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Change the world one drop at the time!
I changed the world today. It happened while I was driving home after going to the store with one of my little cousins.
I was just about to pull onto the side road that leads to my house when my little cousin started laughing in the back seat. I glanced in the rearview mirror to see his smiling face and then made the turn a little bit faster than normal. As soon as I did I saw a big dog walking down the road in my lane. Not having time to down shift I slammed on the brakes, screeched to a halt, and killed the engine in my car in the process.
As I sat there waiting for my heart rate to return to normal, the yellow dog stared at me calmly. I recognized it immediately as a neighbor's pet. I had often seen their little boy hugging and playing with the dog in their front yard. I rolled down my window and sternly told the pooch to go home. The huge dog looked at me for a second more then trotted away happily to its front porch while I restarted my car and thanked God for giving me a fast foot when I needed it.
Now you may ask how stomping on my brakes changed the world. My answer is that one little boy will be hugging his dog instead of crying into his pillow tonight. You see, most of us look for some big thing we can do to change the world or our lives, but I think Heaven keeps track of all the little things we do in our lives. And it is those little things that do change this world day by day and moment by moment.
You can change the world too. You can fill your life with acts of kindness and God's love everyday. You may not be able to end world hunger, but you can donate 50 pounds of food and keep a family from starving this month. You may not be able to bring peace to the world, but you can bring your peaceful spirit to the world around you. You may not be able to drive the hate and darkness from every human heart, but you can forever share the love and light in yours.
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@american
...One Miracle .. Continued...
He said, "Right Now Mam!" I got in the shuttle in the front seat and I just started telling him the whole story. I was so confused why Rachel would be so trusting. He said, in a very loving way, "I am from Africa also and we are very trusting and loving people." I had tears in my eyes again. I asked him if he could give me some change so I could tip him and he told me he didn't want me to pay him. I insisted because he was helping me so much and he said he didn't want my money.
I did not argue and i just thanked him with all my heart. When we got close he told me to check my luggage at skycap and I told him I had never done that before so I didn't know how. He told me he would take care of me.
We got to the skycap and the lines were crazy. He told me to stay with him and he would take care of me cuz his friend Terrance was working. He took my luggage around the counter and handed it to Terrance and asked him to take care of me. They hugged and he started to walk away and I stopped him and asked him if I could give him a hug. I gave him the best hug and thanked him again with another tear in my eye.
Terrance pulled up my name and my ticket had FAILED... my heart sank! I told him I had checked in last night and everything worked. He looked at me and took my drivers license and walked inside and asked me to wait outside.
After 5 more long minutes he came back with a boarding ticket and a luggage tag. He said to tell Sam that he took care of me! I was walking on air all the way to security saying a silent prayer of gratitude for caring, loving people.
In the security line a woman and her husband were so friendly and shared about her dad dying and how they grieved and I just listened and let them know how much I cared. We got separated in the security process and the husband came and found me and thanked me for talking to them and told me I had a great smile. WOW moment! I was just wanting to be my authentic self and open my heart to people and I thought I would be the one in the space of giving today and I couldn't keep up with all the giving that was coming my way! God really doesn't let you get ahead when you are coming from a space of truth and service to your fellowman.
Another Miracle! I made it on my plane just in time to pick up a yogurt cup for breakfast and board the plane. Another Miracle! The man I sat next to on the plane helped me with a business plan to restructure my cousin's dental office! He knew we wouldn't be a threat to his business in Philly and he shared like crazy! I took 2 pages full of notes! He even gave me his cell phone number and I met his wife.
I arrived home and went straight to our church girls camp up in the mountains because I am their leader and I was a guest speaker that evening. I crawled in bed at 1:45 am ... What a beautiful day! Blessings to a sweet African girl that gave her trust to me!
Today I slept a lot... :)
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@american
Bringing Out The Best In Us
I live in Los Angeles, California. My community and state are still recovering from the catastrophe that struck recently. A wall of storms with hurricane force winds struck late on a Friday evening knocking down trees, blocking roads, damaging homes, and destroying power lines. Hundreds of thousands of people suddenly found themselves in the dark without water, electricity, heater, telephones, internet, and television. They found themselves cut off from the modern world enduring freezing 0 degree cold plus brutal cold with no help and no idea when it would be over.
The most amazing thing happened, however, as the reality of the crisis sank in: it brought out the best in us. While there were a few acts of selfishness and stealing they were overwhelmed by the wave of love and compassion that came from the hearts of so many. People shared their food, water, and gasoline. People who still had power opened their homes to those who had none. People rushed out to clear roads and homes of fallen trees. Selfless power crews worked around the clock to repair the damage and restore electricity. People gathered on front porches to talk, share hugs and offer words of hope and faith that God would see them through it all. Strangers came together as one family to help each other in this time of great need. It was such a joy seeing all these people acting like true Children of God under the most trying of circumstances.
Life's disasters strike all of us from time to time. No one is spared. We all get hurt. We all get challenged. We all get squeezed by difficulties during our days here. How we respond to them, though, is up to us. We can let them bring out the worst in us or we can let them bring out the best in us. We can react to them like demons of selfishness or like angels of love. May you always bring the best from your heart and soul to whatever life may throw at you then. May you live all of your days here with so much love that Heaven sings and God smiles.
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@american
The no name resting place
My father and I had been enemies since my feet first hit the floor.
And I was not the only one in the family that made him mad. He never got along with my Mom or my older brother either. When he and Mom would argue, they made the house a scary place. They would quarrel for hours over the stupidest things and even take their fights from room to room. If one of them walked away, the other would follow just to get the last word in!
My brother and I would clear out of their way, trying to keep their yelling at a distance. Often we'd end up in the backyard with the cats (who escaped with us, scared that dad might kick them). The backyard was a good place to go, because as pissed off as our parents were at each other, they had this weird thing of not taking their craziness into the street. They hated to think the neighbors might be listening. If we were lucky, we'd get out through the gate unnoticed and run off to a friend's house until things had calmed down.
Of the two of them, our Mom was the nicer person. She was kind, easily gave you hugs and always tried to make things right. It wasn't that hard to side with her against dad. The problem was the situation in our house became a war—three to one—year-in, year out. Mom wouldn't or couldn't divorce him. My family never had much money—and there was nowhere else for us to go. She promised she would never leave without Brian and me.
The situation didn't change until I was 16 and my brother 18. We both had dropped out of school and had jobs. This was the time I destroyed my father's life, as much as if I had taken a gun and shot him.
He was so much older than Mom and had become weak and pathetic (but could still act up.) I was so hell-bent on hating him and proving that I could defend my mother that I didn't pay any mind to a strange sadness that settled on him. I didn't care! I was busy plotting our ultimate escape!
My brother and I had planned a savings account together, each of putting a little cash in every month. A year passed and we finally had enough money to move out. I actually found this great apartment through a family counselor at my school, and told Mom we were all, at last, going to get free...of Dad. She took some convincing but we got her to agree and she left with us.
No one ever actually said to our father, "You can't come," but it was understood. He stayed behind, alone in the slummy, decrepit house we had all shared as a family. From that time on, he seemed to age very quickly into a fearful and lonely old man, grateful for any kind word or smile. My mother took pity on him and would have him over to Sunday lunch every week, but my brother and I just ignored him.
I managed, by some weird miracle, to get a scholarship to go to college and was a few weeks away from leaving town when the police called to tell us our father had been hit by a car. He had left a bar very drunk and had walked out into the traffic.
Mom and I visited Dad in the hospital, and for the first time since I was very little, I felt sad and guilty that he was badly hurt and in pain. He died alone a few days later. My mother and
I planned a cheap funeral on what was left of his pension. We were the only people at the graveside in an area of the cemetery that was quite barren. Dad had few friends and Brian flatly refused to come, saying, "Close the lid and walk away. He can't bother us anymore!" (My brother had taken a lot of abuse from Dad over the years.)
But Dad did bother us. At least he bothered me. A few summers later, when I was visiting Mom and Brian, I decided to go back to the cemetery alone to see if I could find his grave. I was curious, I guess. I found no headstone and was shocked to discover from the caretaker, Mrs. Lewis, and her lists of the dead, that he had been buried in the "Potters Field" side of the graveyard, where no name people and criminals were laid. (My mother had never told me she left him there because we had lacked the money to buy a plot.)
Continued...
@american
The Difference Between Rich And Poor
One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah," said the son.
"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered:
"I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
The boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."
Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.
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@american
What day is Valentine's Day this year?
St. Valentine's Day, happens this Tuesday on February 14. It's a day where people show their love and affection for another person - usually in the form of cards, flowers, gifts and messages, and yes it is only for lovers.
Who was St. Valentine?
The details are sketchy. Some say St Valentine was a priest from Rome who lived in the third century AD.
Emperor Claudius II had banned marriages, believing married men made bad soldiers and St Valentine is thought to have arranged marriages in secret.
He was imprisoned and sentenced to death for his crimes. There, St Valentine apparently fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and sent her a love letter signed ‘from your Valentine’ on February 14th, the day of his execution, as a goodbye.
The name 'Valentinus' is found in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum, a book which was compiled between 460 and 544.
What's Cupid got to do with it all?
Cupid is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the war god Mars.
Cupid is also known in Latin also as Amor ("Love"). His Greek counterpart is Eros and he is just one of the ancient symbols associated with St Valentine’s Day, along with the shape of a heart, doves, and the colours red and pink.
People who fall in love are said to be ‘struck by Cupid’s arrow’.
It was during the middle of the 18th century that Valentine's started to take off in England, with lovers sending sweets and cards adorned with flowers, ribbons and images of cupids and birds.
Eventually huge numbers of printed cards replaced hand-written ones. In 1913, Hallmark Cards of Kansas City began mass producing Valentine's cards.
Now about a billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged every year and it's the second largest seasonal card sending time of the year.
What to write in a Valentine's card
What message will you be writing to your loved one this Valentine's Day?
If you're thinking of just putting "Happy Valentine's Day" and leaving it there - well, that's fine. Not all of us can be poets. But if you wanted to go for something a bit more elaborate, why not take inspiration from some of the greatest love letters ever written?
But why do some people leave anonymous cards?
This trend was started by the Victorians, who thought it was bad luck to sign Valentine's cards with their names.
The Victorians also started the rose-giving trend. They were the favourite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love, and have come to indicate passion and romance.
Nowadays, more than 50 million roses are given for Valentine's Day every year.
Every year, there will of course be some people who do not receive any cards, flowers or gifts on Valentine's Day.
One teenager solved that problem by buying 900 carnations and giving them to out to all the girls at his school.
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@american
One Miracle After Another
My morning has been filled with one Miracle after another. I just got back from a Book Authors conference in Philly and this was my experience trying to get home after massive air delays!
My Flight got cancelled on Wed. night and I was just going to sleep on the floor at the Marriott.
A very young African girl came strolling by with her 9 mo old baby and asked me why I was sleeping on the floor.
I told her about my flight and she said her flight was cancelled also and her airline bought her a room with 2 beds.
She offered me her other bed. I was shocked! I told her I would be ok and I could do anything for one night.
She offered again! So I said YES...
She was starving and very tired. We went to the gift shop and she only bought a little lemon cake. Her baby didn't have food but he had a bottle.
She didn't know how to use the coffee maker in the room so I helped her and we made a bottle for the baby.
I found out her name is Rachel and her baby is Ian. (My cousin's name is Rachael and my grandson is Ian.)
She came from Africa 7 years ago and is living with an Aunt in Toronto. She went to school and received her RN(registered nurse) and was working at a hospital in Toronto.
Rachel visits her babies dad in Boston and was on her way home and got delayed.
After we talked for a few minutes she crawled in her bed with her dress on and the baby in his clothes and they went to sleep. It was only 8:30 pm.
I wanted to stay up all night and write about my experiences of the week and, out of respect for her, I crawled in bed also.
We were awakened at midnight by her boyfriend with a call through the Marriott phone in the room. She was apologizing and telling him what had happened and she had just fallen asleep.
Rachel told him not to forget her because she was very hungry and needed some food. I had a hard time sleeping after that because I wanted her and the baby to have food.
I made a promise to Heavenly Father that I would buy her some food from room service before I left in the morning and then I fell asleep.
My flight was early the next morning and I thought I had calculated the time to take a quick shower and grab my luggage and go. I realized my time was off and I would have to have a miracle to get to my flight on time.
I knelt down on the floor by the toilet and bathtub and ask God if I could please be an influence for good this day and get Rachel some food, and could he please let my conversations be led with power and I would be able to talk to the most influential people that day that would make a difference in my many businesses and my life. Amen.
I looked at my watch and knew I would not make my flight on time but I had made a promise to God and I would have to just pray it all worked out.
I hurried to the front desk and asked them if they could send room service to her room and could I pay for it. They were confused so I told them the whole story. Then I said, "I only have 45 min to get to my plane and I need your help quickly." I was very nice and persistent. :) I hurried to the restaurant and the older lady started punching keys on the computer and then a little annoyed she looked at me and said, "I don't even know what to order for a baby!" I gave her some ideas and she finally told me to just go get on the shuttle and she would take care of it. So I handed her my credit card and told her just to put as much money as she thought was necessary on Rachel's room and she looked at me again and told me to go get on the shuttle and she would take care of it. I had tears in my eyes as I ran for the shuttle and I opened his front door before he could get out and I asked how soon he was going to the airport.
Continued...
@american
The no name...Continued ...
The field was a bare green uneven slope, the ground curved now and then at what might have been a grave. I remember it began to rain heavily. I ran all over that small hill trying to find some clue as to where my father might be buried. The more I searched the more I freaked out, like an animal with a sudden deep cut, until I collapsed sobbing in the middle of the wet green.
I realized that for the first time in my life I was finally grieving for my father. Not just for him, but also for all the things that seemed lost to us. I had been so angry and so busy changing everything for Mom, Brian and me; I'd left out the one person in my life who had needed help the most.
Sitting there in the rain, I finally understood that some people simply don't know, and may never know, how to be their best selves, that often bad things happen to them that makes them the way they are, and, if no one reaches out to help them get free, or if they're not strong enough to do it for themselves, there's simply no way for them to change.
I stayed there in the field until it was dusk and Mrs. Lewis found me with her flashlight. I poured out my story to her and she took me back to her office to go through dusty files. From faded records and plot maps, she was able to pinpoint a narrow patch by a rowan bush where my father lay in his no-name place. Then she asked me what I wanted to do. "I'll come by tomorrow," I said hesitantly, "with some flowers."
"No time like the present," Mrs. Lewis replied firmly. "Those folks out there... She nodded through the window to a line of white headstones. "You can bet some of them thought they had time to make things right." She turned and raised a bunch of orange tiger lilies from the vase on her desk and handed them to me.
It was quite dark when the two of us laid the lilies down in the muddy grass by the rowan tree. Mrs. Lewis explained that it was not allowed to place a headstone there. For that I would have to buy Dad a proper grave, and what would be the point of moving him after all this time? But...I had an ultimate scheme.
I had once seen "Meadow in a Can," in a local florist, cans of wild flower seeds that can be scattered to grow as they would in nature, their colors and blooms shooting up every which way. I would be back-to sow the whole damn field, a lush riot of flowers...an Eden for all those pushed-aside and misplaced people...and for my dad...at peace at last, I hope, knowing that his daughter finally honored him in that no-name resting place.
@american
This is the moment when you realize the "End" and the "Beginning" are the "Same".
@american
Better People
Mother Teresa of Calcutta was often quoted as saying: "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much." Over the years I have found myself often feeling the same way. I have had a blessed life, but it has never been an easy one. In my 26 years I have had to deal with sickness, injuries, accidents, and pain. I have had to deal with years of betrayal. I have had to deal with my brother's, the death of loved ones, and being separated from those I love. I have had to deal with anger, lies, confusion, depression and at times even despair.
Like so many before me I have asked the question: Why do bad things happen to good people? It is a question that has been asked throughout the ages. Books have even been written about it. It is a question that will never be answered completely this side of Heaven. Yet, looking back on my own life now I have to believe that at least part of the reason bad things happen to good people is to make them better people.
When I remember all that I have faced and gone through in this life, I realize that God has used all of it to eventually make me better. With pain came empathy. With grief came healing. With frustration came patience. With struggles came strength. With sorrow came joy. With depression came compassion. With anger came love. And with despair came trust in God. Every test, challenge, and tragedy eventually led me to greater goodness, greater love, and greater Oneness with our Heavenly Father.
None of us likes the negative experiences in life. None of us enjoys pain. None of us wants to go through sorrow. Still, the truth is that "God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him." May each day here then help you to grow better and more loving.
@american
God Loves You Unconditionally
When I was a little girl I never liked going to church that much. I enjoyed the Sunday potluck dinners we sometimes had after it. They were a feast of country cooking. I enjoyed the Sunday school classes too. I got to see my friends there. It was the church services themselves that I couldn't relate too. They were full of symbolism and rituals that my young mind couldn't yet understand. The sermons and Bible readings were largely tuned out by me too. It was struggle enough just keeping my little body still in the hard, wooden pews. I longed to be outside playing in the sunshine. I would look around at the people dressed in their Sunday best while I tugged at my own tie. Then I'd glance at my watch and wonder when it would end.
It was during one of those sermons, however, that I did hear something that would stick in my heart, soul, and mind from that day forward. It was the middle of Summer and the heat made me feel even more restless than usual. I was looking down at my dress shoes and dangling my feet from the pew while the sermon went on and on. Suddenly, the Priest's voice rose and got very loud as he finished. "Remember this!," he said as I raised my head. "If you don't remember anything else I have said. Remember this. You are loved! You are loved unconditionally by a greater love than you can ever imagine! God loves you, now and forever!"
Those words of wisdom found a place deep inside of me. I did find myself remembering them over and over again in my life. As I learned, grew, struggled, and stumbled those words stayed in my heart. They helped me to rise up and try again every time I fell. They helped me to find my own love for God, for myself, and for others. They became a central part of who I am and what I write. The one gift I hope to give all of you is this truth. May you always remember then that "You are loved!" May you always know that "God loves you, now and forever!"
@american
The Essential Stuff In Life
When Spring cleaning season arrived this year I decided that it was time to get rid of more than just a Winter's worth of dust and dirt. I decided that it was the time to get rid of years worth of accumulated stuff as well. This stuff was lining my walls, filling my selves, and crowding my closets.
This stuff was cluttering my home and my mind and not bringing me one bit of happiness. I couldn't even remember how I got some of it, but I knew I wanted it gone.
It turned out to be an even bigger job than I thought. Twenty year old bills and receipts were tossed in the trash. File cabinets were cleaned of papers that were no longer necessary or needed. Broken bowls, dented pans, and cracked knickknacks were finally thrown away. Unworn clothes were hauled out of the closet and bagged up to be given away to the local Goodwill. Old books were boxed up to be passed on for others to read and enjoy.
It took several days to get it all done,but in the end I was able to walk through a home that seemed a little less cluttered. My heart was a lot lighter too. It felt so good to be able to get rid of all the junk and to just focus on the essential stuff in life again.
What is the essential stuff? What is the stuff that brings meaning to our days? A loving heart is essential. A joyful spirit is essential. A soul full of goodness and God is essential. And a lifefull of sharing all of these things is absolutely essential. The essential stuff can't be bought, sold, or stored. It can only be chosen, created, and given away. The essential stuff is the stuff we all really want. It is the stuff we all really need.
It is the stuff that our Loving Creator wants us to have. This stuff is called the treasures of Heaven but the truth is you can have it even while you are here on Earth. And the more you share this stuff with others the more you find it filling your home and warming your heart.
@american
@american
A Choice of Kindness
It was a beautiful, sunny, Spring day. I had just finished driving my daughter to the airport to catch an early morning flight. My sons and I then went to a fast food place for breakfast before heading back home. After eating we all got into the car and pulled out of the parking lot. The restaurant was at the very top of a hill. At the bottom of the hill was a stop sign so we found ourselves at the end of a long line of traffic waiting while the cars at the bottom turned onto the main road one at a time.
As I looked down to the bottom of the hill my eyes saw an elderly man standing by the stop sign. His clothes were old and worn. He held a cardboard sign with the words: Need Help Please! written on it. My heart went out to him and I imagined myself in his situation. As car after car turned onto the road without stopping for him, I reached for my wallet to look for whatever cash was left in it. As I was pulling it out of my pocket, though, I saw a young woman walk up to him along the side of the road. She was carrying a bag full of take out food from the restaurant I was just at. I watched as the old man thanked the young girl and smiled as she reached in to give him a hug.
Suddenly a loud HONK! from the car behind me made me realize that I hadn't been moving forward, because this simple choice for kindness had so captured my attention and my heart. By the time I reached the bottom of the hill both the man and lady who had helped him were gone. Yet, as I drove home the sun seemed to shine even brighter and Heaven felt a bit closer to Earth.
A choice is such a powerful thing. It can touch a heart and change a life. It can bring us closer to God and make Heaven smile. Each day we are given a thousand choices. May you make all of yours for kindness. May you make your whole life a choice for love, joy, and God.
@american
@american
If there were no words
No way to speak
I would still hear you
If there were no tears
No way to feel inside
I'd still feel for you
And even if the sun refused to shine
Even if romance ran out of rhyme
You would still have my heart
until the end of time
You're all I need, my love, my Valentine
All of my life
I have been waiting for
All you give to me
You've opened my eyes
And showed me how to love unselfishly
I've dreamed of this a thousand dreams before
In my dreams I couldn't love you more
I will give you my heart
Until the end of time...
You're all I need, my love, my Valentine
And even if the sun refused to shine
Even if romance ran out of rhyme
You would still have my heart until the end of time
'Cause all I need is you, my Valentine
You're all I need, my love, my Valentin!
@american
To My Friend, lover and Partner
on valentine's day
On valentine's day I'm thinking of all the things you are
that make life more interesting
and exciting and blessed
so much better in every way than it would be without you
You're my friend
You support me, encourage me
bring out the best in me
I trust you and
feel completely safe with you.
so I can share with you my hopes
my dreams
even secrets I've never told anyone else
You've created a refuge for me to come to,
when I need to escape from the hard edges of life
You're my lover
When we explore every part of each other
touching teasing
creating ecstatic fever in each other.
such sweet torment
I marvel that we can create together
such astonishing pleasure
With you I feel satisfied complete
wild and peaceful at the same time,
I've never felt this way with anyone else
You're my partner
You let me know that whatever life hands me
I'll have you on my side to help me.
I'm grateful for all that you give to me
all that you do for me
Together we can live life to the fullest,
I'm so glad we found each other
You're the joy of my life
and I'm so very happy to have you
as my Valentine!
@american
Bible: 1 Corinthians 13:1
If I speak in the tongues of men
or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
@american
This section is presented and dedicated to all the lovers and to our members to use for those "significant others" in their lives.
We truly wish much love and tranquility in your lives.
From our house, to yours with Love!
@american