regrets

Found some great blogsites with people's writing on regrets.

Pastor Bob

Live with Denise

quote: "

Once upon a time, someone told me this: "At the end of the day, a person is not defined by how much success they have, they are only defined by how many regrets they have." regrets -- missed opportunities -- an accidental wrong turn -- a bad decision, some of those grave enough, are enough to become a life time regret! I don't want to have any such regrets at the end of my days!

"

SOUZA QUOTE REVISITED

"Dance as though no one is watching
Love as though you've never been hurt
Sing as though no one can hear you
Live as though heaven is on earth."
~ Souza quote

I have posted this exact same entry some time ago (a year, two?) and this is what I believe, this is
WHO I AM.

classic Pooh images

life passing us by: children are the smartest

I also read this article when it first came out, but I think I forgot to blog about it.
Until I read a reference to it on my JP friend's blogsite. (Thanks for reminding me of it, Kuri!)

I think this article deserves a reference on my blogsite as well. It makes me stop and think and contemplate life.

Jam, Jelly, Marmalade and Preserves, etc.

According to thenibble.com information:

"The difference among these spreads is largely one of consistency, and for the first three, standards are established by the Food and Drug Administration so consumers will know what they’re buying.

Jelly is a clear, bright product. It is generally made by cooking fruit juice and sugar with pectin as a jelling agent and lemon juice as an acid to maintain a consistent texture. Jelly is firm and will hold its shape (it “shakes”). Generally, jelly contains no pieces of fruit, although specialty jellies, like pepper jelly, may include pieces of jalapeño or other pepper.

Jam is made from crushed or chopped fruit cooked with sugar, and often pectin and lemon juice. Jam can be a purée of fruit or have a soft pulp, but it does not contain chunks of fruit.

Preserves are fruit cooked with sugar to the point where large chunks of fruit or whole fruit, such as berries, are suspended in a syrup base. The texture of preserves is not smooth like jelly or jam.

Marmalade is a soft jelly, often citrus-based, that includes both the flesh and peel of the fruit suspended throughout the jelly base. The bitterness of the peel offsets the sweetness of the jelly.

Conserve is a mixture of more than one fruit, often with added nuts and raisins, that is cooked until it becomes thick. It is used as a spread for breads, pastries and meats, and in the latter use is closest to chutney.

Chutney is a spiced condiment of Indian origin (chatni is the Hindi word for strongly spiced) made of fruit or vegetables. It is typically served as an accompaniment to food, not as a spread. The spice level can range from mild to hot, and the consistency from a fine relish to a preserve or conserve. Fruit chutney consists of chopped fruit, vinegar, spices and sugar cooked into a chunky sweet-tart-spicy mix: according to one explanation, it “blurs the Western distinction between preserves and pickles.”

Fruit Butter, such as apple butter or prune butter, is fruit purée or pulp combined with sugar, lemon juice and spices, slowly cooked down to a smooth consistency. The “butter” refers to its spreadability: there is no actual butter in the product.

Fruit Curd is a creamy spread made with sugar, eggs and butter, generally flavored with citrus juice and zest.

Fruit Spread is generally a reduced-calorie product made with fruit juice concentrate and low-calorie sweeteners replacing all or part of the sugar."

spiritual decompression

Last night's reading from "Our Daily Bread" (Aug 26, 2007 entry) was an entry written on spiritual decompression. The author used the example of DCS (Decompression Sickness/Caisson Disease), a common sense phenomenon, to illustrate the need of mental /spiritual gradual decompression as well. I thought it was insightful and quite interesting (yes, I am a big Nerd! "Smart is Sexy" is always my model).

a decompression chamber would eliminate the sickness entirely by allowing the body enough time to re-pressurize. Similarly, some times I feel that I need some time alone and space to think and reflect on things..

weird food from around the world

So lately I have acquired the taste for Natto, this makes me contemplate on the "weird food" around the world. Some of these acquired taste things I have tried already, and other I have heard about and want to try. (and this will be a constantly growing list)..


also found another interesting blogsite of Japanese/Chinese food here.

The weird foods run the gamut from insects and arachnids of various sorts through the American turducken all the way to dried Philippine lizard. There are many bizarre stops along the way.

• American turducken
• Pearl milk tea
  
• alcohol - cocktail, wine, beer, wine cooler I have had before though.
• Then here’s seagull wine. The Eskimos create it by putting a seagull in a bottle and letting it ferment in the sun.
• Natto - JP
• Takoyaki - JP
  
• Durian - South East Asia
  
• "Stinky Tofu" - CN
• Chutney - India
  
• pig internals / interstine - Canton, CN
  
• legendary monkey brain - remote CN
  
• fried piggy (like the one in the picture here!) - CN
• 1,000 year old egg - CN
  
• Kumis - Mongolian fermented horse mare milk
• fried insects - Thailand
• fried silk worm - Thai
• skewered scorpions
• Shepherd's pie - Wiki & Cumberland Pie - England
• Vegemite in Australia and New Zealand
• Marmite in the UK
• bleu cheese in France
• raw herring - France
• lutefisk in Norway and Sweden
• Mämmi in Finland
• Prairie Oyster - Alberta, Canada
• dried frog => stew for sick children - Korea
• camel hump => fried - BJ, CN
• sea slugs are eaten with red pepper sauce in Seoul, Korea
• maggot cheese from Sardinia
• jellied blood - both Korea and China
• Owl's soup - China
• foire gras - France
• (and the list goes on and on...)
  

I can say for certainty that for myself, I don't find Canadian, Mongolian, British, and German food particularly interesting / palatable.

Strange food listing here. and there's even a "weird food" search site. Then again, remember, "strange" is relative, it only depends on your perspective!

Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich

My mother is an avid fan of peanut butter, but I didn't care for it much, if anything, I'd rather eat a cream cheese and jelly bagel. That is, until recently. Last year spring time, I had the opportunity to try out this new fashion food restaurant(?)/place called the "Peanut Butter & Co." located in the heart of Greenwich village in NYC. Ever since then, I guess I also acquired the taste of it. It's ridiculous how New Yorkers would pay upwards of $5-7 for a PB&J sandwich! Though I do have to admit that the toasted marshmallow tasted awesome on my PB&J.

A little search yields further info regarding this common household children's favourite:

• Wikipedia definition of the PB&J -- Um.. I'd like to try a "sealed crustless sandwich" or "Uncrustable"
• eHow To make a PB&J video + instructions
• Nutritional value of a PB&J -- 403 cal!!
• other info site for PB

What is the history of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich? It seems like such an odd combination of flavors.

We don't think of good ol' PB&J as such an odd combination -- it's the classic salty-meets-sweet pairing that's found in many cuisines. Think of Chinese dishes like sweet and sour pork or American snacks like Cracker Jack. To uncover the sandwich's origins, we said those magic words "A la, peanut butter sandwiches!" and searched on "peanut butter jelly sandwich history."

According to Smuckers, no one really knows when or where this sandwich was first created. Bread and jelly have been around for millennia, but peanut butter wasn't invented until 1890. This spreadable creation was a hit at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, and during the 1920s and 1930s, commercial brands of peanut butter such as Peter Pan and Skippy were introduced. Around the same time, pre-sliced bread became common in the U.S. But there's no mention of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before the 1940s.

Food historians know that both peanut butter and jelly were part of the U.S. military's rations during World War II. This lead to the speculation that American GIs may have added jelly to the peanut butter to make it easier to eat. A few sources claim that the peanut butter and jelly sandwich itself was on military ration lists.

Food rationing on the homefront may have contributed to the combination's popularity. Meat and butter were scarce and expensive in the U.S. during WWII. Peanut butter was a cheap, readily available source of protein. No matter how it started, the PB&J was a big hit in postwar America and has been ever since.

We suspect that the sandwich is popular with children because of that salty-sweet flavor, and early on, parents may have appreciated how fast, simple, and inexpensive it was to make. The National Peanut Board reports that the average kid eats 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before she or he graduates high school. Then there was Elvis Presley, who may have eaten that many fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. We'll stick with jelly, thanks.

Value of Natto

I started eating some Natto recently, it being odor-free definitely helps one to acquire the taste.
According to this article, the nutritional value of natto is immense. And I have to admit, the gooey texture makes it quite fun to eat... (hehee.. guess I am the playing with your food type after all). And another article with a nice sticky picture!

Wikipedia info here, Natto info from the Soy Info Center, and article excerpts below...

...

A unique food called natto, which is made by fermenting soy beans and has been eaten widely in Japan since the Edo period (1603-1868), is enjoying unprecedented popularity as more and more people turn to it for its health-boosting properties. It is likely to be a record year for natto sales in 2002. Smell Puts Some People Off Natto is produced by adding the bacillus of the same name to steamed soybeans for fermentation. It boasts a variety of health benefits, including helping fatigued people regain their vigor and preventing heart disease and high blood pressure. Some people dislike natto, however, due to its extremely sticky texture and strong odor. It was originally produced in the eastern part of Japan, so it is more popular there than in western regions. While it has a poor reputation among some foreigners in Japan, others acquire a taste for it. The smell, which is what puts off most natto detractors - both foreign and Japanese - may no longer be an issue, though, as aroma-free varieties of natto have been developed and are one of the factors behind the boom in sales. When eating natto, the beans are first stirred vigorously with chopsticks. Many people also add mustard, soy sauce, and green onions, and the mixture is often eaten after it is poured over rice. Natto retains the nutrients that are naturally present in soybeans, and the natto bacillus used in production makes the food even healthier by providing further nutrients. Health Benefits Natto is even more effective than yogurt at increasing the amount of health-promoting bifidus bacilli in the large intestine. It also contains linoleic acid, which may help prevent cancer; arginine, which has been shown to boost stamina; vitamin B2, which helps the body fight fatigue; and vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that may help reduce the effects of aging. And in 1988 it was confirmed that natto contains an enzyme called nattokinase that reduces blood clots. Such discoveries have caused the popularity of natto to soar. Notwithstanding its nutritional value, though, the pungency and stickiness of natto have acted as a brake on consumption. But despite the widespread impression in Japan that non-Japanese cannot eat natto, a TV station reported in a special feature on the food that a natural-foods store in New York has begun selling natto. The store notes that while the first customers were Japanese families living in the area, recently all sorts of people are buying natto. Americans purchasing natto at the store were heard to say such things as "My menstrual cramps have almost disappeared," and "I used to get angry easily, but now I don't even get irritated."
The different ways that some Americans eat natto, though, would probably surprise many Japanese. The program showed an American woman adding honey to the natto, stirring in fried sesame seeds, and spreading the mixture onto crackers.

...

--------- in reply to pekko's comment:
hey, I've learned to like my steak rare, tried Fermented HorseMare milk in Mongolia, and one day will try the fried insects in Thailand, "stinky tofu" in China, "pig internals" in Canton, and "Durian" in Taiwan... I think I am an adventurous eater...

Wiki quote: "Nattō is often considered an acquired taste and the perceived flavor of nattō can differ greatly between people; some find it tastes very strong and cheesy and may use it in small amounts to flavor rice or noodles, while others find it tastes "bland and unremarkable", requiring the addition of flavoring condiments such as mustard and soy sauce. Many non-Japanese find the taste very unpleasant, while others relish it as a delicacy. Some manufacturers produce an odorless or low-odor nattō. The split opinion about its appearance and taste might be compared to Vegemite in Australia and New Zealand, blue cheese in France, lutefisk in Norway and Sweden, Mämmi in Finland and Marmite in the UK. Even in Japan, nattō is more popular in some areas than in others. Nattō is known to be popular in the eastern Kantō region (Tokyo), but less popular in Kansai (Osaka, Kobe). About 236,000 tons of nattō are consumed in Japan each year."

Track Bill

So I have had this $1 bill in my wallet for some time now, the reason it's special is because apparently it's a part of the "Track Bill" system. The face of the bill is orange highlighted, and there's a website printed: www.wheresgeorge.com that users are suppose to input the current location of the bill. I thought it is very interesting, have always been fascinated with the tracking of water flow in oceans, coin movement, that type of things... =)

So every time I search for cash to pay for something, I always say to myself that I won't spend it until I track it online. But it's been in my wallet for a good 2+ months now, and I don't even use cash that much nowadays.

This morning, I finally decided to enter the bill's serial # online and find out of the history of this particular piece of cloth/paper... I am happy to see that it's made it's journey around, and will continue to travel elsewhere. --> yes, I will send it on its way again today!

random Uber-cool Gizmodo stuff

yeah, I know, I am a geek, because I find these things uber-cool! =)

• Best of the day: Sony's new bio-electric battery, I am all for the eco-friendly part. Yeah, but the messiness with sugar is a problem.. Um..
• Rescue Harddrive imaging CD
• Singapore Airline's AirBus 380 picture-- pretty neat plane, I should consider flying SA next time in Asia just to experience it.. see my early article about the debut of the AirBus 380.
• Samsung's FLEXIBLE screen! now that's cool, roll it up and take it with you on a picnic trip!
  

how about this? we save some digital data via the Rescue CD, then install the Sony bio-battery on the Samsung flexible screen, roll it all up and take the Airbus to an unmapped island somewhere, open our picnic basket and feed it some sugar so we can watch something while picnicing! =) sounds like the perfect day to me!

ice cream wave

I have been going on an ice-cream binge lately, here's the itemized listing:

~ Asian Taro ice cream bars
~ It's IT! (shared out a bit)
~ Dryer's vanilla on top of chocolate brownies with lots of Toasted Meringue @ BlackAngus
~ work has a free Ice Cream bar festival, for whatever reason, they decided to offer us free ice cream, I am
going for the It's IT... and something else..

so all of this within a time frame of 3 days, I have no doubt that I will gain a bit of weight!

Umm.. while searching for an "It's IT" image, I came across this article.. Um.. time to call upon my Google friends. =)

the "tipping point" in ODB

It's been a few weeks since I opened my "Our Daily Bread" guide, today's (8/23/2007) article is very thought provoking since it somewhat parallels my personal/spiritual life.

---

August 23, 2007

The Tipping Point

ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download

READ: Romans 12:1-8

Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. —Romans 12:1

In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell observes that struggling businesses are often turned around by one key decision. Many once-foundering companies are now thriving and successful because of a choice that became the tipping point.

Although targeted to those in business management, the principle also applies to those who are committed to advancing the cause of Christ. Sometimes we find ourselves up against a wall, struggling with a decision or situation that threatens to cripple our capacity for effective service to our King. It’s at those critical junctures that we can make a “tipping point” decision to turn things around.

The decision? Surrender your will and heart to God. James 4:7 says, “Submit to God,” and Romans 12:1 tells us, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.” Be willing to sacrifice your agenda for His greater purposes.

What if Noah had told God, “I don’t do boats!” What if Joseph had not forgiven his brothers and failed to protect them from the life-threatening famine? Or what if Jesus had refused to die on the cross?

Surrender is the tipping point. When we make that choice, God can use us to do great things for Him. —Joe Stowell

Lord, take my life and make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion, self and pride;
I now surrender, Lord—in me abide. —Orr
© 1986 Word Music

Surrender becomes victory when we yield to God.

perceptive pixels

hehee... now how cool is that?!
Perceptive Pixel... I wonder if users will get RSI from this?

vwcheng's comment: "Minority report, here we come!"

scripture verses..

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." - 1 Peter 4:12-13 (NIV).

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

Mark 10:27

seek ye first thy kingdom of God

Matthew 6:33-34 (NIV)

33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Matthew 6:33 (King James Version)
33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

---

Matthew 7:7 (King James Version)
7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

---

read Matthew 7 (KJV)

---

Seek Ye First

C      Em       Am         Em
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
 Dm7     C        G    G7
And His righteousness
 C              Em            Am         Em
And all these things shall be added unto you
Dm7  C       G C
Allelu, alleluia

Man does not live by bread alone
But by every word
That proceeds from the mouth of God
Allelu, alleluia

Ask and it shall be given unto you
Seek and ye shall find
Knock and the door shall be opened unto you
Allelu, alleluia

Seek ye first the kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you
Allelu, alleluia

©1972, Maranatha! Music
Words and Music by Karen Lafferty

Thy Word

Another great song where the chorus line stays in my memory, always there to remind me where to look for guidance and wisdom. the song "Thy Word" can be heard via MP3: here.

NIV verse: Psalm 119:105 (NIV)
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.

KJV verse: Psalm 119:105 King James Version (KJV)
105Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

song lyric:

Thy Word

Thy Word is a lamp onto my feet
And a light onto my path
Thy Word is a lamp onto my feet
And a light onto my path

When I feel afraid
Think I've lost my way
Still, you're right there beside me
And nothing will I fear
As long as You are near
Please be near me to the end

Thy Word is a lamp onto my feet
And a light onto my path
Thy Word is a lamp onto my feet
And a light onto my path

I will not forget
Your love for me, and yet
My heart forever is wandering
And, Jesus be my guide
And, hold me to your side
And, I will love You to the end.

Thy Word is a lamp onto my feet
And a light onto my path
Thy Word is a lamp onto my feet
And a light onto my path

Copyright 1984, Meadowgreen Music.

more encouraging bible verses

Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you,"
declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.

---

1 Corinthians 10:12-13
12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

---

Psalm 73:21-28

21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,

22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.

23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.

24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

---

Revisit to the "Father's Love Letter" from May 22, 2007 post.

psalm 139

Psalm 139

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, ^[a] you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to ^[b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 139:8 Hebrew Sheol
2. Psalm 139:17 Or concerning

trials and perseverance + verses

James 1:2-8, 12-18

Trials and Temptations

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

(9-11)

12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

---

1 John 1:9

9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

---

Psalm 51
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ^[a] ;
you teach ^[b] me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are ^[c] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 51:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
2. Psalm 51:6 Or you desired?; / you taught
3. Psalm 51:17 Or My sacrifice, O God, is

Refiner's Fire + Amazing Grace

"Refiner's Fire" is a song I know well by heart, since I have been singing it growing up in fellowship. It has always been one of my favourites, not some hip songs that comes and goes, but along with "Amazing Grace", they are the classic staples of one's spiritual well-being. These along with certain verses in the Holy Bible are what one comes back to at times of trial and perseverance in life.

Vineyard Lyrics - Refiner's Fire Lyrics

Purify my heart
Let me be as gold and precious silver
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold, pure gold

Refiner's fire
My heart's one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You, Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You, my Master
Ready to do Your will

Purify my heart
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy
Purify my heart
Cleanse me from my sin
Deep within

---

Amazing Grace Lyrics

John Newton (1725-1807)
Stanza 6 anon.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

eyes on Him + verses

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. ^[a]

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 3:6 Or will direct your paths

---

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

---

1 Peter 1:4-8

4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you,
5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

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Philippians 3:13-14
"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and
straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward
the goal to win the prize for which God has called me
heaven ward in Christ Jesus."

Epiphany

this came to me while hiking in the Canadian Rockies, more specifically, on the catwalk near Maligne Canyan in Jasper NP.


f(H) = A / E

A, E, and H are all letters in the word "Epiphany", how poetic is that? =) Arhh, thus the meaning of life ~~ 42 ?

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Post edit on Aug 20, 2007: but where is the God factor? the missing 'G' ?!

slippery persimmon

slip
"Ha-Ha"

(Grunt... aiya!)

knock!

surprise, squeeze, slip, shock .. (persimmon bounce off shirt and caught again)

"Ha-Ha-""-Ha-Ha"

LOLROF ~~ Laugh Out Loud Rolling On the Floor!