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Finding Devotional Time PDF Print E-mail
Written by April Gilford   
Tuesday, 20 May 2008 22:57

Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of GodWe all know that devotional time should be our number one priority each day.  How quickly we forget, though!  We wake up late, rush to get ready or get the kids ready, run out the door to our daily activities, rush home, eat dinner, finish work or homework, and then off to bed.  Somewhere in there comes dinner meetings, sports, school functions, charity work, church attendance, helping friends, visiting family, and a million other little things.  Suddenly, we lie down in bed, close our eyes, sigh, and say, "Oh! God! I'm so sorry; I forgot!" 

Starting your day off with God sure makes it run more smoothly, and brings the peace and organization needed to live at this frantic pace.  Just 5 minutes can get you started on the right track, and ministries have recognized that life is what it is for many of us, and even giving the Lord 5 minutes of devotion is better than nothing at all.  So, on those mornings when is seems you only have time to get out of the shower, pass the coffee pot, and grab your keys on the way out, remember these tips for brief devotionals designed to get your mind headed in the right direction, even if your morning board meeting isn't.

Purchase a morning-evening devotional Bible or book of commentary.  The lesson is broken up into small parts to give you something to think and pray about during the day, then talk to God about at night.  Any bookstore that sells Bibles has these books.  If cost is a prohibitive factor, you can often find morning-evening devotionals in thrift stores or used book stores.  What does it matter if it says 1995 on the cover?  God's Word never changes.

Download brief devotionals to your computer or iPod so you can listen in the car or during your morning break.  These sources have free downloads available each day:

Most national and international ministries have daily devotionals, as well, available either by podcast or e-mail.  If you have a favorite megachurch minister or television preacher, be sure to check their website for downloads or to sign up for daily e-mails.  You can find some of the webpages in the Ministries Directory on this site.

Lastly, if you find it difficult to have a set time for devotions due to work or family schedule, put one of the small pocket Bibles in your bag or your car's glove compartment.  These small Bibles usually contain the New Testament plus Psalms and Proverbs.  If you don't know where to start, ask God.  He has an uncanny knack for leading us exactly where we need to be at a certain point in time. 

Pray before opening your Bible for His blessing on your reading and see where it leads.  You may find a passage you have never heard before; or it may be an old favorite that you need to hear again at that time.  Make time and let Him lead, and your devotional life will become the most important part of your day.

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Last Updated ( Saturday, 31 May 2008 15:05 )
 
Christian Video Games E-mail
Written by April Gilford   
Sunday, 18 May 2008 21:11

Christian video games, or even family-friendly games, can be difficult to find.  While some Christian companies have made an effort to push into the billion dollar gaming industry, lack of funding often inhibits competition within the market against competitors making millions off of releases such as Grand Theft Auto.  You do have choices, though, if you buy games online rather than looking in retail stores. 

With summertime and the end of the school year quickly approaching, it is time to start planning activities and things to keep your children and teens busy.  On rainy days when you can't send the kids outside, get them playing games you actually approve of.  Guiding Light Video has a large selection of computer games for all ages.  Here are just a few of them available for prices at or below other video and computer games --

Last Updated ( Sunday, 18 May 2008 22:10 )
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The Right to Be Human PDF Print E-mail
Written by April Gilford   
Wednesday, 14 May 2008 20:30

May 15th is Bloggers Unite for Human Rights.  On this day, bloggers from around the world are posting articles on human rights issues, potentially reaching millions of readers in a single day.  As one watches newscasts, reads the papers and communicates with people from around the globe, it becomes clear that the most pressing issue in human rights varies with location.  As far as rights go, the United States is an advanced culture, but not as advanced as some other countries such as Sweden.  Meanwhile, people in other locations continue to live under tyrannical governments where their every move is watched, regulated, and subject to severe restriction and punishment.  And then, there are those citizens who are still living in the most abject poverty where basic necessities such as clean drinking water and adequate food sources are nonexistant. 

How, then, does a writer choose which human right to address?  Amnesty International joined in the Bloggers Unite for Human Rights campaign and put forth suggestions such as the continued abuses in Darfur, wrongful imprisonment of a journalist in China, and illegal detentions at Guantanamo Bay.  But that was before the cyclone in Myanmar, where a military government is strictly controlling the flow and disbursement of aid supplies.  What about the millions of children who die each year of malaria when a simple $10 mosquito net can drastically reduce the illness?  How does one put forth a push for education when a mother in the rainforest is clearing a layer of scum off of a bowl of water before giving it to her child?  Can we beat the race against time to convince a Cambodian father of his daughter's inherent self-worth as a person before he sells her to the highest bidder for a brothel? 

If asked to define a human right, one finds it difficult to put into words.  The right to live freely; to earn a living and support a family; to be granted adequate access to clean water and nutritious food; to seek medical care for one's self and children; to express personality and opinions without fear; to explore, learn, and educate one's self; to question and understand the truth of the Universe and one's own spirituality; to choose one's leaders and the laws under which one's daily life will be lived; these are all basic human rights, granted as an integral part of being a member of the human race.  And yet, a human right is more than the sum total of these things.  It is an ideal toward which to strive and believe that, when reached, the world would be a peaceful, joyous and wonderous place for all who live in it. 

Ask what a human right is, and the struggle for definition is a long one.  But ask if a human right has been violated, and a resounding "Yes!" is sufficient answer.  The underlying truth of the ideal resides deep in the hearts and psyche of the human race.  Human rights are the fuel that fire our ambition, our creativity, our productivity, and our social consciences.  The deep-seated knowledge of these rights is at the very core of that which sets apart our humanness.  If, then, armed with this answer that is ethereally tethered to our species, we entered each decision with it at the forefront, would Bloggers Unite for Human Rights even be necessary?  

If all people were granted the basic human right of being human, the definition of all other rights would prove impertinent.  They would simply be, automatically recognized and innately honored by all other beings.  Power struggles would falter, greed would subside, rape and torture would cease, and domination would desist.  The solution to human rights issues lies within each of us, and within the decision makers.  To find it, those decisions need only be made with one choice: the choice to allow one to simply be human.

 

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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 14 May 2008 22:38 )
 
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