Scripture On Sundays - Get Yourself Ready For Him

The main message during the Advent season is....getting yourself mentally and spiritually in the right mindset, so you can be ready for the arrival of Christ.  We do this by reflecting, commemorating and rejoicing in His birth, while continuing to learn and abide by what He taught us, knowing He will return again.

Philippians 1:9-11

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and depth of insight and perception,

10 to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—for the glory and praise of God.

Luke 3:2b-6

....the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.

3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.

5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.
6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.' "

We all need to work on 'straightening' out whatever is wrong in our lives.... and make it right.  We'll be much better off in the long run, and Our Lord and Creator deserves it too.  Just as a loving parent wants all of their children to do what is right and good because it is a reflection of us and our parenting skills....God our Father wants and expects the same from us also.  It is because we are told we are all His children and we are created in His image and likeness.  So shouldn't we want to make Him proud of us?    
To do this we need to be reminded of His message, which is to respect and love Him, respect and love yourself, and respect and love others.  It's that simple.  So why is this so hard to do sometimes?  Why do some want to reject this message?  All of His laws and commandments are summed up by using one word....LOVE.     

I'd also like to use some other encouraging, but non-biblical slogans too, such as the U.S. Army's "Be all you can be" and Nike's "Just do it"!

If we strive for excellence, we need to make sure of one thing....that we're doing it for the right reasons.  Those grounded in faith will know how to make their path straight and they will be rewarded for their efforts.  Many have become successful, only to be caught up in the fame and glory which makes their path 'crooked' and ends up destroying their lives.  How many celebrities and politicians can I mention that fall into this category?  Unfortunately, the list is quite long. 

There's also another saying that is "We need to learn from other people's mistakes, because we're not going to make them all ourselves".  Those people, especially religious conservatives who originally spoke of morals, values and ethics, but then have an incident where they have "fallen from grace", shouldn't necessarily be called hypocrits.  We're all human, and we all make mistakes.  At least they had the right ideas and the best of intentions to begin with, but unfortunately may have ended up falling short of those lofty ideals.  I think it's still better that they made the effort to promote these values, even if they fell short, instead of the opposite.  I'm speaking of the ones who condone, and may even promote unethical and/or immoral behavior and/or tactics right from the start.  Then when they have a 'fall from grace' the rational you often hear is, their private life is none of our business.  We shouldn't care.  But I do not accept that, especially if this person is supposed to be a role model, or is in a position of leadership and influence. 

We should all be responsible for our actions.  We should have some high standards set for ourselves, especially the ones in the public eye.  May God Our Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, which is three manifested into One God, continue to be our guide, our salvation and our inspiration, so that we can be the best that we can be.  Living by what's taught in the Bible will make our lives here on earth better.  He would never steer us wrong!  And it will also help to prepare us for when we meet Him again.          

Satire On Saturdays - A Golfer and His Wife

With all the news about Tiger Woods, I thought I would

share this joke with you.  But I would first like to make a
few comments that every man should hear and understand.

HELL HATH NO FURY AS A WOMAN SCORNED,
whether it be your wife or the mistresses!  I assume many
of you have now heard that one of Tiger's 'other' women
is supposedly getting jealous of all the other gals coming
out of the woodwork.  Duh?!  Did she actually think she
was the only one????  Is that why I've heard that these
women are now being referred to as cockroaches?  It
means 'if you've seen one, you know there's going to be
more coming out after dark'!  How flattering is that?

It's such a shame, the tangled web we weave.  I say not
only shame on Tiger, but shame on the women also, for
knowingly getting involved with a married man.  But they
obviously didn't care that he had a wife and children at
home.  Classy gals, huh? 

And doesn't Tiger know he will be paying dearly for all
of these indiscretions too?  I wonder if he is thinking
if those moments of infidelity were worth it?  Now, not
only his wife, but these other women want some big pay
off money from him, for all that 'fun' he had.

I also believe these other women had no interest in him
other than to have bragging rights that they slept with a
very rich sports celebrity.  I imagine Tiger didn't realize
at the time, that he was being used by these flirtatous
women.  And even if he did, he probably didn't mind,
because he knew he was going to take advantage of
the opportunity to be using them too!  But it's kind of
backfiring on him now! 

Everyone involved probably felt at the time that they
were being pretty adventurous, fun-loving and slick, but
actually there's plenty of stupidity to go around here.  I
think God knew why we shouldn't commit adultery.  Many
are not wise enough to take the time to think about how
much it will complicate their lives (don't forget STD'S too),
not to mention all the people that get hurt in the process also. 
But many think they will never get caught.  Well, they better
wise up, especially now that we're living in this electronic
age of text messages, cell phone cameras, caller ID, e-mails
and voicemails.  That's a lot of stuff to try to cover up! 
How much anxiety that must cause.       
 
Now this golfer in the joke below was not fooling around
on his wife, so it's not exactly the same situation that Tiger
has gotten himself into, but his actions are idiotic and just
as dangerous, none the less!  


Here's another example of how NOT to treat your wife.

A Letter from Wayne ...

It is important for men to remember that, as women
grow older, it becomes harder for them to maintain the
same quality of housekeeping as when they were younger.

When you notice this, try to show some understanding.
My name is Wayne, and let me relate how I handled the
situation with my wife, Beverly. 

When I got an early retirement a few years ago, it
became necessary for Bev to get a full-time job, along with
her part-time job, both for extra income and for the health
benefits that we needed. 

Shortly after she started working, I noticed she was
beginning to show her age. I usually get home from the
golf course about the same time she gets home from work.

Although she knows how hungry I am, she almost always
says she has to rest for half an hour or so before she
starts dinner. I don't yell at her. Instead, I tell her
to take her time and just wake me when she gets dinner
on the table. I generally have lunch in the Men's Grill
at the country club, so eating out again at night is not
reasonable. I'm ready for some home-cooking when I hit
that door. 

She used to do the dishes as soon as we finished
eating, but now it's not unusual for them to sit on the
table for several hours after dinner. I do what I can by
diplomatically reminding her several times each evening
that the dishes won't clean themselves. I know she
really appreciates this, as it does seem to motivate her
to get them done before she goes to bed.

Another symptom of aging is complaining. For example,
she will say that it is difficult for her to find time
to pay the monthly bills during her lunch hour. But,
boys, we take 'em for better or worse, so I just smile
and offer encouragement. I tell her to stretch it out
over two or even three days. That way she won't have to
rush so much. I also remind her that missing lunch
completely now and then wouldn't hurt her any (if you
know what I mean). I like to think that this is one of
my strong points. 

When doing simple jobs, she seems to think she needs
more rest periods. She had to take a break when she was
only half finished mowing the yard. I try not to make a
scene. I'm a fair man. I tell her to fix herself a nice,
big, cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade and just
sit for a while. And, as long as she is making one for
herself, she may as well make one for me, too --- or
just bring me a cold beer in a frosted mug.

I know that I probably look like a saint in the way I
support Bev, and I'm not saying that showing this much
consideration is easy. Nobody knows better than I do how
frustrating women get as they get older, but, guys, even
if you just use a little more tact and less criticism of
your aging wife because of this letter, I will consider
that writing it was well worthwhile. After all, we are
put on this earth to help each other. 

Signed, 
Wayne 


**EDITOR'S NOTE: **

Wayne died tragically on March 1st of a perforated
rectum. The police report says he was found with a
Calloway extra long 50-inch Big Bertha Driver II golf
club jammed up his rear end, with barely 5 inches of
grip showing and with a sledge hammer lying nearby. 

His wife Beverly was arrested and charged with murder.
The all-woman jury took only 15 minutes to find her Not
Guilty, accepting her defense that Wayne somehow,
without looking, accidentally sat down on his golf club.

Family & Friends On Fridays - A Free Gift For You

Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost, just a lot of reward. Make sure you pray, and it's important to remember that while you're praying, you have to believe God will answer.

May today be all you need it to be. May the peace of God and the freshness of the Holy Spirit rest in your thoughts, rule in your dreams tonight, and conquer all your fears. May God manifest Himself today in ways you have never experienced. May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your prayers be answered. I pray that faith enters a new height for you.  I pray that all of you experience peace, healing, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, and a true and undying love for God.

Amen

Trivia On Thursdays - Wal-Mart statistics

Americans spend $36,000,000 at Wal-Mart every hour of every day. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!

Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1st to St. Patrick's Day (March 17) than Target sells all year.

Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot, Kroger, Target, Sears, Costco and K-Mart combined.

Wal-Mart employs 1.620 million people and is the largest private employer.

Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the WORLD.

Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger & Safeway combined and keep in mind they did this in only 15 years.

During this same period, 31 supermarket chains sought bankruptcy including Winn-Dixie.

Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.

Wal-Mart has approximately 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are Super Centers. This is 1,000 more than it had 5 years ago.

This year 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at a Wal-Mart store. The earth's population is approximately 6.5 billion.

90% of all Americans live within 15 miles of a Wal-Mart store.

Let Wal-Mart bail out Wall Street.  Better yet....let them run the Government!!

Work On Wednesdays - Think You've Got A Tough Job?

I guess it's all in your attitude, upbringing, and life

experience.  You'll know what I mean when you read

this letter from boot camp.  Thank God for our troops!

Dear Ma and Pa:

I am well. Hope you are too. Tell brother Walt

and brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working

for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up

quick before maybe all of the places are filled.

I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed

till nearly 6 a.m., but I'm getting so I like to sleep late.

Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is

smooth your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop,

feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay.

Practically nothing. Men got to shave but it is not so bad,

there's warm water.

Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal,

eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes,

ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food.

But tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two

city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds

you till noon, when you get fed again.

It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much. We go on

"route" marches, which the Platoon Sergeant says are long

walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it is not my place to tell

him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox

at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back

in trucks. The country is nice, but awful flat.

The Sergeant is like a schoolteacher. He nags some.  The Capt.

 is like the school board. Majors and Colonels just ride around

and frown. They don't bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting

medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as

big as a chipmunk's head and don't move. And it ain't shooting at

you, like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there

all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own
cartridges. They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training.
You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful
though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole
bull at home.  I'm about the best they got in this except for that
Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. He joined up the same
time as me. But I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and
weighs near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other
fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,

Peggy Sue

Tips On Tuesdays - Food safety

This is a pretty interesting site... you might want to keep this in your "Favorites"

How long can that bottle of ketchup stay in your fridge before it goes bad? I'm thinking 5 or 10 years but if you want an expert opinion, go to the web site below. This site lists all kind of foods and how to keep them fresh longer as well as when to get rid of them. If you have a question click on the particular picture, and a whole list of stuff appears.............WHAT A GREAT SITE!!!!

CLICK ON LINK BELOW

http://www.stilltasty.com/

Money On Mondays - Priceless memories

I sent this e-mail to my grown and now married children and other family members as a reply to one sent out about a particular lost loved one.  It reminded all of us of a memory, in which we all shared.  It was about a favorite Christmas song that had been a favorite of this special person and her fun-loving antics while singing it.  To me, these are the priceless memories that money can't buy.  I wrote them back saying....   

Of course, we may also remember during Christmases past, the yearning for certain special gifts we hoped for, and the exhilaration we felt when we ended up receiving it under the tree on Christmas morning. But when you think about it in retrospect, was it the actual toy itself, or how it made us feel, that is really remembered?  Wasn't it all about the special feelings of anticipation, excitement and joy?

And even if it might look a little sparse under the Christmas tree this year for many families who are struggling with finances, you can still make it fun by listening to and singing Christmas music and watching the old Christmas movie classics....while enjoying each other's company. It's all in your attitude of giving and sharing....even if it's only a gift of your time, and not just about the number of presents under the tree.

And isn't it true that the older we get (when we become Mr. & Mrs. Santa) we start to realize that it's not just about the material things. All of the clothes and toys we received as kids were eventually lost, broken, resold, thrown out, or given away, but the memories of the fun times we had with family and friends will always remain in our hearts, and in our memories. That's the true meaning of the season.

And why is it, when Christmas is about the celebration of the Christ Child's birth, everyone gives presents to themselves and each other, instead of Him?  How can we give Him a gift, you ask? Maybe it could be accomplished by just changing and improving our actions towards others.  He did say He came for "Peace on earth, goodwill towards men" and He also said "Whatsoever you do to the least of My brothers, that you do unto Me."  So indirectly, by doing good towards others, it is a gift for Him.  He was the ultimate in unselfishness and sacrifice. He lived His life as a humble servant instead of a proud king. That's the message I hope you can pass down to your children....along with many "feel good" memories of giving and sharing too!