You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the home of her husband's employer.
My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. Her husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant one evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband.

He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?

"Look at it," he said. "Read what it says."
She read the words, " United States of America."

"No, not that. Read further."

"One cent?"
"No, keep reading."

"In God we Trust?"
"Yes!"
"And?. . ."

"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin, I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him. Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray. I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!"

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. "Yes, God, I get the message!"

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient.

Ebby Halliday (born March 9, 1911) is the First Lady of Real Estate who founded Ebby Halliday Realtors, which now sells more homes than any other broker in Texas, was the 11th-biggest in the country in 2007, according to a new report from RealTrends Inc.

She is one of the first successful female entrepreneurs in Dallas and she claims that being a woman never discouraged her. She has been commended by many in the Dallas business and real estate communities. And Halliday, at 99, still drives herself to work every day and, as chairman of the board of her company, is very active in its management.

Halliday graduated from high school in Abilene, Kansas in 1929. Even though the Great Depression was burying the financial well-being of millions, she got a $10-a-week job selling women’s hats at The Jones Store in Kansas City. In less than a year, she was the top salesperson. In 1938, she was asked to take over the millinery department at Dallas’ W.A. Green Store. Soon she had her own Dallas boutique, Ebby’s Hats.

One day in 1945, Clint Murchison Sr. a stopped by her store to see her. “Ebby, I’ve built a bunch of houses out of concrete. Everyone says they’re ugly. Must be, I haven’t sold a one. I figure if you can sell my wife some of those awful hats she comes home with, selling my concrete houses will be a piece of cake for you.”

Ebby took the challenge, fussied them up with carpet, curtains and cottage furniture, and dumped all of them within a year – the two-bedrooms for $7,000 and the three-bedrooms for $9,500. She was inspired by this experience to enter the real estate business full time.

She married former FBI agent, Maurice Acers, while she built Ebby Halliday, Realtors, into a company of more than thirty-one offices, fifteen hundred agents, and the company that in 2005 participated in $3.8 billion of sales for 17,500 Dallas area families. In 2009, Real Trends magazine ranked Ebby Halliday, Realtors as the 10th largest real estate brokerage in the United States.

President and Mrs. George W. Bush are the Honorary Chairs of Ebby 100. The Gala Dinner and Concert Event will be held at the Meyerson Symphony Center on March 9th and will honor legendary Dallas entrepreneur and Horatio Alger Association lifetime member, Ebby Halliday on her 100th birthday with a special tribute. Halliday is well-known for her philanthropy, business savvy and entrepreneurial spirit which enabled her to create one of the most successful real estate companies in the nation.

Her favorite quote is “Do something for someone every day.” What a simple statement that could change lives if acted upon. Thank you Ebby for leading the way for women, not just in real estate but in the workplace as a whole. We celebrate you today!

  
Source: Wikipedia, www.ebby100.com

Now THESE are Words of Wisdom! I’ve been struggling with heart issues lately and in talking with my children a simple but profound wisdom came to me from my youngest son Zach. Which btw, I have always acknowledged that he is much smarter than me and this just affirms that! So I MUST pass this along. It is too good not to share!

 “Pain tells you that you are in God’s process. Life isn’t supposed to be easy,
 so be comforted in the strain and take it as reassurance.” – Zach Myers

Thank you my son for loving me and seeking God’s will so deeply in your life that He can use you to help others in a healthy way. I am honored and blessed to be a mother of such wonderful kids. Thank you God for being bigger than anything that I will ever have to face.

I wish you a day of little things to rejoice in...
The fastest line at the grocery store..
A good sing along song on the radio.
Your keys right where you look.

I wish you a day of happiness and perfection-little bite-size pieces of perfection that give you the funny feeling that the Lord is smiling on you, holding you so gently because you are someone special and rare.

I wish you a day of peace, happiness and joy.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.
 
Lots of little blessings to all of you in 2011!