The Origin of April Fool’s Day

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

THE ORIGIN OF APRIL FOOL’S DAY

Cochran Cornell, the Cantankerous Cockroach,

 contributed to this post

     As I recall, way back in time, the unicorn (I’ll call him Sanno) refused to board Noah’s Ark. Sanno was having too much fun bouncing about in the waves of the coming flood. His black, gold, and red horn bobbed up and down through the waves as he splashed, and was splashed, becoming more energetic as the waves increased in size.

     His joy was so great that he didn’t hear Noah’s last call. Noah reached a point of desperation, having to decide whether to sail on, leaving Sanno behind, or to try to rescue him. However, Sanno, swimming about, had swum so far from the ark that Noah realized, finally, that no matter what, he  couldn’t save Sanno, so he sadly sailed on, saving the other animals for future generations.

     Sanno didn’t realize he was missing the boat as he continued to dive in and out of the waves, nary a care in the world. What fun! That is, until he saw a giant wave moving towards him. Suddenly, he realized he might be endangered. He looked about for Noah’s Ark, but all he could see was a speck in the distance. Was that the Ark? It was impossible to tell.

     It didn’t matter. Sanno couldn’t get to the Ark, nor could he avoid the huge wave, one unlike he had ever imagined. It rolled upon him, over him, lifting him higher than he’d ever experienced before. He looked up—he was riding the top of it, and could see for miles! And all he saw was

Lenten Study: 7 Deadly Sins—Greed #4: Secretly Generous

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

LENTEN STUDY: 7 DEADLY SINS

GREED #4: SECRETLY GENEROUS

MONTE W. HOLLAND

 INTRODUCTION

     The following study is a journey through Lent, the forty-day pre-Easter season (which excludes Sundays).  Easter’s date, determined by the time of the first full moon after the Spring equinox, is very late this year.

     Traditionally, many Christians use Lent for self-examination and a renewal of their commitment to their faith.

     This year I  chose to do a devotional study on aspects of the Seven Deadly Sins, sins identified by very early Christians as key behaviors separating man from God and God’s will. The seven sins are not listed together in the Bible—each is, however, spoken about in various Scripture sites.

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THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS:

GREED, ENVY, ANGER, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH and PRIDE.

THE ASPECTS OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE:

#1 Breaking the Mosaic Law

#2 Defying God or rebelling against God

#3 Acts of violence to others

#4 Failing to make proper sacrifices or worship

#5 Not living up to or reflecting God’s glory (not living as one created in God’s image)

GREED #4

SECRETLY GENEROUS

SCRIPTURE:  ¹ When you do good deeds, don’t try to show off. If you do, you won’t get a reward from your Father in heaven. ² When you give to the poor, don’t blow a loud horn. That’s what show-offs do in the synagogues and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward. ³ When you give to the poor, don’t let anyone know about it. ⁴ Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret and will reward you. ( Luke 11.2-4) ⁵ When you pray, don’t be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They do this just to look good. I can assure you that they already have their reward. ⁶ When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private and will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-6 (CEV))  

¹ And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. ² And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. ³ And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: ⁴ for all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. (Luke 21:1-4 (KJV))

DEVOTION: I don’t know how to handle the “bandwagon effect” that occurs whenever I donate to a charity—their wanting to list my name as a donor. I understand that they want to stimulate others to donate by showing how many others are involved and even how much they are giving.

     The poor widow wasn’t on anybody’s donor list. Nobody would

Lenten Study: 7 Deadly Sins—Sloth #3: Not Nurturing Others

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

LENTEN STUDY: 7 DEADLY SINS

SLOTH #3

NOT NURTURING OTHERS

MONTE W. HOLLAND

 INTRODUCTION

     The following study is a journey through Lent, the forty-day pre-Easter season (which excludes Sundays).  Easter’s date, determined by the time of the first full moon after the Spring equinox, is very late this year.

     Traditionally, many Christians use Lent for self-examination and a renewal of their commitment to their faith.

     This year I  chose to do a devotional study on aspects of the Seven Deadly Sins, sins identified by very early Christians as key behaviors separating man from God and God’s will. The seven sins are not listed together in the Bible—each is, however, spoken about in various Scripture sites.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS:

GREED, ENVY, ANGER, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH and PRIDE.

THE ASPECTS OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE:

#1 Breaking the Mosaic Law

#2 Defying God or rebelling against God

#3 Acts of violence to others

#4 Failing to make proper sacrifices or worship

#5 Not living up to or reflecting God’s glory (not living as one created in God’s image)

SLOTH #3

NOT NURTURING OTHERS

Scripture:  ¹⁵ People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. (Luke 18:15 (NIV))

¹³ Some people brought their children to Jesus so he could bless them by placing his hands on them. But his disciples told the people to stop bothering him. (Mark 10:13 (CEV))

⁷ Tell all this to everyone, so they will do the right thing. ⁸ People who don’t take care of their relatives, and especially their own families, have given up their faith. They are worse than someone who doesn’t have faith in the Lord. ⁹ For a widow to be put on the list of widows, she must be at least 60 years old, and she must have been faithful in marriage. ¹⁰ She must also be well-known for doing all sorts of good things, such as raising children, giving food to strangers, welcoming God’s people into her home, helping people in need, and always making herself useful. (1 Timothy 5:7-10 (CEV))

 DEVOTION: “Stop bothering Jesus.” 

     Have you ever told someone that?

     Was Jesus really too busy to touch a child? Is Jesus to busy today to touch my life or the life of

Lenten Study: 7 Deadly Sins—Gluttony #3: Themes From a Scattered Garden

LENTEN STUDY: 7 DEADLY SINS

GLUTTONY #3: THEMES FROM A SCATTERED GARDEN

The Rev. Bill Pieringer*

 INTRODUCTION

     The following study is a journey through Lent, the forty-day pre-Easter season (which excludes Sundays).  Easter’s date, determined by the time of the first full moon after the Spring equinox, is very late this year.

     Traditionally, many Christians use Lent for self-examination and a renewal of their commitment to their faith.

     This year I  chose to do a devotional study on aspects of the Seven Deadly Sins, sins identified by very early Christians as key behaviors separating man from God and God’s will. The seven sins are not listed together in the Bible—each is, however, spoken about in various Scripture sites.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS:

GREED, ENVY, ANGER, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH and PRIDE.

THE ASPECTS OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE:

#1 Breaking the Mosaic Law

#2 Defying God or rebelling against God

#3 Acts of violence to others

#4 Failing to make proper sacrifices or worship

#5 Not living up to or reflecting God’s glory (not living as one created in God’s image)

GLUTTONY #3

THEMES FROM A SCATTERED GARDEN

The Rev. Bill Pieringer*

SCRIPTURE: “Therefore do not worry, saying what will we eat? or what will we drink? or what will we wear? ..indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  (Matthew 6:31-33)

DEVOTION:  Feeding the birds at, this time of the year, is a popular activity in Western Pennsylvania. The one problem many bird feeders face, however, is the ever present, ever persistent efforts of the gray squirrel. Anyone who has ever watched a squirrel atop a bird feeder knows a little something about gluttony. They don’t stop until they have cleaned you out.

     Over the years we have “squirrel proofed” our feeder, though it hasn’t been easy nor cheap. We removed a deck from which the squirrels would jump to our feeder. Then we purchased an aluminum cylinder

While Doing Adopton Home Studies: Part 2

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

WHILE DOING ADOPTION HOME STUDIES Part II

To read the first part of this story, click on While Doing Adoption Home Studies: Part 1.

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     What does the color orange signify, I asked myself.

     I had just toured the home of a couple hoping to adopt a child from the agency where I held a part time job doing home studies. What impressed me was their use of the color orange—splashed throughout their modest home—the deep shade of pumpkin skin to the soft shade taken from an evening sunset. Orange on walls, furniture, carpets, window hangings, accents. Not unattractive, but a statement about this family.

     So what does the color orange signify? I researched the subject, and learned orange is the color of warmth. And, interestingly enough, the couple I had interviewed were warm people.

     Working for an adoption agency during the time my husband, Monte, and I were undergoing the adoption process, was a rewarding experience. I  recall several of my experiences.

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     One couple, I’ll call them Roger and Diane, were so petrified of the home study that I couldn’t get them to talk with me. I understood—after all, I was going through the same process. We viewed home study interviewers as

Lenten Study: Seven Deadly Sins—Lust #3: A Tragic Cover-up Plot

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

LENTEN STUDY: 7 DEADLY SINS

LUST #3: A TRAGIC COVER-UP PLOT

MONTE W. HOLLAND

 INTRODUCTION

     The following study is a journey through Lent, the forty-day pre-Easter season (which excludes Sundays).  Easter’s date, determined by the time of the first full moon after the Spring equinox, is very late this year.

     Traditionally, many Christians use Lent for self-examination and a renewal of their commitment to their faith.

     This year I  chose to do a devotional study on aspects of the Seven Deadly Sins, sins identified by very early Christians as key behaviors separating man from God and God’s will. The seven sins are not listed together in the Bible—each is, however, spoken about in various Scripture sites.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS:

GREED, ENVY, ANGER, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH and PRIDE.

THE ASPECTS OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE:

#1 Breaking the Mosaic Law

#2 Defying God or rebelling against God

#3 Acts of violence to others

#4 Failing to make proper sacrifices or worship

#5 Not living up to or reflecting God’s glory (not living as one created in God’s image)

LUST #3

A TRAGIC COVERUP PLOT

SCRIPTURE:  ² One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, ³ and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” ⁴ Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home. ⁵ The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.” ⁶ So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. ⁷ When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. ⁸ Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. ⁹ But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house….. ¹³ At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home. ¹⁴ In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. ¹⁵ In it he wrote, “Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” ¹⁶ So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. ¹⁷ When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died. (2 Samuel 11:2-9, 14-17)

DEVOTION:       David and Bathsheba—It was springtime when the fancy of kings turns to war. Because David was getting older he sent out the head of his army to go to war with the troops. But David was not too old for that other fancy of springtime—lust and sex. Lust waits in the shadows for the most opportune moments—being alone with a person of the other sex or being near another’s spouse in his or her absence.

     Was what happened Bathsheba’s fault? After all she was young and beautiful and outside bathing in the sight of David, even though it was part of a religious ritual. How about David? Shouldn’t he have

While Doing Adoption Home Studies: Part 1

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

WHILE DOING ADOPTION HOME STUDIES

 Part I

     My input on three adoption home studies was influential.

     My husband Monte and I had had to withdraw our application for adoption from an agency in the city where we lived because we were relocating to a new jobsite.  About a month after moving to our new community Monte and I submitted our application to a local adoption agency.

     At the same time, I responded to a classified ad seeking part-time help at an agency that needed to catch up on their adoption home studies. The job was located in an adjacent county.

     During the interview with Sonya, the agency director, I stated two conditions. First, I gave notice—when a baby was placed in our home (which could be three days or three years), I’d have to leave the position immediately, without warning. Second, I emphatically stated that I would recluse myself from

Lenten Study: 7 Deadly Sins—Anger #3: I Would Never Get That Angry, Would I?

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

LENTEN STUDY: 7 DEADLY SINS

ANGER #3: I WOULD NEVER GET THAT ANGRY, WOULD I?

MONTE W. HOLLAND

 INTRODUCTION

     The following study is a journey through Lent, the forty-day pre-Easter season (which excludes Sundays).  Easter’s date, determined by the time of the first full moon after the Spring equinox, is very late this year.

     Traditionally, many Christians use Lent for self-examination and a renewal of their commitment to their faith.

     This year I  chose to do a devotional study on aspects of the Seven Deadly Sins, sins identified by very early Christians as key behaviors separating man from God and God’s will. The seven sins are not listed together in the Bible—each is, however, spoken about in various Scripture sites.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS:

GREED, ENVY, ANGER, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH and PRIDE.

THE ASPECTS OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE:

#1 Breaking the Mosaic Law

#2 Defying God or rebelling against God

#3 Acts of violence to others

#4 Failing to make proper sacrifices or worship

#5 Not living up to or reflecting God’s glory (not living as one created in God’s image)

ANGER #3

I WOULD NEVER GET THAT ANGRY, WOULD I?

SCRIPTURE: The Wise Men ¹ When Jesus was born in the village of Bethlehem in Judea, Herod was king. During this time some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem ² and said, “Where is the child born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” ³ When King Herod heard about this, he was worried, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem. ⁴ Herod brought together the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses and asked them, “Where will the Messiah be born?” ⁵ They told him, “He will be born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet wrote, ⁶ ‘Bethlehem in the land of Judea, you are very important among the towns of Judea. From your town will come a leader, who will be like a shepherd for my people Israel.’ ” ⁷ Herod secretly called in the wise men and asked them when they had first seen the star. ⁸ He told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, let me know. I also want to go and worship him.” ⁹ The wise men listened to what the king said and then left. And the star they had seen in the east went on ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ They were thrilled and excited to see the star. ¹¹ When the men went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and worshiped him. They took out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh and gave them to him. ¹² Later they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and they went back home by another road. (Matthew 2:1-12)

The Plot To Kill Jesus ( Mark 14.1, 2; Luke 22.1, 2; John 11.45-53) ¹ When Jesus had finished teaching, he told his disciples, ² “You know two days from now will be Passover. This is when the Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies and nailed to a cross.” ³ At that time the chief priests and the nation’s leaders were meeting at the home of Caiaphas the high priest. ⁴ They planned how they could sneak around and have Jesus arrested and put to death. ⁵ But they said, “We must not do it during Passover, because the people will riot.”  

Judas and the Chief Priests ( Mark 14.10, 11; Luke 22.3-6) ¹⁴ Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples. He went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and asked, “How much will you give me if I help you arrest Jesus?” They paid Judas 30 silver coins, ¹⁶ and from then on he started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus. (Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16)

DEVOTION:  The Scriptural words vary from translation to translation: worried, very worried, upset, disturbed, troubled. Herod was angry that someone might come on the scene that would remove him from power, erode his control over the people. Anger leads to calculation, to back room plots, to intrigue—all with a capital objective: violence and death to another human.

     Anger and sneakiness often get tangled together. We get angry and want to respond in this anger, but we don’t want to be found out. Often we are willing to choose the road to death for others. For example, we

Lenten Study: 7 Deadly Sins: Envy #3: When War is the Answer

CAROLYN’C COMPOSITIONS

LENTEN STUDY: 7 DEADLY SINS

ENVY #3: WHEN WAR IS THE ANSWER

MONTE W. HOLLAND

INTRODUCTION

     The following study is a journey through Lent, the forty-day pre-Easter season (which excludes Sundays).  Easter’s date, determined by the time of the first full moon after the Spring equinox, is very late this year.

     Traditionally, many Christians use Lent for self-examination and a renewal of their commitment to their faith.

     This year I  chose to do a devotional study on aspects of the Seven Deadly Sins, sins identified by very early Christians as key behaviors separating man from God and God’s will. The seven sins are not listed together in the Bible—each is, however, spoken about in various Scripture sites.

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THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS:

GREED, ENVY, ANGER, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH and PRIDE.

THE ASPECTS OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE:

#1 Breaking the Mosaic Law

#2 Defying God or rebelling against God

#3 Acts of violence to others

#4 Failing to make proper sacrifices or worship

#5 Not living up to or reflecting God’s glory (not living as one created in God’s image)

ENVY #3:

WHEN WAR IS THE ANSWER

SCRIPTURE: ¹ WHAT LEADS to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members? ² You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask. James 4:1-2   [I John 3:15]  (AMP) 

DEVOTION: If war is the answer, most likely you are asking the wrong question.

          For James the answer is

Let’s Kill Him

CAROLYN’C COMPOSITIONS

LENTEN STUDY: 7 DEADLY SINS

GREED #3: LET’S KILL HIM

MONTE W. HOLLAND

INTRODUCTION

     The following study is a journey through Lent, the forty-day pre-Easter season (which excludes Sundays).  Easter’s date, determined by the time of the first full moon after the Spring equinox, is very late this year.

     Traditionally, many Christians use Lent for self-examination and a renewal of their commitment to their faith.

     This year I  chose to do a devotional study on aspects of the Seven Deadly Sins, sins identified by very early Christians as key behaviors separating man from God and God’s will. The seven sins are not listed together in the Bible—each is, however, spoken about in various Scripture sites.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS:

GREED, ENVY, ANGER, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH and PRIDE.

THE ASPECTS OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE:

#1 Breaking the Mosaic Law

#2 Defying God or rebelling against God

#3 Acts of violence to others

#4 Failing to make proper sacrifices or worship

#5 Not living up to or reflecting God’s glory (not living as one created in God’s image)

GREED #3

Let’s Kill Him

SCRIPTURE: ⁵ They lend their money without charging interest, and they don’t take bribes to hurt the innocent. Those who do these things will always stand firm. (Psalm 15:5 (CEV))

³³ Jesus told the chief priests and leaders to listen to this story: A land owner once planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it and dug a pit to crush the grapes in. He also built a lookout tower. Then he rented out his vineyard and left the country. ³⁴ When it was harvest time, the owner sent some servants to get his share of the grapes. ³⁵ But the renters grabbed those servants. They beat up one, killed one, and stoned one of them to death. ³⁶ He then sent more servants than he did the first time. But the renters treated them in the same way. ³⁷ Finally, the owner sent his own son to the renters, because he thought they would respect him. ³⁸ But when they saw the man’s son, they said, “Someday he will own the vineyard. Let’s kill him! Then we can have it all for ourselves.” ³⁹ So they grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. ⁴⁰ Jesus asked, “When the owner of that vineyard comes, what do you suppose he will do to those renters?” ⁴¹ The chief priests and leaders answered, “He will kill them in some horrible way. Then he will rent out his vineyard to people who will give him his share of grapes at harvest time.” ⁴² Jesus replied, “You surely know that the Scriptures say, ‘The stone the builders tossed aside is now the most important stone of all. This is something the Lord has done, and it is amazing to us.’ ⁴³ I tell you God’s kingdom will be taken from you and given to people who will do what he demands. ⁴⁴ Anyone who stumbles over this stone will be crushed, and anyone it falls on will be smashed to pieces.” ⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard these stories, they knew Jesus was talking about them. ⁴⁶ So they looked for a way to arrest Jesus. But they were afraid to, because the people thought he was a prophet. (Matthew 21:33-46 (CEV))

 DEVOTION:    Greed can hurt.

     Greed takes many forms. Greed often moves resources from