Greetings all,
While I was doing my walking/jogging exercises this morning,I was listening to the sound track from"Crazy Heart" the movie.One of the songs started out with the title of this letter.I played the song over a few times and thought how appropriate a title for my life;"I Used To Be Somebody,But Now I Am Somebody Else".Let me explain.
I was born into a family of 7 children ,I learned fairly quickly that being independent was going to serve me much better than not.The independence slowly turned from a positive to a negative as I grew older. I thought I could do things by myself with out too much input from those closest to me.I made a lot of observations of other people,whom I considered worldly successful, and tried to emulate them for my own success.Certainly these people were "teachers"to me,whether they knew it or not.Using these observations my thought was,I knew best the direction of my family with out much opinion from anyone in it[including my wife].Bear in mind,this included NOT asking for,or listening to God's word BEFORE I made my decisions.I thought I was doing fine until that day that I accepted Jesus in my heart,Isn't it amazing how in an instant you know that God was always with you ,wanting you to choose His love and His truth in your life,over your selfish ,earthly led decisions.I quote from scripture:Matthew chapter 16 V26"What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul"I can tell you for a fact,that when you bring God into your heart,people around you can/will see the change in your words,as well as,actions.My decision making went from one of me to one of Him!My mother always said "Put God first and all the rest will follow".I should have been spiritually smart enough to realize the wisdom of that sentence many years before I actually did,however,when your not walking with God in your heart you cannot see the spiritual simplicity of His word!
I am thankful that God has allowed me to live long enough to "get it".I would ask each of you to look at the history of your life so far,did "You used to be somebody,but now your somebody else"?and if you are somebody else ,is it because you "got it" and God is in the forefront of your life leading you to everlasting eternity with Him?
Until next time ,with Christian love,Joe
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Who Are The People Changers?
Hi All,
I was visiting today with our neighbors,and sharing how my affliction[diagnosis of cancer]had become a blessing to me in several ways:
.Bringing me closer to God's Word.
.Sharing the name and love of our Lord Jesus as our Savior
.sharing many thoughts on cancer's treatment options.
.suggesting to people to make an INFORMED decision ,not TOTALLY relying on so called experts,of course praying to God for guidance.[I suggest this should be first on the list.]
Later on in the day I was thinking of all the people I've met,from the doctors,nurses,other patients, to the books written by authors who had lost loved ones to this disease,or had been diagnosed themselves, and searched for alternative treatments.
My point in this letter is to share with you that all of these folks are "People Changers";having said that,have you ever had a "People Changer" in your life?
I coined this phrase many years ago when I was doing motivational talks for various groups that were kind enough to ask me to share some of my life's experiences.
You must be asking what is a "People Changer"?;simply stated,it's a person that alters the decision you were going to make,even the course of your life by their input.Let me give you one,of many examples I have in my life.Many years ago ,when I was going to marry my first wife Diane,her Aunt Eve told me there was an opening at the JCPenney store and I should apply for the job.She told me to wear my best suit{Hello! I only had one!I was 20 yrs.old at the time.},fill out an application and ask to see the manager and tell him why he should hire me.35 years later I retired after a rewarding career with the Penney company.Aunt Eve was a "People Changer" for me!,bearing in mind ,if it wasn't for her ,I would never had gone to the Penney store.She literally changed my life's direction!I want you to reflect on your own life's experiences,I know without a doubt,you have had one or more "People Changers" in your life.The teachers/professors we have had certainly had the potential to change your vocational choices however,there is someone else that has changed your life's direction;they didn't think of themselves as a "People Changer",and I dare say, neither did you at the time.I want you to think hard,by the way,it could be a negative change,someone may have said something very negative to you and you changed course ,and now you have regrets,hopefully not,but it is part of life.Now that you realize you have had such a person in your life, the single biggest point of this letter is for each of us to realize we are all"People Changers",think of the influence you have on your children,spouse,family,friends,even strangers,by what we say or do and how we say or do it!You may not think this is true,however,sharing your life's experiences, good and bad, has the potential to change someone else's life.
I suggest that being a "People Changer" is a major part of our life's walk!I don't care what your station in life is.
Please reflect on this view point,I am sure you will see that this is so!
Until next time ,go out and change someone's life for the better!
With Christian love,Joe
I was visiting today with our neighbors,and sharing how my affliction[diagnosis of cancer]had become a blessing to me in several ways:
.Bringing me closer to God's Word.
.Sharing the name and love of our Lord Jesus as our Savior
.sharing many thoughts on cancer's treatment options.
.suggesting to people to make an INFORMED decision ,not TOTALLY relying on so called experts,of course praying to God for guidance.[I suggest this should be first on the list.]
Later on in the day I was thinking of all the people I've met,from the doctors,nurses,other patients, to the books written by authors who had lost loved ones to this disease,or had been diagnosed themselves, and searched for alternative treatments.
My point in this letter is to share with you that all of these folks are "People Changers";having said that,have you ever had a "People Changer" in your life?
I coined this phrase many years ago when I was doing motivational talks for various groups that were kind enough to ask me to share some of my life's experiences.
You must be asking what is a "People Changer"?;simply stated,it's a person that alters the decision you were going to make,even the course of your life by their input.Let me give you one,of many examples I have in my life.Many years ago ,when I was going to marry my first wife Diane,her Aunt Eve told me there was an opening at the JCPenney store and I should apply for the job.She told me to wear my best suit{Hello! I only had one!I was 20 yrs.old at the time.},fill out an application and ask to see the manager and tell him why he should hire me.35 years later I retired after a rewarding career with the Penney company.Aunt Eve was a "People Changer" for me!,bearing in mind ,if it wasn't for her ,I would never had gone to the Penney store.She literally changed my life's direction!I want you to reflect on your own life's experiences,I know without a doubt,you have had one or more "People Changers" in your life.The teachers/professors we have had certainly had the potential to change your vocational choices however,there is someone else that has changed your life's direction;they didn't think of themselves as a "People Changer",and I dare say, neither did you at the time.I want you to think hard,by the way,it could be a negative change,someone may have said something very negative to you and you changed course ,and now you have regrets,hopefully not,but it is part of life.Now that you realize you have had such a person in your life, the single biggest point of this letter is for each of us to realize we are all"People Changers",think of the influence you have on your children,spouse,family,friends,even strangers,by what we say or do and how we say or do it!You may not think this is true,however,sharing your life's experiences, good and bad, has the potential to change someone else's life.
I suggest that being a "People Changer" is a major part of our life's walk!I don't care what your station in life is.
Please reflect on this view point,I am sure you will see that this is so!
Until next time ,go out and change someone's life for the better!
With Christian love,Joe
Friday, September 10, 2010
Your Preparing For What?
Hi All,
I've been thinking this morning about all the things in our life we prepare for;some examples:
.Our 1st day of school
.our first school test
.Our 1st date
Our High School Graduation
.Our attending College
.Our Marriage
The list goes on and on,however ,in all our preparation how much time do we spend preparing for eternity?I maintain the single most important question to ask and find the truth of;IS THERE A GOD? If so,who is He/Her/It?and,how do I ensure my knowing Him/Her/It and spending a long,long,long time with Him/Her/It? We are going to spend eternity somewhere;the atheist believes the same place as before he/she was born,the agnostic"wherever",all others, with the God,spiritual entity they believe in.My intention today is not to list all the "God Beliefs"that are in our world,but,to suggest a starting point in answering that question of; HOW PREPARED ARE YOU FOR ETERNITY?
It's amazing to think that of all the human beings born into the world, only ONE said "I AM GOD",only one predicted He would come back from the dead and did it! That would be JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth.I contend you can save yourself a lot of time in your search in preparing for eternity by finding out if Jesus was telling the truth,or was He lying.My point is to start our search with the person who stated the most OUTRAGEOUS statement known to mankind"I AM GOD",who does He think He is??Exactly!I might suggest the Bible to be your first source for enlightenment,since God said "If you want to know Me,know my word"
I also,recommend Josh McDowell's"A Ready Defense For Christianity"His book is a research on all things that can be proven about the birth and life of Jesus and,like the Bible, how faith is the key to understanding all things beyond our human understanding.
I know my letter doesn't amount to a scintilla of anything on this subject;just a suggested starting point,however,let's all agree that when someone asks you "WHAT ARE YOU PREPARING FOR"shouldn't our answer be"I'm preparing for eternity?"
May God continue to bless you on your walk towards Him
with Christian love,Joe
I've been thinking this morning about all the things in our life we prepare for;some examples:
.Our 1st day of school
.our first school test
.Our 1st date
Our High School Graduation
.Our attending College
.Our Marriage
The list goes on and on,however ,in all our preparation how much time do we spend preparing for eternity?I maintain the single most important question to ask and find the truth of;IS THERE A GOD? If so,who is He/Her/It?and,how do I ensure my knowing Him/Her/It and spending a long,long,long time with Him/Her/It? We are going to spend eternity somewhere;the atheist believes the same place as before he/she was born,the agnostic"wherever",all others, with the God,spiritual entity they believe in.My intention today is not to list all the "God Beliefs"that are in our world,but,to suggest a starting point in answering that question of; HOW PREPARED ARE YOU FOR ETERNITY?
It's amazing to think that of all the human beings born into the world, only ONE said "I AM GOD",only one predicted He would come back from the dead and did it! That would be JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth.I contend you can save yourself a lot of time in your search in preparing for eternity by finding out if Jesus was telling the truth,or was He lying.My point is to start our search with the person who stated the most OUTRAGEOUS statement known to mankind"I AM GOD",who does He think He is??Exactly!I might suggest the Bible to be your first source for enlightenment,since God said "If you want to know Me,know my word"
I also,recommend Josh McDowell's"A Ready Defense For Christianity"His book is a research on all things that can be proven about the birth and life of Jesus and,like the Bible, how faith is the key to understanding all things beyond our human understanding.
I know my letter doesn't amount to a scintilla of anything on this subject;just a suggested starting point,however,let's all agree that when someone asks you "WHAT ARE YOU PREPARING FOR"shouldn't our answer be"I'm preparing for eternity?"
May God continue to bless you on your walk towards Him
with Christian love,Joe
Thursday, September 2, 2010
The Power To Walk Away ;The Power To Walk Toward
Hi All,
Today is a beautiful sunny day, with low humidity in S.West Fla. I just finished my 1 hour walk in the neighborhood.I was thinking about my "route" to take and started to reflect on the power that sits within each of us in determining the "WALK TOWARD OR AWAY FROM"decisions we make in our life.Upon reflection,every decision I made in my life,good or bad,was my responsibility and no others,my "free will"you might say.My blaming a bad decision on someone else has it's beginning all the way back to the time of Adam and Eve,remember the forbidden fruit?"She made me do it".
I can even say that part of the reason I have cancer is from the food and drink choices I made throughout my life;it is true I was ignorant to a great degree, on the adverse affects of sugar,preservatives and chemicals added to my food, and the later ramifications of those choices on my body;however,doesn't that bring home the responsibility we have to make an INFORMED decision!I find it interesting that even though I share the FACTS of what I have found out concerning the foods we put in our body, and how they are causing the United States Of America citizens to have more cancer,heart attacks and diabetes than any other country in the world,my family and friends who perceive themselves to be healthy nod their heads and continue to eat and drink exactly as before.The motto is "I'm sorry for you and glad it's not me",however, like many things in our life we don't want to walk towards healthy living by making the necessary changes in our eating habits to cause a positive change in our bodies.
I have found the same to be true in my spiritual walk.I WALKED AWAY FROM GOD every time I decided to WALK TOWARDS THE DEVIL to satisfy my sinful nature!Man,could I find excuses!To a great degree, isn't that the story of our life,the struggle to WALK TOWARDS GOD AND WALK AWAY FROM THE DEVIL?
Wouldn't you agree,the choices of what we put in our bodies should be based on the facts of the ramifications of that choice, then we accept the consequences good or bad.It is so true of our spiritual choices;God wants us to WALK TOWARDS HIS HOUSE,God wants us to choose Him.I/We might consider to remember this:
.Sin is selfish;God is selfless
.The devil hates us;God loves us.
.The devil wants us with him-eternal damnation.
.God wants us with Him-eternal salvation.
In closing,CHOOSE GOD'S HOUSE!
Until next time,God bless all of you on your journey towards Him,Joe
Today is a beautiful sunny day, with low humidity in S.West Fla. I just finished my 1 hour walk in the neighborhood.I was thinking about my "route" to take and started to reflect on the power that sits within each of us in determining the "WALK TOWARD OR AWAY FROM"decisions we make in our life.Upon reflection,every decision I made in my life,good or bad,was my responsibility and no others,my "free will"you might say.My blaming a bad decision on someone else has it's beginning all the way back to the time of Adam and Eve,remember the forbidden fruit?"She made me do it".
I can even say that part of the reason I have cancer is from the food and drink choices I made throughout my life;it is true I was ignorant to a great degree, on the adverse affects of sugar,preservatives and chemicals added to my food, and the later ramifications of those choices on my body;however,doesn't that bring home the responsibility we have to make an INFORMED decision!I find it interesting that even though I share the FACTS of what I have found out concerning the foods we put in our body, and how they are causing the United States Of America citizens to have more cancer,heart attacks and diabetes than any other country in the world,my family and friends who perceive themselves to be healthy nod their heads and continue to eat and drink exactly as before.The motto is "I'm sorry for you and glad it's not me",however, like many things in our life we don't want to walk towards healthy living by making the necessary changes in our eating habits to cause a positive change in our bodies.
I have found the same to be true in my spiritual walk.I WALKED AWAY FROM GOD every time I decided to WALK TOWARDS THE DEVIL to satisfy my sinful nature!Man,could I find excuses!To a great degree, isn't that the story of our life,the struggle to WALK TOWARDS GOD AND WALK AWAY FROM THE DEVIL?
Wouldn't you agree,the choices of what we put in our bodies should be based on the facts of the ramifications of that choice, then we accept the consequences good or bad.It is so true of our spiritual choices;God wants us to WALK TOWARDS HIS HOUSE,God wants us to choose Him.I/We might consider to remember this:
.Sin is selfish;God is selfless
.The devil hates us;God loves us.
.The devil wants us with him-eternal damnation.
.God wants us with Him-eternal salvation.
In closing,CHOOSE GOD'S HOUSE!
Until next time,God bless all of you on your journey towards Him,Joe
Sunday, August 15, 2010
What Is Time Tithing?
Hi All,
Is your boat/car your God?Is your money your God?Is your house your God?Are there other objects or activities that are your God?Let me explain.Most Christians know what financial tithing means:10% of all income to be given to the Lord.
"Time Tithing"is; do we give at least ten percent of our time to God?By the way,what a pitiful percent!However,don't be hasty to judge your time as being more than that!Let's review the available time we have in our life to do whatever we want.[By the way,this lesson of time spent was put on my heart several years ago when I was reviewing my spiritual walk compared to my earthly walk.]There are 24 hours in a day,most people work 8 hours a day 5 days a week, leaving 8 hours to sleep and 8 hours to do whatever we want.8 hours times 5 =40 hours Monday through Friday to do whatever we want.On the weekend we still have 8 hours to sleep each day leaving 16 hours each of these 2 days to do whatever we want.Stay with me;the math shows us that we have 72 hours each week to do whatever we want;if your retired you can add time to the equation, this is all about the use of our "free"time.If you go to church on Sunday,let's allow 2 hours to the Lord;that is, 1 hour to get to church and 1 hour for the service;I am being very generous!Let's do the same if you attend a week day service,2 hours to the Lord,and the same if you attend a weekly Bible study,2 hours to the Lord.Further, let's give ourselves 2 hours per week of personal prayer time.Now we will add up our time spent with the Lord;2hours Sunday,2 hours weekday service,2 hours Bible study,2 hours personal prayer time,for a grand total of 8 hours per week,IF YOU ARE DOING ALL OF THE ABOVE!!72 hours in each week to do whatever we want, 8 hours of actual time with the Lord=approximately 11.5 % of our available"free" time with the Lord.Now don't get too tied up in the math,I know God put this on my heart for me,however,ask yourself these questions:
.Do I go to church every Sunday?
.Do I attend a week day church service?
.Do I take part in a weekly Bible study?
.Do I spend personal prayer time with God?
God wanted me to compare my time with Him, to my time with the T.V.,fiction reading,outside activities,etc.etc.You/I can't be with God if we're watching/doing worldly things that have nothing to do with His word.
God says to pray and seek His face all the time.In other words;see Him and glorify Him in all you do.Is it God 10%,20%,30% 40% etc.I picture ,at judgement day,how I will feel when God asks"My son ,how much time did you give Me in the time you had available?"Think in your mind of looking at the face of God and------you pick your percent,then think of the feeling in your heart of your answer,is it one of joy?or one of OhOh?God wants us to choose His house.Think of how many times we decide not to be with Him,instead,we choose our earthly "gods".
The lesson for me,after this analysis ,was to recognize very quickly ,that my God was NOT the God of the Bible ,but the many earthly pleasure"god's" I had available in my earthly walk.
I hope your not where I was in your life,however,once again,if my weaknesses can strengthen you in seeing what you need to do to grow in your spirituality,than all glory to God!
Until next time ,God bless you,Joe
Is your boat/car your God?Is your money your God?Is your house your God?Are there other objects or activities that are your God?Let me explain.Most Christians know what financial tithing means:10% of all income to be given to the Lord.
"Time Tithing"is; do we give at least ten percent of our time to God?By the way,what a pitiful percent!However,don't be hasty to judge your time as being more than that!Let's review the available time we have in our life to do whatever we want.[By the way,this lesson of time spent was put on my heart several years ago when I was reviewing my spiritual walk compared to my earthly walk.]There are 24 hours in a day,most people work 8 hours a day 5 days a week, leaving 8 hours to sleep and 8 hours to do whatever we want.8 hours times 5 =40 hours Monday through Friday to do whatever we want.On the weekend we still have 8 hours to sleep each day leaving 16 hours each of these 2 days to do whatever we want.Stay with me;the math shows us that we have 72 hours each week to do whatever we want;if your retired you can add time to the equation, this is all about the use of our "free"time.If you go to church on Sunday,let's allow 2 hours to the Lord;that is, 1 hour to get to church and 1 hour for the service;I am being very generous!Let's do the same if you attend a week day service,2 hours to the Lord,and the same if you attend a weekly Bible study,2 hours to the Lord.Further, let's give ourselves 2 hours per week of personal prayer time.Now we will add up our time spent with the Lord;2hours Sunday,2 hours weekday service,2 hours Bible study,2 hours personal prayer time,for a grand total of 8 hours per week,IF YOU ARE DOING ALL OF THE ABOVE!!72 hours in each week to do whatever we want, 8 hours of actual time with the Lord=approximately 11.5 % of our available"free" time with the Lord.Now don't get too tied up in the math,I know God put this on my heart for me,however,ask yourself these questions:
.Do I go to church every Sunday?
.Do I attend a week day church service?
.Do I take part in a weekly Bible study?
.Do I spend personal prayer time with God?
God wanted me to compare my time with Him, to my time with the T.V.,fiction reading,outside activities,etc.etc.You/I can't be with God if we're watching/doing worldly things that have nothing to do with His word.
God says to pray and seek His face all the time.In other words;see Him and glorify Him in all you do.Is it God 10%,20%,30% 40% etc.I picture ,at judgement day,how I will feel when God asks"My son ,how much time did you give Me in the time you had available?"Think in your mind of looking at the face of God and------you pick your percent,then think of the feeling in your heart of your answer,is it one of joy?or one of OhOh?God wants us to choose His house.Think of how many times we decide not to be with Him,instead,we choose our earthly "gods".
The lesson for me,after this analysis ,was to recognize very quickly ,that my God was NOT the God of the Bible ,but the many earthly pleasure"god's" I had available in my earthly walk.
I hope your not where I was in your life,however,once again,if my weaknesses can strengthen you in seeing what you need to do to grow in your spirituality,than all glory to God!
Until next time ,God bless you,Joe
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Love Of A Brother/The Love Of A Father
Hi All,
Yesterday I went to the "Forest" to spend the afternoon sitting in a lawn chair, at the beach on the shores of Lake Huron, in my home town.A little background is necessary;I used to own a cottage in the Forest,thanks to my good friend Martha,who lived in the development, and told me about the "cute little house" for sale on her street.I bought it, had it renovated by another childhood friend Chuck O'Mara, including wiring,electric,turning the one car garage into living space with gas heater,you know,the things to make it comfortable for year round living.The total living area was only 800 sq.ft.,however,it was a terrific getaway in the winter,and a wonderful summer home, with the further blessing of having my family and friends close at hand.
I owned the home from 1995 to 1999,at which time I sold it to my younger brother Mike.The purpose of this letter is to share with you the background for the sale to my brother and how, up until yesterday,11 years later, I finally became peaceful over the sale and recognized the love of my brother for his son and family.
Mike was living in a bungalow on our brother Raymond's property, also on Lake Huron.I know Mike enjoyed being with Ray,however, the home was smaller than "the cute little house",didn't have a bedroom ,and was not well insulated.My blessings were many, I had a beautiful home in Findlay,Ohio,had purchased a condominium in Florida and owned the "cute little house"in the Forest.I thought how selfish of me to have so much,why don't I sell my "cute little house" to Mike,who was by himself at the time,for exactly what I had invested in the house,and "throw in" the furniture,in other words,bring your tooth brush and enjoy! Mike accepted the offer and was delighted in living there.[I love Mike ,that was the whole reason to sell the place to him,otherwise I wouldn't have sold it to anyone, a perfect arrangement]
The next thing I know,Mike sells the home to HIS son Mike,I'm thinking ,if he was going to do that,I should have kept the home!That thought always came up in my heart every time I visited Port Huron in the summer;until yesterday!I'm amazed how God will tell us the truth if we take the time to listen.Hear this,I knew that I did what I did through love for my brother,BUT,I NEVER thought of the love Mike had for his son and family,to give up his place through love,so his son could live more comfortably with his family!In other words,the selling of the "cute little house" was a BLESSING to Mike and his family,NOT something for me to regret;what an epiphany,11 years later!
In closing ,as you go down your road of life,remember,some things you view as a negative are in reality, a positive,maybe not in your mind,but in GOD'S HEART!
Until next time,God bless,Joe
Yesterday I went to the "Forest" to spend the afternoon sitting in a lawn chair, at the beach on the shores of Lake Huron, in my home town.A little background is necessary;I used to own a cottage in the Forest,thanks to my good friend Martha,who lived in the development, and told me about the "cute little house" for sale on her street.I bought it, had it renovated by another childhood friend Chuck O'Mara, including wiring,electric,turning the one car garage into living space with gas heater,you know,the things to make it comfortable for year round living.The total living area was only 800 sq.ft.,however,it was a terrific getaway in the winter,and a wonderful summer home, with the further blessing of having my family and friends close at hand.
I owned the home from 1995 to 1999,at which time I sold it to my younger brother Mike.The purpose of this letter is to share with you the background for the sale to my brother and how, up until yesterday,11 years later, I finally became peaceful over the sale and recognized the love of my brother for his son and family.
Mike was living in a bungalow on our brother Raymond's property, also on Lake Huron.I know Mike enjoyed being with Ray,however, the home was smaller than "the cute little house",didn't have a bedroom ,and was not well insulated.My blessings were many, I had a beautiful home in Findlay,Ohio,had purchased a condominium in Florida and owned the "cute little house"in the Forest.I thought how selfish of me to have so much,why don't I sell my "cute little house" to Mike,who was by himself at the time,for exactly what I had invested in the house,and "throw in" the furniture,in other words,bring your tooth brush and enjoy! Mike accepted the offer and was delighted in living there.[I love Mike ,that was the whole reason to sell the place to him,otherwise I wouldn't have sold it to anyone, a perfect arrangement]
The next thing I know,Mike sells the home to HIS son Mike,I'm thinking ,if he was going to do that,I should have kept the home!That thought always came up in my heart every time I visited Port Huron in the summer;until yesterday!I'm amazed how God will tell us the truth if we take the time to listen.Hear this,I knew that I did what I did through love for my brother,BUT,I NEVER thought of the love Mike had for his son and family,to give up his place through love,so his son could live more comfortably with his family!In other words,the selling of the "cute little house" was a BLESSING to Mike and his family,NOT something for me to regret;what an epiphany,11 years later!
In closing ,as you go down your road of life,remember,some things you view as a negative are in reality, a positive,maybe not in your mind,but in GOD'S HEART!
Until next time,God bless,Joe
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Did I Appreciate Her Enough?
Hi All,
As you know,I have been visiting with my family in Michigan for the last 3 weeks.My time has been focused on my 50 yr. class reunion and 2 weddings involving a nephew and a cousin,along with great laughter and sharing with my wife and family as we stay at my sister Kathy's and her husband Bob's house..Tonight I decided to go over to my brother-in -law's home for a swim in his pool.My younger sister Ann,to whom my brother-in -law Mike was married ,passed away very suddenly this past February.As it happened, he wasn't home and I had the pool to myself and some quiet time for reminiscing about Ann.I found myself reflecting on all the things my sister meant to me in my life;and now to the crux of this letter,did I appreciate the core of what she was as a fellow human being enough?Bear in mind I'm NOT talking about ALL she was,not the pimples,but the true goodness of her "core" heart.Ann was the steady beat of her marriage's heart,the reason for so many family gatherings at their house,the "words of wisdom"always being asked of her by the female members,family and friends. [We men rarely ask for anyone to glimpse our doubts,fears,etc]the "lets get it done"attitude,the number of times she was asked to be "Godmother"to family ,as well as,friend's children,the confidence shown by her clients[she owned a styling salon for many years]in sharing very personal information knowing she wouldn't betray their trust.
Ann NEVER said no to any one that asked for her help,her being was one of total giving.
I wonder how many of us concentrate on that special difference of the heart of those that are part of our walk in life;certainly to include those closest to us,spouses,siblings,aunts,uncles,cousins,friends,etc.Compared to how many times we focus on the "flaws" and gossip about the perceived weaknesses,what a waste of our time and the missing of seeing the core heart of those who truly reflect,during most of their life,love as God demanded"love your neighbor as yourself".
I miss my sister and tonight I shed a few tears because of her passing,and am comforted with great faith that she is with our Father in Heaven.In closing,can't we all learn to accept and enjoy the goodness of those that love us 100% of the time and not be bothered by their human frailties,by the way, we all possess weaknesses.
I know Ann knew how much I loved her,I am only thinking of the time wasted by not seeing what she was so ready to offer me if I had only looked for it 100% of the time.
Until next time,God bless all of you,Joe
As you know,I have been visiting with my family in Michigan for the last 3 weeks.My time has been focused on my 50 yr. class reunion and 2 weddings involving a nephew and a cousin,along with great laughter and sharing with my wife and family as we stay at my sister Kathy's and her husband Bob's house..Tonight I decided to go over to my brother-in -law's home for a swim in his pool.My younger sister Ann,to whom my brother-in -law Mike was married ,passed away very suddenly this past February.As it happened, he wasn't home and I had the pool to myself and some quiet time for reminiscing about Ann.I found myself reflecting on all the things my sister meant to me in my life;and now to the crux of this letter,did I appreciate the core of what she was as a fellow human being enough?Bear in mind I'm NOT talking about ALL she was,not the pimples,but the true goodness of her "core" heart.Ann was the steady beat of her marriage's heart,the reason for so many family gatherings at their house,the "words of wisdom"always being asked of her by the female members,family and friends. [We men rarely ask for anyone to glimpse our doubts,fears,etc]the "lets get it done"attitude,the number of times she was asked to be "Godmother"to family ,as well as,friend's children,the confidence shown by her clients[she owned a styling salon for many years]in sharing very personal information knowing she wouldn't betray their trust.
Ann NEVER said no to any one that asked for her help,her being was one of total giving.
I wonder how many of us concentrate on that special difference of the heart of those that are part of our walk in life;certainly to include those closest to us,spouses,siblings,aunts,uncles,cousins,friends,etc.Compared to how many times we focus on the "flaws" and gossip about the perceived weaknesses,what a waste of our time and the missing of seeing the core heart of those who truly reflect,during most of their life,love as God demanded"love your neighbor as yourself".
I miss my sister and tonight I shed a few tears because of her passing,and am comforted with great faith that she is with our Father in Heaven.In closing,can't we all learn to accept and enjoy the goodness of those that love us 100% of the time and not be bothered by their human frailties,by the way, we all possess weaknesses.
I know Ann knew how much I loved her,I am only thinking of the time wasted by not seeing what she was so ready to offer me if I had only looked for it 100% of the time.
Until next time,God bless all of you,Joe
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