WEEKLY COMIC: Casual

GETTING READY: Why is it good to take a break?

While the blog keeps on cranking, you've probably noticed the coaches have been encouraging you to take a break before starting into the material for Romans and James.  As a matter of fact, you may have noticed that we've not yet posted any information on the new books yet.

Why is it good to take a break?

In the Creation story, God spends six days creating and then rests of the Seventh.  He then enshrined the rest day in the Law as "The Sabbath".  Jesus agreed with setting aside a day of rest as the Sabbath, even as he criticized the Pharisees for elevating it above the needs of human beings.

Recent studies have backed up the human need for rest, repeatedly, especially for brain work.

Mental concentration is similar to a muscle, says John P. Trougakos, an assistant management professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough and the Rotman School of Management. It becomes fatigued after sustained use and needs a rest period before it can recover, he explains — much as a weight lifter needs rest before doing a second round of repetitions at the gym.

Don't underestimate the need for rest as we look towards another year of Bible Quizzing.  Preparation is good.  Learning is good.  But September is still a long way away.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Psalm 23 World War 1 Memorial

MUSICAL INTERLUDE: Be Thou My Vision

DID YOU KNOW: What is Memorial Day all about?

"DID YOU KNOW?" will be a summer series where we review issues of the Bible and the Christian faith of special interest. If you have a suggestion/question that you'd like addressed in a "DID YOU KNOW?" segment, please e-mail the coaches.

What is Memorial Day all about?

These days, most people think of Memorial Day are one of three things:  (1) the first Summer day off of work, (2) the beginning of "Beach Season", or (3) a day to shop the really good sales.  But Memorial Day was set up for something much more serious and somber.

Memorial Day was first declared by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic of the United States of America in 1868.  The Civil War had ended 3 years before, and he wanted to set aside time to lay flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.  The war had cost over 620,000 soldier lives (and a total of over 1,030,000 lives - about 3% of the population).  It was important to take a moment to remember those who had laid down their lives for their country (on both sides).  New York was the first state to formally recognize Memorial Day in 1873, and all northern states had recognized it by 1890.  It wasn't until after World War 1 that the practice was picked up by all of the southern states.

In 1915, the poet Moina Michael came up with the idea of observing Memorial Day with a red poppy, symbolizing the blood shed by heroes, who were only remembered now by the flowers on their graves.Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. In 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts began placing a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights.  In 2000, Congress passed the "Moment of Remembrance" calling on all Americans to observe a moment of silence (and prayer) at 3:00 PM on Memorial Day to remember Americans who died fighting in our wars.

Take a moment today and pray about this.  Thank God for living in a land of religious freedom, and thank Him for those men and women who have died to protect that freedom.


Source:  http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

HUMOR: Lying

Not mine.  From here.

A minister told his congregation, “Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17.”

The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon, the minister asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how many had read Mark 17. Several went up. The minister smiled and said, “Mark has only sixteen chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying.”

NEWS FROM THE FRONT: Bible Quizzer on a Missions Trip

"News from the Front" will be a periodic feature over the summer, reporting on former Bible Quizzers now working in ministry, either full-time or short-term.  We'll always try to include how their career as a quizzer prepared them for their work.  If you have a story about your missions trip, or a former Bible Quizzer, please e-mail the coaches!

Mari - also known as "Fishy" and "Quirky" was a Bible Quizzer with the Trumbull Quiz Team for many years and this summer is working with the organization "Mercy Ships" for a short-term missions trip.  Here is her report.

All staff on this ship are volunteer Christians with differing amounts of Bible knowledge.  But all are very honest and open about their faith. We, as a missionary team, represent 4 different countries: England, the Netherlands, Swizerland, and the United States of America. It is amazing to meet and talk with people from countries you only usually hear about in a very secular missionaries-need-to-go-there, sense. The discussions we have range from why we got to this point of wanting to help out on the Ship. . .  to what Jesus and the Bible means to us, specifically. 

There are about 31 different countries represented (again all Christians) in the whole staff aboard this ship. What is so amazing is the African Christians aboard - who are helping from different African countries -  praising God with you. 

Last night, I was having a conversation with a man from South Africa. We got into a discussion about the earth and all the creatures in it. I was so grateful for the knowledge and memory I had stowed away years ago from Quiz Team!  I was quoting scripture and talking to him about all that I knew of Science from not only my teachers, but also from the Bible. I remember thinking as I was talking about how this was a prime example of my years of memorizing for a tournament years ago is still benifiting my life today. Many other conversations with older more knowlegable people still make me proud because I can hold my own among them. All thanks to those years of studying and listening to my coaches. I could never have guessed how far reaching an impact Quiz Team would always have on my life and sometimes maybe most of the time I do not realize all of it, but when I actually catch myself quoting or arguing using long-lost scripture verses, it is a wonderful realization every time.   

This is truly a remarkable experience and I am looking forward to the weeks ahead, but I also encourage any other young quizzers to never just view the studying as a chore, but as a gateway into so many amazing realizations of yourselves.