Story

OPPORTUNITY

The world is indebted to Sir Alexander Fleming for the discovery of penicillin. One day he was working in his lab at the Univ. of London. He had hundreds of cultures growing in dishes. As he was hurriedly rushing through the lab to attend to other business, one of the dishes caught his eye. The culture in it was dead. Instead of just muttering to himself, "Isn't that interesting," and rushing on, he took time to put the culture in a sealed test tube. Later when he returned, he noticed that mold had begun to form, and as a result of this, penicillin was discovered.

After a hard winter in Preston, Idaho, the street I lived on was loaded with potholes. There was an especially large one in front of my neighbor's driveway. When repeated calls to the street department brought no action, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
The next day, as I left for work, I saw a small tree planted in the center of the pothole, with
grass and flowers surrounding it. The city promptly fixed the hole.

OPPORTUNITY

Here are a few responses to change identified by Ken Blanchard as the "Seven Dynamics of
Change:"
1. people will feel awkward, ill-at-ease and self conscious
2. people initially focus on what they have to give up. You need to deal with personal sense of loss of your people.
3. people will feel alone even if everyone else is going through the same change.
4. people can handle only so much change. Beyond a few changes, or only one or two, if significant, people become immobilized.
5. people are at different levels of readiness for change.
6. People will be concerned about enough resources.
12. If you take the pressure off, people revert back to their old behavior. For change to last, it must be self-perpetuating.

OPPORTUNITY

Umph! What was that? A stirring inside me? Oh, No! I'll just ignore it, maybe it'll go away.
Whup! There it is again, ooh! I'm afraid. I think my shell is trying to crack! Oh, please, no. Well, I know I'm kind of cramped inside, but what happens if I hatch? I've been watching those other eggs as their shells cracked. Yecoccch! Wet, feathery-looking things fall out, all gawky and ugly. No, thanks! I'll just remain an egg, smooth and round and uncomplicated ... I think.
Or will I? I remember that egg from last year that reused to hatch. It stayed smooth and round all right, but did it smell! It must have been dead inside! Oh! What'll I do? I'm so scared! I don't want to look awkward leaving his shell, I've got pride, same as anyone, but I don't want to die inside, either.
What will I become if I leave this shell? F-f-f-fried chicken? Waaaah! Somebody help me! I could get killed! I might not be as comfortable outside as I am in here. I might grow up to be one of those fat old clucks with a bunch of noisy chicks to look after, and that looks like a lot of work. But then I might be one of those majestic creatures that flies to the fence post and lets everyone know he's boss. Do you suppose? Wow! I might like that! He's the king of the barnyard, I know! Just look at his strut! Gee! I'd like to be a big shot like that! He isn't afraid of anyone, except the farmer.
The farmer owns all of us, somehow. He decides everything around here, I can tell. If the rooster crows too loud or too long, the farmer knocks him off the fence. Doesn't really hurt him, just wounds his pride. That rooster has a lot of pride, serves him right. Whup! What was that I said
about my pride? Well ... let's see, if I'm too proud to hatch and risk becoming whatever I was meant to be, I could end up awful smelly like last year's egg.
That did it! I'm getting outa here, ugly or not. Look out, world, if you don't like me, that's your problem. I've got to get on with being what I was meant to be! Hey, you gonna hatch?
Author Unknown

OPPORTUNITY

If you put the entire history of man in a 50 year span:

For the first 45 years nothing significant would happen
Five years ago man began to have primitive writing and communication
Two years ago Christianity came into being
Five months ago the most important invention the world has ever known, the printing press, came into being
Twenty days ago Ben Franklin proved that lightning and electricity were the same thing
Nineteen days ago the telephone was invented
Eighteen days ago two high school drop outs invented the airplane
Ten days ago a radio came into being
Five days ago TV
Five minutes ago jet airplane
Shows you the increasing speed of change.

A religious man fell on hard times. He took to praying: Lord, remember all the years I served you as best I could, asking for nothing in return. Now that I am old and bankrupt I am going to ask you for a favor for the first time in my life and I am sure you will not say no. Allow me to win the lottery.
Days passed. Then weeks and months. But nothing happened. Finally, almost driven to despair, he cried out one night, “Why don’t you give me a break, God?”
“Why don’t you give me a break and buy a ticket?”

OPPORTUNITY

Most of the time we chalk up coincidence to normal happenstance. but sometimes events just seem to defy odds. Take the nix-up of two identical cars at a Sheboygan, Il. Shopping Mall.

After shopping at the Northgate Shopping Center. Thomas Baker returned to what he thought was his 1978 maroon-colored American Motors Concord. He unlocked the door with his key and tried to get in. 

But Baker's six-foot-six-inch frame was too large to fit between the wheel and seat. And looking around, he noticed unfamiliar objects, including a caddy holding coffee cups. Baffled, he called the police.
As he explained the situation an identical Concord pulled up. 

According to the elderly couple inside, they'd noticed sunglasses and other familiar personal items while loading groceries into the car. After checking the license plate, the man realized he was driving the wrong vehicle.

American Motors Corporation spokesman Ben Dunn points out that the odds of unlocking two AMC cars with the same key is 1,000 to 1 "But when you consider the matching color and model and the fact that the cars were parked at the same place at the same time, he adds, "the adds become more like 12,000 to 1.

As it turned out, the odds of this particular event were smaller still. The drivers shared more than a taste for maroon Concords, Thomas Baker and Mr. and Mrs. Baker, shared the same name as well.

What's to make of all of this? Psychiatrist James Hall of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas says the incident is a "good example of what Carl Jung called synchronicity, a term he coined to explain meaningful coincidences for which ordinary chance is not a significant explanation. "Such events may reflect the underlying order of the universe. Hall adds "There deeper meanings to these kinds of coincidences, and they are researchable.

But the University of Oregon psychologist Ray Hyman disagrees. "The odds are against any one such event," he says. "But they also indicate that as many as trillions of such occurrences can take place on any given day. One can argue, in fact that this kind of thing should happen even more than it often than it does."

OPPORTUNITY

The people who succeed are those who adapt, combine, create, and make the best use of what they have been given to work with. George Washington Carver, for example, was a God inspired man of the highest caliber. When most of us look at a peanut, we see a peanut. When he looked deeper into the peanut, Dr. Carver, with the all seeing eye of God, saw over 300 uses for the tiny legume, including washing powder, shaving cream, bleach, salve, paper, ink, synthetic rubber, axle grease, linoleum, shampoo, wood filler, coffee, and pickles. He also discovered 118 uses for the sweet potato. I short, he accept what he was given, recognized its preciousness, and served the world through it. Dr. Carver put into action the maxim, that "What you are is God's gift to you; what you make of yourself is your gift to God."

OPPORTUNITY

A young boy complained to his father that most of the church hymns were boring to him too far behind the times, tiresome tunes and meaningless words. His father put an end to the discussion by saying, "If you think you can write better hymns, then why don't you?" The boy went to his room and wrote his first hymn. The year was 1690, the teenager was Isaac Watts. "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross" and "Joy To The World" are among almost 350 hymns written by him.

A crucial part of making a great comeback after being crushed is not to look back. Forget the destructive remarks. A friend of mine once said, "You don't drown when you fall into the water; you only drown when you stay there!" Those who consciously r unconsciously attack you can only drown you when you choose to stay in the sinking, stinking waters of criticism.

OPPORTUNITY

WALTER RUSSELL (A @n accomplished scientist, musician, artist/sculptor, writer, philosopher and physicist.)

When he was 15 and working his way through art school by working for $12 a week, his girlfriend announced that the opera company was coming to the city to present a series of grand operas. "I want you to take me to the opera," she said.

"That is exactly what I am planning to do," he replied. He meant that he would take her to one performance, but she thought he was going to take her to all the performances. The cost for the entire series was $79.60 a sum he had not anticipated seeing for several years!

"The entire series!" he exclaimed. "That is impossible!"
"Did you say impossible?" she replied. "You are the last person in the world that I would ever expect to hear say that word."
He took her remark to heart. When the time came for the opera series to begin he found himself standing at the end of a long line waiting to purchase tickets with $6 in his pocket but with absolute faith in his heart that before he reached the window he would have the $79.60 to purchase the entire series.

He stood in line all night in order to get a good place. In the morning a man asked him if he would like to earn $5. Of course, he would. But how? "By selling me your place in the line so I can get to my office by nine," the man replied. Quick as a flash he replied, "I'll do better than that. Give me the money and I will deliver the tickets to you." Without even asking his name, the man gave him the money and his address, and he put it down in a notebook. Holding the money between his fingers and with notebook and pencil in hand he became a magnet drawing scores of people to him. By the time he reached the box office he had the amount necessary for the entire series and $110 in excess, enough to carry him through months of school. The strange thing was that no one even asked his name or address.

OPPORTUNITY

The people who succeed are those who adapt, combine, create, and make the best use of what they have been given to work with. George Washington Carver, for example, was a God inspired man of the highest caliber. When most of us look at a peanut, we see a peanut. When he looked deeper into the peanut, Dr. Carver, with the all seeing eye of God, saw over 300 uses for the tiny legume, including washing powder, shaving cream, bleach, salve, paper, ink, synthetic rubber, axle grease, linoleum, shampoo, wood filler, coffee, and pickles. He also discovered 118 uses for the sweet potato. I short, he accept what he was given, recognized its preciousness, and served the world through it. Dr. Carver put into action the maxim, that "What you are is God's gift to you; what you make of yourself is your gift to God."

OPPORTUNITY

The coast of Maine has many harbors and many dangerous reefs. Near Portland, just off Cape Elizabeth, there lies a rocky reef that is just inside the harbor. It is called Trumbie's Reef, named after an old sea captain of a large ship. His skill as a world sailor became famous. He piloted his ship through many a stormy voyage and into many a dangerous harbor. Rich and famous, he sailed back to his home port in Maine. Here he felt at perfect ease. He was familiar with the outline of the shore and with every rock and reef. Yet as he sailed into the harbor, his ship grounded on this small reef and suffered shipwreck. Afterward the reef was known as Trumbie's Reef. The captain could sail the seven seas safely, but he piled up on rocks inside the harbor close to home. The great issues in life we conquer, but small things and the daily round often bring us disaster.

OPPORTUNITY

Golfers rightly fear the hazards of sand traps,yet few can avoid them completely. At some time our course in life will catch us in the adversity of a sand trap. The danger is that we may be unprepared to deal with the tough situations in life. Arnold Palmer, the famous golf champion, said on one occasion that over the years he had watched hundreds of golfers practicing. He had observed them meticulously practicing putting, the easy, short puts on the soft velvet grass. And he had watched them practice the swing down the thoroughfare, but in all his lifetime and experience, he had never once seen a golfer practicing how to get out of a sand trap.

OPPORTUNITY

The mother of a friend always sent my imagination wandering when she spoke of her "Jewel Box," which held most of her prized possessions ... and was so secure the contents could not be stolen. My mind filled her "Jewel Box" with diamonds, rubies, emeralds and other priceless items of adornment. I daydreamed that she must have been an heiress in a rich family, though her simple existence did not indicate material wealth.
One day I shared my thoughts with her, and she smilingly told me that the "Jewel Box" was her heart. The contents were the feelings of love, joy, and peace ... and the heartfelt faith that she was an heir to the Father's Kingdom ... truly a divine inheritance

OPPORTUNITY

If you are familiar with baseball parlance, you know that a good curve ball is difficult to hit. Batters generally prefer that pitchers throw balls straight down the middle. But batters know this seldom happens.
The player with a desire to advance to the Major Leagues learns to expect the curve ball. He knows he is destined to remain a minor leaguer the rest of his career if he doesn't learn to deal with the curve.
Let us relate this to our own lives. More and more people, the young particularly, believe they can demand from life what they want. If these people are dissatisfied with school, for example, they either cut classes or drop out completely. If they are displeased with what is going on at home they leave. If they dislike their jobs, they quit.
They are not training themselves to handle adverse conditions. When life "throws them a curve," they are unable to cope with it. It is not realistic to believe that life will throw us nothing but easy pitches right down the middle--but that is precisely what many of us seem to expect.

Your good is within you. The body of a tramp, clad in rags, was discovered near a lime kiln where he had evidently crept for warmth. After the autopsy his clothes were torn up to be put into the incinerator, and sewn into the lining of the trousers was a bank note for a large amount. Unquestionably the original owner of the suit had it sewn in there for safety, and for some unknown reason had lost track of it.

Paradox

A Columbine student wrote this.
"The paradox of our time in history is that we have
taller buildings,  but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but
narrower viewpoints;

We spend  more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families;
More conveniences, but less time;
We have more degrees, but less sense;
More knowledge, but less judgment;
More experts, but more problems;
More medicine, but less wellness.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life;
We've added years to life, not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing
the street to meet the new neighbor.
We've conquered outer space, but not inner space;
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul;
We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We have higher incomes, but lower morals;
We've become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of tall men, and short character;
steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare;
More leisure,  but less fun;

More kinds of food, but less nutrition.
These are days of  two incomes, but more divorce;
of fancier houses, but broken homes.
It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in
the stockroom;

a time when technology can bring this letter to you,and a
time when you can choose either to make a difference . . .
.  .  .  .  .   or just hit delete."

From Barbara Clevenger, Church of Today West, MI

For every thing you have missed, you have gained something else; and
for every thing you gain, you lose something else.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature

From Barbara

03/22/01

GREAT PREDICTIONS by EXPERTS

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 15 tons."  Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949
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"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." -- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM,1943
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"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." -- The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall,1957
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
"But what ... is it good for?" -- Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968,  commenting on the microchip.
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"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home," -- Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
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"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." -- Western Union internal memo, 1876.
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"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" -- David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.
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"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than  a 'C,' the idea must be feasible." -- A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found  Federal Express Corp.)
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Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" -- Harry M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927.
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"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper." -- Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone With The Wind."
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"A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make." -- Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting her company, Mrs. Fields' Cookies.
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"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." -- Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.
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"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." -- Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.
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"If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this." -- Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives or 3-M "Post-It" Notepads.
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
"So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built  with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we’ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you; you haven't got through college yet.'" -- Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and H-P interested in his and Steve Wozniak's personal computer.
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"Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools." -- 1921 New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard's revolutionary rocket work.
- -------------------------------------------------------------
-- "You want to have consistent and uniform muscle development across all of your muscles? It can't be done. It's just a fact of life. You just have to accept inconsistent muscle development as an unalterable condition of weight training." -- Response to Arthur Jones, who solved the "unsolvable" problem by inventing Nautilus.
- --------------------------------------------------------------
"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy."
-- Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.
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"Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau." -- Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.
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"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value." -- Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre.
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"Everything that can be invented has been invented." - --Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.
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"Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction." -- Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872
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"The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon". -- Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria, 1873.
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"640K ought to be enough for anybody."
-- Bill Gates, 1981

** TOP TEN THINGS to THINK ABOUT if YOU WANT to CHANGE the WORLD 

- By
----------------------------------------------------

Mahatma Gandhi believed that we must be the change we want to see in the
independence. Gandhi was a revolutionary man, but he accomplished India's emergence as a nation without starting a revolution. In fact, he advocated no violence. One of the most powerful countries in the world yielded to the commitment of one man and the dream of millions.

What change can we effect? What's the difference we want to make in the world?

Gandhi said, "In a gentle way you can shake the world." Here are some things to think about how to do just that.

1. Know that all significant change throughout history has occurred not
because of nations, armies, governments and certainly not committees. They happened as a result of the courage and commitment of individuals. People like Joan of Ark, Albert Einstein, Clara Barton, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison and Rosa Parks. They might not have done it alone, but they were, without question, the change makers.

2. Believe that you have a unique purpose and potential in the world. It's
not so much something to create as to be discovered. And it's up to you to discover it. Believe that you can and will make a difference.

3. Recognize that everything you do, every step you take, every sentence you write, every word you speak-or DON'T speak--counts. Nothing is trivial. The world may be big, but there are no small things. Everything matters.

4. To be the change you want to see in the world, you don't have to be loud. You don't have to be eloquent. You don't have to be elected. You don't even have to be particularly smart or well educated. You do, however, have to be committed.

5. Take personal responsibility. Never think that "it's not my job". It's a
cop-out to say, "What can I do, I'm only one person." You don't need
everyone's cooperation or anyone's permission to make changes. Remember this little gem, "If it's to be, it's up to me."

6. Don't get caught up in the how of things. If you're clear on what you
want to change and why you want to change it, the how will come. Many
significant things have been left undone because someone let the problem solving interfere with the decision-making.

7. Don't wait for things to be right in order to begin. Change is messy.
Things will never be just right. Follow Teddy Roosevelt's timeless advice,
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

8. The genesis for change is awareness. We cannot change what we don't acknowledge. Most of the time, we aren't aware of what's wrong or what's not working. We don't see what could be. By becoming more aware, we begin the process of change.

9. Take to heart these words from Albert Einstein--arguably one of the
smartest change masters who ever lived: "All meaningful and lasting change starts first in your imagination and then works its way out. Imagination is more important than knowledge."

10. In order for things to change, YOU have to change. We can't change
others; we can only change ourselves. However, when WE change, it changes everything. And in doing so, we truly can be the change we want to see in the world.

Inscribed on the tomb of an Anglican Bishop in Westminster Abby (1100 A.D.) 

"When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my

But it, too, seemed immovable.

As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled
for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have

And now, as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed

From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to
better my country, and who knows, I may have even changed the world."

Since this list was inspired by Gandhi's belief, it seems appropriate to end
with another of his quotes:  "Consciously or unconsciously, every one of us does render some service or

10/30/01

Neil Armstrong leapt from obscurity to the pages of history with his walk on the moon.

NASA claimed that it chose Armstrong for this high honor because of his dedication to the mission.

But some people claim that there was another reason why Armstrong was chosen over his colleagues: he was expendable.

At that time, no one knew the risks that could be involved in this mission.

If anything were to happen to Armstrong, the other astronauts knew how to get back safely.

They were too valuable to the mission to take such a risk.

As the soot and the ash rained down, we became one color
As we carried each other down the stairs of the burning building, we became one class.
As we lit candles of waiting and hope, we became one generation.
As the firefighters and police officers fought their way into the inferno, we became one gender.
As we fell to our knees in prayer for strength, we became one faith.
As we whispered or shouted words of encouragement, we spoke one language,
As we gave blood in lines a mile long, we became one body.
As we mourned together the great loss, we became one family.
As we cried tears of grief and loss, we became one soul.
As we retell with pride of the sacrifice of heroes, we become one people.
We are one color, one class, one generation, one gender, on faith, one language, one body, one family, one soul, one people.
We are the power of One, we are United, We are America.

10/16/02

W.W.J.D.?

by Stephanie Salter

 My dear brother George (Bush):

May the peace of our Lord (and me) be upon you in this celebration season of my birth.

You have been much in my heart of late. Partly this is because I know the crushing pressure you feel as leader of the richest and most powerful nation on Earth.

Also, it is impossible not to think of you: Millions of people -- millions, George -- pray for you every day. People of all faiths and denominations. People in countries you have never visited.

Even people who believe in no God offer up prayers of hope when they hear you speak or see you on television because you hold their fate in your hands.

Since Sept. 11, dear brother, I have noticed that you have turned away from me. I do not hear you ask yourself or anyone else the question you once asked all the time: "What would Jesus do?"

Remember, George? It was so familiar, it became an abbreviation: W.W.J.D.? When you ran for president, you told the world I was your favorite philosopher.

I know why you turned away. To face me, and all that I demand of those who follow me, requires tenacious courage and, in politics, a kind of leadership that is rare.

Some very sick, twisted and hate-filled men have inflicted great suffering upon you and your people. They have murdered in the name of The One Who Creates All, and they seem determined to go on murdering.

You want not only to keep them from hurting you again, you and your nation's people want to hurt them back. And you are willing to rationalize all manner of destruction, waste and -- if necessary -- killing toward those ends.

Dear brother, you are right to want to stop evil. The tricky part for humans has always been, what is the best way to stop it? My four-letter answer is written, over and over, in the Bible, but it has been ignored by potentates, peons and sometimes popes for 2,000 years.

Why? Because it contradicts the human instinct for vengeance.

Our Father said, "Vengeance is mine," George, not, "Vengeance belongs to those who have been wronged." Vengeance is never the answer to "What would Jesus do?" Especially vengeance that masquerades as "justice."

This is why I came, remember? Why I grew from Baby Jesus to Christ who suffered humiliation, unspeakable physical pain and a heart that was broken more times than there are stars in the skies.

As one who has accepted me as the light and the way, George, you have a great opportunity -- and a duty -- to show the world my way. The way of love.

As you know, I never said it would be easy.

Following me means forsaking the desire to hurt back, to rob your enemies of their humanness, even when their inhuman acts aim to rob you of yours. It means refusing to buy the Great Lie of evil -- that true peace and justice can be achieved through deliberate and systematic violence.

It means enduring the insults of angry and frightened people who wrongly equate "love thine enemies" with "have no spine."

To borrow from our holy brother Mahatma Gandhi, following me means donning the heavy cloak of peace and wearing it forever -- not just when it is convenient, or when you are watching someone else's war.

"Blessed are the peacemakers," was not a throw-away line I mumbled to Matthew. In Proverbs, "Seek peace and pursue it" listed no exemptions for world leaders.

Dear brother, as you celebrate my birth and reflect upon my life, I beg you, reverse the course. Pursue peace with the fervor, and resources, with which you now pursue our damaged and insane brother Osama bin Laden and the infested souls who follow his malicious path. They may be beyond reason and love, but millions more are not.

When a friend's grandmother had a 95th birthday, relatives flew to Texas from all over the country to celebrate. One daughter, Emily-who was 70- was flying in from San Diego and called the airline ticket agent to request a senior-citizen discount. Since proof of age is required, she asked the clerk what he would accept. "How about a note form your Mother?" He said jokingly. A few days later, Emily arrived at the airport with a note from her Mother attesting her age. As she handed it to the amused clerk, Emily commented, "It's not often a seventy -year-old woman has to have a note from her Mother to do anything."

October 5, 2004

TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH

Seven Strategies for Success

To be really healthy, we need to employ the "7 P's". That's shorthand for our

simple strategy of plant-based eating, portion control, physical activity,

practical thinking, planning and positive attitude to help achieve our health

and weight goals. Give them a try and make health your priority (strategy #7!)

MOVE TOWARDS A PLANT-BASED DIET

One of the most effective ways to reduce your risk for cancer and other

health problems, feel better, look better and cut down on bad calories is to

move towards a diet that is mostly plant-based. This doesn't mean you need to

become a vegetarian, although a low-fat, high-fiber vegetarian diet is

certainly a healthful option. It simply means you need to eat more of a

variety of vegetables and fruits, grains (especially whole grains) like

bread, rice, pasta and cereal, and legumes, such as beans, peas and lentils.

These foods help fill you up with minimal fat and calories, a big plus when

you're trying to manage your weight (of course, be wary of high-fat toppings

and larger-than-needed portion sizes). A mostly plant-based diet also

supplies an abundance of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals and

other disease-preventing substances. We know from hundreds of studies that

those who eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and grains have a much lower

risk of virtually every disease known to man. We should remember why we are

supposed to eat -- to build and maintain a healthy body: "we are what we eat"

. These days we eat for almost every reason but that, so we would do well to

get back to eating so that we build a better body than we have today; and

it's never too late to start.

Shopping for healthy food these days is a real challenge. When we are in the

supermarket, we try to stay around the outside aisles, where there's less

temptation (have you ever noticed that the "bad" stuff is down the center

aisles?!). On the road healthy eating is always hard, but we've found that we

can even establish healthy fast-food habits! For instance, Wendy 's has a

delicious, healthy "wrap" called Classic Greek Pita -- try it! Taco Bell also

has a veggie "wrap" -- it has more fat than the pita but far healthier than a

burger!

To eat for health and weight control, make plant-based foods the focus of

each meal. Every day:

Eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables. A medium piece of fruit,

½ cup of cooked or raw fruit or vegetables, 6 ounces of juice or 1 cup of raw

leafy greens is one serving. For the best nutrition, include plenty of dark

green and bright orange and red choices like broccoli, kale, spinach, brussel

sprouts, squash, carrots, tomatoes and red peppers.

Eat seven or more servings of "other" plant foods. A slice of bread, a medium

potato, ½ cup of cooked cereal, rice, pasta or beans, or 1 ounce (about a

cup) of ready-to-eat cereal is one serving. Choose beans and whole grains

like oatmeal, barley, bulgur wheat and brown rice more often than muffins and

breads made with refined flour.

Eat fewer fatty foods. Choose low-fat or non-fat dairy products. If you eat

red meat, limit your portions to no more than three ounces cooked per day

(the size of a deck of cards). Use oils and fats sparingly, and opt for olive

and canola oils in place of butter, hard margarines and shortening.

Drink alcohol only in moderation, if at all. Calories can add up, so cut down

on alcohol or don't drink at all. Alcohol is linked to an increased risk for

several cancers, even in moderate amounts. If you drink, keep it to no more

than one drink a day for women and two for men.

Drink water in preference to other beverages. H2O is the most important

drink, yet most of us don’t get anywhere near the 8-10 eight-ounce glasses

that we need every day. Make sure you install a water filter, so you're

drinking water that contains no harmful chemicals and tastes good – most

people don’t drink water because it tastes so bad. Bottled water may be ok,

but it’s far too expensive and not as good as your own water filtered at your

faucet.

PAY ATTENTION TO PORTION SIZES

Too much of any food -- even healthy, low-fat, plant-based foods -- can put

on pounds if portions are more than you need. Keep in mind that it is the

total balance between the calories you consume and the calories you burn that

determines whether you lose weight. Pay attention to how much you're eating

to help keep excess calories at bay.

The latest research shows that eating fewer calories will also slow the aging

process – something we are all interested in! Eat less, live longer! But this

does not mean eating one meal a day. Eat three small meals and healthy snacks

in between and you'll see a difference. This helps you avoid getting too

hungry, and control your appetite. When people are busy or are trying to

control their weight, they sometimes put off meals as long as possible. If

you try to eat when you’re only moderately hungry instead of ravenous, you

will be much more in control over what and how much you consume.

Keep a bowl of fruit where you can't miss it, and keep fresh, raw veggies in

the fridge. Get in the habit of reaching for fruit or veggies and a healthy

dip when you fancy a snack. Get out the veggies (instead of the chips!) while

you're preparing the meal, drink a glass of water and snack on them

It's really important to make breakfast healthy and satisfying. We never skip

this meal, but we keep it really simple, blending up fruit, nuts, soymilk,

flax oil and a special powdered drink mix that's rich in plant-based protein,

carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals: delicious, nutritious, healthy

and filling!

Controlling portions can be a challenge, especially if your sense of what's

"reasonable" is based on today's restaurant or take-out food portions. To get

a better picture of what's considered a standard serving, check the serving

size listed on the Nutrition Facts panel of food labels. Then for a day or

two use measuring cups or spoons to see how your portion compares to the

standard. This way you'll know how the portions you're eating stack up

against the nutrition information listed on the label.

Don't shy away from fat completely -- small amounts can make meals satisfying

and delicious – just make sure it’s "good" fat (avoid hydrogenated fats

whenever possible). Foods high in dietary fiber (whole grains, vegetables,

fruits, beans) help fill you up. Many people also find that including a

source of protein (beans, fish, meat, dairy, etc.) leaves hunger satisfied

longer than a carbohydrate-only meal like a plain bagel and a piece of fruit.

KEEP PHYSICALLY ACTIVE

Our bodies were designed to "move," so regular physical activity is essential

for reaching and maintaining optimal health. Exercise burns calories and can

also help you build muscle and lose body fat. The best exercise routine is

the one you will do! So, find one that you enjoy and will turn into a habit.

We need to do aerobic exercise for the heart and lungs, and to raise our

metabolism (for many hours after we stop!); we also must work our upper body

muscles and stretch to maintain flexibility, muscle strength and bone

density. Visit your local YMCA or other club for a session with a personal

trainer who will advise on simple, safe stretching and exercises you can do

at home or on the road (not necessarily in the gym).

Having more muscle means you'll burn more calories, even at rest.

Being active may also reduce the urge to eat, and since it helps relieve

stress, may help keep stress-related eating under control.

Regular physical activity is as important for good health as it is for weight

loss and maintenance. Studies show that exercise helps reduce the risk of

cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. It can lower blood

pressure and boost the immune system. Being active can also increase your

energy level, help you sleep better, improve your mood and self-esteem, and

just plain help you feel better.

Think of physical activity as a normal part of healthy living, like brushing

your teeth or washing your face. If you're not used to being active, start

with 10 minutes a day of an activity you enjoy and gradually work your way

up. Aim for 30-45 minutes of brisk walking or similar activity 4-5 days a

week – you should be breathing hard, but able to talk with your walking

partner. Remember, any activity is better than none. Even if you have a few

spare minutes, spend them moving. Riding a bicycle for an hour –- so you are

breathing hard -- would be a good alternative.

Be sure to check with your doctor before starting to exercise or when

increasing your physical activity.

BE PRACTICAL

To successfully manage your health and weight, healthful eating and a

physically active lifestyle need to become everyday habits.

Realize, though, that it takes time to make new habits of your daily routine.

So take it slow. Gradual, sensible changes rather than quick fixes will get

you further in the long run. The road to optimal health will take time, but

it's a road worth traveling.

If you need to lose weight, aim for slow and steady fat loss. One pound a

week, on average, is a healthy rate of loss. More than two pounds per week

may mean your eating and activity efforts are too extreme, and therefore

probably short-lived. Remember, it took a while to put on the extra weight;

realize it won't disappear overnight. Too few calories and your body will

think you are starving; this will result in you losing protein (lean tissue)

and your body will protect the fat that you want to lose.

We recommend you forget scale weight and focus on losing body fat. This is

what most of us need to lose, and the result will be loss of inches (and

lbs.) and an amazing increase in well-being, energy and a sense of finally

being "in charge". Women should aim for no more than 22% of their body weight

coming from fat, men should aim for 15%.

and following

these strategies, a healthy lifestyle, a healthy body and outstanding quality

of life are well within your reach.

October 5, 2004

HAVE A PLAN

Having a plan for your health is essential -- it's too important to leave to

What will you be doing after retirement? Ben Franklin was 42 when he retired from his printing business in 1748. Within the next year he invented the first lightening rod. Among the things he did in his next 40 years of retirement, he established America's first fire insurance company, he invented the rocking chair, took part in the second Continental Congress, was appointed post master general, went overseas to negotiate a treaty with France in 1776, helped in the shaping of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, invented bifocal lenses, designed the first copper coins for the new republic and became the president of America's first anti-slavery society. And that is only a partial list.

On his 80th birthday, John Quincy Adams responded to a query concerning his well-being by saying: "John Quincy Adams is well. But the house in which he lives at present is becoming dilapidated. It is tottering upon its foundation. Time and the seasons have nearly destroyed it. Its roof is pretty well worn out. Its walls are much shattered and it trembles with the every wind. I think John Quincy Adams will have to move out of it soon. But he himself is quite well, quite well.

PROSPERITY, POVERTY, HEALTH, WELL-BEING

Was interviewed in the paper. She is a beautiful, rich, successful person. But it was not always that way. She and her sister were born out of wedlock, raised by their maternal grandmother in Italy in the most terrible poverty. When filming "Man of La Mancha," she was exchanging childhood memories with co stars Peter O'Toole and James Coco.

Said O'Toole, "You've no idea how poor I was as a kid. My father was a migratory bookmaker and every few months we had to move from one town to another just to keep ahead of the sheriff. I think I was nine years old before I got my first pair of shoes."
Said Coco, "That's nothing. I'm the son of an Italian immigrant shoemaker. Where I grew up in Harlem, in the Lower Bronx, in New York, my father would take me to the corner candy store once a week for five cents worth of candy. That was the biggest thing in my life."

Replied Sophia in mock amazement to both of them, "You had a father? You had shoes? You ate candy?" She went on to describe the terror of living in Naples during the war as a child, not living, only existing.

How terrible is terrible?

PROSPERITY, POVERTY, HEALTH, WELL-BEING

In the mid 1800's a traveler was journeying through what was then a remote part of South Africa. One day while smoking his pipe outside the hut in a native village, he noticed a group of little naked children playing what was evidently a native version of marbles. He watched the game idly for a while, and then something about the rough stones caught his attention. They were quite small pebbles, dull, but here his pulse began to quicken. He spoke to the children's father, with studied carelessness, and the Kaffir said, "Oh yes, the children like these little stones. They have some more in the hut," and he brought forth a small basket containing several more.

Repressing his excitement, the traveler took out a large plug of tobacco, worthy perhaps 20 or 30 cents in our money, and said, "I would like to take the stones home for my children. I will give you this tobacco for them. Are you willing?" The Kaffir laughed and said, "I am robbing you but if you insist all right," and the bargain was sealed which not only enriched the stranger but led in time to the great discovery of the South African diamond fields.

PROSPERITY, POVERTY, HEALTH, WELL-BEING

There are so many wonderful stories about people who go on adventures to find treasure some place in he world and are disappointed and come back, finally to discover that the treasure was in their own house. John Killinger relates the one told by Russell Conwell, who went around the country a hundred years ago with that famous speech, "Acres of Diamonds."
He told of a boy he knew growing up in Massachusetts who went to Yale and became a mining engineer. He was a brilliant student, and Yale offered him a job as an instructor after his graduation. But he turned it down because he had gold fever and he wanted to go to California and make his fortune. He persuaded his widowed mother to sell the family farm and to come with him to California to find gold. He never found it, and Conwell said that the last he heard he was in Minnesota working for a mining coming for a salary less than what Yale University had offered him.
Then he give this punch line. He says the man who bought the farm in Massachusetts from the young engineer was harvesting potatoes one day. he was carrying a bushel through an opening in one of those New England rock walls. The basket wouldn't go through so he put it on the ground to push it through. As he was leaning over his eye caught a particularly shiny rock in the wall. Curious he removed it had it assayed and discovered it to be native silver worth a fortune. And then Conwell brings it home and says that the young engineer had passed through that gate for years and years and he never noticed it. He never noticed it because he never dreamed that a treasure could be found so easily. Neither do we. We think we must do something in order to get it, that we must make a perilous journey to the nether land, climb the mountain, and slay the dragon in order to find the treasure. But what I want you to see is that somewhere, sometime, we must come to the realization that it is right here!

When a young boy he came to America with just 25 cents in his pocket. The morning the boat docked he was the first one on the deck. The first to see shore, the first to land. He could see two hotels nearby; he went directly to one and asked how much the managers would give him for each guest that he would bring back. They told him 25 cents. He rushed back to the boat, made himself useful by helping his fellow passengers and took enough of them to fill the first hotel. Then went back and got enough to fill the second. That was his financial start in life.

Mountaineer came to town and saw a box of tangerines for the first time asked what they were. Grocer told him and then good naturedly said "Try one.."
"No said the mountaineer, I've got so many tastes now I can't satisfy, I'm not going to take on anymore.

PROSPERITY, POVERTY, HEALTH, WELL-BEING

A party of shipwrecked sailors were drifting in an open boat on the Atlantic Ocean. They had no water, and were suffering agonies from thirst. Another small boat came within hailing distance, and when the shipwrecked mariners cried out for water, the newcomers said, "Let down your bucket." This sounded like cruel mockery. But when the advice was repeated several times, one of the sailors dipped the bucket overboard and drew up clean fresh, sparkling water! For several days they had been sailing through fresh water and they did not know it. They were out of sight of land, but off the estuary of the Amazon which carries fresh water many miles out to sea.

What we see in the outer is but a reflection of the inner, because we
surround ourselves with a picture of our own beliefs. In other words,
we manifest in general what we seriously think and believe.
So if we want to find out what our habitual thinking is like, we have
but to look around us and ask ourselves what we really see.

"Stake Your Claim," Emmet Fox
From Barbara Clevenger

A lady dropped her handbag in the bustle of holiday
shopping.  Anhonest, little boy noticed her drop the handbag, so he
picked it upand returned it to her.

The lady looked into her handbag and commented,
"Hmm.... That's funny.When I lost my bag there was a $20 bill in it.  Now
there are twenty $1 bills."

The boy quickly replied, "That's right, ma'am. The last time I found a
purse, the owner didn't have any change for a reward."

From Barbara Clevenger