Chapter 8, Page 31, Book 19

Serenity Prayer

Reinhold Niebuhr

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time’

enjoying one moment at a time’

accepting hardships as the payday to peace;

taking, as He did, this sinful world 

as it is, not as I would have it;

trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to his Will;

that I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

forever in the next.

Amen

August 31st - ;unofficial last day of summer

The official start to fall is not here yet, but when the kids start to get ready to go back to school, I feel like it’s fall. Labor Day is closing in fast and for me that is the unofficial start to autunn days. Our pools close as do many other seasonal activities. Pleaple squeeze in their summer vacations before labor day comes too. 

The last few days summer are sweet and bitter at the same time for me. I love summer and all the sunny days it brings our way, fall will bring more dark and cloudy days our way. We’ll be saying good bye to happy days of summer and welcoming cooler days to enjoy. August for us is the last summer month and usually a hot and humid one and by this time of year everyone yearns for cooler days. The work of the farmers is done for another year and now they bring the harvest in. Piles of pumpkins are already starting to appear at the famers markets and fall decorations have been in the stores for quite awhile already. 

Halloween seems to start earlier every year. Trick or treat goodies have been on the shelf awhile along with coutumes for the young and old. The seasons go by fast enough for me without trying to rush them. 

Sometimes you need to press pause to let everything sink in.

Sebastian Vettel

Chapter 8 Page 30, Book 19

Gratitude is the key to personal power and effetivness.

Ian Wallace Harper

August 30th - take time to give thanks 

Happiness is not getting everything you want, It’s appreciating everything you have.

Author Unknown

Reaseach has shown thatyou can increase your happiness and overall satisfactionwith life with witha change in perspective and attitude.Fulfillmentis the achievementof something done or desired. The meeting of a required condition. It’s a feeling of contentment.. I don’t have everything I want, but I do have all that I need. 

Money isn’t going to make a differencein how happy you are. Others aren’t goingto make you happy either. We are each of us responsible for our own happiness.

Without gratitude and appreciation for what you already have, you’ll never know true fulfillment. 

Tony Robbins

I have learned to be satisfied with what I have because I know how easily it can be taken away. Becoming grateful makes a huge difference in our overall happiness. It makes us experience more positive emotions, decreases depression, feel better aboutourselves. and improves relationships and even strengthensour immune systems. Gratitude can even makes you smarter about how you spend your time and money.

I’ve made it a habit to count my blessings every day and write down what I’m thankful for. And to offersincere complements to others too. When you think of the things you admire and appreciate aboutothers anddwellon them. not only will you make the other person happier, but it will make you value the relationship more and feel happier too..

I’ve found that when you focus on the present moment you are much more likely to feel centered, happy and at your peak.. You are also more likely to notice the good thing alll around you. Thoughts of the past and worrying about the future prevent that from happening. 

So, Savor the good things life has to offer. and you will be happier and more content with what you have. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you enjoy it and appreciate it.

Stop and smell the roses…

Old proverb

Chapter 8, Page 29, Book 19

Sadness flies away on the wings of time

Jean de La Fontaine

August 29th - time heals

It has been said, time heals all wounds. I do not agree. The wounds remain intime, the mind protectingits sanity covers then with scar tissue and the pain lessons. But it is never gone.

Rose Kennedy

We haveall heard, it’ll all get better in time, but I’ve leaned that yes, the pain is less, but I’m still brokenhearted with the death of my loved ones. 

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.

Dr. Seuss

Sadly my family has had 3 deaths and I still miss DDH, DS#1 and one of my grandsons, our little Pumpkin every day. I didn’t just bounce back from losses likethat. Eventually it didn'thurt as much, the pain was less, but they will never be forgotten. Time won’t change the fact thatI’ll never be able to hear their voice, or that they’ll never be a part of this growing and loving family. Time doesn’t heal, ACCEPTANCE DOES. When we accept the situation as it is. Then we can heal and move on. 

As hard as it seems, It is what it is and life goes on.

I think we’ve all learned to appreciate each other more and the time we have to spend with each other.

Say what you will, tis better tobe left than never to have been loved.

William Congreve

Chapter 8, Page 28, Book 19

Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.

Albert Einstein

August 28th - back to school

You learn something every day if you pay attention.

Ray LeBlond

Back to school season creates a rush of excitement for the new year. It’s back to waking up early, packing lunches and getting homework done. It’ doesn’t matter how old you are,  I think it brings back memories for all of us. It does for me. Not only of my own school days but that of my own children too.

School days, school days

Good old fashioned rule days. 

Reading and writing and ‘rithmetick

Our teacher’s great and we learn ‘em quick.

Truly we never stop learning. Every day of my life I learn something new. Just because we don’t attend classes any more life it’s self is one big learning lesson. Life teaches much that school never could. The problem is that life moves us far along before we figure out what’s going on and the wisdom we hope to have gained is sometimes late in coming.

The capacity to learn is a gift, the ability to learn is a skill, the willingness to learn is a choice

Brian Herbert

Life can be unpredictable and though you some curves. Just say never and see what happens. To avoid the jolt when life’s surprises come yout way, be prepared by being open minded and maintain a positive mindset that welcomes life lessons offered.

Learn from the mistakes of others. An old proverb says, It takes a wise man to learn from his mistakes, but an even wiser man to learn from others.

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

Tom Bodett

Chapter 8, Page 27, Book 19

Energy and persistence conquer all things

Benjamin Franklin

August 27h - persistencepays off 

Patience, Persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.

Napoleon Hill

The old saying, If at first you don’t succeed, try again is one that motivates us to keep on trying because persistence pays of in the end. It’s a lesson we should heed, it works . Don’t give up Determination will win the day. 

Nothing worth having in this world ever came easy. We can achieve anything we want, if we set our minds to it. That’s why it’s important to keep on trying. You never know just what you can do until you try. Truth be told, nothing will work at all unless you do.. If you want anything in life it’s up to you 

Don’t get discouraged if something doesn’t work the first time. Keep on Keeping on. It’s persistence that will allow you to make the most of your ability.

The most essential factor is persistence - the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come.

James Whitcomb Riley

Chapter 8, Page 26, Book 19

Starting today I need to forget what’s gone. Appreciate what still is and look forward to what’s coming next.

Author Unknown

August 26th - give yourself something to look forward to.

Start where you are. Use what you have, Do what youcan.

Arthur Ashe

I think we all need something to look forward to. A reason to keep us going. I was feeling blah, not wanting to do much of anything so in order to perk myself up, I decided to have a little labor day weekend party. It gave me a lift, just knowing I had something special to do and plan for. A get together with family and friends is just what was needed to spur me on and get rid of the blahs. Having something to look forward to in the future can give us the motivation and persistenceto keep moving forward.

If we don’t have something to look forward to our days can be come dull and lack luster. I believe that there are times we have to make our own sunshine. Turning what might be a dark dreary day in to a happy and bright one. We need to control our feelings much the same way. Having something to look forward to, makes the whole world look brighter and full of possibilities. 

 Use your smile to change the world; don’t let the world change your smile.

Author Unknown

Sometimes we get stuck in a rut and need something to jog us out of it and I think I’ve found a way to do that now that I’ve got something to look forward to with the party coming up on the weekend. I always say that the anticipationof any event, be it a holiday or a party is half the fun anyway! Getting ready for them can be just as much fun as the day is itself. 

Anticipation can be a very powerful emotion that has the potential to improve our lives. It might even be necessary to livinga full and satisfyinglife. It’s the stepping stone to hope . As humans, we all need things in our future to be excited about and optimistic about. It doesn’t matter if it’s something that is meaningful or trivial, as long as we have something to help give our mind a positive view of the future. 

If you find it hard to find somethingto look forward to, Make plans, get tickets to a show or schedule to meet up with an oldfriend or start a new habby. There are truly plenty of things out there that will make your future look a little brighter or happier and relish the anticipation of good things to come. I know I did!.

When you focus on problems, you’ll have more problems. When you focus on your possibilities you’ll have more opportunities.

Zig Ziglar

Chapter 8, Page 25, Book 19

I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days, before you’ve actually left them.

Andy Bernard, The Office

August 25th - savor every moment of today. 

Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed.

Wayne Dyer

Life is not a dress rehearsal. We only get one chance at it. There is no time, but the present. The past has gone and yesterday hasn’t come. 

No sense longing for the good old days, but better to make the day we have on hand a good day. 

Nostalgia exerts a strong allure and extracts a steep price. When we are too busy wishing for the past, we don’t live fully in the present. We get distracted from what we should be doing right now.

In fact most things are better now that what they were years ago. Improvements havebeen made in medicine, technology and manufacturing that make things much better than what they were.

Look not mournfully into the past, it comes not back again. Wisely improve the present, it is thing. Go forth to meet the shdowy future without fear and with a manly heart. 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Chapter 8, Page 24, Book 19

Silence is one of the great arts of conversation.

Marcus Tuillius Cicero

August 24th - in the silence

Somewhere we know that with out silence words lose their meaning.that without listening speaking no longer heals, that with distance,closeness cannot cure.

Henry Nouwen

Things have been very quiet here at my house. When you live alone, you learn to appreciate noise, but you also loose your patience with it . Too much or too littleis not good. Because I’m here alone, I get used to the quietness and don’t realize how muchI’ve adapted to it until I’in the midst of a crowd and find the noise irritates me. When everyone talks at once it’s hard for me to concentrateon conversation. I want to hear everything they all have to say, but it’s impossible . 

I’m thankful that I can hear without the use of any aids. But sometimes I’ve felt like I could use ear muffs, to tone things down. Loud noise almost hurts my ears. It’s hard a find a good balance. There a times too, that I think I forget how to talk. unless it’s talking to my self. Human contact is important. 

I remember the days as a young mother, I wished for five minutes of peace and quiet, and I learned you have to be careful for what you wish for. I got that wish and now I’ve found it isn’t all it’s made up to be. 

Still living alone does have it’s benefits, not the least of which is enjoying my own company. I get to do what I love when ever I want to do it. I’m never bored. I’m confident enough to know to know you can surround yourself with people but not depend on them for my own happiness. 

I live alone but never feel lonely When we are alone it is the only time we are free. Free from the influence of others, free to learn at you own will and free to create what your heart desires. Being free to follow your thoughts and chase after them. 

Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute.

Josh Billings

Chapter 8, Page 23, Book 19

When you worry about things beyond your control, stressand anxiety begin to creep into your life.

Joyce Meyer

August 23rd - don’t worry, pray more

Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night.

Leo Aikman

The world is full of worriers. Some are occasional worriers, some are chronic worriers, But I doubt there are any of us are able to escape the woes of worry all together. Someone once said the best way to live a long life is to get some else to do the worryingfor you. 

Worry is like a rocking chair It will give you something do do but it won’t get you anywhere.

Vance Havner

 I think that Worry is the opposite of faith. I have faith that if I turn my problems over to God, he can handle them much better than I every could. Nothing is impossible for Him. Let Go and let God. 

We don’t have control over everything, but we can control how we deal with our circumstances. It’s a choice we all have. 

So instead of worrying, pray more. He can and will supply all our needs. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficientfor today. Living one day at a time, and not worrying about tomorrow is the best way to live. Neither looking forward nor backwards is going to make you feel better about how things are right now, right here. If we spend our lives trying to make time pass quicker until what ever it is happens, sooner of latter we’ll run out of time altogether.

The prescription for anxiety then is that those who wait upon the Lord waste no time, and do not have to worry. Do good and keep too busy to worry and you’ll be too tired to worry at night Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about every thing and thank Him for all he has done. Then you will know God’s peace. Phillippians 4: 6-13

I’m too blessed to be stressed!