Devoted Fathers. Conflict Again in Iraq. Alcohol Kills One Every 10 Seconds. Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

Devoted Fathers

An Amazing Fact:  "Some of the most devoted fathers are found in the animal kingdom. Giant South African bullfrogs are so protective of their young they have been known to attack lions and elephants while defending tadpoles.

Strangely enough, an ocean catfish is also a devoted father. He carries the eggs of his young in his mouth until they are ready to be born, which may take up to several weeks. During that time, he can’t eat a thing!

Another devoted father is the lumpsucker fish. The lumpsucker gets its name from its pelvic fins, which form a “sucker” that helps the fish attach itself to rocks. Found in the cold Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans, the lumpsucker must reproduce in the warmer water near the shore. The female lays her eggs in a tide pool, and the father lumpsucker attaches to the rocks in order to stay behind and guard the eggs while the tide is out. Staying behind in the shallow water is dangerous, however, since it exposes the father fish to gulls and other predators.

Male seahorses are so devoted that they are pregnant instead of the female: the female places her eggs into the male’s special pouch, where he fertilizes them and carries them for the next several weeks. He even develops a large, pregnant belly as the little seahorses grow. After two to four weeks of pregnancy, the father gives birth to an average of 100 to 200 young.

The red fox is also a wonderful father. Immediately after the birth of his litter, he works to provide the nursing mother with food. But, once the pups are three months old, it’s time for them to learn to find food for themselves. Fox fathers have been observed burying food near the den in order to teach their pups to forage. One biologist observed a male fox playing an ambush game with his pups, as if to teach them how to escape from the predatory coyotes.

The devotion of these animal fathers to their young is just a small reflection of our Heavenly Father’s devotion to His children. He loved us so much that He gave Jesus to die in our place, and now He calls all of us His sons and daughters: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1)."
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. - Psalms 103:13

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Conflict Again in Iraq, Why It Matters

Source: Darwinek/Wikimedia Commons

"It’s Sunni versus Shiite once again in Iraq and this time America is not around to keep the peace. How far will sectarian strife escalate during this round of fighting in this ancient region?

A group of Arab fighters calling themselves the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS) have come back in force in northern Iraq and taken control of key cities of Tikrit and Mosul. Thought to have been weakened and out of the game, this group has had a resurgence of support in northern Iraq and eastern Syria. Coupled with the utter collapse of Iraqi forces in that region, their display of force over the past few days has created the largest threat to stability and security in Iraq since the American-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s government in 2003. Without American ground troops in the region, the fate of the country is uncertain. It appears that predictions of the Iraqi army's lack of preparedness, coupled with the political weakness of the country's leadership have come true. Tens of thousands of civilians fleeing their homes is the usual, and unfortunate, result of these conflicts.

This current conflict is on our mind: last week we recorded an episode of Beyond Today to air close to the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I in August. We showed in the program how the current conflicts in the Middle East—and Iraq and Syria in particular—are a result of the decisions made in the aftermath of that war. The lines of the current Middle East nations were drawn during the Paris Peace Conference after the war. The lines dividing the countries did not always take into consideration the religious and ethnic differences. What we are seeing in today’s news out of the region is part of that story.

The problem is compounded today because of a vacuum of power created by America’s reluctance to police this failed region. America is going through a crisis of confidence in its role as the sole superpower in today’s world. The American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 “broke” the fragile glue that held the nation together. Since having pulled out all troops, the country was left to police itself. Unfortunately, as this week’s events show, Iraq does not have a strong enough army and government to effectively maintain control.

Jesus Christ listed the rise of conflict among nations (nation shall rise against nation) in Matthew:24:6 as one of the signs of the end of this present age. The word nation here is ethnos and more accurately refers to ethnic strife between the smaller grouping of peoples within larger nations. These intractable conflicts are what drag larger nations into war against one another.

Bible prophecy shows the Middle East will again drag larger nations into the region. What we are seeing in Iraq today shows us how this could be done in the future. That is why what is happening today in Iraq and Syria matters."  From: http://www.ucg.org/blog/conflict-again-iraq-why-it-matters/ by Darris McNeely, June 12, 2014

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WHO report: Alcohol kills 1 person every 10 seconds

""It's a pretty staggering statistic, but according to the World Health Organization, it's true. One person dies every ten seconds due to alcohol.
BBC: "The World Health Organisation says alcohol abuse kills more than three million people every year and it's called on governments to do more to reduce harmful drinking."

KTTV: "That's more than AIDS, tuberculosis and violence combined. So this includes drunk driving, alcohol induced violence and all the diseases and disorders associated with alcohol."
Released Monday, the report says alcohol contributes to about 7.6 percent of all men's deaths and 4 percent of women's deaths. There's also evidence alcohol use among women might be increasing. (Via Flickr / Edwin Land)
WHO reports less than 40 percent of people drink worldwide. But, those who do, and are aged 15 years or older, drink an average of 17 liters of pure alcohol annually. That averages out to about 6.2 liters of pure alcohol per person every year. (Via Flickr / Kimery Davis)
The report also found about 16 percent of people partake in heavy episodic drinking - better known as binge drinking. (Via Flickr / B Duss)

There's actually not much good news in the report. WHO sent it out in hopes of drawing the attention of governments worldwide to help combat this issue.
Norman Giesbrecht from Canada's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health spoke with CTV and called the report very important and timely.
"Often it's considered to be sort of a minor problem and there's lots of jokes about drunkenness and about heavy drinking and I think we need to be much closer attention to alcohol and the damage it does."

According to WebMD, heavy alcohol consumption can result in a variety of different medical conditions including liver, neurological and cardiovascular disease."  Video at: http://www.newsy.com/videos/who-report-1-person-dies-every-10-seconds-due-to-alcohol/

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Update:

Happy Father's Day. 

I don't really know what it is like to have a Daddy.  I lived with mine for a short while before the war, when my mother was still there, but he was always working.  Then my mother took off when I was 4 years old, and he was called up into the Royal Air Force, so even though I was in his custody I had to live in different places, whoever had room for me.  After the war he took a good position overseas, so I was still staying at various places, but I never got to know him.  Divorcees don't realize how much it will affect their children, so at age 15, I got a room at the YWCA, went to school, worked at night, and supported myself from then on.  I often wondered what it would be like to be part of a family and have a mother and father.  Both my parents remarried and had children with their new spouses, but I didn't get to visit them very often. 

Not much happened this week.  Jay blew the pine needles off the roofs.  Ray trimmed the hedge in the back yard.  I sorted out more stuff, I just wish I had a good place to sell it all. 

The little Siamese kitten, Purrcy, was neutered on Monday, and he was supposed to have a couple of days of bed rest … oh no, not him! He was up and raring to go the next day, so I let him explore my house.  Chelsea doesn't like him, and hisses at him.  Nala doesn't seem to mind him, but still ignores him.  He is a sweet little lap cat and will be a great pet for a family.

I must have put my back out.  My left knee swelled up, it hurt to bend it, and I was sore all over.  Thursday, I went to the clinic looking for a doctor who did spinal manipulations.  My usual doctor was all booked up till the end of the month, which is his last month there.  I didn't feel like seeing some new doctor, especially after having my chest sawn open not so long ago.   So I went to a chiropractor that I have been going to for many years, even though I have to pay, as he doesn't take my insurance.   He carefully manipulated my back and neck without hurting my chest, so the swelling in my leg went down, and the pain in my lower back and neck went away. 

Saturday, Jay and I went to our favorite little church on FM 1097, Ray didn't go this time.  The Bible reading was Lev. 21-24 and Eze. 44:15-31, mostly about all the laws that were given to Moses to tell the people.  The message was about how Jesus (Yeshua) is our Savior.  The potluck was great, and Jay and I enjoyed our Sabbath.

I was going to take a van-full of stuff to the Flea Market, but I took care of Mindi's dogs instead, today.

Another D-Day? Ant Farmers. Dry Butterflies. Update.

For Scripture Sunday:

70 Years After D-Day: Why Another D-Day Is Needed

"Mankind has spent almost 6,000 years, as a whole, rejecting God and His law. This has led from one tragedy to the next."

U.S. soldiers charge the beaches of Normandy under Nazi fire.  On D-day, the Western allies launched an invasion to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany. An understanding of history shows why another invasion is necessary.

"Seventy years ago, on June 6, 1944, 160,000 allied troops landed on a 50-mile stretch of beaches on the coast of France. Their goal was to establish a beachhead into Nazi-occupied Europe. This beachhead would then become the launching point for an offensive that would strike at the heart of Nazi Germany, with the goal of destroying it completely. 

Another invasion of liberation

The good news is that there is another D-day coming—a day of deliverance! The Bible reveals that Jesus Christ will return to earth during a catastrophic worldwide human conflict. He will fight the nations that will be leading this future conflict and forcibly stop their warfare (Zechariah 14:3; Revelation 19:19-21).
Though D-day was critical in liberating Europe from the tyranny of Hitler, this future deliverance will liberate an entire world held captive!"  Complete article and a brief history lesson at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/70-years-after-d-day-why-another-d-day-is-needed/   by M. Noland Morris - June 6, 2014
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Ant Farmers
An Amazing Fact: "Perhaps you have heard of the famous parasol (or “leafcutter”) ants that make gardens and raise their own crops. These amazing creatures are called “parasol” ants because they are often seen walking in processions, each one holding a piece of green leaf above its head! These bits of green leaf are not for food, but are taken to their nests and made into a compost soil. These ants are actually farmers. They deliberately sow, prune, fertilize, weed, harvest, and store a fungus crop as carefully as any gardener tends his vegetables.
There are ants living in Texas that clear a “field” of 1 or 2 square yards and then plant rice. They lay out the rice in beds with pathways running among the plants and keep their rice fields carefully weeded. When the rice seeds ripen the ants harvest them, remove the husks, and store the kernels for food. Later the ants with very large jaws crack the seeds and crush the kernels into meal for the rest of the ants. If the rice gets damp and is in danger of spoiling, certain ants have the sole responsibility of carrying the damp grain out into the sunshine for drying.
Another species of Mediterranean ant goes even further in producing its food from farmed seeds. These ants carefully take dried seeds out in the rain until they start to sprout. At that point, they kill the sprout and dry the seeds in the sunshine again. When the seeds are dry, the ants take them down into the kitchen where workers crush and chew them into a dough-like substance. They form the dough into cookie-shaped patties and then take the patties back out to bake in the sun. When the ant biscuits are baked, the ants store them in the nest again.
No wonder Solomon wrote, “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest” (Proverbs 6:6-8). The same God who enables the tiny ant to prepare for its needs also gave us the intelligence to prepare for ours."
KEY BIBLE TEXTS: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; - Proverbs 30:25
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The Secret Revealed: How Butterflies Stay Dry

Researchers from Boston University and M.I.T. have made an interesting discovery about which surfaces – smooth or bumpy – are more efficient at repelling water.

'In case you’ve been lying awake nights wondering how butterflies stay dry, a new study published in the journal Nature will have you sleeping like a baby again."  More and video at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2014/01/17/butterfly-wings.aspx
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Update:
Gradually starting to feel like my old self, and we have been able to work around the place, getting it ready to sell.

We put up another 10' x 20' canopy, but this time it is a more sturdy and more permanent one. It is at the end of my metal carport, so now we have shade all along that side of the house.  That is where the old RVport used to be, between the two houses.

We moved the cheaper 10' x 20' canopy that we had used for the yard sale, over in front of my workshop.  We are always needing shade to work on something.

No one ever called about the little male Siamese kitten that was found, so he has been de-wormed, vaccinated and Revolution-ed (for no heartworm, fleas, mites, etc).  I named him PURRCY.  He has had to stay quarantined in my grooming room, so I had to move my young foster cat, Chelsea, her box and dishes out of there and into my bathroom.  Tomorrow, Purrcy goes to the vet for neutering, black light to check for ringworm, blood test to check for Felv/FIV and micro chipping.  All this is done to our SPCA rescues before they are adopted.  He is such a sweet, outgoing, loving little guy that he will be a great addition to any responsible family.   He and Chelsea play pat-a-cake through the glass door, and as soon as he is checked out OK, they can play together.  Nala, my older foster cat, pretends that he doesn't exist!!

Yesterday, Ray, Jay and I went to church, and enjoyed the service, then Ray and I went to the Pentecost service today.

Graduation: Where Will It Take You? Whoever Forgives. Pentecost: God Gives the Holy Spirit. D-Day: Taking On the Impossible. Update.

 

For Scripture Sunday:

Graduation: Where Will It Take You?

"For many young people, the end of May and into the month of June is graduation time. As they leave high school and university many horizons are open to graduates; more schooling, maybe a time to gain skills and experience, possibly a job or internship.
Graduation is a gateway; a door is opened just as the experience of school is finished. A change occurs and a new stage of life begins.
Another critical event also takes place about this time of the year, actually just over a week away. The Feast of Pentecost, a biblical Holy Day listed in Leviticus 23, falls on June 8th this year.

During the time just after the death of Jesus Christ, this particular festival took on added meaning for early Christians. The followers of Christ, who had repented of their sins, been baptized and had hands laid on them in prayer, received the gift of God’s Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the power of God, which works with and in the human mind to develop and change it to become the mind of Christ. Jesus Christ is the first of the spiritual firstfruits that the Day of Pentecost represents.

Baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit is kind of like graduation. It begins a new stage of our life and it signifies a commitment to a new way of living. It has a deeper meaning, too, because it also represents our first steps into the ultimate, eternal family of God. This family is brought to fulfillment when the faithful of God are resurrected at the return of Jesus Christ to the earth. For more information about this incredible potential for humans beings to become on the same plane of existence as God, please read The Gospel of the Kingdom."

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Proverbs: Whoever Forgives

Wisdom that sticks with you - straight from God's Word.

Source: freeimages.com/Valsilvae

“Whoever forgives an offense seeks love, but whoever keeps bringing up the issue separates the closest of friends,” (Proverbs:17:9, GW).

This is a good lesson to remember about relationships—knowing how to forgive and forget.

George Washington Carver, the famous African-American inventor, was refused admission to a college because he was black. Years later, when someone asked him for the name of the college, he answered, "It doesn't matter!" He had completely overcome the offense.

Can we do the same in our lives?"  From: http://www.ucg.org/youth/proverbs-whoever-forgives/

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Pentecost: God Gives the Holy Spirit

"Pentecost marked the giving of the Holy Spirit and the founding of the Church. What does this harvest festival show about God’s plan of salvation?

"Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks, is one of the harvest festivals that represent the plan of salvation.

Jesus’ crucifixion on Passover was a pivotal event in history. And just over seven weeks later, another watershed event occurred on the Feast of Pentecost.

Pentecost of promise

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4; for more about the miracle of speaking in tongues, see the article “What Is Speaking in Tongues?”).

During His ministry, Jesus Christ had told His disciples about the power of His Holy Spirit that they would need and would receive. By faithfully obeying God’s command to gather on His feasts, they were ready to receive this miracle.

God used the accompanying miracles to draw a large crowd to hear Peter preach a powerful sermon:

“‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. …’

“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:36-38, 41).

More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/plan-of-salvation/pentecost/    by Mike Bennett 

And more at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/plan-of-salvation/pentecost/the-sermon-that-launched-the-church/

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The Importance of Pentecost

Acts 2:1 - When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

"What would have happened if the disciples hadn’t all gathered together to celebrate God’s Feast of Pentecost? The fact that God used this annual festival as the date to start His New Testament Church is no accident. Neither was the fact that Christ was crucified on Passover.

Each of the “festivals of the LORD” has great meaning to Christians today. Learn more about these festivals and their meanings in our free booklet From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan for You.

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D-Day and Eternal Life: Taking On the Impossible

Source: freeimages.com/babykrul

"Can you achieve the impossible?

Next week, on June 6 ^th is D-Day, the commemoration of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of France on the Normandy coast in 1944. It was the largest coordinated invasion in history. It made the Spanish Armada look like toy-boats.

It’s been made into so many movies and included in so many storylines since the Second World War that those of us born in the interim think of it in those terms; Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, The War by Ken Burns, or The Longest Day (for old movie buffs), among so many others. Countless books, interviews, and accounts of the experience have been recorded, but if we can step back to the months leading up to that day we’d realize that it was probably the most audacious military plan in modern history."  More at: http://www.ucg.org/blog/d-day-and-eternal-life-taking-impossible/

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Update:

We have gradually been sorting out and packing up the yard sale items.  Several boxes of stuff have been donated.  Then we had a lot of rain, and even though under cover, the cloth items got damp, so they can't be packed up until completely dry.  I have had to wash some of them, too.

Thursday, I saw the lung doctor to get the results of my lung ct-scan.  He said I was in great shape.  I no longer have the shortness of breath that I did when I came out of the hospital, as the infection in my lungs has cleared up.  Also, no lung cancer even after 60+ years of a pack a day, which I stopped when I had this heart attack!  Now I don't have to spray Fabreze on my clothes before I go into church. I feel great about that, as I always knew it was biblically wrong to smoke, but never could get around to quitting.

Yesterday, Ray, Jay and I went to church.  The readings from the Bible were Lev.16-19 and Eze.22:1-19.  The message was about how God is our provider, and how he provided clothes and shoes that didn't wear out, for all those thousands in the big exodus for 40 years. He also provided poultry for them to eat and manna.  He also provides for us, but often we don't realize or acknowledge it.  The service and potluck was enjoyed by all.

Jay found a young Siamese male cat crying under his Mom's house.  We brought it up here, and I have it in my grooming room.  It seems very friendly, and there was a notice at the mail boxes about a lost Siamese.  But when I left messages at the number, I have still have not had a reply after two days.