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Old 01-26-2017, 06:49 AM
  # 41 (permalink)  
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Originally Posted by honeypig View Post
...let patience and time do their work, the mud inside us will settle and clear...
Wonderful words of wisdom. It puts into words the place I find myself in my life at this moment (take time to work through everything, have patience with myself and the uncertainty and fears I face, sit with the uncomfortable feelings and let everything settle and calm down within and know all will be well...the answers will come). I'm getting there.
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Old 01-27-2017, 11:20 AM
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January 27, 2017

When men are rightfully occupied, then their amusement grows out of their work as the color petals out of a fruitful garden.

—John Ruskin


What do we need most in order to be happy? Certainly we all need to be loved. Yet we need even more than that. The spirit also wishes to be needed. When we are needed, no matter what age we are, we serve a purpose for others. When we are needed, we will be loved, as well as respected, imitated, and rewarded with gratitude.

Our needs are not great empty pits to be filled any way we can. They are the couplings by which we connect to those we love. Our needs also tell us what others want, and how to enrich their lives--which also enriches ours.

How do we become needed? We have only to look at our own needs and give what we need to others--love, respect, kindness, and generosity. When we realize we are needed, we realize we also need others.

What do I need that I can give to another person today?



This reading is from Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation, posted on the "Thought for the Day" page at the Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation web site. Additional daily readings can be found here: Thought for the Day | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
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Old 01-28-2017, 02:45 AM
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It is such a secret place, the land of tears.

—Antoine de St. Exupery


Where do tears come from? Perhaps each of us has a private well where the tears rise from. Each of us has our own landscape of events that have hurt us or given us joy. And so we have our own private responses to the world around us. Something may hurt one of us that would not hurt another.

Like the oceans and rivers, sometimes our well of tears is flowing. We do not always understand all the forces affecting the oceans or our well of tears. The kind of bucket that draws water from a well is solid and durable, and it lowers itself deep enough to find water. Good friends and family members are like that. It is comforting to share our private well with such people.

Who will I invite to drink from my well today?



This reading is from Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation, posted on the "Thought for the Day" page at the Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation web site. Additional daily readings can be found here: Thought for the Day | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
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Old 01-29-2017, 03:44 AM
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January 29, 2017

Think in terms of depletion, not depression . . .. You can understand how a body can replenish itself, whereas it may be difficult to understand the way out of depression.

—Claire Weekes


Despair and depression may come over us suddenly, for no reason we can figure out. But if we stop and reflect, we may realize we are reacting to too much of something--too much work, too much excitement, too much fun. We may be having a letdown after holidays, after completing a project, or at the end of a school year.

When we feel a letdown coming on, we must give ourselves time. We need to take some time off and do nothing, plan nothing. Then we can ask God to help us let go of the negative feelings that come along with a letdown. We can plan a small gift for ourselves--a walk by the lake, for instance. In our excitement with a rush of events, we often forget that we, like the infants we once were, need to take a rest and re-energize.

Do I need to do something just for myself today?



This reading is from Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation, posted on the "Thought for the Day" page at the Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation web site. Additional daily readings can be found here: Thought for the Day | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
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Old 01-30-2017, 10:28 AM
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January 30, 2017

Everyone has his own fingerprints. The white light streams down to be broken up by those human prisms into all the colors of the rainbow. Take your own color in the pattern and be just that.

—Charles R. Brown


We are often amazed at how different members of the same family seem to be. Contrasts are often great: one child might be loud and funny, one might be timid and quiet, and yet neither seems to take after the parents.

A family is like a vegetable garden. The vegetables respond to outside influences. The one exposed to more sunlight will grow differently than the one growing in a damp, shady place. Vegetables growing in crowded areas of the garden may not be as developed as those around them, but they might be tastier. Although we may have common roots, outside experiences and friends mold us too, making each of us unique. We sometimes lose ourselves by comparisons and feel as if we don't belong, but the variety of our family garden is what makes the world so interesting.

How can I honor another person's uniqueness today?



This reading is from Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation, posted on the "Thought for the Day" page at the Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation web site. Additional daily readings can be found here: Thought for the Day | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
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Old 01-31-2017, 10:23 AM
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January 31, 2017

Thou shalt not should thyself.

—-Anonymous


When someone tells us we should do something, do we want to do it, or do we feel mad that someone else is telling us what we want to do? Sometimes we forget that these messages are not our own, but are the desires of others. It's important to listen to what we tell ourselves, to be aware of which messages we're giving ourselves and which come from others.

We can make a list of all our shoulds and identify where they came from: parent, boss, friend, self. Then we can decide which shoulds are want to's, and throw out the rest. Doing what we want to is very different from doing what we should, and we can usually do a better job of it.

Have I freed myself of shoulds today?



This reading is from Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation, posted on the "Thought for the Day" page at the Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation web site. Additional daily readings can be found here: Thought for the Day | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
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Old 02-01-2017, 09:57 AM
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February 1, 2017

It's not enough to talk to plants; you also have to listen.

—David Bergman


Plants grow best when we pay attention to them. That means watering them, touching them, putting them in places where they will receive good light. They need people around them to notice if they are drooping at the edges or looking particularly happy in the sunlight. The more attention a plant receives, the better it will grow.

We need to be noticed in the same way. If we notice a family member or friend is drooping, perhaps we can pay some special attention to him or her. All of us need someone to care about how we are and to truly listen to us. We can share and double someone's happiness by noticing and talking about it also. We help the people around us to grow by listening to their droopy edges as well as their bright days. People need this as much as plants need light and water.

How can I help someone grow today?



This reading is from Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation, posted on the "Thought for the Day" page at the Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation web site. Additional daily readings can be found here: Thought for the Day | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
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Old 02-02-2017, 09:44 AM
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February 2, 2017

Fear is the absence of faith.
—Paul Tillich

We all experience fear. Sometimes we fear small things that only seem large at the time, like a test in school, or meeting a new boss, or going to the dentist. Sometimes we fear big things like serious illness or death, or that someone we love will come to harm.

Fear is healthy, and we all feel it. It keeps us from doing foolish things sometimes, but too much fear can also keep us from doing what we need for our growth. If we have faith in God and in ourselves, we can turn and face whatever frightens us, believing we can, with help, do what seems impossible. And we will, and the fear will vanish.

The important first step in dealing with fear is to take action--either by tackling what we fear ourselves, or by asking for help. Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.

What am I most afraid of?



This reading is from Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation, posted on the "Thought for the Day" page at the Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation web site. Additional daily readings can be found here: Thought for the Day | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
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Old 02-03-2017, 12:28 PM
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February 3, 2017

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole . . . nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it . . .. It was a hobbithole, and that means comfort.

—J. R. R. Tolkien


Home is a place of comfort. When we go away and have to adjust to a different bed and someone else's cooking, we quickly discover how comfortable our own home is. Comfort in a home is more than just a familiar bed and favorite food; it is something we can give to each other. We can make home a place where we can relax and be ourselves without fear of rejection.

Each of us needs a special little place where we can come and seek refuge from the world, our own little "fort." Children are often busy making "forts," but all of us in the family need to work at making the place where we live together a fort where we can all gather for rest.

What can I add to our comfort today?



This reading is from Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation, posted on the "Thought for the Day" page at the Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation web site. Additional daily readings can be found here: Thought for the Day | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
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Old 02-03-2017, 12:43 PM
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Honeypig...the painting of the lady with the wolves just stopped me in my tracks!
I wish I knew who painted it!

(this is what it feels like at 6am when it is time to feed the animals...lol)
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Old 02-03-2017, 12:56 PM
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dandy, I was able to chase down a link to the artist here The Girl Who Cried Wolf by Katie-Watersell on DeviantArt but I wasn't able to figure out how or where to buy a copy.

I am always amazed by the stunning images to be found all over the internet, and choosing an image for each day is truly the highlight of posting for me. As I'm searching for the image for any given day, if I come across something that just jumps out at me, like the wolf picture did, even if it's not what I want for that day, I save it to a folder in my computer to be used for some future posting.
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Old 02-03-2017, 04:02 PM
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It is a powerful rendering. At first, it seems as though the wolves are ready to devour her, then I noticed her arm up around a wolf in a semi-embrace. Her expression is peaceful. I wonder what the artist had in mind.
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Old 02-04-2017, 01:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Maudcat View Post
At first, it seems as though the wolves are ready to devour her, then I noticed her arm up around a wolf in a semi-embrace. Her expression is peaceful. I wonder what the artist had in mind.
I felt the same things, Maudcat, and that was why I chose it for that particular reading w/its message of facing our fears and becoming stronger. It seemed to me that she could indeed have been devoured by the wolves/her fears, but she had courage and they became her friends and protectors instead.

At least that's the story I told myself from that picture.
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Old 02-04-2017, 01:53 AM
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February 4, 2017

The shy man usually finds that he has been shy without cause, and that, in practice, no one takes the slightest notice of him.
—Robert Lynd

We sometimes feel self-conscious in front of others. It may be that we've just gotten braces or a new haircut and we're afraid everyone will stare at us. We stop smiling and talk with our heads bowed. Many people have worn braces and many more will. We need not be ashamed just because we feel different. By beginning to smile again we will see how many people really didn't notice our braces, or our haircuts, or anything but what they see inside us.

All we need to do is lift our heads and smile. We will be amazed to find how little even our best friends notice about the externals, the things that don't really matter. Who we are is far more noticeable and far more important than what we look like. A smile at shy times helps us accept ourselves as others do.

What makes me shy?



This reading is from Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation, posted on the "Thought for the Day" page at the Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation web site. Additional daily readings can be found here: Thought for the Day | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
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Old 02-05-2017, 01:57 AM
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February 5, 2017

Let there be spaces in your togetherness.

—Kahlil Gibran


Sometimes it is just as important to know when to leave others alone as it is to know when to talk with them. We all need to be alone at times - to think, to work out a problem, or just to be quiet with ourselves. This is especially true in families, where we're often surrounded by others. If we tune in to our other family members, we can develop sensors that will let us know when they need some time alone. Part of good communication is knowing when not to talk, too.

Can I be sensitive to my family's needs for privacy today?



This reading is from Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation, posted on the "Thought for the Day" page at the Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation web site. Additional daily readings can be found here: Thought for the Day | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
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Old 02-06-2017, 01:37 PM
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February 6, 2017

Pride works from within; it is the direct appreciation of oneself.

—Arthur Schopenhauer


Pride, like all emotions, has two faces: one healthy and one sick. It is our challenge to use the healthy side well. Sick pride fills us with ourselves, looks down on others, and has no room for generosity. Healthy pride is heavy with humility. If we can feel joyful when we succeed, and tell others about it honestly, we are not being boastful.

Sick pride often keeps us from doing things because we are too proud to ask for help when we need it, or too proud to risk failure, or too proud to do anything that might not turn out perfect. Healthy pride about our greatest victories always comes with the awareness that we did not do it all by ourselves. We had the aid, advice, and encouragement of loved ones. In all things that really count, we never walk alone. Even those who claim pride is not a virtue admit that it is the parent of many virtues.

What makes me proud of myself today?



This reading is from Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation, posted on the "Thought for the Day" page at the Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation web site. Additional daily readings can be found here: Thought for the Day | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
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Old 02-07-2017, 10:07 AM
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February 7, 2017

It is the weak who are cruel. Gentleness can only be expected from the strong.

—Leo Rosten


When we think of strength, do we think of someone who shows no emotion and intimidates others with physical power? True strength is the freedom to show all kinds of feelings. Strong people aren't afraid of being vulnerable. A person who feels insecure may not feel free to show any kind of softness or be able to share gentle feelings. If we have true inner strength, we are not afraid to show what is a part of us, gentle feelings included.

It is wonderful to see a well-conditioned athlete cry tears of joy after a victory. In such an example we can see physical and emotional strength. In our lives together, we will be stronger if we do not try to hide our feelings out of fear. As our feelings flow, we will increase our self-understanding and build our true strength.

Am I strong enough to show how I really feel today?



This reading is from Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation, posted on the "Thought for the Day" page at the Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation web site. Additional daily readings can be found here: Thought for the Day | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
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Old 02-08-2017, 10:03 AM
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February 8, 2017

When I look back on all these worries I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which never happened.

—Winston Churchill


A rolled-up ball of yarn does not take up much space - it sits, ready to be used when needed. It gets unrolled a little bit at a time - just as much as is needed and no more. But a ball of yarn that gets unraveled can be strewn across an entire room. It becomes a jumbled mass, entangled and confusing.

When we live our lives a day at a time, we are like that rolled-up ball of yarn. Our thoughts, feelings, and skills are ready to be used as they are needed. But when we worry, our spirit becomes a jumbled mass of yarn. We get ahead of and behind ourselves - our thoughts are scattered and often our feelings are confused. Worry adds clutter and confusion to life. What is most helpful is to put the worry away--to roll up the ball of yarn and bring ourselves into the present moment. In this way, we stand ready for each new stitch--and we will never be given more than we are able to handle.

Do I have worries that are cluttering my life today?



This reading is from Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation, posted on the "Thought for the Day" page at the Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation web site. Additional daily readings can be found here: Thought for the Day | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
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Old 02-08-2017, 11:20 PM
  # 59 (permalink)  
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I lost you for a bit there dearest honey ~ VERY glad to have found your beautiful thread(s) again.

Love Suze xx ♥
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Old 02-08-2017, 11:21 PM
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Glad to see you back, venuscat! Hope you find a little something good to hold onto each day.
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