Topic(s): Humor, Sin

A young minister decided to use a visual demonstration for his Sunday sermon. He placed three worms into jars. The first worm was put into a container of alcohol. The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke. The third worm was put into a container of good clean soil. At the conclusion of the sermon, he reported these results:

• The first worm in alcohol: Dead.

• The second worm in cigarette smoke: Dead.

• The third worm in good clean soil: Alive.

So the minister asked the congregation, “What can we learn from this demonstration?” A little old woman in the back quickly raised her hand and said, “As long as you drink and smoke, you won’t have worms!”

“. . . abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” —1 Peter 2:11

Get Healthy - Go to Church?

Topic(s): Worship

A Wall Street Journal article (May 3) reported on the results of a study that, “a growing body of scientific evidence shows that Americans who attend religious services at least once a week enjoy better-than-average health and lower rates of illness, including depression. Perhaps most importantly, the studies show that weekly attendance confers a significant reduction in mortality risk over a given period of time.”

According to the Journal, “The panel reported that the studies showed a 25% lower mortality rate for those who attend religious services at least weekly . . . Religious services . . . boast various features that can be beneficial to health—meditation, a social network, a set of values that discourage smoking, infidelity, and other unhealthy behaviors.”

As the medical professor who chaired the panel concluded, “After seeing the data, I think I should go to church.”

Hey, that’s what we've been saying all along.

“. . . Worship God” —Revelation 22:9

One Thousand Marbles

Topic(s): Blessings, Time

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday morning. I love the quiet solitude of being first to rise, the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. The first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable. Recently, I shuffled toward the kitchen with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday turned into one of those lessons that life hands you ever so often.

I turned on my radio to listen to a Saturday morning talk show. I heard an older sounding chap with a golden voice talking about “a thousand marbles” to someone named “Tom.” I was intrigued and sat down to listen.

“Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you’re busy with your job. I’m sure they pay you well but it’s a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work 60-70 hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter’s recital.” He continued, “Let me tell you something, Tom, that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities.”

That’s when he began to explain his theory of a “thousand marbles.” “You see,” he said, “I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about 75 years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about 75 years.”

“I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3,900 which is the number of Saturdays the average person has in their entire lifetime. Stick with me Tom, I’m getting to the important part. It took me until I was 55 to think this through in detail, and by then, I had already used over 2,800 Saturdays. I figured that if I lived to be 75, I had about a thousand Saturdays left to enjoy.”

“So I went out and bought 1,000 marbles and put them in a large, clear plastic container here in my workshop next to the radio. Every Saturday since, I take one marble out and throw it away. By watching my marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time on earth run out to help get your priorities straight.”

“One last thing before I sign-off and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then God has blessed me with a little extra time to be with my loved ones. It was nice to talk to you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your loved ones. Have a good morning!”

You could have heard a pin drop when he finished. I had planned to do some work that morning, then go to the gym. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife with a kiss. “C’mon honey, I’m taking you and the kids to breakfast.”

“What brought this on?” she asked with a smile. I said, “It has just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we’re out?” I said, “I need to buy some marbles.”

“. . . redeeming the time . . .” —Ephesians 5:16

• “You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.” —LightSinger
• “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” —1 Corinthians 13:13