Thursday, January 28, 2010

Shine

Just because no one
has been fortunate
enough to realize what
a gold mine you are,
doesn't mean you
shine any less.
Unknown

Be Blessed by Stress

I'm glad each morning when I rise.


I'm glad for the breath and health inside.

I'm glad I can hear the birds sing and musical sounds.

I'm glad for the inner peace I've found.

I'm glad I can see sunsets, faces, trees and rain.

I'm glad I'm getting stronger and overcoming my pain.

I'm glad I can feel and touch my loved ones.

I'm glad I can smell flowers and food in the oven.

I'm glad I'm giving up this stressful race.

I'm glad for each precious day and hour.

I'm glad because of Him, I have power.

I'm glad I'm growing and opening up my mind.

I'm glad that things do get better with time.

I'm glad when others are pleasant and give me a smile.

I'm glad for what I'm learning each miracle mile.

I'm glad to know His love sets me free.

I'm glad to learn to let go of worry, anger, self-pity and mess.

I'm glad because now I know...I'm too blessed to be stressed.

Jewel Diamond Taylor


Cup of Tea ~




One day my mother was out, and my dad was in charge of me.
I was maybe 2 1/2 years old. Someone had given me a little 'tea set' as a gift, and it was one of my favorite toys.
Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news when I brought Daddy a little cup of 'tea', which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mom came home.
My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of tea, because it was 'just the cutest thing!' My Mom waited, and sure enough, here I came down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy; and she watched him drink it up.
Then she said, (as only a mother would know), "'Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?"

In a Moment

"The moment we begin to fear the
opinions of others and hesitate to tell the
truth that is in us, and from
motives of policy are silent when we should
speak, the divine floods of
light and life no longer
flow into our souls."-
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1890

Learn to Love

Learn to love
Learn to love the challenges, and you will grow stronger. Learn to love putting forth effort, and you'll find yourself becoming more capable and effective.
Learn to love making a positive contribution, and your life will grow richer. Learn to love being around people who are different than you, and you'll gain many valuable new perspectives.

Learn to love discovering what you do not know, and your knowledge will greatly expand. Learn to love truly listening, and your wisdom will increase.

Learn to love giving, and your life will be blessed. Learn to love being thankful, and you'll know real abundance.

Learn to love the ordinary moments, and you'll find each day filled with warm golden treasures. Learn to love simply being, and you'll rise to a whole new level of awareness.

Learn to love something about each day, and your days will bring rich fulfillment. Learn to love, and you'll know how to live.

A Smile

Few things in the world
are more powerful
than a positive push.

A smile.

A word of optimism and hope.

A " you can do it " when times are tough.

Richard M. Devos

Something to Think About

There is no one lonelier,

Than he who must stay inside,

And must depend on others,

To be comfortable and fed,

Who never has a visitor,

To talk to him and smile,

To make the life he has to live,

A little more worthwhile.

He does not ask for magazines,

For candy fruit and such,

But just a friendly visit

And words that mean so much.

He wants to see the sun come out,

In place of all the rain,

And know that someone cares about

His trouble and his pain.

And surely somewhere out of all

The moments made of play,

There must be time to call on him

And say hello today.

“Visit the Sick” by James Metcalfe

Seeing Red

Will you give this to my Daddy?

As a Company, Southwest Airlines is going to support 'Red Fridays.'



Last week I was in Atlanta , Georgia attending a conference. While I was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the greatest acts of patriotism I have ever seen.

Moving through the terminal was a group of soldiers in their camos. As they began heading to their gate, everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering.


When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and cheered for, it hit me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red-blooded American who still loves this country and supports our troops and their families.

Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so we can go to school, work and home without fear or reprisal.


Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women, a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of the male soldiers. He kneeled down and said 'hi.'

The little girl then asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her.


The young soldier, who didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her Daddy. Then suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek.

The mother of the little girl, who said her daughter's name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Marine and had been in Iraq for 11 months now. As the mom was explaining how much her daughter Courtney missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up.


When this temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military-looking walkie-talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it..

After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, 'I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you.' He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying 'your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is coming home very soon.'

The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet, he saluted Courtney and her mom. I was standing no more than 6 feet away from this entire event.


As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked around, there were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act of selflessness, turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek.

We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's good to be an American.

Tequila and Salt

Tequila and Salt




This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day.
You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.

2.. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.

3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

6. You mean the world to someone.

7. You are special and unique.

8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.

9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.

10. When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.

11. Always remember the compliments you received..

Forget about the rude remarks.


So...........

If you are a loving friend,

send this to everyone,

including the one that sent it to you.

If you get it back, then they really do love you.

And always remember...

when life hands you Lemons,

ask for Tequila and Salt and call me over!


Good friends are like stars.........

You don't always see them,

But you know they are always there.


"Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another,

Even Though Sometimes It's Hell in the Hallway"




I would rather have one rose and a kind word

from a friend while I'm here

than a whole truck load when I'm gone.


Happiness keeps You Sweet,

Trials keep You Strong,

Sorrows keep You Human,

Failures keeps You Humble,

Success keeps You Glowing,

But Only

God keeps You Going

Having a Positive Attitude

A negative attitude can be contagious. Fortunately, so can a positive attitude.

One of the biggest challenges of staying positively focused can come from the negative people who cross your path. Yet instead of letting them get you down, you can choose to lift them up.

When someone is rude to you, the most powerful response is not to reply with your own rudeness. After all, what would that accomplish?

Your best choice in such a situation is to respond with courtesy, kindness, consideration and understanding. Though it may seem strange and unnatural at first, it can have a profoundly positive impact on the situation.

Most people, when given the chance, will be glad for you to rescue them from their own negative momentum. When you come across someone who is clearly in a bad mood, you have the opportunity to be the best part of that person's day.

Seize that opportunity and make the most of it. When you give a little kindness, it can make a big, big difference.

Ralph Marston

Thank You!

Make it a habit to tell people thank you.
To express your appreciation, sincerely

and without the expectation of anything in

return. Truly appreciate those around

you, and you'll soon find many others

around you. Truly appreciate life, and you'll

find that you have more of it.”

—Ralph Marston; author and

publisher of The Daily Motivator


__._,_.___

You Have the Opportunity

You have the opportunity, right now, to make today mean something. Instead of just getting through this day, you can live it in such a way that it positively transforms your life and your world.
There is an essential part of you that longs to make a difference. Underneath all the superficial comings and goings of daily life, there is a driving purpose that is your life.

Whatever you may be doing on the outside, there is a way to express the purpose that lives on the inside. The more you discover, explore and stay connected to that purpose, the more rich and fulfilling your life will be.

You can make real and lasting meaning out of the smallest, most seemingly insignificant moment. In this day there are countless chances to do so.

You Can Make a Difference

When things around you seem too noisy, hectic and out of control, be extra calm, peaceful and patient. If the people in your life seem too greedy and selfish, that's the time to be extra loving, giving and sincerely compassionate.
When the world seems a bit too confused and aimless, be extra focused and purposeful. For the world outside will soon reflect back to you the energy you give it.

If you don't like what you see, you have the opportunity to change it by changing the way you are. If there is darkness all around you, that's an opportunity for you to shine your own special light.

Even a small beacon in the darkness will shine for a long, long way. Choose to be the difference that makes a real difference, and your efforts will bear abundant fruit.

When things around you seem to be at their worst, that's when you can accomplish the most by being your best. That's when you can truly make a valuable, much-needed positive difference.

When trouble and confusion surround you, see the situation as the opportunity that it is. Shine your positive light in the face of negativity, and you will change your world.

Challenge Yourself

To sincerely challenge someone is the most loving thing you can do.
The best teachers are not the ones who simply explain the material, but rather the ones who challenge their students to explain it. The best coaches are the ones who refuse to accept anything less than outstanding performance.

The more challenges we have, the more we learn, and the more we grow. Challenge inspires us to innovation. It forces us to look at things in a different way. It motivates us to get starteed. It helps us to persevere when the going gets rough. It makes us strong and gives us the confidence to attempt great things.

Make challenge a part of your experience every day. Challenge yourself. A big enough challenge will force you to be the best you can be. It will bring out strengths and abilities you never knew you had.

Life at its best is a series of challenges. The strength to tackle the big challenges comes from success at overcoming the easy ones. Take on challenges and you will bring yourself to life.

The Story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

I had never heard the story of where Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer came
from. Hard to believe the gesture Montgomery Wards made!


The story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer



Did you know the origin of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?
I had never heard this story.
Enjoy and Merry Christmas!!!


A guy named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty

apartment window into the chilling December night.. His 4-year-old daughter,

Barbara, sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bobs wife, Evelyn, was dying of

cancer. Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come

home. Barbara looked up into her dads eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just

like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with

tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been

the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob. Being

small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too

little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd

rather not remember.



From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob did

complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as

a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was

blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with

cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were

forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died

just days before Christmas in 1938. Bob struggled to give hope to his child,

for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't

buy a gift, he was determined a make one - a storybook!



Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's

story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob

told the story, embellishing it more with each telling. Who was the

character? What was the story all about? The story Bob May created was his

own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit

outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named

Rudolph, with a big shiny nose.



Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on

Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there. The general manager of

Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a

nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and distribute it to children visiting Santa

Claus in their stores. By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than

six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to

purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book. In

an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights

back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals

followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy

from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter.



But the story doesn't end there either. Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks,

made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such

popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore , it was recorded by the

singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in

1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other

Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas." The gift of love

that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning to bless

him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear

friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad.. In fact, being different

can be a blessing!

Friendship

Friendship isn't about
who you have
known the longest.....
but about who
came and never
left your side.

Rise above the temptation to QUIT

Rise Above the Temptation to Quit
by Jane Powell

“A person without special gifts, just an I won’t quit! attitude, will succeed.”

Everyone wants to be a success in life. But, unless you make a commitment to never quit no matter what, it may never happen.

The one thing that makes a woman successful is persistence. It’s not talent, not ability, nor education. Just plain old persistence!

Life will always present you with opportunities to succeed, as well as reasons to quit. Rise above the temptation to quit and find an incentive not to give in.

Today, make an I’ll never quit! commitment to yourself. Because you can do anything if you try.

Destiny

WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS; THEY BECOME WORDS.
WATCH YOUR WORDS; THEY BECOME ACTIONS.
WATCH YOUR ACTIONS; THEY BECOME HABITS.
WATCH YOUR HABITS; THEY BECOME CHARACTER.
WATCH YOUR CHARACTER; IT BECOMES YOUR DESTINY.

Just Perfect

“Don't wait until everything
is just right. It will never be perfect.
There will always be challenges,
obstacles and less than perfect
conditions. So what. Get started
now. With each step you take,
you will grow stronger and stronger,
more and more skilled, more and
more self-confident and more
and more successful.”
—Mark Victor Hansen,

Mom's Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,


I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground.


I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.


Here are my Christmas wishes:


I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.


I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.


If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.


On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.


I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.



If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.


If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely.


It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.


Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold.


Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.


Yours Always, MOM...

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

Challenged Senior

Challenged senior.

I think about the 30 year business I once ran with 1800 employees, all without a Blackberry that played music, took videos, pictures and communicated with Facebook and Twitter.

I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouses, 13 grandkids and 2 great grand kids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.
That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting world.

My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.

The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it's red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife as everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. Seems I have to take my hearing aid out to use it and I got a little loud.

I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, "Re-calc-ul-ating" You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then when I would make a right turn instead, it was not good.

When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.

To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven't figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have to run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings.

The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or Plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop.

I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking confused but I never remember to take them in with me.

Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or Plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual."

Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look.

Remember me

If I am to be remembered,
I hope it is for the honesty
I try to demonstrate, the
patience I try to live by,
and the compassion
I feel for others.
John Reed