tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80716076929331928132024-03-19T01:04:32.071-04:00Vinegar and HoneyWhen people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is to co-operate with evil, and in some small way to become evil oneself. One's standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control.
~Theodore DalrympleUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger459125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-86376307491180889612012-01-01T22:23:00.006-05:002012-01-01T23:18:31.733-05:00Time Will Tell<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfL5EUxiccugi3Aa8uAhKTKEnnUsfPeYWtj-o5I8FZd7HYzfQ5smjALk2PzxQE0m4SimrDaLTftP8v-Zjbo1HU1HEvVWY1cZl5LFigAYCP9Ac7AL-3uFb9qTeFE9xy_c9gmlKUeRKdgkG/s1600/Untitled.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692874922364299122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfL5EUxiccugi3Aa8uAhKTKEnnUsfPeYWtj-o5I8FZd7HYzfQ5smjALk2PzxQE0m4SimrDaLTftP8v-Zjbo1HU1HEvVWY1cZl5LFigAYCP9Ac7AL-3uFb9qTeFE9xy_c9gmlKUeRKdgkG/s320/Untitled.jpg" /></a><br /><em></em><br />Well, friends, here it is the beginning of another year, and who knows what this year holds?<br /><br />I know what I wish it to hold, which is, probably, no different than what everyone wants.<br /><br />I'm sure we all want good health, happiness, and prosperity...and most of all, peace...for ourselves, and for those we hold near, and dear, to our hearts.<br /><br />But will our wishes come true?<br /><br />I don't know.<br /><br />Many really are frightened of the 2012 prophecies, found in the Mayan literature, and other prophetic writings, which portend doom, and gloom, and the end of the world.<br /><br />I'm more afraid of what our country has become, with people who have no love, or respect for it, riding roughshod over those who do.<br /><br />It has now become shameful to have worked hard, and become successful, and those who haven't think it is good, and right, to have it taken away, and given to them.<br /><br />It's okay to occupy anything, and everything, and take it by force, and violence, if necessary, with the approval of the ones who should be looking out for the safety, and well being, of us all.<br /><br />It's okay to have your own religion ridiculed, and the name of the God you believe in, trampled underfoot, while having to watch every word that is spoken, lest you offend others of a different faith.<br /><br />And speaking of watching every word spoken, how many have lost jobs, and careers, just in the last year, because someone said something that someone else found offensive, because of race, or religion..or choice of lifestyle?<br /><br />Heaven forbid that you should voice disapproval of any alternative lifestyle, no matter how perverse, or immoral, you consider it to be. If it goes against your own moral values, just shut up about it...or else.<br /><br />Yes, that is what has befallen our country...<br /><br />Did you ever think we would come to this?<br /><br />I certainly didn't, not in my wildest imagination.<br /><br />Perhaps, the Mayans were right, and it will be the end of the world, but even if they are wrong, it could still be the end of the world as we have known it.<br /><br />Will the new year bring a positive change? I hope so. A <a href="http://americanpowerblog.blogspot.com/">friend </a>keeps telling me that he thinks it will.<br /><br />The photo, above, was taken with a cell phone, very early this morning. I thought it was a bit unusual to see a rainbow at that hour...so, maybe I should take it as a good omen.<br /><br />Meanwhile, keep praying...<br /><br />Time will tell.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-40237189604286489042011-12-23T22:14:00.003-05:002011-12-23T22:21:43.816-05:00An Old Fashioned Christmas (RePost)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZvfqFZeN-7gy5zWBN5c7n3f90E7NDEe1MOVvLjZsG9qq9jCCdt3oCcCrXpkdAna4yRNzECm54_W4jNNXeY6Gmk2ge4l7VtDNBNodg4o_J6xdjubB7QVSlyRZp-_zzoI8acGDVX3rURBZ/s1600/2334850680064999937S425x425Q85.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZvfqFZeN-7gy5zWBN5c7n3f90E7NDEe1MOVvLjZsG9qq9jCCdt3oCcCrXpkdAna4yRNzECm54_W4jNNXeY6Gmk2ge4l7VtDNBNodg4o_J6xdjubB7QVSlyRZp-_zzoI8acGDVX3rURBZ/s400/2334850680064999937S425x425Q85.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689528110187429586" /></a><br /><strong></strong><em></em><br /><br />I know that I have, recently, written about a wonderful memory of Christmas past, and I'm sure that most of us do have those fond memories. We long for things to be that way again, and wish that we could see through the eyes of a child again, where everything is good, and right with the world. We all long for just an old fashioned Christmas. <br /><br />I have my precious memories, but now, as I write this, I just cannot get into the "spirit of Christmas" that everyone speaks of, and longs for, because try as I may, I can't get into that state of "willing suspension of disbelief"-- a semi-conscious decision in which you put aside your disbelief and accept the premise as being real for the duration of the movie you're watching, or the story you're reading--because this is real life, with real people, with real emotions, and I am acutely aware of the pain which exists all around me.<br /><br />This is the time of year when people try to achieve a level of perfection, which in most cases, just does not exist. They long for the perfect life, the perfect family, perfect kids. They think of peace on earth, and good will toward all men--that does not exist, either, and I can't pretend it does, because I can't forget that there are children going to bed hungry, that there are old people who are sick, and alone, and cold because they can't pay a heating bill and a prescription bill, too. <br /><br />I am aware that there are young mothers, struggling to make a living for their children, yearning for some kind of normalcy in their lives, but knowing that it is pretty much a lost cause. I am aware that there are whole families who are next to being homeless, through no fault of their own, with no way out of their hopelessness. <br /><br />I am aware that people are fighting, and killing each other, for no reason other than self-gratification, and I can't forget that there are wars where people are killing and being killed for the sake of peace. <br /><br />I can't pretend that all of that is not happening. I can't close my eyes to reality and and pretend that this is a season when everyone is happy and satisfied, and loving his fellow man. I wish that were true, but I know that it is what it is, and I can't change it. <br /><br />I am so thankful for what I have, and for anything that I am able to do to make things better for others, and I will never, ever, take that for granted. <br /><br />My heartfelt wish is that all of you will have peace of mind, love in your hearts, and peace in your homes during this Christmas and Holiday Season. May it continue long after the season is past.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-11038382740640698912011-12-03T20:18:00.002-05:002011-12-03T20:28:20.286-05:00Live And Let Live<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SJQFibNzxiSadX_HrlS3pGaVl3ZdNuf7nx9pUUbxcUJSkz2iBN-Rpz0TTPtCp2oy91h_rgLtgVjxTaZ4cDdFnWz-PowZ-qCL-xGP7faf4-qbXp2m-8kSwxTUANaK9EhLkSvc6tnVPj6e/s1600/1207484331TqQa7qH.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SJQFibNzxiSadX_HrlS3pGaVl3ZdNuf7nx9pUUbxcUJSkz2iBN-Rpz0TTPtCp2oy91h_rgLtgVjxTaZ4cDdFnWz-PowZ-qCL-xGP7faf4-qbXp2m-8kSwxTUANaK9EhLkSvc6tnVPj6e/s400/1207484331TqQa7qH.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682076695332951714" /></a><br />There are hermit souls that live withdrawn <br />In the place of their self-content; <br />There are souls like stars, that dwell apart, <br />In a fellowless firmament; <br />There are pioneer souls that blaze their paths<br />Where highways never ran- <br />But let me live by the side of the road <br />And be a friend to man. -<br /><br />Let me live in a house by the side of the road, <br />Where the race of men go by- <br />The men who are good and the men who are bad, <br />As good and as bad as I. <br />I would not sit in the scorner's seat, <br />Or hurl the cynic's ban- <br />Let me live in a house by the side of the road <br />And be a friend to man. -<br /><br />I see from my house by the side of the road, <br />By the side of the highway of life,<br />The men who press with the ardor of hope, <br />The men who are faint with the strife. <br />But I turn not away from their smiles nor their tears, <br />Both parts of an infinite plan- <br />Let me live in a house by the side of the road <br />And be a friend to man. <br /><br />I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead <br />And mountains of wearisome height; <br />That the road passes on through the long afternoon <br />And stretches away to the night. <br />But still I rejoice when the travelers rejoice. <br />And weep with the strangers that moan, <br />Nor live in my house by the side of the road <br />Like a man who dwells alone. -<br /><br />Let me live in my house by the side of the road- <br />It's here the race of men go by. <br />They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong, <br />Wise, foolish- so am I; <br />Then why should I sit in the scorner's seat, <br />Or hurl the cynic's ban? <br />Let me live in my house by the side of the road <br />And be a friend to man. <br /><br />"The House by the Side of the Road"<br /><br />By Sam Walter Foss<br />Librarian and Poet<br /><br />1858-1911Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-6506564355865695222010-08-25T20:50:00.004-04:002011-11-24T21:26:54.876-05:00Bitter or Better..A Re Post<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemCz8au42Qb2llmy8ebnUOb7gREmTpvmOAR24KYi6LehwuI2KIYoUgplE7z78Ch_h-4ltOwjFaPcQbfhVZzgqYZCCShl1C1ZDI_VM2Rk4Pd5LXeTelHODUMNugmpLtofr1XfH2T5JcImz/s1600/KT1242~Live-Laugh-Love-Posters.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509515214396595122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemCz8au42Qb2llmy8ebnUOb7gREmTpvmOAR24KYi6LehwuI2KIYoUgplE7z78Ch_h-4ltOwjFaPcQbfhVZzgqYZCCShl1C1ZDI_VM2Rk4Pd5LXeTelHODUMNugmpLtofr1XfH2T5JcImz/s400/KT1242~Live-Laugh-Love-Posters.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I know I said that I didn't have the heart to continue with this blog, and in a way, I don't, but because of something that happened, recently, I thought that it would be a good time to re-post this. If for no other reason than to remind myself of my own philosophy of how I want to react to the negative things that happen in my life.</div><div></div><div><br />Reading this, again, reminds me that not all people are going to act as I expect them to...that people are not always the kind of persons that I believed them to be, nor as trustworthy as I would expect them to be. They will not always like me as I thought they did...but even so, I know that the opinions of others do not change the reality of the truth of myself. That truth being that I am a loving, understanding, forgiving individual, and my prayer is always that I never hold on to bitterness, resentment, nor unforgiveness...toward anyone, about anything.</div><div></div><div><br />My prayer for them is that they would come to know the peace that passes all understanding in their own hearts.</div><div> </div><div><br />Bitter or Better</div><div></div><div><br />I've been writing quite a lot about some experiences in my life. Some of them have been funny. Some happy, and some downright tragic.</div><div></div><div><br />I think all of us have that in common. Life is not always "just a bowl of cherries" as the old song goes, so we've all had our share of good and bad, and have had the tragedy, too.</div><div></div><div><br />Some of us allow what's happened in the past to color every aspect of our lives. Some, more than others, because we are all different in our emotional makeup, and much of it is a result of our particular background, or upbringing.</div><div></div><div><br />I went to a therapist once, and he was amazed at the fact that I wasn't mad about anything. "Why aren't you mad?" he kept asking. "You should be mad. You have every right to be mad!"</div><div></div><div><br />But I wasn't. I'm not. I don't know why. Maybe, it is just because I am a forgiving person. Maybe, it is because I understand that people, for the most part, do the best they can. It may not always be the best, just the best that they can do. How they live their lives, and how they treat us, is a direct result of their own upbringing. It is a cycle that is sometimes broken, but sometimes it isn't.</div><div></div><div><br />Maybe, it is because I understand that we can't change our past. We can't change the fact that people don't always love us, or think well of us. Maybe, it is because, in spite of everything that happened to me in my past, I decided to become better, rather than bitter.</div><div></div><div><br />Much of what we feel, on a daily basis, is a direct result of how we react to the way others treat us. I read somewhere that life is ten percent of what happens to us, and ninety per cent, how we react to it. I have to admit, though, that sometimes my "reactor" just doesn't want to cooperate with me...so maybe I am angrier than I realize!</div><div></div><div><br />I'd hate to think that this is so.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. ~Ecclesiastes 7:9~ </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-115075428799259802010-06-23T01:59:00.003-04:002010-06-23T02:13:55.693-04:00So Long For Now...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75c1AJpEenDtwGi9AEu1floQRxpO5iCAya5rO8LB-xAOzEuOgCEybIUKRWNnoJKzYm3kKP1o1GvJuvCO2RWoUrOkygv63UNTLRW_HSPyF3s7k8eLQzMqBN5eOM5STEaa2VGD3uIQw8gey/s1600/mission-lighthouse.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 243px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485844891374765858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75c1AJpEenDtwGi9AEu1floQRxpO5iCAya5rO8LB-xAOzEuOgCEybIUKRWNnoJKzYm3kKP1o1GvJuvCO2RWoUrOkygv63UNTLRW_HSPyF3s7k8eLQzMqBN5eOM5STEaa2VGD3uIQw8gey/s400/mission-lighthouse.jpg" /></a><br /><div><br />I don't quite know how to say this, so I will just say that, after much thought, I have decided to quit blogging. There are many reasons, and perhaps you aren't even interested in them, but I will try to explain, a little.</div><div><br />When I started this blog, nearly three years ago, I'm not sure that I had any particular kind of blog in mind. I began by writing a few little stories from my own life. Some of them were humorous, and some were of a more serious nature. Readers seemed to enjoy them. I liked sharing them. Others were written about people I have known, and relatives, and loved ones that I have lost, and even a pet, or two. I, also, wrote about particular social issues, or stories of interest, happening locally, or elsewhere.<br /><br />Right after I started my blog, though, the political climate began to change in this country. I began to pay closer attention than I had ever done, before. Some things were happening that I felt needed to be brought to the attention of others, and I began to write about them...not in any erudite way, because I'm certainly no political scientist, but I wrote what I was observing, sometimes, even with a little twist of humor. After awhile, I couldn't find any humor in any of it. It had become frightening, and overwhelming, to the point that I didn't want to think about it, much less to write about it. So, I stopped writing about it.<br /><br />I began to re-post several of my older pieces, and every now and then, I make an attempt at writing something, but it seems that my heart just isn't in it, anymore.<br /><br />Unlike many who say that they blog only for themselves, I don't think that I do, and I feel that if you are taking the time to come to my blog, that you should find something worth your time. I appreciate, so much, everyone who has taken the time, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.<br /><br />Perhaps, I will feel differently about things later on, but I don't know if I will. I will leave my blog up for awhile, so that if there is anything of interest in my archives that you would like to read, you may. Later, I plan to delete it.<br /><br />Peace...from my house, to yours.<br />Jan</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-83802192692755676842010-06-20T20:45:00.002-04:002010-06-20T20:55:50.185-04:00Live, Laugh, Love<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRL0tdo63mkSkehwZDVeU8mh8L_QWTNzrIOSvZ1YPfGtFSqn6c-dpwILr_c8IZAP2QRs9m8Vk3Sf5s3YDxwQ_Bm9sNjEUT9X8qAm_0Za5-vzZPvrP3nhkvMoPD_paDF-bwziBzaHhTprW/s1600/live_laugh_love_photosculpture-p1537328209271160893s98_400.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485022046839087026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRL0tdo63mkSkehwZDVeU8mh8L_QWTNzrIOSvZ1YPfGtFSqn6c-dpwILr_c8IZAP2QRs9m8Vk3Sf5s3YDxwQ_Bm9sNjEUT9X8qAm_0Za5-vzZPvrP3nhkvMoPD_paDF-bwziBzaHhTprW/s400/live_laugh_love_photosculpture-p1537328209271160893s98_400.jpg" border="0" /></a> <br />I hope that all the fathers out there have had a wonderful day, today. I hope that your children told you how much you are loved, and appreciated. I hope that you, if you still have a father, said those things to him, too.<br /><br />I'm sorry that anyone coming to my blog to see what I had posted, found nothing but an old post, and nothing uplifting. I, actually, spent quite some time, preparing, and searching for just the right graphic to go with it, but after it all, either my computer, my server, or Blogger, or the combination of them all, just wouldn't cooperate. It was one thing, after another, and so, no Happy Father's Day post.<br /><br />My heart wasn't in it, really, anyway. My son's best friend's father was buried yesterday, having died only a short time after being diagnosed with an illness, and it was a shock to everyone. I kept thinking, all day, yesterday, and today, how very sad this day would be for his family...for my son's best friend.<br /><br />Only a few days ago, another friend of his, was killed in a motorcycle accident, and another friend, underwent surgery for a brain tumor. I kept thinking of the fathers of these boys, thinking that instead of happiness on this day, there would be such sadness.<br /><br />I think of the three boys--not so long ago, just playmates--and my heart aches for them, and for the families.<br /><br />I said to my son, that life is unpredictable. None of us can know what tomorrow may bring, and no one is promised tomorrow, so today, and every day, tell the ones that you love, that they are loved, and appreciated. <br /><br />I try to do that, on a daily basis, and I hope that all of you, if you don't, already, will, too.<br /><br />Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind.<br />~Henri Frederick Amiel<br /><br />And to this, I add:<br /><br />Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.<br />~1 Peter 4:8-9Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-23441440344533775842010-06-14T16:26:00.003-04:002010-06-14T16:36:08.087-04:00In Honor Of Flag Day 2010<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNT20qntD-Ps6X3jDRn23dGz5sVAu6n8S_DFtDBsxsv2Ptbu-KZTyVm3YVmMXm7j1twmW7jtOiiIgF8J62MyOJsNWRABc6hoFeS5xJE-zNBsu9i5gsc3pKLTkSxat2YIIwvNzTYa6wNxpX/s1600/Flag+Day.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482728719733085410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 264px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNT20qntD-Ps6X3jDRn23dGz5sVAu6n8S_DFtDBsxsv2Ptbu-KZTyVm3YVmMXm7j1twmW7jtOiiIgF8J62MyOJsNWRABc6hoFeS5xJE-zNBsu9i5gsc3pKLTkSxat2YIIwvNzTYa6wNxpX/s400/Flag+Day.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:180%;">God Bless America!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Long may our flag wave over a Free Country!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Amen.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-8254843131493021022010-05-31T00:59:00.003-04:002010-05-31T01:08:58.930-04:00Thank You To Our Fallen Warriors<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSTuuZbVHpHb9WY3ymeOyd8RF8g3EltN43mdmIDBDGB6DOUiNElGgab18uvb4qwKyjLDKUc9dY4zS293AgqKMHVP-mDb8b6UfWv4rmkWuLb7N53OZ9qSbIEqR0JtQw_VLKEZ_IeW7R-AH/s1600/memorial-day-shadow-soldier.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477295353566566594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSTuuZbVHpHb9WY3ymeOyd8RF8g3EltN43mdmIDBDGB6DOUiNElGgab18uvb4qwKyjLDKUc9dY4zS293AgqKMHVP-mDb8b6UfWv4rmkWuLb7N53OZ9qSbIEqR0JtQw_VLKEZ_IeW7R-AH/s400/memorial-day-shadow-soldier.jpg" border="0" /></a> Thank you, to our Fallen Warriors.<br /><br />Thank you for your sacrifice.<br /><br /> It is because of you, that at this moment I have the freedom to write these words. I know that in other places, in other parts of the world, many do not have this privilege. I know, also, that there are many that have not the slightest bit of gratitude for what we have, nor any idea of the great cost to you, and to the ones you loved, and love you, still. <br /><br />No matter that it's been said many times before, it needs to be said again, and again...freedom really is not free. May the price you have paid not be taken lightly, and may it never be taken for granted. <br /><br />Most of all, may it never have been in vain.<br /><br />Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."<br />~ John 15:1~Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-8106842583204592802010-05-29T22:49:00.003-04:002010-05-29T23:14:42.553-04:00A Word Is Such A Powerful Thing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0tp_J6rPxTvDJZz2j6TpN6YbV33IE7aLaFq028OzhBHXXdI2wI-pZ0PUa0bl1sDiegGnmDzloP0UlFPpSTl07Qb51s5cuWbU9HfzPe4JViMripN9VrEFIZBeOzVg6DlMcrp3Kfz4YcD7/s1600/more-than-words.jpg"><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 303px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476890210522280274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0tp_J6rPxTvDJZz2j6TpN6YbV33IE7aLaFq028OzhBHXXdI2wI-pZ0PUa0bl1sDiegGnmDzloP0UlFPpSTl07Qb51s5cuWbU9HfzPe4JViMripN9VrEFIZBeOzVg6DlMcrp3Kfz4YcD7/s400/more-than-words.jpg" /></a></p> Sometimes, it is very hard to express what one is thinking. Thoughts don't always translate into words, exactly what one wishes to convey, and words are very powerful. That's why it is so important to think before speaking, I suppose. <br /><br />I am not a poet, but here are some words that came to me one day while feeling a little wounded by some words that were spoken:<br /><br />A word is such a powerful thing<br />It can lift a heart, or break it.<br /><br />Be very careful what you say<br />Once said, you can't retake it.<br /><br />It could be the reason, too, that my very wise mother, and grandmother, said to me, "If you can't say anything good about someone, don't say anything at all."<br /><br />What a wonderful world it would be, if we would remember to speak only that which is good, and uplifting, and encouraging, so that our words become a blessing, rather than a burden.<br /><br />Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.<br />~Philippians 4:8~<br />kjvUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-56316689853815437092010-05-23T04:05:00.003-04:002010-05-23T22:12:22.363-04:00Native American Prayer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvsYjaI4_Y17MIt-AdI9bd6TNzQMw34rkwaLNiU3cXzjOML84XahWtHb22tQ0rZoCc46nNPRu9UX-yCn3ovGOLbhP5fPjZOAOV3w6OWuoVS9Wh294myP5z78eO4_THTV0zg1dq-Mt5BDR/s1600/untitled.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 324px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474373759930418738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvsYjaI4_Y17MIt-AdI9bd6TNzQMw34rkwaLNiU3cXzjOML84XahWtHb22tQ0rZoCc46nNPRu9UX-yCn3ovGOLbhP5fPjZOAOV3w6OWuoVS9Wh294myP5z78eO4_THTV0zg1dq-Mt5BDR/s400/untitled.jpg" /></a> Oh Great Spirit, <br /><br />Whose voice I hear in the wind, <br />Whose breath gives life to the world, <br />Hear me!<br /><br />I come to you as one of your many children. <br />I am small and weak. <br />I need your strength and wisdom.<br /><br />May I walk in beauty. <br />Make my eyes behold the red and purple sunset. <br />Make my hands respect the things that you have made, <br />And my ears sharp to hear your voice.<br /><br />Make me wise so that I may know the things <br />That you have taught your children-- <br />The lessons that you have hidden in every leaf and rock.<br /><br />Make me strong, not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able to fight my greatest enemy: myself.<br /><br />Make me ever ready to come to you with straight eyes, so that <br />When life fades as the faded sunset <br />My spirit will come to you without shame.<br />~Native American prayer~Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-4043822392763926042010-05-19T02:45:00.002-04:002010-05-19T03:00:08.155-04:00Keepers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgby1HUv3ZTvhXduVZN-zFoZOPoQ_HLD7gF7c-n3zP9yJqKLAn9-YpeG7P8oOZQZKfLm9huJge0eOjUKklaMLFDc2kIZkgaS8F90NnZHkBGcTgEMQcIiqNFIziDD6elGDaHqmMamc420ETo/s1600/untitled.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 219px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472868880138428402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgby1HUv3ZTvhXduVZN-zFoZOPoQ_HLD7gF7c-n3zP9yJqKLAn9-YpeG7P8oOZQZKfLm9huJge0eOjUKklaMLFDc2kIZkgaS8F90NnZHkBGcTgEMQcIiqNFIziDD6elGDaHqmMamc420ETo/s400/untitled.jpg" /></a> Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see them now. Dad in trousers, tee shirt, and a hat, and Mom in a housedress, lawn mower in one hand, and dish-towel in the other. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep.<br /><br />It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, eating, renewing. I wanted, just once, to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more.<br /><br />But then my mother died, and on that clear summer's night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more.<br /><br />Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away, never to return. So, while we have it, it's best we love it And care for it. And fix it when it's broken. And heal it when it's sick.<br /><br />This is true for marriage, and old cars, and children with bad report cards. Dogs and cats with bad hips. And aging parents, and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it --because we are worth it. Some things we keep -- like a best friend that moved away, or a classmate we grew up with.<br /><br />There are just some things that make life important -- like people we know who are special --and so, we keep them close!<br /><br />*This was sent to me today --I thought it was worth keeping --and sharing.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-69890852864475707382010-05-13T00:39:00.002-04:002010-05-13T00:55:01.818-04:00Building Your House<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBo03dtl9SZqq7AnYDwCDpzH67KMJXoRaiDXVxIuabjGfQPRt1v0W61EPuvZieHJUTHUaoLNICPWtnZt3-XE4TglZBfRUVPfMAOVFcGkNt5zj9CGcOFSrPABy6-Nl54KVsoWhsDa-ade1f/s1600/fall-scene2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 303px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470609941329257522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBo03dtl9SZqq7AnYDwCDpzH67KMJXoRaiDXVxIuabjGfQPRt1v0W61EPuvZieHJUTHUaoLNICPWtnZt3-XE4TglZBfRUVPfMAOVFcGkNt5zj9CGcOFSrPABy6-Nl54KVsoWhsDa-ade1f/s400/fall-scene2.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>I've had some conversations, recently, concerning the choices we make in life, and the consequences of some of those choices. When things are going well, we don't think so much about that, but when adversity comes, it becomes easier to question, not only ourselves, but the wisdom of God. It is easier to do that, than to take responsibility for our own choices, I suppose, but in the end, we still have to live with the consequences.<br /><br />I think the following story pretty much puts it into perspective.<br /><br />Building Your House<br /><br />An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer- contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by.</div><br /><div></div><div>The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.</div><br /><div></div><div>When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, "This is your house...my gift to you."</div><br /><div></div><div>The carpenter was shocked!</div><br /><div></div><div>What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.</div><br /><div></div><div>So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day, you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. </div><br /><div></div><div>Someone once said, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the "house" you will live in tomorrow. </div><div> </div><div>Therefore, build wisely! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-73029996360882614542010-05-08T23:04:00.002-04:002010-05-08T23:12:08.732-04:00In Honor Of My Mother<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAAOUalMkwLbsvdfr4SyTs7LKWTTPnJ0XGJlUayjc5raZYsoE1wNZ__erlzNDPoEwHkQRCNJ6WvFsAFJzu0I0_hYW33040poxRmR6Kmez2bElncMOLP6bllTtRCNSeQuZzQsjWmoHfL0k/s1600/4326591707_99a6b3fe9d.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 398px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469101015694189842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAAOUalMkwLbsvdfr4SyTs7LKWTTPnJ0XGJlUayjc5raZYsoE1wNZ__erlzNDPoEwHkQRCNJ6WvFsAFJzu0I0_hYW33040poxRmR6Kmez2bElncMOLP6bllTtRCNSeQuZzQsjWmoHfL0k/s400/4326591707_99a6b3fe9d.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I loved my precious little mother so much, and I've missed her every single day that she has been gone, but the feeling of loss is so much more pronounced when Mother's Day rolls around. I think of all the other Mother's Days, in days gone by, when she was still in my life, and I wonder if I always gave her the honor, of which she was so worthy. <br /><br />I know how much I loved her, and there is no measure for that...no way to measure it, but did I always do everything that was within my power to show her how very much I loved her? I've thought of it, often, and there are only a couple of times, that I can remember, that I know I hurt her, however unintentional it was. Once, was when I asked her why she had stayed with my stepfather, considering all the times that he treated her cruelly, and many times, humiliated her. I just didn't understand, and so, one day when he had ridiculed her for some silly reason, had spoken so harshly to her, I asked her, "Why do you stay with him? Why don't you leave him, and come and live with me?" The look on her face, of shock, and, yes, pain, cut me to the very quick, as she answered, "Because I love him, Janice." <br /><br />That night, while lying in bed, remembering our conversation, and her expression, and her answer to the insensitive, and thoughtless question that I had asked her, I told the Lord that if I lived to see tomorrow, I would tell my mother how very sorry I was that I had hurt her, and ask her forgiveness...and I did. And so typically of my mother, she answered, "Oh, Janice...there is nothing to forgive. You're my girl." How my heart yearns to feel the warmth, and the love of that hug that she gave me, then. Also, typically, she said, "Daddy never means to hurt my feelings by the things he says and he does. I know he loves me. He just doesn't know how to show it." <br /><br />That was another wonderful quality that she had...she never blamed anyone for anything. She was always willing to forgive, and not only to forgive, but to forget. At least, if she did think about it, she never brought it up, again. Her life was not an easy one, and she suffered much mistreatment in a lot of ways, but she never felt sorry for herself, and rather than blaming others for their misdeeds, she chose to forgive them. She offered her heart to them, without guile.<br /><br />What a wonderful world it would be if we could all be that forgiving of one another. I know that there are myriads of different families, circumstances, lifestyles, and personalities, and I know that there are such conflicts in some families, for many reasons, that it is often easier said than done, but still...wouldn't it be wonderful if we all could? And if we could, we would? <br /><br />My prayer, always, is that I never hold onto resentment, bitterness, or unforgiveness, toward anyone, for anything. Like my mother, I choose to let it go.<br /><br />On this special day, in honor of my own precious, and beloved mother, Sarah, I offer this same prayer for you, and mothers everywhere. <br /><br />May you forgive, and be forgiven. May you show honor,and receive it as you give it. May your hearts be filled with peace and love.<br /><br />Mother, the memory of you is worth more than all the treasures of the earth.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-71327118824954787332010-05-07T01:22:00.003-04:002010-05-07T01:55:08.716-04:00God's Pharmacy<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPpSpxG0YpCpWzdskesfXbpbz7lnz8GPm4E06Pit_JQ6zCDmWSAoBB20G-8c62ghzpganYy2vVohdRIZE1T-pNNlrZcSIiMAXTr5psDQUdtpVczzOLCtH1nRbhRWcQKAdHIxCeiTvrRSC/s1600/untitled.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 312px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468394285274003810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPpSpxG0YpCpWzdskesfXbpbz7lnz8GPm4E06Pit_JQ6zCDmWSAoBB20G-8c62ghzpganYy2vVohdRIZE1T-pNNlrZcSIiMAXTr5psDQUdtpVczzOLCtH1nRbhRWcQKAdHIxCeiTvrRSC/s400/untitled.jpg" /></a><br />It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish. . . all before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw.<br /><br />We're such slow learners.<br /></div><div align="justify"><br />God left us a some great clues as to what foods help what part of our body! A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />The above is an excerpt from an article which tells about other fruits and vegetables that help the different parts of our bodies. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />To read the rest of it, go <a href="http://www.all-natural.com/food-pharmacy.htm">here.</a></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />This has been around for awhile, but it is truly amazing, and well worth reading several times!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-41639177031851446632010-05-04T16:38:00.004-04:002010-05-04T17:55:26.180-04:00About Friendship<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKu53I1LlR8z9lRc3Y5CmroZpvD1ZmNBUCOsGJE8g761UNVnaw0Hb99LiAdvGyS9GZuXCdtRzavCEjvYem7BN0ARTnGEwYjfAp-oIlGjESNVp86Se4nBAlO5lzuveMMbrIT7cYbdRyIQl/s1600/friend1231203588.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467517297630734962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKu53I1LlR8z9lRc3Y5CmroZpvD1ZmNBUCOsGJE8g761UNVnaw0Hb99LiAdvGyS9GZuXCdtRzavCEjvYem7BN0ARTnGEwYjfAp-oIlGjESNVp86Se4nBAlO5lzuveMMbrIT7cYbdRyIQl/s400/friend1231203588.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is another repost, but I have acquired a few new readers, recently, so decided to post it, once more.<br /><br />My reason for doing so, is that I have been reminded, again, that not everyone that you like and admire, neccesarily feels the same about you. That's okay. Some people are more reticent, and are not comfortable when certain others reach out to them. And besides, the way that society is changing, one can never be too careful when choosing even a casual acquaintance.<br /><br />Perhaps, you have already read this, but if so, I hope that you get something out of reading it, again.<br /><br />If you have only recently started reading my blog, I want to tell you that I am pleased that you are here, and thank you that you have chosen to be here.<br /><br /><br />I have been thinking a lot about friendship, lately. Thinking of some friends that I've lost, in the past, and some that I've acquired, recently. I know that it is said that you should choose your friends carefully, but sometimes that is easier said than done. Sometimes, they just happen along, and things either work out, or they don't. I've had a few that I thought were genuine, but found out that it was not so.<br /><br />I have never been one to choose, or keep a friend based on looks, age, education, or wealth. I've never chosen a friend based on how sophisticated they happen to be, or how enlightened. Prestige, fame, and fortune, have never impressed me in the least. I've been poor--just about as poor as you can imagine--and I've been fairly well-off.<br /><br />I've had--and still have some of them--friends who were doctors, lawyers, college professors, politicians, pharmacists, an engineer, a physicist, a theologian, and a celebrity or two. I've, also, had friends who were common laborers, who worked their fingers to the bone, so to speak. Each and every one of those friendships have been based on things held in common--the only things of any real importance in a friendship --honesty, integrity, respect, and genuine affection.<br /><br />I've been treated badly when I was very poor--in my growing-up years--and I've been kow-towed to, a few times, just because of my particular strata of society at the time. I guess I should be thankful for each and every one of those friendships, because I'm sure that I learned something valuable from each one. One thing that I have learned for sure--people are just people. Some are users, and some are losers, and some are the cream of the crop. Treat each one with kindness and respect, as much as it is possible, and most of the time, they will do the same. If not, then it is time to move on.<br /><br />The following was written by an unknown author, as much as I can determine. Many have claimed authorship, but it is disputed.<br /><br />"People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.<br /><br />Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season."<br /><br />LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant."<br /><br />I've made some wonderful friends on here, and some which turned out to be not so wonderful..but even so, I learned from it. There are some, though, that I hope to keep for a lifetime, even though I may never meet them in person, it seems as though we have. A genuine friendship is a gift to be treasured.<br /><br />That's one of the most important lessons I've learned.<br /><br />I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world. ~Thomas A. Edison ~<br /><br />Me, too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-32514145823634597122010-05-01T00:15:00.002-04:002010-05-01T00:20:43.814-04:00What Is It?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfnmNaB_IH4MLKCy1BqXutTJGQAq837asLIJIoX6jt0J-b0LPyST08LcuCEPry5A9cREuAEjIIblPR2Xy8I9038283aU4L6sDpp5hFuYBYVKPEu5ejIGx-cjaGHdZL2tWg6NlsEKHj_Op/s1600/000_Rembrandt-15.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 161px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466118909695252802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfnmNaB_IH4MLKCy1BqXutTJGQAq837asLIJIoX6jt0J-b0LPyST08LcuCEPry5A9cREuAEjIIblPR2Xy8I9038283aU4L6sDpp5hFuYBYVKPEu5ejIGx-cjaGHdZL2tWg6NlsEKHj_Op/s400/000_Rembrandt-15.jpg" /></a> There is so much unrest, and uncertainty in our land right now. There are times when one wonders if the constant struggle to cope from day to day is really going to accomplish anything. Just when we think that, maybe, there is hope, something else comes along, and knocks the breath right out of us.<br /><br />Even so, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and get on with the business of living, of striving for the dream in all of our hearts, even though life is complicated, and reality is harsh.<br /><br /><br /><p align="left">But what is it that makes us go on dreaming, even in the stark daylight of reality?<br /><br />Why does our heart tell us to keep going in the face of every opposition?<br /><br />What is the force that drives us ever onward toward a goal that seems unobtainable?<br /><br />What gives us the courage to carry on, even when it seems that we have gone the last mile?<br /><br />What is the never ending force that travels through our being--the force that is our being?<br /><br />Why do we struggle against it?<br /><br />Why the resistance against the thing that is trying to work for our good?<br /><br />We all must have a dream. A destiny to fulfill. A pattern that can be formed in it's entirety, by only specific pieces of life, much in the same way that a picture is formed only by each specific piece of a jigsaw puzzle. A piece which has been cut to perfection, and will only fit into that one particular part of the puzzle--its shape and size and color, made to be fitted into no other part--the picture, which without it, is incomplete.<br /><br />If a piece is forced into a part of the puzzle, for which it was not made, the picture is misshapen and imperfect.<br /><br />And such is life.<br /><br />Our lives are like a jigsaw puzzle. We keep searching until we have found the piece of the puzzle which fits perfectly into the picture. Much searching, much trying, much forcing of pieces--trying to make a whole of perfection--our perfect picture. They have to be looked for carefully, and sometimes they are hard to find, yet, we keep searching.<br /><br />Sometimes, the piece looks exactly as if it will fit, but it doesn't, and we try to force it into place. because it looks like it belongs there. Finally, after much effort we put that piece aside, and go on searching for the one that fits.<br /><br />The important thing is that although we may search long and hard through the pieces that don't fit, eventually we find the ones which do, and we have that for which we have been striving.<br /><br />Just as a puzzle is challenging at times, discouraging at others, but ultimately fulfilling when it all comes together, beautifully, as a result of our efforts--such is the putting together of each of our lives, and the pursuit of our dreams.<br /><br />It's the challenges, the discouragements, the searching and the trying, and the determination to see the fulfillment of our endeavors culminate into the perfect picture.<br /><br />But what is it really that drives us toward the ultimate dream, in spite of all of the adversity all around us?<br /><br />It's faith, and hope.<br /><br />In spite of those whom would turn our lives upside-down, by changing what we have always known, by trying to take away our freedoms, by causing chaos, and almost putting asunder all the pieces of the puzzle that we have worked so hard to fit together--it is faith in Someone bigger than we are, and hope in the knowledge that Good will always triumph over Evil in the grand scheme of things.</p><p align="left">That's what it is.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-60397083147364697422010-04-26T15:19:00.003-04:002010-04-27T19:21:52.955-04:00It's Your Life<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJExCSvG3WVVkR3lJ329GzVSoXYVwjd9o6QMEqOaDcBDpCttKbQF6G-m7cBWbSQeI-2CbmXAUAMjoVxLd_Y_QDcHIIS7_I1MiS4jumeqZ6CgpJlakb8FLZvxJdKqo-h5Z6OrWUVpuBbtE5/s1600/tcl032.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 312px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464528644962941362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJExCSvG3WVVkR3lJ329GzVSoXYVwjd9o6QMEqOaDcBDpCttKbQF6G-m7cBWbSQeI-2CbmXAUAMjoVxLd_Y_QDcHIIS7_I1MiS4jumeqZ6CgpJlakb8FLZvxJdKqo-h5Z6OrWUVpuBbtE5/s400/tcl032.jpg" /></a> LIFE IS A THEATER<br /><br />Invite Your Friends Carefully<br /><br />Observe the relationships areound you. Pay close attention.<br /><br />Which ones lift, and which ones lean?<br /><br />Which ones encourage, and which ones discourage?<br /><br />Which ones are on a path of growth uphill, and which ones are going downhill?<br /><br />When you leave certain people, do you feel better or worse?<br /><br />Which ones have drama, or don't really know, understand, or appreciate you?<br /><br />The more you seek quality, respect, growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you...the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the Front, and who should be moved to the Balcony of Your Life.<br /><br />If you cannot change the people around you, CHANGE the people you are around.<br /><br />Remember that the people we hang with will have an impact on both our lives, and our incomes...so we must choose the people we hang out with, as well as the information with which we feed our minds.<br /><br />We must not share our dreams with negative people, nor feed our dreams with negative thoughts.<br /><br />It's your choice, and your life...it is up to you, who and what you let in it.<br /><br />~Author Unknown~<br /><br />I have my own thoughts about this, having experienced some rather toxic relationships in my own life.<br /><br />Sometimes, the people around us are not the ones that we have chosen, but are just part of the package of life, so to speak. We don't get to pick and choose our relatives, certainly, and then when we marry, we get the relatives that our spouses didn't get to choose, either, which makes for an even more complicated set of circumstances at times.<br /><br />Sometimes, it seems that some of our worst enemies are our own relatives, and when that's not the case, it is an added blessing...however, it doesn't always work out that way, as I'm sure you are aware.<br /><br />Yes, we can choose our friends, and when they don't work out, we are free to go our own separate ways, but what to do about our own relatives? Well, my husband and I have discussed this many times, and prayed about it, just as much...especially when we were having a very difficult time with one of my relatives, who was giving us a lot of grief over the care of my invalid mother....which resulted in banning her from our home, for awhile. He said that we should love our relatives, but we don't have to subject ourselves to their toxic behavior...and that's true.<br /><br />One day as I was praying, I asked the Lord why my aunt seemed to hate me so much, and tried to find fault with everything that I tried to do in the care of my mother, and suddenly, it came like a bolt out of the blue. It wasn't that she hated me so much, but that she loved my mother, her sister, so much! After that, I began to view it in that light, and it seemed that a complete change came over my aunt, and our relationship was restored, and after a few years, she told me how very sorry she was that she had acted the way that she had, and asked my forgiveness.<br /><br />Now, we are closer than ever, and she thinks there is no one else in the world who knows as much about taking care of an invalid, or anyone who needs any kind of care. She now calls me her daughter, and asks my advice about everything. LOL...yes, I have to laugh out loud, when I think of the goodness of God, and how He is able to work all things together for good, if we will only allow Him. If we ask, He will give us guidance and direction as to whom we should allow a front row seat in our lives!<br /><br />"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."<br />~Proverbs 3:5-6~Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-19277074803084414712010-04-13T16:26:00.001-04:002010-04-13T16:45:14.828-04:00A Day In The Springtime<div align="center"><strong><em><span style="color:#663300;">The following story is, actually, a re post of a re post. Obviously, it is not the first day of Spring, and a lot has transpired in our world since the last re post, and current events are still depressing, and distressing...but it is a beautiful Spring day, and days like this remind me of the day in my story, and of the fact, that in spite of all of the ugliness around us, there is still beauty in the world, and hope, which gives us a reason for rejoicing in what we still have. Where there is hope, there is the feeling that all will be well, whatever the circumstances.<br /><br /></span></em></strong></div><div align="center"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxp07Ndcuub6sxzCpgalmGVw1MsRWYfi7LLNeO0tWUvXPmr8gijCkhxFuUrPiiQPZMvEuukselpkzNDmx0Sjk4IomzcsfAr0KdwwJEDQBcYY7-xwL-X0W9yT9M1GlU7lh7YKUKOELEx-U/s1600-h/liu-ke-yin_111-small.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104947013278761234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxp07Ndcuub6sxzCpgalmGVw1MsRWYfi7LLNeO0tWUvXPmr8gijCkhxFuUrPiiQPZMvEuukselpkzNDmx0Sjk4IomzcsfAr0KdwwJEDQBcYY7-xwL-X0W9yT9M1GlU7lh7YKUKOELEx-U/s320/liu-ke-yin_111-small.jpg" /></a><br /></div><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;">This being the first day of spring, I thought it would be a good time to depart from the more depressing current events, and re post one of my more uplifting stories.<br /><br />To this very day, I can recall the particular day mentioned here, in detail.<br /><br />I opened my eyes, and stretched, kicking the sheets off my suntanned legs with quick, little scissor kicks. It was early in the morning, but already it was hot, and muggy, causing the sheet to feel clingy, and uncomfortable. I just lay there, savoring the smell of bacon and coffee, the aroma hanging thick in the humid air. I could hear Mama in the kitchen, taking the heavy, iron skillet filled with biscuits, out of the oven and setting it down with a dull thud on top of the stove. Outside of the open window, I could hear birds singing. I felt like singing, too. I was fifteen years old, and it was springtime. It felt good, just being alive!</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;">After breakfast, and after dishes, I put on my black Capri pants, and pink turtleneck top. I wished I didn't stick out so far in front. Being so tiny in the waist made me look twice as big at the top--and I didn't like the way the boys stared at me. It seemed to me that they never did get around to looking at me at eye-level--but worse than that were the snide remarks some of the girls at school made. If I heard, "Where'd you get those--Sears Catalogue?" one more time, I thought I'd scream.</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;">Oh well, there could be worse things wrong with me than that--like being too skinny, like my best friend, Jean. She envied me, my bustline, but I sure didn't envy her, her skinny legs. I giggled at the thought of her with my bustline and her skinny legs!</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;">Speak of the devil, I thought, as I heard her calling me from her front porch, across the road and three houses up. I ran outside, slamming the flimsy screen door behind me. I ran down the steps, and up the unpaved road to her house. </span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;">She was sitting on the steps, combing her hair which she had just washed. Maybe her legs were too skinny, but she sure did have beautiful hair. It was down to her waist, and looked like fluffy gold.</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;">"Gosh, Jean, your hair looks absolutely beautiful," I said. I felt good. She got into her best movie star pose, and said, "I know--I wish I could say the same about yours."</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;">"Well, why don't you tell a lie--like I just did?" I said, feeling gorgeous as the morning!</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;">Mama was calling me home to go to the store for washing powder. I got the money, and ran across the road to the trail that ran down the hill through the little patch of woods, and was a shortcut between our house and the store. Just at the top of the hill was a large, flat rock from which you could see far away over the tree tops.</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;">I jumped up on the rock, taking deep breaths of fresh, clean air. The sweetness of spring flowers filled my nostrils. The beautiful profusion of color, and the potpourri of fragrance was intoxicating! I wanted to sprout wings, and soar through the air! I felt like crying. It felt so good just to be alive on a day like this!</span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;"></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#996633;">I took some more deep breaths, and stretched my arms in embrace of the beauty all around me. I looked up at the sky, and said, "When I die, let it be exactly like now, and let it be on a day in the springtime!" Tears slid down my face for some strange reason that I didn't understand. I felt clean, and pure, and gorgeous--yes, gorgeous as the morning!</span></em></strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-82549752046126727232010-04-04T14:13:00.003-04:002010-04-04T15:08:03.957-04:00Because He Lives...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjJcvCDjvhz6forIVsrZgA67r9RXZknbNoKDqHppTfCd4gVL-8OwS8q7r2cf55ReN3xBgRARtL7DkMG4cCcoChsALV4yQZ2GDWJlRj2rMq5R0cG6L-qZbLtbkVvqaFpyg0AIQmCKl5-Wz/s1600/EmptyTomb.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456347358525483266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjJcvCDjvhz6forIVsrZgA67r9RXZknbNoKDqHppTfCd4gVL-8OwS8q7r2cf55ReN3xBgRARtL7DkMG4cCcoChsALV4yQZ2GDWJlRj2rMq5R0cG6L-qZbLtbkVvqaFpyg0AIQmCKl5-Wz/s400/EmptyTomb.jpg" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="color:#330000;">We associate Lent, Passion Week, Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday, with the days leading up to the Celebration of Easter, but it is the event that occurred that we, as Christians, celebrate.</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color:#330000;"></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color:#330000;"><br />It is not about colored eggs, jelly beans, or Easter bunnies, but about the empty tomb, and what it represents to us.</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color:#330000;"></span></strong></div><strong><span style="color:#330000;"><div><br />Our Christian faith is anchored in the fact that Jesus Christ was crucified, resurrected, and glorified, and the belief that He is the Son of God. </div><div></div><div><br />His word can be trusted. His sacrifice for our sin allows us complete forgiveness, which assures us that when we believe in Him, we too, can conquer death, so we turn to Him for mercy, guidance, and direction.</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color:#330000;"></span></strong></div><strong><span style="color:#330000;"><div><br />Death could not hold Him! </div><div></div><div><br />The tomb was empty! He is risen! He is alive! And because He lives, we shall live, also! </div><div></div><div><br />For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.</div><div> </div><div>John 3:16 kjv</span></strong></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-36800267095870890272010-03-04T23:18:00.005-05:002010-03-04T23:52:38.331-05:00I Believe...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhpaXHmQfcRJQAu0rnSv4JLNn71UrWTXL8EWkcBb5m7mKNtrXC3h4J2_ExZj_Cr4M9Fk6fA4V5ENGxEgk95Nminbh1cmxrBmAbx6PD8_fNJsw_1rR0gRI_cPXsMTJ_bxLQ-srySXBWVMe/s1600-h/IBELIEVE.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444999767337383970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhpaXHmQfcRJQAu0rnSv4JLNn71UrWTXL8EWkcBb5m7mKNtrXC3h4J2_ExZj_Cr4M9Fk6fA4V5ENGxEgk95Nminbh1cmxrBmAbx6PD8_fNJsw_1rR0gRI_cPXsMTJ_bxLQ-srySXBWVMe/s400/IBELIEVE.jpg" /></a> I Believe...<br /><br />That just because two people argue,<br />It doesn't mean they don't love each other.<br />And just because they don't argue,<br />It doesn't mean they do love each other.<br /><br />I Believe...<br /><br />That we don't have to change friends if<br />We understand that friends change.<br /><br />I Believe....<br /><br />That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while<br />And you must forgive them for that.<br /><br />I Believe....<br /><br />That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.<br />Same goes for true love.<br /><br />I Believe...<br /><br />That you can do something in an instant<br />That will give you heartache for life.<br /><br />I Believe....<br /><br />That it's taking me a long time<br />To become the person I want to be.<br /><br />I Believe....<br /><br />That you should always leave loved ones with<br />Loving words. It may be the last time you see them.<br /><br />I Believe....<br /><br />That you can keep going long after you think you can't.<br /><br />I Believe.....<br /><br />That we are responsible for what<br />We do, no matter how we feel.<br /><br />I Believe...<br /><br />That either you control your attitude or it controls you.<br /><br />I Believe...<br /><br />That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.<br /><br />I Believe....<br /><br />That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.<br /><br />I Believe....<br /><br />That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.<br /><br />I Believe...<br /><br />That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,<br />But that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.<br /><br />I Believe....<br /><br />That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had<br />And what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.<br /><br />I Believe....<br /><br />That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others.<br />Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.<br /><br />I Believe...<br /><br />That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.<br /><br />I Believe.....<br /><br />That our background and circumstances<br />May have influenced who we are,<br />But, we are responsible for who we become.<br /><br />I Believe...<br /><br />That you shouldn't be so eager to find<br />Out a secret.<br />It could change your life<br />Forever.<br /><br />I Believe....<br /><br />Two people can look at the exact same<br />Thing and see something totally different.<br /><br />I Believe...<br /><br />That your life can be changed in a matter of<br />Hours by people who don't even know you.<br /><br />I Believe...<br /><br />That even when you think you have no more to give,<br />When a friend cries out to you -<br />You will find the strength to help.<br /><br />I Believe...<br /><br />That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.<br /><br />I Believe...<br /><br />That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.<br /><br />I Believe...<br /><br />That the happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;<br />They just make the most of everything they have.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-79034080672423272702010-02-19T18:27:00.004-05:002010-02-19T19:17:06.848-05:00On Self Knowledge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWkVuLF0Zl8xHsqhiw0lHKbvRiWPx22IOeMfjIolM_kzPQupQtyDnsHXQl7mYDetvEjHomfzO5ESi6fNBobG4Tjbky2CA6mf3t_1791CVvkWEeRiBfq2hD_E9lH9kUWsu9LUEvnwZ83R3/s1600-h/FM726.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 161px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440101101306329874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWkVuLF0Zl8xHsqhiw0lHKbvRiWPx22IOeMfjIolM_kzPQupQtyDnsHXQl7mYDetvEjHomfzO5ESi6fNBobG4Tjbky2CA6mf3t_1791CVvkWEeRiBfq2hD_E9lH9kUWsu9LUEvnwZ83R3/s400/FM726.jpg" /></a> Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights.<br />But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge.<br /><br />You would know in words that which you have always known in thought.You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams. And it is well you should.The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea. And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes. <br /><br />But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure.And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line.For self is a sea boundless and measureless.<br /><br />Say not, "I have the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth.<br /><br />"Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." <br /><br />Say rather, "I have found the soul walking upon my path."<br /><br />For the soul walks upon all paths.The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed.The soul unfolds itself like a lotus of countless petals.<br /><br />(An excerpt from "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran)<br /><br />I dedicate this to my fellow bloggers, and to the readers of our blogs, because thoughts of you bring this to my mind.<br /><br />And because we are all in this world together.<br /><br />How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!<br />Proverbs 16:16 KJVUnknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-51232529661423419392010-02-13T22:57:00.003-05:002010-02-13T23:33:37.005-05:00Sandy Dundee<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8K13duFCy5m9aVg76d5OOc5J-t7281pmGsNmLKGCZ3tkjlcSMSKKTANcWeyUz2kYpij04twgeVIfcWzILtvFAZdss63syruL9SiXN7mrAph-Ow3KiCIggeZxWE9WnHLu6p-jrtJzC8quD/s1600-h/golden_retriever_sleeping.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 293px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437943620567085106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8K13duFCy5m9aVg76d5OOc5J-t7281pmGsNmLKGCZ3tkjlcSMSKKTANcWeyUz2kYpij04twgeVIfcWzILtvFAZdss63syruL9SiXN7mrAph-Ow3KiCIggeZxWE9WnHLu6p-jrtJzC8quD/s400/golden_retriever_sleeping.jpg" /></a> My mind seems to have gone to the dogs, lately. I don't know why, but everywhere I go, I read something about a dog, or someone sends me something about one. I even went to the New York Times today (forty lashes: I deserve at least that many for going to TNYT for any reason) to read a dog story--well, a story about dog trainers. Anyway, it has conjured up the memories of some of the dogs I have known, at one time or another. They haven't all been nice ones, either, but mostly they have been.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><br />I haven't always been that fond of them---in fact, for many years I was terrified of them, having had a nasty bite from one, requiring several stitches, and the subsequent rabies shots in my abdomen.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><br /> I was only thirteen years old, at a carnival, just strolling along, minding my own business, and the little critter came running from one of the tents and chomped down on my leg. It was a traveling carnival, and by the time that I had gotten treated at the local emergency room, the carny people who owned the dog, packed up and hightailed it out of town, taking the dog with them, of course, which was the reason I had to take all of those shots--no dog to test for rabies.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><br />Daddy always owned a dog of one kind, or another, including a lot of hunting dogs, and a few others, but Daddy was lord and master, and only a look, or a word, and they obeyed any command, so I was never afraid of them. After that little carnival episode, all other dogs scared me, and I had no fondness for them, whatsoever, until I had my two sons, and all little boys have to have a dog. It was after that, that I began to see, that just like people, they are not all bad, not all good, not all pretty, and not all ugly, and it only takes a little "getting to know you" on both sides. And just like children, some are naughty, and some are little comedians.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><br />One of our dogs, Sandy, was one of the funniest dogs in the world! We got her, and her sister, Buffy, when they were just old enough to wean from their mother. They were beautiful Golden Retrievers, and when they were about six months old, they both came down with Parvo, which is a deadly virus, and wreaks havoc on the poor animal. They both spent time at the veterinarian's hospital, but Buffy didn't make it. The doctor told us, finally, that there was nothing more to be done for Sandy, either, and the kindest thing would be to euthanize her. We refused, and brought her home, and my son, Mike, nursed her back to health. <br /><br />She was a pathetic case, too. She would lie on her side, with her tongue hanging out, and that was about all she could do for several weeks. Then she began to grow stronger and stronger, until she was bounding around just as before. The only after-effects of the illness was that she stopped growing. Just like that, she grew no more, and stayed the size of a six month old pup! She adored Mike, and was his constant companion, and she kept us laughing at her antics all the time.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><br />When we lived in Florida, she was almost caught by an alligator, and had a couple of tooth scratches on her haunch to prove it. After that, we would put a bandanna around her neck, strap a toy knife in a sheath around her middle, and when we would say, "Sandy! Alligator!" She would snap her head around, taking the toy knife into her mouth, and looking at us with what we called her Barney Fife look! While wearing her outfit, we called her Sandy Dundee, because old Crocodile Dundee had nothing on her!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><br />One Labor Day, she got out of the yard, and we couldn't find her, anywhere. A short time later, we saw her running up the street with a whole bag of buns in her mouth. We had no idea where she had gotten them. Right after that, she took off again, and this time, she came back with a whole block of butter, dropped it, and took off again, disappearing completely. Next, here she came with a piece of meat of some kind, and ashes all around her nose and mouth! She took off again, and we tried following her, but there was no sign of her anywhere! This time, we met her coming up the street, with a deflated beach ball, soaking wet, from head to toe! We were horrified, because it seems that she had found some one's Labor Day cookout, and had made off with just about everything they had! <br /><br />She had been cutting through yards, which was the reason she disappeared so quickly, and we were unable to find her. We figured that she actually went into the pool after the beach ball, or they finally caught her snitching all their stuff and squirted her with the hose. We asked around, trying to find out who was missing their Labor Day cookout stuff, but never found out where she had been! <br /><br />And Sandy? Well, she was so proud of herself, and walked around all day with her Barney Fife look--you know the cocky, smug one that he always got when he thought he had outsmarted Sheriff Taylor, or the local bad guy, or had accomplished something which he considered to be very clever. We laughed so much, but I'll bet that poor family wasn't laughing at all!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><br />When she was nearly four years old, she was hit by a car, which was flying up the rural road where we lived, at about sixty miles an hour. The driver didn't stop, or even slow down, and we lost our precious girl who had given us so much joy. And even as she faded away, lying there surrounded by the people who loved her, and were telling her how much, her eyes were full of fear and pain, but even so, they were filled with love for her humans--especially for her Mike. Her eyes never left his face.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><br />Do you think that dogs really do feel all the emotions that humans feel, like love? </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><br />I do.<br /></div><div align="left"></div><br /><br />*A repostUnknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-31017198870755249672010-02-01T01:53:00.002-05:002010-02-01T02:11:44.581-05:00It's Time To....<div align="left"><strong></strong><strong></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUFmOPaV-c8_Z8R10zs1cD2wiYryFgVDb8D56p3kcKsUTSzYWM23Vl8dSN49pzdu1J7AW48hE5YnR3TN9xw3CYKO5r8ow6Tg36aecnuxxCwCnRWNRAKNBkQ_X1ogGiYvnKsPsnfqxbCdn/s1600-h/smiley_lol.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 363px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 291px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433165765481973282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUFmOPaV-c8_Z8R10zs1cD2wiYryFgVDb8D56p3kcKsUTSzYWM23Vl8dSN49pzdu1J7AW48hE5YnR3TN9xw3CYKO5r8ow6Tg36aecnuxxCwCnRWNRAKNBkQ_X1ogGiYvnKsPsnfqxbCdn/s400/smiley_lol.gif" /></a> TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America . </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">MARIA: Here it is. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America ?</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> CLASS: Maria. </div><div align="left">____________________________________ <br /></div><div align="left">TEACHER: John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor?</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> JOHN: You told me to do it without using tables. __________________________________________ </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell 'crocodile?' </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L' </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">TEACHER: No, that's wrong. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it. </div><div align="left">____________________________________________ </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water? </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">DONALD: H I J K L M N O. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">TEACHER: What are you talking about?</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O. </div><div align="left"> __________________________________ </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">TEACHER: Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we didn't have ten years ago. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">WINNIE: Me! </div><div align="left">__________________________________________ </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">TEACHER: Glen, why do you always get so dirty?</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">GLEN: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are. _______________________________________ </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with ' I. ' </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">MILLIE: I is.. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">TEACHER: No, Millie..... Always say, 'I am.' </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">MILLIE: All right... 'I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.' ________________________________ </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn't punish him? </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">LOUIS: Because George still had the axe in his hand.... ______________________________________ </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">TEACHER: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">SIMON: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook. ______________________________ </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">TEACHER: Clyde , your composition on 'My Dog' is exactly the same as your brother's.. Did you copy his? </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">CLYDE : No, sir. It's the same dog. </div><div align="left"> ___________________________________ </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested? </div><div align="left">HAROLD: A teacher</div><div align="left"> __________________________________ <br /></div><div align="left"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-10886134486436222892010-01-31T01:11:00.002-05:002010-01-31T01:28:18.826-05:00Walk By Faith...<div align="center"><em></em><span style="color:#660000;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_UJEJ5IcORdUQQMOf87q775I8u_sMkaDO9Dy-kv8EZgsl48J6Skq-NIBGEB2b6i4jNyZstJcLBpFWJrAcyAcDC4oWRM2y-6bF65STDVZvtQwVe72rgigDSqx30t3M48zU6T0V9QGsMaA/s1600-h/walkbyfaithframesmallersonata.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 309px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432783442285670194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_UJEJ5IcORdUQQMOf87q775I8u_sMkaDO9Dy-kv8EZgsl48J6Skq-NIBGEB2b6i4jNyZstJcLBpFWJrAcyAcDC4oWRM2y-6bF65STDVZvtQwVe72rgigDSqx30t3M48zU6T0V9QGsMaA/s400/walkbyfaithframesmallersonata.gif" /></a><br /><strong>Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.</strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong> </div><div align="center"><strong>Psalm 119:105</strong></div><p> </p><div align="center"><br /></div><strong></strong><strong></strong><em></em><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071607692933192813.post-33252759840086133892010-01-28T22:58:00.003-05:002010-01-28T23:09:25.052-05:00If At First You Don't Succeed, Blame, Blame, Blame<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RCWPPTrDTzk-r6qQDKg0aFUfCocGLddI3bpDFFJyt9ipnPKw7Jx48vCLti8QTIMmaEscm2_QpveFBRzlk2WWINdKodc6LZu7Ok5wK_Yxp-l3oWxrTxFgGWVzgWXX6DFTY2mxvcDe5To2/s1600-h/angry-obama.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 252px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 344px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432006489403696002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RCWPPTrDTzk-r6qQDKg0aFUfCocGLddI3bpDFFJyt9ipnPKw7Jx48vCLti8QTIMmaEscm2_QpveFBRzlk2WWINdKodc6LZu7Ok5wK_Yxp-l3oWxrTxFgGWVzgWXX6DFTY2mxvcDe5To2/s400/angry-obama.jpg" /></a> I was almost beginning to feel sorry for President Obama a few days ago, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt..again...but after last night, I am more disappointed in him, and his performance as leader of the nation, and I didn't think that was possible.<br /><br />The reason I was beginning to feel a little sorry for him--and I know you will think this is strange--but it was a result of watching American Idol, over the years, and watching some of the contestants in their auditions. <br /><br />Are your eyebrows furrowed, yet?<br /><br />Anyway, I always think, when I see some of those poor people up there making fools of themselves, or looking just plain foolish and ignorant, and of course, getting ridiculed, and rejected, and some of them crying, some angry and defiant--I wonder why they, with absolutely no talent, or ability, or maybe a little talent, put themselves through that? Why do they audition in the first place? The more I thought about it, I realized that they, themselves, are convinced that they are super talented-- head and shoulders above the rest--not because they are, but because they have been convinced, by others...family members, friends, etc...that they are. They believe the lies that others tell them about themselves. Sometimes, though, they have a kind of mental derangement, and have grandiose ideas about themselves, and just can't accept that others can't see that.<br /><br />So, that was why I was beginning to feel a little pity for Obama, thinking how he has always been told how great, how intelligent, how charismatic--and he does have some of those positive characteristics, and abilities. He has some expertise in some areas, but he is finding out that he is not the Superman that he has been led to believe, and that has to be a hurtful awakening. So, thinking in those terms, I was feeling a little sorry for him, considering that he must be feeling a bit of a failure, after all the promises he had made, but couldn't keep.<br /><br />However, after the speech last night, I have to believe that not only has he been convinced by others that he is exceptional in every way, but that he, also, has the grandiose ideas about himself, and he came across as very angry that others could ever doubt his ability to accomplish all the things he promised, and if only everyone who doubts him, would stop fighting him, he could do it all. In other words, every single failure on his part, or his party's part, was the fault of Bush, and/or the mean old conservative Republicans.<br /><br />The way he chastised the Supreme Court Justices, before the whole nation, was inexcusable. Not only that, but it pretty much showed his disdain toward the sanctity of that office, and just about everything else that has made this nation a beacon of light to all others.<br /><br />I would have liked to have seen him succeed, as our leader, as long as it was for the good of the country, and for each of its citizens, but it looks like that is about as far-fetched as seeing me audition for American Idol!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4