A man was exploring caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake.

They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.

He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it
cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!

Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls.  Each
contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left. Then it struck him.

He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves.  Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!

It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it.

We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person.

There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay.

May we see the people in our world as God sees them. I am so blessed by the gems of friendship I have. Thank you for looking beyond my
clay vessel.

Gosh I haven't done any blogging in a long time. Busy with life, the forums and just being me.

Being me sometimes isn't the easiest thing in the world --insert a smile here.

Now it's my birthday and another year added to the mileage on this body. Been doing some painting lately and that's when you can feel your age. Body doesn't move up and down off the chair like it used to, your arms seem shorter and you can't remember how the hell you got into that corner before because there's a bathroom counter in the way...LOL

I'm sure everyone says when they reach this age..."I wouldn't have changed a thing in my life, it's made me who I am today". Well I beg to differ, because there is always something we should have done differently.even if it was to phrase something differently.

I don't think younger people today always realize that what is done or said today will become part of their of their future that they will look back on.

Hard to believe in another 2 yrs I will be 60. God I remember being 20 and saying "I'll never get that old" and then time flies and you get busy with life and voila it's not that far off.

All in all..............Life has been pretty good to me and I to it. I've nothing I'm ashamed of and that's a good feeling. So tomorrow I will bring home Chinese Food, get a bottle of white wine, and celebrate like there's no tomorrow.

INSTALLING LOVE

Tech Support:

Yes, ma'am, how can I help you?

Customer:

Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install Love. Can you guide me through the process?

Tech Support:

Yes, I can help you, are you ready to proceed?

Customer:

Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support:

The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart ma'am?

Customer:

Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support:

What programs are running ma'am?

Customer:

Let's see, I have Past-Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge, and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support:

No problem, Love will gradually erase Past-Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of it's own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma'am?

Customer:

I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support:

With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have completely erased.

Customer:

Okay, done, Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support:

Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer:

Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error-program not run on external components. What should I do?

Tech Support:

Don't worry ma'am, It means the Love program is set-up to run on Internal Hearts but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.

Customer:

So what should I do?

Tech Support:

Can you pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realise Your Worth; and Acknowledge Your Limitations.

Customer:

OK, done.

Tech Support:

Now copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer:

Got it. Hey!!! My Heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support:

Sometimes. For others it takes a while, but eventually everyone gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before we hang-up, Love is FreeWare. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer:

I promise to do just that. By the way, what's your name?

Tech Support:

Just call me the Divine Cardiologist, also known as the Great Physician, or just "I AM." Most people feel all they need is an annual check-up to stay heart-healthy, but the manufacturer (ME) suggests a daily maintenance schedule for maximum Love efficiency.

-Author Anonymous

I came across this masterpiece about 3 yrs ago and found it to be very powering in it's message and it can apply to everyone no matter the circumstances.........

A time comes in your life when you finally get it...When in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes, you begin to look at the world through new eyes.

This is your awakening. You realize that it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that I am not Prince Charming and you are not Cinderella and that in the real world there aren't always fairy tail endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate of approve of who or what you are... and that's OK. (They are entitled to their own views and opinions.) And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself and in the process, a sense of newfound confidence is born of self-approval.

You stop blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didn't do for you) and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that it's not always about you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties and in the process, a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You realize that much of the way you view yourself, and the world around you, is as a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into your thick head. And you begin to sift through all the crap you've been fed about how you should behave, how you should look and how much you should weigh, what you should wear and were you should shop and what you should drive, how and where you should live and what you should do for a living, who you should marry and what you should expect of a marriage, the importance of having and raising children or what you owe your parents.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for. You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought in to begin with and in the process you learn to go with your instincts.

You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive. And that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix. You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a gone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don't know everything: it's not your job to save the world and that you can't teach a pig to sing. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say No. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love. Romantic love and familial love. How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving and when to walk away. You learn not to project you needs or your feelings onto a relationship. You learn that you will not be more beautiful, more intelligent, more loveable or important because of the man on your arm or the child that bears your name. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be.

You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn that just as people grow and change so it is with love...And you learn that you don't have the right to demand love on your terms...Just to make you happy. And, you learn that alone does not mean lonely... And you look in the mirror and come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a perfect 10 and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head and agonizing over how you "stack up".

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK...And that it is your right to want things and to ask for the things that you want. And that sometimes it is necessary to make demands. You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity and respect and you won't settle for less. And, you allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you to glorify you with his touch... and in the process, you internalize the meaning of self-respect.

And you learn that your body really is your temple. And you begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and taking more time to exercise. You learn that fatigue diminishes the spirit and can create doubt and fear. So you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So, you take more time to laugh and to play. You learn that for the most part, in life you get what you believe you deserve... and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different from working towards making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone and that it's OK to risk asking for help. You learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time, FEAR itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms. And you learn to fight for you life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes, bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people. On these occasion you learn not to personalize things. You learn that God isn't punishing you or failing to answer you prayers. It's just life happening. And you learn to deal with evil in its most primal state the ego. You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy, and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about; a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never settle for less than your heart's desire. And you hang a wind chime outside you window so you can listen to the wind. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting and to stay open to every wonderful possibility. Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side, you take a stand, you take a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.