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WITandWISDOM(tm) - May 19, 2000 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "The world breaks everyone and many are stronger at the broken places." - Ernest Hemingway in "A Farewell to Arms" via http://www.witandwisdom.org ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: Each year, on the third Saturday in May, the nation expresses appreciation and gratitude to our men and women in uniform. They are our Armed Forces, America's soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coastguardsmen. An interesting tidbit from Chaplain (Lt Col) Dwight Johnson - stationed at Ft Meade via Col Joseph L. Shaefer, ACC AXO-ID MA, Dated: 29 Jul 1999 I was one of more than 300 runners in the NSA Armed Forces Week 5K run (Ft. Meade, MD). It was pretty crowded at the start, but things thinned out after about five minutes or so, and I took my bearings. Perhaps 200 yards ahead of me was a group of maybe 8 Marines or so who were obviously running together. I decided that a good goal would be to beat them, which seemed reasonable, as I am a macho Air Force Chaplain and they were only a bunch of United States Marines. I kept them in sight for the next couple of miles, but the longer the race went on, the younger those guys got. It became apparent to me in the last half mile that I was not going to catch them, and I resigned myself to finishing well behind them. Then I noticed that one of their number was struggling and was gradually dropping off the pace. I panted out a word of encouragement as I caught him and realized that he was not about to give up. Within 100 yards of the finish line I saw a strange sight. The entire group of Marines made a U-turn in the road and was running back towards me. As they ran past me I noted their well-chiseled muscles and the determined set of their jaws. I glanced over my shoulder in time to see them rally around their buddy to provide the emotional support of the team so that they could all finish together. I was impressed. No way would they leave a struggling comrade behind. As I entered the finishing chute I murmured a prayer. "God, I'm glad those guys are on our side." And so it was that I learned a theological truth from the U.S. Marines that is as vivid as any my seminary professors ever taught. "If anyone . . . sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:17,18) I witnessed "a few good men" in action. They reminded me of the strength of being a team, and that words without actions are pretty much useless. Thanks, Marines. Submitted by: bkordenbrock - via http://www.witandwisdom.org ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: SOMETHING GETS LOST IN TRANSLATION: MEMORANDUM From: Headquarters - New York To: General Managers Next Thursday at 10:30 Halley's Comet will appear over this area. This is an event which occurs only once every 75 years. Notify all directors and have them arrange for all employees to assemble on the Company lawn and inform them of the occurrence of this phenomenon. If it rains, cancel the day's observation and assemble in the auditorium to see a film about the comet. ~~~~~~~~~~ MEMORANDUM From: General Manager To: Managers By order of the Executive Vice President, next Thursday at 10:30, Halley's Comet will appear over the Company lawn. If it rains, cancel the day's work and report to the auditorium with all employees where we will show films: a phenomenal event which occurs every 75 years. ~~~~~~~~~~ MEMORANDUM From: Manager To: All Department Chiefs By order of the phenomenal Vice President, at 10:30 next Thursday, Halley's Comet will appear in the auditorium. In case of rain over the Company lawn, the Executive Vice President will give another order, something which occurs only every 75 years. ~~~~~~~~~~ MEMORANDUM From: Department Chief To: Section Chiefs Next Thursday at 10:30 the Executive Vice President will appear in the auditorium with Halley's Comet, something which occurs every 75 years. If it rains, the Executive Vice President will cancel the comet and order us all out to our phenomenal Company lawn. ~~~~~~~~~~ MEMORANDUM From: Section Chief To: All EA's When it rains next Thursday at 10:30 over the Company lawn, the Phenomenal 75 year old Executive Vice President will cancel all work and appear before all employees in the auditorium accompanied by Bill Halley and his Comets. Source: The Funnies, andychaps_the-funnies-subscribe@egroups.com via http://www.witandwisdom.org ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Sign on church bulletin board: "Planning to go to Heaven? Get your flight training here." Source: Clean Hewmor, clean-hewmor-subscribe@welovegod.org via http://www.witandwisdom.org ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: In late September 1864, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest was leading his troops north from Decatur, Alabama, toward Nashville. But to make it to Nashville, Forrest would have to defeat the Union Army at Athens, Alabama. When the Union commander, Colonel Wallace Campbell, refused to surrender, Forrest asked for a personal meeting, and took Campbell on an inspection of his troops. But each time they left a detachment, the Confederate soldiers simply packed up and moved to another position, artillery and all. Forrest and Campbell would then arrive at the new encampment and continue to tally up the impressive number of Confederate soldiers and weaponry. By the time they returned to the fort, Campbell was convinced he couldn't win and surrendered unconditionally. -Today in the Word, June 27, 1993 www.moody.edu/ST/tiw/ Source: The Timothy Report, Copyright (c) 2000 Swan Lake Communications, www.swanlake.twoffice.com via http://www.witandwisdom.org |