WE DO NOT WALK ALONE!

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."  Albert Schweitzer

There is an inexhaustible list of people who have inspired me to be what I am today!  I take credit for anything negative that I portray, but the positives largely come from others! 

Not the least of which is the Lord Jesus Christ, my wife Nancy,  my daughters Laura and Emily, my mom & dad, my sister Julie (and Ronnie), my brother Paul (and Judy),  my sister Susie, my coach/mentor/dietitian/friend Megan (and her fantastic staff!!),  Fred, Tim, Dr. Steve, Don and Amy, Jerry and Mary, Sue Jazzer, Daneel, Brian, John, and the list would go on for miles, and I already risk hurting someone's feelings I haven't included!

But you are included in my heart!

Thank you God for all the wonderful people in my life!

THE LORD GOD MOST HIGH, CREATER OF THE UNIVERSE, DIED FOR ME!

"In the beginning the Word already existed.

The Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

He existed in the beginning with God.

God created everything through him,

and nothing was created except through him.

The Word gave life to everything that was created,

and his life brought light to everyone.

The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness can never extinguish it."

And that was proven on Resurrection Morning when THE Light of the world arose from the dead, having paid the price for my sins.

I often lose perspective when I stand on the scale.  Seeing what the numbers tell me usually dictate how I will feel for the next several days.

My little "universe" is so insignificant...less than a drop of water compared to the oceans depths.  Yet as the ignorant ancients thought,  I act as if the universe revolves around my world!

Since the God of all things seen and unseen died for me, is it unreasonable to decide to live for Him?

Surely life is more than fat and thin, exercise and calories, guilt and shame for eating too much!

Jesus came that we might live life to its fullest, fat or thin, to serve Him because He loved us and died for us when we weren't the least bit interested in Him.

He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay...such wondrous LOVE!  

HE IS RISEN INDEED!!

STRESS

A 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 wear 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 to be 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.

* 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.

RECIPE FOR LIVING

Health:



1. Drink plenty of water.


2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.


3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.


4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy


5. Make time to pray.


6. Play more games


7. Read more books than you did in 2010.


8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.


9. Sleep for 7 hours.


10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.




Personality:


11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.


12. Don't have negative thoughts on things you cannot control, instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

WORDS OF WISDOM

Someone has written these beautiful words. Read and try to understand the deep meaning of them .

1. Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.

2. Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.


3. All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it; they will not last forever. If going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either.


4. Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! To hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!


5. Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!