Full Circle
Full Circle, the term remains a mystery to me. Is this a place that I am headed, have I been there before, will I know when I arrive. How many times do we “come full circle” in our lives? Does this mean that, I begin a journey, only to arrive with the same information that I left with? I began a journey a couple of months ago, with a new friend, and made the choice to see where this journey may take us. Each day I arise with the knowledge that I have to choose to step aside from what I have known in the past, and instead put one foot in front of the other. This will clearly put me on a different path, a path that is new and unseen, fearful at times, as it is filled with new thoughts, new ideas, and a possibility of pain, and/or love. A new path is rarely easy, and because I love the out of doors, the analogy I see is a path wrought with, roots, rocks, and potholes. My paths always have cliffs, switchbacks and unknowns lurking in the trees. But I am encouraged forward by….well by what….I will call it my Spirit.
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FIREPROOF
Now that the movie FIREPROOF has made history in the movie industry let's see if we can use the movie to help make our personal history more in line with what God wants. The real impact of FIREPROOF is the need to be real as a Christian. Building a relationship based on love cannot be obtained if we don't know what love is. As Christians we often talk as if we live the life of love when, in reality, our "loving" relationships at home are in shambles. Read More
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Last month I mentioned that we at the Four Corners Coalition for Marriage & Family have lofty goals to strengthen marriages and families in our region. I also cited a marriage enrichment course called PREP which we had hoped to hold on the weekend of 12/5 and 6. Unfortunately we ran into some technical issues which has forced us to delay that class until the weekend of January 23 and 24, 2009. The location may also change so please check back with our web site for the latest information which should be available by mid-December. I also promised to tell you about another course we intend to hold twice in 2009 entitled Married and Loving It! Here, as promised is that information. Read More
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THE INTERNET Information Resources for Parents
Internet Safety
The Internet has become a place full of exciting resources and ways to communicate with people around the world. The Internet is a vast universe of information.
However, there are some dangers on the Internet. Cyber sex predators use it to prey on children and teens. Scam artists use it to steal money and identities. But there are ways to protect yourself and your family from these dangers. Learn how:
Internet Lingo - Decoding Internet Lingo and Character Symbols
TGIF, RSVP or even ASAP may sound familiar; however as computers have transformed communications a new dialect has emerged: Internet lingo. Acronyms or character symbols called Emoticons (mixing symbols to express emotions or moods) enable teens to communicate with others in a few keystrokes. While often just a convenient and quick means of communication, many teens use these acronyms and symbols to warn their friends when parents might be present and even to discuss drug use in a code that parents can’t decipher.
Instant messages, blog entries and text messages often look like Sanskrit to parents, but decoding this lingo used in digital communications is an important monitoring skill that should not be overlooked. Here is a quick guide to help you translate what teens are saying online and in their cell phone text messages. Keep in mind that, as with street names for drugs, these symbols and acronyms are subject to frequent change, particularly when those who use them suspect that others have figured out what they mean.
