Gerard Butler

The more I know about Gerard Butler the more impressed with him I become.

I've seen several interviews of him and he seems to have two very important things that I sincerely like about him: 1) he keeps his sense of humor no matter what is happening to him and 2) he seems to truly like his mother as a person (I can really relate to that).

I hope he takes his time and picks his next projects well. He also has a lot of talent and I would hate to see his career dissolve into that latest hunk, when he has the potential to be so much more.

I have a group dedicated to him over at Yahoo. It's primarily for Christians. We talk about his career and prayer for him as well as for each other.

If that sounds like it might interest you, please feel free to stop by and join up. We would love to have you.

Sincerely, Maidryn

http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/Jesus4Gerard

Life is Hard

You know that old saying: "What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger" ?

Well I have re-vamped it for my own personal use:

"What doesn't kill you, will eat you ALIVE".

Perhaps that gives you an idea of how tough times have been for me. Thanks for listening while I get pessimistic.

YouTV Cribs

I have a channel at YouTube dedicated to showing tours of peoples' homes or a specific room. I started by giving a video tour of my place and now it's your turn. If you are proud of your home, did some renovations, some great interior decorating or just want to prove that your place is messier than mine ... then record a video tour of your home (under 10 minutes) and send it to me as an attachment to a message in my Inbox. (You will have to have a YouTube account for this -which is free and easy to get). Let's take a look at your "diggs".
Click on the title of this blog and it'll take you where you need to be.
Or go here:
www.youtube.com/ChristianMaid

Absolute Dollar Store Kicked Me Out

I just love to go into the Absolute Dollar Store ( Jasper Gates Mall, 15007 Stony Plain Rd, Edmonton, AB, Canada) and look at all the cool stuff. It amazes me what good things I can get for only one dollar. On their door is the sign, "you must give up large bags and knapsacks", but I've never been asked to do that.

Two weeks ago I was on my way to visit my mother and I was carrying an overnight bag. I went into that store and was told I had to give my bag to the cashier. I refused because it contained several personal items and a few hundred dollars of medication. I was asked to leave. I couldn't believe it. I'm the kind of person who carries dirty Kleenex around until I find a proper garbage bin because I don't want to litter. I shook off the bizarre experience and thought, "maybe it's just some dollar store employee with power issues".

Now, today I went back to the Absolute Dollar Store and picked up a green shopping basket as I entered the door. I was just reaching for a roll of paper towels when I hear someone yell, "Madame. Madame!" I looked up and saw an employee about 30 feet away waving. I asked, "Are you talking to me?". She yelled, "you'll have to give up your bag to the cashier". I looked down and all I saw was my green, eco-friendly Safeway shopping bag. I had just been to London Drugs and the bag contained a few computer supplies. I walked up to her and said, "I'd rather not give up the bag because it contains some expensive things. Would it be alright if I allow you to look in it before I leave the store?" She responded, "You have to give the bag to the cashier at the front. It'll be safe there." I said, "If you don't trust me, then how do I know I can trust you?" Once again, I was asked to leave.

I'm still pretty shocked. In school I was never even sent to the principals office or had a detention. Now, to be kicked out of a dollar store... twice! I thought, "why don't they just invest in some scanners by the door. It would be a lot smarter than insulting everyone who walks in with a shopping bag." I mean , it is a MALL. There's bound to be several people carrying bags. Or maybe I just have the face of a criminal. I figured that maybe they think they can treat their customers that way because they assume most of them have a low annual income.

All the people that I told " you must stop by the Absolute Dollar Store because there's so much great stuff there", I take it back. Unless you wish to be VERY publicly humiliated , then I would suggest you go to one of the other dollar stores.

I admit that I will miss going there, but I'm rather shy and my ego just isn't big enough to endure being publicly demeaned ... even for a good deal. I'd rather pay extra and be treated with the common decency and politeness that is due everyone, not just the people who have money. I suppose poor people will just have to endure the abuse. Doesn't quite ring fair, does it? Why don't you leave a comment and tell me what you think.

Take a look at my photo too. Do YOU think I look like a thief?

Abducted by Aliens?

I don't know much about UFO's and aliens, but I know a lot about fear. There are many, many people who live in horrible fear of being abducted by aliens. They never feel safe anywhere (not even in their own homes). They believe the aliens will come again for them and there is nothing they can do to stop it. Now, add to that the fact that very few people believe them, let alone can protect them ... then you have people who are living a nightmare every day. One they cannot escape from.
I know that God wishes no one to be afraid. He is full of love and He tells us that "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear." (1 John 4:18)

I have an idea that may work for you, because I've used it for many, many years. I will list a few Bible verses and I want you to memorize them and when you are afraid, say them out loud. The Bible also tells us that the Word of God is like a sword. So think of each verse as a bullet against fear and those who would harm you. And if these work for you, then go get a Bible and memorize more. The more verses you know, the more "bullets" you will have. Here are some to get your arsenal started:

*"Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns" (Revelation 19:6)

*"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he will reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 11:15)

*" Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come" (Revelation 4:8)

*" God says, 'Never will I leave you: never will I forsake you.' The Lord is my helper: I will not be afraid." (Hebrews 13:5-6)

*" Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8)

Here are a couple of websites that might be of help to you:
http://www.intouch.org

http://www.rbc.org

Maidryn's Myspace Profile page:
http://www.myspace.com/main_de_dieu

Prayer for Fallen Soldiers

I just read in a book a beautiful prayer given for many warriors who fell and died during a battle that took place to protect their country and their homes. I never thought I would live to see fellow citizens of my country going off to be killed in a foreign country, but such is the world we now live in.

So for all the soldiers (past and present) who gave all they had so that the rest of us can live free, this is for you:

" Merciful Jesu, great of might, whose name is Light and Life, be light and life to these your fallen servants. As you delight in forgiveness, forgive them; do not count their sins, rather consider this their virtue: that when the call came to defend their homeland they took no thought for themselves, but roused courage and went forth to do battle, knowing death awaited them.

Hear me, Lord Jesu, gather our friends to your hall; seat them in your palace in paradise and you will not want for finer companions."

( from the book "Merlin" by Stephen R. Lawhead)

Obama the AntiChrist?

A year ago almost no body had even heard of Obama. Now he is everywhere. Both Democrats AND Republicans love him. He is famous all over the world not just the United States. People use the following words to describe him: Redeemer, Saviour, Leader, Messiah and even more.
"But" you say, "he quotes the Bible all the time". Well, so did Satan. The devil quoted the Bible to Jesus himself. Now, Obama comes from out of the blue and it looks like he will be the next President of the United States ... and perhaps even more. People love him so much they are ready to vote him both Pope and King. This makes me VERY suspicious. I'm not making any judgements. It's not my place to. All I ask is that you use some discernment. Don't follow him blindly. Don't follow anyone blindly. Jesus looked into the future and saw us here in our time and gave us a warning, "At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs to deceive even the elect - if that were possible. See I have told you ahead of time... For as the lightening that comes from the east is visible in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." (Matthew 24:23-27)
There is only one Saviour of man and that is Jesus. And He will literally appear as the lightening in the sky. Coming in the clouds. If you don't believe me, then read the Bible. I did not cook this stuff up on my own. This is too important a subject to let yourself be fooled. If you idolize or worship anyone else but God nothing less than your eternal life and soul are at stake. You can't risk being wrong.
I realize this will provoke many, many people who like Obama. I have not said he is evil. All I say is use your sober judgement and discernment. Please feel free to leave a comment. (However, use polite language because I only delete comments because of hate mongering or swearing NOT because of the ideals of the writer).

Christian Fans of Gerard Butler

We have a group dedicated specially to the Christian fans of Scottish actor, Gerard Butler. We discuss him, his movies, pray for him and for each other. If this sounds like it might interest you, than please stop by and join up.

Follow the link below:

http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/Jesus4Gerard

Rosh Hashanah : Rapture

There is something that I discovered about 5 years ago. Every feast on the Jewish calendar is reflective of something Jesus did or will do. For instance, Passover is echoed in his death on the Cross. As the blood of the passover lamb caused the Angel of Death to pass over the Hebrews, so the death of Jesus (the Lamb of God) causes death to pass over each one of God's children.
As September comes around the Jewish feast of Rosh Hashanah is soon coming. This is echoed in something Jesus has yet to do. It will be fulfilled in the Rapture of the true believers in Jesus. Those who have put their faith in Him to cleanse all their sins and make Him the Lord of all of their life. For us true Christians, we will hear a trumpet and will be "caught up" (meaning of Rapture) to meet the Lord in the air. For those of you left behind, it will simply seem like millions of people have suddenly vanished. There will be several empty graves and all children under a certain age (the age of reason) will also disappear. You will experience fear like you have probably never known it before. Times are about to get even worse. It marks the beginning of the Tribulation. Yet, as God lets Satan have his day, it is all for a reason. That as you see the results of Satan (anti-Christ) being in charge of the world, you will recognize the difference in what it means to worship the One True God. You still have another chance to turn to God.
I don't know if this is the year God will Rapture us. Most Christians agree that it will be very soon. Perhaps any day. (and Christians rarely agree on anything, so that in itself is a miracle). Take comfort in the fact that we all knew about it before hand and that this blog is written to show you that God loves you, will accept you and you are not beyond hope as long as you still draw breath. Maybe this year... maybe the next one, but whenever He comes, I'm going to "live like I'm leaving. Like Heaven is in view. Live like I'm leaving. I will be evidence of you. In the shadows of my doubt or tomorrow come what may. I'm going to live like I'm leaving. Like I'm leaving today" (song by Philips, Craig & Dean).
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

For further information follow the links below. These websites specialize in Jewish Feasts and Bible Prophecy.

http://www.zionshope.org

http://www.firstcentury.tv/

Maple Leaf Meats

For those of you who haven't heard yet, several of the products of the company "Maple Leaf Meats" here in Canada have been found to be tainted. Many have gotten sick from eating these meats and some have even died. Even though Maple Leaf took immediate action when the meat was linked to the sickness and death, still more victims were found.
Now I suppose that confidence in Maple Leaf Meats is extremely low. I have personally stopped buying all kinds of processed meats. Even those from the local deli. The name Maple Leaf Fine Meats has become synonymous with dirty machinery, bacteria, illness and death and the company may never recover from this. What I find ironic is that, in the future, Maple Leaf Meats will probably be the most cleanly and safe sellers of meat in Canada and perhaps the entire world. I can only imagine the lengths to which they will go to make sure this never happens again. They will never cut corners and no effort will be too much for them to insure clean and safe meats. They have learned their lesson. At the cost of lives it is true, but while we take our business elsewhere, the safest meats in Canada will no doubt be Maple Leaf.

Christians and Entertainment Forum

I've just started a Forum for Christians who love their entertainment and can talk about it ALL THE TIME! So why don't you stop by and check it out? Easy, free and we actually want to hear what you have to say. Movies, Music, TV, Books, Gaming, Whatever. The floor is yours.
Sincerely, Maidryn
http://maidryn.proboards55.com/

Rapture, You're Left Behind

This is a message I am leaving behind in the event that I have suddenly vanished from the earth, along with millions of other people. We all share one thing in common: we have given our lives to Jesus. Somewhere during the course of our time on earth we came face to face with the question, "Who is Jesus"? We have answered it with , "God's one and only Son". Acknowledging Him as our Creator, King, Redeemer, Saviour and Best Friend, we have bowed to Him with heart and will and given the remainder of our lives into His capable hands to do with us as He wishes.
The world calls us many names and has placed many labels on us: Religious Fanatics, Moral Majority, Evangelicals, Jesus Freaks, the Enemy. But we are simply ordinary people who have realized our great debt of sin and the price it requires: death. Knowing this we have accepted the greatest Gift of all, Jesus' death on the cross to pay for that debt and thus we are forgiven. We are not better than anyone else, we have just been cleansed by the precious, spilt blood of our Saviour.
Jesus has promised us that He would return for us and never would we be separated from Him again. He may do it for me on the day I die or He may take me in the Rapture. In English the word means, "to be caught up". If we are now all gone, then "caught up" is what has happened to us. At this point the greatest proof I can offer is the date attached to this Blog. You must accept that I knew it would happen before it ever took place. Jesus always keeps His promises! If I no longer walk the earth, then I walk by His side with all my brothers and sisters who also bended their knees and wills to God.
If you still remain...God, in his mercy, offers you ONE more chance. You must live as His friend or His enemy. Middle ground no longer exists. Perhaps it never has. Soon, Jesus will return to the Earth and "every eye will see Him". You WILL bow before Him and proclaim Him to be "King of Kings and Lord of Lords." The only choice you now have is if you will declare this as His friend or as His enemy.
In a very real way you have missed out on doing things the "easy way". If you are a Christian, you will suffer the wrath of the anti-Christ; If you are NOT a Christian then you will suffer the wrath of the REAL Christ. The Bible says, "Do not fear those who can destroy your body but only those who can destroy your soul".
But, if by chance you have happened onto this Blog and the Rapture has NOT happened yet, then please do things the "easy" way. Give your life over to Jesus right now. Stop messing around. It's time for you to answer the question: "Who is Jesus?" I pray that you will find the right answer. I have also prayed for each person who reads this, Christian or Non-Christian.
For the Christian: Know that your troubles of this world are only temporary. Jesus WILL come back for you and He will wipe every tear from your eyes. He NEVER breaks His promises. "Heaven and Earth may crumble but the Word of God stands firm forever".
For the Non-Christian: God makes sure that each person has an opportunity to accept Him or reject Him. This moment may be here for you right now as you read this. If you feel your heart beating faster and the huge emptiness in your life screams out to be filled, then know that Jesus stands ready to come to you at the smallest whisper of your heart. I have belonged to Jesus for almost 30 years and He is "trust-worthy and true". Now, is your chance. You may not have another, so don't let it pass by. Because, even if the Rapture never happens for hundreds of years, I can guarantee that you will face death much sooner and you need to put your soul in the hands of the only Person who ever overcame death and still lives to tell.
"O death, where is thy victory? where is thy sting?" Jesus, the first born from the grave. Lead on.....

Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles

I've just finished watching the first two episodes of the new TV series based on the Terminator movies, called "Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles". I must say that I am very impressed with their efforts.
I orginally decided to watch because I enjoyed all the Terminator movies, and I am a big Firefly/Serenity fan and the new cyborg is played by actress, Summer Glau, who is familiar to all of us fans of Joss Whedon's Firefly.
Considering that the writers had to work in the plot lines of 3 movies with a lot of action, not to mention time travel going on as easily as someone going through a revolving door, it's obvious that some time and effort was put into the scripts. The three main actors do a wonderful job (especially Lena Headley and Summer Glau) and the action is riveting , yet balanced well with quiet, intimate moments. All in all, a solid and entertaining piece of television.
I highly recommend it. For those of you who missed the first two episodes or simply want to know more about it, the Fox website is the place to go. May I also recommend by Firefly group at MySpace where we are discussing the show in the Forum section. With those of you with Christian faith, there is also a group at MySpace dedicated to Christian Film Buffs where we are likewise discussing the show.
I look forward to hearing from you wherever you are and I sincerely welcome your opinion whether you agree with me or not.
http://www.Fox.com

http://groups.myspace.com/FireflySerenityBrowncoats

http://groups.myspace.com/ChristianFilmBuffs

MySpace Group for Christian Movie Fans

http://groups.myspace.com/christianfilmbuffs

This group is dedicated to members of the MySpace website who have profiles there and would like to participate in a discussion of the topic of favorite films from the main viewpoint of a Christian. It's completely free and all are welcome to join. I hope to see you there and I anticipate some lively discussions as our group continues to grow.

Thank you.

MySpace Group for Firefly, Serenity and Browncoats

http://groups.myspace.com/fireflyserenitybrowncoats

This group is dedicated to the 'verse of all Browncoats for those who have profiles at the international MySpace website. It's absolutely free to join and we would love to have you. Hope to see you there.

Thank you.

New MySpace Groups

http://groups.myspace.com/christianbooks

This group is dedicated to those who are interested in discussion and networking in regards to Christian books. From fiction, non-fiction, devotionals, reference works, Pastors aids and the Bible itself. Any genre. Feel free to stop by and join up. We would love to see you there.

A German Speaks to the Jews

Let me begin by saying that I am of German descent. I am also a dedicated Christian which means I spend a lot of time reading the Bible. I have developed a great sympathy for the Jewish people. They truly are chosen by God, evidenced by all the persecution they suffer. I feel a sense of shame about being German. The few German citizens who stood against Hitler can be counted on one hand and they are now famous because of the fact that there were so few Germans who stood against Hitler. Germans say, " I was only following orders", "I didn't know it was happening" or "It happened before my time". I have yet to hear one of them say, "I'm sorry". In my mind the German people will never know redemption until they admit what they have done wrong, because that is the first step to making those wrongs, into rights. So, here and now, I wish to apologize to all the Jewish people who have suffered under the hands of someone German. I know it is a drop in the bucket as to what kind of reparations you deserve but I am going to state that I am sorry it took place. We did it and there is no excuse good enough to undo the horrors done. I will spend my entire life trying to make it up to the Jewish people. It is a very small consolation after all the damage done, but as the survivors of the holocaust leave this earth for their eternal reward there will be fewer left to remember the way it really was. I for one will remember the dignity, strength, honor and perseverance of every Jewish person who walked into a shower room never to come out again. I will pass the truth on to the next generation and I will carry the true memories on as long as I live and will leave the pathetic excuses behind.
"May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you."

Welcome

I have finally joined the great community of those who Blog. It seems that everybody has something to say and I am no different. The wonderful thing about Blogs is that there are so many times in our lives where we get worked up about something: whether for good or bad. Having an outlet to express ourselves publically can be a great comfort. I realize that most of my Blogs will never be seen but I still feel that I have done my part: exposed an injustice, asked a question, told a joke, shared an experience etc etc. Maybe you will find my ramblings boring but at the very least they will allow me to sleep better at night. I have been writing my whole life. My ideas burn within me. I have kept a diary for almost 25 years. Now I will send my "wisdom" out into the world. If it helps someone I will be extremely pleased. Even if it ticks someone off I will still be pleased because it's when our notions and ideas are challenged that we do the most growing. That being said... I welcome you to leave me all the comments you wish: good or bad. Please be polite so that I can allow your writing to be published as well. Let the games begin...