Every dream of finding treasure?

Mint.com

The World in Past 200 years

Okay, this is amazing. While I don't think the entire world will ever be "healthy and wealthy" (didn't Jesus say we would always have the poor with us?), it's still eye-opening to consider how the standard of living has changed over 200 years. And 2,000 years. Amazing graphic.

Enjoy your day!

~~Angie

The Re'Gen Reunion

Some of you have asked about my Re'Gen weekend . . . well, here's a teaser Bob Johnston put together. All these fabulous people, and I love every one of 'em. I've been promised more video to come . . . I want you to hear the SINGING!

And I forgot to say my name in the video. LOL. Figures. :-)

~~Angie

Boy, kids sure grow up fast!

Take a look at this family's daughter--they took a photo every day from birth to ten years old. I found myself fixating on her eyes--they never seemed to change. Fun to watch, though, and to see her developing personality.


Have a great day!

~~Angie

Singing Cats and Dogs

A tip of the hat to Aunt Irene, who sent this my way. And happy birthday to my friend Terri Blackstock (born on Pearl Harbor day).

My book club met last night to discuss SOMEONE KNOWS MY NAME, and we all loved the book. So if you're looking for something good to read, here you go!

~~Angie

Letterman Top Ten List

A tip of the hat to friend David Roth for sending me this (and he's a man!). Too cute not to share:

10 Reasons why God created Eve
===============================

10. God worried that Adam would be lost in the Garden of Eden
because he wouldn't ask for directions.

9. God knew that someday Adam would need someone to hand him the
TV remote.
(Parenthetically, it has been noted that men don't want to see
what's ON TV; they want to see WHAT ELSE is on.)

8. God knew that Adam would never make a doctor's appointment.

7. God knew that when Adam's fig leaf wore out, he would never
buy a new one for himself.

6. God knew that Adam would not remember to take out the garbage.

5. God wanted man to be fruitful and multiply, but he knew Adam
would never be able to handle labor pains and childbirth.

4. As "keeper of the garden," Adam would need help in finding
his tools.

3. Adam needed someone to blame for the Apple Incident and for
anything else that was really his fault.

2. As the Bible says: "It is not good for man to be alone."

1. And the No. 1 reason:

[Drum roll . . . ]

God stepped back, looked at Adam and declared:
"I can do better than that."

Have a great day!

~~Angie, who counts men among her best friends. :-)

How CAN we be like God??

Week Twelve: What qualities of God can we share?

When we talked about the creation of mankind, we talked about how humans were created in the image of God—in Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

God wants us to be like him, but last week we learned that in some ways we can never be like God. We will never be omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, or completely independent. But God has other qualities we can adopt. In fact, there are many ways we can be like God.

Some of God’s communicable, or “contagious” qualities—qualities we can share—are knowledge/wisdom, truthfulness, goodness, love, mercy, peace, righteousness. Let’s see how we can be like God by examining those qualities.

1. God is knowledge and wisdom. Since God is omniscient, he knows everything (1 John 3:20). While we don’t know everything, we can know some things, and we can ask God for wisdom. What’s the difference between wisdom and knowledge?

Knowledge is absorbing a lot of facts and information. Many people go to school and graduate with a lot of information in their heads. Wisdom is knowing how to use information. More importantly, wisdom is seeing the world as God sees it . . . and knowing how to act from an eternal perspective.

A lot of people have a lot of education and yet they are foolish when it comes to matters of eternal importance. “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 53:1). Many people would rather trust in their education than in the God who created them.

Yet you don’t have to have a degree to be wise. James says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” God will give you wisdom if you ask for it—and if you read and study his Word, you will be well on your way to becoming truly wise!

2. God is truthful. God does not lie. “For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth . . .” (2 Samuel 7:28).

“This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began” (Titus 1:2).

Every time you choose to tell the truth instead of telling a lie, you are displaying a quality of God’s.

3. God is good. What is good? Something that is good is something God approves, because God is goodness. When he created the earth, it was very good. Everything good comes from God: “Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens” (James 1:17).

Paul wrote, “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” When we choose to do something good—something of which God would approve—we are exhibiting God’s goodness.

4. God is love. Everyone loves this one, and everyone talks about it. “For God so loved the world . . .” (John 3:16). So when we love others, we are displaying God’s love.

John wrote, “Everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments” (1 John 5:1-2).

5. God is merciful. Mercy means showing goodness or giving help to someone who needs it. In Exodus 34:6, God described himself by saying, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.”

Jesus said, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt. 5:7).

If you show goodness to the classmate who’s being picked on . . . or the elderly neighbor who needs help with her yard work . . . you are being an example of God’s mercy.

6. God is peace. Another word for “peace” is “order,” or the opposite of confusion. Paul writes that “God is not a God of disorder but of peace . . .” (1 Corinthians 14:33), but “there is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord” (Isaiah 48:22). Peace means a confident rest, a calm understanding that God is in control. We are to do things that bring about order and calm understanding between people. “God blesses those who work for peace,” Jesus said, “for they will be called the children of God” (Matt. 5:9). Why? Because they are acting like their Heavenly Father.

7. God is righteousness. We don’t often use the word “righteousness” any more, and I know it sounds old fashioned. It’s similar to the word “justice” and it means that God always acts in a way that is right according to his holy standard. In other words, he always does the right thing.

God says, “I, the Lord, speak only what is true and declare only what is right” (Isaiah 45:19). When we choose to do what is right according to God’s standard, we will be exhibiting God’s holy righteousness.

8. God is holy. Holiness sounds like something we can never be because we’re human and humans sin, right? Yet we can be holy through Jesus Christ. He died to take our sins away, and God forgives us.

The word “holy” means “sinless.” God is holy; he does not sin. We can live holy lives through the power of Jesus Christ. Yes, sometimes Christians sin, but when we do, God is faithful to forgive us when we confess our wrongdoing.

When we lead holy lives—when we do not lie, curse, cheat, complain, gossip, steal, envy, and hate others—people will see that we are reflecting the image of God.

Memory verse: “Everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments” (1 John 5:1-2).

Discussion questions:

1. Why is it more important to have wisdom than knowledge? You can get knowledge in school—how can you get wisdom?

2. Read each situation below, then tell us which quality of God you would choose to display if you were to step in and help:

· A special needs student at your school has dropped a stack of books on the floor between classes. You stop to help. You are displaying God’s . . . what?

· Your teacher asks you why you didn’t finish your homework. The real reason: you forgot. You give her the real reason, and you are displaying God’s . . . what?

· Two of your best friends are fighting over something. You call them together and help them work it out. You are displaying God’s . . . what?

· Some kids at your school are planning to spray paint graffiti on the side of the gym. You say no thanks and try to talk them out of it. You are exhibiting God’s . . . what?

· You bring your mom a bunch of flowers. You are displaying God’s . . . what?

· Your teacher insists that life on this plant began with a single cell and gradually evolved into mankind. You tell her that God created the heavens and the earth. You are displaying God’s . . . what?

· Your best friend belongs to another religion and has never heard about Jesus. You give her the story of the Gospels and invite her to church. You are displaying God’s . . . what?

3. The list of God’s “contagious” qualities isn’t exhaustive—can you think of other qualities God has that we can exhibit in our lives?

Dog meets Dolphin

Okay, gather the kidlings around for this sweet short film--eleven minutes, if you've got the time. Isn't that Steve Guttenberg? What's he doing in this film? I have no idea what language that is--does anyone know?

Anyway, since I finished my WIP and handed it in, I think I've decided that I usually get more done when I'm on deadline. :-) Hope your pre-holiday tasks are going well!

~~Angie

Patty cake Cats

LOL! This made me cackle out loud when I first saw it. What a creative group to put this together (and the cats aren't bad, either!) Enjoy!

~~Angie

So You Want to Write a Novel?

This has been making the rounds, so I hope you haven't seen it yet. It'd be funnier if it weren't so true . . .

If this is Friday morning, I'm speaking in chapel at Taylor University. Prayers would be appreciated. :-) Thanks!

~~Angie

Cosby on Southern

This has been making the rounds, so you may have seen it. But if you haven't, enjoy!

I love Bill Cosby. :-)

~~Angie

Another A capella treat

Ah, you know how I love a capella music. This is Straight No Chaser with their musical homage to the season. Enjoy!
~~Angie

Rue La La

I don't know if you do much shopping online, but you couldn't pay me to go to a mall in December. Or in just about any other month.

I've become a devoted cyber shopper, and can usually find great deals with free shipping. But lately I became aware of shopping boutiques online, and have found some great deals there, too.

This is going to sound like a shameless plus, and maybe it is. But don't feel pressured. If you'd rather shop the old fashioned way, be my guest.

I saw Rue la la advertised in the Wall Street Journal as a "must have" iPad app. So I downloaded it and began to explore. It's a club, so you have to sign up (free), and once you're signed up, you can shop any of the daily boutiques. Different merchants, ranging from high end to middle market, place their clearance goods in a "boutique" and offer items for about 24 hours only. You'll find everything from housewares to shoes to chocolates to vacation packages, but you have to act fast. Things sell out pretty quickly.

You see something you like? You just click the button, check your size, and you're done. Rue la la has fabulous customer service, and if you buy one item on a given day, you get free shipping on anything else you buy that day.

Plus, Rue La La sends you an email every morning to tell you what boutiques will be featured on that day. So if you like Ann Klein, you should jump when you see the Ann Klein boutique coming up.

I've ordered a rug, a dress, a pair of boots, a pantsuit, and chocolates from Rue La La, and have always been impressed. So if you're interested, just click here and check it out! There's absolutely no pressure to ever buy anything. Disclaimer: if you do buy something because I sent you, they give me a small credit.

So why fight the crowds? Check out Rue La La. You may just la la love it!

~~Angie

Will we EVER be just like God?

Week Eleven: Can we ever be just like God?

Have you ever been around someone with a cold? You might see someone with a red nose, watery eyes, and a wadded up tissue in his hand. You can tell he’s sick just by looking at him. When he comes toward you, what do you want to do? Run! Why? Because you could catch his cold. Colds are contagious. So are measles, mumps, and bad attitudes.

Another word for “contagious” is “communicable.” Germs can “communicate” or “transfer” a cold from one person to another.

When people talk about God’s character qualities, sometimes they mention his “communicable” qualities and his “incommunicable” qualities. In other words, some of God’s qualities can be passed on to us so we can be more like him. But other qualities can’t be passed on to us no matter what. Why? Because God will always be God and we will always be created beings and less than God. This “uncontagious” qualities are the things that make God . . . God.

Next week we’ll talk about his “contagious” qualities, but this week we’re going to look at qualities that belong to God and God alone. Nothing else in all of creation shares these qualities with God.

God is independent. As an infinite being, he doesn’t need anything or anyone to survive.

We like to think of ourselves as independent people, but even the most independent person needs air to breathe and food to eat. We needed parents to bring us into the world. We need shelter and clothing. When it all comes down to basics, we needed God to bring us to life. We need him in ways we can’t even imagine. Even in heaven, we will depend upon God to enjoy the eternal life he gives us.

But God doesn’t need anything or anyone. He didn’t need anyone to create him, because He has always been—in fact, he created time itself. The Bible says, “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is the Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need” (Acts 17:24-25).

Some people think God created humans because he needed us so he wouldn’t be lonely. Afraid not. God has always had the other members of the Trinity for company. And he could also talk to the angels. God did not need to create us, but he chose to so that he could delight in us. In Isaiah 43:7, God tells us, “Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.”

God is unchanging and unchangeable. Don’t you love family reunions? You walk through the door and your grandma or aunt rushes over and says, “My, how you’ve grown! I wouldn’t have known you!”

Human beings change constantly. We grow quickly, and even after we stop growing, we continue to change. We learn things, so we grow smarter. Sometimes we get our hearts broken, and we grow sadder. We can get sick. We can get tired. We are constantly changing.

God, on the other hand, never changes. The Bible says, “Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment and discard them. But you are always the same; you will live forever” (Psalm 102:25-27).

God himself said, “I am the Lord, and I do not change” (Malachi 3:6).

The good thing about serving a God who does not change is that we know he will always be there and he will always keep his promises. You can trust him.

God does not freak out. God has emotions, and the Bible tells us a lot about them. We know God rejoices, he loves, and he feels anger. But God is not driven by his emotions the way people are. He is not happy one minute and sad the next. Because he does not change, his emotions do not veer off in unexpected directions. The concept is easy to grasp if you remember this: God always loves what he loves, and he always hates what he hates.

That means he will always hate sin. But he will always love you.

God is omnipotent. He is all-powerful. He is able to do everything he is willing to do.

No human or creature is omnipotent. No human can do everything he or she wants to do. I’d like to fly, but I can’t. I’d like to be able to swim underwater without oxygen, but I can’t do that, either. I depend on God for even the air that I breathe, but God doesn’t depend on anyone or anything.

“Omnipotence” doesn’t mean that God can do anything at all. For instance, he can’t sin. He can’t tell a lie. But he can do everything he wants to do.

God is omnipresent. He is everywhere all the time. So you never have to worry about being all alone in some strange place—God is always with you. Not just a part of him, but all of him.

Look at Psalm 139:7-12: “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.”

Finally, God is omniscient—he knows all things. Everything, even the secrets buried in your heart. Even the things you think no one else knows.

The smartest man or woman in the world will never be omniscient. The biggest computer in the world will never be omniscient, because it only knows what its programmers feed into it. When we get to heaven, we’re going to know a lot more than we do now, but we’ll never know everything. We’ll never be omniscient. We’ll always have the thrill and adventure of learning new things about God, about creation, and about the universe.

Memory verse: “I am the Lord, and I do not change” (Malachi 3:6).

Discussion questions

1. Read the following verses and talk about which godly quality each verse describes: God’s independence, unchangeableness, emotional steadiness, omniscience, omnipotence, or omnipresence.

· 1 John 3:20: “Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

· Psalm 50:9-10: “But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.”

· Matthew 6:8: “Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him.”

· James 1:17: “Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”

· Revelation 1:8: “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”

· Psalm 90:2: “Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.”

· Psalm 139:1-2,4: “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away . . . You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.”

2. Think hard—can you think of a single human being who is truly independent? Who doesn’t need anything?

Now imagine the most powerful person in the world. How does his (or her!) power compare with God’s? Think of your favorite super hero. Are any of them truly all-powerful? (Even Superman has to deal with Kryptonite!)

3. Read Psalm 139:16: “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

God has a plan for each of us. Because he is all-powerful, nothing can destroy or mess up his plan for us. How does knowing that God is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (everywhere-present) help you to trust him more?

Next week we’ll talk about character qualities we can “pick up” from God.

Another Flash Mob Hallelujah!

I would LOVE to run into one of these some time. I'd sing along!

Angie

Boy Rescues Baby Hummingbird

We don't have hummingbirds around here--or maybe we do, but I've never seen them--but this is a very sweet video about a boy who rescued a baby hummingbird. Take two or three minutes to enjoy--you'll be glad you did.

Did you hit the malls today? I stayed home to decorate for Christmas and recuperate from all the fun yesterday. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow--

Praise Him all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts.

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

A blessed Thanksgiving to you and yours!

~~Angie

Update from the Pie-Making Front

Made the chess pie in a DEEP dish, and it took MUCH longer to bake than I thought it would--well over an hour. And even though I used a deep dish, some of it spilled over to the bottom of the oven, where it burned and smoked up the entire house. So . . . just keep that in mind.

The chess pie came out beautifully, except the crust shrank beneath the pie. :-/

And the sweet potato pies (the doubled recipe made three pies!) are still in the oven. :-)

Now maybe you understand why I don't cook very often. :-)

Bon appetit!

~~Angie

Photos: sweet potato pies,

chocolate chess pie,

orange chess pie (made with orange juice)

Chocolate Chess Pie

You may now rise up and call me blessed. :-)

Makes 1 deep dish or 2 regular pies.

4 beaten eggs

1/2 cup melted butter

1 12 oz. can evaporated milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups of sugar (yes, you read that right).

4 Tablespoons cocoa

pie shells

Mix all ingredients well, making sure cocoa is not clumped. Pour into pie shell(s). Bake at 350 for about 40-50 minutes. Pie should be set in center, not goopy. (A deep dish version may take a little longer to bake.)

Delicious! Hmmm. Maybe I'll make one myself this afternoon! (Then I can post a picture of the actual pie!)

~~Angie

Prepping for Thanksgiving

If I get my work done today (I'm proofing gallies for THE FINE ART OF INSINCERITY), I'm going to start my Thanksgiving baking. Every year my extended family gathers at a women's club in a small central Florida town. It's a two-hour drive for us, so I've learned not to bring anything that needs to be served hot out of the oven. Pies, though . . . . that's the ticket.

So tomorrow I'm going to bake chess pies and sweet potato pies, and maybe another sweet potato dish. This is one of the few occasions that I bake, so I'm looking forward to it.

I hope your Thanksgiving preparation goes well! If you're traveling, drive safely!

~~Angie