School is Back

     School is now in full force!  Teachers are busy. Really, really busy!  They are trying to get their classrooms in order, attending meetings, preparing schedules, calling parents, and working more hours than the majority of people realize, all for the sake of teaching other people's children.
     Since my daughter is a dedicated teacher, I see what goes into the school year, and I do not take their careers lightly; however, you will find below a few comical excerpts from two books I co-authored which can be found as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle site.  Just click the link provided:

Book- A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Morgue  (true humorous short stories)
 https://www.amazon.com/Funny-Thing-Happened-Way-Morgue-ebook/dp/B01D6PIZNY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1458506556&sr=1-1&keywords=A+Funny+Thing+Happened+on+the+way+to+the+Morgue#nav-subnav

    In the days when many of the rural school board members did not even have a high school education, a particular board member, who did not have any appreciation for the finer aspects of the teaching of grammar and punctuation, came to school one day and wrote upon the chalk board, "The board member thinks the teacher is a fool."  As he completed his writing, the teacher took the piece of chalk, stepped to the board, and corrected the sentence with a couple of commas, resulting in the following: "The board member, thinks the teacher, is a fool."
    
Here's another:

     In the mountains of northern Arkansas or Southern Missouri sometime around the turn of the last century a man applied for a teaching position in the rural school.  The school board asked, "How do you teach geography?  Do you teach that the earth is round or flat?"  The teacher responded, "I am prepared to teach it either way."  He got the job. 

    Then here is another from my So? Whatever! 365 Laughs and Devotionals with Foreword by Mike Huckabee:
https://www.amazon.com/So-Whatever-365-Laughs-Devotionals-ebook/dp/B01D45OL1Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1458313481&sr=1-1&keywords=So%3F+Whatever%21#nav-subnav

     A third grader was giving a demonstration speech at school using items from home. Realizing they had left the items needed for the speech at home, the mom rushed back to get the stuff.  The apple, the orange, and the raisins were gone.  "Oh," said the dad, "I had that stuff for breakfast."  Reporting back with an explanation and apology, the teacher said, "Gee, that's first. 'My dad ate my
homework.' "

     Family members are full of surprises, but it is good to establish a pattern that can be recognized in daily life.  Parents should want their children to expect prayer at meal times, recognize when the alarm goes off in the morning that time will be spent in Bible study and prayer time with God.  Getting up on Sunday and going to church should not be a question.  When the Christmas tree is put out, the family will talk about the birth of Jesus, and when Easter comes, they will talk about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Children should be given family traditions revolving around their love for Jesus; knowing the Holy Spirit leads, intercedes for them, and guides them throughout their lives.  There is a saying that is good, "A family that prays together stays together."

1 Timothy 3:4  "He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect."

"Killing Jesus"

     "A Friendly Shade," takes my thoughts in many different directions as I search for what to post.  This Easter season had me looking through the list of books downloaded on my Kindle.  I noticed, "Killing Kennedy", written by Bill O'Reilly, and remembered how much I enjoyed reading his book.  I have yet to order, "Killing Jesus," also written by Bill O'Reilly, but expect to read that one soon.   
     In the meantime, I decided to post my own version of "Killing Jesus."  As a matter of fact our pastor asked us to contemplate, explore, and share the death of Christ on the cross.  The sermon's scripture today was from Isaiah 53.  In verse 7, I was reminded of Jesus's great love for us as He took on our sins in silence.   "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth."
     By Jesus's actions, He basically said, "I will gladly, and in silence, lay down my life on the cross for you. I will pay the price for your sins." That is just what He did.  He bore the ridicule, the stripes on His back, and the nails.  He did that for me and for all of mankind.

          Killing Jesus

“Let Him die,” was the decree,

    yet killing Jesus was not to be.
“Kill Him! Kill Him!” followed the cry,
    but no reason why.

The mob moved within the crowd

    shouting in voices angry and loud.

“He’s spreading rumors all abroad,
     a common man, liar, and fraud.
“Kill Him! Kill Him!”
Oh! So much mayhem!

Soldiers took the whip to thresh,  

    bringing blood and tearing flesh.   
A vine of thorns became His crown;
To a splintered cross His hands were bound;
Nails pierced His hands and feet.
The crowd came alive and began to repeat,
    “Kill Him! Kill Him!”
People watched with faces grim.     
Mockers spit in His face-
  beneath them, was His place.
The cross, slammed into the ground,
    anguish was profound;
Agony and pain
    doubled from bodily strain.
Blood covered barren skin,
    or what had been.

“Father, forgive them,” was heard by those standing there,

    just before the heavens opened, a Son to declare.
Rejected, mocked, battered, and shamed;
   a King, unnamed-
In death, the temple rent in twain.
The earth did quake the valley and plain. 
Over it all, light turned to darkness,
    shouts ended in quietness.
Fear appeared on the witness face
    in that very place.     
All was silence
    after the violence.

“Kill Him! Kill Him,” had been the cry.   
They did not know He would not die-
    nor why.
"Arise! Arise!" was God's own cry.
Salvation was the reason why.

A resurrection was God's decree;
  a plan foretold to set the sinner free.
The Son of God, a Savior, missing from the grave.
He arose to live! Souls to save.
A coming day for all to see-
Killing Jesus was not to be.
                                         Mary Crisp Jameson