STATS

 We all know that statistics lie - sometimes!  But, here's one that struck me.  This question was put to a large number of people with various answers:  "How many more people will watch the World Cup Final match this Summer than will watch the Super Bowl?"  

Of course, you would expect the answer would be a large number.  Wouldn't you?  Maybe, 100,000 more!  Maybe 500,000!  Maybe a million!  How about 100 million!?  

Not even close.  The correct answer is 

1.3 billion.  That's over a thousand million.  Golly!  What must the cost of an ad be?

MIDWEEK PRAYER

Today I am inclined to pray for couples.  It is plain to see that God intended people to live as pairs - couples.  He gave us the instinct, the drive to be paired with another.  It's not necessarily an easy thing for some people to find that pair.  Maybe, pairing is not for everyone; I don't know.  But, I was driven as most people are.  

No two people are exactly alike - many feel that it is opposites that attract.  I'm not sure about that either.  In any case, I am sure that couples need our prayers.  Couples that are "permanently" paired and couples about to be paired and people looking for that special one.  It's not always easy.  

May they find mutual love and respect and build a relationship that will last a lifetime.  Total agreement is not necessary but common goals and dreams are.  People cannot be afraid to love and that includes honest communication.  It is a life-changing decision - finding a partner.  They all need our prayers.

Dear Lord,

I pray for the couples I know 

and those I will come to know.

            

You are love and have taught us to love. 

Love puts another first.  

True love is unconditional. 

 

Help these couples 

to see - with each other's eyes,

 to listen to each other thoughtfully, 

to react with compassion and understanding,

to always treat each other with consideration and respect.  

Amen

GAMES

 Here's a game I play once in a while - maybe you do too.  I type my name in my computer's search engine and see what come up.  I'm lucky because I have a rather uncommon name.  This wouldn't work for a Smith or a Jones unless you have a very special first name and use your middle initial.  In any case, I can amuse myself for hours reading about people with the same name as me and reading about what the world thinks they know about me.  Try it some time when you are bored.  It's better than the TV.

IRISH AMERICANS

 This is dedicated to lesser known Irish Americans.  Everyone is aware of John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie (her mother was from County Clare).  Sure Ronald Regan was Irish as was Maureen O'Hara and Bruce Springsteen has a bit of the "green" in his heritage.  Walt Disney's father was Anglo-Irish.  Bareknuckle boxing champion, John L. Sullivan's parents were both Irish immigrants.  Henry Ford's father was born in County Cork.  Both of Eugene O'Neill's parents were Irish immigrants.  Of course, you know that he won the Nobel Prize for literature and also his plays won four Pulitzer Prizes for drama.  

Now, a little more obscure but no less notable. 

Eileen Marie Collins, her father from Conty Cork, was a USAF Colonel; the first female to command a mission and pilot the Space Shuttle for NASA.  

FIRST OF A SERIES

MONEY

It was widely reported that Elon Musk became the world's first trillionaire when shares in SpaceX were offered for sale to the public a few weeks ago.  Did you know that over 4,000 of his employees became instant millionaires?  Good deal!

ON THE OTHER HAND!

At the turn of the century, the people who worked for a company called ENRON were flying high.  Most of the energy company's workers were invested in the company.  In 2001, it was disclosed that through illegal accounting practices and fraud by top management - they were really broke.  They filed for bankruptcy.  Many people went broke along with the company while others went to jail. Bad deal!  

Invest your money in something really valuable - like me.  :)

 

ENERGY

 Energy is an interesting concept.  Everyone knows what it means but it is difficult to describe.  I'd say it is a quality of someone or something that produces power or other action.  Without it, there is little action.  With it, things happen.  

 Energy can be mental, physical, electrical or atomic.  It can be found in individuals and groups.  I read a story recently that recounted that the musical group KISS recorded a song they were sure would be a hit in 1975 and it never quite made it.  It was a dud - the studio thought.  Months later, they recorded it again - not in a studio, but live...with an audience.  The live version of "I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night" was full of the energy of the audience and made them rich and famous.

Energy is important.  That laid-back version of yourself may help you live longer but it will not take you to the top.  Leaders must have energy.  Whatever you do must be done with energy.  So, put a smile on your face and look alive.  Exude that energy.  Others will feel it and latch onto it.  Do it with ENERGY. 

MIDWEEK PRAYER

Dear Lord,

I know there are people who suffer from hunger,

I know there are people who suffer from thirst,

I know there are people who suffer without a home,

I know there are people who suffer from loneliness,

I know there are people who suffer with sickness,

I know that all people are my brothers.  

Help me and lead me to help all of my brothers.

Amen

 

DOH

Some things seem so simple when you know them but you can't figure out why you didn't understand them sooner.  \

For instance:  

One of my favorite movies is Casablanca. 

One of the most common words in French, Spanish and Portuguese is "casa" which means "house".

I live on a street named "LeBlanc" which I came to know years ago was taken from the French, Spanish or Portuguese meaning "white".  

Casablanca, the movie and largest city in Morocco, is named "white house". 

Why didn't I pick up on this a long time ago?

LIVIN' LARGE

We find ourselves in the second half of 2026.  Let's all make it better than the first.  Only problem with that is "I can't imagine anything better."  What a great time it is in which we live.   Can it really get any better?  Living in America.  Land of opportunity. 

LUCKY ME!

SON DAY

 It's Sunday, the 5th of July.  It would be a great day to say:

Thank God I live in America!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA

 Pop the corks!

SCHOOL DAYS

 Here is a new list I found.  Hope it doesn't blow anyone's bubble. This comes from the respected Fortune magazine.  It concerns which colleges produce the most CEO's of the 500 largest corporations in America.  It is a top ten list which I am producing upside down.

10.  Boston College         6

9.    Georgetown University    6

8.    Miami University (OH)    7

7.    Texas A&M University    7

6.    University of Notre Dame     7

5.    University of Michigan         8

4.    Harvard University                8

3.    Cornell University                10

2.    University of Pennsylvania   12

1.    No degree at all                      20

QUOTATIONS

 I have written more than once that the best lessons are learned from failure.  Don't be afraid to fail.

Now we hear from Colin Powell, U.S. Army general and statesman who became Secretary of State.  He was quoted as saying:

"There are no secrets to success.  It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure."

Failure is not a terrible thing, it is a stepping stone to success.  Think of it that way and use it in that way.  

MIDWEEK PRAYER

For Father's Day.  Ladies can change father to mother.

Saint Joseph was a just man, 

a tireless worker, 

the upright guardian of those entrusted to his care.  

As the father of a family, 

I pray the Lord help me 

to always protect, provide for and enlighten my family.

Amen