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WITandWISDOM(tm) - April 18, 2002 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Men are often capable of greater things than they perform. They are sent into the world with bills of credit, and seldom draw to their full extent. - Horace Walpole Source: Quotation-Gazette http://www.quotationdepot.com/gazette/ Subjects: Goals, Success ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: During Napoleon's invasion of Russia, his troops were battling in the middle of yet another small town in that endless wintry land, when he was accidentally separated from his men. A group of Russian Cossacks spotted him and began chasing him through the twisting streets. Napoleon ran for his life and ducked into a little furrier's shop on a side alley. As Napoleon entered the shop, gasping for breath, he saw the furrier and cried piteously, "Save me, save me! Where can I hide?" The furrier said, "Quick, under this big pile of furs in the corner," and he covered Napoleon up with many furs. No sooner had he finished than the Russian Cossacks burst in the door shouting, "Where is he? We saw him come in." Despite the furrier's protests, they tore his shop apart trying to find Napoleon. They poked into the pile of furs with their swords but didn't find him. Soon, they gave up and left. After some time, Napoleon crept out from under the furs, unharmed, just as Napoleon's personal guards came in the door. The furrier turned to Napoleon and said timidly, "Excuse me for asking this question of such a great man, but what was it like to be under those furs, knowing that the next moment would surely be your last?" Napoleon drew himself up to his full height and said to the furrier indignantly, "How could you ask me, the Emperor Napoleon, such a question? Guards, take this impudent man out, blindfold him and execute him. I, myself, will personally give the command to fire!" The guards grabbed the furrier, dragged him outside, stood him against a wall and blindfolded him. The furrier could see nothing, but he could hear the guards shuffle into line and prepare their rifles. Then he heard Napoleon clear his throat and call out, "Ready! Aim!" In that moment, a feeling he could not describe welled up within him; tears poured down his cheeks. Suddenly the blindfold was stripped from his eyes. Although partially blinded by the sunlight he could see Napoleon's eyes looking intently into his own - eyes that seemed to see every dusty corner of his soul. Then Napoleon said, "Now you know." In all the struggles of life, it is very difficult to fully understand how somebody else feels unless we have "sat where they sat." Fortunately for the Christian we have a Savior who understands our every trial and temptation for as God's Word says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin" (Hebrews 4:15, NIV). From: Thought For The Day, http://tftd.faithsite.com/ Source: Weekend Encounter, by Dick Innes, Copyright 2002, http://www.actsweb.org/subscribe.htm Subjects: Napoleon, Russia, War ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: CHOIR PROFICIENCY TEST In order to measure your level of proficiency as a choir member, the following test has been carefully developed by experts. Read and reflect on each situation and then select the option that will enhance the quality of the performance. 1. You are a soprano and count incorrectly. As a result you boom out a high "C" one measure too soon. You should: a. Slide into an inspired "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing." b. Look triumphant and hold on to the note. c. Stop abruptly in mid squawk but keep your lips moving. d. Sink to the floor in shame. 2. After all those long hard choir rehearsals, you show up twenty minutes late for the Christmas musical. You should: a. Climb into the back row of the choir from the baptistry. b. Enter pretending to be a sound man checking cables and then suddenly slip yourself into the choir. c. Turn the lights out in the church and slip into the choir during the blackout. d. Read M. Stephen's pamphlet "Techniques for Tardy Appearances." 3. While singing, you discover you have only one page of a two page hymn. You should: a. Hum for your life. b. Sing "watermelon, watermelon, watermelon." c. Try to get another hymnal out of the choir rack with your feet. d. Sing the first page over again. 4. Inevitably that dreaded big sneeze occurs toward the end of the choir special. You should: a. As you sneeze, come down hard on your neighbor's foot to create a diversion. b. Try to make it harmonize. c. Sneeze into the hair of the choir member in front of you to muffle the noise. d. Sink to the floor in shame. Count the number of A's, B's, C's, and D's you checked and find your proficiency rating below: 3 or more A's...there is nothing more you need to know to be a first rate choir member. 3 or more B's...your church choir reflexes are fully developed and you should do well in choir. 3 or more C's...your church choral experience is spotty but your team spirit is on target. You will be an asset to most any choir. 3 or more D's...it is recommended you take soccer or group therapy counseling. Source: The Funnies, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/andychaps_the-funnies Subjects: Music, Tests ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Our minister once illustrated a point in his sermon by saying that we have to know where best to plant our seeds. For example, he went on, a rose needs sunlight, but fuchsias need a shady nook to flourish. On the way out this one woman couldn't stop complimenting the Pastor on his wisdom. Finally she said, "All these years, I've been unable to determine what was the matter with my fuchsias." Source: HUMOR Digest Subjects: Gardens, Sermons, Flowers ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: When Lucille Ball began studying to be an actress in 1927, she was told by the head instructor of the John Murray Anderson Drama School, "Try any other profession. Any other." From: A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul, By Canfield, Jack; Hansen, Mark Victor, Published by Health Communications, Inc. Copyright (c) April 1995, ISBN: 1558743316, http://isbn.nu/1558743316/price Submitted by Alice Bryan Subjects: Actors |