JANUARY GEMS: FOOD FOR THOUGHT APPETEASERS

      Today's food for thought come from EJB and Sr. Lucy via e-mail. The first is very short but puts into perspective why most churchgoers do not understand the meaning of tithing while the second will cause us to think about how we live our lives. Do we complain too much, use too many "crutches" to get through each day? Most of us do in some way or another and yet we forget that no matter what happens you'll never hear or see a special friend of ours complain.

Doldrums of a Dollar

Why is it a ten-dollar bill looks so small at the grocery store, but so big at church? That was one of the questions that popped up as the crumpled, tattered and much-used moohlah pressed against each other in the clammy billfold.

      As currency is wont to do, a dollar bill and a hundred dollar bill, folded together, began sharing their life experiences. Naturally, the one-hundred dollar bill began to brag ...

      "I've had a great life," he said. "I've been to all the big hotels. Donald Trump himself used me at his casino. I've been in the wallets of Fortune 500 board members. I've flown from one end of the country to the other. I've even been in the wallet of two Presidents of the United States, and once when Princess Diana visited the U.S., she used me to buy a pack of gum!"

      In awe, the dollar humbly responded, "Gee, nothing like that has ever happened to me ... but I've been to church a lot!"

It's a dog's life

If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can get going without pep pills,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you, when through no fault of yours, something goes wrong,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can say honestly that deep in your heart you have no prejudice, against
creed, color, religion, or politics,
Then, my friend, you are almost as good as your dog.