Today I will have the ability to laugh today, if not audibly, then in my heart. God, help me to
lighten up and find some relief in humor when things get too intense, show me how to be sensitive
to others and to to gently lead them in the direction of a SMILE!!. Come cheer my heart right now with your own witty perspective on this day. Indeed , I can’t add an inch to my height or a minute to my existence by worrying, no matter how hard I grit my teeth and clench my fists. God, I’m chuckling now, and I’m ready to face this day you have given me !!. love you with all of me
Jill

” Of all days, the day on which one has not laughed is the one most surely wasted”

quote: by Roch Nicolas

Have you been praying and believing for something that seems like it’s taking a lot longer than you thought? Many times, people can miss God’s best simply because they give up before they see their “due season” come. Don’t let that be you! Be encouraged today, your answer is closer than you think. If it seems like things are getting more difficult, remember, when the intensity heats up, that means you are closer to your victory. It’s always darkest just before the dawn arrives.

 Don’t cast away your confidence today because your reward is coming. And just like a new mother forgets about her labor pain when she is finally holding her newborn, you’ll forget about your struggle when you are holding on to your promise.

While you are waiting, keep an attitude of faith and expectancy. Wake up every morning and say out loud, “I’ve come too far to give up now. My due season is coming. I will reap my harvest.” Stay in faith and look for His hand of blessing because He has promised you victory, and it’s closer than you think!

Have you made the decision to forget the past? Many people don’t fully understand what that means. They wonder, “How can I forget something that’s happened to me?” But one definition of the word forget is to disregard intentionally or to overlook. In other words, you have to choose to disregard your past so that it doesn’t keep you from moving forward. That means the good and the bad. Sometimes our past victories keep us from rising higher as much as past failures. If we don’t let go of the old, we’ll never be able to embrace the new.

It doesn’t matter what’s happened in your history, it’s time to forget what lies behind. 

Today, make the choice live forward. Trust that God has a better future in store for you. Trust that He’s working behind the scenes on your behalf. As you forget what lies behind and press forward, you’ll move forward. You’ll see increase and blessing and live the abundant life He has in store for you!

Every Day is a new beginning, treat it that way.  Stay away from what might have been and look at what can be !!!! :)

"This very instant" is all we have.  We make plans for the future, we
invoke memories of the past, but really, all we have to deal with
and to act in is the moment at hand.  We cannot stop its going; we
cannot hurry the next moment on its way.  Like everyone else in the
world, we're partners in the dull, humdrum, dazzling, fabulous,
totally unpredictable moment.
And if we have a time that is "out time," it's right now.  It has to be,
because there isn't any other.  Maybe we've had times in the past that
were special for us; maybe the future will hold precious moments.
But the only time that is truly "our time" is this time, where we
are, right now.  And what we do with this time is ours to decide.

''We can smile, breathe, walk, and eat our meals in a way that allows us to be
in touch with the abundance of happiness that is available.  We are very good
 at preparing to live, but not very good at living.  We know how to sacrifice ten years
for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car,
a house, and so on.  But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive
in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive.  Every breath
we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity.
We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment. '' 

In life there are those we meet and then never see again, they may have even affected our lives but they become faded memories. Then there are those that we can never forget, some are one time chance meetings but most are of the long friendship type of meetings. They stay in your mind be it the front or back of it, they influence you life even if they are not present in your life at the time. Words they have said echo within your mind both consciously and subconsciously. They were your friends, neighbors, relatives and even your love interests throughout your life.  In their own way they contributed to who you are and helped you through life. Even those whom where mean and were negative influences have had left their mark in who you have become.  In turn you have played both negative and positive influence on all of the people you’ve encountered in your life, you helped each one of them become who they are in one way or another. We all a part of each other and we all are brothers and sisters in life.
By understanding both how others can influence a part of who you are and how you influence them in the same way, you learn that every word you say and every action you take makes a difference. If it is a positive or negative difference is up to you. So be very aware of your words and actions for they will not only impact those around you they will definitely effect you as well.  We are responsible for our every action we take, thought we have and the words we choose to say. For each one of them have power and can enact change and defiantly effect people.
 The power of our thoughts and words usually is overlooked as well as their effect on the world around us.
Think wisely and speak only words of truth and kindness so your influence will be positive.

Courage to be Happy

 (Photo credit: SIDΔ)

Do you live as if your cup were half full? How cognizant are you of the fact that what you say is directly correlated to the outcome you’ll get?

If you continually speak of your life as if you never feel good, things never turn out right, or nothing positive comes your way, you’ll more than likely end up being right. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it takes courage to be happy. My great-grandmother Conchetta suffered many indignities and tragedies throughout her life, yet not a day went by without her announcing that she felt blessed with abbondanza: abundance.

You can choose to take all of your experiences and channel them into your own reality show based on fear and anxiety, or you can think of all difficulties as opportunities for creating something new. Negativity is like a big black hole with slippery sides. Once you fall in, it takes a lot of effort to crawl back up.

Many people like the security of the darkness. So if you’re down their, you’ll have lots of company. However, when you decide to come back into the light, the others there won’t help you. They’re stuck in the quagmire and want you there with them, too.

It takes a lot of vigilance to be the guardian of your thoughts, words, and deeds; and you’re often at the mercy of years of conditioning that make you operate as if you’re on autopilot. When you use language such as If only, I wish, or I can’t, you’re dismissing the possibility of today. Why maintain the familiarity of the past or nurse a fear of the future? You may think it’s easier to stay in an unhappy relationship or job or maintain habits that don’t serve you, but ultimately you’ll suffer. In fact, it’s easier and takes less energy to feel good than it does to feel bad.

“If today were my last day on earth, would I want to do what I’m about to do today?” Try asking yourself the same question. It might end up being a huge wake up call.

photo by: Loretta Larroche.

Sea Shell Queen ~~~~~~

I looked to my left at the little boy running in the sand and then at his mother under her umbrella she seemed discontent But I understood
His father was nowhere to be found
I rolled over
And continued to read of the renaissance architect
How I had never heard of Bruneschelli I don’t know
Tossing out names
Recalling the moment
It seemed as if Seymour should have been next to us
Depressed because his life was too easy to figure out
How I used to idolize his fictitious self
I’m much wiser now
I built a small tower out of sticks
And another next to it connected by a bridge
Nothing like Bruneschelli of course
But it pleased me
From my stomach position
The back of my legs began to burn
And I heard the most marvelous of sounds
The crash of the shore
I turned and stared into the never ending
What a gift from above
Gravity, the moon
Affecting the tide
The cause of this marvelous sound
From the sea green blue
The white tipped waves
Comes such beauty, such power
I thought of God’s imagination
And smiled
I pushed myself into an almost seated position
And glanced over towards her napping form
She is beautiful
Glistening in the cloudless shine of the sun
Her lovely wicker hat and her lovely swimsuit
Only added to the enamored moment
She is beautiful
But in such a different way than the waves
(Reflecting now
We are beautiful
Us humans
Our biology, our genetics, our minds
What intricate, mesmerizing oddities we are
She is beautiful
Drawn on His easel
Sculpted by His hands
An infinite amount of time ago
Well I guess He’s rather outside of time
But she was thought of and created
By only Him who watches over us)
A tan young man
Not much younger than I mind you
Walked passed us, paused, and sneaked a peak at her
He realized I knew where his eyes were
And then quickly exited our scene on the sand
I grinned and laughed to myself
By this point the heat was beginning to singe my skin
She suddenly woke feeling the same
And grabbed at me
As we made our way for a dip to cool off
I felt like a king
She, my seashell queen
As all those around
Watched our procession to the ocean
But our toes were barely in the water
When a small shark swam passed our ankles
I asked her if she had seen it
She had
And refused to go any further
I exclaimed that its bite couldn’t be worse than a dog
But it was a shark nonetheless
(She’ll vouch for me)
And I agreed with her
We returned to our beach towels and blanket
Gathered my shoes and her sandals
And headed for home
(God made this world for us to live, for us to enjoy
And what a day it was to do so)

 author unknown;

one of my dearest and nearest wrote this~ so beautiful~ I thought it should be shared: her name will always be within!1970-2010