The Greatest Gift a Man Can Give...

Too many Americans consider it a waste when a member of today's military loses his/her life in conflict. We veterans know well that we CHOOSE to risk our lives in order to help improve the lives of others less fortunate than ourselves.

No loss of a veteran's life is ever a waste. Whether you believe in the cause or not, it is that individual veteran who said, "with this selfless act of service I hereby lay down my life in order to benefit someone else." No one has the right to determine whether or not that veteran made the right choice. He/she made it of their own free will, which makes it a most wonderful gift, and a sacrifice that should be treasured by all.

No non-veteran will ever understand this, and therefore no non-veteran should ever pass judgement against those who choose to give what Jesus told us is the greatest gift a man can give, to lay down his life for his friend.

Thank you veterans, whether you served in peacetime or time of conflict. I appreciate the brave and selfless sacrifice that you made.

Jeff Sanders
U.S. Army
SSG/Retired

Keep Building

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.

No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become. At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're going to love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible.

-Author Unknown

I was going to complain......

I was going to complain about how hot it is... then I realized that at least:
1.) it isn't 109 degrees;
2.) I'm not 5,700 miles from home;
3.) I'm not dressed in a full BDU uniform and helmet and carrying 70+ lbs.;
4.) there is very little chance that anyone will shoot at me or that I might drive over a bomb in the road today

Thanks to all who serve!

Photo by Gulf Coast Gives

Time Tested Beauty Tips

Time Tested Beauty Tips

by Sam Levenson

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.

Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.

Outlive Your Life: You were born to make a difference

This  morning I was dreading a trip to the treadmill and needed some inspiration & motivation.  I tried something new & left the iPod at home and replaced it with a new book by Max Lucado entitled Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make A Difference

"God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called."
This book is more than merely some compiled suggestions and an enjoyable read- it is a call to action encouranging each of us to share our gifts each and every day.  Whatever we feel compelled or called to share~ from money to a listening ear.  Each of us has something to offer another person, regardless of how small or insignificant it may seem to us-it could be potentially life changing to another. 

"Are you more dinghy than cruise ship? More stand-in than movie star? More plumber than executive? More blue jeans than blue blood? Congratulations. God changes the world with folks like you."
He points out that Jesus did not choose the most wealthy, the wisest or the most respected people in the land to share his word.  He chose the 'average Joes' of that time.  He also did not treat them individually, but rather as a unit -each of them had something a little different to offer - just as each of us has something different to offer today.
 
"There is something fundamentally good about taking time to see a person."
Most of us, whether we choose to admit it, are relatively content turning a blind eye to those around us who are in need or otherwise suffering.  Even the small things we do are always remembered...by someone.  Even if they are unseen. 

Matthew 24:35 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."
How many times have you stopped to throw a dollar in a beggars hat, given a homeless person a meal-or better yet...offered to sit down and share a meal with them to learn about who they are and how they arrived at their current station in life.  Have you visited an elderly relative and showed them photos of your children or listened to them share stories of their own distant childhood?  Have you opened your home to someone you know who may eat alone every night?  Have you smiled at a stranger who perhaps hasn't felt worthy of a smile yet today?  What can YOU do today to make an impact on the life of another?

"Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me."
Often it seems easier to accept that we are only one person and cannot make a large enough change in the world to bother with it.  But as the saying goes:  "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." and as Lucado states in the opening chapter: "May you live in such a way that your death is just the beginning of your life."  and who wouldn't want that?


 
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Sneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

If I had my life to live over........

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.


I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because I just did my hair.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television-and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love you's.". More "I'm sorry's" ...But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back.

Stop sweating the small stuff. Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.
Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who Do love us. Let's think about what God HAS blessed us with.   What we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, as well as spiritually?

Author Unknown

BE BRAVE, GIRL!

Are you a brave girl?  Brave girls is an amazing and inspiring place for women to go channel their BEST self.
You can read all about who they are and more... HERE

Says sisters Melody Ross & Kathy Wilkins:

This is a crazy world that forces confusing lies upon us every day......lies about what is most important, who we are, who we can become, what we can accomplish, our value, our potential, our worth, what makes our lives meaningful, how & where we can find true happiness, and on and on. So we've decided to wage our own little war against those lies by sending our brave friends a daily truth. Think of it as a little bird delivering your truth-- and imagine that this truth-teller is someone who loves you and understands you completely.
Our daily emails are a free gift that is sent most weekdays, Monday through Friday, with all our love and wishes for everything joyful and brave and true.

I am so enamored with the 'daily truth' emails- I just went back and read them all....every one.  You can find them here : Daily Truth Archives

Enjoy, brave girl!

~Lest We Forget~

The ninth month brought the end to many,
The eleventh was a day of testing
Nine one one a call for help from any

It left no time of resting.

True warriors dressed in red suits

Navy blue or yellow

They called in all the recruits

to rescue ailing fellow.

What senselss acts of violence

Rain down on us today

what path will cross with terror

and cause us great dismay?

This is the world our children face.

Their lives are being molded.

The acts of hate, time won't erase,

Like a shroud it has enfolded.

What can we say? What can we do?

As time whirls swiftly by

Let love be instilled with a family view

So our values never die.

From: www.9-11heroes.us

The First Day is Here...

Nothing to Worry About
~Erma Bombeck

Confessions of a child entering school for the first time - who according to adults "has nothing to worry about."

My name is James and I don't know anything.

I have new underwear, a new sweater, a loose tooth and I didn't sleep last night. I am worried.

What if the school bus jerks after I get on and I lose my balance and my pants rip and everyone laughs?

What if I have to go to the bathroom before we get to school?

What if a bell rings and everyone goes into a door and a man yells, "Where do you belong?" and I don't know?

What if my shoestring comes untied and someone says, "Your shoestring is untied. We'll all watch while you tie it"?

What if the trays in the cafeteria are too tall for me to reach?

What if the thermos lid on my soup is on too tight and when I try to open it, it breaks?

What if my loose tooth wants to come out when we're supposed to have our heads down and be quiet?

What if the teacher tells the class to go to the bathroom and I can't go?

What if I get hot and want to take my sweater off and someone steals it?

What if I splash water on my name tag and my name disappears and no one will know who I am?

What if they send us out to play and all the swings are taken? What do I do?

What if the wind blows all the important papers out of my hands that I'm supposed to take home?

What if they mispronounce my last name and everyone laughs?

What if my teacher doesn't make her D's like Mom taught me?

What if I spend the whole day without a friend?

What if the teacher gives a seat to everyone and I'm left over?

What if the windows in the bus steam over and I won't be able to tell when I get to my stop?

I'm just a little kid but maybe I'm smarter than I think I am. At least I know better than to tell a six-year-old kid with a loose tooth who has never been out of the yard by himself before that he has "nothing to worry about."

 

Homage to Mothers

This is a truly BEAUTIFUL piece. Please read this at a slow pace, digesting every word and in leisure...do not hurry....this is a treasure...

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...

If you still have her near, cherish and adore her.

If she has passed, then never forget her, not even for a second.

For when you have passed, she will be the first waiting for you!

Its Easy to be Unhappy

I saw this article recently and thought it was worth sharing...

People's tendency to look at the negative
By Carolyn Hax
Adapted from a recent online discussion.

Dear Carolyn:

I recently read one of your columns where you said it was easy to be unhappy. Do you think it's easier than being happy? With now many years of experience under your belt, why do you think people protect their bitterness, anger, weaknesses and past traumas to the end, no matter what they lose? I've watched some people lose almost everything and everyone in order to hang on to what a friend called "their triumphant unhappiness."

~Anonymous

REPLY:

I love that phrase, please thank your friend for it.

Yes, I do think it's easier day-to-day to be unhappy. Meaning, when we're faced with these little decisions about how to perceive something, it's always a little bit easier to blame than it is to celebrate. For example, how often is it "another bleeping meeting" vs. a chance to leave your desk, see some people, scam a doughnut?

And it's always a little bit easier to put that blame on someone/something else: "Guys are such jerks" is easier than "I missed obvious signs that he didn't like me," or "I expected him to read my mind and be my little puppet, when in fact I didn't pay any attention to what he might have wanted or the ways I might have dismissed his feelings."

That's why I think it's harder in the short run to choose celebration over blame -- you have to take responsibility for more of your own bad outcomes. "He's a great guy" becomes, when it doesn't work out: "He really is a great guy, he just doesn't love me," or "I took him for granted, and didn't treat him the way he deserved." It's so much easier to save face with "I thought he was a great guy, but he was just another loser."

In the long run, though, those little easy choices make life so much harder. When you're cumulatively pessimistic and/or fundamentally negative, you're actively choosing to accept a lower allotment of joy.

Even calling it "joy" is deceiving, because joy sounds easy. However, when it means being grateful even when something isn't going exactly as you had hoped -- and often when you're plainly receiving less than someone else -- then suddenly it isn't so easy.


When you feel wronged and angry and you're awaiting your apology or due or whatever, choosing joy means accepting that someone got the best of you and you'll never get your due. It means accepting that any joy in your future will have to be of your own making. Ego out, perspective in.

Optimism also demands that you greet new people and situations with an open mind, instead of just lumping them into some lazy category of Things You Already Know. When we prejudge, we close doors, deny opportunities, marinate ourselves in the past.

To have an open mind, though, we have to assign ourselves to the role of students in life, and to not knowing the outcome in advance. It's trading the secure (if false) sensation of being wise to everyone and everything, for the possibility of surprise, be it pleasant or un-.

Choosing optimism is choosing vulnerability and humility on an ongoing basis, and that's often in conflict with our nature.

Helping Them Fight the Good Fight ~ Breast Cancer Pink Glove Video!

Super fun video made by Saint Vincent's hospital and staff to bring awareness to breast cancer. I love the pink gloves!

Sending pink hugs to everyone who has been touched by this horrible disease!

Girlfriends

Spent a much needed & glorious day with beloved friends today. One of my angel friends bought me a wonderful book by Leann Rimes called What I Cannot Change...there is a song that goes along with it. I think it will resonate with everyone on some level...I highly recommend it. HERE is a link to the book, here are the words to the song...

"What I Cannot Change"

I know what makes me comfortable
I know what makes me tick
And when I need to get my way I know how to pour it on thick
Cream and sugar in my coffee
Right away when I awake
I face the day and pray to God I won't make the same mistakes
Oh the rest is out of my hands

I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forgive what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change
But I will change, I will change
Whatever I, whenever I can

I don't know my Father
Or my Mother well enough
Seems like every time we talk we can't get past the little stuff
The pain is self inflicted
I know it's not good for my health
But it's easier to please the world than it is to please myself
Oh the rest is out of my hands

I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forgive what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change
But I will change, I will change
Whatever I, whenever I can

Right now I can't care about how everyone else will feel
I have enough hurt of my own to heal

I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forgive what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change
But I will change, I will change
Whatever I, whenever I can

Waxing Philosophical

Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence. Each day is a special gift from God, and while life may not always be fair, you must never allow the pains, hurdles, and handicaps of the moment to poison your attitude and plans for yourself and your future. You can never win when you wear the ugly cloak of self-pity, and the sour sound of whining will certainly frighten away any opportunity for success.

Live this day as if it will be your last.
Remember that you will only find tomorrow on the calendars of fools.
Forget yesterday's defeats and ignore the problems of tomorrow. This is it. Doomsday. All you have. Make it the best day of your year.
The saddest words you can ever utter are, If I had my life to live over again.
Beginning today, treat everyone you meet, friend or foe, loved one or stranger, as if they were going to be dead at midnight.
Extend to each person, no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness and understanding and love that you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward.
Your life will never be the same again.

Apologies, Please!

I have been so busy lately I have completely neglected my blog for the better part of three weeks. Right now I am sitting in Florida enjoying the sun (without hubby or kids) and will be home tomorrow afternoon. I am visiting an old friend in Jupiter- its absolutely beautiful here. This is what we wake up to each morning...

If you ever get to Jupiter you absolutely must visit Jetty's...a little restaurant right on the Jupiter Inlet. Here is the view from our table last night at dinner...

I will post more photos from my latest adventures when I get back. In the meantime, here is a photo of my friend (who I am visiting) and her 'catch of the day' a 30 pound bull dolphin.

We are in the process of trying to sell our home in this lovely economy - I need to diminish my supply asap so... That said, I plan to do a little 'house cleaning' and will be putting many goodies on sale. You know me and my sales- 50% or bust....so be on the lookout for some half off treasures in the next few days.
Thanks for stopping by to check in with me- I promise not to be so far in between posts again if I can help it!

Speaking of Packages...

In this busy time of shopping and wrapping and decorating I started really thinking about 'packages'. I think you find in life that you judge people on 1st appearances-the 'package' they present to the world. We all do it....we judge them. Based solely on their shirt, their accent, their hairstyle, their car...whatever. Shallow. When you think about it, its really no wonder why the divorce rate is soaring, who people are fighting, arguing, feuding. Relationships based on outward appearances dont offer much other than comfortable familiarity. There is no depth. Just what 'seems' to be. How can we build meaningful lasting relationships of any sort without a foundation. Its like building a house on a wetland. Its just a matter of time...

If you believe (as I do) that we are all here for a reason, we all have a purpose....then you must believe that everyone has something wonderful to offer.

I am trying really hard to retrain myself to look past the outside and see only what the person is sharing with me through their eyes & their words. It makes perfect sense, after all if you are so busy looking at the outfit they are wearing, you fail to see the person wearing that outfit. Take a moment to delve deeper to see who they really are, not just what they chose to wear that day. Much easier said than done. Sizing people up is human nature. We're all guilty.

I think this holds true for our loved ones as well. Our spouses, parents, children. Dont take advantage of their presence in your lives. You love them, sure. But by finding out more about them, you are certain to expand your depth of your adoration & love. There's nothing worse than a shallow relationship. I am guilty of having so many of them in my own life. Each a powderkeg.

I certainly dont mean to preach to you today...but in this season of giving, I hope for each of you that you can find the beauty in the people around you. Many are put in your path for reasons you will never know. Enjoy them, get to know them....you dont have to like them. Just give them a chance. You never know, you may be surprised.

When you are able to train yourself to listen thoroughly & without judgement- when you are able to step away from making instant external judgements, it is then that you will begin to see true beauty.

I hope each of you has the opportunity to be discovered by others in this very same way.

Eat, Drink and be VERY Blessed!

Hello Friends
Just a quick note to wish you all a very happy & blessed Thanksgiving & share this wonderful email I received today:

I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels.My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, "This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received."

I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.

Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.

The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them. "I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section," my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed "How is it that there is no work going on here?" I asked.

"So sad," the angel sighed. "After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments ."

"How does one acknowledge God's blessings?" I asked.

"Simple," the angel answered. Just say, "Thank you, Lord."

"What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked.

"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy ."

"And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity."

"If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day ."

"If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ...you are ahead of 700 million people in the world."

"If you can attend a place of worship of your choice without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world ."

"If your parents are still alive and still married...you are very rare ."

"If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair."

Ok, what now? How can I start?

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you want, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.

ATTN:
Acknowledge Dept.: "Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and for giving me so many wonderful people to share it with."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Don't Exist

I think there is a huge difference between existing & living. Living is experiencing life and existing is getting up each day and merely going through the motions. Something I once read (written by a cancer patient) sums it up nicely: You dont need permission to start living. Life is not a dress rehearsal...this is it.
Sometimes things happen in life that remind us of how precious life truly is. We have all had those moments... but then there are times when we can have an 'epiphany' of sorts for no apparent reason. That's been happening for me a lot recently. Lately I have found myself wanting to change everything, make it new, make it different. For no real reason. THEN: I started realizing that a lot of that was simply interference or distractions & quite frankly it was making it impossible for me to enjoy the here & now.
Then I ask...am I living or am I existing?
The best way to appreciate life is to experience each individual moment without that 'static'. The 'what-ifs' the 'shoulda' coulda' thoughts that throw us off our destination. When we give up trying to control the way we think things ought to be -only then can we immerse ourselves in the moment and drink in all that it intended to provide us with. And after that we can giggle at the idea we had any control over things at all.
I am ashamed to say that sometimes I allow these little distractions to take me away from my goal completely...sometimes to the point where I begin to actually absorb the negative feelings associated with them. So.....from today I vow to try reaaalllly hard not to do that - if I can help it. Won't you join me?

For the Girls

A friend of mine sent me this link. All women (especially mothers, teachers & women who have close contacts with girls) should watch this! Check it out,
here.

For the Children

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my children and all children:

I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.
And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.
It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room,but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.
I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it.. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with them.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.