In the early 1900's, Marian Anderson got her start by scrubbing floors for ten cents an hour so that she could buy a pawnshop violin.

The church she attended recognized her rare talent and raised money for a professional voice teacher to work with her. When the teacher pronounced her ready, she went to New York where critics crucified her. She returned home to regroup. Her mother and her church encouraged her and paid for more lessons.

Because of the intense racial prejudice in America, she went to Europe and took the continent by storm. She came back to America and sang at the Lincoln Memorial with more than 60,000 people in attendance. She sang "O Mia Fernando", "Ave Maria", "Gospel Train" and "My Soul Is Anchored in the Lord" among other songs.

One day a reporter asked Marian what the most satisfying moment in her life was. Without hesitation, she responded that it was when she was able to tell her mother that she did not have to take in any more washing.

The reporter asked."What did your mother give you?".Marian Anderson responded."Everything she had". That is greatness and giving everything we have is our key to greatness."....Zig Ziglar.

Another story, Jimmy's: When you're down to nothing, the Creator is up to something.

She jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room. She said."How is my little boy? Is he going to be all right? When can I see him?"

The surgeon said."I'm sorry. We did all we could, but your boy didn't make it."

Sally said."Why do little children get cancer? Doesn't God care any more? Where were you, God, when my son needed you?"

The surgeon asked."Would you like some time alone with your son? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he's transported to the university."

Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said goodbye to her son. She ran her fingers lovingly through his thick red curly hair.."Would you like a lock of his hair?".the nurse asked. Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy's hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.

The mother said."It was Jimmy's idea to donate his body to the University for study. He said it might help somebody else. I said no at first, but Jimmy said "Mom, I won't be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy spend one more day with his Mom.".She went on."My Jimmy had a heart of gold. Always thinking of someone else. Always wanting to help others if he could."

Sally walked out of Children's Mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending most of the last six months there. She put the bag with Jimmy's belongings on the seat beside her in the car.

The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to enter the empty house. She carried Jimmy's belongings and the plastic bag with the lock of his hair to her son's room.

She started placing the model cars and other personal things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them. She laid down across his bed and hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep.

It was around midnight when Sally awoke. Lying beside her on the bed was a folded letter.

The letter said:."Dear Mom, I know you're going to miss me; but don't think that I will ever forget you or stop loving you, just cause I'm not around to say I Love You. I will always love you, Mom, even more with each day. Someday we will see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won't be so lonely, that's okay with me. He can have my room and old stuff to play with. But, if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn't like the same things us boys do. You'll have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know. Don't be sad thinking about me. This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything. The angels are so cool. I love to watch them fly. And, you know what? Emmanuel doesn't look like any of his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew it was Him. Emmanuel himself took me to see God.(gene Decode also got to meet God and got answers to questions he had and he shares those answers in this video).And guess what, Mom? I got to sit on God's knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody important. That's when I told Him that I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you goodbye and everything. But I already knew that wasn't allowed. Well, you know what Mom? God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter. I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you. God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him about, Where was He when I needed him? God said He was in the same place with me, as when His son Emmanuel was on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children. Oh, by the way, Mom, no one else can see what I've written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn't that cool? I have to give God His pen back now. He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Emmanuel for supper. I'm sure the food will be great. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don't hurt anymore, the cancer is all gone. I'm glad because I couldn't stand that pain anymore and God couldn't stand to see me hurt so much, either. That's when He sent The Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery! How about that? Signed with Love from God, Emmanuel and Me."

***
And from Dave.(who's Dave?)

.