THE THREE KINGS

Today we celebrate the THREE KINGS in Mexico with the exchange of more gifts. I guess that the children really love that one because it meant that there was at least one more present to open.

So who were these three kings and why are they important?

If we read the bible we are told that three wise men came from afar bearing gifts for the King that they found in a manger where he laid. They had followed a star to that location and they knew that they would meet there the King of all Kings. In fact they told this to the king at that time and he was furious and told them that once they found this child to return to his palace so he could get the direction and go give his homage to this king also. Of course, they knew he met to injury the baby so they never returned to give him the information and thus, many male Jewish babies were killed in Pharoah's hope that he would kill the King that would replace him. Jesus was spared and grew up to be the Saviour of all Mankind. HE IS THE REASON WE HAVE THE SEASON.

We celebrate the gifts of the Magi, the gifts of the three Wise Men or the gifts of the Three Kings. We celebrate the officail notie of the birth of the KING, our Lord Jesus Christ.

And glory be HIS name forevermore. AMEN.

CAVE FOUND MAY BE OLDEST CHURCH IN THE WORLD

Archaeologists in Rihab, Jordan, say they have discovered a cave that could be the world's oldest Christian church.
Dating to the period AD33-70, the underground chapel would have served as both a place of worship and a home.
It is claimed that it was originally used by a group of 70 persecuted Christians who fled from Jerusalem.
These early Christians lived and practised their faith in secrecy until the Romans embraced Christianity several hundred years later.
'Beautiful things'
Rihab is in Northern Jordan. The cave is beneath the ancient church of St Georgeous, itself one of the oldest known places of worship in the world.
According to Dr Abdul Qader Al-Hassan, the director of the Rihab Centre for Archaeological studies, the cave site shows clear evidence of early Christian rituals that predate the church.

Dr Al-Hassan says that steps lead down into the chapel which is approximately 12m long and seven metres wide.
There is a circular area of worship with stone seats separated from living quarters. This circular element, called an apse, is important says Dr Al-Hassan because there is only one other example of a cave with a similar feature, which was also used for Christian worship.
Dr Al-Hassan said: "We found beautiful things. I found the cemetery of this church; we found pottery shards and lamps with the inscription 'Georgeous'".
In the cave there is also a tunnel that leads to a cistern which supplied water to the dwellers. An inscription in the floor of the church above refers to the "70 beloved by God and the divine" whom the archaeologist believes were refugees from religious persecution in Jerusalem.
Dr Al-Hassan says that excavation of the tunnel and the cistern may yield yet more evidence about the lives of these early Christians.
"From the tunnel to the cistern is very important. We want to clean it and make an excavation inside it. We found a very old inscription beside it and coins also, and crosses made from iron."
Other experts say they are cautious about the claim. They want to examine the artefacts and see clear dating evidence. The earliest confirmed examples of churches date from the third century, they say.

LA PAPA CAMINO EN ELLO

Store Gives out Carpets walked on by Pope
FLEMINGTON , N.J. (UPI) -- A New Jersey store owner says he is giving away sections of carpet walked on by Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to New York's Yankee Stadium. Ted Resnick, Flemington Department Store owner, supplied 20,000 square feet of carpet used for the pope's April 20 mass at Yankee Stadium and his April 19 trip to St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y., Newhouse News Service reported. Resnick said people from across the nation are asking for pieces of the carpet. "There was one woman who wanted a piece for her son to kneel on when he got married," he said. Part of the reason people are eager to get their hands on the carpet is that a papal visit to the United States is a rarity. Benedict's trip marked only the third such visit in history. Copyright 2008 by United Press International

PHOTOS THAT SHOW THAT GOD IS BUSY KEEPING US HAPPY

Me in Atlanta, Georgia at Christmas time!

This is how complete my world is. World's Best Daughter and Granddaughter of my life! This is the reason I live! Miss you girls but looking forward to seeing y'all soon. Give my love to Georgia!

It's all in the eyes! Triki at Consejo. Happy to be alive. We'll have more fun days, daughter No. 2

Mathematics Teacher- Roy Smith in his First Year Class at 6:00p.m. If 9x+3y isn't equal to one happy smile, I don't know what is!

Mathematica Teacher, Eduardo Itzab t4aching Evening Division at 8:00p.m. Thanks, Itz!

Second Years enjoying their classes at 8:00p.m. Third Years Stand for Class Picture with Director

THIS WAS THE FLOODING AFTER HURRICANE DEAN LAST YEAR

As we can see Belize and Belizeans know what it is like to have floods. Unfortunately it is costly and the country of Belize cannot really deal with it. But, what can we do? This is life!

SE SALVO PORQUE SABIA NADAR!

Parents should make sure children can swim like Riley!!!

This young lad of three survived the flooding because he was able to swim.

It is fortunate for three years old, Riley Rubio that his mother had taught him to swim from a very young age because when the flooding started he was being transported by dory ( a dugged out canoe) when his ability came into play.

The canoe capsized and when he was found later, Riley was on land.

Riley Rubio is from Mullins River a community in Belize. This commuinity suffered greatly from the flood that came when Tropical Depression Arthur caused four days of countinuous rain on Belize.

GOD IS EVERYWHERE

If you think about the life you are fortunate to have, THAT'S GOD! The scuba divers are able to enjoy a world hidden from those of us who fear water or can't dive. They experience nature in a way few people can. It is a marvel of God and one that is so peaceful.

Friendship is special and is something to be enjoyed. This group of students have spent as much as five years together and the friendship that has formed this last year will take them to the next step in their lives. Some of them will continue studying while others will be heading off into the working arena. The power of friendship shows the presence of a greater being. THAT'S GOD!

Look into the eyes of this proud father and see the tender love he feels for his new born child. That is true love and that is what being a father is all about. That's a feeling that can only be sensed and guided by a higher being. THAT'S GOD!

FLOODING CAN ALSO MEAN CLEANSING, I GUESS!

COROZAL TOWN, HOME OF THE WRITER OF THIS BLOG HAD FOUR DAYS OF RAIN FOR THIS TO HAPPEN AS TROPICAL DEPRESSION ARTHUR CAME OVER BELIZE. THE RAIN STILL CONTINUE AND NOW PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES DUE TO THE FLOODING. A LEAST 5 PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER DUE TO THE FLOODS. SOME IN TRYING TO HELP BRING OTHERS TO SAFETY. AND WHILE WE DEAL WITH HELPING THOSE IN NEED WE HAVE TO CONTEND WITH THIS AS THE FIRST OF WHAT COULD BE A LONG HURRICANE SEASON FOR US. IN FACT THE SECOND STORM IS ALREADY FORMING AS WE SPEAK AND IT WILL BE UP TO GOD IF THIS SEASON WILL BE ANY KINDER TO US.
GOD BLESS BELIZE!!

THERE IS ALWAYS PROOF THAT GOD IS ALIVE AND WELL!

BARACK OBAMA RESIGNS FROM HIS CHURCH

ABERDEEN, S.D. - Barack Obama has resigned his 20 year membership in the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago in the aftermath of inflammatory remarks by his longtime pastor the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and more recent fiery remarks at the church by another minister.
Obama campaign communications director Robert Gibbs said Obama had resigned from the church "over the last few days."
Campaign aides said they weren't immediately certain how the resignation took place, whether by letter or in some other fashion, and were trying to find out.
Messages left for a church spokeswoman in Chicago were not immediately returned Saturday afternoon.
The development came as Obama campaigned in South Dakota.
Obama said he disagreed with Wright but initially portrayed him as a family member he couldn't disown. The preacher had officiated at Obama's wedding and been his spiritual mentor for some 20 years.
But six weeks after Obama's well-received speech on race, Wright claimed at an appearance in Washington that the U.S. government was capable of planting AIDS in the black community, praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and suggested that Obama was acting like a politician by putting his pastor at arm's length while privately agreeing with him.
Obama denounced those Wright comments as "divisive and destructive."
Comments by Wright inflamed racial tensions and posed an unwanted problem for Obama, front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, as he seeks to wrap up the nomination.
More recently, racially charged remarks from the same pulpit by another pastor, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, kept the controversy alive and proved the latest thorn in the side of Obama. Pfleger mocked Obama rival Hillary Rodham Clinton as a guest speaker at Obama's church.
Although Obama condemned comments by both Wright and Pfleger, the controversy has persisted.
For months, Obama has been hamstrung by the rhetoric of Wright, whose sermons blaming U.S. policies for the Sept. 11 attacks and calls of "God damn America" for its racism became fixtures on the Internet and cable news networks.
Initially, Obama said he disagreed with Wright but portrayed him as a family member he couldn't disown. The preacher had officiated at Obama's wedding and been his spiritual mentor for some 20 years.
But six weeks after Obama's well-received speech on race, Wright claimed at an appearance in Washington that the U.S. government was capable of planting AIDS in the black community, praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and suggested that Obama was acting like a politician by putting his pastor at arm's length while privately agreeing with him.
On Thursday, Obama was again forced to reject another man of the cloth, this time Pfleger, who made racially charged comments mocking Clinton in a guest sermon at Obama's church.
Obama made it clear he wasn't happy with the comments — in which Pfleger pretended he was Clinton crying over "a black man stealing my show" — and said he was "deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger's divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn't reflect the country I see or the desire of people across America to come together in common cause."
Pfleger, too, issued an apology, saying he was sorry if his comments offended Clinton or anyone else.
The timing of Obama's decision was clearly planned with an eye toward Washington and the calendar. The news broke late on a Saturday and while most of the political attention was focused on the Democratic National Committee's struggle to seat delegates from Florida and Michigan.
Republican John McCain also has had his woes with religious leaders.
Earlier this month, McCain rejected endorsements from two influential but controversial televangelists, saying there is no place for their incendiary criticisms of other faiths.
McCain spurned the months-old endorsement of Texas preacher John Hagee after an audio recording surfaced in which the preacher said God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land. McCain called the comment "crazy and unacceptable."
He later repudiated the support of Rod Parsley, an Ohio preacher who has sharply criticized Islam and called the religion inherently violent.

THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN PARENTS AND CHILDREN

When we seek to control a child, we end up sending them away. (Brenda A. Ysaguirre)

In today's world so many evil things are happening that it is hard for parents to keep control of their children. Unfortunately, while most children may come from good homes and have been brought up the proper way, the friends that they make in school sometimes are the ruination of their lives.

So, how can parents keep their child out of trouble and away from those bad influences that are ever present today? Not an easy task I must tell you as I see most of my friends who have children deal with this situation. I thank God that my daughter is now happily married and the mother of a 61/2 year old daughter. Otherwise I would be biting my nails too.

It is no small wonder that many parents are trying to control the outings of their children. It has gotten to the point where in some of the homes the only way the child will get out is if it is on a family outing. But does this solve the problem? NO! In fact one family that I know of is having a very hard time indeed with this problem.

Both parents are very strong willed and refuse to let their daughter, who is over 18, go out on weekends with her friends. So you would think that would solve the problem, right? NO WAY!

In fact, the daughter is skips classes and goes out with her friends.

PARENTS, YOU HAVE GOT TO LEARN TO LISTEN AND TO UNDERSTAND YOUR CHILDREN. TOO MUCH RULES AND YOUR BEING STRICT WILL NOT MAKE THEM DO WHAT YOU WANT. TELL A CHILD "NO" AND THE FIRST THING HE OR SHE WILL DO IS FINE A WAY TO GO AGAINST THAT COMMAND.

WEREN'T YOU A YOUTH ONCE? HOW DID YOU BEHAVE? WHAT MISCHIEF DID YOU GET INTO? I KNOW YOU WEREN'T A LITTLE CHURCH MOUSE OR A COMPLETE RECLUSE AT HOME. LET'S BE FAIR TO THE YOUTHS. THEY NEED THEIR TIME WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND THEIR FREEDOM NOW AND AGAIN.

THE KEY TO THIS IS 'TRUST'. PARENTS, YOU HAVE GOT TO LEARN TO TRUST YOUR CHILDREN OR YOU WILL LOSE THEM. THINK BEFORE YOU DO SOMETHING YOU WILL REGRET IN THE END.

Have a great day!

God Bless You,

Brenda A. Ysaguirre

IT'S ONLY GOD!

Everytime you see a rainbow,

IT'S ONLY GOD!

Everytime you feel cool breeze on your skin,

IT'S ONLY GOD!

Everytime you feel homesick,

IT'S ONLY GOD!

Everytime you listen to the sound of the rain falling,

IT'S ONLY GOD!

Everytime you feel like calling home,

IT'S ONLY GOD!

Everytime you think of your friends and then they call,

IT'S ONLY GOD!

Everytime you are touched by someone's good deed,

IT'S ONLY GOD!

Everytime you are hurt but get over it,

IT'S ONLY GOD!

GOD NEVER PUNISHES!

Brenda A. Ysaguirre

Copyright 2008 Brenda A. Ysaguirre

HELP ME FIGHT THE DEVIL, LORD

Where are you God, when your faithful need you?

Don't you see the corrupt things that people do?

You have got to do something before more are hurt.

There is too much going on, what is it worth?

Tell me what to do and I will try my best.

But if it is impossible, please don't put me to the test.

Why must we suffer because of things we can't skip,

How can You make people lure others by words from the lip?

I'm trying to understand that this is part of your plan,

But You have got to give me stength and a helping Hand.

Because the devil is at work and he is ahead,

So please Dear Lord, don't make me see red.

GRACIAS, SENOR

THANK YOU, LORD

Lord, I thank you for this life,

I thank you for keeping me safe both day and night.

May all my thoughts and prayers go to the one above,

May all I do be done with much love.

Through all my trials and my times of fear,

You've been a loving Father, ever dear.

May all come to know you as I do,

May they get to love you, too.

Dear Lord, you've brought me to this day,

And guarded all I do and say,

May I always know that you are there for me,

Lord, I thank you for letting me your love see.

Guide me now through this time of sadness,

Let me on your shoulder my head rest.

For Lord you're the only one we always cares for me,

Give me strength - take this pain and set me free.

Brenda Aurora Ysaguirre

Copyright @ Brenda Ysaguirre 2008

SELLING JESUS FOR A QUARTER!

There is good and bad in each person but the one that wins the battle most time than not is the one that we really represent. Brenda A. Ysaguirre

It's only a quarter.....

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You' d better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a qua rter. Who would worry about this little amount?Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as 'a gift from God' and keep quiet.'When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, 'Here, you gave me too much change.'The driver, with a smile, replied, 'Aren't you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday.'When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, 'Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.'Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians and will put us to the test! Always be on guard and remember that you carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself 'Christian'.Watch your thoughts; they become words.

Watch your words; they become actions.

Watch your actions; they become habits.

Watch your habits, they become character.

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.The Will of God will never take you where the

Grace of God will not PROTECT you...