Don't Let Ego ....get in the way of the "Golden Rule"......

In a time when our society has perhaps forgotten the Golden Rule..."Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

Complaining and reacting are patterns through which "our" ego takes hold.. For many people, a part of their emotional activity consists of complaining and reacting to various things and circumstances. By doing this, you make others or a circumstance "wrong" and yourself "right."

Through being "right," you feel superior, in charge , though this intimidation you strengthen your sense of self., your ego. In reality, you are strengthening the illusion of ego. In the eyes of others you become a complainer, a pessimist...someone to avoid at all cost.

Can you observe these traits within yourself and recognize the complaining voice in your head ...perhaps it should be muted , at least for a while.

In understanding our emotions, and not letting the ego create a judgment, that complaining voice holds less power over us. Think more of others instead of self, do not allow the whispering in your ear to take hold of your life. Do the "right" thing for others , not just for ego or self.

And it moves us all... Through despair and hope, Through faith and love..

Til we find our place ..In the path unwinding..... 

 In the Circle The Circle of Life

Thought for Today....

All a man can betray is his conscience. ~ Joseph Conrad

If your conscience tells you that you are doing wrong, how on earth can you expect to get along with yourself or others for that matter? A person who fights his conscience mistrusts himself and that reflects in his character. Our conscience speaks to us all time and is constantly prodding us to change and to do the right thing. So always listen to your conscience, the voice of your inner self; it is there to help you get along with yourself and behave rightly.

Home At Last....WWll Soldiers Remains Returned After 60 Years.

'To me, my daddy was still alive. He was alive when I talked to him last,'' she told reporters. 'I didn't see him as dead. But all of these years there was this thing in the back of my mind that he might be somewhere alive. … When they told us they had found him, then it hit. Then I grieved.''

Tulie Mae Chastain Swilling, his daughter was a small child when her father died.

Staff Sgt. Berthold A. Chastain finally returned home Saturday from World War II. His remains, arrived at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Saturday morning. A group of Georgia and Tennessee Patriot Guards riders were waiting to escort the soldier home.

The procession, went to Dalton, Ga., where Chastain was born in 1916, and then to Cleveland. Along the way people stood to salute or wave American flags.

Staff Sgt. Chastain could have been buried in Arlington National Cemetery. That was not an option in this case as his daughter wants to keep her father close to her after all these years, and no one can blame her for that.

If you live in the Cleveland, Tennessee area be sure to look at the sky this coming Wednesday and look for that B-52 in the air that will be honoring this man.The memorial will be held on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at the Ralph Bucker Funeral Home at 1:00 PM. There will be a B-52 bomber flyover at 1:40 PM. Burial will be near Birchwood, Tennessee, not far from where his daughter lives.

Rest in Peace, Sir ..you were not and will never be forgotten.

Thought for Today....

Music is love in search of a word. ~ Sidonie Gabrielle

Music the language that soothes the soul and opens our minds to listening from a different perspective. There are many times when music helps us find our way through and makes this journey known as life, a pleasant trip amidst the long and winding road. Listen to the music, find the words that speak to your mind, heart and soul...find "The Gift" of music to brighten your world and feed your soul.

Make it a Good Day...

All creatures great and small....

Who has ever heard of a crow adopting a needy kitten? Remarkable....

And who says God does not look after all his creatures great or small.

Thought for Today....

“Each moment in time we have it all, even when we think we don’t.”

― Melody Beattie

Treasure the moments for they are gone in the blink of an eye. Then you will only have the memories.

The Seeds

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. "The young executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.

Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes.. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!

His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.

"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

Do you know what the relationship is between your two eyes?

They blink together, they move together, they cry together, they see things together, and they sleep together, but they never see each other; ....that's what friendship is.. Your aspiration is your motivation, your motivation is your belief, your belief is your peace, your peace is your target, your target is heaven, and life is like hard core torture without it!

They blink together, they move together, they cry together, they see things together, and they sleep together, but they never see each other; ....that's what friendship is.. Your aspiration is your motivation, your motivation is your belief, your belief is your peace, your peace is your target, your target is heaven, and life is like hard core torture without it!

Thought for Today....

When your heart feels like giving up, let hope whisper one more time♥

The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the Serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And Wisdom to know the difference.

The SPARROW at STARBUCKS

Got this in an email and it has been vetted through "Truth or Fiction" A wonderful story about chance meetings...

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st
Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square . Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth.

For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world,
I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right. Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing. It was a fun, low-pressure gig - I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the '40s to the '90s with a few original tunes thrown in. During our emotional rendition of the classic, "If You Don't Know Me by Now," I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.

After the tune was over, she approached me. "I apologize for singing
along on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked. "No," I replied. "We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?"

To my delight, she accepted my invitation.. "You choose," I said. "What
are you in the mood to sing?"

"Well. ... do you know any hymns?"

Hymns? This woman didn't know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth
on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest
singer a knowing look. "Name one."

"Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones. You pick one."

"Okay," I replied. "How about 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'?"

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on
mine again and said, "Yeah. Let's do that one.." She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing.

Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come?

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises
of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion.

I sing because I'm happy; I sing because I'm free. For His eye is on the
sparrow And I know He watches me.

When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening
roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, "Oh, y'all go back to your coffee! I didn't come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get somethin' to drink, just like you!" But the ovation continued..

I embraced my new friend. "You, my dear, have made my whole year! That
was beautiful!"

"Well, it's funny that you picked that particular hymn," she said.

"Why is that?"

"Well . .." she hesitated again, "that was my daughter's favorite
song."

"Really!" I exclaimed.

"Yes," she said, and then grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause
had subsided and it was business as usual.. "She was 16. She died of a brain
tumor last week."

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence.
"Are you going to be okay?"

She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. "I'm gonna be
okay. I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and
everything's gonna be just fine." She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that
particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop?
Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? I don't think so!

God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning
of time, and it's no stretch for me to imagine that God could reach into a
coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting God and singing the songs,
everything's gonna be okay.

The next time you feel like GOD can't use YOU, just remember...
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer

Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young

David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal Isaiah preached naked Jonah ran from God Naomi was a widow Job went bankrupt John the Baptist ate bugs Peter denied Christ The Disciples fell asleep while praying Martha worried about everything The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once Zaccheus was too small Paul was too religious Timothy had an ulcer...
AND Lazarus was dead!

No more excuses now!! God can use you to your full potential. Besides
you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.

His Eye on the Sparrow

Thought for Today....

~ He who chooses the beginning of the road chooses the place it leads to. ~ Harry Emerson Fosdick

Be careful to choose the best path. Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege, Use it wisely.

I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.

You must learn to listen to that voice and honor what you know and feel to be the difference between what is right and wrong. Don't let your choices make your life feel like "Dust in the Wind"....there is so much more to life..treasure it...live it..embrace all that is good.

'Band of Brothers' Unit Loses Another Hero

Ed Mauser, was the oldest living member of Easy Company, which is often better known now as the "Band of Brothers." He passed away at age 94 this week. He never considered himself a hero just one of the boys.

A member of the "Band of Brothers" who fought in some of World War II's fiercest European battles, Ed Mauser shunned the limelight and kept his service with the Army unit a secret, even from some of his family.

His role came to light only after his brother-in-law got him a copy of the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers," said Terry Zahn, who met Mauser during a 2009 Honor Flight trip to Washington, D.C., to see the World War II memorial. Mauser, who died Friday, told his family that some of the things in the miniseries, like the locations of buildings, weren't quite what he remembered from being there in person.

But before that, "he never talked about it for years and years and years," said Zahn, president of the Midwest chapter of the 101st Airborne Division Association.Mauser, 94, was the oldest living member of Easy Company, which is often better known now as the "Band of Brothers."

Born Dec. 18, 1916 in LaSalle, Ill., he was drafted in 1942 and volunteered for the 101st Airborne Division. He was assigned to Company E, 506th Regiment — Easy Company — which participated in the D-Day invasion of France and the follow-up Operation Market Garden. The 101st also helped defend Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.

Historian Stephen Ambrose interviewed Easy Company leader Dick Winters for the 1992 book "Band of Brothers," upon which the HBO miniseries that began airing in September 2001 was based. Winters, of Hershey, Pa., died earlier this month at age 92.

The miniseries followed Easy Company from its training in Georgia to the war's end in 1945. Its producers included actor Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg.
Mauser was not among the soldiers portrayed in the miniseries.

Zahn said he kept his service a secret, even from his relatives. After it became known, he reunited with some of his Army buddies and made a few public appearances. He preferred to stay out of the limelight.

"Don't call me a hero," Mauser told the Lincoln Journal Star in a 2009 interview. "I was just one of the boys. I did what I was told, and let's leave it at that."

Rest in Peace Ed, you are finally home. God Speed.

Thought for Today....

"The wise man in the storm prays God, not for safety from danger, but for deliverance from fear." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

God is in control...fear not for he is always with us. He is everywhere , even in the midst of our uncertainty and worry.

You' ll Never Walk Alone

German Police Pick up Drunken Owl

And "hoo" says owls have no fun and are a boring breed. Just ask the latest detainee in Germany.

"A woman walking her dog alerted the police after seeing the bird sitting by the side of the road oblivious to passing traffic," Frank Otruba, spokesman for the police in the southwestern city of Pforzheim, told Speigel Online

A Brown Owl didn't appear to be injured and officers quickly concluded that it had had one too many. One of its eyelids was drooping, adding to the general impression of inebriation.

"It wasn't staggering around and we didn't breathalyze it but there were two little bottles of Schapps in the immediate vicinity," said Otruba. "We took it to a local bird expert who has treated alcoholized birds before and she has been giving it lots of water."

The bird will be released once it has sobered up, police said.

Thought for Today....

There can be no happiness equal to the joy of finding a heart that understands. ~ Victor Robinson

Take time to listen to those who are important , do not be quick to judge....unless you have walked a mile in their shoes............reminds me of a song.

Where Have All The Children Gone...

In an age where "anything goes", where will we draw the line? Apparently so as the new MTV show "Skins" is using underage children in sex scenes and all in the name of entertainment.

MTV has new drama on their hands, featuring the sexual and drug-escapes of teenagers. It is also said by some that coming episodes of the show may break the law.

An MTV spokeswoman, Jeannie Kedas, insisted that the future episodes of “Skins” were still works in progress.

“ ‘Skins’ is a show that addresses real-world issues confronting teens in a frank way,” she said in a statement. “We review all of our shows and work with all of our producers on an ongoing basis to ensure our shows comply with laws and community standards. We are confident that the episodes of ‘Skins’ will not only comply with all applicable legal requirements, but also with our responsibilities to our viewers.”

Are we such an immoral society that we no longer have any dignity left even when it comes to our children. Where are the parents in this equation or does the almighty dollar overrule both integrity and common decency. At what cost do we allow these so call "reality shows" to rule the airwaves. Where have all the children gone?

When will we ever learn?

Thought for the Day

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's learning to dance in the rain.

In the simplest of terms it says we must never give up ..always keep going.....just dance. It reminds me of a song....