Is this the world we created? ( Queen )

mural Filipe

Save the World

Feliz Advento / Happy Advent

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Visit: http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Christmas can [still] change the world

(Save the world)

The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love.

So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.

And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?

Welcome to Advent Conspiracy.

Worship Fully

It starts with Jesus. It ends with Jesus. This is the holistic approach God had in mind for Christmas. It’s a season where we are called to put down our burdens and lift a song up to our God. It’s a season where love wins, peace reigns, and a king is celebrated with each breath. It’s the party of the year. Entering the story of advent means entering this season with an overwhelming passion to worship Jesus to the fullest.

Spend Less
Before you think we’re getting all Scrooge on you, let us explain what we mean. We like gifts. Our kids really like gifts. But consider this: America spends an average of $450 billion a year every Christmas. How often have you spent money on Christmas presents for no other reason than obligation? How many times have you received a gift out of that same obligation? Thanks, but no thanks, right? We’re asking people to consider buying ONE LESS GIFT this Christmas. Just one.  Sounds insignificant, yet many who have taken this small sacrifice have experienced something nothing less than a miracle: They have been more available to celebrate Christ during the advent season.

Give More

God’s gift to us was a relationship built on love. So it’s no wonder why we’re drawn to the idea that Christmas should be a time to love our friends and family in the most memorable ways possible. Time is the real gift Christmas offers us, and no matter how hard we look, it can’t be found at the mall. Time to make a gift that turns into the next family heirloom. Time to write mom a letter. Time to take the kids sledding. Time to bake really good cookies and sing really bad Christmas carols. Time to make love visible through relational giving. Sounds a lot better than getting a sweater two sizes too big, right? Need a few ideas? Just click here and see what others have done to give more during the advent season.

Love All

When Jesus loved, He loved in ways never imagined. Though rich, he became poor to love the poor, the forgotten, the overlooked and the sick. He played to the margins. By spending less at Christmas we have the opportunity to join Him in giving resources to those who need help the most. When Advent Conspiracy first began four churches challenged this simple concept to its congregations. The result raised more than a half million dollars to aid those in need. One less gift. One unbelievable present in the name of Christ.

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Save the World (Bon Jovi)

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I never went to college
I don't have a degree
Let's say I went to night school
I learned all I know on the streets
I wasn't born a rich man
I ain't got no pedigree
The sweat on this old collar
That's my Ph.D.

It comes down to this
I wouldn't exist
Without you it ain't worth the grind
I'd fight for one kiss
On a night like this
You make me feel I could fly, like

[Chorus:]
I could save the world
Since the night your love saved me
Maybe I can't save the world
But as long as you believe
Maybe I could save the world

I got to confess
Sometimes I'm a mess
And sometimes I step out of line
Like this old tattoo
I ain't shiny or new
With you by my side nothing matters

[Chorus:]
I can save the world
Since the night your love saved me
Maybe I can't save the world
But as long as you believe
Maybe I can save the world

[Guitar solo ]

They can say it's blind love
But it's a fool who don't believe
That I'd fly all the way to the moon
Just to walk you down your street

[Chorus:]
I can save the world
Since the night your love saved me
Maybe I can't save the world
But as long as you believe
Our love is even stronger
Than god hoped it could be
Baby, all it takes is
Just a little faith in me
To feel like
I can save the world
I can save the world
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Save The World Lyrics
Artist(Band):Bon Jovi & Jon Bon Jovi
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Shai Agassi’s Electric Car Push

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Electric cars, one of the most cutting edge motor vehicle technologies currently under development, have a lot to offer in terms of energy saving and green living. Shai Agassi, a young entrepreneur who recently left SAP, focuses his own company, Better Place, on solving our reliance on fossil fuels. With a goal of producing affordable, convenient and realistic electric cars, Shai Agassi’s start up looks to move forward from talk and strongly into action.

Electric cars in the US

The dependency on oil in the United States has become more and more of a concern in recent years. With automobiles requiring gasoline to run, they are Shai Agassi’s main focus in solving this issue. Solutions such as ethanol, hydrogen and solar power have been considered and just as quickly discarded as inefficient or unrealistic.

According to Shai Agassi, electric cars, provide the perfect solution. With more and more people in the United States becoming conscious about the fossil fuel dependency, the environment and the importance of renewable resources, now is the perfect time for new developments in cleaner, more efficient and less oil-dependent modes of transportation such as electric cars.

Why we need electric cars, according to Shai Agassi

Shai Agassi is not solely concerned with environmental issues when speaking about the benefits of electric cars. Knowing that many are concerned with simply the bottom line, he presents fascinating numbers detailing the long term comparison of electric power versus gasoline power in fueling cars.

For those concerned with numbers and cost, these statistics are staggering. Using the term “eMile,” which is one electric mile as compared to one gasoline powered mile, Shai Agassi demonstrates that even with the advances in hybrid cars (which are still not a viable option for most Americans), by 2020, one eMile will cost roughly $.02, compared to the hybrid’s $.80 per mile. As Shai Agassi explains, current car technology can simply not compete with electric cars in terms of cost to run.

Of course, the cost of running electric cars is not the sole concern at stake here. Environmental issues are by far the largest factor in Shai Agassi’s push for conversion to electric cars. The burning and depletion of fossil fuels present a current and increasing impact on both the environment and the economy. Shai Agassi explains that by 2015, even at the economy’s current slow recovery pace, the United States will have added 250 million new cars. At current consumption rates, that is an increase of 30% of the demand on oil – 25 million barrels a day.

Without action taken soon, the impact on the global environment and national economy is staggering. Clean burning and, with Shai Agassi’s plan, cost effective electric cars provide solutions to both issues.

Shai Agassi’s electric car goals

While several seemingly viable electric car options have been developed, Shai Agassi points out how unrealistic current solutions are. He states that in order for an electric car to be a reasonable solution for the United States, it must be more convenient and less expensive than currently available automobiles. Unfortunately, developments in electric cars have been neither of those things.

Shai Agassi explains that a car that drives for an hour before needing a charge or a car that costs $40,000 are not reasonable solutions to the problem of converting an entire country to electric automobiles. The truth is, no matter how good an electric car sounds, if standard automobiles remain less expensive, more reliable and more convenient, the conversion stands no chance.

Shai Agassi has come up with a viable solution:

In removing the battery from the equation, the cost of mass producing electric cars drops down to a realistic number for actual purchase. Shai Agassi’s innovative answer to the battery issue involves a network of “battery stations” – much like gas stations, a driver would pull in to a bay where a machine would change out the depleted battery and replace it with a charged battery, allowing the driver to continue forward without the inconvenience of stopping to charge. With his innovative vision for converting entire countries to electric cars, Shai Agassi has solved the problems of convenience, cost and environmental impact of removing reliance on fossil fuels. His unique approach of removing the battery from the equation and developing national networks of charging stations will bring electric cars out of theory and into reality.

in Save the World (April 27, 2010)
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visit http://www.ted.com/
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