A ROCKY FOUNDATION

   Dante Bartiel Rossetti, the famous 19th-century poet and artist, was once approached by an elderly man. The old fellow had some sketches and drawings that he wanted Rossetti to look at and tell him if they were any good, or if they, at least, showed potential talent. Rossetti looked them over carefully. After the first few he knew that they were worthless, showing not the least sign of artistic talent. Rossetti was a kind man and he told the elderly man as gently as possible that the pictures were without much value and showed little talent. He was sorry, but he could not lie to the man. The visitor was disappointed, but seemed to expect Rossetti’s judgment. He then apologized for taking up Rossetti’s time, but would he just look at a few more drawings these done by a young art student. Rossetti looked over the second batch of sketches and immediately enthused over the talent they revealed.   "These," he said, "ah, these are good. This young man, whoever he is, ...

        What is all this touching in church? I used to come to church and leave untouched. Now I have to be nervous about what is expected of me. I have to worry about responding to the person sitting next to me. Oh, I wish it could be the way it used to be; I could just ask the person next to me, "How are you?" And the person could answer, "Oh, just fine." And we would both go home strangers who have known each other for 20 years. But now the minister asks us to look at each other. I am worried about that hurt look I saw in that woman’s eyes. The lady next to me cried and then apologized and said it was because I was so kind and that she needed a friend right now. Now I have to be more than a person coming to observe a service. That man last week told me I had never known how much I had touched his life. All I did was smile and tell him I understood what it was to be lonely. Lord, I am not big enough to touch and be touched. The stretching scares me. What i...

    Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was believed to be the strongest fortress in the world. To invade it the enemy needed to transport overseas an expeditionary force capable of executing a forced lading against a garrison of 35,000 men manning 127 fixed coast defense guns, 211 anti aircraft weapons and more than 3000 weapons available at the coast defense. Besides being the most powerful defense post under the American flag, it was also protected by distance.   In 1941 George marshal after completing a tour of Hawaii military installation reported “with our heavy bombers and our new pursuit planes, the japs cannot dare attack Hawaii”. The Honolulu star bulletin wrote "A Japanese attack on Hawaii is regarded as the most unlikely thing in the world, with one chance in a million of being successful.” But, on December 7, 1941, America's confidence was rocked as hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked Pearl Harbor. The bombardment lasted just two hours, but it was devasta...