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WITandWISDOM(tm) – November 26, 2007 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "The person who upsets you the most is your best teacher, because they bring you face to face with who you are." - Lynn Andrews Source: Weekend Encounter, by Dick Innes, Copyright (c) ACTS International, 2007, http://www.actsweb.org/subscribe.php ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: Sam Rayburn was a Democratic politician who served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives for 17 years, and is regarded by many as the most effective Speaker of the House in American history. Allow me to share with you some of his most memorable statements: "Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good actions; try to use ordinary situations." "No one has a finer command of language than the person who keeps his mouth shut." "You'll never get mixed up if you simply tell the truth. Then you don't have to remember what you have said, and you never forget what you have said." When Harry Truman was thrust into the presidency at the death of FDR, Sam Rayburn gave him some fatherly advice. "From here on out, you're going to have lots of people around you. They'll try to put a wall around you and cut you off from any ideas but theirs. They'll tell you what a great man you are, Harry. But you and I both know you ain't." Later on, when Sam Rayburn discovered that he was quite ill, he announced to the House of Representatives that he was going home for medical tests. Some wondered why he didn't stay in Washington where there were excellent medical facilities. He supplied the answer when he told Congressman Jim Wright, "Bonham [Texas] is a place where people know it when you're sick, and where they care when you die." I like that last statement because I think it's true of the church [a good church that is]. We live in a world where people often don't care what happens to others around them. Everyone is too interested in getting what they want to even notice what is going on in the lives of others. But the church is a place where people "rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep." (Romans 12:15). It's a place "where people know it when you're sick, and where they care when you die." By Alan Smith, "Thought for the Day" (March 9, 2007) Helen Street Church of Christ Fayetteville, North Carolina. http://www.tftd-online.com Source: Weekend Encounter, by Dick Innes, Copyright (c) ACTS International, 2007, http://www.actsweb.org/subscribe.php ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: Caller Id Is A Wonderful Thing The local paper, which I don't bother to subscribe to since I don't have a bird, calls every couple of weeks to try and get me to subscribe. With Caller ID this becomes a perfect opportunity. Here are some of the highlights. Phone rings. I glance at the Caller ID and pick up the phone. Me: "OK I'll take a subscription, but I only want it on weekends." Them: "What?" Me: "You want to sell me a subscription. I'll take it, but only for Saturday and Sunday." Them: "We only offer it Thursday through Sunday." Me: "Oh then never mind." I hang up. Phone rings. I glance at the Caller ID and pick up the phone. Me: "I don't want a subscription" Them: (silence) "What?" Me: "You are calling to offer me a subscription. I don't want one." Them: (silence) "Uh... OK." I hang up. Phone rings. I glance at the Caller ID and pick up the phone. Me: "Hi! Is this Billy-Bob's Gun and Ammo Shop?" Them: (silence) Me: "I wanna buy a gun. You got any?" Them: (silence) I hang up. Phone rings. I glance at the Caller ID and pick up the phone. Me: "Good afternoon, Gainesville Sun circulation department. How may I help you?" Them: (silence) "Umm... Sorry. Wrong number." I hang up. ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Sign in a store window: "This is a non-profit organization. Please help us change." Submitted by Drew ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Avoid Gift-Card Scams By Walecia Konrad This holiday season, take care in buying gift cards displayed on store counters. Clever thieves can steal the card number and the personal ID number. When you activate the card by purchasing it, the thief uses the information to make online purchases. Later, when the recipient goes to use the card, it rings up empty. To protect yourself, follow these tips from Joe LaRocca, vice president for loss prevention at the National Re-tail Federation. Buy only gift cards in protective packaging. Or ask the clerk for a card kept behind the counter. Check the back of the card. Make sure the personal identification number has not been scratched off or tampered with. Check the card number and PIN on your sales receipt against those on the card. They should match. (Clerks may accidentally give you the wrong card or, in rare cases, hand out a fake and keep the paid one.) Buy from reputable retailers. Avoid cards that are sold via online auction sites, where the potential for fraud can be high. Source: USA Weekend, November 23-25, 2007, http://usaweekend.com