Our Treasures vs God's

Danella originally posted this story on her blog, but she found it on the website Inspire 21. Anyway, I thought it was really awesome! So I stole it (with Danella's permission, of course). Enjoy. :-)

Our Treasures vs God's

-- Author Unknown

 

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh please, Mummy. Can I have them? Please, Mummy, please?" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face. "A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"  "Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you."  "Then give me your pearls." "Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember daddy?  The one you gave me. She's my very favorite." "That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?" "Daddy, you know I love you."  "Then give me your pearls."  "Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."  "That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. 

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. "What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?" Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy, this is for you." 

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures. Isn't God good?

Are you holding onto things that God wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary things in your life that you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing... God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place. 

The greatest gifts happen when you share love and touch others.

Have a great day, folks!

Exclamation marks, question marks and methodical lists

I am rather annoyed at the present time. Ever since I came back from camp, my mind has been completely blank as to what to post on blog posts.
Yes, I know my helpful readers will immediately point me back to posts on other blogs such as this one that list all sorts of useful ideas of what to post when you don't know what to post.

All those ideas are certainly helpful! They sound wonderful in theory.... but don't seem quite right for my particular mood whatever day I'm wanting to post. Okay, while that may not make a lot of sense that is how it goes! Sorry if my rambly train of thought is putting you off. I guess it's putting me off too. :-)

Or maybe it wasn't that rambly. Oh dear. I really don't know!!

Calm down, Bonnie!

Okay, okay, okay. Let's get things straight. Make a list.

(When I get all flustered the easiest way for me to calm down is to organise my thoughts into a nice, neat, capable list. That way I can see the problem easily and it's often not as difficult to solve.)

Item no. 1. I am stuck for ideas for my blog post.
Item no. 2. Blog posts on other people's blogs telling me what to post on my blog are helpful... but not  in certain situations.
Item no. 3. Right now is one of those certain situations.
Item no. 4. I have a rambly train of thought.
Item no. 5. I need to calm down.
Item no. 6. I must strategise carefully and methodically if I want to make a blot post happen.
Item no. 7. I'm not sure if I spelt 'strategise' right. Spellchecker has just underlined it in a wobbly red line.
Item no. 8. This is getting slightly off topic.
Item no. 9. This list is not really helping me keep my train of thought methodical.
Item no. 10. *realisation dawns*

This IS a blog post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Why do I need to search for something when I have something perfectly good right here???????????????????????????

Item no. 11. I used a lot of exclamation marks and question marks. Is that good or bad?
Item no. 12. I don't know.
Item no. 13. I doubt I ever will.... unless one of you tells me of course....

More funny pictures

I think the last post I did of funny pictures went down quite well... so here's some more. I could only find ones that are pretty similar to the last... sorry about that. :-P

I'm only posting this because I couldn't think of anything else to post!

How many times did this have to happen before they put this sign up???

Pretty awesome!

Another airplane with magic powers....

Putting the size of a whale in perspective.

An eagle with super powers

That man is either brave or stupid.

Lightning hits the island

This crane is pretty strong!

Mr Barack Obama holding a moon... he's quite strong too I suppose.

YOU JUST STOLE MY ICECREAM!!

Funny for today

Just thought you might like some of these pictures. :-)

Zipper fish

Oh dear... did I do something wrong?

Just casually staring at my crown...

So cute...

Nice try Mr Crane Operator!

: - P

Skills... I can't do this.... AND I have a head!

Spooky.

Flamingos!!

Ouch.

*yawns* Oh, I'm sooo sleepy!

KABOOM!

I'm back!!!

Well, I am now officially home from camp!

*starts laughing uncontrollably*

That was soooo obvious, since I do believe you noticed I was back as soon as you saw the title of this post. :-)

Oh well.

I have a nasty cold right now.... not nice at all. :-( I'm just thankful that I didn't really have it until the last day of camp. A lot of the leaders had colds right throughout the camp which must have been really hard!

Camp was pretty good overall, our cabin won Quietest Cabin once and Quietest Table twice, it's always nice when your cabin wins something. :-)

We unfortunately didn't get the memory verse award or the Tidiest cabin award, we had some good ideas for the latter but they mostly never got off the ground!

Camp is always really awesome but it's always so nice to be home. :-)

No posts for a week

I am aware that this is not the first time I have posted with the title No Posts for a Week. Sorry!
The reason, my dear friends, why I continually post with the same title, is because that seems to be the most appropriate way to tell you that there will be..... (surprise) no posts for a week!

While this may seem quite unsatisfactory and most unfortunately unsatisfying, you will have to content yourselves with the fact that I will be back (Lord willing) by Saturday the 27th of July.

See you then... I'm off to camp!

Buttons.......

I am terribly sorry to all ye who have my button displayed on your blogs....

It doesn't link back to mine!!!

I just realised this when I was helping Danella make a button with mybannermaker.com
I tried my link for the first time and it linked back to mybannermaker.com !!! Not my blog as I had intended!

So, if you want to display my button on your blog, or if you already display it on your blog, here is the new code that will (hopefully) link back to my blog. :-)

(Copy and paste the code into an html converter or wherever you want.)

<a href="http://www.blessingsofbonnie.blogspot.co.nz" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/xPDkdYw.jpg" alt='Create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!' border=0 /></a><br><a href="http://www.mybannermaker.com/">Make your own banner at MyBannerMaker.com!</a>


Now, while we are on the subject of buttons, here is the button for Danella's blog Footprints in the Sand. Just copy and paste this code into wherever.


<a href="http://www.footprints98.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/Fk8tsi7.jpg" alt='Create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!' border=0 /></a><br><a href="http://www.mybannermaker.com/">Make your own banner at MyBannerMaker.com!</a>

Terribly sorry and all that.... Please forgive me...

:-)

New Blog!!

My beautiful, gorgeous, amazing, talented, super sister Danella has got a blog!!

Danella said she would get a blog when she turned 14. Now she turned 14 on the 14th of July and she finally got a blog, and I think her blog is so incredible that I'm posting saying that everyone of my readers should become followers. :-) It's that good. Seriously.

http://footprints98.blogspot.co.nz/

It's called Footprints in the Sand. Check it out. You won't be disappointed.

(She's only just started it and it's only got one post at the moment, but if you follow it you'll be notified every time she posts.)

Something I haven't done in a while + an awesome green monster

After the incredible amount of comments I had on the last post, I decided to do something different on this post. :-)

So here's the Procrastinator's Daybook, which I haven't done in a while.

Date... 18th of July 2013 A.D. (Just in case you didn't know)

Starting time... 11:31 am

Mood... Slightly tired

Outside my window... Jungle gym and swing.

I'm thinking... Want. Chocolate.

I'm currently reading... A Double Dose of Vitamin C for the Spirit compiled by Kathy Collard Miller and D. Larry Miller. Great book! Really faith strengthening.

I'm listening to... children chattering as they do crafts at the kitchen table.

I'm wearing... a brown skirt and green polo shirt

I'm looking forward to... A camp I'm going on in 2 days!!!!!!!!!! SOOO excited!!!!!

I'm hoping... that we will have lunch early today

Yesterday, we... finished all our speech competitions. It's really nice to have them over!

I'm hungry for... Lunch!!

The song stuck in my head is... Crusader's Theme Song (Conquest of Paradise- look it up on YouTube)

I love... Chocolate... (Do I type that EVERY time?)

I loathe... Not getting chocolate.......(Could you see that coming?)

Picture of the week...

Do you see what I see???

As well as the more obvious part of the photograph, (Johnny) this photo captures a radio-controlled device that captured the heart of every male in our family. (And most of the females, too.)

Yup.. you guessed it!  We got this awesome radio controlled helicopter from Fly Buys last week. It's really cool! Apart from the fact that one of the rotors is currently broken and needs to be repaired, it has been working really well and flies nicely.

You should have seen the delight in our family when it was brought home!

Random Wednesday

I thought I'd create a totally new style of post...

*drumroll* CRASH KABOOM!

Da da dum da dum da da!

(voice on microphone) "Ladies and gentlemen... I present to you.... the one and only, magnificent, amazing, incredible, sophisticated.................."

*another drumroll, then smoke*

(voice on microphone again)
"May I present to you today....

Random Wednesday!!!"

So, yeah, it's kinda Random Wednesday, in case you hadn't noticed. :-)

First things first (that's what I always say, isn't it?) I just wanted to allude briefly to the fact that there will be exciting news posted to this blog, soon!!! Keep a look out for it.. I assure you that you won't want to miss it.

I have been thinking that I want more publicity. :-) Publicity is awesome!!! Although it is extremely selfish of me to ask this, I was wondering if you could please take my button (if you haven't already done it)??

I would be very grateful if you would do it. Furthermore, I am depending on you.

(Paste the following code into your sidebar or html converter or wherever you want to have the button)

<a href="http://www.mybannermaker.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/DbDb9vh.jpg" alt='Create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!' border=0 /></a><br>


Now that is done, we can get onto more important things.

Remind me again.... what were they?

I've forgotten. :-)

Farewell!

Achievement and Success

Achievement and Success.

Thought provoking, isn't it?

Last night we were at speech competitions. Abbie was entered into an Impromptu class... and the topic was Achievement and Success. She did a brilliant job of it, talking about two aspects of success she had. Then she talked about an aspect of success she hoped to achieve!

Sadly, she didn't win, but she still did very well. :-)

But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to get into this whole  idea of 'achievement and success' a bit more.

What exactly are they? Are they different?

Well, to illustrate my point, I have chosen several dictionary definitions that show it well.

Note: This is not the extended definition, just extracts from it, I wanted to illustrate my point and so chose the ones that would do so convincingly. Sorry if that offends you. :P


a·chieve·ment
  [uh-cheev-muhnt] 
noun

Act of achieving; attainment or accomplishment: the achievement of one's object.

And success?

suc·cess
  [suhk-ses] 
noun

1.) The favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one's goals.

2.) A performance that is marked by success, as by the attainment of honors: The play was an instant success.


So... what do we get from that? Well, as I see it, we can take the two definitions (assuming they are correct, of course :P) to be quite significantly different.

An achievement is something that is just merely achieved. And success is going that step further!

Here's a question for you today. Do you seek to succeed at everything you do? Or do you just want to achieve it?

Achievement is okay, but we want to aim to do our very best, not just to achieve!

Achieving is standard. Success is magnificent.

We don't want to just barely scrape through the exam with a pass mark... that's the 'achieved' attitude. Why don't we focus more on having a 'succeed' attitude, trying our hardest to do our best, no matter how hard it may seem.

Anyone else think that is a good idea?

Help Yourself to Happiness and This is My Prayer

As this is Sunday, I thought it would be fitting to post a poem or two by Helen Steiner Rice. Now, I love Helen Steiner Rice. As far as I am concerned, she is absolutely incredible!! I write poems, none of them much to look at, but she is a master of poetry. All of her poems are works of art in themselves. I admire her tremendously.

This first poem is called 'This is My Prayer', and is, of course, written by Helen Steiner Rice.

~ This is My Prayer ~
Bless me, heavenly Father,
forgive my erring ways,
Grant me strength to serve Thee,
put purpose in my days ...
Give me understanding,
enough to make me kind
So I may judge all people
with my heart and not my mind ...
And teach me to be patient
in everything I do,
Content to trust Your Wisdom
and to follow after You ...
And help me when I falter
and hear me when I pray
And receive me in Thy Kingdom
to dwell with Thee some day.


And the other one, 'Help Yourself to Happiness' just to bless your Sunday. :-) Enjoy.


~ Help Yourself To Happiness ~
Everybody, everywhere
seeks happiness, it's true,
But finding it and keeping it
seem difficult to do.
Difficult because we think
that happiness is found
Only in the places where
wealth and fame abound.
And so we go on searching
in palaces of pleasure
Seeking recognition
and monetary treasure,
Unaware that happiness
is just a state of mind
Within the reach of everyone
who takes time to be kind.
For in making others happy
we will be happy, too.
For the happiness you give away
returns to shine on you.

Riddles part TWO- the answers

Below are the answers to Part One's riddles!! In the previous post (part one) several people commented what they thought the answers were to some of the riddles. If you commented, I have mentioned your name saying if you got it right. :-) (If your name is mentioned, I've linked to your blog in the first mention of your name but not in later/recurring mentions.)



1.)There are two plastic jugs filled with water. How could you put all of this water into a barrel, without using the jugs or any dividers, and still tell which water came from which jug?

ANSWER: Freeze one of the jugs, then cut the plastic away leaving only the ice. Now put them into the barrel and you can tell which water came from which jug!

(Aarathyn Arvell got this riddle right)


2.) What would you be sure to find in the middle of Toronto?

ANSWER: An O - torOnto

(Matthew S and Jag Swiftstorm got this riddle right)



3.) What word has 5 letters but is pronounced like only one letter?

ANSWER: Queue, pronounced as the letter 'q'

(Jag Swiftstorm got this riddle right)



4.) If it takes 6 men 6 days to dig 6 holes, how long will it take 3 men to dig half a hole?


ANSWER: There is no such thing as half a hole... A hole is a hole regardless of it's size.

(Matthew S and Jag Swiftstorm got this riddle right)

5.) While driving home one day, I came upon the following problem. An entire town had been painted black; the roads, pavements, buildings, hedges, and everything that did not move had been painted black. In addition, my vehicle's headlights were not working, there was no moon, and power was off in the area, so there were no street or house lights around. At that moment, I entered a curve where a solid black dog (deaf, and thus unaware of the approaching car) was sitting in the road. He had his back to me, so there was not even a glint in his eye, yet I was able to swerve round him quite easily and without danger. How was this achieved?
ANSWER It was broad daylight


(Jag Swiftstorm got this riddle right)



6.) Good at math? Try this one....


1=3

2=3

3=5

4=4

5=4

6=3

7=5

8=5

9=4

10=3

So what does

11=?

12=?


ANSWER:   11=6 and 12=6, which is the number of letters in their names.

(No one attempted this riddle except for Aarathyn Arvell who made a very noble effort but did not get it quite right.)




7.) A man is asked what his daughters look like. He answers, "They are all blondes, but two, all brunettes, but two, and all redheads, but two." How many daughters did he have?

ANSWER: Three- one brunette, one redhead and one blonde.

(No one attempted this riddle except for Jag Swiftstorm who made a very noble effort but did not get it quite right.) 




8.) What are the minimum number of modifications needed to make the equation: 1 + 1 + 1 = 142 true?

ANSWER: One- add a slanted line to any one of the + signs to make a 4. This will make the equation true in just one modification.

(Jag Swiftstorm got this riddle right)




9.) We are five little things of a similar sort. You will find us all on a tennis court.

ANSWER: Vowels... a, e, i, o and u. You will find all of them in the phrase 'a tennis court'

(Jag Swiftstorm got this riddle right)

So..... guess who got most of the riddles right? Yup- it was Jag Swiftstorm. Congratulations! 

(There was, in the end, a showstopping, masterful, magnificently grand total of three entrants)

Riddles part ONE

Below are nine riddles for you to puzzle over. If you think you know the answers to any of them, put them in your comments. Look out for part two coming soon... which has the official answers!!


1.) There are two plastic jugs filled with water. How could you put all of this water into a barrel, without using the jugs or any dividers, and still tell which water came from which jug?


2.) What would you be sure to find in the middle of Toronto?

3.) What word has 5 letters but is pronounced like only one letter?

4.) If it takes 6 men 6 days to dig 6 holes, how long will it take 3 men to dig half a hole?

5.) While driving home one day, I came upon the following problem. An entire town had been painted black; the roads, pavements, buildings, hedges, and everything that did not move had been painted black. In addition, my vehicle's headlights were not working, there was no moon, and power was off in the area, so there were no street or house lights around. At that moment, I entered a curve where a solid black dog (deaf, and thus unaware of the approaching car) was sitting in the road. He had his back to me, so there was not even a glint in his eye, yet I was able to swerve round him quite easily and without danger. How was this achieved?

6.) Good at math? Try this one....

1=3
2=3
3=5
4=4
5=4
6=3
7=5
8=5
9=4
10=3

So what does
11=?
12=?


7.) A man is asked what his daughters look like. He answers, "They are all blondes, but two, all brunettes, but two, and all redheads, but two." How many daughters did he have?


8.) What are the minimum number of modifications needed to make the equation: 1 + 1 + 1 = 142 true?


9.) We are five little things of a similar sort. You will find us all on a tennis court. What are we?

Interview a non-blogger

Today I thought I would use the 'Interview a Blogger' Challenge to interview a non-blogger!! Inspired, huh?

I have kind of used the questions (because I thought they were awesome) as a template but expanded further off them. So let me know if you think it worked.

This is my interview with my wonderful sister, Danella. She is really wonderful. :-) She doesn't have her own blog yet but wants to when she turns 14. Here is her photo and short bio first so you know what she is like when you are reading her post. 

I am one of Bonnie's four sisters and the third eldest in our family. I love being home schooled and my favourite subject is probably maths, with science not far behind. I play the piano and the harp and also netball in the winter. My goal in life is to bring glory to God and bring others closer to him.

What is your favorite hymn?

I love a lot of hymns but my favourite is a close battle between Amazing Grace, In Christ Alone and Nearer My God to Thee.

What do you consider to be the most difficult book of the Bible? Why?

Probably one of the books that is mostly chronology and numbers. For example, 1st and 2nd Chronicles. I find it is hard to keep track of who is the great-great-great...grandson of who!

A character trait you most admire in people?

In women, a gentle and quiet spirit.

What do you like most about your family?

I like the fact that we are homeschooled, and I think having lots of children is wonderful! My siblings are all so sweet... 

I love my parents, and I think that they do a wonderful job of being the backbone of our family.

Favorite author and book?

Celia Wilkins is probably my favourite author. Just in case you are wondering who she is, she wrote the Carolyn Years series which is the story of Laura Ingalls' mother. My favourite book has to be any of the books in the above mentioned series. That is if the question is excluding the Bible, of course.

Do you prefer active/outdoor activities or creative/indoor activities?

I prefer indoor activities most. I like being inside and helping around the house ect.

Do you keep a journal/diary?

Yes I do -I haven't written in it for at least a month though. I should get back to using it more.

What is your favorite healthy food or recipe (ex: blueberries)?

Danish pastries ... just the way Mum makes them. Yummm!!!

Do you think music is neutral or does it have an influence on those who listen?

I think that if it is used in the right way, it does have an influence on those who listen.

Which historical person (besides Biblical characters) do you most admire?

Hmm... *(thoughtful expression)* probably Gladys Alwood? 

Thank you so much Danella for this!!!!!!!

In times like these

I love this poem by Helen Steiner Rice. Comment if you love it too. :-)


IN TIMES LIKE THESE

We read the headlines daily
And listen to the news,
We shake our heads despairingly
And glumly sing the blues---

We are restless and dissatisfied
And we do not feel secure,
We are vaguely discontented
With the things we must endure...

This violent age we live in
Is filled with nameless fears
As we listen to the newscasts
That come daily to our ears.

And we view the threatening future
With sad sobriety
As we're surrounded daily
By increased anxiety...

How can we find security
Or stand on solid ground
When there's violence and dissension
And confusion all around?

Where can we go for refuge
From rising tides of hate?
Where can we find a haven
To escape this shameful fate?

So instead of reading headlines
That disturb the heart and mind,
Let us open up the Bible
And in doing so we'll find

That this age is no different
From those that have gone before
But in every hour of crisis
God has opened up a door

For all who seek His guidance
And trust His all-wise plan
For God provides protection
Beyond that devised by man...

And we learn that each tomorrow
Is not ours to understand,
But lies safely in the keeping
Of the great Creator's Hand.

And to have the steadfast knowledge
That we never walk alone
And to rest in the assurance
That our every need is known

Will help dispel our worries,
And our anxieties and care,
For doubt and fear are vanquished
In the peacefulness of prayer.

By Helen Steiner Rice

 
Yes, I know that was pretty relevant! I don't mind if you steal it for your blogs provided you give Helen Steiner Rice the appropriate credit because she is really really really awesome!! :-)

Goodbyes

On Wednesday our cousins are leaving to go back to Asia for three or so years. They are missionaries and have just been back on furlough.
It seems funny to know that I will be almost 18 by the time we see them again!

They were round at our house today and have only just left. Danella and I are unable to go to the airport to see them off so we had to farewell them today.

Goodbyes are sad but it is relieving to know that when we get to Heaven there will be no goodbyes!

What to do when life gets boring

You could go camping on the side of a cliff

Have an extreme picnic

Climb a frozen waterfall

Go tree camping

Go unicycling- if you dare!

Go skywalking

Have a go at extreme skiing

Practice your diving skills

Go mountain climbing

Ready for an adventure?

Ronny the Rope Climber

Ronny the Rope Climber by Arthur S. Maxwell

It happened in the gym one afternoon. Mr Skinner, the gym teacher, was talking to a group of boys near the long ropes that dangled from the ceiling.

“This is the last time this year that we are going to try to beat the school record,” he said, “and I hope one of you will do it. You have sometimes come very close to it. You must try a little bit harder.”

The boys knew exactly what he meant.  The school record stood at 2.1 seconds for climbing 15 feet from a standing start. Bob had done it once in 2.5 seconds, Dick in 2.4, Jerry in 2.6 seconds and Ronny in 2.2 seconds. But no one, so far, had even equaled the record.

“Ready!” called Mr Skinner, stopwatch in hand. “Bob first. One, two , three, go!”

Leaping as high as he could, Bob grabbed the rope and shot up faster than a monkey. He touched the board at the 15-foot mark, then slid down again and waited anxiously to hear the result.

“Just under 2.4 seconds,” said Mr Skinner. “Good try, Bob, but it’s not quite god enough. Let’s see what Dick can do.”

Dick leaped at the rope and flew up and down again in less time than it takes to tell of it. But he too was not fast enough. “Exactly 2.3 seconds,” said Mr Skinner. “Now Jerry.”

Jerry tried hard too, but didn’t do any better than he had before.

“Well, Ronny, it’s up to you,” siad Mr Skinner. “All our hopes are on you now!”

By this time quite a crowd of boys had drifted into the gym. All the school had heard about the rope contest and how near a few of the best climbers were to breaking the record. Now they pressed close to see what Ronny would do this time.

Ronny wanted to beat the record more than anyone there could guess. He wasn’t the best of students. He never got very good grades, but he could climb a rope. And he thought that maybe this could be one way in which he could bring honor to the school he loved so much.

“Are you ready, Ronny?” asked Mr Skinner.

“Ready,” said Ronny.

“One, two three, go!”

With a gleam in his eye and a grim look on his face, Ronny leaped at the rope. Hand over hand, he sped to the top. A moment later he was sliding down again.

“Two seconds!” shouted Mr Skinner excitedly. “Well done, my boy! Well done!”

A cheer went up all over the gym. Ronny had broken the record!

“But Mr Skinner,” Ronny said. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

“What is it, Ronny?” asked Mr Skinner. All the boys leaned forward to hear what Ronny had to say.

“I’m afraid I didn’t touch the marker. I missed it by about half an inch.”

Only half an inch! And nobody had seen. Not even Mr Skinner. It would have been so easy for Ronny to hae let everyone think he had touched the marker. But though it meant losing the record, Ronny wouldn’t purposely mislead the others.

Mr Skinner took him by the hand and looked him straight in the eye. “I’m proud of you, Ronny,” he said. “More proud than you will ever know. You have brought more glory to your school today by your honesty and courage than you ever could by your rope climbing.”

By this time all the boys were crowding around, wondering what would happen.

“Didn’t he break the record?” several asked.

“No,” said Mr Skinner. “He climbed in two seconds, but he failed to touch the marker by a half inch. He is disqualified.”

There were groans all over the gym. “What a shame!” cried some.

“Why didn’t you keep your mouth shut, Ronny?” said others.

Mr Skinner blew his whistle. As silence fell, he said, “Because of my inaccuracy, I am going to give Ronny one more chance.”

Cheers rang out again, with shouts of “Do it this time, Ronny!”

Ronny stepped to the rope.

“Take an extra-high leap,” Mr Skinner said.

Up went Ronny, faster than ever his hand hitting the marker so everyone could see it. Down he came like a streak of lightening.

“Magnificent!” cried Mr Skinner, clapping Ronny on the back. “You have done it in 1.9 seconds and shattered the record all to pieces!”

I Then Shall Live

This is one of my favourite songs- I Then Shall Live, written by Gloria Gaither. It is sung to the tune "Finlandia". If you watch the clip above you can see the Gaither Vocal Band singing it.

These are the words. They are really really really nice!

I Then Shall Live
Lyrics
Words by Gloria Gaither
Music: “Finlandia” Jean Sibelius
Arranged by Jay Rouse

I then shall live as one who’s been forgiven;
I’ll walk with joy to know my debts are paid.
I know my name is clear before my Father;
I am His child and I am not afraid.
So greatly pardoned, I’ll forgive my brother;
The law of love I gladly will obey.

I then shall live as one who’s learned compassion;
I’ve been so loved that I’ll risk loving, too.
I know how fear builds walls instead of bridges;
I’ll dare to see another’s point of view.
And when relationships demand commitment,
Then I’ll be there to care and follow through.

Your Kingdom come around and through in me,
Your power and glory, let them shine through me.
Your Hallowed Name, O may I bear with honor,
And may Your living Kingdom come in me.
The Bread of Life, O may I share with honor,
And may You feed a hungry world through me.


Had you ever heard this song before? The Gaithers and Homecoming Friends are some of Mum's very favourite singers. They are truly incredible... and sing such lovely songs too!

An unusual post

I thought I'd do something different today. I have time.

I'm going to write my entire post in rhyme!

It may seem unconventional, it may seem odd

But that's what I will do. Yes. *nods*

This blog post is not the usual thing

But at least I am not forcing you to sing

While it would be funny for me, it may not be for you

But let's not talk of "what if's", let's talk of what's true.

The last stanza of my quaint little verse

May have seemed to you to be the worse

But I'd love to know what you think of it

Comment your advice, feedback or else nothing admit.

This may seem to be a little disjointed to you 

That's nothing compared to what I can do!

My rhymes sometimes get worse as you scroll down

Take that as a warning and don't wear a frown.

But now you ask why I did say that.

Simple. It's easy! For me, it's just pat.

For you, maybe not, but just never mind-

I am trying (a little) to you to be kind.

If you like my attempt at the rhyme, please comment

It's a kind thing to do, and I know it's well meant.

If you thought my poem was in any way great

Just tell me you thought so, and don't be late!

What else shall I tell you... hmm... I'm not sure

Of course I don't want to be a bore.

Shall I leave this poem and do some other thing?

Or would that be worse than suggesting you sing?

Oh dearie you... Oh dearie me!

This is getting quite silly as you can perhaps see.

Shall I just quietly and quickly leave

Or will this make you cry and grieve?

I really don't know! This is a hard decision!

But I think I've finally reached a conclusion!

I'll end it now, and depending on what comments you say

I may come back and do another someday. :-)

Centre of the Word

I found this on The Chronicles of Storyteller. Thinking it was pretty awesome, I promptly snatched it and am now proudly displaying it to you, my humble reader.




Q: What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?

A: Psalms 117

Q: What is the longest chapter in the Bible?

A: Psalms 119

Q: Which chapter is in the centre of the Bible?

A: Psalms 118

1. Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118
2. Fact: There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118

Add these numbers up and you get 1188.

Q: What is the centre verse in the Bible?

A: Psalms 118:8

Q: Does this verse say something significant about God’s perfect will for our lives?

Psalms 118:8 “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”

The next time someone says they would like to find God’s perfect will for their lives and that they want to be in the centre of His will, just send them to the centre of His Word!

When things get tough, always remember…

Faith doesn’t get you around trouble, it gets you through it!!

Now isn’t that odd how this worked out (or was God in the centre of it)?




–Author Unknown (credit to the DBC newsletter)