The Sad Story of Justin Case

Written by Courtney Carver on September 29, 2011

Once upon a time, there was a man named Justin Case. He was 36 and lived in a 3500 sq ft. home with his wife and 2 children. He had a first and a second, and a 2 car garage. He fit 1 car and it’s $450 payment inside the garage and the other sat in the driveway with it’s $450 payment, to make room for more stuff in the garage.

He had more stuff than time. He had to work 60 hours a week to keep up with all of his payments. 

He wanted to live more simply, but Justin Case, he couldn’t. He worked hard and thought he deserved nice things and lots of things. Justin Case, he bought extras of everything. He was always worried that he didn’t have enough. 

Justin Case, he rarely gave to charities, even if really cared about their cause, because he might need the money some day.  Justin Case, the poor guy, he couldn’t give up his credit cards. He might need them for emergencies, points or a rental car. Cash would never be enough.

On some level he knew better, but Justin Case did nothing about it. Better safe than sorry he thought. Better to have too much than too little.

And then his friend came along, Justin Time. He told him his story of simplicity, and that with all that he sold and gave away, he still had enough. He didn’t even have to tell him how happy he was, but he did. Justin Case, he didn’t notice.

While Justin Case is a fictional character with a fictional story, he could be any of us. I used to hold on to so much, just in case. I understand that we have to be smart about how we live our lives, and careful about protecting our futures, but we’ve lived in excess for so long that it becomes hard to recognize what enough really is. The only way to see it is to start letting go. With each layer that you discard, you’ll reveal a little bit more about how living with less really does give you more.

Just in case has become a popular answer to “why do you need that?”. When you take time to finish the “just in case” sentence, you might find that it’s not a very good excuse.

Here are a few of my just in case examples…

• I might need 8 coffee cups just in case I throw a coffee party next week.
• I might need 4 extra sets of sheets just in case I lose two sets and one set doesn’t match.
• I might need an extra purse just in case the bottom falls out of mine.
• I need to bring extra shirts when I travel, just in case I spill on each one, every day, and there is no water to wash them.
• I better hold onto that gold I was going to sell, just in case the price of gold goes up.
• I need store credit cards just in case I can earn points and buy something I don’t need, so I can get something I don’t want for free.
• I better keep my highschool jeans, just in case I lose 20 pounds.

Sound familiar? Maybe I’m being a little silly with my answers above, but usually, I bought something or did something just in case, but could never articulate just in case of what. What was I so worried about? Without “just in case”, I became more confident in my choices. I’ve learned that I don’t need a back up plan for every decision.

I will face the results of my actions with grace and curiosity instead of anxiety and uncertainty.

We can’t change our habits until we recognize our behavior. Please share your favorite “just in case” purchase or action in the comment section.

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

Men Need Colon Cancer Test Earlier than Women

Men carry a higher risk of colon cancer than women and should get their first colonoscopy to screen for the disease at age 45, five years earlier than the current recommendation, according to a study.

Researchers found that men were 1.8 times more likely than women to have advanced adenomas, which are polyps or lesions most susceptible to turning malignant, and twice as likely to have colon cancer. The findings also showed that men got precancerous polyps and colon cancers 10 years earlier than women, according to the study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

More than 141,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year and almost 50,000 will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. The numbers of men who get colon cancer and die from the disease are about 35 to 40 percent higher than women, according to the cancer society.

“We have to create awareness for the sex-specific differences and have to underline the value of early screening colonoscopy,” said Monika Ferlitsch, lead author of the study and associate professor of medicine at the Medical University of Vienna, in a Sept. 26 email.

Ferlitsch said men have higher rates of colon cancer and precursor lesions, or polyps, than women because of a combination of lifestyle causes and genetics.

Women should still get their first colonoscopy at age 50, the current recommendation, she said.

Posted via email from WellCare

200 MURDERS IN MEXICO LINKED TO OPERATION FAST AND FURIOUS

The Attorney General in Mexico has told Chairman of the House Oversight Committee that 200 crimes south of the border have been linked to the Obama Justice Department’s Operation Fast and Furious. This is not surprising, considering out of 2500 weapons the Obama Justice Department allowed to “walk,” and that only 600 have been recovered, the rest are lost until they show up at violent crime scenes. The damage from Operation Fast and Furious has only started to be seen. At least 11 crimes in the United States have been linked to the program.

Posted via email from Anointed One

Does God Want Me to Stop Listening to My Sister?

---By Billy Graham

Q: My cousin has lots of personal problems, and whenever I see her she spends hours telling me about them. I've tried to advise her, but now I'm wondering if maybe she doesn't really want to solve her problems but just wants to be the center of attention. Is this possible? -- Mrs. R.K.

A: Yes, it is possible; some people would rather have our sympathy than our help, because they actually enjoy the attention it brings them -- and they know they might not get it otherwise.

Is this the case with your cousin? Perhaps it is -- although she may not even realize it. But there may be other explanations for her refusal to face her problems and do anything about them. For example, many people wish they could get rid of their problems or their bad habits -- but they never do anything about it, because they don't want to go through the hard work of conquering them. The Bible warns that "fools despise wisdom and discipline" (Proverbs 1:7).

Let me suggest that the next time your cousin shares a problem with you, ask her a simple question: "What do you think you ought to do about this?" Don't let her get by with saying that she doesn't know; help her to think through an answer. Not only will this encourage her to realize her need to take practical steps, but it may also cause her to face her own lack of discipline or willpower.

Most of all, encourage your cousin to turn her problems -- and her whole life -- over to Jesus Christ. God knows her problems, and He also knows the solution to them. More than that, He can give her new strength and a new determination to overcome them and become the person He wants her to be.

Posted via email from Religion

Consistency or the Danger of It?

"Once we have made up our minds about an issue, stubborn consistency allows us a very appealing luxury: We really don’t have to think hard about the issue anymore.

We don’t have to sift through the blizzard of information we encounter every day to identify relevant facts; we don’t have to expend the mental energy to weigh the pros and cons; we don’t have to make any further tough decisions.

Instead, all we have to do when confronted with the issue is to turn on our consistency tape … and we know just what to believe, say, or do. We need only believe, say, or do whatever is consistent with our earlier decision."

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

Local Farms + Local Butchers = Local Meat Success

Don't have a local butcher in your neck of the woods?  How about hiring a mobile meat butcher to come out?

This is the idea that caused Cheryl Ouellette, of Pig Lady’s Summit farm in Wash., to start the Puget Sound Meat Producers Cooperative to run a traveling slaughterhouse. The mobile abattoir consists of a 45-foot-long trailer where livestock are dispatched and made ready for packaging, all without placing a hoof off the farm. Some of the area producers, especially ones who raise a variety of meat animals, are finally finding a way to run a financially soluble business.

The idea is catching on: By fall of 2010, the USDA recognized nine federally inspected “mobile slaughter units.” Coupled with grants from the Rural Development Agency and a compliance guide from the Food Safety and Inspection Service, mobile abattoirs are geared to be part of the answer to helping small processors and establishments reclaim local meat processing systems.  

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/happy-homesteader/localt-meat-local-butcher-shop-zb0z11zkon.aspx#ixzz1YQxLax2K

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

Oldest Person In the World

A Brazilian Indian, believed to be the world's oldest living person, is preparing to celebrate her 121^stbirthday on Sept. 3, according to Survival International, an indigenous rights organization working in the Amazon.

Maria Lucimar Pereira is a member of the Kaxinawa tribe, living in the western Brazilian Amazon near the Peru border.

According to documents, she was born on Sept. 3, 1890 on a rubber plantation and witnessed the rubber boom, which swept through the region at the end of the 19^th century and wiped out roughly 90 percent of the indigenous population.

Pereira only speaks her native Kaxinawa - not Portuguese - having always lived in the remote countryside.

She attributes her longevity to several factors. She enjoys maintaining a healthy lifestyle and claims to have only eaten natural foods from the forest like grilled meat, fish, monkey, banana porridge, and manioc (a root vegetable). She's never eaten salt, sugar or any processed foods.

She's never lived in a city and has only traveled to the nearby city of Feijó, population 31,000.

These days, Pereira's family says she enjoys walks through the forest to visit her grandchildren and other relatives to tell stories.

Survival International, who located the woman, says her longevity is a great sign for indigenous people.

"All too often we witness the negative effects forced change can have on indigenous peoples," Survival's Director Stephen Corry said in a statement. "It is refreshing to see a community that has retained strong links to its ancestral land and enjoyed the undeniable benefits of this."

Corry is a British anthropologist and an expert on the status of the Indians of Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil. As the director of Survival, he advocates for the protection of the way of life of South American indigenous people - in particular, those that remain willfully isolated from civilization.

Corry notes that old age isn't uncommon in Pereira's village. Community leader Carlos told Survival that out of the 80 inhabitants in the village, four are more than 90 years old.

Most in the community, like Pereira, eat natural foods and don't use soap or any artificial products from the city.

Her age is currently being verified!

Posted via email from WellCare

How Should We 'Judge' Others? These Are But A Few Ways!

1. Character in solitude. Our character is best revealed not in the the public eye, but in private. What we do when nobody is looking is the truest mark of our character. And those who display character in the dark will always reflect it in the light.

2. Contentment in circumstance. Often times, contentment remains elusive for both the rich and the poor. It is a struggle for humanity no matter their lot in life. Rich is the man or woman who can find contentment in either circumstance.

3. Courage during adversity. Courage can only be revealed when it is required. And only those who have displayed it and acted upon it during adversity can lay claim to its possession. This adversity can take on many different forms, but courage will always look the same: action in the face of fear.

4. Faithfulness in commitment. Those whose words are true ought to be highly lifted up in our world today. Whether our word is given with a handshake, a contract, or a wedding ring, those who hold true to their oaths are worthy of commendation.

5. Generosity in abundance. To those who have received much, much should be given away. Often times, this abundance comes in forms other than material possessions. And in that way, we each have been given much… and each ought to be generous in our use of it.

6. Graciousness towards others. Those who routinely extend grace to others are among my greatest heroes. They have a healthy realization that this world is largely unfair, that people come from a variety of backgrounds, and that nobody is truly self-made… even themselves. As a result, they are quick to extend grace and mercy to others.

7. Gratitude despite circumstance. Those who can find enough good in any circumstance to express gratitude are typically focused on the right things. And those who are focused on the right things tend to bend their lives towards those things… and draw others along with them.

8. Honesty in deprivation. It is when we are deprived of something desired that honesty is the most difficult. Whether we are deprived of something physical or intangible (like a desired outcome), dishonesty is often used to quickly take gain of something. Those who show honesty during deprivation reveal how highly they esteem it.

9. Hope during heartache. When heartache cuts at such a deep level that simple optimism is not enough… only hope can emerge. When it does, it is undeniably from a source far greater than ourselves. And those who find it, discover one of the greatest powers in the universe.

10. Humility in accomplishment. Those who are quick to deflect praise in accomplishment ought to be first in receiving it.

11. Inspiration in relationship. We are all in relationship with others – sometimes in person, sometimes in print, sometimes in other ways. These relationships should not be used solely for personal gain but for bringing out the best in others. And those who inspire others to become the best they can be should be gifted with more and more and more relationships.

12. Integrity in the details. Integrity is found in the details. Those who show integrity in the little things of life will typically display it in the bigger things as well.

13. Kindness to the weak. It is usually the weakest among us that are in most need of our kindness… and yet they receive it the least because they have no way to immediately repay it. When kindness is only shown for the sake of repayment, it becomes an investment and is no longer true kindness. Our true measure of kindness is shown in how we treat those who will never repay us.

14. Love for enemies. Anybody can love a friend. Anybody can love those who treat us well… and everybody does. But it takes a special type of person to extend love towards those who treat us unjustly.

15. Optimism towards others. See the good in everyone. There is simply no way to bring out the best in others if you haven’t seen it first.

16. Perseverance in failure. Failure reveals much about our heart. It reveals our character, our humility, and our perseverance. We will all at some point face failure. And those who get back up and try again ought to be esteemed in our mind.

17. Purity in opportunity. While character is revealed in solitude and integrity is revealed in the details, purity is revealed in the face of opportunity. When dishonest gain (money, power, sex, etc.) presents itself, those who choose purity ought to be praised. Not only do they personally sleep better at night, but they make this world a better place for all of us.

18.Respect for authority. Authority brings order to a world of disorder. Certainly there are numerous examples throughout history (and today) of proper timing in overthrowing authority that oppresses its subjects. But in most cases, authority brings reason and order… and it should be allowed to do so.

19. Responsibility for mistake. From the weakest to the strongest, we all love to pass the blame. I can see it in my 5-year old daughter and I can see it in my government leaders. We are a people that are slow to accept responsibility for our mistakes. This is unfortunate. Because only those who can admit their mistakes have the opportunity to learn from them.

20. Self-control in addiction. We are a people that too often give control of our most precious asset to another. We fall under the influence of substances, possessions, or entertainment. When we do, our life is no longer our own. And those who retain self-control in the face of addiction ought to be recognized as unique and judged accordingly.

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

How RED, BLUE, and GREEN Became A TEAM!!

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

One Grocery Store's Most Important Employee....Boy With Down Syndrome

--by Barbara Glanz I always leave my telephone number and e-mail address with audiences, encouraging them to call me if they have questions or want to share a success story they experienced by adding a personal signature to their work. About a month after I had spoken to the supermarket folks I received a call from a front-line customer contact person, a nineteen-year-old bagger named Johnny. The caller, who proudly informed me that he was a Down syndrome youngster, told me his story. "Barbara, I liked what you talked about!" Johnny said excitedly, "but I didn't think I could do anything special for our customers... After all, I'm just a bagger. He decided that every night when he came home from work, he would find a thought for the day. "If I can't find a saying I like," Johnny said proudly, "I think one up!" With the help of his dad, he copied and cut out each quote of the day. "When I finished bagging someone's groceries, I put my thought for the day in their bag and say, 'Thanks for shopping with us.'"

A month later the store manager called me. He told me... "When I was making my rounds, I found the line at Johnny's checkout was three times longer than anyone else's! It went all the way down the frozen food isle. I was concerned, so I announced 'Get more cashiers out here; get more lanes open!' all the while trying to get these people to change lanes. But no one would move. They all said, "No, it's okay - we want to be in Johnny's lane - we want his 'Thought for the Day.'"

Johnny's spirit of service transformed that store.

The manager later called and told me how each of his departments was coming up with their own personal touch and all because of one young man with Down syndrome who decided he could make a difference!

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous