“Our children are watching us live, and what we are shouts louder than anything we can say.”
WILFRED A PETERSON
2010 is a great time to have a think about what our children see us valuing through our actions and choices we make every day.
“T’was the night before Christmas and all through the town
Not a sign of Baby Jesus was anywhere to be found.
The people were all busy with Christmas time chores
Like decorating, and baking, and shopping in stores.
No one sang “Away in a manger, no crib for a bed”.
Instead, they sang of Santa dressed-up in bright red.
Mama watched Martha Stewart, Papa drank beer from a tap.
As hour upon hour the presents they’d wrap
When what from the T.V.
did they suddenly hear?
‘Cept an ad.. which told of a big sale at Sears.
So away to the mall they all flew like a flash…
Buying things on credit…
and others with cash!
And, as they made their way home from their trip to the mall,
Did they think about Jesus? Oh, no… not at all.
Their lives were so busy with their Christmas time things
No time to remember Christ Jesus, the King.
There were presents to wrap and cookies to bake.
How could they stop and remember who died for their sake?
To pray to the Savior…
they had no time to stop.
Because they needed more time to “Shop til they dropped!”
On Wal-mart! On K-mart!
On Target! On Penney’s!
On Hallmark! On Zales!
A quick lunch at Denny’s.
From the big stores downtown to the stores at the mall,
they would dash away, dash away, and visit them all!
And up on the roof, there arose such a clatter
As grandpa hung icicle lights up on his brand new step ladder.
He hung lights that would flash.
He hung lights that would twirl.
Yet, he never once prayed to Jesus…
Light of the World.
Christ’s eyes… how they twinkle!
Christ’s Spirit… how merry!
Christ’s love… how enormous!
All our burdens… He’ll carry!
So instead of being busy, overworked, and uptight
Let’s put Christ back in Christmas and enjoy some good nights.”
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
“Happiness cannot be found by ‘hoping for the best’. It is found by claiming the best of who you are; recognising your inner strengths and capabilities – and bringing them to life even when old habits would hold you back.”
STEPHANIE DOWRICK
“Your attitude to life is far more important in determing your happiness than your money, apperance, social status or talent.”
STEPHANIE DOWRICK
“We each do the best we can. My best may not be as good as your best, but it’s my best. The fact is that we know when we are doing our best and when we are not. If we are not doing our best, it leaves us with a gnawing hunger and frustration. But when we do our level best, we experience a peace.”
MAJORIE PAY HINCKLEY
“Pause for a moment and think about what three things in your life you value, or what are more important to you than anything else.
Write them down.
…..You’ve indicated the things that you believe are most important to you. But are you spending your time in a way that reflects their importance? The answer may be eye opening.”
DOROTHY LEHMKUHL & DOLORES COTTER LAMPING
(from the book “Organizing for the Creative Person”)
“Children hear so many voices from so many directions. There are so few empty summer days. There are pressures to excel. It has become a challenge to let children be children.
It has never been so important that children have a home that is a place of refuge, a place of peace, a place of unconditional love – even when the report card may not be what you hoped for.”
MAJORIE PAY HINCKLEY
“Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart.”
MARCEL MORIN
(quote taken from “A Magical Childhood” http://magical-mama.livejournal.com/74253.html)
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
CONFUCIUS
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through action. And because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your buisness to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open..whether you choose to take an art class, keep a journal, record your dreams, dance your story or live each day from your own creative source. Above all else, keep the channel open!”
MARTHA GRAHAM
From the book “A Creative Companion: How to Free Your Creative Spirit” by Sark
“What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple.
Whether you are willing to do it, that’s another matter.”
PETER F DRUCKER
“We live in a world that is filled with options. If we are not careful, we will find every minute jammed with social events, classes, exercise time, book clubs, scrapbooking, Church callings, music, sports, the Internet, and our favorite TV shows. One mother told me of a time that her children had 29 scheduled commitments every week: music lessons, scouts, dance, Little League, day camps, soccer, art, and so forth. She felt like a taxi driver. Finally, she called a family meeting and announced, ‘Something has to go; we have no time to ourselves and no time for each other. Families need unstructured time when relationships can deepen and real parenting can take place. Take time to listen, to laugh, and to play together.”
M. RUSSELL BALLARD
“To the world you may be one person but to one person you may be the world.”
TAYLOR HANSON
“A bend in the road is not the end of the road, as long as you make the turn”
-Annon
“From a little spark may burst a mighty flame.”
DANTE
“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgement will be surer; since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power of judgement….Go some distance away, because the work appears smaller, and more of it can be taken in at a glance, and a lack of harmony or proportion is more readily seen.”
LEONARDO DAVINCI
“Meditation, walking, gardening, inspirational reading, listening to quiet music, or just sitting and taking in the present moment are soul choices that restore us to ‘ourselves’. They bring our scattered sense of self back to the centre where it belongs.
Looked at that way, the time you give to ‘being’ could be the most important investment you make each day.”
STEPHANIE DOWRICK
From her book “Choosing Happiness: life & soul essentials”
Today I have learned that one of the best gifts that you can give to yourself is the gift of time with youreslf.
Sometimes I feel like I am on a strong current that is pulling me along. It especially feels like that when I have a big list of things to do. I also feel like that when there are things that I wish I could be doing better, but don’t have the time or energy to do them.
The more and more off course I get, the more I realise that I have stopped asking those questions.
I have realised that it is so important to take ourselves out of our busy lives, and give ourselves the gift of being with ourselves, and allowing our inner voice to be heard and to listen to our instincts.
You may have ways that you slow down and get in touch with yourself. Some people meditate. Being close to nature helps to centre me. I just love looking out over the ocean, it has such a calming and rejuvenating effect.
I am going to commit to waking up early and to write my random thoughts in my journal again. It is amazing how answers come to you and things get solved as you write things out.
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
ROBERT BRAULT
“Measure yourself by your best moments, not by your worst.”
ROBERT JOHNSON
