God Won’t Ask

Posted on by

God won’t ask what kind of car you drove,
He’ll ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation.

God won’t ask the square footage of your house,
He’ll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

God won’t ask about the clothes you had in your closet,
He’ll ask how many you helped to clothe.

God won’t ask about your social status;
He will ask what kind of class you displayed.

God won’t ask how many material possessions you had,
He’ll ask if they dictated your life.

God won’t ask what your highest salary was,
He’ll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

God won’t ask how much overtime you worked,
He’ll ask if your overtime work was for yourself or for your family.

God won’t ask how many promotions you received,
He’ll ask how you promoted others.

God won’t ask what your job title was,
He’ll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

God won’t ask what you did to help yourself,
He’ll ask what you did to help others.

God won’t ask how many friends you had,
He’ll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

God won’t ask what you did to protect your rights,
He’ll ask what you did to protect the rights of others.

God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived,
He’ll ask how you treated your neighbors.

God won’t ask about the color of your skin,
He’ll ask about the content of your character.

God won’t ask how many times your deeds matched your words,
He’ll ask how many times they didn’t.

Friendship

Posted on by

When you are sad, I will get you drunk and help you plot
revenge against the scum sucking bastard/bitch who made you sad.

When you are scared, I will laugh at you and tease
you about it every chance I get.

When you are worried, I will tell you how much worse
it could be and to quit complaining.

When you are confused, I will use little words
to explain it to your dumb ass.

When you are sick, I will hold your hair while you
pay homage to the porcelain god.

When you fall, I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.

This is my oath; I pledge till the end.

Why you may ask? Because you’re my friend.

The Forgotten Ten Other Commandments

Posted on by
  • Thou shall not worry, for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities.
  • Thou shall not be fearful, for most of the things we fear never come to pass.
  • Thou shall not cross bridges before you come to them, for no one yet has succeeded in accomplishing this.
  • Thou shall face each problem as it comes. You can only handle one at a time anyway.
  • Thou shall not take problems to bed with you, for they make very poor bedfellows.
  • Thou shall not borrow other people’s problems. They can better care for them than you can.
  • Thou shall not try to relive yesterday for good or ill, it is forever gone. Concentrate on what is happening in your life and be happy now!
  • Thou shall be a good listener, for only when you listen do you hear different ideas from your own. It is hard to learn something new when you are talking, and some people do know more than you do.
  • Thou shall not become “bogged down” by frustration, for 90% of it is rooted in self-pity and will only interfere with positive action.
  • Thou shall count thy blessings, never overlooking the small ones, for a lot of small blessings add up to a big one.

The Facts of Life

Posted on by
  • At least 5 people in this world, love you so much they would die for you.
  • At least 15 people in this world love you, in some way.
  • The only reason anyone would ever hate you, is because they want to be just like you.
  • A smile from you, can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don’t like you.
  • Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
  • You mean the world to someone.
  • Without you, someone may not be living.
  • You are special and unique, in your own way.
  • Someone that you don’t know even exists, loves you.
  • When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
  • When you think the world has turned it’s back on you, take a look, you most likely turned your back on the world.
  • When you think you have no chance at getting what you want, you probably won’t get it, but if you believe in yourself, you probably sooner or later will get it.
  • Always remember complements you received, forget about the rude remarks.
  • Always tell someone how you feel about them, you will feel much better when they know.
  • If you have great friends, take the time to let them know that they are great.

Daily Affirmations

Posted on by
  • If you open it, close it.
  • If you turn it on, turn it off.
  • If you unlock it, lock it up.
  • If you break it, admit it.
  • If you can’t fix it, call in someone who can.
  • If you borrow it, return it.
  • If you value it, take care of it.
  • If you make a mess clean it up.
  • If you move it, put it back.
  • If it belongs to someone else and you want to use it, get permission.
  • If you don’t know how to operate it, leave it alone.
  • If it’s none of your business, don’t ask questions.
  • If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
  • If it will brighten someone’s day, say it.
  • If it will tarnish someone’s reputation, keep it to yourself.

In Memory of School Shooting Victims Who Were Lost

Posted on by

Mommy.. Johnny brought a gun to school,
He told his friends that it was cool,
And when he pulled the trigger back,
It shot with a great crack.

Mommy, I was a good girl, I did What I was told,
I went to school, I got straight A’s, I even got the gold!
But Mommy, when I went school that day,
I never said good-bye.

I’m sorry Mommy, I had to go,
But Mommy, please don’t cry.
When Johnny shot the gun, He hit me and another,
And all because Johnny, Got the gun from his older brother.

Mommy, please tell Daddy; That I love him very much,
And please tell Chris; my boyfriend; That it wasn’t just a crush.
And tell my little sister; That she is the only one now,
And tell my dear sweet grandmother; I’ll be waiting for her now,
And tell my wonderful friends; That they always were the best;
Mommy, I’m not the first, I’m no better than the rest.
Mommy, tell my teachers; I won’t show up for class,
And never to forget this, And please don’t let this pass.
Mommy, why’d it have to be me? No one deserves this,
Mommy, warn the others, Mommy I left without a kiss.
And Mommy tell the doctors; I know they really did try,
I think I even saw a doctor, Trying not to cry.
Mommy, I’m slowly dying, With a bullet in my chest,
But Mommy please remember, I’m in heaven with the rest.
Mommy I ran as fast as I could,
When I heard that crack, Mommy, listen to me if you would,
I wanted to go to college, I wanted to try things that were new,
I guess I’m not going with Daddy, On that trip to the new zoo.
I wanted to get married, I wanted to have a kid,
I wanted to be an actress, Mommy, I wanted to live.
But Mommy I must go now, The time is getting late,
Mommy, tell my Chris, I’m sorry but I had to cancel the date.
I love you Mommy, I always have, I know; you know it’s true,
And Mommy all I wanted to say is, “Mommy, I love you.”

Cocoon of a Butterfly

Posted on by

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared; he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.

Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were nature’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If nature allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been.

And we could never fly…

Life Choices

Posted on by

Read this… Let it really sink in. Then choose how you will start your day tomorrow….

Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, “If I were any better, I would be twins!” He was a natural motivater. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, “I don’t get it! You can’t be a positive person all of the time. “How do you do it?”

Michael replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

“Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,” I protested.

“Yes, it is, “Michael said. “Life is all about choices. When you cutaway all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live life.”

I reflected on what Michael said. Soon thereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw Michael about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied. “If I were any better, I’d be twins. Wanna see my scars?”

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

“The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon to be born daughter,” Michael replied. “Then, as I lay on the ground, I emembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live.”

“Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?” I asked.

Michael continued, “…the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read ‘he’s a dead man.” I knew I needed to take action.”

“What did you do?” I asked.

“Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,” said Michael.

“She asked if I was allergic to anything. “Yes, I replied.” The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, “Gravity.” Over their laughter, I told them, “I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.”

Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Are You a Carrot, an Egg, or a Coffee Bean?

Posted on by

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what do you see?”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee.

The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity-boiling water-but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level? How do you handle Adversity?

Are You a Carrot, an Egg, or a Coffee Bean?

To the world you may be someone
But to someone you may be the world

Breast Cancer Awareness

Posted on by

A handsome, middle aged man walked quietly into the cafe and sat down.

Before he ordered, he couldn’t help but notice a group of younger men at the table next to him. It was obvious they were making fun of something about him, and it wasn’t until he remembered he was wearing a small pink ribbon on the lapel of his suit that he became aware of what the joke was all about.

The man brushed off the reaction as ignorance, but the smirks began to get to him.

He looked one of the rude men square in the eye, placed his hand beneath the ribbon and asked, quizzically, “This?” With that the men all began to laugh out loud. The man he addressed said, as he fought back laughter, “Hey, sorry man, but we were just commenting on how pretty your little ribbon looks against your blue jacket!”

The middle aged man calmly motioned for the joker to come over to his table, and invited him to sit down.

As uncomfortable as he was, the guy obliged, not really sure why. In a soft voice, the middle aged man said, “I wear this ribbon to bring awareness about breast cancer. I wear it in my mother’s honor.”

“Oh, sorry dude. She died of breast cancer?”

“No, she didn’t. She’s alive and well. But her breasts nourished me as an infant, and were a soft resting place for my head when I was scared or lonely as a little boy. I’m very grateful for my mother’s breasts, and her health.”

“Umm,” the stranger replied, “yeah.”

“And I wear this ribbon to honor my wife,” the middle aged man went on.

“And she’s okay, too?” the other guy asked.

“Oh, yes. She’s fine. Her breasts have been a great source of loving pleasure for both of us, and with them she nurtured and nourished our beautiful daughter 23 years ago. I am grateful for my wife’s breasts, and for her health.”

“Uh huh. And I guess you wear it to honor your daughter, also?”

“No. It’s too late to honor my daughter by wearing it now. My daughter died of breast cancer one month ago. She thought she was too young to have breast cancer, so when she accidentally noticed a small lump, she ignored it. She thought that since it wasn’t painful, it must not be anything to worry about.”

Shaken and ashamed, the now sober stranger said, “Oh, man, I’m so sorry mister.”

“So, in my daughter’s memory, too, I proudly wear this little ribbon, which allows me the opportunity to enlighten others. Now, go home and talk to your wife and your daughters, your mother and your friends.

And here…” The middle aged man reached in his pocket and handed the other man a little pink ribbon. The guy looked at it, slowly raised his head and asked, “Can ya help me put it on?”

October is breast cancer awareness month. Do regular breast self-exams and have annual mammogram if you are a woman over the age of 45. And encourage those women you love to do the same.

Please send this on to anyone you would like to remind of the importance of breast cancer awareness.