Please Help Me! Pick your favorite photo

I want to enter my friend Taberah's photo contest, but can't decide on which one entry to submit. Faithful readers, please leave a comment telling me your favorite pic. I will have a random drawing on Thursday, July 15th at 4 pm PST, from all of the comments, and one reader will win a surprise gift from me. Thanks! :)

Number 1 - Disneyland Castle at Night

Number 2 - Easter Pals

Number 3 - Fountain

Number 4 - Australian Bearded Dragon

Number 5 - Venetian Court Fountain

Number 6- Scabiosa (Pincushion) Flowers

Number 7 - Mr. White Guy

Andy

Rasta dies and goes to Heaven.

He is at the Pearly Gates and is met by St. Peter himself. But the gates are closed as Ras approaches the gatekeeper..St. Peter said, 'Well, You seem to be in the wrong place as I don't seem to have you on my list, but as there is such a crowd behind you and it would cause such a disruption, I will give you an entrance examination - if you pass it, I will let you in. The test is short, but you have to pass it before you can get into Heaven.'

Fair enough sais the dread - I sure hope that the test ain't too hard. Life was a big enough test as it was .'

St. Peter continued, 'Yes, I know, but the test is only three questions. Here they are:
First: What two days of the week begin with the letter T?
That one is easy. That would be Today and Tomorrow.'
The Saint's eyes opened wide and he exclaimed, that is not what I was thinking, but you do have a point, and I guess I did not specify, so I will give you credit for that answer.
Second: How many seconds are there in a year? asked St. Peter.
How many seconds in a year? Now that one is harder,' replied ras, 'but I think about that, and I guess the only answer can be twelve.'
Astounded, St. Peter said, 'Twelve? how in Heaven's name could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?'
Well it got to be twelve he replied: January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd....
'Hold it,' interrupts St. Peter. 'I see where you are going with this, and I see your point, though that was not quite what I had in mind....but I will have to give you credit for that one, too.
Third: What is God's first name?'
well'Sure,' he replied with a big grin . . 'it's Andy..'
'Andy?' exclaimed an exasperated and frustrated St Peter. 'Ok, I can understand how you came up with your answers to my first two questions, but just how in the world did you come up with the name Andy as the first name of God?'

'Shucks, that was the easiest one of all,' Whenever I went to church I would hear them sing "ANDY WALKS WITH ME, ANDY TALKS WITH ME, ANDY TELLS ME I AM HIS OWN."

St. Peter opened the Pearly Gates, and said: 'Run, man, run!!!'

Wherefore we pray Lord, Give me a sense of humor, Give me the ability to understand a clean joke, To get some humor out of life, And to pass it on to other folks !

An Honor To Serve, A Tribute

Ray Boltz - Fallen Not Forgotten

When Do I Shift Gears?

May is bike month! If you're a newbie to cycling, you may not know what that means... basically, the month of May is set aside to encourage people to bicycle to work, run errands, and for recreation. Not only is it good exercise, but it also helps save the environment! :) Anyway, although I've had my bicycle for over 10 years, I really don't know "how" to ride. While I was searching online for when to shift gears/speeds on my bike, I found this article which was really helpful for me. Maybe it will help answer your question about "why does a bicycle need 21 speeds anyway?"

My God Is Real

Terry Warren sings "I Remember Calvary" from his new album "Amazing Love"

Free President's Day Homeschooling Curriculum

CurrClick is one of my favorite sites for inexpensive home-schooling literature. They have a nice set available for FREE this week.

Presidents' Day Holiday HelperFrom Living Books Curriculum
Presidents' Day Holiday Helper is a short collections of high-quality literature, artwork and quotations which are easy to use during busy holidays; each one is designed to provide your children with uplifting and inspiring ideas and images. Read aloud and enjoy the stories. Encourage the practice of copywork and enjoy the study of great art of both Lincoln and Washington.
Picture Study:Portrait of George WashingtonGeorge Washington Crossing the DelawareAbraham Lincoln Reading to His Son TadAbe ReadingAbe the Rail Splitter
Copywork:Famous Quotes of George WashingtonFamous Quotes of Abraham Lincoln
Stories:The Cherry TreeAbe Lincoln Gets His Chance

Beware of Terrorist Groups in Church

I received this as a forwarded email message from a dear friend, but liked it so much, I wanted to share it with all of you. ...

Have a blessed weekend, and make sure you're in the right "group" in your church. :)

Latest news reports are that five terrorist cell groups have been operating in many of our churches. They have been identified as: Bin Sleepin, Bin Arguin, Bin Fightin, Bin Complainin, and Bin Missin.

Their leader, Lucifer Bin Workin, trained these groups to destroy the Body of Christ. The plan is to come into the church disguised as Christians and to work within the church to discourage, disrupt, and destroy.

However, there have been reports of a sixth group. A tiny cell known by the name Bin Prayin is actually the only effective counter terrorism force in the church. Unlike other terrorist cells, the Bin Prayin team does not blend in with whoever and whatever comes along.

Bin Prayin does whatever is needed to uplift and encourage the Body of Christ. We have noticed that the Bin Prayin cell group has different characteristics than the others. They have Bin Watchin, Bin Waitin, Bin Fastin, and Bin Longin for their Master, Jesus Christ to return.

NO CHURCH IS EXEMPT!

(However, you can spot them if you bin lookin and bin goin.)

The Christmas Orange

I just found this story (along with a plan for a family night activity) here.

The Christmas Orange

I'd like to tell you a story my grandmother told me when I was six or seven years old. We had gone to her home for Thanksgiving dinner and the drive was rather a long one. I had filled the time with making a list of all the things that I wanted for Christmas that year.

Later that evening after I was ready for bed, I showed the list to my grandmother. After she read it, she said, "My goodness, that really is a long list!" Then she picked me up and set me on her lap in the big rocking chair and told me this story:

"Once there was a little girl who came to live in an orphanage in Denmark" (Now my grandmother was from Denmark, so this story might even be true.) "As Christmas time grew near, all of the other children began telling the little girl about the beautiful Christmas tree that would appear in the huge downstairs hall on Christmas morning. After their usual, very plain breakfast, each child would be given their one and only Christmas gift; small, single orange."
At this point I looked up at my grandmother in disbelief, but she assured me that was all each child would receive for Christmas.

"Now the headmaster of the orphanage was very stern and he thought Christmas to be a bother. So on Christmas Eve, when he caught the little girl creeping down the stairs to catch a peek at the much-heard-of Christmas tree, he sharply declared that the little girl would not receive her Christmas orange because she had been so curious as to disobey the rules. The little girl ran back to her room broken-hearted and crying at her terrible fate."

"The next morning as the other children were going down to breakfast, the little girl stayed in her bed. She couldn't stand the thought of seeing the others receive their gift when there would be none for her."

"Later, as the children came back upstairs, the little girl was surprised to be handed a napkin. As she carefully opened it, there to her disbelief was an orange all peeled and sectioned."

"How could this be?" she asked.

"It was then that she found how each child had taken one section from their orange and given it to her so that she, too, would have a Christmas orange."

How I loved this story! I would ask my grandmother to tell it to me over and over as I grew up. Every Christmas, as I pull a big, juicy orange from my stocking, I think of this story. What an example of the true meaning of Christmas those orphan children displayed that Christmas morning. How I wish the world, as a whole would display that same kind of Christ-like concern for others, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year.