Flashcard testimony- klove's free song don't give up

16:00:00 Kikoprincess 0 Comments


This week's klove free song is Don't give up (calling glory). A week ago today I landed in New York. And as I left, I had great memories of riding through the subways and exploring this huge city. But now, a week later, it lies until a thin blanket of water and darkness. Those who are homeless, those who are struggling, don't give up. Especially through this storm.

I want to share with you a testimony set to this song. I cried for most of it. I too have had things that have made me prideful. And I am glad God took away things in my life so that I could really truly rely on him.

I need to constantly keep myself in check, I don't want God to take such extreme measures to get me to realise that he is sovereign over everything. But I am a foolish person.

I hope that you will never give up. Sometimes the lord gives and sometimes the lord takes away. But in everything, do it for his glory!



Don't give up
http://www.klove.com/music/artists/calling-glory/songs/don't-give-up-lyrics.aspx

This time your heart said it's had enough 
Sick and tired of everything that's so messed up 
You don't wanna move on just playing games 
Praying hard somehow that your life will change 
When you feel like you don't know what to do 
Stuck inside this maze you can't go through 

(Chorus) 
Don't give up 
Help is surely on its way 
And don't give up 
And the dark is breaking in today 
And just keep on moving through these storms 
And soon enough you'll find the door 
Just don't give up 
Oh, and don't give up 

These walls around you are caving in 
And your life seems like it is wearing thin
And your hope is drowning in despair 
It looks like you're not going anywhere 
Step inside this heart and then you'll see 
Such a love that is so amazing 

Chorus X2






Movie review: Brave (2012)

20:09:00 Kikoprincess 0 Comments

Movie review: Brave (2012)

Movie summary: Brave follows the story of a young princess as she battles tradition. She struggles to accept that her future will be arranged by her mother- her marriage and the way she is to act. Following mystical creatures, she finds a witch who casts a spell changing her mother. As always, the spell backfires, and she finds that she has turn her mother (and 3 younger brothers) into bears. As her father and the rest of her kingdom try to kill the bear, she struggles to save her mother and their relationship.


My thoughts: I'm not sure I would recommend this film to young children as it contains elements of violence and issues to do with magic. I'm not sure teaching kids about spells that can turn their parents into animals really sell for me. Nevertheless, there are quite distinctive morals in this story- it's all about forgiveness. Both mother and daughter learn to understand, accept and forgive each other's behaviours. And in doing so, learn how to love.

Today's sermon was about how to be a more loving person. And besides learning that love is a choice, a sacrifice, love is also about forgiveness and acceptance.

It's a lesson that I am learning. Through this overseas trip, I have learned to forgive more. But I'm not 100% there yet. Even as I happened across a box of old memories, I found that I am still a long way from forgetting- but now, through understanding, I don't think I hold a grudge anymore.




1 Peter 4:8


Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
最 要 緊 的 是 彼 此 切 實 相 愛 , 因 為 愛 能 遮 掩 許 多 的 罪 。




Experiencing his provision

19:35:00 Kikoprincess 0 Comments

我 的 神 必 照 他 榮 耀 的 豐 富 , 在 基 督 耶 穌 裡 , 使 你 們 一 切 所 需 用 的 都 充 足 。And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19.  

No words can describe how thankful I am for God's amazing provisions. I don't know why I worry sometimes, because I know God has got my back. Even though I may be tired and worn out now, I can look back at how God has provided for me in every single way during my three months abroad. He provided a roof over my head when I had none, friends in a lonely place and warmth where I did not expect. 


Review: Talking to your christian kids about halloween

20:57:00 Kikoprincess 3 Comments

Summary: Historically Halloween is a celebration of a day where the dead/spirits can wonder in our world. For most people today, Halloween is an excuse to dress up in outfits for parties or trick or treating. The bible does show evidence of dark spirits but we need not be afraid as Jesus has conquered all!


My thoughts:  While some Christians still celebrate Halloween, I really want to challenge you and the kids you are in contact with. Let me challenge you with a few verses from the bible. While all things are permissible, not everything we do is beneficial. Especially if this may cause others to fall/stumble, we should give it special consideration. And we know the bible talks about God detesting witchcraft, or people who consults with the dead.

1 Corinthians 10: 23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 

1 Corinthians 8:9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 


Deuteronomy 18:10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. 13 You must be blameless before the Lord your God.



___________________________________________________________________________
Original article: http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/Families/Parents/Talkingabout/Halloween/1198.id


Talking with your children about ... Halloween

Halloween has become increasingly popular.  In some ways it is replacing November 5 as the autumn event to celebrate.  Much of the popularity is due to the influence of American TV, it being a more popular holiday in USA where the practice originated of children partying, dressing up and ‘Trick or Treating’.  Some schools make quite a lot of it although this is now being questioned.

Ancient history

The origins of Halloween lie buried deep in the mists of time and probably draw on a number of sources.  The Celtic feast of Samhain (pronounced, for some strange reason, sow-in) celebrated the end of harvest and the beginning of the dark period of winter.  The boundary between this world and the world of the dead was thought to dissolve and the dead returned to earth and created havoc by playing tricks on people and damaging crops.  Some suggest that this gave plenty of opportunity for the local practical jokers to do their worst and blame it on the spirits; others that some people used to dress up in order to deceive the spirits.  For the Celts there would have been feasting around bonfires designed to ward off the spirits.  This was a good time for telling fortunes as the spirits were more easily reached.  But our sources for this period are very limited so much of this is conjecture.
The Romans added two feasts of their own, Feralia, which commemorated the dead, and a feast in celebration of Pomana the goddess of fruit and trees – hence perhaps the link s with apples, which were her symbol.
Enter the Christian church who introduced the Feast of All Saints on November 1 in an attempt to move interest away from the emphasis on pagan festivals and the celebration of the dead.  This is where the term Halloween originates since November 1 was originally the Feast of All Hallows and October 31 All Hallows Eve later contracted to Halloween.

Modern times

Churches and individual Christians will differ in their assessment.  Some will see Halloween as a harmless bit of fun quite detached from its pagan origins (but we need to note that Samhain is still a key festival for modern Pagans); others will see it as direct involvement with the occult.  In between is a whole range of views.  If you are discussing this with your children be clear on your own point of view first, and then be clear about the position taken by your own church, which may be different.

Bible principles

There are differences between different Christian traditions, so think carefully.  It is probably best to deal with the questions the children have and to be positive rather than negative.
Evil forces exist and can influence our world for ill (Eph 6:11; 1 Pet 5:8).  This should concern us but need not make us afraid; stories of Jesus and the early disciples dealing with demons (Mark 1:21-28; 8:14-32; Acts 16:11-21) may be too difficult for younger children but they do show that while evil has power, Jesus is more powerful.  He has won the victory over all the forces of evil (Col 2:15).
Romans 6:1-10 and 1 Corinthians 15:12-34 are powerful passages about Jesus’ victory over death.
Paul argues that idols have no real existence (1 Corinthians 8:1-13), as does Isaiah (46:1-8).  But Paul also wants to be clear that where people have been converted from pagan religions that they may still believe the idols have power and that those feelings should be respected.  Behind them there may well be some demonic influence.
There is an element of deception about Halloween, suggesting that it is all harmless fun while in reality touching on more sinister things.  This is always the nature of the devil (John 8:44; Ephesians 6:11).
What this means in practice is that as Christians we need to tread carefully in these areas but we do not need to be afraid because Jesus is stronger than any evil.  There is no need to be paranoid about what might happen to us if we get involved in something at school or with our friends.
But at the same time we shall want to help our children ask serious questions about celebrating something which has such a major emphasis on death, darkness and fear when our faith is about life, light and hope.  We must be alert to the dangers of arousing an unhealthy interest in more occult areas or exposing ourselves to ideas that will move us away from Jesus.  It can be hard for children to go against prevailing culture, but there is a line to be drawn somewhere although exactly where may be something you have to work out for yourself.

Get counter-cultural

Pray together about Halloween and for those who get involved that they might find something of the light of Jesus.
Many churches organise some sort of children’s activity on October 31 as a demonstration of a different way of doing things. See below for suggested resources.
If you can find a decent poster on the theme of the Light of the World, why not put it in your window.
If you are happy and your children really want to go out or to a party in costume, create a costume that speaks about life and hope
Make October 31 a really good family night – rent a good DVD, have a special meal and celebrate Jesus together.  Use some short Bible readings and Christian songs.  Perhaps you could share this with another family.
Think about what positive gifts you could give to any ‘trick or treat’ visitors.
Resource books for ideas on organising an alternative Halloween event/Light party:
  • Celebrations sorted (SU)
  • Better than Halloween (CHP) Nick Harding
  • Halloween in School – Association of Christian Teachers www.christian-teachers.org.uk
Also visit:

Returning home- Final USA update

13:55:00 Kikoprincess 0 Comments

Hi everyone

I'm safely back in the comfort of my own home and the loving arms of my dear mother. It was a grueling 22 hour + waiting time/commute and I'm a bit tired, but I am very happy to be home. I have got all my packages and luggage with me this time (for some of you know the airlines lost some of my luggage on the way to new york). Thankfully the journey home was uneventful, for I've had enough adventures in the States. 

Driving into my driveway after 3 months abroad is a very special feeling, one almost fails to appreciate the blessings one is surrounded with until you truly go out into the world with little support. I suppose the lost son (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A11-32&version=NIV) may have felt a similar way when he returned home from a long journey and being welcomed. It's the simple things- having a loving mother, having my own bed, a hot shower, a meal cooked by mum... For sure these 3 months have taught me to appreciate the amazing yet simple gifts/blessings God has given me, which I often neglect to count. 

Here's a brief timeline/recount of my 3 month adventure. It was a pleasure to be able to share my experiences with you all. As I head into the pressure/business end of my dissertation, don't forget to keep me in your prayers. 

- July 20-27: Spending time with family in Los Angeles highlights include disneyland with my missionary relatives, going to Costco, visiting Las Vegas, hiking in the Grand Canyon, eating a cupcake from an ATM machine. 
- July 27- Aug 3: Arriving in Seattle and doing the torchfair run, spending time exploring the town with Aunt Joe, starting work at SDRG and meeting the director on the first day! 
- Aug 3- 10: Meeting with the amazing people at Krucial206, visiting Vancouver to see the international fireworks competition, handing out at capilano, and visiting a few art museums in Seattle. 
- Aug 10-17: Hiring a car to go whitewater rafting in Cashmere, attending some heated debates at work and going to the Wierd Al concert. 
- Aug 17-24: Going hiking with my housemates at Hurricane Ridge and visiting hempfest after church. 
- Aug  24-31: Going with my youth fellowship on retreat in Oregon and hiking again. 
- Sept 1- 7: San fransisco meeting a fellow Aussie and seeing the sights, hiking in yosemite national park and biking over the golden gate bridge. We also went to see the museum of flight which was amazing- I went on both the airforce 1 and concord. 
- Sept 8- 14: Went hiking in Mt Rainier and Got EVICTED. Quite an experience really. 
- Sept 15- 21: Visited portland and the international rose test gardens, snoqualmie falls. 
- Sept 22- 28: Went to Vancouver to visit my aunt and uncle. Attended some great seminars at UW and my first american football experience. 
- Sept 29- Oct 5: Went to Vancouver again to celebrate mid autumn festival with my aunty and uncle. 
- Oct 6-12: Went to victoria BC and enjoyed a day at butchart gardens, empress high tea and a marathon fun run as the sun was rising. High pressure week at work with 2 presentations and many meetings. 
- Oct 13- 17: Watched the master at work in the museum of glass and watched the symphony from box seats. I also visited bruce lee's grave and King Tut before leaving for New York. 
- Oct 17-24: Went to the 911 memorial, empire state building, top of the rock (worst line up experiences- all the lines of disneyland without the ride), Washington dc, Princeton, Baltimore, Philadelphia to explore america's history, central park and various museums, hillsong with my cousin. Ended my trip with a ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty. 

There is a lot I have experienced which I have left out in these highlights, but as some of you suggested, a novel can be written about the things that have happened to me, the people I have met and the things I have learned. This has been a life changing journey- just as everyday is. And I feel like I am more patient, more confident in the provision of God and more grateful for the support of family and friends. 

Thanks again for all your support, prayers, emails and phone calls. 

By the grace of God, 

Karen



Continue to follow my future adventures and general life: http://kikoprincess.blogspot.com.au/




步伐是否感覺疲倦了
Is the pace causing you to become weary?
現實令你感到無奈
Reality is making you feel helpless?
只懂每日每夜忙碌裡
Only knowing the toils of the day and night
兜兜轉轉 似沒了沒完
Turning around in circles, neverending.

但願讓你知道 神是愛
But I wish that you would know God is love
在路上每一秒同在
He is with you every second of the way
可否接受這份純真愛
Can you accept this pure love?
一生歡欣 快樂精彩

it will Fill your life with joy and happiness


回家 將傷痛放下
Return home, putting down your pain
看透俗世謊話
Seeing through the lies of the world
迷失漆黑中 祂總把你念掛

And even being lost in the darkness, You are remembered


回家 即使新世代
Return home, even in this new generation
全然皆冰冷
Where it's completely cold.
在這屋裡 有主的愛 別再怕
In this home, with the lord's love, there is no fear.

USA update 12: Free song- All things possible

02:58:00 Kikoprincess 0 Comments

Hi everyone

It's my final day at work at SDRG, a research center affiliated with the University of Washington. It's no wonder that this places produces world leading research in preventing youth problems such as alcohol use, delinquency, etc. For every $1 put in research, an estimated $5 benefit is produced just in the young person's life! So the benefits to the wider community etc all then add together to form greater benefits. It's been an absolutely pleasure to meet with and work with these fantastic minds and wonderful people. 

During my stay at SDRG I have been able to make significant advancements to the quality of my dissertation and have made networks with people here for life. 

I have also very much enjoyed my time in Seattle. Surely, there is no place in the world where you can see snow capped mountains in summer melting into a field of wild flowers, visit bruce lee's grave and see a space needle light up a night sky-- all in a day. I have also been blessed by many weekend adventures including driving (on the wrong side of the road), white water rafting, competing in a 8k road race in Victoria, watching the master glass artist Lino at work, watching the seattle symphony from a box seat, hiking in many surrounding regions, and attempting Hempfest. 

And I have been so grateful to meet such a large range of people- from talking to drug users in a park, to feeling like family at Krucial206, to being treated like an equal at work. And I have been blessed with many opportunities to share my own experiences of Australia and of God. And in turn, I have so many stories and experience to share from my trip! 

I'll take off from Seattle Tuesday night, spend a few days with my cousin in New York before heading home. It's been such a joy to share with you my ups and downs during this three-month trip of a lifetime. 

With love always, 

Karen

Check out my blog: http://kikoprincess.blogspot.com where I write a bit about my daily life and experiences. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________


This week's Klove free song is All things possible by Mark schultz

Mark talks about how the song, All things possible came about. 

http://www.tabsforworship.com/tab/3013.htm lyrics



1st Verse

I Will Call on Your Name,
For There's Always a Way,
When You Lead me.
And When Life Knocks me Down,
I am not Counted Out,
For You're With Me.
And You're With Me.

Chorus

Even when it feels like The Light is Fading,
And I've Lost my Way,
Still I'm Holding on to the One who's Making,
All Things Possible.
Even when it feels like my Heart is Breaking,
Hold on, there is Strength!
Knowing I Belong to the One who's Making,
All Things Possible.

2nd Verse

I know Mountains can Move, 
I've seen what You can Do,
In my Weakness.
So my Heart will Believe, 
If I Wait I will See,
My God doing,
What only He can Do, Yeah!

Chorus

Even when it feels like The Light is Fading,
And I've Lost my Way,
Still I'm Holding on to the One who's Making,
All Things Possible.
Even when it feels like my Heart is Breaking,
Hold on, there is Strength!
Knowing I Belong to the One who's Making,
All Things Possible.

Bridge (3x)

My God is Strong and Mighty.
My God is Faithful.
My Hope is in the Lord, 
For He is Able!

Chorus

Even when it feels like The Light is Fading,
And I've Lost my Way,
Still I'm Holding on to the One who's Making,
All Things Possible.
Even when it feels like my Heart is Breaking,
Hold on, there is Strength!
Knowing I Belong to the One who's Making,
All Things Possible.

Repeat Bridge (2x)

My God is Strong and Mighty.
My God is Faithful.
My Hope is in the Lord, 
For He is Able!



You can find the sheet music for all things possible- here: http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtdFPE.asp?ppn=MN0109502

Review: Thirst for God

02:43:00 Kikoprincess 0 Comments

Article summary: Just like an athlete needs water to quench a thirst, we need to come to the Living water to satisfy our spiritual thirst.

My thoughts: It makes such a difference when we are weak to be uplifted by the word of God. But we shouldn't only read God's word when we are down in the dumps and have exhausted all options.

Just as we need to drink water each day for survival, we also need to be nourished by the different aspects of God's word on a daily basis.

While some people drink water as a chore, others savour the taste. I went to a mountain side in Japan where people would make a pilgrimage just to obtain water from this very special well. The water taste like carbonated water! You don't just gulp the water, you sip at it. Similarly, we can savour the taste of God's word.

______________________________________________
Original Article http://www.cleannclose.com/2012/07/thirst-for-god.html


Thirst for God

Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart  from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:7-9

One of the biggest obstacles an athlete faces is thirst. This leads to dehydration. Once that happens, the athlete is unable to go on. They have to stop. What happens when they don't replenish? It leads to death. So what should they use to re-hydrate? Does it matter? Well, if a runner finishes a marathon, would the first thing they ask for be a cup of coffee? Probably not. Coffee is not a thirst quencher. Water is.

Christians have a similar problem. We have spiritual thirst. This type of thirst is actually a good thing. Just like in an athlete, it alerts us that we need something, or we will have to stop or die. What are the symptoms of thirsting spiritually? There are many. Having a dry and brittle personality, impatience, unforgiveness, and bitterness area few symptoms. Any ungodly character trait is a symptom of being thirsty spiritually.

So, how do we quench this thirst before we do serious harm to ourselves and those around us? We are told to come to the Living Water for replenishment (John 4:10-15). The problem is that most of us don't come to the right source. We are drinking coffee and not water and then wonder why we are not satisfied. We buy stuff or eat stuff or watch something to cover the symptoms of our thirst. Never satisfied, yet always drinking.

One way to satisfy our thirst is to meditate on Scripture and the life and person of Jesus Christ. Too often in our devotional lives we can get caught in the "more is better" way of thinking. We feel better when we read large chunks of the Scripture. George Mueller, a great saint from the past, warns us of doing this. He says, ". . . the simple reading of the Word of God can become information that only passes through our minds, just as water passes through a pipe." Meditation has the exact opposite effect on our lives. By focusing our minds on a verse, or a concept that we read from the Bible, we "chew" on or think on this Scripture throughout the day. This allows us to understand the Word better and apply it to our day to day situations.

There's a reason the Psalmist says, "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). Thank God for giving us spiritual thirst that reminds us to drink deeply of his Word.


Hayden Norris - Senior Pastor - Harvest Gainesville, Florida 
See www.walkintheword.com

Another sleepless night?

09:05:00 Kikoprincess 0 Comments

So many of my friends struggle with sleep- they may struggle with initial insomnia (the inability to fall asleep), middle insomnia (waking up in the middle of the night), etc. I know that my insomnia occurs when I have to wake up at an insane time of night or if I'm really stressed or worried about something.

And yes, many of my clients also struggle with sleep. And quality sleep is very important to your everyday functioning.

I often refer to this tip sheet for clients
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/docs/Info-sleep%20hygiene.pdf
1. Get regular
2. Sleep when sleepy.
3. get up and try again
4. Avoid caffeine and nicotine
5. Avoid alcohol
6. Bed is for sleeping
7. No naps
8. Sleep rituals
9. Bathtime
10. No clock-watching
11. Use a sleep diary
12. Exercise
13. Eat right
14. The right space
15. Keep daytime routine

People often report that some of these strategies help them. Of the strategies I've found that doing exercise helps me sleep. I know that setting multiple alarms will stop me waking up earlier than needed to check if i've overslept. But there is no better way to stop worrying about or ruminating about things late at night than to pray about them.

I wonder what will work for you?

1 Peter 5:7. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

I love you, I love you, I love you!

13:53:00 Kikoprincess 0 Comments

On the way home from Victoria, I met the most lovely little family. The family first caught my attention they were trying to out "I love you" each other- see who can say it last. But this family just conveyed love. They were celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary but they still looked like they were so much in love with each other and so in love with their kids. When the mother had taken the daughter upstairs to the viewing room, the father was just talking to the baby and telling the baby how much he loved him- and how his eyes were as beautiful as his mothers. And when they came back it was kisses and cuddles all around. And when discipline was dealt out it was conveyed with love.

But not everyone is so lucky to experience growth in a loving family, not all marriages are loving and not everyone is loved by another human being. So it may be hard for them to believe that real love exists out there somewhere.

Someone does love you. Someone loves you- even if you aren't perfect, if you aren't a rocket scientist, if you aren't a super model. Someone loves you just the way you are.

Guitar tabs: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/j/jj_heller/what_love_really_means_crd.htm



What Love Really Means
JJ Heller
Capo 5


Intro.
C       G    Am     F    C    G    F

Verse 1
   Am                        F
He cries in the corner where nobody sees,
         C                    G
he's the kid with the story no one would believe.
   Am                       F
He prays every night, "Dear God won't you please,
           C                        G
could you send somone here who will love me?"

Chorus
         C            G
Who will love me for me?
         Am                      F
Not for what I have done or what I will become.
         C           G
Who will love me for me?
        Am                       F                          (intro. again)
'Cause nobody has shown me what love, what love really means.

Verse 2
     Am                   F
Her office is shrinking a little each day,
          C                       G
she's the woman whose husband has run away.
        Am                 F
She'll go to the gym after working today,
         C                    G
Maybe if she was thinner then he would've stayed.
And she says. . .

Chorus
         C            G
Who will love me for me?
         Am                      F
Not for what I have done or what I will become.
         C           G
Who will love me for me?
        Am                       F                          (intro. again)
'Cause nobody has shown me what love, what love really means.

Verse 3
     Am                   F
He's waiting to die as he sits all alone,
       C                  G
he's a man in a cell who regrets what he's done.
   Am                    F
He utters a cry fron the depths of his soul,
    C                   G
"Oh Lord, forgive me, I want to go home."

Bridge
       Am                        F
The he heard a voice, somewhere deep inside
             C                           G
and it said, "I know you've murdered and I know you've lied
Am                        F
I have watched you suffer all of your life
C                           G
and now that you'll listen, I'll tell you that I. . .

Chorus 2
       C              G
I will love you for you.
          Am                       F
Not for what you have done or what you will become
       C            G
I will love you for you
       Am                     F
I will give you the love, the love that you never knew

On children...

14:30:00 Kikoprincess 0 Comments

My boss shared this poem with me last week. On reflecting on the content I think it's the view of young people today. Yes I came from you but you don't own me. They strive for individualisation, independence from their parents as soon as they have the means to do so. You see estranged parents/children.

But sitting here, in a foreign country, away from my mother for nearly 3 months, all I want to do is snuggle up with my mother. All I want to do is get as close as I can. And I think largely, it's because I've been raised that way. Mum never raised me to think that she owns me. She never raised me with expectations to become something I am not just to fulfil her dream. She raised me to pursue whatever interested me. There was never pressure to score 100% in exams or to learn things I didn't want to learn.

And when I became of age she told me why.

Mum said, "I {meaning me, her child} am a gift from God. I was simply a guardian. I wanted to raise you to pursue God" Though my mother is a simple woman, with no college degree, she sprouts such wisdom. If only more people treated their children as gifts and treated themselves simply as guardians.


By Khalil Gibran
And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children."
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

If all codes were as easy to crack

07:42:00 Kikoprincess 0 Comments

My brother recently forgot his password. It's not surprising considering the many different passwords we are told to create in different formats for different purposes.

The article is right, most people use things that are easy to remember- which makes it easy to crack. But not all codes are that easy to crack.

I've spent the last four years of my life with dataset of information on about 1000 young people. My research asks why some people engage in alcohol use while others don't and why do these patterns change over time. So I have tested a number of different things and poured hours, weeks, months into different ways to answer this question. I came up with a theory, I tested the theory and finally, over the last two weeks, I've finally got some results worth sharing. Indeed, if only the answer was pi for everything, but then there would not be a need for research!

But you know what? The theory upon which I based my hypothesis originated many many years before I was born. So although we can spend hours and hours trying to crack codes and understand things, we are still not coming up with anything new. We are simply trying to understand creation and a creator who knew all of this before it was breathed into life.


Ecclesiastes 1:9

New International Version (NIV)
What has been will be again,
    what has been done will be done again;
    there is nothing new under the sun.



__________________

Original article http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/cracking-pin-code-easy-1-2-3-4-130143629.html


If you lost your ATM card on the street, how easy would it be for someone to correctly guess your PIN and proceed to clean out your savings account? Quite easy, according to data scientist Nick Berry, founder of Data Genetics, a Seattle technology consultancy.
Berry analyzed passwords from previously released and exposed tables and security breaches, filtering the results to just those that were exactly four digits long [0-9]. There are 10,000 possible combinations that the digits 0-9 can be arranged into to form a four-digit code. Berry analyzed those to find which are the least and most predictable. He speculates that, if users select a four-digit password for an online account or other web site, it's not a stretch to use the same number for their four-digit bank PIN codes.
What he found, he says, was a "staggering lack of imagination" when it comes to selecting passwords. Nearly 11% of the 3.4 million four-digit passwords he analyzed were 1234. The second most popular PIN in is 1111 (6% of passwords), followed by 0000 (2%). (Last year SplashData compiled a list of the most common numerical and word-based passwords and found that "password" and "123456" topped the list.)

Berry says a whopping 26.83% of all passwords could be guessed by attempting just 20 combinations of four-digit numbers (see first table). "It's amazing how predictable people are," he says.
We don't like hard-to-remember numbers and "no one thinks their wallet will get stolen," Berry says.
Days, Months, Years
Many of the commonly used passwords are, of course, dates: birthdays, anniversaries, year of birth, etc. Indeed, using a year, starting with 19__, helps people remember their code, but it also increases its predictability, Berry says. His analysis shows that every single 19__ combination be found in the top 20% of the dataset.
"People use years, date of birth — it's a monumentally stupid thing to do because, if you lose your wallet, your driver's license is in there. If someone finds it, they've got the date of birth on there. At least use a parent's date of birth [as a password]," says Berry.
Somewhat intriguing was #22 on the most common password list: 2580. It seems random, but if you look at a telephone keypad (or ATM keypad), you'll see those numbers are straight down the middle — yet another sign that we're uncreative and lazy password makers.
The Least Predictable Password
The least-used PIN is 8068, Berry found, with just 25 occurrences in the 3.4 million set, which equates to 0.000744%. (See the second table for the least popular passwords.) Why this set of numbers? Berry guesses, "It's not a repeating pattern, it's not a birthday, it's not the year Columbus discovered America, it's not 1776." At a certain point, these numbers at the bottom of the list are all kind of "the lowest of the low, they're all noise," he says.
A few other interesting tidbits from Berry:
-The most popular PIN code (1234) is used more than the lowest 4,200 codes combined.
- People have even less imagination in choosing five-digit passwords — 28% use 12345.
- The fourth most popular seven-digit password is 8675309, inspired by the Tommy Tutone song.
-People love using couplets for their PINs: 4545, 1313, etc. And for some reason, they don't like using pairs of numbers that have larger numerical gaps between them. Combinations like 45 and 67 occur much more frequently than 29 and 37.
- The 17th most common 10-digit password is 3141592654 (for those of you who are not math nerds, those are the first digits of Pi).

Sneak Peek- Gungor's new CD. Free download.

03:43:00 Kikoprincess 0 Comments

Free Klove song of the week is from Gungor's new CD due for release next week (October 9).

http://www.klove.com/music/store.aspx

Guitar tabs


Spotless   W&M: Michael & Lisa Gungor 
Piano intro: E5  E5  B5 

E5  E5  B5                   E5  E5  B5 
Spot - less        beautifully blame - less 
             E5  E5  B5                       A5 
Tragically bro  -   ken       because of love 
E5  E5  B5            E5  E5  B5 
  All   sin             taken upon Him 
             E5  E5  B5                       A5 
Willingly bro  -  ken          because of love 
                   A5         A5 
Because of love 

Chorus 
G5            /D5        B5 
Oh   light of the world 
                         G5 
Thank You for mercy 
                 /D5   A    A5 
Thank You for mercy 
G5              G5      
You cover me 
                    /E5          C 
Cover all my sin with crimson    (STOP) 

(piano Repeats intro pattern) 


E5  E5  B5                   E5  E5  B5 
His cross, intended for great loss 
             E5  E5  B5                       A5 ( E5 guitar chunking) 
Became the picture of hope for the world 
E5  E5  B5            E5  E5  B5 
His crown, intended to   mock Him 
       E5  E5  B5                             A5 
Irony withheld,                 they didn’t know 
                    A5 
They didn’t know 

REPEAT Chorus    

Female (Oooos) w/ piano  
          E5    C   G5   A 


Band break w/ guitar Solo 
C5     G      F         F (strong on quarters) 


POWER Chorus –   
C5                      C5 
Oh   light of the world 
                         A5 
Thank You for mercy 
                        F5 
Thank You for mercy 
C5             C5 
You cover me 
               A5               F5 
Cover all my sin with crimson    (STOP) 

POWER Walk down 
 C5      C5       A5    F5 
piano ending 
       A5    C5    C5   C5    F5    C5
 from http://snaketabs.com/michael-gungor/power-chords/spotless/