mus·ing /ˈmyo͞oziNG/

For each new morning with its light,      For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food,      For love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends. [Thank you] -Ralph Waldo Emerson

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving     and his courts with praise;     give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;     his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:4-5 New International Version (NIV) David Haas' puts into words those things being thankful for And, these from the 'archive' never cease to bring back many great and beautiful memories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qog8A_285Nk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF4xWiFO980 tidbit:  http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/five-truths-about-thanksgiving

Mr. Nouwen emphasizes that, to be a disciple of Christ, a disciplined life is essential. Discipline not in terms of control but rather an effort at creating spaces in which God can act. He centers his message on the story in Luke 6: 12 – 19; which tells of a typical Jesus’ day. The day started with an all-night of prayer followed by the appointment of the 12 disciples, and thereafter the going out to preach the Word, to heal and to care for the people.  The essay describes the three disciplines of solitude , community , and ministry .   Mr. Nouwen writes that in solitude [described as being with God] we discover that we are ‘beloved’ – that which enables us to deal with successes and failures without losing our identity. In the hub – a central anchor to all of life of solitude we discover the call to community;  in solitude,  we  realize that we are a part of a family and want to lift something together Mr. Nouwen writes. Mr. Nouwen describes Community as a way of life which enc

It was election day. Office mood seemed a bit cheerful and anticipatory. Many anticipated an election victory for their preferred candidate. Cheerfully L asked, "did you vote"? "No, I get to wait a few more years before I can", I replied. "That's unfair! She interjected. "You do pay your taxes but someone who has failed to pay his in many years is contesting for the highest office", she continued. For some others, the feeling of apprehension was almost very well written across their faces. Someone like R who'd said "it's too close for comfort" in response to my question of how he was doing. He appeared visibly invested on the outcome of the day. He had hopes his candidate would win, but results from polls projected a close race with not a clear-cut winner. However for the most part, work went as usual for the day. Like many a citizen, non-citizen national and others, I returned home to find a place around a live and near real-tim

Truth, thee we seek Too many a knowledge we pursue Confound our understanding To dispute, our virtues it sues Come and make thyself known That into oblivion otherwise may flee Sept 12 2004, 12:50am

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.                          1 Timothy 2:1-2 ESV And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.                          Psalm 9:10 ESV Dear Father, We know You are not surprised nor fearful any day and so You are no different on election day. We praise You for being the One worthy of our trust. Today we pray for wisdom for our leaders, for the discretion of Your people, and the unity of our country. No matter the election results, we long to acknowledge the truth of Your Word. May our worries rest in Your promises, may our thoughts be wrapped in Your steadfast love alone, and may our hearts be unified to further Your kingdom. Amen. Courtesy - Dayspring

"Soul Cravings has its high moments. McManus’ ability as a motivational speaker and writer are evidenced in the many inspirational stories and pep-rally feel. But McManus substitutes philosophical and psychological ideas for biblical ones . In the end, he succeeds in identifying the true longing of our heart (cravings) but fails to point us in the right direction...He has opened the door in Soul Cravings to explore the true God but he has not taken his reader beyond the threshold." – Gary Gilley, ChristianBookPreviews.com http://www.christianbookpreviews.com/christian-book-detail.php?isbn=0785214941 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-chan/what-is-more-important-lo_b_1160548.html It appears Soul Cravings highlights a potential fallout of extreme apologetics or a less than appropriately executed apologetics - a potential attempt to address eternal biblical perspectives from a finite, error prone lens. Apologetics is great and finding a common ground is awesome for communic