All America waited anxiously. Many people prayed. Captain Scott O’Grady’s F-16 had been shot down as he was flying over Serbia. Had he been killed or captured? Was he seriously injured? The hours ticked by. Five days passed. On the 6th day another pilot picked up a faint message from O’Grady’s radio. He was alive,…

Years ago a tourist was being shown through one of the oldest castles in England. He admired the rich furnishings, the valuable art treasures and the ornate carvings. Then he noticed a strange tapestry that had a wild, irregular pattern of colour and knotted threads. The guide, seeing the man’s quizzical look said, “That’s actually…

Everywhere you turn today you see advertising. Billboards shout and T-shirts tout their messages. Radio spots, TV commercials and newspaper ads make urgent pitches. Of course, we know that the goods and services being advertised carry  a price tag. We have to pay for what is being offered. No one expects to get something for nothing.…

A few years ago, a 42-foot sailboat got caught in stormy seas off the east coast of the United States. Waves rose higher and higher until a giant wave flipped the boat upside down. The heavy keel righted the craft, but damage was significant.   A Coast Guard cutter quickly responded to the sailboat’s SOS. But…

Thought for the Day – Friday 7th August 2020 The airline had mangled Debbie’s luggage. Then her purse disappeared. Instead of entering the airport through an enclosed corridor she stumbled off the plane in pouring rain. She was drenched, far from home with no money, no identification and no dry clothes.    Under normal circumstances…

“Have you read about the instant cake mix that was a flop? The instructions said that all you had to do was add water and bake. The company couldn’t understand why it didn’t sell—until their research discovered that the buying public felt uneasy about a mix that required only water. Apparently people thought it was…

Thought for the Day – Tuesday 14th July 2020 Toward the close of World War II one Allied unit was assigned a crucial mission in Berlin. Each soldier had to memorise a map detailing all of Berlin’s important military sites—in a single night! In just a few hours, each soldier had committed the map to…

Thought for the Day – Tuesday 7th July 2020 Bible reading – Psalm 139 v 23. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting  “The Learning Annex, a chain of adult-education schools, says that more than 200,000 people…

Thought for the day – Saturday 27th June 2020 “Late one afternoon in the 19th century in London, two sight-seeing soldiers went to visit the magnificent Westminster Abbey but found its doors locked. Arthur Stanley, who had become dean of the Abbey in 1863, was walking outside at the time and noticed them. When he…

Thought for the Day – Wednesday 24th June 2020 Bible reading : Ephesians 6 v 4.  “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Benjamin West was just trying to be a good babysitter for his little sister Sally. While his mother was out, he found…