I Believe

First posted this two years ago - still love it.

A Birth Certificate shows that we were born.

A Death Certificate shows that we died.

Pictures show that we lived!

I Believe...

That just because two people argue,doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if
we understand that friends change.

I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.

Same goes for true love.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.
I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.

I Believe....
That you should always leave loved ones with
loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...
That we are responsible for what
we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe....
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe..
That my best friend and I can do anything, or nothing, and have the best time.

I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had, and what you've learned from them...and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated..

I Believe...
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life Forever.

I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of
hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, if
a friend cries out to you...you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I Believe...

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything.

**Anonymous

Picture Perfect?

After completeing the TAKS test today, we found ourselves with a little time left before lunch. Apparently boredom was setting in, and one of my students decided to pass the time drawing. Harmless enough; however, the subject of the artwork turned out to be me. Can't say I'm too sure about the "writing" across the neck though. Didn't notice it until after he handed me the picture and wandered away. Oh well, at least he has me smiling.

What Difference Does Easter Make?

Chauncey Spencer, does an awesome job of keeping the message in an outlined form each Sunday, a great teaching tool.  It is my goal to share this outline each week.

The verbs within the following message stand out to me.  Jesus is, has, and does.  He is NOT dead, no past tense.  He still is, still has, and still does when it comes to us on a daily basis.  "Can be" makes an impression as well.  Our past can be forgiven, our present problems can be managed, and our future can be secured.  They can be but only ARE when we accept what is being offered to us.  We need to accept the forgiveness, to accept the eternal life offered, to accept Christ as our Savior - the only one who changes "CAN BE" to "IS".

What does the Resurrection Mean?


1. Jesus is who he claimed to be.

     "I am the Resurrection and the Life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." John 11:25

     "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one can get to God the Father except by means of me."     John 14:6 (LB)

2. Jesus has the power he claimed to have.

     "All power in heaven and on earth is given to me." Matt 28:18 (Ph)

     "No one takes my life from me.  I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it up  again."   John 10:18 (Ph)

3. Jesus does what he promises to do.

     "They will mock...and flog... and kill me; but after three days I will come back to life again." Matt. 10: 34 (LB)

     "The angel said, "Don't be frightened!  I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified, but he isn't here!  He has come back to life again, just as he said he would." Matt. 28:5-6 (LB)

Why Does the Resurrection Matter?

1. My past can be forgiven.

"He has forgiven all our sins... and canceled every record of the debt we owed; Christ has done away with it by nailing it to the cross." Col. 3:14 (JB)

"There is no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ." Rom. 8:1 (LB)

2. My present problems can be managed.

"How incredibly great is his power to help those who believe Him... the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead!" Eph. 1:20 (LB)

"I am ready for anything through the strength of Christ who lives in me." Phil. 4:13

3. My future can be secured.

"This is the way to have eternal life - by knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ, the one he sent to earth!" John 17:3 (LB)

"We have been born again into a life full of hope through Christ's rising from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3

***

When Confusion Is Enlightening

For someone like me who finds sometimes clarity takes time, this piece of information proved very enlightening.

When More Is Less...

Driving through town this morning, I couldn't help but appreciate the beauty in Spring's return.  The trees, especially.  As my thoughts continued to wander, I realized that I have a greater appreciation for those trees now that I live in the Panhandle.  Then "less is more" popped into my head along with its possibilities.

The less I complain, the more I enjoy the day;
the more I enjoy the day, the less I complain.

The less I worry, the happier I am;

The happier I am, the less I worry.

The less I judge, the more I understand;

The more I understand, the less I judge.

The less I talk, the more I learn;
the more I learn, the better I listen.

The less I have, the more I appreciate;
The more I appreciate, the less I need.

Ironically, often less allows us to have more of what really matters.  May we think more often about how fortunate we are and less about our losses.

Looking for Education...

...educational blogs that is.  Surfed the web for awhile today.  Found a few.  But still not sure how much I like them.  So if any of you out there have a favorite blog or two centering on education or literature, please send the info my way.

"Give to every human being every right that you claim for yourself." ~Robert Green Ingersol

And what a wonderful world it would be!

Spring Reaches New Heights: Baby Eagles

I love spring.  I love the sight of new leaves growing on the trees, branches once bare, now sprouting out with beautiful colors.  The idea of birth, "rebirth," new chances and possibilities.  And today - a special treat.  Watching an eagle preparing her nest while patiently waiting for her babies to make an appearance.  As interesting as it is, I must admit that I did not realize it would be so mesmerizing.  How often has one said "if only I could be a fly on the wall"?  And in this case we are - all 250,000 of us watching this eagle sit patiently on her eggs. 

Didn't even realize how much time was passing until I began to wonder what was happening to the color.  Of course, it is night time now.  The cameras recording the events are enveloped in the night's darkness.  Yet she waits and prepares.  Sometimes so patiently that it appears as if I am looking at a screensaver and not an actual live feed. As I write, she appears to sleep.  Her head slowly lowers closer to the nest, very slowly.  Asleep, but aware.  What an awesome opportunity, to view nature at its finest.  To realize that there has to be some kind of plan, some design.  This mother eagle knows instinctly what is expected, what is necessary, what is expected.  And manages to communicate beautifully with the male eagle that swoops in and out of our view.

And like the mother eagle, we too must often wait and prepare patiently for God's plan to reveal itself.  But reveal itself it will - as it is all part of the grand design.