Happy Holidays!

Things are going good and I hope the same on your end. I have been very busy and have not gotten back to some of you just know I have not forgotten about you and I will write, call, or see you soon :)

I've been very busy with life and its little adventures. Lately I've been shopping a lot and enjoying buying new things to decorate the place with. Tis the season. I want to wish everyone a Happy Holidays. I would like to thank everyone who has kept me in your thoughts and prayers. I appreciate my friends and family for all the support and I love all of you. Everything has been falling into place with school and all. I find myself pretty busy lately with life and all of its blessings. A lot of amazing things have occurred this year and will continue to occur you just have to have faith.

The family is good and everyone is growing around me. The best part of this season is shopping for the little ones. It's been a blast I've purchased dragons, knights, dolls, and a lot of other fun stuff for the kids. I didn't forget the Big kids those purchases were a little pricier but well worth it. I also did a little indulging myself. I set up a savings account the first part of the year for my holiday shopping and I must say it worked out perfectly. I had the perfect amount of money saved to purchase all my gifts and more.

If you enjoy shopping as much as I do I'd recommend you do the same next year. If you just set aside a certain amount of money each month to save for the holidays then there is no need to worry about having money for Christmas. May everyone be blessed through the end of the year and into the next. The year appears to be ending on a good note.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What Matters

If only everyone would take this message to heart!

Two Friends

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING THROUGH THE DESERT.

DURING SOME POINT OF THE JOURNEY THEY HAD AN ARGUMENT AND ONE FRIEND SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE IN THE FACE.

THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED WAS HURT BUT, WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING, WROTE IN THE SAND: TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.

THEY KEPT ON WALKING,UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS,WHERE THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A BATH.

THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING,BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.

AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM THE NEAR DROWNING, HE WROTE ON A STONE: TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE.

THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND ASKED HIM, "AFTER I HURT YOU, YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW,YOU WROTE ON A STONE, WHY?"

THE OTHER FRIEND REPLIED "WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN IN SAND WHERE WINDS OF FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY. BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING GOOD FOR US, WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE WHERE NO WIND CAN EVER ERASE IT."

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BLESSINGS IN STONE. THEY SAY IT TAKES A MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL PERSON, AN HOUR TO APPRECIATE THEM, A DAY TO LOVE THEM, BUT THEN AN ENTIRE LIFE TO FORGET THEM.

A friend in need is a friend in deed.

Immmmm baaaack!

Yes and this time I'm talking about friends..... how many of us have them? friends.....ones we can depend on.

Just the other day I was thinking about my friends and having conversations with a few of my so called friends.

When I am in need of assistance from my friends, it's often difficult to ask and be exposed as "Human" and interdependent upon others. That is the hardest part. and it's also the part that makes me wonder how good of a friend am I.

So I considered for a while am I one of those so called friends who can only befriend someone in need? I can be that friend who can come to the rescue and save the day. I can cheer a pal who's down, I can lend a helping hand sometimes even to my own detriment. I'm a great friend in need. But am I a friend in deed?

Check this out. as I examine my inner most places, I discovered that I carry expectations. Expectations of reciprocation of intent and deed. When I'm in need, I look to my friends to be the friend that I am. I expect them to cheer me, to put themselves aside to assist me in my time of lack, to act in my stead as a champion of my best interest. no matter the personal cost to them excusing emanate detriment. Fair? NO absolutely not. When they do not come thru in the way that I would have them, I am upset, sad and sometimes angry at them simply for not being me and doing what I would have done. So why all the introspection? Why not. perhaps the world would be a better and more authentic place if it were such that more of us interdependent humans spent more time inside our selves than elsewhere. Could it be that "friendship" is a comfortable concept that has been accepted by the masses to qualify our innate interdependent nature, while preserving our fragile ego-ideals?

I think I'll be spending some time pondering this concept and get back to you all in a while. till then......keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.""