Saturday, February 20, 2010

A Small Act of Kindness


It was a small act of kindness but it made a big difference in how I felt for the rest of the day. I was trying to exit from a business on Shelbyville road and with heavy traffic I waited for a long time. It looked like I would wait for a much longer time and be late for my appointment. Everyone was in a hurry and so was I. Frustration mounted as I waited for a break in the traffic flow that would never come. Then a young man stopped his car short of the driveway exit and gave a wave of his hand for me to proceed. I waved a thank you and pulled in to the line of cars ahead of him.
Wave
Because I practice “Pay Forward” I did the same for three other people on my way to my appointment.
Cloud Nine

Friday, February 19, 2010

Humor From My Email


Once there was a little boy who lived in the country.  The family had to use  an outhouse, and the little boy hated it because it was so  hot in the summer  and freezing cold in the winter and stank all the time. The outhouse was sitting on the bank of a creek and the boy was determined that one day he would push that old  outhouse straight into the creek.
One day after a spring rain, the creek was swollen so the little boy  decided today was the day to push the outhouse into the creek.   He found  a large stick and started pushing..
Finally, the Outhouse toppled into  the creek and floated away.
That night his dad told him they were going to the woodshed after  supper.  Knowing that meant a spanking, the little boy asked why.
The dad replied, “Someone pushed the outhouse into the creek today. It was you, wasn’t it son?”
The boy answered yes. Then he thought a moment and said, “Dad, I read in school today that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree and didn’t get into trouble because he told the truth.”
The dad replied, “Well, son, George Washington’s father wasn’t in the cherry tree
rotfl

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Paradoxes


It is human nature to see things as either -or  as in it is either right or it is wrong.
Chin
The Christian faith is full of paradoxes of two statements that seem to be opposites and yet both are true. In a paradox two statements must be held in tension for us to see the truth in them.
Happy Yes
The Apostle Paul would say that Salvation is a free gift of God and then he would tell us to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling. What on earth does he mean?  Salvation is a free gift of the grace of God but as with any gift there are two parts in the mix. One gives a gift and the other receives the gift.  What we have to work out is the receiving end of the deal. Some people have great difficulty accepting a gift.
Angel
There is an excitement in Christian living when we experience the tension of this paradox.Cloud Nine

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Center of the Bible???


Yesterday I received an email with wonderful power point graphics declaring Psalm 118 verse 8 as the center of the Bible. It was a wonderful presentation except their math is all wrong.
Bash
Note: the actual Chapter count totals are:
Genesis
50
Exodus
40
Leviticus
27
Numbers
36
Deuteronomy
34
Joshua
24
Judges
21
Ruth
4
1 Samuel
31
2 Samuel
24
1 Kings
22
2 Kings
25
1 Chronicles
29
2 Chronicles
36
Ezra
10
Nehemiah
13
Esther
10
Job
42
Psalms 1-117
117
Total: 595 Chapters
Psalms 119-150
32
Proverbs
31
Ecclesiates
12
Song of Songs
8
Isaiah
66
Jeremiah
52
Lamentations
5
Ezekiel
48
Daniel
12
Hosea
14
Joel
3
Amos
9
Obadiah
1
Jonah
4
Micah
7
Nahum
3
Habakkuk
3
Zephaniah
3
Haggai
2
Zechariah
14
Malachi
4
Matthew
28
Mark
16
Luke
24
John
21
Acts
28
Romans
16
1 Corinthians
16
2 Corinthians
13
Galatians
6
Ephesians
6
Philippians
4
Colossians
4
1 Thessalonians
5
2 Thessalonians
3
1 Timothy
6
2 Timothy
4
Titus
3
Philemon
1
Hebrews
13
James
5
1 Peter
5
2 Peter
3
1 John
5
2 John
1
3 John
1
Jude
1
Revelation
22
Total: 593 Chapters
Note: As you can see, Psalm 118 is therefore not the center chapter of the Bible.  There are 594 chapters up to (and including) Psalm 116, and 594 Chapters from 118 on (including Psalm 118).
This makes Psalm 117, (not Psalm 118)
the center chapter of the Bible.
Psalm 117 is the shortest Psalm.  It has only two verses, and therefore no “center” verse.
Angel