TODAY MY LIFE BEGINS!

Today My Life Begins

i’ve been working hard so long
seems like pain has been my only friend
my fragile heart’s been done so wrong
i wondered if i’d ever heal again
ohh just like all the seasons never stay the same
all around me i can feel a change (ohh)
i will break these chains that bind me, happiness will find me
leave the past behind me, today my life begins
a whole new world is waiting it’s mine for the taking
i know i can make it, today my life begins
yesterday has come and gone
and i’ve learn how to leave it where it is
and i see that i was wrong
for ever doubting i could win
ohh just like all the seasons never stay the same
all around me i can feel a change (ohh)
i will break these chains that bind me, happiness will find me
leave the past behind me, today my life begins
a whole new world is waiting it’s mine for the taking
i know i can make it, today my life begins
life’s to short to have regrets
so i’m learning now to leave it in the past and try to forget
only have one life to live
so you better make the best of it
i will break these chains that bind me, happiness will find me
leave the past behind me, today my life begins
a whole new world is waiting it’s mine for the taking
i know i can make it, today my life begins
i will break these chains that bind me, happiness will find me
leave the past behind me, today my life begins
a whole new world is waiting it’s mine for the taking
i know i can make it, today my life begins
today my life begins…

Nice song! Very Inspirative! I Loveee it! It sounds like motivation when I’m hearing this song! :)
download it here! http://www.4shared.com/audio/osfcR3Y0/Today_My_Life_Begins.htm

Fighting for Forgiveness

But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. Mark 11:25 (NLT)

It might be one of the hardest things to not only say, but mean. It is a phrase that destroys your pride and rips into your ego. Yet, something this dramatic and profound can be exchanged in two simple words. "I’m sorry."

The flip side is not much easier. To forgive can be just as daunting and trying. When someone has hurt you or wronged you, it is hard to accept that two simple words can fix it. However, is it all that much easier to bottle up your feelings and hold everything inside?

Let’s face it. When we have pain or cause pain, it is more than just words that get in the way. It is our feelings and emotions. The more time that goes by, the more entrenched the memory becomes, until it consumes everything in you to the point that you are to terrified to ask, or too scared to give in.

Take a moment, right now, to think of the people you need to forgive. Then take a few minutes to think of who you need to seek forgiveness from. No matter how hard it may be, or how long ago it might have happened, it is never too late to do something about it. A simple "I forgive you" or an "I’m sorry" could go a long ways to fix something that was once unfixable. While it may not solve everything, it sure is a good start.

Resources : http://www.tddm.org/

Why is going to church so important?

I have a friend who believes in God but doesn't see the reason in going to church. He views himself a good person and tries to do well in God's eyes and he says some in the church are worse than him so he doesn't know why he should attend. I need help in explaining to him why it is good to attend church. - NouNou2013

Acts 2:42-47   (The Message)

The Fellowship of the Believers

That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.  Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met.  They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.

Ephesians 2:20 (NIV)

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

A few weeks ago, as we were in the midst of Bible Study, I was speaking on, “What does it take to build a church?”  No sooner had I got the words out of my mouth than a three year old said, “Bricks!”  I want to tell you that she is right!  God has had me meditate on that idea ever since.

It does take “BRICKS” in order to build a church.  When a building is built out of brick, the masons will use a cornerstone; this is important because all of the other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.  Same goes for the church in a spiritual sense as well.  Jesus is the chief cornerstone and all of the other bricks will be set in reference to Him.  Each area of this acrostic wraps around Jesus, too.  So, why is church important?  “BRICKS” built on the cornerstone of Jesus, and worshipping an audience of one!

B- Believers devoting themselves.  It says that they “committed themselves to the apostles' teaching.”  You know, it is exciting to see people wanting to be excited about learning, making it a priority, and wanting to hear God’s Word.  That is what it means to be devoted to the Word.  We make it a priority to want to be hearers and doers of the Word.

R- Rejoicing with one another.  Rejoicing with one another is better termed as fellowship.  Koinonia fellowship, to be exact.  It means to have things in common.  Fellowship means to have “two fellows in the same ship.”  You know friends, I would not want to try to live the Christian life by myself.  Just because it is possible, doesn’t make it probable.  It certainly would not help our joy.  It would not help me to rejoice in Christ either.  I love the psalmist when he says, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD.'” (Psalm 122:1)  When we meet together, we are all a part of the Kingdom of Christ, and when we see that, we can know that there is cause to rejoice and fellowship with one another.

I- Ingesting in worship.  I used the term “ingesting” because Luke says that they “broke bread together.”   Ingesting.  Eating together!  Supping together!  We are called to do this in remembrance of Jesus and what He did for us.  We think about not only that within the Lord’s Table; we remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

C- Communication with God.  A huge part of the early church’s and the church today’s foundation is prayer!  The early Christians spent time in their efforts praying.  They prayed for church growth.  They prayed for one another’s needs!  We have got to take it seriously!!

K- Kindness to one another.  Verse 45 says, “they sold their possessions and goods; they gave to everyone who was in need.”  They helped their own people with whatever they needed.  They showed the fruits of the Spirit to everyone.  They took what they had and made sure that everyone was taken care of!

S- Sharing Jesus with everyone.  They added to their number daily.  We are called to evangelize and tell others about Jesus!  That is really how we build the church and add to her number.

Finally, this is no accident! We do not go to church because of tradition. It isn’t about rules and regulations. It’s about wanting to be there and wanting to build a great church; and that surely is going to take some pretty big BRICKS.  Friends, we are building the house of God both spiritually and physically. This is the place where He lives. It is not about concrete blocks, wood, hay, or straw. It is made of the precious gems of your lives and mine, and what’s more beautiful is that Jesus is the Head, and nothing will ever change that.  These things are why it is so important to attend church regularly!  To be a part of a group of believers who think the same that you do, want to worship God just like you do, and want to encourage one another is what church is about!  Remember, it is about an audience of one!  Won’t you join me in laying some more BRICKS for the cause of Christ today??


Resources : http://www.tddm.org/

Salvation

The greatest gift I could possibly give you would not be a new mp3 player, car, or even backstage passes to your favorite concert. Believe it or not, the greatest gift that the world has to offer has already been given to you. All you have to do is accept it. The gift is a purpose in this life and eternal salvation in the next.

Did you know that over 90% of Americans believe in God? However, it is important to define the word believe.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Some believe in God the same way they believe in a historical figure from history class, i.e., George Wash ington or Abraham Lincoln. I doubt any of us has had a relationship with honest Abe, but we can have a relationship with God. Matter of fact, we were created for it. True belief is an action that comes from knowing the truth that the Bible teaches about God, Jesus, and us. So, let’s start there, what is the truth about God anyway?

First thing we know is that 1 John 4:16 tells us that God is loving, check it out: ... God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. Not only does God love us but he is holy. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’ 1 Peter 1:16 . So, we have a loving and holy God who is also just. 2 Thessalonians 1:6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you.

Now that we know the truth about God, we need to understand a little about us. This may come as a shock for you but we are sinful. We were created for good, but constantly fail. Romans 3:23 , for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Just like growing up, when we do something wrong there is a punishment. God’s punishment is death. For the wages of sin is death... Romans 6:23 . We have truths about God, truths about us, let’s take a look at Jesus and who he was and still is. Jesus is God, who also became a man. Crazy but true. Check out John 1:1,14 . In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Although we constantly fail, Jesus died as a substitute of our sins. He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed 1 Peter 2:24 . One of the hardest concepts for us to wrap our head around is the gift aspect of salvation and that it costs only one thing, our life. Sounds pretty dramatic, but is it really? For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 .

Here is the deal in John 1:12 - Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! If right now you are ready to accept Jesus as your personal savior and you believe in your heart that it is through Christ that we have Salvation, then all you have to do is ask. It is not about the words or how you fold your hands, it isn’t how loud or how soft, it is about the meaning. It is about the sincerity.

Let's Pray:

Dear Jesus, Thank you for making me and loving me, even when I've ignored you and gone my own way. I realize I need you in my life and I'm sorry for my sins. I ask you to forgive me. Thank you for dying on the cross for me. Please help me to understand it more. As much as I know how, I want to follow you from now on. Come into my life and make me a new person inside. I accept your gift of salvation. Please help me grow now as a Christian. Amen.

Romans 10:13 says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 1 John 5:13 adds, I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Resources : http://www.tddm.org/

Fighting with your parents.

Exodus 20:12 "Honor your Mother and Father"

This is going to be a devotional that may hit home closer than most because as you get older, it holds true - that the parental units (my favorite phrase) sharing your house with you - may never quite understand how this whole world really works. Some of us are very lucky and just get along with our parents. Some of us are of the average folk and have good days and bad days. Then some of us are of the other few that swear we we were dropped off one house too soon. I'm going to advance this devotional a bit to a few years past where you are standing today and try to help you so that you may survive and possibly collect that $200 on Go.

Here's the "How to fight with your parents - for dummies" version of how this will all fold out. Ready? Take notes. This might make a few parents unhappy because I'm going to let you all in on a little secret. Actually, a few. If this works, you may be well equipped for that next argument waiting for you.

1. They're newbs. Yep. It's true. They are newbies. Never, and I mean never have they done this before. No matter the circumstance, you are the first time they have ever experienced you. So, as many times that they try to convince you they are good at this whole raising you thing- you now know a key piece of the puzzle. This IS their first rodeo.
2. They are still growing up. Ever wonder how a parent goes from being a teenager to *BAM* - Annoying Parent? I mean seriously, they went to middle and high school once too. They had to of been some sort of cool once. Why do they suck so bad now? It's because they're still trying to figure it out. Imagine yourself as a parent. How would you do it? Now add a few years onto your life and *BAM* Enter your parents name here:____________.
3. They are jealous. Very. They miss being where you are in life, laughing with their friends, drawing hearts in class, poking fun at each-other. They miss knowing what it feels like to care about that polo and shoe brand in style today. The music passed them by and they miss the times you are in now where you get lost in the top 40. They mean it when they say they can't stand todays music. It's not nearly as 'in' as their music was.

Those are just a few secrets. Imagine you could seriously close your eyes and picture what it would be like to be in their place. Feeling their way around because someone thought it was funny to introduce you into their life without a 'how to' youtube account. Life brought you into their world without asking if they were ready. So they cleaned up their toys and made room for you. They turned off the radio so they could hear your voice. They stopped trend shopping to buy you those shoes you can't live without. The world kept spinning while they slowed way down to teach you to walk.

I challenge you to think of these first three - of so many more secrets - your parents are keeping from you the very next time you yell back. The next time you cross your arms and scream obsenties in your mind... I challenge you to think of these insights. Think it will help you? try it.

Resources : http://www.tddm.org/

Stuck in the Mud

Then the officials said to the king, "This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin." "He is in your hands," King Zedekiah answered. "The king can do nothing to oppose you." So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king's son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud. -Jeremiah 38:4-6 (NIV)

Jeremiah was lowered in to this cistern to die. The men putting him in it weren't playing around. They weren't playing a joke on him nor did they intend to leave him there for a couple of days so he would "learn his lesson." Their intent was to kill him- slowly. He had been speaking God's truth to them and they didn't like it. Instead of listening to his words and repenting or changing their ways, they refused to believe what he was saying. In order to stop the conflict, their resolution was to kill him.

The true calling of a Christian is not easy. It's not all celebration and fun. There is a lot of work, cuts, bruises, scars, hunger, disappointment and rejection. Bringing the truth into a world that does not want it is tough. It's even harder when the ones rejecting it are the ones you love the most. But it's vitally important that we push along and never give up, even when we find ourselves stuck in the mud.

Although we don't have cisterns around today, the evil spirit of the world is on people just the same. They may not be lowering us into real cisterns with mud for a slow death, but thanks to the evil one, being stuck in the mud of emotional scarring and rejection is still very prevalent. That kind of attack can hurt much more and last much longer than a slow death from dehydration or starvation.

On those occasions when you find yourself stuck in the mud, remember that you are joining a great lineage of people who changed the world as we know it. Keep speaking the word of God; keep telling the truth, and you will play a part in changing the world, too. Jeremiah was eventually pulled back out of the cistern and given food. Don't let a little mud get you down. Trust in the Lord, hold on to Him, and keep speaking the truth in love. It will make a difference. The word of the Lord never returns void.

Resources : http://www.tddm.org/

Sony VAIO F Review

The Sony VAIO F is a high-end multimedia notebook. Our powerhouse test unit features an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor and Nvidia GT 425M graphics card. What's wrong with it? Read our review.

Our Sony VAIO F (VPCF136FM) review unit has the following specifications:

• 16-inch 900p (1600 x 900) glossy display with LED backlighting
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel Core i7-740QM quad-core processor (1.73GHz~2.93GHz Turbo Boost, 6MB L3, 2.5GT/s QPI, 45W TDP)
• Intel PM55 chipset
• Nvidia GeForce GT 425 1GB graphics
• 6GB DDR3-1333 dual-channel RAM (1x 4GB, 1x 2GB)
• 640GB 5400RPM Toshiba hard drive (MK6465GSXN)
• Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6250 AGN wireless LAN
• Internal Bluetooth
• Blu-ray reader (PIONEER BD-ROM BDC-TD03)
• Internal backlit keyboard w/ separate numeric keypad
• Weight: 7.07 lbs.
• Dimensions: 15.69 x 1.34~1.79 x 10.69 inches
• MSRP: $1,299 (starting price: $869)

The specifications definitely place our VAIO F in the upper percentile in terms of performance vs. most 15.6/16/17.3-inch notebooks on the market. The GT 425M graphics card has more than enough power for the latest games. The only exception to the rule is the rather pokey 5400RPM hard drive; a 7200RPM model should be standard on a performance-oriented notebook.

Build and Design
The VAIO F has a run-of-the-mill look; the only notable physical features are the backlit keyboard and the green power button on the right side of the notebook. The F is constructed of all plastic and doesn't pretend otherwise. An all-plastic construction is not necessarily a bad thing, however; the VAIO F feels quite sturdy if a bit hollow. Gripping the chassis by the corners and twisting produces minimal movement in the chassis, which is what I like to see; this prevents the internal circuit boards from bending.

The display flexes easily when twisted by the corners. No ripples appear on the screen when pressure is applied from the back, which indicates there is a decent amount of protection. There are a number of buttons above the keyboard area; my favorite is the “Display Off” button, which turns off and on the display instantly. The VAIO F is missing volume control buttons, which is strange given the multimedia focus of this machine.

Those looking to upgrade the VAIO F will find it relatively easy to do; there are separate compartments on the bottom for the RAM and hard drive. Both RAM slots are occupied in our test notebook.

Ports and Features
The VAIO F sports a solid array of useful input/output ports including eSATA, HDMI, and ExpressCard/34. It has two USB 3.0 on the right side but lacks DisplayPort.