Past......

My Thought for this Day....Before we speak of new hopes and dreams of 2018, let us speak of closure. May you in all sincerity close the door on painful things, separations, and each circumstance that keeps you from those whom you love. At midnight tonight 2017 fades into 2018. Let those hurts and broken promises and dreams fade with it. Let it go. You are better than your perceived failures and wrongdoings. You are mighty in your life. Bow down, kneel, and in your supplication realize we live on the wings of the ever changing wind. And what seems forever may just be for now. Gather your miracles. They walk by your side. Yet there is a time limit, a stopping point, a period, for all things, both dark and light. Don’t let joy pass you by because of pride, guilt, or general humanism. Each breath is a gift, each moment a wonder. Life is precious. Happy 2018 my friends.

Reflection.......

My Thought for this Day.......For me the days between Christmas and New Year's Day are days of reflection. Somehow I seem to be stuck in the space between memories and new footprints I'll make in the sand of the path of my life. I hope as I sit at my Reflection Pool, I learn from the ripples of memories that slowly drift in the waters that were my 2017 I want to savor each memory, both good and bad. I want to build on each one, to learn from each one and to see myself reflected as I truly was. I have room for tremendous growth, I have an entire lake to fill with hope and goodness and kindness and generosity and strength. As I ponder those mirrored images that make me sad or not proud, I hope I can change myself so that next year......the days of 2018 I see less and less of them. I truly, deeply want to be that person who never takes for granted her days, that person who goes out of her way to lend a hand or a heart, that person who diligently seeks out those in need and stretches her arms to lift up and smooth out and simply give. I don't know what you see in your Lake of Reflection. I hope whatever it is, gives you more joy than sorrow, more laughter than tears and more comfort than angst. But my deepest hope is that you too can begin to see your 2018 as days of becoming your new Reflection Pond and if you are fortunate enough to sit and study it this time next year, that you will see more smiles, more love and more understanding that you and only you are responsible, not for others, but for yourself. Yet in that understanding, you see yourself reflected in the lives of others. And it is good. It’s called the spirit of giving, without expectation in return. I'm working on it. And it feels worthy and grace filled.

Show up.....

My Thought for this Day......I once heard ........Decisions are made by those who show up. Do you show up? Do you show up in your own life and in the lives of those you love? If not, then don't criticize attitudes, actions, or end results. And don't expect miracles to happen in your own life.

Sacred........

My Question of the Day?.......What is sacred to you? Do you truly understand the word? There are several definitions, but we'll go with 'Reverently Dedicated". So, again, what is sacred to you? I think the answer to this question speaks volumes about a person. It is their symphony, their book of life, their mountaintop. It sets the parameters of their actions, words, goals. It, in fact, is the true inner core of their being. Imagine that which is sacred to you is the Hub of your Wheel of Life and everything you do, speak, think, are the spokes. Your wheel turns daily guided by your Sacredness, your Reverent Dedication. And do you even realize this? Have you ever stopped to truly soak in, immerse yourself in that which is hallowed to you? It doesn't come easily. It takes inner revelation. It draws on the spirit. It defines you in a way like no other. So, I hope you take the time to soul search, to throw out the trash, that which is evil and destructive, and dwell peacefully, calmly and with dignity and grace in your Spirit of Sacredness. This is a cherished season. No glitter, nor bow, nor ribbon can begin to touch the true joy of these days. They are solemnly sacred. They give purpose to lives well lived, immersed not in the commercialism, but in the divine.

Season......

My Thought for this Day......And so it has begun....... The season of hopes and dreams and wishes coming true arrives. The time of giving and loving and goodwill toward men is once again upon us. We're dreaming of sugarplums and rockin' around our Christmas trees and filling our lives with festivities and fun. But before you can truly, honestly and completely revel in the season, I think there are things that must be done, words that must be said, acts that must be taken. Draw in that cleansing breath, step over that wall of pride, be the better person and forgive. And not only forgive in your heart, but in person, with words, aloud, in truth and in beauty. You can't begin anew until you cleanse your palate of hurt. And isn't this what the season is really about......that long ago birth that began mankind on a forever walk, an eternal walk, a walk of a Babe who showed us the path of righteousness and forgiveness? I dare you! Take that breath, search your soul, swallow your pride, do it because it is the right thing, the godly thing, the honorable thing. Purge and release and exonerate. Believe it or not, it is a selfish act. If wholeheartedly done, you will reap the Joys of lightness, and freedom. You will no longer sag under the weight of pride. And so I dare you. Grab those ribbons of renewal. Shut that door. And let it be.

I Do........

My Thought for this Day......Its okay to live part of your life as a Linking Verb. In fact, it's important. We need to feel, to be, to seem, to posses. But it's the life of Action Verbs that get things done. Link those feelings to actions. Don't only feel sorry for......help. Don't only consider......do. Don't only want.....go for. Life is a delicate balancing act, and truthfully , no one lives perfectly. But to live in the Link and not ever in the Action, does no one good. We all know where the Road of Good Intentions is said to lead. Don't always be an I am, be an I Do.

Spirit.....

My Thought for this Day.....Always leave a place better than you found it. In spirit. That's the true meaning of Christmas.

Soul........

My Thought for this Day.........I said these words to a good friend last night.....I am cleaning the House of my Soul right now. I have things I need to do, and words I need to say. Life is too short to not be true to yourself. When you live under the umbrella of pretend and falsehood, you miss the cleansing rain. Renewal is a blessed event. I think she heard and agreed. It may not be radical, headline worthy, nor attention grabbing. But is is selfishness at its best. Clean souls and minds and hearts make for productive selfless people.

You.......

My Thought for this Day......Don't waste your time trying to change other people. It's like building sandcastles on the beach. Eventually the high tide will destroy your effort. Instead work on your own Individual Castle of Character and place it high on the Cliff. There, like a fortress, you can withstand the storms and erosions of life. Friday life lesson.

Season.......

My Thought for this Day.....'Tis the Season to be Joyful, for caroling and twinkling lights and ole St Nick and merriment everywhere. But sadly, circumstances happen, and we are dealt life changing, gut wrenching lows that drop us in the black. I have, this year, more than one friend who struggles to breath right now. Taking one step in front of the other is excruciating, and the black seems to swallow them, as if it will never end. And so I hope that if your days are merry and bright, you will take time to remember and to lift up those whom life has slapped down. God bless us every one. " When despair for the world grows in me, and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and I am free." THE PEACE of WILD THINGS by Wendell Berry.

Grace....

My Thought for this Day.....We all are links in our own personal chain. At times we are the strongest link and bind our weaker family and friends together. At times, it is inevitable we are the most frail link of our chain of life. The blessing and purity of existence is to know the difference. Don't try to forge the knot when you know you can't hold it. Greatness is not trying to overachieve at others' expense. Wisdom is allowing those stronger links to hold when it is their time. Be that person who is humble enough to realize no one can be all every second. There is grace in holding out your hand for help and grasping those who are walking by your side in love and support.

Power......

My Thought for this Day.......When you take your power and turn it into a roaring lion that devours other human beings, then you have lost your sense of humanity. When your might overcomes those who are below you in the workplace, in your family, or in the general populace, you are a false dictator of pride. Whether your actions make headlines, are global, or are small, you demean yourself with your abuse of power. My gosh, you roar your will, but your heart is whimpering under the weight of your deception. Do you not see yourself? Why no, probably not. But within, deep within, you quiver in your frailty, knowing full well that it is a matter of time. Or you stand so blind in your spotlight that you are even more pathetic than you can imagine. I am sick of abuse in all forms. I am weak in my prayer for you, but I pray nonetheless. May God have mercy on your soul. And may you look deeply within your heart and realize that the way you treat others is a very basic sign of your character. We see what you do not.

Row........

My Thought for this Day.......When your dam busts and the waters of your life flood, you can do one of several things. You can drown in emotions of hate and self righteousness, you can swirl on the River of Pity, you can immerse yourself in the black tidal wave of revenge. You can do all of those things. Your choice. Or you can quietly set your sails to seek the wind of change and the tide of the sun of success and faith and calm waters. You can float on the Lake of Deliverance from problems and situations and hurdles that you have jumped. Your choice. Your days. Your examples. We all have choice of action. Free will. What a gift. Seek your true heart and soul and live it out. The world doesn't see inside you, except through your actions and words. Pick your boat and row it. But remember, whatever you do, you are teaching someone.

Cup......

My Thought for this Day......Each morning we arise and drink from a well of living water. And then, when our thirst is quenched, we begin our day. I hope you choose water of faith, hope, generosity, and kindness. I pray that your water is worthy to be shared. Delight in the passing of your cup. It is your signature.

Authorship.....

My Thought for this Day......Circumstances change in an instant....for the good and bad. Our job is to learn and live. Our truth is what we make it. Work on your story. You are writing it daily. And with that authorship, you are standing in the pages of someone else's book.

Empower....

My Thought for this Day.....I think at times passivity is the best form of activism we can take. It is the honest acknowledgement that sometimes we must simply relax in the act of nothingness. A fragmented mind is a road with too many exits, a room with too many open doors, a recipe with too many ingredients, a book with too many characters. Power and productivity are lost in the scramble to be all things. Welcome insignificance; it is empowering.

Care......

My Thought for this Day........Spread your wings and care. I promise you that no matter big or small, acts of kindness and concern free you more than you will ever know. Be free. Be the author of the book of generosity both in spirit and in deed. It is written. It is commanded. It is celestial.

Cog......

My Thought for this Day.....Life is a series of if's, and's and but's. My if's, your and's and everybody's but's. The wisdom is to see through them and get to the center of life. Peel the orange, slice the cake, core the apple. Dismiss the frills and realize that the cog of this wheel is what's most important.

Knows.......

My Thought for this Day......Don’t let your ‘know’s’ get in your way. We tend to be experts in life.....other people’s lives. We know what they should do. We know what they should say. We don’t know anything, but how to be ‘knowsy’. Life is complicated enough when you walk your own path, tend to your own garden, pull your own weeds. Never for one second think your britches are big enough to hold two people. Be that person who shines by the example of being who and where you are meant to be, not crowding someone else out of their own space.

Heroes.......

I haven't posted about Veterans Day because I didn't have the right words. Probably still don't. My dad was a WWII vet who saw no Boots on the Ground action. Yet he was a hero. He served his country. My husband was/is a Vietnam vet with a year of Boots on the Ground, when he was 19, in Nam. This was a war of a kaleidoscope of emotion. Americans were divided like never before. The soldiers lived in disgrace upon their return, all the while carrying the guilt of the war on their young shoulders. They were spit on, called baby killers, and mocked. Some spent years never mentioning their service because of the repercussions. They were never thanked. They were never honored. They were forgotten and shunned heroes. And the rage built in their hearts and souls because they never asked for their disgrace. They were young boys thrust into a jungle warfare that was foreign to anything they had been taught. They were doused with a pesticide that had/has long living consequences. Agent Orange. The emotional scars devastated them. What we know now as PTSD. We live it every day. And yet, we are survivors. This takes nothing from any other Veteran. Every one of you are beyond heroic. You serve your country. You matter. You are to be thanked. You all, no matter the war, return changed, not destroyed. And yet the road is long and hard and lived by the minute. So I salute you all. Because I know first hand; I live it standing beside my guy. We are the United States of America. I shed tears over those who disregard the sacrifices that have gone before and are still going on. Wake up USA. Stop the degradation of a lifestyle you are privileged to live. Someone fought a fight that allows you more freedom than you understand. I weep at your ignorance and entitlement. God Bless America and those who make this nation great.

Eye to Eye....

My Thought for this Day.......When you look down on people, you see the tops of their heads. When you look up to people, you see the soles of their feet. When you look eye to eye, evenly, squarely, you see their faces, their eyes, their smiles or frowns, their wrinkles and crinkles.....their life. So my thought is this........we all are standing side by side......not vertical, but horizontal....not inferior nor superior. Be very careful in your thoughts, motives and actions. The measure of a person is eye to eye. Put yourself above or under, and you become judgmental, or envious. You lose part of yourself, and them. Eye to eye.....evenly.......side by side.

Love......

My Thought for this Day..........I heard these words the other day and they have stuck with me. "We are blessed if we love someone so much that if a sword pierces their soul, it pierces ours too." ......Beth Moore. My interpretation.......That is scary love. That is weighted love. That is love beyond measure. That is lying down on a train track for someone knowing a train is coming kind of love. It is raw. And it is scarce. And it is wonderful. And if you are blessed to know and receive this depth of love, then you are favored among men.

Reach......

My Thought for this Day.........Reach out today and touch someone with compassion, not because they need it, but because you do. Small gestures of kindness relieve stress, promote gratitude and build grace. There is someone waiting on you to brighten their day. You may not erase their pain, but you can lighten their load, if even for a minute. How glorious are random acts of care.

Sum..........

My Thought for this Day.........You are bigger than the sum of your parts, because there is no sum. You are infinite. You are forever. You are a mere runner in the relay of life. And when it is your turn to pass the baton, you still remain in the race. Think carefully on this. Your steps of today will be embedded in the memories of those that come behind you, the runners with your baton. You have, in essence, set the tone of their race. You are more influential than you can imagine. Be careful in your steps. Be wise in your course. Your sum is generational, world without end.

You.......

My Thought for this Day........Do not lose yourself in others. Lose yourself in you. You are worthy. It is not an action of selfishness; it's an act of health. You are good to nobody if you're not good to and for yourself.

Work......

My Thought for this Day.......Here are the words that won't go away. "Do the work." Now that I have scattered these seeds, you plant them in the capacity that betters you. I don't know what your work is. Take inventory and then, my friends, begin. The first step may be the hardest. But when the course is complete, you will be more fine than you ever could imagine.

Joy........

My Thought for this Day........Rest assured you have been given this day not to worry, fret or envy. Instead, hold out your cupped hands and watch them fill with precious moments that are your life. How sad to live with fisted palms that allow the joys to roll off and never be retrieved.

Ruth......

My Thought for this Day.....No doubt, some of us are called upon to be more of a Ruth than others. It's not punishment, it is not Karma, it's life. These Ruth women, they are warriors in their days. They are powerful, made of steel, and fire has not consumed them. They have drawn deep on their Father and He has lifted them on wings of faith. How marvelous are the Ruth's in our lives.

Row......

My Thought for this Day.......Don't expect God to send a cruise ship when a rowboat will do. We can't always sit by the pool and bask in the sun. Make sure you know when to pick up your oars.

Fly........

My Thought for this Day.....May we all realize that life should not always be the plodding of sure steps. Take a leap of faith. If it requires strength to the very depth of your soul, then you will learn the lesson of courage and faith. How powerful. And if you fall, the limb will still be there, and your lesson will be success takes times and bravery. But if you fly, you have risen on wings you never knew you had.

Faith........

My Thought for this Day........I wonder how our world would be if we insist on walking by sight. Would we be eternally envious of those we see around us because they have more? Would we be horrified because we can only see disaster and cruelty around us? Would we be saddened because of the everyday plight of mothers who lose babies to starvation, daughters to sex trafficking, themselves to the shadows of living in fear. Would we live scared to take a step because it might lead us into unsurvivable circumstances. I don't take walking by faith lightly. It is, my friend, the only way for Joy. Have faith that our Creator loves us more than we can ever imagine and even though we do walk in darkness from time to time, we are never alone. His path is light. His walk is genuine. His steps are strong and unyielding. His love is Agape.

Glory.....

My Thought for this Day....If only we all could understand this. Life is an ever changing flow of circumstances. Mine eyes have seen the glory.......and I will dwell within it.

Day.......

My Thought for this Day........You don't have to be the bigger person. You don't have to be the better person. You simply have to be the person, who, at the end of the day, can say I did the best I could in this day. I did it without malice, nor hate, nor intention of hurt.

Thank You.....

My Thought for this Day........Thank you Lord for my days, my heartbeats, my joy and my sorrows. May these things become Lessons of My Life. May I walk under the umbrella of the knowledge that it's not all about me, but about my contribution of a life not only well lived, but well appreciated and shared.

Book......

My Thought for this Day......My story is not yours, nor yours mine. But when we weave our stories together, they become a book, some chapters harder to read than others. Yet, it is our story, a thing to treasure because no matter then ending, it is us. I cherish each book on my shelf; I hope you know that.

You.......

My Thought for this Day.......Sometimes we depend on outside things to make us happy. Possessions, people, occasions. But really, the best, most real and authentic happiness comes from within. Everybody will have sad times, everybody will suffer, and we all will, at times, cry out in grief and pain. Yet when we realize that we are worthy of joy and happiness, the curtains of darkness are easier to part. It takes work, faith and grace. It means dwelling in the light, even when the darkness overwhelms. We can never diminish our sorrow until we weather the storm and courageously walk into the light. I wish for you Joy, and courage and power to make the journey.

Bucket.....

My Thought for this Day.......When blessings rain down, do you have your bucket cleaned out, sitting in the open, shiny, and ready to fill to the brim? Or is that bucket full of a black cloud attitude, rusty from neglect and turned over in your shed of despair? I hope you don't miss the drops of today, due to the shadows of yesterday. And even more so, I hope tied on your blessing bucket is a big heartfelt Thank You note. Thankfulness opens your heart to more of what fills your bucket with blessings.

Basement.....

My Thought for this Day.... Today you may be in the basement of life. Don't let it define you. Let it inspire you. You are worthy. Put in the work. Do the job. Be that person who claws their way up and then bends down to help another.

Silence....

My Thought for this Day.....How dangerous is the Sound of your Silence? How safe it is to hold your tongue? How comfortable it is to sit in your corner cloaked in knowledge that it your truth, but remain with the words locked in your mouth? Yet how liberating is the Grace that is given to you when you speak your truth with dignity and righteousness and when you look out of your consciousness with clear eyes that focus not only on you, but on your fellowman? When the time comes to step from your corner into the limelight, do so with the self assurance that your truth is as important as the person's to your right and to your left, but not more important. And that IF you voice it with respect and character, you do no harm. We all have a story. It is not only in the living....it is in the telling, the relating, the passing on of experience. And most if all....the telling of what will instruct, help, and ultimately take that story from your world and pass it on to those who take the time to listen. But...and this is a very important but.......you can only tell. After that, walk away, your journey is complete, your race is over, your baton is passed and you may live with the knowledge that you have spoken your truth. The listening is not your responsibility.

Courage......

My Thought for this Day......I woke with the word courage in my thoughts. Courage to face your demons or run. Courage to stand tall in your life or slump. Courage to step out in a crowd with conviction or blend in. Courage to hold a hand when needed or disappear. Courage to stand for the Cross and kneel at the Throne. Courage to heal. Courage to be in the game, bat up, eye on the ball and hit life out of the park. Courage to raise your hand, and with conviction say, 'Pick me! I'll walk by your side'. I wish courage for you. And for me.

We......

My Thought for this Day..........At times, when faced with a hard decision, I think you must step back and forget about the ME , and think about the WE. You just might need to stay in your path, not because you need it, but because there is someone else who needs you there.

Time........

My Thought for this Day......There is a mystery about time. We know it passes both swiftly and slowly. We know it is inevitable. We know that problems, situations, hurts, worries and even happiness can and will pass with time. Yet it remains mysteriously obscure. The why's of time and timing are not now, nor ever will be predictable. I find that time takes care of itself. We must trust that whatever season we may be in at this moment, is the season in which we are meant to be. And the truth of the matter is time can not be fought. It is bigger than we. Stop the struggle. Learn to reside in this day and in this time.

Heal......

My Thought for this Day......We all need to be healed. We have been hurt by others. We have been sliced by ourselves. We have suffered at the hands of friends, family, and strangers. In today's world hurting comes fast and often. We live in precarious times. No matter the source of your pain. No matter the depth. No matter the width or breadth, you have a spring of wellness that resides deeply inside your very being. Draw on that well. For it is without end.

My Thought for this Day.......Even the strongest among us are weak. It is a human condition. It is a truth lived out daily. It is the door opening to negativity and hopelessness and guilt. It is a defeat that takes away Grace. It steals joy, and purposefulness and gratitude. And it comes like the proverbial thief in the night. So what is our defense? Awareness. Simply awareness. We live under the umbrella of God's holy grace, and if we fall into the pit, we are, in the moment, hour, day, week, month, losing a most precious gift. A free gift. A miraculous gift. We are told to put on the full armor of God. It's that simple, yet at times, that difficult. Be present in your emotional well being. Recognize the pitfalls purposefully put in your path. Be victorious in life. These actions, my friends, will girth you for war. And we, today and everyday are at war with the unseen enemy. I pray for your victory, and mine. Stand on your mountaintop and shake your fist at today's atrocities, and then step into the ring.

Life........

My Thought for this Day.......None of us live life unscathed. The truth is that at some point everyone's days are hard. Don't let another hold the key to your door of Joy. Seek your gratefulness, even with a heavy heart. Seek grace. Seek faith. The rest will follow, possibly covered in a mist of sorrow, or confusion, nevertheless, here. Do not be diminished; be empowered. Battle scars are your history. Wearing them is your strength.

Compare.....Don't!

My Thought for this Day.....Don't let someone else's life minimize yours. I think we live in a world of big, better, best. And each and every day, we tend to compare our lives to the ones who always seem to be in the fast lane, the passing lane, leaving us behind in the dust spewed from their shinier, newer, faster vehicles that they seem to drive with happy abandon and not a care in the world. We fantasize about more money; we diminish our blessings by continually standing in the shadows of the good fortune of those around us. We miss out on the sparkles of our lives because we are mesmerized by the huge firework displays of the lives of those around us. We continually dwell in the bubble of the ' if only'. So here is my hope for you. I hope that you don't let envy steal your joy. I promise you that every life has an outside and an inside and the outside isn't what counts. At the end of every day all cars are parked. And every soul must dwell in the inside, and sometimes the brighter the outside, the darker and more sad is the internal. So forget about who is in the passing lane; life is not a race, but a journey......your journey. Please don't minimize your sparkles. They too shine brightly and lighten the trail that belongs to you.

Space......

My Thought for this Day........How often do you leave your head and try to live in someone else's? No matter how hard you try, you will never succeed. You will never have their thoughts in your possession. You will never have their emotions to hold. You will never be them. So how about this.......make your own space so comfortable that you don't want to leave.

Rosebuds......

My Thought for this Day.......Among the sadness, and difficulty, and stress of life.....there are always rosebuds waiting to open. Wait upon the Lord for He is good.

Ease......

My Thought for this Day....... It doesn't have to be complicated. It just has to be genuine. Sometimes it's the easy that strums in your soul, that makes you sigh with contentment. And when you have that, you feel a warmth, and it is perfect.

You......

My Thought for this Day......We sometimes devalue ourselves by spending our time making others happy, and us just tired. Calendars stay overloaded, we push and shove to get past one task only to take on the next one. We commit to this, and promise that, and come undone trying to get things done. We run on empty filling up someone else's tank and and in truth, it's an impossible task. So, I leave you with this. Being kind to yourself is the first step to loving others.

Mallet.......

My Thought for this Day........Dark days are never welcomed, yearned for, sought. But they come. And with them comes might and strength and a fierceness that can mold like a mallet on red hot iron. Be a mallet.

Beside.....

My Thought for this Day.......I believe we all have been guilty of gossip and criticism behind someone's back. I believe we all have been discussed behind our backs. I work to realize it's not those behind me that care. It's those wonderful people beside me, holding my hand, touching my heart, giving me ease....these, these, are the people who matter. May your life be filled with not a single straight line before and aft, but a line that spreads from east to west, north to south, beside you.

Before.....After

My Thought for this Day.....We all have a before and after in our lives. Before and after a tragedy. Before and after a miracle. Our befores and afters carry a tremendous weight in our lives. They change us. They mold us. They make or break us. We gain strength or weakness. We take charge or lose control. We exist in a different reality. But with work and prayer and faith, we emerge from tragedy stronger. And with generosity, heart and soul, we pass our miracles along in thought and deed. Be strong. Live well. Have faith. Pay forward.

9/11......

My Thought for this Day.........And on this day in 2001 our innocence was forever wiped away. And we saw buildings crumble, and bodies fall from the sky and we were horrified. The United States of America had been attacked and in this we saw unity. And we were One. For a short while, we were One. And then once again we became me and there was no more us. Our selfishness rose strong and our vista became narrow and we attacked one another with viciousness and self centered entitlement. And we marched and we protested and we threw bilious verbiage around as if it were everyday conversation. How short our memory. Our seams are being ripped, our coherence is gone and in this we blindly grope for fault, and it is never ours. Own it America; you can not fix what you don't acknowledge.

Things.......

My Thought for this Day.....We all have things we need to say, things we need to do, things we need to forgive, things we need to forget. When the time comes and you are strong enough to do even one of these things, you begin to ever so gently turn the lock that sets your soul free.

Rebirth.....

My Thought for this Day........Sometimes you have to sit and watch the world go by, and realize it's not leaving you behind, it's merely allowing you the ease of rest and when you are strong, once again, you can pick up your pace and rejoin your fellow runners. It's not failure; it's rebirth.

Today.....

My Thought for this Day.......Don't define yourself by wounds, nor wins. Live wonder, and wisdom. Throw away the scorecard, and simply play the game with grace, faith and kindness. Then no matter the outcome, you will know you wore your mantel with dignity, not dishonor.

Life.....

My Thought for this Day......Good Morning Life. I hope to take you and turn you upside down. I'll shake out both the good and the evil; use the good, walk away from the evil. I'll spread the light; ignore the darkness that threatens to overshadow my joy. I'll pass on my strength to those who will accept it and absorb power from others to overcome my weaknesses. I will see MY life for what it is. Then much as a puzzle maker I will fit the pieces together in a way that makes it uniquely mine. Above all, I will give thanks for another chance to live!

Reasons and Results...

So apparently the debate is on over why God sent Harvey to Texas. We don't know if it's because we are racists, carry guns, or voted for Trump. But clearly it must be one of these reasons. We are over proud, over arrogant and over pious. Well, I am OVER IT. Good grief! In the first place if you in your own arrogance pretend to know God's plans then, well, you clearly are ( I want to say an idiot, but that sounds too arrogant, and proud), so I will merely say foolish. The debate has gone on for centuries over why bad things happen to good people, but that doesn't apply here because Texans don't seem to be good people. So did God plan Harvey and send its might to the Texas coast. I don't know. But here is what I DO know. We arrogant, gun carrying people have stepped up to the plate like no other. We have loaded our big rigs, our duallys, our 4 wheel drives, our boats and our guns( Yep, gonna shoot us some gators) and we have headed to the Texas coast and we have given our all to people we don't know and most probably will never see again. We have donated millions of dollars and shown more heart than, well, any 'foolish' person has ever even considered doing. We are Texas Proud in our slow talking, slow walking, two-stepping, ways. I have no doubt in my mind that God could have squashed Harvey with a crook of his little finger, but let's get serious...try hard now.....God sent his son to Torture and a Cross of Horror. He could have crooked his little finger and that dark Friday would have vanished from history, but thank you God, you did not. You allowed your son to take on our sins....yep, even Texans' sins.....and we of faith are forgiven and have life eternal. So I'm going out on a limb here and say that just like David slew Goliath, we will slay Harvey. And it is with our backward ways, and our twang and our love for our fellow man. Couldn't be more proud to be a Texan at this moment, or give more thanks to those wonderful folks from other state who have shown up, given and prayed. #texasstrong #thankstoallwhocame #neighborhelpingneigbor

Texas.....

My Thought for this Day........A week ago we began to see the power of Mother Nature. And for days on end, we watched her roll and wave and rain down her mighty power. And we wept, and still do. And we question, and still do. Yet, we have also witnessed miracle after miracle and in those miracles we have seen the power of the human spirit. We are not only bent; we are broken. But in our brokenness, we have fought back physically, prayerfully, and with hearts of iron. Not all are saved, for in our humanness we are never as invincible as she. But our thunder has been heard, and our lightening has been seen, and if nothing else is gained from this experience, we should realize without question, goodness still exists and this, my friends, is enduring faith and everlasting calm. In the Eye of the Storm we rise.

Eye of the Storm.......

My Thought for this Day.......We seem to be in the Eye of the Storm. Mother Nature has her sights on Texas; we are hunkered down with a Bullseye on our coast. And the only thing we can do is prepare as best we can and then wait. Sometimes there are things that are just too huge to control. And Harvey is one. Everyday I see emotional eyes of storms whirl around us all. There are things we can't control and no matter what we do, they grow into Harvey. I see devastation on young faces, and I hear it in small voices. Harvey has been in these lives for maybe a day, a month, or years. And they have no idea how to cope with such emotional trauma, and I dare say, some don't even realize it's there. So this is my Thought.......if you can, in any way, with care and consideration, help a Harvey. A small gesture, a smile, an acknowledgment of existence, a word....it costs nothing but your time. And with this tiny effort you build a barrier, fill a sandbag, board a window against Harvey. Do it for them; do it for yourself. Listen and realize we all have been in the Eye.

Boundaries.......

My Thought for this Day.........Set your boundaries. The world will pick you apart. It seems that someone is always plucking at your sleeve, asking for a little favor, needing a little time, wanting a small portion of your day. Here's the plan. Do what you can, when you can, however you can. But never allow your heart, mind, soul to be destroyed in the vortex of someone else's life. You help no one by spinning like a top on the hot sidewalk of existence. Be busy, be productive, and yes, be a wife, husband, family member, and friend. But first, and more importantly, be you, wholly and totally you. Take care my friends. It isn't selfish; it's healthy.

Power......

My Thought for this Day......What plans God has in my future may not be in yours. Nor yours in mine. But here's the thing. The blessing is to go on living no matter what your stepping stones are. Today they may be pebbles and tomorrow boulders. It is the walking in truth and light that makes your steps straight, strong and miraculous. So you stumble? Don't we all? So you're weary? Aren't we all? But nothing continues forever....not good nor bad fortune. Not sunshine nor storms. Not darkness nor light. What does continue with a certainty that has lasted from the beginning of time is the strength of the human spirit and heart. We are all touched everyday by unseen powerful forces that lift us from out depths and carry us on wings of goodness and grace. Don't you dare turn your back on this. Don't you dare disregard the power that can be yours for the taking. Stop! Think! Act! And then as is written, pass it on. For your power will lift those who stumble before you. And those behind you will carry you when you falter. Draw in this truth. It is life changing. It is how you and I and generations to come must live if we are truly to know what miracles surround us.

Cross..........

My Thought for this Day........We all are in a huge dither over monuments and symbols and erasing that which has gone before. It's as if allowing vileness and cruelty to be acknowledged as a part of our past is the key to the same measure appearing in our futures. And so we are taking down and defacing that which offends anyone over anything. As I have stated previously, slavery and racism and senseless acts of terrorism of people against people are all an abomination. Yet to try and erase the painful events from our history discredits those who fought for right, those who died for justice, those who left heart and soul on a battlefield of horror. So my Thought then veers to this........2,017 years ago there was another symbol that in our selfish daily life of righting wrongs, we seem to have forgotten, passed over, given no heed. We do it daily, without guilt, nor shame. And I wonder, no I know, had we, and if we, stop and kneel at the foot of the most monumental reminder of our past, we, in our humbleness and recognition of this act of cruelty and repugnance will rise strong, and without thought nor effort, be changed. The Cross. Although we can not remove it physically, we, as a nation, have removed it emotionally. We have in our fight for justice forgotten the one who voluntarily held the world, and holds our future in His nail scarred hands. He hung on a cross so we, in our sin, could be forgiven. And so in our current acts of rebellion, we blindly walk past the Cross to enter into the fight of violence. I'm in no way trying to dehumanize the persecution of days gone by; they happened, as did the Cross. Bow down and recognize it's meaning and power. This symbol has been forgotten, and we are blindly paying that price daily in our race to be the best, have the best, and seek revenge. May the Cross have mercy on our souls.

Fracture......

My Thought for this Day....... When I think of something being fractured, I immediately think Ouch! Broken bone, cast, pain.... physical fracture. But, truly there can be way more in our lives that are fractured....our emotions, our families, our friendships, our finances....the list goes on and on. I wonder sometimes if we even can see what is fractured. Do we feel that heavy cast we're dragging along emotionally? I bet what is obvious to other people, may not be apparent to us. We are so busy being us, that we don't see the obvious breaks and splinters that surround us. Obviously there are times in our lives when we fracture with good cause...death of a loved one, loss of a job, sudden illness....these occurrences are part of life. We survive; we struggle, and in time begin to heal. But, and this is a big but, if you're causing someone else's life to fracture in any form or fashion, Stop It! Step back, think, repair. Fractured bones knit and heal on their own. Broken spirits, families, friendships require more than time. Sometimes fractured lives never repair. Look around you...help those in need whether you're part of the reason or not. Grab the knitting needles of life and put them to use. God gave us empathy; use it!! And if, you recognize yourself as part of someone's fracture, please step back, allow the emotional bones to heal. Madam DeFoe knew her place and power.....you should too!!

Pantry......

My Thought for this Day....We all are made by the same recipe, just different amounts of ingredients. If you need to borrow a cup of wisdom, ask one who has it in abundance. If you need a good laugh, seek out that friend who always makes you smile. Everyday, there is someone in your life, I hope, who can go to their personal pantry and pull out what you need. Then, the best happens....you can pay them back in their days of drought. A depleted pantry makes for a defeated person. Take the time to refill your pantry with those things in life which comfort. Don't ever be too busy to deny gratitude, grace, faith or humor a place on your life shelves.

Peace......

My Thought for this Day........We are spoon fed opinions and what we should think every day. We are bombarded with politicos and newscasters and ohhhhhh so smart people with each channel change and twist of the dial. We are sitting in adult high chairs while someone else fills our plates of knowledge and expects us to devour their meal. We are told by our friends and mere acquaintances just exactly how the world should be run. Well, my fellow Americans, I don't care what you think, I don't listen to, or read your blah, blah, blah. Pretty sure God gave us all brains and yes, while some are larger than others, we, with our teeny tiny grey matter can, and do, have the ability to reason. So.......I'm not listening to, reading about, nor believing your words. I'm choosing my own opinions, in my own way, without your help. And because our world has become a mixmaster of idiocy, I worry. And then, guess what, I deflate like a balloon stuck in a tree, but hallelujah, I then begin to expand once more. Dear Lord, help us in our ignorance, and our hate and our impudence and our self importance and our inability to just live without supremacy and hostility. We can not rewrite history. We can not erase what has gone before us and to try to is to dishonor those who fought AGAINST injustice. Remember those folks? There have been hundreds of thousands of people who died trying to right wrongs. We do not have the ability to change the past; but by gosh we have the ability to somehow, some way write a future that our sons and daughters and grandchildren can enjoy without being afraid to go to the mall, grocery store, or school. Get a grip. We are destroying ourselves. Raise your hand if instead of anger, you want peace. Is your hand up? Then start working on it.

Courage....

My Thought for this Day.......There is no courage in only grandstanding your strengths. True courage comes from allowing vulnerability to stand on the stage with you. Admitting that you have failures, and yearnings, and weaknesses opens you up to a world that can crush. But with this transparency comes the knowledge that you are mighty in your fragility.

Society......

My Thought for this Day......We live in a Super-Sized society. Bigger is better. We judge our possessions, our accomplishments, our attitudes by dimensions. It is American to belittle the small. But a little wisdom goes a lot farther than a lot of smarts; a little joy overrides a lot of happy, and a little courage overshadows a lot of bravado. Be careful in the way you observe the world. It can lead to a huge heartache when climbing your proverbial little mountain of success.

Find.....

My Thought for this Day.....Don't miss out on the simple things of life.....a really good book, a beautiful sunrise, deep conversations with close friends, slow walks, quiet moments. Life isn't all about seeing how fast you can run, how high you can climb, nor what you can achieve. Find your simplicity.

Dark.....

My Thought for this Day.......You are too blessed to be depressed. It's a battle. For some of us it is daily, for others weekly, for others yearly. But if you can reflect and see love, and faith, and gratitude, then you, my friend, are blessed beyond measure. The trick is to shove over the shadow and step into the light. Many times the dark is heavy and cumbersome and oh so rigid. No matter. There is light. And it is yours for the finding. But it isn’t easy, said Pooh. Because poetry and hums aren’t things which you get, they’re things which get you. And all you can do is to go where they can find you.

Hope......

My Thought for this Day......We all hope. We sit and wait and hope. We work and play and hope. The true art of hoping is not to disrespect today, but to gently lean toward tomorrow. I feel like those with no hope are souls who simply fade into the walls of life and wait helplessly for those boards to crumble and crush. The wrongfulness of hope is to allow it to so succumb the present that we aren't living each moment, we are merely waiting for that which we hope. We see our lives as tomorrows, not todays. That diminishes us. No, it isn't wrong to hope. Just tuck it in your soul and know that while it fills, it doesn't fulfill.

Compare......

My Thought for this Day.......I am an avid Podcast listener. The other day I heard these words from Robin Roberts, " Don't compare your despair". She said this was a well used phrase of her mama's who is now deceased. I think we do compare our despair, and I also think we compare our joy. We size up our problems and our blessings against others. And many times we come up winners in the despair department and losers in the joy department. Our despair is larger, our joy lesser....or perhaps the opposite. How impertinent this is. We have no idea the depth of anyone else's despair, nor the height of their joy and frankly, it is none of our business, unless asked to be there. So stay out of the analogy game. Your yardstick is defective anyway. The very act of equivalence is offensive and discourteous to your own essence. It takes up valuable energy and is always seen through a mirror of distortion. We teach our children to live lives of comparability each and every day. With this the Compare your Despair theory is alive and well and generational. Stop! Making your despair larger, or your joy lesser does nothing but bring you emotional pain which adds fuel to your already bitter journey. We are meant to live our lives with 100% effort for success, gratitude and generosity. You will never achieve this by spending countless hours looking out of your grimy window of correlation.

Story.....

My Thought for this a Day........What will your mirror reflect today? Consider this.....each word, deed, action, thought, all that is yours, reflects back on you. And seen or unseen , in your heart, if you're honest, you know the reflection of your day tells the story of you.

Humble......

My Thought for this Day........Realize who makes your life more abundant. And if you just thought no one, then turn your eyes outward, rather than inward. There are those who go before you everyday and clear a path. I dare you to spend a few moments and acknowledge them in your heart. Then go one step further and say thank you when you get the chance. Gratefulness to others is a sign, not of weakness, but of honor and humility.

Forever.......

My Thought for this Day.......One of those nights.......my first thought as my eyes popped open at 4:15, and I knew sleep would elude me no matter how hard I tried. And then, I chose to not toss and turn in anger, but to get up, brew the coffee and let the new day begin to settle around me. And with these brand new 24 hours comes this thought. Life comes hard, life comes strong, life comes bumpy, but thank you God that life comes. Today I will choose to be glorious. I choose to be mighty. I choose to bask in the glow of being alive. And with this, I know that I am not alone, for my God has my back and always will. My Thought for this Day.......Bow down in the presence of your Almighty God. For his love abides forever and ever.

Intent........

My Thought for this Day........I think at times we live our lives day in and day out the way we always have. It's a habit. We chase our tails running in mindless circles because we always have. We follow a set of rules that govern our lives, whether to the betterment or not because we've always followed the same rules. We set our caps each morning in the same way because, frankly, we don't seem to allow ourselves change. We are, in fact, robots, working on life standing by a conveyor belt that pushes the same things, in the same manner in front of us, and it's usual and easy and well, our custom, our manner, our mode. And in this habitual process we lose the beauty of life. We don't stand by the ocean. We don't seek the clear air of the mountain top. We don't wonder at the moon and the stars and the rainbows because we can't take our eyes off the conveyor belt. It takes effort to change, if even for an hour. It takes courage to walk toward that rainbow. Don't let your habits rule you, instead rule them. Live with intent. Live with purpose. Live like you mean it.

mydaywithyou: Chapter......

mydaywithyou: Chapter......: My Thought for this Day.......Each and every one of us has a story. And in that story, we have chapters we don't want printed. As unique...

Chapter......

My Thought for this Day.......Each and every one of us has a story. And in that story, we have chapters we don't want printed. As unique individuals, we deal with these chapters in our own way, in our own time, with our own pain. The thing is that we deal. And it can be hard, and gut wrenching and impossibly sad. The honor is to allow ourselves and others to deal in whatever way heals the sufferer. Exalt yourself and others by being the silent presence, or the wise whisperer. It takes courage beyond the realm of existence to heal that which has pierced our soul. We each have a chapter, to be read silently or aloud.

Give.......

My Thought for this Day....If you can only give me one thing, don't give me riches, give me love. Don't hand me tangible things, pass me your trust. The most blessed things have no monetary value. Truly, granting me your time, your smile, your laugh, and even your tears, sustains me much more than you can ever imagine. Let me lend my ear, use my words, reach out with an embrace to lighten your load. This.....this.......this is what puts joy in my soul.

Fight...

My Thought for this Day.......Even the strongest among us are weak. It is a human condition. It is a truth lived out daily. It is the door opening to negativity and hopelessness and guilt. It is a defeat that takes away Grace. It steals joy, and purposefulness and gratitude. And it comes like the proverbial thief in the night. So what is our defense? Awareness. Simply awareness. We live under the umbrella of God given grace, and if we fall into the pit, we are, in the moment, hour, day, week, month, losing a most precious gift. A free gift. A miraculous gift. We are told to put on the full armor of God. It's that simple, yet at times, that difficult. Be present in your emotional well being. Recognize the pitfalls purposefully put in your path. Be victorious in life. These actions, my friends, will girth you for war. And we, today and everyday are at war with the unseen enemy. I pray for your victory, and mine. Stand on your mountaintop and shake your fist at today's atrocities, and then step into the ring.

Wish.......

My Late Thought for this Day......My Wish for you today is that you could see yourself as others see you. The depth, the shallowness, the selfless, the selfish, the humble, the egotistical , the humorous, the godly, the godless, the righteous, the ignorant, the wise........you will never know someone else, nor finish your mission on this earth until you know yourself.

Ease.......

My Thought for this Day......Did you know it's just as easy to say an encouraging word as a discouraging one, just as simple to sing a praise as to snarl criticism, more wise to behold your green grass rather than disdainfully gaze on your neighbor's weeds? It doesn't take much to turn your back on things that are dark and instead, cast rays of hope and light? With confidence you can be the mirror that reflects onto the dimness that cloaks your minute corner of the world. Don't live your life to judge, for nobody put you behind that bench on high. Live your life to shine with the sole intent of extinguishing that darkness and hurt that haunts the corners of your world.

Rest.......

My Thought for this Day........And on the Seventh day the Lord rested. I am an expert at resting. It is Biblical. Today's life is too harried. Running on empty depletes your mind, body and spirit. And the weak are preyed upon by evil. No good seed planted prospers in soil that is not tended. Let me ask you this, if God needed a day of rest, what makes you think you can run all day, every day, with no thought of relaxation? Oh, but I can. Oh, but you can't. Not without consequences. There is a revitalization in a spirit that is renewed. Be encouraged to take baby steps, small increments of time, just mere minutes of silence and repose. It is soul spectacular.

Tragedy......

My Thought for this Day..........When we are in the middle of the vortex of tragedy, we tend to lose all sense of time and space and being. And then, when we are able, whether it be a week, a month, or a year, to fully pair ourselves with the upheaval, then, and only then, do we understand that this world revolves in imperfection. But at the same time, it rotates in its steady, steadfast pace and there begins to emerge a consistency, that when realized, becomes soothing in its predictability. It in no way diminishes the pain, but with mercy, it soothes our souls.

Gravel.......

My Thought for this Day.......Don't be the person who kicks gravel in someone's face just because you can. This is the action of emotional bullies. If that is the purpose of your walk, then I feel for your pain......for it must be huge.

Dig......

My Thought for this Day.....Sometimes you have to grab a shovel and dig out your grave of insecurities and resentments and guilt and failures. They are dead and buried, so free them. Allow yourself this soul consuming exercise in cleansing. Hard work, calloused hands, tear stained checks. Not easy, fun, nor pleasant. But in the end, when you fall on your mound of tainted dirt, how absolutely freeing it will be. Life is never more joyful than when your are unburdened and unchained. Release those ropes that bind.

Gift.......

My Thought for this Day....When I look at life, I see toughness and despair. I see joy and celebration. I see hard work and easy streets. I see molding and breaking apart. I don't think this life is always meant to be a ride around the park with a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate. Nor do I think it's forever meant to be climbing the face of a granite mountain. What I do think is life is a jumble of actions, emotions and happenings, both good and bad. And our job is to take that jumble and through strength and endurance and the grace of both acceptance and noble rejection turn that jumble into a amazing puzzle whose pieces fit tightly and in the end create the beauty that was our magnificent gift when we drew our first breath.

We.......

My Thought for this Day......At any point in time, your 'we' or 'us' can suddenly change. Life is not certain. I hope you cherish the 'we' and the 'us' of your life. I pray you don't put off until tomorrow those words that need to be said. How heartbreaking to allow yourself the freedom of thinking there's always tomorrow. You hold this moment in your grasp. Tomorrow is a mere wish.

Life..........

My Thought for this Day.....Today I will understand that the passing of time is a steady process. I can neither rush it nor slow it down. What I can do, if I am to live this gift of life to the fullest, is to know that living in today is holy. The past is gone and tomorrow is untouchable. But today surrounds me with a pulsing spirit. Today is life.

Who?

My Thought for this Day.....Who cares for you? Dries your tears? Shares a laugh? Listens to your silence? Doesn't judge? Respects your pain? That person. That soul. That friend is a blessing above all. Don't squander what you have with what you think you want. Listen carefully. Don't pull a weed from your garden of life, only to realize it was the prize rose.

Entitle......

My Thought for this Day.....How dangerous it is to feel entitled. We are a nation of 'must have's'. And we are passing this legacy down with a passion. We judge by the outer, not by the inner. We obsess over the title, the label, the possession. And with this, we bury ourselves in the sand of debt. We are hamsters in the wheel of catch up. We miss out on the free and the beautiful vista of our true world as we are tied to the grindstone in the state of perpetual keeping up and paying for. The entitlement becomes the master. The payback the work house. And we, the tenants.

Time....

My Thought for this Day.........I don't think we really realize the importance of time. Oh we get it. We all wear our branded watches that beautifully tell us the time. We make sure to have just the right one that will bring us status as well as show us seconds, minutes and hours. But we don't truly realize that time marches on with its own agenda. I sometimes think of the most important things of life. My family, my friends, for sure, but my thoughts rarely center on time as being one of my biggest blessings. I have been given a lot of time on this planet, and I have squandered away much of it. Time is a precious gift, one that disappears with every blink of an eye. Don't ignore your time; embrace it, use it. It is merely a breath taken and then gone. And with its disappearance opportunities are lost. Take the time to do what matters, what encourages, what brings joy. Time marches to a demanding master, and we need to play in its band.

Drain....

My Thought for this Day......Sometimes our drains of life get stuck. We pull and we yank, and we pry, but that little rubber stopper won't budge. And when this happens, the waters begin to rise, and we become frantic with the terror of being drowned in this and that and these and those. And with our hysteria we become ineffectual in our effort to stay afloat. We thrash and we dash from one thing to another and in doing so we create a tsunami of emotion and activity that leads to nothing purposeful. STOP IT! It's okay to be busy. It's not okay to be frantic. "Oh, but I must," you say. No, no you don't. You don't have the need , nor they right to over schedule, over work, nor over whatever it is that's creating the flood of dirty water. Think on this for a moment. When you hurry and scurry, you most probably miss the finish line anyway. And you are too busy to value the trip. You are too frantic to soak in the wonder of what surrounds you. You are way too important to be important. Get it? Relax and drift in life's water for as long as you need to realize that the finish line always moves farther away with each frenzied dash and pull of that plug. Don't miss out on the float because you are drowning in the waves.

Choice.....

My Thought for this Day.....I think we can spend each and every day dwelling on the evil that is alive, well, and seemingly insurmountable in today's world. But instead, I choose to focus on the joy and strength of the human spirit. I choose to live with a clarity of sight, and my eyes trained on the heavens and the surety that Our mighty God sits on His throne. I choose to see me and my folks surrounded by invincible Angels, all tall in their stature and decked with the weapons of my Lord. I choose to not only believe, but know, that He will give me passage and if venom enters my world, He will give me the antidote with which to fight and win. I choose victory over loss.

The Being.....

My Thought for this Day.......Life is nor about the going and the doing and the having and the making. Life is about the BEING. Be first. When you get that understood and appreciated and lived, when you realize that your presence is truly needed by YOU, then and only then can the other things follow like adjectives that complete the main noun. At this moment the thorns fall off and the flowers bloom. The stillness in your core is complete and mature and able to truly live all of your going and doing and having and making. The Being.

Shedding.....

My Thought for this Day.....Life is a continual shedding of skin. We shed our skins of infancy, childhood, young adulthood, and then we remain adults until we aren't. And even though layers upon layers have been shed, we still manage to retain imperfections, and immaturities, and left over hurts and bumps and bruises. But the hope is that when we come to the end of the shedding, we are better accommodated to handle life's curve balls. We, in fact, have thickened our skin and sharpened our perspectives of what life truly is. We know that we aren't perfect, as no one is, and what might have bruised at age 5, or 8, or 18, or 25, is now merely an uncomfortable touch that can be forgotten. If we live our lives with infant skin, we stay in that stage of emotion. And in that stage we can't see past our own wants and needs. How sad to continually be bruised and battered and bent under the weight of perceived slights. It's a Hatfield and McCoys existence.

Actions......

My Thought for this Day...........Sometimes we allow private thoughts to become public actions. And in so doing, we show our true colors. While not always a bad thing, it is hanging your clothes on a very visible clothesline. Be careful what seeps from your mind into this world. For without a doubt, you are teaching a lesson of life which will leave a lasting impression on those around you, those who love you, and those who take pride in others' shortcomings. How sad, but how very true, that we are often remembered not for our positive, but for our negative. One wrong can cover oh so many rights with a cloak of ridicule. It will be your legacy. So before you post a rant, loudly argue a point, or make a hurtful action, remember that you are indeed in the very middle of writing your book of life. And that those you love will not only read it, but have to live with your library.

Share........

My Thought for this Day.......Don't dwell on what you have to bear; dwell on what you have to share. Each and every one of us has burdens to carry.....some heavier than others. But gloriously, we all also have gifts, talents, and blessings to share. What good is it to hold your beacons of light so tightly in your fist, that no one basks in your glow? We all are a link in the chain of existence, a leg in the relay of life. Don't be the weakest link, nor the slowest sprinter. Digging a hole and merely existing with your troubles helps no one.....least of all you. So today, if even for a minute, share what you can, and maybe, just, maybe, you will lighten someone else's burden. How truly wonderful would that be? Don't be a dweller, be a sharer.

One nation.....

My Thought for this Day......We the People......The Preamble of the Constitution of this Mighty nation began with these words. In our self centered, privileged, all about me, ways we have turned it into ...I the Person. Until we turn our selfish eyes outward instead of inward, until we realize that nobody owes us anything, until we truly understand that each of us is only a tiny spoke in the enormous wheel of life, and most importantly until we kneel at the feet of our God, the Mighty will continue to fall. I wrote these words in 2014. And I believe that no progress has been made. As a matter of fact, I feel like we are teetering on the Pinnacle of destruction. And yet I fight daily to not become more cynical. This battle I'm losing, and it brings tears to my eyes. I want to still see the wonder and beauty in people. I want our grandson Titus, to live in a nation of cohesion and safety. I do not want to worry about malls, and banks, and schools being places of violence. And it's a daily battle that exhausts me, yet I'm determined to win. So with all this long rambling jumble of words being said, I do wish us all Freedom. And I wish us thankfulness and gratitude for this great nation. And I wish us to become We the People once more.

Circle.......

My Thought for this Day.....As I look out our windows and see the rains fall from the Heavens, I think of the natural cleansing of our trees, plants and grass. All these things have been planted and have endured both good and bad times. They have struggled through heat and drought and then have blossomed in cool breezes and glorious rain. I think we, as humans, are much the same. Wherever we have been planted, we too must endure, strive to live in the arid moments and then exist in glory when our Heavens open and abundant blessings fall upon us. I wonder if you realize the cycle? I wonder if you allow yourself to soak up the miracles of moisture, and then store them to be prepared for the droughts? We thirst; we hunger, and then we flourish. The Circle of Life.

Deal of the Day.......

My Thought for this Day.....Every morning I wake up to an Inbox full of 'Deals of the Day'. They are from book people, clothes people, home furnishings people; the list goes on and on. What I don't get in my Inbox, but what is my Deal of the Day ....everyday....is attitude. It's my free choice. It's my Deal. Shall I be angry? Resentful? Grateful? Caring? Kind? Jealous? Thankful? The list goes on and on. My choices are endless. It's truly the biggest Deal of my Day. And yours.

Scab.......

My Thought for this Day......We all have emotional scabs of life. Some of us have superficial ones, and some have raw, deep, wide open wounds. And sometimes it is impossible to let them go. And so we pick at them and open them up and we are right back in the rawness. I pray that today, you can allow your wounds to heal. Maybe just for today. Don't try to fight the battle of life; fight the battle of today. And stop picking at your scabs, if even for an hour.

World.........

This is from two years ago.......it is long, and made longer as I have added at the bottom. My Thought for this Day.....I am headed west and I have left a large part of my heart in the Parkland NICU. I have held Titus, I have watched him have sweet baby dreams, I have seen him already get mad at his Daddy for moving him, and I was told by the nurses that he is so popular, they have had to ban the all the docs and nurses that aren't associated with the NICU from coming to see him. His mama is also a star at Parkland and Titus has joined that club. His mom and dad married 3 years ago this coming Monday and two days later she stepped into Parkland as an Ob/Gyn resident. This coming Wednesday she will begin her fourth and final year of residency as one of the Chief Residents. Now to my thought. This world is never easy, but always ours. Titus decided to join us early and is living in a Baby 5 star hotel....this according to his father. But he also is having to be strong and catch up to where he needs to be. He is getting the job done with a mighty heart and a courageous spirit. So tiny souls can teach us all to fight our own battles and not step over the stripes into judgement and criticism of whoever is driving in the lane next to you. We are meant to run a race...the human race. And while we must form our own values and while it is okay to disagree; it is not okay to hate. This little boy and all the other innocent children need a safe, strong world in which to flourish. Why can't we, as adults, understand it is up to us to build, not destroy. Emmie loves her Titus Dax Brannan with every fiber of her being. My prayer is that his future world is not built on the notion that 'I am right, and you are wrong!' My prayer is that in his life he will see people understand that it is okay to disagree; it is not okay to hate and kill and lash out in violent ways. My Thought for this Day........Titus won his battle; he is a rough and tumble two year old. Aly won her battle; she is now an established OB/GYN. Dax won his battle; he has an amazing family whom he loves more than even I have words to express. Yet, we have lost our battle. Today the world is more hateful and violent and irrational than anyone might have imagined two years ago. We are standing on the periphery of self destruction. We are living with the law of self promotion as king. We are blatantly turning our backs on the common laws of humankind and showing an ignorance in our existence that is mind numbing. We are, in a nutshell, eating the apple in the Garden of Eden. And this, my friends, is what is being handed to our children on a tarnished silver platter. I pray for us all. I pray especially for those who can not yet defend themselves. They will suffer the aftermath of our bitterness and self supremacy and violence and terrible spewing of hate. And it is more heartbreaking than I can fathom. And it is our legacy to our children, and grandchildren and those who deserve so much more. And it is, to me, heartbreaking. We are supplying the hand-basket and the paved road.

Foot....

My Thought for this Day........At the foot of which master do you choose to sit? Money? Power? Superiority? Grace? Kindness? Generosity? There is a telling in your choice. There is a lesson in your choice. For when you arise, you have become that choice.

First..........

My Thought for this Day........I think we live in days of firsts and lasts. We are pushed to be first. We internally want the last....the last word....the last insult....the last action. And because we dwell on the last, we miss out on so many firsts. So today, be the first to walk away from an argument, a situation, a destructive conversation. Just. Walk. Away. And then look at the beautiful vista of the day without having to stay connected to something or someone who causes you pain and anger. This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Sail.........

My Thought for this Day.......I think at times, if not all the time, women see themselves as the person responsible for holding everybody together. We take on problems; we try to solve situations; we put ourselves in the third road seat. Listen well, if you are always the anchor, you are drowning under the water of your world. Sometimes, you have to be the sail. Give yourself these moments of the sun and the sky and the wind in your hair.

Today.....

My Thought for this Day.......Let this day be the time for emptying your backpack of unnecessary people and things. Ease your burden. Lighten your load. Make room for the positive by turning loose of the negative. Life is beautiful when you carry the wonderful.

Pages.......

My Thought for this Day......Some days are blank pages filled with never ending questions and concerns. Yet there are also days when silence erupts into joyful noise and you are supplied just what you need, exactly when you need it. It is then you realize again, with that deep-seated, unshakeable knowledge, that there is a Master Plan written by the Master of Life.

Actions....

My Thought for this Day....Do you sometimes rationalize your behaviors? I think we all do. It's a human frailty . And a dangerous one. It's excuses. It's justification; it's convincing ourselves we are right when we very well may be wrong. It is weakness to hide unjust behavior. Be careful in your actions.

Mind.......

My Thought for this Day......You are not alone in your head. Crazy, I know. But the fact of the matter is you're not. People who are influencing or have influenced your life are sharing the rooms of your mind. Be very careful when handing out mental keys. It is your existence, your path, your character...seek the wise, the generous, the fair thinker to room in your mind dorm. Raise the rent on those who guide with opportunism, self-centeredness and retaliation. It is your Lodge of Living; be selective in your tenants.

Teacher.......

My Thought for this Day.....Everyday you're a teacher. With each word, action, gesture, you are holding class. Someone is watching and learning. What do you teach....anger, joy, humiliation, kindness, honesty? What are in your lesson plans today?

Kind.......

My Thought for this Day......Be kind! Is this so dang hard? Be kind to your kids, your mate, your friends, your animals, the elderly, the cashier at the grocery store. Just BE KIND! It's not a hard concept. Why can't we just be kind? Has life sucked the kind out of us? You are not entitled to anything that makes you superior. You are not better than your fellow man. In fact, if you aren't kind, you are far inferior. I'm not an idiot; I know there are situations where kindness is stupidity. But I will bet that 98% of your world deserves kindness. You can't control ISIS, or terrorists, or mad men, or abusers. And again, they don't deserve kindness. My heart aches for those people who live in fear, and there are plenty. But let's be clear, just maybe your kind word or action is the only thing that will be a sweet moment for them. I'm sick to tears, literally, of this damaged world in which we live. And I'm wise enough to know I can't control it. What I can control is me. Be kind!

Believe....

From the Past........because I think it bears repeating. My Thought for this Day.......I believe we are all given a life we waste. I believe that we allow minutes, hours and days to pass without true appreciation. I believe the earth is wondrous and the greatest art ever painted. I believe we possess more talent than we can ever imagine. I believe the Bible is the most read, respected AND neglected book on the planet. I believe we will never truly know the meaning of love in this life. I believe the human body is a machine so complex that no doctor, nor scientist can or will ever truly understand it, and its MAKER, the molder of life. I believe we don't give ourselves the chance to develop our true strengths, nor realize the hindering of our weaknesses. I believe if we all contributed what we are capable of sharing, the outcome would not be understandable. I believe we are living in a world of instantaneous rewards and regrets. I believe friends are absolutely, without a doubt, one of the biggest phenomenons in our lives. I believe families should at times unite and also at times separate. I believe children are the most mold-able creatures alive. I believe we are at the tip of the iceberg of what technology will reach and that none of us has the capacity to see what is before us. I also believe this technology is a blessing as well as a curse. I believe when we become robots, we lose our usefulness.I believe to open one's eyes to a new day is to have another chance to make a difference in ourselves as well as what surrounds us. I believe most of us squander this opportunity. I believe that the uniqueness of each of us, both separates and draws together. I believe faith is one of, if not the most, important emotions of life. I believe we owe not only ourselves but those who have come before and those who will come after the respect of taking care of our fellow man. I believe we, for the most part, are selfish creatures who turn our backs on needs that are in our own back yards. I believe no one lives the life of power of which they are capable. I also believe with 100 % of my heart that Ask with true Faith and Goodness and you will receive that which is meant for you......and then it is up to you to take that gift and share it with a world full of need. These are some of my beliefs. These are some of my faults. These are some of my biggest blessings.

May.........

My Thought for this day........May you look through the ugly to see the beauty. May you push through the mundane to see the spectacular. May you carry your burdens with strength. And may you never cease to realize that understanding is not necessarily the answer. Be blessed; be mighty; be delighted in your walk.

Joy......

My Thought for this Day.......And on the days when life knocks you to your knees, maybe that's where you should stay. On your knees, hands raised and opened, and let the Joy that comes only from above slowly drip from your fingertips to your heart. There is power in supplication. There is life in receivership.

Blessings.....

My Thought for this Day........When you count your blessings, don't miss the David's and only concentrate on the Goliath's. Its so easy to overlook the pebbles, as you dance from boulder to boulder.

Embrace......

My Thought for this Day......I wonder what you let change your heart? Do you allow gossip to weave its thorny vine around it? Do you look only at the superficial appearance of people and turn and walk away with a hardened heart? Do you stereotype your fellow man by race and ethnicity, thus missing out on a wealth of histories and cultures? Are you missing the melting pot of the human race? Does your mind cry out "Not like me, so not good"? Think long and hard about just exactly what you might be missing. You are a tiny speck in a huge eternal world. Can't you see that if you put blinders on your existence , you are overlooking the absolutely enormous gift of life in all its millions of facets? What a shame. Embrace yourself with a coat of many fabrics, and colors. Each thread is special. Each stitch God given.

Sing...

My Thought for this Day.......Each morning you awaken to a world that has revolved while you slept. Joyous things have occurred. Tragedies have happened. People have laughed and cried and fought, lost, or won. This morning I awakened to a son on his way to Urgent Care with the upper part of his body covered in ugly welts and hives, a nephew-in-law slowly making his way down a hospital hallway after a motorcycle wreck, and the news of the passing of a sweet friend's sister-in-law. Each happening a deeper degree of rawness, seriousness. So my Thought is trite and repetitive. You never know life's circumstances. But let's delve deeper, we aren't supposed to know. That is not our job, our task, our lesson plan. Our duty is to, in every situation, seek not the meaning, that is fruitless, but seek the humanness. No one is above life. No one gets a free pass. No one walks unscathed. And when you stand in your bright, shiny, sparkling light, realize that you are one breath away from darkness. I'm not being maudlin; I'm being realistic. You are a bird with a song. Sing it.

Right.....

My Thought for this Day......Doing the right thing. It's honorable. It's applaudable. But even more is thinking the right thing. No one knows your thoughts so applause is silent. This is the greater moral code.

God....

My Thought for this Day.....On this beautiful Sunday morning I hope you realize that God is not hiding around a corner. He is standing in plain sight wanting, oh so badly, to welcome you unto Him. I think many of us, from time to time, play the He's not here game. And we become so mired in our problems, we are truly blind. Open my eyes to see You. Open my ears to hear You. Open my heart to receive You. Rest is assuredly mine. How incredibly wonderful is this. I know that I don't usually send out Thoughts quite like this. I feel so inadequate in my pulpit. But for some reason this morning, this is my heart to yours. Have a Blessed Day.

Energy......

My Thought for this Day......Don't let someone else's negative erase your positive.

Feather=Treasure

Because it is summertime my Thought for this Day will not appear at 7a.m., nor most probably at 8a.m. I have turned into a slug. They will be serendipitous and not scheduled. Maybe I have no thoughts until I see something like this. My Thought for this Day.....A little feather was picked up out of our drive by Titus, our grandson, this past Sunday, and brought inside. Somehow his treasure was left behind and now it is our treasure. I can picture his chubby little fingers grasping it and then the serious look on that sweet face as he studied it for several minutes. And I am reminded that treasures aren't silver and gold; they are tiny fingers holding a new object and wonder on a precious face. Life abounds in the most simple circumstances. Don't let it pass you by.

You........

My Thought for this Day.....As we come to the end of this holiday weekend, I want you to remember one thing. You get to eat hotdogs, drink beer, ride a boat, watch an air show, because somebody died. You get to hurl insults and walk out of graduations, and bitch and gripe, because somebody died. You get to arise in the morning safe from your bed, because somebody died. You get to rant and rave and demand, and be privileged because somebody died. You are the United States of America in all your glorious existence because somebody died. And it wasn't you.

Teaching.....

I am a teacher. I am a polisher of stones and have been for over 25 years that have spanned several decades. My story has changed, but not as tremendously as the stories of my students. The students of today both resemble and are polar opposites of the students of my first classroom. That year was 1973. I was fresh out of the University of Texas at Austin and had returned to my home town of Hamilton, Texas to begin my career. I have dealt only with teenagers and have loved every minute of every day. They are rolling rivers lapping on the shores of discontent one second and supreme happiness the next. They are all my kids. I have often reflected on my many years of teaching, from both sides of my desk. The pressures of yesterday, dim in the light of today. What seemed like state of the art teaching in my first years, now barely flickers as a candle. We were not blessed with the vast technology that looms large in any classroom of today. But yet, in that time, long ago, we were able to better know our students. We spent more quality time with them. We taught much more than our subject matter. Today, we lead them down the path set by the great State of Texas. We, for the most part, are told what to teach and when to teach it. And at the end of the day, we are separated from our students by this instruction. During my years as a teacher I have taught both in the regular classroom and also been part of two Alternative Schools, the first being a disciplinary school and the second being a school for rapid academic advancement. I have seen and touched kids with tremendous potential and backing and also cried over kids with little or no guidance. I have loved them all. I have taught them all. And I think my most vivid memories and reflections stand in the pool of non-instruction. I am a polisher of lives. I take this role very seriously and even though today, we have less time to mold our students in anything other than subject matter, a good teacher will make the time to step outside the box of history, math, English or science. We will lend a hand, hear a word, listen to a sigh or a laugh….and all the while we are being degraded by parents, politicians and the general public. We are paid too much, care too little and generally do our job with little or no passion. This, my friends, appears to be the perception of teachers. Allow me to invite you to walk my path. I deal with students of today who live in a pressure dome that exceeds those of most adults and they begin this road while too young to even realize that they are running on a hamster wheel. We set our kids up for burnout at a very young age. They are put in classes and sports before they are school age. They must excel, succeed, outdo…at any cost. They are not only encouraged, but at times, forced to be the top. The top ten percent gets you into colleges. The top athlete has a chance for scholarships to universities. They are force fed numbers and statistics long before they have even a fraction of the knowledge they need to decipher what it all means. And they live a life of fear of disappointing parents, teachers, or coaches. The saddest part of all of this is that they know no different. They have never been that child who wakes up to long stretches of days and allowed to just be. It has long been my belief that every person will be a kid at some point. This will come possibly at 8, or 15, or 25, or later. At some point, the cap will come off the bottle of soda and spew immaturity and irresponsibility in every life. And this is how it should be. The sad part is that most of today’s kids are not allowed that release until well into adulthood. The tragedy is that then, when the wheels fall off, it damages more lives than just theirs. Now, we are expecting students to set their high school paths before they even enter the doors. We offer this route, and that route, and you must carve in stone your entire adulthood before you get your driver’s license. We force feed decisions on not only students, but, also their parents to map out career paths of 15 year olds. I wonder if future generations will be encouraged to apply to universities before middle school? It is a ‘never enough’ world. And because of this, I see burn-out in the eyes of my students, along with braces, and casts that try to heal young bodies of the rigors of pushing too fast, too hard and too far. So, I must ask you and myself. What is to be learned? Maybe nothing, or maybe an entire book of knowledge that is set before us and we can choose to either read the pages or close the book and set it on the highest shelf of ignorance. I am a teacher, because I love your kids with all their joy, and tears, and idiosyncrasies and failures and successes. I am privileged to be a part of all that is them. I will take your complaints and your condescending remarks and your judgments, because at the end of the day, when I see a former student who comes up to me and thanks me for my rules and lessons taught, at that very moment, I couldn’t care less what anybody says. I have my reward in that hug, and those words.

Silence.......

My Thought for this Day.......When I sit by your side in silence, it's not in condemnation, but in encouragement. Words are not always needed. Just the stillness of a friendship lifts the heart and glorifies the soul. Be my partner in silence, and I'll be yours. How beautiful is the bridge that connects in perfect alignment and true existence.

So Much.......

My Thought for this Day.......There is so much beauty in this world, so much pain, so much joy, so much fear, so much of so much. Every day we must face our 'so much'. Every day we must decide on our reaction. Every day we must walk the fire or the meadow. Every day we must be. With our hands held high, or our heads bowed low, we breath deeply and set about the art of life. And the invisible footprints beside us bring peace on our journey.

Bullseye........

My Thought for this Day......There are people who reach right into your soul. Not always positively, yet a presence nonetheless. There is an art in dealing with this. Learn your craft; it will make life more peaceful and serene. It will smooth out the wrinkles of stress and relieve you of bitterness and hate. In this instance, do what's good for you, not for them. Life is to short to dwell in the bullseye of retribution.

Needs......

My Thought for this Day.......I think to live your life with the attitude of 'not needing anybody' is harmful. Furthermore it is arrogant and self centered. We all need somebody. We are inherently creatures of love, bonds, and union. We are social creatures; some more than others, but at the end of the day, we all need someone. Don't live your life as if you are a mountain unto yourself. This will rob you of some of life's greatest pleasures.....to give and receive love, to give and receive help, to give and receive acknowledgement. Standing on the podium all by yourself is lonely and egotistical.

Everyday.......

My Thought for this Day.......There is so much beauty in this world, so much pain, so much joy, so much fear, so much of so much. Every day we must face our 'so much'. Every day we must decide on our reaction. Every day we must walk the fire or the meadow. Every day we must be. And with our hands held high, or our heads bowed low, we breath deeply and we set about the art of life.

Value........

My Thought for this Day.......When you slam the door on someone or something from your past, or your present, make sure you are certain before you lock it and throw away the key. Life has a funny way of circling back, and those thing and people suddenly deemed unimportant or unnecessary frequently become the priceless treasures they were when you cherished them. it also has a distinct way of bringing to light those people whom you deemed unimportant yesterday. Don't cut bait and fish unless you are sure you can face the Jaws of life without the people on whom you depend. Words can not be taken back, actions can not be reversed, and loyalty can not be reestablished with a blink of an eye, flick of a hand, nor an empty apology. Friendships have beating hearts that can be bruised and eventually broken. Honor your life by honoring theirs. When you look through a glass darkly, you see a shadowed world which distorts reality. Get out you polisher and look again. Then, and only then, decide upon actions that are life changers. Value your tribe. They are more precious than gold.

Battle.......

My Thought for this Day.....Some days we have to fight for someone else. We have to be their battalion leader, their CEO, their champion. We go into full armor, and we become a warrior. Our eyes are outward, not inward. Our reward is their gold, not ours. We fight for them because they cannot, at this moment, do battle. This is our duty. And in this war, we are shrewd, and capable and infallible. And we know, without a doubt, that if needed, any time, they would do the same for us. Consider the blessing of this. And then, be mighty.

Static......

My Thought for this Day........If the Song of your Soul has static, turn the dial just a little. Life is better with a clear, strong song.

Bucket List.....

My Thought for this Day.....These days everyone has a Bucket List. I just have one thing on mine. "Live every day with gratefulness, generosity and love." The End.

Wait........

My Thought for the Day.......Among the sadness, and difficulty, and stress of life.....there are always rosebuds waiting to open. Wait upon the Lord for He is good.

Now........

My Thought for this Day......Sometimes I think we live our lives at a perpetual stoplight waiting for the red to turn to green. We lose the now. And the now is our gift to be opened, not to be left on a shelf gathering dust, as if it is unworthy. The now may be all we have.

Alone......

My Thought for this Day........Being alone is not always being lonely. Precious time spent in solitude is restorative. Don't be afraid of the 'alone'. It calms the ocean of life. It allows growth and alleviates fears. It is you and only you, and that is enough. I love to reside in my alone.

Today......

My Thought for this Day.....May you look upon this day with a peace that passes understanding, with a faith that never wavers in the storm and with a knowledge that life does throw curve balls to everyone. But most of all, may you find comfort that waits on those who call out and seek. And that, my friends, is enough.

But.......

My Thought for this Day......I believe 'but' is the most negative word in our language. I know, but......I did, but.......I heard,but..........you are, but. Sometimes we need to just sit on our 'but's', and keep quiet.

Reaction......

My Thought for this Day......If someone doesn't react to a situation in a manner you deem correct, what is your reaction? Indignation? Superiority? Don't flatter yourself so much that you carry the weight of their world on your rigid shoulders. For never, ever, do you truly understand the place in which they dwell.

Trash.......

My Thought for this Day.......Everybody needs an emotional Trash Day. It's the day you rid your mind and heart of the negatives. I challenge you to set one day a week as your personal trash day. Take 5 minutes and consciously throw out those trashy thoughts, hurts, emotions. You can't accept the good if you are full of the bad.

Two......

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.

Shallow.......

My Thought for this Day........Don't live a shallow life. Much like a shallow grave, it leads to predators. Be the deep well, full of those qualities that lend themselves to admiration. Not for what you have, but for who you are.

Thanks.....

My Thought for this Day.......No matter the weight you are under, give thanks. With this giving will come a rebirth of strength. 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 surely this is the Day that the Lord has made.

Connection......

My Thought for this Day.......In Houston spending time with wonderful friends, thus this thought. The human connection is beyond price. It tethers us with something that is more precious than gold. This is love. Never turn lose of the hands that want to hold you and the hearts that want to love you. We are merely as strong as our chain of connections.

Circumstances.....

My Thought for this Day.....Do you judge people by their inner circumstances, or their outer circumstances? I think at times, if not all the time, we can't see past the houses and the cars and the clothes to really see the souls. This is the American Dream gone awry. We the people are now we the possessions.

Forgive.....

My Thought for this Day......Sometimes it's hard to forgive.....and rightly so. You've been terribly wronged, hurt, and maybe even shamed. But when you've worked the steps, cleared your path, cleaned your windshield with a million tears, and the time is right, forgive. It's for you. It will restore your faith...in yourself. It is brave and glorious and mighty.

Bubbles.......

My Thought for this Day......Sometimes I envision us all in bubbles. Spheres of iridescent lights that float on waves of human emotion. Our bubbles are filled with the whims of the universe, or truthfully, they are filled with what at this moment, in this exact time period carries each and every one of us to our destinies. Here's the depth, the gut, the atmosphere of out bubbles.......our ability to simply float. And with this floating comes either resentment, strength, sadness, usefulness, ignorance or self knowledge of 'oh the places we will go'. So, to only keep your eyes on other's bubbles,...to envy, covet, grasp that which is not ours, is to miss the wonderful prisms of life that is your bubble. Think about this....and think deeply....you can't have or possess someone's else's bubble. You only have yours. So the key, the lesson, the life, is to float within your sphere, knowing that whatever it is, it is truly meant for you. And in that knowledge, in those sparkling prisms of life, you find your core. What more could you ask for...for indeed, if you don't know yourself, your journey hasn't even begun.

Simple.....

My Thought for this Day.....I believe that at times it's easy to live a pseudo life...not by choice or even realization, but by chance. Life becomes so complicated and filled to the brim, that we simply slip into the whirlpool and never emerge. And this action is sad. And it is lonely. And it becomes such our reality that we don't realize it until we are caught up in the vortex of chaotic busyness and we lose sight of simple. Fight for your simple.

You.......

My Thought for this Day......What transforms you into a better version of yourself? If you can't answer that, then you have some work to do. Delve into this. With today's whirlwind world, you owe it to yourself to answer my question, and then indulge. How exquisite to be a better you.

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 2017 will pass to 2018. 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.

Puzzle......

My Thought for this Day.......Life is a puzzle. Some days you work on the outside edges. Some days you work on the middle. But all days you must work to make sure all pieces fit right. And most importantly, if a piece refuses to conform, don't force it. You'll ruin the 'meant to be' vista of your life.

Shadows.....

My Thought for this Day.......There are many shadows in life. And to dwell in some is heartbreaking and tough, and to dwell in others is a blessing and joyous. The shadows of grief, envy, anger and resentment are dark and steal your soul. The shadows of a friend's love, a family unit, the Cross, are life changing and expand your heart to near bursting. Realize when you are under the dark shadows, that soon, with time and work, and effort, you will relax under the gracious shadows of love.

Mighty.......

My Thought for this Day......When the sun arises on your life today, I hope you stand in its rays and gaze upon your life with arms wide open and face turned upward. Sometimes it's too easy to slump in the shadows of doubt, fear and grief. Some days there is no comfort in the brightness of a new day. But at the end of your trial, you will step out from under the limbs of uncertainly and know that you are stronger than you ever imagined. And though this knowledge in no way takes away the grief, it surely will dull the pain. Be mighty!