Spiritwalk hosts

Thought for Today Archive

July 1998 (Partial)

July 4, 1998

by Robert Louis Stevenson


1. Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure
in simple things.

2. Make the best of your circumstances. No one has
everything, and everyone has something of sorrow
intermingled with gladness of life. The trick is to
make the laughter outweigh the tears.

3. Don't take yourself too seriously. Don't think that
somehow you should be protected from misfortune
that befalls other people.

4. You can't please everybody. Don't let criticism worry
you.

5. Don't let your neighbor set your standards. Be yourself.

6. Do the things you enjoy doing but stay out of debt.

7. Never borrow trouble. Imaginary things are harder
to bear than real ones.

8. Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish jealousy,
enmity, grudges. Avoid people who make you unhappy.

9. Have many interests. If you can't travel, read about new
places.

10. Don't hold post-mortems. Don't spend your time
brooding over sorrows or mistakes. Don't be one
who never gets over things.

11. Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.

12. Keep busy at something. A busy person never has
time to be unhappy.

July 5, 1998

One morning, a young man came to the Master
saying, "Master, I wish to understand my path on
earth better. I wish to know why it is that I seem
to carry my past and re-live it again and again.
Why is it that I cannot get past my past?"

The Master smiled at the young man who seemed
to be earnestness itself. "Go forward into the Maze
in the garden. But carry this backpack as you
walk the maze. It will help you stay focused and
balanced. Be careful as it is
quite heavy though," the Master said.

The young man took the backpack from the Master
who handed it over quite easily. But when the young
man had it firmly in his grasp he was
astonished at how heavy it really was! Placing
the shoulder straps over his arms and
bent over from the sheer weight of the pack,
he strode towards the Maze. He was
surprised to see it was not a garden maze, but
was built of silk panels that
were nearly translucent.

The young man paused before entering the maze
and then stood and walked into
it. Immediately he found himself facing a solid wall
of silk. However, he could see just enough through
the silk to other areas of the maze to make out
others there at the same time. He could "see"
them and hear them but they were not part of his
path.

The weight upon his shoulders reminded him of why
he was there, so he put the thoughts of the others
out of his head. Walking forward, he found
himself hopelessly trapped. It seemed that no
matter which direction he walked, there
was no way to proceed forward. Baffled the young
man sat down and pondered his situation.

'The Master told me to walk the maze but it seems
unwalk-able. Yet, there are others here who are
obviously ahead of me. They must have figured out a
way to get through this section. How did they do that?
Are they smarter than I am? Did they cheat? Did they
crawl under the silk, as that would be really a
simple matter and who would ever know?'

The young man weighed his options and then
rose, deciding to not sneakunder the silk. As
he stood and turned, an opening appeared before
him as though by magic and he moved forward.

Soon, he faced another series of solid silk panels
and could see no opening or direction to walk
other than the one he had come from. Again he
sat down and thought of his situation. He had
gotten through the first test he felt, by
reflecting upon his options and then choosing to
take the one that was for his highest good.
Stating again his affirmation that he would desire to
walk the maze only with positive intent he stood,
ready to face his opening. But none
was there. He still faced a blank series of panels.

The young man was baffled. He had felt that surely
he would be rewarded as before for his desire to
proceed only within his highest good.

The weight of his backpack cut into his shoulders,
bringing him sharply back to reality. What was it
that weighed so much? What had the Master placed
in it to weigh it down? Rocks? Bricks? It did not
feel hard and unforgiving like those items, it felt soft
yet heavy. What could possibly be soft and
yielding yet heavy enough to weigh him down like this?


Pulling the backpack off of his shoulders, he opened
it and peaked inside. 'The Master did not tell to not look
he reasoned. It was EMPTY! Yet it had weight!

'How could this be', he wondered. Picking it back up,
he again felt how heavy it was yet it was empty!
Again he glanced inside and this time felt
with his hands. Empty!

But the weight!!!

Placing it upon his shoulders he stood.
He asked himself what it was
that he had just learned from this experience.

He heard a voice clearly say, 'Look inside of you,
young man, for the weight
lies there,' he was told.

As he walked he looked at his life and his path.
He thought of his childhood
and the friends and enemies who had caused him
harm. He thought of how stuck
he had been by their feelings of him, their attitudes
towards him. He remembered how angry he was
with one particular boy who had taunted him
unmercifully. This boy was hated to this day by
the young man. The pack became even heavier
as the student re-created and re-lived the
experience within his mind and heart.

'Ahhhh. I understand now. I carry the weight of
that which burdens me. I am
the weight! I therefore have it within me to
unburden myself as well. The
student was joyous with this insight and then saw
and walked his way through
a series of panels of silk.

He thought of how he could unburden the weight
of those he still despised and
resented for their treatment of him. He knew that
they were not there with him in the maze so he
could not expect them to say, 'I am sorry" and
thus lessen the weight and allow him to go forward easily.

"I forgive you, wherever you are,' he found himself
saying to his own amazement. The weight of the
pack lessened immediately and he was able
to walk without bending forward at the waist.

'Ah ha!' the young one exclaimed. 'Through my
intent to forgive, I unburden myself of this weight
which hinders my journey. But how can this be? For
they were the ones who wronged me.
Yet my forgiving of them unweights me?' The
young one's head swum with the implications.
And another series of openings
appeared before him in the panels of silk.
His pack was considerably lighter,
but still weighed enough for his mind to stay
focused upon it.

'Oh, Great Spirit, I ask you to help me see
what it is that you are showing me here.
How do I make my way through this maze?
How do I release myself of the
full weight that I carry with me?' It was at that
moment that a beam of
sunlight hit him squarely in the face,
warming him.

He suddenly realized that his pack had
lightened again with the warmth of the sun!

'What does this mean, God? Why do you lighten
my pack with sunlight? What are you showing me?'

It was then that he found himself re-membering a
"woman" that he had kissed when he was thirteen.
It was his first kiss of adulthood and he remembered
her clearly. His heart raced with the remembrance
of her taste upon his lips and his love for her.
His pack lightened considerably this time.

'Thank you God for your considerable wisdom
in this. I see now how I am to unburden myself
completely. It is through my loving AND

forgiving those who have been in my way
and have wronged me previously. It is not their
wronging of me that has hindered me.
It is my holding on to that wronging that
has stopped me. By seeing myself as one
who has been wronged, I could not go
forward in the maze. And by seeing myself
as one who was without love, I could not lessen
the weight of the pack. As I forgive and bring love
within me, I make my journey easier.'

The young man felt his heart swell in size as
he felt these insights. He felt
his heart race with joy, as it knew its
lesson to him was being heard.

The pack weighed nothing now and the young
man took it off and held it lightly in his hands.
He stood before a solid silk wall now and could
see neither an opening nor his way to where
he had just come from. He was surrounded
by solid silk!

However, instead of panicking, he sat and
breathed in this mantra:

"I Am the light and the Way. I carry within
me all manner of healing and
knowing. It is through this healing and knowing
that I make my way
through this earthly maze. I am able to carry
forth of the journey through this maze
and I am able to release my entrapment.
I alone have the ability to solve
this riddle and I ask now to have it done.
I breathe in full acceptance of my
path and its possibilities, God. I recognize
that I was the impediment, not
anyone or anything else. I am LIGHT and
I am LOVE. Thus being so FREES
me and allows me to soar above the physical
realm. In this I re-discover myself which is my True Self,
God. Thank you for helping me to see this. I so
love you."

At this, the young man felt his feet rise slightly
above the earth! He floated above the silk panels
and could clearly see the others stuck
within the maze.

Their darknesses were carried around in their
own packs and held them stuck.
His head swum with the implications of what
was happening to him at that
moment. But he focused not on that, but on the
fact that he was flying! He was soaring! He was
above the earth in his lightness! He was
outside of the Maze! Spying the ground
around the maze, he thought of being there
and staying outside of the maze. And at once,
he was. By thinking it and seeing it, it became.

The Master was at his side as he touched down.
"Master, thank you for placing my weight so
severely upon my shoulders as
you did. Were it not so heavy, I would have gladly
carried it longer and longer for it would have not
hindered me all that much. But as it weighed me
down so greatly, I had to get rid of the weight first
before I could do anything else.
"
"How did you free yourself of your weight,
my son?" the Master asked.
His face was alight with joy and love
as he did so. " I found myself forgiving
those who had wronged me, Master. It was my
pain in response to their actions that made me
hold on to the pain inside of myself.
When I let it go, Master, I watched it soar
away from me and felt myself
growing lighter." The student's face shone
with love as he spoke.

"Ah," said the Master. "And what of the
maze itself? That is impossibleto
walk through. There is no way out."


"Oh, Master. The most beautiful thing happened.
I began to fly after losing the weight. I saw
myself as light and love itself as I found it within
me to forgive and forget those that had harmed me,
had wronged me. It was my darkness that had
caused my weight and it was my lightness that freed me
to fly. By BEING light and love, I floated,
Master and found myself outside
of the maze. I was freed from its confines;
above its entrapments. Master, I see
now that I cause my own weight, that
hold me down. That I keep me
trapped in my past. That I, alone, am responsible
for the manner in which I walk this
maze. By releasing those entrapping thoughts,
those weighting down feelings and allowing me
to feel love and light, I soared above it all. Did I do
wrong by getting out of the maze in this way,
Master?" The young man was
earnestness itself as he awaited the Master's answer.

"What do YOU feel, young one?" the Master
answered with a smile. "Do YOU
feel freed from the Maze?"

With that, the Master strode away before
hearing the young one's reply.
He knew that whatever the young one
answered would give him further insight
as to his own journey. And this is as it should be.

Unknown

July 6, 1998

The junior high school principal had a
problem with some girls
who were starting to use lipstick.
When applying it in the
bathroom they would blot their lips
on the mirrors, leaving lip prints.

So he spoke to the teachers and
asked them for their help.
They promised they would speak
to the girls, but after two weeks,
the sitiation didn't improve at all.

He even called a few of the girls
parents who were his friends for
their advice, but to no avail.
The mirrors were constantly a mess.

Finally he thought of a way to stop it.
One day he gathered together
all the girls who wore lipstick.
He then took them into the
bathroom and lectured about how hard
it was to clean the lipstick off the mirrors.

You could see the young girls
smiling at each other, all
nodding publicly but smirking
to one another.

The principle then asked the
custodian, who was present,
to demonstrate how difficult
it was to clean the mirrors.

The custodian took a long
handled brush, dipped it into the
toilet and vigorously
rubbed the lipstick off the mirror.

From that day forward,
the mirrors stayed lipstick free.

July 7, 1998

Ten Commandments of Getting Ahead in Life"


1. Speak to People.
Even if you do not know their names. Nothing is as nice
as a cheerful word of greeting.

2. Smile at People.
It takes 72 muscles to frown and only 14 to smile. Your
smile is one of your finest assets. Use It!

3. Call People by Name.
The sweetest music to anyone's ears is the sound of
his/her own name.

4. Be Friendly and Helpful.
If you want have friends, *be* one.

5. Be Genuinely Interested in People.
If you try, you can like everybody, and everybody will like you.

6. Seek Out the Little People.
Do not limit yourself to a few friends when there so many
likable people around you.

7. Be Generous with Praise.
And cautious with criticism. Who among us does not need
the understanding and tolerance of all our friends.

8. Be Considerate of the Feelings of Others.
Usually there are three sides to a controversy - yours, the
other person's, and the right one.

9. Be Alert to give Service.
What we do for others counts most in life.

10. Add to this a Good Sense of Humor...
A generous dose of patience, a dash of humility, and you
will receive many-fold blessings.

July 8, 1998

USE WORDS IF NECESSARY

His name was Bill. He had wild hair,
wore a T-shirt with holes in it,
jeans and no shoes. This was literally his
wardrobe for his entire
four years of college. He was brilliant --
Kind of esoteric, and very, very
bright. Bill had become a Christian
while attending college.

Across the street from the campus was
a well-dressed, very conservative
church. This church wanted to develop a
ministry to the students, but
they were not sure how to go about it.
One day Bill decided to go
there. He walked in the Church with no
shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and
wild hair. The service had already started,
and Bill started down the
aisle looking for a seat. The building was
completely packed -- Bill
couldn't find a seat anywhere.

The people were looking a bit uncomfortable
as Bill got closer and closer and closer to the
pulpit, but no one said anything. Bill
realized that there were no seats, so he just
squatted down right on the carpet.
(Although perfectly acceptable behavior
at a college fellowship, trust me, this had never
happened in this church before!)

By now, the people were really uptight,
and the tension was thick in the air.

It was about this time that the minister
realized that a deacon was
slowly making his way toward Bill from
the very back of the church.

The deacon was in his eighties.
He had silver-gray hair, a three-piece
suit, and a pocket watch --- A godly man
who was very elegant, very
dignified, and very courtly. The old deacon
walked with a cane. As
the deacon started walking toward this boy,
everyone was saying to
themselves, "You can't blame the old man
for what he's going to do."
How can you expect a man of his age and
of his background to understand
some college kid on the floor?

It seemed like it took forever for the old man
to reach the boy, yet
the church remained utterly silent --
except for the clicking of the
man's cane. All eyes were focused on him,
and you couldn't even hear anyone
breathing. The people were thinking,
"The minister can't even preach
the sermon until the deacon does
what he has to do."

When the old man got to Bill, he dropped
his cane on the floor, and
with great difficulty lowered himself to sit
down on the floor next to Bill.

The old man had come to worship with
Bill so he wouldn't be alone.
Everyone was choked up with emotion.
When the minister gained control
he said, "What I'm about to preach, you will
never remember, but what
you have just seen, you will never forget."


Thanks to Diana Reynolds for Todays "Thought"

July 9, 1998

Remember that the sole life which a man can lose
is that which he is living at the moment.
~Marcus Aurelius (200BC)

Man is born to live
and not to prepare to live.
~Boris Pasternack (1900's)

No man can have a peaceful life who
thinks too much about lengthening it.
~Seneca (100AD)

All of the animals excepting man knows that
the principal business of life is to enjoy it.
~Samuel Burler (1900's)

Animals have these advantages over man:
they never hear the clock strike,
they die without any idea of death,
they have no theologians to instruct them,
their last moments are not disturbed by
unwelcome and unpleasant ceremonies,
their funeral cost them nothing,
and no one starts lawsuits over their wills.
~Voltaire (1700's)

The average man,
who does not know what to do with his life,
wants another one which will last forever.
~Anatole France (1900's)

Do you think a bird lives in fear of dying?
It meets death when death comes;
but it is not concerned about death,
it is much too occupied with living...
It is we human beings who are always
concerned about death - because we are not living.
~Krishnamurti (1900's)



July 10, 1998

The best portion of a good man's life is his little nameless,
unremembered acts
of kindness and love.
~William Wordswworth

Do not keep the alabaster boxes
of your love and tenderness
sealed up until your friends are dead.
Fill their lives with sweetness...
speak approving, cheering words
while their ears can hear them and
their hearts be thrilled by them.,..
~Henry Ward Beecher

Whether a man really loves God
can be determined
by the love he bears his fellow men.
~Levi Vitzok

There is nothing which cannot be borne
with cheerful alacrity
by those who love one another.
~Saint Theresa of Avila

July 11, 1998

For too many of us, being true to ourselves presents
difficulties. We fear that, in so doing, we might expose
ourselves to ridicule, or worse, rejection. So we play it
safe. We create disguises and orchestrate little routines
of nonchalance to hide behind. We play the sophisticate
or remain aloof, trusting that these facades will shield us
from piercing eyes. We do this in spite of our hope that
there will be someone who will not accept our artifices.
Ironically, the person we are attempting to cover up is
precisely the one that others are seeking. The real us is
far better than anything we can concoct. The true measure
of being loved is that we are not fearful of showing others
who we are. In so doing, what we feel we have lost in
image, we have gained tenfold in respect and trust.

I recall a novelist describing one of his characters as "not so
much a human as a civil war." Those of us who have fought
the battle between who we are and what we feel we must be
to be loved, will surely identify with that character.

If we are ever to know love in our lives, we must be willing
to reveal ourselves to the people we hold at arm's length
or from whom we have vigorously tried to protect ourselves.
Actually, there is nothing to hide.

--Leo F. Buscaglia

*******

Oh, the miraculous energy that flows between two
people who care enough to get beyond surfaces
and games, who are willing to take the risks of
being totally open, of listening, of responding with
the whole heart. How much we can do for each
other.

--Alex Noble

July 12, 1998

Love Quiz

Asking yourself questions and answering
them honestly is a good path to self-knowledge.
In keeping with this idea,
I'd like to propose a few end-of-the-day
questions for each of us:

* Is anyone a little happier because I came along today?

* Did I leave any concrete evidence of my kindness,
any sign of my love?

* Did I think of someone I know in a more positive light?

* Did I help someone to feel joy, to laugh,
or at least, to smile?

* Have I attempted to remove a little of the rust
that is corroding my relationships?

* Have I forgiven others for being less than perfect?

* Have I forgiven myself?

* Have I learned something new about life, living,
or love?

If you are not satisfied with your answers,
take heart! Tomorrow, you get to start all
over again. If you will it,
this is one quiz you can never fail!


---Leo F. Buscaglia

July 13, 1998

AT DAY'S END

Is anybody happier because you
passed his way? Does anyone remember
that you spoke to him today?
The day is almost over, and its toiling
time is through; Is there anyone to utter
now a kindly word of you?
Can you say tonight, in parting with the
day that's slipping fast, That you helped a
single brother of the many that you passed?
Is a single heart rejoicing over what you
did or said; Does the man whose hopes were
fading, now with courage look ahead?
Did you waste the day, or lose it?
Was it well or sorely spent?
Did you leave a trail of kindness,
or a scar of discontent?
As you close your eyes in slumber,
do you think that God will say,
"You have earned one more tomorrow
by the work you did today"?
~~John Hall~~

Thanks to Michelle for todays
"Thought for Today"

July 14, 1998


It is quite possible to reach God.
In fact, it is very easy,
because it is the most natural thing in the world.


The cost of giving is receiving.


Having rests on giving,
and not on getting.


You must have noticed an outstanding characteristic
of every end that the ego has accepted as its own.
When you have achieved it, it has not satisfied you.
That is why the ego is forced to shift ceaselessly
from one goal to another, so that you will continue
to hope it can yet offer you something.


A sense of separation from God
is the only lack you really need correct.


If you knew Who walks beside you
on the way that you have chosen,
fear would be impossible.


Your worth is not established by teaching or learning.
Your worth is established by God.
Nothing you do or think or wish or make
is necessary to establish your worth.


You are the work of God,
and His work is wholly lovable and wholly loving.
This is how a man must think of himself in his heart,
because this is what he is.


Guilt is a sure sign that
your thinking is unnatural.


Your task is not to seek for love,
but merely to seek and find all of the barriers
within yourself that you have built against it.
It is not necessary to seek for what is true,
but it is necessary to seek for what is false.
... all forgiveness is a gift to yourself.


When you have accepted your mission
to extend peace,
you will find peace,
for by making it manifest you will see it.


There is a place in you where there is perfect peace.
There is a place in you where nothing is impossible.
There is a place in you where the strength of God abides.


The only aspect of time that is eternal is now.
... now is the closest approximation of eternity
that this world offers. It is in the reality of now,
without past or future,
that the beginning of the appreciation of eternity lies.


When any situation arises which tempts you
to become disturbed, say:
"There is another way of looking at this."


What you see reflects your thinking.
And your thinking but reflects your choice
of what you want to see.


Peace of mind is clearly an internal matter.
It must begin with your own thoughts
and then extend outward.
It is from your peace of mind
that a peaceful perception of the world arises.


What you acknowledge in your brother,
you are acknowledging in yourself,
and what you share,
you strengthen.


You have the right to all the universe;
to perfect peace,
complete deliverance from all effects of sin,
and to the life eternal,
joyous and complete in every way...


It is sure that those who hold grievances
will suffer guilt,
as it is certain that those who forgive
will find peace.


You are not capable of being tired,
but you are very capable of wearying yourself.
The strain of constant judgment is intolerable.


When you have learned how to decide with God,
all decisions become as easy and as right as breathing.
There is no effort, and you will be led as gently
as if you were being carried down a quiet path in summer.


To heal is to be happy.


Your holiness reverses all of the laws of the world.
It is beyond every restriction of time, space, distance,
and limits of any kind.


Miracles are natural.
When they do not occur,
something has gone wrong.

July 15, 1998

Promise yourself to be so strong
That nothing can disturb
your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity
To every person you meet.

To help all your friends feel
That there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything
And make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best,
To work only for the best
and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success
of others
As you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
And press on to the greater achievements
of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance
at all times
And give every living creature you meet
a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement
of yourself
That you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry,
Too noble for anger,
too strong for fear

And too happy to permit the
presence of trouble.


--Stardust

July 16, 1998

~To Touch The Heart~

To touch the heart of someone dear --
though it might sometimes cause a tear
to fall or rest upon the cheek -
Should be something all should seek.

For often hearts -- not touched at all --
start hardening and shrinking small.
And then the time -- it takes to grow
A loving heart -- is very slow.

For hearts expand as those who care --
extend their love and -- let us share
a moment, space or special phrase
that eases pain on dreary days.
Or simply starts our lips to smile
and brightens time for just a while.

July 17, 1998

UNDERSTAND YOURSELF

It is admirable to consider how many millions of people come into,
and go out of, the world, ignorant of themselves and of the world
they have lived in.
William Penn (1600's)

He who conquers others is strong;
He who conquers himself is mighty.
Lao-tse (500 B.C.)

Space flights are merely an escape, a
fleeing away from oneself,
because it is easier to go to mars
or to the moon than it is to
penetrate one's own being.
Carl Jung (1900's)

Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.
Sigmund Freud (1900's)

Without self-knowledge you cannot pay
complete attention. That is
why, in a real school, the student
must not only be taught various
subjects but also helped to be
aware of the process of his own
thinking. In understanding himself
he will know what it is to pay
attention without resistance,
for the understanding of oneself is
the way of meditation.
Krishnamurti (1900's)

There are three Things extremely hard,
Steel, a Diamond. and to know
one's self.
Benjamin Franklin (1700's)

It is in the ability to deceive oneself
that one shows the greatest talent.
Anatole France (1900's)

We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.
Goethe (1800's)

I am the only person in the world
I should like to know thoroughly.
Oscar Wilde (1800's)

Thanks to Neal Rosen for Today's "Thought"

July 18, 1998

ANGELS UNAWARE

It was a rainy night in New Orleans
At a bus station in the town,
I watched a young girl weeping
As her baggage was taken down.

It seems she'd lost her ticket
Changing buses in the night.
She begged them not to leave her there
With no sign of help in sight.

The bus driver had a face of stone
And his heart was surely the same.
"Losing your ticket's like losing cash money" he said,
and left her in the rain.

Then an old Indian man stood up
And blocked the driver's way
And would not let him pass before
He said what he had to say.

"How can you leave that girl out there?
Have you no God to fear?
You know she had a ticket.
You can't just leave her here.

You can't put her out in a city
Where she doesn't have a friend.
You will meet your schedule,
But she might meet her end."

The driver showed no sign
That he'd heard or even cared
About the young girl's problem
Or how her travels fared.

So the old gentleman said,
"For her fare I'll pay.
I'll give her a little money
To help her on her way."

He went and bought the ticket
And helped her to her place
And helped her put her baggage
In the overhead luggage space.

"How can I repay," she said,
"the kindness you've shown tonight?
We're strangers who won't meet again
A mere ' 'thank you ' doesn't seem right."

He said, "What goes around comes around.
This I've learned with time -
What you give, you always get back;
What you sow, you reap in kind.

Always be helpful to others
And give what you can spare;
For by being kind to strangers,
We help angels unaware."

July 19, 1998

Todays "Thought for Today is a web page.
Just click on the address below and it will
take you right into it.........

http://www.amaonline.com/mrmom/color_of_friendship.htm

This is what you found there


The Colors of Friendship

Once upon a time
the colors of the world started to quarrel.
All claimed that they were the best.
The most important.
The most useful.
The favorite.


GREEN said:
"Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. I was chosen
for grass, trees and leaves. Without me, all animals would die. Look over the
countryside and you will see that I am in the majority."

BLUE interrupted:
"You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea. It is the water
that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. The sky
gives space and peace and serenity. Without my peace, you would all be nothing."

YELLOW chuckled:
"You are all so serious. I bring laughter, gaiety, and warmth into the world. The sun
is yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow. Every time you look at a
sunflower, the whole world starts to smile. Without me there would be no fun."

ORANGE started next to blow her trumpet:
"I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce, but I am precious for I
serve the needs of human life. I carry the most important vitamins. Think of carrots,
pumpkins, oranges, mangoes, and pawpaws. I don't hang around all the time, but
when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives
another thought to any of you."

RED could stand it no longer he shouted out:
"I am the ruler of all of you. I am blood - life's blood! I am the color of danger and
of bravery. I am willing to fight for a cause. I bring fire into the blood. Without
me, the earth would be as empty as the moon. I am the color of passion and of love,
the red rose, the poinsettia and the poppy."

PURPLE rose up to his full height:
He was very tall and spoke with great pomp: "I am the color of royalty and power.
Kings, cheifs, and bishops have always chosen me for I am the sign of authority and
wisdom. People do not question me! They listen and obey."

Finally INDIGO spoke, much more quietly than all the others, but with just as much
determination:
"Think of me. I am the color of silence. You hardly notice me, but without me you all
become superficial. I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep water. You
need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace."

And so the colors went on boasting,
each convinced of his or her own superiority.
Their quarreling became louder and louder.
Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening
thunder rolled and boomed. Rain started to pour down relentlessly.
The colors crouched down in fear, drawing close to one another for comfort.

In the midst of the clamor, rain began to speak: "You foolish colors,
fighting amongst yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest.
Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose,
unique and different?
Join hands with one another and come to me."

Doing as they were told, the colors united and joined hands.


The rain continued:
"From now on, when it rains, each of you will stretch across
the sky in a great bow of color as a reminder
that you can all live in peace.
The Rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow."

And so,
whenever a good rain washes the world,
and a Rainbow appears in the sky,
let us remember to appreciate one another.

July 20, 1998

"Steps To Happiness"

Everybody Knows

You can't be all things to all people.
You can't do all things at once.
You can't do all things equally well.
You can't do all things better than everyone else.
Your humanity is showing just like everyone else's.


So:
You have to find out who you are, and be that.
You have to decide what comes first, and do that.
You have to discover your strengths, and use them.
You have to learn not to compete with others,
Because no one else is in the contest of *being you*.


Then:
You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness.
You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions.
You will have learned to live with your limitations.
You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due.
And you'll be a most vital mortal.


Dare To Believe:
That you are a wonderful, unique person.
That you are a once-in-all-history event.
That it's more than a right, it's your duty, to be who you are.
That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish.
And you'll be able to stay one up on what used to get you down.

July 21, 1998

FAITH

When I come to the edge of all the light I know,
and am about to step off into the darkness
of the unknown, FAITH is knowing one of
two things will happen...
Either there will be something solid to stand on
or I will be taught how to fly.

July 22, 1998

The Gift of Friendship

Once the package of friendship
has been opened,
it can never be closed.
It is a constant book always written...
waiting to be read...and enjoyed.
We may have our disagreements...
we may argue...we may concern one another...
friendship is a unique bond that lasts
through it all....
A part of me is put into my friends...
some it is my humor...some it is my
listening ear...
some it is real life experiences...
some it is my romanticism...but with all,
it is friendship.
Friendships forged are a construct
stronger than steel built as a
foundation....necessary for life...
and necessary for love.
Friends, you and me....
you brought another friend...
and then there were 3... we started our group...
Our circle of friends... and like that circle...
there is no beginning or end...

~author unknown~

July 23, 1998

The Paradox Of Our Age:

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers;
wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints;
we spend more, but have less; we buy
more, but enjoy it less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time; we have
more degrees, but less sense; more
knowledge, but less judgment; more experts,
but more problems;
more medicine, but less wellness.

We spend too recklessly, laugh too little,
drive too fast, get too angry too quickly,
stay up too late, get up too tired, read
too seldom, watch TV too much, and
pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions,
but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom
and lie too often.

We've learned how to make a living,
but not a life; we've added years to life,
not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and
back, but have trouble crossing the street
to meet the new neighbor.

We've conquered outer space, but not inner
space; we've done larger things, but not
better things; we've cleaned up the
air, but polluted the soul; we've split the
atom, but not our prejudice; we write more,
but learn less; plan more, but
accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not to wait;
we have higher incomes; but lower morals;
more food but less appeasement; more acquaintances,
but fewer friends; more effort but less success.

We build more computers to hold more
information, to produce more copies than ever,
but have less communication; we've become long
on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow
digestion; tall men, and short character;
steep profits, and shallow relationships.

These are the times of world peace, but
domestic warfare; more
leisure and less fun; more kinds of
food, but less nutrition.

These are days of two incomes, but more divorce;
of fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers,
throwaway morality, one-night stands,
overweight bodies, and pills that do
everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in
the show window,
and nothing in the stockroom.

Sent by Barbara Erskine

July 24, 1998

~  Michelle

July 25, 1998

Can you live as if every hour was your last?

Every day should be passed as if it were to be our last.
~  Publilius Syrus (c 1 B.C.)

The man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.
~  Thoreau (1800's)

To fill the hour - that is happiness.
~  Emerson (1800's)

Remember that it is only the present, a moment of time, that man lives.
~  Marcus Aurelius (100's)

He has done much who leaves nothing over till tomorrow.
~  Baltasar Gracian (1600's)

Have you somewhat to do to-morrow; do it to-day.
~  Benjamin Franklin (1700's)

The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever
he does, whoever he be.
~  C.S. Lewis (1900's)

If you had only one hour to live, what would you do?...Would you not die completely to the things of the mind, to the desires and to the world? And if it can be done for an hour, then it can also be done for the days and years that may remain.
~  Krishnamurti (1900''s)

Thanks to Neal Rosen for Today's "Thought"

July 26, 1998

Time

Some time, some place--perhaps many years from now--
someone who was once the person I am now will look across
a room and see someone who was once the person you are
now. And in that instant, they will know that once, long ago,
they had been friends.

None of the memories that we now share will have survived
the shift in time. Only the love we shared will remain--and
that will be enough.

aa

July 27, 1998

A SPECIAL GIFT

Friendship is a special gift given to us all.
The smile of a friend is sunlight on a cloudy day,
and every smile given to a friend is returned.
A friend is one whom you can talk to,
and listen to without judging.
A friend doesn't ignore your faults
but accepts them as a part of you.
A friend is a shoulder to lean on
when you need support,
a pat on the back when you do well,
and a sympathetic ear when you fail.
A friend is a person you can laugh
with about everything,
you can cry with without shame,
and whom you trust completely.
A friend is a partner in life and a part of you always.

~Brian Bindschadler~
.

July 28, 1998

A Touching Story

On a cold day in 1942, inside a Nazi
concentration camp, a lone young
boy looks beyond the barbed wire
and sees a young girl pass by. She
too, is moved by his presence. In an
effort to give expression to her
feelings, she throws a red apple over
the fence - a sign of life,
hope, and love. The young boy bends over,
picks up the apple. A ray
of light has pierced his darkness.

The following day, thinking he is crazy
for even entertaining the notion of seeing this
young girl again, he looks out beyond the
fence, hoping. On the other side of the
barbed wire, the young girl
yearns to see again this tragic figure who
moved her so. She comes
prepared with apple in hand. Despite
another day of wintry blizzards
and chilling air, two hearts are warmed once
again as the apple passes over the barbed wire.
The scene is repeated for several days. The
two young spirits on opposite sides of the
fence look forward to
seeing each other, if only for a moment and
if only to exchange a few
words. The interaction is always accompanied
by an exchange of inexplicably heartening feelings.

At the last of these momentary meetings,
the young boy greets his sweet friend with a
frown and says, "Tomorrow, don't bring me an
apple, I will not be here. They are sending me
to another camp." The young boy walks away,
too heartbroken to look back.

From that day forward, the calming image
of the sweet girl would
appear to him in moments of anguish.
Her eyes, her words, her
thoughtfulness, her red apple, all were a
recurring vision that would
break his nighttime sweats. His family died
in the war. The life he had known had all but
vanished, buth this one memory remained alive
and gave him hope.

In 1957 in the United States, two adults,
both immigrants, are set up on a blind date.
"And where were you during the war?"
Inquires the woman. " I was in a concentration
camp in Germany," the man replies. " I remember
I used to throw apples over the fence to a
boy who was in a concentration camp,"
she recalls. With a feeling of
shock, the man speaks. "And did that boy say
to you one day, 'Don't bring an apple anymore because
I am being sent to another camp'?"

"Why, yes," she responds, "but how could you
possibly know that?"

"He looks into her eyes and says, "
I was that young boy."

There is a brief silence, and then he
continues, " I was separated from you then,
and I don't ever want to be without you
again. Will you marry me?" They embrace
one another as she says,
"Yes."

On Valentine's Day 1996, on national
telecast of the Oprah Winfrey show, this same
man affirmed his enduring love to his wife of
forty years. " You fed me in the concentration camp,
" he said, " you fed me throughtout all these years;
now, I remain hungry if only for your love."
___________________________________

Comment: The darkest moments of one's life
may carry the seeds of the brightest tomorrow.

---------- THOUGHTS TO LIVE BY

TRUE LOVE: I accept you and I love you

even when I don't understand you.

You don't earn my love, you simply have it unconditionally.

You will always have my love and acceptance regardless.

Thanks to Flo Johnasen for today's "Thought"

July 29, 1998

Children of Today

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Children of today love luxury.

They have bad manners.

Contempt for their elders when they enter the room.

They contradict their elders.

Chatter away in adult company.

Gobble up the dainties on the table, cross their legs.

Tyrannize their teachers.

Written by SOCRATES, fifth century, B.C.

July 30, 1998

ANN LANDERS on Time

Take Time to Think ~ It is the source of power.

Take Time to Play ~ It is the secret of perpetual youth.

Take Time to Read ~ It is the fountain of wisdom.

Take Time to Pray ~ It is the greatest power on earth.

Take Time to Love and Be Loved ~ It is a God-given privilege.

Take Time to Be Friendly ~ It is the road to happiness.

Take Time to Laugh ~ It is the music of the soul.

Take Time to Give ~ It is too short a day to be selfish.

Take Time to Work ~ It is the price of success.

July 31, 1998

It is not how much we do,

but how much love we put in the doing.

It is not how much we give,

but how much love we put in the giving

~ Mother Teresa

Thanks to Diana Reynolds for today's "Thought"

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