Blessings and Influence

2010-12-24T07:03:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel a certain way not wanting to feel that way yet you can't seem to shake the unwanted feeling? Sometimes it's hard to remember just how blessed we are. As the following statistics shoe, of the billions of people who have been born on this planet, I am abundantly blessed...

How Blessed We Are

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you attend a church meeting, without fear, harassment, arrest, torture or death, You are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand, hug him or her or touch him or her on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer a healing touch.

If you can read this message, you are double blessed in that there are over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

Being so abundantly blessed, I'll do my best to shake the feeling that what I do doesn’t really matter because it does. We all matter. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

A Lesson from a Pebble

Drop a pebble in the water and with just a splash it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to the sea.
And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

Drop a pebble in the water and in a minute you forget,
But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet,
And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown;
You've disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.

Drop an unkind or careless word and in a minute it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on.
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go,
And there is no way to stop them, once you've started them to flow.

Drop an unkind or careless word and in a minute you forget;
But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet,
And perhaps in some sad heart a mighty wave of tears you've stirred,
And disturbed a life that was happy ere you dropped that unkind word.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness and in just a flash it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave
Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness and in a minute you forget;
But there's gladness still a-swelling, and there's joy circling yet,
And you've rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard
Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one kind word.

James W. Foley

A Few Thoughts...

2010-12-22T17:24:00.000-08:00

I cried when I dropped Cindy, Mike and Kailey off at the airport today. It was so good to see them this past week, but It's hard to see them go. Kailey is the dearest, sweetest granddaughter anyone could hope for, yet I won't see her again until April after her baby brother is born.This is why I cried. I know children go out into the world to create their own lives, and that is as it should be. I just wish they didn't have to live so far away.

Even though I do feel sad, I will reflect on and be grateful for the things I do have. I do have a wonderful husband. He is my best friend. I do have children that love me. I do have a grandchild and one on the way. I do have friends that care about me and I care about them. I do love music and the warmth it brings to my soul. I do love the beauty of this world with its glistening snow and majestic mountains. I'm also thankful for my testimony. I know God lives and loves me. So, even though I am sad because I won't be able to see my loved ones for a long time, I am grateful for many things. Life is good.

Diana's Light

Blessings and Influence

A Few Thoughts...