Treasures from
“The Eagle”
Footnotes from Robert Mock MD
All people are privileged to have friends to give a special touch to life. In all the serious contemplation, the great theological gems, the gut wrenching news as we contemplate the “time of the end” and the trembling heart as we look up to God and say, “I believe in You and I trust in You, but may I ask a few more questions?, and then a friend comes along to put life in a different perspective. One of these friends is “Don” whom we call “The Eagle”, who has a large email family. Here are a few of his gems.
Here was my first email.
_____________________________________________________________
Subject: House For Sale
“In My Father’s House are many Mansions.”
I visited here today and thought that you would enjoy it too! - check this out at:
"The Eagle"
Subject: It is the Veteran
It is
the VETERAN, not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the VETERAN, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the VETERAN, not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.
Check out this parade photo:
It's the Veterans who
stand to salute the Flag! Gives me chills!
who
serves under the Flag,
ETERNAL REST, GRANT THEM, O LORD,
AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON
THEM.
I don't know if you saw this in the news but it really impressed
me. Funny, that our US Senate & House Of Rep. took 2 days off, as
they couldn't work recently.
On the ABC evening news, it was reported that, because of the dangers from
Hurricane Isabelle approaching Washington DC, the military members assigned the
duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to
suspend the assignment.
They refused. "No way, Sir!"
Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said
that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor
that can be afforded to a serviceperson.
The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.
I don't usually suggest that many e-mails be forwarded, but I'd be DAMN proud
if this one reached as many as possible.
We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where
they serve.
May God Bless them all !!!
God
Bless America
______________
I know that I have sent this to some of you before,
but the lesson it teaches us is worth you reading
it as a reminder. I know, because I did.
Have a Great Day, and Remember:
"It is our choices that show what we truly are,
far more then our abilities."
"THE EAGLE"
Subject: French Customs
Thought you might like this one...
An elderly American gentleman arrived in Paris by plane.
At the French Customs, he fumbled for his passport. You 'ave been to France before, Monsieur?" the customs officer asked sarcastically.
The old gent admitted that he had been to France previously. "Zen, you should know enough to 'ave your passport ready for inspection."
The American said, "The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it"
"Impossible”, said the French Customs agent. “You Americans alwayz 'ave to show your passports on arrival in France!"
The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained. "No, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in '44, I couldn't find any Frenchmen to show it to."
_________________
Soldier going ashore on D-Day, - by Robert Capa, The first pictures of “Bloody Omaha” taken on June 6, 1944
"The Eagle"
CLASS OF 2007
When you consider the lives of the young soldiers defending the interests of our country, the United States of America, think of these facts.
Just in case you weren't feeling old enough today, this will certainly change things.
Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a list to try to give the Faculty a sense of the mind set of this year's incoming freshman.
Here is this year's list:
The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1985.
They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan Era and probably did not know he had ever been shot.
They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged.
There has been only one Pope in their lifetime.
They were 10 when the Soviet Union broke apart and do not remember the Cold War.
They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.
Tiananmen Square means nothing to them.
Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic.
Atari predates them, as do vinyl albums.
The statement "You sound like a broken record" means nothing to them.
They have never owned a record player.
They have likely never played Pac Man and have never heard of Pong.
They may have never heard of an 8 track. The Compact Disc was introduced when they were 1 year old.
They have always had an answering machine.
Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they seen a black and white TV.
They have always had cable.
There have always been VCRs, but they have no idea what BETA was.
They cannot fathom not having a remote control.
They don't know what a cloth baby diaper is, or know about the "Help me, I've fallen and I can't get up" commercial.
Feeling old Yet? There's more:
They were born the year that Walkmen were introduced by Sony.
Roller skating has always meant inline for them.
Michael Jackson has always been white.
Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show.
They have no idea when or why Jordache jeans were cool.
Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.
They have never seen Larry Bird play.
They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.
The Vietnam War is as ancient history to them as W.W.I, W.W.II and the Civil War.
They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran.
They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.
They don't know who Mork was or where he was from. (The correctanswer, by the way, is Ork)
They never heard: "Where's the beef?", or "De plane, de plane!"
They do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. was.
Kansas, Chicago, Boston, America, and Alabama are places, not bands.
There has always been MTV.
They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter.
Do you feel old yet? If you do, then pass this on to some other old fogies...but don't send it back to me, I feel old enough.
"The Eagle"
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Subject: 911 stories - The "Little" Things
After Sept. 11th, one company invited the
remaining members of other companies who had been decimated by the attack on
the Twin Towers to share their available office space. At a morning meeting,
the head of security told stories of why these people were alive.! ..... and
all the stories were just:
The ! ;'L I T T
L E' Things .
As you might know, the head of the company got
in late that day
because his son started kindergarten.
Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts.
One woman was late because her alarm clock didn't go off in time.
One was late because of being stuck on the NJ
Turnpike because of an auto
accident.
One of them missed his bus.
One spilled food on her clothes and had to take
time to change.
One's car
wouldn't start.
One went back to answer the telephone.
One had a child that dawdled and didn't get ready as soon as he should have.
One couldn't get a taxi.
The one that struck me was the man who put on a
new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work but
before he got there, he developed a
blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid.
That is why he is alive today.
Now when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone .. all the little things that annoy me. I think to
myself, this is exactly where God wants me to
be at this very
moment.
Next time your morning seems to be going wrong, the children are slow getting dressed, you can't seem to find the car keys, you hit every traffic light, don't get mad or frustrated; God is at work watching over you.
May God continue to bless you with all those annoying little things and may you
remember their possible purpose.
"The Eagle"
Year of 1904
This is hard
to believe, but true!
The year is 1904...One
Hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some of the U.S. statistics for 1904:
The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
Only 14 Percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.
There were only 8,000 cars
in the U.S., and 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each
more heavily populatedthan California.
With a mere 1.4 million
residents, California was only the
21st-most populous state in the Union.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents an hour.
The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,
a dentist $2,500 per year,
a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year,
and a mechanical engineer
about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home.
Ninety percent of all U.S. physicians had no college education.
Instead, they attended
medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the
government as "substandard."
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee cost fifteen cents a
pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month,
and used borax or egg yolks
for shampoo. Eeww!
Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people
from entering the country
for any reason.
The five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars.
Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska
hadn't been admitted to the
Union yet.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was 30.
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
One in 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all
Americans had graduated high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available
over the counter at corner drugstores.
According to one pharmacist, "Heroin clears the complexion,
gives buoyancy to the mind,
regulates the stomach and the bowels, and is, in fact,
a perfect guardian of
health."
Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time
servant or domestic.
There were only about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.
And I stole this from someone else without typing it myself,
and sent it to a dozen people in a matter of seconds!
Just think what it will be
like in another 100 years. ..
"The Eagle"
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I don't know who Shay is but this is a neat story.
Subject:
God’s Divine Plan
People always say how mean kids can be, never how nice they can be.
This
story will either make you cry, give you cold chills or just leave you cold,
but it puts life into perspective!
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the school's students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all that attended.
After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question. "Everything God does is done with perfection. Yet, my son Shay cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is God's plan reflected in my son?"
The audience was stilled by the query The father continued. "I believe," the father answered, "that when God brings a child like Shay into the world, an opportunity to realize the Divine Plan presents itself and it comes in the way people treat that child."
Then,
he told the following story: Shay and his father had walked past a park where
some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they
will let me play?"
Shay's father knew that the boys would not want him on their team. But the father understood that if his son were allowed to play it would give him much-needed sense of belonging. Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, "We are losing by six runs, and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning."
In
the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still
behind by three. At the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played
in the outfield.
Although
no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be on the field,
grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the
bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.
Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base. Shay was scheduled to be the next at-bat. Would the team actually let Shay bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly,
Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew! that a
hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat
properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the
plate, the pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at
least be able to make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and
missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly
toward Shay.
As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have ended the game.
Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first, run to first." Never in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone
yelled, "run to second, run to second!" By the
time Shay was rounding first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could
have thrown the ball to the second baseman for a tag.
But the right fielder understood what the pitcher's intentions had been, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head. Shay ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home.
As Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "run to third!" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams were screaming, "Shay! Run home!"
Shay
ran home, stepped on home plate and was cheered as the hero for hitting a
"grand slam" and winning the game for his team. "That day,"
said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, "the boys
from both teams helped bring a piece of the Divine Plan into this world."
And now, a footnote to the story: We all send thousands of jokes through e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages regarding life choices, people think twice about sharing.
The crude, vulgar and sometimes the obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of decency is too often suppressed in school and the workplace. If you are thinking about forwarding this message, you are probably thinking about which people on your address list aren't the "appropriate" ones to receive this type of message.
The
person who sent this to you believes that we can all make a difference. We all
have dozens of opportunities a day to help realize God's plan. So many seemingly
trivial interactions between people present us with a choice; do we pass along
a spark of the Divine-love that God gives to us every day? Or do we pass up
that opportunity and leave the world a bit colder in the process? You have two
choices now:
1.
Delete this.
2. Forward it to the people you care about.
You
know the choice I made.
"The Eagle"
_____________________________________________________________________________
I may have sent this to you sometime back.
I feel that I should send it again, not because I like it, or like to read it, but because it's the truth.
May God Bless You & Your Family.
Subject: Darrell Scott to House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee
Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm?
On Thursday, Darrell
Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary
Committee's subcommittee.
What
he said to our national Leaders during this special session of Congress was
painfully truthful. They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it
received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every
politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert!
These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and
deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in
the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:
"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the
hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of
violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths
of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain.
Their blood cries out for answers."
"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel
out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA,
the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the
murder could only be found in Cain's heart."
"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how
quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member
of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to
represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible
for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be
defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be
their strongest opponent."
"I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it
was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame
lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies
behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves."
"I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This
was written before I knew I would be speaking here today:"
"Your
laws ignore our deepest needs, Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage, You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms, And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere, And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws, Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand, That God is what we need!"
"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, soul, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc.
Spiritual
presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's
history.
Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a
historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor
God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when
something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs - politicians immediately
look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive
laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do
not need more restrictive laws."
"Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount
of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The
real villain lies within our own hearts. Political posturing and
restrictive legislation are not the answers. The young people of our nation
hold the key. There is a spiritual awakening taking place that will not be
squelched! We do not need more religion. We do not need more gaudy
television evangelists spewing out verbal religious garbage. We do not need
more million dollar church buildings built while people with basic needs are
being ignored. We do need a change of heart and a humble acknowledgment that
this nation was founded on the principle of simple trust in God!"
"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his
two friends murdered before his very eyes - He did not hesitate to pray in
school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I
challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that
on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our
schools.
Do
not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move
into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates
your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point
your finger at the NRA - I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine
your own heart before casting the first stone! My daughter's death will not
be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to
happen!"
Do what
the media did not - - let the nation hear this man's speech. Please send this
out to everyone you can!!!
"The Eagle"
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Subject: Who killed Jesus?
Since the Mel Gibson movie
"The Passion of The Christ"
you have heard anti-Semitism this and anti-Semitism that.
So will you Please tell me Why??? all the fuss about over who killed Jesus?
Scroll down
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He's not dead!
Subject: Purifier of Silver
Malachi
3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This
verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they
wondered what this statement
meant about the character and nature of God.
Silver
crystals with copper,
Cliff mine, Keweenaw County, Michigan
ex L.L. Hubbard collection. John A. Jaszczak photo.
One of the women offered
to find out the process of refining
silver and get back to the group at their
next Bible Study.
That
week, the woman called a silversmith and made an
appointment to watch him at
work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her
interest beyond her curiosity about the
process of refining
silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver
over the fire and let it heat
up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to
hold the silver in the middle of
the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all
the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot
then she thought again
about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and
purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit
there in front of the fire
the whole time the silver was being refined.
The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there
holding the silver, but he had
to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the
fire. If the silver was left a
moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the
silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully
refined?"
He smiled at her and answered,
"Oh, that's easy -
when I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that
God has His eye on you and
will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
Pass this on to everyone you know. Right now, this very
moment, someone needs to
know that God is watching over them. And, whatever they're
going through, they'll be a
better person in the end.
"Life is a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you
can only spend it once."
"The Eagle"
--------------------------------------------
So for Don the Eagle, take any of these short stories and send them to your friends. If we can share the Good News in practical ways, the hosts of heaven will rejoice that their messages from the Lord of hosts is finally being received by ‘saints’ who have ‘eyes to see and ear that can hear’.