Session Notes

Session Notes:

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The God Who Speaks – July 7, 2006 I was gearing up for soul-restoration, not issues-exploration. But Cam is usually right, so I kept my eyes open and asked the Lord for a strategy. Sure enough, not long into my “breather”, up came some “stuff” that wants to bully me towards isolation. How do you rest when old insecurities, temptations, or “demons” rise up when you finally still your heart? Or am I the only one who didn’t automatically get all his shortcomings washed away at baptism? If not, read on:

The Lord showed me that during a time of rest, first of all, I don’t need to go digging for my issues. They will surface on their own, thankyou very much.

Second, when they surface, I don’t need to work at fixing things. Rather, I can sit WITH them in HIS PRESENCE, allowing them to RIPEN. That way, instead of running around the tree of my life picking off old “bad” fruit, I can sit at the tree of HIS LIFE /the Cross) and let the fruit simply rot and fall off. I found that this took some patience and a little courage. But to extend the tree analogy, it was a reminder that Christ is the Pruner… not me. And if you give Him a chance, He is faithful to do it. I hardly had to help him; my role was to simply ripen in His presence. SOOO restful… in fact, the biggest breakthrough came just this morning through a one-minute dream. It was Jesus, teaching me “the unforced rhythms of grace” (Matt. 11:28 MSG).

And third, it dawned on me, “Why don’t I ALWAYS take this approach?” Perhaps there is a time to take the initiative and really pursue one’s healing ruthlessly and thoroughly… but I’ll ask Jesus about that later. After my rest. In the mean time, can I challenge you to ask the Lord if there’s anything “in your face” that He’d like to have ripen in His presence.

Brad Jersak

This is an inspiring article!!! I pray we can allow God to reveal His healing love to us, our families, friends, clients, churches, school, and world.

The Stranger, Seattle’s Only Newspaper

Some very scary s**t is going down in Texas. Scarier than usual. “Repent Amarillo” is a rabid group of religious nuts—homegrown religious extremists of the conservative Christian variety—and they’re not just going after the gays.

But, then again, Pat Robertson is actually starting to look rather normal, sane and on page with Jesus — at least when compared with, “Repent Amarillo,” where ministering the love of Jesus now includes stalking and terrorizing swingers in Amarillo, Texas (until the group disbanded) — and now is about erasing the Episcopalians…

Ya, getting them all fired is certain to bring the gentle, kind and love starved swinging community to the real love of Jesus and the healthy community of believers they so deeply need…

American Family Association

The American Family Association, a religious right group, is urging that Tillikum Tilly, the killer whale that killed a trainer at SeaWorld Orlando, be put down, preferably by stoning. Citing Tilly’s history of violent altercations, the group is slamming SeaWorld for not listening to Scripture in how to deal with the animal:

Says the ancient civil code of Israel, “When an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner shall not be liable.” Exodus 21:28

However, the group is going further and laying the blame for the trainer’s death directly at the feet of Chuck Thompson, the curator in charge of animal behavior, because, according to Scripture, But, the Scripture soberly warns, if one of your animals kills a second time because you didn’t kill it after it claimed its first human victim, this time you die right along with your animal. To use the example from Exodus, if your ox kills a second time,

“the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.” Exodus 21:29

SeaWorld has no plans to execute Tilly.

And, we all hoped they would learn from Pat Robertson/Haiti…

But, I for one vote for it… but, they have to stand in the tank while throwing the stones…

Ok, I just got this sent to me and had to post it — actually, I owe it to the world, Bill W. and Dr. Bob to post it…

Are you too serious? Take these 12 steps…

1. We admitted that we were powerless over seriousness — that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that only by lightening up could we achieve a state of non-seriousness.

3. Made a decision to turn our constant self-criticism over to our sense of humor and learn to “lovingly and wholeheartedly” laugh at ourselves.

4. Decided to give ourselves a break once in a while, instead of constantly doing searching and fearless moral inventories of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being that our wrongs were often in our heads.

6. Were entirely ready to accept that our characters were as good as anybody else’s and possibly better than most.

7. Quit harping on our shortcomings.

8. Made of list of all persons we thought we had harmed and saw that they’d forgotten all the crap we’d blown out of proportion.

9. Quit making amends for breathing air and taking up a few square feet of the planet’s surface.

10. Resigned ourselves to the fact we were going to criticize ourselves at times, but would try to stick to our guns when we knew we were right.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to calm down and realize we’re not responsible for everything.

12. Having experienced immense relief from these steps, we would try to carry this message to other over-serious people and to practice these principles in all of our affairs.

Steve McVey:

“‘My feelings were aroused for him’ (5:4). That happened to us all when Jesus swept us off our feet and we trusted Him.

Don’t think it irreverent to view Christ in a romantic way. He is the One who calls us His bride. He is the One who wrote to us in terms of passion and romance. We simply respond to Him. ‘We love Him because He first love us’ (1 John 4:19). We didn’t initiate or set the pace for this relationship. He did. We have simply responded to His irresistible charm, affirming by faith, ‘My beloved is mine and I am His’ (Song of Solomon 2:16)! Like every new bride, our profession of faith in Him is nothing less than the thrilling realization that, ‘I am my beloved’s and his desire is for me’ (7:10, emphasis added)!

I didn’t imagine the idea of the dance as a literary metaphor to describe your relationship to Him. That is how He described it. In Zephaniah 3:17, the Bible says, ‘He will exult over you with joy’ (emphasis added). Strong’s Concordance defines the word ‘exult’(sometimes translated ‘rejoice’) in the following way: ‘To spin around under the influence of a violent emotion.’

One character quipped, ‘I grew up in a church where we were taught that premarital sex was wrong because it might lead to dancing, and now you tell me that the Lord dances over me??’ It’s true, He does. The love of Jesus Christ for you is not just a ‘gentle Jesus, meek and mild’ kind of love. It is a love filled with passion. It is a love that caused your Prince Charming to wield His sword (of the Spirit) and fight the dragon (the devil, see Revelation 12:9) for you!

His love for you is great! One might say that the love of Jesus for you could be X-rated, not because of impurity, but because of intensity. Does that idea make you feel uncomfortable? It shouldn’t, because He really does love you with an intensity beyond human comprehension. You are the pearl of great price for which He paid everything He owned in order to possess you. (See Matthew 13:45-46)

I pray this love for us/clients/schools/the world in all our intimate relationships, especially receiving it from our Father/Mother God.

Steve McVey: How To Forgive Somebody:

“‘(Insert the name of the person who wronged you), I want to resolve a matter of unforgiveness toward you. You have wronged me, but I don’t want to be handicapped by this hurt for the rest of my life. What you did to me was (describe the exact incident). When you did that, it made me feel (describe how you felt, not what you thought at the time). You were wrong and I was hurt by your actions. But, (insert the offender’s name), right now I forgive you. I release you from any obligation you have toward me because of what you have done. Just as Christ has forgiven me, I now forgive you.’ Now, pray and thank the Lord for the grace He gives you to forgive others. Ask Him to bring healing to your emotions and to fill you with a greater sense of His love for you. Complete this time by affirming that you have forgiven others at this very moment. Will your feelings instantly change? Maybe not. But that’s okay. As you remind yourself of the truth that you have forgiven those who wronged you, your feelings will gradually change. You may still find that feelings of anger or resentment arise within you at times. That’s normal. When they do, remind yourself of the truth that you have forgiven. It doesn’t mean you didn’t forgive just because you may still have negative feelings at times. Simply acknowledge your feelings and then walk in the truth. Forgiveness is a choice and you made that choice. Don’t allow the enemy to bring you back into the slavery of unforgiveness again. Through forgiveness you have been set free. So enjoy your freedom! ‘If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed’ John 8:36″

THIS IS A GREAT BASIC ARICLE ON FORGIVING THOSE WHO CHOSE NOT TO ACCEPT THAT GOD TOOK AWAY OUR PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE SINS AND HURT US. I PRAY OUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CLIENTS, SCHOOLS, AND WORLD ARE OPEN TO J.C’S GRACE.

wsj.com

I don’t think most scientists appreciate what has hit them. This isn’t only about the credibility of global warming. For years, global warming and its advocates have been the public face of hard science. Most people could not name three other subjects they would associate with the work of serious scientists. This was it. The public was told repeatedly that something called “the scientific community” had affirmed the science beneath this inquiry. A Nobel Prize was bestowed (on a politician).

Global warming enlisted the collective reputation of science. Because “science” said so, all the world was about to undertake a vast reordering of human behavior at almost unimaginable financial cost. Not every day does the work of scientists lead to galactic events simply called Kyoto or Copenhagen. At least not since the Manhattan Project.

What is happening at East Anglia is an epochal event. As the hard sciences—physics, biology, chemistry, electrical engineering—came to dominate intellectual life in the last century, some academics in the humanities devised the theory of postmodernism, which liberated them from their colleagues in the sciences. Postmodernism, a self-consciously “unprovable” theory, replaced formal structures with subjectivity. With the revelations of East Anglia, this slippery and variable intellectual world has crossed into the hard sciences.

This has harsh implications for the credibility of science generally. Hard science, alongside medicine, was one of the few things left accorded automatic stature and respect by most untrained lay persons. But the average person reading accounts of the East Anglia emails will conclude that hard science has become just another faction, as politicized and “messy” as, say, gender studies. The New England Journal of Medicine has turned into a weird weekly amalgam of straight medical-research and propaganda for the Obama redesign of U.S. medicine.

If the new ethos is that “close-enough” science is now sufficient to achieve political goals, serious scientists should be under no illusion that politicians will press-gang them into service for future agendas. Everyone working in science, no matter their politics, has an stake in cleaning up the mess revealed by the East Anglia emails. Science is on the credibility bubble. If it pops, centuries of what we understand to be the role of science go with it.

Or perhaps, general society is waking up to that fact that the self proclaimed High Priests of our society are not wearing any clothing…

Let’s face it. By scientific principles, science can not even prove anything exists. The best that can be proved by those principles is that thinking happens. Everything from that point forward has some aspect of faith to it.

So much mockery has been issued towards religion by said High Priests — after all, science has spoken and, therefore, faith must be wrong. Any attempt to prove faith must be discredited – because science has spoken.

Now, the truth comes out — it’s all a batch of stories and we all have to sort out what is true and what is simply the inventions of those who seek power, long for control and otherwise have some sort of axe to grind. That’s true from your average pulpit — and its true from your average lectern as well.

The High Priests all over our society are freaking out — because fundamentalism is dying under the weight of information access the net has given us and, with it, their power and their ability to control the hearts and minds of people.

Flatly: COOL!!!

Steve McVey:

” If the spirit of Picasso rested within you, a great desire to paint would continually motivate you toward the canvass. The knowledge of who was within you would be all the motivation you needed. The good news of grace is that Jesus Christ is in you.”

This is a powerful visionary article on the way the J.C’s Spirit of grace/truth transforms us. May it be so for me, my family, friends, clients, and world.

Steve McVey:

“. If the world only understood the truth about the love of Father, so many more would come to Him in faith. Sadly, their understanding is often a distorted caricature of who He really is. One reason it is so important to understand and accept your Father’s love is because we all eventually become like the whatever we imagine God to be. People trapped in legalism see God as a judgmental, cosmic eye-in-the-sky who is watching and waiting for them to mess up in the way they live. They imagine that how they behave is what matters most to Him. Consequently, that’s the kind of person they become in the way they relate to other people. They become harsh parents, demanding friends, dictator-type pastors, etc. “

I pray we understand and accept God’s unconditional love for us/our family/friends/clients/world as well.

A Huge Number of Illnesses are Caused by Inflammation:

“One last point – do we want to ‘boost’ our immune system if it is already ‘over-active’ due to inflammation? The answer is yes and no! There is only one PART of the immune system which gets over-active and begins to create problems with inflammation. Another part of the immune system works along a different line of attack; it does not create inflammation, but does a very important job fighting off bacteria, parasites, cancers cells and viruses. Many people today have signs of inflammation, yet also come down with yeast infections, viruses, dental infections and so on. In a sense their immune system needs modulation, reduction of the pro-inflammatory side, and a boost to the other side which fights off the baddies without inflammation. Risk factors which promote inflammation: -A poor diet can create micro-nutrient deficiencies. Type ‘B’ malnutrition is rampant in the Western countries. This is a diet high in calories but deficient in nutrients, resulting in obesity and poor health. Micro-nutrient deficiencies make us more susceptible to low grade infections such as helicobacter pylori (the cause of stomach ulcers), gum disease, recurrent urinary tract infections, and Chlamydia. All low grade chronic infections can set up a chronic inflammation in the body. -Poor gut health. A significant part of the immune system is found in the gut. The immune system in the gut is one of the most important first lines of defense against the outside world; after all, it is the area where matter from the outside is brought inside the body. The gut contains many billions of bacteria; most of them are good and help promote good immunity as well as good digestion, and they help with the absorption of nutrients. However, if there is an over-growth of ‘bad bacteria’, these produce toxins and trigger the immune system. This is known as gut dysbiosis and can trigger a systemic low grade inflammation throughout the body’s immune system. A symptom of poor gut health are food intolerances. A diet low in fiber and high in saturated fat and sugar promotes gut dysbiosis. Constipation is very bad for your health! -Stress causes inflammation through worsening gut health, makes the body more susceptible to chronic low grade infections and lowers the immunity to bacteria, viruses, parasites and so on. All of this can trigger inflammation. Stress can also reduce cortisol hormone levels if adrenals are exhausted, which is a natural anti-inflammatory hormone. -Obesity. Fat cells behave like immune cells, spewing out messages to increase the inflammatory immune response. Therefore a sedentary lifestyle and a diet high in fat and sugar promote inflammation. - Environmental pollution such as pesticides, heavy metals and other toxic chemicals from things like exhaust fumes and electrical appliances. -Excessive sunlight since sun burn is free radical stress. -Excessive exercise since the process of energy production produces free radicals as a by-product. Some exercise is good for you but overdoing it at the gym every day is very bad for you. -Trans and hydrogenated fats made from over-heating vegetable oils. These are also found in processed and refined foods and deep fried foods.”

Vitamin D: How to Determine Your Optimal Dose:

“Make sure you are getting the right test. You must test for 25(OH)D, not 1,25(OH)D. They look similar, but 1,25(OH)D is a measure of kidney function, and is not the test you want for measuring vitamin D levels. -Ideally, your blood level should be around 60-80 ng/ml, as this allows the body to have some vitamin D in reserve, and it duplicates the higher levels found in young, healthy individuals who spend a decent amount of time in a sun-rich environment. -Begin taking vitamin D at least eight weeks prior to being tested. This will help you customize your dose once you receive your test results. To determine a basic, starting dose, it has been suggested, as per Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council (7), that you take 1,000 IU per 25 pounds of body weight. A person who weighs 150 pounds, for instance, would take 6,000 IU per day as a starting dose (150/25 = 6. 1,000 x 6 = 6,000). Do this for at least eight weeks, and then test. Perhaps this dose will put you in the ideal range, but there`s no guarantee since we are all so different, and have unique vitamin D receptor genotypes. The idea is to hopefully get somewhere in the ballpark with this method and then tweak your daily dose once the test results come back”

Acupuncture: Traditional Chinese Medicine Effectively Treats Insomnia:

“This is what makes acupuncture so individualized and effective: there is no one prescription for a condition. Each time a patient comes in, they are re-evaluated, and each treatment is specifically selected. This is also why it is so common to see all sorts of symptoms clear up – not just the one someone has come in to treat. Rarely do acupuncturists just work on one symptom alone; in every treatment, the whole person is being addressed and treated. However, some points are so useful in treating insomnia that they will be strongly considered no matter what the cause, including: Heart 7 (Shen Men), on the wrist, which helps calm the heart and spirit An Mian, an extra point translated as Peaceful Sleep, which is on the back of the head, where the head meets the neck Yin Tang, another extra point which is between the eyebrows and promotes relaxation “

Alberta Health Services | Health Professionals | A Summary of Changes:

“Health Professionals Home > Health Professionals > Mental Health Amendment Act > A Summary of Changes Mental Health Amendment Act – A Summary of Changes The Mental Health Act of Alberta was proclaimed January 1, 1990. There have been a number of amendments since that date related to treatment; however, the involuntary and detainment provisions, known as criteria for certification, have remained unchanged. To ensure the act remains responsive to the needs of involuntary patients and to provide a community treatment option that continues to provide safeguards, supports and supervision, the Minister of Health and Wellness initiated the process to examine the Mental Health Act in 2004. The Mental Health Amendment Act (MHAA) is the result of that review. Based on input from written and oral submissions, a number of amendments were put forward to the legislature. The Mental Health Amendment Act received Royal Assent on December 7, 2007. Proclamation for the first two amendments (1) Change in Criteria for Certification (2) Notification to Physicians will occur September 30, 2009. The third amendment, Community Treatment Orders, will occur January 1, 2010. This document provides an overview of the three major amendments to the Mental Health Act. The criteria for involuntary admission changes from ‘danger’ to ‘harm,’ including mental or physical deterioration or impairment, which will permit earlier intervention (September 30, 2009), Ongoing treatment plans/recommendations are to be provided to an individual’s family physician, if known, upon discharge from a facility (September 30, 2009), and The introduction of community treatment orders to encourage compliance and success with mental health treatment in the community (January 1, 2010).”

CBC News – Consumer Life – Giving kids braces earlier not always better:

“However, for children with Class II malocclusion, commonly referred to as an overbite or buck teeth, there is no advantage to starting early, according to Dr. William Proffit, a professor at the University of North Carolina’s School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill.”

Being Broken From The Need To Control – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“Relax, and enjoy your journey. Rest in your Father’s sovereignty. Your life is an adventure, planned and performed by Him. We grow weary when we try to do what He alone can do. It is through our trials that He will lift our controlling need to be in charge. We must see that we are not in charge, but God alone determines and controls the unfolding of our destiny. Control is an arena for which we are not suited. Our Father, on the other hand, is perfectly suited for that role. So let go. Lay down your life for His sake and you will find it. Cling to your own life and you will lose it. Zoe (an authentic, abundant life) is yours. Don’t forfeit it for bios (biological life, mundane existence). If that is your deep desire, join in heartfelt agreement with this prayer: Father, move in me and through me to lay down my agenda and my control and trust You alone. Thank you that You will complete the work you have begun in me. I yield my circumstances to You and ask You to teach me to trust You more through all of it. Bring me to maturity, according to Your plan.”

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL ARTICLES!!! I PRAY WWHEN WE, OUR FAMILIES, FRIENDS, CLIENTS, SCHOOLS, AND WORLD FEEL BROKEN HEARTED THAT WE REST to feel content in all circumstances according to HIS PLAN.

Overcoming A Bad Family Background – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“Don’t be held captive by your past. It isn’t necessary to pretend your heritage is something other than what it really was, but you don’t have to be held back by it. When Jesus Christ gave you His life, His past became your past. You received a new heritage. The new you has been in Him since the foundation of the world. (See Ephesians 1:4) You aren’t who you used to be. (See 2 Corinthians 5:17) You aren’t the sum of your family’s past. You are who God made you to be – a divine work of art (see Ephesians 2:10), endowed with supernatural potential (see Philippians 4:13). In Christ, your future is as bright as the promises of God! Don’t allow yourself to be trapped by lies which suggest that you’ll never make it in life. You will make it because you have been delivered from your background. Your future hinges on the loving faithfulness of God and He can be trusted. The Psalmist wrote: ‘Your goodness is so great! You have stored up blessings for those who honor you. You have done so much for those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world!’ (Psalm 31:19) “

This is an inspiring article! I pray this article for us, our families, friends, schools, clients, and world.

Coolest Kid Birthday Party Printable Birthday Invitations:

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It’s All Him – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“Have you ever noticed our tendency to push ourselves into the starring role of the stories told in the Bible? For instance, consider the story of ‘the good Samaritan.’ Most sermons I’ve ever heard about that text makes the main application be that ‘we shouldn’t be like the lawyer or the priest who passed by the wounded man without helping him. We should be like the good Samaritan.’ In reality, that’s not the meaning of the story. It’s not a moral lesson that the Bible is trying to teach us here. Through that story, Jesus was teaching us about Himself. The main lesson isn’t that we are to help the pitiful, helpless man. It’s that we are the pitiful, helpless man. Jesus is the Good Samaritan who found us after legalism and devout religion didn’t lift a finger to help us.”

I pray the Spirit teaches us that it is all about Jesus as Saviour and not us.

CBC News – Consumer Life – Few booster seats keep child secure:

“Booster seats Seat belts are designed with a 165-pound man in mind. With kids, the lap belt tends to ride up on the abdomen, and the shoulder belt often cuts across the face or neck. Children can be injured by seat belts that do not fit them correctly as well as by belts that are not worn correctly. Booster seats were designed to correct this problem for most children between the ages of four and eight (or weighing up to 36 kilograms, or 80 pounds). They raise children to a height at which lap and shoulder belts can be worn correctly. The booster seat is held in place by the seatbelt. It is not tethered to the car like a child car seat. Children using seat belts instead of booster seats are 3.5 times more likely to suffer significant injury and four times more likely to suffer head injury.”

The People Pleasers – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“God gives you the desires of your heart. He places them there, but if you don’t know who you are you may spend your whole life trying to fulfill other people’s plan for your life. Many a frustrated Christian has struggled with finding fulfillment in life because they’re trying to be something and do something they’ve never been called by God to do. The meaning of grace, in part, is ‘divine enablement.’ By His grace, God enables you to be all that He has called you to be and do all that He has called you to do. But remember this: His grace doesn’t empower you to be and do what somebody else has called you to do. Who God has made you to be is wonderful, so you must resolve to be that person. Any effort to be somebody else is an affront to God because it suggests that you (or others) better know who you’re supposed to be and what you’re supposed to be doing. Don’t live for other people. It will wear you out. Instead, live from the identity in Christ that your Father has given you. Then you will be free to be and do all that you were designed for. The Apostle Paul once said, ‘I’m not trying to be a people-pleaser!”

This is a good article except the pleasing God section and some law. I pray we do not hamper the SPIRIT IN OTHERS BY OUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THEM.

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CBC News – Consumer Life – Labelling deadline may keep natural health products off shelves:

“Natural health producers today are being asked to supply double-blind studies and human clinical trials to back claims made on the labels, even when safety has been established, he said. It’s a very expensive requirement for small- to medium-sized firms. ‘Back in 2004 some products were approved very quickly, but if the same applications were made in 2008 or 2009, they might not have gotten their licence,’ said Carter. New Brunswick pharmacist John Staples said he’ll have to stop selling several herbal and homeopathic medicines in April — not because they’re unsafe but because the producer considers Canada too small a market to invest in the licensing procedure. ‘Crazy’ standards, says N.B., pharmacist He expects herbal and homeopathic medicines to be the most affected and says it’s ‘crazy’ for Health Canada to apply the same standards to both pharmaceuticals and natural health products. ‘Pharmaceutical drugs are far more potent and just a slight deviation in dosage can be dangerous,’ said Staples, whose Moncton pharmacy Staples Drugs, has sold both types of drugs for 40 years. ‘A doctor can prescribe the arthritis drug Celebrex for you, but it can also cause a heart attack,’ he said as an example. ‘With homeopathic drugs, you can take 10 times the dosage and there’s no problem.’”

Forgiving Ourselves – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“‘I know that God has forgiven me, but I just can’t forgive myself,’ someone recently said to me after describing a recent period of time in his life when he had made the choice to repeatedly commit the same sin again and again. As Christians always do, he had finally reached the place where he couldn’t stand the thought of living like that for the rest of this life. So he cried out to his Deliverer and the cycle of sin was broken. The foolish behavior was now a thing of the past, but he couldn’t disconnect from it mentally and emotionally. A sense of guilt and self-condemnation was draining him of his energy, enthusiasm and joy. He wasn’t still committing the sin, but was as miserable as he had been when he was. ‘So you do believe that God has forgiven you?’ I asked. ‘Yes,’ he answered, ‘but I can’t forgive myself for what I’ve done. I’ve been a Christian long enough to know better.’ After we had talked awhile and nothing I said seemed to be sinking in, I finally asked him, ‘Do you think you’re better than God?’ ‘What do you mean?’ he asked. ‘I mean that if the blood of Christ is sufficient for God to look at you and say, ‘Forgiven,’ what will it take for you to forgive yourself? If the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for this sin you committed isn’t enough for you, what will it take? You’ve set a standard for yourself that is obviously higher than the one God has set.’”

This is a great encouragement to allow children the grace for God to change them! There is no need for guilt/drivenness. May it be so for the world.

Canadian Home Education Resources – Good Stuff for Home School Families:

“CHER CATALOGUE Alpha Omega Publications Anthologies & Treasuries Art Audio Bible Character Development Computers Contest Critical Thinking Early Education Economics Fun & Games Geography Gift Certificate Health History & Culture Home Economics Language Arts Languages Leadership Math Math Supplements Music Novels & Such Pencils Physical Education Recommended Resources Sale Bin Science Seasonal Unit Studies”

Home School Resources in Calgary – Stores:

“Canadian Home Education Resources Specializing in home schooling materials. 108 – 1289 Highfield Cr SE, Calgary, AB T2G 5M2 Phone: (403) 243-4443 Fax: (403) 243-9727 http://www.canadianhomeeducation.com”

Canadian Home Education Resources – Critical Thinking:

“Problem Solving, Reasoning, Logic, and Arguments Develops logical thinking for superior reading comprehension and test success. Description & Features Critical Thinking teaches your child to think logically, present well-developed arguments, and see through unsupported arguments. Book One helps students develop the fundamentals of logic, argumentation, and critical reading. Easy-to-understand explanations of concepts are followed by examples and real-life, often humorous, discussion problems. Students learn to identify valid and invalid claims and arguments, sufficient and insufficient evidence, fact and opinion, … List Price: $27.95 per EACH Stock:  Yes Qty:    Need More Info? Click here for added information such as Author, Ages, Sample Pages, Links, etc”

Canned Goods and Closed Hearts – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“My parent’s generation had known what is was like to be without food. Consequently, somewhere deep inside them a voice must have said, ‘I will never be caught without enough food to eat again.’ Thus, the massive inventory of canned goods. Come what may in life, there would be food in the cabinets. I think that’s how many of us face most areas of our lives. We have faced circumstances at times that created a sense of loss or need within us. Because the situation was painful, somewhere deep inside us, we said, ‘This won’t ever happen to me again.’ So we hoarded what we have and shut the cabinet door. We went into the self-protection mode. Some were hurt by a friend and have now closed the door on vulnerability. They’ll never trust another person as a true friend. Others have had a marriage go sour. Today, they won’t completely open up to their mate because of fear. If they give everything, they risk losing everything again. Some were burned at church. Now, they have lumped all churches in the same hypocritical pile and won’t become an integral part of a church fellowship. The hurts differ, but the response is common. Shut the door of my heart and don’t risk losing what I have or being hurt. After all, if it happened once, . . . What ‘great depression’ have you experienced in life? What commodity did you feel you had taken from you when you needed it most? Was it trust? Love? Friendship? What have you lost? As a result have you tried to stuff those things deep inside you that you don’t want to ever lose again? Are you fearful to take them out? Have you resolved that you’ll never find yourself in that kind of situation again?”

This is a great article which describes what happens when a person who has been hurt in turn hurts another. I pray J.C’s Spirit will teach the us, our families, friends, clients, schools, and world to be vlulnerable again in life. God show us other’s hearts/hurts so we will not feel a hint of judgement.

Heavenly Father, I Am Your Child – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“Every blessing in Christ Jesus is already mine. (See Ephesians 1:3) By faith, I will enter in to the grace-filled walk that you have prepared for me. (See Romans 5:2) I am everything you say I am. (See1 Corinthians 15:10) I can do everything you have called me to do. (See Philippians 4:13) I can have all that you have called me to have. (See Psalm 84:11) My days will only grow brighter.(See Proverbs 4:18) Your favor is upon me and will never leave me.(See Lamentations 3:22-23) Nothing that comes my way can harm me. (See Isaiah 54:17) You orchestrate my circumstances so that everything works out for my good. (See Romans 8:28)  Without wavering, I will hold tightly to the hope I say I have, because You can be trusted to keep your Promise. (See Hebrews 3:23)”

This is beautiful! I pray Jesus’ Spirit teaches/reminds/lives these promises through us, our families, friends, schools, clients, and world every moment!

A Love Letter From Your Father – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

” I will do something new. Do you want to see it? I will make a way when there is no way. (43:18-19) I will go before you and make the rough places smooth. I will shatter the barriers that block your way and will give you treasures, wealth from secret places so that you will know that it is I, the Lord God “

This is so inspiring!!! I pray Jesus’ Spirit continues to teach us, our family, friends, clients, and world it!

Kudzu Christians – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

” until we receive glorified bodies, we each possess the power of indwelling sin in our bodies. (See Romans 7:21-23) As we trust Christ at each moment, His life empowers us to walk in victory. However, when we fail to depend on Him, we yield ourselves to the power of sin.”

The is a very good article on God revealing healing. However it needs to be read in light of Jesus taking away sin and it’s power by us being open to it/Him by faith. May it be so that we depend of Jesus every moment to experience the victory.

wittenburgdoor.com

Several recent studies have shown the limited effectiveness of abstinence programs, leading many to the conclusion that we have simply set the bar too high for the advanced libido of today’s average teen. Our young people already face enough stresses in life without adding unnecessary ones. Churches should be building up our future leaders, not crushing them under a load of guilt. The answer to this problem is both clear and simple: If the expectations can’t be met, then lower the standards. Though we have already learned this principle in the arena of public education, once again, the Church is slow to catch on.

Jesus Himself said “My burden is light.”

That’s why we are proud to offer a “lite” version, or re-visioning of a popular abstinence program. We confront specific areas in which previous abstinence methods have failed, and offer exciting options.

Thanks Kathy for pointing this out…

Some links just don’t deserve to be hidden in the comments… Yes, it’s a parody — but it’s just as real as the insanity of purity ball/ring thing.

On the one side, we have Fundamentalist Evangelicalism — with their useless shame and purity balls. On the other we have the liberal left — with teachings that (Though well hidden) really do sound allot like the above link.

Seems either is so much better then addressing the real issue: Shame, guilt, fear and shattered relationship — you know, things WE WOULD actually have to change instead of just hammering our kids…

When We Feel Nothing – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“hen we feel nothing, God’s grace shines brightest. It’s one thing to trust Him when everything is going our way, but when circumstances close in on us, trusting Him is evidence of supernatural grace flowing through us. Do you find yourself not feeling the ‘joy of the Lord’ the way you want? If so, be assured you’re at a place where the current of grace can run deeper and wider than usual in you. Whether you feel His presence or not, just trust Him. Be assured that He knows the path you are walking and He is quietly walking it with you. Cling to Jesus and know that the Sun will shine again for one simple reason – Great is His faithfulness.  ”

I pray the spirit would teach us/the world the comfort of His grace in our painful times.

Just Play – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“Joyfully embrace every day and live with the certainty that your Father’s heart is set on you and on the purpose of thrilling you with His love. Let Him love the bondage of adulthood from your heart until it is filled only with a childlike attitude that trusts Him and embraces the world with enthusiasm.”

This is a great article that highlights the faith we are to have like some aspects children possess. May it be so that we, our family, friends, clients, and the world allow THE SPIRIT to facilitate it rather than try to get the understanding ourselves.

abcnews.com

At least nine out of 10 Americans, men and women alike, have had premarital sex, says a new report. And premarital sex isn’t new — the high rates include the sexual habits of women born in the 1940s, challenging the idea that sexual behaviors used to be more restrained.Sex has apparently become something of a young American habit. “It’s hard to stop the evolution of that urge,” said Judy Kuriansky, a sex therapist, media personality and adjunct professor of psychology at Columbia University Teachers College in New York.The report, published by the private Guttmacher Institute in New York, challenges the thinking behind government-funded programs that rely primarily on abstinence-only teachings. The study, released Tuesday, appears in the new issue of Public Health Reports.

So to summarize, everyone is having premarital sex. All the Christians are having premarital sex too — even those subjected to purity balls and purity rings. In fact, it matters not at all what race, sex or religion the persons hold, they are all having every sort of sex and the only reason they are not having babies all over the place is that, in spite of the US government and abstinence education, more and more of them have figured out contraception.

Oh ya, and 5% of Americans apparently lie on anonymous surveys about having sex…

Zinc Food Sources:

” zinc helps in the production of about 100 enzymes in your body, builds you a healthy immune system, maintains your senses of smell and taste and is needed for DNA synthesis. Foods Containing Zinc Zinc is very much associated with protein foods. Thus, you may assume that most foods high in zinc are protein-rich as well. The best sources of zinc include beef, lamb, pork, crabmeat, turkey, chicken, lobster, clams and salmon. If you are a vegetarian, you will most probably intake less zinc that those who have meat-based diets. Good zinc food sources aside from meats are dairy products such as milk and cheese, yeast, peanuts, beans, and wholegrain cereals, brown rice, whole wheat bread, potato and yogurt. Of all these vegetarian zinc foods, pumpkin seeds offer one of the most concentrated non-meat food sources of zinc. “

Hemochromatosis: Tests and diagnosis – MayoClinic.com:

“Blood tests At any stage — even before symptoms appear — doctors can detect iron overload with two blood tests: Serum transferrin saturation. This test measures the amount of iron bound to a protein (transferrin) that carries iron in your blood. Transferrin saturation values greater than 45 percent are considered too high. Serum ferritin. This test measures the amount of iron stored in your body. If the results of your serum transferrin saturation test are higher than normal, your doctor will check your serum ferritin. Because a number of infectious and inflammatory conditions other than hereditary hemochromatosis can cause elevated ferritin, both tests are needed to diagnose the disorder. You may need the tests repeated for the most accurate results.”

Hemochromatosis:

“What are the symptoms of hemochromatosis? Joint pain is the most common complaint of people with hemochromatosis. Other common symptoms include fatigue, lack of energy, abdominal pain, loss of sex drive, and heart problems. However, many people have no symptoms when they are diagnosed. If the disease is not detected and treated early, iron may accumulate in body tissues and eventually lead to serious problems such as arthritis liver disease, including an enlarged liver, cirrhosis, cancer, and liver failure damage to the pancreas, possibly causing diabetes heart abnormalities, such as irregular heart rhythms or congestive heart failure impotence early menopause abnormal pigmentation of the skin, making it look gray or bronze thyroid deficiency damage to the adrenal glands [Top] How is hemochromatosis diagnosed? A thorough medical history, physical examination, and routine blood tests help rule out other conditions that could be causing the symptoms. This information often provides helpful clues, such as a family history of arthritis or unexplained liver disease. Blood tests can determine whether the amount of iron stored in the body is too high. The transferrin saturation test reveals how much iron is bound to the protein that carries iron in the blood. Transferrin saturation values higher than 45 percent are considered too high. The total iron binding capacity test measures how well your blood can transport iron, and the serum ferritin test shows the level of iron in the liver. If either of these tests shows higher than normal levels of iron in the body, doctors can order a special blood test to detect the HFE mutation, which will confirm the diagnosis. If the mutation is not present, hereditary hemochromatosis is not the reason for the iron buildup and the doctor will look for other causes. A liver biopsy may be needed, in which case a tiny piece of liver tissue is removed and examined with a microscope. The biopsy will show how much iron has accumulated in the liver and whether the liver is damaged. Hemochromatosis is considered rare and doctors may not think to test for it. Thus, the disease is often not diagnosed or treated. “

Nutritional Sources of Iron:

“Food Sources of Iron: Almonds Apricots Avocados Beets (and greens) Black cherries Blackstrap molasses Brewer’s yeast Broccoli, raw Cereals Chicken Cocoa powder Cod Dates Dried fruit Dulse Eggs Enriched breads Fish Green leafy vegetables Haddock Kelp Kidney beans Lentils Lima beans Liver Meat Millet Offal Peaches Pears Peas, fresh, cooked Poultry Prunes (dried) Pumpkins Raisins Rice and wheat bran Sesame seeds Shellfish Soybeans Spinach, raw, chopped Sunflower seeds Turkey Watercress Wheat bran Whole grains   Herb Sources of Iron: Alfalfa Burdock root Catnip Cayenne Chamomile Chickweed Chicory Dandelion Dong Quai Eyebright Fennel seed Fenugreek Horsetail Kelp Lemongrass Licorice Milk thistle seed Mullein Nettle Oat straw Oysters Paprika Parsley Peppermint Plantain Raspberry leaf Rose hips Sarsaparilla Shepherd’s purse Uva ursi Yellow dock  ”

Restless Leg Syndrome Is Not An Opiate Deficiency | PromolifeNews.com:

“The medical community is a bit dumbfounded by RLS, partly because the people who suffer from it have difficulty explaining the sensations they are experiencing and partly because doctors consider the condition a minor annoyance with little reason to take it seriously. RLS, or Ekbom’s Syndrome, is considered a neurological condition which effects some segments of the population more than others. Women, the elderly and obese people appear to have a higher incidence of RLS than others. There seems to be a genetic factor as well. Right now the medical community is of the belief that RLS is caused by a dopamine imbalance in the brain. As many know, dopamine helps to control moods or create a sense of wellbeing. What many don’t know is that dopamine also plays a part in the body’s ability to move. Iron is essential in the production of dopamine so more naturalistic doctors are treating RLS with iron supplements to increase dopamine production. Other doctors are going straight for the drug cabinet. Three of the most common kinds of drugs used are Dopaminergic Agents, widely used to treat Parkinson’s Disease because they regulate muscle action; Benzodiazepines that help suppress muscle action; and Opiates because of their ability to relax the person.”

Restless Legs Syndrome Support Group – DailyStrength:

“All people with RLS should have their ferritin levels tested; ferritin levels should be at least 50 mcg for those with RLS. Oral iron supplements, taken under a doctor’s care, can increase ferritin levels. For some people, increasing ferritin will eliminate or reduce RLS symptoms. At least 40% of people will not notice any improvement, however. IV iron is being tested at the US Mayo Clinic as a method of treating RLS. It is dangerous to take iron supplements without first having ferritin levels tested, as many people with RLS do not have low ferritin and excess iron in the body can cause hemochromatosis, a very dangerous condition. “

How to Stop Restless Leg Syndrome | eHow.com:

“How to Stop Restless Leg Syndrome Contributor By Alicia Bodine eHow Contributing Writer Article Rating: (0 Ratings) Legs If you can’t seem to stop moving your legs moving around, or your legs are experiencing pain or discomfort on a regular basis, you could have Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). This syndrome has now become more widely recognized, which means that there are many new treatments for it. If you have Restless Leg Syndrome, you can put a stop to it. Email Print Article   Add to Favorites Flag Article Difficulty: Moderate Instructions Things You’ll Need: Leg stretches Body pillow Calcium Magnesium Zinc Hot bath Heating pad Medications Step 1 Stretch your legs before you go to bed. You will need to spend at least 10 to 15 minutes stretching out your legs. This alone has been known to get rid of restless leg syndrome. This is because most people experience symptoms as night when their legs are cramping up, and stretching prevents this. Step 2 Place a body pillow between your legs when you go to bed at night. You will need to be either on your left side or your right side. Lying on your back can contribute to Restless Leg Syndrome, so by laying on your side with your legs apart, you can eliminate all symptoms of RLS. Step 3 Take a calcium, magnesium and zinc supplement before bed. These minerals will stop your muscles from cramping up when taken on a regular basis. Step 4 Stay away from caffeine products after dinner. Stop using alcohol and tobacco all together. These affect many things in your body, and will make you more susceptible to cramping. Step 5 Take a hot bath or use a heating pad on your legs before going to sleep. The heat will stimulate circulation and keep your legs from cramping up. Step 6 Get a prescription from your doctor. Your doctor may choose to put you on something like Clonazepam and Diazepam. These drugs have side affects, so you should try all of the other steps first.”

Sometimes a good massage therapist specializing in this condition is helpful.

Achieve a Deep, Uninterrupted Sleep: Nighttime Habits | Sleep | Reader’s Digest:

“Blessed sleep — the holy grail of health. Lack of sleep can send your blood sugar levels skyrocketing, contribute to weight gain, lead to depression, put you at risk for diabetes, and cause brain damage. Sleep deprivation can alter your levels of thyroid and stress hormones, potentially affecting everything from your memory to your immune system, heart, and metabolism. That’s just the warm-up. Sleep deprivation can alter your levels of thyroid and stress hormones, potentially affecting everything from your memory to your immune system, heart, and metabolism. Of course, lack of sleep can kill you instantly — as when you run your car off the road because you’ve dozed at the wheel (an estimated 71,000 people are injured in fall-asleep crashes each year). In fact, studies find that if you’ve been awake through the night, it’s as if you had a performance impairment equal to .10 percent blood alcohol content, more than enough to get you arrested for drunk driving in most states. “

8 INFANT SLEEP FACTS EVERY PARENT SHOULD KNOW:

“Nightwaking has developmental benefits. Sleep researchers believe that babies sleep ’smarter’ than adults do. They theorize that light sleep helps the brain develop because the brain doesn’t rest during REM sleep. In fact, blood flow to the brain nearly doubles during REM sleep. (This increased blood flow is particularly evident in the area of the brain that automatically controls breathing.) During REM sleep the body increases its manufacture of certain nerve proteins, the building blocks of the brain. Learning is also thought to occur during the active stage of sleep. The brain may use this time to process information acquired while awake, storing what is beneficial to the individual and discarding what is not. Some sleep researchers believe that REM sleeps acts to auto-stimulate the developing brain, providing beneficial imagery that promotes mental development. During the light sleep stage, the higher centers of the brain keep operating, yet during deep sleep these higher brain centers shut off and the baby functions on her lower brain centers. It is possible that during this stage of rapid brain growth (babies’ brains grow to nearly seventy percent of adult volume during the first two years) the brain needs to continue functioning during sleep in order to develop. It is interesting to note that premature babies spend even more of their sleep time (approximately 90 percent) in REM sleep, perhaps to accelerate their brain growth. As you can see, the period of life when humans sleep the most and the brain is developing the most rapidly is also the time when they have the most active sleep. One day as I was explaining the theory that light sleep helps babies’ brains develop, a tired mother of a wakeful infant chuckled and said, ‘If that’s true, my baby’s going to be very smart.’ 7. As they grow, babies achieve sleep maturity. ‘Okay,’ you say, ‘I understand this developmental design, but when will my baby sleep through the night?’ The age at which babies settle – meaning they go to sleep easily and stay asleep varies widely among babies. Some babies go to sleep easily, but don’t stay asleep. Others go to sleep with difficulty but will stay asleep. Other exhausting babies neither want to go to sleep nor stay asleep. In the first three months, tiny babies seldom sleep for more than four-hour stretches without needing a feeding. Tiny babies have tiny tummies. Yet, they usually sleep a total of 14-18 hours a day. From three to six months, most babies begin to settle. They are awake for longer stretches during the day and some may sleep five-hour stretches at night. Between three to six months, expect one or two nightwakings. You will also see the period of deep sleep lengthen. The vulnerable periods for nightwaking decrease and babies are able to enter deep sleep more quickly. This is called sleep maturity. NIGHTTIME PARENTING LESSON #4: An important fact for you to remember is that your baby’s sleep habits are more a reflection of your baby’s temperament rather than your style of nighttime parenting. And keep in mind that other parents usually exaggerate how long their baby sleeps, as if this were a badge of good parenting, which it isn’t. It’s not your fault baby wakes up. 8. Babies still wake up. When babies mature into these adult-like sleep patterns varies among babies. Yet, even though babies achieve this sleep maturity some time during the last half of the first year, many still wake up. The reason? Painful stimuli, such as colds and teething pain, become more frequent. Major developmental milestones, such as sitting, crawling, and walking, drive babies to ‘practice’ their new developmental skills in their sleep. Then between one and two years of age, when baby begins to sleep through the above-mentioned wake-up stimuli, other causes of nightwaking occur, such as separation anxiety and nightmares. Even though you understand why babies are prone to nightwaking, you realize it’s still important for parents and babies to get a restful night’s sleep, otherwise, baby, the parents, and their relationship won’t thrive.”

The Grace to Shut Up – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“Do you say too much, too often? If so, pray for God’s grace to flow through your actions in such a way as to cause you to know when to say nothing and then enable you to do it. Sometimes grace never looks better than when it enable us to simply shut-up.  ”

This is a great article! After being frustrated with not being able to communicate and completely know the truth of Jesus taking away our/the world’s sin now, I told God. He said I do not have to say anything, IT IS JUST HIS SPIRIT!!! “Well then Spirit teach and enable me/other believers to sense when to Shut Up!!!”

Ok, just for the record, I have no idea if this is the only credible thing this guy ever said or if his book is pure nonsense. So please don’t take this as an endorsement of the book…

But, some statements are so dead on I couldn’t care less about the credibility of the source. It still needs to be posted:

Today’s Christianity is caught up in making money off of a parallel universe. We have our own music. We have our own publishing companies. We have our own book stores and we even have our own cruises so you don’t have to hang around with those pesky persons. This isn’t what Jesus intended it to be. Jesus intended to transform people so we could enter the world as a loving transforming presence. Jesus came to love the world — not to condemn the world.

Learning to Receive God’s Love – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“Imagine Jesus walking into the room where you are right now. He walks across the room and stands directly in front of you. He reaches out and puts His arms around you, and pulls you close to Himself to hug you. Relax. Still your busy mind. Just rest in His embrace. He gently presses His face against your own and quietly whispers in your ear, ‘I love you so much. Do you know how proud I am of you? I love you more than you can possibly know. Sh-h-h. Be still and know that I love you.’ Listen to Him. Wait until you sense an inner calmness. Ask Him to speak a personal word, just to you. Listen. Do you hear His voice? Linger here, in this still, quiet place, and allow Him to express His love. Wait – until you know it is appropriate to resume normal activity. Revel in His love. Don’t rush this exercise. Are you uncomfortable with such an exercise as the one described in the preceding paragraphs? Is there anything unbiblical about what I have described? Is there anything untrue about the above scenario? Jesus does love you just as I have described. He does embrace you in His arms and longs to express His love to you in meaningful ways. I haven’t asked you to pretend anything, but rather by faith to see in your mind’s eye something that is real.”

This is an excellent mediative exercise which facilitated me in shedding a tear! May the Father allow us to use our imagination to place our wishes before God and relax in His love. This article offers great prayers to ask the Sprit to enable giving/receiving more love!

Yahoo! News

U.S. states whose residents have more conservative religious beliefs on average tend to have higher rates of teenagers giving birth, a new study suggests.The relationship could be due to the fact that communities with such religious beliefs a literal interpretation of the Bible, for instance may frown upon contraception, researchers say. If that same culture isn’t successfully discouraging teen sex, the pregnancy and birth rates rise.

This is a remarkably well done study. We have known for years that Fundamentalist Evangelical states tend to have really high rates of teen pregnancy — but this reality was always written off under the line that the other states are just aborting the children.

A line, we now learn, that is not even remotely true.

Apparently, even when you factor in those abortions, the fear, denial, shame, avoidance of the subject, abstinence based education, teen chastity balls/purity ring thing and the absence of credible teen education in contraception is doing nothing to stop teen sex — and a lot to help the whole, “Be fruitful and multiply,” thing.

Perhaps someone should have had a talk with Paul… His contention that the, “The law kills but the Spirit brings life,” seems to have finally been proven false.

The laws of Fundamentalist Evangelicalism DEFINITELY do bring forth life from teen girls…

theglobeandmail.com

On Wednesday, an Ottawa official named Athanasios Hadjis quietly announced that section 13(1) of the Canadian Human Rights Act, popularly known as the hate-speech law, will no longer be enforced.

The law prohibits the transmission on telephone or Internet of “any matter that is likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt” on the basis of “race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, marital status, family status, disability and conviction for which a pardon has been granted.”

Mr. Hadjis is an adjudicator with the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, which rules on discrimination cases. While he is not a judge, and therefore can’t strike down a law, he is the main gatekeeper for the hate-speech law, and his decision was bold.

“I have concluded,” he said, that the law is unconstitutional under 2(b) of the Charter of Rights, which guarantees freedom of thought, opinion and expression. As a result, he declared that “I will simply refuse to apply these provisions” to the hate-speech case he was judging, and by extension to any future cases.

Suddenly, the place known as the public sphere looks very different. For the past three decades, Canada has tried to keep it clean and neutral by preventing the appearance of the sorts of words and images that are linked to discriminatory actions. Kathleen Mahoney, a University of Calgary law professor who advocates such laws, boasts that Canada has more laws limiting harmful speech than any other country.

But there is a strong sense, even if Mr. Hadjis’s decision is overturned by the Supreme Court, that the era of hate-speech laws is coming to an end.

First, in practical terms, hate-speech laws have failed. Attacks on people based on religion or skin colour remain rare but occasional crimes in Canada, but their prevalence hasn’t been affected one way or another by outlawing hateful speech.

So very seldom does anyone connected to anything of government manage to get anything right, even the slightest touch of reason deserves to be applauded. But this, this is so far beyond just a touch of reason!!!

The psychology under it is actually very similar to claims of school uniforms eliminating gang violence in schools. If you actually look at the violence stats before and after the requirement of uniforms is in place at an institution, you find the exact same levels of violence — but no one can identify if a perpetrator of violence was a gang member or not. Thus the violent act is simply listed as violence and not attributed to a gang.

Laws intended to stop the speech of those who are inherently criminal will do almost nothing to arrest their behaviors (and it is almost always the behaviors that pose the threat.) All silencing them does is hide them from view. The problem is that, then, those same laws are used to also silence those with no criminal intent.

If there is ever a set of otherwise useless laws that have been used to suppress truth and cancel debate, it’s hate laws. They have been used to fine religious leaders speaking out against abortion. They have been used to destroy therapists who would treat politically correct disorders some do not want healed. They have been used to force religious institutions to hire those who do not support their views and they nearly canceled the degrees of hundreds of teachers who believed homosexuality should not be promoted. That’s not the elimination of hate — that’s reverse discrimination — politically correct hate against those who would stand in the public square and speak..

Personally, I WANT every wack job, hate monger, lunatic and predator to have the right to stand on the public street corner of the internet and shout their vile proclamations at the top of their digital lungs. It’s when your enemy goes silent that you know you are in trouble anyway and I WANT to know exactly where the problems are…

I want to watch them stand there toe-to-toe with every other idea and have to defend themselves from all the other people now free to speak and/or call them idiots…

I also WANT the ranks of the politically correct to have to stand up and defend the oh-so-sacred ideas they hold dear (Because I’m gonna to enjoy watching a lot of them start looking pretty silly..)

By some miracle, even the human rights commission agrees that we’re finally big enough boys and girls to be able to talk to each other — or at least have the right to go make some popcorn and watch the fireworks go down.

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. ~Voltaire

Voltaire APPLAUDS

nationalpost.com

Christian parents who objected to their children being taught about other religions in a mandatory new Quebec school course have suffered a serious setback with a ruling this week that the teachings do not infringe their religious freedoms.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Jean-Guy Dubois dismissed a bid by parents in Drummondville, Que., who said the course on ethics and religious culture introduced across the province last year was undermining their efforts to instill Christian faith in their children.

“In light of all the evidence presented, the court does not see how the … course limits the plaintiff’s freedom of conscience and of religion for the children when it provides an overall presentation of various religions without obliging the children to adhere to them,” Judge Dubois wrote.

Step #1: Schools and the governments that back them all over North America throw their lot in with secularization and toss religion out of schools. The backing belief is that our society needs freedom of religion — and such freedom demands a secular state that supports all religions equally and promotes none of them.

Church response: “Help, we’re being oppressed!!! You have taken God out of the classroom and our children are becoming secular humanists.”

Step #2: Those same school systems and governments realize that religion is a critical part of society and the ability to understand those religions usually means less killing of the members of such. As such, they introduce a fair and balanced program that promotes none of those religions but simply teaches the facts about them.

Church response: “Help, we’re being oppressed!!! You are indoctrinating our children with other religions…” (Then they sue the school board…)

Step #2: Judge comes back with a well reasoned response saying that learning about world religions is not the same thing as promoting them — and tells them to go away and shut up.

Church response: “Help, we’re being oppressed!!! You are infringing on our rights to form our children’s faith development and we’re gonna sue you some more…”

Humm, so, let me get this straight: The only way a free society which values general human rights can avoid treading on your specific rights is to teach every student in every school only about your religion… Thus, your snowflake’s little minds can remain properly ignorant I mean pure, undefiled and Godly.

Sounds to me like the veil just got ripped back on a plan for a totalitarian theocracy — not the freedom Jesus died to bring.

It may actually be rather pivotal though… We finally get the chance to see Fundamentalist Evangelicalism and Catholicism admitting their hatred of that freedom and acknowledging what they really wanted all along:

Control.

Pivotal, because at least truth provides a foundation for change…

Sleep Centre – Online Class:

“non-REM Sleep The type of sleep not associated with dreams.  There is some thinking in non-REM sleep but it is usually simple and fragmented.  There are 4 sub-stages to non-REM sleep: Stage 1 sleep:  Is a transition from being awake to being asleep.  Is almost worthless in terms of restorative value.  Although you may be asleep you may also still be partially conscious. Stage 2 sleep:  Deeper than Stage 1 and is thought to aid in body recovery. Stages 3 and 4:  Also called Delta sleep.  Delta sleep is a very deep sleep that is primarily associated with restoration / body recovery. REM Sleep”

Sleep Centre – Online Class:

“Avoid sleeping on your back.  Many people only snore or stop breathing while sleeping on their back.  In such cases, avoidance of this position during sleep reduces both snoring and apnea. There are some simple procedures that can be used to reduce sleeping on your back such as attaching a sock to the back of your nightshirt with 1 or 2 tennis balls. Each time you roll onto your back, the discomfort will prompt you to roll onto your side. In time, you will favor sleeping on your side. Ask your doctor if your sleep study demonstrated whether your sleep apnea occurred only on your back.”

Sleep Centre – Online Class:

“Periodic Limb Movements (PLMs) Periodic limb movement disorder affects people only during sleep.  The condition is characterized by behavior ranging from shallow, continual movement of the ankle or toes, to wild and strenuous kicking and flailing of the legs and arms.  Movement of the legs is more typical than movement of the arms in cases of PLMs.  Movements typically occur for 0.5 to 10 seconds, in intervals separated by five to 90 seconds. These limb movements usually occur in deep stage two sleep, but often cause arousal. Thus, PLMs can cause poor sleep, which may lead to sleep maintenance insomnia and/or excessive daytime sleepiness. Frequently, the bed partner is aware of these movements as they are hit, kicked or punched during the night.  Additionally, the bottom bed sheet may be thread-bare in one spot sooner than the rest.  This may be caused by your heels rubbing in the same spot frequently at night.  Bedding in disarray is also a well known feature of PLMs”

This is a great article stating that acting out nightmares/dreams can cause sleep deprivation. The cause of nightmares is unclear. I pray for great sleep for us and the world.

Sleep Centre – Online Class:

“Examples of parasomnias: Nightmare disorder: The individual will experience frightening dreams that are associated with elevated heart rate and breathing, sweating, and arousal. Complete alertness and subsequent recollection of the dreams differentiates nightmares from sleep terrors. Sleep terror disorder: Sleep terrors typically result in extreme panic, a loud scream during sleep, followed by activities such as hitting objects or moving in and out of the bedroom. Unlike with nightmares, there is rarely any associated dream content. This is a disorder of arousal that primarily occurs during stages 3 and 4 of non-REM sleep.”

Sleep Centre – Online Class:

“Eat regular meals and a healthy balanced diet. If you feel hungry in the evening, have a light snack or a glass of milk. Heavy meals close to bedtime can result in discomfort and sleep disturbance. Take Calcium 500 mg and Magnesium 250 mg with a light snack to aid in relaxation (mild muscle relaxant). Always check with your doctor before taking a supplement. Above all, don’t try too hard. If you can’t fall asleep, don’t lie in bed anxious and frustrated. If it has been 20 to 30 minutes, leave your bedroom to read, watch TV, or do something else to relax, going back to bed only when you feel sleepy again. If you are a clock-watcher, turn the clock around. Do meditation, yoga or self-hypnosis to help with stress and sleep.”

Sleep Centre – Online Class:

“espiratory Homecare Companies There are several homecare companies within Calgary that we use for our trials of CPAP.  These companies can also perform the same at-home sleep study (SnoreSat) to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea.  You: Need to be referred directly to the company by your family physician. Will be charged for the SnoreSat (approximately $150).  This is the only fee that will be charged.  If you purchase a CPAP machine you would either pay for it yourself or have insurance coverage.  This is no different than if you came to the Sleep Centre. Results will be interpreted by a sleep specialist but you do not see the specialist. Family doctor discusses the results with you and gets you on the appropriate therapy (CPAP, dental appliance, urgent referral to the Sleep Centre…) The companies are likely able to do this testing within 2 weeks.  Once you follow-up with your family physician they are also able to get you onto CPAP therapy within a couple of weeks. This is a very quick, safe approach for many patients to be assessed for obstructive sleep apnea.  ”

Sleep Centre – Online Class:

“Private Sleep Clinics There are 2 private sleep clinics in Calgary that can diagnose and treat any sleep disorder.  The following table compares both clinics: Updated April 14, 2008 Canadian Sleep Institute Centre for Sleep and Human Performance Referral from family physician required? Yes Yes Fees for at-home sleep study Yes Yes Fees for polysomnography (in-clinic sleep study) Yes Yes   At both clinics the sleep specialist will discuss your results and follow-up your treatment progress.  The main advantage to going to the private clinics is that they have a shorter waitlist than the Sleep Centre.  There may be fees associated with each clinic visit.”

The Hart Institute | Dr. Archibald Hart, Dr. Catherine Hart-Weber | Training, Counseling and Consulting:

“You and your husband will then get stuck in an argument pattern…you will pursue him to get him to admit he is wrong and you are right, he will instead defend himself to get you to admit you are wrong and he is right. Eventually you will each emotionally disconnect. You get ‘gridlocked’ over the issue.  If you keep arguing this way, you won’t resolve anything, you will just have a list of ‘hot topics’ that trigger a very strong and powerful pattern of arguing. And to you he will become an aloof, uninvolved, independent, uncaring roommate. To him you will become a nagging, negative wife he has to put up with. This will not lead to an emotionally connected marriage.”

The last of this article offers excellent suggestions to offer just mutual understanding and expected outcomes. May it be so for us and the world.

How to Tell Liver Spots from Moles and Cancer – Yahoo! News:

“How to Tell Liver Spots from Moles and Cancer Buzz up!7 votes SendSharePrint Play VideoCancer Video:Miraculous Cancer Survivor in ROUTINE MIRACLES by Conrad Fischer Expanded Books Play VideoCancer Video:Disappearing Cancerous Tumors in ROUTINE MIRACLES by Conrad Fischer Expanded Books Play VideoCancer Video:Can Breastfeeding Prevent Breast Cancer? ABC News Fred Cicetti The Healthy Geezer LiveScience.com – Thu Aug 6, 7:42 am ET This Week’s Question: Do liver spots have anything at all to do with the liver? No. This is a common question and a great starting point for a column about all those doohickeys that grow on our skin as we age. LIVER SPOTS: The official name for liver or age spots is ‘lentigines’ from the Latin for ‘lentil.’ These are flat, brown with rounded edges and are larger than freckles. They are not dangerous. KERATOSES-Seborrheic keratoses are brown or black raised spots, or wart-like growths that appear to be stuck to the skin. They are harmless. Actinic keratoses are thick, warty, rough, reddish growths. They may be a precursor to skin cancer. CHERRY ANGIOMAS-These are small, bright-red raised bumps created by dilated blood vessels. They occur in more than 85 percent of seniors, usually on the trunk. These are also not dangerous. TELANGIECTASIA-These are dilated facial blood vessels. SKIN TAGS-These are bits of skin that project outward. They may be smooth or irregular, flesh colored or more deeply pigmented. They can either be raised above the surrounding skin or have a stalk so that the tag hangs from the skin. They are benign. Now we get into the cancers of the skin. SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMAS-These are in the outer layers of the skin. They are closely associated with aging. These are capable of spreading to other organs. They are small, firm, reddened nodules or flat growths. They may also be cone-shaped. Their surfaces may be scaly or crusted. BASAL CELL CARCINOMAS-These are the most common of the skin cancers. They develop in the basal layer below the surface of the skin. Basal cell carcinomas seldom spread to other parts of the body. They usually appear as small, shiny bumps or pinpoint, red bleeding areas on the head, face, nose, neck or chest. MELANOMAS-This is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Melanomas can spread to other organs and can be fatal. They usually appear as dark brown or black mole-like growths with irregular borders and variable colors. They usually arise in a pre-existing mole or other pigmented lesion. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. About half of all Americans who live to 65 will have skin cancer. Although anyone can get skin cancer, the risk is greatest for people who have fair skin. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. All skin cancers can be cured if they are treated before they spread. The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change on the skin, especially a new growth or a sore that doesn’t heal. Check your skin often. Look for changes in the size, shape, color, or feel of birthmarks, moles, and spots. And don’t be reluctant to go to a doctor whenever you see anything on your skin that you suspect might be a problem. Dermatologists recommend that, if you are a fair-skinned senior, you should get a full-body skin exam once a year. This kind of check-up isn’t a bad idea for any senior. 5 Things You Must Know about Skin Cancer 40 Years After Moon Landing: Why Can’t We Cure Cancer? More Cancer News & Information The Healthy Geezer column publishes each Wednesday on LiveScience. If you would like to ask a question, please write How to Tell Liver Spots from Moles and Cancer LiveScience.com chronicles the daily advances and innovations made in science and technology. We take on the misconceptions that often pop up around scientific discoveries and deliver short, provocative explanations with a certain wit and style. Check out our science videos, Trivia & Quizzes and Top 10s. Join our community to debate hot-button issues like stem cells, climate change and evolution. You can also sign up for free newsletters, register for RSS feeds and get cool gadgets at the LiveScience Store.”

What Do You See? – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

” God went on to tell His prophet that those figs represented the way that He was going to work in the circumstances of His people. Do you remember the time that God took Jeremiah to ‘the potter’s house’ and spoke to him through the potter’s wheel? (See Jeremiah 18) Then there was the time that the Lord asked Amos what he saw when he was looking at a plumb line. (See Amos 7:8) The Lord went on to show Amos His plans through what he saw. And then there was Zechariah. The Lord showed him a lamp stand and went on to explain how it showed that it is ‘not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts’ (Zechariah 4:2-6). What do you see as you move through your day? You probably have experienced your Father speaking to you through the Bible many times, but have you heard Him speak to you through the day to day activities of your life? “

This is a great article to encourage discerning God’s voice. I think we just need to be open, perhaps pray to hear Him in all aspects of life. May it be so for our families, friends, schools, clients, and the world.

The Barnabas Touch – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“Sometimes Christians think that we all need to be like the Apostle Paul – strong, determined, trail-blazers in expanding the kingdom. The church does need folks like that, but don’t minimize the powerful effect of the Barnabas type Christians in the church. You might start churches, like Paul did, or you might touch somebody who turned aside like Barnabas did. Don’t fall into the error of thinking that you have to act outside your basic personality and temperament type. God can use you with the personality you have right now, without changing anything about that aspect of your makeup. Do you relate to Paul’s approach to life? Then go for it. But don’t be too harsh on those who are more comfortable with the Barnabas approach. The Pauls of the church may reach cities, but the Barnabases will impact lives too, one person at a time.  ”

This is an an excellent article encouraging acceptance, believing in others and encouraging those who doubt to include them! I pray we are always open to give 2nd chances to one another/ourselves. May it be so for us our family, friends, clients, schools, and the world.

Poemae Qui Aperio.

I initially thought that it was the memories of the events and how they had made me feel when they happened that was the major source of the pain I felt. I think that I understand a bit more about where some of my decisions have led me. I also think that I have a lot that I’ve yet to understand.

In my teenage years, I thought a lot about taking my own life. I think, at some point, most teenagers do. Now as an adult, I realize that in a way I did. I was thinking about it and I think that anger, other people, the cosmos, and also God influence some suicides. Other influences are deep heartaches and suicide seems like the only thing that will stop the pain. Some of us don’t end our mortal lives though; we just stop living, which is another kind of suicide. I think that those of us who have gone unnoticed, disregarded, ignored or have been hurt in other ways are the ones that have the highest probability of arriving at the outer edges of the spectrum. That’s what happens when your soul has so many footprints on it.

Sometimes people would convince me that they would catch me if I let go and it was just a trap and then they would all laugh at me while I lay on the ground bleeding. It seemed like choosing to stop living and never again take any chances was a much better choice than to live face down in the dirt buried by immoral laughter. I don’t think that I stopped living all at once; I think it happened piece by piece over time. Some of it happened from having to listen to a silent scream that came from deep within my heart that was so painfully loud that kept saying, “pick me”.

I also think that everyone has a part of themselves they are not particularly fond of. They carry that part of themselves around like a weight. The part of myself that I am not fond of is the part that hurts or abandons other people because I immediately assume that they will or think that they have hurt me when they won’t or haven’t. I think it is the fortunate ones that realize that when the weight gets too heavy, they have a choice. They can choose to set it down. Once they have set it down they gain the ability to see things the way they really are. I think I am maybe starting to see things a bit differently because I have set it down, but I don’t think I have let go of the handles yet and I may need a bit more time before I can walk away from it completely. It is really hard though to let go of something that you feel saved your life.

It’s rare to even find people willing to be this honest — much less those who actually do so…

It strikes me that the above is precisely the world Jesus came into to transform: A world filled with people who, while still living, have already committed suicide. A world where the living dead walk around with deep bootprints on their hearts, the unholy laughter of evil ringing in their ears and an oppressive sense of having deserved all of the above.

It’s called shame…

The message He came to deliver? It’s simple: “I can see you, I love you and I can heal you if you’ll let Me. It’s time to bring your heart out to play in the community of all the other people I’ve already raised from the dead.”

And yes, they are out there — mostly in coffee shops, pubs and living-rooms where people gather in His name. They are found where hungry hearts seek to love and be loved and where those who have given up on the rules seek to know and be known by others anyway. They hang out with the broken, the humbled and sometimes the tipsy in places where the, “Righteous,” rarely dare to tread for fear they would look anything but. They are found with the outcasts, the free thinkers, the lovers and the mystics — with the people who would rather dance before Him then seek to quantify Him.

Yes, they are difficult to spot — but can always be found by heart for, in their presence, judgment fades away. They are people who know they are absolutely perfect, holy and infinitely lovable — and see you that way too.

Rarely, they may even be found in the bricks and mortar church. But, it’s easy to spot them there — taking heavy fire as they fight to change it….

God Is For Me – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

” When things are going the way you want, God is for you. When life seems to be falling apart, God is for you. When the Philistines chased David down in Gath, he wrote, ‘This I know, that God is for me’ (Psalm 56:9). What a time to make a declaration like that! Many of us have found ourselves in a place similar to David’s situation at times. Life is closing in . . . the enemy seems to have us cornered and there appears to be no way out. Pleasant circumstances disappear before our eyes and the world turns dark. At times like that, we may be tempted to cry out, ‘Why is God against me?’ Not David. He assured himself with the truth, ‘God is for me.’ He didn’t say, ‘This I feel, that God is for me.’ There are many times in life that we don’t feel like God is for us. No, he said, ‘This I know, that God is for me.”

This is a great article esp in times of minor challenges or when God seems silent. I find grieving also helpful, like Job to experience THE LORD is NOT AGAINST US. It shows the process of THE FATHER proving His love through His assurance, MAYBE THROUGH SENSING HE IS HOLDING US, until we can go from-affirming, to feeling, to knowing GOD IS FOR ME THIS I KNOW. MAY IT BE SO FOR US, OUR FAMILIES, FRIENDS, AND THE WORLD!

How To Have a Grace Filled Ministry – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“As is God¡¯s customary way of working, He began to show His answers when I came to the end of myself. I had wanted Him to show me how to motivate the people. He had other plans. He had been wanting to do a deeper work in me which would transform first my own life, then my ministry. This night of despair became the doorway through which God brought me to bring me into an arena of grace like I had never known. In the days to follow the Lord began to reveal truths to me about walking in grace which radically changed the way I understood and did ministry. Before my church became a grace filled ministry, it was necessary for God to cause me to become a grace filled pastor. That began to happen as a couple of truths were deposited deeply into me by the Holy Spirit. ¡ö Christ is life, not ministry. For 17 years, if you had asked me who I am I would have answered, ¡°I am a preacher.¡± My sense of identity came from my role. In reality, that isn¡¯t who I am but is only what I do. Who I am is a child of God who shares the very life of Jesus Christ. This may sound like a minor distinction, but beginning to see myself first and foremost as a man consumed with Jesus caused ministry to flow from me in a way I had never known. Focusing on ministry produces religious activity, but understanding our union with Christ will cause one to experience an outflow of divine life. ¡ö Success comes through a Person, not a performance. I believed that success in ministry meant measurable progress. While there is certainly nothing wrong with results which are measurable, I have come to believe that real success comes as we abide in Jesus Christ and allow Him to continually express His life through us. That may or may not always produce results which look impressive. Was John successful on Patmos? Was Paul successful while in the Philippian jail? Was Jesus successful when he hung dying on a cross? God measures success differently from contemporary society. Grace Filled Churches As God continued to work the truths of this new grace walk deep into me, I began to see a change in the life of my church. As I changed, they began to change too. It wasn¡¯t unlike what happens in a marriage when God begins to do a deep work in the husband and the wife responds as she sees the Holy Spirit work in him. Church life began to be different in two ways.”

This is an incredibly inspiring article on the way motivation really occurs, esp in churches. I disagree with some of the “trying” words, but it clearly says the leader/counsellor is Jesus. May it be so for us, our families, friends, our practice and the world.

Cling to Jesus – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

” When grace is a subject you believe, but wonder how to move it from your head to your experience, cling to Jesus. When your heart has grown cold and you haven’t felt God’s presence in a very long time, cling to Jesus. When a friend betrays you in a way you never would have expected, cling to Jesus. Cling to Jesus. He will guide you through His Spirit. He will nurture you by His love. He will provide for you through His generosity. He will comfort you through His tender compassion. He will heal you by His stripes. He will reveal truth to you through His Word. He will transform you by His power. He will touch you by His presence. He will sustain you by His faithfulness. Cling to Jesus. He holds you in His arms at this very moment and will never let you go. “

This is an incredibly comforting article about being open to holding onto Jesus in our challenges! It only seems done through His grace. May it be so for us, our family, friends, and the world.

Let’s Do Less For God – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“Our call as believers isn’t to do something for God, but rather is a call to God Himself. The essence of the Christian life isn’t doing things for Him. It’s all about knowing Him. Jesus defined the meaning of salvation when He prayed to His Father, ‘This is eternal life, that they many know You and the One whom You have sent’ (John 17:3). Christianity is knowing Him. We are called to be the bride of Christ, not His maid. Does this mean that Christian service is somehow unimportant? Of course not! However, service is to be the overflow of the intimate relationship we enjoy with Him. It comes naturally (or more accurately, supernaturally ) for us to serve Christ when we love Him. The early disciples didn’t evangelize for God. They said, ‘We cannot [help] but speak the things we have seen and heard’ (Acts 4′20). Service is to the life of one who is in love with Jesus as planting is to a farmer or sailing is to a sailor. The activity flows from our identity.”

This is a fantastic brief article on We can do nothing, but without service our faith is dead. I pray we would be open to trust the truth that by doing less for God He will do MORE through us. May His grace, peace, identity be so for us, our family, friends, clients, and the world.

Loving The Unloveable – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“Rules, procedures, regulations – that’s what the law is all about. But that’s not what Jesus is about. He’s about people. His focus is relationships, not rules. What matters to Him is love, not laws. “

This is a clear article stating that the law doesn’t care about people. Rules are the only thing that matters. May it be so that we, our family, friends, clients, schools, the world show THE Ruler of Love, Jesus through us.

Big Noise Blog.

A set of resources definitely worth noting.

All but Richard Rohr are relationship focused New Covenant theologians. (Rohr is more of a mystic in search of experience but he does, to some level, get grace.)

Steve McVey is very good and I’m rather fond of hijacking his quotes — but needs to be read carefully as he still has some thinking about sin that needs transformation…

This guy should also be added to the list — thanks Kathy!

Are You Dying To Rest? – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

” I didn’t know that I had already died with Christ and was able to cease from my own works, living instead out of His finished work. The idea of being called by Christ to a place of rest often contradicts the default setting of contemporary Christian thought. We live in a society where people go on vacation with their cell phones, Palm Pilots and laptop computers. To rest in Christ is a concept which often requires a radical paradigm shift for many people. To rest in Christ, trusting Him to express His life through us, sounds lazy and negligent after having lived in the wilderness of legalism for such a long time. Many mistakenly think of rest as some sort of passivity, which it is not. Resting in Christ simply means trusting Him to be our Life-Source, depending upon Him to empower our actions with His strength and direction.”

This is a really clear article on what it means to rest in Christ, that he took away our/the sins of the world and let His love show. May it be so for us/the world.

Note, also permalink, top level posted here.

The power of Eternality:

The man/woman who stands with no fear of death is the most dangerous being alive. The entirety of the system of this world rides on the ability to take a life from another. When death ceases to terrify, control is lost.

The power of Absolution:

This world — especially the Christian side of it — stands in the constant fear of guilt. It stands with heads hung in shame while playing roles designed to prove to those who hold this weeks rating scale that they do, indeed, measure up. The teachings of Jesus have been so bastardized and bent by the keepers of religious power that it actually seems reasonable when that-which-formerly-was is again brought as a means of enforcing the awareness of our guiltiness and pinned on Jesus. But, we didn’t get a Bandaid for our sins — we, with Christ, died to them — and were raised to a new life that doesn’t relate to them. Our heads can never again hang low — because the standard which judged us (The law) can never again condemn us — no matter what.

The power of Love:

So many people live in the fear that if they ever gave God control of their lives, He’d bring out massive pain and torment (and a few plagues from Egypt too) to finally hurt them enough to change them. Yet, Jesus made it very clear that to see His heart was to see the Father. It’s a heart that will never lead through shame, fear, guilt, condemnation, coercion, punishment, torment or wrath. It’s a gentle heart that works quietly inside — when we are ready — to call us to life.

The power of Life:

Almost every aspect of our world is focused upon dying. We have drugs — they keep us emotionally dead. We have TV and entertainment to keep us distracted until we die. We have disassociative meditative techniques that are used to attain the peace of the grave while living. We run from shame, fear, guilt and the paralysis that comes from feeling trapped and bound and this drives that seeking of death. Through canceling all of that, the Gospel not only reawakens the desire to live, it legitimated the call to live and unlocked the creative energy to drive such.

The power of Freedom:

Wanna know why our bricks and mortar churches are emptying by the droves? People heard that Jesus came to set them free — and something deep within them intuitively knows that a list of rules isn’t what He had in mind. The message of the Gospel isn’t less rules — it’s TOTAL freedom. “When a man finally grasps grace, he suddenly finds himself standing, naked and trembling, in such a wide open space that he can do naught else but reach up for a hand to hold — for a guide to lead him through.” Anon

The power of Intimacy:

We can reach up for that hand to hold and that guide who will lead us through. It’s safe now. The cross is critical to this for it proved that not only is God good — but it proved that who He is IS GOOD. The human race unleashed the very worst it had to offer on the one being in the universe who could have annihilated them with a thought — and He loved them so much He let them kill Him and then came back to love them even more. To love ME even more…

The power of Faith:

Faith isn’t belief — faith is Christ in you, the hope of Glory. The Christian life has nothing to do with trying harder or trying period. It’s about surrender to that new life which has been created in you to enough of a degree that you can stop trying and literally get the hell out of the way. It’s about a surrender to a wisdom so much greater then our own that the foundations of this sick and corrupt system of control we call life begin to get blown up — not just for yourself, but also for those you love.

The power of Holy Anger:

Jesus made one thing very clear: He didn’t come to make nice — He came to start a war. The religious leaders of the day didn’t kill, “Gentle Jesus meek and mild.” They killed a guy who they could plainly see was destroying everything about their system of religious power — not trying to start the Progressive Conservative/Republican party. Then, He turned to the disenfranchised, the broken, the humiliated, the poor, the shameful, the powerless and promised them a power greater then the world had ever seen — just before he invited them to join up and open fire.

The power of Humanness:

Look around the world — every major religion out there sees human beings as basically screwed up and disgusting. It then offers it’s prescription to fix them — if people will only tow their line. The Gospel sees people as made in the image of God and, though once broken, as currently perfect without them doing anything to fix themselves. (That’s God’s job.) He came not to destroy them — but to reverse that which was broken about them once and for all. He came to make them fully human and fully alive.

The power of Transformation:

The foundational job of the gospel is to tear back the veils that keep people from seeing the beauty and dignity of the current reality of their lives. Read that again — not to fix people, for that job is already done. The primary weapon we are given is truth — the ability to tear back the lies that have the ones we love trapped in a set of falsehoods that reduce them to that which formerly was (dead) and drive them towards a set of broken strategies which will never fulfill the deepest longings of their hearts.

The power of Passion:

The magical core of the Gospel is the call to the deepest desires of our hearts. If God made those hearts and planted those deep longings within them, then those deep longings have to be His will for our lives. All of the above was NOT done because God wants to finally get you to the point of being a well-trained-seal who will do some religious dance when told. He did all of the above so you could finally reach inside and discover that deepest place of your heart where He planted the vision He created for you to become — and then full-tilt LIVE IT OUT.

The Gospel is not seen in ethics. The Gospel is first seen when a human heart, transformed so that it both is able to hear the voice of God and longs to do so, begins to reach out for the hand of a loving father and, when finding that hand, begins to take the risk to step out and live.

The Gospel achieves it’s true 10,000 candle-power brilliance when that heart reaches out and loves, it stops and cries, it gives to another, it stands in defiance of the night, it attacks with fury, it rescues the broken, it binds up the wounded, it touches that paintbrush to canvas, it places finger to string or key, it speaks with fire and precision, it screams with the fury of Almighty God at the thought of one of His precious children living with even one chain, it kisses with passion and then it makes love with with all of the erotic intensity that only a heart set free can even risk.

It’s the captivating and irresistible master plan of liberty the God of the universe, exploding out of the passionate longings of His heart, wrote for you.

When Hurricanes Come – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“What are we to do when we believe a hurricane is coming into our lives? We do what Remaila said. We make our preparations. We do so by making sure that everything in life is grounded in the love and sovereignty of the One we profess loves us too much to do us any harm. We give all that we are and all that we have to Him. We recognize that this world is temporary and choose not to allow ourselves to draw our identity from it. We hold a loose grip on everything and everybody, realizing that only God determines what we can hold on to throughout our lives. Then we entrust ourselves to God. We affirm by faith (not feelings) that He is in control – that nothing can or will happen in our lives which is beyond the bounds of His authority or the scope of His love for us. We trust Him. It’s that simple. We don’t always understand. We just trust. We don’t always feel like He is loving us through our circumstances. We just trust. We entrust ourselves to the love of One who promised to never leave or forsake us. We lash ourselves to Romans 8:28 and refuse to let go. The storms may rage. The winds may blow. The waves may surge. But we know that our security is in the love of the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. Do you see clouds on the horizon of your own life? Don’t be afraid. The Bible says that those clouds are ‘the dust of His feet’ (Nahum 1:3). As storms approach, simply make your preparations and then entrust yourself to God.”

THIS IS A GREAT ARTICLE SO WE DO NOT try to handle crisis/conflicts in our own strength. It show what that means. However it still can come across that way if we are not JUST OPEN to his truth/trust.

Conflict Resolution Without Words – Positive Living Television:

“If you believe that you or your partner are bad or wrong for your feelings, behavior, or point of view, then you will not be able to let go of judgment. You will move toward compassion when you understand and accept that each of you has very good reasons for your feelings, behavior, and point of view. Try compassionately accepting yourself and your partner and see what happens!”

Although I do not agree with some of the wording of some points, this article offers some basic great points to facilitate openness. GOD GAVE US OUR FREEDOM, BY JESUS TAKING AWAY OUR/THE SINS OF THE WORLD TO SEE THINGS OUR WAY. HE DOESN’T ENFORCE HIS VIEW ON US, ESPECIALLY IN CONFLICT. WE CAN ASK HIM. MAY IT BE SO FOR OUR WORLD.

Don’t Ask, Appropriate! – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“Do you need wisdom? That’s Him. Do you need righteousness? That’s Him. Holiness? That’s Him, too. Do you need sanctification, guidance, strength? It’s all Him. What do you need today? His name is IAM. I AM what? Anything you need. All the fullness of I AM is in Jesus. ‘For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him’ (Col.1:19). All the fullness of Jesus is in you. Don’t pray for what you already have. Just appropriate the sufficiency of the Christ who is living in you. You don’t have to struggle or beg for what you think you need. You already have it. Just let Jesus be Jesus in and through you. “

This is an excellent article on just resting in the grace of understanding/knowing that we have everything of Christ in us now. May it be so.

Rearing Teenagers – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“Teens are crying out to know, ‘Who am I? Do I have value? Am I lovable?’ Don’t undermine a person’s basic identity by striking a blow at who they are. Deal instead with the behavior. ‘You lied to me and that stands in contradiction to everything I know to be true about you!’ is a better response than calling your child a liar. 2. Allow your teen to see the authenticity of your own relationship to Christ.”

This is a great article defining a relationship with Christ. May it be so for us, our family, friends, clients, our kids schools, and the world. However it still has a focus on sin that Jesus dealt with on the cross so it needn’t be a focus. It does allude to looking at the need/feeling that caused it.

Ways To Say Good Job To Your Child, How To Say Good Job:

“75 Ways To Say ‘Good Job!’”

Excellent article!

Living Peaceably Together – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“When you find it difficult to get along with somebody, there are a few things you might do which could help you navigate through stressful moments. 1. Pray a quick prayer for the person. Ask Jesus to express love to them through you. When we react to the bad mood of others with a negative response, we have allowed them to control us. Why let somebody else cause you to get in a bad mood? You can choose to express love to them and not allow the circumstance to rob you of your own joy. 2. Remember that people who are hard to get along with almost always have conflict going on within themselves. A sales clerk in a store once acted like a jerk to me. My first impulse was to react the same way (I can act like a jerk with the best of them), but instead I paused, looked at the lady and sincerely asked, ‘Are you having a bad day?’ To my amazement, she began to pour out the details of her personal life that were causing trouble for her. I was so glad that I hadn’t acted on my first impulse. Her demeanor instantly softened when I asked that question. (The question I asked could be asked in an accusatory way and add to the problem.) It was one of those ‘God-moments’ when He allowed me to see the importance of responding in love and not reacting impulsively. 3. Recognize the fact that the problem may be within you and not the other person. There have been times when I’ve found myself irritated several times by other people before it finally dawned on me – ‘They aren’t doing anything wrong. I’m just in a bad mood today!’ Maybe the quality in another person that irritates you isn’t a bad quality. Maybe that person reminds you of somebody else that you’ve had trouble with in your past. Or maybe you’re just in a bad mood yourself. When you find yourself feeling irritable toward somebody else, ask the Holy Spirit this question, ‘Lord, is it me?’ You might be surprised to find out that the problem isn’t with the other person at all. Paul determined to look beyond human characteristics and see Jesus in every Christian. Mother Teresa was once asked about her work with the lepers – ‘Do you imagine that it is Jesus ministering to them when you serve them?’ ‘No,’ she answered. ‘When I look at them, I see the face of Jesus.’”

This is a good simple article on allowing Jesus/love/His peace respond through us. The are some parts where it is a little confused. I don’t think we are controlled by another, but it can feel like it at times. Either we are new creations because we are open to the fact that Jesus took the sin of the world away or we are not at this time. May it be so for our family, friends, clients, and the world.

When God Rolls By – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“Don’t allow the circumstances of your life to be what you use to determine how your Father feels about you. Circumstances can’t tell you that. If you want to know how He feels toward you, look beyond the temporal situations of life and see the cross. At the cross, you will find an expression of His divine love for you. He loves you so much that He paid the highest price to ensure that you were His for all eternity. Sometimes He shouts His love in large letters. At others times, he gently whispers His love in the recesses of our hearts. In whatever ways He chooses to speak into your life, you can be assured that you are loved. He does care . . . and nothing is ever going to change that. Listen for Him to speak to you this week and you will hear the words, ‘I love you.’ “

This is a fantastic article of encouragement when crisises happen in our lives which cause us to feel that God doesn’t love us. I pray we are all reminded by His grace at every moment that Jesus death/risenness on the cross is all we will every need to believe/experience it.

I remember Henri Nouwen, the marvelous spiritual author, once telling me personally, “Richard, if I had to describe what we mean by original sin, I believe it is humanity’s endless capacity for self-loathing.”

We were given the absolutely most magnificent gift of therapy (if I could call it that) in the Mystery of the Incarnation. If we could really believe that objectively, metaphysically we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we are the place where the Divine dwells, and that the Holy is not out there, we could save thousands of dollars in therapy and avoid years of self-doubt.

But what did we do? We made Christianity largely into what I’ve always called a worthiness contest, a moral achievement contest, at which nobody wins. All we can do is pretend. Inside of such a system, religious people are almost programmed for hypocrisy, even with the best of intentions.

Some quotes just stand on their own.

Steve McVey:

“Yep, that’s my daughter’s children! Jeremy really is a sweet boy. No, really. I’ll admit though that his train seriously jumped the track with that incident. It’s noteworthy that the first response that popped into his seven year old head was about the law and jail. The little legalist – takes after his dad’s side of the family. I’m kidding, of course, but the issue here is that it is the bent of the flesh to think in legalistic terms. Would it be wrong to do this or that? Would I be punished for doing it? We miss the point altogether. It’s not about right versus wrong or about punishment. The catalyst for our lives is to be love. When our lifestyle is grounded in our union with Triune Love, we live from that benchmark, not a set of rules that come with a corresponding set of rewards and punishment. We act lovingly because Love is our DNA. In Him we live (and love) and move and exist. So, when your own behavior jumps track at times, don’t look upward to an imaginary Judge of the Universe who stands ready to send you to jail. Look into the face of Pure Love and you’ll find yourself wanting to behave well on the basis of His attitude and actions toward you.”

THIS IS A VERY GOOD GRACE DISCIPLINE ARTICLE. However this conversation would be best had after the feelings of both kids are validated. I have found it is sometimes not necessary after the Spirit convinces the child that he is sad for the hurt caused to the sibling/friend.

Disney on ADD/ADHD.

If you are not laughing, you never met a child with either diagnosis…

Yes, I know this is a copyright violation — and it’s well on its way to being the most pirated clip in human history…

cbc.ca.

Religion is serious business, she says, and cultural elites like Hitchens are foolish if they think they can jettison it.

For one thing, she says, religion ties into the the glorious art and cultural traditions of the West. With their bare-bones, secular education, students come to university knowing nothing, Camille says. “NOTHING!” she shouts to the audience, the heavens, the ancient statues that lurk in adjacent rooms.

They don’t know Bible stories anymore (except, occasionally, for working-class students from religious homes, she said). They don’t know the story of Moses, fleeing slavery from Egypt.

How can you understand the depth of the American civil rights movement, she asks, without a regard for the religious underpinning of Martin Luther King Jr. and other clergy? “Let my people go,” which black slaves used to sing, had a great resonance that allowed them to unite their pain and longing with a powerful, religious tradition.

What do we have? Homer Simpson? O.J. Simpson? The Terminator?

And again:

Religion is serious business

It’s just a bunny trail but… It seems that even the atheists are more capable of understanding the current state of Christianity then most of the Church…

That’s true in two senses — the reality that the Church has mostly become a business, and at a deeper level as well…

For years, secular society has claimed art — and we let them (Often acting as though most of it were evil — God FORBID we should paint/photograph a nude…) They claimed music — and we held idiot-level seminars on the evils of drums in worship. They have claimed the authority on traditions and culture — and we let them — often ignoring the roots of such ourselves. Secular society reduced the world to a mechanical system — and we avoided science and the beauty/order that clearly shows a Creator. They claimed/revised history — and we allowed them to ignore spirituality throughout it. They (correctly) mocked religion — and we passively sat back and defended religion instead of reciprocally mocking their ignorance and presenting intimacy with God.

In a place where spiritual people should have stood up and been counted, we have been silent — while barking furiously about ethical issues that change nothing in a society.

Now, finally, the ultimate pathetic irony: We’ve crawled our whipped hides back into our little stained glass caves where we are sitting, licking our wounds and railing on about the evils of this world and it is now the ATHEISTS who have had to stand up and defend the cultural value of faith out of their own fear of what a truly secular society would actually look like.

TheSpec.com.

A Freelton man who describes himself as a software developer and aspiring screenplay writer is accused in a California court of running a $14-million US Ponzi scheme.

Gordon Driver and his company, Axcess Automation, are alleged to have defrauded more than 100 Canadian and American investors since 2006 by promising them weekly returns on their investment as high as 5 per cent, based on special software he says he developed to trade futures.

Among those who invested in the alleged Ponzi scheme, court documents say, are Ron and Reynold Mainse, sons of David Mainse, founder of Burlington’s Crossroads Television and 100 Huntley Street.

Reynold Mainse became interested, Driver testified, and eventually invested some money. Ron Mainse also became an investor.

In Driver’s April 23 testimony, he alleged the two Mainse brothers also acted as finders, bringing other investors to Driver.

Ron Mainse is out of the country and could not be reached for comment.

Reynold Mainse did not respond to an interview request.

(For explanation on the title, go here.)

The mothership, meanwhile, had this to say:

Well the board of Crossroads have asked me to inform you that Ron and Reynold Mainse will not be appearing on any Crossroads programming or otherwise represent Crossroads for the time being as they focus their energies on certain matters in their personal lives. They’ve stepped down from their duties until such time as the board of directors have complete understanding of all the issues related to a matter that they were involved in outside of the ministry here at Crossroads.

(Of course, immediately the right set about painting them as victims instead of the finders they were.)

Nothing ever changes:

Rather interesting how they go down in flames right after attempting to mock/silence Drew for calling them and the Church to account for a gospel of control, shame and guilt and towards a Gospel of freedom, grace and intimacy with the Father. It’s almost Luke 13 in real life:

One of my favorite heretics paraphrased Luke 13 this way:

“I tell you it is not true that these people suffered such things because they were worse sinners than any other, but I also tell you that as long as you persist in seeing it this way, your deaths will be viewed in the same [Judgment of God] way.”

If only they could have looked forward with these eyes — it wouldn’t have been Drew’s last appearance…

Let me be blunt: Any Canadian who does not desire to live in a police surveillance state should probably check this out.

The legislation itself:
Bill C-46:
Bill C-47:

Here’s three dudes who need a note from you:

The Prime Minister of Canada (Steven Harper): harper.s@parl.gc.ca
The guy who sold his soul (Peter Van Loan): vanloan.p@parl.gc.ca
Whoever your MP is: Search

It should probably look something like this: (My MP is Harper)

Dear Mr. Steven Harper and Mr. Peter Van Loan,

I believe that the introduction of legislation which will allow Canadian police to access personal information about the sender or receiver of any electronic message without a warrant is an extremely dangerous and foolish direction for our country to be moving in. I further believe that forcing business (Internet Service Providers) to become the 24/7/365 watchdogs and surveillance system of a society violates the reasonable expectation of privacy that any free society is based upon and creates a culture of fear and paranoia only matched by that of the former Soviet Union.

The very foundation of any democratically based free-society is the expectation of a system of restraints placed upon law enforcement (and those who wield power in general) based upon an understanding that no one is incorruptible. History has always proven that the absence of said restraints always creates a police state for everyone can be tempted to justify their own means if the end is sufficiently believed in. Placing the balance of effort upon law enforcement to prove that surveillance is necessary and then the burden of effort required to effect such upon their own limited resources ensures that said surveillance is only used where truly necessary.

Laws of this nature (C-64 & C-47) are always advanced under one fundamental line of logic: We must maintain the security of our free society from those who would destroy it.

While there may be some security benefit to this legislation, the effect of said legislation is, in and of itself, always a tearing apart of the fundamental freedoms that any free society is based upon to gain such — given that those powers are always handled by corruptible persons. Persons who can be bought or who, for ideological reasons, come to see this power through the lens of, “We can use this to stamp out what we don’t like or what costs us money.” (The villain of the day could be violent video games, offensive statements, religious ideas or simply the control of behavior for profit.) The end result of that security is a loss of freedom which ultimately destroys that which it claims to protect.

Franklin stated: “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”

C-64 & C-47 are the granting of inordinate power to persons who must always be considered suspect if a free and just society is to be maintained. I believe they have NO place in our country.

If there is truly any need for our private details to be accessed, a judge will see that and grant a warrant so that the police may collect those details — all by themselves.

–
Yours Truly,
Cal H. Henze, M.A.

Poemae Qui Aperio

I’ve learned that it is all of these beliefs
That they are making a prisoner out of me
I am the one who has created these walls
Now I am feeling like I want to break free

I’ve learned that even though I was living
I know that I’ve been dying to feel alive
I can say that I want more this time around
I’m starting to feel like I want to survive

I’ve learned that there is so much more
And this part of me that I thought had died
Now wants to come out and experience life
And convince me that I don’t need to hide

I’ve learned that things are not as they seem
And the lies that I was taught are not true
I am not the bad person that I thought I was
I’m a good person that bad things happened to

© Copyright www.poemaequiaperio.com

The entire site deserves a read.

It’s a single-author blog site filled with poetry from a person who, evidently, experienced some incredible abuse and is coming through it to some significant healing. If you start with the first poem (Down at the bottom) and then read them in order, they read like a road map of growth and transformation.

Wittenburg Door

Ms. Wisteria, who holds a degree in early Christian fabric and drapery design from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, worked as a model during her student days, and she came to a conclusion: Christian women needed a lingerie line that would let them look sexy but still retain that sense of modesty required for bedtime prayers and morning quiet time.

There’s a widespread misconception, she said, that Christians fear pleasure, especially sexual pleasure, and see it as degrading, corrupting and tainted.

“That’s a dirty, rotten LIE,” she yelled, stamping her foot on the marble floor.

“But it’s always so hard for a couple to transition from kneeling together in awe before the gates of heaven — praying for famine victims in Darfur, for instance, or the political situation in East Timor–and then jumping into the sack for a session of hot carnal pleasure. I wanted to help bridge that gap. That was my sacred mission.”

The result was her first popular cutting-edge design– the breakaway flannel granny gown.

If I wouldn’t take so much heat out of the fundamentalist Evangelical right (And reverends thereof), there’s a twisted part of me that would want to not bill this as the parody it is — and see how many would take it seriously.

But, having been drawn and quartered for not condemning a client who bought his wife sweaters from Victoria’s Secret, for linking to a site which sells foam wedges to support couples for love making (Especially disabled couples), for suggesting a Pyrex toy could be used to treat vaginal spasms, for suggesting that God created our ability to have fantasy and for having the nerve to suggest a sexual teaching guide (with [GASP] pencil diagrams) was not leading a couple into pornography, I must refrain — and wonder how much of the article really is parody; or if it’s history…

2007 September GraceVine – Grace Walk Ministries:::Sharing the Love & Life of Christ:

“2007 September GraceVine Grace Is Bigger Than Your Sins by Steve McVey   One of the most amazing aspects of God’s grace is the way it blows sin right off the map of our lives. Make no mistake about it – sin lost the battle with God and is now a non-entity as far as its ability to stop His purposes for the life of the Christian. Are there consequences for our sins? We have all seen that often to be the case. Do our sins disqualify us from being used by God? Not at all. David committed a horrible sin when he slept with Bathsheba, but after they were married and God wanted the temple to be rebuilt it was her son, Solomon, that He used to accomplish that project. Peter flatly denied that he even knew Jesus, but when it came time for the sermon to be preached on the day of Pentecost, he was the man who God used that day. Abraham had his wife Sarah tell a king that she was his sister so that the king wouldn’t kill him to have a chance to take her. Despite his horrible and cowardly sin, God reaffirmed His intention to make him the father of a great nation many times afterwards. The list could go on and on. It’s a strange thing to hear debate in the church today about who God can and can’t use. The fact is that God can use anybody He wants to use. I learned this truth even before I understood the grace walk. Years ago someone asked me about a certain, flamboyant TV evangelist. ‘What do you think of him?’ I was asked. ‘He’s an idiot,’ I responded in my ‘I-haven’t-learned-a-thing-about-grace’ way that was all too common back then. The woman then went on to tell me how God had used that man’s ministry to transform her life. ‘What do you think now?’ she asked. Without hesitation, I answered, ‘I guess God uses idiots!’ While my response was far from graceful, it’s true. God uses idiots. I should know. He used me despite my years of legalistic idiocy. God can use you too. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you might have done something that is so terrible that your Father can’t redeem your past and use your life for His glory. He can use you and He will use you. Jesus came to put away your sin and He fully succeeded at that. (See Hebrews 9:26) We need to stop worshipping our sins by focusing on them and glory in the finished work of the cross. God’s grace is bigger than our sins and He will use our lives for His glory. Let’s just trust Him to do it! “

This is a great article that God can work good for us despite how we act or believe!!! May His sense of control be so for our family, friends, school, churches, and clients. Now it is about feelings not deeds.

GraceAndMercy.org

Church history demonstrates that believers in every generation become enslaved to a performance basis for earning God’s approval and blessing. In other words, they believe they are right with God because they do the right things. This is a constant temptation for all who desire to please God. [...] I’ll be using the term performance basis interchangeably with the term legalism.

Because performance-based living is so deeply rooted in human nature, the entire world, not just the Christian world, is filled with people who either thrive on it or who are constantly striving to extricate themselves from it. But apart from the applied grace of God – the exact opposite of performance-based living – nothing more than superficial relief is ever realized by anyone, Christian or not.

The really entertaining thing about these guys is their background: They are specialists in bringing people out of cults. They have launched this site to take on fundamentalist Evangelical legalism — using those same skills. (See their first post)

From where I’m sitting, it looks to be about time…

This man has compressed more of what the life of Christ is into a 5 min song then most preachers get in their entire lives.

This song is a prayer set to music — the heart cry of a man who knows the Father for a people who know little of such and everything of rules, status and performance.

Along with polyphenols, this is probably one of the most significant discoveries the research community has come up with for years:

There is a free trial available here for those south of the 49th but I’m not sure about what is available to us Canucks yet…

Living longer is under the, “Ok, whatever,” category for me but the ability to be clear, active and raising hell right to the end, now THAT is interesting…

Ok, this guy needs no other intro except to have his videos posted:

His mission: “To find those with holy hand grenades up their butts and pull the pin…”

BTW: 100 Huntley St. got massive feedback over this. About 60% of the comments were hugely positive — but the other 40% (Coupled with raw cowardice) caused them to refuse to replay his interview and erase any evidence of it ever having been aired. (Not even the KGB could erase something that well.)

Think about it: 60% of those who are watching this (A massively conservative Evangelical audience to begin with) are on his page — and there is such a limited grasp of the situation the Church is in that all 100 Huntley St. can do to cope with reality is to try to deny it.

If this is any indication, the bricks and mortar church is likely already dead — it just hasn’t noticed it yet.

The Associated Press.

As dismal as murdering 60,000 late term babies (that were perfectly capable of immediately being delivered and shortly given up for adoption) is, I think I’ve discovered something even more twisted…

There’s something really bent about the psyche of an extreme right that can advocate for the death penalty, for the war in Iraqi and against an abortion that is required to save a woman’s life — and then open fire on an abortion doctor as he and his family served in their Lutheran Church.

(Someone should probably inform the Right that if all of the above is true, they are NOT even remotely Pro-Life — they are simply Pro-Birth and not particularly credible…)

There really is only one answer to this level of deluded — and Steve Taylor sang it years ago:

(Note: Before someone flips out and over reacts, SEE BELOW!!!)

I Blew Up The Clinic Real Good — Steve Taylor

I have the road in my blood
I drive a custom van
I play the tunes
I’m the neighborhood ice cream man
So don’t you mess this boy around

The other day when the clinic had it’s local debut
Some chicks were trying to picket
The doctor threatened to sue

I don’t care if it’s a baby or a tissue blob
but if we run out of youngsters
I’ll be out of a job
And so I
I did my duty
cleaning up the neighborhood
I blew up the clinic real good

Try and catch me coppers
Your stinkin’ badges better think again
Before you mess this boy around

I’ve hung in Saigon just to see the special effects
I’ve hung from gravity boots for my napoleon complex
It’s time to close
Ohhh…. There she blows.
History In the making
You picked a fight.
I pick dynamite
I blew up the clinic real good.

Preacher on a corner
Calling it a crime
The ends don’t justify the means anytime
I stood up on my van
I yelled “Excuse me, sir
Ain’t nothin’ wrong with this country
a few plastic explosives won’t cure”

FYI: Steve Taylor was a satirist who spent his life delivering cynical parodies of the Church in hopes of making at least a few of Her members think. He was confronting people who would take the law into their own hands.

PLoS ONE

A pooled weighted average of 1.97% N = 7, 95%CI: 0.86–4.45 of scientists admitted to have fabricated, falsified or modified data or results at least once –a serious form of misconduct by any standard– and up to 33.7% admitted other questionable research practices. In surveys asking about the behaviour of colleagues, admission rates were 14.12% N = 12, 95% CI: 9.91–19.72 for falsification, and up to 72% for other questionable research practices. Meta-regression showed that self reports surveys, surveys using the words “falsification” or “fabrication”, and mailed surveys yielded lower percentages of misconduct. When these factors were controlled for, misconduct was reported more frequently by medical/pharmacological researchers than others.

Considering that these surveys ask sensitive questions and have other limitations, it appears likely that this is a conservative estimate of the true prevalence of scientific misconduct.

Much of the world has a set of illusionary pictures:

(1). The religious nut job: This guy has little ability to think for himself, he follows what he is told by some establishment, he is unwilling to look at contradictory data and he lives only to win the approval of his superiors — who are controlling him. For many, if you believe in God at all, you fit here…

(2). The scientist: This man is deeply driven by a pursuit of truth. He is open minded, unswayed by superiors, profoundly rational (And non-religious) and can never be corrupted by the finances that fund his pure research. He is widely believed to possess a halo as well — but God (who of course, doesn’t exist) had nothing to do with it…

It seems definition #1 VERY often applies to both images…

What is really happening is a fundamentalist extremeification of much of the world. (Yes, that’s probably an invented word…) More and more we are seeing vast numbers of people who hold positions that are untenable and easily confronted. Yet, those people now so commonly refuse to address contrary data and, when forcibly presented with such, refuse to modify their positions. This is the definition of fundamentalism.

Often, those people, when presented with contrary data, will resort to attacking the persons presenting that data rather then even assaulting the data — to say nothing of being willing to actually address the possibility of modifying the positions they hold. Mostly, when they address the data at all, it’s addressed for purposes of vilification — not for understanding.

The myth of a pure scientist is just that — a myth. No scientist can exist without money. Piss off the grant giver = no money. Contradict the widely held scientific consensus = no money. Issue results that upset the ideologues at the university for which you work = no tenure and no money. Say something that just isn’t politically correct and infuriates some special interest group the powers that be support = political pressure from the school donors to give you no money. A successful scientist is one that usually says what he is told — sometimes he slips in truth too — when he can get away with it…

This isn’t some push to cancel science — it has so much to teach us. It’s a push to recognize science as just another religion. A belief system within which people seek truth, perform study, draw conclusions and try to impose such on others.

Like every religion, it demands a rather careful sifting — not bowing down before it…

Simple rule of thumb: If people created it, then STOP worshiping it.

Steve McVey:

“The problem with rededicating ourselves to Christ is self, which is really just another word for the self-sufficiency of the flesh. The essence of religious flesh, as strange as it might seem, is our attempt at trying to live the Christian life. That is what actually prevents us from living the Christian life. In fact, the harder we try, the greater the likelihood that we won’t succeed because victory in the Christian life doesn’t come by trying. It comes by trusting. “

This is a great reminder article we need often it is not what we do, but what Christ does through us. I disagree with, we have to trust/be dependent, but I do think we have to be OPEN to coming to Him, trust, and being dependent. May it be so

nationalpost.com.

When a teenage girl knowingly sends provocative pictures of herself to friends or a boyfriend, is she guilty of child pornography or simply practicing self-expression?

New research that looks at the criminalization of self-made images exchanged among consenting minors argues that the laws and public service campaigns designed to protect girls from becoming victims may actually be blaming the girls themselves and curbing their natural desire for sexual self-expression.

Teenagers sending provocative and even pornographic images via cellphones — a practice known as sexting — is really just a modern variation on "playing doctor or spin the bottle," Peter Cumming, an associate professor at York University in Toronto, argued in a paper on children's sexuality defending the practice.

"Technology does change things, and there can be very serious consequences," Prof. Cumming said. "But that obscures the fact that children and young people are sexual beings who have explored their sexuality in all times, and all cultures and all places. A distinction has to be made between nudity and child porn," he added.

In the last couple of months, the media suddenly seemed to discover that teens had phones (With cameras) as well as computers (With WebCams) and, as usual, the sky was falling. News outlets ran stories, prosecutors suddenly started charging girls who were even photographed in their underwear and, “Dr.” Phil commenced his usual clueless moralizing and grandstanding to shame girls into ceasing the practice of sending erotic pictures of themselves to others (Which, of course, he and others immediately commenced calling pornography.)

Ignoring the reality that this doesn’t fit any scientific definition of rage based erotica (Which Porn is). Ignoring that even under the blunt instrument of the law, nudity does not even remotely equal erotica/pornography and ignoring the raw senselessness of punishing a victim as her own perpetrator, this insanity has provided an interesting window into the collective self hatred present in the sexual psyche of North America. It’s like the veil has been violently pulled back and people are suddenly exposing the attitudes about sex that make them so uncomfortable:

Sex as a means of manipulating others.
Sex as a means of violating others.
Sex as a reason for marital failure (If marriage itself doesn’t kill sex in advance.)
Sex as pure sleaze.
Sex as a means of keeping one gender or another under your thumb.

No more are those attitudes hidden in the back room — but the weird thing is that the proponents of such are hardly hanging their heads in shame over the obvious shattered reality now visible in their belief systems. The above attitudes are actually the foundations of their sudden outrage and activism with rants about how boys will use girls, how gullible girls are for being sexual, how no one will want a girl who does this and how badly girls who do this are gonna get hurt.

As far as I can tell, this is the first researcher who has squarely faced the key question: Why are we shaming/punishing/condemning young girls for being sexual beings (Yes, very stupid ones…) instead of addressing those who would distribute the evidence of said stupidity?

The stunning irony in this entire debate is that neither Oprah, “Dr.” Phil, Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus, High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens, WiredSafety nor any of the major news outlets launched their campaign with a set of messages to young boys about respecting the sexualities of young girls, how a woman’s sexuality (especially offered to you) is a precious gift, how much of a moron you look like when you treat a girlfriend (Or her picture) like a piece of meat to hand around to your friends, how women are attracted to men of honor and how those that violate the above should be charged and educated to grow up.

Naw… Because that would expose our own attitudes about sex and, particularly, women’s sexuality. Like, perhaps the fact that we think sex is evil, dirty, sick and nasty — and you should only do it with the one you love…

Gospelrevolution.com

Most of our lives do not play out the way Imus', Jimmy Swaggert's, Ted Haggard's, Bill Clinton's, Michael Richard's, Mel Gibson's, or any other high profile person's does under the glare of the public's spotlight. But play out they do. Still, to whom much is given much is required. When you have a bigger platform, and take that platform for criticizing other human beings for being less than you are as opposed to criticizing what they think or teach, then your "fall" will be greater.

We cannot recommend living a life of condemning others as less than ourselves. We tried. It is not a positive existence. We are not holier than anyone. Neither is anyone holier than we. Because all of our potential and perceived evil was paid for by the Blood of Christ. Plus, all of our holiness has been imputed to us by Him.

I went to see this guy this weekend. He’s a very interesting speaker — and a guy who has been through the fire for actually having the courage to read his Bible for himself instead of just regurgitating what he had been fed. His site is no less interesting.

So much has been written about Jesus in two different channels — it’s easy to see Him as a little MPD (Now the politically correct term is DID).

On the one hand, Jesus is presented as a guy who loved everyone, who went around healing people and drawing the hearts of the broken towards Him. (The subtext under this particular presentation is usually, “Shut up and be tolerant.”)

On the other, He is presented as a guy who ripped the religious leaders a new one and who braided up a whip (Properly translated, probably actually a flog) of cords, stalked into an area the size of a city block, physically attacked people, whipped animals and functionally leveled the place. (The subtext under this presentation is clearly, “Look out sinner, unless you straighten up, you’re next.”)

The result of this has been a Church split into two camps: The nearly fascist rantings of Fundamentalist Evangelical Christianity and the passive moralizing or lukewarm social activism of Mainstream Christianity and Roman Catholicism. Neither, to say the least, is having much impact on our society — except as fuel for the fires of comedy…

But, if you actually stop and look beyond the stereotyping, you see a different Jesus: He’s a Jesus who loved everyone (Even his murderers), who was willing to lower Himself to serve/heal anyone and who really did die to redeem the whole world to Himself — and He’s a Jesus who was ruthlessly and aggressively intolerant of the ideas and hypocrisy of people who would act like they were holy, judge/condemn from that platform, violate the hearts of others and/or suffocate them with religion. But, even those people, He still loved.

I wonder what our world would look like if every believer on the planet was willing to walk his/her naked, unzipped and unarmed heart into the homes, bars, back alleys, crack houses, sexual chaos and relational brokennesses of people and simply love and minister the healing power of Christ to those they find there (instead of moralizing at them) while, en mass, also standing up to the hypocrisy of the religious/political leadership and demanding truth out of them?

YouTube

Something I wish every proponent of this technique would try…

What is striking is that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times while being interrogated by the CIA. One would think that sometime about say time #20 or so, someone would have clued into the reality that it’s not working (torture really doesn’t work) and tried something like real interrogators use…

CNN.com

Liberty University, the evangelical school in Virginia founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, is drawing heat Friday for its decision to revoke recognition of the College Democrats’ chapter on campus.

According to the Lynchburg News & Advance, the school decided a week ago the organization “stood against the moral principles” held by the school and therefore could no longer be sanctioned.

Maria Childress, the staff adviser to the club, told the paper the school — which opposes abortion rights and gay marriage — had issues with the Democratic Party platform.

Childress says she was told by Mark Hine, the vice president of student affairs, that “‘You can’t be a Democrat and be a Christian and be a university representative.’”

Ironic isn’t it — a Fundamentalist Evangelical College called Liberty University which purported to be founded for the protection of freedom and the American Way uses its political clout to silence two of the most fundamental of American rights: Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Association…

The experts, in their inestimable wisdom, have spoken: Obama, along with his wife and beautiful children, apparently is going to hell…

Here’s some links to help you with your Hackintosh shopping list:

http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/HCL_10.5.6 (Most recent Hardware List)

http://hackintosh.org/ (General info)

http://www.hackint0sh.org/ (A superior site — Tons of info)

http://www.osx86project.org/

Yes, we all know Apple thinks this is naughty — of course, we also all know they need to get off their butts and manage even the simple feat of putting a quad core processor in a real machine (To say nothing of the next gen of chips) so we are not forced to this.

The Daily Beast

Maine this week became the fifth state, and the fourth in New England, to legalize gay marriage, provoking yet another national debate about same-sex unions. The Lessins’ advocacy group, the Maui-based World Polyamory Association, is pushing for the next frontier of less-traditional codified relationships. This community has even come up with a name for what the rest of the world generally would call a committed threesome: the “triad.”

Unlike open marriages and the swinger days of the 1960s and 1970s, these unions are not about sex with multiple outside partners. Nor are they relationships where one person is involved with two others, who are not involved with each other, a la actress Tilda Swinton. That’s closer to bigamy. Instead, triads—”triangular triads,” to use precise polyamorous jargon—demand that all three parties have full relationships, including sexual, with each other. In the Lessins case, that can be varying pairs but, as Sasha, a psychologist, puts it, “Janet loves it when she gets a double decker.” In a triad, there would be no doubt in Elizabeth Edwards’ mind whether her husband fathered a baby out of wedlock; she likely would have participated in it.

But, But, But — they PROMISED!!! They were so sure it wouldn’t be a slippery slope…

PracticalHappiness.com:

” PracticalHappiness.com is dedicated to providing the most practical and effective dating and relationship advice on all aspects of dating and relationships for men and women. Do not settle for generic, mainstream, useless dating advice, driven by marketing and by telling people what they like to hear.

From becoming more attractive to the opposite sex, eye contact with women, pick-up lines, meeting and talking to singles, to other very useful dating tips and relationship advice for men, such as first date tips, how to flirt, on-line dating tips, confidence with women, self-esteem, insecurities and fear of rejection, advice on long-term relationships, including dealing with jealousy, commitment issues, escaping the friends zone with women,cheating and breaking up to advice for women on becoming a more attractive woman to men, being a classy woman, meeting quality single men, and other dating and relationship tips for women – this site will guide you toward finding answers to your most troubling dating and relationship questions.”

A client just asked for information on this subject and I figured I’d post the grand master…

Over the years I’ve seen a lot of information in this area — most has been driven by the pursuit of cash and has usually tell people what they want to hear — not what actually works.

This guy is giving most of his advice away for free — and it’s mostly quality.

nakedpastor:

“Kathy said, on May 11th, 2009 at 3:51 pm Cynicism at its’ finest. I love it! I just discovered your blog about a week ago and am really enjoying it. I am not a fan of the bricks-and-mortar church. Church to me is what happens every Thursday night in our small group.

I’m in the west but maybe some day will visit your church. We have a mutual friend-Shane.

Ray the Recovering Cynic said, on May 11th, 2009 at 4:01 pm True story from a pastor friend of mine: apparently the day after his paternal great-grandfather’s death, the local priest dropped by Granddad’s house … and the first words out of said priest’s mouth were, ‘how much money did he leave to the church?’

Granddad left the church that day, and never returned. A soul was lost.

nakedpastor said, on May 11th, 2009 at 4:12 pm ray: the priest’s?”

Ok, I’ve posted some of the comments — but you really need to follow the link to see the comic. It’s just too true.

The last comment — by the Rev himself — had only one error. It should have been followed by a period.

I’m adding this guy to my blog roll…