Family Impression

Today in church the message was on the name of Jesus, who he is. Despite how the world uses his name to curse and swear, the record of the Bible is clear. He is God…

Isaiah 9:6 —
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Colossians 2:2-3
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 1:15-17 —
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. [17]He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:19-20 —
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Acts 2:21 —
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

1 John 3:23 —
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

Colossians 3:17 —
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Living in the name of Jesus

Live as one with God; letting behavior reflect the presence of God; reflecting faith love and commitment to Jesus Christ

Romans 6:11 —
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 15:30 —
I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.

Saved in the name of Jesus

Romans 10:13 —
for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Deliverance in the name of Jesus

Acts 16:18 —
She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

Healing in the name of Jesus

James 5:14 —
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

Acts 3:6 —
Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

Acts 4:30 —
Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

When will the church begin to pray this again, believing for answers?

If you believe this record and want to take action to make a difference in your community, join me in praying, my entry today at PrayerLife.NET is the verse above, praying that God will begin a work in my family and community.

Godspeed,
FamilyMan

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This week I received another good idea via email chain…
_______________________________
Dear Friends and Intercessors:

This afternoon I was praying about a number of things, and my mind began to wander. I was deeply distressed at the symbolic actions that President Obama took as he began his presidency. Namely, that he signed executive orders releasing funds to pay for abortions, permission to fund human stem cell research, and federal funding for contraception. I have been involved in the pro-life movement for nearly 20 years, and it pained my heart to see a man and a political party committed to the shedding of innocent blood. This man, and this party lead our country, but they do not represent me or the 54% of Americans who believe that abortion is wrong and should no longer be legal.

As I was praying, I believe that God gave me an interesting idea. Out in the garage I have a box of red envelopes. Like the powerful image of the red LIFE tape, an empty red envelope will send a message to Barack Obama that there is moral outrage in this country over this issue. It will be quiet, but clear.

Here is what I would like you to do:

Get a red envelope. You can buy them at Kinkos, or at party supply stores. On the front, address it to:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C.

On the back, write the following message.

This envelope represents one child who died in abortion.
It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world.
Responsibility begins with conception.

Put it in the mail, and send it. Then forward this email to every one of your friends who you think would send one too. I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died before having a a chance to live. Maybe it will change the heart of the president.

Warmly,

Christ John Otto
_______________________________
This is a very creative idea! Soon I’ll be buying some stamps and red envelopes

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Do our politicians in Washington D.C. think we are stupid? Or do they think we gave them free reign to spend money however they want to? Maybe they are just trying to destroy our country as quickly as possible … perhaps before we wake up from the stupor the citizens of our country seem to be in.

We keep hearing about how our economy is 70% consumer driven.

So the solution from our state and federal politicians, is to tax us at a higher rate, and give the money to corporations and financial institutions and government programs, to reward them for their mismanagement and poor financial and business policies.

Why do our politicians make the decision for us, that spending ours’ and our children’s and grandchildren’s taxes to bail out these large companies, will somehow make things better? Perhaps, because the majority of “we the people” decided that we are too lazy or stupid to decide for ourselves.

Perhaps I’m missing something, because after all, I’m not a financial wizard, … or even a politician. At best, it seems that their “solutions” will only delay the inevitable failure, and that for only a very short time. Then, when the failure finally hits us, it will be even harder than it is now.

If the politicians want to borrow against the future to stimulate today’s economy, wouldn’t it seem that putting the money in the place where the economy is driven from, makes more sense?

They are talking about 3 trillion dollars as being a start to the solution, but many economists are saying it will take more, perhaps 10 times that.

Lets see. There are a little more than 300 million citizens in the U.S. That includes the oldest people, down to the babies born today. If we take 3 trillion dollars and devide that by 300 million citizens, it works out to about $10,000.00 per person: rich, poor, taxpayers and non-taxpayers. That’s just straight across the board for every citizen alive today.

If the greater estimate, 30 trillion dollar figure is correct, then we are talking $100,000.00 per person. Maybe my math is incorrect, but you check it for me.

What would happen if every citizen in the United States had only an additional $10,000.00 right now. No qualifications required, except that you are a citizen of this country.

We don’t need any paper work, other than proof that you are a citizen. You don’t even need to prove that you have ever paid taxes. Make it real simple … unlike how government works, who seem to try and make everything as difficult as possible for the citizens they are supposed to represent.

What would people do if they were given $10,000.00 … or up to $100,000.00?

Do you think some people would save the money? What would that do for banks who are crying for a bail-out … again?

Perhaps a family might buy a new car. Would that help Detroit? It would if they were producing a decent product. And if not, then the car manufacturers would have to either make a better product, or move over for the companies that do. Isn’t that what free market is about?

Maybe some of you would pay your credit card bills, or get your house out of forclosure. That would certainly help these financial institutions who are in trouble because people can’t make their payments.

Others would have the money for a downpayment on a house. That’s a good thing. The financial institutions and realtors would need to hire more people, instead of laying them off.

Some would finally get to do the remodel on their existing home that they have been wanting to do, but couldn’t afford it. At least they would have enough of a start that they could borrow for the remainder. The construction industry that is so hard hit (that’s where I am), would be back to work.

And a lot of people would do everyday things like … just spend it on stuff. That would mean manufacturers would need to MAKE more stuff, which would require more employees to make it. That would mean our unemployement rate would decrease. Isn’t that a lot of what this stimulus is SUPPOSED to be about?

More people would be able to get a job, and go back to work, and some would even work over-time! More money would go to the governments, both state and federal, from income taxes. More sales taxes would be generated by the stuff people buy. The government across the board would have more money for things like roads and schools and other programs. Even if some of the “other” programs are unnecessary or wasteful, at least there would be more money for the politicians to waste on them, WITHOUT simply printing more money and driving inflation up.

That last bit about inflation, means less buying power with the few dollars the government is so generously allowing us to keep. And it is a very likely result of their “stimulus” package which is causing them to simply print lots of money, since we citizens are running out of money to pay additional taxes with.

The government determined how to fix our economic problems. Increase taxes, which are taken from people already strapped financially, and print more money and flood the financial market with it. Then use that money to bail out people who have proven that they don’t run their businesses well.

Why does the government do that? One reason is to control the banks and large companies. If the government has a large enough financial stake in a bank or large corporation, they can tell them how to run it.

If we could learn anything from history, one of the most blaringly obvious things is that government does not run business well. Trying to do so, will only put everyone further under the control of the government, not make us free, as this country was founded to be.

We are no longer a nation with a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. We have become a nation designed to feed the government machine and control the people it was designed to serve.

If any of this makes sense, pass it on to your fellow countrymen. Perhaps the citizens of our great country will wake up and do something about it.

Maybe I’m wrong. Let me know.
__
Submitted by a friend of familyimpression.com

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It is an amazing thing to be in a family that gives so much to each other. I can think of so many times my parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents have given above and beyond what I expected to help me go through life, attempting to be successful. I can give credit to my elders for passing down what they have learned in both life and business. Then at some amazing point along the journey I caught all they had to offer and ran off in my own direction(s). Now I am in a position to give back.

My mother and aunt inspired me to draw and paint; and later to do these and earn a living by learning commercial art and design. Now, after years of marketing and design experience, the world we do business in has evolved while technology has paved a new road for the communications arts industry. The student (me) has become the teacher. I dedicate this post to my aunt who encouraged me to apply myself with the talent I have and learn a trade doing something that I enjoy.

I have tested, tried, used, abused what seems like every way to post a page on the internet. So, my aunt asks me, “What is the easiest way for me put up a web site for my properties?”. As a career graphic designer this question was not about how to make it look good, it was addressing how to I catch up with technology and learn to publish on the web without absolutely frustrating herself. So I suggested iWeb by Apple. And away she went to create a very nice web site featuring her rental apartments in Killeen Texas. Next, I offered my skills in search engine optimization to apply a simple best practices approach to improving the ranking of her new web site in the search results pages. I am thankful for an opportunity to apply what I’ve learned a give back to my family.

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This week I met with a friend and he explained a horrible story of betrayal to me concerning the ministry lasting over 27 years to support Miracle Ranch Orphanage Foundation. He described to me how the supporters of this ministry have been deceived for years. Tony (Antonio) Herandez, the director of this orphanage, Rancho El Milagro is evading accountability for the alleged heinous crimes against close to 40 known victims. Please pray for justice and healing for these victims. An ongoing investigation is in progress to remove this director. Also, there are efforts in place to alert the financial supporters of these orphans that their contributions are currently supporting the defense of this alleged criminal, and not being used for the safety of the orphans. If you know anyone supporting an orphanage in Ensenada, Mexico, please check the background of the directors. It has come to light that two accused pedophiles, John Swink and Rev. Dalton Weber were on the board of directors with Tony Hernandez back in 1977 at Miracle Ranch.

I read the Miracle Ranch Orphanage Foundation Web site that is exposing the truth. Please pray that the Lord exposes the truth and brings justice and healing for the children (some are now adults). So many have been hurt and are still hurt and ashamed, my prayer is that a conviction will be served for the alleged rapist and molester; this may bring closure to these victims.

This horrific news brought me to tears. I am so thankful that my children are safe and secure. I praise God that he is sovereign and even though these victims did not have the protection of a mother and father they have His Love that is faithful even when the world and evil crosses their lives.

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Before I was involved in a motorcycle accident, life was very busy and fast paced. I was trying to keep up with family, work and a huge list of things to get done. I was healthy for the most part and didn’t think so much about the things in life that seem to be a given or just plain normal.

I remember how in the summer I loved to swim and play with the family in the sun. How easy it was to swing my little ones with my arms. I enjoyed riding my motorcycle any time of the year; Southern California provides a great environment for bikers.

Now things have changed. I do often think about the little things that so often are taken for granted. For now I walk and can’t run. I focus on my health instead of ignoring it, eating better (mydailynutrients.com), stretching and exercising (just a little for now) more. I recently noticed a marquee that warned, “Don’t wait for a crisis to remember what matters most” (paraphrased). Life has once again become one day at a time. I get to spend more quality time with my family and enjoy their conversation and play.

This summer I may not be able to swim like I used to but I sure will be able to make the most of what I have. I am fortunate to be alive and, for the most part, all put back together. I have a few pieces of titanium and steel to carry with me as a reminder to keep life simple and remember what really counts.

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I just wanted everyone to know that FamilyMan was in a pretty bad motorcycle accident a couple of days ago. He had surgery yesterday and is doing quite well considering. I have spoken with him and his spirits were up. I just wanted to ask for prayer for his family during this time and also for the rapid healing of his body. He is a great friend and an awesome father and husband. I am sure his family will welcome all and any help they can get during this time. If you know him or his family well, please give them a call showing your support. I know they would love to hear from you. Thank you for your prayers in advance. God bless.

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We rolled up to the house and tuned in the radio to blast a rockin Christmas light show, literally on the house.

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Holiday Shopping for Christmas,

The season brings thoughts of gift giving and celebration. With a family of six we really want to make Christmas memorable, but plan to do so without dropping an lot of coin at the mall. Our neighbors have lights hung with Santas and snowmen adorning our block. I’d really like to go big for Christmas and when I consider what the season is all about I remember that I need to re-focus. We are all making gift lists and storing up some cash for shopping. With only a week left until Christmas Day I know it’s crunch time to prepare for the big day.

I won’t spend all my resources shopping at the mall, in traffic or waiting in line. Since the day is all about Love, perhaps it would be best to get ready by showing more of God’s love. The first Christmas was just that a gift from God to man of our Saviour’s birth. I sure would like to show my appreciation and celebration for this gift that is just as valuable today as it was in that manger a couple thousand years ago.

We really have all we need, a home, clothes, family, pets and more. It seems like the thing we lack most is time. My wife has a coupon book on her gift list for acts of service, making an opportunity for our kids to be creative. My gift list is to have margin in my schedule, something I know that only God can help me find. By spending some extra time together and embracing the love of Christ I know that this holiday will be big in our hearts and minds. I hope to take this experience well into the new year.

On the subject of gift giving, there are hundreds of ways to save on gifts: coupons, specials and sales. I am a big fan of online shopping so I plan to cash in on some online offers. I would recommend buying from reputable stores with online shopping available. Many of my favorite stores have an email subscription list for coupons and special offers. I recently found out about cash back and rewards shopping. There is a web site that advertises the highest possible cash back rewards for shopping in their network of stores, visit MazumaMama.com to learn more. I plan on saving time for the holiday by being creative at home and even shopping online.

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