Chapter 1, Page 31, Book 16

Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away

Anonymous

January  31st - moments

Life is not made up of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years, but of moments. You must experience each one before you can appreciate it.

Sarah Ban Breathnach

It's so easy to get caught up in the everyday chores and routines of life that we often miss those glorious moments that take our breath away.  We need to remember that the moments that take your breath away are life!  We need to appreciate just breathing and life!

We need to relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. Think about when you play the board game Monopoly. You buy railroads and place hotels on Park Place and Boardwalk. You pass GO and collect $200. Everyone has fun. Then the game ends, and all the hotels, all the colorful tokens, and all the funny money go back into the box. Likewise, life is short. We need to stop and ask ourselves, What really matters.  We need to enjoy every moment and have a blast while we last.

Sometimes it's the same moments that take your breath away that breathe purpose and love back into your life.

Steve Maraboli

I hope that you're were able to end your
January on the high notes !

How sweet it is!

Chapter 1, Page 30, Book 16

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the
children of God.

Mathew 5:9

January 30th - a peace keeper or a peace maker

Peace begins with a smile.

Mother Teresa

Words are a tricky thing. They have different meanings to different people, and unfortunately, that can result in some major miscommunication of expectations. For this reason, I think it’s vital to define terms.

A peacekeeper operates out of fear of rocking the boat. A peacemaker is motivated by genuine care for the other person.

Peacekeepers avoid conflict. Peacemakers pursue reconciliation at the risk of their own comfort. 

Peacekeepers don’t share how they really feel so as not to start an argument. Peacemakers are dogmatically committed to truth telling. 

We are either keeping the peace or making it.  For a lot of my life I was a peacekeeper, but am finding out that it is better to be a peace maker.  I dislike conflict. It seems easier to just let something go, shove it under the rug, or put up with it  and to avoid the risk of rejection by not bringing it up. 

A peacemaker seeks to live in harmony and peace with others.  Peacemakers are not quick to assume the other person is at fault.

Being a peacemaker is not easy.  It’s not avoiding issues.  It’s diving right in the middle of them.  A peacemaker is one who helps others make peace with men. 

Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.

John F. Kennedy

Chapter 1, Page 29, Book 16

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. 

Thomas Jefferson

January 29th - to tell the truth

If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. 

Mark Twain

 honest: good and truthful : not lying, stealing, or cheating

In anything you say or do, remember that honesty is always the best policy. Remember also that it is always very important to use honest words. Your honest word is one of your most precious and powerful possessions.  When you endeavor to consistently keep your word,  you protect your reputation and promote yourself as someone who can be trusted to be unfailingly truthful. Since frankness and sincerity form the basis of all life enriching relationships, your word is one of your most precious and powerful possessions.

There is great power in words. Words have the ability to build up or tear down. They can make a friend or make an enemy. They can break hearts or mend them. They can spur others to action, begin movements, and change the course of history. Our own history, as well as that of others.

Honest words communicate value and love. They refuse the low road of empty flattery and choose the high road of trust and commitment instead. But to be effective and simplifying, honest words must be matched with honest intentions. And remember that it is always easier to be honest about another than to be honest about ourselves… choose both.

Cherish the friend who tells you a harsh truth, wanting ten times more to tell you a loving lie. 

Robert Brault

Chapter 1, Page 28, Book 16

Friends Are Like Angels


Our friends are like angels,
Who brighten our days.
In all kinds of wonderful,
Magical ways.

Their thoughtfulness comes,
As a gift from above.
And we feel we're surrounded,
By warm, caring love.

Like upside-down rainbows,
Their smiles bring the sun.
And they fill ho hum moments,
With laughter and fun.

Friends are like angels,
Without any wings.
Blessing our lives,
With the most precious things.

Author Unknown

January 28th - be a friend

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.

Proverbs 27:9

It seems the moment the Christmas holiday concluded retailers were stocking their shelves in anticipation of the Valentine’s Day holiday in February.  Although the schedule seems ambitious, the abundance of Valentine’s colors and shapes are welcome on a cold January day.  During one shopping trips I saw a display of red, pink or white rectangular boxes each with an opening in the top.  I quickly recognized these as a manufactured version of the shoe box valentine receptacles we made in grade school.  

Valentine's Day brings bring some memories of childhood  The sharing of valentines was quite the production.   I remember how I carefully planned which friend would get which valentine!  As we are a couple of weeks from Valentine’s Day,  I find myself determined to engage that same care expressing my love and appreciation to my dear friends near and far.

All it ever takes to step from the ordinary and into the magical is your undivided attention.

Stephen C. Paul

It is magical the way people change when you pay attention to them.  I’ve always believed that if you want to have friends, you have to be a friend.  And friends need our attention.  Truth is we all like to have some undivided attention now and then.  

I’ve learned that the best thing about the toughest days of your life is that you get to see who your true friends really are.  They’ll be there for you no matter what.

We live in an ADD world. It seems like everybody’s got Attention Deficit Disorder because our tools and technology have left us perpetually distracted, and we no longer pay attention to the people around us.  If you want to have happier relationships, you need to learn the lost art of paying attention.

The greatest gift you can give somebody is your attention because your attention is your time, and your time is your life. You’re never going to get it back, and that’s why it is so precious when you give it.  Whatever we pay attention to is going to grow. If I pay attention to my garden, it’s going to grow. When we pay attention to our children, they grow and if you pay attention to your marriage, it’s going to grow. 

The essence of relationships is how much of ourselves we give to each other.  Friendships don't just happen; they need nurturing and attention.  

Friends bring a smile to your face when you're sad and make your days bloom with lots of joy and happiness. 

Chapter 1, Page 27, Book 16

Living One Day At A Time

Our lives are made up of
a million different ways.

Some are spent searching for
love, peace, and harmony. Others
are spent surviving day by day.

But there is no greater moments than
that life, with all it's joys and sorrows,
is meant to be lived one day at a time.
It's in this knowledge that we discover
the most wonderful truth of all.

Whether we live in a forty room mansion,
surrounded by servants and wealth,
or find it a struggle to manage the
rent month to month we have
it within our power to be fully
satisfied and live a life
with true meaning.

One day at a time we have that ability,
through cherishing each moment
and rejoicing in each dream.

We can experience each day anew,
and with this fresh start we have
what it takes to make all our
dreams come true.

Each day is new, and living
one day at a time enables us to truly
enjoy life and live it to the fullest.

Author Unknown

January 27th - worry is a waste of time

Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.

 Corrie ten Boom

Good and bad things will happen in life. You just have to keep living and not stress over what you can't control. Much of our worry is created by being late and constantly rushing from place to place. Avoid the worry by being early, whether it is to an appointment or simply getting to work. Adding extra time to your schedule can eliminate much of the stress of the daily rush.

Worrying about a problem never solves the problem.Keeping busy is a great way to avoid worry. Avoiding idle time keeps your brain from endlessly pondering things that may never come to be.

Worry is unreasonable.   Worry about something you can’t change is useless. To worry about something you can change is foolish! And every time you review a worry in your mind, it just gets bigger. Worry amplifies problems out of proportion.

Worry is a total waste of time. It doesn't change anything. All is does it steal your joy and keep you very busy doing nothing. 

Author Unknown

Worry and anxiety do, however, change us. It can make us sick and grouchy. Worrying doesn’t get anything done. It doesn’t help in any regard, and only serves to stress you out.  You can’t change yesterday, and you can’t predict the future. Live in the present. And take things as they come.

Living one day at a time is the best way to keep from getting overwhelmed.  

Remember :  Life by the inch is a cinch

How Sweet It Is !

Chapter 1, Page 26, Book 16

The sunrise, of course, doesn’t care if we watch it or not. It will keep on being beautiful, even if no one bothers to look at it.

Gene Amole 

January 26th - seeking beauty everywhere

Beauty is whatever gives joy. 

 St. Edna Vincent Millay

Beauty is everywhere if only we have the eyes to see. Beauty lifts the soul and gives a moment of reprieve in this world of imperfection, enabling us to have perspective and to maintain peace amidst any storms.  Beauty is not always realized through a life changing moment or a great epiphany. It’s not always hidden in a rainbow, or found skydiving at 5,000 feet above the ground. Beauty is often found through looking into a newborn’s eyes, in the blooming of a flower, or in paint peeling off an old fence. It’s often where you least expect it.

There is nothing that makes its way more directly to the soul than beauty. 

Joseph Addison

There is beauty everywhere, we just have to stop and see it.  It may be difficult to see on certain days, but there really is beauty everywhere even on the darkest days.  

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 

Chapter 1, Page 25, Book 16

There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.

John Holmes

January 25th - lift up the hearts of others

In our lives, the people around us lift us up, or they drag us down.  Strong people don't put people down, they lift them up. When we work to eliminate negative language and instead use positive words and actions that gives a lift up to others

For of all the emotions that can keep us alive and lift us up, humor is the most potent. What would life be without laughter? Laughing not only lifts our spirits but also the spirit of those around us.  Laughter makes us generous to a level where we feel better giving than receiving . It lifts us up and makes life worth living. It helps us relax and reduces stress .

You have to lift a person up before you can really put them in their place.

Criss Jami

Be the force that lifts everyone around you. If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.  You can chose to lift up or tear down.  By giving a compliment or a word of praise you can make someone’s day.  When treat others with kindness and respect, we give them a lift up.

We shall do much in the years to come,
but what have we done today?
We shall give our gold in a princely sum,
but what did we give today?
We shall lift the heart and dry the tear,
We shall plant a hope in the place of fear,
We shall speak the words of love and cheer
but what did we speak today?

Nixon Waterman

Chapter 1, Page 24, Book 16

To be upset over what you
don't have is to waste
what you do have.

Ken Keyes, Jr.

January 24 - The more we have, the less we appreciate it.

Its been said that the key to happiness is to appreciate what you have. If it's so simple, why are so many people unhappy?

People often think happiness is based on what you achieve and acquire.  The truth is that happiness is not a happening, it's a state of mind. You can have everything in the world and still be miserable. Or you can have relatively little and feel unbounded joy.

Happiness comes from mastering the art of appreciating and consciously enjoying what you already have. But if you take it all for granted, then nothing in life will ever truly give you joy.

One of the best ways to love your current life is to write a list of things you’re grateful for. It doesn’t matter if they seem small or insignificant: little everyday moments of happiness count. We need to look for those silver linings in our lives and be grateful for them.

Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet

Life is a miracle. Treat it as something precious, and don’t take it for granted.

How sweet it is !

Chapter 1, Page 23, Book 16

Tomorrow
Edgar Guest

He was going to be all that a mortal should be tomorrow.
No one should be kinder or braver than he tomorrow.
A friend who was troubled and weary he knew,
Who'd be glad of a lift and who needed it, too;
On him he would call and see what he could do, tomorrow.

Each morning he stacked up the letters he'd write, tomorrow,
And thought of the folks he would fill with delight, tomorrow.
It was too bad, indeed, he was busy today,
And hadn't a minute to stop on his way;
More time he would have to give others, he'd say, tomorrow.

The greatest of workers this man would have been, tomorrow.
The world would have known him, had he ever seen tomorrow.
But the fact is he died and he faded from view,
And all that he left here when living was through
Was a mountain of things he intended to do, tomorrow.

January 23rd - Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come. 

We can fill each day with grasping or with giving;
with griping or with gratitude.

William Arthur Ward

If life has taught me anything at all is that we need to enjoy each day as it comes and to live our lives to the fullest. I’m always on the outlook for some wisdom to pass on to you all and  I recently read and article about Mark Twain.  He is well known for some of his very popular books like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He was a writer and also a humorist, satirist and lecturer.

Twain is known for his many and often funny quotes. Here are a few of my favorite tips from him

A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.

If you don’t approve of yourself, of your behaviour and actions then you’ll probably walk around most of the day with a sort of uncomfortable feeling. If you, on the other hand, approve of yourself then you tend to become relaxed and gain inner freedom to do more of what you really want.

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.
So many limitations are mostly in our minds. We may for instance think that people will disapprove because we are too tall, too old or balding. But these things mostly matter when you think they matter. Because you become self conscious and worried about what people may think.

Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.

Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.
Humor and laughter are amazing tools. They can turn any serious situation into something to laugh about. They can lighten the mood just about anywhere.

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.

Anger is most of the time pretty pointless. It can cause situations to get out of hand. And from a selfish perspective it often more hurtful for the one being angry then the person he’s angry at.

Drag your thoughts away from your troubles… by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it.
What you focus your mind on greatly determines how things play out. You can focus on your problems and dwell in suffering and a victim mentality. Or you can focus on the positive in situation, what you can learn from that situation or just focus your mind on something entirely else

I don’t think anyone could go wrong by putting these useful tips into practice.  Of course Edgar Guest, Willam Ward and Robert Stevenson were pretty wise me too.  

How sweet it is !

As yesterday is history, and tomorrow may never come, I have resolved from this day on, I will do all the business I can honestly, have all the fun I can reasonably, do all the good I can willingly, and save my digestion by thinking pleasantly.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Chapter 1, Page 22, Book 16

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. 

Dr. Seuss

January 22nd - sweet memories are made of this

It is very true that we often don’t appreciate some thing or someone until we no longer have it. As we make our way on the journey of life, it is easy to forget places, people, and events that have been important to us along the way. Time passes, yesterday fades, and we become obsessed with the concerns of the moment.

 I love having a picture album on my computer as those pictures jog my memory.  Special celebrations, people and places are right there.  Seeing some thing or someone ’s picture brings back a good feeling all over again.  It refreshes my memory.  It’s like doing it all over again for the second time.

  

Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories.

From the movie An Affair to Remember

Often in life we forget the things we should remember and  remember the things we should forget.  I try to savor and save the good memories.  I treasure memories of hot summer days and air conditioned nights so that when like bad things happen, like winter time, I can remember.   I can say, Thanks for the memories !

When we lose someone dear to us. Be it a friend, a spouse, o child or a pet  all we can do to soften the loss is to keep the memories fresh of the good times we did have with them. We just need to be thankful for what ever time we had.   And I think when you have good memories to hang on to, we can change the memory of our past into a hope for our future.

So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.

Helen Keller

How Sweet it is !

Chapter 1, Page 21, Book 16

You don’t have to attend every argument to which you are invited

Author Unknown

January 21st - A grudge is one thing that doesn’t get better when it’s nursed.

Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute. 

Josh Billings

Arguments happen. But let’s make sure they are resolved. Grudges are a burden too heavy to carry. I don’t think I’ve ever had a good argument or been the winner of any.  I’ve known a lot of people that were just cruising for an argument, but that didn’t mean I had to join them.  To me they are a waste of time.  Discussions about things are fine, but when they turn into an argument it’s just better to walk away.

To be right, be willing to admit you are wrong.

There are two sides to everything. You can never see both sides until you stop accusing and humbly listen to the other person instead. To solve a conflict, someone needs to be willing to take the blame. 

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger

Proverbs 15:1

 What we say and how we say it not only makes a difference in the reaction we’ll receive, but it also determines whether conflict or peace will result. Many arguments could be avoided and tense situations relaxed if we practiced the truth of this verse.

The next time someone speaks to you in a harsh or angry tone, try to reverse the trend by expressing meekness, quietness of spirit, and loving concern instead

Our loved ones may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons—but they are helpless against our prayers.

J. Sidlow Baxter

Prayer is often the best way to go when things are in turmoil.  Not knowing all the answers or ways to solve our problems, prayer works when nothing else can.

Soft words are hard arguments. 

Thomas Fuller

Chapter 1, Page 20, Book 16

You learn something every day if you pay attention. 

Ray LeBlond

January 20th - learning something new every day

I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught. 

Winston Churchill

Life is the province of learning, and the wisdom we acquire throughout our lives is the reward of existence. 

Life’s lessons can take many forms and present us with many challenges. There are scores of mundane lessons that help us learn to navigate with grace, poise, and tolerance in this world. And there are those once in a lifetime lessons that touch us so deeply that they change the course of our lives.

The difference between school and life? In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson. 

Todd Bodett

Learning helps us more easily and readily adapt to new situations.

It's a mistake, when life hands you a tough lesson, to think that you can get back at life by not learning it. 

Robert Brault

Yes, life has a way of teaching us lessons that we would never learn otherwise. Some of life’s lessons we would rather not have, some of what we learn we wish we did not have to, and that is exactly what makes life such an excellent teacher.  We learn to make the best out of things and grow from the most difficult of circumstances.

People learn something every day, and a lot of times it’s that what they learned the day before was wrong. 

Bill Vaughan

Every moment of life is like God saying, Look I know you messed up the last moment, but here’s a new one for you.  Each day brings something new our way and what we learn each day makes our lives worthwhile.

A day spent without learning something is a day wasted. 

Anonymous

Chapter 1, Page 19, 2016

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.

 Edith Sitwell

January 18th - comfort

It is not length of life, but depth of life.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Comfort means that we feel cozy, snug, warm, pleasant, and agreeable.  We are free from stress or anxiety and at ease.

We all want to live a comfortable life, not a wasteful one.  When it comes to material things, do not spend to impress others.  Do not live life trying to fool yourself into thinking wealth is measured in material objects.  Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you.  Always live well below your means.

Living a life of honesty creates peace of mind, and peace of mind is priceless.

The more you listen and the less you talk, the more you will learn and the less you will miss.

We are at our very best, and we are happiest, then we are fully engaged in work we enjoy on the journey toward the goal we've established for ourselves. It gives meaning to our time off and comfort to our sleep. It makes everything else in life so wonderful, so worthwhile. 

Earl Nightingale

A phrase that is worth repeating is: the best things in life are free.  They come in the form of simple pleasures and they appear right in front of us at various locations and arbitrary times.   It’s all about taking a moment to notice the these moments and taking part in them regularly which will bring unpredictable bursts of happiness into our lives.

Remember: Right now is the only moment guaranteed to us.  Right now is life.  Don’t miss it.

He who would pass his declining years with honor and comfort, should, when young, consider that he may one day become old, and remember when he is old, that he has once been young. 

Joseph Addison

Chapter 1, Page 18, Book 16

Of the blessings set before you, make your choice, be content and keep your smile.

January 18th - contentment is sweet

A smile is happiness you'll find right under your nose.

Tom Wilson

Don't let the world change your smile.. We have to choose to be happy and keep choosing it.

Looking at what is right in my world lifts my spirits and deepens my gratitude.

When ever I feel down or am feeling sorry for myself, I count my blessings and counting my blessings makes me smile.  I’m content with my world and happy.

Knowing  that there is far more good going on in my life than bad, I’ve become a very thankful person.

We don’t need to wait until we’ve changed everything and made our life perfect before we’re happy. We have everything we need to be happy right now. 

Contentment means my happiness is not dependent upon circumstances. If you don't learn contentment, you'll never be happy. You'll always want more.

Remember:  In order to be happy with what you have now you need to follow this simple rule.

Be thankful for everything you have now. If it’s food on the table or a place to sleep at night. You need to take the time out of your day and give thanks either out loud or in your mind for all the things you have. This simple task takes less than a minute and will have a dramatic impact on your current happiness.

Say thanks over and over again.  I feel it’s the best tool you have for being content, happy, and satisfied with life at any given moment.

How sweet it is !

Chapter 1, Page 17, Book 16

We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self discipline, and effort. 

Jesse Owens

January 17th - dedication

A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done. 

Vince Lombardi

Living a life of purpose reflects who you are deep inside, your beliefs, values and passion for living. It is about following your heart and doing what you love to do with passion and purpose.

Living in love, on purpose, is more than just a commitment. It is my way of life.  

Love defines our existence, our purpose, and our reason to live. A life full of love is the absolute best we can hope for.   Love paints our view of the world and bestows purpose and meaning to life. 

Love is the beginning, the ending, and everything in between.

Chapter 1, Page 16, Book 16

We are all in the same boat, in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty.

 G.K. Chesterton

January 16th - we’re all in the same boat

We’re all in the same boat. This expression alludes to the risks shared by passengers in a small boat at sea. We are in the same boat, but have different paddles, and perhaps we find ourselves on different rivers. Our paddles, the tools we use to move through the world, vary, as do the bodies of water, the environments, in which we find ourselves. 

People who are all in the same boat must work as a team because they face the same challenges together. They use their paddles, the tools they have, to succeed by working together. 

We all need each other.  There is not one of us that isn’t dependent on another person for something.  I need my family, the grocer, the farmers, the crews that clear the snow from the streets in winter…the list is endless.  We all work together to make life better for each other.

We are all in the same boat here. We are all living each day trying to figure out how to navigate our way around our lives.  The great part about all of us being in this together is that we get to share what we have learned with each other. What one can’t do, another can.

Teamwork makes the dream work. We're all in the same boat.

Learning to live together is not an option—it's a must

Samantha Cristoforetti

Chapter 1, Page 15, Book 16

Use wisely, your power of choice.

Choose to love. . . rather than hate.
Choose to laugh. . . rather than cry.
Choose to create. . . rather than destroy.
Choose to persevere. . . rather than quit.
Choose to praise. . . rather than gossip.
Choose to heal. . . rather than wound.
Choose to give. . . rather than steal.
Choose to act. . . rather than procrastinate.
Choose to grow. . . rather than rot.
Choose to pray. . . rather than curse.
Choose to live. . . rather than die.

January 15th - sweet choices

All through life we must keep choosing. Destiny hangs on ‘yes' and ‘no.' As we look back, it is to wonder what would have happened if we had gone the other way when the road forked.

Anonymous 

Forest Gump said that life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what will be in the next bite. That is the way with the choices we need to make..  They keep coming and every day seems to bring something new that we must make a choice about.  We decide whether or not to get out of bed, what we’ll eat, what we’ll do, what we’ll think about, what we’ll say…and the list goes on and on. Choices about things that will make a big difference and we want to make the right choices.  The list above does give us some good guidelines.  

The good news is that even if we have made foolish choices (and we’ve all done it at times in our lives) and you’re not happy with the way things are, we can change. There is an awful lot of power in the choices we make.

We make choices every minute of the day. Some of the choices or decisions are conscious ones that we have thought, and prayed, about before we make them. Most other times, however, we are not even aware we have made a choice because it was an automatic response to an idea, a thought, or a circumstance. When we smile at something another has said, we have chosen to smile rather than frown without even thinking about the choice. And, sometimes we make no choice at all, which is actually making a choice.

 I discovered I always have choices and sometimes it's only a choice of attitude.

Judith M. Knowlton

Our emotional health is determined, to a great extent, by how we respond to the circumstances around us. If we choose to react in a positive manner, it often will help us maintain a healthy mental attitude about the situation.

All too often we choose to react negatively based upon our assumption of the intent of what another has said or done. When we do that we are choosing to judge without hearing both sides of the matter.

We often cannot control the circumstances we find ourselves in. The only thing which we can control, however, is how we react to those circumstances. It’s our choice.

 Free choice is the greatest gift God gives to his children.

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

What we choose to watch, listen to, read or think about will influence our attitudes and behavior.  The good Lord has given us the ability to choose how we live our life. Every choice we make will affect our future. There are rewards for making wise choices and consequences for choosing the foolish. Some wrong choices only create an inconvenience for you which can easily be repaired. Other choices are far reaching and cannot ever be reversed.

Our greatest power is our power to choose.

When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or make snow angels.

Unknown

The picture above is of my youngest son and his son.  They choose to play in the snow one wintry day.  

How sweet it is !