Lessons to Live By

..from Dove Chocolate (what a great place to get good advice)

:: Have chocolate before bed to sweeten your dreams ::
:: Enjoy life's simple pleasures ::
:: "Isn't life sweet? ::
:: Make time for you ::
:: Chocolate is the language of love ::
:: Call an old friend ::
:: There is joy in giving back ::

Vote for Kerry

I've always considered myself a democrat... my parents are democrats and I think I'm pretty liberal, though oftentimes I end up liberal on some issues and conservative on others which puts me right in the middle. However, I will be voting for John Kerry in the 2004 election... not just because I don't particularly like George W. Bush or because Kerry is the lesser of two evils (both of which are true). I actually like and agree with some of the things Kerry stands for. For instance....

In the Aug 2 issue of the Wisconsin State Journal there was an article entitled "Kerry Talks God and Guns". Now my immediate reaction was "Oh no... what is Kerry doing... I was going to vote for him but this article may sway my opinion of him... how can he connect God and guns?" But of course, you can't judge an article by its headline (journalists need to watch it with their misleading headlines).

Anyways, Kerry's stance of guns is: He likes fishing and hunting.. basically he uses guns for sport not for murder. "The NRA says Kerry usually votes against gun rights in the Senate. Kerry supports extending the ban on assault-type weapons and requiring background checks at gun shows. He opposes granting gun makers immunity from civil lawsuits." So Kerry understands when guns are bad and when guns are okay.
which is good. but of course society doesn't understand that one thing (like guns) can have the duality of good and evil simultaneously. It's either 'get rid of guns' or 'give guns to our children'.

and a quote from Kerry about God: "I was at war, lost some of my best friends, those I grew up with and those I fought with," Kerry said. "And I sort of questioned, why does this happen, why did this happen, what's going on? We all question. And we learn that even though suffering, through loss, we get in touch with power, with the being, with the almighty." More physicists and more and more scientists, the more they learn in some ways the less they know about some things and the more they believe in that power," Kerry said.

And my favorite line from the article was: Kerry said, "I'm not going to say God is on my side and I'm not going to go out and divide people. I want to pray that we are on God's side."

Now I dunno if that was just Kerry being poetic and trying to be better than Bush or if he really meant it... but at least he said it. but it wouldn't hurt if he meant it.

So vote for Kerry. Cuz I will. Or least go vote. It's good for you... and our country.

What I have learned at camp so far...

So I'm at this all girls summer camp in North Carolina as a counselor... and the girls arent even here yet... but I've learned SO much from the owners and directors of this camp... they are so spiritual and moving. So here are some lessons I've learned... I'm sure more will follow:

"The way you live speaks so loudly that people can't hear what you're saying." (a more eloquent way to say that actions speak louder than words... meaning that acting like a Christian is more evangelical than preaching... or are you teaching or living)

We are made in God's image and we need to try our best to make the most of our lives that God has given to us, and that includes taking care of bodies and minds. Camp Greystone follows a four part plan:
Spiritual: Enjoy God and fellowship with Him
Social: Be honest, help others, be loving and giving, get rid of guilt and anger with forgiveness
Mental: Guard carefully what you put in your mind, be a scared temple
Physical: Take care of the bodies God has given us with right food and exercise

Every day is perfect- it is a gift from God. If you start out each day with this in mind (instead of dwelling in the past or in worries of the future or fear of the unknown-- cuz God takes all of that away), your day will be great and terrific. That's why at Camp, we wake up each day to a bugle and clap our hands and shout: This is a great day that the Lord has made. And we sing about it at breakfast too. If you start your day off right (and not in a bad mood) you will feel better and everyone else will feel better. And procrastination is bad. Do not say you will start this plan sometime soon.. start it NOW or nothing will ever get done.


Ok so that's it so far... and even though I do get the feeling that people here are a bit more conservative than me... I pretty much agree with everything I've heard. I'm glad that the camp is as liberal as they are, so the girls are not forced with doctrine or beliefs that they MUST have. They want us to plant seeds for these girls, so they come to God when they are ready. I really value that belief, and I'm glad that I have landed here. Everyone here says that all us counselors are here for a reason... and I believe we are. We have all been called by God to come together at this place at this time for Him. (Kinda like the disciples being called by Christ from all walks of life to follow him.) God each spoke to us in different ways to bring us here... and I know He will use us in great ways.
God Bless, and until I find a spare moment of free time,
Jamie

Norman Rockwell was a prophet

I love Norman Rockwell and all of his paintings.... they all have beautiful and wonderful messages. My favorite is The Golden Rule.

go here to see it: The Golden Rule

The idea of "THE GOLDEN RULE" originated with Rockwell in 1959. To promote world tolerance, he planned a ten-foot mural to symbolize the United Nations. He got little cooperation from various ambassadors which prompted him to store his preliminary work in a back room of his studio.
A year later Rockwell decided to illustrate the Golden Rule by filling a canvas with faces from all over the world, all in an attitude of worship. He got out his old United Nations sketch and combined his earlier sketches with new ideas to complete the painting.
"THE GOLDEN RULE" appeared on the "Post" cover of April, 1961. For his work, Rockwell received the Interfaith Award of the National Conference of Christians and Jews that same year. Of all the honors he received, he valued this one the most because it praised him for his dedication "to the highest ideals of amity (friendship), understanding, and cooperation among men." The award described his painting as " ... depicting the universal fact that all men ... are members of the One Family of Man under God."
When viewing this picture, an observer is looking at people of all races (Caucasian, Oriental, African-American), both sexes, and all ages (babes in arms, boys and girls, middle-aged men and women, elderly men and women). Surprisingly, Rockwell didn't have to go farther than 50 miles from Stockbridge, Massachusetts for any of his models. Some were residents, others were visitors, and there were even some foreign exchange students. In the upper right-hand corner appears the face of his recently deceased wife Mary and one of his grandchildren.
Across the bottom appear these words: 'DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU."

"I don't have to go to church."

We've all heard them before. People who defend themselves and arm themselves with reasons and excuses as to why they don't go to church. They are too busy, they know God loves them anyways, they pray at home, they know all about God, they don't *need* to go to church, so why do it?

Why would you /do you go to church? Do you know what Church is? Do you go because you think you have to ... or someone told you that you have to? Do you go because you know you "should"?

Church is worship. It is not required. If you don't go to church God isn't going to love you any less. But church/worship is a very spiritual thing. Worship is all about bringing ourselves closer to God. We give thanks and praise because God is great and he loves us. God does amazing things and during the worship service we praise God and respond to what God has been doing in our lives. You can do this in many ways, singing, dancing, praying, etc etc. The more we bring to God, the more we will get out of worship. We go to church to be with God. Of course you can be with God whenever you want. But at church, you come to God as a community of believers. It is powerful, it can change lives, you can learn and experience new things, you see God's hand working and shaping our lives. Through worship, you can recognize God and God's work. Glory to God in worship is the outward manisfestation of God's hand, while for now all you have to look at him is a pair eyes.

A lot of people go "church - hopping" because they aren't getting anything out of going to church. They go from one church to another searching for some powerful or spiritual experience. But people shouldn't do that.... anyone get can get something out of ANY worship service if YOU put something into it. You put your heart and mind into giving back to God what he has given to us and you will feel that spiritual rush. It has more to do with what YOU do than with what the church does for you. Just pick a worship service and and bring all that you are before God and you will feel God radiating within you.