Just What You Need!

I want to tell you about a great resource out there for you to find something good to read everyday in, including:

• encouragements, 
• scoldings, 
• poetry and songs,
• stories (about good people and bad people, and the consequences of their choices), 
• illustrations, 
• sermons, 
• and even miracles.

It's got a reading schedule of sorts in it, and you can follow by days of the month or days of the week.

It's for everyone: men, women and children, married, single and widowed, old and young, country folk and city people, plain and PhD'd, saint and sinner.

You may be bogged down with a lot of books and online sources and worksheets and mailings and e-mailings and daily readers - but you can have it all in one, and, bless you, you've already got one or two in your house, and you can find it online, too: it's the Holy Bible! 

Find one small enough to carry with you for reading in the elevator or waiting room.

Put one by your bedside and in your bathroom reading shelf.

Get one that's got a dictionary/concordance in it, if you doubt your own research skills.

Pick one up in another translation to compare and find deeper, more beautiful, broader and more specific meanings.

Find a local Bible study group (they're everywhere) to go even further in your understanding and appreciation, as well as to get encouragement to keep on reading and growing every day.

Cover it with your favourite wall paper or wrapping paper to match your room.

Copy out thoughts on your own choice of paper, napkin, notebook or arm, for re-reading and memorizing throughout the day or week.

Take notes right on the pages!

If you need a copy of the Bible, know that it's the world's best selling book, so you're likely to find it anywhere; just find your local church, and even if they don't practice everything within it's pages, more than likely they will have a book for you to take home and keep.

Maybe you were looking for a blog or a book or an e-mailing or an online group, because you think you need them. They can be a help - for sure! - but this book has got everything you need.

Pick one up today!

 

scripture art above from :  http://www.scripturewallart.com/acts.html

Are You Afraid? Should you be?

This is a good answer for us to consider when very bad things happen:

"Sandy Hook: America Needs To Take A Collective Breath"

I took it a step further in my response to the author. I tend to think a lot, and sometimes it spills out of my head on to someone's blog. I thought I would post it here too, since this is really where my own opinion resides, when it spills out of my head, that it.

(Maybe this is why women are told to cover their heads.)

Rhodes, I agree with you on this - not that it matters if I agree, but that we all agree with what God has taught us, of course - and I wonder a step further:

Should we not only NOT fear death or the loss of our personal stuff, or even our own health, but shouldn't we rather hope for the loss of some of these things? It is a touchy and difficult subject, I know, and I've struggled with it too. But as Christians, as Bible students, we read thoughts like 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14: "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.  We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." 2 Corinthians 5:8: "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." And even Isaiah 57:1-2: "The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.  Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death."

We as humans want to defend ourselves because... why? Because we don't want to let go of our stuff, our health, our lives, our loved ones. But all that we have is the LORD's already. I have already given my children to Him, to His keeping, and my own life and stuff too. Why become a murderer in order to defend what is already in His keeping, whether it be me, my stuff, or my loved ones? Perhaps this is only the crazed spouting off of a so-termed "pacifist", but it seems to me to be better to be prepared to go and be with Him, knowing as well that my young children "will not come to me, but I will go to" them, and that, as we read in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18: ". . . our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

I think we mourn too deeply for ourselves, though for certain it is no sin to mourn (as even Jesus himself wept more than once, and deeply too). And I am afraid that we fear and panic and fight and defend because we do not trust God to take care of us, whether to protect us and defend us while on earth or to keep us safe forever in His perfect realm. Jesus told us that we "will have trouble," and though we do not seek it, we should be prepared for it, so that when bad things happen, we do not turn secular psychology and governments to help us "get through it", but will actually rely on Him who we gave our lives to, and His family, who have been comforted before so that we can comfort others too (I can't recall that verse)[see below]. Perhaps we didn't really relinquish our "rights" over our bodies, our families and our stuff to Him... and if not, maybe we should.

John 11:25-26: "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?""

Romans 14:8: "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."

Philippians 2:20: "I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare."

2 Corinthians 1:3-4: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

Matthew 19:29: "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life."


In my head, when I read these things, and when I contemplate them in the larger story of the good news that Jesus Christ brings us, I feel much more peaceful and confident - not in myself, but in that "Greater Power" whom I love. And I am not motivated to follow Him from fear of punishment or of longing for the pleasures of reward, but simply because I really don't have anyone else like him, who takes a genuine interest in my welfare.

Letter from the Old Lady Grammar Police

Dear Friends,

Do you know what the abbreviations you use really stand for? and how crass, vulgar, common, unwise, limited in vocabulary, a person sounds when they use the words they stand for, or the abbrev.s themselves? "Everyone else does it" and "it's not really what it means anymore" don't actually answer the question, by the way, because I am at least one person who doesn't do it, and it still means not-classy to me (speech communication major extraordinaire), so I'm sure there are a few dozen others who's estimation of you (and the One you stand for, or the business you represent, or the family or country you come from) lessens just a bit when they hear/read these things from you, because it shows (whether it is your intention or not) that your estimation of me and others like me is that you just don't care what we think or how we feel.

Well, listen please: I care about you and I care about how you represent your true, loving, wonderful self, and I really wish you would consider saying what you mean, and meaning what you say, and doing it in a way that glorifies God, or elevates a stranger's view of your job, your school, your family, or your country, and makes people think of what you're really trying to say rather than hearing/reading a phrase that "everybody else" says/writes that really means nothing. Do words mean so little to you? You probably can tell me of a time when words hurt you, helped you, healed you, hurried you or hugged you. And surely you would like to be taken for who you really are - a unique, thoughtful individual with a heart, who doesn't just blindly follow others, but who tries to uplift and encourage other people along the way, and maybe even brighten someone's day. That's why you forward or share those funny or enlightening pictures, right? Please, don't make your readers/listeners have to stoop down in order to to stand back up again by using words and abbreviations that are beneath us all. It's called "dumbing down". Yes, it is. If you don't want me to be talking to you as if you were a child, using words like "don't," "can't" and "potty-mouth", then don't talk to the world at large (through tweets and fb comments) as though the people around you have a tiny, ignorant, non-descriptive and illogical vocabulary either.

Please.

And Thank You.

With love from,

The Advisers to the Grammar Police

Keep Calm and Carry On

" . . . do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, "Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls."

Reading about Elizabeth and Zacharias in Luke 1 - talk about perseverance and confidence. Did you know that Elizabeth's name means "God's promise"? Think of Elizabeth's life of loveliness, as she lived by faith, not by sight. “And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years." 

Can this be said of us? That we are righteous, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord - even without considering the grace of Christ, for remember that Elizabeth and Zacharias lived in the days before God came to earth as a man to provide that grace of son-ship and forgiveness to us. In spite of watching all their friends and relatives with their babies while they had none of their own, seeing blessings which it seemed that they had somehow been denied, they stayed true and faithful. "Anyway", some might add.

No matter what, never give up. Never surrender.

Consider this:

 

PLEASE WEAR A POPPY

PLEASE WEAR A POPPY

by Don Crawford

"Please wear a poppy," the lady said
  And held one forth, but I shook my head.
  Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,
  And her face was old and lined with care;
  But beneath the scars the years had made
  There remained a smile that refused to fade.

  A boy came whistling down the street,
  Bouncing along on care-free feet.
  His smile was full of joy and fun,
  "Lady," said he, "may I have one?"
  When she'd pinned it on he turned to say,
  "Why do we wear a poppy today?"

  The lady smiled in her wistful way
  And answered, "This is Remembrance Day,
  And the poppy there is the symbol for
  The gallant men who died in war.
  And because they did, you and I are free -
  That's why we wear a poppy, you see."

  "I had a boy about your size,
  With golden hair and big blue eyes.
  He loved to play and jump and shout,
  Free as a bird he would race about.
  As the years went by he learned and grew
  and became a man - as you will, too."

  "He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile,
  But he'd seemed with us such a little while
  When war broke out and he went away.
  I still remember his face that day
  When he smiled at me and said, Goodbye,
  I'll be back soon, Mom, so please don't cry."

  "But the war went on and he had to stay,
  And all I could do was wait and pray.
  His letters told of the awful fight,
  (I can see it still in my dreams at night),
  With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,
  And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire."

  "Till at last, at last, the war was won -
  And that's why we wear a poppy son."
  The small boy turned as if to go,
  Then said, "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.
  That sure did sound like an awful fight,
  But your son - did he come back all right?"

  A tear rolled down each faded check;
  She shook her head, but didn't speak.
  I slunk away in a sort of shame,
  And if you were me you'd have done the same;
  For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed,
  Thought our freedom was bought - and thousands paid!

  And so when we see a poppy worn,
  Let us reflect on the burden borne,
  By those who gave their very all
  When asked to answer their country's call
  That we at home in peace might live.
  Then wear a poppy! Remember - and give!

________
For ideas on how to incorporate your kids into Veteran's Day/Remembrance Dad, see also :
http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/schoolroom/veteransday.php#sthash.DPGEqJsi.D2hCA8fA.dpbs 

I posted on my Facebook today...

I was reminded of this sermon today, and looked it up again. This link is to a video that was made to go along with the audio recording. (Lest you feel distracted by the background noises, remember the song we teach the little children, "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands... shout, "amen!") How happy I am that my citizenship is in heaven, and I can, as a True Monarchist, say, "Long live the King!".

"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

That's My King! - SM Lockridge

If you're not already familiar with S M Lockridge's "That's My King!" - then you should be! He speaks for six minutes about Jesus and it's impossible not to ...

For a transcript of the words only, see this blog: http://thatsmyking.wordpress.com/words/

Words

Michelle Sowers Maddocks Today I need to pray for those who hold up this world and its leaders as so important that they will lie for them, kill for them, or even hate and slander for them. I need to pray that their minds will be open to see what is truly important and Who is truly the King of all leaders. I need to pray that they will open their hearts to understand the needs of others, and the lives and situations of others who are different from their own; I need to pray that they will have a heart for the weak and the meek and the merciful and the peaceful, just as their King loves all people, no matter their background, no matter their creed. I need to pray for them to be good parents and friends, to be good children and wives and husbands, that they may honour their King and give due respect to one another as His Children, not tearing one another down or pointing out others' weaknesses in anger and haughtiness, but in love encourage one another as an ever present support. I need to pray that those who have placed too much importance on the things of this world - in their country, their political party, their entertainment, their clothing, their stuff - I need to pray that they will lift up their eyes to things of the Spirit, and see that not only are others in need, but they themselves are in need as well, that there are so much more important things to be spending their time, money, energy and strength on. I need to pray for others because I need to pray for my own tendency to react in anger or disappointment or discouragement or depression, when I feel I'm surrounded by hatred and lies and temporal worldliness, when I feel that those who claim to be Christian don't even understand what it really means and bring shame on the name of the Lord of all lords, and when I remember once again that I have just as many weaknesses as any other. I need to pray for others, that God will bless them with eyes that see, ears that hear and hearts that understand, so that He will be glorified. So that He will be seen as our King, now and always. Forgive me for not praying for those with whom I disagree, and who hurt me or others. Don't make God out to be arrogant and rude just because I have been. He is a good and gracious King, full of mercy and grace. May we all strive to be more like Him.

Addressing Biblical Femininity and Modesty With Our Daughters

I really appreciate the frankness of this article. The why, when and how are all addressed, and in a calm manner too. I like the simple summary of femininity according to scripture as well. Well done, Headmistress.  Click:
"Addressing Biblical Femininity and Modesty With Our Daughters"

Join the Bug Squad at We Give Books!

Have you heard about the latest We Give Books cause? This fall, join the Bug Squad to raise awareness for the importance of early childhood literacy while having fun and helping to break a world record!

Inspired by Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad, the 2012 Jumpstart’s Read for the Record book written by David Soman and Jacky Davis, We Give Books has created their own Bug Squad to give us new ways to read, give, and share reading this fall! Jumpstart’s Read for the Record is a single day of awareness on October 4, when we’ll set a new world record for the most people reading the same book on the same day. There are tons of Bug Squad resources to help your kids get excited about reading and to help you plan your own record-setting celebration.

We Give Books is a fantastic resource for parents, teachers, and anyone who loves to read children’s books. They have a free online library of over 150 outstanding children’s books available at www.wegivebooks.org, including some of our favorites, like the Llama Llama and Skippyjon Jones books, and DK science books. The best part is, your reading will directly impact the great work of non-profit organizations around the world!

So, head over to www.wegivebooks.org to Join the Bug Squad and find out more about this wonderful initiative, and start reading and giving!

"What Girls Need to Know"

Click to read:

What Girls Need to Know | The Common Room

Wow - fall means "snuggle weather" for a lot of people. We all need to be aware of things like this lady points out in her list here. Not everyone is exactly the same, with the same level of hormones, or social upbringing or social pressure.

What do you think of this list as general guidelines though? Have you discussed these things in ANY way with your "main squeeze"? You (and they) may be surprised that "snuggling" means something a little different from each other, or from what you expected. Just something to think about and be aware of.

"Imagine"?

With 9/11 still so sensitive a subject, I cringe as I bring this up. I've seen several posts on facebook sharing a photo of New York City with the word "Imagine" - alluding to that famous song - as a memorial and a hope.  Most of the words of John Lennon's "Imagine" echo the thoughts of so many of us who hate the destruction brought on by selfishness, greed, muddled understandings of Truth and real reward, and false teachings so sincerely believed in that they are not reasoned out before acted on. And so on.

But I cannot quote even the title of Lennon's song in good conscience, because I know what he believed. And I don't need a biography.

The same man who wrote: "Imagine all the people living life in peace" also wrote:

"Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today"

Most folks I know who love and sing this song sing about how beautiful heaven must be every week; why would you want to imagine there not being one? Why would you want to imagine that today is all there is, if you believe in Something More, in a spiritual world?

I understand his reasoning that if we were all one citizenship there would be no warring countries fighting for boundaries, and yet I can't agree with his full sentiment:

"Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace"

He lumps in killing and dying for countries with killing and dying for religion - all religion, even that religion which teaches not to kill for religious reasons.  Notice: there is no clarification for any specific kind of religion that he would like to see the world without. He wants all religion gone, if there is to be peace.

I can't recommend the song. It's kind of like a diabetic saying that it doesn't matter if there's white sugar in this pretty candy, or saying that there's only a little poison in that cute alcoholic drink, or only a little dog poo in a great looking brownie. I know many people who watch evil movies "for entertainment's sake", or listen to foul language laced music, or read raunchy books "because there's such a good message in it". And even I will admit that the music to "Imagine" is lovely and that some of the lyrics bring out the hippie in me:

"Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world"

We should be careful what we imagine. We cannot blindly (deaf-ly?) follow along with the thoughts of John Lennon and other brilliant minds of this world. They don't merely want to have the freedom of speech to state their beliefs, they want us follow us into getting rid of all reference and remembrance of God, heaven and hell, past and future, even True Religion.

"You may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one"

Yes, there's a Great Day coming when the world will be as one, but it won't be because we've dreamed and imagined a world without spiritual things and heavenly places so that we can all live in quiet, ungodly peace.

I'm sorry. I used to really like that song too.

Joanna Lumley: on Modesty

Joanna Lumley: Why do young women dress like lap dancers? - Telegraph: Why do young women dress like lap dancers?

Short article, simple statement. Joanna Lumley is the star of Absolutely Fabulous in the UK.  

Lumley, whose legs featured prominently when she played Purdey in the Seventies series The New Avengers, says women should take their inspiration from the wife of Prince William.

“I think the Duchess of Cambridge sets a wonderful example,” says the friend of the Duke of Edinburgh. “She is beautiful and graceful, and elegant beyond belief. Our young ones should know they don’t have to take more off to look dazzling.”