November 11th. is remembrance day, when people remember those who gave up their lives for their countries during two world wars. November 11th. was chosen because it was on that date in 1918 that the first world war came to an end. Here is a story from the second world war.
At sixteen years of age Ronald Heys was too young to join the armed forces, but he did want to play his part in the defence of Britain during those dark World war ll days when many towns and cities were under attack from the German bombers. Thus Ronald volunteered to be a messenger between the Fire Service headquarters and the various fire depos, in his home town of Bootle, near Liverpool.
One dark evening when the "blackout" was being enforced, Bootle was under attack from 'fire' bombs. Ronald was given a message for one of the depos. and set out on his bicycle to deliver it. On his way, he crashed into a pile of rubble and glass. Although cut and bruised from his accident, Ronald managed to continue his journey and get his message delivered.
Ronald was then asked to deliver a second message, to which he gladly agreed. This time Ronald crashed his bicycle into an abandoned vehicle, which he didn't see in the dark. However the boy still managed to continue his journey and deliver his message.
For the third time that evening Ronald was asked to deliver a message, to which he readily agreed. This time he crashed into a bomb crater, but once again managed to continue on and deliver his message.
Ronald was fairly badly injured by now, but another message came in and as Ronald was the only person available to deliver it, again he volunteered. This time a bomb fell quite close to Ronald, and he was thrown from his bicycle by the shock wave. But nothing was going to stop Ronald that night, and he managed to deliver his fourth message. Having done that, the first thing he said was "Any more messages, Sir?"
Ronald was awarded the British Empire Medal for his bravery that night. But when anyone commended him for what he had done, he would reply "I was only doing my duty."
Because of Ronald Heys and many more like him who simply "did their duty", Britain was saved from tyranny.
Illusion - Restoring a cut rope.
All that is needed for this illustration is a piece of string or rope at least 1 meter long, and a pair of scissors.
Hold the top of the rope in one hand, and grasp the centre of it with the other. Bring the centre portion of the rope to the top, but as your bottom hand reaches your top, swap the centre for a piece of rope about 10 to 15 cm. from the top. This will take place behind your top hand, so will not be noticed. With a little practice you will soon become proficient. It will appear to your watchers that you are now showing the top and the centre of the rope in your top hand, whereas you will actually be showing the top and a section 10 to 15 cm. below the top.
Cut the rope where it is looped. You have actually cut off just a small top portion, but have appeared to cut it in equal halves. While still concealing the top of the rope behind your hand, tie the small section of rope around the centre, and release for all to see. What your watchers will appear to see are two halves of rope tied together in the middle. What you actually have is one long piece of rope (just slightly shorter than your original one) and a small piece tied round its centre.
Tell your watchers that you are now going to restore the original rope. Hold one end of the rope in your right hand, and begin to wrap the rest of the rope around it with your left hand. As you reach the knot - and while still continuing the wrapping - slide off the knot, and keep concealed in your left hand. Unwrap the rope, showing that it has been completely restored! No one will notice that it is now slightly shorter than at first.
Laugh Break - Things young children have been heard to pray.
Dear God, Please put another holiday between Christmas and Easter. There is nothing good in there now.Amanda
Dear God, Thank you for the baby brother but what I asked for was a puppy. I never asked for anything before. You can look it up. Joyce
Dear Mr. God, I wish you would not make it so easy for people to come apart I had to have 3 stitches and a shot. Janet
Dear God, How did you know you were God? Who told you? Charlene
Dear God, I bet it's very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it.Nancy
Dear God, I like the story about Noah the best of all of them.You really made up some good ones. I like walking on water, too. Glenn
Dear God, My Granddad says you were around when he was a little boy. How far back do you go? Love, Dennis
Dear God, Do you draw the lines around the countries? If you don't, who does? Nathan
Dear God, Did you mean for giraffes to look like that or was it an accident? Norma
Dear God, In Bible times, did they really talk that fancy? Jennifer
Dear God, Please send Dennis Clark to a different summer camp this year.Peter
Dear God, Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they each had their own rooms. It works out OK with me and my brother. Larry
Dear God, I keep waiting for spring, but it never did come yet. What's up? Don't forget.Mark
Your Questions Answered - Why did God create the earth the way it is?
OUR AMAZING
EARTH.
(My thanks to David Goodwin of Kidsreach - ( www.kidsreach.org.nz
) for providing the illustrations for this presentation)
God created the earth as it is for the benefit of His 'Special Creation' - us! We are to enjoy it and look after it (including everything that God has created on it, such as the animals) on His behalf.
God made the earth just right for us to live on. Even very small changes in the earth's conditions would make life, as we know it, impossible.
God's Creation is proof of
the Work of a Creator!
God is very
good
Consider the following nine facts - - - -
1. The earth is about 150 million kilometres from the sun. This is exactly the right distance to hold the temperature between 0 degrees C. and 40 degrees C. on most of the earth. This is the temperature needed to sustain most life. But if the earth were just 5% closer to the sun, not only would it be too hot for us, but the oceans would boil and the water would all evaporate. It has been calculated that even a 2 degree C. rise in the average surface temperature of the earth would be enough to melt the polar ice caps and cause devastating flooding). If the earth were only 5% further away from the sun, the oceans would freeze, making life in them and transport on them impossible.
2. The earth's orbit around the sun is nearly a perfect circle. If, as in the case of most other planets, the orbit were oval shaped (like an egg), the earth would be blazing hot as it approached the sun, and deathly cold as it moved away from it.
3. The earth rotates once on its axis every 24 hours. If it didn't rotate, one side would be day all the time and be very hot, and the other would be night all the time and be very cold. If the earth's speed of rotation were much slower than it is, our days would still be very hot, and our nights very cold. If the rotation were much faster, the wind would blow so strongly that we wouldn't be able to stand up in the open. The length of each day and night is also just right for the amount of sleep we need.
4. The earth is tilted on its axis by about 23 degrees. If it wasn't tilted this way, we would have no seasons. Countries near the equator would be very hot. Those far from the equator would be too cold to grow food - resulting in a world-wide food shortage.
5. The diameter of the earth is about 13,000 Kilometres. If it were only about 10% less than this then, because of the consequent reduction in gravity, most of the oxygen which we need to breathe would escape into outer space. If the diameter of the earth were 10% greater than at present, the increased gravity, and hence air pressure, would cause the polar ice caps to melt - resulting in devastating flooding.
6. Our atmosphere contains about 21% oxygen, which is just right for life on earth. A much higher level would make the planet highly inflammable, but at a much lower level, fire would not burn at all. And we would find it very hard to breathe!
Another type of oxygen is ozone. This forms a layer in our atmosphere which absorbs the very harmful ultraviolet light from the sun and prevents it reaching us on the earth. The problem with ozone is that it is poisonous. So where to we find this ozone layer? About 15 kilometres above the earth's surface, where it can do us no harm.
7. The pull of gravity on the earth by the moon and the sun causes the tides. Tides cleanse the ocean's shores, help put oxygen (that fish breathe) into the water, and help keep the ocean currents moving, preventing the sea from becoming stagnant. If the moon were a little smaller or a little further away than at present, there would be very little tidal action, resulting in even the oceans becoming stagnant and the death of all aquatic creatures. If the moon were a little larger or a little nearer than at present, the tidal action would be too severe, with low lying areas being flooded twice a day!
8. Unlike the earth, the moon doesn't rotate about its axis. This means that the same side of the moon always faces the earth. This side is made up of mostly dark dust, and so it only reflects about 7% of its sunlight to the earth. The other side of the moon is extremely rocky, and therefore very reflective. If this side faced the earth, our nights would be almost as bright as our days, thus making sleeping very difficult.
9. Although we don't know the purpose of all the planets in the solar system, we do know that the two largest, Jupiter (318 times the size of the earth) and Saturn (95 times the size of the earth), with their strong gravities, are in just the right positions to pull many comets and meteors away and prevent them crashing into the earth and killing us all.
What a wonderful Creator we have, who not only made the earth just right for us to inhabit, but He also keeps it that way year, after year, after year.
"God's eternal power and divine nature can be seen from the things He has made." (Romans 1.20).
Maurice Sweetsur
