THE EMPTY EGG

THE EMPTY EGG

Jeremy was born with a twisted body and a slow mind. At the age of 12 he was
still in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller,
often became exasperated with him. He would squirm in his seat, drool, and
make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if
a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time,
however, Jeremy just irritated his teacher.

One day she called his parents and asked them to come in for a consultation.
As the Forresters entered the empty classroom, Doris said to them, "Jeremy
really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair to him to be with younger
children who don't have learning problems. Why, there is a five year gap
between his age and that of the other students."

Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue, while her husband spoke. "Miss
Miller," he said, "there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a
terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know
he really likes it here." Doris sat for a long time after they had left,
staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her
soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Forresters. After all, their only
child had a terminal illness. But it
wasn't fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other youngsters to teach,
and Jeremy was a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to read and
write. Why waste any more time trying?

As she pondered the situation, guilt washed over her. Here I am complaining
when my problems are nothing compared to that poor family, she thought.
Lord, please help me to be more patient with Jeremy. From that day on, she
tried hard to ignore Jeremy's noises and his blank stares. Then one day, he
limped to her desk, dragging his bad leg behind him.

"I love you, Miss Miller," he exclaimed, loud enough for the whole class to
hear. The other students snickered, and Doris' face turned red. She
stammered, "Wh-why that's very nice, Jeremy. N-now please take your seat."

Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter.
Doris told them the story of Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new
life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg.
"Now," she said to them, "I want you to take this home and bring it back
tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Miss Miller," the children responded enthusiastically- all except for
Jeremy. He listened intently; his eyes never left her face. He did not even
make his usual noises. Had he understood what she had said about Jesus'
death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should
call his parents and explain the project to them.

That evening, Doris' kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and
waited an hour for him to come by and unclog it. After that, she still had
to shop for groceries, iron a blouse, and prepare a vocabulary test for the
next day. She completely forgot about phoning Jeremy's parents.

The next morning, 19 children came to school, laughing and talking as they
placed their eggs in the large wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. After
they completed their math lesson, it was time to open the eggs. In the first
egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new
life," she said. "When plants peek through the ground, we know that spring
is here." A small girl in the first row waved her arm. "That's my egg, Miss
Miller," she called out. The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which
looked very real. Doris held it up. "We all know that a caterpillar changes
and grows into a beautiful butterfly. Yes, that's new life, too." Little
Judy smiled proudly and said, "Miss Miller, that one is mine." Next, Doris
found a rock with moss on it. She explained that moss, too, showed life.
Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom, "My daddy helped me," he
beamed.

Then Doris opened the fourth egg. She gasped. The egg was empty. Surely it
must be Jeremy's she thought, and of course, he did not understand her
instructions. If only she had not forgotten to phone his parents. Because
she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached
for another. Suddenly, Jeremy spoke up. "Miss Miller, aren't you going to
talk about my egg?" Flustered, Doris replied, "But Jeremy, your egg is
empty." He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was
empty, too."

Time stopped. When she could speak again, Doris asked him, "Do you know why
the tomb was empty?" "Oh, yes," Jeremy said, "Jesus was killed and put in
there. Then His Father raised Him up."

The recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the school
yard, Doris cried. The cold inside her melted completely away.

Three months later, Jeremy died. Those who paid their respects at the
mortuary were surprised to see 19 eggs on top of his casket, all of them
empty.

If this blesses you, pass it on.

Happy Easter!

-- Author Unknown

JELLY BEAN PRAYER..................

JELLY BEAN PRAYER

Have you heard the story of the jelly beans?

The black ones are a symbol of our sinful heart, cold and hard not a good
start.

The red ones would be, the blood shed for you and me.

The white ones would mean washed white as snow, by the blood of Jesus do you
know?

The green ones mean growth for our clean heart, so we can tell others of
Jesus, now that's a good start.

The yellow ones would mean streets of gold, like the ones in Heaven, as in
the book of Revelation are told.

The purple ones are to mean like the robe He wore, when our sins on the
cross He bore.

So the next time you see a bag of jelly beans, you will know what the colors
mean.

- Another Version -

* RED * is for the blood He gave.
* GREEN * is for the grass He made.
* YELLOW * is for the sun so bright.
* ORANGE * is for the edge of night.
* BLACK * is for the sins we made.
* WHITE * is for the grace He gave.
* PURPLE * is for His hour of sorrow.
* PINK * is for our new tomorrow.

A bag full of jelly beans colorful and sweet,
Is a prayer,
is a promise,
is a very special treat.

-- Authors Unknown

DO YOU BELIEVE IN EASTER?.................

DO YOU BELIEVE IN EASTER?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas. She
was the patient of doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a
gentle doctor who saw patients as people.

His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with
a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that
waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly
talking to a young mother sitting beside her.

Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name
is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the
meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved.

Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse,
Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood
pressure. Edith began by saying, "My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe
in Easter?"

Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you believe about
Easter?" Beverly said, "Well, it's all about egg hunts, going to church,
and dressing up." Edith kept pressing her about the real meaning of Easter,
and finally led her to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Phillips said, "Beverly, don't call Edith into the office quite yet. I
believe there is another delivery taking place in the waiting room.

After being called back in the doctor's office, Edith sat down and when she
took a look at the doctor she said, "Dr. Will, why are you so sad? Are you
reading your Bible? Are you praying?"

Dr. Phillips said gently, "Edith, I'm the doctor and you're the patient."

With a heavy heart he said, "Your lab report came back and it says you have
cancer, and Edith, you're not going to live very long."

Edith said, "Why Will Phillips, shame on you. Why are you so sad? Do you
think God makes mistakes? You have just told me I'm going to see my precious
Lord Jesus, my husband, and my friends. You have just told me that I am
going to celebrate Easter forever, and here you are having difficulty giving
me my ticket!"

Dr. Phillips thought to himself, "What a magnificent woman this Edith Burns
is!"

Edith continued coming to Dr. Phillips. Christmas came and the office was
closed through January 3rd. On the day the office opened, Edith did not show
up. Later that afternoon, Edith called Dr. Phillips and said she would have
to be moving her story to the hospital and said, "Will, I'm very near home,
so would you make sure that they put women in here next to me in my room who
need to know about Easter."

Well, they did just that and women began to come in and share that room with
Edith. Many women were saved. Everybody on that floor from staff to
patients were so excited about Edith, that they started calling her Edith
Easter; that is everyone except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse.

Phyllis made it plain that she wanted nothing to do with Edith because she
was a "religious nut". She had been a nurse in an army hospital. She had
seen it all and heard it all. She was the original G.I. Jane. She had been
married three times, she was hard, cold, and did everything by the book.

One morning the two nurses who were to attend to Edith were sick. Edith had
the flu and Phyllis Cross had to go in and give her a shot. When she walked
in, Edith had a big smile on her face and said, "Phyllis, God loves you and
I love you, and I have been praying for you."

Phyllis Cross said, "Well, you can quit praying for me, it won't work. I'm
not interested." Edith said, "Well, I will pray and I have asked God not
to let me go home until you come into the family."

Phyllis Cross said, "Then you will never die because that will never
happen," and curtly walked out of the room.

Every day Phyllis Cross would walk into the room and Edith would say, "God
loves you Phyllis and I love you, and I'm praying for you." One day Phyllis
Cross said she was literally drawn to Edith's room like a magnet would draw
iron. She sat down on the bed and Edith said, "I'm so glad you have come,
because God told me that today is your special day."

Phyllis Cross said, "Edith, you have asked everybody here the question, 'Do
you believe in Easter?' but you have never asked me." Edith said, "Phyllis,
I wanted to many times, but God told me to wait until you asked, and now
that you have asked..."

Edith Burns took her Bible and shared with Phyllis Cross the Easter Story of
the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Edith said, "Phyllis,
do you believe in Easter? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive and
that He wants to live in your heart?" Phyllis Cross said, "Oh I want to
believe that with all of my heart, and I do want Jesus in my life." Right
there, Phyllis Cross prayed and invited Jesus Christ into her heart. For
the first time Phyllis Cross did not walk out of a hospital room, she was
carried out on the wings of angels.

Two days later, Phyllis Cross came in and Edith said, "Do you know what day
it is?" Phyllis Cross said, "Why Edith, it's Good Friday." Edith said, "Oh,
no, for you every day is Easter. Happy Easter Phyllis!"

Two days later, on Easter Sunday, Phyllis Cross came into work, did some of
her duties and then went down to the flower shop and got some Easter lilies
because she wanted to go up to see Edith and give her some Easter lilies and
wish her a Happy Easter. When she walked into Edith's room, Edith was in
bed. That big black Bible was on her lap. Her hands were in that Bible.
There was a sweet smile on her face.

When Phyllis Cross went to pick up Edith's hand, she realized Edith was
dead.

Her left hand was on John 14: "In my Father's house are many mansions. I go
to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself,
that where I am, there you may be also." Her right hand was on Revelation
21:4, " And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no
more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for
the former things have passed away." Phyllis Cross took one look at that
dead body, and then lifted her face toward heaven, and with tears streaming
down here cheeks, said, "Happy Easter, Edith - Happy Easter!"

Phyllis Cross left Edith's body, walked out of the room, and over to a table
where two student nurses were sitting. She said, "My name is Phyllis Cross.
Do you believe in Easter?"

-- Author Unknown

AND THEY CRUCIFIED HIM......a medical description..........

AND THEY CRUCIFIED HIM

A medical doctor provides a physical description:

The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown
backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the
depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought-iron
nail through the wrist deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other
side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly,
but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place.
The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet
extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the
knees flexed. The victim is now crucified.

As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists,
excruciating fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode
in the brain -- the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median
nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he
places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he feels the
searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of
his feet.

As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through his muscles, knotting them deep
relentless, and throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to
push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not
exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath.

Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and
the cramps partially subsided. Spasmodically, he is able to push himself
upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.

Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-renting cramps,
intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his
lacerated back as he moves up and down against rough timber. Then another
agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium
slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.

It is now almost over. The loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical
level. The compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish
blood into the tissues. The tortured lungs are making frantic effort to gasp
in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through his
tissues.

Finally, he allows his body to die.

All this the Bible records with the simple words,
"and they crucified Him" (Mark 15:24).

-- C. Truman Davis, M.D., M.S., Arizona Medicine, Vol. 22 No. 3 March 1965

Children's sayings...............

I hope this will bring a smile to your face, and give you
a laugh or two as well, so let us begin.....

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It was Palm Sunday, and because of a sore throat, five year old Billy
stayed home from Church with a sitter. When his family returned
home they were carrying several Palm Branches. Billy asked what
they were for? His parents replied "People held them over Jesus'
head as He walked by." "Wouldn't you know it," Billy fumed, "The
one Sunday I don't go to Church, HE showed up!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One Easter Sunday as the Minister was preaching the Children's
Sermon, he reached into his bag of props and pulled out an egg.
He pointed at the egg and asked the children, "What's in here?"
I know a little boy exclaimed, "Pantyhose!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Little Johnny asked his Grandma how old she was. Grandma
answered, "39 and holding." Johnny thought for a moment, and
then said, "And how old would you be if you let go?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A little boy was in a relative's wedding. As he was going down the
aisle, he would take two steps, stop, and turn to the crowd. While
facing the crowd, he would put his hands up like claws and roar.
So it went, step ROAR step, ROAR, step,, ROAR, all the way down
the aisle. As you can imagine, the crowd was near tears from
laughing so hard by the time he reached the pulpit.

When asked what he was doing, the child sniffed and said, "I was
being the Ring Bear."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One Sunday in a Midwest City, a young child was "acting up" during
the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain
some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally,
the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle
on his way out.

Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the little one called
loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One particular four-year old prayed, "And forgive us our trash
baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A little boy was overheard praying: "Lord, if you can' t make me a
better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I
am."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Sunday School teacher asked her little children, as they were on
the way to church service, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in
church?"

One bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A little boy opened the big and old family Bible with fascination,
looking at the old pages as he turned them. Then something
fell out of the Bible. He picked it up and looked at it closely. It
was an old leaf from a tree that has been pressed in between
the pages."Mama, look what I found," the boy called out.
"What have you got there, dear?" his mother asked. With
astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "It's
Adam's suit."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The preacher was wired for sound with a lapel mike, and as he
preached, he moved briskly about the platform, jerking the mike
cord as he went. Then he moved to one side, getting wound up in
the cord and nearly tripping before jerking it again. After several
circles and jerks, a little girl in the third pew leaned toward her
mother and whispered, "If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Six-year old Angie, and her four-year old brother, Joel, were sitting
together in church. Joel giggled, sang and talked out loud.

Finally, his big sister had enough. "You're not supposed to talk out
loud in church."

"Why? Who's going to stop me?" Joel asked.

Angie pointed to the back of the church and said, "See those two
men standing by the door? They're hushers."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do
you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo,
while I asked, "No, how are we alike?" "You're both old," he replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A ten-year old, under the tutelage of her grandmother, was
becoming quite knowledgeable about the Bible. Then, one day,
she floored her grandmother by asking, "Which Virgin was the
mother of Jesus? The virgin Mary or the King James Virgin?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Sunday school class was studying the Ten Commandments.
They were ready to discuss the last one. The teacher asked if
anyone could tell her what it was.

Susie raised her hand, stood tall, and quoted, "Thou shall not
take the covers off the neighbor's wife."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, there you have it, I hope you have a great weekend..........