5 Finger Prayer

Annie Graham

 

from MJ Blossoms

If there’s one piece of advice I could offer, it’s to truly cherish every second with the people, places, and moments that mean the most, because there’s always a last time, and I’ve realized you don’t always see it coming. There’s the last time I’ll laugh with certain friends or hear the voice of someone who once felt so close.

The last time I’ll hold onto a memory, whether painful or full of happiness, might pass by quietly, and before I know it, that chapter has ended.

I used to believe there’d always be another moment to relive those experiences until life showed me otherwise. Now, I’ve learned to hold onto the moments that truly matter, both the sweet and the painful, because they shape me.

I try to savor the laughter with friends, even the moments that sting, knowing they all carry meaning.

Whether it’s the warmth of a shared memory or the ache of a goodbye, I want to live fully in each one. Because when those moments slip away, I want to be able to look back without regret, knowing I embraced both the joy and the pain they brought.

YOU CAN’T BE EVERYONE’S CUP OF TEA

There will always be someone in this life who just doesn’t like you, no matter how hard you try to please them.
There will always be something that you say, or do, which causes offence or division.
Whether you meant to or not.
There will always be someone who finds fault in you, your life or your words.
You may never find out why, please don’t waste your precious time trying to. You can’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Then there will be those who like you on impact.
A little fizz of energy that passes between you.
Silently, unseen, bonding.
Those people will not only like you but they will like you fiercely.
They are your people.
Whatever spare time you have, spend it on them. You can’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but you can be someone’s first sip of a cold drink on a sunny day… Or a warming hot chocolate when you come in from the rain
or the pop of a long awaited champagne cork
or a stiff shot of tequila when things go awry Find your people,
love them hard.

Donna Ashworth
from ‘to the women’

from Mary Anne Byrne

Don't take life for granted, go out and seize the day,

so often, we waste precious time, in senseless and frivolous ways.

Tomorrow is not promised, we don't know what lies ahead,

so instead of deferring those plans and dreams, do it now instead.

Life is for living, so make each and every moment count,

It's the quality of life that matters, not the quantity or amount.

Get busy living, stay curious and enjoy the fast paced ride,

try to worry less and take everything in your stride.

Fill your life with fond memories, to be treasured always,

these you will cherish for the rest of your days.

Live and let live, forgive and forget,

leave no room in your life, for bitterness and regret.

The big moments are great but the little ones count too,

every single moment matters, not just the special few.

Do your best to stay strong, amid all life's troubles and its strife,

these too play a vital part, in the rich tapestry of life.

With life, so very fleeting, participate fully in the dance,

live life to the full, you only get one chance.

remember this as you go through life...

There are times when God will make you wait for things He prepared for you. In Him nothing is delayed nor too early. Everything happens in His own perfect timing. Put in mind that God knows your heart. He knows what you long for, what you are earning for. He knows the depths of your laughter and tears.

He understands how things and certain events would affect your life. He cares for you when things don’t go your way. He encompasses all that you are; all that you feel, what you are going through and even things that are yet to unfold for you.

Not all the time that the prayers you have will be answered at your own timeline. Neither will He answer it according to how you pray. Sometimes, God will use things that we barely notice. There are also times when God will give us the parts. Instead of giving as a whole blessing.

He may also use our way of deciding and contemplating gestures as a vein of His answers. Sometimes, He would let us choose between two difficult choices and make those choices be an answer to our heart’s desire.

It cannot be avoided that there are what ifs behind our prayers. Those what ifs are sometimes the doubts that we encounter that may correlate to our fear of experiencing uncertainties. This is because, when things get out of our own control, we sometimes lose our way. When we lose them, we tend to lose parts of ourselves as well. But please do remember that the more challenging the path is, the greater the lesson God will teach.

Sometimes, God wants us to see the process of achieving something rather than the goal alone. Because most of the time we can only value things the moment we discover the process.

food for thought for my athlete grandkids...

 

 

 

SIMPLE...

 

40 phrases...

Teach these 40 phrases to your sons and daughters so they can be more resilient, successful, and confident in life.

1. Where there's a will, there's a way.

2. Good manners don't cost anything.

3. Always ask. They can only say no.

4. You're not marrying one; you're marrying the whole family.

5. Find the good in everybody.

6. Don't cry before you try.

7. There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.

8. Pretty is as pretty does.

9. Treat others as you would like to be treated.

10. You can't control what others do, only your own reactions.

11. Don't buy what you can't afford.

12. Remember that things don’t make you happy, people do.

13. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

14. Two wrongs don't make a right.

15. Watch what you step in.

16. Cow turds are a cattlemen's dollar signs. It all depends on how you look at

        it.

17. Teamwork makes the dream work.

18. Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

19. What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our

     lives, we need to stretch our minds.

20. Fair? The fair is two weeks in the fall.

21. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

22. The greatest day in your life is when you take total responsibility for your

attitudes. That's the day you truly grow up.

23. True freedom is understanding that we have a choice in who and what we

allow to have power over us.

24. You're only as old as you feel.

25. A rolling stone gathers no moss.

26. Early to bed and early to rise makes you healthy, wealthy, and wise.

27. Happiness is not by chance but by choice.

28. If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.

29. A rising tide lifts all boats.

30. Don't judge a book by its cover.

31. You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter

than you think.

32. The early bird catches the worm.

33. Each day comes bearing its gifts. Untie the ribbon.

34. Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person

        is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are

        a vegetarian.

35. Confession is good for the soul.

36. You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

37. The grass is greener where you water it.

38. The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising every

time we fail.

39. There is no single recipe for success. But there is one essential ingredient:

Passion.

40. Never lose hope. And never underestimate the power of prayer.

Be happy on purpose...

Look for the rainbow when it's raining. The rainbow won't take away the rain but it will remind you that there is still beauty in the storm.

Find the hope even when it's bleak. It might be hard to find but I promise that there is something to hope for - there is still so much to hold on for.

Choose forgiveness even when bitterness is easier.

Choose love even when you hurt...

Make it a habit to choose joy as much as you possibly can because life isn't meant to be lived in disappointment or frustration.

It's not meant to be lived in anger or re-living your past pain.

It's meant to be lived laughing so hard your stomach hurts.

It's meant to be filled with soft moments of love.

It's meant to be filled growing and expanding instead of constantly battling yourself.

It's meant to be filled with tight hugs and beautiful conversations.

It's meant to be enjoyed with gratitude for the miracle that it truly is.

- Nikki Banas