A Woman On Purpose Inspires!

Did you see where she came from?
She came from the dust
She came to bring peace
She came to bring trust

To all of the people
In all the lands
That divide by a thought
That divide by a strand

The dust that she came from
The dust from the stars
Is the dust that's inside you
That dust from afar

Drifting from ether
Between you and me
So small that our differences
Are so hard to see

She sprinkles hope in their hearts
She filters it through
The cracks that appear
When the fear starts to brew

She smothers the fires
That burn in the minds
Of those discouraged
Of those seeking to find

Happiness, comfort,
Safety and health
She spreads words of kindness
She spreads words of wealth

For all of the creatures
That live on this land
Divided by nothing
Except an invisible strand

She inspires those to work
Independently, free
And encourages those
Who are yet to see

The abundance of love
That is waiting to find
When we work together
To make more peaceful times

When her work is over
When her love has been sowed
When her inspiration given
When her message has grown

When she sees that the people
Have united and stand
For peace, love and hope
For the future she planned

Then return to the ether
She will not be afraid
To let others take over
To let others make way

For she knows where she came from
And return she must
From the stars and the sand dunes
She will return to dust

Alexandra Gold - Author of 'A Woman On Purpose'

I carry this message forward in my Cancer Care Ministry work.

"What Cancer Cannot Do"

It cannot ...
Invade the soul
Suppress memories
Kill friendship
Destroy peace
Conquer the spirit
Shatter hope
Cripple love
Corrode faith
Steal eternal life
SILENCE COURAGE

In Grace and Gratitude,
Rev. Rhonda Schienle.

God didn't give you the strength to get back on your feet so that you could run back to the same thing that knocked you down. So be sure and take a stand.

Tainted Butterfly

I've learned….

If you will take the time to read these. I promise you'll come away with an enlightened perspective.

I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day.

I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned.... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned..... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned..... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

The difference a day makes
by SharonRene Hutchinson

The way you start your day can be the way you experience your whole day. Be sure to remember that each new day is a new way of thinking and being. You can change everything in your world with this one-day, so make those changes for the better starting NOW!

Embrace Detours 
—By Anna Pereira
Founder of Circles of Inspiration

Detours in life may lead to discovering places we never knew we loved.

People come into your life for a Reason, a Season or a Lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a GODSEND, and they are.

They are there for a Reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they act up, or out, and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The Prayer you send up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It’s real! But…only for a Season.

LIFETIME RELATIONSHIPS teach you lifetime lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people anyway; and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind, but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life.

May God hold you in the palm of HIS hand & Angels watch over you.

A Little About Forgiving 
—By Lloyd J. Thomas, Ph.D.
Presented in "Practical Life Coaching" (formerly "Practical Psychology).

In our progress toward peace of mind and freedom of spirit, one of the most difficult skills to learn and practice is "forgiveness." Many people simply do not understand what forgiveness means. 
 Nevertheless, forgiveness is essential to psychological health. As long as we are unable to forgive, we keep ourselves chained to the unforgiven. We give old hurts, resentments and anger rent-free space in our minds, shackles on our hearts, and the right to torment us in the small hours of the night.

When you are in a close relationship with another, forgiveness is required quickly and often. You cannot expect to dance closely with a partner and never have your toes stepped on. If you hang on to the pain and never forgive the other's misstep, the relationship is emotionally cluttered and diminished. When it is time to forgive, to move on in our lives, but still too hard to do, you may want to try some (or all) of these steps below:

1. Understand that forgiving does not mean giving permission for the hurtful behavior to be repeated. It does not mean saying that what was done was acceptable. Forgiveness is needed for behaviors that were not acceptable and that you should not allow to be repeated.
2. Recognize exactly who is being hurt by your non-forgiveness. Does the other person burn with your anger, feel the knot in your stomach, experience the cycling and recycling of your thoughts as you re-experience the painful events in your mind? Do they stay awake as you rehearse in your mind what you would like to say or do to "punish" them? No! Focusing on revenge is like taking poison and hoping the other person will die.
3. Do not demand to know "why" as a prerequisite to forgiveness. Knowing why the behavior happened is unlikely to lessen the pain, because the painful event came at a time when you did not know why. Occasionally, there are times when knowing why makes forgiveness unnecessary, but those times are rare. Don't count on it. Don't even count on the perpetrator knowing why s/he did it.
4. Make a list of what you need to forgive. What was actually done that caused your pain? Include what you may have done that caused your pain. Do not include what you only felt was done.
5. Acknowledge your part. Were you honest about your hurt or did you hide the fact that the behavior hurt you? Did you seek peace of mind by reassuring the perpetrator that what s/he did was "all right?" If so, then you too have some responsibility. Forgive yourself and you start to move away from being a victim.
6. Make a list of what you gained from the relationship prior to, and because of the painful event. Looking back, you may be focusing only on the negatives (hurts). When we focus our attention only on the negatives, we strengthen the painful memory and it comes alive again in our minds.
7. Write a letter to the person who hurt you (no need to mail it). Acknowledge what you gained from the experience, and express your forgiveness for the hurts. However, allow yourself to express all your feelings fully. Do not focus only on the hurts.
8. Develop a ceremony in which you get rid of your lists and the above letter. The ritual should symbolize the end of the link between you and the painful event now past. You may choose to visualize placing all your resentments on a raft and watching it drift gently away down a river. You may prefer to burn them and scatter the ashes. You may invent some other form of ritualized separation.
9. Visualize the person you are forgiving being blessed by your forgiveness. Keep in mind that forgiveness is for your sake alone, for your own healing, and not for the sake of the perpetrator. Your forgiveness frees you from the behavior that hurt you and diminishes the pain of the memories.
10. Now that you are free from the painful links between the past event(s) and of your memories about them, you feel yourself growing lighter and more joyous. Feel yourself free to move on with your life without that burden of hurt. Do not look back in anger. You cannot change what has happened in your past. Nevertheless, without dragging all your painful memories along with you, you can move into your future free in spirit and with a peaceful mind.

Note: With thanks and gratitude to Martha Creek for sharing her wonderful Newsletters.

Martha Creek

www.marthacreek.com