Dramatic Audio Festival

Today I received a letter from someone who would love to read our books but
is visual impaired. They recently heard me speak so contacted me if I had
plans on creating our books in audio. I thought this would be a good insert
to place on the blog...the more praying about this opportunity the
better....exciting days ahead if God opens these doors (I would love
everyone's input on the festival below):

Dear________:
You have challenged me to be more aggressive to produce our books in
audio! To date we only have one in audio and that is Teddy's Button. It is
my goal to have at least 2 per year, but we may be able to increase this
number if we have the funding..so this is something you can be praying for.
I wouldn't mind you emailing me once month..it would be a good reminder and
a motivator for me.
Something else you can pray about is my desire to create a Dramatic
Audio Festival. My thought is to have homeschoolers and beyond, create
dramatic audios as a contest and then bring the best talent together for an
awards ceremony. This pool of talent can then be the beginning of the
Lamplighter dramatic audio series for radio and would be available on cd's.
I am letting you know all of this so you can be praying and also to know
that producing audios is a priority for me.
Blessings, and please keep in touch,
Mark Hamby
Ps. Have you heard the Radio Theatre audios? These would be high on my
list.

Take My Yoke

Recently a friend asked about the meaning of the yoke that Jesus refers when
he says, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of/from me, for I am meek and
lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls."

First I would like to point out that the proper translation for the word
"of" is better translated "from." Jesus wants us to learn "from" Him. This
takes place on a moment by moment basis...throughout the day. We need to
ask Him for His help, for His guidance...He will never leave us nor forsake
us. We can also learn "from" Him through His Word. This morning while
reading in the book of Ezra, I was reminded how powerful the Word of God is
in our lives. Because of jealousy and envy, the enemies of the Jews stopped
the word of the rebuilding of the temple. Their threats and guile, ceased
an important work However, when the prophets began reminding them of the
promises of the Word, they took courage and the rebuilding continued (Ezra
5:1; 6:14). For me, it really is that simple. Once I see it in the Word,
and am reminded of my responsibility and God's infallibility to help me
overcome all obstacles--I take courage and go on...
Notice also, that Jesus says that He is meek and lowly. When we
have truly learned from Him, we will act like Him. And since practice makes
perfect, He gives us the illustration of the "yoke." The yoke is actually a
double yoke, where two oxen would be yoked together. The younger and less
experienced ox would learn from the more mature experienced ox as they
carried the load together. It has been recorded that the more experienced ox
carried most of the weight as the learning ox was learning to follow. If
however the learning ox tried to resist, it would cause more work and become
less productive.
I hope this answers your question....
On another note...we had an exceptional time with the families at the
Cincinnati convention...it was a God-filled weekend! I was so blessed....a
huge thanks to my staff...they worked non stop...

happy

From the book, The Healing Power of Stories, by Taylor I found the follow
quote:

"The more we determine directly to make ourselves happy, esteemed,
fulfilled, actualized, and the like, the less likely we are to be so. Act
the way you should, and those things will take care of themselves."

"Do You Not Know That Your Body Is a Temple of the Holy Spirit?"

 

“Do You Not Know That Your Body Is a Temple of the Holy Spirit?” 03/26/2008 Each person knows that now his body is the temple of God: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Cor. 6:19). Indeed it is. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16). Okay— each of us is now the temple of God. So where, then, is the Holy of Holies? Your heart. That’s right—your heart. Paul teaches us in Ephesians that “Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” (3:17). God comes down to dwell in us, in our hearts. Now, we know this: God cannot dwell where there is evil. “You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell” (Ps. 5:4). Something pretty dramatic must have happened in our hearts, then, to make them fit to be the dwelling place of a holy God. Of course, none of this can happen for us until we give our lives back to God. We cannot know the joy or the life or the freedom of heart I’ve described here until we surrender our lives to Jesus and surrender them totally. Renouncing all the ways we have turned from God in our hearts, we forsake the idols we have worshiped and given our hearts over to. We turn, and give ourselves body, soul, and spirit back to God, asking him to cleanse our hearts and make them new. (Waking the Dead , 68)

Helping our teens find their career path

The following email was sent to a mom who had asked how to help her son who had graduated from high school find his career path. This is what I said:

For starters, I think I addressed some tests on my blog about this when reviewing Talent is Never Enough by Maxwell. I would start there. Next I would purchase this book, Talent is Never Enough, and go over the highlights with your son, unless he will read it for himself...pure gold! The skill discovery tests you can find on line…however, with limited experience, I do not think these tests can reveal a lot for you. Most often a person’s natural abilities are very observable. I would suggest asking his youth pastor, the pastor, his grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends….ask others what they see as your sons natural abilities and then write out the list. Ask your son…ask him what he enjoyed doing the most as a child, as a junior higher, as a senior higher….this can be anything…what was it that he enjoyed doing the most…can be a vacation to fishing to sports, to video games, to watching a movies or reading a book, bike riding or camping, building a bird house, landscaping, or puzzles. Find out what he enjoys doing this most…what were his most memorable experiences?

Whatever you find, then I would suggest, finding magazines and books that can stimulate these joys into passions and motivations. Here is how it works…when we value something, we become motivated…when we are motivated, we are willing to work hard and sacrifice for something greater…this is called worth…we move from valuing something or someone, to becoming worthy...it is difficult to value something or someone, if they themselves have not felt valued…so this is where it needs to start…sometimes, we don’t feel valued because we are selfish or sometimes neglected…selfishness is often corrected by sending our children off to see those who live in poverty…a missions trip etc..when we help others, it takes our attention off ourselves and new doors begin to open…

I think your husbands idea of letting him get sick of the video games was a good idea…now it is time to find a substitute for him…I would recommend praying, asking others, and seeking what will help your son as the highest priority in life…my wife and I did something similar with our son, and two years ago bought him a 2500. dollar professional video camera…we didn’t have the money, but I believe we can find the money when we really want something…we spend on what we value the most, and we value our kids. Then we bought him a mac computer…a year and a half later, he needed a larger computer, and we bought it…should he pay for some of it? Not just yet…he didn’t want us to buy it because he knew that things were financially tight with us because of our daughter’s wedding and medical bills…but I told him that this was an opportunity for me to show him a little bit what it was like for God to give his all for his children…God held nothing back and still doesn’t today…I told him that this was my opportunity to show him a little more of God’s sacrificial love…God holds nothing back…we are trying to do the same…and so far it is working…so we bought another mac lap top this time and final cut pro and the adobe package and he is already doing great stuff with video…he is a sophomore at Belmont University in communication design and doing well.

Concerning college being a waste…I couldn’t disagree with you more. Now I would agree that there are ways to get college degree without going into deep debt…but the disciplines that one gains by obtaining a degree and the breadth of knowledge…it is priceless…Solomon was a man of varied interests and was a scholar…we need to always be learning, growing, advancing…the children of this generation are wiser than the children of light! This ought not to be. College or junior community college would be great for him…a missions trip would even be better at first…apprenticing with someone would be excellent…the more experiences he can have these next five years, the better…he should volunteer. Before I became a teacher in the late 70’s, I drove 90 miles a day just to volunteer…in six months, they offered my a teaching position.

There is another book I would recommend, if he and your husband will read it…it is titled Ishmael, and its sequel, Self Raised…this is a must book for your son…Ronald Reagan also said that the book, That Printer of Udell’s prepared him to become president of the US. I hope this all helps…God be with you!

Mark

Thoughts for young men is another great book for him and your husband at this time…but don’t forget about Talent is Never Enough. I know I have recommended many books, but this is where you will learn how to lead your son…it takes work…it is time to begin..

comment worth reading.

I just received the following comment on The Strength of a Man--A Woman and
wanted to share it with my readers...very beautiful and insightful. Though I
have not read the book and do not like sharing titles I have not read, I
think this one is worth taking the risk...her words have substance:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Strength of a Man's
Heart--A Woman.":

My father died when I was six years old...I didnt know him much at all...he
was very sick for the time I did have with him....when I was 16-yrs-old..I
realized, at the first wedding I ever attended, that I would not have my dad
to walk me down the isle at my wedding...it was a profoundly difficult
moment to face...my mom's response to me was typical as she said to me "dont
be so silly and stop feeling so sorry for yourself.'.....my mom crushed most
of my dreams as a girl...I have forgiven her, and continue to do so...
But...when the book 'Captivating' came out, I was sure I wasnt going to read
it, there just wasnt anything in that little title that I wanted a part
of,...I mean I have worked hard...real hard to keep the desires of my soul
hidden, stuffed away and out of reach...to anyone...until...my journey with
My Heavenly Father had come to a place where His desires out-voiced mine...I
read the book...I read the book and found a treasure of refreshment, a
vulnerable spirit of a woman(and her husband) sharing what a womans soul
is...how it is supposed to be, how it can still become...beautiful....I may
not have the life I would like...because of my past, but today I can look
ahead and know that there is more...there is always promise..and hope...we
just have to be willing...to let Him lead.

The Strength of a Man's Heart--A Woman.

More from Eldredge…this reminds of the scene from Charles Dickens classic book and film, “Our Mutual Friend.”  The scene of which I speak is the one where the river boat girl runs away in order to hide her love for a gentleman.  It was unheard of for a girl from such common parents to be in a relationship with a gentleman of such societal standing. So she flees in order to protect the man she loves. He pursues but her love for him is stronger than his irrational desperate love; she proves her love by holding her ground.  Unlike what you are about to read below, Charles Dickens brings a man and woman’s love to one of the highest redemptive heights.  If there was ever a scene that could depict the highest and most pure love that a woman could have for a man….this tops the list.  I think Solomon when he penned Proverbs 31, understood this well, when he said, “She does him good and not evil, all the days of his life.”

The Great Stories 03/24/2008 Every man wants a battle to fight. It’s the whole thing with boys and weapons. And look at the movies men love—Braveheart, Gladiator, Top Gun, High Noon, Saving Private Ryan. Men are made for battle. (And ladies, don’t you love the heroes of those movies? You might not want to fight in a war, but don’t you long for a man who will fight for you? To have Daniel Day Lewis look you in the eyes and say, “No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you”? Women don’t fear a man’s strength if he is a good man.) Men also long for adventure. Adventure is a deeply spiritual longing in the heart of every man. Adventure requires something of us, puts us to the test. Though we may fear the test, at the same time we yearn to be tested, to discover that we have what it takes. Finally, every man longs for a Beauty to rescue. He really does. Where would Robin Hood be without Marian, or King Arthur without Guinevere? Lonely men fighting lonely battles. You see, it’s not just that a man needs a battle to fight. He needs someone to fight for. There is nothing that inspires a man to courage so much as the woman he loves. Most of the daring (and okay, sometimes ridiculous) things young men do are to impress the girls. Men go to war carrying photos of their sweethearts in their wallets—that is a metaphor of this deeper longing to fight for the Beauty. This is not to say that a woman is a “helpless creature” who can’t live her life without a man. I’m saying that men long to offer their strength on behalf of a woman. Now—can you see how the desires of a man’s heart and the desires of a woman’s heart were at least meant to fit beautifully together? A woman in the presence of a good man, a real man, loves being a woman. His strength allows her feminine heart to flourish. His pursuit draws out her beauty. And a man in the presence of a real woman loves being a man. Her beauty arouses him to play the man; it draws out his strength. She inspires him to be a hero. (Captivating , 17–18)

 

Poured it all out

The meaning behind the woman who pours out the entire bottle of expensive ointment upon Jesus has alluded me for thirty years.  I do not know what it means when Jesus said that this action of hers would be told as a memorial for her, wherever this gospel is preached.  Jesus even goes so far as to say, "Truly I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman has done, be told for a memorial of her." What is puzzling is that the actions of this woman are rarely told, let alone told everywhere in the whole world.  So what does this mean that this woman’s actions would be told for a memorial of her everywhere in the whole world wherever this gospel is preached? I would love to hear your answers. The only thing that I have been able to come up with is the fact that she poured all of her ointment out.  It is possible that this ointment represented her entire savings as some scholars have suggested. I do not have proof of this but if this was true, then her actions would be a part of the gospel that is so often left out today.  The part that I am speaking of, is the part of holding nothing back to a Savior who gave His all.  Yes it is true that if we call upon the name of the LORD, we shall be saved. But it is equally true that when we call, we cannot be holding anything back…he wants all of us…and for some of us, this may require a pouring out…and emptying of ourselves, so that He might be able to fill us to make us truly useable.

            The contrast in that house that day was remarkable---she poured out everything; Judas and the disciples wanted to hold on and keep back; she kissed his feet with tears in silent humility; the disciples murmured, speaking critically of her actions giving Jesus only grief;   

Do you believe in EASTER?

I shared this story last year…a friend just shared it with me again, I believe it is worth sharing again.

THE STORY OF EDITH BURNS...

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns.

One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her.

Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved.

Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?"

Beverly said, "Why yes I do."

Edith said, "Well, what do you believe about Easter?"

Beverly said, "Well, it's all about egg hunts, going to church, and dressing up." Edith kept pressing her about the real meaning of Easter, and finally led her to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Phillips said, "Beverly, don't call Edith into the office quite yet. I believe there is another delivery taking place in the waiting room.

After being called back in the doctor's office, Edith sat down and when she took a look at the doctor she said, "Dr. Will, why are you so sad? Are you reading your Bible? Are you praying?"

Dr. Phillips said gently, "Edith, I'm the doctor and you're the patient." With a heavy heart he said, "Your lab report came back and it says you have cancer, and Edith, you're not going to live very long."

Edith said, " Why Will Phillips, shame on you. Why are you so sad? Do you think God makes mistakes? You have just told me I'm going to see my precious Lord Jesus, my husband, and my friends. You have just told me that I am going to celebrate Easter forever, and here you are having difficulty giving me my ticket!"

Dr. Phillip s thought to himself, "What a magnificent woman this Edith Burns is!"

Edith continued coming to Dr. Phillips. Christmas came and the office was closed through January 3rd. On the day the office opened, Edith did not show up. Later that afternoon, Edith called Dr. Phillips and said she would have to be moving her story to the hospital and said, "Will, I'm very near home, so would you make sure that they put women in here next to me in my room who need to know about Easter."

Well, they did just that and women began to come in and share that room with Edith. Many women were saved. Everybody on that floor from staff to patients were so excited about Edith, that they start d calling her Edith Easter; that is everyone except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse.

Phyllis made it plain that she wanted nothing to do with Edith because she was a "religious nut." She had been a nurse in an army hospital. She had seen it all and heard it all. She was the original G.I. Jane. She had been married three times, she was hard, cold, and did everything by the book.

One morning the two nurses who were to attend to Edith were sick.

Edith had the flu and Phyllis Cross had to go in and give her a shot. When she walked in, Edith had a big smile on her face and said, "Phyllis, God loves you and I love you, and I have been praying for you."

Phyllis Cross said, "Well, you can quit praying for me, it won't work. I'm not interested."

Edith said, "Well, I will pray and I have asked God not to let me go home until you come into the family."

Phyllis Cross said, "Then you will never die because that will never happen," and curtly walked out of the room.

Every day Phyllis Cross would walk into the room and Edith would say, "God loves you Phyllis and I love you, and I'm praying for you."

One day Phyllis Cross said she was literally drawn to Edith's room like a magnet would draw iron. She sat down on the bed and Edith said, "I'm so glad you have come, because God told me that today is your special day"

Phyllis Cross said, "Edith, you have asked everybody here the question, "Do you believe in Easter but you have never asked me."

Edith said, "Phyllis, I wanted to many times, but God told me to wait until you asked, and now that you have asked." Edith Burns took her Bible and shared with Phyllis Cross the Easter Story of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Edith said, "Phyllis, do you believe in Easter? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive and that He wants to live in your heart?"

Phyllis Cross said, "Oh I want to believe that with all of my heart, and I do want Jesus in my life "Right there, Phyllis Cross prayed and invited Jesus Christ into her heart. For the first time Phyllis Cross did not walk out of a hospital room, she was carried out on the wings of angels.

Two days later, Phyllis Cross came in and Edith said, "Do you know what day it is?" Phyllis Cross said, "Why Edith, it's Good Friday."

Edith said, "Oh, no, for you every day is Easter. Happy Easter Phyllis!"

Two days later, on Easter Sunday, Phyllis Cross came into work, did some of her duties and then went down to the flower shop and got some Easter lilies because she wanted to go up to see Edith and give her some Easter lilies and wish her a Happy Easter.

When she walked into Edith's room, Edith was in bed. That big black Bible was on her lap. Her hands were in that Bible. There was a sweet smile on her face. When Phyllis Cross went to pick up Edith's hand, she realized Edith was dead. Her left hand was on John 14: "In my Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." Her right hand was on Revelation 21:4, "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

Phyllis Cross took one look at that dead body, and then lifted her face toward heaven, and with tears streaming down here cheeks, said, "Happy Easter, Edith - Happy Easter!"

Phyllis Cross left Edith's body, walked out of the room, and over to a table where two student nurses were sitting. She said, "My name is Phyllis Cross. Do you believe in Easter?"

 

FW: and we complain about the weather...

Another amazing story of God’s sovereign plan worked out for His glory…without God’s perspective this story could have been so different!

 

May this encourage us to know no matter what obstacle we face  we can overcome thru Jesus Christ and getting a right perspective

Read his story you will be challenged and hopefully grateful for all our blessings.. Our attitude does make a difference.

 

---

 

My name is Nick Vujicic and I give God the Glory for how He has used my testimony to touch thousands of hearts around the world!  I was born without limbs and doctors have no medical explanation for this birth "defect".  As you can imagine, I was faced with many challenges and obstacles. 

"Consider it pure joy, my Brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds." 

....To count our hurt, pain and struggle as nothing but pure joy?  As my parents were Christians, and my Dad even a Pastor of our church, they knew that verse very well.  However, on the morning of the 4th of December 1982 in Melbourne(Australia), the last two words on the minds of my parents were "Praise God!".  Their firstborn son had been born without limbs!  There were no warnings or time to prepare themselves for it.  The doctors were shocked and had no answers at all!  There is still no medical reason why this had happened and Nick now has a brother and sister who were born just like any other baby. 

The whole church mourned over my birth and my parents were absolutely devastated.  Everyone asked, "if God is a God of Love, then why would God let something this bad happen to not just anyone, but dedicated Christians?"  My Dad thought I wouldn't survive for very long, but tests proved that I was a healthy baby boy just with a few limbs missing. 






"And we know that in all things God works for the best for those who love Him."  That verse spoke to my heart and convicted me to the point where that I know that there is no such thing as luck, chance or coincidence, that these "bad" things happen in our life. 

I had complete peace knowing that God won't let anything happen to us in our life unless He has a good purpose for it all.  I completely gave my life to Christ at the age of fifteen after reading John 9. Jesus said that the reason the man was born blind was "so that the works of God may be revealed through Him."  I truly believed that God would heal me so I could be a great testimony of His Awesome Power.  Later on I was given the wisdom to understand that if we pray for something, if it's God's will, it'll happen in His time.  If it's not God's will for it to happen, then I know that He has something better. 

I now see that Glory revealed, as He is using me just the way I am and in ways others can't be used. 

I am now twenty-three years old and have completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Financial Planning and Accounting.  I am also a motivational speaker and love to go out and share my story and testimony wherever opportunities become available.  I have developed talks to relate to and encourage students through topics that challenge today's teenagers.  I am also a speaker in the corporate sector. 


    



I have a passion for reaching out to youth and keep myself available for whatever God wants me to do, and wherever He leads, I follow. 

I have many dreams and goals that I have set to achieve in my life.  I want to become the best witness I can be of God's Love and Hope, to become an international inspirational speaker and be used as a vessel in both Christian and non-Christian venues.  I want to become financially independent by the age of 25, through real estate investments, to modify a car for me to drive and to be interviewed and share my story on the " Oprah Winfrey Show "!  Writing several best-selling books has been one of my dreams and I hope to finish writing my first by the end of the year. It will be called "No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!" 


 


 

I believe that if you have the desire and passion to do something, and if it's God's will, you will achieve it in good time. As humans, we continually put limits on ourselves for no reason at all!  What's worse is putting limits on God who can do all things.  We put God in a "box".  The awesome thing about the Power of God, is that if we want to do something for God, instead of focusing on our capability, concentrate on our availability for we know that it is God through us and we can't do anything without Him.  Once we make ourselves available for God's work, guess whose capabilities we rely on?  God's! 


 

 
 

 
 


May the Lord Bless you in Christ,
                                    
Nick Vujicic 
"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be UNDERSTOOD"

So, tell me now?   Did I hear you say, I can't ?

 

Manasseh's Prayer

            One of the wickedest kings of all of Israel, if not the most wicked, was Manasseh, son of Hezekiah (2nd Chronicles 33).  The stories about his life in 2nd Kings and 2nd Chronicles are filled with biblical lessons for us and our children, for today. What is just fascinating about his life and the reason behind why God chooses to record all of his dirty laundry makes this story, one of my all time favorites in the Scriptures. It would appear that God truly favored David as his sin of murder and adultery are neatly tucked away with David remaining a man after God's own heart.  But Manasseh gets the roughest of treatment of any king.  God's judgment results in him being fish hooked through his nostrils and led to Babylon as a slave. The text in 2nd Chronicles 33:11 says he was captured with "hooks."  I heard Dr. Smith lecture that this referred to a fish-like pronged hook that was yanked up through the nostrils, attached to a line.  Sounds pretty nasty; but he really got what he deserved.  This king was a real low life as you can see from the summary in 33.

            As the drama of 2nd Chronicles unfolds, you will find that this low life king becomes blessed by God and twice the Scriptures records that his prayer was what turned God's heart favorably toward him. I find that impressive...can a simple prayer have that much influence upon the heart of God?  Indeed!

            For the last three weeks I have been coping with what appears to be a migraine headache.  I rarely get headaches.  This morning around 5am, I laid in bed talking to the Lord but not really able to keep focused. I moaned and groaned a few prayers for my friends, staff, family, myself, and the future of Lamplighter, but it was very difficult to remain focused, especially when you have this kind of headache.  I then came downstairs to read and when I came across this text, I was reminded again of the three things that are really important in life. The first is was demonstrated for me by king Manasseh in 33:12:

            "And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.  He prayed to him and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God."

            What an amazing turn around…what an amazing God.  He will hear our prayers and he will act favorably toward us, IF we will humble ourselves GREATLY and just pray. Later in the text, Manasseh’s life is summarized and both his sin and his prayer (two times!) are recorded.  It must not be overlooked, that his sin is recorded as well as his prayer.

            It should be mentioned that one of the reasons for Manasseh’s wicked life was his absent “godly” father, Hezekiah.  Hezekiah was so focused on his career that he had little time to prepare his son for the responsibilities of kingship.  Manasseh was 12 years old when he began to reign.

            If you enjoyed the focus of this writing, then you will not want to miss tomorrow…Manasseh’s son Josiah, who was one of the most righteous kings!  But his life did not end well, as did his father’s.  more tomorrow.

           

 

           

healthy drinks

Recently I was introduced to the Acai berry.  It is a berry that comes from South America, growing on the Acai Palm, found in wet lands.  I was first introduced to it in the form of a smoothy:  one frozen Acai bar, one banana, one fist full of granola, and several cups of no sugar Almond Breeze (Acai is sweet enough);  This drink is rich in antioxidants and minerals and is delicious!  I have been adding blueberries lately....out of this world.

 

Another drink a friend just told me about is: one orange, a fist full of spinach, ice, and water.

 

A blender will work for the Acai drink, but a Vita Mixer works best to liquefy spinach and other vegetable and thick fruits. 

 

Note: my local health food store didn't have the frozen Acai, so I told them about the Sambazon company who packages it, and they had it in one day.  Acai breaks down quickly, so i am not sure if Acai in liquid form would be as good as it is frozen.

 

I realize that recipes is not the norm for my blog, but as I was reading in 1Kings 4:33, I was inspired by Solomon's vast knowledge about everything and realized that there is so much to learn...and so much that God has created for us to know and redeem...we are to subdue the earth and have dominion...there is so much yet to be discovered...listen to what is said about Solomon:

And he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springs out of the wall: he spoke also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

 

 

A Powerful Lesson from ER

This is a very powerful presentation of the gospel…I highly recommend showing this to unsaved loved ones…

If you have trouble reading this email, go to the online version.

March 17, 2007     A Powerful Lesson from ER A number of people called our attention to this clip from the popular TV series ER. It really is amazing for secular televison. The "Fair Use" law allows us to teach from it without violating copyright laws. Please send it all over the internet.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06HGc_jb6tk

 

Awkward Love

I had to share this one from Eldredge…this one hits the nail right on the head…it is just as true for men as it is women.  God be with us all.

 

Awkward Love 03/19/2008 Honest communication in love is the only way to live and grow in friendships. There are ebbs and flows. There may be real hurt and disappointment. But with the grace of God firmly holding us, it is possible to nurture and sustain deep friendships. We are designed to live in relationship and share in the lives of other women. We need one another. God knows that. We have only to ask and surrender, to wait, to hope, and, in faith, to love. We must also repent. For a woman to enjoy relationship, she must repent of her need to control and her insistence that people fill her. Fallen Eve demands that people “come through” for her. Redeemed Eve is being met in the depths of her soul by Christ and is free to offer to others, free to desire, and willing to be disappointed. Fallen Eve has been wounded by others and withdraws in order to protect herself from further harm. Redeemed Eve knows that she has something of value to offer; that she is made for relationship. Therefore, being safe and secure in her relationship with her Lord, she can risk being vulnerable with others and offer her true self. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket—safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable . . . The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers . . . of love is Hell. (C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves) (Captivating , 181–82) See also the Ransomed Heart Podcast at www.ransomedheart.com/podcast

Abundant Love and Reading

One of my favorite Bible verses is from the Apostle Paul "Though the
more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved."
On a drive through what is called the "Grapevine" in California, a
young lady around ten years of age asked me what my favorite Bible verse
was. After going through about forty verses I realized this was a very
difficult question to answer...but she wrote them all down and I hope to
share them with you as soon as she emails them to me. Hiding God's Word in
your heart is one of the most important Christian disciplines we can
practice. It was how Jesus rebuked Satan during his temptation and it is
what will keep us from succumbing to temptation as well.
I am working on chapter four from Talent is Never Enough and hope to
share it with you later tonight...i am also reading Amusing Ourselves to
Death by Neil Postman...another must read! One of the reasons America
became the greatest nation on earth was because of men and women who were
readers of the Word and other great literature with a strong moral base. Our
media based forms of communication today has dumbed down not only our level
of comprehension but our ability to discern between good and evil. "As
Richard Hofstadtler reminds us, America was founded by intellectuals, a rare
occurrence in the history of modern nations. 'The Founding Fathers,' he
writes, 'were sages, scientists, men of broad cultivation, many of them apt
in classical learning, who used their wide reading in history, politics, and
law to solve the exigent problems of their time. A society shaped by such
men does not easily move in contrary directions."
As I consider the upcoming elections for president I am reminded of
the decline in intellectualism and spiritual understanding. When for example
Douglas was to debate Lincoln, and not for a presidential or even a
congressional seat, Douglas was given three hours to address the audience
and then Lincoln was given four hours for a rebuttal. Can you imagine?
Today they are given two minutes, and three minutes! Why? Because then,
they had something of substance to say? Why? They were widely read. Lincoln
often commented upon the value of a good book as his best friend. If you
want to know the views of someone, then ask them what they have been
reading.
Not only did those who were running for office have something to
say, but the audience had the comprehension skills to listen and understand.
How many audiences would listen for seven hours to two men who weren't even
running for Congress? Again, people were engaged in a high level of
intellectual communication and they eagerly looked forward to these
discussions. Today, we no longer have discussion. We have a one way
dialogue of watching a movie; and our culture continues to be stripped of
the core values that made us great. We are disintegrating before our very
eyes and few seem to see what is happening.
In closing, I was speaking in a church not long ago and shared some
of the great books that God has used to challenge my life. The pastor, said,
"Oh, you don't have to share books with my congregation, they don't read."
What a sad commentary on this church...and it was in the very place where
America was birthed!

Most

A friend shared this short film with me tonight...it is worth viewing...

 

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=13a4a045cd290bc2ae2d

 

"A video I created for my church. It features scenes from the short film "Most; ""Most" received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Live-Action Short Film. For more information on the film, or to order a copy for your church, visit MostTheMovie.com. This is a fan-made video, and not affiliated with the producers, director, or actors in any way. I simply loved the message of this film and wanted to share it with as many people as possible to give it the recognition it deserves. God bless!"