Donna Summer - A Tribute

Yesterday, the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer died of cancer. She was 63. She had a huge impact on the music world. I remember a lot of her songs, Love to Love You Baby, On The Radio, Bad Girls (who can forget toot toot heeeyyyy beep beep) Last Dance among many others. I had many of her vinyl records.

A lot of songs come to mind in the wake of her death. I decided to post one from her album Crayons her first studio album in 17 years and was released 4 years ago.

Stamp Your Feet. Great song. Thanks for the music Donna.

You Know You're Getting Old When

after you get off work and do your grocery shopping and you pick up a gallon of milk, thinking it is whole milk. When I got home and unpacked my items, I realized that I picked up fat free milk. Well, I couldn't take it back and exchange it. That would be tacky, so I made the best of the situation and drank it. It's not too bad, but I enjoy my whole milk better.

I'm glad that I wasn't in need of toothpaste and picked up hemorrhoid cream instead. Now that would not be a pretty sight.

The moral of this story. They say don't go shopping when you are hungry. Don't go shopping when you are tired. You never know what you might pick up.

Do You Feel Their Pain - Steve Camp

This is a powerful moving song that I haven't heard in quite some time. True of our times today with people hurting from all kinds of struggles.

The Habit Of Recognizing God's Provision - Oswald Chambers

Read this this morning and had to pass it on.

. . . you may be partakers of the divine nature . . . —2 Peter 1:4

We are made “partakers of the divine nature,” receiving and sharing God’s own nature through His promises. Then we have to work that divine nature into our human nature by developing godly habits. The first habit to develop is the habit of recognizing God’s provision for us. We say, however, “Oh, I can’t afford it.” One of the worst lies is wrapped up in that statement. We talk as if our heavenly Father has cut us off without a penny! We think it is a sign of true humility to say at the end of the day, “Well, I just barely got by today, but it was a severe struggle.” And yet all of Almighty God is ours in the Lord Jesus! And He will reach to the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us if we will only obey Him. Does it really matter that our circumstances are difficult? Why shouldn’t they be! If we give way to self-pity and indulge in the luxury of misery, we remove God’s riches from our lives and hinder others from entering into His provision. No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it removes God from the throne of our lives, replacing Him with our own self-interests. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges— always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives.

Before God becomes satisfied with us, He will take everything of our so-called wealth, until we learn that He is our Source; as the psalmist said, “All my springs are in You” (Psalm 87:7). If the majesty, grace, and power of God are not being exhibited in us, God holds us responsible. “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you . . . may have an abundance . . .” (2 Corinthians 9:8)— then learn to lavish the grace of God on others, generously giving of yourself. Be marked and identified with God’s nature, and His blessing will flow through you all the time.

The Handshake

When you first meet someone, you usually greet them with a handshake. Now when I shake hands with someone, I give them a firm handshake, in effect saying that I'm glad to see you.. At times, when I shake hands with someone, I will get one of those limp wristed handshakes. I think to myself ewww. It's like shaking hands with a fish.

Now if it is an elderly person or someone who has lost some feeling in their hands, I can understand that, but a man giving another man a limp wristed handshake. The message I get from that is I can't trust you.

At other times, I will get what I call the "Man-Hug." That is shaking hands with someone while giving them a hug at the same time.

You can tell a lot about a person by their handshake.

Ring My Bell - Anita Ward

This song came to mind as I was hearing the sound of cowbells. This song came out of the Disco Era, which thankfully we all survived. Brings back a lot of memories.

Enjoy.

Take The Initiative - Oswald Chambers

. . . add to your faith virtue . . . —2 Peter 1:5

 

Add means that we have to do something. We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save nor sanctify ourselves— God does that. But God will not give us good habits or character, and He will not force us to walk correctly before Him. We have to do all that ourselves. We must “work out” our “own salvation” which God has worked in us (Philippians 2:12). Add means that we must get into the habit of doing things, and in the initial stages that is difficult. To take the initiative is to make a beginning— to instruct yourself in the way you must go.

Beware of the tendency to ask the way when you know it perfectly well. Take the initiative— stop hesitating— take the first step. Be determined to act immediately in faith on what God says to you when He speaks, and never reconsider or change your initial decisions. If you hesitate when God tells you to do something, you are being careless, spurning the grace in which you stand. Take the initiative yourself, make a decision of your will right now, and make it impossible to go back. Burn your bridges behind you, saying, “I will write that letter,” or “I will pay that debt”; and then do it! Make it irrevocable.

We have to get into the habit of carefully listening to God about everything, forming the habit of finding out what He says and heeding it. If, when a crisis comes, we instinctively turn to God, we will know that the habit has been formed in us. We have to take the initiative where we are, not where we have not yet been.