Happy Birthday, April 12....

Birthday's Favorite Scriptures:

A thought for today

Psalm 1
BOOK I : Psalms 1-41

1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
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Psalm 23

A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

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America's #1 Book: The Holy bible

Bible is America's favorite book: poll
Tue Apr 8, 3:07 PM ET

When it comes to literary pursuits in the United States most people agree on at least one thing -- the most popular book is the Bible, according to a new survey.

It came in first in a Harris Poll of nearly 2,513 adults but the second choice in the survey was not as clear cut.

"While the Bible is number one among each of the different demographic groups, there is a large difference in the number two favorite book," Harris said in a statement announcing the results.

Men chose J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and women selected Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind" as their second-favorite book, according to the online poll.

But the second choice for 18- to 31-year-olds was J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, while 32- to 43-year-olds named Stephen King's "The Stand" and Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons."

Picks for second-favorite book also varied according to region. "Gone With the Wind" was number two in the southern and midwestern United States while easterners chose "The Lord of the Rings" and westerners opted for "The Stand."

Whites and Hispanics picked "Gone With the Wind" as their second-favorite book after the Bible, while African-Americans preferred "Angels and Demons."

"Finally, they may not agree on candidates, but one thing that brings together partisans is their favorite book. For Republicans, Democrats and Independents, the top two books are the same -- the Bible followed by "Gone With the Wind."

Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code," "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown, "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand and "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger rounded out the top 10 favorites.

(Reporting by Julie Mollins; editing by Patricia Reaney)
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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080408/lf_nm_life/reading_survey_dc
Accessed on April 09, 2008

The Three Things I am Passionate About

The Three Things

I am Passionate About

Mr. Khai Minthang

Oxford, Mississippi

(This article was written on February 26, 2008 when I was in Oxford, Mississippi) 

I am passionate about my life: Life is the gift of God, the Almighty. He is the giver of life and the finisher of life. Life is like a pilgrimage and it is short. I don't intend to shorten my life by indulging on evil things. God has invested life (the breath of life) on us. Therefore, I want to keep my life as close as I can to the creator, preserver and the finisher. I respect the life of others. We all live a distinct and unique lives. That is what God intends to be. I measure my value by my life, not by my social, economic or political status. We are all dying one day. The greatest kings and emperors died like every one of us. They brought in nothing to this world and they brought out nothing from this world, although they might seemed invincible during their earthly lives. There are some people who take life as granted, not the greatest gift of God. So, they turned away from the value of life and wasted God’s investment by killing others and themselves as well. My life is my legacy. Therefore, I intend to build up my legacy in an affirmative and motivating way. Finally, I want to keep myself fit to live in this world. 

I am passionate about my family: It is the gift of God, established by humankind, governed by the Almighty and carried out by individuals. So, every single individual has a role to play to make a happy and successful family. Equal distribution of responsibilities, according to our own talents or abilities is crucial for the welfare and progress of our family. A responsible individual of the family will not keep a single issue unattended. Every single issue ought to be attended or responded accordingly in one way or the other. Family is where the most famous personalities and notorious personalities of the world sprung. Therefore, my family has a very important role to play in my life and vise versa. Family is the first ground to make a person a success in life. It’s the first school where we learn to cope with the contemporary world. The way we learn and live depends on the way we have been trained. There are some people, educated and uneducated alike, who does not pay much attention to their families. It is bad, and a well-matured person would not do that. All good and evils of this world set their roots in the family. You can be or can make the most famous personalities or the most notorious personalities of the world - the choice is yours. You may be successful in your generation, but watch out for the next generation. Your next generation will tell you if you are successful. Success is measured by your own drive. 

I am passionate about my job: Knowing where we are is the first step to success. Steadfastness to our job or profession is much more important than anything else. There are some students who act as if they are not students or intentionally ignored that they are students. This is a symptom of failure. There are some secular graduates who would want to give nice lectures on Theological phenomenon or hypothesis, and vice versa. This is wrong. Trying to be the master or specialist of a specific profession or job, rather than jack of all trade is of prime importance. However, streamlining our skills and talents with the rest of other individuals for the welfare and development of our community is a short of logical patriotism. My job is one that puts food on the table for my family. Therefore, I want to be as honest and sincere as I can to my job. But, there are few things to care about when selecting a job. If I were to select a job, I would choose a job that brings happiness to myself, to my family and to my fellow beings. It is a good idea to honor our family with our service. We ought to respect the job that makes our living. Some people do not pay attention to their job that puts food on the table of their families but try to get the fruit from somewhere they do not sow. This does not bring happiness to oneself, ones family and the Almighty God. This is the symptom of barbarism and a man-made calamity to the community. 

A sense of Samaritan work to every individual is a single key to success and development for oneself and the people being helped. We bring in nothing to this world and will bring out nothing from this world. Whatever we learn, make, acquire or possess in this world is meant to be used in this world. Our spiritual acquisition is the only one thing that will testify before the judgment throne after we die. So, sharing what we have in terms of physical, intellectual and emotional possessions with our fellow beings is the essence of our living in this world. We are made to be in this world, but not made to be of this world. 

********************* 02 - 26 - 2008 ***********************