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 |  Fibro fog, pain, writing sandwiched in between. Quotes. Sermon notes. Encouragement. |
A Texas Sunrise  A friend, William Taylor, took this picture. He visits Surfside Beach with his dogs almost every morning, watching the sun rise while the dogs prance about at the water's edge. This is only about ten miles from where I lived in Lake Jackson, Texas. Sadly, I only visited this beach about four times in the six years I lived nearby. Each day is a challenge. A challenge to get by without thinking about the fibromyalgia pains. A challenge to stay awake when chronic fatigure wants to take over. And a challenge to navigate through fibro fog. I haven't been writing as much as in the past. For years, I wrote at least 500 words a day. Now, I'm lucky if I write 500 words in month. Sigh. For more information about what my day (or life) is all about with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic pains, IBS, depression and everything else thrown in, check this out:
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Do you ever visit GodTube.com? It has some great Christian and inspirational videos. One series has good and evil, and they might remind you of a commercial about Mac and PC.  Today I discovered this one about a baby preacher: http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9c69d4acc9dd49eaf89f |
I wrote something today:
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Hi y'all. Just popping in to let you know that my hubby, Incurable Romantic   is having a birthday today. It's a biggie. He's turning 60. Y'all go ahead and tell him what an old fart he is now. Okay? |
| I spend a lot of time at Gather.com. I went there after one of our Writing.com members was disrespected in ways no one deserves. I stayed because, as many of you know, I haven't been able to work for years. At Gather, I can post articles, photos and videos, plus comment on articles, photos and videos...and get paid for being there. You start out earning points for gift cards, but if you get enough points in a month, you can change to cash instead. I wasn't real active when I started there. But once I got a new computer that could actually view the videos, I decided to try for the cash option. Lo and behold, the month that I tried, I succeeded. Yippee skippy. I just checked this morning, and since March 26, 2008, I have earned $443. No, that's not much. But it's lots more than the programs that give you points for reading an email. (I've earned 5 gift cards in 3 years from MyPoints and $20 total from Memomail/Memolink.) Anyway, Gather just announced a new contest. It's an invite-a-thon. There will be a daily drawing for points (for both the inviter and invitee). Then there will be five winners where the inviter and invitee both get $100 in Gift cards. Sounds great to me. If you're interested in being invited, let me know. I have to send you an email. If you're curious, here's my Daily Whine & Shine: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?memberId=223207&articleId=281474977413590&... Don't forget. In order for both of us to be in the contest, I have to invite you by email. While we're talking about making minimal money, here's another one. Cash only.(Well, PayPal.) I don't spend much time there, and usually only earn about $10-15 a month. BUT.... I use the earnings from these places to keep my membership at Writing.com going. You could do that too. http://www.mylot.com/?ref=kenzie45230 |
| I received this message from The Illustrator's Partnership of America. I'm not sure how I got on their mailing list, but I'm glad that I did. If I'm understanding this issue properly, there is a bill proposed (by big businesses, of course) about copyright issues with works of art and photography. While it definitely affects professional artists, it also affects the general public. As I understand it, this bill was designed to protect those who want to use photos/art they "find". If they do a diligent search - as defined by them and the court if it goes there - to find the original artist or photographer and cannot, then they will be able to use the photograph in any way they choose, including advertising. Presently, all works of art and printed words, are copyrighted as soon as we create them. We can register them, but the casual writer/photographer doesn't want to register everything they do. This bill will change that, for art works. This should bother us all. If you have posted pictures on the Internet anywhere and a company finds a picture they like and they cannot find the original photographer, they'll be free to not only use that photo/art, but to have it registered with their copyright! And not only that. If this succeeds, I wonder if they'll try the same thing with our words. Below is the email I received. You can research this a bit more by clicking this link: http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/ And you can voice your displeasure with this bill by clicking the link that the Illustrator's Partnership of America has provided. ********************** FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS' PARTNERSHIP The Orphan Works Act: Warning to the Public Should the general public care about the Orphan Works Act? Yes, because the effects of this bill will expose any citizen's visual images to infringement, including infringement for commercial purposes or distasteful uses. Most people don't understand current copyright law. But under current law, they don't have to - the law itself protects them from not understanding it. Anything you create is considered your private property. But under this amendment, all citizens would be required to understand that they must now take active steps - not to actually protect their work (because registries won't protect it) - but merely to preserve their right to sue an infringer in federal court (in case they ever find out they've been infringed in the first place). Otherwise, ignorance of copyright law will be be no excuse against an infringer who has done a "reasonably diligent search" for a photo he found on a blog, photo sharing site, Facebook page, or other source. Proposal for Copyright Warning and Public Awareness Campaign If this bill is passed, copyright will no longer be considered the exclusive right of the creator. Therefore, Congress should direct the Copyright Office to commence an awareness campaign to be conducted in all media, explaining to all copyright holders the new terms of copyright protection. Public warnings should state at least the following: "Due to a change in US copyright law, citizens should now be aware that any creative expression they put into tangible form - from professional artwork to family photos - will be subject to infringement, including infringement for commercial uses, by anyone in the United States who is unable to locate them by what the infringer determines - and a court agrees - to be a reasonably diligent search. "To preserve your right to sue infringers in federal court, you are advised to take active steps to assert authorship of every work you create. "These steps will include inserting meta-data in each work, marking each work with a copyright symbol and contact information and registering each work in commercial databases where infringers can search for your work. "Ignorance of copyright law will be be no excuse against an infringer who has done a "reasonably diligent search" according to guidelines established by Congress." This should be the minimum warning information and it should be issued to the public on an on-going basis to alert successive generations of the legal obligations they will have to observe as the price of creating art of any kind. We also ask Congress to direct the Copyright Office to establish and maintain local law clinics where creators and other citizens can seek clarification about their obligations under Orphan Works law. Don't Let Congress Orphan Your Work You can urge Congress to oppose these bills by linking here to a special letter. Tell Your Senators and Representatives to Oppose the Orphan Works Act at: http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/issues/alert/?alertid=11442621 Please forward this message to every artist you know. If you received our mail as a forwarded message, and wish to be added to our mailing list, email us at: ipa@twcny.rr.com Place "Add Name" in the subject line, and provide your name and the email address you want used in the message area. ***************** From what you've read above - and the Illustrator's Partnership of America web site, if you went there - am I wrong to be concerned?  "My Favorite Neighbor"  "Sharing Sunshine...It's What I Do!" "Admirable Women" "Whose Work Are You Stealing?" "The Potter's Cup and Saucer" |
| Here's a place where you can post articles and make comments...and earn a few pennies for each one. Active people do real well, I'm sure. http://www.myLot.com?ref=kenzie45230 |
| April Holidays April is: Alcohol Awareness Month Autism Awareness Month Holocaust Month Holy Humor Month Informed Women Month International Daffynitions Month International Guitar Month IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) Month (Oh come on!) Jazz Appreciation Month Keep America Beautiful Month National Anxiety Month National Child Abuse Prevention Month National Garden Month National Humor Month National Parkinson's Awareness Month National Pecan Month National Poetry Month National Sexual Assault Awareness Month National Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month National Welding Month Soy Foods Month Stress Awareness Month Uh-Huh Month First week is: Laugh at Work Week Golden Rule Week National Reading a Road Map Week National Straw Hat Week Egg Salad Week Library Week Second week is: Be Kind to Animals Week National Guitar Week Third week is: Bike Safety Week National Volunteer Week National Library Week National Inspirational News Week Fourth week is: National Television-Free Week Teacher Appreciation Week National Administrative Professionals Week (used to be National Secretaries Week) National Sky Awareness Week National Scoop the Poop Week National Volunteer Week April1 April Fool's Day National Sleep Day Sorry Charlie Day - Note: Different sites say different things about this day. One says it's to honor Charlie the Tuna. Another says it's a day for anyone who has lost in love and lived to tell about it. One Cent Day April 2 International Children's Book day National Peanut Butter Day (I'm so glad my favorite food has a day of its own! Some sites say this is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day.) April 3 American Circus Day National Find-A-Rainbow Day Tweed Day (go ahead and wear it!) National Don't Go to Work Unless It's Fun Day April 4 Hug a Newsman Day National Walk to Work Day (1st Friday) Walk Around Things Day (Makes sense, I guess. Walk around things as you walk to work?) April 5 Accelerate ACL Awareness Among Young Women Day National Road Map Day April 6 Twinkie's Birthday (introduction of "the cake" in 1930) Jump Over Things Day Drowsy Driver Awareness Day April 7 No Housework Day (I love this day!) Museum Day World Health Day National Teacher Appreciation Day April 8 International Bird Day Draw a Picture of a Bird Day April 9 National Cherish and Antique Day April 10 National Sibling Day Encourage a Young Writer Day April 11 World Parkinson's Day Eight Track Tape Day (Does anyone still have those???) April 12 Look Up At The Sky Day (Huh? And do what? Appreciate it? Paint it?) Thank Your School Librarian Day Licorice Day Walk on Your Wild Side Day Big Wind Day (Not so sure about this one. Are we telling the weather dudes...or the cooks and docs?) April13 My Birthday!!!! Write this one down! National Peach Cobbler Day Blame Someone Else Day April 14 National Pecan Day International Moment of Laughter Day (Note: One site said the 14th one the 16th, let's laugh on both, okay?) Reach as High as You Can Day (Note: One site says this day and the Look Up at the Sky Day are on the same day. You might want to observe them together so you can look up and reach up on the same day.) April 15 U.S. Pay Your Income Tax Day Rubber Eraser Day (Probably for those last minute tax preparers.) Take a Wild Guess Day (Hopefully, not on your taxes!) April 16 National Karaoke Day International Moment of Laughter Day (I wonder...at what time?) International Stress Awareness Day (Some say it's only National not International. Let's share this one!) National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day April 17 Ford Mustang's Birthday (1964) Blah, Blah, Blah Day April 18 National Animal Crackers Day April 19 Garlic Day National Hanging Out Day April 20 National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day April 21 National Office Professionals Day (used to be National Secretaries Day) Kindergarten Day (founded in 1837) National Chocolate Covered Cashews Day April 22 Earth Day (first observed in 1970) National Jellybean Day April 23 National Picnic Day Blue Day National Administrative Professionals Day (former National Secretaries Day) International Sing Out Day Take a Chance Day April 24 National Puppetry Day Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day April 25 Arbor Day Red Hat Society Day National Zucchini Bread Day April 26 Read Me Day National Pretzel Day Hug a Friend Day April 27 Tell a Story Day National D.J. Day April 28 Costume Day Great Poetry Reading Day Texas Wildflower Day Cubicle Day April 29 National Teach Your Children to Save Day National Shrimp Scampi Day April 30 National Arbor Day (Note: Some sites say the 25th, some the 30th. I think it's actually supposed to be the last Friday.) National Honesty Day http://scrapbooking.families.com/blog/calendar-of-strange-holidays-and-other-eve... Calendar of Strange Holidays and Other Events http://www.brownielocks.com/april.html Unknown, Crazy, Bizarre Holidays http://familycrafts.about.com/library/spdays/blaprdayslong.htm# April Holidays and Special Days http://www.suelebeau.com/april.htm April Holidays and Celebrations http://library.thinkquest.org/2886/apr.htm Bizarre April Holidays http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/april.htm Holiday Insights - April "My Favorite Neighbor" "Sharing Sunshine...It's What I Do!" "Admirable Women" "Whose Work Are You Stealing?" "The Potter's Cup and Saucer" |
Incurable Romantic and I have been married three years today. Here's that ol' wedding photo.  He's lost lots of weight since then. |
| Wonder What Thomas Jefferson Really Meant by Marilyn Mackenzie Many people are under the mistaken notion that our founding documents use the phrase, "separation of church and state." They don't. The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Our Founding Fathers didn't want the federal government "establishing a religion." They also wanted to make sure the government did not, "prohibit the free exercise" of religion. The words, "wall of separation of church and state" were used by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptists, in Danbury, CT in 1802. Here is part of that letter: "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with solemn reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church and State." Jefferson was responding to a letter he had received from the Danbury Baptists, who were being subjected (locally) to persecution for their beliefs. Jefferson wrote to assure them they the government would not be adopting or establishing a religion - as had been done in England - and that they would be free to worship as they wished. As a Christian, when I read the First Amendment, I see these things: 1) The government will not establish a religion. 2) The governmetn will not prohibit me from exercising my religion freely - and that means that if I want to hold a Bible study in my office (even if I am a government official), I should be free to do so. I also cannot insist that anyone actually attend said Bible study. People who are not Christian read these words differently. But you really have to take into consideration who the Founding Fathers were and the beliefs they held to determine the meaning. Some claim that Jefferson had no faith. But the closing words of Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists debunk that myth: I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common Father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem. (signed) Thomas Jefferson Jan.1.1802. It's also interesting to note that Thomas Jefferson 1) attended Divine services at the Capitol throughout his presidency and had the Marine Band play at the services 2) during his administration, began to hold church services in the War Department and the Treasury Department, thus allowing worshippers on any given Sunday the choice to attend church at either the United States Capitol, the War Department, or the Treasury Department if they so desired 3) urged local governments to make land available specifically for Christian purposes, provided Federal funding for missionary work among Indian tribes, and declared that religious schools would receive `the patronage of the government' Does that sound like a man with no faith or one who was wanting to enforce a strict "separation of church and state" that people today consider to be right and proper? I think not. Items one through three above were taken from House Resolution 888, which is summarized as, "Affirming the rich spiritual and religious history of our Nation's founding and subsequent history and expressing support for designation of the first week in May as `American Religious History Week' for the appreciation of and education on America's history of religious faith." HRES 888 also reminds us that: 1) the first act of America's first Congress in 1774 was to ask a minister to open with prayer and to lead Congress in the reading of 4 chapters of the Bible; 2) Congress regularly attended church and Divine service together en masse; 3) throughout the American Founding, Congress frequently appropriated money for missionaries and for religious instruction, a practice that Congress repeated for decades after the passage of the Constitution and the First Amendment; 4) in 1777, Congress, facing a National shortage of `Bibles for our schools, and families, and for the public worship of God in our churches,' announced that they `desired to have a Bible printed under their care & by their encouragement' and therefore ordered 20,000 copies of the Bible to be imported `into the different ports of the States of the Union'; 5) in 1782, Congress pursued a plan to print a Bible that would be `a neat edition of the Holy Scriptures for the use of schools' and therefore approved the production of the first English language Bible printed in America that contained the congressional endorsement that `the United States in Congress assembled ... recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States'; 6) in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin declared, `God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? ... Without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel'; To read the House Resolution 888 and discover facts you probably never knew about including the fact that in 1870, "the Federal government made Christmas (a recognition of the birth of Christ, an event described by the U.S. Supreme Court as `acknowledged in the Western World for 20 centuries, and in this country by the people, the Executive Branch, Congress, and the courts for 2 centuries') and Thanksgiving as official holidays;...and beginning in 1904 and continuing for the next half-century, the Federal government printed and distributed The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth for the use of Members of Congress because of the important teachings it contained" click here: http://capwiz.com/afanet/webreturn/?url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c1... To send an email to your member of Congress about supporting HRES888, click here: http://www3.capwiz.com/afanet/issues/alert/?alertid=10912441&PROCESS=Take+Action... There are lots of facts to read and ponder over, and while you're doing that you might want to contemplate what Thomas Jefferson really meant in that letter to the Danbury Baptists. The religious heritage of our country exists and much of what we should already know is being lost as these facts are hidden from us. Our children and our grandchildren and their children and grandchildren deserve to know about that rich heritage. And yet, even as we sit here today, people are trying to re-write our country's history. In fact, they are - if you read some of the history books now being used in public schools. |
| Here's what I wrote about it. http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977239276&nav=Namespace There are two things in my port about him. I don't have time to look for the ID#'s. One is called, "He Walks Your Streets." The other is "What They Don't Tell Us." Funeral is Monday in Pittsburgh. Lots to do before tomorrow when we start driving. |
| Our pastor has started a new sermon series. These are my notes from part one, Sunday, January 13, 2008 Reclaiming Your Identity Reclaiming Series (Part 1)  The Basics God is the owner.1 Corinthians 10:26 NIV The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. Genesis 1:25 & 31 NIV And God saw that it was good… God saw all that he had made and it was very good. Jesus talked more about stewardship than anything else. In the Gospels, one of every six verses mentions stewardship.  Stewardship: The responsibility of managing someone else’s assets, affairs, property.Man’s Distinctives: Difference in character. Difference in career. Genesis 1:28 MSG God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of the Earth.” Man is the manager.We forget our purpose. We forget that we don’t own everything. We’re just supposed to manage it.The Changes:Genesis 1:28 MSG “Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of the Earth.” Bad reversal: We’re possessed by our possessions. Good reversal: We can partner with God. Benefits of partnering with God:You manage what He gives you and enjoy it. You manage what little He gives and you enlarge your trust. Matthew 25:21 NIV “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” Romans 14:12 NIV So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Reminder: Everything we have is on loan.My True Identity:I am manager of everything - environment, time, physical fitness, finances, salvation, family, home, business, friends, time, wealth.I get to enjoy 90 percent of everything He have me.Tithing is a reminder that everything belongs to God. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 MSG If you start thinking to yourselves, “I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!” - well think again. Deuteronomy 14:22-23 MSG Make an offering of ten percent, a tithe, of all the produce which grows in your fields year after year. Bring this into the Presence of God, your God, at the place he designates for worship and there give the tithe from your grain, wine, and oil and the firstborn from your herds and flocks. In this way you will learn to live in deep reverence before God, your God, as long as you live. Daily Bible Verses: Monday 1 Corinthians 10:26 Tuesday Matthew 25:21 Wednesday Romans 14:12 Thursday Deuteronomy 8:17-18 Friday Deuteronomy 14:22-23 Saturday Genesis 1:28 |
| If you missed tonight's CBS Nightly News, you can catch part two tomorrow - January 15. CBS Investigates Social Security Disabilty Problems For five years, Linda Fullerton, president and co-founder of the MSN group, Social Security Disability Coalition, has been trying to get coverage about the problems everyone deals with when applying for Social Security Disability. Finally, a major news media was willing to investigate. CBS will have a two night investigative report on Monday and Tuesday, January 14 and 15 on the evening news that runs 6:30-7 PM EST. Linda Fullerton, whose brain surgery was 11 years ago, will be interviewed on the Monday segment. ************** If you have applied for Social Security Disabilty and have not been approved, you really should be a member of this MSN group. http://groups.msn.com/SocialSecurityDisabilityCoalition Social Security Disability Coalition offers free information and support with a focus on SSD reform. Whether you have applied, receive benefits, or are just concerned about this, be sure to sign the Social Security Disability Reform Petition and read the horror stories from all over the nation. http://www.petitiononline.com/SSDC/petition.html And check out these stories: http://www.frontiernet.net/~lindaf1/bump.html A Bump on the Head http://www.rnews.com/Story_2004.cfm?ID=55411&rnews_story_type=18 Dying Before Disability Benefits http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/socialsec/sick_of_waiting.html Sick of Waiting http://radioprimetime.org/focusprograms.htm Applying For Social Security Disability Benefits? Some advice from the President/Co-founder of The Social Security Disability Coalition Ask your elected officials to introduce or support Fullerton-Edwards Social Security Disability Reform Act. http://groups.msn.com/SocialSecurityDisabilityCoalition/fullertonedwardssocialse... http://www.frontiernet.net/~lindaf1/SOCIALSECURITYDISABILITYNIGHTMARE.html Social Security Disability Nightmare - It Could Happen To You! Two slogans at the Social Security Disability Coalition: "Don't be a victim; become victorious!" and "I am disabled and my vote counts too!" |
| It's that time of year when everyone starts thinking about what happened in the current year and what he/she would like for the year to come. As I pondered this, as I sat at my computer with my usual aches and pains plus my ears feeling as if they were frostbitten and my stomach burning and churning, I wondered what the new year would bring for me. I discovered this quote by Patty Perricone, and decided that it would be great one as a focus for the new year. Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.. It's about learning to dance in the rain. ~ Patty Perricone Learning to dance in the rain. I like that. My dancing in the rain will actually be learning to be joyful in spite of the pain. Sometimes I do that, but I want to be better at it. That is my prayer. Although I would certainly prefer being rid of the pains all together and would rejoice at having new energy and not being tired all the time, if that is not to be, then I want to face these challenges with a new attitude. As always, God's word will help in that regard. Psalms 51:10 KJV Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Will you join me in discovering how to dance in the rain this coming year? |
| My Christmas greeting toyou. http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977211573&nav=Namespace |
| Have you heard about this? Back in 2001, Jock Doubleday, Director of Natural Woman, Natural Man, Inc., offered $20,000 to the first U.S.-licensed M.D. or drug company CEO who would publicly drink a mixture of standard vaccine additive ingredients. By 2006, the offer had increased to $75,000. Today, December 1, 2007, the offer stands at $110,000 and goes up every month. On January 1, 2008, the offer will be $115,000, and so on. But no doctors have taken the offer. Know why? Because the vaccine additive ingredients include: thimerosal (a mercury derivative), ethylene glycol (antifreeze), phenol (a disinfectant dye), benzethonium chloride (a disinfectant), formaldehyde (a preservative and disinfectant), and aluminum. I can't imagine why no doctors have stepped forward to drink this, can you? And yet we give this mixture to to six year old children. Here's the link to read the whole story. There are also links provided on this page all about the vaccines and what damage they may cause. http://www.vaclib.org/links/jockslinks.htm#press "My Favorite Neighbor" "Sharing Sunshine...It's What I Do!" "Admirable Women" "Whose Work Are You Stealing?" "The Potter's Cup and Saucer" |
| Most of you know that: 1) I haven't been able to work for a while due to health problems. 2) I still have not been approved for disability (and it's been 5 years!). 3) I find places to make a buck here and there (or gift cards) - via taking surveys and such. One of my survey sites is offering me 2,000 points for each referral right now. How does that relate to cold hard cash? Well...5,000 points equals $5, so if just two people showed an interest, I could get $5. Pretty cool. Lots of the survey sites have reduced their payments as the number of both survey sites and participants has increased. I still like the in-person consumer panels best for earning extra money, but you can usually only do one every 60 days or so. Qualifying isn't always that easy either. The companies are usually looking for specif kinds of people. I almost made a panel for next week - 2 hours for $150. Well...I am on the waiting list in case someone who was better qualified (according to the demographics) backs out. Anyway, I'm rambling. If you're interested in finding out about this one survey site that's offering 2,000 points for referrals, let me know. I have to fill out a form with your email address. Thanks! |
| Do me a favor, okay? Stop by and say howdy to Allison, my son's best friend in the whole world. She used to live with us. They used to be boy friend and girl friend. I think they will be again. Or more. They both admit to still loving the other. Grrr. Anyway, she turns...22, I think, on November 8. Adela LaRoue That's her. Go on and wish her a happy birthday. |
| Sermon Notes – Faith Works (Part 6) – How to Dwell Below (on Earth) with Those We KnowI Must Repent of Favoritism James 2:1 NIV My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.  The NEV says, “snobbery.” The Greek translates to “receive someone’s face” or more clearly, “accept them as they are.”Superficial judgments: 1) Loot James 2:2 NIV Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and find clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. Gilda Radner said on dress, “I base my choices on what doesn’t itch.” 2) Looks James 2:3 NIV If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor an, “You stand there,” or “Sit on the floor by my feet…” 3) List of Awards Sometimes we think,”the heroes, not the zeroes.” But partiality should not make a difference. I Must Realize That Favoritism is: Acts 10:34 NIV …how true it is that God does not show favoritism.” Ephesians 6:9 NIV …and there is no favoritism in Him. Colossians 3:25 NIV Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for this wrong, and there is no favoritism. 1) Unreasonable James 2:5 MSG Listen, dear friends. Isn’t it clear by now that God operates quite differently? He chose the world’s down-and-out as the kingdom’s first citizens, with full rights and privileges. This kingdom is promised to anyone who loves God. Your worth should not be based upon your net worth. Wealth should not get the attention it often does. 2) Unloving James 2:8 GW You are doing right if you obey this law from the higher authority; “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”  1 John 4:20 NIV If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.James 2:9-10 NIV But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. Murder, adultery and favoritism are not heaven worthy. I Can Remedy the Problem 1) I will be accepting. Romans 15:7 NIV Accept one another, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Acceptance is not the same thing as approval. Billy Graham accepted Presidents with less than honorable behavior. That doesn’t mean he approved of their behaviors. The church should be a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints. If you’re perfect, you don’t belong in the church.Some people are not going to like heaven because some of the others of you will be there too. 2) I will be appreciative. Philippians 2:3-5 NIV Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. 3) I will be affirming. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. Galatians 3:28 TLB We are no longer Jews or Greeks or slaves or free men or even merely men or women, but we are all the same – we are Christians; we are one in Christ Jesus. What are you bringing to the table today? Acceptance or judgment? "My Favorite Neighbor" "Sharing Sunshine...It's What I Do!" "Admirable Women" "Whose Work Are You Stealing?" "The Potter's Cup and Saucer" |
Seriously. Check it out:
Hey, I was skeptical about this too. But there really is no cost to start your own mall. Your mall will have about 1400 stores in it. Kmart, Target, Bealls Department Store. Lots. You'll be shopping in your own mall at your leisure, and getting rebates to do so. Target, for instance is 7% rebate. (Employees only get 10%, so that's not too bad.) You can buy cell phones and service from yourself at your mall. Even Time Warner Cable. The other night on our TV, Time Warner advertised their digital cable for $20 a month (or $60 for 3 months). I found that same digital cable for $39.95 for 3 months, plus a rebate on top of that. Not bad. The mall is big. Most malls don't have 1400 stores! But if that's too overwhelming, you can also shop local stores and find what you want, then look up the SKU to see if you can buy from your own mall. Pretty cool. I was going to buy a pair of shoes I wanted from a catalog. They are shoes I've wanted and can't find anywhere. But even so, I've been putting off buying them. Don't you know, I can buy from that catalog in my mall. Same price, but I'm getting a 10.5% rebate. Love it. Perhaps it's because I've worked in retail stores on and off during the years. Sometimes as a second job, sometimes as my main source of income. Anyway, I developed a loathing for shopping in real stores anywhere between...say...November 1 and January 1. I hate the crowds. I hate rude people. Oh, I'll go to hear choirs sing or take a child to see Santa. But I really, really, really don't like shopping at that time of year. I used to make sure all my Christmas shopping was finished by November 1 at the latest. But I haven't done that lately. So...I love the idea of being able to stroll in an online mall bigger than any real malls I've been in and with only one customer - me. http://www.mypowermall.com/biz/home/66844 If you're interested in earning a few bucks besides having your own mall, be sure to check out the business mall information on the above site. As I mentioned before, my son has checked out every message board he can find and every scam alert and can find nothing negative about this opportunity. Remember, stop in here about those gift points:
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| Someone asked today if Canadians could have a shopping mall. Yes! They ship to 197 countries. http://www.mypowermall.com/biz/home/66844 I'm finding more and more savings. |
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