It takes very little to make me happy

I am not much of a jewelry person. I wear my wedding band, my mother's class ring and for the past eight years or so I have worn the same pair of earrings, day in and day out. Tiny little gold hoops with a bar clasp. Simple, easy, done.

But right before Christmas the unthinkable happened. After all these years, I lost one of my earrings. And it's strange that as understated and really ignorable they are, my ears feel naked without them.

My mother was here visiting for Christmas when it happened and so when she got home she sent me a cute little pair of silver hoops. But they don't have a bar clasp and so I have already nearly lost one of them in the shower and once when I was brushing my hair. So, cute as they are, they are not the answer to my earring problem.

Today I happened to be in Kmart and walked past the jewelry counter. It was hard to miss with the 70% off signs! I looked and looked and was about to give up and then I saw them! Tiny little gold hoops with a bar clasp. They weren't the same brand of my old favorites (Monet) but they looked really close so I bought them.

When I got them home I compared them to the old earring I still have and they are almost exactly the same! Now I have a whole set and a spare. I am very happy.

Now, do you think I'll be able to find the "spare" 8 or 10 years from now when I lose one of this pair?

God's Minute

January 10

I will bless the Lord at all times.--Psalm 34:1

O Lord and Father of us all, we come with glad hearts to this hour of prayer. When we recall the infinity and eternity of Thy power and wisdom and goodness, we bow in reverence to Thee. Love invites imitation, and we choose Thee as our example. May Thy Spirit change us into likeness to Thyself. Love craves the privilege of service, and loving Thee we ask, "Lord, what wilt Thou have us to do?" Help us a parents to wisely order our household. May we train our children for useful lives here, and to be fitted for their true home beyond this life. As a family we are very near each other. Help us so to live that proximity may not evoke confusion and strife. May we be "kindly affectioned one to another." Grant us, O Lord, that winning gentleness which is the sweet offering of truthfulness and love.

We pray, our Father, for all who are in trouble; for the sick, the poor, the afflicted, for any good cause. Bless the lonely--those who suffer, weep, and struggle alone. Grant that they may find companionship and comfort in Thee. Since every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, we thank Thee sincerely and heartily for the good things we enjoy. May this prayer, O Lord! find acceptance with Thee, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

Amen.

Charles Randall Barnes, D.D.,
Hoboken, New Jersey

Two peas in a pod

Casting the 'net

I found this at pastorway this morning. Since it did not originate with him, I have copied it here, but please do go visit his blog. His side bar links are worth the visit and I "know" him from my days at the Puritan board (although he likely doesn't remember me) and remember him to be a godly man and a great encourager.

Introducing the new
Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge
device, trade named:
BOOK

BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use, even a child can operate it.

Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere -- even sitting in an armchair by the fire -- yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc. Here's how it works:

BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. The pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder, which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence.

Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs. Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for now, BOOKs with more information simply use more pages. Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. BOOK may be taken up at any time and used merely by opening it.

Unlike other display devices, BOOK never crashes or requires rebooting, and it can even be dropped on the floor or stepped on without damage. However, it can become unusable if immersed in water for a significant period of time. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of selected information for instant retrieval.

An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session -- even if the BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers.Conversely, numerous BOOKmarkers can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK.

You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an optional programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Stylus (PENCILS).

Portable, durable, and affordable, BOOK is being hailed as a precursor of a new entertainment wave. Also, BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking. Look for a flood of new titles soon.

Original Author Unknown

Please Pray

Please pray with me today for a family I know in England that is in great need of prayer for a private family situation. This family lives in an area with very little Christian fellowship available and they feel the very pressing need to be lifted before the Throne of God today and throughout the rest of this week.

As you pray for them, thank the God of Heaven and Earth Who placed us into one body and Who calls us to bear each others' burdens.

. . .so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. (Romans 12:5)

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)