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Will Social Network for Food

May 15th, 2007 @ 3:40 am by Rich | Share This | 5 comments
Filed under: Blogging, Work, Random Miscellany

As most of you who regularly visit know, back in November of 2006 I was laid-off from CTI. It wasn't anything nefarious or antagonistic — CTI always has been and continues to be very good to me, still tossing occasional freelance work and article assignments my way. (Hopefully because of my skill, not out of mercy. Though mercy is good, too, and welcome!) When my project's funding ran dry and I was out on the streets (well, more like in my skivvies, lounging around the house, generally making a nuisance of myself) I immediately signed up for a paid account at LinkedIN. I was sold on what it promised for professional networking and job searching opportunities.

Not yet disappointed

LinkedIN has not disappointed me. That isn't to say it's actually delivered on

View the rest of this post… »

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&p=648', 'Entry for May 15, 2008', '<div><span class="156082311-15052008"><strong><em>An exclusive relationship</em></strong></span></div> <div><span class="156082311-15052008"><br /></span> </div> <div><span class="156082311-15052008">A very small percentage of Americans claim to live in an arrangement that baffles me called 'open marriage.' Supposedly these couples feel a need to have intimate partners other than their spouse so that they are able to move through stages of emotional development. It is sometimes called 'love without jealousy.' God calls it immorality. Marriage is an exclusive relationship and those who do not remain with the one to whom they are pledged, with or without their spouse's consent to their infidelity, are committing adultery. In most situations, jealousy is a destructive reaction, but in defense of our vows, we do well to jealously defend our claim to the affections of our spouse. We are right to insist that as remain committed to faithful and exclusive love, we be loved in the same way.</span></div> <div><span class="156082311-15052008"><span class="156082311-15052008"></span> </div> <div> <div><span class="156082311-15052008"><br />Bev and I pledged an exclusive love relationship 33 years ago! I love many people, but no one in the same way that I love my wife. I know that she loves me exclusively, too. That bond is a treasure which we guard with diligence. Neither of us would overlook any relationship that we felt potentially threatened our marriage. We jealously protect our marriage because we own each other, not in a sense of slavery, but with voluntary commitment to one another as we are mutually submitted to Christ, our Lord. Our fidelity creates trust, stability, and security - not just for each other, but also for our adult children who can draw on our shared strength. I pray that our love for each other glorifies God, too, by demonstrating in some small way what it means to be 'married to Christ.' </span></div> <div><span class="156082311-15052008"><br /></span> </div></span></div> <div><span class="156082311-15052008">Do you realize that God asks for an exclusive relationship with you? He says, <em>"No other gods, only me. </em>" (Exodus 20:3, The Message) "<em>Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am God, your God, and I’m a most jealous God</em>." (Exodus 20:5, The Message) Do you flirt with other gods? No, I am not talking about going after one of the Hindu deities or taking up devotion to some tribal religion. That's too obvious and not likely much of a temptation for any of us. What about the god of reputation, or pleasure, or money? Worship is not expressed only in a formal setting like church. We 'worship' when we assign value and worth. God, our Father, requires that He be given exclusive position as the Lord of our life. Jesus repeated this commandment from a positive side quoting Deuteronomy: <em>"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.</em>" (Matthew 22:37, NIV) </span></div> <div><span class="156082311-15052008"><br /></span> </div> <div><span class="156082311-15052008">Believer, protect your love for the Lord. Serve Him faithfully. When temptation attempt to seduce you, bidding for your affections, name it what He calls it, "spiritual adultery!" That sounds so ugly because it is! He wants to own us, to give us His love, to share life with us without inference from any other lovers. Who can forget the heartbreak of the story of Hosea, the prophet to Judah, whose wife repeatedly left him for other lovers? He went to find her and found her broken and desolate. He brought her home and restored her. This tragedy became an illustration for the people of God who left their Husband to chase other gods. But, He did not abandon them. Instead, He pursued them and won their hearts again.</span></div> <div><span class="156082311-15052008"></span> </div> <div><span class="156082311-15052008"><br />He loves you and me, Believer. If our hearts should wander, we can return to His love for He says, <em>"I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD."</em> (Hosea 2:19-20, NIV) </span></div>', '1210926243', '1210926243', '2008-05-16')

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&amp;p=647', 'Entry for May 14, 2008', '&lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;E&lt;/span&gt;ven though &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;the saga comes &#39;round to a great conclusion&lt;/span&gt;, I do not like the story of Joseph all that much. It makes me understand that God &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;may choose to use &lt;/span&gt;people and situations that are not necessarily pleasant or of my choosing to implement His sovereign plan for this world. &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; Joseph&#39;s long journey through slavery and suffering runs headlong into my &lt;/span&gt;sense of self-importance&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;! It teaches me that &lt;/span&gt;my personal happiness is not God&#39;s paramount purpose&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;.&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; In my American mind, which values &lt;/span&gt;personal fulfillment&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;, &lt;/span&gt;the thought that God might allow us to suffer as He works out His plan is very, very hard to accept!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Here&#39;s a thumbnail sketch of Joseph&#39;s story, which is recorded in the book of Genesis. &lt;/span&gt;His father loved him, perhaps too much&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;, and set him apart from his brothers with expensive gifts&lt;/span&gt;. God&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;, in His own purposes,&lt;/span&gt; chose him and &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;gave him dreams about a time when he would rule over his family, enjoying unheard of prominence despite being far down the line in the family order. &lt;/span&gt;His brothers hated him because he was favored by their father and God. &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When they had the chance, those jealous siblings&lt;/span&gt; got rid of him by selling him to slave-traders&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;. They took &lt;/span&gt;him hundreds of miles from his home to&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; Egypt. &lt;/span&gt;So much for dreams of destiny, or so it seemed; but, he didn&#39;t surrender to despair.&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Sold to Potiphar, a nobleman&lt;/span&gt;, he worked hard and was soon &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;appointed to manage &lt;/span&gt;the household.&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Then, &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Potiphar&#39;s wife took an unhealthy interest &lt;/span&gt;in him&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;. W&lt;/span&gt;hen he wouldn&#39;t cooperate with her, &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;s&lt;/span&gt;he &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;made up a charge of r&lt;/span&gt;ape and &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;he was &lt;/span&gt;jailed. &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; Faithful again, Joseph soon was made a trustee and was running &lt;/span&gt;the jail! Years pas&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;sed&lt;/span&gt; and two men from the king&#39;s court were jailed with him. They had dreams and he &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;interpreted them for them&lt;/span&gt;. He asked the man who was going back to serve &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Pharaoh &lt;/span&gt;to please remember him. He &lt;em&gt;didn&#39;t &lt;/em&gt;-at least for a few years - until &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Pharaoh &lt;/span&gt;had a nightmare that defied understanding. Then, the man remembered Joseph and Pharaoh sent for him. After decades of disappointment, Joseph &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;finally &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;came to the place &lt;/span&gt;that God&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; promised to &lt;/span&gt;him whe&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;n&lt;/span&gt; he was a teenage boy. He became the Prime Minister of Egypt.&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;W&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;hew! That&#39;s a long route from promise to blessing, isn&#39;t it? Joseph &lt;/span&gt;must have been tempted to wonder, &quot;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;W&lt;/span&gt;hat&#39;s going on?&quot; Has God forgotten me? Why is all this happening to me?&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;&quot; &lt;/span&gt; But, he had faith and &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;his God-given&lt;/span&gt; dream of destiny &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;to &lt;/span&gt;which he held tightly..&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;. &lt;/span&gt; &lt;em&gt;waiting, trusting,hopeful&lt;/em&gt;! &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;How do I know that? Because of his own words. When Joseph was at the pinnacle of power and his poor brothers came into his court seeking food and favors, not knowing they were standing in the presence of the person they sold to slave-traders years before, he told them this: &lt;em&gt;&quot;But don&#39;t be angry with yourselves that you did this to me, for God did it. He sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. These two years of famine will grow to seven, during which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. &lt;strong&gt;God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive so that you will become a great nation.&lt;/strong&gt; Yes, it was God who sent me here, not you! And he has made me a counselor to Pharaoh-manager of his entire household and ruler over all Egypt.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Genesis 45:5-8, NLT) God used the circuitous route that led through slavery and prison to produce a man that would save a nation and his own family.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If God loves me (and He does, very much!) how could he ask me to suffer?&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Because He is perfecting us for His purposes, purposes which reach much more widely than we can see, given our finiteness. God is amazingly at work to bring all circumstances- good and bad- to a place where His will is done. &quot;W&lt;em&gt;e &lt;strong&gt;know &lt;/strong&gt;that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son,that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this?&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;If God is for us, who can be against us?&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Romans 8:28-31, NIV) &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Living in that truth requires a great faith- &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;which God will provide to us, if we ask!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you&#39;re in a place where you&#39;re asking, &quot;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;W&lt;/span&gt;hat&#39;s going on?&quot; &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; read the &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Psalm of Patience &lt;/strong&gt;(&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Psalm &lt;/span&gt;37). The lead verbs in that Psalm pointthe way to endurance, the way to let God&#39;s will emerge from the pyre on which self is offered up to His purposes. &lt;br /&gt;&quot;&lt;strong&gt;Trust &lt;/strong&gt;in the LORD. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Delight &lt;/strong&gt;in the LORD.&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Commit &lt;/strong&gt;you&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;r&lt;/span&gt; way to the LORD. &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Be still &lt;/strong&gt;before the LORD. &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wait &lt;/strong&gt;on the LORD!&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Take this word from the Word to heart and let God love you today:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. &lt;br /&gt;He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; &lt;br /&gt;he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. &lt;br /&gt;Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, &lt;br /&gt;who does not look to the proud, &lt;br /&gt;to those who turn aside to false gods.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; (Psalm 40:1-4, NIV) &lt;/p&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;__________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;The Lord&#39;s our Rock,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;In Him we hide,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;A shelter in the time of storm,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Secure whatever ill betide,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;A shelter in the time of storm.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Oh, Jesus, is the Rock&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;in a weary land, a weary land, a weary land,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Oh, Jesus is the Rock in&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; a weary land,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;A shelter in the time of storm.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;- public domain&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;', '1210926243', '1210926242', '2008-05-16')

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&amp;p=646', 'Entry for May 13, 2008', '&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ambition- Keep it and Curb it!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;In a mistaken idea about contentment, some Christians aspire to wanting nothing; to living mediocre, undistinguished lives. They do nothing well, never break a sweat, and resent anyone who presses them to own a bigger vision! In truth, those who are filled with God&#39;s Spirit are equipped with gifts to change the world and since we will all stand before the King of Glory to give an accounting of how we lived, we should be full of earnest desire to achieve great things with the gifts He&#39;s given us. My dictionary defines ambition as &#39;the earnest desire for achievement or distinction.&#39; Is that compatible with humility in the service of Christ? I believe it is. W&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;em&gt;e need ambition &lt;strong&gt;and &lt;/strong&gt;we must keep it on a short leash.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;Jesus had a calling to &lt;strong&gt;save the world&lt;/strong&gt;! Nothing, not even a cross could stop Him. He was amazingly ambitious, yet always submitted to God and loving. &lt;em&gt;&quot;For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Matthew 20:28, NLT&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;Paul was called by Jesus to take the Good News of the Kingdom to the world. He was a man of great ambition, whose vision pulled him through all kinds of deprivations and difficulties.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span&gt;Paul&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt; repeatedly &lt;/span&gt;commends those who are willing to stick with hard work. In the book of the Revelation, Jesus praises those who keep the faith saying, &lt;em&gt;&quot;I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance.. . . You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Revelation 2:2-3, NLT) The Word adds a qualifying word to ambition that makes all the difference. That word? &#39;&lt;strong&gt;S&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;elfish&lt;/strong&gt;.&#39; &lt;em&gt;&quot;Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Philippians 2:3-4, NIV) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A person who lacks ambition will drift through life taking what falls his way, looking for minimal ways to keep his job, settling for the easiest rather than seeking the best! Solomon&#39;s proverbs say that &lt;em&gt;those who are lazy want everything but get nothing&lt;/em&gt;. (13:4) He also says that a lazy man is like &lt;em&gt;vinegar on our teeth and smoke in our eyes&lt;/em&gt;. What a turn of phrase. The lazy man talks a great game but proves to be a great irritant to those who work with him because he never gets the job done. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;An overly ambitious person is equally difficult to work around because he will not cooperate, has little sense of team-work, and is always seeking center stage. Consequently, what he does, no matter how well it is done, is tainted with self-interest. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;Ambition can be dangerous because it can lead to a misplaced love of work over love for people! An ambitious person warms to the process that &#39;gets things done,&#39; and may become blinded to what his drive for the goal is costing those around him. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Who are you living for - self or Christ? &lt;br /&gt;Does an ambition for the work of the Kingdom own you, calling you to excel in the service of the King?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Check your vision! If you lack a reason for living, pray &#39;til you hear His calling! If your vision is clear, but you are motivated by approval of others, or are building something bigger on which to hang your name, take it back to the feet of Jesus. Lay it there and ask Him to refocus you, not away from the desire to make a difference or distinction, but around a genuine desire to make His name glorious.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;_____________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, &lt;br /&gt;and Christ will shine on you.&quot; &lt;br /&gt;Be very careful, then, how you live—&lt;br /&gt;not as unwise but as wise, &lt;br /&gt;making the most of every opportunity, &lt;br /&gt;because the days are evil.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; (Ephesians 5:14-16, NIV) &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;', '1210926243', '1210926241', '2008-05-16')

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&amp;p=645', 'Entry for May 12, 2008', '&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Remembering the Good Stuff!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In my memory, it often the bad days that claim greater prominence! Like it was yesterday, I can recall the puzzlement that turned to fear on September 11, 2001. I can remember the phone calls from my kids, the meeting that I was attending that was cut short as we Pastors scattered to return to our churches and families. I remember, with crystal clarity, the awful morning, March 23, 1985, when I found the lifeless body of our foster son, then a toddler, who had wandered into the farm&#39;s pond and drowned, or so we thought. In between frantic efforts at resuscitation and desperate prayers to Heaven, God restored that child to us, but I&#39;ll never forget the horrible 24 hours between finding him in the water and when he regained consciousness in a pediatric intensive care unit. Though we so&lt;strong&gt; easily recall the hard days, the fearful moments, the tragedies, we need to make the choice to recall the good stuff!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Recently I sat with my Dad for an afternoon. Despite his critical illness, together we remembered... good things, fun things, happy days, and the blessings of God. We dug back through our memories, one story leading to another. We recalled changed lives, celebrations, milestone achievements, God&#39;s wonderful works. In &lt;strong&gt;remembering &lt;/strong&gt;my faith was strengthened. It is important to mark the moments; both ordinary and stupendous, that God answers prayers, gives assurance, touches us with His joy. Many times in the Scripture, we read of memorials being built, records being written - just for the purpose of reminding future generations of the goodness of God. Take a look at what the Bible says about one of those times. &lt;em&gt;&quot;Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.’ ... We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Joshua 4:2-7, NLT) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As you face a new week perhaps you&#39;re also feeling overwhelmed by a challenge. Maybe it seems today that God is far away, that some difficulty is too big to overcome. Perhaps you&#39;ve been in the fight so long you&#39;re weary even today on a Monday morning. Take a few moments for a memory review. Bring to mind a victory or two from your past and thank God! If you can&#39;t remember one from your own &#39;faith story,&#39; then borrow one from some Christian&#39;s biography and thank God for His faithful to them. Or review a story from the Bible - Daniel in the lion&#39;s den when God showed up and closed the lion&#39;s mouth; young David on the field of battle confronting Goliath in the name of the LORD of Israel; or Paul and Silas in the jail in Philippi singing worship songs at midnight until God rocked the house!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.&quot; &lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;(Hebrews 13:15, NIV) &lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;Let&#39;s not misunderstand this directive of the Word. It is not just an encouragement to optimism as powerful as positive thinking is! We are reminded to praise God for His greatness, to remember our inheritance as children of God, an inheritance given to through Jesus Christ, irrevocably and freely. We bring our worshipful praise to Him as a sacrifice, which He finds deeply pleasing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Go ahead, offer a sacrifice of praise right now. Make it sincere, even if it&#39;s simple. Then, add another and another. Soon, you will have discovered the amazing power of praise, for praise ushers us into the Presence of God, where &quot;&lt;em&gt;we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most&lt;/em&gt;.&quot; (Hebrews 4:16, NLT) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;___________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To God be the glory,&lt;br /&gt;Great things He hath done.&lt;br /&gt;So loved He the world&lt;br /&gt;That He gave us His Son,&lt;br /&gt;Who yielded His life,&lt;br /&gt;An atonement for sin,&lt;br /&gt;And opened the Lifegate,&lt;br /&gt;That all may go in.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,&lt;br /&gt;Let the earth hear His voice!&lt;br /&gt;Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,&lt;br /&gt;Let the people rejoice!&lt;br /&gt;O come to the Father,&lt;br /&gt;Through Jesus the Son,&lt;br /&gt;And give Him the glory,&lt;br /&gt;Great things He hath done.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;1&quot;&gt;Crosby, Fanny J. / Doane, William H.&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;© Public Domain &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt;', '1210926243', '1210926240', '2008-05-16')

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&amp;p=644', 'Entry for May 09, 2008', '&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Deceived!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;Wayne Bent, a.k.a. Michael Travesser, leader of the &lt;em&gt;Strong City Lord, our Righteousness Church &lt;/em&gt;in New Mexico, is a winsome man, gentle in demeanor. He speaks thoughtfully, is outwardly loving towards the small group he leads, and &lt;em&gt;claims to be the Messiah returned to earth, Divinity embodied!&lt;/em&gt; Over the last fifteen years, this former pastor in the 7th Day Adventist church, became increasingly bizarre to observers outside the cult sect he leads. He is obsessed with prophecy, setting dates for Christ&#39;s return, and using the symbolism of apocalyptic texts to support his own ends. He insists that his followers live in close communal relationships, giving up privacy, possessions, and even personal relationships to him. In 2000, he declared himself Messiah and asked those in the church to marry him. He took seven wives, including his own son&#39;s wife! He is now jailed on charges that allege inappropriate sexual contact with minors. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;Is he insane, deluded, or just a self-serving manipulator of people? According to a secular journalist who produced a National Geographic documentary, &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&#39;http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/inside/3401/Photos?#tab-Overview&#39; target=&#39;_blank&#39; rel=&#39;nofollow&#39;&gt;Inside a Cult&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;/em&gt; Bent is all of the above! Bent&#39;s son, age 44, a former police officer, continues to defend the validity his father&#39;s visions, despite any and all evidence or argument to the contrary.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Believer, accounts like this must sober us. It is no laughing matter that deeply devout people, who are earnestly seeking to know and serve God can be led into such error. The root of this kind of &lt;strong&gt;deception &lt;/strong&gt;is a misplaced focus from Christ Jesus to man. It flourishes when a person separates himself or herself from the larger Body of the Church, claims &#39;inside&#39; information or private revelation, and asserts that his &#39;truth&#39; supersedes that of the Scripture and the Church! The moment you hear any church leader say, &quot;God revealed to me...&quot; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;great &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;caution is in order. Yes, I do believe that the Spirit speaks to us. He leads us, shows us His ways, and guides us; but not outside of the boundaries of the Scripture, nor as a singular voice, without accountability to His greater church. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Devotion and longing for spiritual assurance in the turbulent times in which we live must never relieve us of the need to discern, to critically consider the truthfulness and the source of revelation offered by anyone claiming to speak in God&#39;s Name&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;Jesus left this warning for all of us. &lt;em&gt;&quot;Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Luke 21:8, NIV) Any prophet (someone who speaks for God or claiming God&#39;s authority) that uses that role to attract privilege, wealth, or attention to himself must be spurned. Even if the error is not so obvious as the one referenced above where the prophet now asserts that he is the messiah, Believers must be discerning to avoid being drawn into an ultimately destructive &#39;spiritual&#39; experience. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Word of God is not gentle nor kind to those who falsely claim to speak in God&#39;s name. Consider these words today and become a wise, Spirit-filled, discerning Believer, secured by Truth and Spirit against error.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. &lt;br /&gt;They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. They prove the truth of this proverb: &quot;A dog returns to its vomit.&quot; And another says, &quot;A washed pig returns to the mud.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; (2 Peter 2:18-22, NLT) &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Amen!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;', '1210926243', '1210926239', '2008-05-16')

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&amp;p=643', 'Entry for May 08, 2008', '&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tremble Before Him!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;While watching a recent docu-drama created around the life of John Adams, 2nd President of the US, I saw a scene that helped my prayer life! Really! At the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, the American government appointed Adams as ambassador to Great Britain. He had to go through elaborate coaching about the protocols involved in meeting the king of England, including a deep bow in greeting that deeply offended Adams at first. When he finally was ushered into the throne room, the king stood regally at the end of a very large room. Adams was shaken by the majesty of the encounter and came to understand the power of symbols of power in a new way. For one of the few times in his life, the man who always had a ready answer found himself nearly speechless with awe!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Which scene better describes your attitude in prayer - having a chat over a cup of coffee with a friend or an audience with a king? The answer has a lot to do with your theology and spiritual experience; and is somewhat related to your personality. For those of us who grew up in the informality of evangelical churches with no liturgy, spontaneous prayers, and a theology largely shaped around the 2nd Person of the Trinity, prayer is mostly conceived of as a conversation with a Friend. The result is that our spirituality can be limited by a deficiency in the &lt;em&gt;&#39;majesty&#39; &lt;/em&gt;department! &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It is wonderful that we as Believers know that God is accessible, that through Jesus Christ, we are invited near to find help in time of trouble. However, the Holy Trinity is not just Jesus, the son of Mary. God, the Father, the Awesome King of Glory is the head of that mysterious Being. There is a time when our mouth must be silenced by an encounter with the Lord of the Universe; when we grasp that He is Wholly, Holy Other- that He is not a man. When that image accompanies our love of Jesus, our Friend and Brother, we will find a better balance between awe and familiarity. This is important for the cliché is true - &#39;familiarity breeds contempt.&#39; If we make God too small in our eyes, we will too easily argue with His will, disregard His call, and disobey His commands. Isaiah&#39;s encounter with His Majesty scared him nearly to death and made him realize, anew, the depth of his sinfulness. He cried, &lt;em&gt;&quot;It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; (Isaiah 6:5, NLT) And God made him clean!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When God was shaping Israel into His people, when He was about to give them the Law; He brought them to Mt. Sinai. Strict regulations were put into place to prepare the people to hear the Words of God. To help them prepare their hearts, they went through symbolic cleansing, ritual consecrations, and were forbidden even to be intimate with their spouses for three days! God was coming with His Word. They needed to be ready. &quot;Oh,&quot; you say, &quot;but that so Old Testament.&quot; As you go your way today, ponder these words from Hebrews that apply that story to our Christian experience. And, may we learn to tremble before Him!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;You have not come to a place like Mount Sinai that can be seen and touched. There is no flaming fire or dark cloud or storm or trumpet sound. &lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;. . . &lt;/span&gt; &lt;br /&gt;You have now come to Mount Zion and to the heavenly Jerusalem. This is the city of the living God, where thousands and thousands of angels have come to celebrate. Here you will find all of God’s dearest children, whose names are written in heaven. And you will find God himself, who judges everyone. Here also are the spirits of those good people who have been made perfect. And Jesus is here! He is the one who makes God’s new agreement with us, and his sprinkled blood says much better things than the blood of Abel. &lt;br /&gt;Make sure that you obey the one who speaks to you. The people did not escape, when they refused to obey the one who spoke to them at Mount Sinai. Do you think you can possibly escape, if you refuse to obey the one who speaks to you from heaven?&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Hebrews 12:18-25, CEV) &lt;/p&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;__________________&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Welcomed in &lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;to the courts of the King!&lt;br /&gt;I&#39;ve been ushered &lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;into Your presence&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;+0&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lord, I stand on Your merciful ground;&lt;br /&gt;Yet with every step tread with reverence.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Who is there &lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;in the heavens like You?&lt;br /&gt;And upon the earth&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;who&#39;s Your equal?&lt;br /&gt;You are far above&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;You&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&#39;&lt;/span&gt;r&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;e&lt;/span&gt; the highest of highs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;We are bowing down &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;to exalt You!&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And I&#39;ll fall face down!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;As Your glory shines around;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Yes, I&#39;ll fall face down!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;As Your glory shines around.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;So, let Your glory shine around&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Let Your glory shine around&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;King of glory here be found&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;King of glory&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;1&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;Facedown&lt;br /&gt;Matt Redman&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;CCLI License No. 810055&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt;', '1210926243', '1210926238', '2008-05-16')

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&amp;p=642', 'Entry for May 07, 2008', '&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;It really is Good News!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;Good parents create appropriate boundaries for their children. Those guidelines are not for the benefit of the parent. They exist to protect the child. If a parent makes rules just to make life easier for himself, he makes his child a rebel! However, if he guides the growth and development of his child with a firm, loving hand putting behavioral fences in place that are required, his child will eventually thank him for them. Of course, those fences are moved as maturity sets in. Imagine an overprotective parent telling a 16 year old son, &quot;You have to play in our backyard!&quot; That would be foolish, a rule that would give a sense of control and peace to the parent perhaps, but one that is not in the best interest of a teenager. Some parents &lt;em&gt;mistakenly&lt;/em&gt; do enforce rules just to be the boss or because they allow their own fears to take over. But, the best parents use their godly authority to bless and guide the development of their children.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;God, our Heavenly Father, has given us boundaries in life - and they exist for our protection&lt;/strong&gt;. He is not arbitrary, making rules just to show us that He is boss! He wants you and me to live in a way that maximizes our joy, that keeps us from hurting ourselves and others, so He tells us how to live. &lt;em&gt;&quot;Don&#39;t lie. Don&#39;t sleep with another&#39;s wife. Don&#39;t steal. Love Me. Love others.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;Jesus makes it clear that the boundaries are a blessing when we regard them as a gift to us. One illustration is this statement, &lt;em&gt; &quot;The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Mark 2:27, NLT) God teaches us to set aside a day each week for worship and rest. &quot;Take a break and look up,&quot; He says. Why? Does He need our attention? Is He just trying to complicate our lives? Not at all. God gave the gift of Sabbath because He knows our tendency to get wrapped up in the business of making a living. He knows that we are not at our best when the spiritual is neglected, so He gave us the gift of the Sabbath principle.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Thoughtfully read this passage. &lt;em&gt;&quot;We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. So don’t sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet!&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Hebrews 12:9-12, The Message) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In another translation, part of that passage says, &lt;em&gt;&quot;We &lt;strong&gt;submit to&lt;/strong&gt; the Father of our spirits and live!&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Hebrews 12:9, NIV) It was so wonderful when my kids became more mature and started doing what I asked without whining and crying. When children are two and Mommy tells them to pick up their toys, they might cry and have a fit. No amount of reason can convince them that what Mommy wants them to do is training a good pattern of responsibility into them. So Mommy just puts up with their tantrums and firmly insists that they get it done. She doesn&#39;t take their mini-rebellions personally (unless she is really tired). With maturity, comes the expectation that the child will comply more readily, understanding that their parent guides them with love for their own good.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Do you truly love and trust your Heavenly Father? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;Are you choosing to &#39;&lt;em&gt;submit and live?&#39; &lt;/em&gt;Grow up and stop resisting, rebelling, whining, and complaining. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;Believe the Word&#39;s promise that God is loving, good, and working for your good. Then, you will agree that &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;His Word and His ways are really Good News! &lt;br /&gt;________________________________&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;I&#39;ll say,&quot;Yes, Lord, yes,&quot;&lt;br /&gt;To Your will and to Your way.&lt;br /&gt;I&#39;ll say,&quot;Yes, Lord, yes.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;I will trust You and obey.&lt;br /&gt;When the Spirit speaks to me,&lt;br /&gt;With my whole heart I&#39;ll agree.&lt;br /&gt;And my answer will be,&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Yes, Lord, yes.&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If I never knew the fullness&lt;br /&gt;Of living in Your will,&lt;br /&gt;I would never know how rich&lt;br /&gt;My life could be.&lt;br /&gt;Lord, my willingness to serve&lt;br /&gt;Is the least that You deserve,&lt;br /&gt;For the blessings&lt;br /&gt;You have showered over me.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;1&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yes, Lord, Yes&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;Lynn Keesecker&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;© 1983 Manna Music, Inc. ARR UBP of Manna Music, Inc. (35255 Brooten Road, Pacific City, OR 97135)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;1&quot;&gt;CCLI License No. 810055&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;', '1210926243', '1210926237', '2008-05-16')

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&amp;p=641', 'Entry for May 06, 2008', '&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Bring on Spring!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;Not in recent memory can I remember anticipating the Springtime more than this year. I was ready for the greening of the earth, even though the budding of the trees brings on the sniffles of allergies. The limbs of the trees in my yard that poked skeletally into the sky are now in full leaf. The lawn that was patchy and brown is now lush and in need of mowing twice a week. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Praise God for Spring&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and the new life that accompanies the change of the seasons. Having never lived in a tropical climate, I cannot imagine life without the cycle of Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. In the Winter, I hope for the Spring&#39;s greening. In the heat of August, I look forward to the crisp evenings of the Fall and the spectacular beauty of the changing leaves. As those same leaves pile up on the ground and I tire of keeping up the yard, I look forward to a blanket of snow covering the earth yet again. Each season has its own blessings.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In my spiritual life there are seasons, too. There are times of high productivity and times of quiet preparation. There are times when I lay foundations and times when I raise the roof! There moments of celebration and days of sorrow. This I know certainly; each season has its own blessings, if only we will remain open to the whisper of the Spirit &lt;em&gt;while &lt;/em&gt;we live in them! To be sure, in the time of harvest rejoicing comes more naturally than in the time of planting. Yet, the season of harvest has its own sadness for it is reminder of the end of another cycle of life. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Word urges us to steadiness: &quot;&lt;em&gt;let us not grow weary while doing good, for &lt;strong&gt;in due season we shall reap&lt;/strong&gt; if we do not lose heart&lt;/em&gt;.&quot; (Galatians 6:9, NKJV) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;I am living in a season of testing, a kind of winter of the soul, but I am convinced that God holds the seasons and cycles of life in His hands! As surely as Springtime follows Winter, the cold of trials will yield to the Lord&#39;s brightness and the Spirit will renew fruitfulness and life. Oh, for the faith to wait for the coming of Spring! Yes, in my spirit, I sense the winds of the Spirit bringing a new season of Life. I am ready, knowing that with the change there will be new challenges &lt;em&gt;and &lt;/em&gt;new blessings. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So, Believer, what is the season in your life? Are you, like me, feeling the cold grip of winter in your soul giving way to the Spirit&#39;s warm? Are you basking in the restful time of Summer, between the sowing and the reaping? Are you reaping the benefit of a long season of planting and cultivating in a season of harvest? &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Enjoy the present season!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Give God the opportunity to do the appropriate work of that season in you, and to prepare you for the change that will come.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ponder this wisdom of the Word. &lt;em&gt;&quot;For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, NLT) Then, pray that you will be faithful. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, &lt;br /&gt;who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: &lt;br /&gt;Preach the word of God. &lt;br /&gt;Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;in season and out of season&lt;/strong&gt;!)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage &lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;. . . &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&quot; (2 Timothy 4:1-2, NLT) &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;______________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When in the spring the flowers&lt;br /&gt;Are blooming bright and fair.&lt;br /&gt;After the gray of winter&#39;s gone,&lt;br /&gt;Once again the lark begins its tuning&lt;br /&gt;Back in the meadows of my home.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lord, to my heart bring back the springtime&lt;br /&gt;Take away the cold and dark of sin,&lt;br /&gt;O, refill me now, sweet Holy Spirit,&lt;br /&gt;May I warm and tender be again.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;1&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;812372710-06052008&quot;&gt;Bring Back the Springtime&lt;br /&gt;Kurt Kaiser &lt;/span&gt;© 1970 Word Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;1&quot;&gt;CCLI License No. 810055&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;', '1210926243', '1210926236', '2008-05-16')

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&amp;p=640', 'Entry for May 02, 2008', '&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;125423810-02052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;A gift for me?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;125423810-02052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;125423810-02052008&quot;&gt;I find it difficult to accept gifts! What&#39;s wrong with me? Mostly, it is a pride thing, I suppose. I am not, by nature, an effusive person. Too many times to remember, I have disappointed my wife or kids at Christmas or birthdays when they presented me with some gift they had plotted and planned to get to me without my knowledge only to have me say, &quot;That&#39;s nice. Thanks.&quot; They want excitement! I try, but whooping and yelling are hard for me. So, rather than disappoint anybody, I just say, in advance, &quot;No gifts.&quot; When the church has a Pastor Appreciation Day, I worry about the same thing kind of disappointment for those who are trying to show their love for me, too. I am deeply touched by the expressions of thanks, but find it hard to show the proper emotion of joy! What have come to realize only of late is that when I wave off gifts or refuse to accept someone&#39;s thanks, I am robbed of a blessings &lt;em&gt;and, &lt;/em&gt;even more significantly, I &lt;em&gt;rob them&lt;/em&gt; of joy. So, I counsel myself, &quot;Get over yourself!&quot;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;125423810-02052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;125423810-02052008&quot;&gt;In Leadership, Winter, 2008, an article about one of God&#39;s great gifts to us appeared. It is from the pen of Tony Campolo. &quot;Sitting with my parents at a Communion service with my parents when I was very young, perhaps 6 or 7 years old, I became aware of a young woman in the pew in front of us who was sobbing and shaking. The minister had just finished reading 1 Corinthians 11:27 - &lt;em&gt;&quot;whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; (1 Corinthians 11:27, NKJV) As the Communion plate, with its small pieces of bread was passed to the young woman before me, she waved it away and lowered her head in despair. It was then that my Sicilian father leaned over her shoulder, and in his broken English, said sternly, &quot;Take it, girl! It was meant for you. Do you hear me?&quot; She raised her head, nodded - and then she took the bread and ate it. I knew that some kind of heavy burden was lifted from her heart. Since then, I have known that a church that could offer Communion to hurting people, offers a gift from God.&quot;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;125423810-02052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;125423810-02052008&quot;&gt;I want you, Believer, to take two thoughts with you today. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;125423810-02052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;125423810-02052008&quot;&gt;The first is that God&#39;s salvation is not meant to &lt;em&gt;exclude&lt;/em&gt;, but to &lt;em&gt;include&lt;/em&gt;! We sin terribly when we use the words of the One who is Love Incarnate, the One who came to build a bridge to our Father for us in His Body, to create barriers for those we