A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully, and before it blossomed, he examined it. He saw the bud that would soon blossom and also the thorns. And he thought, “How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?” Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and before it was ready to bloom, it died.

So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God- like qualities planted in us at birth grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects. We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.

Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them.

One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns and find the rose within others. This is the
characteristic of love, to look at a person, and knowing his faults, recognize the nobility in his soul, and help him realize that he can overcome his faults. If we show him the rose, he will conquer the thorns.

Our duty in this world is to help others by showing them their roses and not their thorns. Only then can we achieve the love we should feel for each other; only then can we bloom in our own garden.

SPECIAL BEATTUTUDES for those who work with special people

BLESSED ARE YOU who take time to listen to difficult speech
FOR YOU help us know that if we persevere, we can be understood.

BLESSED ARE YOU who walk with us in public places and ignore the stares of strangers,
FOR in your companionship, we find havens of relaxation.

BLESSED ARE YOU who never bid us “hurry up” and more blessed, you who do not snatch our tasks from our hands to do them for us
FOR often we need time rather than help.

BLESSED ARE YOU who stand beside us as we enter new and untried ventures,
FOR our failures will be outweighed by times when we surprise ourselves and you.

BLESSED ARE YOU who ask for our help
FOR our greatest need is to be needed.

BLESSED ARE YOU who help us with the graciousness of Christ.
FOR oftentimes we need the help we cannot ask for.

BLESSED ARE YOU when, by all these things you assure us that the thing that makes us individuals is not in our peculiar muscles, not in our wounded nervous systems, nor in our difficulties in learning
BUT in the God-given self which no infirmity can confine.

REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDINGLY GLAD, and know that you give us reassurances that could never be spoken in words,
FOR you deal with us as Christ dealt with all His children.

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand.

May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with optimism and courage.

Always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone.

May you discover enough goodness in others to believe in a world of peace.

May a kind word, a reassuring touch, a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them.

Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.

Teach love to those who know hate, and let that love embrace you as you go into the world.

May the teaching of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them.

Remember, those whose lives you have touched and who have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished.

May you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart.

Find time in each day to see the beauty and love in the world around you.

Realize that each person has limitless abilities, but each of us is different in our own way.

What you may feel you lack in one regard may be more than compensated for in another.

What you feel you lack in the present may become one of your strengths in the future.

May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.

Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on an other’s judgments of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.

01]. Hari ini sebelum Anda mengatakan kata-kata yang tidak baik,
Pikirkan tentang seseorang yang tidak dapat berbicara sama sekali

02]. Sebelum Anda mengeluh tentang rasa dari makanan yang Anda santap,
Pikirkan tentang seseorang yang tidak punya apapun untuk dimakan.

03]. Sebelum Anda mengeluh tidak punya apa-apa
Pikirkan tentang seseorang yang meminta-minta di jalanan.

04]. Sebelum Anda mengeluh bahwa Anda buruk,
Pikirkan tentang seseorang yang berada pada tingkat yang terburuk di dalam hidupnya.

05]. Sebelum Anda mengeluh tentang suami atau istri Anda,
Pikirkan tentang seseorang yang memohon kepada Tuhan untuk diberikan teman hidup.

06]. Hari ini sebelum Anda mengeluh tentang hidup Anda,
Pikirkan tentang seseorang yang meninggal terlalu cepat.

07]. Sebelum Anda mengeluh tentang anak-anak Anda
Pikirkan tentang seseorang yang sangat ingin mempunyai anak tetapi dirinya mandul.

08]. Sebelum Anda mengeluh tentang rumah Anda yang kotor karena pembantu tidak mengerjakan tugasnya, Pikirkan tentang orang-orang yang tinggal dijalanan.

09]. Sebelum Anda mengeluh tentang jauhnya Anda telah menyetir,
Pikirkan tentang seseorang yang menempuh jarak yang sama dengan berjalan.

10]. Dan di saat Anda lelah dan mengeluh tentang pekerjaan Anda,
Pikirkan tentang pengangguran,orang-orang cacat yang berharap mereka mempunyai pekerjaan seperti anda.

11]. Sebelum Anda menunjukkan jari dan menyalahkan orang lain,
ingatlah bahwa tidak ada seorangpun yang tidak berdosa,,,

12]. Kita semua menjawab kepada Sang Pencipta
Dan ketika Anda sedang bersedih dan hidupmu dalam kesusahan, tersenyum dan berterima kasihlah kepada Tuhan bahwa Anda masih hidup !

a. Life is a gift

b. Live it…

c. Enjoy it…

d. Celebrate it…

e. And fulfill it.

13]. Cintai orang lain dengan perkataan dan perbuatanmu

14]. Cinta diciptakan tidak untuk disimpan atau disembunyikan

15]. Anda tidak mencintai seseorang karena dia cantik atau tampan,
Mereka cantik/tampan karena Anda mencintainya,,,

16]. It’s true you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone,
but it’s also true You don’t know what you’ve been missing until it arrives!!!

Jadi……..berhentilah mengeluh, hadapilah manis pahitnya hidup dengan bersyukur terhadap semua yang telah Tuhan berikan….

02 Failure doesn’t mean you have accomplished nothing… …it does mean you have learned something.

03 Failure doesn’t mean you have been a fool… …it does mean you had a lot of faith.

04 Failure doesn’t mean you have been disgraced… …it does mean you were willing to try.

05 Failure doesn’t mean you don’t have it… …it does mean you have to do something in a different way.

06 Failure doesn’t mean you are inferior… …it does mean you are not perfect.

07 Failure doesn’t mean you’ve wasted your life… …it does mean you’ve a reason to start afresh.

08 Failure doesn’t mean you should give up… …it does mean you should try harder.

09 Failure doesn’t mean you’ll never make it… …it does mean it will take a little longer.

10 Failure doesn’t mean God has abandoned you… …it does mean God has a better idea!

Pisang yang telah matang dan pisang yang terlambat matang, kelak akan memiliki rasa yang sama yakni memiliki rasa pisang. Meskipun waktu untuk menjadi matang pada pisang berbeda-beda…

Begitulah kita..tak mungkin semuanya sama. Ada kalanya menurut ukuran kita, suatu masalah dapat diselesaikan hanya dengan beberapa menit saja. Tapi bagi orang lain belum tentu, ia butuh waktu untuk menyelesaikannya. Bahkan belum sampai pada kesempurnaan. Namun pada akhirnya, hasil yang didapatkan tetap dapat dirasakan.

Dalam hidup ini tak seorang pun sempurna pada bingkai kemampuannya. Karena di antara kita memang tidak sama dan serupa, kita dilahirkan berbeda, hidup di lingkungan berbeda, pada kondisi yang berbeda dan segala hal yang berbeda. Yang mesti diingat adalah bahwa setiap orang memiliki kesamaan keinginan dan memiliki hak yang sama dalam mendapat kesempatan, betapapun itu harus dipergilirkan. Karenanya, percuma saja memperdebatkan suatu ketidaksamaan, perbedaan, dan ketidakcocokan dengan orang lain, karena kita tak akan mendapat titik temu.

Sungguh tak ada yang sempurna di antara kita, maka janganlah rendah diri…semua butuh proses menjadi lebih baik…..

If tomorrow starts without me,
And I’m not there to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me;

I wish so much you wouldn’t cry
The way you did today,
While thinking of the many things,
We didn’t get to say.

I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me,
I know you’ll miss me too;

But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand,

And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above,
And that I’d have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.

But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye,
For all my life, I’d always thought,
I didn’t want to die.

I had so much to live for,
So much left yet to do,
It seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.

I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad,
I thought of all that we shared,
And all the fun we had.

If I could relive yesterday,
Just even for a while,
I’d say good-bye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.

But then I fully realized,
That this could never be,
For emptiness and memories,
Would take the place of me.

And when I thought of worldly things,
I might miss some tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did,
My heart was filled with sorrow.

But when I walked through heaven’s gates,
I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me,
From His great golden throne,

He said, “This is eternity,
And all I’ve promised you.”
Today your life on earth is past,
But here life starts anew.

I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last,
And since each day is the same way,
There’s no longing for the past.

So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don’t think we’re far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I’m right here, in your heart “

I once attended an conference at a retreat center in the Rocky Mountains. We were given a long break one afternoon to relax and rejuvenate our spirits. Many of the attendees decided to play golf and asked if I wanted to come along.

Golf does not rejuvenate my spirit. I’ve LOST more religion on the golf course than I can remember! I feel a bit like Bob Hope who said that if you watch a sport, it’s fun; if you play a sport, it’s recreation; and if you work at a sport, it’s golf.” I decided to do something more relaxing, so I went for a walk.

A little way down a secluded, dirt road, I spotted horses in a corral. I carefully approached, so as not to frighten them. Then I inhaled as deeply as I could. With the smell of the horses and the corral came a flood of memories.

I visited my grandparents’ guest ranch every summer as a child. When I was a teenager, I worked on the ranch. Some of my happiest memories growing up were around horses and horse smells.

Inhaling horse smells, I recalled hot afternoons of pulling saddles and blankets off perspiring horses then brushing down their backs. The pungent smell of horse sweat filled my mind.

I recalled the soft touch of a horse’s nose sniffing my hand for sugar, and the warmth of a horse’s neck as I put my arms around it and hugged it close.

Manure smells brought back memories of hours spent in corrals saddling, bridling and working with horses. Again, I inhaled deeply.

I recalled rising before dawn and riding in the crisp, early morning air searching along hills and valleys for horses let out the previous evening to range free of fences.

I remembered afternoon naps under a ponderosa pine tree, my hat pulled down over my face, listening to the sounds of buzzing flies and swishing horse tails.

As I breathed in the smells, my mind enjoyed ancient memories of day long horseback rides, valley vistas of soft, green grass…brown later in the summer, pristine mountains and clear, shallow mountain creeks running beside horse trails carved in red earth.

I remembered, too, how it felt to be young with my whole life ahead. I felt again the sense of adventure and excitement of those heady, teen years. Not that I’d ever want to go back and relive them — but maybe visit occasionally in my mind. I remembered … and felt renewed.

Later in the day we shared how we spent our afternoon. Many people in our group boasted of golf scores. Some talked about walking or hiking. When it was my turn, I said that I had an extraordinary time. “I smelled the horses.”

What do you find yourself remembering? Do you often recall times that you would rather forget? Or do you dwell on those memories that bring you joy and inner peace? When you think of the past, is it with regret or with pleasure? What do you remember most: painful times or happy occasions?

Your thoughts can sap your emotions or they can flood your mind with strength-giving energy. Your good memories can rejuvenate your spirit with new life. They can be a solace during difficult times and a source of joy anytime you choose to visit.

Some memories are best forgotten; others may need time to heal. But good memories are like a treasure nobody can steal.

Keep them close. Visit them often. Enjoy.

– Steve Goodier

This is good; I’ll never look at my hands the same!

Grandma, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. She didn’t move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands. When I sat down beside her she didn’t acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if she was OK.

Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her at the same time, I asked her if she was OK. She raised her head and looked at me and smiled. “Yes, I’m fine, thank you for asking,” she said in a clear voice strong.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you, grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK,” I explained to her.

“Have you ever looked at your hands,” she asked. “I mean really looked at your hands?”

I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making.

Grandma smiled and related this story: “Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life toreach out and grab and embrace life.

“They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my husband and wiped my tears when he went off to war.

“They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special. They wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse.

“They have held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn’t understand.

“They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.

“These hands are the mark of where I’ve been and the ruggedness of life. But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ.”

I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God reached out and took my grandma’s hands and led her home.

When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and husband I think of grandma. I know she has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God.

I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.

When you receive this, say a prayer for the person who sent it to you and watch God’s answer to prayer work in your life. Let’s continue praying for one another.

Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will bless you both. Passing this on to one not yet considered a friend is something Christ would do.

“Language has created the word loneliness to express the pain of being alone, and the word solitude to express the glory of being alone.” This comment by theologian Paul Tillich points out how much our feelings color our experience.

To be lonely is to feel isolated - cut off from others and locked into ourselves. It is to feel loss and sadness and self-pity.

But to experience solitude is to be alone with something, such as a book or music - or with God, in meditation or prayer. It is to feel peace and well-being.

To turn loneliness into solitude, we need to concentrate on something outside ourselves. That’s why prayer can free us from isolation. It connects us with the beautiful and the universal, with God.

O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; and by night, but find no rest. Yet You are enthroned on the praises of Israel. In You our ancestors . . . trusted, and You delivered them. (Psalm 22:2-4)

When the “lonelies” come, God my companion, console me.