Walking In The Light

Invisible Christians

2009-03-03T08:29:00.003-05:00

Are you an Invisible Christian? Just because you go to church on Sunday doesn't make you a good Christian. There are many people that are in church every Sunday without fail, but once they leave they feel they have fullfilled their obligation. That's not how it's supposed to work!

Being a Christian is a full time job. We are supposed to be ambassadors for Christ and as we go about our daily routine we should be proud to show that we are Christians.

We often greet people by saying. "Hi, how are you doing?" But do we really want to know how they are doing? Do we want to hear about all their problems? The next time someone actually tells you how they are doing be kind and listen to them when they start telling you all their troubles. Offer words of encouragement when they are down; pray with them and share God's word. Let them know that you love them and God does too. You might even invite them to come to church with you next Sunday.

Don't be an invisible Christian; this is your chance to show your faith and share it with someone who is in need. Don't worry about rather or not the person you are talking to is a Christian, it doesn't matter, just show them some unconditional love. After all, that's what Jesus did.

Please feel free to comment on this post.

Ask, Seek, Knock

2009-02-19T07:26:00.002-05:00

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

Matthew 7:7-8 New International Version

This is an awesome bible verse and one of my favorites. It is said by most commentaries that this passage refers to prayer.

Ask implies a simple petition
Seek indicates an earnast search
Knock shows perseverance in spite of hindrances

The three represent earnest prayer.

Jesus is talking about prayer and telling us that we can comepletly trust in God to listen to our prayers. This is good to know...God does hear our prayer!

Now don't expect an immediate response to your prayers, God will answer you in His own time. It may be right away, but more often then not, it may take months or even years before your prayers are answered.

Some people think that this verse is saying that we have a blank check from God and we can get whatever we want just by asking for it. This is far from true! We must go to God in prayer as a humble and submissive servant and ask for things that would be pleasing to Him. We must set aside our own will and accept God's will!

Your comments are welcome.

Things to do during Lenten Season

2009-02-18T09:06:00.001-05:00

When I was a kid we were taught that we had to give up something every year for Lent. Of course it had to be something that you really liked; we were not allowed to give up homework or cleaning our room. More often than not I would give up chocolate, which always worked out well because at the end of Lent comes Easter and the Easter Bunny with loads of chocolate!

Lent is the time when Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days to fast, reflect and meditate. Since I am diabetic, I can not fast; however, I am certainly able to reflect and meditate. Over the years I have discovered that giving up something for Lent wasn’t really satisfying to me so I decided to take on something new instead. Here are some examples of how you can take on something new during this Lenten season. It’s a good way to renew your soul, your body and your life; give it a try!

The theme here is quiet, peaceful time for meditating and renewing yourself.

* Try turning off your television, radio, cell phone, computer, etc. Spend some quiet time with yourself and just relax a little bit each day.

* Go for a walk or a bike ride.

* Take a nice long, hot bubble bath.

* Let go of old grudges and resentment. Forgive and forget.

* Be nice to people, smile more and be kind to everyone you meet.

* Take time to read the Bible every day and spend time praying.

* If you really want to give something up, give up fast food; your body will love you for it.

Do these things for 40 days and when Easter rolls around you will feel refreshed and better about yourself.

Your comments are welcome.

Looking for friends and students of Joan Marinaro

2009-02-16T08:14:00.006-05:00

My sister Joan Ellen Marinaro passed away in 2003. I am working on writing a book about her which will include her poetry and some stories from friends, fellow teachers and students.

When you think of Joan, you should remember bright colors, especially purple; jewelry everywhere, fun outfits, her laughter, her love for the children she taught, gardening, her unconditional love for animals and especially her beautiful smile. If my sister touched your life, please email me at mmarinaro@nc.rr.com and share your memories.

Joan was a teacher in Connecticut, Texas, Oregon, and Arizona. She also spent several years on a Navajo Reservation in Arizona teaching. If you remember Joan, please contact me.

You can read a little more about Joan Ellen Marinaro by clicking here.

Update to One Door Closes and Another Opens

2008-11-19T05:16:00.002-05:00

Here is an update to my last post. I have been out of work since being laid off on August 31st. I have had more time to concentrate on my web design business, www.webdesign4him.com and have picked up several new clients. I am not making enough money from that to pay the bills but every little bit helps and I am working hard trying to expand that business.

One of our church members approached me upon hearing of my situation and offered me a telemarketing position with his company. This is great because I can do it from my home. I am not selling anything over the phone, all I have to do is setup appointments.

My daily routine now goes something like this. I get up around 5:30 am and start my day with prayer. Then I work on my website updates till around 7:00 am. I will eat breakfast and take a shower and then depending on my mood will either get dressed or stay in my pajamas. (Interesting point here is that when I do get dressed it seems that I accomplish much more during the day.)

I will continue working on websites till 9:30 am, then I begin making my telemarketing calls until 11:30 am. No sense calling people during lunch, so I take a break from 11:30 am till 1:00 pm. I will eat lunch and take a little walk if I feel up to it.

I dive back into telemarketing from 1:00 pm till 3:00 pm and then I end my official work day. The rest of my afternoon is spent doing "honey do" stuff around the house. I vacuum, do the dishes, take out trash, fold clothes etc. Sometimes (if the mood strikes me) I will cook dinner so it is ready when my wife arrives home from work around 6:30 pm.

The evenings are spent with my wife and I usually end up going to bed around 11:00 pm. I end my day with prayer and drift off to sleep knowing that I have done my best today and tomorrow will be the first day of the rest of my life.

You may ask, "Why the strict time schedule if you really don't have a job to go to?" My answer is simply that I have found I accomplish much more if I have a plan and stick to it. I try to stay disciplined and motivated. Of course there are some days where I just stay in my pajamas all day long and watch TV or mope around the house...after all I am only human!

Please leave your comments.

One Door Closes and Another Opens

2008-09-10T22:25:00.004-04:00

WOW, it's hard to believe I haven't posted here for almost 2 years! Sometimes life just gets in the way! We spend so much time working and trying to earn a living that we don't take time to enjoy life!

It looks like I will have more time now to keep up with my blogs since I have recently found myself without a job to go to anymore. The company I worked for the last 8 years had a nationwide layoff and I have been out of work since August 31st!

I've often heard it said that when one door closes another will be opened for you, well I really hope that's true because not only do I not have a paycheck anymore, but I also am without health insurance and life insurance. Not a good place to be for a 58-year-old diabetic!

The same day I found about my layoff I also got the news from the NC Department of Motor Vehicles that they were revoking my driving privaliges due to my vision problems.

I am trying to remain strong and positive, but it's been pretty tough lately. I am glad that I have my faith to fall back on. I am reminded of that great poem, "Footprints", which tells the story of being carried by Jesus when times get really rough!

My plan is to find a way to work from home so I don't have to worry about not being able to drive. So if any of you have a legitimate work from home program that you are aware of, please let me know about it.

Please leave your comments.

Pickin' for The Lord

2006-08-20T21:26:00.000-04:00

I have been playing the guitar since I was thirteen (that would be about forty-four years). However, I have not played it very often in the last five or ten years since I spend most of my time on the computer!

In an effort to pry me away from the computer my wife has been bugging me to join the praise band at church and start playing the guitar again. I kept ignoring her until a couple of weeks ago, when one Sunday in church two guys with guitars and a harmonica played some special music during service. It was wonderful and made me want to pick up my guitar again. Then after church I told one of the guys what a great job he did and how much I enjoyed the music. He replied, "your wife tells me that you play the guitar too, you ought to come join us." I made the excuse that I was way too busy and left it at that.

However, the following Wednesday night, I had the sudden urge to pick up my guitar and go up to the church and join them for practice. They were surprised to see me but welcomed me with open arms. Now the praise band had three guitars!

Needless to say, my fingers still worked just fine and I had a GREAT time playing the guitar again. The next day I went out and bought a brand new set of strings for my guitar and I was once again pickin' like an old pro!

I don't know if it was my wife's nagging, the special invitation from my fellow church member or a little nudge from God that brought me to the church with my guitar that night. But I'm glad that I joined the praise band, and today we made our debut at church as a trio and if I do say so myself, we sounded terrific!

Feeding on God's Word

2006-08-18T22:57:00.000-04:00

It's not very often that I miss a meal. I'm sure most of you are the same way. We always seem to make time to sit down and eat. Can we honestly say the same when it comes to feeding on God's Word? Do we make time each day to sit down and read the Bible so we can nourish our soul? It takes much more discipline to schedule time for Bible reading than it does to schedule a meal. In fact, most of us don't have to schedule meals...it has just become a habit to sit down three times a day to feed our body.

When He was tempted by the devil in Matthew 4:4, "Jesus answered, It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" How often do you read God's Word?

Once a day
Several times a day
Once a week
Once a month

I try to read my Bible daily, but it doesn't always happen. However, I have found that since I am on the computer 8 hours a day at work and several hours a day at home, it is pretty easy to go on line to Bible Gateway and get my daily dose of God's Word.

Please leave a comment

How Often Do You Attend Church?

2006-08-12T01:25:00.000-04:00

Just curious...how often do you attend church?

Are you there every Sunday or only on special occasions like Easter and Christmas?
Do you also participate in other things at church such as bible study groups or missions and outreach programs?
Maybe you don't even go to church at all.

Please leave a comment about this.

Develop Irresistible Attraction

2006-08-07T20:37:00.000-04:00

Develop Irresistible Attraction
In Five Easy Steps!

by: Connie Domino, MPH, RN

Stop struggling to achieve success & happiness ... learn how to ATTRACT people, things & opportunities you want in your life! In this book, learn the secrets to becoming Irresistibly Attractive. We're always attracting "stuff" into our lives, so why not use the Law of Attraction to attract the "stuff" we really want in all areas of our life?

LEARN how in five simple steps to achieve in as little as two weeks such dreams as ...

* More Money
* New Romantic Relationships
* Improved Family Relationships
* New Jobs
* Job Promotions
* Increased Sales
* More Customers
* Make the Life you Dream about a Reality!

Sometimes our thinking, feelings and strategies only need fine tuning a fraction of an inch for our grandest goals and dreams to come true. Through the familiar structure of goal setting, Connie Domino teaches you the all important "How" to word your goals. She'll show you how to fine tune your thinking, feelings and self-talk for very quick results.

cdomino22@aol.com

www.conniedomino.com

An Angel & A Winding Road

2006-07-18T08:53:00.000-04:00

Working the closing shift is not bad except for the long drive home at 3:00 A.M. after a hard day's work. Half of the trip is interstate driving which is not too bad; however, the final leg of the journey is along a dark and winding back country road. The entire drive home usually takes one-hour with very little or no traffic.

Normally, I would be so wound up from work that I didn't get sleepy on the way home but this particular night I was extremely tired because we were short handed at work and I was really exhausted. After about forty-minutes my eyes started to get very heavy and my mind would start to wander. Before I realized it, I found myself drifting off to sleep as I was driving.

I rolled down the windows to let in some cold night air in hopes that it would keep me awake. I was more than half-way home so I figured I could make it. To make matters worse it began to rain and visibility decreased as the monotonous swish of the windshield wipers lulled me further into a sleepy state.

I turned the radio up full blast and tried to get into the music to keep me awake. But now my eyes were straining because of the heavy rain. Every once in a while my head would drop and I would jolt upright realizing that I had once again closed my eyes! There was no place to pull over on this back road and rest for a little bit so I pushed myself and kept on driving.

The radio was starting to annoy me so I turned it off and hoped that the occasional splatter of wet, cold rain coming in the window and hitting my face would keep me awake. Almost home now, only about fifteen-minutes to go!

Suddenly, I was startled by a voice in the passenger seat as I felt a heavy tap on my shoulder. "Wake up Mike", the voice said. I could not figure out who was in the car with me and I glanced over to see who was there but saw nobody. Just then, I realized that something was very wrong and I could feel the car leave the pavement and head into the woods! Instinctively, I slammed on the brakes and looked up just in time to jerk the steering wheel with all of my strength to avoid a big tree that was directly in front of me!

My car came to a stop just a few feet from the tree and I could feel my heart racing as I turned the engine off and tried to catch my breath. I sat there for quite a while just reflecting on what had happened and I knew that an angel had tapped me on the shoulder and called my name to awaken me just in the nick of time. If I had stayed asleep even a split second longer my car would have hit that big tree head on and I'm sure that I would have been killed!

I have gone over this incident many times in my head since that fateful night and I am certain that I did not imagine a voice calling my name and I know without a doubt that someone did tap me on the shoulder!

Yes, I believe in angels; how about you?

This is a true story that happened to me about thirty-years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I have many more angel stories and will post some of them soon.

Please leave a comment.

The 10 Commandments can Stay

2006-06-30T14:32:00.000-04:00

Here is a follow-up to my last post. The government of the District of Columbia this week decided to allow a religious group to keep a monument of the Ten Commandments that had been erected in a front yard across the street from the U.S. Supreme Court.

Read the full story here.

Do you think we should be allowed to have a monument such as this one displaying the 10 Commandments ? I see nothing wrong with this. Please leave a comment and tell me how you feel about this.

Save The Ten Commandments

2006-06-26T12:47:00.000-04:00

Faith and Action,

America

’s only Christian outreach located across the street from the U.S. Supreme Court, has launched a national petition drive in support of its display of the Ten Commandments. The Government of the District of Columbia has ordered the display to be removed from the organization’s garden in front of its property.

Click Here for full story from The Christian NewsWire.

I believe this country was founded on Christian principles and I do not see how anyone has the right to tell us what we can or cannot display on our property. Please leave a comment with your thoughts on this matter.

Strange Place for a Nest

2006-06-22T09:50:00.000-04:00

God has blessed us with new life on our patio.

This is the second year in a row that birds have made a nest in our hanging basket on our patio. We spotted 3 eggs in the nest on May 21st. below are some photos that tell the story. One of the eggs didn't hatch, but now we have two baby birds.

Last year the baby birds disappeared when they were very small. I don't know what happened? This year they have grown much larger...I hope they survive. We have several generations of birds in our yard, it is so beautiful to wake up every morning and hear all the birds singing!

What Do You Really Think?

2006-06-21T19:32:00.000-04:00

OKAY -- I've been blogging since Sept. 2005 and it's time to find out what you really think about this blog. Please take a few minutes and leave your comments.

* Tell me if you like the design of my blog?
* Do you find the content interesting or boring?
* Are you a regular reader or first time visitor?
* Have you checked out my other blogs; Ramblings and Rhetoric and Bed & Breakfast Experiences?
* Have you ever clicked on any of the ads in my blog?

Go ahead -- tell it like it is. I am thinking about shuting down this blog, so I can concentrate on my other two, which get much more traffic. Your opinion will help me make up my mind.

Thanks and have a GREAT DAY.

Happy Father's Day

2006-06-18T10:57:00.000-04:00

My dad has been gone for 29 years now. He passed away at the young age of 50. He was a really nice man and a good father. I regret that I didn't have enough time with him to get really close. We did have a good relationship though, and I miss him not being here to see his grandchildren...he really loved kids.

I hope that everyone takes the time to contact there dads today and wish them a Happy Father's Day.

My dad used to always say, "If you wouldn't want to do it in front of your mother and me, then you shouldn't be doing it at all!" Words of wisdom, that kept me out of trouble many times as I was growing up.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL THE DADS OUT THERE.

The Marriage Protection Amendment

2006-06-06T09:01:00.000-04:00

In the next several weeks, both the U.S. Senate and the House will vote on the Marriage Protection Amendment (M.P.A.) to the Constitution. This amendment will define marriage in the United States as the union of only one man, and one woman.

“Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman."

Currently, Massachusetts remains the only state to recognize gay marriage. However,within the past three years judges in several states have sided with homosexual activists and ruled that "gay marriage" should be legalized.

Many people are saying that the Bible does not say anything condeming gay marriages. I beg to differ. Here are just a couple of the many places in the Bible that talk about homosexuality.

Leviticus 18:22 (NIV)
Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.

Leviticus 20:13 (NIV)
If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

Contact your Senators and Congressmen today and tell them they need to support The Marriage Protection Amendment.

Please leave a comment with your views on this matter.

Latest Addition to our Family

2006-06-03T12:20:00.000-04:00

Introducing RJ Marinaro. Born on March 8, 2006 at 8:14 pm. in Danbury Hospital to proud parents Theresa and Richard. RJ (which is short for Richard Louis Marinaro Jr.) was 21” and 8lbs. 10oz. Congrats to Theresa, Richard and Grammy Barb.

This photo was taken in May when the family came down to North Carolina from Connecticut to show off their new baby. RJ is a real blessing, because his dad Richard was the last of the Marinaro's on our side of the family to carry on our name. Now RJ will be our namesake.

Also RJ was born with some heart problems (the walls of his heart were too thick) but on his last doctor visit it seems that everything is now ok. Praise God, we are thankful that all is well now!

RJ is our great-nephew, or my sister's son's son! (I think I got that right?)

What translation of the Bible do you read?

2006-05-31T13:44:00.000-04:00

There are many different translations of the Bible. I like the New International Version because it is easier for me to understand than the King James Version.

Please leave a comment and tell me which translation you prefer and why.

If you don't read the Bible please tell me why not.

If you need to purchase a new Bible check out this link:

Remember the Real Meaning of Memorial Day

2006-05-22T13:40:00.000-04:00

Memorial Day has for a long time been remembered as the beginning of Summer. A long three-day weekend filled with picnics, beach trips and parties and the Indianapolis 500! Let's take a moment to remember the real meaning of Memorial Day.

Memorial Day is really a time to commemorate U.S. men and women who died in military service for their country. Originally known as Decoration Day, it first honored Union Soldiers who died in The Civil War. After World War I, it was expanded to include all wars or military actions.

It is traditional to fly the U.S. Flag at half-staff from dawn to noon. We used to celebrate Memorial Day on May 30th, but somewhere along the line the date was changed to the last Monday in May to insure a long weekend.

If you want to go out and party this weekend -- that's fine -- but please take a moment to reflect on the real meaning of the holiday and give thanks for all of those brave men and women who have given their lives for this great country that we live in!

This would also be a good time to pray for the folks that are currently serving in our military.

Have a GREAT HOLIDAY!

Please leave a comment.

Unusual Place for a Nest

2006-05-21T13:53:00.000-04:00

My wife and I were eating breakfast on our patio this morning when we noticed something new. There is a bird's nest with 3 little eggs in it. We did not see the mother bird, so I don't know what kind it is, but we are tickled that the eggs are here. It's an unusual place for a nest...right in the middle of a hanging plant on our patio!

We are very fortunate to live in a small town where there are birds everywhere. We wake up in the morning to the beautiful sounds of birds chirping -- what a great symphony to awake to each day!

There are many different types of birds in our yard including, Robins, Blue Jays, Finches, Sparrows, Hummingbirds, and Doves. We have a couple of big Cyprus Trees which are like condominiums for the birds...there are many nests in those trees.

I hope and pray that all the new construction that is going on in our area does not drive the birds away!

Domestic Violence

2006-05-10T14:55:00.000-04:00

Are You A Victim of Abuse?

Everyone argues or fights with their spouse or partner every now and then. However, there is a big difference between a common squabble and an abusive situation!

Here are some symptoms to look for:

Has your spouse or partner ever threatened you or your children?

Has your spouse or partner ever hit you?

Have you been forced to do something you did not want to do?

Has your spouse or partner destroyed your clothing or other things you really like?

Here is a link with a state by state listing of Domestic Violence Resources. Check it out...Don't be a victim!

Your comments are welcome.

3 is the Charm

2006-04-24T13:46:00.000-04:00

The title of this blog is 3 is the Charm. I've been asked to explain why I am proud of being on my third marriage. Well here it is.

First of all let me say that I am not proud that the first two did not work out. However, I am very proud that after all these years I have figured out why they did not last.

The point is that the first two times we did not invite Christ into our marriage. We tried to do it alone. Sure, we went to church occasionally but we were not very good Christians. This third time around, both my wife and I are active members of our church and we attend Bible studies
together. We have invited Christ into our lives and our marriage and now things have been much smoother with Jesus in our everyday life.

I was also asked to show how my being divorced twice was biblically correct. The answer to that is in Matthew 19:9. "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." In both of my previous marriages my wife committed adultury, which is a biblical reason for divorce.

As far as gays go, Leviticus 18:22 says, "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." That is just one of the many places in the Bible that it says that gay marriage is not okay.

I hope this answers Philip Del Ricci's question.

Your comments are welcome.

What does Easter have to do with Gays?

2006-04-18T11:07:00.000-04:00

I'm reading the papers on line and The Washington Post has a story entitled " On Soggy Day, a Cluster of Rainbows - 200 Gay and Lesbian Parents Join Thousands at White House Egg Roll." ABC News has a story, " Brokeback Bunny? Gays vie for Easter Egg Roll." Even an Australian paper had a story, "White House Easter Egg Roll a Little Queer."

What does Easter have to do with gays? Are we that hard up for news stories that the media has to create a big deal over a handful of gays and lesbians trying to make a statement. There were over 16,000 people at the White House egg roll yet the media had to focus on the small group of gays. What does Easter have to with eggs? I thought it was all about Christ rising from the dead and ascending into Heaven!

I feel sorry for the children of those gay folks...when I read the Bible it says that God is against same sex partners. I'm glad there is legislation in place to ban gay sex marriage and adoptions.

Your comments are welcome.

Why am I at work on Good Friday?

2006-04-14T13:57:00.000-04:00

There is something wrong with this picture. This is Holy Week at our church. A very special time of the year -- today is Good Friday, the day that Christians celebrate the Crucifixion of Christ.

"Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 22:34)

Why do we celebrate -- because Jesus died for our sins and then on Easter Sunday He arose from the dead and ascended into Heaven!

We used to get Good Friday and sometimes even Monday after Easter off from work...not anymore. Here I am at hard at work -- okay, maybe not so hard, since I am actually blogging instead of working! But the point is our important holidays have been shoved aside. It's not right.

Who gave anyone the power to change all the holidays around anyway? When I was a kid we celebrated Washington's birthday on Feb. 22nd, the day that he was born. Lincoln's birthday was Feb. 12th -- if you ask a child today when these president's were born, they probably couldn't answer. Now we have President's Day on the third Monday of February and combine the birthdays. You can't change somebody's birthday -- what's up with that?

WOW, I can't believe it; as I sit here at work typing this blog entry, my phone rings and it's my boss. (He happens to be on vacation in Florida.) Anyway he says to pass the word around that we can close up the office and everyone can go home at 3:00!

That's GREAT NEWS, but it doesn't change my mind about this blog entry. I would like to hear your comments about Good Friday and Easter, and working on holidays and people changing the birthdays of our forefathers, etc. etc.

HAPPY EASTER

Is it a sin to play the lottery?

2006-04-11T13:41:00.000-04:00

Is it a sin to play the lottery? It's a form of gambling, so it must be a sin. I'm interested to see what everyone thinks about this. I live smack-dab in the middle of the Bible Belt here in North Carolina.

It's been a long time coming...North Carolina has been fighting the lottery ever since I can remember. Finally we have a state lottery now. During the first week of operation, NC sold over $24 million in lotterty scratch off tickets.

I usually don't have any extra money to spend on things such as lottery tickets, but I thought I would give it a try today and bought $5.00 worth of scratch off tickets. Two $2.00 tickets and one $1.00 ticket.

This must be my lucky day because two out of the three tickets turned out to be WINNERS! One ticket was worth $20.00 the other $7.00. Not quite enough to quit my job and retire on my winnings, but I'll take the $27.00! Thank you very much. I play the lottery once in a while and usually spend $5.00 at a time.

I'm curious to know what everyone else thinks about the lottery and what you spend on lottery tickets. Please answer the following question by leaving a comment: How much money do you spend on lottery tickets each week?

$1-$5
$6-$10
$11-$20
More than $20 per week

If you do not play the lottery because you think it is sinful then please show me the scripture that backs up your belief.

Was Judas A Hero?

2006-04-09T08:49:00.000-04:00

When we hear the name Judas, we think of a villian, the man who betrayed Jesus and turned Him over to authorities! Now there has been a discovery that potrays Judas as a hero!

The National Geographic Society released this picture of the "Gospel of Judas", an ancient document discovered in the Egyptian desert in 1970. It has been translated into English by a team of scholars. The text is part of a document written in the Coptic language and has been dated to around the year 300. It is a copy of an earlier Greek version.

The document shows Judas as a good friend of Jesus and indicates that he was only doing what he was instructed to do by Jesus. It differs for the accounts in the other Gospels of the Bible and is a subject of great controversy.

I'm curious to hear what others think about this new discovery. I cannot say yet, since I haven't seen the entire text. I'm sure it will be available soon. Please leave your comments.

The Easter Bunny VS. Jesus

2006-04-02T05:42:00.000-04:00

April 16th is Easter Sunday. For Christians it is a time of celebration marking the end of the Lenten Season which began on Ash Wednesday. We also remember Easter as the day that Jesus ascended into Heaven!

If you ask most any child what Easter is all about, chances are they won't mention Jesus but will say The Easter Bunny! So how is it that a rabbit, brightly colored eggs, and chocolate have taken the spotlight away from Christ on this Holy day?

Easter originated long ago as a pagan holiday celebrating the goddess Eastre. She was the goddess of offspring and springtime. It just so happened that the ancient Saxons were honoring Eastre at the same time the Christian's were celebrating the Resurrection of Christ so the two holidays eventually merged together and became one and the name was changed to Easter. So how about the Easter Bunny, where did that come from? The answer again is Eastre; her earthly symbol was the rabbit.

Many cultures had a tradition of exchanging eggs in the springtime because the egg was a symbol of rebirth. The eggs were often wrapped with gold leaf or colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers. Spring is a time of rebirth when all the flowers begin to bloom again and earth comes back to life.

In our house we do have Easter baskets filled with candy and chocolate bunnies for the children. We also have a tradition of coloring eggs; however, if you ask our grandchildren what Easter is all about, I am proud to say that they will tell you the story of Jesus!

Emmaus

2006-03-29T08:36:00.000-05:00

My wife and I are so excited because our daughter is preparing to go on an Emmaus weekend. Let me explain what this is all about.

The Walk to Emmaus experience begins with a 72-hour short course in Christianity, comprised of fifteen talks by lay and clergy on the themes of God's grace, disciplines of Christian discipleship, and what it means to be the church. The course is wrapped in prayer and meditation, special times of worship and daily celebration of Holy Communion. The "Emmaus community," made up of those who have attended an Emmaus weekend, support the 72-hour experience with a prayer vigil, by preparing and serving meals, and other acts of love and self-giving. The Emmaus Walk typically begins Thursday evening and concludes Sunday evening. Men and women attend separate weekends.

My wife and I went on our Emmaus Walk thirteen years ago right after we met. It is an experience we will never forget. Although connected through The Upper Room to The United Methodist Church, The Walk to Emmaus is ecumenical. If you really want to get closer to Christ ask in your church about The Walk to Emmaus, or visit this website: Walk to Emmaus.

I would love to hear comments from others who have attended an Emmaus weekend.

Eight Below

2006-03-26T08:36:00.000-05:00

We went to the movies yesterday to see "Eight Below", a Walt Disney film based on a true story. We took our two gransons ages 13 and 8 and our son age 35. We all enjoyed it very much, it is a great family movie. You can't help but fall in love with the dogs as they struggle to survive the harsh winter in Antarctica.

You can view a movie trailer here. The story is about a team of sled dogs that were left alone when their owners had to evacuate during a winter storm and were unable to come back for them. We could learn some lessons from these dogs as they work together as a team and help each other survive the cruel Antarctica winter.

The movie is rated PG and it's a great family oriented action/adventure movie. There is one scene that will make you jump out of your seat, so be prepared. I highly recommend seeing "Eight Below".

Things We Take For Granted

2006-03-19T19:45:00.000-05:00

You may be asking yourself, what does this picture of a rotted out bathroom floor have to do with religion? Well, read on to find out.

We had a disaster in our bathroom last week (let me point out that our house is small and we only have one bathroom.) The pipe that feeds the water into the toilet had a slow leak that went unnoticed for a long time. Recently it became noticable when we had to continually mop up water on the floor. Finally the pipe burst and we were forced to make some repairs.

We had a plumber come out and fix the pipe and make sure the toilet was in good working order. He pointed out that the floor was rather mushy between the tub and toilet and we should have it looked at. We called a contractor to come and take a look, and sure enough the floor had been ruined from the continuous leaking. He had to tear up half of the bathroom floor and replace the sub-floor which had rotted out and become very mushy. If we had let it go on without repair we would have eventually fallen through the floor one day!

The whole point of this is that we tend to take many things for granted; such as having a toilet that works when you flush it, or a sink to wash your hands in. While the contractor was here we decided to remodel the bathroom and had him tear out the old tile on the walls and the old medicine cabinet, etc.

The project has taken three days so far and he will be back tomorrow for another two or three days before the job is complete. I took off from work on Thursday and Friday to be here while he was working and it was quite a problem not having a bathroom to use. I had to run up to the grocery store or McDonalds every time I wanted to use the bathroom. Now he has the flooring complete except for the new linoleum which had to be special ordered. The toilet is back in place, but the bathroom sink is sitting in our living room until he can lay the new floor.

What a blessing it will be when everything is complete and things are back to normal! All of this inconvenience got me to thinking how we tend to take many things for granted. I hope that God is not one of these things that you take for granted. He is always with us and sometimes we forget about Him until we are in need, then we will call upon Him for his help! We should be in constant contact with God, not only in our times of need. We should not take Him for granted! I pray every day and thank God for all of my blessings, I hope that you do too.

Do You Believe in Angels?

2006-03-13T18:25:00.000-05:00

Do You Believe in Angels? I certainly do. Following is a true story, this happened to me many years ago when I was around 8-years old. An edited version of this story was published in the Jan./Feb 2004 issue of "Angels on Earth Magazine".

Please respond to this post.

Skating on Thin Ice By: Mike Marinaro

The Oil Mill Pond was a large pond not far from our house. On one end was a dam, which was a truly beautiful site in the winter as the waterfall glistened in the sunlight and the rocks far below were covered in a sheet of ice. It wasn’t safe to skate too close to the dam because the water was constantly running there and the ice was very thin. I was about to discover just how thin the ice was and how very deep and cold the water was at this end of the pond!

I loved to look down at the ice as I glided across the smooth and glassy surface. In some spots I could see how thick the ice actually was. There were cracks and bubbles that formed interesting patterns underneath. It seemed as if everyone was crowded in the center of the pond where a hockey game was being played so I headed off towards the dam. I enjoyed the feeling of the wind blowing in my face as I picked up speed and raced across the ice.

Before too long it started to snow, just light flurries, but enough to lay a beautiful coat of white over the ice. I could skate around in circles and see the tracks in the snow from my skates. It was fun to make figure eights and other intricate patterns. The sounds of the crowd soon faded away, and the only thing I could hear was the scraping noise my skates made cutting into the ice.

Suddenly, there was another noise that sent shivers down my spine, a loud cracking sound! I looked up and realized that I had not been paying attention and had ventured too close to the dam. The ice was cracking beneath me; I could feel it giving way right under my feet! I turned and tried to skate towards shore but it was too late! My world exploded violently as the ice opened and swallowed me! It was a real shock as my body hit the freezing cold water and I sank like a rock to the bottom of the pond! That was over forty-five years ago but I can still remember it vividly like it was only yesterday! I will never forget that feeling of helplessness as I looked up towards the surface and could not see the hole I had fallen through!

Time seemed to slow down and run in slow motion as I sank to the bottom of the pond. I looked up and at first I could see the circle of broken ice with the sun shining through. But as I went down deeper the circle became smaller and smaller and the sunlight faded into a tiny beam of light. Then there was only darkness! Everything was pitch-black! I felt my feet hit the muddy bottom and I prayed for help. My instinct was to start swimming and hope that I could find the opening again. I could feel my body getting numb from the cold, my ears felt like they were made of ice and would shatter if I touched them! I was wearing a pair of gloves but they were soaked through and I could hardly move my fingers at all! I held my breath as long as I could but my lungs felt like they were about to burst!

Just then when I thought I wouldn’t last another second, I felt someone tapping me on the shoulder and heard a soft voice saying, “Don’t panic Mike, everything is going to be alright.” I spun around to see who was there but could see nobody at all. “Don’t try to swim, or you will lose your way. Just push your feet into the bottom and you will shoot straight up to the surface”, said the mysterious voice.

I pushed myself upward with all of my might and hoped that I would indeed find the hole, which seemed miles above me. “Trust me, I am here to help you”, I heard as I shot up from the bottom. Then a flash of bright light blinded me and I broke through to the surface gasping for air! I splashed around and tried to yell out for help but nothing would come out. I couldn’t believe that no one had seen me fall through the ice. What was I going to do now; every time I tried to pull myself up onto the ice another piece would break away. I thrashed around in the bone-chilling water for what seemed like an eternity.

My situation was getting worse as I neared exhaustion. Then for the second time that day a miracle happened. I was being lifted out of the icy cold water and helped onto the ice by someone I could not see! I can only assume that this was an angel sent to watch over me in my time of need. I tried to talk but still could not get any words to come out. I crawled to the shore and just laid there for awhile shivering and trying to recuperate. Again I heard a voice softly whispering in my ear, “I will go and find someone to help you”. The next thing I know, there was a crowd of people standing around me covering me with coats and asking me what had happened. Everything started to spin around and get blurry, and then I must have passed out.

I am absolutely positively sure about what happened that day and I believe without a doubt that it was an angel who pulled me from the icy water and saved my life!

Looking back on that near-death experience I noticed that I became more self-confident and less shy after that day. Up until then I had always been an introvert and did not make friends very easily. However, I now had a new found sense of well being and felt like I could handle any situation! After all, I had my very own angel to watch over me!

I was only eight years old when this happened but it is still fresh in my mind. Many times since then I have thought about that day and wondered if it was only another person who pulled me out of the water, or if it was really an angel. After decades of pondering this question I am convinced that it was indeed an angel who rescued me. There is no way that someone could have crawled out on that thin ice without also falling through!

The amazing thing about that fateful day that still sends shivers up and down my spine every time I recall it is that there were no other footprints in the freshly fallen snow. Just one set of skate tracks leading to the hole in the ice! Do I believe in angels – you bet I do!

Gone but not forgotten

2006-03-06T22:39:00.000-05:00

I have several different blogs and it is very difficult to keep up with all of them. Sadly, this paticular blog gets the least amount of traffic. I hate to end this blog because I feel strongly about Christianity; therefore I will continue to post about religion in my new blog. I don't want to loose my base of faithful readers, so I hope you will follow me to my new home.

Please visit my new blog it will have a section for religious posts as well as other subjects. Eventually, I will move all of my blog content to this one central blog so it will be easier to keep up with. I would like to thank all of my readers, especially those who have left comments. I hope to see you visiting my new blog.

When I have enough content in my new blog to be approved by Blog Explosion, I will submit it for approval. Meanwhile you can see it here.

Have a blessed day.

Mike

Paul McCartney and The Seals

2006-03-03T10:55:00.000-05:00

Paul McCartney and his wife Heather show their opposition to the Canadian seal hunt as they visited a harp seal nursery off the coast of Canada.
(Photo from Sea Sheperd)

This years hunt is scheduled for the end of March and during the last three years the Canadian government has allowed more than 900,000 seals to be killed. About 97 percent of them were under three months old and many less than one month old!

To learn more about this savage hunt where baby seals are clubbed and dragged across the ice with boathooks to be skinned alive, visit www.harpseals.org . You can also download a petition here to sign and send to the Canadian government.

I understand that this hunt is a source of income in an area where jobs are scarce; however, there is no excuse for the cruel way that the baby seals are being slaughtered. Please help stop this practice now!

Listen Up

2006-02-26T10:33:00.000-05:00

Today at church our minister gave an inspiring sermon. The Scripture lesson was from Mark 9:2-12. His sermon was entitled, "Listen Up!"

And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of a cloud, "This is my beloved son; listen to him." Mark 9:7.

In other words, God is telling us to LISTEN UP! We often hear the Word but do not really listen. If we are to truely understand and grow in our Christian walk then we must improve upon our listening skills. Don't just hear the words...pay attention and listen to what is being said. Listen between the lines!

Have a blessed day.

Feeding on God's Word

2006-02-25T23:25:00.000-05:00

Once a day
Several times a day
Once a week
Once a month

The Chronicles of Narnia on DVD

2006-02-19T16:55:00.000-05:00

I actually posted the article below a while back, but it is worthy of a re-post. The BIG NEWS is this awesome movie is going to be released on DVD April,4, 2006! If you didn't get a chance to see it at the movies, make sure you see the DVD...we will be buying it to add to our collection. Click Here to pre-order your DVD NOW! Many other Narnia items available here also such as the complete 7-volume set of books by C.S. Lewis.

Disney was taking a chance with a cast of unknowns, but they pulled it off. Having read all seven books several times, I had visions of what Narnia would look like in my head. Today when I saw the movie I was amazed to find that Narnia looked exactly like what I expected it to.

My vote for the best performances go to Georgie Henley, who did a wonderful job as sweet Lucy; and Tilda Swinton who potrayed the cold-hearted White Witch. The cinematography and visual effects were great as well. Filmed in New Zealand the countryside makes a spectacular backdrop for the movie. Director, Andrew Adamson (of Shrek and Shrek 2) did a fantastic job. Liam Neeson was the voice of Ashlan and may very well be the only name you recognize in the credits.

Speaking of the credits -- don't be in a hurry to get up and rush out of the theater as soon as the credits appear on the screen, because there is still a little more to come. One final scene kept the audience standing in the aisle and stopped the mass exodus from the full house. I can't wait for the sequels, you know it's not going to end there. If you never read the books the movie was complete in itself, but for those of you who are in the know...there is still much more to come!

I highly recommend this movie as a must see. I only hope that the Christian symbolism is not lost in all the excitement. The movie is rated PG but some of the battle scenes may be a little scary for real young children. Narnia is a combination family film and action-adventure thriller. I totally loved the move!

Watch trailer here: http://www.blogger.com/AFF&p=

If you've seen the movie, or read the books please leave a comment here. If you haven't done either -- what are you waiting for. C.S. Lewis has always been one of my favorite authors and when you combine that with the magic of Disney you've got a GREAT movie!

Gays and Christianity

2006-02-13T20:41:00.000-05:00

I came across this website while surfing the net: www.progressivechurches.org it is a list of area churches that accepts gay members. I'm curious to see what everyone thinks about this whole issue of gays and Christianity?

Every time I read the Bible it says that God does not approve of this kind of relationships between the same sex. I wonder how these churches justify gay membership and in some cases even gay ministers?

I have some good friends who are gay and they are really nice people, but I cannot say that they are good Christians. Please leave your comments.

Intelligent Design

2006-02-09T03:48:00.000-05:00

"I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought," President Bush said. "You're asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas. The answer is yes." You go Mr. Bush -- my hat is off to you for defending free speech on evolution and supporting the right of students to hear about different scientific views!

Intelligent Design (for those of you who do not know what it is) challenges Darwin's theory of evolution. In a nutshell, Darwin says that all living things, including humans, are simply a product of meaningless, undirected, natural processes. Intelligent Design says that's not true. We are not here by chance, but rather by the design of a creator.

I put my belief in God and the story of creation that I have read in The Bible. What do you think? Do we come from Adam and Eve or are we decendants of the Apes? Leave a comment.

Prayer Request

2006-02-05T22:41:00.000-05:00

My wife's mom had a heart attack a week ago. She is still in the hospital and not doing very well. I am asking for your prayers for Alice. She is 81-years-old and may need to have open-heart surgery. However, she is talking about refusing the surgery because of her age and the fact that it could be fatal.

My wife Christine and her sister Helen, have gone down to Florida to be with their mom and dad. This is a difficult time for the family; no one can force Alice to have the surgery, it is really her decision. On the other hand nobody wants her to just give up and wait to die! Making it more complicated is the fact that she lives in Florida and the rest of the family is here in North Carolina.

About five-years ago I lost my mom to Cancer and still have not gotten over that. I still expect her to call me on the phone or pop in for a visit. The loss of any loved one is a hard thing to accept, but I think it is especially hard when it is your mother.

I know that death is really just a new beginning and should not be a sad thing, but it is hard to deal with. Please leave a comment or a prayer and I will pass them on to Alice.

Brokeback Mountain

2006-02-03T21:49:00.000-05:00

My wife and I have been watching the Academy Awards together for 13 years now, but I'm not sure we will be watching this year. I can't believe that Brokeback Mountain has received 8 nominations for an Oscar! What is this world coming to? I have not seen the movie, nor do I intend to waste my money on a film about two gay cowboys!

The Bible tells us that homosexuality is sinful (Lev. 18:22, 20:13; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor.6:9-11). Have we become so used to the gay lifestyle that it is okay now to support a movie like this that features graphic gay sex scenes? The film promotes adultery and a sinful lifestyle. To see it and support it would be a compromise of my Christian values.

I am very disappointed that this film has received so much recognition and award nominations. I would like to hear what other people think about this. Please leave a comment.

I Don't Understand

2006-01-30T18:13:00.000-05:00

I was born and raised in Connecticut and like all good Italian boys I went to the Catholic Church and Sunday School. However, I never did understand the Catholic religion. Back in those days the Mass was said in Latin and of course that helped to confuse matters more. I am writing this article purely to stimulate conversation on my blog, I am not putting down Catholics.

Here are some of my early childhood memories of going to church. First of all, every time we drove by a Catholic church we had to make the sign of the cross. We were not allowed to attend services at any other church except a Catholic church. Friday's we were not allowed to eat meat. Saturday we went to confession and told the priest all of our sins. He would give us a few Hail Marys and Our Fathers to say and all would be forgiven. Sunday we would take Communion and we were not allowed to eat or drink anything before receiving the Sacrament. (Since I was enemic, this often caused me to pass out in church.) After church we would go to Sunday school were we read from the Catacism, and memorized prayers. The Nuns who taught Sunday school were very strict and often wacked our knuckles with rulers. I never read the Bible or knew how to pray to God except by repeating the prayers that we learned in Sunday school.

I did not even know that you could make up your own prayers, and talk directly to God. We always prayed to various Saints or confessed our sins through a Priest. I attended the Catholic church till I was around 13-years old and then I lost interest in religion. I received my First Communion and Confirmation like all good Catholics, but I never knew God.

I started to read the Bible when I was 18 and serving aboard an Aircraft Carrier during the Vietnam War. I did a lot of praying while I was in the Navy, but still was not close to God.

When I was in my early twenties, I got married in the Catholic church but never attended regularly. Ten years later, I was divorced and still did not understand the Catholic Religion.

My second marriage was at a Justice of the Peace and we attended Baptist church once in a while, but not very often. Ten years later, I was divorced again and still not close to God.

The third time around I married a Methodist and we began attending church every Sunday. We went to Bible Study together and I started reading the Bible frequently. I learned that it is possible to pray directly to God and I started to understand what religion was all about. I became involved in Emmaus and Kairos which are great ministries and my wife and I have been active church members for the last thirteen-years!

I still don't understand the Catholic religion, so if you care to enlighten me...please do. I would love to hear everyone's thoughts about various religions. Please leave a comment.

Life is Short

2006-01-29T20:01:00.000-05:00

Pictured here are my mom, Clarice Clark and my sister Joan Marinaro. Both of them passed away not too long ago. My mom lost a battle with cancer and my sister died suddenly due to heart problems at the young age of 50.

It is hard to lose a family member, and even though I know that they are in a much better place now, I get very sad every time I think about them. Life is short, we are only here on this earth for a little while.

I am writing this post as a reminder to everyone that no matter how busy we get in our day to day life, we need to take the time to keep in touch with family members. Years ago, when I was growing up, the family was close together and we could walk to grandma's house. Every weekend we would gather together and enjoy a good meal and play with all of our cousins. Now everyone is scattered all over the country and we seldom see each other anymore. I could not even tell you how many cousins or nieces and nephews I have anymore! It's a darn shame, but I'm sure it's that way with many of you also.

I had lost touch with my sister for several years and had no idea what she was up to, I spoke with her maybe once or twice a year on the phone but that was about it. Joan moved back to our home state of Connecticut a few years before she died, and I did get a chance to visit with her and get to know her again a little bit.

My point is this; I failed to keep in touch with her while she was away and I will never know what she was up to during that time. So please pick up the phone, write a letter or send an e-mail to your long lost family members. Life is very short...if you put off contacting your family, it may be too late! Don't let that happen to you.

Life Assurance

2006-01-18T22:58:00.000-05:00

I used to sell life insurance and I did very well because I really believed in what I was doing. I thought everyone needs life insurance because it provides for those who are left behind. True as that may be, I have since discovered something much better to believe in…life assurance! You can’t buy it from Prudential or Met Life but just like their life insurance policies, life assurance will provide for those who are left behind!

Only God can give us life assurance and it’s a wonderful feeling to know that we have something to look forward to after death!

In the last few years we have seen three people that were very close to us pass away. At first we were devastated by these losses, but after reflecting upon their lives and deaths and reading the bible; we came to understand that they are indeed in a much better place now.

Ezekiel 37: 1-14 tells us the story of the prophet Ezekiel who is shown a great miracle as God is able to give live to the dead bones and bodies that are scattered all about and raise them up again!

Three-years ago my mom lost her battle with cancer and Chris and I were overwhelmed with grief. We had always known her as a healthy, energetic person and to see mom in her last days after going through chemotherapy and fighting for breath with every step she took was heartbreaking, we hardly recognized her.

Then my sister Joan died suddenly two-years ago from heart failure. Just two weeks before her death she had visited us and seemed very happy and healthy! Joan was only fifty-years old. It didn’t seem fair that she should be taken away so young.

Subsequently just three months after Joan had died our family suffered another loss. Chris’ brother, Billy passed away after a life long struggle with diabetes. He too was very young, only fifty four-years old! Three different people, three different diseases, yet they all have something in common. They all have been gloriously resurrected and no longer have to struggle with their various ailments.

In Ezekiel 37:13 God tells us, "And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people." This assures us that we will know life after death! One thing is for certain, we are only here on this earth for a short time and eventually we will die.

However, it should not be a time of sadness and grieving for the friends and family left behind. Rather it should be a time of peace and comfort, knowing that our loved ones have left all their troubles behind and have been resurrected.

Sure we are saddened because we will miss them but it is reassuring to know that they are now in the presence of God in all His glory! We read in Ezekiel 37:14. "And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, says the LORD" .

What more assurance could we possibly need?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we ask that you be with the friends and families of those who have lost loved ones. Touch their hearts so that they will know peace and help them to understand that there is life after death. Let us all embrace the fact that God gives us life assurance and He tells us that after our time on earth here is done we will be with our Father in heaven enjoying eternal peace!

Ambassadors for Christ

2006-01-15T12:17:00.000-05:00

When I was growing up my mother used to always tell me, “If you wouldn’t do it in front of your father and me, then you shouldn’t be doing it at all!” I have always remembered those words of wisdom from mom and many times they have kept me on the right track.

As I grew in my Christian faith I realized that by simply changing a couple of words in that statement it becomes even more powerful; “If you wouldn’t do it in front of God, then you shouldn’t be doing it at all!” In other words, God is watching us and we represent Him. One way to make sure we are doing the right thing in God’s eyes is to be an Ambassador for Christ in our daily lives. Christ paved the way for us.

2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us that we are Christ’s Ambassadors. This is definitely a full time job! What an assignment we have been given! Look in the dictionary and you will find that an Ambassador is defined as an authorized messenger or representative.

Many people fall short and are really only “Sunday Christians”. These are the folks who go to church on Sunday but never commit to anything else. They do not adhere to the beliefs of the church the rest of the week, or follow through on Sunday’s teachings, with their actions and words. They are cheating God and they are cheating themselves!

How can we be Christ’s Ambassadors if we leave church on Sunday and never practice our Christianity during the week? Remember, God calls upon us to proclaim His Word and to praise Him. Every day we encounter opportunities to do this but for one reason or another we fail to speak up or act when we have the chance. If we are truly representing God then we should be taking this Ambassador’s job that we have been given seriously and act like Christians every day – not just in church on Sunday.

One of the great Ambassadors was Paul. He suffered; had nothing, yet possessed everything! We should follow the words of 2 Corinthians 6, “…in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love...” That’s how Paul lived --we should learn from his example.

Instead of avoiding religious conversations we should seek them out. You’ve probably heard people say, “Never talk about politics or religion.” Well…forget about that (at least the religion part) talk about religion every chance you get…SPREAD THE WORD! BE AN AMBASSADOR FOR CHRIST!

Prayer: Lord we ask that you help each and every one of us to be good Ambassadors of Christ as we go about our daily routines. Help us to recognize the opportunities to speak up and give us the proper words and actions so that we may encourage others to grow in their Christian faith. Guide us so we may be Christ’s loving servants and messengers.

Amen

Mary Had a Little Lamb

2006-01-11T12:35:00.000-05:00

This was sent to me by a listener at the radio station that I work for. The Light 103.9 I do not know who the original author of this poem and sketch is or I would give proper credit. I think it is GREAT and should be passed on.

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Mary had a little Lamb,
His fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
The Lamb was sure to go.

He followed her to school each day,
Twasn't even in the rule.
It made the children laugh and play,
To have a Lamb at school.

And then the rules all changed one day,
Illegal it became;
To bring the Lamb of God to school,
Or even speak his Name.

Everyday got worse and worse,
And days turned into years.
Instead of hearing children laugh,
We heard gun shots and tears.

What must we do to stop the crime,
That's in our schools today?
Let's let the Lamb come back to school,
And teach our kids to pray!

If you agree, please pass it on. I would love to see your feelings on this subject, please leave a comment.

The Book of Daniel

2006-01-10T00:10:00.000-05:00

NBC has a new TV show that started Friday, Jan. 6th, called "The Book of Daniel". It is a pretty controversial series about a pill-popping, unconventional priest with a very messed up, dysfunctional family! Daniel is not only able to see Jesus but he also talks with Him and asks him for advise about all kinds of situations.

There are more sub-plots and story lines going on then you can keep up with. The series strikes a nerve of Christians because of the way it mockingly portrays Jesus as a wimpy character. Christ is shown to give flippant answers to Daniel's questions about serious moral issues.

The show has everything from drug abuse, homosexuality, and premarital sex, to stealing money from the church. A snapshot of the world we live in today? Perhaps.

I don't doubt that there are priests who have problems nor do I pretend to be unaware of the plethora of moral issues we have going on all around us. However, I do take offense to the way that Christ is depicted in this show. What would Jesus do if he were here now? I'm sure He wouldn't say things like, "He's a kid, let him be a kid", when asked about a teenager's sexual escapades!

I would like to hear what you think about the show. Please leave a comment and share your thoughts. My opinion is...NBC should cancel this show, although I'm sure they are getting tons of publicity from the controversy and therfore will let it air for a while. However, they did introduce this as a "limited series"!

The Bible

2006-01-08T20:43:00.000-05:00

Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

We are only here on this earth for a short time. You have to wonder what happens when your time here is done. The Bible answers that question for me, the acronym above says it all. Dust off your Bible and spend some time reading it, you will find detailed instructions there on what you should be doing while you are here on earth and how to prepare yourself for what is to come.

I have placed a really cool tool at the top of this page that you may find useful. Just type in a keyword (example: love), or a Bible passage (example: John 3:16), and you will be taken to The Bible Gateway which is a GREAT website. There are several different Bible versions you can select from or you can also choose to listen to an audio version of the Bible. There are also commentaries there that you can read which help to explain the passages.

Please leave a comment and tell me which version of the Bible you enjoy reading the most.

Kitchen Fun with Donna & Friends

2006-01-03T17:35:00.000-05:00

Here at Blog Explosion, we have a great feature where we can rent space on our blog for a week in return for credits.

This week I have a tenant that you simply must visit; Kitchen Fun with Donna & Friends. This is absolutely the sharpest design I have seen yet for a blog and it is full of wonderful recipes. Be sure to stop by and tell them that Mike sent you from 3 is the Charm

Tiny Frogs

2006-01-03T13:15:00.000-05:00

I received this in an e-mail today. Normally I just delete these types of e-mails, but this one caught my attention so I read it; thought it would make a good post. I don't know where it originated so I can't credit the author.

There once was a bunch of tiny frogs, who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower. A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants... The race began.

Honestly...No one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. You heard statements such as: "Oh, WAY too difficult!!!" They will NEVER make it to the top!!!" or:"Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!!!"

The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one...Except for those, who in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher... The crowd continued to yell, "It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!!!" More tiny frogs got tired and gave up...But ONE continued higher and higher and higher... This one wouldn't give up!!!

At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top! THEN all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it?

A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal? It turned out...That the winner was DEAF!!!

The wisdom of this story is: NEVER listen to other people's tendencies to be negative or pessimistic... Because they take your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you...the ones you have in your heart!!!

Always think of the power words have. Because everything you hear and read will affect your actions!!! Therefore: ALWAYS be...POSITIVE!!! And above all: Be DEAF when people tell YOU that you cannot fulfill your dreams!!! Always think: God and I can do this!!!

Don't tell GOD how Big your storm is. Tell the storm how Big your GOD is!

Thirteen Years Ago

2006-01-01T22:50:00.000-05:00

Dec. 19th was our 13th Anniversary! I was going to post this a couple of weeks ago; however, we got totally caught up in the Christmas rush. Now Christmas has come and gone and our anniversary has passed and we are preparing for a New Year. Time sure flies when you are having so much fun.

This is the third marriage for both Christine and I and we have enjoyed the last 13-years and look forward to many more anniversaries. Seems like only yesterday when we met at The Long Branch, where we were taking line dance lessons. We became dance partners and soon started dating. I knew right away that there was something different about this relationship when on our third date I found myself in a church fellowship hall having dinner with Chris and a room full of Christian couples. Our fourth date was interrupted by a phone call and we had to rush to the hospital to witness the birth of our grandson to be.

After six-months of dating I asked Christine to marry me and the rest is history! We have enjoyed thirteen years together and have much to be thankful for. Throughout our whole relationship we have been active church members and that has helped us grow closer together with each other and with God.

We have gone to many Bible Study classes together and have participated in Emmaus and Kairos. I will briefly explain these two ministries for you.

Emmaus
The Walk to Emmaus is a spiritual renewal program intended to strengthen the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders. The program's approach seriously considers the model of Christ's servanthood and encourages Christ's disciples to act in ways appropriate to being "a servant of all."

Kairos Kairos is a Christian, lay-led, ecumenical, volunteer international prison ministry, in which men and women volunteers bring Christ’s love and forgiveness to incarcerated individuals and to their families.

The bottom line is, that by surrounding ourselves with good Christian people and staying active in the church, our marriage has survived the ups and downs and trials and tribulations of everyday life over the past thirteen years. We continue to learn more about each other and we walk together in our journey with God.

We wish each and every one of you a very happy and blessed New Year.

A Different New Year's Resolution

2005-12-26T13:24:00.000-05:00

It's that time again...everyone is making New Year's Resolutions. The problem is most of these resolutions are never followed up on. Here are the typical resolutions that people tend to make and break.

Lose weight
Eat healthier
Work out and get in shape
Get out of debt

This year instead of making the same old resolutions, how about trying something different? Here are a just a few examples:

Be nicer to your spouse or significant other
Practice random acts of kindness every day
Get in touch with a relative or an old friend that you haven't contacted for a long time
Look for the good in people
Smile at a stranger - it's contagious

In other words...let's all try to be nicer and show some love to one another every day. Have a very Happy and Blessed New Year.

Kudos To My Wife

2005-12-26T11:52:00.000-05:00

My wife, Christine, really loves Christmas. It is her favorite time of the year and she goes all out with her decorations and dinners and gift-giving. I don't know where she gets the energy to keep the pace this time of year. She works during the day then does all the Christmas shopping and wrapping. The only thing I had to shop for was her presents. She also decorates our tree and home for the Holidays and cooks up a great Christmas Eve dinner and cookies, etc. Watch out Martha Stewart!

In addition to all of this extra stuff for Christmas, she never misses a beat with her usually busy schedule of babysitting the grandkids and niece and nephew and running to football games or marching band practice to support the young ones in their school activities. Christine really is an amazing woman, I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank her for all that she does.

This year was exceptionally beautiful. The house looked like a page out of a magazine and we had 15 people over for dinner on Christmas Eve. the meal was delicious and everyone loved their gifts. Then Christmas day we had 4 more people over for another wonderful meal and gift exchange.

You would think today the day after Christmas would be a day of rest...but no way. Christine is off and running again, she is out with her sister and niece at the mall. I don't know how she does it all.

Thanks Honey...I love you very much!

The Inn at Ragged Gardens

2005-12-23T12:49:00.000-05:00

Here is another great Bed & Breakfast to stay at in the mountains of North Carolina. The Inn at Ragged Gardens is a warm, antique-filled, beautiful place to visit. The Hyatt family has restored this turn-of-the-century home in downtown Blowing Rock and your stay there will be memorable.

Every time we have tried to stay there it has been completely booked. So make your reservations well in advance. Some good friends of ours have stayed there and told us that they really loved it. We have taken a tour of the rooms and hopefully will get to stay there on our next trip to Blowing Rock. You can get a nice look at this lovely Bed & Breakfast on their website: The Inn at Ragged Gardens .

This charming Inn sits on an acre of enchanting gardens and their gourmet breakfast includes the use of herbs and flowers organically grown in their own gardens.

To find more information about Blowing Rock visit their website: Information on Blowing Rock, NC . If you know of a great Bed & Breakfast please share it and leave a comment.

Another Great Bed & Breakfast

2005-12-22T22:40:00.000-05:00

Here is another great Bed & Breakfast located right on the waterfront in Manteo, North Carolina. The Tranquil House Inn is our favorite place to stay when we go to the Outer Banks. It's not far from Nagshead, and it is home of the 1587 Restaurant, with world-class chefs! What a wonderful dining experience, the food there is outstanding!

We have stayed there a couple of different times and really enjoyed it. My favorite thing about The Tranquil House Inn is the wine and cheese they serve in the afternoon on the back porch overlooking the water. It is so peaceful and refreshing to sit there and chat with the other guests as you nibble on cheese and drink some good wine.

Here is the link to their website: The Tranquil House Inn.

Manteo is a quaint little town and a great place for a walking tour and it's just a short ride to Nagshead, Kitty Hawk and other tourist attractions.

While you are there be sure to check out The Lost Colony, a musical theater under the stars, about the first English Colony here in NC that vanished without a trace! Here is website for The Lost Colony.

If you have a favorite Bed & Breakfast please leave a comment.

More About Bed & Breakfasts

2005-12-20T23:03:00.000-05:00

Here is some more information about Bed & Breakfasts. This will be a continuing series of posts about the Bed & Breakfast Experience. Here are a few useful links:

Click Here to Locate a Bed & Breakfast - Directory for U.S. and Canada

10 Tips for First Time for First Time Bed & Breakfast Guests - Tips

Directory of World Wide Bed & Breakfasts - World Wide Directory

What every good Bed & Breakfast host should offer:

Friendly service and a great breakfast
Tips on where to go in the area to sightsee or to get a good meal
Historical information about the Inn or the surrounding area
Some hosts offer recipes they use in the Inn
A list of area churches and service times
Good conversation

We stayed at a The Inn On Main Street several years ago in Weaverville, North Carolina and without fail every year we get a friendly email from the owner thanking us for staying there and inviting us to come and visit again. That's a real nice touch.

Our stay there was wonderful. The Inn Keepers, Nancy and Dan, came out to great us as we arrived and were very warm and friendly. They showed us around their Bed & Breakfast and were very good hosts. We asked them where a good place to eat dinner was and they gave us several choices.

The Inn On Main Street was just a 15 minute drive away from The Biltmore House where we planned to visit the following day. Nancy and Dan told us the best way to go and also had some brochures available for us. After a day of walking around The Biltmore Estate and the streets of Asheville, it was great to come back to the quaint town of Weaverville and relax on the porch with the other guests at The Inn On Main Street.

The next morning we had a wonderful home cooked breakfast of frittatas, made-from-scratch muffins and fruit. We really didn't want to leave this wonderful place, but our weekend was over and we had to return to reality. We look forward to returning there again for another relaxing weekend sometime soon.

Jump Start Your Marriage - Visit a Bed & Breakfast

2005-12-20T08:55:00.000-05:00

Tired of doing the same old thing all the time? Want to put a little romance back in your marriage? Try a trip to a Bed & Breakfast and jump start your marriage!

The next time you are traveling, instead of the same old boring hotel or motel room, treat yourself to The Bed & Breakfast Experience. You will love it! My wife and I always stay at a Bed & Breakfast rather than a Hotel or Motel; it is a world of difference and a refreshing experience.

Pictured here is "The Inn On Main Street " in Weaverville, NC. We stayed there when we went to visit The Biltmore House, just a short drive from this wonderful Bed & Breakfast. (Coming soon a review of our stay there.)

What is a Bed & Breakfast?

Typically, a Bed & Breakfast is a privately owned home, which offers a place to stay for the night and a home-cooked breakfast in the morning. Thus the term, Bed & Breakfast. Usually the homes are older, historic homes and may only have 3 or 4 rooms available. Sometimes family members or other guests share the bathroom; however, many of the newer ones have private bathrooms now.

Bed & Breakfasts are usually very quiet and many will not accommodate children under 12, so if you have young children this may not be for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a nice romantic getaway...leave the kids at home and enjoy!

If it's a romantic inn that you are looking for go to: I Love Inns for a list of the top ten romantic Bed & Breakfasts in 2005.

Bed & Breakfasts have been around just about forever. Monasteries used to serve as Bed & Breakfasts and some still do. People in Europe and England have been staying at Bed & Breakfasts for centuries. Here in the United States, we can trace the Bed & Breakdfasts back to the days of Pioneers. Then during the Great Depression many families opened up their homes as "Boarding Houses" to earn extra money.

After Hotel and Motel chains starting popping up everywhere, the Bed & Breakfast kind of faded away. If you know where to look, you can still find a great Bed & Breakfast just about anywhere you plan to go, here or abroad! Once you have experienced the home-cooked breakfast and genuine hsopitality of the inn-keepers in a quaint little Bed & Breakfast, you will never want to stat at a Hotel or Motel Again!

Coming soon: Our favorite North Carolina Bed & Breakfasts

If you know of a great Bed & Breakfast, please leave a comment and share it with us.

Christmas Traditions

2005-12-19T13:03:00.000-05:00

If you have a special family Christmas Tradition, I would like to hear about it. We have the family over to our house for dinner on Christmas Eve every year.

We usually eat dinner around 5:00 pm, then we go church at 7:00 pm. After church we have a piece of our birthday cake for Jesus, and sing happy birthday to Jesus.

Then it's into the living room to open up presents. This is great for the young kids, because they actually end up with two chances to open gifts. Once at our house on Christmas Eve and then again in the comfort of their own home on Christmas Day!

Our grandchildren show off their musical talents and we sing Christmas Carols. We have a clarinet player, a piano player, and me on the guitar.

Leave a comment and let me know about your special Christmas Traditions.

May you have a very Blessed and Merry Christmas.

The Chronicles of Narnia

2005-12-17T18:29:00.000-05:00

I just got home from seeing the Chronicles of Narnia and have to write about it. What an awesome movie!

Disney was taking a chance with a cast of unknowns, but they pulled it off. Having read all seven books several times, I had visions of what Narnia would look like in my head. Today when I saw the movie I was amazed to find that Narnia looked exactly like what I expected it to.

My vote for the best performances go to Georgie Henley, who did a wonderful job as sweet Lucy; and Tilda Swinton who potrayed the cold-hearted White Witch. The cinematography and visual effects were great as well. Filmed in New Zealand the countryside makes a spectacular backdrop for the movie. Director, Andrew Adamson (of Shrek and Shrek 2) did a fantastic job. Liam Neeson was the voice of Ashlan and may very well be the only name you recognize in the credits.

Speaking of the credits -- don't be in a hurry to get up and rush out of the theater as soon as the credits appear on the screen, because there is still a little more to come. One final scene kept the audience standing in the aisle and stopped the mass exodus from the full house. I can't wait for the sequels, you know it's not going to end there. If you never read the books the movie was complete in itself, but for those of you who are in the know...there is still much more to come!

I highly recommend this movie as a must see. I only hope that the Christian symbolism is not lost in all the excitement. The movie is rated PG but some of the battle scenes may be a little scary for real young children. Narnia is a combination family film and action-adventure thriller. I totally loved the move!

Watch trailer here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/thechroniclesofnarnia/

This is Not a Holiday Tree

2005-12-16T17:30:00.000-05:00

I received this via e-mail and do not know who it originated from...but I love it.

This is a Christmas tree. It is not a Hanukkah bush, it is not an Allah plant, it is not a Holiday hedge. It is a Christmas tree. Say it... CHRISTmas , CHRISTmas , CHRISTmas Yes. CHRISTmas - celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ!!! If this offends you...too bad. Get over it.

Take a stand and pass this on !!

Christian Websites

2005-12-15T16:43:00.000-05:00

I couldn't decide what to write about today, so I thought I would pass on some info about other other Christian websites that I visit often.

OnLine Christian is a local site for the Carolinas, but it is packed full of great articles and resources. There is a church directory, educational information, a calendar, entertainment section, and much more.

Another site that I find very helpful is The Bible Gateway. Here you can search for Bible verses in many different versions of the Bible. There is also commentary available. I use this site all the time.

Want To Get Closer To Your Spouse?

2005-12-12T17:27:00.000-05:00

Try doing this if you want to get closer to your spouse. Join a Bible Study group together. That's right, I said Bible Study. Chris and I have been together for 13-years and we have noticed that the times we are happiest is when we have been participating in a Bible study group together.

Right now we are a little upset because we haven't been able to meet on Sunday nights with our church group that is doing the Disciple Bible Study program. We have missed several weeks due to the hectic pace of the Christmas season! Hopefully, we can get back into it the first of the year again.

Not only will you get closer to your spouse by doing Bible Study but you will also get closer to God. There are all kinds of study groups available, a good place to look is within your own church. There are also many studies available online or at Christian bookstores.

We have found that by participating in small group Bible Studies we get more benefit. There is interaction between the members of the group and you get to hear different opinions and interpretations. The study we are in now comes with a great deal of homework also, but that is good because my wife and I do it together and learn from each other.

Give it a try; dust off your Bible, open it up and start reading. Then join a group and discuss what you have read. Do it together with your spouse and I guarantee you will become closer together because of it. Read, believe, be changed!

My First Tenant

2005-12-12T08:29:00.000-05:00

I have my first tenant on this new blog. Please take a moment to visit her blog, "Reflections in the Mirror". Here is what Dawn says about her blog:

"My name is Dawn, I live in the Northeastern US, with my husband, two kids and various critters. Reflections is a personal journal/photoblog/hopefully someday an 'online store' for my crafts. This blog also gives me something to do with my time, which I am forced to share with Migraines. I am often awake late into the night, due to the meds that I am on, which has large amounts of caffine. I am happy that you have 'clicked', and I hope that you enjoy your visit to my site."

Dawn's blog is refreshing. You will find posts about her daily life, some great pictures and a section with her crafts. I'm sure you will enjoy your visit there and be sure to leave her a comment saying that you were sent there from "3 Is The Charm".

Whenever you are blog surfing make sure you have read the article "Blogging Etiquitte 101", and practice good blogging etiquitte.

Life Assurance

2005-12-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's time for a spiritual post. I hope that many of my readers are religious and will enjoy this post. As always, your comments are welcome.

I used to sell life insurance and I did very well because I really believed in what I was doing. I thought everyone needs life insurance because it provides for those who are left behind. True as that may be, I have since discovered something much better to believe in…life assurance! You can't buy it from Prudential or Met Life but just like their life insurance policies, life assurance will provide for those who are left behind! Only God can give us life assurance and it's a wonderful feeling to know that we have something to look forward to after death!

In the last few years we have seen three people that were very close to us pass away. At first we were devastated by these losses, but after reflecting upon their lives and deaths and reading the bible; we came to understand that they are indeed in a much better place now.

Ezekiel 37: 1-14 tells us the story of the prophet Ezekiel who is shown a great miracle as God is able to give live to the dead bones and bodies that are scattered all about and raise them up again!

Three-years ago my mom lost her battle with cancer and Chris and I were overwhelmed with grief. We had always known her as a healthy, energetic person and to see mom in her last days after going through chemotherapy and fighting for breath with every step she took was heartbreaking, we hardly recognized her.

Then my sister Joan died suddenly two-years ago from heart failure. Just two weeks before her death she had visited us and seemed very happy and healthy! Joan was only fifty-years old. It didn't seem fair that she should be taken away so young.

Subsequently just three months after Joan had died our family suffered another loss. Chris' brother, Billy passed away after a life long struggle with diabetes. He too was very young, only fifty four-years old!

Three different people, three different diseases, yet they all have something in common. They all have been gloriously resurrected and no longer have to struggle with their various ailments.

In Ezekiel 37:13 God tells us, "And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people." This assures us that we will know life after death!

One thing is for certain, we are only here on this earth for a short time and eventually we will die. However, it should not be a time of sadness and grieving for the friends and family left behind. Rather it should be a time of peace and comfort, knowing that our loved ones have left all their troubles behind and have been resurrected. Sure we are saddened because we will miss them but it is reassuring to know that they are now in the presence of God in all His glory!

We read in Ezekiel 37:14. "And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, says the LORD" . What more assurance could we possibly need?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we ask that you be with the friends and families of those who have lost loved ones. Touch their hearts so that they will know peace and help them to understand that there is life after death. Let us all embrace the fact that God gives us life assurance and He tells us that after our time on earth here is done we will be with our Father in heaven enjoying eternal peace!

An Angel on a Long and Winding Road

2005-12-11T07:57:00.000-05:00

Sunrise at Sea

2005-12-11T07:54:00.000-05:00

Many years ago when I was in the Navy, on board an aircraft carrier, my favorite thing to do was stand on the signal bridge and feel the wind whip against my face as I smelled the fresh sea air. I used to enjoy looking out at the horizon and seeing nothing but ocean and sky. At night there were thousands of stars in the sky and it would make me feel so small and insignificant as I gazed upon them. Then morning would come and the sun would rise up magnificently out of the ocean! It was impossible to not think about God and how He created all of this beauty!

There was plenty of time for thinking as we had to stand watch for twelve-hour shifts. Often I would read my bible during this time and contemplate many things. Sunrise and mornings were always very special times as I watched and the world awakened; I was reminded of Isaiah 50:4...He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught...I did listen and my eyes and ears were opened as I read my bible in the early morning hours. My faith helped to keep me strong as death and destruction was all around me.

You see this was 1968 and I was watching the sun rise over the Gulf of Tonkin in Vietnam as the planes from our aircraft carrier dropped 500 and 1000 pound bombs on the landscape and peppered the jungle with Napalm. There were many distractions during those days of war and temptations to stray from the path of righteousness were everywhere. My shipmates would laugh and make fun when they saw me reading the bible. I do not pretend to be an angel and I did stray occasionally as I am only human. However, I continued to read my bible and took comfort in knowing that the Lord gave me strength....Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame...Isaiah 50:7 I learned many things about life during my three tours of duty in Vietnam. I saw people at their best and others at their worst!

I visited many countries in my travels and saw how people lived in different cultures around the world. What I took away from all of this was an education far greater than I received in all my years of schooling, a better understanding of life and people. Most of all I realized that even during our lowest times in life God is always there for us and you can count on him to pull you through!

Prayer: Lord help us to seek your wisdom especially during our low points in life. We take comfort in knowing that you are always there to lift us up and help us through our troubled times. As the sun rises each morning and the world awakens please open our ears and our eyes so we may hear your word and see the Christ in others. Awaken us; let our tongues speak your word and share it with those we meet in our daily lives. Amen

Do You Believe In Angels?

2005-12-10T23:16:00.000-05:00

Tell Someone You Love Them Today

2005-12-10T23:13:00.000-05:00

As I get older, I realize how short life really is. Don't let a day go by without saying "I love you", to someone special in your life. You never know when the last time you will see that person may be.

A few years ago I lost my Mom, and last year my sister Joan passed away at the young age of fifty. Fortunately, I had time to tell both of them how much I loved them. I only regret that I did not get closer to my sister. After she died I discovered how much I really did not know about her. What a wonderful, loving person she really was.

You can read a tribute to Joan at: http://www.mmarinaro.com/html/joanellen.html

Keep The Christ In Christmas

2005-12-10T22:54:00.000-05:00

'T'was the Night Before Christmas

(My sister Barb sent me this today...perfect content for my blog. Thank you Barb, I love you.)

'T'was the night before Christmas and all through the town
Not a sign of Baby Jesus was anywhere to be found.

The people were all busy with Christmas time chores
Like decorating, and baking, and shopping in stores.

No one sang "Away in a manger, no crib for a bed".
Instead, they sang of Santa dressed-up in bright red.

Mama watched Martha Stewart, Papa drank beer from a tap.
As hour upon hour the presents they'd wrap
When what from the T.V.
did they suddenly hear?
'Cept an ad.. which told of a big sale at Sears.

So away to the mall they all flew like a flash...
Buying things on credit...
and others with cash!

And, as they made their way home from their trip to the mall,
Did they think about Jesus? Oh, no... not at all.

Their lives were so busy with their Christmas time things
No time to remember Christ Jesus, the King.

There were presents to wrap and cookies to bake.
How could they stop and remember who died for their sake?

To pray to the Savior...
they had no time to stop.
Because they needed more time to "Shop til they dropped!"

On Wal-mart! On K-mart!
On Target! On Penney's!
On Hallmark! On Zales!
A quick lunch at Denny's.
From the big stores downtown to the stores at the mall,
they would dash away, dash away, and visit them all!

And up on the roof, there arose such a clatter
As grandpa hung icicle lights up on his brand new step ladder.

He hung lights that would flash.
He hung lights that would twirl.
Yet, he never once prayed to Jesus...
Light of the World.

Christ's eyes... how they twinkle!
Christ's Spirit... how merry!
Christ's love... how enormous!
All our burdens... He'll carry!

So instead of being busy, overworked, and uptight
Let's put Christ back in Christmas and enjoy some good nights

AUTHOR UNKNOWN

PLEASE KEEP THE CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS

The Lost Phone

2005-12-10T22:43:00.000-05:00

My wife and I have a tendency to misplace our cordless phone and seem to spend quite a bit of time in search it. The good news is there is a little pager button on the base section of the phone that we can push and it will send a signal that causes the handset to beep enabling us to locate our lost phone!

Wouldn't it be great if we could have such a device for people? We try to be good Christians, but day to day life tends to get in the way. Often, we get lost just like the cordless phone. If only someone could just push a button and send a signal so we could be found again when we get lost.

In "The Parable of the Lost Sheep" we see that God is like a shepherd and will look for us when we stray and He rejoices when we return!

Luke 15: 4-6
"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost."

We can take comfort in knowing that there is a way to be found when we get lost. It is much better than a paging device on a cordless phone. Like the sheep we have a Good Shepherd watching over us.

Kairos Prison Ministry

2005-12-10T22:29:00.000-05:00

My wife and I were active for several years in a prison ministry. Life kind of got in the way, and we are no longer active. However, I still maintain the Kairos of North Carolina website. Kairos is really an awesome ministry and if you want to experience the power of the Holy Spirit at work inside of prison walls then seek out a Kairos organization near you.

Here is a little information about Kairos:

Kairos is an interdenominational Christian ministry whose programs are designed to be presented in state and federal men's and women's correctional institutions in the U.S. with adaptations for other countries and languages. This ministry is governed by the national board of Kairos Prison Ministry, Inc. with headquarters in Winter Park, Florida. The ministry is conducted, in cooperation with the chaplains of correctional institutions, by teams of laity and clergy who are selected, trained and certified by area governing bodies of Kairos and approved by correctional institutions as citizen volunteers.

Kairos Prison Ministry is a ministry by persons drawn from a broad range of denominational churches. Kairos volunteers have experience in renewal movements within their churches which focus on small group dynamics, share and prayer groups, personal witness and vulnerability in Christian community. It is a continuing ministry. The primary objective of the 3-day short course is to prepare selected residents for life in an ongoing Christian community.

The official Kairos website is here: www.kairosprisonministry.org

Score One for the Kingdom

2005-12-10T22:22:00.000-05:00

The other day my wife, went into a store looking for a new Nativity scene for us. She searched all through the store and finally found one, only partially assembled, way in the back corner. Christine, not being very shy, immediatly marched to the front of the store and asked for the manager. When the manager appeared she read him the riot act! Good for you Christine, score one for the Kingdom!

What is wrong with this world today? Now everyone wants to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas; you can't take the Christ out of Christmas! Jesus is the reason for the season! Where would all of the retailers be today without Christmas? Many stores do 50% of their annual sales during the Christmas season! I say let's not shop in the stores that say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. Another thing, don't be sending me a Christmas card that says Merry Xmas, because I will send you a long letter in return.

It's not just Christmas that is under siege, but rather religious expresion in general. I found this GREAT website: www.savemerrychristmas.org, take a minute to check it out. Following is an excerpt from their website:

The primary goal of the Committee to Save Merry Christmas is to preserve the culture and tradition of the vast majority of Americans that celebrate and honor Christmas. Christmas is a nationally declared federal holiday that has been observed from the inception of our nation.

In the past several years, the term “Merry Christmas” has been deliberately and intentionally excluded from major retailers. The words “Merry Christmas” have been deliberately and intentionally removed from their decorations and advertising. Taking their place are non-celebratory phases like “Seasons Greetings” and “Happy Holidays.” When did it become offensive to display or say, “Merry Christmas”?

This intentional and deliberate exclusion of “Merry Christmas” in advertising and decorations is extremely offensive to the culture and tradition of Americans who honor and celebrate Christmas.

Each Christmas season, every kind of decoration, advertising gimmick and sales promotion is directing the public to purchase their merchandise for the Christmas celebration...all the while never mentioning the word, "Christmas." This deliberate and intentional substitution of “Merry Christmas” with un-celebratory phases are thoughtless, condescending and hurtful.

Should you--the purchasing public--who honors the American tradition and culture of Christmas, continue to purchase Christmas gifts from these stores when they deliberately and intentionally refuse to acknowledge Christmas? Our committee believes you should not! We, instead, encourage you to shop where the values and meaning of Christmas are cherished.

You can download their flyer here: www.savemerrychristmas.org/fly-Sears.pdf

Please join in and help save Merry Christmas!

3 Is The Charm

2005-12-10T14:47:00.000-05:00

You may have heard the expression "Three is the charm" many times before; well, I'm here to tell you that it is a fact!

I am married to a wonderful lady named Christine, and we are both on our third marriage. December 19th be our thirteenth anniversary and I think we have finally got this whole marriage thing figured out. Do we ever fight? You bet we do, in fact we often get on each other's last nerve but that's okay. When all is said and done, we always make up and remain good friends through it all.

You may be wondering what is the secret. Well, here it is. This time around we are not trying to do it all alone. Right from the start, thirteen years ago, we invited Christ to be part of our marriage and He has been with us through thick and thin ever since! Both Christine and I are active in church and Bible study and our faith has helped us to grow closer to each other and toghether we have grown closer to God.

Yes three is the charm, not just because it is our third marriage, but also because instead of two in the marriage there are three!

Let Jesus in, he will help!