A California Online Magazine, With a Focus on the San Joaquin Valley
I was reading over people’s statuses on Facebook lately and was amazed at how much hate and bitterness I saw. I read statements by conservatives expressing their disdain of liberals, statements by liberals expressing their disapproval of conservatives, statements by independents claiming the moral ground over both parties, Christians talking down on non-Christians, non-Christians talking down on Christians, and the list goes on…
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I never imagined that doing Christian ministry in Mexico would result in helping somebody look for drugs and weapons, but that is exactly what happened last week. I was stopped at a military checkpoint just north of Puerto Peñasco, Mexico (also known as Rocky Point). The soldier said, “Open the door, please.” Then he proceeded to look my car over for signs of drugs or weapons as he asked me a few routine questions.
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Studies have shown that our prevailing emotions have the power to have a direct effect upon the physical condition of our heart. One of the ways this happens is through what doctors call our “heart rate variability.” Emotions such as appreciation, joy, and love create a spectrum on the heart rate variability EKG tracing. These attitudes or emotions help a person to enter into a healthy state called “entrainment” in which our nervous systems are fully balanced. This allows our body to have the right balance of stimulation and relaxation and contributes to better health.
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Father’s Day is a hard day for many people. It’s a day set aside to honor fathers, but the reality is that many of us don’t feel like honoring our fathers. Why? Because many of us have not been given a very good image of fatherhood. For many, the term “father” refers to a man who abandoned us when we were small. For others, it brings to mind an angry man who beat us or a perverse one who abused us.
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How many times have we heard the tragic news of a terrible forest fire sweeping through a forest, taking homes and sometimes even lives with it? It is always such sad news, and many times the fire is started by a little spark: somebody dropped a cigarette without putting it out, or somebody didn’t put out their campfire.
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As we approach Presidents’ Day in America, we are reminded of the legacy left by important leaders who helped lay important foundations for the nation in which we live.
George Washington was a general who helped lead the colonists to independence and then later served as this nation’s first president. He helped lay the foundation for us as a nation.
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It’s amazing how many people I hear talking about what they consider to be the most terrible of sins. They usually focus on sexual things when they do so. However, I would like to suggest today that one of the truly most terrible sins is something that you actually find running rampant among many of the people who talk the most loudly against sin.
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“I wonder what kind of presents will be under the tree this Christmas!” As a little boy, this was a question that energized me during this season as the big day approached. There were many things I enjoyed about Christmas, including the story of the Baby whose birthday was to be remembered on that day, but I have to admit the thing that excited me most about the holiday when I was a child was the prospect of receiving presents.
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The Declaration of Independence states that we have all been endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, “that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The right to pursue happiness is one that Americans have passionately claimed, and as a result we have a society that puts a great deal of emphasis on entertainment, personal fulfillment and any number of other avenues that are meant to carry us toward this illusive goal.
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I had a funny dream last night in which the pastor of Redeemer’s Church in Reedley and I were making a movie together. It featured some guy with a backpack that had mushrooms and a hamburger in it. Were this dream to be analyzed by a psychologist, I have no idea what he would learn about me.
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I went to church in an airplane one day. I was traveling on Faucett Airways, an airline that thereafter went out of business — probably due to too many accidents to be a coincidence.
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I co-wrote a song called, “It Never Hurts to Smile.” The idea behind it was that we’ve always got something to smile about and a reason to be happy if we have Jesus in our lives. I’ve since grown up enough to realize that this isn’t necessarily true.
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While in Scotland, I visited a church in Northern Ireland. The music was great, the preaching fantastic and the church was awful! … What makes a good church?
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Hugs is a special, special needs guy. He is blind with cataracts in both eyes. He is young. The vet thinks 2 1/2 - 3 years old. He has a great temperament & gets around great using his other senses. His foster mom says that if she doesn't move anything, once around the house & he has it memorized. Hugs is very loving & affectionate. We think Hugs would make a great therapy dog. His hypoallergenic coat is also a big plus for therapy dogs.Hugs is available through Animal Compassion Team.
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