The Knight In Shining Armor

The Knight In Shining Armor

Imagine a knight in shining armor traveling through the countryside. Suddenly he hears a woman crying out in distress. In an instant he comes alive. Urging his horse to a gallop, he races to her castle, where she is trapped by a dragon. The noble knight pulls out his sword and slays the dragon. As a result, he is lovingly received by the princess.

As the gates open he is welcomed and celebrated by the family of the princess and the townspeople. He is invited to live in the town and is acknowledged as a hero. He and the princess fall in love.

A month later the noble knight goes off on another trip. On his way back, he hears his beloved princess crying out for help. Another dragon has attacked the castle. When the knight arrives he pulls out his sword to slay the dragon.

Before he swings, the princess cries out from the tower, "Don't use your sword, use this noose. It will work better."

She throws him the noose and motions to him instructions about how to use it. He hesitantly follows her instructions. He wraps it around the dragon's neck and then pulls hard. The dragon dies and everyone rejoices.

At the celebration dinner the knight feels he didn't really do anything. Somehow, because he used her noose and didn't use his sword, he doesn't quite feel worthy of the town's trust and admiration. After the event he is slightly depressed and forgets to shine his armor.

A month later he goes on yet another trip. As he leaves with his sword, the princess reminds him to be careful and tells him to take the noose. On his way home, he sees yet another dragon attacking the castle. This time he rushes forward with his sword but hesitates, thinking maybe he should use the noose. In that moment of hesitation, the dragon breathes fire and burns his right arm. In confusion he looks up and sees his princess waving from the castle window.

"Use the poison," she yells. "The noose doesn't work."

She throws him the poison, which he pours into the dragon's mouth, and the dragon dies. Everyone rejoices and celebrates, but the knight feels ashamed.

A month later, he goes on another trip. As he leaves with his sword, the princess reminds him to be careful, and to bring the noose and the poison. He is annoyed by her suggestions but brings them just in case.

This time on his journey he hears another woman in distress. As he rushes to her call, his depression is lifted and he feels confident and alive. But as he draws his sword to slay the dragon, he again hesitates. He wonders, Should I use my sword, the noose, of the poison? What would the princess say?

For a moment he is confused. But then he remembers how he felt before he knew the princess, back in the days when he only carried a sword. With a burst of renewed confidence he throws off the noose and poison and charges the dragon with his trusted sword. He slays the dragon and the townspeople rejoice.

The knight in shining armor never returned to his princess. He stayed in this new village and lived happily ever after. He eventually married, but only after making sure his new partner knew nothing about nooses and poisons.

I love you Neil and Lydia...Dad

It was Jesus who made the fatherhood of God visible and real, for He said, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father"

(John 14:9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?).

If God were a bully and a tyrant, would He become like one of us, live in our world, share our burdens and difficulties, and finally, bear our sins on the cross? Would He weep with the sorrowing, receive the children into His arms, feed the hungry, forgive the sinners, and lovingly teach the common people the saving truth about God? His earthly life and ministry can be summed up in one word: love, for God is love.

Today the Holy Spirit in our hearts witnesses of the Father and assures us that we are indeed His children. Those who trust Jesus Christ have received "the Spirit of sonship," and "by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'"

(Romans 8:15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.)

(Galatians 4:5-6 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”)

"Abba" is the Aramaic equivalent of our English word "Daddy," and it speaks of love and intimacy.

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And now ladies and gentleman...and to everyone, everywhere...I dedicate these three songs to "my girl"...
F


I Saw Her Standing There
by The Beatles

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Well, she was just 17,
You know what I mean,
And the way she looked was way beyond compare.
So how could I dance with another (ooh)
When I saw her standin' there.

Well she looked at me, and I, I could see
That before too long I'd fall in love with her.
She wouldn't dance with another (whooh)
When I saw her standin' there.

Well, my heart went "boom,"
When I crossed that room,
And I held her hand in mine...

Whoah, we danced through the night,
And we held each other tight,
And before too long I fell in love with her.
Now I'll never dance with another (whooh)
Since I saw her standing there

Well, my heart went "boom,"
When I crossed that room,
And I held her hand in mine...

Whoah, we danced through the night,
And we held each other tight,
And before too long I fell in love with her.
Now I'll never dance with another (whooh)
Since I saw her standing there 3x

x-o-x-o-x-o

Time In A Bottle
by Jim Croce

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
Till Eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then,
Again, I would spend them with you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go
Through time with

If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go
Through time with

x-o-x-o-x-o

Vision of Love
bt Mariah Carey

Treated me kind
Sweet destiny
Carried me through desperation
To the one that was waiting for me
It took so long
Still I believed
Somehow the one that I needed
Would find me eventually

I had a vision of love
And it was all that you've given to me

Prayed through the nights
Felt so alone
Suffered from alienation
Carried the weight on my own

Had to be strong
So I believed
And now I know I've succeeded
In finding the place I conceived

I had a vision of love (ooooh)
And it was all that you've given to me
I had a vision of love (ooooh)
And it was all that you've given me

I've realized the dream
And I visualized
The love that came to be
Feel so alive
I'm so thankful that I perceived
The answer that heaven has sent down to me

You treated me kind (yeah)
Sweet destiny (I'm so glad that you did)
And I'll be eternally grateful
Holding you so close to me
Prayed through the nights
So faithfully
Knowing the one that I needed
Would find me eventually (would find me)

I had a vision of love
And it was all that you've given to me
I had a vision of love
And it was all that you turned out to be

My kind of hero

"My kind of hero."

There I was skimming through poems
to find one fine enough for him, but masculine too
for many were flying amiss, soft in touch, sweet in scope
but missing his strength as they spoke of roses.

How to receive such tender strength and laud it?
And then, before I knew just what the question was
Or how I might could answer
Along came such a fine reply
In a song from my dauntless dancer.

He's a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,
And anointed with joy, to boot
Ever-bold not over-bold
Ever following his Master.

This is my kind of hero,
And how long I've been holding out
He keeps tapping an infinite source
It's making me doubt my doubt.

Anonymous