Neddy's Palaver

“The Five Finger Prayer” was received from the Internet without attribution. I altered it into a “Prayer of Gratitude” as I have been reading G.K. Chesterton, and have always subscribed to this thought of his: I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” ~~G.K. Chesterton

1. Your thumb is nearest to you. Begin your daily prayers by giving thanks for those closest to you; they are the easiest to remember and to pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis wrote, a “sweet duty.”

2. The next finger is your pointing finger. Remember to give thanks for those who are “pointing” you and your loved ones in the right direction: teachers, doctors, and the clergy. Bless them in your prayers.

3. Next comes the tallest finger. Thank God for the good and faithful leaders He has provided you. Ask God to give them the guidance necessary to lead those following them in the path of righteousness.

4. The fourth finger is the weakest finger. It reminds you to be grateful for your strengths. It reminds you to remember those who are truly weak, in desperate circumstances, or in physical agony, and to ask God to give you the strength to help them.

5. The little finger is the last finger and the smallest of all. The little finger reminds you to give thanks to God for His greatness and for His mercifulness to one as small as you are in relation to God.

Be Grateful. It is the way to happiness.

These meanings of the Flag Folding Ceremony are not a part of the U.S. Flag Code, but are sometimes recited at burial services for veterans.

The sayings seem to have originated on the Internet. Oftentimes, there is a recitation while the flag is being folded which describes the significance of each of the 13 folds of the flag. There seem to be various versions of the recitation which typically describes the first fold of the flag as a “symbol of life” and the second as a “symbol of our belief in eternal life.” Other folds pay tribute to “womanhood,” and “father.” The 11th fold glorifies “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”, the God of the Jews, and the 12th fold glorifies “God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost” the Holy Trinity of Christians.

The U.S. Air Force has an approved (2005) Flag Folding script for ceremonies which is optional and without religious references. However, that recitation is not used at funerals conducted by the Air Force, where the flag is folded in silence.

The Flag Folds

1. Symbol of life.

2. Symbol of our belief in the eternal life.

3. In honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.

4. Represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for his guidance.

5. A tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.”

6. Represents where our hearts lie. It is with our hearts that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

7. A tribute to our armed forces.

8. A tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.

9. A tribute to womanhood.

10. A tribute to father.

11. In the eyes of Hebrew citizens, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

12. In the eyes of Christian citizens, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost.

13. When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.”

The Virginia Pilot

~~NEDDY of Neddy’s Palaver

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

What is “The Golden Rule” ? The phrase “do under others as you would have them do unto you“, is the most common expression of “The Golden Rule” .

“The Golden Rule” is the clearest expression of God’s moral law for his children to follow. It is the underlying rule for knowing what is good to do, and what is bad. “The Golden Rule” can be applied even by those who profess no belief in a supreme being, as it guarantees more happiness in one’s life. In bygone days of yore, every pupil in American public schools would be taught the Golden Rule. In these more modern times, it is probably against Supreme Court rulings for it to be taught. It has to do with something known as “separation of church and state“, recently discovered in the U.S. Constitution. Of course, the country has been governed by the same Constitution since its founding, but in these more erudite eras, the ACLU has brought to the attention of the justices of the Supreme Court, various penumbras, visible only to those anointed at exclusive schools of higher learning.

“The Golden Rule” establishes no particular religion. It leads to harmony amongst people. It is the foundation of Democracy.

Where did “The Golden Rule” come from? Who taught it first? It is from the spoken words of Jesus as recorded by Matthew and Luke in the Holy Bible.

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. ” (Matthew 7:12 KJV)

“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” (Luke 6:31 KJV)

(Updated from 12 September 2005)

"Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me" by Augustus Montague Toplady, 1740-1778
(The MP3)

1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood
From Thy riven side which flowed
Be of sin the double cure,
Cleanse me from its guilt and power.

2. Not the labors of my hands
Can fulfil Thy Law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

3. Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helplees, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly,–
Wash me, Savior, or I die!

4. While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyelids close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment-throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!

From My Picasa Albums - "Alexandria, Virginia Cemeteries"
The image, To Thy Cross I Cling, was originally uploaded by barneykin. It is posted here from

Jesus was a physician or doctor and referred to Himself as such. He set a powerful example for all Christians to follow. See Mark 2:17 and Luke 4:23.

Medical doctors whose faith teaches them to cure people and then kill them, such as the seven physicians of Britain’s National Health Service (NHS, July 2007), should read the teachings of Jesus who said “Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.” Those who follow in the footsteps of the Master Healer will lead happier lives on earth, and blessed rewards in Heaven — minus the 72 virgins.

The Healings of Jesus

Some people are being followed by Shirley and Marcy Goodnest. Are you one of them?

A mother was concerned about her young son’s safety while walking to school, however he did not want the embarrassment of his mother accompanying him. She, wanting to give him some independence, yet know that he was protected, came upon a plan. A neighbor who daily walked with her toddler, offered to follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so as not to be conspicuous. She did this for an entire week.

As the young boy, Timmy, walked and chatted with a school mate, kicking stones and twigs, his friend did notice that the same lady was following them every day. Finally he said to Timmy, “Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?”

Timmy nonchalantly replied, “Yeah, I know. That’s just Shirley Goodnest, and her little girl Marcy.”

“Shirley Goodnest? Who is she and why is she following us?” asked Timmy’s friend.

“Well,” Timmy explained, “every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, ‘cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, ‘Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life’, so I guess I’ll just have to get used to it!”

May Shirley Goodnest and Marcy follow you all the days of your life, and in case you don’t remember the 23rd Psalm, here it is:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

(Received from the Internet without attribution. Thanks Martha.)

He died on a Friday, but He danced on the following Sabbath.
He was “The Lord of the Dance.” ~ VOCAL mp3 sample

I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame,
The holy people said it was a shame,
So they whipped, and they stripped, and they hung Me high,
And they left Me there on the cross to die

I danced on a Friday, when the sky turned black,
It’s hard to dance with the Devil on your back,
Oh they buried My body, and they thought I’d gone,
But I am the dance and the dance goes on.

They cut Me down, but I lept on high,
I am the light that will never, never die,
But I’ll live in you if you’ll live in Me,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He.

~~from “Lord of the Dance” by Sydney Carter

Bring down the holly, the mistletoe and the sparkling lights - Christmas is officially over, proclaims Neddy.

Today, the Day of Epiphany, marks the official end of the Christian tradition of “Twelve Days of Christmas”. The celebration of Christ’s life begins with Christmas day, December 25th, and ends on Epiphany, January 6th. The word “Epiphany” means “manifestation in Greek and refers to God manifesting or revealing himself to mankind by coming to earth as a physical being in the person of Jesus. The tradition has come down from the centuries that Christmas, marks the birth of the baby Jesus, and Epiphany, the twelfth day, recognizes the coming of the “wise men” from the East to witness that miraculous birth.

The twelve days between the two special Christian holidays are days of joyous celebration. January 6th, the twelfth day, marks the end of Christmas, and in our modern times it is when we remove all Christmas decorations to their storage boxes and the new year begins in earnest.

Although Christmas and Epiphany are festivals of Christiandom, all the world can celebrate their significance - that the God of the universe loves each and every one of his children.

There Are Twelve Days of Christmas

Today is Eve of Epiphany. In our modern time’s hustle and bustle, Old Christmas Eve, as it is also known, is a forgotten day, a lost celebration of old Europe and the middle ages. On this night, God’s Holy Spirit reveals Himself upon the earth to those of faith. Late at night, across the world, cattle and sheep in dark barns and fields, can be heard praying in their animal languages. One must listen very quietly to hear them as they celebrate the witnessing of the animals of so very long ago to the visitation of the Magi.

"When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh." ~~Matthew 2: 9-11

Old Christmas Eve

Pepys’ Diary ~ 6 January 1659/60

Rodanthe Celebration

Grandpa’s Birthday

We shall all be changed, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where thy sting? O grave, where thy victory? The sting of death sin; and the strength of sin the law. But thanks to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
(1 Corinthians 15:51-58 KJV)