Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;

Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;

It was never between you and them anyway.

Other Selections You Might Enjoy:

• Anyway – Version One
• I Asked God
• Jesus, the Friend of Sinners

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds.

Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

Fight for the underdog anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help, but may attack you if you help them.

Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you’ve got and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

Other Selections You Might Enjoy:

• Anyway – Version Two
• The Fatherhood Cycle
• Kids Define Love

However, they stopped because a strange, eerie sound suddenly was heard from the grave.

As the guests looked around, a colleague of the deceased said, “It’s nothing… just his beeper.”

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• I’ve Arrived!
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“I’ve had a pretty good life,” the twenty proclaimed. “Why I’ve been to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, the finest restaurants in New York, performances on Broadway, and even a cruise to the Caribbean.”

“Wow!” said the one-dollar bill. “You’ve really had an exciting life!”

“So tell me,” says the twenty, “where have you been throughout your lifetime?”

The one dollar bill replies, “Oh, I’ve been to the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, the Lutheran Church…”

The twenty-dollar bill interrupts, “What’s a church?”

Other Selections You Might Enjoy:

• Cheerful Giver
• Lawyer Fees
• Twenty Ways to Confuse Santa Claus

Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So, the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida on Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day.

The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an email to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her email address, and without realizing his error, sent the email.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband’s funeral. He was a minister who had passed away following a heart attack.

The widow decided to check her email expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted.

The widow’s son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:

To: My Loving Wife

Subject: I’ve Arrived

Date: October 16, 2005

I know you’re surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones. I’ve just arrived and have been checked in.

I’ve seen that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then!

Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

P. S. Sure is freaking hot down here!

Other Selections You Might Enjoy:

• The Flower System
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“I’ll master it, said the ax. Its blows fell heavily on the iron, but every blow made its edge more blunt, until it ceased to strike.

“Leave it to me,” said the saw, and it worked backward and forward on the iron’s surface until its jagged teeth were all worn and broken. Then it fell aside.

“Ah!” said the hammer. “I knew you wouldn’t succeed. I’ll show you the way.” But at the first fierce blow, off flew its head, and the iron remained as before.

“Shall I try?” asked the small, soft flame?

“Forget it,” all replied. “What can you do?”

But the flame curled around the iron, embraced it, and never left the iron until it melted under the flame’s irresistible influence.

- Aesop

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• A Poem for Computer Users Over 40
• Frog Racing
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My parents told me to always be truthful and honest, and I am. Fried chicken is my favorite animal. I told my dad what happened, and he said my teacher was probably a member of PETA. He said they love animals very much. I do too, especially chicken, pork and beef.

Anyway, my teacher sent me to the principal’s office. I told him what happened, and he laughed too. Then he told me not to do it again.

The next day in class my teacher asked me what my favorite live animal was. I told her it was chicken. She asked me why, just like she’d asked the other children. So I told her it was because you could make them into fried chicken. She sent me back to the principal’s office again. He laughed, and told me not to do it again.

I don’t understand. My parents taught me to be honest, but my teacher doesn’t like it when I am. Today, my teacher asked us to tell her what famous person we admire most.

I told her, “Colonel Sanders.”

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• Christmas Vacation Report
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• I’ve Got Shingles

Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone they disliked or someone who had made them angry in the past. Then he would allow them to throw darts at the person’s picture.

Sally’s friend drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased at the overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, but was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats.

As Sally sat down, thinking about how angry she was because she didn’t have a chance to throw any darts at her target, Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall. Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus.

A complete hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced.

Dr. Smith said only these words, “I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” (Matthew 25:40)

No other words were necessary – the eyes of each student focused only on the picture of Christ.

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• Spelling Water
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For it isn’t your father, or mother, or brother, who upon you their judgment will pass. The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life is the one staring back from the glass.

He’s the fellow to please – never mind all the rest! For he’s with you right up to the end. And you’ve passed your most difficult dangerous test, if the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the world down the pathway of years, and get pats on the back, as you pass, but your final reward will be headache or tears, if you’ve cheated the man in the glass.

Other Selections You Might Enjoy:

• The Aging Intelligence Test
• I Shall Pass Through This World But Once
• Anyway – Version Two

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole, and God said, “No.” He said, “Her spirit is whole, her body is only temporary.”

I asked God to grant me patience, and God said, “No.” He said that patience is a by-product of tribulation. It isn’t granted it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness, and God said, “No.” He said he gives blessings; happiness is up to me.

I asked God to spare my pain, and God said, “No.” He said, “Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.”

I asked God to help me love others as much as he loves me, and God said, “Ah, finally you have the idea.”

Other Selections You Might Enjoy:

• Kids Define Love
• Blessed Forgiveness
• Have Patience With Yourself

The first seven years passed and they went into a small room. His 2 words were, “too cold.”

The next seven years passed and they took him back into the small room and his 2 words were, “bad food.”

The next seven years passed they took him back into the small room and his 2 words were, “I quit.”

“Good,” they said, “all you have done is complain.”

Other Selections You Might Enjoy:

• Sharing Everything
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• Exercising

That evening he called the local florist and ordered twenty-one roses with instructions that they be delivered first thing the next morning.

As the florist was preparing the order, he decided that since the young man was such a good customer, he would put an extra dozen roses in the bouquet.

The fellow never did find out what made the young girl so angry with him.

Other Selections You Might Enjoy:

• The Flower System
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“H I J K L M N O,” answered Sally promptly.

Her teacher look puzzled. “That doesn’t spell “water.”

“Sure it does,” said Sally. “My daddy’s a scientist and he says water is H to O.”

Other Selections You Might Enjoy:

• Water Guns
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He approached the first worker and asked, “What are you doing?”

“What, are you blind?” the worker snapped back. “I’m cutting these impossible boulders with primitive tools and putting them together the way the boss tells me. I’m sweating under this blazing sun, its back-breaking work and it’s boring me to death.”

The dispatcher quickly backed off and retreated to a second worker. He asked the same question, “What are you doing?”

The worker replied, “I’m shaping these boulders into usable forms, which are then assembled according to the architect’s plans. It’s hard work and sometimes it gets repetitive, but I earn five francs a week and that supports the wife and kids. It’s a job. Could be worse, too.”

Somewhat encouraged, the dispatcher went on to a third worker. “And what are you doing?” he asked.

“Why, can’t you see?” said the worker as he lifted his arm to the sky, “I’m building a cathedral!”

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• Tax Forms for Troops
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The other twin was a sad and hopeless pessimist. He was sure that Murphy, as in “Murphy’s Law,” was an optimist. The worried parents of the boys brought them to the local psychologist.

He suggested to the parents a plan to balance their personalities. “On their next birthday, put them in separate rooms to open their gifts. Give the pessimist the best toys you can afford, and give the optimist a box of manure.” The parents followed these instructions and carefully observed the results.

When they peeked in on the pessimist, they heard him audibly complaining, “I don’t like the color of this computer. I’ll bet this calculator will break. I don’t like the game. I know someone who’s got a bigger toy car than this.”

Tiptoeing across the corridor, the parents peeked in and saw their little optimist gleefully throwing the manure up in the air. He was giggling, “You can’t fool me! Where there’s this much manure, there’s gotta be a pony!”

Other Selections You Might Enjoy:

• In God We Trust – Paul Harvey
• The Child We’re Supposed to Be
• Tech Support Stories

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• The Broken Doll
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When asked to define “great,” he said, “I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream in disbelief, cry in despair, howl in pain, and vent their anger in ways they’ve never dreamed of!”

He now works for Microsoft, writing error messages.

Other Selections You Might Enjoy:

• The Danger of Anger
• Log Cabin Living
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“If we decided to live there permanently, away from civilization, what would you miss the most?” he asked his wife.

She replied, “You.”

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• Your Husband Will Surely Die
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He exclaimed, “Hey, this must be where Adam and Eve left their clothes!”

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• Rib Counting
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After 7 years, the pilot offered the farmer a deal. He said, “If you and your wife can go the entire ride without making a sound, I’ll give you the the ride for free.” The farmer and his wife were delighted with this offer and climbed aboard.

The pilot took them on tight turns, barrel rolls, and loops, and performed every daredevil stunt he knew, but the farmer and his wife never made a peep. When they landed the pilot said, “I can’t believe it, neither of you made a sound, so the ride is on me.”

The farmer said, “It wasn’t easy! I almost said something when my wife fell out, but five dollars is five dollars.”

Other Selections You Might Enjoy:

• A Meaningful Conversation
• Five Dollars Worth of Gas
• The $2.99 Special