A New Covenant

A few days ago, I wrote an article about a new version of the Ten Commandments that is circulating, mostly in England, and (of course) on the Internet.  Called Just10, it is a restatement of the original Old Testament rules in an effort to make them more accessible to a new generation of believers and seekers alike.  Seeing as Christ Himself already restated the Ten Commandments into two easily understood new guidelines (i.e., love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself), I don't really see the point of dwelling too heavily on the original Ten Commandments in a "perform these daily or die" kind of way.  They are important to understand as part of the old covenant that God the Father made with ancient Israel, and they are important to comprehend in relation to Christ's restatement of the law, in that the first three commandments pertain to our relationship with God and the remaining seven guide our interactions with others.  Beyond that, I think we need to keep in mind the following, which I was reminded of in church this morning.  Read more.

Another Look at My Home Gym

In January 2009, I wrote a short article evaluating the state of my home gym.  At the beginning of March this year, I came across an article on the Gaiam blog that was posted by Chris Freytag, discussing the "7 Essential Home Workout Tools."  Read more.

Just 10? How About Just2?

Last week, a Facebook friend alerted me to this from our friends across the pond, a program called Just10.  It is a new effort by a British pastor, Canon J. John, who felt called to restate the Ten Commandments in order to make them more accessible to a new generation by paraphrasing them in the positive.  Frankly, I am a bit flummoxed by this whole idea.  Read more.

Come Thou Font of Every Blessing

This morning, my daughter and I attended an Episcopal church so that she could help with the handbell choir.  They were a person short in the base register, so she played the big chimes for the offertory, "If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee."  Read more.

Tide = Money?

Even though Snopes.com considers this piece of news "undetermined" in its veracity, I thought I would share it anyway.  For the record, I haven't noticed any change in local merchandising practices here in southeastern Connecticut.

A few days ago, I read a news article online that reported an increase in the theft of Tide laundry detergent.  At first I thought it was kind of funny, thinking to myself, "Who in the world would steal Tide?" and then chuckling aloud, "It is pretty expensive, even at Walmart."  Well, on the street, Tide is now known as "liquid gold," selling for $5-$10/container.  True, that is cheaper than the store price, but a theif who paid nothing for a 100-ounce jug is still pocketing a decent profit, even at $5 per bottle.  More disturbing than this steal-and-sell-cheap scheme is the allegation that Tide is being exchanged...for drugs.  Yes, you heard that correctly, spending laundry detergent is the new barter currency in the underground economy, in some cases being swapped for illegal substances boldly and brashly within full view of law enforcement officials.  In response to this development, CVS and other retailers are beginning to secure their supplies of Tide in order to hamper would-be thieves.  For a store in West St. Paul, though, it was too little too late.  A man in this Minnesota city stole $25,000 worth of Tide before anyone caught him.  Fortunately, he has been arrested and will be standing trial, probably in late May.

So, if you are a Tide customer, don't be surprised if your favorite stain-busting soap is in lock up the next time you visit your local supermarket, a victim of the times.

Grime Wave
Police Catch Serial Tide Detergent Swiper in Minnesota
Police Say Reports of Nationwide Spike in Tide Thefts Doesn't Wash
Tide of Thefts

Hope Is a Strategy, Mrs. Clinton

I noticed recently that a Gooseberry Lane reader had searched for an article that was posted on a now defunct blog called Ducky Persuasions that I had started (and quickly deleted) back in 2006.  The article in question was titled, "Hope Is a Strategy, Mrs. Clinton."  I searched for the piece on my home computer and eventually found it under the title, "Hope is the Foundation of a Strategy."  By either name, I am posting it here for the first time so that whoever was interested in perusing it may now do so.  Sorry for the wild goose (or would that be duck) chase.  I hope you find the article worth waiting for.  Read more.

Springsteen Discusses His New Album

The other day I posted a video of the song "We Take Care of Our Own" from the new album Wrecking Ball by Bruce Springsteen.  Here, the Boss gives his fans a little background on the album.  I liked the music on Wrecking Ball before I listened to this interview.  I like it even more now that I understand the mind set and inspiration behind the songs.

New from Bruce Springsteen

This evening, after my husband finished exploring iTunes, I found this new song from Bruce Springsteen.  I will definitely be purchasing the album (Wrecking Ball) that contains this number, We Take Care of Our Own.



This piece is great, too.  Enjoy!



No compensation was received for any of the product recommendations in this post.