A Lesson From the “Miracle on the Hudson”. Gambling. Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

A Lesson From the “Miracle on the Hudson”

This happened 10 years ago on the 15th. January 2009.
“When life suddenly throws us a big challenge, what do we do? How can we determine what is the best option available? Taking a look at a famous “almost disaster” can help.
Jan. 15, 2009, seemed like a normal winter day. US Airways Flight 1549 lifted off from New York City’s LaGuardia Airport at 3:25 p.m. The captain, Chesley Sullenberger, was well-seasoned with 42 years of experience as a commercial pilot. Jeff Skiles, the first officer, was also a skilled and experienced pilot.
The aircraft was carrying 150 passengers and had a flight crew of five. It was a 10-year-old plane that had logged 16,299 flights and had been airborne for 25,241 hours. Records showed all maintenance had been done on time, and it was in proper flying condition.
At 3:27, when the aircraft had reached an altitude of 2,900 feet and was still climbing at 230 miles per hour, a flock of Canada geese suddenly appeared. There was no chance for the pilots to avoid them.
Each goose weighed about 18 pounds, and because of their size and number, the birds sucked in severely damaged both engines. The 150,000-pound aircraft, which required 40,000 pounds of engine thrust, instantly lost all power.
Lacking the airspeed and altitude that would have given them maneuverability and time, the pilots had to quickly decide what to do. Viable options were almost nonexistent. They were still over New York City and had no open fields, only the crowded city, in sight.
The pilots quickly realized that it would be impossible to get to an airport and land safely. They were going down way too fast. It left them only one option, and it wasn’t a good one—land the plane on the Hudson River.
Three minutes and 29 seconds after the birds hit, the plane was floating on top of the cold waters of the Hudson.
That happened 10 years ago on the 15th. January 2009.

Behind the “Miracle on the Hudson”

This event was nicknamed the “Miracle on the Hudson.” That description fit and has stuck because Captain Sullenberger managed to safely land the aircraft in the river and, with the help of his flight crew, safely evacuate all 155 persons on board.
Not a single life was lost!

Captain Chesley Sullenberger
This dramatic story gives Christians something to consider. How do we react when we are faced with sudden and traumatic circumstances that require us to make a quick decision? How do we know if we are making the right decision?When the flight recorders, or black boxes, as they’re sometimes called, were later reviewed, the data revealed that the plane had touched down at exactly the proper angle—almost absolutely level. If one wing had hit before the other, the plane would have cartwheeled. If the aircraft had been angled too far up or down, the results could have been disastrous. Remember—the pilots had no help from the engines, so they had only one shot at getting it right.
Captain Sullenberger’s background and training made all the difference. He grew up in Texas and fell in love with flying from his youth. As soon as he could, he started flying lessons and practiced as often as possible to gain experience. He took his formal training seriously, carefully learning the flight characteristics of the various aircraft he had the opportunity to pilot.
Flying wasn’t just something he had memorized from a book. He had studied and practiced the skills of piloting until it became second nature. When the birds hit, there was no time to pull out a copy of Advanced Avionics Handbook for how to calculate an angle of approach or how to guide an aircraft not designed to land on water, safely onto a river. He had to rely on his experience and what was already in his head.

When life throws us a “bird strike”

How often does life seem to throw us an unexpected “bird strike” out of nowhere? When that happens, we are suddenly faced with making a decision we may not have contemplated before. Here are some examples:

• Your supervisor unexpectedly pressures you to tell a lie to cover up something he or she did wrong.
• An “opportunity” appears that would benefit you financially, but requires you to steal, cheat or bend the rules “just a little.”
• You are at a social gathering and unexpectedly drugs are brought out, and you are being pushed to try them.
• A boyfriend or girlfriend begins to pressure you for a level of physical intimacy beyond where you know it should be.

Just as Captain Sullenberger was well-studied in the principles of flight, we need to have the principles of God’s Word embedded in our minds, so we can call on it immediately when we need to make a decision.What do you do at these times? You don’t have time to spend a day or two praying, fasting and meditating on the issue to get strength and wisdom from God. You don’t have time to call a mentor for advice. You’re right in the middle of the situation, and you have to react immediately. Just like with Flight 1549, if you have the wrong “angle of approach,” the impact could be disastrous for you.
First, we should remember we always have instant access to our Father through prayer, and hopefully we would all have the presence of mind to send up an urgent, instant silent prayer for discernment, wisdom and deliverance! God does hear the distressed cries for help from His people (Psalms 18:6; 34:15).
But our Creator has also given us a resource rich with instruction and examples of how to live and react under nearly every situation we may face in life. That resource is older, more substantial and has been tested far more than any aviation text. It is the Bible, the living Word of God. Just as Captain Sullenberger was well-studied in the principles of flight, we need to have the principles of God’s Word embedded in our minds, so we can call on it immediately when we need to make a decision.”  Continued at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/blog/a-lesson-from-the-miracle-on-the-hudson/?
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Gambling
An Amazing Fact: “It’s really a game of chance. Gambling is impacting more and more people all over the world. And it’s winning at the expense of other people. It is addictive. It creates false hopes. And it violates principles of Christian stewardship. Families break down because of gambling, and society at large loses. It doesn’t really generate income; it takes away income and gives it to a few winners who don’t really need it.
In 1998, people in the U.S. lost $60 billion in legal gambling. This amount has increased every year for over two decades--often at double-digit rates. And there is no end in sight. The most amazing fact about gambling in America is that over the past 25 years the United States has been transformed from a nation in which legalized gambling was rare and limited, into one in which such activity is common and growing.
Today, all but two states have some form of legalized gambling. Lotteries have been established in 37 states (including the District of Columbia), with more states poised to follow. Indian casinos operate in every region of the country. From cruise ships to riverboats to western mining towns, gambling sites continue to proliferate. Internet and telephone gambling is legalized in more states, so an increasingly large share of the public can now place a bet without ever leaving home. Universally available, “round-the-clock” gambling may soon be a reality.
In Australia, the state of New South Wales has more than 10 percent of the poker machines in the whole world. It is not uncommon to see housewives playing the slot machine while shelling peas after their mid-morning shopping. Many problem gamblers have separated or divorced while others have committed suicide after losing heavily on the poker machine. The problem is that gambling now accounts for up to 10 percent of the income of many states. And who wants to kill the goose that lays golden eggs?
If you really want to “win big,” don’t gamble. Christians don’t put their hope in money. Our hope is in the soon coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Make a sure choice with absolute results every time—choose to follow Christ. The payout is something you don’t need to make a bet on.”
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 1 Timothy 6:17
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Update.
Jay came and worked on one of his rare occasions.  He cut the thin plywood for the bottoms of the storage areas in the lift-up compartments in the dinette benches. They were missing when I got it. He also put one sheet of paneling on the utility room wall.  There is still a lot to be done in the mini-house, but he hardly ever shows up.  Unfortunately, Zack my neighbor, doesn’t have many remodeling skills.

On Thursday I went for the check up on my second cataract surgery and they said that everything was OK.  I also picked up my repaired washing machine, though it isn’t in place yet, it just made it to the garage. 
We had some terrible winds that knocked a lot of things down, fortunately not trees, just their pine needles.  We can’t keep up with the raking and burning of them in the barrel.   Then we had a freeze, with the wind, so everything was really chilly, too chilly for my friend to have the twice monthly yard sale at the storage place.  The weather makes a lot of difference to people who make their living by selling stuff.  But fortunately a man came and bought the dinette booth.   I liked it, but it was just too big for such a small space.

No wondering what to make for the church potluck, I pick the oldest meat out of my deep-freeze and this time it was ground beef, so I made a chili-flavored ground beef with organic spiral noodles.  I would have called it chili-mac, but I didn’t put that much chili powder in it because sometimes there a little grand children at church.  
The Bible readings were Gen. 39:7-40:23, Isa. 52:3-53:12, Act 16:16-40 and our weekly reading of the New Testament was Matthew chapter 2.  The Teaching was about the Call of Peter to Apostleship. 

The weather was very windy and chilly, and not many showed up, but the friendship made it a warm and fuzzy day.