THE ONE YEAR ILLUSTRATIONS CLUB

At a work meeting recently, I was given a get-to-know-you, icebreaker question: “Who do you most admire?” Without hesitation, I knew my answer would be my mother. When I was asked to talk a little about my mom and why I chose her, I found that expanding on it was a bit more difficult to put into words. My mother didn't have to overcome impossible obstacles, nor does she have an astonishing success story. Despite that, she is still my hero. Because of my mother, I learned the value of the dollar at an early age. My mother instilled practical life skills within me. She never sugar-coated life. But what I remember most is when I was 12, we packed up and moved to Ohio to live with my grandparents. My mother, seeing our lives had come to a standstill and my father would never change, had the guts to get out of a bad situation and find us a better one. Things weren't immediately smooth sailing. We lived with my grandparents for what was probably the longest few months of my life. I l...

What is the end conclusion of a Church, when it has given up on sowing seed and fishing for men? When a Church loses it’s vision for the lost and it’s desire to grow out; then the Church has no choice but to begin to grow inward instead; and that hurts, just ask your toe! If your church has begun to turn inward on itself, and devour itself, it's because it has ceased to turn it's efforts outward, towards the lost. A church consumed with itself, will consume itself.

  Sociologist and Historian Carle Zimmerman wrote a book titled “Family and Civilization” based on his observations that the disintegration of various cultures directly paralleled the decline of family life in those cultures. The eight common threads that Zimmerman identified as running through each documented civilization that has come to ruin thus far include: 1. Marriage loses it’s sacredness and divorce become common. 2. The traditional meaning of the marriage ceremony is lost. 3. Feminist movements abound. 4. Public disrespect for parents and authority increase. 5. Juvenile delinquency, promiscuity and rebellion accelerate. 6. People with traditional marriages refuse to accept family responsibilities 7. Desire for and acceptance of adultery grow 8. Interest in sexual perversions and sex related crimes increase. While you may think that based on the current ills of our society, Zimmerman wrote this book recently, he actually published this in 1947! Do these common threads also ...

  William Phelps taught English literature at Yale for forty-one years until his retirement in 1933. Professor Phelps was known for his very hard examination papers. How could anyone know the answers to the questions he was proposing? Marking an examination paper shortly before Christmas one year, Phelps came across the note: "God only knows the answer to this question. Merry Christmas." Phelps returned the paper to the student with this note: "God gets an A. You get an F. Happy New Year."       For sure there are questions that only God knows the answers too. Answers we’ll never get on this side of eternity and I hope and believe that we do on the other side, but nonetheless, God is a mystery and He will always remain a sort of enigma to us and He will challenge any human who attempts to figure him out, put Him in a box and try to dissect him. Deut. 29.29 “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God”.

  Women are complex creatures….. If you kiss her, you are not a gentleman If you don’t, you are not a man If you compliment her, she thinks you are lying If you don’t, you think she’s ugly If you agree to all her likes, you are a wimp If you don’t, you are not understanding If you visit her often, she thinks it is boring If you don’t , she accuses you of double-crossing If you are well dressed, she accuses you of trying to attract other women If you don’t , you’ re a slob If you act jealous, she says it’s bad If you don’t jealous, she thinks you do not love her If you attempt a romance, she says you didn’t respect her If you don’t, she thinks you do not like her If you are a minute late, she complains it’s hard to wait If she is late, she says that’s a girl’s way… If you kiss her once in a while, she professes you are cold If you kiss her often, she tells you to give her some space If you stare at another woman, she accuses you of flirting If she is stared by other men, she says th...

  A certain courthouse in Ohio stands in a unique location. Raindrops that fall on the north side of the building go into Lake Ontario and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while those falling on the south side go into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. At precisely the point of the peak of the roof, just a gentle puff of wind can determine the destiny of many raindrops. It will make a difference of more than 2,000 miles as to their final destination. The spiritual application is clear. By the smallest deed or choice of words we might set in motion influences that could change the course of others' lives here and now and could also affect their eternal destiny.

  The first hand-written English language Bible manuscripts   were produced in the 1380's AD by John Wycliffe, an  Oxford  professor, scholar, and theologian. Wycliffe, was well-known throughout  Europe  for his opposition to the teaching of the organized Church, which he believed to be contrary to the Bible. With the help of his followers, called the Lollards, and his assistant Purvey, and many other faithful scribes, Wycliffe produced dozens of English language manuscript copies of the scriptures. They were translated out of the Latin Vulgate, which was the only source text available to Wycliffe. The Pope was so infuriated by his teachings and his translation of the Bible into English, that 44 years after Wycliffe had died, he ordered the bones to be dug-up, crushed, and scattered in the river!

  As I watched them tear a building down A gang of men in a busy town With a ho-heave-ho, and a lusty yell They swung a beam and the side wall fell I asked the foreman, "Are these men skilled, And the men you'd hire if you wanted to build?" He gave a laugh and said, "No, indeed, Just common labor is all I need." "I can easily wreck in a day or two, What builders have taken years to do." And I thought to myself, as I went my way Which of these roles have I tried to play? Am I a builder who works with care, Measuring life by rule and square? Am I shaping my work to a well-made plan Patiently doing the best I can? Or am I a wrecker who walks to town Content with the labor of tearing down? "O Lord let my life and my labors be That which will build for eternity!" Author Unknown, The Increase, 35th Anniversary Issue, 1993, p. 9.

A story of a young, handsome, Eastern king who was seated in a garden, and one of his counselors was speaking of the wonderful works of God. "Show me a sign," said the king, "and I will believe." "Here are four acorns," said the counselor," will you, Majesty, plant them in the ground, and then stoop down for a moment and look into this clear pool of water?" The king did so, and saw the reflection of his young handsome face. "Now," said the counselor, "look up." The king looked up and saw four full grown oak-trees where he had planted the acorns. How could that be? It would take 80 years for those to grow? "This is Wonderful!" the King exclaimed, "This is indeed a true Miracle of God! "How long were you looking into the water?" asked the counselor? "Only a second," said the king. Correct said his counselor, God has made for you, as a sign "Eighty years have passed as a second," Quit...

When I was in the Marine Corps, I had duty on Christmas day and the other Marine I was on duty with was the Sergeant Major of the base (Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Az). He volunteered for duty every Christmas because he didn’t have a family and he figured it was one less person, that does have a family, that wouldn't have to be dragged away on Christmas day (Very thoughtful). Being on duty for 24hrs, we had much time to talk and it came up that I was a Christian. That’s when he began to tell me he wasn't impressed with Christians. He admitted he wasn't a Christian and didn’t believe in religion and God, but said he believed in the Marine Corps; and because he believed in the Marine Corps he gave his life to the Marines and because of that he excelled through the ranks when those around him didn't. He showed me all his uniforms and medallions that he had been awarded over a very long and illustrious career in the Corps. He had each of his uniforms mounted on a manikin...

 Hugh Latimer was famous as a preacher. He was Bishop of Worcester in the time of King Henry, but resigned in protest against the King's refusal to allow the Protestant reforms that Latimer desired. Latimer's sermons speak little of doctrine; he preferred to urge men to upright living and devoutness in prayer. But when Mary came to the throne, he was arrested, tried for heresy for his Protestant teachings, and burned together with his friend Nicholas Ridley. His last words at the stake are well known: "Be of good cheer, Master Ridley, and play the man, for we shall this day light such a candle in England as I trust by God' grace shall never be put out."

 Achilles was a powerful hero in Homer's Iliad, and undoubtedly the greatest warrior on the battlefield at Troy. When Achilles was just an infant, his mother immersed him in the river Styx, which separates the land of the living from the land of the dead, to confer on him immortality, and to make him invincible in battle!! But when doing this, she committed a grave error. Through her oversight and negligence, she held Achilles by his left heel when immersing him in the river Styx, and forgot to immerse his heel as well. And so, in spite of his great power and strength, and unsurpassed skill and prowess in battle, Achilles remained with one weak or vulnerable spot, his left heel which was ultimately to prove fatal. In the final battle of the Trojan War, as Troy was being sacked and burned by marauding Greek soldiers, Achilles was shot in his left heel with a poisoned arrow, which finally killed him.

 For the few that step out to believe even fewer actually attain or press through to get the coveted name of NAVY SEAL. Most “ring the bell”.  “Ring the  Bell ” is a term from the training and recruitment phase during the Navy Seal training. At any point during the training, especially during what they call “Hell Week”, the recruits may at any time go and “ring the bell” and it all stops, the pain, the angst, the stress, the coldness, fatigue, “just ring the bell” and you will be released, no questions asked. And many do exactly that! The temptation is that every day, in their daily routines, they pass by “the bell”  and every day, somebody gives in and “rings the bell”. That bell calls out to them every day, “just ring me and all the Hell can stop” and you can go back to your regular life”. This reminds me of the journey a faith, so few Christians believe God to venture out of the “comfort zone” out of the shallow waters. Most Christians just want to live nice, comf...

Paul Chudnow, 71 and Phyllis Chudnow, also 71 decide after 50 years to get hitched for another 50. The mood was lighthearted before the 7:30 p.m. service. "I figured if you can last 50 years, you might as well look for another [50 years]," said Phyllis Chudnow, 71, who will be married to Paul Chudnow, 71, for 51 years in June. "It's something to celebrate," Paul said. The couple lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. What happened 50 years ago I’m sure is very special to this couple, but even more special, even more meaningful, is that 51 years later, whatever they felt, whatever moment they had, 51 years ago, it’s still going on 51 years later! This couple, “has it going on” beyond what any deluded teenager thinks about “how they have it going on”, this is the real deal!

   One night I had a dream, I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the lord And across the sky, flashed scenes from my life. For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonged to me and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of my life flashed before us, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that many times along the path of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in my life. This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it. “Lord you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way.  But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why in times when I needed you the most, you should leave me. The Lord replied, “My precious child, I love you and would never leave you during your times of trial and suffering. When you saw only one set of ...

  One night I had a wondrous dream, One set of footprints there was seen, The footprints of my precious Lord, But mine were not along the shore. But then some stranger prints appeared, And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?" Those prints are large and round and neat, "But Lord, they are too big for feet." "My child," He said in somber tones, "For miles I carried you alone. I challenged you to walk in faith, But you refused and made me wait." "You disobeyed, you would not grow, The walk of faith, you would not know, So I got tired, I got fed up, And there I dropped you on your butt." "Because in life, there comes a time, When one must fight, and one must climb, When one must rise and take a stand, Or leave their butt prints in the sand.

  Perhaps for many of us the intuitive thing is to assume that a person with bipolar disorder will have poorer interpersonal skills and be harder to get along with than a “regular” person. How many of us look at it the other way around? What I mean is, have you ever considered that marital problems may be a trigger for mood episodes, and it is stress somewhere in the relationship that is making the bipolar spouse worse? Overall, my guess is that the former applies. However, there is still some room for a complex interplay between marital tensions that arise from the behavior of the bipolar spouse during a mood episode, and possible increasing and/or triggering of episodes of mania and/or depression because the bipolar spouse is so vulnerable to any problems that arise in the marriage. It is easy for a couple to fall into a downward spiral where the spouse with bipolar disorder behaves in ways both highly provocative and highly reactive. This leads to conflict with their partner, wh...

   Many years ago my mother had mailed me a package filled with some old memorabilia. In the package was some of my old school report cards and as I read through them there was a common theme in all of them that my teachers would write under the comment section of my report. Almost all would say...."Richard is doing okay, put he has so much more potential then what he is doing, if Richard applied himself and gave his all, he could be one of the best” My eyes began to swell up with tears when I read that, the Holy Spirit came down and I heard that still small voice saying, "amen, I can totally relate to what your teachers are saying and you've done the same in your Christianity; and I echo the same, Jesus!" And it dawned on me that I never really put my all into anything I ever did and I had taken that same approach to my Christianity, always reserved, never giving my all and then this thought came to me, “what if, just like my report card said, God inscribed on my to...

   P hilip Parham tells the story of a rich industrialist who was disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat. "Why aren't you out there fishing?" he asked.  "Because I've caught enough fish for today," said the fisherman.c "Why don't you catch more fish than you need?' the rich man asked.  "What would I do with them?" "You could earn more money," came the impatient reply, "and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you'd have a fleet of boats and be rich like me." The fisherman asked, "Then what would I do?"  "You could sit down and enjoy life," said the industrialist!!! "What do you think I'm doing now?" the fisherman replied

 It is said that on his retreat from Greece after his great military expedition there, Xerxes, believed by many to be a God, boarded a Phoenician ship along with a number of his Persian troops.  But a fearful storm came up, and the captain told Xerxes there was no hope unless the ship's load was substantially lightened. The Great XERXES, turned to his fellow Persians on deck and said, "It is on you that my safety depends. Now let some of you show your regard for your God." A number of the men bowed to Xerxes and believing themselves to be canonized as martyrs for their God, threw themselves overboard! Lightened of its load, the ship made it safely to harbor. Xerxes immediately ordered that a golden crown be given to the Captain for preserving his life -- then XERXES ordered the Captain be beheaded for causing the loss of so many Persian lives!

 In competition, the size, as well as the quality of the muscle will be judged. Good body builders know which exercises build size and which build shape. In addition to the size and quality of each muscle, the judges are looking to see if each of the muscles is in proportion to all of the others. How many times have you seem a guy with huge biceps and tiny legs? He could never compete in bodybuilding because his proportions are wrong. An example of good proportion would be that the neck, biceps and calves should all be the same size. Symmetry is also judged, the left side has to look like the right side. The body builder strives to build the perfect body, not to excel in any one muscle or body part, but to build the whole, in proportion, to perfection. "The body can be beautiful if it is proportioned, symmetrical and harmonious, like a painting or a piece of sculpture, And this Spiritual Life that is beautiful is also one that is well proportioned, symmetrical and harmonious. Not ...

 A friend of mine took his small son with him to town one day to run some errands. When lunch time arrived, the two of them went to a familiar diner for a sandwich. The father sat down on one of the stools at the counter and lifted the boy up to the seat beside him. They ordered lunch, and when the waiter brought the food, the father said, "Son, we'll just have a silent prayer." Dad got through praying first and waited for the boy to finish his prayer, but he just sat with his head bowed for an unusually long time. When he finally looked up, his father asked him, "What in the world were you praying about all that time?" With the innocence and honesty of a child, he replied, "How do I know? It was a silent prayer!?"

  HOUSTON – MacArthur H.S. PROM was well under way, many were, staying at the Hyatt in north Houston, Texas,  "It seemed nice. Put me back to when I was in 12th grade," said Michael Block, in town from San Antonio. They would never have thought the night would take a tragic turn for 18-year-old Jacqueline Gomez, a MacArthur student for whom this prom night would be her last. "She stayed overnight in the hotel. In the morning hours, the person that was with her found her deceased in her bed. We are not sure at this hour what the cause of death is," said Det. Mike Miller, with the Houston Police Department Homicide Division. Police said they found alcohol and prescription pain killers in the hotel room. They also told KHOU-TV that the girl's boyfriend had called 911. They took him in for questioning about what happened. Her blood content was found to be 4 times the legal limit, she died of alcohol poisoning right there in the bed while the others continued to part...

  In Greek Mythology, Silenus was a companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus. A notorious consumer of wine, he was usually drunk and had to be supported by satyrs or carried by a donkey. Silenus was described as the oldest, wisest and most drunken of the followers of Dionysus, and was said in Orphic hymns to be the young god's tutor. When intoxicated, Silenus was said to possess special knowledge and the power of prophecy and was known for his pessimism. His prophecy was always quite pessimistic. Interesting that even today, a fortune teller is most likely to be believed when giving ones future, if that future is negative. The hearer is not likely to be glad to receive such a future fortune, but is more likely to believe the fortune teller, than had she or he been given a future that was prosperous and good. Greek mythology states that the god Midas, after hunting, asked his captive Silenus somewhat urgently, what was the most desirable thing among humankind. At first he c...

Crossing the center line, running several stop signs and almost crashing twice…all after a Sumter Police Officer reported watching Susie Thomas run a red light. The high speed and dangerous chase came to an end with an abrupt stop and officers with their guns drawn. That’s when police found a crying 4 year old girl in the back seat of her “grandmother’s car”, where she had been for this entire high speed chase-not even buckled in. “Why did you do this?”, the police asked the grandma. The grandma answered, “because I knew that I had warrants out for my arrest”. Many of us live under this myth that sin is just something that young adolescents go through during their teenage years, they get wild and sinful, but then of course we grow out of our sin, change our ways, become upstanding citizens and are all heaven bound. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The older we get, the more entrenched we become in our sin, harder we get and the less likely a chance, that we will ever ...

    PENN STATE'S TIM PIAZZA DIED, AND HIS PARENTS AREN'T LETTING UP: Evelyn Piazza, if she had one last chance to speak to her son, would tell him his family loves him — and "Don't go." Don't go, that is, to the party that killed him a year ago at Penn State University's Beta Theta Pi fraternity house. There, Tim Piazza, was served 18 drinks in roughly an hour and a half during a pledge initiation called "The Gauntlet." Tim Piazza, 19, would fall several times, including down a flight of stairs, causing him numerous traumatic injuries. Members didn't get him medical attention until the next morning. He died on Feb. 4, 2017. "It doesn't get better," Evelyn Piazza said. "It hurts just as much now as it did a year ago." Evelyn's husband Jim said fraternity brothers chose not to save their dying son. It was a death deemed accidental, yet it's remained so significant. Last year was a historic one for American frater...

 Headline read… “Bruno Mars wins big at the Grammy’s…Record of the Year!” While this “headline” might do little for any unsuspecting reader, “so what, another star, collecting another award”. Who cares, right?! However if you know the history of Bruno Mars, it really does strike a chord in your heart seeing him up them, being applauded for his achievements. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, mars kicked off his career at the age of four by fronting his uncle's band, becoming Oahu’s youngest Elvis impersonator in the process. After graduating high school in 2003, he took his uncle's advice and moved to California to pursue a music career. Bruno Mars came out hitting, trying to establish his own solo career, but was slapped back. He was a record label toss-away. He’d begun performing at just four years old, but by only 19, he already thought he had failed at his dreams of superstardom. He’d been dropped by Motown, reduced to an unemployed DJ who struggled to fill his gas tank. He eventual...