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Jesus: Liar, Lunatic or Lord

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In his famous book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis makes this statement, "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg--or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us." Jesus could only have been one of four things: a legend, a liar, a lunatic--or Lord and God. There is so much historical and archeological evidence to support his existence that every reputable historian agrees he was not just a legend. If Jesus were a liar, why would he die for his claim, when he could easily have avoided such a cruel death with a few choice words? And, ...

The Path to Happiness: It is better to give than to receive.

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http://www.childrentolove.org/ Money may not buy you love but it might buy you happiness if you spend it in the right way, US researchers say. In studies they found that the old adage "it's better to give than to receive" is correct: spending money on others or giving to charity puts a bigger smile on your face than buying things for yourself.  "Most people would think that if you make more money you are going to be a lot happier," said Michael Norton, a professor at Harvard Business School. "Our results, and a lot of other people's results, show that making more money makes you a little bit happier, but doesn't really have a huge impact on you. Our studies suggest maybe that little changes in how you spend it make a difference." The researchers' work was published in the journal Science in 2008. Norton and his colleagues questioned 632 Americans about how much they earned and how they spent their cash. They also asked them ...

How has travel changed you?

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Dec. 2006: Traveling from Salta to Ushuaia, Argentina I love to travel for many reasons. One of them is that I am more aware of my surroundings when I travel. Being in a new place opens my eyes to moments I may miss in daily life. 5 days ago I took a bus from Cochabamba to Santa Cruz in Bolivia. Yesterday I took a train from Santa Cruz to Salta in the north of Argentina. Today in Salta... 1. I saw an old lady giving a cup of coffee and a piece of cake to a beggar with crutches sitting on a sidewalk. 2. I observed a blue collar workers protesting and shouting at the anti-riot police protecting city hall. 3. Earlier I watched children feeding pigeons in a plaza. 4. I listened to a blind old man playing tango with his accordion while I wrote postcards to my mom and grandparents. A few tears fell as I wrote, tears of happiness and gratitude for all the blessings in my life. All day I wandered. Sometimes with map in hand. I found museums, sights to see, but I also walked ai...

Latin Americans Happiest People on Planet

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The world’s happiest people aren’t in Qatar, the richest country by most measures. They aren’t in Japan, the nation with the highest life expectancy. Canada, with its chart-topping percentage of college graduates, doesn’t make the top 10. A poll released last year of nearly 150,000 people around the world says seven of the world’s 10 countries with the most upbeat attitudes are in Latin America. Many of the seven do poorly in traditional measures of well-being, like Guatemala, a country torn by decades of civil war followed by waves of gang-driven criminality that give it one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Guatemala sits just above Iraq on the United Nations’ Human Development Index, a composite of life expectancy, education and per capita income. But it ranks seventh in positive emotions. “In Guatemala, it’s a culture of friendly people who are always smiling,” said Luz Castillo, a 30-year-old surfing instructor. “Despite all the problems that we’re facing, we’re surroun...

22 Ways To Be Happy !!

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I believe in happiness !! This is a list I found online with great tips on how to be happy. I made some changes. I hope they inspire and encourage you to be happier !! 1. Appreciate Life Be thankful that you woke up alive each morning. Develop a childlike sense of wonder towards life. Focus on the beauty of every living thing. Make the most of each day. Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t sweat the small stuff. 2. Choose Friends Wisely Surround yourself with happy, positive people who share your values and goals. Friends that have the same ethics as you will encourage you to achieve your dreams. They help you to feel good about yourself. They are there to lend a helping hand when needed. 3. Be Considerate Accept others for who they are as well as where they are in life. Respect them for who they are. Touch them with a kind and generous spirit. Help when you are able, without trying to change the other person. Try to brighten the day of everyone you come into cont...

What kind of traveler are you?

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Thoughts. Images.

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Movie: The Nativity Story

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Mary, a teenage girl growing up in Rome-occupied Nazareth, is betrothed to Joseph, a modest but kind carpenter. An angel tells her she will bear a child from God and after negotiating the anger and confusion of her family and Joseph at how this could be, she then finds that she, Joseph and the boy growing inside her must make the 100-mile journey to Bethlehem, as a result of a census ordered by Caesar. Meanwhile, Herod is troubled by prophesies regarding a king who will rise up against him and three astronomers from Persia are stirred by an aligning of stars and planets, promising the arrival of something, or someone, very special. Although the movie "The Nativity Story" received a far from rousing reception on its original release, it cannot be denied that it has an important place in any Christmas Video Vault. After all, this is where it all started, this is why we celebrate this time of the year. But is the film itself any good? In a word, ...

Italy: Palermo to Cinque Terre

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Despite incessant praise, Italy continues to surprise and delight. If you get it right, travelling in the bel paese (beautiful country) is one of those rare experiences in life that cannot be overrated. Bella Vita In few places do art and life intermingle so effortlessly. This may be the land of Dante, Michelangelo, da Vinci and Botticelli but it’s also the home of Salvatore Ferragamo, Giorgio Armani and Gualtiero Marchesi. Food, fashion, art and architecture – you’ll quickly learn that the root of Italian pathology is an unswerving dedication to living life well. A surprising number of Italians care deeply about the floral aftertastes of sheep cheese, the correct way to cut marble and the nuances of a Vivaldi concerto. Lurking behind the disinvoltura – the appearance of effortlessness – is a passionate attention to life’s fine print. So slow down, start taking note of life’s details and enjoy your own bella vita. Read more at htt...