Great idea for Measuring Cups and Spoons

Love this idea!  I always have to dig through everything to find my measuring cups and spoons.  http://www.cleanandscentsible.com/

  

The Abundant Life

Taken from:  https://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/01/living-the-abundant-life?lang=eng

Exciting Update on Tabitha - Sharing for Smiles

Just wanted to thank everyone that has contributed to our "Sharing for Smiles Fundraiser". We were able to raise a good portion of Tabitha's dental lab cost's. Today we went to the dentist for a consult to see if we could get started with some of her work from the funds that we had raised. We actually still need to raise a bit more, but  are so excited to be able to contribute what we did today.  If anyone didn't get a chance to contribute, and  would like to at this point, just let me know.

The exciting part of this day is that, before we knew what was happening, Tabitha was in the chair getting 2 root canals to take away the pain from 2 teeth, and appointments were made in a week for her to get 4 more root canals on her front teeth. When she leaves the dental office next week, she will have a new smile of temporary crowns, and in 2 more weeks, she will have porcelain crowns on her front, and will be smiling from ear to ear.  We are both still in shock!!!!!! Yeah for our wonderful dentist his contributions have been huge.... performing miracles everyday for patients like Tabitha. What a great feeling!!!!

Thank you again for your generous contributions for Tabitha.  She will undergo other restoration work as well in the near future, a couple of bridges on the bottom teeth, and one on the top I believe, and some cavities to fill.   At present, our main focus has been to help fix the smile, take care of painful, infected  and urgent needs with her teeth, and then additional efforts will be made to do what is necessary to help her have a healthy mouth.  A huge thanks to each of you, and to our wonderful dentist for helping this miracle to happen.

 Marilyn

p.s. Just found this post that was saved as a draft, but never got posted.  I enjoy reading the feelings and emotions from this story, so will add it here.

So our incredible Christmas story continues to unravel.  Earlier I posted about a gal that I met through random circumstances, and how miraculously I was able to nominate her for a free dental service day at my dental office.  We attended the initial visit together.  She had 4 bottom teeth removed that were abscessed, broken, etc.  We were given the diagnosis, to replace her front teeth, and do 5 root canals.  This takes care of the urgent needs of just the top.  The cost of this is about $8,000.  The dentist offered to take care of about half the expense, and requested that I might try to look for donors or fundraise to help come up with the funds for this service.  He also asked if the gal. Tabitha would be willing to try to earn or save $1,000 to have ownership in this project

Living our Current Dream with Joy

I love to read a good book to get me motivated, and inspired to do that things that will make a difference in life, and give me the satisfaction and joy that I  always seek for.  I love the feelings that come with a healthy attitude; one of appreciation and gratitude.  Life always seems to present challenges that try to take me from this healthy state of mind, so I read, and pray as I gather inspiration from others and from God.

This week I have dabbled a bit in the book, "Life is Too Short for Sensible Shoes", by Connie Sokol.  This is a fun motivating read, from a gal with a lot of energy, and a good positive message.  I look forward to getting back to this book.  However, in this book she quoted Amanda Dickson's book, "Wake up to a Happier Life".  This book looked interesting so I ordered it on Amazon for $4, and have had a chance to read through part of it today.  Amanda talks a lot about finding joy in every job that we have whether it be a janitor, teacher, a mother, etc.  She states, "The easiest way to have more joy in your work is to pick work that speaks to your soul.  And this means work that speaks to our soul, not necessarily work that looks glamorous or that others would think is terrific or that makes a lot of money (although it may be all those things)".  She declares that we all make choices of how we fill our days.  We have chosen to be married, or chosen to be a mother.  These choices fill our day with responsibilities, and events.  We also get to choose if we go about these activities begrudgingly, or with a happy attitude.  We can find the smallest things of positive nature to brighten our moods, and bring joy into every situation.

Another quote from Amanda,"The soul wants to work, to be proud of the work we do, to think of the work we do with joy and energy...All work feeds the spirit, or all work can feed the spirit.  Even washing the dishes".  There is always a sense of accomplishment when hard work is done, and something hard is accomplished. 

Some of us, (and I am guilty of this), are always waiting for this project to be finished and then I will be happy, or let me meet this goal and then I will be happy.  Or maybe we fall short of our goals, and that is a reason to not be happy, because everyone around us seems to be more successful than we are.  I like this quote from Amanda as well.  "Remind yourself that this is the life you chose, that you are living your dream right now - until you have another dream - and then you'll live that one.  But for now, your dream involves this job, these kids, this car, this dirty carpet, and this weedy garden.  This is your current dream."  Let's get passed the negative dull-drums and express gratitude and find the simple joys that are occurring everywhere around us.

This is an interesting statement from Dean Sampano:

Recently in one of my seminars, I was asked the question, what is the secret to success and a happy life? I paused and took a moment to reflect on over the last 25 years of victories but some failures too and I said this:
So many people spend their whole life trying to find the secret to happiness but over the years, I have come to realize that it’s not about finding it’s about “Being!” You see, it’s not about finding the right women; it’s about “Being” the right man. I said it’s not about finding the right employees it’s about ‘Being” the right leader and perhaps most of all it’s not about finding the right friends, it’s about ‘Being” the right friend. For the truth is if you go out looking for great friends an success, they will always seem scarce but if you go and “Be” the right friend, you will find friends every where you go and then you won’t ever have to look for happiness or success, because they will be looking for you!
Dean Sampano
President, Mass Consultants Canada

 Take a minute today and look inside your own dream, and enjoy each day those things that are creatomg the events of your dream.  Remember to include things that you love and are good at.  These activities will fill you cup,  and refresh your mind as you go about your daily tasks.

Best wishes for a bright 2013.

Marilyn

Useful Advice

Some very useful advice here...  

 http://www.facebook.com/WellnessWithRose?ref=stream

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer Newspaper, Cleveland, Ohio.

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step..

3. Life is too short - enjoy it..

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and
family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7... Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9.. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11... Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it...

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye But don't worry; God never blinks.

16... Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to be happy. But it's all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't
save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23 Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will
this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive but don't forget.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does..

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38.. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd
grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have not what you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift

True Charity is Love In Action

"What is charity?...."the pure love of Christ" -- to be the opposite of criticism and judging.....charity that manifests itself when we are tolerant of others and lenient towards their actions, the kind of charity that forgives, the kind of charity that is patient....the kind of charity that impels us to be sympathetic, compassionate, and merciful, not only in times of sickness and affliction and distress but also in times of weakness or error on the part of others.  There is serious need for charity that gives attention to those who are unnoticed, hope to those who are discouraged, aid to those who are afflicted".

"True Charity is Love in Action"
                  (Thomas S. Monson, "Charity Never Faileth", Ensign , Nov. 2010, 122-23)

"Just for this week, I invite you to be aware of the available Kind Moments; smiling at someone who is rude, not telling a friend how another person was a pill, praying in the morning to know whom you can love.  Look in someone's eyes, see their story and share a kind word.  Look for the love, do the kind thing and bask in the joy."  (Life is Too Short for Sensible Shoes, Connie e. Sokol)