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WITandWISDOM(tm) - May 18, 2007 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: The way from God to a human heart is through a human heart. – S. D. Gordon ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: Renowned and beloved television priest, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, experienced a metaphor in a leper colony in Africa that would become his mandate and mission for life. He was already struggling with being repulsed by the sights and smells of the rotting tissue and the visible suffering of the lepers. Christ’s love helped him overcome his revulsion enough so he could start talking to one of the lepers. This fellow had many open, oozing sores all over his body. Just as he leaned forward his neck chain broke and the cross he wore fell into the man’s open sore. Visibly shaken he took a few steps back. But after guilt pangs, he regained some composure. He bent over, took up his cross, hung it back around his neck, and continued ministering to that hurting human being. Jesus told us to take up OUR cross (Mark 8:34). That means getting down and dirty, bloody and messy at times, because that’s how hurting people are. We must take UP the cross of Jesus and take the cross TO the hurting people all around us. We must TOUCH their wounds with it. By the wounds of Christ and by the cross of Christ we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). What does Sheen’s story say to you? What does this metaphor mean for you? How are you taking UP your cross and taking the cross TO people? "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5 NIV). Taking the Cross to People's Wounds - by Pastor Rick Sams, Senior Pastor, Alliance Friends Church, Alliance, Ohio, http://www.alliancefriendschurch.org/ Submitted by Malladi Murthy in India ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: A first grade teacher seated her students in a circle. She asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up. One by one, each child got up and announced, "I'd like to be a nurse like my mother," or "I want to be a banker like my father," or "I want to be a teacher like you, Miss Smith." The last child to speak was the most shy and timid little boy in the class. He said, "When I get big, I'm going to be a lion tamer in the circus. I'm going to face those animals with my whip and chair and make them leap through hoops of fire and obey all of my commands." Seeing the disbelieving looks on the faces of his classmates that he could ever act so boldly or bravely, he was quick to reassure them, "Well, of course, I'll have my mother with me." Source: The Daily Encourager, The_Daily_Encourager-subscribe@MyInJesus.com ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: At the hospital where I work, the quality of meals offered in the cafeteria is a true source of aggravation. One day I watched two young surgeons approach the serving line. After reading the posted menu and looking over the dishes behind the sneeze guard glass, Dr. Green turned to his companion and said, "Well, no doubt about it, this calls for a culinary bypass." Source: Mark Mail, http://mrhumor.net/ ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: ANCHORAGE, Alaska (UPI) -- Officials at the Anchorage Zoo called the local fire department for help when a 7,500-pound elephant wouldn't stand up. Young Suenram, an Anchorage Fire Department battalion chief said the African elephant, Maggie, had been lying down for about 12 hours, and zoo officials said elephants can die as a result of their own weight if they stay down for too long, the Anchorage Daily News reported Monday. Seventeen firefighters worked for several hours to help the animal to her feet. It was alarming to see "how badly she was looking," Suenram said. "We worked at trying to get her up as soon as possible. We are just so ecstatic that she's up now." "Usually what happens is when she lays down and the keeper comes in, she gets right up," Eileen Floyd, a zoo spokeswoman told the Daily News. "It's highly unusual if she stays down. So that's where all the worry and concern happens. If they stay down really long, they have a tough time breathing. So that was the fear -- that if she didn't get up, eventually, she could die." For Maggie’s picture and more on the story visit: http://tinyurl.com/2gzghn Copyright 2007 by United Press International Source: ArcaMax – Weird News, http://tinyurl.com/9kf44