A Deck of Cards

After heavy fighting, a soldier returned to camp. The next day being Sunday, the Chaplain had set up a Church Service. The men were asked to take out their Bibles or Prayer Books to follow the scripture reading. The Chaplain noticed one soldier looking at a deck of cards. After the service, the Chaplain took the soldier to see the Major in regards to his scandalous behavior in church. The major told the young soldier he would be punished if he could not explain himself. The young soldier told the Major that during the battle, he had neither a Bible nor a Prayer Book so he would use his deck of cards and explained:

You see, Sir, when I look at the “ACE”, it tells me that there is ONE GOD and no other.

When I see the “2”, it reminds me that there are two parts in the Bible, the OLD TESTAMENT and the NEW TESTAMENT.

The “3”, tells me of the TRINITY OF GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, and GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The “4” reminds me of the FOUR GOSPELS: MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, and JOHN.

When I see the “5”, it tells me of the FIVE UNWISE VIRGINS who were lost and that five were saved.

The “6” makes me mindful that GOD CREATED THE EARTH IN JUST SIX DAYS, and GOD said that it was good.

When I see the “7”, it reminds me that GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY.

As I look at the “8”, it reminds me that GOD DESTROYED ALL HUMAN LIFE BY WATER EXCEPT FOR EIGHT PEOPLE: Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their three son’s wives.

When I see the “9”, I think of the NINE LEPERS that GOD healed. There were 10 lepers in all, but only one stopped to thank Him.

The “10”, reminds me of the TEN COMMANDMENTS that GOD handed down to Moses on tablets made of stone.

The “JACK” is a reminder of SATAN. One of God’s first angels, but he got kicked out of heaven for his sly and wicked ways and is now the joker of eternal hell.

When I look at the “QUEEN”, I see THE CHURCH - THE BRIDE OF JESUS. The “QUEEN of HEARTS” represents MARY, THE VIRGIN MOTHER.

As I look at the last card, “THE KING”, it reminds me that JESUS IS LORD OF LORDS and KING OF KINGS!

There are 365 spots on a deck of cards, and that is the number of days in each year. There are 52 cards to a deck and that is the number of weeks in a year. There are 12 picture cards and that is the number of months in a year. There are 4 different suits in a deck and that is the number of seasons in a year. And so, the young soldier then said to the Major, “You see, Sir, that my intentions were honorable. My deck of cards serves as my BIBLE, my PRAYER BOOK and my ALMANAC.” A deck of cards should most importantly remind us that we need JESUS 365 days, 52 weeks, 12 months a year, and that we should always PRAY “4” others.

May you never look at a DECK OF CARDS the same way! ~ Author Unknown ~

And God Said "No"

I asked God to take away my pride, And God said, “No.” He said it was not for Him to take away, but for me to give up. I asked God to make my handicapped child whole, And God said, “No.” He said her spirit is whole, her body is only temporary. I asked God to grant me patience, And God said, “No.” He said that patience is a byproduct of tribulation, it isn’t granted, it’s earned. I asked God to give me happiness, And God said, “No.” He said He gives blessings, happiness is up to me. I asked God to spare me pain, And God said, “No.” He said, “suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to Me.” I asked God to make my spirit grow, And God said, “No.” He said I must grow on my own, but He will prune me to make me fruitful. I asked God to help me love others as much as He loves me. And God said, “Ah, finally, you have the idea.” ~ Claudia Minden Weisz ~

A Simple Path The fruit of silence is PRAYER. The fruit of prayer is FAITH. The fruit of faith is LOVE. The fruit of love is SERVICE. The fruit of service is PEACE. . ~ Mother Teresa ~

A Time for Everything

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast stones, and a time to gather stones, A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ~

A True Test

John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose. His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II. During the next year the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A romance was budding. Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like. When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting for 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Central Station in New York. “You’ll recognize me,” she wrote, “by the red rose I’ll be wearing on my lapel.” So at 7:00 p.m. he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he’d never seen.

I’ll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened: A young woman was coming toward me, her figure was long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive. I started toward her entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips. “Going my way, sailor?” she murmured. Almost uncontrollably, made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40, she had gray hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her thick ankle feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own. And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible; her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that as to identify me to her. This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful. I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment. “I’m Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?” The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile. “I don’t know what this is about, son,” she answered, “but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!” ~ Author Unknown ~

Back to Top