My girlfriend (now Mistress of Parsonage) flashed her beautiful eyes at me and whispered, "Let's get married."

Being gentleman that I am, I found it hard to resist wishes of a beautiful lady. That wasn't worst part.

While in that romantic mood she said, as if to strengthen her argument (and she got no argument from me), "After all, two can live cheaper than one."

I also could have used my sanity in several church situations. Once a church committee was interviewing me for illustrious position of being their pastor. One of members of committee remarked, "And you will find, Brother Snyder, that this church really loves its pastor."

Had sanity been by my side then, I might have seen napkins around each neck and knife and fork in each hand.

As soon as I said yes and moved in, people commenced to eat me alive. (What communion wine goes with roasted pastor?)

To be fair about this matter, there have also been times when sanity would just have gotten in way. Sanity would have caused me to take myself too seriously. That, of course, is a big mistake.

Nobody, especially a minister, should ever take himself or herself too seriously. For example, I know that I am not as good as some of people in congregation think I am, and I am not as bad as others say.

Several years back, in another congregation, an el-derly couple attended church services. He developed Alzheimer's and could not come to church. She, however, was most faithful in attending. As a ministry of church, we prepared tapes of Sunday services, and she always took one home for her husband.

One Sunday, as she was leaving church, she warmly shook my hand and with tears in her eyes whispered to me, "Oh, brother Snyder, you will never know how much your sermons mean to my husband since he lost his mind."

I was so thankful sanity was not by my side then. Other incidents through years have only underscored my point. I have had many guest ministers in my pulpit throughout years. The absence of any sense of sanity has kept me in good stead here.

Following a service with a guest speaker, invariably someone will say to guest as they leave church, "We sure haven't heard preaching like that for a long time. Please come back soon."

As I think about this, and add up pros and cons, I am not sure exactly what that means.

With stress of days like these, there is one verse from Bible that comforts me in all this: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3 KJV.)

If Santy does not bring my sanity this year, it will not be a major calamity.

Can you imagine my shock when I later opened suitcase and found over a million dollars inside it, all in one hundred dollar bills. I was overwhelmed. The world is full of such caring and sensitive people. I cried with gratitude. It was meant for me after all. I must have met my guardian Angel.

In morning I had a wonderful breakfast and contemplated my future. I would buy a house with a nice garden and open a Donkey Sanctuary. As I left hotel that morning I was reminded how some people waste their time on wrong things in life. I heard that two men had taken shots at each other and were arguing about money before being arrested by armed police and taken away. I think they were foreigners from some troubled country trying to purchase or sell arms. I am glad I at least kept to an honest way of life.

So you see. With this kindness showered upon me and a sunny outlook on life I can only be happy, content and caring and sensitive. Life has smiled on me. I even won a huge lottery prize two weeks ago to extend my farm and help lots of animals. I suppose all I now need is a wife to make my life complete.