Pursue Loyalty

This morning I was reading my email and I found this and it caught my attention. Because we live in an era where loyalty and integrity is missing and that is sad.

"Have you ever noticed that righteousness and loyalty go together? In other words, if we're not being loyal to - our family, friends, country, job - then we aren't going to experience God's best. Loyal people are honorable people. When you're loyal, you stick with someone through thick and thin. When you are loyal, you keep your word to people - even if you get a "better" offer."

"Loyal people are respectful of their country and leaders. Loyal people honor their parents and defend their family. When you are loyal, you are a person of integrity. You build trust with others. Is this an area where you can rise higher? Are you faithful in the things you're committed to? Don't let the distractions of everyday life keep you from being dedicated. Look for ways to show honor to those around you. Is there something you need to set aside for the sake of a loved one? Show love by staying loyal."

Joel Osteen

Keep Trying

Sitting meditating on the imprudence of life. So many years choosing to do the best. But at the same time feeling the passage of time. Dreams not achieved, mental fatigue. Seeking to achieve a dream but at the same time looking at the distance and recognize how far is that dream.

It will be stubbornness on my part, ignorance or self-denial. But I keep trying, maybe for rebellion, to find that world that really fills me, a place where I really feel part of it. Because that is life...never give up.

And even if there are days when my ships wrecks, there will be always a lifeguard, an exit or an opportunity to keep trying. Maybe a new dawn or a beautiful sunset that will recharge me again to take the next step...and keep trying.

Ever I Love You

https://youtu.be/ZItHAG_TSIE

Waiting for a Message

"At times we realize that we can interpret a message as negative when is only an invitation to expect, but as will not know at the time, we must drop what anchor us and follow our lite path luggage, hoping that were are going in the right direction and it has to be in our life to make us grow, to align to our happiness, to stay for ever or for short time, will be without force"

"If you are waiting for a message  that does not arrive, that is also a message"

By Sarah Espejo

http://rincondeltibet.com

Love in Action

One night a man came to our house and told me, "There is a family with eight children. They have not eaten for days." I took some food and I went. When I finally came to the family, I saw the faces of those little children disfigured by hunger. There was no sorrow or sadness in their faces, just the deep pain of hunger.

I gave the rice to the mother. She divided in two, and went out, carrying half of the rice with her. When she came back, I asked her, "Where did you go?" She gave me this simple answer, "To my neighbors - they are hungry also."

I was not surprised that she gave - because poor people are generous. But I was surprised that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we are suffering, we are so focused on ourselves that we don't have time for others.

- Mother Teresa

Malaika

https://youtu.be/SXDoiNWuVCI

See it Through

When you're up against a trouble, meet it squarely, face to face;

Lift your chin and set your shoulders, plant your feet and take a brace.

Lift your chin and set your shoulders,

plant your feet and take a brace.

When it's vain to try to dodge it,

do the best you can do;

You may fail, but you may conquer,

See it through!

Black may be the clouds about you,

and you future may seem grim,

but don't let your nerve desert you;

Keep yourself in fighting trim.

If the worst is bound to happen,

Spite of all that you can do,

Running from it will not save you,

See it through!

Even hope may seem but futile;

When with troubles you're beset,

But remember you are facing

Just what other men have met.

You may fail, but fall still fighting;

Don't give up, whate'er you do:

Eyes front, head high to the finish,

See it through!

By Edgar Guest

Illumination of the Heart

https://youtu.be/qjvBzlJkE8M

William Ackerman - The Bricklayer's Beautiful Daughter (2004)

https://youtu.be/9Cpaqo0GCMQ

Being and Breathing

One warm evening may years ago...

After spending nearly every waking minute with Angel for eight straight days, I knew that I had to tell her just one thing. So late at night, just before she fell asleep, I whispered it in her ear. She smiled - the kind of smile that makes me smile back - and she said, "When I'm seventy-five and I think about my life and what it was like to be young, I hope that I can remember this very moment."

A few seconds later she closed her eyes and fell asleep. The room was peaceful - almost silent. All I could hear was the soft purr of her breathing. I stayed awake thinking about the time we'd spent together and all the choices in our lives that made this moment possible. And at some point, I realized that it didn't matter what we'd done or were we'd gone. Nor did the future hold any significance.

All that matter was the serenity of the moment.

Just being with her and breathing with her.

The moral: We must not allow the clock, the calendar, and external pressures to rule our lives and blind us to the fact that each individual moment of our lives is a beautiful mystery and a miracle - specially those moments we spend in the presence of a loved one.

Written by Marc Chernoff

Fiona Joy Hawkins - Blue Dream (HD, HQ)

https://youtu.be/fNG5QkH1zZs

Good Things Will Come

There may be days when you get up in the morning and things aren't the way you had hoped they would be.

That's when you hate to tell yourself that things will get better. There are times when people disappoint you and let you down.

But those are the times when you must remind yourself to trust your own judgments and opinions, to keep your life focused on believing in yourself.

There will be challenges to face and changes to make in your life, and it is up to you to accept them.

Constantly keep yourself headed in the right direction for you. It may not be easy at times, but in those times of struggle you will find a stronger sense of who you are.

So when the days come that are filled with frustration and unexpected responsibilities, remember to believe in yourself and all you want your life to be.

Because the challenges and changes will only help you to find the goals that you know are meant to come true for you.

Keep believing in yourself.

Author Unknown

My First Day as a President by Max Lucado

Best I can guess from looking online, there are twelve steps from the door of the oval office to its desk. I've never been there. Doubt that I ever will. But if ever bequeathed the tittle "President of the United States" I have an idea how I would handle my first day in office.

I would, freshly sworn in as commander of the free world, enter the office, ask my secretary, Chief of Staff, Vice President, Wife, and anyone else who wants to come in, to wait. Give me a few minutes, please. I'd close the door, take the dozen steps across the room, stand for just a second behind the desk, and hit my knees.

With hands folded, head bowed, and heart open I would confess, "God, I don't know how I got here. I don't know how this happened. I don't know what the voters were thinking...but I know this, if you don't take over, we're sunk."

At that point I would present my prayer requests.
- heal the hurts of the land
- stop the violence in this land
- show us how to love each other
- give us a second chance at caring for babies, hungry people, and mountain streams

On and on I'd go. The secretary would buzz, but I'd tell her to wait. The Russian President would call, but we'd put him on hold. My VP would remind me that the parade awaits outside...but hold on, I'm not done yet.

Then, once the prayer was finished, once I'd confessed every fear and claimed every promise, I would rise to shaky legs and send out a decree. On Presidential stationary with Presidential pen I would write: "By virtue of this office, I declare tonight to be "Let's try it again night." I would ask, compel, invite, request, cajole, and recruit every person who has a kitchen table to invite someone dinner. Cook your best chicken or enchilada or chicken enchilada and, for one night, no arguing. Words like Democrat, Republican, Liberal, and Conservative are not allowed and, if used, will prompt and outpouring of mashed potato gravy the lap of the person who says them. For one meal, for one night, we will listen to each other story before we tell our own. We will try to understand how we got angry, so ticked off, so blasted mad, and, before the serving of the pie and the ice cream, we will ask, "Can't we try again?

And, I would suggest that we do what I did - bow our heads and ask for help.

I know. Presidents don't do those things or make such decrees. Then again, maybe they should.

Max Lucado, September 2016

Good Leaders are Good Followers

A young woman was filling out an application for college when she came across the question: Are you a leader? She thought she had better be honest, so she answered, "No."

She was convinced when she sent the application in that she'd never hear from them because of that answer. But she received a letter back from the school that read: "We have reviewed numerous applications and, to date, there will be some 1.452 new leaders attending school next year. We have decided to accept your application because we felt it was imperative that they have a least one follower."

Should all of us be leaders all of the time? Isn't there a time to follow as well as lead?

One man likes to tell about the day he purchased a novelty sign and hung it on his office door. The sign read..."I'm the boss". The next day he came to work he noticed that the office comedian affixed a sticky note to his door that read, "Your wife called. She wants her sign back."

He may be the boss at work, but home is different altogether. I'm marriage and family as well as most social relationships, sometimes we lead and sometimes we follow the lead of another. If the so-called boss happens to be an effective leader at work, he has probably learned that getting his own way all of the time does not produce good results.

As it turns out, the nest leaders area also called follower. Why?

1. Good leaders share leaderships. They know when to follow and when to lead.
2. Good leaders build their skills on following role models for the behaviors they want to learn. What they admire in another, they copy.
3. Good leaders exhibit humility. They remain open to suggestion. When they need it, they ask for   help and follow good advice.

In other words, good leaders are also good followers. They know when to follow in the footsteps of others and when to leave tracks of their own.

You may be a boss, but you will be a leader when you also learn how to follow.

 Written by Steve Goodier

Gracie's Theme

https://youtu.be/5vh-w6xStZE

A Date with Mom

A son took his old mother to a restaurant for an evening dinner.

Mother being old and weak, while eating, dropped food on her skirt. Others diners watched her in disgust while her son was calm.

After she finished eating, her son who was not all embarrassed, quietly took her to the wash room, wiped the food particles, removed the stains, combed her hair and fitted her spectacles firmly. When they came out, the entire restaurant was watching them in silence, not able to grasp how someone could embarrass themselves publicly like that.

The son settled the bill and stated walking pout with his mother.

At that time, and old man amongst the diners called out the son and asked him, "Don't you think you have left something behind?"

The son replied, "No sir, I haven't".

The old man retorted, "Yes you have! You left a lesson for every son and hope for every mother".

Author Unknown

Expand Your Vision of Possibilities

Imagine for a moment that you have been given this one day to live - there are no yesterdays or tomorrows. If that were true, how would you experience this day differently? What would you choose to think. see, and do?

Today truly is when life's drama will unfold. We can learn from the past and plan for tomorrow, but we can't live in the past or future. The present moment is where we will experience life. This day is filled with tremendous possibilities for growth and achievement.

We can choose to dwell on yesterday's hurtful memories, or we can see through the eyes of a child - with newness, joy, and the thrill of adventure.

Pause today. Experience deeply all the sights and sounds around you. Allow yourself to feel each emotion that this day brings. Take a moment to relax and let your imagination flow without limitation. Allow the possibilities of this day to become clear in your mind.

Then walk through this day in keen awareness, mindful of the miracles and possibilities it offers. Today we can build new dreams and discover solutions to unsolved problems. There will be chances to see, hear, touch, taste, feel, laugh, and love that we've never had before.

Dale Carnegie (1888-1955) wisely said. "We all have possibilities we don't know about. We can do things we don't dream we can do."

Inside each person there are possibilities he or she has not discovered. When we rush through the day without observing our thoughts, we overlook those possibilities. Living with intentional awareness will strengthen and broaden our vision of possibilities.

This moment can de a new beginning. There will be thrilling possibilities to see if you will stop, look and listen your mind and heart. To your success"

by Steve Brunkhorst

Thoughtfulness

https://youtu.be/3zzinMV8vdI

The Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!

The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us!

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, really friendly. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage (frustration, anger, and disappointment, etc.). As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they will dump it on you.

Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...love the people who treat you right & pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Have a blessed, garbage free day.

Author Unknown

Rain

https://youtu.be/M1_qRNrNn68