Recycled into New Creations

by: Joanna G. Wright
Our hearts need to be recycled too.

"Mommy, what's that big orange container?" My curious 5-year-old asked as she peered out the front window. "That's our recycling bin," I said. "We clean out cans and bottles that can be recycled and place them in the bin." "Is the bin for that big orange truck?" she asked. "That's right! They take the stuff in the bin to the recycling plant where they turn it into more cans and bottles. It helps keep stuff from going in the trash where it's never used again."

I've always strived to teach my children about being a good steward of the earth God gave us. In Genesis, God told Adam he's in charge. And Genesis 1:26 not only says we are made in God's image but that we're given the charge to care for all the earth and everything in it.

VIEW STORY HERE!!!

The Princess or the Pain?

by: MOPS President Naomi Cramer Overton
Encouraging someone is a way to help heal others on our planet.

The Princess: "Hurry up, you're slow." The voice caught my ear, and I turned around. A dad stood next to the hotel elevator, talking to the same little girl I'd seen four times in the last two days. I'd guess she was about 4-years-old. Her dark curls and silvery plastic princess crown had drawn my eye each time I'd crossed her path. "Not that button, stupid," her dad said, as she pushed the up instead of the down arrows. I cringed. Each time I'd seen her, this girl's parents had spoken harshly and demeaned her value.

Angered, I wanted to tell the man to appreciate this girl—to notice she was trying to listen. Yet, I doubted that would help, and it might cause him to unleash his anger on me or, worse, on her. Wanting to offer some kindness, I smiled at the little girl and said, "I like your crown."

She looked up. Then she gave me just the faintest of smiles—her lips upturning at the edges. A ding sounded, and then she and her dad disappeared into the elevator. The doors closed.

The Pain: Even now, the pain I shared for a moment with this girl lingers.

THE STORY HERE!!

Your Beautiful Story

by: Lisa Bevere

Daughter of God… you are woven into a God’s beautiful story. You are set apart and your life tells a story.

Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16 NIV)

But what story do you want to tell? Mother, what legacy would you leave behind for your children? Beloved, what is your love story? My children have something more in them. I catch it in the faraway glimpses of their eyes. I hear its voice in the music that moves them. I want my life to speak to them in a way they can understand. Love alone crosses all boundaries of time.

Though we cannot determine how our stories begin, we are very much a part of how they will end. Never doubt, there is a wrestling match taking place for how your tale will close. More often than not, happy endings come only after there has been a battle waged with evil. In our world, very little good happens without some sort of fight. Each and every day could be likened to a page. We are the writers who craft the stories with our words and choices. This is but one of the reasons why stories speak so powerfully to us.

When Jesus walked the earth as a man, He was a master story teller. He packaged timeless messages in word pictures. He used parables, natural law, and real-life experiences to teach His audiences about His Father’s kingdom. He wanted the truth to be heard within the framework of living, progressive pictures. He took the abstract and made it tangible and embraceable in the everyday.

We could almost say stories are the original form of movies, because as plots develop, we find our minds moving from one scene to the next. We do not merely hear or read stories; we see them as only we can. In the secret places of our hearts and minds, they take form. Within the framework of our imaginations, characters are cast with whom only we can identify. They move freely and fill in the blanks as the story unfolds.

So what about your story? Before the most exciting parts of your story can be realized, you must first discover your role. I am afraid far too often a true casting never happens. We float through life, hoping someone else will tell us what parts we are to play. There is great potential for danger when we make others responsible for our happiness. God is the ultimate storyteller who wants to reveal His love story in you. He has written your role and scripted the desires of your heart.

What story have you been living? Or more importantly, whose story have you been living? Have you been allowing others to dictate your life’s story or are you allowing God to dictate His grand story for your life?

Remember that the end of your story is not yet written. Even now you are crafting your tale with your words and choices. The world is watching to see which story you will be apart of.

In the Wake of Suicide

A book, "In the Wake of Suicide", written by Diane Kaulen, gives insight and direction concerning death of a loved one by suicide. This book can help young children deal with not only suicide, but by also helping them understand that God can help them through ANY tragedy that they may face in their lives.

Check out her website HERE for her amazing book!!

The Scars of Easter

by: Paul Brand with Philip Yancey

He knows the wounds of humanity. His hands prove it.

Isaac Newton said, "In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God's existence." After 40 years as a surgeon specializing in hands, I am tempted to agree. Nothing in all nature rivals the hand's combination of strength and agility, tolerance and sensitivity. We use our hands for the most wonderful activities: art, music, writing, healing, touching.
BEAUTIFUL STORY HERE!!!

WAKE UP CALL

I arise today
Through God's strength to direct me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak to me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me from snares of devils.

From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in a multitude.

—Attributed to St. Patrick, from "The Deer's Cry" (St. Patrick's Breastplate), translated by Kuno Meyer

St. Patrick

Saint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century, and is often confused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ.

Saint Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works, the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a "most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God."

SEE MORE HERE!!!

Who are you? And how does it affect your body?

by: Julia Havey
I have to share this with you, I read it today and love it!

"Traditional dieting strategies don't work for emotional eaters
because the psychological aspects of weight management aren't fully
addressed by most plans. Most diet programs don't deal with self-
sabotage and the real reasons why we knock ourselves off track. To
achieve lasting weight management success, emotional eaters need to
go through the following four stages of change.

D - Discover: The first step is to discover our hidden emotional
obstacles and understand the food-feelings connection that makes
balanced eating so difficult. It's essential to tune in to our inner
selves before we can attempt to change our outer appearance. We need
to identify the self-defeating thoughts and attitudes, that lead us
to sabotage our success with such frustrating regularity. Discovery
is crucial because it's impossible to win the weight war until we
know who the enemy really is.

I - Invent: Once we've discovered the emotional issues and self-
defeating ways of thinking that have always stood in our way, we
need to invent a new way of managing our lives and ourselves. It's
time to break free from old habits and standard modes of operating.
This requires that we invent healthier, more nurturing ways of
thinking to combat those self-defeating tendencies.

E - Extinguish: The next step is to extinguish the old, unhealthy
ways of thinking, feeling and perceiving as we adopt our newly-
invented life plan. Healing old wounds and building new skills will
help us deal with life's troubles head on and decrease our reliance
on food.

T - Transform: Our final task is to transform our new insights,
skills and healing into a positive lifestyle that emphasizes healthy
food choices and regular exercise. After much hard work, one of my
clients got to this stage and said, "I'm at the point now where
exercising and eating right are emotionally uncomplicated. " What she
meant was that she at last felt free of her old emotional shackles
and could now make the commitment necessary for the long-term task
of successful weight management.

The D.I.E.T. Plan is a sometimes tough - but necessary - process for
those of us with emotional eating issues. Remember: Until you deal
with the issues, you can't tackle the fat."

---author unknown

I don't know who wrote this but I LOVE it nonetheless! After having
lost 130 pounds and struggling like most women to KEEP it off, I
know the issues we face first hand.

The self-discovery aspect of the weight loss journey is perhaps the
most important part. That's what my journal (part of the 26-week program) is full of--pages of self discovery! It isn't enough to say you want to lose weight,
you must get to the root of why you gained it in the first place and
what it might be doing for you. What do I mean by that? In the 10
years that I have been trying to help obese and overweight women to
get healthier, to give up their most unhealthy habits or "vices" I
have found that for many women the excess weight serves as a shield
from getting hurt--or atleast they think it is sparing them. When in
reality, the excess weight harms health, hurts self-esteem and
sometimes hinders personal growth.

It is time to reinvent yourself and your future! Extinquish poor
health and excess pounds from your life and in doing so you will
transform into the person you know you can be!

For me, my 20's found me weighing around 300 pounds. My 30's were my
thinnest years, getting down to as low as 160. My forties? Well,
after 4 failed pregnancies and more progestrone pumped into me than
the law should allow to try and do what nature didn't want me to; I
gained 25 of my hard fought pounds back--and I can tell you this; it
is harder to lose weight over 40 than at any other time in my life.
But, the good news is, it can be done! I am close to my goal, but
not there yet--but I know this much, my self-discovery has been
worth every pound--up and down and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I like body, I love myself, I love my life. I saw a video of myself
yesterday and I am not aging the way I want! My chin? What happens
as we get older that it sort of goes from chin to neck rather than a
sculpted chin of youth? Argh! If it's not one thing, it's another!

I guess that's the good thing about self discovery and self
improvement, it never really has a finish line.

http://www.vicebustingdiet.com/

How to Decorate Easter Eggs!

A hint from Tuula in Port Orford, Oregon: "When drying eggs, use bleach container lids - they are just the right size and don't make a ring around the bottom of the egg."

MORE HERE!!!

Meaning of Easter

As Christmas is celebrating Jesus' birth, Easter is celebrating Jesus' victory over death and mankind's hope for eternal life.

The highlights behind the Easter story include Jesus' execution, His burial and, most importantly, His rising from death.

The account of Jesus' rising from death was recorded in the most authoritative historical records, the Gospel books: Three days after His death, a few women first found His tomb empty. Then Jesus appeared in front of these women and His disciples, talking and eating with them. Out of doubts still, one disciple did not believe Jesus was alive again until he actually touched Jesus' fatal wounds. In the following forty days, hundreds of people witnessed this Jesus who had returned from death until He ascended to Heaven.

Before His death, Jesus had promised eternal life to those who followed Him. If the story ended at His death, Jesus would have been no more than a religious figure with a finite life span. But the fact the Jesus rose from death demonstrated He has the power over death, and only through Him can people have hope for eternal life. Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

• To learn more about Jesus' death and rising, click here.
• For a brief summary of Jesus' life, click here.
• For a clear and concise introductory course on Jesus, click here.

Is God with-holding something you need?

By Anita Carman, Founder and President of Inspire Women

Do you feel there is something missing in your life? Perhaps you are a child who never had your family's favor. Perhaps you are an employee who has been overlooked. Perhaps you are a leader who thinks you should be further ahead than you are. Perhaps you wish you had the kind of relationships and friends others seem to have. Perhaps you wish you had the youth and health of yesteryears. Does your heart long for a position, a ministry, a house, an inheritance, a clean bill of health, a relationship? Do you feel God is with-holding something from you? Let us hear from King David who was a man after God's own heart and learn to live in the freedom he discovered.

King David said in Ps 144:3-4: LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow. NIV

Oh Faithful One, no matter what your dreams are, the fact remains that your time on this earth is microscopic compared to God's eternal timeline. Whatever you have your heart set on, what God wants to do is to carry us into being part of His dream that will live on for eternity. Below is what David's observation can teach us:

1. What is man that God cares for us? The fact that God gives us anything should make us stop in our tracks and celebrate. The God of the Universe looked our way and chose to bless us. He blessed us with the greatest gift of all, that of giving us His one and only son who paid the full penalty of our sins. In light of that, all other gifts pale by comparison. This doesn't mean we should not ask God for what our heart longs for. However, we should ask for this with the full confidence that we are appealing to one who has not spared His most precious gift of His one and only son who died for us. Therefore, we ask knowing God has a track record of generous giving towards us. We also ask with the full humility that "God, you don't need to do one more thing for me but should you choose to grant this desire of my heart, I would be most grateful."

2. What is man that God thinks of him? Not only does God care to provide for our needs, He also thinks about us. What thoughts go through God's mind when He thinks about us? In David's case, one thought God had for David was to give him the opportunity to assist his son in building the temple. Observe, however, that Solomon was doing something God cared about. Instead of indulging those who are not surrendered to God, may our lives be about investing in those who are building what God cares about! In the midst of your relationships, will you make the choice to pour your emotional energies and resources into those who are serving God? In your waiting places and personal challenges, will you look for opportunities to encourage others so they can serve at their potential?

The fact is, when God thinks about us, His heart is always for the world. He blesses us in order that we can bless others. No matter how small we try to make our world by focusing on our own needs, God's Spirit will continue to enlarge our thinking. I wonder today if you are clinging on to details and relationships that are too small compared to the eternal world of your heavenly Father. Is it time for you to step into God's world?

3. What could God possibly do with man whose days are like a shadow? Buildings that go up can be knocked down. Businesses that thrive one day can go under the next. The only thing that matters is when we allow our successes to invest in those who share the message of eternal life with others. It is only when we rescue the perishing and lead them to having their names in God's book of Life that our lives have counted for something eternal. Oh Faithful One, instead of allowing all the details of the world to consume and distract you, how can you align your successes with God's eternal agenda? Then when you step into eternity, nothing has changed. In fact, you have simply stepped from an eternal agenda on earth to your place of eternity in your heavenly Father's kingdom.

Warm Hands, Warmed Hearts

Moms and kids are a powerful team when it comes to serving others.
By July Palpant

Straight from St. Kitts, a tropical island in the Caribbean, Juneve, a 9-month-old boy with Down's syndrome came to the United States for club foot surgery. At the time, we served as a foster family for Healing the Children, a national organization bringing children to the U.S. for surgeries not available in their own countries. We welcomed this plump, dark-skinned bundle of joy into our midst.

MORE TO THIS STORY!!!

Easter this year is: Sunday March 23, 2008

<>As you may know, Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20).

This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.

Found out a couple of things you might be interested in! Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above!). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here are the facts:

<> * The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).

* The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!

Hope you all have a Blessed Easter!

MORE INFO HERE!

Quote by Patrick Kallestad, ReignDown USA

"All too often the church has been so quick to judge others before they look closely at themselves and the division that creates. We believe, as Christians, we need to be the first to say "I'm Sorry" for passing judgment and remember to love our brothers and sisters first and foremost."

A Dime to Call Home

by Marianne Coyne

For those of us who grew up in the fifties and sixties, we may remember the traditional dime to call home. When I was a young girl, my mother always made sure that no matter where I was , I had a dime to call home. As I reached the teenage years, venturing out into the world of school plays, church dances, and the exciting, yet daunting world of dating, my parents impressed upon me the importance of that little dime.

It was the silver cord which could connect me to them at anytime; the life line between me and the safety and care of my home and family. "Here's a dime, my mother would say. "If you need to come home, just call us and we will come for you.” I would tuck the little dime safely into my coin purse, and off I'd go into the world beyond. I suppose I never really thought of having to use it, but I think it was a comfort to know it was there. If I ever needed or wanted to contact my parents, I could. The sole purpose of that little dime was to connect me with my parents who loved me more than anyone, and wanted me safe and secure. If, while out, I spent the dime on something other than its particular purpose, my parents would say, "Why did you spend that dime? It's there for an emergency. What if you needed to call us and you couldn't!"

One day I was reminded of the dime, and I thought of its analogous representation for Christ, whose sole purpose is to connect us to our heavenly Father. Our Divine Parent gave us Christ to be tucked away securely within our hearts; ready to connect us whenever needed to His Father and ours. But unlike the dime our earthly parents gave to us, Christ is not meant to connect us in time of need only. We have a Parent who wants us to "call home" at all times; for guidance, understanding, safety, and above all, love. He is a Parent waiting and willing to come to where we are and take us home no matter what the circumstance or conditions. He is a Parent who patiently gives us His love, His gifts, His very Self. And the "dime" He has given us is perpetual; not one, which when used once, needs to be replaced.

Throughout the Gospels we hear of all those who used that precious Dime to call home to God, and their Father came and took them back from wherever situations led them; from disease and failure, and even from death. Whenever they looked to Christ, they were given the safety, security, and peace of their Father. A fringe of His robe, a touch of His hand, a word from His mouth was the "dime".

We had faith in the little dime given to us by our parents. The cell phone generation may not understand the significance of the dime, but I pray they understand the significance of Christ. So the next time we go forth into the world of a new day, and our Parent asks us if we have our Dime to call home, I hope we can say, "Yes, Father, He's right here, safely tucked in my heart."

copyright©2008 Marianne Coyne

The History of Valentine's Day

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

READ MORE HERE!!!

QUOTE by Billy Ray Cyrus

"I am at peace with my life—past, present and future," he says. "I know all things that are good come from Almighty God above. I count my blessings every single day. Every day I pray God will show me the doors He wants me to walk through, the people He wants me to talk to, the songs He wants me to sing. I want to be the light He wants me to be in this world."

Happy Valentine's Day

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

• 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

• 13:5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

• 13:6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

• 13:7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

• 13:8 Love never fails.

•

The Long Way Home

by: Marianne Coyne

Two weeks ago I decided to start walking. I'm not a fan of exercise for the most part, but walking is something I can actually do without feeling like I'm torturing myself. I like the distraction of the chirping birds, the sound of the breeze in the trees, and the cool air caressing and encouraging me along. Since I had been sedentary for most of the past summer and autumn, I thought walking would be a good way to build up my depleting stamina and muscle tone. So off I ventured with vim and confidence into the fond world of mazes called the "subdivision". I even decided to explore parts of the new neighborhood I hadn't in previous walking ventures. On my return home I was thrilled and proud of myself to discover I had walked for forty-five minutes the first day (It doesn't take much to thrill me). I was on my way to better health!

On the third day, however, while returning home, my confidence level and rare sense of adventure tempted me to try a different road. It seemed logical to me that it would take me to my destination, until I realized that I was headed in the opposite direction. I decided not to worry (another rare moment). I'll just turn here and I'll be back on the right track. I couldn't have been more wrong. I ended up in a maze of winding streets, most of which were labeled "no outlet". I walked and walked, trying my best to keep my composure, but to no avail; each street I turned down seemed to mock my efforts. My body was "telling" me it was long past my forty-five minute jaunt. I was tired, thirst began to rear it's nagging head, and I had not a hint of being closer to home. At this point I started to - how should I say this; oh yes – panic! "I don't know where I am", I let out in a voice of despair. Then I caught hold of myself and said, "You don't know where you are, but God does, and so does that vulture flying overhead". And for some bizarre reason it comforted me to know that Someone and something could see the bigger picture that was hidden from me. Pulling on that strength, and walking a bit longer, I finally came full circle to the street which led home. As I approached my destination I was tempted to look back - and I thought, "No, don't be like the Israelites in the desert. Don't look back. Just keep looking forward".

As I walked in faith that day, I was reminded how similar my situation was to Life. Walking along our merry way through life we may become over confident with ourselves and take a wrong "turn"; or perhaps we decide to take a risk we normally would never take, only to find ourselves on an unknown path which seems to take us farther and farther from our original purpose and perfect goal. Our own recovery efforts seem to fail, leaving us with the "I don't know where I am" sick feeling in the pit of our being. But God always knows where we are. He never loses sight of us or our purpose in life. He's patient enough to wait for us to reach out to Him, and loving enough not to gloat over us in our eventual humbled state. Once we remember that and make the decision to call upon Him, He is more than able to put us back on the right path. We may be worn out from the ill-guided journey, but even in that, our beloved Father is able to renew us back to strength and confidence; a confidence in ourselves through Him. Though once we're returned onto the right path in life, we mustn't keep looking back. Let's just be aware we've come a long way without the temptation to turn our heads. Keep looking ahead.

Now when I walk, I think of it as I would life's journey. I don't look back to see how far I've come, (at least not more than once), and I don't look too far up the road that I become overwhelmed. I just look far enough ahead where I'm still in the present. It keeps up my stamina and it's so much healthier in every way. Oh, and if I decide to be a little adventurous, I read the signs more carefully before turning down an unknown road, and I make sure I take along my Supreme Compass.

Copyright©2008Marianne Coyne

Minnie Pauz; If you don't get it, you ain't there yet!

GET THE HUMOR HERE!