Thursday, February 27, 2014

The Human Experience

 
 
 
"We are not human beings having
a spiritual experience;  we are
spiritual beings having a
human experience."
 
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
 
  • Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ was a French philosopher and Jesuit priest who trained as a paleontologist and geologist and took part in the discovery of Peking Man. Wikipedia
  • Born: May 1, 1881, Orcines, France
  • Died: April 10, 1955, New York City, NY
  • Wednesday, February 26, 2014

    Faith In Humanity Restored

    Gimundo 
    Julio Diaz Deserved A Medal, And Here's Why...

    Man Buys Dinner for his Mugger
    When a young man tried to mug a New York City social worker,  he got a lesson in kindness -- and a free meal.

    By Kathryn Hawkins.

    Posted on March 31 2008

    http://gimundo.com/

    When Julio Diaz stepped off the New York City subway platform after work one night, he was simply planning to walk over to his favorite local diner for a meal. But when a teenage boy approached him with a knife blade gleaming in his fist, Diaz, a 31-year-old social worker, knew the evening was about to take a more dramatic turn.

    The young man demanded Diaz’s wallet, and Diaz passed it over without objection. But just as his mugger turned to walk away, Diaz called after him: “Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something.”

    The mugger turned around, surprised.
    “If you’re going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm.”

    The teenager looked at Diaz in disbelief, and asked why he would do such a thing. Diaz replied, “!f you’re willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money.” He told the young man that he’d just been heading out for dinner, and that he would be happy for some company.  “You know, I just felt maybe he really needs help,” Diaz told NPR’s StoryCorps.

    The young mugger decided to take Diaz up on his offer, and they headed into Diaz’s favorite local haunt together. As they were sitting at the table, the manager, the dishwashers, and the waiters all stopped over to say hello to Diaz, and the young man was amazed at his popularity. “You’re even nice to the dishwasher,” he exclaimed.

    “Haven’t you been taught that you should be nice to everybody?” Diaz asked him.
    “Yea, but I didn’t think people actually behaved that way,” the teenager replied. Thanks to Diaz, he was beginning to see that kindness wasn’t such a strange phenomenon, after all.
    When the bill came, Diaz told the teen that he’d have to get the check. After all, he still had Diaz’s wallet.

    But the teenager slid the wallet back across the table without a moment’s thought, and Diaz treated him to dinner. Diaz also gave the would-be mugger a $20 bill to take with him –in exchange for the young man’s knife.

    “I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right,” Diaz said. “It’s as simple as it gets in this complicated world.”



    Saturday, February 22, 2014

    Words In French: Beauty Has No Age


    To better express myself...


    Fine Art by Amy Dixon

    “I quote others
    only to better express myself.”
     
     
     
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (French: [miʃɛl ekɛm də mɔ̃tɛɲ]; 28 February 1533 – 13 September 1592) was one of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance, known for popularizing the essay as a literary genre, and commonly thought of as the father of modern skepticism. He became famous for his effortless ability to merge serious intellectual exercises with casual anecdotes[2] and autobiography—and his massive volume Essais (translated literally as "Attempts" or "Trials") contains, to this day, some of the most widely influential essays ever written. Montaigne had a direct influence on writers all over the world, including René Descartes,[3] Blaise Pascal, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Albert Hirschman, William Hazlitt,[4] Ralph Waldo Emerson, Friedrich Nietzsche, Stefan Zweig, Eric Hoffer,[5] Isaac Asimov, and possibly on the later works of William Shakespeare.

    Friday, February 21, 2014

    Change

     
    White Iris by Endre Balogh
     
    "Change might not be fast
     
    and it isn't always easy.
     
    But with time and effort
     
    almost any habit can be reshaped."
     
    ~ Charles Duhigg

    Charles Duhigg (born 1974) is a Pulitzer prize winning reporter at The New York Times. His Book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, was published by Random House on February 28, 2012… Wikipedia
     
    

    Thursday, February 20, 2014

    Blame: Good, Bad, Worst, and Best

     
    Never blame anyone in your Life.
     
    Good people give you Happiness.
     
    Bad people give you Experience.
     
    Worst people give you a Lesson.
     
    & Best people give your memories.
     

    Quote by Albert Camus

     
    "I would rather live my life as if
    there is a god and die to find out there
    isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and
    die to find out there is."
    ~Albert Camus
     
    
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Albert Camus
     
    Born(1913-11-07)7 November 1913
    Dréan, El Taref, French Algeria
    Died4 January 1960(1960-01-04) (aged 46)
    Villeblevin, Yonne, Burgundy, France
    Era20th century philosophy
    RegionWestern philosophy
    SchoolAbsurdism
    Main interestsEthics, Humanity, Justice, Love, Politics
    Albert Camus (French: [albɛʁ kamy] ( ); 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French Nobel Prize winning author, journalist, and philosopher. His views contributed to the rise of the philosophy known as absurdism. He wrote in his essay "The Rebel" that his whole life was devoted to opposing the philosophy of nihilism while still delving deeply into individual and sexual freedom.
     

    Monday, February 17, 2014

    A Response to Loss

     
    

    The Price of Love

    Malachite Butterfly
     
     
    A Quote:
     
    "Grief never ends..., but it changes.
     
    It's a passage, not a place to stay.
     
    Grief is not a sign of weakness,
     
    nor a lack of faith ....
     
    It is the price of love."
     
    ~Author Unknown
     
     

    Words Never Expressed

    Blossom by Haifaa Tannous
     
    The most painful goodbyes are
    the ones that are never said.
     
     

    Something In Common

    Art of M Collier
     
    Everybody has gone through something
    that has changed them in a way
     that they could never go back
     to the person they once were.
     
    

    Last Act of Love

    Silent Beauty

    Grief is the last act of love
    we have to give
    to those we loved. 
    Where there is deep grief,
     there was great love.

     

    The Sacredness of Tears

     
    "There is a sacredness in tears.
    They are not the mark of weakness,
    but of power.  They speak more
    eloquently than ten thousand tongues.
    They are messengers of overwhelming grief...
    and unspeakable love."
    ~Washington Irving
     
     

    Rose Kennedy on Grief

    Hearts In Heart Vase by Carol Cavalaris

    "It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.'
    I do not agree.
    The wounds remain.  In time, the mind,
    protecting its sanity, covers them with
    scar tissue and the pain lessens.
    But it is never gone."
    ~Rose Kennedy

     

    Saturday, February 15, 2014

    You Somehow Survive

    

    The Last Goodbye

     

    Leo Tolstoy

     


    Gandhi

     

    Keep your thoughts positive because your
    thoughts
    become your words.
     
    Keep your words positive because your
    words
    become your behavior.
     
    Keep your behavior positive because your
    behavior
    become your values.
     
    Keep your values positive because your
    values
    become your destiny.
     
    ~Mahatma Gandhi
     

    Mahatma Gandhi

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.
     
     

    
     

    A Strong Woman is...

     

    A Strong Woman
     
    is one who feels deeply and loves fiercely.
     
    Her tears flow just as abundantly as her laughter...
     
    A Strong Woman
     
    is both soft and powerful.
     
    She is both practical and spiritual...
     
    A Strong Woman
     
    in her essence is a gift to the world...
    
     

    Friday, February 14, 2014

    Those Random Mamories

     

     
     

    The Support of Friends and Family

     
    There is no way you can ever fully express the pain  of
    losing a loved one.
     
    There is no way you can make others understand the
    pain you have endured.
     
    All you can do is deal with things the best you can and hope that
     those who are close to you,  your friends and family,
    will care enough to support you through the toughest time
    in your life, for it is during these dark times in your life
    that the ones who truly care for you will step up to the mark.
     
     

    LIFE & LOSS

    First Light by Jean de la Tete

    "There comes a point in your life when you
    realize that nothing will  ever be the same,
    and you realize that from now on...
    time will be divided into two parts,
    before this and after this."
    ~John Hobbes

     

    Thursday, February 13, 2014

    Marriage

    Blooming I by Karen Hale


    "Sexiness wears thin after a while
     and beauty fades,
    but to be married to a man
     who makes you laugh every day,
    ah, now that's a real treat."

    Joanne Woodward


     
     

    Monday, February 10, 2014

    Today, be grateful.


    
    Botanical.com recognizes Ginkgo biloba as the oldest living tree on the planet.

    A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
    Creator of The Secret

    From The Secret Daily Teachings

    Today, be grateful.  Be grateful for your favorite music, for movies that make you feel good,
    for you phone that connects you with people, for your computer, and for the electricity that lights up your life.  Be grateful for air travel that flies you everywhere.  Be grateful for the roads and traffic lights that keep the traffic in order.  Be grateful to those who built our bridges.  Be grateful for your pet, for your child, for your loved ones, for your eyes that enable you to read this.  Be grateful for your imagination.  Be grateful that you can think.  Be grateful that you can speak.  Be grateful that you can laugh and smile.  Be grateful that you can breathe.  Be grateful that you are alive!  Be grateful that you are You!

    Be grateful that there are two words that can change your life.

    Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

    May the joy be with you,

    Rhonda Byrne
    The Secret... joy for billions

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
        
    Rhonda Byrne (born 1945 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)[1] is an Australian television writer and producer, best known for her New Thought books The Secret (based on a film she produced of the same name) and its sequel The Power. She has also written The Magic.[2]
    In 2007 Byrne was featured in Time Magazine's list of 100 people who shape the world. She gained mainstream popularity and commercial success after appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show.[3] Her philosophy is that believing will allow you to achieve your wishes and dreams.
    The Secret sold more than 19 million copies in more than 40 languages by the spring of 2007,[4] as well as more than 2 million DVDs.[3] The Secret book and film have grossed $300 million.[5]
    Byrne has also been a producer for Sensing Murder[6] and has also worked on the Australian TV series World's Greatest Commercials and Marry Me.[7]
     

    Sunday, February 9, 2014

    A Thought for Today

     
     
    Everything in life is temporary.
     So if things are going good,
    enjoy it because it won't last forever.
     And if things are going bad don't worry,
     it can't last forever either.
     
    

    Saturday, February 8, 2014

    Synchronicity


    "With Synchronicity, all the resources we need are made available to us at the precise moment that is appropriate. The people who come into our lives are the ones we need at that moment in time. Everything is perfect. We only need to recognize this to tune into the flow. Everything happens for a Reason and Every Experience is a Learning Experience."

    - Alex Chua, author and life coach.

    Friday, February 7, 2014

    Forehead Kisses




    I Love Forehead Kisses ♥

      * Forehead Kisses tells you they feel comfortable around you and with you, without using a single word they are able to show you how much they care. This kiss implies their respect for you and that they don't only want you to feed their sexual appetite but want to be there for you. They like you and hold you in high esteem and won't be going anywhere else anytime soon.

    Thursday, February 6, 2014

    5 Signs You Should Not Own a Dog

    
    
    Labrador Retriever Puppy via Shutterstock
    Labrador Retriever Puppy via Shutterstock
    By: Carol Bryant | Pet360.com

    I'd like to officially go on the record and state that some people should not be allowed to own a dog and are best left to care for a houseplant, or better yet, a pet rock. These people fall under the heading of irresponsible.
     
    There are indicators, however, that even genuinely good, caring members of society should be wary of when deciding whether or not to bring a canine in their lives. Here are 5 signs indicating you should not be a dog owner:

    1. The Protector "I want a dog to protect my home in case of a burglar." If this is your sole reason for having a dog and you honestly will not have the time, dedication, and attention required to care for a pet, invest in a burglar alarm and/or home security system. Yes, many dogs will protect their human family in a break-in situation, but his or her sole purpose should not be just for protection. Those of you with dogs who are protecting, as long as the dog is loved, fed, and well cared for, more power to you.

    2. The Slacker
    "I will take the dog to the vet if I see he's sick, but that's it." Please oh please invest in a houseplant if you feel this way. Dogs need year-round care and not just when physical symptoms exist. Often times physical symptoms surface only when an injury/ailment has advanced. If seeing the vet on a regular and/or as-needed basis doesn't sound like your cup of tea, there are plenty of pet rocks looking for a good home.

    3. The Bandwagon Jumper
    "I just watched a dog show on television, and now I really want to get a _______ (insert dog breed here)."

    This one causes me the most angst. Some of the most popular breeds are turned over in puppy mills for fast cash. Ask any of the folks who cherish the Dalmatian breed about how the numbers soared due to the popularity of 101 Dalmatians. It is both sad and tragic reality that the most popular breeds are also the most damaged. I always emit a sigh of relief when my favorite breed flies under the pop culture radar. If you want a dog because he seems "cool" on television or you think he would make a good addition to your family, do research first. Talk to credible folks who own that breed, read the background and history and any potential health problems. Visit a dog show and get first hand information from breeders who truly care about the sanctity of the breed.

    4. The Sneaky Pete
    If your landlord won't allow pets, please on a stack of dog biscuits obey the rules and don't sneak a dog into your residence. Eventually, someone, somehow, somewhere will rat you out and chances are only one living being will suffer: the dog. One can only surmise how many dogs waiting for a home at shelters across the country landed there because someone found out about them. Obey that "no dogs allowed" policy and if a dog is truly your desire, find a way to move and make it happen.
    Ask a shelter worker why a pet was dumped there -- you would be amazed at the number of people who say their landlord found out about the dog.

    5. The Busy Bee
    If you are gone a large percentage of the day (or night) due to work, family commitments or otherwise, it isn't fair to bring a dog into a life of near solitude. Because dogs are pack animals, they thrive with the pack, i.e.: you. Without mental stimulation and left to his or her own solitary confinement, a dog will slowly lose his or her spirit. If you really want a dog and feel bad about leaving him or her alone, consider a doggie daycare or in-home pet sitter to keep your pooch busy and stimulated while you bring home the bacon.

    *A first-rate pet resource. On a first-name basis.

    If you have any questions or concerns regarding your account or an order, or just want to give us a howl, you can contact the Pet360 Pack at 1 (877) 973-8360, Monday—Friday 8AM to 10PM, Saturday & Sunday 9AM-5:30PM ET, or email us at care@pet360.com.

    Imagine having an entire world of pet care—from expert tips and knowledgeable advice to the latest and greatest pet food, treats, toys and gear to an active community of pet parents—all tailored to your pets’ exact needs. You don’t need to imagine it. Pet360 delivers this level of customization every time you visit.

    Pet parenting gets a whole lot simpler when everything you need is always right at your fingertips, neatly arranged just for you. Once you’ve registered, your Pet360 world is literally configured, modified and continually updated based on the type, breed, gender, age and size of your pet. The information you provide makes your Pet360 as unique to you as your fingerprint (or your pet’s pawprint for that matter).

    It’s a revolutionary step forward in pet care, with “you” in the middle of it all. Pet360 is our website. But it’s your world. Let’s get wagging!

    Wednesday, February 5, 2014

    Nature's Effect

    Photography by S J Kenney


    "I go to nature to be soothed and healed,

    and to have my senses put in order."

    John Burroughs
     
    Born(1837-04-03)April 3, 1837
    Roxbury, New York
    DiedMarch 29, 1921(1921-03-29) (aged 83)
    on a train near Kingsville, Ohio
    OccupationWriter, naturalist