Puzzle......

My Thought For this Day.......Life is a New York Times Crossword Puzzle. If you don't lay a strong Horizontal foundation, you'll never get Vertical heights achieved.

Emotions.....

My Thought for this Day.......Emotions you hang out with become you. When your world is constantly focused on anger, you become a tense ball of rage. If you center your thoughts on greed and selfishness, you become a modern day Mr. Scrooge. If, in the other hand, you focus your thoughts and emotions on laughter and thankfulness and honor, you become an artist who paints this world with swirls and swipes of the most delightful colors. Think about it and decide what you want your palette to look like. You only get one run at this. Be careful in your choosing.

Walk it!.....

My Thought for this Day.....Those who live by the old adage, "Do what I say, not what I do." are red circles in the target practice of life. How easy it is to verbally spew advice and condemnation while turning a blind eye to self matters. Don't live your life in the dark clouds of your words; live it in the sunshine of the path of doing the right thing. The only person who is listening to you is you, yet everyone is watching. Walk it!

Rejoice......

My Thought for this Day.......No matter the weight you are under, give thanks. With this giving will come a rebirth of strength. For truly, each syllable of thanksgiving draws the heart away from the burdens of life and into the light of a brand new day. Rejoice, for this is surely the Day that the Lord has made.

Care......

My Thought for this Day......Just learn to care about people. It's not that hard. One little care leads to another and another and before you know it, your eyes and thoughts are turned outward and not inward. Make life about reaching out, not pulling in. Let your days be filled with giving a hand up, not a push down. Forever keep your mind on what you can do for someone, not what you can do for yourself. Learn to care. It's not that hard.

Courage....

My Thought for this Day.......I awoke this morning with the word courage on my mind. No life is for the weak. You may think the person next to you has been dealt a better hand of cards than you, simply not true. Everyone goes through the slippery slope of life one step at a time. Here's the thing.....some do it more courageously than others. Some hold their heads higher. Some walk with more determination and strength. Some attack life with ferocity, not timidity. Don't compare your hill to others, for truly you do not know anyone's inner battles. We all spend way too much time judging friends, family, acquaintances and strangers, belittling our own lives with jealousy. Stop it!! Every moment you spend trying to live your neighbor's life, you insult your own. It takes courage to turn the spotlight on yourself, to examine your heart, mind and spirit in the gigantic mirror of inner reflection. But in the end.....we are left with nothing but ourselves. I hope you have the courage to be your own Alice in the Looking Glass.

Pair......

My Thought for this Day......Listen, Listen, Listen......sometimes we just don't listen. We tune out words; we tune out cries for help; we tune out everything, but our own voices rumbling inane gibberish in our small minds. Get off that selfish horse and offer someone a ride. Turn your radio dial to a station that doesn't only play your music. You have two hands....you don't need them both. Stretch one out to your friends, family, or a random person in true need. You have two eyes to see the world around you, and I guarantee it's not 100% problem free. You have two feet to carry you where you want to go, and your path doesn't always need to be The Yellow Brick Road. You have two ears to listen; use one to actually do just that. Have you ever thought about why God gave you pairs? Not hard to figure it out....one for you and a spare. What you do with that spare defines who you truly are.

Hurdles.....

My Thought for this Day.......I wonder about mental hurdles and gates. At times I think we unconsciously throw up these obstacles in our everyday walk. I could never do that.....Just my luck....What else is new. These are the keyless gates, the gargantuan hurdles that we allow to keep us from doing what's in our ability to do. Maybe we do this out of fear, maybe out of laziness, or maybe because we have done it for so many years, it has become a habit. Stop for a minute and think of your gates and hurdles....we all have them.....then allow your conscious mind to unlock and tear down those invasive whirling words that have kept you from being the best you can be. Be a champion in your world. Make the effort, do the work, enjoy the success.

Dance......

My Thought for this Day.......Some days you just have to turn up the music and dance in the rain. No one ever got washed in the waters from Heaven by hiding under an umbrella!

Mixture.......

My Thought for this Day.......There are times when we lift our faces with pride. We do a great job, we complete a hard task, we win a tough game. But there are other times when our heads bow in moments of sadness, shame or loss. Life will never only be a rise to the top. Inevitably as humans, we lose. And the lessons and realities of both the wins and the losses are invaluable. For it is the meeting in the middle, the entwining of the two, the daily mixing of the batter of life, that shapes us into who we are. Don't let your life only be about the white frothy icing on the cake; realize that at times the crust is just as, if not more, important.

Skim......

My Thought for this Day......Sometimes we are skimmers of life. We hover above the waters of our days enjoying the view. And you know, I think that's okay. We don't always have to dive in head first and struggle through the murky deep waters. It's just fine to enjoy the view of blue skies and white cotton clouds and mango sunsets. Yep, sometimes I think it's simply the best to see your world from atop the biggest wave in your ocean.

Vista......

My Thought for this Day........We tend to think in increments.....seconds, minutes, hours, days, months and years. What if, instead, we looked at the big picture. What if, we drowned out the hustle and bustle and ticking of the clock and simply gazed on the vista behind, to the side and before us. What if, we understood that we are in the midst of a vast miracle......it's called life.

Live.....

My Thought for thus Day......You've never had today. And you'll never have it again. Live it as if it's a one time deal. Because frankly, my dear, it is.

Sunday.....

My thought for this Day.....There is something so serene about an early Sunday morning. The week is old, yet the day is young. And thoughts glide through your mind ever so gently honoring what is past, and anticipating that which is yet to be.....what sweet moments of repose and worship.

Pause.......

My Thought for this Day........In today's world we pause many things. We can set our ovens or crock pots, or dishwashers to stand ready and come on at an appointed time. We can pause our televisions when we want to leave the room or do a quick chore. We seemingly are in control of time. But in reality we are not. Time marches on whether we like it or not. Monday passes to Tuesday and January passes to February and 2015 will pass to 2016. The world spins, your days, months and years end, and at some unknown point your time is gone. Don't live on pause thinking you have forever. Don't while away your time being sure tomorrow will come. Don't ever ever ever think that you are assured of a second chance to mend that fence, lend that hand, or say those words. How very sad that we often spend our time storing up earthly treasures, but allow those we love to be paused for another day. If you have someone in your life whom you have pushed until the elusive tomorrow, please think about today. Make that call, reach out that hand, live as if your time is up.

Grudges.......

My Thought for this Day........I awoke this morning thinking of grudges...particularly 'holding a grudge'. This brings up a question. If you are holding a grudge, where are you holding it? If you are carrying it on your shoulders, then isn't the weight heavy and painful? If it is in your mind, then isn't it taking up valuable thought space. If in your heart, then it is squatting in a place that should be filled with love. The way I see it is holding onto your almighty grudge is hurting you more than your target. Give it up!! Life is too short to live with self imposed burdens.

Vision.....

My Thought nor this Day......At times we are nearsighted, at times farsighted, and at times we are blind. 20/20 vision isn't what we need every day. The focus of life must vary as our circumstances change. When needed, we concentrate on us with our vision being near. Other times we spread our field of sight to the bigger picture, and then there are those days, when turning a blind eye protects us. Learn to know how to visually absorb life on a day to day basis.

Knit......

My Thought for this Day........As you pick up your needles and begin the knitting of your day, don't worry about dropped stitches. The joy is in the crafting, not in the perfection.

Simple......

My Thought for this Day......The Truth is simple. When he drew his last tortuous breath on the cross, he did it for you. When he ascended to the Heavens, he rose for you. As he eternally sits on the right hand of the Father, he sits for you. How can your earthly walk be pointless and your path dark, when you acknowledge the Power who took the human experience and made it into more than the eye can see ,the ear can hear, the mouth confess, or the finite mind absorb? And yet it is made so very simple when you truly believe that it was done for you.

Pause.....

My Thought for this Day.......Today is the Day of Pause. We stand between Good Friday and Salvation Sunday. We pause, knowing the mighty end to this story of redemption. We are certain. It is written. But there are times in our lives when we pause to an unknown ending. There are days, weeks, months when it seems like we hold our breaths waiting on the periods to end our sentences. We exist in a comma world for awhile. I encourage you to live in your intermissions without fear or trepidation. For no matter the ending to your current Sentence of Life, the Pause we are living in at this very moment supersedes all others, and we know without doubt we can handle what life brings for we have Grace that floods us with assurance we are never alone.

Grace.....

My Thought for this Day.......When the burden of life seems unbearable. When the pain of your walk is heavy and each tortuous step is more arduous than the last. When aloneness swallows you in doubt and grief and unbelief. And when there is nothing but you. Know that you are in Friday, but Sunday is coming. Rebirth is near and with it you will be relieved and lightened and most of all, your rock is rolled away and Grace has set you free.

Five.......

My Thought for this Day.....Instead of pursuing your fifteen minutes of fame, why don't you simply spend fifteen minutes of reflection. Five minutes of relaxing your body, five minutes of gentling your mind, and five minutes of listening to your soul. Until you know yourself, how can you know the place you are meant to take in this world? Seek and ye shall find.

Tree....

My Thought for this Day......When you sit under your tree of knowledge are you content to merely stare at the lower branches? Or do you make the effort to arise and climb to the top? Just possibly what you seek takes more effort than you're giving. As you laze in the shade, reflect on the amazing view that awaits you from the highest branch of your tree if you will merely take the effort to climb.