Another year is ending

          

It is New Year’s Eve.

2013 is almost gone and 2014 is almost here. Wow. Time flies.

In fact, as I have mentioned to several folks lately, time is flying so fast that the pages on my calendar are producing a breeze like a fan!

As 2013 ends and 2014 begins many will be celebrating in various ways. 

Some will be at wild and raucous parties doing things that they will likely regret the next day.

Others will quietly celebrate with family and or friends playing games, watching videos, reminiscing, etc. etc etc.

Many will be working at their jobs, traveling, sick and in hospitals, or at home  sleeping.

Some will be in churches worshipping - or at home praying and reading the Bible.

What will you be doing?  

Will you be partying? Will you be reflecting? Or perhaps both?

If you do decide to ‘reflect’ you might want to consider the fact that in 2013, as in all years, many many many people died and passed into eternity. 

2013 was short but Eternity!  That is a long long time.

Where will you spend it?

Perhaps you should give this some thought as 2013 ends.

And, to assist you in this thinking, HERE'S THE LINK to what happens when you die.


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Glass Harp

         

 
Beautiful!

Amazing!

You will love this.



And you will recognize the song.  

It is the "Sugar Plum Fairy" by P. Tchaikovsky

HERE'S THE LINK to the glass Harp


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For unto us a Child is born

 
Christmas

The time when the entire world celebrates the Birth of the Christ Child.


Handel's Messiah tells of this momentous and earth changing event.

"For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given,
and the government shall be upon His shoulder;
and His name shall be called,
Wonderful,
Counsellor,
the mighty God,
the Everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace."

HERE'S THE LINK to Handel's Messiah For unto us a child is born.

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Snow Art

         

You have probably seen pictures of designs made in fields which are said to have been made by space aliens.

Well. Hmmm

But the designs you are going to see in today's DIT were made in the snow

And they were not made by space aliens.

They were made by Simon Beck, an artist.

The art work he does includes making very intricate designs in

SNOW !!!

Yes, snow.

He walks and walks and walks, sometimes for miles, making these amazing designs.

But, rather than rambling on talking about it, I am sure you would rather see these designs in person.

Sooooo HERE'S THE LINK to Simon Beck Snow Art


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The Christmas Scale

        

Christmas season continues here at DIT

So with that in mind, today's DIT has to do with a piano.

Piano?  Yes.

A friend found this link and sent it to us.

It is another very short video that is sooooo good that we knew you would want to see it also.

In fact, after you see this, you will be able to play this tune on the piano.

No kidding.

Soooo, What is it? you ask.

Well, to find out, HERE'S THE LINK to the Christmas scale


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Celebrating Christ's Birth

        

This is being written as Christmas Day draws to a close.

Thinking back on Christmas day we are remembering a very happy day with gifts, fellowship with family and kiddos, holding babies, eating, playing games, and just generally having a good time.

Our celebration began on Christmas eve with a Candlelight service at a nearby Church.

Then on Christmas day we began by reading the Biblical account of the Christmas story in Luke --

and when it was time to eat we began the big meal by singing Happy Birthday to Jesus.

Hence the picture today of Jesus' Birthday Cake.

So, since we are still thinking about this very special time of the year, we found another short article which helps sum up the reason for the season --

HERE'S THE LINK to Celebrating the Birth

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The Greatest Christmas Gift

           

It is Christmas Day.

And all over the world people are giving and receiving Christmas gifts.

But do you know the Greatest Christmas gift of all?

HERE'S THE LINK


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Was Jesus born in a Stable?

      

For the past few days and weeks many plays, nativity scenes, church programs, and other activities have depicted the event of Jesus' birth.

Likely almost all of these depictions have pictured the birth happening in a manger setting.

But is this what really happened? 

Was Jesus Christ born in a stable? or a house?

And was He even born on Dec. 25?  but that is another topic for another time -- indeed we have a short Bible study about that.  It is titled “What really happened on Christmas Day”.   To access that study, HERE’S THE LINK to what really happened on Christmas Day

But, back to the topic at hand which is “Was Jesus born in a stable? Or in a House?

An excellent article about this was recently posted on the AIG website.  HERE’S THE LIINK to Was Jesus born in a house.

And if you want to know even more details, HERE’S THE LINK to the manger and the inn.


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2 Merry Christmas Cards for you

        

          

All of you have all been wonderful friends to visit our DIT (Daily Interesting Things) site this year.

And we do thank you for visiting.

But since we are not sure where you live or what your email addresses are....

We are sending this very special Christmas Greeting in an unusual way.

Alas the proverbial ‘snail’ will not get to deliver the mail but cyberspace will do the task.

And, since we can use cyberspace, we are sending not one but two very special “Christmas Cards’.

We did not create the cards ourselves but a friend found them and sent them to us via email and we thought they were soooooo wonderful that we want to share them with you.

The first card is a ‘fun’ card.   To view it, HERE’S THE LINK.

And after you view the ‘fun’ card, here is a serious card with the real meaning of Christmas.  HERE’S THE LINK

Be sure to view both!

Merry Christmas !!!!!

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Stille Nacht (Silent Night)

         

 
Today's hymn is sung in German by the St. Thomas Boy's Choir.

But even though it is in German, you will definitely understand it

and will appreciate the beauty of these young voices.

And if you let the 'tape run' so to speak, when the German version ends, there will be a brief commercial (which you can skip) and another small group will sing.

And after that, still another group -- and another -- and another … ...

All are great!

So, if you have time, keep listening and let this be your Christmas concert.

And now, without further ado

HERE'S THE LINK to Stille Nacht (Silent Night)

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Today is the Winter Solstice

        

 
Yay and hooray!

At last it is here.

What is here? you ask.

The Winter Solstice.

 
So what is so wonderful about the Winter Solstice? you ask.

Well for one thing it means that at long last days will start getting longer and the nights will start getting shorter.

Now that is Good News.

Why does this happen?

Well, to find out everything you need to know about this wonderful event --
HERE'S THE LINK to everything you need to know december solstice

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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

          

You are surely familiar with and have read the book or have seen the play, movie, or the TV version of A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.

The picture today is an illustration from the original book and depicts Marley's Ghost.

You may or may not have seen that picture before but you surely know about Marley's ghost.

And the phrase that you likely most remember from "A Christmas Carol" is, yes, you guessed it --  "Bah Humbug".

With those thoughts in mind, you might think that Charles Dickens didn't care much about or for Christmas.

Well, think again, because, an interesting article was sent to us by a friend of DIT and it sheds new light on the author's thoughts about Christmas --

and it is not 'Bah Humbug" at all.

I think you will find it verrrrrry interesting.

HERE'S THE LINK to More than a Christmas Carol

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"Merry X-Mas" What does this mean?

       

For years folks have tried to ‘shorten’ the Christmas greeting by substituting an X for the word Christ.

Sometimes they say that this is ‘ok’ because the “X” is a substitute for a greek letter that somehow is the same as the word, Christ.

Well, not being a greek scholar, that may or may not be true but I seriously doubt that it is true.

And, even if it is, how many of us non-Greek scholars would interpret the X to stand for Christ?

So, ever since this substitution began, it has seemed to me that writing “Merry X-mas” is just plain wrong and even blasphemy.

An email recently came from a friend of a friend who has a friend (are you confused yet) who is good with graphics. 

Apparently the friend of my friend’s friend thinks similarly and made a graphic depicting his views on X-mas.

HERE'S THE LINK to "Merry X-Mas"

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Blonde goes to work after many years

        

 
This is a hoot.

I am not a fan of blonde jokes but this one is pretty funny.

Hopefully you are old enough to understand it.

If not, ask your parents.

And now, without giving any more away and spoiing the joke,

HERE'S THE LINK to Blonde goes to work after many years.


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Chicago's Magical Piano

A friend of DIT found this funny episode.

What is it?

Well, it seems that a remote control Piano was placed in Chicago's Union Station. The real pianist is in a nearby location but the tourists and travelers do not know that.

Then the plot begins.

It is rather like the "You're on Candid Camera" days of old.

Kids, you might have to ask your parents about that.

Anyway, this is a hoot as you see the reactions of the travelers to the piano.

So, with that by way of introduction,
HERE'S THE LINK to Chicago's Magical Piano.

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A Bad Cat Day

       

Someone sent us this link a year or two ago

and while 'organizing' the desk and computer this evening we 'happened' upon it again.

It was funny before and it is still funny now.

Those of you who are 'cat lovers' will likely relate to the happenings in this short 1 minute 35 second video.

The rest of you who don't have cats will be reminded once again why you don't and why you might prefer dogs.

Anyway, this is a hoot.

So enjoy.

HERE'S THE LINK to a bad cat day

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The USAF Flash Mob

         

 
You have probably already seen this recent Flash Mob event.

It happened at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

It has been seen on TV and, of course, on YouTube.

A friend of DIT found an interesting link that tells how this came about and the intrigue involved.

You will want to read this 'how they pulled it off' article

And, joy and happiness, in the article you will find a clickable link to view it either again or for the first time.

So, without further ado, 

HERE'S THE LINK to how the Air Force Band Staged the Flash Mob at the Smithsonian

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Geminids Meteor Shower Peaks this weekend

        

This year, 2013, this Meteor Shower will be best from Thursday through Monday

and

the best times to view will be from mid evening until dawn.

However, there is One little problem --

Oh, no, you say.  What is the problem.

Well, there will be a bright moon on Friday, the peak night, so you might have better viewing results on Saturday morning, the 14th,  beginning when the moon sets and continuing until dawn

These 'falling stars' seem to come from the area of the stars Castor and Pollux in the Gemini the Twins Constellation, hence their name, Geminids.

However, according to an article on Kake.com, they actually "come from a small asteroid named 3200 Phaethon, which passes quite close to the sun.  Its trail of dust and debris is what makes up the Geminids."

These are usually very bright and impressive so you still might want to check them out even with the moon making some of them hard or impossible to see.

For information about Meteor Showers, why they occur, and how to best view them HERE'S THE LINK

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Chonda Pierce

            

You may or may not have heard Chonda Pierce.

Who is she?

She is a very funny comedian and you will get a hoot out of watching her either in person, on DVD, or on You Tube.

Yesterday we viewed a DIT about how music has changed in the Churches of today.

Today, our DIT will include some of those hymns that have been deleted as Chonda hilariously tells about her days as a College student driving a lemon of a car.

HERE'S THE LINK to Chonda Pierce - What a Friend We Have in Jesus

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Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

           

 
 A while back, a friend and I were discussing the changing Music styles in many  Churches and Denominations.

We have alluded to this on DIT in the past especially concerning how hymns are almost never sung any more in certain Denominations including the Baptist.

Instead there are new 'ways' of doing things.

The friend recalled our conversation and when she happened upon this You Tube video demonstrating what has occurred in Baptist Churches, she sent us this link.

Of course, the folks doing the video were not making a statement about these changes being 'bad'. They were just being 'funny'.

But, in a humorous way, they actually have portrayed what is happening in many Churches today.

So, with that by way of background, check out this video ---

HERE'S THE LINK to Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

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You Shall Not Pass, Dog

        

A friend of DIT found and sent us this link.

You may have already seen this as there are almost 5 Million views noted on the You Tube link.

Wow.

So what is it that is so popular? you ask.

Well, it is a 3 minute 14 second video showing how intimidated dogs are of cats.

If you have a dog or a cat, or even if you don't, you will get a hoot out of this.

So, without further ado --

HERE'S THE LINK to Dogs terrified of walking past cats


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Snowflakes

         

Yes, it is brrrrrr cold outside in many parts of the world. 

Seems it is winter and with that comes cold, rain, snow, ice, sleet, and all kinds of hazardous driving conditions.

But, with snow, for example, all is not 'bad'.

What do you mean? you ask.

Well, a friend of DIT found this interesting link about snowflakes.

You probably recall that snowflakes have beautiful and unusual patterns.

This link shows some of these amazing appearances.

So, without further ado, check out these awesome photographs of snowflakes.
HERE'S THE LINK to snowflakes


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Aliens and Extraterrestrial Life

              

 
Unless you have been doing a Rip Van Winkle and sleeping for the past umpteen years you have heard about the theory of aliens and extraterrestrial life.

Movies, radio programs, TV programs, conversations, and more talk about Aliens and life on other planets.

But is there life on other planets?

And why do folks think / hope that there is?

This very brief video has some concepts for you to consider as you ponder these important questions.

HERE'S THE LINK to aliens and extraterrestrial life


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O Little Town of Bethleham

           

Yes, we are in the Christmas season

So, our Sunday Hymn today is a Christmas favorite -- O Little Town of Bethleham.

Interestingly there are no voices (except yours) as you sing along with the piano.

An old-timey bouncing ball will remind you of the words.

HERE'S THE LINK to O Little town of Bethleham


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It's Beginning to look and sound like Christmas

              

Have you heard of the Piano Guys?

Probably you have but this was new to me.

What is it? you ask.

Well a friend of DIT sent us this link to a favorite Christmas Carol played by the Piano Guys on the (you guessed it) Piano.
 
 Check this out.  It will definitely put you in the mood for Christmas.

HERE'S THE LINK to the piano guys


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Billy Sunday

              

Who was Billy Sunday? you ask.

Well, he was an Evangelist in the early 1900s. 

But before that he was a Baseball Outfielder in the National League.

After becoming a Christian, he stopped playing Baseball and became an Evangelist.

Much more can be said about him, but that is not the point of this post.

Instead, we thought you would want to read a quote from him which was sent to us by a friend who had received it in an email.

We thought the quote was so profound that you would want to read it also.

So, without further ado, HERE'S THE LINK to Billy Sunday's view of the Bible


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The Ice Age -- (DIT for Tues, Weds, Thursday)

      

 The Christmas Holiday season is upon us, the weather has turned cold, and once again folks are trying to stay warm as they are out and about shopping, working, and traveling.

But as cold as it may or may not be in your neck of the woods, it is nothing like the cold and its duration in the Ice Age.

You have probably been told in school that there were many Ice ages.

But, actually there was only one!

One???

How can that be? you ask.

Well, you can purchase a video by Michael Oard that tells all about it from Answers in Genesis

OR

you can watch it on your computer for FREE.

(I love Free).

It is 63 minutes in length and has been divided into 3 parts

We think you really should see this video and because of that, Today, Tomorrow, and the next day will be this one DIT.

You can watch all 3 parts in one day -- or watch one part each day until you have seen it all and have the big picture and the true story about the one and only Ice Age.

You will find this very interesting and informative. Be sure to watch it.

So with that said --

HERE'S THE LINK to The Ice Age: Only the Bible Explains it

And, by the way, the Book pictured here was written by Michael Oard.  You might want to get it as a gift for a child or grandchild for Christmas (but be sure to read it first as it is great for Adults also)


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Eastern Box Turtles - Frozen Alive

                

Awhile back we posted a link to an article about Frozen Frogs.

Yes, frogs actually freeze, the heart stops beating and they stay that way throughout the winter. 

Then, when spring arrives, they thaw out and return to the normal active life of a frog !

If you haven't seen or read that, HERE'S THE LINK to Frozen Frogs. (When you click on this link, a short video may be at the top of the page. If it is, then, Scroll down a few inches and you will find the article.)

But, guess what.

What?

It is not only frogs that freeze but also Box Turtles.

This short 1 minute explanation will tell how and why.

HERE'S THE LINK to Eastern Box Turtles -- Frozen Alive


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Sunday Hymns

         

 Wow. Where has this year gone?

It is already December.

So, our Hymn for today will be a collection of Christmas Hymns sung by the Trinity Choir.

         

You will notice mild static noise in the background.

This is because it was recorded in 1926 

HERE'S THE LINK to Christmas Hymns sung by Trinity Choir in 1926

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