Hotel/Motel Scam (This one is so simple it is shocking) This is kinda scary if only because of how simple it is. I’ll bet this works all too often. You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. When checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for all the charges for your room). You get to your room and settle in. Someone calls the front desk and asked for (example) Room 620 (which happens to be your room). Your phone rings in your room. You answer and the person on the other end says the following, ‘This is the front desk. When checking in, we came cross a problem with your charge card information. Please re-read me your credit card number and verify the last 3 digits numbers at the reverse side of your charge card.’ Not thinking anything you might give this person your information, since the call seems to come from the front desk. But actually, it is a scam of someone calling from outside the hotel/front desk. They ask for a random room number. Then, ask you for credit card information and address information. Sounding so professional that you do think you are talking to the front desk. If you ever encounter this problem on your vacation, tell the caller that you will be down at the front desk to clear up any problems… Then, go to the front desk and ask if there was a problem. If there was none, inform the manager of the hotel that someone called to scam you of your credit card information acting like a front desk employee. This was sent by someone who has been duped……..and is still clearing up the mess…. P.S. Please everyone, help spread the word by forwarding this email to everyone you know.. Who knows, you might just help someone avoid a nasty experience. ANYONE travelling should be aware of this one!

This is about the best thing I’ve ever read as an explanation. Sometimes we wonder, ‘What did I do to deserve this?’ or ‘Why did God have to do this to me?’ Here is a wonderful explanation! A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she’s failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away. Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, ‘Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.’ ‘Here, have some cooking oil,’ her Mother offers. ‘Yuck’ says her daughter. ‘How about a couple raw eggs?’ ‘Gross, Mom!’ ‘Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?’ ‘Mom, those are all yucky!’ To which the mother replies: ‘Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! ‘God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful! God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He’ll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart. Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men

Who signed the Declaration of Independence ?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,
And tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army;
Another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or
Hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes,
And their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants,
Nine were farmers and large plantation owners;
Men of means, well educated,
But they signed the Declaration of Independence
Knowing full well that the penalty would be death if

They were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and
Trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the
British Navy. He sold his home and properties to
Pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British
That he was forced to move his family almost constantly.
He served in the Congress without pay, and his family
Was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him,
And poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer,
Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that
The British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson
Home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General
George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed,
And Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.
The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying.
Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill
Were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests
And caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his
Children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and
Silently thank these patriots. It’s not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: freedom is never free!
I hope you will show your support by sending this to as many
People as you can, please. It’s time we get the word out that patriotism
Is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer,
Picnics and baseball games.

Subject: The Black and White Pebbles…
Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender.
The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer’s beautiful daughter.
So he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the farmer’s debt if he could marry his daughter.
Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.

So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter.
He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag.
Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her  father’s debt would be forgiven.
2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her  father’s debt would still be forgiven.
3) If she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.
They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer’s field.
As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles.
As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag.
He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the girl?
If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:
1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

Take a moment to ponder over the story.
The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking.
The girl’s dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking.
Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.

What would you recommend to the girl to do?
Well, here is what she did ….
The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble.
Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

‘Oh, how clumsy of me,’ she said. ‘But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.’
Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one.
And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY…..
Most complex problems do have a solution; it is only that we don’t attempt to think.
Start your day with this thought provoking story and have a nice day.

Have a week filled with positive thoughts and sound decisions.

Think outside the box

>>  Health:
>>    1.       Drink plenty of water.
>>    2.       Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner
>> like a beggar.
>>    3.       Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less
>> food that is manufactured in plants & has to be killed, bled, cured, aged,
>> smoked, fried, or frozen
>>    4.       Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
>>    5.       Make time to pray.
>>    6. Play more games. Feed the birds. Plant flowers or vegetables- even
>> in a pot.
>>    7.       Read more books than you did in 2009.
>>    8.       Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
>>    9.       Sleep for 7 hours.
>>  10.       Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile &
>> notice your surroundings, changes in nature every day, & listen to the
>> birds.
>>
>> Personality:
>>    11.    Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their
>> journey is all about. Each person has their place in the scheme of life.
>>    12.    Don’t have negative thoughts of things you cannot control.
>> Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment – do what you can to
>> make the world around you better.
>>    13.    Don’t over do. Keep your limits. Physically, spiritually,
>> financially or emotionally.  Be humble.
>>    14.    Don’t take yourself too seriously.  No one else does.
>>    15.    Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
>>    16.   Dream more while you are awake.
>>    17.    Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
>>    18.    Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with
>> his/her mistakes of the past.  Don’t blame your parents for every problem you
>> have. That will ruin your present. We choose actions & reactions when we
>> become adults.
>>
>>
>>
>> Happiness.
>>
>>
>>    19.    Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate
>> others. It’s easier to understand and move on.
>>    20.    Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
>> Yesterday is gone and you have a limited number of tomorrows.
>>    21.    No one is in charge of your happiness except you. It’s your
>> choice to feel happy or miserable, anger or joy, frustration or acceptance,
>> jealousy or peace, shame or pride.
>>    22.    Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
>> Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like
>> algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
>>    23.   Smile and laugh more.
>>    24.    You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
>>
>> Society:
>>    25.    Call your family often.
>>    26.    Each day give something good to others.
>>    27.   Forgive everyone for everything.
>>    28.    Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of
>> 6
>>    29.    Try to make at least three people smile each day.
>>    30.    What other people think of you is none of your business.
>>    31.    Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick.  Your
>> friends will.  Stay in touch.
>>
>>  Life:
>>    32.    Do the right thing!
>>    33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
>>    34.    God heals everything.
>>    35.    However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
>>    36.    No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
>>    37.    The best is yet to come.
>>    38.    When you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it.
>>    39.    Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
>>
>>    Last but not the least:
>>    40.    Please forward this to everyone you care about – even if they
>> receive it many times, it will be a reminder on how to have a happy,
>> healthy spiritual life, to enjoy each moment we are granted, and how to live
>> free of conflict in harmony with others. 
>>
>>
>> We only share this earth for a short time – why waste it on hateful
>> thoughts and deeds when there is so much joy and happiness to discover.