give thanks with a grateful heart,

give thanks to the Holy One,

give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.

and now let the weak say "I am strong!"

let the poor say "I am rich!"

because of what the Lord has done!

give thanks!

we give thanks!

to each of you...those we know well and those who enjoy our blog...

we are grateful to have you in this life and pray that we will know you in His kingdom!

Have a blessed thanksgiving!

"For God so loved the world, that He sent His only Son that whosoever believes will not perish, but will have everlasting life!"  John 3:16

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary on August 30, 2006:
 
Here at this happy time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart: I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits. I still don’t know. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores who they are. They don’t know who Nick and Jessica are either.
 
Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so darn important?
 
I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I don’t care at all about Tom Cruise's baby.
 
Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive? Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are.
 
If this is what it means to be no longer young. Umm, not so bad.
 
Next confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautifully lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don' t feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
 
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me one bit there’s a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, fine. The Menorah a few hundred yards away is fine too.
 
I do not like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution, and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
 
Or, maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him?
 
I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too.
 
But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we used to know went to.

Our mission, “Serve With Love” is about choosing to be the difference with each other and our guests. When you visit us, we commit to serving you from our mission with our actions. You can count on us to be the difference and:

• Reach out
• Start a conversation
• Share a smile
• Create a memory
• Inspire hope

This post isn't about In-N-Out Burger, or even MOS Burger in Japan (although I understand MOS Burger is a great burger place also). The best burger in land happens to be a small chain in the Pacific Northwest, USA. The state of Oregon is known for it's organic food and Burgerville's roots have a history with that organic foundation. Many items on the menu are seasonal. The two (one wasn't simply enough) pumpkin smoothies I just consumed were absolutely the best. However, similar to the blackberry smoothes, they are only available a few months during the year. The Burgerville chain gets the majority of its food supply locally, grown in Oregon. The burgers taste different than the others, because they are so fresh. Burgerville is not a fancy restaurant, but once you visit, their mission is very believable:

SERVE WITH LOVE
Be the Difference
Reach Out
Start a Conversation
Share a Smile
Create a Memory
Inspire Hope

www.burgerville.com

The Beauty of Math!
                1 x 8 + 1 = 9
              12 x 8 + 2 = 98
            123 x 8 + 3 = 987
          1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
        12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
      123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654 
    1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
  12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

                 1 x 9 + 2 = 11
               12 x 9 + 3 = 111
             123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
           1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111 
         12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
       123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
     1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
   12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10 = 1111111111

              9 x 9 + 7 = 88
            98 x 9 + 6 = 888
          987 x 9 + 5 = 8888 
        9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
      98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
    987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
  9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888 

Brilliant, isn't it?
And look at this symmetry:
                             1 x 1 = 1
                         11 x 11 = 121
                      111 x 111 = 12321
                  1111 x 1111 = 1234321
              11111 x 11111 = 123454321 
           111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
       1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
   11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

Now, take a look at this...
101%
From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:
What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?
Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?
We have all been in situations where someone wants you to GIVE OVER
100%.

How about ACHIEVING 101%?
What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. 

Then If:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K  equals
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E  equals
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But:
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E  equals
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:
 L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D  equals
12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:
While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will
get you there, It's the Love of God that will put you over the top! 

thanks to Rhinehart Putman for this send...

Taken in 1918, this photo shows 18,000 men preparing for war in a training camp at Camp Dodge in Iowa. Thanks to Rhinehart Putman for this send. Click on the photo to enlarge.

So the rains have come to Oregon...they tell me that the Farmers Almanac says it will start raining on November 8th with apparently no commentary on when the 'end' is...  When I relocated last January - one foot in New Mexico/one in Oregon - it was a little rainy, even some snow, sleet, hail and actually sunshine...I thought I knew what weird and fast changing weather looked like...but now I REALLY know!

Anyway... it has started to rain here and it is nice.  A fall day with a little drizzle and fires in fireplaces bringing out all the smells that autumn brings...so far I like it.  Stay tuned on that one :o)  

Of course as the heavier storms pass through it makes me draw a metaphor in my mind (and in my journal).   A storm...from mother nature is much like life.  One minute you are moving freely through the days of our lives and the next you're in a storm. 

Many times we try to "ride out" the storms in our lives—doing this the best we can, holding on to whatever we find that brings us comfort in the moment...whether its destructive to us personally, we justify it as something we 'need right now' not forever, its not a 'problem'.  We think, If I can just hang on and be strong, I can get through this moment and then I will go back to the calm controlled person I am every other day.  :o)

But down deep, where the feelings come from...we really know better.  The destructive pattern will erupt inside our heart again and again.  When I remember to look for another way...these days...I look to scripture to see what I can learn about MY life and how to live it.  I read somewhere that Ruth Bell Graham, the amazing woman and wife of evangelist, Billy Graham...ran her household and her life with the Bible as her "instruction manual."   The closer I draw to God and to understanding my daily walk with Him through this life on earth, the more I "get" what she meant.  

For the storms of life...who better to look at than King David.  David knew he couldn't make it on his own. In the past, he had found help in the Lord God.   And in this prayer, David again sought the Lord's protection: "Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge" (Psalm 16: 1).   He rejoiced in the guidance and assistance the Lord had given him in the past and knew He would come through again when in the storms. I believe that if David stood firm through the storms with God 'right beside' him, so can I...and that gives me a way to 'ride it out' - but not on my own.

So if it has started to rain where you are...remember David and - more importantly - that you don't have to 'ride it out' alone.

isn't it great to know that God will never stop working in our lives...?

I got really tired today and was looking forward to coming home and relaxing and it made me stop for a moment to think about our Creator and how He never stops working...when we "forget" to talk with Him, when we "forget" to walk with Him, when we "forget" He is in control - like I did during this monumental week for our country - He keeps right on working.

"The Lord Himself watches over you!" we read in Psalm 121:5

How reassuring that thought is, the comfort of His word...knowing that in all things He is our Advocate, our Provider, our Maker and our Friend.

So when I am tired...I hope I don't forget to thank the One who watches over me - 24/7/365!

Praise God!

the election approaches...just 48 hours until the ads come to an end and all the states are dramatically colored in red or blue ...

in the end what will matter is that the one who takes over the house on Pennsylvania Avenue will need support and prayer from all of us, no matter how we voted.  The disagreements will need to subside so that we can all join together and bring our country back again to a place where we feel safe and secure, economically, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

so I think I will start praying now, not for the election to "go my way", but that as it comes to a close we will remember and know the ultimate truth...that we are loved, completed, noticed, believed in, and unconditionally accepted. Maybe not by everyone in this world, not by every neighbor or every co-worker, but by the One much greater and much more important than anyone we know...our Creator...God.

may He truly bless America this week!!!