ONE IMPORTANT, FORMATIVE FACTOR IN MY RESEARCH CAME THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF THE UNIVERSE IN THE FORM OF AN OCCASIONAL COLUMN IN THE WASHINGTON POST SUNDAY MAGAZINE OF 12 JULY. THE "MINE" COLUMN IS AN OCCASIONAL OFFERING FROM READERS ABOUT PHYSICAL ITEMS IN THEIR LIVES AND THE NON-PHYSICAL IMPORT THEY HAVE. THE ARTICLE ON THE 12TH WAS WRITTEN BY JOE MYERS OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA TITLED: "POPPY'S BIBLE". THE AUTHOR TALKED ABOUT THE POWERFUL CONNECTION HE HAD WITH A SMALL, OLIVE-DRAB BIBLE THAT HIS GRANDFATHER HAD CARRIED THROUGHOUT WORLD WAR II.
READING THE COLUMN, I REMEMBERED THE SAME GI-ISSUE BIBLE SITTING ON MY BOOK SHELF. MINE WAS CARRIED BY MY FATHER, IN HIS BREAST POCKET, DURING WWII AND THE KOREAN WAR. MINE IS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL TO ME BECAUSE IT WAS GIVEN TO MY FATHER BY MY MOTHER. IN ADDITION, SHE HAD INSCRIBED THE FRONTICE SHEET TO HIM AND INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING SUPPORT:
WHAT TO READ:
IF YOU HAVE THE "BLUES", READ THE 27TH PSALM.
IF YOUR POCKET-BOOK IS EMPTY, READ THE 37TH PSALM.
IF PEOPLE SEEM UNKIND, READ THE 15TH CHAPTER OF JOHN.
IF YOU ARE DISCOURAGED ABOUT YOUR WORK, READ THE 126TH PSALM.
IF YOU ARE ALL OUT OF SORTS, READ THE 12TH CHAPTER OF HEBREWS.
IF YOU ARE LOOSING CONFIDENCE IN MEN, READ THE 13TH CHAPTER OF FIRST CORINTHIANS.
IF YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR OWN WAY IN EVERYTHING, KEEP SILENT AND READ JAMES 3RD CHAPTER.
IN EARLIER CONVERSATIONS WITH MY SAINTED MOTHER, I WAS TOLD THIS INSCRIPTION WAS A
COMMON RESOURCE SHE HAD RECEIVED FROM HER MOTHER, WHO HAD DISCOVERED IT DURING WWI. ANYONE WHO KNEW MY MOTHER AND HER MOTHER, WOULD UNDERSTAND THIS WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION: "IF YOU ARE DISCOURAGED ABOUT YOUR WORK ...."? REALLY, HE WAS FIGHTING A WAR FOR GOD'S SAKE! MOMMA MIA. ASIDE FROM THE MINIMALIZATION AND HYPERBOLE, THESE SUGGESTIONS ARE EFFECTIVE RESTATEMENTS OF POSITIVE FORMULAE THAT WHEN READ AND REPEATED WILL ALTER THE NEGATIVE FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS THAT AT TIMES DISTURB OUR BEING.
THE CURRENT REFRAMES THAT I OFFERED DURING THE AFOREMENTIONED WORSHIP SERVICE, GO TO THE FOLLOWING LINKS:
9:00 service https://youtu.be/PtXJw7PDZ28
10:30 service https://youtu.be/2RbikvmClwE
THE ORDER OF WORSHIP IS THE SAME FOR EACH SERVICE, HOWEVER THE CONTENT OF THE MESSAGE OF THE DAY IS DIFFERENT AT 10:30 THAN AT 9 A.M.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, DISAGREEMENTS, SNIDE REMARKS AND SILLY STORIES ARE WELCOME.