INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES AND ANECDOTES ~ Simplicity ~ October 26, 2011 by Dolores Ayotte

I have learned the hard way about the negative consequences of over complicating life. I have found it is much better to live life as simply as possible in order to reduce stress and to find more pleasure in the small things that can be so easily overlooked  if our lives are too busy and complex.

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QUOTES AND ANECDOTES

“No problem can be solved until it is reduced to some simple form.  The changing of a vague difficulty into a specific, concrete form is a very essential element in thinking.”  (John J. Morgan & Ewing T Webb.)

GROWING UP AND LIKING IT ~ Book Review ~ October 25, 2011 by Loraine Lotter

Growing Up & Liking It is inspiring, motivating and definitely worth reading if you are in need of a life changing lesson or two. The book is full of great quotes and tips on how to cope with every day’s problems, stress and let-downs and truthfully, it was just what I needed to perk up my day. It was like a breath of fresh air.

I love the author’s laid-back writing style. You can tell that Dolores is an inspiring, humble and excitable person, accepting the challenges in life and embracing them in faith. Growing up and liking it is full of great stories, making the book so much more stimulating to read. Each line, each little joke, whether it be a factual story or not, will make you smile and keep you captivated just as it did with me.

It encourages us to stay positive, no matter what the circumstances may be. Your problems will never be bigger than you, for God will not put a hindrance in your way if you cannot handle it. I love Dolores’ advice as it is true and encouraging. The book really helps and influences you in such a way that you will accept who you are when you finish reading it. It will encourage you to think before you act so that you will make the right choices in life.

It will stimulate you in a way you can only imagine, helping you find peace and balance by following the easy, simple steps provided. Packed with loads of tips for relationships and a happy marriage, this book is really inspirational. This book is all about laughing at the small things in life, learning from every choice you make and living life to the fullest. It’s definitely a must-read for anyone who needs a little encouragement and advice in life.

Book Review by Author Loraine Lotter.

 

MEMORY LANE ~A Simple Faith ~ October 8, 2011 by Susan Earl

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES AND ANECDOTES

A long time ago, I made a decision to become a “Christian”. To me it seemed a simple step. I was only ten; all I had to do was what I saw many others before me do. I would walk down the aisle of our church, talk to the pastor, and declare that today I was saved. I had a simple faith, the belief of a child. My belief was innate. God was and always had been God. An omnipresent part of my every day world. I didn’t question how or why the stars were in the sky. I just knew and believed that God placed them there to sparkle beautifully just for me.

From the time I was born, I attended church on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and Wednesday evenings. God lived at church and he always came home with me each time I left the church building. I knew I carried God in my heart. It had to be true because every Sunday we sang “Into my heart, into my heart, come into my heart Lord Jesus”.  I believed those words with the fierce belief of a child, never wavering in the “shadows of doubt”.

My life was by no means perfect, and I was by no means perfect. Many of my life’s experiences should have shaken my faith; my belief in God’s unfailing love. Yet, even through the darkest parts of my life, I always knew; always felt, God’s presence surrounding me and guiding me to make the “right” choices.  I only needed to wait upon that still, quiet voice whispering within me. Sometimes I chose to shut out the voice, and I would stumble frequently. Nevertheless, God’s loving presence would still be there, helping me pick up the pieces and begin again.

Throughout the years, I’ve heard testimonies from friends, co-workers, and even strangers who declare they have never heard the word of God, nor set foot in a church. Some are hungry to hear about God, while others turn a deaf ear to the word. I know I’m one of the lucky few because my faith stems from a firm foundation: my mother and her sisters. My mom kept us actively engaged in church, as well as through her music.  She wrote many songs that carried the message of God’s love to all who heard them. Although she spoke at many meetings, I believe God’s gift in her life was writing songs of inspiration. She and her sisters traveled to many places together and each in their own way shared God’s love with all they met.

My mother’s gift of writing has also been gifted to me. It is my hope, my prayer that through my words on the page of a book, those in need of healing, of knowing God, will be drawn into his fold. My desire is that as others read my novel, they will come to understand that God has always been beside them throughout their whole life, just waiting for them to stop and listen to that still, soft voice. And I pray that they too will accept Christ with the simple belief and faith of a child.

One last thought before I go. I’d like to share a special memory I have regarding one of my mom’s songs.  Her first album (yes, album in those days!) was released when my daughter was two. She heard the songs almost every day and sang along with her Gramma’s record. Around the time she turned six, as she was playing happily with her friends on the playground, she suddenly rushed over to me, her arms folded irately, and declared, “C. told me there’s no such thing as a rainbow of love!”  I assured her there was, and she stated, “I knew I was right!”  Then she charged back to her friends and “straightened” them out.

This example only illustrates the simple faith and belief a child has that God is covering them with his covenant, his rainbow of love. I’d like to share just a verse from my mom’s song “Covenant of Love”.

“God’s love is so wonderful, his peace so serene, I walk in green pastures, I drink in his stream. A river that’s flowing with his grace from above, I’m covered in his rainbow of love. The rainbows of promise God gave to man, he called it his covenant that would forever stand. When I see a rainbow in the clouds up above, then I know that I’m covered in his rainbow of love.”

                                                 ~ Nita Owen ©1982

As Christians we are commanded to “Go forth and spread the good news”. I hope I have accomplished this, and that today you have felt God’s love through the power of the written word.

Blessings to all,

Susan K. Earl, author of Moon Dance ~ a novel

Thank you so much Susan for sharing such an inspirational story with us.

Website – http://susanearl.tatepublishing.net

Blog Site -http://moondancenovel.blogspot.com

 

BOOK REVIEW ~ Love And Acceptance ~ September 26, by Dolores Ayotte

TITLE: Love And Acceptance ~ Nonfiction – 206 pages

AUTHOR: Annette Robertson

PUBLISHER: Take Publishing & Enterprises

Love And Acceptance is a heart-wrenching, true story written by Annette Robertson, about her dysfunctional childhood and her struggles with mental illness. It is apparent that Robertson has a deep faith that sustained and guided her throughout her trials and tribulations. Although, she admits that she wasn’t raised with a strict Christian background, she was always aware of the presence of a loving God.

Robertson professes that at one time, she “only identified, and felt safe, with unhealthy attention”. When at an all time low when her life was like a living nightmare,she attempted to commit suicide and failed. She eventually learned how to be healthy and love herself when she accepted her mental illness for what it was. At the pit of her despair, she likened herself to a “shattered vessel” and when she gazed into the mirror she was consumed with “self-loathing”.  Sexually abused as a child, Robertson cried out to the “Great Physician”, the “I AM” for  complete healing and after years of counselling, her prayers were answered. In doing so, she was forced to work through the pain of her past before she could be truly healed and move forward. Love And Acceptance is a true testimony of God’s love for all His children and the redemptive power of the love and acceptance Annette found in her relationship with Him.

Robertson is a survivor. She knows what it is like to be a victim and the restorative effects of becoming victorious. She has managed to work through her past pain with the help of God and lead a full and rewarding life. It was not easy for her to achieve the sought after peace of mind and contentment that she so richly deserved but she never gave up. With her faith and love for God, she managed to find it. Robertson has shown her courage and tenacity in this well-written book, as she reveals her inner most self when she shares her life struggles, her lessons, and her deep abiding faith and love for God with her readers.

If you are interested in purchasing Love and Acceptance, please click: Amazon

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES AND ANECDOTES ~ “LAFF” (until your stomach aches) ~ August 27, 2011 by Dolores Ayotte

Do you enjoy doing any kind of puzzles like crosswords, four square, cryptograms and so on?  I love puzzles and word games.  You name it…Wordscraper, Scrabble, I love them all!

I am fascinated by the English language and how rule oriented it is on one hand and totally not on the other.  We all know how phonics works and how you can sound out words.  Sometimes it is as easy as pie and other times it doesn’t make one ounce of sense because there are so many exceptions to the rules.

One such word that catches my attention is the word LAUGH.  Why isn’t it just spelled like it sounds LAFF?   Do you want to know why I much prefer this version?

At the times, when I struggle in my relationships with other people, I spell it this way.  It’s kind of like an anagram for me.

L - Love

A – Accept

F – Forgive

F – Forget

When someone has either purposely or unintentionally offended me, if I learn to LAFF, then I can genuinely LAUGH and better enjoy my life.  A well-developed sense of humor can really enhance life.  You may have to work at it, but it is well worth the effort!

 

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES AND ANECDOTES ~ My Red Hot Keyboard ~ August 20, 2011 by Dolores Ayotte

From my fingertips to your eyes, I send my greetings to you. 

At one time, we could only communicate with those that lived nearby. In this situation, my greeting would have been from “my lips to your ears”. 

Now with all the advanced technology, one of the best ways to communicate seems to be via the computer in one format or another.  If it isn’t by e-mail, it’s on Facebook, Twitter, My Space, chat lines, cell phones, and so on. These methods of communication are all great but have we lost the personal touch?  Are we always able to interpret moods, facial expressions, body language, voice intonation, and any other forms of communication, if we choose to mainly communicate the techie way?

Please let us try to remember the personal touch. It’s difficult to hug and embrace the “old” way with all the “new” technology.  Give someone a smile or a hug today. You’ll both feel better for it!

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QUOTES AND ANECDOTES

“We cannot rebuild the world ourselves, but we can have a small part in it by beginning where we are.  It may only be taking care of a neighbor’s child or inviting some one to dinner, but it’s important.” (Donna L. Glazier)

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THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY ~ Connecting The Dots ~ August 18, 2011 by Dolores Ayotte

When you were a young child, did you ever do  “connect the dot” pictures in your activity/coloring book? I don’t know if they still have these around, but in those days, if we followed the numbers and connected the dots, we would see what the picture was and then we would color it in.

In life, I view God’s Plan as much the same. From my point of view, it’s similar to a bunch of dots which are in the processing of being connected so that His Divine Plan or picture will eventually be revealed to us as humankind. Over the last several weeks and months, I have connected with many fellow authors and have had the opportunity to feel very connected to these gifted people. One referred to this experience as a “God thing”, another referred to it as a “God connection”. It felt wonderful to connect with these people in the atmosphere of love, acceptance and cooperation.

I personally refer to it as connecting the dots to help further unveil what God has in store for us as we work together to make things happen toward achieving this goal. When these moments occur, I can tell you that it feels so right, like when we were children and we finished our picture. Although, once and awhile just like when we were young, we might connect the wrong dot in the picture, we may also connect the wrong dot in our dealings with people. At these times, it usually doesn’t look or feel right. Then we have to retrace our steps and erase where we went in order to get back on track. Does this ever happen to you?

At times, we can connect with a person whom at first blush appears to be a “dot” or a “God connection”.  After a while though, their behavior may change. Instead of working together for the common good, our relationship takes a negative turn. Often times, we seem to become competitors. They may start putting us down or taking from us what they require in order to succeed or further their own agenda all the while calling us their friend. In the great scheme of things, if and when, we are striving to do God’s Will here on earth, we are not competitors vying for some golden cup. The key is to help each other because the prize is the same for us all.  When we don’t positively or productively connect with people, we are not working toward the completion of God’s Big Picture. This is the common goal. I think the following quote sums it up pretty well. We need each other! Are you a “dot”?

“What I do you cannot do; but what you do, I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.” ~ Cindie Thomas

 

BLOG HOPPING DAY ~ Strawberry Roan ~August 17, 2011 by Dolores Ayotte

Not too long ago, I read a quote that touched me. I don’t know the actual source of this quote but it was shared by an author to a fellow author who was discouraged by the lack of sales of his book. She stated, “any fool can count the number of seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed”. Such a simple quote, yet so full of wisdom.

 Once we plant a seed, we have no idea the fruit that the seed will produce. We may get discouraged because we don’t see immediate results but it doesn’t mean to say that our efforts are unproductive or will go unrewarded.  When I read this article by Shanyn, it made me look at the power of  our seeds. It also made me realize the importance of being patient. I think you will enjoy visiting  Strawberry Roan ~ Just like the sunflower, I follow the Son.

“Digging Up Seeds” by Shanyn gives us some powerful insights about being patient with the seeds we have planted. Thank you Shanyn for your wonderful way with words!

GROWING UP AND LIKING IT ~ Four Rooms (Part 6 – conclusion) ~ August 6, 2011 by Dolores Ayotte

….Conclusion ~ part 6

The last room that is necessary to visit on a regular basis is the physical room. This is the room that concentrates on the health and well-being of our bodies. I notice as the years have gone by that more and more people are concerned about this area. The concern is not only about exercise or the lack of it but also about the food we eat. We hear expressions like “You are what you eat.” There is a major concern about the quantity of food that we eat as well as the quality of it. People can find themselves leading sedentary lives. Watching television, playing computer games, and other idle activities are adding to our sometimes poor eating habits. If we work long hours or have too much responsibility apart from work, we have little or no time to address this concern. If we are not in good health or do not have the time or the opportunity to enjoy some physical activity, we pay the price in other areas as well. That’s the conundrum! It’s finding or making the time to create a well-balanced person by addressing the needs of the whole person. “To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.”[i]

All four of these needs, whether spiritual, mental, emotional, or physical, are equally important and must be met in order to live a more centered and satisfactory life. If a person robs himself/herself in one area, it will have a negative impact in another one. By finding and achieving a healthy sense of balance in all the areas of our lives, a healthier sense of self will unfold. According to Thomas Carlyle, “He, who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything.”[ii] It will then have the domino effect in our personal relationships, our family life, and our overall outlook on life. Energy begets energy whether it’s positive or negative energy. People with positive attitudes attract people with this same kind of energy. “A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles.”[iii] The old saying “misery likes company” is the reverse of the above belief system. It actually can be true in a lot of instances.

Those people who are unbalanced in their life style choices emanate a lot of negative energy. They end up attracting like-minded individuals. The end result consists of existing in a negative life cycle the majority of the time. A lot of people are reluctant to admit that they actually can do something about it to turn their lives around. This is another area where we need to be very truthful and honest with ourselves. We need to evaluate and reassess our whole lifestyle many times over. We must continue to do so on a regular basis in order to develop the balance in our lives that we all not only crave but need. It may take time and several attempts to achieve this healthy balance but “our greatest glory is not failing, but in rising ever time we fall.”[iv] You may not succeed on your first attempt at entering all four rooms of your body on a daily basis, but keep trying. I promise that you will get better at it because “a will finds a way.”[v]

     Step 10 Try your best to meet all the needs of your whole being, the spiritual, the mental, the emotional, and the physical. Once these needs are being met, a more positive, well-balanced life will follow. You will end up in the positive cycle of life. In the less positive cycles of life, you will have the skills to better deal with the situation. One of the first things to do is to set a few moments aside to ask yourself this question. Do you have a clear idea of what you want your lifestyle to look like? Sit down and write it out. Keep yourself accountable. Maybe even recruit a friend to do it with you!

I would like to thank each and every one of you for spending this precious time with me. I hope you have enjoyed reading “Four Rooms” as much as I did in writing it. I sincerely hope it has touched your lives in some small way. This is just a gentle reminder, I recommend that you now go back and read the chapter in its entirety in order to get the true essence and inspirational flow of my message.  If you are interested in reading more of Growing Up & Liking It ~ More Steps to a Happier Self, I have provided the links below for you to purchase a copy at your convenience. Bright blessings to you all!

Amazon USA:

Amazon CANADA

Tate Publishing And Enterprises

Barnes & Noble:

Great quotes and quips   Blessings for success. Win this beautiful paperback by leaving a comment at my blog. The winner will be announced Monday! You have only today and tomorrow, so go for it!! http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com

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[i] “Robert Louis Stevenson quotes,” BrainyQuote,

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/robert_louis_stevenson.html.

[ii] “Thomas Carlyle quotes,”
BrainyQuote, http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/thomascarl118220.html.

[iii] “Washington Irving
quotes,” GIGA Quotes,

http://www.giga-usa.com/quotes/authors/washington_irving_a001.html.

[iv] “Ralph Waldo Emerson
quotes,” Quotes and Poem.com,

http://www.quotesandpoem.com/quotes/showquotes/subject/Perseverance/4923.

[v] “Orison Swett Marden
quotes,” BrainyQuote, http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/o/orison_swett_marden.html.

GROWING UP AND LIKING IT ~ Four Rooms (Part 5 – continued) ~ August 5, 2011 by Dolores Ayotte

…continued from yesterday ~ part 5

The third room that I want to visit is the emotional room. I love and enjoy this room as well. It consists of the room where I laugh and where I cry, if necessary. Sometimes there is plenty to laugh about, and at other times there may be a sad event going on in my life that brings tears to my eyes. I deal with it here. This is an opportunity for me to also deal with all my other emotions. This is where I can admit that someone has made me angry or has upset me. I can also look at myself and admit that perhaps I have offended someone else, and I may need to say I’m sorry. In this room, I have discovered that there is a whole spectrum of emotions, which range from the very positive to the very negative. It is here that I acknowledge the full capacity of these emotions, and I take the time to decide which ones I will use to handle any situation that I may be facing.

Each of these rooms offers the opportunity to make different choices. In this room, I can take the advice of the Cherokee grandfather and decide which wolf I am going to feed. Remember that “you will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration.”[i] I can choose between love/hate, laughter/tears, faith/fear, and every other possible emotional combination in all situations. It’s okay to cry in this room if something sad is going on in my life. It is okay to know fear in this room and look for ways to overcome it.

According to Eleanor Roosevelt, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face…The danger lies in refusing to face the fear, in not daring to come to grips with it…You must make yourself succeed every time. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”[ii] It’s okay to admit anger in this room and figure out a positive way to deal with it. It’s okay to admit that someone has offended me and how it made me feel, but I must learn how to love and not hate the person who made me feel this negative way. “We can not despair of humanity since we ourselves are human beings.”[iii]

In this room, we not only have the right to face and deal with all our emotions, we also have the obligation. We must not only do it for ourselves but for the benefit of those around us. The less we deal with the things that negatively affect our lives the more power they have over us to negatively affect others. “The truth that many people never understand until it is too late is that the more you try to avoid suffering the more you suffer because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you in proportion to your fear of being hurt.”[iv] We are all far better off to take the bull by the horns and face what needs to be done rather than let our past have the opportunity to affect our present and future happiness. “The future is that period of time in which our affairs prosper, our friends are true, and our happiness is assured.”[v]

It really is okay to face up to a few things in this room. It’s a well-known adage that the truth shall set you free. In this room, it is very necessary to be totally honest with yourself. It’s okay if you don’t always like what you see because then it gives you the opportunity and the real challenge to do something about it. It has been said that “The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them.”[vi] Yes, it can be frightening but “it takes courage to know when you ought to be afraid.”[vii] No matter how scared we are to deal with something that is going on in our past or present life, facing it takes courage, and it should be seen as such. “Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It’s OK to fail. If you’re not failing, you’re not growing.”[viii]

to be continued…conclusion tomorrow!

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[i] “James Allen quotes,” BrainyQuote,

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/james_allen.html.

[ii] “Eleanor Roosevelt
quotes,” Wynn Davis, The Best of Success (Lombard, Illinois: Successories
Publishing, 1992), P.129.

[iii] “Albert Einstein quotes,” QuotationsBook,

http://quotationsbook.com/quote/19649/.

[iv] “Thomas Merton quotes,”
Thinkexist.com, http://thinkexist.com/quotes/thomas_merton/.

[v] “Ambrose Bierce quotes, BrainyQuote,

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/ambrose_bierce.html.

[vi] “Bernard M. Baruch quotes,” Famous
Inspirational Quotes,

http://www.inspirationalquotes4u.com/baruchquotes/index.html.

[vii] “James A. Michener quotes,” BrainyQuote,

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/james_a_michener.html.

[viii] “H. Stanley Judd quotes,” BrainyQuote,

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/h_stanley_judd.html.