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AN
ONGOING SPIRITUAL WEBLOG
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May 7, 2008
It’s almost Mothers Day (May 11). Moms are special
people. It is probably hard for me, a man, to fully
fathom just how special. But I loved my mother very
much and I miss her two years after she passed away
from cancer. She lives on in my heart and was a blessing
to me, my family and countless others.
We salute all the mothers and we thank the mother Jesus
gave us. Mother Mary prays for us, just as her son,
Jesus Christ, prays for us. Let us remember the constant
and eternal love of God and let us share it with each
other.
If you are looking for gift ideas check out our top
picks here.
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May 5, 2008
The GMA 39th Annual Dove Awards, held April 26, once
again celebrated the best of Gospel and Christian Music
(official site
here).
You can shop the wide selection of this year's winners
and nominees at our online store. There is a lot of
great worship music featured. Go
here.
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May 1, 2008
I don't know what you pray for, but probably it is
similar to what most people pray for. You pray for
peace, for health, for protection for your family.
At times you pray for forgiveness, for mercy and for
the healing of damaged relationships. Maybe you even
pray for willingness to live your faith.
A great prayer, in my opinion, is to be useful to God
and others.
The National Day of Prayer was today. It is an annual
observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting
people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was
created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United
States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry
S. Truman. Praying for our country and our leaders
is good and proper. I hope that when we do that we
don't let our prayers become selfish or self-righteous.
The United States is an amazing country and as citizens
we have the obligation to correct our wrongs and grow
in love and faith.
The official website of The National Day of
Prayer Task Force is www.ndptf.org.
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April 28,
2008
There is an area in Southeast Albuquerque that has
long been known as the "War Zone". It has a history
of poverty, gangs, drugs and violence. One part of
this neighborhood, the Trumbull sector, has been
renovated into what many now call "God's Block".
If you watched ABC Television's Extreme Home
Makeover last night you saw the story.
The Martinez family were the recipient's a new home
and renovated duplexes. The properties were run
down, but Gerald Martinez (pastor of Joushua's Vineyard
Mission), together with his wife and five children,
devote themselves to helping the homeless and poor.
They offered housing and support and didn't charge
for any of this ministry. Now, with the renovations,
they have a beautiful home, but also the renewed
spirit of the community. They are doing the work
Jesus' calls us to.
Pastor Martinez has been a believer for many years,
but there was a time when his passion for the Lord
had waned. His testimony at the Promise Keeper's website tells the story of how his faith was renewed
through the mission field he's been called to in
Albuquerque.
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April 25,
2008
I find that a morning practice of quiet time, meditation,
prayer and some reading of scripture and various
daily devotionals helps me start my day right. But,
I have to be careful that I'm not just going through
the motions. The purpose is to center me in the Lord.
Certainly I could overdo it with too many books,
reading and mental busyness. God is speaking
to us, if we will only listen.
Hopefully you are using a devotional of some sort.
There are many good ones. Find one that speaks to
your heart. And, from time to time, mix it up and
try something new. I often find when I do that I
get a similar message phrased in a refreshing and
enlightening way.
For those of you who've felt too much like life is
a game you must compete in and win, visit today's
Our Daily Bread posting.
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April 22,
2008
Today is Earth Day. God created everything and gave
us the responsibility to look after this Creation.
Good stewardship means being environmentally responsible.
Check out Co-Op
America
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April 21,
2008
Pope Benedict XVI's just completed Apostolic visit
to the United States was heaviy covered by the media
(here). He celebrated a mass on Sunday at Yankee
Stadium with 55,000 in attendance.
During his visit he called upon U.S. Catholics to
use their freedoms wisely. His message throughout
his 6-day visit to this country was to respect the
dignity of all humans. In Boston he reached out
in reconciliation to victims of past sexual abuse
by the
clergy, acknowledging their great pain. The pope
also paid a visit to Ground Zero in New York City,
the site of the September 11, 2001 terrorist plane
crashes into the World Trade Center towers. He also
addressed the Unietd Nations on Friday and spoke
of hte need to respect human dignity and for the
wealthier countries to assist those countries in
need.
This historic visit was important for all Christians.
The pope's message of faith in God and the love of
Jesus Christ is the hope of all Christian believers.
Furthermore, it is a message to share with everyone,
regardless of their beliefs, because this message
of faith, hope and charity towards all is the way
of peace. Our troubled world needs this message more
than ever.
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April 16,
2008
I've been reading in the Acts of the Apostles (New
Testament of the Bible) and thinking about the early
days of the Church. After Jesus ascended into heaven
the apostles and followers of Christ had to carry
on. They were inspired and full of love. Jesus sent
the promised Holy Spirit and amazing things were
happening. You can read about it yourself.
More than miracles and bold proclamations about Jesus
Christ and a loving God, there was the community
of believers sharing and helping each other. This
is how we all are to live, but it is easy for us
to stay in our little worlds, our "protected shells",
and not live out our faith. If we truly believe
the Gospel then we must act like it. It doesn't mean
being pushy and preachy. And it is not easy. I know.
I struggle with this.
Think about your daily actions. Are you asking God
for guidance? Are you accepting it when it comes?
Live with enthusiasm while staying humble.
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April 14,
2008
Film documentaries can be an effective way to raise
awareness and inspire action for social causes.
Nadus Films is doing just that and currently concentrating
on helping to bring about positive change for war-torn
Sudan.
More here
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April 10,
2008
Society tells men we need to keep our emotions in
check, which usually means stuffing them and not
letting others know how we really feel. And there
also is a tendency for us to project an image of
strength.
Being strong and brave can be good. But all people
also need to be real and to be vulnerable before
our loving God.
If you've never explored men's spirituality then
visit www.malespirituality.org. There are men all
over the world awakening to what it means to be a
beloved son.
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April 8,
2008
I was surfing around the web this morning, looking
for something inspirational or pertinent to write
about. I felt unfocused and unsure of what to put
in a journal entry. From our links page I clicked
on Assist News Service and then found a story about
Pastor Rick Warren and his recent trip to Kenya in
Africa. If you've followed the news you know of the
unrest, violence and death in that country after
the national elections this past December.
There has been a lot of division amonst the people
in Kenya, including the various Christian denominations.
Warren is calling on them to put their differences
aside and speak with one voice. This is never easy,
but a call that is pertinent to the situation. It's
pertinent to the United States and elsewhere, too.
“People are most interested in spiritual things
when they are in transition or tension,” Warren
said in his visit. “Don’t look at it
(the current crisist) as a breakdown, but rather
as a breakthrough. God is softening the hearts
of people across this country; don’t miss this
opportunity by focusing on politics. There is only
one thing that will unite this nation, and it is
not politics – it
is the Church, your church."
Read
the story here.
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| IRead past Journal entries here. |
Scripture taken from
the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission
of International Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks
of International Bible Society. Use of either trademark for the
offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent
of International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission
of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189, USA. All
rights reserved.
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PSALM
118:24
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"This
is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and
be glad in it."
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(NIV)
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