“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.” – Helen Keller
The Vacant Seat
A sports fan was sitting in the top row at the Super Bowl, barely able to see the field. He noticed a vacant seat about 3 rows back on the 50-yard line. It was still vacant when the second quarter started, so he went down and asked the man seated next to it if anyone was sitting there.
The man said “No, have a seat.” A few minutes later he asked the man if he knew whose seat this was and why they weren’t here at such an important event. The man said that for ten years it had been his wife’s seat but that she had passed away.
Feeling sorry for the nice man, the fan asked if he didn’t have a friend or family member that he could have offered the seat to instead of just leaving it vacant. The man said, “No, they’re all at the funeral.”
I Am Habit
I am your constant companion. I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden. I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command.
Half of the things you do you might as well turn over to me and I will do them – quickly and correctly. I am easily managed, but you must be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons, I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of great people, and alas, of all failures as well! Those who are great, I have made great. Those who are failures, I have made failures. I am not a machine — though I work with the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a person.
You may run me for profit or run me for ruin – it makes no difference to me. Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you. Who am I? I am Habit.
Fractured Christmas Carols
Listen very closely when kids sing Christmas carols, This is what you just might hear!
- Deck the Halls with Buddy Holly…
- We three kings of porridge and tar…
- On the first day of Christmas my tulip gave to me…
- Later on we’ll perspire, as we dream by the fire…
- He’s makin’ a list, chicken and rice…
- Noel. Noel, Barney’s the king of Israel…
- With the jelly toast proclaim…
- Olive, the other reindeer…
- Frosty the Snowman is a ferret elf, I say…
- Sleep in heavenly peas…
- In the meadow we can build a snowman, Then pretend that he is sparse and brown…
- You’ll go down in Listerine…
- Oh, what fun it is to ride with one horse, soap and hay…
- O come, froggy faithful…
- You’ll tell Carol, “Be a skunk, I require…”
- Good tidings we bring to you and your kid…
Praying for the Sick
A young boy called the pastor of a local “corner” church to ask the pastor to come by and pray for his mother who had been very ill with the flu. The pastor knew the family and was aware they had been attending another church down the road. So the pastor asked, “Shouldn’t you be asking your pastor from down the road to come by and pray with your mom?”
The young boy replied, “Yeah, but we didn’t want to take the chance that he might catch whatever it is that Mom has.”