P.s

[CAPTAINZING2000]

http://andiesisle.com/Blessings.html

[CAPTAINZING2000]

GOD CAN YOU CALL ME SOME ANGELS?


Somewhere in this dark rainy night, there's going to be a fight
Instead of love there's nothing but hate. Lord can you send an
Angel before it's too late?

On interstate 95, there's a wreck will they make it out alive?
The other driver had too much to drink. Why couldn't he have stopped to think?
The drunk driver came out unharmed the family he struck bought the farm


Somewhere in the distance a siren is heard. The firefighters get dressed without saying a word.
Can they make it to the fire on time? Pulling out the ladders on a dangerous climb
The flames of hell they surely do see trying to save a girl age three

Somewhere on another part of town, a robbery is going down.
A young man has turned to drugs, grew up w/o kisses or hugs
Driving by an officer on patrol. Is it too late for the policeman to stop this lost soul?


In another block, a Doctor is fighting the clock. A man has had a heart attack. Only with God's help is the man coming back. The nurse and the doc have treated so many they've lost track

In the early morning a teacher rises from bed. The daily lessons going thru her head. She's going to an overcrowed class room to do the best she can. She'll try to turn out productive women and men.


Somewhere in the desert sand, a soldier tries to understand. Why he can't come home to his family. But, the soldier know's he's fighting so we can stay free.
Our service men and women thousands of miles away, keeping us safe another day

God, can you call me some Angels?




CHRIS

[lonlion]

Chris these are awesome! I have saved them all in my "Positive Affirmations" file on my computer.

Di

[CAPTAINZING2000]

1. BE QUIET. At least once a day, sit down.

There is a source within each one of us called the
spirit or soul. It is a crime to disturb the inner
peace. This peace is our power to create
positive things in our life.

Try speaking softly and slowly than your usual way.
Speaking this way is more powerful because it attracts
the peace in others. Just be aware of your words.
Savor their energy and rhythm.

2. LET GO. Don't hold on to anything with your hand or
with your mind.

Many think that doing this means losing. If you don't
release the old, you can't get anything new. This
requires detachment. Letting go means moderating
excessive attachment to material possessions, to
emotions, or to the status quo or comfort zones in our
lives.

3. LET IT BE. We are great fixers of other people's
lives.

We're trying to write somebody else's script. We are
absent from our own lives because we're busy living
the life of others. Acceptance and contentment are the
first steps to healthy relationships. An example is
our appreciation of the moon, which is beyond change.
We never dream of wanting to change or influence it,
nor have we the slightest remorse that the same face
of the moon is always turned toward us: We have no
need to see the dark side. Extend this deep feeling of
acceptance to the people we meet.

4. LISTEN IN. Use your intuition, the inner tutor and
the voice of wisdom.

Because we have held on to our false beliefs for so
long, we ignore and distrust our inner voice and tell
it to shut up. The process of enlightenment is the
process of learning to trust that inner voice once
again.

Example is the conscience as intuition at work. When
we misbehave, the voice of conscience alerts us to our
mistake. We may shun that voice, engaging in reason as
the ally of ego to justify our deeds. Yet the
troubling intuitive disapproval of conscience will go
on to make its rebukes. We can either suppress the
advice or repair the wrong.

5. WAKE UP. Habits are programmed by our external
conditioning.

Write your own habits then decide which ones to strike
out and replace them with virtues. Visualize the
virtue you want to create and empower that image. For
example, if you want to develop patience, visualize
yourself as a patient person. Watch, feel and manifest
patience in every action you do until it becomes your
behavior. Waking up is to consciously choose your
behavior and thereby create the personality
(character) you want. Never believe anyone who says,
"You can never change."

6. KNOW YOURSELF. Look behind the "I want" attitude,
those desires that make us need things that are not
necessary.

The truth is, happiness is a choice, not a chore; a
decision to bring out from the self. Affirm that you
are happiness, a source of happiness.

7. PASS IT ON. Take one idea from this article then
pass it on to another.

You empower yourself and the other as you share this
truth. This is also giving value to the time you spent
reading this. Life is like a river,
constantly flowing. The highest purpose of rivers is
to nourish plants and people who are fellow travelers
in the journey of life. Our highest purpose is to
nourish others. Like the river, the greatest gift one
can give is wisdom. Through this, you empower yourself
as well as others.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Lessons on Life

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge
things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look
at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in
summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe
what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so
sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping
with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they
had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season,
and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come
from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring,
the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.


Moral lessons:

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Don't judge life by one difficult season.
Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

TODAY I WILL NOT STRIKE BACK:
If someone is rude, if someone is impatient, if someone is unkind... I will not respond in a like manner.


TODAY I WILL ASK GOD TO BLESS MY "ENEMY:"
If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly, I will quietly ask GOD to bless that individual. I understand the "enemy" could be a family member, neighbor, co-worker or stranger.


TODAY I WILL BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT I SAY:
I will carefully choose and guard my words being certain that I do not spread gossip.


TODAY I WILL GO THE EXTRA MILE:
I will find ways to help share the burden of another person.


TODAY I WILL FORGIVE:
I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way.


TODAY I WILL DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE, BUT I WILL NOT DO IT SECRETLY:
I will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another.


TODAY I WILL TREAT OTHERS THE WAY I WISH TO BE TREATED:
I will practice the golden rule - "Do unto others as I would have them do unto me" - with everyone I encounter.


TODAY I WILL RAISE THE SPIRITS OF SOMEONE WHO IS DISCOURAGED:
My smile, my words, my expression of support, can make the difference to someone who is wrestling with life.


TODAY I WILL NURTURE MY BODY:
I will eat less; I will eat only healthy foods. I will thank GOD for my body.


TODAY I WILL GROW SPIRITUALLY:
I will spend a little more time in prayer today: I will begin reading something spiritual or inspirational today; I will find a quiet place (at some point during this day) and listen to GOD's voice!!!

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Ten Guidelines From God

Effective Immediately,
please be aware that there are changes YOU need
to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be
completed in order that I may fulfill My promises
to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in
this life. I apologize for any inconvenience,
but after all that I am doing, this seems very
little to ask of you.. Please, follow
these 10 guidelines


1. QUIT WORRYING:
Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit
and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here
to take all your burdens and carry them for you?
Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little
thing that comes your way?


2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:
Something needs done or taken care of. Put it
on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY
to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care
of the problem. I can't help you until you turn
it over to Me. And although My to-do-list
is long, I am after all... God. I can take care
of anything you put into My hands. In fact,
if the truth were ever really known, I take
care of a lot of things for you that you never
even realize.


3. TRUST ME:
Once you've given your burdens to Me,
quit trying to take them back. Trust in
Me. Have the faith that I will take care of
all your needs, your problems and your trials.
Problems with the kids? Put them on My list.
Problem with finances? Put it on My list.
Problems with your emotional roller coaster?
For My sake, put it on My list. I want to
help you. All you have to do is ask.



4. LEAVE IT ALONE:
Don't wake up one morning and say,
"Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think
I can handle it from here." Why do you think
you are feeling stronger now? It's simple.
You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking
care of them. I also renew your strength
and cover you in my peace. Don't you
know that if I give you these problems back,
you will be right back where you started?
Leave them with Me and forget about
them. Just let Me do my job.



5. TALK TO ME:
I want you to forget a lot of things.
Forget what was making you crazy.
Forget the worry and the fretting because
you know I'm in control. But there's one
thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't
forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU!
I want to hear your voice. I want you to
include Me in on the things going on in your life.
I want to hear you talk about your friends
and family. Prayer is simply you having
a conversation with Me. I want to be your
dearest friend.



6. HAVE FAITH:
I see a lot of things from up here that you
can't see from where you are. Have faith in
Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me;
you wouldn't want the view from My eyes.
I will continue to care for you, watch over you,
and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me.
Although I have a much bigger task than you,
it seems as if you have so much trouble just
doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?
7. SHARE:
You were taught to share when you were
only two years old. When did you forget?
That rule still applies. Share with those who are
less fortunate than you. Share your joy with
those who need encouragement. Share your
laughter with those who haven't heard any in
such a long time. Share your tears with those
who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith
with those who have none.



8. BE PATIENT:
I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime
you could have so many diverse experiences.
You grow from a child to an adult, have children,
change jobs many times, learn many trades,
travel to so many places, meet thousands
of people, and experience so much. How can
you be so impatient then when it takes Me
a little longer than you expect to handle
something on My to-do-list? Trust in My
timing, for My timing is perfect. Just
because I created the entire universe in
only six days, everyone thinks I should
always rush, rush, rush.



9. BE KIND:
Be kind to others, for I love them just
as much as I love you. They may not dress
like you, or talk like you, or live the same way
you do, but I still love you all.. Please try
to get along, for My sake. I created each
of you different in some way. It would be
too boring if you were all identical.
Please, know I love each of your differences.
10. LOVE YOURSELF:
As much as I love you, how can you not
love yourself? You were created by me for
one reason only -- to be loved, and to love
in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me.
Love your neighbors. But also love yourself.
It makes My heart ache when I see you
so angry with yourself when things go
wrong. You are very precious to me.
Don't ever forget......

[CAPTAINZING2000]

A WHALE OF A STORY

If you read the front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle
on Thursday, December 15, 2005,
you would have read about a female humpback whale
who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines.

She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps
that caused her to struggle to stay afloat.
She had hundreds of yards of rope wrapped around her body,
her tail, her torso,
& a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands,
outside the Golden Gate and radioed an environmental group for help.
Within a few hours the rescue team arrived.
They determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her
was to dive in and untangle her - a very dangerous proposition.
One slap of the tail could kill a few rescuers.

They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.
When she was free,
the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles.
She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time,
and nudged them, pushed them gently around.
She thanked them .

Some say it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.
The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye
was following him the whole time,
and he will never be the same.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

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<!--mstheme-->The Hand<!--mstheme-->

The first grade teacher gave her class a fun assignment -- to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful. Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged, but still many would have things that they were thankful for. But Douglas made a different kind of picture.

Douglas was a different kind of boy. He was the teacher's true child of misery, frail and unhappy. As other children played at recess, Douglas was likely to stand close by her side. One could only guess at the pain Douglas felt behind those sad eyes.

Yes, his picture was different. When asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand. His abstract image captured the imagination of his peers. Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raised food. Another suggested a police officer, because the police protect and care for people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, for God feeds us. And so the discussion went-until the teacher almost forgot the young artist himself.

When the children had gone on to other assignments, she paused at Douglas' desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was. The little boy looked away and murmured, "It's yours, teacher." She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him here or there, as she had the other students. How often had she said, "Take my hand, Douglas, we'll go outside." Or, "Let me show you how to hold your pencil." Or, "Let's do this together." Douglas was most thankful for his teacher's hand. Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.

The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends showing friendship, and how much it means to the Douglases of the world. They might not always say thanks. But they'll remember the hand that reaches out.

This week please use YOUR HAND to reach out in friendship to someone who could use your help.

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[CAPTAINZING2000]

You Want Heroes?
"Where are the heroes of today?" a radio talk show host thundered. He blames society's shortcomings on public education.

Too many people are looking for heroes in all the wrong places. Movie stars and rock musicians, athletes and models aren't heroes, they're celebrities.

Heroes abound in public schools, a fact that doesn't make the news. There is no precedent for the level of violence, drugs, broken homes, child abuse, and crime in today's America. Public education didn't create these problems but deals with them every day.

You want heroes?

Consider Dave Sanders, the school teacher shot to death while trying to shield his students from two Neo-Nazi youth on a bombing and shooting rampage at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Sanders gave his life, along with 12 students, but other less heralded heroes survived the Colorado blood bath.

You want heroes?

Jane Smith, a Fayetteville, N.C., teacher, was moved by the plight of one of her students, a boy dying for want of a kidney transplant. So this pretty white woman told the family of this handsome 14-year old black boy that she would give him one of her kidneys. And she did. When they subsequently appeared together hugging on the Today Show, even tough little Katie Couric was near tears.

You want heroes?

Doris Dillon dreamed all her life of being a teacher. She not only made it, she was one of those wondrous teachers who could wring the best out of every single child. One of her fellow teachers in San Jose, Calif., said "she could teach a rock to read." Suddenly she was stricken with Lou Gehrig's Disease, which is always fatal, usually within five years. She asked to stay on the job-and did. When her voice was affected she communicated by computer. Did she go home? She is running two elementary school libraries. When the disease was diagnosed, she wrote the staff and all the families that she had one last lesson to teach - that dying is part of living. Her colleagues named her Teacher of the Year.

You want heroes?

Bob House, a teacher in Gay, Georgia, tried out for Who Wants to be a Millionaire. After he won the million dollars, a network film crew wanted to follow up to see how it had impacted his life. New cars? Big new house? Instead, they found both Bob House and his wife still teaching. They explained that it was what they had always wanted to do with their lives and that would not change. The community was both stunned and gratified.

You want heroes?

Last year the average public school teacher spent $468 of their own money for student necessities-work books, pencils-supplies kids had to have but could not afford. That's a lot of money from the pockets of the most poorly paid teachers in the industrial world.

Public schools don't teach values? The critics are dead wrong. Public education provides more Sunday school teachers than any other profession. The average teacher works more hours in nine months than the average 40-hour employee does in a year.

You want heroes? For millions of kids, the hug they get from a teacher is the only hug they will get that day because the nation is living through the worst parenting in history. Many have never been taken to church or synagogue in their lives.

A Michigan principal moved me to tears with the story of her attempt to rescue a badly abused little boy who doted on a stuffed animal on her desk- one that said "I love you!" He said he'd never been told that at home. This is a constant in today's society - two million unwanted, unloved, abused children in the public schools, the only institution that takes them all in.

You want heroes?

Visit any special education class and watch the miracle of personal interaction, a job so difficult that fellow teachers are awed by the dedication they witness.

There is a sentence from an unnamed source which says, "We have been so anxious to give our children what we didn't have that we have neglected to give them what we did have."

What is it that our kids really need? What do they really want? Math, science, history and social studies are important, but children need love, confidence, encouragement, someone to talk to, someone to listen, standards to live by.

Teachers provide upright examples, the faith and assurance of responsible people. Kids need to be accountable to caring parents who send well disciplined children to school.

These human values are essential in a democracy-anything that threatens them makes our whole society a little less free, our nation a little less strong. These values can be neither created nor preserved without continuous effort and that effort must come from more than teachers who have students only six hours of the day.

Despite the problems, public school teachers laugh often and much. They have the respect of intelligent people and the affection of students who care. Teachers strive to find the best in their students, even where some see little hope. No other American bestows a finer gift than teaching - reaching out to the brilliant and the retarded, the gifted and the average.

Teachers leave the world a little bit better than they found it, knowing if they have redeemed just one life, they have done God's work. They are America's unsung heroes.


by Frosty Troy

[CAPTAINZING2000]

10 RULES YOUR TEEN WON'T BE LEARNING IN SCHOOL
For any of you with teens who missed Ann Landers column I thought this was good enough (and true enough) to pass on.

Life is not fair. Get used to it. The average teenager uses the phrase "It's not fair" 86 times a day.
The real world won't care as much about your self-esteem as your school does. This may come as a shock.
Sorry, you won't make $40,000 a year right out of high school. And you won't be vice-president or have a car phone, either. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't have a designer label.
If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss!
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping -- they called it opportunity.
It's not your parents' fault if you mess up. You're responsible. This is the flip side of "It's my life" and "You're not my boss."
Before you were born, your parents weren't boring. They got that way paying your bills and listening to you.
Life is not divided into semesters. And you don't get summers off. Not even Spring Break. Your are expected to show up every day for eight hours, and you don't get a new life every 10 weeks.
Smoking does not make you look cool. Watch an 11 year old with a butt in his mouth. That's what you look like to anyone over 20.
Your school may be "outcome-based," but life isn't. In some schools, you're given as many times as you want to get the answer right. Standards are set low enough so everyone can meet them. This, of course, bears not the slightest resemblance to anything in real life -- as you will find ut.
Good Luck. You are going to need it -- and the harder you work, the luckier you will get.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

I worked years for someone else

So that I could retire.

I dreamed of sleeping late

And sitting by the fire.

I dreamed of long vacations,

Enjoying stage and song.

But, let me set you straight on that concept,

It is simply wrong.

I did junk my safety glasses

And the work boots that cramped my toes.

But, the rest of it had a mind of it's own

And this is how it goes.

My wife had been thinking of retirement

And had plans of her own.

She had spent much time with the kids

But, now they are grown and gone.

We sold our cattle and horses

So we wouldn't have that chore.

I poured concrete over my alarm clock

But, I still wake up at four.

I get my eyes checked on Monday.

Ann gets hers checked the next day.

I go for a colon check on Wednesday

And pass my wife going the other way.

I have a dental appointment on Thursday.

Ann goes for a test on her heart.

Friday we go get prescriptions filled

And browse a while at Wal-mart.

Saturdays we just stay home

And try to get the paper work right.

We can't take any overnight trips

'Cause we can't see to drive at night.

Restroom confusion keeps us out of church on Sunday

And we really do hate that.

There's nothing wrong with the restrooms,

We just can't remember where they're at.

We don't need to plan next week,

Just make sure we can drive.

And not forget where the hospitals and clinics are.

We'll need them to survive.

So, don't build your castles too high, my friend,

While strolling through the clover.

This is a typical week in retirement

And on Monday we start all over!

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Inspiring Thoughts

<HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->

Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind.

You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future

Love...and you shall be loved.

God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.

All people smile in the same language.

Everyone needs to be loved... especially when they do not deserve it.

The real measure of a man's wealth is what he has invested in eternity.

Laughter is God's sunshine.

Everyone has beauty but not everyone sees it.

It's important for parents to live the same things they teach.

Thank God for what you have, trust GOD for what you need.

If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow,
you have no today to be thankful for.

Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks within.

The choice you make today will usually affect tomorrow.

Take time to laugh, for it is the music of the soul.

Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.
Love is strengthened by working through conflicts together.

Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts.

To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it.

We take for granted the things that we should be giving thanks for.

Love is the only thing that can be divided without being diminished.

Happiness is enhanced by others but does not depend upon others.

For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60 seconds of happiness
that you can never get back.

Do what you can, for who you can, with what you have, and where you are.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

2 ALL U GREAT PEOPLE IN N/F:ValB010:

[CAPTAINZING2000]

EVERY 1 OF YOU

[CAPTAINZING2000]

We all know what it's like to get that phone call in the middle of the night. This night's call was no different. Jerking up to the ringing summons, I focused on the red illuminated numbers of my clock. Midnight. Panicky thoughts filled my sleep-dazed mind as I grabbed the receiver.

Hello?"

My heart pounded; I gripped the phone tighter and eyed my husband, who was now turning to face my side of the bed. "Mama?" I could hardly hear the whisper over the static. But my thoughts immediately went to my daughter. When the desperate sound of a young crying voice became clearer on the line, I grabbed for my husband and squeezed his wrist.

"Mama, I know it's late, but don't...don't say anything, until I finish. And before you ask, yes, I've been drinking. I nearly ran off the road a few miles back, and..." I drew in a sharp shallow breath, released my husband and pressed my hand against my forehead. Sleep still fogged my mind and I attempted to fight back the panic. Something wasn't right.

"And I got so scared. All I could think about was how it would hurt you if a policeman came to your door and said I'd been killed. I want...to come home. I know running away was wrong. I know you've been worried sick. I should have called you days ago, but I was afraid...afraid..."

Sobs of deep-felt emotion flowed from the receiver and poured into my heart. Immediately I pictured my daughter's face in my mind and my fogged senses seemed to clear. "I think--"

"No! Please let me finish! Please!" She pleaded, not so much in anger but in desperation.

I paused and tried to think of what to say. Before I could go on, she continued, "I'm pregnant, Mama. I know I shouldn't be drinking now...especially now, but I'm scared, Mama. So scared!" The voice

broke again and I bit into my lip, feeling my own eyes fill with moisture. I looked at my husband who sat silently mouthing, "Who is it?"

I shook my head and when I didn't answer, he jumped up and left the room, returning seconds later with the portable phone held to his ear. She must have heard the click in the line because she continued, "Are you still there? Please don't hang up on me! I need you. I feel so alone."

I clutched the phone and stared at my husband, seeking guidance. "I'm here, I wouldn't hang up," I said.

"I know I should have told you, Mama. But when we talk, you just keep telling me what I should do. You read all those pamphlets on how to talk about sex and all, but all you do is talk. You don't listen to me. You never let me tell you how I feel. It is as if my feelings aren't important. Because you're my mother, you think you have all the answers. But sometimes I don't need answers. I just want someone to listen"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and stared at the how-to-talk-to-your-kids pamphlets scattered on my night stand. "I'm listening," I whispered.

"You know, back there on the road, after I got the car under control, I started thinking about the baby and taking care of it. Then I saw this phone booth and it was as if I could hear you preaching about people shouldn't drink and drive. So I called a taxi. I want to come home."

"That's good, Honey," I said as relief filled my chest. My husband came closer, sat down beside me and laced his fingers through mine. I knew from his touch that he thought I was doing and saying the right thing. "But you know, I think I can drive now."

"No!" I snapped. My muscles stiffened, and I tightened the clasp on my husband's hand. "Please, wait for the taxi. Don't hang up on me until the taxi gets there."

"I just want to come home, Mama."

"I know. But do this for your mama. Wait for the taxi, please." I listened to the silence in fear. When I didn't hear her answer, I bit into my lip and closed my eyes. Somehow I had to stop her from driving.

"There's the taxi, now."

Only when I heard someone in the background asking about a Yellow Cab did I feel my tension easing.

"I'm coming home, Mama." There was a click and the phone went silent. Moving from the bed with tears forming in my eyes, I walked out into the hall and went to stand in my sixteen-year-old daughter's room. The dark silence hung thick. My husband came from behind, wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on the top of my head. I wiped the tears from my cheeks. "We have to learn to listen," I said.

He pulled me around to face him. "We'll learn. You'll see." Then he took me into his arms and I buried my head in his shoulder. I let him hold me for several moments, then I pulled back and stared back at the bed. He studied me for a second, then asked, "Do you think she'll ever know she dialed the wrong number?"

I looked at our sleeping daughter, then back at him. "Maybe it wasn't such a wrong number."

"Mom, Dad, what are you doing?" The muffled young voice came from under the covers. I walked over to my daughter, who now sat up staring into the darkness. "We're practicing," I answered.

"Practicing what?" she mumbled and laid back on the mattress, her eyes already closed in slumber.

"Listening," I whispered, and brushed a hand over her cheek.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

http://www.consciousone.com/wisdomfl...iew.cfm?PID=79

[CAPTAINZING2000]

www.TheImaginationMovie.com

[CAPTAINZING2000]

APPLIED REASONS TO SMILE.

"Let a smile be your umbrella.
It is a scientific fact that the face requires 12 muscles to smile and 103 to frown. (Who counts these things?)

Besides, whenever you smile at another person, it puts them at
ease and raises their self-esteem. And if that isn't enough, when
you smile it releases endorphins in your brain and gives you
a feeling of well-being and contentment.

So a smile benefits the giver as well as the receiver. It's like
receiving a gift in return every time we give one away!

There is one more reason to smile:
Smiling is a universal language.
People will enjoy being around you when you smile.
Smiling reduces stress, which may improve your overall health.
Smiling will change the sound qualities of your voice when
you speak or sing.
A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who
receive it, without making poorer those who give.
It takes but a moment, but the memory of it lasts forever.
It cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is
something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away.

And finally, some people are too tired to give you a smile.
Give them one of yours, as no one needs a smile so much as one
who has no more to give.

Why not give out a few extra smiles today -- just for the fun of it!

Make “smiling” your PERMANENT attitude.

[cwohio]

<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008_ZBxdm197YYUS' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_1_13.gif' alt='Bounce' border=0></a>

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Landscapes Of Life


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Like patterns in a landscape
are the dreams I left behind;
a tapestry of memories
that never more will bind.

A freedom from that tight control
that once imprisoned life,
now open minded abstractness
releases me from strife.

The colours of the world
are imprinted deeply on my soul.
So why feel black and dismal
when peace can be the goal?

To hold a rainbow in your hand,
to feel the colours glow;
deep down within your heart,
let the feelings flow...

The red is so flamboyant,
and it cannot be restrained,
but without it, no excitement,
and the heart is sorely pained.

Warm orange is a balance
that combines the best of all,
the promise of a fresh new spring;
the calmness of the fall.

Then yellow bursts into full bloom,
and happiness bursts free,
chasing out those phantom ghosts
that dwell inside of me!

Fresh green of new born thought buds,
so virginal and pure,
new in it's simplicity,
so comforting and sure.

At times moods come
that are painted blue,
but balance is the thing ...
mysterious depths of indigo
will send blues on the wing.

Then violet, oh sweet violet,
your colour does enthral!
It fills my very essence,
and invades my all in all.

You see; life is just a canvas
on the landscape of the mind,
and the way in which we paint it
is ours solely to decide... So fight your way out of the mud,
and keep the colours clear ...
and when you've won that battle,
you will see God is very near.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

I Would Pick More Daisies
Don Herold (Adapted)


When the late Nadine Stair of Louisville, Kentucky, was 85 years old, she was asked what she would do if she had her life to live over again.

"I'd make more mistakes next time," she said. "I'd relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been on this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

"You see, I'm one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, and a raincoat. If I had to do it over again, I would travel lighter than I have.

"If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds and I would pick more daisies."

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Steps To Happiness
Author Unknown


Everybody Knows:
You can't be all things to all people.
You can't do all things at once.
You can't do all things equally well.
You can't do all things better than everyone else.
Your humanity is showing just like everyone else's.

So:
You have to find out who you are, and be that.
You have to decide what comes first, and do that.
You have to discover your strengths, and use them.
You have to learn not to compete with others,
Because no one else is in the contest of *being you*.

Then:
You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness.
You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions.
You will have learned to live with your limitations.
You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due.
And you'll be a most vital mortal.

Dare To Believe:
That you are a wonderful, unique person.
That you are a once-in-all-history event.
That it's more than a right, it's your duty, to be who you are.
That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish.
And you'll be able to stay one up on what used to get you down.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

What Life Is All About
Author Unknown

Life isn't about keeping score. It's not about how many friends you have. Or how many people call you. Or how accepted or unaccepted you are. Not about if you have plans this weekend. Or if you're alone. It isn't about who you're dating, who you use to date, how many people you've dated, or if you haven't been with anyone at all. It isn't about who you have kissed. It's not about sex. It isn't about who your family is or how much money they have. Or what kind of car you drive. Or where you're sent to school.

It's not about how beautiful or ugly you are. Or what clothes you wear, what shoes you have on, or what kind of music you listen to. It's not about if your hair is blonde, red, black, brown, or green. Or if your skin is too light or too dark.

It's not about what grades you get, how smart you are, how smart everyone else thinks you are, or how smart standardized tests say you are. Or if this teacher likes you, or if this guy/girl likes you. Or what clubs you're in, or how good you are at "your" sport. It's not about representing your whole being on a piece of paper and seeing who will "accept the written you".

But life is about who you love and who you hurt. It's about who you make happy or unhappy purposefully. It's about keeping or betraying trust. It's about friendship, used as sanctity, or as a weapon. It's about what you say and mean, maybe hurtful, maybe heartening. About starting rumors and contributing to petty gossip. It's about what judgments you pass and why. And who your judgments are spread to.

It's about who you've ignored with full control and intention. It's about jealousy, fear, pain, ignorance, and revenge. It's about carrying inner hate and love, letting it grow and spreading it.

But most of all, it's about using your life to touch or poison other people's hearts in such a way that could never occurred alone. Only you choose the way these hearts are affected and those choices are what life is all about.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Three things:
Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -
Time
Words
Opportunity


Three things in life that may never be lost -
Peace
Hope
Honesty


Three things in life that are most valuable -
Love
Self-confidence
Friends


Three things in life that are never certain -
Dreams
Success
Fortune


Three things that make a man/woman -
Hard work
Sincerity
Commitment


Three things in life that can destroy a man/woman -
Alcohol
Pride
Anger


Three things that are truly constant -
Father
Son
Holy Ghost