no matter what...and ..I wish I could explain it better. The greatest thing ever..it's not a secret!!! YOU can have this kind of happiness too!!! Accept Christ into your heart...that's the first step. But you've got to realize ..That's important..accepting Him into your heart, but that's just the first step!! Now once you've asked HIm to forgive you for all the sinning you've done (believe me I had lots!!!!..and I continue to sin...like I said my life is not perfect and I am far from perfect!! I mess up constantly!)
Then you've got so start conversting with God..realizing that praying is not just asking Him for things..or saying memorized prayer..it's talking to God..he hears you when you talk to him and Guess what?? He talks back to you!! You have to learn to listen for his voice and the voice of the Holy Spirit inside of you, and you have to read the Bible too!! That's really important. I would recommend the New Living Translation life application study Bible! It's a regular Bible, written in words that you can understand, (no thee's and thou's) and the life application part...shows you what God's words mean for your life...how to apply them to your life! Then you've got to start going to church..because church is a place where you are love and accepted, and you are around people who will support you, learn with you, love with you and a whole lot more.. You've got to keep learning..keep surrendering your heart to God..keep being obedient to Him.. LIke Perry says.. JUST DO WHAT HE SAYS!! Don't analyze things too much..don't feel that need to have to know all the answers... Just do what He says! : ) I love you so much.. YOU, who is reading this.. I LOVE YOU!! Have an awesome day!! Make it great!!
Jesus’ Mom Was So Smart
Yesterday I was preparing a message for May 20th…and in doing so began reading in John chapter two when Jesus changed the water into wine. (Popular miracle with some…not so much with others.)
Anyway, if you’ve read the story then you understand…Jesus and His disciples are hanging out at a wedding (so much for Him being boring) and the celebration is going great…until…they run out of wine. Now in this culture and time period…this is BAD, REALLY BAD…and Jesus’ mom comes to Him and asks Him to help out.
Some servants are evidently standing near Jesus and she turns and looks at them and says one of THE single most profound statements in Scripture…
“His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’” (John 2:5)
STOP for a minute! She didn’t say, “Oh wow, we have a problem–hey servants, SIT here and sing songs to Jesus for an hour, if that doesn’t work then use the prayer of Jabez to try and manipulate Him, and then if that isn’t doing the trick then here are some verses I heard from a TV preacher that will unlock the secrets of blessing…”
Nope…she said DO–WHATEVER–HE–TELLS–YOU! In other words–He’s going to tell you what to do and then you are going to need to take action. Yes, He is capable of handing the situation…but He is going to handle it through your willingness to obey Him and take a risk!
One of the greatest tragedies in Christianity today is that too many Christians are sitting around “waiting on God,” when in actuality they are using excuses such as, “Well, I’m praying about it,” and, “I don’t want to get ahead of God.” What I have discovered is that MOST of the time these are excuses for laziness, fear and a lack of faith.
Christians DO NOT need another Bible study…another book…another seminar…most of us need to simply just do what we know we should do…that desire inside of us that we know is from Him!
Bottom line–do whatever He tells you.
Is there an area in your life that you need to do whatever He tells you to do…maybe…
You need to forgive someone
You need to have that tough conversation
You need to begin to worship God with your money
You need to invite that person to church
You need to start a church
You need to give something away
You need to admit your addiction
You need to spend more time with your family
Do whatever He tells you!
Many times it is not that we don’t know what to do–its just that we don’t want to do what we know we should!
I wrestle with this just as much as anyone else. There are times when I feel the Lord speak straight to my heart…and I argue, rebel…and even at times try to bargain with Him…but life is so much better when I just do whatever he tells me to do.
Uh, speaking of things getting better…once the servants obeyed Jesus…things got a lot better at the wedding. Jesus never screws anything up–EVER!
Friday, April 20, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Perry Noble on the Virginia Tech shooting
I AM PO’d
Posted: 19 Apr 2007 07:58 AM CDT
The Virginia Tech thing has me FLOORED! I have waited to comment on it…and thought maybe I would not until last night when NBC broke the news that the shooter had mailed them information…and has now, because of their stupidity and a desire for ratings, showed anyone in the world how to make themselves famous–even if they are not around to enjoy it.
It didn’t take long for political “experts” from both sides to jump all over this tragedy and try to use it for their gain. The gun control people are screaming…the anti gun control people are screaming back…finger pointing is going on all over the place…it’s a mess and people are trying to figure out what in the heck happened.
I have a theory…it’s a simple one…but I believe it is true. This is WHAT happens when people do not know Jesus! Maybe the problem isn’t political or social at all…maybe this is exactly what happens when sin manifests itself inside a person and expresses itself through the most horrid act of violence one could ever imagine.
I have seen in society AND Scripture that the potential for evil inside a human being is pretty much limitless…and what happened at Virginia Tech proves my point.
What does do to me personally? Well…it didn’t make me want to jump on the gun control bandwagon. It didn’t make me want to try to make our society a safer place. NO–it STOKED MY FIRE for evangelism, this tragedy screams a fact that Scripture has been screaming for centuries–PEOPLE NEED JESUS!!!
It makes me mad…AND it convicts me…when I look at the church and then this tragedy. I believe we live in a fallen world–sin happens, and when it does it is always gross. HOWEVER, I believe less and less of these things will take place in the future IF the church will freakin’ wake up and begin to do what we were commissioned to do in the first place–take Jesus to the world!!!
I am through fighting!!! THROUGH! I will not engage in the emergent vs. emerging debate any longer. I will not entertain the traditional versus contemporary…nor will I involve myself in the missional verses attractional debate. I can’t–PEOPLE ARE DYING AND GOING TO HELL ALL AROUND US…and to engage in meaningless arguments that are NOT going to matter this side of eternity–OR the other side, well, that is playing right into the hands of satan. If we are passionate about anything other than Christ and reaching people for him…he is not threatened.
NewSpring…we are called to reach people for Christ!!! We will ALWAYS be a church where you know you can bring your friends and family members who do not know Christ…and they WILL hear the Gospel in a way they can understand. We are going to do church the way God has called us to do church…and people who do not like it can scream all they want…and we will keep ignoring them and reaching people for Christ!!! We will no longer cater to the naysayers and the critics–there is WAY too much at stake.
We WILL preach Jesus…we will honor His word…we will worship with passion…we will do church in an excellent and creative manner…and I am praying that one day God will allow us to see over 3,000 people saved in one day…just like in Acts 2!!!
People need Jesus!!! PEOPLE NEED JESUS! If the church does not get serious about reaching the world for Christ–we are going to see WAY MORE of what happened at Virginia Tech happen all around our country!
Question–who comes to your mind when you read this? Who in your life needs Christ? Pray for them right NOW!!! And…make it a point to get them here…I promise you they WILL hear about Jesus–He is my King & my God…He SAVED ME…HE CHANGED ME…HE HAS MADE ME NEW!!! I was overwhelmed this morning in my quiet time as I thought about where He found me and how far He has brought me…and I prayed right there that NewSpring will continually see thousands and thousands of people being found by Jesus each and every weekend!!!
One more thing…God is using our church in ways that I never imagined. On Tuesday morning I received an e-mail from a student who attends NewSpring during the summer…but goes to school at Virginia Tech. After reading it I called him because his story was incredible. He said that the night before the shooting he was watching a NewSpring service on the internet…and when the invitation time came around he received Christ. He said he just knew it was the right thing to do. And so when the shooting happened the next day he told me that he was not in the building where it had taken place–but if he would have been there then he would have been ready!
It’s our COMMISSION to get people READY!
We live in a fallen world–sin IS real and nasty–but we serve a RISEN KING…HE REIGNS…HE IS GOD…and HE HAS CALLED US TO REACH PEOPLE FOR HIM. WOW…while this tragedy has broken my heart and I have grieved–and it has awakened me to what is important…and this church will NOT stop until we IMPACT the entire Southeast…and then the WORLD for Christ!
Amen Perry! I feel the same way here in New Castle!!!!
Posted: 19 Apr 2007 07:58 AM CDT
The Virginia Tech thing has me FLOORED! I have waited to comment on it…and thought maybe I would not until last night when NBC broke the news that the shooter had mailed them information…and has now, because of their stupidity and a desire for ratings, showed anyone in the world how to make themselves famous–even if they are not around to enjoy it.
It didn’t take long for political “experts” from both sides to jump all over this tragedy and try to use it for their gain. The gun control people are screaming…the anti gun control people are screaming back…finger pointing is going on all over the place…it’s a mess and people are trying to figure out what in the heck happened.
I have a theory…it’s a simple one…but I believe it is true. This is WHAT happens when people do not know Jesus! Maybe the problem isn’t political or social at all…maybe this is exactly what happens when sin manifests itself inside a person and expresses itself through the most horrid act of violence one could ever imagine.
I have seen in society AND Scripture that the potential for evil inside a human being is pretty much limitless…and what happened at Virginia Tech proves my point.
What does do to me personally? Well…it didn’t make me want to jump on the gun control bandwagon. It didn’t make me want to try to make our society a safer place. NO–it STOKED MY FIRE for evangelism, this tragedy screams a fact that Scripture has been screaming for centuries–PEOPLE NEED JESUS!!!
It makes me mad…AND it convicts me…when I look at the church and then this tragedy. I believe we live in a fallen world–sin happens, and when it does it is always gross. HOWEVER, I believe less and less of these things will take place in the future IF the church will freakin’ wake up and begin to do what we were commissioned to do in the first place–take Jesus to the world!!!
I am through fighting!!! THROUGH! I will not engage in the emergent vs. emerging debate any longer. I will not entertain the traditional versus contemporary…nor will I involve myself in the missional verses attractional debate. I can’t–PEOPLE ARE DYING AND GOING TO HELL ALL AROUND US…and to engage in meaningless arguments that are NOT going to matter this side of eternity–OR the other side, well, that is playing right into the hands of satan. If we are passionate about anything other than Christ and reaching people for him…he is not threatened.
NewSpring…we are called to reach people for Christ!!! We will ALWAYS be a church where you know you can bring your friends and family members who do not know Christ…and they WILL hear the Gospel in a way they can understand. We are going to do church the way God has called us to do church…and people who do not like it can scream all they want…and we will keep ignoring them and reaching people for Christ!!! We will no longer cater to the naysayers and the critics–there is WAY too much at stake.
We WILL preach Jesus…we will honor His word…we will worship with passion…we will do church in an excellent and creative manner…and I am praying that one day God will allow us to see over 3,000 people saved in one day…just like in Acts 2!!!
People need Jesus!!! PEOPLE NEED JESUS! If the church does not get serious about reaching the world for Christ–we are going to see WAY MORE of what happened at Virginia Tech happen all around our country!
Question–who comes to your mind when you read this? Who in your life needs Christ? Pray for them right NOW!!! And…make it a point to get them here…I promise you they WILL hear about Jesus–He is my King & my God…He SAVED ME…HE CHANGED ME…HE HAS MADE ME NEW!!! I was overwhelmed this morning in my quiet time as I thought about where He found me and how far He has brought me…and I prayed right there that NewSpring will continually see thousands and thousands of people being found by Jesus each and every weekend!!!
One more thing…God is using our church in ways that I never imagined. On Tuesday morning I received an e-mail from a student who attends NewSpring during the summer…but goes to school at Virginia Tech. After reading it I called him because his story was incredible. He said that the night before the shooting he was watching a NewSpring service on the internet…and when the invitation time came around he received Christ. He said he just knew it was the right thing to do. And so when the shooting happened the next day he told me that he was not in the building where it had taken place–but if he would have been there then he would have been ready!
It’s our COMMISSION to get people READY!
We live in a fallen world–sin IS real and nasty–but we serve a RISEN KING…HE REIGNS…HE IS GOD…and HE HAS CALLED US TO REACH PEOPLE FOR HIM. WOW…while this tragedy has broken my heart and I have grieved–and it has awakened me to what is important…and this church will NOT stop until we IMPACT the entire Southeast…and then the WORLD for Christ!
Amen Perry! I feel the same way here in New Castle!!!!
words of wisdom
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
—James 1:22, TNIV
A day in the life..Thursday.
Went to bed last night at 3:45 am
Woke this morning at 6:30 am
took kids to school at 7:20 am
It's now 7:55 am
Have to make three phone calls this morning starting at 9:00 am.
girls get picked up at 11:45 pm (1/2 day..don't know why)
Lunch with girls at 12:00 pm (It's our tradition on 1/2 days)
Lunch with Kim at 1:00 pm(She's leaving for NY tommorow)
coffee with Brenda @ Steamers 3:00 pm
Footloose with Emily, Virginia & Dottie at 7:00 pm
What are you doing today?
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
don't be afraid of failure
Inventor James Dyson says in Fast Company magazine that he failed 5,126 times at creating the gitchy Dyson vacuum cleaner before succeeding on the 5,127th try. It took 15 years and nearly his entire savings account to create the best-selling vacuum on the market, making him of the richest men in England.
Becoming unafraid of failure is a prerequisite for success.
A letter to starbucks from some people who love their coffee!
My brother Alan is a wonderful, intelligent, creative, Godly leader who's been very supportive and encouraging to me these past few years. We both share a deep love for our Savior! He's feeling called to get back into the ministry. He's been with me on this journey of trying to bring a new church to our area, so I invited him to Solid Rock this past Sunday and he felt the same way I did, the minute he walked in the door. After church,we sat down and talked with Pastor Tim Klein for three hours. We only stopped, because I felt like I was going to pass out (I have hypoglycemia)since I hadn't eaten all day. After the meeting with Tim, Al told me that he believes this is where he's meant to be, and he wanted to jump in and start doing something! AWESOME!!!!!
So yesterday, Al sent me a copy of a letter that he's sending to Starbucks to try to get some coffee donated to Solid Rock. I wanted to ask, anybody who is reading this, to please pray over this letter. Al is stepping out and being proactive, to try to make Solid Rock a better place, which will attract more people to come and love God and each other. Starbucks is not just coffee!! I love that! Also...I am so impressed with this letter. Al, you have a gift!! I am blown away by this! Great job bro!!!! You Rock!!!
Check it out...
Dear Starbucks
Please let me introduce my self, My name is Alan Short, I live in a small town in Pennsylvania 10 miles north of New Castle. I’m just your average guy with an above average dream to see God move among his people in the city of New Castle Pennsylvania.
I attend a most incredible church here , Solid Rock Ministries, Pastor Tim Klein. This ministry isn’t your run of the mill or every day church, we don’t have an upscale congregation or even many believers attending but the people of the street, drug dealer who have given up that way of life, drug users and recovering alcoholics, prostitutes, homeless, the down and out, unemployed and impoverished people. I’ve seen men, woman, children and teens seeking a new beginning and new start in life thru Christ.
Please bear with me as I give you a small bit of local history of New Castle.
New Castle was once a bustling, thriving economic boom town in the 40's. It was the steel industry specializing in Tin that brought acclaim to the city. New Castle at one time was considered one of the richest cities in America. It all came tumbling down on the whim of one man that vowed to collapse the industry here and bring this town to it’s knees, Andrew Carnegie. He kept his word and did as he said.
Today New Castle struggles to maintain some sort of stability and put it’s storied past behind. Today New Castle is a shell of it’s former self, looking to the future to become a viable economic center again. Like a worn out boxer who took too many blows to the head the city has struggles to adjust to change. One thing standing strong is that the people didn’t crumble when the city did and remain today strong and vibrant, willing to tackle the future.
This town may not warrant having a Starbucks coffee house here due to it’s poor marketability and lack luster demographics but the people here are still some of the finest that can be found anywhere.
Solid Rock Ministries moves by faith, every month the bills come in and God provides. Pastor Tim works hard as a full time painter 50 - 60 hrs a week but still puts his time in every day, night and weekend to fulfill his vision for the people of New Castle.
The Solid Rock coffee house open on Saturday evenings and the 5th quarter program for the teens provides a place for people to come and forget about their lot in this life and be apart of something bigger than all of us. The coffee house provides a warm cup of coffee and food to those who want to sit back and just be loved by God.
The coffee house is set up to let people come in and not worry about anything or any one around them. They can enjoy a small part of humanity before heading out to the streets again to tough out some sort of life for them and their families. We use the time while having a coffee or food to minister to them.
The 5th quarter is a program to bring the youth of the community together after the local football games in the fall. It’s a safe and inviting environment providing them with cold drinks, coffee and food. We see 200 or more come and take advantage of the facility and what we have to offer.
We also draw the people in on the weekends to play some games and be ministered to while using the coffee house atmosphere.
I know that you are bombarded everyday with so many requests from groups and organizations to donate to them. I not asking for money but for your helping hand to give back to a community of people that have endured so much and continue to stay faithful to the area they grew up in, live in, work in, struggle in and die in. I have a vision to give the people who come in off the street an opportunity to partake in some of the finest things our society has to offer and what better and most simple of the pleasures than a cup of hot comfortable, aromatic slice of life, a Star bucks coffee. I know that most all people have heard of the coffee giant but so many haven’t been able to afford or even get to a Star buck to have one. With a population of 37,000 people, New Castle is the only place of it’s size with no Star bucks. I believe that serving a cup of Star bucks coffee to the people who come would be giving them a piece of the proverbial decadent pie.
Today I appeal to your gracious heart and ask for your help to partner with us in this small way to bring humanity back to the struggling people of New Castle.
We use 4 - 5 lbs of coffee a weekend, buying what we can or what’s on sale to serve the people who come.
I believe that " If you never take the shot you’ll miss the mark every time" well I’m taking the shot.
In some small way a good cup of coffee reminds us of days gone by, being home with the family, better times, friends and days of prosperity . Please consider being our partner and help us achieve our dream of reaching the people of New Castle thru such a simple way of giving a cup of coffee to someone who can’t do for themselves. Every hand that lends itself to another for help creates an unbreakable chain of devotion and friendship. If you find it in your heart to partner with us please contact me at albbac2@hotmail.com Or
Solid rock Ministries 303 Pearson street New Castle, PA. 16101
Sorry, our web page is under construction currently.
We would be proud to display the star bucks logo and tell all that you chose to partner with us in this epic struggle to reach the lost for Christ.....
Thank you
In Christ’s Name
Alan Short and
Solid Rock Ministries
Isn't that amazing? I am so proud of my brother!!
Virginia Tech shootings
What happened at Virginia Tech is a tragedy beyond description. It hits home when you know someone who is in college and you realize it could just as easily been at his or her campus. It makes it personal on some small level. Pause.... and Pray... For all those students, and their families.... for all of the parents and the brothers and sisters... for the staff and investigators and all the law enforcements officials. Pause... and pray... for the counselors and all the ministers who will be on the front lines ministering to those students and families... pray for the family of the individual who did the shootings, Cho Seung-Hui... remember he is somebody's son....Pause and pray.... Life is not normal today nor will it ever be again for so many people because of this tragedy. Pause.... and Pray.....
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
It's late Monday night..
and I'm a bit more relaxed. : ) Joe and I picked the girls up from school then went home and took it easy. We made tacos for dinner then afterwards we went to baskin robbins for some ice cream. We watched American Idol together, and now I'm working on my new internet business idea and Joe's working on the new menu for our Restaurant. I've been so busy these past few weeks, so I'm trying to relax a little bit more this week!
Tonight,I'm learning more about the blogging industry and how to make money with your blog. Money has never been very important to me, but in order for me to be able to work in the ministry, I'm going to have to find a way to bring in some income, just to be able to pay our bills. The restaurant generates enough income, if both Joe and I work there, but without me making tips waitressing, we just don't make enough.
So, I am working on a new blog (I will still maintain this personal blog) that will hopefully generate more of a steady readership, which in turn will hopefully attract some advertisers. That's one of the ways to make money from a blog. If I can develop at least 20 unique visitors a day, I can begin placing some ads on the site. Every time someone clicks on one of the ads (you don't have to buy anything...you just have to click on the ad), I will get paid. For example, as an experiment, I put one ad on this personal blog. See in the upper right hand corner, the blurb about donating money for Hurricane Katrina victims. If you click on that, I will be paid! So click on it!!!! Now, when I commit to having a series of ads, not just that one, they will change daily (I think), so each day if you visit my blog and click on the ads...more money will be generated.
I don't get many visitors to this blog, mostly just friends and family, but if i make a blog that interests the general public, I will get more visitors, who hopefully will click on more ads, which will bring in an income for my family!!
Cool, huh?
I think God is providing a way for me to be a full time pastor! Please pray that I have the wisdom and strength and patience and ability to stick with this blogging idea.. Thanks for reading! I hope you're having a good day and/or night! Tommorow I will try to add some fun blog posts..
This is a book I want...badly.
Joe and I also went to Barnes and Noble to check out some new literature..
I saw this...read an excerpt...wow..I've got to read more!!
Check out this interview...
There have been a number of books written about U2 and their iconic frontman, Bono, arguably the world's most famous rock star. But not till now has Bono himself come out to tell his own story. In the new book, Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas (Riverhead Books), the rocker shares his thoughts on numerous topics with a French music journalist and friend who has been with the band virtually since the beginning. In a series of honest conversations presented in Q&A format, Bono discusses, among other things, his upbringing (including the death of his mother when he was a teen and the ensuing rocky relationship with his father, who died just a few years ago), U2's beginnings, his bandmates, his marriage, fatherhood, his passion for social action, the effects of celebrity, and, fittingly, his faith and how it intersects all of the above.
The following exchange between Bono and Assayas took place just days after the Madrid train bombings in March 2004, an act of terrorism that left 191 dead and more than 1,800 wounded. The two men were discussing how terrorism is often carried out in the name of religion when Bono turned the conversation to Christianity, expressing his preference for God's grace over "karma," offering an articulate apologetic for the deity of Christ, and giving a clear presentation of the gospel message.
Bono: My understanding of the Scriptures has been made simple by the person of Christ. Christ teaches that God is love. What does that mean? What it means for me: a study of the life of Christ. Love here describes itself as a child born in straw poverty, the most vulnerable situation of all, without honor. I don't let my religious world get too complicated. I just kind of go: Well, I think I know what God is. God is love, and as much as I respond [sighs] in allowing myself to be transformed by that love and acting in that love, that's my religion. Where things get complicated for me, is when I try to live this love. Now that's not so easy.
Assayas: What about the God of the Old Testament? He wasn't so "peace and love"?
Bono: There's nothing hippie about my picture of Christ. The Gospels paint a picture of a very demanding, sometimes divisive love, but love it is. I accept the Old Testament as more of an action movie: blood, car chases, evacuations, a lot of special effects, seas dividing, mass murder, adultery. The children of God are running amok, wayward. Maybe that's why they're so relatable. But the way we would see it, those of us who are trying to figure out our Christian conundrum, is that the God of the Old Testament is like the journey from stern father to friend. When you're a child, you need clear directions and some strict rules. But with Christ, we have access in a one-to-one relationship, for, as in the Old Testament, it was more one of worship and awe, a vertical relationship. The New Testament, on the other hand, we look across at a Jesus who looks familiar, horizontal. The combination is what makes the Cross.
Assayas: Speaking of bloody action movies, we were talking about South and Central America last time. The Jesuit priests arrived there with the gospel in one hand and a rifle in the other.
Bono: I know, I know. Religion can be the enemy of God. It's often what happens when God, like Elvis, has left the building. [laughs] A list of instructions where there was once conviction; dogma where once people just did it; a congregation led by a man where once they were led by the Holy Spirit. Discipline replacing discipleship. Why are you chuckling?
Assayas: I was wondering if you said all of that to the Pope the day you met him.
Bono: Let's not get too hard on the Holy Roman Church here. The Church has its problems, but the older I get, the more comfort I find there. The physical experience of being in a crowd of largely humble people, heads bowed, murmuring prayers, stories told in stained-glass windows …
Assayas: So you won't be critical.
Bono: No, I can be critical, especially on the topic of contraception. But when I meet someone like Sister Benedicta and see her work with AIDS orphans in Addis Ababa, or Sister Ann doing the same in Malawi, or Father Jack Fenukan and his group Concern all over Africa, when I meet priests and nuns tending to the sick and the poor and giving up much easier lives to do so, I surrender a little easier.
Assayas: But you met the man himself. Was it a great experience?
Bono: … [W]e all knew why we were there. The Pontiff was about to make an important statement about the inhumanity and injustice of poor countries spending so much of their national income paying back old loans to rich countries. Serious business. He was fighting hard against his Parkinson's. It was clearly an act of will for him to be there. I was oddly moved … by his humility, and then by the incredible speech he made, even if it was in whispers. During the preamble, he seemed to be staring at me. I wondered. Was it the fact that I was wearing my blue fly-shades? So I took them off in case I was causing some offense. When I was introduced to him, he was still staring at them. He kept looking at them in my hand, so I offered them to him as a gift in return for the rosary he had just given me.
Assayas: Didn't he put them on?
Bono: Not only did he put them on, he smiled the wickedest grin you could ever imagine. He was a comedian. His sense of humor was completely intact. Flashbulbs popped, and I thought: "Wow! The Drop the Debt campaign will have the Pope in my glasses on the front page of every newspaper."
Assayas: I don't remember seeing that photograph anywhere, though.
Bono: Nor did we. It seems his courtiers did not have the same sense of humor. Fair enough. I guess they could see the T-shirts.
Later in the conversation:
Assayas: I think I am beginning to understand religion because I have started acting and thinking like a father. What do you make of that?
Bono: Yes, I think that's normal. It's a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma.
Assayas: I haven't heard you talk about that.
Bono: I really believe we've moved out of the realm of Karma into one of Grace.
Assayas: Well, that doesn't make it clearer for me.
Bono: You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "as you reap, so you will sow" stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff.
Assayas: I'd be interested to hear that.
Bono: That's between me and God. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I'd be in deep s---. It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.
Assayas: The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that.
Bono: But I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea that God says: Look, you cretins, there are certain results to the way we are, to selfishness, and there's a mortality as part of your very sinful nature, and, let's face it, you're not living a very good life, are you? There are consequences to actions. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That's the point. It should keep us humbled… . It's not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.
Assayas: That's a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it's close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has his rank among the world's great thinkers. But Son of God, isn't that farfetched?
Bono: No, it's not farfetched to me. Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn't allow you that. He doesn't let you off that hook. Christ says: No. I'm not saying I'm a teacher, don't call me teacher. I'm not saying I'm a prophet. I'm saying: "I'm the Messiah." I'm saying: "I am God incarnate." And people say: No, no, please, just be a prophet. A prophet, we can take. You're a bit eccentric. We've had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey, we can handle that. But don't mention the "M" word! Because, you know, we're gonna have to crucify you. And he goes: No, no. I know you're expecting me to come back with an army, and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the Messiah. At this point, everyone starts staring at their shoes, and says: Oh, my God, he's gonna keep saying this. So what you're left with is: either Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah—or a complete nutcase. I mean, we're talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. This man was like some of the people we've been talking about earlier. This man was strapping himself to a bomb, and had "King of the Jews" on his head, and, as they were putting him up on the Cross, was going: OK, martyrdom, here we go. Bring on the pain! I can take it. I'm not joking here. The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me, that's farfetched …
Bono later says it all comes down to how we regard Jesus:
Bono: … [I]f only we could be a bit more like Him, the world would be transformed. …When I look at the Cross of Christ, what I see up there is all my s--- and everybody else's. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was He just a religious nut? And there it is, and that's the question. And no one can talk you into it or out of it.
From Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas, by Michka Assayas, copyright © 2005 by Michka Awwayas. Used by permission of Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. For online information about other Penguin Group (USA) books and authors, see the website at www.penguin.com.
I saw this...read an excerpt...wow..I've got to read more!!
Check out this interview...
There have been a number of books written about U2 and their iconic frontman, Bono, arguably the world's most famous rock star. But not till now has Bono himself come out to tell his own story. In the new book, Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas (Riverhead Books), the rocker shares his thoughts on numerous topics with a French music journalist and friend who has been with the band virtually since the beginning. In a series of honest conversations presented in Q&A format, Bono discusses, among other things, his upbringing (including the death of his mother when he was a teen and the ensuing rocky relationship with his father, who died just a few years ago), U2's beginnings, his bandmates, his marriage, fatherhood, his passion for social action, the effects of celebrity, and, fittingly, his faith and how it intersects all of the above.
The following exchange between Bono and Assayas took place just days after the Madrid train bombings in March 2004, an act of terrorism that left 191 dead and more than 1,800 wounded. The two men were discussing how terrorism is often carried out in the name of religion when Bono turned the conversation to Christianity, expressing his preference for God's grace over "karma," offering an articulate apologetic for the deity of Christ, and giving a clear presentation of the gospel message.
Bono: My understanding of the Scriptures has been made simple by the person of Christ. Christ teaches that God is love. What does that mean? What it means for me: a study of the life of Christ. Love here describes itself as a child born in straw poverty, the most vulnerable situation of all, without honor. I don't let my religious world get too complicated. I just kind of go: Well, I think I know what God is. God is love, and as much as I respond [sighs] in allowing myself to be transformed by that love and acting in that love, that's my religion. Where things get complicated for me, is when I try to live this love. Now that's not so easy.
Assayas: What about the God of the Old Testament? He wasn't so "peace and love"?
Bono: There's nothing hippie about my picture of Christ. The Gospels paint a picture of a very demanding, sometimes divisive love, but love it is. I accept the Old Testament as more of an action movie: blood, car chases, evacuations, a lot of special effects, seas dividing, mass murder, adultery. The children of God are running amok, wayward. Maybe that's why they're so relatable. But the way we would see it, those of us who are trying to figure out our Christian conundrum, is that the God of the Old Testament is like the journey from stern father to friend. When you're a child, you need clear directions and some strict rules. But with Christ, we have access in a one-to-one relationship, for, as in the Old Testament, it was more one of worship and awe, a vertical relationship. The New Testament, on the other hand, we look across at a Jesus who looks familiar, horizontal. The combination is what makes the Cross.
Assayas: Speaking of bloody action movies, we were talking about South and Central America last time. The Jesuit priests arrived there with the gospel in one hand and a rifle in the other.
Bono: I know, I know. Religion can be the enemy of God. It's often what happens when God, like Elvis, has left the building. [laughs] A list of instructions where there was once conviction; dogma where once people just did it; a congregation led by a man where once they were led by the Holy Spirit. Discipline replacing discipleship. Why are you chuckling?
Assayas: I was wondering if you said all of that to the Pope the day you met him.
Bono: Let's not get too hard on the Holy Roman Church here. The Church has its problems, but the older I get, the more comfort I find there. The physical experience of being in a crowd of largely humble people, heads bowed, murmuring prayers, stories told in stained-glass windows …
Assayas: So you won't be critical.
Bono: No, I can be critical, especially on the topic of contraception. But when I meet someone like Sister Benedicta and see her work with AIDS orphans in Addis Ababa, or Sister Ann doing the same in Malawi, or Father Jack Fenukan and his group Concern all over Africa, when I meet priests and nuns tending to the sick and the poor and giving up much easier lives to do so, I surrender a little easier.
Assayas: But you met the man himself. Was it a great experience?
Bono: … [W]e all knew why we were there. The Pontiff was about to make an important statement about the inhumanity and injustice of poor countries spending so much of their national income paying back old loans to rich countries. Serious business. He was fighting hard against his Parkinson's. It was clearly an act of will for him to be there. I was oddly moved … by his humility, and then by the incredible speech he made, even if it was in whispers. During the preamble, he seemed to be staring at me. I wondered. Was it the fact that I was wearing my blue fly-shades? So I took them off in case I was causing some offense. When I was introduced to him, he was still staring at them. He kept looking at them in my hand, so I offered them to him as a gift in return for the rosary he had just given me.
Assayas: Didn't he put them on?
Bono: Not only did he put them on, he smiled the wickedest grin you could ever imagine. He was a comedian. His sense of humor was completely intact. Flashbulbs popped, and I thought: "Wow! The Drop the Debt campaign will have the Pope in my glasses on the front page of every newspaper."
Assayas: I don't remember seeing that photograph anywhere, though.
Bono: Nor did we. It seems his courtiers did not have the same sense of humor. Fair enough. I guess they could see the T-shirts.
Later in the conversation:
Assayas: I think I am beginning to understand religion because I have started acting and thinking like a father. What do you make of that?
Bono: Yes, I think that's normal. It's a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma.
Assayas: I haven't heard you talk about that.
Bono: I really believe we've moved out of the realm of Karma into one of Grace.
Assayas: Well, that doesn't make it clearer for me.
Bono: You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "as you reap, so you will sow" stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff.
Assayas: I'd be interested to hear that.
Bono: That's between me and God. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I'd be in deep s---. It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.
Assayas: The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that.
Bono: But I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea that God says: Look, you cretins, there are certain results to the way we are, to selfishness, and there's a mortality as part of your very sinful nature, and, let's face it, you're not living a very good life, are you? There are consequences to actions. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That's the point. It should keep us humbled… . It's not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.
Assayas: That's a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it's close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has his rank among the world's great thinkers. But Son of God, isn't that farfetched?
Bono: No, it's not farfetched to me. Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn't allow you that. He doesn't let you off that hook. Christ says: No. I'm not saying I'm a teacher, don't call me teacher. I'm not saying I'm a prophet. I'm saying: "I'm the Messiah." I'm saying: "I am God incarnate." And people say: No, no, please, just be a prophet. A prophet, we can take. You're a bit eccentric. We've had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey, we can handle that. But don't mention the "M" word! Because, you know, we're gonna have to crucify you. And he goes: No, no. I know you're expecting me to come back with an army, and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the Messiah. At this point, everyone starts staring at their shoes, and says: Oh, my God, he's gonna keep saying this. So what you're left with is: either Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah—or a complete nutcase. I mean, we're talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. This man was like some of the people we've been talking about earlier. This man was strapping himself to a bomb, and had "King of the Jews" on his head, and, as they were putting him up on the Cross, was going: OK, martyrdom, here we go. Bring on the pain! I can take it. I'm not joking here. The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me, that's farfetched …
Bono later says it all comes down to how we regard Jesus:
Bono: … [I]f only we could be a bit more like Him, the world would be transformed. …When I look at the Cross of Christ, what I see up there is all my s--- and everybody else's. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was He just a religious nut? And there it is, and that's the question. And no one can talk you into it or out of it.
From Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas, by Michka Assayas, copyright © 2005 by Michka Awwayas. Used by permission of Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. For online information about other Penguin Group (USA) books and authors, see the website at www.penguin.com.
Great book!
This is a fantastic book I've recently read. It causes you to think differently..I like books that make you think differently!
DIFFERENT FATHERS-DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT MONEY
My highly educated dad had a strong belief that the love of money was evil. That to profit excessively meant you were greedy. He felt embarrassed when the newspapers published how much he made, because he felt he was too highly paid when compared with the schoolteachers who worked for him. He was a good, honest, hard working man who did his best to defend his point of view that money was not important to his life.
My highly educated, yet poor, dad constantly said,
"I'm not that interested in money."
"I'll never be rich."
"I can't afford it."
"Investing is risky."
"Money isn't everything."
MONEY SUPPORTS LIFE
My rich dad had a different point of view. He thought it foolish to spend your life working for money and to pretend that money was not important. Rich dad believed that life was more important than money, but money was important for supporting life. He often said, "You only have so many hours in a day and you can only work so hard. So why work hard for money? Learn to have money and people work hard for you, and you can be free to do the things that are important."
To my rich dad, what was important was:
1. Having lots of time to raise his kids.
2. Having money to donate to charities and projects he supported.
3. Bringing jobs and financial stability to the community.
4. Having time and money to take care of his health.
5. Being able to travel the world with his family.
"Those things take money," said rich dad. "That is why money is important to me. Money is important, but I don't want to spend my life working for it."
DIFFERENT FATHERS-DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT MONEY
My highly educated dad had a strong belief that the love of money was evil. That to profit excessively meant you were greedy. He felt embarrassed when the newspapers published how much he made, because he felt he was too highly paid when compared with the schoolteachers who worked for him. He was a good, honest, hard working man who did his best to defend his point of view that money was not important to his life.
My highly educated, yet poor, dad constantly said,
"I'm not that interested in money."
"I'll never be rich."
"I can't afford it."
"Investing is risky."
"Money isn't everything."
MONEY SUPPORTS LIFE
My rich dad had a different point of view. He thought it foolish to spend your life working for money and to pretend that money was not important. Rich dad believed that life was more important than money, but money was important for supporting life. He often said, "You only have so many hours in a day and you can only work so hard. So why work hard for money? Learn to have money and people work hard for you, and you can be free to do the things that are important."
To my rich dad, what was important was:
1. Having lots of time to raise his kids.
2. Having money to donate to charities and projects he supported.
3. Bringing jobs and financial stability to the community.
4. Having time and money to take care of his health.
5. Being able to travel the world with his family.
"Those things take money," said rich dad. "That is why money is important to me. Money is important, but I don't want to spend my life working for it."
Enlightenment
Today was Joe's day off. Ususally he's been going over his dad's on his day off, but he went last night, so we got to spend the whole morning and afternoon together. We had a good morning : )
We went to Panera Bread for lunch. I LOVE Panera Bread! I've said it before, I can just sit there and be inspired. I had my usual lunch, 1/2 Roast Beef sandwich on an Asiago bagette with a bowl of broccoli cheddar soup and a fresh brewed ice tea! yummmm. Joe and I talked about our life. God is changing us, molding us, growing us...in a tremendous way. I sent a letter out to some of my close friends, telling them that I was literally shaking with excitement at what God is doing... It's true. All of a sudden God is pouring vision and ideas into BOTH Joe and I..we can't keep up with them all. It's like a both of our light bulbs went off, or a paradigm shift happened, or if anyone's read the book "The tipping point", it's like ours happened. I can only say that GOd is raining His blessings upon us..not in the way we thought..(typical, isn't it)..and it doesn't mean all good things are happening..we are both still going through difficulties.. his dad..my mom is having some difficulties (I'm praying for you mom)..the restaurant has been extremely slow.we have NO money(I hate saying that..because we have no idea what true poverty is..)....but inspite of all those things..Joe and I both feel like the can is about to burst and spill out.. the can of what?? I don't know...I can't explain it..
It;s very weird. Has anyone reading this ever experienced what I'm talking about?
Enlightenment?? I think it's something like that.. we all of a sudden see things in a different way!! So am I nuts? Maybe..but if being nuts feels this good, then bring it on!!
How do you start your day?
The person who begins the day by asking, 'What will I wear and how will it look?' may work just as hard as the person who asks, 'How can I serve God and save the planet?' It is not the effort put into their actions but the meaning derived from their lives that will vary greatly."
J. Matthew Sleeth, Serve God, Save the Planet
How do you start your day?
Monday, April 16, 2007
The Seed Must Lead
Today's Scripture
"The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of
the crops."
(2 Timothy 2:6)
Can you imagine a farmer who just decides one year that he really
doesn’t feel like planting? He tells himself he’s so tired that he is
just going to wait around and hope that the harvest will come. But even
people who aren’t farmers know that a farmer has to get his seeds
into the ground while the time is right to plant if he ever wants to see a
harvest. In farming, the seed always precedes the harvest—and
that’s true in our lives as well. In other words, if you want to reap
happiness, then you have to sow some seeds by making other people happy.
If you want to reap financial blessings, you have to sow financially.
If you want to reap friendships, you have to be a friend first. And
when you do these things, you’ll be able to share in the harvest along
with those you have blessed!
A Prayer for Today
God, thank You that I have the good seed of Your Word and Your love
within me. Help me to sow these blessings generously in the lives of
others. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
When was the last time you danced?
Yesterday was an exhausting day. Actually, last week was an exhausting week. I am just unpacking TODAY from my Easter trip to Maryland!! It's been 6 days since I got home..and I haven't been able to unpack! Jimminy Crickets! It has been exhausting BUT it has been the kind of week, where I wake up each morning...dancing! Dancing? Yeah..dancing!! My heart is filled with so much Joy, I feel as though I might burst. You can't keep still, when your heart is filled with joy like that! You've got to dance! I'm dancing and singing and smiling. I'm getting my groove on!!
All the pieces of the puzzle of this vision that God has poured into me, are finally coming together and they are fitting together oh so perfectly. If you can visualize pieces floating together in a space and seeing them gradually coming closer together..closer..and closer..you can start to see the puzzle picture and it's BEAUTIFUL!!!! Oh,it's so beautiful..and very soon those pieces are all going to connect together..and *sigh* You see Jesus.
What are your dreams? To win an Olympic Gold Medal? To win the lottery? To win American Idol? That's how I feel right now. Like I've won American Idol.
Planting a church, becoming a pastor, seeing people accept Christ as their Savior, Starting a Revival in New Castle, like they've never seen before...Seeing lives changed.. I think it's all coming together : )
My dreams are coming true! I can't stop dancing.
When's the last time you danced?
Sunday, April 15, 2007
vision
* I asked a leader of Solid Rock Church what their vision is *
She said, "simply...to reach the city of New Castle for Christ"
Anyone that knows me..and knows the burden in my heart..knows how my heart bleeds for this city...knows what God has called me to do...knows..that is my personal vision as well. wow. I'm still amazed.. It never ceases.
She said, "simply...to reach the city of New Castle for Christ"
Anyone that knows me..and knows the burden in my heart..knows how my heart bleeds for this city...knows what God has called me to do...knows..that is my personal vision as well. wow. I'm still amazed.. It never ceases.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Saturday night @ The Solid Rock Cafe
Saturday night at the Solid Rock Cafe. Schweeeet! Spent the night talking to a new friend and some old friends. This shout out goes to Joy and Carl! I can't tell you how awesome it is to spend time with you guys. WE ARE FAMILY!
It's really crazy how God works..but I feel like I found a new church home and I think a Church home may have found me! I'm sleepy..headin off to bed. Church tommorow and then Relaxation all day Sunday!! Smiling as I fall asleep...dreaming...I love you God. I thank you Lord for all YOU are. You Rock. Peace, Susan
some thoughts...
Hello friends!
I apologize for the inactivity on this blog. I've had so much business and personal stuff to take care of, it's just been impossible to take the time to update. I'm not through with blogging, so please bear with me for this brief period of time, until I can get back on track.
There's so much going on in my life, it is truly hard to keep up with many things..all of them important.
Please pray, saturate my family with prayer, love on us like Jesus would, and ask Jesus to go before us, stand beside us, dwell inside of us, carry us, lift us up, and take the wheel!!!
When amazing things are happening to further the Kingdom, Satan and his demons try to attack, soo Joe and I and the girls covet your prayers!! Thank you!
Joe's dad is not doing well, and the situation is such a difficult one. He won't go to a hospital or nursing home, no matter how we try to present it to him. We've tried being soft, we've tried being firm, we've tried being logical, we've tried everything we can.. he won't go, but he desperately needs to go. Yesterday, we got a call from a nurse from His doctor's office, who told us a nephew (from Florida)was talking to Glenn on the phone and said Glenn sounded very disoriented, and confused. He was very frightened so he called the Dr.s office to try to get someone to go over there. The nurses office called us. Joe called his dad, and said his dad sounded okay. (you have to know his dad, like we know his dad..other people might not understand him..) So i called the nurse back and told her that Glenn was okay, his son talked to him on the phone. She was very nasty with me and said that somebody better go and check on him and she was recording the info, that she told us that we should go but we didn't. IN other words, she made me feel like we were being negligent! I guess they were trying to cover themselves in case something happened, because of all the sue happy people there are. I understood, but still she made me feel like crap.
So I called Joe again and said, I think we should go over there and check on him just to make sure. So Joe had to call in help to work at the restaurant, and we went to see his dad.
His dad was all alone, lying in a bed, looking like he was about to die at any moment. It was horrible. He was confused and his hands weren't working right, and he couldn't even sit up. I was so scared and felt so bad.
After we started talking to him, he began to feel better and he eventually got up and walked out to the kitchen and ate some dinner. It's like he came back to life... He told us that he got really sick this morning. He wet himself because he couldn't get up. We pleaded with him to let us take him to the hospital to get checked, but he wouldn't go. We told him he needs someone to help take care of him, but he won't leave the house.
But..that's not all....There's even more to it than that..but I can't go into it.
To sum it all up. Joe's dad won't leave the house, but he needs round the clock care. We are trying to get that for him! Joe's dad is cantankerous and stubborn and says inappropriate things,(you can't help but to love him though!!) so we are worried that nobody will put up with him. We have tried to talk to him about that, but he won't give in. His mind is fine..but his body is shutting down. He has emphysema and can't get enough air.
He's also very prideful,so he won't let people help him. His nephew, who lives right up the street, offered to let him stay with him, but he refused. He doesn't want to be a burden on anyone..but it's stressful, and burdensome because he won't accept help!!
ack.. please pray! : )
Also..in other news, Lauren got a 4.1 on her report card. Way to go Lauren!!! All A's..two A+'s! She competed in a Lawrence County Trivia competition yesterday, but her team didn't do very well. It was her first time competing, and she didn't prepare like she should have. Lauren is very smart, but doesn't like to work hard.
Ally got all A's and B's Yeah Ally!!
I was very proud of both my girls!!! They are fantastic daughters!!
Ally is going to a new youth group on Wednesdays and Lauren will start this week. Ally has been asking lots of questions about God..she is being drawn in! That tickles my heart! Do you know that feeling? It's incredible!
So much more to talk about.....lots happening....but I have to get ready for work. It's a special event *Garden Party* in Volant today, so we should be busy!!! Woohooo! Tonight we are going to Solid Rock for family fun night..dodge ball tournement! Anyone who wants to come..it starts at 7:oo pm.
I hope you're having a great weekend. I love you all so much!
Peace out! Susan
Thursday, April 12, 2007
My humps
This video is a sarcastic interpretation of a VERY POPULAR song, that a lot of young people listened too. It's hilarious! Hilarious in the way, that you can't believe these words! Tell me what you think!! Crazy, isn't it??
I'm back!
I'm back from my Easter Break! I have so much to share with you. Remember, a few weeks ago, I told you how I was prophesized over. The prophet said that God is going to pour His blessings down on me very soon! It's raining! : ) I will try to give you more details this weekend!
Since I've gotten back, I've been very busy trying to get caught up with all the people I've been connecting with these past few months! I had lots of phone calls to make, and emails to write and people to meet with. Today, I am working all day at the restaurant! Not enough time for blogging, but believe me, when I do get some extra time..I have lots to say!!!
My former Pastor, and a very good friend of mine, Mark Eberly is coming in town today, and we are meeting for lunch at my favorite restaurant, where it just so happens I will be working today!
Joe and I are meeting with a coffee purveyor to talk about possibly opening up a coffee house somewhere, or even adding that element to our place!!
Well..I must go shower and get ready for work!
My friends...Have an incredible day today!!! God loves you so much!!!! Susan
Friday, April 06, 2007
The events leading up to..and the death of my Savior
Matthew 26-27 (New Living Translation)
Matthew 26
The Plot to Kill Jesus
1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man[a] will be handed over to be crucified.”
3 At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, 4 plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 5 “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
6 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. 7 While he was eating,[b] a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.
8 The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9 “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”
10 But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? 11 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
The Last Supper
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”
18 “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.
20 When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table[c] with the twelve disciples.[d] 21 While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”
23 He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”
25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”
And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”
26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant[e] between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,
‘God will strike[f] the Shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”
33 Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”
34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
35 “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away[g] unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”
Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested
47 And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49 So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”
Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.
52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53 Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands[h] of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? 54 But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”
55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. 56 But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Jesus before the Council
57 Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. 58 Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.
59 Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council[i] were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. 60 But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward 61 who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64 Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand[j] and coming on the clouds of heaven.”[k]
65 Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your verdict?”
“Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!”
67 Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68 jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”
Peter Denies Jesus
69 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”
70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
71 Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.[l]”
72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
73 A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”
74 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.
75 Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.
Matthew 27
Judas Hangs Himself
1 Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. 2 Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”
“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”
5 Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.
6 The leading priests picked up the coins. “It wouldn’t be right to put this money in the Temple treasury,” they said, “since it was payment for murder.”[m] 7 After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. 8 That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. 9 This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says,
“They took[n] the thirty pieces of silver—
the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel,
10 and purchased the potter’s field,
as the Lord directed.[o]”
Jesus’ Trial before Pilate
11 Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him.
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
12 But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. 13 “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. 14 But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.
15 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. 16 This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas.[p] 17 As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)
19 Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”
20 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. 21 So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?”
The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”
22 Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
They shouted back, “Crucify him!”
23 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”
But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”
24 Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”
25 And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”[q]
26 So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
27 Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters[r] and called out the entire regiment. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29 They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. 31 When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.
The Crucifixion
32 Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene,[s] and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. 33 And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). 34 The soldiers gave him wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it.
35 After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.[t] 36 Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. 37 A sign was fastened to the cross above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Two revolutionaries[u] were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
39 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. 40 “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
41 The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. 42 “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! 43 He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way.
The Death of Jesus
45 At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 46 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[v] lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”[w]
47 Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 48 One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. 49 But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”[x]
50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. 53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
54 The Roman officer[y] and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
55 And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
The Burial of Jesus
57 As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, 58 went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. 59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. 61 Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.
The Guard at the Tomb
62 The next day, on the Sabbath,[z] the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. 63 They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ 64 So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”
65 Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” 66 So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Joy!
The God who is revealed in the pages of the Bible is a God of joy. He's a loving Father, bursting at the seams, so to speak, in his desire to share his delight with the people he created. "He will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17). Charles Spurgeon adds, "Man was not originally made to mourn; he was made to rejoice."
Joy is something worlds apart from an emotional reaction or a smiley face. Instead, joy is nothing less than the nature of God pumped through our bloodstream. It's a blessed invasion of the Spirit of God deep into my soul. Oswald Chambers puts it like this: "Jesus does not come to a man and say 'Cheer up,' he plants within a man the miracle of the joy of God's own nature."
good morning :)
Good morning : ) *yawn* *stretch* It's still dark here..I've been up since 5:30 am. I'm having some tests done at the hospital this morning (pre gastric bypass surgery tests), then I'll be heading to work for the day. I hope you have an awesome day today. I'll post some thoughts later this evening. SLH
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Fifth graders accused of having sex in the classroom.
Please read this article and the comments below.
Four Spearsville fifth-graders were arrested on obscenity charges Tuesday following reports last week of children having sex in a classroom, Union Sheriff Bob Buckley said.
Two of the fifth-graders are accused of having sex, two are accused of fondling.
An 11-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy, both from Spearsville, and a 12-year-old Junction City boy were released to their parents after each being charged with one count of obscenity, the sheriff said.
An 11-year-old Junction City boy, who was the lookout, was charged with accessory after the fact to obscenity late Tuesday.
An 11-year-old Lillie girl will be charged with obscenity when she returns from an out-of-parish trip, Buckley said.
No charges can be brought against the parents of the five, the sheriff said.
"When the kids are at school, they relinquish all responsibility to the administration. We can't do anything but look into what goes on at home."
The five youths are accused of participating in sexual acts in their classroom March 27 while their teacher was in a morning assembly.
"Our investigation indicated that the incident occurred at approximately 9 a.m. (March 27)," Buckley said. Buckley said his office began its investigation Thursday morning.
The children face a juvenile hearing to determine what punishment, if any, they will receive.
**********************
This makes my heart bleed. Our world we live in is so messed up. Why? Why are we letting this happen? Our kids go on the internet and do a search on something innocent and it's inevitable that porn comes up. We have a program on our computer to stop this, but do our kids friends? What about my daughter's boyfriend? What is he seeing on his computer? Our world is SATURATED with sex. TV shows..videos..music..and most of all the internet. We can't blame the kids!! We let them see all this and then punish them for acting out what they see! How does a teenage boy deal with the girls and women dressing like they do on tv and singing about their lovely lady lumps, and dancing, gyrating..having sex. The girls are just imitating what they see on tv. Their role models are Paris Hilton and Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson.
How do we blame the teachers? They can't leave the classroom? At the high school where my daughter goes to school,a girl overdosed on drugs and died. She had her head down on the desk for a while, before a teacher discovered she was unresponsive.
You can imagine how scared the teachers and school administration are to let a kid put his head down,now. My daughter said, they are very very scared, and the students know it. If one student doesn't feel good, the principals are called in and that child is immediately taken from the classroom. Why? Because they don't want to be sued by parents who need somebody to blame.
So, who do we blame?
We are! We are allowing the media to show sexual scenes on the tv. We are not doing anything about the obscene lyrics in the music the kids like to listen too. We are letting pornography on the interent where any kid can have access to it.
Why are we letting this happen?
Four Spearsville fifth-graders were arrested on obscenity charges Tuesday following reports last week of children having sex in a classroom, Union Sheriff Bob Buckley said.
Two of the fifth-graders are accused of having sex, two are accused of fondling.
An 11-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy, both from Spearsville, and a 12-year-old Junction City boy were released to their parents after each being charged with one count of obscenity, the sheriff said.
An 11-year-old Junction City boy, who was the lookout, was charged with accessory after the fact to obscenity late Tuesday.
An 11-year-old Lillie girl will be charged with obscenity when she returns from an out-of-parish trip, Buckley said.
No charges can be brought against the parents of the five, the sheriff said.
"When the kids are at school, they relinquish all responsibility to the administration. We can't do anything but look into what goes on at home."
The five youths are accused of participating in sexual acts in their classroom March 27 while their teacher was in a morning assembly.
"Our investigation indicated that the incident occurred at approximately 9 a.m. (March 27)," Buckley said. Buckley said his office began its investigation Thursday morning.
The children face a juvenile hearing to determine what punishment, if any, they will receive.
**********************
This makes my heart bleed. Our world we live in is so messed up. Why? Why are we letting this happen? Our kids go on the internet and do a search on something innocent and it's inevitable that porn comes up. We have a program on our computer to stop this, but do our kids friends? What about my daughter's boyfriend? What is he seeing on his computer? Our world is SATURATED with sex. TV shows..videos..music..and most of all the internet. We can't blame the kids!! We let them see all this and then punish them for acting out what they see! How does a teenage boy deal with the girls and women dressing like they do on tv and singing about their lovely lady lumps, and dancing, gyrating..having sex. The girls are just imitating what they see on tv. Their role models are Paris Hilton and Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson.
How do we blame the teachers? They can't leave the classroom? At the high school where my daughter goes to school,a girl overdosed on drugs and died. She had her head down on the desk for a while, before a teacher discovered she was unresponsive.
You can imagine how scared the teachers and school administration are to let a kid put his head down,now. My daughter said, they are very very scared, and the students know it. If one student doesn't feel good, the principals are called in and that child is immediately taken from the classroom. Why? Because they don't want to be sued by parents who need somebody to blame.
So, who do we blame?
We are! We are allowing the media to show sexual scenes on the tv. We are not doing anything about the obscene lyrics in the music the kids like to listen too. We are letting pornography on the interent where any kid can have access to it.
Why are we letting this happen?
Singing..
I may be down, but I will rise...
It may be dark, but God is light...
'Cause sin has lost its power...
Death has lost its sting...
From the grave You've risen, victoriously.
Into marvelous light, I'm running
Out of darkness, out of shame
By the cross You are Truth, You are the Life, You are the Way
Lift my hands and spin around,
See the Light that I have found...
Marvelous Light, Marvelous Light...
Marvelous Light by Charlie Hall
Who are you inviting to church this week?
Barna came out with a new study on the unchurched in America.
They say that 33% (almost 100 million) of adults in the United States are unchurched, meaning they have not attended a religious service of any type during the past six months
And using that definition, they came up with the following statistics of unchurched demographics:
• 63% of Asians are unchurched
• 49% of homosexuals
• 47% of political liberals
• 37% of single adults
• 34% of Hispanics
• 31% of heterosexuals
• 29% of married adults
• 25% of African Americans
• 19% of political conservatives
The Church is always engaged in the conversation of “who is our target audience?” or "who are we trying to reach?" and I think this gives a good picture of who we should be trying to reach.
America is a huge missionfield. Your neighborhood is a huge missionfield! Who are you inviting to church this week?
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Are you organized?
Life is so much easier when you are organized! Unfortunately, I'm not.
Lauren and Ally both had to have perscriptions filled at the pharmacy yesterday. I went to pick them up, and the pharmacists notified me, that their birthdays are both wrong, on their insurance information forms. Instead of being 1991, & 1993, the insurance company has them listed as being born in 2001 & 2003. So today, I had to call the insurance companies and get this taken care of.
I know this is a part of life,handling these kinds of situations, but this bothers me!! It is such a waste of time. So, this morning I called the insurance company. You know how many buttons you have to push and how many options you have to listen to, before you can actually speak to someone? Lots!
I finally got a hold of a live person. She looked up their applications online and guess what? She said, I wrote their birthdays as 2001, 2003. Okay..stop right there! What mother would get their childs birthdates wrong by 10 years???
I said, ma'am. I would not write their birthdates in an entire different decade! Are you sure it's not written as 91 & 93 but just looks like 01,& 03.
This ticked her off. "I can't do anything about this!" "You are going to have to send me a copy of their birth certificates to prove that they were born in 91 & 93."
You've got to be kidding!
She wouldn't budge.
Now here's where my lack of organizational skills comes into play.
Do you think I know where the girls birth certificates are? Now I know..most of you reading this..you know exactly where yours are! Kept in some nice envelope in a nice and neat organized file!
But that's not me. I have no idea where they are. I have to look through boxes and boxes of stuff before I'm going to be able to find them.
*sigh* That wastes A LOT of time! I hate wasting time doing. *sigh*
Then I have to find a fax..and fax them *sigh again*
That wasn't all I had to do today..
I had to call my insurance company because they denied a claim that they shouldn't have. (This is the third time I've called about this claim)
And also, I was charged 200 dollars for a 15 minute Q & A pyschiatric evaluation for my upcoming bariatric surgery, so I have to call and take care of that!
Must change hair appts scheduled for Thursday..(I have to work)
Got to get the rest of my Easter shopping done..
Think about what we need to take to Maryland..
Finish Laundry.
Put laundry away.
Have a nice day. I've got work to do! : )
Lauren and Ally both had to have perscriptions filled at the pharmacy yesterday. I went to pick them up, and the pharmacists notified me, that their birthdays are both wrong, on their insurance information forms. Instead of being 1991, & 1993, the insurance company has them listed as being born in 2001 & 2003. So today, I had to call the insurance companies and get this taken care of.
I know this is a part of life,handling these kinds of situations, but this bothers me!! It is such a waste of time. So, this morning I called the insurance company. You know how many buttons you have to push and how many options you have to listen to, before you can actually speak to someone? Lots!
I finally got a hold of a live person. She looked up their applications online and guess what? She said, I wrote their birthdays as 2001, 2003. Okay..stop right there! What mother would get their childs birthdates wrong by 10 years???
I said, ma'am. I would not write their birthdates in an entire different decade! Are you sure it's not written as 91 & 93 but just looks like 01,& 03.
This ticked her off. "I can't do anything about this!" "You are going to have to send me a copy of their birth certificates to prove that they were born in 91 & 93."
You've got to be kidding!
She wouldn't budge.
Now here's where my lack of organizational skills comes into play.
Do you think I know where the girls birth certificates are? Now I know..most of you reading this..you know exactly where yours are! Kept in some nice envelope in a nice and neat organized file!
But that's not me. I have no idea where they are. I have to look through boxes and boxes of stuff before I'm going to be able to find them.
*sigh* That wastes A LOT of time! I hate wasting time doing. *sigh*
Then I have to find a fax..and fax them *sigh again*
That wasn't all I had to do today..
I had to call my insurance company because they denied a claim that they shouldn't have. (This is the third time I've called about this claim)
And also, I was charged 200 dollars for a 15 minute Q & A pyschiatric evaluation for my upcoming bariatric surgery, so I have to call and take care of that!
Must change hair appts scheduled for Thursday..(I have to work)
Got to get the rest of my Easter shopping done..
Think about what we need to take to Maryland..
Finish Laundry.
Put laundry away.
Have a nice day. I've got work to do! : )
Monday, April 02, 2007
fourth post of the day!
I know I said only one or two posts.. I've been working hard on this computer today!
I've been working on a new blog for Cross Current Church..to keep people updated. I will post a link here as soon as it's completed & been working on another blog, that hopefully will bring my family some much needed income! Exciting times!! : )
Peace out
I've been working on a new blog for Cross Current Church..to keep people updated. I will post a link here as soon as it's completed & been working on another blog, that hopefully will bring my family some much needed income! Exciting times!! : )
Peace out
25 Trends That Changed America
1Diversity
Record immigration creates unparalleled racial and ethnic diversity. Hispanics overtake blacks as the largest minority. The federal government lets people identify themselves as of more than one race. Tikka Masala, edamame. and mole sauce join the lingo. American culture gets Latinized. There's a backlash -- the English-as-an-official language movement.
2Fighting for equality
More women in the workplace. More poor women on the job, off welfare. The income gap between the sexes narrows -- in 2005, women earned 77 cents for every dollar men make. Title IX. Mainstreaming the disabled.
3Millions living longer
The oldest of 79 million baby boomers turn 61 this year. Twenty-five years ago, the oldest were 36. Cost of health care multiplies. People have multiple careers. More life stages, from three generations to six (tweeners, 20-somethings, middle-age, young old, old, oldest old).
4It's a small world after all
Globalization takes hold. NAFTA. European Union. India and China emerge as economic powerhouses. Outsourcing.
5Global warming
The worry over climate change becomes so widespread that average folks discuss their carbon footprint. The Kyoto Accord. The shrinking polar ice cap. Melting glaciers. Monster hurricanes. El Niño, La Niña.
Talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres. By Chris Pizzello, AP
6Gay rights gain ground
Same-sex marriage, but 41 states ban it. Civil unions. Matthew Shepard. Ellen DeGeneres and other stars come out. Military says, "Don't ask, don't tell."
7Are we safe?
Fear of terrorism changes our lives. Color-coded threat levels. We take off our shoes at airports. X-ray machines peek under our clothes. No-fly lists. Columbine. Amber alerts, America's Most Wanted. Crime rates drop.
8Snuffing out smoking
In 1982, cigarettes were allowed almost everywhere. First they were banned in offices, then restaurants, public places and now maybe in your car and home. Nicotine patch. Nicotine gum.
9Obesity crisis
Fat kids. Fat adults. New dietary guidelines. Ban on trans fats. Push for walking. Diabetes rates soar. The Biggest Loser on TV.
10Tech creates cult of 'me'
Cellphones. The revolutionary switch from cassettes and VHS to CDs and DVDs. The Internet opens the floodgates. MySpace.com. Facebook. Blogs. It's all about customization and personalization. Shop and watch TV programs when you want (Amazon.com, TiVo). Download the song you want and listen to it when you want (iPod and MP3s). Capture every moment and play it for a worldwide audience (Youtube.com, camera phones, reality TV).
11Spreading out
Americans want elbow room. Land is cheaper away from cities. Sprawl accelerates. Exurbs. Extreme commutes. Traffic congestion worsens. The smart growth movement -- getting people to eat up less open space and reduce driving -- takes off.
Hardee's Monster Thickburger by Tim Dillon, USA TODAY
12Supersizing
Bigger is better. McMansions. SUVs. Minivans. Megachurches. Wal-Mart and other big-box stores. Megaplex theaters. Hardee's Monster Thickburger (1,420 calories).
13Going green
It's not just for granola-crunching tree huggers anymore. There's a waiting list for hybrid cars. Curbside recycling. Low-flow toilets and showers. Organic foods in most supermarkets. Solar and wind power. Green office buildings. Battles over energy drilling and nuclear waste.
Ronald Reagan symbolized the rise of the right. By Pete Souza, The White House
14A nation divided
Reagan Revolution. Bill Clinton. Rush Limbaugh, Al Franken. Hanging chads. Red and blue states.
Special-order coffee is now the norm. By Todd Plitt, USA TODAY
15Luxury goes mainstream
Enjoying fancy perks no longer takes Bill Gates' fortune. Average Joes enjoy $4 cups of Joe at Starbucks, guzzle bottled water, feast on Godiva chocolates, drag suitcases on wheels, sit on heated car seats and let GPS systems guide them.
16The end of Ozzie and Harriet families
Children's overbooked schedules. Demise of the family dinner. Boomerang kids. Unconventional families (gay parents, stepparents, single parents). Blended families.
17Diet and exercise boom
Let's get physical. South Beach. Atkins. Weight Watchers. Fen Phen. Kickboxing. Tae-bo. Thighmaster. Pilates. BowFlex. For results, see No. 9.
18On the move
Coastal counties from Texas to New England grow by about 1,300 people a day. The "new" Sun Belt explodes. Phoenix, Las Vegas and Charlotte become major metropolitan centers.
Photo illustration by Ron Coddington, USA TODAY
19High anxiety
Prozac. Paxil. Xanax. Zoloft. Ritalin. Adderall.
20Electronic cash
Debit cards. ATMs around the world. Credit cards for $3 purchases.
21Living alone
More adults choosing to live by themselves. Marriage is delayed. More widows. About half of women have no spouse.
22College stress grows
Pressure to get into elite universities spawns rise of test-prep industry and high school résumés crammed with activities. Major decline in high school drop-out rate. More women than men in college. College costs soar -- and so does college debt.
Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton from The Simple Life. By Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY
23Sexualization
Strip clubs for executives. Hooters. Paris Hilton. Britney Spears. Wardrobe malfunction. Online pornography. Girls Gone Wild. Viagra. Erectile dysfunction ads.
24States bet on gambling
State lotteries. Internet gambling. Casinos. Slot machines at racetracks.
25Makeovers for the masses
You look marvelous. Cosmetic surgery (from breast implants and nose jobs to stomach bands and liposuction). Botox. Dermabrasion. Teeth whitening. Lasik eye surgery. Extreme Makeover on TV.
Record immigration creates unparalleled racial and ethnic diversity. Hispanics overtake blacks as the largest minority. The federal government lets people identify themselves as of more than one race. Tikka Masala, edamame. and mole sauce join the lingo. American culture gets Latinized. There's a backlash -- the English-as-an-official language movement.
2Fighting for equality
More women in the workplace. More poor women on the job, off welfare. The income gap between the sexes narrows -- in 2005, women earned 77 cents for every dollar men make. Title IX. Mainstreaming the disabled.
3Millions living longer
The oldest of 79 million baby boomers turn 61 this year. Twenty-five years ago, the oldest were 36. Cost of health care multiplies. People have multiple careers. More life stages, from three generations to six (tweeners, 20-somethings, middle-age, young old, old, oldest old).
4It's a small world after all
Globalization takes hold. NAFTA. European Union. India and China emerge as economic powerhouses. Outsourcing.
5Global warming
The worry over climate change becomes so widespread that average folks discuss their carbon footprint. The Kyoto Accord. The shrinking polar ice cap. Melting glaciers. Monster hurricanes. El Niño, La Niña.
Talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres. By Chris Pizzello, AP
6Gay rights gain ground
Same-sex marriage, but 41 states ban it. Civil unions. Matthew Shepard. Ellen DeGeneres and other stars come out. Military says, "Don't ask, don't tell."
7Are we safe?
Fear of terrorism changes our lives. Color-coded threat levels. We take off our shoes at airports. X-ray machines peek under our clothes. No-fly lists. Columbine. Amber alerts, America's Most Wanted. Crime rates drop.
8Snuffing out smoking
In 1982, cigarettes were allowed almost everywhere. First they were banned in offices, then restaurants, public places and now maybe in your car and home. Nicotine patch. Nicotine gum.
9Obesity crisis
Fat kids. Fat adults. New dietary guidelines. Ban on trans fats. Push for walking. Diabetes rates soar. The Biggest Loser on TV.
10Tech creates cult of 'me'
Cellphones. The revolutionary switch from cassettes and VHS to CDs and DVDs. The Internet opens the floodgates. MySpace.com. Facebook. Blogs. It's all about customization and personalization. Shop and watch TV programs when you want (Amazon.com, TiVo). Download the song you want and listen to it when you want (iPod and MP3s). Capture every moment and play it for a worldwide audience (Youtube.com, camera phones, reality TV).
11Spreading out
Americans want elbow room. Land is cheaper away from cities. Sprawl accelerates. Exurbs. Extreme commutes. Traffic congestion worsens. The smart growth movement -- getting people to eat up less open space and reduce driving -- takes off.
Hardee's Monster Thickburger by Tim Dillon, USA TODAY
12Supersizing
Bigger is better. McMansions. SUVs. Minivans. Megachurches. Wal-Mart and other big-box stores. Megaplex theaters. Hardee's Monster Thickburger (1,420 calories).
13Going green
It's not just for granola-crunching tree huggers anymore. There's a waiting list for hybrid cars. Curbside recycling. Low-flow toilets and showers. Organic foods in most supermarkets. Solar and wind power. Green office buildings. Battles over energy drilling and nuclear waste.
Ronald Reagan symbolized the rise of the right. By Pete Souza, The White House
14A nation divided
Reagan Revolution. Bill Clinton. Rush Limbaugh, Al Franken. Hanging chads. Red and blue states.
Special-order coffee is now the norm. By Todd Plitt, USA TODAY
15Luxury goes mainstream
Enjoying fancy perks no longer takes Bill Gates' fortune. Average Joes enjoy $4 cups of Joe at Starbucks, guzzle bottled water, feast on Godiva chocolates, drag suitcases on wheels, sit on heated car seats and let GPS systems guide them.
16The end of Ozzie and Harriet families
Children's overbooked schedules. Demise of the family dinner. Boomerang kids. Unconventional families (gay parents, stepparents, single parents). Blended families.
17Diet and exercise boom
Let's get physical. South Beach. Atkins. Weight Watchers. Fen Phen. Kickboxing. Tae-bo. Thighmaster. Pilates. BowFlex. For results, see No. 9.
18On the move
Coastal counties from Texas to New England grow by about 1,300 people a day. The "new" Sun Belt explodes. Phoenix, Las Vegas and Charlotte become major metropolitan centers.
Photo illustration by Ron Coddington, USA TODAY
19High anxiety
Prozac. Paxil. Xanax. Zoloft. Ritalin. Adderall.
20Electronic cash
Debit cards. ATMs around the world. Credit cards for $3 purchases.
21Living alone
More adults choosing to live by themselves. Marriage is delayed. More widows. About half of women have no spouse.
22College stress grows
Pressure to get into elite universities spawns rise of test-prep industry and high school résumés crammed with activities. Major decline in high school drop-out rate. More women than men in college. College costs soar -- and so does college debt.
Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton from The Simple Life. By Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY
23Sexualization
Strip clubs for executives. Hooters. Paris Hilton. Britney Spears. Wardrobe malfunction. Online pornography. Girls Gone Wild. Viagra. Erectile dysfunction ads.
24States bet on gambling
State lotteries. Internet gambling. Casinos. Slot machines at racetracks.
25Makeovers for the masses
You look marvelous. Cosmetic surgery (from breast implants and nose jobs to stomach bands and liposuction). Botox. Dermabrasion. Teeth whitening. Lasik eye surgery. Extreme Makeover on TV.
A look through my window
What an amazing week I just had..
I can't even begin to tell you what God is doing in my life. You wouldn't believe it. Let me tell you this though. I have never felt the Holy Spirit surround me, and God pour vision into me, like he has this past week. I have so much Spiritual electricity inside of me that it's hard to turn off. I'm buzzed.. ALL OF THE TIME!
The energy is incredible.
Let it rain..Let it rain..pour out the floodgates of heaven..and Let it rain.
It's raining.
God is pouring blessing into my life.
There's so much to do. : )
I'm going to try to keep my blog posts down to one or two a day.
I'm working on a few other projects that I've got to concentrate on for a while
One is writing a newsletter, to keep people updated on what's happening with Cross Current Church.
Joe and I are trying really hard to update the restaurant, so we're trying to create a new updated menu.
Joe and I are both working on new business ventures.
Please keep us in your prayers! Keep us lifted up!
Thank you my friends. You know, I love you so much! Susan
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Today is Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
In the Christian calendar, the Sunday before Easter, sixth and last Sunday in Lent, and the first day of Holy Week. It recalls the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem riding upon a donkey, when his followers shouted "Hosanna" and scattered palms in his path.
God's Personal Visit
Luke 28-31
After saying these things, Jesus headed straight up to Jerusalem. When he got near Bethphage and Bethany at the mountain called Olives, he sent off two of the disciples with instructions: "Go to the village across from you. As soon as you enter, you'll find a colt tethered, one that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says anything, asks, 'What are you doing?' say, 'His Master needs him.'"
32-33The two left and found it just as he said. As they were untying the colt, its owners said, "What are you doing untying the colt?"
34They said, "His Master needs him."
35-36They brought the colt to Jesus. Then, throwing their coats on its back, they helped Jesus get on. As he rode, the people gave him a grand welcome, throwing their coats on the street.
37-38Right at the crest, where Mount Olives begins its descent, the whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise over all the mighty works they had witnessed:
Blessed is he who comes,
the king in God's name!
All's well in heaven!
Glory in the high places!
39Some Pharisees from the crowd told him, "Teacher, get your disciples under control!"
40But he said, "If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise."
41-44When the city came into view, he wept over it. "If you had only recognized this day, and everything that was good for you! But now it's too late. In the days ahead your enemies are going to bring up their heavy artillery and surround you, pressing in from every side. They'll smash you and your babies on the pavement. Not one stone will be left intact. All this because you didn't recognize and welcome God's personal visit."
Thank you Jesus..for all you've done for me! I love you with all of my heart, mind, body and soul.
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