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WITandWISDOM(tm) - February 26, 2002 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: It is the simple things of life that make living worthwhile, the sweet fundamental things such as love and duty, work and rest, living close to nature. - Laura Ingalls Wilder Source: Thought for Today, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thoughtfortoday Subject s: Simplicity ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: It was 1948 when Gulag Irkutsk, a Christian believer in Siberia, received a 25-year sentence. After refusing to work on Sabbath, he was ordered to stand in a three- by four-foot cell for 10 days with only water for nourishment. For a year Irkutsk went through the same routine, in confinement for 10 days and out for four days. After a year a general came to inspect the prison camp, and found Irkutsk in solitary confinement. When the general inquired about his confinement, Irkutsk explained about the Sabbath. "I am a believer in God," Irkutsk said. "A sign of my loyalty to Him is to rest on the Sabbath. However, I am prepared to work twice as much the day before in order to have the Sabbath off." Irkutsk was ordered to carry enough water for the 1,000 prisoners - filling the reservoir by transporting well water. Prison officials provided Irkutsk with an ox, and for 10 years they followed the same routine of working twice as fast the day before and resting on Sabbath. Later Irkutsk was released for his outstanding work record, but the ox remained and assisted another prisoner as he transported water. When the first Sabbath came, that ox lay quietly chewing his cud. Nothing would move the beast - neither shouting, pulling, threatening, nor beating. Every Sabbath the same drama happened. Finally the exasperated jailer told the prisoner, "You will never change the ox's behavior. The Sabbathkeeper has made the ox into a Sabbathkeeper. And Sabbathkeepers are very, very stubborn!" By John K. McGhee Source: Adventist Review, ISSN 0161-1119, (c) October 1996, http://www.adventistreview.org/ Submitted by Nancy Simpson Subjects: Sabbath, Oxen, Prison ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: A COLLECTION OF CHILDREN'S JOKES A precocious child of about 7 or 8 wrote all of these down for me. Why did Mickey Mouse go to space? To find Pluto! What do Disney toons drive in? A mini van. Why did the giraffe cross the road? Because the chicken retired and moved to Florida! Why did the clown tell jokes to the egg? Because he wanted to crack it up! Why do golfers bring an extra pair of pants? Just in case one of them gets a hole in one! Once a man put broccoli up his nose, cucumber on his eyes and carrots in his ears. Then he went to his doctor and said, "I don't feel well". The doctor said, "That's because you're eating wrong!" Source: HUMOR Digest Subjects: One Liners ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Someone in our neighborhood put a huge sofa out by the curb for trash collection. Since it was in good shape, many motorists slowed down for a look. But when they saw how enormous it was, they'd leave. Eventually a compact car pulled up, and two men got out. "This I've got to see," I thought. They removed the cushions, turned the sofa upside down, and shook it hard. Then they picked up all the coins that tumbled out and drove off. Source: Clean Laffs, http://www.shagmail.com/sub/sub-jokes.html Subjects: Trash, Coins ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Children's Creativity 95% of children tested between ages 2-4 are highly creative. The same group tested at age 7 found only 4% still highly creative. Further studies found that between ages 4-7 children were told to "Stop asking so many questions!" or, "Never mind, just do what I say!" Source: "All Power" Television Seminar Subjects: Creativity |