Thoughtful Thursdays

So since I don't regularly post and I am oh so trying to get better at it, i thought if i made a theme to at least one or two of the days during the week it would encourage me to post more often. I think I will start with... Thoughtful Thursdays. This is actually perfect since my hubby is out on Thursdays and after the kids are in bed, I have a chance to siit down and be quiet within my own thoughts. Plus, unless I am SUPER tired from getting up at 5:30 to run, I can stay up late b/c i don't have to run in the morning. (whoo hoo... shhh)

So thoughts... to start, I read this e-mail from my mom today and it was really thought provoking. I wanted to sit at the computer and think about it for a while, but I needed to get back to work.
Maybe it's a little long, and maybe it's one of those cheezy e-mails people forward around, but maybe, it will make us pause for a moment and think, maybe...

Maybe ... we were supposed to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift.
Maybe ... When the door of happiness closes, another opens; but, often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't even see the new one which has been opened for us;
maybe ... it is true that we don't know what we have until we lose it, but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until it arrives.
Maybe .. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
Maybe ... the brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; after all, you can't go on successfully in life until you let go of your past mistakes, failures, and heartaches.
Maybe ...You should dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go, be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you dream of, and want to do.
Maybe ... There are moments in life when you miss someone -- a parent, a spouse, a friend, a child, your girlfriend/boyfriend -- so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real, so that once they are around you appreciate them more.
Maybe ...The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.
Maybe .. You should always try to put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that something could hurt you, it probably will hurt the other person too.
Maybe ..You should do something nice for someone every single day, even if it is simply to leave them alone.
Maybe ... Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart; but if it doesn't, be content that it grew in yours.
Maybe ... Happiness waits for all those who cry, all those who hurt, all those who have searched, and all those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of all the people who have touched their lives.
Maybe ... You shouldn't go for looks; they can deceive; don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one who makes your heart smile.
Maybe ... You should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy.
Maybe ... You should try to live your life to the fullest because when you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling, but when you die, you can be the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
Maybe ... you could send this message to those people who mean something to you, to those who have touched your life, to those who can and do make you smile when you really need it, to those who make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down, and to all those whom you want to know that you appreciate them and their friendship.


OK, so, like I said... maybe, it's a little cheezy, and I totally don't agree with some of the things said, but I do agree with the concept, of maybe, we could take the time to care about people, to share the love of God and to give out the hope that we have been blessed with.

My Hero

This past Sunday marked the last chemo treatment my little friend Amanda had to endure. What a strong girl. Amanda was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in her 9 year old body in the fall of 2006. She has been through surgery, chemo, radiation and the hospital ‘test your patience’ facilities involved with all those things for over a year. She has finally completed her last of 12 chemo treatments and the scans show the caner is gone. Over the past year she has put on weight, her smile came back and her mobility and coordination has increased. She lost her hair and instead of wearing a wig, she is proudly showing off her new peach fuzz. She holds her head high and plays all the games the other kids play, even if it takes her twice as long to complete them. She memorizes her Bible verses and completes her school work. Watching her through this, I realize she has given me the strength to keep going through my daily life.
How can I complain that the bag I am carrying is too heavy? Or the block I have to walk around is too inconvenient? Or the groceries I have to carry are too heavy? What justification do I have for thinking my life could be better when I see the struggles Amanda and her family have persevered through? The testimony of their faith throughout this period in time has been phenomenal. Their faith in the Lord is unshakable. Would mine be as strong? I’d like to say of course, definitely. I would turn to the God I believe in and trust with my heart and my soul. But the doubt inside of me reminds me that I am human and I, in my time of need and desperation, might not turn to the All Powerful One. I pray I never need to know the answer to the question and face the tragic circumstances of this one family, but this is life. We are here to live and as much as we plan and try to control our lives and our days, tomorrow is not a promise. I pray I can make an example of myself by turning to the Lord in my daily struggles and fears and build my endurance to stay strong in the Lord and turn my worries and troubles over to him. But as I grow, I will continue to watch the one little girl who has made such an impact on my life, my family and my community without even knowing it.
Amanda, you are my hero!