Rebecca2

Buy the bike. Buy the bike as if he were buying a bike for the Lord. Buy a really good bike lock. Ride that bike to work. Praise God for his blessings! Pay tithe. There are many verses that provide guidance on tithing. Deuteronomy 12:18 may give your friend some guidance in his situation. Deuteronomy 12 17Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand: 18But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.

Canines and felines depend on their senses of smell and taste a lot more than human beings do. They can smell pheromones from great distances. They can sense bio-chemical changes in their surroundings and to verying degrees in other animals. Domesticated, companion animals 'adopt' their owners as litter-mates or pack members. Some of these animals become very attuned to their adoptee, especially when they sense that the adoptee needs protection or special care. Some animals are more naturally caring than others and this can be developed for use with people who have seizures, diabetes, and other conditions. I have seizures as a result of being struck by lightning several years ago. My eldest male cat, Beowulf, is very protective of me. He likes to grooms my hair. He watches me quite a bit. He senses when I am about to have a seizure. I know that if he starts making distressed sounds and circling me that I need to sit down and get comfortable. He usually jumps up in my lap when I sit down and does the dead weight thing that makes him impossible to move. He sits there until I'm okay, then he jumps down. When I fell earlier this year, Beowulf came and laid down beside me until I got someone to come help me get up. He snuggled up to me and purred and kept nudging me. Poor baby, he was trying to comfort me cause he knew I was in pain. I don't know how anyone could think that my Beowulf was anything but a gift from GOD.

In Vino Veritas

The law written by Mordecai allowed the Jews to kill their enemies and take plunder; however, there are a few reasons that this was not an option. 1) This was not in the best interests of the Jewish people living in the midst of a foreign people. The Jewish men destroyed anyone who threatened their lives and the lives of their women and children. The people who witnessed these events could understand these actions. Many of them would have done the same thing if their families had been threatened. If the Jews had taken the plunder, their neighbors might have become envious or distrustful of them. Eventually these neighbors might have begun to see the Jews as a threat. 2) When a powerful king does a favor for a minority group in his kingdom, it might be in the best interests of that group to make it worth the ruler's efforts. Haman had promised to pay the king to have the Jews destroyed. This king was in the midst of raising funds for a major military campaign. He may have wanted to right the wrong planned for Esther's people, but seriously people, the man needed money - lots of money. 3) HISTORY - Haman was of the family of King Agag of the Amalekites. In 1 Samuel 15, GOD told King Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites and all they had to punish Amalek for ambushing the children of Israel after they left Egypt. King Saul disobeyed GOD. King Saul captured King Agag alive. Saul's army took plunder. When Samuel confronted Saul about King Agag and the plunder, Saul made excuses for his disobedience. Because Saul disobeyed the commands of the Lord in this matter, he was rejected as the king of Israel. In addition, his disobedience led to the escape of at least one member of King Agag's family who I would venture to say harbored a deep abiding hatred of the Jews. This hatred was passed down until a member of the family thought he was finally in a position to destroy the people who destroyed the dynasty of King Agag. In destroying the house / family of Haman, the children of Israel were completing the original mission given to King Saul. As part of that original mission, the children of Israel were bound to obey the commands of the Lord to not take plunder.

BIBLICAL Priests who entered into the tabernacle of the congregation were not allowed to drink wine or vinegar of strong drink. (Leviticus) Nazarites were not allowed to drink wine or vinegar of strong spirits or eat grapes. (Numbers) The Children of Israel did not drink wine or vinegar of strong drink during the forty years of wondering. (Deuteronomy) We should not cause brother to fall because of what we eat or drink. (Romans 14) We should not be given to MUCH wine. (Ephesians, 1 Timothy, Titus, 1 Peter) We can drink a LITTLE wine for the stomach's sake. (1 Timothy) MEDICAL Wine taken in moderation is a useful form of alternative medicine for prevention of coronary disease and some types of cancer. The flavanoids in red wines act as anti-oxidants to block cellular damage caused by free-radicals. Other compounds in red wine boost the immune system, help balance cholesterol levels, and lower the risks of stroke. Red wine is also used in alternative medicine as a vehicle for adminstering other herbal medicants. Women experiencing peri-menopause who have a family history of breast cancer should avoid consuming wine. The liver of most people is equiped with the enzymes required to metabolize alcohol in small quantities. One glass of wine is well within the limits of what the liver can metabolize in about one hour. A large percentage of East Asians and Native Americans have a genetic deficiency of the enzyme required to metabolize alcohol. MY VIEWS One glass of red wine has an average alcohol content of 11.5 percent. One dose of my mouthwash is 26.9 percent alcohol. (No, I don't swallow it, but I can't use it on days I work because it would cause me to fail the alcohol test at work). One dose of the antihistamine I use for bee / wasp stings is 14 percent alcohol. One dose of a medication I take for a chronic health condition is 5.25 percent alcohol. If you're going to eliminate alcohol, then you would have to eliminate more than wine and strong spirits. At one point in my life, my doctor had me drink a small glass of red wine every evening before bed. It was supposed to help my blood pressure. I was only 15 at the time. It did not hurt me. I did not become an alcoholic. I have a large Sicilian-Cajun family. We drink a glass of wine with holiday meals. I do not drink more than a few glasses of wine a year. I do cook with wine and whiskey on a routine basis. I have a few other spirits for special recipes. The alcohol content cooks off so no one is going to get drunk eating my cooking. I don't cook like Justin Wilson did and take a sip of whatever I'm adding to the pot. People are quick to quote Romans 14 about not doing anything to cause a brother to fall, but seldom do they quote the first part of the chapter where it says not to judge another. I would not sit down to eat with an alcoholic and have a drink because this would not be courteous or charitable of me, but neither should my alcoholic brother judge me because I drink. I do not like being around someone who drinks more than a drink with their meal, but I will not judge them. If I feel that they have stepped over the line into alcoholism, then I will attempt to show them agape love - tough love, but agape love. SPEAKING OF AGAPE LOVE - Could we take a deep cleansing breathe and remember who we are here?

It's called being filled with the Spirit!!!!!! Isn't it wonderful!!!!! I used to look around before I raised my hands. I was so self-conscious. Then I felt a little empty afterwards. I realized that I was stifling the Spirit. Now I just raise my hands and even stand up if I feel moved by the Spirit. My Dad always said that sometimes it only takes one person to start things going in the right direction. Hallelujeh! Raise those hands!!!

Our church has a service missions fair every fall (we just had it). During the fair we can sign up to try-out different service missions in the church. We can try the service mission up to three times before making a commitment to continue serving in that area. If we decide the service mission is not right for us, we just tell the coordinator we don't want to serve in that area. You might ask whoever coordinates service missions in your church what service areas need volunteers and if you could serve in that area for a trial period before making a commitment. If your involvement in service missions causes you to neglect your family or your job, then it is too much. Our service missions coordinator monitors all the volunteers. When someone volunteers for what she thinks are too many missions, she will take them aside and talk to them. She told me I needed to back off at one point. NO, it is better to serve in one area and give it your all. We pay more attention to what other people think than what GOD thinks. If you have prayed and then listened to GOD and are doing what you have been led by GOD to do, then don't worry about what other people think.

I've had insomnia since my husband was murdered in January 1986. At first it was just that I couldn't bear to go to bed. Then I couldn't deal with the nightmares. I sleep okay sitting in my recliner during the daytime, but I hate going to bed at night. I rarely get more than a few hours sleep a night.

It may be true that once you involve the Department of Health/Human Service in a case involving a suspected abused, neglected, or endangered child that the child remains in the radar zone of the courts. However, which is worse - having the child being monitored by the courts or being abused / neglected / endangered. Typically, if someone reports suspected abuse / neglect / endangerment, the local Child Protection Agency will remove the child from the situation. The child could be placed in a CPS run 'safe house' for up to 90 days. During this time, an initial hearing is held placing the child in temporary state custody, the situation is investigated, and a second hearing is held to present the findings of the investigation and allow involved parties testify. These hearings are usually held in juvenile or family court. At the end of the 90 days, the judge could order the child placed in foster care or give custody of the child to a family member. In some states, you also have Community Child Protection Teams who investigate suspected cases of endangered children. They usually do not remove the child from a home, although they can contact DHHS to have the child removed if needed. They also offer advice and counseling to family and community members who are concerned about a child. To find out what services are available in your area, go to your state's government page and look up the DHHS or CPS. Their websites should provide contact information. I pray that whatever the situation is that it is resolved without harm to a precious child.

This reminded me of the bonus question on my advanced physics final in college. We were asked to give the dimensions of the Milky Way. I drew a picture of a Milky Way bar and provided approximate dimensions for it. I got 50% credit for creativity.

In Modern Hebrew, re

After I read a few news reports today on the spread of this latest episode of staph I decided to do a bit of research. I remember when I worked at a hospital many years ago that staph was spoken of as almost a death sentence. I just couldn't remember what the signs / symptoms of staph are. Common symptoms of staph infection include: pain or swelling around a cut, or an area of skin that has been scraped boils or other skin abscesses blistering, peeling, or scaling of the skin; this is most common in infants and young children enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin Seek medical treatment whenever: Lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin become swollen or tender. An area of skin that has been cut or scraped becomes painful or swollen, feels hot, or produces pus. These symptoms may mean the infection has spread to the bloodstream. A boil or carbuncle appears on any part of the face or spine. Staph infections affecting these areas can spread to the brain or spinal cord. A boil becomes very sore. Usually a sign that infection has spread, this condition may be accompanied by fever, chills, and red streaks radiating from the site of the original infection. Boils that develop repeatedly. (Common with diabetics infected with staph.) I also looked up the most common herbal treatments for staph. (I prefer herbal remedies to drugs.) Herbs that may help the body overcome, or withstand, staph infection include: Garlic (Allium sativum) - anitbacterial properties. Herbalists recommend consuming three garlic cloves or three garlic oil capsules a day, starting when symptoms of infection first appear. Cleavers (Galium aparine) - anti-inflammatory that supports the lymphatic system. It may be taken internally to help heal staph abscesses and reduce swelling of the lymph nodes. A cleavers compress can also be applied directly to a skin infection. Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) - fight infection and reduce imflammation. Take internally when symptoms of infection first appear. Skin infections can be treated by making a paste of water and powdered goldenseal root and applying it directly to the affected area. The preparation should be covered with a clean bandage and left in place overnight. Echinacea (Echinacea spp.) - antibiotic properties and strengthens the immune system. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), lavender (Lavandula officinalis), or bergamot (Citrus bergamot) oils - antibacterial properties and help prevent scarring from skin infections. A few drops of these oils are added to water and then a compress soaked in the water is applied to the affected area. Tea tree oil (Melaleuca spp.) - infection-fighting. Apply directly to a boil or other skin infection. Don't forget nutrition! A diet rich in green, yellow, and orange vegetables can bolster natural immunity. Drinking eight to 10 glasses of water a day can help flush disease-causing organisms from the body.

Last Christmas I spent quarantined for two weeks because I had mumps. I was told that I was most likely exposed while I was shopping. I do believe every gland in my entire body was infected and hated me with a passion. Can we say PAIN! I sat in my recliner covered in blankets and propped up with pillows so that I could breathe while I slept. My church family brought food and supplies to me, sat the bags by the door, rang my doorbell, waited to see my face in the window, and then jumped in their cars & drove away as fast as possible. I was not amused! Oh, never drink orange juice when you have the mumps - YEEEOOOWWW! One good thing came from the experience, I should have plenty of antibodies to mumps. I now use sanitizing wipes on the handle of the grocery cart and sanitizing hand cleaner on my hands. I also do not go shopping if I have something contagious. Every time I see a kig chewing on the handle of the grocery cart I get the urge to thump their parents in the head. What happened to parents who told their kids not to put anything in their mouths that they didn't know where it had been? What happened to parents who used noonies for their kids to suck on instead of grocery cart handles? What happened to parents who used to tell their kids not to run with sticks cause they were going to poke their eye out with them? Oh, sorry, I started getting carried away.

Please consider my earlier post (Post #111) when thinking about Scriptural guidance in dealing with an abusive spouse. I will say one other thing - been there, done that, got the divorce papers, wish I had left sooner.

Law enforcement officers STILL think it is okay for a husband to slap around his wife to keep her in line as long as he doesn't leave any bruises above the waist where some 'misguided do-gooder' might see them. Preachers and other 'misguided do-gooders' still believe that adultery is the only acceptable reason to get a divorce and a woman should just stay in a marriage and keep getting beaten senseless until she is dead. The only thing that has changed is that less women are tolerating the abuse. They are choosing to either kill their dear loving husband or leave him. I chose to get a divorce.

I previously posted most of this in another topic, so I hope those who read that topic don

If you are following GOD's plan for your life, does it really matter how old you are or that you are still single and a virgin? No matter where we are in our life's journey, GOD has a mission for us to fulfill. Leave the fulfillment of GOD's plan for your life up to Him. Worrying about what will happen tomorrow is like trying to get somewhere in a rocking chair - you're burning a lot energy and going nowhere. Instead of using valuable time and energy worrying about tomorrow, find out what you can do today to serve GOD. Who knows if by actively serving GOD in a particular area of ministry, you might find the person with whom GOD wants you to spend the rest of your life. I know my church is always looking for volunteers to help with the nursery and we actually have a couple of guys who volunteer to rock babies and to keep the more active toddlers busy. Some of these guys are empty-nesters and some of them are single guys who want children one day. GOD wants us to find fulfillment. Can you think of a better way to find fullfillment than by serving GOD? Matthew 6: 25

Wow, I would love to go to Gabon. Gabon has the only known natural nuclear reactors in the world. Most nuclear engineers and nuclear physicists would give their eye teeth to visit Gabon. Okay, deep breath, now to your subject. The teens at my church raised money for their mission trip to China by flagging the yards of members. They got Chinese flags and put them on posts that could be stuck in the ground. Church members could pay to have another member's yard flagged. If your yard got flagged, you had to pay to get the flags moved to another member's yard. It got to the point that members were asking the youth director why their yard had not been flagged yet. I told the youth director that they weren't getting a donation from me until I got flagged and the next morning I had a whole row of flags in my yard. It was fun. The local newspaper had an article about the flags and our teens' mission trip. A lot of people in the community started asking about the mission trip after that. The teens raised more than they originally needed for their mission trip. They were able to add additional areas to visit on their mission trip. I almost forgot. Some people who were going on a mission trip visited my mother's church last year. They weren't members of the church, but they gave a little presentation about their mission trip. The church gave them a 'love offering' to help them with their trip.

The outside symbol is usually known as solar rays. It is used for one of the symbols of Christ with an 'IHS' in the center. It is also used for the symbol of the Sun of Righteousness with an 'ihc' in the center. If you want a good resource for Christian symbols, look at http://wegast.home.att.net/symbols/ From the angle of the picture the symbol in the center looks like a cursive M. In Christian symbolism, the M is used in symbols for Mary, the Mother of Christ. But, the symbol used for Mary is a Romanesque style M. The runic M is angular. The runic symbol M represents the horse and the Norse letter ehwaz (e). It would not be written in a rounded style. Also, the solar rays are not a runic symbol. The symbol for day is diamond shaped. I used to read runes and the solar rays symbol and this M aren't runic symbols. The astrological symbol for Scorpio is a cursive M. But the astrological symbol for the sun is a round circle. Even if this were a natal day symbol for someone who was born when the sun was in the house of Scorpio, the outer circle would not have solar rays. Well, I guess it could if someone took poetic license with the natal symbol. This symbol has me puzzled. I really don't like it when I can't figure out a puzzle. I guess that means that I'm going to be doing some back-burner research until I run across the answer. If I do, I'll let you know.

You've done some much needed housecleaning. Now you are missing all that 'stuff' that you admitted you don't need. But, all that stuff has been a part of your life for a long time. Of course you are going to feel a void. But, hey, think about it, all that stuff that was just coming between you and your walk with GOD is gone. You are FREE! Okay, so you're still a human being and living in a sinful world. But, you are Saved! So fill up that void left by sin and worldly stuff with things that will help you walk closer with GOD. You miss CD's - so get some good Christian music CD's. You miss DVD's - get some Christian DVD's. Get a good devotional to read every day. Study the Bible more. Don't just read the Bible, but find books that explain the Bible and the languages and history of the Bible. (The Bible is so amazing!) Get some Christian books. GOD can fill that void. He promised you that. [Psalms 23:5 My cup runs over.] Now you need to grab hold of all that He provides. Remember - GOD is much greater than any void. CHRIST has already defeated the evil one and all his temptations. You are the child of GOD. 1 Peter 1:6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold

You might try reading When A Man's Eye Wanders. It is distributed (free) by RBC Ministries. Just go to www.discoveryseries.org/catalog and enter the title in the search. You can either read it on line or have it mailed to you. It might be helpful. I'm on the monthly mailing list for the discovery booklets and the devotionals. You might want to get on the mailing list also (if you're not already).

Matthew 5:27

Preemie diaper! Not that I've actually done this to collect kitty pee.

Tecnu Wash is good to keep around if you can cleanse the site before you break out in a rash. It is also good to soak your clothes in to prevent re-exposure since the 'poison' will remain in your clothes even after thorough washing. Tecnu Extreme is good for treating the rash.

Well, break out my burqa! I would not want to lead my brother into sin because I am not dressed to meet his standards. Of course, I've read the Bible from one end to the other and I don't see a conflict between the Word and what I wear. Blaming a woman's dress for the sin of lust is like saying a woman deserves to be raped because she was wearing a short skirt or tight clothes. The source of the sin of lust is a sinful nature. It is not what someone else is or is not wearing. I have known men who have lived in places where women wear burqas and chadris. With that dress code the only thing showing might be a woman's eyes. These men say that a woman's eyes can drive them to lust. Even if the eye's are shaded, they say they are sometimes driven to lust wondering what is under a woman's burqa. James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you