Hummie's World: 06/01/2007

ending with :) The Kudos Team :).

We are having a blast surprising complete strangers. Just knowing what the look will be on their face is enough reward, even if we never hear back from them. Can you imagine the surprise of suddently getting lots of comments on a layout posted a long time ago? Okay, that thought is cracking me up. What a big impact we can have in the digital scrapping world. It is doing a kind act and expecting nothing in return. If you have a heart for making someone's else's day, please join us. Feel free to go back through the list and comment on all of them.

But wait, we get something in return! We can be inspired by these layout. Warm fuzzies abound!

If you've been hit by us,
feel free to place a comment on this page.

Nominations are accepted.
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READY, KUDOS TEAM? GO OUT AND STRIKE!

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Sites we have hit:
3Scrapateers
Clickchickdesigns
Digiscrapdivas
Digitalfreebies
Digitalscrapbookpages
Digitalscrapbookplace

Designerdigitals
Divinedigital

Elementalscraps

Fotoscraps
Gottapixel

JennWilsonDesigns
Rakscraps
ScrapArtist
Scrapbook-Bytes

Scrappersguide

Scrapbookers Playground

Scrapbook-Elements

Scrapper's Guide

Scrapbookgraphics
Scrapgirls
Scrapoutsidethebox
Scrappinggarden

Thedailyscrap

Thedigidreamer

Thescraphabit
Twopeasinabucket

Sites removed that have closed

Pachelbel Bedtime

My sister sent me this video link.

What parent does not identify with this!?! I identify so much that it makes me laugh out loud!

It brings more life to this video which I previously shared.

Enjoy!

Outline Text Tutorial in Photoshop Elelments (and Freebie)

I wrote a quick tutorial this morning on making outline text in Photoshop Elements. This is not really an advanced tutorial, but more a tutorial to give you inspiration to make creative titles in your layouts.

The tutorial is located here.

While doing this tutorial, I made some word art freebies for the 4th of July.

You may download them from the temporary 4shared site by clicking the icon.

Or you may download them at any time from the permanent location (and other patriotic freebies) in my Fotki Folder. Remember that the thumbnails do not represent the larger original file. Read download instructions here!

Jun 29, 2007

Horse Sense

Think hard....most of these sayings can be related to a Bible verse. :)

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My father called it Horse Sense :

Don't name a pig you plan to eat.

Country fences need to be horse high, pig tight, and bull strong.

Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.

Keep skunks and lawyers at a distance.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stumps.

A bumble bee is faster than a John Deere tractor.

Trouble with a milk cow is she won't stay milked

Don't skinny dip with snapping turtles.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.

Meanness don't happen overnight.

To know how country folks are doing, look at their barns, not their houses.

Never lay an angry hand on a kid or an animal, it just ain't helpful.

Teachers, Moms, and hoot owls sleep with one eye open.

Forgive your enemies. It messes with their heads.

Don't sell your mule to buy a plow.

Two can live as cheap as one if one don't eat.

Don't corner something meaner than you.

You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar--assuming you want to catch flies.

Man is the only critter who feels the need to label things as flowers or weeds.

It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.

Don't go huntin' with a fellow named Chug-A-Lug.

You can't unsay a cruel thing.

Every path has some puddles.

Don't wrestle with pigs: you'll get all muddy and the pigs will love it.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about never happens.

Stepping Stones

The Lord came to me like a dream one day and asked, "why do you sorrow?"
I answered, "Lord my life is so full of pain, I can't face one more tomorrow."

The Lord sat down beside me, and gently took my hand.
He said, "Let Me explain to you, and then you'll understand.

Each sorrow is a stepping stone you must surmount each day,
And every stepping stone you climb is a sorrow that's passed away.

The road of life is a mountainside, with crevices in which to be caught,
But as you struggle on your way, I, the Rock, will lend support.

Every stepping stone you climb, makes spirit and heart grow strong.
Exercising character and faith, this road seems painful and long.

The way is paved with stepping stones, to uplift your heart and soul,
Though difficult, they aid your way, to a City paved with gold.

I know that you are tired, for I too have walked this way,
My sorrows did they multiply, but I cleared many stones away.

I left My Rock to lift you up, I left behind My story.
To give you strength to make your climb, to that special place in glory.

And never fear, the Rock is here, you'll never climb this mountain alone,
Surmount life's sorrows, continue on, for they are but stepping stones.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Dirt Roads

What's mainly wrong with society today is that too many Dirt Roads have been paved.

There's not a problem in America today, crime, drugs, education, divorce,delinquency that wouldn't be remedied, if we just had more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character.

People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life is a bumpy ride.

That it can jar you right down to your teeth sometimes, but it's worth it, if at the end is home...a loving spouse, happy kids and a dog.

We wouldn't have near the trouble with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along.

There was less crime in our streets before they were paved.

Criminals didn't walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they knew they'd be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and a double barrel shotgun.

And there were no drive by shootings.

Our values were better when our roads were worse!

People did not worship their cars more than their kids, and motorists were more courteous, they didn't tailgate by riding the bumper or the guy in front would choke you with dust & bust your windshield with rocks.

Dirt Roads taught patience.

Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly, you didn't hop in your car for a quart of milk you walked to the barn for your milk.

For your mail, you walked to the mail box.

What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out? That was the best part, then you stayed home and had some family time, roasted marshmallows and popped popcorn and pony rode on Daddy's shoulders and learned how to make prettier quilts than anybody.

At the end of Dirt Roads, you soon learned that bad words tasted like soap.

Most paved roads lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole.

At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn't some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini

At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income, from when city dudes would get stuck, you'd have to hitch up a team and pull them out.

Usually you got a dollar...always you got a new friend...at the end of a Dirt Road!

~by Paul Harvey~

Quotes and Stuff

People are willing to meet each other halfway, but their judgments of distances vary considerably.

Man's problem rises from the fact that he has not only lost the way, but he has lost the address. Nicolas Berdyaev

"Don't ask the Lord to guide your footsteps unless you are willing to move your feet."

Stress is what happens when we try to impose our will on life.
-- Karl Schmidt

Make your life a mission - not an intermission.
- Arnold Glasgow

"Sacrifice in the Bible means that we give to God the best we have; it is the finest form of worship. Sacrifice is not giving up things, but giving to God with joy the best we have." -- Oswald Chambers

"Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble."
- Psalm 119:165

Every day every Christian must choose among progression, digression, and retrogression.

If you are tired of the load of your sin, let Jesus come into your heart.

A shady business never produces a sunny life.

"Creeds grow so thick along the way their boughs hide God."
- Lizette Woodworth Reese

SECRET SINS:
They won't stay secret:
Adam and Eve
Cain
Moses
Achan
Judas
Ananias

"Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct
aright I will show the salvation of God."
- Psalm 50:23

Life is tragic to him who has plenty to live on and nothing to live
for.

God could not be everywhere - therefore - He made mothers.

Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty."
- John Keats

WHERE THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN:
The wilderness
The palace
The field
Babylon
Jerusalem
Traveling
Prison
Patmos

"I expect to pass through this world but once.
Any good, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow-being, let me do it now; let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."
- Drummond

To Risk

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental
To reach out for another is to risk involvement
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self
To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss
To love is to risk not being loved in return
To live is to risk dying
To hope is to risk despair
To try is to risk failure
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
Chained by their certitudes, they are a slave, they have forfeited their freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.
--Leo Bascaglia

Jun 28, 2007

ScrapInspiration

It has been a long time since I have posted one of these posts!

To see previous ideas, just click on the "Inspiration" tab at the top of this blog!
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Place three squares together of your favorite papers and tuck them into layout corners for balance.

Put a collection of circles behind a photo, each with a different blending mode.

Remember to scrap life lessons in your pages to leave for generations to come. Try this quote: "Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it." Eving Berlin

Put a circle of words around and partially on top of a photo, but erase part of the words so that it appears to go behind the photo.

Themed Thursdays - Friends

New this week! A blogroll! Check it out in my sidebar! If you want a link to your gallery or blog in the blogroll, just e-mail me! To put the blogroll in your sidebar, get the code here!

This week's theme is "Friends." The theme starts today and runs for one week, but you can add your link at any time. Click on the "Themed Thursdays" tab above and feel free to add your link to any of the older themes!

Upload your layout to any gallery or blog and add the link to where you post your layout to Mr. Linky (in the box below) for this week's theme. It may be a layout you already have or a new layout.

Take time to visit and comment on others. It will be fun to see how everyone interprets this word and all the quotes that are possible.

Here is my layout of my and some of my closest, lifelong friends. I sure hope they do not get upset with me for putting this here (as I know they do read here from time to time....be nice to me girls!). This is one of my very first layouts....I see A LOT of things I would change on it (such as bevels instead of drop shadows and text on top of flowers), but I would never ever change the friendships I have with these ladies! I love you girlfriends!

\photo removed

Credit: Kathy Moore for kit!

Jun 27, 2007

Page Counting for Digital Scrapbookers

It is common in the digital scrapbooking world to see comparison of page counts. That is, how many layouts have been completed this year. In forums, many ladies keep their page counts in their signature lines.

Since I am trying to organize my folders because I feel I am a year behind on layouts, I thought I would do a page count. Goodness, it sure does lift my motivation to release I have done 63 layouts this year! I had forgotten all the cub scout and boy scout layouts I did to create a remembrance book through the years when my boys obtained their Eagle rank. That really boosted my count.

I have learned that when I am down about my layout progress, a page count really is a surprise and a boost! Try it!

Nonetheless, I am still behind on layouts and needing to get organized so that I can know where to start to get caught up.

I had an organization system which included what was printed and what was backed up, but it went to the wayside when all my time was committed to writing tutorials a year ago. I have neglected my own treasure keeping for giving to others by way of tutorials. I need to redirect my time partially.

I have spent the last few days reorganizing in a new system, printing layouts that have not been printing, and soon will make a list of the layouts I need to complete.

I thought I would share with you how I easily counted my pages in XP. From the folder where I keep all of my digital layouts, I activated the search box. In the search box, I left the name field blank.

I expanded the drop down fields to reveal the fields to specify a date modified and changed the dates to Jan 1 through today. Click the search button.

When the search is completed, if you keep your layouts in both the layered file (.psd for Photoshop) and one or two sizes of .jpg, it may be a little work to count.

To make this easier, choose the "Details" view in the "View" drop down menu.

Click on the column field for "Type" to sort the search results by file type. all of the .jpg images will now be grouped together for ease in counting.

Please feel free to leave a comment here and share with me and other readers how many pages you have finished in the first half of 2007!

Do you think you will be able to create that many in the second half of 2007?

I am curious as to who has the highest and who has the lowest count!

Jun 26, 2007

Friendship Prayer

I got down on my knees today,
And said a prayer for you,
For you are always in my heart,
And I often think of you,

I asked the Lord to send his angels,
To protect my dearest friend,
I prayed that all the joy and happiness,
You have will never end,

I asked the Lord to comfort you,
When you are feeling blue,
And when you have a tear,
He'll wipe away that too,

I asked the Lord to bless our friendship,
So our ways will never part,
For true friends always stick together

Breaking Commandments

It really isn't necessary to keep the commandments. Just break # 8 (You shall not bear false witness) and claim you are keeping them all.

Moses was the first to break all the commandments. His punishment was to go back up and get another set.

Religious Definitions You Need to Know

AMEN: The only part of a prayer that everyone knows.
- BULLETIN: Your receipt for attending the Service.
- CHOIR: A group of people whose singing allows the rest of the Congregation to lip-sync.
- HOLY WATER: A liquid whose chemical formula is H2OLY.
- HYMN: A song of praise usually sung in a key three octaves higher than that of the congregation's range.
- RECESSIONAL HYMN: The last song at the Service often sung a little more quietly, since most of the people have already left.
- INCENSE: Holy Smoke!
- JONAH: The original "Jaws" story.
- JUSTICE: When kids have kids of their own.
- KYRIE ELEISON: The only Greek words that most can recognize besides gyros and baklava.
- MAGI: The most famous trio to attend a baby shower.
- MANGER: Where Mary gave birth to Jesus because Joseph wasn't covered by an HMO. The Bible's way of showing us that holiday travel has always been rough.
- PEW: A medieval torture device still found in churches.
- PROCESSION: The ceremonial formation at the beginning of the Service consisting of altar servers, the celebrant, and late parishioners looking for seats.
- RECESSIONAL: The ceremonial procession at the conclusion of the Service led by parishioners trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot.
- RELICS: People who have been going to Church for so long, they actually know when to sit, kneel, and stand.
- TEN COMMANDMENTS: The most important Top Ten list not given by David Letterman.
- USHERS: The only people in the parish who don't know the seating capacity of a pew.

Ripples

Drop a pebble in the water,
just a splash, and it's gone,
But there's half-a-hundred ripples
circling on and on,
Spreading from the center,
flowing on out to the sea,
And there is no way of telling
where the end is going to be.

Drop a pebble in the water,
in a minute you forget,
But there's little waves a-flowing,
and there's ripples circling yet,
And those little waves a-flowing
to a great big wave have grown,
You've disturbed a mighty river
just by dropping in a stone.

Drop an unkind or careless word,
in a minute it's gone,
But there's half-a-hundred ripples
circling on and on,
They keep spreading,
spreading from the center as they go,
And there's no way to stop them,
once you've started them to flow.

Drop an unkind or careless word,
in a minute you forget,
But there's little waves a-flowing,
and there's ripples circling yet,
And perhaps in some sad heart
a mighty wave of tears you've stirred,
And disturbed a life that was happy
when you dropped that unkind word.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness,
just a flash and it's gone,
But there's half-a-hundred ripples
circling on and on,
And you've rolled a wave of comfort
whose sweet music can be heard,
Over miles and miles of water
just by dropping one kind word.

Covering Your Church with Prayer

One of the most practical ways to demonstrate Christian love for your brothers and sisters at your church is to pray for them regularly. Here is a memory device you can use to guide your daily prayers.

Sunday – the Sick, Sorrowful and Suffering. Pray for members with all kinds of illnesses and suffering—physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, family struggles, etc. Ask God to give these members His peace and to help them lean on Him in times of trouble.

Monday – the Men of your church. Pray that they will be godly fathers and husbands and that they will take their roles as head of their Christian households seriously. Ask God to help all of your church’s men to be men of integrity and leaders in the community.

Tuesday – your church’s Teachers. Ask God to bless your pastor, the music and educational directors, the youth director and all the Sunday School teachers. Pray that these people will allow themselves to be used by God to instruct members of your church in His word.

Wednesday – the Women of your church. Pray that they will be godly mothers and wives and that they will do a good job in nurturing their families. Pray also that God will bless those women in your church who are either single or widowed. Ask God to help them to serve Him in ways that they would be unable to serve if they were married.

Thursday – your church’s Toddlers, Teens and every age in between. Pray that God will protect them from illnesses, accidents, temptation and predators. Pray that they will all grow up to be strong men and women of God and that even as youngsters, they will lead others to Him.

Friday – your church’s Families. Pray that God will help your church to build strong families and that there will have no broken marriages. Ask God to help any families that may be struggling to stay together.

Saturday – Spiritual Growth and Stewardship. Pray that God will give all members a strong hunger for Him. Ask that God will help members to use their material blessings wisely so that they can accomplish His purposes for your church.

Timothy 2:1 says, "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone..."

Jun 25, 2007

Technorati, Giving Freely, and Lessons Learned

Just today Connie and I joked about helping each other with track backs. How ironic that I should today read another powerful post about the same subject.

I wonder how many digiscrappers know why track backs are "supposedly" important?

From my understanding, they help people find you and your blog at the various sites that utilize rankings.

For instance, at Technorati.com, your authority is determined by the number of blogs linking to your blog on other's blogs. This is not the number of links, but rather each blog counts once for a sixth month period. Having a high authority is good. This number is utilized as one of the factors in determine your rank in searches at various sites. The higher your authority, the higher your page rank. Read here.

Of course, just to confuse you, at Technorati, a lower "rank" is better. The rank is determined by some secret algorithym, one factor of which is the authority. Think of rank as the #1 rank being the first slot on a list.

You can see that my authority for this blog is 159 (meaning 159 blogs link to this blog in a 6 month period). My authority at my new blog is only 6.

My rank for this blog is 29,852.
My rank for my new blog is 954,662. Big difference!

I have read that once you get under 30,000, it is much harder to move in ranking. You can find the blogs ranked from 1 to 100 here.

Google and other search engines utilize similar means to rank pages during searches.

Over at Blogcatalog, there was a thread comparing authority and rank a month or so ago. It was at that point that I realized I must be doing something right as my numbers were the best in that thread. I am not sure what I am doing. I wish I knew so I could keep doing it!

As is natural, when someone discovers how the system works, and they are hungry for people to read what they have taken precious time to write, they begin to seek methods to increase their ranking.

Many blogs participate in link exchanges. You link me, I'll link you!

Now, feel I would have to be pretty rank-hungry to put a link to a blog that had nothing to do with any of my interests or hobbies on my blog, but some people do it.

Although it is fun to check every few weeks or so to see what my authority is, I have never taken means to raise it on purpose.

This brings me to a post I found today that is linked to me. Wow! I am at awe at this post by Bluepanjeet! He admits that he made a mistake in pursuing "viral tags and viral icon phenomenon, which plagued the blogospher literally like a virus." He wonders why he ever jumped on the train since his blog is non-profit (like mine).

Shall we all learn from his experience? It is amazing sometimes what addictions we can get hooked on which are a waste of our time. His conscience bothered him, especially in the avenue of selfishness, wanting attention, popularity, and fame. Our natural self desires these things, but God tells us not to seek these things. Amazing how some seemingly harmless things can lead us astray.

He proceeds to give me warm fuzzies by suggesting my blog as a good example. I bet my facial expressions said it all when I read that!

I give thanks to God for helping me to give a good impression on my blog--one of helping others, inspiring others, and as a tool to share my faith. I consider this blog a ministry as I share my life experiences, opening up my thoughts, and associating my faith with them. I am not so concerned with rank or numbers, although they are fun to watch and follow as someone who is analytical, but more concerned that God guides the right person to read my blog that my words would be just what they needed that day. If it helps one person, my blog is successful.

Here are partial quotes from his blog which is powerful, including a prayer he wrote. He deserves some love! I encourage you to leave him a few loving comments.

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"1. It makes your page ranking earn a number of links (links spells popularity) in an unnatural way. Linking someone’s blog is a freewill act of the writer. The mere fact you are linked by someone just means that your blog is either liked or thought of by the blogger. In the viral tags you are linked not because you meant something to him/her, but because you are used to increase others’ number of links.

2. I am also using others and encouraging them to do the same because it runs with the precept of: “I will link you if you will link me”. Therefore it encourages selfishness. To say that I am helping others raise their page rank is merely an excuse. What ever the reason one formulates, the truth remains that the motivation is not to help others “alone” but to help others because they are helping me. The Christian concept of help is very basic: helping without expecting any return from others. If I really want to help others in increasing their page rank , I should teach them how to fish instead of giving fish themselves.

3. It is also a pretension. My rank increased as well as my traffic but did my readers increase? It is like sugarcoating your blog’s popularity where in fact the content is bitter.

4. It breeds greed. Yesterday someone left a comment on my blog telling me that the link to his icon was removed. So I placed his icon and put the link just like he requested. Until I found my own icon, being ripped off my link. I soon traced the source and kindly told him to return the link in my icon. Until I was stupefied. I realized that I was already preoccupied with my own concerns rather than being concern with my posts and my readers. I saw myself being greedy with the links. I made a long pause of reflection and told myself: This is definitely wrong. I also saw some bloggers posting their viral tags not just once but twice and thrice, just to gain another definitive number of links. This is so wrong.

5. As my page rank rose, I thought of my fellow blogger friends’ rank. It hit me. This is cheating. I am being ranked to the top without the justice of really being read by the community. I thought that there are more worthy bloggers to receive this rank than me. I am actually stepping on others just to get to the top. To say that I am not doing anything against my fellow bloggers is a bull. I am concretely deceiving myself into thinking that my blog is more popular than my friend’s, where in fact I just gained that popularity just because I cheated on the basis of empty links rather than my blog’s readability.

I did not go global in the net to prove something worth of praise nor do intend to show the world how perfect I am and what I’m made of. Parodoxically, I am here to show the readers my weaknesses and my mistakes, my happiness and pains, my humor and my irony. I am here to prove the world that its okay to get angry, that its okay to get hurt, its okay to laugh at something so stupid, that its alright to cry from time to time and that its okay to be human 24/7 of our remaining lives, as long as we are not stepping on anyone’s rights and sensitivities. Like you, I’m striving to be human amidst the world of gadgetry and technological preoccupation. We are so absorbed with what the world offers that sometimes we forget that we are not made of iron and steel, sprockets and bolts. We are human flesh, made and created by the God whom we adore and worship, whatever the name we call HIM.

I am very thankful that my blogger friends (please allow me to mention some of them to you) continue to inspire me with their zeal and pure intentions in blogging. Visiting their blogs frequently, always reminds me that success in my mission here in the blogosphere does not depend on page ranks. I am ashamed of myself of unwittingly letting my own blog be swayed from its original charism, which is to inspire people and not to become another profit driven blog.

I am truly grateful to .......Hummie,.... for implicitly telling me through their inspiring entries that blogging is not just about popularity and profit, but about the passion to help and inspire other people regardless of belief and background with selfless ness of personal stories and generosity of spirit.

And with this I offer you this Blogger’s Daily Prayer which I wrote just now and inspired by my Franciscan Capuchin background, to help me fight my own selfish inclinations.

Blogger’s Daily Prayer
by bluepanjeet
June 22, 2007

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,

Let me see what I do not see

Render my blog as
An inspiration rather than a discouragement
A channel of peace rather than a vessel of chaos
A a beacon at night rather than just a tunnel of light
A place of unity instead of disharmony

Guide me as I traverse this unique journey
As a friend to my fellow blogger rather than a competitor
A family to my visitors rather than a mere host
A model for lurkers rather than becoming a lurker myself
A helping hand to those who are in need rather than just an instruction

Show me the importance of what I do
As I write for life rather than for page ranks
As I become an alternative rather than a stereotype
As I am inspired rather than motivated
As I log for passion and not as an obligation
As I please no one in my posts except you my Master

Give me strength in times of my weakness
To be humble of my achievements and skills rather than proud
To be gentle in the midst of criticism rather than be aggressive
To be truthful in everything I write rather than copy and assume
To be respectful of others’ opinion as I want them to respect mine
To be docile to your Spirit’s gentle stirrings rather than a slave of my own caprices

Stretch forth your hand from the cross
As I share the entirety of myself rather than just a piecemeal
As I open up myself to issues rather than close my mind
As I suffer amidst misunderstanding rather than rant my side
As I face the daily struggle of inspiration rather than sulk in blog depression

Protect me Lord from the enemy’s temptation as I battle
Jealousy and envy with admiration and goodwill,
Blog constraints with spontaneity,
Personal biases with impartiality,
Iniquity with ethics and morality,
Dishonesty and hacking with integrity,
Skepticism of identity with credibility,
Insensitivity and tactlessness with prudence and compassion,
Fear of failure and losing readers with acceptance,
Obsession to fame and popularity with quality of my contents,
Peer pressure with free will and conscience,
Society’s standards with your commandments,

Let me not be concerned with rankings but with the lives that I am about to touch through my blog. Let me not be greedy with others’ attention, but rather be generous in giving attention to those who needs it. Let all of my achievements and awards become not as mere honors but a thanksgiving for your unconditional love and guidance, as I write my blog entries under the shadow of your wings and for your Glory and honor.

For you are the wisdom, the knowledge and inspiration of my every post, my Lord and my Master, my God and my All, Amen.

Television Station Ratings

When I was young, I remember that the television stations were rated by popularity with ABC at the top, NBC, and then CBS trailing far behind. I remember my family mostly watching ABC shows and thinking how true the ratings were.

I have been reflecting on this memory in recent years. It seems to me that the raties are still placing the stations in that same order; however, that is no longer what my family is mostly watching. FOX was not even a word in my household growing up. Only occasionally will there be a show on ABC or NBC that I watch. Most of my tv time is spent on CBS, followed by FOX.

My shows by station:

CBS (Fall Line-Up)
Survivor
Shark
Pirate Master
Cold Case
Without a Trace
Numbers
CSI: Miami
CSI: NY
CSI: Crime Scene Investigations
NCIS
The Amazing Race
Big Brother (sort of, but only to keep up with conversations)

FOX (fall preview)
So You Think You Can Dance
House
American Idol
On the Lot

NBC (fall preview)
Last Comic Standing
The Apprentice (canceled)
Dateline

ABC (fall shows)
The Next Best Thing
The Bachelor
The Bachelorette

FOOD NETWORK
The Next Food Network Star

It is kind of scary laying out this list for all to see. What in the world does my tv viewing say about me! I'm mostly not sure what it says about whether or not I follow my Christian values very well when it comes to t.v.

We have been renting some movies lately as my tivo has actually not been very active lately with all the reruns. Big Brother will be starting soon; however, I am not really into it. I mostly watch it so that I can understand and participate in conversations around me. I tend to miss a lot of the episodes. There is just too much ugliness and rawness in it for me. I understand that they are hyping up a gay couple that gets married on the show (Stephen Ireland and James Joell) this season and have revealed the contestants.

My reflecting has recently been brought back to mind as I am watching the ads for television line-ups this fall and, wow, I must say FOX seems to really be stepping it up! If CBS is not careful, I may become a avid FOX viewer.

THIS SUMMER

What's up with the Karoke War between NBC and Fox? NBC's "The Singing Bee" is scheduled to air (July 10) one day before Fox's Don't Forget the Lyrics (July 11). I may have to check both of these out.

THIS FALL

Kid Nation on CBS this fall has my attention. Can 40 children with no adults really survive?

On fox, there are upcoming shows for "The Search for the Next Great American Band," "K-Ville" (a New Orleans based drama), Back to You (with the lady from Everyone Loves Raymond) and "New Amsterdam" also have my attention. I am hopeful that the Band show is comparable to the RockStar show I enjoyed.

And, although the FOX show "When Women Ruled the World" interests me, the premises of it may be too far beyond my Christian beliefs to get me to watch it. We'll see.

CBS also has some applications on their website of a "untitled legal reality tv" show and I am curious about what that will be.

Sharing Blog Secrets

I was reading Connie's post over at Digiscrapinfo and I saw my name all over that post and I could NOT seem to read it for this big smile on my face and all the giggling from my lungs...lol! What a hoot!

It seems Connie and I both found a great genealogy blog you should scoot on over and read through similar, yet different methods.

Connie has shared a great new tool called CoComment. I tested it once to see how it works. Who would have ever imagined that would be possible!

When she first posted about Google Alerts to find blogs of interest, I was surprised because I realized we were already both doing the same thing (her beating me there most of the time!) with different methods.

Okay, okay, Connie, I'll share my method and secrets with the digiworld! Here goes!

First, go to Google Blog Search.

Search for topics of interest: ie. digital scrapbooking, photography, digiscrapping, genealogy, recipe, Photoshop, your own name (ah, great idea Connie, I would have never thought of that).

Hit "Search Blogs" and then scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page.

There are three options, one is to subscribe to the Google Alerts, as Connie suggests, as she likes getting them by e-mail. I prefer reading mine in an RSS reader because there is nothing to delete and I already get enough e-mail! Click on "Subscribe to a blog search feed for digiscrapping in Google Reader."

When it takes you to your Google Reader, click on the "Subscribe" button. Wait for the feeds to come in!

Of course, you can subscribe in any reader.

Look to the sidebar in the blog search. Right click on "RSS" and choose "copy shortcut" to put the feed RSS in your clipboard.

Go to your favorite RSS Reader (I use Bloglines) and paste (Control V) it into a subscription.

The only subscriptions I have in my Google Reader are these Google searches. I do not go there very often and they do build up, but when I do have time, I enjoy surprising people with a little love.
In addition, it is a great way to find posts of interest to share on my "internet finds" posts here on my blog. Now, how else do I find those internet finds so quickly? You want me to tell ALL my secrets?

Psst...Connie, you've now been rewarded with a track-back for making me smile! Go technorati rating! Giggle...how many people other than people who enjoy techie stuff like us really care about those things!

Jun 24, 2007

Photoshop Elements Extraction Tutorial

I am excited that I was able to write again today!

I have had many requests for an extraction tutorial for digital scrapbooking in Photoshop Elements.

First, read the new short tutorial about jaggies and messies.
Now you are ready to read the Extraction Tutorial.

If this tutorial was helpful to you and you are financial able, I do appreciate any donations for my time (button in sidebar). I am saving up these donations to purchase either Elements 5 or the upcoming Elements 6 so that I can better help others online with screen shots from the newer programs. I currently have approximately $45 in donations...about half way! Thank you ladies!

While making this tutorial, I made 10 new clippies. You can download them by "clicking right here" to take you to my Fotki folder. I do understand that Fotki is new to some, so please read the download instructions.

Please remember that the thumbnails look funky, but the full original file downloads beautifully. Fotki may not be as quick to download as 4shared, but it does allow me to leave my freebies up forever as I do not run out of space as those who use 4shared. Therefore, anyone in the future coming here will be able to find the freebies!

Have a great week!

A Simple Hug

There's something in a simple hug
That always warms the heart;
It welcomes us back home
And makes it easier to part.
A hug is a way to share the joy
And sad times we go through,
Or just a way for friends to say
They like you 'cause you're you.
Hugs are meant for anyone
For whom we really care,
From your grandma to your neighbor,
Or a cuddly teddy bear.
A hug is an amazing thing --
It's just the perfect way
To show the love we're feeling
But can't find the words to say.
It's funny how a little hug
Makes everyone feel good;
In every place and language,
It's always understood.
And hugs don't need new equipment,
Special batteries or parts -
Just open up your arms
And open up your hearts.

Things to Remember

I find what I look for in people. If I look for God, I find God. If I look for bad qualities, I find them. I, in a sense, select what I expect, and I receive it.

A life without challenges would be like going to school without lessons to learn. Challenges come not to depress or get me down, but to master and to grow and to unfold thereby.

In the Father's wise and loving plan for me, no burden can fall upon me, no emergency can arise, no grief can overtake me, before I am given the grace and strength to meet them.

A rich, full life is not determined by outer circumstances and relationships. These can be contributory to it, but cannot be the source. I am happy or unhappy because of what I think and feel.

I can never lose anything that belongs to me, nor can I posses what is not really mine.

To never run from a problem: either it will chase me or I will run into another just like it, although it may have a different face or name.

To have no concern for tomorrow. Today is the yesterday over which I had concern.

To never bang on a closed door: Wait for it to open and then go through it.

A person who has come into my life has come either to teach me something, or to learn something from me.

Wash Day

Monday
Wash Day

Lord, help me wash away all my selfishness and vanity, so I may serve you with perfect humility through the week ahead.

Tuesday
Ironing Day

Dear Lord, help me iron out all the wrinkles of prejudice I
have collected through the years so that I may see the beauty in
others.

Wednesday
Mending Day

O God, help me mend my ways so I will not set a bad example for others.

Thursday
Cleaning Day

Lord Jesus, help me to dust out all the many faults I have been hiding in the secret corners of my heart.

Friday
Shopping Day

O God, give me the grace to shop wisely so I may purchase eternal
happiness for myself and all others in need of love.

Saturday
Cooking Day

Help me, my Savior, to brew a big kettle of brotherly love and serve it with clean, sweet bread of human kindness.

Sunday
The Lord's Day

O God, I have prepared my house for you. Please come into my heart so I may spend the day and the rest of my life in your presence.

Marriage Mockery

The new laws are making a mockery of marriage. Read this to see where this equality rights could go if this mockery continues!

********************
Wanna get married?

(A scene at City Hall in San Francisco )

"Next." Good morning. We want to apply for a marriage license."

"Names?"

"Tim and Jim Jones."

"Jones? Are you related? I see a resemblance."

"Yes, we're brothers."

"Brothers? You can't get married."

"Why not? Aren't you giving marriage licenses to same gender couples?"

"Yes, thousands. But we haven't had any siblings. That's incest!"

"Incest?" No, we are not gay."

"Not gay? Then why do you want to get married?"

"For the financial benefits, of course. And we do love each other. Besides, we don't have any other prospects."

"But we're issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples who've been denied equal protection under the law. If you are not gay, you can get married to a woman."

"Wait a minute. A gay man has the same right to marry a woman as I have. But just because I'm straight doesn't mean I want to marry a woman. I want to marry Jim."

"And I want to marry Tim, Are you going to discriminate against us just because we are not gay?"

"All right, all right. I'll give you your license. Next."

"Hi. We are here to get married."

"Names?"

"John Smith, Jane James, Robert Green, and June Johnson."

"Who wants to marry whom?"

"We all want to marry each other."

"But there are four of you!"

"That's right. You see, we're all bisexual. I love Jane and Robert, Jane loves me and June, June loves Robert and Jane, and Robert loves June and me. All of us getting married together is the only way that we can express our sexual preferences in a marital relationship."

"But we've only been granting licenses to gay and lesbian couples."

"So you're discriminating against bisexuals!"

"No, it's just that, well, the traditional idea of marriage is that it's just for couples."

"Since when are you standing on tradition?"

"Well, I mean, you have to draw the line somewhere."

"Who says? There's no logical reason to limit marriage to couples. The more the better. Besides, we demand our rights! The mayor says the constitution guarantees equal protection under the law. Give us a marriage license!"

"All right, all right. Next."

"Hello, I'd like a marriage license."

"In what names?"

"David Deets."

"And the other man?"

"That's all. I want to marry myself."

"Marry yourself? What do you mean?"

"Well, my psychiatrist says I have a dual personality, so I want to marry the two together. Maybe I can file a joint income-tax return."

"That does it! I quit!! You people are making a mockery of marriage!!"

God Bless All the Little...

There was a boy who lived with his family on a farm. The farm had an icehouse, where produce was stored. One day, the boy noticed that a family of wrens was trapped in the building. He opened the doors to coax the birds out, but oddly, they refused. The boy was very worried about them, because it was so cold in the icehouse. That night, he knelt at his bedside and prayed, "God bless all the little chilled wrens."

Holy Alphabet

Although things are not perfect
Because of trial or pain
Continue in thanksgiving
Do not begin to blame
Even when the times are hard
Fierce winds are bound to blow
God is forever able
Hold on to what you know
Imagine life without His love
Joy would cease to be
Keep thanking Him for all the things
Love imparts to thee
Move out of "Camp Complaining"
No weapon that is known
On earth can yield the power
Praise can do alone
Quit looking at the future
Redeem the time at hand
Start every day with worship
To "thank" is a command
Until we see Him coming
Victorious in the sky
We'll run the race with gratitude
X-alting God most high
Yes, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...
Zion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!

Jun 22, 2007

Healed and Whole

One day I dug a little hole,
and put my hurt inside
I thought that I could just forget
I'd put it there to hide.

But that little hurt began to grow,
I covered it every day
I couldn't leave it and go on
It seemed the price I had to pay.

My joy was gone,
my heart was sad,
pain was all I knew.
My wounded soul enveloped me
Loving seemed too hard to do.

One day, while standing by my hole,
I cried to God above
And said, "If You are really there,
They say, You're a God of Love!"

And just like that,
He was right there,
And just put His arms around me
He wiped my tears,
his hurting child there was no safer place to be.

I told Him all about my hurt,
I opened up my heart
He listened to each and every word
to every sordid part.

I dug down deep and got my hurt
I brushed the dirt away
And placed it in the Master's hand
and healing came that day.

He took the blackness of my soul
and set my spirit FREE!
Something beautiful began to grow
where the hurt used to be.

And when I look at what has grown
Out of my tears and pain
I remember every day
to give my hurts to GOD
And never bury them again.

Have faith in our Loving God.
There is nothing in this world
too big for our LORD.

May GOD bless you each and every one.

Never

Your heart is never so out of tune
you cannot sing a new song.
Your light is never so tiny a spark
it cannot ignite and burn strong.

Your laughter is never so hollow
it cannot burst at the seams.
Your spirit is never so broken
you cannot rebuild all your dreams.

Your vision is never so out of focus
you cannot see your way clear.
Your courage is never so locked away
you cannot break free from your fear.

Your love is never so tiny a stream
it cannot flow with a force.
Your soul is never so drifted away
it cannot get back on its course.

Your faith is never so lost in a storm
it cannot sail high on the seas.
Your prayers are never so long forgotten
you cannot get down on your knees.

Your hope is never so far from memory
you cannot have total recall.
Your will is never so shaken and weak
you cannot survive a hard fall.

Your life is never so worthless a thing
you cannot bring dignity to it.
Your day is never so empty a void
you cannot fill up and renew it.

Your 'nevers' are never so final
you cannot reach out for the bliss,
the peace, protection and safety,
the anchor of God's sacred kiss.

The Family Bible

Old brother Higgins built a shelf
for the family bible to rest itself
lest a sticky finger or grimy thumb
might injure the delicate pages some.

He cautioned his children to touch it not
and it rested there with never a blot
though the Higgins tribe were
a troublesome lot.

His neighbor, Miggins, built a shelf,
"Come children," he said, "and help yourself."
His book is old and ragged and worn,
with some of the choicest pages torn,
where children have fingered
and thumbed and read.

But of the Miggins tribe I've heard it said,
each carries a bible in their head.

Grandma's Hands

Grandma, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. She didn't move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands. When I sat down beside her she didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if she was OK.

Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her at the same time, I asked her if she was OK. She raised her head and looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking," she said in a clear voice strong.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK," I explained to her.

"Have you ever looked at your hands," she asked. "I mean really looked at your hands?"

I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over,palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making.

Grandma smiled and related this story:
"Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled,shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life.

"They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my husband and wiped my tears when he went off to war.

"They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special. They wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse.

"They have held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand.

"They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.

"These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of life. But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ."

I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God reached out and took my grandma's hands and led her home.

When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and husband I think of grandma. I know she has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God.

I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.

Designer Technique (Darcy Baldwin) Sticker Tutorial

I would like to introduce to you Darcy Baldwin, our Designer sharing a technique with us this week! Darcy says she does not consider herself a "designer" because she merely sells (really cool) fonts, but I would contend that anyone who creates digital scrapbooking pages is a designer!

Darcy is sharing with us today a technique to make stickers.

I have only recently met Darcy, but from the experiences I have had with her, I can share that she is a care, loving, warm person (and I am sure a great mother and wife too!).

Darcy sells custom fonts (with your handwriting) and other fonts at the Blue Flamingo. The prices are reasonable! Some day I may get my own font as it sounds as if it would be fun to play with. I think it is wonderful that Darcy has shared with us a technique today to utilize the fonts she sells!

Darcy has a gallery at DST. Pay special attention to those fonts and find other techniques to utilize fonts!

Keep up Darcy on her blog. Her sons are the subject of most of her scrapbooking pages. Isn't he adorable? Blogs are a great way to really get to know someone.

**************
Like the sticker look? Would you like to be able to make any of the alphabets or images that you have into a sticker? It’s really quite easy. Follow along with me using any alphabet of your choosing or any image that you have. These instructions are specific to Photoshop CS as that is what I’m using, but work in any of the PS programs and are very similar in PSE.

Open a canvas of any size. Then make a text layer by choosing your text tool and clicking on the canvas. I’ve colored the background here to make it easier to see the results.

Next, double click on your text layer. That’s the easiest way to bring up your layer styles, and check the stroke box. You’ll see a bright red halo surround your letter. Not very attractive, is it? We’ll change that in the next step.

Click on the red box named color and you’ll see your color palette pop up. Use the color selector tool to choose your new stroke color. I’ve chosen white for a typical sticker look. Click ok once you’ve chosen your new color.

The next step will be determining how large you’d like your stroke to be. I find that 20-30 pts is a good range for the sticker look. However, you can make it whatever size you’d like to fit the style you’re looking for. Click okay once you’ve made your choice.

Now you have your sticker! But..it doesn’t look much like a sticker, does it? In order to make your style permanent, you need to choose a new layer by clicking the layer button at the bottom of your layer’s palette (the square button that looks like a page with it’s corner folded). This will give you a new layer. Lock the new layer to the text layer and do Ctrl E (for PS) or Layer>Merged Linked from your Command bar. This will lock a new layer to your stroked layer to make the stroke permanent.

Now – you have a sticker! Congratulations. You can apply any shadow application to the sticker at this point for a more realistic look.

This is also a technique you can use on any font to get a bold look when bold isn’t an option, or you just want something even bolder.

In the next example, I created my text layer, double clicked that layer to get my style sheet. I chose to stroke the image, chose the same color as my letter color, and changed the stroke to a 4pt stroke. You can see the difference in the next two images.

This is particularly handy when using handwriting fonts that might be too light to read when you’ve used them for journaling. This is an easy way to keep the font that you love, but increasing it’s easy of reading on your layout.

Experiment with this technique with drawn flowers, stars or any other image. This works best with images that are not meant to look photo-realistic, for things such as a scanned flower.

Jun 21, 2007

Defying Time

As I begin to scrap more and more older photos, especially those of my boys where I was present at the time the snapshot was made, I am experiencing how photographs (and digital scrapbooking) defies time. Anyone who has scrapped old photos, or even sat and looked through old photos, will understand what I am trying to express.

It is a hard concept to put into words, but I want to try because I know my readers will identify. As I look at photos of my boys, it is as if time is disregarded, as if I am transported in time back to the moment the photo is taken.

Is this the way God sees time? ("But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." 2 Peter 3:8)

To God, a minute in our time can seem the same as years for us. The clock on the wall no longer matters. Through photographs, I am actually living in the past as if I were there again. I am in the past, but yet still in the present, and glimpsing into the future.

Digital scrapbooking provides a means to look through a window of life. Our layouts are tools which allow us to experience the present through the past. We are unconscious of time as if we are on the other side of a pane of glass, the past on one side and the present on the other, our layout on one side and us on the other, in the same moment, but yet not. Suddenly, our mind looks forward to the future, reflecting on what time has already changed.

Photographs capture a moment and time is standing still, always there for us to peek at time and time again. As I look at photos taken before my time, photos of my parents or grandparents before I was born, I am carried even to that instant when the shutter flashed. That split second in time, although I never experienced it personally, is now a part of my memory. This feeling of being in a moment of time before my time draws me into genealogy. If you have ever been drawn into genealogy, you will appreciate this concept. It pulls you in and you want to know more about those moments, to learn more about yourself.

A difficult situation can seem to be a very long time to us and yet life itself seems so short. I am sure you have experienced this defile of time in your own life. Time is not always regulated by the second on a clock, but rather time can be limitless. We live every moment in time with no limits as we journal on our pages. Have you ever sat in front of your computer scrapping and been totally oblivious to that which is around you? It feels as if you are in the moment in the past which you are scrapping, not in the present.

What strings of words in this writing can you pull out as stand alone words for a scrapbooking title? Read this writing again and try it. Take an old photo and scrap it using this title and then drop back by and share it with us. Post your layout anywhere and add the link to Mr. Linky below.

[Check out the DST discussion on this top. It is interesting! ]

Here is a layout I did (everything made by myself). As I look at photos of my boys when they are little, I just want to reach back in time and kiss them, only that pane in the window of time is between me and that photo and the inability to kiss them transports me back to the present.

Themed Thursdays - Purple

This week's theme is "purple." The theme starts today and runs for one week, but you can add your link at any time. Click on the "Themed Thursdays" tab above and feel free to add your link to any of the older themes!

Upload your layout to any gallery or blog and add the link to where you post your layout to Mr. Linky (in the box below) for this week's theme. It may be a layout you already have or a new layout.

Take time to visit and comment on others. It will be fun to see how everyone interprets this word and all the quotes that are possible.

I do not have too many purple layouts. I had one Easter one, but it was not a very good one. Here's one from my garden book.

Jun 20, 2007

To Each His Own

I cannot change the way I am,
I never really try,
God made me different and unique,
I never ask him why.

If I appear peculiar,
There's nothing I can do,
You must accept me as I am,
As I've accepted you.

God made a casting of each life,
Then threw the mold away,
Each child is different from the rest,
Unlike as night from day.

So often we will criticize,
The things that others do,
But, do you know, they do not think,
The same as me and you.

So God in all his wisdom,
Who knows us all by name,
He didn't want us to be bored,
That's why we're not the same

The Will of God

The will of God will never take you,
Where the grace of God cannot keep you.
Where the arms of God cannot support you,
Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the power of God cannot endow you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the army of God cannot protect you,
Where the hands of God cannot mold you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

Taking Christ out of America

This was in a Tampa newspaper.

Will we still be the Country of choice and still be America if we continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries that came to live in America because it is the Country of Choice??????

Think about it!

All we have to say is, when will they do something about MY RIGHTS?

I celebrate Christmas...........but because it isn't celebrated by everyone..............we can no longer say Merry Christmas. Now it has to be Season's Greetings.

It's not Christmas vacation, it's Winter Break. Isn't it amazing how this winter break ALWAYS occurs over the Christmas holiday?

We've gone so far the other way, bent over backwards to not offend anyone,that I am now being offended. But it seems that no one has a problem with that. This says it all! This is an editorial written by an American citizen, published in a Tampa newspaper. He did quite a job; didn't he? Read on, please!

IMMIGRANTS,
NOT AMERICANS,
MUST ADAPT.
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, we have experienced a surge
in patriotism by the majority of Americans. However...... the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the "politically correct! " crowd began complaining about
the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.

I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to ! America. Our population is almost entirely made up of descendants of immigrants. However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand. This idea of America being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Americans...... we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men
and women who have sought freedom.

We speak ENGLISH , not Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese,Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!

"In God We Trust" is our national motto. This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan.. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women.......on Christian principles............. founded this nation..... and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools.
If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home.........because God is part of our culture.

If Stars and Stripes offend you, or you don't like Uncle Sam, then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. This is OUR COUNTRY, our land, and our lifestyle. Our First Amendment gives every citizen the right to express his opinion and we will allow you every opportunity to do so! But once you are done complaining....... whining...... and griping....... about our flag....... our pledge...... our national motto........or our way of life....I highly encourage you to take advantage of one other Great American Freedom.......

THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.

It is Time for America to Speak up If you agree -- pass this along; if you don't agree -- delete it!

AMEN

Jun 30, 2007

Jun 29, 2007

Jun 28, 2007

Jun 27, 2007

Jun 26, 2007

Jun 25, 2007

Jun 24, 2007

Jun 22, 2007

Jun 21, 2007

Jun 20, 2007

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