Top Ten Ways to You Know You've Had Too Much Coffee:

1. Juan Valdez named his donkey after you.
2. You lick your coffeepot clean.
3. You can't even remember your second cup.
   
4. You can jump-start your car without cables.
5. People get dizzy just watching you.
6. Starbucks owns the mortgage on your house.
7. Instant coffee takes too long.
8. You want to be cremated just so you can spend the rest life in a coffee can.
9. You name your cats "Cream" and "Sugar."
10. You're the employee of the month at the local coffeehouse and you don't even work there.
    

Hints to a simple life

How to live a life of simplicity:

First, buy things for their usefulness rather than their status

Second, reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.

Third, develop a habit of giving things away.

Fourth, refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.

Fifth, learn to enjoy things without owning them.

Sixth, develop a deeper appreciation for the creation.

Seventh, look at a healthy skepticism at all "buy now, pay later" schemes.

Eighth, obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech.

Ninth, reject anything that will breed the oppression of others.

Tenth, shun whatever would distract you from you main goal: "Seek first the kingdom of God."

Taken from Richard Foster's book, Celebration of Discipline.

Don't Hiss

My name is Gossip,

I have no respect for justice. I maim without killing. I break hearts and ruin lives. I am cunning and malicious and gather strength with age. The more I am quoted, the more I am believed. I flourish at every level of society. My victims are helpless. They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no face. To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become. I am nobodies friend. Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same. I topple governments, wreck marriages, and ruin careers -- cause sleepless nights, heartaches, and indigestion. I spawn suspicion and generate grief. I make innocent people cry in their pillows. Even my name hisses… I make headlines and headaches. Before you repeat a story, ask yourself, Is it true? Is it fair? Is it necessary? If not – shut up!

Excerpt taken from Laura Schlessinger, The Ten Commandments: The Significance of God’s Laws in Everyday Life, p. 203

No commentary, just scripture.

LEV 19:16  "'Do not go about spreading slander among your people. "'Do not  do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD.

Psalm 34:13  "keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies."

Psalm 101:5  "Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence;  whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure."

Fight For Your Covenant

A former Pastor in Seattle, WA wrote a power statement about marriage.
I Echo these words. If you are married, maybe you should too:

"I am standing for the healing of my marriage!
I won’t give up, give in, give out, or give over till that healing takes place.
I made a vow; I said the words; I gave the pledge; I gave a ring; I took a ring; I gave myself; I trusted God; and said the words and meant the words…in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in good times and in bad; so I’m standing now, and won’t sit down, let down, slow down, calm down, fall down, look down, or be down till the breakdown is torn down!"

I refuse to put my eyes on outward circumstances; or listen to prophets of doom, or buy into what’s trendy, worldly, popular, convenient, easy, quick, thrifty, or advantageous.
Nor will I settle for a cheap imitation of God’s real thing.
Nor will I seek to lower God’s standard, twist God’s will, rewrite God’s Word, violate God’s covenant, or accept what god hates, namely divorce.

In a world of filth, I will stay pure.
Surrounded by lies, I will speak the truth.
Where hopelessness abounds, I will hope in God.
Where revenge is easier, I will bless instead of curse, and when the odds are stacked against me, I’ll trust in God’s faithfulness.
I’m a stander, and I won’t acquiesce, compromise, quarrel, or quit.
I have made the choice, set my face, entered the race, believed the Word, and trusted God for all the outcome.
I will allow neither the reaction of my spouse, nor the urging of my friends, nor the advice of my loved ones, nor the economic hardship, nor the prompting of the devil to make me let up, slow up, blow up, or give up till my marriage is healed up. AMEN!”

Keep focused my married friends.

Tony

EVERNOTE app - a speakers ally

Hey teachers, preachers and speakers,

I found a HUGE helper for your ministry. EVERNOTE is a great and free app but it's even better has an add-on for firefox that gives you a one click saver option. Its amazing. I have EVERNOTE on my iphone, ipad and macbook. Here's all you do:

step 1 - Download Firefox (which in my opinion is better than safari for free) I am unsure if you can download for safari. Its worth checking.

step 2 - Download the EVERNOTE add-on (free)

lets say you are reading an article, blog or anything online that you want to keep or read later, click the little EVERNOTE icon and it instantly puts it on an EVERNOTE in it's entirety. No need to copy and paste. At that point you tell it on the corner where to file it.

(hint: i created a notebook called "read later" and this way I will have it archived.)

This is a great tip. Hope it helps.

Tony

YOUR word for today.

	PSALM 121
1	I lift up my eyes to the hills; * from where is my help to come?
2	My help comes from the LORD, * the maker of heaven and earth.
3	He will not let your foot be moved * and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
4	Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel * shall neither slumber nor sleep;
5	The LORD himself watches over you; * the LORD is your shade at your right hand,
6	So that the sun shall not strike you by day, * nor the moon by night.
7	The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; * it is he who shall keep you safe.
8	The LORD shall watch over your going out and your coming in, * from this time forth for evermore.

God Has Two Questions for You

by Artie Davis

As we learn what it means to truly follow God, there are 2 questions I feel He wants to ask us everyday.

What are you hearing Me say?

Everyday is a new day, filled with opportunities to impact the Kingdom. It is vital we hear God and understand His desires for us on such things as...

• Go see this person
• Don't go to that meeting
• Call your neighbor
• Be patient
• Do all things in love
• Make a date with your wife

These are the kinds of things we need to hear from God everyday. We hear these from His Word and what He speaks to us. Hearing what God is saying to us puts us on the same page with His will and the work He has for us.

What are you doing to obey?

God has no desire to waste His breath or cast His pearls before swine! When He speaks, He expects us to obey. That is the second half of a powerful faith-filled walk with God. Not just hearing, but also obeying.

We find too many excuses not to obey what we hear God say.

• It doesn't make any sense
• It's in direct opposition to what I see
• That is way too hard, and nobody else is doing it
• I don't like that place
• If I do that, I may lose some friends
• I can't afford it

The things God wants us to do will always require faith. Faith is what we are called to walk in daily; it's the only way to please God, and whatever is not of faith is sin! So...it's pretty important that all we do is in faith. And "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

Since that's the way God wants us to walk everyday, I can understand His questions:

1. What are you hearing Me say?
2. What are you doing to obey?

Pretty heavy questions. What say you?

You can visit Artie Davis at www.artiedavis.com As seen at www.churchleaders.com