Reflections

As we get ready to ring in the New Year, this is a perfect time to be reflective. How was your year? Did you manifest all your hopes and dreams? Or, were some of your dreams deferred?

The strength of your dreams is that there isn’t a time limit. You have the power of the universe behind you of unlimited time and space to turn your dreams into reality.

Whatever happened this year, make use of the life lessons you learned and get a jumpstart on the New Year. Use the power of the past to propel your actions for next year. I urge you to live your best year yet!

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. ~Hal Borland

In the Spirit of the Season

I love this time of year. It is a time to get together, see family and friends, and enjoy the spirit of the season.

I asked my niece and nephews a question that I heard a Priest ask kids in Church one Sunday. I asked why is it we get presents on Jesus’ Birthday? I asked them that if they knew that they were getting ten presents would they willing give one a way. Well….Out of the Mouths of Babes. They said sure, because the greatest present they receive on Christmas is Love and they would like to share it.

I must say that not only was I proud of their answer but I was truly moved. The kids went beyond the materialistic and they really understand what it means to share in the universal spirit of love.

In the spirit of the season, I wish all of you peace and love.

Merry Christmas

World Aids Day

Today is World Aids Day. As someone who lost a loved one to this devastating disease, today I urge you to reach out to those you love. Life is short and each moment is a precious gift to share with those we love and cherish. In remembrance of World Aids Day, please consider donating to a local charity. You may also consider calling your local Aids center and telling all the volunteers & workers thank you, for the fearless work they are doing to eradicate the global epidemic we call Aids. I wish you peace this day.

VOTE!

In case you have missed it, today is Election Day in the United States of America. Please exercise your right today and get out and vote. Your voice and vote matters!

I don’t care who you vote for but I do care that you exercise your right to participate in the process. Check out this interview from ABC World News Tonight about awesome kids discussing the election process.

Enjoy and VOTE!

For All the Saints

Today is All Saints Day and tomorrow is All Souls Day in the Catholic Church. No I'm sure the Church wasn’t necessarily thinking of my mother, who is no longer with us as a Saint. But for those of you, who have heard me speak about my parents, behold above the vision of a saint.

In the past month my posts have been on claiming your power, breaking the rules, not complaining and learning to forgive. These life lessons and wisdoms came from the saint pictured above. What… you still don’t see her halo?

Who is the Saint in your life? Who is the person that gave you courage, hope, wisdom, and the strength to be you? If they are alive write or call them today and say thank you. If they are no longer living, light a candle in their honor. Pass on their wisdom to someone else.

My definition of a Saint maybe unorthodox to some, but I can think of no one who deserves the title more in my mind today than my mother.

“May the good Saints protect you and bless you today, and may troubles ignore you each step of the way.” Irish Blessing

Breaking the Rules

So often we are told to be perfect, to do the right thing. As children we were told to color inside the lines, eat everything on our plate, and clean up our mess.

But you know what? Life is messy. We don’t need to be perfect, to be in harmony with life. It is okay to be imperfect, just like no two snowflakes are alike, no two people look at life and deal with life’s situations the same way.

Revel in your mess and today break the rules. Color outside the lines, and work on being the best imperfect being that you can be. You will discover more things about yourself, than when you try to please others and fit inside the mold of perfection.

Give yourself permission – to
break free of the rules and fly!

"If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun."

Katharine Hepburn

Claim Your Power

The power to be who you want to be comes from within. What we desire most come from the expression of who we are. When we give voice to the thoughts and desires that we express, we claim our voice and our power to be fully human.

We often let others trample on our desires; we encounter dream stealers and naysayers, who lead us unto a path of unbelief.

By saying YES to what you want and silencing those of negative energy and thoughts around you, you stake a claim on your life and the power of yes.

Claim your power…
The Power to be who you want to be no excuse no
exceptions.

Ultimately, the only power to which man should aspire is that which he exercises over himself. Elie Wiesel (1928 - )

Say No to Complaining

I recently had the pleasure of reading “The No Complaining Rule” by Jon Gordon. What a fun story. It is great tale of how complaining and negativity in the workplace not only ruins our attitude at work but spills over to our personal lives.

Yes once again, this blog post is reeking of a Pollyanna moment but hey. I loved the premise of this book. I thought about how all of us can apply these simple concepts in our topsy-turvy world. In the No Complaining Rule, Gordon gives us five things we can do right now instead of complaining.

1) Practice Gratitude

2) Praise Others

3) Focus on Success

4) Let Go

5) Pray and Meditate.

If you do nothing else today but follow rule #1) and have an attitude of gratitude, your world will be a much brighter place. As the books says, Positive or Negative the choice is yours.

Hint! Choose Positive!

The Power Within You to Forgive

I have been thinking a lot about forgiveness lately. When people say “I forgive you” for a perceived wrong, it is a tad bit backwards and truthfully sanctimonious.

Recently, I was in the act of forgiving a friend for an injustice that I felt had been done to me. I felt she hurt me. Then it dawned on me, that she didn’t do anything, I had by my own omission of silence, had done it to myself.

You see when we give up our power to live in truth and harmony, or ask others to control our happiness; we often end up in situations that cause us pain. The awareness that we let their behavior interfere with our reality is quite startling.

Today the power is yours. Choose to forgive yourself of any grudges, angry thoughts, and misappropriate actions towards others. Give yourself permission, to live a life that blesses other people’s decisions. No, you don’t have to agree, but celebrate their freedom of choice.

Give power to the forgiveness within in you and be
free and open to an expression of love.

Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters

Happy New Year! Rosh Hashanah the Jewish New Year began at sundown last night. I always love New Year Celebrations no matter what the culture may be. It gives us a time to stop and reflect on the past year and make affirmations on the new. Today a friend and I decided to celebrate in our own way. A new beginning.

We went to the beach and cast our bread upon the water and became one with the earth, water, sky, and all that is good in this world. Sharing our bread with the Sea Birds was amazing. When we started on the beach there was one lone gull. His cry to others that an abundance of food was being shared brought birds from a far to share in our bounty. (For a minute, it looked like a scene from the Hitchcock movie the birds)

It was a peaceful day to be one with the Universe. A day to start fresh and start anew. A New Year begins so that we may live life to its fullest and more abundantly.

Cast your bread on the waters: for you shall find it after many days (Ecclesiastes 11:1)

Breathing in an Upside Down World

This week if you listen to the news, you may instantly hyperventilate. The media is predicating the most awful atrocities to our financial situations. I realized that I had to turn the news off as I was working because I felt that I was mentally being abused by the media. YET everything we have learned about the Law of Attraction tells us we should remain positive. This question comes up a lot but how…..

Focus on the positive... Challenge the negative... Smile don’t cry… Yada, yada, yada … Sometimes it can feel like we are all used cars salesman (not that there is anything wrong with that). While the media is focused on the lack –focus on what you do have. Breathing is essential in times like these so…. Breathe.

If the world right now seems upside down, stand on your head if you have to and look right side up. No... I don’t have the answers about the situations that most Americans face. However, I do know this ….with energy shifting to the negative it is a must that you stay strong mentally and this too shall pass.

Who will tell whether one happy moment of love or the joy of breathing or walking on a bright morning and smelling the fresh air, is not worth all the suffering and effort which life implies. ~Erich Fromm

Focus the Energy

This week I went to a free workshop offered by James Arthur Ray who is a featured speaker in the movie the Secret. He was entertaining, and it is always great to leave a seminar with a new nugget or two. He talked about energy goes where attention flows.

That concept speaks to me on a deeper level. The whole idea behind the power of positive thinking is really what we choose to emphasis on in our daily lives. One of my friends this week was in a negative space and called me to chat. When she asked what I thought and I told her, she told me that I was too Pollyanna for her tastes.

It struck me that that her perception of Pollyanna was a bad thing and go figure I see it as positive. You see there is always something that will come up in our lives which could derail us from our plans and make us miserable if we choose. However, if we decide to focus the energy into the positive, more often than not, we will find the good in the situation.

The Sun rises every day of this you can be sure. Even if it cloudy and thundershowers are on the horizon, one thing I know to be true is that the sun will rise every day. Here comes the Sun, focus the energy and have a great day!

PollySandra

Dear...........

This week I had the pleasure of finishing a wonderful book called the Wednesday Letters by Jason Wright. I enjoyed it so much that it inspired me to write this blog entry on the lost art of letter writing.

When I was growing up I had 82 pen pals from all over the world. It was kind of cool, I had a big world map on the wall in my bedroom, and I had push pins in all the countries where my friends resided. I loved getting mail from friends all over the world. I loved sharing experiences about my life in the US and theirs from whatever country they were from.

I learned to love letter writing. It was a process to pick the right stationery, the right stamps, and even as to what color pens to use. As I found out when I was young, not to use red ink when I write because it perceived anger. You see, through letter writing, I became culturally aware of others and how we are all connected in the Universe.

Now that the world is so much smaller because of the internet, letter writing seems to be disappearing somewhat. As much as I love email, it is not the same as opening a letter from a long lost friend. So to all my friends out there this is for you.

How are you? I hope all is well. What’s up where you are? I am
well. Today is a great day because I get to connect with you.

Write Back Soon,
Sandra

Entry Level

I was at a Law of Attraction meeting the other day, and found myself telling everyone about an experience I had after college when interviewing for jobs. I would go on interviews and when I was told by the employer that it was an entry level position. I said great, that it what I wanted.

You see, I thought, entry level meant that you start at the top. I mean, why would anyone want to enter at the bottom of the ladder to success? From my point of view, entry level was full speed ahead to the top. To my chagrin, when it was explained to me, that it meant something completely different, I was shocked.

I think I had it right all those years ago. In your mind, enter at the top. Plan on being the best at what you do. Sure you might have to start on a lower level to success but nonetheless, keep your mind focused upward. So you see Entry Level is tops. Well I have to say my Law of Attraction group laughed with me and said that would be you, to think so positively that right out of college, you would be at the top. Well you know what, it wasn’t the top, but I did land pretty darn close.

So keep your feet forward, eyes upward, and your
goals centered….. to enter on top!

Eat Dessert First

I know I know it goes totally against what your parents told you. But just think about it, dessert at the end of the meal is usually yummy, rich and puts a smile on your face. Right…..

Well if that is the case, shouldn’t everything that we do in life be like a really good dessert. Now all the healthy conscious people please don’t shudder. I mean it with the best of intentions. Life is to be enjoyed. We even make guilt an association with pleasure e.g. (guilty pleasure). Well today let go of the guilt. Take pleasure in the fact that you can live your best life by fully indulging in a bit of fun.

Often what we want to do feels naughty just because we are having fun. Not today. Today I charge you with doing what you feel with no guilt attached. For some it might be curling up with a good book on a Saturday afternoon, it could be taking the day off for a mental health day, stopping to wiggle your toes in the sand, or even just taking a catnap in the middle of the day.

Whatever your pleasure ….... Eat your dessert first and do something that you enjoy!

Mirror Mirror

How many of you remember the fairytale of Snow White?

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who in the land is fairest of all?" to which the mirror always replies "You, my queen, are fairest of all.” And then she knew for certain that no one in the world was more beautiful than she. But when Snow White reaches the age of seven, she becomes as beautiful as the day, and when the queen asks her mirror, it responds: "Queen, you are full fair, 'tis true, but Snow White is fairer than you."

What is interesting about the fairytale is that the Queen looked to the mirror to assess her beauty. But when the mirror failed to tell her what she wanted to hear, she demanded that the “new” beauty be destroyed.

I see so many of us living out that fairytale daily. We look to the media: magazines, celebrities, television, and our peers to measure our self-worth and our beauty.

The true beauty of self lies within each of us. Each day, you should be able to see yourself in the mirror and reflect on the beauty of your spirit. When you recognize your own beauty, your own specialness, others too will see you as special. So try this affirmation….

Mirror Mirror, I tell the truth
This beautiful spirit you see is
proof
That each day I live the best I can be
My own beauty and self worth,
I proudly see!

Mine eyes have seen the beauty

Every day is a miracle of God’s beauty on this earth. A while back a fellow blog poster http://www.gosmelltheflowers.com/ posed the question about places we have visited. I return to that thought today as I think about the beauty of the earth.

I love to go to places where you can witness God’s beauty and see what man has been able to do long before technology existed. Last year I was in Argentina and was able to visit the Iguaçu Falls and I declare it is absolutely magnificent! Stories have reported that upon seeing Iguaçuu, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly exclaimed "Poor Niagara!

I also love the Mexican Pyramids, specifically The Pyramid of the Sun in the Teotihuacan and the Pyramid in Coba. These architectural ancient sites are not to be missed. After climbing to the top of the Coba Pyramid and looking below, I was in AWE at how our world was developed and who I am because of it.

There are so many places I could name and so many more places for me to go. To see beauty all around us is the joy in life!

For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

Words: Folliott Pierpoint Music: Conrad Kocher

Suppose It’s All Positive…

I was in a training class the other day, and one of the participants had a deficit mentality. He saw the negative in every hypothetical situation, that may never occur. I tried to make light of the situation by saying, “hey suppose everything turns out okay, you are excellent at what you do and it will all work out for the positive.”

To my chagrin, he stuck himself in the negativity corner and refused to come out and play in the sunshine. His answer to me was that, “nope I know these things happen and I prepare for the worse.” Oops.

So my challenge to you today is to suppose the good in life. Yeah, many of us have the opportunity of looking at the glass half empty or half full.

So choose a full life – with all the possibilities
that lie ahead.

Celebrate Your Independence!

This holiday weekend celebrates the independence of the United States of America. So today celebrate your independence. Be independent in your thoughts, deeds, and actions. Be free to choose the life that you want to live. Give yourself the freedom of thought to soar into new heights. What does that mean exactly? It means, if there is something that you have thought about doing, but said, yeah maybe tomorrow. Do it NOW! Let your spirit be free.

March in your own parade and watch your dreams explode!

Facing the Tiger

When we are struggling, whether it is an issue, a person, or a problem the path to resolving our struggles brings up all of our fears. The fear in front of us gets in the way of thinking clearly about how to overcome the obstacle. This fear triggers the fight or flight syndrome that happens when fear bubbles up with in us. Our impulse is to either run way from the situation (flight) or try to fight it some how.

Today is the day to stare the tiger down. Face the tiger- name your fear- and work through it. It might take a little effort on your part but the rewards are great. Face the tiger- the roar is not so loud when you are on the other side......

Victorious!!!

In Memoriam

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend in the America. Traditionally this day of remembrance is for those who have died in our nation's service. Yet, today the Memorial Day weekend is better known for kicking off the busy summer season.

This weekend many of us will visit cemeteries honoring our dead. You will see many families placing flowers and other remembrances on all their loved ones graves. But this year it got me to thinking about all who sacrificed their lives for the country.

In these uncertain economic times, I want to take a moment to say thank you to our men and women who serve our country. This is a time when it doesn’t matter whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, if you swing left or right, to know that those who serve are truly special.

So as you take off this weekend to play, have fun, and eat great barbecue- - take a moment and say a prayer for those who live to fight another day. Peace.

It is the Soldier
Father Dennis Edward O'Brien
United States Marine Corps

It is the Soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us freedom to demonstrate.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag,

and whose coffin is draped by the flag.

We Who Believe in Freedom Can Not Rest

In America today, our political landscape is interesting. For the first time on the Democratic ticket there is a Black Man and a White Woman in serious contention for president. What does that have to do with human rights you ask?

People are talking about race and gender in this country daily and that hasn't happened for many a year. We are seeing racism and gender biases rear its ugly head.

America, must deal head on with its dirty secrets of fewer freedoms for people of color and women. As Ella’s Song written about Ella Baker, the great civil rights activist says “We who believe in freedom can not rest.” Peace.

Ella’s Song
Sung by Sweet Honey in the Rock Composed by Bernice Johnson Reagon

We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes
Until the killing of Black men, Black mothers’ sons
Is as important as the killing of White men, White mothers’ sons
To me young people come first, they have the courage where we fail
And if I can shed some light as they carry us through the gale
The older I get the better I know that the secret of my going on
Is when the reins are in the hand of the young who dare to run against the storm

In Memory of the Saint

Happy Mother’s Day! On this day, I choose to give praise to the saint, my mother. What you don’t see the halo around her head. ;-)

Granted most of the time, I ignored her advice when she was alive, feeling as if I knew better. But in her death, her wisdom, and love shines through daily. My mother always believed in giving people the benefit of the doubt. My mother loved the underdog. She was a champion to all of us. She constantly told us that we could do anything we put our minds to.

My mother, the saint, also believed that rules should be broken as long as it wasn’t illegal. That you could flirt your way through just about anything, and she could convince the devil himself to give up him evil ways and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Yes my mother was the best influence in my life on learning to take risks. Her go for it attitude was second to none. At her funeral so many people came up to us and told us of what she had done for them. Some of it we knew about but most we did not, because that was her true character. She did for those around her, believing in the spirit of philanthropy, and never spoke of her good deeds.

Yes, my mother the saint, who teased me one day that I wouldn’t know the use of my behind ‘til it was sore. Yes, I miss her insight, her laughter, her wisdom, her joie de vivre, and most of all I miss her. I will end with one of her favorite quotes.

There is so much good in the worst of us
and so much bad in the best of us,
That it doesn’t behoove any of us
To speak about the rest of us.

attributed to many authors

Don’t Let Fear Interrupt Your Joy

The other day, I had a phone conversation with my sister. I was sharing something very personal and talking about my fears. She said to me, “How would you coach someone in this situation.” I laughed through my fear and said that’s easy. I would tell them to leap and the net will appear. She then said take your own advice and just do it. So what if it doesn’t work out. So what if you get hurt. Then she said something so profound that it brought me to near tears. She said, “Don’t get me wrong if it doesn’t work out you will be hurt, but I will be there for you, to hold you through your tears and you will survive and carry on.”

In that precious moment, she reminded me that we often let fear interrupt our joy. When we think something wondrous is just around the corner, we stop….. paralyzed with the fears of the “what if” syndrome.

Yet as I was aptly reminded what if something absolutely magical is about to happen?

Today, leap boldly into the unknown and
experience life’s joy in all its wonder.

Playing In the Sandbox of Life

Why is it when we get older we cease to gave fun in our lives? Why is it we laugh less, worry more, and forget to take each day as it comes?

I think it is because we forgot how to enjoy life the way it was intended. You see life is like the sandbox. We should jump into it, wiggle our toes, kick up the sand, grab your friends, make castles, and just remember to laugh and to play.

Yes, there is always work to be done. But who says you can’t enjoy it, while you are doing it. Today make a new rule in your life. Have some fun and remember to play.

We do not cease to play because we grow old; we grow old because we cease to play!

George Bernard Shaw

¿Why are you special?

You know one of my favorite interview questions is to ask someone why they are special. People become dumbstruck or better yet they look like a deer caught in headlights. We can easily talk about our skill sets and why we are qualified for a particular job. But when we get right down to the heart of who we are, why you are special seems to leave us baffled.

Yet if you ask a small child, why they are special, they have zero hesitation and zero limitations to their answers. A child might tell you that they are special, because they can jump, their parents told them so, they are beautiful, they are smart, they know how to share, they can color, they can run fast, and the list goes on.

What happens to us, as we become adults that we can not even put together a list of what makes us special? The fact is that we are all unique and amazing individuals that God created us to be.

So I ask you this today…...... Why are you special?

Taking Risks

What would it take for you to take a risk and do something completely new or different? That is the scenario in one of my all time favorite books "Dancing on the Edge of the Roof”. The protagonist, takes the biggest risk of her life, quits her job, leaves her family, moves across the country, and starts a brand new life.

Many of us want to try that new adventure, but we are padlocked in place by our fear. What will happen if, who will do what, what if I fail? All those questions may need to be answered and some of them will lead to a path of self-discovery. Nevertheless, if we do not take a chance on life, we will always be stuck in a holding pattern of time.

What risks have you taken? The risk of life is in living and be fully present.

Today, just go for it!

The Lost Art of Listening

I have come to the realization that listening is a lost art. When we ask for advice or another person’s opinion on something that we are doing, we immediately get a bad case of “interuptusitis” or we come down with a severe case of the “yeahbut” disease. The conversation usually starts like this “Can I ask your opinion, I need some help with, or How would you handle that.” Immediately as soon as the person you asked for an opinion, opens their mouth to speak, one interrupts with “yeah but, I tried that it did not work, no what I mean is, and so on.”

What is really happening is that we are so intent on what we think the other person is about to say that we stop listening and start projecting. We have the conversation already pre dialogued in our head so we don’t listen. A good friend of mine says that she doesn't give advice, and that she learned it from a quote “Don’t give advice because wise men don’t need it and fools don’t heed it.

The next time you ask for someone’s opinion, try something new. Listen and don’t speak at all. When they are finished…..Just say thank you! Give your brain, and soul time to digest the information.

Good vs. Evil Charity Style

The other night I watched the finale of the Celebrity Apprentice. Yes I was hooked on the series. I thought it was great that the celebrities would put their money and faces to help a great cause. However in my humble opinion Donald Trump missed the boat on this. The two final applicants were Trace Atkins (Good) vs. Piers Morgan (Evil)

Donald Trump allowed evil to triumph that night because Piers won. Now don’t get me wrong, Piers did a fabulous job raising money but he still missed the boat. Trace’s charity was a smaller charity and people gave money according to scale and to me by far that was the bigger gift.

How many times do charities receive donations from celebrities but was is the impact. Will the celebrities and their friends continue to give? Will they visit the charity? Will they practice true stewardship by donating their time, talent and treasure?

For me Trace Atkins’ charity was personal. As a child who grew up with severe allergies I praise him for bringing a smaller known charity to greater visibility. The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network or http://www.foodallergy.org/

Donald Trump said that he wanted to see a battle between good and evil but he didn’t see that at all. What he did was base the reward solely on the money raised. Yes, it made great television and a lot of money was raised for two awesome charities. However I would have to say to the Donald- You are fired!!

Good always wins in the end!!!

Who will you be in five years?

You know for most of us that question seems incredibly far-fetched. As adults we are caught up in the trappings of time, money, family commitments, and thus are dreams are often on hold. If I said to you, what would you do if could be or do anything in five years.

Would you be able to answer that? Suppose I asked that same question and added, if money was not an obstacle and you could be or do anything in 5 years. Would your answer change?

For most of us the answer is resounding yes. Our dreams are only limited by the box that we keep them in …our minds. Open up your box and let your dreams soar into the imagination of the infinity.

Dare To Be The Person You Want To Be.

Set your goals as high and as unlimited as the stars.

Dream…………………..

Go Red

Today is "Go Red For Women Day" which is sponsored by the American Heart Association. Heart disease is the number one killer and ailment for the women in my family so this is very personal for me. The average person can not recognize the signs of a heart attack or how to maintain a healthy heart. Visit http://goredforwomen.org/ and

take the heart check up.

Peace

Keep the Dream Alive

In honor of the great Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday, let’s all remember his words and try to create the world that he envisioned. Peace

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."And if America is to be a great nation this must become true.

So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

New Year's Resolutions

Did you make a New Year's Resolution? We are two weeks into the New Year and statistics show that most of us have already given up the ghost. Our resolve is weakening as to the lofty goals and dreams we had on New Years Eve.

The reason that New Year’s Resolutions often fail is that we don’t visualize the goal that we have in mind. Do you want to lose weight? Rather than feeling tortured about that new gym membership you have, did you visualize what your ideal weight is? Do you want a new career or new job? Have you visualized your new office, what your coworkers look like or even more important who is your boss and who do you supervise?

You see the power of creative visualization is a blueprint to our innermost goals. When you are able to clearly see the end result and experience the feeling in your mind of what that outcome is you will inspire action and you have a greater chance of achieving your dreams.

Thoughts ► Feelings ► Visualization ► Actions ►Dreams ►Goals

"The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart - this you will build your life by, and this you will become." - -- James Lane Allen, As A Man Thinketh

Three Kings

Today is Epiphany, Feats of the Three kings, Little Christmas, or the Twelfth day of Christmas. I was in church today listening to the story of the three kings’ visit and thought of one of my favorite children’s books, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

I love this book because the Herdmans knew that if you were going to visit someone special you give them something from the heart. I reread it every year during the holidays and it always brings a smile to my face.

Peace