Inspirational Thoughts, Emails...

[Dixie_Peach 1]

I thought that I would start a thread of INSPIRATION... that anyone and everyone can add to at their whim....

This process is difficult enough, and for myself... I can find inspiration in the smallest things...

I will start:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A perfect story

He almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the

road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help.

So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still

puttering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had

stopped to help for the last hour or so.

Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor

and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the

cold.

He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in

you.

He said, "I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in

the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was

bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put

the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two.

Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window

and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and

was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to

her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how

much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She

already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not

stopped.

Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to

him.

This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who

had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and

it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next

time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the

assistance they needed, and Bryan added, "And think of me."

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been

a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home,

disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went

in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg

of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant.

Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her.

The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a

sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't

erase.

The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant,

but she never let the ! strain and aches change her attitude. The old

lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger.

Then she remembered Bryan.

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar

bill.

The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill,

but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the

time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could

be.

Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote:

"You don't owe me anything. I have been there too.

Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you.

If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let

this chain of love end with you."

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and

people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when

she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money

and what the lady had written.

How could the lady have known how

much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next

month, it was going to be hard....

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping

next to her, she gave him a soft ! kiss and whispered soft and low,

"Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson."

There is an old saying "What goes around comes around." Today,

I sent you this story, and I'm asking you to pass it on .. Let this light

shine.

Good friends are like stars....You don't always see them, but

you know they are always there.

Edited June 7, 2006 by Dixie_Peach

[designermedusa 0]

This is an affirmation that I like: I love and approve of myself, and I trust the process of life. I am safe.

I have a positive thinking book, and that is one of my favorite affirmations.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Don't eat yellow snow.

[Dixie_Peach 1]

Don't eat yellow snow.

hehe... yeah... that is ALWAYS good advice... always love your sarcasm rch, plus, it does have a good point!...

Edited June 7, 2006 by Dixie_Peach

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Don't eat yellow snow.

hehe... yeah... that is ALWAYS good advice... always love your sarcasm rch, plus, it does have a good point!...

yeah. I'm a sarcastic a$$.

I love most Mark Twain quotes.

"Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more."

"Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with."

[Dixie_Peach 1]

yeah. I'm a sarcastic a$$.

I love most Mark Twain quotes.

"Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more."

"Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with."

rch... that's why we love ya... lol... cause of your sarcastic a$$...

I especially like the 2nd MT quote:

"Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with."

ty for sharing that!

[JenT 0]

One of my favorites:

An elder Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, "A fight is going on inside me...it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves:

One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

This same fight is going inside you, and inside every person, too."

They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied..."The one you feed."

[pax 1]

Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he who created you has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother.

--St. Clare of Assisi

[JenT 0]

One more:

Subject: A Brother's Love

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was

on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son,

Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They find out that the new baby is

going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sings to his

sister in Mommy's tummy. The pregnancy progresses normally for Karen, an

active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown,

Tennessee. Then The labor pains come. Every five minutes then every

minute. But complications arise during delivery. Hours of labor. Would a C-section be

required? Finally, Michael's little sister is born. But she is in serious

condition. With siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushes the infant

to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville,

Tennessee.

The days inch by and the little girl gets worse. The pediatric

specialist tells the parents, "There is very little hope. Be prepared for

the worst."

Karen and her husband contact a local cemetery about a burial plot. They

have fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby - now they plan

a funeral. Michael, keeps begging his parents to let him see his sister,

"I want to sing to her," he says. Week two in intensive care.

It looks as if a funeral will come before the week is over. Michael keeps

nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in

Intensive Care. But Karen makes up her mind. She will take Michael whether they like

it or not. If he doesn't see his sister now, he may never see her alive.

She dresses him in an oversized scrub suit and marches him into ICU. He

looks like a walking laundry basket but the head nurse recognizes him as a child

and bellows, "Get that kid out of here now! No children are allowed. The

mother rises up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glares

steel-eyed into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line.

"He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!" Karen tows Michael to

his sister's bedside. He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. And he

begins to sing.

In the pure hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sings:

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when

skies are gray --- " Instantly the baby girl responds. The pulse rate

becomes calm and steady.

Keep on singing, Michael. "You never know, dear, how much I love you,

Please don't take my sunshine away---" The ragged, strained breathing

becomes as smooth as a kitten's purr.

Keep on singing, Michael. "The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I

dreamed I held you in my arms..." Michael's little sister relaxes as

rest, healing rest, seems to sweep over her.

Keep on singing, Michael. Tears conquer the face of the bossy head nurse.

Karen glows. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't, take

my sunshine away."

Funeral plans are scrapped. The next day-the very next day-the little girl

is well enough to go home!

Woman's Day magazine called it "the miracle of a brother's song."

The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of

God's love!

NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE.

[Laura_and_IanM 0]

One more:

Subject: A Brother's Love

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was

on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son,

Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They find out that the new baby is

going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sings to his

sister in Mommy's tummy. The pregnancy progresses normally for Karen, an

active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown,

Tennessee. Then The labor pains come. Every five minutes then every

minute. But complications arise during delivery. Hours of labor. Would a C-section be

required? Finally, Michael's little sister is born. But she is in serious

condition. With siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushes the infant

to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville,

Tennessee.

The days inch by and the little girl gets worse. The pediatric

specialist tells the parents, "There is very little hope. Be prepared for

the worst."

Karen and her husband contact a local cemetery about a burial plot. They

have fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby - now they plan

a funeral. Michael, keeps begging his parents to let him see his sister,

"I want to sing to her," he says. Week two in intensive care.

It looks as if a funeral will come before the week is over. Michael keeps

nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in

Intensive Care. But Karen makes up her mind. She will take Michael whether they like

it or not. If he doesn't see his sister now, he may never see her alive.

She dresses him in an oversized scrub suit and marches him into ICU. He

looks like a walking laundry basket but the head nurse recognizes him as a child

and bellows, "Get that kid out of here now! No children are allowed. The

mother rises up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glares

steel-eyed into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line.

"He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!" Karen tows Michael to

his sister's bedside. He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. And he

begins to sing.

In the pure hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sings:

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when

skies are gray --- " Instantly the baby girl responds. The pulse rate

becomes calm and steady.

Keep on singing, Michael. "You never know, dear, how much I love you,

Please don't take my sunshine away---" The ragged, strained breathing

becomes as smooth as a kitten's purr.

Keep on singing, Michael. "The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I

dreamed I held you in my arms..." Michael's little sister relaxes as

rest, healing rest, seems to sweep over her.

Keep on singing, Michael. Tears conquer the face of the bossy head nurse.

Karen glows. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't, take

my sunshine away."

Funeral plans are scrapped. The next day-the very next day-the little girl

is well enough to go home!

Woman's Day magazine called it "the miracle of a brother's song."

The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of

God's love!

NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE.

Ok...I am bawling now...lol . Here is another one.

You make the choice! Don't look for a punch line; There isn't one!

Read it anyway.

My question to all of you is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning disabled children,

the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be

forgotten by all who attended.

After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

"When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is

done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other

children do.

He cannot understand things as other children do.

Where is the natural order of things in my son?"

The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. "I believe,

that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into

the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and

it comes, in the way other people treat that child."

Then he told the following story: Shay and his father had walked past a park

where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think

they'll let me play?"

Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on

their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to

play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence

to be accepted by others in spite of

his handicaps.

Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay

could play, not expecting much. The boy looked around for guidance and a few

boys nodded approval, why not? So he took matters into his own hands and

said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I

guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth

inning." Shay struggled over to the team's bench put on a team shirt with a

broad smile and his Father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in his

heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was

still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove

and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was

obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from

ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two

outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay

was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and

give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the

bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible 'cause Shay didn't even

know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing the other

team putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few

steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to make

contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The

pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.

As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball

right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over, but the pitcher picked up the soft grounder and

could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been

out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher

threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman, out of reach of all

team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, "Shay,

run to first! Run to first!"

Never in his life had Shay ever ran that far but made it to first base. He

scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, "Run

to second, run to second!" Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards

second, gleaming and struggling to make it to second base.

By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the

ball, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for

his team for the first time. He could have thrown the ball to the

second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions and

he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's

head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled

the bases toward home. All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way

Shay" Shay reached third base, the opposing shortstop ran to help him and

turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third! Shay,

run to third" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams and those

watching were on their feet were screaming, "Shay, run home!"

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit

the "grand slam" and won the game for his team.

"That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,

"the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity

into this world."

Shay didn't make it to another summer and died that winter, having never

forgotten being the hero and making his Father so happy and coming home and

seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

[Dixie_Peach 1]

Another one from me:

AMAZING GRACE

One day, a man went to visit a church.. He got there early, parked his car, and got out.

Another car pulled up and the driver got out and said,"I always park there! You took my place!"

The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat and sat down. A young lady from

the church approached him and stated, "That's my seat! You took my place!"

The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing.

After Sunday School, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down.

Another member walked up to him and said, "That's where I always sit! You took my place!"

The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing.

Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them,

the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change.

Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet.

Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?"

The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye,

“I took your place."

In my time of need, I always read my bible... but I am so thankful to my friends and family who send me these inspirational emails and messages... sometimes, comfort is found from what is around us...

[MichelleandCraig 1]

Oh, boy. Not to take away anything from ANY of those little stories, but Laura..that one actually has a tear running down my cheek about the little boy..... M. Good thread, Lynne.

[Dixie_Peach 1]

Oh, boy. Not to take away anything from ANY of those little stories, but Laura..that one actually has a tear running down my cheek about the little boy..... M. Good thread, Lynne.

oh i agree about laura's story... very heart-touching...

okay... i also like quoting Mother Theresa (not that I am in any ways comparable to that Saint... but, she is very inspiring)

"A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love."

"Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand."

"Love, to be real, must cost, it must hurt, it must empty us of self."

“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”

these are just a few... hope you enjoy them also!

[gjetson 0]

Hi all, I am new here and came across this post. I like to read inspiring words. They help me to stay positive in this sometimes negative world. I have a few that are my favorites and I thought I'd share them with you.

1- "Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today'---James Dean

2-"a mind that has been stretched will never return to its' original dimension"-Albert Einstein

3-Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures"- Author unknown

4-Follow the three R's: Respect for yourself, Respect for others and responsibility for all of your actions- Daili Lama

Hows' that for a startinging point. Always remain positive and see that a glass half full is better than a glass half empty. Always thank g-d for what you have bec what you have is more than others who have little or nothing at all.

Be well all.

[Dixie_Peach 1]

Hi all, I am new here and came across this post. I like to read inspiring words. They help me to stay positive in this sometimes negative world. I have a few that are my favorites and I thought I'd share them with you.

1- "Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today'---James Dean

2-"a mind that has been stretched will never return to its' original dimension"-Albert Einstein

3-Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures"- Author unknown

4-Follow the three R's: Respect for yourself, Respect for others and responsibility for all of your actions- Daili Lama

Hows' that for a startinging point. Always remain positive and see that a glass half full is better than a glass half empty. Always thank g-d for what you have bec what you have is more than others who have little or nothing at all.

Be well all.

thank you for sharing that... i like those as well...