"When, from a distance, you can distinguish between a dog and a sheep?" one of his students suggested.

"No" the rabbi answered.

"Is it when you can distinguish between a fig tree and a grapevine?" another student asked.

"No" he replied.

"Please tell us the answer, then" said the students.

"It is when you can look into the face of a human being and have enough light to recognize in him your brother," the wise teacher replied. "Until then, it is night, and the darkness is still with us."

1. God won't ask what kind of fancy car you drove. He will ask how many people you took to church who didn't have transportation.

2. God won't ask the square footage of your house. He will ask how many people you helped who didn't have a house.

3. God won't ask how many fancy clothes you had in your closet. He will ask how many of those clothes you gave away to the Salvation Army.

4. God won't ask what social class you were in. He will ask what kind of "class" you displayed.

5. God won't ask how many material possessions you had. He will ask whether those material possessions dictated your life.

6. God won't ask you what your highest salary was. He will ask if you trampled over any people to obtain that salary.

7. God won't ask how much overtime you worked. He will ask if you worked overtime for you family.

8. God won't ask how many promotions you received. He will ask what you did to promote others.

9. God won't ask what your job title was. He will ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

10. God won't ask how many promotions you took to chase a dollar bill. He will ask how many promotions you refused to advance your family's quality of life.

11. God won't ask how many times you didn't run around on your spouse. He will ask how many times you did.

12. God won't ask how many degrees you had. He will ask how many people you thanked for helping you get those degrees.

13. God won't ask what your parents did to help you. He will ask what you did to help your parents.

14. God won't ask what you did to help yourself. He will ask what you did to help others.

15. God won't ask how many friends you had. He will ask how many people you were a friend to.

16. God won't ask what you did to protect your rights. He will ask you what you did to protect the rights of others.

17. God won't ask what neighborhood you lived in. He will ask how many other neighborhoods you visited.

18. God won't ask how many times you told the truth. He will ask how many times you told a lie.

19. God won't ask about the color of your skin. He will ask about the color of your heart.

20. God won't ask how many times your deeds matched your words. He will ask how many times they didn't.

Author Unknown

"I think you are making your canoe too wide," one of them said. The young brave, wishing to show respect for the advice of an elder, narrowed down the canoe.

A little later, another warrior stopped by. "I'm afraid you are cutting the stern too full," he said. Again, the young brave listened to his elder and cut down the stern.

Very soon, yet another member of the tribe stopped, watched awhile, then said, "The bow is too sheer." The young brave accepted this advice as well and changed the line of the bow.

Finally the canoe was complete and the young brave launched it. As soon as it hit the water, it capsized. Laboriously he hauled it back onto the beach. Then he found another log and began to work anew.

Very soon, a member of his tribe stopped by to offer some advice, but this time the young brave was ready.

"See that canoe over there?" he asked, pointing to the useless craft on the beach. "That is everybody's canoe." Then he nodded at the work in progress. "This one," he said, "is my canoe"

The Russians are a rotten lot, immoral, aggressive, ruthless, coarse, and generally evil. They are responsible for most of the troubles in this world. They're not like us.

That's pretty much the summary of the daily news about the Russians. But sometimes something slips through the net of prejudice, some small bit of a sign that is so clean and true and real that it wedges open the rusting Iron Curtain long enough for us to see not an enemy but fellow travelers, joined to us by membership in the Fellowship of Joy and Pain.

See Nicholi Pestretsov. I don't know much about him, I dont know where he is now, but I'll tell you what I know.

He was a sergent major in the Russian army, thirty-six years old. He was stationed in Angola, a long way from home. His wife had come out to visit him.

On August 24, South African military units entered Angola in an offensive against the black nationalist guerrillas taking sanctuary there. At the village of N-Giva, they encountered a group of Russian soldiers. Four were killed and the rest of the Russians fled--except for Sergent Major Pestretsov. He was captured, as we know because the South African military communique said: "Sgt. Major Nicolai Pestretsov refused to leave the body of his slain wife, who was killed in the assault on the village."

It was as if the South Africans could not believe it, for the comminique repeated the information. "He went to the body of his wife and would not leave it, although she was dead."

How strange. Why didn't he run and save his own hide? What made him go back? Is it possible that he loved her? Is it possible that he wanted to hold her in his arms one last time? Is it possible that he needed to cry and grieve? Is it possible that he felt the stupidity of war? Is it possible that he felt the injustice of fate? Is it possible that he thought of children, born or unborn? Is it possible that he didn't care what became of him now?

It's possible. We don't know. Or at least we don't know for certain. But we can guess. His actions answer.

And so he sits alone in a Sough African prison. Not a "Russian" or "Communist" or "soldier" or "enemy" or any of those categories. Just-a-man who cared for just-a-woman for just-a-time--more than anything else.

Here's to you , Nicolai Pestretsov, wherever you may go and be, for giving powerful meaning to the promises that are the same everywhere; for dignifying that covenant that is the same in any language--"for better or for worse, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor and cherish unto death, so help me God." You kept the faith; kept it bright--kept it shining. Bless you!

(Oh, the Russians ar a rotten lot, immoral, aggressive, ruthless, coarse, and generally evil. They are responsible for most of the troubles of this would. They are not like us.)

Sure.

Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten

A closed hand can't recieve. The one who will not share himself with his neighbour revieves little friendship in return. The tight parental grip that holds a child too closely defeats its own purpose in the end.

Is it an accident that in many countries the symbol of dicatorship is a clenched fist thrust upward away from others? It's the same hand we offer openly to others for a warm greeting.

All people need to open up, to make themselves vulnerable to others. It is a necessary ingredient in all real friendships. Before we can sow seeds we must open our hand, and clearly we must do this before we can harvest.

This simple truth doesn't stop with our illustration. Before we can possess wisdom or knowledge, we must open our minds. those who want to recieve love must offer it; to do this people need to have an open heart.

Look around and you'll see the truth of these five words shining everywhere: A closed hand can't recieve.

It can't recieve partly because it is shut and nothing can get in. But mostly, a closed hand can't recieve because it has nothing to give.

Open your Scouting hands an hearts to others. Let love an peace our forth like crystaline water tumbling down a mountain stream. Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with us.

Scouter's 5, submitted by Guy Mandeville, Trenton, ON.

The Important Things Life Teaches You...

1. Most Important Question
   During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'Hello'." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. Pickup in the Rain
   One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her - generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him and drove away. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others." Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole

3. Always remember those who serve
   In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. "How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely. The little boy again counted the coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies - her tip.

4. The Obstacle in Our Path
   In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

5. Giving Blood
   Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies, needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liz." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister a. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?" Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood.

Author Unknown

Recently a Ft. Lauderdale advertising agency launched a billboard campaign (including the inside and outside of buses) that included 17 different messages from God. This non-denominational campaign started in September sponsored by an anonymous client.

1. "Let's Meet At My House Sunday Before the Game" - God
2. "C'mon Over And Bring The Kids" - God
3. "What Part of "Thou Shalt Not..." Didn't You Understand?" - God
4. "We Need To Talk" - God
5. "Keep Using My Name in Vain And I'll Make Rush Hour Longer" - God
6. "Loved The Wedding, Invite Me To The Marriage" - God
7. "That "Love Thy Neighbor" Thing, I Meant It." - God
8. "I Love You...I Love You...I Love You..." - God
9. "Will The Road You're On Get You To My Place?" - God
10. "Follow Me." - God
11. "Big Bang Theory, You've Got To Be Kidding." - God
12. "My Way Is The Highway." - God
13. "Need Directions?" - God
14. "You Think It's Hot Here?" - God
15. "Tell The Kids I Love Them." - God
16. "Need a Marriage Counselor? I'm Available." - God
17. "Have You Read My #1 Best Seller? There Will Be A Test." - God

Source Unknown