JOY

Notice how often Paul breaks off from his exposition of some doctrine or other and expresses spontaneous worship - sometimes even without finishing the sentence he was writing (eg. in Romans - 1:35, 9:5, 11:33,36, 16:27).

HOW TO BE HAPPY THOUGH MARRIED!

The Swiss have a proverb which underlines the element of risk in marriage: 'Marriage is a covered dish!'

For my basic articles about marriage start here. For a basic marriage enrichment procedure see here.

STRANGERS

(viewing them as Jesus would)

Here's one way: the famous YouTube video 'Free Hugs' -



One person wrote: 'Free Hugs Campaign is a great story about how an unknown Sydney band was discovered after its YouTube video took off. Now in the YouTube all-time top 20 after just two months, the video is shot in and around Sydney where Juan Mann starts offering strangers a hug. Inspired by Mann's mission, Shimon Moore from the Sydney band Sick Puppies videotapes the serial hugger.'

MUSIC - THE FOOD OF LOVE (AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH)

First, 'You Raise Me Up' - Morriston Orpheus Choir:



Listen to Nathan (cellist, age 11) gracefully commenting on Saint Saens' "The Swan":



And now an 8,000-voice Welsh Male Voice Choir:



And another:

YOU ARE UNIQUE/SPECIAL !!!

DEATH - AND CHILDHOOD DREAMS (Randy Pausch)

Here's a brilliant talk by someone facing death. Professor Pausch does not seem to be a Christian (he talks about karma for example), but his approach to death and dying is very healthy... See what you think:

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL WORLD!

This is the sunset at the North Pole with the moon at its closest point...

A scene you will probably never get to see in person, so take a moment and enjoy God at work at the North Pole. And, you also see the *sun *below the *moon.* 

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The Kapiti Coast, New Zealand

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And listen to this magnificent music - Richter's rendition of Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata:



Perhaps you like the rugged beauty of Ireland:





An unusual alignment of the new moon with Venus and Jupiter 1st December 2008 provided this joyous visage in the skies, visible even to those in the inner city. Makes you feel like someone is watching over you! This was the view in Melbourne: someone tells me the moon is frowning, not smiling, in the Northern hemisphere! A granddaughter wrote on her Facebook page 'The Universe is smiling on me!'

And even if it isn't, you can smile: