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WITandWISDOM(tm) - July 10, 2001 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. - Hugh Mulligan Source: This Day's Thought http://ThisDaysThought.listbot.com ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: "THOSE WHO SOW IN TEARS WILL . . ." Part 1 of 3 [July 10, 11, 12] Back in 1921, a missionary couple named David and Svea Flood went with their two-year-old son from Sweden to the heart of Africa-to what was then called the Belgian Congo. They met up with another young Scandinavian couple, the Ericksons, and the four of them sought God for direction. In those days of much tenderness and devotion and sacrifice, they felt led of the Lord to set out from the main mission station and take the gospel to a remote area. This was a huge step of faith. At the village of N'dolera they were rebuffed by the chief, who would not let them enter his town for fear of alienating the local gods. The two couples opted to go half a mile up the slope and build their own mud huts'. They prayed for a spiritual breakthrough, but there was none. The only contact with the villagers was a young boy, who was allowed to sell them chickens and eggs twice a week. Svea Flood-a tiny woman only four feet, eight inches tall-decided that if this was the only African she could talk to, she would try to lead the boy to Jesus. And in fact, she succeeded. But there were no other encouragements. Meanwhile, malaria continued to strike one member of the little band after another. In time the Ericksons decided they had had enough suffering and left to return to the central mission station. David and Svea Flood remained near N'dolera to go on alone. Then, of all things, Svea found herself pregnant in the middle of the primitive wilderness. When the time came for her to give birth, the village chief softened enough to allow a midwife to help her. A little girl was born, whom they named Aina. The delivery, however, was exhausting, and Svea Flood was already weak from bouts of malaria. The birth process was a heavy blow to her stamina. She lasted only another seventeen days. Inside David Flood, something snapped in that moment. He dug a crude grave, buried his twenty-seven-year-old wife, and then took his children back down the mountain to the mission station. Giving his newborn daughter to the Ericksons, he snarled, "I'm going back to Sweden. I've lost my wife, and I obviously can't take care of this baby. God has ruined my life." With that, he headed for the port, rejecting not only his calling, but God himself. To be continued . . . tomorrow. Fresh Power by Jim Cymbala, Published by Zondervan Publishing House, Copyright (c) January 2001, ISBN: 031023008X , http://isbn.nu/031023008X/price Submitted by Edie M. Ridenour ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: TEN THINGS WE LIKE TO HEAR DADS SAY 1. Could you turn your music up louder so I can enjoy it too? 2. Curfew is just a general time to shoot for, I'm not running a PRISON. 3. I don't mind air-conditioning the whole neighborhood! Leave the door open. 4. Holding this remote is such a burden, somebody else take it for a while. 5. Looks like we're lost, I'd better stop and ask for directions. 6. Make all the racket you want. I can sleep through anything. 7. My tools are YOUR tools. Help yourself. 8. Your taste in clothes is quite remarkable. 9. While I'm gone, please feel free to invite all your friends over. 10. Your chores can wait. Go have fun! Source: Monday Fodder, dgaufaaa@i ohk.com?subject=Subscribe_Monday_Fodder ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: On the Sunday we decided it was time for Zachary, our 2-year-old son, to start giving an offering to the Lord, I gave him 2 pennies before Sunday School and told him, "This is an offering for God." When he entered the room he announced, "I have an offering for God!" His teacher said, "Okay, I'll take it now." Zachary replied, "No, I'll just wait until He gets here." By David B. Cox Source: The Timothy Report, Copyright (c) 2001 Swan Lake Communications, http://www.swanlake.twoffice.com ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: The Internet Psychology Lab (IPL) is a multimedia, interactive system for laboratory instruction in psychology. The IPL project provides lessons, demonstrations, and experiments in the following areas: Memory & Learning, Auditory Perceptions and Cognition. You can visit it at: http://kahuna.psych.uiuc.edu/ipl/index.html Source: Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter, http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/newslet.html |