FReeper Canteen ~ Sunday Chapel ~ EXAMINING THE FOUNDATION ~ 02 July 2017

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

 

 

 

EXAMINING THE FOUNDATION

It was back in 1962, I'm told, when cracks began to appear in the 42nd story of a very expensive high-rise in Hong Kong. It had already withstood numerous typhoons. And there was no ready explanation for the cracks' sudden appearance. Yet there they were. Obviously, there had to be a problem somewhere. So a team of architects and structural engineers was called in to ferret out the cause.

Finally, one determined engineer stumbled upon the reason as he was prowling around the foundations deep in the basement. When he tapped the plaster, he noticed that some parts sounded strangely hollow. So he began systematically chipping away at the covering layer. And soon he had his explanation -- a large number of bricks had been removed from the building's foundation! But, why? Further investigation eventually led to a surprising revelation. It seems that, some years earlier, a night watchman had been building an addition to his house. To save on costs, he had loosened the mortar around a few bricks each night, removed them from the wall, wrapped them in old newspaper, and smuggled them out of the building at the end of his shift. He only took a few at a time. And no one had ever noticed. He didn't think it would make a difference. After all, he had been very careful to fill the breach with plaster. But an engineer could have told him differently. Though it might take years for such cracks to appear, the end result was inevitable once the foundation had been weakened. The building APPEARED sound, but, as is so often the case, an attractive exterior hid a potentially fatal flaw.

As Dr. Harold Sala commented, "...the cracks... don't always appear overnight, but when the foundation is tampered with, inevitably the superstructure will feel the effect." He was talking about family life, but you could just as easily apply those comments to our spiritual development... or to life in the wider community. The Psalmist asked, "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3) And who could forget the story Jesus told about the importance of foundations? (Matthew 7:24)

This weekend offers another perspective on the topic of "foundations" as millions of Americans celebrate Independence Day. And for those of us who are committed, from a FAITH perspective, to the pursuit of truth and justice, it offers an opportunity to reflect on the healthy ways that faith has often influenced our citizenship. I remember that Earl Warren, who later became chief justice of the Supreme Court, once admitted, "I believe the entire Bill of Rights came into being because of the knowledge our forefathers had of the Bible and their belief in it." Our nation still has many flaws, and has frequently failed to live up to its lofty ideals. But, time and again, it has been our founders' vision of "freedom and justice for all" that has enabled us to overcome divisions and make a "course correction" without anarchy.

This holiday weekend offers the opportunity to celebrate that vision, perhaps even to rediscover its religious roots. It was faith, not greed, that led the founders to "...hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights." It's a time for reflection and recommitment. A time to (as Isaiah says) "look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug." (51:1)

CAPT J. David Atwater, CHC, USN

 

[left that other site]

YIKES! I just rolled my chair back and penny was lying behind me. She jumped up and looked at me with such a look of reproach and betrayal that I feel like such a heel! Eek!

[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,

THANK YOU
for your service!

[SandRat]

Biild the house upon the Rock!!!

[The Mayor]

Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list

Taking Shortcuts

July 2, 2017

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23

Sipping her tea, Nancy gazed out her friend’s window and sighed. Spring rains and sunshine had coaxed a riotous expanse of color from a well-groomed flowerbed of lilies, phlox, irises, and evening primrose.

“I want that look,” she said wistfully, “without all the work.”

The work of following Christ is difficult, but the reward is a full, joyful life now and forever.

Some shortcuts are fine—even practical. Others short-circuit our spirit and deaden our lives. We want romance without the difficulties and messiness of committing to someone so different from ourselves. We want “greatness” without the risks and failures necessary in the adventure of real life. We desire to please God, but not when it inconveniences us.

Jesus made clear to His followers that there is no shortcut that avoids the hard choice of surrendering our lives to Him. He warned a prospective disciple, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). To follow Christ requires a radical altering of our loyalties.

When we turn in faith to Jesus, the work just begins. But it is oh-so-worth-it, for He also told us that no one who sacrifices “for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age . . . and in the age to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29–30). The work of following Christ is difficult, but He’s given us His Spirit and the reward is a full, joyful life now and forever.

Father, I will find the strength to do the work You have for me to do, only as I rely on Your Holy Spirit. Help me, please, to be sensitive to that today.

Most things worth doing are difficult.

INSIGHT:

Although the Holy Spirit is spoken of throughout the Bible, two particular portions of Scripture offer us a wealth of insight about this wonderful Person—John 14–16 and Romans 8. In His Upper Room Discourse with His disciples (John 14–16), Jesus says the Spirit is a gift from the Father who has come to be our Comforter/Advocate (14:16–17). This Helper is also described as the “Spirit of truth” who takes up residence within each of God’s children so that we are never abandoned (vv. 17–18). In John 16, our Lord adds that the Spirit will convict the world and point us to the Savior, while guiding us into truth (vv. 7–14). In Romans 8, Paul reinforces these ideas by saying that the Spirit is the source of our life (vv. 2, 11), the evidence of our new relationship with our Father (vv. 9, 14–16), and One who intercedes for us when we pray so that our prayers line up with the Father’s purposes (vv. 26–27).

In what area of your life do you need the Spirit’s presence and guidance? Bill Crowder

[luvie]

Ray Walker~Master The Tempest Is Raging
Congregational Singing

Cynthia Clawson & Others~Church In The Wildwood

The Trevecca Madragalians~It Is Well With My Soul

Statler Brothers~How Great Thou Art

St. Olaf Choir~When Peace Like A River

Providence~There's A Goldmine In The Sky

Vocal Majority~Deep River

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.

Hope all’s going well. Did you get any rain today? If you’ve mentioned it in the thread, I can’t see it. Darn FR acting up again!! GRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

[radu]

Howdy, LUV!

How’s the day gone? Hope rain didn’t dampen any of the planned activities.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Janey...((HUGS))...just hangin’ on the patio sounds nice.

Here the mosquitos would carry you away. Hope you don’t have them.

Do you have Independence Day at home?

[Kathy in Alaska]

He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - may He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Force, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our G-d from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea.

May HASHEM cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighting men from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor.

May He lead our enemies under their sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is Hashem, your G-d, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you.

G-d bless and keep your children safe, Alouette.

[luvie]

No, it didn’t. It quit about an hour before we left the house, but it was cooler and cloudy for most of the day. It was almost perfect!

It turned out well...and we enjoyed remembering our FRiend!

Hope your day went well! Was it hot there? How are the kitties?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Poor Penny...she’ll get over it. You can fawn over her. Then explain where NOT to be.

[left that other site]

We have already kissed and made up!

And she is now sleeping a good two feet away from the chair.

[radu]

YAY! I checked the radar not long after I woke up and saw rain had passed that area. Glad it didn’t ruin the plans for the day and y’all had a good time together.

I woke up to a brief heavy shower pounding on the roof and when I looked outside, the sky was black to the west. I knew Hubby had let some of the cats out so I scurried to get them in. Just in time too. Heavy ran and strong wind hit a couple of minutes after getting the last kitteh inside. Of curse the sun came out later and it was just awful out there. UGH!

Kittehs are doing ok. I allowed Pixie to have a couple of minutes with her girlies so she’d know they’re fine. As soon as they tried to nurse, I took her back out of the room. Don’t need them messing up her incision!

[luvie]

I’m sure glad you got the rain and glad you got the kittehs inside before it poured down! They would not have been happy!

I’m glad she’s doing ok! Did the kittens act like they had missed her? No...she doesn’t need to have her incision messed up for sure!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu, and a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

Looks like we could get some rain tonight and more tomorrow. I hope so.

Are your storms coming? A show or 2 for you?

[Kathy in Alaska]

God Bless our military men and women who have given their all.

Thanks, unique.

[PROCON]

.. I knew Hubby had let some of the cats out so I scurried to get them in.

Wait a sec...how do you herd cats? Do you have a special super power? :-)

Hot day, lazy me on my end. Mowed early and then played with the cute little puppy. He loves running in the back yard.

Not much else going on with me.

Have a great tomorrow!

[radu]

We were glad to get the rain. Got an inch and a half in two downpours - - the one early afternoon and another around 7 p.m. Happy corn!

Pixie hasn’t been spending much time with the kittens the past week or so but does like to check on them once or twice a day. Sometimes they’re all over her and other times they ignore her. I think she was happier to see them today than they were to see her. They have a large time with each other and don’t need Momma so much any more. Lil girlies growing up. :-)

[luvie]

Oh, that’s an awesome amound of rain! The corn will definitely be touching the sky soon!

Yep....and got mama fixed just in time! Whew!

[radu]

Howdy, PRO!

Glad you chimed in! I posted earlier, then realized the thumps I was hearing outside were fireworks and I bolted out to watch them from the hill across the road. Got back and couldn’t get beyond the first post in the thread. GRRRRRR!!!

Herding cats ain’t easy, that I can tell ya. LOL! But no herding required today. They wanted to come in because they don’t like thunder. But they still made me carry them inside, one by one, from the porch. They have me trained well. :-)

I’d forgotten about the puppy. Sounds like he doesn’t mind hot weather too much since he runs so much. Is he old enough to not trip over things or is he still young enough to fall over his own feet? They crack me up when they do that.

Hot here when it wasn’t raining, and REALLY muggy. Tomorrow will be a repeat of today so no plans for any outdoor activities here.