tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15624789606576542012024-03-14T06:18:31.922-07:00Rachel's BlogMy blog......Poetry, Quotes, Philosophy, Theology, Randomness, Thoughts, and more.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-28914929885743348492013-03-23T11:38:00.001-07:002013-03-23T11:38:29.544-07:00<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">A Prayer in Spring</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
by Robert Frost</div>
</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day; </div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
And give us not to think so far away </div>
</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline;"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: center;">
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here </div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: center;">
All simply in the springing of the year. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white, </div>
</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night; </div>
</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
And make us happy in the happy bees, </div>
</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees. </div>
</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
And make us happy in the darting bird </div>
</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
That suddenly above the bees is heard, </div>
</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill, </div>
</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
And off a blossom in mid air stands still. </div>
</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
For this is love and nothing else is love, </div>
</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
The which it is reserved for God above </div>
</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
To sanctify to what far ends He will, </div>
</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
But which it only needs that we fulfill.</div>
</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-30899228393062511642013-03-19T22:15:00.002-07:002013-03-19T22:15:23.756-07:00George Herbert: The Elixir<br />
<center>
<h4>
<table cellpadding="2"><tbody>
<tr><td><pre> <span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span><big><big>T</big></big>Each me, my God and King,</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> In all things thee to see,</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span>And what I do in any thing,</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> To do it as for thee:</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> Not rudely, as a beast,</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> To runne into an action;</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span>But still to make thee prepossest,</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> And give it his perfection.</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> A man that looks on <a href="" name="glasse">glasse</a>,</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> On it may stay his eye;</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span>Or if he pleaseth, through it passe,</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> And then the heav’n espie.</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> All may of thee partake:</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> Nothing can be so mean,</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span>Which with his tincture (for thy sake)</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> Will not grow bright and clean.</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> A <a href="" name="servant">servant</a> with this clause</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> Makes drudgerie divine:</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span>Who sweeps a room, as for thy laws,</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> Makes that and th’ action fine.</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> This is the famous <a href="" name="stone">stone</a></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> That turneth all to gold:</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span>For that which God doth touch and own</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua, Times;"><span> Cannot for lesse be told.</span></span></pre>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</h4>
</center>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-60789542791527536502013-03-10T18:01:00.001-07:002013-03-10T18:01:28.239-07:00The Sin of Socialism<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Prov-24-30" id="en-NKJV-17110" style="background-color: white; position: relative;">"I went by the field of the lazy man, a</span><span class="text Prov-24-30" style="background-color: white; position: relative;">nd by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; a</span><span class="text Prov-24-31" id="en-NKJV-17111" style="background-color: white; position: relative;">nd there it was, all overgrown with thorns; i</span><span class="text Prov-24-31" style="background-color: white; position: relative;">ts surface was covered with nettles; i</span><span class="text Prov-24-31" style="background-color: white; position: relative;">ts stone wall was broken down. </span><span class="text Prov-24-32" id="en-NKJV-17112" style="background-color: white; position: relative;">When I saw it, I considered it well; I</span><span class="text Prov-24-32" style="background-color: white; position: relative;"> looked on it and received instruction: </span><span class="text Prov-24-33" id="en-NKJV-17113" style="background-color: white; position: relative;">A little sleep, a little slumber, a</span><span class="text Prov-24-33" style="background-color: white; position: relative;"> little folding of the hands to rest; s</span><span class="text Prov-24-34" id="en-NKJV-17114" style="background-color: white; position: relative;">o shall your poverty come like a prowler, a</span><span class="text Prov-24-34" style="background-color: white; position: relative;">nd your need like an armed man." Proverbs 24:30-34</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Prov-24-34" style="background-color: white; position: relative;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Prov-24-34" style="background-color: white; position: relative;">What is laziness? The Bible speaks many, many times of the foolishness of being lazy or s</span><span class="text Prov-24-34" style="background-color: white; position: relative;">luggish; "</span><span style="background-color: white;">Go to the ant, you sluggard! </span><span style="background-color: white;">Consider her ways and be wise." Webster's</span><span style="background-color: white;"> 1828 dictionary defines "lazy" as "</span><span style="background-color: white;">Disinclined to action or exertion; naturally or habitually slothful; sluggish; indolent; averse to labor; heavy in motion. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Slow; moving slowly or apparently with labor; as a lazy stream." Which human being does not struggle with the sin of laziness? Laziness is a particularly easy sin to fall into as it doesn't require us to do anything. It's not hard to do nothing. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Romans 1:32 also reminds us that those who approve of sin are likewise guilty. Therefore, any acceptance or encouragement of laziness is sin. I would like to offer that by this reasoning, all types of Socialism are sin by the Bible's standards. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">But what exactly is Socialism? While there</span><span style="background-color: white;"> are many varying definitions, at the heart of all of them is "equality". As Karl Marx said, </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">"From each according to their ability, to each according to their need." This is seen especially in the redistribution of wealth. President Barack Obama summed it up nicely; "</span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">It’s not that I want to punish your success. I just want to make sure everybody who is behind you, that they have got a chance at success, too. I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody." </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">This press for equality has many other implications, but the one I would like to focus on is redistribution of wealth and the creation of a welfare state. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Now as a basic example of redistribution of wealth, let us say that Taxpaying Citizen earns a good amount of money; having a high education level, steady job, and a good work ethic. Let us say that forty percent of his income is redistributed to Lazy Bum in a homeless shelter. This lazy bum hates having a steady job, and never got through college because he hated studying. Most of the money given to Lazy Bum goes to paying his cell phone bill and buying alcohol. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Now first, Taxpaying Citizen still does have a good amount of money left over for himself, but that does not negate the fact that Taxpaying Citizen has forty percent LESS money to: buy products (good for the economy), invest (good for the economy), pay his own employees (good for the economy), charitable giving (good for the economy), and save (good for the economy). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Second, would </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Taxpaying Citizen</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> have given his money to Lazy Bum if he knew that Lazy Bum would only waste it? Probably not! But the government doesn't know what Lazy Bum does with his life, and honestly doesn't care. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Third, what's going through Lazy Bum's mind as he gets his monthly check from the government? Is he thinking about putting some of this money away so that he can eventually afford a house payment and get back on his feet? No! Is he thinking about paying for a therapist to kick his alcohol addiction? No! Is he thinking about how next month he'll have a job so he won't need that check from the government each month? No! What motivation does he have to improve his lot? Absolutely none. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Lastly, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Taxpaying Citizen</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> sees Lazy Bum getting that check every month from the government and has to ask himself, why should I work so hard each month to only have my income mostly taken away, when I could be sitting back relaxing and getting my own check from the government each month? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">So what are the effects of redistribution of wealth in this example? First, money is wasted and the economy is hurt. Second, money is mismanaged. Third, the poor are not motivated to move up out of the lower class. And fourth, hard working people are discouraged to work and are instead motivated to be lazy. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">This is the problem with Socialism and particularly with redistribution of wealth. It encourages laziness. And herein is why it must be labeled as sin. It discourages hard work and furthers sin.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
Off the topic, another problem with redistribution is that it assumes that being rich is bad. Riches are actually blessings from God; as Ecclesiastes 5:19 says, "<span style="background-color: white;">As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this </span><span style="background-color: white;">is</span><span style="background-color: white;"> the gift of God." If these physical blessings are a blessing from God, who is the government to say that those blessings should be taken away and given to someone else? It is the Lord who giveth and taketh away. The government seeks to supplant God's authority and take His place through the redistribution of wealth. Thus, Socialism is also sin in that it seeks to set the government up as man's idol.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">In conclusion, we ought to reject all government and economic systems that seek to feed the man who will not work. A culture that encourages laziness will not stop with that, but will continue to decline into other sins. Our nation would do well to consider the ant; working diligently and saving up to provide for ourselves, lest God's judgement come upon us. As Isaiah 1:19-20 says, "If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-68339420690824315492012-03-14T12:22:00.000-07:002012-03-14T12:23:18.495-07:00Calvinist Satire (which I didn't write)<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" ft="{"type":1}"><span class="messageBody" ft="{"type":3}">10 REASONS WHY I AM A CALVINIST<br /><br />1. Calvinists tend to wear wool and cotton. Dispensationalists tend to wear lime-green polyester leisure suits.<br /><span class="text_exposed_show"><br />2. John Calvin was French...being French is very chic.<br /><br />3. Calvin sounds like Calvin Klein...and his clothes are very chic.<br /><br />4. Calvinists can drink.<br /><br />5. Calvinists can smoke.<br /><br /> 6. Dispensationalists are into prophecy conferences where they talk about Star-Trek eschatology and the mark of the Beast. Calvinists have conferences on "life and culture", art, social justice, and other high- brow things like that. Afterwards, we go to the local pub and talk about philosophy over a pint of Bass ale.<br /><br />7. Calvinists have close ties with Scotland and Scotland is very cool: you know --Sean Connery, the movie Highlander, Bagpipes, the Loch Ness Monster, Glenlivet 18 year old Scotch, the movie Train Spotting, Brave Heart, etc.<br /><br />8. Calvinists think we are smarter than anybody else.<br /><br /> 9. It is more socially acceptable to say, "I go to Grace Presbyterian Church" than to say, "I go to Washed In The Blood Worship Center", "I go to Sonlife Charismatic Believers Assembly", or to say "I go to Boston Berean Bible Believing Baptist Bethel", or to say "I go to the Latter-Day- Rain Deliverance Tabernacle Prophecy Center, Inc.", or to say "I go to the Philadelphia Church of the Majority Text", or to say "I go to the Lithuanian Apostolic Orthodox Autocephalic Church of the Baltic union of 1838".<br /><br />10. Ultimately, I am a Calvinist because I had no choice in the matter."</span></span></h6>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-5587643511675678812011-11-18T08:19:00.000-08:002011-11-18T08:28:00.919-08:00Ten reasons I am not a Baptist<span jsid="text" class="commentBody">10.) Doesn’t household mean household?<br /><br />9.) How do children who are disallowed from the covenant make it a new and better covenant?<br /><br /> 8.) Let me get this straight. Does the Baptist really expect me to believe that the Jews were absolutely incensed at the idea that Gentiles were now in the covenant without circumcision but accepted that their children were no longer in the covenant even with circumcision – and they accepted the latter without so much as a whimper recorded in the NT? You want me to believe that on one day Jewish children were included in the covenant and on the next day they had to wait until they were old enough to vote for Jesus on the matter. Hello?<br /><br />7.) I didn’t wait for my children to ask me into their hearts before I named them and made them a part of my family. Why should I expect God to wait for His covenant seed to ask Jesus into their hearts before He names them in Baptism and makes them part of the family of God?<br /><br />6.) I can’t get my mind around the fact that Pentecost amounted to the excommunication of children.<br /><br />5.) “Forbid not the children to come unto me,” must mean something.<br /><br /> 4.) If I were a Baptist and required explicit instructions from the New Testament before I baptized infants then I could not give communion to women? Imagine how that would go over.<br /><br />3.) I read the Bible as one book … one story.<br /><br />2.) I believe the children go with the parents. Call me old fashioned.<br /><br />And the number one reason I am not a Baptist,<br /><br />No one can tell me if I’ve reached the age of accountability yet.<br /><br /><br />From Bret McAtee<br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-30650673891234216412011-08-16T18:43:00.000-07:002011-08-16T18:59:30.524-07:00Tea-time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqvay_xCJY_PpYdmmPrJwccCdgognLpV8OLN0JYEGGpJAAYCgOwGsC7DqQUMt9SpEPxoYfLzj5poIs-0oQF8O5bvynhg-MUxKlK1lJezDfJwIRJi7F9G2koIqzlg4kf9J89gFxwzqScE/s1600/tumblr_l7xhf2wrns1qa13gio1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqvay_xCJY_PpYdmmPrJwccCdgognLpV8OLN0JYEGGpJAAYCgOwGsC7DqQUMt9SpEPxoYfLzj5poIs-0oQF8O5bvynhg-MUxKlK1lJezDfJwIRJi7F9G2koIqzlg4kf9J89gFxwzqScE/s320/tumblr_l7xhf2wrns1qa13gio1_500.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641638327513016002" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-family:georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif;">"A Proper Tea is much nicer than a Very Nearly Tea, which is one you forget about afterwards." ~A.A. Milne
<br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-83333014567263677452011-05-23T09:50:00.000-07:002011-05-23T09:51:02.981-07:00It is to this that we are heading...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p><b><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"">Karl Marx's "10 Planks" to seize power and destroy freedom:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook""></span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Century Schoolbook";mso-bidi-font-family:"Century Schoolbook""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">1.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"">Abolition of Property in Land and Application of all Rents of Land to Public Purpose. </span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Century Schoolbook";mso-bidi-font-family:"Century Schoolbook""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">2.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"">A Heavy Progressive or Graduated Income Tax. </span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Century Schoolbook";mso-bidi-font-family:"Century Schoolbook""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">3.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"">Abolition of All Rights of Inheritance. </span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Century Schoolbook";mso-bidi-font-family:"Century Schoolbook""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">4.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"">Confiscation of the Property of All Emigrants and Rebels. </span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Century Schoolbook";mso-bidi-font-family:"Century Schoolbook""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">5.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"">Centralization of Credit in the Hands of the State, by Means of a National Bank with State Capital and an Exclusive Monopoly. </span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Century Schoolbook";mso-bidi-font-family:"Century Schoolbook""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">6.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"">Centralization of the Means of Communication and Transport in the Hands of the State. </span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Century Schoolbook";mso-bidi-font-family:"Century Schoolbook""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">7.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"">Extension of Factories and Instruments of Production Owned by the State, the Bringing Into Cultivation of Waste Lands, and the Improvement of the Soil Generally in Accordance with a Common Plan.</span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Century Schoolbook";mso-bidi-font-family:"Century Schoolbook""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">8.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"">Equal Liability of All to Labor. Establishment of Industrial Armies, Especially for Agriculture. </span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Century Schoolbook";mso-bidi-font-family:"Century Schoolbook""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">9.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"">Combination of Agriculture with Manufacturing Industries; Gradual Abolition of the Distinction Between Town and Country by a More Equable Distribution of the Population over the Country. </span></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Century Schoolbook";mso-bidi-font-family:"Century Schoolbook""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">10.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Century Schoolbook"">Free Education for All Children in Public Schools. Abolition of Children's Factory Labor in it's Present Form. Combination of Education with Industrial Production. </span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-41438100592990780082011-01-05T16:53:00.000-08:002011-01-05T16:56:18.846-08:00Pattern GiveawayA friend passed this along to me. Enter into the giveaway to win the pattern!<br /><br />http://sensibility.com/blog/a-new-pattern-company-and-a-giveaway/Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-63101658667767053842010-12-22T07:08:00.000-08:002010-12-22T07:09:56.401-08:00Holly and the Ivy<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Throughout the Celtic lands of Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, holly and ivy were symbols of victory won. Holly, representing masculine triumph, and ivy, representing feminine triumph, were often woven together as a sign that men and women need one another. Homes were decorated during Advent with both—often woven together—as a picture of the healthy family under God’s gracious providential hand.</p><p class="MsoNormal">(hat-tip to <a href="http://grantian.blogspot.com/">George Grant</a>)<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-71768285712290163152010-12-22T07:05:00.001-08:002010-12-22T07:07:37.705-08:00Sleigh Rides<div class="post-body entry-content"> Mimicking the supposed pattern of pastoral care practiced by Nicholas of Myra, the sleigh ride—particularly on Christmas Eve—gradually was woven into the joyous celebration of Christmas. Beginning in Scandanavia, spreading to Germany, England, Scotland, and finally New England, the sounds of the jingling bells, the tramping of horses through the snow, and the brisk wind through the trees became essential elements in provoking the Yuletide Spirit.<br /><br />(hat-tip to <a href="http://grantian.blogspot.com/">George Grant)</a><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-34424652558723918762010-12-14T20:11:00.000-08:002010-12-14T20:13:50.158-08:00Never fear!I am in the middle of writing several posts in my new series. Unfortunately, my laptop is in the repair shop, so I have extremely limited internet access. Once I get it back, expect a flurry of posts (hopefully).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-47255591572134423752010-12-02T09:37:00.000-08:002010-12-02T09:46:58.732-08:00What have I gotten myself into?I am hesitantly going to start a series of posts. Hesitantly, because I've never done something like this before, and I don't know if I'll be able to stick to it. Really, my life isn't busy enough. I ought to be able to make time for this, right? We'll see....<br /><br />So here's the theme; the life of Christ. I'm going to start with history leading up to Christ's birth, till he is finally born on Christmas day, then follow his life till his death on Easter. Scripture, quotes, and exegesis.<br /><br />This first post is kind of a cheat actually. I didn't write this next part. It came from George Grant's <a href="http://grantian.blogspot.com/">blog</a>. But I thought it was appropriate.<br /><br />"The holiday season—what we generically just call Christmastime—is actually a long sequence of holy days, festal revelries, and liturgical rites stretching from the end of November through the beginning of January that are collectively known as Yuletide. <br /><br />Beginning with Advent, a time of preparation and repentance, proceeding to Christmas, a time of celebration and generosity, and concluding with Epiphany, a time of remembrance and thanksgiving, Yuletide traditions enable us to see out the old year with faith and love while ushering in the new year with hope and joy. <br /><br />It is a season fraught with meaning and significance. Unfortunately, it is also such a busy season that its meaning and significance can all too easily be obscured either by well-intended materialistic pursuits—frenzied shopping trips to the mall to find just the right Christmas gift—or by the less benign demands, desires, wants, and needs which are little more than grist for human greed. The traditions of Yuletide were intended to guard us against such things—and thus, are actually more relevant today than ever before."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-12770577677668342782010-11-14T18:31:00.000-08:002010-11-14T18:34:39.769-08:00God and Evil from Iron Ink"God is not the author of evil simply because whatever God sovereignly determines to come to pass, cannot, by definition, be evil. Since God is good, all that God does is good. If God has not declared that it is evil for himself to metaphysically cause evil, then man is evil to say that it is evil for God to do so. Joseph implicitly confessed that God caused the evil that was visited upon Joseph (Genesis 50:20) but Joseph was wise enough to see that the same action that God caused and that his Brothers caused was differentiated by the reality that God’s metaphysical causation of that evil was for good while the his Brother’s temporal causation of that same evil was for evil. The difference was motive. Do not miss here that God caused the “evil” but because God caused it, it was an evil that was intended for and resulted in good.<br /><br />I would contend that this is why God is not the author of evil. God is not the author of evil because it is literally impossible for a divine being to do or cause anything that is evil. God has ordained whatsoever comes to pass and because God is good whatsoever that comes to pass, is a reality for which God cannot be charged as the author of sin."<br /><br />--Pastor Bret McAtee on <a href="http://ironink.org/index.php?blog=1&title=god_aamp_evil&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments">Iron Ink</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-37660294312552164482010-11-10T11:53:00.000-08:002010-11-10T11:55:23.527-08:00Blessed beyond comparison<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Just getting around to posting this. I hope to do one of these every month, sometime. Hopefully, they'll get longer and longer. :)<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Good Things 10-28-10</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">1. Not having to rake the leaves because the wind blew them away</p> <p class="MsoNormal">2. Friends who text you in the middle of the night</p> <p class="MsoNormal">3. Getting woken in the middle of the night by a text that says you are loved</p> <p class="MsoNormal">4. Finally getting that chord progression right on the guitar without looking</p> <p class="MsoNormal">5. A family of believers who are united by one belief</p> <p class="MsoNormal">6. Someone who agrees with you in the midst of a crowd who disagrees.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">7. Someone who cares for you even when you screw up</p> <p class="MsoNormal">8. Siblings not blood-related</p> <p class="MsoNormal">9. The smell of fresh herbs on your hands</p> <p class="MsoNormal">10. Music that says exactly what you’re trying to say</p> <p class="MsoNormal">11. Dancing</p> <p class="MsoNormal">12. The funniest sister in the world</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-43875161147249021772010-11-01T12:30:00.000-07:002010-11-01T12:52:01.725-07:00Reformation Day 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgPLfSaydDh8z4edP_N5KhJT-EhK57-bAi6QHSdZJPlnt9AJjFTqpYAaliwc0d8Ce28LeKEn4T7DH6QFF7N2Z1k76Qy3kJ9bFMx59-w_cz9A-r8tI32d5LUMdFTUwy8EtHmXcwfb07qY/s1600/Wittenburg.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgPLfSaydDh8z4edP_N5KhJT-EhK57-bAi6QHSdZJPlnt9AJjFTqpYAaliwc0d8Ce28LeKEn4T7DH6QFF7N2Z1k76Qy3kJ9bFMx59-w_cz9A-r8tI32d5LUMdFTUwy8EtHmXcwfb07qY/s320/Wittenburg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534666989818169362" border="0" /></a><br />Ok, so I'm a little late, Reformation Day was October 31st. But I did want to post something anyways. Here's a bit from Wikipedia about the day.<br /><br />"According to Philipp Melanchthon, writing in 1546, Luther "wrote theses on indulgences and posted them on the church of All Saints on 31 October 1517", an event now seen as sparking the Protestant Reformation."<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sola Scriptura</span> (by Scripture alone)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sola Fide</span> (through faith alone)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sola Gratia</span> (by Grace alone)<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Solus Christus</span> (in the finished work of Christ alone)<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Soli Deo Gloria</span> (to the Glory of God alone)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-22617660469426728092010-10-07T17:03:00.000-07:002010-10-07T17:04:23.969-07:00"A Vagabond Song" by Bliss Carmen<i>There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood--<br />Touch of manner, hint of mood;<br />And my heart is like a rhyme,<br />With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time.<br /><br />The scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry<br />Of bugles going by.<br />And my lonely spirit thrills<br />To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills.<br /><br />There is something in October sets my gypsy blood astir;<br />We must rise and follow her,<br />When from every hill of flame<br />She calls and calls each vagabond by name.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-23629546904388294012010-10-05T20:07:00.000-07:002010-10-05T20:10:55.011-07:00Good quote"It is the love of God for the Christian which causes them to fear Him, while for the pagan it is their hate of God which drives them to fear Him. Undoubtedly, both these fears are born of the same thing; respect for his sovereignty, yet each of the fears are born of a different verb and therefore are totally different.<br />The first, the fear born of love, is not the fear of punishment but the understanding of His Sovereignty and His Awesomeness. It is a fear that finds its beginning in reverence and awe, causing the Christian to praise God daily for His loving-kindness and mercy. Pouring out into every aspect of life, this fear assists the Christian to be sanctified.<br />The second is a fear twisted and tortured by hatred, for fear is a Godly passion. It is the fear of punishment and the recognition of the eternal damnation to come. This hate-driven fear is what causes a man to fall farther and farther into the path of darkness. Constantly bringing death and mayhem wherever it goes, this fear can only be conquered through Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-70754829550600206622010-10-05T19:03:00.000-07:002010-10-05T19:04:41.036-07:00VisionarySometimes, we miss the meaning of a song when we sing it, so try reading it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Be Thou My Vision</span><br /><br />Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,<br />be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;<br />be thou my best thought in the day and the night,<br />both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.<br /><br />Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,<br />be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord;<br />be thou my great Father, and I thy true son;<br />be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.<br /><br />Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;<br />be thou my whole armor, be thou my true might;<br />be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my strong tower:<br />O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.<br /><br />Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise:<br />be thou mine inheritance now and always;<br />be thou and thou only the first in my heart;<br />O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-49157980271121733082010-09-23T10:23:00.000-07:002010-09-23T10:37:34.451-07:00So funny! This played before WALL-E in theaters<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/7461633" frameborder="0" height="225" width="400"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/7461633">Pixar.Short.Presto.2008.BluRay FULLHD</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1107190">SUNKO</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-36167126315986514892010-09-22T13:43:00.000-07:002010-09-22T13:48:57.275-07:00Polycarp - A Father of the Christian ChurchWe learned a little about Polycarp in our Christendom class this morning, so I looked up more about him and this is what I found.<br /><br />"Polycarp is a celebrated figure in the history of Christianity. A direct pupil of the apostle John, Polycarp lived between 70 and 155 A.D., connecting him to both the biblical apostles and the age of the early church fathers. Several ancient sources document the contributions of Polycarp to Christianity, including his letters written to the church at Philippi, in which he encourages the members to remain strong in their faith and to flee from materialism. He also instructs the members in the proper handling of financial dishonesty that was creeping into the church. Polycarp served as the bishop of the church at Smyrna (modern day Izmir), and was recognized as one of the early combatants of Christian heresies. He rejected the teachings of Marcion, an influential heretic who tried to create a "new brand" of Christianity by redefining God and rejecting Old Testament teachings. In his well-known thesis, Polycarp combats Gnostic heresies that were beginning to spread throughout the Christian church.<br /><br />Polycarp's greatest contribution to Christianity may be his martyred death. His martyrdom stands as one of the most well documented events of antiquity. The emperors of Rome had unleashed bitter attacks against the Christians during this period, and members of the early church recorded many of the persecutions and deaths. Polycarp was arrested on the charge of being a Christian -- a member of a politically dangerous cult whose rapid growth needed to be stopped. Amidst an angry mob, the Roman proconsul took pity on such a gentle old man and urged Polycarp to proclaim, "Caesar is Lord". If only Polycarp would make this declaration and offer a small pinch of incense to Caesar's statue he would escape torture and death. To this Polycarp responded, "Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" Steadfast in his stand for Christ, Polycarp refused to compromise his beliefs, and thus, was burned alive at the stake.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-68295886876664938082010-09-03T07:53:00.000-07:002010-09-03T08:10:13.648-07:00Here is a portion from the book <span style="font-style: italic;">Walking on Water</span> by Madeleine L'Engle. She can be a little strange at times, but also brilliant, as in these two paragraphs.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Robert Lindner, author of Rebel Without a Cause, The 50 Minute Hour, etc. Concludes in Must We Conform? That society today shows all the clinical symptoms of psychosis. This isn’t the first time that a civilization has suffered from collective insanity, but one of the gravest dangers is the loss of the distinction between vision and delusion. Far too often today children are taught, both in school and at home, to equate truth with fact. If we can’t understand something and dissect it with our conscious minds then it isn’t true. In our anxiety to limit ourselves to that which we can comprehend definitively, we are losing all that is above, beyond, below, through, past, over that small area encompassed by our conscious minds.<br /> <br />The result of this artificial limitation is rebellion. The destructive rebellion is the most apparent—the alarming rise in the number of juvenile delinquents, the school dropouts, the continuing dependence on drugs. But there is also constructive rebellion on the part of our kids, as in their rediscovery of fairy tale, fantasy, myth; needle-work, and stained glass and ceramics; dancing and singing and baroque music; surely their passion for the Pachelbel canon is a passion for order in a disordered world. And they love the combination of order and delight in a Bach fugue. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-7510570795082633412010-09-02T16:32:00.000-07:002010-09-02T16:35:39.915-07:00Good Advice.1. Pray<br />2. Go to bed on time.<br />3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.<br />4. Say no to projects that won't fit into your schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.<br />5. Delegate tasks to capable others.<br />6. Simplify and declutter your life.<br />7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)<br />8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.<br />9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.<br />10. Take one day at a time.<br />11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.<br />12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.<br />13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.<br />14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble. <br />15. Do something for the Kid in you every day.<br />16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.<br />17. Get enough rest.<br />18. Eat right.<br />19. Get organized so everything has its place.<br />20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.<br />21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.<br />22. Every day, find time to be alone.<br />23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.<br />24. Make friends with Godly people.<br />25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.<br />26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus .'<br />27. Laugh.<br />28. Laugh some more!<br />29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.<br />30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).<br />31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).<br />32. Sit on your ego.<br />33. Talk less; listen more.<br />34. Slow down.<br />35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.<br />36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-58713791387627382462010-09-02T06:41:00.000-07:002010-09-02T07:09:28.001-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">I thought I would share some pictures from around our place.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Wd5Svb1Z1_A6DrOOoWCWI22FDCR71sqDB2BLMna4KHoQaIi6DemTXpilcwvmRj_I_QVkQ0A9eoTshWcRTeo67zH6TsxsMUVLr7aXPuGnoYbO2Wfsr3010s7khUGTVYL53oym2bpS3vQ/s1600/IMG_1970.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Wd5Svb1Z1_A6DrOOoWCWI22FDCR71sqDB2BLMna4KHoQaIi6DemTXpilcwvmRj_I_QVkQ0A9eoTshWcRTeo67zH6TsxsMUVLr7aXPuGnoYbO2Wfsr3010s7khUGTVYL53oym2bpS3vQ/s320/IMG_1970.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512314784214603906" border="0" /></a>Here's Sarah with her 'I'll-smile-and-let-you-take-my-picture-if-you-really-want' face.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaKLOwa9_mkKsCy96BRkum4l-q5dPbLxPClrnEyb8E4gk06IMmTIOIpQDWCUVa8fU71u5oDtc7HlmEEICDbUvmexMmWfLKgAFtADbQP-REVLLX-jHCr8xf1FrCbK4iC9_uiXOY5E1W8Y/s1600/IMG_1973.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaKLOwa9_mkKsCy96BRkum4l-q5dPbLxPClrnEyb8E4gk06IMmTIOIpQDWCUVa8fU71u5oDtc7HlmEEICDbUvmexMmWfLKgAFtADbQP-REVLLX-jHCr8xf1FrCbK4iC9_uiXOY5E1W8Y/s320/IMG_1973.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512314776241638050" border="0" /></a>Magnificent basil plant in our front flower garden.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_l4FrixxTbvjmBCrEussB_h3EjMmH4BYlcpgh105G2FNzwjKrdhK8VXOaKFvh5rIffrY5IvgWX7Zz9T7KIGYdQwl5ZSOBEdQcG8Orh1vha_ywmZGZJ0txtud7Wcz7zarui0DNTOEnWg/s1600/IMG_1974.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_l4FrixxTbvjmBCrEussB_h3EjMmH4BYlcpgh105G2FNzwjKrdhK8VXOaKFvh5rIffrY5IvgWX7Zz9T7KIGYdQwl5ZSOBEdQcG8Orh1vha_ywmZGZJ0txtud7Wcz7zarui0DNTOEnWg/s320/IMG_1974.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512314759135309762" border="0" /></a>Row of fall lettuces my mom put in, also in the front yard.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqnjrii-Ra9_h5A3_IhZf0-0PYQXTANdHVI3Pw8GUqwW2SFswGbtU_f3bpxP15hKdBuc87IwvB8J3UiOYK3tiXFN4j5ASsgyoSQGXqDAWOCdZ-E2st6SrtdxkHwyUngwrIYtgxE8FwiI/s1600/IMG_1975.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqnjrii-Ra9_h5A3_IhZf0-0PYQXTANdHVI3Pw8GUqwW2SFswGbtU_f3bpxP15hKdBuc87IwvB8J3UiOYK3tiXFN4j5ASsgyoSQGXqDAWOCdZ-E2st6SrtdxkHwyUngwrIYtgxE8FwiI/s320/IMG_1975.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512314757056930466" border="0" /></a>Chickens in the front yard, right where they don't belong.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4w252fCpG2I3n4eitjs7T8lWcjWf8ELbzLGdKKSpZFy3b-ckPP5yc5Pfm1FZg08ZESmWzAY1HFs_mtTVKSvCNMvKk6_wJyorHhXcm3P9eO1YtXCYxGKgVanNJAX8_R_qthOkv4cY1uM4/s1600/IMG_1976.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4w252fCpG2I3n4eitjs7T8lWcjWf8ELbzLGdKKSpZFy3b-ckPP5yc5Pfm1FZg08ZESmWzAY1HFs_mtTVKSvCNMvKk6_wJyorHhXcm3P9eO1YtXCYxGKgVanNJAX8_R_qthOkv4cY1uM4/s320/IMG_1976.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512314747897632674" border="0" /></a>"Moving along..."<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRdD-ZAA0_mELuPDSMkXPo0VJnfnsAwCxqk_KsCXXeJc5VKjKBp9W1cF5fOonjIXXcca6QB16PfTsF8Z0h4vRQ5AuTWQi-X5_jrMs6QbjVl6n3lT8WIRkfgGuVwS7q_PWHnwYzQfD3Uo/s1600/IMG_1978.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRdD-ZAA0_mELuPDSMkXPo0VJnfnsAwCxqk_KsCXXeJc5VKjKBp9W1cF5fOonjIXXcca6QB16PfTsF8Z0h4vRQ5AuTWQi-X5_jrMs6QbjVl6n3lT8WIRkfgGuVwS7q_PWHnwYzQfD3Uo/s320/IMG_1978.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512313768495057138" border="0" /></a>Peaches with her chicks<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBlsUIk-H0-2Rg-lrBpZTwvvkvP7FIJ8aCG_9mgUnTVsJZufrIBEzMKb6E5bPLuTIyfCvGO11wl4Ts7-E3AnOK_oNqDUvIF1S640voX9Fs07xcqAzRCI3pWhJR06lT19LVxR7-7F3VsE/s1600/IMG_1979.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBlsUIk-H0-2Rg-lrBpZTwvvkvP7FIJ8aCG_9mgUnTVsJZufrIBEzMKb6E5bPLuTIyfCvGO11wl4Ts7-E3AnOK_oNqDUvIF1S640voX9Fs07xcqAzRCI3pWhJR06lT19LVxR7-7F3VsE/s320/IMG_1979.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512313759571527666" border="0" /></a>Part of our overrun garden, which my mom has been clearing out.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pP6Jkx7CU9KGI_4CymAuVWpE9dnSrUaxtfplwY9znP6DSkWvfc602sF9rGyE3a26u7I67xZX7XMBoXhWz08mZzqVEoaG2QDkmCZvoWxaZptNT7pZZTQreNeBQIJxGhXvmLfd8HVveFk/s1600/IMG_1980.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pP6Jkx7CU9KGI_4CymAuVWpE9dnSrUaxtfplwY9znP6DSkWvfc602sF9rGyE3a26u7I67xZX7XMBoXhWz08mZzqVEoaG2QDkmCZvoWxaZptNT7pZZTQreNeBQIJxGhXvmLfd8HVveFk/s320/IMG_1980.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512313751273861314" border="0" /></a>My garden! Tomatoes and Basil.<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleU9-04RcWk362h1ygbYIdr8jTxiE2-sF5LC3aMogAC9nd6-KAh38D9kcNbTVdSxj7UkggGKn3orVaX1hFTMrHyiZsTfD7rhuitIQCNaltyQQy-llUAC0v-PMk_pqwrRtaeNTToA9PQ4/s1600/IMG_1981.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleU9-04RcWk362h1ygbYIdr8jTxiE2-sF5LC3aMogAC9nd6-KAh38D9kcNbTVdSxj7UkggGKn3orVaX1hFTMrHyiZsTfD7rhuitIQCNaltyQQy-llUAC0v-PMk_pqwrRtaeNTToA9PQ4/s320/IMG_1981.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512313742595754850" border="0" /></a>Some of my beautiful tomatoes, which need to start turning red now!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMftykGruuND1_2sM-uTgXzXbNhZwOiuYwsNt5SbgYSh8gs4dWjBb_8IcY-Tadk5-GkzRbUR42ZGoKgaKetrZRM9ueyMWjuTJGGsynJJH8fXVNl7-pUMhdSRwrc5mepd5iw3kMzxS5xS4/s1600/IMG_1982.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMftykGruuND1_2sM-uTgXzXbNhZwOiuYwsNt5SbgYSh8gs4dWjBb_8IcY-Tadk5-GkzRbUR42ZGoKgaKetrZRM9ueyMWjuTJGGsynJJH8fXVNl7-pUMhdSRwrc5mepd5iw3kMzxS5xS4/s320/IMG_1982.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512312721632078210" border="0" /></a>Red on the maples already?! :-)<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhwL6komTntPK_qqiJhTjF_keyfySncnDCZsPBTfIzco5SHPOvHjC_NQmkN1BUkeCTYpOnhypu4kr9UUoIyZltKkR_arSYdIn5Uuvm7XZIT7R1FPaYgN4g1wJAx56i3u8uoo8a_zgGao/s1600/IMG_1983.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhwL6komTntPK_qqiJhTjF_keyfySncnDCZsPBTfIzco5SHPOvHjC_NQmkN1BUkeCTYpOnhypu4kr9UUoIyZltKkR_arSYdIn5Uuvm7XZIT7R1FPaYgN4g1wJAx56i3u8uoo8a_zgGao/s320/IMG_1983.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512312709132796690" border="0" /></a>This one always turns early.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PpC8J3TZFruMtaKIZEKYLxkXInl2_uWN48Xz5OSKYQ-TsoJ0RBAQXBHDOxUQYVJxKYFkR3vagdtUs1PThkfKqNRU-qD73YZYb9m-DWodd58QKkKe9_Yj0NO2yuMapYpCOM8TnGORoT0/s1600/IMG_1984.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PpC8J3TZFruMtaKIZEKYLxkXInl2_uWN48Xz5OSKYQ-TsoJ0RBAQXBHDOxUQYVJxKYFkR3vagdtUs1PThkfKqNRU-qD73YZYb9m-DWodd58QKkKe9_Yj0NO2yuMapYpCOM8TnGORoT0/s320/IMG_1984.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512312697986906658" border="0" /></a>Peach tree.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6xcVB7MaiJgPmidyJRClNOhjrCuTSLYWUIy65QWHwruvJ0ojbDrdygDjkO6f5_mMd_Pxe4NU5fb6AAsQ5SvIdNyinX3ZJiiaCmWDMjUa5XNe6oKYAitanYvfnKXOE5GfWUPBUhZbr4Y/s1600/IMG_1985.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6xcVB7MaiJgPmidyJRClNOhjrCuTSLYWUIy65QWHwruvJ0ojbDrdygDjkO6f5_mMd_Pxe4NU5fb6AAsQ5SvIdNyinX3ZJiiaCmWDMjUa5XNe6oKYAitanYvfnKXOE5GfWUPBUhZbr4Y/s320/IMG_1985.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512312122656338882" border="0" /></a>Peach...yum...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxClK4dVsAtMpsC3WG1DbOadfyBdqN_L9tWhH0bg8m_sV9RIFcMFUVvFoJGhjc02AN6-iNILs2h21QxM6jEIGzLwgsLhz88z4I8L42HSkCAuebHcrsCwPXqr9CXLA6Yeddi_rwIspvKVs/s1600/IMG_1988.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxClK4dVsAtMpsC3WG1DbOadfyBdqN_L9tWhH0bg8m_sV9RIFcMFUVvFoJGhjc02AN6-iNILs2h21QxM6jEIGzLwgsLhz88z4I8L42HSkCAuebHcrsCwPXqr9CXLA6Yeddi_rwIspvKVs/s320/IMG_1988.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512312107909189762" border="0" /></a>Walnut tree<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGhOA0Tj3kGULmuga051hyqCemupUgEmIf22oHG3sHomlEDOR9KNrOnnpx1cd9Na8iH0YHYi_mGtYo360lFU2YZbiiSKQm2GTd2yAiaGuyC00QTm3HI7fsg1xmn_h5x7ysWbeN3vIU-8/s1600/IMG_1989.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGhOA0Tj3kGULmuga051hyqCemupUgEmIf22oHG3sHomlEDOR9KNrOnnpx1cd9Na8iH0YHYi_mGtYo360lFU2YZbiiSKQm2GTd2yAiaGuyC00QTm3HI7fsg1xmn_h5x7ysWbeN3vIU-8/s320/IMG_1989.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512312096509468290" border="0" /></a>You would think we were gearing up for a bonfire? ;-)<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0b75Jz0MD4vFJQlmYms7SUBg9MuwHnTuzGkvwpbbXvt8xdDyNAk6QKRQqJ2A8YQfIFng_M_RaV-AT5K_y1-n00D5CMOZBaRUoYdiCRG_g5mpnn9-wRK7T8HiSto0p1R60cKXjrUxFtq8/s1600/IMG_1990.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0b75Jz0MD4vFJQlmYms7SUBg9MuwHnTuzGkvwpbbXvt8xdDyNAk6QKRQqJ2A8YQfIFng_M_RaV-AT5K_y1-n00D5CMOZBaRUoYdiCRG_g5mpnn9-wRK7T8HiSto0p1R60cKXjrUxFtq8/s320/IMG_1990.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512311159410133554" border="0" /></a>And the blueberry farm across the street.<br /><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-90303862679732708632010-08-30T13:38:00.000-07:002010-08-30T13:39:12.560-07:00FIXED!Yay! I figured out how to fix the design of my blog!!! Like???Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1562478960657654201.post-30888446727070011022010-08-30T12:52:00.000-07:002010-08-30T12:54:31.390-07:00Blog design?My blog design seems to be messing up, and I was wondering what you guys saw. When I view my blog in Firefox, the design is a dark gray. When I view it in Internet Explorer, it's the flower design that I'm trying to apply. Just wondering if its the same for my readers?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556361655167160100noreply@blogger.com1