A Father's Love

    Phil Littleford took his son on an Alaskan fishing trip with two other men. In a quest to find some running salmon, they flew their seaplane to a secluded bay. The fishing was every thing they had dreamed. When they finished for the day, their plane was on dry ground. The fluctuating tide left their plane twenty-three feet from the water so they cooked some of their fish for dinner and slept in the plane.
    When they awoke, the tide had come in and their plane was drifting in the water. They cranked the engine and took off. Unknown to them, one of the pontoons had been punctured and was filled with water. The extra weight caused the seaplane to crash within moments. Everyone survived, but they had no safety equipment on board. They used their waders as floating devices but the frigid water was a deadly threat. The current was too strong for Dr. Littleford’s twelve-year-old son to swim against. The other two men fought their way against the tide and barely made it to shore. The two survivors looked back from shore to see Dr. Littleford and his son Mark being swept out to sea, arm-in-arm.
    The Coast Guard reported that they probably lasted no more than an hour in the freezing waters. The hypothermia would chill the body functions and put them to sleep. Mark, with a smaller body mass would fall asleep first and die in his father’s arms. Dr. Littleford could have made it to shore, but that would have meant abandoning his son. He chose to die with his boy.—Patrick Morely, The Man in the Mirror
    “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him”—Psalm 103:13

Source:
House To House, http://www.housetohouse.com/HTHPubPage.aspx?cid=13321

Sweet As Honey

By Alan Smith

     This morning's thought is based on a story that appeared on the Reuters news several years ago:
     "TEHRAN (Reuters) - An Iranian bridegroom bit off more than he could chew when, according to custom, he licked honey from his bride's finger during their marriage ceremony and choked to death on one of her false nails.  The Jam-e Jam newspaper said on Wednesday the 28-year-old groom died on the spot in the northwestern city of Qazvin while the bride was rushed to hospital after fainting from shock.  Iranian couples lick honey from each other's fingers when they get married so that their life together starts sweetly."
     While this groom's death is a tragedy, my first reaction was that this is a beautiful wedding custom.  Isn't it a great idea to start your wedding life out sweetly?  But, as I thought about it, I realized that the honey might be better saved for a later point in the marriage.  After all, virtually every marriage begins sweetly.  The trick is to maintain that sweetness after years and years of being together.   Starting sweetly is not nearly as important as continuing sweetly.
     Those of you who are married may do well to ask if the sweetness is still there.  Husbands and wives, do you treat each other just as sweetly as you did those first few days of wedded bliss?
     How about in your other relationships?  Do you communicate with others in a way that can honestly be categorized as "sweet"?  Listen to these words of Solomon:
     "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones." (Prov. 16:24)
     May your life be filled with sweetness, and may you be blessed to be surrounded by sweet people.
     Have a great day!

Source:
- Alan Smith, author of the popular "Thought For Today," and minister for the Fayetteville Church of Christ in Fayetteville, NC, may be contacted at alansmith.servant@gmail.com

I Knew You'd Be Coming!

By Charlie T. Garner

    This is a true story. I know personally the parties involved. Love dwindled, unhappiness and dissatisfaction grew, daily fussing and fighting characterized the relationship of the husband and wife, and, ultimately, a divorce wrecked the home, leaving two bewildered, emotionally scarred children in its wake. The father gained custody and the mother went her own way, doing her own thing.
    The children loved their mother. Strange thing about love - it's so often blind to the faults of those we love. Months went by and the mother longed to see her children. She mustered up the courage to visit. Leaving her car at the curb, she walked to the front door only to find no one at home. But, posted on the door was a note from the youngest of her two boys, the seven-year-old. It read, "Mother, I'm at the park. Please come to the park." She hurriedly made her way to the park, and there, sure enough, was the little fellow. After the preliminary hugs and kissed, the mother, still amazed by the note, said, "Honey, how did you know I was coming to see you today?"
    "Oh, I didn't," he answered.
    "But, what made you put the note on the door if you didn't know I was coming?"
    In response, the love-starved little one said, "I put a note on the door every day, every time I leave, 'cause I knew you'd be coming to see me."
    "I knew you'd be coming to see me!" I wonder if there are not those OUT THERE, life's rejects, those hurt by cruel circumstance, those whose life seems to be hopelessly going nowhere, those groping for some spiritual meaning in their lives, who are daily placing a note on their door which reads, "I'm not at home just now, but please - PLEASE - come find me!"
    The world is filled with people who do not know who they need to talk to or just how to solve their heavy, seemingly unbearable problems, but they are confident that someone, somewhere has those answers and that someone cares enough to go looking for them.
    Someone is waiting for you! Christians, with the Good Book in their hands and love in their hearts have those answers. On someone's door out there is a note which reads, "I knew you'd come looking for me." Let's not fail them. Out there, somewhere, someone is waiting on you.

Source:
Friendly Visitor, weekly bulletin of the Auburn Church of Christ in Auburn, AL. September 7, 1989.

Daddy, Do You Want Your Boy to Be Like You?

Author Unknown

There are little eyes upon you

   and they're watching night and day.

There are little ears that quickly

   take in every word you say.

There are little hands all eager

   to do anything you do;

And a little boy who's dreaming

   of the day he'll be like you.

You're the little fellow's idol,

   you're the wisest of the wise.

In his little mind about you

   no suspicions ever rise.

He believes in you devoutly,

   holds all you say and do;

He will say and do, in your way

   when he's grown up just like you.

There's a wide-eyed little fellow

   who believes you're always right;

And his eyes are always opened,

   and he watches day and night.

You are setting an example

   every day in all you do;

For the little boy who's waiting

   to grow up to be just like you.

Source:

Pulpit Helps, date unknown.

Like Daddy

By Glenn Wagoner

I took my little laddie once,

And drew him to my knee,

And whispered to my little lad,

"Do you want to be like me?"

"Like Daddy," said my little lad,

"I'm gonna be like you."

I bowed my head in humbleness,

And suddenly I knew.

If my small boy would be like me,

There's one thing I must do,

The steps I take, the things I say

Had better all ring true.

As in the night I lay awake

While my wee lad slept on,

His words reechoed through my mind

Like some old haunting song.

"Like Daddy," that's the thought we need

To help to keep us straight,

Upon the way we fathers walk

Depends our children's fate.

Source:

Pulpit Helps, date unknown.

My Dad

He couldn't speak before a crowd;
   He couldn't teach a class;
But when he came to Sunday School
   Be brought the folks en masse.

He couldn't sing to save his life,
   In public couldn't pray;
But always his jalopy was just
   Crammed on each Lord's day.

And although he couldn't sing,
   Nor teach, nor lead in prayer,
He listened well, he had a smile,
   And he was always there.
With all the others whom he brought
   Who lived both far and near -
And God's work prospered, for
   I had a consecrated dad.

Source:
The weekly bulletin for the Park Avenue Church of Christ, Memphis, TN, June 21, 1987, p. 1.

When Do Mothers Rest?

A young mother with three extremely active young boys was playing "cops and robbers" one afternoon in the backyard when a neighbor stopped by to borrow a cup of sugar.
One boy aimed his pistol at his mother and yelled "Bank! You're dead."
The mother slumped to the ground in a heap. When she did not get up right away, the neighbor hurried to see if she had been hurt in the fall.
As the neighbor bent over, the over-worked mother opened one eye and whispered, "Shhhh. Do not give me away. I this the only chance I've had to rest all day."
Source:
Unknown

 

For Parents

"I've got two A's," the small boy cried. His voice was filled with glee.
    His father very bluntly asked, "Why didn't you get three?"

"Mom, I've got the dishes done," the girl called from the door.
    Her mother very calmly said, "Did you sweep the floor?"

"I've mowed the grass," the tall boy said. "And put the mower away."
    His father asked him, with a shrug, "Did you clean off the clay?"

The children in the house next door seemed happy and content.
    The same things happen over there, but this is how it went:

"I've got two A's," the small boy cried. His voice was filled with glee.
    His father very proudly said, "That's great; I'm glad  you belong to me."

"Mom, I've got the dishes done," the girl called from the door.
    Her mother smiled and softly said, "Each day I love you more."

"I've mowed the grass," the tall boy said. "And put the mower away."
    His father answered with such joy, "You've made my happy day."

Children deserve a little praise for the tasks they're asked to do,
    If they're to lead a happy life, so much depends on you.

Source:
Holly Springs News, Holly Springs Church of Christ, Holly Springs, MO, July 5, 1989, p. 2.