My life since Christmas

It's been five days since Christmas.  My wife I have quit long ago exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.  We now decided what item we want and then purchase it sometime when we really want it for our Christmas present.  One year it was new furniture, another year new computers, another year, a gas insert for our fireplace.  Most often as was true for this year, our Christmas shopping was completed before the beginning of summer.
   But I did have a nice surprise for my wife this year.  I purchased a newer model car for her this year.  I also have one other surprise for her that will come tomorrow: a Kitchen aid mixer.  I took the test Kitchen Aid gives to determine which mixer would be best for her but decided it wasn't nice enough to I got a different model.  It's something she has always wanted so I thought I'd get it for her while I have the money and while I am still alive to give it to her.
  As for myself I got a new tie clasp, a smile on my wife's face, and a New Year beginning with a few dollars in the bank and none owed to creditors save for our house payment.  For the past five years I have carried a debt for a local church but they were kind enough to pay the remainder of the loan if full and I've repaid the bank as well so I didn't have to pay the interest payment.
  Life is good.  I have a loving wife, a nice home, no debt,  a good church family and a loving God.    

Walking in the Spirit Dec. 30, 2018

SR_71

The SR-71 is the fastest manned aircraft ever produced and  part of my job in Vietnam was the tracking of military aircraft.  A video of the blackbird, which the ST-71 was known as reminded me of his incident.  I knew I was tracking a blackbird because it was moving so quickly it was the only plane it could be.  The plane entered North Vietnamese airspace from the southeastern corner of N>V< and flew across the width of the country then headed due north and then exited in the northeastern part of the country.  In only took a few minutes for the blackbird to make the trip.
  When the SR-71 first entered the country the N. Vietnamese launched a MiG 23 from their northern most airbase.  The MiG fly as fast straight up as it could and then fired all it's missiles.   It was like a hail Mary pass in football and like most hail Mary passes, this attempt to shoot down the blackbird failed too but it was the closest the enemy ever came to hitting the plane.
  I actually had the pleasure of viewing one of these beauties close up  while traveling through Okinawa.  I do believe this aircraft has been retired from active service.

Drcember 27. 2018

Helping the police

  There have been many occasions when I have gone to the aid of the police.  The first time was in my twenties.  I was working at a retail store and I stepped out on the loading dock and noticed a police officer struggling to gain control of a much larger man.  I asked if I could help and when given permission the gentleman relaxed and was easily taken into custody.  A couple of years later I noticed several officers struggling with multiple suspects and I stopped to render assistance.
  A third time was at Lowes Food store  on High Point Road in Greensboro.  Two suspects, one six feet four and the other, six foot ten, had stolen and consumed several bottles of wine on the premises and were attempting to leave with more when approached by a uniformed police officer and a couple of Lowes security personnel.  The three men were no match for the two bigger and stronger suspects.  The two security officers wrestled with the shorter of the two suspects in an attempt to handcuff him while the police officer was trying to handcuff the larger man after having sprayed him with mace.
   The big man tossed the little cop over the customer service counter but was so blinded by the spray he couldn't see which way to flee/  The policeman recovered and again tried to handcuff the big man.  I asked the cop for permission to help and he nodded his approval, being to tired to even speak.  Fortunately, the security guards had the first man in custody and one of them came to our aid to subdue the second fellow.
   The fourth and last time was also in Greensboro.  A man on a motorcycle was fleeing from a policeman in an SUV.  The motorcyclist fled up a dead in street and was attempting to leave that area when the cop blocked his exit.  After a short face off the motor cycle sped behind the SUV and attempted to go behind my truck.  Being in reverse, I just stepped on the gas attempting to block him from fleeing.  The motor cycle rider lost control of his ride and ran from the scene.  The police officer and his dog gave chase but the dog was confused as to whom it was chasing:  me or the suspect.  The suspect was easily outrunning the police officer so I just put my truck into forward gear and pulled in front of the fleeing suspect so he had to stop running.
   I don't consider myself a hero.  I just did what all good citizens should do but few do.  The police are here to help us in times of trouble.  Even if everyone was a law abiding citizen the police would still be necessary as there are times when someone needs to be there to keep things in order.  I just put myself in their situation and react the way I would want others to act.  If we all got involved there would be much less crime.

buying a car is harder than it should be.

   One would think that car lots would be eager to sell a car but it turns out it's harder than it should be.  The crazy thing is I have the money to pay for the car in full.  Well, sort of.  I have 80% of it in cash.  The salesman told me when I picked the car out  that they could take a credit card but when I gave him mine he wanted to know if it could run it through as a debit card.  Why would I write you a check for a partial payment then have you withdraw the remainder out of my checking account via debit card?
    I told him I could finance the remainder until my needed funds are deposited but he couldn't tell me which credit reporting agency the dealership would use.  I told him I needed to know to unfreeze my credit.  The sales manager said that he would have their bank call me and I could give the bank my info.  I said "no thank you".  I have my credit frozen for a reason and I am not giving my information to a stranger so they can circumvent the process and gain access to my credit without me unfreezing it.  I'm not playing that stupid game.
   I has now been ten days since I first tried to purchase a car and I still don't have one and it will be sometime after Christmas   before I have the opportunity to get it.  If the dealership had been truthful about the credit card bit it would have saved me a trip to Greensboro.
   If I could have waited until the first of the year I would have more than enough cash to get the car outright but this is the vehicle I have been searching months for so I really hate to let it go.

Awesome time in church

  Jimmy Davis was our guest speaker this morning after Sunday School followed by a dinner in the fellowship hall followed by a short musical concert.  Sunday School was an awesome lesson and the worship hour seemed as if the preacher delivered the exact same message as we had in Sunday School.
   One could feel the hand of God in todays service.

Interesting discussion on prostate cancer

  I am following a thread on a Facebook post discussing prostate cancer and treatment options.  I am far from an expert but I am still in the process of recovery from prostate surgery.  There are so many changes in the field that the handbook handout given at cancer treatment centers is already out of date.  I know the one I received never mentioned proton treatments and didn't discuss prostate size, length of some treatment options, healing, recovery times, and all the possible side effects  and many other issues.  If any out there have questions or comments about prostate cancer treatments and/or options I will be glad to share what little I do know and will invite others that have been through this so maybe we can help each other through this process.

When is helping not an act of kindness?

A man was in the kitchen cooking a couple cakes of cornbread.  The day before  his wife told him he didn't need to make any cornbread but he replied that he wanted some.  There were two sizes of skillets in the oven, the timer was set for twenty minutes and everything was going according to plan.    When the twenty minute timer went off, the man pulled the skillets from the oven and tested the cornbread for doneness,  The smaller skillet was done but the larger skillet needed a little more time in the oven.  Before he could pop the skillet back into the oven and reset the timer his wife came by and turned the timer and oven off.
  He asked her what are you doing and she said the timer was beeping.  "I know but I didn't want the oven turned off".
  Well, I'll just turn it back on" she retorted.
  "No, just forget it."

He cut the smaller cake of cornbread and offered his wife a taste.  "
  "I grew up on Jiffy cornbread mix"  she said.  "I don't like this".
  Maybe the wife thought she was helping but the day before she started the whole affair by criticizing his desire to make cornbread.   The man knew the smaller skillet would cook faster than the big skillet so it would take an additional 5 minutes to cook.  He pulled both pans from the oven to test them for doneness and to determine if 5 minutes would be enough to finish the big pan.  When the wife cut the oven off it was, to him, just his wife's way of showing her displeasure at him cooking the cornbread when she didn't want him too and to signal him she didn't think he knew what he was doing.  When she made the remark about Jiffy cornbread mix, it just added insult to injury.

News from the homefront

  Friday, December 7, 2018 was Pearl Harbor Day, my second day back to the YMCA swimming pool, and the date of the meeting to the Anchor Baptist Fellowship.  I was invited to be a guest speaker but I never made it.  I was involved in an automobile accident and had to get my pastor to come pick me up.
   My wife thinks I may have developed an allergy   to our cats.  Early last year I seemed to have developed a cold but didn't have all the cold symptoms.  I thought it might have been a sinus infection although I have never had one before.  I suffered through it and finally got better after a moth of agony.  Then the symptoms returned in the fall to I went to the doctor.  I have to be in serious discomfort to go to a doctor for routine ailments.  I was told I had allergies and given a prescription for Fluticasone propionate which helped a lot.  My prescription expired November 1, 2018 and my I used the last of my medicine a few weeks later.  Before the moth was up my symptoms returned.
  Clogged up nose, dry itchy throat and an annoying cough.  I sucked on cough drops, took an over the counter allergy medicine (which allowed me to sleep), used a nasal spray, and even took some night time cold medication but got little relief.  I requested a refill of my medication but never heard from the doctor or the pharmacy so I was just going to wait until my doctors appointment on the 14th.  My medicine came by mail yesterday.
    I thought I may have been allergic to pollen but my wife noticed that my symptoms were actually much better when   we were not come.  She thinks I may be allergic to my cats.
  I'll ask my doctor Friday.  

There is freedom in surrender

     Many in America consider themselves Christians even though they have never made a profession of faith and some of them are regulars in our church houses.  They are the reason many people don't go to church:  they are the hypocrites.  Then there are others would are truly Christians but just have never grew up.  Paul called them babes. People think they are hypocrites because their actions don't always reflect their stated beliefs.
  There are many Protestants who think all Catholics are lost because the Catholic Church teaches some things Protestants don't think is right.   If our salvation was based on the correct interpretation of scripture than there would probably no one going to heaven for I have found that even among highly respected biblical scholars and theologians a wide range of understanding and interpretations.    A babe in Christ is one who knows the fundamentals of the faith but judges others the way people judge each other and not by the way God sees us.  A babe in Christ is also one who lives a life not fully surrendered as if totally surrender means defeat.  Christianity is a relationship and all relationships take work.  One will not be married long if one only came home once or twice a year, never contributed to the household budget, and never or seldom ever talked to their spouse.  Yet that is the relationship many Christians have with God.  No wonder things don't work out to good for them.
  There are some people who view church attendance about the same as belonging to a social club.  They go on a regular bases whether   that be all the services, Sunday morning only, or just special events.  Some don't go at all because they got their feelings hurt, they think the church is only after their money, or they have found other ways to satisfy their social needs and no longer view the church as a necessary outlet for human contact.  Texting and facebooking without actually ever seeing another person often substitutes for social interaction.  It really isn't.
   I was no different than many people.  I believe in Christ and I believe the bible was the word of God but I also had to live in the world.  I wanted to be viewed as a good person but few like a goody-two-shoes so one learns to walk the line between what is right and socially acceptable behavior.  often when one does that their life feels like a lie because they are not being true to God, to their friends, or to themselves.
   It took me many years to learn that one needs to choose whom to serve. A man cannot live as part of the world and still live for Christ.  I finally decided that if I was a Christian that I should jump in 100%.  I don't care how pure ones motives are there will always be one to criticize, to view with distrust, or to seek to take advantage of you.  It doesn't matter for I attend church because I find it a source of knowledge, strength and encouragement.  I draw upon my relationship with Christ and not upon my relation or standing in the church.
  Even so, life is still a battle between the spirit and the flesh.  The Christian life isn't always an easy life but it is deeply satisfying.      It is like having a healthy marriage:  there are always temptations and discouragement out in the workplace and public places but one knows at home there is one person that understands and cares and is willing to share of themselves with you, that is dependable to give help when needed and with whom you feel an overwhelming need to love and protect.
  There is no relationship more perfect than the one between a fully surrendered Christian and his savior and Lord, Christ Jesus.

adequate lighting

   Even after remodeling the kitchen we still had some lighting issues.  The main light in the kitchen is a florescent light.  Florescent lights are notorious for flickering when the temperatures are on the cool side.  But the main problem we were having is in the area where my wife keeps her recipe books and under the cabinet where my coffee maker is.  I get up early and one of the first thigs I do is fix my coffee and make my breakfast.   If I turn on the light in the dinning area, then I have enough light to wake the entire neighborhood.  The LED light fixture I installed is so bright I had to installed a dimmer switch to tone it down so we could open our eyes.
   I have had to open the microwave so I can see the button to turn on the light over the oven.  My wife is such a light sleeper I hate doing that because the slight noise is often enough to disturb her sleep.  The other day  she came home with two small LED lights to go under the cabinet.  I've tried them in the  past and found either the lighting inadequate or the device of poor construction or quality that it made it inconvenient to use.  But these units she purchased provide more than adequate light, come with three setting ( on, auto, and off).  Once up they stay up.  There are no  regular batteries to change.  The lights come with a recharging cord and if the batteries ever die then one can use the recharging cord as a regular plug.  On auto, the light is activated by motion so I no longer have to open the microwave to turn on a light or even use that light.  I can make breakfast and coffee with the light these little units provide.
  What a clever designed devise.

Working inside because outside is too cold

  I prefer to be outdoors pulling weeds, mowing, tending to my flower beds, or just about anything else I can think of to keep me out of the house but it is just to cold.  I did pull the water pump from the pond and turn the system off for the winter but that's all I'm doing outside.  Instead, I gave myself the job of putting up extra shelving in my wife's closet so she can get her stuff off the floor.
  It was my idea, my money that purchased the supplies, my labor to put the shelving up, but I can't put them up until she is free to supervise.   Meanwhile, while I was at Lowes she vacuumed a cat toy into the vacuum cleaner but she doesn't want me to fix her vacuum.  It feels something like being a modern day TV husband.  Once upon a time, the TV dads were king of the roast, like in Father Knows Best and Leave it to Beaver but now father's and husbands are bumbling idiots and the butt of most of the jokes.
   It doesn't matter.  I did my measuring and cutting while she fixed lunch.  Gotta love her.  

Bible study lessons

   We are embarking on the study of how to become a fruitful Christian in a series called Fruit by the Bushel.  First and foremost, one must be a Christian, i.e., one must have given their life over to Christ.  That is a hard thing for most people to do as they believe that living for Christ is living under a set of restrictive rules which prohibits one from having fun and requires one to go to church and hear boring sermons every week.  
  In a way you would be right if that is what you think.  There are many worldly things that God does not want His people to engage in and there are things that God wants His people to do.  But in the grand scheme of things, being a Christian is not a restrictive life but a life of freedom.  All of us serve a master.  Either Satan or God is in control.  The most miserable life is when we try to  serve both for no man can serve two masters.
  The problem the world has with Christians is immaturity.  There are lots of people that accept Christ but want to keep one foot in the world because they are intimidated because non-Christians will poke fun at them and call them names.  To often these immature Christians will object to the behavior of a non-Christian and say things like "you need to stop (whatever offensive behavior one is engaged in), and start going to church.  Such words only antagonizes the   non-believer and causes them to believe being a Christian is living to a higher moral code and the non-believers see Christians doing things they believe is not on a higher plane and therefore they see the Christian as a hypocrite.
   The truth is there are no restrictions on behavior for Christians are "all things are lawful".  Even so "not all things are expedient".  Being a Christian is not adhering to a stricter moral code but is one who has a relationship with Christ.  When one is single one has the right to date anyone who will go out with them but once they get married they do not give up the ability or right to date others but it is no longer expedient for them to do so.  They are in a relationship so one restricts their behavior for the sake of the relationship  and not because they are trying to live above the moral code they lived by as a single person.
  Growing to maturity is called fruit-bearing.  In order to bear fruit one must be properly prepared.  Just as one needs to prepare the hole where a fruit tree is to be planted one must prepare their self.
I have planted many fruit trees around the yard and I have learned the value of properly preparing the hole as well as choosing the proper location of the hole.
  Just not any old church will do neither will just any old translation of the bible will do.  There are plenty of translations that attempt to make reading of the scriptures easier, I have found that many seem to lack the power of the Kings James Version and with a good teacher and proper study materials and a receptive heart and mind, the King James Version is the best translation available.
Many churches have watered down their teaching to eliminate controversial teachings or changed to a more progressive style of music and worship service to make worship more entertaining.  TV, movies, sporting events, and music concerts are for entertainment.     Church is for learning about God, bible study, and drawing strength from your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  Choose a church that does not compromise on teaching thw whole word of God.

drawbacks and frustrations

  I recently posted about my new devise, the penis clamp.  I tried a bold experiment yesterday.  I wore a light brown suit with no protective padding ; just my boxer shorts.  Just as I hoped, I stayed dry which gives me the freedom to be more versatile in my clothing choices and hopefully to save money by not having to my protective pads and underwear  but there is one major problem.  The inner portion of the penis clamp may be a soft foam padding but the outside is cold hard metal as is the jaws and clamp.
   When I got home from church I was ready to get the clamp off as I was raw and sore.  I could not wear it the remainder of the day.  I was hoping to return to the pool this week but if I can't wear the penis clamp I will not be able too.
   If problems with that were not bad enough my wife spent the day Saturday baking goodies for her two sons and she shared some with me.  If I had any self control I would have limited myself to one cookie and one small piece of candy but the cookies were so good (oatmeal raisin, my favorite) I just kept slipping back into the kitchen and slipping a couple cookies.  My blood sugar was 152 this morning.  That is not where I need to be.  I must do better.

Penis Clamp

   It's a real thing, a medical devise.  It sounds painful but it isn't really unless you wear it in the same spot all the time.  After my prostate surgery I had real problems with drainage from my side but after about a month that finally cleared up.  My prostate was so large I was told I would take at least twice as long to heal as most people do.  I was told most folks heal in six to eight weeks.  My operation was July 23 so I thought I would be further along than I am but my doctor isn't concerned.
  My biggest problem is not being able to control my bladder.  As long as I'm standing or sitting I'm find but if I stand up my bladder empties and it is difficult to make it 15 feet to the bathroom.  Sometimes I make it and sometimes I lose everything but most often it's a drip or a squirt with each step and I make it with about half.  It's uncomfortable, and embarrassing.  I wear nothing but black clothes even though I have on plenty of protection  my pants can still show moisture.
  My last visit to the cancer doctor, Tuesday of this week, he gave me a penis clamp.  It is a metal holder with foam padding that has vise like teeth and a metal ring.  One just places the clamp in the proper position and push the clamp down until it clicks and it prevents any leakage.  When one has to go relieve themselves, one just pushes the clips inward until the clamp pops open.  A word of caution:  one must be in a position to hit the urinal or commode because it empties at full force.
   The only disadvantage is that it cannot be worn at night so I must wear all the protection I can to wake up to dry bedding.  Still, it is much better than before.

Where I'm read

ws
Italy	277
Unknown Region	23
Romania	8
Poland	5
Ukraine	4
France	3
Portugal	2
United States	2
Germany	1
Russia	1 It seems I am most popular in Italy.

strange words

  I was playing a word game and came across the word "sones" which I had never heard of and apparently spell check hasn't either but I looked the word up and it means "a means of measuring sound".  I thought that was a decibel?  I just learned the meaning of "fetid" which means noisome.  

Funny but true

  A few days ago some friends came home to discover their 50 lb pug was unable to use his back legs.  He was taken to the vet but no cause was discovered and another vet visit was required to run more tests.  In the interim my friends were having ti carry their 8 year old dog outside when it needed to do it's business since it's hind legs didn't work.
  It was on a Wednesday they discovered their dogs condition.  Sunday, after church, the dog was carried outside.  Just after the pug was placed on the ground it spied the neighbor's cat and gave chase at full speed.  My friend's were shocked.    

Is God real?

  The Old Testament is confusing when it comes to describing God.  The Genesis account of creation leaves more questions than answers.  God seems so mean in the Old Testament.  In light of recent scientific discovers and theories, the biblical account of creation does not appear to be accurate.  The God of the New Testament seems like a different being and is described as love so how could a God that is love sent anyone to hell?
  First, the Genesis account of creation is not intended to be  a scientific document but just a synopsis of how we came into being.  Still, sometimes it seems overwhelming but then I look to the cross and I understand that Jesus Christ was a real person, that he died on the cross at Calvary, and rose from the dead the third day.  There is just to much proof that all this is real to deny the facts.  When one looks at Christ, then the Old Testament does not seem so confusing.  But if one does not believe in Christ then the scriptures are foolishness.  There are a lot of things in life I don't understand but that not make them any less real or important.
  Sometimes it is hard to accept that God is real but I find it harder to accept that He isn't.

One of my favorite stories

1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.

6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.

8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.

9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.

10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.

11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.

12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.

13 And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.

14 They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.

15 And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.

18 And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:

19 And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

20 And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.

This is one of my favorite biblical stories. The situation is as follows: The Syrian Army had lain a trap for the King of Israel but the King escaped. The general was upset but tried again and failed a second time. This time he was furious and accused his men of treason. One of the men spoke up and said that Elisha the Prophet had been the one to inform the King of the trap so the General lead his men in search of Elisha. Upon finding him Elisha convinced him that Elisha was elsewhere and if they followed him he would take the Syrians to him. Elisha then led the Syrian Army into downtown where the Israelite's had them surrounded.

Instead of attacking, Elisha forbade the King and instructed that the Syrian Army be treated as guests and feed.

When the Syrian Army returned home with their report, the Syrian King was livid and lead his whole Army back to Israel and surrounded the city, blockading food and water from coming into the city. After a certain time, the Israelite's were starving to death and some were eating their children. The King blamed Elisha and vowed to take his life.

Meanwhile outside the city were four lepers. Lepers were outcasts as a means of preventing an outbreak of the disease. Their family members would bring them food and leave it and then the lepers could retrieve the food. But with the situation caused by the Syrian Army, there was no food for them and they knew that they too would soon starve. They knew they could not enter into the city in search of food for there was none and they knew that starvation was a cruel way to die. They also knew if they entered into the camp of the Syrian Army then would more than likely be put to death but decided it would be a quicker death than starvation and was worth the chance.

Upon entering the camp, they discovered the camp was empty and all the belongings of the Syrain Army had been left behind. There was food galore and money and fine garments and the four ate their fill and helped themselves to some fine clothes and jewels, gold, silver and other monies.

They soon realized that there was more than they could eat, more than they could wear, and more than enough money to meet the needs of a poor leper so they sent word to the King of their discovery. Even though the King suspected a Syrian trap he sent out a small scouting party who discovered that the story was true. With the food, clothing and monies and with the supply routes opened again, the people were soon filled and the city saved, prices of goods fell to all

time lows.

The reason I like this story is that it reminds me of what life is like without Christ and how we, as Christian who are weak in the faith react to worldly goods, but how we will react towards the lost once we realize all that is our through Christ.