[The Mayor]

[The Mayor]

February 6, 2006

Jordan's Idea

Read:
2 Timothy 3:14-17

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, . . . for instruction in righteousness. —2 Timothy 3:16

Bible In One Year: Exodus 39-40; Matthew 23:23-39

One spring day, Jordan began asking questions about Jesus' resurrection as his mom was taking him to preschool. Realizing he thought Jesus was rising from the dead for the first time this Easter, she tried to correct him. She pulled the car over and told him all about Jesus' death and resurrection. She concluded, "Jesus rose from the dead a long time ago, and now He wants to live in our hearts." But Jordan still didn't understand.

Unsure how she could make it any clearer, she said, "How about if we stop by the bookstore? I saw some books about Easter when I was there last week. We'll get one and read through it together." With a wisdom beyond his years, Jordan responded, "Can't we just read the Bible?"

Jordan's idea was right. Commentaries and books about the Bible are helpful tools. But they should never be used as a substitute for God's revelation of Himself—His Word. No other book has been given to us "by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16). As author Eugene Peterson says, "God's voice [is] speaking to us, inviting, promising, blessing, confronting, commanding, healing."

Let's follow Jordan's idea and go first to the ultimate source of truth—the Bible. —Anne Cetas

Exhaustless store of treasured gems
Within this Book I hold;
And as I read, it comes alive,
New treasures to unfold. —Mortenson

Go to the Bible for your protection, correction, and direction.

FOR FURTHER STUDY
Can I Really Trust The Bible?

[Mama_Bear]

Good evening, Rus. Just stopping by for a moment to support our troops and thank you for all you do....especially for this Military Monday thread where we can wave the flag for our military.

Go troops! You make us proud!

[DollyCali]

The elderly parking lot attendant wasn't in a good mood!

Neither was Sam Bierstock. It was around 1 a.m., and Bierstock, a Delray Beach, Fla. , eye doctor, business consultant, corporate speaker and musician, was bone tired after appearing at an event.

He pulled up in his car, and the parking attendant began to speak. "I took two bullets for this country and look what I'm doing," he said bitterly.

At first, Bierstock didn't know what to say to the World War II veteran. But he rolled down his window and told the man, "Really, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you."

Then the old soldier began to cry.

"That really got to me," Bierstock says.

Cut to today.

Bierstock, 58, and John Melnick, 54, of Pompano Beach - a member of Bierstock's band, Dr. Sam and the Managed Care Band - have written a song inspired by that old soldier in the airport parking lot. The mournful "Before You Go" does more than salute those who fought in WWII. It encourages people to go out of their way to thank the aging warriors before they die.

"If we had lost that particular war, our whole way of life would have been shot," says Bierstock, who plays harmonica. "The WW II soldiers are now dying at the rate of about 2,000 every day. I thought we needed to thank them."

The song is striking a chord. Within four days of Bierstock placing it on the Web http://www.beforeyougo.us/, the song and accompanying photo essay have bounced around nine countries, producing tears and heartfelt thanks from veterans, their sons and daughters and grandchildren.

"It made me cry," wrote one veteran's son. Another sent an e-mail saying that only after his father consumed several glasses of wine would he discuss "the unspeakable horrors" he and other soldiers had witnessed in places such as Anzio, Iwo Jima, Bataan and Omaha Beach. "I can never thank them enough," the son wrote. "Thank you for thinking about them."

Bierstock and Melnick thought about shipping it off to a professional singer, maybe a Lee Greenwood type, but because time was running out for so many veterans, they decided it was best to release it quickly, for! free, on the Web. They've sent the song to Sen. John McCain and others in Washington. Already they have been invited to perform it in Houston for a Veterans Day tribute - this after just a few days on the Web. They hope every veteran in America gets a chance to hear it.

GOD BLESS every EVERY veteran... and THANK you to those of you veterans who may see this !

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO HEAR THE SONG AND SEE THE PICTURES:

Before You Go

[NicknamedBob]

Ronald Reagan

Intrepid, he was, and jolly,
Observing, and astute.
The secret of his nature,
Was contentment at the root.

Of course, it wasn’t easy,
He had a real rough patch,
He learned to deal with basic things,
Before his dreams could hatch.

He learned to stand up like a man,
However grim the place.
He looked at every bit of life,
A smile upon his face.

He learned the secret early,
The joy there is to see,
Happy happens only if,
You just decide to be.

He started saving lives back then,
He was a strapping lad.
He kept a count inside his head,
His goal? A myriad.

And I would say he reached it,
Reached it, and surpassed.
For who knew then his fragile peace,
Could be the one to last?

Clearly, he could see it,
Of many things foreseen.
The shining lights upon the hill,
He’d glimpsed as just a teen.

His steady course of progress,
Rising as he went,
We only understand it now,
That he is Heaven-sent.

NicknamedBob . . . June 7, 2004

[Pippin]

HOWDY!!!

Time for me to check in just to say to the military personnel both past and present

((((HUGS)))

AND THANK YOU!!!!!

[armymarinemom]

I have uploaded a slide show made for my sons on our blog. Direct video link. Welcome Home-Bangor Troop greeting-I love this bar. WMV 3.5mb.

[LadyX]

Here are some of our heroes being reunited with their loved ones....

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