PROMISE YOURSELF...
...Promise yourself to be so strong, That nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
...To talk heath, happiness, and prosperity, to every person you meet...
...To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
...To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
...To think only of the best, to work only for the best, to and expect only the best.
...To be just as enthusuastic about the success of others, as you are about your own.
...To forget the mistakes of the past, and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
...To wear a cheerful contenance at all times, and give every living creature you meet a smile.
...To give so much time to the improvement of yourself, that you have no time to criticize others.
...To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, to strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
- Christian D. Larson

Hold onto good friends, they are few and far between...

FREEDOM ISN'T FREE

I watched the Flag pass by one day, It fluttered in the breeze. A young Marine saluted it, And then, he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform, So young, so tall, so proud, With hair cut square and eyes alert He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him Had fallen through the years. How many died on foreign soil? How many Mother's tear?
How many pilot's planes shot down? How many died at sea? How many foxholes were soldier's graves?
NO ... FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!

I heard the sound of taps one night, When everything was still I listened to the bugler play, And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times That Taps had meant "AMEN" When a Flag had covered a coffin Of a loved one or a friend.
I thought of all the Children, of the Mothers and the Wives, of Fathers, Sons and Husbands,
With interrupted lives. I thought about a graveyard at the bottom of the sea, Of unmarked graves in Arlington ...
NO ... FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!

This poem was written by CDR Kelly Strong, United States Coast Guard.

Words to Live By
Take into account that great love and great achievements, involve great risk .
When you lose, don't lose the lesson...
Follow the three R's: Respect for self, Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions.
Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate, effective steps to correct it.
Spend some time alone every day.
Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer!
Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
Be gentle with the earth.
Once a year, go some place you've never been before.
Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

9-11 Thoughts for Perspective
Next time your morning seems to be going wrong and you are slow getting dressed and you can't seem to find the car keys and you hit every traffic light, don't get mad or frustrated; praise God instead because God is at work watching over you. After Sept. 11 ... I happened to call a man on business that I didn't know and have not, nor will ever, talk to again. But this day, he felt like talking. He was head of security of a company that had invited the remaining members of a company who had been decimated by the attack on the Twin Towers to share their office space. With his voice full of awe he told me stories of why these people were alive and their counterparts were dead .....and all the stories were just 'little' things. As you might know, the head of the company got in late that day because his son started kindergarten. Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts. One woman was late because her alarm clock didn't go off in time. One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike because of an auto accident. One missed his bus. One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change. One's car wouldn't start. One went back to answer the telephone. One had a child that dawdled and didn't get ready as soon as he should have. One couldn't get a taxi. There were other stories that I hope and pray will someday be gathered and put in a book. The one that struck me was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid. That is why he is alive today. Now when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone .... all the little things that annoy me...I think to myself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment. May God continue to bless you with all those annoying little things and may you remember their possible purpose.

History Of Father's Day

The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in J une, fathers all across the United States are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special. . The origin of Father's Day is not clear. Some say that it began with a church service in West Virginia in 1908. Others say the first Father's Day ceremony was held in Vancouver, Washington. Regardless of when the first true Father's Day occurred, the strongest promoter of the holiday was Mrs. Bruce John Dodd of Spokane, Washington. She thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.

In early times, wearing flowers was a traditional way of celebrating Father's Day. Mrs. Dodd favored the red rose to honor a father still living, while a white flower honored a deceased dad. J.H. Berringer, who also held Father's Day celebrations in Washington State as early as 1912, chose a white lilac as the Father's Day Flower. States and organizations began lobbying Congress to declare an annual Father's Day. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson approved of this idea, but it was not until 1924 when President Calvin Coolidge made it a national event to "establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations." Since then, fathers had been honored and recognized by their families throughout the country on the third Sunday in June. In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day and put the official stamp on a celebration that was going on for almost half a century.

REMEMBER:

MORE THOUGHTS:

Dreams come true, for those who work while they dream
If your'e doing your best, you won't have time to worry about failure
No failure is ever final -- nor is any success
True wealth is what you are, not what you have
No one is guaranteed happiness. Life just gives us time and space It's up to us to fill it with joy and meaning
Almost all of our unhappiness is the result of comparing ourselves to others
We can't do much about our appearance, but we have total control over the kind of person we become
To change everything, simply change your attitude
Sometime the heart sees what is invisible to the eye
When you remember how hard it is to change yourself, you begin to understand what little chance we have of changing others
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers, why not gather your own bouquet

A friend is a person who knows all about you, but likes you anyway
Friends are like a beautiful garden. They require regular care
The people on our planet are not standing in a line, single file. Look closely.
Everyone is really standing in a circle, holding hands. Whatever you give to the person next to you, it eventually comes back to you!
Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day
Love is like wildflowers. It's often found in the most unlikely places
To get more out of life, give more of yourself
Don't be afraid to go out on a limb. That's where the fruit is
You'll learn more about a road by traveling it than by consulting all the maps in the world
When fate shuts a door, come in through a window
Do for others, with no desire of returned favors We all should plant some trees we'll never sit under

HOLD THE DOOR:
"The Only Distance Between Your Dreams And Your Reality Is You"
http://www.HoldTheDoor.com - Tribute to Lost Loved Ones on 9/11/2001

THE LADY

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NINE ONE ONE

This candle was lit on the 11th of September, 2001. Please pass it on to your friends & family so that it may shine all across America. "A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle, it gains a greater brilliance."

Thought for the each day...

Close your eyes, and picture a place you are yearning to be. A place that is beautiful and comforting, where everything is hopeful and alive.
Picture a world the way it was meant to be.
Where work and leisure take their proper place, where faith and hope and love abide and new possibilties forever bloom.
Decide that joy is the hue you want your heart to be. Then start making little and large choices, that over time will paint your heart happy.
Give yourself a perk. Condition yourself for joy by doing little things that you love on a regular basis.
Read outdoors. Walk in the park. Enjoy the view. Light a candle. Listen to fine music.
Setting yourself up for joy is an INVESTMENT not an indulgence.
Surprises - you never know what unplanned encounter will rescue a dreary day and add a solid brushstroke of joy to your heart.
Serving - giving perks to someone else as well as yourself.
Your heart will grow steadily and dependably joyful as you make a point to share the joy with others.
Approach every day as tho' an ambassador of a better world.
Worrying about problems as opposed to resolving them will never do anything but drain your heart of its joyful color.
Get big in wisdom and experience, remain little for joy and curiousity, trust, honesty.
Explore your memories and try to uncover those times that seem to glow in your mind - times when you felt carefree and joyful and in love with the world.
Simple comforts from the warmth of an afgan, to the reassuring glow of a nightlight in the hall can reinforce your sense that all is well.
Schedules and routines were made to SERVE us not rule us.
Make some foundational decisions about how you will spend your time, invest your energy, and why you are doing it in the 1st place.
Life focus must come from within, the deep part of you that knows what is important even when the conscious mind just isn't sure.
Your focus emerges naturally out of a sense of who you are, why you are here, and resonates with God given talents and interests.
Evolve a sense of purpose on earth and all your other decisions will fall into place.
Adequate rest, healthful nutrition, regular exercise, and leisure activities refresh and renew and are an important part of a balanced life.
Look back on where you have been and what you have done, both recently and past, in search of what is truly important to you.
Look forward imagine what your thoughts and feelings might be as you approach end days, what is important then?
A mission statement - written life purpose - establishes unity and purpose.
Seek to discover not decide your focus.
At times, relax a little more, worry a little less, and remember the big picture and not let the details overwhelm it.
The vision for simplicity is pre-requisite for exiting the fast lane and changing life for the better. Real and lasting change begins with a vision.
No one can decide how you spend your time but YOU!
Your days belong to you - hours, minutes are yours. Spend them purposefully on activities that mean something to you.
There IS enough time to accomplish everything in your lifetime.
Voluntary simplicity - more of a direction than a destination; a value or principle, not a set of rules.
Learn the fine art of CHOOSING what you will allow into your life, mind and heart on a daily basis.
Why distract your mind and spririt with things that don't help you achieve the joyful life you want.