Biore pore strips are better than Pond's pore strips. Pond's are too sticky and seem to be less effective in removing the nasty blackheads. uhh .. or so I've heard ... Two psalms to share: The first one thing actually appears in two different places. 108 and 57. It goes a lil' somethin' like this: My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. I will awaken the dawn. This really speaks to me. The imagery is so neat. I can just imagine King David waking up way early when everyone is still sleeping and the sky is still dark. Laying on his bed. Thinking. And just talking to God. And then, gladness and the joy of knowing God starts to fill his heart so completely to the point where he just has to do something about it or he'll burst. So he busts out the good ole' harp and belts out a joyful, heartfelt tune across the country side. The sun, hearing the wake-up call from David, blinks its eyes from sleepiness, yawns, *stretches*, then gets up to greet the earth with its warm radiance. What a cool, cool picture. I want to awaken the dawn! Now, if I could only wake up ... The second psalm is awesome. I'll get to it in a sec. I'm finishing up a book that I started about a year ago called The Spiritual Man. Watchman Nee, the author, is a Chinese guy who walked with the Lord all the days of his life. And he records much of what he learned about walking with God, and teaches through scripture. This final chapter in the book deals with healing. As Christians, we read the Bible and see that Jesus and his apostles healed many people of sickness and cast out many demons. Why is this relatively scarce these days? Uh oh .. this is treading into rant territory so I'll stay away from there, at least for today. But yeah, Nee teaches out of 1 Corinthians, that the body in which the Holy Spirit lives is, quite literally, the temple of God. We know this in our heads, but we don't believe it thoroughly in our hearts. Jesus Christ has not just solved the problem of our sin. He also heals our sickness and strengthens us when we're weary. Despite the fact that most of our churches do not teach this sort of thing, its made very very clear in the word. Old testament, new testament, no difference. All over the place. God is the source of our healing, the source of our strength, not just for our spirits and our minds, but even for our bodies. I've seen the power of the Word of God in the life of Christians. I've experienced it. Faith is spiritual currency. It's almost seems like cheating. Everything else in life seems like it must be earned. Instead, just believe in God. And it's really not hard, considering the one we're trying so hard to trust is ... oh, only the creator of the ENTIRE J00NIVERSE. To the degree in which we believe that God is able, God is able. Why is that? Well because God is infinite and limitless. Ephesians says, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Amen, indeed Paul-o. Immesurably more. An amount that cannot possibly be measured. That much more than ALL that we could ever ask, or even imagine. Oh wait, tell me again, where is that power at work? Oh yeah, that's right, within us! Jawesome. So, back to the psalm. This one just rocks the house. Number 18 (NASB): For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darkness. For by You I can run upon a troop; And by my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. Soak in it, baby. God is not a theology. God is not an academic understanding of grace and mercy. God is not a historical document. God is a provider! God is near to all who call on him. David was a man who was dear to God. A man who fully trusted in the nearness of his God. And the testimony of his heart is, by my God, I can leap over a wall. That's the truth. Know it. Does God only heal those who are über-spiritual? Those who have got it together, read their Bibles everyday, and have plans to go to seminary? No, indeed, God heals the sick, those who come to him in desperation with their needs, and he does this with no regard to our merit. That is so sweet.