Bug's Bleat - - GCF: CD Player

Volume 7, Issue 52

Hello All,

This week, Annette went to bless a friend who’s been having problems. She came back and reported that this Christian had given her much more than she had brought to them.
There are a lot of people we know that you can’t out give.
~~~~~
We’ve got friends in the hospital here and in Texarkana. Please join us in praying for GiGi Baucum, Traci Bailey and Janet Hale.
~~~~~
Check out Magnolia Christian Centers new web page at www.mcc2000.net
~~~~~
Cheryl Anne Brandt Prince and Sister Fannie Mohon passed away this week. Sister Fannie was 91 years old and had been unable to visit us at church for a long time. But we’ll still miss her.
~~~~~
Cheryl was only 59. When I started writing this, I thought it would be an emotional story of Annette and my friendship with Cheryl, Royce and their kids. But after the celebration service this afternoon, I have to share that Cheryl lived a Christian life and is waiting for us in Heaven.
Vanessa reminded me that Cheryl was her Sunday School Teacher. When we first started Magnolia Christian Center, Cheryl, Annette and I, Sondra Eiler and Terry Benefield, piled into Cheryl’s purple “Passion Pit” van (it had 2" thick shag carpeting in the back) and headed to Tulsa to train under Willie George. We returned with an “Oogene” puppet and a conviction that young children could be taught to accept the Lord and walk strong in the Word.
That was my first trip to Tulsa. My first experience with the Indian Nation Toll Road. We stayed with some student friends of Terry’s and they had this strange type of cable TV that had a “box” on top of the TV.
Today, Cheryl was eulogized as “a character”, “eccentric”, as well as loving, and eternally young. True to form, her funeral was a Celebration with a large crowd of friends and family as well as some VIPs (Susan McDougal and Dr. Joycelyn Elders to name a couple.)
Her service was highlighted by the piano playing of Walter Hale, the singing of Kara Wimblerly John Henley and Annette. Messages by Brother Paul Troquille, G. C. Kirksey and Cheryl’s nephew Bo Prince.
We miss Cheryl, but we can’t help but know that she’s having a “ball” in Heaven.
~~~~~
Jamie Kirkpatrick's lost everything when his mobile home was destroyed by fire

If you have anything that Jamie could use, including cash donations, please contact Eric Eades, Greg Borne, or Laurel Becnel.

Sizes: Jamie - Shirt XL, Pants Waist 34 or 36 Length 32, Shoes 9 ½ or 10
Sara - Age 7, Clothes 6x
~~~~~
We received this message from Mindy (Phillips) Lawrence this week

My youngest son, Grant, is back in Iraq for his second tour of duty. He's SGT. Grant Lawrence this time around so has more responsibility. He also has a brand new daughter who was born August 17th. Her name is Cassidy Joyce, but they call her C.J.

My other son, Daniel, is now a certified EMT/Firefighter working right now as a security guard until a position comes open for him in St. Louis. He ALSO had a baby girl on September 21th. Her name is Kyleigh.

That makes ME a double grandmother ~ Two grand kids within three weeks of one another. They are both beautiful.

I under contract to write a book on Iraqi Freedom Veterans for Red Engine Press. It's going slower than I wanted it to but I will get it done. My second book, one I co-authored, came out in October 2005. It's called THE COMPLETE WRITER. I am now doing some speaking engagements and book signing for it in the St. Louis area.

You guys have a wonderful New Year. I think 2006 will be outstanding. I'm looking forward to it.
~~~~~
Got this from a friend of mine at church. With that, I want to wish you a
very Merry Christmas.

Richard and Cassie


YOU CAN'T STEAL MY CHRISTMAS
Poem by Sharon Steege

I don't know who they are
Saying I can't greet the crowd
The way that I want to
Can't say CHRISTMAS out loud.

I walk into a business place
See things that I rather not see
But dare I not say CHRISTMAS
And ask for a "holiday" tree.

What happened to freedom of speech
And living in the land of the free
How can they take my CHRISTMAS money
But can't say MERRY CHRISTMAS to me.

Men and women have given their lives
So we could still go free
I wonder how they would feel
At saying "HOLIDAY" TREE.

Come on AMERICA let's wake up
Don't let our freedom escape
If they get by with doing this
What else will they take.

This is starting to get out of hand,
And I've begun to keep track
Well I've just about had enough
I'M TAKING CHRISTMAS BACK.

So MERRY CHRISTMAS AMERICA
I hope this gets all over the net
If we all stand united and take freedom back
'Twill be our best CHRISTMAS YET!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY

AMEN AMEN & AMEN

Thanks to Richard Matherne

~~~~~
We have enjoyed the redneck jokes for years. It's time to take a reflective look at the core beliefs of a culture that values home, family, country and God.
If I had to stand before a dozen terrorists who threaten my life, I'd choose a half dozen or so red necks to back me up. Tire irons, squirrel guns and grit -- that's what red necks are made of. I hope I am one of those.

If you feel the same, pass this on to your redneck friends. y’all know who ya' are...

You might be a redneck if: It never occurred to you to be
offended by the phrase, "One nation, under God."

You might be a redneck if: You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.

You might be a redneck if: You still say "Christmas" instead of "Winter Festival."

You might be a redneck if: You bow your head when someone prays.

You might be a redneck if: You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.

You might be a redneck if: You treat Viet Nam vets with great respect, and always have.

You might be a redneck if: You've never burned an American flag.

You might be a redneck if: You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.

You might be a redneck if: You respect your elders and expect your kids to do the same.

You might be a redneck if: You'd give your last dollar to a friend.

If you got this email from me, it is because I believe that you, like me, have just enough Red Neck in you to have the same beliefs as those talked about in this email.

God Bless the USA!
Git 'er done!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to Waneta Reardon
~~~~~
Don't forget ... "Da Bleat" is now on the web. Just go to http://bugsbleat4q.blogspot.com
~~~~~
Feel free to share the "Bleat" with any and all. That's why we publish it.
~~~~~
www.aaa.com Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current Avg. $2.190 $2.325 $2.410 $2.551
http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/
~~~~~
Recipe(s) of the week - Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Show: Paula's Home Cooking
Episode: Spring Brunch
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings



1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1-cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1-teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4-teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4-teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup


Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or breadcrumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.


Praline Topping:
½ pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_26774,00.html
~~~~~
BreakPoint
With Chuck Colson

A Life Worth Living
Max’s Classroom
December 30, 2005

My wife, Patty, and I were reminded of just why truth matters when we visited our grandson’s school one afternoon.

Max, as some of you may know, is autistic. As he showed Patty and me around his special-needs school—a story I tell in my new book, The Good Life—I was more than impressed with his teachers. They get a modest wage and work long hours under intense conditions. Autistic kids are demanding and sometimes aggressive. Yet Max’s teachers radiated joy—and I understood why.

Whenever Max comes to visit, everything else goes on hold as I accommodate myself to his schedule and his needs. Learning to meet those needs has been one of the greatest challenges, but also one of my greatest blessings.

But as I stood that day in Max’s classroom, a troubling thought crossed my mind. Why does the public education system spend as much as $65,000 per year to tend kids like Max? He will never go to college and never get a productive job. I couldn’t help but think of Peter Singer, the famous utilitarian philosopher from Princeton, and his argument that societies ought to spend their resources creating the maximum happiness for the greatest number. Singer’s logic would urge us to think about how many starving children could be fed for the cost of Max’s tuition. A chill came over me as I realized just how natural that argument sounds and how dangerous it is.

Singer and others, as a matter of fact, would argue against letting Max come into the world at all. And that argument has infiltrated our culture to an almost unbelievable extent. Ninety percent of couples who learn that their unborn children have a disability end up aborting them. Singer takes that mentality a step further, however, arguing that it’s ethical to kill these children after they’re born.

So the argument becomes—why should efforts like Max’s school, or taking care of very elderly people, continue if it’s in our power to make it unnecessary?

The person who says, “yes,” to Max now and in the future can reason only on the basis of something completely other than a cost-benefit analysis. In a utilitarian accounting, Max’s life is meaningless. Why, then, does he bring so much joy to his family and his teachers? Max’s autism is not a good thing—it’s part of the world’s brokenness—and yet that brokenness has been used to enlarge our capacity to love. Max brings joy into our lives through our sacrifices for him. Max himself knows a joy and wonder that puts me to shame. How does one account for this?

Looking at Max’s life, I have to conclude that the good life is not about the sum total of what we contribute to the world. It’s about loving. Utilitarianism knows nothing of love—as Peter Singer discovered when he found himself lavishing money and care on his Alzheimer’s-stricken mother, something that’s completely against his own philosophy.

Truth matters, and the truth is we are creatures made in the image of a loving God, and life has an ultimate value. So beware of the smooth-talking philosophers in our midst. Their position may seem very appealing and even logical. But it’s a deadly logic.

This commentary first aired on July 29, 2005.

--------------------------------------------
For further reading and information:
Please make a year-end donation to help continue the Christian worldview ministry of “BreakPoint” and the Wilberforce Forum. Donate online or call 1-877-322-5527!

Order The Good Life: Seeking Purpose, Meaning, and Truth in Your Life by Charles Colson with Harold Fickett today! Also visit the book’s website to learn more about it and how to share The Good Life with others.

BreakPoint Commentary No. 030528, “Something to Celebrate: Faith That Goes Beyond Happy Endings.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 030409, “Questions of Life and Death: The Activist and the Professor.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 041004, “Are We This Pro-Life?: Parenting Special-Needs Children.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 030114, “Coming Soon to a Hospital Near You: ‘Futile Care’ and the Culture of Death.”

Joni and Friends exists to communicate the Gospel and equip Christ-honoring churches worldwide to evangelize and disciple people affected by disability.

Roberto Rivera, “Lean on Me: Dignity and Dependency,” BreakPoint Online, 28 January 2004.

The BreakPoint Web site and BreakPoint WorldView Magazine feature Colson’s commentaries as well as feature articles by other established and up-and-coming writers to equip readers with a biblical perspective on a variety of issues and topics.
© 2004 Prison Fellowship.
~~~~~
Words of the Week:
firmament: the sky; the heavens.
jollification: merrymaking; revelry.
benefaction: the act of conferring a benefit; also, a benefit conferred.
apposite: of striking appropriateness and relevance.
cynosure: a center of attention.
quiddity: the essence or nature of a thing.
perquisite: a benefit in addition to a salary.
from Dictionary.Com
~~~~~
"You must not think me necessarily foolish because I am facetious, nor will I consider you necessarily wise " - Sydney Smith

"Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart ... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever." - Bess Streeter Aldrich

"Peace, peace is what I seek and public calm,
Endless extinction of unhappy hates." - Matthew Arnold

"Grant us a common faith that man shall know bread and peace - that he shall know justice and righteousness, freedom and security, an equal opportunity and an equal chance to do his best not only in our own lands, but throughout the world. And in that faith let us march toward the clean world our hands can make." - Stephen Vincent Benet

"Life is a tragedy full of joy." - Bernard Malamud

"No matter what you have done to this moment, you get 24 brand new hours to spend every single day." - Brian Tracy

"We are not in a position in which we have nothing to work with. We already have capacities, talents, direction, missions, callings." - Abraham Maslow

"Every person takes the limits of their own field of vision for the limits of the world." - Arthur Schopenhauer
~~~~~
"Were we as eloquent as angels we still would please people much more by listening rather than talking." - Charles Caleb Colton (1780-1832) English Sportsman, Writer

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GCF: CD Player

Emailed to me from another humor list (The Funnies) -Tom
To subscribe to The Funnies, send a blank email to:
andychaps_the-funnies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If this was forwarded to you, please consider your own subscription to Good Clean Fun. It's free! A smile will enhance the quality of your life. Just send an email to: good-clean-fun-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit the Good Clean Fun web site http://www.slonet.org/~tellswor/ UNSUBSCRIBE INFO for Good Clean Fun is at the end of this email. This email was scanned by Norton AntiVirus 2005 before it was sent.
------------------------------

I wanted to buy a CD player, but was completely perplexed by one model's promotional sign. So I called the salesclerk over and asked, "What does 'hybrid pulse D/A converter' mean?"

He said, "That means that this machine will read the digital information that is encoded on CDs and convert it into an audio signal."

"In other words," I said, "this CD player plays CDs."

"Exactly."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Getting Closer

Emailed to me from another humor list (You Make Me Laugh) -Tom
To subscribe to You Make Me Laugh, send a blank email to:
SUBSCRIBE-laugh@lists.crosswalk.com
------------------------------

Our son is in the Army, stationed in Georgia. He invited my husband and I for a visit.

After driving endlessly through unfamiliar streets in search of an entrance to Fort Stewart, my husband suddenly said, "We're getting closer."

"How do you know?" I asked.

He pointed to a sign that read:

Sonny's Bar-B-Q
Tank Parking Available
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Say Something Positive

Emailed to me another humor list (Pastor Tim's Clean Laugh List) -Tom
Subscribe to Pastor Tim's Clean Laugh list at the website:
Subscribe
------------------------------

A husband and wife are getting ready for bed. The wife is standing in front of a full-length mirror taking a hard look at herself.

"You know, dear," she says, "I look in the mirror, and I see an old woman. My face is all wrinkled, my hair is grey, my shoulders are hunched over, I've got fat legs, and my arms are all flabby." She turns to her husband and says, "Tell me something positive to make me feel better about myself."

He studies hard for a moment thinking about it and then says in a soft, thoughtful voice, "Well, there's nothing wrong with your eyesight."

Services for the husband will be held Saturday morning at 10:30 at St. Anselm's Memorial Chapel.
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: I'm Tired!

Emailed to me from another humor list (The Funnies) -Tom
To subscribe to The Funnies, send a blank email to:
andychaps_the-funnies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
------------------------------

Christmas was finally over and the Pastor's wife dropped into an easy chair saying, "Boy! Am I ever tried."

Her husband looked over at her and said, "I had to conduct two special services last night, three today, and give a total of five sermons. Why are you so tired?"

"Dear," she replied, "I had to listen to all of them."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Feeding Shamu

Emailed to me another humor list (Pastor Tim's Clean Laugh List) -Tom
Subscribe to Pastor Tim's Clean Laugh list at the website:
Subscribe
------------------------------

At Sea World, our grandson absolutely refused to see the show featuring Shamu the killer whale, but he wouldn't tell us why.

No amount of discussion could get him to change his mind.

Later, when we got home, we discovered the reason for his reluctance.

An aunt had told him how exciting the show would be because "They choose children from the audience to feed Shamu."
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / I tried to drown my problems, \ /
\ _/ but they can swim! \_ /
/ / \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / Character Density: \ \_/ ////
\ / The number of very weird people \ /
\ _/ in the office, \_ /
/ / divided by the floor space. \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Originality is the art of \ /
\ _/ concealing your source. \_ /
/ / \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Dilbert is not a comic strip, \ /
\ _/ it's a documentary. \_ /
/ / \ _ ____________________________ _
/ )| Thomas S. Ellsworth |( / / | tellswor@slonet.org | \ _( (_ | http://www.slonet.org/~tellswor | _) )_
(((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_|Stop for a visit, leave with a smile! To join Good Clean Fun, email: good-clean-fun-subscribe@yahoogroups.Com To leave Good Clean Fun, email: good-clean-fun-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.Com Or visit the Good Clean Fun web site at http://www. slonet.org/~tellswor/
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[GCFL.net] Flight Announcement

Thanks to a retired Air Force officer for sending this "paraphrase" of a memorable public safety announcement from Alaska Air flight attendants...

"I was flying to San Francisco from Seattle this weekend, and the flight attendant reading the flight safety information had the whole plane looking at each other like 'what the heck?' (Getting Seattle people to look at each other is an accomplishment.) So once we got airborne, I took out my laptop and typed up what she said so I wouldn't forget. I've left out a few parts I'm sure, but this is most of it."

Before takeoff... Hello and welcome to Alaska Flight 438 to San Francisco. If you're going to San Francisco, you're in the right place. If you're not going to San Francisco, you're about to have a really long evening.

We'd like to tell you now about some important safety features of this aircraft.

The most important safety feature we have aboard this plane is... the flight attendants. Please look at one now.

There are five exits aboard this plane: two at the front, two over the wings, and one out the plane's rear end. If you're seated in one of the exit rows, please do not store your bags by your feet. That would be a really bad idea. Please take a moment and look around and find the nearest exit. Count the rows of seats between you and the exit. In the event that the need arises to find one, trust me, you'll be glad you did. (This is excellent advice, and something I always do.) We have pretty blinking lights on the floor that will blink in the direction of the exits. White ones along the normal rows, and pretty red ones at the exit rows.

In the event of a loss of cabin pressure, these baggy things will drop down over your head. You stick it over your nose and mouth like the flight attendant is doing now. The bag won't inflate, but there's oxygen there, promise.

If you are sitting next to a small child, or someone who is acting like a small child, please do us all a favor and put on your mask first. If you are traveling with two or more children, please take a moment now to decide which one is your favorite. Help that one first, and then work your way down.

In the seat pocket in front of you is a pamphlet about the safety features of this plane. I usually use it as a fan when I'm having my own personal summer. It makes a very good fan. It also has pretty pictures. Please take it out and play with it now.

Please take a moment now to make sure your seat belts are fastened low and tight about your waist. To fasten the belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle. To release, it's a pulley thing -- not a pushy thing like your car because you're in an airplane -- HELLO!!

There is no smoking in the cabin on this flight. There is also no smoking in the lavatories. If we see smoke coming from the lavatories, we will assume you are on fire and put you out. This is a free service we provide. There are two smoking sections on this flight, one outside each wing exit. We do have a movie in the smoking sections tonight ... hold on, let me check what it is .... Oh here it is; the movie tonight is Gone with the Wind.

In a moment we will be turning off the cabin lights, and it's going to get really dark, really fast. If you're afraid of the dark, now would be a good time to reach up and press the yellow button. The yellow button turns on your reading light. Please don't press the orange button unless you absolutely have to. The orange button is your seat ejection button.

We're glad to have you with us on board this flight. Thank you for choosing Alaska Air and giving us your business and your money. If there's anything we can do to make you more comfortable, please don't hesitate to ask.

If you all weren't strapped down, you would have given me a standing ovation, wouldn't you?

After landing... Welcome to the San Francisco International Airport. Sorry about the bumpy landing. It's not the captain's fault. It's not the copilot's fault. It's the Asphalt.

Please remain seated until the plane is parked at the gate. At no time in history has a passenger beaten a plane to the gate. So please don't even try.

Please be careful opening the overhead bins because "shift happens."

Received from Alan Burgess.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] Moving Labels

Having moved 15 times during our 37-year marriage, my husband and I appreciate movers who take the time to label carefully boxes they pack for us.

The accuracy of labels can make a huge difference when we try to find something right away.

My favorite was done by one guy who attached this sticker to a box -- obviously not knowing how to spell the best one-word description: "Animals you hit with a stick at a Mexican party."

(The one-word description is a Pinata. For those that might not know what a pinata is look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinata )

Received from Pastor Tim's CleanLaugh List.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] Last Pun of the Year

Christmas was over. Santa and his reindeer finally had a chance to rest. And they deserved it. They had done a good job.

Rudolph had a chance to do something he had wanted to do for a long time. He made an appointment with a plastic surgeon because he was so sensitive about his looks. However, it wasn't his glowing proboscis that he wanted changed. He was proud of his nose and the help he had given Santa because of it. No, he was sensitive about his long ears, which were much more prominent than the ears of the average reindeer, or bear for that matter.

So one week after Christmas, he let the good doctor do the pinna reconstructive surgery procedure, and since that time, January 1st has been celebrated as New Ears Day.

Happy New Ears Day!

Received from Stan Kegel.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] The Christmas Envelope

It's just a small white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas -- oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it -- the overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma -- the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties, and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.

Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church.

These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.

Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids -- all kids -- and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball, and lacrosse.

That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years.

For each Christmas, I followed the tradition -- one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.

The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.

As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning it was joined by three more.

Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope.

Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us. May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always.

God Bless! -- pass this along to your friends and loved ones.

Received from Steve McGowan.

(-:][:-)

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What is the difference between a used-car salesman and a computer salesman?
The used-car salesman knows when he's lying to you!

I once got an especially helpful reply to a question I asked on Microsoft's on-line tech support service. I wrote back to thank them for a complete and concise reply, and said how much I appreciated it.
The next day I had a response:
"We are looking into the problem and will contact you with a solution as soon as possible."

Why was Stonehenge abandoned?
It wasn't IBM compatible.
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There's a GREAT song playing on Christian radio these days. The song is called "Shine" by
Newsboys. The idea is to let your light shine so as to "make 'em wonder what you got." If you do it will, it will make people do all sorts of crazy things to find out what you've got...like:
make a bouncer take ballet
make a Deadhead sell his van
make an Eskimo renounce fur, and (my favorite)
make a vegetarian barbecue hamster

Thanks to Joe Tudor
~~
Newsboys - Shine Lyrics
Music by Peter Furler
Lyrics by Steve Taylor

dull as dirt
you can't assert the kind of light
that might persuade
a strict dictator to retire
fire the army
teach the poor origami
the truth is in
the proof is when
you hear your heart
start asking, "What's my motivation?"

and try as you may, there isn't a way
to explain the kind of change
that would make an Eskimo renounce fur
that would make a vegetarian barbecue hamster
unless you can trace this about-face
to a certain sign...

SHINE
MAKE 'EM WONDER WHAT YOU'VE GOT
MAKE 'EM WISH THAT THEY WERE NOT
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING BORED
SHINE
LET IT SHINE BEFORE ALL MEN
LET 'EM SEE GOOD WORKS, AND THEN
LET 'EM GLORIFY THE LORD

out of the shaker and onto the plate
it isn't Karma
it sure ain't fate
that would make a Deadhead sell his van
that would make a schizophrenic turn in his crayons
Oprah freaks
and science seeks a rationale
that shall excuse
this strange behavior

when you let it shine
you will inspire
the kind of entire turnaround
that would make a bouncer take ballet
(even bouncers who aren't...happy)
but out of the glare
with nowhere to turn
you ain't gonna learn it on "What's My Line?"

SHINE...
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For My Democratic Friends:

"Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.
We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. And without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.
By accepting these greetings you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself or himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher.
This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher."

For My Republican Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thanks to Sam Boggs
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Welcome to You Make Me Laugh, a free newsletter from Crosswalk.com, the world's largest Christian website.

*Lose The Cat*

A man hated his wife's cat and he decided to get rid of it. He drove 20 blocks away from home and dropped the cat there. The cat was already walking up the driveway when he approached his home.

The next day, he decided to drop the cat 40 blocks away but the same thing happened. He kept on increasing the number of blocks but the cat kept on coming home before him.

At last he decided to drive a few miles away, turn right, then left, past the bridge, then right again and another right and so on until he reached what he thought was a perfect spot and dropped the cat there.

Hours later, the man called his wife at home and asked her, "Jen is the cat there?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"answered the wife.

Frustrated the man said, "Put that cat on the phone, I am lost and I need directions."

(-:][:-)

*Catfish Fishing*

Jim had an awful day fishing, sitting on the lake all day without a single bite. On his way home, he stopped at the supermarket and ordered four catfish.

He told the fish salesman, "Pick out the four largest ones and throw them at me, will you?"

"Ok. But, why do you want me to throw them at you?"

"Because I want to tell my wife that I caught them."

(-:][:-)

*One and Ten*

Elizabeth was surprised to receive ten dollars from her Aunt for her birthday. The Aunt asked how she was going to spend it.

"I'm taking it to Sunday School and giving it to God." the little girl replied. "He'll be just as surprised as I was at not getting a dollar like usual."

(-:][:-)

Eye Laugh

"Faith Healer Sick Days"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=171

"Elephant Envy"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=198

"Donkey Watermelon"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=199

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
Daily devotionals are available at http://link.Crosswalk.Com/UM/T.asp?A1. 39. 17757. 1. 494611 You can access more information on Crosswalk's Fun page http://www.Crosswalk.Com/fun/! Crosswalk gives credit to the author of a joke when author is known. Feel free to send notification to admin@cybersalt.org in cases where credit has not been given to the author! -SUBSCRIPTION INFO- * Copyright2004 Crosswalk.Com, Inc. and its Content Providers. All rights reserved. Introducing www.Crossguide.Com Where Christians find Products, Services & Ministries.
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"Don't strive for recognition, but work for achievement." -- Vanessa Malone
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Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Columns - -http://www.madkane.com/thoughtful.html - - Thoughtful Interview "For a job applicant, an interview is to be sought, then dreaded, then endured. And managers rarely relish interviews any more than the trembling supplicant on the other side of their desk. So it's probably just as well that people can't read minds. If they could..."
http://www.madkane.com
http://www.madkane.com/notable.html (Notables Weblog)
http://www.madkane.com/bush.html (Dubya's Dayly Diary)
Subscribe to MadKane Humor Newsletter (weekly) here:
http://www.madkane.com/email.html
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New Year's Traditions - - http://www.infoplease.com/spot/newyearcelebrations.html - - Auld Lang Syne and other New Year's customs. Related sites: A History of the New Year - - http://www.infoplease.com/spot/newyearhistory.html - - / Saying 'Happy New Year' Around the World - - http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0923039.html - - / New Year's Resolutions Guide. - - http://www.umm.edu/features/resolutions_guide.htm
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mail1web: Pick Up Your Email - - http://www.mail2web.com/ - - This site is a free web-based email retrieval application that allows users from anywhere to anonymously pick up their email from almost any POP3 and IMAP4 email server. No registration is required to access or use the application. Rather than offer another email address like Hotmail® or Yahoo Mail!, mail2web.com allows you to use your existing email account. Retrieving and sending email with mail2web.com is as simple as entering your email address and password. Now you can easily read, reply, forward and even delete messages all while you're away from your regular email program.
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How Christmas Works - - http://www.howstuffworks.com/christmas.htm - - For hundreds of millions of people around the world, Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year. Have you ever wondered where traditions like Santa Claus come from? Find out at this How Stuff Works site.
Related sites: How Christmas Lights Works - - http://www.howstuffworks.com/christmas-lights.htm - - / How Mistletoe Works. - - http://www.howstuffworks.com/mistletoe.htm
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Forbes Best of the Web: Reference - - http://www.forbes.com/bow/b2c/category.jhtml?id=73 - - The billions of pages on the Internet contain almost anything you would wish to know; unfortunately, search engines can only go so far. Our favorites in this category give some order to the chaos, many with helpful search techniques, answers to common research questions and more. The best sites, which make finding that perfect word or fact a breeze, will renew your faith in the power of cyberspace.
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Charges on Your Phone Bill - - http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/charges.html - - Consumers are often confused by the various charges and items on their monthly phone bills. Under the FCC’s Truth-in-Billing rules, phone companies must provide clear, non-misleading, plain language in describing bill services, and identify the service provider associated with each charge; they must also display, on each bill, one or more toll-free numbers customers may use to inquire or dispute any charge on the bill. Related site: Sample Phone Bill. - - http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/phonebills/samplePhonebill.html
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The Harvard Classics - - http://www.bartleby.com/hc/ - - The most comprehensive and well-researched anthology of all time comprises both the 50-volume '5-foot shelf of books' and the the 20-volume Shelf of Fiction. Together they cover every major literary figure, philosopher, religion, folklore and historical subject through the twentieth century.
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Editor and Publisher - - http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/index.jsp - - Editor & Publisher is the authoritative journal covering all aspects of the North American newspaper industry, including business, newsroom, advertising, circulation, marketing, technology, online and syndicates.
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The Writer's Almanac - - http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/ - - The Writer's Almanac, a daily program of poetry and history hosted by Garrison Keillor, can be heard each day on public radio stations throughout the country. Each day's program is about five minutes long - check your local radio listings for the station and time in your area.
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TOURBUS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -:) - :)- :)
Volume 11, Number 32 --- 29 December 2005
Tourbus Home - http://www.TOURBUS.com
Best of Tourbus -- http://tourbus.com/best.html
+---------------------------------------+

TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: Computer Humor / The Top Ten

Every day I get the same lame jokes in my inbox. Some of them have been making the rounds for years, and they weren't funny back then either. Today's TOURBUS has a roundup of websites with some really good computer humor. Also check out the ten most popular articles this year on AskBobRankin.com -- read on!

-----------------------------
Humor That's Actually Funny
-----------------------------

Since 1987, Brad Templeton has been collecting jokes and distributing them through the rec.humor.funny newsgroup on Usenet. You can find an archive of the best Computer, Science and Math Jokes here:

http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/computer.html

You can visit the RHF home page for more (non-geeky) jokes, but be forewarned that some of the material on RHF may not be suitable for young children.

--------------------
Satire On The Wire
--------------------

Cited as "Pure lunacy" (Fast Company), "Hilarious" (Wired), and a "Pick of the Year" by the likes of BusinessWeek, SatireWire produced some of the best workplace and computer humor from 1999 to 2002. SatireWire is no longer published, but the archives are still there, and still very funny. Search or browse the archives for "Napster Ordered to Stop As Soon As Judges Finish Downloading", "Silicon Pines: Assisted Computing Facility" and "Employee-Slapping Widespread, Effective".

http://www.satirewire.com

-----------------------
Re: RE: Fwd: FW: Fwd:
-----------------------

Back in my IBM days, I used to moan whenever I encountered a new instance of "verbing" -- when a noun became a commonly used verb. My favorite was when my manager would tell us to "solution" something. But it works both ways. The verb "forward" has become a noun, and may even evoke fear and loathing in the minds of those whose inboxes are filled with those endlessly forwarded missives.

Just in case you feel you may have missed one, my friend Leo collects these things and posts the ones HE thinks are funny on his website. Most of the jokes are clean, but Leo tags each one with a G, PG, R or X rating so you can select items with your own criteria.

http://www.forwardedfunnies.com

------------------
Is It Funny Yet?
------------------

Everyone has a different opinion about what's funny and what's not. If none of the above tickled your funny bone, then try Yahoo's humor directory. In the Computer and Internet category you'll find jokes about clams and the International Monetary Fund.

http://dir.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Humor

Got a great joke site? If you know of a website with truly funny jokes, stories or satires that are related to computers or technology, join the Computer Humor discussion here:

http://www.AskBobRankin/computer_humor.html

-------------
The Top Ten
-------------

It's the end of the year, and everyone else is publishing their "best of" lists. So I figured it was time to go through the AskBobRankin logs and see which articles were the most popular. Here are the Top Ten, ranked by readership volume...

Make Windows XP Run Faster
http://www.AskBobRankin.com/make_windows_xp_run_faster.html

Removing WinFixer Popups
http://www.AskBobRankin.com/removing_winfixer_popups.html

Clearing Browser History
http://www.AskBobRankin.com/clearing_browser_history.html

Is Your Printer Spying On You?
http://www.AskBobRankin.com/is_your_printer_spying_on_you.html

Free Internet Software
http://www.AskBobRankin.com/free_internet_software.html

Do I Need A Registry Cleaner?
http://www.AskBobRankin.com/do_i_need_a_registry_cleaner.html

Backing Up Your Files
http://www.AskBobRankin.com/backing_up_your_files.html

Do I Need A Firewall?
http://www.AskBobRankin.com/do_i_need_a_firewall.html

Remote Access To Your Computer
http://www.AskBobRankin.com/remote_access_to_your_computer.html

Do Computers Get Tired?
http://www.AskBobRankin.com/do_computers_get_tired.html

WANT TO SEE THE TOP TWENTY?
http://www.askbobrankin.com/the_top_twenty.html

+---------------------------------------+

That's all for now. Happy New Year to all -- Patrick and I wish you a fantastic 2006!

+---------------------------------------+

==[ Tourbus Rider Information ]==
The Internet Tourbus - U.S. Library of Congress ISSN #1094-2238 Copyright 1995-2005, Rankin & Crispen - All rights reserved Tourbus News Service - http://tourbus.com/news.html Subscribe, Signoff, Archives, Free Stuff and More at the Tourbus Website - http://www.TOURBUS.com
========================
.~~~. ))
(\__/) .' ) )) Patrick Douglas Crispen
/o o \/ .~
{o_, \ { crispen@netsquirrel.com
/ , , ) \ http://www.netsquirrel.com/
`~ -' \ } )) AOL Instant Messenger: Squirrel2K
_( ( )_.'
---..{____} Warning: squirrels.
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Our Church, Magnolia Christian Center, has the following mission statement. Our purpose is to build a great church for the glory of God through the great commission and the great commandment. MCC' Vision - That MCC will be a place hopping with children, energized with teenagers, balanced with diversity and transformed by the power of God! We want to turn uninterested people into interested people and win the lost to make fully devoted followers of Christ.
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NBC Draws Fire for Book of Daniel

By Allie Martin
December 30, 2005

(AgapePress) - A pro-family media researcher is blasting NBC for plans to air a controversial series featuring a troubled Episcopal priest and other dysfunctional characters.

The network will air The Book of Daniel on Friday evenings, starting in early January. According to published reports, the weekly show centers around an Episcopal priest named Daniel Webster who talks with a manifestation of Jesus. In addition, the Webster family reportedly includes a 23-year-old homosexual, Republican son; a 16-year-old daughter who is a drug dealer; and an adopted son involved in an improper relationship with the bishop's daughter.

Ed Vitagliano is director of research for the American Family Association. He says the program mocks Christianity.


Ed Vitagliano
"While we certainly recognize that Christians do have problems, and they have problems in their families, it seems that Hollywood consistently wants to focus on those types of Christians and those types of ministers -- when the reality is that many, many more are hard-working," Vitagliano says. "They work hard to have good family lives -- just like a lot of people do -- and are faithful to scripture."

According to the AFA spokesman, advertisers who underwrite the program will be monitored -- and that information will be distributed far and wide.

"We will be reviewing this, and we will be letting AFA supporters know exactly what is on this program," he says. "And [we will be] holding advertisers accountable for what appears to be yet one more show that's going to dog the Christian faith."

AFA is calling on TV viewers to send a letter through its website (http://www.afa.net/petitions/issuedetail.asp?id=175) asking NBC affiliates to refuse to air the show. Dr. Don Wildmon, AFA chairman and founder, contends the network's decision to air the series "reflects the anti-Christian bias which exists at the highest levels of the network."
~
Thanks to Rebecca Poindexter
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This poem was written by my sister. We wish all of you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May God bless you and keep you in his grace.

Sarah and Ricky

T’was the night before our Christmas

T’was the night of our Christmas And all through the town,
The Inns were all filled, not a room could be found

While the people slept soundly, the innkeeper said.
There’s no room in the Inn, Try the stables instead.

Joseph plead with the innkeeper, my wife’s with child, sir
It’s time for the baby; could you make room for her?

When he said as he closed up his door with a clatter,
That’s not my concern why on earth would that matter?

They walked through the town, wondering, “What will we do?”
When they saw a small stable, what a night to get through!

Joseph slept, but was awaken, what a sight did appear.
Mary glowed as she whispered. “Our baby is here.”

With the animals watching, so calm and content.
I know in my heart that they knew what this meant.

More rapid than eagles, the word now had spread.

As Joseph and Mary laid hay for his bed.

Now Jesus, the Messiah, the Lord, King of kings
Emanuel, our Savior, Son of God. Peace He brings,

Just follow the star, just follow the call.
Now come see the Savior, come far, come all.

Then in a twinkling, the star did appear
Shepherds and wise men followed it there.

As they found the stables ad gathered around
The baby lay sleeping, Not a peep. Not a sound.

Dressed in swaddling clothes from His head to His toes.
Baby Jesus is here, let everyone know.

Such a sweet face, angelic and merry,
It’s hard to imagine the weight He would carry.

Those who had traveled for such a great while
Laid their gifts at His feet ad worshiped the child.

He had a soft glow, eyes bright as star light
That shined when He smiled, what a radiant sight.

He was wonder and hope, filling all with such joy.
That I smiled when I saw Him, this wondrous little boy.

Joseph stood watch while Jesus was fed
Then Mary knelt down and put Him to bed.

He made not a sound a the crown gathered throughout
This is the child angels told us about.

Laying their gifts as they quietly knelt,
It is hard to imagine what they all must have felt.

Jesus was born in a stable that night.
And He came for us all, ad for us all, He’s the light.

Written by: Linda Womack
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Arkansas Teens Put Their Faith Into Action Helping Storm Victims
Al Showers/Davin Dahlgren reporting (Dec 30, 2005)

"Youth in Action" is more than just the name of a youth group conference, it is a motto to live by for more than 150 Arkansas teens from Southwest Church of Christ in Jonesboro. The annual conference, normally held in Jonesboro during Christmas break each year, was moved to Hattiesburg, Mississippi this year.

The nearly 700 teens from seven states that are attending the conference spend their days helping storm victims by clearing lots, moving debris, and gutting houses. Their evenings are spent together in prayer and worship services.

Both the youth involved and the people receiving the help are seeing a real-world example of how Christianity impacts lives. One of the students, Paige Hardcastle, sums it up: "To be a good Christian is to be a good servant."
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Jewish Scholar Reveals Ten Commandments Were Sung, Each Commandment in a Different Scale
Noam Ben Ze'ev/Teresa Neumann Reporting (Dec 28, 2005)

"The scales were also used for music therapy, a different scale for every illness."

Every year, annual conferences on Jewish music are held by Jerusalem's Renanot Institute for Jewish Music, with the 47th conference held on Tuesday, December 27. According to a report in Haaretz, the most prominent person at the first session of this year's conference was Prof. Amnon Shiloah, a researcher and former head of the Musicology Department at Hebrew University and author of the entries on music and dance in the Encyclopedia Judaica. He will lecture on the musical tradition of the Jews of Damascus.

"I was born in Argentina to a Jewish family from Damascus," relates Shiloah, "and my parents returned to Syria when I was a child. All the cantors in Damascus were friends of my father, and our life seemed stable. When I was 13, I met an emissary from Israel and wanted to return with him. My parents did not consent, so I ran away from home."

The fruits of Shiloah's research into medieval music, say reporter Noam Ben Ze'ev, were published last summer in the form of the first music disk to document the vocal traditions of the Damascus community - an ancient community formed even before the vocal traditions of King David. The community flourished and then waned during the Crusades, but recovered with the influx of Jews exiled from Spain and the rise of the kabbalists in 16th-century Safed.

The excerpts on this disk have waited a long time to be published, having been recorded by Shiloah 40 years ago, when the great cantors of Damascus first immigrated to Israel and sang to him from the depths of their souls, adds Ben Ze'ev. All of them have since passed away, but the music that was so important to them lives on: the melodies used to teach young children the alphabet and pronunciation of words, the special songs sung under the wedding canopy, on long winter nights of supplication, on Shabbat and festivals, and even songs in Arabic, attesting to the social and cultural relations with their surroundings.

A fascinating revelation of Jewish musical heritage relates to the Ten Commandments. "The Ten Commandments used to be sung, each in a different scale," says Shiloah. "So, too, were the chapters of Psalms for Shabbat, with each psalm having its own set of tones. The scales were also used for music therapy, a different scale for every illness. Another subject that has always interested me is music as a key to understanding the world, the mutual relationship between music and life - and in the ancient world there was a deep connection between them."

More...
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/663013.html
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"Religious People Have Better Health Because They're More Compassionate" Says New Study
Garret Condon/Teresa Neumann Reporting (Dec 27, 2005)

A recently published Brigham Young University study that examined the possible link between religiosity and better psychosocial health found that compassion was the active ingredient in the relationship.

In the study which was published in the December issue of Annals of Behavioral Medicine, compassion was defined as being moved by the suffering of others and having the desire to alleviate that suffering.

Patrick Steffen, lead author of the study and assistant professor of clinical psychology at BYU, is quoted as saying religious people had the best health in his study, but that when he and his colleagues controlled for compassion, the religion-health relationship vanished.

"What we're interpreting that to mean is that religious people have better health because they're more compassionate," he said, adding that, "Just going to church on Sunday, or synagogue on Saturday, isn't sufficient for good health. It's going there and learning the principles and incorporating that into your life. I think that's what's behind the relationship between religion and health."

More...
http://www.courant.com/news/health/hc-changeforgood1206.artdec06
,0,5143194,print.story?coll=hc-headlines-health
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Faith Shown to Cut Inmate's "Anti-Social" Behavior
Joyce Howard Price/Teresa Neumann Reporting (Dec 23, 2005)

The Washington Times reports that religion can reduce the incidence of anti-social behavior in prison, according to an independent study of Mississippi inmates.

As published in this month's Journal of the Scientific Study of Religion, attending worship services regularly and participating in faith-based prison programs, among other things, directly "reduces inmates arguments, and thereby the fights that typically follow."

The study was conducted at Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parcman, Miss., one of the largest prisons in the nation.

Franchatta Barber, deputy assistant secretary of Institutions and Programs for the Florida Department of Corrections, said signs of better behavior at two Florida prisons that adopted faith-based programs led to the opening of a third such prison in the state. "It appears we have less discipline reports, and those we have are usually non-violent rather than violent. So, we are seeing better conduct in these prisons," she said.

According to reporter Joyce Howard Price, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) based in Nashville, Tennessee, the largest private prison company in the U.S., offers religious programs at 67 prisons and jails it operates in 29 states. "You have to start with changes while inmates are still in prison, before you expect changes when they get out," said Changel Gurney a spokesman for CCA.

More...
http://washtimes.com/national/20051218-012515-7244r.htm
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Chaplain Who May Be Fired from Navy for Praying in Jesus' Name Sends Urgent Letter to President for Help
Aimee Herd (Dec 21, 2005)

Navy Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt has served in the Armed Forces for 14 years, the last three as a Chaplain. Now he may be stripped of his status, losing his career, retirement and home for praying in Jesus' name even though Title 10 of the U.S. Code says that it is legal for a Chaplain to pray publicly according to his faith. Chaplain Klingenschmitt has taken his battle directly to the Whitehouse and awaits an answer from President Bush. To hear an interview with Chaplain Klingenschmitt click on the link below.

To call the Whitehouse and voice your opinion call: 202-456-1111.

More...
http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/audio/klingenschmitt.m3u
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Healing Rooms Movement Gains Momentum - More Opening All Around the World
David Dawes / Aimee Herd reporting (Dec 17, 2005)

The International Association of Healing Rooms offers a worldwide list of healing rooms that are currently running, with others to open soon.

Though, in some ways the subject of "healing" through prayer or the laying-on-of-hands remains controversial inside some fellowships, the huge increase in "healing rooms" all around the world is something that cannot be denied.

Perhaps the most well-known of all the healing rooms in existence today are those in Spokane, Washington, USA. These were founded and operated by Canadian evangelist John G. Lake more than 80 years ago and were re-opened by California real estate developer and church elder; Cal Pierce in 1999.

The Spokane Healing Rooms operate four days a week with no appointment necessary, offer healing prayer to anyone, and it's free. Once the Spokane rooms opened and testimonies of healing began pouring in, many ministries followed suit opening healing rooms in their own cities and regions. The movement quickly spread across Canada, the U.S., and now all over the world.

Steve Stewart, the National Director of Healing Rooms Canada, spoke with reporter David Dawes from CanadianChristianity.com on the subject of healing. "I always tell skeptical people that my personal experience, of watching God heal, long ago removed my doubts," he said. "I have seen too many miracles in North America, Australia, India, Russia, and Korea to ever doubt."

"I tell people that this is not about faith healing, it is about Divine healing," says Stewart. "By that, I mean it is about the power and presence of the Lord coming with His Divine life to our needs.

"Is faith involved? Of course. Jesus looked for faith when he ministered, either the faith of the person, the faith of others -- the friends who lowered the paralytic through the roof -- or even his own faith."

As the National Director, Stewart attends many healing conferences and recalled some the testimonies coming out of one of those in Korea. "Deaf ears opened, all kinds of pain, much of it lasting for years, left people's bodies. A man who could only see shadows of light and dark left able to clearly read the Bible. A man in a wheel chair with constant pain in his arms had all his pain left. He had not been able to take more than five steps for a long time, got out of his chair and walked across the width of the building and back again.

"Cancerous tumors shrunk before the team members' eyes. Another man with cancer reported the next morning that the swelling completely disappeared and all pain left. He told us he knew he was healed. We encouraged him to check it out with his doctor . . . . .

"There was so much instant healing of back pain, knee pain, arthritis, foot pain (and swelling) that we could hardly keep up. We would call out conditions, pray for them, and then the testimonies would go on and on," said Stewart.

Some of the new locations for healing rooms are Calgary; Canada, New Zealand, Zambia, Kenya and Jamaica. To view a list of healing rooms all around the world, go to www.healingrooms.com or follow the link below from The Elijah List:

More...
http://www.elijahlist.com/healing_rooms/index.html
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Former Muslim Terrorist, Now Christian, Speaks Out on Behalf of Israel
Debbie Berman / Aimee Herd reporting (Nov 29, 2005)

Once a militant Muslim who was taught to hate Israel, Zachariah Anani is now one of the state's most ardent supporters.

According to Israel National News , an ex-Muslim terrorist who became a Christian and later, noting all that the Jews have been through in history, began speaking out on behalf of Israel.

Zachariah Anani was recently interviewed by Israel National Radio . "I was brought up to hate Jews and Israel. That was my first raising, my first attitude," he explained.

"In the 70's, I became a Christian, but even as a Christian, Jews didn't mean anything to me. One day, someone asked me a question regarding Jews, and I really didn't know the answer. I started studying Jewish history. I was shocked and amazed at how much the Jews had suffered, how much they had endured. That's what made me have a change of heart," said Anani. "Thank G-d, I spent most of my short, militant life fighting against my own kind. Fate never put me against the Israeli army."

Anani shared his strong opinions in opposition to the Gaza withdrawal saying, "I have no clue why Israel left Gaza, why the righteous owner of a land would give up part of their inheritance and freedom. It would be another big blow if Israel gave up the West Bank."

The former Muslim spoke of the amazing Divine protection that has surrounded Israel from the beginning. "G-d is with Israel. If every Arab country were to send a million soldiers to surround Israel, which would be 23 million soldiers, Israel would be doomed. How did they win five wars in the past? Because G-d was there," he said.

Because of his controversial stance, Anani has suffered numerous attempts on his life, resulting in his moving to Canada and becoming a Canadian citizen. But he is not afraid to speak out for Israel; he will be joining a panel discussion at Princeton University on December 8th, where he will be speaking on Israel, Lebanon, the Hizbullah and the illusive peace in the Middle East.

To hear the entire interview from Israel National Radio , visit the link below.

More...
http://www.israelnationalradio.com/
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North Dakota News

This text is from a county emergency manager out in the western part of North Dakota state after the recent snow storm.

**WEATHER BULLETIN**

Up here in the Northern Plains we just recovered from a Historic event --- may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions" --- with a historic blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds of motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores of communities and cut power to tens of thousands.

**FYI:**

* George Bush did not come.
* FEMA did nothing.
* No one howled for the government.
* No one blamed the government.
* No one even uttered an expletive on TV.
* Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.
* Our Mayors did not blame Bush or anyone else.
* Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else either .
* CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX, or NBC did not visit - or report on this category 5 snow storm.
* Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.
* No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House.
* No one looted.
* Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something.
* Nobody expected the government to do anything either.
* No Larry King, No Bill O'Rielly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No Geraldo Rivera
* No Sean Penn, No Barbra Streisand, No Hollywood types to be found.
**And **
* Nope, we just melted the snow for water.
* Sent out caravans of SUVs to pluck people out of snow-engulfed cars.
* The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask for a penny.
* Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments delivered it to the snow-bound families.
* Families took in the stranded people - total strangers.
* We fired up wood stoves.
* Broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman lanterns.
* We put on an extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or Die."
* We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades votes for 'sittin at home' checks.
* Even though a Category "5" blizzard of this scale has never fallen this early, we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.

**"In my many travels, I have noticed that once one gets north of about 48 degrees North Latitude, 90% most of the world's social problems 0evaporate."**

Thanks to Randy Maness
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Activities and Events of Interest
~~~
The Emancipation Proclamation will be on display at the Clinton Library September 22-25, 2007.
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"September 11 WDYTJWD" W. P. Florence
Justice first, then peace."
"September 11" Never forget.--Tony Moses
"ONE NATION UNDER GOD ...the only way"--Phillip Story
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Keeping my head down but face toward Heaven" - - Jody Eldred, ABC News Cameraman in Kuwait
"Remember Pearl Harbor? Remember 9/11!" --"Bug"
Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. - - George Carlin
"Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell the storm how big your God is!" - - Queen E. Watson
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NEVER FORGET! We're listing the names of our soldiers killed weekly. These records can be found at http://www.defenselink. mil/releases/

The Department of Defense announced the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 22, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their position during a dismounted patrol. Both soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. Killed were:

01. 1st Lt. Benjamin T. Britt, 24, of Wheeler, Texas.
02. Spc. William Lopez-Feliciano, 33, of Quebradillas, Puerto Rico.

03. Master Sgt. Joseph J. Andres, Jr., 34, of Seven Hills, Ohio, died in Balad, Iraq, on Dec. 24, of injuries sustained earlier that day in Baqubah, Iraq, when he was attacked by enemy forces during combat operations. Andres was assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.

04. Sgt. Myla L. Maravillosa, 24, of Wahiawa, Hawaii, died in Kirkuk, Iraq, on Dec. 24, of injuries sustained earlier that day in Al Hawijah, Iraq, when her HMMWV was attacked by enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades. Maravillosa was assigned to the C Company, 301st Military Intelligence Battalion,Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Department of Defense announced the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 23, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV. Both soldiers were assigned to the Army Reserve's 351st Civil Affairs Command, Mountain View, Calif. Killed were:
05. Sgt. Regina C. Reali, 25, of Fresno, Calif.
06. Sgt. Cheyenne C. Willey, 36, of Fremont, Calif.

07. Spc. Anthony O. Cardinal, 20, ofMuskegon, Mich., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 25, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Cardinal was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

08. Spc. Sergio Gudino, 22, of Pomona, Calif., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 25, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1A1 tank during combat operations. Gudino was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers, who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
They died in Baghdad, Iraq on Dec. 26, when their Apache helicopter collided with another military aircraft in mid-air and then crashed. Both soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. Killed were:
09. Chief Warrant Officer Richard M. Salter, 44, of Cypress, Texas.
10. Chief Warrant Officer Isaias E. Santos, 28, of Ancon, Panama.

11. Sgt. Dominic R. Coles, 25, of Jesup, Ga., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 26, when his HMMWV came under attack during combat operations by enemy forces using small arms fire, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars. Coles was assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

12. Spc. Dane O. Carver, 20, of Freeport, Mich., died in Khalidiyah, Iraq on Dec. 26, when his HMMWV came under attack by enemy forces using small arms fire. Carver was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, Saginaw, Mich.

The Department of Defense announced the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 27, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their dismounted patrol. Both soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. Killed were:
13. Spc. Lance S. Sage, 26, of Hempstead , N.Y.
14. Pvt. Joshua M. Morberg, 20, of Sparks , Nev.

15. 1st Sgt. Tobias C. Meister, 30, of Jenks, Okla., died south of Asadabad, Afghanistan on Dec. 28, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat patrol operations. Meister was assigned to the Army Reserve's 321st Civil Affairs Brigade, San Antonio, Texas.

16. Pfc. Jason D. Hasenauer, 21, of Hilton, N.Y., died near Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Dec. 28, when his HMMWV accidentally rolled over during patrol operations. Hasenauer was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

17. Spc. Aaron M. Forbes, 24, of Oak Island, N.C., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 28, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Forbes was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

http://icasualties.org/oif/default.aspx
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Please remember to pray for the American soldiers stationed everywhere around the globe and especially in Iraq. Times have been and are very tough and it would be nice if you would all just say a prayer for their safety and for their families.
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It’s never too early to start making your Birthday list. (Well, I didn’t expect to get everything for Christmas.)
Rechargeable Batteries for the following “Ham” radios: Kenwood TH-22-AT (9.6 volts, 600 mAh battery, 2 each (for our two radios)), Yaesu FT-50 (it takes a FNB-83 7.2V1400mAh battery), Yaesu, VX-1 (it takes a FNB-52LI 3.6V 700mAh Lithium-Ion battery).
New “Rubber Ducky” antennas for the following “Ham” radios: Kenwood TH-22-AT (two radios)
Anything from Larry Norman
Back Scratcher
Basic tools of any kind
Batteries, 9 volt
Batteries, AAA
Blankets or Quilts
book, “The Good Life: Seeking Purpose, Meaning, and Truth in Your Life” by Charles Colson
“Boot” Horn
Chair, office $49 from SAMS (5 of them)
Cheese Grater
Cordless Drill
Cordless Screwdriver
A DeLorme Earthmate GPS LT-20 device
A copy of DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2006 Plus
A copy of DeLorme Topo USA 5.0
Digital Video Recorder (Pioneer DVR-533H-S $333 at Beach Camera)
Eyeglasses, “Computer type” to use at church (and some new ones to use at home and at work.)
Floor Mats (for the truck)
Handkerchiefs
Hat (warm, for bald guys winter wear.)
Magnifying Glass.
New Showerhead
Non skid toilet rug
Refrigerator Thermometer
Small, lightweight “head light” so I can see small things on the desk or work bench.
Some Warmup Suits to wear around the house after we get that first gas bill.
Trackball for the home computer
USB Key (1 Gig )
VHS - DVD Recorder (Lite-On LVC-9006 $219 @ Buy.com)
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Scheduled Activities
~~~
Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 8 p.m. Monday - Friday. At noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and at 7 p.m. Sunday at 914 N. Vine
~~~
Columbia County Amateur Radio Club meets Every second Thursday @ 7:00 p.m. Union Street Station. And YOU'RE invited. Net is every Sunday at 20:30 on 147.105.
~~~
Columbia County Diabetes Support Group - Every third Monday, 7:00 p.m. room 222, Magnolia Hospital
~~~
"Focus on the Family" with Dr. James Dobson weekday afternoons at 1 PM on KVMA am 630 it's a great show!
~~~
MCC - Abraham Prayer - Sunday at 5:00 p.m and Wednesday from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
~~~
MCC - Early Morning Prayer - Monday - Friday, From 6:30 am to 8:00 am
~~~
MCC - "Beth Moore" Video Class - Thursday nights at 5:45 pm
~~~
MCC - "Faith Builders" Small group meets at 1051 Columbia 36 the second and fourth Tuesdays, 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm.
~~~
MCC - Firm Foundations Class, Sunday 9:30 to 10:15 a.m
~~~
MCC - Meadow Brook Nursing Home Ministry Tuesday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m
~~~
MCC - Mom's Day Out - Every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 2.$10 for the first child, $5 for the second. Call 234-3225 for reservations.
~~~
MCC - Nursing Home Ministry - Meadowbrook Every Tuesday from 10 to 11 am. Taylor, the last Thursday each month.
~~~
MCC - Over comers: Fridays @ 7:00 p.m- Director, Traci Foster invites you to a 12 step Christian support program. For anyone with a life controlling problem. Child care is provided.
~~~
Men's Prayer Breakfast held every Tuesday morning at 6 AM in Miller's Cafeteria. If you aren't a regular participant at the Men's Prayer Breakfast, you're missing some great food, fellowship and inspired teaching of the Word. Hope to see you there.
~~~
Narcotics Anonymous 5-6 pm every Monday at 220 Pine street.
~~~
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) 5 pm every Tuesday in the Magnolia Hospital break room.
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Emergency Phone Number 911
(Fire, Police, Ambulance, Sheriff, etc. )
Central Dispatch 234-5655
(Non - Emergency Number)
Direct Numbers
Ambulance - 234-7371 (24 Hour)
Jail - 234-5331 (24 Hour)
Poison Control - 800-222-1222 (24 Hour)
http://www. aapcc. org/
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"There is not enough darkness in the world to put out the light of one candle."
"Laugh whenever you can and cry if you need to." -- "Bug"
"I read the end of the book. We win!" -- "Bug"
"We may not be able to cure the world, but we don't have to make it sicker." -- "Bug"
"There just ain't enough fingers for all the holes in the dike." - - "Bug"
"It's no big deal doing what God tells you to do. A big deal would be NOT doing what God tells you to do. Just ask Jonah." - - Paul Troquille
"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in ... and how many want out." - - Tony Blair
"Information is the currency of democracy." - Jefferson
~~~~~
Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.

God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
Luke 2:8-16 Ps. 18:1-6 http://www.e-min.org/
God is Good and Faithful CU 73 IC JFM CSP NREMT-I KC5HII

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