Relgious Freedom

We are at the cusp of loosing our basic right. That is the free exercise of religion. We are founded on the principles set forth by our founding fathers. The right to the free exercise of religion, the free expression of religious beliefs has been entrenched in our very national fiber since day one. Now, however, because of the mandate set forth by the Human Health Services, this very basic of freedoms is at the verge of being destroyed, lost, thrown into the unquenchable fires and bowels of a very un-American and unconstitutional hunger, the hunger to remove this basic right, and maybe successive rights thereafter. We the people, hold these truths to be self-evident, and the truth should not and cannot be quenched. Long live the American Republic, long live the freedom to follow your religious convictions.

Please log on to www.stophhs.com, and make your expression count.

Christian ministry - please donate

Please donate this week to Christian ministry. I speak of the ministry for a community of Christians, which number over 1 billion worldwide. The Church which started 2,000 years ago by Christ Jesus Himself. Christ said that whatever you do for the Church, his Church, you do for Him.

An anonymous donor in San Francisco is willing to meet your pledges, so that every pledge will be doubled, if you donate your pledge this week.

Please call 1-888-887-7120, or http://ihradio.com/.

Thank you (on behalf of the Church) for helping out. God bless you and your family.

Thanksgiving

We celebrate this day, in many ways something that started as a warm celebration of harvest by both American Indian and European cultures here in the United States.

Now we celebrate still, and we give thanks with family gathered, friends and loved ones the joy of 'oneness'. Barring any barriers of pride, unspoken forgiveness, hidden gems of memories, we now gather and pray to the maker of all that we are, and what we have. We give thanks to our family members, our friends, and to Him, who gave us them, us and the planet that we live in.

Let us move forward this day and henceforth with an attitude, and action-tude (if I may coin the word:), to appreciate and live choosing to be thankful for all the blessings we have been given by our parents, siblings, friends, relatives, most of all, thankful to Him, the Eternal and everlasting Father, Who loves us as we are, as we stand today in prayer among and with the gift of family, and friends.

Pray for Japan

Ash Wednesday

We are now in full Lenten season mode with the start of today, Ash Wednesday. The symbolic ashes that are from the burnt palm leaves from last year's Palm Sunday celebration are now used to etch the sign of the cross on millions of believers' foreheads. It is almost a magical moment, because it captures the endpoints of our existence, that of the beginning of life and death. We are reminded that "you are dust, and unto dust you shall return". And the baptismal reminder to live a life anew, "to repent and believe in the gospel", as the modern phrasing is now used when the ashes are marked on a believer's forehead. So we are reminded of what should be our life's goal, we also ponder upon the current state of our soul, and we are reminded of our mortality, and all these captured in two finger strokes of the cross, as the vertical is crossed with the horizontal, as the infinite God bequeaths His presence on us the finite man. Our bodies, the physicality of our beings will meet its demise, its end and return into its original form of dust. Our souls will return to its Owner, God, whose judgment of us will send us forth into a life of happiness with Him, or to a temporary stop to cleans our imperfect desires and inclinations en-route to our heavenly home, or into the fiery eternity of hell. Nobody wants to think about this, because it really is about the inevitable, the finality of all final acts, the conclusion, the end game, so to speak. But a wise man will use this Lenten season to better him or herself, notably in the areas of prayer, morality, and service toward others. It can definitely be the time that we can use to head back in the right direction with our Creator. "Remember that thou are dust, and unto dust you shall return".

Fat Tuesday

Today marks the end, or shall we say the beginning of a new season. Fat Tuesday as it is called, or Mardi Gras, is the last day before season of Lent kicks in tomorrow. I like how we call today Fat Tuesday, indicative of how 'fat' we've become, and take note, I mean this not in the physical or physiological sense. We've become fat and lethargic in our spiritual exercise. Like a muscle that needs to be moved and stretched, the spiritual muscle has the same propensity to become weak, flabby, basically fat - if we don't use it. Ash Wednesday, the beginning of lent starts off a new time, a new exercise program, so to speak, to exercise and *use* our spiritual muscles. That old saying, "Use it or loose it", speaks well of the very "muscle" that will be the bridge to carry us over this coming season of Lent. Let us start to use it, or loose it.

Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus

Happy birthday, Baby Jesus.

On this your birthday, we come before you on your manger. We bring our hopes, joys, laughter and tears. We come like the three wise men, who crossed the desserts and dry lands. We come like them to you, as we find the real reason for the season. We bring our own gifts of ourselves, our fears, joys, hopes and dreams. Then we realize that we cannot give anything that you yourself have not first given us. And that is the gift of yourself this Christmas. Thank you for you, for your gift that will last not only this season, but for all seasons. Thank you, for your gift to us. Happy birthday, Baby Jesus, Happy birthday!