A bright and happy morning to each of you, I have to shout praises to our Father in heaven this morning....I slept for 4 1/2 hours without the dreaded cough, it is attacking me this morning but in the waking hours I can handle it...it is the night and interrupted sleep that really begins to wear me out...SO, I am more rested than I have been and ready to rock and roll on several painting projects...got done with "Thomas the train, sonic the hedgehog, and garfield all on one pillow case...yesterday and will begin on a plaque and handbag project today.....what a thrill it is for me to be doing what I love to do on a daily basis!!!
In a chat with a dear friend this morning I was enlightened by something she said, we were chatting about people who do wrong by others, people who constantly try and belittle, try to tear down, try to dominate...others, she said~~~ "whenever your working for the Lord, your gonna have someone trying to tear you down. Just lift them up and praise god for sending someone else you can pray for"~~~ I love it!!!! I always do pray for those who try to cause me harm but I love the added twist to put on the prayer....thank you God for sending me someone else I can pray for:) How are you feeling this morning? Did you receive anyone new to pray for this week??? LOL
love, love, love it!
I wish to share a wonderful story with you today, as promised the month of June is all about kindness and compassion and this story is one to keep close and read often, when I am in need of a little uplift I read this one and always feel renewed and ready to get out there and make a difference..
If I can reflect positive in all that I do, I know that it will be contagious and will be shared all the day long...this is much the way I live my life...just like Michael!!!!
CHOOSE HOW YOU START YOUR DAY
STORY
MICHAEL IS THE KIND OF GUY YOU LOVE TO HATE. HE IS ALWAYS IN A GOOD MOOD AND ALWAYS HAS SOMETHING POSITIVE TO SAY. WHEN SOMEONE WOULD ASK HIM HOW HE WAS DOING, HE WOULD REPLY, IF I WERE ANY BETTER, I WOULD BE TWINS!
HE WAS A NATURAL MOTIVATOR. IF AN EMPLOYEE WAS HAVING A BAD DAY, MICHAEL WAS THERE TELLING THE EMPLOYEE HOW TO LOOK ON THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THE SITUATION.
SEEING THIS STYLE REALLY MADE ME CURIOUS, SO ONE DAY I WENT UP TO MICHAEL AND ASKED HIM, I DON'T GET IT! YOU CAN'T BE A POSITIVE PERSON ALL OF THE TIME. HOW DO YOU DO IT?
MICHAEL REPLIED, EACH MORNING I WAKE UP AND SAY TO MYSELF, MIKE, YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES TODAY. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO BE IN A GOOD MOOD OR YOU CAN CHOOSE TO BE IN A BAD MOOD. I CHOOSE TO BE IN A GOOD MOOD.
EACH TIME SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS, I CAN CHOOSE TO BE A VICTIM OR I CAN CHOOSE TO LEARN FROM IT. I CHOOSE TO LEARN FROM IT.
EVERY TIME SOMEONE COMES TO ME COMPLAINING, I CAN CHOOSE TO ACCEPT THEIR COMPLAINING OR I CAN POINT OUT THE POSITIVE SIDE OF LIFE. I CHOOSE THE POSITIVE SIDE OF LIFE.
YEAH, RIGHT, IT ISN'T THAT EASY, I PROTESTED. YES, IT IS, MICHAEL SAID. LIFE IS ALL ABOUT CHOICES. WHEN YOU CUT AWAY ALL THE JUNK, EVERY SITUATION IS A CHOICE. YOU CHOOSE HOW YOU REACT TO SITUATIONS. YOU CHOOSE HOW PEOPLE WILL AFFECT YOUR MOOD. YOU CHOOSE TO BE IN A GOOD MOOD OR BAD MOOD.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS: IT'S YOUR CHOICE HOW YOU LIVE LIFE.
I REFLECTED ON WHAT MICHAEL SAID. SOON THEREAFTER, I LEFT THE TOWER INDUSTRY TO START MY OWN BUSINESS. WE LOST TOUCH, BUT I OFTEN THOUGHT ABOUT HIM WHEN I MADE A CHOICE ABOUT LIFE INSTEAD OF REACTING TO IT.
SEVERAL YEARS LATER, I HEARD THAT MICHAEL WAS INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, FALLING SOME 60 FEET FROM A COMMUNICATIONS TOWER. AFTER 18 HOURS OF SURGERY AND WEEKS OF INTENSIVE CARE, MICHAEL WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL WITH RODS PLACED IN HIS BACK.
I SAW MICHAEL ABOUT SIX MONTHS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. WHEN I ASKED HIM HOW HE WAS, HE REPLIED. IF I WERE ANY BETTER, I'D BE TWINS. WANNA SEE MY SCARS? I DECLINED TO SEE HIS WOUNDS, BUT DID ASK HIM WHAT HAD GONE THROUGH HIS MIND AS THE ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE.
THE FIRST THING THAT WENT THROUGH MY MIND WAS THE WELL BEING OF MY SOON TO BE BORN DAUGHTER, MICHAEL REPLIED. THEN, AS I LAY ON THE GROUND, I REMEMBERED THAT I HAD TWO CHOICES: I COULD CHOOSE TO LIVE OR I COULD CHOOSE TO DIE. I CHOSE TO LIVE.
WEREN'T YOU SCARED? DID YOU LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS I ASKED? MICHAEL CONTINUED, ..THE PARAMEDICS WERE GREAT. THEY KEPT TELLING ME I WAS GOING TO BE FINE. BUT WHEN THEY WHEELED ME INTO THE ER AND I SAW THE EXPRESSIONS ON THE FACE OF THE DOCTORS AND NURSES, I GOT REALLY SCARED. IN THEIR EYES, I READ 'HE'S A DEAD MAN. I KNEW I NEEDED TO TAKE ACTION. WHAT DID YOU DO I ASKED?
WELL, THERE WAS A BIG BURLY NURSE SHOUTING QUESTIONS AT ME, SAID MICHAEL. SHE ASKED IF I WAS ALLERGIC TO ANYTHING. 'YES, I REPLIED. THE DOCTORS AND NURSES STOPPED WORKING AS THEY WAITED FOR MY REPLY. I TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND YELLED, GRAVITY. OVER THEIR LAUGHTER, I TOLD THEM, 'I AM CHOOSING TO LIVE. OPERATE ON ME AS IF I AM ALIVE, NOT DEAD.'
MICHAEL LIVED, THANKS TO THE SKILL OF HIS DOCTORS, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF HIS AMAZING ATTITUDE. I LEARNED FROM HIM THAT EVERY DAY WE HAVE THE CHOICE TO LIVE FULLY. ATTITUDE, AFTER ALL, IS EVERYTHING.
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