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What Young Kids say about Love	Oct 17, 2008 3:49 am 113 Views
Kids' answers when surveyed about love... WHAT MOST PEOPLE ARE THINKING WHEN THEY SAY "I LOVE YOU" "The person is thinking: Yeah, I really do love him. But I hope he showers at least once a day." Michelle, age 9 "Some lovers might be real nervous, so they are glad that they finally got it out and said it and now they can go eat." Dick, age 7 HOW DO PEOPLE IN LOVE TYPICALLY BEHAVE? "When a person gets kissed for the first time, they fall down and they don't get up for at least an hour." Wendy, age 8 CONCERNING WHY LOVE HAPPENS BETWEEN TWO PARTICULAR PEOPLE "One of the people has freckles and so he finds somebody else who has freckles too." Andrew, age 6 "No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell ... That's why perfume and deodorant are so popular. Mae, age 9 "I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be so painful." Manuel, age 8 ON WHAT FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE "Like an avalanche where you have to run for your life." John, age 9 "If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don't want to do it. It takes too long." Glenn, age 7 ON THE ROLE OF BEAUTY AND HANDSOMENESS IN LOVE "If you want to be loved by somebody who isn't already in your family, it doesn't hurt to be beautiful." Anita C., age 8 "It isn't always just how you look. Look at me. I'm handsome like anything and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet." Brian, age 7 "Beauty is skin deep. But how rich you are can last a long time." Christine, age 9 REFLECTIONS ON THE NATURE OF LOVE "Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too." Greg, age 8 HOW DO PEOPLE IN LOVE TYPICALLY BEHAVE? "Mooshy ... like puppy dogs ... except puppy dogs don't wag their tails nearly as much." Arnold, age 10 "All of a sudden, the people get movies fever so they can sit together in the dark." Sherm, age 8 CONCERNING WHY LOVERS OFTEN HOLD HANDS "They want to make sure their rings don't fall off because they paid good money for them." Gavin, age 8 "They are just practicing for when they might have to walk down the aisle someday and do the holy matchimony thing." John, age 9 CONFIDENTIAL OPINIONS ABOUT LOVE "I'm in favor of love as long as it doesn't happen when 'Dinosaurs' is on television." Jill, age 6 "Love is foolish ... but I still might try it sometime." Floyd, age 9 "Yesterday I kissed a girl in a private place ... We were behind a tree." Carey, age 7 "Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me." Dave, age 8 "I'm not rushing into being in love. I'm finding fourth grade hard enough." Regina, age 10 THE PERSONAL QUALITIES YOU NEED TO HAVE IN ORDER TO BE A GOOD LOVER "Sensitivity don't hurt." Robbie, age 8 "One of you should know how to write a check. Because, even if you have tons of love, there is still going to be a lot of bills." Ava, age 8 SOME SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE A PERSON FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU "Tell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores." Del, age 6 "Shake your hips and hope for the best." Camille, age 9 "Yell out that you love them at the top of your lungs ... and don't worry if their parents are right there." Manuel, age 8 "Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might get attention, but attention ain't the same thing as love." Alonzo, age 9 "One way is to take the girl out to eat. Make sure it's something she likes to eat. French fries usually works for me." Bart, age 9 HOW CAN YOU TELL IF TWO ADULTS EATING DINNER AT A RESTAURANT ARE IN LOVE? "Just see if the man picks up the check. That's how you can tell if he's in love." Bobby, age 9 "Lovers will just be staring at each other and their food will get cold...Other people care more about the food." Bart, age 9 "Romantic adults usually are all dressed up, so if they are just wearing jeans it might mean they used to go out or they just broke up." Sarah, age 9 "See if the man has lipstick on his face." Sandra, age 7 "It's love if they order one of those desserts that are on fire. They like to order those because it's just like how their hearts are --- on fire." Christine, age 9 HOW WAS KISSING INVENTED? "I know one reason that kissing was created. It makes you feel warm all over, and they didn't always have electric heat or fireplaces or even stoves in their houses." Gina, age 8 HOW A PERSON LEARNS TO KISS "You can have a big rehearsal with your Barbie and Ken dolls." Julia, age 7 "You learn it right on the spot when the gooshy feelings get the best of you." Brian, age 7 "It might help to watch soap operas all day." Carin, age 9 WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE? "When they're rich." Pam, age 7 "It's never okay to kiss a boy. They always slobber all over you ...That's why I stopped doing it." Tammy, age 7 "If it's your mother, you can kiss her anytime. But if it's a new person, you have to ask permission." Roger, age 6 "I look at kissing like this: Kissing is fine if you like it, but it's a free country and nobody should be forced to do it." HOW TO MAKE LOVE ENDURE "Spend most of your time loving instead of going to work." Dick, age 7 "Don't forget your wife's name ... That will mess up the love." Erin, age 8 "Be a good kisser. It might make your wife forget that you never take out the trash." Dave, age 8 "Don't say you love somebody and then change your mind ... Love isn't like picking what movie you want to watch." Natalie, age 9
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why me?	Oct 17, 2008 3:29 am 113 Views
by blogger "Life Challenges" Why Me? "Why me?" I know it is a question that I have asked on more than one occasion, as perhaps has most every person. Might it not be shear arrogance for the created to demand of the creator - why are you using me in this way (Isaiah 45:9)? My first thought might be to respond to that question: "But if God is a God of love and loves me so much how can He allow such things to happen to me?" It took me becoming a parent to see that sometimes we do things to our children that hurt them some to prevent them from greater damage and much greater pain. For example, I occasionally slapped my children's hands to keep them from burning themselves on something quite hot. I took them to their physician to be vaccinated from diseases to prevent them from developing those diseases even though my one daughter, in particular, protested those shots vehemently! Is God protecting us from greater danger? We see our lives in terms of us and us alone, here and now, where God sees the entire picture of our lives and the lives of all those around us. A story is told of small cabin in the center of a battlefield. Could the general protect the occupants of that cabin at the risk of all of his soldiers and the battle lines? No, of course not. Sometimes we are in the center of a situation where much more is at risk than our desires or immediate concerns. We see only a tiny part of a picture where God sees the total picture. Perhaps we are being trained for a much greater purpose. The greatest people in our book of examples, the Bible, went through tremendous trials to become the great people of God that they were. I think of Joseph who was hated by his brothers, sold as a slave, falsely charged, thrown into prison and forgotten for years, yet ended up saving a nation from famine and extinction (Genesis 37-50). Reflect on Queen Esther who had to put her very life on the line to save her people from assignation (Book of Esther). The Bible is full of examples of people who withstood great tests of character and tremendous persecution to prepare them for great roles in history. Job said of his tremendous trials, "But He knows the way I take: when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold" (Job 23:10). He understood that trials we go through are not to single us out for punishment, but to perfect our character and strengthen our faith. Hebrews 12:5-6 says, "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and punishes everyone He accepts as a son." We tend to see discipline with a totally negative connotation. But it is not negative in this sense. Discipline is meant to be training or mentoring program from a loving and caring parent. It is meant to prepare us to be a child of the King of Kings. "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought as best: but God disciplines us for our good that we may share in His holiness" (Hebrews 12:10). The Father in this case is the Creator who does indeed know exactly what we need and can see what our future holds, and all of the circumstances surrounding us now and in our future. Perhaps instead of asking "Why me?" we should be asking, "Why not me?"
	2 Comments

Food Addiction	Oct 17, 2008 3:27 am 97 Views
by the blogger "Life Challenges" Food Addiction – Are You a Food Addict? Food addiction is a contemporary term used to describe a pathological disorder; the compulsive, excessive craving for and consumption of food. This condition is not only manifested by the abnormal intake of food, but the intake and craving for foods that are, in themselves, harmful to the individual. While society and the medical profession have readily understood alcoholism and drug abuse, it is only in recent years that there is an equal acceptance of the fact that persons may be addicted to food in the same way. When any substance is taken into the body regardless of its potential for harm or in excess of need, that substance is said to be abused. Individuals who abuse substances in such a way are addicts; these persons become physiologically and mentally dependent upon certain substances, in this case food. One need only ask themselves a few key questions to determine his or her addiction: Do you eat when you are not hungry or when you feel low or depressed? Do you eat in secret or eat differently in front of others than when you’re alone? Do you consume inordinate amounts of food and then purge later with vomiting or laxatives to get rid of the excess? Are there foods that are harmful to you, but you eat them anyway? Do you feel guilty after eating? If you can answer yes to any of these questions than you are likely addicted to food. Food Addiction – Causes and Manifestations Food addiction, as with any other addiction, is a loss of control. The individual understands that their way of eating is harmful, but continues the destructive behavior. The phenomenon of food addiction is both physiological and psychological. Many individuals have what may be termed “food allergies.” These are trigger foods which when ingested cause negative symptoms and changes in the body but at the same time provoke cravings. The individual, for instance, the diabetic, may be made “sick” by the intake of sugar, but will still continue to crave it and eat it in excess, with adverse effects. Studies are also continuing regarding certain proteins in milk and wheat which when ingested produce narcotic-like effects. These chemicals mimic the body’s natural painkillers, endorphins, and have thus been termed “exorphins.” Individuals may be suffering from depression, low self-esteem or loneliness; they will find a high when ingesting large quantities of food or certain foods such as salt or chocolate. The immediate high gives way to a sick feeling or guilt, leading to more depression. Because the addict is out of control, he or she will turn once again to the same eating patterns in a conscious or unconscious effort to feel better. Food addicts come equally from all age, race, and gender groups. They are overweight, underweight, and some of normal weight. They are linked by their obsession with food. The obese individual suffers humiliation due to excess weight; they may be lethargic and sedentary unable to move around freely. The underweight person may be bulimic; though they eat obsessively, they are so afraid of becoming overweight that they will induce vomiting, take laxatives, or exercise compulsively to prevent weight gain. They may also alternate with periods of anorexia, reframing from food to control their weight. The person of normal weight while appearing normal may be obsessed with food, constantly thinking about what to eat or how much they weigh. The entire subject of food is a misery to them; they count calories compulsively, eating without enjoyment. Food Addiction – Is There Any Hope for Recovery? Food addiction is a serious condition with many adverse health consequences. Obesity, psychological disorders, diabetes, and gastric anomalies are just a few. The first step to recovery is, of course, the realization and acceptance of the problem. Medically, individuals must identify which foods -- the trigger foods -- cause allergic symptoms and cravings. There is no easy way to combat food addiction; it will require intense discipline in modifying eating patterns and lifestyle. A manageable exercise program should be embraced along with dietary changes that may be maintained. Ambitious attempts to change eating patterns abruptly or to lose weight quickly rarely have long-term success. The physiological and psychological dependency of food can best be broken when the individual recognizes that they are powerless to combat it alone. They must look to God, who alone is able to provide help and healing in this and all areas of human helplessness. “For I am the LORD who heals you" (Exodus 15:26b) God is as much concerned with our physical well being as He is with our spiritual relationship to Him. As an individual seeks Him, he will find health and healing and recovery. “Dear friend, I am praying that all is well with you and that your body is as healthy as I know your soul is” (3 John 2).
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Why Does God hate Me?	Oct 17, 2008 3:21 am 82 Views
by the blogger "Life Changes" Why Does God Hate Me? "Why does God hate me? Why do I feel like everyone else is getting something from God and I'm just left out here to dry? All my friends who say they know God and are "saved" seem to have it all together, but I don't even understand where they are coming from. I mean, how can this big, shapeless, faceless thing known as "God" show me, a living breathing person, that He loves me? I don't get it!" Well, believe it or not, you're not the only one who feels this. In fact, one of the people in this world who was supposed to be closest to God, His actual Son, asked a similar question when He was hanging from a tree, dying. He cried out into the Jerusalem air, "My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46 KJV). Even Jesus, God's very Son, wondered where in the world God was! If that isn't enough, several of the writers of the Bible suffered from depression and anxiety, wondering why they couldn't feel what other people were feeling. Take Paul for example. Paul, who was once known as Saul, actually killed Christians back in his day. He must have really thought God hated him. But even after he began having a real relationship with God, proving that God didn't hate him, there were times when God felt a million miles away from him, too. Paul describes this feeling in his letter to his friends in Corinth: "It was so bad we didn't think we were going to make it. We felt like we'd been sent to death row, that it was all over for us." (1 Corinthians 1:8-10 MSG). So even world-famous Paul felt like God had turned His back. Jesus asked it. . . Paul asked it. . . and now you, too, are asking where in the world God is and why He seems to hate you! So you're not alone! I'll even be so bold as to say that if more Christians were honest with you, even some of your friends, they would say that they've had times of doubt in their lives. David, the guy who wrote Psalms, goes on and on in many places with things like "Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" (Psalm 10:1). And David even had people all around him, telling him that God hated him and wouldn't help him out. In Psalms 3:2, the people in his life said, "God will not deliver him." So not only did David feel like God had deserted him, but even his friends were in agreement. You're probably thinking right now, "Then there is no hope! God really does hate me." But wait! There's more! Remember Paul, who talked about how terrible life had become for him? Well, in the very next sentence, he said, "As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally -- not a bad idea since He's the God who raises the dead! And He did it, rescued us from certain doom. And He'll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing" (2 Corinthians 1:9-10 MSG). And David; he couldn't stop going on in the later chapters of Psalms about how much God had provided for him. "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer" (Psalm 18:2). And who can forget perhaps the most well-known story of the Bible? Even Jesus, who on Friday was asking where God was, was resurrected from the grave on Sunday, just three short days later! We all go through times in our lives where we think God hates us, or at the very least, must have had enough of us. But I'm here to tell you that what you're feeling, it's just that: a feeling! It will go away, like a stomach ache or the flu. God made a promise to us thousands of years ago, and to solidify it, He wrote it in a book that hasn't changed since day one. The promise He made is simple: "Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing -- nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable -- absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us" (Romans 8:35; 37-39 MSG). There's no way that God hates you, because He told everyone on earth then and everyone who would ever be born that nothing. . .absolutely NOTHING could take God's love away, not even the worst thing imaginable! So you ask "why does God hate me?" And I have an answer for you: He doesn't. If you want to really know what it means to be loved by God, and I mean really know it, it couldn't be easier. No friend, boyfriend, wife, or mother will ever make you feel the way God can with just His love for you. And the way to obtain is simple! All you have to do is ask!
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Why me God? Why?	Oct 17, 2008 3:18 am 78 Views
by blogger "Life Challenges" Why Me, God? - A Common Question I'm sure you are asking, "Why me, God?" because something has happened that caused you to feel somehow singled out. Perhaps you feel that God must be punishing you for some reason. Why else would this be happening to you? Be assured. You are not alone. God has not abandoned you and He has not singled you out, no matter how you feel right now. Whatever you are going through, God's promise is that He will see you through and give you the strength and direction you need. God wants you to know that He understands how you feel, that He knows more about your situation than you do, and that He saw it coming before you did. Above all, He began to work on His resolution for you before you even knew to ask! The reality here is that God is for you. He is not against you. Why Me, God? - An Erred Belief System Our feelings of "Why me, God?" are real. They are based on real events, but our conclusions may not be accurate. While we don't want to minimize the pain you feel in any way, we do want to try to help you look more closely at why you feel singled out and whether or not you've arrived at a valid conclusion. The answers to why we conclude anything, even why we question God's intent or purpose in any event, can be found in our highly individualized network of beliefs. We absorb our beliefs from our parents, teachers, life experiences, books, etc. Some of what we have come to believe may sound right, but in reality our views might be too narrowly defined or inaccurate. We have bought into many ideas and concepts that distort our right thinking and actually work against us. For example, we have learned untruths that cause us to live the role of the victim, either of circumstances or of our past. These erred beliefs cause us to cry out in pain, "Why me, Lord?" God's answer is that we are not victims but victors. God has said that we can trust Him in everything and that every event in our lives should be counted as ALL joy (James 1:2). He has also told us that He will cause good to come out of every situation for those who love Him (Romans 8:2. When we ask "Why me, God" it's really because we don't believe God. Our belief system opposes God, so we feel singled out and victimized. Most of us believe, at least on some level, that we need to understand everything. We just need to know why. When we don't, we may feel God has betrayed us in some way. In reality, it's not God who is confusing us or betraying us, it is our belief system. All those inconsistent, partially correct beliefs cause us to question God's fairness in what we are experiencing. For example, somewhere in our belief system, we may have come to believe that we deserve to be blessed because we have been diligent to honor God, been a good person, fed the hungry, or helped our neighbor. We often believe that the things we do should keep us from harm's way. Then when something bad happens, we are confused and ask God why. Why Me, God? - Changing our Thinking When something happens that deeply touches us, we often ask, "Why me, God?" We are quick to judge the event as good or bad. What if we were to eliminate the possibility that anything that happens to us is inherently bad and choose to believe that everything that happens to us is always good? Impossible, you say? It has to be one or the other, doesn't it? Belief systems are changeable. When we discover that something we have believed, even for a long time, is no longer valid, can we not simply change our mind and fully embrace the new? If you are crying out "Why me, God?" you must believe there is a God out there who hears you and you have hoped He would answer you. Maybe there was a time when you didn't believe there was a God at all. If you changed your mind and opened your life to God, then you can also change your mind about judging events as being bad for you. When we choose to believe that ALL the events in our life are good for us, even the ones that seem frustrating and painful for now, we are agreeing with God! When we choose to believe and trust God that there will always be a good outcome, we are trusting Him! Only God knows why we are going through these circumstances. Our new dialogue with God will be, "God, this is going to be an interesting journey. I'm excited to see how you are going to bring good out of this one. I trust you will!" Why Me, God? - God is in Control God often uses the events in our lives to do a work in the life of someone else. The truth is that we all tend to have a very small world view. Our world revolves around us and because everything in our personal world affects us, we forget that we are not the cause and effect of everything. The reality is that we are one of millions of human beings making decisions every second. Every one of those decisions affects the world, while only some of them affect us directly. We are not in control. God is in control and nothing happens apart from Him. Nothing changes except it proceeds from Him. In Genesis we read how God created all things, set them in their place, gave them direction, and set them into motion in perfect harmony and balance. No matter how many free-will decisions are made every second, everything remains in God's balance. Hebrews 1:3 says, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word…" No individual can throw the universe into disorder. God is always in control. Life isn't always fair in our eyes, but God is always fair. We are not victims in this life. We are unconditionally and passionately loved by our Father God. Perhaps when we are feeling distressed and we ask, "Why me?" His answer might be, "Trust Me, I love you. I am working everything out for your good!" Why Me, God? - One Man's Story A man in the Bible named Job asked, "Why me, God?" He enjoyed a good life. He was favored of God and blameless in God's sight. Satan, not being omniscient, was seemingly not aware of Job's existence until one day the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil" (Job 1:. God challenged, encouraged, and allowed Satan to inflict personal extreme pain and suffering on Job. Because God knew Job, and knew he had chosen to love God no matter what, the Lord allowed Job's faith to be sorely tested. He permitted Satan to kill Job's family, plunder his land and cattle, and to destroy everything Job held dear in the earth. What is the lesson? God demonstrated to Satan (and to us) that those whose hearts are truly turned to God, serve God, and love God passionately, cannot be turned away from God by any of Satan's tactics. God knew Job, his strengths and weaknesses, and He knew that Job was strong enough to go through everything Satan could unleash. Job, through God's strength, made it through his circumstances. Job understood that a person can lose everything they have, but when we belong to God, we have everything we need. Job didn't do anything wrong. He was a servant of God, He loved God, and He was loved by God. Job's story is about trusting God for a good outcome, even while going through dire circumstances. Does that mean that all the bad things that happen in our lives are a "Job" event? Not necessarily. Job's lesson was passed down so we would know that God will bring about a good result for those who love Him, who steadfastly trust Him in all circumstances. Why Me, God? - Hope Are you totally trusting God in your circumstances? Do you believe His ways are always just and fair? Do you trust that His plans for you are for good and not for evil? If so, share those feelings with God. Consider the following prayer, "Dear Father, I trust You. I believe that You are in control of my life and that You allowed this circumstance to enter my life. I trust that You have a good result planned. Teach me to lean less on my own understanding and more on You. In Jesus' name, amen."
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