My friend, Ian Campbell, says "There are only two sorts of people in the world: the Scots and those who wish they were."
The Welsh feel the same way about their portion of the British Isles and they are fiercely proud of their patron Saint David ( Dewi in Welsh)
In two weeks time there will be parades and international hubdub marking St Patrick's Day, but let's not forget David. In many ways his job of converting the tribes of mountainous Wales to Christ was harder than Patrick's job in Ireland.
These were the people who had defied Roman a rule and tenaciously held to their Druid religion.
David set about the task of evangelizing the Welsh with the power and eloquence of preaching; he also recognized the Welsh love of song and introduced hyms and music that was far superior to the wailing and screeching of the Druids.
Add the fact that he kept at the job for eighty years until he out lived all the opposition and we have the secret of his success.
Think of those elements of success: A superior message, superior preaching and superior music plus the quality of perseverance in the task.
Come back to Britain, David. Your country needs you!
Jubilate.
Ian
February 29th. 1905. Great things can happen in a leap year.
On this day the Cullinan diamond, all 3,106 carats of it, was discovered in South Africa.
Later that year it was given to King Edward 7th as a birthday gift and the following year it was cut into the two largest diamonds in the world: one that is called the Star of Africa which is in Queen Elizabeth's crown and the other Cullinan 1, now residing in her jewelled scepter.
These gems are priceless and so are you. Jesus spoke about a man who, finding a treasure, sold everything he had to buy it for himself.
That price was paid at the Cross of Calvary in the currency of His blood. A wonderful thought, but that's not all. In a short while He will present each one of His people, cut and polished before the throne of God there to shine for all eternity.
Now there's a thought to make your heart leap on a leap year!
Jubilate.
Ian
"We hold these truths to be self evident..... that all men are created equal" Thus speaks the American Constitution, which goes on to say that among the inalienable rights of men are "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".
It was not so in the final days of the Ottoman Empire when Turkey conducted wholesale slaughter against the peoples of Armenia and the Pontus Greeks. During a four year period around 1,500,000 were massacred in the systematic purges of the Christian population.
That was a century ago and would have been forgotten in the archives of history but for one thing: Turkey is now pleading to become part of the Euro-Zone.
Now all is being brought to light and, conditional upon their acceptance into the E.U., Turkey must confess to the charge of the genocide of a million or more Christians.
How would that make you and me feel if they sign on to the charge? Very little different, but it would surely be a vindication to untold masses of people whose grandparents were butchered in the name of Islam.
Jubilate
Ian
Only in the magical age in which we live.
Eric Whitacre has somehow managed to bring together thousands of voices from all over the globe and conduct them in real-time singing.
When Pauline dialled in the web site I was riveted.
Immediately I thought of the choir that will shortly assemble before the throne of God in heaven.
If there is a pre-view of that day, this is it.
Here's the link and let the cyber-choir do the rest.
Eric Whitacre's virtual choir 2.0, sleep.
Jubilate.
Ian
I have no problem with The Lord creating all His creatures from the clay of the ground, and enjoying Himself doing it.
The old hymn describes it well.
"All things bright and beautiful all creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all".
Snakes are part of the general variety of nature and wonderful they are in their own way.
What causes me to truly ponder is why God created the Serpent that tempted Eve, and why He would allow Lucifer into the Garden of Eden in the first place.
That original temptation and the mess that followed, the Bible calls
"The mystery of iniquity".
I see the results of it on every hand but it is a mystery, that for me, remains unsolved.
If there any snake experts out there with answer please let us know, we are waiting to hear from you.
Jubilate.
Ian
