Attitude of Gratitude - Two Lives & Legacy

In the last two days I've gotten word of the passing of two ladies who had each seen over 7 decades of life here on earth. One lived a life that poured forth love, compassion, gratitude, and joy no matter what she faced in life. People poured in upon news of her illness and she had constant companionship, whether aware or not. The love she'd shown each person with whom she'd come in contact was as a Stone dropped into a pond where it's impact sent wave upon wave ever expanding and reaching those who would never meet her, but benefited from the love of God she allowed to overflow from her heart toward others. Her legacy remains, she is missed, but those who knew her are even more vigilent to pay it forward.

The other woman lived a life wherein she "told it like it was" through her eyes, when a friend or family member was absent there were sure to be unkind words or judgments, and she was clear about who she liked and did not. She had several children, though nearby, not frequent visitors as she'd worked her "magic" on their spouses and children as well. Her unkindness was legendary. Visitors had trickled down to an obligated few. Her legacy.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have known each of the women. I learned from both; inspired by one and through necessity with the other. I offer these verses as they came to me so clearly to me and have been on my mind for days...long before the news of these two lives conclusion with us here.

" 1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body [a]to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 [b]bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails..." (1 Corinthians 13: 1-8a)

God bless you as you step forward, continuing your own legacy creation.

Attitude of Gratitude - Act from love

Mother Teresa once said, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

People may not always act the way we would or believe they should in a given situation, but if we give them (as we'd hope they would us) the benefit of the doubt and go forward in love, we have hurt no one, and allow them to pass through that irregular moment unharmed and (better yet) loved unconditionally. We may be puzzled by the actions of others, but we've no right to judge and act upon our own assumptions. When we assume someone's motives or thoughts, we've trespassed into area where we don't belong, for "...[God] alone know[s] the hearts of all the sons of man." (1 Kings 8:39b)

Simply, we all have moments where we act out of our own woundedness and wound another and vice versa. That's why we have not been called to judge, but rather to love. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

With no greater commandment than those, I'd say love should be our rule as we walk through this day. Remember, there may be someone particularly wounded today who needs you to act in love.

God bless you day mightily - do it with love.

Encourage, Support the Dreams Around You

We all mold one another’s dreams.
We all hold each other’s fragile hopes in our hands.
We all touch others’ hearts.

It is true that we help to shape and mold another’s dreams and aspirations. A nod of approval, silence, or an excited smile and exuberant expression of what the realization of the dream may look like all contribute or detract from the confidence with which one allows the dream to flourish.

When hopes are shared… they are laid out on a table bare for view as a small plant just starting to bud. If the life-giving sunshine it requires is withdrawn, it will wither away, never realizing the glory of the full bloom. We can provide that life-sustaining light or adversely cast a shadow upon someone’s hopes. It is a tenuous, trusting moment within which they have been shared and we must respect the privilege and be gentle in the care of it.

So… today, with fear and trembling along with wild excitement at the possibilities I encourage you to – right where you are – revisit your dream. Share it with a trusted friend… and GO FOR IT!!!!

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13:34


I’m rooting for you!