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WITandWISDOM(tm) - January 1, 2004 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: You must learn day by day, year by year, to broaden your horizon. The more things you love, the more you are interested in, the more you enjoy, the more you are indignant about -- the more you have left when anything happens. - Ethel Barrymore, American Actress ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: You have no idea what this means! We've both been out of work for months!" the pregnant woman said to me as we hauled in the last sack of toys and box of food. Her living room was decorated for Christmas, but the spot under the tree was bare. So were her cupboards. It all began over a loaf of banana bread delivered by students at the Christian school for Thanksgiving. When a note arrived a few days later, our eyes filled with tears. "To the students and staff who left such a sweet Thanksgiving treat and card — Tuesday afternoon when I put my 3-year-old down for a nap, she said 'Mommy, I'm hungry.' I truly had next to nothing in my cupboards and no way to purchase anything. I told her, 'We'll have something when you wake up,' and lay down with her. When I woke up, I remembered having heard a knock while we were sleeping. I checked the front door to find a sweet card and a loaf of banana bread! What a timely blessing. Please know that God used you today to bring my little one a snack. Thank you so much." The note was posted at school and church, and soon the office was filled with food and gifts, including some gift cards to local food stores. When it got closer to Christmas, some students and I delivered the gifts. Imagine my horror a few months later to find in my purse a food card handed to me at church for another family. Quickly I drove over to the address on the envelope and knocked on the door. I tried rehearsing several excuses, but when the father opened the door, the look on his face stopped me short. "Is that food card for us?" he asked. "Yes. I'm so sorry; it was in the bottom of my purse." "Honey! You won't believe this!" he whispered to someone else in the room as tears formed in his eyes. Taking the card gingerly in his hands, he said, "We just were at the kitchen table. I looked at my wife and said, ‘It's tithe or food; which one?' And she replied, ‘It has to be tithe.' We just wrote out the tithe check five minutes ago. This food card will get us through the month. Thank you so much." There was nothing more to say between us, except two sets of prayers, winged instantly to our heavenly father who answers before we ask. By Michelle D. Northam, Kelso, Washington Source: Adventist Review, ISSN 0161-1119, (c) August 2003, http://www.adventistreview.org/ Submitted by Mary Thayne ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: The Edge Index Estimated acres of forest Henry David Thoreau burned down in 1844 while trying to cook fish he had caught for dinner: 300 Average age at which an American believes that adulthood begins: 26 Percentage of men who drop to one knee to propose: 72 Percentage of pet owners who celebrate their pet's birthday with a party: 27 Maximum number of miles that Ford's most fuel-efficient 2003 car can drive on a gallon of gas: 36 Maximum number its 1912 Model T could: 35 Number of male lottery winners who have gone broke: 1 in 3 Number of times you will roll over in bed tonight if you are an average sleeper: 12 Percentage of Americans who say they "never" make their beds: 5 Source: The Oregonian, Copyright (c) September 17, 2003, http://www.oregonian.com/ Submitted by Barbara Henry ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Those of us who worked at the front desk of a convention hotel in Williamsburg, Va., prided ourselves on making the guests feel special. When someone arrived at reception, credit card in hand, we would sneak a peek at it and address him by name. Once during a particularly busy check-in, one of our guests presented a corporate credit card. "Welcome to Williamsburg, Mr. Bell," the desk clerk said. "Oh, please," the man replied, "call me Taco." Source: Clean Laffs, http://www.shagmail.com/sub/sub-jokes.html ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: 37 - The percentage of people who say they are very confident they will keep their New Year's resolutions. 82 - The percentage of people who resolve to lose weight and haven't by June. Source: Health, December 2003, http://www.health.com |