~~Where "U" are needed~~

"U" are needed in Bible ST_DY, but not in IGNORANCE.

"U" are needed in S_PPORT, but not in NEGLECT.

"U" are needed in _NITY, but not in DIVISION.

"U" are needed in D_TY, but not in IRRESPONSIBILITY.

"U" are needed in B_ILDING, but not in TEARING DOWN.

"U" are needed in CH__RCH!!

~~Where Am I Going~~

Here I am again.. In my bed alone with those same tears running down my face. Man, how am I feeling? I dont even know myself. Empty. Is that It? Afraid? Even angry? Everything I have been, and hoped to be has been turned up side down.. the last few years have been almost overwhelming at points... I'm at this point in my life where I have two roads I can Pick..One that I have always been prone to go down because I am me..the me I struggle with. Then there is the Other road.. the One I was Branded with..the One my heart knows. I'm here at the crossroads, unable to see through the tears, trying to find my way. Everytime I think I am strong the wind is hit out of me, and here I am trying to find my breath. finally I start to breath again but there it is!... what to do.. what to do.. I'm not sure,but know that I have to make changes for ME..for my family. I'm finally going to break free of a life that has been living in the moment. ..so where Am I going? Maybe On a night like tonight.. in the still of the night I will figure it out.. Everything that has been is over, and maybe this is Gods way of telling me this chapter in my life is finished. Make a new start..beyond preconceptions ..just go with my heart. I know for ONCE in my life that I am taking on the pain and not blaming it On GOD. This is HUGE for me,and maybe this is what I needed..HE is THE forced to be recond with , for once in my life, to draw to him. This is not his doing, but the lack of trust in him that has brought me to this place..I know his heart is greaving with me..Maybe this is why I feel so intuned to him. So the time is here.. My now..It's here..where AM I going?

~~~There's A Hole In My Sidewalk~~~

Chapter One:
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost .... I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter Two:
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend that I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in this same place.
But, it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter Three:
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit ... but, my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter Four:
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter Five:
I walk down another street.

~~Come Back To The Garden Of Prayer~~

How often do we lay out a request before the Father in desperation, to declare what we need. In passion we pray for the first several days like a gardener out planting seeds. But we easily become discouraged when God doesn't move and respond at the speed we desire. So we give up & stop praying...stop seeking His answers and stop believing in His wisdom and fire. But no gardener would ever lay seeds in his garden without returning to the garden each day. Such is the pattern we must follow in faith to move forward and constantly pray. We must keep coming back to pray in the garden where by faith we believe He is there. And we weep in surrender to create the very water that nourishes the seeds of our prayers. And just as the gardener believes something will grow and push up from the dark soil of earth. So we also believe God is working unseen and hears our prayers for all they are worth. Great faith is built in the process of waiting where the heart melts in communion each day. For the patience of the gardener is rewarded in time...and so are we when we press through & pray.

12 Suggestions for taking care of yourself

1. Learn to air your feelings.
Don't keep them bottled up inside you. Share yoursorrows and disappointments with someone youtrust. Remember, expressed feelings are changedfeelings.

2. Avoid comparing yourself with others by admiringtheir gifts and ignoring your gifts.
This kind of envy causes self-disgust. Put no one'shead higher than your own.

3. Form a small group of people you can call onfor emotional support.
Agree to 'be there' for each other. Offer adviceonly when it is asked for. Listen without interrupting.Take turns talking and listening.

4. Take time to play.
Remember that play is any activity that you do justbecause it feels good. Remind yourself that youdeserve to take time to play.

5. Don't forget to laugh, especially at yourself.
Look for the humor in things around you. Letyour hair down more often. Do something sillyand totally unexpected from time to time.

6. Learn to relax.
You can find books, tapes, programs, classes,instructors and other materials to teach youhow to relax. Relaxation improves the mind,helps the body heal, and feels so much betterthan stress and tension.

7. Protect your right to be human.
Don't let others put you on a pedestal. Whenpeople put you on a pedestal, they expect youto be perfect and feel angry when you let them down.

8. Learn to say no.
As you become comfortable saying no to theunreasonable expectations, requests or demandsof others you will discover that you have morecompassion. When you do say yes to others, youwill feel better about yourself and the peopleyou're responding to.

9. Change jobs if you are miserable at work.
First, try to figure out if the job is wrong for youor if certain people are causing you to feelmiserable at work. Try paying more attentionto the things you enjoy about your job and lessattention to the things that annoy you.Remember that all jobs have some unpleasantaspects.

10. Stretch your muscles.
Break a sweat. Go for a walk. Ride a bike. Parkfarther from the door. Take the stairs. You don'tneed fancy clothes, club memberships orexpensive equipment to add exercise to yourdaily life.

11. Practice being a positive, encouraging person.
Each time you give others a word of encouragementyou not only feel better, but you build up your best self.

12. Pay attention to your spiritual life.
Slow down. Practice sitting quietly. Listen to yourinner voice. Spend time thinking about the thingswhich bring peace, beauty and serenity to your life.Find the courage to follow your own spiritual path ifa traditional religion has not been helpful for you.

~~Good Words~~

1. Try everything twice.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches;)

3. Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop."

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER.

6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. LIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, = music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

11. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second time.

Lost time can never be made up

~~Sand & Stone~~~

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING
THROUGH THE DESERT.
DURING SOME POINT OF THE
JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN
ARGUMENT AND ONE FRIEND
SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE
IN THE FACE.

THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED
WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT
SAYING ANYTHING,
WROTE IN THE SAND:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.

THEY KEPT ON WALKING,
UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS,
WHERE THEY DECIDED
TO TAKE A BATH

THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN
SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE
MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING,
BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.

AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM
THE NEAR DROWNING,
HE WROTE ON A STONE:

"TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SAVED MY LIFE ".

THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED
AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND
ASKED HIM, "AFTER I HURT YOU,
YOU WROTE IN THE SAND
AND NOW,YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?"

THE FRIEND REPLIED
"WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US
WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN
IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF
FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY.
BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES
SOMETHING GOOD FOR US,
WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE
WHERE NO WIND
CAN EVER ERASE IT."

LEARN TO WRITE
YOUR HURTS IN
THE SAND AND TO
CARVE YOUR
BENEFITS IN STONE

THEY SAY IT TAKES A
MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL
PERSON, AN HOUR TO
APPRECIATE THEM, A DAY
TO LOVE THEM, BUT THEN
AN ENTIRE LIFE
TO FORGET THEM.

DO NOT VALUE THE MATERIAL THINGS
YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE, BUT VALUE
THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE.

~~This is so unreal~~~

My kids had a dentist apt today and the dental place called and was asking about the insurance and when we told them we had Tricare they said "We don't except that insurance" and my hubby said well you should have told us when we made the apt. Then the lady preceeded to ask "Well What color are your children" and my husband said what diffrence does that make and she said they don't accept white kids.. When she made that statement I can feel the hairs on the back of me neck stand up and my face getting hot..My hubby is talking to the Jag lawyer and we are going to take action..That statment she made was totally uncalled for and the funny thing is her hubby is one of my husbands doctors..

Sorry for the vent..

~~~Thought~~~

The most destructive habit..Worry
The greatest joy...Giving
The most endangered species.....Dedicated leaders
Our greatest natural resource...Our youth
The greatest “shot in the arm”....Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome...Fear
The most effective sleeping pill...Peace of mind
The most crippling disease...Excuses
The most powerful force in life...Love
The most destructive pariah...Gossip
The most incredible computer...The human brain
The worst thing to be without...Hope
The deadliest weapon...The tongue
The two most powerful words...Can do
The greatest asset....Faith
The most worthless emotion...Self-pity
The worst thing you can lose...Self-respect
The most satisfying work...Helping others
The ugliest personality trait....Selfishness
The most beautiful attire...A smile!
The most prized possession...Integrity
The most contageous spirit...Enthusiasm
The most powerful communication...Prayer

~~ Words To Live By~~

1. Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind.
2. You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future.
3. Love... and you shall be loved.
4. God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.
5. All people smile in the same language.
6. A hug is a great gift, one size fits all. It can be given for any occasion and it's easy to exchange. 7. Everyone needs to be loved... especially when they do not deserve it.
8. The real measure of a man's wealth is what he has invested in eternity.
9. Laughter is God's sunshine.
10. Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.
11. It's important for parents to live the samethings they teach.
12. Thank God for what you have, Trust God for whatyou need.
13. If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.
14. Happy memories never wear out, relive them as often as you want.
15. Home is the place where we grumble the most, but are often treated the best.
16. Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks within.
17. The choice you make today will usually affect tomorrow.
18. Take time to laugh for it is the music of the soul.
19. If anyone speaks badly of you, live so no one can believe it.
20. Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.
21. Love is strengthened by working through conflicts together.
22. The best thing parents can do for their children is to love each other.
23. Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts.
24. To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it.
25. We take for granted the things that we should be giving thanks for.
26. Love is the only thing that can be divided without being diminished.
27. Happiness is enhanced by others but does not depend upon others.
28. You are richer today if you have laughed, given or forgiven.
29. For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60 seconds of happiness that you can never get back.
30. Do what you can, for who you can, with what you have, and where you are.
31. The best gifts to give:
To your friend loyalty;
To your enemy forgiveness;
To your boss service;
To a child a good example;
To your parents gratitude and devotion;
To your mate love and faithfulness;
To all men and women----- charity;
To God ------------ ----- your life.