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WITandWISDOM(tm) - October 27, 1999 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. - Henry Ford (E-zine: QUOTE A DAY Mailto:join- quoteaday@pulse.salko.com) ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: Have you ever engaged in long-term prayer for someone who was seriously ill? One frustration is in letting him or her know that you and others are praying frequently, with it becoming overwhelming. Often, the invalid does not have the physical or emotional stamina to answer repeated phone calls from well-meaning intercessors. Here is an idea that can help you encourage the person you are praying for often, but in a nontaxing way. It will also help keep you accountable to remember the request. Get a group of intercessors who have agreed to pray to invest in a digital pager (approximately $10 per month). Assign each intercessor or team of intercessors a number (1, 2, 3, etc.). As each intercessor feels a burden to pray, he or she dials the pager and punches in the designated number. The occasional beeps or vibrations throughout the day remind the shut-in that someone is praying for him or her. The thought of a silent pager encourages intercessors to be faithful. This idea was a blessing to a young mom who underwent several surgeries for a brain tumor. A simple glance at the number on the pager readout let her know when she was being remembered and who was praying. During a recent CT Scan, she was overwhelmed by almost continuous vibrations from her pager, indicating that God had people interceding at precisely the moment she most needed prayer. By Sandie Higley, Colorado Springs, CO, PRAY, Issue Eight 1998 ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: THERE'S MUCH TO APPRECIATE ABOUT FOOTBALL By Melvin Durai Football season has arrived, so please hold all my calls and e-mail until February. I'm going to be busy cheering my favorite team, the Seattle Seahawks, all the way to the Super Bowl in Atlanta. I hope someone buys them tickets. As a diehard pro football fan, I'm puzzled why some people don't appreciate the sport. Perhaps they don't understand its nuances. Football is similar to chess, but with more action and fewer Russians. Perhaps I need to explain the game for all those misguided people who'd rather mow their lawns on Sunday afternoon than spend it usefully on the couch. Football is really quite simple: - Games are 60 minutes long. The actual length of the games is about three hours, if you include time-outs, injuries, and the time it takes players to climb off each other. The actual playing time is about 18 seconds. Unless you count player celebrations, which take up about two hours. - The team with the ball has four chances to gain at least 10 yards. They can run with the ball or throw it. A touchdown is scored when an offensive player enters the end zone and spikes the ball. - A yellow flag means someone goofed. Each official keeps a flag in his back pocket and throws it on the ground whenever he spots an infraction. This is an appealing part of football because it is the only time most women get to see a man picking up after himself. - Heavy players are usually not supposed to handle the ball. They might accidentally eat it. If you see a heavy guy running with the ball, it probably means two things: (1) A small guy has fumbled the ball. (2) The team doctor is waiting on the sidelines with an oxygen tank. - Kicking the ball is generally illegal. Though it's called "football," the only players who can kick the ball are the punter and the kicker. The kicker usually faces a lot of pressure. When he misses a field goal, he risks not only getting cut from the team, but also being deported. Knowledgeable fans should also be aware of several changes in the National Football League (NFL) this year, including: - Specially marked balls. During a Seahawks-Jets game last year, an official awarded the winning touchdown to the Jets after mistaking a player's helmet for a ball. So this year, balls have been specially marked with the word "FOOTBALL!" If this doesn't work, the commissioner plans to mark helmets next year. - Instant replay. When an official flubs a call, a coach can challenge it. The referee will have 90 seconds to review the instant replay on the sidelines, sticking his face about three inches from a television screen, an easier option than buying prescription glasses. The referee will then return to the field and declare the replay "hazy." This adds credibility to the game. - Melvin Durai is a humor columnist at the Chambersburg Public Opinion in Pennsylvania. A native of India, he grew up in Zambia and moved to the U.S. in the early 1980s. For a free subscription to this weekly column, send a blank message to Mailto:durai-humor-on@mail-list.com (E-zine: KEITH'S MOSTLY CLEAN HUMOR Mailto:maiser@mail.otherwhen.com?Subject=Subscribe&body=subscribe%20mchawlist %0d%0aexit) ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: To a Dog, you're family. To a cat, you're staff. - Ron Dittinger As quoted on Paul Harvey News (E- zine: SERMON FODDER http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/Sermon_Fodder ) ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: THE BIBLE ONLINE The King James version, narrated by Alexander Scourby (in Real Audio). http://www.audio-bible.com/ (E-zine: SERMON FODDER http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/Sermon_Fodder ) |