August Newsletter bits

21 Memos From Your Child:
1. Don't spoil me. I know quite well that I ought not have all I ask for. I am only testing you.
2. Don't be afraid to be firm with me. I prefer it, it makes me feel secure.
3. Don't let me form bad habits. I have to rely on you to detect them in the early stages.
4. Don't make me feel smaller than I am. It only makes me behave stupidly "big".
5. Don't correct me in front of people if you can help it. I'll take much more notice if you talk quietly with me in private.
6. Don't make me feel all of my mistakes are sins. It upsets my sense of values.
7. Don't protect me from consequences. I need to learn the painful way, sometimes.
8. Don't be upset when I say "I hate you". It isn't you I hate, but your power to thwart me.
9. Don't take too much notice of my small ailments. Sometimes they get me the attention I need.
10. Don't nag. If you do, I shall have to protect myself by appearing deaf.
11. Don't forget that I can't explain myself as well as I should like. This is why I'm not always very accurate.
12. Don't make rash promises. Remember that I feel badly let down when promises are broken.
13. Don't tax my honesty too much. I am easily frightened into telling lies.
14. Don't be inconsistent. That completely confuses me and makes me lose faith in you.
15. Don't tell me my fears are silly. They are terribly real to me and you can do much to reassure me if you try to understand.
16. Don't put me off when I ask questions. If you do, you will find that I stop asking and seek my information elsewhere.
17. Don't ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me too great a shock when I discover that you are neither.
18. Don't ever think it is beneath your dignity to apologize to me. An honest apology makes me feel surprisingly warm toward you.
19. Don't forget how quickly I am growing up. It must be very difficult to keep pace with me, but please try.
20. Don't' forget I love experimenting. I couldn't do without it, so please be patient with it.
21. Don't forget that I can't thrive without lots of understanding and unconditional love, but I don't need to tell you that, do I?


Skepticism of the Miraculous
Nine-year-old Danny came bursting out of Sunday school like a wild stallion. His eyes were darting in every direction as he tried to locate either mom or dad. Finally, after a quick search, he grabbed his Daddy by the leg and yelled, "Man, that story of Moses and all those people crossing the Red Sea was great!" His father looked down, smiled, and asked the boy to tell him
about it.
"Well, the Israelites got out of Egypt, but Pharaoh and his army chased after them. So the Jews ran as fast as they could until they got to the Red Sea. The Egyptian Army was gettin' closer and closer. So Moses got on his walkie-talkie and told the Israeli Air Force to bomb the Egyptians. While that was happening, the Israeli Navy built a pontoon bridge so the people
could cross over. They made it!
By now old dad was shocked. "Is THAT the way they taught you the story?"
Well, no, not exactly," Danny admitted, "but if I told you the way they told it to us, you'd never believe it, Dad."
With childlike innocence the little guy put his finger on the pulse of our sophisticated adult world where cool skepticism reigns supreme. It's becoming increasing more popular to operate in the black-and-white world of facts. . .and, of course, to leave no space for the miraculous.
It's really not a new mentality. Peter mentions it in one of his letters:
. . .I want to remind you that in the last days there will come scoffers who will. . .laugh at the truth. This will be their line of argument: "So Jesus promised to come back, did he? Then where is he? He'll never come! Why, as far back as I can remember everything has remained exactly as it was since the first day of creation" (2 Peter 3:3-4, TLB).
Skeptics think like that. Nothing ever changes. TAKE GRAVITY. Heavy objects fall toward the earth. Always. So a builder can construct a house and never worry about his materials floating away. Count on it. TAKE CHEMISTRY. Mixing certain elements in precise proportions yields the same result. Always. So a
doctor can prescribe a medication with predictable confidence. TAKE ASTRONOMY. The sun, the moon, those stars work in perfect harmony. Always. Even the mysterious eclipse comes as no surprise. TAKE ANATOMY. Whether it's the pupil of the eye expanding and contracting in response to light or our
skin regulating our body temperature or our built-in defense mechanism fighting disease, we operate strictly on the basis of facts. Hard, immutable, stubborn facts. Reliable as the sunset. Real as a toothache.
Absolute, unbending, undeniable.
"Jesus, what do you mean, give them something to eat? We have only five small loaves of bread and two fish. Those are the facts. Five and two. No more, no less. Send the five thousand people home; we can't take care of them today."



CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN
IN THE 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking .
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem .
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no text messaging, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents .
We played with worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,
made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!

P.S. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

July 30, 2006

Are you a serious follower of Jesus or non serious follower?

When I get a little money, I buy books; and if there is any left I buy food and clothes. - Desiderius Erasmus

I always do my exercises regularly in the morning. Immediately after waking I sternly say to myself, "Ready, now. Up. Down. Up. Down." And after two strenuous minutes I tell myself, "Okay, now try the other eyelid.

I think NASCAR would be much more exciting if, like in a skating rink, every 15 minutes someone announced it was time to reverse direction.

** Have you ever wondered why clocks run clockwise? Before there were clocks, there were sundials. In the northern hemisphere, the shadows on the sundial rotate in the direction we now call clockwise, and the hands of the clock mimic the natural movements of the sun. So too our lives should imitate the Son of God.

While working at a pizza parlor I observed a man ordering a small pizza to go.? He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut into 4 pieces or 6.?
He thought about it for some time before responding.?
"Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungry enough to eat 6 pieces.?

Walking in Circles
You may know the famous story of Jean Henri Fabre, the French naturalist, and his processional caterpillars. He encountered some of these interesting creatures one day while walking in the woods. They were marching in a long unbroken line front to back, front to back. What fun it would be, Fabre thought, to make a complete ring with these worms and let them march in a circle.
So, Fabre captured enough caterpillars to encircle the rim of a flowerpot. He linked them nose to posterior and started them walking in the closed circle. For days they turned like a perpetual merry-go-round.
Although food was near at hand and accessible, the caterpillars starved to death on an endless march to nowhere.
That seems to be the story of many people today. They are on a march that leads to nowhere. We need to stop for a moment, and sit down in the presence of Jesus.
Then we need to receive what Christ has to offer us, just as the multitude received the loaves and fish.

Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction.

"Laughter is an instant vacation." Milton Berle

The person who spends all of today bragging about what he is going to accomplish tomorrow probably did the very same thing yesterday.

A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say. - Italo Calvino

One afternoon my 5-year-old daughter, Faith, and her preschool brother, Alfred, were doing "homework." Alfred had a habit of saying phrases like "I can't" or "I don't know how."
This particular afternoon, Faith responded with a Bible verse she had learned at school: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Alfred replied, "Then you do it."

The perfection of God's Word is a multifaceted perfection, not a monolithic one. Too rich to be harnessed in a single utterance—God is lord, shepherd, rock, eagle, bear, lion, lamb, king, horn, and consuming fire—God's truth is displayed in the prism of 66 books and several genres.

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

Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"? A. One thousand

The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska.

The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...). The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%.

The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400.

The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000.

Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise. (Since Venus is normally associated with women, what does this tell you!)

We all get heavier as we get older because there's a lot more information in our heads. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

When I go to casinos, the most ridiculous sign I see is the one that says...
"If you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER."
So, I call them and say, "I have an ace and a six. The dealer has a seven. What do I do?"

“I haven't a clue as to how my story will end. But that's all right. When you set out on a journey and night covers the road, you don't conclude that the road has vanished. And how else could we discover the stars?” ~Anonymous


There’s a new diet out. "The Beer and Ice Cream Diet". I read on with interest but wondered about its scientific validity (maybe the scientifically minded can advise me). The basic theory the writer put forward is this: it takes one calorie to heat up one gram of water one degree Celsius. That means that if you eat very cold food the body has to warm this up to body temperature when it hits your stomach and to do this it sucks the calories out of the only available source – your body fat.

An example of how this works is this. Each ounce of beer contains 16 latent calories, but extracts 1,036 calories as the body raises the icy cold beer to body temperature. The conclusion is that if you drink a 6 ounce glass of beer you burn up 6,216 calories. Of course if you eat frozen food like ice cream you will burn even more calories as the body raises the temperature of the frozen food.

I got to thinking. We all know that pizza is served hot, is loaded with calories, and is guaranteed to add to your size. However, if the above is true when you eat pizza, drink plenty of icy cold beer and follow that up with several big servings of ice cream or frozen yoghurt, you will lose weight.

july 23

The "haves" and the "have nots" can be traced back to the "dids" and the "did nots."

In 1960, expert testimony concerning time management was presented to a Senate subcommittee. The experts said that because of advances in technology, within twenty years or so, people would be radically cutting back on how many hours a week they worked, or how many weeks a year they worked, or else they would have to start retiring sooner. The great challenge, according to the experts of the sixties, was what people in our decade would do with all their free time. I'm sure all of you are struggling right now with all the free time you have, right?

Jesus renewed people with the power of his compassion. I like the ancient legend about the monk who found a precious stone, a precious jewel. A short time later, the monk met a traveler, who said he was hungry and asked the monk if he would share some of his provisions. When the monk opened his bag, the traveler saw the precious stone and, on an impulse, asked the monk if he could have it. Amazingly, the monk gave the traveler the stone.
The traveler departed quickly, overjoyed with his new possession. However, a few days later, he came back, searching for the monk. He returned the stone to the monk and made a request: "Please give me something more valuable, more precious than this stone. Please give me that which enabled you to give me this precious stone!"

When Christ calls us by his grace we ought to think of what he can make us. It is "Follow me, and I will make you." It is not "Follow me, because of what you are already." It is not "Follow me, because you may make something of yourselves," but "Follow me, because of what I will make you."


"It's amazing to think of how long this [conflict] has been going on," Chandler said. "One of my thoughts has been that I came to see the land where Jesus came, and while here, I also experienced part of the reason He had to come."
"There is a lot of irony in this country -- God's promised land so full of hatred, tension and war [yet] signs everywhere saying 'Peace be with you' in a place that is far from being defined as peaceful."

Q. What Does The U.S. Postal Service And Kinney's Shoes Have In Common?
A. They Both Have 50,000 Loafers!

Q. What Do People Who Live Near The YMCA Have In Common With Gomer Pyle?
A. They're Gym Neighbors.

You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and to shut up.
Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.
The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful then your own.

There are a lot of folks who can't understand how we came to have an oil
shortage here in America. Well, there's a very simple answer. Nobody bothered to check the oil. We just didn't know we were getting low. The reason for that is purely
geographical. All our oil is in Alaska, Texas, California, and Oklahoma.
All our dipsticks are in Washington, DC.

Cell Phone vs. Bible
I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?
This is something to make you go...hmmm...where is my Bible?
Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't ever have to worry about our bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!

According to Ron Willingham's book Hey, I'm the Customer, people make 11 decisions about us in the first seven seconds of contact.

Siblings between the ages of 3 to 7 engage in some kind of conflict 3.5 times an hour. Siblings between the ages of 2 to 4 have 6.3 conflicts an hour, or more than one in every 10 minutes. - Source: Laurie Kramer, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

 Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you a mechanic.
 Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

"A vacation is when you pack a car with seven suitcases, three small children, a mother-in-law, two dogs and say, ̃It's good to get away from it all.'"

New Popularity of the girl's name Naveah (heaven spelled backward)

The cost of producing one penny will come to around 1.23 cents, and the cost of making a nickel will be 5.73 cents.

** If the church were to lose its hierarchy, its clergy, its vast collection of buildings, its stores of learning amassed over the centuries, even the text of its sacred books, and had to face the world with nothing but the living presence of the Risen Jesus and its mission to proclaim the Good News to all nations and people, it would be no less a church than the church of Peter and Paul was. Perhaps it might be more of a church than it is now. -- Father John McKenzie

"Perhaps the most dominant force in the average life is possessions. Life becomes a scramble for gain instead of a mission for God. We are so busy making a living that
we forget to make a life." -- A.P. Gouthey

"Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don't have the first, the other two will kill you." -- Warren Buffett

July 16

I dialed a number and got the following recording: "I am not available right now, but thank you for caring enough to call. I am making some changes in my life. Please leave a message after the beep If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes."

Aspire to inspire before you expire.

My wife and I had words, but I didn't get to use mine.

As my five year old son and I were headed to McDonald's one day, we passed a car accident. Usually when we see something terrible like that, we say a prayer for those who might be hurt, so I pointed and said to my son, "We should pray." From the back seat I heard his earnest request: "Please, God, don't let those cars block the entrance to McDonald's."

God made man before woman so as to give him time to think of an answer for her first question.

It is believed that one weekday edition of The New York Times contains more information than a typical person in 17th century England would come across in a lifetime.

"Your vision has not truly captured your heart until it captures your wallet."

"Stop praying for persecution in China to end. It is through persecution that the Church has grown. We, in fact, are praying that the American Church might taste the same persecution so revival would come to the American Church like we have seen in China." - a leader of the Chinese house church movement (World Magazine)



The boss was complaining the other day that he wasn't getting any respect. Later that morning he went to a local sign shop and bought a small sign that read:
"I'm the Boss!" He then taped it to his office door. Later that day when he returned from lunch, he found that someone had taped a note to the sign that said: "Your wife called, she wants her sign back!"

Dear God, Want to hear a joke? What is red, very long, and you hear it right before you go to sleep? Give up? A sermon. Your friend, Frank (age 11)

Check out this: http://joypastordon.blogspot.com/

NO CHARGE FOR CALLING INFORMATION 411
Instead of calling 411 for Information, simply dial 1-800-FREE-411 or 1 800 373-3411 without incurring a charge.

"The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind."

** Sometimes a political candidate who wishes to be returned to office will say, "I stand on my record." Our faith stands on the record of what God has done, on the record of promises kept. John 20:31 says "These are written that you may believe." Faith is not inherited, nor does it come by accident. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and discovering that God keeps his promises. Faith is "standing on the promises."

Sociologists have a theory of the looking-glass self: you become what the most important person in your life (wife, father, boss, etc.) thinks you are. How would my life change if I truly believed the Bible's astounding words about God's love for me, if I looked in the mirror and saw what God sees?

Little Emily, the minister's daughter, ran into the house, crying as though her heart would break.
"What's wrong, dear?" asked the pastor.
"My doll! Billy broke it!" she sobbed.
"How did he break it, Emily?"
"I hit him over the head with it."

SEE A MOST AWESOME CARD WHOEVER DID IT, DID A GREAT JOB!!!
http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=1545489532!


God bless you!

Jesus loves you and so do I!

july 9

"I wasn't saved just to sit, soak, and sour." - Rick Warren

"Before Kay and I got married, I had three great theories on parenting and no kids. I now have three kids and no great theories on parenting." - Rick Warren

One out of every five unchurched people say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ. - Source: George Barna, Grow Your Church from the Outside


"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." -- Michael Althsuler

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them." -- Mark Twain

"There's only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give everything." -- Vince Lombardi, football coach

"Anyone who uses the phrase 'easy as taking candy from a baby' has never tried taking candy from a baby." – Unknown

A golf ball usually has anywhere from 330 to 500 dimples - depending on which company designs the ball. The dimples help the ball travel further and higher. Dimples first appeared on golf balls more than 100 years ago when golfers discovered that balls which had been scratched or roughed up traveled further than smooth balls. This is quite a science and involves weeks of testing and retesting. A ball used by Tiger Woods might have a completely different dimple pattern than one used by David Duvall. The ideal ball will usually have between 380 and 432 dimples.

SIGN Posted IN A WINDOW : "WE WOULD RATHER DO BUSINESS WITH 1000 AL QAEDA TERRORISTS THAN WITH ONE SINGLE AMERICAN"
This sign was prominently displayed in the window of a business in Philadelphia. You are probably outraged at the thought of such an inflammatory statement. One would think that anti-hate groups from all across the country would be marching on this business . and that the National Guard might have to be called to keep the angry crowds back. But, perhaps in these stressful times one might be tempted to let the proprietors simply make their statement . . We are a society which holds Freedom of Speech as perhaps our greatest liberty. And after all, it is just a sign.
You may ask what kind of business would dare post such a sign?
Answer: A Funeral Home

Ever notice how it's a penny for your thoughts, yet you put in your two-cents? Someone is making a penny on the deal! ---Steven Wright

St. Peter and Satan were having an argument one day about baseball. Satan proposed a game to be played on neutral grounds between a select team from the heavenly host and his own hand-picked boys. "Very well," said the gatekeeper of Heaven. "But you realize, I hope, that we've got all the good players and the best coaches." "I know, and that's all
right," Satan answered, unperturbed, "We've got all the umpires."


A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing. ---George Bernard Shaw

It is a difficult matter to argue with the belly since it has no ears. ---Cato The Elder

The Sultan's Test By Michael Josephson of Character Counts
According to legend, an old Sultan, known as a wise and just leader, was to choose his successor from among his nine sons. He gave the sons each a single seed and directed them to plant and nurture it. "In one year," he said, "I will judge the results of your efforts and choose the next Sultan."
At the end of the year, the Sultan examined each pot and found eight healthy plants and one barren pot presented by his youngest son. He asked what happened and the son replied, "Despite my greatest efforts I could not make my seed grow. I think I was chosen to
serve rather than lead."
"My son," the Sultan said, "you have been chosen to serve, but you shall do so as the next Sultan. You alone among your brothers are a man of honor." He then revealed that all the seeds he had given were dead, and he banished his other eight sons for dishonoring his
name.
Every temptation to cheat is a test of integrity, but, like the eight banished sons, we usually don't see it that way. Instead, we often see life's challenges as a test of cleverness, a test of what we can get away with.
Character is revealed by how we behave when we think no one is looking. But people of character know that someone is always looking.
In this case, the cheating sons yielded no reward for their cheating. This is not always the case. Cheaters sometimes do prosper--for a while.
But in the end, it's like a bargain with the devil. Just ask the dozens of brilliant executives from Enron, Adelphia, Rite-Aid, Dynegy, WorldCom, ImClone and Tyco who lived lives of enormous luxury and enjoyed the envy and admiration of millions -- until
they were found out. Now they face complete disgrace and years of prison.
Didn't they know it was all a test?

One year, a particular harried husband decided to buy his mother-in-law a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift. The next year, he didn't buy her a gift. When she asked him why, he replied, "Well, you still haven't used the gift I bought you last year!"

Sometimes the best thing we can do is to move on to another field. Paul Harvey tells the story of Joe, who was born into a family of Sicilian immigrants, a family who had a 300-year history as fishermen. Joe's dad was a fisherman. His brothers were fishermen. But Joe was made sick by the smell of raw fish and the motion of a rocking boat. In a family where the only acceptable way to earn a living was by fishing, Joe was a failure. His dad used to refer to his son as "good for nothing." Joe believed his dad. He believed that his attempts at other types of work were an admission of failure, but he just couldn't stand the smell of the fishing business. One thing that Joe could do was to play baseball. Giving up a field where he could not succeed, Joe DiMaggio moved to another field and became one of the great successes of baseball.

** When Handel wrote the "Hallelujah Chorus," his health and his fortunes had reached the lowest possible ebb. His right side had become paralyzed, and all his money was gone. He was heavily in debt and threatened with imprisonment. He was tempted to give up the fight. The odds seemed entirely too great. And it was then he composed his greatest work--Messiah. Could we not say of Handel that the Spirit entered into him and set him upon his feet?-Peter Marshall, Sr., "Who Can Take It?”

** Someone once wrote: "The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you." That's another way of saying with Paul that we never have temptations greater than we can bear. We pray for lighter burdens when we ought to pray for stronger backs. We pray for an easier path when we ought to pray for tougher feet. We pray for fewer problems when we ought to pray for better solutions.
** It was Mother Teresa who said, "You will never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you've got."

** We live in a world full of people struggling to be, or at least to appear strong, in order not to be weak; and we follow a gospel which says that when I am weak, then I am strong. And this gospel is the only thing that brings healing. -- N.T. Wright in For All God's Worth

June 25, 2006

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us. Like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased. C. S. Lewis

Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

We express our feelings and attitudes with 55 percent body language, 38 percent tone of voice and only 7 percent actual words.

"In the 60s, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal." - PD Pete

"My goal in preaching is not to inform, but to transform." - Rick Warren

"I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is ready for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter." - epitaph of Winston Churchill

'The Adventures of Superman' (1952-58)
Arguably the first superhero TV series, "The Adventures of Superman" put the Man of Steel on the small screen for the first time, following several successful movie serials. Although its special effects were about as crude as could be, and Superman's exploits were far less cosmic than those offered in the comics and modern movies, George Reeves was a model of decency and nobility as Kal-El and his alter-ego, Clark Kent, and the supporting cast, led by Noel Neill as Lois Lane (who replaced Phyllis Coates about a year in), Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen and John Hamilton as Perry White, is still beloved.

JOY 7

A Thought for the Day
One day a farmer's donkey fell into a well. The farmer frantically thought what to do as the stricken animal cried out to be rescued. With no obvious solution, the farmer regretfully concluded that as the donkey was old, and as the well needed to be filled in anyway, he should give up the idea of rescuing the beast, and simply fill in
the well. Hopefully the poor animal would not suffer too much, he tried to persuade himself.
The farmer asked his neighbors help, and before long they all began to shovel earth quickly into the well. When the donkey realized what was happening he wailed and struggled, but then, to everyone's relief, the noise stopped.
After a while the farmer looked down into the well and was astonished by what he saw. The donkey was still alive, and progressing towards the top of the well. The donkey had discovered that by shaking off the dirt instead of letting it cover him, he could keep stepping on top of the earth as the level rose. Soon the donkey was able to step up over the edge of the well, and he happily trotted off.
Life tends to shovel dirt on top of each of us from time to time. The trick is to shake it off and take a step up. Have a positive attitude in life, and learn to think of any challenge as a new opportunity. Rex Barker

Rosey wanted her husband to stop smoking so she sent him to the doctor. The doctor gave him a box of these patches and said to use one a day. He said, "Ok," and took them home. Rosey asked him what the doctor said and he showed her the patches
and told her that the doctor said to use one a patch day. Rosey commenced to sew one patch on each shirt he had. The both of them are still trying to figure out how that's going to help him quit smoking.

One day in class, the teacher told everyone to turn to a blank sheet of paper in their notebooks. She noticed that Chip, the dumb jock, was having trouble with her directions. "Have you found a blank piece yet, Chip?" said the teacher.
"Nope. I haven't," said the dumb jock. Somebody went through and "drew lines across all of the pages."

A friend of mine was a philosophy major during his first semester in college. One day in a seminar class, they spent a great deal of time debating whether the glass was half full or half empty. After the class, my friend was feeling pretty good about himself and what he was learning at university, so when he went home, he tried to continue the discussion with his family. With maximum drama, he took a 12 ounce glass from the cupboard and poured in 6 ounces of water. Then took it into the dining room and placed it in the middle of the table. He proudly asked his family, "Can anyone tell me whether this glass is half full or half empty."
Without missing a beat, his grandmother replied, "Depends if you're drinking or pouring."


"Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure." -- George E. Woodberry

"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." -- Henry Ford

"Your work should be a challenge, not a chore; a blessing, not a bore." -- Hal Stewins

"Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn." -- John Wesley


JOY 8


The Self-Portrait Called Character by Michael Josephson of Character Counts
While I was on a radio call-in show talking about cheating, a listener I'll call Stan mocked my concern. He cheated to get into college, he said. He cheated in college to get a job. And now he occasionally cheats on his job to get ahead. In fact, he concluded, cheating is such an important life skill that parents ought to teach their kids how to cheat.
Evidence is mounting that lots of people share Stan's amoral pragmatism. Because they define success and happiness in terms of getting what they want when they want it, ethics seems irrational. After all, in a world where cheaters so often prosper, why should anyone give up the benefits of dishonesty?
Well, for one thing, the Stans of the world have no idea what a price they're paying for the little they're getting. A life without principles is demeaning and self-defeating. The Stans of the world are cheated as often as they cheat others. What's more, they cheat themselves. As they scrape and struggle to fill their lives, they give up their
chance to lead fulfilling lives.
The happiest people I know are those who find purpose and meaning pursuing a grander vision of a good life measured in terms of worthiness, not net worth. Virtue
is not a tactic; it's a life philosophy.
We paint the self-portrait that we call our character by our values and actions. We can choose to paint that portrait in the pale watercolors of shallow successes and short-lived pleasures or in the deep, rich oils of honor, spirituality, peace of mind and self-respect.
The enduring impact of our choices is not what we get, but what we become.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

What You Watch Is What You Do
It comes as no surprise that a recent study done by the RAND Corporation shows that there is a strong connection between teens who watch and listen to sex and sexual talk on television and teens who engage in sexual activity.
The study, published in the September issue of Pediatrics, found that teens who watched and listened to sex and sexual situations on television were twice as likely to have sex within the next year as teens not exposed to such. To put it in real numbers, one out of every two teens who watch immoral programs on television will end up behaving that way.
Thought: It isn't single events like the Super Bowl half--time show that move the hearts and minds of television viewers to practice what they see. It is the litany of daily barrages in the "soaps," "sit-coms" and evening "dramas" that affect us most.

july 2, 2006 complete

** The purpose of the church, financially, is not to accumulate as much money as possible but to give away as much as possible. -- Jerry Hayner
** If your family doesn't appreciate you, take heart. Jesus faced the same thing in his family. –Max Lucado

JOY 7

*Freedom — what is it? How far does it go? And what are we free from? As we gather to worship on this July 4 weekend, we are reminded that long before there was a United States or any country or states, there was and is Almighty God. It is the freedom we have in Him that allows all other things to exist and be what they are. What is this freedom? The prison bars of our sin have been opened by Christ, and we are forgiven and free to live the life of a child of God. Any other life is still in prison and that is what we need to tell our world today! Those who live in Christ are not tyrants, they are not law-breakers. Instead they are ready to share the love, mercy, grace, and compassion of Jesus to make their home, their community, and their country a better place in which to live!

Today is a celebration of freedom! In Christ we are free from the bondage of sin and live under the blessings of God and His unending mercy and grace. As Americans, we are free from tyranny and oppression, given certain unalienable rights as citizens of the United States. As we gather to celebrate these freedoms, we must never lose sight of the fact that America IS you and me! We are a line of people who have willingly paid the price to preserve and protect our nation’s freedom. We have been blessed as no other nation on earth. Yet we must be cautious of our pride in such accomplishments for our trust must not and cannot rest in our own strength. One of our greatest freedom fighters, President Abraham Lincoln, said over a century ago that it was the duty of nations and individuals to “recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proved by all history, that those nations only are blessed who God is the Lord.”

Despite the "Do Not Touch" signs, a museum was having no success in keeping patrons from touching--and soiling--priceless furniture and art. But the problem evaporated overnight when a clever museum employee replaced the signs with ones that read: "Caution: Wash Hands After Touching!"

"I don't see the big picture. I don't have a clue. But I know God does. I'm going to declare that, even if I don't feel it right now."— Steven Curtis Chapman

Christian motto: I'm going to Heaven, having a great time doing it, and want to take as many with me as possible.

"What can I do today that I would be proud to look back on at the end of my life?" -- Unknown

** Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something. -- From Life's Little Instruction Book, Volume II

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -- WOW-- What a Ride!!!"

MONEY
It can buy you a House, But not a Home.
It can buy you a Bed, But not Sleep.
It can buy you a Clock, But not Time.
It can buy you a Book, But not Knowledge.
It can buy you a Position, But not Respect.
It can buy you Medicine, But not Health.
It can buy you Blood, But not Life.


There is no oil, if olives are not squeezed...
No wine, if grapes are not pressed...
No perfume, if flowers are not crushed...
Have you felt any pressure in life today?
Don't worry... God is just bringing out the best in you!
JOY 8
To know and to serve God, of course, is why we're here, a clear truth that, like the nose on your face, is near at hand and easily discernible but can make you dizzy if you try to focus on it hard. But a little faith will see you through. What else will do except faith in such a cynical, corrupt time? When the country goes temporarily to the dogs, cats must learn to be circumspect, walk on fences, sleep in trees, and have faith that all this woofing is not the last word. -- Garrison Keillor

You are driving in a car at a constant speed. On your left side is a valley and on your right side is a fire engine traveling at the same speed as you. In front of you is a galloping pig which is the same size as your car and you cannot overtake it. Behind you is a helicopter flying at ground level. Both the giant pig and the helicopter are also traveling at the same speed as you. What must you do to safely get out of this highly dangerous situation? Answer: Get off the children's carousel and, next time, don't drink so much!!!

** We grow and mature spiritually in our faith through adversity--not when everything is going smoothly. ... In a time of adversity or trouble, the Christian has the opportunity to know God in a special and personal way. -- C. Everett Koop

"Freedom's enemies are waste, lethargy, indifference, immorality, and the insidious attitude of something for nothing." -- William Arthur Ward

Suggestion for you to try this every morning: “It’s morning - you’re looking into the mirror, and the voice of God says, “There you are, holiness in a bathrobe. Nice to see you.” Hey, child, I see your repentant heart, I forgive, restore and renew. I take you into my heart where there are places of joy and peace. So relax!” [thanks, God]