Sometimes we forget how BLESSED we are; sometimes we forget OTHERS are a BLESSING!THIS SHORT CLIP PUTS 'BLESSINGS' INTO PERSPECTIVE: (enjoy)http://www.beblessedmovie.com/?cm_mmc=Responsys-_-MO-_-6.7.2010-_-consMYBBmovie
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Thursday, June 10, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Can I Come to God and Not Lose My Friends?
---by Billy Graham
Q: Like lots of people I left God behind when I went to college, but almost 20 years have gone by and I'm beginning to wonder if I made the right decision. But none of my friends have any interest in God, and I'm afraid they'll drop me if I start going to church. Can you see my problem? -- S.J.
A: Yes, I understand your fear, but I deeply hope you won't let it keep you from renewing your faith in God. The Bible warns, "If you are afraid of people, it will trap you" (Proverbs 29:25, NIRV). After all, friends may come and go -- but God never does. His love for us is unchanging, and so is His promise to be with us and bring us to Himself once this life is over if we know Christ. Don't let the pressures of the crowd keep you from Him. After all, a hundred years from now, which will be more important: a few fleeting friendships now, or the eternal friendship of Christ? The Bible says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). The most important truth I can tell you is that God loves you and yearns for you to come to Him and become part of His family. How do I know this? I know it because He sent His only Son into the world to give His life for you. The Bible says, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God" (1 Peter 3:18). By faith turn to Christ today, confessing your sins and asking Him to come into your life. Then seek out a church where you can grow in your faith -- and where you'll also find new friends.Posted via email from Religion
AMERICA IS THE COUNTRY OF LEGALS.......NOT......ILLEGALS!!
Map of My Country
My great grandfather watched as his friends died in the Civil War, my father watched | |
as his friends died in WW II, and I watched as my friends died in Vietnam .
None of them died for the Mexican Flag.
Everyone died for the U.S. flag.
Just this week, here in Texas , a student raised a Mexican flag on a school flag pole;
another student took it down.
Guess who was expelled...the kid who took it down.
Kids in high school in California were sent home this week on Cinco de Mayo because
they wore T-shirts with the American flag printed on them.
Enough is enough.
The below e-mail message needs to be viewed by every American; and every American
needs to stand up for America .
We've bent over to appease the America-haters long enough.
I'm taking a stand.
I'm standing up because the hundreds of thousands who died fighting in wars for this country,
and for the U.S. flag can't stand up.
If you agree, stand up with me.
If you disagree, please let me know.
I will gladly remove you from my e-mail list.
And shame on anyone who tries to make this a racist message.
Sandy Tucker
Bulverde, Texas
A Map Of My Country:
Let me make this perfectly clear! 
THIS IS MY COUNTRY!
And, because I make This statement
DOES NOT MEAN
I'm against immigration!!!
YOU ARE WELCOME HERE, IN MY COUNTRY!
Welcome!
To come through legally:
1. Get a sponsor!
2. Get a place to lay your head!
3. Get a job!
4. Live By OUR Rules!
5. Pay YOUR Taxes!
And
6. Learn the LANGUAGE like immigrants
have in the past!!!
AND
7. Please don't demand that we hand over our lifetime
savings of Social Security Funds to you.
If you don't want to forward this for fear of offending someone,
Then YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM!
When will AMERICANS STOP giving away THEIR RIGHTS???
We've gone so far the other way...
bent over backwards not to offend anyone.
But it seems no one cares about the AMERICAN CITIZEN
that's being offended!
WAKE UP America !!!
If You agree.... Pass this on.
If You don't agree.. Delete It!!!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Just Do IT!
--T. Jackson
This is a little outside the performance realm, but it deals specifically with the success of artists we come in contact with.
You see, I just got off the phone with someone in Florida asking for my assistant, Jodi. He’d sent an email to her two days earlier and hadn’t gotten a response yet. He was ready to get going with things! (I found it amusing, because my assistant is usually the one trying to track people down.)
With all the calls and emails we get, I can say that we basically deal with 2 kinds of people:
- Those serious about their career, prioritizing their goals, and following through on them in a timely way; and
For instance, there’s this artist from New York. His band will be working with our whole team…Amy Wolter, me (maybe twice), possibly getting us to do some filming…and he’s been literally calling everybody. He’s so on top of it. I mentioned to Jodi yesterday that this guy is going to be successful, and I don’t even know what he sounds like yet!
He’s taking his career seriously. He’s taking the right steps in a timely manner, and he’s not procrastinating.
On the other hand, we’re constantly contacted by people and organizations – artists wanting to work, groups putting on events, etc – who have good ideas, but don’t carry through on them.
They’re just as serious about their careers and their plans. But they’re also great procrastinators, waiting until the last minute for everything. A week before their big showcase, a few days before a tour; and they expect us to create magic.
They don’t take the time to do it right. And I’m not necessarily talking about going back into the studio one more time (hopefully you know me well enough to know that I believe you should “major in the majors,” and a new recording isn’t necessarily a “major!”)
There are two conferences I’ve taught at for years, and I love teaching the people who attend the events. But frankly, I’m frustrated, because the event organizers call, ask us to hold the date for the event, and then they wait until the last minute to put a deposit down, give us any details…in the meantime…we wait.
It shows a lack of respect and puts all of us at Tom Jackson Productions in a quandary. We have the possibility to do multiple things on those days, but we’ve committed to these groups out of loyalty and friendship. And because we’ve said yes to the date with them, they hold us hostage, not knowing if the event will be cancelled or if they really want us.
I know I’m venting…but for all you procrastinators out there who say you’re serious about being successful in your career: get to it! Prioritize, make your list of what needs to be done, let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no.
I’ve been guilty of this; I get caught up in the urgent, and I forget about the important.
We’ve been talking about working on a couple of projects for a month now, and I finally decided “enough!” These are always getting pushed aside. It’s time to stop talking about them, and start doing them.
Don’t push aside the things that are important for your care
How to Be an Extreme Encourager
by Christine Kane
Many years ago, when I first shared my dream of being a songwriter with one of my best friends, she knitted her brows and said, "Huh?"
I can't say I was deflated by all of the warnings that followed. After all, I had always been surrounded by this kind of "practical thinking." In fact, I probably shared my dream with her just so she'd talk me out of it. During this fumbling stumbling time in my life, I met a man who became an unlikely best friend and mentor. He was a brilliant jazz musician, and he could do pretty much anything on the computer. One night, after he performed at a local jazz club, we were walking towards my car. I told him my dream of being a songwriter. Without even blinking, he said, "Honey (he always called me Honey), you'd be a fabulous songwriter. That's perfect!" And he meant it. At that moment, I felt like I was falling into a soft clean bed. I had never experienced such direct and truthful encouragement without a single "practical" warning attached to it. This friend set me free by offering one simple thing: Encouragement. Fast forward many years and successes and failures later. I'm surrounded by encouragers. I'm sure there are doubters around. But they just don't register anymore. Also, I have become an Extreme Encourager myself. I've observed Extreme Encouragers. I've also recognized some traits that they all have in common. See if you recognize any of these traits in yourself:• An Extreme Encourager lives by example. The best encouragers are the ones who live it. Whether they're just getting started, or they're veteran risk-taking creativity-living wild-women - the encouragers are the ones who want a bigger life for themselves and are willing to "go there." This is why my jazz musician friend could simply offer encouragement when my other friend could not. • An Extreme Encourager actively listens. Encouragers know that encouragement doesn't mean you just tell people to "buck up" or "get over it." They know how to listen. This means looking at the speaker, listening to her, setting your agendas and judgments aside, and honoring the speaker as a wise soul. • An Extreme Encourager avoids clichés. Avoiding clichés is a natural result of actively listening to someone. Being an extreme encourager doesn't mean that you blindly tell people "You can do it!" or "Let go of fear!" It's deeper than that. It's seeing the truth of the other person, especially when they cannot. • An Extreme Encourager acknowledges the hooglie-booglies, but doesn't focus on them. We all have the hooglie-booglies. These are the voices that tell us we can't, or we shouldn't, or we'll fail, or we'll look stupid. An encourager doesn't focus on those voices because she knows they they're trying to hook her. An encourager simply acknowledges that the voices are there and that you can't make them go away by arguing with them. An encourager knows that those voices aren't the truth. They only SEEM like the truth. • An Extreme Encourager remembers that no one knows what's best for anyone else. An encourager knows that we are all wise - and that sometimes we make choices that might not seem so wise. An extreme encourager calls out our deepest desires and then helps us see the thoughts and fears that hold us back. • An Extreme Encourager accepts miracles, grace and mystery as the deeper truth.Extreme encouragers are often mystics of sorts. They know that the so-called "woo-woo" stuff is more real than the so-called "logical" stuff. They celebrate the divine as a simple fact of everyday existence and don't get caught up in the "prove it" mindset. • An Extreme Encourager knows that you can develop the needed character traits as you go.In other words, she knows you're ready now, even if you're not perfect yet! I shudder when I read advice that discourages people from trying something because of character traits "required" in advance. "You shouldn't blog if you're not disciplined." "If you don't have focus, you can't be a writer." Most of the successful people I know developed these traits as they went. I certainly did. Encouragers understand the huge potential for growth in each human, especially when someone takes the biggest risk of all - and begins to follow her heart.AWESOME OPPORTUNITY for Artists/Bands!!
Here's the official guidelines, prizes and info from Free Credit Score!
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For every band that rocks out in their basement or signs autographs for fans in their neighborhood bar, there is the chance to be discovered during a nationwide search by freecreditscore.com(tm) for a new band to star in its advertising campaign. Asfreecreditscore.com increases its consumer focus on providing free credit scores, the company has set its sights on finding a new band to represent the brand and is giving talent from anywhere in the country a chance to enter the search. Bands that wish to be considered must submit a demo video in which band members perform one of the freescreditscore.comjingles posted on the website. The search is open to bands with members 21 years of age or older, in any genre from country to indie rock. Bands can find freecreditscore.com songs, lyrics and guidelines for uploading their audition videos posted onhttp://www.freecreditscoreband.com. Four finalist bands will be chosen to receive national media exposure during the Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star game, as well as prize packages from musical instrument leader Gibson Guitar and Live Nation. The three runners-up will each receive a $7,500 check to be divided among band members. The winning band will receive a $10,000 check, an exclusive Gibson Guitar prize package and a Pearl drum kit valued at $12,000, a studio session with music industry veterans and a chance to walk the red carpet at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. The Free Credit Score Band Search is promoted by ConsumerInfo.com, Inc., an Experian company. Search is open to unsigned bands or bands signed with an independent label they own and control who are legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 21 and older. Search begins 12:00:01 a.m. ET on 5/11/2010 and ends 4:59:59 p.m. ET on 6/16/2010. For participation terms, which govern, visit www.freecreditscore.com.
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AMAZING GRACE: Just the Black Notes
Thanks to Alecia Henry for sharing this:
http://pjcockrell.wordpress.com/2007/11/22/amazing-grace-just-the-black-notes/ Posted via email from Religion
How Did Jesus Want Us to Refrain From Judging?
---By Billy Graham
Q: What did Jesus mean when He said we shouldn't judge other people? I've a hard time with this, because I'm a businessman, and if I didn't judge whether or not someone I was doing business with could be trusted, I'd be broke in a matter of months. -- H.W.
A: Jesus wasn't telling us that we ought to be gullible or naive about others, or that we should overlook the reality of human failure and sin -- not at all. Jesus wasn't naive about those who claimed to follow Him but in reality couldn't be trusted: "Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for ... he knew what was in a man" (John 2:24-25). Look carefully at Jesus' actual words: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged" (Matthew 7:1-2). Jesus here was reminding us that God alone is our eternal judge, and we must never think we can take His place. Some day, we all will stand before Him, and He alone has the power to condemn or save us. He alone also is able to see our hearts, and He alone knows whether or not our faith in Christ is real. Jesus' words are also a warning against pride -- against thinking we are better or more righteous than others. In God's eyes, we are all guilty, for we have all sinned against Him and turned our backs on His will for our lives. The Bible says, "There is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10). This is why we need Christ, for by His death on the cross He took upon Himself the judgment we deserve. Is He your Savior? Make sure, by committing your life to Him today.Posted via email from Religion
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Why Does Religion Cause Such War and Conflict?
---Billy Graham
Q: I'm completing my first year in college, and I've given up my faith in God. The only thing religion has done for the human race is cause war and conflict. How do you explain that, if religion is true? -- R.M.
A: I can understand your confusion because, unfortunately, religion often has been a source of conflict between peoples and nations, even to this day. However, instead of making you turn away from God, this ought to make you more determined to find Him. Let me explain. The first thing you need to understand is that not everything that goes by the name of "religion" is true. In fact, much of what passes for religion can't be true -- because it contradicts the very nature of God, which is love. Various religions also contradict each other -- a clear warning that not every religion is valid or right. Let me ask you a question: Do you think Jesus Christ encouraged His followers to take up arms and kill anyone who disagreed with them? No, of course not. When Peter took out his sword to fight those who had come to arrest Jesus, Jesus rebuked him: "Put your sword back in its place... for all who draw the sword will die by the sword" (Matthew 26:52). My prayer is that you will look at Christ -- for He alone could say, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). He could say this because He alone was both fully man and fully God -- God in human flesh. And He came for one reason: to tear down the wall that separates us from God -- the wall caused by sin. Put your faith and trust in Him, for He alone gives us peace.Posted via email from Religion
Saturday, May 29, 2010
FOODS FOR BEAUTIFUL SKIN (CONT'D)
1. Whole Grains
Pancakes made from buckwheat can help keep your skin clear.
Active components: Rutin and B-vitamins
Benefits: Clear and moisturized skin
The "whole food" movement has whole-body advantages, not the least of which is great-looking skin.
Whole foods are basically unprocessed -- whole wheat bread instead of white bread, for instance. The whole grain buckwheat is a good source for the antioxidant rutin, which helps combat inflammation-related skin damage. Wheat germ provides the B-vitamin biotin, which assists cellsin processing fats. If you don't have enough biotin in your body, your skin can become dry and scaly.
In general, whole grains instead of processed carbohydrates can improve your complexion. Processed (or refined) flours can cause an insulin spike, which in turn can encourage acne. Replacing your refined-flour pancakes with buckwheat pancakes is a good acne-reducing move. Incidentally, this would also help reduce your risk of developing diabetes[source: MedicineNet].
Not into buckwheat? Avocadoes and mushrooms can provide similar benefits.
Now, while oranges, buckwheat, oysters, spinach and almonds are great foods for your skin, achieving great-looking skin through dietary changes doesn't have to be so specific. A healthy body means healthy skin. Just feed your body good, healthy foods, get some exercise and keep your stress low, and your skin will reap the benefits.
Posted via email from WellCare
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