If you call yourself a Christian yet walk around all day with a doom and gloom attitude you are doing your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ no help in sharing His love. How in the world can anyone see His love through that kind of attitude? No one can.

If you feel like the world is on your shoulders, remember it isn’t. Jesus carries our burdens and we are free to live life to the fullest. We have nothing to fear in life or death.

Ask God to bring opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ into your life and regain your focus on sharing His love. You may be the only light a co-worker, friend, family member or loved one sees today.

I grew up with creative parents. My mother and father both showed their love throughout my sister’s and my childhood; well into our twenties.

My mother would create things and so would my father. They both had God-given talents for creativeness. Hardly ever did they run out of ideas.

As I sit here on the computer, something that takes way too much of my time, one good Valentine’s present I can think of off the top of my head would be to stay off the computer on Valentine’s Day. That would start things off well.

Then, another good suggestion would be to help wife by keeping or cleaning the house. But to make it all that more special, instead of doing the things I do on a normal day like washing the dishes and putting my clothes away, I can do her jobs she normally does.

Okay. Well, that is enough for now.

Just remember this. If you want to make the person you love feel special, then do something special for that person. Anyone can go shopping and buy a gift and present it wrapped. Be special for that special someone!

Now, I think that is a good Valentine Idea! What do you think?

For more suggestions, I am also contributing to ValentineSuggestions.com. Check it out.

Deadly Sins
Read: John 16:17-24

You now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. —John 16:22

You may be familiar with the list of seven deadly sins that was formulated during the sixth century: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, vengeance, envy, and pride. But you may not know that the original list compiled during the fourth century also included the sin of sadness. Over the years, that emotion was omitted from the inventory.

Some people are blessed with a cheerful disposition. They always seem to be happy. They wear a perpetual smile almost as if they were advertising toothpaste. But then there are others who seem to be chronically sad. They continually complain about life and its burdens. And who can deny that afflictions are discouraging?

While we acknowledge that not everybody is blessed with a bright outlook on life, we need to remember that joy is one of the gifts Jesus promised to His followers. And we need to resist any tendency to let sadness dominate our emotional lives.

Jesus promised His disciples on the night Judas betrayed Him, “Your joy no one will take from you” (John 16:22). Remember that joy is the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Let’s ask the Lord to help us look beyond our sorrowful circumstances and encourage our hearts by the vision of joy that awaits us (Heb. 12:2).

—Vernon C. Grounds
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit that’s always in season.

You alone, Lord Jesus, can true joy impart,
For You know the sorrow of the human heart;
You came here from glory many hearts to win
And in love for sinners suffered once for sin. —Anon.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2010 RBC Ministries–Grand Rapids, MI 49555

Maybe it’s because the mainstream media reporters and newscasters are on break. Or maybe they are dressed in their Bermuda shorts and T-shirts wandering warm sunny beaches away from the cold as they sip their martinis and wade in the water celebrating their latest Green profits from all their Global Warming reports from 2009.

Whatever they are doing and wherever they are, Seoul, Korea is reporting the heaviest snowfall in 70 years.

Many states throughout the USA are reporting the coldest temperatures in 30 to 40 years and some states are reporting the coldest temperatures ever on record.

How’s that for Global Warming? Sounds more like Global Cooling.

Considering the stimuli the federal government has been creating at our expense, money that is being spent on unnecessary items like bailing out failing businesses, banks and pet projects, or even more grotesque, using taxpayer money to help friends line their pockets as they help line the politicians’ pockets, I am suprised the American taxpayers aren’t out in droves protesting and petitioning corrupt politicians out of office!

Here’s a good article I just read that sheds some light on this topic and may persuade the type of revolt America needs if taxpayers are to keep their money from being spent unwisely by their elected officials.

http://www.gopusa.com/mobile/view_page.php?type=2&num=1

Too many times people look for an opening in the conversation to get their opinion in instead of listening. If they would really listen instead of thinking about how they are going to respond, chances are the person talking to them might say something they need to hear that could change their opinion and keep the conversation from becoming an argument.

The next three games are crucial for the Dolphins who face teams that they should be able to beat, but cannot take for granted. All three teams, while not the best in their divisions, are good enough to stop the Dolphins bid for post-season play. Come on, Fins! Keep the momentum rolling!

As my representative, I believe it is your duty to listen to the people you work for. I hope you hear me and the many others around the state of California and America who are saying let the process take its due course without government intervention.

Recently you made statements that the media around America are suffering terribly. You are now proposing efforts by the government to help save the media in order to stop the downwardly spiraling cycle of journalists losing their jobs and to keep news outlets from filing bankruptcy.

You say,

The loss of revenue has spurred a vicious cycle with thousands of journalists losing their jobs – While this has implications for the media it also has implications for democracy – A vigorous free press and vigorous democracy have been inextricably linked – We cannot risk the loss of an informed public and all that means because of this market failure

If you say you are concerned about Americans not being informed by worthy news sources, by adding government assistance and prolonging the life of media experiencing problems keeping their staff and books out of the red, you will inevitably bring about the exact change you hope that does not happen.

As a Representative of California, you should know better than most how democracy works. Media companies are in their current positions because the Internet has become a better source of news. The democracy of America is bringing about change without government intervention. Big newspapers and other media outlets are going under because they either cannot manage their business appropriately or because they are a part of the evolution of communication and falling to the wayside.

Look at it this way, LPs used to be the way people listened to music. Later, 8-tracks came about, but they never really took off. Then cassette tapes came out, but were eventually overtaken by CDs. Some people still use LP, 8-track, cassettes, even CDs. But now, CDs are even becoming a thing of the past. Many people get their music directly off the Internet and save their music on hard drives.

Newspaper companies will probably never die out. There will most likely always be a niche for them. But most people around the world and in America are on the go so much, they have no time to unfold or fold up a newspaper. Many don’t even want to buy one because it would mean they are using up wood resources. They would rather use the Internet or radio to receive news and information. You mention you are worried about the collapse of free press. Well, what better form of free press is there than the Internet?

Man is going to communicate. Take away all the newspaper companies in the world, and people will still find a way to get the news and information. Sure there are unreliable news sources out there, but we Americans can figure out who is telling the truth and who is not. We don’t need the government of America telling us who should or should not be working in the media. Weeding out the bad apples in society is something the majority can do, as the market rolls on.

If newspapers fall to the wayside because of free enterprise, Internet or for any other reason, it is the process of evolution. Creating new ways to keep a dying business afloat only kills off ingenious ideas Americans come up with to build and run new and better businesses and technology.

Americans live in a free market where free speech is enjoyed. The free press with which many people are employed is only free in the fact that journalists are given liberty to speak out on issues without fear of government pulling the strings. If you create more government loopholes for media to stay in business, the freedom journalists have in carrying out their articles will begin to erode as owners, editors and their bosses begin to dictate how, when and what they write as more government begins sticking its nose in places it’s not needed.

Government money erodes the very fabric of America. Its people have laid their lives into the fabric of the country and big government wasn’t necessary to get to that point. Based on government push and pull and the trails of money government doles out, money speaks louder than words, and backing media would eventually allow government to have a firm choke hold on American freedom of speech!

Stop putting band-aids on the American economy and allow her wounds to heal through American work ethics and ingenuity.

That is not to say that every single  company that has gone Green knew the Global Warming alarm bell was really a bullhorn for thieves to gather. I’m sure many companies jumped on the Green Bandwagon because they saw an opportunity to make money. But if this all does turn out to be a HUGE Inconvenient Lie, fingers are going to begin pointing and heads will roll.

I would first begin pointing the finger at those in power because they should know the facts better than anyone else. If they didn’t know the facts, well then they didn’t do their jobs like they should have and they should be replaced…ASAP.

Global Warming seems to be melting fast! The end result, still to come. However, if it does turn out Global Warming is a sham, it will need a new term. Here are a few of my ideas:

1. Global Racketeering
2. Global Shamming
3. Global Scamming
4. Global Swindling
5. Global Stealing
6. Global Conning
7. Global Pilfering
8. Global Thieving
9. Global Robbing
10. Global Fraud

Any others?

Thinking back to high school, I can’t remember what I wore. Shorts may not have even been allowed at my school. I do remember, however, that after moving away from Florida to California, to go to university and live I did wear shorts a lot. I surfed a lot and worked construction, an industry that allows one to wear shorts to work. A perk I enjoyed because I worked for small company owners that didn’t have to worry about union rules.

I remember one time when I went back to Alabama to drive my dying great-great aunt around for a month. She got upset at me because I was wearing shorts before Memorial Day or some holiday. She said that I wasn’t allowed to wear shorts before then. I told her that I did not live in that area of the country anymore, but in California where people can wear shorts anytime of the year. She was angry at me, but I continued wearing shorts for the majority of my time with her. The only time I wore long pants during our one-month drive around Alabama, Florida and Georgia was when we were at nice restaurants or meeting people where I had to dress nicely. (My aunt didn’t die for another 10 years or so. She was an amazing woman and is with God in Heaven now!)

Living in Japan and being a gaijin, I get lots of reactions and stares when I walk around and even more when I walk around in shorts in cooler weather after summer is over.

This morning, I played tennis, came home and showered, then put shorts, a T-shirt and sweatshirt on. I was and still am very warm. But that didn’t stop my student from making comment about how cold I looked to her during our lesson.

Later, when I go out of the house, I don’t plan to change my clothes. I will add socks and shoes to my wardrobe though. After all, I can’t get away with going around Japan barefoot. That is a definite NO NO!

On a last note, I find it actually a little funny that people here in Japan say anything to me about wearing shorts when it is cool outside. After all, just look at all the students who go to school in dead winter wearing short shorts and a jacket! Some kids’ shorts are so short they could be considered Daisy Dukes. Now those kids have got to be cold!

Wearing long pants in winter is only necessary when it is really cold. When it’s not cold, short, a shirt, sweater and jacket will do the trick. If you want to keep your legs warmer, then either put on some long pants or throw on some Ugg Boots.