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Seasons Greetings To All:
As we conclude this Thanksgiving weekend, we turn our thoughts and prayers of gratitude to a loving Heavenly Father, who in a troubled world, with peace again disrupted, gives us the lighthouse of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Plan of Happiness to guide us through troubled waters. Each of us have so much to be thankful for with the realization that the Savior has not left us comfortless, (John 12:18) for his peace He gives to us.
We observe the blessings of Heavenly Father in your lives as we gratefully receive the announcements of new spirits born into your homes. We were saddened with the passing of Mitch Menlove, the husband of Elizabeth Ickes Menlove. This Christmas season will be a difficult time for her and her family, therefore we invite your prayers with ours in behalf of the Menlove family.
This past year has brought compromising health issues to several of you, accompanied with great spiritual experiences with your recovery. We pray for your continued well being, and thank you for keeping us informed.
We continue to get many invitation to communicate on Facebook. Our grandchildren put us on Facebook. However, we find it impossible to read the small print, and we are not conversant with it’s use. Please do not feel snubbed by our not answering your Facebook messages. Rather, please communicate with us via e-mail at oshilljr@cox.net or regular mail to which we know how to respond.
The opportunity to travel away from our home is no longer possible. We have appreciated those of you who have visited us here in Mesa, and if any of you are in our area we would love to see you.
Please know of our love for each of you and your families. We will always cherish the memories of those years serving with each of you in the Florida Jacksonville Mission. We look forward to hearing from you, and may you have a Christmas filled with peace and love.
We send you our love,
President and Sister Shill
Years ago there was a one-room school house in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough that no teacher had been able to handle them. A young inexperienced teacher applied, and the old director scanned him and asked: "Young fellow, do you know that you are asking for an awful beating? Every teacher that we have had here for years has had to take one."
"I will risk it," he replied.
On the first day of school, the teacher appeared for duty. Tom, one of the bigger boys, whispered: "I won't need any help with this one. I can lick him myself."
The teacher said, "Good morning boys, we have come to conduct school." At the top of their voices the boys yelled and made fun of him, "Now, I want a good school, but I confess that I do not know how unless you help me. Suppose we start by making a few rules. You tell me and I will write them on the blackboard."
One fellow yelled out, “No stealing.” Another yelled, “Be on time,” Finally, ten rules appeared on the black board.
“Now”, said the teacher, “ a law is not good unless there is a penalty attached. What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?"
"Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on!" Came the response from the class.
“That is pretty severe, boys. Are you sure you are ready to stand by it?” Another yelled. “I second the motion!” The teacher said, “Alright, we will live by them. Class, come to order!”
In a day or so, Big Tom found that his lunch had been stolen. The thief was located -- a hungry little fellow, about ten years old. “We have found the thief, and he must be punished according to your rules. Ten stripes across the back. Jim, come up here,” the teacher said.
The little fellow, trembling, came up slowly with a big coat fastened up to his neck and pleaded, "Teacher, you can lick me as hard as you like, but please, don't take my coat off!"
"Take the coat off, you helped make the rules!" the teacher said.
"Oh, teacher, please don't make me!" The little fellow began to slowly unbutton the coat.
As the teacher watched, he was shocked to see the little boy had no shirt on and a bony little crippled body was revealed. The teacher thought, how can I whip this child? But I must, I must do something if I am to keep order in this school.
Everything was quiet as death. The teacher asked, "How come you aren't wearing a shirt, Jim?"
He replied, "My father died, and my mother is very poor. I have only one shirt to my name and she is washing it today, and I wore my brother's big coat to keep me warm."
The teacher, with rod in hand, hesitated. Just then "Big Tom" jumped to his feet and said, "Teacher, if you don't object, I will take Jim's licking for him."
"Very well, there is a certain law that says one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?"
Off came Tom's coat, and after 5 hard strokes the rod broke! The teacher bowed his head in his hands and thought "How can I finish this awful task?" Then he heard the class sobbing, and what did he see? Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. "Tom, I am sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!"
The Prophet Isaiah (53:4-5 ) declared:
(4) “Surely He hath borne our grief’s and carried
our Sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted.
(5) But He was wounded for our Transgressions.
He was bruised for our Iniquities:
The Chastisement of our peace was upon Him
And with His stripes we are Healed
