David Smarr, on how Jiu-Jitsu has helped him in life.

David is our instructor on Saturdays at the Blue Valley Gracie Jiujitsu training center. He has practised Jiu-Jitsu under Helio and also Royce Gracie and is a deep instructor. In his words,

"Jiu Jitsu's principles will help you with everything you do in life. Also will never out grow a technique or principle. Here are a few principles that have helped me.

1. Finding the most efficient ways to do things. This comes from Jiujitsu's principle; leverage over power.
2. You are never in a bad situation if you know how to get out. This comes from Jiu Jitsu's principle; that you are never in a bad position if you know how to escape.
3. Focus & Dedication as with anything in life you must work hard for acomplishments. Jiu Jitsu is no different you get out of it what you put into it. Nothing will be given without dedication.
4. Determination Everybody will find themselves in situations they struggle to get out of including me. You must learn to build on your weakness's first before you build on your strengths. You are only as strong as your weakest link.
5. Planning & Preparation As with anything in life you must first plan before you can execute. Jiu Jitsu has taught me the better you prepare for a goal or technique the deeper you will understand it and the more rewarding it is to accomplish.

Hope I helped. Have a good day

David"

Great messages

Our church, Vineyard at Overland Park had the Reflect Conference and their sermon audio is here.
I would recommend listening to at least a few of these life-changing messages.
They are listed here and are marked Reflect 2009 in the third column.
http://vineyardop.org/SiteResources/Modules/MinistryTools/Sermon/default.asp
My favourites are the sermons by Gary Best (4/24,4/25,4/26) and by our senior pastor Mark Warner (5/10,5/17,5/24).

Understanding why George Tiller performed partial birth abortions with an untroubled conscience

“These are the things we do,” he said, pointing to color snapshots of aborted fetuses. “Hydrocephalus, spina bifida, fused legs, open spine, lethal chromosome abnormality. Nature makes mistakes.”

George Tiller, Wichita abortion doctor, shot dead in June 2009.

Reading this quote in the newspaper article by Judy Thomas, I suddenly understood how someone who performed late term abortions could live with an untroubled conscience. Even though he was an usher at his liberal Lutheran church, he apparently believed that babies were created by Nature, not God. He believed that a woman, and the planet, should not be burdened by one of Nature's grotesque mistakes. In contrast, the pro-lifer believes that even deformed babies were created by God for a purpose, and that we do not have the authority to decide what the cutoff point should be - to grant life or death. Who knows what wonders God can do with a seemingly worthless lump of clay?
This is consistent with pro-life support for the death penalty. God, as described in the major religions, requires man to administer justice - even to the point of taking life.