Monday, May 30, 2011

Words of Wisdom


Always try to help a friend



Believe in yourself



Be brave . . . but it's ok to be afraid sometimes.




Study Hard





Give lots of kisses




Laugh often




Don't be overly concerned with your weight,
it's just a number.




Always try to see the glass half full




Meet new people,
even if they look different to you.




Remain calm,
even when it seems hopeless




Take lots of naps.




Be weird whenever you have the chance.




Love your friends,
no matter who they are.




Don't waste food.





Relax





Take an occasional risk.




Try to have a little fun each day . . .
it's important.




Work together as a team.




Share a joke with friends.





Fall in love with someone . . .




. . . and say 'I love you' often.




Express yourself creatively





Be conscious of your appearance.





Always be up for surprises.




Love someone with all of your heart.




Share with friends.





Watch your step.





It will get better.





There is always someone who loves you more than you know.





Exercise to keep fit.





Live up to your name.





Seize the moment.





Hold onto good friends;
they are few and far between.




Indulge in the things you truly love.





Cherish every Sunday.





At the end of the day . . . . PRAY.





Close your eyes and smile at least once a day!







September 2009

Twenty-Six Guards

A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan:

"While serving at a small field hospital in Africa , every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point.

On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine, and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital.

Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord.

I then traveled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident...


Two weeks later I repeated my journey.

Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, 'Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs.

But just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards.

At this, I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone in that jungle campsite.

The young man pressed the point, however, and said, 'No, sir, I was not the only person to see the guards, my friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.'

At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day this happened.

The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story:

"On the night of your incident in Africa , it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong, I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?"

The men who had met together to pray that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were, he was too busy counting how many men he saw.

There were 26!

This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves in mysterious ways. If you ever hear such prodding, go along with it.

If we all take it to heart, we can turn this world toward God once again. As the above true story clearly illustrates, "with God all things are possible".

More importantly, how God hears and answers the prayers of the faithful.

LIFE By Regina Brett

http://blog.cleveland.com/pdextra/2007/09/regina_bretts_45_life_lessons.html

Published: Thursday, September 20, 2007, 2:03 PM Updated: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 9:49 AM

LIFE By Regina Brett, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45 . The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don't ask, you don't get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

The Letter

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. She dictated and I wrote:

Dear God, Will you please take special care of our dog, Abbey? She died yesterday and is in heaven. We miss her very much. We are happy that you let us have her as our dog even though she got sick. I hope that you will play with her.
She liked to play with balls and swim before she got sick.
I am sending some pictures of her so that when you see her in heaven you will know she is our special dog. But I really do miss her.
Love, Meredith Claire
P.S. Mommy wrote the words after I told them to her.

We put that in an envelope with two pictures of Abbey, and addressed it to God in Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith stuck some stamps on the front (because, as she said, it may take lots of stamps to get a letter all the way to heaven) and that afternoon I let her drop it into the letter box at the post office.

For a few days, she would ask if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.
---------------

A Few days later there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch. Curious, I went to look at it. It had a gold star card on the front and said "To Meredith" in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith took it in and opened it.

Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers, "When a Pet Dies". Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God, in its opened envelope (which was marked Return to Sender: Insufficient address). On the opposite page, one of the pictures of Abbey was taped under the words "For Meredith". We turned to the back cover, and there was the other picture of Abbey, and this handwritten note on pink paper:

Dear Meredith,
I know that you will be happy to know that Abbey arrived safely and soundly in Heaven! Having the pictures you sent to me was such a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. You know, Meredith, she isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me--just like she stays in your heart--young and running and playing. Abbey loved being your dog, you know.

Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets!-- so I can't keep your beautiful letter. I am sending it to you with the pictures so that you will have this book to keep and remember Abbey.

One of my angels is taking care of this for me. I hope the little book helps. Thank you for the beautiful letter. Thank your mother for sending it. What a wonderful mother you have! I picked her especially for you.

I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.

By the way, I am in heaven but wherever there is love, I am there also.

Love, God and the special angel who wrote this after God told her the words.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Seven Degrees of BLOND

FIRST DEGREE:


A married couple was asleep when the phone rang at 2 in the morning. 


The wife (undoubtedly blonde), picked up the phone,
listened a moment and said,
"How should I know, that's 200 miles from here!" and hung up.
The husband said, "Who was that?" The wife said,
"I don't know! It was some woman wanting to know if the coast is clear." 


`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*:

SECOND DEGREE:
Two blondes were walking down the street. One noticed a compact on the sidewalk and leaned down to pick it up. She 
opened it, looked in the mirror and said, "Hmm, this person looks familiar." 


 The second blonde said, "Here, let me see!" So the first blonde handed her the compact. The second one looked in the mirror and said, "You dummy, it's me!" 


`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*:- 


THIRD DEGREE:

A blonde suspected her boyfriend of cheating on her,
so she went out and bought a gun.
She went to his apartment unexpectedly and when she opened the door she found him in the arms of a redhead. Well, the blonde is really angry. She opened her purse to take out the gun, and as she does so, she is overcome with grief. She took the gun and put it to her head. 



The boyfriend yelled, "No, honey, don't do it!!!"


The blonde replied, "Shut up ... you're next!" 




`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*: 


FOURTH DEGREE:

A blonde was bragging about her knowledge of state capitals.
She proudly said, "Go ahead, ask me, I know all of them."


A friend said, "OK, what's the capital of Wisconsin ?"


The blonde replied, "Oh, that's easy: W."



`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*:





FIFTH DEGREE:


What did the blonde ask her doctor when he told her she was pregnant? 


"Is it mine?"! 


`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*:- ,_,.-:*?`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*:- 


SIXTH 
DEGREE:


Bambi, a blonde in her fourth year as a UCLA freshman,
sat in her US government class.
The professor asked Bambi if she knew what Roe vs. Wade was about. 


Bambi pondered the question then finally said,
"That 
was the decision George Washington had to make before he crossed the Delaware"



`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*:-.,_,.-:*?`?*: -.,_,.-:*?`?*: 


SEVENTH DEGREE: 


Returning home from work, a blonde was shocked to find her house ransacked and burglarized. She telephoned the police at once and reported the crime.

 The police dispatcher broadcast the call on the radio, and a K-9 unit, patrolling nearby was the first to respond.
As the K-9 officer approached the house with his dog on a leash, the blonde ran out on the porch, shuddered at the sight of the cop and his dog, then sat down on the steps. 

Putting her face in her hands, she moaned,

"I come home to find 
all my possessions stolen.
I call the police for help, and what do they do? 

They send me a BLIND policeman."



Incredible Ice Sculptures

From the Fairbanks, Alaska Ice Festival.













January 2010



Friday, May 6, 2011

Happy Mother's Day


MOTHERS ARE SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL


The young mother set her foot on the path of life.
"Is this the long way?" she asked.
And the guide said:
"Yes, and the way is hard.
And you will be old before you reach the end of it.
But the end will be better than the beginning."

But the young mother was happy,
and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years.

So she played with her children,
and gathered flowers for them along the way,
and bathed them in the clear streams;
and the sun shone on them,
and the young Mother cried,
"Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."

Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was dark,
and the children shook with fear and cold,
and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle,
and the children said,
"Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near,
and no harm can come."

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead,
and the children climbed and grew weary,
and the mother was weary.
But at all times she said to the children,
"A little patience and we are there".
So the children climbed,
and when they reached the top they said,
"Mother, we would not have done it without you."

And the mother,
when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said,
"This is a better day than the last,
for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness.
Yesterday I gave them courage.
Today, I've given them strength."

And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth,
clouds of war and hate and evil,
and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said:
"Look up. Lift your eyes to the light".
And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory,
and it guided them beyond the darkness.

And that night the Mother said,
"This is the best day of all,
for I have shown my children God".

And the days went on,
and the weeks and the months and the years,
and the mother grew old and she was little and bent.
But her children were tall and strong,
and walked with courage.

And when the way was rough, they lifted her,
for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill,
and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.

And mother said,
"I have reached the end of my journey.
And now I know the end is better than the beginning,
for my children can walk alone, and their children after them."

And the children said,
"You will always walk with us, Mother,
even when you have gone through the gates".
And they stood and watched her as she went on alone,
and the gates closed after her.

And they said:
"We cannot see her but she is with us still.
A Mother like ours is more than a memory.
She is a living presence......."

Your Mother is always with you. . .
She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street;
she's the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks;
she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not well.
Your Mother lives inside your laughter.
And she's crystallized in every tear drop.
She's the place you came from, your first home;
and she's the map you follow with every step you take.

She's your first love and your first heartbreak,
and nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, not space... not even death!

Click Here to see 2012 Mother's Day Story

Breakfast at McDonald's

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. 
The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. 
 


Her last project of the term was called, "Smile." 
 

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. 
 

I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway.
So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally. 
 


Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning. 
 
It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. 
 
We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. 
 
I did not move an inch . . . an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved. 

As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. 
 
As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was "smiling". 
 
His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance.

He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. 
 
The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation. I held my tears as I stood there with them. 
 


The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. 
 
He said, "Coffee is all, Miss" because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm). 
 


Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. 
 
That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. 
 
I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. 
 
I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand. 
 
He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you." 
 
I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, "I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope." 
 


I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope." 
 
We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the blessings that we had been given, were we able to give. 
 
We are not church goers, but we are believers. 
 
That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love. 
 


I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. 
 
I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it. 
 
Then she looked up at me and said "Can I share this?" 
 
I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. 
 
She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed. 
 
In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student 
 
I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: 


UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE
 

Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE 
PEOPLE. 
 


An Angel wrote:
Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. 
 


To handle yourself - use your head. 
 

To handle others - use your heart. 

God gives every bird it's food, but He does not throw it into its nest.