How a Miracle Helped a Down's Syndrome Child Tie Her Shoes

How a Miracle Helped a Down's Syndrome Child Tie Her Shoes
Little Miss Sarah! Mystical, magical, marvelous Sarah!
Everyone who meets her is blessed beyond words. Her purity
and joy for life are exceptional.

When Sarah was born the doctors told me: "She will not be
able to live on her own." Not true.

"She will have a very limited vocabulary." Not true at all.

"She will never be able to think abstractly." Definitely
not true!

"She will never be able to tie her shoes." Well, she ties
her shoes quite well, thank you!

As the mother of five children, two of whom are genetically
different with Down's syndrome, I ran a pretty tight ship.
While I managed to keep the laundry machines working on a
daily basis, there was one job that seemed insurmountable
— matching, folding and separating socks. Imagine
seven people ranging in age from 3 to 38 years. How many
pairs of socks are we talking about? Being the pragmatic
mother I turned an old apple crate into a "sock basket"
where I tossed all the socks. Everyone was expected to
find a pair of socks that matched each other and fit their
feet. One time I was totally embarrassed when Sarah, then
three years old, removed her shoes at her day program, and
walked around with big long white tube socks. She was
wearing big brother Erick's socks!

Attempting to maintain a sense of civility, I established a
few "rules" which applied to the Special Kids as
well— Rules like, "Keep your hands on your own body."
(I.e. no hitting, pinching or tickling) and "No teasing
allowed." This rule was necessary since once a Special Kid
learns something they cannot "unlearn" it—teasing
teaches them the "wrong" way and it's only funny to the
person doing the teasing, not to the recipient. Oh, I had
a classic rule—"If you can fight, you can kiss."
THAT rule, although unpopular, went a long way in
preventing fights between brothers and sisters and friends.

But it was the next rule, which prompted a magnificent
event: "If you can, you must." It went like this:

If you can dress yourself, you must. If you can make your
bed, you must. If you can tie your shoes, you must.

I was enforcing the "shoe rule" one morning, when Sarah was
about five years old. She had just learned how to tie her
shoes, and in keeping with the rule I gave her plenty of
time to do it.

We lived in a large two-story, split-level house with a
huge welcoming foyer, leading to four wide steps up to the
living room. I helped Sarah get settled on the bottom step
with her running shoes unlaced, so she could easily slide
her feet into them. "OK, honey, tie your shoes. I'll be
back in a minute."

I might have been gone two minutes—three at the most.
And when I returned to see how Sarah was doing, both shoes
were PERFECTLY tied! These were the most amazing bows I'd
ever seen! Not off to one side at all. They were
absolutely centered. Moreover, all four loops of both bows
were precisely equal. I'm sure this is an impossible feat.
I've been tying my shoes for 55 years and I've never been
so precise.

"Sarah! How did you do that?" I asked pointing to her
feet. "How did you tie your shoes so fast?"

"Oh, Jesus came and tied my shoes," she stated.

"He did?" I was stunned by her answer and questioned her
further. "What did he look like?"

"He was white," she replied.

"Was he wearing white?" I wondered if this was something
she had learned about at Sunday school.

"No, he was all shiny and white."

Well, I knew that answer hadn't come from a Sunday school
lesson. Besides, she said it with such conviction and
forthrightness. I could not accuse her of making it all
up—her shoes were tied in record time with precision
beyond mere human ability!

For 25 years I have pondered this event again and again. I
had been so distracted with all my duties and deadlines I
almost missed it, but Sarah didn't. She got it! It was a
miracle.

This event convinced me that children live a lot closer to
Source (or God) than adults. Well, of course—we all
came from Source and the infant, the baby; the innocent
ones can still "see" Source and communicate with It freely.

When you think of it, isn't that what we're all trying to
do? Find our way back to Source? Find a way to "see" with
our pure angel eyes once more.

I am just starting to come to terms with this miracle and
more than two dozen others I've been privileged to observe
or participate in. I've come to the conclusion that "A
miracle is a welcomed outcome that flies in the face of
rational thinking."

As well, there's a gentle soft voice within telling me,

"It's time; Time to talk about the miracles, time to speak
and time to teach."

Are you looking for a miracle? Perhaps you know someone
who needs a miracle. Are you wondering if there is
anything you can do to facilitate a miracle in their life
or your own?

----------------------------------------------------
Rebecca Hanson is the Founder of the Law of Attraction
Training Center. She is a natural teacher and mentor to
students from around the world. Learn how you can apply the
Law of Attraction to have a fuller more enriching life,
through the Certified Law of Attraction Practitioners'
Program, a 65-hour audio course at:
http://www.lawofattractiontrainingcenter.com/programs.html .

Using Online Videos to Market your Ministry

Using Online Videos to Market your Ministry
Using video in online marketing has major advantages, as it
is an efficient and effective way to reach your niche
market to promote your ministry. With free Christian video
sharing websites, it has become even easier to do since it
is as good as, if not better than, advertising on TV. Video
sharing websites see millions of visitors in traffic and
marketing with video makes sense when done right. It also
enables interactivity, making the message more appealing to
your viewer. You don't even have to be a professional
filmmaker to create your own gospel videos or Christian
videos; just a digital camera and an attractive idea is
enough. It hardly costs anything to make your own video
clip and uploading it on the free video sharing website.

Video is a great online marketing strategy when you want to
promote your products to your potential clients and also
attract traffic to your website. With a video that is just
three minutes long, you can effectively convey a catchy
message tempting your viewers to visit your website for
more.

Why Is Marketing With Video So Attractive?

Obviously, watching a video is so much more fun than
reading text. The impact that a video has is also much more
since people enjoy it. If you look at the main advantage,
it's true what they say about a picture being worth several
thousand words. Rather than read through a lot of text to
understand what you are trying to promote, your prospective
customer would prefer to see a short video!

The Best Time to Use Video Marketing

Video marketing is great when you launch a new product or
service. You can deliver your message in a catchy way, grab
your viewer's attention and encourage them to share it,
thereby using it as a form of viral marketing where the
message spreads on its own by virtue of being interesting
enough to be shared - at no cost to you. You can
demonstrate your product so that your prospects know what
you are talking about. Presented attractively, your short
video can reach a huge audience very quickly. Making
Your Marketing Video

Just as you need to optimize your web pages with your
keywords so that search engines can find your website, you
also need to optimize your video for the search engines so
that they can bring your video up in the results page.
Describe your video with the right keywords. Encourage
your viewers to post comments. It is possible to use the
right tools and measure how much of your video was viewed
by your visitor and how many visitors headed for your
website after seeing the video, and how many resulted in
sales.

You can post your marketing videos on the home page of your
website, your blogs and on the free video sharing websites.

----------------------------------------------------
To see some great and inspirational Christian videos please
visit us at http://www.gospeltube.com .

Jericho

Jericho
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were
encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not
perish with those who did not believe, when she had
received the spies with peace. (Hebrews 11:30-31, NKJV)

Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia
Grove to spy secretly....

So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named
Rahab, and lodged there.

[Rahab] took the two men and hid them.

she let them down by a rope through the window, for her
house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall.

And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to
exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know
that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

[the priests] who bore the ark came to the Jordan, dipped
[their feet] in the edge of the ... [Jordan] ..., the
waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose
in a heap ... and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the
LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan;
and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the
people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

the LORD said to Joshua: "...You shall march around
[Jericho], all you men of war; you shall go all around the
city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests
shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark.
But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven
times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.... all the
people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the
city will fall down flat...." (Joshua 2:1-2,4,15,
3:7,15-17, 6:2-5 NKJV)

Joshua was now the leader of the nation of Israel, a
commission he had accepted in faith. The first task the
Lord gave him was to enter the land of Canaan and attack
the fortress of Jericho. Even as Moses had lead the nation
of Israel through the Red Sea, the Lord performed a similar
miracle on Joshua's behalf at the Jordan River during flood
season.

Before crossing the Jordan River, Joshua sent spies into
Jericho. Obviously the king of Jericho wasn't the least bit
happy to have foreigners spying on his fortress, so he
immediately initiated a city-wide search to find and kill
the spies. Everyone in the city had heard of the exploits
of the nation of Israel since leaving Egypt, and were very
afraid. However, a woman of Jericho, who was a prostitute,
exercised faith by hiding and protecting the spies with the
stipulation they would guarantee her and her family's
safety. The only guarantee she received was the integrity
of the verbal conditional promise of the spies she
protected: as long as she and her family remained in her
house during Israel's attack, they would all be safe.

When it was time for Joshua to attack the city of Jericho,
the Lord gave Israel a series of prophetic acts to perform:
circle the city once a day for six days, and on the seventh
day, circle it seven times, sound the trumpets, shout, and
then expect the walls of the city to fall down. Joshua and
Israel faithfully performed the prophetic acts, Rahab
faithfully brought her entire family into her house, the
walls of the city fell, the city of Jericho was destroyed,
and Rahab and her family were saved.

What lessons can we learn from Joshua, Rahab, and the
destruction of Jericho? First, the Lord honors the true
faith of any individual, without any respect to occupation,
race, or nationality. Second, faith depends on the
faithfulness, integrity, and ability of the object of that
faith. Third, the reward of faith depends on meeting the
conditions of that faith. Fourth, the performance of a
prophetic act constitutes a statement of faith, with the
reward being proportional to the faithful and enthusiastic
execution of the vision received.

----------------------------------------------------
Jon Straumfjord is the author of numerous articles about
the Seven Spirits of God and the God of the Bible. He is
also the creator of the website http://www.7-spirits.com ,
and is the author of the book "The Seven Spirits of God."

Joshua, the New Leader of Israel

Joshua, the New Leader of Israel
After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, ... the
LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant,
saying: "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, {D1}
arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the
land which I am giving to them — the children of Israel.
{P1} Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon
I have given you, ... {P2} No man shall be able to stand
before you all the days of your life; {P3} as I was with
Moses, so I will be with you. {P4} I will not leave you nor
forsake you. {D2} Be strong and of good courage, ... be
strong and very courageous, that you may {D3} observe to do
according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded
you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left,
that you may prosper wherever you go. {D4} This Book of the
Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall {D5}
meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do
according to all that is written in it. {P5} For then you
will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good
success.... Be strong and of good courage; {D6} do not be
afraid, nor be dismayed, for {P6} the LORD your God is with
you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:1-9, NKJV)

Moses had been a prophet like none other in the entire
history of Israel, and was probably the very first apostle,
the second being Jesus Christ Himself (Hebrews 3:1-2,
Deuteronomy 18:15-1). The nation of Israel had learned to
respect and obey Moses over their 40 years of wandering in
the wilderness. Moses had demonstrated his power and
authority through a variety of miracles that had been
performed through him, and through the demonstration of the
wisdom the Lord had bestowed upon him. Now that Moses was
dead, a new leader had to be commissioned.

Immediately after the death of Moses, the Lord turned to
Joshua, the son of Nun, who had been Moses' faithful
servant for the previous 40 years. He had been with Moses
at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:13), spent considerable time in
the tabernacle in the wilderness (Exodus 33:11), and was
one of only two of twelve spies sent into the land of
Canaan that stood up on behalf the Lord and survived the
plague that killed the other 10 (Numbers 11:28 - 14:38). He
was probably at least 60 years by this time, (he ultimately
lived to be 110 (Judges 2:8)), having spent the last 40
years as Moses' attendant and disciple. Yes he had
developed his own personal relationship with the Lord, yes,
he had been carefully observing Moses in virtually
everything he did, yes he was aware of the call that was on
his life, but now he was being asked to step into Moses'
position himself, without his close friend and mentor.

Notice in the passage cited above, the Lord made six
demands of Joshua {D1-D6}, but also gave him six promises
{P1-P6}. Three times Joshua was told to be "strong and
courageous", and was also told not to be afraid. It is
very understandable that Joshua should be nervous about
taking over the command of an entire nation, especially
after witnessing Moses' hardships as the leader of that
same nation. Joshua must have felt incredibly inferior to
the task in light of the immense power and wisdom that was
demonstrated by Moses, even though he had been commissioned
by Moses himself several months or years before (Numbers
27:22-23). Joshua wouldn't be alone in this task since he
would be essentially a co-ruler with Eleazar the priest
(Numbers 32:28, 34:17).

There are no grandchildren in the kingdom of heaven. Even
the children of greatly anointed ministers of the Lord must
ultimately make conscious individual decisions to follow
the Lord and live in a close relationship with Him. Each
and every believer is responsible for his/her relationship
with the Lord. The Lord may provide a mentor and teacher
for a time, but each believer will stand or fall based on
his/her exercise of faith in the Lord, and righteousness
before men.

----------------------------------------------------
Jon Straumfjord is the author of numerous articles about
the Seven Spirits of God and the God of the Bible. He is
also the creator of the website http://www.7-spirits.com ,
and is the author of the book "The Seven Spirits of God."

Continuous, Focused Thought Sustains and Initiates Creation

Continuous, Focused Thought Sustains and Initiates Creation
The Bible describes creation happening at one point in
time. However, the Jewish mystics, or kabbalists, claim
creation happens continuously. This means creation is
occurring right now, in this moment.

In fact, kabbalists describe creation as a thought in the
mind of God. If God had the first creative thought —
the thought that caused the universe, the world, us to come
into existence, then God's continuous thought process or
focus on the thought of creation sustains that very same
creation. If God removed Its attention from that thought,
all of creation would disappear. If God were to focus for
even one moment on a new thought, the universe as we know
it — and us, too — would disappear. We and our
world would fold back into the Source of Creation from
whence we came.

All of creation is sustained constantly each and every
moment by the energy God continues putting into creation.
To understand this better, imagine creation as a light bulb
that stays illuminated as long as the electricity is on.
Turn off the power, and the light goes out.

From a Kabbalistic viewpoint, humans serve as God's
co-creative partners. Since in Jewish philosophy God's
essence is unknowable and without recognizable form, we can
assume that if humans were created in God's image we were
gifted with God's creative nature; the Divine creative
ability represents the only thing we may know about God
with any certainty. What do we co-create? Our lives and
the things in the world that we can directly affect.

While a Divine Plan influences the overall theme of our
lives, we can pick and choose how we get to that
pre-planned end. When we come to a fork in the road, we
decide to take the long or the short route. We focus our
thoughts on a desire and create it — good or bad,
right or wrong. Thus, God created the play and story line,
and we, the actors, improvise our parts based on what is
happening in the moment. We create...moment to moment.

If we are to be efficient and masterful co-creators, we
have to remember that, just like God, we must continue
focusing on what we are creating. We mustn't remove our
attention from what we want to manifest, or what we have
manifested, or it might just disappear. Take money for
example: Many people focus on creating wealth, and once
they have it they simply stop paying any attention to that
money at all. And then, one day, they discover there's no
more money in their bank account. The same holds true for
relationships. We may focus on creating one and actually
manage to manifest one. Maybe we even get married, but if
we then stop focusing on that relationship - if we place
our attention elsewhere, we might turn back to that
marriage only to find it has fallen apart.

When we are in the process of creating something, this
principle holds true as well. It takes all our focus and
attention to actually bring an idea into form. From the
moment we feel that inspiration to create something new,
just like God, we have to allow that desire to grow and to
overwhelm us. At that point we allow it to move into the
realm of thought, where we conceptualize it and put it into
words or pictures that detail what we want to bring into
this physical world. We allow all our thoughts to be
trained upon this desire. Then we begin feeling what it
would be like to have manifested that desire by asking
ourselves if we can truly imagine having it, and our focus
turns to that experience. From that feeling place, we
begin to get a sense of the inspired actions necessary to
bring that desire into the physical world, and our
attention turns to how to bring our desire into form though
doing as well as thinking and feeling. With continuous
focus in all four of these worlds - desire/inspiration,
thought, feeling and action - we see creation become
manifest in much the same way as God's focused attention
continuously manifests our world.

----------------------------------------------------
The author of The Kabbalah of Conscious Creation, Nina Amir
is a journalist, motivational speaker, and Kabbalistic
conscious creation coach. Register for the next kabbalah of
Conscious Creation teleseminar (3/26, 4/2,9,16,23,26) or
for a free preview teleseminar on 3/19. For information on
Amir's books, teleseminars and classes, visit
http://www.purespiritcreations.com , e-mail her at
namir@purespiritcreations.com or call 408-353-1943.

Avoid These Two Distractions When You're Teaching

Avoid These Two Distractions When You're Teaching
How much of your Bible lesson did your students miss
because they were distracted?

And how much of that distraction is really your fault, dear
teacher?

If you want to improve the quality and effectiveness of
your teaching -- so that you are teaching to change lives!
-- then stop being a distraction or creating them. You
can't stop every possible distraction in the room, but you
can make sure YOU are not the distraction.

Let me give you two ways that you can be a huge distraction
to your students.

First, get rid of anything that "amplifys" your nervous
tics.

True story: One Sunday morning, I was really zinging this
lesson out, totally "on," and full of zeal. My lesson
points were sharp and the life application was perfect for
this class.

It was c-o-o-l to see how God had brought all this together!

After I dismissed the class, one nice lady came up and
complimented me on my car keys. I was horrified to learn
that she and others had hardly heard what I said, because I
had been playing with my keys in my pocket and distracting
EVERYONE.

Take everything that makes noise out of your pockets before
you teach. Keys, coins, pens, trinkets. And don't click
ballpoint pens or pop on and off whiteboard marker caps,
either. Give your students every reason to focus on the
Word of God and you.

Second, don't make your students juggle. What am I talking
about?

Many times our teaching environment gives a student a chair
to sit on, and not much else. If they are trying to juggle
your handout sheets, a Bible, maybe something to drink and
eat, a pen or pencil, well -- it's a recipe for distraction.

(Now if your teaching situation includes a table, keep
reading, because it's as much about juggling *attention* as
it is physical items.)

You want the people in your class to be paying attention to
the Word of God and the class discussion. So don't
intentionally give them eight items to juggle. Keep the
handout simple, and preferably one page. (Or skip the
handout if you believe the class can go without it and
still get the key points. After all, Jesus never used
handouts :-)

Also, if you can work it out so that there is a little bit
of space between chairs, that helps a lot, too! People
don't learn well (at any age) when they're jammed together.
Many Americans, in particular, have a deep dislike to be
touched by others, even accidental shoulder brushing. So
space the chairs out a little bit, and it will help them to
keep their attention on the lesson.

Great Bible teachers pay attention to the learning
environment. What's causing distractions in your class?
See if you can cut them out, and watch the learning improve.

----------------------------------------------------
Looking for more information about Bible teaching? Glenn
Brooke is the author of 3 books and has coached over 10,000
Bible teachers around the world. Get a free package of
helps for Bible teachers
==> http://www.teachtochangelives.com/gift

You Are Not What You Do!

You Are Not What You Do!
Have you ever experienced a day when a lot of things went
really well for you? Have you experienced a day in which
you handled everything that came your way just superbly?
Perhaps, before I get too carried away, let me just say,
"Have you ever had a really great day?"

How did you feel about yourself at the end of that great
day? Did you take pride in your achievements? Did you
feel confident in your abilities? Did you value yourself
more than the day before? Did you feel more worthy?

On the other hand, have you ever had a lousy day, in which
it seemed like nothing went right for you? Have you had a
day in which you made a number of mistakes? At the end of
that lousy day, how did you feel about yourself? You
probably felt less confident and less worthy than the day
before.

It is perfectly normal to feel good when we do things right
or when things go well, just as it is normal to feel a
little discouraged when we don't do things right or when
things don't go well. But, your self-image and your self
worth should never, ever, be based on what you do or what
you don't do.

People often base their low self-image on things they do or
fail to do. They say things like, "Darn it, why'd I do
that?" or "Oh, why didn't I do that?"

Perhaps you have heard the statement, "You are not what you
do." I believe that statement is true, but there are
countless people who just do not believe it. They refer to
themselves, and to others, by what they do. They label
themselves and other people by saying things like, "He's an
accountant," or "she's an advertising rep." They say, "I'm
a cook" and "He's an athlete."

All of those statements just list occupations. And, if you
base your self worth on what you are doing, then what
happens to your self worth when you no longer do it
anymore? For example, suppose you were a major league
baseball pitcher. If you based your self worth on that
alone, what happens when it is time to retire? Then what
would you think of yourself? What kind of self- esteem and
self worth would you have then?

You are not what you do!

Match making services remind people that if you are looking
for a long term relationship then you need to look at who
the person is, not what they do. They tell their clients
that what makes people fall in love is "who" you are, not,
"what you do."

But you and I know that for so many, many people, their
self worth and their self- identity is based on their job
and their corresponding income. It's a good thing that one
of our greatest presidents did not have that kind of an
attitude.

He came from a very poor family, had a hard life, and was
unsuccessful. His business failed twice and he went
bankrupt. During a period of 26 years, he was defeated 9
times for the legislature, Congress, and the United States
Senate.

But, he was elected as our 16th President. And, Lincoln
once said, "The path was worn and slippery, my foot slipped
from under me, knocking the other out of the way, but I
recovered and said to myself, it is a slip and not a fall."

I heard a Bible teacher once say, "The reason people are so
miserable is because they can't stand themselves." How
true that is. And I would add that if they only knew who
they really were it would be a new day for them!

The Scriptures plainly speak of "who" a Christian really
is. It has nothing to do with your actions or your
particular job. It has everything to do with what Christ
did for you.

If more Christians would accept who the Bible says that
they are, their self worth would skyrocket! The Epistles
point out that every born again Christian, in God's eyes,
is acceptable, holy and without blame, a child of God, and
cannot be separated from His love!

The Bible teaches that Christians have already been made
righteous. But, sadly, so many times religion focuses on
sin and condemnation which makes people feel unworthy.
This leaves Christians with a low self-image and very
little self worth.

You are not what you do!

Even when we fall short and sin, we are still righteous in
God's eyes. And what so many fail to realize is that what
you really believe about yourself has a dynamic effect on
your success in all areas of your life.

So whether you have a good day or a bad day; whether you
are a major league pitcher or you've just declared
bankruptcy, just remember that in God's eyes, you are
special, you belong, you are His dear child and He made you
righteous!

----------------------------------------------------
Listen to one of Michael A. Verdicchio's Pep Talks at
http://www.MikesPepTalks.com/christians2free.html
Michael has a free newsletter called, THE PEP LETTER, at
http://www.christianinspirationalgifts.com/pepletter.html .
Michael is a husband, father, minister, author, and
broadcaster. He has been the voice on numerous productions
over the years.

The Abortion Argument, The Fertile Egg, and the Bible

The Abortion Argument, The Fertile Egg, and the Bible
When I began writing an ebook on abortion, I found myself
"eyeball to eyeball" with the fertile egg. Initially, I
considered this "a detour" from where I wanted to go. But,
with man's invasion into its domain, and because it is the
beginning of the human life line, I soon realized the
abortion argument actually does begin with the fertile egg.
Even though I've been a pro life advocate for decades, I
never really thought much on the fertile egg. I've known
what it is from biology, organic chemistry, and genetics
classes, but I never really stopped to think about - what
it really is. So, what is it?

For starters, the fertile egg is the result of a successful
merging of an egg and sperm cell. But, there is something
quite astounding about this union. The sperm cell, left to
itself, it is incapable of growing into anything else. So
also, the egg cell. As solitary cells, they soon expire.
But, once merged, they burst into a phenomenally complex
life form. And that complex life form is already
genetically complete inside that single fertile egg. With
nourishment and time, each fertile egg will become a unique
adult - 100% of the time. It seems more than the sum of
its parts.

Some have called the human fertile egg, "potential human
life." Scientifically, this is an untenable statement. It
is not "potential human life" - it is human life. It is
nothing else and it cannot become anything else. The
fertile human egg is simply, and only, the earliest stage
of human life.

But there is something even more basic about a fertile egg.
It is living matter. This may sound like a stupid
observation, but it is actually quite significant. Many
things are not alive. Most of the matter on our planet is
not alive. Indeed, the rest of the universe may have no
living matter. If all living matter was weighed against
the nonliving matter, it would not amount to a speck of
dust on the cosmic weighing scale. A fertile egg is an
exceedingly rare piece of living matter in a universe
dominated by inorganic matter.

The "Life Element"

The human body is composed of twenty-eight elements. None
are alive. None of them even hint at being alive. Carbon
is not alive. Iron is not alive. Lead is not alive.
Calcium is not alive. Arsenic is not alive. None of the
other twenty-three elements that make up our body are alive
either. But, it is error to say these elements are dead -
as that injects the thought that life is in some way
connected with them. Organic chemistry is itself composed
of elements that are, in and of themselves, inorganic.
Life, whatever it is, is alien to every element. How any
combination of non-living elements is alive ... is a total
mystery. When present, the "life element" is obviously
there - but, it continues to elude the scientist's grasp.

If the fertile egg does not contain all of these
twenty-eight elements, then this "life element" is all the
more remarkable. It attracts the missing elements at the
appropriate times, and in the appropriate quantities, in
the construction of the body. It is "feeding" on the
inorganics around it. But, too much lead, iron or arsenic
will result in the "life element" vacating the matter in
which it resides - as will too little of these elements.
This is too astounding to comprehend.

But, is it "a person?"

With that question, we have now entered ... the abortion
argument. Is the fertile egg, "a person?" There are three
perspectives from which to examine this question -
Naturalism, Theism and Humanism. But, I have decided to
introduce a fourth view. And I want to start there - now
... with you. I want you to put yourself in the shoes ...
of a fertile egg. You are now a fertile egg.

A clock turned on the instant you became a fertile egg.
With time and nourishment, you will turn into a unique
adult - 100% of the time. Come to think of it ... that is
exactly what you did. Now, at some point in your
development, some adults decided to bestow upon you the
title of "person" or "being." Of course, the instant you
were crowned as such, nothing physically changed. And, had
this apposition been withheld, well, that would not have
changed anything either. Actually, this title has no
physical impact - one way or the other. So, what is this
title? Well, it is ... a word. It is a metaphysical,
subjective concept based upon nothing but the thin air
between the ears of the adult humans bestowing it. One
proof that "being" is based upon nothing, lies in the fact
that the credentialing adults do not agree on what it is,
what it means ... or when it starts. It is bestowed at all
kinds of arbitrary points along the life-line. Some wait
until a few weeks in, some a few months, and some do not
grant this magical designation until air can be breathed.
"Being" can be summed up in one word - "opinion." O
fertile egg, this opinion has no effect on the physical
reality of your one-way march into unique adulthood.

The Naturalist ... and "Being"

For the Naturalist (atheistic evolutionist), the question
of "being" is as ridiculous as it is irrelevant. It is an
attempt to separate humans from simply being an animal. I
know of no one who examines other species and wonders when
they reach "dog-hood" or "cow-hood." This "being" query is
immediately, and forever, rejected.

Also, from the Naturalist's viewpoint, deliberate
interference in the progress of a fertile egg is the
activity of fools. All life forms are in a continuous,
ferocious struggle for survival. Since profitable
mutations arise randomly, each fertile egg is Evolution's
jewel until it proves itself otherwise. Any one may
contain the needed adaptation(s) for that life line to
continue. Each fertile egg is the future of any species.

The Biblical Theist ... and "Being"

For the Biblical Theist, this personhood concept is also
irrelevant. Since God "Himself gives to all life" (Acts
17:25), if the "being" designation is one He concerns
Himself with, well, that is a transaction between Himself
and that life. Everyone else is outside the loop.

Also, from a Biblical viewpoint, assaulting a fertile egg
is beyond being a fool. It is insanity. "The hearts of
the sons of men are full of evil, and insanity is in their
hearts throughout their lives" (Eccl 9:3). God, "the Lord
... makes alive" (1Sam 2:6), and the stronger among us are
given a special charge for protecting the weaker. Assaults
upon "innocent human life" at any point along its lifeline
... well, you do the math.

The Humanist ... and "Being"

For the Humanist, this personhood issue is of great
importance. By withholding this designation, the
"non-being" is relegated to a blob of protoplasm. It
depends on which Humanist you are talking with as to when
"being" arrives. For some, it is when the umbilical cord
is cut. For others, being "wanted" by one or more of the
parents, earns "personhood" - while still in the womb.
Other Humanists talk in terms of trimesters - so, it
depends upon which Humanist you are talking with as to what
opinion you will hear on the "being" issue. But all
Humanists do agree on one point. Before the moment when
"being" is reached, anyone can do anything he/she wants
with this subhuman blob of protoplasm.

A Word To - "Mom"

Mom, if you search every mountaintop, every ocean bottom,
every cave on earth - and even scour the nest of every
living thing - in all of nature, you will not find even one
human egg. If you look into a clear night sky, that vast
universe (of which you are seeing the tiniest fraction)
does not have ... one human egg. If humanity is valuable,
there is only one place it originates - in you. Through
you comes the world's leaders, artists, inventors, doctors,
teachers, thinkers ... and no one knows who will come from
any particular womb. Many of the world's greatest citizens
have arisen from the most humble of circumstances. Our
future develops in your womb. You are humanity's
gatekeeper.

Conclusion

Each fertile egg is a one-of-a-kind entity in all of past
reality, present reality, and future reality. Each is
genetically complete, astoundingly unique and beyond
replication. Also, it is an exceedingly rare piece of
living matter. It contains genetic "triggers" that engage
at the proper times so the correct elements, in proper
proportions, are corralled for the construction that unique
adult. The fertile egg of the human - is the most
sophisticated physical entity in the known universe. No
matter rivals it. Scientifically, I have only scratched
the surface in describing the physical reality of one
fertile egg. The abortion debate begins here. I now stand
in awe of the fertile egg ... and its Creator.

----------------------------------------------------
This article is an excerpt from Robin's ebook, "Abortion:
How Abortion Resides in the Weakest Form of Human Thought"
at http://www.freelygive-n.com/Abortion_Argument.html .
Other ebooks: "Capital Punishment and the Bible" "No Tithe
for the Christian," "Love and the Bible," and "Death and
the Bible". ALL ARE FREE! Robin became a Christian in 1977.
Educationally: BA, Bus Admin (Milligan College '90) and M-
Div (Emmanuel School of Relign '92).

How To Get What You Desire

How To Get What You Desire
A lot of people look at what their lives lack and then
determine that lack to be the problem. They see a lack of
positive things happening to them and therefore think that
if more positive things happened to them, then life would
be so much better.

This format of "looking at lack" is most prevalent in
financial categories. People see a lack of finances and
really believe that lack of money is the problem. They say
things like, "If I had more money; if I was out of debt; if
I could just earn more money..." They then conclude, "Not
having enough money is the problem in my life."

What so many fail to realize is that lack is not the
problem. Lack in your life is never the problem! Lack is
merely the effect of something going on inside the mind.

If you plant a carrot seed into the ground, what is in the
ground? A carrot seed. So what will the result be? A
corn stalk filled with sweet corn? A beautiful tomato
plant filled with red tomatoes? No. The carrot seed will
produce carrots.

If you put a chicken in the oven to bake, when it's time to
take it out of the oven, what do you have? A nice plump
golden brown turkey? A delicious juicy ham? No. If you
put a chicken in the oven to bake, then that's what you are
going to take out, a chicken.

Now I know these may sound like really silly illustrations,
but I use them to make a very serious point. What is on
the outside is a very good reflection of what's going on
inside.

I recently saw part of a program on TV about real estate.
The man speaking is extremely successful in the real estate
business. Perhaps you've heard of him. His name is Robert
Kiyosaki.

One of the statements that Mr. Kiyosaki made was really
terrific. He told his audience about the most valuable
piece of real estate on earth. Do you know where it is?

He said that this particular piece of real estate is more
valuable than any other property you could own. It's not a
very big piece of real estate either. Where is it? Mr.
Kiyosaki said it is the piece of real estate just above
your nose.

This successful man knows that what's going on inside your
mind is vitally important to what's going to happen on the
outside.

But sadly, most people look at the lack in their lives as
being the problem. Lack in your life is never the problem.
Stop looking at the lack and take a good honest look at
what's going on inside your own mind. What is your mindset?

You are certainly free to focus on your lack and just
accept it. That is a possible mindset, and that's your
privilege.

You can focus on all your limitations and excuses and just
accept that. That is also a mindset. You have free will
to that if you want to.

A better choice is to focus your mental attention on your
desires and destinations in life. You can picture in your
mind who you really desire to be and where you really
desire to go. That too is a mind set. You have the free
will to think that way if you choose to.

What you focus your mind on is what you will bring into
your life. It is a tried and true principle of life that
works just like the law of gravity. If there is lack in
your life, then refuse to focus on that lack and refuse to
accept that lack. Instead, make a conscious decision to
start focusing on your desired destination.

God never intended for people to lack. He has promised
abundance in every category of life. The Bible declares
that God will supply and that He will give you the desires
of your heart. But, He will not overstep your free will.

It is up to you to stay clear, concerned, and focused on
the things that you desire; the things that He has promised
you. As you do so, you will receive His blessings.

----------------------------------------------------
Listen to one of Michael A. Verdicchio's Pep Talks at
http://www.MikesPepTalks.com/christians2free.html
Michael has a free newsletter called, THE PEP LETTER, at
http://www.christianinspirationalgifts.com/pepletter.html .
Michael is a husband, father, minister, author, and
broadcaster. He has been the voice on numerous productions
over the years.

Moses at the Red Sea

Moses at the Red Sea
By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land,
whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.
(Hebrews 11:29, NKJV)

Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "...; you shall camp
... by the sea.... Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so
that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over
Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know
that I am the LORD." ... (Exodus 14:1-4, NKJV)

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the
LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all
that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters
were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst
of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to
them on their right hand and on their left. And the
Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the
sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
(Exodus 14:21-23, NKJV)

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the
morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while
the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew
the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the waters
returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all
the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not
so much as one of them remained. (Exodus 14:27-28, NKJV)

After spending forty years in the land of Midian, Moses was
finally ready to begin the ministry that had been
previously revealed to him. In place of the arrogant man,
who had attempted to fulfill what he believed was the
Lord's will in his own power, stood a man who was more
humble than any other on the face of earth (Numbers 12:3),
a man who was now very timid and insecure (Exodus 4:10-17).
Yet Moses was called to a position of power, authority, and
confrontation (2 Corinthians 12:9).

After delivering the Israelites out of Egypt after the
death of the Egyptian firstborn, the Lord led Moses and the
nation of Israel to the edge of the Red Sea. Militarily,
this was a very weak and totally indefensible position that
left the people boxed in on three sides. Pharaoh, sensing
a situation he could easily take advantage of, pursued the
nation of Israel with all his military might, intending to
slaughter the virtually unarmed and militarily
inexperienced nation as an act of revenge. However, Pharaoh
failed to take into account the power and authority of the
Lord God.

When Pharaoh and his overwhelming military force caught up
to Israel, the Lord intervened, stood between Pharaoh's
army and His chosen people, and parted the Red Sea (Exodus
14:13-22). The Israelites fled through the parted waters,
and the Lord later allowed Pharaoh's army to pursue them
into same parted waters, but the Lord hindered their horses
and chariots, and ultimately drowned the entire army
(Exodus 14:23-31). So complete was the destruction of the
Egyptian army, that Moses Miriam and the nation of Israel
broke into songs of rejoicing (Exodus 15:1-21). The waters
that had become the path of deliverance for Israel was also
a trap for the Egyptians.

So what does this incident teach us about faith? First,
those who truly follow the Lord in faith will sometimes be
led by the Lord Himself into seemingly impossible
situations. These are not meant for our demise, but rather
for our development and the humiliation of the Enemy
(Romans 8:35-39, 9:17 James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:6-9). Second,
the Lord delights in demonstrating his strength on behalf
of those who love and trust him (2 Chronicles 16:9ab).
Third, there is no reason to fear when following the Lord
in Faith (1 John 4:17-19). Fourth, salvation from the Lord
brings unbridled rejoicing (Nehemiah 8:10d, Philippians
4:4).

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your
own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He
shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV)

----------------------------------------------------
Jon Straumfjord is the author of numerous articles about
the Seven Spirits of God and the God of the Bible. He is
also the creator of the website http://www.7-spirits.com ,
and is the author of the book "The Seven Spirits of God."

Moses the Commissioned Deliverer

Moses the Commissioned Deliverer
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the
king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By
faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood,
lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
(Hebrews 11:27-28, NKJV)

Moses had a revelation that he was going to be a deliverer
of the nation of Israel out of bondage to Pharaoh. However,
instead of patiently waiting for the Lord to move in His
time and power, Moses initiated an ill-advised and
murderous effort without the Lord's direction. As a
consequence, Moses spent forty unnecessary years in Midian,
and the nation of Israel spent an extra thirty years in
bondage to Egypt. However forty years in Midian greatly
humbled the arrogant Moses, making him ready to be
commissioned by the Lord for the work to which he had been
called.

After an encounter with the Lord at the Burning Bush
(Exodus 3:1-4:17), Moses returned to Egypt to confront the
son of the Pharaoh from whom he had fled forty years
previously (Exodus 4:18-31,7:7, Acts 7:24). In fact, Moses
was very confrontational with the new Pharaoh, continually
demanding that the entire nation of Israel leave Egypt to
go worship the Lord in the desert. Every time Pharaoh
refused, Moses made a prophetic proclamation, and released
another plague on the Egyptian deities, Pharaoh, and the
entire nation of Egypt (Exodus 5:1-10:29). However, rather
than becoming more compliant to the demands of the Lord,
Pharaoh became increasingly resistant, even against the
expressed wishes of his own advisers and the desires of his
own people, which lead to one final confrontation:

Now the LORD spoke to Moses ... "On ... the fourteenth day
of the ... month ... the whole assembly ... of Israel shall
kill [the male lamb without blemish] at twilight. And they
shall take some of the blood and put it on the two
doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat
it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in
fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they
shall eat it.... It is the LORD's Passover.

'For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night,
and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt,
both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I
will execute judgment: I am the LORD. Now the blood shall
be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I
see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall
not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of
Egypt.

'So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep
it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You
shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.
(Exodus 12:1-14, NKJV)

The nation of Israel obeyed the Lord, killed the lambs at
twilight, applied the blood to the two side posts of their
home doors and the lintel above those doors, and were
spared the Lord's wrath. The nation of Egypt on the other
hand, suffered the loss of the firstborn of their children
and of all their livestock. Since the Egyptians so greatly
feared the Israelites, they gave many costly gifts of
silver, gold, jewelry, and clothing as bribes to leave
(Exodus 12:33-36). Even though they had lived in Egypt for
430 years, most of that time in slavery and poverty, the
Lord compelled the Egyptians to repay them for their time
of service. The Lord had victoriously delivered His people
from the domination of Pharaoh, lavished great gifts on the
former Israelite slaves, and instituted a symbolic feast
that has lasted over 5,000 years.

There are several aspects of faith revealed in this story:
true faith simply obeys the Lord's commands, even in
impossible situations. Second, true faith always stands
with the Lord, even in the face of dreadfully intimidating
opposition. Third, true faith gladly engages in symbolic
acts as instituted by the Lord, even though those acts may
not be fully understood. Fourth, the Lord always honors
true faith; He will not abandon those who commit their
faith to Him.

----------------------------------------------------
Jon Straumfjord is the author of numerous articles about
the Seven Spirits of God and the God of the Bible. He is
also the creator of the website http://www.7-spirits.com ,
and is the author of the book "The Seven Spirits of God."