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WITandWISDOM(tm) - July 8, 2005 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: You may forget with whom you laughed, but you will never forget with whom you wept. Source: Good Stuff, http://www.pbp.com/gst.html ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: By Brennan Bilek, age 10 One night, when my parents dropped me off at our Awana program at church, they told me they were going to visit a friend who has been diagnosed with a mental illness called schizophrenia. It was his birthday. At group prayer time, I asked my group to pray for my mom and dad and that Mike would let them tell him about Jesus. We all prayed. Two hours later, my mom and dad picked me up. I asked how their time with their friend had been. They looked at me funny. Then they told me a long story about how they had tried to share Jesus with him many times before. He would always change the subject or start getting squirmy and leave. This time they couldn't believe what happened. They said their friend brought up Cod and the Bible and wouldn't stop asking questions and talking about Him. I smiled and said, "My group and I were praying for you!" I think God is so cool to hear our prayers and send His Holy Spirit across town to this man's mind just because we asked Him to! A few days after that, I wrote a paper for a writing contest. I called it "How to Get to Heaven." I was very sad when my teacher told me she couldn't enter it because it was "too preachy" and wouldn't win. On the way home I told my mom that I didn't write the paper to "win." I wrote it so the judges would learn the way to heaven and think about it. I was really bummed out that the teacher wouldn't even turn the paper in. Later that day, before my gymnastics class, a college kid came up to me and asked if I died that day, would I know for sure that I'd go to heaven. I told him yes and all about the paper I had just written. He said he couldn't believe I was only 10! He told me I was an awesome leader for God. I can't tell you how much better that made me feel. That night I told my mom what the college boy said. She started crying. She told me that at that exact moment she had been on the phone with her friend, and they were praying for me and my situation! My family prayed some more that night. The next day, my teacher told me she had entered my paper in the contest! God had changed her heart. I love how God answers my prayers and makes Himself real to me. I want all the kids in the world to know that He loves you too and will hear you when you talk to Him. Just try it! Source: Pray!, July/August 2005, http://www.praymag.com ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: A priest was being honored at his retirement dinner after 25 years in the parish. A leading local politician and member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation and give a little speech at the dinner. He was delayed so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited. "I got my first impression of the parish from the first confession I heard here. I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first person who entered my confessional told me he had stolen a television set and, when stopped by the police, had almost murdered the officer. He had stolen money from his parents, embezzled from his place of business, had an affair with his boss's wife and taken illegal drugs. I was appalled. But as the days went on I knew that my people were not all like that and I had, indeed, come to a fine parish full good and loving people.".. .. Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies at being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and give his talk. "I'll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived," said the politician. "In fact, I had the honor of being the first one to go to him in confession." Moral: DON'T EVER BE LATE Submitted by Bill Gann ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Our son was constantly wandering in and out of the house, leaving the front or back door wide open. "Once and for all, will you PLEASE close that door!" my exasperated wife pleaded one day. "Were you born in a barn?" "No, I was born in a hospital," he replied, smirking. . . "with automatic doors." Source: Top Greetings ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Google's Suggest site, in beta, will make suggestions as you type in your search terms? http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1 Source: The Pocket Newsletter, Copyright ©1996-2005, All Rights Reserved, http://thepocket.com