New Beginnings|Spring [v13]

MARCH 2000

GREETINGS—PREPARE FOR NEW BEGINNINGS!!!—As we come into this new Spring season, try with me to remember to look at those around us, in our families, at our places of employment and in our everyday lives, and notice the potential beauty in them. Try to give them loving care, understanding, and encouragement, to help them all grow to be all they can be, and make our own worlds, beautiful ‘gardens’ to enjoy.

“For the soil makes the sprout come up and the garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.” [Isaiah 61:11]

What a wonderful world this would be if we all gave unconditional love and accepted others God-given ‘bents’ as beautiful treasures to cherish and cultivate. Have a vibrant, colorful, and blessed new Spring beginning…it reminds me of a poem from a past Spring long ago…

SPRING POOLS by Robert Frost

These pools that, though in forests, still reflect
The total sky almost without defect,
And like the flowers beside them, chill and shiver,
Will like the flowers beside them soon be gone,
And yet not out by any brook or river,
But up by roots to bring dark foliage on.

The trees that have it in their pent-up buds
To darken nature and be summer woods —
Let them think twice before they use their powers
To blot out and drink up and sweep away
These flowery waters and these watery flowers
From snow that melted only yesterday.

Blessings….
Mark

LIFE’S DEEP THOUGHTS (v13) for MARCH 2000
(NOTE: Please send your ‘thoughts’ to me at: mbesh@ameritech.net)

I am glad to organize and distribute more ‘stuff’ if y’all send it to me… Thank you’s to:

Richard Bachman
Lezlie Besh
Steve Horneffer
George Kleinert
Rollie Mossberg
Joe Olson
Cher’re Walters
Suzie Wilkinson
Karen Williams

*****************************
*****************************
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS OF ST. PATRICK’s DAY

The person who was to become St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales about AD 385. His given name was Maewyn, and he almost didn’t get the job of bishop of Ireland because he lacked the required scholarship.

Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. During his captivity, he became closer to God.

He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity.

His wishes were to return to Ireland, to convert the pagans that had overrun the country. But his superiors instead appointed St. Palladius. But two years later, Palladius transferred to Scotland. Patrick, having adopted that Christian name earlier, was then appointed as second bishop to Ireland.

Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity.

His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day ever since.

One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

The St. Patrick’s Day custom came to America in 1737. That was the first year St. Patrick’s Day was publicly celebrated in this country, in Boston.

*****************************
PASSOVER: History and Meaning of Freedom in Faith

Passover celebrates the Jewish people’s freedom from Egyptian bondage that took place over 3,000 years ago, as told in the biblical Book of Exodus. Under the reign of Pharaoh Rameses II, the Jewish leader Moses led his people out of Egypt after a series of 10 plagues that Moses warned the Pharaoh would devastate his people, if he refused to let them go. Finally, after the 10th plague, where God decreed that the first born male of every family be put to death, unless the blood of a lamb was put on the doorposts of each Hebrew home, so that the Angel of Death would ‘pass over’ them. The Pharoah then let the Hebrews go for good.

Since the time of Jewish freedom from Egyptian slavery, Jews have celebrated this historical event by having a feast called the ‘Seder’. The word ‘Seder’ means ‘order’ and refers to the order of historical events recalled in the Passover meal as well as the meal itself. Passover is celebrated for 8 days (7 for Reform Jews), and always begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan.

The 7 symbolic foods of Passover are:

1. Matzah: Unleavened bread similar to a cracker and symbolizes the Hebrews’ slavery in Egypt.

2. Haroseth: A mixture of crushed nuts, apples, cinnamon, and honey, which symbolizes the mortar the Hebrew slaves in Egypt used in constructing buildings for the Pharaoh.

3. Egg: A hard-boiled egg is used to symbolize life and rebirth.

4. Salt Water: The egg is dipped in salt water which symbolizes both the tears of oppression as well as of joy in freedom.

5. Maror: This is very bitter horse-radish that symbolizes the hardships of slavery.

6. Karpas: This is a mixture of boiled potatoes or radishes, and parsley which is dipped in salt water and symbolizes the under nourishment of the Hebrew slaves, as well as the new Spring season.

7. Z’roah: This piece of meat, sometimes represented as a shankbone, symbolizes the Paschal lamb and refers to God’s rescuing of the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery.

*****************************
EVIDENCE OF DESIGN???

In Genesis chapter 5, there is a genealogy given from Adam to Noah—and its order is as follows: Adam, Seth; Enosh; Kenan; Mahalalel; Jared; Enoch; Methuselah; Lamech; and then Noah.

If you replace the names with their Hebrew translation, it reads, sort of, like a sentence as follows:

Man / appointed /mortal/ sorrow/ the blessed God/ shall come down/ teaching/ His death shall bring/ despairing/ comfort.

Do you think a group of Jewish rabbi’s contrived to hide the Christian gospel in a genealogy in their venerated Torah?

[Chuck Missler]

*****************************
TAKE THE TIME

If I knew it would be the last time
That I’d see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
And pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
That I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
And call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I’d hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would videotape each action and word
So I could play it back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time
I could spare an extra minute or two,
To stop and say, “I love you,”
Instead of assuming you KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day…
Well I’m sure you’ll have so many more,
So I can just let this one slip away.

For surely there’s always tomorrow
To make up for an oversight,
And we always get a second chance
To make everything right.

There will always be another day
To say our “I love you’s.”
And certainly there’s another chance
To say our “Anything I can do’s?”

But just in case I might be wrong,
And today is all I get,
I’d like to say how much I love you
And I hope we never forget… (that…)

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
Young or old alike.
And today may be the last chance you get
To hold your loved one tight.

So if you’re waiting for tomorrow,
Why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
You’ll surely regret the day.

That you didn’t take that extra time
For a smile, a hug, or a kiss.
And you were too busy to grant someone,
What turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
And whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
And that you’ll always hold them dear.

Take time to say, “I’m sorry,” “Please forgive me,”
“Thank you,” or “It’s okay.”
And if tomorrow never comes,
You’ll have no regrets about today.

[Author unknown]
[Received from Rollie Mossberg]

*****************************
Friendship is reaching out for someone’s hand and touching their heart.

[Author Unknown]

*****************************
MERGER MANIA

Now that AOL and TimeWarner are in the process of merging, I thought that the merged company name could be, in observance of the growth and speed of the Internet and this company, AOLTime.

A number of years ago there was a proposed merger between Fairchild
Electronics and Honeywell Computers. Rumor had it that the new company
would be called Fairwell Honeychild.

There has long been a rumor that W. R. Grace Co. was going to buy the
Fuller Brush Co. and Mary Kay Cosmetics and then merge with the Hale
Business Systems. This would result in the new mega-corporation Hale
Mary Fuller Grace.

And don’t forget the failed merger between Yahoo and Netscape, they might have been called Net ‘n’ Yahoo.

Other possible mergers, and their new name….

– 3M & Goodyear = mmmGood
– John Deere & Abitibi-Price = Deere Abi
– Honeywell & Imasco & Home Oil = Honey, I’m Home
– 3M & JC Penney & Canadian Opera Company = 3 Penney Opera
– Crabtree & Evelyn and Apple Computer = Crab Apple
– Swissair & Cheseborough-Ponds = Swisscheese

[Received from Richard Bachman]

*****************************
WORDS OF WISDOM

I know what makes him tick, and I know what ticks him off.

[Unknown Wife]

Don’t ever be afraid to admit you were wrong. It’s like saying you’re wiser today than you were yesterday.

[Matthew Arnold]

If you think you are too small to make a difference, you have never spent the night in a tent with a mosquito.

[Submitted by Quintin C. McClellan]

People don’t care what you know until they know how much you care!

[Popular saying]

*****************************
SEEING

The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.

[Henri Bergson]

The tree, which moves some to tears of joy, is, in the eyes of others, only a green thing that stands in the way. As a man is, so he sees.

[William Blake]

*****************************
SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask “How are you?”
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You’d better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Ever told your child,
We’ll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say “Hi”?
You’d better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
it is like an unopened gift….
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

[Received from Joe Olson]

*****************************
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

Where is Happiness found? According to one writer:

Not in Unbelief. Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: “I wish I had never been born.”

Not in Pleasure. Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote, “The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone.”

Not in Money. Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: “I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth.”

Not in Position or Fame. Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of  both. He wrote, “Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret.”

Not in Military Glory. Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept, because he said, “There are no more worlds to conquer” (The Bible Friend).

As most of us have learned the hard way, if we live for happiness we have found that it is about as elusive as searching for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, who lived from 1804 to 1864, said the following: “Happiness in this world, when it comes, incidentally. Make it the object of pursuit, and it leads us on a wild-goose chase, and is never attained. Follow some other object, and very possibly we may find that we have caught happiness without dreaming of it.”

Another has said, “Happiness is having something to live for that is bigger than yourself.”

What better purpose could any of us have than to live primarily for God with the genuine desire to be a part of his plans and what he is doing in the world today?

This can lead to contentment and that can make us happy!

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
[The Apostle Paul, Philippians 4:11, NIV]

[Dick Innes]

*****************************
WORDS OF WISDOM

A collection of quotations by Dr. Dale Turner as noted in the “Seattle Times.”

1.  A laugh is an instant vacation
2. Good writing, like good cooking, requires shortening.
3. The secret of praying is praying in secret.
4. Don’t knock the weather. If it didn’t change, how would we start a conversation?
5. The trouble with humor is that not enough people take it seriously.
6. Violin teacher: “Look at it this way young man. The more you practice, the stronger your pitching arm will become.”
7. It is wisdom to practice selective procrastination-putting off indefinitely what we really never need to do at all.
8. Opportunity often knocks, but seldom turns the knob and opens the door.
9. An apology is a good way to have the last word.
10. The minutes spent at the dinner table will not make you fat, but the seconds will.
11. You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.
12. Often a word of praise is most needed when least deserved.
13. When we accept the fact that life is hard, it somehow becomes amazingly easier-easier for those around us who are spared our complaints.

[Submitted by Gary Kallio]

*****************************
JUST PUSH

When everything seems to go wrong,
just push.
When the job gets you down,
just push.
When people don’t react the way you think they should,
just push.
When your money looks funny and the bills are due,
just push.
When you want to curse them out for whatever the reason,
just push.
When you ask the question, when is my ship coming in?
just push.
When people just don’t understand you,
just push.

[Submitted by Jan Tamble]

*****************************
THE INTERNET

We’ve heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the Complete Works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

[Robert Wilensky]

The Internet is as persistent as it is potent, an indelible and uncontainable presence in the culture. In fact, the Internet isn’t separate from the culture at all; it ‘is’ the culture. All the trash, flotsam and spillage of our society gets its moment there, where the tiniest obsession has its spot on the shelf, right next to Bach and charity and sunsets. The Internet lets a million flowers bloom, and a million weeds.

[Daniel Okrent]

*****************************
IT’S ALL IN THE NAME

PROFESSION                        NAME

Lawyer’s daughter…………………Sue
Thief’s son…………………………..Rob
Lawyer’s son………………………..Will
Doctor  ‘s son……………………….Bill
Meteorologist’s daughter…………Haley
Steam shovel operator’s son……..Doug
Hair Stylist’s son……………………Bob
Homeopathic doctor’s son:……….Herb
Justice of the peace’s daughter…..Mary
Sound stage technician’s son……..Mike
Hot-dog vendor’s son……………..Frank
Gambler’s daughter……………….Bette
Exercise guru’s son……………….Jim
Cattle Thief’s son………………….Russell
Painter’s son………………………..Art
Iron worker’s son…………………Rusty
TV show star’s daughter…………Emmy
Movie star’s son……………………Oscar
Barber’s son………………………..Harry

*****************************
THE REAL SUPERGAME

For people living in the U.S.A. last month was one of the biggie days of the year for watching television. Literally millions of viewers had their faces glued to their set watching big burly grown men battle and struggle over a
leather jacketed thing they call a ball. But it isn’t really a ball. It’s shaped more like an egg with pointed ends. And they call it a football but they don’t really kick it that often. To me it looked more like a throwball than a
football. And they called it a game but it looked more like a battle!

A few weeks ago was Superbowl Sunday! The second half woke things up and it got like it was a pretty even match. . .and then the last few seconds the “battle” was electrifying. At that point it was either team’s game.

Think of the glory for the winners. They will be welcomed back home in St Louis today as heroes. They will get a “crown” that will be wonderful, exciting, thrilling. . .but as Paul wrote two millenniums ago, all too soon their crown will fade and their glory won’t last. Guess that’s why they call these happenings moments of glory!

The winners went home elated. The losers went home terribly disappointed. They were so close and only lost the winner’s crown by a yard/meter!

But for those who are running in “Heaven’s Race” — everyone wins! And everyone who plays receives a crown that will last forever. There is nothing wrong with winning races or games here, but it is so terribly important that we are on the winning team for eternity; that is, to  be on God’s team and on his side. This is the real Supergame!

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” —
St. Paul (1 Corinthians 9:24-25, NIV)

[Dick Innes]

*****************************
PHILOSOPHY

Without God man has no reference point to define himself. 21st century philosophy manifests the chaos of man seeking to understand himself as a creature with dignity while having no reference point for that dignity.

[R C Sproul]

No finite point has meaning without an infinite reference point.

[Jean Paul Sartre]

*****************************
THE ‘BOXES’

I have in my hands two boxes which God gave me to hold
He said, “Put all your sorrows in the black, And all your joys in the gold.”

I heeded His words, and in the two boxes. Both my joys and sorrows I stored. But though the gold became heavier each day. The black was as light as before. With curiosity, I opened the black – I wanted to find out why. And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole. Which my sorrows had fallen out by I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud, “I wonder where my sorrows could be.”

He smiled a gentle smile at me. “My child, they’re all here with me.”

I asked, “God, why give me the boxes, why the gold, and the black with the hole?”

“My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings, The black is for you to let go.”

We should consider all of our friends a blessing. Thinking of them and that they are a joy in your life.

A ball is a circle, No beginning, no end. It keeps us together Like our Circle of Friends But the treasure inside for you to see is the treasure of friendship You’ve granted to me.

[Received from Steve Horneffer]

*****************************
MONEY AS A SERVANT

Money is the husk of many things, but not the kernel;
It brings you food, but not appetite;
Medicine, but not health;
Acquaintances, but not friends;
Servants, but not loyalty;
Days of joy, but not of peace or happiness.

[Henry Gibson]

*****************************
ACTIONS FOR EXCELLING

– Dream or visualize
– Convert the dream into goals
– Convert your goals into tasks
– Convert your tasks into steps
– Take the first step, and then the next

[Steven K. Scott]

*****************************
People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.

[Elisabeth Kubler-Ross]

*****************************
To finish first you must first finish.

[Rick Mears]

*****************************
What you get by reaching your destination isn’t nearly as important as what you become by reaching your destination.

*****************************
We are not human beings trying to be spiritual.
We are spiritual beings trying to be human.

[Jacquelyn Small]
*****************************
PREPARE

It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.

[Howard Ruff]

*****************************
IS YOUR HUT BURNING?

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited
island.  He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he
scanned the horizon for help,  but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood
to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his
little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky.  The worst had
happened; everything was lost.  He was stunned with grief and anger.
“God, how could you do this to me!” he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that
was approaching the island.  It had come to rescue him.  “How did you know
I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers.  “We saw your smoke
signal,” they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad.  But we
shouldn’t lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the
midst of pain and suffering.  Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

[Received from Lezlie Besh]

*****************************
The deeds you do today may be the only sermon some people will hear today.

[St. Franci of Assisi]

*****************************
All glory comes from daring to begin.

[Eugene Ware]

*****************************
TAKING ACTION

To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure. But risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, live and love. Chained by his additions, he’s a slave. He has forfeited his greatest trait, and that is his individual freedom. Only the person who risks is free.

[Leo Buscaglia]

*****************************
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.

[Carl Jung]

*****************************
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

[Martin Luther King, Jr.]

*****************************
THINK ABOUT IT

Dear God,
Why didn’t you save the school children in Littleton, Colorado?
Sincerely,
Concerned Student

and the reply…

Dear Concerned Student,
I am not allowed in Columbine School. Even the mention of my name is
forbidden.
Sincerely,
God

[Received from John Gibson]

*****************************
I don’t always live the life I profess, but I always live the life I believe.

[Author unknown]

*****************************
We have all learned to live with “voice mail” as a necessary part of
modern life. But, have you wondered, what if God decided to install
voice mail? Imagine praying and hearing this:

Thank you for calling My Father’s House. Please select one of the
-following options:
Press 1 for Requests
Press 2 for Thanksgiving
Press 3 for Complaints
Press 4 for All Other Inquiries.

What if God used the familiar excuse… “I’m sorry, all of our angels
are busy helping other sinners right now. However, your prayer is
important to us and will be answered in the order it was received, so
please stay on the line”

Can you imagine getting these responses as you call God in Prayer:
If you would like to speak to:
* Gabriel, Press 1
* Michael, Press 2
* For a directory of other angels, Press 3
* If you’d like to hear King David sing a psalm while you are holding, please press 4.
* To find out if a loved one has been assigned to Heaven, Press 5, enter his or her social security number, then press the pound key. (If you get a negative response, try area code 666.)

For reservations at “My Father’s House” please enter J-O-H-N, followed
by 3-1-6.

For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth and where Noah’s Ark is, please wait until you arrive here.

Our computers show that you have already prayed once today. Please hang up and try again tomorrow. This office is closed for the weekend to observe a religious holiday. Please pray again Monday after 9:30am. If you need emergency assistance when this office is closed, contact your local pastor.

Thank God He doesn’t have voice mail and He listens when we pray!

[Received from Karen Williams]

*****************************
EVER WONDER?….

– How come wrong telephone numbers are never busy?
– Why is it that night falls but day breaks?
– Why is the third hand on the watch called a second hand?
– Are part-time band leaders semi-conductors?
– Can you buy an entire chess set in a pawnshop?
– How do you write zero in Roman numerals?
– If athletes get athlete’s foot, do astronauts get missletoe?
– Why do they call it ‘chili’ if it’s hot?
– Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

*****************************
SECRETS TO A HAPPY MARRIAGE

We gave … when we wanted to receive.
We served … when we wanted to feast.
We listened … when we wanted to talk.
We submitted … when we wanted to take charge.
We forgave … when we wanted to remember.
We stayed … when we wanted to leave.

*****************************
Husband to wife:
“Our credit card was stolen, but I’ve decided not to report it. The thief is spending less than you did!”

[Readers Digest]

*****************************
The directions my husband had drawn up indicated that the client I was scheduled to visit lived in the second house past Yin Road. Exasperated that I couldn’t find it, I finally stopped to ask for help. There was no such road, I was told, but a person with the same name as my client did live nearby—in the second house past the ‘Y in the road’

[Susan Milligan]

*****************************
HEADLINE ON POSTER IN BOOK STORE:

Now on Audio Tape: “The Joy of Reading”

[Readers Digest]

*****************************
SPEED LIMITS…

A police officer pulls over a car with a teenage driver in it….

Officer : “This is a 65 MPH highway, why are you going so slowly?”

Teen : “Officer, I saw a lot of signs saying 22.”

Officer : “Oh, that’s not the speed limit, that’s the name of the
highway you’re on!”

Teen : “Oh! Stupid me! Thanks for letting me know, I’ll be more
careful from now on.”

At this point the officer looks into the back seat of the car, where the
passengers are shaking and white as ghosts.

Officer : “Excuse me, what’s wrong with your friends back there?
They’re shaking something awful.”

Teen : “Oh… We just got off of highway 119.”

*****************************
He truly knows God perfectly that feels Him incomprehensible and unable to be known.

[Richard Rolle]

*****************************
INTERESTING FACTS

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great  king from history:
Spades – King David;
Clubs – Alexander the Great;
Hearts – Charlemagne;
Diamonds – Julius  Caesar

If a statue in the park of a person on a  horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the  horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the  person died of natural causes.

The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other  emergencies.

The name Jeep came from the abbreviation used in the  army for the “General Purpose” vehicle, G.P.

“I am.” is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.

[Received form Cher’re Walters]

*****************************
GOOD-BYE, CHARLIE BROWN…

The adventures and misadventures of the PEANUTS cartoon-strip gang (Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and friends), delighting worldwide fans for nearly 50 years, now conclude due to the passing of its creator, cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. Watch for reruns of favorite cartoon classics that will be syndicated by some newspapers. Thank you, Mr. Schulz, for lots of smiles and chuckles–and for constantly reminding us of our own frail and funny humanity. You’ll never go away in our hearts and memories–you live forever in the ‘cosmos’ and we love you!

The Official PEANUTS Home Page: http://www.snoopy.com/

*****************************
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER:
Love and Marriage resources—
On matters of the heart–not just ONE DAY a year

Gospelcom alliance ministries provide excellent love and marriage
resources. At RBC Ministries, find “Our Daily Bread” articles, “Discovery
Series” booklets, “Words to Live By” radio programs and more.

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA (IVCF) has a relationships section with articles about intimacy, relationships and sex.

Luis Palau Evangelistic Association (LPEA) presents articles by Luis Palau on love and marriage, “Love is Meeting Each Other’s Needs” and “Two Shall Become One.”

Bethany House Publishers (BHP) offer “Love Handles for the Romantically Impaired.” These fine resources are available online at each of the ministry Web sites.

RBC Love Resources:   http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/resources/living/love.html
RBC Marriage Resources:
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/resources/family/marry.html
IVCF articles:
http://www.ivcf.org/relationships/index.html
LPEA articles: Love Is Meeting Each Other’s Needs:
http://www.gospelcom.net/lpea/articles/index.php3?file=needs.txt
Two Shall Become One:
http://www.gospelcom.net/lpea/articles/index.php3?file=two.txt
BHP’s “Love Handles for the Romantically Impaired:
http://www.bethanyhouse.com/ca/0764220926.html

*****************************
Exercise does not take time out of your life; it puts life into your time.

[Linda Maxwell]

*****************************
Better to strengthen your back than lighten your burden.

*****************************
My father did not tell me how to live. He lived, and let me watch him do it.

*****************************
DOWN IS UP

This was a headline on a story reporting the rise in the price of goose feathers

[Morris Goran]

*****************************
NEW MATH IN SUNDAY SCHOOL
by Charlotte Glick

Recently some Sunday School students were presented with a math challenge on the large blackboard that graces their class room. Their careful calculations that day may be responsible for actually saving the
lives of children as well as greatly improving the quality of those lives.

John, Mary, Sara, Jon, Katherine, Ryan, Susan, Jeremy, Rich, Aaron, and Ramon have been earning pennies in the classroom by attendance, bringing
their Bible, bringing friends, learning the books of the Bible, memorizing verses, etc. Originally they were planning to buy a gift for a poor child in
Guatemala. However, their teacher received an e-mail outlining a way to address a huge problem for many children in poor countries.

The math challenge in the mailing explained a way to deal with worms that rob children of the nutrients in the little food they do get.  No, the idea of worms didn’t turn off even the most delicate of us.

Interest was alive immediately! Here’s how they tackled the questions: Since worms eat 1 ounce of a child’s ingested food per day, how many days will it take for a child to lose one pound? 16 days.

One pill will cure a child for six months. How many pounds will a child lose in six months if he doesn’t have a pill to take? About ten pounds!

How many pills will $5.00 buy if each pill costs $.05? 100 pills!

How many pounds of food will children be able to use instead of lose if 100 pills are bought for $5.00? 1000 pounds!

The class could think of no other way to send 1000 pounds of food for $5.00 to hungry children. Can you?

The result is that the class wants to keep earning those pennies for worms. Whoever said a penny isn’t worth much these days?

(For more information about the Worm Project and how you can help, go to the Mennonite Resources Network web site at http://www.mrn.org/wormproject)

[Received from George Kleinert]

*****************************
MORNING

That is why the real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.

[C. S. Lewis]

*****************************
THE PIANO

Wishing to encourage her young son’s progress on the piano, a mother
took  her small boy to a Paderewski concert.  After they were seated, the
mother  spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet
her.

Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the
little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked
“NO  ADMITTANCE”.

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the
mother  returned to her seat and discovered that her son was missing.

Suddenly the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive
Steinway on stage.  In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the
keyboard, innocently picking out “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”.

At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved
to  the piano, and whispered in the boy’s ear, “Don’t quit.  Keep playing.” Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part.  Soon  his right arm reached around to the
other side of the child and he added a running obligato.

Together the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening
situation into a wonderful creative experience.  The audience was
mesmerized.  That’s the way it is with God.  What we can accomplish on
our  own is hardly noteworthy.  We try our best, but the results aren’t
exactly  graceful flowing music.  But with the hand of the Master, our
life’s work  truly can be beautiful.

Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully.  You
can  hear the voice of the Master whispering in your ear, “Don’t quit.
Keep playing.”  Feel His loving arms around you.  Know that His strong hands are  playing the concerto of your life.

Remember, God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called.  And
he’ll always be there to love and guide you on to great things.

[Author unknown]
[Received from Suzi Wilkinson]

*****************************
SHOW YOU LOVE

Please forgive me
if I come on so strong
I get a little anxious
when I talk about God’s love
Hold me back now
stop me if I start to preach
‘Cause I don’t want to be the one to push you out of reach

The way to give love
Is how you live love
This is what I’m due
You can’t fight it
You can’t deny it
Love will get to you

Don’t wanna get up in your face
Don’t wanna put the pressure on
Don’t wanna make you run away
Just want to show you love

Don’t wanna beg you to believe
Don’t wanna take you for a ride
Don’t wanna sell you anything
Just want to show you love

I won’t convince you
with anything I say
But maybe you will see His love
and how it is portrayed
An act of kindness
a loving sacrifice
Simple little things that have the power to change your life

There’s no surprises
And no disguises
Just the blessed truth
No obligations
No complications
Just a gift for you

Love’s gonna get you!

[Jaci Velasquez- from her self-titled album “Jaci Velasquez”]

*****************************
*****************************
Hope you enjoyed some of these insights—share them with your friends and colleagues—so we can have a larger ‘pool’ to receive from, and more to share with!

Also, remember to include your name as the “source,” if some of this wisdom is of your doing—I would like to give credit where credit is due!

For the soil makes the sprout come up and the garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
[Isaiah 61:11]

Mark

*****************************
*****************************