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WITandWISDOM(tm) - June 11, 2004 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Success means we go to sleep at night knowing that our talents and abilities were used in a way that served others. - Marianne Williamson, Inspirational writer and speaker Source: DailyInBox: Bits & Pieces, http://your.dailyinbox.com/bp/ ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: Josephine Ligon tells of a family in the town where she grew up who preached and practiced forgiveness. Their name was Parsons. On one occasion, Mr. Parsons watched young Josephine get swatted by the broom of a mean old lady in town who didn't like the neighborhood children getting too close to her property. He stopped Josephine and told her, "Go back and tell Mrs. Brink that you forgive her for hitting you." "Say, 'I forgive you' to Mrs. Brink?" Mr. Parsons smiled. "Forgiveness comes in many forms," he said. "You don't actually have to say, 'I forgive you.' A simple smile will do. You might just tell her that her daffodils are pretty." It seemed dumb to young Josephine, but in those days children did what their elders told them to do. So, she went back and mumbled something to Mrs. Brink about her daffodils being pretty. Mrs. Brink looked shocked, but it was the last time Josephine ever felt her broom. On another occasion Josephine and several of her third grade friends put a handful of pencil shavings into the Parsons girl's sandwich, just to be mean and to make her mad. But she didn't get mad. Instead, the next day, without any sign of repentance from her persecutors, the Parsons girl brought everyone in the class a large, beautiful, delicious, hand-decorated cookie which said, "Jesus loves you." Years later Josephine Ligon still remembers that demonstration of forgiveness more than any sermon. Forgiveness is more than words; it's action! From: Christianity Today, March 2, 1979, p. 18, http://www.christianitytoday.com/ Source: A Dose of Inspiration, http://www.quietstones.com/mydailydose ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: "A Texas Rancher's Will" TO MY WIFE: My overdraft at the bank. Maybe she can explain it. TO MY NEIGHBOR: My clown suit. He'll need it if he continues to farm as he has in the past. TO THE ASCS: My grain bin. I was planning to let them take it next year anyway. TO THE FARM ADVISOR: 50 bushels of corn to see if he can hit the market. I never did. TO THE JUNK MAN: All my machinery. He's had his eye on it for years. TO MY UNDERTAKER: A special request. I want six implement and fertilizer dealers for my pallbearers. They're used to carrying me. TO THE WEATHERMAN: Rain, sleet, and snow for the funeral please. No sense having good weather now. TO THE GRAVEDIGGER: Don't bother. The hole I'm in should be big enough. TO THE MONUMENT MAKER: For the epitaph: "Here lies a farmer who has now properly assumed all of his obligations. Source: The Funnies, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/andychaps_the-funnies ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: A Christian farmer spent the day in the city. In a restaurant for his noon meal, he sat near a group of young men. After he bowed his head to give thanks for his food, one of the young men thought he would embarrass the old gentleman. “Hey, farmer, does everyone do that out where you live?” The old man calmly replied. “No, son, the pigs don’t!” From: Serve Him With Mirth by Leslie B Flynn This is a free e-book download. http://www.gospelcom.net/guide/resources/mirth.php ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: After a concert a teenager once asked pianist, Arthur Rubinstein, for his autograph knowing he doesn't sign autographs. The teenager held out a pad and pencil and said to the great musician, "I know your fingers are tired, sir, but mine are, too -- from clapping." He got his signature. Source: Weekend Encounter, by Dick Innes, Copyright (c) ACTS International, 2004, http://www.actsweb.org/subscribe.htm |