When a Honolulu jury acquitted 47 year-old Junior Stowers of abusing his son, he raised his hands in the courtroom and exclaimed, "Thank you Jesus!" His joy quickly faded, when the judge rapped his gavel, holding Stowers in contempt of court for the "outburst" and threw him in jail. After the remark, Stowers asked permission to approach the bench to apologize, but the request was denied. After six hours, the judge granted a hearing on the contempt charge and released Stowers because though the judge had ordered both asides not to show emotion when the verdict was announced, Stowers' counsel did not have time to tell him before the verdict was read. The judge did not comment but referred reporters to the court minutes, which said the judge viewed Stowers' "nonverbal gestures and outbursts to be disruptive and improper regardless of content."

Family and friends watching from the gallery said they were shocked that those words could land somebody in jail. Stowers' Public Defender Susan Arnett said she did not think he wasn't treated fairly. She said Stowers is a devoutly religious man active in his church who spontaneously expressed his thanks to the higher power in which he believed. She said, "I don't think there's anything about saying, 'Thank You Jesus' that rises to the level of contemptuous behavior in this case."

—http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2194403. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Colossians 3:17 (HCSB) [17] And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

People living in the Polar Regions are familiar with the patterns of colorful lights that appear in the night sky, such as the northern lights. Recent research has confirmed another odd phenomenon associated with the Aurora Borealis. Sometimes when the light shows become intense, they emit an eerie type of music. While other people don't hear anything, they report feeling something during the displays. Using very sensitive instruments, researchers have confirmed that the charged particles in the upper atmosphere can create pressure waves in the lower atmosphere. These infrasonic waves reverberate beginning around 20hz, the lowest level of human hearing.

The same instruments have detected other strange sounds in the atmosphere. One example has been termed, "mountain music" created as winds blow through mountain ranges. Researchers have even discovered that the Earth's oceans "sing" as winds pass over its surface. The "song of the sea" is at such a low frequency that it carries for thousands of miles. Though these sounds are often below the range of human hearing, scientists speculate this music could be a blending of all the storms in the world, with each storm adding its unique tones to a symphony that began at creation.

—Creation Moments, February 8, 2005, (Reference: Science Frontiers, Sept-Oct, 200 pg4.) Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Psalm 96:11-12 (MSG) "Let's hear it from Sky, With Earth joining in, And a huge round of applause from Sea. [12] Let Wilderness turn cartwheels, Animals, come dance, Put every tree of the forest in the choir—"

Oklahoma native Louise Marie Chitwood was very active politically. She volunteered at voting booths near her home, and faithfully turned out to express her opinion. Her family was surprised to learn that Chitwood had even voted in the last election in 2008, because she passed away in 2006. A Tulsa newspaper recently looked at voting records in Oklahoma and found that as many as 429 deceased people were still registered to vote, and as many as half of them apparently did so in November 2008.

Election officials could not immediately explain the discrepancy. They said it a possible a son who was named after his father might have accidentally signed the wrong line or that some other error occurred. Paul Ziriax, secretary of the state Election Board told reporters, “We would hope there’s a reason for it occurring. But certainly there should not be anyone who is deceased who is casting a ballot.” Ziriax said one other explanation would be fraud, and added, “We’ll have zero tolerance for fraud. Whether it’s one or 101, it’s unacceptable.”

--429 dead Oklahoma voters stay on the rolls, http://newsok.com/429-dead-voters-stay-on-rolls/article/3373893?custom_click=rss ; May 31, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

No one expects the dead to have a voice, but we can with the strength God gives us everyday.

Psalm 115:17-18 (HCSB)17 It is not the dead who praise the Lord, nor any of those descending into the silence [of death]. 18 But we will praise the Lord, both now and forever. Hallelujah!

Being obsessed with taking pictures all the time may damage a person’s ability to remember them. Dr. Linda Henkel from Fairfield University says her research has uncovered what she calls the “photo-taking impairment effect.” Henkel says many people are so eager to get a picture that they miss what is happening in front of them. She and her team conducted their research in a museum to learn if taking pictures of exhibits hindered a visitor’s ability to remember what they had seen. When surveyed the following day, researchers found people were less accurate in recognizing objects they had photographed compared with those they had only looked at. A second duplicated the results, and also uncovered an interesting twist. Researchers also found that if a person took a photo of a specific detail on an object by zooming in, they tended to have better memories of that item. Henkel said, “In order to remember, we have to access and interact with the photos, rather than just amass them.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Taking photos interferes with memory: study, by Sarah Knapton, http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/taking-photos-interferes-with-memory-study-20131211-2z4oc.html, Accessed December 11, 2013.

In the same way, it is easy to take the goodness of God for granted, if we don’t take time to meditate on what He has done for us.

Willie Myrick was in his front yard and bent down to pick up money when somebody grabbed him and threw him in a car. The little boy began to sing a gospel song called “Every Praise.” Myrick said that the kidnapper started cursing and repeatedly told Myrick to shut up, but he wouldn’t. He sang the song for about three hours until the kidnapper let him out of the car.

We all know that praise and worship is good for the soul. In this case, it may have saved young Willie’s life. In addition, he recently got to meet “Every Praise” gospel singer Hezekiah Walker, and they sang the song together. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/04/23/gospel-singing-kidnapping/8042195/

Psalm 100:1-5 (HCSB) (1) Shout triumphantly to the LORD, all the earth. (2) Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. (3) Acknowledge that Yahweh is God. He made us, and we are His — His people, the sheep of His pasture. (4) Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. (5) For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations.

Praise

In THANKS! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier, Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D. writes, “The Jewish and Christian scriptures insist that God’s people, whoever they are and wherever they are and whatever they face, are to be a grateful people, a people filled with praise and with thanksgiving to God.” —Jim L. Wilson

Psalm 95:2–3 (HCSB)“Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout triumphantly to Him in song. ³ For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods.”

It was his last round of golf. Bob Bender, after playing golf for 65 years got his first hole-in-one. He didn’t get to finish the round because his hip starting hurting him. When a newspaper reporter asked him about the 152-yard perfect shot off of his 5-wood, he replied, “’the Lord knew’ this was his last round and gave him a hole-in-one.” —Jim L. Wilson

https://abcnews.go.com/Weird/wireStory/93-year-makes-hole-65-years-golfing-55237307

Everyone who has heard the doctor say, “You have cancer,” has their own story to tell. Darla Jaye, a breast cancer survivor certainly has hers. Jaye says, “I remember going to my first radiation treatment and I was so scared that I was laying on the table before I had the first radiation, and tears were rolling down my face and I thought, ‘How am I ever going to get through this?’”

She found the strength. In fact, after 30 radiation treatments at Harris Health System in Houston she, like other patients who finish a phase of treatment was allowed to ring the “cancer-free” bell. When she did, she broke it.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, I broke the bell!’ I thought you know, I didn’t think I had any strength left in me, but obviously I do!”

There is something about good news that calls for robust celebration.—Jim L. Wilson

Luke 15:23–24 (CSB)“’Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.”

Amusement park owners in Japan are taking a possibly impossible step in social distancing. All customers should maintain social distance, keep conversations to a minimum, and keep the mouths closed while on park thrill rides. That is the hard part. One of the rides travels at 112 mph, another is the highest and longest in the world. Still another one has seven inversions. Riding one of these without screaming will not be easy. One Japanese owner said, “screaming is allowed, riders will just have to learn to scream in their hearts.”

That is the same dilemma we would find ourselves in if we had to limit our singing praises to “singing in the heart.” We need to voice our gratitude for the Lord. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord,