DOW JONES

How Far Should we Backtest a Forex System?

Some traders asked me for how long one should backtest a trading system. There’s no easy answer, and there are a few factors that you need to consider when determining the period for backtesting your trading system.
It’s not important how long you backtest a trading system, it’s important that you receive enough trades to make statistically valid data. If your trading system generates 2 trades per day, or 300 trades per year, then a year of testing gives you enough data to make reliable decission. But if your trading system generates only 2 trades per month or 24 trades per year, then you should backtest a couple of years to receive reliable data.

It doesn’t make sense to backtest a trading system for the GBP/USD on an e-mini trading account before 2002 because at that time the market was completely different, less liquidity and different market participants. I believe that a reliable testing period for the e-mini between the years 2002 – 2008.
The bigger the sample data you get then the smaller from margin of error and then it will built more reliable data that needed to develop trading system. Ussually I’ll do a backtest for past two to four years ago then combining with 6 month of Forward test will give me confidence to use a new development system.

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9pm

If Only I Had ...

If Only I Had ...
Lysa TerKeurst

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
John 8:32 (NIV)

Devotion:
There's a simple little script many of us play in our mind--simple, yet incredibly dangerous. Dare I say it's one of the biggest things that hold us back from feeling fulfilled in our relationship with God. It's a script tangled in a lie that typically goes something like this: I could really be happy and fulfilled if only I had ...
... a skinnier body.
... a husband.
... a husband who was more tender and romantic.
... more money.
... a more successful career.
... a better personality.
... a baby.
... smarter kids.
I don't know what your "if only I had" statements are, but I do know that none of them will bring fulfillment. They might bring temporary moments of happiness... but not true fulfillment.

In the book I just wrote, "Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl," I expose the "if only I had" lie with this truth: Apart from a thriving relationship with God, even if we got everything on our list, there would still be a hollow gap in our soul.

Instead of saying, "If only I had" and filling in the blank with some person, possession, or position, make a choice to replace that statement with God's truth. Here are some examples that have helped me battle the temptation to let people, possessions, or positions take God's place in my life.
People
I no longer say, "If only I had a daddy who loved me...." Instead, I say, "Psalm 68:5 promises God will be a father to the fatherless."

Maybe your gap isn't left by an absent father but by a friend who hurt you. Or perhaps a husband who left you. Or the children you've longed to have and still don't. Whatever that gap is, God is the perfect fit for your emptiness. Pray this paraphrase of Luke 1:78-79: "Because of the tender mercy of my God by which the rising sun will come to me from heaven--to shine on my darkness and in what feels like the shadow of death to me--I will find peace."
Possessions
I no longer say, "If only I had more possessions ...." Instead, I recite Matthew 6:19-21: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Any possession I ever long for, no matter how good it may seem, will only be good for a limited time. In light of eternity, every possession is in the process of breaking down, becoming devalued, and will eventually be taken from us. If I set my heart solely on acquiring more things, I'll feel more vulnerable with the possibility of loss.

Possessions are meant to be appreciated and used to bless others. They were never meant to be identity markers. It's not wrong to enjoy the possessions we have as long as we don't depend on them for our heart's security.
Position
I no longer say, "If only I had a better position ...." Instead, I say the words of Psalm 119:105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." I don't need a better position to get where I should go. I don't have to figure out my path and jockey to get ahead. I need God's Word to guide me. As I follow Him and honor Him step-by-step, I can be assured that I'm right where He wants me to be doing what He wants me to do.

Whatever "if only I had" statement you are struggling with, you can replace it with solid truths from Scripture that will never leave you empty. It's a bold assertion to make but it's true. When God's Word gets inside of us, it becomes the new way we process life. It rearranges our thoughts, our motives, our needs, and our desires. Our soul was tailor-made to be filled with God and His truth, therefore, it seeps into every part of us and fills us completely.

Dear Lord, I acknowledge only You can fill those empty places in my heart. Help me to stop the "if only I had" cycle and instead be set free with Your truth. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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9pm

Making Room for Atheism

Making Room for Atheism
John Piper
Our church exists "to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ." That is our mission. "All things" means business, industry, education, media, sports, arts, leisure, government, and all the details of our lives. Ideally this means God should be recognized and trusted as supreme by every person he has made. But the Bible teaches plainly that there will never be a time before Jesus comes back when all people will honor him as supreme (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10).
So how do we express a passion for God's supremacy in a pluralistic world where most people do not recognize God as an important part of their lives, let alone an important part of government or education or business or industry or art or recreation or entertainment?
Answer: We express a passion for the supremacy of God...
1) by maintaining a conviction at all times that God is ever-present and gives all things their most important meaning. He is the Creator, Sustainer, and Governor of all things. We must keep in our minds the truth that all things exist to reveal something of God's infinite perfections. The full meaning of everything, from shoestrings to space shuttles, is the way they relate to God.
2) by trusting God in every circumstance to use his creative, sustaining, governing wisdom and power to work all things together for the good of all who love him. This is faith in the future grace of all that God promises to be for us in Jesus.
3) by making life choices that reveal the supreme worth of God above what the world values supremely. "The steadfast love of the Lord is better than life" (Psalm 63:3). So we will choose to die rather than lose sweet fellowship with God. This will show his supremacy over all that life offers.
4) by speaking to people of God's supreme worth in creative and persuasive ways, and by telling people how they can be reconciled to God through Christ, so that they can enjoy God's supremacy as protection and help, rather than fear it as judgment.
5) by making clear that God himself is the foundation for our commitment to a pluralistic democratic order-not because pluralism is his ultimate ideal, but because in a fallen world, legal coercion will not produce the kingdom of God. Christians agree to make room for non-Christian faiths (including naturalistic, materialistic faiths), not because commitment to God's supremacy is unimportant, but because it must be voluntary, or it is worthless. We have a God-centered ground for making room for atheism. "If my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight" (John 18:36). The fact that God establishes his kingdom through the supernatural miracle of faith, not firearms, means that Christians in this age will not endorse coercive governments-Christian or secular.
This is why we resist the coercive secularization implied in some laws that repress Christian activity in public places. It is not that we want to establish Christianity as the law of the land. That is intrinsically impossible, because of the spiritual nature of the kingdom. It is rather because repression of free exercise of religion and persuasion is as wrong against Christians as it is against secularists. We believe this tolerance is rooted in the very nature of the gospel of Christ. In one sense, tolerance is pragmatic: freedom and democracy seem to be the best political order humans have conceived. But for Christians it is not purely pragmatic: the spiritual, relational nature of God's kingdom is the ground of our endorsement of pluralism, until Christ comes with rights and authority that we do not have.
By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

The Hoping and Guessing Effect

The newbie traders think the core of a forex trading strategy should be predicting where forex prices will go. Try it and you will lose, you will win if you trade in a different way so why is prediction not the way to make money?
If you are predicting you are in effect hoping and guessing and this is not the right way to make money in any way. You cannot predict the future and if you try, your predictions will be as accurate as your magic crystal ball.
The forex traders who rely on prediction generally will becoming a greedy traders who think forex trading is simply a walk in the park, its not and neither would you expect it to be.
The forex market is the right place if you can cut out the hope and prediction and trade the reality, you can have the basis of a forex trading strategy that can make big consistent profits.

Learn How To Get Rich Slowly

A lot of people have jumped on the forex trading bandwagon in recent years. They heard about how much money you can potentially make by trading the currency markets and have leapt head first into this exciting industry.
Many people enter the world of forex trading with the aim of making as much money as possible. They chase overnight rich scheme and most them make is that they need to be trading lots of positions in order to generate these big profits.

The truth is you just need to build a proven trading system slowly, a system that has generated profits consistently on a long-term basis. The systems that build by real forward test and keep the record of the honest result as clean as possible.
It is way more better and bulletproof than just bought on the internet and using someone else systme blindly. You also need a good money management, and more specifically how to manage risk. This is how the successfull pro traders build their wealth.

9am

FOREX training

https://admin.connectpro.acrobat.com/_a814745210/p15775998/
https://admin.connectpro.acrobat.com/_a814745210/p24988236/

2.30pm

The Great Debate: Fundamental vs. Technical Analysis

One of the dominant debates in financial market analysis is the relative validity of the two major tiers of analysis: Fundamental and Technical. In Forex, several studies concluded that fundamental analysis was more effective in predicting trends for the long-term (longer than one year), while technical analysis was more appropriate for shorter time horizons (0-90 days). Combining both approaches was suggested to be best suited for periods between 3 months and one year.
Nonetheless, further empirical evidence reveals that technical analysis of long-term trends helps identify longer-term technical "waves," and that fundamental factors do trigger short-term developments.
Let's take the declining USD/JPY exchange rate in 1999 as an example. The pair lost 16% in the second half of the year, reaching a year low of 101.90. Both fundamentals and technicals alike could explain the downward move. Fundamentals attributed it to the continuous capital inflows into Japanese assets, which reflect investors increased optimism with the Japanese recovery. Technical analysts were likely to explain the move with the simple argument: the language of the market voiced a clearly downward tone that became more resounding after the breach of key technical landmarks (115 yen and 110 yen).
Thus, both technicals and fundamentals reached the same conclusion. However, fundamental analysts with a technical blind spot risk missing key market turnarounds after the breach of an important support/resistance level.
Conversely, a technically inclined analyst with a disregard for fundamentals and news releases would have missed the rebound in EUR/USD, which was triggered by the release of a stronger than expected German business sentiment survey (IFO) in July 19, 1999. Up to that point, the euro had lost 15% reaching an all time low of $1,010. Most market observers—fundamentals and technicals -were predicting the euro to break below $1.00. Technical analysts stated psychology, momentum, and moving averages as arguments for further downfall. But fundamentally inclined analysts who paid attention to the strong survey would have been able to promptly exit their long dollar positions in favor of the euro. On that day, the euro jumped 200 points against the dollar with an additional 260 points on the following day, and an extra 150 days in the third day. In just two weeks, EUR/USD soared by more than 800 pts.
Obviously, the IFO survey release was not the single reason behind the euro's 7% rebound. Other factors over the subsequent weeks also helped prop the currency. These included a broadening improvement in economic fundamentals throughout the Eurozone and increasingly hawkish stance (favoring higher interest rates) from the European Central Bank. Nevertheless, the release of the IFO survey was the turning point in shifting expectations of the euro.
It has been often stated that combining fundamentals with technicals was counterproductive. Owing to their contrasting types, technical and fundamental analysis are often said to be mutually exclusive. Yet, a large number of traders combine the two approaches, even instinctively. Thus, technically inclined traders do pay attention to central bank meetings, give consideration to employment reports and heed the latest inflation numbers. Similarly, fundamental traders are often trying to figure out the major and minor levels of support, and determine the percentage of retracement formations. There does not exist a specific formula for figuring out the optimum approach of combining fundamental and technical analysis in the Forex market. Some computer software packages claim to be able to make such decisions, weighing one approach against another depending on economic, technical and quantitative parameters. Yet, these are based on models from past patterns of inter-market dynamics and previous technical and fundamental behavior. The FX market is too dynamic for such pre-formed frameworks.

Fundamentals Affecting the US Dollar

Interest Rates
Fed Funds Rate: Clearly the most important interest rate. It is the rate that depositary institutions charge each other for overnight loans. The Fed announces changes in the Fed Funds rate when it wishes to send clear monetary policy signals. These announcements normally have large impact on all stock, bond and currency markets.

Discount Rate
The interest rate at which the Fed charges commercial banks for emergency liquidity purposes. Although this is more of a symbolic rate, changes in it imply clear policy signals. The Discount Rate is almost always less than the Fed Funds Rate.

30-year Treasury Bond
The 30-year US Treasury Bond, also known as the long bond, or bellwether treasury. It is the most important indicator of markets' expectations on inflation. Markets most commonly use the yield (rather than price) when referring to the level of the bond. As in all bonds, the yield on the 30-year treasury is inversely related to the price. There is no clear-cut relation between the long bond and the US dollar. But the following relation usually holds: A fall in the value of the bond (rise in the yield) due to inflationary concerns may pressure the dollar. These concerns could arise from strong economic data.
Depending on the stage of the economic cycle, strong economic data could have varying impacts on the dollar. In an environment where inflation is not a threat, strong economic data may boost the dollar. But at times when the threat of inflation (higher interest rates) is most urgent, strong data normally hurt the dollar, by means of the resulting sell-off in bonds.
Nonetheless, as the supply of 30-year bonds began to shrink following the US Treasury's refunding operations (buy back its debt), the 30-year bond's role as a benchmark had gradually given way to its 10-year counterpart.
Being a benchmark asset-class, the long bond is normally impacted by shifting capital flows triggered by global considerations. Financial/political turmoil in emerging markets could be a possible booster for US treasuries due to their safe nature, thereby, helping the dollar.

3-month Eurodollar Deposits
The interest rate on 3-month dollar-denominated deposits held in banks outside the US. It serves as a valuable benchmark for determining interest rate differentials to help estimate exchange rates. To illustrate USD/JPY as a theoretical example, the greater the interest rate differential in favor of the eurodollar against the euroyen deposit, the more likely USD/JPY will receive a boost. Sometimes, this relation does not hold due to the confluence of other factors.

10-year Treasury Note
FX markets usually refer to the 10-year note when comparing its yield with that on similar bonds overseas, namely the Euro (German 10-year bund), Japan (10-year JGB) and the UK (10-year gilt). The spread differential (difference in yields) between the yield on 10-year US Treasury note and that on non US bonds, impacts the exchange rate. A higher US yield usually benefits the US dollar against foreign currencies.

Federal Reserve Bank (Fed)
The U.S Central Bank has full independence in setting monetary policy to achieve maximum non-inflationary growth. The Fed's chief policy signals are: open market operations, the Discount Rate and the Fed Funds rate.

Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)
The FOMC is responsible for making decisions on monetary policy, including the crucial interest rate announcements it makes 8 times a year. The 12-member committee is made up of 7 members of the Board of Governors; the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; while the remaining four seats carry one-year term each, in a rotating selection of the presidents of the 11 other Reserve Banks.

Treasury
The US Treasury is responsible for issuing government debt and for making decisions on the fiscal budget. The Treasury has no say in monetary policy, but its statements on the dollar have an major influence on the currency.

Economic Data
The most important economic data items released in the US are: labor report (payrolls, unemployment rate and average hourly earnings), CPI, PPI, GDP, international trade, ECI, NAPM, productivity, industrial production, housing starts, housing permits and consumer confidence.

Stock Market
The three major stock indices are the Dow Jones Industrials Index (Dow), S&P 500, and NASDAQ. The Dow is the most influential index on the dollar. Since the mid-1990s, the index has shown a strong positive correlation with the greenback as foreign investors purchased US equities. Three major forces affect the Dow: 1) Corporate earnings, forecast and actual; 2) Interest rate expectations and; 3) Global considerations. Consequently, these factors channel their way through the dollar

Cross Rate Effect
The dollar's value against one currency is sometimes impacted by another currency pair (exchange rate) that may not involve the dollar. To illustrate, a sharp rise in the yen against the euro (falling EUR/JPY) could cause a general decline in the euro, including a fall in EUR/USD.

FOREX V EQUITIES

Forex is a true 24-hour market. Whether it's 6pm or 6am, somewhere in the world there are always buyers and sellers actively trading foreign currencies. Traders can always respond to breaking news immediately, and P&L is not affected by after hours earning reports or analyst conference calls.
After hours trading for U.S. equities brings with it several limitations. ECN's (Electronic Communication Networks), also called matching systems, exist to bring together buyers and sellers - when possible. However, there is no guarantee that every trade will be executed, nor at a fair market price. Quite frequently, traders must wait until the market opens the following day in order to receive a tighter spread. OTC cash foreign exchange is not traded on an organized exchange like the New York Stock Exchange or other instutionalized stock exchanges. The OTC market and its inherent liquidity moves around the world on a continuous basis and is not "closed" during the week to allow for different day sessions and overnight sessions. The OTC market is based on the global market pricing for currencies made by banks and foreign exchange dealers. The majority of global foreign currency dealers and banks are compensated on the difference between the bid/ask spread in the currency price offered to participating traders and/or the ability to accumulate positions on a proprietary basis and assume the risk of the net open positions they carry. Trading in the foreign exchange markets involves the very significant risk of loss and individual traders should only use true discretionary capital for trading. The leverage offered in foreign exchange, which is typically much greater than that offered in the equities market, can work in the trader's favor if the trader is right and can work significantly against the trader if the trader is wrong. Traders should be aware of all the risks associated with trading in the foreign exchange market before trading and should take the time to educate themselves on the risks associated with such trading. Since the foreign exchange market is a global dynamic market place traders must realize that there is no way to eliminate risk and learning how to take and manage risk is an essential part of trading.
Superior Liquidity
With a daily trading volume that is 50x larger than the New York Stock Exchange, there are always broker/dealers willing to buy or sell currencies in the FX markets. The liquidity of this market, especially that of the major currencies, helps ensure price stability. Traders can almost always open or close a position at a fair market price.
Because of the lower trade volume, investors in the stock market are more vulnerable to liquidity risk, which results in a wider dealing spread or larger price movements in response to any relatively large transaction
100:1 Leverage
100:1 leverage is commonly available from online FX dealers, which substantially exceeds the common 2:1 margin offered by equity brokers. At 100:1, traders post $1000 margin for a $100,000 position, or 1%. While certainly not for everyone, the substantial leverage available from online currency trading firms is a powerful, moneymaking tool. Rather than merely loading up on risk as many people incorrectly assume, leverage is essential in the Forex market. This is because the average daily percentage move of a major currency is less than 1%, whereas a stock can easily have a 10% price move on any given day. The most effective way to manage the risk associated with margined trading is to diligently follow a disciplined trading style that consistently utilizes stop and limit orders. Devise and adhere to a system where your controls kick in when emotion might otherwise take over.
Lower Transaction Costs
It is much more cost-efficient to trade Forex. Most Forex Brokers offer traders access to all relevant market information and trading tools as part of their free services. In contrast, commissions for stock trades range from $7.95-$29.95 per trade with online discount brokers up to $100 or more per trade with full service brokers.
Another important point to consider is the width of the bid/ask spread. Regardless of deal size, forex dealing spreads are normally 5 pips or less (a pip is .0005 US cents). In general, the width of the spread in a forex transaction is less than 1/10 that of a stock transaction, which could include a .125 (1/8) wide spread.
Profit AND LOSS Potential In Both Rising And Falling Markets
Profit and Loss Potential In Both Rising And Falling Markets In every open FX position, an investor is long in one currency and short the other. A short position is one in which the trader sells a currency in anticipation that it will depreciate. This means that potential exists for both profits and losses in a rising as well as a falling market.

24 hours market

Forex business has become an entire day 24 hour continued operation whole world foreign exchange market. Due to the different geographical position of the various financial centre, the Asian market, the European market, the Americas market because of the time difference relations,
Early morning 08.30 at New York time the New York market opens, 09.30 Chicago market opens, 18.30 Sydney opens, 19.30 Tokyo opens, 20.30 Hong Kong, Singapore open, before dawn 14.30 Frankfurt opens, 15.30 o’clock London market opens.
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The market is 24 hours uninterrupted movements, the foreign exchange market becomes a day and night market, only on Saturday, Sunday as well as the various countries’ significant holiday, the foreign exchange market only then can close. For instance, Forex trader buys up the Japanese Yen in the morning at the New York market, in the evening Hong Kong market opens the Japanese Yen rises, the Forex trader sells in the Hong Kong market,
This kind of continued operation, provided no time and spatial barrier ideal outlet for investors, the Forex trader may seek the best opportunity to carry on the transaction.no matter Forex trader in where, tarders all may participate in any market, any time business. The foreign exchange market may say is does not have the time and the place barrier market.

The Plunge 8 mn

The Plunge 7 w1

The Plunge 6 d1

The Plunge 5 h4

The Plunge 4 m15

The Plunge 3 h1

The Plunge 2 m1

The Plunge 1

4.30pm Plunge

What's your approach to work?

What's your approach to work?
October 20, 2009
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men....You are serving the Lord Christ.
--Colossians 3:23-24
Not long ago, I had the chance to watch my little grandson playing in a swimming pool. Over and over again, he jumped in the pool with such enthusiasm and abandon.
That experience got me thinking that there's really no such thing as a half leap into a swimming pool. Once you've started to jump, you have to go the whole way!
That's the spirit of the apostle Paul's words in today's verse. He's telling you and me, "Don't you even dare make less than a full leap into your work! Give it your whole heart. Approach your work with intention and passion. Pour your life into it. And do it to God's glory."
This is God's plan to bring meaning and purpose to your daily life, including your life in the workplace. But Satan doesn't want you happy at work. He'll distract you and draw your eyes off of Jesus.
So my challenge to you today... whether you work in the home or outside the home... is to heed the words of Paul. Ask Christ Jesus to empower you to serve him no matter what your task may be. And like a child, leap into whatever you do with both feet! LIKE A CHILD, LEAP INTO WHATEVER YOU DO WITH BOTH FEET!

Forex Tips

My thoughts on the learning process:
There are four stages of learning:
1. The stage that you don't know, and you don't know that you don't knowThis is before the learning begins, blissful ignorance
2. The stage where you know that you don't know how to do itThis is the stage where the learning begins and is also the most difficult
3. The stage that you know how to do itThis is easier than the second stage, but still uncomfortable
4. The stage that you know, and you know that you know.This is when the new skill becomes a natural part of us
When learning a new skill, one should open a demo account and practice it, going through all the steps in the learning process.
An amateur works until they get it right; professionals work until they cannot get it wrong.

300pips Plunge

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LOVE

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous;
love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly;
it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails...But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13
Love is patient,
True love is unconditional, that is, it does not depend on the attributes or lack thereof of the person loved, therefore, it is willing to give as much time necessary, and as much space as necessary for that person to grow.

love is kind and is not jealous;
Love seeks to give others something of benefit for their welfare, and consequently, rejoices when they do benefit.

love does not brag and is not arrogant,
To lift one's self up in reference to others leaves no room for unconditional, graceful love.

does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own,
To act inappropriately, shamefully (morally, especially in the area of sexual purity) is not in accordance with true love.

Love never seeks it's own gratificaiton but rather the interests of others.

is not provoked,
Selfishness seeks to manipulate others by stimulating certain selfish emotions. Love will not do this to others, nor will it let it happen to itself.

does not take into account a wrong suffered,Forgivenss.
Let it go. Bitterness is the acid. You are the container. Get rid of it or it will kill you.

does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
Love does not somehow gloss over things that are going to be hurtful. True love originates from the truth.

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
If love really is unconditional, it will hold any weight, face any doubt, persist through hopelessness, and last any trial

Love never fails...
If it did, would it be love?

But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Someday, faith will not be needed, for we will see God. Hope will not be needed, for when everything is fulfilled, there is no need for hope. But love, yes, to it there will be no end. If it did, it wouldn't be love.

For this section of famous Bible quotes, this is a simple explanation of this passage and is not meant to be a technical commentary. For a great book on communicating love to someone practically, try the best book I know on that subject The Five Love Languages by Gary Smalley

Your purpose for today

Your purpose for today
October 21, 2009
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
--Proverbs 19:21
American theologian Fredrick Buechner once said, "Purpose is the place where your deep gladness meets the world's need." Isn't this a wonderful statement?
You see, God didn't put us here on earth to take up space, or just to fulfill our own plans. No! We have a mission. He has put you and me here to work with him to fulfill his purposes... ones that will count for all eternity.
As Christ-followers, we should never experience a boring or insignificant day. Each new day takes on a sense of meaning and purpose. The psalmist understood this. He wrote, "This is the day that the LORD has made; ... rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).
Today matters! The Lord has called you to amazing opportunities to work with him to meet the needs of those he puts in your path.
So if you are a teacher, pour your heart into the lives of your students! Your influence can change generations to come. If you're a construction worker, build with excellence. You don't work for a boss, but to please God.
You are a servant of Christ, so serve him with all of your heart, might, and strength! When you do this, your service will last for eternity.
THE LORD HAS CALLED YOU TO AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH HIM TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE HE PUTS IN YOUR PATH.

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God will make a way

God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength
For each new day
He will make a way
He will make a way
X2

By a roadway in the wilderness
He'll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain
He will do something new today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRXt5OjIe5E&NR=1

10am

Give Thanks

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich Because of what the Lord has done for us"
And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich Because of what the Lord has done for us"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmackcaZM2M&feature=related

The Power of Your Love

Lord I come to You
Let my heart be changed, renewed
Flowing from the grace
That I’ve found in You
Lord I’ve come to know
The weakenesses I see in me
Will be stripped away
By the power of Your love

~ chorus ~
Hold me close
Let Your love surround me
Bring me near
Draw me to Your side
And as I wait
I’ll rise up like the eagle
And I will soar with You
Your Spirit leads me on
In the power of Your love

Lord unveil my eyes
Let me see You face to face
The knowledge of Your love
As You live in me
Lord renew my mind
As Your will unfolds in my life
In living every day
By the power of Your love

(repeat chorus twice)

And I will soar with You
Your Spirit leads me on
In the power of Your love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA4narr2wyE&feature=related

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The Ram is on its Way

The Ram is on its Way
Glynnis Whitwer

"So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.'" Genesis 22:14 (NIV)

Devotion:
Have you ever been in a situation so desperate that it looked hopeless?

Have you ever sat at the kitchen table wondering how you were going to pay the electric bill? Have you ever stood at a door that's been slammed in your face by an angry teenager and despaired at ever having a relationship with him again? Have you ever had your heart broken so deeply that you wondered if you would ever feel whole again?

Sadly, we live in a broken world where desperate situations happen every day. I know someone reading this devotion is wondering how she will make it through the day because her situation looks hopeless. If that is you, I encourage you to keep reading. I believe God has a message of hope for you today.

That message is found in the Bible, in the story of a man who was dealing with his own desperate situation. His name was Abraham and he faced the greatest testing of his life. After longing for a son for many years, God finally gave Abraham a boy, whom he named Isaac. Abraham never imagined God would test his faith by asking him to sacrifice his son. But it happened.

It had to have been the darkest day of Abraham's life as he trudged up the mountain, with firewood strapped to his son's back. Every step took Abraham closer to what he believed to be the sad ending of a hopeless situation - the death of his son. Yet in spite of his sorrow, Abraham trusted God. His heart wasn't soaring with joy. He wasn't dancing up the mountain. But he put one foot in front of the other. Walking through the darkness of the situation; obeying His God's commands.

Unbeknownst to Abraham, something else was walking up that mountain. Quietly. Out of sight. On the other side of the mountain. Something else was putting one foot in front of the other. Only Abraham couldn't see it.

For every step Abraham took, a ram on the other side of the mountain took a step.

All Abraham saw that day was his solitary journey of pain. As he got closer to the top of the mountain, his dread must have increased. I wonder if he asked himself any questions. I would have. I would have wondered why hadn't God intervened? Why hadn't God stopped this testing? Couldn't God see that Abraham was a man of faith? Why test him in this way?

But there was no answer. There was no voice from heaven. And so Abraham kept obeying his God's command. He put Isaac on an altar and prepared to sacrifice his one and only son.

And just at that very moment, at the very last second, when it looked like the end had come, God spoke, stopping the sacrifice. Abraham looked up and there caught in the thicket was a ram. Abraham took his son off the altar, replaced him with the ram, and offered the sacrifice to God.

Abraham named that place "Yahweh-Yireh" or "The Lord Will Provide." And the story was written down for generations of God-followers to read. It was written so that you and I today would read it as we face our own hopeless situations. It was captured in print so that you and I would know that God is already planning for our provision. We don't see it. We don't hear it. But we can trust that our God is at work. On your behalf, and on mine.

I choose to trust God today. A ram is on the way.

Dear Lord, You know how desperate I am today. You know that my faith has wavered. Although I want to trust You, I'm having trouble doing so. I ask for Your intervention in my situation, and for an increase of my faith while I wait. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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The Day I Sat in God's Lap

The Day I Sat in God's Lap
Tracie Miles

"Come near to God and he will come near to you." James 4:8a (NIV)

Devotion:
A couple months ago, I found myself in despair. I had been hurt and felt betrayed by a friend. How was I going to fix the issues I was suddenly facing? My heart and mind were overwhelmed with the storm that had unexpectedly raged into my life.

One Sunday afternoon, I was feeling especially sad and worried about it. To hide my tears from my family, I wandered quietly into the solace of my bedroom. It was a rainy day and the room was dim, so I clicked on the lamp beside my bed. As the warm glow of light bathed the room, my eyes fell upon the little glass box a sweet friend had given me a few weeks earlier.

This beautiful engraved box, wrapped in a soft yellow bow, was filled with little slips of carefully folded papers, and on each slip of paper was an encouraging Bible verse. This would have been a wonderful gift in itself, but to make it even more special, my friend had inserted my name into each of the verses. When I read them, I felt as if God was speaking directly to me, as if He was calling out to Tracie, by name.

As I sat quietly alone in my bedroom unfolding each little slip of paper, tears streamed down my face. I read every verse silently, asking God to hear my prayers, comfort me, take away my hurt, and show me the way.

After a few minutes of intense prayer and focus, I became aware of God's presence in the room.

I felt Him wrap His holy comforting arms around me and pull me into His presence. Suddenly, an idea popped into my mind. Instead of putting the papers back in the glass box after reading them, I spread them out all around me. Most were in front of me so I could read and focus on them over and over. But I placed several to my right, several to my left, and even put a few behind my back.

As I sat on my bed, fully surrounded on every side by holy words, God impressed upon my heart that I was virtually nestled into His lap; the lap of my heavenly Father. The thought nearly took my breath away.

What an awesome privilege to be positioned right smack in the middle of God's Word. To be sitting in the lap of the One who created me. To be entirely physically surrounded by His truths. To see His written promises speaking specifically to me.

I realized I wasn't merely surrounded by slips of paper. I was surrounded by countless reassurances that He heard my prayers. What a gentle reminder that I needed to put my trust in Him, and I really could find rest in Him.

I thanked God for reminding me that when I seek Him, I will find Him, and for helping me see just how alive His Word really is.

Dear Lord, thank You for who You are. For the privilege of getting to spend time with You and sit quietly with You. Thank You for engaging in conversation with me, a broken and needy soul. Help me have the strength through You to overcome the obstacles that Satan would love for me to trip over. Give me the passion and commitment to continue seeking You with all my heart, even when life gets tough or people disappoint me. Thank You for always being there when I need You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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