"Christian Voices" (1-22-04)

July 22, 2010

HUMOR

A minister was planning a wedding at the close of the Sunday morning service. After the benediction he had planned to call the couple down to be married for a brief ceremony before the congregation. For the life of him, he couldn't think of the names of the couple that were to be married.

To cover his forgetfulness, he requested, "Will those wanting to get married please come to the front?"

Immediately, nine single ladies, six widows and two single men stepped to the front.

....."ChapnotesMail@aol.com" (ChapnotesMail@aol.com) (http://www.chapnotes.org) (t.airportchaplain@verizon.net) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)

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THOUGHT PROVOKING – INSPIRATIONAL

A reader saw a story on the series "The Enforcers," which appears on Investigation Discovery Channel. (We don't get that channel so I haven't personally seen this, but I trust our reader.) This particular episode involved a five-year-old girl, the daughter of a police officer. One morning as everyone was getting ready for school and work, the child (we'll call her Karen) came to her dad with a strange plea. "Are you wearing your bullet-proof vest, Daddy?" Karen asked.

"Not today, sweetheart. There's nothing important coming up." Her father was already dressed, and ready to leave. To his surprise, Karen threw a mini-fit. "You HAVE to wear it today, Daddy, pleeeeese! Put it on now!"

It was odd behavior because Karen was usually an easy-going and obedient child, and rarely got involved with her father’s job. But because she seemed so adament, Dad (we'll call him Tom) relented, took off his shirt and put on his vest, then finished getting dressed again. That seemed to satisfy Karen, at least at first, but when Tom drove her to school and pulled up in front, she became upset again. "Daddy, can't you come in and go to school with me today?" she pleaded several times.

"Honey, you know I can't. I have to go to work," Tom explained, again puzzled. Karen never balked at going to school. "Don't worry---everything is fine." Reluctantly Karen obeyed.

Later that day Tom and a few other officers got a call about an elderly mentally-ill man who needed to be picked up at his home, and brought to an institution. Tame stuff, the officers agreed. But when they approached his door, the man pulled a gun on them, and shot Tom several times in his arms. "Officer down!" the frantic call went out.

Eventually the men were able to get the man to surrender without anyone else being hurt, and Tom was taken to the hospital. The wounds in his arms were serious, but the ER doctors agreed that the bullet-proof vest had saved Tom's life. His wife was notified, and she took Karen out of school and brought her along to the hospital. "Daddy's been hurt, but he'd be going to be all right," she attempted to prepare Karen.

"Did he get hurt in his arms?" the little girl immediately asked. "I don't know. The people at the hospital didn't tell me," her mother responded. His arms? What was her daughter talking about? It was a strange question to ask.

When Tom's wife learned that he had, indeed, been shot in his arms, she was taken aback. But she forgot about everything for the next few hours, as the teams worked on Tom. When it became obvious that he was going to be all right, the couple turned their attention to Karen. How did she know this morning that Tom would need his vest today?

"I saw a bright light in my room," she told them. "And a lady was there, an angel."

"An angel?" her mother knew nothing about angels. They had never been discussed in the house.

"She had beautiful wings," Karen went on, her eyes shining. "She said to tell Daddy to wear his vest today."

"So that's why you...." Tom was beginning to understand.

"Uh-huh. And then she came again at school, and she said Daddy would be shot in his arms, but he would be okay." She beamed at them. "And Daddy, you ARE!"

And a little child will lead them... It had been years since Tom had thought about God and His angels. But thanks to the obedience of his daughter, his life had been saved. There would be some changes made, and soon, Tom decided. But for now, his heart overflowing with gratitude, he closed his eyes to sleep.

.....Joan Wester Anderson (joan@joanwanderson.com) (http://www.joanwanderson.com) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)

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True Riches

I have an acquaintance who won big on the slot machines in Las Vegas. I wouldn't mind having money spill out of a machine into my pockets, but that's not likely to happen since I don't gamble. However, I am rich because I possess a treasure greater than money. It provides great joy, it shows me the way to heaven, and it helps me maneuver the journey here on earth. It's free and available to anyone. It's a love letter written from the heart of the all-powerful creator of the world. It’s the Bible.

If God suddenly appeared before us and wanted to chat, wouldn’t we drop everything and pay close attention to what He had to say? Yet, we have a written message from Him and many of us ignore it. We would get excited about meeting the president, famous athletes, or movie stars. Why don’t we show the same enthusiasm and awe when we encounter the highest power in the universe through His written word?

Is your Bible hidden away on a shelf? Do you even own one? In some countries, it's illegal to read the Bible. In others, Bibles are so expensive that only the wealthy can afford them. I have five Bibles in my house, but most families around the globe have none; and they’d be grateful for an opportunity just to borrow one periodically.

Do you appreciate the treasure that’s sitting on your coffee table collecting dust? Do you take advantage of our freedom to study the wisdom contained in this book?

I don't need to gamble in Vegas for riches. The greatest treasure in this world is available to me wherever I am. It may be as close as my corner bookshelf.

"I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure."

.....Marsha Jordan (jordans@newnorth.net) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)

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