Thursday, June 29, 2006
An Attitude of Gratitude
E-mailed by a former classmate in high school. Engrossed with our own need and daily struggle we complain and are disgruntled with what life has to offer. We never realize how lucky we are until we witness or learn about other people's misfortune or bad situation. Do we always have to be reminded for us to grateful of what we have? Iam....guilty...
LIVE WITH AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE by Glen Hopkins
Imagine for a moment one of those nights when you just can't fall asleep and you have to get up early the next morning for a very important meeting of which you are the keynote speaker. Your alarm clock goes off early in the morning waking you from what little sleep you had. You stumble out of bed, have a quick shower, grab a coffee and some toast, and off you go to fight the traffic on the way to work.
Does that sound like the start of a terrible day? Most would answer 'yes.' Few people however, would answer, 'no.' These are the people, who are in my opinion blessed with a gift. A gift which determines how they view their life. These people live with 'an attitude of gratitude.' For them, the situation described could be worse. Much worse. For example, think of the man who doesn't have a bed, let alone a roof to over his head. When he is awoken from what little sleep he is able to get, it is by the rain falling on his cold body. He too stumbles to his feet and begins his journey to work in his bare feet. His work is in the field of survival. He searches though garbage cans for scraps of half-rotten food to eat and odd bits of clothes to keep him warm.
The purpose of this example is to illustrate that we all have so much to be grateful for. Even in times when it seems that nothing could be worse, there is always a reason to be grateful. And when you feel a sense of gratitude, you feel a sense of happiness and contentment. My challenge to you today is to learn to look for the good in every situation and live with 'an attitude of gratitude.'
I assure you, if you were the fellow searching for food in garbage cans you too could find things to be grateful for. You just have to look hard enough and 'open your eyes' to what is around you. You have to focus on what's good in your life, not what's bad.
"I once was distraught because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet." - Unknown
Life works in mysterious ways. Time and time again there have been stories of people who are in a dire strait yet they are found helping others who are experiencing greater turmoil. This is because once you have helped someone in greater need than yourself, you always feel better. You feel better because you have helped another human being, and this forces you to change your mindset from focusing on
your problems to focusing on their solutions.
Always focus on the solution, not the problem and live with an attitude of gratitude! Mother Teresa was a primary example of this phenomenon. Her entire life revolved around helping others in need. As a result she experienced a great deal of love and self-satisfaction in her life.
I challenge you now to take a moment to think of five things in your life that you are grateful for today. For example, your friends, your family, your job, your sense of smell, touch, sight, and sound. The list can go on and on. Imagine what your life would be like without these things. Write them down on a piece of paper and really think about the things you are grateful for. You will be amazed at how great you will feel!
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Through A Rapist's Eye
Good tip for women. Nobody wants to be a victim but there's no harm in being prepared for any eventuality.
Through a Rapist's Eyes
A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:
The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun, braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.
The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for wome who's clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.
They also look for women on their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.
The time of day men are most likely to attack and rape a woman is in the early morning, between 5 and 8:30 a.m.
The number one place women are abducted from/attacked at is grocery store parking lots. Number two is office parking lots/ garages. Number three is public restrooms. The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don't have to worry about getting caught.
Only 2% said they carried weapons because rape carries a 3-5 year sentence but rape with a weapon is 15-20 years.
If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming. These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas, or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands. Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you're not worth it.
Several defense mechanisms he taught us are: If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk, like "I can't believe it is so cold out here, we're in for a bad winter". Now you've seen their face and could identify them in a line-up, you lose appeal as a target.
If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back!
Most of the rapists this man talked to said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.
If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with her wherever she goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
If someone grabs you, you can't beat them with strength but you can by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh - HARD. One woman in a class this person taught said she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands - the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it hurts.
After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy's parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you'll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he's out of there.
When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.
Of course the things we always hear still apply:
* Always be aware of your surroundings,
* Take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don't dismiss it, go with your instincts.
* You may feel a little silly at the time, but you'd feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.
PLEASE READ THEN FORWARD THIS TO ANY WOMAN YOU KNOW, IT'S SIMPLE STUFFTHAT COULD SAVE HER LIFE.
PS: Send this to any man, as well, as he can pass it on to his family or others too.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
24 Things to Remember
24 Things (23 Things to Always Remember And One Thing Never to Forget) 1. Your presence is a present to the world. 2. You're unique and one of a kind. 3. Your life can be what you want it to be. 4. Take the days just one at a time. 5. Count your blessings, not your troubles. 6. You'll make it through whatever comes along. 7. Within you are so many answers. 8. Understand, have courage, be strong. 9. Don't put limits on yourself. 10. So many dreams are waiting to be realized. 11. Decisions are too important to leave to chance. 12. Reach for your peak, your goal, and your prize. 13. Nothing wastes more energy than worrying. 14. The longer one carries a problem, the heavier it gets. 15. Don't take things too seriously. 16. Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets. 17. Remember that a little love goes a long way. 18. Remember that a lot ... goes forever. 19. Remember that friendship is a wise investment. 20. Life's treasures are people ... together. 21. Realize that it's never too late. 22. Do ordinary things in extraordinary ways. 23. Have health and hope and happiness. 24. Take the time to wish upon a star and don't ever forget ... for even a day ... how very special you are.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
The Empty Chair
It's a matter of faith...author unknown
The Empty Chair A man's daughter had asked the local pastor to come and pray with her father. When the pastor arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows and an empty chair beside his bed. The priest assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. "I guess you were expecting me," he said. "No, who are you?" "I'm the new associate at your local church," the pastor replied. "When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up." "Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing the door?" Puzzled, the pastor shut the door. "I've never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it always went right over my head.." "I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, 'Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here's what I suggest. Sit down on a chair, place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I'll be with you always.' Then just speak to him and listen in the same way you're doing with me right now." "So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful, though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm." The pastor was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old guy to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the pastor that her daddy had died that afternoon. "Did he seem to die in peace?" he asked. "Yes, when I left the house around two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me one of his corny jokes, and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange, In fact, beyond strange--kinda weird. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on a chair beside the bed."
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Three Things In Life
I've lost track on how many times I've received this in my e-mail. It may seem numerous but it's far in between so I always find it enlightening whenever I come across it.
Three Things In Life...
Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -
Time
Words
Opportunity
Three things in life that may never be lost -
Peace
Hope
Honesty
Three things in life that are most valuable -
Love
Self-confidence
Friends
Three things in life that are never certain -
Dreams
Success
Fortune
Three things in life that can make a man/woman -
Hard work
Sincerity
Commitment
Three things in life that can destroy a man/woman -
Alcohol
Pride
Anger
Three things in life that are truly constant -
Father
Son
Holy Ghost
I ask the Lord to bless you, as I pray for you today; to guide you and protect you, as you go along your way.
His love is always with you. His promises are true.
And when you give Him all your cares, you know He'll see you through.
Do not allow yourself to become upset by People or Things
They are powerless. Your Reaction is their only power.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
I'm a Christian
Another article I received through e mail. Sender not noted...The following poem reminds me of Ann Landers (newspaper advice columnist) response to a person who wrote she didn't attend church because the so-called Christians were all a bunch of hypocrites that acted like saints on Sunday and sinned the rest of the week. Ann told her the church was not a place for saints... it's a hospital for sinners. I'M A CHRISTIAN by Maya AngelouWhen I say... "I am a Christian"I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin."I'm whispering " I was lost, "Now I'm found and forgiven.When I say... "I am a Christian"I don't speak of this with pride.I'm confessing that I stumble and need CHRIST to be my guide.When I say... "I am a Christian"I'm not trying to be strong.I'm professing that I'm weak and need HIS strength to carry on.When I say... "I am a Christian"I'm not bragging of success.I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.When I say... "I am a Christian"I'm not claiming to be perfect,My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I'm worth it.When I say... "I am a Christian"I still feel the sting of pain,I have my share of heartaches So I call upon His name.When I say... "I am a Christian"I'm not holier than thou,I'm just a simple sinner who received God's grace, somehow.When I say "I am a Christian" that means I believe that Jesus is the Christ and without his Grace and SalvationI would have remained a MESS the rest of my life.
E-mailed by a former classmate in high school. Engrossed with our own need and daily struggle we complain and are disgruntled with what life has to offer. We never realize how lucky we are until we witness or learn about other people's misfortune or bad situation. Do we always have to be reminded for us to grateful of what we have? Iam....guilty...
LIVE WITH AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE by Glen Hopkins
Imagine for a moment one of those nights when you just can't fall asleep and you have to get up early the next morning for a very important meeting of which you are the keynote speaker. Your alarm clock goes off early in the morning waking you from what little sleep you had. You stumble out of bed, have a quick shower, grab a coffee and some toast, and off you go to fight the traffic on the way to work.
Does that sound like the start of a terrible day? Most would answer 'yes.' Few people however, would answer, 'no.' These are the people, who are in my opinion blessed with a gift. A gift which determines how they view their life. These people live with 'an attitude of gratitude.' For them, the situation described could be worse. Much worse. For example, think of the man who doesn't have a bed, let alone a roof to over his head. When he is awoken from what little sleep he is able to get, it is by the rain falling on his cold body. He too stumbles to his feet and begins his journey to work in his bare feet. His work is in the field of survival. He searches though garbage cans for scraps of half-rotten food to eat and odd bits of clothes to keep him warm.
The purpose of this example is to illustrate that we all have so much to be grateful for. Even in times when it seems that nothing could be worse, there is always a reason to be grateful. And when you feel a sense of gratitude, you feel a sense of happiness and contentment. My challenge to you today is to learn to look for the good in every situation and live with 'an attitude of gratitude.'
I assure you, if you were the fellow searching for food in garbage cans you too could find things to be grateful for. You just have to look hard enough and 'open your eyes' to what is around you. You have to focus on what's good in your life, not what's bad.
"I once was distraught because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet." - Unknown
Life works in mysterious ways. Time and time again there have been stories of people who are in a dire strait yet they are found helping others who are experiencing greater turmoil. This is because once you have helped someone in greater need than yourself, you always feel better. You feel better because you have helped another human being, and this forces you to change your mindset from focusing on
your problems to focusing on their solutions.
Always focus on the solution, not the problem and live with an attitude of gratitude! Mother Teresa was a primary example of this phenomenon. Her entire life revolved around helping others in need. As a result she experienced a great deal of love and self-satisfaction in her life.
I challenge you now to take a moment to think of five things in your life that you are grateful for today. For example, your friends, your family, your job, your sense of smell, touch, sight, and sound. The list can go on and on. Imagine what your life would be like without these things. Write them down on a piece of paper and really think about the things you are grateful for. You will be amazed at how great you will feel!
Imagine for a moment one of those nights when you just can't fall asleep and you have to get up early the next morning for a very important meeting of which you are the keynote speaker. Your alarm clock goes off early in the morning waking you from what little sleep you had. You stumble out of bed, have a quick shower, grab a coffee and some toast, and off you go to fight the traffic on the way to work.
Does that sound like the start of a terrible day? Most would answer 'yes.' Few people however, would answer, 'no.' These are the people, who are in my opinion blessed with a gift. A gift which determines how they view their life. These people live with 'an attitude of gratitude.' For them, the situation described could be worse. Much worse. For example, think of the man who doesn't have a bed, let alone a roof to over his head. When he is awoken from what little sleep he is able to get, it is by the rain falling on his cold body. He too stumbles to his feet and begins his journey to work in his bare feet. His work is in the field of survival. He searches though garbage cans for scraps of half-rotten food to eat and odd bits of clothes to keep him warm.
The purpose of this example is to illustrate that we all have so much to be grateful for. Even in times when it seems that nothing could be worse, there is always a reason to be grateful. And when you feel a sense of gratitude, you feel a sense of happiness and contentment. My challenge to you today is to learn to look for the good in every situation and live with 'an attitude of gratitude.'
I assure you, if you were the fellow searching for food in garbage cans you too could find things to be grateful for. You just have to look hard enough and 'open your eyes' to what is around you. You have to focus on what's good in your life, not what's bad.
"I once was distraught because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet." - Unknown
Life works in mysterious ways. Time and time again there have been stories of people who are in a dire strait yet they are found helping others who are experiencing greater turmoil. This is because once you have helped someone in greater need than yourself, you always feel better. You feel better because you have helped another human being, and this forces you to change your mindset from focusing on
your problems to focusing on their solutions.
Always focus on the solution, not the problem and live with an attitude of gratitude! Mother Teresa was a primary example of this phenomenon. Her entire life revolved around helping others in need. As a result she experienced a great deal of love and self-satisfaction in her life.
I challenge you now to take a moment to think of five things in your life that you are grateful for today. For example, your friends, your family, your job, your sense of smell, touch, sight, and sound. The list can go on and on. Imagine what your life would be like without these things. Write them down on a piece of paper and really think about the things you are grateful for. You will be amazed at how great you will feel!
Through a Rapist's Eyes
A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:
The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun, braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.
The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for wome who's clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.
They also look for women on their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.
The time of day men are most likely to attack and rape a woman is in the early morning, between 5 and 8:30 a.m.
The number one place women are abducted from/attacked at is grocery store parking lots. Number two is office parking lots/ garages. Number three is public restrooms. The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don't have to worry about getting caught.
Only 2% said they carried weapons because rape carries a 3-5 year sentence but rape with a weapon is 15-20 years.
If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming. These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas, or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands. Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you're not worth it.
Several defense mechanisms he taught us are: If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk, like "I can't believe it is so cold out here, we're in for a bad winter". Now you've seen their face and could identify them in a line-up, you lose appeal as a target.
If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back!
Most of the rapists this man talked to said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.
If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with her wherever she goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
If someone grabs you, you can't beat them with strength but you can by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh - HARD. One woman in a class this person taught said she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands - the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it hurts.
After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy's parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you'll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he's out of there.
When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.
Of course the things we always hear still apply:
* Always be aware of your surroundings,
* Take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don't dismiss it, go with your instincts.
* You may feel a little silly at the time, but you'd feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.
PLEASE READ THEN FORWARD THIS TO ANY WOMAN YOU KNOW, IT'S SIMPLE STUFFTHAT COULD SAVE HER LIFE.
PS: Send this to any man, as well, as he can pass it on to his family or others too.
24 Things (23 Things to Always Remember And One Thing Never to Forget)
1. Your presence is a present to the world.
2. You're unique and one of a kind.
3. Your life can be what you want it to be.
4. Take the days just one at a time.
5. Count your blessings, not your troubles.
6. You'll make it through whatever comes along.
7. Within you are so many answers.
8. Understand, have courage, be strong.
9. Don't put limits on yourself.
10. So many dreams are waiting to be realized.
11. Decisions are too important to leave to chance.
12. Reach for your peak, your goal, and your prize.
13. Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.
14. The longer one carries a problem, the heavier it gets.
15. Don't take things too seriously.
16. Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.
17. Remember that a little love goes a long way.
18. Remember that a lot ... goes forever.
19. Remember that friendship is a wise investment.
20. Life's treasures are people ... together.
21. Realize that it's never too late.
22. Do ordinary things in extraordinary ways.
23. Have health and hope and happiness.
24. Take the time to wish upon a star and don't ever forget ... for even a day ... how very special you are.
The Empty Chair
A man's daughter had asked the local pastor to come and pray with her father. When the pastor arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows and an empty chair beside his bed. The priest assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. "I guess you were expecting me," he said.
"No, who are you?"
"I'm the new associate at your local church," the pastor replied. "When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up."
"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing the door?"
Puzzled, the pastor shut the door.
"I've never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it always went right over my head.."
"I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, 'Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here's what I suggest. Sit down on a chair, place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I'll be with you always.' Then just speak to him and listen in the same way you're doing with me right now."
"So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful, though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."
The pastor was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old guy to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, and returned to the church.
Two nights later the daughter called to tell the pastor that her daddy had died that afternoon.
"Did he seem to die in peace?" he asked.
"Yes, when I left the house around two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me one of his corny jokes, and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange, In fact, beyond strange--kinda weird. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on a chair beside the bed."
Three Things In Life...
Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -
Time
Words
Opportunity
Three things in life that may never be lost -
Peace
Hope
Honesty
Three things in life that are most valuable -
Love
Self-confidence
Friends
Three things in life that are never certain -
Dreams
Success
Fortune
Three things in life that can make a man/woman -
Hard work
Sincerity
Commitment
Three things in life that can destroy a man/woman -
Alcohol
Pride
Anger
Three things in life that are truly constant -
Father
Son
Holy Ghost
I ask the Lord to bless you, as I pray for you today; to guide you and protect you, as you go along your way.
His love is always with you. His promises are true.
And when you give Him all your cares, you know He'll see you through.
Do not allow yourself to become upset by People or Things
They are powerless. Your Reaction is their only power.
Another article I received through e mail. Sender not noted...
The following poem reminds me of Ann Landers (newspaper advice columnist) response to a person who wrote she didn't attend church because the so-called Christians were all a bunch of hypocrites that acted like saints on Sunday and sinned the rest of the week. Ann told her the church was not a place for saints... it's a hospital for sinners.
I'M A CHRISTIAN
by Maya Angelou
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin.
"I'm whispering " I was lost, "Now I'm found and forgiven.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need CHRIST to be my guide.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need HIS strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian
"I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I'm worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain,
I have my share of heartaches So I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner who received God's grace, somehow.
When I say "I am a Christian" that means
I believe that Jesus is the Christ
and without his Grace and Salvation
I would have remained a MESS the rest of my life.
