BRIGHT SIDE ARCHIVES FROM AOL: FOR TUESDAY, MAY 29TH, 2007

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

MAY 29TH, 2007

TODAY'S THOUGHT

Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God.

St. Therese

TODAY’S ACTION

Give yourself fully to your endeavors.

TODAY’S QUOTE

To God, our journey is as important as our destinations.

Beth Moore

HAPPY TUESDAY!

BACK TO WORK !

This is the last week of May and come Friday another new month will be here. We’re almost halfway through this year already. I am always amazed at how fast the time goes. We’re now unofficially into the season of Summer and I’m celebrating being warmer and spending delightful evenings outdoors instead of being cooped up inside all the time. My exercise is still severely lacking, but at least I’m getting more fresh air.

I did hear from DS#2 last evening and he will be deploying soon. He is very busy getting things ready to go but is doing well. Our campers checked in also to let me know they were home safe and sound . Everyone seems to have had a good weekend.

I did get a lot done in the yard yesterday. It was a beautiful day to be working outside. This week is supposed to be a hot one, so the A/C will probably get turned on. It’ll be up in the 80’s most days.

That’s the news from home as I know it.

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.

25 WORDS

God, I thank You for today, for the ways You will bless me, and for the ways that I will serve others in Your name

TODAY IS…PAPER CLIP DAY

Fastening papers together started in the 13th century when a short length of ribbon was placed through parallel cuts in the upper left hand corner of pages. It was almost 600 years later before anybody improved on this ribbon fastener. In 1899, Johan Vaaler, an inventor in Norway, patented the paper clip - and it's been used in more ways than you think. During the five-year Nazi occupation of World War II, Norwegians weren't allowed to wear buttons imprinted with the king's initials. Loyal Norwegians wore paper clips to symbolized solidarity and oppose the occupation.

TODAY’S TRIVIA

Today is Presidential Flag Day. The official flag of the President of the U.S. was adopted on this date in 1916.

Today is International Day of U.N. Peace Keepers

Today is HOPE DAY. England’s Leslie Townes Hope was born on this day in 1903, and he was probably smiling instead of crying when he entered the world. You see, Leslie, better known to us as Bob, kept the world smiling for seven decades.

1790 - The smallest of the United States joined the first 12 states as number 13. Rhode Island, the Ocean State, probably got its name when discoverer Verrazano noted that, the area we know as Rhode Island, looked about the size of the tiny Greek Isle of Rhodes. Rhode Island’s capital city is Providence, and the tiny violet is appropriate as the state flower. Probably the most famous variety of chicken, the Rhode Island Red, is the state bird.

1942 - The biggest selling record of all time was recorded. A little out of season, perhaps, but White Christmas, the Irving Berlin classic, was recorded by Bing Crosby for Decca Records.

1848: Wisconsin became the 30th U.S. state. The wood violet is the state flower, the robin is the state bird and Madison is the capital city.

TODAY’S SMILE

Georgia, was trying to raise her two sons when the Gulf War broke out. She heard about soldiers in the service who had no family and needed pen pals.

Letters addressed to "Any Soldier" Were distributed by commanding officers who noticed any soldiers getting little or no mail.

Georgia wrote to 25 such soldiers almost daily, most of them men. Keeping up with 25 pen pals on a daily basis almost consumed Georgia's time and talents. She sent poems, little stories, and words of hope and encouragement.

When there were time constraints, she would write one letter and copy it for everyone. Greetings were sent whenever she knew about a special event, like a birthday.

One day, Georgia received a letter from a soldier that was depressed and discouraged. She pondered as to how she could help lift his spirits. It was then that she noticed that at work there were paper clips of various colors.

Georgia took one of the yellow paper clips and photo copied it in the palm of her hand. She sent this picture with the paper clip with the following message: "This yellow paper clip that you see in my hand represents a hug that I am sending to you. You can carry this paper clip in a pocket or anywhere, and whenever you feel down, you can just touch and hold it and know that somebody cares about you, and would give you a hug if she were there."

Georgia sent a copy of this picture along with a paper clip and the message to each of her other correspondents. After the war ended, Georgia received one of the pictures of her hand holding the yellow paper clip, and on the back were over 150 signatures of people that had been given her "hug".

During the years, Georgia named other paper clips. Pink came to mean a kiss, green was for good luck, and so on. Years later, Georgia was giving a class as part of a seminar for positive thinking. She shared with the members of the class her paper clip symbolism, and made a bracelet of multicolored paper clips for each of them.

One of the women exclaimed "So you're the one!" The class member told Georgia that she wasvisiting her brother and needed something to hold papers together. She had noticed a yellow paper clip on the refrigerator held there with a magnet. She borrowed the paper clip for her papers.

When the brother saw it, he grabbed it and scolded her, and told her never to touch the yellow paper clip again. Now she knew why. No one will ever know how far her message has spread, nor how many lives have been touched by a simple yellow paper clip.

TODAY’S WORD

ascetic (noun, adjective)

[ah-SET-ik]

noun 1. a person who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline adjective 2. practicing great self-denial: "I cannot seem to convince my ascetic husband that you don't have to sleep in a tent when you travel." 3. pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline; 'ascetic practices' adverb form: ascetically

TODAY’S REFLECTION

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, 'What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?'

Genesis 50:15

Joseph's brothers were anxious about something that never happened. Their guilty consciences caused them to ask what if Joseph took revenge on them. Their worries were needless!

We can spoil prayerful living by that one little question -- "What if?" Scott Greenberg suggests techniques that will help you have the courage to take good risks and accomplish your goal:

1. Don't hesitate. The longer you wait, the harder it gets.

2. When you jump, jump big. Fully commit yourself.

3. Learn from failure and rejection. Don't be discouraged.

4. Trust your own opinion. After considering others' words.

5. Focus on facts, not feelings.

6. Ask what you really have to lose. Is pride in the way?

7. Practice taking risks. It gets easier.

8. Be responsible. Don't take foolish or unsafe risks. Ask God for guidance.

http://www.dailyguideposts.com

TODAY’S ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC

When you move to a new house, always enter first with a loaf of bread and a new broom. Never bring an old broom into the house.

23 DAYS UNTIL SUMMER !