BRIGHT SIDE ARCHIVES FROM AOL: FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 6TH, 2007

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

JANUARY 6TH, 2008

TODAY'S THOUGHT

The present never ages. Each moment is like a snowflake, unique, unspoiled, unrepeatable, and can be appreciated in its surprisingness.

Gail Sheehy

TODAY’S ACTION

Face every situation with faith in your heart.

TODAY’S QUOTE

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

J.R.R. Tolkien

HAPPY SUNDAY !!

Today is the feast of the 3 Kings – Epiphany !

It’s the day that I blessed the doors of my house with the sign 20+C+M+B+08 This stands for the year 2008 and for the 3 Kings

Chalk is used to write the initials of the three magi over the doors of churches and homes. Not only do the letters stand for the initials of the Magi (traditionally named Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar), but of the phrase Christus mansionem benedicat, which translates as "may Christ bless the house".

I say a little prayer that this house will be protected as well as all that enter and leave. ‘May our comings and our goings be blessedforevermore.’

Blessings are important and this little ritual I think signifies a new year and the new blessings that I’ll be counting each day for sure.

This day also ends the season of Christmas and now we are entering ‘Ordinary Time’

Ordinary days, I’ve learned, are wonderful.

Ordinary Time comprises the two periods — one following Epiphany, the other following Pentecost — which do not fall under the "strong seasons" of Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter The term Ordinary does not mean common or plain, but is derived from the term ordinal or "numbered." The weeks in ordinary time are numbered, although several Sundays are named for the feast they commemorate, such as Trinity Sunday (first Sunday after Pentecost) and the Feast of Christ the King (last Sunday in OT), and for American Catholics, the Feast of Corpus Christi (second Sunday after Pentecost).

Life gets simpler and we have the opportunity now to reflect, at least for a short while

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

TODAY’S PRAYERS

Please join me in praying for those in need. Lord, hear my prayer; let my cry come to you. Do not hide your face from me, now that I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.

Psalms 102:2-3

Listen, God, to my prayers; do not hide from my pleading; hear me and give answer. Amen Psalm 55:2-3a

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.

Pray for President Bush as he travels to Chicago on January 7 to celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the No Child Left Behind Act. Pray for those who continue to implement this important legislation, that they may be guided by God as they work to strengthen education of children in our country

Give thanks for the blessing of a New Year in which to celebrate our faith and freedom and throughout which we may continue to trust in God's highest plans for our nation and our individual lives...

At a restaurant you may switch a baked potato for fries, Splenda for sugar, or a salt substitute for salt. But what can you substitute for prayer? Nothing! There is no other way to communicate with a Holy God than through prayer. That's why prayer is so important. It has no substitute.

Woodrow Kroll

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

TO REMEMBER…

I am in the hands of God, and in God’s time all things will be made well.

TODAY IS…CUDDLE UP DAY

Grab your favorite person and give a big squeeze. Hugs are known to lower your blood pressure and ward off depression. And besides that... they feel good - and help you stay warm (((HUGS!!!)))

TODAY’S TRIVIA

Today is National Smith Day, marking the birth of Captain John Smith in 1580, but honoring everyone named Smith, including the 2.4-million North American Smiths

Today is Epiphany, Twelfth Day, or Three Kings Day, when Christians celebrate the visit of the Magi, the first Gentile recognition of Christ Today is National Cuddle Up Day

548: The Church in Jerusalem observed the birth of Jesus for the last time on this date. Celebrating Christmas on December 25th began in the late 300s in the Western Church

1952 - A regular feature of Sunday funny papers debuted. Peanuts was seen above the fold in newspapers across the U.S. The Charles Schulz creation became the most successful syndicated comic strip in history.

1987 - After a 29-year lapse, the Ford Thunderbird was again presented with the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award. This was the first repeat winner of the award.

TODAY’S SMILE

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water? "

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." He continued, ”And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. "

As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.

So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax; pick them up later after you've rested.

Life is short!

Enjoy it!

ONE MORE…

FOR SAFETY'S SAKE

Do not ride in automobiles: they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents. . .

Do not stay home: 17% of all accidents occur in the home. . .

Do not walk on the streets or sidewalks: 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians. . .

Do not travel by air, rail, or water: 16% of all accidents happen on these. . .

Only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders. . .

Hence the safest place for you to be at any time is at church!

TODAY’S WORD

lacuna \luh-KYOO-nuh\, noun; plural lacunae \luh-KYOO-nee\ or lacunas:

1. A blank space; a missing part; a gap.

2. (Biology) A small opening, depression, or cavity in an anatomical structure.

Lacuna is from the Latin lacuna, "a cavity, a hollow," from lacus, a hollow

TODAY’S REFLECTION

Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen.

Deuteronomy 4:9

I was following a reading schedule and the selection for the day was from the book of Numbers. I read some of it slowly and some faster, but I felt at times that I wasn’t getting anywhere—like I was back on the treadmill.

Censuses were taken. The long journey was recapped. The tribes were listed and relisted. The next day, I moved into Deuteronomy. More wanderings. More about the Israelites and their land.

But when I got to chapter 4, I was told why all that recapping was important. Moses told the people not to “forget the things your eyes have seen . . . . Teach them to your children” (4:9).

The previous reading was not about Israel going nowhere fast. It was about training, about a lesson in using God’s past workings as instruction for future godly living.

All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God. So even when it may seem unimportant—keep reading. Sometimes we have to be patient to realize its full purpose. God speaks to us through His Word; take time to listen.

OUR DAILY BREAD http://www.rbc.org

TODAY’S ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC

January's birthstone, the garnet, is thought to keep the wearer safe during travel

74 DAYS UNTIL SPRING !

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

Psalm 37:4

May there be a miracle in YOUR life today and may you have the EYES to SEE it!

I Love You All !!!

Be Blessed !!!

MY HOMEPAGE

I believe we should live ‘ON THE BRIGHT SIDE’

www.bigmarainey.com