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WORDS OF WISDOM

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see" -- Attributed to Henry David Thoreau "Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices--just recognize them." -- Edward R. Murrow "Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable." -- Sydney J. Harris "One person with a belief is equal to a force of ninety-nine with only interests." -- John Stuart Mill "Gold is tried by fire, brave men by adversity." -- Seneca "Sometimes your medicine bottle has on it, 'Shake well before using.' That is what God has to do with some of His people. He has to shake them well before they are ever usable." -- Vance Havner "Faith doesn't get you around trouble; it gets your through it." -- Cited in Bits & Pieces "When you forgive, you gain peace. When you don't forgive, you gain high blood pressure." -- Cited in Bits & Pieces "The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude." -- William James [2] ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT the old-time preacher who was preaching up a storm and spoke out with great fervor, "Let the church walk." A faithful old-timer sitting on the front pew answered back with equal fervor, "Amen, preacher, let the church walk." This encouraged the preacher who declared more enthusiastically, "Let the church run." "Amen," came the response from the front pew, "let the church run." Even more enthusiastically the preacher shouted, "Let the church -- FLY!" "Amen, let the church FLY," came the response from the old-timer. "But," cried the preacher, "it takes money to make the

church fly!" "Amen! Amen!" hollered the old-timer, "Let the church walk!" JOKES ASIDE ... it takes money to promote and publish Weekend Encounter, Daily Encounter, and all the outreach ministries of ACTS International. To partner with us in our ministry with a donation (tax deductible for U.S. gifts) you can do so on our secure site at http://www.actscom.com or purchase any of our inspirational books, cassettes, and beautifully presented poem/photos on sale at: http://www.actscom.com/store. Your support will be greatly appreciated, especially as we come into our lean summer months. [3] IRAQIS PAY TRIBUTE TO U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS AND OTHER NEWSWORTHY ITEMS

By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service ARLINGTON, Va., May 27, 2004 - As the sound of "Taps" wailed from Army Sgt. Major Henry Sgrecci's bugle today, seven Iraqi citizens pressed their new prosthetic hands against their hearts at the Tomb of the Unknowns here to honor U.S. service members who have given their lives in Iraq. The seven men, all Iraqi merchants, have been in the United States since mid-April to receive their new "bionic" hands to replace the ones amputated by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein as punishment for trading in U.S. currency. In addition to providing them with new $50,000 prosthetic hands, U.S. doctors in Houston also removed the tattoos Saddam had imprinted on the merchants' foreheads to draw further attention to their misdeeds. For the rest of the story CLICK HERE or on
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2004/n05272004_200405275.html

******* AUSSIES' ACTIONS MOTIVATE PM TO PUSH FOR BAN ON SAME-SEX UNIONS Australian Christians are rejoicing over the news that their prime minister has introduced legislation that will outlaw homosexual "marriage." The head of a pro-family group there is crediting pressure on the government from concerned Christians. More details:
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/5/282004b.asp

******* MEDIA MONITOR NOT SURPRISED BY POLL SHOWING GLUT OF LEFT-LEANING JOURNALISTS.

A conservative media watchdog group is not surprised by the results of a recent poll which showed that only a small percentage of national news members consider themselves "conservatives." More details at:
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/5/282004d.asp

******* SUPPORT THE TROOPS. Sharon Hughes wrote, "On Veterans Day we remembered our military who are still with us. On Memorial Day we remembered those who gave the greatest sacrifice...their lives. One of the best ways we can remember their sacrifice is to support our troops who are serving today. "Sentiment without action serves no real purpose. So, to help show your support here are a few sites I recommend: Donate a telephone calling card to help keep service members in touch with their families at www.operationuplink.org Send a greeting via e-mail through www.OperationDearAbby.net Adopt a Platoon, started by volunteer mothers to ensure that no U.S. deployed soldier is forgotten, by sending a weekly cheerful card or letter and a monthly care package to assigned soldier(s) at www.adoptaplatoon.org Give your frequent flier miles to participating airlines so our soldiers can fly home without having to pay for their air fare through www.heromiles.org/ Sharon Hughes 2004. For further information go to www.changingworldviews.com or contact Sharon at sharon@changingworldviews.com. Cited on http://laptoplobbyist.com [4] A WONDERFUL MESSAGE BY GEORGE CARLIN

In case you haven't already read the following article reported to be written by George Carlin, you will find it uplifting and inspiring. And as someone has said about George (whose wife recently died), "Isn't it amazing that George Carlin-gross and mouthy comedian of the 70's and 80's-could write something so very eloquent ... and so very appropriate post 9-11. The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways but narrower viewpoints. We spend more but have less, we buy more but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge but less judgment, more experts yet more problems, more medicine but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too

recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living but not a life. We've added years to life, not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things but not better things. We've cleaned up the air but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom but not our prejudice. We write more but learn less. We plan more but accomplish less. We've learned to rush but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight or to just hit delete. Remember, spend some time with your loved ones because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember to give a warm hug to the one next to you because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart, and it doesn't cost a cent. Remember to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all, mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment, for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.

-- George Carlin [5] JUDGE OVERTURNS PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION

By Leslie Wetzel Talon News June 2, 2004 SAN FRANCISCO (Talon News) - Federal Judge Phyllis Hamilton ruled on Tuesday that the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act is unconstitutional and infringes on a woman's right to choose. The challenge was brought by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The ruling applies to all of the approximately 900 Planned Parenthood clinics and their doctors, who perform virtually half of the 1.3 million abortions performed each year in the United States. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) told reporters, "As a physician, this procedure is shameful. [It] is outside of the bounds of the practice of medicine. It is a barbaric procedure, and it should be banned." Concerned Women for America's Senior Policy Director Wendy Wright reacted on Tuesday by saying that the ruling "gives a whole new meaning to the notion that justice is blind." Partial-birth abortion is a barbaric procedure which literally kills a baby that is completely delivered except for the head," Wright said. "Even the American Medical Association has said that Partial-Birth Abortion is never medically necessary.* Ed. the and and NOTE: It is amazing to me how one judge can have authority and audacity to overrule the will of Congress that of the vast majority of the American population, twist the law to make it say what they want it to say.

As Chuck Colson pointed out: "Two hundred eighty-two members of the House and sixty-four senators voted to ban partial-birth abortion, a grotesque procedure in which a child is partially born and then his skull crushed-infanticide. The president signed the bill into law with much fanfare last fall, but even before the ink was dry, pro-abortion groups filed challenges in Nebraska, New York, and California. And Tuesday a California judge [Judge Phyllis Hamilton] declared the law unconstitutional. Will we also say that adultery, stealing, murder, and every other sin is a person's right to choose? And when God looks down on America, once so blessed, what does he think when he sees 1.3 million babies purposely killed because of someone's so-called right to choose? Have we forgotten the baby's rights? We didn't create the baby.

We were just the means to bring it into being. Have we forgotten what responsibility means? Have we forgotten God like other nations who ultimately collapsed? We can call poison by any name we like to make it sound pretty and acceptable, but it is still poison and poison kills. And we can call partial-birth abortion also by any name we like, but it is still killing innocent, helpless babies--real live babies. It is murder! I urge all Christians to vote, and wherever possible, vote for men and women who stand for justice, truth, honesty, decency, and moral standards that are in harmony with the will and Word of God. May we never forget that "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord (Psalm 33:12), and that "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people" (Proverbs 14:34, NIV). * For complete article click on:
http://www.gopusa.com/news/2004/june/0602_pbabortion_ruling.shtml

Disclaimer: Because we refer readers to other websites does in no way imply that we agree with everything that is found on these sites or with all that a particular author says. [6] The The The The The The Our The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The THE BEST AND THE WORST most destructive habit..............................Worry greatest Joy.............................................Giving greatest loss......................Loss of self-respect most satisfying work....................Helping others ugliest personality trait....................Selfishness most endangered species........Dedicated leaders greatest natural resource....................Our youth greatest "shot in the arm"...........Encouragement greatest problem to overcome......................Fear most effective sleeping pill.........Peace of mind most crippling failure disease................Excuses most powerful force in life..........................Love most dangerous pariah......................A gossiper world's most incredible computer.......The brain worst thing to be without......................... Hope deadliest weapon.............................The tongue two most power-filled words................."I Can" greatest asset.........................................Faith most worthless emotion......................Self-pity most beautiful attire................................SMILE! most prized possession....................... Integrity most contagious spirit....................Enthusiasm

- Submitted by Joy Innes [7] LAUGH IT UP Sample of Daily Encounter by Dick Innes

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones" (Proverbs 17:22, NIV). "Laughter may not be the best medicine, but it is surprisingly effective. While the idea has been around for a while, more studies are confirming the anecdotal evidence. In a study published in Diabetes Care, researchers reported that people with type II diabetes had a smaller rise in blood glucose when they watched a comedy program versus a boring lecture on television. A team at the University of Maryland found that people who laughed often and were able to see the humor in situations were less likely to develop heart disease. "Researchers say people who laugh tend to be healthier people. In study after study, hostility and anger are associated with disease, and humor with health. This is especially true when you're laughing it up with friends. Research on support groups has shown that the effects of laughter are magnified when it takes place in a social setting."1 Amazing isn't it? It's taken modern science to discover, or at least, to confirm, what God's Word taught 3,000 years ago-that laughter/cheerfulness is a good medicine. Interesting, too, until the time of Christopher Columbus almost everyone believed the world was flat, and yet Isaiah, one of the Old Testament prophets wrote over 2,000 years ago: "He [God] sits enthroned above the circle of the earth..." (Isaiah 40:22, NIV). And over 3,000 years ago God gave the ancient Israelites strict laws by which to live, many of which had to do with good health and hygiene. God promised that if they obeyed these laws, they would be protected from diseases that afflicted the Egyptians. (See Exodus 15:26.) If we also live according to the principles found in God's Word, the Bible, we too can have a much happier, healthier life. Naturally, we need to know what God's Word says and teaches if we are to live by it. Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me a deep love for and a great appreciation of your Word and, like David, write it on my heart so that it will help me to live in harmony with your will, knowing that my life will be all the richer for it. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen. 1. Paul Perry, "Seven Resolutions to Keep This Year, Part 6," AH About Health, Winter 2004. Page 9. Published by McMurry publishers and South Coast Medical Center, Laguna Beach, CA. by www.mcmurry.com. Used by permission.

<:))))><< [8] START YOUR DAY -- MONDAY TO FRIDAY -WITH AN INSPIRATIONAL AND UPLIFTING MESSAGE by Receiving Daily Encounter FREE

"Daily Encounter," a free week-day inspirational from ACTS International is now going to 29,900+ subscribers. Scores of letters from around the world have come from readers saying how much they are being helped by this brief, practical devotional.

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WORDS OF WISDOM

"For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: 'It might have been!'" -- John Greenleaf Whittier "When the mouse laughs at the cat there's a hole nearby." -- Nigerian Proverb "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." -- Winston Churchill "Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth." -- Unknown "I have known ninety-five of the world's great men in my time, and of these eight-seven were followers of the Bible. The Bible is stamped with a Specialty of Origin, and an immeasurable distance separates it from all competitors." -- W.E. Gladstone (Prime Minister) "To keep our faces toward change, and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate, is strength undefeatable." -- Helen Keller "If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies." -- Unknown "You can't wake a person who is pretending to be asleep." -- Native American Proverb "Tell a man that there are 400 billion stars and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint and he has to touch it." -- Cited on www.witandwisdom.org "The empires of the future are the empires of the mind." -- Sir Winston Churchill [2] ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

An irritated father complained to his golf buddy:

"When I was a kid, my parents sent me to my room without supper if I misbehaved. But my son has his own color TV, telephone, computer, every computer game and CD player in his room!" "So how do you handle it?" his friend asked. "I send him to MY room!" -- Cited on AndyChap the Funnies Andychap@aol.com [3] THE FIRST FOUR MINUTES

Some years ago I read a book titled The First Four Minutes. The premise of the book is that the first four minutes in almost every situation make a tremendous difference in the outcome. The author said, for example, that when we meet a new person, we decide in the first four minutes whether we want to pursue the relationship. When a husband and wife see each other after a day's work, the first four minutes they are together will set the climate for the evening. Certainly, if we focus on our blessings when we awaken, we are creating the climate for a positive, happy day. -- Nell W. Mohney, How To Be Up on Down Days (Nashville: Dimensions for Living, 1997), p. 33. Cited on www.sermons.com [4] MEASURING SATISFACTION By Michael Josephson In "The Death of Ethics in America," Cal Thomas quotes a letter written to the Washington Post in the mid-1980s: "I've lived both lives, Yuppie and non-Yuppie," the writer said. "In the first, I was married to a professional woman and on our dual incomes we Club Med-ed, sports carraced, alpine skied and Kennedy Centered our 14-year marriage into oblivion. I'm now 42, remarried to a woman who gave up her 'professional' career to provide full-time care for our oneand five-year-old daughters, and living in Gaithersburg, Maryland--on one salary. Trips to Australia and Europe, Saturday night dining at Nathan's, and Wolf Trap concerts are distant memories. Vacations are now taken in our nineyear-old used pop-up camper, and dining out means 'Hooray! Daddy's bringing home a pizza.' We've just started into the second round of ... one hundred readings of 'Pat the Bunny' for our one-year-old. Satisfaction level in my first life measured about 2 on the 10 scale. Measured now, satisfaction is about 9.5."

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts. Subscribe to Michael's excellent weekly email service at: www.charactercounts.org [5] THE MURDER OF NICK BERG [another side of the story] By Hal Lindsey Nick Berg was murdered following the decision disgusting photographs Iraqi prisoners in Abu in Iraq by al-Qaida thugs by CBS News to air a series of depicting U.S. forces humiliating Ghraib prison.

How does one justify such an editorial decision? Do the top executives at CBS and elsewhere live in a vacuum? The U.S. military has been investigating these charges since long before the media got wind of it. The military chose to keep the investigation and prosecutions of the guilty soldiers quiet because they knew this kind of news, if released, would greatly increase the danger to our troops and prompt a series of retaliatory killings. CBS was also well aware of that risk, and--unlike the military--CBS executives were more than willing to take it. Especially since it posed no personal risk to themselves. And, if it resulted in somebody's death in Iraq, they could look as shocked as anybody else as they report it in their next lead story. But now, not only is the investigation in the public domain, but so are the inflaming photos. And so are the photo opportunities for partisan politicians eager to use America's international image as a weapon ...[for political purposes]. Before CBS aired those photos, their executives knew there were Americans being held hostage by Iraqi terrorists. Before they aired those photos, they knew there would be an Arab backlash against U.S. forces in Iraq. Before they aired those photos, they knew Nick Berg was also among the hostages held by Arab terrorists. They determined that the public's "right to know" overrode Nick Berg's perilous situation. And now they take solace behind their journalistic code of duty. The photos were not needed to impart the information. The same information could have been made clear without using photos they knew would inflame virtually all of Islam. But they opted for the emotional shock value of the photos, knowing full well what kind of murderous retaliations they would spur among the Islamic fundamentalists. I note that most news organizations didn't show the four Americans hanging from the bridge, or the video of either Daniel Pearl or Nick Berg's grisly murders. It was enough

to describe them. Americans got the idea without seeing the pictures. They would have gotten the idea without releasing the Abu Ghraib photos, too. Suppose CBS did air the gruesome photos of atrocities being perpetrated against Americans? What if we resurrected the 9-11 footage, the Danny Pearl footage, added the Nick Berg footage, the footage of the mutilation of our dead...? 2004 To view the entire article, visit
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38475

Hal Lindsey is the best-selling author of 20 books, including the "Late Great Planet Earth." He writes this weekly column exclusively for WorldNetDaily. Be sure to visit his website where he provides up-to-theminute analysis of today's world events in the light of ancient prophecies. -- Submitted by Jamie Surber [6] THE IMPACT OF GOD'S WORD, THE BIBLE

Bible reading, once a daily practice for individual believers and a common pastime for God-fearing families, has fallen on hard times.... In many circles of pseudo-intellectualism the reading of the Bible is viewed with either disdain or dismissal and considered a choice reserved for life's mental midgets. History suggests a very different story. Did you know that many of the ablest leaders and most brilliant minds of the ages have been serious Bible students? Take note of what a few of history's greatest have said on the subject: "I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever" (Sir Isaac Newton). "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible...He is worse than an infidel who does not read his Bible and acknowledge his obligation to God" (George Washington). "I have always said and always will say that the studious perusal of the Sacred Volume will make better citizens, better fathers, better husbands...the Bible makes the best people in the world" (Thomas Jefferson). "I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible...take all of this book upon reason you can, and the balance by faith,

and you will live and die a better person before God" (Abraham Lincoln). THOUGHT: When you read your Bible, you're joining an elite group. Have you read your Bible today? -- Dalton Key, "Lincoln was No Mental Midget," The Crieve Hall Family Chronicle, Vol. 46, Feb. 1, '04, No. 5. Cited on KneEmail #578: Mike Benson, Editor. www.oakhillcoc.org [7] FOR U.S. CITIZENS ... PLEASE SIGN THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE PETITION

A Constitutional Amendment affirming the sanctity of marriage, is no small task. Amending the Constitution is a long and difficult process; it will take commitment, determination and, most importantly, time. However, if we are going to win the battle to preseve the sanctity of marriage as designed and given by God since the beginning of mankind, please show that you care by signing the Defense of Marriage Petition. There is no cost or obligation to participate in this vital campaign. Don't delay. Please do it now.
http://www.laptoplobbyist.com/doma.html

Also you can sign the petition to protect marriage via email on the AMERICAN PRO-FAMILY NETWORK. CLICK on: http://www.profamilynet.com/ ... plus you can send a fax message to all the legislators in your state after you send your email message (costs only $1 for each legislator you fax). REMEMBER: "All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke P.S. And if you are not registered to vote, be sure to do so. According to Chuck Colson only 33% of evangelical Christians are registered to vote! [8] THE POWER OF A TOUCH Sample of Daily Encounter by Dick Innes "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:11, NIV). The word encourage simply means to put courage into another--something we all need to receive regularly. Years ago--I was little more than a kid--one of the men in our church squeezed my arm affectionately and spoke a kind word as I passed by him.

I've never forgotten that tiny touch which to me was a big encouragement. Some years later I recall how in my beginning days of ministry after speaking to a youth group one of the members in attendance said to me, "Thank you for being God's messenger to me today." I've never forgotten her words and those of many others along the way either. (Sadly, though, a cutting word can have the opposite long-term effect.) Encouragement. So easy to give, costs nothing, and worth its weight in gold. As Leo Buscaglia said, "The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. It's overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt."1 Be sure to encourage--and put courage into--someone today, especially your own loved ones. Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for all the people who have encouraged me along the way. They are greatly appreciated. And please help me to be an encourager to someone else every single day just as others have encouraged me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen." [1] WORDS OF WISDOM

"When you forgive, you gain peace. When you don't forgive, you gain high blood pressure." -- Cited in Bits and Pieces "A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs--jolted by every pebble in the road." -- Henry Ward Beecher "Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened." -- Winston Churchill "Stretch your visions. See what can be, not just what is. Practice adding value to things, to people and to yourself." -- Attributed to David Schwartz

'No change of circumstances can repair a defect of character." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson "Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow." -- Swedish Proverb "Worry is like a rocking chair. It will give you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere." -- Vance Havner "Denying or refusing to deal with some unpleasant fact in your life is the source of most stress and unhappiness." -- Brian Tracy [2] ON THE LIGHTER SIDE Lawyer Vs. Insurance This is the best lawyer story of the year, decade, and probably the century. A Charlotte, N.C., lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against fire among other things. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars and without yet having made even his first premium payment on the policy, the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company. In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost "in a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason: that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion. The lawyer sued ... and won! In delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated, nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be unacceptable fire, and was obligated to pay the claim. Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the rare cigars lost in the "fires." NOW FOR THE BEST PART... After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!!! With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fine. This is a true story [at least supposedly] and was the 1st place winner in the recent Criminal Lawyers Award Contest. -- Cited on www.arcamax.com

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AUSTRALIA: NATIONAL DAY OF THANKSGIVING, May 29

On Wednesday, Feb. 11, Australian Governor General Michael Jeffery officially launched the country's inaugural National Day of Thanksgiving. More than 100 Christian leaders representing every state and almost every Christian denomination in Australia will gather at the grounds of Government House to hear Jeffery give a speech at the first National Day of Thanksgiving on Saturday, May 29. Each year the event will coincide with the same weekend as the Day of Pentecost. For years the annual holiday was the vision of Australian Prayer Network. The National Day of Thanksgiving may have been birthed by Pedro Fernandez de Quirs, one of Australia's early explorers (born in Portugal) who in 1606 called this land, "Terra Australis del Espirtu Santo" (Southland of the Holy Spirit). This proclamation was declared by de Quirs on the Day of Pentecost on May 14, 1606. After the muskets were fired, the men shouted with joy, "Long live the faith of Christ." (Australian Prayer Network) -- Cited on HCJB World Radio www.hcjb.org/displayarticle1455.html [4] LEST WE FORGET By an unknown author.... Today I am reminded of what was given by some of your generation, my generation, my father's generation and the generations before him in the name of freedom, so that my generation and your generation could do what we do in the world today. Hardly anybody seems to know why anymore, but Veterans' Day is the annual celebration of Armistice Day, which celebrated the ending of the fighting of World War I, the "war to end all wars," at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month), and Memorial Day was established to honor the Civil War Dead and all veterans before and since who gave their lives to preserve our freedoms. Remember It was the Veteran, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It was the Veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It was the Veteran, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It was the Veteran, not the police, who has given us the right to be secure in our persons. It was the Veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us the right to demonstrate. It is the Veteran who salutes the flag. Who served under the flag. Who gave his oath to support and defend The Constitution and Our Nation Against all Enemies, Foreign and Domestic It is the Veteran, not the politician, who defends our Nation It is the Veteran, willing to give his life To protect your freedoms and mine Whose coffin is draped by the flag. It was the Veteran, With faith in God Who has given us all our Freedoms. Lest we forget!! -- Cited on: www.barefootsworld.net/the_boys.html ************** U.S. CITIZENS: REGISTER TO VOTE If you are not registered to vote, be sure to do so and make your vote and voice count. Here are some web sites where you can do this:
http://www.fec.gov/votregis/vr.htm https://www.workingforchange.com/vote/index.cfm?ms=GOO001 http://www.fec.gov/votregis/pdf/nvra.pdf

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SO MUCH FOR THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION

Half of Young People Will Contract STDs, According to New Study Feature by Ed Vitalgiano May 12, 2004 (AgapePress) - The "evangelists" of the sexual revolution claimed to be the instruments of liberation, who would set our culture free from the "oppressive" strictures of JudeoChristian tradition. Now, however, such "free love" is demanding pay back, and the revolution may be enslaving its practitioners in a lifetime lived under the chains of debilitating and deadly diseases. This is especially troubling among the nation's youth. A new study reveals that a startling number of young people are becoming infected with sexually transmitted diseases

(STDs). Released by the Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI), the study revealed that, by age 25, half of all American youth will have contracted an STD. The report was published in Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, the organization's periodical. For the rest of the REPORT CLICK ON:
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/5/122004e.asp

From AgapePress Christian News Service http://www.agapepress.org/ [6] CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM

Kids Without Conscience (357.3) by Michael Josephson Recently, a powerful, hour-long ABC special hosted by Charles Gibson explored cheating and plagiarism. Students from a well-regarded high school in Virginia and a prestigious Ivy League college were interviewed. The program cited the bone-chilling results of a 2002 survey of 12,000 high school students by the Josephson Institute of Ethics revealing that 74 percent cheated on an exam at least once in the past year. But the bold and unapologetic comments of both high school and college students were even more demoralizing. One college student proudly admitted that he's an academic gun-for-hire who takes tests and writes papers and college application essays for other students. He said he wants to be a doctor and when asked if he'd trust a doctor who took money to help others cheat, he said he'd admire such a person. Another student said that cheating is an important skill that prepares you to be cutthroat and a better business person. Still another said it's stupid if you don't cheat. The common theme was belief that it's right and proper to do whatever you have to do to get whatever you want. Issues of ethics and morality are irrelevant, and virtues like integrity and fairness are weaknesses rather than strengths. This does not bode well for the future when you consider that these clever but unscrupulous youngsters are bound to be the next generation of corporate pirates, dishonest politicians, fabricating journalists and, possibly, unprepared doctors. We can't afford to ignore this problem. We can't afford to see our children become conscienceless mercenaries with no regard for honor or virtue. This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts. NOTE: You can subscribe to Michael Josephson's excellent weekly email e-zine at www.charactercounts.org

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WHAT YOU LOOK FOR ... IS WHAT WE FIND Sample of Daily Encounter by Dick Innes

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6, NIV). How true is the saying that what you see is what you get! As Steve Goodier in his book, "Are You Living on the Past?" shared how both the vulture and hummingbird fly over the same desert. The vulture sees rotting flesh. The hummingbird sees colorful desert plants. What we hunger for and thrive on is what we look for and find. Frederick Langbridge put it this way: "Two men look out the same prison bars, one sees mud and the other stars." If If If If If If we hunger for evil, that's what we'll find. for good, that's what we'll find, for illicit love, that's what we'll find, for pure love, that's what we'll find, for righteousness, that's what we'll find, and we hunger for God, he is what we will find!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me a pure heart so I will always hunger and seek after what is pure, what is true, what is right, and after you. Gratefully in Jesus' name. Amen." Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me to so live that in everything I am and do I will 'look like a Christian'--a true Christ follower--and be as Jesus to every life I touch, and in so doing help to impact the world in which I live. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

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