The Christmas Story

Ross King has an album called The Christmas Stories which surprisingly enough contains Christmas songs. One of the songs is called Song of Gabriel.



I find the song is in the same vein as Host of Angels. A beautiful song telling the life of Christ, each event concluding with a host of Angels reacting.

The song tells the story of Christmas from the perspective of Gabriel. It captures 3 events, the annunciation of the incarnation to Mary, the birth of Jesus, and the announcement to the shepherds.

In the annunciation section, in the Bible in Luke 1:26-38, Gabriel starts with his thoughts on hearing what he is to say to Mary. It is almost as if Gabriel is saying "what? Your plan is to go to earth as a human? You trust humans to hold God in the helpless body of a baby? This plan is insane."

The birth of Jesus, in the Bible in Luke 2:1-7, Gabriel starts with the threat that Satan played while Mary and Joseph were traveling to Bethlehem. How vulnerable the Christ is, an unborn child in the womb of Mary, traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The angels in the song served as escorts, protecting Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Once in Bethlehem, the angels all gather to see the newborn child, while a song, unheard to man, is sung in Heaven.

The announcement to the shepherds, in the Bible in Luke 2:8-20, Gabriel recalls the 23rd Psalm, the LORD is my shepherd. He then tells the shepherds of the birth of Christ and how this is what we have all have been created for. All will praise the name of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.

What a beautiful song.

Make coins great again

With the push against physical currency, especially the penny, I for one like our coins, if nothing else than to look at them. And I can give a quarter to my 4 year old and he thinks he's rich. Try giving a 4 year old a satoshi of a bitcoin.

Anyway, I like our coins, but we keep messing with them, and not for the better.

Take the penny. The back has undergone some changes recently.

What on earth is going on here? The face is fine. Fun fact I learned from Who Wants to be a Millionaire, of the penny, nickle, dime, and quarter, only the penny has the president looking to the right. But the backs? The wheat penny, nothing exciting there. When I was a kid, I thought it was a weak penny. I didn't understand it. Still exciting to find in your change though. Lincoln memorial? Now that was good. The cabin? Sure, whatever. Lincoln on a log? Looks like he is going to the bathroom. Who knows what he is even standing in front of in one of them. The half done capital? Celebrate incompleteness? No thanks. The new design with the shield? Atrocious.

Our penny has gone from good with the Lincoln Memorial to bad with the shield.

The nickle.

The Buffalo Nickle. WOW. Probable the MOST AMERICAN COIN EVER. You don't get much better than that.

So of course we changed it.

Not too bad. It isn't the Buffalo Nickle, but not embarrassing.

So of course we changed it. The cause was good, the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The first change with the backs. Nothing too exciting.

The second change included the front. Jefferson is oddly off on the side with a weird close shot. The "liberty" in his own writing is cool. The backs, we brought the buffalo back! But only for half the coins in a year.

The third change. What have we done? Back to the old reverse, but the front... He's oddly staring at me.

That's just creepy.

The dime.

If any coin needed to be redesigned recently, it was the dime. President Roosevelt is fine, he can stay. Even though he has been beheaded compared to Jefferson and Lincoln. But the back? What on earth is this nonsense? As a kid, I thought it was a forest. Now I know it isn't, but still. E pluribus unum is oddly broken apart. Eplu Rib Usu Num. Still sounds Latin though. A random torch is floating between a oak branch and olive branch. Fix this gibberish!

A new back for the dime should reflect something about Roosevelt. I think the flag raising over Iwo Jima would be perfect.

The quarter.

The front is fine.

We use to have George Washington. He looked like this.

We still have George Washington, but made him look a little nicer and moved some things from the back to the front.

The back use to be the Eagle.

Nothing wrong there. Eagle is America.  Good back.

We did change it in 1976 for the bicentennial to the "drummer boy."

That's pretty cool. In middle school, a coach sold blow pops after school for a quarter. If you had a drummer boy, he gave you two.

We then changed the back to allowed each state and territory to make a design.  Pretty cool.

It proved so popular that under the America the Beautiful Act, National Parks are being depicted on the quarters.

The quarter is doing fine. Well done, US Mint.

But everything else is a problem. Return the penny to the Lincoln Memorial reverse. Bring back the original buffalo nickle. Put Iwo Jima on the reverse of the dime.

Let's make US coinage great again.

Election day

Today is election day in the US. Either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will be our next president.

Ross King wrote a song called Roam With You that describes his perspective of the election.



As an American, we should vote! It is our right granted to us. It is a privilege in this world to choose your leaders, won through blood and toil. As a country of the people, by the people, and for the people, it is our duty to participate in the election of our leaders.

But as a Christian, remember that you are not electing the leader of God's Kingdom. Christ's kingship isn't in jeopardy. We should be choose our leaders wisely, but maintain the proper perspective. The election of one doesn't speed the coming of God's kingdom. God isn't dependent upon a democracy. He acts when he desires at the time and place of His choosing. President Clinton or President Trump, we are still a nation under God, meaning that even the US is under the control of God.

Regardless of the outcome, God reigns. We should pray for our leaders, do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God. As Christians, that is our biggest role in the world, being a faithful witness of God's love, no matter who is in power.

A God who can empathize

Ross King is coming out with a new album, We Know How This Thing Ends. His first single from the album came out this week, called Good Company.



The song is about how if you are sad, broken hearted, upset, that you are not alone but in good company with Jesus who also was sad (when Lazarus died), broken hearted (when in the garden he knew his death was imminent), and upset (when he throw out the money changes from the temple). 

No doubt Ross was thinking of Hebrews 4:14-16 when he was writing the song.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

In the passage about Lazarus, Jesus is a close friend of Lazarus and his two sisters Mary and Martha. Now people had been telling Jesus that Lazarus was sick and dying, but he said that Lazarus wouldn't die. Then Lazarus did die. Jesus and his disciples went to Bethany. When they arrive, 4 days after Lazarus was buried, Martha greets them, sad but slightly hopeful. Jesus asks her if she believes that Lazarus will rise again. She says yes, in the resurrection of the dead. Jesus says that he is the Resurrection and the Life. They then go see Mary. Mary runs out saying that if only Jesus had been here, Lazarus wouldn't have died. Jesus sees her crying and those who came to console them. The scripture then says "Jesus wept." Jesus then orders the stone moved and calls Lazarus out of the grave.

The Jesus wept line has been of interest, either because there is a lot packed in those two words, or because it is only 2 words and is easy to memorize as your favorite verse. 

Googling what that verse might mean comes back with a lot of possibilities. Most focus on Jesus being sad at the cost of sin, or maybe he just cried because everyone else was crying, or he was thinking about his own impending death. I remember learning in a Bible study that Jesus wept because of the unbelief of those around him. But I think Ross has a great point in this song. Jesus wept because he was sad. 

Jesus knew how this thing was going to end. He had been hinting at it to the disciples. They didn't understand at all, but Jesus did. He knew he would raise Lazarus from the dead. He knew that Lazarus would be with Him throughout all eternity. But yet when Jesus came to where the body of Lazarus laid, he wept. He wept like one would expect when he comes to where his good friend has died.

May Jesus wept because he was sad. Maybe the easy answer is the correct answer. Jesus was fully human, why would we not expect him to be said when his good friend dies?

Johnny Cash performed a song called Man Who Couldn't Cry. It talks about a man who no matter what happened, he showed no emotion. My wife calls me this. I don't think I have ever cried in my adult life. I don't know the reason. But maybe seeing that Jesus cried is saying that it is OK to cry. If an infinite God cried when a good friend died, maybe even a man should cry. 

Jesus can empathize with those who do, even if I can't.

Within the Two Binders: Prayer of Thanksgiving for Easter

I found this short prayer than appears to be a prayer of thanksgiving for Easter.

We thank Thee for the beauty of this day, for the glorious message that all nature proclaims; the Easter lilies with their waxen throats eloquently singing the good news; the birds so early this morning, impatient to begin their songs; every flowering tree, shrub, and flaming bush, a living proclamation from Thee; O Open our heats that we may hear it too! Lead us we pray from the grave that is empty, into the garden of the Resurrection where we may meet our risen Lord. May we never again live as if Thou were dead! In Thy presence restore our faith, our hope, our joy. Grant to our spirits refreshment, rest, and peace. Maintain within our hearts, an unruffled calm, and unbroken serenity that no storms of life shall ever be able to take from us.

 From this moment, O living Christ, we ask Thee to go with us wherever we go; be our Companion in all that we do. And for this greatest gift of all gifts, we offer Thee our sacrifices of thanksgiving.

 

Within the Two Binders: God in History

Continuing through the binders, this 3 page introduction was found within a lesson on Joseph, son of Jacob.

Several years ago there was a cartoonist, who produced a Pulitzer prize winning cartoon. This cartoon showed an old man with a broom in one hand and a duster in the other. He was approaching an unoccupied pulpit, a closed Bible, and an altar, from which one could see cobwebs running in every direction. The caption under this cartoon read, "TIME TO DUST IT OFF." 

Today the average man in the street needs to dust of his ideas concerning history. our lesson this morning is entitled, "God in History." There are too many of us who do not believe that God is concerned with history, or that he can, or will have anything to do with it. It doesn't make very good sense, to go around preaching and teaching that God is concerned with the individual, but that he isn not interested in the great political and social currents of our world. If God is interested in me as an individual, I can't help but believe that he also must be interested in the current military, political and economic world. Further, I don't believe that he is powerless to do anything about it. But we who are followed of the lowly Nazarene, believe that God can effectively control the world through the voluntary co-operation of his people. To Joseph this might not have made very good sense, and he probably would not have been in full accord with this view. 

There are in the world today three different views concerning man, and God in history. There is the view point that believes man controls history and his own destiny. An illustration of this type of thinking was at one time expressed by Mr. Winston Churchill, when he heard that a group of men were unloading tonnage from a ship at a very strategic spot. He sent this message to them, "Tell them for me, that they are unloading history." Mr. Churchill is one of the great men of our time, I would not attempt to argue, or to criticize his viewpoint of history, for no other man of our time has made more history, or been involved in the making of more history than Mr. Churchill. But if you take his statement just as it stands, it could mean that it is man who "unloads" or "loads" or "stacks" or "stops" or control history. If this be true, then every person is at the mercy of some Napoleon, a Hitler, or a Mussolini, or some other little strutting dictator who crosses the stage of history. One after another of these men have had their little brief glory upon the stage, and they have left it strewn with broken hopes, ideals destroyed, and the dead and broken and twisted bodies of thousands of their fellow man. No man, not even, the best and the wisest, knows enough, or possesses enough virtue, or is destined to live long enough to be entrusted with the control of the world. 

The Italian statesman, Machiavelli, proclaimed the doctrine of economic control of history. This is the view of the Communists. Communism says that the world is in a continual conflict brought on by economic considerations. The conflict comes from that part of man's life where he is in a constant struggle to win the material things of life, such as food, clothing, and housing. Back and forth this struggle goes, until there comes a time when man will reach the "Golden Age." But the battle now is between the haves and the havenots. In this struggle the individual counts very little. It is the sweep of things, the blind force that moves on like a tidal wave sweeping everything before it. Things are the master. And so it is, that the Communist ruler can declare and he evidently believes that the nation or nations that stand in the way will be plowed under. He dogmatically, prophesies that our children will grow up under communism. It this system there is no God. 

The third view in history is that it is God controlled. That God started it, and that God will finish it, and that in between the beginning and the end, he has a hand in it. The Christian does not believe history to be sentimental or soft headed. We do not blink at defeats and tragedy. We do not believe, in fact we know it is not the be true, that day by day, in every way, that man or history is getting better and better. We accept the view, even tho we don't understand it, that often the best is in the hands of the worst. Just as Joseph suffered at the hands of his brothers, and just as Jesus, in the hands of the Roman soldiers. But we believe, that history does affirm that God can and does sometimes use that which is bad to chastise and discipline that which is less good than it might be. 

The Book of Isaiah says, "Thus saith the Lord, to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue the nations before him; I will loosen the loins of kinds, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut." We might ask, did God approve the cruelty and the brutality of Cyrus? The answer is no, God does not approve of the methods of Cyrus; God approves the methods of Jesus, and the methods of the two are as far apart as the north and the south pole. 

Yet, we contend, that God does use a Cyrus. Cyrus does not control God; God controls Cyrus. And he will use Cyrus, whether Cyrus wills it or not. Cyrus can do much damage; he can bring untold suffering. Much that is good and fine and noble will be at the mercy of Cyrus, but Cyrus does not control history nor does he control time. These are in the hands of a just and a merciful God. When Cyrus has been used of God, God will cast him aside. When an obedient servant has been used of God, he will be loved and cherished. 

God, not men, not blind force, is in control. The child of God lives by faith and not be sight. Without this faith, it is impossible to please God.

And then Moses chased Pharaoh around the Palace

After church today, my 4 year old was telling me about their Sunday school lesson. They were learning about Moses and his calling by God. He told me about the burning bush, how Moses could make his staff become a snake, and then he told me about Moses' hand. "He put his hand in his shirt and pulled it out and said 'Ah! Don't touch it! It's diseased!'"

I could imagine Moses doing this, then chasing Pharaoh around like kids chasing each other because of cooties or the cheese touch.

Let my people go or get the cooties. That pry would have worked faster than 10 plagues.

Day trip to Philadelphia

We live about 2 hours away from Philadelphia, so after church yesterday, we drove up for the afternoon with another family. Our goals were simple, cheese steaks and the liberty bell.

Two hours and $16 in tolls later, we arrived at cheese steak corner about 1:45. Parking is free along the street.

We wanted to try both Pat's and Geno's, so one family stood in line at Pat's, the other at Geno's.

Our friends stood in line at Pat's. They said that though they were concerned ordering food because the sign said "If you make a mistake, don't panic, just go to the back of the line and start over." However, despite ordering one provolone wit-out, their cheese steak had onions. Cheese fries helped to round out this healthy meal.

We stood in line at Geno's. When we got to the window, the cashier was quite friendly and helpful. After talking to him briefly about a couple items on the menu, he recognized us as first timers and walked us through the process. One whiz wit, one provolone wit, one american wit-out. He also gave us two free pens. French fries and cokes (both Pepsi and Coke products) washed them down.

Geno's is infamous for their speak English sign.

The cheese steaks.

One whiz wit

One provolone wit

The verdict on cheese steak? The whiz is amazing. You have to have it the Philly way, whiz wit. But Pat's or Geno's? Pat's had better tasting meat. If I went back, I'd be a Pat's cheese steak guy.

Then it was on to Independence Hall. There is a parking garage under the north visitors center.

To tour Independence Hall, you have to have timed tickets. You can get them free at the visitor center, but they tend to run out early. We bought ours online for $1.50 each.

Our tour was for 3PM, so at 3PM we arrived at the visitor center. We got our tickets and walked down to Independence Hall.

 

After walking, clearing security, and waiting in the tour line, we caught the 3:45 tour. The ranger checking tickets was pretty rude, seeing at 3PM tour and saying that we missed it pretty badly. When I told him we got out tickets at 3PM, he looked at me like I was an idiot. So, the time on your ticket isn't the time at the visitor center, but at the hall. Arrive early. Regardless, we got in on the tour and the ranger giving the tour was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the place and the American revolution.

The tour first takes you into a briefing room in the east wing for a brief talk about the hall centered around a painting of the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

We then went into the hall and started in the court side of the old statehouse.

Then to the more famous legislative side where the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution were signed.

You then exit out the back and into the plaza.

Commodore Barry, Father of the Navy

Then, the Liberty Bell.

The Liberty Bell does not require tickets. You just stand in line to clear security, then can walk around the exhibit where it is located. You cannot touch the bell. I did go at one time when you could and got a photo with my hand in the crack, but not any more.

Two hours later and $8 in tolls (there is an $8 toll to leave Maryland, none to enter), we were home.

Mission Success

Today I saw Enterprise. I have seen all remaining orbiters. Mission complete.

Space Shuttle Enterprise at the Intrepid Museum

Space Shuttle Atlantis taking off from Cape Canaveral

Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center

Space Shuttle Discovery at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

Sacramento should mourn Orlando

After the tragic events in Orlando, the pastor of Verity Baptist Church in Sacramento, California has come under heat for a sermon he preached on how Christians should respond to the shooting. You can hear the sermon online.

I listened to portions of it. The pastor had four things Christians should do in response to the killings:

1. do not mourn the death of sodomites,
2. do not advocate the killing of sodomites,
3. do not welcome them into church, and
4. speak out against sodomites.

The pastor has expectedly, and rightly, come under a lot of heat. The counter-arguments have primarily been about how he is inciting violence and not being loving. I think it is also important to point out that the pastor too is a sinner, worthy of death.

Romans 6:23a (in the KJV as Verity believes King James Bible is the Word of God) reads "For the wages of sin is death." All of us, including the pastor, are sinners. Paul writes in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." The pastor's heterosexualness doesn't make him righteous. His lack of homosexuality doesn't make him righteous. He is a sinner, worthy of condemnation and death at the hands of the god that he has sinned against. All of us are worthy of condemnation.

In the sermon, he said "If we lived in a righteous government, they should round them all up and put them up against a firing wall, and blow their brains out." That since those killed at the club were homosexuals, they were sinners deserving of death. Indeed, if we lived under a righteous god, he would round us up and put us to death and cast us into hell forever.

But does God not mourn the death of even the wicked? Ezekiel was told by God in Ezekiel 33 to prophesy against Israel and tell them of their impending doom because of their wickedness. However, God said he doesn't pleasure in their death. Ezekield 33:18 reads "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"

The goodness is that God doesn't leave us in our sins or dependent upon our own righteousness to achieve salvation. Paul tells us in Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Christ died not for the righteous, but the unrighteous. For the homosexual, for the liar, for the drunkard, for the abuser, for the adulterer, for the thief, for the murderer, for the sinner. Christ's death and his death alone atones for our sin. Not through the lack of ones sin, not through the strength of one's marriage, but only through the grace of God in the blood of Jesus on the cross.

In their statement of beliefs, Verity says that they believe "God wants everyone to be saved." They also state "We believe that the unsaved will spend eternity tormented in a literal hell (and eventually the Lake of Fire)." If the pastor truly believes these things, he would mourn the death of the people in Orlando. He believes they are unsaved and will spend eternity in hell, against the desires of God who longs for all to come to him. The pastor should mourn that these souls are lost. The pastor should mourn that he didn't do more to reach the lost.

Someone who knows the glories of God and the depravity of his own wickedness doesn't ignore the deaths of those who he believes are sinners. He instead longs for them to come to Christ. He gives up everything to seek after them. I fear that this pastor does not feel that way.

Child Theology 2

Recently I wrote about discussing theological issues with children. How I felt I wasn't able to simplify theological discussions to the level of my children. The other day I took a different approach and had my children reconcile a theological position with the Bible.

Our church puts out a weekly reading plan of scripture to be used by families during the week. The scriptures deal with the topic for the next Sunday's sermon. It also includes a catechism question. Last week's came from the New City Catechism.

Q 18: Will God allow our disobedience and idolatry to go unpunished? A: No, every sin is against the sovereignty, holiness, and goodness of God, and against his righteous law, and God is righteously angry with our sins and will punish them in his just judgement both in this life, and in the life to come.

I asked my kids the question, which they all answered "no." I then said they had to reconcile that answer with Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

They struggle with the question. After a while, they finally answered "Jesus."

He's a good answer for just about any theological question. But they were right. Our disobedience and idolatry do not go unpunished. The punishment, however, was taken by Jesus on the cross. As Paul answers our question in 2nd Corinthians 5:21, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

See, Jesus taking on the sins of the world is easy enough for a kid to explain.

Child Theology

Discussing theology with children is challenging. Their perspectives and my perspectives are different. I want to try and frame things in their understanding, but I don't understand their perspective.

Take my 3 year old. He's the one who sang a prayer that was "God our Father, God our Father, We thank You, We thank You, You smell like a donkey, You smell like a donkey, Happy birthday to You, Happy birthday to You."

The other day he was using the restroom. He hollered for me while he was in the restroom. I go to check on him and he asked me why God created us. Trying to keep things simple, I said because he loved us. He responded with a question, "was it for his own glory?" He has been paying attention when we go over the shorter catechism.

Last night, we were laying in bed and he asked if God had a house. I said that he had all of heaven. He asked if we would have a bedroom in heaven. I said that Jesus said that he was making a room for us in God's house. He then went through everything in his room asking if it would be there. His stuffed animals, the alphabet picture on the wall, the dog, the bunk bed, his brother. I told him, keeping it simple of course, that everything that made Jonas happy would be in heaven. It is true, since the Lord will be there, that is the source of all happiness.

I wasn't trying to win on a technicality though, somethings, I just don't know. What will be in heaven? I know God will be and all believers. Beyond that, I don't know. I had believed that this world would be destroyed. Taking with it the bunk bed, the alphabet picture, etc.. Then God would create a new heaven and new earth. John seems pretty specific about that in Revelation 21:1, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." But two Sunday's ago, our pastor who has been preaching through the book of Revelation said that the new earth was this earth, but the change would be so radical we would consider it new. Now that was the first time I had ever heard that, and I don't remember his reasoning for it, but it was enough for me to not say with confidence that I know, but that I don't know.

With my son, I think that I understand theology until he asks me a question and I have to answer it like he is 3. Then I don't really know anymore.

There is a saying that if you can't explain something in terms that a lay person can understand it, then you don't understand it well enough. Perhaps if you can't explain theology well enough that a 3 year old can understand it, you don't understand it enough. I can't explain the doctrine of election to him, nor what exactly will be in heaven beyond us and God.

But I do know this is true and plain enough that a 3 year old can understand it. It is why we go over it every night. Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong, they are weak, but he is strong. Yes! Jesus loves me. Yes! Jesus loves me. Yes! Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.

Within the Two Binders: Sunday School teachers

My grandma told me that there use to be three binders. One day, my great-granddad decided he no longer needed the Sunday school lessons he wrote and he started to burn them. He burned one entire binder and was working on the second when my great-grandma caught him and took the binders. They were passed down to my grandma and no one has really done anything with them until now.

Reading this lesson makes me thankful I didn't have to hear him make this announcement in church, because it is pretty convincing.

Last Saturday, the Houston Press carried in box type headlines: "HELP WANTED: TO TEACH SUNDAY SCHOOL". "This is a help wanted ad, carried free on behalf on the nation's churches.

It is addressed to men and women who are willing to devote several hours a week to an unpaid job in which they will experience a lot of frustration and failure- occasional moments of triumph that make the whole thing seem worth while.

The job is teaching Sunday School.

American's 275,000 Sunday Schools are beginning their fall term this month.

They count on a record enrollment- probably about 42 million students.

Their biggest problem is recruiting 3 1/2 million teachers."

Last week at our Men's meeting we had a speaker who was well versed in the art of political science. In the course of his talk he made this remark. "That he was firmly convinced that five men who were dedicated and devoted could elect a man to any office in Harris County, provided, they were willing to perform all of the tasks necessary for the promotion of their candidate. Men who disciplined their lives for this one purpose.

Like our speaker of last week I believe that a few disciplined people could turn Harris County upside down for our Lord and Master.

To be a Sunday School Teacher takes discipline. You must discipline your talents, you must discipline your time, you must discipline your actions, and as the ad says, it is often frustrating and discouraging. But Sunday School Teachers should remember that in the story that Jesus told his disciples of the man who went forth to sow. Most of the see was waster, because they fell on hard ground or among weeds. But a few fell on fertile soil & bore rich fruit.

Our Father and our God we know that it is a privilege as well as a responsibility to be called to serve as a worked in the Sunday School. We thank Thee for those dedicated men and women who have given so freely of their time and their talent in its development.

We thank Thee for the Sunday School and for its contribution towards our civilzation and the daily influence that it has exerted on our lives.

As we take up the fall term inspire our hearts and our minds that we will want to be workers in Thy service and that we will not prove ourselves to be irresponsible. Teach us that we may learn to discipline our lives in such a manner that we will realize to the fullest our abilities and capabilities and that we will use them and direct them for the advancement of Thy kingdom.

We ask Thy blessing on our speaker as he brings us the message for tonight. Be with our School Supt., the teachers, the students and all who contribute their efforts for the advancement of this school. 

These things we ask in Jesus name, Amen

Within the Two Binders: Thanksgiving

Continuing through the two binders of my great-granddad's lessons and prayers, I came across what seems to be a Thanksgiving Day prayer.

"THE TWENTY THIRD PSALM"

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me besides the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righeousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and they staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anoinst my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."

"Lord, Thou hast indeed been bountiful. As we look back over the years, how gracious Thou hast been, how tender Thy mercy, how warm and constant Thy Love.

Create within us, our Father, that true gratitude that shall make this day of Thanksgiving one of rededication, when we shall not think of how much we can eat but of how thankful we ought to be.

So may we-all across this land today-act as recipients of God's richest mercy and bountiful blessing, as we share with others. May we, in gratitude, get on with the job of creating not only a nation but a world in which men shall have the right to seek happiness.

Help us to make that dream come true in our homes day by day, in street and office and school, and so to live that Thou shalt be able to bless us and bless the nation for which we pray. In His name, who created us a nation, we pray Amen.

Crystal Grottoes

Today, my oldest daughter and I went to Crystal Grottoes in Boonsboro, Maryland.

Admission to the cave is $20 for adults, $10 for kids 11 and under. There are $1 off coupons available on their website and on brochures in the lobby of the cave.

We arrived at the cave shortly after lunch.

The visitors center and where you enter the cave

After we paid for our tour, we waited about 15 minutes for the previous tour to finish and the tour guide to complete her break.

We then headed down the stairs into the cave. Our tour consisted of 4 of us, a couple and my daughter and myself.

The entrance to the cave

At the bottom of the stairs, you turn and enter the cave. The tour guide pointed out where they had blasted into the cave. The cave doesn't have a natural entrance, but miners dynamited into it.

The black marks where they dynamited

The black marks where they dynamited

The tour guide claimed that this cave has the most decorations per square foot of any cave in the world. I don't know if that is true, but it certainly is plastered with decorations, more than any other cave I've been to.

The Crystal Palace

Fantasy Land

The mummy

The string looking thing is a honeysuckle root 45 feet below the surface

Supposedly a dragon

Looking up 55 feet which is 5 feet beneath the surface

In the formation, there is a horse with an elephant on its back with a giraffe on its back

My daughter's favorite feature

Pool

The blankets

My daughter and me in front of the blankets

The tour lasted about 30 minutes. If you are in the area, a nice cave tour to see a beautiful cave.