Who?

I was trying to get my seventh-grade history class to understand how the Indians must have felt when they first encountered the Spanish explorers. "How would you feel," I asked,  "if someone showed up on your doorstep who looked very different, spoke a strange language and wore unusual clothes? Wouldn't you be a bit scared?" "Nah," one boy answered, "I'd just figure it was my sister's date."

Source:
Footprints in Time , edited by Thomas E. Broadbent, Beavercreek, OR, November 2003, p. 4.

Whatever the Bible Says

By Kippy Myers

I read of a businessman who was having extremely difficult times. He even contemplated suicide. As a last resort, he visited a preacher for advice. After they talked for a time, the preacher made his final suggestion. "Take your Bible and a chair to the beach. Place the chair near the water, and sit there with your Bible open in your lap. The wind will turn the pages of the Bible and it will stop at some page. Look down at the page and there will be your answer. Whatever the Bible says, do it."

Months passed before the businessman and the preacher saw each other again. The man had his family with him and all were immaculately dressed. He pulled a wad of money from his pocket and gave to the preacher. "So, you did as I said?" the preacher asked. "Of course!" "And what  did you see when you looked at the Bible?" The man said, "Chapter 11." As you may know, Chapter 11 is a legal way of restructuring your debt.

I would not recommend this as a legitimate method of Bible study, but some do. They say to open the Bible, put your finger on a verse at random, and let that be your guiding principle. There are a number of cases where that would not work. "Curse God and die" for example (Job 2:9). The Bible itself, however, says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 timothy 2:15).

Source:
Illustrations that Illustrate, The World Evangelist, October 2003, p. 17.

Unspeakable Splendor

When William Montague Dyke was ten years old, he was blinded in an accident. Despite his disability, William graduated from a university in England with high honors. While he was in school, he fell in love with the daughter of a high-ranking British naval officer, and they become engaged. Not long before the wedding, William had eye surgery in the hope that the operation would restore his sight. If it failed, he would remain blind for the rest of his life. William insisted on keeping the bandages on his face until his wedding day. If the surgery was successful, he wanted the first person he saw to be his new bride.

Wedded couple The wedding day arrived. The many guests--including royalty, cabinet members, and distinguished men and women of society-- assembled together to witness the exchange of vows. William's father, Sir William Hart Dyke, and the doctor who performed the surgery stood next to the groom, whose eyes were still covered with bandages. The organ trumpeted the wedding march, and the bride slowly walked down the aisle to the front of the church.

As soon as she arrived at the alter, the surgeon took a pair of scissors out of his pocket and cut the bandages from William's eyes. Tension filled the room. The congregation of witnesses held their breath as they waited to find out if William could see the woman standing before him. As he stood face-to-face with his bride-to-be, William's words echoed throughout the cathedral, "You are more beautiful than I ever imagined!"

One day the bandages that cover our eyes will be removed. When we stand face-to-face with Jesus Christ, and see His face for the very first time. His glory will be far more splendid than anything we have ever imagined in this life.

Source:
Pulpit Helps, September 2002

Unexploded WWII Bombs Found In Depleted Lake

BERLIN (Reuters) - The record-breaking heatwave wreaking havoc across Europe has caused the level of Lake Constance to fall, exposing eight unexploded World War II bombs submerged for more than half a century.

German explosive experts Tuesday removed the eight live bombs dropped by U.S. and British warplanes from newly exposed parts of the southern German lake, which lies on the border with Switzerland and Austria.

"We have found four phosphorous bombs of British origin, several 200-pound American bombs and a 500-pound high explosive bomb, also an American bomb," said Klaus-Peter Olsen, an explosives expert for the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

Local officials said a number of hand grenades dating back to both World Wars have been found on the shores of the lake due to the drought. Officials said many of the bombs were dropped into the lake by Allied pilots dumping their explosives before flying to neutral Switzerland.

Source:
Copyright © 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Copyright © 2003 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. [http://www.rense.com/general40/unexplodedWWIIbombs.htm]
 

The World's Largest Belcher

LONDON (Reuters) - A burp from the loudest belcher in the world echoed round Britain's Tate Modern Gallery as the Guinness World Records book celebrated the release of its 100 millionth copy.

The book, which lists world records from the smallest dog to the highest paid TV guest star, has its own entry in the latest edition as the best-selling copyright book of all time.

"Everybody has a dream to be the best at something in the world and the public has an incredible imagination," the book's editor Claire Folkard said at a reception in London. "That's what has kept us going."

One guest who satiated her desire to be entered into the book as a record holder was Elaine Davidison who had 1,903 piercings, studs and rings over her tattoed body.

The Brazilan living in Edinburgh said she does all the work herself and had once pierced herself 85 times around her waistline in just two hours.

She started piercing herself four years ago because she wanted to be listed int he book. "Now, my dream has come true," she said. "Piercing ism y stress relief."

Source:
Reuters Ltd., November 12, 2003.
 

The Hearing Aid

Seems an elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor, and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to regain 100 percent of his hearing. The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor, and the doctor said, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again." To which, the gentleman said, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!"

Source:
Tidbits of the Heartland , Guardian Publishing, Jackson, TN, June 5, 2003, p. 1.