Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
Christopher Reeve
“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon seem inevitable.”
Denis Waitley
“Get excited and enthusiastic about your own dream. This excitement is like a forest fire—you can smell it, taste it, and see it from a mile away.”
Walt Disney
“The secret of making dreams come true can be summarized in four C’s. They are Curiosity, Confidence, Courage, and Constancy; and the greatest of these is Confidence.”
Henry David Thoreau
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.”
Today is my mom’s birthday. She’d be 104 today. I woke early and was greeted by this gorgeous sunrise peeking over the beautiful Madison Range.
As I zoomed in on it, it became more vibrant.
Orange was my mom’s favorite color. Good morning, Mom! I see you smiling down from heaven. I remember your best days, and set aside the years when Alzheimer’s robbed you of the sparkle, the tenacity, and the wisdom that marked your best days.
Mom & Dad’s wedding picture 1937Mom & Dad’s 30th AnniversaryMom wore her Rebekah Lodge badges with honor and dignity.
Always involved in activities, Mom loved the Rebekahs (female branch of the Odd Fellows), and her bridge club, which weekly met in our living room. Even into her 80’s she loved her 20-Ands Club. She represented a lot of “Ands.” She was an impeccable dresser, beautifully groomed. Managed always to stay fit. She was probably the person who invented the “Selfie”!!
I wrote this poem on December 18, 2004 with Mom in mind. I used phrases she spoke in her last weeks on earth. She was big on giving orders – right up to her last days – even telling God when to take her “home.” She died the day after I composed this, on December 19th.
Before I Die
Before I leave this earth I have a few requests Listen up, my dears, Tomorrow there’ll be tests.
Take my diamond necklace And convert it into cash. Use it for my funeral, Then live life within the dash.
It’s too late for me, friends, To change the things I’ve done; But you have time to listen And teach others of God’s Son.
“The Dash” is all the years Between birth and when you die. Those in-between years Are where your stories lie.
Take my gold and silver, Go out and help the poor. Make amends for all the years I lived from store to store.
Take my many angels, Give them to folks who are Ill, hurting, or lonely. Tell them about the star:
The star of Bethlehem that Was where the angels went To see the newborn baby – Our Lord from Heaven sent.
Take my many clothes and find Folks who are in need. Take the food that I have stashed. Go to the hungry. Feed!
Take my shoes and slippers. Take them all and give Them to the cold and homeless. Help them to warmer live.
Take my chairs and tables, The lamps and bedding, too. Give them to a Home or Mission. They’ll help out quite a few.
Then look around your house, friends. And see the excess treasure. Take it to the needy. You’ll be blessed beyond all measure.
Live your life within the dash In loving generosity. Before you leave this earth, Reach out in pure humility.
Take your gold and silver. Go out and help the poor. God will bless you richly, and You will never want for more.
Her diamond necklace DID pay for her funeral!
And we did give most of her angels away – my friend/former student, Lorei, hung them with a note on the doorknobs of the other residents at her care facility where mom lived. Mom had dozens of angels in her collection! And, we gave her clothes and other “stuff” to the people and places that could use them.
However, I have a few of her angels in my “Sanctuary” upstairs. My maiden name is “DeAngeles” (translates to “of angels” – in Italian). Mom lives in me… and today I celebrate her sunrise, her best qualities, and the gifts she instilled in me: self-confidence, unconditional love, tenacity, and a love of poetry.
Happy Birthday, Mom! I am “Living in the Dash” just as you taught me.
A Natural WHAT? You want to be NATURAL… But, NATURAL WHAT?
In today’s sermon, Rev. Steve Hundley at the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church used this as his sermon topic: “The Natural.”
If you’ve followed my blog for awhile, you know I have a habit of taking notes in poetry while listening to the sermon. It helps me listen better, and recall the message later on. I like to share my notes with you. Here are today’s:
The advertisement asked for A new pastor for a tired church, Worn down and worn out. They were left in the lurch.
The Hebrew Church felt
The way this ad describes.
Weak knees and weak hands was
How they were depicted by scribes.
Jesus, the High Priest, is superior, The scribes reminded them. Pay attention to what He said and did. They were given a long list from Him.
Be kind to strangers, remembering You may be entertaining angels. Be kind to one another, because You, too, will someday be strangers.
Be kind and compassionate Until that behavior is natural. When people call you Christ-like, Be sure that remark is factual.
Remember those who are suffering As if you’re suffering, too. Pay attention to those around – They surely need love from you,
Behavior becomes a habit If you practice it enough. So, practice loving behavior Until sharing it ain’t so tough!
Become a NATURAL Christian, One who loves without a second thought. Help us, Lord, to use our lessons daily – Being as Christ-like as we’ve been taught.
If I have the courage to “be myself” while realizing “I am a wonderful person,” then I need to be analytical. WHAT is it that I have been TAUGHT? And are all those lessons the ones I need in order to be a “Natural” at being a “Christian”? What does being a “Natural Christian” mean?
I need to ask myself, “Have you practiced loving behavior enough to be a natural at it? What’s your first response in the face of strangers?”
What do you think, friends, what are you a Natural at?
Good-bye September!
You’ve been a very good month –
Messages each day.
My take-aways were
Great daily inspirations –
Always carry them!
When glancing to the right,
You see numbers 1-15,
Next page to 30.
Every day I write
The take-away to carry
In heart to guide me.
It provides a list
That inspires me to live
Thankful for blessings.
Lord,
Please strip me of me
Until nothing remains but
YOU!
These are my daily prayers.
It was an inspirational
September.
Daily Guideposts take-aways for each day of September –
Carry these with you:
Thank God for my family and friends
God bless all our laborers
Thank God for our “hood”
God is Always with me
Stay Connected in Love
Rely on God’s Strength
Walk in Step with Jesus
Listen to God’s Wisdom
Lord, Increase my Insight
Trust God with my Dreams
Never Forget 9-11
He walks with Me
Trust Him
Give Love Unconditionally
Jesus Forgives “Missteaks”
Be Consistent; and Treasure People
Use Your Gifts to Praise God
Live in the Hope of the Lord
Focus on God’s Grace
A Hug Includes Letting Go
Bless my Former Students (Thank You, Lord, for giving me chances to positively influence others)
Lift my Hands, Heart & Voice to Praise God
I Am at Home in my Soul with God
Make Wise Choices
Lord, Hear my Prayers
Serve with Compassion
Pray for a Cancer Cure
Thank God for His Gift of Peace
Take Courage in All Circumstances
Lean on God Always
Many of these daily themes in Daily Guideposts were the inspirations for my daily blogs.
The end of the “Daily Devotions for Living by Faith” called These Days features three coloring pages. I will write about them tomorrow … telling about the way coloring can relieve stress.
As September ends and I send this book off to my grandson, I thank God for the people who write these daily messages – and for the way in which they inspire my life. I hope they inspire yours today, too. Thank you for sharing!God bless you!
A hug is not finished Until we let go So while you’re here I’ll hug you and let you know I love you dearly I’m glad you’re near I pray for you daily And wish you good cheer
My arms reach out To hold you in my arms I squeeze you tightly And snuggle in your charms But if I don’t let go My hug will smother you So I release and bless you To God’s care; He’ll cover you.
A glimpse of Paradise Is here in the heart Of a home where love is – Where living is an art.
We each carry a paradise With us here on earth. It’s in hearts of compassion. It’s in expressions of mirth.
When we count all our blessings Living a life of gratitude, Heaven is felt and seen In the joy of our attitude.
Edward Hays wrote this story in his book, Feathers on the Wind,
Once upon a time there was a woman who longed to find out what heaven was like.She prayed constantly, “O God, grant me in this life a vision of paradise.”She prayed in this way for years until one night she had a dream. In her dream, an angel came and led her to heaven. They walked down a street in paradise until they came to an ordinary looking house.The angel, pointing toward the house, said, “Go and look inside.”
So the woman walked in the house and found a person preparing supper, another reading a newspaper, and children playing with their toys. Naturally she was disappointed, and returned to the angel on the street. “Is this all there is to heaven?”
The angel replied, “Those people that you saw in the house are not in paradise. Paradise is in them!”
Paradise is not distant. It’s the place where we live – If the Son shines within us And His love is what we give.
Hark, my Blogging Friend, What is it I see? Is that a glimpse of paradise I see in thee?
Oh, by the way, I saw this quote below posted by Cristian Mihai this morning on his “The Art of Blogging.” He was giving us tips (as he does EVERY day) on how to be better bloggers. One of his recommendations was this:
“Decide on a realistic posting frequency For me this is every single day, without exception. For you, it may be every other day or twice a week. Whatever you decide on, announce it to your readers on your blog. Announcing it accomplishes two things. One, you’re creating and managing your reader’s expectations of when new content will be posted. Two, you’re making yourself accountable to your readership. It’s harder to blow off posting when you know there’s a bunch of people out there who are expecting to see something new on a given day.”
So, taking his tip to heart, I am here to tell you, I blog at least once daily. This is my 313th day of consecutive blogging. I’ve been at it for more than six years, but I got serious 313 days ago. It’s paying off because you can count on me… and so I can count on you, too.
For example, on 7/6/19 I had a wonderful 550 followers. I was on a roll… and now, less than 50 days later, I have 614 followers. For those of you with thousands of followers, this might not be a big deal, but for me, it proves the importance of tenacity.
It’s the number of you who click into my blog and the ones who click “like,” and most importantly the ones who leave a comment – those are the folks who keep me going, give me encouragement, and help me know I am not blogging into empty space. Thank you!!
Sending love back atcha! See ya tomorrow… if not sooner!
When glancing to the right,
You see numbers 1-15,
Next page to 30.
