Silent Night

Your ‘Silent Night’ Moment

Good morning my fellow Rotarians.  At this time of year it is real easy in our busy-ness to miss some of the most important things in life.  So, I’d like to share a short story from Mark Gilroy, publisher of Simple Truths books.

It happened in the midst of the fiercest fighting of WW I.  It spanned 500 miles along the Western Front, a line separating the British and German forces. 

It was called the Truce of 1914.  There were numerous first-hand accounts from soldiers of how it seemly started on the evening of Christmas Eve, but the story most remembered was that a German soldier began singing “Stille Nacht” and his solo soon became a chorus as he was joined by English voices singing “Silent Night.”  It was truly amazing.

Men from both armies laid down their weapons and crept cautiously into No Man’s Land to share food, cigars, and drinks; even to play a game of soccer.  It was hailed as a miracle and yet “The Truce of 1914” was a one-time event, never to happen again during a war.  And it all started with a simple song.

Christmas has always been a time when people of all ages, races, creeds and even different faiths come together to break bread peacefully.  As in the Truce of 1914, sometimes even sworn enemies have laid aside historical and more recent hostilities.

In the Christmas story, a newborn baby was given gifts by Wise Men from the East, most likely Persians from a city now in Iran.  When these Magi realized King Herod was a threat to the baby’s life they returned home by a different route to keep the location a secret from the king. 

When the angels sang to the shepherds, “Peace on Earth, good will to all men” they announced a simple and yet profound truth that enemies can be reconciled; strangers can become friends; that those who think and believe differently can still live in peace as neighbors.  Christmas was literally born in strife – but celebrated and protected by “foreigners” who were men and women of peace and goodwill.

To some, this is the holiday season and not Christmas.  In our country we each have the freedom to believe what we wish.  We are blessed to have that freedom.  As a nation founded on Christian beliefs, our government designates Christmas as a federal holiday for everyone, regardless of whether you believe in the message of Christmas or not.

Regardless of what you believe about Christmas, we all should consider the value of peace and goodwill.  Don’t think that peace is something to be negotiated by politicians thousands of miles from your world.  Are there people right here at home who are different from you?  Does your attitude proclaim that you are a person of peace and goodwill?  What about that relationship where you should lay down your weapons of anger, harmful words or a difference in beliefs?   

Is it time to call a truce and be reconciled with someone in your life?  Two thousand years ago God sent his son as a special gift to all mankind to proclaim a message of peace and goodwill.  Christmas is the time to remember this message.      

I believe we impact others in our leading by example.  Be on the lookout for your Silent Night opportunity; your chance to show peace and goodwill.  As Rotarians, we are best at this. 

To you and your family I wish you peace, goodwill and a very Merry Christmas!  This is the bottom of our news on this Friday, December 20, 2013.  ###

JFK

Remembering JFK & Giving Thanks 
Good morning my fellow Rotarians.  It was 50 years ago this very day at 12:30 pm, the president of the United States was shot in Dallas, TX.  

President John F Kennedy, was shot in the West End district and lived only 30 minutes.  Our country was in shock.

Many of you may not remember, or maybe you weren’t even born.  Your Kennedy event might be the day the Challenger exploded, or it may be 9-11.  In each case you most likely remember exactly where you were, what you with doing, who you were doing it with.  An event frozen in time like it was yesterday.  For my dad it was the bombing of Pearl Harbor when he was 9 years old.

I was 9 as well when Kennedy was shot.  I was in the 4^th grade and the remember when someone came to my classroom and told us we needed to go to the Spanish room to watch a report on TV by Walter Cronkite.  We did, the girls and my teacher cried and we were sent home early.  On the bus everyone was fairly quiet.  When I got home my mom was sitting on the floor of the living room in front of the TV crying.

My wife remembers at the age of 3 that it was during “As the World Turns” and she was sitting at the table eating lunch.  Wow, I don’t remember anything from being three.

For our country the murder of our president was the most traumatic wake up call since the assassination of Lincoln.  Some say it was the end of our country’s innocence, the end of a Camelot story.  And with the Vietnam War escalating times would be tough for our country during the 60’s.

One thing that is amazing about America is that every time we are dealt a blow, we re-group and come back stronger.  Think about it.  After every disaster, we come back stronger. 

With Thanksgiving around the corner it is the perfect time to pause, reflect and give thanks for every blessing we have.  We live in the greatest country on the planet and sometimes I think we forget how blessed we are.

As a friend says…  always have an attitude of gratitude.  Have a great Thanksgiving!

And this is the Bottom of the News for this Friday, November 22, 2013. ###

Authority

The Arrogance of Authority!

Good morning my fellow Rotarians.  The story I am about to share with you this morning is sad, but true as I report it from the state of Texas.

A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officer stopped at a ranch in Texas and talked with an old rancher.

He told the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs."

The rancher said, "Okay, but don't go in that field over there,” as he pointed out the location for the DEA officer.

The DEA officer verbally exploded saying, "Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me!"

Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removed his badge and proudly stuck it in the face of the rancher.

"See this badge?!  This badge means I am allowed to go anywhere I wish, on any land!  No questions asked or answers given!  Have I made myself clear?  Do you understand?"

The rancher nodded politely, apologized, and went about his chores.

A short time later, the old rancher heard loud screams, looked up, and saw the DEA officer running for his life, being chased by the rancher's big Santa bull.

With every step the bull was gaining ground on the officer, and it seemed likely that he'd sure enough get gored before he reached safety.

The officer was clearly terrified.

The rancher threw down his tools, ran to the fence and yelled at the top of his lungs... (I just love this part…)  Your badge, show him your badge!

As one commentator reported, this is the “arrogance of authority.” And that’s the bottom of our news on this Friday, October 18th, 2013.  ###

Billion

A Billion is a BIG Number!

Good morning!.  Yesterday, as I was listening to the radio about current events in Washington DC, it struck me about politicians use the word 'billion' in such a casual manner.

So, I was thinking, do people really grasp how BIG this number is?  For you math geeks it is 10 to the 9^th power (or 9 zeros).  Can anyone really get your arms around that big of a number?  One ad agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective…

A billion grains of sand would fill one dump truck.

A billion seconds ago was 1981 (32 years).

A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

1 billion centimeters is the distance from Chicago to Tokyo.

1 billion pennies stacked in a single pile would reach nearly 1,000 miles high (outer space is only 200+ miles above the Earth's surface).

Okay, speaking of money, if we go back to our friends in DC, they spend a billion of our tax dollars every 6 and ½ hours. 

Yes, a billion is still a BIG number!  And that is the bottom of our news on this Friday, October 04, 2013.  ###

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WD40

The Wonder Product - WD40!

Good morning!  Today I wanted to share some amazing results from a recent study conducted by the “Women’s Lifestyle Institute.”  They found some interesting things about the use of WD40 and now call it the ‘wonder product.’  I thought I share some of these discoveries with you this morning, but each one also comes with a caution… 

Get off that stuck ring... When pulling and tugging can’t get that ring off your finger, reach for the WD-40. A short burst will cause it to slide right off!  Caution, wash your hands afterward. 

Protect a bird feeder... To keep squirrels from taking over a bird feeder, spray a generous amount of WD-40 on top of the feeder. The pesky squirrels will slide right off.  Caution; remind your squirrels to wash their paws afterward. 

Remove chewing gum from hair...  It’s a mommy nightmare, chewing gum in tangled hair.  You don’t have to panic or run for the scissors. Simply spray the gummed-up hair with WD-40, and the gum will comb out with ease. Caution, be in a well-ventilated area, avoid contact with the child’s eyes and wash your kid’s hair and your hands after use.

Relieve arthritis symptoms...  For occasional joint pain or arthritis symptoms in the knees, spray on WD-40 and massage it in.  Then, then wrap your knees to sleep overnight and this will provide temporary relief.  Caution, you will need to find another place to sleep because the smell with intoxicate your spouse!

Spray on fishing lures... Salmon fishermen in the Pacific Northwest spray their lures with WD-40 because it attracts fish and disguises the human odor that keeps fish from biting. WD40 has improved ‘catch’ rates.  Caution, check local regulations to make sure the use of chemical-laced lures and bait is legal in your state.

Remove cat's paw marks...  Your cat may seem like a member of the family most of the time, but you may still need to clean paw marks off patio furniture or the hood of your car. To remove the paw marks, spray some WD-40 on them and wipe with a clean rag.  Caution, cats for some reason like the taste of WD40, so make sure you clean all surfaces with soap and water and of course, wash your hands as well.  

There you have ‘em, amazing uses for this wonder product WD40 and that’s the bottom of our news on this Friday, September 27, 2013!  ###