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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Joanne Lowe's Meditations: 'The Book of Hope'


THE BOOK OF HOPE
“Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.”
Psalm 119:114 (King James Version)
     We can believe the words of hope and the promises we read in the Bible to be true because God and Jesus do not lie.  “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19).
     How thankful I am to know that everything I read in the Bible is true and that it will give me instruction and lead me down the right path of life and keep me in the center of God’s will.  However, I must do what God and Jesus tell me to do in the Bible.  What about you?  Are you in God’s will for your life?
     Heavenly Father, thank You for the hope You give us in Your Word and for the assurance that everything that You and Jesus tell us is true.  Please keep us in the center of Your will.  May we be children who bring You happiness instead of children who bring You sadness.  Amen.
Joanne Lowe
August 28, 2012

Freedom


Keep Fit!

This is a good day to do a bit of exercise and get the blood pumping through the veins! If you feel too lazy then just think about it for a moment. It won't make you fitter but it won't make you fatter either --- at least as long as you are not reaching for the biscuit barrel as you think!!!

Whatever you do, just have a great day!

'Walking With Jesus' : New Country Gospel song sung by Chuck Longmayne


Good honest Country Gospel, sung by Chuck Longmayne and written by song-writing duo, Colin Gordon-Farleigh and Greg Scheer. Recorded in Nashville for the SJM label, this track is available for download from CD Baby, iTunes and Amazon.

Susan Marrs sings 'Colours'



Susan Marrs sings 'Colours', written by song-writing duo Colin Gordon-Farleigh & Greg Scheer.which is one of the tracks on the album of love songs titled 'When I'm With You.' (Copyright 2012 : Sheer Joy Music)
'Colours', along with all the other tracks from the album, is available from CD Baby, iTunes & Amazon.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Joanne Lowe's Meditations: 'Stay on the Battlefield'


STAY ON THE BATTLEFIELD
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.”
Hebrews 12:1, 2 (King James Version)
     The war between good and evil was won when Jesus defeated satan on the cross.  However, we are still in a battle and we must stay on the battlefield even when we get discouraged and satan attacks us.  If Jesus endured the cross for us, we should stay on the battlefield for Him even if we are ridiculed for serving Him.
     We can’t stay on the battlefield and keep serving Jesus by ourselves.  It is too hard and there are too many things that come against us that will discourage us.  We need Jesus because only Jesus can give us the victory when satan attacks us with poisonous and vicious doubts and discouragement. 
     Charles Hutchinson Gabriel wrote the beautiful gospel song “I need Jesus, my need I now confess”.  The words in this song are so true.  “I need Jesus, I need a friend like Him, A friend to guide when paths of life are dim; I need Jesus, when foes my soul assail; Alone I know I can but fail, So I need Jesus”.
     Are you willing to stay on the battlefield for Jesus no matter how many obstacles are put in your path?  Even if our family and friends ridicule and reject us for serving Jesus, we must stay on the battlefield for Jesus and keep serving Him just as Jesus stayed on the cross for us.
Joanne Lowe
August 21, 2012

Monday, August 20, 2012

Hayley Oliver & The Hayley Oliver Band


What a fabulous star Hayley Oliver is, and here's a chance to listen to her and see why. Listen to her singing this song and then you'll understand why she is labelled as the 'UK Queen of Country Music.' 

More Funny Church Notice Boards







"The devil smiles when we make plans"


A new 'Hymn for Today' : 'Let's Stand Together'


Here is a worship song that I wrote a while back with my talented friend Greg Scheer. I hope you enjoy singing it!

Let’s Stand Together 5555 & Refrain
TUNE: Together

Let’s stand together,
Let’s all praise the Lord;
And let’s join in worship
Of the Living Word!
Oh, let’s stand together!

Let’s all praise the Lord.
And let’s join in worship
Of the Living Word!
Let’s stand together!
Let’s stand together
Let’s stand together,
And let’s all praise the Lord!

Let’s praise together,
Let’s all praise the Lord;
And praise Him forever,
The true Living Word!
Oh, let’s praise together!
Let’s all praise the Lord.
And praise Him forever,
The true Living Word!
Let’s stand together!
Let’s stand together
Let’s stand together,
And let’s all praise the Lord!
© 2007 : Colin Gordon-Farleigh

Jim Whitman Sings 'Wild Horses'


Here's my choice of song by Jim Whitman for today. Today also gives you another opportunity to vote for Jim as your 'Favourite Male Singer' by going to .http://poll.pollcode.com/f4ss. 
You can vote every day until the poll closes.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

How to tell the sex of a fly


A  woman walked into the kitchen to find her Husband stalking  around with a fly swatter.

"What are you doing?"  She  asked.

"Hunting Flies" he replied.

"Oh!  Killing any?" She asked.

"Yep, 3 males, 2 Females,"  he replied.

Intrigued,  she asked, "How  can you tell them apart?"
He  replied, 
"3  were on a beer can, 2  were on the  phone".

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Joanne Lowe's Meditations: 'Not Just Our Hands'


NOT JUST OUR HANDS
“Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.”
Lamentations 3:41 (King James Version)
     We should lift up our hands to God in praise and thanksgiving.  However, it is not enough to just lift up our hands to Him; we must also lift up our heart to Him in praise and thanksgiving.  Our Heavenly Father is worthy to be praised.  He has done so much for us and He does so much for us every day.
     Heavenly Father, we do lift up our hands and our heart to You in praise and thanksgiving.  Thank You for loving us so much that You gave Your Son to die for our sins on the cross of Calvary.  You are a loving, compassionate and forgiving Father and I love You with all of my heart.  Amen.
Joanne Lowe
August 14, 2012

The Islamification of our Schools

How Political Correctness Is Transforming British Education
by Soeren Kern
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3170/british-education-political-correctness#.UAQtSmOuuGk.facebook

     In Cheshire, two students at the Alsager High School were punished by their teacher for refusing to pray to Allah as part of their religious education class.
     In Scotland, 30 non-Muslim children from the Parkview Primary School recently were required to visit the Bait ur Rehman Ahmadiyya mosque in the Yorkhill district of Glasgow (videos here and here). At the mosque, the children were instructed to recite the shahada,
the Muslim declaration of faith which states: "There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger." Muslims are also demanding that Islamic preachers be sent to every school in Scotland to teach children about Islam, ostensibly in an effort to end negative attitudes about Muslims.
     British schools are increasingly dropping the Jewish Holocaust from history lessons to avoid offending Muslim pupils, according to a report entitled, Teaching Emotive and Controversial History, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills.
     British teachers are also reluctant to discuss the medieval Crusades, in which Christians fought Muslim armies for control of Jerusalem: lessons often contradict what is taught in local mosques.
     In an effort to counter "Islamophobia" in British schools, teachers now are required to teach "key Muslim contributions such as Algebra and the number zero" in math and science courses, even though the concept of zero originated in India.
     In the East London district of Tower Hamlets, four Muslims were recently jailed for attacking a local white teacher who gave religious studies lessons to Muslim girls; and 85 out of 90 schools have implemented "no pork" policies.
     Schools across Britain are, in fact, increasingly banning pork from lunch menus to avoid offending Muslim students. Hundreds of schools have adopted a "no pork" policy, according to a recent report by the London-based Daily Telegraph.
     The culinary restrictions join a long list of politically correct changes that gradually are bringing hundreds of British primary and secondary education into conformity with Islamic Sharia law.
      The London Borough of Haringey, a heavily Muslim district in North London, is the latest school district to switch to a menu that is fully halal (religiously permissible for Muslims).
     The Haringey Town Council recently issued "best practice" advice to all schools in its area to "ban all pork products in order to cater for the needs of staff and pupils who are not permitted contact with these for religious reasons."
      Local politicians have criticized the new policy as pandering to Muslims, and local farmers, who have pointed out that all schools in Britain already offer vegetarian options, have accused school administrators of depriving non-Muslim children of a choice.
     Following an outcry from non-Muslim parents, the town council removed the guidance from its website, although the new policy remains in place.
     At the Cypress Junior School, in Croydon, south London, school administrators announced in the school newsletter dated June 1, 2012 that the school has opted for a pork-free menu "as a result of pupil and parental feedback."
      The announcement states: "Whilst beef, chicken, turkey and fish will all feature, as well as the daily vegetarian and jacket potato or pasta option, the sausages served will now be chicken rather than pork."
     In Luton, an industrial city some 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of London where more than 15% of the population is now Muslim, 23 out of 57 schools have banned pork.
     In the City of Bradford, a borough of West Yorkshire in Northern England where there are now twice as many practicing Muslims that there are practicing Anglicans, 24 out of 160 schools have eliminated pork from their menus. In Newham (East London), 25 out of 75 schools have banned pork.
      Other pork-free schools include Cranford Park Primary School in Hayes (Middlesex), and Dog Kennel Hill Primary in East Dulwich (South London).
     The Borough of Harrow in northwest London was among the first in Britain to encourage halal menus. In 2010, Harrow Council announced plans to ban pork in the borough's 52 state primary schools, following a switch by ten secondary schools to offer halal-only menus.
     According to the UK-based National Pig Association, which represents commercial pork producers, "It is disappointing that schools cannot be sufficiently organized to give children a choice of meat. Sausages and roast pork are staples of a British diet and children enjoy eating them. If products can be labeled with warnings that they contain nuts and vegetarian dishes can be made and kept separate from meat dishes, [we] don't see why the same can't apply to pork."
      Lunch menus are not the only area in which "cultural sensitivity" is escalating in British schools.
     In West Yorkshire, the Park Road Junior Infant and Nursery School in Batley has banned stories featuring pigs, including "The Three Little Pigs," in case they offend Muslim children.
     In Nottingham, the Greenwood Primary School cancelled a Christmas nativity play; it interfered with the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. In Scarborough, the Yorkshire Coast College removed the words Christmas and Easter from their calendar not to offend Muslims.
     Also in Cheshire, a 14-year-old Roman Catholic girl who attends Ellesmere Port Catholic High School was branded a truant by teachers for refusing to dress like a Muslim and visit a mosque.
     In Stoke-on-Trent, schools have been ordered to rearrange exams, cancel swimming lessons and stop sex education during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In Norwich, the Knowland Grove Community First School has axed the traditional Christmas play to "look at some of the other great cultural festivals of the world."
     Meanwhile, the politically correct ban on pigs in Britain also extends to toys for children. A toy farm set called HappyLand Goosefeather Farm recently removed pigs in order to avoid offending Muslims.
     The pig removal came to public attention after a British mother bought the toy as a present for her daughter's first birthday. Although the set contained a model of a cow, sheep, chicken, horse and dog, there was no pig, despite there being a sty and a button which generated an "oink" sound.
      After the mother complained, the Early Learning Centre (ELC), which manufactures the toy, responded: "Previously the pig was part of the Goosefeather Farm. However due to customer feedback and religious reasons this is no longer part of the farm."
     After a public outcry, however, ELC later reversed its decision: "We recognize that pigs are familiar farm animals, especially for our UK customers. We have taken the decision to reinstate the pig and to no longer sell the set in international markets where it might create an issue."

Friday, August 10, 2012

Thoughts on sending a letter .....

     Do you remember the days when people communicated by sending letters, hand-written or typed, to each other? What a lift it added to your day to hear from someone you cared about! In these days of short communications such as Facebook, Twitt
er and email, I think that so much has been lost when it comes to communicating with each other.
     Perhaps today would be a good day to change someone's life by writing them a chatty letter and letting them know that you cared enough about them to share a little of your time with them.


     How well I recall sitting at my desk tapping away at the keys of my blue-cased 'Brother' typewriter. Somehow the keyboards of today don't seem anywhere near as friendly!


     Whilst writing a letter was a pleasurable task, receiving one from a friend was a tremendous joy. How many days have been brightened in the past when I lived in Africa, by my receiving a letter from someone which I would open and devour, reading and re-reading the contents throughout the day. I can only hope that I have managed to brighten a few people's days as much too.

Johnny McEvoy sings 'Never Smelt the Roses'


Here's a great song sung so well by Johnny McEvoy, an Irish singer whom I have recently discovered. I'll certainly check out more of his songs!