January 28

The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. -Anonymous

Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful. -AnnLanders

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. -Will Rogers

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. -Andy Rooney

We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made. -M. Acklam

Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog. -Franklin P. Jones

If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise -Unknown

Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come from a grocery with the most amazing haul, chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth! -Anne Tyler

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man. -Mark Twain

You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!' - Dave Barry

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them. -Phil Pastoret

My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog thinks I am. ~Betty H.

A woman walks in a store to return a pair of eyeglasses that she had purchased for her husband a week before. "What seems to be the problem, madam?" "I'm returning these glasses I bought for my husband. He's still not seeing things my way."

To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1224-1274) Philosopher and theologian

The Lord has taught me much about prayer. The key to my growth has been to understand I alone am responsible for my own self-discipline to pray. If I do not pray, it is purely my choice. No one prevents me from praying. --Lyn Hyde

JOY 10
Each of us generates about five pounds of garbage per day.

Fact No. 733 Women are 10 times less likely than men to suffer from color blindness.

Fact No. 734 Disney World is bigger than the world's five smallest countries.

Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.

I’ve never met anyone who became instantly mature. It’s a painstaking process that God takes us through, and it includes such things as waiting, failing, losing, and being misunderstood—each calling for extra doses of perseverance. --Charles Swindoll

BEING IN LOVE
Think back to when you met that man/woman that you just knew would be the one. Remember when you realized/admitted to yourself that you loved him/her. Now remember how much you wanted to act like you were in a movie, and yell to everyone in the football stadium "I love (fill in the name)!" You told family and friends how perfect he/she was; he/she was just what you were looking for.
Well, I told THE LORD that I love Him today. And He said to me, "How much do you love me? You haven't told anyone how good I've been to you. You haven't shared how perfect my love is. You haven't spread the good news that I am always there to listen to your problems. You haven't told your family how I helped you pay your bills when you didn't have a high paying job, or how I got you a better one. You haven't shared with anyone how I took away that addiction that would have cost you not only your job, but also that man/woman that was just what you were looking for. So how much do you really love me?"
So, I said I would share with my friends and family (for starters) just how wonderful, perfect, understanding, patient, loving, unselfish, considerate and forgiving GOD really is. He has blessed me with a family that loves me and friends that I can confide in. But even more than that, He has saved me from destruction I couldn't even see coming. He gave to me the peace of knowing Him, and He has never broken a promise. Truly He is the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I stand in my stadium today to tell you all, "I LOVE THE LORD!" GREAT ADVICE!

If a dog was the teacher you would learn stuff like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
When it's in your best interest, practice obedience. Let others know when they've invaded your territory.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back in the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
! No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout...run right back and make friends.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.
Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

EXPECTATION
"Look for the good in every person and every situation. You'll almost always find it." -- Brian Tracy

"Don't join an easy crowd; you won't grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high." -- Jim Rohn

A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Several years ago a preacher moved to Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he had occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.
As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, you better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it. Then he thought, "Oh", forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway the bus company already gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet."
When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change".
The driver with a smile, replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking lately about going to worship somewhere. I just wanted to see what you would do, if I gave you too much change."
When my friend stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, and held on, and said, "O God", I almost sold your Son for a quarter".
Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. author unknown

"I'm prescribing these pills for you," said the doctor to the overweight patient, who tipped the scales at about three hundred pounds.
"I don't want you to swallow them. Just spill them on the floor twice a day and pick them up, one at a time."
~~~~~~
“If your Bible is in real good, shape, you’re probably not!”

January 21

"Grace is not static. It is the active energy of God that enables Christians to be all we were called to be when Christ saved us." - Tony Evans, The Victorious Christian Life

"You formed us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in you." - Augustine

"Dear God, 'Maybe Cain and Abel wouldn't kill each [other] so much if they had their own rooms. It works with my brother.' Larry" - Children's Letters to God (Workman, 1991)

Three out of every four teenagers have reportedly experimented with witchcraft or psychic-related activities. The most popular of these activities include: using a Ouija board, reading books about witchcraft or Wicca, playing games involving sorcery or witchcraft, having a "professional" do a palm reading, or having their fortune told. - Source: Barna.org (January 2006)

Two Swedes from Wisconsin are sittin' in a boat on Dead Lake , fishing and suckin' down beer, when all of a sudden Sven says, "I think I'm going to divorce my wife. She hasn't spoken to me in over six months." Ole sips his beer and says, "You better think it over. Women like that are hard to find."

"It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated--it is finished when it surrenders." - Ben Stein

"Who you are speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you say." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Don't worry that children never listen to you. Worry that they're always watching you." - Robert Fulghum

Quit griping about your church; if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.

Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited- until you try to sit in their pews.

Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisers.

It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.

The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.

When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.

The phrase that is guaranteed to wake up an audience: "And in conclusion"

"Pride is tasteless, colorless and sizeless. Yet it is the hardest thing to swallow." - August B. Black

I've Gotta Have It
I've gotta have it. That's the word from a new survey by the Pew Research Center, which asked 2,000 adults over the age of 18 which consumer products are necessities and which are luxuries. Increasingly, conveniences that were once considered luxuries, such as air conditioners, now check in as things we feel we cannot live without. The biggest gainer in the necessity column since a similar survey in 1996? Microwave ovens. Ten years ago, just 32 percent of respondents classified microwaves as a necessity. This year, the figure has risen to 68 percent. Another example is home computers. In 1996, 26 percent of respondents felt they really needed a computer at home. Now that number has risen to 51 percent.
Several products that were barely blips on the technological radar a decade ago are now deemed indispensable as well. Forty-nine percent of people surveyed say they couldn't function without their cell phones; 33 percent must see their cable or satellite TV; and 29 percent deem high-speed Internet service a necessity.

• Does Money or Marriage Bring Happiness?
A new Gallup poll shows more than nine in 10 Americans describe themselves as "happy" and just four percent are "not too happy." About 64 percent of married people said they are very satisfied with the way their personal life is going, compared with 43 percent of singles. Though 72 percent of those with incomes of $75,000 or higher reported being very satisfied with their personal life, researchers found — combining results of polls from the last three years — that marriage may be more strongly associated with personal happiness than money.

"The difference between Christianity and religion is how they are spelled. Religion is spelled 'do' - do this, do that, do, do, do. Christianity is spelled 'done'. Christianity has already done everything needed. We just need to receive the gift of 'done.'"

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.


The AARP has negotiated with the USGA to modify the Rules of Golf for seniors.
Rule 1.a.5
A ball sliced or hooked into the rough shall be lifted and placed on the fairway at a point equal to the distance it carried or rolled into the rough with no penalty. The senior should not be penalized for tall grass which grounds keepers failed to mow.
Rule 2.d.6 (b)
A ball hitting a tree shall be deemed not to have hit the tree. This is simply bad luck and luck has no place in a scientific game. The senior player must estimate the distance the ball would have traveled if it had not hit the tree and play the ball from there.
Rule 3.b.3(g)
There shall be no such thing as a lost ball. The missing ball is on or near the course and will eventually be found and pocketed by someone else, making it a stolen ball. The player is not to compound the felony by charging himself or herself with a penalty.
Rule 4.c.7(h)
If a putt passes over a hole without dropping, it is deemed to have dropped. The law of gravity supersedes the Rules of Golf.
Rule 5.
Putts that stop close enough to the cup that they could be blown in, may be blown in. This does not apply to balls more than three inches from the hole. No one wants to make a travesty of the game.
Rule 6.a.9(k)
There is no penalty for so-called "out of bounds." If penny- -pinching golf course owners bought sufficient land, this would not occur. The senior golfer deserves an apology, not a penalty.
Rule 7.g.15(z)
There is no penalty for a ball in a water hazard, as golf balls should float. Senior golfers should not be penalized for manufacturers' short-comings.
Rule 8.k.9(s)
Advertisements claim that golf scores can be improved by purchasing new golf equipment. Since this is financially impracticable for many senior golfers, one-half stroke per hole may be subtracted for using old equipment.
Please advise all your senior friends of these important rule update


Political Correctness For Kids
Your bedroom isn't cluttered; it's "passage restrictive."
Kids don't get in trouble anymore. They merely hit "social speed bumps."
You're not having a bad hair day; you're suffering from "rebellious follicle syndrome."
No one's tall anymore. They're "vertically enhanced."
You're not shy. You're "conversationally selective."
You don't talk a lot. You're just "abundantly verbal."
It's not called gossip anymore. It's "transmission of near-factual information."
The food at the school cafeteria isn't awful. It's "digestively challenged."
Your homework isn't missing; it's just having an "out-of-notebook experience."
You're not sleeping in class; you're "rationing consciousness."
You don't have smelly gym socks; you have "odor retentive athletic footwear."
You weren't passing notes in class. You were "participating in the discreet exchange of penned meditations."
You're not being sent to the principal's office. You're "going on a mandatory field trip to the administrative building."

'Unfortunately, in this job market guys like you have dropped to nine cents a dozen.'

"You cannot tailor make the situations in life, but you can tailor make the attitudes to fit those situations before they arise." Zig Ziglar

Every year it takes less time to fly across the Atlantic, and more time to drive to the office.

The biggest liar in the world is They Say. Douglas Malloch (1877-1938) Poet and writer

"Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything." -- Napoleon Hill

"The only real limitation on your abilities is the level of your desires. If you want it badly enough, there are no limits on what you can achieve." -- Brian Tracy

January 14

EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE
I LEARNED FROM A JIGSAW PUZZLE
1. Don't force a fit. If something is meant to be, it will come
together naturally.
2. When things aren't going so well, take a break. Everything will look different when you return.
3. Be sure to look at the big picture. Getting hung up on the little pieces only leads to frustration.
4. Perseverance pays off. Every important puzzle went together bit by bit, piece by piece.
5. When one spot stops working, move to another. But be sure to come back later (see #4).
6. The creator of the puzzle gave you the picture as a guidebook.
7. Variety is the spice of life. It's the different colors and
patterns that make the puzzle interesting.
8. Working together with friends and family makes any task fun.
9. Establish the border first. Boundaries give a sense of security and order.
10. Don't be afraid to try different combinations. Some matches are surprising.
11. Take time often to celebrate your successes (even little ones).
12. Anything worth doing takes time and effort. A great puzzle can't be rushed.

Wash Off The Stuff of The Day
One of the most successful and personable people on television is Oprah Winfrey. Movies, book clubs, she does it all. Huge business operations. While all the other talk shows on television are tearing people apart and putting all their illnesses out for public humiliation, Oprah is helping put people and families back together again. . . In a Newsweek magazine interview the interviewer asked her, "How do you separate yourself from work?" Answer, "I take a hot bath. . . My bath is my sanctuary. (Listen to this) It's the place where I can wash off all the stuff of the day" ((Jan 8, 2001, p. 45).
Baptism is a huge symbol -- it's the water of creation. . . .we are born anew. . . . life in the Spirit . . . all the "stuff" of the day is washed off. All of that is true. But at it's basic level, baptism is the death of the old self. Before anything new can be born, the old has to pass away.

MAKE ME HAPPY, LORD, BUT...
I think that most Christians would be better pleased if the Lord did not inquire into their personal affairs too closely. They want Him to save them, to keep them happy, and to take them off to heaven at last, but not to be too inquisitive about their conduct or services. --A. W. Tozer

GOD IS HIGHLY CONFIDENT OF HIS OWN PLANS
He'll work in ways you may not recognize or understand. And He is big enough to do the things you have labeled impossible. He has enough power. He has enough time. He is bigger than your problem. Believe in Him more than in what you may see. Trust in Him more than what you may feel. You can question. He can handle your questions. God is highly confident of His own plans. He can do everything but fail. --Kathy Troccoli

Letter from Anthony (Ione Bushman’s grandson in training)
Dear Dad:
I've been noticing a lot of changes in myself lately; I am not lazy, I don't take my time getting out of bed, I'm not so selfish, we all have to go around and help each other out. All that kind a stuff makes me wish I knew you before boot camp because those are all the qualities you have, did you get them here? Anyway, I know I am always gonna stay like this because I feel a lot better about who I am, and that’s not even the reason I came here, haha, just a bonus. But that is making me pretty sure that this is the best decision I've ever made, as far as looking into my future. People like Cassie & Mom don't need this to get them to realize this kind of stuff but I can see that I definitively do.

WHEN GOD WANTS WORK DONE
God never goes to the lazy or the idle when He needs men for His service. When God wants a worker He calls a worker. When He has work to be done, He goes to those already at work. When God wants a good servant, He calls a busy man. Scripture and history attest this truth.
Moses was busy with his flocks at Horeb.
Gideon was busy threshing wheat by the wine press.
Saul was busy searching for his father's beasts.
Elisha was busy plowing with twelve yoke of oxen.
David was busy caring for his father's sheep.
Nehemiah was busy serving the king.
Amos was busy following the flock.
Peter and Andrew were busy casting a net into the sea.
James and John were busy mending their nets.
Matthew was busy collecting customs.
William Carey was busy mending and making shoes.
Christian-does this tell you something about thinking we are too busy to do God's work? --Author Unknown

HOLD ON TO HIS HAND
We are only finite human beings. We can only see the present and the past. The future is a little frightening to us. So we need to hold onto God's hand and trust Him to calm our fears. And at those times when we're stubborn and resisting and He shakes us by the shoulders to get our attention, we're reminded that we don't call the shots. God has a plan for us, mysterious though it may seem, and we want to be in the center of it. All the risks notwithstanding, the center of God's will is still the safest place on earth to be. Charles Swindoll

GRACE
Grace: a gift that costs everything for the giver and nothing for the recipient. --Philip Yancey

Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

The King of Hearts is the only king WITHOUT A MOUSTACHE

American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one (1) olive from each salad served in first-class.

Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise. (Since Venus is normally associated with women, what does this tell you!)


While driving with my daughter and her husband, I noticed that the woman in the car ahead of us had a rather odd vanity plate.
"That's weird," I said, pointing to it. "Why would anyone want to boast about mold on their car?"
"Call me crazy," said my son-in-law after deciphering the phrase, "but I believe that reads 'FUN-GAL.'"

My wife and I, both graduate students, recently celebrated the arrival of our first child. At my wife's insistence, we had paid our entire medical bill and were now worried about meeting other payments. We were discussing our sad financial situation one evening when our son demanded a diaper change. As my wife leaned over the baby's crib, I heard her mutter, "The only thing in the house that's paid for, and it leaks."

A young lady, having committed some small offense, was made to eat dinner alone, at a little table in the corner of the kitchen. The rest of the family was paying her no attention until she began to pray in a loud voice, "I thank you, Lord, for preparing this table before me in the presence of mine enemies..."

Habits
The American educator, Horace Mann, described the predicament of habits saying: “Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it every day, and at last we cannot break it.” Mr. Mann, you are only half right. Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it every day, but it can be broken? There is One who will help you break it, if you desire it. Habits are often practiced without guilt, justified through cleverly devised mental schemes. We have to be continuously converted all the days of our lives, continually to turn to God as children. Life is a continuous conversion. In every setting in which we are put we have to “put on the new person.” There are whole areas of our lives which have not yet been brought into subjection, and it can only be done by this continuous conversion.

We blonds at the ofise are tired of all the the dum stoopid jokes about us. We think this is hairassment. It causes us grate stress and makes our roots turn dark. We have hired a
loyer and he is talking to the loyers at Clairol. We will take this all the way to the supream cort if we have two. Juj Thomas knos all about hairassment and he will be on are side.
We have also talked to the govner to make a new law to stop this pursicushun. We want a law that makes peepol tell brewnet jokes as much as blond jokes and every so often a red head joke. If we don't get our way we will not date anybody that ain't blond and we will make up jokes about you and we will laff.
Sined by the blonds at the ofise

Once upon a time there was a young man who wanted to become a great writer. "I want to write things the whole world will read," he declared. "Stuff that will elicit strong emotions from people in every walk of life. I want my writing to make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger." He now lives happily ever after in Redmond, Wash., writing error messages for Microsoft.

I get my large circumference from too much pi.

There's a sign above the scale in my doctor's office that says
"Pretend it's your IQ."

"We Are Never Alone"
Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?
His dad takes him into the forest blindfolded and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not take off the blindfold until the ray of sun shines through it. He is all by himself. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night he is a MAN.
He cannot tell the other boys of this experience. Each lad must come into his own manhood.
The boy was terrified -- could hear all kinds of noise. Beasts were all around him. Maybe even some human would hurt him. The wind blew the grass and earth and it shook his stump. But he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could be a man. Finally, after a horrific night..the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he saw his father sitting on the stump next to him at watch the entire night.
We are never alone. Even when we do not know it, our Father is protecting us. He is sitting on the stump beside us. All we have to do is reach out to him.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Prayer Lord, thank you for always watching over me. Remind me to trust in your presence and protection. Amen

PLANNING
"I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change." -- Jim Rohn

"Every evening, write down the six most important things that you must do the next day. Then while you sleep your subconscious will work on the best ways for you to accomplish them. Your next day will go much more smoothly." -- Tom Hopkins

"Every minute you spend in planning saves 10 minutes in execution; this gives you a 1,000 percent Return on Energy!" -- Brian Tracy

You can never really fathom the mind of another. -- Chinese Proverb

A contented mind is a continual feast. -- American Proverb

Any mother could perform the jobs of several air-traffic controllers with ease. - Lisa Alther, writer

It is better to wear out than to rust out.

Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of others, but from doing something worthwhile. Wilfred Grenfell (1865 - 1940) English medical missionary

Joy has nothing to do with material things, or with a man's outward circumstance...A man living in the lap of luxury can be wretched, and a man in the depths of poverty can overflow with joy. William Barclay (1907 - 1978) Clergyman and writer

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they are sticking to their diet.

"You don't buy a fiddle today and play in Carnegie Hall tomorrow."

In moments of despair and doubt and desolation, Martin Luther would say to himself as a reminder, "I was baptized."


CHURCH BUMPER STICKERS
1. God grades on the cross, not the curve.
2. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come on in for a faith lift.
3. Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.
4. A family altar can alter a family.
5. We don't change the message -- the message changes us.
6. This Church is 'prayer-conditioned'.
7. When God ordains, he sustains.
8. Plan ahead -- it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark!
9. The perfect church -- for those who aren't!
10. Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous!
11. Wisdom has two parts: Having a lot to say and not saying it.
12. Hem your day with prayer and it will be less apt to unravel at the edges.
13. A clean conscience makes a soft pillow.
14. Nothing ruins the truth like stretching it.
15. He who is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
16. A fellow who says it can't be done is likely to be interrupted by someone doing it.
17. Kindness is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.
18. Worry is the darkroom in which "negatives" are developed.
19. Give Satan an inch and he'll be a ruler.
20. Forbidden fruits create many jams.
21. Deciding not to choose is still making a choice.
22. God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called.
23. Give God what's right, not what's left!
24. 'Pray' is a four-letter word that you can say anywhere.

January 7

One Sunday at our church, a visitor came who brought his cellular phone and sat in the midst of the congregation. In the middle of the pastor's teaching, the phone began to ring, startling everyone. Without missing a beat, the pastor said, "If that's for me, tell them I'm busy!"

If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

"If you want to be a holy man, you've got to be committed. When you make a decision you cannot waiver in any way. You'd never see Gandhi during a hunger strike sneaking into the kitchen in the middle of the night.
'Gandhi...what are you doing down there?'
'Umm, I thought I heard a prowler...and I was going to hit him over the head with this big bowl of potato salad.'" -Jim Carrey

The purpose of a great sermon is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. The latter is preferable to the former.

Almost everyone is capable of being a Pharisee from time to time.

As most of us joyously celebrate the holidays with friends, family and loved ones, 85 percent of nursing-home residents won't receive a single guest — and not just during this season, but year round.

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." -- Joseph Addison

"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens." -- Lewis L. Dunnington

"My mother taught me very early to believe I could achieve any accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk without braces." -- Wilma Rudolph 1940-1994, Olympic Gold Medalist

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
A little girl was about to undergo a dangerous operation. Just before the doctor administered the anesthetic, he said, "Before we can make you well, we must put you to sleep."
The girl responded, "Oh, if you are going to put me to sleep, then I must say my prayers first." And she folded her hands, closed her eyes, and said:" Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake; I pray the Lord my soul to take. And this I ask for Jesus' sake. Amen." Later on the surgeon admitted that he prayed that prayer that night for the first time in thirty years.

NEW YEAR 2007 I look at the new calendar for the coming year. There will be Three Hundred and sixty five days. It is time to reflect back and make new decisions. Have I learned to let God guide my ways?
First, I want a closer walk with Jesus, my Lord. I plan to start and end each day in His care. I will read His Word with new expectancy. I will decide to spend more time in prayer.
Last year, I learned many new lessons. I became more dependent on Him. Those things that I had thought were important, Have now faded away or grown dim. I have more of a desire to be like Him. He is teaching me how to obey. I want less and less of what this world offers. I need to listen closer to what He will say. I need to be more conscious of those in need. I will trust Him for more smiles to give. I want to be more careful of what I say As others will watch how I live. May this New Year be a joyful one. As I allow Him to just lead me along. May I surrender any selfish desires And remember right from wrong. Evelyn D. Putnam

great mini golf game http://www.ibogleif.dk/spil/flashspil/minigolf/minigolf.swf

TV TAGLINES
- A fool and his money are the prime-time television target audience.
- An idle mind is television's playground!
- But Daddy, you watched the news on television YESTERDAY.
- Television is a medium - so called because it is neither rare nor well-done
- There's just not enough sax and violins on television!
- Were there "radio dinners" before television?
- You aren't a kid any more when you can't remember the last time you lay on the floor to watch television.
- Television has proved that people will look at anything rather than each other. -- Ann Landers

It’s amusing, isn’t it? Measly human beings puff themselves up to appear grander than they are. But God, who is the source of everything in this universe, humbled himself . . . out of love for you and me.

Statistics say that the average life span these days for men is 75 years and for women it is 80 years. Frankly, we men chose it to be that way because we just got tired of listening to you women telling us what to do all the time, so we opted for the first flight on the Gloryland Express.

I am the new year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.
I am your next chance at the art of living.
I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months.
All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it but with more determination.
All the good that you tried for and didn’t achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.
All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have -- these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose.
I am your opportunity to renew you allegiance to Him who said, "Behold, I make all things new."

One hundred years ago, among the top 20 most popular baby names for 1907 were Clarence, Walter, Mildred and Gladys. These names were all in.
Fifty years ago, the child may have been a Michael, James, Susan or Linda. Those were the cool names. But don’t be surprised when the parents with their little newborn daughter at your next baptism tell you — in response to your question — that the child’s name shall be Nevaeh. That’s a name that wasn’t in circulation in 1907 and 1957. Or 1997.
But suddenly in 1999, there were eight baby Nevaehs born in the United States. The next year, there were 86 Nevaehs. Today the name is in the top 100 most popular baby girl names. It even beat out Sara, Vanessa and Amanda!
Last year seven of the top 10 baby boy names could be found in the Bible. That has always been a common trend in the Judeo-Christian influenced West. Many of the top 10 girl names last year — Emily, Emma, Madison, Abigail — are easily found in the top 20 name lists and history books from the late 1800s. What goes around comes around.

A Year of Time Though even thinking on the subject of time may prove discomforting, it is not a bad idea"especially at the beginning of a new year.
As we look into 2007 we look at a block of time. We see 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. And all is a gift from God. We have done nothing to deserve it, earn it, or purchased it. Like the air we breathe, time comes to us as a part of life.
The gift of time is not ours alone. It is given equally to each person. Rich and poor,
educated and ignorant, strong and weak "every man, woman and child has the same twenty-four hours every day. Another important thing about time is that you cannot stop it. There is no way to slow it down, turn it off, or adjust it. Time marches on.
And you cannot bring back time. Once it is gone, it is gone. Yesterday is lost forever. If yesterday is lost, tomorrow is uncertain. We may look ahead at a full year block of time, but we really have no guarantee that we will experience any of it.
Obviously, time is one of our most precious possessions. We can waste it. We can worry over it. We can spend it on ourselves. Or, as good stewards, we can invest it in the kingdom of God. The new year is full of time. As the seconds tick away, will you be tossing time out the window, or will you make every minute count?

But history will judge you, and as the years pass, you will ultimately judge yourself, in the extent to which you have used your gifts and talents to lighten and enrich the lives of your fellow men. In your hands lies the future of your world and the fulfillment of the best qualities of your own spirit. Robert F. Kennedy

"May all your troubles last as long as your New Years Resolutions." Joey Adams

A student was asked to list the Ten Commandments in any order. His answer: 3, 6, 1, 8, 4, 5, 9, 2, 10 and 7.