I've learned...

I received these sayings in an email from a friend of mine.  I'm not sure who wrote them but I loved them, so I thought I'd share.  :) I bolded some of my favorites.  Enjoy! :D

I've learned... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person. I've learned... That when you're in love, it shows.
I've learned... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.
I've learned... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of themost peaceful feelings in the world.
I've learned... That being kind is more important than being right.
I've learned... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
I've learned... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
I've learned... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I've learned... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
I've learned... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes...ha ha
I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned... That money doesn't buy class.
I've learned... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I've learned...That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I've learned... That love, not time, heals all wounds.
I've learned... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I've learned... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I've learned... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher...in Christ. 
I've learned... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
I've learned... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I've learned... That I wish I could have told my Dad that I love him one more time before he passed away.
I've learned... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow we may have to eat them.
I've learned... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
I've learned... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
I've learned... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
I've learned... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Love This :)

I have no idea who wrote this but thanks This Is Kristin for sharing!

Life On A Starbucks Cup

"For You created my inmost being; You knited me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be." - Psalm 139:13-16

How awesome is it to know that God has a plan for our lives...He made us with a purpose to fufill.  We each have a different purpose that He gave to each of us individualy, that only we can accomplish.  No one else in the world can fufill what God had ordained you to do!  How awesome is it to know that the creater of the universe can look upon us, and have that attention to detail!  He created the heavens and the earth and yet He loves us so much that He created us individually with great significance and purpose.  So even if you don't see it or understand it; God loves you and thinks you are special. :D

 "As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. - "Ecclesiastes 11:5

Love this verse:

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." -Jeremiah 29:11 &12

My Pocket of Sunshine

Oh ! How I've needed this! God Knows... I love how the Lord sends us little reminders like these to keep our head up and remind us that He is in control of everything and will always have our back.  This is another one of the many work emails (Email is below) that I get throughout the day. 

 I love getting these :) They are like little pockets of sunshine from God to make me smile again when all I see is darkness.  He is the light that peeks through the clouds of life.  Much like these pictures that I took on the way to work the other day.  They really made me smile and I knew that it was going to be a good day.  God Bless You!!! :) Enjoy!

Addressing Matters From A Spiritual Perspective

Rev. Sinclair Grey III, M.Div.

Working with people isn't easy. I don't care who you are or what you do, the truth of the matter is that people can get on your nerves and cause you to lose your mind. I've come to discover there are some people in this world whose job is to cause you to act up and act out contrary to who God called you to be. Falling into their trap allows you to play their game and next thing you know, you're messed up, cracked up, and tripping on the dumbest things. Why? Because you've allowed the negative energy of a few people dictate as well as determine your behavior toward others. As my mentor would say, 'don't give people control over who you are and whose you are.'

In this life, I want you to know how you react to people will determine how far you'll go in life. Let me say that again. When people can influence you to act a fool, you need to check who's in control of your emotional well-being. The more you allow others to determine your happiness and/or worth, the more power they have over you. On the other hand, when you learn how to react to people, you'll have the upper hand in the situation. Simply put - when you remain in control, you'll keep yourself focused and committed to doing what God has called you to do. 

In this spiritual journey, you need to know that God expects all of His children to love one another. That's right; you've got to exhibit love to those who can't stand you and are jealous of you. In a real sense, you've got to have the Spirit of God that's on the inside continuously manifesting itself on the outside. Failure to do so will you keep you from experiencing all that God has for you. With God on the inside, you can handle anything on the outside. Just remember, you have the victory and no demon in hell can mess you up. The enemy can try to destroy you with people, but he's already defeated. When you understand the battle, you'll know how to fight it.

In writing to the people of Ephesus , the apostle Paul penned these words, "Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Please don't miss this.. When people are tripping on you, understand it's not the person, but the spirit in the person. (Oops, I said something) To deal with a spiritual problem, you need a spiritual solution. You can't address a spiritual issue with a fleshly solution. It won't work. That's my word for you. The next time you have to deal with someone who's trying to get on your nerves, look at it from a spiritual perspective and address it from that arena. Allow God to order your steps and everything will work out fine.

"Golf Balls" Matter. Everything Else Is Just ''Sand''...

This is an oldie but a goodie.  I received this in an email a while back and printed it out as I had liked it so much.  I happen to come across it this week while I was cleaning out some paperwork from my desk at work.  Even though I had read it before I still enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time.  It kind of makes us re-evaluate the worries that we unnecessarily let take over our internal chatter sometimes when we forget to not sweat the small stuff.  Enjoy! God bless :)

A Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

 A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

 The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

 The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."


The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

 "Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--God, your family, your children,  your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
 The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
 One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.

 It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."