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There is a lot of truth to the recent Liberty Mutual commercials (below) that show people doing something considerate and other people taking notice. I was stopped at an intersection on my way home last night and saw a woman waling down the street carrying two handfuls of grocery bags, obviously heading home. Let’s say that she also looked as if she may not have had the easiest life, which was compounded by the 101 degree heat index, and quite a few years of living.

I am not one to pick up strangers, but it was SO hot and she looked like she really could use a lift. I instantly thought about the rides Trey Morgan (@treymorgan) has given to those in his community. I was first in the left hand lane as she passed in front of me, so I decided I would turn around and come back.

But before the light turned green, a woman in an SUV who WAS first in line in the right lane, rolled her window down and called the lady over. I couldn’t hear what was said, but after a few seconds, the lady very humbly opened the passenger door, got in, and the driver made what was an obviously unplanned right turn (because there was a yield sign she would have turned at if going that way) to drive the woman home.

I hope the woman with the groceries saw a little bit of Jesus in that driver today. I have a feeling it was noticed by many of the other drivers in the enormous line of traffic behind her at the stoplight. Maybe they will be inspired to do something nice for someone without expecting something in return.

One small act of kindness like that can move mountains when repeated with regularity. Maybe that will turn out to be just a ride home, but who knows how much more might have come from it. I suspect the driver spent no more than 10 minutes of her say to make a difference in that woman’s day, but her soul was enriched for it.

Last week, Keith, over at bagofnothing.com posted the video above. It show a terrified dog that was resceud from a shelter an hour before it was scheduled to be euthanized. What really got me was the pure terror the dog showed.

Three years ago, I experienced the same thing. We saw an ad on Craig’s list put up by the City of Canton animal shelter. They had a yellow lab that had been there for five weeks. They were supposed to put her down on Friday of week three, but couldn’t do it. Friday of week four came and went. The ad we saw went up Thursday of week five and said they would have to put her down Friday. The ad BEGGED someone to come get her. Friday morning the ad was up again. My wife convinced me to go pick up the dog. Even if we didn’t keep her, at least she would live. She is still with us today.

We believe she was bred and then dumped at the shelter in Canton while her puppies were sold at First Monday Trade Days in Canton. It was obvious she was young and had recently had puppies. She is the second of our three labs that came from a shelter (the first was from a friend).

Our yellow lab is an amazingly sweet and thankful dog. She was EXTREMELY scared of people when we brought her home. She is still terrified of strangers. She would sleep down the hall around the corner, away from everyone. Gradually she moved closer. After 6 months, she would stay in the same room with us for extended periods of time. Now she gives the most amazing hugs, buries her head into your shoulder, and lets us scratch her ears (something she ran from before).

I can’t imagine a world without this sweet dog. The sad thing is, animals such as this one are lost every day. The yellow puppy dog has so much love to give. She acts as if every day is a gift, and for her, it is. Before you decide to buy a puppy at a flea market, or a breeder, check with your local animal shelter or rescue agency. For more information, a great place to visit is the website of Sparky’s Pals, a non-profit humane education organization started right here in Dallas by a couple of friends of mine, Kevin and Virginia.

Rick Reilly wrote a piece for ESPN about the oddest game in football history. In this game, the fans cheered for the opposing team, at the coach’s request. They even made a spirit line for the opposing team to run through. And after the game, the visiting team doused the home team’s coach with Gatorade. What the heck?

Read the article. It’s certainly worth the five minute investment.

Updated

About a year ago we got rid of our satellite dish and switched over to AT&T’s U-Verse fiber optic television and internet. My channels doubled, my internet speed doubled, and my price…dropped by a few bucks! Awesome, right? Oh yeah, I also finally got a DVR.

My only real complaint was that I only had DVR in one room. The other two rooms were just regular television viewing. So today I get home, turn on the TV and see the message below.

So now I have DVR in every room. The equipment always had the capability, but it wasn’t activated. Guess that changed today. Now I am a happy camper. When the wife is watching Dancing With the Stars (kill me) I can go watch something I have recorded in my office. Life is good.

Edit: I ended up talking with a Senior VP at AT&T today and was told that in the next few months I will also be able to program my DVR from any location. Woo hoo! Of course, I do most of that on the web anyway because the interface is better and faster. The point here is that since I have had the services there have been numerous features added that just show up on my system. It’s not like they only go to new subscribers or I have to call to get the service, it just shows up!

After nearly getting decapitated in Sunday’s game, getting 13 stitched in his chin, flying home late from Cleveland, and having to drive home, he pauses to help a stranded couple in an empty parking lot.

Great story. Glad Romo is going to get a ring this year. He deserves it.

“I don’t know, a hundred cars, probably more, had to go by. Nobody was stopping,” said Bill. “That’s just kind of the way it is in today’s world.”

And then …

“Bill was fooling with that tire, and I was standing beside the car watching him,” Sharon said. “The next thing I know, a nice-looking young man, very well-dressed, but with something strange on his chin, he walked up, smiled, and said, ‘Hey, you need some help?’ ”

A kid from Oklahoma comes to Dallas once a month for cancer treatments for a brain tumor. The family always eat at the same Denny’s beforehand. While at Denny’s this time, someone broke into the family’s car and stole the kid’s medications, his PSP game system, and a bunch of his games.

Well, the DPD officers that responded to the call decided to show the family what being a Texan is all about. In two and a half hours, the group raised $1,200, mostly from other officers. They bought a new PSP, some games, and gave the family some money to replace the stolen medications.

Click here for the full NBC 5 News article…