Did you ever give a friend a ride who needed one without question? Did you ever lend a helping hand to anyone without expecting something in return? If so, I guarantee you that person will not forget your good will. Here is an example.

I just moved to the Orlando area and met a few of my neighbors within the first 2 weeks I was here. A week later I received a call from one of them who asked me to do a “solid” and give him a ride to get his car from the shop. His wife had to stay home with their two kids so he had no way of getting there. I was eating lunch with my fiance so I told him I wouldn’t mind just as long as I could finish my lunch. I only spoke with this man twice in my life and here I am doing him a “solid”. I didn’t mind it and expected nothing in return except for maybe a handshake and a thank you.

Even a small favor can really mean a lot and in this case, it turned out I did not do a favor for just one person but I did one for their family of four.

Your life’s tasks determine your place in it. You can make a difference.

• You can’t spend a day without her/him
• You need to talk at least 5 times a day
• She/he pops into your thoughts multiple times throughout the day… and you smile
• You miss each other even though it’s only been an hour
• Staying in on a Friday night to watch a movie together makes you the happiest person on Earth
• You are out with your friends and you want to text your significant other that you love her/him
• You send a random e-mail to her/him knowing she/he will read it in the morning and it will make her/him smile
• Send flowers for no significant reason… you do it just because
• You miss each other even though it’s only been a few minutes and she/he is in the other room
• When your phone goes off and you see it’s her/him, you smile and can’t wait to pick it up or answer that text message

09/26/09 – Happy Birthday my love

Setting your mind to something starts with self-discipline and self-motivation. Without that, you have no fuel to energize yourself to meet the goals you set. Without any action there will be no reaction. I know, Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Let’s think about this for a moment; if you don’t take that first step in reaching your goal, nothing will happen. When you practice self-discipline you feel like you are in control of your life. You feel content and motivated because you’re moving toward your goals.

You may ask yourself “Why are some people more successful than others?”.  The answer is success is tons of discipline. Self-discipline is the key to personal greatness.

With self-discipline, any person can rise above and beyond and achieve anything they want. But without it, regardless of a person’s background, education and opportunity, they will seldom rise above mediocrity.

No stream or gas drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated and disciplined.
~ Harry E. Fosdick

Corinthians 13
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Read that over and over and when you’re finished, read it again. What does it tell you? How does it make you feel? Every time I read that passage I feel uplifted.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘To Meredith’ in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, ‘When a Pet Dies…’ Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven.

Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.  Abbey isn’t sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don’t need our bodies in heaven, I don’t have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.

I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.

By the way, I’m easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God

It’s people like that who make a difference in the world. There was someone at the post office working in the dead letter office that came across this and decided to touch the life of another.

No matter what the outcome is, it’s the thought that counts.

When a friend confides his setbacks and hardships with you, listening is very important; however, most of the time they are sharing this information to look for some compassion. Some… condolence and benevolence. Sometimes what you say may not always be what they want to hear, but the fact that you are caring enough to show compassion makes them feel appreciated.

Compassion is a powerful, difficult emotion.

If you want others to be happy, practive compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
The 14th Dalai Lama

Jealousy doesn’t necessarily apply to our significant others, it also applies to family. If your kindergartner comes home telling you how much she loves her teacher, you get jealous. Your mother tells your other sibling how proud she is of them, you get jealous. Your friend recently got promoted in their job, you get jealous. Now on to your partner. He/she thinks a celebrity is attractive, you get jealous.

Some of you may think jealousy is a sign of strength towards your relationship when in fact it’s a sign of weakness and insecurity.  If you know that your partner, child, and parent loves you, there’s no need to get jealous.

When you get feelings of jealousy, don’t make the other party suffer from it. Instead, realize what you’re doing and take control. You know they love you, so put your trust in that love. Love… it’s a powerful thing.

Jealousy is the only vice that gives no pleasure.
~Anonymous

At first it wasn’t so bad and I believe it was because we were still getting to know one another. Granted it’s only been 6 months, but in that short amount of time we got really close and fell in love. We’ve been to Disney World, Universal Studios and enjoyed the night life together. We’ve also enjoyed quiet times and the simple things like movies and walks.

So how have we made our long distance relationship work? We do things together and defy the distance. As a long distance couple, it’s important to do other things together besides the usual phone call. People in short-distance relationships do not spend the majority of their time talking, but rather doing things with each other. Try to replicate this by finding things to do together such as watching a TV show or movie simultaneously.

Trust. You are going to have to trust each other completely if this relationship is going to work. Don’t poison it with jealousy and drama. When you call her/him and they don’t get back to you right away, don’t go crazy. Stay calm. Trust, remember? They will get back to you when they can. Don’t feel the need to interrogate your partner if they go out for a drink with friends you don’t know.

Talk about the future. We discuss our future together on a daily basis. When will we finally get to spend every day together? When that time comes, how will we do it? We look at homes together online. We each have our own taste in decor and finding that medium is key.

Communication. Communication. Communication. I can’t stress this enough. Communication!! If you have something on your mind, COMMUNICATE IT WITH YOUR PARTNER. Don’t let it build up inside. It will cause you to push away from them. And keep an open mind when your partner wants to discuss something with you. Remember, they love you and want to talk it out because of that.

I also find that if you show love, you will get love in return. Send flowers or a gift on a random day. Don’t wait for a special occasion.

For a list of fun things long distance couples can do, click here.

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.

I wish I knew where this quote came from so I could give credit. If you know, please share so I can update the article.

Any day I’m vertical
is a good day”
…that’s what I always say.

If you ask me,
“How are you?”

I’ll answer, “GREAT!”
because in saying so,
I make it so.

When Life gives me dark clouds and rain,
I appreciate the moisture
that brings a soft curl to my hair.

When Life gives me sunshine,
I gratefully turn my face up
to feel its warmth on my cheeks.

When Life brings fog,
I hug my sweater around me
and give thanks for the cool shroud of mystery
that makes the familiar seem different and intriguing.

When Life brings snow,
I dash outside to catch the first flakes on my tongue,
relishing the icy miracle that is a snowflake.

Life’s events and experiences
are like the weather -
they come and go,
no matter what my preference.

So, what the heck?!
I might as well decide to enjoy them.

For indeed,
there IS a time for every purpose
under Heaven.

And each season brings its own unique blessings.

~BJ Gallagher