Minority Report

We watched "Minority Report" last night. It was intriguing. It makes you wonder what the future will be like. The "pre-cogs" (pre-cognitives) were something else. It would be interesting to know if there are people out there who can predict crimes.

Synopsis

In Washington, D.C., in the year 2054, murder has been eliminated. The future is seen and the guilty punished before the crime has ever been committed. From a nexus deep within the Justice Department's elite Precrime Unit, all the evidence to convict - from imagery alluding to the time, place and other details - is seen by "Pre-Cogs," three psychic beings whose visions of murder have never been wrong. It is the nation's most advanced crime force, a perfect system. And no-one works harder for Precrime than its top man, Chief John Anderton (Tom Cruise). Destroyed by a tragic loss, Anderton has thrown all of his passion into a system that could potentially spare thousands of people from the tragedy he lived through. Six years later, the coming vote to take it national has only fuelled his conviction that Precrime works. Anderton has no reason to doubt it... until he becomes its #1 suspect. Based on a short story by Philip K. Dick.

The human mind is an amazing thing. I have very lucid and vivid dreams. If only I could record or tap into those thoughts. With all the technology and knowledge being fed into our brains it will be interesting to see what evolves.

I am very aggravated using the computer today with all the pop-ups interrupting my typing and everything else. What a nuisance. It's like a fly or mosquito constantly buzzing, you swat it away and it comes back to bug you again. I don't see the point. I wonder if this is because of the Windows XP software that was recently installed on this computer.

Without The Rain, There Would Be No Rainbow

"And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow." - Jerry Chin

Day Sixteen

What Matters Most

"No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do I am bankrupt without love." - 1 Corinthians 13:3b

"Love means living the way God commanded us to live. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is this: Live a life of love." - 2 John 1:6

"The whole Law can be summed up in this one command: ' Love others as you love yourself.'" - Galatians 5:14

"Show special love for God's people." - 1 Peter 2:17b

"When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers." - Galatians 6:10

"Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples." - John 13:35

"You must love the Lord your God with all your heart...' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." - Matthew 22:37-40

These three things continue forever: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13

"Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." - Matthew 25:40

"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." - Galatians 5:6

"My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action." - 1 John 3:18

"Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave Himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins." - Ephesians 5:2

"God so loved the world that he gave his only son." - John 3:16

"Use every chance for doing good. " - Ephesians 5:16

"Whenever you possibly can, do good for those who need it. Never tell your neighbor to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now." - Proverbs 3:27

DAY SIXTEEN

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point To Ponder: Life is all about love.
Verse To Remember: "The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" - Galatians 5:14
Question To Consider: Honestly, are relationships my first priority? How can I ensure that they are?

Illini Doin' The Title Wave

Brown, Illini dazzling; clinch share of Big Ten
ILLINOIS 84, NORTHWESTERN 48
By Marlen Garcia Tribune staff reporter Published February 24, 2005
CHAMPAIGN -- Even Dee Brown was impressed. No. 1 Illinois raised its dazzling passing, shooting and trademark unselfish play to astronomical levels Wednesday in its 84-48 thrashing of Northwestern, and Brown couldn't help but find superlatives to describe it. "That was the best ball movement I ever saw in my life," Brown said of a first-half offensive sequence that he finished with a blistering three-pointer in front of 16,618 awed fans at the Assembly Hall. Brown and his teammates routinely have downplayed Illinois' unprecedented exploits, and they stayed true to their calling by shunning a celebration of the team's second straight Big Ten championship and 17th in 100 seasons of Illini basketball. The victory guaranteed Illinois (28-0, 14-0 in Big Ten), the only undefeated team in the country, a tie for the title, but the Illini don't want to share it. They can claim sole possession of the championship for the second consecutive season if they beat Purdue on March 3 at the Assembly Hall or if Michigan State loses against Wisconsin on Thursday. The Spartans are in second place in the conference at 10-2. "We want to celebrate on Senior Night," Brown said of the Purdue game, the home finale for seniors Luther Head, Jack Ingram, Fred Nkemdi, Roger Powell and Nick Smith. Brown scored a game-high 20 points, 17 of which came in the first half. He hit 6 of 8 three-pointers and Illinois connected on 60.9 percent of its threes. "Will they have a cold shooting day?" Northwestern coach Bill Carmody asked. "Everything that has been thrown at this team they've handled." Illinois sapped Northwestern (13-13, 5-8) of any hope when Powell sank the first shot of the game. Powell and Brown combined to score 22 of Illinois' first 28 points. Midway through the first half, Brown had 14 points. "He was pulling up and swishing them," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "I just sit down and clap. " Illinois led 45-22 at the half and went up by 41 points on reserve Warren Carter's dunk with 7 minutes 27 seconds left in the game. Weber had been disappointed with Illinois' recent play at home, noting letdowns against Indiana and Wisconsin earlier this month. "We said, hey, let's take some pride in playing at home," Weber said. The coach was taken aback by the Illini's precision, as was Carmody. Illinois was "more fluid," Carmody said in comparing this game with the teams' meeting in January. The Illini were "certainly more confident, not that they weren't before. Somewhere along the line you expect that shooting to diminish." As they have all season, the players remained carefree after the game. Brown and Head took jabs at Powell, who recorded two assists. Teammates had been teasing Powell because he did not have any assists in Big Ten play. "I have to see that in print," Head said."My goal is to get more assists than Dee, Deron [Williams] and Luther in one game," Powell quipped. Weber finally addressed going undefeated in the regular season with his team, a subject he had been avoiding. "We win two more games, we go undefeated in the regular season, which only one other team has done in the Big Ten. Another outright title, first back-to-back titles [for Illinois] since 1951-52," he said. "There are a lot of things on the line. The biggest goal is the national championship." That's no joke to them. Been there, done that.

Watched the game last night. This year I've watched more college basketball than ever.
You should see all the orange at Assembly Hall. When I was in college I was an usher there.

Day Fifteen

You Were Formed For God's Family

" I am the vine, and you are the branches." - John 15:5

"Christ makes us one body... connected to each other." - Romans 12:5

"God is the one who made all things, and all things are for his glory. He wanted to have many children share his glory. - Hebrews 2:10a

"See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are." - 1 John 3:1

His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. - Ephesians 1:5

It was a happy day for him when he gave us our new lives, through the truth of his Word, and we became, as it were, the first children in his new family. - James 1:18

God has given us the privilege of being born again, so that we are now members of God's own family. - 1 Peter 1:3b, Romans 8:15-16

You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. - Galatians 3:26

When I think of the wisdom and scope of his plan I fall down on my knees and pray to the Father of all of the great family of God - some of them already in heaven and some down here on earth. - Ephesians 3:14-15

Since you are his child everything he has belongs to you. - Galatians 4:7b

My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:19

Here on earth we given the riches... of his grace... kindness... patience... glory... wisdom... power and mercy. - Ephesians 1:7, 2:4, 3:16, Romans 2:4, 9:23, 11:33

I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people.
- Ephesians 1:18b

God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. - 1 Peter 1:4

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.
- Colossians 3:23-24a

go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. - Matthew 28:19

Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit.
- 1 Corinthians 12:13

Jesus and the people he makes holy all belong to the same family. That is why he isn't ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. - Hebrews 2:11

(Jesus) pointed to his disciples and said ' These are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!'
- Matthew 12:49-50

DAY FIFTEEN

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point To Ponder: I was formed for God's family.
Verse To Remember: "His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ." - Ephesians 1:5a
Question To Consider: How can I start treating other believers as members of my own family?

What A Wonderful World

I heard this song on the ay to work this morning. It's gonna be a great day!

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shakin' hands, sayin' "How do you do?"
They're really saying "I love you"
I hear babies cryin',
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Oh yeah

The first time I remember hearing this song was in the movie "Good Morning Vietnam"

25,550 Days

I'm reading the "Purpose Driven Life" again and in the first chapter it says that the average person lives 25,550 days (70 years) I checked a life expectancy calculator on MSN and I added 5 years to bring the total to 75 years or 27,375 days. According to my calculations I have just under 10,000 days left (9880) I am really going to start making the most of them.

Day Fourteen

When God Seems Distant

"The Lord has hidden himself from his people, but I trust him and place my hope in him."
- Isaiah 8:17

Lord why are you standing aloof and far away? Why do you hide when I need you most?
- Psalm 10:1

Why have you forsaken me? Why do you remain so distant? Why do you ignore my cries for help? - Psalm 22:1

Why have you abandoned me? - Psalm 43:2

I will never leave you nor forsake you. - Deuteronomy 31:8, Psalm 37:28, John 14:16-18, Hebrews 13:5

I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I turn to the south, but I cannot find him. But he knows where I am going. And when he has tested me like gold in a fire, he will pronounce me innocent. - Job 23:8-10

Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.' - Job 1:20-21

I can't be quiet! I am angry and bitter. I have to speak! - Job 7:11

Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house.
- Job 29:4

I believed, so I said, I am completely ruined. - Psalm 116:10

Praise God that he is good and loving - Job 10:12

Praise God that he is all-powerful - Job 42:2, Job 37:5, Job 23

Praise God that he notices every detail of my life - Job 23:10, Job 31:4

Praise God that he is in control - Job 34:13

Praise God that he has a plan for my life - Job 23:14

Praise God that he will save me - Job 19:25

I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. - Job 23:12

God may kill me, but still I will trust in him. - Job 13:15

Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God. - 2 Corinthians 5:21

DAY FOURTEEN

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point To Ponder: God is real, no matter how I feel.
Verse To Remember: "For God has said, ' I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.'"
Question To Consider: How can I stay focused on God's presence, especially when he feels distant?

Slice Of Heaven

By Todd Plitt, USA TODAY
Exclamation marks dangle in the air like strands of melted mozzarella whenever food writer Ed Levine dives into a pizza that's to his liking. It's part of his chowhound nature. And who can blame him? The slice he has just devoured at Di Fara pizzeria is shout-from-the-rooftops delicious — expertly baked and laden with meaty artichokes and the genuine mozzarella di bufala cheese that only fanatics use. It's a profound creation made by Di Fara's flour-dusted savant, Domenico DeMarco, who has toiled Michelangelo-like in his cramped, oven-side workspace since 1964. "It takes a certain talent, mind-set and temperament to get up every day for 40 years and regard it as a noble endeavor to make pizza," marvels Levine, who enshrines DeMarco and other peerless piemakers in his provocative new book,
Pizza: A Slice of Heaven (Universe, $24.95).

As America observes the 100th anniversary of its first licensed pizzeria, Lombardi's in New York, Levine says it's time to review our love affair with the ancient dish brought here by southern Italian immigrants. Though pizza often is described as the perfect food, it has been stretched and pulled in so many directions that the scarfing masses may have lost sight of what constitutes a superior pie. Levine aims to remind us of why we were originally smitten and identify today's masterful versions so that we can recalibrate our standards. He asserts that "transcendent" pizza is possible only when it's delivered by passionate artisans such as DeMarco — and not by pimply-faced kids working for tips. His approach is heartfelt, but it carries a topping of tough love that might cause heartburn in some corners. "It kills me when people say Pizza Hut's great," Levine, 53, says during a recent visit to several of his favorite yeasty haunts in Brooklyn. "In certain cities across the country, Papa John's would win the readers' survey for best pizza! And I'm thinking, 'Oh, my God, what have we come to?' "

One year and 200 pizzerias later And so Levine, a native New Yorker whose New York Eats books established him as an authority on the city's food treasures, knew he had to accept when a book publisher asked him to search out prime pies and critique the field. He spent a year visiting nearly 200 pizzerias across 20 states, Canada and pizza's ancestral home of Naples, Italy, and rated the best ones. He ate more than 1,000 slices, including frozen versions and ones from every major chain. He consulted with food writers in every region, many of whom contributed essays to the book. "I may have missed an idiosyncratic personal pizza style somewhere, but I would be surprised if there was a great pizza in America that I missed," Levine says. (When prodded, he reveals that he gained only 6 pounds, "because I was fanatical about working out.") Sounds like a dream job, and it was. But from a cultural perspective, it was no trivial pursuit, given how pizza has become such a psychological and economic force. "People's taste memories about pizza are so vivid, so incredibly personal," Levine says. "It's one of those foods you associate with freedom, because it's one of the first things you ate without your parents being there."

Just as important, pizza has mushroomed into a $32-billon-a-year industry and accounts for 10% of all food purchases, according to the trade magazine Pizza Today. As a nation, we inhale at the rate of 350 slices a second, with the bulk of them being supplied by one of the 63,000-plus pizzerias that dot most towns. Even though the chain pizzeria boom in the 1980s and early 1990s has saturated the American market, the overall industry still grows at an annual rate of about 4%, says Pizza Today editor in chief Jeremy White. "A lot of people were worried to death by the low-carb phenomenon, but most places just weathered the storm," White says. "Pizza is kind of like ice cream — no matter what the diet trend out there, they still order." But what does Levine think of what is really being served these days, after a century of Americanizing the traditional Neapolitan model? His survey of the pizza landscape finds it predictably mottled:

•Chicago's deep-dish pizza. "At best, a casserole." (I disagree strongly)
•The famous gourmet pizzas at Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Beverly Hills. "They use great ingredients, but because of the nature of the restaurant, pizza will always be an afterthought."
•Frozen pizza. "I wanted to see if the category had been reinvigorated by all the new technological advancements I had been hearing about. It hasn't." (A noteworthy exception, he says, is American Flatbread.)
•Chain pizza. "Rough. Really rough."

Pizza by the numbers

America's pizza industry has so many distinct branches chain restaurants, independent operators, restaurants where pizza is a sidelight, street vendors, frozen pizzas sold in groceries that accurate statistics on consumption are hard to come by. Here are some of the most recent estimates, drawn from trade magazines, producers and the restaurant industry:

63,800 pizzerias in the USA
2,750 pizzerias in New York
$32 billion: Money spent annually on pizza
3 billion: Pizzas eaten annually. That equals 100 acres of pizza a day or 350 slices a second.
94%: percentage of the population who eat pizza
62%: percentage who prefer meat toppings. Pepperoni is America's favorite topping (36% of all orders). Americans eat about 251.8 million pounds of pepperoni a year.
He guesses that perhaps only 1,000 pizzerias out of 63,000 serve something better than mediocre, and only a handful of those are truly exceptional. Most common sins of the also-rans: "Cut-rate ingredients, too much cheese, cooked tomato sauce and undercooked dough. That gray, gummy stuff." But he also found that "in a surprising number of cities, people are beginning to take pizza more seriously. We're seeing more fresh mozzarella, more wood-burning ovens (which are hotter than most gas ovens and produce a crispier crust). That's a start, but it's not the be-all and end-all. It's not enough to have the oven." No, there also must be "skill, intelligence and obsession," along with superior raw materials. Levine most often found those elements in what he calls the "pizza belt" — a series of enclaves with strong southern Italian traditions that begins in Philadelphia and extends north through Boston. (Though the vast majority of Levine's favorite pizzerias are in the Northeast, he insists he's not biased: "I would have been thrilled to find that West Virginia had an amazing pizza place or North Dakota or whatever, but the belt is where the Neapolitans settled. It's no accident.") The belt is home to such famous places as Totonno's in Brooklyn's Coney Island section, which has been run by four generations of one family since its founding in 1924. During that span, Totonno's has served only pizza, baked in a coal-fired oven that has been replaced only once — a textbook example of the single-minded approach that Levine favors. "We're stubborn," says Louise "Cookie" Ciminieri, who runs the place (and three branches) with son Lawrence. "Pizza is what we know. There has never been a temptation to change." A crust 'like a cloud!' Though some of the old classic parlors are holding steady, Levine also found extraordinary quality in a few newer places run by chefs who, for various reasons, have chosen to focus almost exclusively on pizza. They are creating pies that barely resemble the traditional Neapolitan model. Among them are Andrew Feinberg, 30, of Franny's in Brooklyn ("his crust is gossamer, like a cloud!") and Bronx-born Chris Bianco, 42, of Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, who for a decade has made what Levine says is the best pizza he has ever tasted. Chris makes and smokes his own mozzarella every morning. He has a pizza with red onion, pistachios and rosemary that's one of the most intensely flavored things you can imagine. Whew! It's serious! And Phoenix doesn't have a rich pizza culture, so he has created something from nothing, which is cool." Levine can cite a half-dozen other examples of notable chefs who are getting serious about pizza, and he predicts they'll carry on the legacy of quality into the next century. And if that doesn't pan out, there's always the pizza lover's fallback position: "Even if pizza is bad," Levine says, "it's still fresh bread with melted cheese on it, which is still a pretty good thing, isn't it?"

What a dream job. Pizza is my favorite food. The Chicago area has to have the best pizza of any in the world. I'm biased and I had to include this in my blog.

Day Thirteen

Worship That Pleases God

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." - Mark 12:30

Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him. - Hebrews 12:28

True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. - John 4:23

Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. - 1 Samuel 16:7b

That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. - John 4:23

Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. - 1 Corinthians 14:40

Suppose some strangers are in your worship service, when you are praising God with your spirit. If they don't understand you, how will they know to say 'Amen'? You may be worshipping God in a wonderful way, but no one else will be helped. - 1 Corinthians 14:16 -17

Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. - Romans 12:1

I will not offer to the Lord my God sacrifices that have cost me nothing. - 2 Samuel 24:24

DAY THIRTEEN

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point To Ponder: God wants all of me.
Verse To Remember: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." - Mark 12:30
Question To Consider: Which is more pleasing to God right now - my public worship or my private worship? What will I do about this?

Day Twelve

Developing Your Friendship With God

"He offers his friendship to the godly." - Proverbs 3:32

"Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you." - James 4:8

because of God's grace, Jesus is the friend of sinners. - Matthew 11:19

You haven't been honest either with me or about me - not the way my friend Job has... My friend Job will now pray for you and I will accept his prayer. - Job 42:7b

Look, you tell me to lead this people but you don't let me know whom you are going to send with me... If I'm so special to you, let me in on your plans... Don't forget this is your people, your responsibility... If your presence doesn't take the lead here, call this trip off right now! How else will I know that you're with me in this, with me and your people? Are you traveling with us or not?... God said to Moses, 'All right. Just as you say; this I will also do for you, for I know you well and you are special to me. - Exodus 33:12-17

I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles. For I am overwhelmed. - Psalm 142:2-3a

You are my friends if you do what I command. - John 15:14

I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my father and remain in his love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! - John 15:9-11

What please the Lord more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obedience to his voice? It is better to obey than to sacrifice. - 1 Samuel 15:22

This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him. - Matthew 3:17

He went back to Nazareth with them, and lived obediently with them. - Luke 2:51

The thing that has me so upset is that I care about you so much - this is the passion of God burning inside me! - 2 Corinthians 11:2

Passion for your house burns within me, so those who insult you are also insulting me.
- Psalm 69:9

The thing I seek most of all is the privilege of meditating in his Temple, living in his presence every day of my life, delighting in his incomparable perfections and glory. - Psalm 27:4

Your love means more than life to me. - Psalm 63:3

I will not let you go unless you bless me. - Genesis 32:26

My determined purpose is that I may know Him - that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly. - Philippians 3:10

When you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else. I'll make sure you won't be disappointed. - Jeremiah 29:13

Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life - they don't know God.
- 1 Timothy 6:21a

DAY TWELVE

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point To Ponder: I am as close to God as I choose to be.
Verse To Remember: "Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you." - James 4:8a
Question To Consider: What practical choices will I make today in order to grow closer to God?

American Splendor

I stayed up last night and watched the movie "American Splendor" that I checked out http://www.americansplendormovie.com/main.html
about the life of comic book writer Harvey Pekar. It was slow but interesting and won lots of movie awards. I might have to start a comic book about my adventures.

Synopsis

American Splendor immerses you in the life and worldview of Harvey Pekar, working-class Everyman, first-class curmudgeon, and unlikely family man. It’s a pretty ordinary life: a dead-end job as a file clerk at a local V.A. hospital; an apartment in the same Rust Belt city, Cleveland, where he was born and raised; two busted marriages; and various hobbies and interests that help pass the time. But Harvey’s take on that life, and how he deals with it, is anything but average. Innately pessimistic and hilariously expressive, Harvey opines, complains, confronts, and on those occasions when he sees or experiences something fine, appreciates. His humanity and curiosity are as intrinsic to his personality as his acerbic humor.

There is something about the mundane of everyday life that I like. I think that's why I like books by authors like Anne Tyler. I just finished reading the book "Confederacy Of Dunces" for the second time. It wasn't as funny as I remember. That Ignatius Reilly is some wacky character. I'm just about finished with a new book by David Israel - "Behind Everyman" I saw something about it in one of the book newsletters I get and reserved it right away at the library. I think I'm the first one to check it out. I wonder if they bought it just for me. Anyone else who reads it should enjoy it. It's very sarcastic and funny. I hope someday I can get going on a novel. All these ideas buzzing around my head.

Did You Know This?

DID YOU KNOW ALL THIS? I SURELY DIDN'T.
As you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world's law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view ... it is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments!

DID YOU KNOW? As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door.

DID YOU KNOW? As you sit inside the courtroom, you can see the wall, right above where the Supreme Court judges sit, a display of the Ten Commandments!

DID YOU KNOW? There are Bible verses etched in stone all over the Federal Buildings and Monuments in Washington, D.C.

DID YOU KNOW? James Madison, the fourth president, known as "The Father of Our Constitution" made the following statement: "We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."

DID YOU KNOW? Patrick Henry, that patriot and Founding Father of our country said: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ".

DID YOU KNOW? Every session of Congress begins with a prayer by a paid preacher, whose salary has been paid by the taxpayers since 1777.

DID YOU KNOW? Fifty-two of the 55 founders of the Constitution were members of the established orthodox churches in the colonies.

DID YOU KNOW? Thomas Jefferson worried that the Courts would overstep their authority and instead of interpreting the law would begin making law.

DID YOU KNOW? The very first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay, said:"Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers." How, then, have we gotten to the point that everything we have done for 220 years in this country is now suddenly wrong and unconstitutional? Please forward this to everyone you can. Lets put it around the world and let the world see and remember what this great country was built on.

It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore I have a very hard time understand-ing why there is such a mess about having the 10 commandments on display or "In God We Trust" on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Why don't we just tell the 14% to Sit Down and SHUT UP!!! or go back to their country to live.

A Miracle

"There are two ways to look at life. One is as though nothing is a miracle; the other is as though everything is." - Albert Einstein

Language

"Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin

No Sadder Sight

"There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist." - Mark Twain

Be Not Afraid Of Going Slowly

"Be not afraid of going slowly; be only afraid of standing still." - Chinese Proverb

Illinis Hold Off Hawkeyes

The Associated Press
February 19, 2005, 1:48 PM CST IOWA CITY
Deron Williams and Dee Brown each scored 18 points and No. 1 Illinois turned back repeated threats from Iowa to remain unbeaten with a 75-65 victory Saturday. Illinois (27-0, 13-0 Big Ten) survived foul problems, a determined opponent and a subpar game by leading scorer Luther Head to keep several streaks intact. The Illini are off to their best start ever, have won 23 straight conference games and now have 14 consecutive road victories. A gritty effort wasn't quite enough for Iowa (16-9, 4-8), which fell to 1-4 since leading scorer Pierre Pierce was kicked off the team. The Hawkeyes trailed by just two points with 4½ minutes to play before a 14-5 run finished them off. Every Illinois starter had at least three fouls and forward Roger Powell, who was whistled four times, was limited to 15 minutes. James Augustine added 13 points for the Illini, while Head, averaging 16.9, managed just seven on 1-for-7 shooting. Adam Haluska led Iowa with 20 points, while Greg Brunner had 15 and Jeff Horner 12. Roughly 3,500 orange-clad Illinois fans swelled the crowd to a sellout, just the second for Iowa this season. Both sides had plenty to cheer during the intense game, one team battling to stay perfect, the other trying to keep its fading NCAA tournament hopes alive. Trailing by 12 early in the second half, Iowa kept clawing and got within two points three times, the last at 60-58 on Mike Henderson's two free throws with 4:34 left. Then, as they have done all season when threatened, the Illini responded.Nick Smith made two free throws, Williams hit a 10-footer and the ultra-quick Brown scored on a breakaway to make it 66-58. After Horner drained a 3-pointer, Brown answered with a deep 3 of his own. When the 7-foot-2 Smith drained a fadeaway 3 from the right corner -- his second of the season -- with 51 seconds to play, the Illini were up 72-63 and -- finally -- out of danger. Iowa slowed Illinois for much of the first half with solid defense, starting out in man-to-man, switching to zone and then back to man. The Illini often had to go deep into the 35-second clock before getting a shot and once were forced into a violation. The Hawkeyes led 11-7 after holding Illinois scoreless for more than 5 1/2 minutes. Williams ended the drought with a 3-pointer and the teams went back and forth until Horner passed out of a double team to Erek Hansen for a wide-open dunk, tying the score at 20. Powell then made two free throws, Williams followed with a jumper and the Illini never trailed again. Williams high-arcing shot in the lane with 3 seconds left gave Illinois a 36-28 halftime lead and he started the second half with two jumpers to make it 40-28. The Illini then went more than 5 minutes without a field goal and Iowa responded with a 10-1 run, drawing to 41-38 on Horner's 3 from the top of the key. The pattern never changed after that: Iowa threatened and Illinois answered. Copyright © 2005, The Associated Press

Day Eleven

Becoming Best Friends With God

"Since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by His life." - Romans 5:10

Now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God - all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God. - Romans 5:11

All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends.
- 2 Corinthians 5:18a

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you. - John 15:15

He is a God who is passionate about his relationship with you. - Exodus 34:14

He made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. - Acts 17:26-27

If any want to boast, they should boast they know and understand me... These are the things that please me. - Jeremiah 9:24

He rules everything and is everywhere and is in everything. - Ephesians 4:6b

pray all the time. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

God revealed himself to Samuel through his word. - 1 Samuel 3:21

I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. - Job 23:12

Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. - Psalm 119:97

They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about them. - Psalm 77:12

Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him. With them alone he shares the secrets of his promises. - Psalm 25:14

DAY ELEVEN

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point To Ponder: God wants to be my best friend.
Verse to Remember: "Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him."
- Psalm 25:14a
Question To Consider: What can I do to remind myself to think about God and talk to him more often throughout the day?

Day Ten

The Heart of Worship

Give yourselves to God... Surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes. - Romans 6:13

because he first loved us. - 1 John 4:9-10, 19

So then my friends, because of God's great mercy to us... offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and to pleasing him. This is the true worship that you should offer. - Romans 12:1

God proves his love to us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

You'll be like God. - Genesis 3:5

Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets. - Luke 5:5

Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him. - Psalm 37:7a

You cannot serve both God and money. - Matthew 6:24

Wherever your treasure is, your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:21

Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine. - Mark 14:36

Stop quarreling with God! If you agree with him, you will have peace at last, and things will go well for you. - Job 22:21

Offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits... His commands set you free to live openly in his freedom. - Romans 6:17

I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. - Luke 1:38

So give yourselves completely to God. - James 4:7a

So we make it our goal to please Him. - 2 Corinthians 5:9

I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me, that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency. - Philippians 4:13

If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing to give up their lives daily to follow me. - Luke 9:23

DAY TEN

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point To Ponder: The heart of worship is surrender.
Verse To Remember: "Surrender your whole being to Him to be used for righteous purposes." - Romans 6:13b
Question To Consider: What area of my life am I holding back from God?

Today Is Michael Jordan's Birthday

Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York is a former National Basketball Association www.nba.com player, by many accounts the best in history.

An unstoppable force at both ends of the floor, Jordan ended a career of 15 full seasons with a regular-season scoring average of 30.12 points per game, the highest in NBA history (fractionally ahead of Wilt Chamberlain's 30.06). He won six championships, notched 10 scoring titles, and was league MVP five times. He was named to the All-Defensive First Team more than any other player, and led the league in steals three times. In 1991, he was named Sports Illustrated www.sportsillustrated.com magazine's "Sportsman of The Year."

Personal life

Jordan was born to Deloris and James Jordan in Brooklyn, New York but spent his childhood in Wilmington, North Carolina. He was educated at Emsley A. Laney High School and later at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a geography major. Jordan has two older brothers (Larry and James), one older sister (Delores) and one younger sister (Roslyn). Michael Jordan currently lives in Highland Park, Illinois.

University of North Carolina

As a UNC freshman, Jordan was an exciting, but not dominant, player. He ended the 1982 year in grand style, hitting the winning shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game against Georgetown, led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing. By his sophomore year, he was clearly the team's biggest star; as a junior, he was named the national player of the year. He was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 1984 NBA Draft as the third pick overall.

Chicago Bulls

Jordan played 13 seasons for the Chicago Bulls, generally as a shooting guard. But his height (6'6", or 1.98 m), skills, and physical conditioning made him a versatile threat who could also play point guard and small forward. He won six NBA Championships (1991-1993 and 1996- 1998) and was league MVP five times (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996 and 1998). He was also named Rookie of the Year (1985) and Defensive Player of the Year (1988), and won the Finals MVP award every year the Bulls reached the Finals -- a feat not likely to ever be duplicated. He also earned the elusive MVP triple crown (league, finals, all-star game) twice when he won All-Star MVP in both 1996 and 1998 (he also won in 1988). Only Willis Reed (1970) and Shaquille O'Neal (2000) have won all three MVP awards in the same season. In 1997, he also recorded the All-Star Game's only triple-double. Jordan's #23 jersey was retired by the Bulls upon his retirement, and when he made his return in 1995, he did so wearing #45, the number he wore for the Birmingham Barons minor league baseball team. But he broke out his old #23 jersey during a second-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic, and continued to wear #23 for the remainder of his NBA career.

Family tragedy

Jordan's father, James, was murdered in August 1993. While returning from the funeral of a friend, he decided to pull over onto the side of an interstate highway in North Carolina for a nap. While he was sleeping, two local criminals killed him and stole his Lexus (a gift from Michael), but the perpetrators were quickly found because they had made several calls from his cell phone. Michael and family did not immediately file a missing persons report, because the elder Jordan frequently took long trips by himself. By the time a report was filed, James' body, found bloated and floating in a river, had been cremated per local health laws as a John Doe. Media outlets initially tried connecting James' murder to Michael's alleged gambling habit, which had been widely publicized when Michael confessed to losing tens of thousands of dollars betting on his golf games.

Michael retired from basketball two days before the 1993-94 NBA season to pursue an unspectacular professional baseball career for the Birmingham Barons, a Chicago White Sox farm team. Many interpreted this pursuit of another childhood dream as a way to grieve. He batted .202 with 3 HR, 51 RBI, 30 SB (tied-5th in Southern League), 11 errors and 6 outfield assists. He led the club with 11 bases-loaded RBI and 25 RBI with runners in scoring position and two outs. He was never called up to the majors.

He ended his basketball retirement on March 19, 1995 by rejoining the Bulls. He led them to the Eastern Conference Semifinals that year, ultimately bowing out to the Orlando Magic. Beginning the next year, he won three consecutive NBA titles between 1996 and 1998, Jordan decided to retire again on January 13, 1999.

Washington Wizards

In 2001, he came out of retirement a second time to play for the Washington Wizards, though his skills were noticeably diminished by age. Yet despite an injury-plagued 2001-02 season, he still averaged nearly 23 points per game. He returned for the 2002-03 season and averaged 20 points. Playing in his 13th and final NBA All-Star Game, he embarrassingly missed an uncontested slam dunk -- formerly the hallmark of his career -- in front of a stunned national television audience. The 2002-03 season was heralded from the beginning as Jordan's final goodbye to his fans and, true to his word, he retired for the third and final time at the season's conclusion.

At the beginning of the 2001-2002 basketball season, Michael Jordan donated his entire $1 million salary to help the victims of the September 11th attacks. Out of respect for Jordan's legacy, the Miami Heat retired his #23 jersey on April 11, 2003, despite the fact that he never played for the Heat. It was the first jersey the Heat retired in their then-15-year history, and it was half Wizards blue, half Bulls red.

The Olympics

Jordan played on two Olympic gold medal-winning American basketball teams: as a college player in the 1984 Summer Olympics, and in the 1992 Summer Olympics as a member of the original "Dream Team," with other legends such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. It is also often rumored that Jordan kept guard Isaiah Thomas off the roster. During Jordan's first All-Star game, Thomas is said to have orchestrated a "freeze-out" of Jordan—in other words, he convinced other veteran All-Stars to not pass the ball to this cocky rookie. Some allege Thomas' plan even extended to players on the opposing Western Conference team, although it's admittedly hard to see how; Johnson is generally believed to have been a party to the freeze-out. However, by the time of the 1992 Olympics, Johnson had worked to heal the breach between him and Jordan, unlike Thomas.

My basketball hero. He was the reason I started watching pro basketball.

Expect Things Of Yourself

“You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” - Michael Jordan

Day Nine

What Makes God Smile?

May the Lord smile on you. - Numbers 6:25

Smile on me your servant; teach me the right way to live. - Psalm 119:135

Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it. - Ephesians 5:10

Noah was a pleasure to the Lord. - Genesis 6:8

Noah consistently followed God's will and enjoyed a close relationship with Him.
- Genesis 6:9b

I don't want your sacrifices - I want your love; I don't want your offerings - I want you to know me. - Hosea 6:6

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the first and greatest commandment. - Matthew 22:37-38

By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn't see, and acted on what he was told... as a result Noah became intimate with God.
- Hebrews 11:7

He takes pleasure in those who honor Him; in those who trust in His constant love.
- Psalm 147:11

Without faith it is impossible to please God. - Hebrews 11:6

So Noah did everything as God had commanded him. - Genesis 6:22 & Hebrews 11:7b

Obey Him gladly - Psalm 100:2

Just tell me what to do and I will do it, Lord. As long as I live I'll wholeheartedly obey.
- Psalm 119:33

We please God by what we do and not only by what we believe. - James 2:24

If you love me, you will obey my commandments. - John 14:15

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord... and sacrificed burnt offerings on it. - Genesis 8:20

I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord.
- Psalm 69:30-31

The righteous are glad and rejoice in his presence; they are happy and shout for joy.
- Psalm 68:3

Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth... Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants I now give you everything. - Genesis 9:1,3

The steps of the Godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives.
- Psalm 37:23

He has shaped each person in turn; now He watches everything we do. - Psalm 33:15

You have no right to argue with your Creator. You are merely a clay pot shaped by a potter. The clay doesn't ask, "Why did you make me this way?" - Isaiah 45:9

God... generously gives us everything for our enjoyment. - 1 Timothy 6:17

He certainly knows what we are made of. He bears in mind that we are dust. - Psalm 103:14

More than anything else, however, we want to please him, whether in our home here or there. - 2 Corinthians 5:9

The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who are wise, who want to please God. - Psalm 14:2

DAY NINE

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point To Ponder: God smiles when I trust him.
Verse To Remember: "The Lord is pleased with those who worship him and trust his love." - Psalm 147:11
Question To Consider: Since God knows what is best, in what areas of my life do I need to trust him most?

Day Eight

Planned For God's Pleasure

You created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.
- Revelation 4:11

The Lord takes pleasure in his people. - Psalm 149:4a

Because of his love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children - this was his pleasure and purpose. - Ephesians 1:5

The Lord is pleased only with those who worship him and trust his love. - Psalm 147:11

The Father seeks worshipers. - John 4:23

These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. - Isaiah 29:13

Worship him continually. - Psalm 105:4

Praise him from sunrise to sunset. - Psalm 113:3

I will thank the Lord at all times. My mouth will always praise him. - Psalm 34:1

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
- 1 Corinthians 10:23

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
- Colossians 3:23

Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking around life - and place it before God as an offering. - Romans 12:1

DAY EIGHT

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point To Ponder: I was planned for God's pleasure.
Verse To Remember: "The Lord takes pleasure in his people." - Psalm 149:4a
Question To Consider: What common task could I start doing as if I were doing it directly for Jesus?

Day Seven

The Reason For Everything

Everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything for his glory. - Romans 11:36

The Lord has made everything for his own purposes. - Proverbs 16:4

The heavens declare the glory of God. - Psalm 19:1

The city does not need the sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light.
- Revelation 21:23

The Son is the radiance of God's glory. - Hebrews 1:3 & 2 Corinthians 4:6b

The word became human and lived among us. We saw his glory... a glory full of grace and truth. - John 1:14

You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created everything. - Revelation 4:11a

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. - Romans 3:23

They are my own people, and I created them to bring me glory. - Isaiah 43:7

I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do. - John 17:4

Use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God. - Romans 6:13b

Our love for each other proves that we have gone from death to life. - 1 John 3:14

Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified. - Romans 15:7

As I have loved you, so must you love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. - John 13:34,35

As the spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more. - 2 Corinthians 3:18

May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation - those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ - for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
- Philippians 1:11 & John 15:8

God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you... Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then God will be given glory.
- 1 Peter 4:10-11 & 2 Corinthians 8:19b

As God's grace brings more and more people to Christ, ... God will receive more and more glory. - 2 Corinthians 4:15

My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save me from this hour?' But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father glorify thy name. - John 12:27-28

Anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But, if you let go,... you will have it forever, real and eternal. - John 12:25

Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. - 2 Peter 1:3

To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. - John 1:12

Whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever!
- John 3:36a

DAY SEVEN

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point To Ponder: It's all for him.
Verse To Remember: "For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory." - Romans 11:36
Question To Consider: Where in my daily routine can I become more aware of God's glory?

Heroic St. Valentine

From the parish bulletin:

St. Valentine was a Christian priest and martyr who lived about 270 A.D. The Roman emperor at the time was Claudius II. Claudius II had been a successful general. He would not allow his soldiers to marry, because he wanted to make sure they could go to battle quickly. He thought family ties would make the men reluctant to leave home. Because Valentine promoted marriage and family life he was jailed and later convicted of going against the orders of the emperor. He was martyred on February 14th, the day we remember him and our loved ones. While he was in jail the jailer's daughter befriended him. Her wrote a letter of appreciation and signed it "Your Valentine." The tradition of exchanging valentines grew out of this heartfelt gesture.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Affection

"Talk not of wasted affection; affection never was wasted." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Love

"Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own." - Robert Heinlein

Love

"Who, being loved, is poor?" - Oscar Wilde

Day Six

Life Is A Temporary Assignment

Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away. - Psalm 39:4

I am here on earth for just a little while. - Psalm 119:19

For we were born but yesterday... Our days on earth are as transient as a shadow. - Job 8:9

Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here but for a moment more. - Psalm 39:4

I am but a foreigner here on earth. - Psalm 119:19

If you call God your Father, live your time as temporary residents on earth. - 1 Peter 1:17

All they think about is this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. - Philippians 3:19-20

You're cheating on God if all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. - James 4:4

We are Christ's ambassadors. - 2 Corinthians 5:20

Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. - 1 Peter 2:11

Those in frequent contact with the things of the world should make good use of them without becoming attached to them, for this world and all it contains will pass away.
- 1 Corinthians 7:31

Things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever. - 2 Corinthians 4:18b

We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:18

All these great people died in faith. They did not get the things that God promised his people, but they saw them coming far in the future and were glad. They said they were like visitors and strangers on earth... they were waiting for a better country a heavenly country, So God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he has prepared a city for them.
- Hebrews 11:13, 16

DAY SIX

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point To Ponder: This world is not my home.
Verse To Remember: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:18
Question To Consider: How should the fact that life on earth is just a temporary assignment change the way I am living right now?

Two Victories

Both of my sons won their basketball games today and they both scored a basket.
My youngest son's team played St. Joseph's in Downer's Grove and won 23 to 4.
My oldest son's team played St. Dominic's in Bolingbrook and they won 19 to 16.
The season is almost over only two more weeks and then the tournaments.

My youngest son was an altar server at the noon mass. It was the first Sunday of Lent.

Jesus' Example
"He fasted forty days and forty nights and afterwards He was famished." - Matthew 4:2

Unnecessary Warning Labels

From Chicago Tribune Challenge #121 Published February 13, 2005

Warning: Read This With Your Eyes Open

Readers came up with ridiculously silly and unnecessary warning labels:

Top three entries

First place:Bags of ice cubes: Do not sterilize in boiling water.
Blindfolds: Do not operate a motor vehicle while using this product.
Earplugs: May cause temporary hearing loss.
Second place:McDonald's Happy Meal: Warning, this is not a mood-enhancing food.
Third place:Subconscious: Enter at great personal risk.

Others:

Notice: If parachute is defective, return to place of purchase.
Caution: Gangplank is slippery when wet.
Toilet paper: Unwrap roll before using.
Refrigerator: Keep in upright position for best results.
Elephant: Do not follow too closely.
Sleeping pills: May cause drowsiness.
Milk: Contains dairy product.
Jeans: To prevent falls, insert only one leg at a time.
Pencil: Never use as food source, dental-care device, belly-button lint remover or ear-care implement. Remember to dull pencil leads slightly before shooting them into office ceiling tiles, and of course, never run with same--you could put an eye out!
All dinner and salad forks should contain the following warning: This utensil should not be used to remove foreign objects from your eye.
Remove head from under car tires before taking out jack stand.
Place steel ladder in dry spot and put shoes on bare feet before use of power tools.
Do not lick skillet before removing it from stove.
A serious injury could occur should you attempt to exit plane before it lands.
Life preserver warning: Keep product dry at all times, as material is not colorfast.
Marshmallows: Choking hazard if 12 or more are eaten at one time.
Watching "Maury" or "Jerry Springer" may cause unplanned pregnancy with questionable paternity, and brain damage for those viewers actually possessing a brain.
Gasoline marquee: Warning, blink and the price increases
Mirror: Turn clear glass side toward you and look at reflection. Not returnable for ugly images!Hammer: Lift with dominant hand and strike downward. Be sure to miss fingers of other hand when holding an object.
Toilet paper: Rarely will the paper tear on the perforations. Works satisfactorily using random scraps.
Binoculars: Warning: Objects may be farther away than they appear.
Reality TV show: Warning, the events and people portrayed are not real.
Crack in sidewalk: Warning, stepping on this crack may result in maternal dorsal injury.
On bananas and oranges: Remove peel before eating.
On hats: Warning! May cause flattening of hair.
Warning on iron: Caution, do not iron clothes while on body.
Toilet brush: Caution, not to be used for personal hygiene.
Drano: Do not use to dislodge items clogging throat, use Heimlich maneuver instead.
On a coffin: For use by deceased individuals only.
Contact lenses: Before insertion, read all directions carefully.
On a soda can: For oral use only.
On contact lens box: Eyes must be open to insert.
Chewing gum: Warning, may experience difficulty walking while chewing.
Lawn mower warning: Not intended for indoor use.
Egg: Warning, remove from shell before eating.
Automobile warnings:When riding in the trunk with the lid closed, sitting up quickly may cause head injuries.
Driving under 40 m.p.h. on the tollway may cause vehicular damage as other motorists throw things at your car.
Do not attempt to adjust the mirrors to make objects appear the correct size.
Doorknob: Do not hang clothes here.
Los Angeles Air Warning: If you can read this label, do not attempt to breathe!
Chainsaw: Do not check sharpness of blade with finger while saw is running.
McDonald's coffee: Warning, as contents may be very hot, we will be forced to eliminate anyone who purposefully spills coffee on themselves with the intention of suing us.
Boat anchor: Warning, in the event of a maritime disaster, not to be used as a flotation device.
This one covers everything: Warning, when using this item, just don't be a complete idiot.
False teeth: Warning, remove dentures from your mouth before you soak 'em.
Garage-door installation: Warning, make sure garage door is in "up" position before parking car.
Caution: Remove gas tank lid before attempting a fill-up.
Bread: Best used when not encased in mold.
Chainsaw: Do not use as yard weeder or for trimming sideburns and nose hairs.
Second notice: Nonpayment may incur the debt penalty.
Motor home windshield, driver's side: Do not leave your seat while driving!
On a bag of microwave popcorn: For best results, pop corn before consuming.
Caution: Please do not use your finger or tongue in testing the readiness of your steam iron. This may cause a serious burn!
Caution: Please remove hand or fingers before closing top on the waffle iron. Non-removal may cause waffles to brown improperly.
Viagra: Warning, may cause swelling.

Arthur Miller, 1915-2005

We are all Willy Loman

By Chris Jones Chicago Tribune arts critic
Published February 13, 2005

In modern-day America, where the free-market flourishes along with sincere Judao-Christian moralism, there is one widespread, fundamental impediment to widespread popular happiness. We desperately want to be liked -- loved, even -- by our fellow human beings. Yet our inherently competitive economic system requires us simultaneously to beat them to the punch. You can see this anxiety-inducing paradox every-where -- the classroom, the church or synagogue, the workplace, even the family room. Government policy -- be it Democratic or Republican -- is shot through with a contradiction that everyone knows but few dare admit. Its fangs inform the debates over taxation, education, Social Security. Sure, we parse these opposing forces where we can: we argue that love can be tough or that we don't crave anymore success than we already enjoy. We think we can be something other than selfish, or that selfishness can be morally righteous. But most of us fail to fool either ourselves or our God for long. And we surely failed to fool Arthur Miller. His "Death of a Salesman," a play about the slow but inevitable destruction of the quotidian foot-soldier of American business known as Willy Loman, is the greatest play ever written about ever-ascendant but ever-nervous America. At this moment of his early peak at the age of 32 (so early that he had to spend years under its oft-debilitating shadow), Miller had our collective, 20th Century number better than any other dramatist -- before or since. He wasn't the first to select the salesman -- the man who produces nothing but lives on a wan smile and a fragile shoeshine -- as emblematic of the underbelly of the American dream. But nobody has ever done so better. As Elia Kazan, the first director of this towering work, figured out during early rehearsals, Willy Loman is indeed a tragic figure. He confuses -- and thus cannot reconcile -- his need to be loved with his need for success. And that failure pulls him apart. Tragically so. He even poisons -- figuratively but agonizingly -- his own children. Many of us worry about doing precisely the same. "All My Sons," the story of a businessman who cuts corners and puts soldiers at risk, was an embryonic probing of much the same issue. Joe Keller was doing what he had to do to thrive in business -- and he forgot what it means to be a human being with a sense of personal morality. All at once, Miller forgave him and refused to forgive him. Within two years, he'd upped the ante to full-blown tragedy. By traditional standards, of course, "Death of a Salesman" is not a tragedy. In the classical era, the critic Aristotle defined the tragic hero as an imperfect but empathetic figure with "magnitude," someone whose fall impacts others beyond himself. Thus when Sophocles' Oedipus -- or Shakespeare's King Lear -- rips himself into pieces due to some manifestation of the love-versus-competition paradox, entire nations come crashing down along with him. Before Miller, tragedy was the elevated province of monarchs and dictators. By contrast, the death of Willy Loman -- Willy 'Low-Man' -- affects no one outside his tiny personal circle. His career was insignificant -- even inept. He was never a great salesman, in part because he made the lifelong mistake of believing that business leaders become great business leaders by being loved by all, rather than by doing better than everyone else, which really is the case. No one has ever paid Willy much mind. That's why Linda, his enabling wife, insists time and time again that "attention must be paid" to this man. "He is not to be allowed to fall into his grave like an old dog," she says, even as that's what happens. But as he articulated in his famous essay "Tragedy and the Common Man," Miller had come to the brilliant realization that classical notions of tragedy held no sway in mature, capitalist societies. In his white-collar, post-war, ideologically oppositional America, Miller saw tragic heroes on every commuter train -- their regal robes replaced by fading business suits. These were men -- and they always were men -- whose magnitude was derived from their ubiquity. There were -- are -- millions of Willy Lomans in America. And, for that matter, in China, where they understood this play all too well. In "Death of a Salesman," Miller argued relentlessly for the brilliant notion of representative magnitude. Why should the nobility of tragedy be reserved for the aristocratic by birth? If millions of people suffer the same fate as Willy Loman, then surely the man has the weight both of numbers and human misery?Attention, indeed, must be paid. There are those who find this play to be a flawed melodrama -- or, at best, the ripe tale of a pathetic but not tragic man who sleeps with a floozy, reveals himself to be a hypocrite, and thus sends his kids off the rails. You can make that case. Many productions -- especially the simple-minded ones -- have emphasized it. But if you think that this play is a battle between an individual soul and the wolves of the great American marketplace, you must reach the conclusion that it's the great American tragedy. We've all known Willy Loman -- he has been our co-worker, our friend, our father. We have bits of him inside ourselves. Miller, friend of the working stiff, said that he mattered. And he was right.

Google Hacking

Google Hacking' Digs Up Sensitive Material
Sun Feb 13, 7:04 AM ET By Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hackers have found a handy tool to take control of bank accounts, tap into corporate computer networks and dig up sensitive government documents. It's called Google. The Internet's most popular search engine can find everything from goldfish-care tips to old classmates in the blink of an eye, but it's equally adept at finding caches of credit-card numbers and back doors into protected databases.

Google Inc. (Nasdaq:GOOG - news) and other search providers create an inventory of the World Wide Web through an automated process that can uncover obscure Web pages not meant for the public. "If you don't want the world to see it, keep it off the Web," said Johnny Long, a Computer Sciences Corp. (NYSE:CSC - news) researcher and author of "Google Hacking for Penetration Testers."

Unlike other intrusion techniques, Google hacking doesn't require special software or an extensive knowledge of computer code. At a recent hackers' conference in Washington, Long demonstrated the eye-opening results of dozens of well-crafted Google searches. Using Google, identity thieves can easily find credit-card and bank-account numbers, tax returns, and other personal information buried in court documents, expense reports and school Web sites that contain such information. Google hackers can download Department of Homeland Security threat assessments marked "For Official Use Only." They can gain control of office printers, Internet phones and other devices controlled through a Web interface -- including electrical power systems. "One Google query, a couple of buttons, you can actually turn off power to their house," Long said. Corporate spies can uncover passwords and user names needed to log on to a corporate network, or find poorly configured computers that still use default passwords.
A search for error messages can provide important clues for intruders as well. One particular Google feature allows users to pull up older versions of a Web page. Such "cached" pages can turn up security holes even after they've been fixed, or allow an intruder to scan a network without leaving a footprint.

It's impossible to tell how often malevolent hackers use Google. But the recent emergence of computer worms that spread using the search engine suggests that Google hacking has been common practice for years, Long said. "As soon as something gets to the worm phase, it's been in the manual phase for quite some time," he said in an interview with Reuters. Long said Google should not be blamed for the effectiveness of its search engine, though he said the company could raise the alarm when it notices suspicious activity.

"Google removes content from search results under very limited circumstances," Google spokesman Steve Langdon said in an e-mail message, citing pages that contain child pornography, credit-card numbers and other personal information, or copyrighted material that is used without permission. Microsoft Corp.'s (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) recent acquisition of several security firms underlines the rising concern about online threats. As awareness of Google hacking grows, security experts are boning up on search techniques to make sure their systems aren't vulnerable. Long's Web site www.johnny.ihackstuff.com has collected more than 1,000 Google searches that can uncover flaws, and free software programs by Foundstone Inc. (NYSE:MFE - news) and SensePost can run those searches automatically. Anybody with a Web site should Google themselves using a "site:" query that lists every Web site they have available online, Long said. "The most practical thing I can tell people is to be fully aware of what their Google presence is. Companies and even individuals should be aware of what they look like through Google," he said.

Tools

"One only needs two tools in life: WD-40 to make things go, and duct tape to make them stop." - G. Weilacher

Day Five

Seeing Life From God's View

What is your life? - James 4:14b

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are - Anais Nin

Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God.
- Romans 12:12

God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out. - 1 Corinthians 10:13

Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God Promised to those who love him. - James 1:12

The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it are his.
- Psalm 24:1

God blessed them, and said 'Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge. - Genesis 1:28

What do you have that God hasn't given you? And if all you have is from God, why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own? - 1 Corinthians 4:7b

Those who are trusted with something valuable must show they are worthy of that trust.
- 1 Corinthians 4:2

Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness. - Matthew 25:21

If you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? - Luke 16:11

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. - Luke 12:48b

DAY FIVE

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point To Ponder: Life is a test and a trust.
Verse to Remember: "Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones." - Luke 16:10a
Question To Consider: What has happened to me recently that I now realize was a test from God? What are the greatest matters God has entrusted to me?

Tooth Enamel

Tooth enamel is the hardest substance manufactured by the human body.

Illini Remain Perfect

Luther Head scores 26 points to lead Illinois to the 70-59 victory.

By Jim Paul Associated Press Writer - February 12, 2005

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - Dee Brown sat on the bench more than he had all season. He was on the court down the stretch, however, and hit two long 3-pointers to seal unbeaten and top-ranked Illinois' 70-59 victory over No. 20 Wisconsin on Saturday. "Those were daggers," said teammate Deron Williams, who hit two key 3-pointers to ignite a 10-0 run early in the second half that erased a one-point Wisconsin lead and put the Illini (25-0, 11-0 Big Ten) in control.

"These guys got me the ball in good position," Brown said looking at Williams and Luther Head, who led the Illini with 26 points. "I just set my feet and took a couple of shots." The Illini tied the school record with their 25th consecutive win. That streak was set over three seasons from February 1914 to February 1916. It was Illinois' 19th straight win at home and was played before a record Assembly Hall crowd of 16,865.

Head's 26 points tied his season high and came without benefit of a 3-pointer. He was 12-of-13 from the free-throw line. But it was Brown who brought the crowd's loudest roar of the day.
Just after picking up his fourth foul, he hit the first big 3 with 3:10 to go and only 2 seconds remaining on the shot clock. It ended a 6-2 run by the Badgers and gave Illinois a 57-49 lead.
"Every time they made a run, we made a shot," Brown said.

The Badgers (16-6, 7-4) got a basket from Kammron Taylor and Illinois' Roger Powell Jr. hit two free throws to make it 59-51 before Brown pushed Illinois' lead to double figures for the first time with an NBA-range jumper with 1:43 left that made it 62-51. He finished 4-of-6 from 3-point range. "When a guy hits a 3 from that range, you don't have an answer for that," Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. Brown finished with 16 points in a season-low 26 minutes. Williams scored 15 points.

Alando Tucker scored 24 points for the Badgers (16-6, 7-4). Mike Wilkinson scored only two points in the second half after helping keep the Badgers close early and finished with eight points, the first time in 15 games he scored fewer than 10. "They worked me in the post trying to move around and make the entry passes tough," Wilkinson said. "They did a good job pressuring (our) guards. Sometimes it's hard to get the ball in the post."

Wisconsin trailed 27-26 at halftime and started the second half with two free throws from Tucker to take its third and last lead of the game. Williams went down court and hit the first of two straight 3-pointers to give the Illini a 30-28 lead and ignite what would be the decisive run. He hit again from long range 40 seconds later and then hit a short jumper from the lane that put Illinois ahead 35-28. Head hit two of his 12 free throws to finish the run.

Illinois took a 14-8 lead on Brown's 3-pointer with 11:16 to go in the first half. But a basket and a free throw by Tucker and a layup from Wilkinson brought the Badgers right back. The two big men combined for 13 of the Badgers' 26 first-half points and together grabbed 10 rebounds.
"We were looking to attack the inside," Tucker said. "We started out doing that good and tried to make a run but we fell from that. We stopped going inside. We stopped going to Wilkinson."

The foul trouble struck Illinois early. Powell was hit with two fouls in the first 3 minutes and Brown sat the final 6:50 of the first half with two fouls. The Illini obviously missed his presence on the floor. They struggled to find open shots and were just 4-of-10 while Brown was on the bench, finishing the half shooting 38 percent. Powell picked up his third foul 16 seconds into the second half and Brown got his less than 2 minutes in. But coach Bruce Weber stuck with both and the Illini went on the decisive run. "I felt if we didn't get going at the start of the second half that we were playing into their hands," Weber said. "That's why I kind of hesitated taking Dee out." Wisconsin had big trouble from the foul line, hitting only 7-of-16. The Badgers also committed 14 turnovers.

Happy Birthday Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln born February 12, 1809 and died April 15, 1865

Abraham Lincoln sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed Honest Abe, the Rail Splitter, and the Great Emancipator, was the 16th (1861-1865) President of the United States, and the first president from the Republican Party. Lincoln staunchly opposed the expansion of slavery, and his election polarized the nation and soon led to the Civil War. During the war, Lincoln assumed more power than any previous president in U.S. history. Taking a broad view of the president's war powers, he proclaimed a blockade, suspended the writ of habeas corpus for anti-Union activity, spent money without congressional authorization, and personally directed the war effort, which ultimately led the Union forces to victory over the rebel Confederacy. Lincoln was an extremely deft politician who emerged as a wartime leader skilled at balancing competing considerations and adept at getting rival groups to work together toward a common goal. His leadership qualities were evident in his handling of the border slave states at the beginning of the fighting, in his defeat of a congressional attempt to reorganize his cabinet in 1862, and in his defusing of the peace issue in the 1864 Presidential campaign. Lincoln had a lasting influence on U.S. political and social institutions. The most important was setting the precedent of sweeping executive powers in a time of national emergency. Lincoln was also the president who declared Thaksgiving as a national holiday, established the U.S. Department of Agriculture (though not as a cabinet-level department), revived national banking and banks, and admitted West Virginia and Nevada as states. He also greatly encouraged the settling and development of the American West, signing the Homestead Act (1862). His assassination, shortly after the end of the Civil War, made him a martyr to millions of Americans. His reputation was forever sealed by the victory that he won, but without the tarnishing that could have resulted from the disorder of Reconstruction in the aftermath of the war. He is usually ranked as one of the greatest presidents.

I am a proud resident of "The Land Of Lincoln" the state of Illinois.

Live Forever

"I intend to live forever. So far, so good." - Steven Wright

Day Four

Made To Last Forever

God has... planned eternity in the human heart. - Ecclesiastes 3:11

Surely God would not have created such a being as man to exist only for a day! No, no, man was made for immortality. - Abraham Lincoln

When this tent we live in - our body here on earth - is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last forever.
- 2 Corinthians 5:1

I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. - Philippians 3:7

No mere man has ever seen, heard or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord. - I Corinthians 2:9

Come, you are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. - Mathew 25:34

God's plans endure forever, his purposes last eternally. - Psalm 33:11

This world is not our home; we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven.
- Hebrews 13:14

Realizing that every moment we spend in these earthly bodies is time spent away from our eternal home in heaven with Jesus. - 2 Corinthians 5:6

DAY FOUR

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point to Ponder: There is more to life than here and now.
Verse to Remember: "This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever. - 1 John 2:17
Question to Consider: Since I was made to last forever, what is the one thing I should stop doing and the one thing I should start doing today?

Sacrifice Boredom

"In order to live free and happily you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice." - Richard Bach

Day Three

What Drives Your Life?

I observed that the basic motive for success is the driving force of envy and jealousy!
- Ecclesiastes 4:4

The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder... a waif, a nothing, a no man.
- Thomas Carlyle

You will be a restless wanderer on the earth. - Genesis 4:12

What happens for those whose guilt has been forgiven! ... What a relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record. - Psalm 32:11

To worry yourself with resentment would be a foolish senseless thing to do. - Job 5:2

Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life - fear of death, fear of judgement - is one not fully formed in love. - I John 4:18

No one can serve two masters. - Mathew 6:24

I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain for nothing. - Isaiah 49:4

My life drags by - day after hopeless day. - Job 7:6

I give up; I am tired of living. Leave me alone. My life makes no sense. - Job 7:16

I know what I am planning for you... I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. - Jeremiah 29:11

God... is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of - infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes. - Ephesians 3:20

A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life. - Proverbs 13:7

You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you.
- Isaiah 26:3

Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the master wants.
- Ephesians 5:17

I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. - Philippians 3:13

Let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us.
- Philippians 3:15

Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgement seat of God... Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God. - Romans 14:10b, 12

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
- John 14:6

DAY THREE

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point to Ponder: Living on purpose is the path to peace.
Verse to Remember: "You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you." - Isaiah 26:3
Question to Consider: What my family and friends say is the driving force of my life. What do I want it to be?

Grown Up

25 Signs You Have Grown Up

1. Your houseplants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them.
2. Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question.
3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge.
4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.
5. You hear your favorite songs in an elevator.
6. You watch the Weather Channel.
7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of "hook up" and "break up."
8. You go from 130 days of vacation to 14.
9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as "dressed up."
10. You call the police because those %&@# kids next door won't turn down the stereo.
11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.
12. You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.
13. Your car insurance goes down and your car payments go up.
14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonalds leftovers.
15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.
16. You take naps from noon to 6 PM!
17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.
18. Eating a basket of wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach.
19. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests.
20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good stuff."
21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.
22. "I just can't drink the way I used to" replaces "I'm never going to drink that much again." 23. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.
24. You drink at home to save money before going to a bar or don't even go to the bar.
25. You read this entire list looking desperately for one sign that doesn't apply to you and can't find one to save your sorry old butt.

Thanks Johnny.

Fake Plants

"My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them." - Mitch Hedberg

Day Two

You Are Not An Accident

I am your creator. You were in my care even before you were born. - Isaiah 44:2a

God doesn't play dice - Albert Einstein

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. - Psalm 138:8a

You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. - Psalm 139:15

You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your Book. - Psalm 139:16

From one man he made every nation...and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. - Acts 17:26

Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love. - Ephesians 1:4a

God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made. - James 1:18

God formed the earth... He did not create it to be empty but formed it to be inhabited.
- Isaiah 45:18

I have carried you since you were born; I have taken care of you from your birth. Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you. I made you and will take care of you. - Isaiah 46:3-4

The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us.
- Romans 12:3

DAY TWO

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point to Ponder: I am not an accident.
Verse to Remember: "I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born."
- Isaiah 44:2
Question to Consider: Knowing that God uniquely created me, what areas of my personality, background, and physical appearance am I struggling to accept?