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WITandWISDOM(tm) – December 10, 2007 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "A realist is an idealist who has gone through the fire and been purified. A skeptic is an idealist who has gone through the fire and been burned." - Warren Wiersbe Source: Maximum Impact, http://www.maximumimpact.com ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: Harry Winston, a famous diamond broker, was excited. And so was the crowd that had gathered around him. He had just purchased one of the most famous diamonds in the world. And he expected it to be delivered at any moment! In the crowd were friends and news reporters and curious onlookers, all anxious for the first glimpse of the famous stone. While they waited, Mr. Winston entertained them with stories from the diamond’s past history. The crowd buzzed with excitement. The people kept watching for the armored car and police escort that would make the delivery. Security was sure to be tight. At the edge of the crowd a man in a postman’s uniform tried to make his way through, but he was shoved back. The people wanted nothing to distract attention from the arrival of the fabled gem. The crowd grew. Self-appointed sentinels kept their eyes on the roadway, ready to shout the arrival of the armed escort. Again the postman tried to push through the crowd. In his hand he clutched a brown paper parcel tied with string. He said he had to deliver it to Mr. Winston. Imagine! Who was he? Some crackpot trying to get his name in the paper? Finally, with more irritation than courtesy, they let the stubborn postman through. Mr. Winston took the parcel, glanced at the return address, and gave a short cry. With trembling hands he tore the paper away from a small box. Then he opened it and tenderly lifted the precious diamond for all to see. He held it up to the sun and let the gem’s reflections play over the amazed crowd. For a few moments they stood in stunned silence. How could such fabled beauty arrive in such a common wrapping? And then they burst into a loud, spontaneous cheer! But no one in that crowd ever forgot how they had almost rejected one of the world’s most precious diamonds! How like what happened nearly two thousand years ago when Jesus came to earth. The people were expecting their Messiah. They were waiting for him, longing for His arrival, but they didn’t think He would come in a brown paper parcel! By George Vandeman Source: These Times, Copyright (c) May 1979, Pacific Press, http://www.signstimes.com ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: Anger Management Husband: "When I get mad at you, you never fight back. How do you control your anger?" Wife: "I clean the toilet." Husband: "How does that help?" Wife: "I use your toothbrush!" Submitted by Bev Roehrborn ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: I was telling my three boys the story of the Nativity and how the Wise Men brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the infant Jesus. Clearly giving it a lot of thought, my six-year-old observed, "Mom, a Wise Woman would have brought diapers." Submitted by Diana ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Computer farthest from Earth: NASA's Voyager 1 satellite Distance from Earth: Voyager is three times farther away than Pluto. That's to say at least 4 billion kilometers, times three. NASA's Voyager satellite computes at the edge of space as we know it Distance from the sun: 15.44 terameters. Distance logged per day: 1 million miles. Years old: Almost 30, having launched on Sept. 5, 1977. Places it's dropped by: Jupiter and Saturn, on the way to the edge of space as we know it. How it communicates with Earth: Uses NASA's Deep Space Network, a system of antennas around the Earth. There's no IM out here: Signals traveling at light speed take 14 hours one-way to reach Voyager. Daily to-do list: Collects data on solar wind, energetic particles, magnetic fields and radio waves. Powered by: Radioisotope thermoelectric generators. Power needed: About 300 watts, the amount of power needed for a bright light bulb. NASA’s Voyager website: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/index.html |
