The Best Within You!!! Worth Reading!!

MJB

One day a father and his rich family took his young son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night in the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
Very good, Dad!"
"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.
"Yeah!" "And what did you learn?"
The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon.
When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.
His son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are!" Isn't it true that it all depends on the way you look at things? If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude toward life, you've got everything!
You can't buy any of these things. You can have all the material possessions you can imagine, provisions for the future, etc., but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing!....Author Unknown

Love and warm thoughts.MJB

Boop

A Red Marble


During the waning years of the depression in a small south eastern
Idaho community, I used to stop by Mr. Miller's roadside stand
for farm-fresh produce as the season made it available.
Food and money were still extremely scarce and bartering
was used, extensively.
One particular day Mr. Miller was bagging some early potatoes
for me. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature,
ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly
picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also
drawn to the display of fresh green peas.
I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.



Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the
conversation between Mr. Miller and the ragged
boy next to me.
"Hello Barry, how are you today?"
"H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya.
Jus' admirin' them peas ... sure look good."
"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"
"Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."
"Good. Anything I can help you with?"
"No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."
"Would you like to take some home?"
"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."
"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"
"All I got's my prize marble here."
"Is that right? Let me see it."
"Here 'tis. She's a dandy."
"I can see that. Hmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I
sort of go for red.. Do you have a red one like this at home?"
"Not 'zackley .....but, almost."



"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and
next trip this way let me look at that red marble."
"Sure will. Thanks, Mr. Miller."
Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.
With a smile she said: "There are two other boys like him in
our community, all three are in very poor circumstances.
Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples,
tomatoes or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles,
and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all
and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a
green marble or an orange one, perhaps."



I left the stand, smiling to myself, impressed with this man.
A short time later I moved to Colorado but I never forgot
the story of this man, the boys and their bartering.
Several years went by each more rapid than the previous one.
Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends
in that Idaho community and while I was there
learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his viewing
that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go,
I agreed to accompany them. Upon our arrival at the mortuary
we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and
to offer whatever words of comfort we could.



Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in
an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts,
dark suits and white shirts ... very professional looking.
They approached Mrs. Miller, standing smiling and composed,
by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her,
kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and
moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed
them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and
placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket.
Each left the mortuary, awkwardly, wiping his eyes.



Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and
mentioned the story she had told me about the marbles.
Eyes glistening she took my hand and led me to the casket.
"Those three young men, who just left, were the boys
I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated
the things Jim "traded" them. Now, at last when Jim could not
change his mind about color or size ... they came to pay their debt.
"We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,"
she confided, "but, right now, Jim would consider himself
the richest man in Idaho."
With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers
of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three,
exquisitely shined, red marbles.



Moral of this story.........
We will not be remembered by our words, but by
our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath.

I wish for you today.....
I wish you a day of ordinary miracles
A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself.
An unexpected phone call from an old friend.
Green stoplights on your way to work or shop.
I wish you a day of little things to rejoice in...
The fastest line at the grocery store.
A good sing along song on the radio.
Your keys right where you look.
I wish you a day of happiness and perfection
little bite-size pieces of perfection that give you
the funny feeling that the Lord is smiling on you,
holding you so gently because you are
someone special and rare.
I wish You a day of Peace, Happiness and Joy.



They say it takes a minute to find a special person,
an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them,
but then an entire life to forget them.

--W. E. Petersen--





Hugs and God Bless,
Cherie

Anonymous

thanks boop for the inspiration...will carry it with me throughout the day...

laura

Boop

Celebrate Life


There is a wonderful life waiting to be lived.
Celebrate it today.
Life is too short to put off living until tomorrow.




Live it fully.
Live it's changes and choices.
Let is surprise you.
Let it show you new ways of doing old things.
Let it help you explore and discover.
Let it introduce you to people you have never known;
To dreams you have never dreamed;
To seeds you have never sown.




Let life take away some of your worries and caress your woes.
Let it help you wonder and laugh and love.
Let it show you how to rise with the sun and aim for the stars.
Let it reveal how to reach out and become all that you are.




Let life challenge encourage you.
Let it stimulate and arouse you.
Let it embrace and unfold you.
Let it show you the majesty of a simple, peaceful morning.
Let it show you the miracle of your complexity.
Let it help you find your belief and discover your God.
Let it amaze you with its possibilities.




Let life help you realize that.....
It is what you make it,
And that it can be everything you want it to be.



Have a wonderful day.....
Today and Everyday!


Hugs and God Bless,
Cherie

Boop

You Take It All With You



You take it all with you

What ever you do

When your day is done

And time on Earth here, is through



Any sadness you give

To cause someone else pain

Will catch up in the end

What have you to gain?



If you sow seeds of kindness

Then kindness you'll get

If you sow seeds of hatred

Then in hatred you'll sit
You get what you give

Even in the next life

So heed Gods warning

And flee from strife



Give out what you're wanting

Or suffer the loss

Don't give into selfishness

Or you'll pay the cost



If you're haughty, and snobby

Take stock, set your sight

Give much to receive

The love that's in life
I believe, you take with you

All the things that you do

So if your hearts full of love

It will come back to you

--Debbie Looney--


Hugs and God Bless,
Cherie

MJB

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference...Robert Frost

Spend your life delighting in little things and loving them and you will find God everywhere and in everything... Jim Welch

LOve and warm thoughts.MJB

MJB

"Today I would like to share with you my own personal acceptance of my circumstances."MJB


"Accepting and blessing our circumstances is a powerful tool for transformation. For me acceptance has become what I call the long sigh of the soul. It's the closed eyes in prayer, perhaps even the quiet tears.
Over the past 3 years I have discovered that much of my struggle to be content, despite outside circumstances, has arisen when I stubbornly resisted what was actually happened in my life at the present moment. But I have also learned that when I surrender to the reality of a particular situation, a softening in my soul occurs. I am able to open up because acceptance brings with it so much relief and release.
When we accept our circumstances, we relax, we change our vibration, our energy pattern, and the rate of our heartbeat. Our task is to say a holy yes to the real things of our life as they exist. This is what is really happening in my life,I let go of the struggle. I have allowed the healing process of change to begin.
I'm ready to move on . My prayers and gentle hugs to my sisters and brothers on this board."
Love and warm thoughts.MJB

MJB

Do You Feel There is No Hope

In your times of deep despair,
Do you feel there is no hope?
As the darkness closes in on you,
Do you feel you cannot cope?

As you struggle on through every trial,
Do you say "When will it end"?
As you cry yourself to sleep at night,
Do you wish you had a friend?

When your body's racked with aches and pains,
Do you feel you are alone?
When you think about the future,
Do you fear the great unknown?

There is someone who really cares,
And He hears your every cry.
His arms are reaching out to you,
And on Him you can rely.

When things close in around you,
He sees your fear and doubt -
He wants to hold you in His arms,
And He will never cast you out.

As you stumble through the darkness,
He will be your guiding light.
He wants to wipe away your tears,
For you are precious in His sight.

Reach out right now to Jesus,
And let Him take complete control -
He'll take that heavy burden,
And He'll touch and make you whole.

He's reaching out His arms to you,
And He wants to be your friend.
Let Him take you in His loving arms,
For His love will never end....by: Author Unknown
Love and warm thoughts.MJB

Boop

Things for Which to be Thankful

Trains, cars, airplanes, horses and buggies that allow us to travel great distances to share Thanksgiving with our loved ones.

The spouse who complains when dinner is not on time, because s/he is home with me, not with someone else.

The teenager who is complaining about doing dishes, because that means she is at home & not on the streets.

The mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

The taxes I pay because it means that I'm employed.

The clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.

My shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.

A lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.

All the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech.

The space I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.

My huge heating bill because it means I am warm.

The lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means that I can hear.

The piles of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.

Weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.

The alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I'm alive.

Getting too much email bogs me down but at least I know I have friends who are thinking of me.

~Author Unknown~


Hugs and God Bless,
Cherie

Boop

Lessons on Life

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge
things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look
at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in
summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe
what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so
sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping
with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they
had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season,
and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come
from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring,
the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.


Moral lessons:

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Don't judge life by one difficult season.
Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later


Hugs and God Bless,
Cherie

MJB

PICK MORE DAISIES

When the late Nadine Stair of Louisville, Kentucky, was 85 years old, she was asked what she would do if she had her life to live over again.
"I'd make more mistakes next time," she said. "I'd relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been on this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

"You see, I'm one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, and a raincoat. If I had to do it over again, I would travel lighter than I have.

"If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds and I would pick more daisies.".... Don Herold
LOVE AND WARM THOUGHTS.MJB

MJB

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk rejection.
To place your dreams before the crowd is to risk ridicule.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love.
Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave.
He has forfeited his freedom.
Only a person who takes risks is free....Dr. Leo Buscaglia
Love and warm thoughts.MJB

MJB

Healing Prayer

Dear LORD, Be my redeemer, my internal teacher, my divine physician.
Thank You for your presence in my life.
I surrender to You all I am, all I think, all I feel, and all I have.
I recognize in this moment that Yours is the power to heal and make whole.
You who have the power to work miracles,
You who rule time and space, please take me in Your arms and hold me.
Dear Lord, please lift me up and heal me.
Cast out of my mind all thoughts that are not of You.
Cast out of me all harsh and critical nature.
Cast out of me all violence and all anger.
Cast out of me all demons from my past.
For I would be made new.
I wish to walk so close to You that we might be as one.
I ask for new life, new mind, new body, new spirit.
Dear LORD, please come into me and release me from this pain.
Amen.

Love and warm thoughts.MJB

MJB

O you who dwell In the house made of the dawn,
In the house made of the evening twilight . . .
Where the dark mist curtains the doorway,
The path to which is on the rainbow . . .
I have made your sacrifice.
I have prepared a smoke for you.

My feet restore for me.
My limbs restore for me.
My body restore for me.
My mind restore for me.
My voice restore for me.

Today, take away your spell from me.
Away from me you have taken it.
Far Off from me you have taken it.

Happily I recover.
Happily my interior becomes cool.
Happily my eyes regain their power.
Happily my head becomes cool.
Happily my limbs regain their power.
Happily I hear again.
Happily for me the spell is taken Off.

Happily I walk.
Impervious to pain, I walk.
Feeling light within, I walk . . .
In beauty I walk.
With beauty before me, I walk.
With beauty behind me, I walk.
With beauty below me, I walk.
With beauty all around me, I walk.

It is finished in beauty.
It is finished in beauty.
It is finished in beauty.
Love and warm thoughts.MJB

Boop

Time is a Blessing

Many times we fail to see
the blessings in our lives...
we're so caught up in "living"
we forget to realize.

that all our days are numbered
and each moment is a loan...
we can't relive its contents
and the outcome is unknown.

Only God can grant us one
minute or the next...
it's ours to live it wisely
and ours to do our best.

Remember to be thankful
for the gift of time today...
and when this day is over
no regrets will come your way...
--Jill Lemming--


Hugs and God Bless,
Cherie

MJB

MY PRAYER FOR OTHERS:

I cannot make the sparrow fly,
Nor can I understand
What makes the clouds hang in the sky,
But I know One who can.

I cannot make the ocean waves
Dash forth against the land;
I cannot help the soul that craves,
But I know One who can.

I cannot hear the humble prayers
Of those of foreign clans;
I cannot ease their wants and cares,
But I know One who can.

I cannot lead the erring ones
With mine own trembling hand;
Nor yet restore the hope that's gone,
But I know One who can.

I cannot see the broken hearts
That long for joy again;
Nor can I mend the broken parts,
But I know One who can.

I cannot heal the many ills
That come so oft to man;
I cannot give the joy that fills,
But I know One who can.

I cannot know why trials fall
Within our life's short span;
But my God understands it all,
And He's the One who can!
Love and warm thoughts.MJB

MJB

A Prayer by Mother Teresa

Let us all become a true and fruitful branch on the vine Jesus, by accepting him in our lives as it pleases him to come:

as the Truth-to be told;
as the Life-to be lived;
as the Light-to be lighted;
as the Love-to be loved;
as the Way-to be walked;
as the Joy-to be given;
as the Peace-to be spread;
as the Sacrifice-to be offered,
in our families and our neighbors.
Love and warm thoughts.MJB

Boop

Weaving Of Life


Our lives are but a weaving
Made out of tender, threads of care
Each piece of someone's heart we touch
Adds to the stitching there

Each day we rise we're given
Another chance at life
We must adorn our basic quilt
With squares of strength, and light

Some darn their quilt with hatred
While others darn their quilt with care
Most forgetting that this weave of life
Can ravel, stretch, and tear

Each thread we stitch along the way
Becomes a stitch forever sewn
One we cannot change the pattern of
With things we've done, people met, and known

It's up to us which way we weave
Our quilt of life each day
For we can make a difference
In a heart along the way

If we weave our quilt of life
Without taking special care
We take this gift for granted
With nothing notable to share

Our lives are but a weaving
Made out of tender, threads of care
Each piece of someone's heart we touch
Adds to the stitching there.

--Debbie Looney--



Hugs and God Bless,
Cherie

MJB

Things God Won't Ask
God won't ask what kind of car you drove.
He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.

God won't ask the square footage of your house.
He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet.
He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.

God won't ask what your highest salary was.
He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

God won't ask what your job title was.
He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

God won't ask how many friends you had.
He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived.
He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.

God won't ask about the color of your skin.
He'll ask about the content of your character.

God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation.
He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.
Love and warm thoughts.MJB

MJB

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console,
not so much to be understood as to understand,
not so much to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we awake to eternal life.....Saint Francis of Assisi
Love and warm thoughts.MJB

MJB

Just for Today

Lord, for to-morrow and its needs,
I do not pray;
Keep me, my God, from stain of sin
Just for to-day.
Let me both diligently work,
And duly pray.
Let me be kind in word and deed,
Just for to-day.

Let me be slow to do my will,
Prompt to obey;
Help me to sacrifice myself
Just for to-day.

And if to-day my tide of life
Should ebb away,
Give me thy Sacraments divine,
Sweet Lord to-day.

So for to-morrow and its needs
I do not pray,
But keep me, guide me, love me, Lord,
Just for to-day.Amen
Love and warm thoughts.MJB

beachcottage

Be aware of wonder

Live a balanced life
Learn some and think some
and draw and paint
and sing and dance
and
play and work every day some."
~ Robert Fulghum



xoxo,
Patti

MJB

Daily Prayer

Dearest Lord, may I see you today and every day in the person of your sick, and, whilst nursing them, minister unto you.
Though you hide yourself behind the unattractive disguise of the irritable, the exacting, the unreasonable, may I still recognize you, and say: "Jesus, my patient, how sweet it is to serve you."

Lord, give me this seeing faith, then my work will never be monotonous. I will ever find joy in humouring the fancies and gratifying the wishes of all poor sufferers.

O beloved sick, how doubly dear you are to me, when you personify Christ; and what a privilege is mine to be allowed to tend you.

Sweetest Lord, make me appreciative of the dignity of my high vocation, and its many responsibilities. Never permit me to disgrace it by giving way to coldness, unkindness, or impatience.

And O God, while you are Jesus my patient, deign also to be to me a patient Jesus, bearing with my faults, looking only to my intention, which is to love and serve you in the person of each one of your sick.

Lord, increase my faith, bless my efforts and work, now and for evermore. Amen....By Mother Teresa
Love and warm thoughts.MJB

beachcottage

What Life Is All About
Author Unknown

Life isn't about keeping score. It's not about how many friends you have. Or how many people call you. Or how accepted or unaccepted you are. Not about if you have plans this weekend. Or if you're alone. It isn't about who you're dating, who you use to date, how many people you've dated, or if you haven't been with anyone at all. It isn't about who you have kissed. It's not about sex. It isn't about who your family is or how much money they have. Or what kind of car you drive. Or where you're sent to school.

It's not about how beautiful or ugly you are. Or what clothes you wear, what shoes you have on, or what kind of music you listen to. It's not about if your hair is blonde, red, black, brown, or green. Or if your skin is too light or too dark.

It's not about what grades you get, how smart you are, how smart everyone else thinks you are, or how smart standardized tests say you are. Or if this teacher likes you, or if this guy/girl likes you. Or what clubs you're in, or how good you are at "your" sport. It's not about representing your whole being on a piece of paper and seeing who will "accept the written you".

But life is about who you love and who you hurt. It's about who you make happy or unhappy purposefully. It's about keeping or betraying trust. It's about friendship, used as sanctity, or as a weapon. It's about what you say and mean, maybe hurtful, maybe heartening. About starting rumors and contributing to petty gossip. It's about what judgments you pass and why. And who your judgments are spread to.

It's about who you've ignored with full control and intention. It's about jealousy, fear, pain, ignorance, and revenge. It's about carrying inner hate and love, letting it grow and spreading it.

But most of all, it's about using your life to touch or poison other people's hearts in such a way that could never occurred alone. Only you choose the way these hearts are affected and those choices are what life is all about.
Author Unknown
xoxo,
Patti

beachcottage

I posted this somewhere here
a long time ago...

Thought it was
worth posting again...
xoxo,
Patti

There will be storms, child
There will be storms
And with each tempest
You will seem to stand alone
Against cruel winds

But with time, the rage and fury
Shall subside
And when the sky clears
You will find yourself
Clinging to someone
You would have never known
But for storms.

"Storms"
by Margie DeMerell

beachcottage

I posted this somewhere here
a long time ago...

As I said yesterday..
Some things are worth a second posting..
xoxo,
Patti


Do you need Me?
I am there.
You cannot see Me, yet I am the light you see by.
You cannot hear Me, yet I speak through your voice.
You cannot feel Me, yet I am the power at work in your hands.
I am at work, though you do not understand My ways.
I am at work, though you do not recognize My works.
I am not strange visions. I am not mysteries.
Only in absolute stillness, beyond self, can you know Me as I am, and then but as a feeling and a faith.
Yet I am there. Yet I hear. Yet I answer.
When you need Me, I am there.
Even if you deny Me, I am there.
Even when you feel most alone, I am there.
Even in your fears, I am there.
Even in your pain, I am there.
I am there when you pray and when you do not pray.
I am in you, and you are in Me.
Only in your mind can you feel separate from Me, for only in your mind are the mists of “yours” and “mine.”
Yet only with your mind can you know Me and experience Me.
Empty your heart of empty fears.
When you get yourself out of the way, I am there.
You can of yourself do nothing, but I can do all.
And I am in all.
Though you may not see the good, good is there, for I am there.
I am there because I have to be, because I am.
Only in Me does the world have meaning; only out of Me does the world take form; only because of Me does the world go forward.
I am the law on which the movement of the stars and the growth of living cells are founded.
I am the love that is the law’s fulfilling. I am assurance. I am peace. I am oneness. I am the law that you can live by. I am the love that you can cling to. I am your assurance. I am your peace. I am one with you. I am.
Though you fail to find Me, I do not fail you.
Though your faith in Me is unsure, My faith in you never wavers, because I know you, because I love you.
Beloved, I am there.

—James Dillet Freeman

MJB

Guests

I set the table full of food
And here they come, my hungry brood,
All flocking down with eager haste,
And not a morsel goes to waste.
A blue tit, swift on dancing wing
Is first to find the peanut string,
And then a robin, bold and bright
Is quick to feed---and quick to fight!
More mannerly, a song thrush calls
To glean the fruit and fat that falls
While finches swoop with joyful speed
At any sight of sunflower seed.
A blackbird's choice is apples, sweet,
Yet sparrows care not what they eat
But gorge as long as food is there
Then fly away without a care.
No "thank you" ever comes my way
For all the meals I set each day,
But my reward is in their song---
I'm serenaded all year long!...Margaret Ingall

Love and warm thoughts. MJB

beachcottage

He has achieved success
who has lived well,
laughed often, and loved much;

who has enjoyed the trust of
pure women,

the respect of intelligent men and
the love of little children;

who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;

who has left the world better than he found it
whether by an improved poppy,
a perfect poem or a rescued soul;

who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty
or failed to express it;

who has always looked for the best in others and
given them the best he had;

whose life was an inspiration;
whose memory a benediction.

--1904 Bessie Anderson Stanley



xoxo,
Patti

MJB

World Peace Prayer

Lead us from death to life, From falsehood to truth,
From despair to hope, From fear to trust.
Lead us from hate to love, From war to peace,
Let peace fill our hearts, our world, our universe.
Eternal God, Creator of the universe, there is no God but You.
Great and wonderful are Your works, wondrous are your ways.
Thank You for the many splendid variety of Your creation.
Thank You for the many ways we affirm Your presence and purpose,
and the freedom to do so.
Forgive our violation of Your creation.
Forgive our violence toward each other.
We stand in awe and gratitude for Your persistent love
for each and all of Your children:
Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Sikhs,
as well as those with other faiths.
Grant to all and our leaders attributes of the strong;
mutual respect in words and deed,
restraint in the exercise of power, and
the will for peace with justice, for all.
Eternal God, Creator of the universe,
There is no God but You.
Amen.

Love and warm thoughts.MJB

beachcottage

This is dedicated
to all of the wonderful
women and men
who visit this site

May you all be blessed in a
special way today...

xoxo
Patti

Each of us has a hidden place
Somewhere deep within ourselves,
A place where we go to get away,
To think things through,
To be alone, to be ourselves.

This unique place, where we confront our deepest feelings,
Becomes a storehouse of all our hopes,
All our needs, all our dreams,
And even our unspoken fears.
It encompasses the essence of who we are and what we want to be.

But now and then, whether by chance or design,
Someone discovers a way into that place we thought was ours alone.
And we allow that person to see, to feel and to share
All the reason, all the uncertainty
And all the emotion we've stored up there.

That person adds new perspective to our hidden realm,
Then quietly settles down in his own corner of our special place,
Where a bit of himself will stay forever.

And we call that person a friend.
Author Unknown