Prior Date

Archive Index

Next Date

WITandWISDOM(tm) - August 12, 2005 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. Source: Inspire, http://www.inspirelist.com/ ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: As a boy, I worked summers on my aunt and uncle's pig farm. Every week, I pumped out the sewage pit running the length of the pig barn with the "honey wagon". One particular day, I backed up to the barn and pushed the suction hose between the large grates and into the liquid "soup" below. Hearing squealing, I ran inside and jumped over the pen to where I had slid the hose down, and looked down to find that a pig had fallen into the "soup"! I yelled across the yard for someone to "Get my uncle, and come quick!" I ran back into the barn, grabbed one of the grates over the sewage pit and swung down into the mess below. The liquid was well over my waist! The startled pig started a frantic swim for the far end with me pursuing. At the end of the pit I grabbed him by the ears and started my journey back to the open grate above. My uncle lowered a ladder, and I grabbed the slippery pig around his belly and lifted. Part way up the ladder, he kicked up a fight, and we both fell backwards under the surface. Sputtering and exasperated, I grabbed Mr. Pig and this time got him high enough so my uncle could grab him and pull him out. I was greeted with howls of laughter for my lifeguard efforts as I stood under the sun and got hosed down in my "birthday suit" to get cleaned off. My clothes were ruined and had to be buried. I think of a rebellious son in Luke 15 who crested a hill and was spotted by his father "a long way off". Despite the repulsive condition of his son, the father ran to him, fell on his neck, and welcomed him with kisses. Such love surpasses our understanding. Are you wandering? Do you feel no one notices you, no one cares? God knows and God cares. There is always a way back. God has welcomed us into His presence. He has cleansed us from our sin through Jesus Christ. He has cleansed us and allowed us to sit in His banqueting house, despite our prodigal ways and the ravages of sin that mark us. Don Copp mailto:dcopp@canada.com Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Source: Illustrator, http://www.answers2prayer.org ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: How Tired Are You? You're so tired you now answer the phone, "Good-bye". Your garbage can IS your "IN" box. You have so much on your mind, you've forgotten how to eat. Visions of the upcoming weekend help you make it through Monday. You sleep more at work than at home. You leave for a party and instinctively bring your ID badge. Your Day-Timer exploded a week ago. You think about how relaxing it would be if you were in jail right now. You consider a 40 hour week a vacation. You don't set your alarm anymore because you know your pager will go off before your alarm does. Submitted by B.B. ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Two mice live in a movie studio warehouse and are looking for food. Suddenly one hears the other chewing. "What did you find?" he asks. "I am not sure," comes the answer. "It looks like a piece of film celluloid from an old movie. Let me see. Ah, yes. It is from 'Gone with the Wind'." "And how is it?" "The book was better." Source: Cybersalt Digest, http://www.cybersalt.org/ ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: The gospel according to duct tape In Finland, they refer to duct tape as "Jesus Tape." That's according to Tim, the Duct Tape Guy," who speculates that, "One can only assume that this is because it is the savior of all things broken." Hear a sermon by Reverend Mark A. Simone of the Federated Church (United Church of Christ) in Chagrin Falls, Ohio on the topic titled, "What I Like About Duct Tape." Hear the sermon: http://www.octanecreative.com/ducttape/Gospel/index.html For more duct tape fun, check out The Duct Tape Guys homepage including an enlightening history of "duck" vs. "duct". http://www.octanecreative.com/ducttape/index1.html Submitted by Pastor John L. Bechtel, http://www.tagnet.org/fremont/