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Archive for May, 2007

May 10, 2007

~Real Quotes~

“People aren’t turned off to Jesus, they’re just tired of Christians who don’t really follow him.” - Rick Warren

“The only way of winning a knowledge of the Cross is by feeling the whole weight of the Cross.” - Edith Stein, (1891-1942), German Carmelite Nun, in 444 Surprising Quotes about Jesus (more…)

Filed under: real quote

Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 10:22 am | 2 Comments

May 9, 2007

Recent psychological studies have shown that we lie on average around 150 to 200 times a day.

Why is that?

This is something I examine in my own life. Sometimes small lies escape, and yet I strive for integrity and honesty in my life.

I could say that I never lie — and yet that would be lie #1 for the day.

Some lie to cheat. Some lie to smooth things over (. . .no, I’m not mad). Others lie because it’s easier (. . .you look great in that, really).

And yet we are called to speak truth.

This is one area of my life where I want to honor God. I always make sure that I am honest in the big stuff. I care very much to have integrity in the small details as well.

There’s a really old saying: What a wicked web we weave when we practice to deceive.

It sounds corny. Ancient. Outdated. But is there truth to it? I think so. Every time we lie, we get caught in the sticky, icky threads of deception. We have to cover our tracks, remember what we said or didn’t say, instead of just knowing that whatever we said was the truth.

Filed under: real issues

Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 10:48 am | 1 Comment

May 9, 2007

Psalm 56
A David psalm, when he was captured by the Philistines in Gath.

(The Message)

1Take my side, God–I’m getting kicked around, stomped on every day.
2Not a day goes by but somebody beats me up; They make it their duty to beat me up.
3When I get really afraid I come to you in trust.
4I’m proud to praise God; fearless now, I trust in God.

What can mere mortals do?
5They don’t let up–they smear my reputation and huddle to plot my collapse.
6They gang up, sneak together through the alleys

To take me by surprise, wait their chance to get me.
7Pay them back in evil! Get angry, God!

Down with these people!

(more…)

Filed under: real word

Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 10:39 am | Comments

May 8, 2007

http://home.peoplepc.com/psp/newsstory.asp?cat=news&referrer=welcome&id=20070508/463ff5c0_3421_1334520070508-1309781397

Excerpt from article:

Tuesday, May 8, 2007
LOS ANGELES - Paris Hilton has rehired the publicist she dumped over the weekend after being sentenced to 45 days in jail.
Elliot Mintz confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday that he is again representing the 26-year-old socialite, who was ordered to report to county jail by June 5 for violating the terms of her probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.
In a court appearance Friday, Hilton told the judge Mintz informed her it was all right to drive on a suspended license for work obligations. Mintz also testified Hilton believed she was allowed to drive. The judge called Mintz’s testimony worthless.
Hilton - star of reality TV show “The Simple Life” on the E! network - has parlayed her party lifestyle into worldwide fame.
She has called the sentence unfair, and her fans have posted a petition on the Internet urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to pardon her.
“I feel that I was treated unfairly and that the sentence is both cruel and un

warranted and I don’t deserve this,” Hilton told photographers assembled outside her home Saturday.

From RTF: Does Paris have a point? Does having money and fame make this sentence unfair? Is she picked on because she is who she is?

Maybe this is too personal to me. Seven years ago a drunk driver hit my son and his friends, and my son had 13 fractures from the waist down, lost his athletic career, and spent six weeks in the hospital in traction and another year relearning how to walk and run again.

I think this is the point that is being missed in the article. Paris could have hurt someone–seriously. She could have hurt herself. She was driving recklessly under the influence–again. She was on probation for the other infraction.

It doesn’t matter who she is or what she’s done on TV. 900 signatures. Wow. 900 people saying give her a break, after all she’s Paris Hilton.

I hope that 45 days in jail means that she thinks about her life, and what she could do with the fame and riches that she has, and the harm that could come if she doesn’t slow down and be real with herself about what matters. I pray for her that she will find that God has real plans for her, just like you and me, to know him and to pursue him and all that he has.

My two cents,

Suzie

Filed under: T. Suzanne Eller, real articles

Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 11:30 am | 1 Comment

May 7, 2007

I’ve been away for most of the month, which made RTF a quiet little blog. But big things were happening in the heart of this author.

I was part of a team speaking in Germany, Austria, and Hungary for 15 days. Wow! The countryside is beautiful. I stood on high places throughout the city of Budapest and watched the night lights. I investigated the labrynths under the city where people hid during communism. I spoke in a reformed church, an international church, and on a military base. I visited a concentration camp, Mauthausen, and walked through the crematorium and the gas chamber where thousands and thousands of innocent and beautiful people died.

And the whole time I asked God, “Why me? Why do I get to do this?”

I was stretched because so many times we put an American slant on the gospel, and you realize that when you want to talk about Christ with people who have fought for freedom to worship God freely. The American angle falls away when presented with the harsh reality of man’s inhumanity to man in places such as Mauthausen.

I glimpsed heaven when I sat in a small room in a small church and I prayed in English while my new friends prayed in Hungarian, or German, or Dutch.

I’ll share more about the trip, and the things that God showed me, and I hope you’ll talk with me, with us at RTF, about the things God is showing you.

If you want to see pictures of Mauthausen or some of the pictures from the trip to Europe, go

to my facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1975&l=2c743&id=503013579 (Mauthausen)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1992&l=51e6e&id=503013579 (Europe)

See you later,

Suzie

Filed under: T. Suzanne Eller, real photos

Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 11:40 am | 1 Comment

May 3, 2007

Shy Shine!
By Lydia Rule

Ministry… it is a scary word, especially to inverted teenagers. Often, ministry is looked upon as something only the bold and brave attempt, but this is not true. God used shy people to spread the word just as much as he did the bold. Jeremiah was a shy person (Jeremiah 1: 4-9).

Moses did not think he was bold enough to do what God wanted (Exodus 3: 11-12). Gideon was hiding from enemies when God called him to be the leader of Israel’s army (Judges 6: 11-13). The woman who touched Jesus’ robe was afraid (Mark 5: 28-34). God can use anyone, including shy people! (more…)