The American Cancer Society - 2011 Relay For Life of Norfolk and Virginia Beach, VA :

The American Cancer Society - 2011 Relay For Life of Norfolk and Virginia Beach, VA :

A Losing Battle

A Losing Battle

by Joyce C. Lock

Satan seduces with Sin.

Sin gives way to Hurt.

Hurt excuses Wounds.

Wounds give way to Hate.

Hate reduces to Evil.

Evil gives way to Battles.

Battles execute Death.

Death gives way to Repentance.

Repentance introduces Hope.

Hope gives way to Forgiving.

Forgiving introduces Healing.

Healing gives way to Faith.

Faith increases Peace.

Peace gives way to Contentment.

Contentment develops Love.

Love gives way to Happiness.

Happiness generates Fulfillment.

Fulfillment gives way to Joy.

Joy accentuates Victory.

Victory gives way to Sharing.

Sharing reproduces seed.

Multiplied seed reaches others.

You'd think Satan would learn:

He can't defeat God!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Dear Heavenly Father,

A year has passed since my beloved mother missed yet another Thanksgiving.  She truly treasured this time of year when she was able to gather with family and friends.  She knew she was blessed and gave thanks not only today, but everyday.  Today we are missing her but not in grief.  It is through Your love dear Lord that we gather in her remembrance and all those who have passed.  Holding on to this tradition of gathering and feasting while giving thanks to You.  We thank You dear Lord for the time You gave us our loved ones we so honorably remember today.  We thank You dear Lord for everything You have provided for us.  We thank You dear Lord for everyone who is/was able to join us on this day and celebrate the wonderous things You have given to us.  In Jesus' name we pray          Amen!

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

The Art of Thanksgiving

~Is gratitude in action.

~Is thanking God for the gift of life by living it triumphantly.

~Is thanking God for your talents and abilities by accepting them as obligations to be invested for the common good.

~Is thanking God for all that men and women have done for you by doing things for others.

~Is thanking God for opportunities by accepting them as a challenge to achievement.

~Is thanking God for happiness by striving to make others happy.

~Is thanking God for beauty by helping to make the world more beautiful.

~Is thanking God for inspiration by trying to be an inspiration to others.

~Is thanking God for the creative ideas that enrich life by adding your own creative contributions to human progress.

~Is thanking God for each new day by living it to the fullest.

~Is thanking God by giving hands, arms, legs, and voice to your thankful spirit.

~Is adding to your prayers of thanksgiving acts of thanksgiving.

~ Wilfred Peterson ~

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

Take nothing for granted, for whenever you do

The "joy of enjoying" is lessened for you

For we rob our own lives much more than we know

When we fail to respond or in any way show

Our thanks for the blessings that daily are ours

The warmth of the sun, the fragrance of flowers,

The beauty of twilight, the freshness of dawn,

The coolness of dew on a green velvet lawn,

The kind little deeds so thoughtfully done,

The favors of friends and the love that someone

Unselfishly gives us in a myriad of ways,

Expecting no payment and no words of praise

Oh, great is our loss when we no longer find

A thankful response to things of this kind,

For the joy of enjoying and the fullness of living

Are found in the heart that is filled with Thanksgiving.
Fill Your Heart with Thanksgiving

~ Helen Steiner Rice ~

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

A Thanksgiving Prayer

"O God, when I have food,

help me to remember the hungry;

When I have work,

help me to remember the jobless;

When I have a home,

help me to remember those who have no home at all;

When I am without pain,

help me to remember those who suffer,

And remembering,

help me to destroy my complacency;

bestir my compassion,

and be concerned enough to help;

By word and deed,

those who cry out

for what we take for granted.

Amen."

-Samuel F. Pugh

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

RECIPE FOR MIRACLES

Ingredients:

1 part of knowing who you are

1 part of knowing who you aren't

1 part of knowing what you want

1 part of knowing who you wish to be

1 part of knowing what you already have

1 part of choosing wisely from what you have

1 part of loving and thanking for ALL you have

Instructions:

Combine ingredients together gently and carefully, using

faith and vision. Mix together with strong belief of the

outcome until finely blended.

Use thoughts, words and actions for best results.

Bake until Blessed.

Give thanks again

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

 So.....

Give a hug - For no reason;

Say I love you - Just because;

Share a smile with a stranger;

Take time - Count your blessings;

Don't take anything or anyone for granted;

End each day with no regrets.

                                                                                                                ~Amen!

I'm a man of my convictions call me wrong, call me right....

kindness... and in search of

Some people need to realize that true kindness means doing something nice for someone without having ulterior motives. (i.e. doing something "nice" for someone without feeling you have to share your deed with everyone so people think you are a good person).  Here are some of my favorite quotes on kindness:


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



Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out.  ~Frank A. Clark



A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.  ~Dave Barry, "Things That It Took Me 50 Years to Learn"



Love someone who doesn't deserve it.  ~Author Unknown




Kindness is loving people more than they deserve. ~ Joseph Joubert



To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children…to leave the world a better place…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sometimes you must be cruel to be kind.  (Some people may never learn from other's mistakes.)  ~ English Proverb

Living the truth in your heart without compromise brings kindness into the world. Attempts at kindness that compromise your heart cause only sadness.  ~ Anonymous
Friendship is a living thing that lasts only as long as it is nourished with kindness, empathy and understanding.  ~ Anonymous

There is only one way of not hating those who do us wrong, and that is by doing them good.Henri Amiel

You can gain more friends by being yourself than you can by putting up a front. You can gain more friends by building people up than you can by tearing them down. And you can gain more friends by taking a few minutes from each day to do something kind for someone, whether it be a friend or a complete stranger. What a difference one person can make!
Sasha Azevedo

 

Be good, be kind, be humane, and charitable; love your fellows; console the afflicted; pardon those who have done you wrong. ~ Maxim Gorky

Kindness in ourselves is the honey that blunts the sting of unkindness in another. ~ Grantland Rice

May we not succumb to thoughts of violence and revenge today, but rather to thoughts of mercy and compassion. We are to love our enemies that they might be returned to their right minds. ~ Marianne Williamson

What you do not want others to do to you, do not do to others. ~ Confucius

The person whose doors I enter with most pleasure, and quit with most regret, never did me the smallest favor. ~ William Hazlitt

Ignorant kindness may have the effect of cruelty; but to be angry with it as if it were direct cruelty would be an ignorant unkindness. ~ George Eliot

I therefore pledge… to conduct myself in a harmonious, peaceable manner, avoiding selfish or arrogant behaviour, giving love and kindness to those around me. ~ Guy Dauncy

It is easy to perform a good action, but not easy to acquire a settled habit of performing such actions. ~ Aristotle

Change will only come about when each of us takes up the daily struggle ourselves to be more forgiving, compassionate, loving, and above all joyful in the knowledge that, by some miracle of grace, we can change as those around us can change too. ~ Mairead Corrigan Maguire



 

One of these days...

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, and/or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution..... 


Forgiveness may be considered simply in terms of the person who forgives including forgiving themselves, in terms of the person forgiven and/or in terms of the relationship between the forgiver and the person forgiven. In some contexts, forgiveness may be granted without any expectation of restorative justice, and without any response on the part of the offender (for example, one may forgive a person who is incommunicado or dead). In practical terms, it may be necessary for the offender to offer some form of acknowledgment, apology, and/or restitution, or even just ask for forgiveness, in order for the wronged person to believe himself able to forgive.
(thank you Wikipedia for clarifying that for everyone)

The ONLY forgiveness I seek to obtain is that from GOD!  I could care less if someone feels they forgive me or not (for whatever they perceive I have done).  If someone feels I wronged them and don't feel like forgiving me, it's THEIR problem, not mine.  :)

Hello readers!!!

... and welcome to my blog!  I hope you find my postings to your liking and stay tuned for more.  I aim to please my readers and admirers.  If there's a particular topic about my life you'd like to know, feel free to submit your requests.   :)  Have a nice day and God Bless!

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts." ~ Proverbs 21:2

I'm not a photographer but....

  .... I felt like sharing some of the random photos I have taken.

Christ Episcopal Church - Where my mother is laid to rest and my dad and I are members.  Over 300 years of continual service.

View from the dock my grandfather built in 1970's

Rylan and my dad at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. - summer 2009

Norfolk Zoo - Fall 2010

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

These next 6 photos were taken at Arlington National Cemetery in the summer of 2009.  Sean and I were able to take a kid-free day to tour our nation's capitol.  While we were there we decided to walk around Arlington National Cemetery and watch the changing of the guard (Tomb of the Unknown Soldier).

Taken at the Norfolk Zoo - summer 2008

Love the animated meerkats

Norfolk Zoo 2008

Flowers from my mother's funeral

An old house near my cousin's in Shenandoah Valley - March 2009

Happy Veteran's Day

Today is the day to honor our veterans (past and present) in honor of Veteran's Day.  I feel so fortunate that I got to serve our wonderful nation, although I have often disagreed with what our politicians and president have done.  It is an honor to have served with so many other wonderful people in the time I spent as a Military Police Specialist in the U.S. Army.  I made many friends over my years in the Army and have kept in touch with them.  

I am also very proud of my amazing and dedicated husband!  The time he has already sacrificed away from his family and friends, so that we may live a peaceful and free life, is worth it.  In the 7 1/2 years we have been together, he has been away from us 1 - 1 1/2 years.  In retrospect I consider our family very fortunate.  I have friends whose husbands have been gone for a lot more time.  Of course no matter how much time Sean is away from us, we will be here anxiously awaiting his return.  The dedication and loyalty we have for one another is immeasurable. 


Another person I want to give my heart-felt thank you to is my Daddy!  He is a retired U.S. Army Military Intelligence Officer and I am so very proud of him.  He served over 22 years with the Army and spent countless hours, days and months away from my mom and I.  As a child I didn't understand why he had to leave but adapted to it as I got older.  I watched my mom cope with my dad being gone.  She was a full-time teacher and did her best to keep busy until he came home.  My dad has always been a huge inspiration to me.  I hope he's as big an inspiration to my children as he has been to me.

These photos are older to more recent in time: 

My Grandmother (Gigi, my dad's mother), my dad and my mom circa 1972.  My dad didn't wear his uniform for the majority of his military career.  This was the only photo I could find with him in it.

Graduation Day from MP School - Nov 1990.  I'm on the far right

Me with my bunk buddy, Traci.  We remain close friends to this day and keep in touch regularly.

Baumholder, Germany - 1991 - Me getting promoted in front of my Company

Me and my M60 after a road march

Germany 1992

Homecoming 2006 with my amazing and wonderful hubby

My awesome hubby getting frocked for his promotion to 1st Class!  We are SOOO very proud of him! May 2010

Here are some of my favorite quotes to celebrate this honorable day:


"A veteran is someone who, at one point in his/her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America," for an amount of "up to and including my life."~ Unknown Author


"In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. ~ Mark Twain


"Don't take for granted that which you have not experienced from the eyes of the veterans who have fought, suffered and those who have given their lives to attain." ~ Byron Pulsifer

 "Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die." ~ G.K. Chesterton

 "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." ~ Edmund Burke

Halloween: My feelings and beliefs

The following information is something I found on http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/halloween.html. I have felt very strongly, for quite awhile, about the reasons I've never really liked Halloween. Although we, as a family, have participated in dressing up in costumes and trick or treating, I always had a feeling like I didn't want to. I decided to do my own research and found the information from the above link interesting. I don't judge or have anything against other people (or you) for disagreeing with me and ask you please respect my feelings and beliefs.


Another thing, Christianity aside, I don't feel it's a good "investment" to spend so much money on a costume for each of my 4 children that they will only be wearing for about 2 hours. With the economy in it's current position, things like being able to feed my family and save for our children's future is more important to us.



"The October 31st holiday that we today know as Halloween has strong roots in paganism and is closely connected with worship of the Enemy of this world, Satan. It is a holiday that generally glorifies the dark things of this world, rather than the light of Jesus Christ, The Truth.



Have you noticed how costumes and masks are getting generally more bloody, gory, and depraved each year? Unfortunately, the gruesome and grotesque and the occult are increasingly glorified in American society, not only on Halloween, but throughout the year in horror movies and in television programs.


My family does not celebrate it or participate in it. We do not believe that our children are “missing out,” and neither do they. Other days are used for costumes and parties. Happily, all of our children have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. We have found that Halloween provides an excellent time to remind our children that, as Christians, we are different, and not of this world (Heb. 11:13-16; 1 Pet. 2:11).



What about church “Harvest Festivals” held on October 31? Although we understand the rational and good intentions behind them, we don't think they are the best approach. Our family tends to agree with the author of an article called " Are 'Harvest Parties' for Christians?" (written by a self-avowed former witch and now active Christian). Harvest parties on October 31 tend to assume that "our children need something to take the place of Halloween, since they won't be participating in the secular and pagan celebrations. It suggests our kids are missing out on something. And indeed they are, if we allow them to spend Halloween in celebration." There are better things to do on Halloween than partying.


Also, we need to teach our children that "the fight isn't against occultists, non-Christians, Christians who feel differently than we about Halloween, or institutions that promote Halloween, but" "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12, NKJV).

Relevant scripture on the issue of Halloween and Christians:

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 ("Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.")

James 1:27 ("keep oneself from being polluted by the world")

3 John 1:11 ("do not imitate what is evil")

Romans 12:9 ("abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.")

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 (do not learn to imitate detestable ways, including spiritists, sorcerers and witchcraft)

Ephesians 5:11-12 ("Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness" / "live as children of light")

1 Timothy 4:1 (don't "follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons")

1 Corinthians 10:21

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 ("what fellowship can light have with darkness?")

Philippians 4:8 (think about pure, lovely, noble things)

1 Corinthians 11:1 ("follow the example of Christ")

1 Corinthians 10:31 ("whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God")

James 4:7-8 (submit yourselves to God / resist the devil / purify your hearts)

Ezekiel 44:23 ("…teach my people… to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.")

Proverbs 22:6 ("train a child in the way he should go")

Matthew 18:6 ("if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin…")

Hosea 4:6 ("My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.")

John 3:19-20 (people love darkness instead of light)

Romans 13:12 ("put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.")

Ephesians 6:11-18 ("take your stand against the devil's schemes.")

1 John 5:19

2 Chronicles 7:14

 
 

Are “Harvest Parties” for Christians?

originally published in the Colorado Christian News, October 1995

(author's name not published)

"What are you doing for Halloween?" Ask a Christian parent this question, and be prepared to hear an answer like, "Nothing! We don't celebrate Halloween." Thunder crashes, and you creep away, embarassed for even asking.

"What are you doing ON Halloween?" Ask the same parent this slightly altered question, and their whole manner and response brightens. “Why,” they begin, as birds begin to sing and sunshine breaks through the cumulus clouds. "We're all going to the Harvest Party at church!" A choir sings. A trumpet sounds. You feel privileged just knowing these saints.


Let's take a look at the typical Harvest Party.



■It is a celebration.

■It is chaperoned (usually).

■It may have costumes.

■Games are played.

■Contests are held.

■Food abounds.

■Music blares.

■Everyone enjoys themselves.


Certainly, nothing to get concerned about, right? The problem, however, lies in the billing. The Harvest Party is usually referred to as the Christian alternative to traditional Halloween hijinx. Alternative, however, implies substitute. It assumes our children need something to take the place of Halloween, since they won't be participating in the secular and pagan celebrations. It suggests our kids are missing out on something. And indeed they are, if we allow them to spend Halloween in celebration.


If we are to train our children to be soldiers in the army of Christ, why would we sign a pass for them to go on leave when the battle is escalating on the front lines?


As a child of four, I contacted the first of many spirit guides (read: demons) while playing with a Kindergarten classmates' ouija board at a chaperoned Halloween party. This spiritual assault ignited an intrigue with the supernatural that culminated in my lifestyle as a practicing witch: divination, necromancy, channeling, astrology, psychic ability, and spell working. It wasn't until I was twenty that I met the real Jesus Christ, and was released from the trap that Satan had set for this young prisoner of war sixteen years earlier.


There are too many casualities on Halloween and far too few troops fighing the enemy. Instead of partying on Halloween, teach your children how to fight. Keep them aware that the fight isn't against occultists, non-Christians, Christians who feel differently than we about Halloween, or institutions that promote Halloween, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers or darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).

How do we teach our children to wrestle spiritually?

■Discourage them from participating in traditional Halloween activities (2 Timothy 2:4). Then tell them why.


■Encourage them to pray on a regular, daily basis (Ephesians 6:18). Let them know first hand the power that we have in prayer. All Christians should know how to fight on their knees.


■Remind them to be alert and self-controlled (1 Corinthians 16:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6). Give them the discipline of knowing it is their responsibility to keep watch. They, themselves, might also become casualties in the war.



■Make certain they are prepared for battle (Ephesians 6:11). Do they know the truth? Stand on the Word of God? Have faith? Know the gospel? Are they righteous? Are they saved?…


Instead of celebrating, what's a Christian to do on Satan's feast day? PRAY! Intercession and spiritual warfare should be the first item on our agenda. It is NOT a last resort!


■Join with other families in the church. Have the pastor announce a night of spiritual battle. Organize a group of Christians parents and students from your children's school or homeschool group. As a family, designate the seven nights before October 31 as Family Prayer Outreach nights.


■Pray for protection. Pray over both those who engage in prayer warfare and over those who will be out trick-or-treating or at Halloween parties. October 31 is a prime recruiting time for witches and Satanists…and a time for interested kids to experiment. Pray that the Lord keeps our kids from falling prey to those who worship the enemy.


■Pray for discernment. Let the Holy Spirit direct you to specific prayer requests. Pray that the children who are “out there” will somehow “know” to keep away from certain activities. I have relatives who, even though they were not Christians, “knew” that ouija boards and levitation games were dangerous.


■Pray that the Lord hinder the occult rituals. For four years, I lived in a building which over looked a cemetery where occult ceremonial markings were often found. ON certain occult feast days, usually between midnight and 3am, I would look down into the darkness and kneel at my window binding the demons that controlled the ceremonies. I'll never know this side of heaven what effect my prayers had. Maybe a potential sacrifice escaped. Maybe the occultists weren't successful in summoning their demon. Maybe a new, young recruit decided that this was not the lifestyle he thought he wanted.


■Pray for the salvation of the occultists. Jesus Christ died for those whom Satan holds captive and deceived, for those who mock Him, who deny His deity or His existence. He doesn't want them to perish, but to come to Him calling Him Father, Lord. Pray the veil is lifted from their eyes, the Lord allows them to see clearly their spiritual condition and their only hope lies in Jesus Christ. Pray also, about whether the Lord would have you take a more active role in bringing the gospel to Satan's servants.


■Let your children know that this is effective warfare. They must know their prayers are heard and acted on by our Father. Let them know they can make a difference. Come October 31, they'll know they have a job to do.

Geneaology and Family Trees

I have always had an interest in learning about my family roots and geneaology.  My maternal grandma had an old photo album, that was black (with black pages) and filled with photos dating as far back as to the 1800's.  The oldest ones in the album were of our ancestors while they lived outside of Prague, Czechoslovakia.  My great-grandparents, on my mother's side, grew up in a little town called Kolin.  I remember as a child I would go through the photos with my grandma and ask her who the people in the pictures were.  Occasionally when I would visit as an adult, I would ask her again saying "one of these times I need to write this information down".  


Unfortunately by January 5, 2009, my time to get the information I really wanted, but put off getting for so long, ran out.  My grandma passed away quietly in her sleep at the age of 93.  My grandma did leave that old photo album, plus many more, to me.  I remember most of what she told me but there are a few that I'm not sure of.  I feel so honored to have such a priceless family treasure. 


About a year ago, I joined a website called ancestry.com out of curiosity.  As I started to fill in the blanks on my family tree, the little green leaf (like they advertise on the commercials) came up.  I clicked on them and found new information and links to my ancestors.  I spent hours researching and found all kinds of new information and pictures.  The next day I logged on and had a new message from another member.  I was delightfully surprised to learn it was from a distant cousin from my grandfather's (my mother's father) side.  I communicated with my newly found cousin and found out my great-grandfather was also his grandfather.  There were a lot of pictures he had taken from the Bohemian National Cemetery in Baltimore, MD where my ancestors from my mother's side were laid to rest.  He had posted many pictures and copies of newspaper articles along with obituary notices of our ancestors.


Although it was very exciting to gain so much new information, I was at a standstill with my grandma's parents from Kolin, Czechoslovakia.  I found a copy of the manifest from the USS Willhelm Bremen, dated 1911, where my great-grandparents immigrated to the U.S.  I've been in contact with a wonderful lady at the B. N. Cemetery in Baltimore and she has been a great help so far.  She is still in the process of helping me locate more information about my great-grandparents and their relatives.  It's not easy getting records and information from a country like Czechoslovakia but that won't keep me from trying.


As far as my dad's side of the family, I have an aunt (my dad's oldest sister), who has been tracing our family roots for more than 50 years.  She is a long time member of the LDS Church and has done a tremendous job with keeping up with our family records.  She has also managed to trace our ancestors as far back as the 1400's in England.  Last Christmas she brought some of her record books to share with me and I was amazed at what she had gathered all these years.  There were certified copies of birth, marriage and death certificates on many of our ancestors.  We are hoping to get together again soon so I can help her try to locate some more information and she said she would show me some methods of successful geneaology research.  I  hope we can work on it sooner than later since she is already in her 70's and her memory hasn't been so good lately.  


I have always had an interest in "where I came from" but I'm not only doing this for me.  I am also trying to put stuff together for my children, grandchildren, etc.  I think it's wonderful if you can obtain your own heritage and learn who they were and where they came from.

Here are some of the photos from my grandma's album.  They are all from my mother's side:

My grandma's grandparents taken in Kolin, CZ circa 1800s

My grandma and mother in early 1950's

My mother and her father in early 1950's

My mother (as a baby) with her paternal grandparents 1948

A postcard sent to my greatgrandfather from CZ

Far left is my great-grandmother (Anna) with her 2 sisters, Emilie and Maria.  She was my grandma's mother - 1800's in Czechoslovakia

The man in this photo is my great-great grandfather from my mother's maternal side.  I believe the baby in the center is my great grandmother.  This photo was taken in Czechoslovakia 1800s.

My great-great grandfather from my mother's paternal side circa 1800s

Time for blogging?

When will I find the time to blog?  These days have been tremendously busy and I haven't had the time to update.  I have a few more thoughts I'd like to share and hopefully I will find time soon.

Erma Bombeck.... Her thoughts on life after being diagnosed with cancer

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck(written after she found out she was dying from cancer).

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner." There would have been more "I love you's." More "I'm sorry's."

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it .. live it .and never give it back. Stop sweating the small stuff.

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.

Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

Let's think about what God HAS blessed us with. And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally. I hope you all have a blessed day.

Beautiful Women's Month

Age 3: She looks at herself and sees a Queen.

Age 8: She looks at herself and sees Cinderella.

Age 15: She looks at herself and sees an Ugly Sister (Mum I can't go to school looking like this!)

Age 20: She looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly"- but decides she's going out anyway.

Age 30: She looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly" - but decides she doesn't have time to fix it, so she's going out anyway.

Age 40: She looks at herself and sees "clean" and goes out anyway.

Age 50: She looks at herself and sees "I am" and goes wherever she wants to go.

Age 60: She looks at herself and reminds herself of all the people who can't even see themselves in the mirror anymore. Goes out and conquers the world.

Age 70: She looks at herself &sees wisdom, laughter and ability, goes out and enjoys life.

Age 80: Doesn't bother to look. Just puts on a purple hat and goes out to have fun with the world.

- Erma Bombeck