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MaisCestLavie
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Name: Amanda
Gender: Female
Interests: God, friends, movies, music, reading, hanging out with friends, writing, scrapbooking, Gilmore Girls, Friends, Veronica Mars, M*A*S*H, Days of Our Lives
Occupation: Student
Message: message me
Member Since:
11/2/2005
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| In WWII, there
was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of
people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace. This had an amazing effect
as bombing stopped.
There is
now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: each evening at 9:00
PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central, 7:00 PM Mountain, 6:00
PM Pacific), stop whatever you
are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of
the United States, our troops, o ur citizens and for peace in the world. If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along. Someone said if people really
understood the full extent of the power we have available
through prayer, we might be
speechless.
Our
prayers are the most powerful asset we have. | | |
| It's something that God has shown me so many times...and yet I seem to keep forgetting it. He knows what He's doing. I'm so impatient, and want things in my timing. I want an easy button. I don't want to wait. I want things now, now, now. But that's now how He works, He knows what he's doing.
Yesterday, I was reading "Tramp for the Lord" by Corrie Ten Boom. [Amazing book, I recommend it to all of you] I had been feeling a little bitter towards people that I thought I had forgave awhile ago. And that was causing a little bit of bleh about it all.
She was talking about how when we are delivered, Satan's hand is taken off the bell of a rope. Even after his hand is gone, the bell continues to slowly ring until it stops. And then she uses the same example for forgiveness, "When we forgive someone, we take our hand off the rope. But if we've been tugging at our grievances for a long time, we mustn't be surprised when the old angry thoughts keep coming up for awhile. They're just ding-dongs of the old bell slowing down."
Smack! Just because I've been angry and bitter doesn't mean that I haven't forgiven them, but because I had been tugging at it for awhile...the bell isn't quite finished ringing yet. And I think when the echoes come, Satan works to try to get me to fall back into not understanding, etc.
Then I start wondering why I hadn't read that about two weeks ago when it was all really eating at me. But if I had read it then, I don't think it would have had it's full impact. And of course, God knew that. He's been with me this entire struggle, and gives me what I need every time it comes up. It's never the exact same thing, but He knows what I need. He's blessed me with people to talk and pray with, even though sometimes I felt that I wasn't getting the people exactly when I wanted to talk and pray with them. That one's happened a lot. Even when I think I know who would be best to talk and pray with, God gives me someone else.
Even when I think I have things figured out...I don't. God knows what I really need and when I need it.
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| April 24, 2007
"Like Jesus"
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all. 1 Timothy 2:5-6a
"Thanks to you, I die like Jesus Christ, to inspire generations of the weak and
the defenseless people." -- Sueng-Hui Cho, in a video sent to NBC news
By now, you may be tired of hearing about Sueng-Hui Cho, the 23-year-old gunman
who killed 32 people at Virginia Tech. You may have been disturbed by the
images that have been broadcast or upset by the endless discussion and analysis
of why he did what he did. If so, please forgive me for the topic of this
devotion, but I simply had to visit with you about one of the things Cho said in
the video he included in a packet of information which he sent to NBC News.
Did you catch it when Cho said that he "died like Jesus Christ to inspire
generations of defenseless people"?
Now, I will assume that almost all of you recognize that Cho didn't die like
Jesus Christ. You probably already know that Jesus died to give life, not to
take life. The Savior gave Himself so that those who believe on Him might have
life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). You are grateful that Jesus lived,
died, and rose, not so that we might be inspired, but so that we could be saved.
There is no question that Cho was terribly, tragically wrong in what he thought,
in what he did, and in the way he thought of the Savior.
This is why I would encourage you today to spend some time considering the great
grace that we have received through our Savior. He is the only mediator between
a holy God and sinful humankind. Today there are many erroneous beliefs about
Jesus. Some say that He was a tremendous teacher. Others would confine Him to
the role of being a fine philosopher, healer, helper, or an incredibly wise
individual.
Anyone who wishes to confine Jesus to those roles misses the point of why Jesus
lived. The Spirit inspired Paul to tell young Timothy that 'Jesus came to give
Himself as a ransom for the sinful souls of this world.' Scripture is clear.
Without the hope conveyed by the prophecies made about the Savior, or the
fulfillment made by Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection, we would be forever in
sin and damned in our transgressions.
But this day and every day, we are able to give thanks to God for the victory
that comes to us through Jesus Christ. The Savior's ransom is complete, and his
nail-pierced hands have built a new bridge between heaven and hell.
In a world of suicide bombings, mass shootings, and relentless, endless
troubles, we can give thanks because Jesus is our Savior, our Sacrifice, and our
Substitute.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, send your Holy Spirit so that those who are
disturbed, disillusioned, despondent, and depressed may see that through You,
there is hope. May they see that You have died and risen not to inspire us, but
to redeem us. May we all, with sins forgiven, rejoice that Your ransom has
brought our redemption. In Your Name. Amen. | | |
| Chocolate packs more punch than kissing
Forget
the full-blown makeout session. If it's a body and brain buzz you're
after, chocolate packs a more power (and longer-lasting) punch,
researchers say.
CanWest News Service
Published: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 LONDON
- British researchers said Monday they were stunned to discover that people get
more of a buzz from eating chocolate than passionately kissing their lovers.
"These results really surprised and intrigued us,"
said psychologist David Lewis, who led a study that recorded brain activity and
heart rate from volunteers who tasted pieces of dark chocolate or kissed their
partners.
"There is no doubt that chocolate beats kissing hands
down when it comes to providing a long-lasting body and brain buzz -- a buzz
that, in many cases, lasted four times as long as the most passionate
kiss." The 12 volunteers, all aged in their 20s, wore heart
monitors and had electrodes attached to their heads as each placed a piece of
dark chocolate on the tongue and, without chewing, indicated when it started to
melt.
The study found that -- at the point chocolate melts in the
mouth -- all areas of the brain are stimulated far more intensely and for
longer than from from kissing.
Chocolate also made the heart beat faster, according to the
study supervised by Lewis. Some people saw the number of heart beats per minute
rise from a resting rate of about 60 to as high as 140.
Kissing also made the couples' hearts pound, but not for as
long.
© The Edmonton
Journal 2007 | | |
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I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth
I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
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