Light in the Darkness

"We are not saints; we are not heroes. Our lives are lived in the quiet corners of the ordinary. We build tiny hearth fires, sometimes barely strong enough to give off warmth. But to the person lost in the darkness, our tiny flame may be the road to safety, the path to salvation.

It is not given to us to know who is lost in the darkness that surrounds us or even if our light is seen. We can only know that against even the smallest of lights, darkness cannot stand. A sailor lost at sea can be guided home by a single candle. A person lost in a wood can be led to safety by a flickering flame. It is not an issue of quality or intensity or purity. It is simply an issue of the presence of light."

Whether you are the light or in need of illumination, may you experience the comfort of knowing you are never alone.

Perception

What I began to see over and over again was that when most of us get upset it is for one reason and one reason only. The universe is not behaving the way we believe it should behave. This could mean that we didn't get the raise we believed we were entitled too, so we become disappointed. If we had not expected a raise in the first place, however, we never would have been disappointed would we? It could also mean that someone does not treat us in a particular way that we believe we should be treated.  Or someone dies before we believe they should die. It can be as heavy as that. I am not saying it isn't sad, but at the same time it isn't our choice to say how long someone is to live, now is it? Those are our perceptions of what we want, of how we want the universe to behave. When we get disappointed, we never stop and think that it is our perceptions or beliefs that are wrong. We think it is the universe that is wrong because of how we feel personally! That is a pretty grand stand to take when you think about it.  


So how do we change our perceptions? By becoming more aware of what your perceptions and beliefs are. You cannot change what you do not understand. So spend some time looking internally and when you become disappointed, think about what is disappointing you. Is it really the situation or the person, or is it because they are not behaving in a way you believe they should behave? Then slowly as you do this, force yourself to look at the bigger picture of what is going on. Force yourself to see the situation from a new perspective and offer positive spins on what has happened. I believe that the more you do this, the less you will be disappointed because you will stop taking things so personally. You will also begin to realize that the way things turn out are the way things are supposed to turn out, whether they are in line with your beliefs or not. This will lead you to feeling more in control of your emotions as well as of your behaviors and actions. You will also be able to use any challenge as an opportunity to grow, develop, and move your life forward, because you will not continuously be knocked down by disappointment.

What is a Dad?

A dad is someone who wants to catch you before you fall but instead picks you up, brushes you off, and lets you try again. A dad is someone who wants to keep you from making mistakes but instead lets you find your own way, even though his heart breaks in silence when you get hurt. A dad is someone who holds you when you cry, scolds you when you break the rules, shines with pride when you succeed, and has faith in you even when you fail...

Faith is the key to being successful.

In life , there will inevitably be obstacles to encounter . But don't worry that they will seem too great for you to handle , because you can. You may doubt yourself at times , but know that if you have faith , you have everything. Faith is the key to being successful. If you know you're capable of anything because of who you are , you will always reach your destination. It may not always be easy, but it will always be worth it. Look ahead of you , never behind. Have faith in yourself. If you do, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

How you feel equals who-you are.And who-you are equals everything that comes to you.

Often people believe finding a mate who loves them will be the answer to everything missing in their life experience. They want to find that one person who will, in essence, complete them. And almost without exception, they want that person , right here, right now ! But because we understand the Law of Attraction as we do, we encourage them to easy up a bit on the ''right here, right now''part, for this very important reason: If you insist on choosing a mate right now,that mate will be a Vibrational Match to how you feel right now. The person who comes right now will be a match to the essence of the person you are right now. When you are feeling misunderstood or lonely or unloved, you cannot find a mate who will offer anything different to you. If you have predominantly been noticing the absence of a wonderful relationship , the presence of a wonderful relationship cannot occur. Not right now. If you are seeking a joyful relationship , you must become joyful first. Asking for a relationship to make you joyful is a backward approach. If you are seeking a satisfying relationship , you must become satisfied first. If you are seeking a relationship full of fun and great timing and excitement, you must become full of fun and great timing and excitement, first. How you feel equals who-you are.And who-you are equals everything that comes to you. The powerful Law of Attraction insists on that. The most accurate way to assess your chronic Vibrational offering is to pay attention to the relationships you now have. The people who are drawn to you are a perfect reflection of your chronic thoughts, how you are feeling, and your point of attraction. And you have complete control about that

News of the Knee

Well my readers, its time for an April Update. (contain yourselves) 

Back in 1999, as I was getting out of the passenger side of my Ford Ranger, my right knee suddenly totally went all wonky on me and I fell. Its like my knee went sideways. Wow, that hurt. I slapped an ace bandage on that thing and called it good. I did go to the doctor and was told that I was fine, no worries. 

About 8-10 years later, it happened again - wow. Pain. Again, I went to the doctor and was told that I am okay. Nothing to worry about.  

Fast forward to April 24th. I had been pretty consistantly been working out on my elliptical, but thought I'd mix things up a bit and try some jumping jacks and follow it up with some of the excercises I learned to stregthen my back. 

Mistake. 

My knee went all wonky again, only this time, I couldn't put weight on it at all anymore, it would totally not hold me up at all. 

I went to the doctor, got a knee brace, then a MRI. 

Diagnosis - torn ACL & meniscus. Not only was my ACL torn, it is gone. Doc said "You don't have an ACL" so evidently back in 1999 I tore it and it never healed. 

I need surgery so he can "rebuild" my ACL, and he'll also be inserting some titanium in there as well.  

If I don't do the surgery, I will have problems for the rest of my life, and as I get older I will be unable to have it repaired at all. I will also need to wear a brace for the rest of my life if I don't do the surgery. 

If I do the surgery (and I will),. I will be out of commission from driving/work for 1-2 weeks depending on my pain levels. (!!!!); and then 6-9 months until I am back to "normal". Surgery is "same day surgery", and I have it scheduled for May 30th. 

I am so irritated and mad about this.  

So that's the Knee news. 

Life is Flow

Life is not all bad, just as it is not all good. Life is about experience. And often our greatest experience comes from our hardest lessons. But this does not mean we should not enjoy the pleasures of this world. For they exist to ease our journey. Neither does it mean we should dwell in morbidity because all good things will end.

Instead let us recognize that life is a flow. It cannot stop, speed up, slow down or reverse. Things constantly move on. Because that is evolution. It is only by the leaving of one room that we can enter the next. And if we do not progress, we cannot grow. And if we do not grow we have no purpose. So we must accept, and make the best.

Some people have a tendency to resist the flow. To try to stand still. And to feel resentful when they find that all around has moved on. But trying to keep the moment is like grasping a butterfly. As your fingers close around it the fragile beauty is destroyed forever. Better to enjoy it while it settles upon your hand, and to wish it well as it continues its journey as you continue yours.

Live for the moment. Enjoy it to the full. And when it passes look back with pleasure, and look forward with hope.

Positive Thought for the day

Your inner strengths, your natural abilities and everyday skills are the gateway to a brighter future. Posted: 08 May 2012 04:12 AM PDT We are given everything we need to have the lives we want. It is within you, in your make-up, to be whoever you want to be. Maybe your mindset is driving you in such a way that you are repressing those wonderful gifts given to you as part of your creation. But I am here with GREAT news. They are there, and they are yours! All you have to do is unearth them and build something spectacular. Our talents and skills are part of our being.  In fact, each of us has a distinct set of tools that are our own.  And that’s why we were put on this planet – to share those talents and skills with the world! Turn off any self-talk that tells you that you are destined to live a small life. You’re not.You have internal gifts (resourcefulness, energy, attitude, all sorts of positive attributes) and external gifts (food, water, nature, people and other helpful resources). If you are thinking, “My only gift is that I can get up every morning and get through it all again,” turn it off right now. That’s a damaging mindset! It will do nothing but hold you back and you deserve so much more! Your gifts can make great things happen in your life! When you focus far too much on your problems, perceived shortcomings or other obstacles you get yourself STUCK. If all you see is growing debt, lack of money, fleeting dreams or a dismal future, you are stopping your momentum before it even has a chance to start.  If you’re one of those telling yourself you can’t afford a bigger life, or that you don’t have enough time to do everything you need to do, or you’re too tired, overworked, and have a lackluster life – stop! It’s time to shift your mindset and take action to create positive results! Focus on the good things you do have, not on what you don’t have. Change the conversation in your head. Be good to yourself when you talk to yourself!  Change the people you associate with, if you need to. Get positive support. Reach out for what you want. Bring together those you need to help you succeed in creating a bigger life.  You have the potential, the capability. It is within you. Once you tap into it, you will see immediate results and great rewards come to you. When we use, share, and value our gifts properly, we receive rewards in the form of positive, regenerating energy and optimism.  If we give away our value, even literally, by extending our skills and talents without getting paid or recognized, it depletes energy and creates a negative attitude. Gifts can make you feel like you have superpowers! Your inner strengths, your natural abilities and everyday skills are the gateway to a brighter future. Here’s an exercise which will help you reset your mindset and help you access all of the wonderful gifts you have. Sit down and write out everything you’re grateful for, everything you’re able to do and everything you even wish you could do. Get in the habit of thinking positively about yourself and what you’re capable of.  When you change that conversation with yourself, something miraculous happens! Open those doors and let the opportunity flood in and fill your life with success. Loral Langemeier.

Happy Star Wars Day

My husband is a huge Star Wars fan, and I guess through the process of osmosis, I am too. In fact, he has an extensive collection of Star Wars action figures, ships, etc - all in the original package that we are currently selling on Amazon. (look up riviera41797 if you're interested in buying any, we'll be listing more soon).

So today (or this weekend,) will be the perfect opportunity to watch some Star Wars. I bought the blue ray edition of Star Wars for John for Christmas, which we've yet to crack open yet. I think we should watch some. Probably not tonight though however, as tonight is SUPERNATURAL. Sorry Obi-one, Chewbacca, Luke & Han, but Jensen Ackles & Misha Collins are way hotter.

Have a good weekend readers.
-April-

Love What You Have

Love what you have. We live in a disposable society. We buy things, use them and then throw them away. Our landfills continue to grow, despite no one wanting garbage in their own back yard. Meanwhile, debt is also growing.  People continue to spend money they don’t have on things they don’t need. We need to come back to reality.  We need to focus on growth in our bank accounts, not on growth in the landfills and growth in our debt. So what’s the solution? How can people grow their savings, while shrinking their garbage and depleting their debt? Love is the answer. We need to learn to appreciate what we already have.  We need to love what we have. If you love what you have, you don’t feel the need for more.  If you love what you have, you can easily say no when you’re bombarded with 3000 marketing messages to buy each day (as estimated by Doug Hall at doughall.com).  If you love what you have, you’re not going to throw something out once it gets a little used. People who love what they have are happy.  They see the beauty in what they’ve got.  When they buy new stuff, they are very selective--because it has to be something they can love.  People who love what they have perform proper maintenance, and ensure they get the most out of their purchases. If you’re looking for ways to reduce the money you spend this year, spend some time admiring what you already have. Love your possessions.  Maintain them so they last longer. Disposable items are always more costly in the long run.  Loving what you have costs nothing, but can save you lots of money.  It can also save you time.  You won’t need to run out and get something new just because you have money in your pocket.  Why would you want something new?  Save time and money by loving what you already own! Is it any wonder that the average "millionaire next door" has a car that’s eight years old?  People that are rich love what they have.  They know the value of quality, and they know the value of getting the most out of their purchases. Do you spend time dreaming of a new car, or loving the car you’ve got?  Do you spend time dreaming of new furniture, a new house or new clothes?  Or do you spend some quality time loving the furniture, house and clothes you’ve already been blessed with? What’s going to save you money and make you happier?  Loving what you have, or dreaming of what you don’t have? Save your money, your time and your environment this year:  love what you have. James Allan.

Anything is Possible

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Anything is possible. If there was ever a time to dare, to make a difference, to embark on something worth doing, IT IS NOW. Not for any grand cause, necessarily. . . but for something that tugs at your heart, something that's your inspiration, something that's your dream. You owe it to yourself to make your days here count. HAVE FUN. DIG DEEP. STRETCH. DREAM BIG. Know, though, that things worth doing seldom come easy. There will be good days. And there will be bad days. There will be times when you want to turn around, pack it up, and call it quits. Those times tell you that you are pushing yourself, that you are not afraid to learn by trying. PERSIST. Because with an idea, determination, and the right tools, you can do great things. Let your instincts, your intellect, and your heart, guide you. TRUST. Believe in the incredible power of the human mind. Of doing something that makes a difference. Of working hard. Of laughing and hoping. Of lazy afternoons. Of lasting friends. Of all the things that will cross your path this year. The start of something new brings the hope of something great, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

Your dreams will come true.

Stay true to all your beliefs and goals. Stand tall. Through all life's setbacks and disappointments, your dreams will come true. When no one else is with you, and no one seems to care, just whisper to yourself, "I am the controller of my destiny. It's up to me what comes to pass, and if I keep my thoughts positive and strong, my dreams will come true." When what seem to be impossible obstacles stand in your way, just think of all the times you got through yesterday. There is a place for you in this world. Stay on your chosen path. All the power is within you; be true to what is in your heart. Be honest within yourself; if you are, then you cannot fail. Your dreams will come true.

Best Rum Cake Ever

Best Rum Cake Ever

Best Rum Cake Ever




Ingredients:

1 C butter 1 tsp baking soda

1 C sugar 1 tsp salt

4 large eggs lemon juice

1 C dried fruit 1 C brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder nuts

1 or 2 quarts rum



Before you start, sample the rum to check for quality. (Pretty good, huh?) Now go ahead.



Select a large mixing bowl, measuring cup, etc. Check rum again as it must be just right. To be sure the rum is of the finest quality, pour one level cup into a glass and drink it as fast as you can. Repeat, if needed.



With an electric mixer, beat 1 C of the butter in a large fluffy bowl and add 1 teaspoon of thugar and beat again.



Meanwhile, make sure that the rum is of the finest quality. Cry anuther tup. Open second quart, if necessary.



Add 2 arge eggs. 2 cups fried druit and beat til high. If druit get stuck in beaters, just pry loose witha drewsciver



Sample rum again to check for tonscisticity



Next, sift 3 cups od salt oar anythink. it really doesn't matter. Sample the rlum.



Sift half pint of lemon juice. Fold in chopped butter and strained nuts. Add 1 babblespoon of brown thugar, or whatever color you can find, and mix mell. Grease over an turn cake pan to 350 gredees.



Now poor the whole mess into the boven and ake.



Check the rum again and bo to ged.

When you were born, you didn't come with an owner's manual; these guidelines make life work better.

1. You will receive a body.  You may like it or hate it, but it's the only thing you are sure to keep for the rest of your life.
2. You will learn lessons.  You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called "Life on Planet Earth."  Every person or incident is the Universal Teacher.
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons.  Growth is a process of experimentation.  "Failures" are as much a part of the process as "success."
4. A lesson is repeated until learned.  It is presented to you in various forms until you learn it -- then you can go on to the next lesson.
5. If you don't learn easy lessons, they get harder.  External problems are a precise reflection of your internal state.  When you clear inner obstructions, your outside world changes.  Pain is how the universe gets your attention.
6. You will know you've learned a lesson when your actions change.  Wisdom is practice.  A little of something is better than a lot of nothing.
7. "There" is no better than "here."  When your "there" becomes a "here" you will simply obtain another "there" that again looks better than "here."
8. Others are only mirrors of you.  You cannot love or hate something about another unless it reflects something you love or hate in yourself.
9. Your life is up to you.  Life provides the canvas; you do the painting.  Take charge of your life --or someone else will.
10. You always get what you want.  Your subconscious rightfully determines what energies, experiences, and people you attract -- therefore, the only foolproof way to know what you want is to see what you have.  There are no victims, only students.
11. There is no right or wrong, but there are consequences.  Moralizing doesn't help.  Judgments only hold the patterns in place.  Just do your best.
12. Your answers lie inside you.  Children need guidance from others; as we mature, we trust our hearts, where the Laws of Spirit are written.  You know more than you have heard or read or been told.  All you need to do is to look, listen, and trust.
13. You will forget all this.
14. You can remember any time you wish.

Your idea of a good friend

In kindergarten your idea of a good friend was the person who let you have the red crayon when all that was left was the ugly black one.

In first grade your idea of a good friend was the person who went to the bathroom with you and held your hand as you walked through the scary halls.

In second grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you stand up to the class bully.

In third grade your idea of a good friend was the person who shared their lunch with you when you forgot yours on the bus.

In fourth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who was willing to switch square dancing partners in gym so you wouldn't have to be stuck do-si-do-ing with Nasty Nicky or Smelly Susan.

In fifth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who saved a seat in the back of the bus for you.

In sixth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who went up to Nick or Susan, your new crush, and asked them to dance with you, so that if they said no you wouldn't have to be embarrassed.

In seventh grade your idea of a good friend was the person who let you copy the social studies homework from the night before that you had forgotten about.

In eighth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you pack up your stuffed animals and old baseball cards so that your room would be a "high schooler's" room, but didn't laugh at you when you finished and broke out in tears.

In ninth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who went with you to that "cool" party thrown by a senior so you wouldn't wind up being the only freshman there.

In tenth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who changed their schedule so you would have someone to sit with at lunch.

In eleventh grade your idea of a good friend was the person who gave you rides in their new car, convinced your parents that you shouldn't be grounded, consoled you when you broke up with Nick or Susan, and found you a date to the prom.

In twelfth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you pick out a college, assured you that you would get into that college, helped you deal with your parents, who were having a hard time adjusting to the idea of letting you go. . .

At graduation your idea of a good friend was the person who was crying on the inside but managed the biggest smile one could give as they congratulated you.

The summer after twelfth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you clean up the bottles from that party, helped you sneak out of the house when you just couldn't deal with your parents, assured you that now that you and Nick or you and Susan were back together, you could make it through anything, helped you pack up for college and just silently hugged you as you looked through blurry eyes at eighteen years of memories you were leaving behind, and finally on those last days of childhood, went out of their way to come over and send you off with a hug, a lot of memories, reassurance that you would make it in college as well as you had these past eighteen years, and, most important, sent you off to college knowing you were loved.

Now, your idea of a good friend is still the person who gives you the better of two choices, holds your hand when you're scared, helps you fight off those who try to take advantage of you, thinks of you at times when you are not there, reminds you of what you have forgotten, helps you put the past behind you but understands when you need to hold on to it a little longer, stays with you so you have confidence, goes out of their way to make time for you, helps you clear up your mistakes, helps you deal with pressure from others, smiles for you even when they are sad, helps you become a better person, and, most important, loves you!