Category Tail Feathers

Bits and bytes of randomness found along the flyways of cyberdom

The Seven Wonders of the World

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Junior high school students in Chicago were studying the Seven Wonders of the World. At the end of the lesson, the students were asked to list what they considered to be the Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following received the most votes:

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1. Egypt’s Great Pyramids
2. The Taj Mahal in India
3. The Grand Canyon in Arizona
4. The Panama Canal
5. The Empire State Building
6. St. Peter’s Basilica
7. China’s Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student, a quiet girl, hadn’t turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The quiet girl replied, “Yes, a little. I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there were so many.” The teacher said, “Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.”

The girl hesitated, then read, “I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:

1. to touch…
2. to taste…
3. to see…
4. to hear… (She hesitated a little, and then added…)
5. to feel…
6. to laugh…
7. and to love.

The room was so quiet; you could have heard a pin drop.
May this story serve as a gentle reminder to all of us that the things we overlook as simple and ordinary are often the most wonderful – and we don’t have to travel anywhere special to experience them.
Enjoy your gifts!

Happy Valentine’s Day

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

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‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Modern Version

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

‘T’was the night before Christmas and all through the town

Not a sign of Baby Jesus was anywhere to be found.

The people were all busy with Christmas time chores

Like decorating, and baking, and shopping in stores.

No one sang “Away in a manger, no crib for a bed”. holyfamily

Instead, they sang of Santa dressed-up in bright red.

Mama watched Martha Stewart, Papa drank beer from a tap.

As hour upon hour the presents they’d wrap

When what from the TV did they suddenly hear?

But an ad which told of a big sale at Sears.

So away to the mall they all flew like a flash

Buying things on credit and others with cash!

And, as they made their way home from their trip to the mall

Did they think about Jesus? Oh, no, not at all.

Their lives were so busy with their Christmas time things

No time to remember Christ Jesus, the King.

There were presents to wrap and cookies to bake.

How could they stop and remember who died for their sake?

To pray to the Savior they had no time to stop.

Because they needed more time to “Shop til they drop!”

On Wal-mart! On K-mart! On Target! On Penney’s!

On Hallmark! On Zales! A quick lunch at Denny’s.

From the big stores downtown to the stores at the mall

They would dash away, dash away, and visit them all!

And up on the roof, there arose such a clatter

As grandpa hung icicle lights up on his brand new step ladder

He hung lights that would flash. He hung lights that would twirl.

Yet, he never once prayed to Jesus, Light of the World.

Christ’s eyes, how they twinkle! Christ’s Spirit, how merry!

Christ’s love, how enormous! All our burdens, He’ll carry!

So instead of being busy, overworked, and uptight

Let’s put Christ back in Christmas and enjoy some good nights!

–Author Unknown

Growing Old Gracefully

Allen Frederick 1 Comment

And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Joshua 14:10-11 (NKJV)

himOne quarter of a million. That is a rather large number to most people, myself included. One quarter of a million. Say that a few times so that it sinks in. One quarter of a million. That is how many miles my van has driven. The places it has gone. The things that it has seen. The record of all the events that took place during those 250,000 miles. Every inch of that van had to travel those 250,000 miles together. Everything under the hood had to cooperate to accomplish this feat. All working parts had to be maintained in order for the van to make this milestone. 250,000!


Wow!

I was thinking about this the other day and decided I would put pen to paper to try to capture some of the thoughts that ran through my mind. I have to first mention I am not the original owner of this vehicle, thus I can not take credit for the many miles it journeyed before it became mine. I can attest to the number of miles since.

I had purchased the van a few years ago from a traveling Evangelist and his wife, two lovely people who truly loved what they were doing. They would travel for hours inside that van, to reach their scheduled destination and then unpack to minister to others. After the event, they would again pack their belongings into the van and head for their next destination. They towed a trailer behind them, where they would spend their evenings when on the road. It seemed like a perfect match. Ministry plus van plus trailer equals success. The Lord had truly blessed them with the number of safe and comfortable miles He allowed them to travel inside that van.

The number of people who had received a blessing from these two saints of God must number in the thousands. I would pause to wonder if the number of people reached by this old van equals the miles traveled? Can you imagine a quarter of a million people? The number astounds me!

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Energizer Christians

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I love that little pink bunny. You know the one who beats on his own drum and keeps going and going and going and going. That’s right the Energizer bunny. That little pink bunny who finds the power to do just about anything. He never tires, he never slows down, in fact he is able to energize a whole city in one commercial. Thump thump thump he goes. Marching along steady and sure beating on that big bass drum never stopping or slowing.

I believe Christians have gotten caught up in the Energizer bunny syndrome. It would appear from some of our actions that we feel we must keep going and going and going no matter what comes our way. We do not allow ourselves any time to remain idle. We feel we must have the power and the energy to embrace all circumstances with a steady drumbeat of righteousness and Godly character. We keep beating our own drums and marching to our own beat never stopping to consider what lies around us. We are making so much progress on our own strength and merit while beating our own drums that perhaps we feel we are invincible, even godlike.

Beat the drum, keep on moving, never tire, never slow down. Just like the energizer bunny we feel we have power to spare no matter what demands are placed on us. We continue to feel the need to give out and enlighten our darkened world so much perhaps we have failed to realize that even an Eveready battery goes dead if it is not recharged.

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