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

Be the person who cares

Be the person who makes the effort,

the person who loves without hesitation.

Be the person who bares it all,

the person who never shies away from the depth of their feeling,

or the intensity of their hope. Be the person who believes —

in the softness of the world,

in the goodness of other people,

in the beauty of being open and untethered and trusting.
Be the person who takes the chance, who refuses to hide.

Be the person who makes people feel seen,

the person who shows up. Trust me when I say — be the person who cares.

Because the world doesn't need any more carelessness,

any more disregard;

because there is nothing stronger than someone

who continues to stay soft in a world that hasn't

always been kind to them.

~ Bianca Sparacino

i hope...

                                         

 

 

 

Never marry from these 4 families...

“You must always be clear-headed when choosing a life partner. No matter your age, or what others say, don’t rush into marriage. If you want to be happy, never marry a man or woman from these four types of families, or you’ll end up hurting yourself.” First, a family with a BAD REPUTATION. Second, a family where parents intervene TOO MUCH in their children’s lives, and the children can’t make their own decisions. Third, a family that values material wealth and loves to FLAUNT for PRIDE. Fourth, a family that FREQUENTLY ARGUES and has conflicts among relatives and siblings. Therefore, sons and daughters must understand that parents, having more life experience, often have a deeper understanding of marriage and life. It’s important to consult with them when choosing a life partner, but you must also be able to discern right from wrong, as the final decision is in your hands, and your happiness depends on you.

If I could give you one piece of advice to hold in your heart,

it would be to appreciate every second you have with the things that you love; be they places, objects, or people....

Because there is a last time for everything and you don't always know that it's the last time when you're in it.

There will be a last time you see a sunrise,

a last time you taste ice-cream and a last time you smell a rose.

There will be a last time you enter every room,

a last time you hold every pet,

and a last time you hear a loved one's voice.

Sometimes we know we're in those moments

and we can savour every second of them -

but so often we don't know until that moment is gone

and it's too late to go back and relive it.

So hold onto those moments while you have them....

live inside them.... appreciate them to their fullest every time

so you'll never regret taking them for granted one day when they're gone.

for my granddaughters...

Don’t go looking for the man who will buy you flowers and jewelry, or surprise you with fancy vacations. Go looking for the one who buys you the hangers.

The other day, I had mentioned to my husband that I was feeling overwhelmed with all of my laundry, and I had also ran out of hangers. “I’m feeling stressed, and I need to go get some hangers at some point this week. I can’t hang any more clothes, until I have more.," I said to him, quickly.

After that, we both got into the car to head over to a family dinner. As we drove towards my parent’s house, he stopped at the store, and said he needed to grab something.

I sat in the car, with our two young kids in the back asking, “where’s daddy going?” “I have no idea guys, just hold tight," I said back, as I felt myself getting a little annoyed.

“Where is he? We have to go. We’re going to be late for dinner.” I thought to myself as I took off my seatbelt to get more comfortable while waiting.

A few moments later, my daughter shouted from the back “mommy, that’s a LOT of hangers!” I looked out the window and saw my husband carrying about 100 hangers.

He popped open the trunk, put them in there, and sat back in the driver's seat. I just stared at him.

“I didn’t need hangers this instant, but thank you.” I said, as I felt a rush of emotions.

“I know, but I could tell you were getting stressed with the growing pile of your clothes, and thought I could help. Tonight, we’ll do your laundry together and get it all hung up,” he said to me as he squeezed my hand.

It was in that moment, I realized I had been searching for his love in all of the wrong places, completely.

You see, my husband has never been one to come home with chocolates or flowers often, and it took me many years to appreciate the way he loves me.

Growing up as a little girl, I would watch movies and see the big gestures. The surprise vacations.
The diamond necklaces.
The boombox over the man’s head, as he professed his love for the whole street to hear.

I was not taught about the subtle love.
The quiet love.
The “little” love.
The forever kind of love. The kind of love where he sees you needing help and does it without asking. The kind of love where he knows you so well, he can go to the store and pick out all of your favourite snacks. The kind of love where he knows your tricky coffee order, when sometimes you even forget it. The kind of love where he got up with the baby at two in the morning, so you could rest. The kind of love where he has seen you at your absolute worst and chose to keep loving you anyways.

I was never shown that kind of love in movies, books, and TV.

I was always taught to look for the big gestures.
I was always taught to look for the flowers being brought home.

Because you see, my husband has brought me home flowers, but I couldn’t tell you when, or how it was done.

What I can tell you is, each and every day, he’s done little things like this, to make my life a tiny bit easier.

Those flowers he brought died quickly. This type of love, lives forever.

Marry the man who doesn’t buy flowers often. Marry the man who doesn’t come home with extravagant presents every day.

Marry the man who will let you wait in the restaurant when it’s raining, and drive the car up to you, so you stay dry. Marry the man who loves you in a quiet way. For that is where the deepest, and more pure love can be found. The quiet love. The type of love where he just wants to make the things in your life, well, a little bit easier. Marry the man who buys the hangers.