Meet Faith- Guest Blogger, Pam Zajac

This dog was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born with 2 legs he of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not want him.His first owner also did not think that he could survive and he was thinking of ‘putting him to sleep’.But then, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted to take care of him.She became determined to teach and train this little dog to walk by himself..She named him ‘Faith’.  In the beginning, she put Faith on a surfboard to let him feel the movement. Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure and reward for him for standing up and jumping around. Even the other dog at home encouraged him to walk. Amazingly, only after 6 months, like a miracle, Faith learned to balance on his hind legs and to jump to move forward. After further training in the snow, he could now walk like a human being. Faith loves to walk around now. No matter where he goes, he attracts people to him. He is fast becoming famous on the international scene and has appeared on various newspapers and TV shows. There is now a book entitled ‘With a Little Faith’ being published about him. He was even considered to appear in one of Harry Potter movies. His present owner Jude Stringfellew has given up her teaching post and plans to take him around the world to preach that even without a perfect body, one can have a perfect soul’.   In life there are always undesirable things, so in order to feel better  you just need to look at life from another direction.  I hope this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone  and that everyone will appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day.  Faith is the continual demonstration of the strength and wonder of life.

Are You Letting Your Essence Show?

What defines your essence?

It is the most vital and intrinsic part of you, the heart and soul.

 It is that feeling we leave behind when we leave a room, a feeling that stays with someone long after we are gone.

It is our most important ingredient, inherent and unchanging, our most basic nature.

Our essence takes on a spiritual context as our spark, the spirit of our soul.

The Man Makes the World

I was told this beautiful story last week and I believe that its message is so true; I want to share it with you:

A father came home from work after a long and very busy day.  When he opened the door he was met by his son, ”Play with me daddy!” the little boy exclaimed.  The father still  had a few more things to accomplish for the day before he could allow himself the pleasure of playing with his son.  So out of his briefcase he pulled a picture of the world.  He told his son that he would tear the picture into small pieces and by the time his son would be able to put it back together he would be available to play with him.   The father thought that that would give him some time to finish up his day and give his son something educational to do in the mean time.  So the boy went to play with his pieces of the world.  Two minutes later he came back with the puzzle put back together.  His father was astonished, “How did you do that so fast?”  The boy replied,”Dad, on the back of the picture of the world was a picture of a man and when you put the man together the world comes together.”  

The educational lesson that they both learned that day far exceeded just buying a little more time. 

When you put the man together the world comes together.  It starts with each of us becoming whole in the understanding of who we are and then, and only then, the world comes together. 

 It starts with you. 

What difference are you making in the world?

A Jar and 2 Beers-Guest Blogger, Mike Kempa

Mayonnaise Jar & Two Beers..

WORTH A SECOND LOOK
 

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

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 Beers 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—your family, your children, your health, 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.
 
 
Spend time with your children.
 
 
Spend time with your parents.
 
 
Visit with grandparents.
 
 
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 Beer represented.
 
 
The professor smiled and said, ‘ I ‘ m glad you asked. ‘  

The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there ‘ s always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

A Dog’s Purpose-guest blogger Pam Zajac

A Dog’s Purpose?  Maybe to teach us the remember the important things in life.

 Live well.

Care deeply.

 Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like: When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps.

 Stretch before rising.

 Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body. 

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you’re not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

 ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY! When you are grateful — when you can see what you have — you unlock blessings to flow in your life.

Wilson Vessely- Guest Blogger

With this new job I’ve taken, I’ve had to step out of my comfort level and deal with new challenges. I recently used part of David Whyte’s poem Self Portrait as a status update on facebook and have gotten responses of yes, the part I posted reads:

“…I want to know if you are willing To live day by day With the consequence of love And the bitter unwanted passion Of your sure defeat…”

Over the last few days, I’ve been struggling dealing with my feelings and my actions. I get very upset with myself when I mess up while working, and its not that I did it wrong that makes me mad, its that it is an easy task and I somehow keep messing it up.

Re-reading this poem has helped me realize that to be LIVING day by day with the consequence of love and the BITTER UNWANTED PASSION of my sure DEFEAT, I have to take my mistakes I make and remain positive about them, even though I feel stupid because I keep messing up, I have to realize that we all make mistakes. Life is too short to get worked up over something as small as this.

One of John Mayers recent twitter posts was:

RT: @johncmayer For all the times we punish ourselves, very few times have we actually done something wrong

When I read this, it brought tears to my eyes because of the validity of this in the last few days. The mistakes I made, yes some were actual mistakes, were learning mistakes.

Another post from John Mayer recently was:

RT: @johncmayer Go easy on you. When things go wrong, remind yourself it’s your first time through this life. Now go have a great weekend ya goof.

And I close on that, enjoy you weekend everyone.

Wilson

What do you think?

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Our Worst Enemy

RT:@johncmayer “For all the times we punish ourselves, very few times have we actually done something wrong.”

How many times in your life has this quote from John Mayer been your truth?

We are often our worst enemy.  No one can hurt us, tear us apart, cut us down, or belittle us any better than we can ourselves.  What are you punishing yourself for?  What message are you continuing to tell yourself that keeps you from living to your highest self?  It is time to shine the flashlight on yourself and find the places where you continue to pull yourself down.  Remember to ask yourself these questions: Real or imagined?  Past or present?

Normal Again?

Normal: according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle: REGULAR

Looking at it that way yes, I’m normal again. The Thanksgiving bliss it over, everyone is happy and today starts a “normal” week.

Looking at it from a different perspective and the answer is no, and a thank god it’s no! I tend to not want to live my life in the arena of “normal.” Normal to me feels like just going along, playing it safe, and keeping it quite.

My normal looks something like this: Asking who are you, instead of what do you do? It is a hug instead of a handshake. It is a smile and great attention to you instead of looking the other way. It is meeting the bell ringer outside the stores with warmth and a thank you even if I don’t have a dime to give. It’s living, loving and learning everyday in a way that others can see and hear. It’s making mistakes out loud. It’s having success out loud. Normal to me is letting my light shine.

 It seems to me a better description of what “normal” should mean.

What do you think?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gratitude is often easier for us to recognize when our lives are in order- all the bills paid, the family healthy and the children are happy in school.

Our challenges, heartache, and despair, however grand, are often what bring to us opportunities for personal transformation. It is during those moments of our deepest pain that we can be most grateful, for we know our hardship will deliver a lesson that redefines the strength of our character.

As we approach Thanksgiving this week, remember to look for, acknowledge, and give thanks for all that you have.

When the challenges arise, ask yourself, “What is the opportunity in this moment for me?” When you can give thanks in the midst of your trials and tribulations, know that you are making the highest choice.

Set your intentions this Thanksgiving to bring to mind the things in your life for which you are most grateful.

I am most thankful for you. For your support with F2R and helping me to spread the message of love to the world!

May your blessings this Thanksgiving refresh your soul with grace, love and gratitude.

Much love,
Derinda

Looking for the Gifts

Gifts come in all sizes and shapes, each containing something that someone has given you.  A material item that expresses love, blessing and thanks for touching their life or being a part of a family.  We traditionally give gifts in celebration of something.  Occasionally we give or receive a gift “just because.”  Who doesn’t love that!

The gifts I want to talk about now are the ones that we often fail to see even when they are right before our eyes.  The gift that comes from a broken heart or a traffic ticket.  The gift from losing a job or from not having enough money to buy Christmas presents.   Things are hard amidst financial struggles, health problems or family crisis to see anything positive, let alone look at these events as a gift!

What gifts can you find in your life right now that when taking a closer look show up in a new light? 

A broken heart allows for your heart to expand, grow and heal thus opening an avenue for greater love in the future.  The traffic ticket could be a gift that saves your life, a wake up call to slow down.

The financial struggles of losing a job or not having money can be seen as the gift of time as well as giving of yourself such as making something from the heart or the opportunity to just be together. 

It is often after the situation that we are able to look back with 20/20 vision and see what gifts came from that illness or family crisis. The amazing job that you would have never even considered.   The gift was there all the time. 

Just as the gift is right now.   Look for the gifts and Embrace Your Life!