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WITandWISDOM(tm) - October 10, 2006 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be. – Socrates Source: Carol's Thought for Today, http://users.adelphia.net/~mrs.carol ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: Following his dog, a small boy wondered away from home. He didn't pay attention to where he had wondered until he noticed that his surroundings were no longer familiar. Realizing he was lost, his eyes welled up with tears and he stood on the street corner, sobbing uncontrollably. Soon, a police office noticed the young boy crying. He approached the little fellow. "What's the matter, son?" Through his tears and sobbing, the little boy said, "I'm lost! I followed my dog away from home and now I'm lost!" The police officer knelt down beside the little one and gently said, "Son, don't worry. I'll help you get home. Where do you live? What is the name of the street?" The little one looked around and said, "I can't remember the name of my street." His fear began to return. "Well, then, can you give me a landmark of some kind?" "Yes," the little one said and brightened up. "Not too far from our house is a church with a high steeple with a cross on top of it. Do you know where that steeple might be?" "Yes, I do, son." "Well, then, please take me to the foot of that cross and I can make if from there!" The Way of the Cross Leads Home by Jessie Pounds I must needs go home by the way of the cross, There’s no other way but this; I shall ne’er get sight of the gates of light, If the way of the cross I miss. The way of the cross leads home, The way of the cross leads home, It is sweet to know as I onward go, The way of the cross leads home. Source: mailto:The_Daily_Encourager-subscribe@MyInJesus.com ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: Star Trek star William Shatner has reportedly turned down an offer to boldly go into space for real. Shatner, who played Captain Kirk, is too nervous to take up Sir Richard Branson's offer of joining Virgin Galactic's first passenger flight in 2008, reports The Sun. Shatner, 75, said: "I'm interested in man's march into the unknown but to vomit in space is not my idea of a good time. "Neither is a fiery crash with the vomit hovering over me." Shatner has been offered his £114,000 ticket free. But he insists Virgin boss Branson also pays him. He added: "I do want to go up but I need guarantees I'll definitely come back." Celebs like Alien's Sigourney Weaver have booked the two-and-a-half hour flight on the VSS Enterprise - named in tribute to Star Trek. Source: Ananova http://www.ananova.com ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: A little boy asked his mother why the minister got a month's vacation while his dad only got two weeks. The mother answered, "Well, if he's a good minister, he needs it. If he isn't, the congregation needs it." Submitted by Lorraine ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Can Faith Heal? A new and growing body of scientific evidence tells indicates that faith and prayer are good for the body, mind, and soul. Recent research suggests that faith is an important factor in the prevention of disease and the promotion of health. According to recent scientific evidence, over 78 scientific studies show that religious commitment is beneficial to health and well-being. A 1997 study of 5,000 men and women found that those who attended religious services frequently were 25 percent less likely to die over 28 years of follow-up compared with those who attended less frequently. They were also more likely to quit smoking, increase exercise, increase social contacts, and have better marriages. One study found that people who attend church regularly: Have 50 percent less risk of dying from heart disease; 56 percent less risk of dying from lung disease; 74 percent less risk of dying from liver disease; and 53 percent less risk of dying from suicide as those who rarely go to church. Several studies show that faith has beneficial affects on blood pressure. A study of over 4,000 people aged 65 and older found that those who attended religious services at least once a week and prayed or studied the Bible at least daily had consistently lower blood pressure than those who did so less frequently or not at all. One study found that older patients who attended religious services once a week or more cut their risk of being hospitalized in the previous year by 56 percent compared to patients who attended less frequently. Hospitalized patients with a religious affiliation cut their hospital stay in half compared to those without an affiliation. A study of over 200 patients undergoing heart surgery found that those who received strength and comfort from their religious faith were three times less likely to die during the six months after surgery than those who didn't receive any strength of comfort from religion. In one study, 400 coronary care unit patients were divided so that one group was prayed for on a daily basis (unknown to them) and the other group was not. Those prayed for used less medication and had fewer complications. A recent review of the research found that people who agreed with the statement, "My religious faith is the most important influence in my life" are twice as likely to say that they are "very happy." Several studies show that happiness and life satisfaction rise with the strength of religious commitment and the frequency of attending worship services. Studies reveal that the religiously committed have better mental health, less depression, lower stress levels, and a greater sense of life satisfaction than those who are less committed or nonreligious. Divorce is negatively associated with church attendance in nearly every study reviewed. © William J. Wilkinson, M.D., M.S.