So relevant --even today!

The Scout Law was something I memorized and tried to live by as a scout. It dawned on me yesterday as the words began to come back that those words are guide posts for all of us in business, family relationships, sporting events, neighborhood activities and relationships in general. As I look at those words, I realize how far I have strayed from many of those mandates.

A scout is "Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, friendly, Courtious, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful,Kind, Obedient,Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent.

Thanks scouts for the mandate.

Easter, simple isn't it? By Bruce Reyes-Chow (Presbyterian Minister USA)

Jesus, Bunnies and other thoughts on Easter


Okay, okay . . . I suppose that I am slightly obligated to post something on Easter. I can just hear it now from pretty much anyone that wants to bust my pastor chops, "Dude, you are the one that is here to poke and prod at the spiritual proclivities of the SF Gate community and you didn't post anything on Easter, DURING Easter? Nice going you big slacker!"

So fine . . . let me informationally muse about the season and event that the Christian church calls Easter - And this year coincides with the Jewish Passover - but just don't get used to me tackling such obvious topics in the future ;-)

First let try to preempt some of the "flames" that might come my way regarding this whole Easter thing. I do this simply to challenge folks to stay away from the too easy and inflammatory jabs and towards some helpful and informed discourse. If you want to disagree with me - which I very much welcome and expect - I want to at least help folks be more informed about my own perspectives as One of THOSE Christians.

So here is what I'll stipulate to and hope folks will see as a wide wide wide - Did I mention wide? - spectrum of beliefs when it comes to Easter and the Christian faith.

EASTER itself is not original. We all know that there have been contextual traditions and rituals that Christianity has incorporated into its life: Pagan, Gnostic, Jewish, Hallmark ;-) etc. While there have certainly been instances where Christianity has hijacked culture, in most cases, I think the incorporation of culture is a positive way to be relevant in the context of doing ministry and being church. I for one am under no delusions that Christianity is a "pure" religion, in fact I embrace the grace-filled messiness where my faith formed and guided by my heart and mind.
RESURRECTION of the body is an aspect of the faith that creates great tension for many in the church. Some do not feel the need to affirm the actual bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ in order to claim a Christian faith while others believe bodily resurrection is a non-negotiable. I am one that believes in the bodily resurrection, but feel like God is big enough to handle broad interpretations of the event of the resurrection story.
FAITH is ultimately a choice so there really is no purely logical and systematic way to prove or disprove the relative truth of one's belief system over another. This place of secure mystery is where I beleive most people of faith live, a place where heart and mind converge and one is compelled to beleive in something beyond rational explanation. This manifests itself in many ways, often creating conflict between and within faith traditions. In the case of the Christian tradition, faith choice is centered on a belief in a fully divine, fully human manifestation of God on earth, Jesus Christ.
Okay, but even with all of this, "Why Easter?"

Simply put, Easter, for Christians of my ilk, is a promise from God that tells us that even out of the depths of despair, suffering and even death - through our own actions or the actions of others - forgiveness, liberation and new life are possible. We have chosen to believe that this generous reality has been given to each of us as individuals and communities; and because of God's ongoing forgiveness for the ways that humanity has turned away from God, we live a life fueled by gratitude. As Christians, we understand this convergence between humanity and the divine to take place in person of Jesus Christ.

Basically, Easter is about HOPE and the belief that despite the PAIN, OPPRESSION and HATE that we see around us, God is a God of NEW LIFE, FREEDOM and LOVE.

See, simple isn't it? ;-)

An early look at Obama's remarks for TV Presentation 3/24/9

From the BNO Newsroom.

Washington, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The following are prepared remarks for President Obama´s opening remarks during tonight´s national news conference at 8.01 p.m. EDT, his second since becoming president.

[W]e’ve put in place a comprehensive strategy designed to attack this crisis on all fronts. It’s a strategy to create jobs, to help responsible homeowners, to re-start lending, and to grow our economy over the long-term. And we are beginning to see signs of progress.

...

The budget I submitted to Congress will build our economic recovery on a stronger foundation, so that we do not face another crisis like this ten or twenty years from now. We invest in the renewable sources of energy that will lead to new jobs, new businesses, and less dependence on foreign oil. We invest in our schools and our teachers so that our children have the skills they need to compete with any workers in the world. We invest in reform that will bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and our government. And in this budget, we have made the tough choices necessary to cut our deficit in half by the end of my first term – even under the most pessimistic estimates.

At the end of the day, the best way to bring our deficit down in the long run is not with a budget that continues the very same policies that have led to a narrow prosperity and massive debt. It’s with a budget that leads to broad economic growth by moving from an era of borrow and spend to one where we save and invest.

That’s what clean energy jobs and businesses will do. That’s what a highly-skilled workforce will do. That’s what an efficient health care system that controls costs and entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid will do. That’s why this budget is inseparable from this recovery – because it is what lays the foundation for a secure and lasting prosperity.

...

We will recover from this recession. But it will take time, it will take patience, and it will take an understanding that when we all work together; when each of us looks beyond our own short-term interests to the wider set of obligations we have to each other – that’s when we succeed. That’s when we prosper. And that’s what is needed right now. So let us look toward the future with a renewed sense of common purpose, a renewed determination, and most importantly, a renewed confidence that a better day will come.

Stay with bnonews.com and "BreakingNewsOn" on Twitter for the latest up-to-the-minute news updates.

Prayer and ice cream

Even if you are not a believer in prayer, read this. It will make your day.


> Last week, I took my children to a restaurant.
>
> My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace.
>
> As we bowed our heads he said, 'God is good, God is great.
Thank you for
> the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice
cream for
> dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!'
>
> Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I
heard a woman
> remark, 'That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today
don't even
> know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!'
>
> Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, 'Did I do
it wrong?
> Is God mad at me?'
>
> As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job,
and God
> was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached
the table.
>
> He winked at my son and said, 'I happen to know that God
thought that was
> a great prayer.'
>
> 'Really?' my son asked.
>
> 'Cross my heart,' the man replied.
>
> Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added (indicating the woman
whose
> remark had started this whole thing), 'Too bad she never asks
God for ice
> cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.'
> Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal.
My son
> stared at his for a moment, and then did something I will
remember the
> rest of my life.
>
> He picked up his sundae and, without a word, walked over and
placed it in
> front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, 'Here, this
is for you.
> Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good
already.'
>

Economy got you down--60 ideas to save money

By Mike Silliman


1) Goodbye cable or satellite. Hello digital converter box with antenna.
2) Cancel magazine subscriptions.
3) Cancel Netflix & use Redbox.
4) Cancel your land-line phone. Nobody calls it except telemarketers anyway
5) Reduce your mobile minutes plan.
6) Take away your kids mobile phone, unless they have a job to pay for it.
7) Increase your deductible on your car insurance to lower your premium.
8 ) Reduce your tort options from “full” to “limited” on your car insurance.
9) Order water at the restaurant.
10) Lower the thermostat in your house by 2 degrees.
11) 4 degrees will save you even more.
12) Use the Library instead of buying books.
13) Look for low cost family activities. We joined the Philadelphia zoo club for under $100 for a family of six. We’ve been to the zoo 3 times since then. We pack our lunch and make a day of it.
14) Carpooling to work.
15) Arrange with friends to watch each other’s kids instead of paying for a babysitter.
16) Pack your lunch instead of buying.
17) Buy soda or bottled water by the case and always have some in your car. Don’t buy soda from a vending machine.
18) Do-it-yourself haircuts. Hello flowbee…don’t worry, hair grows back.
19) Never pay full price. Ask for a discount.
20) Shop at the second hand store.
21) Ask for a raise. Long shot, but you never know.
22) Use coupons.
23) Buy generic.
24) Buy bulk on certain items.
25) Exchange bulk items with friends.
26) Seal your driveway yourself.
27) Wash your car at home.
28) Unplug small appliances when you are not using them. Appliances still draw electricity when they are plugged in, even when they are not turned on.
29) Switch your light bulbs to flourescent bulbs.
30) Limit your dining out.
31) Make your Christmas gifts instead of buying them.
32) Exchange names for Christmas with extended family instead of buying gifts for everyone.
33) Go to the park instead of Chuck-e-cheese.
34) Cancel the fitness membership, and workout at home.
35) Shop around for cheaper home heating prices.
36) Consider a less expensive vacation this year.
37) Buy a used car instead of a new one.
38) Fix your car instead of trading it in.
39) Change the oil in your car yourself.
40) Buy a Tall instead of a Grande.
41) Buy a Grande instead of a Venti.
42) Buy a coffee instead of a Latte.
43) Make coffee at home instead of buying it.
44) Use your AAA card for discounts.
45) Order one less kid’s meal. They don’t ever eat it all anyway.
46) Stop using ATM’s that charge you a fee.
47) It’s ok to say no to the 50 kids that come to your door selling fundraiser stuff.
48) Buy one box of girlscout cookies instead of two.
49) Use your bath towel one more day before washing it.
50) Repair the washer one more time.
51) Eat leftovers.
52) Ask your home lender to drop your PMI (private mortgage insurance) if you have enough equity in your home.
53) Always look at the bill closely to make sure you aren’t being overcharged.
54) Stop feeling obligated to go to every home show and buy stuff.
55) DON’T buy the extended warranty.
56) DO buy the extended warranty on your computer.
57) Exchange “trades” with your friends. You can paint, your friend is an electrician.
58) Turn off and drain the hot tub, if you’re not using it.
59) Take shorter showers.
60) Lose weight. Did you know that it cost $1.50/year to sustain each pound that you are overweight.
What are other ways to save money?
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Each day is a gift

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed
each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and
shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing
home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move
necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the
nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. As he
maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description
of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his
window. I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old
having just been presented with a new puppy. Mr. Jones, you haven't seen
the room; just wait.' 'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he
replied. Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I
like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged ...
it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. 'It's a
decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can
spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of
my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the
ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll
focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just
for this time in my life

Secret of Life

Take time to Think.
It is the source of Power.

Take time to Play.
It is the secret of perpetual Youth.

Take time to be Friendly.
It is the road to Happiness.

Take time to Work.
It is the price of Success.

Take time to Pray.
Its the greatest power on Earth.

Take time to Love and be Loved.
Its is the way of God.