Chapter 5, Page 31, Book 13

The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse. 

Helen Keller

TODAY'S WORD:

Marvelous

 Causing great wonder; extraordinary.

Extremely good or pleasing; splendid.

Its marvelous what you can see when you open your eyes.

Author Unknown

  Marvel.....to feel surprised, be amazed or wonder...when was the last time you marveled at something?  I am a person easily marveled. I marvel at the new and wondrous things that happen each and every day.

The flower is marvelous because it blooms.   Unusual rocks, unusual wild flowers, shells, and four leafed clovers are also marvelous things. The gift of marveling at the works of our Creator energized us and cause to stand in awe.  Nature is powerful and marvelous.  The world and all it contains is marvelous and astonishing, and is something that we are called to ponder and treasure in our hearts.  

There are so many wonderful things to marvel at in this world, yet our lives are so busy that we miss them!  If you just take the time, anyone can go marveling anytime or anywhere.

I'm setting aside some time today just to go marveling.  I'm going to forget those worries and cares and just take time to marvel all the wonderful works of God.  Not matter where I am today,  I'm going to remind myself to enjoy all life has to offer. I'm going to look around and see the good that abounds. As I do, I'm going to experience new joys I might otherwise have missed. 

Hope you'll join me taking some time to marvel at today , if only for a few minutes .

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity. 

Albert Einstein

Chapter 5, Page 30, Book 13

Remember

Remember that your presence is a present to the world. 

Remember that you are a unique and unrepeatable creation. 

Remember that your life can be what you want it to be. 

 Remember to take the days just one at a time. 

Remember to count your blessings, not your troubles. 

Remember that you'll make it through whatever comes along. 

Remember that most of the answers you need are within you. 

Remember those dreams waiting to be realized. 

Remember that decisions are too important to leave to chance. 

Remember to always reach for the best that is within you. 

Remember that nothing wastes more energy than worry 

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful

stroke of luck.

Remember that the longer you carry a grudge, the heavier it gets. 

Remember not to take things too seriously. 

Remember to laugh. 

Remember that a little love goes a long way. 

Remember that a lot goes forever. 

Remember that happiness is more often found in giving than getting. 

 Remember that life's treasures are people, not things.

May God bless your day with peace, joy and love.

Author Unknown

TODAY'S WORD:

REMEMBER

Have in or be able to bring to one's mind an awareness of someone or something that one has seen, known, or experienced in the past

 We do not remember days; we remember moments. 

Cesare Pavese

Some moments in time do stand out in my life.  I remember them more than lots of others.  Some I'd like to forget, but others I'll treasure for ever.

For my own peace of mind I try only to remember the good things.  Rehashing the bad times isn't worth a moment of my time.  There are days though when I need the good memories just so I can get through the day.

Some studies have shown that the elusive secret of happiness could be as simple as remembering the good times and forgetting the regrets.  People who look at the past through rose tinted glasses are happier than those who focus on negative past experiences.

Photos and souveniers that you associate with the good times may fade away, but the joy and the happiness of those experiences live on inside of you.  It is good when you can look back and remember how good life has been, so be thankful for the good times you’ve had and the good memories you have of them. Just be careful to not hold on to the memories so tightly that you miss out on opportunities to create new experiences for you to treasure

Like fine wine and good cheese, the things we remember only get better with age.  Today I'm  remembering the good times and looking forward to better ones.  If we can't make new memories then how can we move forward. Hold yesterday close to your heart but leave it open for today.

Our memories are the only paradise from which we can never be expelled.

Jean Paul Richter

Chapter 5, Page 29, Book 30

The happiest people in the world are those who feel absolutely terrific about themselves, and this is the natural outgrowth of accepting total responsibility for every part of their life. 

Brian Tracy

WORD FOR TODAY

Terrific

Extremely good; excellent

A smile makes people feel terrific and a frown just takes up all our energy.  We feel better when we see it. And we feel better when we do it.  A terrific smile can literally change your outlook, your image and your life.

Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great purpose in heart.

Gordon B. Hinckley

SMILE !  You're terrific. You're someones reason to smile!

When you're feeling terrific, notify your face. 

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Chapter 5, Page 28, Book 13

It's All About Attitude

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight.  I have responsibilities to fulfill today.  I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or... I can be thankful the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or... I can be glad my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or... I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all my parents didn't give me when I was growing up or... I can feel grateful they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or... I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or... I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or... I can feel honored because God has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.

I get to play a big part into what kind of day I will have!

 Author Unknown

He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction. 

Bessie Stanley, 1905, also commonly attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson


TODAY'S WORD:

Acheivement

A thing done successfully, typically by effort, courage, or skill

There is a lovely saying that says success comes in cans and failure comes in can'ts.  If you think you can, you will.

To achieve anything, you really do have to think you can do it.  It's the thought that keeps us going.  It's all about the choices we make and our attitudes.  

We all usually know what needs to be done. There’s very little question when we need to eat less, spend less, drive slower, or be nicer to the people around us.  The hard thing is to do it 

Becoming an 'I Can and I Will' type of person is a matter of thinking that you CAN DO IT!  We can all become the person we want to be.   We've all made mistakes, but the great thing is that every day we get a chance to do it over again.  To have a fresh start every morning means that what ever we did wrong yesterday can be made right today.

Even though most of us can do anything we want to, there are many who choose to do nothing.

What if we tried to live by the motto:  DO all the good you can?  Wouldn't that be nice.These days I try not to think of what I want out of life but think of what I can give to life instead

The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.

Thomas Edison

Chapter 5, Page 27, Book 13

In the United States, Memorial Day is on the last Monday

in May and honors Americans who gave their lives

for their country in wars.

Be sure to take a moment out of your weekend and pray for our military troops, and for the families who have lost their loved ones.

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,

Sleep sweet - to rise anew!

We caught the torch you threw

And holding high, we keep the Faith

With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led;

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies,

But lends a lustre to the red

Of the flower that blooms above the dead

In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red

We wear in honor of our dead.

Fear not that ye have died for naught;

We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought

In Flanders Fields.

From the poem “We Shall Keep the Faith” by Moina Belle Michael.

I hope you all have a safe and happy Memorial Day!

Chapter 5, Page 26, 2013

 It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help. 

Author Unknown 

TODAY'S WORD:

Impressive

Evoking admiration through size, quality, or skill

Some people are impressed by looks, or wealth, or expensive things.  I'm most impressed by the things and people in my life that true and down to earth.  Nothing fancy fits in my lifestyle so the simple and the ordinary are very often the things that impress me most.

Life is filled with simple pleasures, the little satisfying things you never really anticipate, but always take great pleasure in. A contented life is enjoyable, desirable, and admirable. Over the years I found that those who don’t have it, desire it and are impressed with those who have.We always have a choice as to what we pay attention to, what we focus on, and what we appreciate.

Most often, the people that truly inspire us possess invisible qualities. We need to pay attention and allow ourselves to be impressed by the greatness of life, others, and ourselves.

In order to be easily impressed by and truly appreciate the simple things in life, we have to look for good stuff, appreciate the small miracles that occur around us all the time, and focus on the amazing aspects of people and situations found in our daily lives.Then we'll begin to realize what we are truly here for and what life is really about. 

Some beautiful things are more impressive when left imperfect than when too highly finished. 

Francois de la Rochefoucauld

Chapter 5, Page 25, Book 13

Whenever you feel like criticizing any one…
just remember that all the people in this world
haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.

 F. Scott Fitzgerald,
The Great Gatsby

TODAYS WORD:

Advantage

A condition or circumstance that puts one in a favorable or superior position.

I've had advantages though out my life that I'm sure others have not.  There are also many who've had advantages that I've never had. 

Things that happen in our lives help to form who and what we are.  Those advantageous things can make us stronger, kinder and better people.  Having a good education is an advantage to some, but just because we are educated doesn't make us wise.  Some don't even want to take advantage of going to school.  I know there are kids that hate it and don't even try to learn all that they can.

I had the advantage of being raised by parents that cared.  Many kids don't even have one of their parents present in their lives.  And there are kids that have them, but don't like them at all.

No matter what advantages we may have or not, it's a matter of making use of what we have and appreciating it too!

One thing I try never to take advantage of is the things and people in my life.  I try to show my appreciation and give thanks for them at every opportunity.

The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time. 

Friedrich Nietzsche

Chapter 5, Page 24, Book 13

 If in the last few years you haven't discarded a major opinion or acquired a new one, check your pulse. You may be dead. 

Gelett Burgess

TODAY'S WORD

opinion

A view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

The longer I live, the more I think that I should keep my opinions to myself.  My thoughts are often not very popular and more than once I've been told they are old fashioned too.  There are certain things though that I feel it's very important to let others know about.  I'm pretty vocal when it comes to sharing with others what I think is important in life.

If you don't know what you stand for in life, it's way to easy to let others make that decision for you.

I do value others opinions, but there have been very few things that I've changed my opinion about. I like the fact that I know where my values lie.  I  There have been a few people that I judged too quickly and found out later that my opinion of them was the exact opposite of what they really were.  We really aren't supposed to act as judges anyway.  

It's hard for anyone to sway my opinion but when they do I'm glad I listened to them with an open mind.  I've learned a lot about people by hearing what they have to say.  

Opinions are valuable, but they are not the end all and be all of what counts. It's good to evaluate what your opinions are as well as what others have to say and live your life the best you can.

 Other people's opinion of you does not have to become your reality. 

Les Brown 

Chapter 5, Page 23, Book 13

The Best Day Of My Life


Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever! There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I'm going to celebrate!

Today, I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger.

I will go through this day with my head held high, and a happy heart.

I will marvel at God's seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds. Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice.

Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I'll make someone smile.  I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don't even know.

Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down.  I'll tell a child how special he is, and I'll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for them and how much they mean to me.

Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don't have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me.

I'll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine.

Tonight, before I go to bed, I'll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens.  I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures.

As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life. And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because I know tomorrow is going to be ......

The Best Day Of My Life!


Author Unknown

TODAY'S WORD

Best

Of the most excellent, effective, or desirable type or quality

To the highest degree; most

The best angle from which to approach any problem is the try-angle.  

Author Unknown

We all to like to have the best of everything life has to offer.  The best house, the best car, the best appliances on the market,  and even the best dress to wear.

There is a saying that says:  The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have.  That's me over and over again.

If you're talking quantity, my life doesn't have the best of everything, but if it's quality you're looking for, my life is full of only the best of things.  it’s not about having everything,  it’s about making the best out of what you have, and what is going well in your life, to balance out what may not be going so well.

I call it counting your blessings, or looking on the bright side of life.  

Life is good for those that care about what truly matters.

Chapter 5, Page 22, Book 13

TAKE TIME
Take time to rest - it is the foundation of health and vitality.
Take time to think - it is the source of achievement.
Take time to read - it is the foundation of wisdom.
Take time to play - it is the secret of staying young.
Take time to be quiet - it is the opportunity to seek God.
Take time to share - it is too short a life to be selfish.
Take time to be aware - it is the opportunity to help others.
Take time to laugh - it's the music of the heart.
Take time to be loved - it nourishes the soul.
Take time to be friendly - it is the road to happiness.
Take time to pray - it is the greatest power on earth.
Take time to dream - it's the well of inspiration.
There is time for everything.

 'There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven'

 Ecclesiastes 3:1 

TODAY'S WORD

Aware

Having knowledge or perception of a situation or fact

Concerned and well-informed about a particular situation or development

Most of us aren't aware of it, but there is time for everything really want to do.  When you think about what you want to do, it is often not what you need to do.  Want and need are two very different things.  

I may want to do more gardening, but I need to do more de-cluttering in my house.  Of course I'll garden more.  

I'm all about doing what I want to do in more cases than not.  Life is to short, and the season is too, to spend time indoors.    They say that rainy days are good for staying inside and getting the house work done, and I choose to take advantage of those days, just like I take the sunny days to spend outside, rainy days are inside days.

I am very well aware of the blessing it is to have a quiet normal day to do what ever it is that I want to.  There will be days in all of our lives, that will turn our lives upside down.  Never forget to take the time to do those important things and hug those you love and hold them tightly.  I love normal days and am thankful for them.

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.  Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart.  Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.  Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so.  One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.  

Mary Jean Iron

Chapter 5, Page 21, Book 13

My youngest grandson who will be 1 year old this coming weekend.  That's a tooth brush in his hand.  Multi tasking while driving already.

Whenever I held my newborn baby in my arms, I used to think that what I said and did to him could have an influence not only on him but on all whom he met, not only for a day or a month or a year, but for all eternity - a very challenging and exciting thought for a mother.  

Rose Kennedy

TODAY'S WORD

influence

The capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.

There have been many things influence my life. Some were good to very good, and some were bad. I thank God that I have been able to shuck the bad and keep the good. It was the influence of a grandmother to a granddaughter that made me much of what I am. As far as I could tell she made the most of life with what she had and never wanted for anything more.  

In hours of weariness, sensations sweet,
Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart;
And passing even into my purer mind,
With tranquil restoration:—feelings, too,
Of unremembered pleasure: such, perhaps,
As have no slight or trivial influence
On that best portion of a good man's life,
His little, nameless, unremembered acts
Of kindness and of love….

William Wordsworth

We can be thankful for the good influences in our life and praise God for those that influenced us in a positive direction. Take those same influences and pass them on to someone else.

If you can't be a good influence, be a horrible warning.

Chapter 5, Page 20, Book 13

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. 

Dr. Seuss

Today's Word:

Whole

All of; entire:

Love makes you strong in front of the whole world...

But weak in front of the one you Love…

 Unknown
Love is all that matters. That's what I think anyway. Loving, however, isn't always easy.   Nothing feels better than when you love someone with your whole heartand soul and they love you back even more.

When you love something or someone, you give them your whole heart.  We often sacrifice time and energy on projects and people who seem a waste of time and instead should devote more time and energy to those that really mean something to us. 

We need to give our whole heart to everything we do, for without love, nothing will ever grow and prosper.  Love takes your whole heart, it requires your whole heart. Not part of your heart, not some of your heart, not even some of the time, but all of the time.

Don’t waste a minute of your life on anything less than eternity — and that’s what love is. Eternal, without end.

Chapter 5, Page 19, Book 13

There was an old man who operated a rowboat for ferrying passengers between an island and the mainland. One day a passenger noticed that he had painted on one oar the word Works, and on the other oar the word Faith.  Curiosity led him to ask the meaning of this. The old man replied, I will show you, dropping one oar, rowing only with the oar named Works. Of course, the boat just went around in circles. Then he switched oars, picking up Faith and dropping Works. And the little rowboat went around in circles again, this time in the opposite direction. After this demonstration, the old man picked up both oars Faith and Works, and rowing with both oars together swiftly coursed over the water. He looked at the passenger and said, You see, that is the way it is in life as well as in rowing a boat. You got to keep both oars in the water, otherwise, you will just go in circles.

Author Unknown

Today's Word:

Efficient

Achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.

Working in a well-organized and competent way.

I don't think that any of us likes to go round and round in circles, yet that is just what we often wind up doing.  Sometimes we might think our day is off to a good start and then we remember something done or said yesterday that we are sad about and the great start to the day starts to go down hill quickly.

What happened yesterday is in the past and to hang on to the memories just keeps us from moving forward.  To be efficient, to move on and enjoy the day, means letting go and making the best of what we have right now.

The ultimate goal of a more effective and efficient life is to provide you with enough time to enjoy some of it. 

Michael Leboeuf

Chapter 5, Page 18, Book 13

Love is the magician, the enchanter, that changes worthless things to joy, and makes right royal kings and queens of common clay. It is the perfume of that wondrous flower, the heart, and without that sacred passion, that divine swoon, we are less than beasts; but with it, earth is heaven, and we are gods. 

Robert G. Ingersoll

Today's Word:

Joy

A feeling of great pleasure and happiness

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Psalm 30:5

Everyone delights in finding hidden treasure. Whether a child discovers coins buried in a sandbox or an adult stumbles upon a priceless antique in the attic—finding unexpected wealth is joyous!  Every new morning is like opening up a treasure chest.  It's nice to have a nice day. But it's great to have a joyful day. 

Granted, there are always unexpected things happening each and every day; but really… wouldn’t life be boring if everything went according to plan, every single day?  Every cloud has a silver lining, or so the old saying goes.  When you look for those joy filled moments it seems life becomes a grand adventure.

I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning. 

 J. B. Priestley

It is morning here , and I watch the sky wake in streaks of color.  purple. pink. orange. Mornings don't always make a bright beginning like this one, but still I'm thankful for each one.  Every morning brings something beautiful.  Always different.  From coast to coast, and across the globe Gad wakes the world with something wonderful.  He  chooses to do this beautiful, breathtaking, glorious thing again and again, just for us.

When you think about it, God’s limitless supply meets every need. This is treasure indeed! 

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
that my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent O LORD my God,
I will give thanks to You forever 

Psalm 30:11-12.