Dream and Reality

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours ... In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty, nor weakness. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost: that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.

~ H. D. Thoreau ~

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids
on a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down,
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short,
The music won't last

Do you run through each day on the fly
When you ask "How are you?"
do you hear the reply?

When the day is done,
do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
running through your head?
You'd better slow down,
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short,
The music won't last.

Ever told your child
We'll do it tomorrow
And in your haste,
not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
'Cause you never had time
to call and say "Hi"?
You'd better slow down,
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short,
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift...
Thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

~ Author Unknown ~

We Wish

How often we wish for another chance
To make a fresh beginning.
A chance to blot out our mistakes
And change failure into winning.

It does not take a special time
To make a brand-new start,
It only takes the deep desire
To try with all our heart.

To live a little better,
To always be forgiving.
To add a little sunshine,
In a world for which we're living.

Never give up in despair
Nor think you are through,
For there's always a tomorrow,
A chance to start anew.
~ Author Unknown ~
________________________________
TODAYâS INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE

"Happy comes from the word "happenstance" and depends mostly on the situation you're in at that moment. "Joy" is its deeper shade and is entirely dependent on your own personal attitude. Happiness comes and goes. Joy is yours forever, should you choose to own it. Others can make your life unhappy, but no one can steal your joy, unless you let them."

~ Author Unknown

Jehovahâs Undeserved Kindness

It's amazing and it's wonderful,
And it's true as it can be,
Jehovah loves and understands us all
And that means you and me.

His undeserved kindness is all-sufficient
For both the young and old,
For the lonely and the timid,
For the brash and for the bold.

His love knows no exceptions,
So don't ever feel excluded,
No matter who or what you are
Your name has been included.

No matter what your past has been,
Trust God to understand,
And no matter what your problem is
Just place it in His hand.

For in all of our unloveliness
Our great God loves us still,
He loved us since the world began
And what's more, He always will!
--author unknown
_____________________

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE
"Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone."
Gladys Berthe Stern

Live Your Prayers

I knelt to pray when day was done
And prayed, "O Lord, bless everyone,
Lift from each saddened heart the pain
And let the sick be well again."

And then I woke another day
And carelessly went on my way,
The whole day long I did not try
To wipe a tear from any eye.

I did not try to share the load
Of any brother on the road.
I did not even go to see
The sick man just next door to me.

Yet once again when day was done
I prayed, "O Lord, bless everyone."
But as I prayed, into my ear
there came a voice that whispered clear,

"Pause now, my child, before you pray.
Whom have you tried to bless today?
God's sweetest blessings always go
by hands that serve him here below."

And then I hid my face and cried,
"Forgive me, God, I have not tried,
But let me live another day
and I will live the way I pray."
~ Author Unknown ~
-------------------------------------------

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE

"Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you."
William Arthur Ward

"DO SOMETHING!"

Are you almost disgusted with life, little man?
I'll tell you a wonderful trick
That will bring you contentment, if anything can -
Do something for somebody, quick!

Are you awfully tired with play, little girl?
Wearied, discouraged, and sick?
I'll tell you the loveliest trick in the world,
Do something for somebody, quick!

Though it rains like the rain of the flood, little man,
And the clouds are forbidding and thick,
You can make the sun shine in your soul, little man,
Do something for somebody, quick!

Though the stars are like brass overhead, little girl,
And the walks like a well-heated brick,
And our earthly affairs in a terrible whirl,
Do something for somebody, quick!

--author unknown
__________________________________________________

TODAYâS INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE:

"My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment."

~ Oprah Winfrey

The Blue Ribbon

A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in high school by telling them the difference they each made. She called each student to the front of the class, one at a time. First she told each of them how they had made a difference to her and the class. Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon imprinted with gold letters, which read, "Who I Am Makes a Difference."

Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on a community. She gave each of the students three more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the results, see who honored whom and report back to the class in about a week.

One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby company and honored him for helping him with his career planning. He gave him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra ribbons and said, "We're doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like you to go out, find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person to keep this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to me and tell me what happened."

Later that day the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon and would he give him permission to put it on him. His surprised boss said, "Well, sure." The junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on his boss's jacket above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said, "Would you do me a favor? Would you take this extra ribbon and pass it on by honoring somebody else? The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school and we want to keep this recognition ceremony going and find out how it affects people."

That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son and sat him down. He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius. Then he put this blue ribbon that says 'Who I Am Makes A Difference'" on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honor you. My days are really hectic and when I come home I don't pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess, but somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You're a great kid and I love you!"

The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears, "Dad, earlier tonight I sat in my room and wrote a letter to you and Mom explaining why I had killed myself and asking you to forgive me. I was going to commit suicide tonight after you were asleep. I just didnÍt think that you cared at all. The letter is upstairs. I don't think I need it after all." His father walked upstairs, and found a heartfelt letter full of anguish and pain.

The envelope was addressed, "Mom and Dad".

The boss went back to work a changed man. He was no longer a grouch but made sure to let all his employees know that they made a difference. The junior executive helped several other young people with career planning and never forgot to let them know that they made a difference in his life ... one being the boss's son. And the young boy and his classmates learned a valuable lesson. Who you are DOES make difference.

You are under no obligation to send this on to anyone ... not to one people or to one hundred. As far as I am concerned, you can move on to another page. But if you have anyone who means a lot to you, I encourage you to send him or her this message and let them know that they make a difference in your life. You never know what kind of difference a little encouragement can make to a person.

I give you this blue ribbon. Who you are makes a difference,

And I wanted you to know.

~ Author Unknown ~