Do you know the greatest gift that was ever given? The gift of the Messiah that was given over 2000 years ago that still continues to give today to you and to me and to our brothers and sisters everywhere in the same extraordinary way.
Like any gift we can accept it or decline it. We can appreciate it and let it become part of our life, or we can dismiss it and cast it aside.
Why don't some people get it? It breaks my heart to know that there are people all around us who decline and dismiss the most precious gift of all.
In studying the Bible, I have found that every prophecy that God spoke in the Old Testament about the coming of the Messiah was fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Thank You GOD!!!!
This is what Christmas is all about! It is the glorious celebration of the faithfulness of God and of his deep love for mankind that he cared enough to send us a SAVIOR!
And while our SAVIOR came born into the most humble of circumstances and the birth announcement went out to only a handful of listening shepherds on a hillside and a few listening wise men ~ it was the greatest birth the world will ever witness. What a miracle and gift that we can witness that divine birth anew in our hearts today. It doesn't have to be one day or one season a year, that witness and celebration is a gift we can accept anew every day and in every circumstance of our lives. In this coming year, it is my prayer that we savor the Celebration
of the Messiah ~ Jesus Christ in our hearts. It is also my prayer that we will be like the shepherds on the hillside and the wisemen, for they were quiet enough to listen, eager enough to know, and willing enough to follow!
But unlike the shepherds and the Wise Men, our place in history allows us to know the rest of the story. We know of the birth, we know of our Lord's ministry and miracles, we know of the horrible crucifixion, and we know of the glorious resurrection! It is my prayer that we would daily plug into the divine power supply that will electrify and unite our lives with the glorious and redeeming essence of the birth, ministry, miracles, and resurrection of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. It is a gift, won't you accept and savor it and share this greatest gift of all with every person you meet as you journey through this land on your way to your Heavenly home?
Merry Christmas! May the Spirit of Jesus Christ reign in glory forever and ever in the hearts, minds and actions of us all. Agape!
Copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 25, 2005
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
People or Possessions... What Is More Important To You?
People or Possessions ~ What is more important to you? This is a theme that seems to be running through my life right now. Not only is God working on me in the daylight hours, but now his message waltzes smack dab into the center of the whimsical slumber time dreams that hold me captive nightly.
Last night, I was entertained by discovering lots of antique coins scattered on the ground , that led to a hotel room where my grandmother's beautiful beaded treasures had been left when my father took ill.
Gone were my dad and my grandmother, to a place of far greater treasure. But the treasures my father had been transporting that had once been his mothers had been locked away in a hotel room, where any thief could have stolen them or any maid could have tossed them. In this dream, I discovered them as though they had been waiting for me all along.
On awakening, I inquired of God, "Lord, what is the meaning and significance of such a dream as this? Is it that no matter how much we cherish something materialistic, we can never take it with us from this life to the next? Why is it we clutch so tightly to things that can be replaced often a million times over and then the real treasures that are one in a zillion (people and our unique relationships) are often treated as though they are worth little and can easily be replaced?"
I have come to realize the bottom line reality is that to a large part we are a people who care more for our stuff than we do for other human beings. It is not true, that the one who ends up with the most toys at the end, is the winner. That is a lie that comes from the deceptive mouth of Satan.
While it is a privilege to have nice possessions, to own a beautiful home, and to live a life of economic security... it is far more important to God how we use the gifts He channels through us.
Those possessions, gifts, and finances are a test of our true hearts. Do we share and give freely? Or do we clutch on saying, "it's all mine, it's all mine!"
The bottom line is we can not take it with us when we go. God doesn't want it! God wants us, for each and everyone of us are priceless works of art that HE created, the miracle of each and every single human being alive so far more precious than any materialistic possession in this world.
This morning I clicked on the aol teaser about the world's most expensive homes. The aesthetic in me loved the rich beauty splashed across the screen, but the humanitarian in me couldn't help but to think ... what a tragic waste of God's money.
I'm not trying to say give everything you have to the poor, even though that is biblical. What I am challenging you to do is to view your possessions, your gifts, and your wealth from an eternal perspective and not a worldly one. Does anyone really need a 56 million dollar home? Does anyone even need a 2 million dollar home? Does anyone really need a 200,000 car or 2000 dollar shoes? This stuff is insane! Yes, by all means we need shoes, a car or some mode of transportation, and a home to live in and it is fine to have nice stuff but don't you think over-the-top personal extravagance is pretty blatant when there are precious human beings in our world who do not have food to eat or shelter to keep them warm and dry? It is a cold heart that says, "That's their problem. It's not my problem. " It is a cold heart that doesn't acknowledge that God and GOD ALONE is the giver of talents and that as freely as God has given, he can also taketh away. It is a cold heart that thinks that because of their blessings that they are superior in any way to any other person in this world. It is a cold heart that sees the hunger of another and turns away. It is a cold heart that fails to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to be generous towards others and keeps gathering and storing treasures for himself.
I know I have been guilty at far too many times in my life of having a cold heart. I have been guilty of valuing possessions more than people. In this season of Christmas miracles, I ask God for HIS forgiveness and to remove any coldness within my heart so that I will become someone who values people always far above and beyond how I value any possession that God blesses me with in this life.
Won't you join me in declaring people the most valuable treasure of this world and ask God in unity with me to warm the hearts of all of us around the world? That together we could become more and more the people HE created us to be. May There Be Peace On Earth and Good Will Towards Men! May there be resolution to the strifes that divide us and an end to the wars that threaten to annihilate us before it is too late. May we take the necessary steps to become better stewards of our planet and witness reversals to the disastrous consequences of global warming. Oh Lord, let the warming be in our hearts and not in the ozone layer.
We need a SAVIOR! Merry Christmas !
Copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 21, 2005
Last night, I was entertained by discovering lots of antique coins scattered on the ground , that led to a hotel room where my grandmother's beautiful beaded treasures had been left when my father took ill.
Gone were my dad and my grandmother, to a place of far greater treasure. But the treasures my father had been transporting that had once been his mothers had been locked away in a hotel room, where any thief could have stolen them or any maid could have tossed them. In this dream, I discovered them as though they had been waiting for me all along.
On awakening, I inquired of God, "Lord, what is the meaning and significance of such a dream as this? Is it that no matter how much we cherish something materialistic, we can never take it with us from this life to the next? Why is it we clutch so tightly to things that can be replaced often a million times over and then the real treasures that are one in a zillion (people and our unique relationships) are often treated as though they are worth little and can easily be replaced?"
I have come to realize the bottom line reality is that to a large part we are a people who care more for our stuff than we do for other human beings. It is not true, that the one who ends up with the most toys at the end, is the winner. That is a lie that comes from the deceptive mouth of Satan.
While it is a privilege to have nice possessions, to own a beautiful home, and to live a life of economic security... it is far more important to God how we use the gifts He channels through us.
Those possessions, gifts, and finances are a test of our true hearts. Do we share and give freely? Or do we clutch on saying, "it's all mine, it's all mine!"
The bottom line is we can not take it with us when we go. God doesn't want it! God wants us, for each and everyone of us are priceless works of art that HE created, the miracle of each and every single human being alive so far more precious than any materialistic possession in this world.
This morning I clicked on the aol teaser about the world's most expensive homes. The aesthetic in me loved the rich beauty splashed across the screen, but the humanitarian in me couldn't help but to think ... what a tragic waste of God's money.
I'm not trying to say give everything you have to the poor, even though that is biblical. What I am challenging you to do is to view your possessions, your gifts, and your wealth from an eternal perspective and not a worldly one. Does anyone really need a 56 million dollar home? Does anyone even need a 2 million dollar home? Does anyone really need a 200,000 car or 2000 dollar shoes? This stuff is insane! Yes, by all means we need shoes, a car or some mode of transportation, and a home to live in and it is fine to have nice stuff but don't you think over-the-top personal extravagance is pretty blatant when there are precious human beings in our world who do not have food to eat or shelter to keep them warm and dry? It is a cold heart that says, "That's their problem. It's not my problem. " It is a cold heart that doesn't acknowledge that God and GOD ALONE is the giver of talents and that as freely as God has given, he can also taketh away. It is a cold heart that thinks that because of their blessings that they are superior in any way to any other person in this world. It is a cold heart that sees the hunger of another and turns away. It is a cold heart that fails to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to be generous towards others and keeps gathering and storing treasures for himself.
I know I have been guilty at far too many times in my life of having a cold heart. I have been guilty of valuing possessions more than people. In this season of Christmas miracles, I ask God for HIS forgiveness and to remove any coldness within my heart so that I will become someone who values people always far above and beyond how I value any possession that God blesses me with in this life.
Won't you join me in declaring people the most valuable treasure of this world and ask God in unity with me to warm the hearts of all of us around the world? That together we could become more and more the people HE created us to be. May There Be Peace On Earth and Good Will Towards Men! May there be resolution to the strifes that divide us and an end to the wars that threaten to annihilate us before it is too late. May we take the necessary steps to become better stewards of our planet and witness reversals to the disastrous consequences of global warming. Oh Lord, let the warming be in our hearts and not in the ozone layer.
We need a SAVIOR! Merry Christmas !
Copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 21, 2005
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Dover Public Schools Flunks Test ~ Declares ID Unconstitutional
Dover Public Schools Flunks The BIG Test ~ Declares Intelligent Design Unconstitutional
Speaking of report cards (I'm referring to my last post earlier this morning) it is my opinion that the Dover Public School Board in Pennsylvania would get an F on their End of The Year Report Card!
A federal judge ruled against the teaching of Intelligent Design in the Dover Public School System with the following statement: "Our conclusion today is that it is unconstitutional to teach ID as an alternative to evolution in a public school science classroom." What ever happened to an open-minded approach that teaches students all sides without a bias to any one particular side?
How ironic that the very foundation of the American educational system was built on the sole purpose and objective to teach boys and girls how to read so that they could read the Bible... and hundreds of years later, every aspect of GOD is being yanked out of our schools and our culture.
It is truly a sad day when a human judge rules "GOD" to be unconstitutional. One can only wonder what is next?
Fortunately for those who are willing to believe, we partake in an unshakeable confidence that this time here is only temporary. We are only visitors in a strange land with strange laws that deny the very thing that truly makes a difference.
What if... this is the test? Could our response to God now, determine our home for all eternity?
I don't know about you, but this writer wants to pass this test!
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 20, 2005
Speaking of report cards (I'm referring to my last post earlier this morning) it is my opinion that the Dover Public School Board in Pennsylvania would get an F on their End of The Year Report Card!
A federal judge ruled against the teaching of Intelligent Design in the Dover Public School System with the following statement: "Our conclusion today is that it is unconstitutional to teach ID as an alternative to evolution in a public school science classroom." What ever happened to an open-minded approach that teaches students all sides without a bias to any one particular side?
How ironic that the very foundation of the American educational system was built on the sole purpose and objective to teach boys and girls how to read so that they could read the Bible... and hundreds of years later, every aspect of GOD is being yanked out of our schools and our culture.
It is truly a sad day when a human judge rules "GOD" to be unconstitutional. One can only wonder what is next?
Fortunately for those who are willing to believe, we partake in an unshakeable confidence that this time here is only temporary. We are only visitors in a strange land with strange laws that deny the very thing that truly makes a difference.
What if... this is the test? Could our response to God now, determine our home for all eternity?
I don't know about you, but this writer wants to pass this test!
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 20, 2005
End of The Year Report Card
End of The Year Report Card ...
If God issued an end of the year report card, I wonder how he would score me on the things that are most important to him.
1. Seeks God with all (her) heart A B C D F
2. Loves God above all else A B C D F
3. Follows God's Commandments A B C D F
4. Trusts & Believes in God A B C D F
5. Studies God's Word Daily A B C D F
6. Stays in relationship w/ God Daily A B C D F
7. Prays For Others A B C D F
8. Shares God with others A B C D F
9. Gives freely to others A B C D F
10. Cares more about people than about possessions A B C D F
I would like to encourage you to consider doing your own end of the year report card adapting the items as you are led.
In fact, I was thinking why not do two different report cards (one from God and one from satan ~ and see which team you are supporting by your actions.)
It is my prayer that we will all strive to be on God's A Team in the coming year and that we will defeat the enemy by staying so focused on our relationship with the Lord of all creation who created each and everyone of us with a divine purpose. May 2006 be that year, a year where the world moves closer and closer to fulfilling its divine purposes and that peace will be in the hearts and souls of all the world's inhabitants.
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 20, 2005
If God issued an end of the year report card, I wonder how he would score me on the things that are most important to him.
1. Seeks God with all (her) heart A B C D F
2. Loves God above all else A B C D F
3. Follows God's Commandments A B C D F
4. Trusts & Believes in God A B C D F
5. Studies God's Word Daily A B C D F
6. Stays in relationship w/ God Daily A B C D F
7. Prays For Others A B C D F
8. Shares God with others A B C D F
9. Gives freely to others A B C D F
10. Cares more about people than about possessions A B C D F
I would like to encourage you to consider doing your own end of the year report card adapting the items as you are led.
In fact, I was thinking why not do two different report cards (one from God and one from satan ~ and see which team you are supporting by your actions.)
It is my prayer that we will all strive to be on God's A Team in the coming year and that we will defeat the enemy by staying so focused on our relationship with the Lord of all creation who created each and everyone of us with a divine purpose. May 2006 be that year, a year where the world moves closer and closer to fulfilling its divine purposes and that peace will be in the hearts and souls of all the world's inhabitants.
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 20, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
When the reality doesn't match the dream ~ then what?
When the reality doesn't match the dream, then what? Where do we turn to escape the icy grip of depression? Psychologists say that depression is one of the most common ailments affecting the emotional well being of human beings. During the Christmas season, the heartaches of depression stab at the soul with deeper intensity as media bombards us with Norman Rockwell glimpses of the "perfect" family holiday. But for many people, the reality just doesn't meet the dream. What help is available to those who struggle with thoughts of suicide during this season?
When you are feeling lonely or depressed, there is no greater place to turn than to the God of all creation. God created you for a divine purpose. Everything you are going through is preparing and equipping you for that unique purpose for which you were created.
The best antidote for depression is reading and meditating on the goodness of God. If anything in all the world has the ability to help you and to save you; it is God; the very God that created the world.
The writer of Psalm 42 was discouraged and wrote this Psalm as a divine antidepressant. Reading, meditating, praying, and journaling God's Word are divine antidepressants. They are gifts of medicine for your broken heart from the hand of a loving God who cares deeply for you and your condition.
Psalm 42 ~ NIV
1 "As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and
6 my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
8 By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
11 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God."
In times of joy, and in times of sorrow it is my prayer that all of mankind would turn their hearts to the God of all creation. That we would consider HIM and allow him to wash over and through us in powerful and transforming ways. And in so doing we would be led to a deeper awareness, appreciation, and manifestation of the divine purpose of our existence in this world. It is my prayer that we would never once think we were a mistake, but we would know to the depths of our beings that we are part of a plan that far transcends the mind of man, regardless of how high our IQ might be. (Yes, Joe this is for you, too! ... My dear and compassionate friend of many years, Harvard graduate, Doctor of Psychology, man of amazingly high IQ, irreverent unbeliever, confidant, best friend, and former lover.) This is for you and for all of us throughout this world who find the reality doesn't match the dream. There is something far better, perhaps
it can not be seen and yet the words appear on dollar bills throughout this country... the immortal words... IN GOD WE TRUST!
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 16, 2005
When you are feeling lonely or depressed, there is no greater place to turn than to the God of all creation. God created you for a divine purpose. Everything you are going through is preparing and equipping you for that unique purpose for which you were created.
The best antidote for depression is reading and meditating on the goodness of God. If anything in all the world has the ability to help you and to save you; it is God; the very God that created the world.
The writer of Psalm 42 was discouraged and wrote this Psalm as a divine antidepressant. Reading, meditating, praying, and journaling God's Word are divine antidepressants. They are gifts of medicine for your broken heart from the hand of a loving God who cares deeply for you and your condition.
Psalm 42 ~ NIV
1 "As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and
6 my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
8 By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
11 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God."
In times of joy, and in times of sorrow it is my prayer that all of mankind would turn their hearts to the God of all creation. That we would consider HIM and allow him to wash over and through us in powerful and transforming ways. And in so doing we would be led to a deeper awareness, appreciation, and manifestation of the divine purpose of our existence in this world. It is my prayer that we would never once think we were a mistake, but we would know to the depths of our beings that we are part of a plan that far transcends the mind of man, regardless of how high our IQ might be. (Yes, Joe this is for you, too! ... My dear and compassionate friend of many years, Harvard graduate, Doctor of Psychology, man of amazingly high IQ, irreverent unbeliever, confidant, best friend, and former lover.) This is for you and for all of us throughout this world who find the reality doesn't match the dream. There is something far better, perhaps
it can not be seen and yet the words appear on dollar bills throughout this country... the immortal words... IN GOD WE TRUST!
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 16, 2005
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Choose Your Path
Fellow Spread The Word Bookstore Owner, Minister Frank Coleman shared this on the Spread The Word Success Training Board / E-mail. Thank you Pastor Frank!
I have read it before and have always been touched by the wisdom in this story. If anyone knows who the author is, would you post it at the bottom in the comments section.
Thanks!! Agape! Kathi
CHOOSE YOUR PATH...
"A young man went to his father and told him about his life and how things were so hard for him. He didn't know how he was going to make it and wanted to give up. He was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
His father took him to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water. In the first, he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and in the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to his son, he asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," came the reply. He brought him closer and asked him to feel the carrots. He did and noted that they had gotten soft. The father then asked him to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, he observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the father asked the son to sip the coffee. The son smiled as he smelled its rich aroma, and then asked, "What's your point?"
His father explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity -- boiling water -- but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" he asked his son. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship, or some other trial have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?
Or am I the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.
If you're like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity?"
-Author Unknown
In His Service, Frank
I have read it before and have always been touched by the wisdom in this story. If anyone knows who the author is, would you post it at the bottom in the comments section.
Thanks!! Agape! Kathi
CHOOSE YOUR PATH...
"A young man went to his father and told him about his life and how things were so hard for him. He didn't know how he was going to make it and wanted to give up. He was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
His father took him to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water. In the first, he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and in the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to his son, he asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," came the reply. He brought him closer and asked him to feel the carrots. He did and noted that they had gotten soft. The father then asked him to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, he observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the father asked the son to sip the coffee. The son smiled as he smelled its rich aroma, and then asked, "What's your point?"
His father explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity -- boiling water -- but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" he asked his son. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship, or some other trial have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?
Or am I the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.
If you're like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity?"
-Author Unknown
In His Service, Frank
Friday, December 09, 2005
From Atheist to Anglican Convert ~ CS Lewis, Author of Narnia
From Atheist To Anglican Convert, that was the philosophical and theological background of C.S. Lewis the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, A Grief Observed, and Mere Christianity.
"An atheist in his youth, Lewis, a professor at Oxford, became an Anglican convert as he grew older. Aside from his Narnia books, he is best known for such spiritual works as "A Grief Observed," in which he reflects on God and life following the death of his wife, Joy Gresham, from cancer, and "Mere Christianity," in which he uses logical arguments to make a case for orthodox Christianity." James Prichard ~ AP Business Writer
C.S. Lewis Books are available online through www.agapecove.spreadtheword.com
Open 24/7 and offering 25 % or more savings every day. Some come to buy 1 book and end up buying an entire bookstore! It is fun to own your own online bookstore!
"An atheist in his youth, Lewis, a professor at Oxford, became an Anglican convert as he grew older. Aside from his Narnia books, he is best known for such spiritual works as "A Grief Observed," in which he reflects on God and life following the death of his wife, Joy Gresham, from cancer, and "Mere Christianity," in which he uses logical arguments to make a case for orthodox Christianity." James Prichard ~ AP Business Writer
C.S. Lewis Books are available online through www.agapecove.spreadtheword.com
Open 24/7 and offering 25 % or more savings every day. Some come to buy 1 book and end up buying an entire bookstore! It is fun to own your own online bookstore!
Chronicles of Narnia ~ How The Magic Came To Life
Are you wondering how the magic of Narnia came to life?
Find Chronicles of Narnia books at Agape Cove ~ An online Christian bookstore.
To Visit the store: http://agapecove.spreadtheword.com
Agape Cove offers readers a 40% discount on this featured book!http://store.spreadtheword.com/product.php?productid=4432&cat=0&page=1
Find out how the magic of Narnia first came to life!
From the publisher: "Journeys to the end of the world, fantastic creatures, and epic battles between good and evil -- what more could any reader ask for in one book? The book that has it all is the lion, the witch and the wardrobe, written in 1949 by C. S. Lewis. But Lewis did not stop there. Six more books followed, and together they became known as The Chronicles of Narnia."
"For the past fifty years, The Chronicles of Narnia have transcended the fantasy genre to become part of the canon of classic literature. Each of the seven books is a masterpiece, drawing the reader into a world where magic meets reality, and the result is a fictional world whose scope has fascinated generations.This edition presents all seven books -- unabridged -- in one impressive volume. The books are presented here according to Lewis's preferred order, each chapter graced with an illustration by the original artist, Pauline Baynes. This edition also contains C. S. Lewis's essay "On Three Ways of Writing for Children," in which he explains precisely how the magic of Narnia and the realm of fantasy appeal not only to children but to discerning readers of all ages. Deceptively simple and direct, "The Chronicles of Narnia continue to captivate fans with adventures, characters, and truths that speak to all readers, even fifty years after the books were first published. "
Other Featured Chronicles of Narnia Books:
http://store.spreadtheword.com/product.php?productid=47171&cat=0&page=1
Find Chronicles of Narnia books at Agape Cove ~ An online Christian bookstore.
To Visit the store: http://agapecove.spreadtheword.com
Agape Cove offers readers a 40% discount on this featured book!http://store.spreadtheword.com/product.php?productid=4432&cat=0&page=1
Find out how the magic of Narnia first came to life!
From the publisher: "Journeys to the end of the world, fantastic creatures, and epic battles between good and evil -- what more could any reader ask for in one book? The book that has it all is the lion, the witch and the wardrobe, written in 1949 by C. S. Lewis. But Lewis did not stop there. Six more books followed, and together they became known as The Chronicles of Narnia."
"For the past fifty years, The Chronicles of Narnia have transcended the fantasy genre to become part of the canon of classic literature. Each of the seven books is a masterpiece, drawing the reader into a world where magic meets reality, and the result is a fictional world whose scope has fascinated generations.This edition presents all seven books -- unabridged -- in one impressive volume. The books are presented here according to Lewis's preferred order, each chapter graced with an illustration by the original artist, Pauline Baynes. This edition also contains C. S. Lewis's essay "On Three Ways of Writing for Children," in which he explains precisely how the magic of Narnia and the realm of fantasy appeal not only to children but to discerning readers of all ages. Deceptively simple and direct, "The Chronicles of Narnia continue to captivate fans with adventures, characters, and truths that speak to all readers, even fifty years after the books were first published. "
Other Featured Chronicles of Narnia Books:
http://store.spreadtheword.com/product.php?productid=47171&cat=0&page=1
Decision Making Skills 101
How To Make Rightside Up Decisions In An Upside Down World
When you left home to go off to college or out into the world were you equipped with a "tool box for making good decisions? " What skills were part of that tool box? Has your tool box served you well in your life and enabled you to make good, sound decisions or have you made poor decisions in life because you lacked knowledge and skills about how to make good choices?
Are you teaching your children good decision making skills? Are you equipping your offspring with a decision making tool kit that will help them throughout their life? Most every parent wants to provide their children with the best possible life tools. But what happens when parents don't have time to do that? What happens when the parents might not even have the knowledge and skills themselves to teach their children good decision making techniques? In a world that is frequently so upside down, like a circus of dysfunction, and people are making important choices that have all the stability as a walk on a tightrope and the tumbling consequences of a roller coaster ride through Hell, one might be wise to pause and consider...
What are good decision making skills?
To find answers that I knew I could trust, I turned to the Bible as the ultimate resource. I invite you to do the same.
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 9, 2005
When you left home to go off to college or out into the world were you equipped with a "tool box for making good decisions? " What skills were part of that tool box? Has your tool box served you well in your life and enabled you to make good, sound decisions or have you made poor decisions in life because you lacked knowledge and skills about how to make good choices?
Are you teaching your children good decision making skills? Are you equipping your offspring with a decision making tool kit that will help them throughout their life? Most every parent wants to provide their children with the best possible life tools. But what happens when parents don't have time to do that? What happens when the parents might not even have the knowledge and skills themselves to teach their children good decision making techniques? In a world that is frequently so upside down, like a circus of dysfunction, and people are making important choices that have all the stability as a walk on a tightrope and the tumbling consequences of a roller coaster ride through Hell, one might be wise to pause and consider...
What are good decision making skills?
To find answers that I knew I could trust, I turned to the Bible as the ultimate resource. I invite you to do the same.
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 9, 2005
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Bruna Bianco In The Rain Forest
Scantily clad in a thong bikini, lost and thirsting under a canopied rain forest, Bruna follows the splashing sounds she hears in the distance. As she draws nearer her eyes focus on a well, a fountain, and a spectacular waterfall. A voice that sounds like rushing water welcomes her and offers Bruna a drink. This drink is unlike any drink she has ever tasted before. It is a drink that Bruna will discover is the elixir of miracles.
It is here in this magical place with the voice that speaks words of refreshing wisdom and love that Bruna will find a rich and exotic garden that will satisfy her soul on the deepest and most profound levels.
It will change her life!
Have you ever felt like Bruna- lost and thirsting , yet unable to quench your thirst in a deeply satisfying way? Did you know that the ultimate thirst quencher is nearer than you might even realize? Within the very chamber of your being, is the golden key that will quench your thirst in the most superior and omnipotent way imaginable. It is for you! No matter who you are and what you have done. Maybe you have even lived a life of blatant opposition to the very goodness of God... maybe you have lived the life of an atheist and / or have worshipped man-made Gods that you ultimately discovered to your disappointment were empty, meaningless, and incapable of being able to save you.
Sssshhh.... won't you come now and listen with a spirit of anticipation to the voice whispering in the silence and calling you home? Calling you home to that ever so sacred home within the canopied rain forest of your own heart. It is in that cove of the soul, that you will find AGAPE!
May you embrace the AGAPE that you find and let it wash over you and renew your parched and thirsty spirit.
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 2005
It is here in this magical place with the voice that speaks words of refreshing wisdom and love that Bruna will find a rich and exotic garden that will satisfy her soul on the deepest and most profound levels.
It will change her life!
Have you ever felt like Bruna- lost and thirsting , yet unable to quench your thirst in a deeply satisfying way? Did you know that the ultimate thirst quencher is nearer than you might even realize? Within the very chamber of your being, is the golden key that will quench your thirst in the most superior and omnipotent way imaginable. It is for you! No matter who you are and what you have done. Maybe you have even lived a life of blatant opposition to the very goodness of God... maybe you have lived the life of an atheist and / or have worshipped man-made Gods that you ultimately discovered to your disappointment were empty, meaningless, and incapable of being able to save you.
Sssshhh.... won't you come now and listen with a spirit of anticipation to the voice whispering in the silence and calling you home? Calling you home to that ever so sacred home within the canopied rain forest of your own heart. It is in that cove of the soul, that you will find AGAPE!
May you embrace the AGAPE that you find and let it wash over you and renew your parched and thirsty spirit.
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 2005
Bruna Bianco Discovers A Hidden Spring
Parched and thirsty, Bruna Bianco has discovered a hidden spring where miracles happen.
What miracles did Bruna see and why are tears flowing down her beautiful face?
What miracles did Bruna see and why are tears flowing down her beautiful face?
Interview With Bruna Bianco
The transcript of the Bruna Bianco interview with Agape Cove Living is scheduled to be posted soon. More details to be released as they become available.
Bruna Bianco Visits Agape Cove Living
Bruna Bianco visits Agape Cove Living looking for answers. What kind of answers was Bruna Bianco looking for and what answers did Bruna Bianco find at Agape Cove Living? Were they answers that could make a difference? Were they answers that could point Bruna Bianco in the right direction?
Monday, December 05, 2005
Living A Joyful Life In A Joyless Economy
Ten Secrets To Living A Joyful Life In A Joyless Economy
How do you find joy in a lopsided economy with massive disparity between the growth of corporate profits and the bottom line wages and salaries of the individual? What do you think when you listen to the words of President George Bush declare positive messages about the state of the economy or you read the words of economists like Paul Krugman, who paint pictures of a lopsided economic recovery that favors big corporation?
1. Don't worry about the state of the economy. Invest some money in something of value that will grow over a period of time. For example, I have invested a small amount of money in a home based business with an organization that has a mission and vision that is compatible with my personal values. It is an asset that I know will continue to grow and supply me with an income for the rest of my life. There is great joy for me in knowing that no matter what happens in the economy or the job market, my home based business is always going to be there for me. It provides me with a built in part time, full time, or supplemental income. The wonderful thing is I love growing this business and I can do it on my own schedule and on my own terms.
2. Get connected with your spiritual power supply. During periods of economic downturn, maybe you will find that the career or job you had invested your recent years in wasn't even really satisfying you on a deep level. By connecting with your creator, you might just realize there are some other routes you want to go at this juncture.
3. Spend time with the people you love.Think of all the things you can do that won't cost any money. Make a list!
4. Spend time doing the things you love. In a revved up economy you were probably too busy to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Now if you have time go do those things that float your boat!
5. Get creative and color outside the lines. Think outside the box! Have fun!
6. Go to the public library and check out an armful of books on subjects that appeal to you. Jumpstart your passions!
7. Take a class, the internet and your local community offers a number of free classes.
8. Make a list of all the things you want to do before you die and start doing them!
9. Volunteer!
10. Plant a garden, grow your own vegetables, get back to a simpler way of life!
A joyless economy - no way! It is all in your attitude. Perhaps it is a big mistake to link your joy to the state of the economy, because no matter how much or how little economic resources you have; you will never be truly happy. If money makes you happy, you will always want more, there will always be a greater gap to satisfy. On the day that you are dying, do you think you will be saying, "If I only made more money." The truth is a downward turn in the economy could actually provide a heavenward turn in the quality of joy in your life. For there is great joy in the simple things of life. There is great joy in spending quality time with the people we love. There is great joy in spending quality time in the pursuits we love. There is great joy in connecting with the true source of all joy and putting that relationship above all others. For that is the relationship that holds the key to the quality and abundance of joy in a person's life.
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 5, 2005
How do you find joy in a lopsided economy with massive disparity between the growth of corporate profits and the bottom line wages and salaries of the individual? What do you think when you listen to the words of President George Bush declare positive messages about the state of the economy or you read the words of economists like Paul Krugman, who paint pictures of a lopsided economic recovery that favors big corporation?
1. Don't worry about the state of the economy. Invest some money in something of value that will grow over a period of time. For example, I have invested a small amount of money in a home based business with an organization that has a mission and vision that is compatible with my personal values. It is an asset that I know will continue to grow and supply me with an income for the rest of my life. There is great joy for me in knowing that no matter what happens in the economy or the job market, my home based business is always going to be there for me. It provides me with a built in part time, full time, or supplemental income. The wonderful thing is I love growing this business and I can do it on my own schedule and on my own terms.
2. Get connected with your spiritual power supply. During periods of economic downturn, maybe you will find that the career or job you had invested your recent years in wasn't even really satisfying you on a deep level. By connecting with your creator, you might just realize there are some other routes you want to go at this juncture.
3. Spend time with the people you love.Think of all the things you can do that won't cost any money. Make a list!
4. Spend time doing the things you love. In a revved up economy you were probably too busy to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Now if you have time go do those things that float your boat!
5. Get creative and color outside the lines. Think outside the box! Have fun!
6. Go to the public library and check out an armful of books on subjects that appeal to you. Jumpstart your passions!
7. Take a class, the internet and your local community offers a number of free classes.
8. Make a list of all the things you want to do before you die and start doing them!
9. Volunteer!
10. Plant a garden, grow your own vegetables, get back to a simpler way of life!
A joyless economy - no way! It is all in your attitude. Perhaps it is a big mistake to link your joy to the state of the economy, because no matter how much or how little economic resources you have; you will never be truly happy. If money makes you happy, you will always want more, there will always be a greater gap to satisfy. On the day that you are dying, do you think you will be saying, "If I only made more money." The truth is a downward turn in the economy could actually provide a heavenward turn in the quality of joy in your life. For there is great joy in the simple things of life. There is great joy in spending quality time with the people we love. There is great joy in spending quality time in the pursuits we love. There is great joy in connecting with the true source of all joy and putting that relationship above all others. For that is the relationship that holds the key to the quality and abundance of joy in a person's life.
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 5, 2005
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Optimizing Magnificence
How can we optimize the magnificence within our beings? If the Holy Spirit is living within us... how should we optimize HIS presence for the highest good? That was a question I pondered as I read, studied, and meditated on Day 3 of the Miracle Master Mind Request, a 31 Day Adventure from Mary Robinson Reynolds. If you would like to know more about this unique adventure into
Miracle Mastermind Requests you can find a link, insights, and other thoughts on my Team Agape Cove blog.
Basically, here is my interpretation of today's lesson:
By using Jesus' secret formula, we too can optimize magnificence within our beings for the highest good.
1. Jesus always gave thanks first.
2. Jesus accepted and expected the highest good.
An easy formula for us could be something like this:
1. Lord, I give thanks for ____________________________________________
2. Lord, I request that ______________________________________________
Then lift your thanks and request upward by boldly accepting and expecting the highest good,
always recognizing that the highest good is God's will and not necessarily our will.
I encourage you to check out Mary's Miracle Mastermind Requests and ask the Lord to optimize the Holy Spirit within you for the highest good. Agape! Kathi
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 3, 2005
Miracle Mastermind Requests you can find a link, insights, and other thoughts on my Team Agape Cove blog.
Basically, here is my interpretation of today's lesson:
By using Jesus' secret formula, we too can optimize magnificence within our beings for the highest good.
1. Jesus always gave thanks first.
2. Jesus accepted and expected the highest good.
An easy formula for us could be something like this:
1. Lord, I give thanks for ____________________________________________
2. Lord, I request that ______________________________________________
Then lift your thanks and request upward by boldly accepting and expecting the highest good,
always recognizing that the highest good is God's will and not necessarily our will.
I encourage you to check out Mary's Miracle Mastermind Requests and ask the Lord to optimize the Holy Spirit within you for the highest good. Agape! Kathi
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron December 3, 2005
Friday, December 02, 2005
Blogging For Jesus
Blogging seems to be turning into a full time occupation for me these days! Go figure!
It is a blessing to have a place to deposit treasures from my heart in hopes that somewhere, someplace ~ something I have been led to post might touch someone else's life in a positive way.
The reason I have not posted as much in recent days on Agape Cove Living is because I now have 11 different blogs! So please check some of them out and let me know what you think!
You can connect to any of my blogs by clicking on my profile in the small light green box to the right. When you click on the profile it will open a new page that provides a directory type list of all the blogs I'm writing.
Today I started a new blog for brides and grooms to encourage them to invite God to their wedding. It is titled How To Plan & Create A Beautiful Wedding Reception Celebration.
Team Agape Cove is one of the blogs I have spent a good bit of time on lately. It is a blog I'm creating for all my new friends in Team Agape Cove and hopefully will be full of inspiration and resources to help us to soar to exciting new places in 2006.Such fun!!
I love blogging. Hopefully someone one day will read them and find an answer to a question or at least some food for thought. :) Agape! Kathi Dameron
It is a blessing to have a place to deposit treasures from my heart in hopes that somewhere, someplace ~ something I have been led to post might touch someone else's life in a positive way.
The reason I have not posted as much in recent days on Agape Cove Living is because I now have 11 different blogs! So please check some of them out and let me know what you think!
You can connect to any of my blogs by clicking on my profile in the small light green box to the right. When you click on the profile it will open a new page that provides a directory type list of all the blogs I'm writing.
Today I started a new blog for brides and grooms to encourage them to invite God to their wedding. It is titled How To Plan & Create A Beautiful Wedding Reception Celebration.
Team Agape Cove is one of the blogs I have spent a good bit of time on lately. It is a blog I'm creating for all my new friends in Team Agape Cove and hopefully will be full of inspiration and resources to help us to soar to exciting new places in 2006.Such fun!!
I love blogging. Hopefully someone one day will read them and find an answer to a question or at least some food for thought. :) Agape! Kathi Dameron
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
There Has To Be More To Life !
There has to be more to life!
1.There has to be more to life than living paycheck to paycheck or encumbered by an insufficient fixed income.
2. There has to be more to life than living one's life shackled to some other human being's dreams.
3. There has to be more to life than spending one's life working hard to build someone else's business.
4. There has to be more to life than living according to someone else's plan.
5. There has to be more to life than the mediocrity dished out by a greedy corporate world who treats employees as slaves so that they can get richer and richer, while the hard workers can barely make ends meet.
6. There has to be more to life than the grim reality that is being exposed nightly on the six o' clock news.
7. There has to be more to life than finding unimpenetrable ceilings that keep us from living out the call in our hearts.
8. There has to be more to life than putting on our Christianity on Sunday mornings.
9. There has to be more to life than meets the eye.
10. There has to be to more to life than the years we spend toiling on planet Earth.
There is more to life! There is more to life when you get on board with the very creator of your soul who just happens to be the creator of all. He designed you for a great and glorious purpose! He didn't design you to be chained to the mediocre ways of the world. He designed you for purposes that HE will reveal to you when you surrender your life to HIS will and when you get on board with Him. Don't you think the time has come to let go of your grasp of the inferior and accept that which is superior and eternal?
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron November 29, 2005
1.There has to be more to life than living paycheck to paycheck or encumbered by an insufficient fixed income.
2. There has to be more to life than living one's life shackled to some other human being's dreams.
3. There has to be more to life than spending one's life working hard to build someone else's business.
4. There has to be more to life than living according to someone else's plan.
5. There has to be more to life than the mediocrity dished out by a greedy corporate world who treats employees as slaves so that they can get richer and richer, while the hard workers can barely make ends meet.
6. There has to be more to life than the grim reality that is being exposed nightly on the six o' clock news.
7. There has to be more to life than finding unimpenetrable ceilings that keep us from living out the call in our hearts.
8. There has to be more to life than putting on our Christianity on Sunday mornings.
9. There has to be more to life than meets the eye.
10. There has to be to more to life than the years we spend toiling on planet Earth.
There is more to life! There is more to life when you get on board with the very creator of your soul who just happens to be the creator of all. He designed you for a great and glorious purpose! He didn't design you to be chained to the mediocre ways of the world. He designed you for purposes that HE will reveal to you when you surrender your life to HIS will and when you get on board with Him. Don't you think the time has come to let go of your grasp of the inferior and accept that which is superior and eternal?
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron November 29, 2005
Friday, November 25, 2005
Financial Literacy 101
Right off the bat I want to set the record straight by saying I am no Suze Orman. With that disclaimer in place, it is because of some of the financial mistakes I've made along the journey that I have learned a few do's and don'ts that will hopefully help someone else.
Financial Literacy is critical. Teach it to your children!
Do's
Invest in income producing assets.
Focus on keeping liabilities and expenses down.
Add multiple streams of income generating assets to the plus side of your financial statement.
Live beneath your means.
Cut up your credit cards.
Understand that money is freedom.
Take a Christian Financial Planning seminar.
Ask questions.
Understand your credit scores.
Create a written financial plan.
Set goals and write them down.
Determine your household income.
Track your daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual expenditures.
Invest in an accountant.
Keep up with all of your outstanding obligations.
Read contracts with a fine tooth comb.
Create a realistic savings plan.
Tithe the top ten percent of your gross income.
Duplicate wealth building practices of the wealthy that have financial integrity.
Turn to God and pray over your finances.
Say no to unnecessary expenditures.
If you have a businees, hire smart people.
Become proficient at accounting and investing.
Make positive affirmations about your financial well being.
Make sure your financial house is in order before you get married.
Discuss how you will handle finances before you get married.
Thank God for everything you have and recognize that you are His chosen steward of all that He has given to you. Remembering that The Lord is the True owner of all wealth!
Don'ts
Don't stick your head in the sand when it comes to your money!
Don't sign anything without taking the time to analyze what you are agreeing to.
Don't spend more than you make.
Don't buy on credit, unless you can pay the bill in full each month.
Don't try to keep up with the Jones.
Don't find your self-worth in materialistic things.
Don't use stuff to fill the hole in your soul... it won't work!
Don't try to impress people by the stuff you own or the money you have.
Don't judge others by the possessions they own.
Don't rank people by social economic status.
Don't be greedy.
Don't use money to manipulate others.
Don't marry someone just because they have money.
Don't marry someone who has created a financial mess, until they straighten it out.
Don't marry someone who won't put their financial cards on the table.
Don't expect anyone to bail you out if you get in financial trouble.
Don't enable someone you love by continually bailing them out of their financial troubles.
Don't turn your back on someone who you could help and who is genuinely trying.
Don't ignore the whisper in your soul when God asks you to help someone.
Don't flaunt your wealth.
Don't think you are better than someone else because you drive a nicer car, live in a bigger house, wear more expensive clothes, or send your children to better schools.
copyright (c) by Kathi Dameron November 25, 2005
Financial Literacy is critical. Teach it to your children!
Do's
Invest in income producing assets.
Focus on keeping liabilities and expenses down.
Add multiple streams of income generating assets to the plus side of your financial statement.
Live beneath your means.
Cut up your credit cards.
Understand that money is freedom.
Take a Christian Financial Planning seminar.
Ask questions.
Understand your credit scores.
Create a written financial plan.
Set goals and write them down.
Determine your household income.
Track your daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual expenditures.
Invest in an accountant.
Keep up with all of your outstanding obligations.
Read contracts with a fine tooth comb.
Create a realistic savings plan.
Tithe the top ten percent of your gross income.
Duplicate wealth building practices of the wealthy that have financial integrity.
Turn to God and pray over your finances.
Say no to unnecessary expenditures.
If you have a businees, hire smart people.
Become proficient at accounting and investing.
Make positive affirmations about your financial well being.
Make sure your financial house is in order before you get married.
Discuss how you will handle finances before you get married.
Thank God for everything you have and recognize that you are His chosen steward of all that He has given to you. Remembering that The Lord is the True owner of all wealth!
Don'ts
Don't stick your head in the sand when it comes to your money!
Don't sign anything without taking the time to analyze what you are agreeing to.
Don't spend more than you make.
Don't buy on credit, unless you can pay the bill in full each month.
Don't try to keep up with the Jones.
Don't find your self-worth in materialistic things.
Don't use stuff to fill the hole in your soul... it won't work!
Don't try to impress people by the stuff you own or the money you have.
Don't judge others by the possessions they own.
Don't rank people by social economic status.
Don't be greedy.
Don't use money to manipulate others.
Don't marry someone just because they have money.
Don't marry someone who has created a financial mess, until they straighten it out.
Don't marry someone who won't put their financial cards on the table.
Don't expect anyone to bail you out if you get in financial trouble.
Don't enable someone you love by continually bailing them out of their financial troubles.
Don't turn your back on someone who you could help and who is genuinely trying.
Don't ignore the whisper in your soul when God asks you to help someone.
Don't flaunt your wealth.
Don't think you are better than someone else because you drive a nicer car, live in a bigger house, wear more expensive clothes, or send your children to better schools.
copyright (c) by Kathi Dameron November 25, 2005
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Creating A Family Legacy
The news of his death had brought thousands upon thousands of mourners to the small waterfront community that he had retired to twenty years earlier. It was a funeral, unlike anything the town people had ever seen. Brightly painted florists vans from across the state caravaned across the historic old draw bridge to the small island church to deliver arrangements large and small. Zee had left a legacy that spanned generations and continents.
Small and large groups huddled together on the expansive beach front grounds surrounding the quaint chapel at the sea. Laughter and tears united old friends and introduced new ones in a beautiful, poignant celebration of a life well lived. Snippets of amazing stories could be heard as I meandered my way through the crowds. This was a man that had been loved! This was a man who had left behind a powerful legacy and whose legacy will live on long after his body is lowered into the ground and the mourners return home.
What legacy are you creating today that you will leave behind when your time on this earth passes away? It's the important things in life that really matter. But what are those truly important things? The world masks what is important and deceives us into believing that there is significant value in the temporary and materialistic things of our 21st century world.
Think about it, the shiny new car that carried a whopping $42,000. 00 price tag when you drove it off the lot, in ten years might bring in 10 % of the original price when you get ready to trade it in for a new model. The expensive toys, gadgets, clothes, and stuff you had to have; eventually wore out, became worthless and found their final home in a landfill. While the things of this world will rust away, the things of God will live on for all eternity.
When your days pass away and you enter the Heavenly place... will you have left behind a legacy that glorifies God? Will the inheritance that you leave be one that gifts your family, friends, and all that knew you and even many who didn't, with treasures that transcend the materialistic?
There is nothing wrong with leaving your children with an abundance of worldly goods, but I am asking you to consider what eternal treasures are you bequething to the world. Perhaps it is a good time to stop and assess the legacy that you are creating. Is it a legacy with eternal value or is it a legacy that is only based on worldly value?
How does your legacy stack up? An eternal legacy:
1. Leaves others thirsty and inspires them to desire to know more about who and what influenced you.
2. Leaves others with extensive positive memories of how you quenched your thirst.
3. Points to God as the True source that quenched your thirst.
4. Points to God as the Answer to any problem of life.
5. Shows how you loved the Bible and read it daily.
6. Shows how you enthusiastically made the Bible the basis of your life, marriage, family, and career.
7. Shows how you fearlessly witnessed to your children and others about the God you loved.
8. Illustrates how you taught your children to love and depend on God and to how to establish their own personal relationship with their Creator.
9. Illustrates how you read and studied the Bible with your children and that they recognize the importance of doing the same with their children.
10. Illustrates how you prayed with your children and people who came across your path for God's Will.
In the final analysis were you successful in living a life that really mattered and did you succeed in making a positive impact on the lives you touched? Is the world a better place because you did more than just pass through? Do you expect to see your family and friends again one day and spend eternity with them?
Ok, so maybe you havn't done all these things yet. It's ok. It is never to late to get started in creating a powerful family legacy that will span generations. The guidance in how to proceed
is contained in the greatest book ever written. Won't you ask God to lead you according to His divine will and unlock some of the sacred mysteries of how you can create an extraordinary legacy with your life? Agape!
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron November 20, 2005
Small and large groups huddled together on the expansive beach front grounds surrounding the quaint chapel at the sea. Laughter and tears united old friends and introduced new ones in a beautiful, poignant celebration of a life well lived. Snippets of amazing stories could be heard as I meandered my way through the crowds. This was a man that had been loved! This was a man who had left behind a powerful legacy and whose legacy will live on long after his body is lowered into the ground and the mourners return home.
What legacy are you creating today that you will leave behind when your time on this earth passes away? It's the important things in life that really matter. But what are those truly important things? The world masks what is important and deceives us into believing that there is significant value in the temporary and materialistic things of our 21st century world.
Think about it, the shiny new car that carried a whopping $42,000. 00 price tag when you drove it off the lot, in ten years might bring in 10 % of the original price when you get ready to trade it in for a new model. The expensive toys, gadgets, clothes, and stuff you had to have; eventually wore out, became worthless and found their final home in a landfill. While the things of this world will rust away, the things of God will live on for all eternity.
When your days pass away and you enter the Heavenly place... will you have left behind a legacy that glorifies God? Will the inheritance that you leave be one that gifts your family, friends, and all that knew you and even many who didn't, with treasures that transcend the materialistic?
There is nothing wrong with leaving your children with an abundance of worldly goods, but I am asking you to consider what eternal treasures are you bequething to the world. Perhaps it is a good time to stop and assess the legacy that you are creating. Is it a legacy with eternal value or is it a legacy that is only based on worldly value?
How does your legacy stack up? An eternal legacy:
1. Leaves others thirsty and inspires them to desire to know more about who and what influenced you.
2. Leaves others with extensive positive memories of how you quenched your thirst.
3. Points to God as the True source that quenched your thirst.
4. Points to God as the Answer to any problem of life.
5. Shows how you loved the Bible and read it daily.
6. Shows how you enthusiastically made the Bible the basis of your life, marriage, family, and career.
7. Shows how you fearlessly witnessed to your children and others about the God you loved.
8. Illustrates how you taught your children to love and depend on God and to how to establish their own personal relationship with their Creator.
9. Illustrates how you read and studied the Bible with your children and that they recognize the importance of doing the same with their children.
10. Illustrates how you prayed with your children and people who came across your path for God's Will.
In the final analysis were you successful in living a life that really mattered and did you succeed in making a positive impact on the lives you touched? Is the world a better place because you did more than just pass through? Do you expect to see your family and friends again one day and spend eternity with them?
Ok, so maybe you havn't done all these things yet. It's ok. It is never to late to get started in creating a powerful family legacy that will span generations. The guidance in how to proceed
is contained in the greatest book ever written. Won't you ask God to lead you according to His divine will and unlock some of the sacred mysteries of how you can create an extraordinary legacy with your life? Agape!
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron November 20, 2005
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Exclamation Point Living !
It was a day filled with all the promise and hope of a young bright eyed graduate on commencement day. She was not graduating today though , she had done that decades earlier.
And yet in a very real sense she was graduating and embarking on a new course. She had been given an opportunity to step back and assess her life. Horrified by the picture, she decided to make some changes. In the stillness of the morning she knelt beside her bed and asked the master for a new canvas, new brushes, new paint, and new experiences. Dear Lord, help me to paint each day as you would have me paint them. Help me to splash bold exclamation points of joy and your extraordinary love wherever you send me.
What picture do you see when you step back and reflect on the painting of your life? Do you see a copy instead of a masterpiece? Do you see blurred and washed out colors instead of rich vibrant strokes? Do you see the brush strokes of someone else, strokes that don't even come close to representing the drawings of your soul?
Ten Simple Secrets To Exclamation Point Living :
1. Set aside time to pray or meditate daily.
2. Set aside time to record your dreams, desires, and aspirations in a journal.
3. Read books that encourage you to move forward confidently in the direction of your dreams.
4. Be careful with whom you share your dreams. Make sure that they are people you can trust and who will be encouragers and not bulldozers of your sacred dreams.
5. Connect with others who also are inspired to exclamation point living.
6. Identify your fears and address them head on.
7. Reach up for purposes bigger than your own
8. Tell people what you appreciate about them.
9. Realize that obstacles are simply opportunities that are there to equip you to reach a much higher goal.
10. Ask for help and remember to give thanks and credit where it is due .
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron November 19, 2005
And yet in a very real sense she was graduating and embarking on a new course. She had been given an opportunity to step back and assess her life. Horrified by the picture, she decided to make some changes. In the stillness of the morning she knelt beside her bed and asked the master for a new canvas, new brushes, new paint, and new experiences. Dear Lord, help me to paint each day as you would have me paint them. Help me to splash bold exclamation points of joy and your extraordinary love wherever you send me.
What picture do you see when you step back and reflect on the painting of your life? Do you see a copy instead of a masterpiece? Do you see blurred and washed out colors instead of rich vibrant strokes? Do you see the brush strokes of someone else, strokes that don't even come close to representing the drawings of your soul?
Ten Simple Secrets To Exclamation Point Living :
1. Set aside time to pray or meditate daily.
2. Set aside time to record your dreams, desires, and aspirations in a journal.
3. Read books that encourage you to move forward confidently in the direction of your dreams.
4. Be careful with whom you share your dreams. Make sure that they are people you can trust and who will be encouragers and not bulldozers of your sacred dreams.
5. Connect with others who also are inspired to exclamation point living.
6. Identify your fears and address them head on.
7. Reach up for purposes bigger than your own
8. Tell people what you appreciate about them.
9. Realize that obstacles are simply opportunities that are there to equip you to reach a much higher goal.
10. Ask for help and remember to give thanks and credit where it is due .
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron November 19, 2005
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Agape Cove Bookstore News
To all the wonderful friends of the Agape Cove Bookstore, the bookstore will be back up and running by Friday, November 25, 2005. The site you will see is a fully operational completely secure back up site that will be in place until the new bookstore is rolled out in 2006. I think you will enjoy the new site when it is available. I can't wait to get the new site in 2006! I heard we will have about a million different products, will be able to do international orders, and will have a suite of technological improvements that one Spread The Word leader described as STW on steroids!
If you would like to order a product before Friday please call me at 850-422-3599 and I will help you place your order directly with the customer service department of Spread The Word.
We know that lots of our Spread The Word Bookstore Owners originally came to our online stores in search of a book, but decided to buy the whole bookstore when they saw how easy it is to have their own online bookstore. If you would like to get your own bookstore before the December price increase, I would be happy to help you get started!
I' d also like to take this opportunity to invite you to learn about the exciting new opportunities that Spread The Word Ministries will be rolling out in 2006.
Right now is a great time to reserve your very own store at pre-launch prices!
http://nashville.spreadtheword.com/
Agape! Kathi Dameron
If you would like to order a product before Friday please call me at 850-422-3599 and I will help you place your order directly with the customer service department of Spread The Word.
We know that lots of our Spread The Word Bookstore Owners originally came to our online stores in search of a book, but decided to buy the whole bookstore when they saw how easy it is to have their own online bookstore. If you would like to get your own bookstore before the December price increase, I would be happy to help you get started!
I' d also like to take this opportunity to invite you to learn about the exciting new opportunities that Spread The Word Ministries will be rolling out in 2006.
Right now is a great time to reserve your very own store at pre-launch prices!
http://nashville.spreadtheword.com/
Agape! Kathi Dameron
Family Bible Time
"There is NO space between us!" declared the mother. It was an emotion packed defining moment in a great movie with a powerful lingering message.
In a day and age when so many movies offer so little value, here was one with food for thought based on something more than the satisfying of temporary hunger. Since watching that movie last week, the mother's adamant declaration to her young daughter has sent ripples echoing through my soul..."There is NO space between us!"
Is there space between you and the people that you love? What sort of space is it? Is it the kind of space that you really want? Or would you like to be closer?
Family Bible Time is an extraordinary way that your family can draw close together. It is a time to cast aside the ways of the world and focus on what really is important. We live in a world that puts a premium on things that are hindrances to family closeness. When you step back and take a look at your life, what do you see? Do you see space or do you see closeness? Do you see your family spending quality time together having fun and growing together? Or do you see everyone going off in separate directions creating more and more space?
To some it may sound too old fashioned or too impractical or too out of step with the times. However, I believe that when done in a loving, encouraging, relevant, and fun way ... Family Bible Time will become your families most cherished time together.
In this season of Thanksgiving, why not take some time to rethink your priorities? Set aside a time daily (or at least weekly) to join together with your family for a treasure hunt. The Bible is overflowing with hidden treasures for you and your family to discover together!
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron November 17, 2005
In a day and age when so many movies offer so little value, here was one with food for thought based on something more than the satisfying of temporary hunger. Since watching that movie last week, the mother's adamant declaration to her young daughter has sent ripples echoing through my soul..."There is NO space between us!"
Is there space between you and the people that you love? What sort of space is it? Is it the kind of space that you really want? Or would you like to be closer?
Family Bible Time is an extraordinary way that your family can draw close together. It is a time to cast aside the ways of the world and focus on what really is important. We live in a world that puts a premium on things that are hindrances to family closeness. When you step back and take a look at your life, what do you see? Do you see space or do you see closeness? Do you see your family spending quality time together having fun and growing together? Or do you see everyone going off in separate directions creating more and more space?
To some it may sound too old fashioned or too impractical or too out of step with the times. However, I believe that when done in a loving, encouraging, relevant, and fun way ... Family Bible Time will become your families most cherished time together.
In this season of Thanksgiving, why not take some time to rethink your priorities? Set aside a time daily (or at least weekly) to join together with your family for a treasure hunt. The Bible is overflowing with hidden treasures for you and your family to discover together!
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron November 17, 2005
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
How To Pray Scripture
Do you know how to pray? Prayer is a deep and meaningful conversation with God. It goes way beyond the superficial. It goes deep into the heart and soul of who you are and who God is.
It is a two way conversation that will empower you to begin to understand and fulfill your purpose in this life. If you are like me, you might need to work through a bunch of layers first, though. The only right way to do that is by letting the Lord be the facilitator and allowing Him to cleanse you of all the inferior clutter that got embedded inside you along the way. Power wash us Oh Lord!
The following is an activity that I do often. It is very simple, yet quite powerful. I wish I had been taught to do this much earlier in my life. It would have made a big difference! Fortunately, God doesn't waste anything and HE allows us opportunities to teach others, so that maybe someone else will be saved from making the same kind of mistakes that we did. I hope so!
In the Bible, Jesus teaches us how to pray and I encourage you to look up the scriptures that describe those teachings.
The activity that I am going to tell you about is based on whatever scripture you happen to be studying.
Step 1 : Read the scripture.
Step 2: Copy the scripture.
Step 3: Write a personal prayer for each scripture asking God to open your spiritual eyes to understanding what message He wants to teach you and then to help you manifest this wisdom in your life according to His will.
Step 4: Take it to the next level! Think about it, meditate on it, write it on you heart, and share it with others!
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron November 16, 2005
Links to Other Blogs: EvangelicalAggregator
It is a two way conversation that will empower you to begin to understand and fulfill your purpose in this life. If you are like me, you might need to work through a bunch of layers first, though. The only right way to do that is by letting the Lord be the facilitator and allowing Him to cleanse you of all the inferior clutter that got embedded inside you along the way. Power wash us Oh Lord!
The following is an activity that I do often. It is very simple, yet quite powerful. I wish I had been taught to do this much earlier in my life. It would have made a big difference! Fortunately, God doesn't waste anything and HE allows us opportunities to teach others, so that maybe someone else will be saved from making the same kind of mistakes that we did. I hope so!
In the Bible, Jesus teaches us how to pray and I encourage you to look up the scriptures that describe those teachings.
The activity that I am going to tell you about is based on whatever scripture you happen to be studying.
Step 1 : Read the scripture.
Step 2: Copy the scripture.
Step 3: Write a personal prayer for each scripture asking God to open your spiritual eyes to understanding what message He wants to teach you and then to help you manifest this wisdom in your life according to His will.
Step 4: Take it to the next level! Think about it, meditate on it, write it on you heart, and share it with others!
copyright (c) Kathi Dameron November 16, 2005
Links to Other Blogs: EvangelicalAggregator
The Secret Keys To Life
What did Joy find on the onion skinned parchment pages? No wonder her late husband, a world famous scientist had been so excited. For it was on those sacred ancient pages that Joy found real answers.
In her hands, Joy held the secret keys to life. There were fifteen of them written in a language that Joy would come to decipher. The journey was life transforming.
Joy is a fictional character in a story I started to write last January. But the message is not fictional. The message is as real as the moon and the stars that return each night. Some nights we don't see any stars, but even on those evenings when we don't see them are they still real?
To begin your own personal journey into discovering the sacred keys to life, I invite you to dig deep and start your own personal or group expedition into the Greatest Book Ever Written!
Its a love story written with all the wisdom and answers to help you to live the extraordinary life you were created to live, regardless of past hurts, regardless of all the mistakes you have ever made, and regardless of all the times you thought you knew all the answers.
Come won't you open your Bible to John 14 and ask the Holy Spirit to be your Divine Tour Guide into an extraordinary journey allowing HIM to take you to places that will open your heart and open your eyes to the truth. He has a journey for you that
will reveal things beyond your wildest imagination!
copyright (c) by Kathi Dameron November 16, 2005
In her hands, Joy held the secret keys to life. There were fifteen of them written in a language that Joy would come to decipher. The journey was life transforming.
Joy is a fictional character in a story I started to write last January. But the message is not fictional. The message is as real as the moon and the stars that return each night. Some nights we don't see any stars, but even on those evenings when we don't see them are they still real?
To begin your own personal journey into discovering the sacred keys to life, I invite you to dig deep and start your own personal or group expedition into the Greatest Book Ever Written!
Its a love story written with all the wisdom and answers to help you to live the extraordinary life you were created to live, regardless of past hurts, regardless of all the mistakes you have ever made, and regardless of all the times you thought you knew all the answers.
Come won't you open your Bible to John 14 and ask the Holy Spirit to be your Divine Tour Guide into an extraordinary journey allowing HIM to take you to places that will open your heart and open your eyes to the truth. He has a journey for you that
will reveal things beyond your wildest imagination!
copyright (c) by Kathi Dameron November 16, 2005
The War on Christmas : What do you think?
Should Christians boycott retail giants that have banned the words "Merry Christmas" from their holiday merchandising displays and advertising?
But what is "Christmas" anyway? To retailers Christmas is revered as the best sales season of the year, to school children it is a two week vacation from school and a boatload of gifts, and to the original pagans who first celebrated the holiday it had nothing to do with Jesus Christ.
What does Christmas mean to you?
But what is "Christmas" anyway? To retailers Christmas is revered as the best sales season of the year, to school children it is a two week vacation from school and a boatload of gifts, and to the original pagans who first celebrated the holiday it had nothing to do with Jesus Christ.
What does Christmas mean to you?
Monday, November 14, 2005
Question of the Day
Question:
In the last 4 years over 7000 people across America have been linked together in a unique way.
Each one of these individuals found a solution to a deep need. Some came with minds buzzing with questions about life's biggest concerns. One by one each person came and found something far beyond what they could have imagined.
Musicians and authors came looking for a way to promote their own music and books.
Avid readers came looking for lifetime savings on their book purchases.
Critics came looking for ammunition to disprove.
Pastors came looking for ways to share their sermons with the world.
Businesspeople came looking for ways to redirect their dollars back to a community with an eternal purpose.
Some came in search of a book or cd they couldn't find at their local bookstore.
Some came looking for ways to evangelize to a lost and hurting world.
Some came looking for a job.
Some came looking for a resource for their new or existing ministry.
Young parents came looking for ways to keep mom at home with young children.
Home school families came looking for home school products.
Some came looking for a retirement income.
Some came looking for a revenue engine for college expenses.
Some came looking for financial freedom.
Some came looking for a way to pay their monthly bills.
Some came looking for a home based business opportunity.
Some came looking for new friends, new experiences, and a feeling of community.
Some came looking for hope.
Some came looking for a new beginning.
Some came in search of a new career.
Some came looking for a gift.
Some came looking for a better life.
I believe they all came because they were led by something bigger than themselves. From every denomination they came, every walk of life they represent. The gossamer thread that unites them is THE KING OF KINGS, The LORD OF LORDS. God's children from across America united for a single purpose... to Spread The Word throughout the land and to put life changing resources on every corner of the Internet.
My question to you is do you have a need? Maybe this is an answer to prayer for you, your family, your ministry, or maybe somebody that you know who is looking for a way to live out the GREAT COMMISSION in their life. Being a part of this adventure has given me the opportunity to reach out in ways that I would have never imagined possible.
I would love to invite you to hear live testimonies from people whose lives have been transformed through this amazing organization.
If you would like to know more I invite you to dig deeper by visiting my website, dropping me an e-mail, or calling me at 850-422-3599.
Copyright (c) November14, 2005 by Kathi Dameron
In the last 4 years over 7000 people across America have been linked together in a unique way.
Each one of these individuals found a solution to a deep need. Some came with minds buzzing with questions about life's biggest concerns. One by one each person came and found something far beyond what they could have imagined.
Musicians and authors came looking for a way to promote their own music and books.
Avid readers came looking for lifetime savings on their book purchases.
Critics came looking for ammunition to disprove.
Pastors came looking for ways to share their sermons with the world.
Businesspeople came looking for ways to redirect their dollars back to a community with an eternal purpose.
Some came in search of a book or cd they couldn't find at their local bookstore.
Some came looking for ways to evangelize to a lost and hurting world.
Some came looking for a job.
Some came looking for a resource for their new or existing ministry.
Young parents came looking for ways to keep mom at home with young children.
Home school families came looking for home school products.
Some came looking for a retirement income.
Some came looking for a revenue engine for college expenses.
Some came looking for financial freedom.
Some came looking for a way to pay their monthly bills.
Some came looking for a home based business opportunity.
Some came looking for new friends, new experiences, and a feeling of community.
Some came looking for hope.
Some came looking for a new beginning.
Some came in search of a new career.
Some came looking for a gift.
Some came looking for a better life.
I believe they all came because they were led by something bigger than themselves. From every denomination they came, every walk of life they represent. The gossamer thread that unites them is THE KING OF KINGS, The LORD OF LORDS. God's children from across America united for a single purpose... to Spread The Word throughout the land and to put life changing resources on every corner of the Internet.
My question to you is do you have a need? Maybe this is an answer to prayer for you, your family, your ministry, or maybe somebody that you know who is looking for a way to live out the GREAT COMMISSION in their life. Being a part of this adventure has given me the opportunity to reach out in ways that I would have never imagined possible.
I would love to invite you to hear live testimonies from people whose lives have been transformed through this amazing organization.
If you would like to know more I invite you to dig deeper by visiting my website, dropping me an e-mail, or calling me at 850-422-3599.
Copyright (c) November14, 2005 by Kathi Dameron
Favorite Quotes That Resonate With Truth
I love discovering beautifully written quotes that gift the reader with a powerful jolt of wisdom.
Who penned these great golden quotable nuggets? What were their lives about? Those are the questions that inspire me to dig deeper to learn more about the writer of these divine drops of inspiration. Here you will find some quotable treasures and a little something about the writer.
"It's never too late to become what you might have been." George Elliot, a leading female writer of the Victorian era who took on a male pen name so that her writings would be taken seriously.
"Belief consists in accepting the affirmations of the soul, unbelief, in denying them."
George Elliot, Victorian female writer whose writings were infused with realism and psychological perspicacity.
"Strength is born in the deep silence of long-suffering hearts; not amid joy." Felicia Hemans, Nineteenth Century Poet
"Thou art coming to a King! Large petitions with thee bring: For HIS grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much." John Newton in 1779. John Newton was the author of "Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Sound." While trying to navigate through a violent storm Newton experienced what he would later refer to as his "great deliverance. " A deliverance that would save a wretch like him.
"What may first seem like a road full of obstacles is actually a series of opportunities to help you along to your destination." Bruce Wilkinson, author of The Dream Giver, a modern day parable that will help you get started on your own daring adventure.
"The mind is like a pond. On the surface you see all the disturbances. Yet the surface is only a fraction of the pond. It is in the depth below the surface, where there is stillness that you will come to know the true essence of the pond, as well as your own mind." Nice picturesque quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer, who has written oodles of positive living books. I like some of what he says but I don't agree with him when he says this world is all there is.
"There are a couple ways to live life without opposition. If you want to live life without any criticism, do nothing and say nothing. But if you are going to accomplish anything extraordinary in this life, beware of the vision vandals." Ed Young, Author of High Definition Living : Bringing Clarity To Your Life's Mission and Founding and Senior Pastor of Fellowship Church in the heart of Dallas/Fort Worth Texas.
" We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." ~ Victor Frankl; 20th century psychiatrist, professor, scientist, existential philosopher, holocaust survivor, and author of Man's Search for Meaning. Frankl was a longtime concentration camp prisoner who was stripped to naked existence and experienced the deplorable inhumane deaths of almost every member of his family. In the midst of such suffering, comes the realization that to live is to suffer and to survive is to find meaning within that suffering.
"Paraphrasing the words of Robert Kennedy at the 1968 presidential campaign, there are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why. . . while trailblazers dream of things that never were, and ask why not?However, they are not renegades. They are people who are doing the personal work, releasing their fears, reviewing the facts, and moving forward in expressing their vision. They are willing to trust themselves in achieving their dreams and assist others in doing the same. Trailblazers are not superhuman; in fact, they make mistakes. Not only do they learn from their mistakes, but they share their lessons with others." Lucinda, a Spread The Word Ministries Internet Bookstore Owner.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that every has." ~ Margaret Mead
Who penned these great golden quotable nuggets? What were their lives about? Those are the questions that inspire me to dig deeper to learn more about the writer of these divine drops of inspiration. Here you will find some quotable treasures and a little something about the writer.
"It's never too late to become what you might have been." George Elliot, a leading female writer of the Victorian era who took on a male pen name so that her writings would be taken seriously.
"Belief consists in accepting the affirmations of the soul, unbelief, in denying them."
George Elliot, Victorian female writer whose writings were infused with realism and psychological perspicacity.
"Strength is born in the deep silence of long-suffering hearts; not amid joy." Felicia Hemans, Nineteenth Century Poet
"Thou art coming to a King! Large petitions with thee bring: For HIS grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much." John Newton in 1779. John Newton was the author of "Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Sound." While trying to navigate through a violent storm Newton experienced what he would later refer to as his "great deliverance. " A deliverance that would save a wretch like him.
"What may first seem like a road full of obstacles is actually a series of opportunities to help you along to your destination." Bruce Wilkinson, author of The Dream Giver, a modern day parable that will help you get started on your own daring adventure.
"The mind is like a pond. On the surface you see all the disturbances. Yet the surface is only a fraction of the pond. It is in the depth below the surface, where there is stillness that you will come to know the true essence of the pond, as well as your own mind." Nice picturesque quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer, who has written oodles of positive living books. I like some of what he says but I don't agree with him when he says this world is all there is.
"There are a couple ways to live life without opposition. If you want to live life without any criticism, do nothing and say nothing. But if you are going to accomplish anything extraordinary in this life, beware of the vision vandals." Ed Young, Author of High Definition Living : Bringing Clarity To Your Life's Mission and Founding and Senior Pastor of Fellowship Church in the heart of Dallas/Fort Worth Texas.
" We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." ~ Victor Frankl; 20th century psychiatrist, professor, scientist, existential philosopher, holocaust survivor, and author of Man's Search for Meaning. Frankl was a longtime concentration camp prisoner who was stripped to naked existence and experienced the deplorable inhumane deaths of almost every member of his family. In the midst of such suffering, comes the realization that to live is to suffer and to survive is to find meaning within that suffering.
"Paraphrasing the words of Robert Kennedy at the 1968 presidential campaign, there are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why. . . while trailblazers dream of things that never were, and ask why not?However, they are not renegades. They are people who are doing the personal work, releasing their fears, reviewing the facts, and moving forward in expressing their vision. They are willing to trust themselves in achieving their dreams and assist others in doing the same. Trailblazers are not superhuman; in fact, they make mistakes. Not only do they learn from their mistakes, but they share their lessons with others." Lucinda, a Spread The Word Ministries Internet Bookstore Owner.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that every has." ~ Margaret Mead
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Catastrophic Weather, Global Warming, & A Call To The Right Priorities
The frequency and intensity of catastrophic environmental changes and natural disasters clearly indicates that our world is in an emergency environmental state. What is really going on with this onslaught of severe weather conditions? Ruthless tornados ripping through the mid-west, killer hurricanes that have wiped coastal communities off the map, earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts, fires, extreme temperatures, the list goes on and on.
As the stewards of this planet ... we have not taken care of this incredible gift. One can only wonder the consequences of our choices. The man-made chemicals that are such a part of life today are contributing in deadly ways to the destruction of the ozone layer. What are the other contributing factors? Even the scientists don't seem to have the answers. Of course they don't have all the answers! But most likely they are right on target in recognizing that we are witnessing the symptoms of global warming? So what do we do now?
Perhaps for answers and solutions we might find a message in the simple and direct Old Testament Book of Haggai. During the time of Haggai a voice was heard, that called the people to the right priorities. It is a short couple of pages. I challenge you to draw your loved ones close together and read, discuss, and pray about this message and how it is relevant to life today.
In addition to prayer here are some other ways you can help. The Union of Concerned Scientists have provided a list of ten solutions.
Recommended Reading:
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/ten-personal-solutions.html
As the stewards of this planet ... we have not taken care of this incredible gift. One can only wonder the consequences of our choices. The man-made chemicals that are such a part of life today are contributing in deadly ways to the destruction of the ozone layer. What are the other contributing factors? Even the scientists don't seem to have the answers. Of course they don't have all the answers! But most likely they are right on target in recognizing that we are witnessing the symptoms of global warming? So what do we do now?
Perhaps for answers and solutions we might find a message in the simple and direct Old Testament Book of Haggai. During the time of Haggai a voice was heard, that called the people to the right priorities. It is a short couple of pages. I challenge you to draw your loved ones close together and read, discuss, and pray about this message and how it is relevant to life today.
In addition to prayer here are some other ways you can help. The Union of Concerned Scientists have provided a list of ten solutions.
Recommended Reading:
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/ten-personal-solutions.html
Saturday, November 12, 2005
The Passing of A Legend
Peter Drucker departed this earth yesterday, November 11, 2005 in Claremont, California. He was 95 years old. What was it that made Peter Drucker stand out? Besides being the author of several of my college textbooks, he was one of the world's highly esteemed visionary pioneers of modern business management, business economics, and business philosophy. I loved the way that he taught that management was more like conducting an orchestra than conducting a military unit.
Drucker understood the value of people and considered that the strengths and contributions they brought to the organization were more important than titles on an organizational chart.
Peter Drucker... Thank you for your contributions to this world. We will miss you and look forward to meeting you again one day when our time on this earth passes away.
Drucker understood the value of people and considered that the strengths and contributions they brought to the organization were more important than titles on an organizational chart.
Peter Drucker... Thank you for your contributions to this world. We will miss you and look forward to meeting you again one day when our time on this earth passes away.
Confidence In Something Better
Fill my heart, Oh Lord with Your Presence!
Andrew Murray who lived in the 1800's and during the first two decades of the 1900's writes in The Holiest of All, "The more the soul is filled with that glory, and worships Him (the Lord) in it, the more it will see with what confidence it can count upon Him to do a divine and supernatural work in us, and to lead us to an actual living fellowship with God as our Father. Let us turn away from earth, let us meditate and gaze and worship, until He, who is the outshining of the divine glory, shines into our very heart, and He, to whom the Father hath given such a place as Creator and Upholder and Heir of all, take that place with us too, and be to us the beginning and the centre and the end of all."
What beautiful words penned so long ago, yet filled with relevance for today's world.
Where are you placing your confidence? Has an age old rift separated your heart and led you into placing your confidence in the temporary things of this world only to later discover that the very things you have invested in are empty and meaningless? Did you work tirelessly to build a private empire, to amass great collections, or to one way or another sell your soul to the devil in exchange for something you thought you needed in order to be happy, fulfilled, or at least feel important? It is not too late to change all that. Not at all. It only requires a true desire on your part. Would you like to have that desire? The Bible promises that when we ask and we seek the door will be opened to us.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Secrets of Smart Women
Secrets ~ Something kept hidden or unexplained, shared only confidentially with a few.
Smart ~ To cause or be the cause of poignant pain. To feel or endure pain or distress.
Women ~ God's feminine creation that is uniquely endowed with the gift of birth.
From the desk of writer, Kathi Dameron comes a sneak peek into her upcoming book "The 365 Secrets of Smart Women."
1. Smart women think and speak positively.
2. Smart women believe that a great attitude is essential.
3. Smart women have high expectations and believe anything is possible when it comes to fulfilling the purpose for which they were created.
4. Smart women are conscious communicators and recognize the essence and nuance of communication.
5. Smart women are able to speak and listen from the heart.
6. Smart women are driven by their passion.
7. Smart women know how to entertain.
8. Smart women are not afraid to make direct personal appeals for support in what they are doing.
9. Smart women treat investing in their own education as a lifetime priority.
10. Smart women are not afraid to be creative and think outside the box.
11. Smart women build a deep personal relationship with their creator.
copyright (c) November 11, 2005 by Kathi Dameron
Unveiling The Mystery of A Woman's Soul
By revealing the core desires every woman shares--to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a grand adventure, and to unveil beauty--the authors invite women to recover their feminine hearts, created in the image of an intimate and passionate God.From the publisher:Every little girl has dreams of being swept up into a great adventure, of being the beautiful princess. Sadly, when women grow up, they are often swept up into a life filled merely with duty and demands. Many Christian women are tired, struggling under the weight of the pressure to be a "good servant," a nurturing caregiver, or a capable home manager.
What Wild at Heart did for men, Captivating can do for women. This groundbreaking book shows readers the glorious design of women before the fall, describes how the feminine heart can be restored, and casts a vision for the power, freedom, and beauty of a woman released to be all she was meant to be. By revealing the core desires every woman shares-to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a grand adventure, and to unveil beauty-John and Stasi Eldredge invite women to recover their feminine hearts, created in the image of an intimate and passionate God. Further, they encourage men to discover the secret of a woman's soul and to delight in the beauty and strength women were created to offer.
What Wild at Heart did for men, Captivating can do for women. This groundbreaking book shows readers the glorious design of women before the fall, describes how the feminine heart can be restored, and casts a vision for the power, freedom, and beauty of a woman released to be all she was meant to be. By revealing the core desires every woman shares-to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a grand adventure, and to unveil beauty-John and Stasi Eldredge invite women to recover their feminine hearts, created in the image of an intimate and passionate God. Further, they encourage men to discover the secret of a woman's soul and to delight in the beauty and strength women were created to offer.
Courting Disaster
Are we as a nation courting disaster by allowing landmark decisions that attempt to remove God
from our society? And on a more personal level, are we courting disaster by making personal choices that exclude our Creator? We were created for a magnificent purpose, yet the only hope we have to live out that purpose is through a deep and meaningful relationship with the very one who created us.
Truly a groundbreaking manifesto on the meaning of life was the best selling book, The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.
from our society? And on a more personal level, are we courting disaster by making personal choices that exclude our Creator? We were created for a magnificent purpose, yet the only hope we have to live out that purpose is through a deep and meaningful relationship with the very one who created us.
Truly a groundbreaking manifesto on the meaning of life was the best selling book, The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.
Darwin's Black Box
From within the highest ranks of the scientific community comes a startling new theory of creation that not only contradicts Darwinian orthodoxy but opens the door to theological arguments biologists have dismissed and ridiculed for more than a century. "Charmingly convey(s) a sense of biochemistry's hidden beauty".--"The New York Times Book Review". Line art.From the publisher:Virtually all serious scientists accept the truth of Darwin's theory of evolution. While the fight for its acceptance has been a long and difficult one, after a century of struggle among the cognoscenti the battle is over. Biologists are now confident that their remaining questions, such as how life on Earth began, or how the Cambrian explosion could have produced so many new species in such a short time, will be found to have Darwinian answers. They, like most of the rest of us, accept Darwin's theory to be true.
But should we? What would happen if we found something that radically challenged the now-accepted wisdom? In "Darwin's Black Box," Michael Behe argues that evidence of evolution's limits has been right under our noses -- but it is so small that we have only recently been able to see it. The field of biochemistry, begun when Watson and Crick discovered the double-helical shape of DNA, has unlocked the secrets of the cell. There, biochemists have unexpectedly discovered a world of Lilliputian complexity. As Belie engagingly demonstrates, using the examples of vision, bloodclotting, cellular transport, and more, the biochemical world comprises an arsenal of chemical machines, made up of finely calibrated, interdependent parts. For Darwinian evolution to be true, there must have been a series of mutations, each of which produced its own working machine, that led to the complexity we can now see. The more complex and interdependent each machine's parts are shown to be, the harder it is to envision Darwin's gradualistic paths, Behe surveys the professional science literature and shows that it is completely silent on the subject, stymied by the elegance of the foundation of life. Could it be that there is some greater force at work?
Michael Behe is not a creationist. He believes in the scientific method, and he does not look toreligious dogma for answers to these questions. But he argues persuasivelythat biochemical machines must have been designed -- either by God, or by some other higher intelligence. For decades science has been frustrated, trying to reconcile the astonishing discoveries of modern biochemistry to a nineteenth-century theory that cannot accommodate them. With the publication of "Darwin's Black Box," it is time for scientists to allow themselves to consider exciting new possibilities, and for the rest of us to watch closely.Virtually all serious scientists accept the truth of Darwin's theory of evolution. While the fight for its acceptance has been a long and difficult one, after a century of struggle among the cognoscenti the battle is over. Biologists are now confident that their remaining questions, such as how life on Earth began, or how the Cambrian explosion could have produced so many new species in such a short time, will be found to have Darwinian answers. They, like most of the rest of us, accept Darwin's theory to be true.
But should we? What would happen if we found something that radically challenged the now-accepted wisdom? In "Darwin's Black Box," Michael Behe argues that evidence of evolution's limits has been right under our noses -- but it is so small that we have only recently been able to see it. The field of biochemistry, begun when Watson and Crick discovered the double-helical shape of DNA, has unlocked the secrets of the cell. There, biochemists have unexpectedly discovered a world of Lilliputian complexity. As Belie engagingly demonstrates, using the examples of vision, bloodclotting, cellular transport, and more, the biochemical world comprises an arsenal of chemical machines, made up of finely calibrated, interdependent parts. For Darwinian evolution to be true, there must have been a series of mutations, each of which produced its own working machine, that led to the complexity we can now see. The more complex and interdependent each machine's parts are shown to be, the harder it is to envision Darwin's gradualistic paths, Behe surveys the professional science literature and shows that it is completely silent on the subject, stymied by the elegance of the foundation of life. Could it be that there is some greater force at work?
Michael Behe is not a creationist. He believes in the scientific method, and he does not look toreligious dogma for answers to these questions. But he argues persuasivelythat biochemical machines must have been designed -- either by God, or by some other higher intelligence. For decades science has been frustrated, trying to reconcile the astonishing discoveries of modern biochemistry to a nineteenth-century theory that cannot accommodate them. With the publication of "Darwin's Black Box," it is time for scientists to allow themselves to consider exciting new possibilities, and for the rest of us to watch closely.Virtually all serious scientists accept the truth of Darwin's theory of evolution. While the fight for its acceptance has been a long and difficult one, after a century of struggle among the cognoscenti the battle is over. Biologists are now confident that their remaining questions, such as how life on Earth began, or how the Cambrian explosion could have produced so many new species in such a short time, will be found to have Darwinian answers. They, like most of the rest of us, accept Darwin's theory to be true.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
The Truth About Intelligent Design
Put to the test and spreading like wildfire! Here we go again! What is so difficult to grasp about the concept of a Creator?
Laban Sauce with Carmelized Onions
More Stirrings From A Spiritual & Gourmet Chef
This morning I have this vision to marry together the spiritual and gourmet in a recipe and Bible study format. Please let me know what you think. This is new and uncharted territory for this writer ~ aka day two of this blogging adventure.
Part 1: Recipe ~ Laban Sauce with Carmelized Onions
Part 2: Bible Study ~ Recognizing Laban: Are You A Modern Day Laban?
Laban Sauce with Carmelized Onions
Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium high heat. When skillet is hot and the butter is melted stir in one freshly chopped onion and a bit of fresh minced garlic. Dust the onions and garlic with a light sprinkle of Lawry's Seasoning Salt and Cavender's Greek Salt. Allow the onion and garlic to saute until nicely carmelized. (A bit of brown sugar and a few tablespoons of Jack Daniels can be added if you like.)
Meanwhile heat plain yogurt in a small saucepan with 1 teaspoon fresh garlic.
Serving Suggestion: On a bed of fragrant steamed basmati rice add toasted almonds, grilled chicken strips, carmelized onions, and drizzle with the Laban Sauce.
You can substitute other things for the chicken if you like. A roasted vegetable medley, grilled fish, beef, lamb, or shellfish would be delightful substitutions to this dish.
Recognizing Laban: Are You A Modern Day Laban?
Have you met Laban? He's one of those characters who lived in Old Testament times. While reading about him he might remind you of someone alive today. What character traits did this Laban guy exhibit?
Assignment: Read about Laban in your Bible.
1. What book of the Bible will you find the story about Laban? _______________________
2. List scriptural references pertaining to Laban _________________________________
3. What lessons can we learn from Laban's life? __________________________________
4. Write a prayer relevant to these scriptures and the lesson.
5. Dig deeper and use search engines to find sermons and articles that teach more about this subject.
copyright (c) November 10, 2005 by Kathi Dameron
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Stirrings From a Spiritual & Gourmet Chef
Soups, Chowders, and Stews
While not as sophisticated as many of its culinary cousins, a lovingly executed soup, chowder, or stew on a cold and blustery winter day offers substantial fare that transports the soul into
lingering moments of gustatory heaven. As far as food goes there is nothing in the culinary world that can quite compare to the nourishing satisfaction created by the slow simmering synergy of a few choice humble ingredients. The depth and richness can not be denied.
Are you hungering for something that will satisfy you to the depths of your soul? Once upon a time I mistakenly believed I could find that deep and abiding satisfaction in a rich bowl of soup, chowder, stew, or some sophisticated gourmet adventure. Believe me... I tried! Tried so hard to satisfy deep and unquenchable hungers that never seemed to go away.
"Kathi..." a voice whispered to me in the stillness "you are hungering for something far deeper. No matter how much you eat, you will never satisfy your hunger. You have been self medicating yourself. But honey you've grossly misdiagnosed your condition! Your hunger is spiritual, not physical! There is only one place to satisfy your hunger. Do you want to know
how to satisfy that hunger," the voice asked.
copyright (c) November 9, 2005 by Kathi Dameron
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