Words of Thanksgiving from My WordPress and Personal Friends

Photo Credit: tengirl via Flickr

The Thanksgiving season is here and there is much to be thankful for. I decided to do something different this year. I put out a question to my Word Press and personal friends of mine, and asked them to share with us something that they are thankful for in either a few words or a sentence or two. The following quotes are from the dear people that decided to share their thoughts with everyone. It is my hope and prayer that some of these quotes (whether it be one, some or all of them) will be an encouragement to your heart.

I am so thankful for my two handsome sons, a beautiful wife, and the wonderful life that the good Lord has blessed with. ~ Me, Coach Muller
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One thing? I have at least two. I’m thankful for a support and everything my parents did for me and doing..and for patience of my husband….as I’m not a sweetie all the time J  ~ Anastasiias ~ Blog:
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I am thankful for his guiding me out of a depression and placing many new friends on my life’s path, as well as old friends, to help him with that. I call them my earth angels. I am also thankful that He protects my family from serious injuries or worse. ~ Elaine ~ Blog: Elaine’s Random Thoughts
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I am thankful for all of the sacrifices that my mom and dad made to make my life easier (paid for my BA/MA–and gave me the tools to pay for my next degree). I am thankful for all of the furrbabies I have known that have given comfort to my soul: Samantha my childhood horse (we had her for 30 years), Gypsy, Fred, Lady, Aubrey, Charlie, Dulce, Hannah, and even crazy Chloe–who was not long for our world. And all of the rescues in between. They have all touched me in powerful ways and made me a better person. ~ Sandra ~ Blog: A Promise to Dad
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I am thankful for being born into this life, with all its craziness and challenges! ~ Julianne Victoria ~ Blog: Through the Peacock’s Eyes
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I am thankful for the life I have been given, the values my parents taught me, the random acts of kindness that happen when we least expect them, and most particularly for my wife of 51 years that showed me how smart I was by letting me marry her. ~ Oldmainer ~ Blog: Oldmainer
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I am thankful for my blog: sounds weird perhaps, but it has opened up a whole new world to me. ~ Uncle Spike ~ Blog: Uncle Spike’s Adventures
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I am thankful for Skip, my husband… hero… best friend, and for our 3 Pups. They are all I have left in this big, old world as my son, Tommy… died 3 years ago. Thank-you for letting me ‘tell the world’ how thankful I am. ~ Gloria aka Granny Gee ~ Blog: Grannyscolorful
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I am thankful for life ~ Kiwiskan ~ Blog: Kiwissoar
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I am thankful to all the women who suffered through breast cancer before me, which helped create a seamless treatment programs – without them, the system would not work the way it does today! For the “headaches” I didn’t have to live through, I am thankful for them. ~ Tkmorin ~ Blog: Bite Size Canada
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I have been blessed, although I have recently lost my job, I am thankful for all my friends, family, badminton Girls… I am thankful that I still have a place to live in and food to eat, clean clothes to wear… There are so many things I am grateful for I could go on and on and on. ~ Claudette ~ Blog:
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I am both thankful and grateful that we can walk by faith trusting Romans 8-28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose and that God loves us in spite of our things and stuff. ~ Ann “afriend4ever54” Friend ~ Blog: AfriendofJESUS2013Blog
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I am thankful for the relationship I have with The Lord and for His love for me. Those two things help me to be thankful for everything else. ~ Skye ~ Blog: The Sanctuary of My Heart
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There are many things that I am thankful for, but there’s only one thing that I can’t live without – God’s unconditional love, grace and forgiveness. In this messed up world, what a comfort it is to know that there is one we can all trust as our Father, Savior, and of course – as a friend. ~ Teri4sure ~ Blog: A Change-N-Me
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I thank Jesus Christ, the Shepherd of my soul. “I once was lost but now am found. ~ Especially Me ~ Blog: Especially Me
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The Peace in my heart and health ~ Ted E. ~ Personal Friend
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Jesus! Eternal life and family & dear friends. ~ Cathy T. ~ Personal Friend
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For today. ~ Elizabeth C. ~ Personal Friend
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I am grateful for the purring of my cat. The best sound ever. ~ Franhunne4u ~ Blog: Inhannover
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the ever-present “ability” we have to (no matter our age) to go back to school, learn new skills, and make a positive change not only for ourselves, but for others…God is GOOD! ~ Karen R. ~ Personal Friend
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My salvation & that the Lord saves all my tears. He understands my heartache. ~ Jana J. ~ Personal Friend
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I’m thankful that this is only my “temporary home”. ~ Nancy T. ~ Personal Friend
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I am thankful for my husband, kids, friends, and especially old schools friends who always make me laugh! ~ Cynthia M. ~ Personal Friend
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I am thankful that my son and I have reconnected after almost 10 years of troubled times. This second chance for both of us is a precious gift. ~ Jenna Dee ~ Blog: Jenna Dee
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I am thankful for my husband and children and grandchildren – couldn’t ask for more. ~ Cate B. ~ Blog: Let’s Have Another Piece of Pie
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I am thankful that God never changes. He stays the same and is there each day we breath, read, think, and enjoy. Even when we breathe our last breath on earth, He is with us and accepts us to be with Him forevermore. ~ Mark S. ~ Blog: This Day With God
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Love ~ Earthbeone ~ Blog: The Book of Everyday Life…
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Have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving my friends!! If you have anything that you are thankful for and want to share it here, please feel free to do so!

The Most Important Part of the Body

Credit: Ron Sanderson

What do you think is the most important part of your body?

I recently came across this story on “Inspirational Stories for Your Soul” that I thought was intriguing and which raised a good question…what is the most important part of the human body? Can you guess what it might be? The answer may surprise…and inspire you!

My mother used to ask me what is the most important part of the body and, through the years, I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct answer.
When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us as humans so I said “my ears, mommy”.

She said “No, many people are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon.”
Several years passed before she asked me again. Since my last attempt, I contemplated a correct answer. So I told her “Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes.”
She looked at me and told me that I was learning fast but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind.

Stumped again, I continued my quest for knowledge and over the years she asked me a couple more times and always the same answer “No. But you are getting smarter every year, my young child.”
Then last year my Grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying. Even my father cried. I remember that especially because it is only the second time I saw him cry.

My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final good-bye to Grandpa.
She asked me “Do you know the most important body part yet? And I was shocked she asked me this now. I always thought this was a game between her and me.

She saw the confusion on my face and told me, “This question is very important. It shows that you have really lived in your life. For every body part you gave me in the past, I have told you that it was wrong and given you an example why. But today is the day you need to learn this important lesson.”
She looked down at me like only a mother can. I saw her eyes well up with tears. She said,
“Son the most important body part is your shoulder.” Was it because it held up my head?
She replied, “No, because it can hold the head of a friend or loved one when they cry. Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometime in life, my son.

I only hope that you have enough love and friends that you will always have a shoulder to cry on when you need it.”
Then and there I knew the most important body part was not selfish, it was sympathetic to the pain of OTHERS.
You are a friend and, whenever you want, you can cry on my shoulder!!!

People will forget what you said.
People will forget what you did,
BUT REMEMBER…
People will never forget how you made them feel.

A Heartwarming Picture Story of Friendship

A Heartwarming Picture Story of Friendship

After losing his parents, this 3 year old orangutang was so depressed he wouldn't eat or respond to any medical treatments. The veterinarians thought that he would surely die because of sadness.






        

The zookeepers found an old sick dog on the grounds in the park at the zoo where the orangutang lived and took the dog to the animal treatment center. The dog arrived at the same time that the orangutang was being treated.
 

The two lost souls have been inseparable ever since. The orangutang found a new reason to live and each animal always tried its best to be a good companion to his new found friend. They are together 24 hours a day in all their activities.



They live in northern California where swimming is their favorite past time...although Roscoe (the orangutang) is a little afraid of the water and needs his friend's help to swim.


Together they have discovered the joy and laughter in life and the value of friendship.

They have found a friendly shoulder to lean on. - Lon g Live Friendship!!!
I don't know...some say life is too short, others say it's too long, but I know that nothing that we do makes sense if we don't touch the hearts of others while we have the chance. May you always have Love to Share, Health to Spare, and Friends who Care....even if they are a little hairy at times :) 
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Author Unknown
Source:WWW
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.Note: In addition to writing my own blogs or stories, I also like to search for stories and other inspiring, motivating, or encouraging material from around the Web and other people. If you see an article, story, or photo that you have written or created and want it removed, please feel free to let me know. I try to give credit to the people and/or web sites where I find my information when I can

A Wonderful Story of the Value of Friendship

A Wonderful Story of the Value of Friendship

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some
point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand:
TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone:
TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE.

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?” The other friend replied “When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds
of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND

AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person,
an hour to appreciate them,

a day to love them,
but an entire life to forget them.

Do not value the THINGS you have in your life…

But value those WHO you have in your life!

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Author: RJI 

Source: rishikajain.com

Photo: Courtesy of wikipedia.org

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Note: In addition to writing my own blogs / stories, I also like to search for stories and other inspiring / motivating / encouraging things from around the World Wide Web. If you see an article or story that you have written and want it removed, please feel free to let me know. I do try to give credit to the people and/or web sites that I find the information when I can.

The King, a Mouse, and Their Friendship

This is the third and last story in my series of “Stories of Friendship.”

Life is short but the life of friendship is supposed to be long and everlasting. This short story of friendship makes you understand what friendship is and what you should keep in mind when someone offers you his or her friendship. You might already be familiar with this short story about friendship. If you are, you are advised to go and read it again. It will clarify the idea of friendship and make the concept of friendship clearer for you. In this story, you may find an important truth that you had not known until now.

The "King", a Mouse, and Their Friendship

jada-jada.blogspot

~ An Aesop fable ~
Once upon a time a Lion was sleeping in his den when a little Mouse began running up and down upon his body. This soon wakened the Lion.

Greatly angered, the ferocious beast placed his huge paw upon him, and opened his big jaws to swallow him.

"Pardon me, O King," the little Mouse begged for forgiveness: "let me go this time. What will you get if you kill me? Besides, who knows but what I may be able to help you when you meet some crisis someday?"

The Lion was amused at the idea of the little Mouse being able to help him. He lifted up his paw and let the mouse go. The little mouse thanked the lion and ran away as fast as he could.

Soon after this encounter, the Lion was caught in a trap laid by some hunters. He tried and tried to free himself from the terrible net of ropes that he was caught in. But all his efforts proved futile. He roared and roared in anger and helplessness. He knew that death was imminent. At the first light of the dawn, the hunters would arrive and carry him off to the King.

When the little Mouse heard the lion's cries, he immediately understood that the king was in some great danger. He ran fast in the direction where the lion's cries were coming from. Soon he arrived at the spot where the lord of the jungle was trapped. Seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was, the mouse went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the great beast.

The mighty lion understood that even the smallest creatures can be of help if the need arises. That day on, the lion and the mouse became the best of friends. They were always there for each other.

Never underestimate friends
This short story of friendship makes you understand what friendship is all about. One should never underestimate friends because of their size or position. We must be friends with all kinds of people, even with those who are inferior to us in size, rank or social status. This is the message that I hope you learned through this short story.  So, never ignore the offer of friendship from anyone whom you consider beneath yourself in any way. One never knows who may help you in your times of need.

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Life is AWESOME! Enjoy EVERY moment!

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Like my site? SPREAD THE WORD!!

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Note: In addition to writing my own blogs / stories, I also like to search for stories and other inspiring / motivating / encouraging things from around the World Wide Web. If you see an article or story that you have written and want it removed, please feel free to let me know. I do try to give credit to the people and/or web sites that I find the information when I can.

A Friendship in the Midst of Racism: The Jackie Robinson Story

This article is the second part of a three part series that I decided to write about friendship. This is a great story of a true friendship.

Racism is an ugly and repulsive belief that millions of people around the world still believe in this poisonous mentality. Therefore, it is always good to hear of stories of people who took a stand against racism despite what people thought of them. Today’s story is about two professional baseball players. One that had to face the evils of racism everywhere he went…and another who decided to show people how he felt about racism and be a friend to his teammate.

A Friendship in the Midst of Racism

whenitwasagame.com

Jackie Robinson was the first black to play major league baseball. Breaking baseball's color barrier, he faced jeering crowds in every stadium. While playing one day in his home stadium in Brooklyn, he committed an error. The fans began to ridicule him. He stood at second base, humiliated, while the fans jeered. Then, shortstop Pee Wee Reese came over and stood next to him. He put his arm around Jackie Robinson and faced the crowd. The fans grew quiet. Robinson later said that arm around his shoulder saved his career.

~ Leadership ~.

Same story different version:  One example of friendship remains with me as vividly as the moment I first heard of it as a boy. In his first seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson, the first black man to play Major League baseball, faced venom nearly everywhere he traveled--fastballs at his head, getting spiked on the bases, brutal epithets from the opposing dugouts and from the crowds. During one game in Boston, the taunts and racial slurs seemed to reach a peak. In the midst of this, another Dodger, a Southern white named Pee Wee Reese, called timeout. He walked from his position at shortstop toward Robinson at second base, put his arm around Robinson's shoulder, and stood there with him for what seemed like a long time. The gesture spoke more eloquently than the words: This man is my friend.

~ Willie Morris in Parade ~.

There are many people who are lonely, made fun of, and need someone to stand up for them…regardless what others say. So, be a friend... a real friend to someone today.

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Life is AWESOME! Enjoy EVERY moment!

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Like my site? SPREAD THE WORD!!

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Note: In addition to writing my own blogs / stories, I also like to search for stories and other inspiring / motivating / encouraging things from around the World Wide Web. If you see an article or story that you have written and want it removed, please feel free to let me know. I do try to give credit to the people and/or web sites that I find the information when I can.

A Heartwarming Story of Friendship: The Jesse Owens Story

I decided that for the next few blog posts, which I am going to share some great stories of friendships that I have found. When you read this (and other forthcoming stories), try to envision yourself in the environment and situation that these people were experiencing at the time. Hopefully, it will give you a “feel” of how they felt and why their story of friendship is so special.

A Heartwarming Story of Friendship: The Jesse Owens Story

blog.smithsonianmag.org

The 1936 Olympics was held in Berlin, Germany. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party had risen to power three years earlier and were already to spread their evil beliefs of racism and hate.  Hitler believed that the “perfect” person was from an Aryan race…a blue-eyed, blond haired, the perfect physique without any blemishes or handicaps.  

Hitler saw the Games as an opportunity to promote his government and ideals of racial supremacy to the world. The official Nazi party newspaper wrote in the strongest terms that Jews and Black people should not be allowed to participate in the Games. However, when threatened with a boycott of the Games by other nations, Hitler relented and allowed Black people and Jews to participate.

After much deliberation and debate whether or not to boycott the Olympics, the United States and other nations decided to participate in the Games.

One of the American athletes was a Track and Field star named Jesse Owens and he was black. Jesse Owens seemed sure to win the long jump at the 1936 games. The year before he had jumped 26 feet, 8 1/4 inches -- a record that would stand for 25 years.

As he walked to the long-jump pit, however, Owens saw a tall, blue eyed, blond German taking practice jumps in the 26-foot range. Owens felt nervous. He was acutely aware of the Nazis' desire to prove "Aryan superiority," especially over blacks. At this point, the tall German introduced himself as Luz Long. "You should be able to qualify with your eyes closed!" he said to Owens, referring to his two jumps. For the next few moments the black son of a sharecropper and the white model of Nazi manhood chatted. Then, Long made a suggestion. Since the qualifying distance was only 23 feet, 5 1/2 inches, why not make a mark several inches before the takeoff board and jump from there, just to play it safe? Owens did and qualified easily. In the finals Owens set an Olympic record and earned the second of four gold medals.

The first person to congratulate him was Luz Long -- in full view of Adolf Hitler. Hitler was furious and embarrassed. Owens never again saw Long, who was sent out to the front lines and was killed in World War II. "You could melt down all the medals and cups I have," Owens later wrote, "and they wouldn't be a platting on the 24-carat friendship I felt for Luz Long."  

~ David Wallechinsky in The Complete Book of the Olympics ~

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This is an amazing story of how a friendship trumped the hatred and racism of a nation and a crazy man’s ideology! How thankful are you of the friends that you have? Could your friendship(s) withstand the “storms” of life and the hard times that might come your way? How much can you go out of your way to be a friend to someone in unpleasant situations? REALLY good friends are hard to find…and if you have one…Be THANKFUL!

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“Prosperity begets friends, adversity proves them.”  ~ Unknown ~

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Note: In addition to writing my own blogs / stories, I also like to search for stories and other inspiring / motivating / encouraging things from around the World Wide Web. If you see an article or story that you have written and want it removed, please feel free to let me know. I do try to give credit to the people and/or web sites that I find the information when I can.