Inspiration for the day

[Nitty]

I found this article and thought we could start an inspirational thread. I know I can use some inspiration on a daily basis :)

The Fine Art of Blowing It
by Charles R. Swindoll
2 Corinthians 12:8-10

It happens to every one of us. Teachers as well as students. Cops as well as criminals. Bosses as well as secretaries. Parents as well as kids. The diligent as well as the lazy. Not even presidents are immune. Or corporation heads who earn six-figure salaries. The same is true of well-meaning architects and hard-working builders and clear-thinking engineers . . . not to mention pro ball players, politicians, and preachers.

What? Making mistakes, that's what. Doing the wrong thing, usually with the best of motives. And it happens with remarkable regularity.

Let's face it, success is overrated. All of us crave it despite daily proof that man's real genius lies in quite the opposite direction. It's really incompetence that we're all pros at. Which brings me to a basic question that has been burning inside me for months: How come we're so surprised when we see it in others and so devastated when it has occurred in ourselves?

Show me the guy who wrote the rules for perfectionism and I'll guarantee he's a nailbiter with a face full of tics . . . whose wife dreads to see him come home. Furthermore, he forfeits the right to be respected because he's either guilty of not admitting he blew it or he has become an expert at cover-up.

You can do that, you know. Stop and think of ways certain people can keep from coming out and confessing they blew it. Doctors can bury their mistakes. Lawyers' mistakes get shut up in prison---literally. Dentists' mistakes are pulled. Plumbers' mistakes are stopped. Carpenters turn theirs into sawdust. I like what I read in a magazine recently: Just in case you find any mistakes in this magazine, please remember they were put there for a purpose. We try to offer something for everyone. Some people are always looking for mistakes and we didn't want to disappoint you!

Hey, there have been some real winners! Back in 1957, Ford bragged about "the car of the decade." The Edsel. Unless you lucked out, the Edsel you bought had a door that wouldn't close, a hood that wouldn't open, a horn that kept getting stuck, paint that peeled, and a transmission that wouldn't fulfill its mission. One business writer likened the Edsel's sales graph to an extremely dangerous ski slope. He added that so far as he knew, there was only one case on record of an Edsel ever being stolen.

And how about that famous tower in Italy? The "leaning tower," almost twenty feet out of perpendicular. The guy that planned that foundation to be only ten feet deep (for a building 179 feet tall) didn't possess the world's largest brain. How would you like to have listed in your resumé, "Designed the Leaning Tower of Pisa"?

A friend of mine, realizing how adept I am in this business of blowing it, passed on to me an amazing book (accurate, but funny) entitled The Incomplete Book of Failures, by Stephen Pile. Appropriately, the book itself had two missing pages when it was printed, so the first thing you read is an apology for the omission---and an erratum slip that provides the two pages.
Among the many wild and crazy reports are such things as the least successful weather report, the worst computer, the most boring lecture, the worst aircraft, the slowest selling book, the smallest ever audience, the ugliest building ever constructed, the most chaotic wedding ceremony, and some of the worst statements . . . proven wrong by posterity. Some of those statements, for example, were:

"Far too noisy, my dear Mozart. Far too many notes." ---The Emperor Ferdinand after the first performance of The Marriage of Figaro
"If Beethoven's Seventh Symphony is not by some means abridged, it will soon fall into disuse." ---Philip Hale, Boston music critic, 1837
"Rembrandt is not to be compared in the painting of character with our extraordinarily gifted English artist Mr. Rippingille." ---John Hunt (1775-1848)
"Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical and insignificant . . . utterly impossible." ---Simon Newcomb (1835-1909)
"We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on their way out." ---Decca Recording Company when turning down the Beatles in 1962
"You will never amount to very much." ---A Munich schoolmaster to Albert Einstein, aged ten
And on and on it goes. The only thing we can be thankful for when it comes to blowing it is that nobody keeps a record of ours. Or do they? Or do you with others?

Come on, ease off. If our perfect Lord is gracious enough to take our worst, our ugliest, our most boring, our least successful, our leaning-tower failures, our Edsel flops, and forgive them, burying them in the depths of the sea, then it's high time we give each other a break.

In fact, He promises full acceptance along with full forgiveness in print for all to read . . . without an erratum sheet attached. Isn't that encouraging? Can't we be that type of encourager to one another? After all, imperfection is one of the few things we still have in common. It links us close together in the same family!

So then, whenever one of us blows it and we can't hide it, how about a little support from those who haven't been caught yet? Oops, correction. How about a lot of support?

[stoke]

:D

[Noodle]

Nice read...

Apologies for the horrid spelling :p

[senorblinky]

Punky still fixes my spelling mistakes :weep:

But yeah, it was a nice read :)

[Nitty]

Punky? Are you sure? I didn't know Punky could spell. You learn something new every day :shrug:

[Darnit696]

Punky can't spell. He's just got a faster spell checker than Blinks.

[Nitty]

When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember the polished, old case fastened to the wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother talked to it.

Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person. Her name was "Information Please" and there was nothing she did not know. Information Please could supply anyone's number and the correct time.

My personal experience with the genie-in-a-bottle came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer, the pain was terrible, but there seemed no point in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy.

I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway. The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the parlor and dragged it to the landing Climbing up, I unhooked the receiver in the parlor and held it to my ear. "Information, please" I said into the mouthpiece just above my head.
A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear.

"Information."

"I hurt my finger..." I wailed into the phone, the tears came readily enough now that I had an audience.
"Isn't your mother home?" came the question.

"Nobody's home but me," I blubbered.

"Are you bleeding?" the voice asked.

"No," I replied. "I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts."
"Can you open the icebox?" she asked.

I said I could.

"Then chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to your finger," said the voice.

After that, I called "Information Please" for everything. I asked her for help with my geography, and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math. She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught in the park just the day before, would eat fruit and nuts.

Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary, died. I called, Information Please," and told her the sad story. She listened, and then said things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was not consoled. I asked her, "Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage?"

She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, " Wayne always remember that there are other worlds to sing in."

Somehow I felt better.

Another day I was on the telephone, "Information Please."
"Information," said in the now familiar voice. "How do I spell fix?" I asked.

All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest . When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston . I missed my friend very much. "Information Please" belonged in that old wooden box back home and I somehow never thought of trying the shiny new phone that sat on the table in the hall. As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really left me.

Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy.

A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle . I had about a half-hour or so between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown Operator and said, "Information Please."

Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well.
"Information."

I hadn't planned this, but I heard myself saying, "Could you please tell me how to spell fix?"

There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, "I guess your finger must have healed by now."

I laughed, "So it's really you," I said. "I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time?"

I wonder," she said, "if you know how much your call meant to me. I never had any children and I used to look forward to your calls."

I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister.

"Please do", she said. "Just ask for Sally."

Three months later I was back in Seattle . A different voice answered "Information." I asked for Sally.

"Are you a friend?" she said.

"Yes, a very old friend," I answered.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this," she said. "Sally had been working part-time the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago."

Before I could hang up she said, "Wait a minute, did you say your name was Wayne ?" "Yes." I answered.

"Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called.

Let me read it to you."
The note said, "Tell him there are other worlds to sing in. He'll know what I mean."

I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.

Never underestimate the impression you may make on others.

Whose life have you touched today?

[stoke]

That made me laugh, gave me the chills, goosebumps and them made me want to cry.

It could easily be warped into a forrest gump / green mile tale.

[Voicy]

Agreed, Stokey... don't forget Bicentennial man with Little Miss. :sad:

[senorblinky]

Ek het nou net 'n traantjie gepik en hoendervleis gekry, dis so 'n pragtige storie.

[TG]

I 'stumbled' on that story a few months back. Definitely a lump generator.

[Titan]

Little stories like that make you stop and think what is important in life.
We get caught up in the humm drumm of life and forget that sometime it's the little things that mean the most!

Good one!, thank you :sharp:

[Hoss]

Who's Sally?

Just kidding, that was actually a very beautiful story Nitty

[Nitty]

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly.. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

MORAL :
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less from people but more from God.

Enjoy Life & Stay Happy :D

[senorblinky]

Ok, nou rak dit net soetsappig, lekker carebear emails... ek het gedink dit gaan goed wees omdat die ander twee awesome was...

Nee nitty... nee!

[Nitty]

Skuus Blinky :sad:

[Nitty]

Erich Weiss was a remarkable man. By the time of his death he was famous around the world. Never heard of him, huh? Maybe this will help. He was born of Hungarian-Jewish parentage at Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1874. He became the highest-paid entertainer of his day. That still doesn't help much, does it? This will. When he finally got his act together, Weiss adopted a stage name: Harry Houdini . . . the master showman, a distinguished flyer, a mystifying magician, and---most of all---an unsurpassed escapologist.

On March 10, 1904, the London Daily Illustrated Mirror challenged Houdini to escape from a special pair of handcuffs they had prepared. Are you ready? There were six locks on each cuff and nine tumblers on each lock. Seven days later, 4,000 spectators gathered in the London Hippodrome to witness the outcome of the audacious challenge which Houdini had accepted. At precisely 3:15 p.m., the manacled showman stepped into an empty cabinet which came up to his waist. Kneeling down, he was out of sight for a full twenty minutes. He stood up smiling as the crowd applauded, thinking he was free. But he was not. He asked for more light. They came on brighter as he knelt down out of sight. Fifteen minutes later he stood to his feet. Applause broke out---again, premature. He was still handcuffed. Said he just needed to flex his knees.

Down into the cabinet again went the magician. Twenty minutes passed slowly for the murmuring crowd before Houdini stood to his feet with a broad smile. Loud applause quickly stopped as the audience saw he was not yet free. Because the bright lights made the heat so intense, he leaped from the cabinet and twisted his manacled hands in front of him until he could reach a pocket knife in his vest. Opening the knife with his teeth, he held its handle in his mouth and bent forward to such a degree that the tail of his coat fell over his head. He grasped the coat, pulled it over his head, then proceeded to slash it to ribbons with the knife between his teeth. Throwing aside the strips of his heavy coat, he jumped back into the box as the audience roared its approval and cheered him on.

Down went Houdini, but this time for only ten minutes. With a dramatic flourish, he jumped from the box---wrists free---waving the bulky handcuffs over his head in triumph. Pandemonium exploded in London. Once again the showman had achieved the incredible---almost the impossible. Afterwards, Houdini was interviewed. Everyone wanted to know why he had to interrupt the process of his escape as often as he did. With a twinkle in his eyes, the magician freely admitted that he really didn't have to interrupt the process. He repeatedly explained that his ability to escape was based on knowledge. "My brain is the key that sets me free!" he often declared. Then why did he keep standing up before he was loose? He confessed it was because he wanted the audience's applause to keep up his enthusiasm! Enthusiasm is powerful stuff. And it isn't important only to magicians and performers but also to ordinary folks like you and me . . . and to our God.

Two things set Houdini free: (1) his knowledge of what he knew to be true and (2) the cultivation of his own enthusiasm. What an essential role enthusiasm plays in our lives! In many ways, it is the key ingredient that frees us from the cramping, dark, overheated confinement of a task. When the odds are against us, the hours are long, and the end is not yet in view, enthusiasm rescues us from the temptation to quit---or run away---or complain. It takes the grit and grind out of boredom. It calls in fresh troops when the battle gets long and the body gets weary. Athletes feed on it. Salesmen are motivated by it. Teachers count on it. Students fail without it. Leadership demands it. Projects are completed because of it. Ralph Waldo Emerson's motto is as true today as the day he wrote it:

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

Few characteristics are more contagious, more magnetic. I'm convinced that one of the reasons God gives us so many personal promises in His Word is to stir up our enthusiasm---to build a bonfire in the steam-room of our souls. Houdini had it right: Knowledge is essential---but knowledge without enthusiasm is like a tire without air . . . like a pool without water . . . like a bed without sheets . . . like a "thank you" without a smile. Remove enthusiasm from a church service on Sunday and you have the makings of a memorial service at a mortuary on a Monday. Remove enthusiasm from the daily whirl of family activities and you've made a grinding mill out of a merry-go-round. Enthusiasm acts as the oil on Saturdays in our home when it's cleanup day and the family machine needs a boost. Two men were in a military prison. One was sad and depressed. The other was quite happy. The sad soldier lamented that he had gone AWOL and was in for thirty days. His smiling companion replied that he had murdered a general and was in for three days. Astonished, the gloomy GI complained, "That isn't fair! Your crime was far more serious. Why am in for thirty days---and you for only three?" Still smiling, the other answered, "They're going to hang me on Wednesday."

The difference? Enthusiasm.

[stoke]

Motivation.

[Thumponius]

True, murder people and get less jail time. But what is said is very true. It's the enthusiasm that makes us keep banging our heads against walls, because it feels so good when we get through and can stop.

[senorblinky]

:|

Meer Sally stories, ek soek nie hierdie verbal motivational posters nie :grombeer:

[Nitty]

Jy's darem baie grombeer vandag. Ek dink jy kort 'n :chair:

Ek sal dan maar ophou pos totdat ek weer 'n Sally storie kry, okay oom grombeer? :p

[senorblinky]

Nitty, jy het nou reeds 'n precedent geskep deur daai eerste twee lekker stories te gooi.
Toe kom jy met daai WILLE carebear/sekretaresse email.
En nou die houdini ding wat 'n bietjie van beide is, maar dis meer preekerig, jy verstaan? En ek soek om voor gepreek te word nie. Sally se bookskap het nie oorgekom in die vorm van 'n hour hammer wat my kop probeer inslaan met blommetjies en reenboe nie. Dit was subtiel en mooi. Verstaan jy wat ek bedoel? Iets waar EK tussen die lyne kan lees en my eie aflydings maak, instede van iemand wat my met hulle ideals spoonfeed.

Ek is dom en maklik om te fool, maar nie so maklik nie.

[Nitty]

Ek verstaan waar jy vandaan kom, en dis reg so. Sal dit in gedagte hou vir volgende keer ;)

[senorblinky]

:wolbeer:

[Nitty]

:roflbeer:

[senorblinky]

Ag ou nitty, my ou :chairbear:

[Thumponius]

Will you two stop scritching?

[senorblinky]

/me goes to google scritching...

---------- Post added at 09:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:06 AM ----------

:eek:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=scritching
Thumpy! :mad:

/me tags Chairbear to climb into the fight





:D :rofl:

[Nitty]

Please copy and paste for my Blinkster. The URL is blocked from my work pc. Thank you.

*Nitty positions her chair so long*

[Punky3025]

Your chair has been confiscated. Only REAL PVP players get chairs.

[senorblinky]

Please copy and paste for my Blinkster. The URL is blocked from my work pc. Thank you.

*Nitty positions her chair so long*

Chairbear, dis :willebeer: goete daai linky. Basically is dit om intiem saam met 'n hele groep ander mense te verkeer, terwyl jy aangetrek is soos 'n diertjie.

Lyk my Punky wil ook speel! Tag my wanneer jy reg is, die spanne is nou ewe.

---------- Post added at 09:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:23 AM ----------

Oooh, we've derailed this thread in sy se moer in.
Sorry Chairbear, i hope you find an inspiring story soon to get this thing back on track.

[Nitty]

I think Thumpy needs to be banhammered for his suggestion. And for knowing words that we don't. Double banhammer please :beg:

[Thumponius]

Scritch
From WikiFur, the furry encyclopedia.
Jump to: navigation, search

Tiggy gives a scritch at MFF 2007Scritch is also the name of a fursuit owned by Rakhan
The term scritch, also known as scritchies, skritch, or skritches, is given to the act of gently scratching someone's back, neck or between the ears in an affectionate manner using one's fingernails (or more lightly with fingertips), or the claws of a fursuit or plushie.

Commonly considered a form of interpersonal furry affection, It's considered bad form to try this on strangers, or those furs or fans of fur not comfortable with the idea or the act. It is generally better to pat a fursuiter than to scritch them, as it has less chance of matting the fur.


Blinky always manages to find and extract the most negative of any suggestion or word. What else were you two carebears up to?

[senorblinky]

Well, i thought my description was shocking and funny :D

I blame google.

[Hoss]

* senorblinky;149917 goes to google scritching...

---------- Post added at 09:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:06 AM ----------

:eek:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=scritching
Thumpy! :mad:

* senorblinky;149917 tags Chairbear to climb into the fight





:D :rofl:

HAHAHA,
/me gives Thumpy rep


oh well Thumpy is acting innocent now but Im still going with Blinkys gutter mind :D

[Noodle]

* senorblinky;149917 goes to google scritching...

---------- Post added at 09:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:06 AM ----------

:eek:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=scritching
Thumpy! :mad:

* senorblinky;149917 tags Chairbear to climb into the fight





:D :rofl:

:rofl:

Awesome version!

[Nitty]

'n Ongeluk. Die verlies van ’n ledemaat. Ernstige depressie. Dit is drie van die hindernisse wat Ma Li en Zhai Xiaowei afsonderlik in hulle lewens moes deurmaak. Ma Li is ’n Chinese danseres in haar 30’s wat na ’n ongeluk haar regterarm verloor het. Haar jare lange droom om ’n professionele danser te word was skielik aan skerwe. Sonder ’n arm sou sy moeilik haar balans kon behou tydens draaie.

’n Paar kilometer van Ma Li se tuisdorp het ’n jong man in sy 20’s, Zhai Xiaowei soortgelyke nuus gekry. Ná ’n gru-ongeluk het hy sy linkerbeen verloor en daarmee saam moes hy verskeie van sy drome prysgee.

Vir ’n tyd lank het beide Ma Li en Zhai Xiaowei die deur vir depressie in hulle lewens oopgeskuif.

Toe, op ’n dag nooi ’n vriendin vir Ma Li haar om ’n kinderdansgroep af te rig. Skielik het sy haar passie vir dans herontdek. Sy is terug na haar voormalige dansstudio waar sy vir ure lank begin oefen het. Oor tyd het sy sterker geword en kon sy makliker haar balans behou.

Dit is toe dat sy van jong Zhai Xiaowei gehoor het. Zhai het nog nooit in sy lewe gedans nie. En was geskok toe Ma Li hom vra om saam met haar te dans. Sy eerste reaksie was ’n heftige “nee”. Kan sy dan nie sien dat hy net een been het nie? Tog, ’n paar dae later het Zhai by Ma Li se dansstudio opgedaag.

’n Nuwe pad het vir beide begin. ’n Pad met baie trane en frustrasie. Daar was selfs tye waar Zhai kwaad op sy krukke by die studio uitgestrompel het – met die dreigement om nooit weer terug te kom nie. Tog het hy elke keer. Die paartjie het verbeter en gou het hulle ’n choreograaf gekry om vir hulle roetines uit te werk. Hulle was gereed en die wêreld was aan hulle voete. Tog kon niks hulle voorberei vir die groot oomblik toe hulle onlangs ’n moderne danskompetisie in China gewen het met hulle Hand in Hand roetine. In trane het Ma Li na die tyd gesê: “Vandag het ek besef dat mens se drome eers die dag sterf wanneer jy moed opgee. Tot dan is daar altyd iets om voor te leef”

Kyk die dans hier:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0uYef0Y4wc.

[Nitty]

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio


"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument.. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone..

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33.. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life... Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38.. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved...

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves..

[senorblinky]

Dit was mooi, dankie Nitty.

It all comes down to choice. I choose to be happy. You can have all the motivational posters you want, and all the inspiration from books and movies and music available, but it all comes down to the one choice you make every morning when you get up. Choose happiness! Unless you're only happy when you're sad. Some people are like that too...

[stoke]

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

First time I have heard that one. Beautiful.

[Nitty]

I like this bit from Charles Swindoll because it's so very true:

Time to reflect. That would be my answer to the question: "What do you like most about the year-end holidays?"

Oh, the food is good---those delectable, fattening morsels that make Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's so special. So are the parties and the people . . . the songs, the smiles, the smells. Each weaves its way into the fabric of our minds in such a beautiful manner that we live in the warmth of them for days. Sometimes months.

But the best those traditional holidays can offer, in my opinion, is time to reflect. To stand in front of the full-length mirror of memory and study the scene. Thoughtfully. Silently. Alone. At length. To trace the outline of the past without the rude interruption of routine tasks. To walk along the surf or stroll through a mountain pathway, taking time to stop and listen. And think. To sit by a crackling fireplace with all the lights out, staring into the heat, and letting thoughts emerge, drift, and linger. To turn over in the mind a line out of a poem. To hear some grand music played at sufficient volume that all petty noises and worries are submerged beneath the waves of stimulating sound.

Maybe it's part of what Charles Wesley meant by being "lost in wonder, love, and praise." A kind of solitary worship. An extended, unhurried leisure yielding rich benefits and deep insights. Invariably, those occasions leave me feeling grateful to God. Often I end up thanking Him specifically for something or someone that He provided in the yesterday of my life that makes my today much more meaningful.

It happened again last week. The day had been relaxing and fun. Night fell. One by one my family slipped into sleep. I put a couple more logs into the fireplace, slid into my favorite chair, and read for well over an hour. I came across a few thoughts put together by a long-time leader in the World Vision ministry---Ed Dayton. His words sent me back many, many years. Ed mentioned watching the short film called "The Giving Tree," a simple, fanciful piece about a tree who loved a boy.

They played hide 'n' seek in his younger years. He swung from her branches, climbed all over her, ate her apples, slept in her shade. Such happy, carefree days. The tree loved those years of the boy's childhood.

But the boy grew and spent less time with the tree. On one occasion the young man returned. "Come on, let's play," invited the tree . . . but the lad was only interested in money. "Take my apples and sell them," said the tree. He did . . . and the tree was happy.

He didn't return for a long time, but the tree smiled when he passed by one day. "Come, play, friend. Come, play!" But the boy---now full grown---wanted to build a house for himself. "Cut off my branches and build your house," she offered. He did, and once again the tree was happy.

Years dragged by. The tree missed the boy. Suddenly, she saw him in the distance. "Come on, let's play!" but the man was older and tired of his world. He wanted to get away from it all. "Cut me down. Take my large trunk and make yourself a boat. Then you can sail away," said the tree. And that's exactly what he did . . . and the tree was happy.

Many seasons passed---summers and winters, windy days and lonely nights---and the tree waited. Finally, the old man returned . . . too old, too tired to play, to pursue riches, to build houses, or to sail the seas. "I have a pretty good stump left, my friend. Why don't you just sit down here and rest?" He did . . . and the tree was happy.¹

I stared into the fire. I watched myself pass in review as I grew older with the tree and the boy. I identified with both---and it hurt.

How many Giving Trees have there been in my life? How many have released part of themselves so I might grow, accomplish my goals, find wholeness and satisfaction, and reach beyond the tiny, limited playground of my childhood? So, so many. Thank you, Lord, for each one. Their names could fill this page.

Now I, like the tree, have grown up. Now it's my turn to give. And some of that hurts. Apples, branches, sometimes the trunk. My rights, my will . . . and even my children and grandchildren.

So much to give. Thank you, Lord, that I have a few things worth giving. Even if it's a lap to be sat on . . . or the comfort of a warm embrace.

The fire died into glowing embers. It was late as I crawled into bed. I had wept, but now I was smiling as I said, "Good night, Lord." I was a thankful man.

Thankful I had taken time to reflect.

[Tresbien]

Thanks Nitty. It is very much a time of reflection for me. Especially in the last 5 years .

[Sheepy]

Thanks Nitty. It is very much a time of reflection for me. Especially in the last 5 years .

From what vorty tells me its more like time to reflect on what vorty can do around the house :hide:

[Badapple]

:rofl:

[Vortex]

:unimpressed:

[Tresbien]

From what vorty tells me its more like time to reflect on what vorty can do around the house :hide:

That too Sheep.
I might just have a little word with Nix and get her cracking the whip on your behind though if you're not careful :bullwhip:

[Vortex]

How about this for inspiration for the day?

http://cdn.gs.uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/sarumanwithguitar.jpg

[WingNut]

How about this for inspiration for the day?

http://cdn.gs.uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/sarumanwithguitar.jpg

What a coincidence! (http://www.toplessrobot.com/2010/01/christopher_lee_will_rock_your_face_off.php)

[senorblinky]

Count DOOKU!
http://kibblemania.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Dooku_img09.jpg


Scaramanga!
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/08_01/Lee0807_468x537.jpg

[WondaWoman]

None of those pics are inspirational. Go make your own geeky pic thread somewhere else guys. Pfft.

[TotalWar]

Blinky, I am not sure i get your post, how is this inspirational message of the day. Are we supposed to strive for shooting electricity out of our hands or try and make/buy a golden gun?

Maybe you are trying to warn us about this person crossing our path today. So if you see him stay away.

[WondaWoman]

You see? He agrees with me.

[senorblinky]

No, it should be inspirational - Christopher lee set out to be the baddest mofo possible, and he managed to be a bond villain, the LotR groot baddie, the Star Wars baddie, i even think he was "Death" in a Terry Pratchet book to flick.

He is the meanest summummumabiatch there is - he achieved his goals - more epic badassery from one gentleman is yet to be found.

[TotalWar]

So we should all go out and be the baddest person we can?

[senorblinky]

No, i'm just saying, Christopher Lee set his goal and achieved it - you should think about your goals, carefully analyse the roadmap to achieve them and go for it.

You can be the baddest mofo in the world if you want, but that was just by way of an example. The real message here is that oyu can achieve anything you set your mind to.

[WingNut]

He's 87 years old.

and he's making a friggen symphonic metal album.

I'm inspired.

[WondaWoman]

All I'm thinking now is: wrinkly, old weirdo. :crazy:

[rainy]

i even think he was "Death" in a Terry Pratchet book to flick.

Three, to be precise.

[senorblinky]

You can actually here the jounalists getting a little choked up near the ned there - this was pretty special:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2806007796171444090#

[Flatty]

No, it should be inspirational - Christopher lee set out to be the baddest mofo possible, and he managed to be a bond villain, the LotR groot baddie, the Star Wars baddie, i even think he was "Death" in a Terry Pratchet book to flick.

He is the meanest summummumabiatch there is - he achieved his goals - more epic badassery from one gentleman is yet to be found.

HOW can you forget that he was the ULTIMATE Count Dracula, dude - your age is showing. :p Um, OK, so MY age is showing :confused: I used to be terrified of this dude when I was a lightie.

http://goremasternews.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/count_dracula_christopher_lee.jpghttp://www.soundonsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/christopher-lee-as-count-dracula1.jpghttp://blogs.e-rockford.com/movieman/files/2009/06/christopher-lee.jpg

[WingNut]

This was really inspiring.. and made me very grateful for what I have.

Clicky linky (http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/03/2010_winter_paralympics.html)

[Flatty]

Wingers, my grandmother had her leg amputated after she was hit by a bus at a young age (early 20's), so she spent most of her life with a prosthetic leg, and as she got older two crutches. Anyway, she used to get really irritated when I was always rushing to help her. In retrospect, I would have gotten irritated - I guess you don't think about those things when you're eight. Thank God she lived in England because I am sure things would have been a lot harder here. It takes a lot of guts to overcome the loss of a limb, or two, and live your life. I take my hat off to those people.

[Nitty]

wow!

[Flatty]

I like this woman, Margaret Moth, she died of cancer.

She was a camera woman for quite a few news agencies. She even got shot in the face while on assignment by a sniper - back at work after 6 months.

There's a tribute on CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/03/21/margaret.moth.obit/index.html?hpt=C1). First I've ever heard of her.

[Tresbien]

Not sure if this is the right thread, but I found the ad to be quite moving:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-8PBx7isoM

[Flatty]

Groovy, Tres. ;)

[Drusky]

I'm still wondering why Blinky got choked up near the ned. Unless Ned is a very smelly dog. That could make me choke. An old smelly dog called Ned.

That was the best "wear your seatbelt" ad I've ever seen Tres thanks for sharing :thumbsup:

[Nitty]

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor
gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student
and had breezed through the questions until I read

the last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the
cleaning woman several times. She was tall,
dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name?


I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.
Just before class ended, one student asked if
the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely, " said the professor. "In your careers,
you will meet many people.
All are significant. They deserve your attention and care,
even if all you do is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her
name was Dorothy.

2 - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American
woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway
trying to endure a lashing rain storm.
Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.
A young white man stopped to help her, generally
unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man
took her to safety, helped her get assistance and
put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his
address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a
knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a
giant console colour TV was delivered to his home.
A Special note was attached.

It read:

"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway
the other night. The rain drenched not only my
clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along.
Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying
husband's bedside just before he passed away... God
Bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving
others."

Sincerely,

Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those Who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less,
A 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and
sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in
front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and
studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the
waitress was growing impatient.

"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on
the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice
cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress
came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the
table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,

Were two nickels and five pennies..

You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had
to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a
roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if
anyone would remove the huge rock.
Some of the
King's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by
and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the
King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did
anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of
vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the
peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the
stone to the side of the road.
After much pushing
and straining, he finally succeeded. After the
peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed
a purse lying in the road where the boulder had
been.
The purse contained many gold coins and a note
from the King indicating that the gold was for the
person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The
peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve
our condition.

5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a
hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who
was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only
chance of recovery appeared to be a blood
transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had
miraculously survived the same disease and had
developed the antibodies needed to combat the
illness.
The doctor explained the situation to her
little brother, and asked the little boy if he would
be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a
deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save
her."
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed
next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing
the color returning to her cheek. Then his face
grew pale and his smile faded...

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a
trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the
doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his
sister all of his blood in order to save her.

[Nitty]

Keep some tissues handy..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BewknNW2b8Y&feature=youtu.be

[Badapple]

Good voice on that one! :)

[Xtr]

Awesome! is all I can say...:wow:

[senorblinky]

I completely forgot we had this thread! I found an awesome gallery yesterday, so I'll just chuck a few of the sentiments in here then, shall I?

http://www.fromupnorth.com/_galleries/2/4ccd3befbbbf7.jpg

http://www.fromupnorth.com/_galleries/2/4ccd3be65c0ca.jpg

http://www.fromupnorth.com/_galleries/2/4ccd3c06dd7f5.jpg

http://www.fromupnorth.com/_galleries/2/4ccd3bcfe9c4c.png

http://www.fromupnorth.com/_galleries/2/4ccd3bc85e771.png

http://www.fromupnorth.com/_galleries/2/4ccd3bf77d617.jpg

http://www.fromupnorth.com/_galleries/2/4ccd3c02eaf6e.png

---------- Post added at 09:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:14 AM ----------


Keep some tissues handy..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BewknNW2b8Y&feature=youtu.be

F*% jou Nitty, nou sit en pis ek myself hier nat in die kantoor soos 'n klein meisie! Dit was baie mooi, baie dankie.

[Nitty]

Ek het jou gewaarsku ou grote ;)

[Gypsy]

Nitty, Oh yes a tear bringer for sure :cry:

[TG]

Not sure if this is quite the right thread for this post, but it did make me smile.

http://current.com/technology/92490834_8-month-old-deaf-baby-s-reaction-to-cochlear-implant-being-activated.htm

[Nitty]

Awww, that is heart warming. Thanks TG :)

[Sheepy]

+1 TG some :cake:... (from Colour) and secretly from me too

[Nitty]

Another :wow: one (bring your tissues again)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W86jlvrG54o&feature=youtu.be

[Flatty]

Something to think about.

[Megnut3025]

WOW!!! :woot:

Very well said!! Well done Mr Lama man! :pompom:

[Flatty]

My mom only had one eye. I hated her… She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for students and teachers to support the family.

There was this one day during elementary school where my mom came to say hello to me. I was so embarrassed.

How could she do this to me? I ignored her, threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school one of my classmates said, ‘EEEE, your mom only has one eye!’

I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my mom to just disappear. I confronted her that day and said, ‘ If you’re only gonna make me a laughing stock, why don’t you just die?’

My mom did not respond… I didn’t even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to her feelings.

I wanted out of that house, and have nothing to do with her. So I studied real hard, got a chance to go abroad to study.

Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. I had kids of my own. I was happy with my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one day, my Mother came to visit me. She hadn’t seen me in years and she didn’t even meet her grandchildren.

When she stood by the door, my children laughed at her, and I yelled at her for coming over uninvited. I screamed at her, ‘How dare you come to my house and scare my children!’ GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!’

And to this, my mother quietly answered, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address,’ and she disappeared out of sight.

One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I went to the old shack just out of curiosity.

My neighbors said that she died. I did not shed a single tear. They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.

‘My dearest son,

I think of you all the time. I’m sorry that I came to your house and scared your children.

I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you. I’m sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were growing up.

You see……..when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn’t stand watching you having to grow up with one eye. So I gave you mine.

I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye.

With all my love to you,

[Thumponius]

http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g343/Shaun_Edley/Beglad.jpg

[Vortex]

Wow! Inspiration from Thumpy?!
:faint: