~ Voices And Choices ~

Voices and Choices ..........




The voices and choices
are too much at times
and I need a quiet place
just me and the moon
or me and the sky

a place where I can hear God whisper
reminding me to breathe
asking me to 'hold on'
and when I hear this
I know everything will be fine

~ Free To Be ~

Free To Be ...........



We all look for reasons for being
A reason to do something
A reason to act
A reason to be something


We say to ourselves
If only I had this or that
Then I will be happy


So we wait for something
To motivate us
Dare us to succeed
Dare us to change
Dare us to be


Our past seems our
Constant companion
And cruelest of enemies
Never forgetting previous follies


Perhaps the greatest dilemma of all
When we begin treating
Our dreams as imposters
Come only to create future
Dissappointment and despair


Tragically losing
What could have been


So we wait for
Our opportunity
Our time
Our chance


Sadly
Waiting for
The perfect moment
The perfect reason
Will never come


Is it fear that hinders us
Fear of failure?
Or is it something else entirely?
For if it's failure we fear
Who or what defines it ?


Could it be
That the true villain isn't fear
But the failure to accept this one truth
That our worth
Isn't defined by the world
It's defined by us


When looking for a reason
To be something
Remove these shackles of comparison
Don't be, just because
That's what you ought to be
Be, because that's who you are


If comparison is the guiding light
That defines the markers
Along our path
It's not our path we wander


There is a whisper within us
We all feel it
We all know it


This indescribable greatness
That lies within every human soul
A value that cannot be
measured
explained
or proven
It just is


Never allow entrance of your heart
The world's definition of your value
It will create something
Entirely unattainable
Hopelessly out of grasp


Will we define our greatness
By comparing ourselves to others
Or
By looking within ourselves ?
That is the question


Shrug off these shackles that bind
The world's definition of you
And your value
And you will be free as never before


Free from fear
Free from despair
Free to succeed


Free to be ....

~ Destiny ~

Destiny.........


Destiny sits upon the morning horizon
Always in site, but never clear
And as I travel along the road I have chosen
Destiny remains forever in place
Sitting upon the morning horizon

But as the years pass
And the road spans the distance
Between yesterday and tomorrow
I know my destiny will arrive

For time alone will close the gap
So yesterday becomes dust filled memories
And the horizon of tomorrow
Will be the road of today

For then,
there will be no yesterday or tomorrow,
only today

And when that day arrives
I will find peace and be complete
For I will be one with my destiny

~ It Will Come ~

It Will Come ........



When life's largest pressures leave you struck dumb,
Just search for an answer;
the solution will come.

When a tragedy occurs leaving you feeling numb,
Just wait for your health;
the strength will come.

When everyone relies on you and there is no way you can see,
Trust your mind to think with time;
patience is the key.

When you have made it where others always flee,
Just wait to gather courage;
soon you'll be where you want to be.

When it is nearing the end and you're in need,
Muster up your courage;
endurance will lead.

It will come ........

~ A little something.~

A Little Something ............



There's always a little truth
behind every 'just kidding.'

A little knowledge
behind every 'I don't know.'

A little emotion
behind every 'I don't care.'

A little love
behind every 'I hate you!'

A little uneasiness
behind every 'I'm okay.'

A little pain
behind every 'forget it.'

A little fear
behind every 'leave me alone.'

A little hope
behind every 'goodbye.'

And a little 'something'
behind every 'nothing.'

~ Keep Walking ~

Keep walking ...........


Here we stand
Dressed in pain,
Covered with scars
From wounds
We did not ask for Or deserve.

So what now?
We can't go back and relive our lives.

We can't take back the innocence we lost
Or make the sadness we felt into happiness.

But we can go on from here
So let us start
Stretch out our hand
Close our eyes
And slowly let the pain slip away
Let go of the sadness
It belongs to yesterday
And let's walk.

The earth is firm beneath our feet
The sun is warm on our face
Smiles at our effort
And sends us strength.

We can't stay, looking back,
Lest we falter.
We must face forward,
Eyes wide open,
And keep on walking

..........and keep walking

~ Joyous Thought s~

Joyous Thoughts ........


Love
with a quiet heart

Speak
with a soft words

Surround
with gentle arms

See
with kind eyes

Live
with joyous thoughts

~ The Journey ~

The Journey.......



One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice --
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.


"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do.


though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.


It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.


But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do
determined to save
the only life you could save.

~ A Forever Friend ~

A Forever Friend ...



I have so much to say
But I don’t know where to begin,
Tell me, how do you describe
A Forever Friend?


Some one who is there, to provide
A strong and steady arm,
Some one who soothes and comforts you
With a steady wit and charm,


Some one who brings joy
Whenever you see their face,
Some one who changes this old world
From such a lonely place,


Some one who has charisma
Attraction and appeal,
Some one who makes you pause in wonder
Of whether they are real,


Some one who,
Simply by their presence
Facilitates the day,
Like the sun after a summer’s storm
They push the clouds away,


Their closeness is an opiate
That numbs us to life’s pain
Their touch, a trip of trembling bliss
We will to take again,


Their scent, a beckoning finger
Teasing us the whole day thru,
Their smile, a caressing hand
Titillating us anew,
And when at last the day is over
And tired we turn in,
We thank God for such a person
We thank God for such…
A friend…

~ Just A Box Of Crayons ~

Just A Box Of Crayons .........



While walking in a toy store
The day before today,
I over heard a Crayon Box
With many things to say.

“I don’t like red!” said Yellow.
And Green said, “Nor do I!”
And no one here likes Orange,
But no one knows quite why.

“We are a box of crayons
that really doesn’t get along,”
Said Blue to all the others.
“Something here is wrong!”

Well, I bought that box of crayons
And took it home with me
And laid out all the crayons
So the crayons could all see

They watched me as I colored
With Red and Blue and Green
And Black and White and Orange
And every color in between

They watched as Green became the grass
And Blue became the sky.
The Yellow sun was shining bright
On White clouds drifting by.

Colors changing as they touched,
Becoming something new.
They watched me as I colored.
They watched till I was through.

And when I’d finally finished,
I began to walk away.
And as I did the Crayon box
Had something more to say……..

“I do like Red! ” said the Yellow
And Green said, “So do I !”
And Blue you are terrific!
“So high up in the sky.”

“We are a Box of Crayons
Each of us unique,
But when we get together
The picture is complete”




(- – - written by Shane DeRolf)

~ It Takes Courage ~

It Takes Courage ........


It takes strength to be firm,
It takes courage to be gentle.

It takes strength to conquer,
It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to be certain,
It takes courage to have doubt.

It takes strength to fit in,
It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend's pain,
It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to endure abuse,
It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone,
It takes courage to lean on another.

It takes strength to love,
It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive,
It takes courage to live.

~ Gifts Of Truly Understanding ~

Gifts Of Truly Understanding ........




We Do Not Truly Understand...

Joy...
until we face sorrow.

Faith...
until it is tested.

Peace...
until faced with conflict.

Trust...
until we are betrayed.

Love...
until it is lost.

Hope...
until confronted with doubts.

Then when faced with these things, we arrive at a place deeper than mental understanding. It is a place called experience.

Experience then brings knowing...

... and we come to know joy, faith, peace, trust, love, and hope beyond all doubt.

Then we can share these blessings as the most valuable gifts we have to give.

~ Understanding ~

Understanding .....



To understand is to love,

to look out upon the world and see there in
the human conflicts, the pain, the joys, sorrows, and agonies
in sensitive hearts who seek refuge and help,
who need a stronger power to guide their lives.

To understand is to have compassion on the multitudes,

to hate sin but not the sinner.
It is to know weakness, yet rise above it,
to see it in others, yet not condemn,
but uplift those hearts and encourage
them to go on to better things.

To understand- to truly understand is to suffer with others,

to desire to relieve their pain and to take it on oneself.
it is to sympathize, to truly live and love
with a full heart made wide and full.

This is understanding.

This is love.



(http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art38134.asp)

~ Living and Giving ~

Living and giving .........


Whatever you give away today
or think or say or do
will multiply about ten fold
and then return to you

It may not come immediately
nor from the obvious source
but the law applies unfailingly,
through some invisible source

Whatever you feel about another
be it love or hate or passion
will surely bounce right back to you
in some clear (or secret) fashion

If you speak about some person
a word of praise or two
soon, tens of other people
will speak kind words of you.

Our thoughts are broadcasts of the soul,
not secrets of the brain
Kind ones bring us happiness
petty ones, untold pain

Giving works as surely
as reflections in a mirror
If hate you send, hate you'll get back
but loving brings love nearer

Remember as you start this day
and duty crowds your mind
that kindness comes so quickly back
to those who first are kind

Let that thought and this one
direct us through each day
The only things we ever keep
are the things we give away.



(http://www.ruthshaven.com/poetry/littlewords.html)

~ Rythm of LIfe ~

Rythm of LIfe .........



Life is a rhyme
A verse in the sky
The rhythm in your heart
The melody of the breeze
and the beat of your walking, moving feet...

But are we walking along with our souls in our lungs?
With our thoughts up above?
Our heads in the sky, and our feet to the ground

We take root
We reach toward the light
Hand spread, mouth propped open
breathing, tasting, seeing, hearing

A life we need, one we dream
Are we dreaming, when were awake
or do we dream for realities sake?

~ Learn To Be Quiet ~

Learn To Be Quiet .....
(Franz Kafka )


You need not do anything.
Remain sitting at your table and listen.
You need not even listen, just wait.
You need not even wait,
just learn to be quiet, still and solitary.
And the world will freely offer itself to you unmasked.
It has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.

~ I've Dreamed Many Dreams ~

I've Dreamed Many Dreams ........
(Ron DeMarco )


I've dreamed many dreams that never came true.
I've seen them vanish at dawn.
But I've realized enough of my dreams thank the Lord,
To make me want to dream on.

I've prayed many prayers when no answer came,
Though I've waited patient and long,
But answers have come to enough of my prayers
To make me keep praying on.

I've trusted many a friend that failed,
And left me to weep alone,
But I've found enough of my friends that are really true,
That will make me keep trusting on.

I've sown many seeds that have fallen by the way,
For the birds to feed upon,
But I've held enough golden sheaves in my hand,
To make me keep sowing on.

I've drunk from the cup of disappointment and pain
I've gone many days without song,
But I've sipped enough nectar from the Roses of Life
To make me keep living on!

~ A GIFT OF LOVE TO A FRIEND ~

A gift of love to a friend .........



I've nothing else to offer,
So it's love to you I'll send
It's nothing that I borrowed,
And it's nothing that I'd lend.
It has no dollar value
And it can't be over used.
It isn't fragile so it will not break,
But often it's abused.

I've given it to others,
But each time it is unique.
It's meaning is always different,
Depending on what you seek.
It's something you can store away
To feel when you're in need;
But never is it on display,
It's beauty can't be seen.
I'm giving it to you
No
No costly warranty.
Because this love that I am sending
Has A Lifetime Guarantee!

~ Sunrise ~

Sunrise .........


We fool ourselves sometimes
into thinking that life
is more complicated
or confusing
or mysterious than it really is.

Life is made up of fundamental truths.
It is the simplicity that baffles us;
we tend to defy the universal significance
of the natural laws that exist.

Life is a personal journey to which each
of us must draw our own conclusions
and discover our own realities.

It is a rather elementary adventure,
but we must all see the world for ourselves
and accept life for what it is,
for only then can we understand its secrets.

Life really isn't as complicated
or confusing as everyone makes it out to be.

~ YOU ARE...~

YOU ARE...


You are strong...
when you take your grief and teach it to smile.

You are brave...
when you overcome your fear and help others to do the same.

You are happy...
when you see a flower and are thankful for the blessing.

You are loving...
when your own pain does not blind you to the pain of others.

You are wise...
when you know the limits of your wisdom.

You are true...
when you admit there are times you fool yourself.

You are alive...
when tomorrow's hope means more to you than yesterday's mistake.

You are growing...
when you know what you are but not what you will become.

You are free...
when you are in control of yourself and do not wish to control others.

You are honorable...
when you find your honor is to honor others.

You are generous...
when you can take as sweetly as you can give.

You are humble...
when you do not know how humble you are.

You are thoughtful...
when you see me just as I am and treat me just as you are.

You are merciful...
when you forgive in others the faults you condemn in yourself.

You are beautiful...
when you don't need a mirror to tell you.

You are rich...

when you never need more than what you have.

You are you...

when you are at peace with who you are not.