We All Need A Dent in Our Car

Photo Credit: Cookaa via Wikimedia

I was reading a story by a friend of mine at “Pastor Mike Says” the other day which really made me realize that not all things happen for reasons that we think. Sometimes things may occur to us that seem to have a definite clear-cut reason as to why it happened but actually, it took place for a completely different reason from what we thought.

How many times in our lives to we react and / or jump to a conclusion before we know the real reason something happened. The following true story is a great illustration about jumping to conclusions and dealing with the “bricks” that occasionally may come into our lives.

About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was driving down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going way fast in his slick, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old. He was watching for kids running out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child darted out, but a brick sailed out and…WHUMP! it smashed into the Jag’s shiny black side door! BRAKES SCREECHED!!!!

Brakes slammed! Gears ground into reverse, and tires madly spun the Jaguar back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown. Josh jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, “What was that all about and who are you? Just what do you think you are doing?!” Building up a head of steam, he went on. “That’s my new Jag, that brick you threw is going to cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?”

“Please, mister, please …. I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do!” pleaded the youngster. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop!” Tears were dripping down the boy’s chin as he pointed around the parked car. “It’s my brother, mister,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.” Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman, “Would you please help me by getting him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”

Moved beyond words, the young businessman tried desperately to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checked to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched, as the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long walk back to the sleek, black, shining, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE – a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the dented side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention….. Some bricks are softer than others. Prepare yourself for the bricks of life that are coming at you and THINK before you REACT.

Photo Credit:
Petr Kratochvil

I was reading an article yesterday about money written by the folks at didyouknow.org which I though was very interesting and answered some questions that I always had about some money. I thought that people would enjoy reading some of these fascinating facts bout our American money.

It weighs only 0.035 oz (1 gram), is only 16 square inches (0.01m²) in size and consists of cotton and linen but those who do not have it would like to have it and those who have it would like to have more of it. It is the world’s most popular currency: the United States dollar.

Dollar facts

$1

The United States one-dollar bill is the most common denomination of US currency, totaling 45% of all bills ($1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100) produced. There are about 2 billion $1 bills in circulation. 

Like all United States money, the $1 note is produced by the U.S. Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing (with the aptly named web address, moneyfactory) in Washington, D.C. and Fort Worth, Texas; they are delivered wrapped in blue straps and has a life span of approximately 5.9 years.

The $1 bill features the portrait of President George Washington.

$2

The $2 bill was discontinued in 1966, but was reintroduced in 1976. Between 1% and 2% of all notes currently produced are $2 bills. They are less used thus it is no surprise that a $2 note lasts up to 15 years.

$2 bills are delivered in green straps.

President Thomas Jefferson is featured on the $2 bill.

$5

Approximately 9% of all United States paper notes are $5 bills. Delivered in red straps, they have an average circulation life of 4.9 years before they are replaced due to wear.

The $5 bill features President Abraham Lincoln, who served as the 16th President of the United States, from March 1861 until his assassination by the well-known actor John Wilkes Booth in April 1865.

$10

Up to 11% of all newly printed U.S. banknotes are $10 bills, delivered in yellow straps. A $10 note is in circulation for about 4.2 years before it is replaced due to wear.

The first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, is featured on the $10 bill. He is the only person featured on U.S. currency who was not born in the continental United States – he was born in the West Indies. His portrait also is the only one that faces to the left on U.S. paper currency in circulation.

In 1804, Hamilton was killed in a duel by Vice President Aaron Burr.

$20

Approximately 22% of all notes printed are $20 bills. They are delivered in violet straps and have a life span of 7.7 years.

The $20 bill is known as “the Jackson” because it features the portrait of President Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the United States (1829–1837).

$50

Approximately 5% of all notes are $50 bills, which are delivered in brown straps. A $50 note is in circulation for about 3.7 years before it is replaced due to wear.

The 18th President of the United States (1869–1877), Ulysses S. Grant, is featured on the $50 bill.

$100

Approximately 7% of all U.S. notes produced are $100 bills. There are an estimated 9 billion $100 notes in circulation. They make up more than 80% of the value of all U.S. currency in circulation. They also are the notes that overseas people mostly want. Roughly two-thirds of all $100 bills are held outside the United States.

The average life span of a $100 bill is 15 years before it is replaced due to wear and tear.

While printed by the U.S. Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing, most of $100 bills are distributed by the Federal Reserve Cash Office in New York City. According to a NY Fed report (PDF), a typical foreign shipment is a pallet containing 640,000 such notes ($64 million), in bundles bound in mustard-colored straps.

The $100 bill is referred to as a “Benjamin” because it features the portrait of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. It is one of the two notes that does not feature a President of the United States; the other is the $10 bill, featuring Alexander Hamilton.

The $100 bill is also called a “C-Note”, based on the Roman numeral for 100.

In December 2010, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing announced a printing error on a new design of the $100 bill, affecting as much as $110 billion worth of paper and costing the taxpayers 12 cents apiece, or $120 million. 

According to Wikipedia - the Series 2009 $100 bill redesign was unveiled on April 21, 2010, and was to be issued to the public on February 11, 2011, but production was shut down in December 2010 because as many as 30% were unusable due to a manufacturing flaw. A vertical crease in the paper reveals a blank space on the bill when pulled out. In their replacement, and continuing the high demand of this denomination, the Series 2006A was launched retaining the previous design (1996-generation). A new $100 note design will enter circulation in October 2013.

Women on American money

All the current money notes feature the potraits of males but women have been featured on currency: Martha Washington, wife of George Washington, appeared on the 1886 and 1891 $1 Silver Certificate. She also appeared together with her husband on the reverse of the $1 Silver Certificate of 1896.

Pochahantas (later known as Rebecca Rolfe when she married John Rolfe in 1614) appears on several pieces of currency.

Factoids

In 1929, U.S. bills shrunk from 7.48 x 3.14 inches (190 x 80mm) to the current size of 6.14 x 2.61 inches (155.956 x 66.294mm).

A money note consists of 25% linen and 75% cotton.

The inclusion of “In God We Trust” on all United States currency was required by law in 1955. The national motto first appeared on paper money in 1957.

Big bucks

The $100 bill is the largest denomination that has been printed since July 14, 1969, when the denominations of $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 were retired.

“As of May 30, 2009, there were only 336 of the $10,000 bills in circulation; 342 remaining $5,000 bills; and 165,372 $1,000 bills.”

The $100,000 Gold Certificate, printed from December 18, 1934 to January 9, 1935, is the largest note is but was not for public use – they were used only for transactions between the Federal Reserve Banks.

Funny money

1 in 10,000 $100 bills - the most frequently counterfeited note - is a superdollar, a high quality counterfeit. But there is little chance that you’ll find a superdollar within the borders of the United States. In fact, less than 1/100th of one percent of the approximately $1.1 trillion in circulation are counterfeit because it actually is difficult to copy a dollar note.

So, there you have it…some great facts about our dollar bills and the interesting stories behind each one of them. Hope you enjoyed learning about our cash!

Things God Will Never Ask

Photo Credit: Alex Proimos, Australia via Wikimedia Commons

Many of us enjoy many good things in life and we have been blessed beyond measure. The question is…what do we do with our blessings and how mindful are we to help others? I believe that someday we will all be accountable regarding the gifts, talents, and abilities that we have been given. There are some things that we can know for sure that God will ask us when we stand before God someday…but here are some things that God WILL NEVER ask…

God won't ask what kind of car you drove…He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.

God won't ask the square footage of your house…He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet…He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.

God won't ask what your highest salary was…He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

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

God won't ask how many friends you had…He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived…He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.

God won't ask about the color of your skin…He'll ask about the content of your character.

God won't ask how much food you ate…He’ll ask you how much you did to feed others.

God won’t ask how famous you are…He’ll ask what you did with what was given to you.

So, take time each day to think about how you can help other people with the things that you have been blessed. It will enhance their life…and yours!

Catching Monkeys in India

Français : Saimiri sciureus. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is a great little story that I found (great-motivational-stories.blogspot.com) that demonstrates two primary things that generally will decide whether or not a person ever becomes successful. It has always been fascinating to me how many people are afraid to let go of their fears or to think “outside the box” in order to be successful. The following short illustration, gives us a good example of this concept…

Monkey-hunters use a box with an opening at the top, big enough for the monkey to slide its hand in. Inside the box are nuts. The monkey grabs the nuts and now its hand becomes a fist. The monkey tries to get its hand out but the opening is big enough for the hand to slide in, but too small for its fist to come out. Now the monkey has a choice, either to let go off the nuts and be free forever or hang on to the nuts and get caught. Guess what it picks every time? You guessed it. He hangs on to the nuts and gets caught.

We are no different from monkeys. We all hang on to some nuts that keep us from going forward in life. We keep rationalizing by saying, “I cannot do this because . . .” and whatever comes after “because” are the nuts that we are hanging on to which are holding us back. Successful people don’t rationalize. Two things determine if a person will be a success: reasons and results.

Reasons don’t count while results do…

I Want to Go Back in Time When….

Photo Credit: screanews.us

Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo."

Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "do over!"

"Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.

Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "Monopoly."

Catching the fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening.

It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.           

Being old referred to anyone over 20.

The net on a tennis court was the perfect height to play volleyball and rules didn't matter.

The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties.

It was magic when dad would "remove" his thumb.

It was unbelievable that dodge ball wasn't an Olympic event.

It was time to go home when the street lights blinked on.

The dinner bell would sound meaning that dinner was ready.

Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a slingshot.

Nobody was prettier than Mom.

Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better.

It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people" rides at the amusement park.

Baseball cards in the spokes transformed our bikes into motorcycles.

Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare."

No shopping trip was complete, unless a new toy was brought home.

Oly-oly-oxen-free" made perfect sense.

Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.

The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.

War was a card game.

Water balloons were the ultimate weapons.

Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin.

Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors.

Ah yes…the times when life was simple and pure. Sometimes I wish that we could go back and live those days again. If you can remember most or all of these, then you really LIVED!

The Most Important Part of the Body

Credit: Ron Sanderson

What do you think is the most important part of your body?

I recently came across this story on “Inspirational Stories for Your Soul” that I thought was intriguing and which raised a good question…what is the most important part of the human body? Can you guess what it might be? The answer may surprise…and inspire you!

My mother used to ask me what is the most important part of the body and, through the years, I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct answer.
When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us as humans so I said “my ears, mommy”.

She said “No, many people are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon.”
Several years passed before she asked me again. Since my last attempt, I contemplated a correct answer. So I told her “Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes.”
She looked at me and told me that I was learning fast but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind.

Stumped again, I continued my quest for knowledge and over the years she asked me a couple more times and always the same answer “No. But you are getting smarter every year, my young child.”
Then last year my Grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying. Even my father cried. I remember that especially because it is only the second time I saw him cry.

My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final good-bye to Grandpa.
She asked me “Do you know the most important body part yet? And I was shocked she asked me this now. I always thought this was a game between her and me.

She saw the confusion on my face and told me, “This question is very important. It shows that you have really lived in your life. For every body part you gave me in the past, I have told you that it was wrong and given you an example why. But today is the day you need to learn this important lesson.”
She looked down at me like only a mother can. I saw her eyes well up with tears. She said,
“Son the most important body part is your shoulder.” Was it because it held up my head?
She replied, “No, because it can hold the head of a friend or loved one when they cry. Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometime in life, my son.

I only hope that you have enough love and friends that you will always have a shoulder to cry on when you need it.”
Then and there I knew the most important body part was not selfish, it was sympathetic to the pain of OTHERS.
You are a friend and, whenever you want, you can cry on my shoulder!!!

People will forget what you said.
People will forget what you did,
BUT REMEMBER…
People will never forget how you made them feel.