Today...

Today, I will begin with a smile.

I will look at the bright side of life.

I will be productive and will do my best.

I will bring joy to others.

I will be thankful of God's gifts.

I will be a blessing to others...today.

Wisdom

Wisdom is often times acquired 

when we stumble, not when we succeed. 

Our failures leave us wiser than our triumphs.

Growing up

The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent.

The day he forgives them, he becomes an adult.

The day he forgives himself, he becomes wise.

Be Cheerful!

Cheerfulness oils the machinery of life.

Age may wrinkle one's face, 

but lack of happiness and enthusiasm to live life

to the fullest will wrinkle one's soul.

Keep the enthusiasm and stay young in heart and spirit.

Stay cheerful!

The Biggest and Most Lasting Difference

Don't ever let yourself get so busy that you miss 

those little but important extras in your life...

the beauty of a new day;

the smile of a friend;

the serenity of a quiet moment alone.

For it is often life's smallest pleasures and gentlest joys 

that make the biggest and most lasting difference.

The Mysterious Door

There are times we treat life like a mysterious door. 
It does not open no matter how hard we push it.
We never notice that a huge sign is posted there that reads PULL!
The same is true with life.
We struggle, We push. We push harder till we're tired, hurt, bruised, and wounded.
We forget there's a better way...SURRENDER. LET GO. LET GOD.

Building a Better World

God said, "Build a better world."
I said, "How? The world is so messed up there's noting I can do."
God said, "Just build a better you and influence others."

First Stirrings

The first stirrings of God in a person are like seeds that will soon blossom into flowers of charity towards others.  
He will judge as mighty all deeds done with great love for Him, no matter how small.
He will see in our hearts the love behind our actions.

Like a Tree

Leaves fall from dryness, from rain, wind and other forces of nature.

But trees remain firm and resilient, standing best as they could.

Like trees, we are battered by the tests of time but by the grace of God,

we continue to stand and remain determined, 

waiting for new leaves of hope to grow.

Let us stand like a tree. Let us root ourselves in the grace of God.

A Healing Prayer

Lord, enlighten what is dark in me;

strengthen what is weak in me;

mend what is broken in me;

bind what is bruised in me;

heal what is sick in me;

straighten what is crooked in me;

revive whatever peace and love have died in me.

Look

Look back and thank God for what you are today.
Look forward to how God can use you tomorrow.
Look around and see that you are richly blessed... and a blessing to others.

Seeing with loving eyes...

To those who see with loving eyes, life is beautiful.
To those who speak with a tender voice, life is peaceful.
To those who help with gentle hands, life is full.

Having A Child's Heart

1. A four-year-old child, whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman, who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

 When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy just said, 'Nothing, I just Helped him cry.'

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2. Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture had a different hair color than the other members. One of her students suggested that he was adopted. A little girl said, 'I know all about Adoption, I was adopted..'

'What does it mean to be adopted?', asked another child.

'It means', said the girl, 'that you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy!'

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3. On my way home one day, I stopped to watch a Little League baseball game that was being played in a park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first- base line, I asked one of the boys what the score was 'We're behind 14 to nothing,' he answered With a smile.

'Really,' I said. 'I have to say you don't look very discouraged.'

'Discouraged?', the boy asked with a Puzzled look on his face...

'Why should we be discouraged? We haven't Been up to bat yet.'

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4. Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott.

Jamie was trying out for a part in the school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen.

On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. 'Guess what, Mom,' he shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to me....'I've been chosen to clap and cheer.'

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5. An eye witness account from New York City, on a cold day in December, some years ago: A little boy, about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering With cold.

A lady approached the young boy and said, 'My, but you're in such deep thought staring in that window!'

'I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes, ‘was the boy's reply.

The lady took him by the hand, went into the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her.

She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel.

By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes.

She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him. She patted him on the head and said, 'No doubt, you will be more comfortable now.'

As she turned to go, the astonished kid caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked her.

'Are you God's wife?'

Being kind...

Being kind is much more important than being right.  Sometimes what a person needs is not a brilliant mind that speaks, but a patient heart that listens.

The Call To True Charity

We are called to true charity, i.e.; treating others not as they deserve but as God wishes to treat us all - with love and mercy.  If we are honest, we know that we judge others a lot, with little evidence and even less compassion.  We bring down our neighbor to make us feel good about ourselves.  But if we wish to grow, it is not our neighbor with whom we must compare ourselves. We must aspire to become Christ-like.

God's Time For Revival

God's time for revival is the very darkest hour when everything seems hopeless.  It is always the Lord's way to go to the very worst cases to manifest His glory.

The Touch of the Master's Hand

The Touch of the Master's Hand by Myra Brooks Welch is a great way to remind yourself and others of God's forgiveness - and His restoring touch.

'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.

"What am I bidden, good folks?" he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar"; then, "Two! Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?

Three dollars, once; three dollars twice;
Going for three" But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.


The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.

"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice,
And going, and gone," said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand
What changed its worth." Swift came the reply:
"The touch of a master's hand."

The Memory Bank

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.

His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

"I love it,"  he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

"Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait."

“That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied.

"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged.  It's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it."

"It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life."

Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.

So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank  account of memories.

Thank you for your part in filling my Memory Bank.

 I am still depositing.

 Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

 1. Free your heart from hatred.

 2. Free your mind from worries..

 3. Live simply.

 4. Give more.

 5. Expect less.

- author unknown

Character and success emerge from one’s heart

                                          The Secret Lies Within 

A man was selling balloons at a fair in a tribal village. He had balloons of different colors. To attract the attention of people, he would release a gas-filled balloon into the air. When children saw the balloon go up, they would jump with joy and rushed to buy one.

The Balloon man was busy in attracting his little customers, when he felt someone pulling his kurta (traditional dress worn in India). He turned around and saw a little dark tribal boy asking him, "If you release a black balloon, would that also fly high?"

For a moment the balloon man was taken aback – why is this little boy asking such a question? His eyes fell on the dark skin of the body, and in a flicker of moment, the balloon man realized the matter!

With lot of affection, he moved his hand on the head of the little boy and replied gently, "Son, it is not the color of the balloon, it is what’s inside it that makes it go up!"

Character and success emerge from one’s heart

True Greatness

True Greatness lies in Humility, Obedience, and Faithfulness.

True Love is to constantly swallow your pride and be a servant to others.