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          WHY DO WE STILL HAVE SCARS? One of the greatest truths we can know in life is that God is always able and willing to forgive us for our shortcomings. All we have to do is ask for His forgiveness. And if God is willing, then we too, should forgive ourselves. Yet one of the greatest ironies concerning forgiveness is that the painful memories the scars of our past remain with us. We may wonder, "What's the sense in receiving forgiveness if the scars from the painful memory remain?" Maybe the question should be,...

          GETTING UNDERWAY A young Ensign, who had just completed his first overseas deployment, was given the opportunity to "show his stuff" by getting his ship underway. As he yelled out commands with great confidence, sailors were running everywhere. In no time, the ship came out of the channel, headed for home. It was accomplished so well that he set a new record for getting a destroyer underway. He wasn't surprised when a seaman approached him with a message from his CO. . . he was surprised to find that it was a radio message....

          "PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT" Just a children's song remembered from a Sunday School class long ago: "Red and yellow, black and white; they are precious in his sight; Jesus loves the little children of the world." But it expresses a profound truth. One that might change the world if we took it seriously. Sort of like the lesson in the poem a friend sent me yesterday. It's worth more than a second reading. It may reveal ... or remind you... of more truth than you expect! "We pray for the children who put chocolate...

          ISN'T IT OBVIOUS? This warning label (among about a half dozen warning labels) appears on my son's baby carriage: Do not fold carriage with baby inside! It may seem funny to state something so obvious, but I suppose to cover themselves against lawsuits from people who couldn't figure out to first remove the baby, they put on the warning label. The Prophet Micah gives us easy-to-follow instructions for a good life that seem so obvious and elementary we wonder, is that all we have to do to live happily and peacefully? The answer is...

          RESERVATIONS! Recently, someone stopped by my office, handed me two sheets of paper, and said something to the effect of, "You're always sharing something with people; here's something for you." Then he was gone. Like so many encounters we have along life's way, this one was brief. But it left a lasting impression. And brightened my whole day. The article is definitely a "keeper." Originally written by Jonathan Lee for the Washington Post, it is entitled "Reservations of an Airline Agent." I've abbreviated it due to limited space, but the point is unchanged. Enjoy!...

          DISAPPOINTMENTS Disappointments come to all of us; and the more I see of life, the more convinced I am that one of the most important lessons anyone can learn is how to handle these disappointments. One of the great disappointments in my youth happened during my sophomore year in high school when I was running for class president. The class elected a cute brunette cheerleader. Another popular girl, another of the cheerleaders, came in second. And I trailed the field with only four votes. That was quite a blow to a cocky young boy...

          "PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT" Just a children's song remembered from a Sunday School class long ago: "Red and yellow, black and white; they are precious in his sight; Jesus loves the little children of the world." But it expresses a profound truth. One that might change the world if we took it seriously. Sort of like the lesson in the poem a friend sent me yesterday. It's worth more than a second reading. It may reveal ... or remind you... of more truth than you expect! "We pray for the children who put chocolate...

          GOLDEN MOMENTS Once upon a time, there was a little boy from "the wrong side of the tracks" who grew up admiring a beautiful house high on the hill overlooking his town. Fortunately, he never lacked for any of the necessities of life. But he hated being "poor." He noticed that people treated him differently. And it pained him to see his parents work so hard just to make ends meet. It just didn't seem right that some should be so favored and others should have so little. But his parents has instilled some...

          THE POWER OF LOVE What most people need to learn in life is how to love people and use things instead of using people and loving things. This story will keep you singing! Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. Karen and her spouse found out that the new baby was going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael would sing to his sister in...

          YOU’RE THE ONE Lees tells the story proudly now. With an ending is one that few would ever predicted when he was in high school. He remembers the turning point as though it were yesterday. Just a chance encounter and an offhand comment... but it changed his life forever. He had slipped quietly into the back of a classroom to wait for a friend that day. The last thing he wanted was to be noticed. But the teacher asked him to go to the board and work out a problem. Les pointed out that...

          WORDPOWER! During the invasion of Salerno, Allied forces employed propaganda on a scale they had never tried before. Artillery was used to fire shells, each containing thousands of leaflets, encouraging the Germans to surrender and promising them humane treatment if they did. The shells would open about 300 feet in the air and rain down the leaflets on German troops. One British Major made no secret of his anger at having to fire leaflets at the enemy instead of high explosives. In a short while, however, he changed his mind. For days his men...

          CONCRETE LOVE "Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:3 The story is told of a child psychologist who spent many hours constructing a new driveway at his home. Just after he smoothed the surface of the freshly poured concrete, his small children chased a ball across the driveway, leaving deep footprints. The man yelled after them with a torrent of angry words. His shocked wife said, "You're a psychologist who's supposed...

          THE TREE OF LIFE "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him." (John 3:16,17). One night I was watching a movie. At the end, the cowboy turned and put the name of his girlfriend in the window of his car for all to see. Then he put his arm around her and pulled her...

          KEEPING THE FAITH The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He...

~Favorite STAR Song~ The Elegants - Little Star Where are you little star? (Where are you?) Whoa oh, oh, oh-uh-oh Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh Whoa oh, oh, oh-uh-oh Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh Twinkle twinkle little star How I wonder where you are Wish I may, wish I might Make this wish come true tonight Searched all over for a love You're the one I'm thinkin' of Whoa oh, oh, oh-uh-oh Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh Whoa oh, oh, oh-uh-oh Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh Twinkle twinkle little star How I wonder where you are High above the clouds somewhere Send me...

          DON’T BLAME CHANGING TIMES Most of us have learned to cope with, if not exactly embrace, the technological revolution that has completely restructured our world over the past two decades. Words like "Internet," "e-mail" and even "distance learning" may not be in your dictionary yet, but they soon will be. And that dictionary probably won't be paper like the ones most of us learned to use; instead, it will be part of the "spellchecker" on a computer hard drive, or perhaps on a single "CD-ROM" that contains thousands of pages of information. Despite my...

          LIFEBOAT One of the great World War II films was LIFEBOAT, about the ordeal faced by survivors of a passenger ship that was sunk by a Nazi U-Boat in the middle of the Atlantic. The film details their struggle for survival in a small lifeboat, fighting the elements, thirst and then fighting against each other. Each person has their own ideas about how to navigate the little boat: they argue about who should be in charge; and they find little things to fight over even when they run out of things to fight over....

          WHAT MAKES A DAD! God took the strength of a mountain, The majesty of a tree, The warmth of a summer sun, The calm of a quiet sea, The generous soul of nature, The comforting arm of night, The wisdom of the ages, The power of the eagle's flight, The joy of a morning in spring, The faith of a mustard seed, The patience of eternity, The depth of a family need, Then God combined these qualities, When there was nothing more to add, He knew His masterpiece was complete, And so, He called...

~ Flag Day, June 14 ~ Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies militaryand the family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. Click Betsy Ross The History of Flag Day Red Skelton ~ Pledge of Allegiance (spoken) Red Skelton ~ Pledge of Allegiance (written) Star Spangled Banner Ragged Old Flag Old Glory This Ain’t No Rag, It’s A Flag You're A Grand Old Flag Please remember that The Canteen is here to support and entertain our troops and veterans and their families, and is family friendly.

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ QMCS Clarence Cooper, ret.Story here.             Vietnam vet awarded Bronze Star Updated: Monday, 01 Jun 2009, 4:09 PM EDT Published : Monday, 01 Jun 2009, 12:25 PM EDT NORFOLK, Va. - More than thirty years following his heroic actions, retired U. S. Navy Senior Chief Quartermaster (Submarines) Clarence G....

          ROBIN WILLIAMS: Human Being In January 1997 my family and I PCS-ed from Camp Lejeune to Okinawa. On the trip from the east coast to LA where we would board the Freedom Bird, we decided to take a few days for sightseeing in San Francisco. We stayed at the BOQ in Naval Station, Treasure Island. One night my wife sent me to the convenience store for some milk. On the way I saw one of the old boat hangars lit up. There was a beehive of activity around the huge building, with cars and...

          PROMISE YOURSELF Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind to speak of health, happiness, and prosperity to every person that you meet; to make all your friends aware of the special qualities within them; to look at the sunny side of every thing and let your optimism work to make your dreams come true; to think, work for, and expect only the best; to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own; to forget past mistakes and press on towards...

          Words from Ronald Reagan on Memorial Day President Ronald Reagan's June 6, 1984 speech in front of the U.S. Ranger Monument in Normandy commemorating the Rangers' charge up Pointe du Hoc: "Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet, you risked everything here. Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take...

          EXAMPLE The most valuable gift you can give another is a good example. "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you." (John: 13:15) In his autobiography, Armand Hammer known as much for his humanitarian efforts as for being chairman and CEO of Occidental Petroleum, an advisor to presidents from Roosevelt to Reagan, and an industrialist reveals the roots of his giving spirit: "My father had become a prominent and greatly love figure in the area. . .It was an almost ecstatic experience for me to...

          STRIVING FOR BALANCE In a university commencement address several years ago, Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises, spoke of the relation of work to one's other commitments: "Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends and spirit - and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit -...

          GETTING UNDERWAY A young Ensign, who had just completed his first overseas deployment, was given the opportunity to "show his stuff" by getting his ship underway. As he yelled our commands with great confidence, sailors were running everywhere. In no time, the ship came out of the channel, headed for home. It was accomplished so well that he set a new record for getting a destroyer underway. He wasn't surprised when a seaman approached him with a message from his CO. . . he was surprised to find that it was a radio message....

          .....He sent two of the disciples saying, "Go into the village opposite you, in which no one yet has ever sat; untie it, and bring it here. "And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' thus shall you speak, 'The Lord has need of it.'" .......And they brought it to Jesus and they put Jesus on it. And as He was going, they were spreading their garments in the road. And as He was now approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to...

          PERSISTENCE -- THE KEY TO SUCCESS? Walter Wintle once wrote: "If you think you are beaten, you are; if you think you dare not, you don't; If you'd like to win, but think that you can't, it's almost a cinch that you won't.If you think you'll lose, you're lost, for out in the world we find Success begins with a fellow's will; it's all in the state of mind.If you think you're outclassed, you are; you've got to think high to rise. You've got to be sure of yourself before you can ever win...

          RESERVATIONS Recently, someone stopped by my office, handed me two sheets of paper, and said something to the effect of, "You're always sharing something with people; here's something for you." Then he was gone. Like so many encounters we have along life's way, this one was brief. But it left a lasting impression. And brightened my whole day. The article is definitely a "keeper." Originally written by Jonathan Lee for the Washington Post, it is entitled "Reservations of an Airline Agent." I've abbreviated it due to limited space, but the point is unchanged. Enjoy!...

          KEEP MOVING A college class was graduating on a hot and humid day. As the graduates walked across the platform and received their diplomas from the president of the college, he smiled, shook their hands, and said loudly, "Congratulations!" Then, in a much lower voice, one that was firm and could be heard only by the graduates, he would say, "Keep moving." He was only trying to keep the line moving across the stage, but his words were good advice for a lifetime: "Keep moving." After every achievement growing up, graduation, marriage, job promotion,...

          PERSISTENCE -- THE KEY TO SUCCESS? Walter Wintle once wrote: "If you think you are beaten, you are; if you think you dare not, you don't; If you'd like to win, but think that you can't, it's almost a cinch that you won't.If you think you'll lose, you're lost, for out in the world we find Success begins with a fellow's will; it's all in the state of mind.If you think you're outclassed, you are; you've got to think high to rise. You've got to be sure of yourself before you can ever win...

          Onward Christian Soldiers! Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before; Christ, the royal Master Leads against the foe; Forward into battle, See, his banners go. Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before. At the sign of triumph Satan's host doth flee; On then, Christian soldiers, On to victory. Hell's foundations quiver At the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, Loud your anthems raise. Like a mighty army Moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading Where...

          THE LOSER WHO NEVER GAVE UP For "Sparky", school was all but impossible. He failed every subject in the eighth grade. He flunked physics in high school, getting a grade of zero. He also flunked Latin, algebra and English. And his record in sports wasn't any better. Though he did manage to make the school's golf team, he promptly lost the only important match of the season. Oh, there was a consolation match; he lost that too. Throughout his youth, Sparky was awkward socially. It wasn't that the other students disliked him; it's just...

          WHY DO WE STILL HAVE SCARS? One of the greatest truths we can know in life is that God is always able and willing to forgive us for our shortcomings. All we have to do is ask for His forgiveness. And if God is willing, then we too, should forgive ourselves. Yet one of the greatest ironies concerning forgiveness is that the painful memories the scars of our past remain with us. We may wonder, "What's the sense in receiving forgiveness if the scars from the painful memory remain?" Maybe the question should be,...

          GROWING DEEP AND STRONG One day, my mother and I were working together in the garden where we were transplanting plants for the third time. Grown from seed in a small container, the plants had been transferred to a larger container; then transplanted into the garden. Now, because I was moving, we were transplanting them once again. Inexperienced as a gardener, I turned to my green-thumbed mother. "Isn’t this bad for them?" I asked, as we dug them up and shook the dirt from the roots. "Won’t it hurt these plants, being uprooted and...

          HIGH FLIGHT John Gillespie Magee, Jr. was a pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Shortly before his plane was shot down during World War II, he wrote a poem called "High Flight." The last stanza reads: Up, up the long delirious, burning blueI've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace,Where never lark, or even eagle, flew;And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trodThe high untrespassed sanctity of space,Put out my hand and touched the face of God. John Magee was only nineteen years old when he wrote these words. Today this poem is...

          DON’T BLAME CHANGING TIMES Most of us have learned to cope with, if not exactly embrace, the technological revolution that has completely restructured our world over the past two decades. Words like "Internet," "e-mail" and even "distance learning" may not be in your dictionary yet, but they soon will be. And that dictionary probably won't be paper like the ones most of us learned to use; instead, it will be part of the "spellchecker" on a computer hard drive, or perhaps on a single "CD-ROM" that contains thousands of pages of information. Despite my...

          OUR COVENANT WITH GOD Abram accepted the covenant God offered him, "I Am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." Abram fell face-down, and God said to him, "As for me, this is my covenant with you: you will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram: your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations." (Genesis 17:1-5). Like Abraham, we also have a covenant with God;...

          Prayers for Israel Maschil of David, when he was in the cave; a Prayer. With my voice I cry unto HaShem; with my voice I make supplication unto HaShem. I pour out my complaint before Him, I declare before Him my trouble; When my spirit fainteth within me--Thou knowest my path--in the way wherein I walk have they hidden a snare for me. Look on my right hand, and see, for there is no man that knoweth me; I have no way to flee; no man careth for my soul.I have cried unto Thee,...

          OUR COVENANT WITH GOD Abram accepted the covenant God offered him, "I Am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." Abram fell face-down, and God said to him, "As for me, this is my covenant with you: you will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram: your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations." (Genesis 17:1-5). Like Abraham, we also have a covenant with God;...

          GIVING IT ALL YOU’VE GOT Ever hear the expression "Giving it the whole nine yards"? Do you happen to know where it comes from? I used to think it was a sports term. "Not so" say several experts. But here seem to be at least two schools of thought on the phrase's origin. Both seem plausible. I'll let you decide. One explanation says that it's an expression from the construction trade. A full truck load, according to this rationale, will dump nine cubic yards of sand or gravel at your work site. In such...

          DISAPPOINTMENTS Disappointments come to all of us; and the more I see of life, the more convinced I am that one of the most important lessons anyone can learn is how to handle these disappointments. One of the great disappointments in my youth happened during my sophomore year in high school when I was running for class president. The class elected a cute brunette cheerleader. Another popular girl, another of the cheerleaders, came in second. And I trailed the field with only four votes. That was quite a blow to a cocky young boy...

          JUST FOR TODAY As I go through some "troubles" in my own life, I've worked out this "formula" to help me be a useful and happy person. See if it doesn't work for you! JUST FOR TODAY: I will try to live through this day only, and not tackle my whole life problem at once. JUST FOR TODAY: I will be happy. I will assume to be true what Abraham Lincoln said: "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." JUST FOR TODAY: I will try to strengthen my...

          MAKING ASSUMPTIONS A story making the rounds this past week told of a policeman who was heading home after a long, hard day on patrol. He had dealt with a whole succession of difficult people, and a mountain of frustrating paperwork. All he wanted at this point was to kick back, unwind, enjoy some peace and quiet, and maybe watch a few innings of baseball on TV. But, as he neared home, he was startled by a vehicle that came careening around a sharp curve and narrowly missed his squad car. As the car...

          LIFEBOAT! One of the great World War II films was LIFEBOAT, about the ordeal faced by survivors of a passenger ship that was sunk by a Nazi U-Boat in the middle of the Atlantic. The film details their struggle for survival in a small lifeboat, fighting the elements, thirst and then fighting against each other. Each person has their own ideas about how to navigate the little boat: they argue about who should be in charge; and they find little things to fight over even when they run out of things to fight over....

          PERSISTENCE -- THE KEY TO SUCCESS? Walter Wintle once wrote: "If you think you are beaten, you are; if you think you dare not, you don't; If you'd like to win, but think that you can't, it's almost a cinch that you won't.If you think you'll lose, you're lost, for out in the world we find Success begins with a fellow's will; it's all in the state of mind.If you think you're outclassed, you are; you've got to think high to rise. You've got to be sure of yourself before you can ever win...

          A MESSAGE FROM MOM I gave you life, but cannot live it for you.I can teach you things, but I cannot make you learn.I can give you directions, but I cannot be there to lead you. I can allow you freedom, but I cannot account for it.I can take you to church, but I cannot make you believe.I can teach you right from wrong, but I cannot always decide for you.I can buy you beautiful clothes, but I cannot make you beautiful inside.I can offer you advice, but I cannot accept it for you.I...

          PULLED IN TWO DIRECTIONS Our Daily Bread ~ July 29, 1998 Read: Philippians 1:19-26 "To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ... I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ. (Philippians 1:21,23) As Christians, we are pulled in two directions. We all want to go to heaven, but this life also holds great appeal. We are like the youngster in Sunday school who listened intently while the teacher told about the beauties of heaven. She concluded by saying, "Raise your hand if...

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          THE POWER OF A TEACHER Yesterday, I related the story of a young man who had been labeled as "retarded," yet achieved remarkable success because of one teacher who convinced him that someone else's judgment need not become his reality. The account pointed out the importance of a healthy self-image, and the power of a vision. Today, I want to expand on that thought a bit. What was it that made the teacher in that story so different? Confidence? Experience? Expertise? No, I think it was something far more basic. Let me illustrate with...