"Hey Folks, Please stand up for Miss. California. She made a pretty bold stand!" if you do not know what she did let me give you an expert of the pageant;
Miss California Carrie Prejean was neck-in-neck with winner Miss North Carolina, Kristen Dalton, going into the interview portion of Sunday's Miss USA competition. After the evening and swimsuit section, the two top beauty queens had only .36 separating them.
When asked by judge Perez Hilton, an openly gay gossip blogger, whether she believed in gay marriage, Miss California, Carrie Prejean, said "We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."
She later said, 'By having to answer that question in front of a national audience, God was testing my character and faith. I'm glad I stayed true to myself,' she told Fox News today.
Runner-up: Miss California was booed when she said marriage should only be between a man and woman
And she's had an outpouring of support, she added. 'Lots of phone calls. I've gotten over 500 facebook friend requests, hundreds of messages from people I don’t know, saying how proud of me they are that I stood my ground.
'That made me the real winner of the night.'
Of Hilton, she said: 'I knew he was controversial, and so was the question.
'Out of all the topics I studied up on, I dreaded that one, I prayed I would not be asked about gay marriage. If I had any other question, I know I would have won.'
However she added: 'I have no regrets about answering honestly. He asked me for my opinion and I gave it to him. I have nothing against gay people, and I didn't mean to offend anyone in my answer.'
If we as Christians were that bold about what we believe in and not compromising the Word of God, how we could turn this world upside right. As she said she was the winner in God's eyes and my prayer is that we would be encouraged to do the same when we are put to the test.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Just A Thought
As I woke up this morning and saw the Sun shinning it made me think about something.
For the last couple of days it has been real cloudy and raining. And as most of us our wired, when that happens we have a different kind of mindset. We are usually gloomy and well just not in the best of moods.
Scientist say that the sun is a key factor in determining our moods, energy levels, and our outlook on life. After extended stretches of cloudy weather, people may get irritable, stressed, or even experience depression. The same is true for those who spend most of the day inside or who are active much of the night while sleeping during sunlight hours. This research confirms what I notice in myself on a daily basis. My mood lifts almost instantly when I see a sunbeam or take a walk in the sunshine. And you don't want to know me after a week of rainy weather! Here are some interesting observations and research on the sun and what it can do for our mental health.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is one of the more famous examples of the sun's role in a positive mental outlook. It was recognized by the American Medical Association in 1984 when they said "The high rate of depression people experience in winter has been linked...to inadequate light stimulation." This condition effects people of all ages who find it almost impossible to function in the winter months with minimal hours of sunlight. Even the hours that we do have bring light from a sun that is much further relative to the Earth than during the summer. This lack can lead to withdrawal, most often observed as fatigue,depression, and even physical illness. Many people feel the need to sleep all the time and are less than productive at work or school. Their interpersonal relationships suffer from the lack of sun in their lives; they may become irritable and unable to empathize with others. People with mild cases of SAD use an artificial sun lamp to simulate sunlight. This has been shown to be relatively effective because it stimulates the same brain chemicals as the sun. Thank God, the symptoms of SAD disappear with the advent of spring and summer.
The sun also impacts our productivity at work and school. Workers in offices with constant sunlight and large windows have been shown to be both more efficient with their time and more accurate in completing their tasks. They also have 25% to 60% less sick time then their coworkers in darker parts of the building. Workers who say they regularly go outside in the sunshine are more motivated in their careers and more likely to suggest new approaches to a problem.
The same seems to be true for students in school. Those who spend a portion of their day exposed to sunlight have better test scores. While students may seem more distracted on a sunny, beautiful spring day, they tend to be lethargic and less motivated during the long winter months with little sun. Schools with more daylight saw their students outperform counterparts in darker schools by 5% to 15%.
So when I went outside today and the rays of the sun were beating on me, I felt alive, I felt like I was going to have a great day and was looking forward to it. Then I thought what about Jesus did He has these feelings in His day? I suppose He did, He felt what we felt, He lived what we lived. And if Jesus felt this way, was it the Sun that pulled Him out of it or was it the Scriptures that did. Deut. 33:14 that the rich fruit grows in the Sun or in Joshua 11:13-14 where the sun stood still and there has never ever been a day like this again. Or was it Matthew 5:45 for where He gives His sunlight and the rain on both the just and the unjust. Anyway that you want to look at it, God is in control and it is He who supplies us with the rain and the sun because of His awesome power, we should rejoice in either rain or sun, but to tell you the truth i would perfer the Sun anyday over rain.
For the last couple of days it has been real cloudy and raining. And as most of us our wired, when that happens we have a different kind of mindset. We are usually gloomy and well just not in the best of moods.
Scientist say that the sun is a key factor in determining our moods, energy levels, and our outlook on life. After extended stretches of cloudy weather, people may get irritable, stressed, or even experience depression. The same is true for those who spend most of the day inside or who are active much of the night while sleeping during sunlight hours. This research confirms what I notice in myself on a daily basis. My mood lifts almost instantly when I see a sunbeam or take a walk in the sunshine. And you don't want to know me after a week of rainy weather! Here are some interesting observations and research on the sun and what it can do for our mental health.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is one of the more famous examples of the sun's role in a positive mental outlook. It was recognized by the American Medical Association in 1984 when they said "The high rate of depression people experience in winter has been linked...to inadequate light stimulation." This condition effects people of all ages who find it almost impossible to function in the winter months with minimal hours of sunlight. Even the hours that we do have bring light from a sun that is much further relative to the Earth than during the summer. This lack can lead to withdrawal, most often observed as fatigue,depression, and even physical illness. Many people feel the need to sleep all the time and are less than productive at work or school. Their interpersonal relationships suffer from the lack of sun in their lives; they may become irritable and unable to empathize with others. People with mild cases of SAD use an artificial sun lamp to simulate sunlight. This has been shown to be relatively effective because it stimulates the same brain chemicals as the sun. Thank God, the symptoms of SAD disappear with the advent of spring and summer.
The sun also impacts our productivity at work and school. Workers in offices with constant sunlight and large windows have been shown to be both more efficient with their time and more accurate in completing their tasks. They also have 25% to 60% less sick time then their coworkers in darker parts of the building. Workers who say they regularly go outside in the sunshine are more motivated in their careers and more likely to suggest new approaches to a problem.
The same seems to be true for students in school. Those who spend a portion of their day exposed to sunlight have better test scores. While students may seem more distracted on a sunny, beautiful spring day, they tend to be lethargic and less motivated during the long winter months with little sun. Schools with more daylight saw their students outperform counterparts in darker schools by 5% to 15%.
So when I went outside today and the rays of the sun were beating on me, I felt alive, I felt like I was going to have a great day and was looking forward to it. Then I thought what about Jesus did He has these feelings in His day? I suppose He did, He felt what we felt, He lived what we lived. And if Jesus felt this way, was it the Sun that pulled Him out of it or was it the Scriptures that did. Deut. 33:14 that the rich fruit grows in the Sun or in Joshua 11:13-14 where the sun stood still and there has never ever been a day like this again. Or was it Matthew 5:45 for where He gives His sunlight and the rain on both the just and the unjust. Anyway that you want to look at it, God is in control and it is He who supplies us with the rain and the sun because of His awesome power, we should rejoice in either rain or sun, but to tell you the truth i would perfer the Sun anyday over rain.
Important information
Hello All,
If you come to this site to look at the WYRD, it will no longer be here. You will have to go to our website to be able to look at it. Here is the website:
www.edgewaterbaptist.com
The only thing that will be on this blog will be thoughts and post that i find that I want to share with you.
Thank you and God Bless,
George
If you come to this site to look at the WYRD, it will no longer be here. You will have to go to our website to be able to look at it. Here is the website:
www.edgewaterbaptist.com
The only thing that will be on this blog will be thoughts and post that i find that I want to share with you.
Thank you and God Bless,
George
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Is Christ at the center of your life?
Sports Centered
Sports had become the number one thing in my life. By Ashley Barak as told to Amy Adair
I dribbled the soccer ball down the field. I spotted my teammate—she had the perfect shot, but so did I. Instead of passing the ball, I kicked it toward the goal. It sailed through the air, but the goalie caught it just as the buzzer sounded.
"Sorry, Coach," I sighed, when I got back to the bench.
"You're a good player," he told me. "And you could be great, but you have to remember to be a team player."
His comment didn't really sink in. What I really dwelled on, though, was missing that shot—something I vowed to never do again. So I practiced even harder.
While I practiced all the time, I didn't really think about Coach's words again until later that year when I went skiing with my youth group.
After a day on the slopes, Ron, my youth pastor, gathered us together for prayer. He started by talking about forgiveness.
"Part of being a Christian is confessing your sins," Ron said. "God is ready and willing to forgive you."
Ron asked us to separate into small groups to pray for forgiveness. At first, I was nervous about confessing my sins out loud, although I easily came up with things like not being nice to my brother.
But I felt like I was missing something. While I did need to be nicer to my brother, it seemed too easy. I knew I needed to take a really good look at the rest of my life.
Then, Ron really pushed us to think about our lives.
"Is Christ at the center of your life?" he asked.
"Do you put him first no matter what?"
I felt a knot form in my stomach. I didn't want to admit the answer.
I couldn't help but think back to that soccer game when I took the shot instead of passing it to my teammate.
I loved sports—but I liked winning more. I was so competitive, I wanted to take the shot—not help my teammate do it. I suddenly realized I was a really selfish player.
But even worse, sports had become the number one thing in my life. I spent more time playing sports than with God.
I took a deep breath. "I don't want God to be second anymore," I cried, "I want him to be first."
My friend Julie smiled. "I totally know what you mean," she said softly. "I struggle with the same thing. It's so easy to do with grades, friends … anything."
I felt relieved that I wasn't alone. We spent the rest of the evening praying that God would come first in our lives.
I left the retreat on fire for Christ. I was determined to keep him at the center of my life.
So I started a prayer journal to help me stay focused on him. I prayed that God would change my super-competitive attitude. And no matter how busy I was, I tried to not miss youth group. I just knew I needed to make church a top priority.
It's been a year since that retreat, and my coach has noticed a real change in my attitude. I'm much more of a team player, which has made me even more valuable to my team. I feel much better about myself as a player and more importantly as a Christian. I'm still competitive, but Christ comes first—on and off the field.
This past summer Ashley, a sophomore, joined her youth group on a service trip to Honduras.
Copyright © 2009 by the author or Christianity Today International/Ignite Your Faith magazine.
Sports had become the number one thing in my life. By Ashley Barak as told to Amy Adair
I dribbled the soccer ball down the field. I spotted my teammate—she had the perfect shot, but so did I. Instead of passing the ball, I kicked it toward the goal. It sailed through the air, but the goalie caught it just as the buzzer sounded.
"Sorry, Coach," I sighed, when I got back to the bench.
"You're a good player," he told me. "And you could be great, but you have to remember to be a team player."
His comment didn't really sink in. What I really dwelled on, though, was missing that shot—something I vowed to never do again. So I practiced even harder.
While I practiced all the time, I didn't really think about Coach's words again until later that year when I went skiing with my youth group.
After a day on the slopes, Ron, my youth pastor, gathered us together for prayer. He started by talking about forgiveness.
"Part of being a Christian is confessing your sins," Ron said. "God is ready and willing to forgive you."
Ron asked us to separate into small groups to pray for forgiveness. At first, I was nervous about confessing my sins out loud, although I easily came up with things like not being nice to my brother.
But I felt like I was missing something. While I did need to be nicer to my brother, it seemed too easy. I knew I needed to take a really good look at the rest of my life.
Then, Ron really pushed us to think about our lives.
"Is Christ at the center of your life?" he asked.
"Do you put him first no matter what?"
I felt a knot form in my stomach. I didn't want to admit the answer.
I couldn't help but think back to that soccer game when I took the shot instead of passing it to my teammate.
I loved sports—but I liked winning more. I was so competitive, I wanted to take the shot—not help my teammate do it. I suddenly realized I was a really selfish player.
But even worse, sports had become the number one thing in my life. I spent more time playing sports than with God.
I took a deep breath. "I don't want God to be second anymore," I cried, "I want him to be first."
My friend Julie smiled. "I totally know what you mean," she said softly. "I struggle with the same thing. It's so easy to do with grades, friends … anything."
I felt relieved that I wasn't alone. We spent the rest of the evening praying that God would come first in our lives.
I left the retreat on fire for Christ. I was determined to keep him at the center of my life.
So I started a prayer journal to help me stay focused on him. I prayed that God would change my super-competitive attitude. And no matter how busy I was, I tried to not miss youth group. I just knew I needed to make church a top priority.
It's been a year since that retreat, and my coach has noticed a real change in my attitude. I'm much more of a team player, which has made me even more valuable to my team. I feel much better about myself as a player and more importantly as a Christian. I'm still competitive, but Christ comes first—on and off the field.
This past summer Ashley, a sophomore, joined her youth group on a service trip to Honduras.
Copyright © 2009 by the author or Christianity Today International/Ignite Your Faith magazine.
You Are a Representative of Christ on Earth
You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. — 1 Corinthians 12:27
God created the world
He appeared on this earth in the form of Jesus
He was beautiful
We mocked Him and killed Him
He rose from the dead
He is alive and eternal
He needs a new body on this earth
You have been chosen!
You are an important part of the body of Christ. You are needed to fulfill His work on earth. Your job is to live as He lived and love as He loved. One other thing—He gives you His Spirit to get you through the day.
God created the world
He appeared on this earth in the form of Jesus
He was beautiful
We mocked Him and killed Him
He rose from the dead
He is alive and eternal
He needs a new body on this earth
You have been chosen!
You are an important part of the body of Christ. You are needed to fulfill His work on earth. Your job is to live as He lived and love as He loved. One other thing—He gives you His Spirit to get you through the day.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
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