To Be Replaced With A Biz Book in September 2013

This will be replaced with a Book Review from a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal, in September.

I have no plans to be back online until maybe this weekend.

Living Together .. 12-16-2012

Sunday School Lesson for 12-16-12. Unit I. Victory in Jesus. Ephesians 4:1-16. ...... Unity and Diversity (Ephesians 4:1-16) ............................. Maintenance and basis of Christian unity (verses 1- 6) ......................... The gifts that develop this corporate life (verses 7 - 16) ......................... Ephesians 4:1-16 .............................. verses 1, 2 - Man Redeemed, Duties and Graces of The New Life, Meekness ........... verse 3 - Man Redeemed, Duties and Graces of The New Life, Peaceableness ........... verses 4,5,6 - GOD, The Trinity ................................ We must show love which is the Christian virtue, pray and ask God to help you become more loving if you need help in this area. ............................... The apostle Paul admonished people to live their life worthy of their calling. ...... (Now I do not know what my gift is ... I know what I enjoy doing and that is what I do... but I have never been Seminary/Theology School either) ................... verse 7 - Promise: Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit Promised ....................... verse 7 - Scripture, Jesus Christ, Christ's Divinity ......................... verse 8 - Promise: Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit Promised ............................... verses 8,9,10- Jesus Christ, Christ's Ascension: Christ in Heaven, Christ's Ascension ......................... verses 11,12 - Sacred Persons and Offices, Offices and Gifts, In General ............. verses 13,14- Man Redeemed, Duties and Graces of The New Life, Perfection, To Be Aimed At ..................... verse 15 - Jesus Christ, Figurative Characters of Christ, The Head of the Body ...... verse 16 - Jesus Christ, Offices of Christ, Our Life ............................ We must speak/teach/share the Word of God truthfully in love ...................... Scripture reference taken/used from: KJV Precious Promise Bible, KJV Topical Reference Bible, and Zondervan Bible Commentary

5-20-2012.. 5 Stages of Grief

Kubler - Ross's: Five Stages of Grief .... http://grief.com/the-five-stages-of-grief ............. This link came from my Teacher's Guide Book 5/20/2012 .. it is suitable for all.... Unit III. The Word Will Be. John 11:17-27. Life That Does Not End.

The Heart of Financial Matters - Book Review

If you are looking for a get-rich-quick scheme this is not the book for you. ........ This is a study based on biblical financial principles to help you keep the money you have, invest it wisely, and provide for a safe, secure, financial future. It for everyone, wage earners, professionals, young people, married couples, those who are having trouble making ends meet, and people without proper financial training or a background in money management. ..................................... Mr. Hedges have been involved in the banking industry for more than forty years at eight difference banks. He has been president and chief executive office of three community banks. His writings, observations, and comments are from a banker's viewpoint. ............................... As a Christian businessman, he know that God will provide the answer to problems if we seek His guidance and study His Word. The Bible provides the principles for money management as well as solutions to the daily problem we encounter. ............... Goals are guides for building financial success. You will not reach your goals or become financially secure overnight. ............................. Luke 6:38 refers to our love, time, material possessions, friendship, ideas, opportunities, or anything that we could share, as well as our money. ........... Be cautious of get-rich quick schemes. ................................. Make a will. .................................. Misuse of credit is an addiction and it becomes a habit that is very difficult to break. ...................................... Proverbs 22:6 can apply to any type of training for your child or children; such as spiritual, moral, social, educational, or financial. ......................... Mr. Hedges and his wife sat down one day to discuss how to teach money management to their children. .................................... Teach your children the principle of stewardship that God owns everything and we are stewards overseeing his possessions. .............................. More important than teaching your children about money and finances is teaching them to live morally responsible lives. ..................................... Regardless of circumstances that may or may not be beyond your control, stay focused on reaching your financial goals. ............................. You will need to write down your personal goals. ...................... Keep in mind that you are the one responsible for taking care of your finances, and you are the one who will receive the benefit. ........................... You never know the true character of a person until they face adversity. This is when their true character and integrity are revealed. ...................... God wants good things for us and sometimes He must let us face adversity to truly reveal Himself to us. God is doing things in our best interest and He wants us to live life more abundantly. ............................ Your good name is worth more than great wealth. All things can be taken from you, but you can still have integrity. You can maintain your good name and that will open more doors of opportunity for you than anything else. ......................... Daniel served under three kings: Nebuchadnezzar, Darius and Cyrus, King of Persia. All three Kings trusted Daniel and placed him in a position of great responsibility because they trusted him as a man of integrity and good character. .............. No victory or success will come unless you put forth the effort. ............... We are not all capable of running a large corporation, but we are all capable of doing our best in our work. ............................... Problems at work, financial problems, trouble with family members, health issues, the loss of a loved one, or any event that creates trauma or brings tension is adversity. ............................. Motivational speaker Jim Rohn said, "If you really want to do something, you will find a way. If you don't, you will find an excuse." Once a person has mastered the area of finance, many other aspects of life will fall into place. ............. Mr. Hedges have given numerous financial and money management seminars in churches and other religious organizations over the past twenty-five years. .............. Our society has failed to recognize the importance of teaching money management in our homes, educational systems, and churches. Money is something that everybody needs and uses; however, very few people have formal training in credit, finances, investing, and the proper use of money. Without question, this is one reason why bankruptcy filings have increased dramatically over the last few years. ......... If we are not within God's will, we may gain wealth, but we will not have happiness or inner peace. When you let God be involved in your life, He will add no trouble to it. If He is not involved in your life, you will have trouble and inner turmoil. .... In Deuteronomy 28, there are fourteen verses telling of God's blessings if we obey His commandments, but thirty-three verses concerning curses when we are disobedient. ............................... You must change your heart before you change your pocketbook. ................. In an article in the May 2011 AARP Magazine ("Fix the Class Act, Don't Kill It," by Howard Gleckman), Mr. Hedges read that of every ten people over the age sixty-five, only three will be able to retire financially independent. ...................... It is not the amount of money that you make, but what you do with your money that is of more importance. .......................... There is an old saying that if you give a boy a fish, he will eat for a day; but if you teach him how to fish, he will eat for the rest of his life. .................. If you covet and pursue money, you will have many sorrows and disappointments (ruin and destruction). ................................. Money can be good. Money builds church buildings, schools, and hospitals. Money should never be put before God. .................................. In biblical times, a city built high walls for the protection of its inhabitants. This verse says that a rich man trusts in his riches to protect him, just as the high walls of the city were supposed to provide protection. Do not let money or wealth become your security or trust in it for protection, because you are only deceiving yourself. ................................. Why would God entrust you with more if you are not a good steward with what He has already given you? This applies to money, as well as any other gift or talent you have received from God. ............................. Good stewardships in little leads to being entrusted with more. .................. Seeking God's counsel in the use of our money is the most important principle in the area of financial management. ......................... God wants and desires to spend time with you. It pleases Him when you take the time to fellowship and communicate with Him. .............................. Our relationship with God is established when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. We become a child of our Heavenly Father. ......................... We receive his instructions by spending daily fellowship with God in prayer. Bible study, Church attendance, and hearing the Word of God taught and preached. ........ We need to remove unrighteousness from our homes and return to teaching the Word of God (Job 22:23). ................................... Financial Principle: Pray about matters relating to money. God knows your future financial needs, and He will prepare you to meet those needs. ................... We are stewards of God's possessions, including our bodies. .................... A steward is a person in charge of another's business. We are God's trustees or stewards and He expects us to manage His possessions to the best of our ability. .... Financial Principle: Be a good steward of the time, talents, and possessions God has given you. ......................... Exercise self-discipline to control your finances. This is a key element in all areas of your life, be it in marriage, business, religion, relationships with friends, or in our financial matters. ................................ Let us not deceive ourselves, we are in a spiritual battle daily against the evil one and the devil is strong, deceptive, and cunning. We need the full armor of God as we struggle in this battle. .............................. Our greatest pleasure, most of the time, comes from doing something good for someone else. Sharing our possessions, time, and talents can be one of the most rewarding. ... God will bless our giving (Proverbs 3:9-10). Our giving honors God. We are to honor God first and then we will receive the blessing or the promise of God. ........ What has God promised in Malachi 3:8-10? ................................. He has promised to "pour out for you a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it" if you will give Him His tithes and offerings. These blessings are based on our actions. ........................................ You can not give out of greed with the intention of becoming rich. This is a heart issue. You give out of love, for God, and respect for Him and His Word. .......... We are to not only faithfully give to God, but we are to faithfully live for God. We are to be living sacrifices, holy, and pleasing to God. ........................ When the multimillionaire Howard Hughes died, someone asked, "How much money did he leave?" The response was "all of it." .......................... We are to do things that will have a lasing benefit on people's lives. Use your money, time, and talent, and influence for things that will have lasting benefit for others, even for generations too come after we have gone to be with the Lord. ....... All Christians are called to minister and serve God, but not all are called into full-time ministry as a profession. ....................................... Assume you are attending your own funeral. You are in the spirit and no one knows you are there. ................................ Will the preacher's job be easy or difficult to say nice comforting words about you? Will he say your integrity was without question and that you loved the Lord and served Him faithfully? ............................ When your family goes through your Bible, will they find it marked and worn from use or will they find it unused and covered with dust? ........................... The legacy is something that you leave in someone. ........................... Build treasures in heaven. ........................ During your productive years, you must save and accumulate for the future. ........ Save and invest as much as you can. The 10 percent that you pay yourself should be after your tithe and offering to the Lord, but before paying any debt or making any purchase. ............................. Start by saving 1 percent of your income per month. The increase this by an additional 1 percent each month until your goal of 10 percent is reached. ....... Be sure to place your money in accounts that are government insured. In the event that the company you are doing business with fails, your investment will be guaranteed. .................................. You do not want to sell your home to pay for financial emergencies. It also depends on location, permanence of your employment in the town, the economy, price, and affordability. ........................ Compounding is a term commonly used in banking and finance circles. ............. Compounding of interest can be daily, weekly, quarterly. Your money will grow faster if you reinvest your earnings, rather than spending the earned interest or income from your investments. ............................. How are you going to grow spiritually? This growth comes from Bible study, prayer, church attendance, memorizing scripture, and fellowship with other believers. Growth must first come by living a spirit-filled life. ............................ Sometimes we do things that may be harmful to God's work. ....................... We will reap what we sow. Is the fruit that you produce of value to God's Kingdom? Is God able to give you greater responsibilities because you have been faithful in handling past duties? ........................ Avoid use of credit, credit cards, and charge accounts. Credit looks just as attractive as food. ............................. Much of today's advertising and marketing is directed to encourage debt. ........... From Mr. Hedges banking experience, a debt consolidation loan is one of the worst loans to make. ............................................ The only wise method of using credit cards or charge accounts is to pay them in full each month. .................................. Seek the advice or counsel of experts before making an investment.' ................. If you use a professional advisor, it is best to avoid advisors who sell investments, especially if they sell only one product. Mr. Hedges recommend advisors who work for a fee and not on commission from selling a product. ............................ Separate counselors are needed in real estate, the stock market, bonds, and commodities. ............................... Do not cosign or guarantee loans. This is another financial principle about protecting your money. .................................. Are you to turn your back on your friends and relatives who are having problems? No, that is not Mr. Hedges point. If you desire to help a person, do so in a way that do not bring their burden upon yourself. If they were truly in need of help, if would be better for you to simply give them a gift. ................................. Another way to help would be to assist them in finding a professional financial advisor. .................................... Regardless of education or social standing, many people do not know how to balance their bank statements and post to their check register or they do not take the time to do it. ......................................... Mr. Hedges is most thankful for the personnel in our military, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMT's. But they will be the first to state that they are not capable of protecting us the way that God can and does. .................... Take the gifts and abilities God has given you, develop those gifts and abilities to their fullest, and then use them as best you can. ........................... Mr. Eddie Hedges is a retired banker with over 40 years experience, including CEO & President of three different banks in Texas. He has taught financial seminars in churches and religious organizations for over 25 years. His book shares his teachings along with numerous scriptures and banking experience in dealing with people with financial problems.

Make Your S.H.I.F.T. - Book Review

An excellent guide for individuals, those changing places of employment, getting a new job, getting a better handle on your finances, learning new skills, losing weight, going to college, starting a business. ..................... Avenues to learning new skills: visit the library and read books and magazines that interest you, take a class or hire a coach. ............................ Define and list your obstacles. .............................. Have a Plan "B." ............................... Define and set your goals - Financial, Spiritual, Family, etc. .................. Place your goals, dreams, plans, and desired outcomes in writing. ................ Stakeholders are people in our lives who can play a role to help us, or thwart us as we make our shift. ..................................... Brainstorm - List all ideas, or things that come to your mind. (Now I have not seen this word in a book since 1992, when I was in college in night school. Now I do not have a degree but the time I spent in night school was most rewarding). ............ Be grateful for what you have, no matter how much you have or don't have. BE thankful that you are still alive. .................................. Be confident in yourself, and understand your strengths and weaknesses. ............. Be positive. Stop focusing on your shortcomings. ................................. Beware of Naysayers. Do not share your plans or ideas when you are trying to accomplish a task, because some might not be supportive of your goals or dreams. .... Stop the cycle of generational dysfunction. ............................... Learn to listen, be silent. It takes two to argue. .......................... Keep your plan, goals, or dreams realistic. ................................. Our approach to change is personal and individual. ............................... Human beings are responsible for change, whether it is change in their personal or their professional life. Change requires the motivation to keep up a sustained effort, and a commitment to getting to the desired place. ...................... In the past twenty-five years, Mrs. Flaxington have been on many roles, in business and in working with individuals as a hypnotherapist, that have allowed her to observed many individuals intent on achieving personal change. She is, and have been, a hypnotherapist, a corporate consultant, a senior-level executive, a college professor, and a professional coach. ..................... The S.H.I.F.T. Model@ ................... Specify the desired outcome. ............................ Highlight obstacles and categorize ................................. Identify the human factor. ..................................... Find alternatives. ................................... Take disciplined action. ..................................... Being able to specific what you want and even more to the point, identifying something that you actually want to achieve, requires a very focused effort. ....... It always starts with defining exactly what you want to achieve in your life, and very importantly, why you want to achieve it. ............................... Depending on your goals and where you're starting from, these obstacles could include things like family, relationships, money, work, and even more internal issues, such as your own confidence and ability to believe in yourself. ....................... You will find out there are three types of obstacles: ones we can control, one we cannot control but can influence, and ones that are out of our control. ........... Among other things, this step looks at behavioral style, how we tend to take a different approach to problem solving and communication, and how these different approaches can hamper our ability to connect and work together most effectively. .... This step looks at the issues you might have within yourself and within your network of relationships. It looks at factors such as toxic friendships or poor self-esteem that might hold you back. Other things, like a supportive spouse or good self-confidence, might give an advantage in a particular area. ............................ In a kind of business sense, this is where skills like project-management skills, time-management skills, and resource-management skills come into play. ........... It is not enough to hate your 9-5 job and decide to start a home-based business. You have to know what skills you have, what impact it will have on your family, etc. ... Unless you have virtually unlimited resources, you can't just wake up one morning and pull a business idea out of a hat deciding to take it upon yourself to start that type of business for yourself. You need to think about the type of business that is right for you, even perhaps especially, if you are the only person who is going to be involved in it on a daily basis. ............................... We have a desire, we set the goal, and then we put steps in place in order to help us meet that goal. ............................... What is your personal desired outcome over the next year or few years? ............. We've read stories of people who made it rich and it ruined their lives, because a singular focus on wealth sometimes bring unintended consequences. ............... You have to think what you want your life to look like once you have made your shift and achieved the goals you are striving toward. .......................... Instead of "start your own business," you might have revised your goal to something like: "Find something you enjoy doing that you can make a business out of where you work from home three home three days a week have more time to spend with your family." .............................. What are you good at? What do you love to do and why do you love it? ....................... If we value something enough, we'll find a way to walk around the obstacle. ....... Take the time now to brainstorm and identify obstacles that have held you back, or that you fear may hold you back on the way to reaching your desired outcome. ........ Internal factors are anything you have accumulated throughout your life that either get in your way or help you to succeed. ....................................... External factors are all of the people in our lives who may affect our decision to shift in one way or another. ........................................... Our change sometimes threatens others, while some people can be great advocates and give us real help. We need to know who might be involved, for better or worse, to understand how to consider them as we create our plan for shifting. ............... Think about all of the people who may have some sort of stake in the people who may have some sort of stake in the process, if not now, then at some future point. ...... It is honestly better to consider everyone, even if you end up leaving him or her out of your change process, than to miss someone or some group that holds an important stake. It is not wise to assume you have support, or assume you can ignore someone because he doesn't seem to care or have power. ................... As you put a plan in place you may have to choose something that meets only some of your criteria, so you'll want to be aware of the most critical criteria for you. .... Now that you have created a list of what matters, you can begin the brainstorming process. The important thing is to have your desired outcome written down and documented, and then find ways to keep it in front of you, literally, so you can focus on it with clarity. ............................................. When Mrs. Flaxington decided to write her book, she had to sit down and list all the components in the process, it entailed everything from obtaining an ISBN, to getting a cover design, to finding a qualified editor, to every step in the marketing process and beyond. .................................... Life definitely intervenes and sometimes we have to make a mid-course correction or go down another road to get to our desired outcome. ......................... Each of our styles is different; our values are different, so we can't assume that because one person knows what to do in in detail at a given step, everyone else does. ............................... Having a "buddy" works well for some people. Your buddy a roommate, spouse, or friend, or it could be someone online you keep in contact with through social media sites. ............................................... Mrs. Flaxington husband is a big fan of the "Getting Things Done" (GTD) approach by David Allen, and everything he commits to goes into his GTD system. He uses that software and his outlook calendar to remind him of dates and commitments. ............ Mrs. Flaxington have color-coded folders for different projects (clients, books, marketing, financial information), and she can create a separate folder for each specific project. ................... Becoming very good at time management can be useful, and in her experience those who are good at managing their time always have some sort of system they use to keep them on track. .......................... The law of attraction is a theory that suggest we draw things in to our lives according to what we focus our energies on. Our thoughts are the most powerful tools we have. ................................. To achieve goals that are meaningful to you, however, it is important to understand and appreciate your talents and strengths, because this will let you become more confident and centered in your life and thus better able to see what will be, for you, a beneficial and valuable change. ............................. Stress comes in many forms. There is so-called "good stress" that motivates us and drives us to reach new heights, and then there is "bad stress" that consumes us and makes us less effective in our day-to-day activities. .................... Do not ignore the warning signs of stress until you find yourself sick or unable to cope because you didn't act on the warning signs. ..................... Another important way to alleviate stress is to take breaks throughout the day. ..... When Mrs. Flaxington was 19 years old she read a story, by Zig Ziglar, the late famous motivational speaker. He quoted the writer David Mamet who said, "Worry is interest paid in advance on a debt that never comes due." ........................ Another important skill is effective goal setting and creating an effective shift is to break through any destructive patterns that emerge in life. ..................... You can't fix the past, so it is most useful to just forgive yourself and focus on achieving a more positive, confident future. ................................ Remember that even Albert Einstein said, "It is not that I'm so smart, it is just that I stay with problems longer." ........................................... Research shows that people learn, change, and improve the most in those areas of the brain that already have the strongest synaptic connections. You learn new things and achieve more by working from your strengths. .................................. As a certified behavioral analyst, Mrs. Flaxington uses the DISC tool in her work. DISC identifies four facets to communication: how we deal with problems and challenges, how we interact with people, how we handle steady pace and work environment, and how we deal with rules and procedures specifically set by others. ... The DISC (D for Dominance, the Problems scale; I for Influencing the People scale; S for Steadiness, the Pace scale; C for Compliance, The Procedures and Rule scale) formula has been around for well over 30 years. DISC allows us to categorize types of behavioral styles. ............................. The sometimes uncomfortable truth is that we tend to like people who are like us, it is much easier for us to communicate with someone, for example, if we share similarities "click" easily because they "get" me. .................. Mrs. Beverly D. Flaxington is an accomplished business consultant, corporate coach, trainer, facilitator, behavioral expert, hypnotherapist, college professor, and business development expert. ..................... She is a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA) and Certified Professional Values Analyst (CPVA). ......................................... Articles about her and her views have appeared in: The Boston Globe, Reader's Digest, Selling Power Magazine, Opposing Views with Mike McNulty, Fox News, and ABC News to name a few places. ......................... She is a frequent contributor in the media and has been featured on: Lifetime Television Balancing Act, with Jordan Rich on WBZ Radio; WVOL 1470 AM, Nashville, Tennessee: "Differences" with Denice Barnes; "Morning News Weekend": CVBT (Central Valley Business Times): with Doug Caldwell to name a few places.

The Art of Living Joyfully - Book Review

A guide to joy while you're going through life's trials. (This book has 190 pages). ...................... Words of wisdom from practical visionaries.... The Psalmist shares in Psalm 1:1-3 "The happiness of the godly, and Psalm 1:3 "wait on your season." .................................. Words of wisdom from practical visionaries: .......................... Faith is not knowledge of what the mystery of the universe is, but the conviction that there is a mystery, and that it is greater than us... Rabbi David Wolpe ....... God can dream a bigger dream for you than you than you can dream for yourself, and your role on Earth is to attach yourself to that divine force and let your self be released to it....... Oprah Winfrey .................................... There is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem... Booker T. Washington ..................................... I love the challenge of starting at zero everyday and seeing how much I can accomplish..... Martha Stewart ....................................... It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness... Charles Spurgeon ..................................... Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.... Benjamin Spock ............. The poets are only the intrepreters of God... Socrates .......................... Everyone has got it in him, if he will only make up his mind and stick at it. None of us is born with a stop valve on his powers or with a set limit to his capacities. There is no limit possible to the expansion of each one of us... Charles Schwab ..... If you can walk, you can dance.... Zimbabwean Saying .............................. God gave burdens, also shoulders.... Jewish Saying ....................... Get down on your knees and thank God you are on your feet... Irish Saying ............ The family with an old person in it possess a jewel.... Chinese Saying ............. Peace, like charity, begins at home... Franklin D. Roosevelt ................... The only question with wealth is what we do with it... John D. Rockfeller, Jr. ...... Every new day begins with possibilties. It's up to us to fill it with the things that move us toward progress and peace... Ronald Reagan .............................. This is the day the Lord had made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.... Psalm 118:24 ......................... When a man is gloomy, everything seems to go wrong, when he is cheerful, everything seems right! .............. Proverbs 15:15 ................. He who smiles rather than rages s always stronger... Japanese Proverbs .......... May you have warmth in your igloo, oil in your lamp, and peace in your heart... Eskimo Proverb ..................................... Musicial training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul... Plato ............ Sometimes when you have everything you can't really tell what matters... Christian Onassis ............................ It is not what we do, it is how much love we put in the doing... Mother Teressa ..... Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opend unto you. For everyone that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.... Matthew 7:7-8 ...................... We worn born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in every one.... Nelson Mandela ........................... Music is the universal language of mankind... Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ......... I have found that most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be... Abraham Lincoln ........................ Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself... Leviticus 19:18 ............... When we can laugh through our tears, we are being given a powerful message. Things may be bad, but they cannot be all that bad.... Allen Klein ................ You're happiest while you're making the greatest contribution... Robert F. Kennedy ............... Here on earth, God's work must surely be our own... John F. Kennedy ............ The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.... Helen Keller ....................................... The whole world is my family... Pope John XXIII .............................. Prosperity is just around the corner... Herbert Hoover ..................... Love is he master key which opens the gates of happiness... Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. ............................. Find the good - and praise it... Alex Haley ................................... Millions of angels are at God's command... Billy Graham .......................... Who is rich? He that rejoices in his portion... Benjamin Franklin ............... I believe that God is managing affairs and tat He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end... Henry Ford ............................. Most people like praise ... When it is really deserved, most people expand under it into richer and better selves... Joseph Farrell ...................... The only way to have a friend is to be a one... Ralph Waldo Emerson ....... I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.... Duke Ellington ... Every baby born in to the world is a finer one than the last... Charles Dickens ..... Love... binds everything together in perfect harmony... Colossians 3:14 .......... There is literally nothing that I ever asked to do, that I asked the blessed Creator to help me to do, that I have not been able to accomplish.. George Washington Carver ............................. God answers all our prayers. .............. Sometimes the answer is yes. ............................ Sometimes the answer is no.... Jimmy Carter ......................... Let us not get so busy or live so fast that we can't listen to the music of the meadow or the symphony that glorifies the forest. Some things in the world are far more important than wealth; one of them is the ability to enjoy simple things.... Dale Carnegie ............................... Believe in something larger than yourself... Barbara Bush .................... May the blessing of light be on you, light without and light within. May the blessed sunshine shine on you and warm your heart till it glows like a great peat fire, so that the stranger may come and warm himself at it, and also a friend... Irish Blessing ................... God does not ask your ability, or your inability. He asks only your availability... Mary Kay Ash .................................. In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous... Aristotle .......... God is love... I John 4:8 ......................... Faith is the evidence of things not seen... Hebrews 11:1 ........................... Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells within you? .... I Corinthians 3:16 ................................... God dwells wherever man lets Him in... Jewish Saying ......................... Allen Klein is an award-winning professional speaker and bestselling author. He is a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Applied & Therapeutic Humor, a Certified Speaking Professional designation from the National Speakers Association, a Communication & Leadership Award from Toastmasters International, & an inductee into the Hunter College, New York City, Hall of Fame. He is the world's only Certified Jollytologist@ earning a Master's Degree from St. Mary's College in humor. He has worked in television production, designing children's television shows at CBS, including Captain Kangaroo. He lives and writes in San Francisco.

Understanding Theology in 15 Minutes a Day - Book Review

This book is a great book for a person and sunday school teachers to have in their personal library, for quiet time devotions, personal Bible Study, and as reference tool for the serious bible student. ............................. This book has 211 pages and has Bible Scriptures as references. ................. Theology is the study of God himself - who he is and what he has done and will do. ... The Bible is the very Word of God, without error, completely true and trustworthy; Jesus Christ is who he claimed to be, fully and eternally God as well as fully human. .......................... The word itself comes from the Greek terms for "God" (theos) and "word," "thought," or "reason" (logos). ........................... Theology can be thought of as the study of the Bible. ............................. Only a person of faith, one who understands trusts in God and trust in his Word, can truly understand his Word as he intends. ................................ God will never ask us to trust in something for which there is no insufficient basis for belief. Through his Spirit, he will guide us into all truth (John 16:13). ................ Too often theology has been motivated by pride that seeks to show the superiority of one's intellect and knowledge. God-pleasing motives "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31) and to help the church may be built up (I Corinthians 14:26; Ephesians 4:15-16; Colossians 1:28). ..................... God desires to use theology (biblical truth) to transform us into godly people. .... Interesting Fact: Up until the last couple of centuries, theology was known as the "queen of the sciences." You were not considered to be educated in any field of study unless you had also studied theology. ........................... Our knowledge of God is absolutely dependent upon divine revelation; and not only is he willing to be known, he desires to be known. ............................... History is the working out of God's plans and purposes, and whether we know it or not, we experience and observe his work in all current events. ................... God's ultimate revelation of himself was through his Son, Jesus Christ. The Old Testament often references the "angel of the Lord (Yahweh),: as in Judges 6:11, when this specific "angel" came to Gideon while he was threshing wheat. In the same passage, this individual is referred to only as "the Lord" (verse 14), so clearly this is not just any angel of God but God himself. The term applied is theophany, an appearance or visible "manifestation" of "God." ..................... This ultimate revelation became permanent when Jesus was born. The apostle John show the significance by referring to him as the "Word" (logos), "The Word was God" (John 1:1), and "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (verse 14). As a result, "he has made God know" (verse 18). Jesus Christ is the supreme communication from God and of God. We can know God because he became one of us in the person of Jesus Christ. ................................... Because God is always truthful and correct in whatever he says (II Samuel 7:28; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18), his Word also is truthful and correct in whatever it says (Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5). Theologically, the Bible is inerrant, that is, without error. .................. God is faithful and always can be trusted to do what he says (Numbers 23:19, I Corinthians 1:9, I Thessalonians 5:24), the Bible, as the Word of God, also can be trusted (II Samuel 7:28). .................. The Bible is inerrant and infallible. God does not make mistakes, and his Word does not include mistakes. ........................... Not only is the Bible sufficient for what we are to know and do, but it is also understandable to the average reader. It's encouraging that graduate training in Hebrew, Greek, and theology are not necessary to comprehend the Bible. ............ This does not mean everything in the Bible is easy to understand. The things of God are deep and ultimately incomprehensible. Neither does Scripture's clarity nullify the need for pastors and Bible professors. ................................... "There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5; I Corinthians 8:4-6; Ephesians 4:6; James 2:19). ........................ God demonstrated his mind-boggling power to speak everything into being: "God said, 'Let there be ... (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26; Psalm 33:6; Hebrews 11:3)............................ Only God is eternal; everything else came through his will (Isaiah 44:24; John 1:3). This includes both the material and scripture realms (Colossians 1:16). The theological term (from Latin) for such creation is ex nihilo, meaning "out of nothing." .......................... Evil did invade God's perfect creation, and early on, but it is not eternal. ...... His handiwork will be perfected through his redemptive or re-creative work, by which he will reverse and remove the effects of evil and sin and restore creation to what he originally intended. ............................... Even sin cannot keep God from fulfilling his purposes, in the world as a whole or through humanity in particular. .............................. God sovereignly rules and controls his creation (Psalm 47; Daniel 4:17) : the doctrine of divine governance or guidance. God had a plan for his creation even before he had created anything, and everything h does is for the purpose of working out that plan (Acts 2:23; 4:28; Ephesians 1:4, 11). His highest purpose in every act is to glorify himself (Isaiah 48:11; Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). ..................... Not only did God create everything through his unequalled power, he also sustains everything through that same power. ................................ God works through his creation in order to carry out his plans: the doctrine of concurrence (meaning that God works in harmony, cooperation, or agreement with creation). God controls the weather, and through it, he provides rain that nourishes vegetation, animals, and people (Psalm 135:7; 104:14:147:8-18; Matthew 5:45). He also works through people and events in history (Daniel 2:21; Jonah 1:15; 2:3; Acts 4:27-28; 17:26). ....................................... There are many angels. The apostle John had a glimpse into heaven and recorded, "I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, ten thousands times ten thousand" (Revelation 5:11). They are powerful but not all-powerful. They are intelligent but not omniscient. ............................... God created them for delivering his message (Daniel 10). Other primary activities include worshiping God (Revelation 5:8-14), carrying out his judgments (Revelation 8-11), and protecting his people (Acts 5:19; 12:7-11). ........................... It seems that all angels were created good and holy, they are referred to as "holy ones" in Psalm 89:5-7 but at some point, many rebelled against God. These are referred to as "evil spirits" (Luke 7:21) and often as "demons" (Romans 8:38: James 2:19), especially in the Gospels (Matthew 8:28-33: Luke 4:33-36). Paul calls them "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). ............. Christians should be encouraged be the work of good angels on their behalf, whether or not it can be perceived. (II Kings 6:8-23, especially verse 17). With regard to Satan and demons, we should take their threat seriously, they are still dangerous. We should remember that through his death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ has ultimately broken their power and sealed their eventual doom (Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14). They will be eventually judged and thrown into the lake of fire forever (Revelation 20:9-10). .......................... Our true confidence is that God is greater than Satan and demons, and he is on our side (I John 4:4). ............................... Christ's resurrection is absolutely vital to Christianity and our salvation, and as such, the fact appears in the earliest creeds of the faith, two of them being the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. Paul wrote of it in I Corinthians 15, his great chapter on resurrection. ..................................... His resurrection was essentially the Father's "stamp on approval" on Jesus' substitutionary sacrifice. The Father accepted his work, and the basis for the plan of salvation was successfully laid. ............................... His resurrection demonstrates that Christ's death defeated death (I Corinthians 15:54-57). ........................................ His resurrection is evidence of the great victory (II Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 2:14-15). .................................... His resurrection provides spiritual life for believers in him, it results in their regeneration, being born again. ....................... Jesus' resurrection guarantees the resurrection of believers in him. ..................................... Jesus' resurrection should encourage Christians to be faithful in obeying and working for the Lord (I Corinthians 15:58). ........................... The solid evidence for it includes the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to many people, including the women at the tomb (Matthew 28:1-10), the apostles (Luke 24:36-49), and hundreds of others (I Corinthians 15:6). ............................ "God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administration, various kinds of tongues" (I Corinthians 12:28). ..................................... God sovereignly distributes them according to his will (I Corinthians 12:11, 18), God has given each and every Christian a role and responsibility in the body of Christ and the supernatural ability, in the form of a spiritual gift or gifts, to fulfill it. He knows best how to orchestrate this, and we should be content with the gift he chooses for us. ...................................... Spiritual gifts can be abused; they can be used or exercised out of pride or for one's own glory (Romans 12:3). We are to exercise spiritual gifts to build up the church as a whole, not our own reputation or ego. ...................... If any spiritual gifts are motivated by anything other than love, they amount to nothing (I Corinthians 13:2,3). ....................................... Interesting Fact: There is no command to know one's spiritual gift(S). God will certainly direct us to a venue of service than coincides with the spiritual gift(S) he, through his Spirit, has given us. ......................... Bethany House provided me with this review copy. ............................ Daryl Aaron earned his ThM at Dallas Theological Seminary and his PhD at Graduate Theological Foundation. He spent fourteen years in pastoral ministry before coming to Northwestern College where he is Professor of Theology and Bible. Dr. Aaron lives in Mounds View, Minnesota, with his wife Marilyn. They have one daughter, Kimberly, who recently completed her master's program and will join her father on the faculty of Northwestern College teaching Spanish.