Heavens Grocery Store

As I was walking down life's highway many years ago I came upon a sign that read Heavens Grocery Store.  When I got a little closer the doors swung open wide And when I came to myself  I was standing  inside.  I saw a host of Gods and Godessess.  

They were standing everywhere One handed me a basket And said "My  child shop with care." Everything a human needed was in that grocery store And what you could not carry you could come back for more First I got some  Patience.  Love was in that same row.  

Further down was Understanding,  You need that  everywhere you go.  I got a box or two of Wisdom And Faith a bag or two.  And Charity of  course I would need some of that too.  I couldn't miss these Gods and Godessess they were allover the place.  And then some Strength And Courage to help me run this race. 

My basket was getting full but I remembered I needed Grace, And then I chose Salvation for Salvation was for free I tried to get enough of that to do For you and me.  Then I started to the counter to pay my grocery bill, For I thought I had everything To do God's will. 

As I went up the aisle I saw Prayer and put that in,  For I knew when I stepped outside I would run into sin.  Peace and Joy were plentiful, The last things > on the shelf.  Song and Praise were hanging near So I just helped myself.  Then I said to the Gods and Godessess "Now how much do I owe?"  They smiled and said  "Just take them everywhere you go.

" Again I asked "Really now, How much do I owe?" "My child" they said, "God paid your bill a long long time ago." 

I've Learned 

I've learned- that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.             

I've learned-that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned- that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.  Same goes for true love.

I've learned- that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I've learned- that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I've learned- that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned- that you can keep going long after you can't.

I've learned- that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I've learned- that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I've learned- that regardless of how great relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I've learned- that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I've learned-  that money is a lousy way of keeping score

I've learned- that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I've learned- that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get backup.

I've learned- that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I've learned- that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned- that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned- that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned- that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned- that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned- that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned- that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.  It could change your life forever.

I've learned- that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally...different.

I've learned- that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I've learned- that when a friend cries out to you. you will find the strength to help.

I've learned- that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I've learned- that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

We made it!

Can't believe we made it!

If you lived as a child in the 40's, 50's, 60's or 70's. Looking back, it's hard to believe that we have lived as long as we have... As children, we would ride in cars with  no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.  

Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. (Not to mention hitchhiking to town as a young kid!) We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

Horrors. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times we learned to solve the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were  back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day.

No cell phones. Unthinkable. We played dodge ball and sometimes the ball would really hurt. We got cut and broke bones and broke teeth, and there were no law suits from these accidents.

 They were accidents. No one was to blame, but us. Remember accidents?

 We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it.

We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank sugar soda but we were never overweight...we  were always outside playing. We shared one  grape soda with four friends, from one bottle and no one died from this.

We did not have  Play  stations,  Nintendo 64,

 X-Boxes, video games at all, 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound personal cell phones, Personal Computers,

Internet chat rooms ... we had friends. We went outside and found them. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or rung the bell or just walked in and talked to them.

Imagine such a thing. Without asking a parent! By ourselves! Out there in the cold cruel world! Without a guardian.

How did we do it?

We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live inside us forever.

 Little League had tryouts and not everyone  made the team. Those who didn't, had to learn to deal with disappointment.....

Some students weren't as smart as others so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same

 grade.....Horrors.

Tests were not adjusted for any reason.

Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. No one to hide behind. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of.

They actually sided with the law, imagine that!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years has been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

And you're one of them. Congratulations!

The Lords Baseball Game

Rajiv and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord's team was  playing Devil's team. The Lord's team was at bat the score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs.

They continued to watch as a batter stepped up to the plate whose name was Love.  Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single, because Love never fails.  The next batter was named Faith, who also got a single because Faith works with Love.    The next batter up was named Godly Wisdom. The Devil wound up and threw the  first pitch. Godly wisdom looked it over and let it pass.

Ball one! Three  more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked, because Godly Wisdom never swings at  what the Devil throws.

The bases are loaded. The Lord then turns to Rajiv and  told him He was now going to bring in His star player.  Up to bat stepped Grace. Bob said "he sure doesn't look like much!" The Devil's whole team relaxed when they saw Grace.

Thinking he had won the game, The Devil wound up and fired his first pitch. To the shock of everyone, Grace hit the ball harder than anyone had ever seen.   But the Devil was not worried; his center fielder let very few get by. He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the  head and sent him crashing to the ground.  Then it continued over the fence for a home run! The Lord's team won.

The  Lord then asked Rajiv if he knew why Love, Faith, and Godly Wisdom could get  on base, but could not win the game. Rajiv answered that he did not know why.    The Lord explained, "If your love, faith, and wisdom had won the game, you  would think you had done it by yourself. Love,  Faith, and Wisdom will get  you on base, but only MY Grace can get you home.

MY Grace is the only thing  the Devil cannot steal.    " May God go before you today and show you his Grace in everything you do."

THE STRENGTH OF A MAN

The strength of a man isn't seen in the width of his shoulders -- It's in the width of his arms that circle you.

The strength of a man isn't in the deep tone of his voice -- It is in the gentle words he whispers.

The strength of a man isn't just in how many buddies he has -- It's most admirably how good a buddy he is with his kids.

The strength of a man isn't just in how respected he is at work -- It's most importantly how respected he is at home.

The strength of a man isn't in how hard he hits -- It's in how tender he touches.

The strength of a man isn't in the hair on his chest -- It's in the heart...that lies within his chest.

The strength of a man isn't how many women he's loved -- It's in his loyalty to one woman.

The strength of a man isn't in the weight he can lift -- It is in the burdens he can carry.

ATTITUDE

The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock,  with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.  Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her  tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. "I love it," she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.  "Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room .... just wait." "That doesn't have anything to do with it," she replied.  

 "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time.  Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged... it's how I arrange my mind.  I already decided to love it."It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up.  I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away ... just for this time in my life.

Old age is like a bank account .  you withdraw from what you've put in..    So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.

FAMILY

Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family, an unwise investment indeed, don't you think?  So what is behind the story? Do you know what the word FAMILY means? 

FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

True Friends

The story goes that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "Today my best friend slapped me in the face."

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "Today my best friend saved my life."

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now you write on a stone. Why?"

The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."  They say it takes a minute to find a special person an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire lifetime to forget them.

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.

Memo To Yourself 

To: YOU 
Date: TODAY

From: God  
Subject: YOURSELF 

Reference: LIFE 

I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. 

If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.

Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it.  Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for years.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend;  Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk. 

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!

F.R.O.G. (Forever Rely On GOD)

Chapter 5, Verse 26.

Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future. 

It's hard to accept, but you can't change the past. You can't go back and manipulate things to the way you wanted them to happen. Because life'd be meaningless and boring and just not worth living. But you can change the future and that's a beautiful thing about life. Yes, you will make mistakes. And yes, you will have bad days - but as long as you let the past go, you'll have such a gorgeous and bright future ahead of you. Knowing that things were meant to happen. Knowing that each day you will learn something so that you keep growing to be a better person. Life is like a rope, twined in all its complexities and yet weaved into one marvelous stream that you have the chance you use something amazing from. So grab hold of it."

F.R.O.G. (Forever Rely On GOD)

When you find that your life isn't going like you planned or how you hoped it would just remember that GOD is the maker and he has a reason for everything. It took him just seven days to make the moon and the stars, the sun and the Earth, and Jupiter and Mars. How lovingly patient he must be because he is still working on all of us.

While you wait on your turn don't pick out the bad things, pick out the good. Bring out the good in all things, but don't make things bigger than they actually are. Like GOD, work on the big things first but don't forget the little things. Our lives are like beautiful tapestries on a wall; the black strings are as important as the silver ones.

God has a plan for all of us. Believe in him and he will lead you to your destiny because he believes in all of us. Be optimistic and follow your heart. Rely on God for your map on life and he will make sure you achieve your dreams.

Satyameva Jayate

(Truth Alone Triumphs) The Self is the sun shining in the sky, The wind blowing in space; he is the fire At the altar and in the home the guest;  He dwells in human beings, in gods, in truth, And in the vast firmament; he is the fish Born in water, the plant growing in earth, The river flowing down the mountain. For this Self is supreme!

 A New Year of Time

Subject of time may prove discomforting; it is not a bad idea—especially at the beginning of a new year.

As we look into we look at a block of time. We see 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. And all is a gift from God. We have done nothing to deserve it, earn it, or purchased it. Like the air we breathe, time comes to us as a part of life. Though even thinking on the .

The gift of time is not ours alone. It is given equally to each person. Rich and poor, educated and ignorant, strong and weak—every man, woman and child has the same twenty-four hours every day.

Another important thing about time is that you cannot stop it. There is no way to slow it down, turn it off, or adjust it. Time marches on.

And you cannot bring back time. Once it is gone, it is gone. Yesterday is lost forever. If yesterday is lost, tomorrow is uncertain. We may look ahead at a full year’s block of time, but we really have no guarantee that we will experience any of it.

Obviously, time is one of our most precious possessions. We can waste it. We can worry over it. We can spend it on ourselves. Or, as good stewards, we can invest it in the kingdom of God.

The New Year is full of time. As the seconds tick away, will you be tossing time out the window, or will you make every minute count? 

A Butterfly's Lesson

One day, a small oppening appeared on a cocoon; a man sat and watched for the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Then, it seems to stop making any  progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and  it could not go any further. So the man decided to help the butterfly: he took a pair of scissors and opened the cocoon.  

The butterfly then emerged easily.  But it had a withered body, it was tiny and shrivelled wings.  The man continued to watch because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would open, enlarge and expand, to be able to support the butterfly’s body, and become firm. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a withered body and shrivelled wings. It never was able to fly.  

What the man, in his kindness and his goodwill did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening, were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.   Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need in our life. 

If God allowed us to go through our life  without any obstacles, it would  cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been. Never been able to fly.

I asked for

I asked for Strength... And God gave me  difficulties to make me strong.

Iasked for Wisdom... And God gave me Problems to solve.

I asked foI asked forr prosperity... And God gave me a Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage…..And God gave me obstacles to overcome.

I asked for Love... And God gave me Troubled  people to help.

I asked for Favors...And God gave me  Opportunities.

“I received nothing I wanted...But I received everything I needed."

Live life without fear, confront all obstacles and evince that you can overcome them.

THE HIGHER TEACHINGS

The disciple approached a master to find out about the eternal light of God. The master meditated within, and the following wisdom was revealed. The eternal light is God’s first manifestation by which this universe is created and sustained. God’s highest essence is light. Hence by inwardly seeing the divine light in meditation, the soul shines as God’s awakened son. The eternal light throughout history has incarnated as God radiant souls to teach mankind the wisdom that man’s soul exists in oneness as part of the Universal Spirit. God’s light which in an impersonal way created this universe, can take a personal form such as a spiritual awakening in man’s soul by the practice of meditation. We must have a clear steady vision to see the light. Our consciousness should be one pointed, and our mind must be empty of obstructing thoughts. In purity, silence, and aspiration the light of God will manifest during meditation.

The disciple wanted to know how God could be seen. The master entered a state of silence and received a clear answer. God can be seen by our inner eyes, but not in this changing outer world of finite matter. When man sees God’s highest spiritual form of light, he becomes a spiritual teacher with the divine work of bringing all truth seeking souls into the light. He teaches that during meditation focusing on the third eye, we are to keep our mind empty of all disturbing worldly thoughts and desires. The ultimate aim of all meditation is to realize within our true spiritual identity as separate from the movements of nature’s activities. Thus if we practice this inner silence regularly everyday, peace of mind and an awareness in the soul of God’s blissful presence will radiantly manifest. Then the door to God’s eternal kingdom will open within the truth seeker’s soul.

The disciple asked how freedom in God could be found. The master remembered what his own teacher had taught long ago. Freedom in God is the theme of the divine drama of existence. God is free because there are no limits to His expression in creation. At all times God has absolute knowledge and will to accomplish His vision. In God’s cosmic play the seed of freedom has been planted to grow in man’s soul. Man must light the flame of freedom by discovering his divine identity. Freedom comes when the chains of ignorance, limitation, and ego are broken by the sword of wisdom. Liberation causes man to live in total awareness of his soul’s oneness with the Supreme Being. Divine grace flows into the spiritual seeker who has lit the heavenly burning flame of constant aspiration. All pursuits of pleasure and happiness are in reality a reflection of the soul’s striving to find the one eternal light which brings fulfillment to life. Lasting freedom comes as an internal mystic experience to the aspirant who has dedicated his whole life as an offering to the Divine. The liberated soul is in direct contact with God’s presence, will, and knowledge. His vision spans the galaxies throughout the eternal cosmic cycles. The little ego is dead and has been replaced by the active divine witness who now guides and commands the life of the emancipated sage. The wall of separation between the soul and the Supreme Being has disappeared, and only the bliss of divine oneness and love eternally remain.

The disciple wanted to know how such freedom could be lived daily. The master waited for divine inspiration to express itself in these words. Freedom has to be lived in God everyday of the year throughout one’s life. Each day of the year must present a new opportunity to discover and experience God’s reality. By aspiring to live the spiritual adventure, a divine transformation will take place in our life. God’s freedom is always here. All we have to do to realize this is to remove the obstacles of desire, ego, and ignorance in order to let the divine sun shine through the soul. The true aim of man’s existence is to pursue and discover oneness with God through meditation and devotion. By centering the consciousness on the divine ideal, the aspirant at last realizes and becomes one with the Supreme Being. True freedom is found only in the heart filled with God. Where there is eternal love, infinite wisdom, and creative power there is freedom in God.

The disciple wanted to find the way to realize truth. The master, from his many years of experience, gave the solution. To realize truth one must inquire Who Am I. Realization is the goal that is reached when the seeker knows his identity. To realize the highest goal, the seeker must practice such spiritual disciplines as prayer, renunciation, self inquiry, and meditation. Truth is the target which all of man’s strivings try to reach. Truth is eternal because it is a quality that is the essence of both God and man’s immortal soul. When the mystic discovers that his real nature is being a part of God’s oneness that is the final truth. When the devotee finds that a divine power pervades the universe that is the living truth. When the saint understands that a Cosmic Mind exercises its will to direct all of creation that is the eternal truth. Truth is man’s destination because all souls are growing toward the light of God’s sun. The search for truth must become the guiding principle in man’s whole existence.

The disciple asked how to find the truth since man’s mind is unsteady. The master smiled and gave this advice. Each moment of the day man must ask where is God to be found. Truth can be realized only in a mind that is at peace. The seeker must learn by practice how to reduce his thoughts to zero so that he can become the silent witness observer. This is the way to find the truth by experiencing the divine presence which manifests in the void of man’s expanded silent consciousness. To realize the truth you must hear within the divine call to wake up, search for, and finally discover the truth of God’s reality in this very lifetime. There is no time to waste for the soul that understands that a higher reality waits to be discovered which alone can give man lasting peace and happiness. Meditation is the spiritual beacon that guides and inspires aspirants along the journey leading to self realization.

The disciple was puzzled about where is the point when God and man meet. The master searched deep within his consciousness to present these spiritual teachings. The God point is the supreme moment in the life of the mystic when he reaches union with the Divine. This spiritual state happens when the arrow of man’s soul flies straight into the divine target. God is at the center of existence. But the normal consciousness is obstructed from seeing truth by the veil of nature’s world of matter. The problem to be solved by man is how to return to his original state of pure existence. To be aware of a problem is the first step in approaching its solution. First man must believe that reaching God is the true meaning of his brief life on earth. Hence man must make God the target of his aspiration. The arrow which man shoots toward the God target is his practice of spiritual discipline. The most powerful arrow to shoot at the God target comes from meditation’s bow. Man must concentrate his mind on hitting the divine center of existence. The speed and accuracy of man’s spiritual arrow depend upon his soul’s aspiration and devotion. Aspiration gives the soul’s arrow power, but devotion is the magnet that attracts it to hitting the God target. The God point is when the arrow of man’s soul merges with the target of divine consciousness. When the God point occurs the mystic experiences union with God’s light, bliss, power, peace, and wisdom. Then the soul becomes a realized point of divine sunlight.

The disciple wanted an explanation about what is the divine target. The master saw the answer by intuition and presented the teachings in this clear form. The divine target is like a wheel having spokes radiating from the hub’s center. The spiritual disciplines of meditation, devotion, discrimination, and dedicated action are like spokes that all lead back into the wheel’s hub. Life is like a wheel spinning with 365 spokes through space each year. Be it through meditation, devotion, discrimination, or dedicated action the soul’s arrow when accurately aimed will pierce the divine target. When the God point is reached, the soul arrow and the divine target become of one essence. The aspirant must lift the bow of meditation, shoot the soul arrow, and merge with the God point. When the God point is known, then the soul experiences infinite peace, power, divine bliss, light, and wisdom. The supreme goal is reached when the awakened soul flies straight into the God point’s divine target. The disciple theoretically understood the master’s teachings but needed some practical examples in life to make the abstract more concrete. The master decided to make his teachings easier by presenting them in the form of God stories in which ordinary people were confronted by the challenges of life and managed to realize the divine presence.

SFGTD (something for God to do) 

If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.

Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it.  Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege

Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for years.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend;  Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk. 

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!  

Love, Wealth and Suscess

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat."  Is the man of the house home?", they asked. No", she replied. "He's out."  "Then we cannot come in", they replied. In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.  "Go tell them I am home and invite them in!"  The woman went out and invited the men in"   "We do not go into a House together," they replied.  "Why is that?" she asked.  One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!"  His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love?  Our home will then be filled with love!"  "Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife.  "Go out and invite Love to be our guest."The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love?  Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?" The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!"

MY WISH FOR YOU

Where there is pain, I wish you peace and mercy.

Where there is self-doubting, I wish you a renewed confidence in your ability to work through it.

Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I wish you understanding, patience and renewed strength.  Where there is fear, I wish you love, and courage.

Moments

Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God.  Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God.  Every moment, thank God.

Have you ever been just sitting there and all of a sudden you feel like doing something nice for someone you care for... THAT'S GOD...

He talks to you through the Holy Spirit.Have you ever been down and out and nobody seems to be around for you to talk to...THAT'S GOD...

He wants you to talk to Him.  Have you ever been thinking about somebody that you haven't seen in a long time and then next thing you know you see them or receive a phone call from them...THAT'S GOD... there is no such thing as "coincidence."

Have you ever received something wonderful that you didn't even ask for, like money in the mail, a debt that had mysteriously been cleared, or a coupon to a department store where you had just seen something you wanted, but couldn't afford..  THAT'S GOD... He knows the desires of your heart...

Have you ever been in a situation and you had no clue how it is going to get better, but now you look back on it... THAT'S GOD... He passes us through tribulation to see a brighter day...

True Friends

The greatest pain in life

The greatest pain in life is not to die, but to be ignored.

To lose the person you love so much to another who doesn't care at all.

To have people think that you don't care.

The greatest pain in life, is not to die, but to be forgotten.

To never get a call from a friend, just saying "hi".

When you show someone your innermost thoughts and they laugh in your face.

For friends to always be too busy to console you when you need someone to lift your spirits.

When it seems like the only person who cares about you, is you.

Life is full of pain, but does it ever get better?

Will people ever care about each other, and make time for those who are in need?

Each of us has a part to play in this great show we call life.

Each of us has a duty to mankind to tell our friends we love them.

If you do not care about your friends you will not be punished.

You will simply be ignored...forgotten...as you have done to others.

Today

Today I will delete from my diary two days: yesterday and tomorrow, Yesterday was to learn and tomorrow will be the consequence of what I can do today.

Today I will face life with the conviction that this day will not ever return.

Today is the last opportunity I have to live intensely, as no one can assure me
 that I will see tomorrow's sunrise.

Today I will be brave enough not to let any opportunity pass me by, my only alternative is to succeed.

Today I will invest my most valuable resource:my time, in the most transcendental work: my life;

I will spend each minute passionately to make of today a different
 and unique day in my life.

Today I will defy every obstacle that appears on my way trusting I will succeed.

Today I will resist pessimism and will conquer the world with a smile, with the positive attitude of expecting always the best.

Today I will make of every ordinary task a sublime _expression,

Today I will have my feet on the ground understanding reality and the stars' gaze to invent my future.

Today I will take the time to be happy and will leave my footprints and my      presence in the hearts of others.

Today, I invite you to begin a new season where we can dream that everything we undertake is possible and we fulfill it, with joy and dignity.

          {SMILE} 

     Have a good day and

      a better one tomorrow!

 "HELLO" means:

H = How are you?

E = Everything all right?

L = Like to hear from you

 L = Love to see you soon

O = Oh, and don't forget to write......

So, HELLO ...........!

 It has made me smile every time I say hello since then...