Agent of Influence

Clouds and Transformation

My church just started 35 days of prayer leading up to the roll-out of our new worship format and as part of it they gave us all a prayer guide to help focus. Yesterday's guide was 'Ask God to make his presence known over the next 35 days'. I don't know why but my mind immediately went to the Israelite exodus out of Egypt. I've been thinking about that for the past couple of days...Clouds seem so appropriate as a description of God. I visualize the cloud that led them out of Egypt as this dark, ominous tower out in front of the people and there's lightning pulsing through it. Symbol of power to Israel and a sign things to come for the nations that were about to dispossess. Of course there's also the opposite of that too. I used to live up in the Ozarks years ago and I can remember stopping on an overlook and gazing out across this huge valley that was covered in fog...In my mind that's absolutely symbolic of God and how he's all around us and where we're going as well.  As far as transformation, my mind went to the story of Jesus and the woman getting water from the well. I adore his style there. Jesus knew that compassion was the route to take and he forever altered that woman's life as a result. I want to have that kind of discernment and the courage to step out and just share. I think the thing I want the most is to have that divine confidence and that all my Christian brothers and sisters would have an increasing measure of it as well!

 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  Romans 12:1,2  For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13: 11-14

Worship: The Key to Drawing Near to God

Let's hope Michael Jackson left his brothers enough money to prevent a reunion tour | Somewhat Topical Ecards and Greeting Cards at someecards.com

Let's hope Michael Jackson left his brothers enough money to prevent a reunion tour | Somewhat Topical Ecards and Greeting Cards at someecards.com.

A Look Back ... The Berlin Tunnel: Exposed — Central Intelligence Agency

A Look Back ... The Berlin Tunnel: Exposed — Central Intelligence Agency.

In the rainy, early hours of April 22, 1956, a team of Soviet and East German soldiers began to dig at the municipal cemetery in Altglienicke in East Berlin. It had been an extremely rainy spring and there had been many short circuits in Berlin’s telephone network. The soldiers’ assignment was to unearth a buried telephone cable and check for damage. When they reached the cable, they made an amazing discovery: the cable was tapped and rerouted into a tunnel. The Berlin Tunnel (a.k.a. Operation Gold) was exposed.

Judge Sotomayor: A CRS Analysis of Selected Opinions

Secrecy News » Blog Archive » Judge Sotomayor: A CRS Analysis of Selected Opinions.

Oxnard limits liquor licenses to reduce crime : Oxnard : Ventura County Star

Oxnard limits liquor licenses to reduce crime : Oxnard : Ventura County Star.

Toll activists outraged at special session agenda

Toll activists outraged at special session agenda.

Opponents of privately-run toll roads hope the idea gets anything but a short, smooth ride when lawmakers convene in special session Wednesday. Gov. Rick Perry, who called the special session and set its agenda, wants lawmakers to continue five state agencies that otherwise would expire; permit highway bonds to be issued; and authorize the continued use of comprehensive agreements that allow private development of toll roads.

The Blonde Sister

The Blonde Sister

Two sisters, one blonde and one brunette, inherit the family ranch.
Unfortunately, after just a few years, they are in financial trouble.

In order to keep the bank from repossessing the ranch,
they need to purchase a bull so that they can breed their own stock.
Upon leaving, the brunette tells her sister, 'When I get there, if I decide to buy the bull,
I'll contact you to drive out after me and haul it home.'

The brunette arrives at the man's ranch with $600, inspects the bull,
and decides she wants to buy it. The man tells her that he will sell it for $599, no less.

After paying him, she drives to the nearest town to send her sister a telegram to tell her the news.
She walks into the telegraph office, and says, 'I want to send a telegram to my sister
telling her that I've bought a bull for our ranch. I need her to hitch the trailer to our pickup truck and drive out here so we can haul it home.'

The telegraph operator explains that he'll be glad to help her, then adds, it will cost 99 cents a word.
' Well, after paying for the bull, the brunette realizes that she'll only be able to send her sister one word.
After a few minutes of thinking, she nods and says, 'I want you to send her the word 'comfortable.'

The operator shakes his head. 'How is she ever going to know that you want her to hitch the trailer to your pickup truck and drive out here to haul that bull back to your ranch if you send her just the word 'comfortable?'

The brunette explains, 'My sister's blonde. The word is big. She'll read it very slowly....

'com-for-da-bul'.

Canada Centre for Remote Sensing

Canada Centre for Remote Sensing.

The Canada Centre for Remote Sensing is the government of Canada's centre of expertise for space-based remote sensing science and technology; supporting the use of Earth observation data and information for over 30 years.

Soviet Missions to the Moon

Soviet Missions to the Moon.

The Soviet Lunar program had 20 successful missions to the Moon and achieved a number of notable lunar "firsts": first probe to impact the Moon, first flyby and image of the lunar farside, first soft landing, first lunar orbiter, and the first circumlunar probe to return to Earth. The two successful series of Soviet probes were the Luna (24 lunar missions) and the Zond (5 lunar missions).

NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility

CEPS - RPIF Home.

The Center for Earth and Planetary Studies (CEPS) at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution houses a NASA-supported Regional Planetary Image Facility. The purpose of the image facility is to act as a reference library providing planetary science researchers with access to the extensive collection of image data obtained from planetary missions. The Planetary Image Facility houses over 300,000 photographs and images of the planets and their satellites. Cartographic products generated from these images are also available. Earth-looking photographs from early manned missions and from the Center's extensive collection of space shuttle photographs, as well as selected images from LANDSAT and other remote sensing experiments, are used for research in comparative planetology.