Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Niiice design Nissan, even in "little things"

NHH121.jpg (JPEG Image, 268x307 pixels) Coool mousepad!

Sunday, December 19, 2004

Left out in the Cold

As I read this devotional, I was very moved by the story. I do not normally put this kind of content here, but I think I should share this one at this time of the year. Comments are welcome at the end.

Devotional date: Dec 19, 2004
By Mark Finley, On Solid Ground, 2003, RHPA

And this will be the sign to you: you will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Luke 2:12.

It was cold, bone-chilling cold. The wind howled, and the snow fell heavily. It was Christmas Eve in 1952 in a remote village in Korea. Only a few people were on the streets completing those last-minute chores before Christmas. One lone woman in her early 20s slowly trudged down the street. Every step was labored. It was difficult for her to make much headway at all against the driving wind. She was nine months pregnant, and the baby was due that very night. She had no family. The young woman had become pregnant by an American GI. Now she was alone, all alone, with no place to deliver the baby. She remembered a kind missionary across town. Suddenly thoughts raced through her mind. If only I can get to the missionary's house in time, I can deliver my baby there.

Crossing a bridge to the other side of town, she recognized the telltale signs that the baby was about to be born. Stumbling down the hill to the riverbed, she found shelter under the bridge. There, in the freezing cold, this young Korean woman delivered a beautiful baby boy. Throughout the night she wrapped him in her own clothing to keep him warm.

Early Christmas morning as the missionary pastor was crossing the bridge, he heard the cries of the newborn baby. Quickly, he rushed to help. To his amazement, he found the mother frozen to death, but the baby boy, wrapped in her clothing, was doing quite well.

The missionary immediately reported the scene to the authorities. Since the boy had no father, the pastor eventually adopted him. As the years passed, father and son became inseparable friends. Ten years later, on Christmas Eve in 1962, the father told his adopted son about the incredible sacrifice of his loving mother. The boy was deeply moved.

On Christmas morning, when Dad quietly entered the boy's room to wake him up, he found the boy's bed empty. He searched the house but couldn't find him. As the boy's father looked out the window, he saw footprints in the snow. He hastily followed them to the bridge where the boy had been born 10 years before. There, to his absolute astonishment, the father saw the boy standing under the bridge--barefoot, stripped to the waist, shivering in the snow--crying. The father rushed to the son's side and threw his arms around the boy. The boy looked up through tear-stained eyes and said, "Dad, I wanted to know what Mama felt like in the cold that night long ago when she died for me."

Jesus wanted to know what it's like to be lonely, tired, rejected, sorrowful, hurt, and bruised, so He plunged into this cold, cruel, calloused world. He took the full brunt of Satan's viciousness. Jesus experienced a level of physical pain, emotional trauma, psychological distress, and spiritual agony that we can never imagine. The words of the prophet Isaiah ring with relevance, "Unto us a child was born." All Jesus experienced was for us. He knows. He understands. He empathizes. He is concerned. He drew near. He shivered in the cold world with us.

Come to Him with all your heartache, tears, and sorrow. He knows what you are going through right now and is by your side to help.

from Hopetv.org

Let me tell you a story 'bout a man named Jed...

HoustonChronicle.com - Jamaica seeks help in Houston to tap its energy Black gold in paradise, wuh-hoooo!

Thursday, December 16, 2004

Great Joy...

"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great
joy which will be to all people." Luke 2:10

The angel who announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds
said that He came to them with "good tidings of great joy"
(Luke 2:10). Many people today hear these words about "great
joy" but don't understand them. They relish the season as they
decorate their homes, shop in cheerful malls, attend festive
parties, and exchange gifts with the ones they love. But after
all the excitement subsidies, they feel empty and joyless.
Others don't like the season at all. Many have no money for
gifts or decorations. Some have no friends with whom to
celebrate. The atmosphere of cheer around them actually deepens
their feelings of sadness.
The problem with both groups is that they wrongly identify
the "great joy" of which the angel spoke. It is found not in
the superficial fun but in the deeper meaning of the season.
When Jesus was born, God became a man so that He could save us
from our sins and give us the joyful prospect of eternity in
heaven. That's the true reason for joy. The shepherds went back
to the cold nights and loneliness of their vocation, but they
were "glorifying and praising God" (v.20).
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"The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the
things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had
been told." Luke 2:20

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

brandchannel.com | Design in the Automotive Industry | Car Trends | branding and marketing portal

brandchannel.com | Design in the Automotive Industry | Car Trends | branding and marketing portal A fantastic piece on one of my favorite subjects, automotive design. This article gives a solid view on the re-emergence and the importance of design in the marketplace.

Friday, December 10, 2004

The half will never be told....

The half will never be told....