A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....06-25-03....Hall of Fame #4

Billie

[Dubya]

Federal Reserve policymakers are widely expected to cut key interest
rates to their lowest level in 45 years Wednesday, giving a nudge to
the sluggish US economy. Market analysts are divided, however, on
whether the Fed will announce a quarter- or half-percentage-point trim
at the conclusion of their two-day meeting. After a dozen cuts since
2001, the bellwether federal funds rate stands at 1.25 percent.

[ST.LOUIE1]

Billie, this wonderful day could not have happened had it not been for our beautiful Ms.D'Bear
She put 'everything' together in her own stylish way and pounced when the timing was right. She even beat Aeronot. (sp?)LOL

Thank you, fuzzy, for all of your hard work in bringing this together.

You deserve a....

[Billie]

Does this surprise remind you of our Great Hijacking Efforts in 1998 - and Freeper Island?

You were in on this, too? :)

Yes! It does! (but we never hijacked a thread unless it needed it LOL) I am reminded of a comment some FReeper made on a thread that got completely side-tracked: "This is a nice thread - what was it about?"

Thanks, Maggie! I love you, too!

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Billie.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

[Billie]

Thank you for the birthday wishes, CD - haven't seen you in a while, so am especially flattered. :)

[Dubya]

"If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?" (Psalm 130:3, NIV).

---

A Smog in my Soul

by Robert J. Morgan

One day, as I was caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic, my mind inhaled a dense cloud of "spiritual smog." Feelings of guilt filtered through my heart like toxic fumes, choking it with regret and raw memories. I was en route to an early-morning breakfast, and I hadn't slept well. Too much on my mind. Too busy. My defenses were low, and the poisonous vapors seeped in.

I recalled a cruel word that I had written about a woman who was now dead. I saw the face of a man, name forgotten, whom I had struck in a moment's passion. I remembered my failure to witness to Christ before a neighbor who later committed suicide. Acts, thoughts and habits -- some only recently confessed to God -- came to mind. I felt sick.

Christians are often seized by guilt for sins that are already confessed and forgiven. Like many other believers, I have felt sadness, shame, lingering regret, wafting depression -- smog in my soul. It's one thing to confess sin; it's another thing to accept forgiveness.

The Psalmist David said, "My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly" (Psalm 38:4-5, NIV). David, too, lived with regret.

But as I gripped my steering wheel, another of David's psalms came to mind -- Psalm 103:12: "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12, NIV).

The distance between east and west is infinity. The two never meet. Charles Spurgeon wrote, "If sin be removed so far, then we may be sure that the scent, the trace, the very memory of it, must be entirely gone."

I pondered this. When God forgives sin, he forgives it completely -- as though it had never occurred.

But when I continue to brood over sin that God has already forgiven, I underestimate his love, doubt his grace and discount the scope of his pardon. It is as though I fear that the death of Jesus Christ is not adequate, that his blood is too weak, to justify me.

Accepting God's forgiveness, on the other hand, aligns my thinking to God's Word. It separates my sin from my forgiveness by the distance of infinity.

Psalm 103:12 dispersed my noxious thoughts. As my mind cleared, so did the traffic, and I traveled on with joy.


Prayer
Lord, we are thankful that You do not keep records of our sin. Help us to remember that You have completely forgiven our sins and wiped them away. Remind us today of the power of Jesus' sacrifice for our sin, so that we may live without regret. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

[MHGinTN]

Happy Birthday, pretty Lady! ... The words of a Rod Stewart song come to mind at this point ... 'Forever young' ... my voice isn't as gravelly as his, but I sang it out loud anyway. As we say up here in the mountains, 'God bless you real good on your special Day, Billie.'

[Billie]

Dubya, thank you so much. :)

[Pippin]

I'll try but I can't find it on my favorites column. when I clicked on the link I thought was it, it kept saying that the page was unavailable.

[Billie]

What a sweet thing to say, Leni! I'll save you 'one' of the end pieces - thank goodness, there's more than one on a round layer cake!

[jwfiv]

Another special, fine day we find ourselves in...good morning to all our Hostesses and all Friends and neighbors.

Happy Birthday to Billie!

[JustAmy]

Surprise ...... hope it is the happiest ever.

[Billie]

Yes, you did it. :)

And that cake may not be real pretty, but it looks pretty good. :) What I really want is the one that Mo1 promised to bring yesterday though. :)

[The Thin Man]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BILLIE!

                                                                    Enjoy your cake! :-)

[Billie]

Thank you, Pippin. You are all too sweet to do this. And yes, I was TOTALLY surprised. :)

[jwfiv]

Hi, dear Pippin...a bluish sky here today...hope your corner of Freeperville is simply PERFECT...)

[JustAmy]

L O L

[Billie]

..... but Louie made us do it, Billie, ....honest! That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. LOL!

Payback for his surprise whole BIRTHDAY THREAD!!! (he said he would 'get me' for that!)

[Mama_Bear]

Billie, this wonderful day could not have happened had it not been for our beautiful Ms.D'Bear

Oh, shucks.......you're giving me way too much credit. (But, I'm sure not going to turn down that smoooochie hug........you can plant one of them on me any time, LOL) ;-)

This was a JOINT effort, but you, dear wolf, were the instigator. (Even though it looks like our sweet and gracious Billie isn't going to yell at us, I'm still stickin' to that story.) LOL!

Two of my bestest friends....... ((((((((((Billie and Louie)))))))))

[dutchess]

Billie...Have to tell you that Lori was a great "substitute mentor!". It's been awhile since I've had to create a background/table etc. from scratch and was feeling pretty overwhelmed. She jumped right in and did the pretty "finishing touches"! (THANKS LORI!)