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Did you know that at military funerals, the 21-gun salute stands for the sum of the numbers in the year 1776?

(One may find slight variations on this topic, but the following is generally accepted as a common description of folding the American flag.)

All Americans should be given a lesson on the significance of our flag draped over the coffin of one who served the country. Those who think that the United States of America is an arrogant nation should really reconsider. The founding fathers used God’s Word and Christian teachings to establish the nation, and it is time Americans are reminded of this nation’s history.

Take the time to read this, to understand what the flag draped over the coffin really means, the flag that is surrendered to so many widows and widowers. Pass this message along and be proud of the country we live in, and even more proud of those who serve to protect our God given rights and freedoms.

Have you ever noticed how the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the American flag 13 times? You may have thought it was to symbolize the original 13 colonies, but we learn something new every day.

The 1st fold of the flag is a symbol of life.

The 2nd fold is a symbol of the belief in eternal life.

The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing the ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of the country to attain peace throughout the world.

The 4th fold represents the weaker nature; as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance.

The 5th fold is a tribute to the country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.”

The 6th fold is for where people’s hearts lie. It is with their heart that they pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America , and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

The 7th fold is a tribute to our armed forces, for it is through the armed forces that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.

The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor our mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.

The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, for it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.

The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of their country since they were first born.

The 11th fold in the eyes of Hebrew citizens, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christian’s eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.

The 13th fold, when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding them of their nation’s motto, “In God We Trust.”

After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the sailors and marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for them the rights, privileges and freedoms they enjoy today.

There are some traditions and ways of doing things that have deep meaning. In the future when you see flags folded, you will know a little more. So, share this with the children you love, and all others who love the symbol of liberty and freedom.

Taken from Wikipedia and other sources, including Charles F. Hamblen, American Legion Post 37, Department of Florida. See also a website dedicated to the American flag (http://www.usflag.org/foldflag.html)

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We Want an Encore!

by Chris Holck

I have come to the conclusion that it is best for me to erase the term “Senior,” as in Senior Citizen, from my vocabulary. If society agrees with me, the ramifications are many! We have senior centers, senior moments, senior living, senior menus, senior adult pastors and ministries, and the beloved senior discounts. The Builder Generation (born before 1946) may embrace the term but they are never offended if I don’t refer to them by it. On the other hand, if I refer to the new wave of retiring Americans, Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) as seniors, I better get ready to duck. The only thing they like about the title “senior” is the discount. So, I call them “older adults.” They, or I (I am 53), may not like the term “older” but it’s better than “senior” and no one has come up with anything better, so, “older adult ministries” is their brand. Fortunately, the Evangelical Free Church has come up with a fresh new brand: EFCA Encore.

The mental picture of a musical encore fits well with Christians in their second half of life. They would say that, just like a good concert, life has been good because God is good, and they don’t necessarily want either to be over. They want more, they want an encore. And just like in a concert, they hope that the best has been saved for last. Christians entering, or those already in their second half of life trust that God has saved the best for last. I spoke with a retiree in Texas who loves his volunteer work in a juvenile prison. “I’ve never enjoyed what I do more!”

People today are living longer and healthier than the generations before them and they have received a lifetime of Christian training from sermons, Bible studies, Christian radio and TV.  What are they going to do with those talents? The Bible is clear in Matthew 25:29 that, “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

A wave of older adults is about to retire, semi-retire or at least become empty nesters. They have more discretionary time to give. The best saved for last allows for travel and relaxation, but a true encore would mean using their talents for the glory of God. The notion of seniors biding their time on rocking chairs is out—we may be older adults, but we’re not done yet. We want an encore!

 

Chris Holck has served in three Evangelical Free Churches between 1986–2008. Chris’ interest in older adult ministry was sparked while serving in his last church, which was located in a resort area. He found a new challenge in connecting to and folding in the seasonal attenders or “snow birds” who fly north for the summer. Read more at encoregeneration.wordpress.com.

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One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with names and small American flags mounted on either side of it.

The six-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly,

“Good morning Alex.”

“Good morning Pastor,” he replied, still focused on the plaque.

“Pastor, what is this?”

The pastor said, “Well son, it’s a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.”

Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque.

Finally, little Alex’s voice, barely audible and trembling with fear asked,

“Which service, the 8:30 or the 10:30?”

 

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The story goes that a child was asked to write a book report on the entire Bible. This is reportedly what was written. (You may wonder, as do I, how old this ‘child’ was when this was written, but it does humorously point out what we may too often take for granted, namely that children really understand what we are teaching.)

The Children’s Bible in a Nutshell

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, ‘The Lord thy God is one,’ but I think He must be a lot older than that.

Anyway, God said, ‘Give me a light!’ and someone did.

Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren’t embarrassed because mirrors hadn’t been invented yet.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden…..Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn’t have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel.

Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil

Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh’s people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.

God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments.. These include: don’t lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor’s stuff.

Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.

One of Moses’ best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David.. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn’t sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore.

There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don’t have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, ‘Close the door! Were you born in a barn?’ It would be nice to say, ‘As a matter of fact, I was.’)

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans.

Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount.

But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn’t stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.

Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

 

 

 

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1.She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter, as she’d done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, “But Grandma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!” I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper good-bye….

2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, 62. My grandson was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, “Did you start at 1?”

3. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, ”Who was THAT?”

4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like. “We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods.” The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, “I sure wish I’d gotten to know you sooner!”

5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, “Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?” I mentally polished my halo and I said, “No, how are we alike?” “You’re both old,” he replied.

6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather’s word processor. She told him she was writing a story.

“What’s it about?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “I can’t read.”

7. I didn’t know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was.. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last, she headed for the door, saying, “Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these colors yourself!”

8. When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, “It’s no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights.”

9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, “I’m not sure.” “Look in your underwear, Grandpa,” he advised “Mine says I’m 4 to 6.”

10. A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, “Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today.” The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. “That’s interesting.” she said. “How do you make babies?”

“It’s simple,” replied the girl. “You just change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘es’.”

11. Children’s Logic: “Give me a sentence about a public servant,” said a teacher. The small boy wrote: “The fireman came down the ladder pregnant.” The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. “Don’t you know what pregnant means?” she asked.

“Sure,” said the young boy confidently. ‘It means carrying a child.”

12. A grandfather was delivering his grandchildren to their home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog’s duties.

“They use him to keep crowds back,” said one child.

“No,” said another. “He’s just for good luck.”

A third child brought the argument to a close.”They use the dogs,” she said firmly, “to find the fire hydrants.”

13. A 6-year-old was asked where his grandma lived. “Oh,” he said, “she lives at the airport, and when we want her, we just go get her. Then, when we’re done having her visit, we take her back to the airport.”

14. Grandpa is the smartest man on earth! He teaches me good things, but I don’t get to see him enough to get as smart as him!

 

 

 

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Paddy was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn’t find a parking place.

Looking up to heaven he said, ‘Lord take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of me life and give up me Irish Whiskey!’

Miraculously, a parking place appeared.

Paddy looked up again and said, ‘Never mind, I found one.’

________________________

Father Murphy walks into a pub in Donegal, and asks the first man he meets, ‘Do you want to go to heaven?’

The man said, ‘I do, Father.’

The priest said, ‘Then stand over there against the wall.’

Then the priest asked the second man, ‘Do you want to go to heaven?’

‘Certainly, Father,’ the man replied.

‘Then stand over there against the wall,’ said the priest.

Then Father Murphy walked up to O’Toole and asked, ‘Do you want to go to heaven?’

O’Toole said, ‘No, I don’t Father.’

The priest said, ‘I don’t believe this. You mean to tell me that when you die you don’t want to go to heaven?’

O’Toole said, ‘Oh, when I die, yes. I thought you were getting a group together to go right now.’

__________________________________________

Paddy was in  New York .

He was patiently waiting and watching the traffic cop on a busy street crossing.   The cop stopped the flow of traffic and shouted, ‘Okay, pedestrians.’ Then he’d allow the traffic to pass.

He’d done this several times, and Paddy still stood on the sidewalk.

After the cop had shouted, ‘Pedestrians!’ for the tenth time, Paddy went over to him and said, ‘Is it not about time ye let the Catholics across?’

_________________________________

 

Gallagher opened the morning newspaper and was dumbfounded to read in the obituary column that he had died. He quickly phoned his best friend, Finney.

‘Did you see the paper?’ asked Gallagher. ‘They say I died!!’

‘Yes, I saw it!’ replied Finney. ’Where are ye callin’ from?’

______________________________

An Irish priest is driving down to New York and gets stopped for speeding in Connecticut . The state trooper smells alcohol on the priest’s breath and then sees an empty wine bottle on the floor of the car.

He says, ‘Sir, have you been drinking?’

‘Just water,’ says the priest.

The trooper says, ‘Then why do I smell wine?’

The priest looks at the bottle and says, ‘Good Lord! He’s done it again!’

______________________________

 

 

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Celibacy can be a choice in life, or a condition imposed by circumstances.

While attending a Marriage Encounter Weekend at our church, my wife and I listened to the instructor declare, ‘It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other.”

He then addressed the men,
‘Can you name and describe your wife’s favorite flower?’

I leaned over, touched my wife’s hand gently, and whispered,

Gold Medal-All-Purpose, isn’t it?

And thus began my life of celibacy………

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The story is that during a recent password audit by Microsoft & Google, it was found that a blonde (why is it always the blonde?) was using the following password:

“MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofySacramento”

When asked why she had such a long password, she said she was told that it had to be at least 8 characters long and include at least one capital.

 

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This may come as a surprise to those of you not living in Las Vegas, but there are more Catholic churches than casinos.

Not surprisingly, some worshipers at Sunday services will give casino chips rather than cash when the basket is passed.

Since they get chips from many different casinos, the churches have devised a method to collect the offerings.

The churches send all their collected chips to a nearby Franciscan monastery for sorting and then the chips are taken to the casinos of origin and cashed in.

This is done by the Chip Monks.

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Here’s the way it should be:

Let’s put the seniors in jail and the criminals in nursing homes.

This would correct two things in one motion:

  • Seniors would have access to showers, hobbies and walks.
  • They would receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheel chairs, etc.
  • They would receive money instead of having to pay it out.
  • They would have constant video monitoring, so they would be helped instantly… if they fell or needed assistance.
  • Bedding would be washed twice a week and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them.
  • A guard would check on them every 20 minutes.
  • All meals and snacks would be brought to them.
  • They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.
  • They would have access to a library, weight/fitness room, spiritual counseling, a pool and education…and free admission to in-house concerts by nationally recognized entertainment artists.
  • Simple clothing – ie. shoes, slippers, pj’s – and legal aid would be free, upon request.
  • There would be private, secure rooms provided for all with an outdoor exercise yard complete with gardens.
  • Each senior would have a P.C., T.V., phone and radio in their room at no cost.
  • They would receive daily phone calls.
  • There would be a board of directors to hear any complaints and the ACLU would fight for their rights and protection.
  • The guards would have a code of conduct to be strictly adhered to, with attorneys available, at no charge to protect the seniors and their families from abuse or neglect.

As for the criminals:

  • They would receive cold food.
  • They would be left alone and unsupervised.
  • They would receive showers once a week.
  • They would live in tiny rooms, for which they would have to pay $5,000 per month.
  • They would have no hope of ever getting out.

“Sounds like justice to me!”

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