Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

Slowing Down To Win The Race


Afew years ago, at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the sound of the gun- shot, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race tothe finish and win.

All, but for one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry, made slow progress. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back. Then all of them turned around and went back to the little lad. One girl with Down’s syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, “This will make it better.”

Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes! People who were there are still telling the story. Why? Because deep down we all know: More than winning for ourselves what matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course.

 

[beensetfree]

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam.

He called his parents from San Francisco.

“Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve got a favor to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring with me.”

“Sure,” they replied, “we’d love to meet him.”

“There’s something you should know the son continued, “he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mined and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.”

“No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.”

“Son,” said the father, “you don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.”

At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him.

A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn’t know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don’t like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren’t as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are.

Thankfully, there’s someone who won’t treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.

Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!

There’s a miracle called -Friendship- that dwells in the heart. You don’t know how it happens or when it gets started. But you know the special lift It always brings and you realize that Friendship Is God’s most precious gift!

Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

 

[beensetfree]

He did his Duty


To augment his schoolteacher salary, for a number of years, back when corner stores were better known than supermarkets, my dad filled in as a grocery store clerk at one of the larger such stores in our community. The cash registers in those days rang up sales but only after someone tallied up the sale total. Dad could run his pencil down a long column of figures listing customer purchases and speedily arrive at the correct sum.

Later on, after the corner stores went the way of the dinosaur, Dad had another career as a taxi driver, first driving for a local cab owner and later buying the business and running it for some years—although in this case “business” means one car, used as a taxi and also as his personal vehicle.

We never went anywhere with Dad, even out of town, that he did not meet someone he knew. His three jobs had one thing in common—they kept him in the public eye. He was so well-known that we were sure that in any city in the United States he would meet someone he knew in the first half hour.

My mother suffered from several different chronic illnesses. As the years passed, they grew worse, even as a total of five children were born in the family. We all lived in a house with only four rooms, a circumstances I’m sure was shared by many of our neighbors in those post depression and war years. Perhaps, however, some of those families had more ready cash than we did. Even though Dad usually taught all day and worked at the grocery all evening, with all the medical expenses we incurred, there wasn’t enough money for us to own a car. Dad hitched rides to school with other teachers during most of his teaching career. There was a bus he occasionally rode to and from the grocery store, but many times he saved the dime by riding the distance of around four miles to and from his extra job on his bike.

The bike was about the only way he went anywhere. Mom often had to call a taxi to take her or us to the doctor because the bus required walking at least a country block to the bus stop and Mom’s asthma seldom allowed her to do so. Dad however, usually went places on his bike. For me, as a pre-schooler, there was a little wooden seat Dad called his “buddy seat” that was fastened to the “boy” bar of his bike. That way, as he rode, I was always right in front of him and encircled by his arms.

At that time I used to stutter and I had a serious inability to pronounce the letter “R.” As we rode along, Dad, ever the teacher, would talk with me, encouraging me to think ahead about what I was going to say so I would be able to get it out without error.

He used to take me to town on Saturday mornings and one place I loved to go was the junk yard. Dad was always working on bikes for one of us kids and he would scavenge the junk yard for parts. One time, how-ever, he incurred my mother’s wrath by taking me with him to a pool parlor. Mom didn’t think much of pool parlors.

Some years later, after the grocery closed, Dad worked as the night manager of a pool room for a year or two. Mother never did like that. She thought that as a school teacher, Dad was compromising his integrity by working in such a den of inequity.

I was always proud that my father was a well-respected man. I used to think being a teacher made him a special kind of person, but today I realize that the most special thing about him was not his career, but the way he persevered. The mantel of respect always falls on those who consistently do their duty and that’s what my father did.

 

[beensetfree]

Pain in the neck


Can someone literally be
A pain in the neck to you?
Yes, I can assure you,
That’s entirely true.

When stress and tension gather
Little neck muscles in a knot,
It feels like there’s a vice
In which your neck is caught.

And someone harsh
Or filled with gloom
Can stress you
To this neck pain doom;

So if someone
Is stressful
And makes your neck
Feel dreadful,

My advice
Is very plain–
Walk away
And forget their name.

 

[beensetfree]

Tragedy in our Cruel World

This is a cruel world we live in. We are all at the capricious mercy of the twisted thoughts of our neighbors.

The young man who did the shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school suffered from aspergers, a form of autism. Remember the movie “Rainman”. In that movie Dustin Hoffman suffered from a similar disorder.

He was more comfortable in the controlled environment of an institution than in the disorder and chaos of a normal life. Of course we no longer believe that all autistic persons should always be placed in institutions, but perhaps there is a little too much attention spent on trying to “normalize” them. This may be more stressful for the person with the disorder than the acceptance of their limitations.

The whole story of this particular young man is yet to be told but most of us know someone with a similar disorder. I can only imagine what pain and anguish his mother suffered as she dealt with his disorder for twenty years. Perhaps from time to time she believed she had succeeded in integrating him into the world as we know it. We now know that she did not.

What a tragedy—a tragedy for that dead mother who most likely fought for her son throughout his life and a much, much larger tragedy for the community.

As a society, what can we do to prevent such tragedies? The ramifications of almost any course of action are mind boggling. Should we place armed guards in the schools? What a picture that conjures. What about metal detectors? There would be long lines at those instruments every morning as innocent students filed through; and yet, even as I type, I can think of at least one weapon that could make it through a metal detector.

My point is that as a society what we need to do is change society.

I deplore the demise of the American family. Yesterday I happened to read the birth notices for one hospital in one small city. There were at least twenty such entries. There were three or four births listed to people who shared the same last name; perhaps five were born to couples who were listed as parents but did not have the same last name, obviously unmarried. The rest of the babies were listed as being born to one female name—with no one stepping forward to sign the birth certificate as the father.

While the people who commit heinous acts may not be from broken homes, the general disintegration of the family unit affects all of society. There are just not enough responsible, caring parents around to teach children that they are loved and safe and to teach them to be NICE. Bitterness and rage in society is contagious for us all.

One of my sons protects his children by home-schooling them. There may be more of that in our future even though it is difficult when both parents have jobs. Perhaps that means that our economy needs improvement and our desires need to be revamped so that parents can be satisfied with less and mothers can once again stay home.

One thing that keeps coming up in all the discussion on television is the violence of today’s video games.

Every time I think of that I remember a little girl of 5—me back in 1950–shooting bad cowboys behind every bush in our yard with my little pistol. It didn’t even have caps in it. From my brother I had learned to make a very convincing “pow” through my lips. I played at this game often—even in the house where my trusty steed was the arm of the sofa saddled with a sofa pillow.

The thing is; I was not actually engaging in violence; I was fighting for justice. I would never have pointed that little gun at any good guy. (And by the way, everyone I targeted was imaginary. My mother and dad NEVER allowed me to point my pistol—even though it was “just pretend”—at any other living creature.

Even though we had no firearms in our home, what I was told over and over was that every gun should be treated as loaded and never pointed at anyone. Mom and Dad used to sing this song to me, “I didn’t know the gun was loaded and I’ll never, ever do it again.)

Our culture being what it is, I doubt we can rid it of violent video games that may not only teach violence but teach the players how to be deadly shots, but perhaps it is time that we demand that every game have some redeeming feature. Perhaps there should be good guys and bad guys in the video games as in the movies. Perhaps it should be “GAME OVER” if you shoot one of the good guys.

But more to the point, morality should be a real thing in every aspect of our lives and for that we need parents and moral ones at that! Parents are needed to incorporate into the lives of our children the love of life and of justice. They are needed to teach children to realize when they make errors and to “face the music” that results from doing wrong even when it involves punishment. It is from learning to face the consequences of one’s actions that conscience is born.

And though it is sad to contemplate, if one of our offspring is incapable of achieving a conscience because of some malady, perhaps it is the duty of the parent to accept that and take the appropriate steps for the benefit of society.

Satan is alive and well and evil will always exist. The only weapon to keep it at bay is the love of God and His truth and righteousness. The only weapon we have is embodied in the song I heard on the very day of this recent tragedy, a song I heard sung in an elementary school Christmas program,–a song that goes, “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”

 

[beensetfree]

When I was young I heard folks say,
“Youth’s wasted on the young;”
Now I can fully understand
That age-old song they sung.

Life goes by so very fast
While we’re doing other things;
We often fail to notice
The changes that time brings.

Now here I stand with aches and pains,
A stranger in the mirror,
Wondering how time moved so fast
While I failed to hold it dear.

Young people, life’s a journey
With no destination but “the end.”
So please don’t take the fastest plane
Or rush to round the bend.

You’re on your way to nowhere–
Your whole life you’re passing through–
So make sure you’re at the window
With your eye upon the view.

Do not miss a moment
As you ride through time and life;
Do not waste a moment
On useless rush or strife.

Life is far shorter than it looks
When all of life’s ahead,
But when someday you have grown old
You’ll remember what I said.

And rue the day you turned away
From my wise words of truth
To waste the speeding middle years
That makes old folks out of youth.

 

[beensetfree]

Seeking Personal Peace


Frustration to the point of agony;
Mind yearning to be free—
That’s what constant problems
Have come to mean to me.

The peace of satisfaction
Must be prayed for day by day,
So all of this frustration
Can be safely held at bay.

Life’s not an easy journey;
The effort causes pain.
That’s why each day you’ll find me
Praying for sweet peace again;

And though life’s journey starts anew
Each day when I awake,
My prayer life can assure me
It won’t be more than I can take.

 

[beensetfree]

Feed My Sheep

Over the weekend, most of the leaves on the tree outside my office window disappeared from the limbs. A couple of weeks ago they were vibrant and green. Last week they were gold and red. Then, while I wasn’t looking, they dried up and withered away to crumble into dust and return to the soil. According to God’s plan, they will a soul that does not wither.

When a leaf disintegrates, it is gone. The human soul does not disintegrate—only the husk within which it lives while it performs the duties assigned to it by God. Nevertheless, if you do your duties well, you will nurture the spirits of the souls that follow you through a lifetime on this earth as surely as the dust of fallen leaves nourishes the leaves of the coming year. The question for you as your autumn approaches is whether or not you are nourishing the sprits of others. Jesus said to Peter, “Feed my sheep.” This is our duty as well.

 

[beensetfree]

24 Things to Always Remember


24 Things to Always Remember. . .
and One Thing to Never Forget

your presence is a present to the world.
You’re unique and one of a kind.
Your life can be what you want it to be.
Take the days just one at a time.

Count your blessings, not your troubles.
You’ll make it through whatever comes along.
Within you are so many answers.
Understand, have courage, be strong.

Don’t put limits on yourself.
So many dreams are waiting to be realized.
Decisions are too important to leave to chance.
Reach for your peak, your goal, and your prize.

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.
The longer one carries a problem, the heavier it gets.
Don’t take things too seriously.
Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

Remember that a little love goes a long way.
Remember that a lot . . . goes forever.
Remember that friendship is a wise investment.
Life’s treasures are people . . . together.

Realize that it’s never too late.
Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
Have heath and hope and happiness.
Take the time to wish upon a star.

And don’t ever forget . . .
For even a day . . .
How very special you are.

 

[Psalm23]

24 Things to Always Remember


24 Things to Always Remember. . .
and One Thing to Never Forget

your presence is a present to the world.
You’re unique and one of a kind.
Your life can be what you want it to be.
Take the days just one at a time.

Count your blessings, not your troubles.
You’ll make it through whatever comes along.
Within you are so many answers.
Understand, have courage, be strong.

Don’t put limits on yourself.
So many dreams are waiting to be realized.
Decisions are too important to leave to chance.
Reach for your peak, your goal, and your prize.

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.
The longer one carries a problem, the heavier it gets.
Don’t take things too seriously.
Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

Remember that a little love goes a long way.
Remember that a lot . . . goes forever.
Remember that friendship is a wise investment.
Life’s treasures are people . . . together.

Realize that it’s never too late.
Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
Have heath and hope and happiness.
Take the time to wish upon a star.

And don’t ever forget . . .
For even a day . . .
How very special you are.

Dear Brother Beensetfree,

Thank you for this wonderful message! It's a great reminder that never take life for granted and always be in an attitude of praise to our Creator. We are indeed created in His image and our very existence here is all because of Him. Always give thanks to our Living God, Lord Jesus, our Redeemer.

Worries give you nothing but they take out all our energy. Leave them to the our Lord and seek guidance from Him and He will direct you the right path.

Good job - Brother for posting this message.

Psalm23

 

[beensetfree]

Blessings brother and it is nice to hear from you. Indeed we should be grateful to God that He teaches us not to worry but to remember how blessed we are in Him and that we can have His peace and joy.

Take care.

Dear Brother Beensetfree,

Thank you for this wonderful message! It's a great reminder that never take life for granted and always be in an attitude of praise to our Creator. We are indeed created in His image and our very existence here is all because of Him. Always give thanks to our Living God, Lord Jesus, our Redeemer.

Worries give you nothing but they take out all our energy. Leave them to the our Lord and seek guidance from Him and He will direct you the right path.

Good job - Brother for posting this message.

Psalm23

 

[beensetfree]

Wreckers or Builders

I watched them tearing a building down,
A gang of men in a busy town.

With a ho-heave-ho and lusty yell,
They swung a beam and a sidewall fell.

I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled,
As the men you’d hire if you had to build?”

He gave me a laugh and said, “No indeed!
Just common labor is all I need.

I can easily wreck in a day or two
What builders have taken a year to do.”

And I tho’t to myself as I went my way,
Which of these two roles have I tried to play?

Am I a builder who works with care,
Measuring life by the rule and square?

Am I shaping my deeds by a well-made plan,
Patiently doing the best I can?

Or am I a wrecker who walks the town,
Content with the labor of tearing down?

God asks us to be builders instead of wreckers and to build bridges and not walls.

 

[beensetfree]

It’s Up to You


One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.

One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.

One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room,
One candle wipes out darkness
One laugh will conquer gloom.

One step must start each journey,
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what’s true,
One life can make the difference,
You see, IT’S UP TO YOU

 

[beensetfree]

Confession Isn’t Sufficient

But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins
. . . he shall surely live—Ezekiel 18:21

Confession is necessary, but it is not sufficient. Sufficiency is achieved only when confession is connected with repentance. You see, confession is making our sins known—to God, to wives, to trusted brothers.

Repentance, though . . . repentance involves a turning: turning away from those sins; turning our backs on our old selves, on the men who committed those sins.

Repentance is saying, we don’t want to be those men anymore. Repentance is turning toward God. It’s a willingness to become new men, loyal followers. Confession is critical, but it’s only the first step. Repentance is the ultimate step.

Ironically, confession requires great courage, but repentance just requires a soft, willing heart. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus taught that it’s not sin itself that imperils us, but rather a hard, stubborn heart, an unwillingness to turn, an unwillingness to repent.

The younger son lived a life with ostensibly more sin. The older brother simply harboured resentment and jealousy. The younger repented of his sins, though; the older did not. The father welcomed the younger and celebrated his return: “for this your brother was dead, and is alive” (Luke 15:32).

The father pleaded with the older to also join in celebration, to soften his heart. He would not. Without repentance, we continue in our sin. Without repentance, we continue on our own path . . . toward death. Said Jesus, “unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).
Okay, so what do we do?

That stuff that you need/needed to confess, brother . . . yeah, that. Repent of it now. Turn your back on that man, that man who committed those sins. Soften. Be willing to listen to God. Astonishingly, he’ll always let you start anew. “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19).

 

[beensetfree]

Be Prepared

"Prepare to meet your God, O Israel."1

Some "years ago as several million watched on TV the beginning game of the World Series baseball in San Francisco, there was a sudden interruption of the opening interview. The screen blinked and went blank. When the program resumed, a special news bulletin appeared. The San Francisco metropolitan area had experienced a serious earthquake. We all watched the live pictures as the huge fire in the Marina area burned. A remote camera crew was there and we saw the firemen fighting the fires.

"The scene I remember the most, however," said the writer of this article, "was a group of people standing around just looking at the destruction and looking at the fire. All of a sudden a policeman came up to the crowd and yelled out to them: What are you people doing just standing there? You must get prepared immediately. Go home and fill your bathtubs with water. Be prepared to live without city services for 72 hours. The sun will set in another hour and your time is running out. Go and get prepared."2

I can, at least to some degree, identify with these people. Living in Southern California I've experienced several earthquakes of varying degrees. In two of the worst—one a 4-point something and the other a 5-point something—I woke up and said to myself, just another earthquake, rolled over and went right back to sleep. That was a very dangerous and foolish attitude and I realized that I need to "wake up and get with it" the next time an earthquake hits, and at least dive under a table for protection, otherwise I could be badly hurt or even killed if/when a really big one hits.

Even as a kid I learned in the Boy Scouts the motto: "Be Prepared." We all need to be prepared for unexpected crises as much as is possible. And absolutely nowhere is it more important to be prepared than it is to be prepared for eternity—to meet God face to face, "for man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment [God's judgment]."3

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that in your Word, the Bible, you repeatedly warn us of the danger of not being prepared for eternity. Help me to know that I am ready to meet you face to face, and help me to so live that I won't be embarrassed on that day but will hear your welcoming words, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'4 Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[beensetfree]

Feeling Loved and Accepted

Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."1

Most of my generation (at least), "know how much the world fawned over actress, Marilyn Monroe. Perhaps fewer know how rejected she felt throughout her life. A reporter from the New York Times was interviewing her and, being aware of her troubled background, posed the following question: 'Did you ever feel loved by any of the foster families with whom you lived?'

"'Once,' Marilyn replied, 'when I was about seven or eight. The woman I was living with was putting on makeup, and I was watching her. She was in a happy mood, so she reached over and patted my cheeks with her rouge puff. . . . For that moment, I felt loved by her.'"2

How incredibly sad. One can understand why Marilyn ended her life at the height of her popularity. All the fame, attention, popularity and money together can never fill the empty void of an aching, lonely heart—a heart that deep down doesn't feel loved.

Some time ago I watched Larry King interviewing Winona Judd on his TV program, Larry King Live. Winona has sold millions of copies of her recordings, and has achieved fame as one of the all time greats in female Country music. It was fascinating to hear her background. If I remember correctly, her father deserted her mother before she was born. Winona never got to see him before he died. She was crushed when she learned of his passing. She, too, struggled much of her personal life and shared how desperately lonely she felt when, after being on stage and adored by thousands of fans, had to go back to a hotel room alone. Winona may have had a loving mother, but she felt the terrible pains of not having a loving father.

Winona also spoke of her faith and said she is doing much better these days in her personal life. After hearing her story, one can understand why the title of one of her albums is, "What the World Needs Now Is Love."

How true this is. Without knowing a mother and a father's love, which millions of people growing up in today's society don't know, we limp along in the shadows of life trying to eke out a meager existence which no amount of fame, popularity or riches can meet. Loneliness, as it has been medically shown, can break your heart and take years off your life. Karen Carpenter, another famous singer—one who inadvertently starved herself to death—hauntingly sang, "Loneliness . . . it's such a sad affair."

People desperately need, not only God's love, but the love of God's people through whom, for many, is the only way they will ever find and experience God's love.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in the midst of a lonely world where so many are looking for love in all the wrong ways and places, please help me to share your love with a lonely person today and, in so doing, may they sense that they have been touched by you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[beensetfree]

Miraculous Change

For the grace of God has appeared—Titus 2:11-12

For us men to truly, in our hearts, want to repent of our sins, repent of our screw-ups—for us to truly want to turn our backs on our old selves, on the self-indulgent men we’ve been—we’ve got to first trust that we can change, that we can become new men, if we do.

I mean, we’ve been the way we are for a very long time, so it’s understandably hard to trust that there’s new life available, right here, right now—life that’s God-connected, God-filled, and God-honoring.

So . . . can we trust it? Well, yes and no. On our own, new life is not available, and it never will be. On our own, we’ll remain our old selves until we die. Though we might want to become better men, we’ll only become worse.

That’s what’s behind Paul’s frustration: “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). To just “man up” sure sounds good, but it doesn’t work. We’ve all tried it and it’s never enough, not even close. But with God’s help we can become new men.

With his help we can become his men.

And, he can’t wait to help. He’s wanted to for a very long time. He can’t wait to lend us his superpower called grace: the divine empowerment to do right, to do what we, by ourselves, cannot.
Okay, so what do we do?

Jesus’ story is the greatest story the world’s ever known. It’s the story of a father and son, working together, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to do massive, miraculous things. It’s your story too. Trust that he can change you. Allow that trust to fuel your willingness to confess and repent and obey.

 

[beensetfree]

Forgive Me When I Whine


Today upon a bus, I saw a lovely maid with golden hair; I envied her-she seemed so gay, and how, I wished I were so fair; When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle; she had one foot and wore a crutch, but as she passed, a smile. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two feet-the world is mine.

And when I stopped to buy some sweets, the lad who served me had such charm; he seemed to radiate good cheer, his manner was so kind and warm; I said, “It’s nice to deal with you, such courtesy I seldom find”; he turned and said, “Oh, thank you sir.” And then I saw that he was blind. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine, I have two eyes, the world is mine.

Then, when walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue; he stood and watched the others play, it seemed he knew not what to do; I stopped a moment, then I said, “Why don’t you join the others, dear?” He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two ears, the world is mine. With feet to take me where I’d go; with eyes to see the sunsets glow, with ears to hear what I would know. I am blessed indeed. The world is mine; oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

 

[beensetfree]

Help Yourself To Happiness[/B

Everybody, everywhere
seeks happiness, it’s true,
But finding it and keeping it
seem difficult to do.

Difficult because we think
that happiness is found
Only in the places where
wealth and fame abound.

And so we go on searching
in palaces of pleasure
Seeking recognition
and monetary treasure,

Unaware that happiness
is just a state of mind
Within the reach of everyone
who takes time to be kind.

For in making others happy
we will be happy, too.
For the happiness you give away
returns to shine on you.

 

[beensetfree]

Through Me

Through me
let there be kind words, a warm smile, and a caring heart.

Through me
let there be a willingness to listen and a readiness to understand.

Through me
let there be dependability, steadfastness, trust and loyalty.

Through me
let there be compassion, forgiveness, mercy and love.

Through me
let there be every quality I find, O Lord, in Thee.

-Unknown