T.J.I.F.A.
THANK JESUS IT'S FRIDAY AGAIN!
PASS IT ON!...& ON...& ON...& ON
MAY 2, 2003
A TJIFA SALUTE! TO FRANKLIN'S PRINTING FOR DOING SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB ON OUR SNAIL MAIL NEWSLETTER. SALUTE!
SUBJECT: BE YE TRANSFORMED
WE LIVE IN A WORLD THAT WISHES TO STRONGLY INFLUENCE US TO GO THEIR WAY. THEY FEEL THAT IF YOU CONFORM THERE WILL BE NO CONTRADICTION AND AFTER ALL ACCORDING TO THEIR SYSTEM, "THE MAJORITY RULES." WE, AS CHRISTIANS, NEED TO RENEW OUR MINDS WITH THE WASHING OF THE WORD OF GOD, SO THAT WE ARE TRANSFORMED.
NOTEWORTHY: BMCC HAS CONTRIBUTED WORDS FROM NORMAN V. PEALE. WE ALSO LOOK AT AAMI WHICH CAN BE SUFFERED BY MANY PEOPLE, BUT IT ISN'T ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.
FRIDAY'S WORD: PREOCCUPY
IN THE MIRROR: WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE WOODCUTTER?
O TASTE AND SEE: A PECAN SOUR CREAM POUND CAKE WELCOME BACK TJIFA!
GLAD TO BE BACK...LOOKING FORWARD
SEE YA NEXT TIME
TER
WWW.READYWRITER.COM
PRAYER LINE 770 808 0542
BE TRANSFORMED...
Romans 12:1,2; "I Beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."
Juda is four and a half years old. He is in Pre - School, where he is learning acceptable habits and normal activities of a child his age. One of the most difficult tasks that he has had to master is that of tying his own shoes and putting them on the right feet. For this monumental achievement, his father promised him a pair of new boots, just like his.
The day came when Juda and his father went shopping for the new boots and proudly Juda laced them and walked out of the store with his new boots, just like his father's.
Graduation day came for the accomplished Pre-Schoolers to sing a song and present themselves to society as polished little citizens. Able to brush their own teeth, put on their own clothes (with help) and most importantly, to lace and put their shoes on the right feet.
In the dressing room, all of the little men and women critiqued one another, then a squeal came from one of the little girls, who made the awesome discovery that her shoes were on the wrong feet. All of the concerned youngsters crowded around her sympathetically, looking at her feet. They all agreed that indeed, she was right! And not only were her shoes on the wrong feet, but their's also had missed the ‘mommy inspection.' So, down on the floor all of the graduates went to change their little shoes to the acceptable look. All, that is, except JUDA. Juda looked down at his laced boots and affirmed, "My boots are on the right feet."
The rushed teacher lined the small citizens up and prepared them to march out on the stage, when to her horror, she noticed the last child in line had his shoes on the wrong feet. She quickly grabbed him and forced his tied shoes on the proper feet. When the remaining populace heard about the change, they heralded themselves into doing likewise. So, down they went in the middle of their graduation song. taking their shoes off and putting them on again. All except, Juda, that is. Juda sang his graduation song with great fervency, took a professional bow, took two steps, then leaped into the arms of his awaiting father; boots and all.
To be conformed is to be molded into a certain image. The world has many images that are acceptable to them; i.e....Hollywood; Television Stars; Football Basketball, Baseball, Hockey and Golf heroes; Musicians; Millionaires; etc. Conformity is good when you are making something that must fit into precise and accurate measurements. Without conformity, nails and tacks screws and bolts wouldn't fit their perspective tasks. So there is, also, a need for conformity in this wise.
Understanding laws and conforming a life to live within their safeguards is highly acceptable. Giving Doctors, Nurses, Lawyers and Engineers conformed education is prudent.
In the little story above, the Pre-Schoolers couldn't bear being an individual; and as a result, every time a suggestion was made about their shoes...Off they came! And whether it was right or wrong, they all had the same look. The problem with following to be in step is that ANYONE can set the pace. When the little girl thought she discovered her shoes were on the wrong feet, her discovery caused everyone else to abide by her wrong thinking. Everyone except Juda, who had been taught by his FATHER and therefore knew that his boots were not on the wrong feet.
In our Christian journey we will be occasioned to conform to the wishes of this world. We will be enticed to destroy our bodies with toxins and strong drink; or to mock and abuse others with our words; or deny our faith in public places; or go along with the crowd, so as not to be conspicuous. This type of conformity is irresponsible. It takes away the power of choice. It diminishes the strength of the individual's independent decision making ability, while yielding it's authority to the indiscriminate.
Paul tells us in Roman's 12, " that we should be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of our mind." The mind can only be renewed and transformed by the Word of GOD. The Word of GOD will bring revelation to you and teach you how to walk in this world. It will stretch your understanding to know that you know the stand you take is sure.
You may not be popular standing for Christ. But He didn't tell you that you would be popular. He said, " you would never be alone."
A Transformed Life is also a transparent life. It is a life that knows the Word of GOD to do it. It sees opportunities to serve GOD by serving others. It is a life that loves its neighbors; trusts GOD ; and shares the Gospel. A transformed life is known, not by what it wears, but how it serves. A transformed life is not known by where it lives but how it lives. It's not known by what it drives, but what drives it!
The transformed life is set to prove the good, acceptable and perfect will of GOD.
Juda, in our story, knew what his father had taught him, and what made his father happy. Knowing this when the temptation came to conform along with his peers, Juda pulled on what he knew had obtained for him his new boots and the joy of his father. No report coming from his peers could cause him to change his made up...transformed...renewed mind.
It's good to be back again...Looking Forward
See Ya Next Time
TER
NOTEWORTHY:
II Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Never be discouraged about yourself. You may have tried all your life long to rid yourself of your weakness, your obsessions, jealousy, sins, inferiorities without success. Your failure is probably that you have been trying to make yourself over. That is a long, tedious, and essentially, an impossible project.
But it can be done in no time at all by Christ. All you need to do is to say to Him simply, "Lord I do not want to be this way anymore;" and mean it. He will do for you what you can not do for yourself... effect a lasting change in you. Ask Him to change you.
From Thought Conditioners by: Norman Vincent Peale contributed by BMCC
A.A.M.I. -Age Associated Memory Impairment. Is not the same as Dementia which is loss of mental function. Many seniors will experience AAMI which is considered a normal aspect of aging. It is not a disease and requires no treatment. For those who experience AAMI parts of recent events may be forgotten, but can be recalled later, but in Alzheimer's Disease, the entire experience is forgotten.
The brain of an older person isn't inferior to that of a younger person it's just organized differently and has different strengths and weaknesses.
Five Ways to maximize your memory:
LIVE WELL Take steps to make sure that your brain gets ample blood supply. Regularly monitor Blood Pressure; Cholesterol; and Blood Sugar Levels or control them if elevated. Get enough sleep., limit alcohol, and not using tobacco, in addition an anti-inflammatory diet, high in Anti - Oxidant rich fruits and vegetables. And good sources of Omega three fatty acids. Such as Salmon Sardines, and Flax and contains mono unsaturated fats found in Olive Oil. These nutrients feed your Brain the nutrients it needs to thrive.
MOVE MORE - Aerobic Activity ensures that your Brain has increased blood to help keep it fit. Brisk walking for 30 to 45 minutes most days of the week.
LESSEN STRESS - Stress increases blood levels of Cortisol, a hormone which can damage brain cells and disrupt short term memory. Practice a relaxation technique daily.
SOCIALIZE- Diversify your life with a blend of active and passive activities. A new study from Michigan reports that talking to people, whether in person or on the phone can enhance mental function and prevent cognitive decline. Having a pet, or volunteering in your community can also keep you socially connected.
NOURISH YOUR MIND - "use it or lose it" definitely can apply to your Brain. Stay Sharp. Stay curious about the world around you.. Engage in activities such as Bridge, Chess, Reading, Painting and Cross Word Puzzles.
Try to Remember - Seven Tricks (Helpful Suggestions)
PAY ATTENTION - Most memory failures stem from a lack of concentration.
ESTABLISH ROUTINES - Place frequently used items such as, keys, glasses, and your wallet in the same place.
WRITE IT DOWN - Carry a notebook or have pad and pencil available for lists and reminders. A calender or date book is convenient for this purpose.
PRACTICE - Listen carefully and repeat a name when you first learn it. Browse through your address book and try to put face and name together. When going to a social event, try to anticipate who will attend, then practice names and faces before attending.
MAKE IT INTERESTING - Use vivid mental images to make learning more conscience. And lasting. .
GIVE IT TIME - As you age, it takes longer to learn and memorize material even though retention of information is unaffected.
MINIMIZE INTERFERENCE - Stress anxiety depression and lack of sleep affect memory also certain drugs sedatives, antidepressive, and antihistamines can dampen the short term memory as can multi drug regimes.
Fast Fact: The Scent of Rosemary seems to improve long term memory and alertness.
Information taken from Health and Nutrition Feb. 2003 For more information go to
www.drwilselfhealing.com
TER
FRIDAY'S WORD: preoccupy; pre*oc*cu*py; (verb) occupy the attention of
A preoccupation (noun) with anything can be so detrimental when it comes to hearing from God, and is capable of preventing us from learning His will for our lives.
IN THE MIRROR:
The old woodcutter lived down the valley a little ways, and one day the young upstart decided to challenge the old man. He made a surefire bet with the old man that he could have more logs cut at the end of a days work. The old timer simply smiled and said, "Okay!" Off he ran happily down the road to what he knew was a easy victory. He went back to his woods and went to axing away, sweating, muscles bulging, and thinking of how good he was sure to look at day's end.
The young man not allowing himself to get but so confident, made a few sneak trips over the hill a ways to peak at his [victim]. There he was, sitting there with his back to his new young rival. The young lad was satisfied with what he saw, and was off again.
Nightfall came and he takes his victorious journey to the old man's log area to discover he had cut twice as many trees. With a mixture of hostility, anger, and embarrassment, he admitted to the old man the he had snuck over the hill a few times and saw him sitting out in the shade relaxing. The old man looked up and gave him a genteel sort of smile, and simply stated to his very young [protegee] "While you saw me sitting there I was sharpening my axe!"
There's something about that story which has caused me to think a little differently about where I may be placing my own energies, while constantly faced with a schedule much more demanding than I seem to be able to keep up with.
In an interest to the reader, I wanted to return with an article that would blast your Christian socks clean off, and yet, I sit here with one word still very heavily on my mind, and that single word is "RESURRECTION". It's past "Easter", but all the material that God afforded me to read, study, and listen to is still very much engraved in my spirit, and I can thus far only imagine it as being something to be shared with the readers of this Newsletter.
The resurrection of JESUS CHRIST is the most attested to fact in all of human history. It make an unequivocal statement that validates Jesus' statement in John 11:25,"I am the resurrection, and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall he live." When God sent Jesus to the Cross, He answered the greatest need known to man.
If you're like me today, wanting to do so much more than may be humanly possible, God, through the precious workings of the Holy Spirit has made it so whatever our human limitations may be in the natural, we have an unlimited resource in Him, by Him, and through Him.
Don't go out today and spend your Christian energies on works ‘trying' to live the Christian faith; No, once you realize the reality of the Resurrection, you'll more than appropriately understand why Jesus would tell us to only "believe".
I'm heading back to my ‘spiritual' axe now, won't you join me?
S.L.C.
O TASTE AND SEE!
PECAN SOUR CREAM POUND CAKE
1/4 CUP CHOPPED PECANS
3 CUPS CAKE FLOUR
1/4 TSP SALT
1/4 TSP BAKING SODA
1 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER SOFTENED (2 STICKS )
3 CUPS WHITE SUGAR
6 EGGS
1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
1 8 OZ. CONTAINER SOUR CREAM
FROSTING:
2 CUPS CONFECTIONERS SUGAR
3 TBLSP ORANGE JUICE
1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
DIRECTIONS:
PREPARATION TIME 30 MIN. COOKING TIME 1 HOUR AND 30 MIN.
PREHEAT OVEN 300 F. GREASE AND FLOUR 10INCH TUBE PAN SPRINKLE PECANS INTO THE BOTTOM OF PAN AND SET ASIDE.
IN A MEDIUM BOWL MIX TOGETHER FLOUR AND SALT AND BAKING SODA AND SET ASIDE
IN A LARGE BOWL CREAM BUTTER AND WHITE SUGAR UNTIL LIGHT AND FLUFFY.
BEAT IN EGGS ONE AT A TIME THEN STIR IN VANILLA.
ADD FLOUR MIXTURE ALTERNATE WITH SOUR CREAM .
POUR BATTER OVER PECANS IN PREPARED PAN
BAKE IN PREHEATED OVEN FOR 80 MINUTES OR UNTIL INSERTED TOOTHPICK COMES OUT CLEAN.
LET COOL IN PAN FOR 20 MIN THEN TURN OUT ON WIRE RACK.
FROSTING:
COMBINE CONFECTIONERS SUGAR ORANGE JUICE AND ONE TEASPOON VANILLA .DRIZZLE OVER WARM CAKE.
YIELD 1 SERVINGS 2
CONTRIBUTED BY J.C. FROM LOUISVILLE, KY.