This is a beautiful poem and prayer,
dear Betty . . .
may I be as flexible as the willow . . .
that I believe,
is what the dance is about
with love . . .
sparrow
     ♥

everything counts... ♥

Make my heart like the green willow tree that easily bends in the wind, that bows gracefully before the storm only to raise its head again with renewed life when the angry clouds have moved on.

 
I hope and pray we all raise our heads again with renewed life
I am sure we will in the end
be it in this life
or the next
as God forgives all
 
 

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love~and be loved in return♥♥  


 

indeed . . .
God forgives us all
with love . . .

everything counts... ♥

I am sure that many of you have heard this,
but I post it here today . . .
 
"Watch your thoughts;
            they become words.
Watch your words;
            they become actions.
Watch your actions;
            they become habits.
Watch you habits;
            they become character.
Watch your character;
            it becomes your destiny."

everything counts... ♥

Thank you Sparrow..I hadn't heard it before. Very good.
 
Jude

Love is the only way

Thank you, Sparrow!
 
I have heard it before, but it is good to be reminded!
 
Love,
Edda

Peace and joy!

Hope from my heart,
that it´s true....
thank you, for this words.
much love,
is.

If you want to know something about someone, listen to your heart.

Sparrow, thank you--so much easier said than done.

An email from this morning--

WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN
This is one of the nicest e-mails I have seen and is so true:

I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a l arge workroom filled with angels.. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said,  'This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received. '

I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.  

Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.
The angel then said to me, ' This is the Packagin g and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them. ' I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing.  'This is the Acknowledgment Section,' my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed.  'How is it that there is no work going on here?' I asked.

'So sad,'the angel sighed. 'After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments..'

'How does one acknowledge God's blessings? ' I asked.

'Simple,' the angel answered. Just say, ' Thank you, Lord. '

'What blessings should they acknowledge? ' I asked.

'If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world 's wealthy.' 

'And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity. '

'If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... You are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day.' 

'If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation .. You are ahead of 700 million people in the world. '

'If you can attend a place of worship without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world.. '

'If your parents are still alive and still married ..you are very rare. '

'If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm,   you're unique to all those in doubt and despair. '
Ok, what now? How can I start?

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.
Have a good day, count your blessings

ATTN: Acknowledge Dept.
'Thank you Lord, for all that you have given me that most times I don't even notice."

ATTN: Acknowledge Dept. 'Thank you Lord, for all that you have given me that most times I don't even notice."

 
 
 

Love is the only way

Dear Betty . . .
I will have to read your post later.
 
Regarding mine,
the words I posted yesterday
were what Eusanna, my brother-in-law's wife
lived by.
She had them on her business cards
and on her facebook page.
They were printed on her funeral service bulletins,
and are being inscribed on a memorial bench being made,
which will be a Christmas gift for Dave.
I thought them worthy of posting here
with love . . .
sparrow
     ♥

everything counts... ♥

Mdflsp

"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch you habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."

 
Eusanna was not only beautiful on earth inside and out, but in Heaven too.Thank you for sharing this with us all.I am sure Dave's precious bench will be well worn bless him.
Candles always glow for his shattered heart..
 
 
 
 
Dear dear Betty
 

'If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world 's wealthy.'

 
I am ritch , wealthy and very ashamed of myself after reading this post.
 
Saying 'thank you' to Jesus I say very seldom yet if someone has done something kind for me on earth I do say 'thank you'.  
 
when I see beauty and kindness this is Jesus so why I never thank him is beyond me right now
 
It does make me think and hopefully change as well.
 
Thank you ~  

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love~and be loved in return♥♥  


 

Your email message
is very thought provoking . . .
reminds me to stop whining.
It makes me think
of a highway billboard
that was on a road I travel frequently.
It was there for as long as I can remember
until this summer.
On a black background
were these words in white . . .
Please God
 

everything counts... ♥

Dear Sandra,
 
What you do to and for others you have done to HIM!
 
Love,
Edda

Peace and joy!

On a black background were these words in white . . . Please God

 
I guess this has a double meaning
 
 
Edda

What you do to and for others you have done to HIM!

I better start praying fast

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love~and be loved in return♥♥  


 

Fishhead for the mother
 
After endless tiredless struggle of the great widow making ends meet raising her little four children, she finally can see them growing into great successful people of the society.
One day this mother who had been living many countless years of suffering and pain struggling for the survival of her four children, was laid sick in bed. Her children who had grown wealthy did not forget nor forsake their mother.
 
They visited her and took very good care of the mother.
They never missed any single day bringing her her most favorite food, fishhead. After several consecutive days eating only fishhead, the mother asked her children, "Why everytime it is always fishhead??" "Mom, this have always been your favorite dish,isnt it?"
Reminded of the bitter past, her tears started to drop, "Silly children! In matter of fact, actually i never ever liked the fishheads i have been eating all these years. When our condition was very difficult back at that time, all of you enjoyed eating fish meat very much, so if i also eat the meat, you children would not be able to eat more of it. Therefore i pretended that i loved eating fishhead. Not that i did not like eating fish meat, but just that i cant help but not to eat it!"
Listening to their mother's secret confession, all of the children kneeled before their holy noble mother. They had just realized even more how noble the heart of their mother is.


It is natural, when you have others you love, to want only the best for them

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love~and be loved in return♥♥  


 

 


                
 

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love~and be loved in return♥♥  


 

From Sandra:
http://www.makeadifferencemovie.com/
This is tearful but it certainly makes you think.

Yes it is, I just watched it with tears in my eyes...
me too....
 

Thank you, Sandra, for sharing this with us!
 
It is certainly very moving, makes you think and reminds you to look beyond appearances!
 
Much love,
Edda

Peace and joy!

What a dear, sweet story . . .
Thank you
with love . . .
      ♥

everything counts... ♥

Thank you Sandra, dear, for this heart rending story.  Each time it is listened to it once again brings tears for all those little ones alone and lost who are suffering similar pain and prayers that they may find their own loving person to believe in them and help them heal.

Betty

  too Buba
 
 

Each time it is listened to it once again brings tears for all those little ones alone and lost who are suffering similar pain and prayers that they may find their own loving person to believe in them and help them heal.

 
Everyone needs loving people in their lives.I to pray for healing for those who are lost alone in this world in the hope they too will find people who believe in them and help them grow.
 
Love and ((((♥♥))))
 
 ~  

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love~and be loved in return♥♥  


 

And A Meadow Lark Sang

The child whispered, "God, speak to me"
And a meadow lark sang.
The child did not hear.

So the child yelled, "God, speak to me!"
And the thunder rolled across the sky
But the child did not listen.

The child looked around and said,
"God let me see you" and a star shone brightly
But the child did not notice.

And the child shouted,
"God show me a miracle!"
And a life was born but the child did not know.

So the child cried out in despair,
"Touch me God, and let me know you are here!"
Whereupon God reached down
And touched the child.

But the child brushed the butterfly away
And walked away unknowingly.

By: Ravindra Kumar Karnani
 

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love~and be loved in return♥♥  


 

When Lighting candles today I noticed there are 13,547 candles from 121 countries glowing.
 
Love does really shine a light in ever corner of the world.
 

 
 

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love~and be loved in return♥♥  


 

Give Time
Whatever or whoever you give time to, you give your attention to. Whatever gets your attention gets your energy. Whatever gets your energy must grow. So what will you give your time to today - who will get your attention? What or who needs your attention? Is it a task, a process or a relationship? Or are you waiting for these things to give you time and attention? How long have you been waiting? Why are you waiting? Are you a leader or a follower, a master or a slave? Mmmm...all questions today!

relax7.com 

Love is the only way

Thank you Buba and Jude   for giving me something to think about.....
 
 
Mmm I am thinking
 

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love~and be loved in return♥♥  


 

Thank you both,
dear Buba and Jude,
for thoughts to carry with me
as I enter today
with love . . .
sparrow

everything counts... ♥

bm

This has been one of my key-quotes for a long time. It´s so true - let´s pass it on to whoever we can...
(That´s why I sometimes hesitate to express myself in English, being afraid I may not know how people will be affected by what I say...)

Love to all of you, dear friends!
Juliana

"Speak Peace in a World of Conflict" (M.B.Rosenberg)

everything counts... ♥

Thank you for sharing the story from Teddy with us.
It touched my heart so very, very fast...
 
love,
is.

If you want to know something about someone, listen to your heart.

No man should feel, like he is on an island...
 
 
 

 
 
... (this thought I have got today, as I read John Donne:o) - it´s one of my favorites -)...
 
love,
is.
 

If you want to know something about someone, listen to your heart.

No man should feel, like he is on an island...

 
We all need to remember this don't we?
 
Love,
Jude

Love is the only way

yes, we do . . .
as so much of the time
I feel like I am on an island . . .
not here on the forum so much,
but in the world I live in . . .
  

everything counts... ♥

Jude, you say it..
and we know
that many people
feel like this...
 
as sparrow, I feel the
most time the same -
even some special people
are around us...
but feelings cannot always
be shared
cannot often be re-enact
of others...
 
but sometimes, as the hours
with special people at home,
or reading here
or be out, as I was today,
for thus moments
I can be grateful
because it is more
as I expect.
 
love, is.

If you want to know something about someone, listen to your heart.

Dear Isabella,
 
Your quote reminds me of a book written by Thomas Merton with the title, "No Man is an Island"
 
The first chapter is entitled, "LOVE CAN ONLY BE KEPT BY BEING GIVEN AWAY"
 
And it starts, "A happiness that is thought for ourselves alone can never be found: for happiness that is diminished by being shared is not big enough to make us happy."
 
Yes, we often feel like an island, but then it just occurred to me that islands only appear to be solitary. Deep down on the ocean floor they are connected.
 
If we reach deep down into our hearts we discover that we are all connected.
 
Love,
Edda
 

Peace and joy!

I can be grateful because it is more as I expect.

 
Dear Isabella, I suspect that, at such moments, you are truly being yourself.
Also, it just occurred to me, you are being a friend to yourself at such times.
 
 
"If we reach deep down into our hearts we discover that we are all connected. "
 
We are indeed dear Edda!
 
Love,
Jude
 
 

Love is the only way

Just received by email, from Fred...
 

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273) - Guest House

This being human is a guest house
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
 

Love is the only way

from Edda...Yes, we often feel like an island, but then it just occurred to me that islands only appear to be solitary. Deep down on the ocean floor they are connected.
 
If we reach deep down into our hearts we discover that we are all connected.

 

everything counts... ♥

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Thank you for sharing this poem,
dear Jude,
reminding me once again,
that it is all good.
   ♥

everything counts... ♥

"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."
  -Booker T.Washington

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love~and be loved in return♥♥