"If the eye is a window to the soul, then, the heart is the doorway to love."
Anonymous

Stand By Me

This song has taken on special meaning for me. If you go >HERE you can see my favorite version of "Stand By Me" as sung by Bono and Bruce. There is so much passion in the way they sing it. I can't tell you how many times I have listened to their rendition. However, I thought you might like to hear a couple more takes. Let me know which one you like best!
THE ORIGINAL

THE UNUSUAL

THE SILLY

More Wise Words...

"Forgiveness is the scent that the rose leaves on
the heel that crushes it."
Anonymous

"This is certain, that a man that studieth revenge keeps
his wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well."
Francis Bacon

"We easily pardon an offense we had part in."
Juoy

"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it
does enlarge the future."
Paul Boese

"In our society, forgiveness is often seen as weakness. People who
forgive those who have hurt them or their family are made to look as if
they really don't care about their loved ones. But forgiveness is tremendous strength. It is the action of someone who refuses to be consumed by
hatred and revenge."
Helen Prejean

Wise Words

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."
Micah 6:8

Even if you don't believe in the Christian God, or any God for that matter, I think Micah has a lot to say to all of us...act justly, love mercy and walk humbly.

Dancing Through Life...

John and I have been taking ballroom dance lessons and doing LOTS of dancing. It is so much fun! So far we have learned the following dances:
Tango, Triple Swing, Foxtrot, Rumba, Jitterbug, Waltz, Mambo, Cha-Cha, Merengue, Cumbia and we are currently learning Salsa.
Here's a video of another fun dance I want to learn...the Bachata. Now if I can just get my hips to swivle like her hips. lol

Today I am reading up on Clinton and Obama, as tommorrow is the primary in Texas. I don't know who I will vote for. However, I hope you will take a few minutes to watch some of the testimonies from those nearest and dearest to Hilary. They paint a different story than we often hear.
THE HILARY I KNOW

SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying' or 'praying' - or - whatever mules do when they fall into wells.

After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery. Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL! What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity. THAT'S LIFE!

If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity...THE ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG TO BURY US USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT AND BLESS US!

Remember that FORGIVENESS--FAITH-- PRAYER--PRAISE and HOPE...all are excellent ways to "SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP" out of the wells in which we find ourselves!
Anonymous

JUST FOR TODAY

"I will live through the next
12 hours and try not to tackle
all of life’s problems at once.
I will improve my mind.
I will learn something useful.
I will learn something that
requires effort, thought and
concentration.
I will be agreeable.
I will look my best, speak in a well-
modulated voice, be courteous
and considerate.
I will not find fault with
friend, relative or colleague.
I will not try to change or
improve anyone but myself.
I will do a good turn and
keep it a secret. If anyone
finds out, it won’t count.
I will do two things I don’t
want to do, just for the exercise.
I will believe in myself.
I will give my best to the world
and feel confident that the
world will give its best to me."
Author Unknown

What Time Are You?

The YouTube Campaign

The candidates are making good use of YouTube...especially Hillary and Obama. I spent some time watching a few of the videos and wanted to share this one with you. BTW, I am unsure who I will vote for but I liked what Michelle had to say.

BONO and BRUCE and one of my favorite songs...

And a little child shall lead them...

RAISING THE FLAG OF HUMANITY
by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.

I was recently watching the BBC World News present a beautiful story that brought tears to my eyes. It was about a fourteen-year-old Iraqi boy named Taha Saadi, who lives in Falluja. Taha lost his father as a result of the sectarian violence, but this beautiful young man didn't have thoughts of revenge; instead, he had an idea to try to counter the hatred and killing in his country.

His idea was to gather his school friends and together they would write multiple messages of peace and love, and then seal them in used plastic bottles to be sent down the Euphrates, a river that cuts through Iraq. Why the Euphrates? He knew that most Iraqis, no matter what sect, drank from the water of the Euphrates. Therefore the bottles would be gathered up by members of all the sects. He was inspired by the fact that there was only one flag in his country...the Iraqi flag. And it seemed right to him that all Iraqis should be united in love and caring for the common good.

And so he made it happen. He and his school friends created wonderful letters, pictures and symbols of peace and unity. They then rolled up their offerings and sealed them inside the plastic bottles they had collected. Then, arm-in-arm, the group of boys walked to the river. They gathered on the bridge which had been the sight of much violence, and, together, they threw their bottles into the river with the anticipation that Iraqis of all sects would read their messages, come to their senses, and ultimately unite the country. The look of hope and love on their faces as they threw their bottles into the water would bring tears to anyone's eyes.

While Taha had the philosophy there was one flag that should unite all Iraqis, you and I know that there is another flag that unites us all...and that is the flag of Humanity. Why don't we follow Taha's lead? I propose that wherever we live in this big, wide, beautiful world, that we all create our own messages of peace and love, and while we don't have a river to unite us all, we do have our jobs or the internet or our involvement in the community or our families...or whatever...to reach out and touch the world with messages of peace, love...and a caring for the whole of the human race. Taha and his friends started it...let us all follow in his footsteps. Who knows? Miracles happen!

Thank you, Taha, for the incredible gift you have given us all. Your message has gone further than the Euphrates. I, and all those who read this, will help you get the message of peace and love out to the entire world. We will help you raise the flag of Humanity.

© 2008 Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.

Help End World Hunger!

For each vocabulary word you get right, they donate 20 grains of rice through the United Nations to help end world hunger. Go HERE!

Kindness

"In the measure in which we make others happy, in that measure, and many times over, happiness travels to us. We pass through this world but once. Any good thing that we can do, or any kindness that we can show to a fellow-being, let us do it now. Let us not defer it or neglect it, for we may not pass this way again."
Anon

"Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind."
Henry James

Thoughts of late...

As much as is possible, give freely.

As much as is possible, be content with what is freely given.

"Yesterday is just a memory.
Tommorrow we may never see.
Today is like a gift.
That's why it's called the present."

I know these words may sound a tad hokey but when I consider each day and each moment a gift, negative emotions flee and I am left with joy and appreciation for the gift of another day. Tommorrow may never come and on days when I truly understand this, words of love and appreciation flow from my heart to those I hold most dear.

Lesson of the Two Wolves

I like the Native American folk tale about the two wolves that live inside each of us. A grandfather is explaining this idea to his grandson. He says one wolf fills him with hope and reminds him how great life is, and the other fills him with doubt and tells him how nothing is worth the effort. The grandson asks his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?" The grandfather replies, "Whichever one I feed."

Lies

According to research, people lie an average of 55 times a day! These lies include the "How are you?" questions in which one replies "Fine", when in fact one is feeling lousy. Still--55 times a day on average? Wow.

Tommorrow I am going to try and catch myself in these little "lies". I hope to keep the number under 10! Want to join me?

Waterfalls

Waterfalls are mesmerizing and will speak to us, if we listen. Twenty-two years ago I stood before a beautiful waterfall on the Road to Hana in Maui. I was on my honeymoon and something about that waterfall was so full of promise...like the life that lay before me. There aren't a lot of waterfalls in Texas but there is a small one about 15 minutes from my house. I think I'll drive out there soon and see what the waterfall has to say to me...perhaps it will speak of promises yet to be realized.

I read that a good "rule" for deciding whether it is ok to pursue a particular course of action is this:

One of the great rules of life is that you can give yourself all the pleasure you like, just as long as nobody else is getting pain because you're giving yourself pleasure.

I know there are exceptions to every rule but this rule seems pretty right on to me. Sort of like "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." What do you think?

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.

Please pray for a miracle for my family, that somehow right and love and mercy would triumph. That somehow six hearts could be mended and knit together. It will take a miracle.

Thank you.

"Some say that we are different people at different periods of our lives, changing not through effort of will, which is a brave affair, but in the easy course of nature every ten years or so...I think one remains the same person throughout, merely passing as it were on these lapses of time from one room to another, but all in the same house. If we unlock the rooms of the far past we can peer in and see ourselves, busily occupied in beginning to become you and me."
J. M. Barrie, from the Dedication to his first edition of Peter Pan.

My friend, Ampersand, posted this song at her blogspot for some cyberfriends who might to need to hear it. I was one of those friends. I'm passing it along to you, in case you could use a dose of encouragement too!

"When I took a tadpole puddle home, I realized just how much things can change overnight!"
Zoe Lewis, from the fantastic CD "Small is Tremendous"

If you ever have a chance to hear Zoe Lewis, run don't walk. She is remarkable, quirky, a poet, a storyteller, a comedian, an extraordinary musician and she has a strong dose of wanderlust that she pursues with a passion. Here's a link to her website, where you can read more and hear one of her songs:

http://www.zoelewis.com/

Remember, small is tremendous!

"Love is like a butterfly: if you
hold it too close you can kill it,
but if you don't hold it close enough,
it can fly away."
~~Anonymous

Smiles & Hugs

Amma
I love her smile!

Below is a review from amazon.com. I was inspired to buy the dvd after reading the review.

"Darshan: The Embrace, is truly a film of great inspiration. Rather than focusing on Amma's verbal teachings, the film exquisitely zooms in on Amma's physical presence, her dark radiant face, her arms reaching out to thousands of devotees, her legs barely able to walk after a non-stop 21 hour marathon of constant embracing. Such images say more than words ever can. It brought tears to my eyes.
The film beautifully captures the feel and colorful look of the Indian countryside, and the pure madness, filth and chaos of the cities, as devotees embark with Amma on one of her seemingly endless tours. And what is the final message here? That there is such a thing as Pure Unconditional Love. Is this not a message of hope during our troubed times? Darshan captures what is deeply essential the way all great art does; by taking the viewer beyond words." --David Fields

Brokeness

Former Evangelical Perspective: The broken tree represents Christ's body broken for me. It represents the wooden cross Christ hung upon. Two trunks; one dead and one living represent the death of Christ and his resurrection. In the midst of brokeness, there is still life and hope.
Current Spiritual Perspective:What can the tree teach me? Life is a mixture of joy and sorrow. My life has some parts that are broken and it also has green growing parts. The tree may be a bit lopsided, after cutting away the broken branches, but I'm a bit lopsided too. There is a quirky kind of beauty in a lopsided tree...it's weathered the storms of life and now has a different kind of beauty. In it's "brokenness" this quirky Tulip Tree will still soak up the sun, put forth beautiful flowers and provide shelter for all manner of creatures. My former evangelical perspective and my current spiritual perspective aren't so far apart after all: In the midst of brokeness, there is still life and hope.

Foodies

This morning I was preparing Ampersand's Tuna Salad(white albacore, cranberries, diced red onion, s&p, and mayo) for lunch, while Christy was unloading the dishwasher and talking about Paula Deen. If you are from the South or watch the Food Network, then you know about Paula Deen. She is funny and a good Southern cook. Christy was telling me about a marinated shrimp salad that Paula prepared and she listed the ingredients. I suppressed a chuckle because she sounded so grown up (she will be 12 later this month) but mostly I wanted to chuckle because she sounded like me! Two foodies. Actually, all the kids are foodies and fairly adventurous eaters. Ana and I dream of attending a class at
Ballymaloo Cooking School in Ireland. Nicole whips up a pasta sauce for mushroom ravioli that is to die for. Christy has taken to watching the Food Network and cooking "Eggy in a Basket" or "Toads in A Hole" or "Popeyes"(that's what Paula Deen calls them). Nathan is the guinea pig that is happy to try anything we cook up. He also makes perfect fried eggs!

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti"

This is my song, oh God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine

This is my home, the country where my heart is,
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine

But other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean
and sunlight beams on clover, leaf and pine

But other lands have sunlight too and clover
and skies are everywhere as blue as mine

Oh hear my song, oh God of all the nations,
a song of peace for their land and for mine

Hymn from Finlandia