A thought for the Day

[stevets]

Some say the most beautiful thing on the dark earth is a company of horsemen. Others say infantry, or ships. But I say it's the person you love.
--Sappho

 

[EROS]

Men in earnest have no time to waste
In patching fig-leaves for the naked truth.

James Russell Lowell

 

[Dan Murphy]

Beyond ego

Nothing drains your energy as dependably or wastes your time as surely as the effort you put into maintaining your own sense of self importance. Just imagine how gloriously free you can be by simply letting go of the need to feed your own ego.
Every time you allow your ego to direct your actions, you place limits on what you can achieve and who you can become. Get beyond those concerns of the ego, and things that once seemed prohibitively difficult can become amazingly easy.

It's hard to be completely honest with yourself and with others while protecting your own ego. Once you get past the ego, though, your thoughts and actions become empowered by truth and honesty, and are immensely more effective as a result.

Get beyond ego and you get beyond envy, spite, the need to prove yourself, the need to blame or carry a grudge. You get beyond a whole lot of useless needs that would only drag you down.

Think for a moment about all the limitations you impose on yourself. Get beyond your ego and you'll find yourself refreshingly free of them.

-- Ralph Marston

 

[EROS]

Christianity has made of death a terror which was unknown to the gay calmness of the Pagan.

Ouida [Marie Louise de la Ramée] (1839-1908)
British novelist

 

[Big Dude]

A disbelief in God does not result in a belief in nothing; disbelief in God usually
results in a belief in anything.
~Arthur Lynch

Adam aka Big Dude

 

[Catzeyes]

If god does not exist, one loses nothing by believing in him anyway, while if he does exist, one stands to lose everything by not believing.

Blaise Pascal

 

[EROS]

Religion is too important a matter to its devotees to be a subject of ridicule. If they indulge in absurdities, they are to be pitied rather than ridiculed.

Immanuel Kant

 

[Dan Murphy]

To give and to receive are one in truth.

-A Course in Miracles

Giving our love away, honoring someone in need by giving our full
attention, will usually bring kindness and concern in return. And
unkindness and neglect on our part are likely to result in the same
from others. We will usually elicit that which we've so thoughtfully or
thoughtlessly given.

Not many elements in our life are so fully in our control as how we
choose to treat other people. There are few among us who aren't
moved by another's expression of pure, unconditional love. We are
humbled by it and feel valued. We can honor the existence of our
fellow travelers by our open, willing love for them too.

We need to feel appreciated. And yet, to express appreciation is such a
simple act, one that has profound effects for all concerned. Acts of
kindness multiply very quickly; we contribute to a world favoring our
true humanity when we give out loving thoughts even as we receive
them.

I will extend the hand of love to a friend today and thus help to make a
better world

--In God's Care
by Karen Casey

 

[EROS]

The true division of humanity is between those who live in light and those who live in darkness. Our aim must be to diminish the number of the latter and increase the number of the former. That is why we demand education and knowledge.

Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

 

[Disney Doll]

Focus on making things better, not bigger.--Life's Little Instruction Book

 

[Dan Murphy]

Such a simple and correct thought, DD.

You know

You know how completely right it feels when you genuinely offer kindness to another person. You've felt how truly right it can be when you're following a positive purpose with focus and passion and commitment.
And you know how wrong it can feel when you give yourself over to doubt, negativity, anger, and empty indulgences. So why do you keep going down those negative pathways, and so often turn your back on what you know is right?

Perhaps it's the perception that you have no other choice, that you're obligated to be tossed around by whatever comes your way. But that's not the case at all.

Certainly there are all sorts of things which are outside your control. But you always have complete control over what you do about them. That uplifting and energizing feeling of doing what you know is right can be a part of every single moment if you choose for it to be. The sickening feeling of regret need never darken even a single day.

At any given time you can choose to punish yourself or to fulfill your best possibilities. Make each moment, each day better than the best you've ever known by choosing to follow what you know is right.

-- Ralph Marston

 

[Buckalew]

A friend is a present you give yourself.

Hugs to my friends.

 

[Disney Doll]

Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.--Life's Little Instruction Book

 

[EROS]

The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.

Benjamin Franklin

 

[helenabear]

Why do people feel the need to hurt others with their words? Do they not realize that they are doing so with what they write? Words have the power to hurt or the power to help heal. Why hurt others when this world is already hurting so much as it is? Choose your words wisely as you may help bring joy to lives. And when you do that, you can help heal this hurting world.

 

[Disney Doll]

Good question helenabear. Many folks, in their quest to prove themselves "correct" or "superior" lose sight of the more important things. Oh well...

A couple of good ones from "Life's Little Instruction Book":

1. Learn to disgaree without being disagreeable.

2. Be tactful. Never alienate anyone on purpose.

 

[Big Dude]

This was posted in another thread in the Community Board section of the site. I thought it very profound and the author is JohnTBap:

Oh man. I seem to have lost my MAP TO THE BACK BUTTON.

Well, here goes nothing:

EROS dies and is met at the Pearly Gates by St. Peter. "Welcome," says Peter, "So THAT'S what you look like! I've been wondering all this time! Wait here, please, God himself would like to speak with you."

Unfortunately, EROS knows not what to do - there is no keyboard present and consequently no**** or BIG RED PRINT so he has no choice but to wait as requested.

Almost immediately God arrives and says, "Welcome HOME."

EROS faints dead away - physician, heal thyself! - only to wake up a short time later.

Believe it or not, for the first time in his life, EROS is rendered speechless.

"Not to worry, my son," says God, "I can see in your heart and know that you finally believe. I saved the gift of faith until after your death, and yet you lived as though you had faith all along. You eased the suffering of your fellow man. That is the greatest use of your life. Well done, my good and faithful servant, well done. "

Just thought this is a good "Thought for the Day"

Adam aka Big Dude

 

[EROS]

Thanks, ADAM .......

Even though JTB is a little self-deluded about "HEAVEN", no one can question her genuine kindness ........

 

[Big Dude]

Originally posted by EROS
Thanks, ADAM .......

Even though JTB is a little self-deluded about "HEAVEN", no one can question her genuine kindness ........

AMEN

Adam aka Big Dude

 

[Big Dude]

The Cookie Thief - by Valerie Cox

A woman was waiting at an airport one night
With several long hours before her flight
She hunted for a book in the airport shop
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop
She was engrossed in her book but happened to see
That the man beside her as bold as could be
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene
She munched cookies and watched the clock
As this gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by
Thinking "If I wasn't so nice I'd blacken his eye"
With each cookie she took he took one too
And when only one was left she wondered what he'd do
With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh
He took the last cookie and broke it in half
He offered her half as he ate the other
She snatched it from him and thought "Oh brother
This guy has some nerve and he's also rude
Why he didn't even show any gratitude"
She had never known when she had been so galled
And sighed with relief when her flight was called
She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate
She boarded the plane and sank in her seat
Then sought her book which was almost complete
As she reached in her baggage she gasped with surprise
There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes
"If mine are here" she moaned with despair
"Then the others were his and he tried to share"
"Too late to apologize she realized with grief"
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief

Adam aka Big Dude