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In just a matter of days we will celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord. The Church as mother and teacher calls us on this third Sunday of Advent to pause from our Advent preparation. She proclaims in today’s liturgy, using the imperative case - “Rejoice!” In Latin,“Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete : modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus: Dominus prope est. Nihil solliciti sitis: sed in omni oratione petitiones vestrae innotescant apud Deum.” In English,“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near....

A Call To Anguish By David Wilkerson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGMG_PVaJoI

With their squeezed-tight knees and vigorously swinging backsides, the ushers do Usher one better. This Story Dance: Going to the Chapel & We're Gonna Get Jiggy YouTube: Wedding Entrance Dance Wearing pink dresses and dark glasses, the bridesmaids swivel and high-step down the aisle with deadpan gyrations, like voguers from the House of Honeymoon. The groom turns a somersault and coolly spins off to the altar, adjusting his tie.

em>I thought we had a serious financial crisis that required everyone to sacrifice?Yes friends, President Obama and First Lady Michelle had another of their famous "date nights" Saturday. Instead of clogging traffic in Washington, D.C. to visit a restaurant, they hopped on the Marine One helicopter to Andrews Air Force Base, jumped on Air Force One (a Gulfstream 500, not the 747) then flew up to New York City followed by TWO OTHER PLANES for staff and press (the 747 would have been cheaper). Upon landing in New York several more helicopters, limos, vans, police, military and other staff were...

The common thread throughout Darwin’s life was his continual struggle with the issue of death and suffering. He was never able to reconcile the existence of death, disease, and struggle with the character of a loving God: I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice.[1] Darwin was unable to understand why a loving Creator God would allow the horrible things he witnessed in nature and everyday life. Animals fed on one...

It is so easy to get overwhelmed with the news. Sometimes it takes some real effort to keep a few things in perspective. Take a moment and listen and watch Hillsong "With All I Am" Hillsong

Creation: antidote for depression by Tas Walker ‘Now I realize why I’ve been depressed for so long’, a man with dishevelled hair, baggy clothes and unkempt beard told me after a meeting one evening. He said he had always accepted evolution was a fact. That night he realized that this evolutionary belief was the reason for his dark despair and feeling of emptiness....

Clap your hands, all you nations, shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth! Psalm 47:1 With so much negative talk about the economy and where we're headed as a nation, it's sometimes good just to slow down a bit and worship. It's not enough to sit down once a year and think about heavenly things. Our tanks need filled regularly. I find that if I don't do worship regularly, I get lost in the cares and worries of this world. I tend to get consumed by...

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:9-13 Joy. Patience. Faithfulness. Three very distinct marks of a Believer. They are also three very wonderful character traits to possess, they’re all related. Think of it, you’re caring for your ailing but independent parents. Their health is deteriorating but...

Baby gifts for Bristol Palin's impending bundle of joy are pouring into Alaska from all over the world, says Alaska's first grandfather, Chuck Heath, to the tune of "hundreds of thousands" of pieces of mail. Heath, 70, says boxes are piling up in the mail room of Bristol's mom, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. "I'd say from a half-dozen countries," Heath says. "In Sarah's mail room, there's 87 boxes -- big boxes of mail that we haven't even opened." He adds that there's no way the family will ever be able to answer every letter, although they are trying.

Wonderful Medley for the Christmas Season! Thanks for viewing.

House Republicans were heading toward a down-in-the-dumps holiday. Then the House ethics committee handed them a gift. The committee's investigation of Rep. Charles Rangel's tax problems is expanding, turning what has been a minor headache for Democratic leaders into a New Year's migraine. The last thing Democrats need is an ethics cloud hovering over 20-term House veteran who, as House Ways and Means Committee chairman, will play a critical role in advancing President-elect Barack Obama's goals of an economic recovery plan, middle-class tax relief and expanded health insurance. It was only last month that the top House Democrat, Speaker Nancy...

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Psalm 5:11 Here are two related questions. (1) How do you sing when no one is watching? It could be a song on the radio or a worship tape or a song that just pops into your head. (2) Now how do you sing when people are around, say, perhaps in a congregational setting? Are the two manners different? (sorry, that was 3 questions) This evening the barbershop chorus I sing with went to a nursing home. We sang to two different audiences: the...

Video here. Classic line when she refers to the flag pin, an "accessory" Obama dislikes. Anyone who has pictures of Sarah Palin, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Laura Ingraham, and other both principled and attractive conservative women, please post them all here. Who can post the most? Let the contest begin.

Video HERE. Elisabeth Hasselbeck provocatively pouts quite cutely as she introduces Sarah Palin, her friend and very hopefully the next Vice President. Take a break from Barack with nine minutes of alluring awesomeness. Elisabeth, in this Extended Edition of her talk introducing Sarah, shows growing polish. It would be good to see her out on the campaign trail more, as she sincerely shows a lot of potential. And, her support of Sarah Palin is very appreciated. This is a sequel to The Ultimate Combined Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sarah Palin Photos Thread, which is here. Please check it out and add...

But the fruit of the Spirit is joy. Galatians 5:22-23 As the children’s song goes: "I’ve got that joy joy joy joy down in my heart. Where?! Down in my heart..." I wish it were true across the board. I wish it were true in a small percentage of Christians (in the West), myself included. What went wrong? What is causing our joy, our zest for life and happiness and God to fade away? Where did it go? How did we let it slip away? More importantly, how can we get it back? Obviously this is a complex problem with...

This parrot is called Mr. Big and he's listening to one of my videos with the Blind Boys of Alabama singing, Hallelujah. Mr. Big seems to enjoy this entertainment. LOL Check it out for a little laugh. Jimmy

PRESIDENT BUSH SAYS the presidency is still "a joyous experience" for him. "People ask if I would do it again. I would." And one reason for his upbeat mood in talking to a dozen journalists Wednesday is progress in Iraq, including revenue sharing by the central government with the provinces. Another is the beginning of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, though Bush cautioned that the creation of a Palestinian state won't come any time soon. Reconciliation between Shia and Sunni is occurring in Iraq, Bush said, but it's "bottom up reconciliation," not top down from the central government of Nouri a-Maliki. However, the...

Churches are booking comedians to attract new members, and opening up opportunities for budding comics... When the Rev. Jay Laffoon began organizing Christian marriage conferences 10 years ago, he worried that many couples would arrive expecting cautionary tales about sin and hell and a long list of don’ts and few dos. Believing that Christian marriage is a thing of joy instituted by God, Laffoon wanted people to enjoy the gatherings. “A joyful heart is good medicine; but a broken spirit dries up the bones,” he said, quoting Proverbs 17:22. So he tried a radical approach; Laffoon hired a stand-up comedian...

Proverbs 5:15-23INTRODUCTION Sex and wisdom are closely intertwined in the OT. Wisdom and Folly are both pictured throughout the early chapters of Proverbs as women – one honorable and blessed, the other seductive and ultimately deadly. Further, the Song of Songs is included among the wisdom books. In some way, skill in living and skill in love-making are connected. BASIC PERSPECTIVES Sex is a mystery. Sex is a mystery because masculinity and femininity are elusive qualities. Sexual desire is a mystery, so spontaneous and powerful that we might almost forgive ancient pagans for thinking of sex as a goddess, a...

We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.

BE HERE, OR BE NOWHERE!

"I pronounce it as certain that there was never yet a truly great man that was not at the same time truly virtuous." -- Benjamin Franklin (The Busy-body, No. 3, 18 February 1728) Reference: The Works of Benjamin Franklin, Bigelow, ed., vol. 1 (350)

Hello Everybody, Over the past 7 ½ years I have written a couple of times to tell you stories about my son’s battle with cancer. I now have one last story to tell. And I want you to hear it. This last story begins with a boat. The boat is not much to look at anymore because it has aged a lot since the day it was built. I am sure a boat of this size had a name but I can’t find it anywhere, and it has been painted so many times that the original color is no longer...

16th of June DEFEATING DEPRESSION PART 1 “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad” Proverbs 12:25 Depression- from Webster’s New Unabridged Dictionary Low spirits, gloominess, dejection, sadness, a decrease in force, or activity, or amount, a decrease in functional activity. An emotional condition either normal or pathological characterized by discouragement, a feeling of inadequacy, the act of humbling abasement as a depression of pride. Abasement, reduction, sinking, fall, humiliation, dejection, melancholy. Major Depression Facts Major depression is the No.1 psychological disorder in the western world.(1) It is growing in all age groups,...

The "ladies" (I guess) of The View just lambasted Ann Coulter calling her a "bitch" several times. Barbara Wa Wa went even further, taking up for the women saying all the wanted was "more security for our county". The young conservative lady on the show tried to clarify what Coulter was actually saying when Wa Wa put Coulter's words out of context. The reaction from these ladies further proves Coulter's point.

FORT HUACHUCA — The side door of the Barnes Field House was about to be opened by two soldiers when “Who Let the Dogs Out” began to play over a loudspeaker in the gym. For those sitting in the bleachers, it was a sign that the cable dogs of the 69th Signal Company were about to enter. Family and friends of the 142 men and women of the unit would soon reunite, ending a yearlong deployment of the soldiers. As the GIs entered the gym to some of the song’s “woof, woof, woof” words, those in the bleachers were on...

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 7, 2006 – Hitting the mark as they always do, members of the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team jumped into the middle of the 2006 McDonald's Air and Sea Show here yesterday. Preparations for a jump into the 2006 McDonald's Air and Sea Show at Fort Lauderdale Beach continue as the Army's Golden Knights parachute team waits to reach the jump zone. Sgt. 1st Class Paul Sach, left, the Black Demonstration Team leader, prepares the streamers that will help determine wind direction. Cpl. Joshua Coleman, center, puts his gloves on while Sgt. Hector Ceja,...

Did you know that God actually commands us to be joyful? Joy is not an option for a Christian, but must be a part of your daily life if you are to walk with God and grow spiritually. We are not only to rejoice when things are going well, but we are to rejoice at all times, even when things are going badly for us. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  )4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. (Philippians...

Thank you, O Lord, for the gifts of laughter and joy. Thank you for your Spirit which rains down upon us and anoints us with the oil of your holiness. Sorrows come and sorrows go but your joy endures forever. Mere happiness gained from earthly things is fleeting and disappears like the morning dew in the hot sun of the desert. It is not dependable and it is not to be trusted. But surely God will give us joy in this life according to his promises, and that joy will last throughout eternity.Lord, when your Spirit brings us laughter, it is true laughter indeed. It is a side-splitting...

How To Become Fishers of Men A Sermon (No. 1906) Delivered by C. H. SPURGEON, At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington "And Jesus saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."—Matthew 4:19. WHEN CHRIST CALLS US by his grace we ought not only to remember what we are, but we ought also to think of what he can make us. It is, "Follow me, and I will make you." We should repent of what we have been, but rejoice in what we may be. It is not "Follow me, because of what you are already."...

Is Joy to the World a Christmas carol or a song about another event? I remember when it struck me that this "carol" really does not have much to do with Christmas except maybe the first verse. Instead it deals with the time the Lord Jesus Christ will set up reign on this earth. At that time, righteousness will prevail. It will be a time of true peace. The lion will lay down with the lamb. The vices of today will be gone since they will be unlawful. It will be a foretaste of eternity with the Devil bound. I...

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (Dec. 24, 2005) -- A war zone may be a dangerous place to fly especially if you are carrying thousands of pounds of presents, and wearing a bright-red suit. However, Santa Clause is not worried this year, because he has the perfect group of “helpers” to make sure his gifts get to the good boys and girls here in Iraq. Even though the Marines of 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) will not be home for the holidays, they will still receive their boxes of joy during the holiday season, thanks to the Marines of Postal Detachment, Headquarters...

Luke 2: 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Troops To Get Warm Welcome Thanks To Community Effort BY JACOB L. GRANT and JEANNE MILES, Staff Writers Friday December 16, 2005 After about 14 months of service, 600 of Vermont's National Guardsmen are coming home. To say their families are excited would be an understatement. Crystal Buck, of St. Johnsbury, who's expecting her husband, Chet, to fly in sometime this afternoon, could hardly sit still. "I've got ants in my pants," she said laughing. "It's been difficult, but I had tons of people willing to help me. The support has been phenomenal." To express her joy and relief, Buck...

December 11, 2005Third Sunday of Advent Psalm: Sunday 1 Reading IIs 61:1-2a, 10-11 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,because the LORD has anointed me;he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,to heal the brokenhearted,to proclaim liberty to the captivesand release to the prisoners,to announce a year of favor from the LORDand a day of vindication by our God. I rejoice heartily in the LORD,in my God is the joy of my soul;for he has clothed me with a robe of salvationand wrapped me in a mantle of justice,like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,like...

FALLUJAH, Iraq (Dec. 9, 2005) -- One year after the city was secured by Coalition Forces as part of a major counter-insurgency offensive, parts of Fallujah are still in disrepair. Bullet holes in buildings, piles of rubble and the smell of burning trash permeates the air throughout the city. Despite the unpleasant living conditions, children roam the streets here playing with their new friends, the U.S. Marines. A group of laughing kids surrounds one Marine in the street. The Marine, Lance Cpl. Felipe SantosMesquita, a squad automatic weapon gunner with 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine...

LONDON: Marriage is on the rocks in Britain, with the proportion of unmarried people set to exceed that of married people within 25 years as more men and women opt to live together without constraints, according to government statistics published this week. The proportion of married men is expected to fall from 53 percent in 2003 to 42 percent in 2031, while the percentage of married women will decline from 50 percent to 40 per cent, Britain's Office for National Statistics predicted on Thursday. The "Population Trends" report predicted on the other hand that the number of unmarried couples living...

Wait For Me ZephaniahZephaniah 1:1 – "The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah."The name Zephaniah means, ""defended by Jehovah", "protected by Jehovah", "hidden by Jehovah". (1) We know nothing of Zephaniah outside of this Minor Prophetic book. Zephaniah goes out of his way to identify himself as the great-great-grandson of good king Hezekiah of Judah. Zephaniah may do this for the purpose of adding weight and credibility to his rebuke...

      I'm sure for most second generation Italian American children who grew up in the 40's and 50's there was a definite distinction between us and them.  We were Italians, everybody else, the Irish the Germans, the Poles, they were Americans.   I was well into adulthood before I realized I was an  American.  I had been born American and lived here all my life, but Americans were people who ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on mushy white bread.  I had no animosity towards them, it's just I thought ours was the better way with our bread...

My Dragon Fly and Me If I could be a Dragon Fly and wing my way through the sky I would never be shy just me and my Dragon Fly! By moonlight we ride the wind chase the comets tail for fun by day we would hide from the sun our fragile wings would come undone On darkest nights we would use fireflies as our guide we would dip and we would glide through the heavens open wide and scatter diamonds in the night sky my Dragon Fly and me... And we would wing past our lovers silent in...

Snow Has Begun to Fall in Jerusalem 10:00 Feb 11, '05 / 2 Adar 5765 (IsraelNN.com) There are already reports that wet snow has begun to fall in areas of the capital. The temperatures are expected to continue dropping during the coming hours and the snow will begin accumulating in Jerusalem during the nighttime hours, forecasters report. The snow is expected to continue on the Sabbath until at least midday.

We are learning together this summer about the Fruit of the Spirit. In the first week, we looked at the idea of “Abiding” with Jesus, and the fruit that grows in us as we do that. The second week, Doug Ferguson gave us that unforgettable picture of a little child abiding in God’s love—living in God’s love. Today, we’re going to talk about Joy. I’d like to start with a question, and the question is this: If someone were to ask you: What is the greatest day of your life? What is the best 24-hour unit of time you have...

I searched under Christmas, but found no formal exchange of greetings thread. So, let me start it off.

After spending more than a year and a half in a Mexican jail on charges of murdering a 16-year-old girl, a local woman and her husband returned to the Twin Cities on Sunday night after they were cleared of any criminal wrongdoing over the weekend. About 10 p.m. Sunday, Cynthia Kiecker, 45, and her husband, Ulises Perzabal, 46, stepped off a Continental Airlines flight at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and were greeted by a dozen family members, some of whom had come from as far as Arizona for their homecoming. "We're going to put the Christmas tree up," said...

This Thanksgiving my son and daughter in law gave us a surprise present--a sonogram of our grandchild to be. Suddenly, the urge to knit was triggered. I love to do it but haven't for some years, after I'd made dozens of coats and sweaters for every man, woman and child of my acquaintance. A frenzied search through the house for saved patterns, yarns, and knitting tools ensued, as well as a search for yet more. (Perhaps you have to be a knitter to understand, but no matter the size of the stash, there's always need for more.) After ordering the...

Hey Kids! Want Good Sex? Try Abstinence.Warren ThrockmortonAs a mental health counselor, I am really troubled by the numbers of adolescents that I have counseled who cried for days and hurt for years because they engaged in "safer sex" within dead end, unfulfilling relationships. Sadly, they learned that “safer sex” can be hazardous to their emotional health. I think the current political debate concerning abstinence vs. contraceptive based sexual education has failed to include an important variable in the discussion of what to teach in school: sexual well being. In many contemporary sexual education curricula, young boys and girls who...

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The San Diego Chargers' long nightmare is coming to an end. The Chargers -- yes, the Chargers -- took firm control of the AFC West by hanging on to beat the Denver Broncos 20-17 in a wild one on Sunday. LaDainian Tomlinson ran for two touchdowns and San Diego's defense saved the day by intercepting Jake Plummer four times, including in the end zone in the closing minutes. On a rainy, cold and windy afternoon, the Chargers proved that water and electricity do mix, although it took them until the final play to do so. Playing...

My reply to the following (from a Liberal) around the time the Abu G scandal first hit and accusations of “illegal invasion of Iraq“ reached a crescendo:i AM outraged and disgusted in the acts of violence carried out by our governments in OUR names for OUR interests. are you not?And in whose name, might I ask, and in whose interests, should we carry out acts of necessary violence? Antarctica? France? Before I woke up to reality, there was a time when I would have echoed your sentiments because.... well, we were supposed to be ‘better‘. We knew better. We enjoyed...

I have had a question running around my head for some months now. In all the photos and videos I have seen over the years of Muslims praying and worshipping, I have never seen a joyful face. Do Muslims experience a worshipful joy, as is experienced in Christianity and other religions?