I have been in touch with a couple of interesting people recently. One is a surgeon in England who has kept me regaled with some hilarious stories from the surgical theater. The other is a delightful young lady who is a nurse in the emergency ward at a nearby hospital, who spoke of the "fainters", strong men who go down at the sight of blood, and other stuff most of us don't get to see.
As for myself, I got back from the medical centre yesterday having learned that all my numbers were O.K.
Sandra Johnson, my personal physician, is a marvel. She is from the "new" school. She has all my file on a computer screen, has blood sugar readings, L.D.L's, Creatnin read-outs and elements that I didn't know existed in the human body. I just can't fool her and if I don't show up at her office she tracks me down.
This quick post is in her honor and all who work as agents of God to keep us healthy and vertical.
Jubilate.
Ian
My friend, Christine Bancroft, from England quit smoking last year.
It was a huge step to take in her later years and I applaud her for it.
She also did herself and her family an equally huge favor since breaking the habit is a major step towards ensuring good health.
I once spoke to a black cleaning lady when I was staying in a hotel in Houston. She was taking a smoke in the parking lot and I asked her if she wanted to quit.
She said, "How do I do that? I've been smoking for years."
I said, "Gloria, it's like this. First of all go down to Macy's and pick yourself a nice dress and put it on lay-away. Then put a jam jar on the mantle shelf and, starting next week, put the $ 10:00 a day that you spend on cigarettes into that jar where you can see it."
She said "What then?"
I replied, "Every time you feel like taking a puff on a cigarette take a deep breath of Jesus instead."
I said "Next month you'll be wearing that dress."
When I was leaving the hotel four days later this same lady rushed up to me and shouted,
" I couldn't wait till next week to quit. I stopped smoking the same day you prayed for me and I'm going to buy that new dress!"
Meet a lady who is no longer following the dinosaurs!
Jubilate.
Ian
Today my lawn is dug up. The men have assured me that I won't be off-line but my neighbors up the street will be.
About 500 of them; maybe for a few days.
Well at least they won't be subject to this week's crop of murder and mayhem that seems to be our regular menu of news.
With that in mind, and with thoughts of my fellowmen sat in silence around the corner, I thought I would devote a series of B.W.I. to the light relief of Larsen, the cartoonist.
Here's Number One.
Ever had a false alarm? These guys on the plane must have had an anxious few minutes until they got things sorted out in the cockpit.
However, there is a lot of truth in what Larsen is saying.
The difference between a false alarm and the real thing can be awfully slim at times.
A false alarm from the doctor's or from the bank; a false alarm from head office that you were going to be laid off or the phone call from school concerning one of your kids.
There is only so much insurance a person can buy in this world, that is why the richest man of his day, King Solomon, said:
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path"
A sure prescription for "CALM IN THE MIDST OF ALARM"
Jubilate.
Ian
Our final character from the Book of Acts is the finance minister from Ethiopia, We read about him in Acts chapter 8.
He must have been a man of great importance since an angel commissioned Philip the Evangelist to intercept his chariot in the desert on its way to North Africa.
When Philip delivered the Word of God to this court official he showed no hesitation in expressing his faith. He commanded the chariot to halt by a desert pool, confessed Christ as his Savior and was baptized by Philip. He then went on his way rejoicing.
Some one once said that while you can count the number of acorns on an oak tree, nobody can tell the number of oak trees in a single acorn.
This man was the first recorded convert from Africa but the NATION OF AFRICA was in the man.
The Ethiopian Eunuch; so different from Gallio, Felix and King Agrippa who all had their reasons for rejecting Christ.
This man said to the preacher. "Yes, I believe that Christ is the Son of God. Please baptize me and let me go back home and tell everybody the good news."
2,000 years later millions of believers are part of the Coptic church which this man founded.
Jubilate.
Ian
