TODAY IS EVERYTHING. LIVE IT WITH GRATITUDE.

Today is a new day .... literally a new day. Yesterday is gone ... no matter how much you may want it to stay because you had a great time with it ... it can't because it's time is done. Like everything else in life has its own appointed time and too has its beginning and its end.
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But admittedly we live our days like we own it and behave such that if it should end it will when we feel it should. So thus we continue to ... waste time instead of organizing it... waste resources instead of building upon it... waste opportunities instead of nurturing it... waste moments instead of making it count... all with and in gay abandon. Parang wala nang bukas. Que sera sera.. whatever will be, will be. Our wrong. Our bad.
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Maybe nice because, as many believe it, it can relieve us of a few if not all unnecessary and perceived stress and anxiety over the unknown future which we fear so much. Yet have you ever tried to think that those worries and anxieties of the past are no more in the present? Check it out; you'll find most of them gone. Though some of them may be valid when it comes to life's basic needs but the rest of it .... just plain worry and anxiety creating mountains out of mere mole hills.
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Life and time stops for no one. It moves on and along with or without you and me, like it or not. But it does leave the big choice to us whether we want to come along... or just stay where we are and as we are. A friend once said to me that it is something we have no control over. Agreed but only on things which require age or aging. But in the area of growth, development, progress, and maturity is a choice which we each have to make for ourselves alone. How often must we be told that?! Nobody can do it for us. Time won't do it for us either because it is not its business to make us grow inside out .. as we are expected to by a higher authority and divine design.
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So what's my point? What I'm trying to say is this.... hold on to your today with your best! Treasure it... savor it... relish it... love it... make it count... be grateful for it... fill it with worthy things... learn whatever there is to learn from it... create good memories... be the best person you can be TODAY...... for yourself and for others, too. We do not live solitary lives; we all stand connected in many ways, tangible or intangible.
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Allow me this quote from my favorite book (as you all may well already know -- 'Good Morning... God') ......................... "The heart of gratitude is one of My most priceless treasures. The heart of simple childlike thankfulness. How I respond to such a one. How I delight in doing all things well for that dear person. The one with the grateful heart!"
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Also .. Philippians 4:6 reminds us.............
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
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Unquote. 
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Today is a gift.... God's wonderful gift. Let's do with it what we usually do with something we love...... handle it with care!! Love it for it may never come again. Today is for today, not yesterday nor for tomorrow.
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God bless you and your dearest ones.

WALKING THROUGH MY TEARS WITH MY BEST FRIEND

This is a good piece; says it all. There are many ways to unburden ourselves of our fears or demons so to speak. One as mentioned here is to share with a close friend. And I agree. Also, there is private journal writing... and too Prayer. I resort to all three... with attention to the right place, time, person, and the weight of concern or issue at hand.

I have my close friends here, Lody particularly who knows all my cares and woes, joys and happiness. I appreciate her for standing by me through it all. As I do the same for her.

Friends I hold so dear to me. Every friendship through the years is valued and treasured. Truly they are my gold. But as life always would, some of them have gone and those who have remained are called to other directions in life thus severing the ties thru no fault of anyone. New ones have replaced them, true. But I do know that people come and go in our lives - not one meant to stay forever. Of such is life. Sadly.

So on most occasions I would rather pour out my heart in prayer. God is always there, will never leave me, and can work miracles which no human hands can do. In prayer, I find my peace... my burdens become light... my tears and fears washed away with His hand. Prayer is my help -- God my bestest friend. :-)
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To quote:

Plunging Into The Deep
Life Can Be Scary

Life can take us on a roller coaster ride full of highs and lows and twists and turns. Even for those of us who enjoy unexpected thrills, it’s frightening to suddenly find ourselves heading for a deep plunge. Yet, it happens to all of us. At these moments, it is important to remember that you are not alone in your experiences. No matter how brave, strong, or levelheaded we are, sometimes, we all get scared.

Our fears may revolve around our physical safety, particularly if we are not feeling well, living under difficult circumstances, or doing work that exposes us to hazardous conditions. Or, we may be experiencing financial woes that are causing us to be fearful about making ends meet. We may also fear the loss of a loved one who is sick, or we may be scared of never finding someone special to spend our life with. We may be scared to start at a new school, begin a different job, move to a new town, or meet new people. Whatever our fears are, they are valid, and we do not need to feel ashamed or embarrassed that we are, at times, afraid.

It may be comforting to know that everyone gets scared, and it is perfectly OK. Sometimes just acknowledging our fears is enough to make us feel better. And while it sometimes takes a lot more to ease our mind, we can console ourselves with the knowledge that life can be scary at times. Giving ourselves permission to be scared lets us move through our fears so we can let it go. It also makes it alright to share our fears with others. Sharing our apprehensions with other people can make our fears less overwhelming because we are not letting them grow inside of us as pent up emotions. Sharing our fears also can lighten our burden because we are not carrying our worries all by ourselves. Remember that you are not alone.

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NOTE:
This was forwarded to me in email by a good friend today. Its author unknown. Have highlighted my favorite lines.

LIFE MUST BE LIVED AS WE GO ALONG

I was rummaging through my old files today with the intent to trim it down to the barest essentials; the unimportant would go straight to the garbage bin when I stumbled on this very old article quoted in a daily local paper by a well-known columnist. It was entitled ‘THE STATION’ and written by Robert J. Hastings.

To quote..

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Life is something like this.

We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We see ourselves on long trip, but uppermost in our minds is the final destination. We fret restlessly, damning the minutes that drag … waiting, waiting for the station. “When we reach the station, that will be it" we cry.

Life has many stations, like:

- When I’m 18

- When I buy a new 450 SL Benz

- When I put the last kid through college

- When I have paid off the mortgage

- When I get the promotion

- When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after

But …

Sooner or later we must realize there is NO station, no one place to arrive at once-and-for all. THE TRUE JOY OF LIFE IS THE TRIP. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. REGRET AND FEAR ARE TWIN THIEVES WHO ROB US OF TODAY.

So …

stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less.

LIFE MUST BE LIVED AS WE GO ALONG. The station will come soon enough.

Unquote.