TWENTY TRUTHS TO REMEMBER
Author Unknown

  1.  Faith is the ability to not panic.

  2.  If you worry, you didn’t pray.  If you pray, don’t worry.

  3.  As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.

  4.  Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

  5.  When we get tangled up in our problems, be still…
God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.

  6.  Do the math.  Count your blessings.

  7.  God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

  8.  Dear God:  I have a problem.  It’s me.

  9.  Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.

10.  Laugh every day, it’s like inner jogging.

11.  The most important things in your home are the people.

12.  Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.

13.  There is no key to happiness.  The door is always open.

14.  A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.

15.  He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

16.  We do not remember days, but moments.
       Life moves too fast, so enjoy your precious moments.

17.  Nothing is real to you until you experience it, otherwise it’s just hearsay.

18.  It’s all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again.
       Just be sure to flush when you are done.

19.  Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage.
       The goals and dreams you’re seeking require courage and risk-taking. 
       Learn from the turtle — it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

20.  Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. 
       Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

       
Do any of these stand out to you?

Well, today is the first day of Spring … yes, it’s finally here … hark, I can hear those collective cheers from you, now!  We’ve been dealing with rain, rain, and more rain!  It seems to have stopped now, but we’ve had two straight days here in our area, and it’s been relentless!  We have had flooding all over the place here, even in places that don’t normally get flooded.  As I’ve said a few times today in commenting … we have a pond in our backyard, minus the fish!  I would have preferred snow, but our grass does look greener!  Green … a nice spring color, especially after the brownish/gray hues that we’ve been looking at for so long … I sort of feel like Dorothy when she woke up in the Land of Oz, or was it called ‘Munchkin Land’!  I haven’t seen that movie in awhile … a very long while!  It was one of my favorites as a very young girl.  I always wanted to ’represent the Lollipop Guild’!!  )

Don’t ya just love these guys?!

Moving on to a little more serious subject … we have a problem here with our next door neighbors, and maybe you could give me advice, or make some suggestions!  They moved in about 7 months ago, and we don’t know whether they bought the house, or are renting it.  Now keep in mind, this is a nice area, with a couple of sweet little family yard dogs sprinkled about … well, our new neighbors have recently acquired two very large dogs … brand name – ’Pit Bulls’!!  They leave them out in their backyard, each tied to a large old tree, yards away from each other, and they even left them in the pouring rain, continuously barking all day long!  I can’t figure out how they even have any vocal cords left at this point!  I don’t think they like each other very well, either … here’s why … when we came home from the antique show Sunday night, it was dark, and fairly late, we could barely see 3 people standing in their backyard, and these two dogs sounded like they were eating each other alive!  It really frightened me!  The fences in the yards around here are not very high, and, if they got loose, they could jump them without any trouble!  Well, that was the only night I’ve heard that ‘fighting’ going on, and I pray it will be the last! 

The people directly behind them have an adorable Sheltie named George, who looks absolutely petrified … he doesn’t run around in his yard like he normally does … just sits up next to his doghouse, or their garage!  Also, since they’ve been in the yard next door, I have seen nary a bird, or squirrel, at our feeder, or even in our yard this week!!  My cat has also been stressed, and doesn’t like sitting in the window as often now!  They certainly do not fit in this neighborhood, and someone is bound to complain! I’ve really had to pray hard regarding my attitude about this! I am thankful that they take them in at night, so the barking doesn’t keep us awake! We are praying … really praying, NOW, for a house, so we can move!  We are not too happy about this, but we don’t want to make enemies out of our neighbors either, especially since they own those ‘lethal weapons’!  We’re hoping George’s owners will call someone to complain so we won’t have to!  I don’t think they’re the kind of people who would put up with that for very long … they have young boys at home, who also play out in their backyard.  There are some other things that have happened that we are concerned about, so, if you were in our position, what would you do, short of moving?  I’m not being a very nice neighbor, am I?!  My husband did go and talk to them, once, about the welding he does that is really pulling on our electricity, and he didn’t seem too concerned, but they didn’t have the dogs then, either.  I’m just thankful I don’t have any little ones that would play out in the yard … they wouldn’t be able to as long as those dogs are next door!!  I hope you don’t think I’m complaining too much … we just need to get some advice on how to deal with this situation!  

Well, all of that aside, I hope you’re all having a blessed week!  My earache is gone now, and I so appreciated your prayers!  I’m hoping to get to the antique mall to restock soap today, or tomorrow.  I want to make some changes down there in the booth, and that might keep me busy both days. 

And finally, for you shutterbugs out there, go check out the photo contest and be sure to vote for your favorite set of ‘steps’ over @ iliveinmycamera … and also there are some pretty cute ‘faces’ to comment on over @ BetsaflyGallery!  Have a beautiful First Day of Spring!  So how are you going to spend yours?

Receive every day as a resurrection from death, as a new enjoyment of life; meet every rising sun with such sentiments of God’s goodness, as if you had seen it, and all things, new-created upon your account: and under the sense of so great a blessing, let your joyful heart praise and magnify so good and glorious a Creator.  ~William Law

Blessings,
~ Deborah <><