> >*****
> >If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100
> >people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would
> >look something like the following:
> >
> >There would be:
> >57 Asians
> >21 Europeans
> >14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south
> >8 Africans
> >
> >52 would be female
> >48 would be male
> >
> >70 would be non-white
> >30 would be white
> >
> >70 would be non-Christian
> >30 would be Christian
> >
> >89 would be heterosexual
> >11 would be homosexual
> >
> >6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would
> >be from the United States.
> >
> >80 would live in substandard housing
> >70 would be unable to read
> >50 would suffer from malnutrition
> >1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth
> >1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education
> >1 would own a computer
> >
> >When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the
> >need for acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly
> >apparent.
> >
> >*****
> >
> >The following is also something to ponder...
> >
> >If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...you are more
> >blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
> >
> >If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of
> >imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ...you
> >are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
> >
> >If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest,
> >torture, or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in
> >the world.
> >
> >If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof
> >overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.
> >
> >If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a
> >dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
> >
> >If your parents are still alive and still married ... you are very rare,
> >even in the United States and Canada.
> >
> >If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in
> >that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed
> >than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.
> >
> >*****
> >
> >His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while
> >trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming
> >from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.
> >
> >There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy,
> >screaming and struggling to free himself.
> >
> >Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and
> >terrifying death.
> >
> >The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse
> >surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced
> >himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
> >
> >"I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life."
> >"No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer
> >replied, waving off the offer.
> >
> >At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family
> >hovel.
> >
> >"Is that your son?" the nobleman asked.
> >"Yes," the farmer replied proudly.
> >"I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my
> >son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt
> >grow to be a man we both will be proud of."
> >
> >And that he did.
> >
> >Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, he
> >graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on
> >to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander
> >Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.
> >
> >Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was
> >stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time?
> >
> >Penicillin.
> >
> >The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill.
> >His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill.
> >
> >Someone once said: What goes around comes around.
> >
> >*****
> >
> >Work like you don't need the money.
> >Love like you've never been hurt.
> >Dance like nobody's watching.
> >Sing like nobody's listening.
> >Live like it's Heaven on Earth.