"What surprises you most about mankind?"

God answered:

• "That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again.
• That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health.
• That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future.
• That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived..."

God's hands took mine and we were silent for while and then I asked...

"As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"

God replied with a smile:

• "To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved.
• To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives.
• To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. All will be judged individually on their own merits, not as a group on a comparison basis!
• To learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.
• To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them.
• To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.
• To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings.
• To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.
• To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally different.
• To learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them...and likes them anyway.
• To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves."

I sat there for awhile enjoying the moment. I thanked Him for his time and for all that He has done for me and my family, and He replied, "Anytime. I'm here 24 hours a day. All you have to do is ask for me, and I'll answer."

People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

• The most destructive habit: Worry
• The greatest Joy: Giving
• The greatest loss: Loss of self-respect
• The most satisfying work: Helping others
• The ugliest personality trait: Selfishness
• The most endangered species: Dedicated leaders
• Our greatest natural resource: Our youth
• The greatest "shot in the arm": Encouragement
• The greatest problem to overcome: Fear
• The most effective sleeping pill Peace of mind
• The most crippling failure disease: Excuses
• The most powerful force in life: Love
• The most dangerous pariah: A gossiper
• The world's most incredible computer: The brain
• The worst thing to be without: Hope
• The deadliest weapon: The tongue
• The two most power-filled words: "I Can"
• The greatest asset: Faith
• The most worthless emotion: Self-pity
• The most beautiful attire: SMILE!
• The most prized possession: Integrity
• The most powerful channel of communication: Prayer
• The most contagious spirit: Enthusiasm
• The most important thing in life: GOD

One girl with Down's Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, "This will make it better." Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes. People who were there are still telling the story.

Why? Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course. If you pass this on, we may be able to change our hearts as well as someone else's.

Have an awesome day, and know that someone who thinks you're great has thought about you today!

• Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her.
• Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
• Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. " An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
• Enjoy the simple things.
• Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
• The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
• Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
•  Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
•  Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
• Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

And always remember: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and was rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not just to those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.

...and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side of which came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

• That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
• That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
• That money doesn't buy class.
• That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
• That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
• That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?
• That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
• That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
• That love, not time, heals all wounds.
• That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
• That there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks.
• That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
• That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
• That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
• That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
• That I wish I could have told my Dad that I love him one more time before he passed away.
• That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
• That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
• That I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.
• That when your newly born child holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
• That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
• That it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is requested and when it is a life threatening situation.
• That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

• Throw out nonessential numbers; this list includes age, weight and height.
• Keep only cheerful friends; the grouches pull you down. If you really need a grouch, there are probably family members who fill that need.
• Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Just never let the brain idle.
• Enjoy the simple things.... When the children are young, that is all that you can afford. When they are in college, that is all that you can afford. When they are grown, and you are on retirement, that is all that you can afford!
• Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. Laugh so much that you can be tracked in the store by your distinctive laughter.
• The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with you your entire life is you.
• Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
• Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
• Don't take guilt trips. Go to the mall, take a trip to visit friend, the next county, a foreign country, but not guilt.
• Tell the people you love, that you love them, at every opportunity.

... with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people can be. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked. "Oh Yeah" said the son. "So what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

With this the boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks, dad for showing me how poor we are."

• I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.
• I would have eaten the popcorn in the GOOD" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
• I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
• I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up! on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
• I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
• I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
• I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
• I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I wasn't there for the day.
•  I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
• Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment realizing that the wonderment growing inside me was! The only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
• When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
• There would have been more "I love you's" and more "I'm sorry's" but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute.....look at it and really see it ... live it. And never give it back.

As children we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day was always a special treat. Our baby cribs were painted with bright colored lead based paint. We often chewed on the crib, ingesting the paint.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes we had no helmets. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times we learned to solve the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. We played dodge ball and sometimes the ball would really hurt. We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank sugar soda, but we were never overweight; we were always outside playing. Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Some students weren't as smart as others or didn't work hard so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade.

In spite of it all, our generation produced some of the greatest risk-takers and problem solvers. We had the freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.