BOOK 08, CHAPTER 1, PAGE 22

Be happy. It's one way of being wise.

Colette

 

The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours.

No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen.

And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not a jot.

The possibility is always there.

Monica Baldwin

GOOD MORNING !

I’ve gathered just a few short thoughts this morning to help us start the day. It is truly a day is full of possibilities. It seems we never know from what minute to the next exactly what will happen. A phone call can change our lives. Meeting someone new can change your life. Some days are as slow as molasses and others speed by. Others, like most of mine, are just simple and ordinary.

I always try to hope for the best and make the most of what I have. Occassionally I succeed.

We are supposed to have snow today. The weather man called it a Rockie Mountain low that was moving like an Alberta Clipper. It will be in and out quickly, dumping snow along the way.

Many to the northwest of here have already had it. I’ve found that reading others journals is almost like having mypersonal weather man, because very often the weather they are having comes our way the next day.

I am keeping my layers of clothing on trying to keep warm and haven’t had to take any off lately. If anything I ‘m adding another.

Thought for Today

You can't give a hug without getting a hug.

Author Unknown

And…

Don't let people drive you crazy when you know it's in walking distance.

Author Unknown

May your day be blessed with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

MA

 

 

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 1, PAGE 21

Find joy in doing nothing and you can find it in everything. Experience happiness without a reason and you can create happiness for any reason. Realize that happiness is not the result of good things, but is indeed the cause of good things.

There is nothing you need in order to be happy other than the choice to be. Imagine living this day filled with joy, happiness and positive purpose. Imagine it, then take one more step and actually do it. Let go of any concern you may have for what does or does not come your way.

Focus instead on the good and valuable things that you can give, create, inspire and choose to experience. Don't allow the world to pull you down with its negativity. Choose to transform the world around you with your own positive outlook.

Real joy is always a choice you can make. Live with joy, let happiness flow out from you, and life becomes more radiant with each passing moment.

Ralph Marston

GOOD MORNING !

Here we are Monday and BACK TO WORK once more.

What a fast weekend. I got very little accomplished, but I did get some much needed rest so I should be all refreshed and renewed for the week ahead.

Many people have today off as it is Martin Luther King Day , but I do have to go. The banks are closed and the mail won’t run. That means a quiet day at work. Most of my days are quiet ones as far as real noise is concerned.

I’m in an office of one…that’s me. My chief boss retired and his son-in-law is now my one and only boss and he is out of the office on business related duties a good bit of the time. They know I’ll be there to hold the fort down and do my work without supervision.

It is quite different from most companies as the work is done in the field and the only time I see other employees is when they turn in time for payroll or when they pick up paychecks.

I’ve worked other jobs with lots of people in the office and I guess I do appreciate the quiet.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The aim of life is appreciation; there is no sense in not appreciating things; and there is no sense in having more of them if you have less appreciation of them.

G. K. Chesterton

May your day be blessed with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

MA

 

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 1, PAGE 20

A great deal of what we see

depends on what we’re looking for.

Author Unknown

Everyone’s experience is just so different each day and of course it all depends on what we’re looking for. If our expectations are high and unrealistic the chances are we’re going to be disappointed. If our demands of other people are too high then we are sure to be disappointed

When we’re looking for little and small we will find plenty. They all do add up to something substantial. Today I can look for something good in my life. It may be small, it may seem insignificant but within the bigger picture it is the most precious of all.

From one of my morning devotions

GOOD MORNING !

We all have small things in our lives that we often take for granted . I do it all the time and don’t realize how meaningful that small thing was until I no longer have it.

Little things like my hot cup of coffee would be dearly missed if my coffee pot didn’t work each morning. It is bitter cold here with temps going to below 0 degrees they say by tonight. Right now it is 5 degrees.It ‘s windy too , which makes for a windchill factor.

I left my warm house Saturday morning go to DS#6;s for his birthday celebration. The good news is that it did not snow. I was home again before it was dark out so it was a quick trip to be sure. I spent more time on the road than I actually got to stay at his house. 2 hours there 3 hours spent visiting and 2 hours home. But at least I got to go.

My family is large and there are a lot of celebrations and events. While I cannot make it to all of them, I do go to the ones that I can. Each of them is so special and every occasion is worth celebrating. Once you suddenly loose someone you love, you really do learn how important it is to celebrate every moment.

I guess I’ll be having more than one good cup of coffee this morning. Holding a warm cup in my hand and sipping the fragrant brew feels very good today. I’ll be going to church as always for my weekly dose of R & R and I’ll be saying those extra prayers for all of you too! May dear Lord bless you all !

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Once you get past the idea that for every winner there must be a loser, amazing things can happen.

Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval

May your day be bless with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

 

MA

 

 

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 1, PAGE 19

A national news program conducted a study of fifty people who have lived over 100 years and still lead active, happy lives...

The researchers specifically looked for similarities in diet, exercise, lifestyle and habits that could contribute to their longevity and quality of life. What they found was amazing.

Through an extensive interviewing process, the news team found that some of the participants in this study had what would be considered good diets. An equal number of people were not as healthy in their food choices. Exercise and other areas of lifestyle were also not found to be a common thread throughout the group.

However, two things were overwhelmingly consistent among over 90 percent of those studied. What were these consistent traits?

Nine out of ten said that throughout their entire lives they awoke every morning with an attitude of gratitude for one more day of life and that they saw each day as a precious gift.

Secondly, nine out of ten stated that they felt life was too short to hold grudges or spend time complaining, and they forgave people quickly and refused to dwell on negative thoughts.

From an article found surfing the net.

To increase your understanding, you must challenge and question what you think you know. Your perspective gains much value when you consider it from the viewpoint of another perspective.

Ralph Marston

GOOD MORNING !

I don’t know about you, but all I seem to hear lately is that we need to diet and exercise etc. in order to be healthier and live longer. There is a whole long list of things that you can do and drink and eat that will let you have a longer life.

The reality of all this is we really don’t have much control over it. You can be healthy as all get out and do everything that is good for your body and then get run over by a car tomorrow.

I don’t think we should abuse our bodies and generally feel that most things are fine for you if done in moderation. But I do know what stress and negatism does to a person and the article above really rang the bell with me today.

I’ve tried to live a life of gratitude, being thankful for what I have and sharing it with others. I count my blessings daily and am thankful for them.

Will I live longer because of it??? Only the good Lord knows the answer to that one. All and all I think it boils down to the fact that when all is said and done, do I feel good about the life I’ve lived and would I regret what I’ve done… ?? No, I wouldn’t. There are no regrets here.

I can and do rejoice daily in the gift of life I was given and try to celebrate it every possible moment. Was I always this positive??? No, and there are days I’m still not, but I’m working on it for sure.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot."

Michael Althsuler

May your day be blessed with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

MA

 

 

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 1, PAGE 18

A sympathetic friend leaned close to a disabled woman and whispered, 'Affliction does so color life, doesn't it?'

'Yes', the handicapped woman replied, 'but thank God I can choose the color.'

We may not always be able to escape the raw realities of life as they confront us but with God's help we can shape them. Faith doesn't immunize us from difficulty. But it does radically alter our attitude towards our difficulties.

From A Canopy of Stars: Some Reflections for the Journey by Fr Christopher Gleeson SJ

GOOD MORNING !

It is FINALLY FRIDAY !

It seems that while we had a relatively mild day yesterday here in Northern Ohio, many of our Southern folks got snow ! Some were even happy to see it ! And some out on the west coast want it !

I mention this as it seems to go with the little story above… My affliction, so to speak , is the WINTER BLAHS. It isn’t half way over and I’m tired of being cold and weighted down with layers of clothes to keep warm. I’m tired of high heating bills and of most anything to do with winter already.

Maybe I need to rethink this thing. We cannot escape the realities of life and I’d better alter my attitude towards my difficulty.

In my scripture studies this week I read about how we are told YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.! We were not told we should be or we could be, but that we ARE!

So may I ask your forgiveness for being a downer about winter, and may I celebrate the day whatever it may bring, and may my attitude SHINE like the light it is supposed to be.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

We can sometimes love what we do not understand, but it is impossible completely to understand what we do not love.

Anna Jameson

May your day be blessed with a few SMILES

and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

 

MA

 

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 1, PAGE 17

To touch the heart of someone dear

though it might sometimes cause a tear

to fall or rest upon the cheek

'Tis something we all should seek.

 

For often hearts not touched at all,

start hardening and shrinking small.

And then the time it takes to grow

A loving heart again - is very slow.

 

For hearts expand as those who care

extend their love and 

let us share a moment,

space or special phrase,

that eases pain on dreary days.

 

Or simply starts our lips to smile,

and brightens time for just a while.

The ways and kinds and means of sharing,

it seems to me - are based on caring.

 

And though we're often worlds apart,

You still can touch my tender heart.

You can make me smile or shed a tear,

And I'll remember you year after year.

 

YOU "touched" my heart and helped me grow.

Friend, I just thought I'd tell you so.

Author Unknown, but greatly expressed by me

Your heart is a powerful listening tool to capture the subtle nuances of tone of voice, body language and choice of words. All too often people listen on the surface with their egos—hearing the words, but failing to notice the subtle nuances—as they patiently wait for their turn to speak.

Too often we are preoccupied by what we want to say or by projecting our hopes or fears onto the other person’s words. Consciously using your heart, however, allows you to access a deeper part of yourself—a part that is both receptive and willing to listen to the depth and breath of the message that is being conveyed.

The heart is the center of the human energy system. The new field of energetic cardiology has revealed that the heart is more than a muscular pump. It has wisdom; it is the metaphysical and energetic center of love, and knowing. It is unfortunate that we have been taught to distrust the wisdom of our hearts. We have become disconnected from who we truly are—spiritual beings having a human experience.

GOOD MORNING !

I put the link in below to a website that I tune into every day. I must say it never fails to inspire me and touch my heart, so I hope you’ll check it out too ! The quote below was from yesterday’s article.

Just as in the poem above it speaks of nurturing our lives with the good things that bring love and hope into our life. There is too much of the negative side publicized and it only tends to breed anxiety and distrust.

Our friends, our attitude, our mundane tasks of everyday living can improve considerably when we nurture them. Many things can stress us out and make us sick, but if we have faith hope and love in our hearts, lots can be overcome.

My hardest task right now  is dealing with winter and its short days, long nights, snow, cold and dreary days. Yesterday the sun came out and it warmed up a little. What a difference that made !

Thought for Today

Where there is no love, put love and you will find love.’

St. John Of The Cross

This lovely quote can be inverted by saying: ‘Where there is no hope, put hope and you will find hope.’ A religion teacher in a secondary school wrote the words ‘Faith’, ‘Hope’ and ‘Love’ on a blackboard and asked his students which one they felt was most important.

Perhaps not surprisingly, faith came in a weak third. What was surprising was that love didn’t fare much better and hope won by a landslide. In the world we live in today there is an air of hopelessness that doesn’t seem to go away.

Society today is very much problem focussed. Good news gets squeezed out. Bad news is attractive and can at times be more interesting. No wonder hope can also get squeezed out. We need it, we must nurture it, encourage it and most importantly live it

Fr. James McSweeney http://www.todayismygifttoyou.ie/

One learns people through the heart, not the eyes or the intellect.

Mark Twain

May your day be blessed with a few SMILES

 and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

 

MA

 

 

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BOOK O8, CHAPTER 1, PAGE 16

If the sky above seems cloudy,

And you are left out in the rain,

If you are searching for a rainbow,

But the colors bring you pain,

If your world is not revolving,

And there is no end in sight,

If you are looking for the sunshine,

But all you see is night,

If all around are smiling,

But all you can do is frown,

If you are tired of all this living,

When life just brings you down,

 

Then look beyond your teardrops,

At the wonders of this land,

The beauty of a flower,

Like velvet in your hand.

Feel the air around you,

The smell of new mown hay,

Laughing children in the park,

The innocence there at play,

Imagine floating with a butterfly,

As she flutters between the trees,

Or the whispers of the ocean,

On warm hot summer's breeze,

Think of the taste of candy floss,

As it melts upon your tongue,

Or the melody of morning birds,

As they greet each day with song,

 

Remember words of beauty,

Told in your mother's embrace,

Feel the gentleness of her touch,

As she softly kissed your face,

Seek the good within you,

Cast the clouds from your sky,

Don't look toward the pavement,

But hold your head up high,

Think not what life owes you,

But of all you have to give,

Forget about tomorrow,

Then you can start to live

So Bless this age your are living in,

With the gifts you can bestow,

Don't disregard the stream of life,

Go gently with the flow.

Author unknown

Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.

Marie Curie

GOOD MORNING!

So many things keep changing in our world that sometimes it is very hard to keep up with what is ok and what’s not ok to say, to do or to even wear. I don’t think I’ve changed much, but when I look back maybe I have and maybe it’s all for the good too.

Some of things I’ve held on to that may never change like my faith and my love of God and family I hope only increase if anything else.

As snow and very cold weather sets in here, I’m doing a lot of dreaming of butterflies and warmer days. I‘ve got lots to do so this winter though so that my summer weekends will be free to go and enjoy the camping , so before I know it those days will be here.

Today is WEDNESDAY and Over the Hump Day and now we only have 2 more days until the weekend. DS#6 turns 28 this weekend and I’m supposed to be going to visit him for his celebration, but it will all depend on the weather for sure.

He and his wife don’t live in our hometown, but about 2 hours away. It seems at least 3 of my children are at least 2 hours from home and the two are many more hours away.

2 hours each way coming and going is a lot of driving for me when I’m on my own. The other two that live here have other plans and I’m not able to go with them like I often do. We’ll just wait and see how the weather is.

Thought for Today

To increase your understanding, you must challenge and question what you think you know. Your perspective gains much value when you consider it from the viewpoint of another perspective.

Ralph Marston

 

 

May your day be blessed with a few SMILES

and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

MA

 

 

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