Monday, July 13, 2020
MerkV814
Monday, July 13, 2020
* In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. -- Albert Camus (1913-1960) French Writer
* If passion drives, let reason hold the reins. -- Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American Statesman and Scientist
* The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. -- B.B. King
* Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary. -- Margaret Cousins
* Good friends are like quilts -- they age with you, yet never lose their warmth.
* Our murmuring is the devil's music! -- Thomas Watson
Terrible Praise
Scripture Reading — Judges 5:24-31; Revelation 18:1-8
“Most blessed of women be Jael. . . .” — Judges 5:24
It is not wise to rejoice at the downfall of enemies, “or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them” (Proverbs 24:17-18). But Deborah and Barak do exactly that with their terrible praise of Jael: “She struck . . . she crushed . . . she shattered. . . .” Likewise, they speak of their enemy: “he sank, he fell . . . he lay . . . dead.” Jael is described as the “most blessed of women.”
But Deborah and Barak also call on the kings of the earth (5:3) to fear the great King of all the earth. Their song boasts not of Israel’s victories but the Lord’s, by his strangely designed saviors: “So may all your enemies perish, Lord!” The enemies of God’s people were never merely flesh and blood. They always were and continue to be powers and authorities and spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12) that refuse to submit to the Lord and his anointed one, Jesus Christ (Psalm 2:1-3).
Deliverance from the powers that persecute God’s people is messy because the ancient adversary “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). That’s why Deborah, Barak, and the angel in Revelation 18 rejoice in God’s victories over the adversary.
Killing the works of the flesh (our sinful nature)—impurity, hatred, jealousy—is messy and impossible for us to do, but the Holy Spirit will strike, crush, and shatter them (Galatians 5:16-25). And they will be as powerless as Sisera in Jael’s tent.
Prayer: I praise you, Lord, for salvation; by your Spirit help me die to the works of my sinful nature. Amen.
Arie Leder
email: to...@thisistoday.net
TODAY is copyright © 2017, the BTGH
A Tooth for a Tooth
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: Believe in Miracles
By Mark Rickerby
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. -- Albert Einstein
I had always associated the word "miracle" with people surviving horrible crashes or "incurable" diseases, or epic events in the Bible like the parting of the Red Sea. But as I've grown older and learned how to pay closer attention to the world around me, I've discovered that God's hand is everywhere, and miracles also include small events that most people write off as coincidences.
I experienced one such event recently when my older daughter, Marli, lost her first tooth. She was so excited about it that she took it to school to show to her friends, most of whom were also losing teeth like little popcorn machines. They would stand around in groups giggling and wiggling their loose teeth between their thumbs and forefingers, or proudly displaying the spaces where teeth used to be. It was sort of a competition to see who was growing up faster, and who could get the largest amount of cold, hard cash from the Tooth Fairy. (Keep reading)
Reprinted by permission of Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC. In order to protect the rights of the copyright holder, no portion of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent. All rights reserved.
Football and Shepherds
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:11
Scripture Reading: John 10:11–15
An intriguing element of English football is the team anthem sung by the fans at the start of each match. These songs range from the fun (“Glad All Over”) to the whimsical (“I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles”) to the surprising. “Psalm 23,” for instance, is the anthem of the club from West Bromwich Albion. The words of that psalm appear on the façade inside the team’s stadium, declaring to everyone who comes to watch the “West Brom Baggies” the care of the good, great, and chief Shepherd.
In Psalm 23, David made his timeless statement, “The Lord is my shepherd” (v. 1). Later, the gospel writer Matthew would tell us, “When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). And in John 10, Jesus declared His love and concern for the human “sheep” of His generation. “I am the good shepherd,” He said. “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (v. 11). Jesus’s compassion drove His interactions with the crowds, His responses to their needs, and, ultimately, His sacrifice on their (and our) behalf.
“The Lord is my shepherd” is far more than an ancient lyric or a clever slogan. It’s the confident statement of what it means to be known and loved by our great God—and what it means to be rescued by His Son.
By Bill Crowder
REFLECT & PRAY
What a gift our Shepherd is to us, Father! Help us to respond to His voice—and draw nearer to You. Read The Lord Is My Shepherd at discoveryseries.org/hp952.
In what ways have you seen God’s care for you? Who can you tell about Him today?
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In literature, when a phrase is repeated at the beginning and end of a section, it’s called an inclusio. We see this in John 10:11-15: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (v. 11); “I lay down my life for the sheep” (v. 15). This inclusio provides an interesting picture of a shepherd.
When we think of a shepherd protecting his sheep, we may think of David’s statement about killing the lion and the bear who attacked the sheep (1 Samuel 17:34-36). But in today’s passage, instead of saying that the good shepherd defends the sheep against the wolf, the picture is more of offering Himself in place of the sheep. The good shepherd is one who is willing to sacrifice His life. -- J.R. Hudberg
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Today’s Video: 'Alive In You' Kim Walker-Smith
These powerful lyrics remind us that the strength of the Lord runs through us.
“You are God, You're the Great "I Am"
Breath of life I breathe You in
Even in the fire, I'm alive in You
You are strong in my brokenness
Sovereign over every step
Even in the fire, I'm alive
I'm alive in You”
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Today’s Verse: Romans 8:10-11 … “10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”
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Proverb of the Day: Proverbs 15:33 ... 33 Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the LORD, and humility comes before honor.
Our Daily Bread
Wings over the Mountains of Life
A MountainWings Moment
Open Your Mind!
Direct link: www.CoachB.tv/0717
Definition of Atheism: a non-prophet organization.
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Nearing the parish church during his daily walk, a young man saw that some shrubbery was on fire. He banged on the rectory door and told the woman who opened it to call the fire department. She ran to the phone, and he heard her place the call. She identified herself, gave the location, and explained the situation.
"You mean to tell me," said the emergency dispatcher, "that there's a burning bush on the church lawn, and you want to put it out?"
Received from Da Mouse Tracks
Verse of the day
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. -- 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 (NRSV)
Voice of the day
The reason you have a hard time trusting your intuition is because you are still convinced that some outside authority knows better than you. -- Maryam Hasnaa
Prayer of the day
God of Wisdom, who calls us to be boldly prophetic, may we test everything, hold fast to what You have shown us is good, and fan the flames of the Spirit higher and higher. Amen.
Get Ready
Stop what you’re doing and spend a moment thinking a pleasant thought. Leave the noise and confusion behind for a little bit.
Relax your mind, relax your body, and allow your spirit to be positively energized. Find a moment of joy in the beauty of being, right here, right now.
Let go of your concerns for a little while. Simply experience the depth and wonder of being alive.
Know that in this moment, you have everything you could possibly want or need for right now. Settle yourself into the confidence and assurance that thought engenders.
Now you are ready, ready for any challenge the world can throw at you. Now you are in a position to build on the abundance that is already yours.
You are filled with life and able to make a difference. Now step enthusiastically forward and create your own special greatness.
Copyright Ralph S. Marston, Jr. Used by permission. From The Daily Motivator® at www.dailymotivator.com
A SPECIAL KIND OF LOVE
I had a lot of hatred in my life. It wasn't something outwardly manifested, but there was a kind of inward grinding. I was disgusted with people, with things, with issues. Like so many other people, I was insecure. Every time I met someone different from me, he became a threat to me.
But I hated one man more than anyone else in the world. My father. I hated his guts. To me he was the town alcoholic.
If you're from a small town and one of your parents is an alcoholic, you know what I'm talking about. Everybody knows. My friends would come to high school and make jokes about my father being downtown.
They didn't think it bothered me. I was like other people, laughing on the outside, but let me tell you, I was crying on the inside. I'd go out in the barn and see mother beaten so badly she couldn't get up, lying in the slop behind the cows.
When we had friends over, I would take my father out, tie him up in the barn, and park the car up around the silo. We would tell our friends he'd had to go somewhere. I don't think anyone could have hated anyone more than I hated my father.
After I made my decision for Christ - maybe five months later - a love from God through Jesus Christ entered my life and was so strong it took that hatred and turned it upside down. I was able to look my father squarely in the eyes and say, "Dad, I love you." And I really meant it. After some of the things I'd done, that shook him up.
When I transferred to a private university I was in a serious car accident. My neck in traction, I was taken home. I'll never forget my father coming into my room. He asked me, "Son, how can you love a father like me?"
I said, "Dad, six months ago I despised you." Then I shared with him my conclusion about Jesus Christ: "Dad, I let Christ come into my life. I can't explain it completely, but as a result of that relationship, I've found the capacity to love and accept not only you, but other people just the way they are."
Forty-five minutes later, one of the greatest thrills of my life occurred. Somebody in my own family, someone who knew me so well I couldn't pull the wool over his eyes, said to me, "Son, if God can do in my life what I've seen Him do in yours, then I want to give Him the opportunity." Right there my father prayed with me and trusted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
"Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Josh McDowell
As seen in The Daily Encourager
LET BURNING COALS FALL
Sue Monk Kidd says each week she selects a psalm and then daily takes a few moments to pray through it. She tries to live with it throughout the days ahead, returning to it each day, praying it as if it were her own prayer--whispering its pleas for help or joining in its praise and worship. Slowly the psalm becomes her prayer. Usually, by the end of the week, she can identify her own personal situation somewhere in it.
She suggests that when it is difficult to identify with the psalmist--for instance when he writes with vengeance against his enemies--that we think of them as our "inner" personal enemies such as greed, fear, pride, lust, and jealousy.
She once found it difficult to pray a section of Psalm 140:10 (RSV): "Let burning coals fall upon them. Let them be cast into pits, no more to rise!" The thought of such vengeance struck her as repulsive until she realized she could use it to call down burning coals on one of her inner enemies.
At the time she was wrestling with an irrational fear of breast lumps. She'd had two benign ones removed within a short space of time. It had been a tormenting time going through the surgery and biopsy while waiting and wondering. The thought of having to go through another such time left her weak with fear.
Through the psalm, she was able to name her inner enemy. She asked God to help her cast her fear into the pits, no more to rise. As she entered more deeply into the psalm, she became drawn intimately into God's presence each time she prayed it. Gradually God gave her strength to overcome the fear.
Thank You, Jesus, that You deliver me from all my fears.
"This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles" (Psalm 34:6).
As seen in Come to the Fire via Cup O’ Cheer
Dear Father in Heaven,
Thank You for Your loving hand of guidance for me.
This is hard to do, but thank You for Your discipline in my life.
I know You love me enough to bring about or allow things to happen to stop me and redirect my priorities and my paths.
When things don’t turn out as I desire, it’s usually because I’m not doing what You want me to do or I’m doing something that would not bring about the best results for me, my loved ones or those in my circle of influence.
I pray that You would continue to direct the work of my hands, the desires of my heart, the steps that I take and help me to turn in trust when You redirect my paths.
I know that...
All things work together for good
to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose.
I love You.
In Jesus’ name I come to You, Amen.
The Table
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. (v. 17)
A friend of mine went to Ireland to do a master’s program in reconciliation. After a full year of studying relationships between Catholics and Protestants, as well as the latest theories and studies on reconciliation, I asked him what he’d found. His reply was surprisingly simple: “Get people eating together around a table.” He said, “When people eat together, they become family. When they feel like family, they learn to work past their differences because they’re relating to one another at a different level.”
Jesus also gave us a meal—Communion. Through this meal, we are invited into the “ministry of reconciliation,” the reconciling of all our broken relationships. Communion represents our reconciliation to God and welcome into God’s family. By partaking, we become part of Jesus’ broken and resurrected body, and part of the new creation Jesus’ resurrection brings. We do not come to this Table alone but are invited to be reconciled together. This invitation to reconciliation extends to our relationships with one another, as brothers and sisters.
Furthermore, because this meal is tangible, using wine and bread made from grain grown from the earth, reconciliation reaches our relationship with the land as well. Every time we receive this meal, we enter the gift and work of reconciliation more fully.
As you pray, reflect on what it means to be “new creation.”
—Amy Curran; Words of Hope
Here’s to Your Health
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A mighty way to control diabetes
By Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
The cartoon character Mighty Mouse made his first appearance in the 1940s. He had many superpowers, including flight, X-ray vision and the ability to turn back time. Mighty Mouse was also endowed with super-strength, even though he never did much real weight-training.
These days, however, some energetic mice are working on their muscles, and they have an unusual superpower of their own: They could help us humans figure out how to prevent (or reverse) Type 2 diabetes.
A new study published in the Journal of Endocrinology had obese diabetic mice take part in a 15-day strength-training program: They climbed up stairs 20 times at 90-second intervals with weight on their tails. While the program was not long enough to make them lose weight or change body shape, the activity led to reduced levels of fat around their livers and improved glucose regulation. By the end of the experiment, the mice's fasting blood sugar levels were normal.
Studies of humans identify similar benefits of weight- and resistance-training. One study of people with diabetes found that muscle-building, high-intensity resistance training resulted in a 16% increase in insulin sensitivity after six weeks.
If you have prediabetes or are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, you should consider incorporating weight- and/or resistance training into your routine two to three times a week. You can use hand weights and stretchy bands at home and weight machines at the gym, and/or take a class that uses your own body weight to work your muscles (calisthenics, Pilates or yoga).
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Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic and Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and. To live your healthiest, visit www.sharecare.com.
Today’s Recipe …
Mississippi Mud Dessert Brownies
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup shortening
1 large egg
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup caramel sauce
1 cup miniature marshmallows
3/4 cup shelled pecan halves, chopped and toasted
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
To Prepare:
Stir together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Stir in egg, 1/2 cup water, and vanilla. Spread mixture into a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined 8-inch square pan.
Bake at 350F for 35 to 38 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven; spread with caramel sauce. Sprinkle with marshmallows and pecans, and bake 6 to 8 more minutes.
Microwave chocolate morsels in a glass bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 minute; stir until smooth. Drizzle over warm brownies. Cool and cut into squares. Makes 16 brownies.
(nutritional info not available)
from Dessert Du Jour
What’s on the Web?
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iMom Espresso Minute … 7 Practical Ways to Handle Teenage Mood Swings
It’s going to happen: Mood Swing Whiplash. All parents of teens experience it at some point. One minute your teen is hugging you and the next, she is stomping off and calling you "offensive." What is a parent to do when a teenage mood swing catches you off guard, other than stand there with your mouth hanging open?
You either can avoid your teen completely or try one of these 7 practical ideas.
Pillow Talk: Ask your kids, “What can you do to help stop an argument?”
Word of the Day: cavil
[ kav-uhl ]
Part of Speech: verb (used without object)
Definition: to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily (usually followed by at or about): He finds something to cavil at in everything I say.
How is cavil used?
Now, I’m not the type to cavil at the outrageous fortune of others, as long as they come by it legally. ... John Schwartz, "Maybe Anyone Can Hop on the I.P.O. Bandwagon," New York Times, July 8, 2007
Has it become a custom for the brothers and sisters to carp and cavil at one another—and even for Mamma to cavil at her children—as I have heard you all do to-night? ... Louis Couperus (1863–1923), Small Souls, translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos, 1914
What is the origin of cavil?
The verb cavil “to raise irritating and trivial objections” ultimately comes from the Latin verb cavillārī “to jeer, scoff, quibble,” a derivative of the noun cavilla “jesting, banter.” Cavillārī and calvī “to deceive, trick” come from the Latin root cal-, and cavilla comes from an earlier unrecorded calvilla. Cavil entered English in the 16th century.
All-Pro Dad Play of the Day … 5 Dangers of Social Media for Teens
When I graduated from college, I hoped to find a job in a congressional office on Capitol Hill. In my search, I connected with an employer who needed a research analyst. I still had my sights set on the Hill, but I took the job. In it, I researched international boundary coordinates for the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, to serve the Department of Defense, which sounds more interesting than it is. I mostly pored over treaties and maps in reading rooms in the Library of Congress. But there is satisfaction knowing what I did could help our military. I felt responsible for ensuring that I provided the best info and firmly correct boundaries.
Teenagers also need the right information and firm boundaries. They consistently press boundaries and take risks, some with serious consequences. The Internet, particularly social media, is another outlet for possible downfall. What dangers of social media do you think of first that teens tend to face? Sexting, predators, cyberbullying. All are damaging, more common than you think, and should be discussed. However, we can't ignore or minimize the more subtle, everyday dangerous things kids are doing online. Here are 5 of them.
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “What do you think are the possible dangers of social media?”
3 Dangerous Words that Hold People Back
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DON'T IGNORE SERIOUS HEALTH SYMPTOMS
English
Do You Presume (Or Assume) Too Much?
Presume and assume both mean "to suppose," but the two words aren't interchangeable. Here's how to use these words correctly.
Latin Abbreviations: The Seven 'Hells' of Rome
Rob Kyff
Seven-up! Can you spot an error involving the use of the Latin abbreviations "e.g.," "etc.," "et al." or "i.e." in each of these seven sentences?
1) Committing a mistake when using Latin abbreviations is not one of the seven deadly sins, e.g., pride, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, sloth, wrath.
2) Servius Tullius built fortifications on the seven hills of Rome, e.g., the Palatinus, the Capitolinus, the Quirinalis, etc.
3) According to Greek myth, Thebes was attacked by seven heroes, e.g., Adrastus, Polynices.
4) The seven seas (Arctic, Antarctic et. al.) were celebrated in a Rudyard Kipling poem.
5) The seven virtues are justice, temperance, charity and etc.
6) The Seven Dwarfs, i.e., Doc, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Happy and ... er, Fred, whistled while they worked. (I can never remember the seventh one; call me dopey.)
7) Seven out of seven experts insist that "etc." should always be pronounced as four syllables ("et-set-uhr-uh"), not as three syllables ("et-set-ruh").
Answers:
1. The abbreviation "e.g.," which stands for the Latin "exempli gratia," means "for example." So, it should never be used to precede a complete list of the items in a group.
2) "Etc.," short for the Latin "et cetera" ("and other things of the same kind"), suggests the inclusion of all items. Thus, it's illogical to use "etc." after "e.g.," which indicates that a partial list follows.
3) Because "etc." means "and other THINGS of the same kind," avoid using it with people. For people, use "et al," which is short for "et alia" ("and the others") and can be used for both people and things.
4) Because "et" is the Latin word for "and," it's not an abbreviation and thus needs no period.
5) Because "et cetera" means "AND other things," it's redundant to precede it with "and."
6) The abbreviation "i.e." stands for the Latin phrase "id est" (that is). It's almost always followed not by a list or examples but by a definition clarifying what preceded it, as in, "The Seven Dwarfs, i.e., those little fellows who lived with Snow White." By the way, in American English, "i.e." is usually followed by a comma ("i.e., those little fellows") but not in British English ("i.e. those little blokes").
7) In fact, experts are at sixes and sevens on this issue. While some purists insist on four syllables ("et-set-uhr-uh"), others say it's perfectly fine to render it as three syllables ("et-set-ruh"). But they all agree that you shouldn't say say "ek-set-ruh" or "ek-set-uhr-uh."
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Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Connecticut, invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via email to Wor...@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.
Copyright 2020 Creators Syndicate Inc.
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5 Questions to Calm Your Fears as We Emerge from COVID-19
Hope Bolinger
It seems as though this year has lasted forever, and we’ve barely passed the halfway point.
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English Listening Skills
The Chicken Soup for the Soul Podcast with Amy Newmark:
When Your Child Is Miraculously Meant to Be Yours
Listen Now or Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
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