Learning Joy

So I’ve kind of been on a Newsboys kick lately. I have all their albums in my Zune, and listen to a lot of them while at work. 🙂
Here’s a song I really like ~

In Christ Alone
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost it’s grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Brought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

Hence I cannot be silent and indeed I ought not to be about the many blessings and the great grace which the Lord has deigned to bestow on me.
Saint Patrick

I’m making corned beef and cabbage … I’ll let you know how it turns out. Why do we eat that on St. Patty’s Day anyway?

Are ya wearin’ green? What do you do for St. Patrick’s Day?

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember: Amateurs … built the ark and Professionals … built the Titanic.

The more time we spend with God, the more boldly we will come to Him because the more time we spend with Him, the less we will do the things that cause us to have to come to Him broken.

Wouldn’t it be great if we wouldn’t ever need to come to God broken because we sinned? I think I’d like that. 🙂

Last night Jef & I watched this video on “The Great Global Warming Swindle”. It is a really good movie. If you have high-speed Internet, you should take the time to watch it. (it’s about an hour and a half long) Click on the name of the movie to go there.
The things that bothered me most were how people in third-world countries aren’t getting anything. Here in the twenty-first century, everyone in the world should have electricity, or at the least access to it. Their lack of electricity should not be due to the fact that they cannot get it, but because they choose not to have it (like the Amish). Even the Amish have houses and stay warm in the winter and their babies & women don’t die from smoke inhalation. The section of the movie that talks about the people in Africa who don’t have even the basics really got to me. What’s so sad is, not very far away from that area, there was a conference on global warming. The people flew in on jets, stayed in nice hotels and ate expensive meals. Why didn’t they stay home, save the money & teleconference? The money they spent could have done so much for those poor people!
I think I’m going to watch this again today. I’ll write more later.

Have you ever seen “Roman Holiday” or “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”?
“Roman Holiday” is a favorite movie of mine. It stars Audrey Hepburn & Gregory Peck. The movie was filmed in 1953, and I think the setting is within that time frame. The basic plot is Princess Ann (played by Hepburn) is tired of the rules and regulations of monarchy. She runs away & runs into Joe Bradley (Peck), who, incidentally, is a newspaper reporter in need of a good story. The movie’s moral is that one must do what one must do, and not give in to selfishness. It reckons to a time gone by when one’s duty was more important than one’s feelings.
Last night, we watched “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”. Neither of us had seen it before, but we love Katherine Hepburn, so we thought we needed to see it. This movie stars Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier & Katharine Houghton. It was filmed and set in 1967. The movie’s basic plot is centered around Joanna (aka “Joey”) (Houghton) and John (Poitier) getting married. They stop in at Joanna’s parents’ house to “gauge the reaction” to their falling in love & wanting to be married. Thus ensues a night of turmoil, for both sets of parents and for John. The movie’s moral is that one needs to do what one feels is right. This movie is a nutshell of the baby boomer’s belief system.
Joanna is a ditz and doesn’t seem concerned about anyone or anything else. She can’t even think to allow her parents some time to get to know John or anything.

… Now I’ve run out of time, so I will have to write more about this later. Tell me what you think.

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love.

Okay, so I don’t believe in reincarnation. Just had to state that. This quiz is funny, though! You just tell them what you do and they give you what you did in a past life! Totally random. Kinda like karma and all that. 🙂 I’m glad God is in charge of things. Oswald Chambers says this, “God is never in a panic. Nothing can be done that He is not absolute master of, and no one in earth or heaven can shut a door He has opened, nor open a door He has shut. God alters the inevitable when we get in touch with Him.” That’s better than leaving things to the fates, or trying to perfect your karma, now isn’t it?
Here is what I was in a past life. Tell me what you think!!

In a Past Life…

You Were: A Famous Fortune Teller. Where You Lived: Australia. How You Died: Hung for treason.

even if you aren’t retired!
(sent to me by Dad)

The Joy of Being Retired

Working people frequently ask retired people what they do to make their days interesting.
Well, for example, the other day I went downtown and went into a shop. I was only in there for about 5 minutes and when I came out there was a cop writing out a parking ticket. I went up to him and said, “Come on, man, how about giving a retired person a break”? He ignored me and continued writing the ticket. I called him a “Nazi .” He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having worn tires. So I called him a “doughnut eating Gestapo.” He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he started writing a third ticket. This went on for about 20 minutes. The more I abused him, the more tickets he wrote. Personally, I didn’t care. I came downtown on the bus and the car that he was putting the tickets on had a bumper sticker that said “Hillary in ’08.”
I try to have a little fun each day now that I’m retired. It’s important to my health.

Where You Belong / Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
By: Newsboys

When you´re dull from all that glitters,
when you´re thoughts have a hollow ring,
when you can´t escape from the feeling
you’re getting it wrong…

All your foolproof plans seem foolish,
all your status is status quo,
all your really need to know
is where you belong.

Chorus
Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in his wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow
strangely dim in the light
of his glory and grace.

I was used to the cold for so long
that I couldn´t feel anything.
And I shivered and stared like a beggar
who won´t lift his hands.
I was numb until he touched me.
I was deaf until he heard.
I was senseless ´til I met the one
who understands.