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WITandWISDOM(tm) - September 6, 2001 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Run 'through' the finish line, not 'to' the finish line. - Author Unknown Source: Inspire, http://www.inspirelist.com/ ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: EVERYBODY NEEDS IT by Rubel Shelly Colleen Gallagher hasn't had an easy time of it. She has been struggling to make ends meet as she raises her two sons with no help from their father. She has been working most recently as a waitress in an upscale Chicago bar. The CEO of an investment company was in the place where Colleen Gallagher works on April 24. It was a fairly slow time. In addition to conversation with some of his business associates, John Boc also talked with the woman serving their table. It became apparent to him that she was, in his words, "feeling blue" and discouraged over the tough situation she was facing with her boys. When it came time to pay, Boc told Ms. Gallagher to "add a $1,000 tip to the tab!" Stunned and not sure the offer was something other than a cruel joke, she prepared the credit-card slip. Boc signed it. But that's only the beginning. As tears of gratitude started to pour down the woman's cheeks, Boc pulled some credit cards out of his pocket, fanned them like a hand of playing cards, and told the waitress, "Pick a card." When she reached and took his Platinum Visa in hand, he said, "Take that card and go give yourself $10,000." A flabbergasted Gallagher remembers him saying, "Life's too short to be feeling blue." Indeed, her spirits must have brightened considerably that day with "a total of $11,000 in tips." Strange as it sounds, this astonishing story -- from the Boston Herald, Reuters, and CNN News -- isn't the first one about John Boc's generous tips. This one was unusually generous, though, even by his standards. After researching it to be sure there was nothing fraudulent, the credit card company issued a check for the April deed of generosity last week. Ms. Gallagher reportedly plans to use the money toward the purchase of an apartment. There was no flirting. No request for a phone number. No strings attached. One rich person showed kindness toward a struggling person in his world. Can't give $11,000 to someone today? Me neither! But I can do something thoughtful for someone sick or homebound. You can thank someone for making your workplace more pleasant. I can double or triple the next tip I give. You can write a note to your Sunday School teacher. You can think of appropriate people and creative things to do for them. And be sure not to forget strangers. Life's too short -- and too hard -- for us not to care about one another. Kindness. Everybody needs it. Rubel Shelly is with the Woodmont Hills Church in Nashville, Tennessee. His FAX of Life is e-mailed once a week and can be subscribed to by sending one's name and email address to Bonnie at FaxOfLife@woodmont.org http://faithmatters.faithsite.com/content.asp?ListSG=93 Submitted by Debbie Yauch ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: A little boy wanted $100.00 very badly and his mother told him to pray to God for it. He prayed and prayed for two weeks, but nothing turned up. Then he decided perhaps he should write God a letter requesting the $100.00. When the postal authorities received the letter addressed to God, they opened it up and decided to send it to the President. The President was so impressed, touched and amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a check for $5.00. He thought that this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy. The little boy was delighted with the $5.00 and sat down to write a thank-you letter to God, which ran as follows: Dear God: Thank you very much for the money. I noticed that you had to send it through Washington. As usual, they deducted $95.00 for themselves. ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: A large company offered to fly me out to a meeting business class. During the return flight we were given gourmet brownies and cookies. Not hungry, I decided to save them for later, so I placed them in an air sickness bag. After the plane landed I got up to leave and a stewardess approached me. She asked, "Sir, would you like for me to dispose of that for you?" I said, "No thanks, I'm saving it for my kids." - Author Unknown Submitted by Kimberley Broyles ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: SAFE SIT-UPS Fighting fat around the waist has become an American obsession, and most people eventually turn to sit-ups in this battle. Unfortunately, they often do them improperly.... The safest, most effective way to do a sit-up is to lie on your back, keeping knees bent and feet on the floor. Contract the abdominal muscles and press the lower back into the floor, which will cause the upper body to lift up. It is necessary to come up only to a 30 to 45 degree angle.... The safest arm position is to cross them behind the head with the hands placed on the opposite shoulders. From the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, http://www.berkeleywellness.com/ Source: Weekend Encounter, by Dick Innes, Copyright 2000, http://www.actsweb.org/subscribe.htm |