Connecting man to man to God!

Week of August 27, 2006

"Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!

Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work;

Then I can start this day sun-washed,

scrubbed clean of the grime of sin."  Psalm 19:13 (Msg)

     CONSIDER

"Our grand business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand."  Thomas Carlyle

     PROGRESS.  EVERDAY.

"Effective goal setting doesn't end with establishing a goal but also includes the logical steps necessary to accomplish the goal.  When we lay out more specific steps, we don't have to feel so overwhelmed with regard to the achievement of the goal.

"Someone once wisely stated that "the journey of a million miles begins with but one step."  I find that people who have hefty and lofty goals but who have failed to break them into bite-size daily steps often wander inefficiently through a day.  This poor planning usually creates stress because work ends up having to be done in too short a time.  Without question, well-defined goals can be used not only to get work accomplished but also to get you home on time."  Randy Frazee, Making Room for Life: Trading Chaotic Lifestyles for Connected Relationships

     DO WE KNOW WHERE OUR VIRTUES ARE?

What is (or isn't) being taught in churches, Sunday Schools, and youth groups regarding sex and chastity?  "There's a lot of emphasis in youth groups on saving sex for marriage," said Ellen Sweeris, a 24-year-old nurse in San Francisco, Calif., "which I think is great.  I largely attribute my unswerving belief that sex is for marriage to the fantastic teaching I received in the church as a teen.  However, the teaching and exhortation on this subject sort of dropped off around college.  It's actually a lot harder at this point in my life to be celibate, but I'm not getting the same level of encouragement at church to keep waiting.  I have fantastic friends who fulfill this role for me, but it would be nice to have it acknowledged in a more formal setting, other than just a more-or-less silent expectation that we're not having sex."

"The biggest mistake or pitfall," said Catherine Clark, 28, of Alexandria, Va., "is not understanding and talking about sexuality as something meaningful, something holy and revelatory.  When parents, pastors, and other leaders are too embarrassed to talk about sexuality, or more focused on saying 'no' to bad behaviors than they are focused on expressing the positive meaning of sexuality, they give the impression that sex is something bad or dirty."  Read this in full at

http://www.laurenwinner.net/articles/A_Church_That's_Too_Embarassed_To_Talk_About_Sex.htm

     OFFER YOUR BODY TO GOD IN YOUR PERSONAL DEVOTIONS

by Buddy Owens

"I like to start my day with prayer and devotions.  I begin by thanking God for another day and for the blessings he has given to me.  I also thank him for the challenges that lie ahead. I invite him to search my heart and to point out anything that is offensive to him.  I ask him to forgive me and to wash me clean through the blood of Jesus.  Then I invite him to fill me afresh with his Holy Spirit.  The Bible speaks to us about how we can offer our bodies to God in our personal devotions.  Let's look specifically at what the Scriptures teach us about singing, kneeling, and lifting our hands to God"....  Read this in full at

http://www.pastors.com/article.asp?ArtID=9436

     THE INFLUENCE OF JESUS

Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mahomet, and Napoleon; without science and learning, He shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and schools combined; without the eloquence of schools, He spoke words of life such as never were spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of any orator or poet; without writing a single line, He has set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art and sweet songs of praise, than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times.

Born in a manger, and crucified as a malefactor, He now controls the destinies of the civilized world, and rules a spiritual empire which embraces one-third of the inhabitants of the globe.  There never was in this world a life so unpretending, modest, and lowly in its outward form and condition, and yet producing such extraordinary effects upon all ages, nations, and classes of men.  The annals of history produce no other example of such complete and astonishing success in spite of the absence of those material, social, literary, and artistic powers and influences which are indispensable to success for a mere man.

Philip Schaff (1819-1893)

     PLUTO NO LONGER A PLANET

Capping years of intense debate, astronomers resolved Aug. 24 to demote Pluto in a wholesale redefinition of planethood that's being billed as a victory of scientific reasoning over historic and cultural influences.  But already the decision is being hotly debated.  Officially, Pluto is no longer a planet....  Read more at

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060824_planet_definition.html

Hubble Telescope

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/image_category/solar%20system/pluto/

Tell your kids about God's creation with

Space & Time, written & illustrated by Michael & Caroline Carroll; cartoons by Travis King

http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/ProductDetail.htm?ProdID=com.zondervan.9780310705789&QueryStringSite=Zondervan

The Case for a Creator for Kids by Lee Strobel, with Rob Suggs

http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/ProductDetail.htm?ProdID=com.zondervan.9780310711483&QueryStringSite=Zondervan

     LEADERSHIP TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)

From U.S. News: "Great leadership, the public tells the pollsters, is in disappointingly short supply.  That's why U.S. News is pleased to introduce readers to an impressive roster of Americans who are a heartening exception to the rule.  From business entrepreneurs to politicians to directors of pathbreaking nonprofits, "America's Best Leaders" are a remarkably accomplished group, selected by an independent committee of judges assembled by the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.  In monthly profiles, U.S. News will highlight these emerging leaders: achievers who are relatively new to the public scene but have already shown great promise.  Then in October, we will present our second annual salute to Best Leaders.  (Last year's group can be found on the site now.)  Some of the faces may be familiar; others, while giants in their fields, may be introduced to readers for the first time.  Their leadership styles are as varied as the organizations they manage.  But what they all share is a clearly articulated vision, measurable results, and, in the words of one management guru, "big hairy audacious goals."  We hope their examples will prove instructional for future leaders-and for all who strive to innovate, to motivate, and to inspire."

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/051031/31intro.htm

     VERSE TO PONDER

"God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins.  Then, in exchange, he poured God's goodness into us."  2 Cor. 5:21 (LB)

     CONSIDER

"The church of Christ is not supposed to be a group of harmless, irrelevant, mind-your-own-business worshippers who gather once a week, tucked away from anything public, just to practice their form of religion. ... Nothing could be more unbiblical.  The purpose behind this satanically inspired dogma is to keep the Church from being the Church -- the ekklesia."  Dutch Sheets, Authority in Prayer: Praying with Power and Purpose

     GONE FISHIN'?  WHY NOT?

More and more, people either don't have any paid vacation time coming (25% of the work force, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) or are hesitant to take that time.  A study by the Families and Work Institute last year found that 36% of the work force were in that latter group.  This year, 40% of the people surveyed by The Conference Board, a private research group, had no plans to take vacation time during the next 6 months.  A similar poll by the Gallup Organization found 43% of adults weren't going anywhere this summer....  Read this article at

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=510716&category=OPINION&newsdate=8/23/2006

     POPE: DON'T WORK TOO HARD

Working too hard, even for those leading the Catholic Church, is bad for the spirit, Pope Benedict XVI said as he greeted tourists at his summer residence outside Rome.  During his traditional weekly appearance to bless the faithful, Benedict quoted from writings of St. Bernard in the 12th century meant for the popes of his time on the subject of overwork....  Read this at

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/20/AR2006082000183.html

     GENETICIST REASONS THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

Francis S. Collins, director of the Human Genome Project, has written a book describing his personal journey from atheism to a belief in God, maintaining that the scientific method and faith can coexist.

In "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief," Collins, 56, cites Christian theologians Augustine and Thomas Aquinas as well as writer C.S. Lewis in addressing scientists who believe the world is purely matter as well as Christians who take a literal view of the Book of Genesis with no regard for scientific discovery.

"Although Collins's purpose is grand, his manner is modest and his prose clear, as befits a man more concerned with sharing his views on the nature of things than with displaying his ego," Scott Russell Sanders wrote in a review for The Washington Post.

"Collins writes just enough about his youth for us to learn that he was brought up in a household indifferent to religion; he became an agnostic in college and an atheist in graduate school, where he studied chemistry," Sanders added.  "Only in medical school did he reverse that trajectory, gradually accepting the existence of God and embracing evangelical Christianity -- led to belief, like St. Augustine, less by longing than by reason."

In the book released in July, Collins asks scientific skeptics to investigate God with the same open-minded zeal they apply to the natural world, according to the Associated Press, and he voices his opinion that the alternative views of evangelicals who oppose evolution undermine the credibility of faith.

Circumstances he encountered in medical school, such as watching suffering and dying patients retain faith in God, led Collins to begin a faith journey, AP said, and he realized he had become an atheist without ever looking at the evidence for whether God exists. Lewis' classic "Mere Christianity" was a tremendous influence, he said.

"For me the experience of sequencing the human genome and uncovering this most remarkable of all texts was both a stunning scientific achievement and an occasion of worship," Collins wrote in the book's introduction.  "Many will be puzzled by these sentiments, assuming that a rigorous scientist could not also be a serious believer in a transcendent God.  This book aims to dispel that notion, by arguing that belief in God can be an entirely rational choice, and that the principles of faith are, in fact, complementary with the principles of science."

     THE NORMAN ROCKWELL CODE :)

A famous museum... a shocking murder... a distinguished symbologist... an alluring cryptologist... secrets written in code.  No, it's not that "other" story.

When the curator of The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, is murdered, the police desperately need help with the investigation. Langford Fife, Professor of Symbology at Stockbridge Community College and the son of a certain Deputy Sheriff from Mayberry, North Carolina, is called to the scene.  He may have received his degree in symbology through a correspondence course but he's "just as competent as those high-falutin' professors from Harvard with their fancy sheepskins from accredited schools."

With cryptologist Sopha Poisson of the Quebec Secret Service, Langford sets out to uncover the clues hidden in the paintings of Norman Rockwell...clues which will lead them to a secret society, a legendary bloodline, and a battle with sinister forces.  See this funny movie at

http://www.thenormanrockwellcode.com/

     ALCOHOL, DRUGS, TRENDY CLOTHES: CAN THIS BE AMISH COUNTRY?

During 'Rumspringa,' Amish youth are encouraged to sample life in the mainstream. Rumspringa begins when an Amish youth turns 16, usually lasts a year to several years, and ends when the youth decides either to be baptized into the church and accept the responsibilities of an adult member (more than 80% do), or leave Amish society....

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0613/p16s01-bogn.html

     THE WORD ON WATER

Contrary to popular belief, it's not necessary to keep track of how much water you drink each day.  Instead of following the frequently recommended guideline (8 cups daily, which turns out to be an arbitrary amount), the Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggests drinking when you're thirsty.  By using this gauge, studies show that most Americans do a good job of keeping themselves hydrated throughout the day -- without keeping track of water consumption.  Other beverages -- including caffeinated ones, like coffee and diet soda -- can help you meet your fluid needs, according to the IOM.  Low-fat and fat-free milk are other beverages that can help you meet your fluid requirements.  Foods that contain a lot of water, such as vegetables and fruits, also count.  Read more at

http://www.southbeachdiet.com/public/dailydish/dd_20060428.asp

     CONSIDER

For what purpose has God given you the 1,440 minutes of this day?  And how will you invest that time for His glory?

     VERSE TO PONDER

"Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice."  Psalm 112:5

     THIS WEEK'S HYMN: TEACH ME THE MEASURE OF MY DAYS

Words: Isaac Watts, 1719

Music: Day's Psalter, 1563

Teach me the measure of my days,

Thou Maker of my frame;

I would survey life's narrow space,

And learn how frail I am.

A span is all that we can boast,

An inch or two of time;

Man is but vanity and dust

In all his flower and prime.

See the vain race of mortals move

Like shadows o'er the plain;

They rage and strive, desire and love,

But all the noise is vain.

Some walk in honor's gaudy show,

Some dig for golden ore;

They toil for heirs, they know not who,

And straight are seen no more.

What should I wish or wait for, then,

From creatures earth and dust?

They make our expectations vain,

And disappoint our trust.

Now I forbid my carnal hope,

My fond desires recall;

I give my mortal interest up,

And make my God my all.

>from CyberHymnal at

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/m/tmtmomda.htm

     GOD FAQ

Question 87: What are we to believe concerning the resurrection?

Answer: We are to believe, that at the last day there shall be a general resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust: when they that are then found alive shall in a moment be changed; and the selfsame bodies of the dead which were laid in the grave, being then again united to their souls forever, shall be raised up by the power of Christ.  The bodies of the just, by the Spirit of Christ, and by virtue of his resurrection as their head, shall be raised in power, spiritual, incorruptible, and made like to his glorious body; and the bodies of the wicked shall be raised up in dishonor by him, as an offended judge.

http://www.shortercatechism.com/

     SPIRITUAL WINGS

Receive daily meditational ponderments capsulized as simple one-liners in your e-mailbox as yet another path to spark the soul in thought. Includes a daily spiritual acronym; a weekly spiritual affirmation, a weekly spiritually oriented artwork, a weekly spiritual sharing, a weekly spiritual prayer, a weekly spiritual poem, a weekly spiritually oriented joke, and a weekly spiritually oriented cartoon. Ecumenical, nondenominational.

-"May the road always lead, where you need to be."

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SpiritualWings/

     ON PRAYER

Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.  Soren Kierkegaard

     PRAY FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS TODAY
http://christiansincrisis.net/

     PRAY FOR A COUNTRY TODAY
http://www.gmi.org/ow/index.html

     DAILY BLESSING PACT
Use the following list as your daily prayer guide. Think of a brother or situation that applies and lift them up in prayer.
I am agreeing in prayer with you for God’s blessings to overtake you!

PERSONAL
Marital harmony
Family unity
Children saved
Faithful pastor
Spirit-filled church
Real friendships
Relatives redeemed
Educational benefits
Recreational time
Fulfilling career
Favor with God and man
Be in God’s will

FINANCIAL
Better Jobs
Raises or bonuses
Benefits
Sales & commissions
Business Growth

Settlements
Estates & inheritances
Investment increase
Rebates & returns
Checks in the mail
Gifts & surprises
Money to be found
Bills decrease while blessings increase

"And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God" (Deut. 28:2).

[As you travel on business or vacation, let me know if you'd like the church guys to pray for your safety and spiritual effectiveness. I'll add your name to the list for the time you'll be away.]

     CLASSIFIEDS

Are you looking for something or do you have something to sell?  Let me know and I'll put it in this newsletter.

     SHARE YOUR FAVORITE WEBSITES

Tell us what sites you find enjoyable and why.

American Museum of Radio & Electricity

http://www.americanradiomuseum.org/site/exhibits.html

History of American Broadcasting

http://members.aol.com/jeff560/jeff.html

CBC News

http://www.cbc.ca/

BBC Radio

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/

All links to websites are provided as a service, and do not imply endorsement by our church.

(BTW: whenever the URLs in this newsletter are too long to turn into links on your e-mail program, just copy the entire URL (two lines or more) and paste it into a temporary email message.  Then delete the return in the middle of it and copy it again.  Then paste it into your web browser and hit enter.)

If you think you're too small to be effective, you've never been in the dark with a mosquito.

Min. Frank Coleman, Editor

[email protected]

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