Cybersalt News

Oh look, Chicken Thursday on New Year's Day!

Happy New Year everybody! I hope today finds you in the same condition as my son's dog, Ruko, who was visiting with the rest of his family in the lead up to New Year's Eve: resting, but ready to play ball when it's time! (I suppose there is also wisdom in trying to blend into the background at times, lol.)

God bless you all richly in soul and abundantly in heart 2026!

Enjoy the rest of today's Digest. 

~ Pastor Tim 

As in many homes on New Year's Day, my wife and I faced the annual conflict of which was more important - the football games on television, or the dinner itself. To keep peace, I ate dinner with the rest of the family, and even lingered for some pleasant after-dinner conversation before retiring to the family room to turn on the game.

Several minutes later, my wife came downstairs and graciously even brought a cold drink for me. She smiled, kissed me on the cheek and asked what the score was. I told her it was the end of the third quarter and that the score was still nothing to nothing.

"See?" she said, continuing to smile, "You didn't miss a thing."

Life is like a game of chess; I don't know how to play chess.

My favorite coat is falling apart and now I'm going to have to throw it out.

Or sew its seams. 😁

"Every man should be born again on the first day of January.  Start with a fresh page.  Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past."

- Henry Ward Beecher

The passenger steamer SS Warrimoo was quietly knifing its way through the waters of the mid-Pacific on its way from Vancouver to Australia. The navigator had just finished working out a star fix and brought Captain John DS. Phillips, the result.

The Warrimoo's position was LAT 0º 31' N and LONG 179 30' W. The date was 31 December 1899.

"Know what this means?"

First Mate Payton broke in, "We're only a few miles from the intersection of the Equator and the International Date Line."

Captain Phillips was prankish enough to take full advantage of the opportunity for achieving the navigational freak of a lifetime.

He called his navigators to the bridge to check & double check the ship's position. He changed course slightly so as to bear directly on his mark. Then he adjusted the engine speed.

The calm weather & clear night worked in his favor.

At mid-night the SS Warrimoo lay on the Equator at exactly the point where it crossed the International Date Line!

The consequences of this bizarre position were many:

• The forward part (bow) of the ship was in the Southern Hemisphere & in the middle of summer.
• The rear (stern) was in the Northern Hemisphere & in the middle of winter.
• The date in the aft part of the ship was 31 December 1899.
• In the bow (forward) part it was 1 January 1900.

This ship was therefore not only in:

Two different days,
Two different months,
Two different years,
Two different seasons

But in two different centuries - all at the same time!

Featured Illustrations are items well suited for illustrating or inspiring a point in a sermon, speech, or devotional. Funny, moving, or perhaps even graphic, the point of them is the point you make with them.

Susan Page writes . . . . 

By faith, we rest our heads on our pillows each night, fully expecting to wake up to a new day. Under most circumstances, we don’t even think about it. Each day is a gift.

That’s why I don’t get too excited about New Year’s celebrations. Every single day should be celebrated as a new beginning. Every precious moment presents new opportunities. Each passing second is a gift from God.

My daughters and my soul sisters know that when God calls me home, I want the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” to be sung.

God’s faithfulness is what I can depend on. It is never dependent on circumstances; instead, the certainty that He is faithful is a truth deeply rooted within my soul. God has me protected under the shadow of His wings. “He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler” (Psalm 91:4).

The Cybersalt Digest is a ministry of Pastor Tim and Cybersalt.