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From: Purpose Driven Connection {connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com}
Date: Sun, May 3, 2009 at 3:09 AM

Subject: May 3, 2009 - ***** Love Is a Habit - Daily Devotional
To: Friend {leimih@gmail.com}

May 3, 2009
***** Love Is a Habit
by Rick Warren *1003

***** In our Devotionals series, Pastor Rick Warren discusses the Bible
passages that inspire him the most. Today's Devotional is based on
this passage:

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even
'sinners' love those who love them" (Luke 6:32 NIV).
If you only love on and off like a light switch, you do not love
others like God wants you to love. Jesus said, "If you only love those
who love you, what credit is that to you?" (Luke 6:32 NIV).

His point is this: anybody can love those who love them in return.
Becoming a master lover means you learn to love the unlovable. It's
when you love people who don't love you, when you love people who
irritate you, when you love people who stab you in the back or gossip
about you.

This may seem like an impossible task and it is. That's why we need
God's love in us, so we can then love others: "We know and rely on the
love God has for us" (1 John 4:16 NIV).

When you realize how much God loves you~{!*~}with an extravagant,
irresistible, unconditional love~{!*~}then his love will change your entire
focus on life. If we don't receive God's love for us, we'll have a
hard time loving other people. I'm talking about loving the unlovely,
loving the difficult, loving the irritable, loving people who are
different or demanding.

You can't do that until you have God's love coming through you. You
need to know God's love so it can overflow out of your life into
others.

Love must become your lifestyle, the habit of your life. But it starts
with a decision. Are you ready?

Your life is worth far more than you think, and by learning to love
others with the love God gives you, you will have an influence far
greater than you could ever imagine. If you will commit to this, you
will experience love as God means it to be, filled with hope, energy,
and joy.

My prayer for you is "that your love will grow more and more; that you
will have knowledge and understanding with your love..." (Philippians
1:9 NCV).

What's the best lesson your mother ever taught you? Mothers, what's
the best lesson you've taught your children? Purpose Driven Connection
is collecting Mother's best lessons and family photos to feature on
our site! Please share your lessons with us.
Missed out on one of the Daily Devotionals? View the online archives.
Did someone forward this Daily Devotional to you? Get your own free
subscription to The Purpose Driven Connection Daily Devotional, your
daily inspiration via email.

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Flu fighters warn against complacency, seek clues (AP)

AP - The leader of an international team helping Mexico face down the swine flu outbreak said it should soon learn whether the epidemic is really stabilizing in Mexico, but that many key questions about how the disease kills still need to be answered.

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IMMIGRATION REFORM: Hundreds of people march to courthouse

Path to legalization for illegal immigrants backed
By LYNNETTE CURTIS
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

***** Their numbers were smaller than in previous years, but their passion for a cause was as strong as ever.

Several hundred people, many with banners and U.S. flags, took to the Strip on Friday evening in support of U.S. immigration reform with a path to legalization for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.

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They chanted now familiar slogans such as "Si se puede! Yes we can!" as they made their way north along Las Vegas Boulevard from Sahara Avenue to the Lloyd George U.S. Courthouse downtown.

Tourists, some with drinks in hand, gawked, cheered and whistled as the police-escorted marchers strode past casinos, quickie wedding chapels and pawn shops.

The lower-than-anticipated turnout for the march mirrored that of May Day events nationwide.

Organizers said fears of contracting swine flu, not lack of interest, kept some away.

"People are scared," said 20-year-old College of Southern Nevada student Jasmine Rubalcava, who helped organize the march. "But we are still going to get our message out there."

That message is to support immigration reform that keeps families together.

And the people it focuses on include families such as that of 22-year-old Sandra Rodriguez, a U.S. citizen whose husband was deported to Mexico in January after being pulled over in Texas, where he was working construction. The couple's two young children carried a sign during Friday's march which read: "Jose and Briana miss daddy! Stop separating families!"

"My kids aren't going to have a dad," Rodriguez said, adding that her husband hasn't found steady work in Mexico. "We have to live with my parents now because we can't afford our own place. We have to stop this."

Mario Torres, 40, took the day off from his sales manager job at a local car dealership to support keeping mixed-status families such as Rodriguez's together.

Torres' mother came to the United States illegally before he was born, he said. She eventually gained legal status, and he thinks others who are now without it should have the same opportunity.

"These people pay taxes, and they aren't going anywhere," Torres said. "They're not asking for welfare. They just want the American dream like everybody else."

Torres said he supports a plan that would grant illegal immigrants legal status if they paid fines and learned English.

Providing a path to legalization for those already living in the United States is the sensible, humane way to reform current immigration policy, said Anita Revilla, an assistant professor of women's studies at UNLV who marched on Friday with several of her students.

"They are here for survival," Revilla said of the undocumented, whom she calls "economic refugees."

"Their livelihood was threatened in their home countries," she said. "The U.S. depends on the labor of the undocumented. They helped build the country."

Revilla and other marchers were optimistic about the chances of a federal immigration reform plan moving forward this year with Barack Obama in the White House and a Democratic-controlled Congress.

"We supported Obama and we're hopeful he'll return the favor," Revilla said.

One of the largest gatherings on Friday assembled outside the White House, where more than 2,000 people rallied.

Thousands were expected at events in Houston, Milwaukee, Denver, Chicago, New York and other cities.

On the West Coast, several thousand people rallied in Los Angeles and hundreds gathered under cold rain in San Francisco's Dolores Park.

Outside the federal courthouse in Las Vegas, Gary Peck, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, told marchers theirs was "a righteous cause."

"This is not a Democratic issue. It is not a Republican issue," he said. "It is a human rights issue. All of us deserve laws that allow for family reunification."

A coalition of immigration-rights groups, including the mostly student-led United Coalition for Immigrant Rights, organized Friday's local march that was on the three-year anniversary of massive immigration-reform marches that took place across the country in 2006.

In Las Vegas, police estimated that 8,000 to 10,000 people participated in the 2006 march. A one-year anniversary march in 2007 also drew thousands who marched through downtown Las Vegas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at lcurtis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285.

[[ For a series of search and research studies through reference. ]]

For the references to reading and research studies (possibly but not necessarily), all credits go to the original reporters, editors, and publishers [ Yahoo! Mail, MSN, Yahoo, and Google! MSN.com, Associated Press, AP, AP.com, Reviewjournal.com, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Google, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News (tw), New York Times, WashingtonPost.com, Baidu, YouTube, Sina, Search, AP, LVRJ/WBTI, Ask lvrj/wbti, and among others); its writers; its Editors; and its Publishers; etc.} [Just for Community Service on the basis of non-profit, non-partisan, and non-religious. Not for printing, copying, or publishing plesase! Thank you very much.]

WASHINGTON � As he starts his second 100 days as president, Barack Obama must yield much of his agenda's fate to Congress.

His biggest proposals, such as revising health care, energy and education policies, are in the hands of lawmakers who will debate, change and possibly reject them in the coming months. Obama obviously can influence lawmakers, but he has less control over his destiny than when he was unveiling new initiatives almost daily and filling out his Cabinet.

In his news conference Wednesday night, Obama acknowledged the prod-and-wait role he now plays on many issues. For all his powers, he said, a president cannot "turn on a switch and suddenly, you know, Congress falls in line."

"What you do," he said, "is to make your best arguments, listen hard to what other people have to say, and coax folks in the right direction."

The good news for Obama is that fellow Democrats hold solid majorities in the House and Senate. For the first time in more than 30 years, the president's party is nearing a possibly filibuster-proof Senate majority, thanks to Sen. Arlen Specter's switch from Republican to Democrat.

But even with that margin, the president said, there is no guarantee he will achieve his top legislative goals.

"I am under no illusions that suddenly I'm going to have a rubber-stamp Senate," Obama said. "I've got Democrats who don't agree with me on everything, and that's how it should be."

The president, still enjoying high approval ratings, has little reason to fault the 111th Congress so far. It approved his massive stimulus spending bill with minimal changes. It has not interfered with his far-reaching efforts to revamp the U.S. automaking industry.

And a few hours before his news conference, Congress approved a $3.4 trillion federal budget over strenuous Republican objections. Underscoring Obama's clout, the budget bill essentially bars Senate Republicans from using stalling tactics to thwart his proposed trillion-dollar expansion of government-provided health care over the next decade.

Deeper in the weeds, however, are challenges that may prove extremely difficult to resolve. Lawmakers rejected one of Obama's proposals for paying for his health policies: reducing wealthy Americans' tax deductions for charitable gifts and mortgage interest payments. They also show little interest in his bid to establish permits for greenhouse gas emissions that can be bought and sold.

These highly contentious issues must be settled later.

Congress is going its own way in other areas as well. It appears certain to reject Obama's proposal to help people facing bankruptcy keep their homes, at lenders' expense. And lawmakers are gearing up for possibly incendiary hearings on alleged torture of terrorism suspects during the previous administration, even though Obama says it is best to look forward, not back.

Obama said he will seek bipartisan solutions where possible. But he acknowledged that his party can have its way on some issues it cares deeply about, such as a government-run health insurance program that would compete with private plans.

He said he has told GOP leaders, "Look, on health care reform, you may not agree with me that we should have a public plan. That may be philosophically just too much for you to swallow. On the other hand, there are some areas, like reducing the costs of medical malpractice insurance, where you do agree with me."

Of course, Congress' often-plodding ways can be a handy excuse for a president hoping to postpone difficult issues he's not ready to confront. Obama said Wednesday that he remains committed to revamping immigration laws, but it's no secret he's not eager to engage the volatile subject just now.

"I don't have control of the legislative calendar," he said, "and so we're going to work with legislative leaders to see what we can do."

On a host of key issues, working with legislative leaders is how the president will spend much of his time in the remaining months of 2009.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE � Charles Babington covers the White House for The Associated Press.

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For the references to reading and research studies (possibly but not necessarily), all credits go to the original reporters, editors, and publishers [ Yahoo! Chimonews, Yahoo! News, WJ, Worldjournal.com, Chinatimes.com, YouTube search, Chinatimes.com again, Google, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News (tw), Baidu, YouTube, Sina, Search, AP, LVRJ/WBTI, Ask lvrj/wbti, and among others); its writers; its Editors; and its Publishers; etc.} [Just for Community Service on the basis of non-profit, non-partisan, and non-religious. Not for printing, copying, or publishing plesase! Thank you very much.]

BEIRUT ?U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met Sunday with Lebanon's president on a stop in Beirut ahead of a critical election that could see a pro-U.S. government ousted by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and its allies.

Clinton arrived unannounced in Lebanon a day after a similarly secret trip to Iraq to show support for the country's fragile democracy before the June 7 vote. Hezbollah is gaining strength and some fear turmoil if it wins enough votes to play a dominant role in a coalition.

A strong showing by the militant Shiite Muslim group might also see its sponsors Iran and Syria gaining influence in the region and harming Arab-Israeli peace efforts. The U.S. and Israel regard Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, although it plays a role in Lebanon's current government.

"The people of Lebanon must be able to choose their own representatives in open and fair elections without the specter of violence or intimidation and free of outside interference," Clinton said in a brief statement given to reporters aboard her plane. "We join the international community in supporting the Lebanese government's efforts to achieve that goal."

"Beyond the elections we will continue to support the voices of moderation in Lebanon and the responsible institutions of the Lebanese state they are working hard to build. Our ongoing support for the Lebanese armed forces remains a pillar of our bilateral cooperation," she said.

The United States has provided $1 billion in aid since 2006, including $410 million in security assistance to the military and the police.

It was Clinton's first trip to the country, one of the most volatile in the Middle East.

Prior to Clinton's visit, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon had already expressed concern about the election, and Hezbollah's opponents warn the consequence may be the West isolating the country and Washington reducing millions in aid.

Hezbollah was skeptical about Clinton's visit and spokesman Ibrahim Mussawi said it could even have a negative impact on the pro-U.S. factions in the country.

Speaking on the group's Al-Manar TV after Clinton arrived, Mussawi said it was too early to tell whether the Obama administration has reassessed its policy, but he added that American "interference in the past was never positive."

He also criticized what he termed a "double standard and deception" when the U.S. calls for Islamic factions to participate in elections then refuses to accept the results if they win.

The Obama administration is urging free and fair elections but is treading carefully. The Bush administration encouraged the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 and then saw the radical Hamas movement win handily and badly damage efforts to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

Reflecting that concern, Clinton met during her brief stay with just one senior official, President Michel Suleiman. She was not expected to see other politicians who will be candidates in the election, like the pro-Western Prime Minister Fuad Saniora.

U.S. officials say another reason she's coming is to reassure the Lebanese that the outreach to Syria and the attempts to engage Iran are not being done at the expense of U.S. support for Lebanon's sovereignty and independence.

U.S. officials say her meeting with Suleiman only is because the U.S. doesn't want to be seen as taking sides in the elections. Suleiman is considered a consensus leader and neutral in the political struggle.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says the group knows that trying to dominate Lebanon's politics would destabilize the country. In the past four years, Lebanon has nearly tumbled into a repeat of the 1975-90 civil war as the pro-Syrian and pro-U.S. camps struggled for the upper hand.

Hezbollah has taken the strategy of a low-key election campaign with a moderate message, aiming to show that a victory by its coalition should not scare anyone.

Nasrallah has even said that if the coalition wins, it would invite its opponents to join in a national unity government to ensure stability.

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{{U.S. Will not abandon you AP By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer Matthew Lee, Associated Press Writer � 1 hr 17 mins ago}}

BAGHDAD � U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton tried to reassure nervous Iraqis that the U.S. won't abandon them, even as she said the American troop withdrawal would stay on schedule despite a recent surge in violence.

On her first visit to Baghdad as chief U.S. diplomat, Clinton said Saturday that Washington remains committed to moving U.S. soldiers out of urban areas by June 30 and pulling out combat troops from the country by 2011.

"Our strategy in working with you may be in a new phase, but we pledge our full and continuing commitment to Iraq and the Iraqi people," she told a news conference after meeting Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.

"As we drawn down militarily we will deepen our civilian cooperation," Clinton said, standing beside Zebari in an auditorium at the Foreign Ministry.

The withdrawal will proceed in a "responsible and careful way," she said, and would not affect efforts to improve Iraq's security forces, or complete reconstruction and development projects.

Zebari welcomed Clinton's "very assuring message that the United States would continue to support the efforts of the Iraqi government and the enhancement of Iraqi security and stability." He said Iraqi authorities wanted to ensure there is "no vacuum" when U.S. troops leave.

Clinton made clear, however, that Iraqis and their security forces in particular need to overcome sectarian and other differences if they are to build a united, secure nation, she said.

Suicide bombings Thursday and Friday that primarily targeted Shiite worshippers killed more than 150 people, many of them Iranian pilgrims. The second attack, at a revered Baghdad tomb, was the single deadliest bombing in the country this year.

"I condemn these violent recent efforts to disrupt the progress that Iraq is making," Clinton said, claiming the attacks were a sign that extremists are afraid Iraq's government is succeeding.

But she said the response by the government and its people was "firm and united in rejecting that violence and refusing to allow it to set Iraqi against Iraqi, which is obviously one of its intended goals." These attacks, she said, "do not reflect any diversion from the security progress that has been made."

Iran's supreme leader blamed the U.S. and Israel for the attacks. "Dirty hands and evil brains that founded this blind and uncontrolled terrorism in Iraq should know that the fire will burn themselves," Iran's state TV quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying on Saturday.

Clinton said it was "disappointing for anyone to make such a claim since it is clearly traced to the al-Qaida remnants and other violent groups who wish to disrupt the progress of Iraq."

Violence is at its lowest since the months after the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. But the recent attacks have exposed gaps in security as Iraq takes over from U.S. forces in protecting the country.

"Frankly, some people are afraid," said one participant in at a town hall meeting Clinton hosted at the U.S. Embassy in the capital, adding the many questioned the ability, competence and neutrality of Iraq's security forces, given the U.S. withdrawal plan.

"There is nothing more important than to have a united Iraq," Clinton replied. "The more united Iraq is, the more you will trust your security services. The security services have to earn your trust but the people have to demand it."

"We will be working closely with the Iraqi government and the Iraqi security forces as we withdraw our combat troops, but we need to be sure that all of you are supporting a strong, nonsectarian security force and we will work to try and help make that happen," she said.

To the nervous but receptive town hall crowd, Clinton said the U.S. commitment in the years ahead "may look somewhat different" because of the troop pullout timetable.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has ordered a military task force to investigate this past week's attacks as well as shortcomings that allowed the assailants to slip through. The government on Saturday ordered heightened security at major Shiite shrines.

The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, has said American troops could "maintain a presence" in some cities if requested by the Iraqis.

President Barack Obama plans to withdraw American combat troops by Aug. 31, 2010, leaving 30,000 to 50,000 troops in training and advisory roles. Under a U.S.-Iraqi security pact, those remaining American troops would be withdrawn by the end of 2011.

Clinton was met at the airport by the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, and the new U.S. ambassador, Christopher Hill.

___

Associated Press writer Kim Gamel contributed to this report.

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