2A Madison Enterprise-Recorder www.greenepublishing.com OIipcpoints & Opinions Friday, December 18, 2009 The Wisdom Of Joseph And Mary Except for a few scant details, we know nothing from the Bible of Mary, mother of Jesus, or of his earthly father, Joseph. If my readers will allow me, I would like to share some thoughts that I have on God's choice of Mary and Joseph to raise His only begotten Son. I think that God chose Mary because she was wise beyond her years. She was probably a teenager when, through the Holy Spirit, the virgin conceived the Son of God. Although young, I believe that Mary was wise and caring. I also believe that Joseph was wise beyond his education. A carpenter probably did not have the same education of a scribe or a Pharisee, but educa- tion is not all there is to wisdom. His learning prob- ably came through experience and trial and error. Although Mary's parents probably arranged the marriage to Joseph, I believe that they did so at the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I do not believe that there is a man and woman who truly loves their child who, if they had to leave them in someone else's care to raise, that would pick someone who was not wise and caring. If you were God, would you do any less? Next Friday is the day that Christians have set aside to honor the birth of our Lord and Savior Je- sus Christ. May His light shine upon us all. Christmas Trivia 1. Which of these companies was the first to use Santa Clause in an advertisement? Pepsi Coca-Cola 7-Up Fanta 2. Which president was the first to decorate the White House Christmas tree? Franklin Pierce Benjamin Franklin George Washington Abraham Lincoln OJO3 d u!V.)OJ3 :1 uollsanO TIOD-cOOD4 : uollsangO SoridaPress Associa,o 2008 Award Winning Newspaper 'Ce fihea on Entetprise-Recorbert 1 P.O. 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Thcuvvlc Yawc D uuri~q' the' ai'tnea' cw'td, dex~th' of ovurlove~dioite, Mcurv~i VeL- to--n/ Evafw, yota wmy hcave/ pr'xye-d, visWtedl or cJLUed/ seiit ca, ccrd/ or flowme4 coin jiteW utlw w th- khugctd/ kin&wd wordk, prov de6difioo, o e/ppremed yovur coi&1e4+ce4 iZ othe4- ways- Please' k-now that every ge4tutre'oflovle th/ftei c4d' &SUport tov deep y aycxdi i- cewety app recatedl ThaczicYou/! May (oWdk blem4Le be' l- rteod/ tDi edcv ofyo-wl The/ EVCujt' Evaf imialy Mcure McavNv The4-eS Evc*V 13 rucp, C/,ndi jlrCMZi&dchld 4-e4i' People always ask me, "What's the best in- vention of all time?" They're looking for that one perfect answer that's going to settle the debate once and for all. When I tell them that there's no one single best invention, they usually walk away disappointed. It reminds me of the guy who climbs to the top of the mountain to ask the wise old man for the meaning of life. But I can tell you who my top ten inventors are, and what I think they would want for Christ- mas. Foreign-born inven- tors, many of whom immigrated to America, are denoted with an aster- isk below. Which of these inven- tors are still alive today? The answer is at the end of the column. For Ben Franklin: A new pair of bifocals, which he invented, as well as a new kite since his old one was destroyed in a thun- derstorm. Also, a Franklin stove, a key to the city and a $100 bill. For Thomas Jefferson: A modern version of each of his major inventions: A macaroni machine that he invented in 1787, the swivel chair, the spherical sundi- al, the moldboard plow and the cipher wheel, which was used by the military to send coded messages back and forth. Plus a bowl of macaroni and a dish of ice cream, since Jefferson in- troduced these two foods to America. For Philo Farnsworth, who was only 15 years old when he figured out how to invent the television: A re- mote control and a DVD player. Now go to your room, Philo. And no watch- ing TV when you get there, young man. *For Alexander Gra- ham Bell: A cell phone powered by a cord that plugs into a wall (think about it). Bell was born in Scotland. For Henry Ford, father of the assembly line which produced the Model T cars: A brand new car, in any col- or he wants. As long as it's black. *For Nikola Tesla: A trophy case and a radio. Why a trophy case? Why a radio? And who is Nikola Tesla? Tesla is the main in- ventor of radio, although Marconi is the one who usually receives credit for it. OK, then why give him a trophy case? To hold the prestigious Edison Medal which he won in 1917. The irony is that Tesla and Edison fought a nasty battle to see whose brand of electrical current was superior. Tes- la's AC won out over Edi- son's DC. On a lesser note, Tesla is the only inventor to have a rock band named after him. Tesla, by the way, was born in Croatia. For Thomas Edison: A day off, since he's the only inventor in the United States to receive a patent every year for 65 straight 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 O o 0 0 S he family of Richard Rudd would like to express their sincere gratitude for the thoughfulness and kindness shown these past few weeks. The visits, calls, cards, food, and flowers have been a great comfort during this time. Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers. Sincerely, Stacey Rudd ,..ouo..,^_l_. _In n ^ _anoaa nnh_ nuuunn =^_ao aaat years. Also, a high school diploma, since he never graduated from high school, and a Tesla album to listen to on the phono- graph that he invented in 1877. Also, in an ironic twist, I would give him the Nikola Tesla Award, which is given annually by the In- stitute of Electrical Engi- neers. *For Leonardo da Vin- ci: A time-travel machine, so he could actually use some of his best inven- tions. Da Vinci designed the following items hun- dreds of years ahead of their time: The submarine, the bicycle, modern scis- sors, a flying machine, a he- licopter and a parachute. Leonardo was born in Vin- ci, Italy. He and Ben Franklin are the only left- handed inventors on this list. For George Washing- ton Carver: A listing in the Guinness Book of World Records, for inventing more than 300 uses for peanuts and hundreds of additional uses for other 0 0 by Paulplants. plants. *For Tim Berners- Lee, who invented the World Wide Web: A life- time supply of anti-spam software and his own patent lawyer. Berners- Lee was so unselfish that he chose to not patent the Web, passing up a huge fortune in the process. Berners-Lee was born in London. Of these ten inventors, which ones are still alive today? Only the inventor of the world wide web, Tim Berners-Lee, who was born in 1955. Television inventor Philo Farnsworth died in 1971 and his wife died a few years ago at the age of 98. She holds the distinction of being the first woman to appear on television, which she did in 1927. Paul Niemann's col- umn has appeared in more than 80 newspapers. He can be reached at nie- mann7@aol.com 0 Paul Niemann 2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o 0 0 Letters to the Editor are typed wordfor word, comma for comma, as sent to this newspaper Former Principal Remembers Noland Dear Editor, Noland Greene was a student of mine while at Aucilla and the beginning of our relationship was unique. I knew right off that Noland had a great heart yet he always kept others at a distance it seemed. I re- member one day at a cross country meet he forgot his shoes and I just happen to have a good pair of running shoes on so I let Noland have them. You never know what it will take to connect with someone, but from that time on Noland and I became friends. I remember being glad to see him when I came back to visit and we would cross paths at a game or church. Noland visit- ed my office several times whenever he would get into trouble. Usually, he would be sent because he was opinionated and stubborn, but that is what made him Greene special. I love Noland and have a very special place in my heart for him. Greene family, my deepest sympa- thy is with you for I know you have lost a very special young man. I am reminded that God's grace is suffi- cient and at times like this understanding is impor- tant. Heaven is real and Noland was prepared for his walk with Christ and now he walks in Heaven. I just wanted you to know that Noland was special to not only me but to many others as well. Our prayers are with you during this very difficult time... Mike Steele, Principal University Christian Middle School 5520 University Blvd. West Jacksonville, Florida 32216 Law Offices of Monica Taibl, P.L. Personal Injury Worker's Compensation Civil Bankruptcy Family Law Wills & Probate (850) 973-1477 125 NE Range Avenue Madison, FL 32340 The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask the lawyer to send you free written information about their qualifications and experience. a poog .. 4. 0020 09 ..... 00 .... W 000 ...... Moo h~00 000~