War Room Scene: Lukewarm Coffee

College Debt in USA

http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2015/04/22/stunning-stats-college-debt.cnnmoney/index.html

Power or Greatness?

"We have, I fear, confused power with greatness." (Stuart L. Udall)

R. J. Baughan's "The Joy of Doing"

“The Joy of Doing”
By R.J. Baughan
The secret of happiness is in knowing this: that we live by the law of expenditure. We find greatest joy, not in getting, but in expressing what we are. There are tides in the ocean of life, and what comes in depends on what goes out. The currents flow inward only where there is an outlet. Nature does not give to those who will not spend; her gifts are loaned to those who will use them. Empty your lungs and breathe. Run, climb, work, and laugh; the more you give out, the more you shall receive. Be exhausted, and you shall be fed. Men do not really live for honors or for pay; their gladness is not in the taking and holding, but in the doing, the striving, the building, the living. It is a higher joy to teach than to be taught. It is good to get justice, but better to do it; fun to have things, but more to make them. The happy man is he who lives the life of love, not for the honors it may bring, but for the life itself.

"The Three Battles" by Alex Kendrick

War Room - The Heart of the Movie

Walking on Water

In my experience, those who criticize water walkers typically do so from the comfortable confines of the boat. The more you accomplish for the Kingdom of God, the less critical you become. Failure makes us more forgiving. Water walkers would rather make mistakes than miss opportunities. They'd rather sink than sit. ‪#‎MarkBatterson‬ ‪#‎TheGraveRobber‬ ‪#‎CutTheCable‬

President Washington's First Inaugural Address

No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nations seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency. President George Washington, First Inaugural Address, April 30, 1789

Methods vs. Principles

Methods are many, Principles are few....
Methods often change, Principles never do.
Aubert V. Rose, Jr.

Big Daddy Weave - "Redeemed" (Official Music Video)

Planting, or Resting and Recovering? - Georgia Shaffer

Is This the Time of the Fallow Field?

This spring, I once again see tractors cultivating the nearby fields. Soon farmers will sow seeds, or perhaps the fields have already been sown. I rarely see a field lie fallow anymore. Some fields around my home even produce two crops a year--winter wheat and soybeans. Most farmers use the new fertilizers to quickly replenish the depleted soil.  When I was young, it was normal for farmers to let a field lie dormant for a season. While it appeared to be an unproductive practice, they understood that letting the soil rest would revitalize it as it slowly accumulated needed moisture and nutrients without being taxed to produce a crop. Resting for a season would yield a better harvest in the future.   People, like soil, can benefit from lying fallow for a period. To become "fallow" means to create the time and space needed to heal. It means saying no to the little things that crowd out grief. After the recent break-up of my engagement, I purposely slowed down and put many activities on hold. I needed time to accept what no longer was nor would be. Rather than forcing myself to continue achieving, producing, and performing, I allowed myself extra space to cry, reflect, or write about my shattered dreams. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, my inner resources were restored.   While we may be tempted to think we just need to "snap out of it" or "get over it," the truth is healing after any significant loss can't be hurried. We must allow time to restore our depleted resources.  We must give ourselves time to rest and renew, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Just like the soil in a fallow field, the time of waiting now will allow a better harvest, a more fruitful crop one day in the future.   Reflection for Gaining More:  Do you find yourself trying to fill up the void created by loss with activities and busyness, or are you willing to carve out time to replenish and renew? What things can you let go for now while you rest?

You Don't Have to Hit to Hurt Someone!!

What is Emotional Abuse?

Identifying Emotional Abuse  Emotional abuse of a child is commonly defined as a pattern of behavior by parents or caregivers that can seriously interfere with a child’s cognitive, emotional, psychological or social development. Emotional abuse of a child — also referred to as psychological maltreatment — can include: Ignoring. Either physically or psychologically, the parent or caregiver is not present to respond to the child. He or she may not look at the child and may not call the child by name. Rejecting. This is an active refusal to respond to a child’s needs (e.g., refusing to touch a child, denying the needs of a child, ridiculing a child). Isolating. The parent or caregiver consistently prevents the child from having normal social interactions with peers, family members and adults. This also may include confining the child or limiting the child’s freedom of movement. Exploiting or corrupting. In this kind of abuse, a child is taught, encouraged or forced to develop inappropriate or illegal behaviors. It may involve self-destructive or antisocial acts of the parent or caregiver, such as teaching a child how to steal or forcing a child into prostitution. Verbally assaulting. This involves constantly belittling, shaming, ridiculing or verbally threatening the child. Terrorizing. Here, the parent or caregiver threatens or bullies the child and creates a climate of fear for the child. Terrorizing can include placing the child or the child’s loved one (such as a sibling, pet or toy) in a dangerous or chaotic situation, or placing rigid or unrealistic expectations on the child with threats of harm if they are not met. Neglecting the child. This abuse may include educational neglect, where a parent or caregiver fails or refuses to provide the child with necessary educational services; mental health neglect, where the parent or caregiver denies or ignores a child’s need for treatment for psychological problems; or medical neglect, where a parent or caregiver denies or ignores a child’s need for treatment for medical problems. While the definition of emotional abuse is often complex and imprecise, professionals agree that, for most parents, occasional negative attitudes or actions are not considered emotional abuse. Even the best of parents have occasions when they have momentarily “lost control” and said hurtful things to their children, failed to give them the attention they wanted or unintentionally scared them. What is truly harmful, according to James Garbarino, a national expert on emotional abuse, is the persistent, chronic pattern that “erodes and corrodes a child”.  Many experts concur that emotional abuse is typically not an isolated incident. Source: American Humane Association  What You Can Do All children need acceptance, love, encouragement, discipline, consistency, stability and positive attention. What can you do when you feel your behavior toward your child is not embodying these qualities but is bordering on emotional abuse? Here are some suggestions: Never be afraid to apologize to your child. If you lose your temper and say something in anger that wasn’t meant to be said, apologize. Children need to know that adults can admit when they are wrong. Don’t call your child names or attach labels to your child. Names such as “Stupid” or “Lazy,” or phrases like “good for nothing,” “You’ll never amount to anything,” “If you could only be more like your brother,” and “You can never do anything right” tear at a child’s self-esteem. A child deserves respect. Address the behavior that needs correcting and use appropriate discipline techniques, such as time outs or natural consequences. Be sure to discuss the child’s behavior and the reason for the discipline, both before and immediately after you discipline. Discipline should be provided to correct your child’s behavior, rather than to punish or humiliate him or her. Compliment your child when he or she accomplishes even a small task, or when you see good behavior. Walk away from a situation when you feel you are losing control. Isolate yourself in another room for a few minutes (after first making sure the child is safe), count to 10 before you say anything, ask for help from another adult or take a few deep breaths before reacting. Get help. Support is available for families at risk of emotional abuse through our Hope in Your Home Program, community centers, churches, physicians, mental health facilities and schools. Source: American Humane Association

Support Our Mission We’re working to prevent child abuse before it ever occurs. Help us achieve our mission, give today! Quick Links Our Website Donate Now Contact Us Like Our Facebook Page Follow Us on Twitter

Me and the Animals

“For every beast of the forest is Mine,
The cattle on a thousand hills.
“I know every bird of the mountains,
And everything that moves in the field is Mine. Psalm 50:10-11
I guess if He knows all about the animals, and they are His, it seems that we would be included as well!!
I like that inclusion!!

Insights from reading Exodus 13-16

Several insights from daily reading in Exodus 13-16:

13:21-21 It wasn’t JUST the pillar of fire and of cloud like we remember from Sunday School: The Lord was IN both of them… but we don’t remember that part!  He’s saying: “I’m right here!!”

14:13-14 “Why are you crying out to Me? Go forward!” when the Egyptians were coming.  (As if they SHOULD HAVE BEEN expecting HIM  to take care of this!  Just do what’s before you!) 

15:26 “I am your Healer.”

16:4 clearly says, as I repeat to friends sometimes “Everything is a test!” (Just do it!)

Then 16 talks about the manna:  “It comes every day, only collect certain amount per person” (some disobeyed, it spoiled.) “Collect it early in the morning, or sun melts it.   You have to collect it EVERY day… but then collect double the day before Sabbath, and I’ll see that it doesn’t spoil then overnight!!  Put some in a jar to keep as a testimony.” (and it lasts for years!!)

He’s trying to say: “I’m your provision… it’s not even about the manna or the quail, it’s about trusting and connecting with Me!  I make stuff work out!!”

5 Clever Habits of Money-Smart Twenty-Somethings

5 Clever Habits of Money-Smart Twentysomethings by Dan Rafter

Even when you're in your 20s, burdened with student-loan debt and earning an entry-level salary, it's still possible to make savvy financial decisions that will positively impact the rest of your life. Katie Kiihnl, an associate with Atlanta-based law firm Boyd Collar Nolen & Tuggle, is proof of this. As soon as Kiihnl graduated from the University of Memphis School of Law, she did something rare among 20-somethings: She met with a financial planner. "There are a ton of financial advisers out there who have smaller firms and who would be happy to work with young professionals, even when these young people don't have a lot of assets," Kiihnl says. "This was the best move I could have made. Meeting with a financial adviser at a young age helped me form my financial goals. I've followed them ever since." Want to make smart money moves in your 20s? Then follow Kiihnl's advice: You need to start saving, budgeting and paying down debt early in your career. When you boil it down, taking a proactive approach is what being financially savvy 20s-something is all about. Here are five smart habits that wise 20-somethings use to keep their finances in order. Smart habit No. 1: Prioritizing debt reduction Kiihnl's financial planner gave her an important lesson: The best move that 20-something professionals can make is to pay down their student-loan debt as quickly as possible. "Put all your money into paying down your student loans before you look at investing," Kiihnl says. "Focus on your debts." Kiihnl left law school with $80,000 in debt. She worked out a plan with her financial planner that will pay down this debt in five-and-a-half years. That's significant: During this time, Kiihnl will pay $20,000 in interest. That's a lot, but it's not nearly as much as the $75,000 in interest she'd pay if she instead only made her minimum student-loan payments each month and carried her loans to their full terms. Smart habit No. 2: Taking their budget seriously Rachel Cruze, a financial speaker and author based in Franklin, Tennessee, says that smart 20-somethings learn early on that they have to live on a budget. "Too many 20-somethings don't live on a budget," Cruze says. "Their paychecks come in and their money goes out. They have no control over the money. They think that living on a budget means that they can't have any fun. But what smart 20-somethings find is that they have more fun if they have some control over their money, some boundaries in place." Why? If you live on a budget, and you follow that budget, you can spend money without guilt or shame. Smart habit No. 3: Using credit cards to their advantage There is nothing wrong with using credit cards. Using credit cards wisely helps 20-somethings build a strong credit score. Michael Meese, chief operating officer of the American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association in Ft. Meyer, Virginia, says that too many 20-somethings build up massive amounts of credit-card debt. That debt comes with high interest, and can prove a financial burden as 20-somethings move into their 30s, 40s and beyond. "With all the credit-card applications you get in your 20s, it can be easy to get into trouble," Meese says. "Smart 20-somethings realize that they don't have to use all the credit they get. They have the perspective that they need to save up for the things they want. They don't just charge what they can't afford today." Smart habit No. 4: Getting a head start on retirement Retirement seems a long way off when you're in your 20s. But you should start saving for retirement as soon you start working. If your company offers a 401(k) plan, you should participate. Even if it doesn't, you should set aside a portion of your paycheck -- even if it's a small amount -- for your retirement years. "The way retirement savings goes is, 'the earlier, the better,'" says Jim Poolman, executive director of the Indexed Annuity Leadership Council. You might think it makes sense to wait until you're earning more money. But, as financial professionals will remind you, as you get older, your costs of living rise too. You might start a family or take on a mortgage. There's never a perfect time, then, to start saving for retirement. Poolman says that smart 20-somethings start saving for retirement, and enjoying the benefits of compound interest, as soon as they enter the workforce. Smart habit No. 5: Building an emergency fund Bad things happen, and often these bad things require a quick infusion of cash. If you don't have an emergency fund built up, you could easily fall into debt should you suffer a car accident, get injured at work or have to replace your home's water heater. And what if you lose your job? If you have an emergency fund, you can tap those dollars to help support yourself while you search for a new job. That fund might keep you from running up credit-card debt while you're hunting for new work. That's why Kiihnl says that 20-somethings need to steadily build up an emergency fund that can cover up to six months of their expenses. This isn't easy, and it takes time. Kiihnl says that her goal has always been to put 10 percent of her income into a savings account to cover unexpected purchases. "I've done that ever since I graduated," Kiihnl says. "Sometimes you can't do the whole 10 percent. But you should always put something in that account." Originally published at Money-Rates.com. Used with permission. MoneyRates.com has been a leading source of information on bank rates, personal finance, savings accounts and investing since 1999. The site helps consumers find the highest rates on certificates of deposit, money market accounts and savings accounts. The Web Marketing Association awarded a Financial Services Standard of Excellence to MoneyRates.com in the 2011 WebAwards competition and a Best Financial Services Mobile Website award in the 2012 MobileWebAwards. Publication date: April 14, 2015

Brandon Heath - The Harvester - Official Lyric Video

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Write-More--Memorize-Less.html?soid=1114661019787

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Write-More--Memorize-Less.html?soid=1114661019787

Sleepless in America

Sleepless in America

Success

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." (Sir Winston Churchill) #Success #Churchill

Bob Goff 30 second video: Love your neighbor

Bob Goff 30 second video: No Return Address

James Fraundorf, Professional Lumberjack, navigaters Southern Waterfall