BRIGHT SIDE ARCHIVES FROM AOL: FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 7TH, 2007

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

JANUARY 7TH,2007

TODAY'S THOUGHT

Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you.

H. Jackson Brown

TODAY’S ACTION

Do your best. There is no better achieved than that

TODAY’S QUOTE

The same light which led the shepherds to the stable in Bethlehem shows the way, on the day of Epiphany, to the Magi who have come from the East to worship the King of the Jews, and it shines brightly for all men and women and for all people who long to meet God.

Pope John Paul II the Great (January 6, 1999)

HAPPY SUNDAY

On Epiphany I always do a house blessing here and thought I’d share it with you all today

It is an ancient custom for Christians to have their homes blessed in relation to the feast of Epiphany (Jan 6) which commemorates the coming of the Wise Men to the house of the Holy Family.

"On coming into the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." (Matt 2:11)

The idea is to set apart your home as a place of Christian hospitality to all those who shall visit your home in the coming New Year, just as the Wise Men came to the house of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

By such an action you are saying, "May those who visit our home, also find Christ here in our midst."

Using chalk, I inscribe the horizontal frame above the door with the inscription shown below. The letters C M B come from the traditional (9th century) names for the "three kings"--Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.

20 + C + M + B + 07.

Peace be to this house and: to all who dwell here, in the name of the Lord.

May the Lord watch over our going out and our coming in, from this time forth and forevermore.

Have a great day all ! Another wonderful one on the Way !

Please pray for God's protection of our troops and HIS wisdom for their commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

TODAY IS…DRESS UP A PET DAY

Need I say more? Yes, cute, but... the dog is glad this day only comes around once a year.

TODAY’S TRIVIA

Today is Harlem Globetrotters Day. On January 7, 1927, the Globetrotters played their first game in Hinckley, Illinois. They had been founded the previous year by Abe Saperstein. Since then, they've played more than 20,000 games all over the world.

Today is Melody Ranch Day, marking the debut on this day in 1940 of "Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch" on CBS Radio. The singing cowboy kept listeners tuned in for 16 years.

1896 - Maybe you or someone you know received one for Christmas: a genuine Fannie Farmer Cookbook. There really was a Fannie Farmer, you know. Her first and now famous, Boston Cooking School Cookbook, was published this day. She became known as ‘the mother of level measurement’ and the cookbook became a best seller.

1926 - A famous marriage that endured for many years is remembered this day. It’s the wedding anniversary of George Burns and Gracie Allen who were married by a Justice of the Peace in Cleveland, Ohio.

1962: Chubby Checker twisted his way to the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 for the second time in two years. In 1960 "The Twist" was #1 for seven weeks. This time the song stayed at #1 for 21 weeks.

1968 - U.S. postage rates increased a penny; taking the cost of sending an ounce of mail up to six cents.

1985 - A big day for Dayton, Ohio’s Phil Donahue, who broadcast the first of his long-running talkfests from New York City, his new home base. Phil started his MultiMedia Productions show in 1967.

For Cleveland (EST) Sun rise: 7:53 AM, set: 5:13 PM

TODAY’S SMILE

After you read this, just get up & dance!

Dear Friend:

I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden.

I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time working.

Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.

I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom.

I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries.

I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now !!

I'm not sure what others would've done had they known they wouldn't be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles.

I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favorite food was. I'm guessing; I'll never know. It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited.

Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and parents often enough how much I truly love them.

I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special.

Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God. !

"People say true friends must always hold hands, but true friends don't need to hold hands because they know the other hand will always be there."

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance !!

TODAY’S WORD

Expeditious

\ek-spuh-DISH-us\ adjective :

characterized by or acting promptly and efficiently

TODAY’S REFLECTION

Then opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.'

Matthew 2:11

Just when most people are taking down Christmas trees and decorations, the wise men arrive when everyone else is finishing up.

But the feast of the Epiphany, which we celebrate today, is an important one. Just like the wise men we are also searching for meaning and purpose to life. We are looking for answers to our deepest questions.

The journey of the wise men reminds us that those who are searching for something deeper will find God in their lives. God is waiting to be discovered in the places and people that we least expect God to be.

TODAY IS MY GIFT TO YOU

http://www.todayismygifttoyou.ie/

TODAY’S ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC

A summerish January, a winterish spring.

72 DAYS UNTIL SPRING !

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your Heart

Psalm 37:4

I Love You All !!!

Be Blessed !!!

MY HOMEPAGE

I believe we should live ‘ON THE BRIGHT SIDE’

www.bigmarainey.com