Action

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”


“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Getting it Done

Investment: Warren Buffet
Our favorite holding period is forever.

Innovation: Edward de Bono
The winner is the chef who takes the same ingredients as everyone else and produces the best results.

Vision: Jack Welch
Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.

Business: Chinese Proverbs
To open a shop is easy, to keep it open is an art.

Work: Kahlil Gibran
Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.

Success: Andrew Carnegie
The men who have succeeded are men who have chosen one line and stuck to it.

Loyalty: Stephen Covey
You can buy a person's hands but you can't buy his heart. His heart is where his enthusiasm, his loyalty is.

Ego: Colin Powell
Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.

Success: John Foster Dulles
The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it's the same problem you had last year.

Goals: George Burns
Define your business goals clearly so that others can see them as you do.

Problem Solving: Jay Abraham
You are surrounded by simple, obvious solutions that can dramatically increase your income, power, influence and success. The problem is, you just don't see them.

Failure: Henry Ford
Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.

Business: Ambrose Bierce
The gambling known as business looks with austere disfavor upon the business known as gambling.

Decision Making: Peter Drucker
Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.

Ideas: Tim Blixseth
Many great ideas go unexecuted, and many great executioners are without ideas. One without the other is worthless.

Foresight: Edward de Bono
Traditional thinking is all about "what is." Future thinking will also need to be about "what can be."

Team: Lee Iacocca
In the end, all business operations can be reduced to three words: people, product and profits. Unless you've got a good team, you can't do much with the other two.

Mistakes: Alan Bond
Everybody makes business mistakes. I mean, I take the responsibility, and I did. I was the captain of the ship and I took that responsibility.

Opportunity: Josh Billings
The wheel that squeaks the loudest is the one that gets the grease.

Perseverance: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
In the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm. In the real world all rests on perseverance.

Success: Lee Iacocca
The most successful businessman is the man who holds onto the old just as long as it is good, and grabs the new just as soon as it is better.

Problem Solving: Edward de Bono
We may need to solve problems not by removing the cause but by designing the way forward even if the cause remains in place.

Strength

2 Samuel 22

1 David sang this song to the LORD after the LORD had rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul.

2 These are the words he sang: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;

3 my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold, my high tower, my savior, the one who saves me from violence.

4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, for he saves me from my enemies.

5 "The waves of death surrounded me; the floods of destruction swept over me.

6 The grave* wrapped its ropes around me; death itself stared me in the face.1

7 But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I called to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.

8 "Then the earth quaked and trembled; the foundations of the heavens shook; they quaked because of his anger.

9 Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.

10 He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.

11 Mounted on a mighty angel,* he flew, soaring* on the wings of the wind.2

12 He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.

13 A great brightness shone before him, and bolts of lightning blazed forth.

14 The LORD thundered from heaven; the Most High gave a mighty shout.

15 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed, and they were confused.

16 Then at the command of the LORD, at the blast of his breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

17 "He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.

18 He delivered me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.

19 They attacked me at a moment when I was weakest, but the LORD upheld me.

20 He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.

21 The LORD rewarded me for doing right; he compensated me because of my innocence.

22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.

23 For all his laws are constantly before me; I have never abandoned his principles.

24 I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.

25 The LORD rewarded me for doing right, because of my innocence in his sight.

26 "To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.

27 To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.

28 You rescue those who are humble, but your eyes are on the proud to humiliate them.

29 O LORD, you are my light; yes, LORD, you light up my darkness.

30 In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.

31 "As for God, his way is perfect. All the LORD's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

32 For who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is a solid rock?

33 God is my strong fortress; he has made my way safe.

34 He makes me as surefooted as a deer, leading me safely along the mountain heights.

35 He prepares me for battle; he strengthens me to draw a bow of bronze.

36 You have given me the shield of your salvation; your help* has made me great.3

37 You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.

38 "I chased my enemies and destroyed them; I did not stop until they were conquered.

39 I consumed them; I struck them down so they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet.

40 You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet.

41 You made them turn and run; I have destroyed all who hated me.

42 They called for help, but no one came to rescue them. They cried to the LORD, but he refused to answer them.

43 I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth; I swept them into the gutter like dirt.

God.... - Browning & Emerson

Robert Browning
All service ranks the same with God — With God, whose puppets, best and worst, Are we: there is no last nor first.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
So nigh is grandeur to our dust, So near is God to man, When Duty whispers low, Thou must, The youth replies, I can!

Robert Browning
Just my vengeance complete, The man sprang to his feet, Stood erect, caught at God’s skirts, and prayed! So, I was afraid!

Ralph Waldo Emerson
There is no great and no small, To the Soul that maketh all; And where it cometh, all things are; And it cometh everywhere

Happiness

Denis Waitley
Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.

anxiety

Anxiety about the future never profits; we feel no evil until it comes, and when we feel it, no counsel helps; wisdom is either too early or too late.

Ruckett

anger

''I lose my temper, but it's all over in a minute,'' said the student. ''So is the hydrogen bomb,'' I replied. ''But think of the damage it produces!

George Sweeting

In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.

Thomas Carlyle

Thankful

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.
G.B. Stern

There is no such thing as gratitude unexpressed. If it is unexpressed, it is plain, old-fashioned ingratitude.
Robert Brault

If you have lived, take thankfully the past.
John Dryden

You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.
G.K. Chesterton

No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.
Alfred North Whitehead

You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
Albert Schweitzer

Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.
Alphonse Karr

Appreciation is the highest form of prayer, for it acknowledges the presence of good wherever you shine the light of your thankful thoughts.
Alan Cohen

Perseverance

Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.
Samuel Johnson

Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown.
H. Ross Perot

A jug fills drop by drop.
Buddha

If you want to get somewhere you have to know where you want to go and how to get there. Then never, never, never give up.
Norman Vincent Peale

I’m proof that great things can happen to ordinary people if they work hard and never give up.
Orel Herhiser

How long should you try? Until.
Jim Rohn

Perseverance is a great element of success; if you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate you are sure to wake up somebody.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Perseverance allows you to get back on track when you hit a detour.
Catherine Pulsifer

We can do anything we want to do if we stick to it long enough.
Helen Keller

Perseverance is failing nineteen times and succeeding the twentieth.
Julie Andrews

Live in Vain???

If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin Into his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
-- Emily Dickinson

Dreams - Coolidge

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than
unsuccessful people with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve
the problems of the human race.
-- Calvin Coolidge

forgiveness

~ Forgive all who have offended you, not for them, but for yourself. ~
share this Forgiveness saying Harriet Nelson


~ Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness, or else forgiving another. ~
share this Forgiveness saying Jean Richter


~ The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. ~
share this Forgiveness saying Mahatma Gandhi


~ Forgiveness is almost a selfish act because of its immense benefits to the one who forgives. ~
share this Forgiveness saying Lawana Blackwell


~ The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. ~
share this Forgiveness saying Mahatma Gandhi


~ To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness. ~
share this Forgiveness saying Robert Muller


~ Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. ~
share this Forgiveness saying Paul Boese


~ Forgiveness is the sweetest revenge. ~
share this Forgiveness saying Isaac Friedmann


~ To err is human, to forgive, divine. ~
share this Forgiveness saying Alexander Pope


~ The motto should not be: Forgive one another; rather, understand one another. ~
share this Forgiveness saying Emma Goldman

pleasure

There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge. ~
share this Pleasure saying Bertrand Russell


~ Pleasure's couch is virtue's grave. ~
share this Pleasure saying Augustine J Duganne


~ Men may scoff, and men may pray, but they pay every pleasure with a pain. ~
share this Pleasure saying William Henley


~ Pleasure is the flower that passes; remembrance, the lasting perfume. ~
share this Pleasure saying Jean de Boufflers


~ Why not seize the pleasure at once, how often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparations. ~
share this Pleasure saying Jane Austen

Success

"Every one of us, unconsciously, works out a personal philosophy of life, by which we are guided, inspired, and corrected, as time goes on. It is this philosophy by which we measure out our days, and by which we advertise to all about us the man, or woman, that we are. . . . It takes but a brief time to scent the life philosophy of anyone. It is defined in the conversation, in the look of the eye, and in the general mien of the person. It has no hiding place. It's like the perfume of the flower — unseen, but known almost instantly. It is the possession of the successful, and the happy. And it can be greatly embellished by the absorption of ideas and experiences of the useful of this earth." George Matthew Adams

Inspiration

Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not; it is the first lesson that ought to be learned; and however early a man's training begins, it is probably the last lesson that he learns thoroughly. - Thomas H. Huxley, 1825-1895

I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts. - John Locke, 1632-1704

I'm very pleased with each advancing year. It stems back to when I was forty. I was a bit upset about reaching that milestone, but an older friend consoled me. 'Don't complain about growing old - many, many people do not have that privilege.' - Earl Warren, 1891-1974

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. - Martin Luther King Jr., 1929-1968

What's money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do. - Bob Dylan, 1941-?

Whenever evil befalls us, we ought to ask ourselves, after the first suffering, how we can turn it into good. So shall we take occasion, from one bitter root, to raise perhaps many flowers. - Leigh Hunt, 1784-1859

Birthday quotes

# Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed. - Charles Schultz

# Please don't retouch my wrinkles. It took me so long to earn them. - Anna Magnani

# Happiness is good health and a bad memory. - Ingrid Bergman

# Birth may be a matter of a moment, but it is a unique one. - Frederick Leboyer

# Youth is the gift of nature, but age is the work of art. - Garson Kanin

# Whatever with the past has gone, the best is always yet to come. - Lucy Larcom

# Time draweth wrinkles in a fair face, but addeth fresh colors to a fast friend. - John Lyle

# There are days of oldness, and then one gets young again. - Katherine Butler Hathaway

# At middle age the soul should be opening up like a rose, not closing up like a cabbage. - John Andrew Holmes

# Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you are aboard there is nothing you can do about it. - Golda Meir

# It's sad to grow old, but nice to ripen. - Brigitte Bardot

# If you want to look young and thin, hang around old fat people. - Jim Eason

# Confidence is the feeling you have before you understand the situation. - Unknown

# When I passed forty I dropped pretense, ‘cause men like women who got some sense. - Maya Angelou

# Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these. - Susan B. Anthony

# To me, old age is always ten years older than I am. - John Burroughs

# The spiritual eyesight improves as the physical eyesight declines. - Plato

# Lead me not into temptation; I can find it myself. - Unknown

# Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. - Mark Twain

# We grow too soon old and too late smart. - Pennsylvania Dutch proverb

# Men grow old, pearls grow yellow, there is no cure for it. - Chinese proverb

# Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night. - Unknown

# Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. - Groucho Marx

Knowledge

"The hunger and thirst for knowledge, the keen delight in the chase, the good humored willingness to admit that the scent was false, the eager desire to get on with the work, the cheerful resolution to go back and begin again, the broad good sense, the unaffected modesty, the imperturbable temper, the gratitude for any little help that was given - all these will remain in my memory though I cannot paint them for others." Frederic William Maitland

Civilization

A civilization is a heritage of beliefs, customs, and knowledge slowly accumulated in the course of centuries, elements difficult at times to justify by logic, but justifying themselves as paths when they lead somewhere, since they open up for man his inner distance.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Strategy

The two worst strategic mistakes to make are acting prematurely and letting an opportunity slip; to avoid this, the warrior treats each situation as if it were unique and never resorts to formulae, recipes or other people's opinions.
Paulo Coelho

Promise Yourself

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can
disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to
every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel like there is
something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your
optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best,
and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on the
greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give
every living person you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, and too
strong for fear, and to happy to permit the
presence of trouble.

The Optimist Creed
From The Optimist International

Humility

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”- 2 Chronicles 7:14

The Flower In Me By Anonymous Writer

I am like a flower
Not sure of when I will die.
Not sure of when I will grow back again
When I am crushed with pain and cry.

I am not sure if I can hold myself up
When I ache with unbearable pain.
What do I do when my petals fall off?
Do I go find them out in the rain?

What do I do when I'm not given enough water, to make it through the day?
What do I do when I look up in the sky?
And the sun doesn't show a ray?

I stand as tall as a flower would,
As long as I possible can.
I will stand and show my colors,
That is what I plan.

I may drupe and my petals may fall,
But that won't stop me from growing.
My love, honesty and beauty,
I will keep showing.

I am like a flower,
Strong and supreme.
I may be trampled on,
But I will never lose faith in my dreams.

From the inspired poem ' If ' - by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream and not make dreams your master;
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools

Suport in Hard times

"Adversity isn't set against you to fail; adversity is a way to build your character so that you can succeed over and over again through perseverance." Byron Pulsifer

"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." Franklin D. Roosevelt

"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn." Harriet Beecher Stowe


"Everyone can taste success when the going is easy, but few know how to taste victory when times get tough."Byron Pulsifer

"Here is the basic rule for winning success. Let's mark it in the mind and remember it. The rule is: Success depends on the support of other people. The only hurdle between you and what you want to be is the support of other people." David Joseph Schwartz

The Future - W. E. B Du Bois

Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year. It is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow. Today is the seed time, now are the hours of work, and tomorrow comes the harvest and the playtime.
W.E.B. Du Bois

Rebuild

Rebuild

© By Anonymous


No more sorrow, no more pain
Only love and understanding is left to gain
No more words without meaning
Only phrases and gestures full of feeling
No more lonely days and sleepless nights
Only quality time filled with hugs so tight
No more thoughts of worthlessness
Only moments shared together engulfed in happiness
No more starving for attention and a look of disgrace
Only daily kisses accompanied with a warm embrace
Love is patient, kind and complicated
To make it work communication must be initiated
God and His words play a big part
Hold Him near and dear, close to your heart

Gold

All that is gold does not glitter
not all those who wander are lost
the old that is strong does not wither
deep roots are not reached by the frost
From the ashes a fire shall be woken
a light from the shadows shall spring
renewed shall be blade that was broken
the crown less again shall be king."
- J.R.R. Tolkien

When Sorrow Comes

When sorrow comes, as come it must,
In God a man must place his trust.
There is no power in mortal speech
The anguish of his soul to reach,
No voice, however sweet and low,
Can comfort him or ease the blow.

He cannot from his fellow men
Take strength that will sustain him then.
With all that kindly hands will do,
And all that love may offer, too,
He must believe throughout the test
That God has willed it for the best.

We who would be his friends are dumb;
Words from our lips but feebly come;
We feel, as we extend our hands,
That one Power only understands
And truly knows the reason why
So beautiful a soul must die.

We realize how helpless then
Are all the gifts of mortal men.
No words which we have power to say
Can take the sting of grief away -
That Power which marks the sparrow's fall
Must comfort and sustain us all.

When sorrow comes, as come it must,
In God, a man must place his trust.
With all the wealth which he may own,
He cannot meet the test alone,
And only he may stand serene
Who has a faith on which to lean.


Edgar A. Guest

The Celestial Surgeon

If I have faltered more or less
In my great task of happiness;
If I have moved among my race
And shown no glorious morning face;
If beams from happy human eyes
Have moved me not; if morning skies,
Books, and my food, and summer rain
Knocked on my sullen heart in vain:
Lord, thy most pointed pleasure take
And stab my spirit broad awake;
Or, Lord, if too obdurate I,
Choose thou, before that spirit die,
A piercing pain
, a killing sin,
And to my dead heart run them in!




Robert Louis Stevenson

Climb 'Til Your Dream Comes True by: Helen Steiner Rice

Often your tasks will be many,
And more than you think you can do.
Often the road will be rugged
And the hills insurmountable, too.
But always remember,
The hills ahead
Are never as steep as they seem,
And with Faith in your heart
Start upward
And climb 'til you reach your dream.
For nothing in life that is worthy
Is ever too hard to achieve
If you have the courage to try it,
And you have the faith to believe.
For faith is a force that is greater
Than knowledge or power or skill,
And many defeats turn to triumph
If you trust in God's wisdom and will.
For faith is a mover of mountains,
There's nothing that God cannot do,
So, start out today with faith in your heart,
And climb 'til your dream comes true!

Success by: Ralph Waldo Emerson

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty,
To find the best in others,
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.

Don't Quit by: Unknown Author

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit.
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns.
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out:
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are.
It may be near when it seems so far:
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Drop a Pebble in the Water Poet: James W. Foley

Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash, and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to the sea.
And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

Drop a pebble in the water: in a minute you forget,
But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet,
And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown;
You've disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.

Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on.
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go,
And there is no way to stop them, once you've started them to flow.

Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute you forget;
But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet,
And perhaps in some sad heart a mighty wave of tears you've stirred,
And disturbed a life was happy ere you dropped that unkind word.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave
Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: in a minute you forget;
But there's gladness still a-swelling, and there's joy a-circling yet,
And you've rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard
Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one kind word.

Cloths of Heaven

Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.


- W.B.Yeats

Dream A While With Me

I dream of rainbows, Bright in the sky,
I dream of lightning, together we cry,

I dream of flowers, I feel such delight,
I dream of spiders, and I scream with fright,

I dream of fish, swimming in the sea,
I dream of sharks, coming after me,

I dream of lambs, frolicking around,
I dream of wolves, Hunting, no sound,

I dream of children, several of them ours,
I dream of them waking, Being up for hours,

Stay with me forever and together we’ll cope,
Because when I dream of you, I dream of hope,

Dream awhile with me and together we’ll see,
Not all dreams are bad, so dream along with me.

Cathryn Martin

Everybody dreams.

Everybody dreams.
Children dream,
Adults dream,
Old people dream.

I dream, too.

I dream about the friends with whom I'll grow old,
I dream about the person whose hands I'll hold,
I dream about being young and in love,
I dream about loved ones, looking down from above.

I dream of the places I'll one day see,
I dream of being wild and free,
I dream of my house, high on the rocks,
I dream of the sand underneath my socks.

I dream of the people I'd love to greet,
I dream of the things I'll say when we meet,
I dream of hearing their voices sing,
I dream of being happy with everything.

I dream of travelling with a map in my hand,
I dream of never coming back to this land,
I dream of finding myself - in sense
I dream of jumping far off this fence.

I dream of any things that one day I'll know,
I dream of the freedom: a dream I won't let go,
I dream of my future and marvel at my pride
As my heart is flying and singing
inside.

Twilight Whispers

LOVE

I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for their religion -
I have shudder'd at it.
I shudder no more.
I could be martyr'd for my religion
Love is my religion
And I could die for that.
I could die for you.
~ by John Keats ~

I'd like to run away
From you,
But if you didn't come
And find me ...
I would die.
~ by Shirley Bassey ~

When you love someone, all your saved-up wishes start coming out.
~ by Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973) ~

The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is to love and be loved in return.
~ From "Unforgettable with Love" by Natalie Cole

any given day

any given day

A Friend

Friend
A friend is a person
to laugh and cry with,
An inspiration,
Someone who lends a helping hand,
though friends may not be forever,
And they may not end up together,
the memories of a true friendship will
last forever.
A friend is not a shadow nor a servant
But someone who hold
a piece of a person in his heart.
Someone who shares a smile,
Someone who brightens up your day
What makes a person a friend?
Is by saying your Love will stay.

- Renee donna Bufete

Friendship

A BEST FRIEND
A best friend
is always there,
whether you need advice,
or a pep talk,
or even a shoulder to cry on.
A best friend
listens with her heart
and is always honest with you,
even though the truth
may not be
what you want to hear.
A best friend
knows all your secrets,
understands your fears
shares your dreams.
A best friend
never stops believing in you
even if you give up
on yourself.
you are
that kind of friend
to me.
And no matter what happens,
you always will be.
You are my best friend....
my forever friend.

- Renee Duvall

Inspiration

“The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it's the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friend.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes

“Here is the secret of inspiration: Tell yourself that thousands and tens of thousands of people, not very intelligent and certainly no more intelligent than the rest of us, have mastered problems as difficult as those that now baffle you”

William Feather quotes

“Do not quench your inspiration and your imagination; do not become the slave of your model.”

Vincent van Gogh quotes

Did someone make you Smile today?

Alguém lhe sorriu hoje?
Silvia Schmidt


Um anjo sobre o seu ombro sorriu-lhe hoje
Se você precisou de um amigo,
ele sussurrou em seu ouvido,
dizendo que nunca irá embora.
Dá para contar as vezes em sua vida
que você se sentiu muito só
e não pôde evitar que lágrimas rolassem pelo seu rosto?
Mas agora você pode sentir-se
acompanhado pelo Amor:
um anjo sobre o seu ombro sorriu-lhe hoje.



Fique atento e você "perceberá"
esse anjo apoiando-o naqueles momentos
em que você sofre dores e tristezas,
sentindo que ninguém pode ajudar :
ele lhe dará coragem,
força e estará sempre por perto.

Todos nós em nossas vidas atravessamos
fases difíceis e muitas vezes parece-nos impossível
superá-las, mas graças aos Anjos de Deus
nunca estamos sozinhos.
Quando tudo se demonstrar contra nós
e muitas coisas parecerem não fazer sentido,
lembremo-nos de que há anjos bem
ao nosso lado sorrindo e ajudando.

Os anjos nos amam sem desejar nada em troca
e sem pedir licença.
Nas horas de aflição fechemos nossos olhos
e confiemos nesses guardiões.
Sejamos dignos de Sua presença.

love...Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Russell:

Three passions have governed my life:
The longings for love, the search for knowledge,
And unbearable pity for the suffering of [humankind].

Love brings ecstasy and relieves loneliness.
In the union of love I have seen
In a mystic miniature the prefiguring vision
Of the heavens that saints and poets have imagined.

With equal passion I have sought knowledge.
I have wished to understand the hearts of [people].
I have wished to know why the stars shine.

Love and knowledge led upwards to the heavens,
But always pity brought me back to earth;
Cries of pain reverberated in my heart
Of children in famine, of victims tortured
And of old people left helpless.
I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot,
And I too suffer.

This has been my life; I found it worth living.

pain

THE SCHOOL OF PAIN

No one comes here to learn
what we teach.

They all want to be better off for it,
to know its applications, to grow
from the experience, to go through
just once.

What we offer
is the fact that it hurts
and is not the same as pleasure.
We’ve found

anything else, or less, or more
is not pain.

-- Donna Brook

Paulo Coelho - once more

“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.”
Bambi_

Paulo Coelho quote

Paulo Coelho

There is one great truth on this planet:

whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do,

when you really want something,

it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe.

It's your mission on earth.


The Alchemist

Integrity

Transcend political correctness and strive for human righteousness. ~Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book


Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it. ~David Star Jordan, The Philosophy of Despair


Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught. ~J.C. Watts


If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters. ~Alan Simpson


Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live. ~Oscar Wilde, The Soul of Man Under Socialism


Character is much easier kept than recovered. ~Thomas Paine


Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it. ~Buddha


One does evil enough when one does nothing good. ~German Proverb


There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience. ~French Proverb


Don't try to be different. Just be good. To be good is different enough. ~Arthur Freed


Your life may be the only Bible some people read. ~Author Unknown


Do not repeat anything you will not sign your name to. ~Author Unknown


Are right and wrong convertible terms, dependant upon popular opinion? ~William Lloyd Garrison


The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out. ~Thomas Babington Macaulay


The right to do something does not mean that doing it is right. ~William Safire


Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value. ~Albert Einstein


The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side-stepping responsibility, and pushing their luck! ~Author Unknown


But that's always the way; it don't make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person's conscience ain't got no sense, and just goes for him anyway. If I had a yaller dog that didn't know no more than a person's conscience does I would pison him. It takes up more room than all the rest of a person's insides, and yet ain't no good, nohow. ~Mark Twain, Huck Finn

The Victor Poet: C.W. Longenecker

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t
If you like to win but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win the prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

A Difference

Making A Difference

© By Anonymous
The world offers everyone a golden opportunity,
In making life more meaningful and with tranquility,

Roses planted in each garden enhances its beauty,
Tendered with care, it continues to grow in prosperity.

Love makes the world go around in peace and harmony,
In places where man had fought with bitterness and hate,

A path of ugly destruction uproots its serenity,
That leads us to find answers to its morbid state.

A fallen world leaves us with many deep uncertainties,
As we investigate its torn threads and gather lost strength,

To build a bright future, in exploration of the humanities,
Thus, conquers our fears, as we celebrate in great length.

Man's knowledge and discovery of his inner and outer world,
Creates a playground for changes in the environment,

Be it a simple task that can alleviate human suffering,
In extending life its daily dose of peace and contentment.

Making a difference is a potential desire to be instilled,
As a personal trait to be fulfilled in each and every aspect,

Of the human race, in its vast culture and religion,
A solidarity given to all minds, open with love and respect.

Painting

God Is Painting The Sky

© By Anonymous


The little girl said with a tear in her eye
Where is the sunshine that was up in the sky?
Mama answered with an encouraging smile
Only God knows the answer my child.
God has a plan and I know for sure
Please don't feel sad, He'll send the right cure,
Suddenly the little girl giggled out loud
As a cooling breeze blew away the darkened cloud.
There in its place appeared a rainbow so bright
It was truly an incredible, heartwarming sight,
A promise God had made a long time ago
Decorated the Texas sky with a colorful glow.
Mama, she said, God is painting the sky!
Then the little girl pointed to the rainbow so high,
Mama whispered, God has special brushes to make it so large
The rainbow helps us remember who is always in charge.
The little girl reached out to take Mama's hand
As the sunshine began to cover this Texas land,
Mama always knows, the little girl thought with love
As they walked hand in hand, enjoying the rainbow above.

dedication

For me it's a dedication to your real interests. It's an ability to be open-minded. Without an open-minded mind, you can never be a great success. The great artists have been open-minded, even though they may seem, like Picasso, to be very directed, you can be directed and open-minded at the same time. I think you have to be really intensely serious about your work, but not so serious that you can't see the lightness that may also involve your life. You have to have that lightness too. You have to not be so heavy-handed and so ostentatious. It's very important not to be.


Martha Stewart : ever-active home/garden/craft author and TV show personality

Thoughts

It is a rare occasion when I have written my own words. This blog is distributed to over 150 sites. The viewers (and hopefully readers) are of all creeds, races and religions. While I am a christian, I have studied and respect all religions that promote uplifting of Mankind. I have even (and will continue to) quote from various religions, including Buddhism, Shintoism and Islam. Thank you again for your participation. Hope you continue to read and enjoy.

The Word for today!

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men”
Colossians 3:23

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Luke 12:34

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
Galatians 6:9

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8

Life - from Ol Waddy himself

The Psalm Of Life
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


What the heart of the young man said to the psalmist
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!--
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,--act in the living present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

Reading

Every man should have a library....And when we have got our little library we may look proudly at Shakspeare, and Bacon, and Bunyan, as they stand in our bookcase in company with other noble spirits, and one or two of whom the world knows nothing, but whose worth we have often tested. These may cheer and enlighten us, may inspire us with higher aims and aspirations, may make us, if we use them rightly, wiser and better men.
William A. E. Axon

Don't Quit - Author Unknown

When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high;
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are;
It may be near when it seems afar.
So, stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things go wrong that you mustn't quit.

GOD

"God enters by a private door into every individual."
- Ralph Waldo

"Let your light shine before men so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven."
- Matthew 5:16

"If God can work through me, he can work through anyone."
- St. Francis of Assisi

"Religion is the fashionable substitute for belief."
- Oscar Wilde

"One should not stand at the foot of a sick person's bed, because that place is reserved for the guardian angel."
- Jewish Folk Saying

"I still say a church steeple with a lightening rod on top shows a lack of confidence."
- Doug McLeod

"Measure not men by Sundays, without regarding what they do all the week after."
- Thomas Fuller

"Nature herself has imprinted on the minds of all the idea of God."
- Cicero

"God never shuts one door but he opens another."
- Irish Proverb

"Man proposes, but God disposes."
- Thomas A Kempis

"I live and love in God's peculiar light."
- Michelangelo

"God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble."
- Pslams 16:1

"If God be for us, who can be against us?" - Romans 8:31

"The nature of God is a circle of which the centre is everywhere and the circumference is nowhere."
- Anonymous

"There was never law, or sect, or opinion did so much magnify goodness, as the Christian religion doth."
- Francis Bacon

"A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on."
- Carl Sandburg

Life Is Fine BY Langston Hughes

I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn't,
So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn't a-been so cold
I might've sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn't a-been so high
I might've jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on.
I could've died for love--
But for livin' I was born

Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry--
I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!

Don't Waste Life! - Author Unknown

Here I am, walking through time
taking these steps, through this life of mine
Where am I now, and where will I go
Is it all an illusion? - I really don’t know.

Days seem to pass, before long it’s years
While I’ve been contemplating life's hopes and Life's fears.
Watching and waiting, just looking on
before I knew it, my whole life had gone

I awoke from Life's dream, and now here I stand
Looking back at my life with God at my hand
I learned about life and the meaning of love
amidst tears of pain, but was that enough?

In life we can live out our dreams if we want to - its true
the one who decides, takes chances, makes choices
IS YOU

So before you let your life pass you by
think of these words, Live your dream - don’t be shy
All you need, you have within
So live your dream now, let YOUR life begin

Life

THE TREE OF LIFE

by: Robert Buchanan (1841-1901)

HE MASTER said:
‘I have planted the Seed of a Tree,
It shall be strangely fed
With white dew and with red,
And the Gardeners shall be three--
Regret, Hope, Memory!’

The Master smiled:
For the Seed that He had set
Broke presently thro’ the mould,
With a glimmer of green and gold,
And the Angels’ eyes were wet--
Hope, Memory, Regret.

The Master cried:
‘It liveth--breatheth--see!
Its soft lips open wide--
It looks from side to side--
How strange they gleam on me,
The little dim eyes of the Tree!’

The Master said:
‘After a million years,
The Seed I set and fed
To itself hath gatherèd
All the world’s smiles and tears--
How mighty it appears!’

The Master said:
‘At last, at last, I see
A Blossom, a Blossom o’ red
From the heart of the Tree is shed.
’Tis fairer certainly
Than the Tree, or the leaves of the Tree.'

The Master cried:
‘O Angels, that guard the Tree,
A Blossom, a Blossom divine
Grows on this greenwood of mine:
What may this Blossom be?
Name this Blossom to me!’

The Master smiled;
For the Angels answered thus:
‘Our tears have nourish’d the same,
We have given it a name
That seemeth fit to us--
We have called it Spiritus.’

The Master said:
‘This Flower no Seed shall bear;
But hither on a day
My beautiful Son shall stray,
And shall snatch it unaware,
And wreath it in his hair.’

The Master smiled:
‘The Tree shall never bear--
Seedless shall perish the Tree,
But the Flower my Son’s shall be;
He will pluck the Flower and wear,
Till it withers in his hair!

Love ...according to St. Augustine

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."
-St. Augustine

Hugs from Heaven

Hugs From Heaven

Anonymous

When you feel a gentle breeze
Caress you when you sigh
It's a hug sent from Heaven
From a loved one way up high

If a soft and tender raindrop
Lands upon your nose
They've added a small kiss
As fragile as a rose

If a song you hear fills you
With a feeling of sweet love
It's a hug sent from Heaven
From someone special up above

If you awaken in the morning
To a bluebird's chirping song
It's music sent from Heaven
To cheer you all day long

If tiny little snowflakes
Land upon your face
It's a hug sent from Heaven
Trimmed with Angel lace

So keep the joy in your heart
If you're lonely my dear friend
Hugs that are sent from Heaven
A broken heart will mend

Give Me A Grateful Heart, Lord

Give me a grateful heart, Lord,
For each small favor granted,
As years unfold, may I behold
Life, still, through eyes enchanted.

Let me find beauty in all things,
Not to be blind to see
The goodness in my fellowman,
That he would find in me.

Grant that my ears remain attuned,
To hear the smallest sigh,
And may I lead a gentle touch,
To those less sure than I.

Let me remember lessons learned,
To profit from the past,
And may I build a bridge of dreams,
That shall forever last.

Let me rejoice in simple things,
I need no wealth to buy,
The scent of pine upon the wind,
A burnished copper sky.

Scarlet roses on the fence,
Sunrise through the trees -
Oh, Grant that I may not outgrow
Affinity for these!

Give me a grateful heart, Lord;
Let me be satisfied,
When days are less than sunny,
And plans lie at low tide.

Life is an adventure,
That will lead to who knows where,
So, give me a grateful heart, Lord,
That I may always care.
Author Unknown

Richard D'Andrea Dover

a little Waldo - Celestial Love

Celestial Love
a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson




(Part of Ode I)

Higher far,
Upward, into the pure realm,
Over sun or star,
Over the flickering Daemon film,
Thou must mount for love,
Into vision which all form
In one only form dissolves;
In a region where the wheel,
On which all beings ride,
Visibly revolves;
Where the starred eternal worm
Girds the world with bound and term;
Where unlike things are like,
When good and ill,
And joy and moan,
Melt into one.
There Past, Present, Future, shoot
Triple blossoms from one root
Substances at base divided
In their summits are united,
There the holy Essence rolls,
One through separated souls,
And the sunny Aeon sleeps
Folding nature in its deeps,
And every fair and every good
Known in part or known impure
To men below,
In their archetypes endure.

The race of gods,
Or those we erring own,
Are shadows flitting up and down
In the still abodes.
The circles of that sea are laws,
Which publish and which hide the Cause.
Pray for a beam
Out of that sphere
Thee to guide and to redeem.
O what a load
Of care and toil
By lying Use bestowed,
From his shoulders falls, who sees
The true astronomy,
The period of peace!
Counsel which the ages kept,
Shall the well-born soul accept.
As the overhanging trees
Fill the lake with images,
As garment draws the garment's hem
Men their fortunes bring with them;
By right or wrong,
Lands and goods go to the strong;
Property will brutely draw
Still to the proprietor,
Silver to silver creep and wind,
And kind to kind,
Nor less the eternal poles
Of tendency distribute souls.
There need no vows to bind
Whom not each other seek but find.
They give and take no pledge or oath,
Nature is the bond of both.
No prayer persuades, no flattery fawns,
Their noble meanings are their pawns.
Plain and cold is their address,
Power have they for tenderness,
And so thoroughly is known
Each others' purpose by his own,
They can parley without meeting,
Need is none of forms of greeting,
They can well communicate
In their innermost estate;
When each the other shall avoid,
Shall each by each be most enjoyed.
Not with scarfs or perfumed gloves
Do these celebrate their loves,
Not by jewels, feasts, and savors,
Not by ribbons or by favors,
But by the sun-spark on the sea,
And the cloud-shadow on the lea,
The soothing lapse of morn to mirk,
And the cheerful round of work.
Their cords of love so public are,
They intertwine the farthest star.
The throbbing sea, the quaking earth,
Yield sympathy and signs of mirth;
Is none so high, so mean is none,
But feels and seals this union.
Even the tell Furies are appeased,
The good applaud, the lost are eased.

Love's hearts are faithful, but not fond,
Bound for the just, but not beyond;
Not glad, as the low-loving herd,
Of self in others still preferred,
But they have heartily designed
The benefit of broad mankind.
And they serve men austerely,
After their own genius, clearly,
Without a false humility;
For this is love's nobility,
Not to scatter bread and gold,
Goods and raiment bought and sold,
But to hold fast his simple sense,
And speak the speech of innocence,
And with hand, and body, and blood,
To make his bosom-counsel good:
For he that feeds men, serveth few,
He serves all, who dares be true.

Penny for you thoughts - Had to repost with the words!!!

“Penny For Your Thoughts” – Gemineye
Can I offer you a penny for your thoughts?
As a matter of fact, how about three?
One penny for you, one penny for me,
And one penny for our minds engaged not so sexually.
Getting intimately closer as we approach the
Climatic altitude of nude, mental, sensational… conversation.

Because I’m trying to get to know everything about you
From the neck… UP.

So these are not your typical, sexual, poetical prose.
I’m trying to close the door on that all too firmiliar freaky foreplay game.
With which most guys have chose to approach you.
While they are trying to get deeply inbedded
In the fine fibers of your bedsheets,
I’m trying to find and define the fibers of which your mind speaks.
I want to engage you
By putting a two karat solitaire diamond ON YOUR MIND
Marrying your every thought!

I want to lick every inch of every crevasse
So I can get an oral fix from each oriface
And taste you passionate IMAGINATION.

I’d rather be naked and exposed, holding you
As we’re lying and you’re crying
While confiding and describing the tough times you’ve had in life
And how you don’t know
If you can keep a relationshop long enough to be somebody’s wife.

I wanna feel the heartbeat of all your inner rhythms
As they lead me toward your warm, wet, waterfalls of feminine thoughts.
…And I’ll swin in them.
From backstroaks, to breaststrokes,
I’m penetrating every entrance… to your mind.
Taking my time to find out everything about you.

Did I ever tell you about how you
Fell asleep in my presence?
And your mere essance
Kept me awake for hours
As I cowered with this feeling
Of sexually unadulterated mental connection?

And as you lay by my side
I pushed the blinds aside
And took the time in the moonlight of that night
To count 72 eyelashes
On the upper eyelid of your right eye!
Because when you sleep
Your eyes remain open slightly.

And while we probably moves in too quickly into some sexual shit
I’ve always cared more about the expilicity illicitness
That came from between you lips.. meaning your voice.

So now I am standing here
Ready to trade in all the sexual acts that we’ve preformed
For the chance to reform the very foundation
And the basis of our relationship.

So I reiterate my opening statement
And I offer you another penny for your thoughts!

Oscar Brown Jr. - Children of Children

Gemineye ...POETIC BLOODLINES

I Will Prevail © Phil Harris

I have been told that I will never exceed
I have been told that I am living in a dream
I have been pushed to the side by many of my peers
I have heard of the struggles that was present before me
I have heard others speak of the struggles they were presented with
I have accepted I can’t change everything in my life
I know that the things that can be changed will take time
I have watched many come and fall
I have seen those who have raised to riches and fall to pennies
I have started a goal
I have told myself that I will prevail

I have seen the evil in life
I have once been a victim to this life
I have learned that the only thing that can hold you back in life is living for the past
I refuse to give up without a try
I refuse to let anyone tell me that I can’t reach the sky
I refuse to live for today
I will always prepare for tomorrow even though it is not guaranteed
I will refuse to allow anyone to change my heart
I believe that God will lead me to a higher place
I believe that change has been accepted for my life
I believe that someone is watching over me
I will prevail

I apologize for the struggles other may have faced
I refused to allow me to make myself wait
I know that many have never receive an apology for the struggles they have faced
I hope that you accept this from me as I am speaking through them to you
I know that for many of you this is the reason you have given in to the belief that you can’t exceed
I will continue through the obstacles that step in my way
I will ask for guidance every day
I will not give up
I will not give in
I will not look back
I will not except that this is all my life is meant to be
I will continue
I will prevail
I Will Prevail


by Phil Harris

Dear God In Heaven - A Family's Prayer By JAMES B. HAYS

Dear God in Heaven above
Today is the day that You took someone we love
We know that we need not worry
Because Your there with him with open arms

Dear God in Heaven above
The man that stands before You was deeply loved
Although it seems like it is the end
Now the memories of him shall begin

Dear God in Heaven above
We are here today with sorrow and grief
But when we look up toward Heaven there will be a sence of relief
Because the man before You is in a better place

Today is not a day of death, but rebirth
Because he lived a long and healthy life here on earth
So on this day we will look back no more
Because on this day we know he's with You, Jesus Christ our Lord

The man that has left us he will truly be missed
For all that knew him we know that we were blessed

Dear God in Heaven above
The man that I refer to was a husband, father, brother, grandfather and dear friend
For when our time comes we know that we will see him again

Dear God in Heaven above
We pray that You will guide us to see this through
Hold us and keep us safe in all that we do

Tribute To my Grandfather

Small Things

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury; and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable; and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasion, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony."

William Ellery Channing

Words from Vince

Loving your enemies is one of the surest signs of christian maturity. Its difficult but neccessary.; Love and be Loved. Bless you.

Dreams

Dream Variations



To fling my arms wide
In some place of the sun,
To whirl and to dance
Till the white day is done.
Then rest at cool evening
Beneath a tall tree
While night comes on gently,
Dark like me-
That is my dream!

To fling my arms wide
In the face of the sun,
Dance! Whirl! Whirl!
Till the quick day is done.
Rest at pale evening...
A tall, slim tree...
Night coming tenderly
Black like me.

Langston Hughes

Sunshine

A Gleam of Sunshine



This is the place. Stand still, my steed,
Let me review the scene,
And summon from the shadowy Past
The forms that once have been.

The Past and Present here unite
Beneath Time's flowing tide,
Like footprints hidden by a brook,
But seen on either side.

Here runs the highway to the town;
There the green lane descends,
Through which I walked to church with thee,
O gentlest of my friends!

The shadow of the linden-trees
Lay moving on the grass;
Between them and the moving boughs,
A shadow, thou didst pass.

Thy dress was like the lilies,
And thy heart as pure as they:
One of God's holy messengers
Did walk with me that day.

I saw the branches of the trees
Bend down thy touch to meet,
The clover-blossoms in the grass
Rise up to kiss thy feet,

"Sleep, sleep to-day, tormenting cares,
Of earth and folly born!"
Solemnly sang the village choir
On that sweet Sabbath morn.

Through the closed blinds the golden sun
Poured in a dusty beam,
Like the celestial ladder seen
By Jacob in his dream.

And ever and anon, the wind,
Sweet-scented with the hay,
Turned o'er the hymn-book's fluttering leaves
That on the window lay.

Long was the good man's sermon,
Yet it seemed not so to me;
For he spake of Ruth the beautiful,
And still I thought of thee.

Long was the prayer he uttered,
Yet it seemed not so to me;
For in my heart I prayed with him,
And still I thought of thee.

But now, alas! the place seems changed;
Thou art no longer here:
Part of the sunshine of the scene
With thee did disappear.

Though thoughts, deep-rooted in my heart,
Like pine-trees dark and high,
Subdue the light of noon, and breathe
A low and ceaseless sigh;

This memory brightens o'er the past,
As when the sun, concealed
Behind some cloud that near us hangs
Shines on a distant field.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Teach America to Pray

"Teach America to Pray"


May our good land be true and just,
Her motto e'er "In God We Trust"
May she be guided by Thy Word,
Thy wisdom in her walls be heard.
May all who love her plead today,
Lord, teach America to Pray!

And as her flag unfurls on high
Its starry splendor to the sky,
May we, in grateful thanks to Thee
Who gave to us this land so free,
Preserve her freedom in Thy way.
Lord, teach America to Pray

~Written by Edith A. Wilsey~

depois

After The Storm

Have you ever been in a raging storm
Where you are trying to find your way
The thunder rolls and the lightening flashes
It makes a very dreary day

Now let's compare the hideous storm
As we endure the storms of life
Taking shelter when we can
TO avoid the trouble and strife

When the thunder of my life sets in
And heartaches have torn me apart
The lightening rears it's ugly head
And splits my weary heart

The wind does blow Oh so fierce
It's these times I am so forlorn
That's when I fall down to my knees
To seek shelter in the time of storm

The winds do calm and lightening ceased
Thunder no longer does roll
But perfect peace and contentment
In my weary storm tossed soul

Like the land after a cleansing rain
All clean and refreshed anew
Is my soul after forgiveness
Jesus always knows what to do

I read once in the Bible
He calmed the seas at His command
The ship was rocking to and fro
Till he stretched out His Hand

We can all walk in life anew
If we'll just let go and let God
We don't need to suffer so
While here on earth we trod

He'll always hear and answer us
When the storm is raging high
By an eye of faith just look up
You'll see him standing by



He'll hold you in His precious arms
And shield you from all harm
With perfect peace and cleansed anew
With Jesus after the Storm
Raylene Boggs*~

Stillness

In the Stillness

I see the light
and his truth therein.
I hear his voice in
The whispering wind.
I gaze upon the mountaintops
and I see his majesty.
I walk through the woods
and feel his presence deep within myself.
I stand in awe of the world in which I live,
and in the stillness, I know he is God.

Robin Ferguson

Author Unknown - IF GOD SHOULD GO ON STRIKE

IF GOD SHOULD GO ON STRIKE

How is it that God above
Has never gone on strike
Because he was not treated fair
In things He didn't like.

If only once He'd given up,
And said, 'That's it, I'm through!
I've had enough of those on earth,
So this is what I'll do;

I'll give my orders to the sun -
'Cut off the heat supply!'
And to the moon - 'Give no more
Light, and run the ocean dry.'

Then just to make things really tough
And put the pressures on,
'Turn off the vital oxygen
Till every breath is gone!'

You know, He would be justified
If fairness was the game.
For no one has been abused
Or met with more disdain

Than God, any yet He carries on
Supplying you and me
With all the favors of His grace
And everything for free.

Men say they want a better deal
And so on strike they go.
But what a deal we've given
To God to whom all things we owe.

We don't care whom we hurt
To gain the things we like.
But what a mess we'd all be in
If God should go on strike!!

power

Give me the power...



Oh My Lord
Give me the power
To say yes when told to do the toughest

Give me the power
To say no when I want to say no

Give me the power
To practice what I preach

Give me the power
To smile when someone frowns

Give me the power
To build when someone is stranded homeless

Give me the power
To stay composed in the midst of a calamity

Give me the power
To share with the have-nots

Give me the power
To resurrect a deceased breadwinner

Give me the power
To annihilate poverty from the world

Give me the power
To perpetuate prosperity in the world

Give me the power
To pray to you sans anticipation

Rangarajan Kazhiyur Mannar

Will Power

Will Power
There is no chance, no destiny, no fate
Can circumvent, or hinder, or control
The firm resolve of a determined soul.
Gift counts for little; Will alone is great
All things give way before it, soon or late.
What obstacle can stay the mighty force
Of the sea-seeking river in its course,
Or cause the ascending orb of day to wait?
Each well-born soul must win what it deserves,
Let the fool prate of Luck! The fortunate
Is he whose earnest purpose never swerves,
Whose slightest action or inaction serves
The one great aim.
Why, even death stands still
And waits, an hour, sometimes, for such a Will!

- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Wait / Patience - Psalms 27

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

3Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

5For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

7Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

9Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

10When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

11Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

12Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

13I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

14Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Proverbs

If you refuse to be made straight when you are green, you will not be made straight when you are dry. African Proverb

When you have given nothing, ask for nothing. Albanian Proverb

Good habits result from resisting temptation. Ancient Proverb

Dwell not upon thy weariness, thy strength shall be according to the measure of thy desire. Arab Proverb

Examine what is said, not him who speaks. Arab Proverb

Make your bargain before beginning to plow. Arab Proverb

Giving ....Kahlil Gibran

"All you have shall some day be given;
Therefore give now, that the season of giving
may be yours and not your inheritors."

Kahlil Gibran
Lebanese Poet and Novelist

A Wise Woman

A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.

"I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone."

"The Wise Woman's Stone"

Angles Give

"If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give."

George MacDonald
Scottish Author and Poet

Success

A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.
David Brinkley

Action is the foundational key to all success.
Pablo Picasso

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.
Abraham Lincoln

Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.
George Edward Woodberry

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.
Dale Carnegie

Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.
David Frost

Don't confuse fame with success. Madonna is one; Helen Keller is the other.
Erma Bombeck

Failure is success if we learn from it.
Malcolm Forbes

Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.
Dale Carnegie

Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil.
J. Paul Getty

How can they say my life is not a success? Have I not for more than sixty years got enough to eat and escaped being eaten?
Logan P. Smith

I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it.
Jonathan Winters

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
Bill Cosby

I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.
George Burns

I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.
Michael Jordan

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There's no point in being a damn fool about it.
W. C. Fields

If you want to achieve things in life, you've just got to do them, and if you're talented and smart, you'll succeed.
Juliana Hatfield

In order to succeed you must fail, so that you know what not to do the next time.
Anthony J. D'Angelo

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.
Bill Cosby

It's not enough that I should succeed - others should fail.
David Merrick

We are all a part of Everything

Charlie Daniels:

A brief candle; both ends burning
An endless mile; a bus wheel turning
A friend to share the lonesome times
A handshake and a sip of wine
So say it loud and let it ring
We are all a part of everything
The future, present and the past
Fly on proud bird
You're free at last.

written en route to the funeral for his friend, Ronnie Van Zant of the band, Lynyrd Skynyrd

Sunday School with my Nana

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:5-6

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."
Proverbs 18:10

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called."
1 Timothy 6:12

Sunshine on my Heart

Sunshine On My Heart
By: Ann & Peter

The world was so gloomy and sad
Everything felt dark and dim in my life
Seemed that things around me were bad
I was filled with despair and strife.

My life seemed to be a total wreck
My world was crumbling at my feet
My heart was like a jigsaw puzzle
I had so much I had to defeat.

Just when I felt as low as I could be
And I was at the end of my rope
A ray of sunshine came into my life
Warmed me up and gave me hope.

Now my life is more stable
My world seems to be complete
I pray our love will be sacred
A Love that we'll forever keep.

The trees are much greener
And bluer is the sky above
I never thought I could ever feel this way
But I do, because I am so deeply in love.

The rainbow now has colors
Stars shine through out the night
The darkness finally disappeared
Life now...holds so much light.

Now we'll take this journey together
Hoping all our dreams come true
Loving each other unconditionally
That ray of sunshine I needed...was you.