[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7118]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 PRAYER

  Rabbi Dov Hillel Klein, Tannenbaum Chabad House, Evanston, Illinois, 
offered the following prayer:
  In the Jewish tradition, one begins an invocation with words of 
inspiration. I have received inspiration from many individuals, but the 
person I am thinking of today is America's number one dad, Bill Cosby.
  Several years ago, Bill Cosby spoke at Northwestern University's 
commencement. He said he was the first person in his family to attend 
the university. But he came to realize that just going to college does 
not necessarily make you all that smart, and just by going to college 
surely does not mean you have all the answers.
  He came home after his first day of college and his grandmother 
asked, ``Billy, what did you study?'' Cosby replied that in his 
philosophy class they debated whether or not a half a cup of water was 
half empty or half full. His grandmother, who did not have a college 
education or even a high school diploma, responded immediately, 
``That's so simple. If you are drinking, the glass is half empty, but 
if you are pouring, the glass is half full.''
  I thought to myself, if you are drinking means that everything is for 
me; my entire focus is just on myself, and because of my arrogance, my 
selfishness and my self-centeredness, I am half empty. I wind up 
keeping everyone else out. But if I am pouring, pouring for others, 
sharing and giving to others, then I am half full, because I am letting 
others into my life.
  God, please continue to bless us so we are able to pour and let 
others into our lives.
  We thank God today for enabling us to serve this great country and 
being able to make a difference not only in our lives, not only in the 
lives of our family and friends, but for allowing us to make a 
difference in the lives of countless numbers of Americans and people 
throughout the world.
  We ask God to continue to give us the insight, the courage, and the 
humility to serve the people of the United States. God, please bless 
all the Members of Congress and their families, and most of all, God 
bless America.
  God, who makes peace in the heavens and on Earth, let us indeed have 
a year of peace, and let us all say Amen.

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