The Unforgettable Beauty of Love

 Today almost every newscast has a pretty blonde-

If not blonde--gorgeous. 

There are famous Sisters with millions of Followers on Twitter

Whose Media Machine makes sure we hear about them daily.

Their appearance changes weekly because they spend thousands

Of dollars to plump their lips (and everything else)

While surgically striving for beauty.

If only they knew—the real secret.

May I share a drastic contrast?

There are four ladies who sit on the back row of our church

Sparkling with joy and attracting all ages like magnets of love.

Often they’re overlooked and almost knocked down.

They aren’t blonde or TV beautiful and all are in their 90's.

During a difficult time (and we all have those times, don’t we?),

Those ladies loved, prayed and encouraged me to expect brighter tomorrows.

They were right.

Storms aren’t forever.

One Sunday morning Hubby and I entered the church and

One of those Lovelies greeted us.

When I said, “Good-bye,”

She said, “Don’t forget us.”

"That's impossible,” I replied.

Who could forget being touched by Love?

Another who possessed genuine beauty was Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

She wrote:

“I’m a little pencil in the hand of a writing God sending a love letter to the world."

Her habit—kissing foreheads and looking into their eyes. She wanted others, especially orphans, lepers and homeless to see God’s love through her eyes.

That’s the Love those beautiful Ladies portrayed and I’ve never forgotten.

Where were you touched by Love?

How To Plan A Purposeful, Prosperous Year

You don't know and neither do I,

So what can we do about it?

As this picture into the back country depicts, there's no telling what lies ahead for you and me this New Year. 

The road of life has bumps, curves, twists, turns and sometimes deep life-jarring pot-holes. And one thing we can be sure of, there will be surprises--some are deliciously wonderful and others may be tortuous.

Whatever appears around the next curve as with this picture into the wilds, things sometimes get scary and uncertain. But you and I--we can handle it!

And much more than that, we can as Maya Angelou encouraged: “make lemon meringue pie” out of life’s lemons. And we can and will have a purposeful and prosperous New Year!

I'm captive audience to ESPN and sports data because my Hubby, a former athlete--and once an athlete, always an athlete--absorbs sports data like a statistician. He loves it and because I love him, I listen too. :)

Lastnight a famous NFL player was being interviewed. (In fact he's playing in one of the hot games today.) In addition to his powerful plays on the gridiron, recent headlines revealed his arrests.

And during a prime time interview, when he could have encouraged young people to make healthy choices, this NFL Star blamed his bad behavior on a childhood in the ghetto and hardships of a dark skin color.

Immediately I thought of one of my Heroes, with dark skin and a similar background. His life may have been harder and more painful but he isn't sitting before a TV camera complaining.

Instead this Giant of a Man, Dr. Ben Carson, is living a purposeful and prosperous life, while encouraging others in many ways, including educational scholarships and motivational books.

                            God: Never get too big for Him.

From the ghetto, on to Yale University and Johns Hopkins Hospital as head of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Dr. Ben Carson encourages:  “If we acknowledge our need for God, He will help us.”

And I would add--
Dream Big,
Delete all excuses from your life and
Determine there's nothing you can't do!

Let's go for it--
And have a happy purposeful, prosperous New Year!