A Bridge for Others

An old man, traveling a lone highway,
Came to the evening, cold and gray,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim--
The sullen stream had no fear for him;
But he turned, when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.

"Old man," said a pilgrim standing near,
"You are waisting your strength inbuilding here;
Your journey will end with the closing day;
You never again will pass this way.
You haved crossed this chasm deep and wide;
Why build this bridge at eventide?"

The builder lifted his old gray head:
"Good friend, in the path I've come," he said,
"There followeth after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way;
The chasm that has been naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;
He too must cross in the twilight dim--
Good friend, I'm building this bridge for him." 

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

Psalm 90:4

TIME: The Months part 2

The names of the months 7- 12 :

In every Western European language, the names of the months retain their Roman origin. The English names used in English speaking countries are no exception.

July is the seventh month of the year in the modern calendar. It consists of 31 days. It was the fifth month of the year in the early Roman calendar and thus was called Quintilis, or fifth month, by the Romans. There is no disputing how the month received its current name. It was the month in which Julius Caesar was born, and in 44 BC, the year of his assassination, the month was named Julius, in his honor.

August is the eighth month of Gregorian calendar year. Because it was the sixth month in the Roman year, which begins with March, it was originally named Sextilis. Sextilis was named from Latin sextus which means "sixth." It was given its present name in honor of the for Augustus the first Roman emperor. Several of the most fortunate events of his life occurred during this month. To make it equal to the fifth month, the name of which had been changed from Quintilis to Julius in honor of Julius Caesar, a day was taken from the month of February and added to August.

The earliest Latin calendar was a 10-month year. In this early calendar September was the seventh month; October, the eighth; November, the nineth; and December, the tenth month. In this early 10 month calendar July was originally called Quintilis, as the fifth month; August was originally called Sextilis, as the sixth month.

September is the ninth month of the Gregorian calendar. It was the seventh month of the early Roman calendar and takes its name from the Latin word septem meaning seven. September has 30 days.

October is the tenth month of the Gregorian calendar. It contains 31 days. October was the eighth month of the ancient Roman calendar as evidenced by the name October from the Latin octo, meaning "eight."

November is the 11th month of the Gregorian calendar. It currently has 30 days. Among the Romans it was the ninth month of a year composed of 10 months. November consisted of 29 days until Julius Caesar gave it 31 days in his calendar.

December is the 12th and last month in the Gregorian calendar. It has 31 days. December was the tenth month in the old Roman calendar. It derives its name from the Latin decem which means "ten."

Sources: The Handy Science Answer Book - Visible Ink|
Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 96 Encyclopedia. |

A New Year Quotation

  If this is to be a happy new year, a year of usefulness, a year in which we shall live to make this earth better, it is because God will direct our pathway. How important then, to feel our dependence upon Him!

– Bishop Matthew Simpson