Pale Side of Life » Daily Life

Blessed Are Mothers

Chad — Sun, 09 May 2010 16:26:27 +0000

I’ve benefited from the love of two moms.

The first nurtured me, fed me, taught me right from wrong, and loved me unconditionally. She kissed my wounds, hugged away my sadness, laughed at my jokes and pushed me to greater things. She taught me to love, to learn and to live. She taught me to have faith in God and to trust His guidance.

The second nurtures me, feeds me, teaches me right from wrong, and loves me unconditionally. She kiss my wounds, hugs away my sadness, laughs at my jokes and pushes me to greater things. She teaches me to love, to learn and to live. She teaches me to have faith in God and to trust His guidance…. and somehow she has time to do all this for my children as well.

The longer I live to more certain I am that God didn’t create Eve simply as a companion for Adam. I think He knew that Adam didn’t stand a chance without her.

Misguided Faith

Chad — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:34:08 +0000

As my personal faith in God grows, I’m seemingly reminded more and more the words of a friend. He told me that the closer I try to get to God, the harder the devil will work to pull me back. I was reminded today of yet another reason so many people have trouble – or even hate – religion. A gentleman I chatted with mentioned his grandmother sitting in a hospital bed refusing treatment. She apparently was certain God would cure her cancer. She died, leaving behind a family undoubtedly broken by misguided faith.

I’m not an expert, but rather someone who tries to observe and learn. Did anyone in this gentleman’s family try to remind the grandmother that perhaps God’s answer rested in the skilled hands of her doctor? Or that perhaps her prayer was being answered by the fact she was offered treatment? What a travesty to see how this man reacts to “religion” because of his grandmothers illness and death. All too often we pray for something we want… what a difference it makes when we pray for God to send us in the direction He wants us to take.

I’d like to think this gentleman would view religion or faith differently if his grandmother had prayed for God’s guidance, instead of praying for what she wanted. Maybe it would not have made a difference in her life or death, but I’d like to think it would have made a big difference to the lives of her loved ones left behind.

Handbook 2010

Chad — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:02:03 +0000

My father sent me this list and I thought it worth passing on. Most notable to me are items nos. 5, 11, 17, and 21. We are all guilty of “the grass is always greener” syndrome. But always remember that those thoughts are only through your perspective… you have no idea if the person of your envy feels their grass is greener than yours. Chances are they don’t. Also, I’m learning through my own stubbornness that God truly is in charge if you let him. I’ve learned a few things lately… first is that God’s love is inherited and unconditional because we are his children. Second, asking God to take the wheel in your life is free will. It reminds me of the great song from Sting titled “If You Love Someone Set Them Free”. It should be enough to know God’s love that He sent his son Jesus to die for our eternal life. But He takes His love a step further by granting us the freedom to follow Him or not. What more power is there than to reign over the earth yet not force obedience? On with the list…

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray and read your Bible daily.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10.Take a 10-30 minutes’ walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don’t overdo. Keep your limits.
14. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree…

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about, I just did.

‘Tis the Season Prayer

Chad — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:09:46 +0000

Lord, please give me the strength of patience during this Christmas season. I get angry at the crowds of self-interested people and before I am aware of it I, too, become one of the people I am disgusted with. Please, Lord, show me your light during my darkest hour of dealing with insane traffic. Remind me to be happy, help my facial muscles turn my frown upside down. Lord, carry me through the seemingly endless commitments and remind me that someone out there cares that I’m in attendance. Most of all, Lord, help me to keep my eyes on your Heavenly prize, open my heart to service in Your name, and turn my head to Your will. These things I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Blogger’s Note: When I started this it was tongue-in-cheek… when I finished it I discovered I really do need this prayer. Feel free to print, modify, and use yourself. Also, we pray in the name of Jesus to give authority to Him to ask the Father to act upon our prayer. Remember if the prayer does not glorify God and is not His will, there really is no point to the prayer and certainly no point to asking it in Jesus’ name. Say these words at the end of your prayer, but never say them lightly or without understanding the meaning. Refer to John 14:13-14.

Get Around To It

Chad — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:02:41 +0000

If you are anything like me (you breathe air, you are human, you can read… yep, you’re a lot like me) you have said to yourself “yah I’ll get around to it”. Don’t worry, I’ve got your solution right here. Simply print this page, cut out the image below (yes you must cut out the circle) and put it in your pocket.

The next time those words leave your mouth simply reach in your pocket and pull out your round Tuit. No more excuses. You’ve now got your round Tuit, so get busy and gitrdone. Better yet, keep a few extra round Tuits in your pocket and hand them out when other people seem to have trouble motivating themselves. It might only bring a smile, but more often than not that’s all it might take to change a person’s day.

Blogger Note: This is blogger-heal-thy-self therapy.

Ways to Praise a Child

Chad — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:19:47 +0000

The Daily Lie

Chad — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:07:22 +0000

As I shuffle around the garage putting various items somewhere else they don’t belong, I see my neighbor drive up and park in his driveway. We make brief eye contact and almost simultaneously raise our arms in a “man wave”-type motion. “Hey, Bob, how are you?” “I’m good, and you?” “Doing good, thanks.” Why did I just lie? It wasn’t a big lie, just a small one, but a lie nonetheless. I’m not good. I’m not bad either. But I’m not good. Work is scarce, money is tight, and politicians are telling me what they can do for me. I’d just as soon have those politicians get the hell outta my way. Maybe things are good for Bob, but I doubt it. So why keep up the daily lie?

Eternal optimism I suppose. Not hope, but optimism. Hope ushered in our current president, therefore I have no hope. But I do have optimism because I know what Americans are capable of inspite of roadblocks placed around them. So I continue the daily lie knowing someday I won’t be lying.