The music you are listening to is composed by Bill Brown. This particular selection comes from the Lineage 2 computer game. I was hoping he would have used celtic instruments all the way through, but I still like it muchly!!! :D
OK. The Christian’s armor. Here is the text (Ephesians 6:10-18) and the two giant pics from Lineage 2 to go along with it (Check them out at the very bottom of my blog!):
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit...
The top picture (of the two at the bottom) is an image in my mind of how I feel after I’ve prayed and am ready to start the day, having put on the full armor of God. I feel determined, dedicated, sanctified, and strong, able to more than stand against the challenges that will present themselves that day. The trouble is, sometimes I’m in a hurry and forget to put on the whole armor, which always makes for a rocky day! How important it is to begin and end each day in prayer and to stay focused on the Lord and His promises. He will surely deliver us, and He alone is faithful.
In the second pic you can see that he has again forgotten to wear the helmet of salvation, but this, I believe, was so that the artist could capture the moment with the wind blowing through his hair, lol. And check out that sword! And ... OK, now I’m getting off subject, but I really like this pic too -- this is what I feel like after a long, hard, but successful day!
Please tell me what you think of these pictures and what, in your mind, is happening in each! (I got this idea from Trufflehunter -- Thanks Truffle! :) )
Also, please feel free to comment about The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe movie if you’ve seen it! :D And stay tuned for some more stories about my cats...
There’s only a week until Christmas!!!
~*~*~*~ Merry Christmas everyone!!! ~*~*~*~
(Notice I didn’t say Happy Holidays. :P! )
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Observations of Life and Scripture
At times, life really seems to be challenging, overwhelming, and sometimes just plain devastating, as unimaginable events come along and threaten to shatter the dreams we have worked so hard toward. It becomes harder to trust God, especially when many such powerful, negative events happen all at once. One might start to doubt and wonder if the prosperity and blessings promised in the Bible will ever come.
I think of Joseph and how his brothers threw him into a pit and sold him into slavery. Later, he was thrown into prison, after having been maliciously (and falsely) accused of something he didn’t do. Things must have looked terrible at that point and like they might never get any better. But God surely prospered Joseph, just as His word promises. Joseph later lived in the palace and became the second in command of all Egypt!
God didn’t promise a trouble-free life -- it's fallen world. Yet I have seen God prosper His servants even throughout their times of trouble. Isa 43:2 says: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”
I have noticed that, in the long term, the evils that God has allowed in my life never harm or affect God’s purposes for me and my life. Down the road, the evil that had looked so terrible at the time, turned out not to appreciably affect what God meant for me to do in my life. So, looking back, it didn’t even matter that the horrible events had occurred at all. They had been brought to nothing (by God of course!). Conversely, I have also noticed that whenever it was important for a certain good thing to happen in my life, God made it happen, and nothing could stop Him from bringing it to pass!!! :D
P.S. And just so everyone knows, one of my dreams is to prosper mightily, not so I can blow a fortune on myself, but so that I can use the resources to do great things for God and His kingdom! ^_^
I think of Joseph and how his brothers threw him into a pit and sold him into slavery. Later, he was thrown into prison, after having been maliciously (and falsely) accused of something he didn’t do. Things must have looked terrible at that point and like they might never get any better. But God surely prospered Joseph, just as His word promises. Joseph later lived in the palace and became the second in command of all Egypt!
God didn’t promise a trouble-free life -- it's fallen world. Yet I have seen God prosper His servants even throughout their times of trouble. Isa 43:2 says: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”
I have noticed that, in the long term, the evils that God has allowed in my life never harm or affect God’s purposes for me and my life. Down the road, the evil that had looked so terrible at the time, turned out not to appreciably affect what God meant for me to do in my life. So, looking back, it didn’t even matter that the horrible events had occurred at all. They had been brought to nothing (by God of course!). Conversely, I have also noticed that whenever it was important for a certain good thing to happen in my life, God made it happen, and nothing could stop Him from bringing it to pass!!! :D
P.S. And just so everyone knows, one of my dreams is to prosper mightily, not so I can blow a fortune on myself, but so that I can use the resources to do great things for God and His kingdom! ^_^
Friday, November 11, 2005
Veterans' Day / Remembrance Day
You may have to turn up the volume for this new song. It starts out so softly! If it quits on you, just wait a bit -- it will pick up again and play some more (or you can push the play button at the bottom of the blog to give it a hint that it needs to download some more of the song, lol). The song is the anthem from Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon game and is composed by Bill Brown. It seemed a really good choice for Veterans'/Remembrance Day.
I am so grateful for the sacrifices that our soldiers have made -- time spent away from families, injuries, even the giving of their very lives. Sacrifices made so that we might live in freedom, and that others in foreign lands would be free from tyranny, and also to keep us safe from terrorists. Let us remember our veterans and pray especially for our active duty troops, who continue to make these sacrifices daily!!!
Please note, the Canadian flag is not beneath the US flag for any reason. There just isn’t enough room for placing them side by side. :)
Friday, October 28, 2005
The Race is on ... Let us RUN and WIN!
Being human is so hard sometimes. I love God. I wish I could serve Him perfectly down here, but all too often I find out how fallible I am. I sin, and I hate it. I wish my flesh-nature would just die, and then I could be free of it. One day I will be completely free, but until that time... G’rrrr.
Paul says this: (Romans, Chapter Seven) 18 I know that good does not live in me—that is, in my human nature. For even though the desire to do good is in me, I am not able to do it. 19 I don't do the good I want to do; instead, I do the evil that I do not want to do.
1Ti 6:11-12 But you, man of God, avoid all these things. Strive for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witnesses.
Heb 12:1 As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us.
With God’s help, and if I apply myself, I can stay focused on Jesus and on letting Him live through me, rather than focusing on myself or the world and living the way it does.
God said this about Job: (Job, Chapter One) 8 "Did you notice My servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships Me and is careful not to do anything evil."
There is another place in the Bible where God said to someone who was praying to Him (I can’t remember the verse): Not even if Noah, Job, or Daniel were asking Me would I do it. Something to that effect. So that implies that the quality of our relationship with God affects how much He listens to us!
I want to be as faithful as Job, Noah, and Daniel. I want to be in their league. However, as of now, I’ve got a ways to go.
More on this Race we call Life:
1Co 9:24-27 Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever. That is why I run straight for the finish line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest.
Discipline. Hmmmm. Not one of my best qualities right now. It’s so easy to get sidetracked in this world. I must focus to do my best.
2Ti 4:7-8 I have done my best in the race, I have run the full distance, and I have kept the faith. And now there is waiting for me the victory prize of being put right with God, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day—and not only to me, but to all those who wait with love for Him to appear.
And then sin will be gone forever!!! :D Amen.
Meanwhile, Run the Race. Run the race TO WIN IT!
P.S. I meant to mention it earlier, but the song you used to be listening to (these two weeks) is called Oronoco Flow and was performed by Celtic Woman.
Paul says this: (Romans, Chapter Seven) 18 I know that good does not live in me—that is, in my human nature. For even though the desire to do good is in me, I am not able to do it. 19 I don't do the good I want to do; instead, I do the evil that I do not want to do.
1Ti 6:11-12 But you, man of God, avoid all these things. Strive for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witnesses.
Heb 12:1 As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us.
With God’s help, and if I apply myself, I can stay focused on Jesus and on letting Him live through me, rather than focusing on myself or the world and living the way it does.
God said this about Job: (Job, Chapter One) 8 "Did you notice My servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships Me and is careful not to do anything evil."
There is another place in the Bible where God said to someone who was praying to Him (I can’t remember the verse): Not even if Noah, Job, or Daniel were asking Me would I do it. Something to that effect. So that implies that the quality of our relationship with God affects how much He listens to us!
I want to be as faithful as Job, Noah, and Daniel. I want to be in their league. However, as of now, I’ve got a ways to go.
More on this Race we call Life:
1Co 9:24-27 Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever. That is why I run straight for the finish line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest.
Discipline. Hmmmm. Not one of my best qualities right now. It’s so easy to get sidetracked in this world. I must focus to do my best.
2Ti 4:7-8 I have done my best in the race, I have run the full distance, and I have kept the faith. And now there is waiting for me the victory prize of being put right with God, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day—and not only to me, but to all those who wait with love for Him to appear.
And then sin will be gone forever!!! :D Amen.
Meanwhile, Run the Race. Run the race TO WIN IT!
P.S. I meant to mention it earlier, but the song you used to be listening to (these two weeks) is called Oronoco Flow and was performed by Celtic Woman.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Mandatory Camping!!!
Hey! Look what I found in the Bible! Mandatory camping! Yaaayy!!!
Nehemiah 8:13-18:
13 "The next day the heads of the clans, together with the priests and the Levites, went to Ezra to study the teachings of the Law. 14 They discovered that the Law, which the Lord gave through Moses, ordered the people of Israel to live in temporary shelters during the Festival of Shelters. 15 So they gave the following instructions and sent them all through Jerusalem and the other cities and towns: "Go out to the hills and get branches from pines, olives, myrtles, palms, and other trees to make shelters according to the instructions written in the Law." 16 So the people got branches and built shelters on the flat roofs of their houses, in their yards, in the Temple courtyard, and in the public squares by the Water Gate and by the Ephraim Gate. 17 All the people who had come back from captivity built shelters and lived in them. This was the first time it had been done since the days of Joshua son of Nun, and everybody was excited and happy. 18 From the first day of the festival to the last they read a part of God's Law every day. They celebrated for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a closing ceremony, as required in the Law."
They had to go camping, even if it was in their own "backyard", to celebrate the Festival of Shelters! And all the people loved it! (Of course they did)! And they read God's Word everyday!!! WOOT!
All right! There can be no more excuses! Camping is no longer optional!!! :D
Nehemiah 8:13-18:
13 "The next day the heads of the clans, together with the priests and the Levites, went to Ezra to study the teachings of the Law. 14 They discovered that the Law, which the Lord gave through Moses, ordered the people of Israel to live in temporary shelters during the Festival of Shelters. 15 So they gave the following instructions and sent them all through Jerusalem and the other cities and towns: "Go out to the hills and get branches from pines, olives, myrtles, palms, and other trees to make shelters according to the instructions written in the Law." 16 So the people got branches and built shelters on the flat roofs of their houses, in their yards, in the Temple courtyard, and in the public squares by the Water Gate and by the Ephraim Gate. 17 All the people who had come back from captivity built shelters and lived in them. This was the first time it had been done since the days of Joshua son of Nun, and everybody was excited and happy. 18 From the first day of the festival to the last they read a part of God's Law every day. They celebrated for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a closing ceremony, as required in the Law."
They had to go camping, even if it was in their own "backyard", to celebrate the Festival of Shelters! And all the people loved it! (Of course they did)! And they read God's Word everyday!!! WOOT!
All right! There can be no more excuses! Camping is no longer optional!!! :D
Friday, September 16, 2005
Transformed by Trouble
I love The Purpose Driven Life! It is a totally awesome book in many ways. One woman used it in a crisis situation: She was being held hostage in her own apartment by a man with a gun who was running from the police. She told him that, If he was going to “send her home”, then she was going to tell him about God and began reading to him from The Purpose Driven Life. As he paced the floor and peaked outside the curtains at the police waiting below, she continued to read. Within a couple of hours he couldn’t take it anymore. He repented of what he was doing, committed his life to God, and then turned himself in!!! Sweet!
This book has also helped me. Last Friday, I had an absolutely horrid day because a bank took advantage of me. I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before, and I was so blown away by the experience. At this point, I picked up The Purpose Driven Life and happened to turn right to the chapter “Transformed by Trouble”. Everything that happens in life is “Father-filtered”, Rick Warren says. There is a reason God allowed this to happen. All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord, so that we might become more like Jesus. Jesus, Who was patient and at peace, and Who did the things He could according to the directions of the Father and then waited upon God and trusted Him to take care of the rest.
That’s just what I need to learn! Lately, I’ve been noticing how much I try to do things in my own power and stress out about the things beyond my control. I’m holding on too tightly in this life, and I need to wait on the Lord and trust Him to take care of things, even trusting God to help me do “my part” too. In that chapter, I found this verse From II Corinthians 1:9: “We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, Who alone could save us.”
Besides, God is a God of justice. So I know He will make things right sooner or later. :)
This book has also helped me. Last Friday, I had an absolutely horrid day because a bank took advantage of me. I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before, and I was so blown away by the experience. At this point, I picked up The Purpose Driven Life and happened to turn right to the chapter “Transformed by Trouble”. Everything that happens in life is “Father-filtered”, Rick Warren says. There is a reason God allowed this to happen. All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord, so that we might become more like Jesus. Jesus, Who was patient and at peace, and Who did the things He could according to the directions of the Father and then waited upon God and trusted Him to take care of the rest.
That’s just what I need to learn! Lately, I’ve been noticing how much I try to do things in my own power and stress out about the things beyond my control. I’m holding on too tightly in this life, and I need to wait on the Lord and trust Him to take care of things, even trusting God to help me do “my part” too. In that chapter, I found this verse From II Corinthians 1:9: “We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, Who alone could save us.”
Besides, God is a God of justice. So I know He will make things right sooner or later. :)
Monday, August 29, 2005
The Power of the Wicked and the Justice of God
A certain anti-Christian, legal organization is filing lawsuits in courts all over the United States, trying to remove crosses, the ten commandments, and any public display of Christianity or of God. I already knew about them, but I was very shocked and more upset to learn that wicked judges actually award this organization around $100,000 US dollars on average for each case that they win. The reason? Some atheist was offended at having seen such a display. (? :P!) One such case even produced $500,000 for this group! This is an outrage. But it gets worse...
When you think about the tremendous number of lawsuits they have filed and continue to file, that amounts to many millions of dollars awarded to them (perhaps even a few hundred million dollars) -- and here's the worst part: The wicked judges use tax money to pay them!!! This means that every working person, including myself, has to pay money to this anti-Christian group so that they can go around the country and erase every evidence of God! These judges take money from every U.S. citizen and gives it to this horrid organization!!! We are being forced to support such an evil group! I would never do that! How wicked are these judges and lawyers!
Afterward, I went on a walk, and upon returning, I got on the internet and stumbled across this Psalm at crosswalk.com (!):
Psalm 37: 1-20
1 A Psalm of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret--it only causes harm. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12 The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. 13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. 14 The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. 15 Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken. 16 A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked. 17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, But the Lord upholds the righteous. 18 The Lord knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. 19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 20 But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the Lord, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.
When you think about the tremendous number of lawsuits they have filed and continue to file, that amounts to many millions of dollars awarded to them (perhaps even a few hundred million dollars) -- and here's the worst part: The wicked judges use tax money to pay them!!! This means that every working person, including myself, has to pay money to this anti-Christian group so that they can go around the country and erase every evidence of God! These judges take money from every U.S. citizen and gives it to this horrid organization!!! We are being forced to support such an evil group! I would never do that! How wicked are these judges and lawyers!
Afterward, I went on a walk, and upon returning, I got on the internet and stumbled across this Psalm at crosswalk.com (!):
Psalm 37: 1-20
1 A Psalm of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret--it only causes harm. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12 The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. 13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. 14 The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. 15 Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken. 16 A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked. 17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, But the Lord upholds the righteous. 18 The Lord knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. 19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 20 But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the Lord, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Stay Tuned...
Sorry to be gone for so long! I missed you all. I will be posting again either tomorrow or Tuesday! So look for me then. I switched the music to Ave Maria, which comes off of the Celtic Woman CD. I hope you like it! :) OK gtg. I'll be comin' 'round to y'all's blogs right after I post. :D See ya!
Friday, July 15, 2005
You know you did a good job vacuuming when you find all of the cats’ hiding places...
The new music is again from U2. The song is called “Yahweh”, and is named after our Lord. You can find it on their album: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. It was reported that a disc jockey at a secular radio station in the Seattle area was playing the song when he commented that U2 was saying “yeah way” (instead of “no way”). He didn’t have a clue that they were singing about Jesus. :P! It was kind of amusing.
This song really picks me up, which I could really use right now. The last couple of weeks have been very difficult as there have been deaths in the family. I know that they were saved by the Lord, so I am somewhat comforted, and anyway, we will see them again later and forever. :)
Earlier:
You know you did a good job vacuuming when you find all of the cats’ hiding places... Poor things. I’ve never seen so much hustle from my cats, as they have when the vacuum is on the prowl! They fly to find new places to hide. They would win gold medals in the Olympic running events, I think, if they were allowed to compete! Lol.
Though, a couple of my cat’s will stay and watch the vacuum with mild interest. Brave kitties! In fact, one of my cats is so brave (or so oblivious of danger) that she practically never gets scared. I think that if she were sitting in the middle of the road, and a big tractor-trailer was coming straight toward her, with horn blasting, she probably would just stare at it and wouldn’t budge an inch! Silly kitty. Ehhehe.
I came across these awesome verses today as I continued reading through I Chronicles. They are Chapter 16, Verses 8-12: “Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth...”
I hope you all are having a great summer!
This song really picks me up, which I could really use right now. The last couple of weeks have been very difficult as there have been deaths in the family. I know that they were saved by the Lord, so I am somewhat comforted, and anyway, we will see them again later and forever. :)
Earlier:
You know you did a good job vacuuming when you find all of the cats’ hiding places... Poor things. I’ve never seen so much hustle from my cats, as they have when the vacuum is on the prowl! They fly to find new places to hide. They would win gold medals in the Olympic running events, I think, if they were allowed to compete! Lol.
Though, a couple of my cat’s will stay and watch the vacuum with mild interest. Brave kitties! In fact, one of my cats is so brave (or so oblivious of danger) that she practically never gets scared. I think that if she were sitting in the middle of the road, and a big tractor-trailer was coming straight toward her, with horn blasting, she probably would just stare at it and wouldn’t budge an inch! Silly kitty. Ehhehe.
I came across these awesome verses today as I continued reading through I Chronicles. They are Chapter 16, Verses 8-12: “Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth...”
I hope you all are having a great summer!
Sunday, June 19, 2005
The Prayer of Jabez
I really like the prayer of Jabez. His mother named him Jabez (sorrow maker) because she bore him in pain, but Jabez loved God and wanted to be great for His Kingdom. At first glance it might seem that his prayer is selfish, but, as Bruce Wilkinson says, Jabez wanted to be incredibly blessed and successful so that he could do great things for the Lord.
And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil so it might not hurt me!" So God granted him what he requested. (I Chronicles 4:10)
I want to be that blessed. In fact, I would like to be “filthy, stinking rich”, lol, so that I can use the wealth to do all kinds of wonderful things for God during my lifetime. :D!
I was hoping to put on new music from Tom Clancy’s Rogue Spear PC game. But they don't want people doing that, so I have put on some U2 instead! :D The sample is from the song "Where The Streets Have No Name".
So any way, in Rogue Spear, you go on various different missions to fight terrorists, and you have to be stealthy and choose your equipment wisely. It’s so much fun to sneak around inside the terrorists' strongholds. If they hear you sneaking around, they say stuff like *surprised* “Whaaaaa?” or *startled voice* “Who’s there?(!)” And when you start shooting at them, sometimes they scream “Run!!!” or “Can’t take it!”, and then they flee. Ehhehehe.
Normally you and seven others on your team will attempt a challenging mission against a terrorist position, usually housing about 17 terrorists (about two terrorists for every one soldier). However, I've found that it's much more fun to go in all by yourself and fight against 50 terrorists (50 to 1)!!! Heehee! (They won't let you fight more than 50 at one time though, :P! ).
I was quite hungry one evening while blogging, when Hairball, one of my cats, lovingly walked over to me and stepped into my lap to lie down. (Hairball isn’t her real name, of course; I’m using an alias so as to avoid revealing her true identity on the internet, *wink*). While still standing in my lap and before she could lie down, my stomach growled loudly, and very deeply. Hairball froze. She looked down at my stomach and stared at it for a few seconds, as if to consider carefully what it was that had growled at her. She then jumped strait up in the air and trotted off.
I laughed pretty hard. I love having cats...
And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil so it might not hurt me!" So God granted him what he requested. (I Chronicles 4:10)
I want to be that blessed. In fact, I would like to be “filthy, stinking rich”, lol, so that I can use the wealth to do all kinds of wonderful things for God during my lifetime. :D!
I was hoping to put on new music from Tom Clancy’s Rogue Spear PC game. But they don't want people doing that, so I have put on some U2 instead! :D The sample is from the song "Where The Streets Have No Name".
So any way, in Rogue Spear, you go on various different missions to fight terrorists, and you have to be stealthy and choose your equipment wisely. It’s so much fun to sneak around inside the terrorists' strongholds. If they hear you sneaking around, they say stuff like *surprised* “Whaaaaa?” or *startled voice* “Who’s there?(!)” And when you start shooting at them, sometimes they scream “Run!!!” or “Can’t take it!”, and then they flee. Ehhehehe.
Normally you and seven others on your team will attempt a challenging mission against a terrorist position, usually housing about 17 terrorists (about two terrorists for every one soldier). However, I've found that it's much more fun to go in all by yourself and fight against 50 terrorists (50 to 1)!!! Heehee! (They won't let you fight more than 50 at one time though, :P! ).
I was quite hungry one evening while blogging, when Hairball, one of my cats, lovingly walked over to me and stepped into my lap to lie down. (Hairball isn’t her real name, of course; I’m using an alias so as to avoid revealing her true identity on the internet, *wink*). While still standing in my lap and before she could lie down, my stomach growled loudly, and very deeply. Hairball froze. She looked down at my stomach and stared at it for a few seconds, as if to consider carefully what it was that had growled at her. She then jumped strait up in the air and trotted off.
I laughed pretty hard. I love having cats...
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
FRIENDS
It is a wonderful thing to have friends. :D! But there always seems to be a point in life where one acquires a new set of friends, and for one reason or other, some of the older friendships fade away. Sometimes, it seems that when you've finally made some really good friends, they move away, or you move, or whatever. It’s so depressing.
I prayed about this, and afterward, it was like God pointed out to me that He had a custom set of friends for each part of my life, each uniquely able to support me (and vice versa) at a certain stage in my life. Nevertheless, I still thought it very painful when we get separated from our old friends. You love your old friends, and may not see them again in this lifetime. :(
And then, as I kept praying about it, another thought occurred to me that we will see all of our friends again later in eternity (if they know the Lord), and probably see them as often as we wish then -- a permanent reunion -- Yaaayy!!!. :D So I’m OK with that now.
Then there are the day to day situations where friends sometimes let you down. That’s the toughest part for me to deal with. I know we’re all going to let each other down from time to time, even when we don’t mean to. Even so, it’s still hard when it does happen. :P! Maybe that’s why Jesus commanded us to forgive one another. He knew we were all going to need forgiveness. We can’t help it. Knowing that makes it easier for us to love one another, despite our faults and weaknesses. :)
Check out the huge picture of the lion down at the very bottom of my blog!!! :D Isn’t he awesome? He needed veterinary attention, and someone from the University of Wisconsin cared for him. Don’t his eyes seem kind? He looks very much like the image I have in my mind of Aslan. I just want to hug him. Ehhehe.
I wish I could have him as a pet, but then I would have twelve cats to live with! Eleven is plenty enough, lol. Besides, he would have to be careful not to step on the other kitties when he's romping around with them! ;)
I prayed about this, and afterward, it was like God pointed out to me that He had a custom set of friends for each part of my life, each uniquely able to support me (and vice versa) at a certain stage in my life. Nevertheless, I still thought it very painful when we get separated from our old friends. You love your old friends, and may not see them again in this lifetime. :(
And then, as I kept praying about it, another thought occurred to me that we will see all of our friends again later in eternity (if they know the Lord), and probably see them as often as we wish then -- a permanent reunion -- Yaaayy!!!. :D So I’m OK with that now.
Then there are the day to day situations where friends sometimes let you down. That’s the toughest part for me to deal with. I know we’re all going to let each other down from time to time, even when we don’t mean to. Even so, it’s still hard when it does happen. :P! Maybe that’s why Jesus commanded us to forgive one another. He knew we were all going to need forgiveness. We can’t help it. Knowing that makes it easier for us to love one another, despite our faults and weaknesses. :)
Check out the huge picture of the lion down at the very bottom of my blog!!! :D Isn’t he awesome? He needed veterinary attention, and someone from the University of Wisconsin cared for him. Don’t his eyes seem kind? He looks very much like the image I have in my mind of Aslan. I just want to hug him. Ehhehe.
I wish I could have him as a pet, but then I would have twelve cats to live with! Eleven is plenty enough, lol. Besides, he would have to be careful not to step on the other kitties when he's romping around with them! ;)
Friday, May 27, 2005
Of Kings, Ants, and Outfits
We’ve been having an ant problem in our kitchen and probably need to spray. The other day, my mom and I were in the kitchen and we saw an ant walking by on the countertop. I said to my mom, “Solomon said to observe the ant.” My mom then, and without reflection, squished it and threw it away! Well, there went the beginnings of a good Bible study. :P!
My closet has been needing cleaning for a long time. There are so many sets of clothes in there that I have outgrown. My parents happened to be around while I was trying on clothes, and they gave me their comments. So it kinda turned into an impromptu “fashion show”. They rated my outfits, placing them in one of three categories: 1. Give to Charity (way too small), 2. Wear Only Around the House (or outside at night), lol, and 3. Publicly Acceptable.
A ton of things fell into the “wear only around the house” slot. These clothes I could actually put on without hurting myself, but they sure did look very odd on me, as they were a little too small (things I wore in high school). I think I should give these to Charity too, but I can’t bear to part with some of them. So yeah, it looks like I’m going to have a lot of clothes for around the house only! I did find a sweater in there that I wore in the fourth grade (gasp!). What’s that doing in there? Well I know I’m not going to be able to wear that! Sheesh.
Lately, I’ve been reading in I Kings and II Kings in the Bible. I am so amazed to see so many kings of Israel and of Judah who did not follow the Lord. Of the few who did, even some of those went bad in the end. A very few kings (I can count them on one hand, I think) were faithful unto the end. It’s so sad! :o(
I hate to end this post on a low note, so I will remember that by God’s grace and by seeking His strength to stand strong in the face of temptation, He can keep us from failing like those kings did. It’s so easy to go astray in a world like this, but Jesus has overcome the world!!! :D
My closet has been needing cleaning for a long time. There are so many sets of clothes in there that I have outgrown. My parents happened to be around while I was trying on clothes, and they gave me their comments. So it kinda turned into an impromptu “fashion show”. They rated my outfits, placing them in one of three categories: 1. Give to Charity (way too small), 2. Wear Only Around the House (or outside at night), lol, and 3. Publicly Acceptable.
A ton of things fell into the “wear only around the house” slot. These clothes I could actually put on without hurting myself, but they sure did look very odd on me, as they were a little too small (things I wore in high school). I think I should give these to Charity too, but I can’t bear to part with some of them. So yeah, it looks like I’m going to have a lot of clothes for around the house only! I did find a sweater in there that I wore in the fourth grade (gasp!). What’s that doing in there? Well I know I’m not going to be able to wear that! Sheesh.
Lately, I’ve been reading in I Kings and II Kings in the Bible. I am so amazed to see so many kings of Israel and of Judah who did not follow the Lord. Of the few who did, even some of those went bad in the end. A very few kings (I can count them on one hand, I think) were faithful unto the end. It’s so sad! :o(
I hate to end this post on a low note, so I will remember that by God’s grace and by seeking His strength to stand strong in the face of temptation, He can keep us from failing like those kings did. It’s so easy to go astray in a world like this, but Jesus has overcome the world!!! :D
MY SECOND POST (Lol)
I’m supposed to have one of those personalities that makes me do things very systematically. I could name my future posts: "My Third Post", "My Fourth Post",... etc. But while this is highly organized, it’s not especially creative. :P! So, No.
Ehhehe.
Ehhehe.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
MY FIRST POST
**Clears Throat** First of all, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank all of you who have come to know me over the last several months. I love you all very much, and I thank God for each of you.
Well, that was somewhat formal, but yeah, it's so true. :D!
The music you should be hearing is “You Raise Me Up” from the Celtic Woman CD (Manhattan Records). The vast majority of my ancestry is Scotch-Irish, so I'm naturally drawn to any Gaelic, Celtic, etc. music. I can't help it; it's in my blood! ^_^ If you can't hear it please let me know, so I can fix it. Thanks! The song is over four minutes long, but it's worth sticking around long enough to hear the whole thing. Check it out!
Whenever, I hear this song, I can't help but think of Jesus, and how He walks with each of us every day, as we face life's inevitable struggles (and triumphs!). Here it is:
YOU RAISE ME UP
When I am down, and oh my soul's so weary,
When troubles come, and my heart burdened be,
Then I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit a while with me.
[Refrain]
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.
I'm glad you all didn't see the mess of a blog that used to be here before you came! Lol. I was doing all kinds of experimentation to try to get it to look the way I wanted it to. Then I blew it all away, because it was still going to take a lot more time to fully customize it that way. :P!
I'd really like to give it a Star Wars theme. Say, maybe have some spaceships flying across the screen too, like Lysha had those snow flakes drifting over her blog. :D!
I am so busy in school these days. (ugh!) I'm trying to graduate by the end of the summer (Yay!), so you might not see many posts from me. Please be patient. For though I tarry, surely I will come and post again!
In Christ,
Aslan
Well, that was somewhat formal, but yeah, it's so true. :D!
The music you should be hearing is “You Raise Me Up” from the Celtic Woman CD (Manhattan Records). The vast majority of my ancestry is Scotch-Irish, so I'm naturally drawn to any Gaelic, Celtic, etc. music. I can't help it; it's in my blood! ^_^ If you can't hear it please let me know, so I can fix it. Thanks! The song is over four minutes long, but it's worth sticking around long enough to hear the whole thing. Check it out!
Whenever, I hear this song, I can't help but think of Jesus, and how He walks with each of us every day, as we face life's inevitable struggles (and triumphs!). Here it is:
YOU RAISE ME UP
When I am down, and oh my soul's so weary,
When troubles come, and my heart burdened be,
Then I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit a while with me.
[Refrain]
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.
I'm glad you all didn't see the mess of a blog that used to be here before you came! Lol. I was doing all kinds of experimentation to try to get it to look the way I wanted it to. Then I blew it all away, because it was still going to take a lot more time to fully customize it that way. :P!
I'd really like to give it a Star Wars theme. Say, maybe have some spaceships flying across the screen too, like Lysha had those snow flakes drifting over her blog. :D!
I am so busy in school these days. (ugh!) I'm trying to graduate by the end of the summer (Yay!), so you might not see many posts from me. Please be patient. For though I tarry, surely I will come and post again!
In Christ,
Aslan
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Angels
This is just a search on Angels in the four gospels from crosswalk.com. I put it up on my blog so that passersby would have a chance to learn something while I worked on my blog! :)
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Mt 1:24 - Show ContextThen Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
Mt 2:13 - Show ContextAnd when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
Mt 2:19 - Show ContextBut when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
Mt 28:2 - Show ContextAnd, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
Mt 28:5 - Show ContextAnd the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
Lu 1:11 - Show ContextAnd there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
Lu 1:13 - Show ContextBut the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
Lu 1:18 - Show ContextAnd Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
Lu 1:19 - Show ContextAnd the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
Lu 1:26 - Show ContextAnd in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
Lu 1:28 - Show ContextAnd the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Lu 1:30 - Show ContextAnd the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
Lu 1:34 - Show ContextThen said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
Lu 1:35 - Show ContextAnd the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Lu 1:38 - Show ContextAnd Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Lu 2:9 - Show ContextAnd, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
Lu 2:10 - Show ContextAnd the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Lu 2:13 - Show ContextAnd suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Lu 2:21 - Show ContextAnd when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Mt 1:24 - Show ContextThen Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
Mt 2:13 - Show ContextAnd when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
Mt 2:19 - Show ContextBut when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
Mt 28:2 - Show ContextAnd, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
Mt 28:5 - Show ContextAnd the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
Lu 1:11 - Show ContextAnd there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
Lu 1:13 - Show ContextBut the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
Lu 1:18 - Show ContextAnd Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
Lu 1:19 - Show ContextAnd the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
Lu 1:26 - Show ContextAnd in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
Lu 1:28 - Show ContextAnd the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Lu 1:30 - Show ContextAnd the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
Lu 1:34 - Show ContextThen said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
Lu 1:35 - Show ContextAnd the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Lu 1:38 - Show ContextAnd Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Lu 2:9 - Show ContextAnd, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
Lu 2:10 - Show ContextAnd the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Lu 2:13 - Show ContextAnd suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Lu 2:21 - Show ContextAnd when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.