One of the blogs I follow, Live Simply Love, is giving away six free books on marriage. Check out the contest!

The five books are:

1)      A Lasting Promise by Stanley, Trathen, McCain & Bryan

2)      Sacred Marriage Gift Edition by Gary Thomas

3)      Sacred Influence by Gary Thomas

4)      The Love & Respect Experience by Emerson Eggerichs

5)      The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller

6)      The Power of Commitment by Scott Stanley
.

_I've got some work to do.

I am shamelessly stealing this list from Ron Edmondson's blog. Follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook.


Here are 10 easy resolutions you can actually keep:

1. Dear God, we will talk more this year.
2. I will think before I eat.
3. I will do some form of exercise or physical activity every week.
4. I’ll open my Bible every day.
5. I’ll improve at least one relationship.
6. I’ll organize one closet (or even one drawer).
7. I’ll learn one new skill.
8. I’ll attempt to be a better listener.
9. I’ll smile more. (Stretch yourself and insert laugh here.)
10. I’ll remind myself of one thing I’m thankful for everyday.

    My most memorable Christmas will probably remain my worst Christmas ever. In 2004, the week leading up to Christmas, I began experiencing acute abdominal pain. I was in an out of the emergency room multiple times that week. I was finally admitted to the local hospital on Christmas Eve. I was misdiagnosed multiple times. I saw the Indian Tsunami on the tv in my hospital room on December 26. It broke my heart to see the devastation. I was somewhat selfish, because I was more concerned about how long I had to live. I had multiple unnecessary procedures done to me. I was finally transferred to Jane Phillips Center, where I was put under care of a specialist. I was properly diagnosed, and received the surgery I needed. I was opened up from the pelvic area up to my sternum. My epidrual was misplaced, so when I came out of surgery, I felt every bit of pain. I would not wish that pain on my worst enemy. Making matters worse, we soon found out that surgery was botched. I had to go through the same surgery again. In July of 2005, I was free from the hospital, and my body was functioning somewhat normally. The diet of ice-chips I was on in much of this eight month period turned my already slender body into just skin on top of bones.

Now that I got you all depressed, I walked away with much:

• I thought I knew how to forgive, but I had to learn to forgive a doctor who made my life much more difficult than it should have. I had to learn how to forgive him when he admitted no wrong.
  
• The surgeon who botched up my first surgery said a few words I will never forget; "In my arrogance, I made a mistake." These words were powerful. How could I be angry at a doctor who was completely honest and accepted blame. How powerful is it when I do the same?
• I have a bunch of people who care for me. Eight months in and out of the hospital, I never went a day without a visitor. I didn't have much to talk about most the time. ("You should try these ice chips!?) The company meant the world to me though. It was all I had. I realize it's one of the most important things to me now.
• There were many who told me if I had faith, I'd be healed. It was hard for me to not be angry with these people. There was another group who put their own faith into action, and prayed for me every day. Remember the paralytic being lowered through the roof by his friends? These are the folks who helped get me through the eight months.
• I learned I'm not guaranteed another day. Just because I want to do something now, doesn't mean I'll have the chance to do it tomorrow. It took me a while to get the ball rolling, but these past couple years, I've been moving toward the mantra of "No Opportunity Wasted" (Thank you, Phil Keoghan!) People think I have a lot of adventures, but I'm nowhere where I want to be.
• I have a medical condition which gives me reason to NOT eat greens.
  

  

     Last week, I redeemed a prize had won through a TravelSort contest. TravelSort is a website which offers travel advice and great deals on 4-star and 5-star hotel rooms around the world. The prize I won was a one-night stay at Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York City.

      I had a few friends question why I was so excited about winning one night in a hotel room when I had to cover my travel expenses and any other hotel costs other than my one free night. I've always wanted to go to New York City. Me visiting New York City was inevitable. Also, it puts a big dent in ones wallet to book most rooms in NYC. Lastly, it's the Trump in Manhattan, looking over Central Park. The NYC Trump makes the Las Vegas Trump look as if it has budget rates.

I'll bullet some of the highlights of my trip, with details to follow in subsequent posts.

• View the Home Alone 2 filming locations
• Go to the World Trade Center site
• Take a boat tour around Manhattan
• See a taping of The Late Show With David Letterman (I have a ticket to Late Night With Jimmy Fallon if this doesn't work out)
• Visit Times Square
• Meet up with Suzie Zeldin and Jesse Gabriel of The Narrative
• Run into any of the following: Regis Philbin, Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump
• Go to Rockefeller Plaza during a taping of The Today Show.
• See a show at a local concert venue
• Eat a slice of Famous Ray's pizza
• See the Occupy Wall Street protestors, as I'm wearing a Bank Of America tee

What do you suggest I do while I'm in New York City?

During these past couple of years, I've been judged by fellow believers numerous times. They've called me out on things I do, saying I am in the wrong and I need to turn from those "sins." I used the word sin in quotation marks, because the sins they mentioned were man-defined sins, not God-defined sins. Nowhere in the Bible could I find that I was in the wrong for those specific issues.

When being wrongly judge, one easy trap to fall into is judging your judges back. I was guilty of that. I can still fall into that trap when I'm not watching my steps. Under the rules of karma, return-judgement would be perfectly acceptable. Karma isn't the rule of the law. We live under the law of love.

I wrote an earlier post on "One-anothering." Before I began concentrating on this Biblical idea, the first few verses of Ephesians 4 use to be fly-over versus for me. Now, I'm finding that this is part of the meat which makes the church live as it was intended to.

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ~Epheisans 4:1-3

I'll be the first to say I don't do a very good job at this. As much as I try not to, I find myself condemning others and looking down at them. My human nature seeps out way too often.

Am I the only that struggles with this?

Last Tuesday, while taking a break at work, I decided I want to go somewhere new. The remainder of September and October was very tightly booked due to personal commitments. Since I work for the largest online retailer, it's not easy for me to take any time off during the holiday season. I didn't have anything planned that current weekend. I began bidding on flights to Seattle for the following day. I wasn't able to get a flight for a price I was willing to pay. I then bid on a flight to San Francisco. My first bid was accepted. I was now embarking on the most spontaneous journey of my life.

I didn't begin my journey alone, while waiting to board my fight at the airport, a woman began speaking behind me. "This is Jennifer from Riverwalk Dental Spa," are the words she said in a secretarial tone. I looked around it saw it was the receptionist from my dental office with her family. They would be on the flight with me to the Dallas hub.

I was cashing in on two free nights at a hotel at a prime location in San Francisco. I had pay for a room for one night at another hotel. This one night, I stayed at a very charming hotel, in the middle of all the activity of Market Street and Union Square. The hotel was built in 1908. It showed signs of its age, but it was clean nonetheless. Just right outside the door of this hotel was the beginning of one of the cable car lines.

My two free nights were spent at a nice chain hotel at the Fisherman's Wharf (a tourist hot spot in San Francisco). I was given one of the larger rooms at the site, which faced the pool. The outdoor heated pool and jacuzzi were quite relaxing in the chili weather. I just had to survive the cooler air in the 4-second walk from the pool to my room.

I spent much of my first two days in San Francisco sight-seeing by myself. I did a bunch of walking around. I took a hop-on-hop-off bus tour. I did make a new friend from Victoria, British Columbia on the boat tour I was on.

I attended a CouchSurfing meet up at the end of my second day. It was "After Dark" at the Exploratorium (a museum for children and teens). The bar made the already entertaining exhibits much more fun. I had a blast with my three new friends. We were literally from all over the world... Taiwan, Egypt, California, and Kansas. We went to a cafe after the event. A couple of them had a beer, and I had the best tasting hot chocolate. The hot chocolates were unique. The servers made a design in your drink with the creamer.

I spent most of my third day sight seeing with another new friend from CouchSurfing. We visited National Maritime Park. She rode the cable car for the first time. We spent hour walk through China Town.

Day number four, the day I departed, I spent entirely resting in the hotel. I was worn out from my spontaneity. When I did leave, I was sad to go.

I have a confession to make. I wouldn't have made this post if I hadn't read Reimagining Church by Frank Viola. He's not one hundred percent innocent himself. He blatantly stole much of the book from the Bible. I don't have anything witty to say in this post. I don't even have mach of a commentary.

Check out all the "one anothering" verses in the Bible. There are over one hundred verses in the New Testament directing us to do something with one another.

Here are just a few of those verses:

• Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. ~Hebrews 13:1
• And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting each other, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. ~Hebrews 10:24-25
  
• Be completely humble and gentle; be patient with one another, bearing with one another in love. ~Ephesians 4:2
• Greet one another with a holy kiss. ~2 Corinthians 13:12
  
• Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. ~Ephesians 5:21
• Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ~1 Peter 4:19
• Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ~Romans 12:10
• Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. ~1 Thessalonians 5:11
• Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you have a grievance against some one. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ~Colossians 3:13

Don't stop here, check the rest of them out!

I just love the fact that the Bible tells us about ten times to greet one another with a kiss. ;)

How are you one anothering? Are you one anothering in church gatherings? Are you one anothering during church gatherings? If not, should you?