When I went for a visit to Holland in "58, bought groceries for my mom and came to the cashier she and other customers were all looking at me as I had nothing to put the groceries in, expecting the cashier to put them in plastic bags. Lucky for me mom had bags on her bike. Holland never ever used plastic bags. Saw last night how much plastic is found in the bellies of whales, it is shocking............ We keep hearing that we are going back to paper bags, and when I ask when they shake their heads as the subject has passed again...............
My grandmother was a Chinese Buddhist who attended temple regularly. I never went with her and I know in my bones this is an essential part of my Chinese heritage that I’ve missed out on. And as a young adult, a harrowing tragedy made me see up close what I was missing.
When Niall and I were in our 20s, his sister Eugenie died at age 25. Fresh out of university and exploring South America for the first time, she was killed in a horrifying bus accident in Bolivia when her tourist bus plunged off a cliff notorious for its peril. (You can still read the story in the Irish Times.) Niall and I traveled to his family home in Donegal for the funeral. One of his aunts, his siblings and a few of Eugenie’s friends and I were sitting in the living room warmed by a coal fire, curtains pulled tight, saying the Rosary. I could not take part in this other than bowing my head with my eyes shut, not knowing even one word of the Hail Mary prayer.
Later at Eugenie’s funeral mass, everyone knew the rituals: when to kneel, when to make the sign of the cross, their voices chanting in unison at the right times as the mass marched on. Everyone knew the ins and outs as well as they knew the contours of their own faces in the mirror. And I was stirred by this, and I was a long way from being a parent at that point, but I knew that this sense of belonging, this sense of ritual and knowing what comes next, and cultural and spiritual togetherness was what I wanted for my child.
In my own parenting circles, religion is something we rarely speak about. We are a religiously diverse and mostly non-practicing group. If I take this one step further and am honest with myself, my crowd of secular urban friends and acquaintances can be silently judgy on the matter. I remember a brunch with friends where I was explaining why Cillian was getting baptized in Ireland, something I thought would be nice for his grandmother to celebrate at her parish. I was met with mostly gentle nods and affirmations, except for one acquaintance, who served me silence and an arched eyebrow worthy of Downton Abbey’s Lady Mary as I told the story.
The only conversation I can ever remember my parents had about religion in early childhood is that they were going to let me pick a faith on my own. Looking back, it was an enlightened view for the early 1980s, but it also came about because they were in a Buddhist-Christian interfaith marriage and neither of them was devout.
So I grew up and was not drawn to any religion, so I didn't pick one. However, when I had a child of my own, I did choose for him to be raised as a practicing Catholic. The reason is very simple: I was raised without religion and I think it was a mistake.
Kids and parents have always had differences. Read about a mother with a son who was going vegetarian at the moment she was getting her hunting license here.
His father, my husband Niall, is a barely practicing Catholic immigrant from Ireland. He didn’t care if Cillian was raised in his faith — in fact, it would be less work for him as he’s the one who will attend mass with our son. He would have gladly handed the religious reins over to me. Except I’m not a Catholic and I don’t intend to become one.
A recent study I read said that a religious upbringing is associated with better life satisfaction in youths, more frequent volunteer work, and more forgiving attitudes. But I don’t really care so much about what a study says. This desire for Cillian to have a religion to call his own doesn’t come from an academic place, it comes from my intuition and life experiences.
Whether Cillian believes in Jesus or follows the teachings of the church is up to him. Like my parents, I leave his deep beliefs for him to decide when he grows up. However, unlike my parents, I want him to have a feeling of belonging to not only a church, but its community and his own Irish Catholic culture. This was something I never had.
That was an amazing accomplishment girl to take off all that weight and keeping it off, you can be very proud of yourself:..........................thumbsup:
99% of the people using PM do not read profiles. Funny I have no picture up but get; Hi beautiful love your profile, My profile tells that I am married. Sometimes I answer and tell them that for a start it is not good to lie...................
Beautiful said Didi, truer words were never said. At times I am like Paul, the things I must do it do not, but keep working on them................. Love that cartoon......................
How do you become a Christian? Christianity is the world's largest faith. But how exactly do you become a Christian, and what does it mean?
The Christian faith teaches that it is possible for absolutely anybody to have a fresh start, whatever they have done in their life. Being a Christian is not about going to church, living a good life or living in a Christian country. It is not even about believing in God. It is about being a follower of Jesus Christ and having a relationship with him. At first sight, this might seem impossible: Jesus Christ was born about 2,000 years ago in the Middle East and was executed by the authorities when he was aged about 33.
It is about being a follower of Jesus Christ and having a relationship with him. But at the heart of the Christian faith is the belief that Jesus was, and is, God in human form and that he lived, died, and came back from the dead. He then returned to heaven. His life, death, and resurrection enable humanity to have a relationship with God.
The Bible book of John records what Jesus said about becoming a Christian: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’
Christianity How do you become a Christian? Making a fresh start;
Jesus spent about three years traveling around teaching people. Sometimes thousands of people gathered to hear him. At the beginning of this time, his message was simple: he urged people to ‘repent’- to turn around from the way they were living and go in a new direction. That might mean changing their attitude toward the poor, being more generous, or helping others.
Repentance is a key step in becoming a Christian. It is the moment when a person admits to God, by praying to him, that they have been going in the wrong direction. They ask for his forgiveness for all the wrong they have done, thought, or said. They then promise to go in a new direction in life, asking for his help to follow the teachings of Jesus by putting him first rather than themselves.
Thank you for your explanation Chat. However, I don't recall ever having read that the others had their tax returns checked out and found to be okay......................
And in the 38th chapter of Job, the Almighty speaks to Job as if he was the identical person who built the Great Pyramid, laying its foundations, and placing its "Capstone" in position, while the people shouted for joy. That Job had great meteorological and astronomical knowledge is clear from the way God spoke to him about the snow (vs. 22), and the rain vs. 25-28). and the ice (vs. 29:30). and the heavenly bodies (vs. 31-32), and the weather probabilities (vs. 33-34), and electricity (vs. 35), and there can be no question but what God would impart to such a man as Job, who was so God-fearing and spiritual, that he was both a prince and a priest, all the Scriptural and prophetical knowledge that is embodied in the arrangement of the passageways and chambers of the Great Pyramid. It does not follow. however, that Job knew the symbolic meaning of the construction of the Great Pyramid any more than the Prophets understood their prophecies. 1 Pet. 1:10-12. The Almighty may have given to Job the plan of the Great Pyramid, as Moses was given the plan of the Tabernacle and its furnishings on Mount Sinai.
There is no question but that the people of Job's day were well-versed in the mechanic arts. It was not long after the Flood, and the skill of the artisans of Noah's day, and of the Babel builders had not been lost. This is evident from the Temples and Palaces of Egypt that were built in those days. But the Great Pyramid was unlike any of them. It was a new kind of Architecture, the first of its kind, and such as the world had never seen before. The plainness of its outlines, and the slope and smoothness of its sides. and the absence of all ornamentation was a striking contrast to the Egyptian style of Architecture. Whence came it? It must have come from some source not Egyptian. Why? Because there was a purpose in its building. It was built to record mathematical, astronomical, and Scriptural knowledge, which should bear witness to the inspiration of the Scriptures in these last days. That accounts for its peculiar architectural shape and the character of its inferior construction. To that end it was sealed up that in the closing days of this Dispensation it might disclose its message to an unbelieving world.
The popular rumors and speculations about Jesus left Herod perplexed – especially because of his guilty conscience over the murder of John the Baptist. A bad conscience brings confusion and perplexity.
It was said by some that John had risen from the dead: The last time Luke wrote of John the Baptist, he was in prison and wondered if Jesus really was the Messiah (Luke 7:18-23). Now we learn that Herod executed John in prison because John rebuked Herod about his sin with his brother’s wife (Matthew 14:1-12).
So he sought to see Him: Herod wanted to see Jesus, but not as a sincere seeker. He either wanted to indulge idle curiosity or to do the same to Jesus as he had done to His cousin John. Luke noted this to emphasize the increasing danger surrounding the work of Jesus.
Later, Jesus was told that Herod wanted to kill Him. Jesus replied, Go, tell that fox, “Behold I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.” (Luke 13:32)
Luke also told us that Jesus finally met this Herod, on the morning of His crucifixion. Herod was in Jerusalem at the time, and when He heard that Pilate was sending Jesus to him, he got happy and excited – Herod wanted Jesus to perform a miracle for him. Yet Jesus did no kind of miracle for Herod, and when he asked Jesus many questions, Jesus answered him nothing. Herod then treated Jesus with contempt, mocked Him with a purple robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.
And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
And the apostles: When they left Jesus in Luke 9:1, they were called disciples – that is, “learners.” When they came back after their preaching mission, they were called apostles – that is, “those sent with authority and a message.” They certainly remained disciples but knew both the message and the authority in a much better way after their work.
Told Him all that they had done: Jesus wanted to know how they had done. Jesus is concerned with the results of our work for Him.
He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place: Jesus did this to serve and bless those to whom He delegated His work. Jesus has special care to bless and serve those who serve Him.
But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.
When the multitudes knew it, they followed Him: Jesus had gone to Bethsaida to bless and serve His disciples after their work for Him. They could not keep the multitudes away for long; they followed Him there also.
He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed them: Jesus served the seeking, needy multitudes in three ways.
· He received them: This speaks of His attitude. He didn’t run from the crowd or tell them to go away. With love and service, He received them.
· Spoke to them about the kingdom of God: This speaks of His teaching. As was the emphasis in His work, Jesus proclaimed a message to the multitudes. Jesus did not only give them spiritual instruction, but He also did well among them with supernatural empowerment.
When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish unless we go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men.
His tax records will show that, like any large corporation owner, Trump used available loopholes to reduce his tax bill. Had he actually committed tax fraud of any kind, the IRS, itself, would have stepped in. This is about leaking information that shows that a billionaire politician didn't pay half of his income in taxes. It's all about politics. What about the Biden's, Clinton's, Obama's, tax returns? Yep they keep trying to get at Trump
How Great Thou Art Oh Lord, my God When I, in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder Thy power throughout the universe displayed Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing He bled and died to take away my sin Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art
When Christ shall come, with shouts of acclamation And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart Then I shall bow, in humble adoration And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Questions; Did the Great Flood Really Happen, or Is it Just a Story with a Lesson? There are many ancient stories of a flood that are remarkably similar to the story of Noah and the ark as told in Genesis. The names and places are different, but the story is similar. There are different opinions, but many people believe all these stories are based on some event that actually did happen sometime in the distant past. What Became of Noah's Ark?
The mountains of Ararat, where the ark came to a rest, are in the region of eastern Turkey, southern Armenia, and western Iran. At 16,946 feet, Mt. Ararat, in eastern Turkey, is the tallest of these. Some people think Noah's ark landed there. A number of explorers have gone up this huge mountain looking for remains of the ark, but they have not found anything definite. Why Is Everything in the Bible Story of Noah Repeated Twice? Bible scholars believe the book of Genesis was made up of several different ancient versions of its stories. The two main versions are called the "Priestly" and "Yahwist" accounts. These two versions can be easily spotted in the original Hebrew language because of the different names used for God and the different styles of writing. (The differences are lost when the story is translated into English.) The two sources are obvious in the story of Noah, where they are woven together and almost every detail is told twice. Sometimes there are differences between the two accounts as in Genesis 6:19 and Genesis 7:2.
Larry Goes To Get Prayer For His Hearing Larry goes to the revival and listens to the preacher. After a while the preacher asks anyone with needs to be prayed over to come forward to the front at the altar.
Larry gets in line, and when it's his turn, the preacher asks: "Larry, what do you want me to pray about for you?" Larry replies: "Preacher, I need you to pray for my hearing."
The preacher puts one finger in Larry's ear, and he places the other hand on top of Larry's head and prays and prays and prays.
After a few minutes, the preacher removes his hands, stands back and asks Larry: "Larry, how is your hearing now?"
Larry says, "I don't know, Reverend, it's not until next Wednesday"
Ancient historical city; Jericho is a very ancient and important city located north of the Dead Sea in ancient Canaan (now Israel) not far from the Jordan River. It is mentioned by name at least 57 times in the Bible.
The first mention is in Numbers 22:1 when the Israelites “camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho” There were primarily three different ancient Jerichos in near proximity, on three different sites in the area of modern Jericho:
the Jericho at the time of Joshua at Tell es-Sultan the Jericho of Herod at Tulul Abu el-'Alayiq the Jericho of the Crusades The modern Jericho dates from the time of the Crusades.
Jericho of Joshua’s day The Jericho of Joshua’s day was a fenced city which Deuteronomy describes as “the city of palm trees” (Deuteronomy 34:3), located in the Jordan River plain of Jordan, near where the river was crossed by the Israelites (Joshua 3:16). The inhabitants of Jericho at Joshua’s time were generic Canaanites, according to our archaeological Team Member Associates for Biblical Research.
Satellite view of the archaeological mound excavation known as Tell es-Sultan containing evidence of many layers of habitation Its site is near the 'Ein as-Sultan ('Ain es-Sultan), also called Elisha’s spring or fountain (2 Kings 2:19-22), about 5 miles west of the Jordan River.
Modern-day map showing the location of the above mentioned spring in the Ein es-Sultan section of modern Jericho Jericho was the most important city in the Jordan valley (Numbers 22:1; 34:15), and the strongest fortress in all the land of Canaan. It was the key to Western Canaan.
In Joshua’s time, the city was given to the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:21). This city was taken in a very remarkable manner by the Israelites (Joshua 6). God gave it into their hands. The city was “accursed” (Hebrew: herem, “devoted” to Jehovah), and accordingly (Joshua 6:17; compare Leviticus 27:28-29; Deuteronomy 13:16) all the inhabitants and all the spoil of the city were to be destroyed, “only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron” were reserved and “put into the treasury of the house of Jehovah” (Joshua 6:24; compare Numbers 31:22-23; 31:50-54).
Only Rahab “and her father’s household, and all that she had,” were preserved from destruction, according to the promise of the spies (Joshua 2:14).
What caused the walls to tumble down? The vibrations of the sounds made by those going around the city. Sound has power as long as you have enough of it to do the job. God told the people what to do and it worked just beautifully.
Saying; Both are important, would say to be the most valuable in the spiritual life is number one. The first automatically follows the second..............
Prayer for your new day; The sky is bright, my Father, with the morning light. Always after night there is a new day. Always after the winter there is a springtime. Always after the seed is dropped in the soil to die, new life springs forth. Always after the tough times, there comes the recovery. Always, my Father, when a penitent, contrite heart bows in repentance before you, there comes the joy of fresh pardon. And so now, my Father, I come, expecting good things to happen, for I have stepped into the circle of your love, and I find mercy and Your peace here. Strength is coming like a warm rain driven by warm winds. Healing is coming through the living Christ. Thank You, Father, Amen.
Was just thinking also of Nam his age, wow! He must have been thinking that he did okay in Vietnam forgetting maybe that he was then a few years younger................
Well, Agent Bob and Tatami in Canada you can buy marijuana, business is reporting doing very well. Handguns are now not allowed since a few days ........................
Petra, is a historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to the mountain of Jabal Al-Madbah, in a basin surrounded by mountains forming the eastern flank of the Arabah valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. The area around Petra has been inhabited from as early as 7000 BC, and the Nabataeans might have settled in what would become the capital city of their kingdom as early as the 4th century Bc] Archaeological work has only discovered evidence of Nabataean presence dating back to the second century BC, by which time Petra had become their capital. The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who invested in Petra's proximity to the incense trade routes by establishing it as a major regional trading hub.
The trading business gained the Nabataeans considerable revenue and Petra became the focus of their wealth. The Nabataeans were accustomed to living in the barren deserts, unlike their enemies, and were able to repel attacks by taking advantage of the area's mountainous terrain. They were particularly skillful in harvesting rainwater, agriculture and stone carving. Petra flourished in the 1st century AD, when its famous Al-Khazneh structure – believed to be the mausoleum of Nabataean king Aretas IV – was constructed, and its population peaked at an estimated 20,000 inhabitants.
For By Grace Are Ye Saved Through Faith; And That Not Of Yourselves: It Is The Gift Of God: Not Of Works, Lest Any Man Should Boast - Ephesians, 8-9:
Don't I have to go to church regularly and don't. ...................NO, you can Not earn your salvation! What you can earn is one of the 5 crowns, so there are rewards but salvation is yours if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior.
Jenny, Jenny He didn't do it. I looked under my bed and there was nothing for me.
I struggled to clear my mind as I had been in a deep sleep when Monica woke me. I wondered what she was talking about. What are you trying to say, honey? There is no doll Jenny, there is no doll under my bed.
Ah, now I did remember. Monica wanted very much to have a dolly. I had told her to pray and ask the Lord for it. She had done so and now believed that He had not delivered as she thought He would, by putting the doll under her bed.
I tried to explain to her that God was not Santa Claus, that He works through people. I could tell that this was too much for her to understand, she was only five years old.
That very afternoon her girlfriend, who lived next door, came over to the house. Lisa was very excited. Monica, Monica, my dad just came home from a trip and look at what he brought me, a new doll, and if you want to, you can have my other doll.
Now Monica's eyes lit up and she looked at me with wonder, for she now understood that indeed; God works through people.
A very famous preacher, Hudson Taylor once said, Lord, THAT you will answer my prayer, I know! What fascinates me every time is, HOW you are going to answer.
Some people believe we can not get angry at God, well I ask did you never get angry at your earthly father? It is honesty that is what is important to the Lord At times I even see Him smile or shake His head when He sees us carrying on and I hear Him say; I love you all anyway.............................
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RE: You read it here first.
You yourself are often not nice Fargo...................judgemental and sarcastic come to mind.......