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Christians of all kinds recognize the central place the Bible has in their life of faith. To thrive, a believer must incorporate its message into their daily life. But these days, people are so busy it gets harder and harder to have a special time for reading the Bible. Let’s examine an alternative to reading that should work for a lot of folks.

Every day we are bombarded with hundreds of messages. We may awake to a clock radio feeding us with lyrics, news or ads before we are even fully alert. We may catch a few lines of the morning newspaper,probably something negative, or listen to a few minutes of the morning television talk show.

When we travel to work, school or anywhere else we drive by many more signs and billboards all trying to grab our attention, minds and heart. Then there is the influence of other people with all their ideas, stories, requests and demands.

With all this stuff filling our minds we really need to overcome evil with good. Since the negatives can’t be turned off we must overpower them with scriptural positives.

Bringing the message of God’s Word, the Bible, into our minds will help us focus on the good and positive things again. But when?

Most Bible teachers will say that starting the day with devotions is the best. We can get in a quiet place to read the Bible and pray. There are times when doing this just won’t happen. For those situations consider doing it a different way. This is far more desirable then ignoring devotions.

Instead of reading, why not listen to the Bible on an audiobook. You can use the audio Bible to reinforce the time you spend reading also. Since audio versions of Scripture can be bought for less than a printed copy you should find it an affordable option. By downloading an audio Bible you can even save on the cost of reproduction and delivery.

Use your car’s cd player, a portable mp3 player, cell phone or personal organizer to listen to the Bible while you travel. It will not only improve your walk with God but also keep the worldly messages out of your thinking.

God’s Word itself speaks on the importance of hearing the message.

Proverbs 22:17 - Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

Psalm 51:8 - Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

James 1:19 - Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

It is indeed important to hear God’s message. The Bible makes this very clear. Make use of today’s technology to strengthen your walk with God. Even ten or fifteen minutes a day would be useful. You probably listen to many songs in a day. Just reducing this a few will give you all the time you need.

This modern age of technical marvels allows us to magnify our efforts. Devotional bible study has never been easier; unfortunately, the world’s messages get through with just as much ease. Conquer this influence by listening to the Bible being read for you.

Audio Bibles are available in several formats and translations. You can choose a dramatized version with sound effect and a cast of characters or a simple narration. There are also topical devotional excerpts of Bible passages that you may find especially useful for devotions.

The Christmas holiday is almost upon us. Yep, already! On the good side, this means shopping till you drop, hooking up with family and Christmas parties galore. On the bad side, this also means shopping till you drop, hooking up with family and parties galore!

Christmas can be stressful and people tend to take things to seriously during the holiday season. To lighten your mood, you might consider some of the odd and humorous quotes by the following famous people.

I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph. - Shirley Temple

I never believed in Santa Clause because I knew no white man would be coming into my neighborhood after dark. - Dick Gregory

The one thing women don’t want to find in their stockings on Christmas morning is their husband. - Joan Rivers

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included. - Bernard Manning

Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you’re home. - Carol Nelson

In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it ‘Christmas’ and went to church; the Jews called it ‘Hanukka’ and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say ‘Merry Christmas!’ or ‘Happy Hanukka!’ or (to the atheists) “Look out for the wall!” - Dave Barry

Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. - Mary Ellen Chase

Instead of being a time of unusual behavior, Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their natural impulses and express their true sentiments without feeling self-conscious and, perhaps, foolish. Christmas, in short, is about the only chance a man has to be himself. - Francis C. Farley

Even as an adult I find it difficult to sleep on Christmas Eve. Yuletide excitement is a potent caffeine, no matter your age. - Carrie Latet

The holidays are a time of great emotion, good and bad. While most are happy as can be, it is also the time of the year with the highest suicide rates. How odd is that? If you are feeling down in the dumps, rent a funny movie and spend the evening laughing!

Dr. Andrew Newberg’s passions started in his childhood. Although his parents were encouraging, they never had the answers to his big questions like why we’re here, what’s right and wrong, and how to understand reality. He began to search within himself and in the world around him to find the answers to these and other questions.

Together, Dr. Newberg and Gene d’Aquili studied what happens in a person’s brain during periods of deep meditation. Dr. Newberg believes that our fundamental beliefs come from many sources. Beliefs can include religion, morals, political views, and even how we choose to interact with others. These beliefs are all based on our biological roots, the influence of people around us, and the influence of our own emotional response.

As luck would have it, Dr. Andrew Newberg ran into a psychiatrist, Gene d’Aquili while at the University of Pennsylvania. d’Aquili’s background in psychiatry and anthropology and Newberg’s background in neurosciences and philosophy created a magical relationship with the potential for great learning. Dr. Andrew Newberg realized he could actually test what goes on in a person’s brain during periods of deep meditation.

Over time, Dr. Newberg came to the realization that our beliefs come from many sources. Beliefs aren’t only religious in nature. They can be morals, political views, and even how we choose to interact with others. He believes that all of these beliefs are based on our biological roots, the influence of people around us, and the influence of our own emotional response. Our beliefs have a tremendous impact on who we are.

Born to Believe is a book that addresses actual brain studies of people in meditation and prayer. The problem with the results, as Dr. Andrew Newberg sees it, is that people with a strong religious belief can say that the scans prove their connection to their god, and those without a strong religious belief can say that religion is literally “all in your head”.

No matter whether a person is religious or not, our beliefs shape our being and have a strong impact on our health. People who are more optimistic and look at the world in a more positive way have less stress, and because they have less stress, they have fewer problems with heart disease, and they have an overall improved immune system.

Beliefs start in childhood, because as we learn, certain nerve cells are connected and strengthened. The more we hear something, the more likely we are to believe it. That’s why children often have the same beliefs as their parents. It’s not easy to break those connections and believe something contrary to what you have learned in the past, but the brain IS capable of change. Just because some connections have been pruned back doesn’t mean a few aren’t still there.

Our beliefs are like a pair of glasses. We view things in a certain clarity or color because of the lenses we’ve chosen to enhance our sight. People with one pair of glasses may be more likely to see the world in a positive way and achieve their goals, while those of a different background and different pair of glasses will see the opposite and have a hard time achieving their goals. For example, people with a strong religious belief might feel comfort and even joy in the death of a loved one knowing that person is going to another world of paradise. Someone who does not have a strong religious belief might be more inclined to slip into depression.

For example, people with a strong religious belief might feel comfort and even joy in the death of a loved one knowing that person is going to another world of paradise. Someone who does not have a strong religious belief might be more inclined to slip into depression.

For more information on Dr. Andrew Newberg check out the FREE interview with HealthyWealthynWise.com at www.healthywealthynwise.com/cmd.asp?Clk=2088961.

As we move through life, it is important to take an accounting to figure out where we are and if we are on the correct path. The following advice by the Dali Lama applies to anyone anywhere and can help you mark your path.

Encountering sufferings will definitely contribute to the elevation of your spiritual practice, provided you are able to transform calamity and misfortune into the path.

The tendency of our childish nature is to take small things too seriously and get easily offended, whereas when we are confronted with situations which have longterm consequences, we tend to take things less seriously.

Spend some time alone every day.

It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.

The creatures that inhabit this earth be they human beings or animals are here to contribute, each in its own particular way, to the beauty and prosperity of the world.

According to Buddhist practice, there are three stages or steps. The initial stage is to reduce attachment towards life. The second stage is the elimination of desire and attachment to this samsara. Then in the third stage, selfcherishing is eliminated.

There is a saying in Tibetan, Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength. No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster.

When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

Many of the earths habitats, animals, plants, insects and even microorganisms that we know to be rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability and the responsibility to act; we must do so before it is too late.

A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals the secret of some hidden treasure.

Since form is emptiness and emptiness is form, then instead of a hand grasping at nothing, it is better to grasp at someones nose because this is closer to reality.

Wisdom is the best guide and faith is the best companion. One must try to escape from the darkness of ignorance and suffering, and seek the light of Enlightenment.

Every man has the basis of good. Not only human beings, you can find it among animals and insects, for instance, when we treat a dog or horse lovingly.

As people alive today, we must consider future generations: a clean environment is a human right like any other.

Is there a more controversial book on this Earth than the Bible? Some people believe in the Bible literally, and take it as word-for-word truth. Others treat it as literature, astute moral guidance, and compelling stories of faith. Still others treat it as nothing more than ancient superstition, myths, and fables, with as much credibility as fairy tales.

Whatever you believe about the Bible, the Bible has shaped attitudes about the meaning of life, human worth, marriage, slavery, war, sex, government, and money, just to name a few topics. Let’s pick just one topic that affects all of us in one way or another. What does the Bible teach about money?

As soon as we ask the question, we have to stop and analyze the question itself. No matter what the topic, the biggest problem for any question about “what the Bible teaches” is that the Bible is not really a single book. We think of the Bible as a single book because we can buy it as a single book in the bookstore. But the word “Bible” comes from the Greek word meaning “books.” The Bible is a collection of books rather than a single book.

You will always find people who “prove” what “the Bible teaches” on any particular topic because they can quote particular Bible verses to make their case. You will also find people who “prove” just the opposite based on other Bible verses.

These arguments occur because people are treating the Bible as a single, organized book. The solution to such arguments is to recognize that the Bible is a collection of writings. These writings came from widely different times and places, in different languages, and have been organized and edited over time.

Another problem about biblical stories about money and wealth is that they come from different economic systems than the capitalist economy in which we live. Some of the biblical stories are about nomads. They were herders rather than farmers. Other stories come from an economic era based on farming, in which wealth was based on land. Money in an agrarian society based on farming was very different than money in an economic era based on herding. And both are very different from money in a capitalist era, when wealth is based on money itself.

People will read the Bible, looking for direct guidance about money in our own capitalistic economy, without paying enough attention to the very different economic conditions for nomads or farmers in agrarian societies.

Do you believe that stories about nomads such as Abraham prove that God wants you to be rich? Do you believe that sayings of Jesus, such as, Blessed are the poor,” prove that God wants you to be poor? Or are you simply confused by the conflicting stories? If you want to know what the Bible teaches about money, what do you do?

As an example of the kind of confusion and conflict people experience when they attempt to find a single answer among the widely different Bible stories, consider the question a man asked a speaker at a seminar about creating wealth. He asked: “How can you say it is good to be rich? Jesus said that a rich man cannot get into heaven”

The problem for the man started with the fact that he had misquoted a story told in the Gospel of Matthew. (The same story is also told in the Gospels of Mark and Luke.) “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God’” (Matthew 19: 23-24.)

The point that the man at the seminar missed was that a rich man at the time of Jesus was rich for one reason. He was part of the ruling class in an agrarian society. It was a society in which a few very rich people controlled the land and made life miserable for the vast majority of the society.

Jesus was not talking about being rich in a capitalist economy, where it is possible to be rich without exploiting other people. Yet, the man who asked the question treated the words of the story as a direct commentary on being rich in a capitalist economy.

This is the kind of misunderstanding that happens again and again when people use Bible verses without paying attention to the economic context behind the story. The only real answer to the man who asked the question at the seminar would be to understand the point of the story in an agrarian society.