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In chemistry, He turned water to wine.
In biology, He was born without the normal conception;
In physics, He disapproved the law of gravity when He ascended into heaven;
In economics, He disapproved the law of diminishing return by feeding 5000 men with two fishes & 5 loaves of bread;
In medicine, He cured the sick and the blind without administering a single dose of drugs,
In history, He is the beginning and the end;
In government, He said that he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace;
In religion, He said no one comes to the Father except through him;
So? Who is He? He is Jesus! Join me and let’s celebrate him; He is worthy. The eyes beholding this message shall not behold evil, the hand that will send this message to everybody shall not labor in vain, and the mouth saying amen to this prayer shall smile forever.
Remain in God and seek his face always Amen!
In God I’ve found everything!
The Greatest Man in History Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

Malachi 3:3 says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.” She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”

He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy — when I see my image in it.”

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you. Pass this on right now. This very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching over them.

And, whatever they’re going through, they’ll be a better person in the end.

“Life is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once.”

I’m certain a numerologist could have a field day with the numerical significance of these numbers in correlation with the verses. It would be interesting…

When things get tough, always remember…
Faith doesn’t get you around trouble, it gets you through it.

Center of the Bible.

Q: What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?

A: Psalms 117

Q: What is the longest chapter in the Bible?

A: Psalms 119

Q: Which chapter is in the center of the Bible?

A: Psalms 118

Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118

Fact: There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118

Add these numbers up and you get 1188.

Q: What is the center verse in the Bible?

A: Psalms 118:8

Q: Does this verse say something significant about God’s perfect will for our lives?

The next time someone says they would like to find

God’s perfect will for their lives and that they want to

be in the center of His will, just send them to the

center of His Word!

Psalms 118:8

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”
Now isn’t that odd how this worked out (or was God in the center of it)?

There’s no excuse now…you don’t even have to READ this Bible to enjoy the message!

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 10 /PRNewswire/ — The most ambitious, critically-acclaimed presentation of the Bible ever produced, Inspired By … The Bible Experience, has confirmed more than 200 cast members for the Old Testament prequel to its bestselling New Testament edition. Highlighting the cast is 2007 Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker as the voice of Moses, along with Angela Bassett (Esther), Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jonah), Denzel and Pauletta Washington (Song of Songs), LL Cool J (Samson), Nick Cannon (Adam), Eartha Kitt (Serpent), Bishop T.D. Jakes (Abraham), Bishop Eddie L. Long (Joel), Della Reese, Bernice and the late Yolanda King, daughters of Martin Luther King Jr., and introducing Paul Adefarasin, pastor of House on the Rock church in Lagos, Nigeria (voice of God).

Inspired By … The Bible Experience (Old Testament) is slated for a fall 2007 release with a cast featuring three Oscar winners, five Golden Globe winners and seven Emmy winners. Just like its predecessor, it is based on Zondervan’s contemporary Today’s New International Version (TNIV) translation and includes dramatic performances set to an original musical underscore by the Prague Symphony Orchestra and Hollywood-style sound design created at Technicolor Studios. In addition to the Old Testament edition, the Complete Bible will also be available in stores nationwide this fall.

“We are thrilled with the cast assembled for the Old Testament portion of The Bible Experience. The fact that celebrities, artists and clergy have enthusiastically requested to be a part of this affirms that The Bible Experience is truly a one-of-a-kind, groundbreaking project,” said Ron Belk, president and CEO, Inspired By Media Group. “Each one of these voices bring something special to their role, and it’s the culmination of their talents that makes this an audio Bible in a category all its own.”

Inspired By … The Bible Experience (New Testament) is now available in stores nationwide. It is available in CD and MP3 formats as well as audio download. A behind-the-scenes “making of” video, audio samples, a listing of the voices, news and reviews can be found at www.zondervan.com/BibleExperience.

Bible, Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding Jr., Denzel Washington, LL Cool J, Nick Cannon, Eartha Kitt

I’m Christian, and so every weekend I’d like to given anyone who is willing to take it a “homework” assignment. They’ll be Christian in nature, but you can use these as a starting point to reflect you own religious beliefs. Stop back every Friday for your homework!

This weekend’s homework: Love your significant other.

Bible verses: “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. You love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” -John 13:34-35

Devotional: This week, I read an interesting post about accepting your partner’s differences and learning to grow together in love. The author really hit the nail on the head with this one. Many people look at the Bible as an old-fashioned stuck-up guide to life, but it’s so much better than that. Read the Song of Songs and you’ll get what I mean! What the Bible does say is that you have to appreciate your significant other and work at your relationship. And that’s exactly what RN’s post is talking about.

This weekend, go beyond telling your love that you care–show him or her your love. Pay to take him/her out to eat or to a movie. Give him/her a back rub, no strings attached. Bake him/her a favorite desert. Hold hands. Pick up some flowers on the way home from work. Pray together for a continued successful relationship.

God is love. God wants us to love one another. When we’re in a long-term relationship, that can sometimes be a bit difficult. This extends to friend and family relationships as well. Don’t forget to tell people that you love them and show this love in your actions.

(I love you, Steve)

Bible quotes, love, weekend homework, religion, Bible verses, God

After seeing the YouTube video “Interview with an Atheist,” I got to thinking–just how much do I know about my own religion and the Bible. Like most Christians, I haven’t even read the Bible straight through (although I am working on it). Faith is amazing, and you can certainly build your life around a very basic knowledge of Christianity and still call yourself a Christian, but here are ten questions that you should know how to answer…it’s always a good idea to understand your faith as completely as possible.

1. What are the ten commandment?
2. Can you recite John 3:16?
3. How many days passed before Jesus rose from the dead?
4. Who were the 12 disciples?
5. How many books are in the Bible, traditionally?
6. What does “gospel” mean?
7. What did God create one each of the seven days?
8. Which book of the Bible tells the story of the Apocalypse?
9. What is the golden rule?
10. Can you recite the Lord’s Prayer?

And now for some bonus questions–you may need a Bible to remember these answers!! If you can answer any of the below questions without a Bible, leave your answer as a comment!

- 1. Who was the oldest person in the Bible? How old did he/she live to be?
- 2. What was Paul’s name and job before becoming a Christian?
- 3. Who was sold into slavery by his older brothers?
- 4. What was written above Jesus on the cross?
- 5. Who was Abraham married to? What she their first child’s name?
- 6. Who did Jesus rise from the dead?
- 7. Who hid in a tree because he was so short he could not otherwise see Jesus?
- 8. Who baptized Jesus?
- 9. What was Jesus’ first miracle?
- 10. How long did it rain during the great flood? How long where Noah and his family on the arc in total?

Bible, quizzes, Bible quizzes, Bible questions, education, God

I’m Christian, and so every weekend I’d like to given anyone who is willing to take it a “homework” assignment. They’ll be Christian in nature, but you can use these as a starting point to reflect you own religious beliefs. Stop back every Friday for your homework!

This weekend’s homework: Get charitable!

Bible verses: “”Little children, let us love, neither in word nor with the tongue, but in deed and truth.” -1 John 3:18

“Become doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves with false reasoning. For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, this one is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, and off he goes and immediately forgets what sort of man he is. But he who peers into the perfect law that belongs to freedom and who persists in it, this man, because he has become, not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, will be happy in his doing it.” - James 1:22-25

Devotional: We are taught that we cannot get to heaven through good works alone. However, charity is a rewarding part of life, and like most of us, I have recently found myself fairly busy with other obligations and, in effect, haven’t had “time” for charity. We need to make time. Whether it’s donating money to a local organization or volunteering yourself for a day, having charity in your life is important.

Last Black Friday, I did a special on charities where you could donate your money. Here’s the link.

Need even more inspiration? A number of celebrities make time in their lives, which are often busier than mine or yours, for charity. Here are just a few examples:

Jason Alexander at the Celebrity Grand Slam Paddle Jam to benefit St. Jude’s (presented by Dippin’ Dots)

Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo at the Candie’s Foundatino 4th Annual “Event to Prevent” Benefit

Sarah Ferguson visits the Ronald McDonald House

Rihanna at the Links for Life Gala to benefit DKMS and the Bone Marrow Foundation

Weekend homework, Christianity, charity, Rihanna, Sarah Ferguson, Fergie, Nick Lachey, Vanessa Minnillo, Jason Alexander

A friend of mine had this in his AIM profile, and I found it inspirational, so decided to share with you all:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
- Matthew 6:34

I worry. A lot. You can just ask my boyfriend if you don’t believe me. You know what though? This advice is spot-on. Today has enough trouble, let tomorrow’s troubles for tomorrow.

JERUSALEM - An Israeli archaeologist on Tuesday said he has found remnants of the tomb of King Herod, the legendary builder of ancient Jerusalem, on a flattened hilltop in the Judean Desert where the biblical monarch built a palace.

Hebrew University archaeologist Ehud Netzer said the tomb was found at Herodium, a site where he has been exploring since the 1970s.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY!

King Herod, Bible, Jerusalem, Ehud Netzer, Herodium, archaeological digs

There was no weekend homework on Friday because I have a special assignment to be done during the weekend instead! As always, if you participated in the homework challenge leave a comment here or send my a private message using the contact button to the right!

This weekend’s homework: Take God to work.

Bible verse: “No on can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” -Matthew 6:24

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” - Psalm 105:4

Devotional: Last week we talked about Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day. But what about God? You might make lots of time for God in your home and on the weekend, but does He can a place in the office?

The answer, of course, is yes. God should be in our lives at all times, including when we are at work, but this can be somewhat tricky if there are multiple religious faiths represented in your office/place of employment. The trick is to include God in your workday without making others feel uncomfortable. Here are some suggestions for taking God to work:

-Start off your day right by taking God on your commute. Leave your house a bit early so that you don’t have to rush on your way to work. That way, you can be less tense in traffic. Allow others to go and if someone cuts you off say a silent prayer for them instead of throwing the finger.

-Keep a Bible in your desk at work. You may never have time to read it during your work day, but it will be there in case you do need/want it someday.

-Don’t be a pushover, but do some favors now and again. In the Bible, it is written that it is better to give than to receive.

-Pray before your meals. If you’re worried about offending someone who is not of your religion when you’re out to lunch with others, say a silent prayer. Remember, prayer doesn’t have to be ten minutes long. You can simply say “God, thank you for the food I am about to eat. Amen.”

-If you hang pictures on your walls, choose one with and inspirational Bible quote. This will not only guide you during the day, but will also possible motivate others who come into your office.

I’m Christian, and so every weekend I’d like to given anyone who is willing to take it a “homework” assignment. They’ll be Christian in nature, but you can use these as a starting point to reflect you own religious beliefs. Stop back every Friday for your homework!

This weekend’s homework: Talk to a child about God.

Bible verse: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” -Proverbs 22:6

“Fathers do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” -Ephesians 6:4

Devotional: This week, I featured an essay about God from a young friend of mine, Rachel. She had a lot to say about God, and truly, many children do. You don’t have to teach your child a specific religion if you don’t want to, but in my opinion, it is important to teach them about God and about all of the different views of God.

If you’re a parent, spend some time this weekend–eve if its only a few minutes–talking to your child about God. He or she might be confused and scared to voice his or her beliefs, simply because no one ever made it “ok” to talk about religion.

At the very least, talk to your child about morals. In Christianity, this starts with the ten commandments, but its important to bring that to a “real” level for your child. You don’t have to use a Christian theology–do with whatever is comfortable to your. Teach your child about respect for others, care, love, and peace. Remember, the children really our our future.

Ok, ok…I’ll admit it. I can throw quite a temper tantrum when I’m angry. Being upset about something often leads me, like most other people in the world I’d imagine, to say things I don’t mean and do things I wouldn’t normally do. One time, when mad at my boyfriend, I whipped a plastic cup across the room. Not at him…but haha, come on, Allison, grow up!

Even Jesus threw a temper tantrum or two in his day, though–remember that time he threw over the tables of the money collectors in the temple? Simple put, anger is a normal human emotion, and yes, you have to learn to deal with it in a healthy way, but it doesn’t need to be avoided in your life complete. If you’re angry, be angry!

Anger only becomes sin when we are selfishly anger or when we allow anger to linger in our hearts. “Don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.” Ephesians 26-27.

For advice about stopping unhealthy and sinful anger, read Neel’s post here.

Today, all eyes are on the campus of Virginia Tech where, I’m sure you’ve heard by now, over 30 people were gunned down this morning when a shooter attacked the campus. As of yet, the gunman has not been identified, nor has it been released whether he was a member of the student body. One thing is certain: this is the deadliest shooting in the history of the United States. As I’m writing right now, 33 are confirmed dead, including the shooter. It has not been released if police killed the shooter or if it was suicide.

EDIT, 4/17:Since writing this yesterday, the gunman has been identified as Cho Seung-Hui, a senior VA Tech English student, and it has also been determined that he shot himself. The number dead stands at 33, with the students still in the hospital as stable.

At times like these, most people, myself include are just dumbfounded. I look to the sky. Why, God? Why? Death is never an easy part of life, but on top of death, shear tragedy.

And yet, it is difficult to not want to bring the shooter back to life, just to shoot him again. Most people will agree with me when I think, I hope he suffered. That, dear readers, scares me. My own feelings about this situation make me question my very ability to write a daily blog about religion. For in the Bible, it says,

“If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.”
1 John 1:8-9

To condemn the shooter, as heinous as the crime may be, is to put ourselves above as somehow “better.” It is to deny the sins within ourselves. I’m not justifying what the shooter did. This was a horrible, horrible thing, and he is a cold-blooded murderer. However, right now, I’m pledging to open my heart to forgiveness.

Remember, forgiveness is not the same as saying “it’s ok.” It’s NOT ok. It will never BE ok. Forgiveness is simple saying “I acknowledge what you did, but it is not in my place to judge you.” God will judge this event; I feel confident in that. The deaths of the innocent will not go forgotten, here or in an eternal life. However, it is important that we don’t let the grief and hate consume us. It is important to realize that the loss of ALL the lives today was a complete tragedy, but we are still living, and we can work towards creating something positive out of this.

My first reaction is to tell you to donate to any one of the numerous funds that I’m sure has been set up/is being set up in the names of the victims. Give what you can in their honor to make Virginia Tech safer and to help close friends and family members with funeral expenses and with getting the help they will surely need with the grieving process. On second thought, I’d like to recommend something else as well–donate or volunteer within your own community. What happened today at Virginia Tech could happen at your alma mater or at the college where your child attends or even at your local high school. Violence is a problem that is not going away. By giving what you can when you can, you will help to make our communities a safer place.

God bless all of the deceased, God bless all those left behind.

forgiveness, God, heaven, death, Virginia Tech, school shootings, VA Tech, Virginia Tech shooting, VA Tech shooting, education, violence

…to the Bible.

Ok, that might sound dumb, but because tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, I wanted to bust the myth that reading the Bible is all boring, with stuffy, old stories. Tomorrow, try reading with your sweetheart the following passage for Song of Songs. If you get a more modern traslation of the Bible, they put in the speakers so that you can even read it together:

Woman: “Kiss me again and again, for your love is sweeter than wine. How fragrant your cologne, and how pleasing your name! No wonder all the young women love you! Take me with you. Come, let’s run! Bring me into your bedroom, O my king.”

Young Women of Jerusalem: “How happy we are for him! We praise his love even more than wine.”

Woman: “How right that the young women love you! I am dark and beutiful, I women of Jersalem, tanned as the dark tents of Kedar…Tell me, O my love, where are you leading your flock today? Where will you rest your cheep at noon? For why should I wander like a prostitute among the flocks of your companions?”

Man: “If you don’t know, O most beautiful woman, follow the trail of my flock to the shepards’ tents, and there feed your young goats. What a lovely filly you are, my beloved one! How lovely are your cheeks, with your earrings setting them afire! How stately is your neck, accented with a long strong of jewels. We will make earrings of gold for you and beads of silver.”

Woman:“The King is lying on his couch, enchanted by the fragrance of my perfume. My lover is like a sachet of myrrh lying between my breasts. He is like a bouquet of flowers in the gardens of En-gedi”

Man: “How beautiful you are, my beloved, how beautiful. You eyes are like doves.”

Woman: “What a lovely, pleasant sight you are, my love, as we lie here on the grass, shaded by the cedar trees and spreading firs.”

You get the idea ;-P. That’s not old or stuffy, that’d downright romantic. Happy Valentine’s Day!

the Bible, Song of Songs, Bible, Valentine’s Day

Inspired by my post from Monday and the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday, I decided to see what else the Bible has to say about love, other than the first Corinthians passage. Here’s what I found!

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else.”
1 Thessalonians 3:12

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.”
Song of Solomon 1:2

“…Love comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
1 Timothy 1:5

“Above all else, guard thy heart for it is the wellspring of life.”
Proverbs 4:23

“Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God.”
Philippians 1:3

“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.”
Song Of Solomon 8:7

“Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.”
1 John 3:18

It is my hope, dear readers, that you each have a special person in your life to love, as I do…and if not, that you spread your love throughout the world anyway, but loving friends and family members.

Valentine’s Day, holiday, Bible, Song of Solomon, Proverbs, love