I've Learned Alot!

I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.

I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned that you can get by on charm for about 15 minutes. After that, you'd better know something.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do.

I've learned that it's not what happens to people that's important. It's what they do about it.

I've learned that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.

I've learned that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I've learned that it's a lot easier to react than it is to think.

I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned that you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I've learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I've learned that learning to forgive takes practice.

I've learned that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it.

I've learned that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I've learned that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I've learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down may be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned that I'm getting more and more like my grandma, and I'm kinda happy about it.

I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I've learned that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned that you should never tell a child her dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if she believed it.

I've learned that your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't biological.

I've learned that no matter how good a friend someone is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned that sometimes when my friends fight, I'm forced to choose sides even when I don't want to.

I've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions.

I've learned that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I've learned that if you don't want to forget something, stick it in your underwear drawer.

I've learned that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I've learned that the clothes I like best are the ones with the most holes in them.

I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I've learned that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I've learned that there are many ways of falling and staying in love.

I've learned that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves, get further in life.

I've learned that many things can be powered by the mind, the trick is self-control.

I've learned that no matter how many friends you have, if you are their pillar, you will feel lonely and lost at the times you need them most.

I've learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I've learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I've learned that writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains.

I've learned that the paradigm we live in is not all that is offered to us.

I've learned that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon.

I've learned that although the word "love" can have many different meanings, it loses value when overly used.

I've learned that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe.

I've learned that no matter how fast or how far you go, you can't outrun God.

I've learned that no matter how far away I've been, He'll always welcome me back.

I've learned that love is not for me to keep, but to pass on to the next person I see.

I've learned that even if you do the right thing for the wrong reason, it's still the wrong thing to do.

The Whole World Stinks

Wise men and philosophers throughout the ages have disagreed on many things, but many are in unanimous agreement on one point: "We become what we think about." Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "A man is what he thinks about all day long." The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius put it this way: "A man's life is what his thoughts make of it." In the Bible we find: "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."

One Sunday afternoon, a cranky grandfather was visiting his family. As he lay down to take a nap, his grandson decided to have a little fun by putting Limburger cheese on Grandfather's mustache. Soon, grandpa awoke with a snort and charged out of the bedroom saying, "This room stinks." Through the house he went, finding every room smelling the same. Desperately he made his way outside only to find that "the whole world stinks!"

So it is when we fill our minds with negativism. Everything we experience and everybody we encounter will carry the scent we hold in our mind.

*********************************************************************************************

Complain! Complain! Complain!

It takes a disciplined spirit to endure the monastery on Mount Serat in Spain. One of the fundamental requirements of this religious order is that the young men must maintain silence. Opportunities to speak are scheduled once every two years, at which time they are allowed to speak only two words.

One young initiate in this religious order, who had completed his first two years of training, was invited by his superior to make his first two-word presentation. "Food terrible," he said. Two years later the invitation was once again extended. The young man used this forum to exclaim, "Bed lumpy." Arriving at his superior's office two years later he proclaimed, "I quit." The superior looked at this young monk and said, "You know, it doesn't surprise me a bit. All you've done since you arrived is complain, complain, complain."

Exaggerated? Maybe. What if you were asked to share two words that describe your Life? Would your focus be the lumps, bumps, and unfairness...or are you committed to dwell on those things that are good, right, and lovely?

God Can Use You

The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember...

Noah was a drunk.

Abraham was too old.

Isaac was a daydreamer.

Jacob was a liar.

Leah was ugly.

Joseph was abused.

Moses had a stuttering problem.

Gideon was afraid.

Samson had long hair and was a womanizer.

Rahab was a prostitute.

Jeremiah and Timothy were too young.

David had an affair and was a murderer.

Elijah was suicidal.

Isaiah preached naked.

Jonah ran from God.

Naomi was a widow.

Job went bankrupt.

Peter denied Christ.

The Disciples fell asleep while praying.

Martha worried about everything.

The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once.

Zaccheus was too small.

Paul was too religious.

Timothy had an ulcer.

... AND

Lazarus was dead!

Now! No more excuses!

God can use you to your full potential.

Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.

In the Circle of God's love, God's waiting to use your full potential.

1. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

2. Dear God, I have a problem, it's Me.

3. Growing old is inevitable.. . growing UP is optional.

4. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.

5. Silence is often misinterpreted but never misquoted.

6. Do the math... count your blessings.

7. Faith is the ability to not panic.

8. Laugh every day, it's like inner jogging.

9. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you pray, don't worry.

10. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday.

11. Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.

12. The most important things in your house are the people.

13. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.

14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.

15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

Have a great day!!! The SON is shining and he can certainly use you!

The Best Christmas Gift To You

A Christmas Letter From God

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival--although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own.

I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth just, GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Now, having said that let Me go on.

If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all my followers did that, there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgot that one, look up John 15: 1-8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth, here is My wish list. Choose something from it.

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know; they tell me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year? Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile. It could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work here. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary, especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

PS: Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And, do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember -

I LOVE YOU, JESUS

The Difference Between Poor People And Rich People

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.

They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On the return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad."

"Did you see! how poor people live?" the father asked.

"Oh yeah," said the son.

"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four.

We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.

We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.

Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We! have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.

We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.

Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!

Pass this on to friends and acquaintances and help them refresh their perspective and appreciation.

"Life is too short and friends are too few.


And Life Goes On!!!

The Greatest Irony Of Love

Loving the right person at the wrong time,
having the wrong person when the time is right
and finding out you love someone right after
that person walks out of your life...

And sometimes, you think you're already over a person,
but when you see them smile at you,
you'll suddenly realize that you're just pretending
to be over them just to ease the pain of knowing that
they will never be yours again...

For some, they think that letting go is one way
of expressing how much they love that person...
in my opinion, some are afraid to see the one they love
being held by someone else...

Most relationships tend to fail not because
the absence of love. Love is always present.
It's just that one was being loved too much and the
other was being loved too little...

As we all know that the heart is the center of the body
but it beats on the left. maybe that's the reason
why the heart is not always right...

Most often we fall in love with the person we think we love
but to only discover that for them
we are just for passing time, while the one who truly
loves us remains either a friend or a stranger...

So here's a piece of advice;
Let go when you're hurting too much.
Give up when love isn't enough.
And move on when things are not like before...

It's certain... there is someone out there
WHO WILL LOVE YOU EVEN MORE...

The Real Stuff

By Leslie Snyder

"Do everything without complaining or arguing"
-Philippians 2:14

"That we ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God."
-Brother Lawrence

I have a love-hate relationship with this verse. I love it when it applies to someone else (like my kids, husband, or the teenagers with whom I work), and I hate it when it applies to me. My guess is that I'm not alone in my sentiments.

Little makes me grumble and complain more than mundane tasks. Daily responsibilities like household chores and routine reminders just aren't exciting. The same is true of commuting to and from work, punching a time clock, redoing the work you did yesterday and planning to do the same tomorrow. The truth is no one wants to live a mundane life filled with mundane activities.

I guess the part of me that wants to hustle through these mundane tasks longs for the excitement of the "real" work, the stuff that really matters. You know, the exciting stuff that God is calling me to do that is so much more important than the mundane tasks that fill my days.

Then the thought occurred to me, "What if the seemingly mundane activities of my day are the real stuff? What if things like driving the carpool, hosting the neighborhood kids after school, fixing endless cold lunches and hot dinners, changing diapers, finding lost shoes, helping with homework, paying the bills while not complaining or arguing are the very tasks God is calling me to fulfill?" Brother Lawrence, a 17th century monastic leader, said, that the most excellent method he had found of going to God was that of doing our common business without any view of pleasing men, and (as far as we are capable) purely for the love of God.

Ouch! That one hurts! I suppose that different seasons in our lives bring different definitions to the word "mundane", but in his letter to the church at Colossae, Paul encourages, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" Colossians 3:23-24.

GOING DEEPER:
What mundane things in your life may, in reality, be the "real" stuff? Thank God today for His presence in the everyday things of life.

FURTHER READING:
Matthew 25:40

Hang In There!

The Fly Lady Speaks

Dear Dear Friends,

As SHEs we have struggled with many problems that are the result of
our SHEness. We forget to pay a bill, we leave the clothes in the
washer and they sour, we burn things up in the oven, we are
habitually late, we beat ourselves up because we lost a library book,
we miss an appointment and countless other ways we torture ourselves
daily.

I want you to look at what happens to this self inflected pain.

GUILT is a silent killer of body, mind and spirit.

1. Have you ever noticed that you are sick with colds more than most
people you know?

2. Do you have muscle and joint problems?

3. Does your head hurt?

4. Are you nervous and uneasy and don't know why?

5. Do you cry easily?

6. Do you have lapses in memory?

7. Do you feel that you are being pulled apart limb by limb?

8. Does your heart jump when the phone rings?

9. Do you yell at the children or your spouse for no reason.

10. Do you yearn for a new life?

11. Are you over weight?

When we feel stress for what ever reason our bodies produce chemicals
to protect us. These chemicals are there to help us deal with the
problem at hand, but they were not meant to be in our systems on a
continual basis. When we are constantly under stress and guilt, those
chemicals eat away at our immune systems.

In order to de-stress our lives we need to find those areas that are
laying a guilt trips on us and remove it. What do you have eating at
you? Too much credit card debt. A friendship that has ended over an
argument. A secret you are keeping from your spouse.

What ever is causing you discomfort, it is time to deal with it? It
can be big or it can be tiny. But left alone it will fester and become
a huge ugly abscess. Isn't that the way your homes looked? Think
about when the clutter and chaos started to overtake your lives and
homes. Was it about the time that you began hiding from this problem.

I am not telling you to run out and ask for forgiveness from someone
you have wronged. That will come in it's own time. I just want you to
think about that deep dark secret that has been eating away at you.
We all have them. I want you to forgive yourself and start to heal.
Until you do this your success is going to be limited. Your house may
be clean, but your heart is still dirty. We have to clean everything.
If you do not go through this process, your home will become that
nasty sore again.

Take a few moments to think about the things that lay that guilt trip
on you. Be totally alone, and write it down. Do not keep this! Then
take it outside or put it in a fireplace and set it on fire. Fire is
so cleansing. Do it even though it is symbolic. Feel that stress go up
with that smoke. Say a prayer asking for the forgiveness you desire
from God and then forgive yourself. Purge those negative thoughts and
get on with life. Tomorrow will be brighter when you release this
burden. Let the sun shine through your troubled clouds.

When I did this 11 years ago, my life changed. I took all of those
things that gave me guilt, stress, and bad feelings and burned them in
a wood stove. After that process, I began to feel happier, healthier
and more in tune with my spirit. There was nothing blocking the
sunlight of my soul.

I love all of you and I want for you what I have found. Peace

FlyLady

If you need to write things down and purge them from your head and
heart put them in a email to me and I will help you get rid of them.
FlyLady@flylady. net with FIRE in the subject line.

Forgiveness is a powerful tool! We all make mistakes. Forgive yourself
and get on with the act of living each day and not beating yourself up
over spilled milk.