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Our Daily Thread 2-6-13

Good Morning!

How are you doing today?

Quote of the Day

“Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.”

Ronald  Reagan

I never realized how many other famous people were born today besides Reagan. We also have Babe Ruth, Bob Marley, Tom Brokaw, Rip Torn, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Eva Braun, Axl Rose, and Natalie Cole.

So let’s go with Natalie.  🙂

____________________________________________________

I was gonna go with Axl Rose, to help wake you all up.  😯

You’re welcome.  🙂

Who has a QoD?

42 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 2-6-13”

  3. George Beverly Shea turned 104 just a few days ago.
    Doesn’t someone here have a BD sometime soon?

    Kathleena, yesterday afternoon, mentioned how nice Elvera was to let me on the computer early in the mornings while she is getting ready for the Y.
    What happens is this.
    She gets up early, has her morning devotions. Nobody, not even God, wants to deal with me this early, so I get up later, get ready, fix my own breakfast and she’s still reading her Bible.
    Can’t you hear me, “Put that Bible down woman, and get with it!”
    No, I come in here and agitate some of you early birds.

    When we were working, I always got up at 5:20, got ready, fixed breakfast, had a short prayer for leadership during the day and was off. I needed to be on the beltway by 6:00. She got up when she heard the front door slam. (I slammed it hard because I knew it was a signal.) I suspect all couples have similar routines.

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  4. I have joined a small group Bible study on Tuesday nights. They started a study of Genesis back in January. We are on our third week in Genesis 3:

    The Temptation and Fall of Man

    3 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

    2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

    4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

    6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

    8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

    9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

    10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

    11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

    12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”

    13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

    The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

    14 So the Lord God said to the serpent:

    “Because you have done this,
    You are cursed more than all cattle,
    And more than every beast of the field;
    On your belly you shall go,
    And you shall eat dust
    All the days of your life.
    15 And I will put enmity
    Between you and the woman,
    And between your seed and her Seed;
    He shall bruise your head,
    And you shall bruise His heel.”

    16 To the woman He said:

    “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
    In pain you shall bring forth children;
    Your desire shall be for your husband,
    And he shall rule over you.”

    17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:

    “Cursed is the ground for your sake;
    In toil you shall eat of it
    All the days of your life.
    18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
    And you shall eat the herb of the field.
    19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
    Till you return to the ground,
    For out of it you were taken;
    For dust you are,
    And to dust you shall return.”

    20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

    21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

    22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

    Who knew there was so much information packed in this chapter? Last night it was pointed out that in Chapter 4 God told Cain he would have a desire for sin…

    One of the women in the group is also BG’s therapist. She pointed out that from years as a therapist she has seen women put their husbands before God and in trying to keep him happy and fulfill her “desire” for him she has often not followed God. Thinking about it, I have seen it too, just didn’t realize it. It was also pointed out that only the serpent and the earth were cursed, Adam and Eve were punished and Adam was actaully dealt a harsher punishment than Eve.

    So here is a QoD: What are your thoughts on this chapter. I had many questions I wanted to ask last night but we ran out of time and I am trying to behave myself and not dominate the conversation. I AM the newcomer.

    If you think of it today I would appreciate some prayers for work. The agents aren’t liking all the changes the team leader has made and they are questioning just what it is that I do. We receive about 50 new inquiries a day right now and it is February! They are squabbling and nitpicking about the leads and am I holding out the good leads and only giving them to certain agents.
    Well, if someone tells me that it is only a 45 minute flight in for him to come look at a million dollar piece of property I certainly am not going to send the guy in the ratty looking suit that takes his dog everywhere he goes. I am going to send someone who can talk the talk and walk the walk. That guy happens to drive a pick up truck and wears khakis and a polo shirt every day and is half bald with longer hair in the back, but he owns more than several investment properties and can shoot straight with the buyer. He knows his product and how to sell it.

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  5. Michelle, regarding your comment yesterday that you don’t have copies of your book yet–as I mentioned, I weasled two copies of my book immediately by going straight to the warehouse and asking pretty please. Well, I gave one to one of the people it’s dedicated to (the other person it’s dedicated to was older, and I wouldn’t see her in person, so I let her know ahead of time it was being dedicated to her, partly just in case she died before the book came out). The other copy I held onto, and I took it with me everywhere that weekend to show it off. I took it to a Bible study I was in, and I took it to church.

    Sunday at church I showed it to my pastor. He told me congratulations and looked at it, and told me thank you. He thought I was giving it to him! If I’d had my other copies already, but it was my only one! It was just a little embarrassing, actually, but I told him it was my first copy and I’d give him his copy when I had my whole order of author copies. I don’t remember whether he was on the list to get a free copy (he likely was, but I don’t remember); I’d had my contract adjusted from 10 copies to 25 because I had quite a few people I wanted to give them to, and then I ended up buying quite a few additional ones (at a good discount) to give away.

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  7. Kim, just do some splainin’ too those agents with your thinking and see if they shape up.

    My son was watching a documentary–full of holes, btw–on a conspiracy theory about the RFK assasination. Sirhan Sirhan’s lawyer had horrible long hair for a guy, unbrushed. He shaved the normal places on his face, but close ups showed whiskers way up his cheeks unshaven. The cuffs to his shirt were completely sticking out of his suit coat. My son noted that he looked so silly that you automatically dismiss whatever he is saying. It made you feel sorry for Sirhan Sirhan.That is not necessarily right, but Kim wouldn’t send this guy anywhere.

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  8. The way a person dresses expresses not only his attitude about himself, but also those about him.
    You will always impress people in some way. You want to dress to show respect for them.
    If a guy advertises that he doesn’t care what I think, I usually reciprocate by not caring what he thinks.

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  9. Kim – Yours is a fascinating QoD, I wish I had more time and better internet to discuss it. Since I am laid up with a stomach bug today, I will give a few thoughts that I have about this chapter.
    Before the fall, the fact that God walked amongst His Creation shows that Creation, and especially humans had a spiritual element which no longer exists. I once held a discussion with a man who believedt the Creation and Fall account was just an allegory and certain elements were merely symbols. Amogst those symbols he said was the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life. I did not know how to respond at the time, but later it occured to me- the Tree of Life is mentioned one more time in the Bible, at the end of Revelation. It is found in the new Jerusalem.
    “In the midst of the street of it, and either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yeilded her fruit ever month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Revelations 22:2
    I realized then that the Garden of Eden was not symbolic, because the new heaven and earth are not symbolic. The fantastic combination of physical and supernatural really did exist at one point in this earth’s history. The scope of the curse was more than we know. Not only did our cells begin to die, not only did the woman’s body change so that childbearing became difficult, not only did some plants warp to become pests, not only did the relations between man and helpmeet become difficult, but we lost the spiritual element of Creation. Before the fall, our senses could perceive the spiritual, after the fall, we were cut off from it. We became merely physical beings, our spiritual existence was dead. The tree of life, with its spiritual properties, was too dangerous to be eaten by mere physical creatures. I sometimes think the Garden of Eden may well have existed on earth until the flood, but if it did, it must have become a place cf feared legend and the Tree of Life a quest that could never be accomplished. That is until a new Adam was created who combined both the physical and the supernatural perfectly as both the Son of Man and the Son of God.
    Those are some of my thoughts on the chapter. Perhaps they seem a bit poetic, but the Bible is the history of the world from both the physical and spiritual viewpoints and thus is fantastic to we who only see one side.

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  13. Thanks for your insight, Cheryl. I’ve found it works well to carry copies of my book in my car! When they get here.

    I can’t tell you why, yet, but does anyone here know someone or possibly be someone, who is experience in shorthand? And if so, would they/you be willing to be interviewed by me?

    Let me know through my website, or email me if you’ve got my address.

    Thanks. 🙂

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  14. Phos/Roscuro,

    I’ve often pondered things that you mentioned, like these

    “The fantastic combination of physical and supernatural really did exist at one point in this earth’s history. The scope of the curse was more than we know. Not only did our cells begin to die, not only did the woman’s body change so that childbearing became difficult, not only did some plants warp to become pests, not only did the relations between man and helpmeet become difficult, but we lost the spiritual element of Creation. Before the fall, our senses could perceive the spiritual, after the fall, we were cut off from it. We became merely physical beings, our spiritual existence was dead.”

    I’ve often wondered about the unknown effects of the curse. Scientists say they can’t account for alot of what sections of the brain do, or are for. Is it such a stretch to think that large portions of the brain are no longer used because we lost the ability to use them after The Fall? Those unused areas may have had a spiritual purpose, and God removed our ability to use them as part of the punishment. This is one of the first questions I hope to ask when I have the chance upon arriving in eternity with Him.

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  15. Michelle,

    I learned Gregg shorthand in high school, and I used it regularly as a secretary between 1979 and 1982. I can’t think of anything remotely interesting about that to make me the subject of an interview, but if you have something in mind, then sure.

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  16. I learned Forkner shorthand (never heard of anyone else even knowing what that is) in high school, and I never used it “professionally” (as a secretary), but did use it in meetings a few times, and i’ll still make myself notes with it sometimes.

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  17. Ugh. Shortland. I took it in high school, too, but never was really proficient at it.

    Little did I know it would have really come in handy someday in my future career. Instead, I’ve invented my own system, but it’s not as efficient (or, with fast talkers, as readable!). Easiest interviews are by phone as I’m a pretty fast typist and can type as I listen and talk.

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  18. Hello, everyone! Today is my 42nd birthday! It’s been a pretty good day, I’ve heard from lots of family & friends and had lunch with a dear friend. My sister called from Rwanda, which is always special. We had a nice long talk. Her daughter, HG, is doing fairly well with them in Rwanda. Thank you to all who continue to pray for her.

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  21. 🙂 H 🙂 A 🙂 P 🙂 P 🙂 Y 🙂 ** 🙂 B 🙂 I 🙂 R 🙂 T 🙂 H 🙂 D 🙂 A 🙂 Y 🙂
    ******************************************ANNMS*****************************************************
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    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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    llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
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    Sorry, I could not resist getting creative with the virtual cake decorating! Now, if only Mumsee will make the real thing! Her cakes always have that secret ingredient that makes them extra special and a cut above (or worth the cutting!).

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  27. You’ve come a long way, baby. This was a question from today’s Dear Abby column (http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/):

    DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I have been seeing each other for about a year. He was a virgin when we met. Three months into the relationship we had sex. I am 18 and he is 21.

    We used to have sex often, but now he is completely uninterested in anything sexual. I feel like he isn’t attracted to me anymore, although I haven’t changed much since we started dating.

    Other than sex, we have a great relationship. We haven’t had a single fight, but it hurts my feelings that he doesn’t want to have sex with me anymore. What’s the solution to our problem? — TEEN IN ST. GEORGE, UTAH

    DEAR TEEN: Have a frank, non-confrontational talk with your boyfriend and ask him what has changed. It may be that the novelty wore off. He may have a low sex drive, or he may be interested in women only as friends. But you will never know until you ask him. When you do, let him know that whatever his answer is, you care about him and you hope he feels the same way about you.

    Um, wouldn’t the standard advice be something more like, “Perhaps he has realized that you aren’t married yet and he wants to respect you. Having sex after three months, in a relationship that apparently has no commitment, isn’t the smartest start to getting to know each other. Tell him you appreciate that he has stepped back, and . . .” But now we see a hint that maybe he’s a homosexual or at least not very sexual, and no suggestion that he may have a moral component to his choice, or that the girl might consider developing her own moral standards. Now it’s simply assumed that there is something “wrong” if a dating couple isn’t having sex. And here is a girl who isn’t even close enough to her boyfriend to ask him “why the change” and yet she wants to have sex with him, and so rather than talking to him she writes to Dear Abby. Sad.

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  28. RE: Genesis 3:16

    I’ve heard two different thoughts on this verse. There’s the one mentioned here – that the woman’s desire for her husband would get in the way of her desire to serve God.

    But the one I’ve heard of more often is that this verse means that woman will desire to rule over her husband, but he will rule over her. I’m sure we’ve all known (or are, or have been) women who try to “wear the pants” in the family.

    There is a note on this verse in the ESV, which says the word “for” (“Your desire will be for your husband…”) could be “against”.

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  32. Kim, it’s called “vanity publishing.” The old version of self-publishing. If you want to publish a book enough to pay to get it done, then you seek out the best deal yourself; don’t let the hucksters come to you. And Publish America? From what I’ve heard about them, run the other way. (They make it sound like a “great deal,” but it isn’t.)

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  35. Oh. It isn’t me. It is one of my agents sharing her Big Why and her dreams. She emailed me the book to read. It is a children’s book targeted to the 10 or so set. I told her not to pay them to publish it.

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  37. Re: Genesis 3:16

    We looked at this verse in a “5 Aspects of Woman” Bible study and the interpretation in that study is the one Karen mentioned. What pushed me towards accepting that interpretation is that the curse is universal, and not just for a certain type of woman. Also, it’s a curse that applies to the unregenerate and remains a struggle for the regenerate. Pretty much all wives, to one degree or another, struggle with godly submission. But for the unregenerate woman who has no desire to serve God anyway, it’s not her unbridled devotion to her husband that keeps her from serving God, but like all of humanity, her own autonomous will. And even for the regenerate woman, it’s not the general rule that the woman is hindered from serving God by an inordinate devotion to her husband. In fact, the less faithfully she’s serving God, the more likely she is to be trying to exercise authority over her husband.

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  40. Briefly jumping out of my February Fast to wish AnnMS Happy Birthday!!

    …and to grab a piece of that delicious virtual birthday cake Janice made! 😉

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