| Prior Date | Archive Index | Next Date |
|
WITandWISDOM(tm) - December 17, 2002 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power. - Tao Te Ching Source: ToInspire Newsletter, http://www.toinspire.com ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: Do You Know Bailey's Jesus? God recently allowed me to see Jesus through the eyes of someone seeing Him for the first time. Having the advantage of knowing how the story ends, we can easily forget the cost of our redemption and the love of our Savior. Every year we attend a local church pageant at Christmas time, which tells the story of Jesus from His birth through His resurrection. It is a spectacular event, with live animals and hundreds of cast members in realistic costumes. The magi enter the huge auditorium on llamas from the rear, descending the steps in pomp and majesty. Roman soldiers look huge and menacing in their costumes and makeup. Of all the years we have attended, one stands out indelibly in my heart. It was the year we took our then three-year-old granddaughter, Bailey, who loves Jesus. She was mesmerized throughout the entire play, not just watching, but involved as if she were a player. She watches as Joseph and Mary travel to the Inn and is thrilled when she sees the baby Jesus in His mother's arms. When Jesus, on a young donkey, descends the steps from the back of the auditorium, depicting His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Bailey was ecstatic. As he neared our aisle, Bailey began jumping up and down, screaming, "Jesus, Jesus! There's Jesus!" Not just saying the words but exclaiming them with every fiber of her being. She alternated between screaming his name and hugging us. "It's Jesus. Look!" I thought she might actually pass out. Tears filled my eyes as I looked at Jesus through the eyes of a child in love with Him, seeing Him for the first time. How like the blind beggar screaming out in reckless abandon, "Jesus, Jesus!", afraid he might miss Him, not caring what others thought. This was so much fun. Then came the arrest scene. On stage, the soldiers shoved and slapped Jesus as they moved Him from the Garden of Gethsemane to Pilate. Bailey responded as if she were in the crowd of women, with terror and anger. "Stop it!" she screamed. "Bad soldiers, stop it!" As I watched her reaction, I wished we had talked to her before the play. "Bailey it's OK. They are just pretending." "They are hurting Jesus! Stop it!" She stood in her seat reacting to each and every move. People around us at first smiled at her reaction, thinking "How cute!". Then they quit smiling and began watching her watch Him. In a most powerful scene, the soldiers lead Jesus carrying the cross down the steps of the auditorium from the back. They were yelling, whipping, and cursing at Jesus, who was bloodied and beaten. Bailey was now hysterical. "Stop it! Soldiers! Stop it," she screamed. She must have been wondering why all these people did nothing. She then began to cry instead of scream. "Jesus, Oh, Jesus!" People all around us began to weep as we all watch this devoted little disciple see her Jesus beaten and killed as those first century disciples had. Going back and forth between her mother's lap and mine for comfort, she was distraught. I kept saying, "Bailey, it's OK. Jesus is going to be OK. These are just people pretending to be soldiers. She looked at me like I was crazy. In my lap, we talked through the cross and burial. "Watch, Bailey, watch for Jesus!" The tomb began to tremble and lightening flashed as the stone rolled away. A super bowl touchdown cheer couldn't come close to matching this little one's reaction to the resurrection. "Jesus! He's OK. Mommy, it's Jesus!" I prayed that she wasn't going to be traumatized by this event, but that she would remember it. I shall never forget it. I shall never forget seeing Jesus' suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection through the eyes of an innocent child. Following the pageant the actors all assembled in the foyer to be greeted by the audience. As we passed by some of the soldiers Bailey screamed out, "Bad soldier, don't you hurt Jesus." The actor who portrayed Jesus was some distance away surrounded by well-wishers and friends. Bailey broke away from us and ran toward Him, wrapping herself around His legs, holding on for dear life. He hugged her and said, "Jesus loves you." He patted her to go away. She wouldn't let go. She kept clinging to Him, laughing and calling His name. She wasn't about to let go of her Jesus. I think God in heaven stopped what ever was going on that day and made all the angels watch Bailey. "Now, look there! You see what I meant when I said, 'Of such is the kingdom of heaven?'" Source: God@Work is a ministry of St Mark's United Methodist Church, http://www.stmarks.org Source: Monday Fodder mailto:dgauf aaa@iohk.com?subject=Subscribe_Monday_Fodder ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: Old Favorite Christmas Songs By Dave Arns mailto:davea@arnspub.com Part 1 of 2 [Dec 17, 18] A list of Christmas songs even the most technically-minded can appreciate! Each of the constructions below expresses the name of a well-known Christmas song; translate the titles into the "regular" versions. (The words "regular" version may be in a different order.) 1. The initial example of a highly celebrated nativity. 2. A felicitous emotion, directed at the entirety of the terrestrial sphere. 3. Pass hitherward, everyone who exhibits consistency of character. 4. A young lad whose musical talents are expressed rhythmically. 5. The hour of its transparent occurrence coincided with the instant often associated with maximal darkness, either figurative or literal. 6. Strike with the fist, with sufficient force as to cause unconsciousness, Mr. and Mrs. Hall. 7. A nocturnal period unbroken by auditory interruptions. 8. My advice to you is to listen intently to, and heed, the heavenly messengers as they vocalize musical selections announcing an important event. 9. A significant distance from here, within the confines of a feeding trough for animals. 10. The auditory sensation of roughly spherical sound-making objects, vibrating in a resonant fashion, followed by the name of the objects themselves. 11. Our sincere desire for you is for your yuletide celebration to be an enjoyable one. 12. A dozen terrestrial rotational time periods, signifying a series of steps leading up to, and ushering in, the celebration of the Nativity. Answers: 1. The initial example of the ^^^ ^^^^^^^ The First period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Noel 2. A felicitous emotion, directed at the ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ Joy to the entirety of the terrestrial sphere. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ World 3. Pass hitherward, everyone who exhibits ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ O Come, all ye consistency of character. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Faithful 4. A young lad whose ^^^^^ ^^^ Little Boy musical talents are expressed rhythmically. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Drummer 5. The hour of its transparent occurrence ^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ Clear It Came coincided with the instant often associated ^^^^^^^^^ Upon with maximal darkness, either figurative or literal. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ a Midnight 6. Strike with the fist, with sufficient force as to cause unconsciousness, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Deck Mr. and Mrs. Hall. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ the Halls 7. A nocturnal period unbroken by auditory interruptions. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Night Silent 8. My advice to you is to listen intently to, and heed, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Hark! the heavenly messengers as they ^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The Angels vocalize musical selections ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Sing announcing an important event. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Herald 9. A significant distance from here, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Away within the confines of a ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^ in a feeding trough for animals. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Manger 10. The auditory sensation of roughly spherical sound-making objects, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Jingle vibrating in a resonant fashion, followed by the name of the objects themselves. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Bells 11. Our sincere desire for you is for your yuletide celebration to be an ^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ We Wish You a Christmas enjoyable one. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Merry 12. A dozen terrestrial rotational time periods, ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Twelve Days signifying a series of steps leading up to, and ushering in, the celebration of the Nativity. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ of Christmas Source: Arns Publishing and Design, http://arnspub.com/ Copyright (c) 1985, For more literary oddities, see Dave's "Poetry" section for everything from nursery rhymes to quantum mechanics. ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Algebra was easy for the Romans because "X" was always 10. "I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer." - Douglas Adams It might be the early bird that gets the worm, but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese. Never feed left-over beans to an inside dog. -Experienced Source: Monday Fodder mailto:dgauf aaa@iohk.com?subject=Subscribe_Monday_Fodder ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Quick Tray Windows 98 has a file QuikTray.exe and you can find this on the Win98 CD in the Tools/Reskit/Desktop/. This utility allows you to add programs into your system tray which usually resides in the lower right corner of your screen. If this is something you want to experiment with, copy the QuikTray.exe file onto your hard drive (you may want to search your hard drive to see if it is already there.) Then place a shortcut to quiktray.exe into your startup folder so the application starts when you boot up. It places an icon in your system tray, and by clicking on that icon you can add applications to the Quick Tray so that they will appear in the system tray rather than elsewhere on your desktop. Source: Neat Net Tricks, http://www.neatnettricks.com/ |