I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about the role of the church in the life of a believer. Some of this has stemmed from multiple discussions with friends and family members, and through it all, God has been refining some of my thinking.

Throughout the Bible, many mentions are made of the vital institution of the local church. Paul, who planted churches all over Asia and Europe, admonished believers in Hebrews 10:25 to not forsake the assembling together of believers. Earlier in Ephesians 2, Paul reminds that church members are not lone individuals, rather one body serving one purpose—that of glorifying God. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22.

It was the concept of one body, one spirit that caused me to think. Not only does Jesus use the picture of a body to describe the church, but he likens the church to being a bride. If the church is Christ’s bride, and He is our Bridegroom, shouldn’t the same principles of marriage detailed in the Bible apply to our relationship with our church, our church leaders, and our church members?

Marriage is one of the most lasting relationships you can enter—-one that Christ wants parted only through death. Couples, like church members, often experience tiffs, difficulties, and disagreements. But instead of walking out and transferring our membership over petty arguments, do you suppose God wants us to apply his principles of restoration? A disagreement over music is not Biblical grounds for divorce, so if you are at a church that you know God has led you to attend, is that Biblical grounds for leaving? How about a tiff over the personality of your youth pastor, or the dress of your newly ordained deacon’s second cousin-in-law? God has specific instructions for how you deal with these types of situations: “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” Colossians 3:13.

How about when it comes to your inter-church relationships? Are you spreading rumors or feeding into someone else’s discontent? Instead of bringing your issues PERSONALLY before the minister, are you telling anyone with an available ear how you would change or improve the way things are run? It’s easy to see the blind spots of those we are around the most, and I’m definitely guilty of spreading my $0.02’s worth of discontent to others.

Cheating can be defined as the actions of a person who is being unfaithful physically or emotionally. In the same way as a husband can cheat on his wife, a person can cheat on his church. An unfaithful husband finds a listening ear to pour out his relationship woes. An unfaithful church member tells everyone who will listen about the faults of their church or church leadership. Instead of taking these situations to the throne room of grace, this person goes to another, non-involved third-party.

This is not to say that we dismiss the need for accountability or constructive criticism. Pastors, elders, deacons, and church members need to be held accountable and they are not perfect. But, like in a marriage relationship, it is imperative that the counsel is administered in love, and to the person who needs to make the change. If you don’t have the courage to tell someone their faults to their face, it is a shameful coward act to spread it around behind their backs.

I don’t pretend to have this whole concept figured out, but this is just what God has been convicting me over the past several weeks. It definitely is a lot of food for thought as I’ve pondered just what God means by his comparison between the body of Christ and a bride.

Of one thing, though, I am certain. If we were to practice the principle of comparing the church to a marriage relationship with Christ, I venture that we would see fewer splits, fewer factions, and ultimately, an increased bond of unity.

For about three years, I’ve been encouraged, fascinated, and even spiritually edified by many of his works. If you enjoy historical fiction, be sure to check out his books!

One of his series (and he’s written several), the Journals of Corrie Belle Hollister, I particularly enjoyed. The plot centers on a young woman, Corrie Belle, who discovers more about life and her Lord through her work as a journalist. Needless to say, I found a few parallels between my life and Corrie’s story.

While it is no secret that Phillips packs a hefty dose of theology in most of his books, the Journals of Corrie Belle Hollister tackles several different topics, including an extensive look at preparing for marriage.

A wonderfully encouraging quote about the subject comes from the book Into the Long Dark Night, book six of the Corrie Belle Hollister saga:

“Our bodies get old and slow and wrinkly and fat and sick, while our souls—some people’s I should say, but not everybody’s—get bigger and wiser and more full of live and love the older they get.

It seemed logical that women should be looking for a wise and growing soul to fall in love with rather than just an attractive body and strong personality.”

- Michael Phillips, Into the Long Dark Night (The Journals of Corrie Belle Hollister #6)

Quite the challenge—-and quite contrary to the advice we tend to get from romantic comedies, chick-lit, or women’s magazines in the grocery check-out line.

I can hardly believe it is that time of year again! It feels just like yesterday that I was filling this out for 2008! Even though seeing 2009 leave is bittersweet, I’m especially excited about the upcoming year as I know God is greatly at work! Happy New Year, everyone!

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
A lot! 2009 was an extraordinary year as I’ve had a host of new opportunities with On the Baseline, became a part of CYT (Christian Youth Theater) with my family, was accepted into Microsoft’s Real Stories Office 2010 program, started a new PR & Design business with a friend, and coordinated a conference for girls ages 10-14 years of age called Gotta Be Me.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Well, I pulled out my list—that alone is a miracle that I still have it—and I didn’t do too badly. I still strive that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart would be acceptable in God’s sight. God’s placed me in a lot of situations where I’ve needed to rely on Him for wisdom and not my own strength. I’ve tried to have a daily quiet time each morning, and although I’ve not always been faithful, God continues to help me remember to take time out during the day to pause and spend a few moments with him.

I’ve not exercised at least three times a week, but I did join a gym in 2009. I’m slightly closer to finishing my degree—but still have a ways to go. Scripture memory certainly needs a lot of improvement, as well as I’ve not managed to implement my idea of serving others more in 2009. As for blogging on this site at least twice a week, well, I need to work on that! I’ve tried to share the gospel more and had the privilege of leading others to Christ during the year. And lastly, yes, I have been remembering to take my vitamins!!!

As for 2010, yes, I’ll likely make more resolutions. Always is great to have a goal in sight!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, I did say farewell to a few saints in 2009.

5. What countries did you visit?
Does California count? (I know, I said Austin last year, but that’s as close to being out of the country as I came in 2009.)

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Once more, I’d like a deeper relationship with Christ, the completion of my college degree, continued growth and success for On the Baseline and DuoParadigms, and more wonderful memories of time spent with my family and friends.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory?
Off of the top of my head and in no particular order—-my trips to Indian Wells and Miami for the BNP Paribas Open and the Sony Ericsson Open, Kristin and Brittany’s weddings, Aladdin, getting shingles, Gotta Be Me, starting DuoParadigms with Mel, and of course, the insanely memorable nearly all-night Black Friday shopping trip from 11pm on Thanksgiving night to 5PM on Black Friday with just a three hour power nap.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Does staying alive count?!!? God blessed so much in 2009 that it is really impossible to narrow it down to anything. Plus, if there is one thing that I learned this year it is that any successes or achievements were all God and absolutely none of me.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Same as 2008: Not getting more school finished.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Oh, yes! I sprained my ankle playing tennis two days before Kristin’s wedding—-never prayed for a fast healing so much in my life. God’s grace was so good—I was able to hobble down the aisle in flip-flops, which compared to being on crutches for the rehearsal dinner, was a miracle. During the summer, I came down with a freak case of the shingles. Avoiding direct sunlight because of the potent drugs I was taking seriously cut into my swimming and body-boarding plans. So. Not. Fun.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Believe it or not, nothing really comes to mind. I didn’t make any big purchases in 2009, so that’s probably why.

12. Where did most of your money go?
Same place as last year’s —– On the Baseline’s bills. One of the joys and sorrows of owning your own business.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing God’s hand at work. Life is never ordinary when you follow the leading of an extraordinary Savior.

14. What song/album will always remind you of 2009?
David Phelps’ Gentle Savior.

15. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier/sadder,thinner/heavier,richer/poorer?
Happier, thinner, and slightly richer. (But that might be because I haven’t paid all my bills for this month yet!)

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I had spent more time with God, more time in my school books, and more time with my family and friends. I’m learning to treasure and invest in relationships more now. I thank God for all those who helped make 2009 such a meaningful year.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Work. I’m learning to take those moments away to smell the roses, enjoy the sunshine, and just live life.

18. How did you spend Christmas?
At home with family and friends!

19. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Not sure, but probably my mom. I tend to spend more time sending emails and using instant messenger. Just in 2009, I know I sent thousands of emails, as well as had a lot of instant messenger conversations. Communication is everything!

20. How many trips did you take in 2009?
Quite a few!

21. What was your favorite TV program?
Chopped.

22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No. And on the flip side, I met a whole lot more people that I liked in 2009!

23. What was the best book(s) you read?
I did take time to read a lot during 2009, so it’s hard to sum up what was the best book I read. I continued to enjoy Michael Phillips’ novels, especially the Secrets of Heathersleigh Hall series, as well as several Max Lucado books, J. Oswald Sanders’ Spiritual Leadership, and Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.

23. What was your greatest musical discovery?
David Phelp’s Gentle Savior and finally getting my Pandora radio station almost perfectly trained to play my favorites.

24. What did you want and get?
I really wanted God to be glorified in everything I did during the year and I truly hope that all praise and glory went to him because without him, I can do nothing.

25. What did you want and not get?
I didn’t get to go to the US Open this year, but in hindsight, God knew exactly what he was doing.

26. What were your favorite films of this year?
Too many to list. Loved the new BBC Emma and Young Victoria, though.

27. What did you do on your birthday?
Spent the day with my family!

28. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Eddie Bauer.

29. What kept you sane?
Only the grace of God.

30. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I had an opportunity to meet Jane Seymour, which was amazing.

31. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Patience. I definitely have not learned it all, but God keeps orchestrating situation after situation to show me that he’s in control and his timing is always perfect. It was even kind of funny that when some things went wrong on New Year’s Eve, I asked God why he was causing so many random things to upset my plans. In the still small voice deep in my soul, I heard God whisper, “I’m giving you one more chance to learn this lesson in 2009.”

32. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
“And everywhere I look I see Your hand |
Why You would love someone like me |
I’ll never understand and I’m amazed, I’m so amazed |
How great You are, how small I am |
How awesome is Your mighty hand |
And I am captured by the wonder of it all |
And I will offer all my praise with all my heart for all my days |
How great You are, how great You are, how great You are.”

“The noise and bustle began earlier than usual in the village. As night gave way to dawn, people were already on the streets. Vendors were positioning themselves on the corners of the most heavily traveled avenues. Store owners were unlocking the doors to their shops. Children were awakened by the excited barking of the street dogs and the complaints of donkeys pulling carts.

The owner of the inn had awakened earlier than most in the town. After all, the inn was full, all the beds taken. Every available mat or blanket had been put to use. Soon all the customers would be stirring and there would be a lot of work to do.

One’s imagination is kindled thinking about the conversation of the innkeeper and his family at the breakfast table. Did anyone mention the arrival of the young couple the night before? Did anyone ask about their welfare? Did anyone comment on the pregnancy of the girl on the donkey? Perhaps. Perhaps someone raised the subject. But, at best, it was raised, not discussed. There was nothing that novel about them. They were, possibly, one of several families turned away that night.

Besides, who had time to talk about them when there was so much excitement in the air? Augustus did the economy a favor when he decreed that a census should be taken. Who could remember when such commerce had hit the village?

No, it is doubtful that anyone mentioned the couple’s arrival or wondered about the condition of the girl. They were too busy. The day was upon them. The day’s bread had to be made. The morning’s chores had to be done. There was too much to do to imagine that the impossible had occurred.

God entered the world as a baby.

Yet, were someone to chance upon the sheep stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem that morning, what a peculiar scene they would behold.

The stable stinks like all stables do. The stench of urine, dung, and sheep reeks pungently in the air. The ground is hard, the hay scarce. Cobwebs cling to the ceiling and a mouse scurries across the dirt floor.

A more lowly place of birth could not exist.

Off to one side sit a group of shepherds. They sit silently on the floor, perhaps perplexed, perhaps in awe, no doubt in amazement. Their night watch had been interrupted by an explosion of light from heaven and a symphony of angels. God goes to those who have time to hear him — so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds.

Near the young mother sits the weary father. If anyone is dozing, he is. He can’t remember the last time he sat down. And now that the excitement has subsided a bit, now that Mary and the baby are comfortable, he leans against the wall of the stable and feels his eyes grow heavy. He still hasn’t figured it all out. The mystery event puzzles him. But he hasn’t the energy to wrestle with the questions. What’s important is that the baby is fine and that Mary is safe. As sleep comes he remembers the name the angel told him to use … Jesus. “We will call him Jesus.”

Wide awake is Mary. My, how young she looks! Her head rests on the soft leather of Joseph’s saddle. The pain has been eclipsed by wonder. She looks into the face of the baby. Her son. Her Lord. His Majesty. At this point in history, the human being who best understands who God is and what he is doing is a teenage girl in a smelly stable. She can’t take her eyes off him. Somehow Mary knows she is holding God. So this is he. She remembers the words of the angel. “His kingdom will never end.”

He looks like anything but a king. His face is prunish and red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. And he is absolutely dependent upon Mary for his well-being.

Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter.

She touches the face of the infant-God. How long was your journey!

This baby had overlooked the universe. These rags keeping him warm were the robes of eternity. His golden throne room had been abandoned in favor of a dirty sheep pen. And the worshiping angels had been replaced with kind but bewildered shepherds.

Meanwhile, the city hums. The merchants are unaware that God has visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe that he has just sent God into the cold. And the people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility.

Those who missed His Majesty’s arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren’t looking.

Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?”

- Excerpted from God Came Near by Max Lucado

Merry Christmas, my friends! May we each take time to reflect on the true meaning behind the season today. Also, on a personal note, my apologies that comments were not approved recently. I changed the site’s server and apparently, I’m not getting the notifications. I’ll have that fixed soon after the holidays!

Because I am used to looking for sound bites or noteworthy quotes, often a particular phrase will jump out to me as I read or listen to something.

Occasionally, it might be a whole sentence, but often it is only a few words that leap off the page. Recently one morning as I was reading Ephesians 6, the phrase “having done all, to stand” stood out to me like a searchlight in a dark night.

A few little words. A depth of meaning.

When life throws you a curve ball that you cannot hit back, let God catch it, declare ball #1—-and give you a chance to hit another shot out of the ballpark.

When circumstances threaten your peace and outlook on life, put on God’s armor and stand.

When you are perplexed and confused about the decisions a loved one is making, take it to Jesus and stand.

When the flight mechanism embedded deep in our souls tell us to head for the hills in retreat, run the other direction into Jesus’s arms and stand still while you watch the power of God.

When you feel hit and broadsided at every turn, get up out of your fetal position, cry out to the source of your strength, and stand.

When you have done all that you know God has directed to do in the middle of an impossible situation, stand in God’s strength. Don’t cower. Don’t compromise. Don’t back down. Don’t quit.

Having done all, stand.

For the past four weeks, I have been reacquainting myself with my old friend Jane Austen. One month ago, BBC One unveiled its latest Austen drama, a sweeping, four-part weekly miniseries starring Romola Garai, Jonny Lee Miller, and the always impeccable Sir Michael Gambon as Mr. Woodhouse. Ever since BBC One issued a press release about the series in January, I have been looking forward to watching the new adaptation.

As with other Austen adaptations, I approached the series with a set mental picture—-this time an opinion heavily influenced by Jeremy Northam and Gwyneth Paltrow’s 1996 Hollywood film version. After about ten minutes of Sandy Welch’s new work, I felt my previous mental visions of Emma slipping away. Perplexed, as this was far different from Paltrow or even Kate Beckinsale in BBC’s last adaptation, but determined to stick it out, I kept watching. Four weeks later, I am so glad I did.

Sandy Welch, one of Britain’s best period drama screenwriters, has written a fresh new version of the charming Austen story. Instead of recrafting decades old impressions of Emma, she started from scratch and wrote a light-hearted script about an average, albeit wealthy twenty-one year-old woman learning about life and love.

Romola Garai is brilliant as an immature, but still sensitive Emma, while Jonny Lee Miller shines as Emma’s biggest critic and the man unconsciously holding the key to her heart. Garai’s Emma is far less haughty and imposing than Paltrow’s, which is refreshing as I often found it hard to believe that Gwyneth’s Emma was befitting a girl who was supposedly barely out of her teens. While Miller is far from being as dashingly handsome as Jeremy Northam, his sensitivity to Emma and his quietly faithful love quickly grew on me.

As for the rest of the main characters, BBC has assembled an ensemble cast. Jodhi May, who also appeared with Garai in Daniel Deronda is stellar as Mrs. Weston.

Louise Dylan turns in a fantastic performance as the charmingly silly Harriet Smith. Toni Collette was far too mature in the 1996 adaptation, but Dylan manages to show how muddle brained Harriet must have been to seek advice on her love life from Emma.

Snooty Mrs. Elton is perfectly brought to life by Christina Cole, while her despicable (hate to speak ill of a minister, but there it is) husband is played by Blake Ritson. The two characters that are quite uniquely portrayed in Welch’s adaptation are Jane Fairfax (Laura Pyper) and Frank Churchill (Rupert Evans). While Jane is far nicer than the haughty girl (played by Polly Walker) we met in Douglas McGrath’s script, Rubert Evans brings to life a performance which makes Ewan McGregor look like a nice guy, compared to the trouble-making, selfishly moody fellow who romanced one woman while secretly in love with another. Tamsin Greig brings to the miniseries a whole new perspective in Miss Bates, one that I felt was far better and more emotionally moving that the one of chatty Sophie Thompson.

The miniseries does have a few faults—-it took me a little time to get used to Romola Garai’s portrayal, as I confess that I was comparing her to Gwyneth Paltrow. I was surprised that I didn’t immediately warm to Garai, especially after I thought she would be perfectly cast after her seeing her in other period dramas. Maybe it was the perpetual hand waving in the opening part, or the many wide-eyed and animated facial expressions. Nevertheless, by the third episode, I was hooked and quite forgetful of my dislikes in the previous two parts.

The first two parts, particularly the beginning, are the weakest, but once the halfway threshold is crossed, the series brilliantly shines as the relationship between Emma and Mr. Knightley begins to warm.

I loved the chemistry between the two as Knightley progresses from being a caring, always around neighbor and friend to a suitor in pursuit of Emma’s flighty, yet ever-maturing little heart. Their dancing scene at the ball is beautifully choreographed and will give you goose bumps as they dance together. Emma’s perplexity (and speechlessness) once Harriet declares her feelings for her third gentleman friend in one year is priceless, and several times I laughed aloud at the script’s witty one-liners.

Ordinarily, halfway through a film I start wondering about the ending, and I have spent the last week anxiously waiting to see whether Welch’s strong screenwriting would continue into the final episode, or would too much time be spent on the Box Hill trip, rushing the dawning of Emma’s heart awakening.

I had no cause to worry.

While I have no intention of giving away the ending, I will say one thing, it is the perfect finale after four fantastic hours spent in Highbury.

The new BBC adaptation of Emma will premiere in the United States from January 24-February 7, 2010 on PBS’s MASTERPIECE.

I recently read this short devotional by Max Lucado and felt it was simply too good to not share!

A Life of Service

God has enlisted us in his navy and placed us on his ship. The boat has one purpose—to carry us safely to the other shore. This is no cruise ship; it’s a battleship. We aren’t called to a life of leisure; we are called to a life
of service.

Each of us has a different task. Some, concerned with those who are drowning, are snatching people from the water. Others are occupied with the enemy, so they man the cannons of prayer and worship. Still others devote themselves to the crew, feeding and training the crew members.

Though different, we are the same. Each can tell of a personal encounter with the captain, for each has received a personal call . . . .

We each followed him across the gangplank of his grace onto the same boat. There is one captain and one destination. Though the battle is fierce, the boat is safe, for our captain is God. The ship will not sink. For that, there is no concern.

- Grace for the Moment

Communication is everything.

It may sound like a cliché, but it is a true one. Communication is what makes the world go round—and the lack of it is what makes your personal world come screeching to a halt.

I deal with the need for communication every day whether I am trying to understand the perspective of one of OTB’s writers while editing their work, or just trying to decide with a friend whether we want ice cream from Raos or soft drinks from Sonic. Communication takes part in the workplace, but also in the home with your family. It builds relationships, but the lack of it tears them apart.

Recently, I have been reading a book entitled Guerrilla P.R. 2.0. by Michael Levine, which highlights a few tips on how each of us can communicate better with those around us.

Seven Secrets to Being a Successful Communicator

A successful communicator is confident and unafraid to ask for what they want.
I do not know how many times my mother tried to drill into my head that the worse thing anyone could ever tell me when I asked for something was no. Dare to ask.

A successful communicator is appreciative of those who help them.
Communicating what you need is only half as important as communicating your thanks afterward. Nothing is more discouraging than to help an ungrateful person. Do not overlook those who help you reach your goals. Remember, you would not be there without them.

A successful communicator consistently nurtures relationships.
A relationship worth having is a relationship worth working on. Relationships are not like pet rocks. You cannot set them on a shelf, pour water on them once a blue moon when you remember, and expect them to grow. You have to invest in the life of the individual, spend time with them, and continually nurture that relationship.

A successful communicator is tenacious in going around obstacles.
Do you give up at the first sign of conflict or an obstacle? When the going gets rough, do you hit the road? I love this G. K. Chesterton quote, “An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.”

A successful communicator is an excellent listener.
Do you actually listen to people? On the other hand, does your mouth start racing to reply while someone is still talking? Are you polite, or do you have a bad habit of cutting people off before they are finished? One thing I have been learning recently is to listen not only the words of a person, but also their body language, and ultimately, the heart behind the words. Not everyone is adept at verbal expression and if you ignore their non-verbal communication, you will never be able to understand fully what they are trying to tell you.

A successful communicator rebounds quickly and completely from rejection.
Do your wounds smart for a while after someone takes a jab at you or your project? Has your work become personal? Separate your identity from your work and when someone criticizes your pet project, you will be able to avoid making the criticism personal. Evaluate every rejection or criticism for potential lessons to be learned, and then move on. Do not fester or simmer. You are wasting valuable time and energy.

A successful communicator is friendly and approachable.
Who wants to hang around someone who is not friendly? Regardless of your personality, you can still be pleasant. Even the most seclusion-minded, introverted, Eeyore-like melancholic has a responsibility to be a friendly communicator. As Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly.” If you ever want to succeed at being a skilled communicator, you at least have to be approachable. If no one likes you, you had better believe that no one would want to deal with you.

Lucy Maud Montgomery once wrote that there were two types of people in this world, those who know Joseph and those who don’t. If you haven’t the foggiest idea of what I’m talking about, you are either one of two things—-unfamiliar with the Anne series or someone who just doesn’t know Joseph.

During Anne’s adolescent years, she tended to objectify people into two groups, kindred spirits and well, the rest of the world. While Anne and Diana were the perfect example of kindred spirits, by the time Anne approached her mid-twenties, she was looking for more than just a kindred spirit in a friend; she wanted a friend who knew Joseph.

I’ll let Montgomery do the explaining in a conversation between Anne and Captain Jim in chapter seven of Anne’s House of Dreams:

“We both belong to the race that knows Joseph, as Cornelia Bryant would say.”

“The race that knows Joseph?” puzzled Anne.

“Yes. Cornelia divides all the folks in the world into two kinds– the race that knows Joseph and the race that don’t. If a person sorter sees eye to eye with you, and has pretty much the same ideas about things, and the same taste in jokes–why, then he belongs to the race that knows Joseph.”

“Oh, I understand,” exclaimed Anne, light breaking in upon her.

“It’s what I used to call–and still call in quotation marks `kindred spirits.’”

“Jest so–jest so,” agreed Captain Jim. “We’re it, whatever it is. When you come in tonight, Mistress Blythe, I says to myself, says I, `Yes, she’s of the race that knows Joseph.’ And mighty glad I was, for if it wasn’t so we couldn’t have had any real satisfaction in each other’s company. The race that knows Joseph is the salt of the airth, I reckon.”

The salt of the airth? I couldn’t have said it better myself. One knows instantly when in company with one of the race that knows Joseph. Besides just communicating as friends, you communicate on a spiritual level—-the kinship one instantly feels when spending time with another like-minded Christian.

While thinking about the phrase “the race that knows Joseph”, I came across this excellent explanation that helps us understand just why this is so important in each of our lives.

Exodus 1:8 gives the moment in time that Israel ceased its period of comfort in Egypt, while under Joseph’s rule with the Pharaoh. “Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.” So, the reverse being that those who were believers in God, who followed Him, were of the group that “know Joseph”.

All that to say this — One of the most amazing earthly gifts that God has given us is fellowship with other believers. What joy they bring with their “kindred spirits” — we’re one in the body of Christ! Our fellowship with believers at its best encourages us, strengthens us, and shows love to us. Of course, it’s the Holy Spirit living within us as believers that gives us the ability to do all of those things. When we accept Christ as the living Savior of our lives, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within our hearts, and we begin to show fruit of that — love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. What better qualities could you ask for in a friend?

(source: The Race That Knows Joseph)

Over the years, I’ve met many of the race that knows Joseph. Some I’ve met just in passing, while others have turned into treasured friends. God knew what he was doing when he created the bonds of relationships. Friends do more than just keep us company when shopping in the mall; good friends will influence our lives for Christ—-and ultimately help draw us closer to the truest friend we could ever desire, Jesus Christ.

To all my friends of the race that knows Joseph, thank you. You’ve impacted my life in more ways than you’ll ever know.

I believe in cloning.

Now before you start thinking I’ve finally gone off the deep end, let me clarify. I don’t believe in human cloning, however, I see no ethical, moral, or religious reasons to avoid restaurant cloning. On second thought, scratch religious. Some of these recipes border on sinful and should be accompanied by a Surgeon General’s warning that it might be hazardous for your waistline.

What is restaurant cloning, you might be asking? It’s a little-known trick that has saved me countless dollars through the years and thanks to a new find online, will save me a lot more in the future.

Have you ever eaten at your favorite restaurant chain, for example, Cheesecake Factory, Macaroni Grill, or Red Lobster, and fallen in love with a dish? Wiping your mouth at the table, you vowed that you could eat it every day and never get sick of its flavorful appeal.

That is, until you looked at the bill.

I don’t know about you, but a twenty-dollar entree x seven is a bit much for my budget. Even if I had to settle for once a week that is still $80.00 a month that could have been spent better elsewhere.

This is where restaurant cloning steps in to the rescue. Many restaurant dishes can be prepared easily in your home kitchen and for a fraction of the cost. All it takes is a few ingredients, a little courage, and the right recipe. You don’t even have to figure out the measurements.

EveryLastRecipe.com has compiled a comprehensive listing of some of the most sought-after recipes from popular restaurant chains such as Outback Steakhouse, Benihana, Cinnabon, California Pizza Kitchen, Chili’s, Applebee’s and even Ben & Jerry’s. Due to the restructuring of CopyKat recipes, a site linked to by EveryLastRecipe, some of the links do not work. However, you can find all the CopyKat restaurant recipes at one location under the this category.

Of course, there are a few off-the-wall recipes, but for the most part, everything looks scrumptious. Although why anyone would want to clone food from Taco Bell is beyond me.

Bon Appetit!

[Hat Tip: Lifehacker]