INSTALLING LOVE

Tech Support: Yes, . How can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install Love. Can you guide me through the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running ?

Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ?

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error - Program not run on external components." What should I do?

Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.
Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer: Thank you, God.God

Tech Support: You're Welcome, Anytime

THE TORONTO MAPLES LEAFS

Most of you know that I am a Maple Leaf fan! Last Saturday night (February 17th), I saw the Leafs play for the first time at the ACC. The night started by honouring the 1967 Stanley Cup Champions. What a privilege to see Johnny Bower, Dave Keon, George Armstrong, and the others.

It was a great game and the Leafs beat the Oilers 4 - 3!

GO LEAFS GO!

THE CELL PHONE vs. THE BIBLE

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to our kids as a gift?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being "disconnected" because of an unpaid bill. Jesus already paid the bill in-full.

And just think--no dropped calls! God hears them all!

-- Author Unknown

Help...Help...

For those of you that are experience Bloggers, can you assist me with my blog? As you can see my information is at the very bottom of my blog.

How can I get it back to the top?

From Rolly's Kitchen

SWISS STEAK MEDITERRANEAN

Lots of deep rusty read gravy with steak, onion, and mushrooms.

Spaghetti sauce - 2 Cups 500 ml
Salt - 1/2 tsp 2 ml
Pepper 1 tsp 5 ml

Beef round steak, trimmed of fat, cut into 6 pieces - 1 3/4 lbs 790 g

Medium onions, cut into chuncks - 2
Small whole fresh mushrooms (about 2 cups, 500 ml). - 1/2 lb 225 g

Stir first 4 ingredients together in bowl.

Place steak pieces in slow cooker. Pour 1/3 of sauce over and between pieces.

Sprinkle onion and mushrooms over top. Pour remaining 2/3 sauce over all. Cover. Cook on Low for 7 to 9 hours or on High for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. Serves 6.

I know Dealer Dave is watching his calories intake -

1 serving: 253 Calories; 7.4 g Total Fat; 943 mg Sodium; 28 g Protein; 19 g Carbohydrate

If watching Sodium intake, omit Salt and Pepper.

MAN OF PRAYER

What constitutes a man of prayer? First, he prays about everything - little things as well as big things. Oftentimes, we're reluctant to pray about the little things because we're afraid to bother God with trivia. He's so busy running the universe that He doesn't need to help me in the small areas of my life. But Jesus said that our heavenly Father is conscious of the sparrow falling to the ground. How much more is He conscious of our every need? (Luke 12:6-7).

The Bible also commands, "In every thing by prayer and supplication and thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Philippians 4:6). If you really love someone, it doesn't matter how often he calls or what he calls about, you're just glad to hear from him. God loves you so much, He doesn't care how trivial your need might be. He just loves to hear from you.

Jesus said, "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1). Why then are so many people losing heart and never praying? I hear people say, "I don't know what I'm going to do! I don't know where to turn." They're fainting. Learn of God's grace through prayer. Learn to turn every situation over to God so your life might be strengthened by His hand upon you.

As a result of Nehemiah's close fellowship with God, the walls of the city were rebuilt in 52 days. Others had tried to rebuild those same walls of Jerusalem for almost a 100 years! Not only that, there was a spiritual revival among the people. While doing the physical work of God, Nehemiah and his men also did a spiritual work. The Israelites became so excited that their walls were rebuilt and they could again dwell securely in Jerusalem that they gathered together to worship the Lord. In the temple, Ezra the scribe brought out the law of God and read it to the people. It was accompanied by repentance and weeping before God. The hearts of the people were turned back to the Lord (Nehemiah 8-9).

One man living in prayer and fellowship with God can accomplish incredible results!

As I look around today, I see that we're living in a needy world. We need people who live in fellowship with God, who know the strength of God, and who are willing to pray for God's work to be done. Why not be that man or woman of prayer for the sake of this poor, lost world, nation, city, schools, or perhaps even your own family.

DANCING WITH GOD!

When I meditated on the word, Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.

I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music.

One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.

It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.

When I saw "G", I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".

"God", "u" and "i" dance."

God, you and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday.

May you abide in God as God abides in you.

Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.

I hope you dance!

-- Author Unknown

Being Merciful with Ourselves

We need silence in our lives. We even desire it. But when we enter into silence we encounter a lot of inner noises, often so disturbing that a busy and distracting life seems preferable to a time of silence. Two disturbing "noises" present themselves quickly in our silence: the noise of lust and the noise of anger. Lust reveals our many unsatisfied needs, anger or many unresolved relationships. But lust and anger are very hard to face.

What are we to do? Jesus says, "Go and learn the meaning of the words: Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice" (Matthew 9:13). Sacrifice here means "offering up," "cutting out," "burning away," or "killing." We shouldn't do that with our lust and anger. It simply won't work. But we can be merciful toward our own noisy selves and turn these enemies into friends.

--Henri Nouwen