CHEAP TICKETS IN LIFE

Most of us have the luxury of watching live NBA matches on our wide screens at home. But nothing beats the sensation of watching the game live in person as part of the audience. Tickets for popular games like the Boston Celtics tickets are sold out within minutes and die hard fans have to procure drastically marked up tickets from unscrupulous brokers.

Well fret not because now there is an easy and hassle free way to source for hot live tickets like the Busch Stadium Tickets. Just head over to ACheapSeat.com and get your tickets from the comfort of your seat at reasonable prices. No more long queues and time wasting just to meet with disappointment in the end when tickets are sold out at the counters and booths.

As a special treat for musical ensemble fans, you can now get your Celtic woman tickets on ACheapSeat.com. Their performance is even more amazing when you experience it live so do not miss this golden opportunity!

SHUFFLING PRIORITIES FOR LIFE

Macross Frontier VF-25F Alto Custom model kit - “Truth is a gem that is found at a great depth; whilst on the surface of this world, all things are weighed by the false scale of custom”

It happened on the evening of April 14, 1912. The Titanic, the largest ship afloat, struck an iceberg in the treacherous waters of the Atlan­tic. Four hours later she sank to the bottom.

A place on one lifeboat was reserved for a certain woman. She was just stepping into the boat when she asked if she could run to the ship's li­brary to get something. She was allowed three minutes.

The woman ran through the corridors of the reeling vessel. Crossing the saloon she caught sight of jewelry strewn around the floor. Passengers had hurriedly cleaned out their safes and dropped valu­ables as they ran. What an opportunity! Wealth was literally at her fingertips!

But she ignored the jewelry, made her way to the library, snatched a copy of the Bible and ran back to the waiting lifeboat.

Earlier that day it may have seemed in­credible to the woman to choose a copy of the Bible over valuable jewelry. But in the face of death, prized valuables became relatively worth­less, and what may have seemed worthless be­came suddenly valuable.

Unfortunately, it often takes a catastrophe to shuffle our priorities into a sensible or­der. But what a catastrophe when we never do dis­cover what is truly valuable.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

VOLUNTEER VICTIMS FOR LIFE

Reflection in the puddle of water - “The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”

It's a great temptation to volunteer as a victim. Do you know that we sign up for that job?

A man who dined regularly in his favorite restaurant complained about the bread. It wasn't fair, he emphasized, that other restaurants served lots of bread. But here he gets only one piece.

So the next time he came in, they served him four pieces. He still complained it wasn't enough.

On his next visit his server brought him a dozen pieces of bread. The man still complained.

For his next visit they put a large basket of bread on the table. But still he complained. "The other restaurants give all the bread you can eat."

They decided to be ready for him the next day. They had an enormous loaf of bread prepared. It was six feet long and two feet wide. Four people carried the loaf to his table. They plopped it down in front of him. It took up half the table and hung over both sides. The chef stood back, pleased with himself, to see how the customer would react.

He looked over the loaf and commented, "So, we're back to one piece again, are we?"

Like this man, we volunteer to be victims, but in more subtle ways. We believe life is unfair, people are untrustworthy and we are getting a bad shake. We think everyone should know just how terrible things are and we feel obliged to tell them.

The problem is, life sometimes is unfair and we can be victimized. But the greater truth is, people can decide whether they are victims or are victors. They can feel helpless and miserable, or they can try to feel strong. Happy people have learned that they cannot always control their circumstances, but they can often control how they will respond.

Lewis Dunning said, "What life means to us is determined not so much by what life brings to us as by the attitude we bring to life; not so much by what happens to us as by our reaction to what happens."

You were born to be a victor! You were meant to be happy! Will you claim your birthright today?

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

IF YOU HAD IT TO DO OVER IN LIFE

Nana the cat sleeping on the table - “How can you prove whether at this moment we are sleeping, and all our thoughts are a dream; or whether we are awake, and talking to one another in the waking state?”

One woman announced, "I intend to live forever! So far so good…." But the length of our lives is not the real issue; it's the quality and meaning that matter. Not the years in a life, but the life in the years.

When asked what he wanted to be remembered for when his life was over, Leo Buscaglia replied, "I want to be remembered as somebody who lived life fully and with passion. I've been asked to write my epitaph and I have always thought that the perfect one for my tombstone would be, 'Here lies Leo who died living.'"

I want to die living. And I want to be remembered as one who lived with purpose, joy and verve. I want to spend my time learning what goes into a whole and happy life, then building that life the best I can.

Sociologist Tony Campolo told about a study in which fifty people over the age of 90 were asked to reflect upon their lives. "If you had it to do over again," they were asked, "what would you do differently?" Though there were many answers, three responses dominated. Here they are:

First, many respondents answered, "I would reflect more." Do you ever feel that too much time is spent in "doing" and not enough spent thinking about what you are doing and why you are doing it?

Second, they said, "I would risk more." Do you think that important opportunities either have been or might be forfeited because of your fear to take a necessary risk?

Finally, they said, "I would do more things that would live on after I died." Do you feel that you are immersed in something bigger and more enduring than your own existence?

Reflect more. Risk more. Leave a legacy. These are what our elders say they would do the second time around.

But why wait for a second time around? Every new day is a second chance! Reflect more today -- it will reveal to you what is truly important. Risk more today -- take a chance on making that dream come alive. Get involved with something which makes a difference in this world -- and a beautiful legacy is what you will leave behind.

Like Leo Buscaglia, I want to live fully and with passion. And if all my plans don't work out as I had hoped, I'm still betting that I will have more fun!

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

WHEN LOVE GIVES OUT IN LIFE

Fried quay teow for breakfast - “Life is like a grapefruit. Well, it's sort of orangy-yellow and dimpled on the outside, wet and squidgy in the middle. It's got pips inside, too. Oh, and some people have a half a one for breakfast.”

A certain amount of conflict is a part of life. But conflict and violence are quite different.

One man tells about living next door to a bully. Last month the neighbor came up to him with hand extended. As he reached to shake hands, his neighbor grabbed him forcefully and threw him over his shoulder. "That's Judo," he said. "Picked it up in Japan."

The man went into his garage, came back out and cracked the bully over the head. "That's crow­bar," he said. "Picked it up at Sears."

Some conflict is necessary, and many of us will wisely learn how to make conflicts with others both constructive and healthy. We will do well not to avoid daily conflict, but to resolve it quickly. And, of course, that doesn't mean to grab the crow­bar, either.

Actually, I understand that the Chinese have a good idea, illustrated by a true story.

Two natives of Hong Kong were arguing loudly in the street. An American, who observed the altercation but could not speak the language, asked an Asian friend what they were arguing about. "They are having a discussion about the ownership of a boat," came the reply.

"They're getting so wrought up, won't they start fighting soon?" the tourist asked.

"No," his friend said. "These men will not start fighting because each one knows the man who strikes the first blow admits his ideas just gave out."

It's true. Those individuals and societies who are quick to violence admit their ideas just gave out. As well as their love. For I must admit, if I strike the first blow, my love has given out. But when I ap­proach that conflict with a head full of ideas and a heart full of love, I am astounded at how quickly things get settled!

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

CONCENTRATE ON TODAY'S DATE IN LIFE

Eating at Stall No 1 - “I have never developed indigestion from eating my words.”

It's been said well, "If you have to look at the calendar, concentrate on today's date." It doesn't hurt to look back occasionally and learn lessons from the past. And we should also look ahead and prepare for the future. But mostly...it is a good idea to give today the best we've got.

Actor Sylvester Stallone once said of his acting success, "It's been a lovely ride – I just wish I'd been there to enjoy it." Have you ever felt that way? That life has been good – even great – but you weren't really there to enjoy it? He went on to say, "It's been like a blur - like trying to sightsee through a quaint New England town at three hundred miles an hour. I'd like to retrace my steps in the snow and see what I missed. I mean, I've been to Europe ten times in the past ten years, but I can't remember anything. If I didn't have some of the door keys that I took by accident, I wouldn't remember where I stayed. My whole life is door keys."

Have you ever felt like your life is…car keys? Office keys? Keyboard keys? A blur?

Older people used to tell us when we were young parents to "enjoy these years." "They go by faster than you realize," these friends would say. And most of the time I'd think, 'They can't go by soon enough!'

I've always loved my children, and I am forever grateful I am a parent. But some days I couldn't wait for them to grow up.

I remember long nights - long nights when babies were up because they couldn't sleep, or didn't feel well or just decided to use that extra time to exercise their lungs. I remember long nights - long nights lying awake waiting for teenagers to come home…listening for the car engine so I knew they were all right. And if someone would tell me to enjoy those years, I'd shake my head and think, 'I'll enjoy it when they grow up. I'll enjoy getting my life back!'

But then the boys did grow up and they left home. And do you know what? Our friends were right. Those years went by faster than I expected. They seem like a blur now…and I wonder if I enjoyed them fully.

Thomas Mann said, "Hold every moment sacred... Give each its true and due fulfillment." For these moments, I'm learning, are all we really have.

Next time I look at the calendar, I'll concentrate on today's date.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

HOW MUCH DO YOU YEARN FOR LIFE?

Plastic model kit parts runner - “I was born to be a runner. I simply love to run. It's almost like the faster I go, the easier it becomes.”

Christopher Morley has said, "There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning." And yearning can make up for a great lack in the other two.

In Daniel Steele's book, I Am, I Can (Fleming H. Revell Co., 1973), the author tells a heart-warming story about the power of yearning. He tells that Columbia University football coach Lou Little was stopped on campus and informed of the unexpected death of the father of one of his players. He agreed to break the news to the student, as he knew that the young man and his father were quite close.

Two days after he went home to attend the funeral, the student returned to campus and was back on the practice field. "What are you doing back so soon?" asked the coach. "You could have taken a week or two...we would have understood."

"Coach," the young man said, "my father was buried yesterday, and the rest of the family is taking care of things. Coach Little, I've just got to play in that game tomorrow. That's why I came back today."

The coach reminded him that tomorrow's game was a critical game and he might not play at all since he wasn't a usual starter.

But the student pressed, "I know I haven't played much, Coach, but I'm asking you for a chance to play tomorrow. I've just got to play in that game."

After a moment's hesitation, Coach Little said, "Okay, son, tell you what. If we win the toss, I'll let you play on the receiving team, but I can't promise you more than that."

The next day Columbia did win the toss. That young man went into the game and played like he had never played before. In fact, he was playing so well that Lou Little decided to leave him in longer. He had an outstanding day and, largely because of his effort, Columbia won the game.

In the locker room, the coach asked the student, "What in the world happened to you out there? You never played ball like that in your whole life. That's the best exhibition of football I ever saw. How in the world did you do it?"

"Well, Coach," the exhausted and exhilarated young man said, "you never met my father, did you?"

"No, I didn't." Little replied. "I knew you were very close to your father, and I saw you walking arm in arm across the campus on several occasions, but I never met him."

"Well, you see," the student said, searching for the right words, "for most of my life my father was blind -- and today was the first day he was able to watch me play."

There are few qualities more vital than a strong yearning to do or be something. Earning and learning help, but your desire, your yearning, will take you over the top.

An admirer once exclaimed to President Theodore Roosevelt, "Mr. Roosevelt, you are a great man!"

"No," he replied, "Teddy Roosevelt is simply a plain, ordinary man -- highly motivated." It was his yearning that set him apart.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

MYRTLE BEACH GOLF IN LIFE

Just the other day my colleague was asking me about vacation ideas for his upcoming 1 week break from work. With the recent media coverage on Tiger Woods fiasco, I recalled how my colleague is somewhat an avid golfer and suggested Myrtle Beach Golf Vacations. He quickly warmed up to the suggestion and asked me how to go about preparing for a vacation for Myrtle Beach Golf.

After searching the internet for about 10 minutes I finally got a lucky break! I found Ttimes Only which provides comprehensive information useful to plan for a Myrtle Beach Golf Package breakaway. From a generous listing of Myrtle Beach Hotel Resorts to a wide selection of Myrtle Beach Car Rentals, you can easily find the right choices to match your budget. There is also a handy FAQs section which lists down essential general information which will definitely be useful.

Without hesitation I recommended Ttimes Only to my colleague and he easily booked himself a few Golf Packages Myrtle Beach. He mentioned he especially like the detailed golf course guide on Ttimes Only.

AN END TO ANGER FOR LIFE

Batik purple flower design - “If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”

Imagine a fine, spring day. A man is driv­ing cheerfully along a picturesque road, which winds through the lazy countryside. Suddenly, from around the next curve, a car barrels toward him in his lane. He brakes hard, and as it swerves past, the woman driver screams at him, "Pig! Pig!"

Furious, he shouts back at her, "Sow! Sow!" Pleased with himself, he drives around the curve and runs smack into a pig.

Anyone can get angry. But as Daniel Gole­man in his audiotape EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (St. Martin's Press, Inc., 1995) points out, to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right pur­pose and in the right way is not so easy. Which is to say, most of the time we may get an­gry either with the wrong person, or to the wrong de­gree, or at the wrong time, or for the wrong purpose, or in the wrong way. But then, that's the way it is with an­ger. It just hap­pens!

We can't always "do anger right," so an­cient biblical wisdom of­fers an excellent solution for managing it. It teaches, "Don't let the sun set on your anger."

Of course, problems cannot always be solved by bedtime, and deep-seated anger may take time to heal. But even anger needs an ending time.

Maybe it is time to put an end to anger you have carried far too long. Today?

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

ONLINE CASINO SPOTLIGHT

I go through these phases every once in a while that I feel like getting lucky at the casino. Since there isn't one in town, and the nearest one requires a plane ticket, I usually hit the online casino for the same thrill.

As I play these online roulette games maybe once every few months, I had this problem where my bookmarked sites are either unavailable or not as exciting as when I first paid a visit.

What I found really handy in times like these are online casino directories for games like online casino craps, and I think one of the best out there is Online Casino Spotlight. I personally don't like anything too wordy — as far as online gambling goes, the faster I get to the online casino, the better. Online Casino Spotlight does just that on its main page, with a listing of the online casinos and a percentage of their payouts and welcome bonus.
For people who prefer in depth reviews of the online casino slots, these can be found at Online Casino Spotlight too. They also have related articles such as proper slot machine etiquette and why you should protect your computer gambling online.

I think it's high time I reorganize my browser bookmarks and the first thing I'm going to remove are the online casino sites, some of which are no longer valid. All I need bookmarked is Online Casino Spotlight.

BE A GENIUS...BE PATIENT IN LIFE!

Scenic urban garden patch - “The city is a fact in nature, like a cave, a run of mackerel or an ant-heap. But it is also a conscious work of art, and it holds within its communal framework many simpler and more personal forms of art. Mind takes form in the city; and in turn, urban forms condition mind.”

Is patience difficult for you? A man in Los Angeles, California was arrested for negligent discharge of a weapon after shooting his toilet bowl five times with a 38 caliber handgun. He claims that he just got upset. He couldn't take it any longer. His daughter had flushed a hairbrush earlier in the day and clogged the pipes. So he shot the offending toilet. I have no word on the toilet's condition, but the man's patience was long gone.

I once learned a valuable lesson about patience. I came across a box turtle while walking home one day. I brought him home to examine a little more closely. My intention was to keep him for a few hours and let him go.

I put the turtle down and waited for him to come out of his shell. He didn't. I pulled up a chair and waited some more. He didn't budge. I sang to the turtle. Still no appearance. I told turtle stories. I coaxed him with food. But nothing worked.

Finally, I had to leave. So I barricaded the porch in case the turtle decided to leave, too. After all, I still hadn't gotten a closer look.

The turtle decided he had had enough. When I returned, the porch was empty. He apparently didn't think much of my barricade.

I learned a valuable lesson from that turtle. He just bided his time and waited. He wasn't much interested in food, songs or stories. He only wanted me to go away. So he patiently waited until I left. Then he left, too.

It's been well said: "Hold on; hold fast; hold out. Patience is genius." Be a genius. Be patient.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

WHO LISTENS FOR LIFE?

Colorful cement mixer toy truck - “Your purpose is to make your audience see what you saw, hear what you heard, feel what you felt. Relevant detail, couched in concrete, colorful language, is the best way to recreate the incident as it happened and to picture it for the audience.”

Two psychiatrists met at their 20th college reunion. One is vibrant, while the other looks withered and worried. "So what's your secret?" the older looking psychiatrist asked. "Listening to other people's problems every day, all day long, for years on end, has made an old man of me."

"So," replies the younger-looking one, "who listens?"

Unfortunately, that is too often a problem -- who listens? REALLY listens?

I received a letter from a woman who lives in New York. She explained that her 22-year-old electrician son went to Manhattan a few days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He wanted to volunteer his time, but discovered that his skills were not needed.

Joe may have helped in a way he never anticipated, for on the train home, he sat across from a weary firefighter covered in what appeared to be "ground zero" dirt and debris. Though he could see bits of rock in the man's hair and noticed that his hands were bloody, what shocked the young man most was the look in the firefighter's eyes. They appeared lifeless and dull.

Then the man began to talk and Joe listened. He talked about retrieving a shoe with a foot inside. Joe listened. He talked about cleaning debris from a face, then discovering that this person's body was gone. Joe listened. And as his listened, he did not flinch. He did not react in disgust. He did not judge. He did not interrupt. He just listened.

He listened as the firefighter lamented about the carnage everywhere and about shoes...there were so many shoes, he said. Everywhere...shoes.

Through it all Joe quietly held the man's attention and listened, which is exactly what the rescue worker needed at that moment. And because he listened, the man continued to speak. He talked his pain out, as much as possible. And Joe, for that time at least, helped him carry his unbelievably heavy burden.

That day Joe did not give blood, nor did he use his electrical skills to help with the relief effort. But he did one of the most important things a human can do for another. He gave a stunned and disheartened man his whole attention, and thereby immeasurably assisted in the work of setting the world right.

Mary Lou Casey says, "What people really need is a good listening-to." Now more than ever.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

ACT AS IF FOR LIFE

The ginger bread man decoration - “The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.”

What final result are you trying to achieve?

In the mid-1950s, a flamboyant, but un­known, American pianist had dreams of perform­ing in the Hollywood Bowl. He gathered some money, rented the Hollywood Bowl on an off night, showed up wearing a tuxedo and played a full concert on a grand piano to absolutely no audience at all.

Except that the hall was empty, he lived his dream. Then he kept building on that dream until, four years later to the very night, Liberace per­formed at the Hollywood Bowl before a capacity, standing-room-only crowd.

Several years prior, it was Harry Emerson Fosdick who voiced a new thought about self­-trans­formation. He said, "Hold a picture of yourself long and steadily enough in your mind's eye and you will be drawn toward it. Picture your­self vividly as de­feated and that alone will make victory impossible. Picture yourself vividly as win­ning and that alone will contribute immeas­urably to success. Great liv­ing starts with a pic­ture, held in your imagination of what you would like to do or be."

Liberace had one major goal at first -- the Hollywood Bowl. He held that picture in his mind, then acted as if he had already achieved it, and it came to pass. These are two necessary steps to achieving any result, regardless how big or small: hold a picture of the dream in your mind and act as if it were already so.

It is especially true in the area of self-trans­formation. Whether you want to over­come shyness, kick a habit, find a fulfilling rela­tionship or achieve a long-held dream, the process is the same. Picture it in your mind then act as if you were al­ready self-confident, as if you were already free from the habit, or as if you were per­fectly capable of growing that relation­ship. Don't be surprised if the results are remark­able!

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

NAMASTE FOR LIFE

Polishing wet cement - “Our modern society is engaged in polishing and decorating the cage in which man is kept imprisoned.”

Has this ever happened to you?

The day after we moved to a small town in Colorado my wife Bev did grocery shopping. We moved few food items with us so she filled four grocery carts full. She asked if she could pay with an out of state check. "We just moved here," she explained, "and don't have local checks yet."

They said, "Yes, no problem." But when she began looking for her checkbook, she discovered that she had left it at home.

All of the groceries had been checked and sacked. "I'm so sorry," she said, "I thought I had it with me. If I could just leave the groceries here for a few minutes, I'll run home and get the checkbook."

"Don't worry about it," the cashier told her. "Take the groceries home. The next time you're in the store you can pay for them."

We had just moved from a large city and she couldn't believe what she was hearing! This clerk had never seen her before. But she treated her as if she were a VIP. She was somebody!

Don't you love it when you are treated like you are somebody? Because the truth is, we are all somebody. We are all important. And maybe most businesses cannot (and should not) let everybody pay with credit, but even strangers can be treated with honor and respect.

"Namaste" is a polite Indian gesture of greeting or farewell. From Hindi, the word literally means "bowing to you." Namaste has also been used to mean "I honor the sacred that is within you." What a remarkable thing it would be to actually honor the sacred that is within each person we meet! Even strangers. Nobody would go unnoticed and everybody would count.

Here is an exercise that may dramatically change your life: for one month treat everybody you meet as if he or she is the most important person in the world. The clerk in the grocery store, your spouse and children, a teenager from the church, strangers -- honor that which is sacred in all of them.

Give your undivided attention. By your words and actions, communicate to them all how important they are to you. Show them great respect and kindness. You may be amazed at what happens to your relationships!

You may not single-handedly solve the problem of world peace -- but in one small way at least, you will make a great difference.

Namaste.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

WEB OF LOVE FOR LIFE

BBC News red container papercraft - “Life does not accommodate you, it shatters you. It is meant to, and it couldn't do it better. Every seed destroys its container or else there would be no fruition.”

Listen to how a simple ball of yarn became a web of love for one classroom of high school students.

Their teacher seated the students in a circle on the carpeted floor. One member of the group was instructed to toss a ball of yarn to someone across the circle, holding tightly to one end. The recipient took hold of the string and listened as the one who tossed it shared something that she especially liked about him. Keeping hold of the string, he then tossed the ball across the circle to someone else and affirmed something positive about her. The ball of yarn was tossed across and around the circle until everyone had both heard and shared encouragement...and thus the yarn became a woven web of love and good feelings....

Before they went their separate ways, the teacher took scissors and snipped through the web. Each person took a piece of yarn away as a remembrance of the special words they heard. Surprisingly, many of them wore cherished pieces of yarn around their wrists for days and weeks afterward.

Every year now, students ask their teacher to end the term with the Web of Love. It has become an annual tradition in their high school! Which goes to show how much encouragement means to most people.

Why wait? We can find opportunities to affirm others throughout the day. Few people grow weary of hearing sincere appreciation and praise. And each time you give it you help to create an invisible web of love that can last a lifetime.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

LET IT SHINE FOR LIFE!

Broken antique ceramic plates - “Love is not written on paper, for paper can be erased. Nor is it etched on stone, for stone can be broken. But it is inscribed on a heart and there it shall remain forever.”

While attending a conference, I returned to my motel room late one evening. The overhead light outside my door was burned out and I had difficulty finding the keyhole. When I managed to open the door, I felt around the wall for a light switch. I found a plate where a switch was once installed...but no switch.

Not discouraged easily, I remembered spotting a lamp by the bed when I deposited my luggage earlier in the day. I found the bed in the dark and felt around until I found the lamp, but when I switched it on, nothing happened! Now what?

Though I knew that it was dark outside my window since the outdoor light was broken, I thought that perhaps if I opened the curtains I might be able to use the light from the street to find another lamp. So I made my way slowly across the room to the drapes and...no drawstring! (Have you ever had days like that?)

I finally stumbled around until I found a desk lamp that actually worked! That evening I discovered in a whole new way just how dark the world can be and how necessary light is.

But even more necessary than physical light is the light that shines from people -- that light which illumines these dark recesses of the spirit and warms the heart. The light of love and compassion and faith. Because, for many people, the world is a dark and lonely place.

One December I received a letter from a reader in Mexico City who said this about the darkness around her: "Yesterday I bought a Christmas decoration. It's a plastic star, maybe 18 inches across, strung with small white and gold Christmas lights. I hung it in my living room window last night. It looks so beautiful from outside -- even better than I had hoped! I live on the second floor of a five-story government housing project building. The building where I live is tucked away where few people go. Not a whole lot of folks see my lighted star. As long as I have it plugged in, that star shines bravely and brightly out into the cold night. It shines on regardless of whether anyone is around to see it or not. And I know that anyone who does see it must be heartened by it -- it's that lovely.

"I got to thinking, 'Isn't that the way we should be? Shouldn't our lives in some way shine out into the cold night -- regardless of whether or not anyone admires them? It's certainly nice when someone notices us and is encouraged or heartened. But, after all, isn't it the shining itself that is most important?'"

It is the shining that is important, whether or not you feel as if you are making a difference. For someone today just may be stumbling in discouragement or sadness or fear and in need of some light.

So let your light shine. Whatever light you offer may be a beacon of hope and encouragement in someone's darkness. And if you feel that your light is no more than a candle in a forest, remember this -- there isn't enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of one small candle.

Will you let your light shine?

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

A MATTER OF TRUST FOR LIFE

Peanut the cat looking sleepy - “Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”

During a flight between New York and Chi­cago, the captain made this announcement over the plane's intercom: "Our number four engine has just been shut off because of mechanical trouble. There is nothing to worry about, however, and we can still fin­ish the flight with just three engines. Besides, you will be reassured to know that we have four bishops on board."

An 86-year-old woman called the flight at­tendant and said, "Would you please tell the captain that I would rather have four engines and three bish­ops!" Experience taught her to place her trust in the aircraft rather than passengers -- even if they're bishops!

Experience, likewise, has taught us to be careful of what and whom we trust. We learn to be careful trusting risky investments, offers to make easy money, people we don't know, and anything that seems "too good to be true." We are sometimes even afraid to trust ourselves!

Helen Keller learned a great deal about trust in her life as one who was both sightless and deaf. She learned to trust people, upon whom she was often dependent. She learned to trust herself and lived a highly productive life in spite of her handi­capping conditions. As a noted writer and thinker, she taught us that trust is vital to any happy life.

That great woman believed there are four great things to learn in life. They are:

To think clearly without hurry or confusion;
To love everyone sincerely;
To act in everything with the highest motives;
To trust God unhesitatingly.

Trust. It is a small word which can make a big difference.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes

THE BEAUTY WAY FOR LIFE

Towering urban trees - “We say we love flowers, yet we pluck them. We say we love trees, yet we cut them down. And people still wonder why some are afraid when told they are loved.”

I guess I'm likely to put anything in my body!

I love spicy foods and Mexican foods in particular. I've "treated" friends to my favorite homemade spicy dishes. A typical reaction to a dish bathed in my hot sauce goes like this: they smile and enthusiastically try a bite; their eyes open far too wide and they begin to sweat profusely and reach for the water to put out the flames in their stomachs; then, when voice and reason return, they nod and politely say, "Tasty." They often don't come back.

One person commented, "I've heard of people who preach hellfire, but you're the only one I know who hands out samples."

Well, maybe it's not quite that bad, but I'm likely to eat most any kind of food. And though I exercise regularly, my body is starting to tell me to be more selective in my diet. I like the woman who stepped off the scale and was asked by her husband what the verdict was. "According to the height table," she replied, "I should be about six inches taller."

But more important than the food we put into our bodies are thoughts we put into our minds. Thoughts of bitterness like, "I hate her!" Thoughts of despair like, "I'll never be happy again." Thoughts of fear like, "I could never do that!" And thoughts of worry, thoughts of greed and thoughts of self-loathing. A constant diet of these killer thoughts will destroy us long before cholesterol.

The Navajo people have an expression for this. They traditionally believe that how they fill their minds will shape their lives. So they want to fill their minds only with that which is good, harmonious and edifying. They speak of "thinking in the Beauty Way" -- ridding their minds of all that is destructive and filling them with that which is good and peaceful. The Beauty Way is the way of love and contentment, peace and kindness, patience and courage.

What are you putting into your mind? James Lane Allen has said, "You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you." Fill your mind with life-affirming thoughts and tomorrow will find you further along the Beauty Way.

From Lifesupport.

Lifesigns Life Quotes