Two Horses and the Bell

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it.

From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing….
Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.

This alone is amazing.
If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell.   Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.
Attached to the horse’s halter is a small bell.   It lets the blind friend know where the other  horse is, so he can follow.

As you stand and watch these two friends,  you’ll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse,  and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk  to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.

When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn’t too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two  horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.

God watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives.

Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way….

Good friends are like that… you may not always see them, but you know they are always there.

Please listen for my bell and I’ll listen for yours.
And remember…

be kinder than necessary-everyone you meet is fighting
some kind of battle.

Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly…..

Natrual Highs

1. Falling in love.
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
3. A hot shower.
4. No lines at the super market.
5. A special glance..
6. Getting mail.
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
11. Chocolate milkshake (vanilla or strawberry).
12. A bubble bath.
13. Giggling..
14. A good conversation.
15 The beach
16. Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter.
17. Laughing at yourself.
18. Looking into their eyes and knowing they Love you
19 Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
20. Running through sprinklers.
21. Laughing for ab s olutely no reason at all.
22. Having someone tell you that you’re beautiful.
23. Laughing at an inside joke with FRIENDS
25. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
26. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
27. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).
28. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
29. Playing with a new puppy.
30. Having someone play with your hair.
31. Sweet dreams.
32. Hot chocolate.
33. Road trips wi th friends..
34. Swinging on swings.
35. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
36. Making chocolate chip cookies.
37. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.
38 Holding hands with someone you care about.
39 Running into an old20friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
40. Watching the expression on someone’s face as they open a much desired present from you.
41. Watching the su nr ise.
42. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
43. Knowing that somebody misses you.
44. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
45. Knowing you’ve done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

Pass on These Natural Highs

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Christian singles dating

Christian dating sites are just like other dating sites that help you find your perfect match, but what sets them apart from others is the fact that they are mainly focused on providing their services to Christian singles. These sites promoting Christian singles dating serve as online matchmakers to the Christian community by using the power of the internet to bring people closer to one another through convenient communication means.

There are many Christians living in the United States but with so many of them around, why is it still difficult for them to date? As an answer to that problem, there are Christian singles dating services offered on the internet. These services make it easier for you to find new friends while ensuring that you can date like-minded individuals. Nowadays, you can find many Christian singles dating websites on the internet. It is also easy and fast to sign up for these services and become a member.

Christian dating sites have contributed a lot to the success of Christian singles dating by allowing their members to mingle and interact easily with like-minded individuals. Whether you are searching for a soul mate or you simply want to participate in casual dating or find new friends, joining these dating sites for Christians can benefit you in many ways possible. The good news here is that you won’t have to worry about meeting people with questionable conduct and morals.

There are services that come with a price while there are those that are entirely free. There are also those that allow you to sign up for a limited period of time and then requiring you to subscribe for their services later on to unlock extra features or to continue using your account. However, don’t let the price or the number of features determine how beneficial the site can be for you when it comes to Christian singles dating. In fact, there are free services that contain simple yet effective features with a lot of success stories to share.

Single Christian Network lets you sign up for free. Upon signing up, you can already gain access to our site’s features that allow you to meet new people and find the one who is destined to you. The Single Christian Network hones a caring, dynamic, and fun place where you can meet fellow Christians. In fact, we have a lot of success stories about our members who ended up together. Learn more about the Single Christian Network and its benefits to your love life in this website.

Keep the Sabbath Holy. What does it mean?

First one must be cogizant of the fact that the Law (Mosiac) is still enforce. It is the Law that judges sin, it is Grace that bears mercy to believers. Both are intact and functioning. However if you sin and walk from underneath Grace’s covering you stand squarely in the Law. So how do you walk from Grace? Sin. Which is the breaking of the Law. The 10 Commandments are the foundation of not only Judiasm, but Christianity as well. Christ said He came to fulfill them—not do away with them. If you fulfill a promise to someone that you will pick them up after work, and then do so, you have fulfilled your promise. Does that then mean the promise has no meaning? Does that mean if you promised to do it every day, that the one time you did, negates the rest of that promise? No and no. The same is true of the authority of the Law, it is not negated! So looking at the Law (or commandments in this case) we must first note that it is NOT the 9 Commandments, or the 10 suggestions. And as a commandment from God, He is not looking for our input, or if we want to do as He says—it is a command meant to be obeyed. Therefore Christ observed Shabbat every Friday night to Saturday night. He spoke in the synagouges on that day, and many other things as well, to glorify God and place the focus on Him. Christ did this in everything He did. “I do nothing save my father bid me to do so….” (paraphrased) So Sabbath keeping, or Shabbat, is a manditory unction of the Law. You do not keep the Sabbath you break the Law, and that is sin and you have walked from out of the covering of Grace, any willful sin does this. Many will say that these ordinances of God do not apply today, ignoring completely that God said it was an “everlasting” covenant, and one Christ Himself kept. So do we believe, or have we given the authority of God to someone, or something, else? The authority is God’s and no one else’s. The Catholic church, by the declaration of a catchism (sp?), claimed the first day of the week holy. Their contention was, and is, as the only true church they have the authority to change it. They note that the only true protestant churches are the ones that convene on Shabbat. The others are obeying their ordinance, whether with knowledge or not, thus reinforcing the authority of the RCC. This was addressed directly in the 1500’s when the church issued it’s position that they, not God, had changed the day. In actually the changing of the day to Sunday was to claim authority over the pagans who worshipped the literal SUN on that day. Now the church covered all areas of authority, and solidified Roman rule over ever facet of society. Remember that the RCC was the ecclastical arm of authority of Rome. It was born as a political entity, not a religious one. That only (the declaration of the RCC), the very admission that God had issued this command first, tell us the validity of the Law—and the RCC’s need to circumvent it. SDA, Seventh-Day Baptists, and many other churches follow the First Century Church’s adherence to this Law. Some will cite about the disciples meeting on the first dayof the week, this does not speak to the ordinances of God, but rather a tradition WITH Sabbath observance by the disciples. That is all. Even if we could take that scripture out of context, and many do, where do we get the notion that the disciples, humans all, could circumvent and change what GOD had ordained? They didn’t, couldn’t and didn’t even try. This also speaks to the claim some have that it is written not to judge or condemn those who choose another day of worship. Yes it IS written in the Bible, but like Paul’s admonishment to Peter, it was addressing evangelism and not Christian observance. The Judaic roots of Christianity were still prevalent at the time. Even today, Messianic Jews observe many of the traditions of Judiasm. This was so then as well. But everyone has an opinion. In the end only God’s counts. So if every Patriach, Prophet, King, Disciple, Apostle, and the Begotten Son Of God Himself, kept the Sabbath day of Friday night to Saturday night (after the commandments were issued) can we do no less?

 Be blessed, be loved and be at peace, Jonathan

Jonathan has a blog here: http://www.adeeperfaith.com

What Does God Require?

I got a thought about this. I’ve thought this for a long, long, long, long time. Like, for years and years.

What God requires of you, might not be what God requires of me.

This principle is caught up in the parable of the talents. The man with 1 talent could not do the things of the man with 10 talents. And he wasn’t required to.

Jesus required more of the 12 Apostles than he did of a poor blind man that lived his life by the pool.

A homeless herion addict that eats in the soup kitchen and has just met the Lord probably can’t keep up with you, or us. It is OK for him to walk a bit slower, and to stumble some. Whereas you, you are required to do more because you know better. You’ve developed some strengths. You’ve learned how to resist some temptations.

God didn’t require you to do all the things you do now way back when you first met the Lord.
I hear you preach some Cattleman. I know God didn’t require you to do that way back when. You had to grow first. You had to learn some things. You had to get stronger.

I think sometimes we try to transpose “our” gifts, and skills and talents and our STRENGHTS into others.
Sometimes that does not work.

If you tried to force that herion addict to live up to the expectations that you have for yourself, then I’d challenge you. I’d say – “Back off.  Leave him alone.”

When we do that, we are way to often only encouraging them to backslide because they just can’t live up to that yet. We heap guilt on them, make the way too difficult and we give them burdens that they can’t carry.

So – they give up. And, it is our fault. We drove them away.  I’ve seen this so many times it is quite sad.
And then we blame them. “Oh, they just couldn’t cut it. They couldn’t keep the commandments.”  

We lay burdens on people that they are not ready for. And we justify it too. “The bible says so.”

Now, in some other threads we’ve been talking about marriage and divorce.
Some have said “If God requires me not to get married again, then I will obey.”
And I say to that – you bet. You would be obeying the commandents as you know them and as you have the strength to do. So, you should live that out. Anything less would be wrong.”

I gave the illustration of an immature teenager getting married on a drunk lark in Vegas and then us trying to force OUR lives into her life and forcing her to live in imprisonment all of her life. To that, I say we are wrong.
There is a place in this thing we call life where we deliver forgiveness and we accept that level of repentance that they are able to give.  

Some are able to repent at a certain level – and that is where God’s forgiveness meets us.

Here is where the church must nurture others in the faith. The church must bear their burdens and accept that degree of repentance which it is possible for them to achieve.

What I see way too often – is seasoned, mature Christians trying to transpose their maturity and strength into others who just aren’t there yet. And we heap coals of guilt into them and we push them down into despair because they just don’t measure up.

And, to that – I say “Shame on us.”  

We don’t demand that a 6 month old baby do the same things as a 10 year old boy.
Even a mature man of 30 who has little educational skills and people skills, we don’t demand of them that they become the president of a major corporation. We don’t demand that they become school teachers. We don’t demand someone who can’t read to become a newspaper editor.

So, why do we demand some of these things on our Christian brothers and sisters?

I’m perplexed by this.

Let’s learn to help each other walk, and encourage each other to grow.

This might be a little of of the intended topic, but it did seem to fit. I hope so. Carry on.

—

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AIG Bailout

AIG just received $85 billion from taxpayers. This, of course, is in addition to the $30 billion bailout received last year.
Whew! That was a close call.
For a moment I thought AIG might actually go under. After all, a group of executives have run that company into the ground at the tune of a $65 billion loss last year. 

$65 billion loss. Wow. Whoever was running that company was apparently making some boneheaded decisions.
So, what punishment does AIG dole out to these guys who ran this company to the tune of a $65 billion loss last year? A cut in salary? A demotion? Fire them?

Why no, they gave them $165 million in bonuses of course!

Well, if that doesn’t make you smile, the you might consider that they also spent $440,000 entertaining themselves at a spa. A $440,000 spa treatment? Do they charge extra for massages and facials when the client is millionare client who is paid by tax payer dollars? It seems like they must.  Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that those millionare executives could afford their own massages and didn’t need tax payers to pay for them? Wondering bout that…..

Finally though, taxpayers are angry,  and now it seems AIG has gotten the message. They went hunting partridges in England at a cost of $86,000. Seems to be a fair reward for making poor business decisions doesn’t it?

The hunting adventure seems small potatoes though, as now we find that AIG is continuing to pay for a luxury suite at Madison Square Gardens. Do you know what a luxury suite (sweet?) costs at Madison Square Gardens costs? Best not ask if you don’t want to pout the rest of the day. They won’t let you into that suite unless you are an AIG executive who helped the company lose $65 billion. You’ll have to pay cash for nose bleed seats like the rest of us.

AIG defended their hunting party on the grounds that it is an annual event and was planned before the bailout. Perish the thought that after losing $65 billion in one year, they might take another look at what might be a prudent way to spend money, or at least cut back once they are put on the public dole.  Have any executives at AIG considered the possibility that they lost $65 billion dollars because they were making poor business decisions like spending money recklessly on spas, bird hunts and luxury suites?

AIG head Sebastian Preil said the following: “The recession will go on until about 2011 – but the shooting was great today and we are relaxing fine.”

I feel much better.

 

 

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Jesus and Muslims

Quote
You do not treat an enemy with the same respect that you treat a brother in Christ or even a stranger.

I do think Jesus had something to say about that.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

I know we are quoting the Koran here in order to find out how bad a particular religion is. Perhaps it is better to quote the Bible to find out how we should respond to this religion.

The question is not, “Is Muslim a good or bad religion?”
The question is, “What is the Godly/Christian response to this religion?”

If we believe that the proper response to this religion is with hate, then what better are we than they? This is the same question that Jesus asked. Even the “bad guys” love each other. That isn’t hard.

I know people will say that we should hate the Muslims and/or kill them.
I am one that disagrees.

I also believe that Jesus taught something different, and we who are to call ourselves followers have a greater calling than to respond with hate.

Are the Muslims your enemy?
Are you a follower of Jesus?
Then do what Jesus said: “Love your enemy, pray for them,” and hardest of all perhaps – do good to them.

Why 40?

Anyone have any insight to this? Why 40? I am going to study this. Does it relate in any way to the seed which fell on good ground? As we are to be “tree’s” “grafted into the vine” which is Christ. I wonder, I am going to study this to see if I can find understanding.

Anyone who knows, please do tell, I am very curious.

Gen 7:4 – Rained 40 days and 40 nights
Exo 24:18 – Moses on Mount Sinai 40 days and 40 nights
Exo 34:28 – Moses fasted 40 days and 40 nights
Num 13:25 – Israel spied out the land 40 days
Num 14:33 – Israel wandered 40 years
1Sa 4:18 – Eli led Israel 40 years
1Sa 17:16 – Goliath taunted Israel 40 days
1Ki 19:8 – Elijah’s trip to horeb took 40 days and 40 nights
Eze 29:12 – No one will be able to pass through Egypt for 40 years
Jnh 3:4 – Jonah preached Ninevah would be destoryed in 40 days
Mat 4:2 – Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights, then tempted
Act 1:3 – 40 days and 40 nights between resurrection and ascension

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We are one in the body

When I raised my own family the decision of one would affect the rest. When my son made a foolish mistake while working at CompUsa and tried to impress a friend by not ringing up his DVD and slipping it into the bag, he wasn’t the only one that paid a price. Oh, he suffered for sure. He was led out of the store in handcuffs. I got the call when he was at the juvenile dention center. Then it was my turn to suffer. I was scared FOR him. I spent that night taking care of the things needed to get him out of there. I spent another 6 months taking him to court required meetings with probation officers and the other required items.
His small mistake affected other people. He was not the only one affected.

When I was growing up there was enough trouble caused by me and my siblings to affect the whole family. One of us didn’t pay the price. We all did. The whole family was impacted by the decisions of one. Was it everyone’s fault? No. But we all shared the burden of a mistake. I shared the consequences of the actions of my brothers and sisters.

When I cut my hand opening a can a while back, my whole body hurt suffered along with my hand. I had trouble sleeping. Had trouble typing. I didn’t feel like doing normal things that I might have done. My life was altered because of something that happened to my hand. My body was affected by a body part.

Now listen to what Paul said in Corinthians speaking of the body: “If (one) part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy. “

I have other brothers and sisters outside of my immediate family. Not just within a church body, but within the body human. My actions affect my neighbors. The actions of my neighbors affect me. We are all connected – intricately.

If I think of “judgement” as the lashing out by God to punishment I perhaps misunderstand. If I see judgment as the natural result of my decisions things become clearer. In the same way that my human body is affected by the pain of an appendage, we as the body of Christ — and the body of humanity — all do experience the judgment of God because of the choices and actions of our fellow travelers. If someone harms my loved ones I really do experience that “judgment.” I experience the pain, and the loss and the suffering even though I may be completely innocent. I hurt for and with those people. If I make stupid decisions and do harm to someone else, then not only I will experience that judgement, but the person I harmed will suffer, and the people around that person will suffer. We are all intimately connected.

When we start seeing this intimate connection we might stop thinking of “us” and “them” and stop seeing good guys and bad guys and seeing some people as the “enemy.” Instead, we’ll see that we are all brothers and sisters – yes, even those people that we don’t like. We are all composed of the body of humanity.

So, will I be judged for my ancestors decisions to keep slaves? You bet I will be. WE are paying the price for that right now. All of us. The struggles that one race still goes through in America is a direct result of the actions of our forbears and we all still experience that struggle with them.

Slavery is only one example. Humans have made so many terrible, horrible choices, and today, we as society and civilization still are recovering from those choices. Entire nations, countries, races, peoples of all walks of life are affected. They are experiencing that judgment. The innocent people in Iraq are paying the price of decisions made by other people including their leaders and the leaders of other countries. That country will be suffering for a long time, for generations.

When Jesus said that sin would be carried on to the 3rd and 4th generations he was not eliciting and indictment as much as statement the truth. What I do affects my children, and their children, and their children. What we all do affects the rest of us.

Some might disagree with the labels that one might choose to use to express this judgment, but the reality is the statements of Jesus are coming to pass. Innocent people today are suffering from the result of the  decisions of others. Call it judgment or the result of consequence — It is the same thing. And yes – innocent people experience it along with the guilty.

Now, listen to what Paul said again about the body. This time expand your thinking of what the body is. Think of the body as being all of us jointly connected as humans. The body of humanity.

 As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.

If a foot should say, “Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.

Or if an ear should say, “Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.

If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?

But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended.

If they were all one part, where would the body be?

But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.”

Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary,

and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety,

whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it,

so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.

If (one) part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy

Who is the Head? Man or Woman?

From a post on the Christian Singles website:

Well I’m going to stay clear of theological discussions and try to keep this simple from what I know about scripture and that probably isn’t a whole lot in comparison to many here. I just your profile again(his warrior) and I see the words dominance, dominated, etc. From what I know about God from His word God is not about dominance. Satan is about dominance but God isn’t. God is about free will and freedom. He who the Son sets free is free indeed. Sin on the other hand tries to take away a person’s free will and control a person.

I can see how a Christian guy can use those ‘head of’ scriptures to promote his self serving agenda of having a wife that will submit to him. Relationships and love are about submission on both ends, between husband/wife and God and us. Christ wants us to submit to Him and He submitted himself to us(Philippians 2). He laid it all down for our good. Its about love not control.

So in the context of husband wife I watched Little House on the Prairie today. I do NOT ever want to have a harriet and nels oleson marriage in which the guy was dominated. I will take a Charles Ingalls and Carolyn Ingallis marriage though. Was anybody dominated there? no. Was there love? You betcha! Did each person have their role in the family? Yep. Did he love her? yep. Did she respect him? You got it!

It goes both ways, I’ve seen abusive men dominate women and I’ve seen very hateful women dominate men. I’ve seen women highly disrespect and use men and vise versa but those who allow themselves to be abused will be abused. A man is not to use those scriptures to his advantage and at the same time a man is not to be a spineless, ignorant whimp who will allow himself to be dominated. A woman is not to get resentful at those scriptures and at the same time can’t be gullible enough to allow a guy to use them against her in the name of being a ‘godly submissive woman.’ That would just lead to some deep resentment. It’s all about balance with love being the common denominator.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Do you agree? What do you think?

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