The Prized Treasures

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  “Will the prized treasures of today always be the cheap trifles of the day before? Will rows of our willow-pattern dinner-plates be ranged above the chimneypieces of the great in the years 2000 and odd? Will the white cups with the gold rim and the beautiful gold flower inside (species unknown), that our Sarah Janes now break in sheer light-heartedness of spirit, be carefully mended, and stood upon a bracket, and dusted only by the lady of the house? . . . .   The “sampler” that the eldest daughter did at school will be spoken of as “tapestry of the Victorian era,” and be almost priceless. The blue-and-white mugs of the present-day roadside inn will be hunted up, all cracked and chipped, and sold for their weight in gold, and rich people will use them for claret cups; and travellers from Japan will buy up all the “Presents from Ramsgate,” and “Souvenirs of Margate,” that may have escaped destruction, and take them back to Jedo as ancient English curios.” Jerome K. Jerome, “T...

Riding out the Hurricane

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Back in 1969, twenty-four people decided to ignore warnings that Hurricane Camille was heading for Mississippi. They were going to ride it out. Twenty-three of them died in the wrath of that hurricane. What a terrible tragedy. If they had taken the warning seriously, they wouldn't have lost their precious lives. The cross is a terrible warning of the fierce hurricane of God's wrath, which no one can "ride out" on Judgment Day. We must never tire of warning every man "that we might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." He is their only hope. They must, as the Bible says "kiss [kiss toward, do homage to] the Son, lest He be angry, and perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little." There goes another minute. Gone forever. Go share your faith while you still have time.

Way of the Master Minute for January 10, 2008.

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