BLUEBIRD OF HAPPINESS FOR LIFE

Fresh vegetables for sale by the road side - A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road.

A sign in a pet store read, "If anybody has seen the Bluebird of
Happiness, would you please notify this pet store?"

Happiness seems to be in short supply for many people. If the
results of recent surveys can be trusted, there is a general decline
of happiness in today's world. And people were not all that
cheerful a few years back! It was Oliver Wendell Holmes who stated,
"I might have been a minister for aught I know, if a certain
clergyman had not looked and talked like an undertaker." (I have to
say, though, that some clergy and undertakers I've known could teach
the rest of us something about joy.)

Joy and happiness are not always the same things. Happiness can be
thought of as more of a temporary, emotional condition, often based
on outside circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, is deeper. It is
often contentment in spite of the unsettling present. We can be
basically joyful, regardless of a particular unhappy situation that
we may be enduring. It is sometimes just a matter of keeping
perspective on our troubles, and especially when those troubles
seem to be in long supply.

You may know the story of the man who had a marvelous way of keeping
joy in his life. He was a carpenter. He followed the same ritual
every day when he came home from the job. He stopped by a small tree
in his front yard and placed his hand on a couple of branches. Then,
when he walked into his home, it was as if a magical transformation
had occurred. All of a sudden, the stress was lifted from him. He
became energetic and joyful, able to fully interact with his
children and his wife.

He explained it this way: "That tree is my trouble tree. When I come
home I stop by the tree and, just like I leave my tools in the
truck, I leave my troubles outside of my home. I hang them on that
tree before greeting my family. Anything that does not have to come
in my house stays outside. Anything that I do not have to deal with
at home, I leave on that tree. And in the morning, I stop by the
tree and pick up the troubles I left there in the evening."

Then he adds, "It's a funny thing, though. Every morning I always
find fewer troubles remaining than I hung the night before."

Here is a man who has no doubt seen the Bluebird of Happiness.
Chances are, it is nesting in a tree just outside his home.

There is wisdom in knowing that some problems can wait until
tomorrow. And more wisdom in knowing what to hang on the tree and
what to bring in. Managing daily problems well is vital to
maintaining joy.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

PRINCIPLES TO LIVE BY FOR LIFE

Life sized Ironman display statue - Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue

Groucho Marx quipped, "Those are my principles, and if you don't
like them... well, I have others." Though he is joking, I wonder if
he is actually hitting close to home. I need to regularly check in
with myself and ask questions like, "Is the thing I'm doing now
guided by sound principles?

Principled people are the heart and soul of a society. But who
teaches our young people about character? Who teaches them how
important it is to be honest and to do what is right?

Even ETHICS classes might not touch on matters of character. They
discuss the medical ethics of cloning, stem cell research and
genetic engineering. They consider euthanasia, abortion and capital
punishment. And they even look at the ethics of governments and
multi-national corporations.

But one college professor recently made a disturbing discovery: she
assumed her students shared her principles of honesty, honor,
integrity, and the like. She taught ethics, but assumed that her
students shared her personal ethical standards.

Then one day she dropped an armful of final exams on her desk in
disgust and complained that over 50% of her students CHEATED on
their social justice exam. (Do you think they caught the irony
here?) They'd spent months learning about ethical issues most
societies face, but they never discussed personal morality. They
could talk convincingly about good and bad behaviors of
corporations, governments and societies, but they cheated on their
exams. They just didn't get it: cheating is wrong. And can we expect
societies, governments and businesses to do better than the people
who run them and live in them?

Principled people are the heart and soul of our lives together.
Church leader John Wesley simplifies it for us. In regards to what
is right and wrong, he says simply this:

"Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can."

I think those are principles I want to live by.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

HEALTH INSURANCE IN LIFE

Chinese New Year decoration on sale - Glory is not a conceit. It is not a decoration for valor. Glory belongs to the act of being constant to something greater than yourself, to a cause, to your principles, to the people on whom you rely and who rely on you in rerun.

Have you noticed how health insurance is like a hospital gown: every
time you turn around, you find something that isn't covered? But
health researchers are discovering what many people have known all
along -- that getting healthy is about more than medicine and
treatment. It also involves a healthy outlook on life.

Various studies have validated the mind/ body connection. Cancer is
often diagnosed within months of the death of one's spouse. People
who are cynical or angry have been shown to be more prone to heart
attacks than those with a more positive outlook. And former Saturday
Evening Post editor Norman Cousins has demonstrated for years how
humor, laughter and hope can aid the healing process.

Not only is a healthy mental outlook necessary, but a healthy
spiritual outlook seems to be equally important. Noted psychologist
Carl Jung (1865-1961) made a telling observation about the
connection between one's mental health and spiritual outlook.
"During the past 30 years, people from all civilized countries of
the earth have consulted me," he said. "Among all my patients in the
second half of life -- that is to say, over 35 -- there has not been
one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a
(spiritual) outlook on life. It is safe to say that every one of
them fell ill because he had lost that which living religions of
every age have given to their followers.."

A healthy person is not one with a certain lifestyle, a certain
income or certain favorable circumstances. A healthy person is
usually one with certain attitudes. Positive mental attitudes and
fruitful spiritual attitudes are part of it. One might say that a
robust spiritual outlook is good health insurance.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

LETTING YOUR SOUL CATCH UP FOR LIFE

Fake/bootleg gundam Shen Lung model kit - “Most of us who turn to any subject we love remember some morning or evening hour when we got on a high stool to reach down an untried volume, or sat with parted lips listening to a new talker, or for very lack of books began to listen to the voices within, as the first traceable beginning of our love.”

Did you know that practicing some form of relaxation is one of the
greatest gifts you can give yourself? Taking time each day to quiet
your mind and breathe deeply, can make a big difference in how you
feel throughout your day and into the night. And dedicating a day
every week for mental and spiritual renewal is equally important.

We're told that the word "relax" has its origin in the Latin word
"relaxare," which means "to loosen." When we relax, we are in effect
loosening tension, releasing tightly held energy and letting go.
From the state of relaxation we can experience calm peacefulness.

Another great word is the Hebrew word "Shabbat" which, of course, is
a day of rest. But it quite literally means to "quit; stop; take a
break." Whatever you are doing, stop it. Whatever you are saying, be
quiet. Sit down and take a look around. Don't do anything. Don't say
anything. Fold your hands. Take a deep breath... .

Extended periods of rest are a biological necessity. The human body
is like an old-fashioned wind-up clock. If it is not rewound by
rest, ultimately it will run itself down.

A group of Americans made a trip with Brazilian natives down the
Amazon River. The first day they rushed. The second day they rushed.
The next day they rushed. One day, anxious to continue the trek,
they were surprised to find the natives seated together in a circle.

When asked the reason for the delay, a guide answered, "They are
waiting. They cannot move further until their souls have caught up
with their bodies."

Do you owe yourself time to let your soul catch up with your body?

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

THE GIFT IN LIFE

Red lanterns decorating the street - Faith means living with uncertainty - feeling your way through life, letting your heart guide you like a lantern in the dark

A story about an old Bendix washing machine helped one man get
through the valley of loss. *

His parents acquired the washer when John Claypool was a small boy.
It happened during World War II. His family owned no washing machine
and, since gasoline was rationed, they could ill afford trips to the
laundry several miles away. Keeping clothes clean became a problem
for young John's household.

A family friend was drafted into the service, and his wife prepared
to go with him. John's family offered to store their furniture while
they were away. To the family's surprise, the friends suggested they
use their Bendix while they were gone. "It would be better for it to
be running," they said, "than sitting up rusting." So this is how
they acquired the washer.

Young John helped with the washing, and across the years he
developed an affection for the old, green Bendix. But eventually the
war ended. Their friends returned. In the meantime he had forgotten
how the machine came to be in their basement in the first place.
When the friends came to take it away, John grew terribly upset --
and let his feelings be known.

His wise mother sat him down and said, "Wait a minute, Son. You must
remember, that machine never belonged to us in the first place. That
we ever got to use it at all was a gift. So, instead of being mad at
it being taken away, let's use this occasion to be grateful that we
had it at all."

The lesson proved invaluable. Years later, John watched his
eight-year-old daughter die a slow and painful death of leukemia.
Though he struggled for months with her death, John could not
really begin healing from the loss until he remembered the old
Bendix.

"I am here to testify," he said, "that this is the only way down the
mountain of loss...when I remember that Laura Lou was a gift, pure
and simple, something I neither earned nor deserved nor had a right
to. And when I remember that the appropriate response to a gift,
even when it is taken away, is gratitude, then I am better able to
try and thank God that I was ever given her in the first place."

His daughter was given to him to love and nurture. She never
belonged to him, but he had the awesome privilege of sharing her
life for a while. When he realized that simple fact, everything
changed. He could now begin healing from the tragedy of her loss by
focusing instead on the wonder of her life. He started to see Laura
Lou as a marvelous gift that he was fortunate enough to enjoy for a
time. He felt grateful. He found strength and healing. He finally
knew he could get through the valley of loss.

We all experience loss -- loss of people, loss of jobs, loss of
relationships, loss of independence, loss of esteem, loss of things.
What if you view that which is lost as a gift you were given for a
time? Perhaps that simple choice of trying to reframe your loss will
change sad memories into thankful ones. And perhaps it will get you
unstuck and back on the road to healing and wholeness.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

NEVER TOO LATE IN LIFE

Scene at the morning fresh vegetables market - Freedom and love go together. Love is not a reaction. If I love you because you love me, that is mere trade, a thing to be bought in the market; it is not love. To love is not to ask anything in return, not even to feel that you are giving something- and it is only such love that can know freedom.

Katharine Hepburn once said, "Life is hard. After all, it kills
you." And it can kill you early if you don't figure out how to
change. Let me explain.

The expression "turning over a new leaf" refers to turning pages of
a book. Just as the plot of a novel changes from page to page,
people, too, can change their lives. Indeed they have to if they are
to live well.

I enjoy reading about ancient cultures. And it occurs to me that
most of the old civilizations are gone. Some have left little behind
except ruins and rubble. What happened? Where are the people, their
music and ideas? Why are they nothing more today than a collection
of stones visited by tourists and curious historians?

The answer, of course, is not the same the world over. But Arnold
Toynbee, in his work THE STUDY OF HISTORY (1987), says that the
great lesson of history is this: civilizations that changed when
confronted with challenges thrived. Those that did not change died.
In other words, when life got hard, it killed off those who didn't
make needed changes. The key to survival is often about "change."

And what about us? What about you and me? It's good to accept
ourselves as we are, but when an unhealthy attitude or a destructive
behavior gets in the way, when we wish we could change something
about ourselves, we had better change. People who embrace change
thrive; those who resist it die.

If you have been waiting for a sign to make that needed change, this
may be it. I am convinced that it is never too late to be the person
you might have been. It's never too late to be happy. It's never too
late to do something different or to do something better. It's never
too late to change a habit. It's never too late to live.

Begin making that necessary change today. Then tomorrow, and every
tomorrow thereafter, can truly be different.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

STEEL AND VELVET IN LIFE

Papercraft cars, phones, devices and house - A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.

An unusual tribute was paid to Abraham Lincoln by Carl Sandburg. The
poet wrote, "Not often in the story of mankind does a man arrive on
earth who is both steel and velvet, who is as hard as rock and soft
as drifting fog, who holds in his heart and mind the paradox of
terrible storm and peace unspeakable and perfect."

Lincoln demonstrated then and now how a person can possess both a
will of iron and a heart of tenderness. Nothing deterred the
president during the American Civil War from his "noble" cause, and
few persons have ever endured more criticism and detractors than
Lincoln. Yet he was no more a man of steel than one of velvet.

When General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army, contrary to the
advice of some of his generals, Lincoln sent an unexpected message
to the enemy commander. "Tell your men they may keep their horses;
they'll need them for plowing," said the president. Then this: "Tell
your men they may keep their rifles; they'll need them for hunting."
When Lee read those words he wept.

For each of us there is a time for toughness and a time for
tenderness. A time for resolve and a time for compassion. An iron
will is not the same as an iron spirit. Another courageous American,
Martin Luther King, Jr. some hundred years later encouraged us to
exhibit tough minds and soft hearts... not the other way around.

I know that mental toughness, particularly an iron resolve and
determination, will often be needed if I am to get where I want to
go. But I also know that a soft heart - compassion and love - will
make the journey worth it.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

KEEP ON SWINGING IN LIFE

Peanut the cat sitting lazily on the stairs - A habit cannot be tossed out the window; it must be coaxed down the stairs a step at a time.

They say that opportunity only knocks once. But temptation seems to
pound on my door forever. Even opening up and letting it in doesn't
seem to make it go away. More temptations come along and the beating
goes on.

Those temptations that cause me the most problems are those that
pull me away from being my best self. So I can relate to the Swiss
woman who was served dinner on a domestic American flight. She
opened up her dessert - a delicious looking piece of chocolate
cake - and immediately sprinkled a generous layer of salt and pepper
over it. A shocked flight attendant exclaimed, "Oh! It's not
necessary to do that!"

"But it is," the woman replied, smiling. "It keeps me from eating
it."

She found a way to drive temptation away from her doorstep, at least
for a while.

The most persistent temptations in my life are distractions that
keep me from doing what is in my best interest.

I forgo some much-needed exercise because I "just don't feel like
it" today. Have you ever felt like that?

You may want to quit that reading group, that difficult class or
those music lessons. It's easy to become distracted and get
discouraged.

Or maybe we say we just "can't find the time" to spend with those
closest to us, such as family. We may want to do these things; it's
just that sometimes we need a nudge.

Something baseball great Hank Aaron once said can help out here. "My
motto was to keep swinging," he said. "Whether I was in a slump or
feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do
was to keep swinging."

Sometimes we just need to keep swinging. And if we tell ourselves
that all we need to do today is to take one more swing, that may be
enough. We can always take one more swing. And who knows -- today we
might hit a home run.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

THOSE YOU TOUCH...YOU CHANGE IN LIFE

Peanut the cat in captivity - The cat has too much spirit to have no heart

Did you know that your money likely has traces of cocaine on it?

A study by Jack Demirgian of the Argonne National Laboratory
revealed that a full 78% of the currency circulating in Miami and
other major US cities carries trace amounts of cocaine. That's
probably true elsewhere, too.

They were only looking for cocaine, but I wonder what else might be
found on the bills? Maybe fast-food products, such as frying grease,
mustard or teriyaki sauce? Tea or coffee? And how about rouge or
lipstick from purses and lint from pockets? Perhaps ink from a leaky
pen? I've found more indistinguishable stains on some of my money
than I care to think about.

What's more, we're told that if they look closely enough, they can
even learn something about where your money has been. To the store.
To the beach. Even hidden beneath a mattress.

Just about anything that comes into contact with money leaves a bit
of itself behind. Then, when the bills rub up against each other in
a wallet or billfold, they share contaminates. Everything the bills
touch will be changed, however slightly.

So it is with us. Everything we touch is changed. I used to play
English hand bells. "Don't touch the bells with your bare hands," we
were told. "Wear gloves." The oils from our hands changed the
quality of the bells.

Everything we touch is changed. And everybody we touch is changed --
even if we're not infected with something contagious. I'm not only
talking about physical touch, either. Often we touch their minds and
spirits and hearts. Everybody we speak to, rub shoulders with or
even smile at...is changed in some minute way. These changes can be
helpful or hurtful, depending on our interaction. It is like leaving
a piece of ourselves behind with everyone we meet, and taking a
piece of them with us.

And even little changes can make a difference. NO ONE is
insignificant in this regard.

Bette Reeves said, "If you think you are too small to be effective,
you have never been in bed with a mosquito." You don't need to be a
mosquito to have an effect on people around you. The question is:
what little part of yourself will you leave behind? How will you
influence them? Will your encounter be thoughtful or hurried?
Helpful or harmful? Intentional or accidental?

There is something awe-inspiring about the influence we have on one
another. Whom will you touch today? What will you leave behind, and
what will you take with you?

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

EARLY TO BED FOR LIFE

Vibrant oil painting - The quality of your life is dependent upon the quality of the life of your cells. If the bloodstream is filled with waste products, the resulting environment does not promote a strong, vibrant, healthy cell life-nor a biochemistry capable of creating a balanced emotional life for an individual.

I know one man who says he likes work. It fascinates him. He says he
can sit and watch it for hours.

He was probably the same guy who went to his supervisor to ask for a
raise.

"I am already planning on giving you a raise," she said.

"Oh, great!" he said. "When will it be effective?"

"As soon as you are!" shouted the boss. (Do you know that man?)

Someone said, "Find a job that you love, and you'll never work a day
in your life."

Some people are fortunate enough to be able to find a job they love.
But not everyone can follow their bliss into the marketplace. I've
had jobs where my motto was closer to "Early to bed and early to
rise, 'till you make enough money to do otherwise." I had to decide
to at least try to like what I do, since I did not find myself doing
what I liked.

There are benefits to learning to enjoy at least parts of what we do
if we can't do what we love. It stands to reason that the more
pleasure we find in our work, the more effective and successful we
will become. And usually we will make more money. But mainly, who
wants to spend a life dreading to climb out of the bed every morning
only to spend the rest of the day watching the clock tick off
endless minutes and hours?

Can you concentrate more on the aspects of your work that you enjoy?
Can you find ways to develop nurturing relationships in your
workplace? Can you remember why you are working: to educate your
children or to save for retirement? Can you see yourself less as
chipping stones and more as building a temple.in other words, can
you see the big picture of what you do all day? Are there ways you
can serve others in your work environment? All of these techniques
and others can help you to learn to find more enjoyment at work.

It was the mystic Kahil Gibran who put it this way: "Work is love
made visible. And if you cannot work with love, but only with
distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at
the gate of the temple and ask for alms of those who work with joy."

If you can't do what you love ALL of the time, can you learn to
enjoy what you do MORE of the time?

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

A CONSPIRACY OF KINDNESS IN LIFE

Abalone mushrooms vegetables dish - All our progress is an unfolding, like the vegetable bud, you have first an instinct, then an opinion, then a knowledge, as the plant has root, bud and fruit. Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason.

Kevin is a boy who might be described as "slow." He didn't learn his
ABCs as fast as other kids. He couldn't compete in schoolyard races.
But Kevin had a way with people. His bright smile and big heart won
him plenty of friends.

My friend Randy, the pastor at Kevin's church, decided they needed a
basketball team for boys. Kevin signed on and soon basketball became
a center of his life. He practiced hard. While the other boys worked
at dribbling the basketball and shooting lay-ups, skills Kevin would
never master, he simply shot baskets. Or more correctly, he threw
the ball AT the basket. He had a special spot near the free throw
line. He threw and threw, and it occasionally went in. On the rare
times that he succeeded, Kevin raised his arms and shouted, "Look at
me, Coach! Look at me!" Randy looked at him. And smiled.

The day before their first game, Coach Randy gave each player a
bright red jersey. Kevin was number 12. He scrambled himself into
the sleeves and wore that jersey almost every day. Everywhere. One
Sunday morning the church worship service was interrupted by Kevin's
excited voice. "Look, Coach!" He lifted his gray wool sweater to
reveal the red jersey underneath with number 12 on the front. Nobody
there minded the interruption; the congregation knew Kevin and loved
him.

I'd like to be able to tell you that the team did well. But the
truth is.they never won a game that season -- except for the night
it snowed and the opposing team never showed up.

At the end of the season, the boys played in the church league's
tournament. As the last-place team, they drew the unfortunate spot
of playing against the best team -- boys who had never lost a game
all year.

Game day arrived. Both teams played their best, but the game went as
expected. Near the end of the last quarter, Kevin's team stood
nearly 30 points behind. It was then that one of the boys called
timeout. "Coach Randy," he said, "this is our last game and Kevin
has never made a basket. I think we should let him make a basket."

The team agreed. Kevin was instructed to stand at his special place
near the free throw line and wait. He was told that when he was
given the ball, he should shoot.

Kevin was ecstatic. He ran to the floor and waited. When the ball
was passed to him he shot -- and missed. Number 17 from the other
team snatched the rebound, dribbled down the court for an easy
basket. But a moment later Kevin got the ball again. He shot -- and
missed again. Number 17 repeated his performance scoring two more
points. Kevin shot a third and fourth time with the same result.

But slowly the other team seemed to figure out what was going on and
the next time they snatched the rebound, a boy threw it to Kevin! He
shot...and missed. Now every rebound came to him and he threw and
threw toward the basket. Time was running down and Kevin still had
not scored.

BOTH teams circled the boy by this time and all of the players were
shouting, "Kevin! Kevin!" The crowd took up the chant. Soon everyone
in the gym was shouting Kevin's name.

Coach Randy was sure that time must have run out; the game HAD to be
over. He glanced at the official clock. It was stopped at 4.3
seconds. Even the timekeepers joined in the mania and stood by their
table shouting with the crowd, "Kevin! Kevin!"

Kevin shot and shot. Everyone was screaming. He attempted again and
again and again and...miraculously, one of his shots took a crazy
bounce on the rim. Everyone held their breath.

The ball dropped in.

Chaos reigned. Nobody remained seated. Everyone stood and cheered as
if one boy had single-handedly won a world championship. Kevin's
arms sprang up in the air and he shouted, "I won! I won!" He had
scored. His team escorted him off the court, the clock ticked down
and the game was over.

That day an undefeated team retained their perfect record. But
everybody won. Everybody. Because everybody had participated in a
crazy conspiracy of kindness that was so compelling, so powerful,
the earth itself might have stopped for a moment to rejoice with one
young boy.

How beautiful it is when we all conspire together in kindness.
Everybody wins.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

WHO'S YOUR HERO IN LIFE?

Wedding package promotion display - The real act of marriage takes place in the heart, not in the ballroom or church or synagogue. It's a choice you make / not just on your wedding day, but over and over again / and that choice is reflected in the way you treat your husband or wife.

One of those strange newspaper stories told of a 19-year-old woman
who had been charged in Los Angeles with two counts of
trespassing -- after sneaking into the home of actor Brad Pitt and
trying on his clothes. I suppose we have different ways of adoring
our heroes..

But who are our real heroes? I was given a little quiz recently. See
how well you do:

Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
Name five Olympic gold medalists.
Name the last five winners of your national beauty contest.
Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
Name the last half-dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and
actress.
Name the last decade's national or world champions in your favorite
sport.

These people, of course, are the best in their fields. But fame is
fleeting and outstanding performance is too soon forgotten.

Now try another quiz:

List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and
special.
Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.

If you found the second quiz easier, it may be because those people
who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the best
degrees or pedigrees, nor are they the most honored or acclaimed.
The people who make a difference are those who care. They may never
have seen a battle; never scored a winning goal; never been featured
in a magazine. But they have been busy helping you to be the best
you can be.

Let's remember and thank our real heroes. And don't be surprised if
someone thanks you.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

THE BEST REVENGE IN LIFE

Fake/bootleg Transformers Starscream toy on sale - The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made.

One person jokingly says she never goes to bed angry. Instead, she
stays awake and plots her revenge.

As one story goes, a group of occupational soldiers hired a local
boy to run errands for them. The soldiers liked to relieve stress by
playing practical jokes on the young boy. They would hide his
belongings, put gum in his shoes, or send him on silly errands.

The boy handled the joking quite well. He never seemed upset by it.
After a while, the soldiers decided that they had bothered the child
enough. They approached him to apologize and to tell him that they
would no longer play any jokes on him.

The boy replied in stilted English, "You stop making joke on me, I
stop spitting in your soup."

He had his revenge. But for most of us, revenge turns out to be more
bitter than sweet. Unsatisfying at best. It "has no more quenching
effect on emotions than salt water has on thirst," one writer says.
And it's true. The desire to inflict hurt and pain remains long
after one has given in to the urge to get even. Bitter emotions are
more often quenched by love and understanding than by fighting back.

Over 400 years ago, the English poet George Herbert said, "Living
well is the best revenge." Good advice - especially when tempted to
get even.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

LEAFAGE AND ROOTAGE FOR LIFE

Gundam Sandrock assembled model kit - The search for truth is in one way hard and in another way easy, for it is evident that no one can master it fully or miss it wholly. But each adds a little to our knowledge of nature, and from all the facts assembled there arises a certain grandeur.

American President Woodrow Wilson once pointed out that "a man's
rootage is more important than his leafage." What others see are the
leaves, the outside. What they can't see are the roots, the values
and principles that ground a person. A happy and fulfilled life
grows from a good system of roots.

No one believed in the solid "rootage" of President Jimmy Carter
more than his own mother "Miss Lillian," as she was fondly called.
She was aware of her son's reputation for honesty, which had become
a topic of curiosity among many politicians and even reporters.
During a 1986 speech at the University of Tennessee, Jody Powell
told a story about a television reporter who grilled Miss Lillian on
this topic.

"Is it true," asked the reporter, "that your son doesn't lie? Can
you tell me he has never told a lie?"

"Well, I reckon he might have told a little white lie now and then,"
replied Miss Lillian.

The reporter spotted the opening. "I thought you said he didn't
lie!" she exclaimed. "Are you telling me that white lies aren't as
bad as black lies? Just what do you mean by a white lie?"

"Well," drawled Miss Lillian, "do you remember when you came in this
morning and I told you how nice you looked and how glad I was to see
you...?"

Those people who care about strong and principled inner lives leave
an important mark on the world. They actually live from the inside
out. Their inner convictions guide their actions. Their inner
principles govern their lives. It's like roots which are sunk deep
into lasting values and sustain the tree through whatever hard times
may come along.

What does it mean to have good roots? I think it means to be strong
enough and healthy enough to do whatever you truly want to do. It
means to be strong enough, at least most of the time, to give your
best to the world.

I would like to have roots that grow deep and strong. I would like a
system of roots that could give me:

- enough strength to forgive those who hurt me;
- enough confidence to overcome any amount of fear;
- enough courage to accept whatever obstacles life throws my
way;
- enough compassion to love even the unlovable;
- enough faith that nothing can shatter my peace of mind.

If I grow good roots, I don't need to worry about the leafage.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

TURN ... AND COME ROUND RIGHT IN LIFE

Colorful plastic mesh strainer for sale - Kissing is like drinking tea with a tea strainer, you can never get enough

Not long ago a commercial airliner, whose pilot was new to New York,
landed at JFK Airport. He steered the jet onto a taxiway and
stopped. Then slowly he began turning. First he nosed the aircraft
to the right. Then to the left. Then he turned the plane completely
around.

Finally, over the public-address system, a confused voice asked,
"Does anyone know where Gate 25 is?" Do you think that if he just
turned around enough times he would come out right?

Deciding to turn, though, is something we often have to do if we are
to live fully and live well. For each of us knows what it is to head
the wrong direction in life; and we also know how relieved we feel
to turn around again.

Do you remember the old Shaker hymn, written by Joseph Brackett, Jr.
over 150 years ago?

'Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free,
'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed.
To turn, turn will be our delight,
'Til by turning, turning we come round right.

It's amazing how many times I turn in a day. I turn up to things I
want to attend and turn down others. I turn in at the end of the day
and turn over all night long. And when things are not right, I can
always turn them around.

Actually, turning is one of the most hopeful words I know.

When I'm not right, I can turn in a new direction. By turning, I do
something about the course I've taken. I may not be able to change
what I've already done; and I may not be able to fully escape those
unpleasant consequences of past choices. But I need not continue in
the same, destructive path. I can turn. I can find my way again.

Turning around is allowed in this life. In fact, it's necessary.
Especially after mistakes and failures. And that's like hope for me.
Like the song says, "'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to
be." But when we don't find ourselves where we ought to be, "by
turning, turning we come round right."

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

LOVE AND TIME FOR LIFE

Giant China porcelain vases - Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives.

Writer Gary Jennings said this: "Love and time, those are the only
two things in all the world and all of life, that cannot be bought,
but only spent."

I love that. And HOW I spend my love and time is what it is all
about.

My work and interests require me to spend probably an inordinate
amount of time in front of my computer. At least according to my
wife Bev.

She and I were talking one day about death and funerals and what to
do with each other's remains. I asked. "What will you do with my
body? Burial? Cremation?"

She answered, "I think I'll just have you stuffed and propped up in
your chair by the computer. That way when I walk through the room I
won't even notice that you're gone."

I got the point - too much computer time. And how I spend my time
and my love is all important.

The question I ask myself is this: "Do I generously and freely give
love and time away - and especially to those closest to me?"

Charles Francis Adams was the United States ambassador to Great
Britain during the Lincoln administration. He had the habit of
keeping a daily diary. He also taught his son Brooks the value of
journaling his activities in a diary.

One memorable day, eight-year-old Brooks recorded, "Went fishing
with my father, the most glorious day of my life." It must have been
a glorious day, for the next forty years Brooks repeatedly mentioned
it in his diary. It became a life-long memory.

His father also wrote about the fishing trip. His own diary on that
pivotal day for his son reads, "Went fishing with my son; a day
wasted."

He didn't get it. That one single day he generously and freely gave
love and time away to Brooks may have been the one of the most
important days of his son's life. Did he feel that, as a United
States ambassador, his time was too valuable to be "wasted" with his
children? History seems to show that a fishing trip with his son
paid huge dividends in Brooks' life.

I only hope I will spend love and time so well.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes

AREN'T THEY ALL OUR CHILDREN FOR LIFE?

Obama the dog on guard duty - “It is wrong to think that misfortunes come from the east or from the west; they originate within one's own mind. Therefore, it is foolish to guard against misfortunes from the external world and leave the inner mind uncontrolled.”

There are few things in this life more difficult to experience than
the loss of one's child. Jim Wallis, in WHO SPEAKS FOR GOD tells about
a sad and terrifying incident that occurred during the tragic war in
Sarajevo not too many years back. A reporter who was covering the
violence in the middle of the city saw a little girl fatally shot by a
sniper.

The reporter threw down his pad and pencil and rushed to the aid of a
man who was now holding the child. He helped them both into his car
and sped off to a hospital.

"Hurry, my friend," the man urged, "my child is still alive." A moment
or two later he pleaded, "Hurry, my friend, my child is still
breathing." A little later he said, "Hurry, my friend, my child is
still warm."

When they got to the hospital, the young girl was gone. "This is a
terrible task for me," the distraught man said to the reporter. "I
must go tell her father that his child is dead. He will be
heartbroken. "

The reporter was amazed. He looked at the grieving man and said, "I
thought she was YOUR child."

The man replied, "No, but aren't they all our children?"

I think that is one of the great questions of our age. Aren't they all
our children? It is a question that deserves an answer.

Aren't they all our children? Those who live under our roof and those
who reside with another family? Those to whom we are related as well
as those whom we have never known?

Aren't they all our children? Those on our side of the border as well
as those on the other side? Those of our nation no more or less than
those of another?

Aren't they all our children? Those who worship like us and those who
worship differently? Those who look like us and those who do not?

Aren't they all our children? The well-educated and the
under-educated? The well-fed and the under-fed? Those who are secure
and those who are at risk?

Aren't they all our children? The highly valued and highly esteemed as
well as the castaways and the lost?

Aren't they all our children? Aren't they all our responsibility? ALL
of them? Ours to nurture? Ours to protect? Ours to love?

I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that the survival of our
world hinges on the answer to that question.

To say they are NOT all our children is to condemn the world to more
struggle – family against family, group against group, nation against
nation.

Aren't they all our children? If we say yes, can we ever again pit
them against each other? "If we have no peace," said Mother Teresa,
"it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."

Aren't they all our children?

There may be no greater question for our generation. And how we answer
that question will determine the shape of our world for years to come.

From Lifesupport

Lifesigns Life Quotes