Prioritize

©2007-2008 superbadger64

There are 3 main colours : Red, Blue & Yellow
A mixture of these colours forms a colour cycle
These colours in the colour cycle is found in rainbows

The colours represents a lot in life;
Pink represents ones health,
Green the colour of trees,
White the colour for purity.

These colours however, if not managed,
it will be pretty ugly as shown;
setting the right settings:

Setting your correct order,
Setting your appropriate focus,
Setting your wisest priority,
Setting your focus,
and you will see the colours.

©2006-2008 Liek

Make the right decisions with a discerning mind

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Action Figure

Be Compelled!

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Planet Shakers + Jamie Haith Pamphlet

As told, the details pertaining Planet Shakers in KL on the pamphlet
...once again, Admission is Free!

BUT

the purpose of this event is the introduction of YouthAlpha in Malaysia!

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Lent `08

There are several holy days within the season of Lent

• Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity.
• Clean Monday (or "Ash Monday") is the first day in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
• The fourth Lenten Sunday, which marks the halfway point between Ash Wednesday and Easter, is sometimes referred to as Laetare Sunday, particularly by Roman Catholics.
• The fifth Lenten Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday (however, that term is also applied to Palm Sunday) marks the beginning of Passiontide.
• The sixth Lenten Sunday, commonly called Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent immediately preceding Easter.
• Wednesday of Holy Week is known as Spy Wednesday to commemorate the days on which Judas spied on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane before betraying him.
• Thursday is known as Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, and is a day Christians commemorate the Last Supper shared by Christ with his disciples.
• Good Friday follows the next day, on which Christians remember His crucifixion and burial.

In the Roman Catholic Church, Mass is a three day event called the Easter Triduum that begins with the opening song of the Holy Thursday celebration. After the Holy Thursday celebration, the communion bread and wine is taken from the altar with no formal closing. Instead, the parish is invited to worship the holy Body of Christ. The next day is the official commemoration of The Passion of Jesus Christ and is usually celebrated at 3 PM local time though some parishes usually change the time due to work schedules. This commemoration is part of the Triduum Mass which the opening is just a prayer followed by the day's readings. The service usually ends with a shortened communion involving only the Body of Christ and a post communion prayer before the service ends without dismissal. The Easter Vigil is the start of the end of the Triduum mass and usually starts with a fire service before the readings which explore the history of mankind. The service also includes baptism and confirmation services which are usually celebrated after the homily. The Easter Vigil and Triduum Mass ends in the usual way with full communion.

Holy Week and the season of Lent, depending on denomination and local custom, end with Easter Vigil at sundown on Holy Saturday or on the morning of Easter Sunday. It is custom for some churches to hold sunrise services which include open air celebrations in some places.

In the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican traditions, the altar linens and priest's vestments are violet during the season of Lent. However, during the holy days the linens often change. See Liturgical colours.

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to Devote

©2005-2008 sixstring7

Mark 12

Mark 12:31
The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."






New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

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Planet Shakers + Jamie Haith

Coming to KL


Full Gospel Assembly (FGA) Kuala Lumpur


Free Admission




* details pertaining this upcoming event will be posted later on next week

Alpha Malaysia
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K.E.M.P. Drama (backdated)

Team Shammah




Team Adino




Team Eleazar




Team Benaiah




Team Zeruiah

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Angels Out There

©2005-2008 JaninaZ

Skillet - Looking For Angels

*disclaimer: this has nothing to do with the living nor the dead, not intentional to infuriate any party nor create dissension whether directly nor indirectly.
compiled by lyme disease

Relationship?

Leviticus 18:7-24 (New International Version)

©2007-2008 SadTeena

7 " 'Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her.

8 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your father's wife; that would dishonor your father.

9 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.

10 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter; that would dishonor you.

11 " 'Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father; she is your sister.

12 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your father's sister; she is your father's close relative.

13 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, because she is your mother's close relative.

14 " 'Do not dishonor your father's brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.

15 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife; do not have relations with her.

16 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife; that would dishonor your brother.

17 " 'Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.

18 " 'Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.

19 " 'Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.

20 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her.

21 " 'Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed ^[a] to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

22 " 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.

23 " 'Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.

24 " 'Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

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Higher Ground February `08

Gamemaster Hui Shun with the "4:13" t-shirt getting some rules known to the groups


...sorry the previous picture shows only his backside; here, this is his 'leng chai' face




the vocals from left Jamie.T, Michel.O, Jordan.C, and LiAnn




Joyce.C soothing the ambient




A-ron.P blinding the daylights out of everyones' eyes with his rolls and he backs the vocals too




the BlackKnights from left Rufus.C, Mike.O, and Joel.C
they're the BlackKnights cause their instruments are all black in colour!




from left, Brother Joel and Brother Wei Biao on the message

Introduction:
John 1:16

Acquiring blessings:-
#1 Believe that you are righteous of God in Christ Jesus (Rom 4:5-6)
#2 Seek God daily (Mat 6:33, Rom 14:17)
#3 Dead to sin but alive in Christ (Rom 6:1-4)
#4 Believe and ask favor (John 14:12-14)
#5 Speak & confess God's favor in your life (Isaiah 55:11)
#6 Call him (Jer 33:3)


Examples:-
Abraham (Rom 4:3)
Joseph (Gen 39:3-4)
Job (Job 10:12)
David
Ruth
Esther


Conclusion:
Psalms 5:12
Psalms 30:5
Job 10:12
2 Cor 9:8

Brother Joel seen here saying prayers




New believers from left Ng Chin Soon, Sin Chai Hong, and Yeon Wei Siang, all from SMKAA
(I wonder what's with the defensive bodily gesture Chin Soon and Wei Siang are portraying...)




The February birthday babies!!!!
And their cake

YUM!
it took me 2 mouthfuls of cake to finish off my slice, till next months' ^^

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3 Siblings

Resume for Life



Name : John Doe
Age : 41
Gender : Male
Address : No. 1/2345, Oblivious Road 7, between crossroads Red Emption, postcode 10790, Nowhere Town, Somewhere Safe Earth.
Religion : Christianity
Occupation : Christian part-timing Agnostic
Qualifications : Bachelor of Divinity, BD; Bachelor of Philosophy, BPhil; Master of Philosophy, MPhil; Master of Divinity, M.Div.; Doctor of Divinity, D.D; Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D.




Name : Jane Doe
Age : 37
Gender : Female
Address : No. 1/2345, Oblivious Road 7, between crossroads Red Emption, postcode 10790, Nowhere Town, Somewhere Safe Earth.
Religion : -
Occupation : Atheist
Qualifications : Bachelor of Philosophy, BPhil; Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D.




Name : Jack Doe
Age : 28
Gender : Male
Address : No. 1/2345, Oblivious Road 7, between crossroads Red Emption, postcode 10790, Nowhere Town, Somewhere Safe Earth.
Religion : Christianity
Occupation : Church Leader
Qualifications : Licentiate in Theology, Lth.

©2005-2008 JaninaZ

from right; John, Jane & Jack

Make your pick:-
John?
Jane?
or Jack?
...pick wisely...

*disclaimer: this has nothing to do with the living nor the dead, not intentional to infuriate any party nor create dissension whether directly nor indirectly.
compiled by lyme disease

Ice Cream For The Soul

Ice Cream For The Soul


Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen."


Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice-cream! Why, I never! "Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?" As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer." "Really?" my son asked. "Cross my heart."


Then in a theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."


Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes, and my soul is good already.









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Why Would God Want Me?!

Why Would God Want Me?!

I'm not perfect. I have all kinds of problems. I have no ability. I have no gifts. I'm just not worthy. Why would God want me?


Well, did you know that


Moses stuttered.
David's armor didn't fit.
John Mark deserted Paul.
Timothy had ulcers.
Hosea's wife was a prostitute.
Amos' only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning.
Jacob was a liar.
David had an affair.
Solomon was too rich.
Jesus was too poor.
Abraham was too old.
David was too young.
Peter was afraid of death.
Lazarus was dead.
John was self-righteous.
Naomi was a widow.
Paul was a persecutor of the church.
Moses was a murderer.
Jonah ran from God's will.
Miriam was a gossip.
Gideon and Thomas both doubted.
Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal.
Elijah was burned out.
John the Baptist was a loudmouth.
Martha was a worry-wart.
Noah got drunk.
Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse?
So did Peter, Paul - well, lots of folks did.


But God doesn't require a job interview for salvation. He's our Heavenly Father. He doesn't look at financial gain or loss. He's not prejudiced or partial, not judging, grudging, sassy, or brassy, not deaf to our cry, not blind to our need. He know who we are and what we are and loves us in spite of ourselves


SATAN SAYS, "YOU'RE NOT WORTHY."
JESUS SAYS, "SO WHAT? I AM."
SATAN LOOKS BACK AND SEES OUR MISTAKES.
GOD LOOKS BACK AND SEES THE CROSS.


He doesn't calculate how you failed in `99. It's not even on the record.


Sure, there are lots of reasons why God shouldn't call us. But if we are in love with Him, if we hunger for Him, He'll use us in spite of who we are, where we've been, what we have done, or the fact that we are not perfect!









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The Empty Egg

The Empty Egg


Jeremy was born with a twisted body and a slow mind. At the age of 12 he was still in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He would squirm in his seat, drool, and make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time, however, Jeremy just irritated his teacher.


One day she called his parents and asked them to come in for a consultation. As the Forresters entered the empty classroom, Doris said to them, "Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair to him to be with younger children who don't have learning problems. Why, there is a five year gap between his age and that of the other students."


Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue, while her husband spoke. "Miss Miller," he said, "there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know he really likes it here." Doris sat for a long time after they had left, staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Forresters. After all, their only child had a terminal illness. But it wasn't fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other youngsters to teach, and Jeremy was a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to read and write. Why waste any more time trying?


As she pondered the situation, guilt washed over her. Here I am complaining when my problems are nothing compared to that poor family, she thought. Lord, please help me to be more patient with Jeremy. From that day on, she tried hard to ignore Jeremy's noises and his blank stares. Then one day, he limped to her desk, dragging his bad leg behind him.


"I love you, Miss Miller," he exclaimed, loud enough for the whole class to hear. The other students snickered, and Doris' face burned red. She stammered, "Wh-why that's very nice, Jeremy. N-now please take your seat."


Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them the story of Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg. "Now," she said to them, "I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?"


"Yes, Miss Miller," the children responded enthusiastically-all except for Jeremy. He listened intently. His eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual noises. Had he understood what she had said about Jesus' death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should call his parents and explain the project to them.


That evening, Doris' kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and waited an hour for him to come by and unclog it. After that, she still had to shop for groceries, iron a blouse, and prepare a vocabulary test for the next day. She completely forgot about phoning Jeremy's parents.


The next morning, 19 children came to school, laughing and talking as they placed their eggs in the large wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. After they completed their math lesson, it was time to open the eggs. In the first egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life," she said. "When plants peek through the ground, we know that spring is here." A small girl in the first row waved her arm. "That's my egg, Miss Miller," she called out. The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which looked very real. Doris held it up. "We all know that a caterpillar changes and grows into a beautiful butterfly. Yes, that's new life, too." Little Judy smiled proudly and said, "Miss Miller, that one is mine." Next, Doris found a rock with moss on it. She explained that moss, too, showed life. Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom, "My daddy helped me," he beamed.


Then Doris opened the fourth egg. She gasped. The egg was empty. Surely it must be Jeremy's she thought, and of course, he did not understand her instructions. If only she had not forgotten to phone his parents. Because she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached for another. Suddenly, Jeremy spoke up. "Miss Miller, aren't you going to talk about my egg?" Flustered, Doris replied, "But Jeremy, your egg is empty." He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty, too."


Time stopped. When she could speak again, Doris asked him, "Do you know why the tomb was empty?" "Oh, yes," Jeremy said, "Jesus was killed and put in there. Then His Father raised Him up."


The recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the schoolyard, Doris cried. The cold inside her melted completely away.


Three months later, Jeremy died. Those who paid their respects at the mortuary were surprised to see 19 eggs on top of his casket....... all of them empty.











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Things Aren't Always What They Seem

Things Aren't Always What They Seem


Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied,


"Things aren't always what they seem"


The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen?


The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die.


"Things aren't always what they seem,"the older angel replied.


"When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it." "Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead."


"Things aren't always what they seem."








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Valentines `08

To say "I Love You" ...



Afghani: Dus tat darem, Afrikaans: Ek is lief vir jou, Albanian: Une te dua, Amharic: Afekreshalew, Arabic: Ana ba hibeck, Assyrian: Be ayen gadi youkh, Armenian: Yes kez serum em/Yes kezee ga seerem, Bengali: Ami tomake bhalobashi, Bulgarian: Obicham te, Cantonese: Ngo oi lei, Catalan: Testimo molt, Cebuano: Gihigugma ko ikaw, Chamorro: Hu guaya hao, Chinese: Wo ai ni, Cree: Ke say ke tin, Creole: Mwen renmen'w, Croatian: Volim te, Cuban: Tevwnol, Czech: Miluji tì, Danish: Jeg elsker dig, Dhivehi: Aharen varah loabi vey, Dholuo: Aheri, Dinka: Yin aaniar, Dutch: Ik hou van jou, Eskimo (Inuktitut): Nagligivagit, Estonian: Ma armastan sind, Farsi: Asheghetam, Fijian (Lingo): Au domoni iko, Filipino: Mahal kita, Finnish: Mina rakastan sinua, French: Je t'aime/je t'adore, Gaelic: Gra go deo, Gallego: Queroche moito, German: Ich liebe dich, Greek: S'agapo, Gujarati: Hu tane prem karu chu, Hausa: Enaso kaa, Hawaiian: Aloha wau ia oe, Hebrew: Ani ohev otakh, Hindi: Main tumse pyaar karta hoon, Hmong: Kuv hlub koj, Hungarian: Szeretlek, Icelandic: Eg elska pig, Ilocano: Ay ayaten ka, Ilongo: Ginahugugma Ko Ikaw, Indonesian: Aku cinta padamu, Irish: Thaim in grabh leat, Italian: Ti amo, Japanese: Ai shite imasu, Kannada: Naanu nimanu preetisuthene, Kapampangan: Kalaguran da ka, Kiswahili: Nakupenda, Konkani: Hawn thuzo mog kartha, Korean: Sarang hae, Kurdish: Ez te hes dikim, Laotian: Koy huck jow, Latin: Ego te amo, Latvian: Es tevi milu, Lebanese: Ana bahibik, Lithuanian: As tave myliu, Macedonian: Te sakam, Malay: Saya cintakan kamu, Malayalam: Njaan ninne snehikinnu, Maltese: Jien inhobbok, Maori: Ka nui taku aroha mauu, Marathi: Mala tu avadto/changla wathte, Nepali: Ma timilai maya garchu, Nigerian: Inan sunki, Norwegian: Jeg elsker deg, Oriya (Indian): Mu tumaku bhala paaye, Papiamentu: Mi stima bu, Persian: Du stet daram, Polish: Kocham cie, Portugese: Eu te amo, Punjabi: Main tuhanoo pyar kar da haan, Pushto: Za ta sara dera meena kom, Romanian: Te iubesc, Russian: Ya tebia lybly, Samoan: Ou te alofa ia te oe, Sango: M'bi ye mo, Serbian: Volim te, Sindhi: Mukhe tosa pyar aahe, Sinhalese: Mama oyata adhere, Siraiki: Maan tenal daadha pyaar karain daahim, Slovakian: Milujem ta, Slovenian: Ljubim te, Spanish: Te amo, Sranang tongo (Surinam): Mi lobi you , Swedish: Jag alskar dig, Swiss German: I lieb di, Tagalog: Mahal kita, Tamil: Naan unnai kathelikkiren, Telugu: Naku kneemeeda prama undi, Thai: Chun ruk ter, Tigrigna: Yefkreki, Tongan: Ofa atu, Tumbuka: Nkhukutemwa, Turkish: Seni seviyorum, Ukrainian: Ya tebe kohayu, Urdu: Mai tumse piyar karta hoon, Vietnamese: Anh yeu em/Em yeu anh, Welsh: Dwi'n caru ti, Zulu: Ngiyakuthanda.

Sign language!

Copyright 2008 Valentines.com, All Rights Reserved
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February's Higher Ground Session

©2008 schnurpelchen18

Grace After Grace, Favor After Favor Come Upon You Year 2008

Yes yes, I know it's already February and it's a month late for this subject to sound coherent but then again, there's another 10 months to go, so it's never too late for anything really...!


*disclaimer: this doesn't mean that you can procrastinate your work/assignments till the eleventh hour, because every second matters, if not why'd you think they say Time Is Money?


The message will be packed, sealed, posted and delivered straight from the mouthpiece of Brother Joel. He will be accompanied by Brother Wei Biao from Hope Church who will also be translating the sharing.


As always, there will be a slight moment given for the gamemaster for this month: Hui Shun, to entertain us with his humoring antics, well it's either he will bring the entertainment to us or he will be the entertainment XD


The worship this month will be lead by Michel.O and in my opinion, I think it would be a surprise worship...why do I say so? Simply because I do not know who are the band members for this month nor do I have any adequate details pertaining it....
So I'm not sorry I couldn't inform beforehand, but let it be a surprise aye? XD


I'm guessing easy listening style of worship?
or perhaps energized worship? or jazzy feel...or rock, or alternative, or... ?????? dang~*


Either way, there will be the celebration for them February babies! Yay!!!
Wonder who are those born on Valentines'...it's kinda like an auspicious day anyway ^^




Well the pertinent details for this months' session as follow:

Venue : Grace Charismatic Centre Kuantan (GCC)
Date : 16th February `08
Time : 7.30pm
Dress code : nothing "valentines" suggests (I'm just pulling a leg on this XD)











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Quickie with Two

Christians should enter reality shows such as American Idol, well in this region perhaps Malaysian Idol, because they've been practicing without fail every Sundays.


Christians are known to have the Fruit of the Holy Spirit such as love, joy, peace, and so on...but aren't Christians still human like you and me?








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Logic 101

Logic 101


A college student was in a philosophy class which had a discussion about God's existence. The professor presented the following logic:


"Has anyone in this class heard God?"
Nobody spoke.
"Has anyone in this class touched God?"
Again, nobody spoke.
"Has anyone in this class seen God?"
When nobody spoke for the third time, he simply stated, "Then there is no God."


One student thought for a second, and then asked for permission to reply. Curious to hear this bold student's response, the professor granted it, and the student stood up and asked the following questions to his classmates:


"Has anyone in this class heard our professor's brain?"
Silence.
"Has anyone in this class touched our professor's brain?"
Absolute silence.
"Has anyone in this class seen our professor's brain?"
When nobody in the class dared to speak, the student concluded, "Then, according to our professor's logic, it must be true that our professor has no brain!"


(...The student received an "A" in the class.)









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Celebrate

Celebrate


A new monk arrived at the monastery. He was assigned to help the other monks in copying the old texts by hand. He noticed, however,that they were copying copies, not the original books. The new monk went to the head monk to ask him about this. He pointed out that if there were an error in the first copy, that error would be continued in all of the other copies.

The head monk said, 'We have been copying from the copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son.' The head monk went down into the cellar with one of the copies to check it against the original.

Hours later, nobody had seen him, so one of the monks went downstairs to look for him. He heard a sobbing coming from the back of the cellar and found the old monk leaning over one of the original books, crying. He asked what was wrong.

"The word is 'celebrate,' not 'celibate'. " sobbed the head monk.











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VIP

VIP


The Pope just finished a tour of the East Coast and was taking a limousine to the airport. Having never driven a limo, he asked the chauffeur if he could drive for a while.

Well, the chauffeur didn't have much of a choice, so he climbs in the back of the limo and the pope takes the wheel.

The Pope proceeds onto Hwy. 95, and starts accelerating to see what the limo could do. He gets to about 90 mph, and suddenly he sees the blue light of the State Patrol in his mirror. He pulled over and the trooper came to his window.

The trooper, seeing who it was, says, 'Just a moment please, I need to call in.'

The trooper calls in and asks for the chief. He tells the chief that he's got a REALLY important person pulled over, and asks how to handle it.

'Is it the Governor?' replied the chief.

'No! This guy is even more important!' replies the trooper.

'Is it the PRESIDENT?' replied the chief.

'No! Even more important!' replies the trooper.

'Well WHO THE HECK is it!?' screams the chief.

'I don't know, Sir,' replies the trooper, 'but he's got the Pope as his chauffeur.'









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Visiting Pastor

Visiting Pastor


The new pastor was visiting in the homes of his parishioners. At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door. He took out a card, wrote 'Revelation 3 verse 20' on the back and stuck it in the door.

When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message, 'Genesis 3 verse 10.'

Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of laughter. Revelation 3 verse 20 begins 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock.'

Genesis 3 verse 10 reads, 'I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked.'












compiled by lyme disease

Brownies With A Difference

Many parents are hard put to explain to their youth why some music, movies, books, and magazines are not acceptable material for them to bring into the home, for their youth to see, or hear. One parent came up with an original idea that was hard to refute.


He listened to all the reasons his children gave for wanting to see a particular PG-13 movie. It had their favorite actors. Everyone else was seeing it. Even church members said it was great. It was only rated PG-13 because of the suggestion of sex. They never really showed it. The language was pretty good. They only used the Lord's name in vain three times in the whole movie. The video effects were fabulous and the plot was action packed. Yes, there was the scene where a building and a bunch of people got blown up, but the violence was just the normal stuff. It wasn't very bad.


Even with all these explanations for the rating, the father wouldn't give in. He didn't even give them a satisfying explanation for saying, "No." He just said, "No."


It was a little bit later that evening, that this same father asked his teens if they would like some brownies he had prepared. He explained that he had taken the families favorite recipe and added something new. They asked what it was. He calmly replied that he had added dog poop. He stated that it was only a little bit. All the ingredients were gourmet quality. He had taken great care to bake it at the precise temperature for the exact time. He was sure the brownies would be superb.


Even with all the explanations of the perfect attributes of the brownies, the teens would not take one.


The father acted surprised. There was only one little element that would have caused them to act so stubbornly. He assured them that they would hardly notice it if at all. They all held firm and would not try the brownies.


He then explained that the movie they wanted to see was just like the brownies. Satan tries to enter our minds and our homes by deceiving us into believing that just a little bit of evil won't matter. With the brownies, just a little bit makes all the difference between a great brownie and a totally unacceptable product. He explained that even though the movie people would have us believe the movies which are coming out are acceptable for adults and youth's to see they are not. Test your movie and see. Would you be comfortable taking Christ with you to see the movie?


Now when this father's youth want to do something or see something they should not, the father merely asks them if they would like some of his special dog poop brownies and they never ask about that item again.

by Annette Nay

compiled by lyme disease

Higher Ground January `08 (and a Happy Chinese New Year)

To all the Chinese~
wishing all a Happy Chinese New Year `08
now go have your reunion dinner!
yipee~!!!

© 2007-2008 Moonbeam13


An ode to the kawaii's (japanese read : かわいい)


The game master Amos.P and his models doing the paper-scissors-stone demonstration
*disclaimer - pictures were not intended to vitiate any party, whether living or non-living



From right, Sister Sarah Chiang and Sister Qing Ling interpreting the message



Altar call



The January birthday babies!
( the focus is on the delicious chocolate cake...mmmmm XD )

compiled by lyme disease

The Enemy's Perfect Plan

The Enemy's Perfect Plan


Let's not allow the enemy to distract us...


Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, "We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from conservative values. But we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"


"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels.


"Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent unnumbered schemes to occupy their minds" he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend then borrow, borrow, borrow. Convince the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work six or seven days a week, ten to twelve hours a day so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work."


"Overstimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, VCR, CD's and their PC's going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."


Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogues, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering, free products, services and false hopes."


"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion."


"Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family unity for the good of the cause."


It was quite a convention in the end. And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there.




Has the devil been successful at his schemes? You be the judge.











compiled by lyme disease

Food For Thought

Food For Thought

One Sunday morning during service, a 2,000-member congregation was surprised to see two men enter, both covered from head to toe in black and carrying sub-machine guns. One of the men proclaimed, "Anyone willing to take a bullet for Christ remain where you are." Immediately, the choir fled, the deacons fled, and most of the congregation fled. Out of the 2,000 there only remained around 20.


The man who had spoken took off his hood, looked at the preacher and said, Okay Pastor, I got rid of all the hypocrites. Now you may begin your service. Have a nice day!"


And the two men turned and walked out.









compiled by lyme disease

Who I Am Hates Who I've Been

A message inscribed and embedded in this music video : you will notice it if you but just open your perspective to life

compiled by lyme disease

What's In A Name?

Advocate (1 John 2:1)
Almighty (Rev. 1:8; Mt. 28:18)
Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8; 22:13)
Amen (Rev. 3:14)
Apostle of our Profession (Heb. 3:1)
Atoning Sacrifice for our Sins (1 John 2:2)
Author of Life (Acts 3:15)
Author and Perfecter of our Faith (Heb. 12:2)
Author of Salvation (Heb. 2:10)
Beginning and End (Rev. 22:13)
Blessed and only Ruler (1 Tim. 6:15)
Bread of God (John 6:33)
Bread of Life (John 6:35; 6:48)
Bridegroom (Mt. 9:15)
Capstone (Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7)
Chief Cornerstone (Eph. 2:20)
Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4)
Christ (1 John 2:22)
Creator (John 1:3)
Deliverer (Rom. 11:26)
Eternal Life (1 John 1:2; 5:20)
Gate (John 10:9)
Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11)
Faithful Witness (Rev. 1:5)
Faithful and True Witness (Rev. 3:14)
First and Last (Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13)
Firstborn From the Dead (Rev. 1:5)
Firstborn over all creation (Col. 1:15)
Gate (John 10:9)
God (John 1:1; 20:28; Heb. 1:8; Rom. 9:5; 2 Pet. 1:1;1 John 5:20; etc.)
Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14)
Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20)
Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14)
Head of the Church (Eph. 1:22; 4:15; 5:23)
Heir of all things (Heb. 1:2)
High Priest (Heb. 2:17)
Holy and True (Rev. 3:7)
Holy One (Acts 3:14)
Hope (1 Tim. 1:1)
Hope of Glory (Col. 1:27)
Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69)
I Am (John 8:58)
Image of God (2 Cor. 4:4)
Immanuel (Mt. 1:23)
Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42)
King Eternal (1 Tim. 1:17)
King of Israel (John 1:49)
King of the Jews (Mt. 27:11)
King of kings (1 Tim 6:15; Rev. 19:16)
King of the Ages (Rev. 15:3)
Lamb (Rev. 13:8)
Lamb of God (John 1:29)
Lamb Without Blemish (1 Pet. 1:19)
Last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45)
Life (John 14:6; Col. 3:4)
Light of the World (John 8:12)
Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5)
Living One (Rev. 1:18)
Living Stone (1 Pet. 2:4)
Lord (2 Pet. 2:20)
Lord of All (Acts 10:36)
Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8)
Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16)
Man from Heaven (1 Cor. 15:48)
Mediator of the New Covenant (Heb. 9:15)
Mighty God (Isa. 9:6)
Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)
Offspring of David (Rev. 22:16)
Only Begotten Son of God (John 1:18; 1 John 4:9)
Our Great God and Savior (Titus 2:13)
Our Holiness (1 Cor. 1:30)
Our Husband (2 Cor. 11:2)
Our Protection (2 Thess. 3:3)
Our Redemption (1 Cor. 1:30)
Our Righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30)
Our Sacrificed Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7)
Power of God (1 Cor. 1:24)
Precious Cornerstone (1 Pet. 2:6)
Prophet (Acts 3:22)
Rabbi (Mt. 26:25)
Resurrection and Life (John 11:25)
Righteous Branch (Jer. 23:5)
Righteous One (Acts 7:52; 1 John 2:1)
Rock (1 Cor. 10:4)
Root of David (Rev. 5:5; 22:16)
Ruler of God’s Creation (Rev. 3:14)
Ruler of the Kings of the Earth (Rev. 1:5)
Savior (Eph. 5:23; Titus 1:4; 3:6; 2 Pet. 2:20)
Son of David (Lk. 18:39)
Son of God (John 1:49; Heb. 4:14)
Son of Man (Mt. 8:20)
Son of the Most High God (Lk. 1:32)
Source of Eternal Salvation for all who obey him (Heb. 5:9)
The One Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5)
The Stone the builders rejected (Acts 4:11)
True Bread (John 6:32)
True Light (John 1:9)
True Vine (John 15:1)
Truth (John 1:14; 14:6)
Way (John 14:6)
Wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24)
Word (John 1:1)
Word of God (Rev. 19:13)


They all lead to the same thing..
JESUS




*100 biblical names of Jesus
compiled by lyme disease

The Rented Room

The Rented Room

Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to outpatients at the clinic.

One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw.

Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning."

He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success; no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face. I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments..."

For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning."

I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. "No thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a brown paper bag.

When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.

He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was prefaced with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going.

At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded, and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, "Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind." I told him he was welcome to come again.

And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4 a.m., and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.

In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.

Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious.

When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. "Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!"

Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But, oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illness' would have been easier to bear. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God.

Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse. As she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!"


My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, "and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden."

She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven. "Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body."

All this happened long ago --
and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.





compiled by lyme disease

The Sparrow at Starbucks

The song that silenced the cappuccino machine


It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth.

For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right. Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing.

It was a fun, low-pressure gig—I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the '40s to the '90s with a few original tunes thrown in. During our emotional rendition of the classic, "If You Don't Know Me by Now," I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.


After the tune was over, she approached me. "I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked.

"No," I replied. "We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?"

To my delight, she accepted my invitation.

"You choose," I said. "What are you in the mood to sing?"

"Well…. do you know any hymns?"

Hymns? This woman didn't know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. "Name one."

"Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones. You pick one."

"Okay," I replied. "How about 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'?"

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, "Yeah. Let's do that one."

She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing.

Why should I be discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion.

I sing because I'm happy;
I sing because I'm free.
For His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me.

Holy moment

When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, "Oh, y'all go back to your coffee! I didn't come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get something' to drink, just like you!"
But the ovation continued. I embraced my new friend. "You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!"

"Well, it's funny that you picked that particular hymn," she said.

"Why is that?"

"Well…." she hesitated again, "that was my daughter's favorite song."

"Really!" I exclaimed.

"Yes," she said, and then grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual. "She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week."

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence.

"Are you going to be okay?"

She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. "I'm gonna be okay. I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything's gonna be just fine."

She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop? Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it.



God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it's no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything's gonna be okay.

The Sparrow at Starbucks © John Thomas Oaks

compiled by lyme disease