"Your life can be more joyful if you see the good instead of the bad and realize just how beautiful this world is."-Cathleen Zeller

We can change our day just by changing our feelings.  There is something good in all that happens-some times it just takes longer to find.  Take time to stop if you have to-take a deep breathe, cry, force a smile-then get up and keep going.  No one said the journey would be easy.  EVERYONE must go through tough times-even if it looks like they don't-or how else would we appreciate all that we are surrounded by.  The answer or the solution or the next best thing ever could be just around the bend.  Look at the beauty all around you-someone loves you indeed! Peace.

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."-Winston Churchill

It is better and more fulfilling to give.  In our world we value more what we have.  And yet so many people are unhappy.  Yet giving-not just money but ourselves-brings more rewards than all the money in the world.  And still we look at material things with envy.  What would the world look like if more people were givers? Peace.

"Life offers you a thousand chances...all you have to do is take one."-Under the Tuscan Sun

All you have to do is take one.  Sounds so simple-just do it.  Yet I have stood at that place-just reach in and do it-why is it so hard?  Some people enjoy the risk taking-not afraid of moving forward-confident that all will work out.  Why am I filled with doubts-fears?  Why can't I just believe that God would not lead me here if He didn't want me to take a leap of faith.  To just let go and TRUST.  To have hope and faith.  It makes perfect sense but so very hard to do!!  Writing this blog is my leap out into the unknown.  It hasn't hurt at all.  It feels safe but I need to do more with it.  Thank you God for letting me jump in slowly-getting use to the temperature of the waters of trust.  Peace!

"Hope is the act of opening our palms day after day, trusting that we'll receive what we need."-Sue Monk Kidd in "Where the Heart Waits"

I love the idea of just holding out your palms and feeling the chains fall off.  The chains of loathing, jealousy, negativity...and feeling the cool breezes of love, caring, positiveness float across your body and your outstretched arms.  Hope and trust.  Small words with lots of meaning.  Why do we fight it?  Let go...Let GOD! Peace.

"Storms make trees take deeper roots."-Dolly Parton

Choices all have consequences.  That is how we learn.  Babies take small beginning steps and fall down.  But they eventually learn from each experience of falling down.  They learn what works and what doesn't.  They get stronger.  They experience success because they learn as they don't give up.  If as a parent we constantly caught them before they fell-the learning would not be the same.  They would walk later but the experience has not taught them about themselves or their abilities.  And they most certainly will not feel the same level of accomplishment.  A parent who is there constantly to catch their child before the fall does not love their child more.  In my opinion they just want to keep that child attached to them   Even mother birds need to let their babies leave the nest-but that is when they fly!  Growing roots after a storm will hurt.  The benefits outweigh the pain.  Fly! Peace.

"Often God delays purposely, and the delay is just as much an answer to your prayer as is the fullfillment when it comes"-Emilie Barnes

We pray and we pray and we pray.  But we don't get what we asked for.  What does that mean?  Sometimes we think it is because God has abandoned us.  I believe He is right there-holding our hand with a look of sorrow and tears on His face.  God does not want to say no-just as a parent does not want to say no to his/her beloved child.  But with God-He sees what is next on the road ahead of us.  He knows that either what we want is not good enough for us, or we have a better route ahead, or maybe we just aren't ready for what we want.  Trust.  Wait and see the goodness.  Peace.

"What looks like Plan B to me may be God's Plan A all along."-Mary Tunison

I do feel that we are on a journey and often come to a crossroad.  We have a choice to make that is often made during stressful times so we are not always listening to our heart.  So we make a wrong choice-notice I said wrong not bad.  But I believe that God just says- okay they aren't ready yet- they have more to learn.  And HE lets us learn those lessons and then our path will eventually lead to where we need to be anyways-where our heart resides.  The choice is ours but all works out as it is suppose to work out every time. Peace.