Building the treasures of heaven in your heart....

Good morning and happy Monday. I pray your day has started off on the right foot and that it just gets better with each passing moment. I read a quote this morning on facebook and thought it a very good one. I share this with you as I stand witness to it being very valid.

In God's hands even the things that have broken us can be used by Him to make us whole again. 

Sheila Walsh, The Shelter of God's Promises.

I have been broken, I have been down and depressed, I have felt that there was no way out..through prayer, those who love and care about me and faith God has made me whole time after time. I do not know what today will bring but I do know that I am holding fast to my faith that God will bring me through it and keep me whole. I also wanted to give a big BIRTHDAY shout out to my sister in law Connie, I love you!!!!

In prayer this morning I sat in the warmth of the sunshine and listened to the birds sing, I quieted my mind and thanked God for bringing me to this point. It is not a point I wish to be at but it IS a point and looks much brighter than it did last week. I thanked God for all of the negative that has been happening for I have seen proof that even in the darkest of times, even in the most stress filled moments that I am not alone, I have not been thrown to the wolves. I am loved!!! I thanked God for allowing me to see the important things. I prayed that the job interview Wayde will be going to tomorrow will allow those interviewing to see what a wonderful man he is, will allow them to see his sweet spirit and how valuable he would be in this job. I asked God to give him peace and calm, to allow his light to shine through and his craft and skill to be recognized. I prayed for each of you that you are filled with the knowledge that no matter how tough the times get with God on your side it will be okay. Maybe not what you ordered but it is still ordered and is God's will and plan. I asked him to bless each of us with peace in our hearts, calm in our minds, comfort in our bodies and an abundance of love in our hearts. In the name of Jesus Christ I ask for mercy, grace and blessings. Amen.

Worthless Or Priceless

I was driving my son to the sheltered workshop for the handicapped where he works a few days each week. My seventeen year old car was cruising along while the Spring sun shined down. The trees were budding and flowers were popping up along the side of the road. I looked over at my son who was humming along to a song on the radio. He turned his head, smiled and said, " I love you Daddy." I smiled back and said, "I love you too son." 

The green light ahead turned yellow and I slowed to a stop. Suddenly, a gold Mercedes Benz screeched to a halt next to me. The owner was yelling into a cell phone and slammed his hand on the steering wheel as he glared at the now red light. After a minute the light changed and he sped away with a scowl as big as his face. I drove on shaking my head and said a little prayer that the owner of that expensive car would one day realize the true treasures in life. 

That miserable man in the Mercedes reminded me again of the worthlessness of wealth and the pricelessness of love in the eyes of eternity. All of his money hadn’t put a smile on his face. All of his things hadn’t given him peace. All of his wealth hadn’t filled his heart with happiness or brought meaning to his life. He seemed lost, separated from love, and separated from God. He was trapped in a golden cage and didn’t even know it. 

Please don’t spend your life in the pursuit of the worthless "fool’s gold" that our society holds dear. Don’t try to gain the whole world and in the process lose your soul. Instead spend your days here building "the Treasures of Heaven" in your heart. If you do then your days will be blessed with sunshine, smiles, and sweet laughter. If you do then you will not only fill your soul with love but you will also scatter joy to the world around you. If you do then you will be able to give God the most priceless gift of all: your life lived with love.

I want to dine more and eat less...

Good morning and happy Wednesday, I pray your day will be filled with only good things and that when you look in the mirror this morning you greeted the person looking back at you with a big beautiful smile and a hearty...I LOVE YOU!

In prayer this morning as I sat outside watching the day begin, listening to the two doves that so beautifully grace my life with song and play each morning. I thanked God for allowing me the wake up once again. I thanked God for giving me strength this last week as we hang in limbo as to where we will go and what we will do. I asked him to give me strength to face this day as my time in this house is over and I have no idea as to where we will go and what we will do. I asked him to continue to guide us and to make a way for us come what may. I do not know what this day holds for us and am walking on sheer faith and the promise that he will never let me fall. Father God please keep us upright in this storm and be our lighthouse. I asked for mercy, grace, and favor for each of you as you make your walk to day, that you take the impossible and make it possible for each of us, that you shield us from danger and that you nudge us in the direction you would have us go. I ask these blessings in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

The story below was like a bright and shining light for me...have i just been eating all along and not taking the time to dine? Have I been present but never voting? Wow great words to awaken us and allow us to see that there is more to life out there! 

Fully Present

Do you remember the story of Jeremy Bentham of London, England? He died in 1832 and left his estate to University College London. But he also stipulated that his body be embalmed, dressed up and brought in to preside over the annual meeting of university administrators. His preserved body is still there today, displayed in a glass cabinet. And it is apparently still wheeled into the annual meetings. For years, the secretary of the board added to the minutes of each session, "Jeremy Bentham, present but not voting." 

I've KNOWN people like that -- present but not voting. Too often, I am one of them. These people are alive, but they are not really living. As Benjamin Franklin may have put it, they died around 25 but won't be buried until they are 75. They live without passion. They seem to have forgotten what thrill and wonder life can hold. They get through each day, but seldom experience anything like deep joy. They're alive, but barely. 

Jeremy Bentham, who every year is present but not voting, reminds me of a story from Jewish humor. A widow spoke to friends about her departed husband. "Sidney thought of everything," she said. "Just before he died, he called me to his bedside. He handed me three envelopes. 'I have put all my last wishes in these three envelopes,' he said. 'After I am dead, please open them and do exactly as I have instructed. Then I can rest in peace.'" 

She explained the contents of the envelopes. "The first envelope contained $5,000 with a note: 'Use this money to buy a nice casket.' So I bought a beautiful mahogany casket with a soft lining. The second envelope contained $10,000 and a note: 'Use this for a nice funeral.' So I used it for flowers, food and music. I know it would have made him happy.' The third envelope contained $25,000 with a note: 'Use this to buy a nice stone.'" 

At that point, the widow held up her hand and pointed to her finger, adorned with a lovely diamond ring. "So, do you like my stone?" 

It WAS a nice stone. She knew that life was for the living. 

Diamonds are not exactly my idea of living fully, but the story makes a good point. I want to do my best to enjoy life while I have it.

I think actor Maurice Chevalier had the right idea. He once said, "I never eat when I can dine." Do you know the difference? Eating is doing the necessary. Getting it done. I eat because I am hungry, then I can get on with what I was doing. Or I eat WHILE I'm doing something else - like writing or driving or watching television. If there is any pleasure to be found in the meal, I likely don't notice it. My attention is on something else. 

But dining is different. Dining is the ENJOYMENT of eating. When I dine, I pay attention to what I am doing. I taste the foods - I savor them. I notice the differences between flavors and I eat more slowly. I also pay more attention to the people who are sharing my meal. I interact with them. I am fully present during the meal and I may even reflect back on it later in the day. I admit, I eat often, but I don't dine nearly enough. 

I want to dine more and eat less. I don't want to just show up for life; I want to be part of it. I want to worry less about such things as where I live, and more about living where I am. And at the end of my life, I want to say that I always tried to be fully present.

it was as if GOD himself were weeping with joy.....

Good morning to all. Yes another Monday, what an odd weekend we had, 80 on Saturday and 40 and snow on Sunday...looks like the warmth and the sunshine are back with us today..I pray your day is filled with only good things and that you don't let the "Monday Monster" steal your joy.

In prayer this morning I thanked God for the beauty that he has laid out for us, for the blue skies with the ever so slowly passing cotton ball cloud. I thanked him for another wake-up...even though times are tough...I still am afforded another day to "see what happens" I ask a special prayer from each of you for a sweet lady who is having back surgery today, let us lift her and the surgeons in prayer that the task be done without incident and the healing be a speedy and full one. I prayed for each of you that your needs be met and that you feel his never ending love. I asked him to bless Wayde and I and to guide us as we begin the next phase in our lives. I asked him for peace in our hearts, calm in our minds, comfort in our bodies and an abundance of faith. In the name of Jesus Christ I ask for mercy, grace, and favor. Amen.

Sharing

It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The creeks and streams were long gone back into the earth. It was a dry season that would bankrupt several farmers before it was through.

Every day, my husband and his brothers would go about the arduous process of trying to get water to the fields. Lately this process had involved taking a truck to the local water rendering plant and filling it up with water. But severe rationing had cut everyone off. If we didn’t see some rain soon…we would lose everything.

It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own eyes. I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He wasn’t walking with the usual carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose. I could only see his back. He was obviously walking with a great effort…trying to be as still as possible.

Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house. I went back to making sandwiches; thinking that whatever task he had been doing was completed. Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful stride toward the woods. This activity went on for an hour: walk carefully to the woods, run back to the house. Finally I couldn’t take it any longer and I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey (being very careful not to be seen…as he was obviously doing important work and didn’t need his Mommy checking up on him).

He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them…maybe two or three tablespoons were held in his tiny hands. I sneaked close as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much higher purpose.

As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site. Several large deer loomed in front of him. Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge buck with elaborate antlers was dangerously close. But the buck did not threaten him…he didn’t even move as Billy knelt down. And I saw a tiny fawn laying on the ground, obviously suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy’s hand.

When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to the house and I hid behind a tree. I followed him back to the house; to a spigot that we had shut off the water to. Billy opened it all the way up and a small trickle began to creep out. He knelt there, letting the drip drip slowly fill up his makeshift “cup”, as the sun beat down on his little back. And it came clear to me. The trouble he had gotten into for playing with the hose the week before. The lecture he had received about the importance of not wasting water. The reason he didn’t ask me to help him.

It took almost twenty minutes for the drops to fill his hands. When he stood up and began the trek back, I was there in front of him. His little eyes just filled with tears. “I’m not wasting”, was all he said. As he began his walk, I joined him…with a small pot of water from the kitchen. I let him tend to the fawn. I stayed away. It was his job.

I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save another life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops…and more drops…and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, himself, was weeping with pride. Some will probably say that this was all just a huge coincidence. That miracles don’t really exist. That it was bound to rain sometime. And I can’t argue with that…I’m not going to try. All I can say is that the rain that came that day saved our farm…just like that actions of one little boy saved another.

… Author unknown

“Behold, the old is passed away; the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Happy Palm Sunday to you and yours! I pray your day is off to a great start and that you and yours are filled with joy and love this day.

In prayer this morning I thanked God for yet another day of wake up, another day of getting it right, and another day of praising his Holy Name. I thanked him for the meaning of passover and for all that is good. I asked God to forgive me for my thoughts and for my wavered faith the last few day... I prayed for forgiveness for doubting him and for allowing myself to question his intentions. I know that he does have a plan for me and I know that as long as I hold fast to my faith things will work out. I will not sit on the pity pot today, I will look to the "forward" with my eyes wide open and embrace what comes my way. Father I ask that you be us this day, that you calm our fear, that you comfort out bodies and that you give peace to our chaos. I ask that you allow your strength to be ours each step of the way and that your presence is felt the entire day long. I ask for mercy and grace in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I am not going to hang on to my "rags" any longer...I am moving forward!!!!

True Royalty

A beggar lived near the king’s palace. One day he saw a proclamation posted outside the palace gate. The king was giving a great dinner. Anyone dressed in royal garments was invited to the party.

The beggar went on his way. He looked at the rags he was wearing and sighed. Surely only kings and their families wore royal robes, he thought.

Slowly an idea crept into his mind. The audacity of it made him tremble. Would he dare?

He made his way back to the palace. He approached the guard at the gate. “Please, sire, I would like to speak to the king.” “Wait here,” the guard replied.  In a few minutes, he was back. “His majesty will see you,” he said, and led the beggar in.

“You wish to see me?” asked the king. “Yes, your majesty. I want so much to attend the banquet, but I have no royal robes to wear. Please, sir, if I may be so bold, may I have one of your old garments so that I, too, may come to the banquet?”

The beggar shook so hard that he could not see the faint smile that was on the king’s face. “You have been wise in coming to me,” the king said. He called to his son, the young prince. “Take this man to your room and array him in some of your clothes.” The prince did as he was told and soon the beggar was standing before a mirror, clothed in garments that he had never dared hope for.

“You are now eligible to attend the king’s banquet tomorrow night,” said the prince. “But even more important, you will never need any other clothes. These garments will last forever.”

The beggar dropped to his knees. “Oh, thank you,” he cried. But as he started to leave, he looked back at his pile of dirty rags on the floor. He hesitated. What if the prince was wrong? What if he would need his old clothes again. Quickly he gathered them up.

The banquet was far greater than he had ever imagined, but he could not enjoy himself as he should. He had made a small bundle of his old rags and it kept falling off his lap. The food was passed quickly and the beggar missed some of the greatest delicacies.

Time proved that the prince was right. The clothes lasted forever. Still the poor beggar grew fonder and fonder of his old rags.

As time passed people seemed to forget the royal robes he was wearing. They saw only the little bundle of filthy rags that he clung to wherever he went. They even spoke of him as the old man with the rags.

One day as he lay dying, the king visited him. The beggar saw the sad look on the king’s face when he looked at the small bundle of rags by the bed. Suddenly the beggar remembered the prince’s words and he realized that his bundle of rags had cost him a lifetime of true royalty. He wept bitterly at his folly. And the king wept with him.

We have been invited into a royal family–the family of God. To feast at God’s dinner table, all we have to do is shed our old rags and put on the “new clothes” of faith which is provided by God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

But we cannot hold onto our old rags. When we put our faith in Christ, we must let go of the sin in our life, and our old ways of living. Those things must be discarded if we are to experience true royalty and abundant life in Christ. (Author Unknown)

“Behold, the old is passed away; the new has come!”

(2 Corinthians 5:17).

… Author unknown

In the little we have is a bounty so big in the eyes of those who have nothing at all.

Good morning and happy Wednesday, I pray this day is filled with only good things for you and yours and that you feel the "worth" in you, that you look in the mirror and see the beauty that others see and that you walk a little taller in the knowledge that you are made in the image of God and that he loves you to infinity and beyond....

In prayer this morning I bowed my head humbly and asked God to bless each of you with your needs, with prayers being answered and with a true sense of love. I asked him to bless those who are struggling with disease, sickness, finances, relationships, and worry. I asked him to lay his hands upon you allowing you to feel his unconditional love, his compassion, his mercy and his grace. I asked him for special blessings and answers for myself and Wayde and I know that he will give us what we need to be able to make a decision that will be right in his eyes. Father God I love you for all that you do in my life, the the good that validates you are with me, guiding my very footsteps, and for the bad that makes me work harder, that makes me strive stronger to be what I know you have fashioned me to be. I hold fast in my faith this day with sureness that your direction is the only direction and I will not waiver off course. Father I ask that you give us all...calm, comfort, peace, love, and strength. I ask these favors in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

No matter how big or small your bounty might be...it is still amazing to one who has nothing...I love, love, love this!!!

Sharing the Bounty

"I'd like a half dozen," I told the man. 

"Excellent!" he said and then proceeded to count them as he placed them in the bag. 

"One, two, three, four, five, six, six and I never really liked this one.," he said as he filled the bag with corn. 

I smiled, as he handed them to me and said, "That'll be $2.50." 

I gave him three and said, "Keep the change." A very small gesture on my part.

He said, "You don't have to do that." 

I replied, "Neither do you, my friend." 

I wasn't surprised. You see he's been doing it for years. 

I was at the farmers market on public square. It covers the entire square every Thursday until they run out of produce late in the fall. 

I love going there or anywhere the local farmers sell their goods. I always believe that in order for my local community to be stronger, I must make every effort to buy locally. That means I go to the small hardware store just down the road or the small food store owned by local people. 

Many of the large grocery store chains sell produce that not only comes from other states, but other countries. Not that I haven't purchased it, but when in season I try to buy locally. 

That man is one of the reasons. 

Now a few of the skeptics or should I say critics would suggest that I go to that man because he gives me extra. The idea of him sharing his bounty is diminished a bit because people take advantage of his generosity. 

That may be true in some cases. 

One might also say he isn't doing it out of the kindness of his heart, because he's "market savvy" and gets more business that way. 

Those who see it either way also love to pop the balloons of dreamers and tell kids there isn't a Santa Claus. 

I always tend to see the good in any act of kindness. 

I love to watch others who, for the first time, discover his questionable mathematics abilities. 

They are so happy and pleasantly surprised by his kindness. They smile and thank him for what he has done. They walk away feeling like there is hope for humanity. Perhaps they in turn, do something kind for someone else that day. 

This farmer shares his harvest and I in turn share my bounty with a neighbor. 

You see, Marianne and I really only need two ears of corn, I buy six, he gives me eight and I in turn give six away to family or my neighbors. 

It's what we are called to do. Leviticus 19:9-10 9 "'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God." 

There are many farmers there but no one else does this. It does not make them wrong or ungodly. I don't know in what other ways they share their bounty. They could tithe a portion of their income or they might give to area food banks. Judging them without full knowledge of how they give back, would be wrong. 

But don't we do that everyday? Don't we get caught up in judging others without knowing the full story? Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." 

Both of these principles appear in every major religion and yet, many of us ignore the truth. 

Today I am asking you to look at all you have and find a way to share that bounty with someone. 

If you have extra food give a portion to those who do not. 

If you have a talent, a craft, a gift of bringing joy to others, do so today. 

"But I have so little!" you might say. 

In the little we have is a bounty so big in the eyes of those who have nothing at all. 

I enjoy seeing true love in action...

Good morning my friends, I pray your day is off to a great start and that the entire day is filled with only good things. We were 72 degrees and sunny yesterday and today we are 50 and rainy/snowy...amazing, just when I think spring is here for us...boom...old man winter decided to come back around...

In prayer this morning as I sat looking at the beauty of God's creation from behind the glass, I thanked him for allowing me another wake up, another day of getting it right and another day of lifting my arms toward the heavens and praising him Holy name. I asked for beautiful blessings for all, for peace, calm, comfort, strength, and unconditional love. I ask for mercy, grace and blessings in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I love, love.....

They Made My Evening Special

They Made My Evening Special Ginny and I spent an evening with our daughter Heather and our son-in-law Nathan. It was their fifth anniversary. They've overcome many challenges in their short five years. They have four young children to deal with and the battle Nathan faces with Huntington's disease. 

Nathan and I played a few rounds of golf on the video machine. I lost - as always. He found another partner, a man who knew the game well and provided Nathan a real battle. I retreated to our table, where Ginny and Heather enjoyed snacks and drinks. 

I sat and made pleasant talk, but mostly, as I always do, I watched the people around us. I noticed a couple at the bar. His beard was grey, untrimmed and matched the hair on his head. Her hair was blonde and well kept. They were just an ordinary older couple, a little over- weight, but pleasant looking. They enjoyed their drinks and a basketball game on the big screen television that hung above the bar. 

They stood out, because he constantly touched her hand or rubbed her back. There was a great love between those two. They were not afraid to show it. 

It was like looking through a window into mine and Ginny's relationship. I do the same to her. When we are out, I hold her hand or rub her back too. I love my wife and am not afraid to display it. 

The night wore on. My attention continued to focus on the couple. "I'll be right back." I said to Ginny. 

"Where are you going?" she asked. 

"Look at the couple at the bar ...the older couple." I nodded in their direction. Ginny turned to look. "Look how he's rubbing her back and giving her his attention. That's love! They both have wedding bands, so I assume they're married. In any case, I'm going to introduce myself." 

Ginny knows me well. She knows I love love. It's what she loves about me. 

I left our table and walked up to the man. His wife had gone to the lady's room. "Excuse me, sir. I don't mean to bother you." 

He turned to face me. "Yes?" 

"I'm Mike." I offered my hand. 

He reached out, shook my hand and replied. "I'm Bill. Nice to meet you." He smiled. "What can I do for you, Mike?" 

"My wife and I are seated over there." I pointed to the table where Ginny talked to Heather. "This may sound strange, but I couldn't help notice how you keep touching your wife. I sensed a strong love between you two." 

"Oh yes! I love her very much." 

"I'm the same with my wife. I touch her like you do your wife. I do it because I love her and want her to know it. For some reason, I felt compelled to let you know it shows and it's wonderful." 

"She's a great woman, my Susan." 

"How long have you and Susan been married, Bill?" 

"It will be thirty-four years next month. A wonderful thirty-four years they've been. Susan has made them special." 

Susan returned. I introduced myself and told her the reason for my intrusion. She graciously accepted my hand and my apology. "Thank you, Mike. Bill is very special to me." 

"It shows." I said as I let her hand slip from mine. "I just wanted to let you know, I enjoy seeing true love in action. You made my night." 

I sat with Ginny and Heather and continued to watch Bill and Susan. They did the same as they did all evening, touch and smile, but now their eyes sparkled brighter; their smiles grew broader; and their laughter was shared with the room. 

Ginny and I have had eight years of love like they have. They enjoyed thirty-four. What a beautiful thing they have. 

They made my evening special.

have you found your purpose???

Good morning my friends, I pray this finds you up and at em' and ready to spend a beautiful day with the ones you love...Remember to do something nice for YOU to day, have you looked in the mirror lately? You DO deserve it and you ARE beautiful!!!

In prayer this morning I gave thanks once again for being allowed to awake and see God's beauty with my own two eyes, to hear God's beauty with my own to ears and to feel God's love with my very own heart. I asked for healing blessings to continue for my friend Star, for the little one who endured heart surgery this past week, and for all of you in need of health and strength. I prayed for all who are struggling financially, that God show the way to overcome and to stand tall once again. I asked God for comfort, calm, peace and joy for each of us in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

I don't think I have found my "purpose" as of yet but I will search until I do....

Thankful For A Purpose

I was eighteen years old, fresh out of high school with a bright future to look forward to, when I received the devastating news of a cancer diagnosis. 

This was a big deal for someone my age to endure. However I chose to fight the battle instead of wallowing in self pity. 

After major surgery and four months of radiation treatments, I overcame my obstacle and emerged a new person -- someone who took nothing for granted and a person who learned to appreciate everything and everyone around me. 

Years passed and I received my certification in medical assisting, met a wonderful man, moved to New York and got married. Truly, life couldn't have been any better -- however, I still felt something missing and longed to find my purpose. 

Having donated to St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN, for years, I had always felt a connection and empathy toward the children living with cancer who were being treated there. What a truly magnificent place, especially knowing that no patient was ever turned away regardless of ability to pay. The hospital exuded living, and that is what I was all about. 

As my 20-year anniversary of being a cancer survivor approached, I wanted to do something special and unforgettable. 

I organized a fund raiser, calling it "A Mission of Love," and thanks to my generous family and friends, raised $4,000 for St. Jude's, planning to deliver it myself. Three quarters of the money would be given as a monetary donation to the hospital, and what was left would go toward purchasing toys for the children. I also had arranged with the hospital a t-shirt painting activity for any child who felt well enough to participate. 

Thanksgiving Day seemed the most appropriate day of the year for the mission, and so it was all arranged. My husband and I flew to Memphis with 50 t-shirts and a huge bag of fabric paint in tow the day before Thanksgiving. We went to the toy store and filled three shopping carts with all kinds of toys piled high to the sky. It was as though we were small celebrities when the employees and other shoppers became aware of what we were doing. 

On Thanksgiving Day, as we pulled into the front gates of St. Jude, it was quite literally my dream come true. I became extremely emotional, as my eyes welled with tears of happiness. 

After dropping the toys off, we went to a lounge area where there were six children waiting anxiously to begin painting. They picked out their shirts and my husband and I helped them get started. To me, it was as though they weren't even sick, and to see them smile was one of the greatest gifts I could have ever received. When the activity was over and we wished the children well, we dropped off the monetary donation to an extremely grateful staff, and then our visit came to an end. 

Leaving there that day, I knew I had finally found my purpose. 

Going to St. Jude filled a feeling of emptiness inside of me that had existed for as long as I could remember, and it genuinely changed my life. 

I was thanked for giving a donation to a charity that saves lives, but being able to give thanks for my experience was priceless. 

"All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don't discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others." -- Danny Thomas 

living and making a living.....

Good morning my friends, it is beginning to be a beautiful spring day, the clouds are quickly moving out, and our forecast is for 70 degrees and sunshine today...I am so excited as this will afford me some good quality time to sit outside and enjoy the wonderful blessings that God has made for us.

In prayer this morning I again gave thanks for all of the blessings given me, the good blessings I deem as reward for being faith filled and the bad blessings...yes bad blessings...are for strength and  faith building...I know that when things go wrong that there is a lesson to be learned, that there is a lack in me that needs to be worked on....I thanked God for each of you in my life, for supporting me, for loving me and for keeping me going. I ask special blessings for a sweet lady who is having surgery this morning asking for a successful surgery and for a full and total recovery...I ask blessings to be given to all who are struggling with disease, pain, suffering, and loss. I pray for those having problems with finances, and for those in need. I ask for mercy, grace, and favor in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

I love the following writing, I love the mindset of the lady. I think I will change my mindset and start making a living...living!!!

Making A Living And Living

The best on the job training I ever got in my life came from a very special woman: my Mom. It happened when I was in my early twenties. I had just recently graduated from college but couldn’t find that well paying job I had been hoping for. With a wife and baby son to support at home I found myself reluctantly taking a job as a busboy in a local restaurant. I was bitter, sad, and depressed to find myself working there to say the least. 

God works in mysterious ways, though, because that restaurant was the same one that my Mom had recently started working at after years of being a stay at home Mother. The first time I saw her come in the kitchen it was like an extra light had been turned on. Her smile was returned by everyone of the cooks and her gentle laughter and sweet good humor made the shift go by quickly. Her concern for her fellow workers made them open up their hearts to her and she was happy to fill those hearts with her compassion and love. She did her physical work well and did her spiritual work even better. And at the end of the day she seemed to have even more energy than when she had started. 

It was both strange and delightful to see my Mom in this new and wonderful way. I had thought that I had learned all that she could teach me, but now I was learning something brand new. Me and most of the other workers at that restaurant were there just to make a living but my Mom was actually LIVING. Her job and her joy had become one. She cooked up love both on the stove and in the hearts of all those around her. She was doing Heaven’s work here on Earth. 

I have had a lot of jobs since then. Some have been backbreaking and some have been inspiring but I have always tried to follow Mom’s example and bring my love and joy to each one. May you do the same and always LIVE while you make a living.

What are you listening to this morning?

good morning, I pray your Monday is off to a great start and that your day is one filled with only good things...if by chance the Monday monster has come to see you today...tell it to go away and have a good day anyway...remember positive breeds positive and only you can let negative take over your day!!!


In prayer this morning I prayed my normal morning prayers asking for mercy and favor, I asked God to bless each of you with his unconditional love, with his peace, with his calm, and with his comfort....I asked God to continue to bless those in need of physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial healing and to touch each of those in need with compassion and understanding. I ask all of these blessings in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen....

Do you ever sit out and just listen...not to the hustle and bustle of the world but somewhere up above..where the birds sing happy songs? One of my favorite parts of the morning is the singing of the birds and my evening the songs of the crickets...God has blessed each of us with a joyful noise!!! I pray you take time to enjoy this gift each day! 

A Little Morning Music

I walked out on my porch this morning to the wonderful sight of the sun rising over the mountains. I smiled as its golden beams lit up the clear, blue sky. My light jacket was unbuttoned and the morning breeze felt warm and comforting. The trees were still bare of any buds, but I could feel a sense of the coming Spring on this February day. I breathed in the fresh air and thanked God for this glorious day to be alive. I thought that only one thing was missing that would make this a perfect moment: a little morning music. 

Then suddenly I heard it. God had granted my wish. The morning music had arrived. It was the first birdsongs of the year. After the cold and silent mornings of Winter nothing could have sounded sweeter. The music was coming from every direction. The birds were singing for love, for joy, and for God. They were calling on Spring to hurry along and life to return to this world once more. I stood still and just listened. I could feel my own soul awakening to Heaven’s joy and my own heart filling with God’s love. It truly was a perfect moment. 

Sometimes we all go through the harshness of Winter in our lives. Sometimes we all feel cold, dead, and quiet inside. Sometimes we all wonder where the music has gone. It is then, however, that we need to tell the little bird in our souls to sing once again. It is then that we need to ask God to fill us with His love and His music. It is then that we need to awaken our inner Spring and share its life and warmth with the world. 

I hope that you always take the time to hear the birds singing in the trees and the bird singing in your soul. I hope that you fill your days with songs of joy, acts of love, and thoughts of God. I hope that you start everyday of your life here with a little morning music and carry it’s Heavenly melody in your heart all day long.