To My Wife

I woke up this morning and thanked GOD as tears of joy filled my eyes. He has blessed me beyond words! I thought about how many times I had ignored him but he never ignored me. I am living proof that GOD never leaves his children. I thought of the many times I could have died and he protected me and now he has given me my most precious gifts, an amazing wife and daughter. I want you both to know that walking with you each by my side and holding your hands is heaven on earth for me. Now I know what soul mate is, it is when GOD gives you that special person and allows the TWO TO BECOME ONE! I have been blessed beyond words and I owe everything to GOD. I will do as he says and cherish and take care of you always for you are the greatest gift I have ever received in this life, I LOVE YOU MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE!

Little Boy Inside

My uncle made these 8mm movies of me when I was a boy. I am grateful to him for that because it is really neat to see yourself as a young kid once you are grown.  When I watched these movies there were several things I thought about. First I thought how very lucky I was to have had such a wonderful loving mother. She is so much a part of me and for that I am blessed. My heart aches when I think of people who may not have been as fortunate to have such love. Another thing I thought about was how pure we are as children and how every day is full of wonder and beauty. Every day is filled with epiphanies, when we suddenly see things in a new or clear way. As we grow older we face more responsibilities, difficulties, and struggles. Epiphanies seem to occur less and less as we get older. But if we try, we can still tap into that little girl or Little Boy Inside.

 

Glory To God!

THE BEST PRESENT

I often comment that I have a bad memory because there are so many things I can’t remember such as names, people, and events from my past. I remember my Grandfather could remember everything, birthdays of distant cousins, the names of everyone he ever met along with details, and he remembered more of my childhood than I did. I know we have the same genes so I wondered; why is my memory so bad while his was so good? Maybe it is because he paid more attention to the details. Maybe he was totally present wherever he was.

Years ago I had a job where they made everyone take a class on multi-tasking. I am sure someone made a fortune teaching this and it is still a big deal in companies today. People are expected to juggle multiple tasks all the time and be successful doing all of them. What’s wrong with just working on one thing at a time until it’s finished? And it’s not like we don’t have enough distractions. You see people checking their cell phone for messages or emails while buying groceries or even when they are talking with someone. A lot of our thoughts are reflecting on the past or contemplating the future. It is amazing how often I am thinking of the past or the future while the present moment is slipping away. Maybe this has a part in why my memory is so bad, I was not truly present.

I think the best gift you can give to someone is to be truly present for them. Maybe it’s the best gift you can give yourself. Is it possible that a lot of problems could be solved, relationships strengthened maybe even saved by being truly present? Sometimes I think life is so simple, we just find ways to complicate it like with multi-tasking.

I think about our family reunions and how special they were. I did not think at the time that they would end or people would pass away. But things are changing every second, nothing stays the same. I am going to try to be more present because every moment is special and you never know when those special moments will end. Being present for those you care about and to experience and remember those special moments to the fullest is THE BEST PRESENT you can give others and yourself!

Damaged Goods

I am somewhat of a perfectionist. Most people when buying something new will tend to pick the one without any flaws such as scratches, etc. I remember when I bought this car I really wanted, a white corvette. I thought it was flawless. I would always be careful where I parked it so it would not get any scratches or dings. If I came out of the store and someone was parked close to me I would always check to see if their door may have hit my car. Then one day I was washing my car and there it was.. a ding, and then I found a scratch and another. The damage had been done. But a funny thing happened. I experienced a sense of relief; no longer did I have to worry about that first imperfection. I actually could enjoy the car more. You see we all have been damaged in some way; spiritually, physically, emotionally… We are all imperfect. Realizing this, if we can be a little less judgmental and a little more compassionate then we may enhance the lives of others as well as ourselves. How would the world be changed if we embraced imperfections instead of shunning them? Would there be more love? “Imperfection leads to growth, for without it there would be no reason to improve” (D.Walls). Imperfection is not always bad, sometimes things that are DAMAGED may still be GOOD. J

Love Makes All the Colors Look Good

Last night I came home after a long day at work and got ready to feed my dog. I had bought a new dog food to try that was supposed to be healthy and for older dogs. I opened it and filled her bowl. Then I saw it, all different colors. I thought here we go. You see, before when her dog food was different colors she would pick certain ones out and lay them on the floor and not eat them. After she was done I would clean up the mess. Well sure enough she started to pick out certain colors and lay them on the floor. My first reaction after a long day was to feel a little perturbed. Then I paused for a moment and thought what if I petted her while she was eating, maybe she would associate the good feeling with the eating and do something different. I gently petted her and saw her tail begin to wag as she was eating, so I knew I was not disturbing her. I did this for a minute or two and walked away. When I came back a few minutes later, to my surprise, she had eaten all of her food, even the ones she had picked out and laid on the floor. Then I thought, maybe love makes all the colors look good.

MY DOG - Life's Little Blessings

I could not sleep tonight

Thoughts racing through my head

I looked up and saw my dog

Asleep at the foot of my bed

I thought how lucky I am

To have such a friend

She accepts me as I am

And is loyal to no end

I can watch her and feel peace

Other times I feel joy

She can even make me laugh

As she plays with her favorite toy

She is a little blessing from God

That makes me feel like I've won a prize

I realize they are all around us

If we just pause and open our eyes

That what we fear most will meet us half way!

I heard these words this morning in a song. It is one of those classic rock lines that can provoke thought, well it did mine anyway. I thought how true it is, you know someone who is always in fear of losing their job and they lose it, someone in fear of losing their mate and they lose them, and on & on. Fear is an emotion brought about by our thoughts. Our thoughts are so important because they tend to materialize into reality. So if what we fear will meet us half way, maybe what we desire or yearn for will meet us half way also. Guard your thoughts and think of good things and let these good things meet you half way and become your reality!