Swine flu

There has been a lot in the news lately about swine flu. It is believed that the virus originated in Mexico. This belief has offended many Mexicans.

I was looking at a video clip (I believe it was a CNN video, I could be wrong) in which a young lady was asked the question on the street in Mexico, "where do you think the swine flu originated"?, she said "it originated in Canada and was passed on to the United States and then to Mexico". She said it as if it was a fact.

According to Wikipedia Encyclopedia, swine flu is common in swine and rare in humans. People who work with swine, especially people with intense exposures, are at risk of catching swine influenza if the swine carry a strain able to infect humans. However, these strains rarely are able to pass from human to human. Rarely, SIV mutates into a form able to pass easily from human to human. In humans, the symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.

I don’t know if eating pork is related in any way to the swine flu, but I believe pork is not good for human consumption because God forbid us to eat it. The pig is one of the most dirty mammals.

Lev. 11:7 - And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.

Det. 14:8 - The pig is also unclean; although it has a split hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses.

Here's another reason not to eat pork.

Luke 8: 32 - A large herd of pigs were feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission.

33 - When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned (For the full story read verse 26-38).

These are some links with information on swine flu:

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/alert-alerte/swine-porcine/faq_rg_swine-eng.php

http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/category/swine-flu/

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1538091

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/04/27/canada-swine-flu027.html

It's time for a vacation

It's been a long time since I had a vacation. I went to Bermuda with my sister and niece about six years ago, and Cuba about five years ago, which is a very long time. I love Bermuda, especially the pink sandy beaches. I ran into a friend at church while I was there. She attended Kingsway College the same time I did. She was very surprised when she saw me.

The best fish sandwich I ever had was in Bermuda. The bread was fresh from the oven, the fish was fresh with lettuce, tomato with tarter sauce. Yummy...It was good!

While I was there I had a tour inside a cave. I could not believe how crystal clear the water was. After a while I began to feel as if I could not get enough air into my lungs. I was anxious to get outside. I would think twice of going back into a cave.

Since I cannot see myself going on a vacation any time soon, I guess I'd have to settle with just looking at the beaches and pretend I am there.

GOD's Ten Commands

Exodus 20 KJV:

1. "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me"

2. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:"

"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments"

3. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain"

4. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, they manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:"

"For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it"

5. "Honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee"

6. "Thou shalt not kill"

7. "Thou shalt not commit adultery"

8. "Thou shalt not steal"

9. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour"

10. "Thou shalt not covet your neighbor's house; Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's"

The Ten Commandments are like a chain. If one link is broken the chain is not complete. God wrote all Ten Commandments himself.

Some people say that the Sabbath was nailed to the cross. There is nowhere in the Bible where it states that. What was nailed to the cross was the sacrificial or Moses' laws. God never did and never will change any of his Commandments because he said in Matthew 5:18 - "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." That's why God wrote them on tablets of stone

Some people believe that the Sabbath was made for the Jews, but God said in Matthew 2:27 - Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath"

Galatians 3:28 - "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus"

Daniel 7:25 - "He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time"

Hosea 4:6 - "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge"

http://www.godssabbathtruth.com/

The storms of life

Like the song says, the anchor holds, though the ship is battered. The anchor holds, though the sails are torn. I have fallen on my knees as I face the raging seas, but the anchor holds in spite of the storm.

These words paint a vivid picture of the storms in my life as my faith in God holds fast, just like the anchor holds, though the ship is battered. I must admit, however, there are times when it seems like my faith is tested beyond my strength and ability. My faith is what gets me through the storms in my life. When going through difficult times we need to lean more on God and trust in him. We all experience storms in our lives from time to time. God allows certain things to happen in our lives to strengthen our faith in him, because it’s only when some people are in difficult times they call upon God.

Some of these storms in our lives are caused by the devil, as in the case of Job. Some are caused by ourselves due to wrong decisions that we make. Some are caused by other people. Despite the cause the devil is behind it all. His very name stands for evil, (d)evil.

It reminds me of Jesus’ disciples who were afraid when they encountered a storm at sea while He slept. They awoke him because they were terrified and thought they were going to drown. He asked them where their faith is. Did Jesus ask them where their faith is because he thinks they should not have worried because of his presence? If so, we should not worry when we go through our own suffering if we have faith in Jesus.

Luke 8: 23 - But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.

24 - And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.

25 - And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.

Remember also the story of Job and how satan caused Job to lose everything he had owned, even his sons and livestock, yet Job never cursed God but instead he cursed the day he was born. God allowed Job to be tested, not because there was sin in Job’s life but his suffering became example for us. To read more about the suffering of Job click on this link http://www.easyenglish.info/problems/tpaou01-pbw.htm.

Job 2:3 (Whole Chapter) And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

Job 2:7 (Whole Chapter) So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

_________________________________________

I am sitting here at my computer and all of a sudden I felt the house shaking. I got up and looked outside my bedroom window and noticed it was raining lightly and I can see the trees swaying back and forth in the strong wind. I thought to myself - it looks like there’s a storm coming this way. Then I heard my door bell rang. I ran downstairs to see who it could be. As I opened the door slightly a gush of wind forced it out of my hand. It was my neighbour across the street. He told me a number of shingles on my roof had blown off. I put on my coat and ran outside in the rain to see the extent of the damage. All my neighbours were outside looking at my roof. It was quite embarrassing. No houses in close proximity to me were damaged. A few houses around the city were.

It’s ironic, but I was just blogging about the storms in my life and here comes another storm. As if there’s not enough going on in my life. So now I am without a job, an income and now this. What else can happen? Like Job, I will still praise my God!

Is modern technology killing us?

Is modern technology killing us? I find myself spending more and more hours in front of my computer blogging, surfing, listening to music, reading and sending emails, getting connected with friends and family on Facebook, etc.. It can be quite consuming and addictive.

I’ve gained a few pounds within the last few months and I know it’s not from what I eat. I very seldom eat deserts. I know it’s due to a lack of exercise, which is not good. I keep saying to myself, I have to do more walking, but every morning I get up I always find a reason to go on my computer. Occasionally I would put the TV on one of those radio stations and try and exercise to the music. When I am finished I feel exhilarating and not as guilty for my lack of exercise. Maybe I need to be more self disciplined. I worry because research shows that people who do not get enough exercise tend to develop high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes and other diseases. Prevention is better than cure. I am going to use strict self discipline and walk more often.

Below are links for information on diabetes and heart disease.

www.i-sis.org.uk/diabetes.php
www.medicalnewstoday.com

The calf path

There's a subtle message in this beautiful poem by Sam Walter Foss (1858-1911)

One day, through the primeval wood, A calf walked home, as good calves should;
But made a trail all bent askew, A crooked trail, as all calves do.
Since then three hundred years have fled, And, I infer, the calf is dead.
But still he left behind his trail, And thereby hangs my moral tale.
The trail was taken up next day, By a lone dog that passed that way;
And then a wise bellwether sheep, Pursued the trail o’er vale and steep,
And drew the flock behind him, too, As good bellwethers always do.
And from that day, o’er hill and glade, Through those old woods a path was made,
And many men wound in and out, And dodged and turned and bent about,
And uttered words of righteous wrath, Because ’twas such a crooked path;
But still they followed — do not laugh —The first migrations of that calf,
And through this winding wood-way stalked, Because he wobbled when he walked.

This forest path became a lane, That bent and turned, and turned again.
This crooked lane became a road, Where many a poor horse with his load,
Toiled on beneath the burning sun, And traveled some three miles in one.
And thus a century and a half, They trod the footsteps of that calf.

The years passed on in swiftness fleet. The road became a village street,
And this, before men were aware, A city’s crowded thoroughfare,
And soon the central street was this, Of a renowned metropolis;
And men two centuries and a half, Trod in the footsteps of that calf.
Each day a hundred thousand rout, Followed that zigzag calf about,
And o’er his crooked journey went, The traffic of a continent.
A hundred thousand men were led, By one calf near three centuries dead.
They follow still his crooked way, And lose one hundred years a day,
For thus such reverence is lent, To well-established precedent.

A moral lesson this might teach, were I ordained and called to preach.
For men are prone to go it blind, Along the calf paths of the mind,
And work away from sun to sun, To do what other men have done.
They follow in the beaten track, And out, and in, and forth, and back,
And still their devious course pursue, To keep the paths that others do.
They keep the paths a sacred groove, Along which all their lives they move.
But how the wise old wood gods laugh, Who saw that first primeval calf.
Ah, many things this tale might teach, But I am not ordained to preach.

Dr. Barry Black and Michael Harris

Kendalwood SDA church in Whitby, Ontario was filled to capacity this weekend with members from other churches in the area. They came to listen to Dr. Barry Black, U.S. Senate Chaplain, and Michael J. Harris. Michael Harris' life-changing testimony and music is touching the lives of many people. This is the first time I’ve listened to both gentlemen. I must say, I truly enjoyed the weekend.

Dr. Black stated in his sermon that the human eyes are never satisfied, no matter how much money or material things a person may possess. To them, there’s always room for more. Most people are naturally selfish.

My thoughts: A man may have a lovely wife or girlfriend beside him, but if another woman passes by, his eyes would be focused on her until she goes out of sight. I'm sure not all men are like that. I am not talking about just looking. (Am I not right ladies?) Why is that? because of SIN, (and I don't mean Social Insurance Number) lol. The human eyes are never satisfied. Jesus said, we are to resist the devil and he will flee from us. Jesus was also tempted many times when he was here on earth but he always resisted the devil.

Have you ever seen, or what appears to be, a loving family - husband, wife and kids. They seem to have everything, lots of money, two cars in the family and sometimes a cottage in the country, yet either one or both of them might be very unhappy and unsatisfied in the relationship. Often time one spouse might tolerate the other's infidelity (most often the wife) in order to remain married. That marriage becomes an emotional prison. In their mind it's better to be married, even if you're unhappy. To others, their happiness is more important than having a 'husband'.

2 Peter 2:14 (Whole Chapter) - They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse.

Dr. Black is truly an inspiration to listen to. Not only that, he’s also funny, in the sense that he adds humor to his sermon. You can never get bored listening to him.

Following Dr. Black’s sermon was Michael Harris' moving testimony and spirit-filled songs. He touched the hearts of everyone in the congregation. He told us about his transformation from drugs and alcohol to having a close relationship with God. He talked about the accident that night that left his dearly beloved wife, Amber, paralyzed from her neck down. It brought tears to my eyes. That sweet lady has a heart of gold. She was able to forgave her husband for taking away her ability to ever walk again. If we cannot forgive others God cannot forgive us for our sins. That was what changed Michael’s life forever. He tried many, many times to give up drugs and alcohol but did not have the will power to do so. He cried out to God to help him quit the habit and God answered his prayer. Now Michael is winning souls for God with his testimony of how God has changed his life.

His rich baritone voice lifted our once sad hearts to a higher level of joy. Some of his music has a Caribbean flavour, like No Turning Back and Tek Off Yuh Shoes. Some of his other songs include, There’s No God Like Jehovah, Set Free, The Midnight Cry and many more.

Spring cleaning

Spring is the time when most people give their homes a thorough cleaning, that's why it's called spring cleaning. They go through everything in their basement and garage and get rid of the things they no longer need, or they might have a garage sale.

I think I am going to search around my home for all items that are just sitting there collecting dust. Most of these items are in my basement where I stocked them three years ago when I moved. They might just bring me in some needed cash, especially at a time like now when things are pretty rough for me, financially. I look at some of these items and ask myself, what was I thinking of when I bought this. For instance, a few years ago I bought this treadmill for $100 from a shop that sells used items. I would guess the guy must have bought it for about $40-$50. I've stepped on it maybe three to four times. It's not electric and it takes so much energy to walk on it, since I have to use the strength of my legs to move it. I would almost take anything for it just so I can get it out of my sight.

Let’s see, where do I begin - Ebay might be a good place to start. I’ve never sold anything on Ebay before. Kijiji is another site where I can sell used things. What I cannot sell I will give away. I’ve given away a lot of used and unused items, especially clothes, over the years. I am one that does not like a lot of clutter, so that’s another reason to get rid of them.

There are some people who keeps everything, from bottles to magazines to…., you name it, they keep it. They are considered collectors. There might be a psychological reason for that. I am the opposite. If I don’t need it there’s no need to keep it around. I like open space? Here I go.....
Are you a clean freak or a collector?

Tax deadline

A lot of people are trying to beat the tax deadline of April 30th. There are those who procrastinate until midnight of the said date and there are the early birds who like to get it over with. If you're expecting a refund I can understand the reason for getting it done early.

I finally had mine prepared today and I must say it left me with a feeling of resentment, which I tried hard to overcome. Have you ever heard the phrase? "There are only two things that are certain in life, death and taxes". I say, there are three things that are certain in life, death, taxes and judgment. Not necessarily, but possibly, in that order - don't forget death taxes.

I came across the following websites with information on taxes:

http://www.taxationlawyers.ca/dealing-the-canada-revenue-agency.asp

http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/english/budget/ontariobudgets/2009/taxsavings/

_______________________________________

The richest man in the world was once the poorest man in the world. Jesus, when he was on earth, did not have a home of his own. He travelled from city to city and town to town spreading the message of God. He often stayed at those who welcome him into their homes.

Matthew 8:20 (Whole Chapter) "And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head".

One day the poor, just like Jesus, will be rich in their new home in heaven. Our riches in heaven are more important than the riches here on earth. Everything on this earth will be destroyed, according to the Bible.

Luke 21:6 (Whole Chapter) As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Matthew 6:19 (Whole Chapter) "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal".

He conquered death

According to the Bible - The morning after Jesus had been placed in the tomb, Mary Magdalene went to visit the tomb. It was very early in the morning and it was still dark outside. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb and that it was empty. She ran to Peter to inform him what she had seen. Peter and John ran to the tomb to see for themselves. The body of Jesus was not there. The only thing that was there was the cloth that was used to wrap his body. They were confused and could not understand where the body could be. Peter and John left but Mary Magdalene remained. She was crying. She turned and saw a man who asked her why she was crying. She soon realized that the man who was talking to her was Jesus Christ. Jesus had risen from death. Mary Magdalene was the first person to see Jesus.

After his resurrection Jesus met with his disciples on a mountain in Galilee and gave them a command to go and preached to all nations:

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20 NIV).

After Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat at the right hand of his father. The disciples then went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. (Mark 16:19-20 NIV).

(See Matthew 24:) - The New Testament explains that Jesus will return in the future to judge the living and the dead and to establish eternal peace.

Some churches baptize people by sprinkling water on the person's head, but that is not really baptism. True baptism is when the person's body is fully immersed in water (which symbolizes the death of Christ) and raising the person up (which symbolizes the resurrection of Christ).

When the Roman soldier pierced Jesus' side with a sword, water came out. That water represents baptism. The bread we take at communion represents Jesus' broken body and the wine represents His blood that was shed for our sins.

The Bible says that unless a man be born of water he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 3:5 - Jesus answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God".

Paid in Full

The title of the sermon preached today by Pastor R. Gray was "Paid in Full". What beautiful words to someone who has a huge debt and has no way of paying anything on it, whether partial or in full. Pastor Gray used the analogy of a man who owed a large sum of money to another man. The man to whom the money was owed threatened to kill the man if he did not get his money. A passerby over heard the threat and offered to pay the man the money that was owed to him. Can you imagine the feeling of relief the man that owed the money must have felt.

Picture this other scenario: Imagine yourself crossing the street on a green light - you know you have the right of way. Suddenly this vehicle came speeding and ran the red light. A gentleman standing on the curb saw your life was about to disappear right before his eyes. He was overwhelmed with love and sympathy that he ran across the street and threw you out of the way of the speeding vehicle, putting his life in danger. His love and kindness for you supercede his concern for his own life. He was thrown on the hood of the car. His battered body was further thrown to the ground and was dragged for many feet. Someone on a cell phone called for the peramedics. Within a few minutes they arrived. They rushed the gentleman to the hospital where he spent several months in a coma. Tell me, if the person that was about to get hit by the car was you, what would you have done when you got up from the ground? Would you have dusted yourself off and continued on your way without even looking back, as if nothing happened, or would you have gone over to the gentleman and held his hand while weeping? Would you have gone to visit him every day in the hospital, or would you have pretended it never happened? It took months before the gentleman came out of the coma and was ready to go home to his family. Would you have made that gentleman and his family your very best friends for the rest of your life, or would you prefer not to even hear his name mentioned. It turned out that the gentleman is from a very rich christian family. Perhaps you would have done anything to repay that gentleman for his kind deed, but he wanted nothing more than your friendship and to keep in touch with him and his family to study the word of God. Would you have found the time to do that, or would you have been too busy with other things in your life? - the life that he saved. Isn't that what Jesus did for us - gave his life to save us from sin. All he ask is for us to obey his commandments and to have a relationship with him by spending time to pray and study his word. After what he has done for us, shouldn't we choose him over the devil? What has the devil done for any of us that we would want to follow him.

Many, many years ago on this day, Saturday, (notice I didn't say date) Jesus rested in a tomb after his body succumbed to the abuse of Herod and his soldiers. They gave him vinegar when he was thirsty. They spat in his face, beat him, stuck him with their sword and mocked him. Yet he never got angry. He was very humble. Humility is often mistaken for stupidity. To think he did it all for us. Thank you Jesus!

Proverbs 11:2 (Whole Chapter) Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 22:4 (Whole Chapter) True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life.

Colossians 3:12 (Whole Chapter) Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Mark 6:29 (Whole Chapter) And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

Here's a video on the crucifixion of Jesus:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpFhS0dAduc

A walk to the lake

It was a beautiful day today. I took a brisk walk down to the lake, which took me approximately 30 to 40 minutes going and coming. On my way there I passed joggers, cyclists and those who were in no hurry, like couples and families, some walking their dogs. I came to a bench and decided to sit for a while as I gazed at the water that looked like a sheet of glass. The story of Jesus walking on the water entered my thoughts. I wondered what feelings went through Peter when he took his first step in response to Jesus' request to come to him. He had to have had an enormous amount of faith to do so. It was not until he took his eyes off from Jesus that he began to sink. I guess we can all identify with that story in terms of our faith.

My thoughts drifted from that story to His Crucifixion - today being Good Friday is a perfect day to reflect on His Crucifixion. I thank God for sending His Son to die for me and for all of us. How can anyone think of Jesus as being a prophet is beyond me. If Jesus did not come to this earth and died for us, how else would we be saved? Matthew 27: 54 states ...."This man truly was the son of God"

Matthew 27:54 (Whole Chapter) - The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

John 19:16 (Whole Chapter) - Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. [ The Crucifixion ] So they took Jesus away.

Mark 15:21 (Whole Chapter) - A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, [ Cyrene was a city in northern Africa.] was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.

Luke 23:48 (Whole Chapter) - And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.

The link below is a youtube video of Jesus' crucifixion:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuat5MfE5F8

2 create a website

I've been searching for more information on ways in which I can improve my blog's revenue. I came across Lisa's website at www.2createawebsite.com/. She has a vast amount of knowledge and information on the subject. Lisa has been in this business since 2003. She seems very sincere and willing to help those who are just learning the ins and outs on the topic. It's like taking a child's hand and leading it through a maze. You can even Download a free website creation tutorial on her website. She has the skills of a teacher. I wonder if she ever was. Thanks Lisa.

The race continues

Further to my previous post on my computer woes, which never seem to end, I had very little choice but to call a repair man to fix the problem. It ended up costing me more than I anticipated. As if that's not enough to give me a headache, my printer refused to work. I didn't get much done today. As they say, when it rains it pours. I guess everybody has a day when everything seem to go wrong.

I took some time out and reflected on the suffering of Jesus while he was here on earth. I long to be like him. He, a sinless man, endured the suffering for our sins and never complained. We, who are sinners, complains about everything.

I reminded myself that we are running a race, a spiritual race, which feels more like an obstacle course. During our lifetime we encounter hurdles from time to time that we must overcome. An athlete practices long hours, day after day, to become a better runner and to improve his or her strength and performance. To be a winner takes discipline and dedication. One thing that everyone participating in the race has in common is that each person is running, but there could only be one winner. He or she has to have more speed and agility in order to reach the finish line before the others. You do not get the prize because you ran the race, instead you get the prize because you won the race. In order to win you have to get to the finish line before the others. That's when you see the benefit of the long hours of practice. The worse thing is to get close to the finish line and be disqualified for violation of a rule.

Paul compares the Christian life to running a race. As Christians we are running a spiritual race. We would experience difficulties in life but we should not get discouraged. We need to practice and practice by doing good, living by the Word of God and praying continually. The Bible says to pray without ceasing. We should not get distracted by the pleasures of this world but keep our eyes on the finish line - our heavenly home.

1 Corinthians 9:24 – “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”

25 - “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”

“It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus. Life’s trials will seem so small, when we see Christ. One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrows will erase. So bravely run the race, till we see Christ.”

Ecclesiastes 9:11 (NKJV)- “The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill . .”

I found this lovely poem at www.skywriting.net/inspirational/poems/the_spiritual_race.html that says it all. Thanks Eva.

Computer woes

For the past two days I’ve been having problems with my computer. I was not able to sign in to my blog nor even send emails. I did a scan which showed 9 files were infected. Unfortunately it did not show a list of the files. I could not bring myself to click on the Delete All button as I was afraid that I might have deleted some files that were important. After hours of frustration I decided to phone the manufacturer and the store where I had bought the computer, but they were unable to give me any information or instructions that helped. A gentleman at the store told me to bring it in and they would be able to correct the problem. After thinking about how much it would cost (at a time like now when I don’t have a job) and all the trouble of disconnecting all those wires and reconnecting them, I decided to see what I can do to correct the problem myself. I thought for a moment then decided to restore it back to a few days prior to when my computer started acting funny. It worked!

I couldn’t help but wonder if my frustration made the responsible person any happier. It could be that they are very unhappy with their life and would do anything to make others feel the way they do, or it could be that their heart is full of evil. If they’re trying to prove how smart they are, why not use that knowledge in a positive way – to help others, not to hurt them.

[Psalm 14:2, 3 ] - The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Romans 12: 21 - “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”