So now that we have begun studying the end … I pose the question: Do you believe the book of revelations is about the end of the world? What do you think are the signs of the end of the world? Do you believe we will know the end is near, when the end draws near?

Genetic Testing Gets Personal
In January, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, movers and shakers lined up to spit into test tubes—the first step to having snippets of their DNA analyzed by 23andMe, a personalized gene-testing company that for $999 promises to help people “search and explore their genomes.” For singles, there is ScientificMatch.com, which says that its $995 genetic test will help clients find DNA-compatible mates.

More than 20 companies today offer “personalized genomics” tests that promise to help clients discern from their DNA what diseases they are likely to get, whether they are shy or adventurous, even their propensity to become addicted to drugs. A growing number bypass doctors and deal directly with consumers. This is …

State Passes Droopy Pants Law
The Florida Senate wants public school students to pull up their pants. Lawmakers passed a bill Thursday that could mean suspensions for students with droopy britches. Florida could join several southern U.S. towns and cities that have passed “saggy pants” laws aimed at outlawing what some teenagers consider a fashion statement—wearing pants half way down their buttocks, exposing flesh or underwear. The Florida city of Riviera Beach passed its own saggy pants law Tuesday, with a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail for repeat offenders. (Wait a minute … jail? Isn’t that where the the practice came from in the first place?)
Reuters, March 14

What do you think about this law?

So the first week of training is over and I have learned a few things about my self thus far:
1) I have a long way to go to be able to walk 20 miles in a day!

I worked up to 3 miles in under an hour this week and boy was I tired afterwards!

2) I like to walk! I have really enjoyed hitting the treadmill at the gym and walking away the day! It is great thinking time (or since it is a treadmill - nonthinking time!)!

I am enjoying this training and looking forward to this weeks!

Thanks to all my awesome donors! I hope you all will consider donating too!

Blessings,
Toni

Have you realized how early Easter is this year? As you may know, Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar. Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare. Here’s the interesting info. This year is the earliest> Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years …

So it has been a couple days since my last Lenten update. I have been working steadily on my ever growing todo list!

So I have been thinking about Prayer a lot lately because I have agreed to be the Prayer Coordinater for Harvest Unlimited at my church. From what I understand about my job I get the awesome job of gathering people together to pray for our Richardson Neighbors! How cool is that! I love to Pray!

So I leave you with this question? What do you think prayer is? And when you pray do you have an image of God in your mind?

One of my Lenten disciplines this year is to go room by room, corner by corner, and shelf by shelf through my house cleaning, sorting and throwing out. In some ways it is like Spring cleaning spread out over 40 days but in others it is a purging of those things and behaviors that seperate me from God.
So much of the stuff that is out there on Lent talks of Lent as a season of giving things up; of fasting from the things we enjoy. I wanted to think of my Lent not in terms of giving up (although I have given somethings up) but in terms of fully living into my daily life for Christ. So much of …

So today while I was scrapping with Jill we watched one of the best “lent” movies ever. It is Chocolat! If you haven’t seen it I would definately recommend it as a great girls night movie.
It is the story of a small french town that is radically transformed by a women who follows her own drummer. She is considered by the town governern to be the epidame of tempation and all things to avoid. The women doesn’t go to the church but unlike those who do she takes care of the hurst, lost, lonely and elderly who others wont.
Her biggest sin, short of being an unwed mother, at least according to the governer, is owning a chocoplate shop …

No, you didn’t miss day 4! I decided against staying up really late to put thoughts to paper and missing out on precious moments of sleep!

So, yesterday Fr. Bill preached about the prayer of humble acess and he told a story about a women who refused to go to church because they said the prayer. He said she didn’t like the part about “not being worth so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy table.” As I thought about this story two things stood out to me. 1) I really respected that women on a intellectual level. She understood that words had power and meaning beyond just the randomness of a sting of words. I respect that she …