Life is a challenge. To know what you SHOULD feel and yet to choose to let the waves of spitefulness wash over... I'm praying for a lighter heart

Understanding and Affirming

Praying for a friends loved

Praying for a friends loved ones good health

Purposeful singleness

A friend emailed me the short story, The Room by Joshua Harris from I Kissed Dating Goodbye
Amazon says, "I Kissed Dating Goodbye shows what it means to entrust your love life to God. Joshua Harris shares his story of giving up dating and discovering that God has something even better—a life of sincere love, true purity, and purposeful singleness."  I might be swinging this the wrong way but I would like to have purposeful marriedness :) I would like to entrust my love life to God but not just because I want him to help me have a mate that will make me the most happy and comfortable but I would like to entrust my love life to God because I want him to help me have a mate that will partner with me to share the Lord's word the most!!

What does the Bible say about guns?

Interesting -One author points out that the "Eye for an eye" line in Exodus chapter 21 is addressing how government should respond to trespasses.  Not how individuals should.  BUT in chapter 22 there is a passage about striking a thief so he dies.  The author took note (as I did as well) that the thief had to be caught in the act, on the prowl and not after the fact.
http://www.keepandbeararms.com/information/XcIBViewItem.asp?ID=1061
I didn't read this whole article but I liked the beginning and the end and it's super duper references to Bible passages.
http://www.biblicalselfdefense.com/

Hey mom -if you wanna forward to pastor for further comment or reaction, that'd be great *

Different Christian music

I like these lyrics and even though I'm sure they are not completely Christian based (he mentions the Lord toward the end but I'm pretty sure the chorus is talking about his rap empire) they remind me of heaven...

I'm coming home
I'm coming home
Tell the world I'm coming home
Let the rain wash away, all the pain of yesterday
I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes
I'm coming home
I'm coming home
Tell the world I'm coming

Listened to some good christian music today:)
Thanks, Nell Speerschneider

Be a partner

I listened to a motivational blip online (it was good but I don't have the link anymore) and this lady's three points for female success in the workplace were:
-Sit at the table
     don't dismiss yourself but be a part of the action -if not always at least when invited
-Don't leave before you leave
     haven't we all known the woman who was planning for maternity leave before she even had a significant other
-and Be a partner
     I'm not even sure I remember what her real point on this point was but the phrase caught me because my mind went to my husband right away.  How easy is it to just not tell my spouse what I'm thinking?  How easy is it even to lean on the Lord and neglect to include the hubby in my Spiritual journey??  How much more easier is it to just try and put up with my partner instead of fixing whatever with him is bugging me???  (not sure any of that grammar was remotely correct) 
Bad bad Nell!  My husband is the person God put in place to help me not only with my day to day life but to help me with my worship and my religion.  God bless my Mark.

Thanks again home-town pastor,

"One of the greatest temptations we face as children of God is to doubt God's power and willingness to help.  So we turn to the devices of this world.  Problems arise; sickness slows us down; we experience loss; and the first thing we turn to is some device of our own discovery."
It's SO hard not to rely on my self!  As a friend of many new mothers I'm taken back to those sleepless nights when I hear, "I wish I knew what I did right last night that made my son sleep soundly so I could do it again" ~ Because of course I think I'm in control and if I can just play my cards right again or line up x,y,z then life will be make sense.
ARGH

Oh -And I'm getting seriously close to an internal deadline and I'm not seeing the opportunity to accomplish what I wanted to...Can I pull it off?  I'm not going to reveal the goal because that just makes it palpable and then I'm completely accountable :) And I can't commit to that yet.

Is labor a gift from God?

Reading an interesting book... Go Hire Yourself an Employer and thought this passage was interesting
By labor I mean something I'm obligated to do, dumb work that gives me little pleasure (no matter how much lucre I earn).
The idea of "labor" was brought to a productive boil by Lord Calvin and other Swiss theologians who preached that we labor because it's our duty, that God's grace anoints those who press the grapes and winnow the chaff.  Labor was a pleasure in one sense; It got the awful monkey of obligation off our backs.  Until we rose again the next morning to fervently welcome another ton of Karma.  An endless cycle of labor/obligation, of obligation/labor.
This interpretation of God's will formed the ideological basis for capitalism; it sanctioned wealth as an indication and measure of God's grace and signaled our election to heaven and eternal life; a reason to labor at a dumb job.
(I have to add this last line even though it's beside my point because it's really in this paragraph, in the book and it totally cracks me up!)
I mean, people really busted ass.

So I guess I thought this was interesting because my husband really feels the success from his hard days work (although not on a day like today when he's recovering from seriously smashing his middle finger, it was 35 degrees out, windy and raining).  And while I do to, his seems more like this definition of labor because it's really truly back breaking work (no khakis or cubicle).
Is labor a gift from God?

The Lutherans remember Esther as well :)

Here's our little Queen Esther -Brushing her teeth before today's Purim celebration at Gan Ami

And here's the sermon from my home town church.  It's so home town, I couldn't find anything to link to it for reference :)



Text: Esther 4:14 “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

Prayer: Lord God, heavenly Father, grant us, we beseech You, by Your

Holy Spirit, that He may strengthen our hearts and confirm our faith

and hope in Your grace and mercy, so that, although we have reason to

fear because of our conscience, our sin, and our unworthiness, we may

nevertheless, hold fast to Your grace, and in every trial and

temptation find You a very present help and refuge, through Your

beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and

the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen.



What makes someone a hero? If you asked one, you may hear a

surprising answer: “ “I'm sure other people would have done exactly

the same thing. I was just in the right place at the right time.”

People become heroes because they take quick action at that “right

time,” while others stand watching in horror. The true hero

recognizes the crisis and moves to meet it. In the book given her

name, an orphan girl named Esther became such a hero. God has placed

her “at the right place at the right time.”

This story reads like a series of extraordinary coincidences.

Seemingly disconnected events are simply reported, no explanation

given. But as the story unfolds and draws to a conclusion, we see

that all these circumstances were coming together for God to

accomplish His purpose: the deliverance of people Israel.

In the first part of the story, Esther “just happened” to be chosen

as the new queen. Esther was an orphan, raised by her cousin

Mordecai. They were Jews, people of Israel living in captivity in

the foreign land of Persia. When the king deposes his queen, Esther

finds her world turned upside down. Without any say in the matter,

she is thrust into his harem within the palace gates. As she is

taken from her home, Mordecai changes her name from the Hebrew

“Hadassah” to Esther and cautions her not to reveal her true

identity as a Jew. She is separated from the only family and life

she has known. Yet God has a plan for her in the midst of tragic

circumstances. Esther found favor with the king's chief eunuch,

Hegai, and is chosen by King Xerxes to be the queen of Persia. In

His wisdom, God has placed her in a position of influence. God has

equipped her for the purpose for which she was born- to save her

people from destruction.

There are other instances in the Bible where God placed believers in

a position of influence to bring about His purpose. For example,

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Nevertheless, he found

“favor” with several individuals, including the pharaoh of Egypt.

Ultimately God’s plan was revealed when Joseph was able to save the

Israelites from starvation.

In the same way, God designs us for a purpose. It may not be as

grand as what Esther accomplishes in her lifetime, but God has

equipped us with a unique personality, gifts, and abilities. He has

special work to accomplish in our lifetime. Even though you may not

see the plan clearly now, trust God to accomplish in you His purpose

for your life. No matter what vocation or station of life God has

placed you in, as a believer you are called to be a “salt” and

“light” in the sinful world. As Peter writes, “Live such good lives

among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they

may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us” (1

Peter 2:12).

The next development in the story put Mordecai into a position that

the king would “owe him a favor” at the crucial time in the future

when his people's very lives hung in the balance. One day, while

Mordecai was outside the palace gates, he overheard a conspiracy

being hatched to kill King Xerxes. He told Esther, who told Xerxes,

who then had the traitors executed. As a result, Mordecia's deed was

recorded the king's annals for future reference.

When all seemed to be going well for Mordecai and Esther, they hit a

major bump in the road. It took the form of a man named Haman, an

influential advisor to the king. One day, he “happened” to cross

paths with Mordecia and demanded that Mordecai bow down before him.

Mordecia knew that God alone deserved His worship, so he refused to

bow down to Haman. This didn't sit well with Haman. In fact he grew

so angry, that not only did Haman plot to kill Mordecai, but he set

in motion a plan to have all of Mordecai's fellow Jews destroyed as

well.

Haman was superstitious. So instead of ordering this state-sponsored

genocide to be carried out immediately, he decided to cast lots to

choose the day of destruction. The lots fell on a day nearly a year

away. This delay would later bode well for the Jews. The

announcement to annihilate the Jews on a specific day was sent by

couriers to all the Providences.

This evil plot brings to mind the words of the Psalmist, “Why do the

nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set

themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord

and against His anointed” (2:2). These words put the story in a

different perspective. It becomes an attempt to foil God's plan and

promise for the Savior to be born from this people targeted for

destruction. Behind this plot sits the “adversary the devil” who

“prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter

5:8).

When Mordecai learns of the cruel scheme by Haman, he is overcome

with sorrow. He understands the law is irreversible because it has

been written in the name of King Xerxes and signed with his ring.

Mordecai’s mourning takes place outside the palace gates where he

wears sackcloth and ashes- a traditional way to express grief or

repentance. When Mordecai won’t accept the new clothes that Esther

sends to him, she understands that he is still in the midst of deep

grief. Upon further questioning by her attending eunuch, she

receives the written text of the edict, along with Morecai’s plea- a

request for her to approach the king and plea for her people.

However, Esther is not quick to comply. Several concerns come into

play. First, the law forbids anyone under penalty of death to

approach the king uninvited. Secondly, Esther has kept her identity

hidden. Does she want to risk her status and prosperity by revealing

this information to King Xerxes? If he is displeased he can easily

depose her as she has done to Queen Vashti. And yet she alone, of

all the Jews, had access to the king.

This opportunity and choice to serve God tests Esther’s character.

Mordecai reminds her that God has placed her in the palace for this

moment. Perhaps we can identity with the concerns Esther faced.

Imagine how we would feel if asked to break a law, punishable by

death, because a good cause is at stake? We may face difficult

questions also. We may feel called to break an unwritten code among

co-workers that disregards theft or misuse of property. Being the

“whistle blower” where there is unethical conduct can put us at risk

of losing friendships or even our job. We will have opportunities in

our lives that will test our character. An excuse may seem

reasonable, but God still gives us an opportunity to serve Him today.

How will you respond?

Esther's cousin Mordecai reminded her of her unique place. “Who

knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as

this?” Until this time, Esther and Mordecai probably did not realize

why Esther had become queen of Persia. But now it was clear to

Mordecai that God had been working behind the scenes. The Lord was

directing the affairs of Persia, so that one of His people would be

in a position to help Israel in the time of peril.

Esther responded with action. Her courageous words are a classic

statement of heroism: “I will go to the king, even though it is

against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (4:16).

And then one night Xerxes couldn’t sleep. Coincidence, right? As the

king “just happened” to be unable to sleep, he went down to the

library and dug out the annals of his reign. In his midnight

reading, he “just happened” across an account of a good deed Esther's

cousin Mordecai had done. He was startled to find that nothing had

been done to honor Mordecai for saving his life.

The evil Haman “just happened” along at that crucial moment. Haman

had been busy building a huge gallows while all this was going on.

When he entered in to see the king, the king asked him, “What should

be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” (6:6) Of course,

Haman assumed Xerxes meant him. Filled with pride, Haman presented

the king with his wish list: “For the man whom the king delights to

honor, let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the

horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is

set. And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the

king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king

delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the

square of the city, proclaiming before him: Thus shall it be done to

the man whom the king delights to honor” (6:7-9).

Imagine the expression on Haman's face when the king told him:

“Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to

Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king's gate” (v. 10). What a

reversal of fortune! Haman was commanded to honor the Jew whom he

wished to destroy. This was only the beginning of the end for Haman.

Soon afterward, Haman was joining the king and queen for a banquet,

and Esther placed her request before the king: “ If I have found

favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life

be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. For we have

been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be

annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I

would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with

the loss to the king” (7:3-4). The king was shocked and asked, “Who

is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?” (7:5) Esther

answered, “A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!” (7:6) For his

treachery, Haman was hanged on the same gallows he had prepared for

Mordecai.

This left a vacancy among the king's counselors. Mordecai himself

is elevated to the vacant position. With that comes the signet ring,

which allows him to act on behalf of King Xerxes. As a result, he

writes an overruling edict with the king’s permission. Who could

have known better than this man what should be decreed to save the

Jews, allowing them to take up arms and attack their enemies? God

had saved His little flock in the great Persian empire.

The divine act of deliverance is celebrated with a festival, called

Purim. If you look at your calendar, Purim is today. The word

“Purim” means “lots,” referring to the lots Haman cast, which delayed

the destruction of the Jews and God's deliverance of His people.

The book of Esther displays God's exquisite timing. God's timing,

combined with the courage of individuals who “just happened” to be in

the right place at the right time, saved His chosen people. Nothing


“just happens.” All of life is under God's command. These

coincidences were part of God's plan to save His people. God

protected His people because He loved them- because He had chosen

them from the beginning for a purpose- that from this tiny nation, an

often hated minority, His Son would be born as the world's Savior.

Centuries later, God's exquisite timing would be displayed again, as

God brought together an extraordinary series of events, including an

emperor decreeing a census, and a journey of a young couple from

Galilee to Judea, so that His Son would be born in Bethlehem. “When

the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman,

born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law,

so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal 4:4-5). God

continues to watch over us, often taking a situation that seems

impossibly hopeless and turning it into something good (Romans 8:28).

Have faith that God continually cares for you and is working all

things for your eternal good. Amen. Soli Deo Gloria

Sorry. Lame post. But I should give more money to Godly services. Shouldn't be as concerned about our savings as I am about taking care of the Lord's work.

More Purim

We get the weekly newsletter from our daughter's Jewish day school/community center and they don't have links to it on their website but I really look forward to the small teachings.

Shabbat Zachor and the Last Laugh

This Shabbat is "Shabbat Zachor" - "The Remember Sabbath." It always comes just before Purim, and is one of the special Sabbaths on which there is a special reading in addition to the normal chronological readings of the Torah on Shabbat. The special reading is from Deuteronomy, Chapter 25 - and is about the traditional enemy of the Biblical Jews, the Amalekites:
"Remember what Amalek did to you on the way, upon your departure from Egypt . . . he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in the rear. . . . You shall blot out the memory of Amalek from beneath the heavens - you shall not forget."
Putting aside the odd commandment that we are to wipe out the memory of the Amalekites and remember them at the same time, this Torah Reading has come to encapsulate the very idea of Jewish suffering at the hands of others. Amalek was a specific Biblical tribe, but it has come to symbolize the great enemies of the Jews. Tradition tells us that Torquemada, the mastermind of the Spanish Inquisition, and even Hitler were both descendants of Amalek. And, of course, the Evil Haman - the great enemy of the Jews in the Book of Esther which is the basis of the holiday of Purim - is called "the Aggagite," after the enemy of the Jews in the time of King Saul, Agag, the King of the Amalekites.
The brilliance of the Book of Esther is that the story is actually told comically - and broadly at that. The celebration of Purim is one of great humor and frivolity in the age old tradition of springtime release, frivolity and drinking that is as old as time itself. Carnival, Chinese New Year, Saint Patrick's Day, and even Spring Break in Fort Lauderdale are actually all a part of that same ancient tradition! And for Jews, Humor is an essential part of the celebration. Costumes, Purim Schpiels (humorous skits, often political or topical), Purim Humor and drinking all add to the celebration, illustrating an essential strength of the Jewish people in the face of tragedy - our ability to laugh.
This year, Purim begins Saturday night - immediately at the end of Shabbat Zachor.
Purim Allegre (Happy Purim)

Officially my favorite Jewish holiday

Purim
According to the Talmud, a person is required to drink until he cannot tell the difference between "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordecai," though opinions differ as to exactly how drunk that is.
And my daughter might be dressed up as queen Esther on Monday

Baptism (I need to exclaim again that I get to be a God mother!)

Sin is what we are by nature
As the eight were saved by the Ark of Noah, so also were the people saved by the Ark of the Covenant on which sat the mercy seat, namely, Christ
God goes for my troubled conscience
Baptism is the subject not the verb
It was no accident that Jesus instituted baptism after He arose from the dead, the institution of Baptism took place as Jesus was about to ascend into heaven
In His baptism, you share in His resurrection

Thanks Pastor Burkhardt :)

Prayer request (and/or donation)

NMSI donation for friend Hannah

Let it go... You tried

Let it go... You tried your best and obviously whatever good God wanted came out... Let it go

Sinful nature with its passions and desires

Galations 5:24

First, in humility, confess your sins.
Sorry God but I don't like going to church and I haven't taken opportunities to bring my daughter into your house.  I'm materialistic for loving colorful, soft, lovely things and searching them out when the salary you provide me could go to more worthy causes.  I'm selfish with my time and often think about what I'd rather be doing then listening to my husband's story.  I'm spiteful to my family by rolling my eyes or giving curt remarks when I don't agree.
Second, call on the One who describes himself as you Hope and Savior.
I love feeling more and more at peace as I study your word and practices.  I've never felt so in control as when I give up control!  With you everything is possible and I'm honored that you've chosen me for the challenge of leading a God fearing life.
Third, don't be afraid to remind God: "It's all about you."
I think this Time of Grace devotional brought up an interesting point...I have Baptism water on my soul!  God has claimed me and I belong to Him!!  He will not forsake me.  I'm not sure I 100% can say the words in the following text though, "The first reason why I need forgiveness and a rescue is to make you look good".  I'm just not sure I'm that confident that I can make him look good?  That I would ever have the power to be a player in his plan.  I'm just such a little baby in the evangelism scheme...
Finally, don't hesitate to claim God's fatherly ownership over your life.  Call on him as your heavenly Father; don't ever stop praying.  He not only allows you to claim him; he reminds you that he has claimed you.  Expect his involvement in your life at just the right time -his time.
Whew!  That DOES feel good :) but I need to keep being reminded to pray.  It's so easy not to or to think to myself, "internal dialog is praying".  But it's totally not!  And confessing my sins (maybe I'll have to do this vocally some day) is necessary and yet mostly untouched for 364 days of the year.

Our Father
Who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our tresspasses
As we forgive those who tresspass against us
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For Thine is the kingdome
And the power
And the glory
Forever and ever
Amen

Matthew 16:18

I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

People Power Revolution

I have a friend who is Chinese but was born/raised in the Philippians and who's been in America for 20+ years (became a citizen in 2009:) she was so happy!).  Her comment about the earthquake in Japan was that it felt like the end times and I got to say that being a Christian it would be scary if that was true but I was looking forward to it.  Yay for me I say!!  Big step -Because even though when I'm speaking to people I know are Christian and all that goodness, it's just so hard for me to vocalize these things.  It's getting easier and easier though...
Anyway.
She veered into politics from that with again the same theme of the world feeling more caustic and she told me that the Wisconsin craziness (does my bio say that I live in Milwaukee?) reminded her of the People Power Revolution in the Philippians.  I immediately thought back to my post the other day about Non-Violent Resistance and this Wiki excerpt really stuck with me.

In the mid-afternoon, Radio Veritas relayed reports of Marines massing near the camps in the east and LVT-5 tanks approaching from the north and south. A contingent of Marines with tanks and armored vans, led by Brigadier General Artemio Tadiar, was stopped along Ortigas Avenue, about two kilometers from the camps, by tens of thousands of people. Nuns holding rosaries knelt in front of the tanks and men and women linked arms together to block the troops. Tadiar asked the crowds to make a clearing for them, but they did not budge. In the end, the troops retreated with no shots fired.

Eaxcept maybe that patience pays

Eaxcept maybe that patience pays off?

Poo. I dont have a

Poo. I dont have a post for today.

Non-violent resistance

Listening to a radio program and Chuck Pfeifer describes the passage:  Matthew 6:40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  as a form of non-violent resistance.  He explains that in those Old Testament days a common person's cloak was his only form of shelter at night and he thinks that Jesus was instructing people to embarrass their accuser by giving them not only clothing but your coat as well...Birthday suit time!  Huh...
I think what I will take away most from my recent digging is that history and original language is SUPER important in Bible study.  I'm happy that the Lutheran churches that I attend have a seminary that teaches its teachers all of that stuff.  It's so easy to try and interpret myself but when I hear the depth and breadth of what I don't know!  Oye...

This radio program caught my ear because of the title of Chuck's blog Living with Soul (my post yesterday was riddled with soul)

More RIP research

Ecclesiastes 12:7
     and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
So that passage was quoted in the reference article from yesterday's post but as I was absorbing all of chapter 12 I thought that perhaps in fact, King Solomon was talk about the rapture?  ...before the days of trouble...before the light grows dark...when the keepers of the house tremble...the doors to the street are closed...when men are afraid of dangers in the streets...and the grasshopper drags himself along...then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets...
     Sidenote:  I was skimming Ecclesiastes (boy I like this book) and chapter 9, A common Destiny for All jumped out at me.
-The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.
-Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun- all your meaningless days.
-The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.
-so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.

1 Kings 17:22
     The Lord heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived.
For this passage I went to my fave bible research site and looked up the different English translations http://bible.cc/1_kings/17-22.htm Everyone seems to use life or soul.  Nephesh (נֶפֶש) is the Hebrew word from the original text and most sites in my quick search seem to imply that it's that intangible thing that gives us animation and breath.

Luke 23:43
     Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Ok.  This one seems to be pretty straight forward.  Jesus is speaking and he even says TODAY.  I also think verse 46 is applicable when Jesus says, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."  Again I was able to look up the original Greek word Pneuma (πνεῦμα) and it had a similar loose translation of life or soul.  Good comment from Dr Bucher about the Seventh Day Adventists interpretation...
     Interesting side note though:  My NIV version says that the last part of verse 46 is When he had said this, he breathed his last.  But when I was looking at all the other translations he gave up the ghost was a common substitution.

Luke 16:22
     The time came when the beggar (Lazarus) died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side.
There appears to be no lapse of time here between dying and the soul's ascension.  Oh wait.  And no time between dying and the Rich Man's descension.  Abraham points out later that there is a great chasm that has been fixed so no one can cross from either side... I also think it's interesting, the denial of resurrection from the dead and Abraham's insistence that if the Rich Man's brothers didn't listen to Moses and the Prophets that they would still not be convinced.

Psalm 146:4
     When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
I found this when researching the Ecclesiastes text and I like it because it describes what I'm finding to be true, only backwards.

FINALLY  ~I look forward to heaven.  All this talk of it makes me long for the days of no heartache, no hunger, no tears and no tiredness.  God grant you all peace on your earthly journey and may we all toast together in our heavenly home :)

Where does a soul go when the body dies?

MOM!  Here are a ton of good references:
Ecclesiastes 12:7
1 Kings 17:21-22
Luke 23:43
Luke 16:22
Found in the perfect article for your Rest in Peace discussion... http://www.orlutheran.com/html/aftersoul.html

Subjects for Christian pop songs:

Subjects for Christian pop songs: You don.t need to put others down

Attention: Mother

Here is the "Rest in Peace" Wiki page:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rest_in_peace which I mostly trust.
I looked up Isaiah 57:2 ...enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.  But if you read the whole God's accusation Against the Wicked which starts at 56:9 I'm sure you'll read that that little snippet isn't really what the whole chapter is all about.
AND Wikipedia says "When the phrase became conventional, the absence of a reference to the soul led people to suppose that it was the physical body that was enjoined to lie peacefully in the grave." I believe them.

More to come :) I must gorge myself in popcorn now because it was a l-o-n-g day and my body needs refueling for a restful night (mmmmm.  Restful.  I suppose death is the ultimate rest).  Speaking of rest, I need to check out what Shabbat Shalom means.
Ciao

I got asked to be

I got asked to be a God mom!!!

Haven.t taken good vacation time

Haven.t taken good vacation time for reading yet...

RIP

RIP

Listened to a little christian

Listened to a little christian radio today- the speaker was saying that we aren.t teaching kids delayed gratification...interesting

Lots of pink luggage

Preparing for a long weekend away, preparing for a hospital stay, preparing for life in heaven - what WOULD I pack?