.......Next to Godliness!!!!!!!

When I write my book on the Meaning of Life, the first chapter will be titled, "Life is too short for Cheap Soap". That may seem like an unusual statement, but give it a few minutes to soak in.
Now, let me give you a clean perspective on the subject of soap.
An average bar of soap is cheap. A bar of soap lasts quite a while, depending on how much you use it. Years ago, a wise home-economics teacher told her classes to unwrap bars of soap, upon purchase, so that they would "dry out", harden and last longer. A great money saving tip. It probably saved her three or four dollars, over her lifetime.
Many women receive pleasantly scented bars of soap as gifts. Grandma used to keep the ones she was given in her dresser drawers to make her undies smell nice. Other women just keep gift soap, in the box or wrapper, until it doesn't smell anymore, or until they die. Just like the "good towels", nice soap rarely gets used.
Well, here's a news flash. Buy good soap and use it.
A really nice bar of soap does cost more than the grocery store variety. After all, you can always purchase 6 bars, for a couple of bucks. But, the benefits of a great bar of soap are worth so much more than the money you save.
Buying and using a great soap can make your whole bathroom, and you smell wonderful. Good soap is not a frivolous purchase, if you use it. I consider a good bar of soap a bargain vacation, a cruise. or a trip to Europe, that costs me, at the most, $6.00, every three months. It's a luxury anyone can afford. And, everyone deserves a bit of pampering.
A good bar of expensive soap is a cheap way to change your life.

Great and powerful God: You have given us life, and we need to be brave enough to live it. Why are we so afraid to be bold? Where is our Faith? Why is it so hard to trust in Your everlasting power and guidance?
Show us how to live our lives to the fullest. Teach us to be unafraid and to walk in Your shadow, loving others as You love us.

Sha Boom, Sha Boom!

Today was one of those "survival days". I'm sure you have had them, too. They don't come along very often, but when they arrive, you know it.
I couldn't decide on what to wear or what to pack for lunch. My stomach was upset, even before I left the house. My thoughts were along the lines of, "If I can just survive until lunchtime, maybe I'll just take the afternoon off and spend the rest of the day in bed."
Nothing major happened at work to perk up my attitude. The usual number of residents didn't remember to push their "check-in buttons" and my "regulars" ordered their weekly groceries on-time and in an appropriate manner. I registered quite a few folks for the Bingo Night, and the Doctor Day Appointments increased in a normal manner. I put postage on about a dozen bills and letters for residents, and posted a parking violation notice on a car parked in the wrong spot. Then, in fact, by noon, I was feeling pretty darn good.
Do you know what cured me of my "just-make-it-through-the day" attitude? It's really quite simple.
I quit thinking about myself and starting doing for others. When you are thinking about your own troubles and woes, life can be pretty overwhelming. But, when you put others and their needs ahead of your own.....voila'........Life can be dream, sweetheart.  Life can be quite wonderful.

Dear Lord, Thank you for showing me the way, today. Thank you leading me towards a better attitude. I am so blessed to be able to help my brothers and sisters.
I am a believer.

Randy Newman had it right!

When I hired on to my latest job, I agreed to do a great many things. My list of responsibilities is long and my goal is to do each item on the list, to the best of my ability. I work hard at doing my job.
However, it is a bit of a struggle to maneuver around a few testy challenges, during my work hours.
For instance, my feet don't touch the floor, when I sit at my work counter. My feet don't even reach the footrest of my tall chair. To my employers credit, I was recently given a nice foot stool on which to rest my feet, while sitting. But, it is still a challenge to climb into and out of my chair. Sometimes I feel like a mountain goat.
Another challenge is my reaching ability. When standing, I cannot reach to the front of the counter. I have twisted and turned, rearranged and adjusted all of my paraphernalia, to no avail. When I am  perched on my chair, I am suspended in air. I cannot reach anything but my computer, so I have to carefully dismount and then stand on my toes to reach the cash register or anything else located on the counter.
I don't mean to complain. It's a beautiful counter and a beautiful work place. My job is the best.
It just doesn't fit me.
I'm too short.

Dearest Lord. Life is full of challenges. Our job is to make adjustments. Most of the time adjustment is difficult. Teach us patience and perseverance and guide us on the path that leads to everlasting salvation. Show us how to love You and one another.

Eenie, Meenie...........

Every now and then I get a severe case of writer's blob. No, I didn't misspell that. That was not a misspeak. I meant to type.... blob.
Writer's blob is my term for when my mind is so full of things, about which to opine, that it is impossible for me to settle on only one subject. I just can't decide on what to write.
So, the solution is to just list my possible topic ideas, and I will let my readers take it from there. So, here they are:

• The weather....because it has been 100 plus, several times in the past few days. There is just so much to say about the weather.
• Fire Alarms......because we have been testing them and everyone complains about the sound. I just can't reason with folks about the safety of alarms.
• Wonderful old friends......because I met up with a few hundred of them at a recent event, and I was reminded of how much they mean to me.
• Mini vacations.......even if they last only one evening. A wonderful dinner, at a new restaurant, in a beautiful setting, is a great refresher of life.
• Frustration.........candy wrappers on the floor behind my desk. When 3 trash cans are within paces from the candy dish, why do folks contine to use the floor?
• Grandchildren.

There are more, but perhaps you can think about these topics and imagine the rest of the stories.

God: Life is a kaleidoscope of experiences and wonders. Give me the patience and intelligence to embrace the vastness of existence. I honor your presence in my life. I am truly blessed to know You.

Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalal............

I just got a phone call from Donald Trump, and I'm sure he had something important to say, but I hung up on him after a few seconds. Hillary Clinton appears, scowling, on the right side of my email inbox, each and every time I log in. She keeps asking me to follow her and contribute to her campaign, and I haven't. Once she even asked me to have dinner with her....for a price, of course. Bernie Sanders pops up occasionally, when I switch on a couple of the games I regularly play. And well, Facebook has had an assortment of candidates whining and pleading for my support from almost every page I open.
Enough already.
I am not going to make up my mind to vote for or against any candidate, for public office, by listening to a "sound bite" or watching a derogatory ad.
As Officer Friday said, "Give me the facts.....just the facts." I'll make an informed decision after I use my God given mind to rationally decipher what I find to be the truth, from all of the verbose garbage I see, read and hear.

God give me wisdom to know the truth. Grant me the patience to listen to those who insist on telling me their political views. Allow me to behave in a rational manner, even if I disagree with them all. Teach me tolerance. Show me how to exhibit mercy. Keep me calm.

Put on a Happy Face......or at least try.

It seems that every time I turn on the TV, I hear someone screaming in anger. At work there are folks who are always angry and frustrated at one thing or another.  With all of the anger in our world, no wonder there is so much unhappiness.
I truly believe that angry people are unhappy people.
But, sometimes I hear comments, like.....You know so and so is only happy when she is complaining. Or, he is happiest when he is angry.
That is just not true.
If you are thinking about your problems all the time or focusing on how unhappy you are, then you are just going to succeed at making yourself more miserable and more miserable. Miserable people are never happy.
Guess what? When you get your mind going in the right direction and put some of your energy into the good in your life (and we all have good in our lives), then you will experience some real happiness.
Happiness will give you peace.

Dear Lord. We are grateful for many things. How truly blessed we are to know that you will always be with us. Help us to embrace the good in our lives. Show us how to throw out our negatives. Grant us peace.

Sum-sum-sum-sum-sum-sum-sum-er-time. Summertime. Oh-oh-oh 0h."

Our friend from Vermont was stunned when the car thermometer read 99 degrees. He couldn't even imagine what he was seeing and experiencing. An hour or so later, that same thermometer topped off at 104.
Recently, after a dozen or so days of 90 degrees or more, our vibrant green, grassy lawns started to go dormant (that's burned out, brown and dead for you Yankees or Californians) and the potted flowers started wilting. No amount of artificial watering can stem a horrendous Midwestern hot spell. The natives were saying that June was not supposed to be this hot. The weather persons on TV were saying that we were having record breaking high temperatures.
Fast forward to today, July third. Flash flood warnings and record breaking cool weather. The soil in my flower pots is soggy and I had to jettison the extra water in their saucers. What a difference a day or so makes.
Welcome to the Great Midwest. And, this ain't Ohio! I'm talking Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nebraska and Iowa. We are what weather is all about!
As I sit here wrapped in my sweater (I refuse to allow my husband turn on the heat in JULY), I am contemplating the strangeness of Mother Nature. How dare we plan for a hot and dry 4th of July! We are not in control of the Universe. We are in control of very little and oh how upset we get when things don't go our way.
Buck up, cowpokes! Hang on to the reins and hold on for dear life. Life is a wild and unpredictable ride.

Good Lord: Sometimes this journey is tough. But, You never promised us a smooth and easy trip. As your children, we know that we can turn to You for comfort and assurance. Your arms are always wide open and welcoming. We praise You and welcome Your blessings.