| 2007
Newsletter |
|
| FOOD FOR THOUGHT |
|
One rainy afternoon
I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those
extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick.
Suddenly, my daughter. Aspen, spoke up from her relaxed position in
her seat. "Dad, I'm thinking of something."
This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for
a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind
had discovered. I was eager to hear.
"What are you thinking?" I asked. "The rain!"
she began, "is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God
wiping our sins away."
After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond. "That's
really good. Aspen."
Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take this
revelation? So I asked... "Do you notice how the rain keeps on
coming? What does that tell you?" Aspen didn't hesitate one
moment with her answer:
"We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us."
1 will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.
|
|
| THE BEST POEM IN THE WORLD! |
|
I was shocked,
confused, bewildered
as I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
by the lights or its decor
But it was the folks in Heaven
who made me sputter and gasp--
the thieves, the liars, the sinners,
the alcoholics, the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade
who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
who never said anything nice.
Herb, who I always thought
was rotting away in hell,
was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, and asked, "What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake!"
"And why's everyone so quiet,
so somber? Give me a clue."
"Hush, child," said He, "They're all in shock."
"No one thought they'd see you"
Judge NOT. |
|
| Riddles |
- The maker doesn't want it; the
buyer doesn't use it; and the user doesn't see it. What is it?
- A child is born in Boston,
Massachusetts to parents who were both born in Boston,
Massachusetts. The child is not a United States citizen. How is
this possible?
- Before Mount Everest was
discovered, what was the highest mountain on Earth?
- Clara Clatter was born on
December 27th, yet her birthday is always in the summer. How is
this possible?
- Captain Frank and some of the
boys were exchanging old war stories. Art Bragg offered one
about how his grandfather led a battalion against a German
division during World War I. Through brilliant maneuvers he
defeated them and captured valuable territory. After the battle
he was presented with a sword bearing the inscription "To
Captain Bragg for Bravery, Daring and Leadership. World War I.
From the Men of Battalion 8." Captain Frank looked at Art
and said, "You really don't expect anyone to believe that
yarn, do you?" What's wrong with the story?
- What is one thing that all wise
men, regardless of their religion or politics, agreed is between
heaven and earth?
- In what year did Christmas and
New Year's fall in the same year?
- A woman from New York married
ten different men from that city, yet she did not break any
laws. None of these men died and she never divorced. How was
this possible?
- Why are 1990 American dollar
bills worth more than 1989 American dollar bills?
- How many times can you subtract
the number 5 from 25?
- A taxi driver was called to
take a group of passengers to the train station. The station is
normally an hour away, but with traffic being extra heavy, it
took a full hour and a half. On the return trip the traffic was
still as heavy and yet it took only 90 minutes. Why?
- How could you rearrange the
letters in the words "new door" to make one word?
Note: There is only one correct answer
- Even if they are starving,
natives living in the Arctic will never eat a penguin's egg. Why
not?
- Which is correct to say, "The
yolk of the egg are white" or "The yolk of the egg is
white"?
- In Okmulgee, Oklahoma, you
cannot take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why not?
- There were an electrician and a
plumber waiting in line for admission to the "International
Home Show". One of them was the father of the other's son.
How could this be possible?
- After the new Canon Law that
took effect on November 27, 1983, would a Roman Catholic man be
allowed to marry his widow's sister?
For
answers to above Riddles click Here.
| The Lemon Bet |
The local bar was so sure
that its bartender was the strongest man around that they
offered a standing $1000 bet. The bartender would squeeze a
lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and hand the lemon
to a patron. Anyone who could squeeze one more drop of juice out
would win the money. Many people had tried over time
(weight-lifters, truck drivers, etc.) but nobody could do it.
One day this scrawny little man came into the bar, wearing
thick glasses and a polyester suit, and said in a tiny squeaky
voice, I'd like to try the bet. After the laughter had died
down, the bartender said OK, grabbed a lemon, and squeezed away.
Then he handed the wrinkled remains of the rind to the little
man. But the crowd's laughter turned to total silence as the man
clenched his fist around the lemon and six drops fell into the
glass. As the crowd cheered, the bartender paid the $1000, and
asked the little man, "What do you do for a living? Are you
a lumberjack, a weight-lifter, or what?" The man replied "I
work for the IRS."
|
Malachi 3:3 says: "He
will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they
wondered what this statement meant about the character and
nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process
of refining silver and get back to the group at the next Bible
Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an
appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything
about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the
process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over
the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining
silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire
where the flames were hottest as to bum away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then
she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a
refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it were true that he had to sit
there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being
refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there
holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver
the entire time it was in the fire.
If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it
would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the
silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully
refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's
easy — when I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that
God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees
His image in you.
Pass this on to everyone you know. Right now, this very moment,
someone needs to know that God is watching over them. And,
whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in
the end.
"Life is a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but
you can only spend it once." |
|
| Respite
Plus: Another choice for Family Caregivers |
The Lutheran
Social Service Caregiver support and Respite Program is
launching a project that will provide additional choices for
family caregivers in rural Minnesota.
The new project is called Respite Plus and will involve
recruitment of certified nursing assistants to provide in-home
respite for caregivers who want help with personal care for
their loved one.
94% of Minnesotans prefer in-home services to nursing home
care," explained Virginia Hanson, program manager for
Lutheran Social Service. "This new project will help us
meet consumer preferences and bring added value to the people
that we serve."
The Caregiver support and Respite Program has been in operation
since 1992 and is funded under contract with the Minnesota Board
on Aging and the Area Agency on Aging as a part of the Older
American's Act. Services offered include non-medical, in-home
respite care, monthly caregiver discussion groups, individual
and family coaching, and public education on caregiver issues.
Costs associated with program development were afforded through
a grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation. Both the commitment
from the Foundation to strengthening the non-profit sector and
the LSS commitment to reducing caregiver burden in rural
Minnesota greatly facilitated the development of Respite Plus as
another choice for family caregivers. For more information,
please call Monica or Tara at 1.800.488.4146, or visit the web
site at www.lssmn.org
| Biblical
Passages Related to Hunger and Justice |
Genesis
1:29-30: God gives the world's food to Adam and Eve
Exodus 3:7-12: Moses asked to go to Pharaoh
Exodus 16:1-12: the manna lifestyle
Leviticus 19:9-11: leave a portion of your harvest
for the poor
Numbers 11:4-23: people greedy for meat
Deuteronomy 12:28—15:11: a redistribution of
wealth and law of tithe
1 Kings21:l-20: lust of land leads to deceit and
oppression
Psalm 72:1-14: how to pray for government
Psalm 82: justice to the weak and destitute
Psalm 146:4-9: the Lord is just and feeds the hungry
Proverbs 14:20-21: happy are they who are kind to
the poor.
Proverbs 19:17: who is kind to the poor lends to the
Lord
Proverbs 21:13: listen to the cry of the poor
Isaiah 1:17-18: seek justice—correct oppression
Isaiah 3:13-15: who do you grind the face of the
poor?
Isaiah 5:1-7:1 looked for justice but beheld
bloodshed
|
|
| Three Things |
Three things
in life that, once gone, never come back - Time, Words &
Opportunity
Three things in life that may never be lost -Peace, Hope &
Honesty
Three things in life that are most valuable -Love, Faith &
Prayer
Three things in life that are never certain -Dreams,
Success & Fortune
Three things that make a man -Hard work. Sincerity &
Commitment
Three things in life that can destroy a man -Lust, Pride &
Anger
Three things that are truly constant -Father, Son &
Holy Spirit
I ask the Lord to bless you, As I pray for you today; To
guide you and protect you, As you go along your way. His
love is always with you, His promises are true. And when you
give Him all your cares, You know He'll see you through.
|
|
| Friendship |
One day,
when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my
class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It
looked like he was carrying all of his books.
I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all
his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd." I had
quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my
friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and
went on.
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.
They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and
tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went
flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from
him.
He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.
My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he
crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in
his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those
guys are jerks. They really should get lives.
" He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!"
There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those
smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his
books, and asked him where he lived.
As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I
had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private
school before now. I would have never hung out with a
private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I
carried some of his books.
He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he
wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said
yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know
Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same
of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack
of books again. I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are
gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of
books everyday! " He just laughed and handed me half
the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.
When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle
decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke.
I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles
would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I
was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was
valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about
being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I
was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.
Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of
those guys that really found himself during high school. He
filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more
dates than I had and all the girls loved him.
Boy, sometimes I was jealous. Today was one of those days.
I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I
smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll
be great!"
He looked at me with one of those looks (the really
grateful one) and smiled. "Thanks," he said. As he
started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation
is a time to thank those who helped you make it through
those tough years.
Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach—but
mostly your friends... I am here to tell all of you that
being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give
them. I am going to tell you a story." I just looked at
my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first
day we met.
He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked
of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't
have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He
looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. "Thankfully,
I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."
I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome,
popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his
Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful
smile.
Not until that moment did I realize it's depth. Never
underestimate the power of your actions. With one small
gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for
worse.
God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another
in some way. Look for God in others.
"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our
wings have trouble remembering how to fly."
|
| America was born a
Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that
devotion to the elements of righteousness, which are
derived from the revelations of Holy Scriptures. Part of
the destiny of Americans lies in their daily perusal of
this great book of revelations. That if they would see
America free and pure they will make then-own spirits
free and pure by this baptism of the Holy Spirit. --Woodrow
Wilson |
|
| Hunger
News: A+ Rating |
Newsweek
magazine recently ran a rating on organizations involved in
Tsunami Relief to assist donors in deciding which agencies
were efficient in getting the help to those in need.
Lutheran World Relief, the overseas arm of the ELCA Hunger
appeal received an A+ rating. "Great track record,"
the article commented. LWR promises to give 100% of tsunami
relief to help the victims. Our ELCA World Hunger Appeal
dollars are channeled to Lutheran World Relief.
|
|
Stumpy and
his wife Martha went to the State Fair every year. Every
year Stumpy would say, "Martha, I'd like to ride in
that there airplane." And every year Martha would say, "I
know, Stumpy, but that airplane ride costs ten dollars, and
ten dollars is ten dollars."
This one-year Stumpy and Martha went to the fair and Stumpy
said, "Martha, I'm 71 years old. If I don't ride that
airplane this year, I may never get another chance. "
Martha replied, "Stumpy, that there airplane ride costs
ten dollars, and ten dollars is ten dollars."
The pilot overheard them and said, "Folks, I'll make
you a deal. I'll take you both up for a ride. If you can
stay quiet for the entire ride and not say one word, I won't
charge you, but if you say one word it's ten dollars."
Stumpy and Martha agreed and up they go. The pilot does all
kinds of twists and turns, rolls and dives, but not a word
is heard. He does all his tricks over a gain, but still not
a word. They land and the pilot turns to Stumpy, "By
golly, I did everything I could think of to get you to yell
out, but you didn't." Stumpy replied, "Well, I was
going to say something when Martha fell out, but ten dollars
is ten dollars." |
|
|
|