Literature Today

End of My Blog

2006-12-11T12:13:00.000-05:00

This is the end of my blog on this site, I have started a new blog on a different site. Friends please check your e-mail for the new address. God Bless!

Now or Never

2006-12-07T06:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I finished the last major requirement for my masters degree, this morning I woke up knowing that my life will never again be the same as it was yesterday.

It's now or never for me, time to walk through yet another door and I go this time with no reservations, no doubts and without looking backwards for one last glance.

There are many moments like this in life, some of our own making and choosing, some that life unexpectedly hands us. They're all good; it's a matter of perception, a choice to view life in the positive instead of the negative. Perhaps not at the moment when these moments occur, but more often than not our greatest misfortunes can turn into our greatest joys.

We are all given great opportunity in this life, it's ours to do with as we wish. I often counsel my students to never let anyone stand or get in the way of their dreams. I tell them when someone tells them no, or what they've dreamed is impossible that they shouldn't accept what they've been told. No one can tell you how to live your life but you. Mistakes may be made but it will be your life, for better or worse.

Stay true to yourself, follow your heart and believe with all your heart and you won't go wrong. It's only when we try to follow someone else's path that we go wrong. Follow your own path, do what's right for you, no matter what anyone tells you. Follow your heart no matter where it leads you and don't live your life in fear.

Follow the path that God has set out for you, lead the life that you were meant to and follow your dreams... never look back.

The image above can be found at:

http://www.tasanova.com/gallery/spring2002/sanctuaryPath.html

Dominion

2006-12-05T06:15:00.000-05:00

Dominion as defined by Merriam-Webster~

Main Entry: do·min·ion
Pronunciation: d&-'mi-ny&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English dominioun, from Middle French dominion, modification of Latin dominium, from dominus
1 : DOMAIN
2 : supreme authority : SOVEREIGNTY
3 plural : an order of angels -- see CELESTIAL HIERARCHY
4 often capitalized : a self-governing nation of the Commonwealth of Nations other than the United Kingdom that acknowledges the British monarch as chief of state
5 : absolute ownership synonym see POWER

The Lord our God, whom-so-ever you might call Him by name, for He truly is one universal God, has given us dominion over the world.

Gen 1:26

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

That means the whole earth, not every square foot but the one you are occupying. The whole earth, and we are all included in that statement. You as a whole and complete person have dominion over your very own life, your circumstances and what you choose to do in this lifetime.

"The glory of God is man fully alive." ~ St. Irenaeus

The Glory of God is a Heart fully alive... the heart of a man or woman when fully alive is the Glory of God. Have you ever heard the expression "follow your heart"? As a teacher I always counsel my students that they should follow their hearts and do what they love in life and the rest will follow. No one can tell you what is in your heart. That is only something you can know. You are the key to unlocking your own heart.

Bible verses regarding dominion can be perused at~
http://blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/words.pl?word=dominion

And if you don't know what perused means look it up while you're at the Merriam~Webster site.
The Merriam~Webster dictionary definition may be located at~
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/dominion

The quote from St. Irenaeus may be found at:
http://www.ecomallbiz.com/marshall/passion2/

For further reading~

Martha Beck's "Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live "

http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-Own-North-Star/dp/0812932188/sr=8-1/qid=1165324488/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-7158927-2820168?ie=UTF8&s=books

John Eldredge's "Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive"

http://www.amazon.com/Waking-Dead-Glory-Heart-Fully/dp/0785265538/sr=1-1/qid=1165324558/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-7158927-2820168?ie=UTF8&s=books

One Wish, One World, One Storm

2006-12-04T06:05:00.000-05:00

My wish this holiday season is that the storms of life would abate for you and life would sail on, calm, along a peaceful sea. There are many comparisons to the the sea in literature, poetry, movies and many other mediums that I sometimes wonder why I didn't think of this allegory before.

As we enter the advent season life may get a little turbulent. At this time of year there are many surprises. One always hopes them to be good surprises but often they may not be.

When the storms of life swirl around you and you're in the eye of the hurricane you need to get in Jesus' boat of faith. Sometimes you may just need to sit for a moment in the calm eye of the storm before resuming your journey in your boat of faith. And that's okay, just make sure you don't stay in the eye of the storm too long lest your boat sail without you....

Mark 4: 33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were aable to hear it.

34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, aPeace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great bcalm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so afearful? how is it that ye have no bfaith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Jesus has imparted his faith unto and given us dominion over all the world~

Psalm 72:7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

Take control of your life, don't live in fear and have faith.... for it is written.... and set sail....

Bible verses from http://scriptures.lds.org/mark/4/mark/4/33#33

& http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2072&version=9;

Definition of allegory~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory

The image above can be found at~ http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2072&version=9;

Ghostdance

2006-12-01T06:07:00.000-05:00

The following is an excerpt from http://www.hanksville.org/daniel/lakota/Ghost_Dance.html, an article written by Karen M. Strom.

"By the 1880's the U.S. government had managed to confine almost all of the Indians on reservations, usually on land so poor that the white man could conceive of no use for it themselves. The rations and supplies that had been guaranteed them by the treaties were of poor quality, if they arrived at all. Graft and corruption were rampant in the Indian Bureau. In an attempt to stem this problem, a move was made to recruit Quakers to take the positions as Indian agents, however not nearly enough Quakers responded to the call for volunteers. This call, however, opened the door to other denominations setting up shop on the reservations. An attempt was made to convert the Indians to Christianity with mixed results.
However, by 1890 conditions were so bad on the reservations, nationwide, with starvation conditions existing in many places, that the situation was ripe for a major movement to rise among the Indians. This movement found its origin in a Paiute Indian named Wovoka, who announced that he was the messiah come to earth to prepare the Indians for their salvation. Representatives from tribes all over the nation came to Nevada to meet with Wovoka and learn to dance the Ghost Dance and to sing Ghost Dance songs.

In early October of 1890, Kicking Bear, a Minneconjou, visited Sitting Bull at Standing Rock. He told him of the visit he and his brother-in-law, Short Bull, had made to Nevada to visit Wovoka. They told him of the great number of other Indians who were there as well. They referred to Wovoka as the Christ and told of the Ghost Dance that they had learned and the way that the Christ had flown over them on their horseback ride back to the railroad tracks, teaching them Ghost Dance songs. And they told him of the prophecy that, next spring, when the grass was high, the earth would be covered with new soil, burying all the white men.The new soil would be covered with sweet grass, running water and trees; the great herds of buffalo and wild horses would return. All Indians who danced the Ghost Dance would be taken up into the air and suspended there while the new earth was being laid down. Then they would be replaced there, with the ghosts of their ancestors, on the new earth. Only Indians would live there then."

In the African American oral folktale tradition slaves were said to be able to fly up to the sun and away from their *masters. *How one person can be master over another is subjective, for one can not truly *master another. Physical control yes, and at times mind control as well, but truly their is no mastering another's spirit as evidenced throughout history and the perseverance of all people everywhere to overcome obstacles placed in their path.

While some thought Ghostdancers were entirely unsuccessful in their efforts truly they were not. Ghostdancers, while appearing in the physical realm to not have achieved the purpose of their dance, had fulfilled it in a different way entirely. Ghostdancers were able to transcend spiritually to another, more astral plane, thereby preserving the traditions set down by our ancestors. Ghostdancing still continues today but more in a form of retrieval and not of a form of departure.

For more information on the Ghostdancers of the 19th century~

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Dance

http://php.indiana.edu/~tkavanag/visual5.html

http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/ghostdance.htm

http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/acs/1890s/woundedknee/WKghost.html

Dancing...

2006-11-30T05:52:00.000-05:00

These lyrics are from Josh Groban's new CD "Awake", just released this month. The lyrics and music are written by Asher Lenz and Adam Crossley; this song is not to be missed and neither is the CD.

The song starts out with a music box sound, like crystal water running over diamond rocks... it's beautiful, incredible and uplifting...

May you dance when no one is looking in the hopes that someone is seeing...

So She Dances

A waltz when she walks in the room
She pulls back the hair from her face
She turns to the window
To sway in the moonlight
Even her shadow has grace

A waltz for the girl out of reach

She lifts her hands up to the sky

She moves with the music

The song is her lover

The melody's making her cry

So she dances

In and out of the crowd, like a glance

This romance is from afar calling me, silently

A waltz for the chance I should take

But how will I know where to start

She's spinning between constellations and dreams

The rhythm is my beating heart

So she dances

In and out of the crowd like a glance

This romance is from afar calling me, silently

I can't keep on watching forever

I'd give up this view just to tell her

When I close my eyes I can see

The spotlight's are bright on you and me

We've got the floor

And you're in my arms

How could I ask for more?

So she dances

In and out of the crowd like a glance

This romance is from afar calling me, silently

I can't keep on watching forever

And I'm giving up this view just to tell her

The lyics above can be found at:

http://myweb.cableone.net/rkjlc/lyrics.html

More on Josh Groban can be found at:
http://www.warnerbrosrecords.com/

http://www.joshgroban.com/

Do You Dance?

2006-11-29T06:03:00.000-05:00

This was sent to me over a month ago as a forward, I wish I could take credit for writing the words but I can not. May you dance... whatever that means to you today...

Dancing with God

When I meditated on the word GUIDANCE, I was drawn to" dance" at the end of the word. I reflected upon how doing God's will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music,

and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes this and lets the other lead,

both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.

It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.

The dance takes surrender, willingness and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word GUIDANCE.

When I saw "G,"I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i."

"God, "u"and "i" dance".

God, you and I dance.

This statement is what guidance means to me. As I lowered my head,

I became willing to trust that God would guide my life.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies be upon you and your family on this day and everyday. May you abide in Him as He abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting Him to lead and to guide you through each season of your life. If God has done anything for you in your life, please share this message with someone else, for prayer is one of the best gifts we can receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards; so let's continue to pray for one another.

I Hope You Dance!

Life is Precious - Give God Thanks For It .

What follows are my words- May you dance the dance of life and when someone asks may you say yes...

The Crystal Heart

2006-11-28T05:43:00.000-05:00

"The Crystal Heart" retold by Aaron Shepard, illustrated by Joseph Daniel Fiedler. ISBN 0-689-81551-4.

A Vietnamese legend, a love story really, one written for children but which can be shared by all. Mi Nuong, the sheltered daughter of a mandarin hears a love song sung by a fisherman, Truong Chi.

First we need to realize what a mandarin is, not the orange that you can buy in the produce section, or in a can, but a person in China. An imperial magistrate, a noun, (in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine ranks of public officials, each distinguished by a particular kind of button worn on the cap.

Definitions of the word mandarin at dictionary.com can be found here- http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mandarin

Merriam Websters definition is a bit different but for those interested in a second opinion-
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/mandarin

Mi Nuong knew privilege as the daughter of a magistrate and we all know that with great privilege comes great responsibility. She hears a song, carried on the wind... and sometimes love comes to us like that, unseen and only heard by the ear. If we're lucky we hear the call of love... and answer. Mi Nuong heard the call of love and when she sees the object of her desires (Truong Chi, the fisherman) she can not see him for who he really is. She does not listen to her heart, nor does she follow her heart.

With his true love unrequited Truong Chi's heart grows cold and he dies. His heart turns to crystal from being unloved and the villagers place his heart in a boat and let it float out to sea. As beautiful as Truong Chi's songs were so too is his heart and instead of floating out to sea his heart floats down to the mandarins palace... and so returns Truong Chi's heart to Mi Nuong one last time. It is made into a cup from which Mi Nuong drinks her tea and as she hear Truong Chi's song one last time her tear falls into the crystal heart cup and releases Truong Chi's spirit forevermore.

Tears will do that, they will heal the spirit and release the heart from it's prison. Whether your heart has grown cold like the crystal heart or it yet beats within you with unrequited love, cry, release your heart, and let it love again. Hear the song, follow your heart...

Secrets....

2006-11-27T06:29:00.000-05:00

Unlock the secrets of your heart...

Whether you need a crystal key or to tell your secrets, the true way to freedom is to unlock the secrets of your heart. After all didn't Cinderella have to put on the glass slipper thereby unlocking the secret love of her own heart?

Sometimes we feel as though our hearts are made out of crystal and will shatter at the first sign of stress. Our hearts are not made from crystal and they will not shatter- they are forged from coal, through the pressures of life and the heat of love. Then, and only then, do our hearts become diamonds shaped by fire and love reflecting the eternal beauty of God's love.

"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock,

in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."
Psalms 18:2

Who better to exemplify the example of the rock? Who more has been forged through trials and tribulations? The God you worship is your rock, on whom you can rely and trust when there are no others. Turn the light on, share the secrets, find the truth in your own heart... and lean upon the rock of salvation.

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?"
Psalm 27:1

Criminal don't want their victims to tell, they want them to keep the secret. Don't do it. Don't keep the secrets and lock your heart away for someone else. There are survivors and there are survivors... the ones who live again share their stories... and their secrets. We should all listen and then we should tell our own stories.

Tell your secrets... tell your stories... the only way to true healing and freedom is the truth. Tell your truths... and unlock your heart... find the love that lies within.

The above image can be found at:
http://www.avoca.com/fitzgeralds_locked_chest1.html

The bible verses, and others like them, can be found at:
http://www.bibleshack.com/archive/bible-verses/strength.shtml

"Let Us Break Bread Together"

2006-11-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Keeping in mind that we are all related, (research has proven that human beings, all human beings, originated from sub-Saharan Africa), so when we celebrate Thanksgiving this week we should all be breaking bread together.

This is a direct quote from "The Iroquois" by Raymond Bial-

"All the people in a clan considered themselves related,
even if they were originally from a different nation,

and they remained members of their clan,

or "longhouse family," for life."

Published by Benchmark Books, Marshall Cavendish New York- ISBN 0-7614-0802-9

I also have an African-American spiritual to share which can be heard (and read) at the following link: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/e/letusbbt.htm

Let us break bread together on our knees, (on our knees)

Let us break bread together on our knees. (on our knees)

When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,

O Lord, have mercy on me.

Let us drink wine together on our knees, (on our knees)

Let us drink wine together on our knees. (on our knees)

When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,

O Lord, have mercy on me.

Let us praise God together on our knees, (on our knees)

Let us praise God together on our knees. (on our knees)

When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

Act 2:42
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Happy Thanksgiving and may you celebrate your life with thanksgiving and a grateful and giving heart~

Happy Birthday~ To Me~

2006-11-21T05:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my birthday, the best one yet so far. Last year my Dad fell in the fireplace for my birthday- this year? Nothing. Nothing even remotely as spectacular as that. Darn. Of course in all fairness my Dad was not in the best of health last year but if he had listened to my mother and not kept those file folder boxes in front of the fireplace (near his chair) he would not have fallen in. Hmmm.

Since he did nothing spectacular and entertaining this year I thought I would share about an incident that happened when I was four.

I was four in 1972 (I have a late birthday for those of you who can do the math) and it must have been late spring when this occured; I can't imagine my mother and grandmother having let me out the door in only a rain coat and matching bonnet if were any other time of year.... (although if you ask my father when this incident occured he might deny all knowledge)

My father had been permitted to take me to Jay's Drugstore, a place I thought magical for reasons I can't recall now- and when you read what happens next you'll see why I used the word permitted. I don't remember actually going in to the store but I do remember getting out of the car. I must have been a particularly full handful that day because the weather was bad and I was out in it. It was gray, raining, quite windy and in a four year old mind, a storm of cataclysmic proportions. Needless to say I didn't want to get out of the car. Now you understand my father's version of this story might be incredibly different, I was after all four, the gift of storytelling hadn't been honed yet, although I do have most of the details correct- at least in my storyteller's mind.

At that time my father drove a VW Beetle (the original 60's version for those of you with a memory beyond Playstation), powder blue and terribly dangerous. It used to pinch my fingers in the door every chance it got. I remember standing on the running board, for lack of a better term as I suppose as my father tried to get me out of the car. It was at this point my rain bonnet blew off my lovely four year old head. It was a beautiful bonnet- matching rain coat, clear plastic- a novelty really for those times, plastic is so much more commonplace today. Imagine plastic garments! It boggles the mind- and we wore them.

But I digress- so there I am, on the running board and there my rain bonnet is blowing around the parking lot. Naturally my father ran after my rain bonnet, with much encouragement from me of course. I'm unbelievably good at encouragement, and I was at the age of four too. As my father rain around in the parking lot trying to chase my bonnet down an unimaginable thing happened... his hairpiece blew off...

Now you must understand that this was the seventies and male pattern baldness was a big deal then (still is for some) and hairpieces were quite popular. Or at least they were in our household. I believe my Uncle Ken for a time fell victim to this fashion trend (at the urging of my father) as well. At that time, in my four year old world, all men wore hairpieces but of course now I realize that they probably didn't. However it is a lovely thought to have had, especially for the owners of the hairpiece company. Imagine that, all the men in America using their product whether they needed it or not. Hmmm, the marketing of the seventies truly was something wasn't it?

But now I've left my father in the parking lot again, rain storm continuing on, while he chases my bonnet endlessly through the memories of my mind. Although this time he's had to catch his hairpiece and hold it onto his head as he continues to chase my bonnet. Rather spectacular really, which is of course why I remember this story with such clarity after 35 years....

I really must remember to make the rain storm into a thunderstorm next time I tell it....

For those of you who really need to know my father did indeed catch my rain bonnet that day- but now that I think about it this might be why I don't actually remember going into the store. Not that this being a 35 year old memory from a four year old mind has anything to with it. Would you go in a store if your hairpiece was on crooked? Gosh, this story gets better every time I tell it! Happy birthday to me!

And thanks Dad for letting me tell all your stories!

Rejoice!

2006-11-20T05:53:00.000-05:00

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad." Psalm 118:24

Some days we have a bit of unexpected news... sometimes good... sometimes bad. It is all about what you do with that news that counts. Sometimes those closest to our own hearts cause us the most pain, and just sometimes... we don't know why.

Other times, of course, we do know why but again it's how we react to that news that counts. Emotionally, spiritually, physically these are all types of reactions that we might have to a bit of news. Sometimes just one, sometimes, if we're blessed, we will experience all three reactions.

It's not often that someone in this life surprises us, usually it's just life surprising us- and not always in the way we would like. I received an early birthday present yesterday, several in fact now that I think about it. Some of my reactions were definitely emotional. Being moved to tears is a common occurence for me, a simple thought or figurative gesture does mean a lot. Spiritually I reacted by appreciating the moment that I was in and savoring the thought that was behind the action. Not too many people can see you react spiritually, watch for those who can and cherish them, they're your truest friends....

And finally I had a rather odd physical reaction to the last surprise I'm thinking of, I was struck speechless... and when I think about that surprise yesterday I still am speechless. It rather feels like a miracle of biblical proportions, especially as the Bible verse that our minister of music preached on yesterday was ""Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I can talk and frequently I speak very quickly, sometimes without thinking things through as thoroughly as I should. My friends would also tell you that my greatest struggle in this life is to keep control of my mouth. That is why this last occurence is like a miracle of biblical proportions for me, rather like when God parted the Red Sea for Moses. This time though He closed the sea of my mouth... I truly must think to express my thoughts now.

However the good news is that I can still type!

Thank God! So today I rejoice in the miracles of life that are mine and meant for me alone, although some would argue that my having to think before I speak would be a miracle for all...

Let's all be glad for today, the only day we have, REJOICE!

The Bible verse above can be found at the link below~

http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/psalms/psalm118.htm

A Grateful Heart~

2006-11-17T05:47:00.000-05:00

Giving with a grateful heart is the key to true giving. Not only should we have thanksgiving each and every day of the year, we should diagram the word thanksgiving and examine what thankfulness and giving really mean.

Too often we just look at the word thanks and basically count our blessing, being thankful for all our material needs that have been met over the last part of the year. Not often enough do we express what it means to be giving.

To truly give with a grateful heart is thanksgiving indeed.

Giving with thanksgiving is what life is all about. So give of yourself- your time, your money and most of all... give your love. As long as you give with a thankful heart you are truly giving...

You must do the thing you think you cannot do. -Eleanor Roosevelt

The image above can be found at the following link~

http://www.treats4chicks.co.uk/img/heartsparklerburning.gif

I Am Thankful~

2006-11-16T05:55:00.000-05:00

I am thankful for those who love me.

Have you ever wondered how many people, in your lifetime, truly love you? I am sure it's many, from the beginning of your life to the very end. If you were fortunate enough to be born in the United States than most likely you were born in a hospital. At that hospital there were many people, from the doctors and nurses, to the engineering staff, who loved enough in their own lives so that at that moment in time when you were born, the world was ready for your arrival. Think of how many people were present for your birth that day...

The universe functioned as it should on the day, or night, on which you were born, and you had safe passage through... entering this world through the loving-kindness of others.

Think for a moment of all those who have traveled far and wide, praying for a safe journey and passage. History is full of those who came from one world and traveled to the next, the Vikings, the Pilgrims, the slaves. Not all passages are joyous ones.

All of us at some point in our lives will be traveling from one world to the next and seek safe passage. We need a safe place to lay our heads at night and rest from the day's journeys, only to conitnue on the morrow our path. In our lives we will encounter many people, those who are with us now might not necessarily be there at the end. Just as those from the hospital where we were born are not with us now. Yet they provided us safe passage and assisted us on our journey, in part, to where we are today, at this very moment. I am thankful for their love.

I am thankful for all who have loved me in this life, who have provided me safe passage through. I am thankful for all who will continue to love me in a world without end...

There is no beginning, there is no end, there is only a world without end... sail with the wind.

Ephesians 3:21

The image above can be found at~

http://www.lross.com/zoom.php?id=8

A Grateful Heart~

2006-11-15T05:44:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of sharing thanksgiving I'm going to share what I'm most grateful for~

I'm grateful for the universal truths of love that build bridges from the unseen into the seen...

I'm grateful that life is a dance; my heart leads while the rest of me follows...

I'm grateful that life is not measured by how much we can take away but by how much we can give...

Happy Thanksgiving~ may you too have a grateful heart...

Thanksgiving~

2006-11-14T06:20:00.000-05:00

One need only look aound oneself to see what there is to be thankful for. Many people do not stop and smell the roses, but then there are those who do, and they become thankful for even the smallest blessings. I am trying to be one of thsoe people who stop and smell the roses, who enjoys miracles of many kinds each and every day.

Normally I do not write about my children, I have always wished to keep that area of my life private but perhaps now is a good time to do so. What I am most thankful for in my life are my son and my daughter. There is no other gift from God like a child of own's own. To bring forth life from your own body is truly a miracle indeed. My children reflect not only my outer qualities but my inner ones as well. To see immortality in the eyes of my own flesh and blood is indescribable.

That said I also recognize the children of others as a gift from God. To truly love another, whether it be child or adult is as well a gift from God. To love is a choice; the word love in and of itself is a verb, an action word. To love not only your children but someone else's child is in itself a gift from God. The world is full of examples of parents who do not love their own children. To be blessed by love, of any kind, is one of those miracles that defies explanation. True love comes from within and can be found no other way. Love is a choice... love is always a choice, a gift to be fully embraced.

Thanksgiving for me means to be grateful for love, not only from my children but from children everywhere, all over the world. Love is a gift to be shared, it also is a gift to be thankful for... Thank you God for the gift of all my children whether they be my students or the children of my friends. Thank you God for the gift of love which is found within me , and for allowing me to share it with children everywhere....

It takes a grateful heart to see even the tiniest of miracles, I hope and pray that you, too, can stop today and recognize the miracles that surround you. They are all around you if only you choose to just stop and smell those roses...

The image (photogrpah taken by Anne Geddes) above can be found at:

http://www.casafree.com/modules/xcgal/displayimage.php?pid=4&album=topn&pos=0&cat=

Be Thankful~

2006-11-13T05:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday while at church a friend mentioned today's topic, thanksgiving. This is not just about the kind of Thanksgiving that we have once a year in November with a turkey and all the trimmings, this about the kind of thanksgiving that we should keep in our hearts all year long, each and every day.

My friend said that she was reading an article in a woman's magazine, (Woman's World) and the article suggested that in the autumn people should start writing down three things every day that they were thankful for. This way by the time Thanksgiving rolled around people would have a list of blessings and were not unprepared to share what they were thankful for at the dinner table. (I almost wrote "sinner" table but that's a topic for another time. See? It pays to edit!)

I also have written in my notes from yesterday~ "you smile for what you have gratitude for". Well. I have many things to be grateful for, far too many to start writing my complete list here this morning. However there are a few things I can think of that make me smile each and every day.

When a child looks at me and smiles I always smile in return. It's almost reflexive, one can't help but see the purity in their souls.

When the sun shines down one me and I lift my face, eyes closed, to receive the healing rays of the sun.

When a song touches my heart...

May you find something to smile about today.... and to be thankful for....

The above image can be found under cornucopia 1 at the link below~

http://www.webster.edu/~terrij/project/?D=A

He's Got the Whole World...

2006-11-09T05:47:00.000-05:00

.. in His hands completes the rest of that phrase.

He's Got the Whole World In His Hands

He's got the whole world in his hands,