my husband

~ My husband ~

A strong arm to lean upon

A tender shoulder to cry upon

A patient ear to sound upon

A firm chest to rest upon

A loving heart to rely upon

My best friend

I love you

Mark Twain said it best...

Mark Twain said it best...




"The human race has only one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. The moment it arises, all your irritations and resentments slip away and the sunny spirit takes their place."

The most important success principle ...

"The most important success principle of all was stated by Thomas Huxley many years ago. He said, 'Do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.'"

Words for the New Year

Words for the New Year


Thank you Guide Post for this story



Look over past mistakes and make resolutions for the new year.

By Sue Monk Kidd, Charleston, South Carolina







This January my mind wanders back to the day my daughter, Ann—six years old, her hair tied in bouncing brown pigtails—lined up for a potato sack race.



This was her first time to don a potato sack, and when she climbed inside (headfirst), most of her disappeared. From the sideline I could see the shape of a foot, an elbow; then finally she popped through the opening, grinning like a jack-in-the-box.



Grasping the sack at her chest, she looked toward the finish line with determination. "On your mark. Get set. Go!" Shouts rang out from the crowd as the children jumped forward.



As I suspected, the taller ones left Ann behind. Undaunted, she kept hopping. Then it happened. Her foot tangled in the sack. She sprawled headlong into the dirt.



When she lifted her face I saw a bright-red scrape across her nose. The urge to run onto the track and gather her up was nearly more than I could bear, but something held me back. I stood still, watching, wondering if she would be able to get up and keep hopping.



Slowly she struggled to stand. She tried again and again. Just when I would think she had regained her balance, kerplunk, her feet would catch in the sack and down she'd go again! She reminded me of a baggy-pants clown slipping and sliding on a banana peel.



Finally, though, Ann pushed to her feet and stayed up. She stood there a moment, one blue ribbon dangling from her pigtail and dirt smudged across her cheek. I expected tears, disappointment, humiliation. Instead she looked toward the sideline and shouted excitedly, "Look, Mama, I got up!"



Then off she hopped, all the way to the end, the last to finish. Yet I was more pleased with her that day than if she'd won the whole race.



It reminded me that during the course of living, we all take our share of tumbles. We make mistakes. We fall down on promises to our family, to ourselves, to God. But often our "falls" are not as important as the way we respond to them.



Some people concentrate on the failure, becoming mired in disappointment and negative feelings. But others, like Ann, concentrate on the possibilities left, trying to overcome and press ahead.



It seems to me that that's what Paul had in mind when he wrote of "forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before" (Philippians 3:13).



Can you think of a better principle to guide you this January as you look back over mistakes of the past year and form resolutions for the year ahead?



Today on the starting line of this glorious new year, I'm setting my heart on the race ahead, keeping in mind that just what pleases God most are not the words "I won," but "Look, Father, I got up!"

The New Year ...

The New Year ...



It's that time of year again for resolutions. Instead of resolutions make a list of all your blessings of 2009. No matter what 2009 brought you 2010 is a bright, fresh, new start. We should think of 2010 as a new beginning. So make a list of your blessings and be thankful for everything you have. -love the Mathis family

Climb your Mountain

Thanks to Mike and Simle Truths for this thought of the day ....
Simpletruths.com

Climb your Mountain


by Matt on December 18, 2009



“You can never conquer the mountain. You can only conquer yourself.” -James Whittaker





“Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was.” -Dag Hammarskjold



“Carve a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.



“The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” -Chinese Proverb



“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way.”-Dr. Seuss



What Mountain are you conquering in your life? How will you find success this year?



Simple truths.com

Four Questions, Many Possible Answers

Thanks To Betty for this new year thought ....
December 14, 2009


Four Questions, Many Possible Answers



On a recent coaching call, someone shared with me a set of four questions that another coach or speaker had shared with them. As we near the end of another year, asking these questions and answering them honestly can have a profound impact on shaping the new year ahead. Your answers will not be the same as mine or someone else’s. But the one thing the questions have in common for all of us is that they have the potential to change the course of your life, your direction, your trajectory, your attitude and the results you get.



So here they are in all of their simplicity, begging you to take some time this week or before the dawn of a new year to ask and answer them. I recommend journaling the answers and then using your responses to help set new year’s intentions:



1. What do I want to do more of this week? (In 2010)



2. What do I want to do less of this week? (In 2010)



3. What do I need to start doing? (In 2010)



4. What do I need to stop doing? (In 2010)



Many years ago, someone shared this simple saying that sums it up pretty well: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve already got.” Not very good English I admit, but very good logic. We can’t expect different results by doing the same things over and over!!



Take some time in the next few days to really reflect on what you want to do more of, less of or stop/start doing in the year ahead. You have nothing to lose but the same old, same old and everything to gain in the form of a whole new set of results!!



By the way, if you’re ready to embark on a full-fledged year-in-review and goal-setting program, watch in the next few days for an announcement about how to complete a Best Year Yet® plan on line. Or if you just can’t wait, contact me at bettym@dynamic-coaching.com for instructions on how to complete a plan and track your results for an entire year!!



Have a powerful, positive week!



Quote of the Week





“The word question is derived from the Latin quarrier (to seek) which is the same root as the word for quest. A creative life is a continued quest, and good questions can be very useful guides. Most useful are open-ended questions; they allow for fresh unanticipated answers to reveal themselves.”



Author unknown

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” -Anatole France

whatever your course

"Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties that arise which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage."


~~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wet Pants!

WET PANTS

 

Come with me

to a third grade classroom..... There is a

nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of

a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and

the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his

heart is going to stop because he cannot

possibly imagine how this has happened. It's

never happened before, and he knows that when

the boys find out he will never hear the end of

it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak

to him again as long as he

lives.

The boy

believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his

head down and prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this

is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes

from now I'm dead

meat.'

He looks up

from his prayer and here comes the teacher with

a look in her eyes that says he has been

discovered.

As the

teacher is walking toward him, a class mate

named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is

filled with water. Susie trips in front of the

teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water

in the boy's

lap.

The boy

pretends to be angry, but all the while is

saying to himself, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you,

Lord!'

Now all of a

sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule,

the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher

rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts

to put on while his pants dry out. All the other

children are on their hands and knees cleaning

up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful.

But as life would have it, the ridicule that

should have been his has been transferred to

someone else -

Susie.

She tries to

help, but they tell her to get out. You've done

enough, you

klutz!'

Finally, at

the end of the day, as they are waiting for the

bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers,

'You did that on purpose, didn't you?' Susie

whispers back, 'I wet my pants once

too.'

May God help

us see the opportunities that are always around

us to do

good..

Remember.....Just going to

church doesn't make you a Christian any more

than standing in your garage makes you a

car.

Each and

everyone one of us is going through tough times

right now, but God is getting ready to bless you

in a way that only He can. Keep the

faith.