I LOVE US

It's that time of year again when people are thinking "Love". As I mentioned in my introduction on Spiritual Sundays this week, the newest thing to tell the one you love is not "I love you", but "I love us," meaning I love us together.

So, what does God say about love? Many books have been written about it. The greatest book written about love is the Bible. In fact, the two most important commandments are both about love. The first one is to love God with all your heart, soul and mind and the second one is to love your neighbor as yourself.

I love I Corinthians' definition of love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

So, back to the subject of this post ― I LOVE US. I love us together, meaning my blogging friends. To think that just a little over 3 years ago, I didn't know any of you. Well, maybe one or two or three. Most of you I had not met. Now there are so many of you out there in blogland who have blessed my life. I love all of you. 

Thought I would also share with you this picture of hubby and me over 52 years ago as we were leaving the church after our wedding. I LOVE US.

Of course I'm sharing this on Spiritual Sundays, and since Beverly has included red in Pink Saturday, I think I'll share this for Pink Saturday as well. Here is the Spiritual Sundays link: http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/ and here is the Pink Saturday link: http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/pink-saturday/

KEYS TO LOVE

Matthew 22:36-38 (Today’s New International Version, ©2005)

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
 ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^[a] 38This is the first and greatest commandment.

The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. If we would love others the way we love ourselves, it would solve a lot of problems. I like the following poem written by Robert M. Millay.

      THE KEYS TO LOVE

      The key to love is understanding . . .

           the ability to comprehend

           not only the spoken word,

           but those unspoken gestures,

           the little things that say

           so much by themselves.

     The key to love is forgiveness . . . 

           to accept each other's faults

           and pardon mistakes,

           without forgetting ―

           but with remembering

           what you learn from them.

     The key to love is trust . . . 

           though dark doubts

           lay in hollowed thoughts,

           it must shine brightly on

           with reassuring radiance

           that suppresses fear with faith.

     The key to love is sharing . . . 

           facing your good fortunes

           as well as the bad, together;

           both conquering problems ―

           forever searching for ways

           to intensify your happiness . . .

     The key to love is giving . . .

           without thought of return,

           but with the hope of just

           a simple smile

           and by giving-in, but never up.

  

     The key to love is respect . . .

           realizing that you are 

           two separate people

           with different ideas;

           that you don't belong to each other,

           but that you belong with each other

           and share a mutual bond.

     The key to love is inside us all . . .

           it takes time and patience 

           to unlock all the ingredients

           that will take you to its threshold;

           it is a continual learning process

           that demands a lot of work . . . 

           but the rewards are more than

           worth the effort . . . 

               And you

                    are the key

                         to me.

― Robert M. Millay

I hope everyone has a great weekend and a great Spiritual Sunday. Please go to that blog for links to many inspirational posts.

Joe's Blue Monday

Haven't done a Blue Monday post in ages. We drove down to Tempe the other day just to eat at Joe's Crab Shack. We love their fish; chips―only $6.95 on the lunch menu―and it is really d-e-e-elicious. As we were ready to walk in, we noticed they had a pelican in front of the restaurant that wasn't there the last time we were there. Since I always carry my camera in my purse with me now, I told Hubby I should take a picture of it. Then, realizing I had on blue jeans and a blue sweater, and there was a lot of blue around Joe's Crab Shack, I decided to be in the picture and do a Blue Monday post.

There are two Joe's Crab Shacks in Tempe and not one in our area. The first time we ate at one of their restaurants was in Kentucky several years ago. 

Hubby posted about Joe's Crab Shack a couple of years ago. It includes a picture of him in front of the restaurant. Here is the link to the post on his blog:  Joe's Crab Shack

Happy Blue Monday!

Click on the Blue Bird to go to Sally's blog for links to lots of Blue Monday posts. 

NOT THE END OF THE ROAD

I hope you enjoy this poem by Helen Steiner Rice as much as I do. 

PLEASE VISIT OUR SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS BLOG for links to lots of inspiring posts. Just click HERE to go there.

1940s

A friend sent the link to this video highlighting the 1940s. I found it interesting because I was a kid during that time. My picture in the header was made in the late '40s. Even if you were not even born yet, I think you will enjoy watching it. Be sure to have your sound turned on and click the following link:  The 1940s   (Before you click on the link you will need to turn my blog music off.)  If you enjoy that video - and even if not - you might want to watch the one for the 1950s. That one brought back a lot of memories for me too.

PINK SATURDAY

I am posting this on Friday. Today would have been my dad's 98th birthday. In looking for something pink to share for Pink Saturday, I ran across this picture of the pink lamp in my doll room. Since the picture to the left of the lamp is one of me and my dad taken when I was a young girl, I thought it would be a good one to share today. The little picture in front of it is a picture of him when he was 16. Let's see⏤that picture would have been taken 82 years ago.

Here are those two pictures that are framed.

This is one of the few pictures I have of the two of us together. In all the other pictures there are always other people in the photo. 

Thank you for letting me share my Dad's birthday anniversary with you. I miss him still. He left this life in 1998 at the age of 85. 

Thanks again to Beverly for hosting Pink Saturdays. Click HERE for lots of pink posts.

RIGHT THINKING

As I was sitting at the desk, listening to one of my favorite songs, "The Holy City", and asking God what I should share this week for Spiritual Sundays, I reached up on the shelf above my computer and pulled out the book of poems by Helen Steiner Rice entitled Everyone Needs Someone. I opened the book at a random page, and when I read the poem on that page, I knew I wanted to share it with you. It's entitled Make Your Day Bright by Thinking Right". I think there is so much to learn from this poem. Perhaps not really "learn" but recall because I'm sure these are thoughts we all have from time to time.

Make Your Day Bright by Thinking Right

Don't start your day by supposin'

     that trouble is just ahead;

It's better to stop supposin'

     and start with a prayer instead.

And make it a prayer of thanksgiving

     for the wonderful things God has wrought

Like the beautiful sunrise and sunset,

     "God's gifts" that are free and not bought⏤

For what is the use of supposin'

     the dire things that could happen to you

And worry about some misfortune

     that seldom if ever comes true⏤

But instead of just idle supposin'

     step forward to meet each new day

Secure in the knowledge God's near you

     to lead you each step of the way⏤

For supposin' the worst things will happen

     only  helps to make them come true

And you darken the bright, happy moments

     that the dear Lord has given to you⏤

So if you desire to be happy

     and get rid of the "misery of dread"

Just give up "supposin' the worst things"

     and look for "the best things" instead.

My prayer and wish for each of you is that you have a bright happy weekend. If you didn't come here from the Spiritual Sundays blog, I hope you will click here and go there to visit. You will find links to many inspiring posts. Of course, if you did come here from that blog, I know you will return there to visit others. We all enjoy comments so I hope you will also take the time to comment on each blog you visit.

The Power of Kindness

Today, I would like to share an excerpt from The Power of Kindness titled: "Paid in Full". 


One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal, he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry and so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said, "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strengthened also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Years later, that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly* was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, he went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown, he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day, he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested from the business office to pass the final billing to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally, she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words:

"PAID IN FULL WITH ONE GLASS OF MILK..."
(Signed)
Dr. Howard Kelly

*Dr. Howard Kelly was a distinguished physician who, in 1895, founded the Johns Hopkins Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Johns Hopkins University. According to Dr. Kelly's biographer, Audrey Davis, the doctor was on a walking trip through Northern Pennsylvania one spring day when he stopped by a farm house for a drink of water.



Please check out our Spiritual Sundays blog for links to many inspiring blog posts. 

TODAY

Yesterday is gone forever.

Tomorrow may never come.

Today is all we have. 

...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.

 ...As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

"Whether you think you can, or think you can't...you're right."
~Henry Ford

This is a brand new year and today is a brand new day. The Lord has blessed me so much. Today I will try to bring joy to others.

YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW

Thank you to all my blogging friends who have been such an inspiration and blessing to me this past year. May 2011 be the best year ever.

I thought this poem by Helen Steiner Rice would be a good thing to share this week for Spiritual Sundays.

YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW

Yesterday's dead,

Tomorrow's unborn,

So there's nothing to fear

And nothing to mourn

For all that is past

And all that has been

Can never return

To be lived once again⏤

And what lies ahead

Or the things that will be

Are still in God's Hands

So it is not up to me

To live in the future

That is God's great unknown,

For the past and the present

God claims for His own,

So, all I need do

is to live for Today

And trust God to show me

The Truth and the Way ⏤

For it's only the memory

Of things that have been

And expecting Tomorrow

To bring trouble again

That fills my Today,

Which God wants to bless,

With uncertain fears

And borrowed distress ⏤

For all I need live for

Is this one little minute,

For life's Here and Now

And Eternity's in it.

Click HERE to go to the Spiritual Sundays blog to share and be blessed.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I really like this poem by Martin Luther.

A BED IN MY HEART

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,

Make Thee a bed soft, undefiled,

Within my heart, that it may be

A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

My heart for very joy doth leap,

My lips no more can silence keep.

I too must sing, with joyful tongue,

That sweetest ancient cradle song,

Glory to God in highest Heaven,

Who unto man His Son hath given,

While angels sing with pious mirth,

A glad New Year to all the earth.

A special Christmas blessing to all my blogging friends. To those of you who join us each week for Spiritual Sundays, a special Thank You. You have helped make this year a wonderful blessing for me.

Click on Animated Picture.

TINKERBELL

Latest tree decoration is this darling Christmas Tinkerbell. Carol bought it for me at Disneyland last week when she was there. She is such a thoughtful daughter.