A Blue Rose

A Blue Rose

Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.

I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old.. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."

It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"

"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.

"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve."

"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"

"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.

"You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."

I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.

Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.

I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.

She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"

Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's garden."

She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.

May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.

From an old dandelion! 

"author unknown "

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Love Island

Love Island
============

Once upon a time there was an island where all the feelings
lived; happiness, sadness, knowledge, and all the others,
including love.

One day it was announced to all of the feelings that the island
was going to sink to the bottom of the ocean.
So all the feelings prepared their boats to leave.

Love was the only one that stayed. She wanted to preserve
the island paradise until the last possible moment.

When the island was almost totally under, Love decided it was
time to leave. She began looking for someone to ask for help.
Just then Richness was passing by in a grand boat. Love asked,
"Richness, Can I come with you on your boat?"
Richness answered, " I'm sorry, but there is a lot of silver and
gold on my boat and there would be no room for you anywhere."

Then Love decided to ask Vanity for help who was passing in a
beautiful vessel. Love cried out, "Vanity, help me please."
"I can't help you", Vanity said, "You are all wet and will
damage my beautiful boat."

Next, Love saw Sadness passing by. Love said, "Sadness, please
let me go with you." Sadness answered, "Love, I'm sorry, but, I
just need to be alone now."

Then, Love saw Happiness. Love cried out, " Happiness, please
take me with you." But Happiness was so overjoyed that he
didn't hear Love calling to him.

Love began to cry. Then, she heard a voice say, "Come Love,
I will take you with me." It was an elder.

Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that she forgot to ask the
elder his name.

When they arrived on land the elder went on his way.
Love realized how much she owed the elder.

Love then found Knowledge and asked,
"Who was it that helped me?"

"It was Time", Knowledge answered.

"But why did Time help me when no one else would?", Love asked.

Knowledge smiled and with deep wisdom and sincerity, answered,
"Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is."

~Author Unknown~

An Episode in the Soul's Journey

 

An Episode in the Soul's Journey

By John Van Mater, Jr.

A sapling in the garden was given a lot of nurturing. It grew well and soon was nearly four feet high. Then one day during a gale huge branches from a nearby tree fell on it, snapping the little trunk at its base. It appeared to have died. What a terrible consequence after such care! Yet, next spring the young tree sent up new and vigorous shoots -- after all had seemed lost. It grew and again reached, even surpassed, its former height and fullness. What strength and vitality and will must have resided unseen in those roots for it to regenerate itself!
A year later another storm broke off additional branches from the young tree's unfortunate neighbor, sending them crashing down. Again the situation seemed hopeless, for the sapling's trunk lay pushed nearly flat, and on one side its branches were cleaved off. Upon examining it, however, I discovered that the trunk was not broken, only bent, and when I had cut away the heavy limbs oppressing it, it began to spring up straight once more. It was as if a new little tree had been reborn from its former self, tougher and more resilient as a result of these adverse experiences. Though seemingly ruthless and cruel, nature had tested its very essence, or soul, and then allowed it to continue to grow into a fine tree.
If this be true of trees, what of ourselves?
*****
A tragedy occurred to an acquaintance. He was in a motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down, on a respirator for an indefinite period, but fully conscious. We are impelled to ask, why should it have ever happened? Yet in the hospital such events are not exceptional; the intensive care units are filled with similar cases. Of course it hits you harder when you know someone in such a plight. In many cases such accidents result from negligence, or abuse of drugs, alcohol, or some other traceable cause. But often, too, there is no apparent reason, just a horrible, senseless accident.
I find great comfort in a recognition of the immortal aspect of man, in a philosophy that takes account of his spiritual nature, the true Self; also, that all of us are part of the universal harmony and that nothing is fortuitous or blind. Such a philosophy brings to an incident like this a larger and deeper significance, not to mention the promise of a compassionate resolution.
To recognize that the universe is a living entity with its divine essence in all things, helps me to consider its working to be just and wise, enabling the human soul, through spiritual influences, to outgrow its limitations. Everyone must work out his own karma, most of which would have been generated in the course of many other lives in addition to this one. We are all interconnected, so that each of us is not only responsible for his own character but how it affects others.
It becomes evident that innumerable courses are followed and habits formed as a result of expressing or bringing forth both the finest attributes of soul and the selfish side with its failings. We must certainly have a mixture of the two as a product of this duality. Would it not stand to reason that if one abused himself and slipped under the influence of the lesser side, disregarding conscience or any of the nobler impulses, harm would result both to himself and others? Also, the more ingrained these thought habits become, the stronger the effects.
What of the new causes that result from such choices, particularly when one knows something of what is right and wrong? Might not these causes -- set in motion by misdirected use of will and mind emerge with compelling force in the field of action, if not in the same life, then in a subsequent one? At the same time the spirit-self is seeking every opportunity to urge the soul back into balance, so that later on the individual may recover and change for the better.
It can only be an advantage for the one undergoing the trauma and suffering to awaken and come closer to his spirit and thus gain strength from his own inner resources. This is just one possibility that might result. The greatest tragedy is the unexamined life, lived unaware, filled with selfish thought and desire, where little in the way of spiritual growth can be achieved. In the eyes of nature this would be worse than an event which leaves the body useless, or cuts the life short, yet enables the soul to work out or dissolve certain holds of the lesser self, thus removing an impediment to progress. In this way one can certainly reap greater rewards in the next or some future life.
Even if the body is broken down with little or no chance of recovery, as long as the soul remains unconquered and full of inner resolve there is always hope and new opportunity. Whenever we reach into the heart of ourselves to become more altruistic in thought and act, and love of all dominates our motive, we weaken the hold of matter and become more inwardly alive, more human. It is of great importance to view the whole person, particularly the enduring qualities within, and not be misled by outer appearances. Though perhaps obscured for a time through a tragic episode in the soul's journey, the deathless Self endures.
(From Sunrise magazine, April/May 1985. Copyright © 1985 by Theosophical University Press.)

__._,_.___

Avoiding Negative Vibrations

 

 

Avoiding Negative Vibrations
Taking on the Energy of Others

In order to protect ourselves from taking on any negative energy from other people or situations; we can learn to shield.

There are times when you may find that being around certain individuals or groups of people leaves you with feelings of discomfort. It may be that spending time with a particular friend feels draining or that dealing with a specific coworker exhausts you. Being around toxic or angry people is also draining. And you may even find that being surrounded by a crowd of people lowers your energy levels rather than perks you up.

 

This is not that unusual. Each of us radiates energy and is capable of being influenced by the energy of other people. It is important to learn how to shield yourself, so you don't unknowingly take on someone else’s energy. While some people know how to instinctively protect themselves from being adversely affected by energy, most of us need to discover and practice the technique that works best.

There are a number of ways to avoid being affected by people’s energy. Shielding is one preventative technique you can use. Center yourself and envision being enveloped in a cocoon of loving and protective light. This protective layer should allow you to consciously regulate the energy around you. The intent to shield oneself is all you need for this technique to work.

 

You can even create a trigger word to assist you in quickly creating a shield. Say this word each time you create a new shield, until the word and the shield become automatically associated in your mind. If you run into a person whose energy you find draining, you may want to cleanse your own energy field after your encounter. Sage, cold showers, singing, mineral water baths, spending time in nature, and a simple break to recharge are all ways to accomplish this.

While it is important to know how to shield yourself from energy, there are those energies that you may not want to shut out. The energy of laughter from a newborn baby, the feeling of joy radiating from someone in love, and the frequency of calm emanating from an enlightened teacher are just some of the energies coming from others that you may want to have around you.

 

2012 Hopi Prophecy Link

http://www.dec21.org/prophecy/hopi-indians.aspx

How to Be Happy

How to Be Happy

Author Robert Louis Stevenson offered the following tips for maintaining a positive attitude. They still apply today...


1. Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure in simple things.


2. Make the best of your circumstances. No one has everything, and everyone has something of sorrow intermingled with gladness of life. The trick is to make the laughter outweigh the tears.


3. Don't take yourself too seriously. Don't think that somehow you should be protected from misfortune that befalls other people.


4. You can't please everybody. Don't let criticism worry you.


5. Don't let your neighbor set your standards. Be yourself.


6. Do the things you enjoy doing, but stay out of debt.


7. Do not borrow trouble. Imaginary things are harder to bear than real ones.


8. Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish jealousy, enmity, or grudges.


9. Have many interests. If you can't travel, read about new places.


10. Don't hold postmortems. Don't spend your time brooding over sorrows or mistakes.


11. Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.


Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)
Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, and travel writer.

My great Grand Kids

My great Grand Kids

My girls

My girls

The Problem with the Past and the Future

How much time do you spend dwelling on the past or worrying about the future? These mental and emotional creations are all figments of your imagination -- mockups of how reality might be different. Meanwhile, reality is staring you right in the face, and your attention is not present to deal with it. When you spend too much of your time and attention creating more shoulda-woulda-couldas, your disappointments and anticipations just keep piling up while your life passes you by. Let's take a look at why we do this and how we can get far more satisfaction out of life by staying present in the here and now.

Plain and simple: if your consciousness isn't in the present moment, then you lose the opportunity to participate in the experiences and choices that are present right. Since you can only take action in the present moment, when you focus on the past or future, you are not available to participate in the present. Then your life happens based on whatever autopilot settings you have in place because you are not there to direct your actions and experiences.

When we focus on the past or the future, it is usually because we are not at peace with them. Instead, we are looking at them through a veil of frustration, worry, judgment, fear and illusions. Unable to accept the past or lacking confidence in our own ability to handle the future, we end up mistaking our negative mental and emotional creations for reality. Burdened by our own negativity, we often wreak havoc in our relationships. For example, when we can't handle what is going on in our life, some of us project our accumulated fears and anxiety onto someone else, and that's what we see when we look at that person. I had someone do this to me to the point that the "me" she called by my name was a complete figment of her imagination and there was no sense trying to set her straight, because she refused to be confused by facts. The "me" she envisioned bore no resemblance to the person I know myself to be. It caused so many problems that I had to eventually stop all contact with her. Did you ever have someone do that to you? Did you ever do this to someone else? In a way, we all do this to some extent as we interpret each other through our own perceptual filters. In the extreme, it becomes farther and farther removed from reality and is unhealthy and dangerous.

If you are spending your precious time and energy worrying about the past and/or the future, it is probably creating problems in your relationships with others as well as your relationship with yourself. Here are some ideas to get free so you can fully participate in the present without your pleasant personality taking a hiatus.

Worrying About the Past:

Without a doubt, the past is gone. Unfortunately, when we carry it with us every day, our hurt feelings, judgments and anger keep recycling within us. We try to put a stop to it through pronouncements about the future, declaring, "I will never let _____ happen again!" These efforts at controlling our life are largely wishful thinking. So, unless you feel totally at peace with yourself, make it a daily or weekly routine to ask yourself these questions:

• What unresolved pieces of my past am I carrying with me today?
• Why am I still carrying that?
• What do I need to do to let it go?

Make it a priority in your life to lighten the load you carry by letting go of what has happened in the past.

Worrying About the Future:

The more time we spend worrying about what might happen in the future, the less time, focus and energy we have to contribute to creating what we want now. Worrying is a way of investing in not getting what we want. It produces the opposite of what we wish would happen. When we hold images and thoughts in our mind of things going "wrong" (i.e., not the way we imagine would be the best outcome), we are literally feeding our energy into the undesirable outcome. When you find yourself worrying about something, here are two constructive actions to take:

1. Bring to mind the image of what you would like to have happen. See it in great detail. See yourself in the picture feeling the way you would like to be feeling. If you are someone who prays, then simply pray that this or something better come forward for you and for the highest good of all concerned. Alternatively, simply let the image go once you have fully embraced what you want to create, promote and allow to come forward in your life.
2. Having created a mock-up of what you would like to bring forward in your life, ask yourself, "What can I do right now to contribute to bringing this forward?' and do that. Connect the dots of your present and future by walking the talk of what you want to bring forward in your life.

The only opportunity we have to take action in our lives is in the present moment. The more we free ourselves from our thoughts and feelings about the past and future, the more of our time and focus we will have available to invest in what we want to create, promote and allow into our lives and the healthier we will be in our relationships with others. Mental and emotional freedom yield great happiness.

* * * * * Please feel free to leave a comment below, or contact me at judith@havingityourway.com. You can also retweet this post, share it on Facebook, or email it to friends who may enjoy it. To learn more about me, visit my website, www.judithjohnson.com. For information on my future blogs, click "Fan" at the top of this page.

Back in the Day

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.  

The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."
The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment."

He was right, that generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But they didn't have the green thing back in  that customer's day.

In her day, they walked up stairs, because

they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.
But she was right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.

Back then, they washed the baby's diapers

   because they didn't have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts - wind  and solar power really did dry the clothes.
Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that old lady is right, they didn't have the green thing back in her day.

Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the Province of Quebec. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything  for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

   Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They   exercised by working so they didn't need to go  to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right, they didn't have the green thing back then.

They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and they  replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But they didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus

and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in   space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were just because they didn't have the green thing back then?