Remembrance

You can shed tears that she is gone,
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes
and pray that she'll come back,
or you can open your eyes
and see all that she has left.
Your heart can be empty
because you can't see her,
or you can be full of
the love that you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow
and live yesterday, or you
can be happy for tomorrow
because of yesterday.
You can remember her
and only that she's gone,
or you can cherish
her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back,

Or you can do
what she'd want:

Smile, Open Your Eyes,
Love, and Go on.

Author Unknown.

... AND SPEAKING OF NETA JACKSON

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Rolling: Celebration Edition by Neta Nelson

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Once again, a well written book of characters and situations by Neta Jackson. I feel like I'm visiting good friends when I open one of these books and at this point in my life, I need that.

This time I identified with Adele. At the risk of spoiling it for some potential readers I'll say that she and I suffered the same drastic life change recently. Add the following Baxter family tragedy and you'll know that on at least two nights of reading I was sobbing. But they were cleansing tears.

I particularly related to the realization of the Baxter family about how God works through major changes in our lives. I hold fast to that thought.

This is my favorite book in the series, following the very first one.

I'm going to a Christian women's conference in May and I'm going to be disappointed if I don't connect with some of the ladies the way these ladies do.


View all my reviews.

NETA JACKSON

Tips on writing from the author of The Yada Yada Prayer Group series.

Largest Christian Groups Report Membership Decline

The Christian Post reports that the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and Roman Catholic Church joined dozens of other mainline denominations this year in reporting membership losses. The SBC and Roman Catholic Church are the two largest Christian communions in the country, the Post reports, and both lost less than 1 percent of membership after years of growth. According to Eileen W. Linder, editor of the Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, the membership drops seem to be generational. "Many churches are feeling the impact of the lifestyles of younger generations of church-goers -- the 'Gen X'ers' or 'Millenials' in their 20s and 30s who attend and support local congregations but resist joining them," Lindner states in the report, released this week. "A slowing of the rate of growth of some churches and the decline of membership of others ought to be the focus of continued research and thoughtful inquiry."

Beginning of the End?
Televangelist Pat Robertson said on "The 700 Club" this morning that we should mark it on our calendars that today is the beginning of the end of the United States of America.
He was referring to the release of President Obama's proposed budget. He said U.S. dollars will become worth less and less and hyper-inflation is possible.
What do you think?

Lucy Lawless to be in Web drama, 'Angel of Death'

For story, go HERE.

View the TRAILER.

The Shack by William P. Young

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I'm very glad I read this book.

There are many good "truth nuggets" that I will probably go back and re-read, perhaps even highlight.

I think this book affects each person differently based upon happenings in her life and where she is at this point in her life. I found reading this slow for me -- not because of the writing or the story -- but because of the depth of information I was finding. I couldn't take in too much at any one time.

In the latter part of the book -- don't worry, no spoilers -- I found myself reading a few pages and crying a lot. Not happy tears, but not bad tears either. The kind that wet your whole face. Then I'd have to put the book up until the next night because I didn't feel I could emotionally take anymore, or needed to think of this nightly truth nugget, or was just too tired to go on.

As for any controversy, I chose not to read the details before I read this book and still haven't, I don't find any unless people have a problem with the way the Trinity is presented.

If you don't want to read it, or you don't think it appropriate, remember in the forward the writer says then it isn't for you.


View all my reviews.

Faith-based charities may fare better than other nonprofits in these tough economic times

Let's hope so. I know I listen to a number of ministries on the radio, some with programs outside the listening audience, and they're all hurting, all needy.

China: Dying Christian Not Allowed to See Imprisoned Wife

ASSIST News Service reports that Chinese prison officials have refused to let an elderly Christian man say goodbye to his imprisoned wife. Shuang Shuying, 79, was sentenced to two years in prison for "intentional damage of properties" in February 2007 while her son, Pastor Hua Huiqi, was in prison. She was walking to the Public Security Bureau (PSB) office to inquire about her son when a PSB car suddenly drove towards her. She held her cane protectively in front of herself, accidentally striking the vehicle. Her husband, Hua Zaichen, is 91. The couple had been targeted for years because of their work with the poor and kindness to other persecuted Christians.

Drastic improvements seen in Christian films

This cites "Fireproof," which I plan to see when it comes out on DVD later this month.

Pace of Bible Translation Reaches New Highs, Translators Say

Mission News Network reports that Bible translation projects are at an all time high. "We are participating in the greatest acceleration of the pace of Bible translation the church has ever witnessed. We're actually seeing, in reality, more translation programs being started today than we've ever seen in the history of the church," says President of Wycliffe Bible Translators Bob Creson. He said that Wycliffe is on target to have Bible translation projects underway in every known language that does not yet have the Bible in their native tongue by the year 2025. That means approximately 2,250 projects to go. Yet Creson is optimistic despite the global economic upheaval. "I think the work of Bible translation is one of those things that just transcend all these things that are going on around us," he said.

Faith-Based Movie 'Not Easily Broken' Makes $5.6M Debut

Christian Post reports that yet another faith-based movie about marriage is scoring big in the box office. "Not Easily Broken," based on the novel by megachurch pastor T.D. Jakes, opened at number 9 and grossed $5.6 million. Like the successful "Fireproof," another Christian film dealing with struggling marriages, "Not Easily Broken" had a relatively limited opening -- just 724 theaters nationwide. The movie focuses on the relationship between Dave and Clarice Johnson, a couple whose career frustrations and aspirations have driven a wedge in their marriage. "[I]t encourages people to fight through those struggles and to persevere and that our marital relationships are certainly worth fighting for," said Jakes, the senior pastor of 30,000-member The Potters House in Dallas, according to Charisma magazine.

RELIGION LOSING ITS INFLUENCE?

Religion News Service reports that two-thirds of Americans think religion is losing its influence on U.S. life. This shows a sharp jump from just three years ago when Americans were nearly evenly split on the question, according to a new Gallup Poll. Sixty-seven percent of Americans think religious influence is waning while just 27 percent say it is increasing. That perspective demonstrates a continuing downward trend, Gallup said. But the 27 percent figure is still higher than the record low, set in a 1970 poll, when just 14 percent of Americans thought religion was increasing in influence. The latest poll also finds that the percentage of Americans believing that religion "can answer all or most of today's problems" has reached an all-time low.

MY BEAUTIFUL MOMMA
I should have posted this earlier. Here is her obituary. She is seen in the above photo with her cousin, Bill Harris, at the McHargue Cemetery in Corbin, Ky., on June 1 of this year for the Harris family reunion/Decoration Day.

NORRIS IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

Story about nearby Norris in The New York Times.

BARACK OBAMA IS PRESIDENT-ELECT
As anyone who hasn't been under a rock now knows, Democrat Barack Obama has won the presidential election and will be sworn in in January. He becomes the first African-American to win the seat.
For those who voted for him, congratulations. For those of us who didn't, sorry. But now is the time to pray for our new leader. Jesus did not preach sour grapes. He preached honoring our bosses, our leaders, etc. He and his Cabinet will need all the prayers they can get to correct some of the problems facing our world. He and his family are truly lovely and I'll be praying for all of them.

GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!!
Today is Nov. 4 and here in the United States it's time for each of us registered voters -- and if you didn't register, shame on you! -- to get out and vote!
I don't care who you vote for -- well, actually I do -- but what I care most about is that you get out and vote.
I voted last Thursday because I feared it would be too difficult to leave work to vote in my precinct. I'm so glad I did.
Remember, if you don't vote I don't want to hear your gripes later on!
You can just keep your mouth shut.

My Momma's body has been laid to rest
Today was the final day of the formal ceremonies honoring the life of my mother. Now it's onto life without her physically being here and all the responsibilities.
I shared with a friend that I was dreading the "receiving friends," and funeral for Mom because even though I knew that my mother wasn't inside that body, that body had been my mother. She told me something that sticks with me and she probably doesn't know how much. She told me to realize that there is more of my Mommy inside me than there ever will be inside that body again.
Thanks, Pat.

AMEN!
UK Telegraph reports that one bishop is encouraging churches to expand their horizons and use pop hits -- in their services. In a new book, the Rt. Rev. Nick Baines, Bishop of Croydon, speaks of the influence of many pop music writers to convey spiritual yearning and even truth to the younger generation, asking churches to go a step beyond guitar praise-and-worship styles. "For many people the language of the Bible has become inaccessible and yet pop song writers can make a connection with people because their language is fresh," he said. ""The Bible is an amazing collection of books that we've allowed to become banal. For many people it is a closed book and asking them to read it is a lost cause, which is a tragedy." The Archbishop of Canterbury has endorsed Baines' book.

MY MOMMY
I wanted to tell you all that my mother died around 2:30 p.m. today.
She was my best friend on earth, a lovely woman and the best mother anyone could have had. I was lucky to have her for 45 of her 87 years. She was much loved and much respected. She will also be much missed, but there's no reason to grieve for her, she's not in pain anymore.