Trusting God part 5 of 6

Wow! I was looking for another message and was led to this message given by Joyce Meyer that I feel many need to hear right now. I will be back to type a transcript of the first 6 minutes of this message for my international readers who need to translate.

Trusting God part 4 of 6

Wow! I was looking for another message and was led to this message given by Joyce Meyer that I feel many need to hear right now. I will back to type a transcript of the first 6 minutes of this message for my international readers who need to translate.

Trusting God part 3 of 6

Wow! I was looking for another message and was led to this message given by Joyce Meyer that I feel many need to hear right now. I will be back to type a transcript of the first 6 minutes of this message for my international readers who need to translate.

Trusting God part 2 of 6

Wow! I was looking for another message and was led to this message given by Joyce Meyer that I feel many need to hear right now. I have typed a transcript of the first 6 minutes of this message for my international readers who need to translate.

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Colossians 1:4 (amplified) says, "For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [the leaning of your entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom and goodness.] So faith is leaning on the power of God, the goodness of God and the wisdom of God. So it literally means that God is able to do what needs to be done in my life, He wants to do what needs to be done in my life, and He knows how to do what needs to be done in my life and I need to lean on that.

Now another thing that faith is, is believing in the unseen. We have to understand that there is a whole world that we don't see. I'm sure that there's a whole lot of angels in here tonight. Seriously I would imagine that there are all kinds of angels in this building tonight. Ocassionally God will open someone's eyes and let them see into the spiritual realm. It doesn't happen, I don't think on a real regular basis. But if we could just see with our natural eyes some of the things in the spiritual realm, some of the things that God has planned for us, some of the demonic forces that try to hold back the goodness of God in our lives. If we could understand how important the word's of our mouth are and how our word's affect that spiritual realm. But faith is believing what you can't see because once you can see something you don't need faith.

Faith is believing the answer is coming before you see it. It is just like if on Sunday you're going to get a special gift or somebody is going to see you on Sunday that you really love and you haven't seen them for a long time. Well on Monday they're not there yet, but you believe Sunday is coming. And on Tuesday they're not there yet, but you believe Sunday is coming. And you know what, you're excited about Sunday. For you it's almost like it was just there. You're getting ready and you're making preparations. But you can't see Sunday. You haven't seen the person yet. All you've have is a promise. Why is it sometimes that we can get so excited about what people tell us they'll do and yet we have a difficult time getting excited about the promises of God until we see it. On Wednesday we believe that Sunday is coming. And the thing that's interesting is the longer we wait the more excited we get.

But with Christians it's just the opposite. The longer we wait the more discouraged we get. I mean by Saturday night you are really excited. I mean now it's the midnight hour and you have not seen anything. But for you Sunday is going to be here really soon. Well what would happen if we behave like that in our spiritual walk? The bible talks about waiting on God. Waiting on God is not a passive thing, it's very active. And actually if you study it out, it means to expect God. To be expecting God to do something. Those who expect, looked and longed for God is what the amplified bible says. That's what it means to wait on God. So really we should live expectantly. I believe everyday we should say early in the day something good is going to happen to me today, everyday I get better and better in every way. Well you say, "I've heard all that positive stuff." Well would you rather be negative? You know I called Joel last week I said, "Brother just keep smiling. Just keep on smiling no matter anybody says just keep on smiling." Why in the world would the world get mad at you because you smile. Is that not dumb. Goodness sakes. I mean the devil is running out of things to do if you're going to get mad at somebody because they smile. And for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about you know the media picks on Joel Osteen because he smiles alot. I said man I bet I have eaten with the guy who smiles while he eats. I mean I do not know how you smile while you eat. Does he smile while he's sleeping Victoria? Pretty much right?

Faith is believing what you cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is the evidence of the things you cannot see." Faith is the title deed of those things you cannot see. But that you believe they are on there way. Mark 11:24 I think is worth looking at tonight. Somebody might think oh faith I want her to preach on my problems. Well if I can get you into the rest of God it won't matter to you what kind of problem you have. I don't think you have a problem in here tonight that this message won't cover. This is so good, Mark 11:24 says "For this reason I'm telling you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe, trust and be confident that it is granted to you and then you will get it." First you have to believe in that realm that you cannot see that you got it and that's what pulls it out of that realm into the seen realm. So in God's economy you've got to believe you've got it before you get it. And that is so hard sometimes for human beings.

Trusting God part 1 of 6

Wow! I was looking for another message and was led to this message given by Joyce Meyer that I feel many need to hear right now. I have typed a transcript of the first 6 minutes of this message for my international readers who need to translate.

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I want to start out with a statement. Your real life, your real life is not really the life that goes on around you. It's not even the life that everybody thinks that you have. Your real life is the life that's in you. It's what's going on in you. The Kingdom of God is in you the bible says. When Jesus came to offer us a new life. He offered us really first and foremost a very special inner life. Yes he helps us with our circumstances. He's also telling people that no matter what your circumstances are, you can have a great life. Because your real life, is the one that goes on in you. And actually, a great life of that type is available to every person and is something that nobody can take away from you.

Now we all know that there are people that have everything that anyone would think in the natural should make them happy. They have money, they are famous, they have cars, they have things, they have boats, they can take vacation, they know everybody and yet they are miserable. I mean the world is full of people like that. And then there are other people who just don't seem to have any reason at all to be happy and yet they're just as happy as they can be. And so that in itself proves that your real life, your real life. You see we get too caught up in what we think this life is. You say, "You know I hate my life. I wish I had your life." No you really don't wish you had somebody else's life because no matter what it looks like on the outside there is something in their life that you wouldn't like too. You may say, "Oh I wish I had Joyce's ministry." No you don't because you might like certain parts of it, but you might not want the work that goes with it.

Don't ever want somebody else's life. Learn to love your own because it's the only one you've got so you might as well learn to love it. And the way you decide to look at it is what's going to make it good or bad. It's not really your circumstances. I'm telling you. And it's not that better circumstances can't make you feel a little better for a while. But I just want to get that point across that your real life is not the one that's going on around you, it's not the one that everybody thinks you have or even the one that you try to show them. But it's what's going on in us. Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is within you." Righteousness, peace and joy. Now that's the life we want to go after. Having a right relationship with God, feeling right about ourselves through the blood of Christ. Having a good relationship with yourself. Wanting to change, knowing your weaknesses, but not getting overly upset about where you're at while your making the journey. You have to learn how to enjoy where you're at on the way to where you're going.

I want to talk to you tonight about trusting God. Just very simply trusting God. Because there is no rest without it. Hebrews 4 says, "Those who have believed God enter His rest." That Supernatural rest is such an awesome place to be. It's not a rest from work, but it's a rest in work. It's a rest of the heart. While you're doing what you were called to do. While you're raising your kids, while your paying your bills. While you're going through Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday there's a rest in your heart that just kind of says everything is okay, it's okay. You know even if its not always the way we'd like it to be, it's okay.

Do you know why I call my television program, "Enjoying everyday life."? Because I think it's a tragedy when we go through life and don't enjoy it. And whether you have remembered it for a while or not, Jesus said He came that we might have and enjoy life. And I spent a lot of years of my life as a Christian not enjoying life. Because I wasn't content, I was always wanting something that I didn't have, and I thought it was this and that, my husband, my kids, my neighbors, my aching back and on and on. I finally found out that it was my attitude. I had a stinking attitude. I just had a bad attitude. And you know what? If you have a bad attitude, there is nobody that can do anything about your life. I mean that's the truth.

God Is In Control...

This is such a beautiful song! Awesome TRUTH! Have no worries or fears. Allow God's WORD to be your anchor, your rock, your fortress. Put your TRUST and FAITH in the LORD our God and remember that God ultimately has the last WORD! Let the foolish leaders and elitist of this world continue to believe they have the upper hand. God knows who has been ABUSING their authority. I am confident that they will be brought to their knees if not extinguished altogether by a HIGHER POWER!

God Is In Control ~ by Twila Paris

This is no time for fear

This is a time for faith and determination

Don't lose the vision here

Carried away by emotion

Hold on to all that you hide in your heart

There is one thing that has always been true

It holds the world together

God is in control

We believe that His children will not be forsaken

God is in control

We will choose to remember and never be shaken

There is no power above or beside Him, we know

God is in control

History marches on

There is a bottom line drawn across the ages

Culture can make its plan

Oh, but the line never changes

No matter how the deception may fly

There is one thing that has always been true

It will be true forever

God is in control
We believe that His children will not be forsaken
God is in control
We will choose to remember and never be shaken
There is no power above or beside Him, we know
God is in control

He has never let you down

Why start to worry now?
Why start to worry now?

He is still the Lord of all we see

And He is still the loving Father

Watching over you and me

God is in control

We believe that His children will not be forsaken

God is in control

We will choose to remember and never be shaken

There is no power above or beside Him, we know

God is in control

Praise to God for His Everlasting Mercy

Praise to God for His Everlasting Mercy

Psalm 118 (NKJV)

1. Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

2. Let Israel now say,

“His mercy endures forever.”

3. Let the house of Aaron now say,

“His mercy endures forever.”

4. Let those who fear the LORD now say,

“His mercy endures forever.”

5. I called on the LORD in distress;

The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.

6. The LORD is on my side;

I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

7. The LORD is for me among those who help me;

Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.

8. It is better to trust in the LORD

Than to put confidence in man.

9. It is better to trust in the LORD

Than to put confidence in princes.

10. All nations surrounded me,

But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.

11. They surrounded me,

Yes, they surrounded me;

But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.

12. They surrounded me like bees;

They were quenched like a fire of thorns;

For in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.

13. You pushed me violently, that I might fall,

But the LORD helped me.

14. The LORD is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation.

15. The voice of rejoicing and salvation

Is in the tents of the righteous;

The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.

16. The right hand of the LORD is exalted;

The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.

17. I shall not die, but live,

And declare the works of the LORD.

18. The LORD has chastened me severely,

But He has not given me over to death.

19. Open to me the gates of righteousness;

I will go through them,

And I will praise the LORD.

20. This is the gate of the LORD,

Through which the righteous shall enter.

21. I will praise You,

For You have answered me,

And have become my salvation.

22. The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

23. This was the LORD’s doing;

It is marvelous in our eyes.

24. This is the day the LORD has made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

25. Save now, I pray, O LORD;

O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.

26. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!

We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.

27. God is the LORD,

And He has given us light;

Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

28. You are my God, and I will praise You;

You are my God, I will exalt You.

29. Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

The Branch of Righteousness and False Prophets ~ God Is In CONTROL

The Branch of Righteousness and False Prophets

Jeremiah 23:1-16 (AMP)

1. WOE TO the shepherds (the civil leaders) who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasturing! says the Lord.

2. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for and feed My people: You have scattered My flock and driven them away and have not visited and attended to them; behold, I will visit and attend to you for the evil of your doings, says the Lord.

3. And I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries to which I have driven them and will bring them again to their folds and pastures; and they will be fruitful and multiply.

4. And I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. And they will fear no more nor be dismayed, neither will any be missing or lost, says the Lord.

5. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch (Sprout), and He will reign as King and do wisely and will execute justice and righteousness in the land.

6. In His days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name by which He shall be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.

9. Concerning the prophets: My heart [says Jeremiah] is broken within me, all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, a man whom wine has overcome, because of the Lord and because of His holy words [which He has pronounced against unfaithful leaders].

10. For the land is full of adulterers (forsakers of God, Israel's true Husband). Because of the curse [of God upon it] the land mourns, the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. They [both false prophets and people] rush into wickedness; and their course is evil, their might is not right.

11. For both [false] prophet and priest are ungodly and profane; even in My house have I found their wickedness, says the Lord.

12. Therefore their way will be to them like slippery paths in the dark; they will be driven on and fall into them. For I will bring evil upon them in the year of their punishment, says the Lord.

13. And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: they prophesied by Baal and caused My people Israel to err and go astray.

14. I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they encourage and strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that none returns from his wickedness. They have all of them become to Me like Sodom, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

15. Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them with [the bitterness of] wormwood and make them drink the [poisonous] water of gall, for from the [false] prophets of Jerusalem profaneness and ungodliness have gone forth into all the land.

16. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the [false] prophets who prophesy to you. They teach you vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility) and fill you with vain hopes; they speak a vision of their own minds and not from the mouth of the Lord.

Judah’s Sin and Punishment ~ God Is In Control

Judah’s Sin and Punishment

Jeremiah 17:1-13 (AMP)

1. THE SIN of Judah is written with a pen or stylus of iron and with the point of a diamond; it is engraved on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars,

2. While their children [earnestly] remember their [heathen] altars and their Asherim [wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah] beside the green trees upon the high hills.

3. O [Jerusalem] My mountain in the field, I will give your wealth and all your treasures to the spoil and your high places for sin [as the price of your sin] throughout all your territory.

4. And you, through your own fault, will loosen your hand and discontinue from your heritage which I gave you; and I will cause you to serve your enemies in a land which you do not know, for you have kindled a fire in My anger which will burn throughout the ages.

5. Thus says the Lord: Cursed [with great evil] is the strong man who trusts in and relies on frail man, making weak [human] flesh his arm, and whose mind and heart turn aside from the Lord.

6. For he shall be like a shrub or a person naked and destitute in the desert; and he shall not see any good come, but shall dwell in the parched places in the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.

7. [Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is.

8. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit.

9. The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]?

10. I the Lord search the mind, I try the heart, even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

11. Like the partridge that gathers a brood which she did not hatch and sits on eggs which she has not laid, so is he who gets riches by unjust means and not by right. He will leave them, or they will leave him, in the midst of his days, and at his end he will be a fool.

12. A glorious throne, set on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary (the temple).

13. O Lord, the Hope of Israel, all who forsake You shall be put to shame. They who depart from You and me [Your prophet] shall [disappear like] writing upon the ground, because they have forsaken the Lord, the Fountain of living waters.

Pride Precedes Captivity ~ God Is In Control

Pride Precedes Captivity

Jeremiah 13:15-27 (AMP)

15. Hear and give ear, do not be proud [arrogant], for the Lord has spoken [says Jeremiah].

16. Give glory to the Lord your God before He brings darkness and before your feet stumble upon the dark and twilit mountains, and [before], while you are looking for light, He turns it into the shadow of death and makes it thick darkness.

17. But if you will not hear and obey, I will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock has been taken captive.

18. Say to the king and the queen mother, Humble yourselves and take a lowly seat, for down from your head has come your beautiful crown (the crown of your glory).

19. The cities of the South (the Negeb) have been shut up, and there is no one to open them; all Judah has been carried away captive, it has been wholly taken captive and into exile.

20. Lift up your eyes and behold those [the eruption of a hostile army] who come from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you [to shepherd], your beautiful flock?

21. What will you say [O Jerusalem] when He [the Lord] sets over you as head those [tyrannical foreign nations] whom you yourselves [at intervals] have taught to be lovers (allies) with you [instructing them, even your friends, to be head over you]? Will not pangs take hold of you like that of a woman in travail?

22. And if you say in your heart, Why have these things come upon me?--[the answer is], Because of the greatness of your iniquity has your long robe been pulled aside [showing you in the garb of a menial] and have you [barefooted and treated like a slave] suffered violence.

23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also can you do good who are accustomed and taught [even trained] to do evil.

24. Therefore I will scatter you like chaff driven away by the wind from the desert.

25. This is your lot, the portion measured to you from Me, says the Lord, because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood [false gods and alliances with idolatrous nations].

26. Therefore I Myself will [retaliate], throwing your skirts up over your face, that your shame [of being clad like a slave] may be exposed.

27. I have seen your detestable acts, even your adulteries and your lustful neighings [after idols], and the lewdness of your harlotry on the hills in the field. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! For how long a time yet will you not [meet My conditions and] be made clean?

Idols and the True God ~ God Is In Control

Idols and the True God

Jeremiah 10:1-16 (AMP)

1. HEAR THE word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.

2. Thus says the Lord: Learn not the way of the [heathen] nations and be not dismayed at the signs of the heavens, though they are dismayed at them,

3. For the customs and ordinances of the peoples are false, empty, and futile; it is but a tree which one cuts out of the forest [to make for himself a god], the work of the hands of the craftsman with the ax or other tool.

4. They deck [the idol] with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers so it will not fall apart or move around.

5. [Their idols] are like pillars of turned work [as upright and stationary and immobile as a palm tree], like scarecrows in a cucumber field; they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it possible for them to do good [and it is not in them].

6. None at all is like You, O Lord; You are great, and Your name is great in might.

7. Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For it is fitting to You and Your due! For among all the wise [men or gods] of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You.

8. But they are altogether irrational and stupid and foolish. Their instruction is given by idols who are but wood [it is a teaching of falsity, emptiness, futility]!

9. Silver beaten [into plates] is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz, the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; the [idols'] clothing is violet and purple--they are all the work of skillful men.

10. But the Lord is the true God and the God of truth (the God Who is Truth). He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, and the nations are not able to bear His indignation.

11. Thus shall you say to them: The gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.

12. God made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and by His understanding and skill stretched out the heavens.

13. When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind out from His treasuries and from His storehouses.

14. Every man has become like a brute, irrational and stupid, without knowledge [of God]; every goldsmith is brought to shame by his graven idols; for his molten images are frauds and falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

15. They are devoid of worth, usefulness, or truth, a work of delusion and mockery; in their time of trial and punishment they shall [helplessly] perish.

16. The Portion of Jacob [the true God on Whom Israel has a claim] is not like these, for He is the Fashioner and Maker of all things, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance--the Lord of hosts is His name.

Massive Snowstorm Hits The U.S. East Coast This Weekend!!! Is This In Your Face Enough To Realize That Mother Nature Is In Control. All Human Beings Can Do Is PREPARE And RESPOND! Humbled Yet?

The Washington Post

Washington area prepares for biggest snowfall in six years

written by Michael E. Ruane and Hamil R. Harris

Friday December 18, 2009

A major storm was expected to bury the Washington region Saturday with what forecasters said could be the largest snowfall to hit the area in six years and the greatest December accumulation in more than 70 years.

Accumulations of 15 inches or more in the city and up to 24 inches in parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains were possible, according to the National Weather Service. The snow was expected to cause significant disruptions for shoppers, travelers and revelers on the last weekend -- and biggest shopping day -- before Christmas.

Especially large amounts of snow could accumulate southeast of the Interstate 95 corridor, where "paralyzing" near-blizzard conditions could occur, said AccuWeather.com chief meteorologist Joe Bastardi.

Snow was expected to start falling early Saturday and to increase in intensity all day, as bands of precipitation, fed by moisture from the Atlantic Ocean and driven by a cold northeast wind, sweep over the area.

Temperatures will remain in the 20s and low 30s, aggravated by gusty winds of 20 to 25 mph, the Weather Service said. The snow was not expected to taper off until Sunday morning.

Severe highway, rail and air travel disruptions were anticipated. Some airlines were canceling flights Friday, and authorities urged people to stay off the roads. Southwest Airlines said it was allowing customers using six East Coast airports to rebook tickets without penalties.

A state of emergency was declared in Virginia, where the National Guard was on alert to help with emergency transportation. In the District, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) declared a snow emergency, effective at 7 a.m. Saturday. All vehicles must be removed from the city's snow routes or they will be ticketed and towed.

Local government facilities were to be closed Saturday. Many weekend functions at schools were postponed. Emergency road and utility crews were deployed.

Forecasters warned that conditions Saturday morning might not seem bad but would get much worse as the day went on.

Experts said the storm could produce the most significant snowfall to hit the area since Feb. 15-18 of 2003, when more than 16 inches fell across the region. It also could be the biggest December storm in Washington since at least 1932, when 12 inches fell Dec. 17, the Weather Service said.

Oxymoronic Statements

Oxymoronic Statements

Some people say that I'm superficial, but that's just on the surface.

On one hand, I'm indecisive; but on the other, I'm not.

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's intolerance.

The world's full of apathy, but I don't care.

Perspective is in the eye of the beholder.

Prejudiced people are all alike.

What is the probability that something will happen according to the odds?

Evil isn't all bad.

I'm still not sure if I understand ambiguity.

Always be on the lookout for conspicuousness.

There's no such thing as nonexistence.

Cooperation can only be reached if we work together.

As far as I'm concerned, treachery will sometimes bring loyalty into question.

He doesn't have much of a reputation or so I've heard.

I disagree with unanimity.

I have my doubts about disbelief.

Avoid alliteration...always.

Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.

One should never generalize.

Avoid cliches like the plague.

Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.

Profanity sucks.

I have a twin brother; he's identical, but I'm not.

Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

Death to all fanatics!

An oral contract isn't worth the paper its written on.

If we do not succeed, we run the risk of failure.

I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous!

I always wanted to be a procrastinator!

Rehab is for quitters!

The shortest distance between two points is how far apart they are.

Don't be redundant by repeating yourself.

Grammar has gots to be one of the most importantest things ever?

My identity lies in not knowing who I am.

I am becoming increasingly worried that there isn't enough anxiety in my life.

I have this nagging fear that everyone is out to make me paranoid.

Free advice is worth what you paid for it.

Entropy just isn't what it used to be.

I keep telling myself that I am a pathological liar, but I am not sure if I believe it.

There are only three kinds of people; people who can count and people who can't.

Reality is a big, nasty, vicious dragon, but I don't believe in dragons.

Life is full of uncertainties...or I could be wrong about that?

Not only am I redundant and superfluous, but I also tend to use more words than necessary.

Always remember you're unique...just like everyone else!

My personal favorite that I have never understood and have added to this list:

Yes, I am PRO-LIFE, but I still love to hunt and KILL for sport.

Ethical Dilemma

Ethical Dilemma

You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus:

1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
2. An old friend who once saved your life.
3. The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car.

Think before you continue reading. This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application. You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first. Or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.

The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer. He simply answered:

"I would give the car keys to my old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams."

Sometimes, we gain more if we are able to give up our stubborn thought limitations. Never forget to "Think outside of the Box."

The First Irish Catholic Bishop To Resign Since A Damning Report Published Last Month Into Child Sexual Abuse And Slave Labour Of Orphans By Priests For 30 YEARS! You're NOT SHAMED ENOUGH!

I CANNOT BELIEVE the Pope is letting this priest resign without ANY PUNISHMENT! This priest is a CRIMINAL! The Pope is NOT holding this MONSTER accountable for his actions! The Vatican is just washing their hands clean and setting this MONSTER FREE! How many other child molesting priest has the Vatican set free amongst society! SHAME SHAME SHAME ON YOU!!! This is disgusting... The Vatican is supposed to set the example for the church! And here you are PROTECTING CHILD MOLESTING PRIEST instead of condemning their OFFENSE AGAINST GOD'S LITTLE CHILDREN. Evil is as evil does! You are protecting EVIL. The church is supposed to be God's SANCTUARY!

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Al Jazeera News

Bishop resigns over abuse report

written by Staff

Friday, December 18, 2009

The first Irish bishop to resign since a damning report published last month into child sex abuse by priests has apologised at a cathedral mass, saying he could not "undo the pain" of the victims.

A Vatican statement said Pope Benedict XVI had accepted the resignation of Bishop Donal Murray following the report, which said church leaders in overwhelmingly Catholic Ireland had covered up widespread sexual abuse of children by priests for 30 years.

Murray, who was criticised for his handling of complaints about abuse in the diocese of Dublin, said: "I humbly apologise once again to all those who were abused as little children."

Addressing churchgoers attending mass in St John's Cathedral in Limerick, he said that his resignation "cannot undo the pain" of abuse survivors.

'Radical reform'

Church sources have said a number of bishops mentioned by the report are likely to offer to resign, in what they said would lead to a shake-up of the Irish Roman Catholic church.

Diarmuid Martin, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, said on Thursday that he would continue to meet the priests named in the report to prepare a "radical reform" in the Archdiocese of Dublin to be completed early next year.

Murray served for 14 years, until 1996, as auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Dublin before being appointed to the diocese of Limerick.

He said: "I asked the Holy Father to allow me to resign and to appoint a new bishop to the diocese because I believe that my presence will create difficulties for some of the survivors who must have first place in our thoughts and prayers."

The Vatican statement did not mention the scandal but said the pope had accepted Murray's resignation according to a clause of canon [church] law that calls on bishops to quit if they cannot fulfil their duties for a "serious reason".

Abuse hidden

The Murphy Commission report came six months after the release of an even more graphic report about floggings, slave labour and gang rape in Ireland's now defunct church-run industrial and reform schools in the 20th century.

Issued on November 26, the report found the church had "obsessively" hidden child abuse from 1975 to 2004.

It said that of the 13 auxiliary [assistant] bishops in the archdiocese who knew about complaints of child sexual abuse over that period, four, including Murray, "dealt particularly badly with complaints".

The archdiocese had been more preoccupied with protecting the church's reputation than safeguarding children, it said.

Murray "did not deal properly" with the suspicions and concerns expressed to him in relation to one priest, Father Tom Naughton, in 1983, the report said.

A short time later, evidence of Naughton's abusing emerged in another parish.

"Bishop Murray's failure to reinvestigate the earlier suspicions was inexcusable," the report said.

Papal 'outrage'

Last week, Irish church leaders met the pope in Rome, who expressed "outrage, betrayal and shame" over the affair.

The church's moral authority in Ireland has been eroded in recent years following a string of clerical sex abuse scandals, many of them involving priests molesting young boys.

Similar abuse cover-up charges have dogged the Catholic church in other countries, especially the United States.

Seven dioceses there have filed for bankruptcy protection to shield themselves from law suits by abuse victims.

Philippines: Volcanic Eruption Compels Filipino Evacuation! Talk About Being HUMBLED By Nature! They Need Your SUPERHUMAN Powers To Stop This "Natural" Disaster Al Gore! HURRY! [/Sarcasm]

USA Today

Eruption compels Filipino evacuation

written by AP Staff writer

Friday December 18, 2009

LEGAZPI, Philippines (AP) — Security forces in army trucks Friday sent about 3,000 residents outside the danger zone surrounding the smoldering Mayon volcano, which looked set for a major eruption after days of shooting ash plumes and spilling lava.

Authorities in central Albay province declared a round-the-clock ban on anyone being within the five-mile zone around the 8,070-foot mountain, the most active of the country's 22 volcanoes.

More than 35,000 evacuees were given sleeping mats and food as they settled down in evacuation centers, mostly schools, where social workers were organizing Christmas parties and games to keep children busy, said provincial emergency management official Jukes Nunez.

Mayon shot two plumes of smoke early Friday, one reaching almost 1.2 miles into the clear blue sky. Lava continued to trickle down its steep slope, and two lava domes had formed from rising magma inside the crater, said chief state volcanologist Renato Solidum. He said the domes could grow bigger and plug the crater, leading to a gas explosion.

Scientists have raised a five-stage alert to two steps below a hazardous eruption, which they said is possible within weeks.

Solidum said cascading lava could trigger a pyroclastic flow — superheated gas and volcanic debris racing down the slopes at very high speed, vaporizing everything in its path.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said a provincial board had authorized police and soldiers to move out some 2,000 remaining families — or 10,000 people — from around two towns in Mayon's foothills.

Many had refused to leave their coconut and vegetable farms during the harvest time. Police will show them pictures of victims of a 1993 eruption that killed more than 70 people to persuade them to evacuate the area, he said.

Nunez said people were cooperating. "They know the danger. We have to enforce our objective of zero casualty," he said.

At the Bagumbayan Central School in Legazpi, the provincial capital, Guilly Anonuevo, a 75-year-old veteran of five evacuations, will spend Christmas for the first time in a shelter.

"We do not know where we will get our Christmas dinner. We have no money," she said. "It's all right to be sad as long as we are safe from Mayon's eruption."

Peru: Massive Mudslides Kill 9 And Injure 23. Hurry Al Gore The World Needs Your SUPERHUMAN Powers To Save Us From "Natural" Disasters! HUMBLE YOURSELVES!

The Wall Street Journal

UPDATE: Peru Mudslide Death Toll Rises To Nine

written by Sophie Kevany

Thursday December 17, 2009

LIMA (Dow Jones)--The death toll following a mudslide in Peru has risen to nine, and 23 injured, Peru's prime minister said.

More rains are expected to arrive in the next few days, Prime Minister Javier Velasquez said Thursday in a broadcast interview.

Velasquez is currently in the historical city of Ayacucho, about 570 kilometers southeast of Lima, where the slide happened after dark at rush hour on Wednesday evening.

Mud, rocks and water crashed through the city streets, burying about 20 cars, destroying about 90 houses and damaging hundreds more.

Drinking water supplies for about half the city have been knocked out, reported state news agency Andina.

The city, a tourist attraction, has been declared an emergency zone. Immediate supplies of food, water and temporary shelters are arriving.

Peru's politicians are linking the incident to climate change, as well as blaming the regional government for being unprepared. [UNPREPARED YES, CLIMATE CHANGE NO!]

Leader of Mexico's Most Notorious Drug Cartel Has Been Killed... YEAH! This Is Fantastic News! Thank You Lisa Ling For Shedding LIGHT On This Situation!

CNN News

Leader of Mexican drug cartel killed

written by Mariano Castillo

Thursday December 17, 2009 7:26 p.m. EST

(CNN) -- The rapid thud-thud-thud of military choppers overhead on Wednesday was the first thing to catch the attention of the residents of Cuernavaca, a city south of Mexico City known as a retreat for city-dwellers and tourists alike.

The helicopters landed near Punta Vista Hermosa, a majestic resort where condos sell for millions of Mexican pesos, and before long, seemingly hundreds of military personnel were on its grounds.

A few hours later, a ferocious firefight broke out between the military and a cell of drug traffickers.

"Things like this rarely happen here," said Yadira Abigail Flores Delgado, who works at a nearby private security firm. "I could hear the shots and the helicopters. It was a very ugly incident."

The outcome, however, was sweet for the administration of President Felipe Calderon.

In a strong blow to one of Mexico's most notorious drug cartels, Mexico's navy killed Arturo Beltran Leyva, head of the Beltran Leyva cartel and one of Mexico's three most wanted criminals.

Six other cartel members and one naval petty officer also died in the raid. Three other people were arrested.

The end of Beltran Leyva's reign at the helm of the violent cartel was hailed by Mexico and the United States as a major victory for Calderon's offensive against the cartels, a war that has claimed more than 14,000 lives since 2006. More than 7,300 people have been killed in drug-related violence this year, according to a tally by Mexico's El Universal newspaper.

"This action represents a major achievement for the people and government of Mexico, and is a decisive blow against one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in Mexico," Calderon said, speaking from the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said that its cooperation with Mexico played a role in Wednesday's action.

"[Beltran Leyva's] death has dealt a crippling blow to one of the most violent cartels in the world, and it comes as a result of significant cooperation and information sharing between law enforcement in the United States and our courageous partners in Mexico," DEA Acting Administrator Michele M. Leonhart said in a written statement.

Violence could also flare from within the Beltran Leyva organization itself, as its lieutenants jockey for position in the inevitable reorganization.

Finally, rivals -- and maybe even allies -- of the cartel may fight for a piece of the organization's lucrative smuggling routes, Payan said.

Beltran Leyva and his organization rose in the Pacific state of Sinaloa, home to a powerful cartel of the same name.

Beltran Leyva and his brothers initially were allied with the Sinaloa cartel, headed by Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. A series of disputes over the past years, however, led the Beltran Leyva brothers to turn on El Chapo, or "shorty," and they have been most recently linked with Los Zetas, another violent cartel opposed to the Sinaloa group.

The Beltran Leyva cartel is known for air transportation expertise, Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Michael Sanders said.

An estimate from two years ago said the group smuggled 300 to 400 kilograms of cocaine monthly into the United States, Sanders said. The group is also known to smuggle black tar heroin.

Since taking office, Calderon has made fighting the drug cartels a priority. More than 40,000 troops have been deployed throughout the country to help small and often corrupt local forces.

But it was the navy that made one of the biggest busts in the war on drugs.

The reason may be because after years in the field, the army was not as reliable as a fresh force.

"Calderon has finally understood two things: that the army is susceptible to corruption, and that the army is not sufficient," Payan said.

U.S. Federal Government Structure!

I am posting this information for those of you who are under the impression that the Republicans are destroying this country and preventing all legislation from passing. You are being deceived by the media and other bloggers that your precious Health Care Reform bill is being hampered by the Republicans. That is impossible because we have a Democratic President and the Democrats CONTROL BOTH the Congress and the Senate. Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat is the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and Harry Reid, a Democrat is the Senate's Majority Leader. If you take a looksy at the chart I posted above you will see that the Democrats CONTROL the legislative body and the executive body! So please do yourselves a humongous favor and pass this information along to whomever in your circle. That way all of you will be INFORMED and can set the record straight when you hear another mis-informed person make an absurd statement.

Why do you think President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have EXCLUDED ALL REPUBLICANS from drafting all of their legislation. They don't NEED Republicans to pass ANY of their bills. They have literally shut them out of the legislative process. Bi-Partisanship my ass! Now look, I am NOT a Republican but I know enough to know that this is WRONG! There are no checks and balances... Like you really think they are going to check themselves? NOT!

Five Fundamental Ethical Principles ~This Is Such An AMAZING Article! It Couldn't Be Anymore Appropriate To Define What's Missing RIGHT NOW! Absolute MUST READ! Re-Post From 04/23/09

BusinessWeek
Five Easy Principles?
written by by Bruce Weinstein, PhD
Weinstein is the corporate consultant, author, and public speaker known as The Ethics Guy.
January 10, 2007, 5:12PM EST

It's not enough to know what to do. Understanding why is important, too, so the Ethics Guy explores the deceptively simple guidelines that govern behavior.

Over the past four weeks, this column has looked at some ethical questions that arise in professional and personal life, such as the ethics of New Year's resolutions, whether it's O.K. to lie to help the company, and collecting for kids at the office. By now, you might be wondering, "On what are you basing your analyses, Ethics Guy?" After all, it would be easy for anyone to shoot from the hip and say what he or she feels is the right thing to do when presented with an ethical dilemma.

As a professional ethicist, however, my responsibility is not merely to explain what we ought to do, but, perhaps more importantly, to say why we ought to do it. My ethical obligation to you is to provide good reasons for how we ought and ought not to act.

For the next several columns, I will present an account of the five fundamental ethical principles that are the foundation of right conduct in any arena of your life. They are:

1. DO NO HARM <<<<<<<<<<----------
2. Make things better
3. Respect others
4. Be fair
5. Be compassionate
   

These principles reveal the secret to living a rich, satisfying, and happy life, and we have known about them for more than 5,000 years. Every religious tradition in the world teaches them, as do parents in every country. Without them civilization would be impossible because there would be nothing but chaos everywhere. These principles have a transforming effect on who we are and where we go in life, and for that reason, we can rightly refer to them as "life principles."

Values We're Tempted to Ignore

You might wonder, "If these principles are so commonplace, why should I waste my time reading a column about them?" It's true that they're commonplace, but it's also true that in our hectic, overcommitted lives, we get so caught up in the details of getting through the day that it's easy to forget how important these principles are in everything we do. We're also tempted every day to ignore them and to place value on things that ultimately aren't that important. So taking a few steps back to consider these principles is a helpful thing to do.

Yes, they are simple, but too often we let fear, anger, or other negative emotions get us off track from following these principles, and it's sometimes difficult to get back to where we want to be. For example, how often do we really keep "Do no harm" in mind during our daily interactions with people? If a co-worker is nasty to us, aren't we tempted to return the nastiness and tell ourselves, "Serves them right?"

Do we always keep the principle of fairness front and center in our thinking? If so, how do we explain our choice at work to surf the Internet, make personal phone calls, and take a sick day when we're feeling fine?

On the face of it, the principles are about making a difference in the lives of other people. To this extent, taking them seriously seems like something we have to do, something we ought to do, something that, quite frankly, we'd rather not do.

Central to Happiness

What we'll discover, however, is that making ethics our central concern is actually the best way to lead a richer, more fulfilled life. A life that helps us get the things we want: a job we love, the right partner, and a comfortable place to live. By taking ethics seriously, we serve as role models to our children and increase the chances that they will go into the world and make us proud.

Recent scandals in the news show the risks we take when we neglect these principles: public humiliation, shame, and in some cases a lengthy visit to prison. But the main reason for taking ethics seriously is not the dangers of failing to do so, but rather because it's the right thing to do.

The path to a happier, more fulfilled life lies in becoming reacquainted with the principles of ethics, which tell us how we should treat one another. When we act with integrity, we feel better about ourselves, and we then create the conditions for making many wonderful choices in our own lives.

Just as a house needs a strong foundation so that it can do what it was meant to do, society needs a strong moral foundation to function effectively. The most fundamental building block of any society is Principle No. 1: Do no harm. This is both the most important of the five ethical or "life" principles and the easiest to put into action. It is the most important, because we would live in constant fear if we could not trust others to take the principle seriously. It is the easiest of the five principles to apply to our lives because in most cases, all we have to do is…nothing.

The Ethics of Getting Involved

requires that we take action so that harm will not occur to someone else, and thus a corollary of "Do no harm" is "Prevent harm." When we're at a cocktail party and we see an obviously inebriated person about to leave and drive away, the right thing to do is to prevent a foreseeable accident, which can mean taking the person's keys away or arranging for someone to take him or her home.

Edmund Burke once said, "All that is necessary for evil to flourish is for good [people] to do nothing." When we witness someone else doing something they shouldn't be doing, it may be easier to do nothing, but the easiest thing to do isn't always the right thing to do.

When we take the high road, we give a gift to others—and ourselves. It's the greatest gift of all. Next week, we'll consider whether simply avoiding harming other people is sufficient for living an ethical life.

Have a professional ethical dilemma? Need help figuring out the right thing to do on the job? Ask the Ethics Guy! Write to Dr. Bruce Weinstein at Bruce@TheEthicsGuy.com, and your question may be answered in his weekly column on BusinessWeek.com.