The Only Way Out of the Dark

Helen Adams Keller American Author and Lecturer

Helen Keller once said, "truly the Bible, the teaching of our Savior, is the only way out of the dark."


The Bible is more than any man or all men have ever said of it.
It is the record of the progressive revelation of God through the religious experiences of his chosen people.
As such, it is a miraculous, supernatural revelation. The Bible is the world's greatest book and earth's best seller.

In spite of all this, it is often buried beneath other books or papers, pushed into a remote corner, or given a place where spiders spin their webs. Consequently, there is an appalling, widespread ignorance of its contents.

Holy Bible

When a little girl was asked if she knew anything that was in the Bible, her answer was shocking and revealing. "Yes," she said "there's a pressed rose from Aunt Molley's grave, a lock of Grandpa's hair, and insurance receipt, and Papa's Masonic emblem."

On a simple Bible test given to 99 high school students,

• 44 did not know who Joseph was,

• 51 would not place Luke,

• 46 did not know who Herod and Pilate were,

• 60 did not know the name of the mother of Jesus,

• 10 did not know where Christ was born,

• 5 did not know the opening phrase of the Lord's Prayer, and

• 90 did not know where to find the Ten Commandments.

College students didn't do any better.
Out of 281, all but 12 of which had attended Sunday school regularly,

• 222 failed to identify Matthew as the tax collector who became a disciple;

• 208 could not recall who the father of Joseph and his brothers was;

• 107 did not know what book the Ten Commandments are in;

• 183 could not recognize Solomon as the famous wise man of the Old Testament and

• 169 did not know a single parable of Jesus.

World War II Soldier

A soldier during the World War II was hit above the heart by a small shell.
He carried a small New Testament in his shirt pocket.
The shell struck the Testament and the soldier lived.
He exclaimed, "I will never go anywhere again without a Bible; it saved my life."

Many a person can say, "The Bible saved my life," because instead of carrying it in their pockets, as fine as that is, they hide its teachings in their hearts. It points them to the One who saves. On every page there is light,love, and life.

Dwight L. Moody once said, "Sin will keep you from this book, but this book will keep you from sin."
Many of the tragedies in our lives, homes and nation today are due to our neglect of God's Word. The Bible is God's book, and we should read it as never before. It will lead us out of the dark.

Let all the plans that men devise

Assault that book with treacherous art;

I'll call them vanity and lies,
And bind that Bible to my heart.

references:
medications for happy Christians;
J.P.Wesberry:
Images courtesy all posters

Mimi

Once Upon A Time

It was Saturday night July 22, 1959. Carol was 17 years old , had just graduated from high school about a month and a half earlier, and was scheduled to start Nursing School in a couple more weeks.

• Her friend Mary Lou called and asked her to fill in on a blind date for another friend (who had become ill- with cold feet) and go on a double date with Mary Lou, her boyfriend Jerry, and his friend Frank to a movie..

Carol asked her mother , who said "you can go this time but don't ask me again because I will have to say no next time."

• Meanwhile up at the military base Jerry was asking his friend Joe if he would fill in for Frank(who had also become ill - with cold feet). Joe said," I will do it this time... but don't ask me again because I will tell you no!"

The four young people, Mary Lou, Jerry, Carol and Joe went to a drive-in movie. The two young men had borrowed $5.00 for the evening date!!

The movie cost $1.00 per car load..that left $4.00 for burgers and soda afterwards.
Joe (who was very honest and straight forward) said to the girls after the movie... "we have only $4.00 to spend on food, so don't order very heavy. The girls complied and only ordered a frosty Root Beer... so they were able to have a wonderful time on only $5.00.

• That was the beginning of the courtship of Joe and Carol. They continued to see each other as often as they could.(Joe was a military policeman who worked crazy shifts and Carol was enrolled in Nursing School).They spent much of their "date" time sitting at Carol's house while she was studying for exams and Joe dozed on the couch waiting to go on guard duty at 11:00 PM. Carol's younger brother Larry was stretched out on the floor in front of the T.V. Keeping Joe company as he dozed.

Many of their dates also consisted of going to Church and activities associated with the Church.
Those $1.00 per car load drive in movies also came in handy for an inexpensive date.

On Dec. 3, 1960 Joe married Carol

Bride and groom, and took her away from her family home to the place where he grew up, which was about 1800 miles away from her home (he was discharged from Active duty in the Army on Dec. 9th 1960)

• All went wonderfully well until October 1, 1961, on which date Joe received a notice from Uncle Sam that he had 30 days to get his affairs in order and report for active duty at Ft. Gordon Georgia. They were both heart broken,"but I thought we were going to live happily ever after!" Carol sobbed. "We will when this is over." Joe reassured her.

So Joe moved Carol into a basement apartment close to the Hospital where she worked. He kissed her good by, and went off to serve his additional obligation in the Army, leaving Carol 1800 miles away from her family home.

Joe was able to hitch rides from the base up to visit Carol on a regular basis.

• On one of these visits Carol became pregnant. Wonderful news you say? Well yes andno...This added additional stress on them both, because Carol was all alone 1800 miles from her mommie, and Joe was about 250 miles away from Carol.

Carol did a lot of growing up during those long months alone, away from everyone she loved.

Joe was released from his obligation with Uncle Sam's Army on August 9, 1962 and their first daughter was born August 24, 1962.

• Joe was home, they had a beautiful baby girl and everything was wonderful once again. They bought a little home and lived happily with their little girl.

• And on April 24, 1965 the Lord blessed them with another beautiful baby girl. This made their life complete!

Their life was very peaceful and content, the girls were growing and becoming more precious with each growing year. And then the two girls found their prince charming's within a week of each other. The oldest daughter was married Oct. 6, 1984 and the youngest daughter was married Jan. 11, 1986.

On April 23, 1986 Joe and Carol became "Grammie and Papaw" to a beautiful baby girl! And on Oct. 8, 1988 they became "Grammie and Papaw" again to a beautiful baby boy!

• Live was good!! Joe and Carol had two wonderful daughters, two delightful sons in law and two beautiful grandchildren.

• Then on June 30,1990 the family grew once again.. they became "Grammie and Papaw" to a wonderful little baby boy.

When this little boy tried to say"Grammie and Papaw"... he couldn't quite get his mouth around Grammie... so when he thought he was saying Grammie, he was saying Mimi... so now Joe and Carol were known as "Mimi and Papaw"...

• The family continued to grow as on Dec. 6, 1995 a beautiful baby girl was added. On April 18, 1998 a beautiful little baby boy was lost as God took him before he breathed breath as a stillborn. God remained faithful even through the sadness..

• But more blessings were in store for the family of Joe and Carol as on July 1, 1999 another beautiful, lively baby girl was presented to Mimi and Papaw by her proud parents. And on March 14, 2002 another bouncing baby boy joined the clan. Not finished yet, on Feb. 19, 2004 a very lively baby boy joined the family. Last, but certainly not least, on March 30, 2009 yet another beautiful baby Girl made her entrance into the very blessed family. 

• But the family was to grow once again when Grandson number two married a beautiful, sweet, and loving young lady.

When Carol agreed to substitute on that Blind date 56  years ago this past July she had no idea what God had in store for her.

Now one would ask, "so did Joe and Carol live happily ever after?"

And the answer would definitely be:

"With the help of God, Joe gave 110% and Carol gave 110%, there were many bumps in the road, and quite a few discussions that eventually became agreements, so yes they have lived happily ever after!!"

"Happy Anniversary my Darling Joe (papaw)
from your loving wife Carol (Grammie,Mimi)"

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The Shepherd and The King

The Shepherd and the King,
The Angel and the Ass,
They heard Sweet Mary sing
When her joy was come to pass;

They heard Sweet Mary sing
To the Baby on her Knee;

Mary's Kiss

Sing again, Sweet Mary,
And we will sing with thee!

Earth, bear a berry!
Heaven, bear a light!
Man, make you merry
On Christmas Night.

The Oxen in the stall,
The Sheep upon the hill,
They are waking all
To hear Sweet Mary still.

The Baby is a Child
And the Child is running free

Christ with the World Globe

Sing again, Sweet Mary,
And we will sing with thee!

Earth, bear a berry!
Heaven, bear a light!
Man, make you merry
On Christmas Night.

The People in the land,
So many million strong,
All silently do stand
To hear Sweet Mary's song.


The Child He is a Man,
And the Man hangs on a tree,

Burden of the Cross

Sing again, Sweet Mary,
And we will sing with thee!

Earth, bear a berry!
Heaven, bear a light!
Man, make you merry
On Christmas night.


The Stars that are so old,
The Grass that is so young,
They listen in the cold
To hear Sweet Mary's tongue.

The Man's the Son of God,
And in Heaven walketh He.

Sing again, Sweet Mary,
And we will sing with thee!

Earth, bear a berry!
Heaven, bear a light!
Man, make you merry
On Christmas night.

Shepherds Watch Their Flocks
Under the Light from a Distant Star near Bethlehem, Israel

Poem by Eleanor Farjeon
images courtesy of All Posters

In Depth Love

It's easy to say the words "I Love You!" But to truly love takes more than words!

I Love You More songs have been written about love than about any other topic. It has inspired some of the world's best, and worst, poetry. It has set on fire, and broken, countless hearts throughout human history. Many things are said about love. Yet for the final word on the topic, we must turn to the Bible. In 1 Cor. 13, the apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, provides the world's most beautiful ode to love. Paul chose a relatively rare Greek word for his definitive passage on love. This word, agape, describes a love that is based on the deliberate choice of the one who loves rather than the worthiness of the one who is loved. this kind of love goes against natural human inclination. It is a giving, selfless, expect-nothing-in-return kind of love. Paul's description of love is short but full of power. Love suffers for a long time. Our modern "throw-away" society encourages us to get rid of people in our lives who are difficult to get along with, whether they are friends, family, or acquaintances. Yet this attitude runs in complete contrast to the love, described by Paul. True love puts up with people who would be easier to give up on.

Love is Patient

Love Bears All Things The godly love described in this chapter has nothing to do with evil, but has everything to do with what is right and true. When we love, we may recognize problems and failures in people, but we do not lose faith in the possibilities of what people might become. Love never gives up, knowing that God can change lives for the better. Love accepts any hardship or rejection, and continues unabated to build up and encourage. The love described by Paul in this "love chapter" means determining what is best for another person and then doing it. This is the kind of love that God shows to us.

When we say "I Love You!" do we really mean it... or is it just words?

With Love, Mimi

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The Indian's Welcome to the Pilgrim Fathers

Above them spread a stranger sky;
Around, the sterile plain;
The rock-bound coast rose frowning nigh;
Beyond, -- the wrathful main:
Chill remnants of a wintry snow
Still chok'd the encumbered soil,
Yet forth those Pilgrim Fathers go
To mark their future toil.


The Landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts, December 22nd 1620 by Currier & Ives
'Mid yonder vale their corn must rise
In Summer's ripening pride,
And there the church-spire woo the skies
Its sister-school beside.
Perchance 'mid England's velvet greet
Some tender thought repos'd
Though nought upon their stoic mien
Such soft regret disclos'd

Abandoned School House in the Palouse, Washington, USA
When sudden from the forest wide
A red-browed chieftain came,
With towering form, and haughty stride,
And eye like kindling flame:
No wrath he breath'd, no conflict sought,
To no dark ambush drew,
But simply to the Old World brought
The welcome of the New.

Eyes of the Blackfoot

That welcome was a blast and ban
Upon thy race unborn.
Was there no seer, thou fated Man!
Thy lavish Zeal to warn?
Thou in thy fearless faith didst hail
A weak, invading band,
But who shall heed thy children's wail
Swept from their native land?

Thou gav'st the riches of thy streams,
The lordship o'er thy waves,
The region of thine infant dreams
And of thy fathers' graves,
But who to you proud mansions piled
With wealth of earth and sea,
Poor outcast from thy forest wild,
Say, who shall welcome thee?


Valley View of El Capitan, Cathedral Rock, Merced River in Yosemite National Park, California, USA

Lydia Huntley Sigourney (1835)

Lydia Huntley Sigourney 1791-1865) As the first and most popular woman poet of the early nineteenth century, Lydia Huntley Sigourney had, in her time, the single greatest influence on the craft of women poets and their image as artists. Sigourney was born Sept. 1, 1791 in Norwich, Connecticut. Although the daughter of a poor gardener--she knew genteel poverty as did many early nineteenth-century women poets--Sigourney received an education and introduction to poetry from the wife of her father's employer. Developing an early interest in history, she offered a traditional male curriculum at a Hartford women's school that she began in 1814 and ran for four years. Her first book, Moral Pieces, in Prose and Verse (1815), came out under her name; thereafter, she published anonymously at her husband's insistence until his banking and hardware business declined. Taking over the family finances, Sigourney began publishing in her own name again in 1833. Her 1834 Poems, cited by Emily Stipes Watts as her best collection, had many reprintings. While Sigourney fulfilled the stereotype of the profuse, amateurish woman writer, she also earned the stature of a serious artist. In 1849, her Illustrated Poems appeared in a series that included Longfellow and Bryant. Writing for a half century, Sigourney produced fifty-six volumes of poetry and prose and some two thousand articles that made her ubiquitous in the magazines of the day. She died on June 10, 1865 in Hartford, Connecticut, one of the most well-known writers in America.

images courtesy of All Posters

(P.S. this was originally posted last November...and I just re-cycled it!!!)

I WISH FOR YOU ALL A VERY BLESSED AND PEACEFUL THANKSGIVING WITH YOUR FAMILIES!!!
MIMI

The Spirit of Thanksgiving

Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
(Matthew 6:8)

Half the Pilgrims died during their first winter at Plymouth.

Pilgrims at Plymouth The onset of spring found them wondering if any of them would survive, but that's when a miracle of God's providence occurred. On a Friday in March, as the men gathered for military training, a cry went up: "Indian coming!" Everyone gathered around the young man.

Suddenly he boomed in near-perfect English, "Welcome!" His name was Samoset.

Samoset, the Indian Visitor, from "Harper's Monthly," 1857

Shortly thereafter, Samoset introduced the Pilgrims to another Indian, Squanto, who was a godsend for the settlers.

Squanto taught them how to catch eels, plant corn in the Indian way, and survive in the wilderness by stalking deer, refining maple syrup, using herbs for medicine, and trading beaver pelts. Without him, Plymouth Colony might not have survived; and that's why, at the end of the growing season, the Pilgrims and Indians celebrated Thanksgiving.

The heavenly Father knows our needs before we ask; and at unexpected moments, He sends just the right person or provision to help us. That's why every day is Thanksgiving for Christians.

Just when I need Him, Jesus is near.... Ready to help me,. ready to cheer.(William Poole)

Turning point by Dr. David Jeremiahimages courtesy of All Posters

With Love,
Mimi

A Prayer of Thanks

Sunset over beach

Thank you, God,
for the beauty
around me everywhere,
The gentle rain
and glistening dew,
the sunshine and the air,
The joyous gift of feeling
the soul's soft, whispering voice
That speaks to me
from deep within
and makes my heart rejoice--

Oh, God,
no words are great enough
to thank You for just living,

And that is why every day
is a day for real thanksgiving.

Helen Steiner Rice

Image courtesy of All Poster