Word of the Day: Veer

VEER (v.)

1. Turn sharply, change direction abruptly
Ex: "The motorbike veered to the right.

2. Shift to a clockwise direction.
Ex: "The wind veered."

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The Story of the 18th Camel

Have you heard about the story of the 18th Camel?

We had our first midweek service for this year last night and the speaker mentioned about the 18th camel. Here's the story:

A long time ago, in a far off land, the Sultan heard petitions from his beloved people.

One young man asked the Sultan to help solve a problem caused by the death of his Father. “You see”, he said. “My father left 17 camels in his will, one half for my eldest brother, one third for my younger brother, and one ninth for me. The problem is that we will have to kill some of the camels in order to abide by our late fathers wishes, and there is no point in doing that.”

The Sultan thought for a moment, and proceeded to order his Vizier to give the three brothers one of the camels from the Royal Stable.

“That is very generous of you, your Eminence, but how does your gift help us?”, the young man asked.

“You now have 18 camels”, said the Sultan. “Give your eldest brother half of them, that is 9 camels. Your younger brother shall have one third of them, which is 6, and you shall have one ninth, which is 2 camels. Your father’s wishes will thus be granted.”

“But that is only 17 camels in total”, said the young man. “What shall we do with the 18th one?”

The Sultan replied, “By the grace of all that is great, you may return the one that is left to the Vizier to place once more in my stable.”

Here's what preaching.com says about the story:

This story of the 18th camel is a story of unessential necessities. Sometimes that which may not seem to add anything to the sum total in reality adds a great deal. Believe it or not, the Bible is full of 18th camels. These people are unessential necessities. They are people who do not appear to add a whole lot, if anything, to the lives of others, but in reality are very necessary and needed. Remember Noah. The world didn't need another crazy man who thought he heard the voice of God and spent all his time building a boat under the heat of the sun. And yet ... he was an 18th camel. Or what about Sarah? What could she add to God's promise of descendants as numerous as the sands of the sea? She was as old as the sequoias and as barren as a tree in dead winter. And yet ... she was an 18th camel. Remember Jacob? Now here was a character of godly virtues. Thief. Trickster. Conniver. A real addition to God's hall of shame, I mean, fame. And yet ... an 18th camel.

How about Joseph? To his eleven brothers this starry-eyed dreamer was a corn on the family toe. He would never amount to anything to his family, let alone to the world. And yet... he was an 18th camel. And what of Rahab? A Canaanite. Considered a woman of the evening. She didn't have anything to contribute to God's promise of a land for the Hebrews. And yet ... she was an 18th camel. What of Gideon? From a poor family. The pipsqueak of the house. Leader of a whittled down army with trumpets, clay pots, and torches for weapons. Another 18th camel. Remember David? Another runt of the family with a slingshot hanging out of his back pocket. An adulterer and murderer. And yet ... an 18th camel.

Take Joseph. Supposed father of Jesus. What could he add to a virgin birth! What in the world could this poor fellow contribute to the holy family accept maybe a donkey to ride on? What about ... an 18th camel? Or the poor widow, whose tiny coin clinked in the temple coffers. She was a nobody with little to offer. And yet she was an 18th camel. Or what about the poor and sick and elderly that came to Jesus? Surely they had nothing to contribute to society. Except maybe, an 18th camel. And consider most of the women in the New Testament. What could women like Martha and Mary, the Syro-Phoenician woman, the Samaritan woman by the well, Mary of Bethany, the woman who anointed Jesus feet ... what could they add to Jesus' ministry? An 18th camel? Or what of the children who came to Jesus? They were negligible, nuisances, and appendages to adults. What could children contribute to the kingdom of God? Another 18th camel? The Bible is full of 18th camels.

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Today....Is A New Day!

Today I will delete from my diary
two days: yesterday and tomorrow

Yesterday was to learn
and tomorrow will be the consequence
of what I can do today.


Today I will face life
with the conviction that this day
will not ever return.


Today is the last opportunity
I have to live intensely,
as no one can assure me
that I will see tomorrow's sunrise.


Today I will be brave enough
not to let any opportunity pass me by,
my only alternative is to succeed.


Today I will invest
my most valuable resource:my time,
in the most transcendental work: my life;


I will spend each minute
passionately to make
of today a different
and unique day in my life.



Today I will defy every obstacle
that appears in my way trusting
I will succeed.


Today I will resist pessimism and will conquer the world
with a smile with the positive attitude of expecting always the best.


Today I will make of every ordinary task
a sublime expression,


Today I will have my feet on the ground
understanding reality and the stars'
gaze to invent my future.


Today I will take the time to be happy
and will leave my footprints and my presence in the hearts of others.


Today, I invite you to begin a new season
where we can dream that everything we undertake is possible
and we fulfill it, with joy and dignity.

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