~JOURNEY "Spiritual Happenings"~

~Inspirations~

	Always Have Faith:    It is not easy to live life sometimes.  And face the world with a smile when you're crying inside.  It takes a lot of courage to reach down inside yourself, Hold on to that strength that's still there, And know that tomorrow is a new day-with new possibilities.  But if you can just hold on long enough to see this through, You'll come out a new person-stronger,  With more understanding and with a new pride in yourself from knowing you made it.  -??

	Your Angel:   If ever you need to talk, if ever you need some cheer, remember you have a friend who always will be here...  She doesn't want a lot, only to see you smile; and just to see you happy, she'll walk that proverbial mile.  Always know she cares, no matter what you do. You'll always find her there to give you hugs when you are blue.  There is a saying that goes: 'You don't have to love in words, because even through the silences, love is always heard.' -??

	People In Our Lives :   Some people come into our lives and quickly go.  Some people move our souls to dance.  They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom.  Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon.  They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints in our hearts, and  We are never, ever the same.  -??

	Touch My Heart:   Touch my heart and I'll touch yours.  With a gentle word or two.  For kindness bears the sweetest fruit.  That makes our dreams come true.  Touch my life with tenderness.  And fill my cup with love.  Share my dreams as I share yours.  Beyond the stars above.  Take my hand as I grow old.   And lead me when I'm blind.  Show me that you really care.  Good Friends are hard to find.  Touch my heart and I'll touch yours.  A little more each day.  And then we both find happiness.  Somewhere along the way.  -??

	Special Things:    It's The Special Things In Life    That Make It Mean So Much.  The Sun, The Rain, The Sky; The Thoughts and The Touch.  If We Let These Precious Things Float Out To an Endless Sea,  We Lose Our Hope, Our Love, And Most, Our Reason To Be.  -??

	Do It Anyways:   "People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them any-way.  If you are kind, People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.  If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.  If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.  What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.  If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.  The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.  Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway."  -??

	Believe In Yourself:   "There may be days when you get up in the morning and things aren't the way you had hoped they would be.  That's when you have to tell yourself that things will get better.  There are times when people disappoint you and let you down.  But those are the times when you must remind yourself to trust your own judgments and opinions, to keep your life focused on believing in yourself.  There will be challenges to face and changes to make in your life, and it is up to you to accept them.  Constantly keep yourself headed in the right direction for you.  It may not be easy at times, but in those times of struggle you will find a stronger sense of who you are.  So when the days come that are filled with  frustration and unexpected responsibilities, remember to believe in yourself and all you want your life to be.  Because the challenges and changes will only help you to find the goals that you know are meant to cometrue for you.  Keep Believing Yoursel"   -??

	Inspiration:   The Women and The Stone.      A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream.  The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food.  The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him.  She did so without hesitation.  The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune.  He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime.  But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. "I've been thinking, "he said," I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious.  Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone." -??

	Treasures:   There are treasures in life, but owners are few;  Of money and power to buy things  brand new. Yet you can be wealthy and feel regal too;  If you will just look for the treasures in you. These treasures in life are not hard to find;  When you look in your heart, your soul, and your mind. For when you are willing to share what's within;  Your fervent search for riches will end. The joy and the laughter, the smile that you bring;  The heart unafraid to love and to sing. The hand always willing to help those in need;  Ones quick to reach out, to labor and free. So thank you for sharing these great gifts inside;  The caring, the cheering, the hug when one cried. Thanks for the energy, encouragement too;  And thank you for sharing the treasures in you.-??

	Hold Your Head High:       Standing for what you believe in regardless of the odds against you, and the pressure that tears at your resistance ...is Courage.  Keeping a smile on your face when inside you feel like dying, for the sake of supporting others ...is Strength.     Stopping at nothing and doing what's in your heart that you know is right...is Determination.     Doing more than is expected, to make another's life a little more bearable, without uttering a single complaint... is Compassion.  Helping a friend in need, no matter the time or effort, to the best of your ability... is Loyalty.     Holding your head high and being the best you know you can be when life seems to fall apart at your feet.  Facing each difficulty with the confidence that time will bring you better tomorrows.  And never giving up... is Confidence.     Hold your head high and make your life better every day! -??

	The Trouble Tree:       I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just finished a rough first day on the job, a flat tire made him lose an hour of work & his electric drill quit, his ancient one ton truck refused to start.  As I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.  On arriving he invited me in to meet his family.     As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.  Upon opening the door he had undergone an amazing transformation.  His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.     Afterward he walked me to the car.  We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me.  I asked him about what I had seen him do at the little tree.  "Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied.  "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children.  So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them.  Then in the morning I pick them up again.  "Funny thing is", he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."-??

	Life's challenges make us stronger:   "A Butterfly"      "A man found a cocoon for a butterfly.  One day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole.  Then it seemed to stop making any progress.  It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and could go no farther.  Then the man decided to help the butterfly.  He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.  The butterfly then emerged easily.  Something was strange.  The butterfly had a swollen body and shriveled wings.  The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.  Neither happened.  In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and deformed wings.  It was never able to fly.  What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand, was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the small opening of the cocoon are God`s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.  Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.  If God allowed us to go through all our life without any obstacles, that would cripple us.  We would not be as strong as what we could have been.  Not only that, we could never fly." -??

	Forgive Me Too     Peter went to John; "I denied Him, John, Three times."   Speech came hard to John. A shadow crossed his eyes. He shaped, but did not say the words: "How could you . . ."   And then the shadow passed:   "You've been forgiven, We both know that. Why do you come to me?"   "Because He told me to. I know that He's forgiven me, but do you John, who loved Him most, I think whom, next to Him, I must have hurt the most?"   John closed his eyes, sank deep within himself, searched, then found the words at last. "YES"   The two sat lighted by a flickering flame of light, and, in that light, they wept . . .

	The  Light  From Within! Did you ever realized that people Are very much like stained glass windows?   When the sun is shinning through them Brightly they glow and sparkle     But when the sun goes down And it is dark and gloomy outside,   Their true beauty is revealed Only if there is light from within.   ~Author Unknown~

~To Inspiration 2~