Footprints

I find that as I age the focus becomes more not of what you have accomplished in life but where you have left a footprint that inspires someone else to learn more about their potential and achieve accordingly with stronger footprints of their own for the next generation. Chuck Preas

And Put It Down

Read this and put it down; I just did lecturer when explaining stress management to an  audience, raised a glass of water and asked “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on. “  “As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.”

“So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, Let them down for a moment if you can.”  So, my friend put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don’t pick it up again until after you’ve rested a while.

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue. * Always keep your words soft and sweet, Just in case you have to eat them.* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.* Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.* If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply being kind to others. * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you
won’t have a leg to stand on.* Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.* Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.* The second mouse gets the cheese.* When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons… Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today…I did.

Have a super day!!!

Three Things

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -
Time
Words
Opportunity

Three things in life that may never be lost -
Peace
Hope
Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable -
Love
Self-confidence
Friends

Three things in life that are never certain -
Dreams
Success
Fortune

Three things that make a man/woman -
Hard work
Sincerity
Commitment

Three things in life that can destroy a man/woman -
Alcohol
Pride
Anger

Three things that are truly constant -
Father
Son
Holy Ghost

FAITH

If I have FAITH my actions must show that I have have.

C.M. James 

Wisdom From Mt. Pleasant

I do what I am suppose to do, I don’t like big noise.

We do not have bad days but varying degrees of good.

Remember who you are and Whose you are.

I know what I am suppose to do and try to go one step beyond.

Every

Every sunrise is a message from God,
and every sunset His signature. -W. A. Ward

Take My Son

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. 

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.” The young man held out this package. “I know this isn’t much. I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.”

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. “Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.”The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?” There was silence.Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, “We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.” But the auctioneer persisted.. “Will somebody bid for this painting. Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?” Another voice angrily. “We didn’t come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!”But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?”

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. “I’ll give $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.“We have $10, who will bid $20?” “Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.” “$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?” The crowd was becoming angry.. They didn’t want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!” A man sitting on the second row shouted, “Now let’s get on with the collection!” The auctioneer laid down his gavel. “I’m sorry, the auction is over.” “What about the paintings?” “I am sorry.

 When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!”God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: “The son, the son, who’ll take the son?” Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

WHEN YOUR HUT’S ON FIRE

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Everyday he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger He cried out, ‘God! How could you do this to me?’Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! “How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers. “We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.

The Moral of This Story:
It’s easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn’t lose heart, because God is at work in our lives…. even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

Lessons Earned

If you can’t hear then you will have to feel. -Wilbur Ross

Be where you are suppose the Be and Do what you are suppose to Do. -Pops

If the you do not want to hear it then do not say it. If you do not want to see it then do not do it. -George Williams

God’s Minute

I’ve only just a minute,

Only sixty seconds in it.

Forced upon me, can’t refuse it,

Didn’t seek it didn’t choose it.

But it’s up to me to use it

I must suffer if I lose it,

Give an account if I abuse it.

just a tiny little minute,

But etrnity is in it.

-Dr. Benjamin E. Mays