A Ray of Hope

There are times in life when we fall, we fail, we get dumped on, feel crumpled, and dejected. Sometimes it’s the result of decisions we make and sometimes it’s due to unavoidable circumstances that come our way.

Life can often times make us feel worthless for any number of reasons. We may even feel as if we are being buried alive under the piles of dirt that life throws our way. But regardless, we must go on.

How? We look around us and search for the good. You may be thinking I can’t see the good through the dirt, keep digging it’s there; in the smile of a loved one, a hug, a kind word, a ray of sunshine, a drop of rain.

The worth of life and the worth of who we are is a combination of good and bad. Flowers cannot bloom without a mixture of sunshine and rain, which works together to help them grow into beautiful blossoms worthy of attention. We are no different.

No one is perfect; no life is perfect. However, we are each a creation of God, which makes us one of life’s miracle’s. And that my friend makes you priceless.

Regardless of what life throws your way you are special to someone. You touch the lives of others just by being who you are. Your very existence on this earth makes you worthy and invaluable to the lives of those you have touched.

granny

If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.

Technology Woes

Is there any such thing as an uncomplicated electronic item these days? Something with a simple on and off switch? Everything now a day’s comes equipped with multiple options that will do everything but wash your butt for you. Cool right? Sure is, if you have a Geek Squad education, which the majority of us mature seniors don’t.


Why can’t you purchase a simple TV that just allows you to watch TV, or a cell phone for that matter, that just makes calls? Nope, it has to come with all sorts of game plug ins, pc plug ins, camcorder plug-ins, camera plug ins, and the list goes on.


Don’t get me wrong, these new technological inventions are great if you have a need for them or if you are young enough or fortunate enough to have someone in the household who understands how this new technological stuff works.


However, this leaves out a large majority of mature seniors. Do you have any idea what we go through if our TV goes out and we have to purchase one of the new TV’s on the market today? Unless you can afford to pay an arm and a leg to have the technicians come out and install it for you, you’re doomed. There’s a gazillion plug-ins in the back where there use to be a simple connection to screw in your antenna wire. Not only are the gazillion connections on the back a hassle but then the TV has to be programmed. Talk about a nightmare! Appliances today need to come with a dictionary attached just so you can read the darn instruction manual.


Scenario:


Customer – “I need to buy a TV.”


Salesperson – “Which do you prefer LCD or Plasma.”


Customer – “Uh…whichever ever gets the best picture, I guess.”


Salesperson – “Do you prefer 60 HTZ or 120 HTZ?”


Customer – “I don’t know what that is, I just want a TV that I can watch regular programs on.”


Salesperson – “Well, we have 720 and 1080 resolution with up to 30,000 contrast ratio or we have…”


Customer – Looks at wife confused. “We just want a simple color TV that you can turn on and off.”


Salesperson – “Well, I don’t believe we carry anything like that but we do have a lower end HDTV equipped with Blu-Ray…


Customer – Holds up his hand, grabs his cell phone, and hands it to the salesperson. “Here can you call my grandson? He’s in the address book under…

Your Bank Account

This was passed to me through an e-mail. I have no idea who the author is so that I might give him/her credit, but it sure spoke to my heart as I hope it will yours. It's not all about the money.

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This is AWESOME....something we should all remember.

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hour s of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

'I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

'Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'

'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied.

'Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged .. it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. 'It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.

Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life.

Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!
Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing.'
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans.

May blessing pour down on you from heaven.
Granny

Time is A Possession


We work, we slave, we spend years in meaningless jobs working late, on the weekends, and we try to convince ourselves it’s because we have to in order to survive. It’s true we have to work in order to provide our families with necessities like food and clothing. But, is all the extra hours and time spent away from our families truly necessary? Are we sure we’re not working those extra hours just so we can afford that new big screen TV or some other materialistic possession we think we need.

Economic times are hard right now. They may get even worse before they get better, if they do. Every weekend I ride down the road and I see more and more cars setting in people’s front yards with for sale signs on them. Neighborhoods filled to over flowing with garage sells and yard sales giving away possessions for next to nothing because their hours have been cut or they’ve lost their job.

It started me wondering. Just how much of what we have can we really live without? What do our possessions really add to our lives? Oh, it’s great to have all the latest technical gadgets and spas, and swimming pools, and the mountain of other items that we cherish, but at what cost.

Instead of working 60 hours a week, could we provide our family with the necessities on 40-hours a week? That’s 20 extra hours a week to spend with those you love. Have you ever sat down and asked your family if they would be willing to forgo some of the material things for extra time together? You may be surprised at the answer. Especially if you have young children. We can learn a lot from kids, if we actually took the time to ask and really listen to them.

When was the last time you sat in the yard, had a tall glass of lemonade, and watched your kids playing kickball or a game of tag? When was the last time you actually rolled in the grass with them giggling, kicking, and just acting silly? Do you remember the last time you and your spouse took a leisurely walk through the park holding hands just enjoying each other’s company?

Time is a precious possession and I fear we may be squandering it away on the wrong things. There are no guarantees in life. There may not be a tomorrow for yourself or your wife, or your child. Will you stand over the casket of a loved one and think to yourself, if only I had taken the time to go to Bobby’s last baseball game or left the office early and had that romantic evening with my wife, but no, I had to work.

It’s a new year and we have no idea what the future may hold. Today is all that we can control. Is it perhaps time you prioritized what’s most important in your life? Do you honestly have to take that weekend business flight or do you only have to take it to impress the boss, or get a promotion. So you’ll miss Susie’s piano recital, “There’ll be another one,” you say. Will there? Maybe, but maybe not.

Time is indeed a possession and I hope that 2009 will allow you amble time to spend on what is most important in your life. For some it will be work, for others material possessions, but time with those we loved cannot be replaced.

There is a time; there is a place for all things. I hope time with loved ones will be at the top of your list of priorities for 2009.

May God Bless.
Granny

Happy New Year

Life is a journey. This was e-mailed to me by someone who cares. The secrets to living a happy and successful life are enclosed.

I hope the coming year brings you all the blessing life can offer.

Granny