An Encouraging Word

Excerpts from Come Away My Beloved by Frances Roberts

"No obstacle within yourself can restrict My grace. I love you when you cannot love yourself. I forgive you when you are still repenting. I am blessing you while you are still pleading for mercy. I use many vessels while they are still struggling with their failures--for in their conscious sense of need, they are more yielded to Me than they who think themselves to be without flaw. To feel need is to receive grace. It is natural to reject yourself when you have failed. When you know that I do not reject you even in your worst state, faith will rise and slay despair, hope will drive out discouragement and My love will restore your joy. You should never abandon your desire for holiness because of your failures. You judge yourself incurably sinful. I see you as potentially pure."

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the
tomb of the Unknowns and why?
21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one salute, which is the
highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his
return walk and why?
21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1

3. Why are his gloves wet?
His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the
rifle.

4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time
and if not, why not?
He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb.
After his march across the path, he executes an about face
and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.

5. How often are the guards changed?
Guards are changed every thirty minutes,
twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30." Other requirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their
lives or give up the wreath pin.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington , DC , the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930

Crazy About That Man!

I saw Prince Caspian tonight and enjoyed it as thoroughly as I did The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. I must say that though Ben Barnes is a heartthrob, Reep a Cheep is my favorite. I adore that mouse!

More than the movie, I marvel at the man C.S. Lewis. He can serve up fantasy to the delight of every dreamer, science fiction to the contentment of every layman, and apologetics to the most discerning.

Here's some quotable Lewis:

*A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.
* I sometimes wonder whether all pleasures are not substitutes for joy.
* God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
*We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.
*This year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practice ourselves the kind of behavior we expect from other people.
*Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is...
*If there is equality it is in His love, not in us.
*If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.
*When you are arguing against Him you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all.
*Pride gets no pleasure out of having something; only out of having more of it than the next man.

Anger Management

Having trouble controlling your anger?

Trust me, holding it in doesn't work.

You've got a real problem, my friend, and channel surfing and binge eating won't change anything.

Prayer, though uplifting, doesn't make it disappear.

A day at the spa won't make any difference.

Finding another lover won't help.

Sometimes the only thing you can do is just sit on it!

Low Maintenance

Albert Einstein's wife often suggested that he dress more professionally when he headed off to work. "Why should I?" he would invariably argue. "Everyone knows me there."











When the time came for Einstein to attend his first major conference, she begged him to dress up a bit. "Why should I?" said Einstein. "No one knows me there!"














"When I was young I found out
that the big toe always ends up
making a hole in a sock,"
Einstein once recalled.
"So I stopped wearing socks."

Smile

Smile though your heart is aching;
Smile even though it's breaking.
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by.

If you smile through your fear and sorrow.
Smile and maybe tomorrow,
You'll see the sun come shining through for you.

Light up your face with gladness,
Hide every trace of sadness.
Although a tear may be ever so near,

That's the time you must keep on trying,
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just smile.

• Music written by Charlie Chaplin for his 1936 silent movie classic, Modern Times

What Do You See?

How many images do you see?