ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
MARCH 9TH, 2008
TODAY'S THOUGHT
Better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.
Chinese Proverb
TODAY’S ACTION
Be the subtle voice that helps another in need
TODAY’S QUOTE
Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he isn't. A sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is.
Horace Walpole
HAPPY SUNDAY !!
The graphics today are to remind everyone that we are very close now to Easter and SPRING!
Today daylight savings time begins
I’ve heard from all of my babes including DS#2 and all are safe and sound in this crazy weather we are having. I had lots of calls on Saturday with birthday wishes.
I remember my Mom telling me that when she went into the hospital when I was born, it was a winter much like this one and when she came out ( a 2 week stay I believe) it was Spring, so I’m hoping that in two weeks it’ll be Spring for all of us too !
Have a great day all ! Another wonderful one on the Way !
TODAY’S PRAYERS
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
TO REMEMBER…
I am in the hands of God, and in God’s time all things will be made well.
TODAY IS…POTATO CHIP DAY
American Indian, George Crum, made the first potato chips in 1853 while working as a chef in Saratoga Springs, NY. A hungry diner didn't like the thick French Fries and sent them back to the kitchen - twice! In exasperation, Crum sliced the fries too thin to eat with a fork - and potato chips were born.
TODAY’S TRIVIA
A baby born in Florence, Italy on this day in 1451 was destined to become one of the world’s most famous explorers. Amerigo Vespucci was a merchant and an outfitter of ships, a job that introduced him to Christopher Columbus
Today is Barbie Day, marking this date in 1959 when the doll went on sale in the U.S. More than 900-million Barbies have been sold, and still sell at the rate of about 120 dolls a minute.
Today is National Crab Meat Day
The U.S. switched forward to Daylight Saving Time this morning.
1832 - Abraham Lincoln of New Salem, IL announced that he would run for political office for the first time. He sought a seat in the Illinois state legislature. ‘Honest Abe’ was not successful. Less than thirty years later, however, he become President of the United States
1858: Albert Potts of Philadelphia patented the street letter box, an idea the Post Office liked very much
1964: The first Mustang rolled off of the Ford assembly line
TODAY’S SMILE
Is God Dancing on Your Potato Chips?
Author Unknown
Not too long ago I had "one of those days." I was feeling pressure from a writing deadline. I had company arriving in a couple days and the toilet was clogged. I went to the bank, and the trainee teller processing my deposit had to start over three times. I swung by the supermarket to pick up a few things and the lines were serpentine.
By the time I got home, I was frazzled and sweaty and in a hurry to get something on the table for dinner. Deciding on Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup, I grabbed a can opener, cranked open the can, then remembered I had forgotten to buy milk at the store.
Nix the soup idea. Setting the can aside, I went to plan B, which was leftover baked beans. I grabbed the Tupperware container from the fridge, popped the seal, took a look and groaned. My husband isn't a picky eater, but even HE won't eat baked beans that look like caterpillars.
Really frustrated now, I decided on a menu that promised to be as foolproof as it is nutrition-free: hot dogs and potato chips. Retrieving a brand new bag of chips from the cupboard, I grabbed the cellophane and gave a hearty pull. The bag didn't open. I tried again. Nothing happened.
I took a breath, doubled my muscle, and gave the bag a hearty wrestle. With a loud pop, the cellophane suddenly gave way, ripping wide from top to bottom. Chips flew sky high. I was left holding the bag, and it was empty. It was the final straw. I let out a blood curdling scream. "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"
My husband heard my unorthodox cry for help. Within minutes he was standing at the doorway to the kitchen, where he surveyed the damage: an opened can of soup, melting groceries, moldy baked beans, and one quivering wife standing ankle deep in potato chips.
My husband did the most helpful thing he could think of at the moment. He took a flying leap, landing flat-footed in the pile of chips. And then he began to stomp and dance and twirl, grinding those chips into my linoleum in the process!
I stared. I fumed. Pretty soon I was working to stifle a smile. Eventually I had to laugh. And finally I decided to join him. I, too, took a leap onto the chips. And then I danced. Now I'll be the first to admit that my husband's response wasn't the one I was looking for. But the truth is, it was exactly what I needed.
I didn't need a cleanup crew as much as I needed an attitude adjustment, and the laughter from that rather funky moment provided just that. So now I have a question for you, and it's simply this: Has God ever stomped on your chips?
I know that, in my life, there have been plenty of times when I've gotten myself into frustrating situations and I've cried out for help, all the while hoping God would show up with a celestial broom and clean up the mess.
What often happens instead is that God dances on my chips, answering my prayer in a completely different manner than I had expected, but in the manner that is best for me after all. Sometimes I can see right away that God's response was the best one after all.
Sometimes I have to wait weeks or months before I begin to understand how and why God answered a particular prayer the way he did. There are even some situations that, years later,
I'm still trying to understand. I figure God will fill me in sooner or later, either this side of Heaven or beyond. Do I trust Him? Even when he's answering my prayers in a way that is completely different from my expectations? Even when he's dancing and stomping instead of sweeping and mopping:? Can I embrace what He's offering? Can I let His joy adjust my attitude? Am I going to stand on the sidelines and sulk, or am I willing to learn the steps of the dance he's dancin' with my needs in mind?
I'll be honest with you: Sometimes I sulk. Sometimes I dance. I'm working on doing more of the latter than the former. I guess the older I get the more I realize that He really does know what He's doing. He loves me and I can trust Him. Even when the chips are down.
ONE MORE…
Robert and Mary were watching television the last Saturday evening in April. When he went to bed, she stayed up to see the end of a program.
Before retiring, she turned the clocks ahead for daylight-saving time. The next morning, the alarm wakened them for early church. When they arrived, it was still dark, and no one was there.
"I can't imagine what's wrong," Mary said. "I turned the clocks ahead." "So did I," Robert quietly replied.
TODAY’S WORD
kismet \KIZ-met; -mit\, noun:
Destiny; fate
Kismet comes (via Turkish) from Arabic qismah, portion, lot
TODAY’S REFLECTION
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.
Galatians 5:22
What’s on your to-do list today? Cleaning out an overstuffed closet? Calculating a financial report at work? Paying your monthly bills? We all have things we need to get done today, whether we’ve written them down or not. They’re important for us to accomplish
While a to-do list is helpful, another type of list is even more valuable: a “to be” list. The apostle Paul encouraged the Galatian believers, and now tells us, to be concerned with our character. Perhaps at the top of your to-do list today you could put: Spend time praying and reading God’s Word. That would be a good start in helping with your “to be” list.
Our Daily Bread
It’s not what you do but who you are that’s most important.
TODAY’S ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC
Providing is preventing
11 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 !!!
MA
MY HOMEPAGE
I believe we should live ‘ON THE BRIGHT SIDE’
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