Courtesy of Bob Dylan:
FOREVER YOUNG
BOB DYLAN
"May God bless and keep you always, May your wishes all come true, May you always do for others And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars And climb on every rung, May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young, May you stay forever young.
May you grow up to be righteous, May you grow up to be true, May you always know the truth And see the lights surrounding you. May you always be courageous, Stand upright and be strong, May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young, May you stay forever young.
May your hands always be busy, May your feet always be swift, May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift. May your heart always be joyful, May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young, May you stay forever young".
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Annual Christmas Message
In Hoc Anno DominiVermont Royster's annual Christmas message.
This editorial was written in 1949 by the late Vermont Royster and has been published annually since in the Wall Street Journal
"When Saul of Tarsus set out on his journey to Damascus the whole of the known world lay in bondage. There was one state, and it was Rome. There was one master for it all, and he was Tiberius Caesar.
Everywhere there was civil order, for the arm of the Roman law was long. Everywhere there was stability, in government and in society, for the centurions saw that it was so.
But everywhere there was something else, too. There was oppression--for those who were not the friends of Tiberius Caesar. There was the tax gatherer to take the grain from the fields and the flax from the spindle to feed the legions or to fill the hungry treasury from which divine Caesar gave largess to the people. There was the impressor to find recruits for the circuses. There were executioners to quiet those whom the Emperor proscribed. What was a man for but to serve Caesar?
There was the persecution of men who dared think differently, who heard strange voices or read strange manuscripts. There was enslavement of men whose tribes came not from Rome, disdain for those who did not have the familiar visage. And most of all, there was everywhere a contempt for human life. What, to the strong, was one man more or less in a crowded world?
Then, of a sudden, there was a light in the world, and a man from Galilee saying, Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.
And the voice from Galilee, which would defy Caesar, offered a new Kingdom in which each man could walk upright and bow to none but his God. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. And he sent this gospel of the Kingdom of Man into the uttermost ends of the earth.
So the light came into the world and the men who lived in darkness were afraid, and they tried to lower a curtain so that man would still believe salvation lay with the leaders.
But it came to pass for a while in divers places that the truth did set man free, although the men of darkness were offended and they tried to put out the light. The voice said, Haste ye. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Along the road to Damascus the light shone brightly. But afterward Paul of Tarsus, too, was sore afraid. He feared that other Caesars, other prophets, might one day persuade men that man was nothing save a servant unto them, that men might yield up their birthright from God for pottage and walk no more in freedom.
Then might it come to pass that darkness would settle again over the lands and there would be a burning of books and men would think only of what they should eat and what they should wear, and would give heed only to new Caesars and to false prophets. Then might it come to pass that men would not look upward to see even a winter's star in the East, and once more, there would be no light at all in the darkness.
And so Paul, the apostle of the Son of Man, spoke to his brethren, the Galatians, the words he would have us remember afterward in each of the years of his Lord:
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
This editorial was written in 1949 by the late Vermont Royster and has been published annually since in the Wall Street Journal
"When Saul of Tarsus set out on his journey to Damascus the whole of the known world lay in bondage. There was one state, and it was Rome. There was one master for it all, and he was Tiberius Caesar.
Everywhere there was civil order, for the arm of the Roman law was long. Everywhere there was stability, in government and in society, for the centurions saw that it was so.
But everywhere there was something else, too. There was oppression--for those who were not the friends of Tiberius Caesar. There was the tax gatherer to take the grain from the fields and the flax from the spindle to feed the legions or to fill the hungry treasury from which divine Caesar gave largess to the people. There was the impressor to find recruits for the circuses. There were executioners to quiet those whom the Emperor proscribed. What was a man for but to serve Caesar?
There was the persecution of men who dared think differently, who heard strange voices or read strange manuscripts. There was enslavement of men whose tribes came not from Rome, disdain for those who did not have the familiar visage. And most of all, there was everywhere a contempt for human life. What, to the strong, was one man more or less in a crowded world?
Then, of a sudden, there was a light in the world, and a man from Galilee saying, Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.
And the voice from Galilee, which would defy Caesar, offered a new Kingdom in which each man could walk upright and bow to none but his God. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. And he sent this gospel of the Kingdom of Man into the uttermost ends of the earth.
So the light came into the world and the men who lived in darkness were afraid, and they tried to lower a curtain so that man would still believe salvation lay with the leaders.
But it came to pass for a while in divers places that the truth did set man free, although the men of darkness were offended and they tried to put out the light. The voice said, Haste ye. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Along the road to Damascus the light shone brightly. But afterward Paul of Tarsus, too, was sore afraid. He feared that other Caesars, other prophets, might one day persuade men that man was nothing save a servant unto them, that men might yield up their birthright from God for pottage and walk no more in freedom.
Then might it come to pass that darkness would settle again over the lands and there would be a burning of books and men would think only of what they should eat and what they should wear, and would give heed only to new Caesars and to false prophets. Then might it come to pass that men would not look upward to see even a winter's star in the East, and once more, there would be no light at all in the darkness.
And so Paul, the apostle of the Son of Man, spoke to his brethren, the Galatians, the words he would have us remember afterward in each of the years of his Lord:
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Religious Freedom
Washington D.C.
Nativity Scene
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that there cannot be a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. this Christmas.
This isn't for any religious reason though.They simply have not been able to find three wise men and a virgin in the Nation's capitol. There was no problem, however, finding enough asses to fill the stable.
;)
Nativity Scene
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that there cannot be a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. this Christmas.
This isn't for any religious reason though.They simply have not been able to find three wise men and a virgin in the Nation's capitol. There was no problem, however, finding enough asses to fill the stable.
;)
Monday, December 15, 2008
Have you heard this one?
One Christmas Eve, a frenzied young man ran into a pet shop looking for an unusual Christmas gift for his wife. The shop owner suggested a parrot, named Chet, which could sing famous Christmas carols.This seemed like the perfect gift. "How do I get him to sing?" The young man asked, excitedly."Simply hold a lighted match directly under his feet like this." was the shop owner's reply. Chet began to sing "Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells! ..."The shop owner then held another match under the parrot's right foot. Then Chet's tune changed, and the air was filled with "Silent Night, Holy Night..."The young man was so impressed that he paid the shop-keeper and ran home as quickly as he could with Chet under his arm.
When the wife saw her gift she was overwhelmed. "How beautiful!" She exclaimed, "Can he talk?""No," the young man replied, "But he can sing. Let me show you."So the young man whipped out his lighter and placed it under Chet's left foot, as the shop-keeper had shown him, and Chet crooned, "Jingle Bells! The man then moved the lighter to Chet's right foot, and out came, "Silent Night. Holy Night..."The wife, her face filled with curiosity, then asked, "What if we hold the lighter between his legs?" The man did not know. "Let's try it." He answered,eager to please his wife.
So they held the lighter between Chet's legs. Chet twisted his face, cleared his throat, the little parrot sang out loudly (like it was the performance of his life) "Chet's nuts roasting on an open fire...."
When the wife saw her gift she was overwhelmed. "How beautiful!" She exclaimed, "Can he talk?""No," the young man replied, "But he can sing. Let me show you."So the young man whipped out his lighter and placed it under Chet's left foot, as the shop-keeper had shown him, and Chet crooned, "Jingle Bells! The man then moved the lighter to Chet's right foot, and out came, "Silent Night. Holy Night..."The wife, her face filled with curiosity, then asked, "What if we hold the lighter between his legs?" The man did not know. "Let's try it." He answered,eager to please his wife.
So they held the lighter between Chet's legs. Chet twisted his face, cleared his throat, the little parrot sang out loudly (like it was the performance of his life) "Chet's nuts roasting on an open fire...."
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tomorrow is the big day
OK, Please remind me why I thought last Christmas buying an artificial tree, a 6 footer, was a good idea; granted it was an absolutely gorgeous frasier fir fake that had it's own twinkling white lights. It was beautiful when we got all the ornaments on we have collected over the years. I even bought some "Eau De Forest" spray so the tree would smell like the real thing and it was a success. Did I mention it doesn't shed?
But now it resides in a huge box in the downstairs, under the stairs closet with Costco paper supplies, bedding for the hide a bed in the adjacent playroom, several old paintings and the rest of the Christmas decorations.All of the flotsam and jetsam has to be moved out of this small closet to remove the tree from its' year of slumber. then carry the heavy green fir pieces, 4 in all, up the stairs to the living room where my husband and I will have removed a tilt top table, lamp and a marble sculpture we bought in Mexico some time back, to make room for the tree.
Each of the four pieces of the tree are quite heavy with the wiring for the lights and they have to be attached to each other from bottom to top in a way that permits the lights to work... Hubby will start to assemble the pieces: (I will then proceed to kibitz and suggest that perhaps he is not doing it exactly right) ;)... We will finally get it assembled .Then put on all the ornaments and the tree skirt around the base.
Whew
But then after we sit still for a while and admire the beautiful. twinkling tree lights we will go outside and stand in the street and gaze at the image reflected in the front window of our house and breathe a sigh of relief and I will hug him and say :"It IS the prettiest we have ever had."
Now I get it..
IT'S CHRISTMAS AGAIN
AND ALL'S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD
But now it resides in a huge box in the downstairs, under the stairs closet with Costco paper supplies, bedding for the hide a bed in the adjacent playroom, several old paintings and the rest of the Christmas decorations.All of the flotsam and jetsam has to be moved out of this small closet to remove the tree from its' year of slumber. then carry the heavy green fir pieces, 4 in all, up the stairs to the living room where my husband and I will have removed a tilt top table, lamp and a marble sculpture we bought in Mexico some time back, to make room for the tree.
Each of the four pieces of the tree are quite heavy with the wiring for the lights and they have to be attached to each other from bottom to top in a way that permits the lights to work... Hubby will start to assemble the pieces: (I will then proceed to kibitz and suggest that perhaps he is not doing it exactly right) ;)... We will finally get it assembled .Then put on all the ornaments and the tree skirt around the base.
Whew
But then after we sit still for a while and admire the beautiful. twinkling tree lights we will go outside and stand in the street and gaze at the image reflected in the front window of our house and breathe a sigh of relief and I will hug him and say :"It IS the prettiest we have ever had."
Now I get it..
IT'S CHRISTMAS AGAIN
AND ALL'S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD
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