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I mailed a care package today via anysoldier.com, I’m so glad I did. I hope to send one every other month until our troops come home.

See more progress on: Have our troops home, I want them treated with all the honor, dignity and respect they deserve.

Sunday School Laughs

LOT’S WIFE:
The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot ’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, “My Mommy looked back once, while she was driving,” he announced triumphantly, “and she turned into a telephone pole!”

GOOD SAMARITAN:
A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She asked the class, “If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?” A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, “I think I’d throw up.”

DID NOAH FISH?
A Sunday school teacher asked, “Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark ?” “No,” replied Johnny. “How could he, with just two worms.”

HIGHER POWER:
A Sunday school teacher said to her children, “We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a higher power. Can anybody tell me what it is?” One child blurted out, “Aces!”

MOSES AND THE RED SEA :
Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School. “Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt . When he got to the Red Sea , he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then, he radioed headquarters for reinforcements.
They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved.” “Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?” his mother asked? “Well, no, Mom. But, if I told it the way the teacher did, you’d never believe it!”

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD:
A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible; Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the chapter. Little Rick was excited about the task—but, he just couldn’t remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line. On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, “The Lord is my Shepherd, and that’s all I need to know.”

UNANSWERED PRAYER?
The preacher’s 5 year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head, for a moment, before starting his sermon. One day, she asked him why. “Well, Honey,” he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his messages,
“I’m asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon.” “How come He doesn’t do it?” she asked.

BEING THANKFUL
A rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, “So your mother says your prayers for you each night? That’s very commendable. What does she say?” The little boy replied, “Thank God he’s in bed!”

UNTIMELY ANSWERED PRAYER
During the minister’s prayer, one Sunday, there was a loud whistle from one of the back pews. Tommy’s mother was horrified. She pinched him into silence and, after church, asked, “Tommy, whatever made you do such a thing?”
Tommy answered, soberly, “I asked God to teach me to whistle, and He just then did!”

TIME TO PRAY
A pastor asked a little boy if he said his prayers every night. “Yes, sir,” the boy replied. “And, do you always say them in the morning, too?” the pastor asked. “No sir,” the boy replied. “I ain’t scared in the daytime.”

ALL MEN / ALL GIRLS?
When my daughter, Kelli, said her bedtime prayers, she would bless every family member, every friend, and every animal (current and past). For several weeks, after we had finished the nightly prayer, Kelli would say, “And all girls.” As this soon became part of her nightly routine, to include this at the end, my curiosity got the best of me and I asked her, “Kelli, Why do you always add the part about all girls?” Her response, “Because we always finish our prayers by saying ‘All Men’!”

SAY A PRAYER
Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his Grandmother’s house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When Little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away. “Johnny! Please wait until we say our prayer.” Said his mother. “I don’t have to,” The boy replied. “Of course, you do,” his mother insisted. “We say a prayer before eating, at our house.” “That’s our house,” Johnny explained. “But this is Grandma’s house and she knows how to cook!

See more progress on: Compile a list of prose that touch my heart

I've learned

I’ve learned that you can do something in an instant that will give you a heartache for life.

I’ve learned that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I’ve learned that it’s a lot easier to react than it is to think.

I’ve learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I’ve learned that you can keep going long after you think you can’t.

I’ve learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I’ve learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I’ve learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I’ve learned that learning to forgive takes practice.

I’ve learned that there are people who love you dearly, but just don’t know how to show it.

I’ve learned that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I’ve learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I’ve learned that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

I’ve learned that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I’ve learned that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

I’ve learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back. I’ve learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.

I’ve learned that your family won’t always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren’t related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren’t biological.

I’ve learned that no matter how good a friend someone is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I’ve learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

I’ve learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I’ve learned that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.

I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I’ve learned that we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever. I’ve learned that it’s not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

I’ve learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I’ve learned that there are many ways of falling and staying in love.

I’ve learned that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves, get farther in life.

I’ve learned that no matter how many friends you have, if you are their pillar, you will feel lonely and lost at the times you need them most.

I’ve learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I’ve learned that writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains.

I’ve learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon.

I’ve learned that it’s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people’s feelings and standing up for what you believe

~Brian Wilder

See more progress on: Compile a list of prose that touch my heart

Kindness

So many gods, so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind,
While just the art of being kind
is all the sad world needs.

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

See more progress on: Make a list of quotes that make me go "That is Deep".

Universal Laws

If you give Love, you receive Love whether you enter a church building or not! If you give kindness, you will receive kindness whether you carry a halo over your head or not.(Okay, that’s a little extreme) If you give service you receive back in relation to the service provided. If you give out unpleasantness, you receive back things and circumstances that are unpleasant. No ifs, ands, or buts, that is how Universal Laws operate.

See more progress on: Compile a list of prose that touch my heart

prose

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest person with the smallest mind.
Think big anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack if you help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you might get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

Dr. Kent M. Keith
American Author and Inspirational Speaker

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Grateful

Live your life so that the fear of death can never enter your heart. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light. Give thanks for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. And if perchance you see no reason for giving thanks, rest assured the fault is in yourself.
Chief Tecumseh, Shawnee Indian Chief

1. I’m grateful for fellow 43’er bebe0315, she made prayer for me one of her goals here on 43things. I’m flattered and honored. Think what might happen if she got a team of people praying for me. I believe in the power of prayer.

2. A beautiful spring day
3. I’m moving slow today but still grateful
4. Apple juice and toasted English muffins
5. I’m alive and well

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

Mental Floss

If I were to say, ’’God, why me?’’ about the bad things, then I should have said, ’’God, why me?’’ about the good things that happened in my life.
Arthur Ashe

See more progress on: Make a list of quotes that make me go "That is Deep".

INSTALLATION LOVE v4.0

Service Rep: Hello, you have reached the Heart Systems Software
Company help desk. How may I help you?
Customer: I just received your latest program, LOVEv4.0…you know…. the freeware. I don’t understand it. Can tell me how to install it?
Service Rep: Sure thing ma’am. Do you have the installation disk and instructions with you?
Customer: Yes I do, but first can you tell me what the program does?
Service Rep: Sure thing ma’am. LOVE is a unique program, there is no other like it in the world. LOVE attaches to your operating system and runs silently in the background, you will never see LOVE on your monitor or your toolbar, but you will notice its affect on every application you may have. It makes the good programs run smoother and greatly restricts and/or deletes the bad ones.
Customer: Wow! That sounds great. How does LOVE make my machine run smoother?
Service Rep: Well, good sound files, like COMPLIMENT.WAV, ENCOURAGEMENT.WAV, and KINDWORD.WAV will play frequently. Also,
FORGIVENESS.EXE will be invoked every time there is an external violation, including the ever-popular syntax errors. Also, all those aggravating errors that say “unable to connect” will be avoided. LOVE allows for a smooth connection with external devices, regardless of what country it is manufactured in, the brand name, or the age of the model.
Customer: That’s exactly what I need, my machine has been isolated for too long. But what about the bad programs?
Service Rep: Good question. LOVE searches your memory for programs like HATE.COM, BITTERNESS.EXE, SELFISH.COM, and SPITE.EXE. These programs
can’t be entirely deleted off your hard drive, but LOVE overpowers those programs. LOVE stops their commands from being executed and runs its own instructions. You will no longer hear INSULT.WAV and you wont be able to write with the fonts “BADWORDS12” or “HARSHNESS10”.
Customer: That’s a fantastic program you have. Are the upgrades free too?
Service Rep: They sure are ma’am.
Customer: How do I get the upgrades?
Service Rep: That’s easy. Once you have LOVE installed and running, it automatically copies a module, or a piece of itself, to every external Hard drive Email And Remote Terminal (H.E.A.R.T.) that it comes in contact with. In turn, those external devices run whatever version of LOVE they have and return a module to your H.E.A.R.T. You will be upgraded with each and every module that you receive. But you have to remember, to receive the upgrades you have to be running LOVE and you have to come into contact with other computers while it is running.
Customer: I can do that. I’m not very technical, but I think I am ready to install now. What do I do first?
Service Rep: The first step is to open your H.E.A.R.T. Have you located your H.E.A.R.T. ma’am?
Customer: Yes I have, but there are several programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running?
Service Rep: What programs are running ma’am?
Customer: Let me see….I have PASTHURT.EXE, LOWESTEEM.EXE,
GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM running right now.
Service Rep: No problem. LOVE will automatically erase PASTHURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually overwrite LOWESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called HIGHESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma’am?
Customer: I don’t know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?
Service Rep: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased.
Customer: Okay, I’m done. LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal?
Service Rep: Yes it is. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your H.E.A.R.T. Do you see that message?
Customer: Yes I do. Is it completely installed?
Service Rep: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other H.E.A.R.T.’s in order to get the upgrades.
Customer: Oops…I have an error message already. What should I do?
Service Rep: What does the message say?
Customer: It says “ERROR 412 – PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS”. What does that mean?
Service Rep: Don’t worry ma’am, that’s a common problem. It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external H.E.A.R.T.s but has not yet been run on your H.E.A.R.T. It is one of those complicated programming things, but In non-technical terms it means you have to “LOVE” your own machine before it can “LOVE” others.
Customer: So what should I do?
Service Rep: Can you find the directory called “SELF-ACCEPTANCE”?
Customer: Yes, I have it.
Service Rep: Excellent, you are getting good at this.
Customer: Thank you.
Service Rep: You’re welcome. Click on the following files and then copy them to the “MYHEART” directory: FORGIVESELF.DOC, SELFESTEEM.TXT, REALIZEWORTH.TXT, and GOODNESS.DOC. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete SELFCRITIC.EXE from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.
Customer: Got it. Hey! My H.E.A.R.T. is filling up with really neat files. SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that WARMTH.COM, PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my H.E.A.R.T.!
Service Rep: Then LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here. One more thing before I go…
Customer: Yes?
Service Rep: LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some really neat modules back to you.
Customer: I will. Thank you for your help. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not
easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

See more progress on: Compile a list of prose that touch my heart

Easter Sunday 3/23/08

One day, a man went to visit a church. He got there early, parked his
car and got out. Another car pulled up near him. The driver got out and said, “I always park there! You took my place!”

The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, “That’s my seat! You took my place!”
The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said
nothing.

After Sunday School, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down.
Another member walked up to him and said, “That’s where I always sit!
You took my place!”

The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing.

Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, “What happened to you?”

The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye, “I took your place.”

See more progress on: Celebrate at least one holiday everyday of the year!

Prose

Everybody Knows:
You can’t be all things to all people.
You can’t do all things at once.
You can’t do all things equally well.
You can’t do all things better than everyone else.
Your humanity is showing just like everyone else’s.

So:
You have to find out who you are, and be that.
You have to decide what comes first, and do that.
You have to discover your strengths, and use them.
You have to learn not to compete with others,
Because no one else is in the contest of being you.

Then:
You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness.
You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions.
You will have learned to live with your limitations.
You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due.
And you’ll be a most vital mortal.

Dare To Believe:
That you are a wonderful, unique person.
That you are a once-in-all-history event.
That it’s more than a right, it’s your duty, to be who you are.
That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish.
And you’ll be able to stay one up on what used to get you down.

author unknown, from the Bridge, by Values Realization Press

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Easter Sunday

I went to IHOP for breakfast after sunrise services and I picked up the check for a table of 5 clergymen and women.

See more progress on: Show kindness to a stranger

THE SECOND TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. Thou shall not worry, for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities.

2. Thou shall not be fearful, for most of the things we fear never come to pass.

3. Thou shall not cross bridges before you come to them, for no one yet has succeeded in accomplishing this.

4. Thou shall face each problem as it comes. You can only handle one at a time anyway.

5. Thou shall not take problems to bed with you, for they make very poor bedfellows.

6. Thou shall not borrow other people’s problems. They can better care for them than you can.

7. 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!

8. Thou shall be a good listener, for only when you listen do you hear ideas different from your own. It is hard to learn something new when you are talking, and some people do know more than you do.

9. Thou shall not become “bogged down” by frustration, for 90% of it is rooted in self-pity and will only interfere with positive action.

10. Thou shall count thy blessings, never overlooking the small ones, for a lot of small blessings add up to big ones.

Author Unknown

See more progress on: Compile a list of prose that touch my heart

Pray this daily and add your goals

Dear God,Take my life and let me live serenely for today. Open my mind to happy thoughts. Take away my self-pity, I don’t want it. Take away my ill will towards others. Make it possible for me to feel joy, love, and compassion.Help me to accept what is, to hold my tongue, to do my daily task, and to let go with love. Take away my worry about the future. Make me realize that in your hands everything will be provided. Help me to understand that I have no control over anything but my own actions. Make me know that today is precious and will soon be gone. Help me to remember that all hatred and pain directed toward me are the hatred and pain the other person is feeling toward him self. Thank you for your willingness to accept my burden and lighten my load.In Christ Name, What I did today for my goals. Let no space be empty.

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PostCrossing.com

I received 2 postcards today. One was from Germany and the other one was from Canada. These were the 1st cards I've gotten since joining the site. It's very exciting!

43things.com

I want to invite people to click on any of the goals listed under 43things.com. This is where I express most of my thoughts. Better yet become a member of 43things.com and cheer my goals, someone will cheer your endeavors also.

I am in the battle of my life, I'm fighting cancer. Pleas keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

My first blog

I'm new at this, so please be patient.