Salvation begins with Communication

http://www.imao.us/archives/cat_fun_trivia.html

Green Tea and Asparagus

Like you know what's around the next bend. Nope. It's starting to rain, and steam is rising up from the gravel road.

Challenge: Write the Moral Ending to this Story...

Hey my mostly male writers; can you reflect on how Jesus responds to women?

One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river. She cried out. Jesus the Lord appeared and asked, "Why are you crying?"

The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the river and she needed it -- to help her husband in making a living for their family.

The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled up a golden thimble set with sapphires.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked.

The seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a golden thimble studded with rubies.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked.

Again, the seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked.

The seamstress replied, "Yes."

The Lord was pleased with the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep. She went home very happy.

Some years later, the same seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water. When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, "Why are you crying?"

"Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!"

The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney; "Is this your husband?" the Lord asked.

"Yes," cried the seamstress.

The Lord was alarmed; "You have given a falsehood! That is not in keeping with how responded last time! You needed your thimble to help your husband make a living."

The seamstress replied, "Oh, forgive me. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to George Clooney, you would have come up with Brad Pitt."

"Then if I said 'no' to him, you would have come up with my husband. Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all three," she explained to the Savior.

"Lord, I'm not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands," she made clear her plan. "THAT'S why I said 'yes' to George Clooney."

Possible endings:

1 --The Lord gave George Clooney to the seamstress...

2 --And so the Lord delivered her husband back to her, only...

3 -- The Lord left her with no husband, and said "....

The moral of this story is:

Handy Chart

HANDY LITTLE CHART
God has a positive answer:

YOU SAY	GOD SAYS	BIBLE VERSES
You say: "It's impossible"	God says: All things are possible	(Luke 18:27)
You say: "I'm too tired"	God says: I will give you rest	(Matthew 11:28-30)
You say: "Nobody really loves me"	God says: I love you	(John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 )
You say: "I can't go on"	God says: My grace is sufficient	(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)
You say: "I can't figure things out"	God says: I will direct your steps	(Proverbs 3:5- 6)
You say: "I can't do it"	God says: You can do all things	(Philippians 4:13)
You say: "I'm not able"	God says: I am able	(II Corinthians 9:8)
You say: "It's not worth it"	God says: It will be worth it	(Roman 8:28 )
You say: "I can't forgive myself"	God says: I Forgive you	(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)
You say: "I can't manage"	God says: I will supply all your needs	(Philippians 4:19)
You say: "I'm afraid"	God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear	(II Timothy 1:7)
You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"	God says: Cast all your cares on ME	(I Peter 5:7)
You say: "I'm not smart enough"	God says: I give you wisdom	(I Corinthians 1:30)
You say: "I feel all alone"	God says: I will never leave you or forsake you	(Hebrews 13:5)

Updated: GLORIA-oskees -- it was bad so I edited it !!

I would just as soon be a follower- of- Christ- type fool, ...than just a fool.

It's awards time.. time to report the best in class of recent past.
Today we could nominate: Second Chances?

Second chances is a good place to start. Faithful and steadfast means belief in second chance.
{PHOTO: we asked our actor to kick a little sand in the face of the other, but he succumbed to bullying...
Is something irritating you?

Is there sometimes a little ache in the stomach early in the morning having its way with cognitive activity? Did some bully take a cheap shot yesterday?

Long ago, one of my neighbor's visiting father told me, as we parlayed under the Hawthorne tree between our driveways, "I have cranberry juice first thing in the morning to get my bowels started."

To myself, "Whoa, that's a little more than I was ready for!"

The rest of the day he would have a vodka and cranberry juice, I guessed to embalm himself. "I'm a four handicap and play golf at the Glenview Naval Base Golf Course."

Thus, stimulus, and irritation... by my retired lawyer duffer neighbor. But he got his second chance every morning to stimulate his good intentions. He is my kind of opportunist.

Outside sources sometimes close in on me. Some irritations are heaped upon us from unlikely sources. My friend and our esoteric contributor, Compostholestoy, said to me when we met that he came to school in San Antonio from Chicago so he could play golf year round.

Last week, my brother Dave, D2R2, held the phone to his ear while playing out a par four. Both these guys are left-handed. My youngest boy, Pat2, sometimes contributor, too is a lefty. Culture has not always been nice to left-handed people. They all hit right, but write left. They are ambidextrous.

There was a time when left-handedness meant devil-possessed to some murky past cultures. Probably true in non-written-history ancient societies as well; left-handed meant about the same as follower of Wicca.

Today, in America, we know unless you have a lefty batting third in your line up, hopefully a switch hitting 333 hitter, you have no offense.

Society and political fervor do not rule; Truth rules. Second chance for society, second chance for humans, it is part of our collective experiences and mindful acts.

Details of second chance are spelled out almost every week in the world. In my experience, the Holy Spirit communicates a new detail of redemption every time a tidbit of Christ knowledge stimulates my brain... Eh?

Details are as simplistic as can be -- like the order of 1 through 5 civilization: 1-wander, 2-arrive, 3-pitch tents, 4-build altar to God the Father almighty, 5-dig a well. And if I don't get the order correct, I get a second chance. I can go back to consult the Best Information Book Life Entails, and make adjustments.

Details like -- the masculine voice of the Father and His Son: how could Cain have killed Abel if they had been women? Men of earth are a rabble. If men of this wilderness can be turned to God the Father, then salvation is imminent, in the offing. In the mind of the Creator, women are the vessel of men, how can they be also a destroyer of men?

Details -- Christ mixed His spittle with some dirt and rubbed it on the blind man's eyes, who ran to the city. Lifetime blindness, erased with a little dirt, ouch, that is simplified.

Details like -- remembrances in the flesh; Thomas had to touch the wounds, but was left with a pain in his side. Moses had a lisp. Christ was not a handsome man, rather He was common in looks. Why are there bullies in our lives?

Yes, I have reminders in my flesh; don't you too? A thorn here, a thorn there... a ten pound goiter of flesh in an odd place...

What you gonna' do about it? I'm going to ignore them and push on.

To many we are this man, as he appeared on back pages of comic books for my entire life...

And like this patron of second chance, Charles Atlas, he and I cannot heal our own blindness, but we can muddle about until the work is done.

Yeah, maybe it's time to air out the old Speedo, and do some beach work !!!!

FEEDBACK Department --

This article:
___ makes me turn my head and cough
___ is more or less, mostly less
___ I thought our work here was done
___ makes me smile
___ makes me want to stick to it
___ gave me second chance to turn off my computer!

Arctic or Iranian desert?
I thought these photos were a commercial for Obama picturing his planned meeting with his bear friend Ahmadinejad in Iran.
Oops, our cameras caught the last photo in the sequence, not likely to be printed in the NY Times.

Your roving photographer, Compostholestoy

Something Funny happened on the way to the Glacier this morning...

Instant Answer to Prayer

WHAT AN AWESOME TRIBUTE TO GEORGE W BUSH! PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE STORY NO MATTER WHAT YOUR PERCEPTION IS OF HIM. YOU WON'T REGRET IT...

Sent in from our most esoteric Correspondent: Jewels -- "Go ahead Jewels --"

If you want to see an uncut version of this story by Bruce Vincent just go to this URL. http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/vincent.asp

Story by Bruce Vincent, May 2004

"For those of us who sometimes find ourselves having doubts about our President, here is an excellent piece -- worth every minute it takes to read it. This story is from Bruce Vincent of Libby, Montana who had gone to the White House with others to receive an award from the President..."

He writes:

I've written the following narrative to chronicle the day of the award ceremony in DC. I'm still working on a press release but the White House press corps has yet to provide a photo to go with it. When the photo comes I'll ship it out. When you get done reading this you'll understand the dilemma I face in telling this story beyond my circle of close friends.

Stepping into the Oval Office, each of us was introduced to the President and Mrs Bush. We shook hands and participated in small talk. When the President was told that we were from Libby, Montana , I reminded him that Marc Racicot is our native son and the President offered his warm thoughts about Governor Racicot.

I have to tell you, I was blown away by two things upon entering the office. First, the Oval Office sense of 'place' is unreal. The President later shared a story of Russian President Putin entering the room prepared to tackle the President in a tough negotiation and upon entering, the atheist muttered his first words to the President and they were 'Oh, my God.' I concurred. I could feel the history in my bones.

Second, the man that inhabits the office engaged me with a firm handshake and a look that can only be described as penetrating. Warm, alive, fully engaged, disarmingly penetrating. I was admittedly concerned about meeting the man. I think all of us have an inner hope that the most powerful man in our country is worthy of the responsibility and authority that we bestow upon them through our vote.

I admit that part of me was afraid that I would be let down by the moment -- that the person and the place could not meet the lofty expectations of my fantasy world. This says nothing about my esteem for President Bush but just my practical realization that reality may not match my 'dream.'

Once inside the office, President Bush got right down to business and, standing in front of his desk, handed out the awards one at a time while posing for photos with the winners and Mrs. Bush. With the mission accomplished, the President and Mrs. Bush relaxed and initiated a lengthy, informal conversation about a number of things with our entire small group. He and the First Lady talked about such things as the rug in the office. It is traditionally designed by the First Lady to make a statement about the President, and Mrs. Bush chose a brilliant yellow sunburst pattern to reflect 'hope.' President Bush talked about the absolute need to believe that with hard work and faith in God there is every reason to start each day in the Oval Office with hope. He and the First Lady were asked about the impact of the Presidency on their marriage and, with an arm casually wrapped around Laura, he said that he thought the place may be hard on weak marriages but that it had the ability to make strong marriages even stronger and that he was blessed with a strong one.

After about 30 or 35 minutes, it was time to go. By then we were all relaxed and I felt as if I had just had an excellent visit with a friend.The President and First Lady made one more pass down the line of awardees, shaking hands and offering congratulations.

When the President shook my hand I said, 'Thank you Mr. President and God bless you and your family.' He was already in motion to the next person in line, but he stopped abruptly turned fully back to me, gave me a piercing look, renewed the vigor of his handshake and said, 'Thank you -- and God bless you and yours as well'

On our way out of the office we were to leave by the glass doors on the west side of the office. I was the last person in the exit line. As I shook his hand one final time, President Bush said, 'I'll be sure to tell Marc hello and give him your regards.'

I then did something that surprised even me. I said to him, 'Mr. President, I know you are a busy man and your time is precious. I also know you to be a man of strong faith and I have a favor to ask of you.'

As he shook my hand he looked me in the eye and said, 'Just name it.' I told him that my step-Mom was at that moment in a hospital in Kalispell, Montana , having a tumor removed from her skull and it would mean a great deal to me if he would consider adding her to his prayers that day.

He grabbed me by the arm and took me back toward his desk as he said, 'So that's it. I could tell that something is weighing heavy on your heart today. I could see it in your eyes. This explains it.' From the top drawer of his desk he retrieved a pen and a note card with his seal on it and asked, 'How do you spell her name?' He then jotted a note to her while discussing the importance of family and the strength of prayer. When he handed me the card, he asked about the surgery and the prognosis. I told him we were hoping that it is not a recurrence of an earlier cancer and that, if it is, they can get it all with this surgery.

He said, 'If it's okay with you, we'll take care of the prayer right now. Would you pray with me?' I told him yes and he turned to the staff that remained in the office and he and motioned the folks to step back or leave. He said, 'Bruce and I would like some private time for a prayer.' As they left he turned back to me and took my hands in his. I was prepared to do a traditional prayer stance –standing with each other with heads bowed. Instead, he reached for my head with his right hand and pulling gently forward, he placed my head on his shoulder. With his left arm on my mid-back, he pulled me to him in a prayerful embrace.

He started to pray softly. I started to cry. He continued his prayer for Loretta and for God's perfect will to be done. I cried some more. My body shook a bit as I cried and he just held tighter. He closed by asking God's blessing on Loretta and the family during the coming months. I stepped away from our embrace, wiped my eyes, swiped at the tears I'd left on his shoulder, and looked into the eyes of our president I thanked him as best I could and told him that me and my family would continue praying for him and his.

As I write this account down and reflect upon what it means, I have to tell you that all I really know is that his simple act left me humbled and believing. I so hoped that the man I thought him to be was the man that he is. I know that our nation needs a man such as this in the Oval Office.

George W. Bush is the real deal. I've read Internet stories about the President praying with troops in hospitals and other such uplifting accounts. Each time I read them I hoped them to be true and not an Internet perpetuated myth. This one, I know to be true. I was there. He is real. He has a pile of incredible stuff on his plate each day -- and yet he is tuned in so well to the here and now that he 'sensed' something heavy on my heart. He took time out of his life to care, to share, and to seek God's blessing for my family in a simple man-to-man, father-to -father, son-to-son, husband-to-husband, Christian-to-Christian prayerful embrace.

He's not what I had hoped he would be. He is, in fact, so very, very much more.

NOTE: If you decide to forward this story... please do not add to it. Let Mr. Vincent's encounter stands as he wrote it. * * *

No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.15/1426 - Release Date: 5/10/2008 11:12 AM

MTC#11

If I could write and pass a law it would say: " Henceforth, on this day of our Lord May 11, 2008 and on subsequent days ordained by our 'Maestra' and until such time as this law shall be deemed null and void by amendment or rejection which will be acceptable from any single Blog Ninja or quorum, forum or simple majority of the heretofore mentioned Blog Ninjas, that with due consideration and ample permutation through a grouping of reliable and highly knowledgeable individuals , who by all appearances are of sound mind and outstanding character, do so, with no reservation or covert motives, hereby proclaim said day to be not only one in a series of such but the type of day that each person who joins this endeavor should and will be expressive, verbose, humorous, serious, grandiose, simple, full of guile, innocent, deliberate, spontaneous and above all write like the wind." BN Bill 1:1


Please visit the Mystery Topic Challenge Blog to view all of the other entries. Once you've read them all, please be sure to vote HERE for your favorite.

The Dangling of Carrots is as old as Angels, for God told them to, righteously

As my Father in Heaven tries to replace the constant ringing of "me,me,me,me,me,me,me,me" in these clogged ears with "God,God,God,God,God,God,God,God,God!", the notion that we are all together in a virtual room talking, laughing, sharing, witnessing and spilling our emotions and "Pieces of our hearts", as Janis so aptly wailed, to each other and all who care to take the trouble to enjoy and agonize, as R.C. eloquently shared , and learn, as yours truly is, how #&@!*^?&:) amazing IT IS, keeps me on the edge of my seat, anticipating more.

My eclectic and verrrry sleepy brother,( Remove all invasive thoughts from your mind and watch the clock hands tick, tick, tick) and I have joined in the "Tough Prayer for us and our father, Bob, during his senior walk, to be suppliant and responsive to the idiosyncrasies that we share as unique but bound to each other, men of identical genes. How successful our prayers are depends on the perceiver, but as God's child, put near our parents, I want to report to Pat, Sylvia and Becky that all seems to be as intended, minus the commitment to Christ. So we must pray again and again, without end ."

" I appeal to you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:1&2.

Paul was the type of man who is missing from our limelight these days, a devoted, eloquent and fearless " man of God". He goes on in Romans 14 to say "One man believes he can eat meat sacrificed to idols, yet the other man who won't eat the meat and will eat only vegetables, is called weak. God has welcomed them both and says do not dispute over opinions."
We have grown up with the fine explanation of how opinions are similar to an anatomical orifice and we all have one. Now, what I get here is to be healthy, moderate and it seems God has an interest in us eating our vegetables, which include carrots.

"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are heirs of salvation?" Heb 1:14

More than once I have been told stories that can only be explained by the grace of God, through his angels. Several by our Dad, some by close friends and once or twice random stories. I have felt the presence of Our Lord, close at my side on occasions very dear to me. Angels are the ministering spirits of God. They enhance our feeling of majesty and Holy Spiritual glory when God is over-powering the worldly travails that assault us. Can you feel that power sometimes?

Well, beloveds, as a cohort of my brother, in all of this, sleep well with the grace of God and tomorrow eat your vegetables.

Carrots and Hebrews 1: 13-14

By the way, Big Dave asked me if I was getting anywhere on this particular reference, in my message center lately [message center somewhere hidden my brain].

That was last Thursday. I regret I have not even a smidgen of inspiration even now Wednesday. If Dave calls me regular Thursday, I will look like a dweeb... okay no comments from the peanut gallery.

Any one got a clinger for this week on those beings that are messengers?

Carrots: that has to do with snacking... so far so good. Carrots rather than Dagwood sandwiches at midnight..... eases the gastronomic advance of a girth.

More later, more or less, that is
Patrick out

FAST -- Faithful and Steadfast to God: Hugs aren't Just for Girls..... it's Hug your Guitar Week

FAST -- Faithful and Steadfast to God: Hugs aren't Just for Girls..... it's Hug your Guitar Week,

Why I Love my Guitar ,

Hug Your Guitar Week

Hugs aren't Just for Girls..... it's Hug your Guitar Week

Hug Your Guitar, so say some sentimental types,,, hey hug your harmonica, or piano, or bassoon,,, any instrument is better than having an SUV !! For the love of God and Country, don't let me catch you hugging your SUV !

iG:
I just read your article: http://igblog.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/hug-your-guitar-week/

I arrived here via http://www.guitarflame.com/2008/why-i-love-my-guitar/

Some guitars need hugs... or they will simply cease to exist.

This one has a funny condition, that the guitar repair dude at Mom2Pop Music store said "Hey, I'd like to take your $580!"

To him I said, "It has sentimental value, but not that much!"

So I put some thought into it, and clamps to it, as you might see in the photo. Its made in "Japan" as it is stamped japan, but unfortunately there is no label left, Classic nylon string guitar. Very old now. Used when given to me by best friend's wife, 22 years ago. Jack Pribek has even had a turn with it, picked it up and practiced his scales. Then he pulled out his file to take the frets down, or shave down the nut to his liking... making this primitive guitar sound like Anne Murray.

...all the rug rats have used it, drawn on it, and so on. I played it in churches, and at Guitar Preservation classes when two of us taught basics to middle schoolers. Some one used it as a paddle in a flood... [not really]
Then one tuner cracked, so I fashioned a nylon sleeve, that continued to buzz. I discovered replacement tuners for this simple guitar, and was really happy about that. Then it developed a weird sag, I think someone sat on it... is all I can figure.

So, you see the guitar is a very worthy instrument, especially this one, deserving lots of love and hugs. I would say a guitar is better even than having a boat.

Hug it you huckster; hug that presidential dreadnaught-----------}

Go on and hug your girls too!

Patrick Darnell
moopigwisdom.blogspot.com

Stillicide, by Michael Quinion

A falling of water in drops. World Wide Words is copyright © Michael Quinion, 1996–2008. All rights reserved.

The word is not one of that melancholy collection ending in -cide that refers to an act of killing or something that kills (suicide, pesticide), since it comes from a different Latin verb, caedere, to fall. The first part is from Latin stilla, a drop; the English word is a reformulation of Latin stillicidium, falling drops.

The Latin word could mean in particular the drip of rain from the eaves of a house, which is exactly equivalent to an ancient meaning of our eavesdrop. This meaning led to the main historical sense of the word, a legal term in Scots law. If a householder let rain fall from his eaves on to the land of a neighbour, he needed the neighbour’s permission. John Erskine explained this in 1754 in his Principles of the Law of Scotland: “No proprietor can build, so as to throw the rain water falling from his own house immediately upon his neighbour’s ground, without a special servitude, which is called of stillicide.” (Servitude is another term for easement, a special permission relating to access to land.)

It’s not a word much encountered these days. When it appears it has the sense of falling water, not the legal one. It is in a poem in Vladimir Nabokov’s Pale Fire: “Stilettos of a frozen stillicide”, one of a collection of unusual words in that section that also includes shagbark, torquated, vermiculated, preterist, iridule, and lemniscate. Its most famous use is perhaps that by Thomas Hardy, again in a poem:

They’ve a way of whispering to me —
fellow-wight who yet abide —
In the muted, measured note
Of a ripple under archways,
or a lone cave’s stillicide.

World Wide Words is copyright © Michael Quinion, 1996–2008. (See: also sidebar)

UPDATED: Write a Caption for this Photo... Contest

FLOOD GAUGE FUSION

See comments....

richard capotosto to you - 2 hrs ago *CHALLENGE*

Rules Committee,
If you read all 20 pages of the Haiku Rules, current
and anachronistic, you will not longer be confused by
8-10-2 . Maynard G. Krebs used it all the time and
most modern jack hammers are synchronized to this beat
because the resonance is proven to break apart solids
3 times faster than 5-7-5.
www.ahapoetry.com/HAIKU.HTM#comego

"How to write Haiku In Japaneses, the rules for how to
write Haiku are clear, and will not be discussed here.
In foreign languages, there exist NO consensus in how to
write Haiku-poems. "

So, even though until recently I thought Haiku was
Japanese for "a sneeze" I still feel inclined to say
that poetry is as much for the ignorant as it is for
those who count to 17 on their fingers & toes.

Question: How did you know we had to take our shoes off to judge that verse of yours?

To you, rc, we say:

チャプスイ
お客様の訪問の思い出
には、左側の- overs

loosely translated as --

CHOP SUEY
MEMORIES OF YOUR VISIT
IN THE LEFT-OVERS