Wednesday, November 21, 2007

CHAPTER 11, PAGE 21

 

 

For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.

Lily Tomlin

 

GOOD MORNING

It is OVER THE HUMP DAY!

I really was beginning to wonder if I would make it this far. It was a terrible hard climb to this Hump Day. Thankfully, I will have a couple of days to catch up at home and take some time out for me before the Family Feast on Saturday.

After work today I'm going for a hair cut. This makes the 3rd time I've gone to this same gal and I'm liking what she is doing with my hair. It is a short, easy to care for hair do

I have my cooler in the car so I can stick my Turkey in it when it arrives at work today. They say our temps could be in the 50's so I thought I'd better stick in a couple of ice packs too.

It is supposed to rain and then come tomorrow a little rain/snow mix and then after that just snow. I'll be saying a little prayer that all the travelers have safe journeys this Holiday weekend.

BLESSING FOR THE DAY

A 3 Day Work Week (The good Lord knew I needed a time out)

 

Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings.

Source: God's Little Instruction Book for Women

 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

Lao Tzu

May JOY find your HEART and warm your SOUL.

MA

 

 

 

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Tuesday, November 20, 2007

CHAPTER 11, PAGE 20

 

A story is told of a king who went into his garden one morning and found everything withering and dying. He asked an oak that stood near the gate what the trouble was. He found that it was sick of life and determined to die because it was not tall and beautiful like the pine.

The pine was out of all heart because it could not bear grapes like the vine. The vine was going to throw its life away because it could not stand erect and have as fine fruit as the pomegranate; and so on throughout the garden.

Coming to a Johnny-jump-up, he found its bright face lifted as full of cheerfulness as ever. Said the king: "Well, Johnny-jump-up, I am glad to find one brave little flower among this land of general discouragement and dying. You don't seem one bit disheartened."

 "No, your Majesty. I know I am of small account, but I concluded you wanted a Johnny-jump-up when you planted me. If you had wanted an oak or a pine or a vine or a pomegranate, you would have set one out. So I am bound to be the best Johnny-jump-up that ever I can."

To be such a "Johnny-jump-up" is a blessed thing , and a saving power in the world.

Whispers of Peace

 

GOOD MORNING !

The old saying 'BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED' is one of my very favorites. We all have days that we wish we were someplace else or were someone else, but here we are just where we were meant to be. Accepting that fact makes me more at peace with who I am and what I do.

Yesterday was payroll day at work and today I'll be paying their bills for the week . On Wednesday the boss will give out Turkeys to all the families of the men that work for us along with their paychecks for the week.

Actually they get a choice of a Turkey or a Gift Certificate to one of the local Food stores , but most of them opt for the Turkey. I know I did for sure. He is quite generouse in that way.

Then I'll off for 4 whole days in a row and they will also be busy ones but enjoyable ones for sure.

I owe, I owe

It's off to work I go...

BLESSING FOR THE DAY

Some of the Christmas presents I had ordered arrived in the mail

Just a few more to go.

 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

I give to You my thanks

And my heart kneels to pray—

God keep me and guide me

And go with me today

Helen Steiner Rice

God is with us, close to us, journeying with us and giving us the courage and strength to move forward with our lives.

May JOY find your HEART and warm your SOUL.

MA

 

Laugh at life whenever possible, and accept each day as a precious gift! Laughter is Good for the Soul !

 

 

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Monday, November 19, 2007

CHAPTER 11, PAGE 19

When we count our many blessings;

It isn't hard to see that life's

most valued treasures

are the treasures that are free.

For it isn't what we own

or buy that signifies our wealth.

It's the special gifts that have no price:

our family, friends and health.

GOOD MORNING!

Here we are again - Monday morning! Another day to rise and shine and thank the dear Lord that we can get up and off to work once more. So, I won't groan and moan, but SMILE and get with it here today.

My good cup of coffee helps some and the fact that it's only a 3 day work week helps even more!

Our Spring Angel - Joyce reminded me (thank you !) that I still need celery for the stuffing and then I remembered I'll need some onions too. I put these in the cavity of our Turkey when I roast it as I do the stuffing seperately in a pan in the oven. If I stuff that big bird it would take forever to be done.

I saw on one of the recipe sites where they recommended mixing some melted butter , some olive oil, and some thyme together and basted the bird before putting in the oven. I may try that too for something different.

 

BLESSING FOR THE DAY

A job to go to and the ability to do that job

 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Whatever the weather may be,

It's the songs ye sing,

an' the smiles ye wear,

That's a-makin' the sun shine everywhere.

James Whitcomb Riley

 

May JOY find your HEART and warm your SOUL.

MA

 

 

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Sunday, November 18, 2007

CHAPTER 11, PAGE 18

Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude to God,

our Creator and Provider,

whose guidance and care go before us...

and whose love is with us forever.

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the changes,

to remember that we, too, grow and change

from one season of life to another.

Thanksgiving is a time of changing seasons,

when leaves turn golden in Autumn's wake

and apples are crisp in the first chill breezes of fall.

Let us remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

As we see the beauty of Autumn,

let us acknowledge the many blessings which are ours...

let us think of our families and friends..

and let us give thanks in our hearts.

Author Unknown

GOOD MORNING

R & R day is here once more. I 'll go to church a little later this morning and then will try and finish up what needs to be done before I go back to work tomorrow. I did manage to get the grocery shopping all done for upcoming Thanksgiving Feast yesterday. My cart was full to running over. I know I probably forgot something , but at least the main part of it is done.

I'll be saying a special prayer for all of you today and giving some thanks and praises too for all the many blessings I've received this week.  I do hope you take some time to bless your soul with some R & R  too.  We all need it for sure.

BLESSING FOR THE DAY

Being able to sleep in a little and not have to rush off to work

 

 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;

Count your gains instead of your losses.

Count your joys instead of your woes;

Count your friends instead of your foes.

Count your smiles instead of your tears;

Count your courage instead of your fears.

Count your full years instead of your lean;

Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.

Count your health instead of your wealth;

Count on God instead of yourself.

Author Unknown

May JOY find your HEART and warm your SOUL.

MA

 

 

 

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Saturday, November 17, 2007

CHAPTER 11, PAGE 17

In the beauty of a snowflake

Falling softly on the land

Is the mystery and miracle

Of God’s great, creative hand!

Helen Steiner Rice

 

 

GOOD MORNING

We did have a few snow flakes floating around yesterday, but not much and no accumulation. One of the young men that works for us came in the office shivering and said how he didn't like this kind of weather. We both agreed that the only really good thing about snow is how pretty it looks. If you don't have to work outside it is great to be inside looking out.

Yet, I do remember how excited the 'babes' would be when it snowed. They couldn't wait to get on the coats and boots and go outside to play in it. They said they never got cold and of course didn't want to come inside either.

I did see something strange on the way home from work. A farmer's feild was totally covered with Canadian Geese. If he had planted something it was surely eaten up by the looks of things. They must be migrating south. I've never seen so many at one time. It would have been something to see that many in flight , but they stayed put as I drove by.

 

 

BLESSING FOR THE DAY

The end of a long work week has finally come and next week is only a 3 day work week. I get Thursday off for Thanksgiving Day and Friday is one of my vacation days

 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Hope is so much. Hope grows. Hope rejoices.

Hope struggles. Hope is challenged but it never dies.

It stumbles but it never falls. Hope is life and life is hope.

It's always there and always on the move.

It is imperceptible or outrageously present.

But it is always, always there.

Shana Mongwanga

Whatever any day may bring us, we need hope to cling to and give us the inspiration we all need. During these dark days of November we need some little boost and focus.

As believers we firmly believe that hope is rooted in God. On our own we are limited in what we can do. With God as a part of our lives the overall life picture can make better sense

Thought For Today by Fr.James McSweeney

May JOY find your HEART and warm your SOUL.

MA

 

 

 

 

Friday, November 16, 2007

CHAPTER 11, PAGE 16

 

 

LOVE IN THE HOME

Author Unknown

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, but have not love, I am a housekeeper - not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements, but have not love, my children learn cleanliness - not godliness.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.

Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.

Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.

Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love is present through the trials.

Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive.

Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the child, then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Love is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart.

Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection. Now I glory in God's perfection of my child. As a mother, there is much I must teach my child, but the greatest of all is love.

 

GOOD MORNING !

It is so true. What we really hope we teach our children is love and all else follows. Now I don't have children at home anymore, but I do have children and grand'babes' and if nothing else, I know that they know I love them all.

Some of them I don't get to see very often. Maybe once or twice a year if I'm lucky, but they are always in my thoughts and prayers. Having a large family like mine really does mean there are no favorites...I love them all equally and unconditionally.

As we prepare for the upcoming holidays our time gets very precious to us and sometimes we overlook those we love, just because we get so busy. I do hope I'm never to busy for any of them and time after time they prove they always have time for me too!

We are certainly colder and yesterday brought a mix of rain and sleet and those little pellets of ice. The sun broke out of the clouds for just a few seconds on my way home from work and it was a beautiful sight. It was just like God saying hello! It may be cloudy, but I'm here. I always think of our dear Lord as being Sunshine and Light.

I'm not so sure that my light ever got above the weak glimmer point yesterday, but I'm still working on it. It is FINALLY FRIDAY and so it will be a good day....Fridays are always great.

BLESSING FOR THE DAY

A nice cup of hot cider to take the chill off on Thursday evening

 

 THOUGHT FOR TODAY

If you humiliate yourself, be consoled with the thought that you probably made someone else's day . . . maybe even their week. Think of your humiliation as an act of charity.

 

May JOY find your HEART and warm your SOUL.

MA

 

 

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Thursday, November 15, 2007

CHAPTER 11, PAGE 15

Benjamin Franklin came to a personal conclusion that the lighting of streets would not only add gentility to his city, but also make it safer.

In seeking to interest the people of his native Philadelphia in street lighting, however, he didn't try to persuade them by talking about it. Instead, he hung a beautiful lantern on a long bracket outside his own front door.

Then he kept the glass brightly polished, and diligently lit the wick every evening just before dusk. People wandering down the dark street saw Franklin's light a long way off. They found its glow not only friendly and beautiful, but helpful as well.

Before long, other neighbors began placing similar lights in front of their own homes. Soon, the entire city was dotted with lights and everyone awoke to the value of street lighting. The matter was taken up with interest and enthusiasm as a citywide, city-sponsored endeavor.

From: God's Little Lessons of Life for Mom

GOOD MORNING

Is your light shinning today? I feel like mine is a faint little glimmer for sure. Winter is trying to make an early appearence here in Ohio this morning .

I 'm trying to convince myself that its not so bad going off to work in the dark and it's not so bad that I have 3 layers of clothes on so that when I step out the door I don't freeze.

We were blessed with a few days of 'Indian Summer ' and now it's over. None the less like ole' Ben I must find some way to light up my littlecorner of the world today.

I won't be trying to light the lamp post, but my attitude is in need of polishing up for sure.

BLESSING FOR THE DAY

A nice warm cozy home that will be waiting for me when I return this evening

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.

Old Irish Saying

What a lot of time we can waste, worrying about things that may never happen. In fact someone went to the trouble of finding out what we worry about. The breakdown is as follows:

Worries about things that never happen…40%

Worries about decisions already made and not changeable…30%

Worries about illnesses that never materialised…12%

Worries about friends and children who turned out to be quite capable of helping themselves…10%

Worries about real problems…8%

A quick summary of this survey would say that 92% of our worries are at best unfounded and unnecessary. With the 8% that's left the Gospel invitation is: ‘Come to me all you who labour and over burdened and I will give you rest'.

Thought For Today by Fr.James McSweeney

May JOY find your HEART and warm your SOUL.

MA