October 4, 2021
Click here for “Ants, and Locusts, and Spiders! Oh My!” (Proverbs 30:24-28), a sermon from the Crawfordville pulpit by David Sisler, preached on October 3, 2021.
👉 A QB reader asked for information about the state flower and bird of Hawaii, so here ‘tis.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “the Earth laughs in flowers.” If that is the case, the Hawaiian Islands must be the happiest places in the world. When visiting the islands you will almost certainly see the hibiscus, a large, colorful and ornate flower, blooming from shrubs and tucked gently behind ears. Hawaiians adopted the hibiscus – in all colors – as their official flower in the early 1920s. Also known as pua aloalo in Hawaiian, the hibiscus represents royalty and communicated power and respect. It wasn’t until 1988 that the yellow hibiscus, specifically the was selected as Hawaii’s state flower.
Prior to being named the official state flower in 1988, many recognized the red hibiscus as the emblem of Hawaii.
Nene, or Hawaiian Goose, was designated the official state bird of Hawaii on May 7, 1957. It is a native of the Hawaiian islands, found exclusively in the wild of the islands of Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Hawaii. The nene is the world’s rarest goose.
Once common, hunting and introduced predators such as mongooses, pigs, and cats reduced the population to 30 birds by 1952. However, this species breeds well in captivity, and has been successfully re-introduced so that now there are 2,500 birds in the wild. It is still the sixth-most endangered waterfowl species in the world.
When visiting our 50th state and admiring these rare birds be sure to keep your distance – they are federally protected and listed as an endangered species. It is unlawful to touch, feed, harass or chase the nene.
👉 Some Monday word play:
👉 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand acknowledged an end today to the country’s strategy of eliminating the coronavirus, announcing that restrictions would be gradually lifted in Auckland, the country’s largest city. Ms. Ardern’s announcement – which came seven weeks into a lockdown that has failed to halt an outbreak of the Delta variant – signaled an end to the “Covid zero” strategy New Zealand has pursued for a year and a half, closing its borders and quickly enforcing lockdowns to keep the coronavirus in check.
Overall, New Zealand’s approach to the virus has been a spectacular success, giving it one of the lowest rates of cases and deaths in the world, and allowing its people to live without restrictions during most of the pandemic. But the transmissibility of the Delta variant has challenged the old playbook and made lockdowns ineffective at containing the virus.
👉 Johnson & Johnson is planning to ask U.S. federal regulators early this week to authorize a booster shot of its coronavirus vaccine. The firm is the last of the three federally authorized vaccine providers to call for extra injections, amid mounting evidence that at least older adults and others in high-risk groups need more protection.
👉 Perfect answer:
👉 With a walk-off infield single, the New York Yankees clinched a wild card spot and will face the Boston Red Sox Wednesday for a trip to the division title against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees and Boston finished the regular season with identical records (92-70), but the Red Sox will host the American League wild-card game on Tuesday at Fenway Park because they took the season series from the Yankees, 10-9. Meanwhile in Pittsburgh, with a 6-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, the Pirates finished the 2021 season with a 61-101 record. The Yankees shout, “Play ball!” while the Pirates can only say, “Wait’ll next year.” And the Steelers lost to the Packers and so go 1-3 on the early season. Wait’ll next year?
👉 Three from Baby Blues:
👉 Today’s close, “Without Love,” is by Stephen Davey.
Of all the many kinds of “loves” in our world today, it fascinates me that when people see true love in action, they intuitively know it is the real thing.
I recently read a few statements from children regarding love, and some of them were rather profound.
Rebecca [age 8] said, “When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend down to paint her toenails anymore, so my grandfather does it for her. That’s love.”
Danny [age 7] said, “When my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him to make sure the taste is okay – that’s love.”
Chris [age 7] said, “Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he’s handsome.”
Jessica said, “You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot, because people forget.”
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul delivers to the church in Corinth one of the most remarkable, yet challenging pieces of prose on the subject of true love. In the process, he shatters the myths that abound today.
He effectively says, “It doesn’t matter who you are, who you think you are, or who others think you are; if you sacrificially act toward others with agape love, your life will be meaningful.”
That may seem hard to swallow at first, but when we test his statement in every aspect of life, we realize that he is right on the money.
-30-
No comments:
Post a Comment