I have a friend who lives by a three-word philosophy:
Seize the moment. Just possibly, she may be the wisest
woman on this planet. Too many people put off something
that brings them joy just because they haven't thought
about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know
it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their
routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the
Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful
night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried
to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their
husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after
something had been thawed? Does the word "refrigeration"
mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in
silence while you watched Jeopardy! on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said,
"How about going to lunch in a half hour?" She would
gasp and stammer, "I can't. I have clothes on the line.
My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had
a late breakfast, It looks like rain. And my personal
favorite: -"It's Monday". She died a few years ago.
We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we
tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse
diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the
conditions are perfect:

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get
Stevie toilet-trained. We'll entertain-when we replace
the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon
when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days
get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets
longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show
for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on"
and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit." When
anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to
adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind
on new ideas.

Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her
for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet
for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a
bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love
ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it
directly to my hips with a spatula and eliminate the
digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and
bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on
the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to
.....not Something on your SHOULD DO list.

It was only four days before Christmas. The spirit of the season
hadn't yet caught up with me, even though cars packed the parking
lot of our local discount store. Inside the store, it was worse.
Shopping carts and last minute shoppers jammed the aisles.

Why did I come today? I wondered. My feet ached almost as much as
my head. My list contained names of several people who claimed
they wanted nothing but I knew their feelings would be hurt if I
didn't buy them anything.

Buying for someone who had everything and deploring the high cost
of items, I considered gift-buying anything but fun.

Hurriedly, I filled my shopping cart with last minute items and
proceeded to the long checkout lines. I picked the shortest but
it looked as if it would mean at least a 20 minute wait.

In front of me were two small children - a boy of about 5 and a
younger girl. The boy wore a ragged coat. Enormously large,
tattered tennis shoes jutted far out in front of his much too
short jeans. He clutched several crumpled dollar bills in his
grimy hands.

The girl's clothing resembled her brother's. Her head was a
matted mass of curly hair. Reminders of an evening meal showed on
her small face. She carried a beautiful pair of shiny, gold house
slippers. As the Christmas music sounded in the store's stereo
system, the girl hummed along, off-key but happily.

When we finally approached the checkout register, the girl
carefully placed the shoes on the counter. She treated them as
though they were a treasure.

The clerk rang up the bill. "That will be $6.09," she said.

The boy laid his crumpled dollars atop the stand while he
searched his pockets. He finally came up with $3.12. "I guess we
will have to put them back, " he bravely said. "We will come back
some other time, maybe tomorrow."

With that statement, a soft sob broke from the little girl. "But
Jesus would have loved these shoes, " she cried. "Well, we'll go
home and work some more. Don't cry. We'll come back," he said.
Quickly I handed $3.00 to the cashier. These children had waited
in line for a long time. And, after all, it was Christmas.
Suddenly a pair of arms came around me and a small voice said,
"Thank you lady."

"What did you mean when you said Jesus would like the shoes?" I
asked. The boy answered, "Our Mommy is sick and going to heaven.
Daddy said she might go before Christmas to be with Jesus." The
girl spoke, "My Sunday school teacher said the streets in heaven
are shiny gold, just like these shoes. Won't Mommy be beautiful
walking on those streets to match these shoes?" My eyes flooded
as I looked into her tear streaked face. "Yes" I answered, " I am
sure she will."

Silently I thanked God for using these children to remind me of
the true spirit of giving."

- Unknown

The following was written by Audrey Hepburn.

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers
through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk
alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored,
renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out
anybody.

Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one
at the end of your arm.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands,
one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the
figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The
beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that
is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty
in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she
lovingly gives, the passion that she shows. And the beauty of
a woman with passing years only grows!

Wouldn't this old world be better,
If the folks we meet would say:
I know something good about you,
And then treat us just that way!

Wouldn't it be fine and dandy,
If each hand-clasp warm and true
Carried with it this assurance --
I know something good about you!

Wouldn't things here be more pleasant,
If the good that's in us all
Were the only things about us
That folks bothered to recall!

Wouldn't life be lots more happy
If we'd praise the good we see!
For there's such a lot of goodness
In the worst of you and me.

Wouldn't it be nice to practice
This fine way of thinking too;
You know something good about me,
I know something good about you!

-- Unknown

When we share laughter,
There's twice the fun;
When we share success,
We surpass what we've done.

When we share problems,
There's half the pain;
When we share tears,
A rainbow follows rain.

When we share dreams,
They become more real;
When we share secrets,
It's our hearts we reveal.

If we share a smile,
Then our love shows;
If we share a hug,
Then our love grows.

If we share with someone
On whom we depend,
That person becomes
Family or friend.

And what draws us closer
And makes us all care,
Is not what we have,
But the things that we share.

-- Unknown

"Why is it," said the rich man to his minister, "that people call
me stingy when everyone knows that when I die I'm leaving everything to the church?"

"Let me tell you a fable about the pig and the cow," said the
minister. "The pig was unpopular while the cow was beloved. This
puzzled the pig. 'People speak warmly of your gentle nature and
your sorrowful eyes,' the pig said to the cow. 'They think you're
generous because each day you give them milk and cream. But what
about me? I give them everything I have. I give bacon and ham. I
provide bristles for brushes. They even pickle my feet! Yet not
one likes me. Why is that?'"

"Do you know what the cow answered?" said the minister. "The cow
said, 'Perhaps it is because I give while I'm still living.'"

My words were harsh & hasty
And they came without a thought.
Then I saw the pain & anguish
That my bitter words had brought.

Bitter words that I had spoken
Made me think back through the past;
Of how many times I'd uttered
Biting words whose pain would last.

Then I wondered of the people
I had hurt by things I'd said;
All the ones I had discouraged
When I didn't use my head.

Then I thought about my own life
Of painful words I've heard;
And of the times I'd been discouraged
By a sharp and cruel word.

And now clearly I remember
All the things I might have done;
But, by a word I was discouraged
And they never were begun.

So, help my words be silver boxes,
Neatly wrapped up with a bow;
That I give to all so freely,
As through each day I gladly go.

Silver boxes full of treasure,
Precious gifts from above;
That all the people I encounter
Might have a box of love

I lost a word yesterday,
Unguarded, from my tongue;
It slipped into the atmosphere -
Then trouble had begun.

A dozen others followed it;
They filled the room with grief,
No matter then what word was said,
It could not bring relief.

If only I had stopped that word
Before it crossed my lips,
My day had been a happy one-
And sweet with fellowships.

I think I wasted yesterday,
Hurt self as well as friend,
Today I want to watch my words,
And let not one offend.

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them
fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit.
When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs
they would never get out. The two frogs ignored the comments and
tried to jump up out of the pit. The other frogs kept telling them
to stop, that they were as good as dead.

Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were
saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died. The other frog
continued to jump as hard as he could.

Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and
suffering and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it
out. When he got out, the other frogs asked him,

"Why did you continue jumping.

Didn't you hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf.
He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.


This story teaches two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging
word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make
it through the day.

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes
to kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who
cross your path.

The power of words....it is sometimes hard to understand that an
encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words
that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.
Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

-- Unknown

As I gazed up at the mountains, I was awed by their majesty;
I bowed my head and asked myself, "Why should He care for me?"
I am not beautiful like the mountains that tower so high above; "
What is there about me that God can find to love?"

Father, I am not strong like the wind that makes your tall trees sway;
I cannot sing sweetly like your tiny birds; will you love me anyway?
But most of all, I am simply me, and often have cause to fear;
In spite of all my weaknesses, do you promise to be near?

With eyes closed tight against burning tears, I wished He could hear me pray; - Then I felt His Spirit tell me, "Child look up, I have something to say. "You are simply you, the spirit I love, a part of my great plan; I put you here to learn of life and to return to Me again.
"You are more beautiful to Me than the loveliest mountain ever made.
And your strength far exceeds that of the wind's, so do not be afraid.

I love you not for what you are, but for what I know you will be;
I am always beside you watching you grow; you are very special to me."

A smile touched my lips; I knew it was true, Father had always been there Giving me comfort and blessings and love and my own special talents to share. So I will do my best to make Him proud. I am not afraid, for you see, He loves me not for what I am, but for what He knows I will be.

-- Unknown