May 24

“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” – Jesse Owens

Do you want your eternity with or without God?

"Somebody just gave me a shower radio. Thanks a lot. Do you really want music in the shower? I guess there's no better place to dance than a slick surface next to a glass door." - Jerry Seinfeld

"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks." -- Phillips Brooks

There's only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.
Vince Lombardi (1913-1970) Football coach

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls, and looks like work." -- Thomas Alva Edison

"Every man is the architect of his own fortune." -- Appius Claudius

"Your own resolution to success is more important than any other one thing." -- Abraham Lincoln

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." -- Abraham Lincoln

"What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog, but the size of the fight in the dog." -- Unknown

"Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch." -- Ivern Ball

"Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody." -- Henry Wadsworth

"The best way to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm. If our community doesn’t help itself, who will?" -- Rena Hull


Our culture puts a premium on speed, deifying this notion that faster is better, that you must fill every single moment with activity. There's a powerful taboo that makes "slow" a dirty word. In this hyped-up world, we need to keep an eye on our personal speedometers- it's very easy to do things fast just because everything else around you is going fast, without even considering whether or not it makes sense.
Americans' natural tendency is to go fast, perhaps because the U.S. is a young country with a dynamic frontier history. That restlessness informs the American psyche, on the work front in particular: Working hours have come down everywhere except in the United States, where they keep going up! But working such long hours puts a squeeze on everything else.


Knock the "t" off the "can't." George Reeves (1914-1959) Actor

"There are three kinds of givers -- the flint, the sponge and the honeycomb. To get anything out of a flint you must hammer it. And then you get only chips and sparks. To get water out of a sponge you must squeeze it, and the more you use pressure, the more you will get. But the honeycomb just overflows with its own sweetness. Which kind of giver are you?" - Unknown

A Church Is a Family Charles E. Jefferson once described the difference between an audience and a church. He said, "An audience is a crowd. A church is a family. An audience is a gathering. A church is a fellowship. An audience is a collection. A church is an organism. An audience is a heap of stones. A church is a temple." And he concludes, "Preachers are ordained not to attract an audience, but to build a church." I hope that everyone in this room understands that critical difference. If the Lion's club or the Kiwanis club is torn with dissension, it is a shame. But when the church of Jesus Christ is in turmoil, it is a tragedy. Christ depends on us.

To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world. Karl Barth

"Be My Witnesses." The first command Jesus gave us was "Follow me!" The greatest commandment Jesus gave us was "Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor and love each other, too." The last commandment Jesus gave before he was taken from our sight was, "Be my witnesses."

"When written in Chinese the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters. One represents danger, and the other represents opportunity."



EACH DAY I CHOOSE - BY MAX LUCADO

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot.
The sky is still black. The world is still asleep.
The day is coming.
In a few moments, the day will arrive.

It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.

For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to
the day's demands. It is now I must make a choice.

Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose.
And so I choose.

I CHOOSE LOVE…
No occasion justifies hatred;
no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love.
Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY…
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.
I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…
the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see
people as anything less than human beings,
created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE…
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE…
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world.
Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS…
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.
I will be kind to the rich, for they are afraid.
And kind to the unkind, for such is how God
has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS…
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS…
Today I will keep my promises.
My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS…
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.
I am a spiritual being…

After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal.
I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be impassioned only by my faith.
I will be influenced only by God.
I will be taught only by Christ.
I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
To these I commit my day.
If I succeed, I will give thanks.
If I fail, I will seek His grace.
And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Prayer: Lord, help me each day to choose the attitudes that are pleasing to you. Amen

May 17, 2009

Bibles that are falling apart usually belong to people who are not.

A weak faith is weakened by predicaments and catastrophes,
whereas a strong faith is strengthened by them. Victor Frankl (1905 - 1997)

On Conscience: There's no pillow as soft as a clear conscience.

Your conscience is a little triangle in your heart. It acts like a pinwheel. When you're good it does not rotate. When you're bad, it turns around and the corners hurt a lot. If you keep on being bad, the corners eventually wear off, and when the little triangle spins around it doesn't hurt anymore.

If you try to imitate Christ the world will praise you;
if you become Christlike it will hate you.

A husband is someone who takes out the trash and gives the impression he just cleaned the whole house.

90% of being smart is knowing what you're dumb at.

A yer ago I kudnt spel jeanyus now I are won.

Plant a word in the mind, and you will reap an act.
Plant the act and you will reap a habit.
Plant a habit and you will reap a character.
Plant a character and you will reap a nature.
Plant a nature and you will reap a destiny. Unknown

The average Christian is so cold and contented with his wretched condition that there is no vacuum of desire into which the blessed Spirit can rush in satisfying fullness. A.W. Tozer

• Men Want More Hymns, Less Hugging in Church
Sixty percent of men do not like flowers and embroidered banners in church, according to a survey of 400 readers of United Kingdom's Sorted, a Christian magazine for men. The new survey implied that men are uncomfortable with physical contact, such as holding hands, and with activities such as sitting in circles to share their feelings. It also suggested that men who go to church would like less hugging and holding hands and more singing of hymns and "proclamational" songs. Some hymns likely to prove a hit with male worshippers are: Onward Christian Soldiers, And Can It Be, Guide Me O Thy Great Redeemer, Amazing Grace and Be Thou My Vision. [ChristianPost.com]

"People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs, not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive." -- Blaise Pascal

Definitions of Friendship
A Middle School English teacher asked her class one day to write imaginative definitions of a friend. One student said, "A friend is a pair of open arms in a society of armless people." Another said, "A friend is a warm bedroll on a cold and frosty night." Others said: "A friend is a lively polka in the midst of a dreary musical concert." (What? No rock 'n' roll?) "A friend is a mug of hot coffee on a damp, cloudy day." "A friend is a beautiful orchard in the middle of the desert." "A friend is a stiff drink when you've just had a terrible shock." (How does a middle schooler know that?) "A friend is a hot bath after you have walked 20 miles on a dusty road." Lovely thoughts. Mark Twain said, "The holy passion of friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime if not asked to lend money!"

"What is beautiful is not always good, but what is good is always beautiful." -- Unknown

"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who sought and found out how to serve." -- Albert Schweitzer

"All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today." -- Indian Proverb

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak…because in your life you will have been all of these." -- George Washington Carver

“The greatest discovery of this generation is that a human being can alter their life by altering their attitude.” -- William James

The literal translation of the word, 'religion'. Latin ... re ligios... meaning ... return to bondage."
This is another reason why I hate religion ... but am totally sold on real Christianity. Religion, as another has said, is man's search for God, but true Christianity is God's search for man in giving his Son, Jesus Christ, to come to earth dressed in a garment of human flesh to die on the cross to save us from our sins.

A British publication once offered a prize for the best definition of a friend. Among the thousands of answers received were the following:
"One who multiplies joys, divides grief, and whose honesty is inviolable."
"One who understands our silence."
"A volume of sympathy bound in cloth."
"A watch that beats true for all time and never runs down."
The winning definition read: "A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out."

The Give Away Eagle
In Native American cultures the Turkey is a highly honored bird; it is referred to as the give away Eagle. In the turkey's death is found food for life, feathers for decorating, and quills for various uses. The turkey symbolized the sacrifice of self for others; and tribal members participated in dances where they would be prepared to give away all they had to benefit the whole of the People. The notion of real friendship-of self-sacrifice for other is a value of highest esteem in most cultures and religions.


INTERESTING QUIZ
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies.
Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
Easier? The lesson?
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care.

**You can choose to be a bag of marbles ... independent, hard, loud, unmarked, and unaffected by others. Or you can be a bag of grapes ... fragrant, soft, blending, mingling, flowing into one another's lives. Marbles are made to be counted and kept. Grapes are made to be bruised and used. Marbles scar and clank. Grapes yield and cling. --Charles R. Swindoll

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination." -- Tommy Lasorda

May 10

When you're too busy for family, friends or most importantly, God, you really are too busy.

God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it in the nest.

'We are all beggars who have found bread, and we merely want to tell another beggar where we found it,'

Take the Bible Literally? 36% of Americans believe the Bible is the "actual Word of God" and is to be taken literally, while 40% say it is the Word of God although not everything in it should be taken literally. (Pew Research Center 4/4/09)

The Mosaic That Shows Us the Face of God
A mosaic consists of thousands of little stones. Some are blue, some are green, some are yellow, some are gold. When we bring our faces close to the mosaic, we can admire the beauty of each stone. But as we step back from it, we can see that all these little stones reveal to us a beautiful picture, telling a story none of these stones can tell by itself.
That is what our life in community is about. Each of us is like a little stone, but together we reveal the face of God to the world. Nobody can say: "I make God visible." But others who see us together can say: "They make God visible." Community is where humility and glory touch.

Mothers
If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, but have not love, I am a housekeeper--not a homemaker. If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements, but have not love, my children learn cleanliness - not godliness. Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh. Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window. Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk. Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys. Love is present through the trials. Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive. Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the child, then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood. Love is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart. Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection. Now I glory in God's perfection of my child.
As a mother, there is much I must teach my child, but the greatest of all is love.
Author Unknown

Abraham Lincoln: No man is poor who has had a godly mother.

In an old Peanuts strip, Peppermint Patty and Violet are reflecting on being a grandmother. After Patty declares that she would like to be a grandmother, Violet agrees and says it would be nice because all they have to do is “sit and rock” (not quite the case, is it?) The girls then decide that the trouble with being a grandmother is that first you have to be a wife and then a mother…and Violet sighs, “I know it…it’s all those preliminaries that get me!”

William Ross Wallace: The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.

Worldwide network: A brief history of the internet
1969 The internet is created by the US Department of Defense with the networking of computers at UCLA and the Stanford Research Institute.
1979 The British Post Office uses the technology to create the first international computer networks.
1980 Bill Gates's deal to put a Microsoft Operating System on IBM's computers paves the way for almost universal computer ownership.
1984 Apple launches the first successful 'modern' computer interface using graphics to represent files and folders, drop-down menus and, crucially, mouse control.
1989 Tim Berners-Lee creates the world wide web – using browsers, pages and links to make communication on the internet simple.
1996 Google begins as a research project at Stanford University. The company is formally founded two years later by Sergey Brin and Larry Page.
2009 Dr Stephen Wolfram launches Wolfram Alpha.

One idea relates to praying before a meal in a restaurant. you can tell the server, "We're going to pray for our meal in just a few minutes. Is there anything that we can pray for you about?"

The Orchard of Your Life
A grapevine is a most productive plant. Spreading out its branches, each is intended to bring forth fruit. No vine grower is foolish enough to invest his time and effort in cultivating vines merely for the foliage on its branches. He looks for results. Fruits! As the branches of Christ in the Kingdom of God, we are expected to produce the fruits of spiritual life. And no, we're not speaking of spiritual apples, grapes, pears, or peaches this morning. We're talking of what's going on in the orchard of your life. What are you producing?
Saint Paul once enumerated in his writings what those fruits of the spirit were. He said, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." How's that for a fruit basket? A good list for the cultivation of life's orchard. With these fruits in mind, what's going on in your orchard?

C.S. Lewis wrote, "God has designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy without bothering about religion. God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."

You and I live in the period of history where we have access to more information than ever before. We have so much information that it produces what has been called the "Paralysis of Analysis." It was the poet T. S. Eliot who wrote:
Where is the wisdom--we have lost in knowledge.
Where is the knowledge--we have lost in information.

Man, despite his artistic pretensions, his sophistication, and many accomplishments, owes the fact of his existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains.


The beauty of our faith is that God gave us more than information--he gave us Himself. He gave us more than rules and outward appearances. He gave us a relationship with him. Colossians 2:10, "In Him you have been made complete." Only he can satisfy your deepest longing and bring order to your innermost being. In Jesus Christ, God’s word became flesh. He is alive!

Knowing the entire Bible by heart, and understanding it so well that you can explain every single verse, is of little use to you, unless the biblical Word penetrates your inmost being, as the rain penetrates the tiniest roots of a tree in order in order to rise and to fill the whole tree and to bring forth leaves and fruit.

Source of Our Power
The story is told of a native from a remote mountain village who had the opportunity to visit a large modern city for the first time. He could not bring much home with him, and he had little money. But he was amazed at the electric lights which he saw everywhere.
So he bought a sack full of electric lights bulbs and sockets with switches so he could turn them off and on.
Arriving home he hung the light bulbs in front of his home and on his and his neighbor's trees. Everyone watched him with curiosity and asked him what he was doing, but he just smiled and said, "Just wait until dark--you'll see."
When night came he turned on the switches, but nothing happened.
No one had told him about electricity. He did not know the light bulbs were useless unless connected to the source of their power.
Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing." There are many people who do not know that the way they are living their lives is useless. They got the education; they got the job; they made the family; and bought the home but when the sunsets and night comes and they reach for the switch nothing happens. They do not know that there is a source, which makes all these things light up!

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once was asked, "How do you measure the success of your work?" She looked puzzled for a moment and then replied, "I don't remember that the Lord ever spoke of success. He spoke only of faithfulness in Love. This is the only success that counts."

Well, it is "cool" when we stay connected to Christ's Servant Mentality when we get up in the morning and go through the day looking constantly (natural as breathing) for ways we can be Christ-like servants.

Instead of ending your prayers 'in Jesus' name', try using an expanded version of this phrase, like "I am asking this Lord, because your Son authorized me to do so and because I am certain it is what He wants me to ask. Grant it not because of any worth in me, but because Your Son had earned it."

God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves. D. L. Moody

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all." -- Dale Carnegie

"There is a sense of exhilaration that comes from facing head-on the hard truths and saying, 'We will never give up. We will never capitulate. It might take a long time, but we will find a way to prevail.'" -- Jim Collins

"You cannot see faith, but you can see the footprints of the faithful. We must leave behind "faithful footprints" for others to follow." -- Dr. Dennis Anderson

"A good plan is like a road map: It shows the final destination and usually the best way to get there" -- H. Stanley Judd

“The greatest discovery of this generation is that a human being can alter their life by altering their attitude.” -- William James

Karl Barth was lecturing to a group of students at Princeton. One student asked the renowned German theologian, "Sir, don't you think that God has revealed himself in other religions and not only in Christianity?" Barth's answer stunned the crowd. With a modest thunder he answered, "No, God has not revealed himself in any religion, including Christianity. He has revealed himself in his Son Jesus."

May 3

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd ----- that's a Relationship!

I shall not want ----- that's Supply!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ----that's Rest!

He leadeth me beside the still waters -----that's Refreshment!

He restoreth my soul ----- that's Healing!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness --that's Guidance !

For His name sake ----- that's Purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death--that's Testing!

I will fear no evil ----- that's Protection!

For Thou art with me ----- that's Faithfulness!

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me -----that's Discipline!

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies------that's Hope!

Thou annointest my head with oil ----- that's Consecration!

My cup runneth over ----- that's Abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life----that's Blessing!

And I will dwell in the house of t he Lord -----that's Security!

Forever ----- that's Eternity!


The shepherd is responsible for the sheep; not the sheep for the shepherd. The worst of it is, that we sometimes think we are both the shepherd and the sheep, and that we have to both guide and follow. Happy are we when we realize that he is responsible, that he goes before and goodness and mercy shall follow. --Streams in the Desert

God controls the wind, but we adjust the sails.

When I tried to propose marriage to my girlfriend the other night, she told me to log onto eBay and put my bid in.

In a Peanuts' cartoon, Lucy and Linus are staring out the window. The rain is pouring down, and Lucy says, "Boy, look at it rain! What if it floods the whole world?"
Linus answers, "It will never do that. In the ninth chapter of Genesis, God promised Noah that would never happen again, and the sign of the promise is the rainbow."
Lucy is looking directly at him as he is speaking. She turns back toward the window, smiles big and says, "You have taken a great load off my mind." To which Linus responds, "Sound theology has a way of doing that."

When the door of happiness closes, another opens, but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.

It is a fact of Christian experience that life is a series of troughs and peaks. In his efforts to get permanent possession of a soul, God relies on the troughs more than the peaks. And some of his special favorites have gone through longer and deeper troughs than anyone else. -- Peter Marshall

Golfer to Caddy. What do I need to shoot to finish this golf tournament in the lead?
Caddy. All the other players.


"God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me!"

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.
It is more important than the past, the education, the money,
than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other
people think or say or do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.
It will make or break a company... a church... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding
the attitude we will embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people
will act in a certain way.
We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have,
and that is our attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and
90% of how I react to it.
And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.
-Charles Swindoll


TOP 10 SIGNS YOUR FAVORITE TEAM IS IN FOR ANOTHER LOSING SEASON
10. The team has lowered ticket prices for the fifth year in a row.
9. The franchise's biggest corporate sponsor is Girl Scout Troop #122.
8. The team bus is a 1996 Chevy minivan.
7. The manager is spotted in the dugout during a game reading the "Help Wanted" ads.
6. The umpires decide to give your guys four strikes per at-bat.
5. The players' favorite song is "Take Me Out OF the Ballgame."
4. Vegas bookies refuse to give odds on the team going to the World Series on the basis that if anyone won, it would bankrupt the planet.
3. The concession stands sell crow.
2. The highest paid player on the team is a multithousandaire.
AND THE NUMBER ONE SIGN YOUR FAVORITE TEAM IS IN FOR ANOTHER LOSING SEASON?
1. Your local paper puts game coverage in the obituary section.

• Americans Spending Less
A new Gallup Poll, which was conducted April 20-21 of this year, reveals how Americans are reacting to the recent economic downturn. The results were based on interviews with 1,051 adults.
* Fifty-three percent have been spending less in recent months. Of that number, 21 percent said that this new pattern of spending is only temporary, and the rest saw it as a permanent change.
* Thirty percent are spending the same amount of money.
* Seventeen percent have been spending more money in recent months.

Study Shows Religious Shift
The results of a new survey released this week show that half of American adults have changed religious affiliation at least once during their lives.
The study, "Faith in Flux," which was conducted by Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, is a follow-up to the "U.S. Religious Landscape Survey" that was based on research in 2007 and then released in 2008. Between Oct. 3 and Nov. 7 of last year, 2,800 people, who were among the 35,000 who were originally surveyed in 2007, were re-contacted.
The results also reveal that:
* Most people who change their childhood faith do so before age 24.
* Fifteen percent of Americans who were raised Protestant are now affiliated with a different Protestant denomination.
* Nine percent of Americans who were raised Catholic are no longer affiliated with the Catholic faith. Five percent are now Protestant and four percent are not affiliated with any church.
* Seven percent of Americans who were raised Protestant are no longer affiliated with any religion.
* Sixteen percent of Americans say they are now unaffiliated with any religion.
To read the full report, which includes analysis of why people change churches or leave the faith, go to www.pewforum.org.

In John’s Gospel the Holy Spirit records four appearances of the Lord after He arose from the dead, and those appearances banished four great enemies of the human heart—sorrow, fear, doubt, and care; for Mary was weeping (20:11), the disciples were trembling (20:19), Thomas was doubting (20:25), and the apostles were despairing (21:3). But in each case the appearance of Jesus sufficed to dismiss the enemy and fill his place with joy, courage, faith, and contentment. —Unknown

"I went to the thirtieth reunion of my preschool. I didn't want to go, because I've put on like a hundred pounds." - Wendy Liebman


"For a small reward, a man will hurry away on a long journey; while for eternal life, many will hardly take a single step." - Thomas a' Kempis

Do you feel like a million dollars? Forget it! Now you can feel like 46 million dollars!
When broken down into fluids, tissues and germ fighting our bodies are worth more than $46 million.
This price tag on the human body is based on a report from the Web site, Sound Medicine, (soundmedicine.iu.edu/archive/2003/quiz/humanWorth.html,).
The Wired study discovered that vital organs are no longer the most valuable body parts. Rather, bone marrow tops the list at $23 million, based on 1,000 grams at $23,000 per gram.
DNA will get you $9.7 million, while extracting antibodies can fetch $7.3 million. A lung is worth $116,400, a kidney, $91,400, and a heart, $57,000.

THE HIGH COST OF PROM . . . The average cost of going to prom for a couple has jumped from $300 five years ago to $800 today. The average prom dress costs $200. The average tuxedo rental is $150, and flowers cost $50. Many teenagers rent a limo, and a six-hour rental for a stretch SUV costs $840.

MORE TEENAGERS SAY NO TO JOBS . . . With more competition for academics and more involvement in extracurricular activities, many teenagers are staying out of the job market. In the past 25 years, the percentage of 16- to 19-year-olds in the workforce has fallen 25 percent. (USA Today)