8 Ways To Go Green At Your House (From USA Weekend)

A few people said they did not know where to start in terms of practicing any green principles at home, but wanted some suggestions. USA Weekend gave some great “green” tips to use at home that contained some great tips that we found worth mentioning again.

1. Get a reusable water bottle and coffee cup; say no to disposables.
2. Use only energy-saving bulbs.
3. Recycle all paper products
4. Redecorating? Look at furniture and accessories you already have and change them from room to room for a new look, instead of tossing and buying new things.
5. Use the phone or video chat with Skype for meetings instead of driving your car.
6. Buy earth-friendly cleaning products when possible.
7. Try to buy local produce and food.
8. Turn your car off while waiting in car-pool pickups to avoid idling.

(From USA Weekend, April 15-19, 2011)

My Flowers Taught Me a Lesson about Life

My Golden Shrimp Plant

I am always excited when spring rolls around, because I get to play in the dirt and watch miracles happen. One of the most relaxing things I enjoy doing outdoors during those warm months is working in the yard, planting flowers and trees. I consider myself one of the caretakers in God’s earthly garden. I love watching seeds sprout and tender young plantings expand their root system and begin to grow.

As my flowers mature, there is one thing that happens to those beautiful blossoms in all of their grandeur, which makes me sad. They start to wither and die. By pulling those dying blooms off, however, it allows more blossoms to multiply and the plant begins to grow faster. The dying flowers retard the growth potential of the plant and other flower buds.



My Magenta Petunia Blossom

When I reflect on life, the things that are lifeless and dead that we tend to hold on to hinder our personal growth and development. Such dead things could include a dead or dying relationship, a dead-end job, being in an organization where there are dead members who do not want to grow and remain stagnant, a dead attitude or even a dead spirit. To grow, you have to let those dead things go! You won’t believe how you will slowly begin to die too. Sometimes you lose your creativity, you can’t focus, you find yourself anxious or depressed, you get trapped in negativity, you may become paranoid or you find yourself in shackles that you can’t shake off.

I found that when I fall to my knees and pray about those circumstances that stress me out, as long as I sit still and listen to God, I find that He has a plan to fix it beyond my understanding. The one thing God instructs me to do is to let those dead weights go. Release them. When I do, I find that I focus on things that are more positive, I have more energy and I am more productive. Those circumstances have a solution, but I would screw it up if I did it my way.



My Chinese Red Hibiscus

 So when I find that life has me caught up in its ugly whirlwind of chaos, I not only stop and smell the roses, but I take a good long look at the blossoms too. I refuse to own the chaos and confusion, because that belongs to someone else. Watching a new bloom face the rising son and burst in its awesome brilliance, makes me realize that when I face the rising “Son” my spiritual bouquet will flourish too.



Celebrating Independence Day

When we think about the freedom that we are blessed to have in this country, we must not forget to differentiate institutional, financial or political freedom with spiritual freedom. Spiritual liberation carries far more weight than the freedom we believe money, job promotions or material possessions can bring. You can have all of the financial wealth, senior level corporate positions or celebrity perks there is, and still feel empty, lonely and spiritually broke. May we celebrate Independence Day every day, knowing that even if we are in physical bondage, we are spiritually emancipated.

Enjoy your 4th of July and celebrate responsibly!

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” - Galatians 5:1 NIV

How Do You Weather Your Storm?

“Storms are inevitable; our anchor is immovable.”
- Dr. Charles Stanley

There never seems to be a shortage of people going through some turbulent times in their lives or hearing about tragedy and challenges through the media. As long as you live, you will have to weather storms that may come in the form of sickness, grief, losing a job, a situation we created, a situation someone else created or a storm that God needs for us to go through in order to fulfill His purpose in our lives. Our personal storms are akin to our weather related storms (i.e. Thunderstorms, tornados, hurricanes, volcano eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis just to name a few). They come is so many manifestations.

How we respond to our challenges and storms will determine whether we survive it or succumb to it. It can either develop us or destroy us. Our anchor is embedded in the Word of God, and whether you believe that or not is a completely up to you. The Word is not complicated, but is defined to help us live the very best life God has in store for us. This is not to say that we will not go through some unpleasant situations, but we will survive them if our anchor is fixed on what God has to say about our situation and His revelation will help us to get through it.

King David found comfort through the Psalms in the Bible and the first three verses in Psalm 57 gives comfort in weathering the storm.

1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me—God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

- Psalm 57:1-3 (NIV)

Happy Father's Day!

To all of our fathers who step up to the plate and continue to be the father they are supposed to be for their children and their family, we wish you a Happy Father’s Day! A special acknowledgement to all of the women who did dual-parenting where a father was neither present or actively involved in helping to raise their children!

"A righteous man who walks in his integrity - How blessed are his sons after him."
 (Proverbs 20:7, NASB)

Despite Our Differences

“Despite our differences, we serve a specific purpose in this massive puzzle of life. So often, we find ourselves overwhelmed by acts of deception, selfishness, hatred, bigotry, manipulation, sexism, egotism, infidelity, oppression and even self-righteousness that could devastate a family, church, community, city, nation or our global society. Yet, we can continue making a dent into this dysfunctional skyscraper of corruption, by debilitating and dismantling these forces of darkness, through continuing to embrace love and magnify the LORD.”

* Excerpt from Diversities of Gifts: Same Spirit
Chapter: Spiritual and Human Enigma
Page 35

http://www.kymgmoore.com/

Texas Valedictorian Was Willing to Go to Jail for Praying During Her Graduation Speech

A graduating high school senior boldly proclaimed that she was willing to go to jail if she was not allowed to thank Jesus as her Lord and Savior during her valedictorian speech over the weekend. A prayer ban at her graduation in a San Antonio suburb went into effect after an agnostic family and their graduating senior filed a lawsuit last week. A judge granted their injunction banning any prayer at the graduation.

However, Angela Hildrenbrand, valedictorian for the class of 2011 asked the appeals court to block a judge’s ruling that she could not utter words like God, prayer or Amen during her commencement address. Whether or not the appellate court would rule in her favor, she was still adamant about praying anyway and paying the consequences.

In an amazing last minute decision, three federal judges reversed a ban that would have blocked Angela Hildrenbrand from thanking Jesus as her Lord and Savior during her graduation ceremonies in Texas.

Read more about Angela’s courageous feat: http://blog.beliefnet.com/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars/2011/06/astonishing-last-minute-victory-for-angela.html#ixzz1OXSVFjyD

Angela we applaud you for standing on the foundation of your conviction in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. When we listen to the song written by Irving Berlin “God Bless America” we remember that this country was based on God's blessings and peace for our nation. It is unfortunate that the spiritual foundation in which our country stood on is now becoming diluted and offensive to some people. Our voices must continue to praise God our Father and not be silent due to fear. May God continue to bless you and your family.