WUZUPTODAY

San Luis Valley Photo, Colorado Wallpaper – National Geographic Photo of the Day

2010-09-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful country we live in. Better yet, "Our beautiful planet."

San Luis Valley Photo, Colorado Wallpaper – National Geographic Photo of the Day

Mother Teresa Quotes

2010-02-07T19:12:00.000-08:00

Mother Teresa Quotes: "Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired.
Mother Teresa"

CHARITY

2009-12-11T00:21:00.001-08:00

A special reminder during the holidays. This is a quote from the Bible. It is also the foundation of many other religions.

Corinthians 13:13

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

CHARITY

2009-12-11T00:21:00.000-08:00

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

Mother Teresa Quotes

2009-11-17T07:28:00.000-08:00

Mother Teresa Quotes

Marriage is a Good Thing!

2009-10-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

As I am relatively new to blogging, I often think about why I am writing and sharing my personal thoughts with strangers. I have been a very private person for over 50 years. I remember the day I decided to start all of this, I wanted to do something to make people feel good. Thinking then, as I do now, even if only one person ever reads any of my little blogs and it puts a smile on their face or a warm feeling in their heart, then it is all worth a little of my free time.

Tonight it hit me! It’s my new found religion that makes me want to do all of this. Part of the writing is because I am so excited about my religion I want everyone to feel the same, no matter what religion they are. I definitely don’t write for my ego. I don’t care about being popular. I just want to make someone else feel good, like I do.

A few weeks ago at Church they handed out this notice to everyone:
Those who are married should consider their union as their most cherished earthly relationship. A spouse is the only person other than the Lord whom we have been commanded to love with all our heart.

Marriage, in its truest sense, is a partnership of equals, with neither person exercising dominion over the other, but with each encouraging, comforting, and helping the other.

Because marriage is such an important relationship in life, it needs and deserves time over less-important commitments. Couples can strengthen their marriage as they take time to talk together and to listen to one another, to be thoughtful and respectful, and to express tender feelings and affection often.

Marriage partners must be loyal to one another and faithful in their marriage covenants in thought, word, and deed. The Lord has said, “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else” (D & C 42:22). The phrase “none else” teaches that no person, activity, or possession should ever take precedence over the marriage relationship.

I am not sure which Church member prepared this for us. I am sure he or she won’t mind if I publish it though because I know that person doesn’t care about being popular either. The following are only a few references from the many books of scriptures:

Gen. 2: 24
"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

Matt. 19: 5
"And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?"

Mark 10: 7
"For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;"

2009-09-27T11:29:00.001-07:00

Get MySpace Comments without leaving myspace!

Perseverance in the Face of Adversity

2009-09-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Perseverance in the face of Adversity

A few days ago I was going through a few boxes of junk that I’ve been toting around the country for years. Mostly old tax stuff and business records that I was supposed to save for x number of years. I decided to take a little time and carefully go through each folder, so as not to throw out anything important. Sure enough, I came across this essay that a 17 year old girl gave to me about 15 years ago. I probably had only read it once at the time. In the last couple of days I have read it 10 times. She didn’t title it, so I will:

Racism Is Ignorant

I was sitting in the front row of my honors physics class waiting for the teacher to arrive. The people around me were conversing as they always did when the teacher was late. Another instructor walked into the room to inform us that our teacher would be a little later than usual; therefore, he would take the attendance. He started to call the names on the list. “David Brown, Amy Clinton, Jose Gonzales…Is this the right list?” he incredulously inquired."

“No! Do you really think there would be a Jose Gonzalez in this class?” laughed an outspoken student. The rest of the class joined in with laughter. Someone in the back row directing his comment to the teacher said, “This is an honors physics class.”

Angry and confused, I sat in my seat trying to interpret the racist remarks I had just heard. They were insidious. Then I focused my attention on the teacher, waiting for him to set the students straight, but he said nothing. It was as if he had ignored the whole incident. He returned to his business of calling attendance, but I do not remember any details after that because I was replaying the incident in my head.

The part that angered me the most was the fact that the class did not realize that indeed there was a Hispanic among them. It was not Jose Gonzalez, but it was I, Sharon _____.

Feelings of isolation and alienation overcame me. I could not bring myself to say anything because I was in shock. Having known these people for more than three years, I considered them my friends. My classmates, although aware of my ethnicity, did not associate me with my Hispanic heritage. They had separated me from other Hispanic people as an exception to their stereotypes, because according to them “Hispanics” are not smart enough to be in those classes, referring to the accelerated track. When people judge me from my appearance it is not immediately apparent that I am Hispanic. My American name does not indicate my ethnicity either. I have light brown hair and light skin which allow me to “pass” as Caucasian.

The reality of my life is that I have grown up in low-income housing projects and attend school on the other side of town. I spend my day with classmates who live far from my neighborhood. My daily reality is split between my school experience and my home life.

Living in the projects has allowed me to witness how some minorities live and to understand why there are few of them present in the more demanding accelerated courses at my high school. The children in my neighborhood receive little encouragement from their parents. Most of the parents in my neighborhood have a high school diploma or less. The parents either work more than one job or are not employed at all.

I tutor elementary school children in an after school program because most of them have no help once they arrive home. Frequently, children who are capable of achieving at a high level of academic work are not challenged to accomplish more. They are allowed to be complacent and are taught indirectly by the adults around them not to aspire for more in life.

The experience in my physics classroom was a negative experience, but it helped me to realize how separate the honors students are from the daily reality the rest of the school encounters. My classmates do not understand that they have certain advantages that other students do not, which make it possible for them to do well. The less fortunate need to struggle with other issues and may not be able to focus on their education.

Isn’t it ironic how the people who consider themselves superior can at times be so insensitive and ignorant?"

The little girl that wrote this essay is my little girl. My daughter, Sharon. This essay was only one of the many, many awesome things that she did that allowed her a full scholarship to Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

The miracle of it all was that she had no one to help her with her homework. Her mom spoke very little English (and read even less), and as a product of divorce, I was not there to help either.

I’ve shared this story because if it inspires only one person who feel hopeless, maybe, just maybe, they won’t give up.

By the way, Sharon has worked for the same company for 10 years now. She has a position of much responsibility at a multi-national company. She travels all over the world and is doing very well for herself.

The Moral of the Story Is...

2009-09-15T00:42:00.000-07:00

Something I found from an awesome blogger at another great site!

"The Moral of the Story Is . . .

By Mary Benedet Published 07/8/2009 Inspirational Stories

There were two monks clearing the weeds out of a field. The one monk was going at it non stop, he did not take a break, he just kept going and going. There were times when he felt weary, but he just kept at it.
The other monk stopped every hour for fifteen minutes. At the end of the day, the monk who did not take a break, was so tired and weak. He could not believe his eyes, when he saw how much the other monk accomplished. He was very upset, so he asked the monk. 'I have been going at it all day, I did not take a break, I'm exhausted. You took a 15 minute break every hour, and you got more accomplished, and you are not as tired, how could that be?' The monk replied, 'Everytime you saw me take a break, I stopped to sharpen my blade.'

Moral of the story: In life, we need to slow down and spend time with our Higher Power, take time to pray, to sharpen our blade, to perform better in life"

The Best Blog Site Ever!

2009-09-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

I just found this site. It's for bloggers who want to inspire people to make positive changes in the world. I read several of the inspiring blogs, couldn't find one that didn't deserve 5 stars! The following is copied from the home page of the site:

An Online Community for Positive Change

The premise of Blog4Change.org is to provide everyone who wants one a free blogging platform for sharing ideas or experiences that give concrete instruction on how to make positive changes in the lives of others. If you have ideas, or have had experiences that exemplify how to create a better world, than your posts are welcome here. Our hypothesis is that if you help others, if you spread goodness in the world, than you will be happier and live a more fulfilling life. The more you post and comment the better you will feel about yourself and the world you live. We are looking for ideas on how to 'Go Green', how to 'Spread Kindness', how to 'Overcome Personal Obstacles', how to 'Be Charitable', and how to 'Do Good Daily'. Every post on Blog4Change.org must inspire others to actually do something that will help their neighbor, a stranger, a pet, the enviornment, for the better. Positive posts that meet these standards will be published for the world to view.

Start Your Free Blog Now!

American Red Cross

2009-09-01T17:08:00.001-07:00

This is such an interesting perspective of the American Red Cross. Enjoy!

Social Media

Who says the Internet is only for young people? At age 127, the American Red Cross loves the Internet.

What is social media?
Any online space where people can interact with one another is considered part of the social web. Social media tools are easy-to-use platforms that allow people to connect online.

Where online is the Red Cross?
We look forward to meeting you in the following spots: (follow link to social media page to see the huge list of social media connections that can be made)

Why are we doing this?
The Red Cross belongs to the American people. You fund it, you donate your blood, you prepare for and respond to disasters, you take and instruct first aid classes. You make the Red Cross what it is today, and you hold the keys to its future.

You probably think of the American Red Cross as a big organization, but if you peer behind the curtain you'll find a bunch of individuals working hard to help you, your family and friends prepare for, prevent and respond to life's emergencies. Social media tools allow us to connect with you on an individual basis at the place where your life intersects with our mission. It makes sense that we would explore these tools and join these conversations that are an important part of your daily life.

Every day, several hundred people talk online about how their lives intersect with the Red Cross. We read and learn from every conversation. By adopting social media, we're making it easier for you to tell us how to make the Red Cross a better organization.

At the American Red Cross, we're constantly looking for new ways to connect with you and provide services to you and your community more effectively and efficiently. Stay tuned.

If you have suggestions or requests, please email Wendy Harman and Claire Sale.

Although the American Red Cross is not the first Red Cross organization in the world, the concept of voluntariness is definitely an American tradition. It is something we do when our neighbor is in trouble.

To learn more about the American Red Cross please go here:
About Us

Shared via AddThis All colored text in body is copied from the "social media" link on the homepage of The American Red Cross.

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

2009-08-22T00:50:00.000-07:00

Very soon I will be baptised into my new found religion. This will be a very exciting event for me. Shortly after my baptism I will read the following statement aloud to affirm my excitement, commitment and new mission. I have searched this statement on Yahoo resulting in a very large number of links showing up. As far as I can determine the original author is unknown. Please correct me if you know otherwise. This is a non-denominational Christian statement that I love and will live by for the rest of my life. I will read it often to give me strength, because there will be those that will try to lead me off this narrow path which I am on. Enjoy!

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed.

The dye has been cast, I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I won’t look back, let up, slow down or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.

I’m finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, positions, or popularity.

I don’t have to be right, first, recognized, praised, or rewarded.

I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power.

My pace is set, my gate is fast, and my goal is Heaven.

My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few.

My guide is reliable, my mission is clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I will not give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, and paid up for the cause of Christ.

I must go until He comes, give until I drop, preach all I know and work until He stops me.

And when He returns for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.

My banner is clear!

This version I received from a paper written by Henry B. Eyring, American educational administrator and religious leader who is First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Stop and Smell the Roses

2009-08-18T22:34:00.000-07:00

Everyone has probably heard the expression "Stop and smell the roses".

I just did!

I sit in front of my computer day after day, surfing and thinking, writing and surfing, surfing and reading, and thinking some more.

Tonight, while I was in the thinking mode, my eyes wandered to the right of my screen about 8" and I read a little phrase that has been taped my desk for quite some time. I know it's been there for several months because I remember reading it quite some time ago. It's typewritten in about 22 pt font and cut out to measure about 2" by 6", only 14" from my face.

My best friend put it there. I know it was her because I know that I didn't. I know it was her because she always tries to inspire me and only she can cheer me up when I need to be. She's the one that always has a nice smile on her face. She's the one I love. She's Elaine, my wonderful wife. This is what is says:

"Always keep a smile on your face, have a positive attitude, and remember that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those that never happen!!!"

I don't know who to credit this to, so for now I'll credit Elaine.

Love, Jack

Obama Honors Activists, Actors, Athletes

2009-08-16T17:11:00.001-07:00

Obama Honors Activists, Actors, Athletes

Shared via AddThis

Shop by Goodprint

2009-08-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

I've shared this awesome quote with you for two reasons. (I), because I really like it and think many others will too. And (II), because the site where this comes from is also awesome. If you do any shopping online, I encourage you to visit the link above, where you can "Shop by Goodprint". Your purchases will make a positive impact in at least one of these ways: People Positive,Ecology Positive,Animal Friendly, or Support a Cause. All of the sellers at this site are certified by Trust Providers.

Thanks for looking. Here's that quote:

"I went into the woods because I wished to live deliberately,

to front only the essential facts of life,

and see if I could not learn what it had to teach,

and not, when I came to die,

discover that I had not lived."

Henry David Thoreau

Isn't it so good you read it twice just for pure enjoyment?

Some of my favorite quotes

2009-08-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

Hello; I had to share these great quotes with you. They come from "World of Good" on eBay.

"'A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.' - John F. Kennedy

'What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.' - Ralph Waldo Emerson

'Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.' - Einstein"

Good News Now

2009-08-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

This will be short and sweet...but oh how sweet! Good News Now is such an awesome website for those of you who just like to read feel good stories. When I'm feeling a little down, this is where I will go from now on.

You can also follow on twitter @ http://twitter.com/gnnonaol.

More good stuff coming soon. Have a great day!

A Tribute to a Wonderful Lady

2009-07-31T17:53:00.000-07:00

A Tribute to a Wonderful Lady

This may be the most personal blog that I ever write. I am extremely compelled to do so however for several reasons. First of all, I am writing about a person who inspired me immensely. Secondly, I was unable to attend the graveyard service this past week where I would have spoken many good things about this wonderful person. And lastly, I will miss you!

When I first met Eva O’Brien Tripp 23 years ago, I thought, WOW, how lucky am I to have such a cool mother-in-law. She was about 63 years old at that time. I quickly learned that she’s not home, so don’t bother stop by. She’s out doing some sort of volunteer work or a favor for someone. Whether something for the senior center or just giving a friend in need a ride to a doctors appointment, she was always on the go. Eva touched so many with her little deeds of kindness. Selfless! The word was created for her.

She started Christmas shopping on December 26th. Her mind was like a computerized filing system, keeping tract of what she was going to buy for who and what she had already bought, as the year unfolded. This was a systematic process that must of only gotten more difficult as her family grew to 19 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren. Of course I couldn’t get mad at her when she would ask me if we could stop here or there because she needed to pick something up for so-in-so. She knew which gift shop or which store had the item she wanted to buy for each person. And don’t forget it’s only February!

Yes, she inspired me so much. It wasn’t until that point in my life that I really learned about giving. How could someone who had so little, give so much? She must have been blessed!

I remember the first Memorial Day when my wife asked me if we could go with her mom to the cemetery to lay some flowers. I said sure, not knowing that this would be an all day event covering 100 miles and 4 cemeteries. What a good time we had.

The feeling “mother-in-law” disappeared early on. It was replaced with words and feelings like Special, Mom, Fun, Good, and Charity.

Thank you mom for making me see life in a completely different perspective. Thanks for making me a better person. Thanks for the so many good times that we had.

I miss you. I love you.

CNN HEROES

2009-07-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

I guess everyone doesn't watch CNN. I was talking to a few friends of mine who had never heard of the "Heroes" of CNN. This is REEEEEAL Good Stuff! Check it out when you get a chance. Be careful it might make you feel good.

A Win - Win Situation

2009-07-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

How about this for doing something good...

Buy something on eBay and part of the money you spend goes to a charitable organization. Why is this a win - win situation? Because, not only do you get to feel good about your donation, but also because eBay auction items are priced right! Additionally, the charitable organization wins and the seller makes a sale.

This is an excerpt from an eBay informational page: "Our Giving Works listings are marked by the charity icon in search results. Only certified nonprofit organizations are eligible to benefit from eBay Giving Works listings. You can see information about the benefiting nonprofit organization and the donation amount the seller has chosen on the item page. To see only eBay Giving Works listings, please visit eBay Giving Works, where you can search for items by category, specific cause, or organization."

If you haven't used eBay before, it's fun and easy. I have provided a link directly to the "Giving Works" page on eBay. As of today there were 193,749 items listed under the Giving Works section of eBay. You will find just about anything imaginable, new and used. Donations go to over 16,470 certified nonprofit organizations. Some seller actually donate 100% of the proceeds! The nice thing is that you can decide which of your favorite charities will benefit. I donate to the "Susan G. Komen Cause for the Cure - Headquarters" when I sell certain items from my web stores.

Get out your wish list, have some fun, and feel good all over.

I was lost but didn't know it

2009-07-23T03:01:00.000-07:00

SOMETHING REAL GOOD
Have you ever heard the expression “I missed school that day ”? I use it when a friend is talking about something that I know nothing about.
Until 3 weeks ago I could have used that expression if someone had asked me something about religion. That’s because I stopped going to church when I was 13 years old. So for the next 40 years, anything I might have learned in church became a distant or forgotten memory. Anyways, how much do kids really learn at that age, especially if there is no religion at home for the other 167 hours of the week. Even then, I remember, it all seemed surreal. I mean, one hour a week someone you don’t really know talks about something that your parents don’t even talk about.
One more analogy then I’ll make my point.
Some of you might drive by a golf course, a day spa, or maybe a sushi bar ever day on the way to work. Maybe you have never been in one of the places. You know its there, but you really don’t know much about what’s going on inside. In fact you really don’t even think about it. You just pass by each day, end of relationship.
What if, one day you noticed one of those places, and got curious, and went home and said to your spouse, “I want to stop by that place”. …and you did, and your whole life changed!
Church was the place that I was passing by. What a shame! I missed 40 years of peace and special happiness. I was lost but didn’t know it.
Church is Good! Real Good!

Everything = O.K.

2009-07-22T01:02:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!

Well, here's the goods. These synonyms of good are from a thesaurus web site:

acceptable, ace*, admirable, agreeable, bad, boss*, bully, capital, choice, commendable, congenial, crack*, deluxe, excellent, exceptional, favorable, first-class, first-rate, gnarly, gratifying, great, honorable, marvelous, neat*, nice, pleasing, positive, precious, prime, rad, recherché, reputable, satisfactory, satisfying, select, shipshape, sound, spanking, splendid, sterling, stupendous, super, super-eminent, super-excellent, superb, superior, tip-top, up to snuff, valuable, welcome, wonderful, worthy

I've added a few of my own versions of good: awesome, cool, extraordinary, God, Christ, me,
you(?)

So be happy there is much good in the world. If you haven't felt it, have faith and you will, I promise.

More good to come.

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