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WITandWISDOM(tm) - April 25, 2007 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." - Helen Keller Submitted by Elvin Nyamukondiwa ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: How well Monica remembered the day Augustine was born, November 13, 354, in the little town of Thagaste, a few miles west of Carthage in North Africa. From the moment of his birth she had prayed that he would become a Christian. Her husband, Patrick, was a pagan who owned a few acres of land. He was a hot-tempered man who was often unfaithful to her. She cried as she saw his wayward example taking root in her son’s life. When Augustine was a teenager his father sent him to the best pagan schools in Carthage. The boy did well in his studies in Greek and Latin, but at the same time he succumbed to the temptations of the city. He led a wicked life of drunkenness and immorality. One night he told his mother that he was going to say good-bye to a friend who was going to Rome. Actually, Augustine himself had decided to run away from home. Boarding a ship, he sailed away from his family. The wayward life of her son nearly broke Monica’s heart, but she did not give up praying for him. One day she felt so bad about what he had done that she talked to a Christian teacher about him. Tears streamed down her face as she told the story. “Go thy way,” the teacher said. “God will help thee. It is not possible that the child of these tears should perish.” God answered Monica’s prayers in a remarkable way. By chance Augustine went to Milan, where he met Bishop Ambrose. He told the bishop about the emptiness of his life and the restlessness he felt. He told how he had traveled many miles to many places, where he had done wild and wicked things, but he could not escape his mother’s prayers. Bishop Ambrose encouraged him to read the Bible, for in those pages he would find the help he needed. He continued to study with Bishop Ambrose and of course he made sure that his mother was there on the day of his baptism on Easter Sunday, A.D. 388, in the cathedral at Milan. She watched Bishop Ambrose baptize her son who was to become Saint Augustine. Once he wrote, “It was owing to the faithful daily prayers of my mother that I did not perish.” From: Faith Triumphant, Inspiring Stories of God’s Church, January 25, p. 29, By Dorothy Eaton Watts For more about Augustine and his writings visit: http://tinyurl.com/2hom3g Submitted by Leora DeWitt ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: The cowboy was trying to buy an insurance policy. The insurance agent was going down the list of standard questions. "Ever have an accident?" "Nope, nary a one." "None? You've never had any accidents." "Nope. Ain't never had one. Never." "That's hard to believe. Nothing ever happened to you at all?" "Well, a rattler bit me one time." "Wouldn't you consider that an accident?" "No way! The dang varmint bit me on purpose." Source: Chapnotes, mailto:xanmansa@chapnotes.org?Subject=Subscribe ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: While I was out walking, I approached the driveway of a house set far back from the road. Suddenly the door flew open and a young fellow, about five, burst through and tore down the lane with his mother in hot pursuit. The boy raced in front of me, determination and fear of impending discipline written on his face, repeating fervently: "Lord, give me strength! Lord, give me strength!" Submitted by Lorraine ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: A £650,000 mansion is up for grabs for £60 after its owners decided to offer it as a prize in an online competition. Alf and Kath Overy, of the Old Parsonage, near Goole, East Yorkshire, put their home on the market last year. But after it failed to sell for the £650,000 asking price, they decided to offer the 300-year-old Grade II listed Georgian building as a prize instead. The couple said they wanted to "give everyone a chance" to buy the house, reports the BBC. Mr Overy, 66, said: "We were staggered when the house went on the market for £650,000, because it cost us very little, but in 24 years we have restored it and of course put all modern conveniences in. "We have the original woodwork and the beams which are nearly 300 years old." Entrants have been challenged to look at a doctored photograph of the house and guess where a missing shadow should fall. The couple say they have limited the number of entries to 25,000 and once they have covered the cost of the house, plan to donate any remaining money to the International League for the Protection of Horses. Mr Overy added: "We thought we'd give everyone a chance and the response has been that it's an unusual, good idea," he said. "Whoever gets it for £60, it could change their lives completely." You can see the mansion here: http://www.winthishome.org.uk/ Source: Ananova http://www.ananova.com