Dear Readers:
For everyone who supports our military....this site
is a MUST...Please view respectfully....

http://www.clermontyellow.accountsupport.com/flash/UntilThen.swf

An 8-yr. olds view of God …..

THIS ONE IS FABULOUS!!!
It was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton,

who lives in Chula Vista, CA.
Danny wrote it for his third grade homework assignment, to "explain God".
I wonder if any of us could have done as well?

EXPLANATION OF GOD:

+++
"One of God's main jobs is making people.
He makes them to replace the ones that die,

so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth.
He doesn't make grownups, just babies.
I think because they are smaller and easier to make.
That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them

to talk and walk.
He can just leaves that to mothers and fathers."

“God's second most important job is listening to prayers.
An awful lot of this goes on, since some people,
like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime.
God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this.
Because he hears everything,

there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears,

unless He has thought of a way to turn it off."

"God sees everything and hears everything and

is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy.
So you shouldn't go wasting his time

by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something

they said you couldn't have."

"Atheists are people who don't believe in God.
I don't think there are any in Chula Vista.
At least there aren't any who come to our church."

"Jesus is God's Son.
He used to do all the hard work, l

like walking on water and performing miracles
and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God.
They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him.
But he was good and kind, like his father,

and he told his father that they didn't know

what they were doing and to forgive them

and God said “ O.K."

"His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done
and all his hard work on earth so he told him
he didn't have to go out on the road anymore.

He could stay in heaven.
So he did.
And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers

and seeing things which are important for God
to take care of and which ones

he can take care of himself
without having to bother God.
Like a secretary,

only more important."

"You can pray anytime you want and
they are sure to help you because they got it worked out

so one of them is on duty all the time."

"You should always go to church on Sunday

because it makes God happy,

and if there's anybody you want to make happy,
it's God!
Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun
like going to the beach.

This is wrong.
And besides the sun doesn't come out
at the beach until noon anyway."

"If you don't believe in God,

besides being an atheist,
you will be very lonely,

because your parents can't go everywhere with you,
like to camp.
But God can.
It is good to know He's around you when you're scared,
in the dark or when you can't swim
and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids."

"But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you.
I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime
he pleases.
And...that's why I believe in God.

Wonderful Book of Common Sense Wisdom...Excerpts below 

Another episode from…..Living, Loving & Learning
By: Leo Buscaglia, Ph. D

(I, again, quote to you from the above book)

“In my family I learned to share….and I learned a wonderful sense of responsibility from Mamma, who was a rugged lady.
When she said something, it went.
This always amused me when I got into the university and I studied theories of counseling and all this permissive stuff.
Mamma was the most magnificent nondirective counselor.
She’d say, “Shut up!”
We always knew what that meant.
It was a beautiful kind of interaction with the family.
Not too amazing, none of us have ever had a mental problem.
I remember as a kid, I wanted to go to Paris.
She said, “Felice, you’re too young for traveling.”
“But, Mama, I want to go.”
At that time, Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir were all involved in the wonderful concept of existentialism: and Felice wanted to go there because he heard that everybody was in misery and he wanted to go there and be miserable, too.
I wanted to try everything.
Mama says, “OK, you go, but if you do, you’re declaring yourself an adult and don’t ask me for anything after that. You’re an adult.
You’re free, go.”
Oh, was it fantastic!
I didn’t have a lot of money, but I had a little bit and I went there and I lived everybody’s dream.
I had a tiny apartment.
I could see from my skylight all the rooftops of Paris.
I sat at the feet of people like Sartre and de Beauvoir - didn’t understand a damn word they said - loved every minute of it.
Suffered!
Oh, did I suffer!
And it was wonderful, on Camembert cheese and French wine.
Pretty soon there was no money.
I had no real concept of money.
I was sharing with everybody, I was the last of the big spenders.
I always had the bottle of wine, everyone came to my place to share it.
This had been the way I grew up, the modeling I had learned.
At our house the postman would come and Papa would pour him a glass of wine. “Eh, poor man, he’s working all day. He needs a good glass of wine.”
We would say, “Poppa, don’t give him wine!”
It would kill us when the teacher came to visit and Papa offered her wine.
“The teacher won’t drink wine.” Then we were shocked when the teacher drank wine.
She was no kook.
It was good wine!
But I remember getting to the point where I really had very little money - almost none.
I thought I’d just wire home, that’s all.
I went to the telegraph office in Paris, and, to save money, just wrote,
“Starving. Felice”.
One word but significant.
Twenty-four hours later I had a telegram from mama and it said,
“Starve! Mama.”
The moment of truth!
At long last I was an adult.
What was I going to do now?
I’m going to tell you what that taught me.
It taught me about hunger, it taught me about how cold a place can be, not only physically, but when you don’t have the bottles of wine to share, the people who called themselves your ’friends’ don’t come around anymore.
It taught me a lot and I never would have learned it if Mama had relented and sent me a check.
And I stayed there and stayed there, just to show her I could do it!
When I went home many months later, she said to me one evening,
“That was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but if I hadn’t done it, you would never have grown to be Felice.”
And it was true.
So through modeling, they taught me so much about living and loving together…..”

Living, Loving & Learning
By: Leo Buscaglia, Ph. D

(I, again, quote to you from the above book)

“Many of you know that I grew up in a wonderful, great big, fantastic, loving Italian family….
In this family I learned a lot of things….
One important thing my family taught me, without trying, is….
…how to share.
We had a tiny house and a big family and boy, do you learn to share!
Now we have enormous houses; everybody could get lost.
Then we had lots of people and….one toilet.
Oh, do I remember!
That was the center of the house.
Everybody was in and out of the toilet all the time and the minute you’d get in there and sit down and relax for 30 seconds,
“Get out of there, it’s my turn.”
So you learned to give and you learned to share, you learned to get out and you learned to speed up and you learned to use the same sink and sleep in the same rooms.
It’s a wonderful thing to learn.
I’m convinced that the family that goes to the toilet together, stays together.
But now we have a toilet for Mary and a toilet for Sally and a toilet for Papa and a dressing room for Mama.
That’s too bad - we don’t need all that space.
It’s so funny, but we build enormous houses and we work our fingers to the bone and we say it’s for our children.
But if you think about it, we bring them into these beautiful houses with lovely furniture and we don’t let them live in them.
“Don’t touch this!”
“Don’t touch that!”
“You’re going to break that.”
For goodness sakes, who’s the house for, the neighbors?
Not in our house!
The house was there for us to live in….
As a result…..I learned to share….whether I liked it or not!
My family life….taught me that…..daily!”

Living, Loving & Learning…
By: Leo Buscaglia, Ph.D.
“Many of you know that I grew up in a wonderful, great big, fantastic, loving Italian family and grew healthy and happy and wonderful on….bagna calda and pasta fasule and polenta and all those marvelous dishes.
I learned a lot of things….but most of which was taught without my knowing.
One thing my family taught me….is that we need to be touched and we need to be loved. And so I’ve been touching and loving all my life and I’ve been having a ball, touching and loving…
It’s been so nice and I didn’t know that in “the outside world” you don’t touch and you don’t love - not without reservations.
The first note I ever received from a teacher in America was a note written to Mamma. You can imagine how sensitive this lady was if she wrote the following to a poor Italian immigrant woman who could barely speak English…..
“Dear Mrs. Buscaglia,
Your son, Felice, is too tacile.”
Can you believe that?
I brought the note home to my Mama who looked and said,
“Hey what’s this-a-tactile? Felice, if you did something wrong, I’ll smack your head in.”
I said, “I don’t know what tactile is Mama, honest.
I don’t know what I did.”
Se we went to the dictionary, which we did a lot of, and flipped to the word “tactile.” … It says, to feel, to touch.
Mama says, “So what’s wrong with that?
That’s a-nice.
You gotta crazy teacher…”

....
What amuses me, is that now were finding out that scientifically touching does make a difference in our lives, physiologically and psychologically.
There is a Dr. Bresler at the UCLA pain clinic.
He isn’t writing regular prescriptions any more, he’s writing a prescription that says, “four hugs a day.”
People will say the man is crazy.
“Oh no, “ he says, “hug once in the morning, once at lunch, once in the evening and once before bed and you’ll get well.”
Dr. Harold Falk, senior psychiatrist at the Menninger Foundation, said this:
“Hugging can lift depression, enabling the body’s immunization system to become tuned up. Hugging breathes fresh life into tired bodies and makes you feel younger and more vibrant. In the home, hugging can strengthen relationships and significantly reduce tensions.”
Helen Colton in her book, Joy of Touching, said that the hemoglobin in the blood increases significantly when you are touched, and hugged. Hemoglobin is that part of the blood that carries the vital supplies of oxygen to the heart and to the brain - and she says that if you want to stay healthy, you must touch each other, you must love each other, you must hold each other.
One of the saddest things in our culture is that we stress the sexual aspect of a relationship way out of proportion.
What a pity, because in those things we are often missing the tenderness, the warmth. The kiss when it’s not expected, the touch on the shoulder when you really need it most - - - that is ’ ultimate heart gratification….”

. . . . . .
Rx rendered….use as needed….

Colin Powell Shock at Aceh Destruction
 

BBC News…World Edition
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4147853.stm
Last Updated: Wednesday, 5 January, 2005, 15:18 GMT

Colin Powell Shock at Aceh Destruction ......

Not many buildings are left standing in Meulaboh……Indonesia
US Secretary of State Colin Powell has visited Indonesia's Aceh province to see for himself the devastation caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami.
Aceh has borne the brunt of the earthquake and the sea surges it triggered, with whole towns destroyed and tens of thousands of lives lost.
Mr. Powell said the devastation was unlike anything he had seen before.
A huge aid effort is under way in the area. Mr. Powell will attend a donors' conference in Jakarta on Thursday.
He flew by helicopter over Aceh's ruined provincial capital.
"I have been in war and I have been through a number of hurricanes, tornados and other relief operations, but I have never seen anything like this," he said.

This information below about the Tsunami came from…
Bill Hekman
Pastor, Calvary Life Fellowship in Indonesia.

We know that 80% of the town of Meulaboh in Aceh was destroyed by the Tsunami waves and 80% of the people also died.
This is one of the Towns that was hit the hardest.
But there is a fantastic testimony from Meulaboh. In that town are about 400 Christians. They wanted to celebrate Christmas on December 25th but were not allowed to do so by the Muslims of Meulaboh. They were told if they wanted to celebrate Christmas they needed to go outside the city of Meulaboh on a high hill and there celebrate Christmas.
Because the Christians desired to celebrate Christmas the 400 believers left the city on December 25th and after they celebrated Christmas They stayed overnight on the hill. As we all know the morning of December 26 there was the earthquake followed by the Tsunami waves destroying most of the city of Meulaboh and thousands were killed. The 400 believers were on the mountain and were all saved from destruction.
Now the Muslims of Meulaboh are saying that the God of the Christians punished us for forbidding the Christians from celebrating Christmas in the city. Others are questioning why so many Muslims died while not even one of the Christians died there. Had the Christians insisted on their rights to celebrate Christmas in the city, they would have all died. But because they humbled themselves and followed the advice of the Muslims they all were spared destruction and can now testify of God's marvelous protection.
This is a testimony of the grace of God….We, as believers have the right to come before God and commit our lives to Him.
Our right is kneeling down before the Lord Almighty and
commit our ways to Him.
He is our Father and is very capable to care for His children.
Praise the Name of the Lord.
Bill Hekman
Pastor, Calvary Life Fellowship in Indonesia.

Love is....Sister kissing Brother, Britt & Matt 

L o v e ....

by: Faith

Today is a Special Day….
Many words have their say
You can buy them, speak them
Or wrap them small
Or choose not to say them at all
Flowers, candy, gifts galore
Are purchased at store after store
But when a piece of the heart
Is genuinely taken apart
And presented to ones that we love
Heaven’s best flows from above
The gift that money can not buy
Is saying “I could NOT Love YOU”
Even if I try…..

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you
Special People…

Don't YOU dare ...Laugh! 

Hello, this is Shorty calling! 

From: http://www.a.ghinn.btinternet.co.uk/index.html

Laughter

An extract from H. A. Williams' book
Tensions, Necessary Conflicts in Life and Love

God, we believe, accepts us, accepts all men, unconditionally, warts and all. Laughter is the purest form of our response to God's acceptance of us.
For when I laugh at myself I accept myself and when I laugh at other people in genuine mirth I accept them.
Self acceptance in laughter is the very opposite of self accusation or pride.
For in laughter I accept myself not because I'm some sort of super-person, but precisely because I'm not.
There is nothing funny about a super-person.
There is everything funny about a man who thinks he is.
In laughing at my own claims to importance or regard I receive myself in a sort of loving forgiveness which is an echo of God's forgiveness of me.
In much conventional contrition there is a selfishness and pride which are scarcely hidden.
In our desperate self concern we blame ourselves for not being the super persons we think we really are.
But in laughter we set light to ourselves.
That is why laughter is the purest form of our response to God.
Whether or not the great saints were capable of levitation, I have not the evidence to decide.
What I do know is that a characteristic of the great saints is their power of levity. For to set light to yourself is true humility.
Pride cannot rise to levity.
As G.K. Chesterton said, pride is the downward drag of all things into an easy solemnity.
It would seem that a heavy seriousness is as natural to man as falling. 'It was by the force of gravity that Satan fell.'
Laughter, on the other hand, is a sign of grace.

Yesterday my friend, Shirley, sent me the following info on her family’s military involvement…..These comments were in regard to my article 2 days ago about the ‘overpaid military’….
……“I just try to send on what I've received that I have very deep feelings about.
Since all three of my brothers served all thru WWII;
and my only child, my son, is a 24-1/2 year Air Force retiree, who has been retired for the past several years, but who is working still for a govt. sub-contractor in running computer programs. This also concerns my Navy active-duty grandson, currently in south Japan with his family from the states. I get quite upset when I hear comments about the pittance our military mostly receive…..”


NOW, YOU MUST check out this Awesome Paint Job Below!
Check out what some of our boys across the
water did to their helicopter.

The story is: this very special
Mi-24 helicopter is presently flying in
Afghanistan, where it is no doubt causing
quite a stir.

It's a plane, it's a bird, it's a Super Heli-Heli-Helicopter! 

American Awesome Artistry in Afghanistan... 

Flying like An Eagle....American Eagle. that is! 

On the ‘Military Pay Raise’ article that I posted yesterday, I stand …..corrected….i/e Chad…..
For a web site that is a watch dog over info spread thru the internet…..probably one of many….go to…..
Shortcut to: http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blpayraise.htm

It says:
Comments: We wouldn't be discussing this particular forwarded email if it weren't for two blatant factual errors in the introductory paragraph:
1...The claim that actress Cindy Williams of "Laverne and Shirley" wrote an editorial against military pay increases (False — the piece was written by a different Cindy Williams, an expert in national security issues)
2...The claim that said editorial was published in the Washington Times (False — it was published in the Washington Post)

The original Washington Post article ran in January 2000 and was copied and pasted soon thereafter in a number of newsgroup discussions. The above-quoted response by Michael Bragg (one of many such authored and circulated by outraged military personnel at the time) first appeared on the Internet about a month later, at which time it did not contain the erroneous attribution to actress Cindy Williams. As far as we can tell, that mistake crept into the text around July 2001. The message has continued to circulate in that form ever since.

That’s the rest of the story….
The truth is….Military personnel are performing a ‘service’…..daily…..that money can not buy……
Want their job?
Apply below.…

Want A Job? 

Overpaid Iraque Dust Eaters? You Decide! 

Our Family Marine....'works for food' MRE's...and 'Freedom'....freedom of speech Ms. Williams! 

Yep, We are....Sleeping on the Job.... 

Hot Rest in Iraq....no tanning booth needed... 

Who Cares? America's Military answers in action....No matter the cost.... 

Subject: MILITARY PAY ARTICLE

In a message dated 1/11/2005 7:06:38 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,


This Airman's response to Cindy Williams' editorial piece in the
Washington Times should be printed in all newspapers across America.

Military Pay Article:

On Nov. 12, Ms Cindy Williams (from Laverne and Shirley TV show) wrote
a piece for the Washington Times, denouncing the pay raise(s) coming
service members' way this year -- citing that the stated 13% wage was
more than they deserve.

A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He ought
to get a bonus for this.

"Ms Williams:

I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GIs earn enough"
and I am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted
overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears
every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting
Service and my bank account. Checking my latest earnings statement
I see that I make $1,117.80 before taxes. After taxes, I take home
$874.20. When I run that through the calculator, I come up with an
annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes, and $10,490.40, after.

I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of the
team responsible for a 5,000 host computer network. I am involved
with infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems
equipment.
A quick check under jobs for Network Technicians in the Washington,
D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three years
experience with my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a year. No,
this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum... I'm sure you
can draw the obvious conclusions.

Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you NEVER had the
pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces. Before you take
it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership
for attempting to get the families in the military's lowest pay
brackets off of WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of
deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN; I leave the choice of service
branch up to you.

Whatever choice you make, though, opt for the SIX month rotation:
it will guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family
and friends, thus giving you full "deployment experience." As your
group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses and
children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care to note
that several families are still unsure of how they'll be able to make ends
meet while the primary breadwinner is gone -- obviously they've been
squandering the "vast" piles of cash the government has been giving them.

Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are
perennial favorites. ! And when you're actually over there, sitting in
a foxhole, shivering against the cold desert night; and the flight
sergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve you for
chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE (meal-ready-to-eat) you manage to
get for the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini, and add
Tabasco to everything. This gives some flavor. Talk to your loved ones as often
as you are permitted; it won't nearly be long enough or often enough, but
take what you can get and be thankful for it.

You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of the
points you present in your opened piece. But, tomorrow from KABUL, I will
defend to the death your right to say it.

You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First
Amendment rights and every other right you cherish. On a daily basis,
my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and people
like you can thumb your collective nose at us, all on a salary that is
nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would
make most people cringe.
We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we
can't offer the stability and pay of civilian companies. And you, Ms.
Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we deserve? Rubbish!

A1C Michael Bragg, Hill AFB AFNCC
THIS LETTER SHOULD BE APPLAUDED BY ANYONE WHO'S EVER SERVED OR HAD A FAMILY MEMBER SERVE IN THE ARMED FORCES! THIS YOUNG MAN DESERVES….A MEDAL!


IF YOU AGREE, PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS
POSSIBLE AND SHOW OUR SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN FIGHTING MEN AND WOMEN.
THANK YOU.

Farmers, The Palmer's of Live Oak inspecting their freshly cooked 'tobacco'.... 

I'm a....WHAT???

Received the e-mail below from my brother-in-law, Blake, a.k.a. King BudieRumpus…
It has to do with being…….A Redneck!

Looking up the word itself, I find that…..

Redneck….as Webster’s definition says…is a sunburned neck acquired by residents of the South, often rural, white, farm workers….. and a term often used in a derogatory sense…..

The e-mail is as follows:

“We have enjoyed the redneck jokes for years.
It's time to take a reflective look at the core beliefs of a culture that values home, family, country and God.
If I had to stand before a dozen terrorists who threaten my life,
I'd choose a half dozen or so rednecks to back me up.
Tire irons, squirrel guns and grit -- that's what rednecks are made of.
I hope I am one of those.
If you feel the same, pass this on to your redneck friends.
Ya`ll know who ya are..”.


You might be a redneck if. . .

It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, "One nation, under God. "

You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.

You still say "Christmas" instead of "Winter Festival."

You bow your head when someone prays.

You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.

You treat Viet Nam vets with great respect, and always have.

You've never burned an American flag.

You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.

You respect your elders and expect your kids to do the same.

You'd give your last dollar to a friend.

If you got this e-mail from me it is because I believe that you, like me, have just enough Red Neck in you to have the same beliefs as those talked about in this e-mail.

God Bless the USA.

GOOD THOUGHTS

An Angel says, "Never borrow from the future.
If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen,
you have worried in vain.
Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."

1. Pray.
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule,
…..or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough,
…. two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time;
…..don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find
out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you
can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary
purchases.
13. Have backup's; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key
……buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent ……an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help
……improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot.
Try to nip small problems in the bud.
Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often…… a good "Thank you Jesus."
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude:
……(most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most)..
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that
…..you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.
"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

A collage of 'happiness moments in life".... 

What "Happy" Looks Like! 

Happy Thoughts

A small gift book, ‘a thousand paths to happiness’ has found its way into my life….This little book provides wise, witty and inspiring thoughts on happiness and was assembled by…David Baird….
I would like to quote several happiness thoughts for you…..

Happiness has the transforming power to free us from the pains and burdens of life.

Happiness leads none of us by the same route.

Happiness can make even familiar acts seem beautiful.

Happiness is bigger than any bank account.

What you are thinking now is contributing to the outcome of your life.
So control those …..negative….thoughts….

Allow yourself to be yourself….you can never be happy in someone else’s shoes.

Tolerate….and be happy.

Try doing the thing it is that you think you cannot do.

You will never be a failure when you are capable of enjoying life - - -
That should be the quest.

Do not waste time trying to bring disagreeable people around to liking you…

No matter who or what has wronged you, it is meaningless if you chose NOT to remember it….

You must try to become the person you would like to spend the rest of your life with.

Think of love and…be happy!

Sometimes you have to be prepared to….start anew.

Listen. Your heart will tell you the reasons for…JOY!

Anyone who can laugh heartily at themselves has found the way to happiness.

Happy people tend not to suffer from stress.

Laughter is a better medicine than any doctor can prescribe.

Happy people always seem to have…good energy.

Never take on so much work as to feel overburdened.

Happy people look at things differently.

You’ll never find happiness if you don’t allow yourself to express your feelings.

Happy people are more open to change.

Whatever you do, don’t withdraw yourself from other people.

To dwell on ….unhappiness…is a selfish act.

Be honest with yourself, if you cannot accept yourself as you are, how can you expect others to?

Just because you allow yourself to laugh doesn’t mean that you take life any less seriously. Happiness relies on humor and a sense of healthy perspective.

Ever noticed that people who live life deeply seem to have no fear of death?

No one can be you….better than you!

Place your trust in….serendipity!

He is happy that knoweth not himself to be otherwise….

We are all shaped by the things that make us happy.

To bring up a child in the way he should go,
…..travel that way yourself once in a while.

Happiness belongs to those who can realize they are ….
……where they want to be.

The path of error can become the path of truth, if only error is recognized….

“I never get to go anywhere” he said, standing on the rotating earth.

Love to travel, but do not make the road your home.

Until you know yourself there is little point in trying to know others.

Never think that you have….finished learning.

One must expect to smile and also to weep on the road to happiness.

Don’t be so intent upon your own journey that you forget to stop and help others along the way.

Most of us would like to be remembered for something that …..
……made others happy…

Why do we seem unhappy at the thought of relaxing?

A smile….costs nothing.

Why be happy? Who wants to be happy ALL the time?


….One of my favorites…..In Youth…we are happy for no reason at all …
In age….we pretend to be happy for millions of reasons.

Finally….in conclusion….
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are….Life, Liberty, and the….
…..pursuit of Happiness.
From: The American Declaration of Independence

Happy Moments with Jesus & Children.....Don't Worry + Be Happy! 

Does Island Dream Bring Happiness? 

Be HAPPY....Daily! 

The New Science of….HAPPINESS!

A series of articles in Time Magazine, January 17, 2005 edition made me Happy…..They were entitled, mind & body…Happiness…..
I will paraphrase some of that information…..

“Sugary white sand under the bright Yucatan sun, aquamarine water teeming with tropical fish and lazy sea turtles, cold Mexican beer beckoning beneath the shady thatch of palapas - it’s hard to imagine a sweeter spot than Akumal, Mexico, to contemplate the joys of being alive…That was precisely the agenda when three leading psychologists, Drs. Martin Seligman, Ray Fowler, and Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi, gathered in this Mexican paradise to plot a new direction for psychology in 1998.
By the end of their week at the beach, the three had plans for the first-ever conference on positive psychology, to be held in Akumal a year later-it was to become an annual event-and a strategy for recruiting young talent to the nascent field.
The result: an explosion of research on happiness, optimism, positive emotions and healthy character traits.
Seldom has an academic field been brought so quickly…
and deliberately to life….
Here are some of their findings……

What Makes Us Happy?
So, what has science learned about what makes the human heart sing?
More than one might imagine - along with some surprising things about what doesn’t ring our inner chimes.
Take wealth, for instance, and all the delightful things that money can buy.
Research by Dr. Edward Diener of the University of Illinois, a.k.a. Dr. Happiness, among others, has shown that once your basic needs are met, additional income does little to raise your sense of satisfaction with life.
A good education?
Sorry, Mom and Dad, neither education nor, for that matter, a high IQ paves the road to happiness.
Youth?
No, again. In fact, older people are more consistently satisfied with their lives than the young. And they’re less prone to dark moods: a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that people ages 20 to 24 are sad for an average of 3.4 days a month, as opposed to just 2.3 days for people ages 65 to 74.
Marriage?
A complicated picture: married people are generally happier than singles, but that may be because they were happier to begin with…
Sunny days?
Nope, although a 1998 study showed that Midwesterners think folks living in balmy California are happier and that Californians incorrectly believe this about themselves too….
……On the positive side, religious faith seems to genuinely lift the spirit, though it’s tough to tell whether it’s the God part or the community aspect that does the heavy lifting of the heart…
Friends?
A giant yes.
A 2002 study conducted at the University of Illinois by Diener and Seligman found that the most salient characteristics shared by the 10% of the students with the highest levels of happiness and the fewest signs of depression were their strong ties to friends and family….and a commitment to spending time with them…
“Word needs to be spread,” concludes Diener. “It is important to work on social skills, close personal ties and social support in order to be happy.”

Want to lift your level of happiness?
Here are some practical suggestions from University of California psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, based on research by her and others……

EIGHT STEPS TOWARD A MORE SATISFYING LIFE….
1. Count Your Blessings…..
One way to do this is with a ‘gratitude journal’ in which you write down three to five things for which you are currently thankful - from the mundane (your flowers are in bloom) to the magnificent (seeing a child’s first steps).
Do this once a week, say, on Sunday night.
Keep it fresh by varying your entries as much as possible.
2. Practice Acts of Kindness….
These should be both random (let that busy Mom go ahead of you in the checkout line) and systematic (bring Sunday supper to an elderly neighbor).
Being kind to others, whether friends or strangers, triggers a cascade of positive effects - it makes you feel generous and capable, gives you a greater sense of connection with others and wins you smiles, approval and reciprocated kindness - all happiness boosters.
3...Savor Life’s Joys….
Pay close attention to momentary pleasures and wonders.
Focus on the sweetness of a ripe strawberry or the warmth of the sun when you step out from the shade.
Some psychologists suggest taking ‘mental photographs’ of pleasurable moments to review in less happy times.
4...Thank a Mentor….
If there’s someone whom you owe a debt of gratitude for guiding you at one of life’s crossroads, don’t wait to express your appreciation - in detail and, if possible, in person.
5...Learn To Forgive….
Let go of anger and resentment by writing a letter of forgiveness to a person who has hurt or wronged you.
Inability to forgive is associated with persistent rumination or dwelling on revenge, while forgiving allows you to move on.
6...Invest Time and Energy in Friends and Family….
Where you live, how much money you make, your job title and even your health have surprisingly small effects on your satisfaction with life.
The biggest factor appears to be strong personal relationships….
7...Take Care of Your Body….
Getting plenty of sleep, exercising, stretching, smiling and laughing can all enhance your mood in the short term. Practiced regularly, they can help make your daily life more satisfying.
8...Develop Strategies for Coping with Stress and Hardships….
There is no avoiding hard times!
Religious faith has been shown to help people cope, but in addition, belief in axioms like….”This too shall pass’ and “That which doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”….
The trick is that you have faith to believe them….”
End of article…..The New Science of HAPPINESS…

In summary….and in agreement with the above ’research’ by professionals, I have to add…..God, Family & Friends, Country….all contribute to what I call….The Good Life….
Ole Abe Lincoln said it best....."Most folks are as HAPPYas they make up their minds to be!"
I want to personally thank all of you who contribute and enhance my life….simply by being…..YOU!
You help make me……H A P P Y!
Below is ….proof of human happiness …

My 'Happy' moment skydiving over Lake Wales... 

Leap for Joy! 

Happy Pipo, Matt & Britt in 1987 and also, in 2005.... 

"Happy being 'me' at any age"....says my friend... 

Don't Worry + Be Happy!