Net Miles Of Smiles

YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE BUT IT IS DEFINITELY WORTH PONDERING AGAIN

Some pretty profound thoughts!!!

George Carlin on age.
(Absolutely Brilliant)

IF YOU DON’T READ THIS TO THE VERY END, YOU HAVE LOST A DAY IN YOUR LIFE. AND WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED, DO AS I AM DOING AND SEND IT ON.

George Carlin’s Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m four and a half!’ You’re never thirty-six and a half.. You’re four and a half, going on five! That’s the key

You get into your teens, now they can’t hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m gonna be 16!’ You could be 13, but hey, you’re gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life .. . You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There’s no fun now, you’re Just a sour-dumpling. What’s wrong? What’s changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you’re PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it’s all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn’t think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You’ve built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it’s a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80’s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn’t end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; ‘I Was JUST 92.’

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. ‘I’m 100 and a half!’
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay ‘them.’

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s.&nbs p;

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen.Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE 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.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Do share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

**************

“Life is beautiful, live it well !”

Comments (0) Jul 19 2008

Fate determines

Who comes into our lives

Our attitudes and actions determine

Who stays in our lives

~Javan

Comments (0) Jul 19 2008

Effective Immediately, please be aware that there are changes YOU need to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be completed in order that I may fulfill My promises to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in this life. I apologize for any inconvenience, but after all that I am doing, this seems very little to ask of you. Please, follow these 10 guidelines:

1. QUIT WORRYING:
Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:
Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the problem. I can’t help you until you turn it over to Me. And although My to-do-list is long, I am after all… God. I can take care of anything you put into My hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.

3. TRUST ME:
Once you’ve given your burdens to Me, quit trying to take them back. Trust in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on My list. Problem with finances? Put it on My list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster? For My sake, put it on My list. I want to help you. All you have to do is ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE:
Don’t wake up one morning and say, ‘Well, I’m feeling much stronger now, I think I can handle it from here.’ Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It’s simple. You gave Me your burdens and I’m taking care of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don’t you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started? Leave them with Me and forget about them. Just let Me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME:
I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I’m in control. But there’s one thing I pray you never forget. Please, don’t forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU! I want to hear your voice. I want you to include Me in on the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with Me. I want to be your dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH:
I see a lot of things from up here that you can’t see from where you are. Have faith in Me that I know what I’m doing. Trust Me; you wouldn’t want the view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me. Although I have a much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE:
You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your laughter with those who haven’t heard any in such a long time. Share your tears with those who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith with those who have none.

8. BE PATIENT:
I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grew from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it takes Me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My to do list? Trust in My timing, for My timing is perfect. Just because I created the universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND:
Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for My sake. I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical.

10. LOVE YOURSELF:
As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me for one reason only: to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God of love. Love me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. It makes My heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me. Don’t ever forget it!

+++++++++++++++++++

I know life gets hectic sometimes,

but don’t forget to STOP

and smell the roses.

God Bless YOU !

Comments (0) Jul 19 2008

It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 am, when an elderly gentleman in his 80’s, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb.
He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.

..

It was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound. While taking
care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation I asked him if he had a doctor’s appointment this morning, as he was in such hurry.

..

The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I then inquired as to her health. He told me
that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer Disease.

..

As we talked, and I finished dressing his wound, I asked if she
would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer
knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked

Read More

Comments (0) Jul 19 2008

In 1994, Rwandan Immaculée Ilibagiza was a college student who returned to her parents’ home for Easter break and was caught in the midst of a modern-day holocaust that would end the lives of almost a million Rwandans—including most of her family. Marianne talks with Immaculée about her harrowing story of survival and the deep spiritual awakening she experienced during the genocide that has allowed her to forgive her family’s killers.

In her book Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, Immaculée tells the story of escaping the three-month-long massacre by seeking refuge in a local pastor’s small, hidden bathroom with seven other women. She says that table scraps from the garbage were her only sources of food, and God, her only salvation. “I was praying from morning until night, literally blocking away these thoughts of hatred that I had, blocking these thoughts of how I would die,” she says.

Immaculée, who is Catholic, says she read the Bible and prayed the rosary as her weight shrank to just 65 pounds and men with machetes ransacked the pastor’s home, almost discovering the women hiding. “I realized that Jesus went through this [suffering] and he held on to what he believed in his heart,” she says. Soon Immaculée says she started to experience a deepening relationship with God and she says that God spoke to her in her dreams, helping her believe that she would survive and have a future.

When the genocide ended and Immaculée came out of hiding, she says that most of her family was dead and her life resembled a nightmare, but she held onto her faith. She says through her relationship with God she was able to go to a prison and come face-to-face with one of the men who killed members of her family. She says that when she met the man, she told him that she forgave him. “To me, I think justice is part of forgiving, if it is well done with love,” she says.

As she shares her story with other survivors of Rwanda’s genocide, Immaculée says she is spreading the word about the power of forgiveness. “I have at least three friends who said that after we talked about forgiving, it was the only time they stopped having nightmares about the genocide,” she says. “The power of forgiveness is huge, it is really big and it can save this world.”

Related Resources

Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculée Ilibagiza

___________________

Prayer is a preparation for danger; it is the armor for battle. Go not into the dangerous world without it.

~Robertson~

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute
you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun
rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the
unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? . . . .”
- Matthew 5:43-48 (NRSV)

We have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those
who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.
- 1 John 4:16 (NRSV)

_________________________________________

Thought For The Day:

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has
reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while
trying to succeed.” –Booker T. Washington

Verse for the Day:

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has
stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to
those who love him.” –James 1:12

Comments (0) Jul 19 2008

This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the end! (After the story, there are some very interesting facts!):

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.

The last class I had to take was Sociology.

The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that wish every human being had been graced with.
Her last project of the term was called, “Smile.”

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.

I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald’s one crisp March morning.

It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.

We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.

I did not move an inch… an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.

As I turned around I smelled a horrible “dirty body” smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men!

As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was “smiling”

His beautiful brown eyes were full of God’s Light as he searched for acceptance.

He said, “Good day” as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.

The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the brown-eyed gentleman was his salvation.

I held my tears as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.

He said, “Coffee is all Miss” because that was all they could afford.
(If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the brown eyes.

That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more
breakfast meals on a separate tray.

I then walked around t he corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the brown-eyed gentleman’s cold hand.

He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, “Thank you.”

I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, “I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.”

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, “That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope.”

We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.

We are not church goers, but we are believers.

That day showed me the pure Light of God’s sweet love!

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand.

I turned in “my project” and the instructor read it.

Then she looked up at me and said, “Can I share this?”
I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.

She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being Part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.

In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald’s, my husband, son, Instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE
PEOPLE.

~Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true & noble friends will leave footprints in your heart.

To handle yourself, use your head.

To handle others, use your heart.

God Gives every bird it’s food, but He does not throw it into its nest.

Comments (0) Jul 19 2008