Little Wonders

Little stones make big mountains,
Little steps can cover miles,
Little acts of loving-kindness
Give the world it's biggest smiles...

Little words can soothe big troubles
Little hugs can dry big tears,
Little candles light the darkness,
Little memories last for years...

Little dreams can lead to greatness,
Little victories to success
It's the little things in life

That bring the greatest happiness...

When I think about all the little things,
warm thoughts of my friends come to mind
and all the joy that friendship brings,
always and forever sharing it with you.

(author unknown)

Touch My Heart

Touch my heart and I'll touch yours
With a gentle word or two,
For kindness bears the sweetest fruit
That makes our dreams come true.

A friend stands by
when storm clouds fly
She's there through
thick and thin.
And when you really
need some help
she even steps right in!

 

Happiness is having you for a friend!

This Rose Bud's For You

I got a dozen roses,
From a friend the other day,
But I only have one left,
For I gave them all away.

I gave one to my sister,
Who to me is very dear,
In hopes that it will bring to her
A little floral cheer.

I took one to a friend
Who's not feeling very well;
The flower or the visit
Which helped more ... I could not tell.

One went to a friend
I haven't known for very long;
She struggles so...in some small way
I hope this helps her carry on.

The rest went to the ones
Who've helped me in so many ways;
They have been a cheerful presence
On my very dreary days.

The roses were so pretty
I just could not keep them all,
Except one single bud standing
Beautiful and tall.

My friend gave me the flowers
To help brighten up my day,
But the biggest joy I received
Was in giving them away.

(author unknown)

Our Human Value

Life is full of ups and downs. It is easy to lose hope and confidence. This little story helps us to realize that no matter what happens, we remain valuable as individuals.

---

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill.

In the room of 200, he asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?”

Hands started going up.

He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple the twenty dollar bill up.

He then asked, “Who still wants it?”

Still the hands were up in the air.

“Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it?”

Still the hands went into the air.

“My friends, no matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.

We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special – Don’t ever forget it!”

Author Unknown

How Are You Building Your Life?

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

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 in 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 his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort.

Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently. Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

Author Unknown

An Office Boy

A jobless man applied for the position of ‘office boy’ at a very big company.

The employer interviewed him, then a test: clean the floor.

“You are hired.” – the employer said. ”Give me your email address, and I’ll send you the application to fill, as well as when you will start.”

The man replied, “I don’t have a computer, neither an email.”

“I’m sorry,” said the employer, “if you don’t have an email that means you do not exist. And who doesn’t exist, cannot have the job.”

The man left with no hope. He didn’t know what to do, with only $10 USD in his pocket.

He then decided to go to the supermarket, bought a 10kg tomato crate, then sold the tomatoes door to door. In less than two hours, he succeeded and doubled his capital.

He repeated the operation 3 times and returned home with $60 USD. The man realized that he could survive by this way, and started to go everyday earlier, and returned late. Thus, his money doubled or tripled everyday. Shortly later, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.

Five years later, the man’s company was one of the biggest food retailers. He started to plan his family’s future, and decided to have a life insurance.

He called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him his email. The man replied: “I don’t have an email.”

The broker replied curiously, “You don’t have an email, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Do you imagine what you could have done if you had an email?”

The man paused for a while, and replied: “An office boy!”

Author Unknown

The Train Of Life

Some folks ride the train of life
Looking out the rear,
Watching miles of life roll by,
And marking every year.

They sit in sad remembrance,
Of wasted days gone by,
And curse their life for what it was,
And hang their heads and cry.

But, I don't concern myself with that,
I took a different vent,
I look forward to what life holds,
And not what has been spent.

So strap me to the engine.
As securely as I can be,
I want to be out on the front,
To see what I can see.

I want to feel the winds of change,
Blowing in my face,
I want to see what life unfolds,
As I move from place to place.

I want to see what's coming up,
Not looking at the past,
Life's too short for yesterdays,
It moves along too fast.

So if the ride gets bumpy,
While you are looking back,
Go up front and you may find,
Your life has jumped the track.

It's all right to remember,
'That's part of history,
But up front's where it's happening,
There's so much mystery.

The enjoyment of living,
Is not where we have been,
It's looking ever forward,
To another year and ten.

It's searching all the byways,
Never should you refrain,
For if you want to live your life,
You've gotta drive the train!
Author Unknown

A Father, A Son And A Dog...

A Father, a Son and a Dog..."True Story" A Must Read

"Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!" My father yelled at me. "Can't you do anything right?"

Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn't prepared for another battle.

"I saw the car, Dad . Please don't yell at me when I'm driving.."

My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.

Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts..... dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil. What could I do about him?

Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon . He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often. The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his prowess.

The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn't lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it.. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn't do something he had done as a younger man.

Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing.

At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he survived. But something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone. He obstinately refused to follow doctor's orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone..

My wife, Maria, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.

Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and moody. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Maria. We began to bicker and argue.

Alarmed, Maria sought out our pastor and explained the situation. The clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session he prayed, asking God to soothe Dad's troubled mind.

But the months wore on and God was silent. Something had to be done and it was up to
me to do it.

The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered in vain.

Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, "I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article.."

I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog..

I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon.. After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons too big, too small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world's aristocrats. But this was a caricature of the breed.

Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hip bones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly.

I pointed to the dog. "Can you tell me about him?" The officer looked, then shook his head in puzzlement. "He's a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we've heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow." He gestured helplessly.

As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror. "You mean you're going to kill him?"

"Sir," he said gently, "that's our policy. We don't have room for every unclaimed dog."

I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. "I'll take him," I said. I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me.. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch... "Ta-da! Look what I got for you, Dad !" I said excitedly.

Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust. "If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it! I don't want it" Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the house.

Anger rose inside me.. It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples. "You'd better get used to him, Dad. He's staying!"

Dad ignored me.. "Did you hear me, Dad ?" I screamed. At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing with hate. We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw.

Dad's lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on his knees hugging the animal.

It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne . Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at his feet.

Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years. Dad's bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne's cold nose burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night.. I woke Maria, put on my robe and ran into my father's room. Dad lay in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night.

Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad's bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had slept on. As I buried him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad's peace of mind.

The morning of Dad's funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews reserved for family. I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made filling the church.. The pastor began his eulogy. It
was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had changed his life.

And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2. "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it."

"I've often thanked God for sending that angel," he said.

For me, the past dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen before: the sympathetic voice that had just read the right article... Cheyenne 's unexpected appearance at the animal shelter.....his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father...and the proximity of their deaths.

And suddenly I understood. I knew that God had answered my prayers after all.

Life is too short for drama or petty things, so laugh hard, love truly and forgive quickly. Live While You Are Alive. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second time.

God Answers our Prayers in His Time.....Not Ours.

"Well, Isn't That Nice"

Two informally dressed ladies happened to start up a conversation during an endless wait in the LAX airport.

The first lady was an arrogant California woman married to a wealthy man.

The second was a well mannered elderly woman from the South.

When the conversation centered on whether they had any children, the California woman started by saying, "When my first child was born, my husband built a beautiful mansion for me."The lady from the South commented, "Well, isn't that nice"

The first woman continued, "When my second child was born, my husband bought me a beautiful Mercedes-Benz. Again, the lady from the South commented, "Well, isn't that nice" The first woman continued boasting, "Then, when my third child was born, my husband bought me this exquisite diamond bracelet. Yet again, the Southern lady commented, "Well, isn't that nice" The first woman then asked her companion, "What did your husband buy for you when you had your first child?" "My husband sent me to charm school," declared the Southern lady."Charm school?" the first woman cried, "Oh, my God! What on earth for?" The Southern lady responded, "Well for example, instead of saying "Who gives a sh#t" I learned to say, "Well, isn't that nice"....

Source: Internet

Kind..,

Kind hearts are the gardens,

Kind thoughts are the roots,

Kind words are the flowers,

Kind deeds are the fruits,

Take care of your garden

And keep out the weeds,

            

Fill it with sunshine   

Kind words and kind deeds

Author Unknown

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.

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.

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.

~Thank you for being a part of my Life, Whether you were a Reason, a Season or a Lifetime~

Source: Kay Farrell

If..,

If we could plan the way of life,
There'd bed no tears, no loss,
But then how should we ever learn
The meaning of the cross?
How to learn to bear our burdens
With courage and good cheer?
No need to do a kindly deed
If all were perfect here.

If everyone had everything,
What need of sacrifice?
Would things have any value
If they did not have a price?
If troubles never came our way,
How peaceful life would be,
But then perhaps we'd never learn
To face reality.

If nothing ever interfered
With life's calm, easy flow,
How should we learn to brave the storm?
How would the Spirit grow?
If all were well, what need to serve,
To love and sympathize?
The things that make us humble
Are the things that make us wise.

Author Unknown

I found this clipping in my Grandmother's suitcase.

Story Of A Scorpion

"An old man saw a scorpion drowning and decided to pull it out from the water. He calmly extended his hand to reach the creature. When he did, the scorpion stung him. With the effect of the pain, the old man let go the creature and it fell back into the water. The man realizing that the scorpion was drowning again, got back and tried to rescue it but then again it stung him. He let go of it again.

A young boy standing by, approached the old man and said, "Excuse me Sir, you are going to hurt yourself trying to save the evil-vicious creature, why do you insist? Don't you realize that each time you try to help the scorpion, it stings you?"

The man replied, "The nature of the scorpion is to sting and mine is to help. My nature will not change in helping the scorpion."

So the man thought for a while and used a leaf from a nearby tree and pulled the scorpion out from the water and saved it's life.

Moral Lesson:

Do not change your nature. If someone hurts you, just take precautions. Some pursue happiness while others create it. Let your conscience be your guide in whatever you do."

Author Unknown

From One Pumpkin To Another

A woman was asked by a coworker, 

'What is it like to be a Christian?' 

The coworker replied, 'It is like being a pumpkin.' 

God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. 

Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. 

He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. 

Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.'

Author Unknown

In Memory Of 9-11-01

In The Aftermath

(written by Paige Gray)

You meant to cause us sorrow
And with that you did succeed
You unleashed a pain that runs so deep
Even ceaseless tears cannot comprehend.

Through hate you set out to change things
And bring humanity to its knees
But there were a few things you didn’t count on
That were standing in the way...

Things certainly have changed ‘round here
I really must admit
Things we took for granted
Are now held sacred in our hearts as precious gifts.

The future became a little more uncertain
But we learned to appreciate each moment of every day
And lately no one walks out the door
Without being told that they are loved.

We became a might more fearful
But learned comfort by leaning upon our God
And In the midst of fear heroes arose
And taught us what true bravery was.

Those you meant to humble
Have never so valiantly risen to the call
While making the ultimate sacrifice
Became legends as they gave their all.

And though with precious loved ones
Too soon we had to part
Those you would have destined for the ashes
God has given an eternal crown.

While we were meant to be defeated
You only better prepared us for the fight
And though many things have changed
I’d say many have changed for the best.

Who would have thought such a firestorm of hate
Could shed the light on so much love
Its wondrous how God has his way
Of turning things around.

....One thing you didn’t count on
Was the ultimate power of love
And how the human spirit shall triumph
Through the strength of brotherhood.

Its amazing what Love can do
When backed against the wall
The spirit of human kindness will prevail
No matter what the odds!

~ Paige Gray ~

  We are hard pressed on every side,
yet not crushed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed...
2 Corinthians 4: 8-9

Source: Internet

Remembering Flight 93

 Forty ordinary people came together on September 11, 2001 for a cross country flight from New Jersey to San Francisco on United Airlines Flight 93. Yet, when their plane was hijacked and turned around near Cleveland, Ohio, on a course for Washington D.C. and the U.S. Capitol, these 40 ordinary people showed extraordinary courage and selflessness. It can't have been easy talking to their loved ones on the phone, learning that other planes had hijacked that morning and crashed into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. Yet instead of giving up, these 40 people--33 passengers and 7 crew members came together as one to lead the charge in the war against terrorism.

The following poem was written in memory of a man who lost his life on Flight 93.  It is dedicated to all of those whose lives were lost or changed forever on September 11, 2001
We remember them all with love.

"We are hurting, but healing,"
My young son said to me.
"My sweet Lori's brother,
Was on Flight 93."

The shock,
The grief,
The pain,
The fear,
All of these, I did hear.

The great silver bird,
In Pennsylvania lay,
When in truth it was bound,
For California that day.

We know of the heroes,
The "creme de la creme"
Sons, brothers, husbands,
These were the men...
These were the men, On Flight 93,

Performing heroics,
 For you and for me.
For this our great land,
So nobly they gave,
Exchange of their lives,
 For a meadow land grave.

For flora and fauna,
In his loving care,
Richard Guadagno,
Always was there.

In the refuge he tended
For creatures, so small,
He gave his protection,
"Lest one should fall."

He is missed.
He is loved.
His mem'ry lives on
The birds that he loved,
With their sweet, plaintive song.

"We are hurting, but healing,"
His birds sing to me,
"For our kind, loving Richard,
 Was on Flight 93."

~ Renee' Larson Bratlee March 11, 2002 ~

The Hero's of Flight 93

Christian Adams, Lorraine G. Bay, Crew, Todd Beamer, Alan Beaven, Mark Bingham, Deora Bodley, Sandra W. Bradshaw, Crew, Marion Britton, Thomas E. Burnett, Jr., William Cashman, Georgine Rose Corrigan, Patricia Cushing, Jason Dahl, Captain, Joseph DeLuca, Patrick Driscoll, Edward Porter Felt, Jane C. Folger, Colleen L. Fraser, Andrew Garcia, Jeremy Glick, Lauren Grandcolas,Wanda A. Green, Crew, Donald F. Greene, Linda Gronlund, Richard Guadagno, LeRoy Homer, Jr., First Officer, Toshiya Kuge, CeeCee Lyles, Crew, Hilda Marcin, Waleska Martinez, Donald Peterson, Jean Hoadley Peterson, Mark Rothenberg, Christine Snyder, John Talignani, Honor Elizabeth Wainio, Deborah Ann Jacobs Welsh, Crew, Kristin Gould White, Nicole Miller, Louis J. Nacke, II.

May they rest in peace.

Source: Internet

A True Friend

Horror gripped the heart of the World War I soldier as he saw his lifelong friend fall in battle. Caught in a trench with continuous gunfire whizzing over his head, the soldier asked his lieutenant if he might go out into the “no man’s land” between the trenches to bring his fallen comrade back.

“You can go,” said the lieutenant, “but i don’t think it will be worth it. Your friend is probably dead and you may throw your life away.” The lieutenant’s advice didn’t matter, and the soldier went anyway.

Miraculously he managed to reach his friend, hoist him onto his shoulder and bring him back to their company’s trench. As the two of them tumbled in together to the bottom of the trench, the officer checked the wounded soldier, and then looked kindly at his friend.

“I told you it wouldn’t be worth it,” he said. “Your friend is dead and you are mortally wounded.”

“It was worth it, though, sir,” said the soldier.

“What do you mean; worth it?” responded the Lieutenant. “Your friend is dead.”

“Yes, Sir” the private answered. “But it was worth it because when I got to him, he was still alive and I had the satisfaction of hearing him saying, “Jim…, I knew you’d come.”

---

Many times in life, whether a thing is worth doing or not, really depends on how u looks at it. Take up all your courage and do something your heart tells you to do so that you may not regret not doing it later in your life. May each and every one of you be blessed with the company of TRUE FRIENDS. A true friend is one who walks in, when the rest of the world walks out. War doesn’t determine who’s right. War only determines who’s left.

Military: A Beautiful True Love Story

One day, a young guy and a young girl fell in love.

But the guy came from a poor family. The girl’s parents weren’t too happy.

So the young man decided not only to court the girl but to court her parents as well. In time, the parents saw that he was a good man and was worthy of their daughter’s hand.

But there was another problem: The man was a soldier. Soon, war broke out and he was being sent overseas for a year. The week before he left, the man knelt on his knee and asked his lady love, “Will you marry me?” She wiped a tear, said yes, and they were engaged. They agreed that when he got back in one year, they would get married.

But tragedy struck. A few days after he left, the girl had a major vehicular accident. It was a head-on collision.

When she woke up in the hospital, she saw her father and mother crying. Immediately, she knew there was something wrong.

She later found out that she suffered brain injury. The part of her brain that controlled her face muscles was damaged. Her once lovely face was now disfigured. She cried as she saw herself in the mirror. “Yesterday, I was beautiful. Today, I’m a monster.” Her body was also covered with so many ugly wounds.


Right there and then, she decided to release her fiancé from their promise. She knew he wouldn’t want her anymore. She would forget about him and never see him again.

For one year, the soldier wrote many letters—but she wouldn’t answer. He phoned her many times but she wouldn’t return her calls.

But after one year, the mother walked into her room and announced, “He’s back from the war.”

The girl shouted, “No! Please don’t tell him about me. Don’t tell him I’m here!”

The mother said, “He’s getting married,” and handed her a wedding invitation.

The girl’s heart sank. She knew she still loved him—but she had to forget him now.

With great sadness, she opened the wedding invitation.

And then she saw her name on it!

Confused, she asked, “What is this?”

That was when the young man entered her room with a bouquet of flowers. He knelt beside her and asked, “Will you marry me?
”
The girl covered her face with her hands and said, “I’m ugly!”

The man said, “Without your permission, your mother sent me your photos. When I saw your photos, I realized that nothing has changed. You’re still the person I fell in love. You’re still as beautiful as ever.

 Because I love you!”

Author Unknown

A Short Story On Self Confidence

There was a business executive who was deep in debt and could see no way out.

Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.

Suddenly an old man appeared before him. ”I can see that something is troubling you,” he said.

After listening to the executive’s woes, the old man said, “I believe I can help you.”

He asked the man his name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his hand saying, “Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time.”

Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000, signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world!

“I can erase my money worries in an instant!” he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the uncashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought.

With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.

Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the uncashed check. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man.

“I’m so glad I caught him!” she cried. “I hope he hasn’t been bothering you. He’s always escaping from the rest home and telling people he’s John D. Rockefeller.”

And she led the old man away by the arm.

The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he’d been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him.

Suddenly, he realized that it wasn’t the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around. It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.

Author Unknown

Life Is To Short

...To wake up in the morning
with regrets. So love the
people who treat you right,
and forgive the ones who don't.

And believe that everything
happens for a reason.

If you get a chance, take it.
If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said it would be easy,
They just promised...
It would be worth it!

Happiness can't be bought,
it would be too expensive...
You have to make your own.

Happy are they that take life day
by day, complain very little, and
are happy for the little things in life!

At the end of the day, it's not
about being pretty and popular,
it's about being healthy and happy!

Laugh when you can 
Apologize when you should...

And let go of what you cannot change.

Labor Day Prayer

Lord on this Labor Day,
we celebrate the work we do,
 and we thank You for the blessing of our jobs.
We ask for those seeking employment that
You guide them in their search for work.

We ask for guidance when we are confused.
We ask for patience when working through conflicts.
We ask for strength to complete each day.
We ask for rest when we are weary.

We ask that You be with those whose faces
we might never see but who work tirelessly
each day for the good of us all.

  'Lord, support us all day long until  shadows lengthen,
       evening comes, the busy world hushed, the fever of life
       is over and our life's work is done.

       Then, in Thy tender mercy, give us safe lodging, holy
       rest and everlasting peace at your side for eternity.'

Amen

Cruise Ship Or Nursing Home

There will be no nursing home in my future...

Nope... I'm going to live on a Cruise Ship year round! The average cost for a nursing home is $200 per day. I have checked on reservations, and I can get a long term discount and senior discount price of $135 per day. That leaves $65 a day for:

1. Gratuities which I estimate at only $10 per day.

2. I will have as many meals a day as I want, as long as I can waddle to the restaurant, or I can have room service. The best part is that they're good meals. None of that cardboard stuff I've seen my old friends eating. Breakfast in bed every day of the week.

3. Cruise ships have as many as three or four swimming pools, a workout room, free washers and dryers, a casino, movies and shows every night.

4. They often have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.

5. They even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5 worth of tips should have the entire staff scrambling to help you.

6. I will get to meet new people every 7 or 14 days.

7. TV broken? Light bulb need changing? Need to have the mattress replaced? No Problem! They will fix everything and apologize for the inconvenience.

8. Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don't even have to ask for them.

9. If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip you are on Medicare.

If you fall and break a hip on the cruise ship they will likely upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.

And, the best for last!

10. I get to see Alaska, South America, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, etc., etc. Don't look for me in a nursing home, just call shore to ship.

P.S. And don't forget, when you die, they just dump you over the side at no charge.