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WITandWISDOM(tm) - October 25, 2001 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "Talent is formed in stillness, a character in the world's torrent." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Source: Awesome Quotes, http://www.coolnewsletters.com ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: A Scotch Highlander, who served in the first disastrous war with the American colonies, was brought before the commanding officer one evening charged with the capital offense of being in communication with the enemy. The charge could not well be brought forward at a more dangerous time. Only a few weeks had elapsed since Major Andre had been executed, and the indignation of the British, exasperated almost to madness by this event, had not yet cooled down. There was, however, no direct proof against the Highlander. He had been seen in the gray of the twilight stealing out from a clump of underwood that bordered on the forests which at that period covered the greater part of the United Colonies, and which, in the immediate neighborhood of the British, swarmed with the troops of Washington. All the rest was mere inference and conjecture. The poor man's defense was summed up in a very few words. He had stolen away from his fellows, he said, to spend an hour or two in secret prayer. "Have you been in the habit of spending hours in secret prayer?" sternly asked the officer, himself a Scotchman. The Highlander replied in the affirmative. "Then," said the officer, drawing out his watch, "never in all your life had you more need for prayer than now; kneel down, sir, and pray aloud that we may hear you." The Highlander, in expectation of instant death, knelt down. His prayer was that of one long acquainted with the appropriate language in which the Christian addressed his God. It breathed an imminent peril, and earnestly implored the divine interposition in the threatening danger - the help of Him who in times of extremity is strong to deliver. . . "You may go, sir," said the officer, when he concluded; "you have, I dare say, not been in correspondence with the enemy tonight." "His statement," he continued, addressing himself to the officers, "is undoubtedly correct. No one could have prayed so without a long apprenticeship; fellows who never attend drill always get ill at review." By Hugh Miller, Signs of the Times, August 21, 1884. ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: MIXED UP METAPHORS I can see through you like a book. He came through the experience smelling like a knight in shining armor. He fell for it like a ton of books. Your honor, when I vacated that apartment it was as clean as the nose on my face. I'll burn that bridge when I come to it. Don't put all your chickens in one basket. Every silver lining has a cloud around it. From now on I'm watching your every move with a fine-toothed comb. Let sleeping ducks lie. Let's get down to brass roots. Never let a gift horse in the house. Now the shoe is on the other horse! Rome wasn't burned in a day. She grabbed the bull by the tail and faced the problem squarely. Source: Gentle Humor, words@iop.com?subject=Subscribe ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. Source: The Funnies, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/andychaps_the- funnies ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: BURNING UP THE ROAD Walking burns about 25 percent fewer calories than jogging the same distance. But if you walk farther than you would be able to jog and move briskly enough to keep your heart rate up, you'll still burn calories and get health benefits. Your body weight, effort level, and distance covered are the major factors. For a quick estimate of calories expended on a flat surface, follow these formulas: Walking: Calories = 0.57 x Your Body Weight x Miles Jogging: Calories = 0.75 x Your Body Weight x Miles - Baylor College of Medicine, http://public.bcm.tmc.edu/ Source: Adventist Review, ISSN 0161-1119, (c) December 21, 2000, http://www.adventistreview.org/ Submitted by Nancy Simpson |