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ON RAISING CHILDREN (THOUGHT ONE) Tooth fairies, princesses and knights, jolly little elves... Oh simple pleasures hold sway I love to watch our children... dream and play dream and play. What will you take for your children this day, the piper cried. Why the world doesn't hold enought silver and gold with which to pay for our sweet angels... who dream and play who dream and play.
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By the time a person reaches the age of 40, he has had plenty of opportunity to move from one town to another. There is something to be said for moving, just as there is in staying put. Moving, above all, gives us the opportunity to start anew, to start afresh. Moving sigals the beginning of a new and exciting adventure in which... New fortunes may be found Old wounds may be healed New friendships may be formed. It is good that we have to move occasionally, for it reaffirms the eternal truth that this earth with all its worldliness...is not our final home. DISLOCATED Many years ago when we were highly active in sports, we developed the quaint ability to dislocate one or both of our shoulders. To dislocate means "to put out of place." or "to displace from normal connections." Painful as a dislocated shoulder is, it is diminutive in comparison to the anguish that oft chafes our souls as we realize that our thoughts or actions have been displaced from their normal and beautiful connection to the mind of God. A displaced shoulder is painful, alright, but a dislocated soul is even worse. (Posted in August, 2017) TOUGH GOING
When the going gets tough... Walk slower Speak softer Think higher Listen patiently Offer kindness Feel gently Rest quietly Meditate serenely Seek harmony Love humanity Live better and last longer THOUGHTS FARTHEST OUT It is a rather interesting paradox that our thoughts farthest out are usually conceived from that creative Spirit farthest in. In this age of reason and rush, the power of relaxation and reflection is seldom understood or utilized. Instead, our minds race with clamor rather than with calmness and tranquility. We have been prone to meet every problem with undue pressure, and agitation, rather than with peaceful contemplation, meditation, and prayer. The social pressures of our time have distorted and hidden from our view the creative power that may occur when our inner thoughts are aligned with the thoughts of God. The ancient promise still stands... and is for all who will... "Be still and know..." (Psalm 46:10) IN THE RUNNING
In 1964, seventy-two year-old William Willis ventured on a raft- drifting journey from Peru to Australia, covering 10,000 miles in 204 days. Commented Mr. Willis, "I wanted to show that a man past sixty-five is still in the running if he wants to be." Yes, Mr. Willis, every man and woman is in the running for as long as they choose to stay in the race. And, of course, the race is not always to the swift, but, to those... who persist and persevere who get their second wind who continue to grow and go onward and upward. Age has little to do with staying in the running. Desire and will power...those are the keys. SOUL HEALERS "The soul," wrote Dostoevsky, "is healed by being with children." We have viewed many significant quotes in our lifetime, but for us, personally, few could contain more significance than this one. For through our four children, and twelve grandchildren, we have witnessed many healings of our mind and spirit. For our children and grandchildren have, again and again, radiated that child-like faith, hope, beauty, love and trust that every adult searches for, and longs to find within himself and his fellow-man. "And a little child shall lead them..." And, they shall be healed. (First published August 18. 2012) BIRDS OF A FEATHER "Associate with men of good quality," wrote George Washington, "if you esteem your own reputation;it is better to be alone than in bad company." A generation later, Thomas Carlyle said "Show me the man you honor and I will know what kind of man you are." Who are the men (and women, too) whom we honor this day? With whom are willing to associate in a trusting and loyal way? When we have left the company of some of our "friends"...are we the better for having been in their fellowship? Sooner or later, we all have the tendency to flock together with birds of a similar nature. With whom shall we soar this day? The vultures or the eagles? Perhaps it is better to fly alone than to fly low. BALLOONS A few years ago, as we began to blow up some balloons for our children, we discovered that one of them had developed a pin-point leak. In this incident, a punctured balloon was of minor consequence. However, in terms of the betterment of our personality, it is occasionally necessary that some of our favorite balloons be punctured. For instance, the balloon... of vanity of hostility of cliquishness of self-righteousness. And, at the same time, there are other balloons that deserve to be blown up to their full measure... The balloon of tenderness The balloon of empathy The balloon of laughter The balloon of trust The balloon of love. Now, we have a few highly significant comments to make on this subject. . First of all...(POP) !!! FACES An unknown author has written, "The gods we worship write their names on our faces." What kind of face shall we wear today? The face of fear...fear that stops us from growing in love, and stops us from sharing that love? The face of anger...anger that disorganizes and disentigrates our personalities, our lives, and our homes into unrecognizable messes? The face of condemnation...condemnation that degrades ourselves and others and binds us down into the pit of self-pity? Let us not wear any of these faces of gloom and doom. Instead, let us remember that we, all of us, everyone, have been created in the image of a loving Heavenly Father. And, He wears a face of joy, peace, tenderness, forgiveness and love. In God, the frown does not abound... And, in us, it is our laughter He is after. |
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