-- Apparently from an actual newspaper contest where
entrants age 4 to 15 were asked to imitate "Deep Thoughts
by Jack Handey." --
I believe you should live each day as if it is your last,
which is why I don't have any clean laundry because, come
on, who wants to wash clothes on the last day of their
life? -- Age 15
Give me the strength to change the things I can, the grace
to accept the things I cannot, and a great big bag of
money. -- Age 13
Democracy is a beautiful thing, except for that part about
letting just any old yokel vote. -- Age 10
For centuries, people thought the moon was made of green
cheese. Then the astronauts found that the moon is really
a big hard rock. That's what happens to cheese when you
leave it out. -- Age 6
Think of the biggest number you can. Now add five. Then,
imagine if you had that many Twinkies. Wow, that's five
more than the biggest number you could come up with! --
Age 6
As you make your way through this hectic world of ours,
set aside a few minutes each day. At the end of the year,
you'll have a couple of days saved up. -- Age 7
Often, when I am reading a good book, I stop and thank my
teacher. That is, I used to, until she got an unlisted
number. -- Age 15
It would be terrible if the Red Cross Bloodmobile got into
an accident. No, wait. That would be good because if
anyone needed it, the blood would be right there. -- Age 5
If we could just get everyone to close their eyes and
visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and
quiet it would be until the looting started. -- Age 15
--Selected from Good Clean Laugh newsletter.
I left work early so I could have some uninterrupted study time right before
the final in my Youth Issues class. When I got to class, everybody was doing
their last minute studying. The teacher came in and said he would review with
us for just a little bit before the test. We went through the review, most of
it right on the study guide, but there were some things he was reviewing that
I had never heard of. When questioned about it, he said that they were in the
book and we were responsible for everything in the book. We couldn't really
argue with that.
Finally it was time to take the test.
"Leave them face down on the desk until everyone has one and I'll tell you to
start," our prof instructed.
When we turned them over, every answer on the test was filled in! The bottom
of the last page said the following:
"This is the end of the Final Exam. All the answers on your test are correct.
You will receive an 'A' on the final exam. The reason you passed the test is
because the creator of the test took it for you. All the work you did in
preparation for this test did not help you get the A. You have just
experienced...grAce."
He then went around the room and asked each student individually, "What is
your grade? Do you deserve the grade you are receiving? How much did all your
studying for this exam help you achieve your final grade?"
Now I am not a crier by any stretch of the imagination, but I had to fight
back tears when answering those questions and thinking about how the Creator
has passed the test for me.
Discussion afterward went like this: "I have tried to teach you all semester
that you are a recipient of grace. I've tried to communicate to you that you
need to demonstrate this gift as you work with young people. Don't hammer
them; they are not the enemy. Help them, for they will carry on your ministry
if it is full of GRACE!"
Talking about how some of us had probably studied hours and some just a few
minutes but had all received the same grade, he pointed to a story Jesus told
in Matthew 20. The owner of a vineyard hired people to work in his field and
agreed to pay them a certain amount. Several different times during the day,
he hired more workers. When it was time to pay them, they all received the
same amount. When the ones who had been hired first thing in the morning
began complaining, the boss said, "Should you be angry because I am kind?"
(Matthew 20:15).
The teacher said he had never done this kind of final before and probably
would never do it again, but because of the content of many of our class
discussions, he felt like we needed to experience grace.
Have you thanked your Creator today because of the grace you have
experienced?
Copyright 2002 Denise Banderman. Reprinted from www.MikeysFunnies.com
(The college where it happened: Hannibal LaGrange College.
=================================================
Mikey Says... I received this from a Funnies subscriber. It sure sounded
like something that actually happened to her. But with the 'Net, you never
know. On the surface it sounds like one of those cool stories that you wish
was true. So I followed up and found out that it really did happen to her--in
fact, on 04/30/02 in a youth ministry class at Hannibal-LaGrange College in
Missouri! Enjoy...
~~~~Mikey
--Selected from Mikey's Funnies.
A Fun, Faith 'n Funny Bone Feature 
