January 4, 2009
Blessed New Year!
God specializes in things fresh and firsthand. His plans for you this year may outshine those of the past . . . . He's prepared to fill your days with reasons to give Him praise.
Two thousand years ago, gold, frankincense and myrrh were worth (in today's equivalents), six hundred, five hundred and four thousand dollars per pound, respectively. A similar gift today (frankincense and myrrh have declined in value, gold has increased) would set a 21st century king back six thousand dollars for the gold, but only fifteen dollars apiece for frankincense and myrrh.
He is not like one of us. He is utterly incomparable -- beyond the furthest horizon of our imaginations. He is off the scale of our comprehension. We have merely known the shallows of the mighty deep. --Matt Redman
Christmas was not celebrated as an official holiday from work in many parts of America until the 19th century. Courts were in session, stores were open, and few churches held religious services.
Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.
The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from four days to four years to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years; It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass. When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes
Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.
Only God can fill the deepest longings of the heart.
THE NEW YEAR
Soon in your hand will be placed a priceless gift. Look at it closely. There is no price marker stamped on it. It cannot be weighed, because no scale can balance its value. A king's ransom in comparison is as nothing yet it is given to beggar and prince alike. The giver asks only that it be used wisely and well. This jewel, rare and unique, is not displayed in any shop window. It cannot be purchased, cannot be sold. No other treasure holds the possibilities this gift offers -- none can surpass its golden splendor.
Of all gifts, this is one of the most precious. It has been offered many times before; today, from the depths of a limitless love it will be given again. It will be left to you to find the golden thread running through it. Only with great care will the jewel retain its luster. Carelessness, ingratitude and selfishness will tarnish the brilliance, break the unspoiled thread, mar the perfection.
Guard it closely, lest through weak fingers it slip from the hand. Look often at its faultless beauty. Accept it as it is offered from the heart of the giver. Consider it is the most treasured of possessions, for of all gifts it is by far the greatest. It is the gift of the New Year.
A light in the midst of a dark world
A refuge and shelter from the storms of life
A wellspring of love for all who enter our doors
A hospital for the spiritually ill
An unashamed proclaimer of the Good News of Jesus
God will never give His prizes to an indifferent heart. He wants them to be prized above all cost and sought above all treasures. --A. B. Simpson
A French proverb says, "You not only have to want what you want, but you have to want what your want leads to." This is a thought-provoking idea. It says that to really get the most out of life, we need to take a long-term perspective. As I struggle with chronic overweight, this proverb haunts me at every food table in a social gathering. I want the hors d'oeuvres; they taste great - but do I want what my want leads to? Perhaps you have struggled with a chronic disease. I was recently diagnosed diabetic. I have become acutely aware of the fact that satisfying my immediate wants could bring an early and miserable end to my life here on earth. Most of our self-destructive and ungodly behavior is a result of myopia - the inability to see beyond what is right in front of us." --Randy Rowland, Get a Life! ... And a Faith That Works
The challenge the church now faces is not a swelling emptiness in people's lives, but being heard and seen through the crush and crowd of experiences that promise to provide the spiritual presence so many are longing for. There is no problem finding something to believe in these days - the temptation for most seekers is choosing too much to believe in and all the wrong things to believe in. It's called "easy believism."
Three executives were defining what status means, and how to know when you have really arrived. One said: "I'll tell you what real status is. It's being invited to the White House for a personal conversation with the President." Another replied: "No, that's not it. You know you have arrived when you've been invited to the White House for a personal conversation with the President, the hot line rings, and he just looks at it and decides not to answer it." The third executive said: "You both have it all wrong. Real status is when you are invited to the White House for a personal conversation with the President, the hot line rings, the President answers it and says, 'Here, it's for you.' "
The most terrible thing about materialism, even more terrible than its proneness to violence, is its boredom, from which sex, alcohol, drugs, all devices for putting out the accusing light of reason and suppressing the unrealizable aspirations of love, offer a prospect of deliverance. - Malcolm Muggeridge
Three Wise Women
Do you know what would have happened if it had been three wise women instead of three wise men?
They would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and brought practical gifts!
That's what they would like you to believe. However, this is what would have really happened.
They would have been late getting started (It's tough to get your make-up so that it doesn't clash with the camel). Then one would have to go back to change clothes because her outfit was too similar to one of the other's. After a quick (6 hours) stop at the mall for the gift, they would have a huge fight about whether or not a Barney Sleeper fell into the category of swaddling clothes. Half way to the oasis the camel would have broken down (no one checked his water level). After finally arriving at Bethlehem (They had to stop and ask directions 12 times), they stopped at a beauty parlor to get their hair done (They couldn't see the baby looking like that). When they saw the stable they turned around and went back to a Howard Johnson's and got a room for everyone (There was no way they were going to stay in a dump like that). The feminine trio finally arrived back at the stable only to find that the new parents had left for Egypt.
"The knowledge of God is very far from the love of God." Blaise Pascal, (1670)
Did you ever wonder why old houses have so few closets? It's mostly because people then didn't have so many things.
"Remember how many closets you have. They are for storing things you aren't using. In my house, we have six closets, and we'd like to add a coat closet. In addition to our six closets, we also have a basement. And a shed. And a pantry. All pretty full.
"What is your attitude toward possessions if your closets are bursting with things you don't use while kids starve by the thousands?" --John Alexander,
God specializes in things fresh and firsthand. His plans for you this year may outshine those of the past . . . . He's prepared to fill your days with reasons to give Him praise.
Two thousand years ago, gold, frankincense and myrrh were worth (in today's equivalents), six hundred, five hundred and four thousand dollars per pound, respectively. A similar gift today (frankincense and myrrh have declined in value, gold has increased) would set a 21st century king back six thousand dollars for the gold, but only fifteen dollars apiece for frankincense and myrrh.
He is not like one of us. He is utterly incomparable -- beyond the furthest horizon of our imaginations. He is off the scale of our comprehension. We have merely known the shallows of the mighty deep. --Matt Redman
Christmas was not celebrated as an official holiday from work in many parts of America until the 19th century. Courts were in session, stores were open, and few churches held religious services.
Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.
The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from four days to four years to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years; It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass. When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes
Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.
Only God can fill the deepest longings of the heart.
THE NEW YEAR
Soon in your hand will be placed a priceless gift. Look at it closely. There is no price marker stamped on it. It cannot be weighed, because no scale can balance its value. A king's ransom in comparison is as nothing yet it is given to beggar and prince alike. The giver asks only that it be used wisely and well. This jewel, rare and unique, is not displayed in any shop window. It cannot be purchased, cannot be sold. No other treasure holds the possibilities this gift offers -- none can surpass its golden splendor.
Of all gifts, this is one of the most precious. It has been offered many times before; today, from the depths of a limitless love it will be given again. It will be left to you to find the golden thread running through it. Only with great care will the jewel retain its luster. Carelessness, ingratitude and selfishness will tarnish the brilliance, break the unspoiled thread, mar the perfection.
Guard it closely, lest through weak fingers it slip from the hand. Look often at its faultless beauty. Accept it as it is offered from the heart of the giver. Consider it is the most treasured of possessions, for of all gifts it is by far the greatest. It is the gift of the New Year.
A light in the midst of a dark world
A refuge and shelter from the storms of life
A wellspring of love for all who enter our doors
A hospital for the spiritually ill
An unashamed proclaimer of the Good News of Jesus
God will never give His prizes to an indifferent heart. He wants them to be prized above all cost and sought above all treasures. --A. B. Simpson
A French proverb says, "You not only have to want what you want, but you have to want what your want leads to." This is a thought-provoking idea. It says that to really get the most out of life, we need to take a long-term perspective. As I struggle with chronic overweight, this proverb haunts me at every food table in a social gathering. I want the hors d'oeuvres; they taste great - but do I want what my want leads to? Perhaps you have struggled with a chronic disease. I was recently diagnosed diabetic. I have become acutely aware of the fact that satisfying my immediate wants could bring an early and miserable end to my life here on earth. Most of our self-destructive and ungodly behavior is a result of myopia - the inability to see beyond what is right in front of us." --Randy Rowland, Get a Life! ... And a Faith That Works
The challenge the church now faces is not a swelling emptiness in people's lives, but being heard and seen through the crush and crowd of experiences that promise to provide the spiritual presence so many are longing for. There is no problem finding something to believe in these days - the temptation for most seekers is choosing too much to believe in and all the wrong things to believe in. It's called "easy believism."
Three executives were defining what status means, and how to know when you have really arrived. One said: "I'll tell you what real status is. It's being invited to the White House for a personal conversation with the President." Another replied: "No, that's not it. You know you have arrived when you've been invited to the White House for a personal conversation with the President, the hot line rings, and he just looks at it and decides not to answer it." The third executive said: "You both have it all wrong. Real status is when you are invited to the White House for a personal conversation with the President, the hot line rings, the President answers it and says, 'Here, it's for you.' "
The most terrible thing about materialism, even more terrible than its proneness to violence, is its boredom, from which sex, alcohol, drugs, all devices for putting out the accusing light of reason and suppressing the unrealizable aspirations of love, offer a prospect of deliverance. - Malcolm Muggeridge
Three Wise Women
Do you know what would have happened if it had been three wise women instead of three wise men?
They would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and brought practical gifts!
That's what they would like you to believe. However, this is what would have really happened.
They would have been late getting started (It's tough to get your make-up so that it doesn't clash with the camel). Then one would have to go back to change clothes because her outfit was too similar to one of the other's. After a quick (6 hours) stop at the mall for the gift, they would have a huge fight about whether or not a Barney Sleeper fell into the category of swaddling clothes. Half way to the oasis the camel would have broken down (no one checked his water level). After finally arriving at Bethlehem (They had to stop and ask directions 12 times), they stopped at a beauty parlor to get their hair done (They couldn't see the baby looking like that). When they saw the stable they turned around and went back to a Howard Johnson's and got a room for everyone (There was no way they were going to stay in a dump like that). The feminine trio finally arrived back at the stable only to find that the new parents had left for Egypt.
"The knowledge of God is very far from the love of God." Blaise Pascal, (1670)
Did you ever wonder why old houses have so few closets? It's mostly because people then didn't have so many things.
"Remember how many closets you have. They are for storing things you aren't using. In my house, we have six closets, and we'd like to add a coat closet. In addition to our six closets, we also have a basement. And a shed. And a pantry. All pretty full.
"What is your attitude toward possessions if your closets are bursting with things you don't use while kids starve by the thousands?" --John Alexander,
posted by joypastordon at 8:22 PM
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